Show PROF WILLS EXPLAINS editor tt Til bunc from what lias has been published in regard to the foundation of the state agi society and the position I 1 have taken on the water question quI stion since nince the matter N was as brought up in the constitutional convention the impression seems to have gone out that the state agricultural society was formed expressly to fight the irrigation commission it if this be the cas case 11 the impression Impre balon 19 entirely wrong during tile the discussion in the meeting tit at which the organization was nas effected it alvas thought that among the many interests that of self scalf defense against irrigation corporations would probably be one of the leading subjects for present and future consideration on oil investigation vesti gation gaLlon it was wan found that the ord cers ot of tile iho state association con consisted Isted mostly or of the presidents and managers ot of irrigation corporations a for this reason and owing to the fact that after their proposition was so overwhelmingly defeated lit in th the constitutional convention they still per persisted alsted in pushing ahead it nag as thought by all who mho expressed an opinion that the state irrigation association tion had an ax to grind and that the grinding would not be to the benefit of the farmers and at best it was thought as one farmer expressed it they ti he are not ot in touch nor in sympathy th Y with the plain and practical methods of the farmer only in so 90 tar far as lie he Is made to pay toll into their treasury considering that such was the case three plans were proposed for combating bating the irrigation association viz to join the irrigation association arid and when nhen enough failers had joined all turn in and change n e the name of the alsoc assoc association lation and ani vote down nil all interested in water corporations to attempt to 10 checkmate check nate their influence by holding meetings in opposition to any they may hold to form the state agricultural society as aa designed and zealously guard tile the agricultural interests of the state without reference to any other matter but be well prepared for or self defense against irrigation corporations here let me that the records of salt lake county show that sixteen 16 irrigation and land companies little hoo incorporated in tile the past two years one of these companies alone has incorporated for ten millions of dollars four of the largest companies in the Teril tory are not n t included in the above sixteen As far tar as I 1 can estimate there have been incorporated in utah in the past two ye years ars in illga aga tion llon companies with inith an aggregate of 0 at least fifty millions of 0 dollars ll lars Is this a state elate of 0 af attalis falts it ling has heretofore been the crowning pride of utah of which sho ho has proudly lly bolL hoisted sted that her canals and entire irrigating systems were owned and controlled by the bonafide bona fide tors this Is at it should be in some home In stanceR however I 1 bc aclee lee it ubbo bluely necessary that capital talio take hold of lien larger plants I 1 fear however that the absolutely absolutely ri necessary limit has been paired by millions of dollus but it is enid by some that tills brings in capital and thus builds up the country let us u see sea how the country I 1 ii built up one of these companies through its engineer says buys the estimated cost of bringing water mater onto tile tiie acres or of land it Is proposed to reclaim Is about 90 OiW the company sells bells water rights at 10 per acre with in an annual tee fee of 0 cents per acre for maintenance 11 it will be seen from three figures that eiloo Is put in and taken out the people meanwhile lille paying for maintenance which probably includes interest on tile the investment ahe conclusions ire are obvious yot tot this company sells bella its water rights cheaper arid and puts its maintenance lower than any other corporation I 1 know of in it utah the engineer adds it if properly managed tilts this enterprise should prove to be st a lucrative investment w with th good bood returns to the owner 9 11 eminently 13 ily tile the value of the irrigation works owned and operated by the people Is estimated to be between ten millions and fifteen millions of dollars now come tile the irrigation corporations corporation and propose to develop the It wa to several times thir th lr worth in conclusion let me say that at a meeting of the utah mail association so held lit in the assembly hall in salt lake city during last october I 1 sat eat and listened to ull it might be tho to be a combination against water corporations it remained however for one speaker to sa say in suba substance tance tho the great daner r lit in utah Is 19 that the aters may f fall tit into the hands of coi pora tlona to this I 1 heartily agree but would add that tin tile greatest dan gerIn utah la is that the waters may tall fall into the hands of tile the corporations represented by tile the officers of the utah irrigation association 1011 A A MILLS president state agricultural society |