OCR Text |
Show ITKsTS West Cache County Tillers of the Soil Are Up in Arms. WILL RESENT EFFORT TO CONFISCATE THEIR HOMES Another Meeting of West Cache Canal Company and Plain Talk Is Rule. . I Special to The Tribune. TRENTON, Ant,'. 2. Can the high ec-clestasts ec-clestasts of Benson and Cache stakes of Zlon briny enough pressure to bear upon the farmors who own the West Cache Canal company so as to permit the confiscation con-fiscation of their homes and at the same time enrich apostles, bishops and counsellors coun-sellors as well as several lesser lights? This Is the question' that Is agitating land owners In this region more than any other question that has ever come before thom. and It hns resulted In a great deal of bitterness. Ic will be remembered that on Friday, July J, there was a meeting held here by the stockholders In the West Cache Canal company, at which meeting the question of raising the sum of 575,000, that amount being necessary in order to place the canal in good order, was discussed. At that meeting It will also be recalled the fact was brought out that the canal company had cxpundod tho sum of $285.-000 $285.-000 in building forty-two miles of canal; that this Included a bond Issue of s'lOn. that the canal had not furnished water this year; that It was in bad repair, and that to put it In proper condition an expenditure ex-penditure of from S75.000 to $100,000 was I absolutely necessary; that the majority of the stock had passed into the hands of speculators at a cost of from C cents to 25 cents on tho dollar; and later It developed de-veloped that this control was In the hands of high church officials. What Ecclcsiasts Want. Those controlling the majority stock have urged upon the farmers whoso lands are under this canal that the district covered by the canal be created an Irrigation Irri-gation district under the act passed by the last legislature. Were this done It would place upon tho lands of the farmers a Hen, or an Involuntary mortgage; In other words, would mean a confiscation of the lands, for tho district could bo bonded, from the sale of which bond issue is-sue the ecclcsiasts could get full value for the stock which they hold, while the fanners fann-ers would hold tho sack, Tho farmers have protested against this, have objected to the creation of an irrigation district, but have been willing will-ing to pay an assessment on their stock or to Issue a new series of bonds, rrom tho sale of which the canal could be placed in proper condition and si 111 have the canal In the hnnds of the land owners, own-ers, the people who arc directly bcnellted and who have paid for tho building of the canal. IStockJioldorfi Desire Protection. Thene stockholders, however, want the officers and directors of the canal company com-pany put under bond, so that they can have some redress should the expenditures expendi-tures not be as they should be. These stockholders live next to the Oncld.-l Irrigation Ir-rigation district In Idaho, and they have seen the effect of the theft of tho funds of tho people there by Parkinson ana his gang of cccleslasts and therefore thov want the protection which they can have when officers are bonded for the safe custody of funds. The meeting of July 1 finally resulted in the appointment of a committee of three, viz.. Charles G. Wood, Edgar Butler But-ler and Willard F"unk. to make a canvas of tho land owners for subscriptions for stock, the sum to be raised being $75,000. This committee was also instructed by that meeting, the motion being made by II W. Ballard, to carry a petition so that the question as to the formation of an irrigation district might be ascertained and that names bo secured on the petition pe-tition which would be presented to the commissioners of Cache county praying that body to call an election for the purpose pur-pose of forming an Irrigation district. This committee was directed to report at another meeting to be held on August Au-gust 1. No Notice of Meeting. In view that the people of Cache county were interested, in view that the sum of half a million dollars is Involved in the matter. In view that high cccle-slasts cccle-slasts control the majority of the stock bought ;tt a price of 6 to 25 cents on the dollar nnd In view that tho homes of many people wore Jeopardized, many peoplo Uvlng hero as In other parts of this magnificent valley believed that It was nuws. and therefore expected that the Logan Press would mention the matter. mat-ter. But not a lino appeared. One of the I-ogan papers, however, printed a double-column advertisement showing who of the new Cache Irrigation company com-pany were delinquent on an assessment levied June 10 nnd stating that unless paid by July 25 that the stock would be sold. But not a word about tho meetings. Bishops and Counselors Presont, Monday was the dato for tho commlt-teo commlt-teo to submit Its report, and a number of stockholders were hens to attend. They camo to defend their right to the home which was theirs and which under an act of the legislature was liable to be confiscated. Eccleslasts were present In force Thero wore five bishops and tholr counselors In attendance. It uppeared to be th6 purpose to overawe tho stockholders, stock-holders, a number of whom aro members of tho Mormon church. Bishop Antolno Anderson of Logan presided over the meeting. The committee to ennvass the district reported that they had experienced great difficulty In finding the land owners, many being absent when tho committee called; that money was hard to get; that it was difficult to sell West Cache Irrigation company stock at one hundred cents on tho dollar; that they had signed up 5113 acres favorable to tho creation of an Irrigation district and had secured subscriptions for stock to the amount t ton n o Will Fight for Rights. Pending a motion to accept the report there were several gentlemen who stated that they would lake more stock If the by-laws "were so changod as to bond the officers and directors, "but not otherwise. Leonard Lltz was out in the open. He was ready, he declared, to pay an assessment, assess-ment, but would not give a lien upon his land. lie denounced the scheme to cro-atc cro-atc an Irrigation district as a robbing, thieving deal, and declared that ho would employ counsel and fight It to tho bitter end. Ho said that he had always paid his assessments, but he was vehement In dcclnrlng that he would not mortgage his land. During the recess for luncheon It developed de-veloped that the majority of tho stock of the canal company was In the -hands of seven or eight persons, viz., the Bingham Bing-ham brothers, Ihe Butlers, Ballards, Cac'io Valley Orchard company and Helen J. Grant. Plain Talk by Stockholders. During the proceedings there was a great deal of plain talk over the report presented, one stockholder declaring that If tho by-laws were amended or changed so that the officers could bo put under bond and thus shut off opportunity for graft, that he would subscribe for his share of stock. There were a number of threats made that wnlcsu the matter was adjusted by the time sale of stock delinquent on assessment, the time for which , had been txtendcd until August 15, that the majority iitockholders would exorclso their right. Finally the meeting, on the motion of J. E. Cordon, named a committee of seven, viz.: II. W. Ballard, N. W. Butler, But-ler, William Bingham, H. C. Peterson, Parley Merrill, John Q Adams and John S. Ilcndrlcknon, to select a committee of three who (should canvass the district, call upon the land owners and ascertain whotTier or no they desire to form an Irrigation diiitrlct, and report tc an ad-Jourr.cd ad-Jourr.cd meeting of tho stockholders on Saturday, August 13. A recess followed and after a two hoius' conference the meeting again convened and the committee reported the names of Brlgham Y. Benson, Joseph El Cordon and Parley Merrill as tho committee com-mittee to canvnss the district. Counselor Coun-selor Cordon declined to servo and Henry W. Ballard was named In his place. Then adjournment was had until 11 o'clock Saturday morning, August 13. Up to Land Owners. It Is now up to the hind owners to decide. The majority of these are mem-beys mem-beys of the dominant church. The mass of them believe that the formation of an Irrigation district will mean tho confiscation con-fiscation of their homes, and that the oiily object that the high cccleslasts have Is to get one dollar for every fi to 2b cents they have invested in the stock. |