The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-06-13
WRITER THINKS
SOME SUNSHINE
WOULD BE HELP
Why Not Boost? Asks
Water Users Attorney
In Challenging State
ments in The Tribune.


entitled Shifting Sands, we find
much food for thought.
First you state that from the stand
point of pure business there is every
reason to hope for success from the
scheme to capitalize the projects de-
linquent indebtedness" Again you
say "the idea is economically sound"
If the idea is economically sound, why
Why do you, by process of reasoning
from assumptions, seek to destroy the
hope that the farmer has that our idle
dredges may be put to work reclaim
ing the seeped lands3
Why draw a far-fetched conclusion
from the fact that the reclamation
service advances money for operation
and maintenance of bitches to be re-
paid at the end of the. year by the
settler, that the reason it does not also
advance money for drainage and col
lect it back in the same way is due
to doubt of its ability to collect such
moneys as are spent for drainage?
Why not accept the statement put out
by the Reclamation Service that it is
short of funds and that that is the
reason why the same policy is not pur-
sued with reference to drainage
charges?
rs it not fair to assume that the
charges for ditch riders, for cleaning
the ditch, and for other necessary ex
pense is first provided for because of
the greater acreage absolutely depend
ent upon such service and its greater
relative Importance? When money is
short needs must be that some items
of expense must wait and others be
preferred
Does the writer OF shifting Sands"
believe that the United States repre-
scented by E. c. Finney, acting Secre-
tary of the Interior was deliberately
deceiving and attempting to put some
thing over on the settlers OF the Boise
Project when he signed his name
to paragraph 10 of the contract of
July IL, 1921 which reads as follows:
ct is agreed and understood that
all future drainage work on the con-
structed unit of said Boise Project
shall be provided for by operation and
maintenance charges to be announced
from time to time by the Secretary of
the Interior as operation and mainten-
ance charges for drainage purposes,
and assessed against all project lands
in the constructed unit. or first unit
of the project. The operation and
maintenance charges for drainage pur-
poses coming coming due and payable
in 1921 shall be One ($100) Dollar
per acre. of which Fifty cents (5oc) per
acre shall come due and payable April
l, 1921, and Fifty cents (50c) per acre
on October l, 1921, and the Associa-
ton, on behalf of itself and its share
holders, stipulates and agrees to the
payment of the charges so announced
for drainage purposes as proper OPP
Grafton and maintenance charge, and
the Association guarantees the pay
ment of the said drainage charges SO
announced against its shareholders by
the Secretary of the Interior, and will
use all the powers and resources of the
Association to asst tn officers of the
United States in the collection of the
same, or to itself collect and pay the
same to the United States, the funds
so paid in for drainage purposes to BIZ
expended under the direction of the
Secretary of the Interior in the con-
struction of drainage works on the
constructed unit of the Boise Projec
beginning with those portions of the
project where in the opinion of the
engineer in charge of the said project
after counseling and advising with the
Board of Directors of the Association
the drainage is considered to be most
urgently needed"
Again on May %. 1922, just a few
days ago, Director Davis in a letter
over his own signature to L. J. Ma.
gee, says as follows: "You are advised
that the Reclamation Service has au.
thorized no representation to the eff
feet that the public notice of Febru-
airy is, 1921, providing for the pay
ment of certain drainage charges, i:
not legal or that the charges therein
should not be paid; nor have we en-.
couraged in any manner an effort 'to
disrupt and destroy the Payette-B Boise
Water Users Association and to Great,
an irrigation district out of the projec
land of the Boise project. "
The Supreme Court of the United
States in Swigart VS.. Baker (22o U. S
1877 uses this language:
"The secretary of the interior has
authority to levy and collect assess