The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-03-03
Bill To Make Lands Eligible
To Federal Loans.

Mr.. Magee also quotes House Bill
1882: "To Provide for the Applca-
ton of, the Reclamation Law to Irri-
cation Districts" This is bill pend
ing in congress and sponsored by the
Minidoka Irrigation district, and its |
sole purpose is to make project lands |
patented under the reclamation act eli |
gible for federal farm loans. There
seems to be good reason why this
bill should pass as by its provisions it
will place lands patented under the
reclamation act in the same position
as to obtaining farm loans as are other
| lands in irrigation districts. The bill
has nothing whatever to do with the
collection of assessments under an ir-
] rigation district and does not change
the truth of my statement to which
Mr.. Magee objects, namely, "all lands
i under the project operated under All
irrigation district will be compelled to
pay just proportion of the costs and
expenses Somewhere between 5000
and 10000 acres Of land in the Payette
Boise project are not now bound to
pay costs which would be bound I'M
der an irrigation district and to that
extent lower the average cost per acre.
Overhead Costs Charged Only On
Work Done BY The Government.
AS to overhead costs being charged
/ by the government to irrigation dis
trcts, the paragraph from the Black
Canyon Irrigation District contract
quoted by Mr.. Magee provides that
where work is done for the district by
, the government, this work shall in
clude proportionate part of the over,
q head costs I assume that neither Mr.
p Magee nor any water user is objectine
4 to paying for such work as may b.
g done by the United States government
r This work, except drainage, is nov
4 pretty we'll completed in the Payette
s Boise project, and whenever the set
6 project there will be no overhea
: charges to be paid to the government
n for the work done by the district. II
this case the cost of operation woul
be up to the district management il
4 self and if this operation can be don
. more cheaply by the district, as woul
4 seem probable, that benefit will accru
to the water users themselves. AS
I matter of fact, the formation OF an II
rigation district does not automaticall
j take over the operation of the district
. This may or may not be done in a.
Z. cordance with the desires of the di
ltrict and their contract with the Unite
States government For example. {
the North Side Mnidoka project II
district has itself taken charge of Il
y operation and on the South Side Min
n doka project the government has COZ
e tinued to operate in accordance wit
u the wishes of the settlers.
Benefit of An Irrigation
District.
he The great benefit to come from II
On formation of district is that whic
o. arises from having legally organize
a corporation which, under the laws
at the state and the decisions of Il
at courts, has become the accepted for
he for the ownership and control of irl
ain cation projects.
lly Because of the development of t
of irrigation district law, which is nc
the accepted form of irrigation ownt
ia ship in all the western states, it is nc
no more reasonable to attempt to r
in an irrigation district by means of
by private corporation than it would
or to attempt to run school district
md means of a joint stock company
an stead of the established form of scho
MS district organization.
ties Powers of a District.
The district would have all the pc
ing ers of assessment that could posi-
to be had by the association, with est;
of lished legal methods of collecting
the same. 1t has the power of issu
'rn- bonds or of contracting with the I
ion ted States government for the Blu
no ing of works and obtaining the
low terms because of its power to pl
cia- the assets of the district behind
lga- bonds or contract.
OF Drainage.
act The important and urgent prob
en'' for us to consider is that of drains
rie' Under the present condition the
rae' ISOLATION has but one method of |
rae' viding for drainage, that is by ass
nent ,ro,t 90 that the drainage NAV I've
for in advance, This method has
tried and has failed as probably
Se'' more than twenty per cent of the
any sessments have been paid, and the
of n -.