Payette enterprise., 1923-12-27
.GOOD|NG PLEADS
FOR LOWER WATER

! Washington, ID. C.-Senator Good
ing appeared before the Fact Find
ing Commission and discussed with
them the resolutions passed by the
Boise-Payette Water Users Associa-
tion and a statement furnished by
the Southside Unit of the Minidoka
Irrigation Project.
The Senator showed conclusively
that there had been very little de-
fault in payments up to 1920 on the
Idaho projects, practically every set
tier had been able to meet his obli-
cations, and it was not until the
crisis swept over agriculture in 1920
that the irrigation projects showed a
great delinquency in payments.
Senator Gooding reviewed the COM
mission on the Boise Project at some
length and showed the Commission
that the prune crop, as far as the
growers were concerned this year,
was an entire loss, and that other
crops had paid but little above
freight charges. He called the
Comm ibson's attention to the fact
that it cost something over 5000 to
ship carload of prunes to market
from Idaho. Whole train loads of
prunes had been shipped out of Ida
ho which brought the railroads from
thirty to thirty-five thousand dollars
in freight, but not dollar to the
grower,
The Senator said there had been
a general complaint for a number of
years of water shortage nuder the
plant of the Minidoka Pro-
ject. The shortage, he said, had Sc
riously affected the ability of all
those under the pumping plant to
meet their obligations to the Gov
eminent,
The Senator told the Commission
he believed where it could be shown
beyond a reasonable doubt that the
settlers had been induced to settle
IN Government irrigation projects
with the understanding that the
water was to cost them between $40,
md $26, an acre, as is shown by
'ecords of the Reclamation Service
vas the case, on both the Minidoka
md the Boise Projects, some reason
BILE reduction should be made in the
'resent construction charge of S55.-'
20 that the settlers are now forced to
'ay on the Southside Pumping Unit
# the Ninidoka Project, and $77.44
N the Boise Project,
Senator Gooding insisted that the
ettfsrs on-the GovernmE RecIanIH.
ion projects were not responsible
or the present conditions which
lade it impossible for them to meet
heir obligations to the Government,
nd insisted that the settlers would
ave to be given an extension of
-me, and that the payments on con-
truction charges should not be more {
nan per cent a year.
Owing to the serious condition of d,
ome Of the projects, he said, some d.
them would require even a lighter :
large than per cent for a few :.
ears to enable them to meet on in =,
'eased Indebtedness that had ac- =
in the last few years.
The statement furnished by the :,
ater users on the Southside Unit of
e Minidoka Project shows that all
e banks save one on the Southside
lit of the Minidoka project have
lied, the loss to the farmers approx Il
ating S1,500,000, very little of Of
lich they can recover. During r.
II, 1922 and 1923 the farms of
s project have been operated at
S, due mainly to high freight rates, =
prices of farm products and high !.
ces Of farm supplies and farm +
or. While the crop of 1928 was +
ter than those of the two pre- +
ing years, even the last chop was ].
marketed at prices that will +
BILE the farmers to pay off their !
cation to the Government, and !.
e substantial relief must be ex- /
led +
of the Reclamation Office !.
W that 1000 acres on the South !.
Pumping Unit of the Minidoka I
1ect once farmed have been aban, +
ed and are fast going back to a I
'rt condition. Out of the $50 farms Z
this unit, over $50 have been I
to the farmers through fore +
ure. One mortgage company !
perating or receiving the crops Z
40 farms, and the school census +
VS. that approximately 240 famil- !
have moved away. Z
'nator Gooding discussed in de- /
the statement furnished him +
the Fact Finding Commission, !
n gave the freight rates and the I.