White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-10-15
To the editor of
The White Bluffs Spokesman:

pdlSu VIII T0lcI0uCc " AuoACy ~
ceived by Mr.. Moulton, one of the
candidates. are reflection upon the
integrity of the Directors who had
full knowledge of, and approved, all
payments made to him.
The public is interested in know
ing the exact truth concerning the
statements that have been made and
it is our desire, through the columns
of your paper, to present history
of the relationship between Mr.. Moul-
ton and the irrigation district, in
Guiding the services rendered by him
and the compensation paid to him.
This district was organized in the
summer of 1917 at the request of the
U. S. Reclamation Services through
Mr.. R. X. Tiffany, who was then man
ager of the Yakima project.
The government had made certain
surveys of this project and the or
ganization was effected for the pur-
pose of further cooperation between
the district and the government 1t
was then believed that conditions
were very favorable for early con-
struction of this division.
The Directors at that time, desiring
to avoid the expense of maintaining
district office, arranged with Mr..
Moulton to carry on in his office all
the secretary's work of the district to
keep the books and records and to
perform such legal services as might
be necessary This arrangement has
continued from the original organiza-
tion until the present time.
In the summer of 1919 the prospect
of early construction of the project
became more promising and Mr..
Moulton was then sent to Washing
ton by the directors in the interest
of the district.
The Director of the Reclamation
Service during the years 1919 and
1920 had made repeated statements
indicating that the department was
then considering the early construc-
ton of this project In the summer
of 1920 the board met the Director of
the Reclamation Service at Yakima
and discussed the project with him.
They were told that it would be
necessary for the district to secure
the water rights of the Pacific Power
& Light Co. and the mill at Prosser,
together with the dam and all rights
of diversion, together with the right
of way for the power canal, as a re-
suit of that meeting the Directors de.
cided to institute the necessary &C
lions to secure the water rights and
rights of way. Condemnation suits
were instituted against the Pacific
Power & Light Co., the owners of the
mill at Prosser and all owners of any
interest in the diversion rights at the
DAM The City of Prosser inter
vened in that suit, claiming prior
right to portion of the waters Of
the Yakima River at that point. The
contention was sustained by the lower
court and the case was taken to the
Supreme Court on review. The de
cision of lower court was reversed
and the case was sent back for trial
The case was transferred to Walls
Walla county for trial and was finally
tried before Judge Mills. Evidence
was Offered by the power company
and by Mr.. E. r. Benson, who was
interested in the diversion rights
tending to show the value of the
water rights and the dam as high al
$265,OO0 After a trial lasting severa
days the jury returned verdict fix
ing the value at s48,10O.
Mr.. E. w. R. Taylor of Prosser, ane
his associates, owned right to diver
water from the dam without charge
which was the equivalent of approx
mately one hundred and ten hors,
power, which he was entitled to re
ceive without cost or expense to him
self. Practical millers who were Gale,
in for consultation and with the ex
pectation that it would be used al
evidence, and engineers who investi
gated the property, advised the Boar
that the value of the Taylor diver
sion right could reasonably be fixe'
at eighty to eighty-five thousand dol
lars. The Board settled with the Tay
lor interests for $42,5O0' That con
demnation suit and settlement CAV
to the district the full and complet
right to divert all the waters of tn
Yakima river, except such as Nigh
be owned by the United States Go,
eminent, to twelve hundred cubic fee
per second. The water rights alon
which were acquired from the powe
company and the Taylor interests q
cost of approximately $4,000, woul
have cost the district approximate
100000 if purchased from the Unite
States Government as storage waite
We acquired from these two sources
in addition to the dam and all flow
age rights, a diversion right of %
cubic feet per second at a cost of 81
100000.
Soon after the disposal of the waite