White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-04-23
Bond Election
Will Be Held
Next Saturday
Question To Be Voted On
Most Important In
Valleys History

Interest in the irrigation district
bond election that is to be held next
Saturday, April Is, is running high
and there is every indication at this
time that record vote will be cast.
Never before in the history of thu
valley HAYES the voters been called up
on to pass on question SO vital and
of such far reaching Importance, both
to themselves and to the district, 40
IS presented in this bond issue:
In effect, the proposition that is to
be decided by the voters at this. cleo
ton is whether funds are to be pro-
vided for the irrigation district to
complete the purchase of the irriga-
ton properties and to improve and
operate them for the settlers, or
whether the title to such properties
shall again pass back into the hands
OF private corporation.
The project has been in the courts
in one form or another for eighteen
years and now, for the first time, the
settlers have the opportunity to rid
themselves of the corporate yolk I'M
DER which they have labored SO long
ard to take over and own their own
project. This opportunity is further en-
HANGED by the fact that they will b
able to acquire this ownership for 2
mere pittance-less than five cents on
the dollar Of the original cost. Charles
M. Sanford, for years the local rnana-
ger Of the project, testified under oath
at one of the hearings that the in
vestment cost was around one mill
lion dollars
1t is true that some of the machine
ry and equipment in both the power
plant and the pumping plant is more
or less obsolete and should be re-
placed with modern and up-to-dats
equipment if a higher efficiency in
operation is to be provided. It is also
TRUE that some of the laterals are In
bad state of repair and should be
rebuilt to give satisfactory services,
But the buildings that house both Of
the plants, each Of which cost a con.
siderabl. sum of money, are as. good
today as when built and the main cam
al, with the silt that has settled in it
from the years of pumping from the
river, is better today than it ever was.
So that If all the instrumentalitiesa were
assessed on their present value the
figures would exceed many times the
price at which the settlers can buy
them now
cents value of the properties today ~
compared to the purchase price, is
the chance the settlers will have, If
they take advantage of the opportunity
to acquire them at this time, to in.
crease that value enormously. One of
the things that can be done to bring
about this increased value-and, there
are many who think that this should
be the first undertakings the i'm
provement Of the power plant to q
point where excess power can be de-
veloped and Sold Another is the en-
largement OF the distributing system
to water more land, thereby reducing
the maintenance charge to each water
user.
Every irrigation authority in the
state who has been consulted and who
is at all familiar with the conditions
this project, has said that
an irrigation district can not only
make a success of it but that it can
be made the best irrigated project in
the state One of these authorities.
when told that there was on outside
speculative interest trying to acquire
the properties. replied: eyes, but there
aren't any settlers over there who do
their own thinking who are going to
vote against the bonds, are thereT
The amount of bonds to be voted
on has been fixed by the district board
at $125,00O. This is to provide the
funds for the payment of the $4,000
named in the bid OF w. H. Keai for
the irrigation district at the receiver
ship sale in Yakima on February FL,
and for the enlargement and better
nent of the instrumantalities of the
project.
The denomination of the bonds are
IN amounts of $500 and $1,000 and
heir payment is to be spread over
period Of % years and will draw in
.erect at rate not exceeding 6 per
cent.
The election will be held at the
Brick school house about midway be-
ween White Bluffs and Hanford and
he polls will be open from 9 a. m.
mil p. m.
The irrigation district law provides
he following qualifications for voters
1t this election: citizen of the United
States. resident of the state Of
over 81 years Of age and
he owner of title or evidence of titfs
% land within the district. Where TIN
and involved is community property
he husband and wife each have
yote.
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