The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-08-24
GET THE GOOD OUT OF 1T

The very candid story concerning
the Warmsprings Irrigation dis
trict which the Portland Telegram
printed under the name of it's staff
writer, Henry Hanzen will be a
great injury or a blessing just as
the people within the district deter
mine.
The statements concerning the
financial condition of the district
were quoted from memorial which
the directors themselves prepared
and had sent forward to Represen-
tative Sinuott as the basis for be-
ginning an appeal for Congressional
relief. Since they made these state
ments themselves they cannot now
condemn the Telegram for publish
ing them. We believe that they
were printed in the Vale Enter
prise at the time the memorial was
prepared, and thus were given to
the public and any of the metropol-
itan papers might at that time have
secured them.
Since the directors of the Warm
springs in their Memorial to Con-
gress related their financial status
and thus it can not Abe disputed,
the thing to be done is not to con-
denim the Telegram for printing the
story which the directors themselves
made public; but to make definite
effort to place the people of the dis
trict upon a permanently profitable
basis.
This is the one hope of salvation.
1t has been proven that improved
agriculture will save a situation as
desperate as the Warmsprings di-
rectors admit theirs to be. The OBJ
ject lesson is not so far away that 1t
need be disputed; 1t can be found
down at jerome and Wendell, Ida
no where through the introduction
of the dairy COW r. E. Shepard
manager of the North Side Twin
Falls Tract has already strength
that district in less than a year.
Furthermore though hundreds of
cows have been placed in the hands
of ranchers there, more are to fol-
low.
From a region which secured lit
tie or nothing from dairying there
is being paid every day to the farm
ers of that tract $1,000 and they
plan to increase this to $4,000.
With their present income the set
tiers are beginning to see daylight
from the proportion set aside from
each cream check to pay for the
cows originally purchased these
animals are now, in majority of
the cases, the property of the ranch
ers.
Mr.. Shepard faced a problem as
difficult of solution as that of the
Warmsprings. In solving it he has
done the district and the entire
state of Idaho a real service. He
has led the way to stabilized agri-
sections. The Warmsprings Dis
trict can do the same thing for NAL
heur county, Oregon. We believe
that should the Warmsprings Dis
trict secure for the management of
its affairs a man of Mr.. Shepard's |
vision and ability 1t can turn its |
present predicament into a blessing |
and serve not only itself and its peo-
pie, but the entire county and state. |
Such a procedure calls for hard |
work and perhaps years of effort,
but 1t will be worth while Nothing
else will suffice. 1t is needless to |
observe that though the form of the !
obligation be changed and the gov
ernment enter the field. still the
bonds are out against the project,
the cost must be paid from the pro-
ducts of the land. If more favor
able terms can be secured by gov
ernment cooperation of course the
people should endeavor 10 secure
that aid. and are justified in so do
ing This however. should not be
the only plan followed or depended
upon.
Efforts should be made now to as
sist the settlers on the lands to sue
ceed so that others will be attracted
to settle beside them, This is the
hope OF all this region, The Warm