The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1924-03-05
Stand Maintained by Local Men
On Spanish Springs Reservoir
Editorial Comment Calls Sharp Reply From
Local Men; Government Has Not
Made Other Selections

MAINTAINING that Luo icdi poiheo
in issue regarding the construction
of Spanish Springs reservoir have
not been answered, and that mis-
statements have issued from the Reno
papers, the six signers to the original
article, dubbed the big six have
issued the following, which more
thoroughly covers the ground and
questions involved. There is no ques-
ton as to the interests of the parties
in regard to county and state deyel-
opment, and the fact that they were
among the working advocates for
drainage gives them title to express
opinion in relation to matter that
involves great expenditure of money
and the source from which it must
come:
Declaring their stand against pres
ent plans for adding storage TO the
Newlands project through eonstruc-
ton of Spanish Springs reservoir has
been met with misstatements ano
editorial yituperation and not with
facts, /. IL. Kent, Thomas Dolf, f.
NJ Wightman, X. L. Douglass. George
Chester for the j. w. Freeman Com
pany and George ID. Ernst in signed
letter addressed to the Eagle say
that the reclamation service has not
given ample consideration to any
other storage site than Spanish
Springs. These local men, dubbed
the big six" by Reno newspaper,
are indignant at being called obstruc-
tionists. mo one can be more inter-
ested in the welfare of this project
than ourselves" they maintain. Their
letter follows:
Answer To George Latin
We have carefully perused the
article published In the February 23
issue OF your paper over the sig
nature of Mr.. Geo. w. Latin, one of
the most substantial and respected
farmers and citizens residing on this
project. Mr.. Lattin's statements in
this article are only cumulative evil
denoe of the fact that he has the
best interests of the project at heart,
and while We may not at all times
agree with him as to matters of pol
icy we always know that he is work
ing toward the same ends that we
are seeking to accomplish by slightly
different means. In this present ar
ticle we shall endeayor TO discuss
with Mr.. Latin In a neighborly fash
ion some of the matters that have
gained considerable publicity of late
through the columns OF the state
press.
Mr. Latin states that he has been
led TO believe" certain things. That
is getting 10 be a much-used state
ment. The Gazette says precisely
that when IL states that II has al
ways consistently advocated the full
development OF the resources of the
Truekee river to explain how it was
backing the Spanish Springs plan.
In our opinion, many of our present
troubles are based upon the fact that
in times past we have been led to
believe" various things which sub
seqnent investigation and develop
ments have proven were not founded
upon fact II in times past We have
erred in taking things for granted,
there is no reason why this practice
should be continued In fact. that
would seem to be reasonable
ground for adopting a show me"
attitude In the future.
Deprives Water Users of Lahontan
Power
Mr.. Latin states that we assume
The fact 10 be that we have at Lahon-
tan permanent continuous power
plant. sufficient for the needs of the
project. We have not knowingly as
sumed any such fact to be true We
do know, however, that we have a
power plant at Lahontan which can
be utilized to immensely greater ser
vice To the water users than at pres
ent and that during the lifetime OF
the present generation OF farmers,
at least, il can be made to go far
toward improving conditions on the
project in ways which are too well
understood to need emphasis here
We do know that under the terms
OF the recent lease consummated with
the Canyon Power Company the water
users are being and will be deprived
of a large source of revenue for a
period covering the next several years
at a great personal gain to the power
company TO which they are not en-
titled and that the same object might
have been gained without such loss
10 the water users.
Certainly we should moi foster any
movement which would mean the
abandonment of this plant without
commensurate offsetting advantages.
And that 1t must be abandoned as a
water power proposition with the
construction of the Spanish Springs
reservoir must be obvious when con-
sidered in connection with the very