r
THE BEND BULLETIN
'For every man
less im4 no more."
a square deal, no
CHARLES D. ROWR EDITOR
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Oi jrr
hU months..
Tbr oalh-
(tanriabtr U idnm.)
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WEDNKSDAY, FEB. 10, 1909-
The New Water Law.
The Irrigation bill championed by
the Oregon Conservation Commis
sion is now engaging the attention
of the legislature. As has been ex
pected there will be, and is being
made quite a fight against it. The
only opposition to the bill, however,
comes from those who are seeking
to gobble up the water power and
irrigation resources of the state.
They object to the time limit on
water power grants; desire more
latitude in the rights of appropria
tion; and also are asking that the
bil declare specifically the rights
that are now "vested."
The bill, as now drawn, proposes
to limit water power grants to a
period of 40 years, with the privi
lege of renewal under laws existing
at the end of that time. Forty
years is certainly long enough for
such a grant and many are of the
opinion that it is too long. Cor
porations asking franchises from
cities are glad to get tbem at the
present time with a as-year limit.
There should be no compromise on
the 40-year clause in favor of the
power corporations.
The desire by the power men, to
be allowed to hold right to unusued
water, in order to meet the growth
of business, even though others are
ready to put the unusued water to
beneficial use, is a question that
demands careful consideration. A
power or irrigation company justly
deserves a certain degree of latitude
in this respect, but they should not
be allowed to bold water merely to
keep out competitors and to create
a. monopoly. At a hearing before
the senate irrigation committee, Dr.
J. R. Wilson stated a just principle
that should rule in such cases,
which is:
"Flnt, where a cotnpanr appropriate,
for instance, oae third of a stream, and
ii uing that amount In inch case the
vested rlgbttbould be fully protected.
"Second, the company that use one
third and in anticipation of future buti
nesa baa built to handle two thirds. In
such cases the equity of the additional
third should be regarded.
"Third, the company that has built
for two thirds, uses not to exceed two
thirds, but wants to bold the privilege
of taking the remaining third and of
keeping competitors out. In such case,
the remaining third should be preserved
for the public and held open for other
appropriation."
means, be left to the proposed board
of control.
According to the daily press,
there has been a suspicion that
Senator Mcrryman, chairman of the
senate irrigation committee, was
opposed to the bill under discus
sion. The Bulletin is glad to note
that the senator has stated he docs
not desire to be considered an enemy
of the measure. If he should take
such a stand, it would be in direct
opposition to the interests of his
district. Oregon needs a new water
code such as is championed by the
Oregon Conservation Committee,
and The Bulletin hopes that the
legislators from this district will
give it their undivided support.
Enact the proposed irrigation
measure. Nothing will help more
in the development of the state.
By no means should power and ir
rigation companies be given the
privilege of "bogging" water that
they are not using.
It would be absurd for the bill to
declare the rights that are now
vested. The legislature has uo
possible way of telling what rights
are just and what are merely specu
lative and of the "grab" and
"graft" order. This question can
only be determined after a careful
investigation by a competent board
of control, which the new bill pro
poses to create. This board can
inquire into each case and then pass
on whether or not it is "vested."
Only by such a procedure can jus
tice be done, and the interests of
the people protected. If the legis
lature attempts to define the ex
isting "vested" rights, it will
merely protect a lot of power grab
bers and speculators and monopol
istic corporations. And why should
they ask for this? If their rights
are honestly vested, whv should
they fear the decree of a competent
board of control? 'And if the rights
are not honestly vested, it i3 impu
dence for the power companies to
ask the legislature to protect them
in those dishonest claims, This
question Is one that should, by all
hat Little We Ask For.
When the Oregon Conservation
Commission was engaged in draft
ing the proposed irrigation code for
the state, it conferred with many
experts, among them Dr. El wood
Mead. Dr. Mead i. now chairman
of the State Water Supply Commis
sion of Australia; was formerly
state engineer of Wyoming, and
author of the Wyoming water law;
later Chief of Irrigation Investiga
tions, U. S. Department of Agri
culture, and author of "Irrigation
Institutions.' Dr. Mead is easily
one of the foremost irrigation ex
perts in the worlr. He wrote to
the Oregon commission as follows:
"Chairman's Offick. Melbourne,
Australia, June 1, 1908 The conditions
existing in the Australian states of Vic
toria ana .New boutti ales ailoru a con
crete exampe-of the value of the legisla
lion you advocate, victoria lias the
same tiasie declaration as Wyoming.
