White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-12-05
Final Decree
In Water Case
Is About Ready
Sale of Properties Will
Probably Be Held
In January

A draft of the final decree in the
water case has been prepared by
counsel for the receiver and copies
have been submitted to attorneys for
the various interested parties. Judge
Webster has fixed Wednesday, De-
cember 10, at Spokane as the time
and place for the final hearing. When
the decree is signed by the Court
and entered in the case, instructions
will be given for the receiver to pro-
coed with the sale of the property.
Tn law requires that the official no.
tice of the sale be published for five
consecutive weeks. If the first publ
cation is made December 10 and the
final one January 16, the sale will
take place some time between jan
uary IL and "a.
Those who have been working to
get the irrigation district ready to
| function in the event that it is need
ed at the time of the sale, called two
meetings the first of the week, Mon
day night at White Bluffs and Tues
day night at Hanford, of those whose
land is within the district but who
have individual pumping plants, to
explain to them the probable benefits
and obligations if they remain in the
district and to give them the privi-
lege of petitioning the directors to
withdraw their land in the event they
do no want to remain in the district.
Some of those with wells have petit
toned to have their lands withdrawn
while others, preferrinp water from
the ditch, if possible, are leaving their
IN, hof %
petition for Withdrawals must be pub
lished three weeks and it is the plan
now to start this publication next
week.
The selection of three directors of
the Priest Rapids Irrigation District,
which will be made at the election to
be held next Tuesday, December 8,
is. important and is creating corlsid-
cradle interest AS it has been re-
ported to the Spokesman, there will
be two tickets in the field. One of
these is being backed by those who
believe that the irrigation district
should be in a position to protect the
water rights at the receivership sale.
This ticket is as follows:
G. T. Slavens for the one year term
w. j. Kincaid for the two year
term.
w. S. Weber for the three year
term
The other ticket, said to have the
backing of those who have not fav-
ored an irrigation district and who
have been working on the perfection
of private corporation for acquir
ing the properties, is:
B. Salvini for the one year term
M. T. O'Brien for the two year
term
A. l.. Brockway for the three year
term.
There is an immense amount of
work yet to be done to complete both
of these organization so that they
will be in shape to bid in the proper
ties at the sale.
Those who have been working on
each plan believe in their ideas and
are therefore in better position to
work them out and perfect their re-
spctive organizations. Any change in
officers in either organization at this
time would appear to be dangerous,
for the new officers, in either case,
would take office early in January
with the sale only week or two
away.
The seriousness Of this matter will
be apparent to everyone when it is
recalled that at the final hearing on
October II in Yakima, the Court de-
termined that the properties would
be offered for sale by Receiver Chase
under two propositions. Under pro-
position one, the purchaser paying
40
would be subject to all Of the obliga-
lions of the Circuit Court of Appeals
decision, or in other words, with the
feature retained; while
under proposition two, the purchaser
would acquire the properties with the
obligation removed and
it would be quite likely under the lat
ter that the irrigation system might
cease to function. Therefore the only
way in which the settlers can be
FOR which they have fought for more
than Is years is to be in position to
bid the upset price under the first
at the receivership sale.
1t is not the purpose of those adj
vocating the irrigation district that
It should enter into any competitive
bidding at the sale, but only to bid
he upset price to protect the water
lights and, in case the properties go
20 others, to cancel the bonds and
lose the matter. The future of the
sntire valley is dependent upon the
people obtaining these properties and
my slip now would bring about dis
,strous consequences.
Voters at the election next Tues
lay should come prepared with their
papers 10 prove title if challenged at
he polls, so that there will be no
question as to their right to vote.