THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Land and Irrigation Journal of Chicago, and The 

 Irrigator of North Yakima, Washington. The Na- 

 tional Land and Irrigation Journal was by long odds 

 our strongest competitor and the promoters of that 

 publication spent about sixty thousand dollars to 

 establish the paper in this field. Owing to the ex- 

 pense of putting out their publication the stock- 

 holders decided, however, to sell out in January 

 of this year and the paper was purchased by the 

 owner of THE IRRIGATION AGE and its circulation 

 merged with that of the AGE. We are therefore, 

 left entirely alone in the irrigation and drainage 

 field in the world. Advertisers who are looking for 

 trade in either of these fields cannot reach them 

 through any other medium, and we urge upon the 

 advertisers who peruse this issue to give considera- 

 tion to these facts in contemplating the placing of 

 their advertising appropriations. From present ap- 

 pearances the year beginning November, 1913, will 

 be the best in point of earnings and circulation 

 building in the history of the paper. We have at 

 present ten high grade canvassers who make a 

 house-to-house canvass through the farming dis- 

 tricts of the West and who are sending in a large 

 number of subscribers each day. In conclusion the 

 publisher wishes to thank the thousands of readers 

 who have proven loyal to THE AGE and who support 

 its attitude on public questions. 



GOVERNOR HAINES OF IDAHO REPLIES TO 

 EDWARD BOHM. 



ROADS BUILT FROM FOREST RECEIPTS 



Over twelve thousand dollars, ten percent of 

 national forest receipts in Wyoming during the past 

 fiscal year, is available for expenditure by the secre^ 

 tary of agriculture on roads- and trails within the 

 state, according to the report of the U. S. forest 

 service. 



Such roads and trails are now being built on 

 national forests in Wyoming, in accordance with 

 the provision created by Congress for a "roads and 

 trails fund," primarily to benefit local communities. 

 The use of this ten per cent of all national forest re- 

 ceipts is in addition to the 25 per cent of gross 

 income which goes by law to the states direct for 

 schools and roads. 



A new road just finished on the Wyoming na- 

 tional forest in western Wyoming is typical of those 

 constructed by the forest service under the so-called 

 "ten per cent road item." This road runs from the 

 entrance of Cottonwood Creek Canyon, on the 

 Wyoming national forest, to Cottonwood Lake, 

 six miles distant. 



Cottonwood Lake, three-quarters of a mile long 

 and a quarter of a mile wide, is 15 miles from Afton, 

 the chief town of Star Valley, and 6 l / 2 miles from 

 Smoot. It is well stocked with trout, but has been 

 hitherto inaccessible except to persons on horse- 

 back. The new road opens to the 1,800 residents of 

 Upper Star Valley a delightful pleasure resort and 

 auto parties from Kemmerer, Cokeville, or Mont- 

 pelier can now reach the lake in a few hours. 



The following is a letter from Governor Haines of 

 Idaho relating to a communication which appeared in our 

 October issue. Following the letter of Governor Haines 

 appears his reply to Mr. Bohm. 



State of Idaho, Governor's Office, 



Boise, October 22, 1913. 

 Mr. D. H. Anderson, 



Editor Irrigation Age, 



Chicago, 111. 



Dear Sir: I am enclosing herewith a 

 copy of an open letter addressed by me to Mr. 

 Edward Bohm in reply to the open letter pub- 

 lished by him in the October number of your 

 magazine. It appears to me that Mr. Bohm's 

 article is so unjust to the officials of the state 

 of Idaho who are now attempting to settle the 

 important questions involved and to bring 

 order out of chaos, that you will perhaps be 

 willing to publish my reply in order that those 

 who have read this article may have an 

 opportunity of seeing the other side. 

 Yours very respectfully, 



JOHN M. HAINES, 



Governor. 



OPEN LETTER 



October 21, 1913. 

 Mr. Edward Bohm, 



Care THE IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago, 111. 

 Sir: 



It is evident from your open letter published in THE 

 IRRIGATION AGE for October, as well as from the references 

 you append to your signature, that you attempt to qualify 

 as one having expert knowledge of Carey Act matters, but 

 it is just as evident that you are entirely lacking in fairness 

 in your treatment of the question which confronts the 

 Land Board and the people of Idaho today. This ques- 

 tion cannot be solved <by bootless discussion of what might 

 have been, or by railing at the State of Idaho or its 

 officials, past or present. 



Let it be admitted at the outset that serious mistakes 

 were made in the financing and construction of a small 

 percentage of our irrigation projects, and that these mis- 

 takes have been responsible for much loss and suffering 

 to individuals and for the arrested development of our 

 irrigation enterprises. The account you give of your rela- 

 tions to the Big Lost River Project is probably correct, except 

 your statement that the Land Board announced that it would 

 hold first payments on this tract in escrow. In this you are 

 not borne out by the gentlemen to whom you refer, nor by 

 the Land Board records. Your story does not differ 

 materially from that of many others, nor does it help the 

 present situation, nor bring us any nearer to the solution 

 we are seeking. 



Neither will it help at this time to seek to excuse 

 or palliate admitted errors, nor to condemn the short- 

 sighted, selfish policy of those who sought to make 

 political capital out of an unfortunate business situation. 

 Equally grave mistakes may be expected in any new en- 

 terprise, operated under untried and perhaps insufficient 

 laws, administered by inexperienced officials pioneering a 

 new field. 



The great question now confronting us is how to pro- 

 ceed so as to carry these suspended projects to completion 

 and to be substantially just to all concerned. As you well 

 know, action not only by the State Land Board but by the 

 Legislature has been rendered impossible by the litigation 

 in which the Big Lost River Project is involved, but out 

 of this legal maize we hope to emerge in the near future. 

 We are daily expecting a decision by the Federal Circuit 

 Court of Appeals which will, we hope, definitely settle ques- 

 tions of title so that negotiations looking to further con- 

 struction can be proceeded with. Acting on the best legal 

 advice obtainable, we have refrained from instituting suit 

 to recover on the bond pending the decision of the Circuit 

 Court of Appeals, but the papers have long since been 

 prepared in the office of the Attorney-General and the 

 State but awaits the expected decision before filing suit 

 looking to the recovery of the $175,000 bond. 



The present Land Board has gone deeply into all 

 questions affecting this and other projects and its members 

 have made numerous personal investigations for the pur- 