The water of all streams, stirines. lakes
... ..S. "
ami otner collections of still water are
the property of the State.' but the en.
forcement of that declaration in Victoria
is more logical and effective, because
there has been no interference from
the courts.
"Here every diversion is made under
license issued by the Government aud
for a limited time. No perpetual lirenses
for any nse are issued, perpetual appro
priations are unknown.
"No diversions am FBKB. Every
user of water pays for it. The common
form of payment is six pence (13 cent)
an acre for each watering. Though in
the vicinity of cities where market gar
dening is available, as high as two shill
ings an acre for each watering is paid.
For the right to develop hydro electric
power the annual charge of t$ per horse
power Is made. The toUl income from
these water rentals is large. It pays for
supervision of ctrcams anil rellcies the
general taxpayer of this burden.
"The main thing is the effect on devel
opment and prosperity, and the more I
see the more impressed I am with Its
superiority over the lax and wasteful sur
render of control in Atneric on other
g rou ml s than the income water brings.
'First, there is no litigation. There is
not now a single water right lawsuit in
mis omc, anu uas not been lor 10 years.
How To Grow Strawberries Successfully.
The following article is from the
pen of Frank 15. lkatty, the presi
dent and general manager of the K.
M. Kellogg Co. of Three Rivers,
Michigan, the grcutest and most
successful growers of strawberries
in America. Mr. Hcatty is gener
ally known as the "Strawberry
King." He writes interestingly
about the proper tncthot of irriga
ting and cultivating strawberries.
"There it no wasteful or excessive d
of water to maintain a surplus ticht.
There is the reserve power of the State
to apply the water to a higher use when
ever the need for this appeals. The need
for thir is already aDpesrinc in the In.
creased domestic consumption. The
compensation which the State pays in
such cases does not include anything for
vesica ngnis in water.
"Although a British colony, Victoria
has obliterated riparian rights. On near
ly all streams a frontage of one or two
chains is reserved as public land. That
legislation lias double value. It enables
I lie btate to
protect water supn lies from
pollution. It retains to the public all
fishing rights. And it Insures that water
shall be diverted in accordance with n
intelligent plan and Used where it will
do the most good.
"To live up to our lamer knowledge
Oregon ought to go farther in the direc
tion of public control than states which
legislated earlier. I hope your law may
include two features:
"(I) NOI'KRFBTUAL WATKR MIGHTS.
"() An annual chakck for watfr
CSKD FOR BOTH JUVICATIOH ANU fOWKK
1-t'HrOSKS.
"Make this so much a second-foot ami
base it on the amount appropriated, not
the amount diverted. That will cut
down excess and surplus rights as effec
tively as the New Zealand land law pre
vented fraudulent values for taxation. If
the State thinks this too low it can buy
the property at the assessed value with
10 per cent added. The sin of under
valuation is almost unknown. I'or the
same reason, if there were an annual
"I was greatly interested in an
article written by Alex. McPbcrsou
which appcrcd in the November
37th issue of the News. His .senti
ments regarding the methods fol
lowed by many of the farmers and
fruit growers in the Twin Falls dis
trict coincide with my own. Alto
gether too many of the farmers arc
depending entirely upon water.
Water is one of the essentials to
plant growth, but plants do not
wholly depend upon water. We
cannot and must not depend upon
water alone. No one thing can
possibly perfect plant development
but a complete combination of work,
from soil preparation clear through
to the marketing of the produce, is
what brings results. No one hob
by will insure success in any busi
ness. If I. were to name the most es
sential features to successful farm
ing in the order of their importance,
the thorough preparation of the soil
and a perfectly fine seed bed would
get first place.
Next would be well developed
and thoroughly matured seeds,
plants or "trees. Much care and
thought should be given to the se
lection of seeds and plants. '
Cultivation the Secret.
Then we come to intensive culti
vation, the greatest and most effec
tive moisture-retainer known to the
science of agriculture.
Next in order is water, and this
should be applied through furrows,
allowing the water to seep to the
roots of the plants or trees. Flood
ing is surely injurious to the soil.
Cultivation should follow each
watering just as soon as the foil is
in condition, and I should say cul
tivate at leasl once each week be
tween the waterings. Surely such
cultural methods as these would
hold moisture in the soil for six to
cigut weens, men, it necessary,
water again and continue cultiva
tion as before. But never give
water until the plants ask for it.
