Show WATER MATER USERS PROTEST Uintah Basin Utah May 30 1922 I ITo To the Congress of the United States Washington D. D C. C Gentlemen Friends Fellow Citizens We Ve hereby petition your honorable honorable honor honor- honor I able body for relief from the oppressive oppressive oppressive sive despotism of the Uintah Indian Irrigation Project of which we are arc area arca a vital though unconsidered part We Ve are white settlers of the Uintah Uintah Uintah Uin Uin- tah basin In Utah tah and water users under the above named project gathered here from all parts of the United States and led here by luring which declared this p particular location to be a paradise I In the making It was said to be unrivaled as to climate as to fertility ty of soil as to abundance of water and we were told that the irrigation ditches were fully completed ready to use and would be operated unI under under un un- un- un I der del such a plan that those wIlO bought Ug Indian l l land would ul be be given iv an unrivaled with wan no other expenses expenses connected except an I annual maintenance cost that would likely ely never fifty cents an acre I. I We find since coming here that we were deceived This a hard country I Ito to prosper In While the climate Is I good water is abundant and the I soil is productive after untiring efforts efforts efforts ef ef- ef- ef forts on the settlers settler's part to make It so the water system is managed in such a way that no user has a single solitary word to say about it Ho is told to pay up or his gate will willbe willbo bo be closed and there his rights end Most of his money Is spent by in incompetent incompetent incompetent in- in competent employees whoso whose knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge and regard for tor economy and efficiency efficiency efficiency ef ef- are are singularly lacking During During During Dur Dur- ing the last five years the maintenance maintenance maintenance nance charges have grown by leaps and bounds until conditions have reached such a stage that the settler cannot meet them and ho he Is compelled compell compell- ed to revolt against a state of taxation taxation taxation taxa taxa tion without representation that Is grinding him to the ground On the first day of May this year notwithstanding the fact that the rivers were overflowing the ditches were practically empty because those In charge were afraid that someone who had not been able to pay up would take a h little water with which to start his crop If we appeal for redress we get et none We Wo aro are told These are aro our orders from Washington and we must carry them out We ask for bread and we get a stone What are we to do Is it not possible for fOT some step to be taken whereby we pioneers of this new country ma may maj have a voice in the management of our own affairs In other words word can congress not do something that will clear our great republic of fostering fostering fostering fos fos- within her bosom a hran and despotism which rivals as an injustice injustice injustice in in- justice that against which our fathers fath fath- fathers ers fought In the sacred Revolutionary Revolution Revolution- ary war We Ve respectfully recommend that thai the Uintah Indian IrrIg Irrigation tion Project as it Is now constituted be e abolished abolish abolish- ed and that the property pertaining thereunto Including all books and records all ditches and laterals all buildings all implements vehicles and machinery all water rights and filings and any other assets together er with all liabilities be turned over overto overto to the land owners of said project and that said land owners Indians and whites be permitted lr tr organize a corporation for the purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose of administering and carrying on the tho business of said property am ane and of ot distributing water to the lands of oi said owners This with the strict proviso that each acre of land under un under der the new organization shall represent represent rep rep- represent resent an equal responsibility with every other acre aero for the liabilities and general expenses of the corporation corporation corpor corpor- atlon and that each such acre shall shat give to Its owner a voice Inthe in inthe inthe the of said corporation also that the stock of the corporation corporation corporation corpora corpora- tion shall be so classified that the acreage under each ditch In the System system system tem shall be for the of such ditch and aud no others 0 0 o |