The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-06-26

make some substantial sacrifices to
save the millions of dollars worth
of crops below that are now at the
critical stage. When Rome was
burning, an emperor fiddled, but
when Jerome is burning, every irri-
gator felt that it was wrong for him
| to withhold water If he could rea-
sonably spare it..
Reasons for and Against.
Here are all of the objections
that were brought out against pool
ing and donating the water:
They are part of the unit of the
lower valley that has been taking all
the unclaimed water and storing it,
They have been competitors and still
are competing for the title to all
doubtful waters.
At the time of the annual cleo
tion of the water commissioner, they
vote for one man and most of us in
the upper valley vote for another
They seek control and so do we. Why
should we come to the rescue when
water is scarce?
If we donate some of our water
this year, may they not come back at
us in future litigation and introduce
the records to show that we had
water to spare in 1924 and use that
against us?
In the division of losses by seep-
age and evaporation of waters in |
transit from Jackson lake, have they |
not made us stand losses that we did |
not admit were right? Have they
not had some of our water every |
year?
Have they not given us a great
deal of trouble? Did they not come
in and start farming, knowing the
water conditions, knowing they had
these defective water rights?
If we donate them the water for
two days, who is going to see to it
that we get 1t back on time, the
stream again turned down our own
canals at the end of the two days?
Here are the principal answers to
the above questions and the reasons
advanced for pooling and donat-
ing:
1t is true they have been claiming
all unclaimed waters that they could
get. They built a reservoir $50
miles up the river to store the floods
and they settled on a high desert
plateau that we had a chance to
AXE and did not want. They took
he waste land and wasting waters,
spent their own good money to our .
advantage in developing these re-
sources, and when the irrigation Of
ice at Idaho Falls shut them off and
old them they were done for the
,ear they accepted the situation and
aced the failure. They did not ask
or this loan. They would be awful
y glad to receive it, but it was men {
# the upper valley who were
In their behalf and asked
or this arrangement.
At the time of the annual elections :
hey vote as a unit for the man they
refer, and If the men of the upper 4
alley voted as unit, there are en- #
ugh of us to control the situation. II
he reason they control the elections Il
5 that we cannot agree among our |E
elves and some of our people vote |E
With them and thus take the control Il
way from us. That Is not a good lE
eason for withholding our aid in Il
he time of drouth, but it does af- IE
ord us good chance to show them IE
hat we are good sports, and to re- lE
ute the oft-repeated reports that we IE
re selfish and that we steal their E
vater. lie
AS to weakening our titles to the lie
vater in case of possible litigation, lie
UGH points have been brought up In lie
ourt and it was held that to accept lie
UGH aid and charity as a reason for he
educing a mans water right or for lE
aking some of his own property lie
water rights away from him would lie
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