Evening star., 1934-03-11
WATER SHORTAGE
FEARED IN WEST.
Eastern Washington May
Be Affected Due to Early
Melting of Snow.
BY JAMES DE X. BROWN.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
SEATTLE, March 10-Despite the
fact that virtually every section Of
this State suffered heavy property
losses due to high water and floods
last Fall and early this Winter, East
ern Washington irrCators depending
on streams for irrigation water face
water shortage next Summer.
Charles j. Bartholet, supervisor OF
hydraulics. has issued a warning to
conserve water from now on.
Weather Bureau records for heavy.
continuous rainfall were broken in all
sections of the State during early
Winter. At the same time these rec
ords were shattered. December,
January and February were unusually
warm and characterized as freaks of
warmth and sunshine"
This warm weather has hastened
the melting of the snow in the noun
tains. Usually the Winter snowfall
remains until late Spring and early
Summer, providing a source Of water
for irrigation. This year the snow is
going rapidly and the early run-off
will work hardship on the irrigators
in the dry districts.
Warmest in 81 Years.
Southeastern Washington reports
the warmest Winter in 62 years: Spo-
kane says the same, while on the
west side OF the Cascades Spring ar
rived early last month. giving the
warmest Winter In 40 years.
1t is a paradoxical situation The
State and Federal authorities are
spending tens of thousands of dollars
repairing damage from high water
and floods and the farmers are being
warned of an impending water short
age which promises to cause as great
If not greater losses in the value of
agricultural products raised in 1884
The States attempt to solve the
milk-war problems in the larger CEN
ters is facing trouble. The special
session OF the Legislature adopted a
little N. r. A." statute which gave
to the director Of agriculture power to
fix production, limit marketing and
arrange for prices to be paid pro-
ducerS.
Cnarge MOnOpOlieS.
This has been tried. Spokane milk
producers charge that the actions of
the director are creating monopolies.
decreasing revenues to the producers
and increasing the costs to the con-
sumer. In Seattle suit has been
started by milk ranchers on the
Olympic Peninsula, who charge that
the ,icto Lor
from Seattle, the largest retail center
IN the State, and prohibits them from
shipping to this point.
The producers are asking that the
courts declare the act unconstitu-
tional.
This is just the beginning. Re-
Gently in King County, a dairyman
carting his milk to the city was
stopped on the highway by three
racketeers armed with machine
guns. his truck wrecked and his milk
dumped.
As a result Of the recent riots in
the State penitentiary at Walla Walla
when nine were killed, trouble has
broken out in the State reformatory
at Monroe. where the inmates. ac-
cording to Warden Joe ST. Peters, are
ready to erupt into serious dis
oorders."
Warden st. Peters charges that the
trouble in his place is largely due
to reports from the State penitentiary
in addition to a recent legislative
investigation, during which. he
charges. the investigators told the
inmates "they were not being fed or
treated right"
Refuses to Fire Teachers.
State Superintendent of Public
Education N. D. Showalter refuses to
abide by the orders of the Welfare
Commission and discharge the 600
teachers under the c. w. S. who have
been working during the last few
months. The curtailment of C. w. A.
activities and abolition of the c. w.
S. by merging with the c. w. A.. with
resultant elimination of the funds for
the payment of the teachers. has
caused DR.. Showalter to appeal direct
to Washington. He has instructed all
teachers under the C. w. S. to remain
at their posts.
The c. w. A. in the State is now
retiring from the pay rolls 1000 work.
ers weekly, and the revolt of the
teachers is the first to show. It is
expected that large majority of the
workers who are being dropped will
find their way into steady or sea-
sonable jobs within the next few
weeks.
The early Spring is aiding the pub
lie works program and a great many
will find work here. The timber
camps and the mills are increasing
operations, while the fishing season
calls for several thousand workers In
the canneries. which are preparing for
a busy season.
All of these labor demands will aid
In placing those who will be removed