They have their way of showing
when they want a driuk. The soil
itself will indicate when moisture is
needed. We often have eight
weeks here in Michigan without
rain when the thermometer regis
ters 98 degrees in the shade, but by
cultivating shallow every week and
keeping the soil loose with bocs in
the row around the plants we ex
perience no difficulty in retaining
sufficient moisture in the soil to
keep the plants in a vigorously
growing condition; aud you must
X R .asssflaaassssssssssssasssssPf4assssssssssr
charge of f 3 or f 5 for each second foot
appropriated, the swollen ones would
soon be voluntarily reduced,
"There is a precedent for the eharue
for hydio electric appropriations nearer
homejUrilish Columbia imposes an an
nuallax 011 every claim to a water power
rlghtrbm the date it is recorded. It'a
good sense and good policy. Wishing
you success, Yours,
VKI.WOOI) JIKAD, Chairman,"
That'n what they do in Australia,
where the interests of the people
are protected. They charge 5 per
year for each horsepower, and the
revenue goes to lighten the taxa
tion of the people, to whom the
waterpower belongs. The proposed
uregon law qsich tor no rental on
power, which is admitted to be
worth to the corporations $20 per
year for every horsepower sold,
And yet, the people of the state are
forced to light to get no mild a
measure through our legislature.
By rights, the bill should contain a
power aud irrigation rental pro
vision. What little we ask for. And
how difficult it is to secure it.
remember that our soil has a loose,
gravelly subsoil.
How Cultivation Work.
I never follow n hobby, but if I
did it would be cultivation and not
water. I am enthusiastic on culti
vation because experience lias
taught me that continuous, vigor
uus growth is obtained in the plant
only when the digestive organs are
in a healthy condition and to keep
the digestive organs in a healthy
condition we must keep bacteria
active. To keep bacteria active we
must supply them with an abun
dance of air and to supply air we
must cultivate. Cultivation forms
a dust mulch. A dust mulch re
tains moisture. Moisture dissolves
plant food. Plant food makes ac
tive roots. Active roots build up a
big foliate. A big healthy foliage
makes perfect digestion, aud per
fect digestion keeps up a continu
ous, vigotous growth.
Our 1909 edition of "Great Crops
of Strawberries and How to Grow
Thcra" has been rewritten, aud is
now ready to be mailed free to any
one who would like to know the
intensive methods of strawberry
growing. The object of this book
is to enthuse, as well as to teach,
the grower the correct way to in
sure big success.
1 111s antcic is not intended as a
criticism. It simply epitomizes the
result of many vcars of practical ex
perience in intensive horticulture;
aud if the tillers of the soil at Twin
Falls will work fewer acres and fol
low intensive methods from soil
preparation up to harvesting, and
will take particular pains in pre
paring their produce for market,
every year will be a ba
Twin Fails News.
in tier year.
WORK FOR A
Niscient Pencil
If u "knowing pencil" could mark across
the face of every advertisement in this Unite
ITS ACTUAL VALUE TO YOU-to you
personally, to you NOW you would be inter
ested, wouldn't you?
Couldn't you make n j tetty accurate ap
praisal youtsclf? It will tiot take much clair
voyancy ou your part to find opportunities,
price-concessions, chances to buy and sell
aud to estimate the money wottli of these to
yourself.
Besides making such on appraisal is an
education for you. It will tcuch you to know
"your own interests" at sight to weigh and
consider propositions that appeal to you, and
to discard those that do not. Ami, after culti
vating the habit of marking the ads. that ate
important to you, you will find yourself the
owner of
A Pencil That "Knows Things!"
U. C. COE, M. D.
Physician and Surgeon
OPKICK OVKR HANK
All Wlobt Cctcpbcne Connection
DAY TKUU'HONIt NO. 31
Bund, ; Okkron
The date Is Friday eveuing, Feb.
13, at Lara's hall.
THE
First National Bank
of Prlncvlllc.
I'.atablisbcd 1HH7.
Capital, Surplus and Undivided
Profits, 5100,000.00
II. H. Atlf a
Will WuM-elUf
T, X PlMwm
IC.BsUala
rt.sMtnl
VK rinkltsl
C.tklrf
.AMltUftt C.tkltf
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