The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1922-02-08
Asks People To
Decide Matters
Thomas Williamson Wants Referen-
dunn on Irrigation District Ques-
tions at Annual Election
ATTACKS CLIQUE" ACTION
AT RECENT MASS MEETING
Proposes Questions to be Voted On
BY Water Users April 4; Sug-.
gests Australian Ballot

A request that the water users of
the Newlands irrigation project ex-
press opinions on eight questions of
Importance to the reclamation work
and to the local projects made In
signed communication to the STAN
dard from Thomas Williams n,
member of the district irrigation
board. The letter is as follows:
The peculiar action taken at the
meeting of water users held jan
uary 2Sth requires some interpreta-
tion toexplain what was really the
sentiment of the meeting. Instead
of allowing the meeting to take an
orderly course and to express It
self clearly and without confusion
on the questions which 1t was called
to decide, a noisy minority, with
perverted sense of sportsmanship,
attempted to control the meeting
and so confuse and befuddle the
voters that the real sentiment of the
meeting would not be expressed.
The one result that stands out
clearly is that the sentiment Of the
meeting was overwhelmingly oppos-
ed to the things desired by the sup
porters of and the spokesman for
the project manager and his clique.
The voters did not desire to con-
denim the board of directors but
were prevented by the confusing
wording of the motion from express
ing disapproval of some Of their acts
without including all. The minori-
ty made a clever but desperate at
tempt to make the meeting express
what it did not wish to express,
blanket approval of the board, and
only succeeded in discrediting them
selves and the board by getting a
blanket disapproval.
The writer admits that his side
of the question was poorly present.
ed and lacked the smooth program
ing, experienced teamwork and
tricky parliamentary tactics exhibit
ed by the opposition. 1t was the
old story of amateur versus profes-
sional
A close observer could easily
judge the sentiment of the meeting,
but the rather indecisive way In
which it was expressed was unfortu-
nate as giving room for wrong in
terpretations. Two difficulties in
the attempt to obtain a true express
sion of sentiment were pointed out,
first, the small proportion of the
elecors in attendance at even a large
mass meeting, and second, the hesi-
tation or fear of many to exhibit
their .rue sentiments by an open
vote or even by free speech on the
floor.
To eliminate these difficulties the
writer now proposes practical
method of getting an accurate ex-
preston or referendum on all ques-
tions at issue and hereby challenges
his opponents to submit their con-
tentions to the decision of the vot-
ers. On April 4th next there will
be held an election fer the naming
of four directors. The proposed
plan of referendum is to hold an
unofficial election at the same time
and in the same manner as the reg
ular election, at which an advisory
vote may be taken ON any question
at issue. There would be an un-
official Australian ballot and a sep
arate ballot box with all the safe
guards of proper registration, check
ing of votes and count, and secrecy
of balloting, that applies to the reg
ular election. The details of this
unofficial election could be easily
handled by having the local Farm
bureau in each precinct take charge.
appointing an election board to see
that it was fairly and honestly con-
Quoted. There would be only a
trifiing expense involved and no time
lost by the voters. The positive
value of full and free expression
of the ovters' wishes would far out
weigh the cost and trouble of such
an election.
Some of the questions that the
writer would like to submit to such
a referendum are the following:
l. Do you favor congressional
investigation of the feasibility of the
Reclamation plan, and of the poll