White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-01-29
Speculative
Interests Are
Still Active
Efforts Still Being Made
To Prevent Settlers
Getting Property

The recent appearance of unsigned
letters sent out from Seattle with
reference to the receivership involv-
ing the irrigation properties here, is
the latest incident indicating. that
there is still a speculative or un :,
friendly interest active in attempting
to prevent the settlers in the valley
from acquiring the irrigation proper
ties at the receivership sale on Feb
ruary 81.
The statements made in the letters
are either wholly untrue or the facts
so garbled as to be entirely mislead-
ing. This can be ascertained by any
one who will take the trouble to IL
vestigate. The very fact that the lei
tiers were not signed should be sui
ficient in itself to entirely discredit
them in the mind of any intelligent
person, and it is also evidence that
the writer was purposely intending
to mislead and at the same time to
avoid personal responsibility in the
event his trickery were exposed. No
person with the good of the project
at heart should be either afraid or
ashamed to sign his name to any COM
munication regarding it that might
be sent out.
For the past six months, or since
it became apparent that the receiver
ship was to be brought to close
there seems to have been "a studied
effort to hamper the settlers in &C
quiring the properties. Last fall out
side parties, who had not heretofore
been identified with the case, appear
ed in the valley and made an effort
to secure the signatures of water
right owners to powers of attorney,
in which the water right owner would
agree:
1st. To employ an outside person,
specifically named, as his attsrnsy-
intact. 80
End. To authorize this attorney-ln-
fact to employ engineers to make
survey of the system and present
plan of financing and rehabilitation
but placing no definite time limit IN
which this work should be done.
3rd. To authorize the attorney-in-
fact to employ counsel and attend any
court hearings held in connection with
the receivership and to make such
action as he saw fit in connection
Herewith, his personal expenses ana
that of his counsel to be pro rated
among the water right owners.
4th. To ratify and approve almost
anything the attorney Intact should
do. with no provision for the termi-
nation or cancellation of the power
of-attorney.
After making a personal canvass
of the settlers, this effort apparently
proved unsuccessful and was abandon
ed. The next step was taken when
these parties made an attempt to in
duce the court, at the time the de-
cree was signed, to continue the re-
ceivership so that they might perfect
some plan they had in mind and when
this was denied they attempted to
have Receiver Marvin Chase, who
had heen appointed as Special Master
in Chancery to sell the properties,
displaced by man Of their own Sc
lection. This, of course, also failed.
During the greater part of the ID
years Of litigation the actual settlers
on the project have had to contend
with these hampering efforts OF non
residents and speculative interests.
In this long battle their ranks have
been somewhat thinned, but they
have never surrendered. Now that
these battle-scarred veterans have the
opportunity of securing the reward
for this long fight for their rights
by acquiring all Of the properties at
the receivership sale, they are still
met by opposition.
The present outside interest may
be successful in organizing and finan-
cling itself and might even acquire the
properties by outbidding the settlers
at the sale. But even so, the limit
ed title they would purchase would
very likely prove liability instead
of an asset. The Circuit Court of APP
peals decision is the law in the case
and under its provisions it is diff
cult to understand how any corpora
ton, except one organized by all of
the water right owners themselves,
could believe they could make fin
ancial success of the venture. Under
the terms imposed by this decision
the property il worth good-sized
fortune to the settlers, but is OF very
little value to any outside organize
tion.
If the company that passed out
during the recievership, with all of
its connections and ramifications
leading clear UP the American Power
& Light Company, was unable after