Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-04-15
MEETINGS HELD TO
FORWARD AMERICAN
FALLS DAM PROJECT
Upper Snake River Valley
Being Urged to Form a
Big Irrigation District to
Finance Reservoir.

During the past week meetings
have been held in the upper Snake
river valley in order TO furnish all
available information to stockhold-
ers OF irrigation companies respect
ing the formation of the proposed
super-district as means OF financing
The American Falls project, accord
ng to a bulletin just issued by the
Idaho Reclamation association.
These meetings have been con-
fined to companies that had con-
racted Fer storage water in the
american Falls project and on the
strength of whose contracts the gov
yrnment proceeded with the work
until the delinquency as to payments
covered such long period 1t was
announced officially that the project
would be abandoned by the govern
ment unless payment were made. In /
order to make il possible for these
companies to meet their obligations
the big district plan was devised.
Everywhere meetings have been
held there has been unanimous de-
sire expressed that the great reser-
voir project be constructed, says the
bulletin, THE only division was as
to means of financing, some alvocat
ing independent districts. The
opinion in each company needing
storage water, as reflected at the
meetings, twas that the big district
plan was the most desirable from
the standpoint of financing and
economy. II was explained, how
ever, that an independent district
could provide storage water by d.
rect contract with the government
providing 1t was formed in time and
could finance itself The big dis
trict plan received 80 per cent or
better support at the meetings from
those needing storage water
"The petition asking that an
election be called to give the people
of Snake river valley an opportunity
to vote on the question of organizing
the big district is being circulated,
April 25th has been set as the date
for filing IT,
'The petition is merely legal
preliminary. 1t is being generally
signed In order that the important
subject may be disposed Of by the
vote of the land owners. Twenty
five per, cent of the territory en-
braced In the proposed big district
must be represented on the petition,
or approximately 100000 acres.
During the week Congressman
Addison T Smith wired the associa
tion that the appropriation for town
site work at American Falls has
been reinserted in the department
ulils ~ Hdu DttH tllHllldJcu pIi
point Of order
This appropriation will not be
used, however, until 1t Is definitely
known the canal companies will
participate In the construction of
the reservoir The result OF the big
district campaign will determine
that. NJ the financing plan goes
through, the government will have
It's money available as to the town
site and for other purposes II the
plan fails the government will with
liaw and the American Falls pre-
ject will collapse. Nothing has been
done there for some time and moth
ing Is being done pending the out
come OF the campaign.
"The action on the townsite ap-
preparation is In line with Secretary
Falls promise to proceed with con-
struction of the reservoir only on
condition that the canal companies
make good. No doubt the secre-
tary used his influence to have the
item re-establlshed in the bill so
he would be in position to fulfill his
promise In case the companies found
a means OF financing their end of
the undertaking.