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Show THE BAD li AT HUM BAM Idaho's Land Board Agrees to Mackay's Proposal, Then Breaks Faith. THE DAM' IS UNSAFE, AND PEOPLE ARE SCARED Correspondence Showing Agreement Agree-ment With the People's Desire, De-sire, Then Repudiation. BY C. E. ARNEY. Special to The Tribune. POCATELLO,,Aug. 21. It is seldom that a community becomes so righteously right-eously indignant over tho frailties of official humanity as .s the town of Mackay today through tho acts of the Idaho state lnnd board. Hero in Poca icllo today arc three representatives of a citizens' organization of Mackay, called hero by Governor Brady to give him a chance to explain his couduct, which the citizens of Mackay regard as reprehensible. This conimittoo of the citizens' organization organ-ization consists of J. II. Green, A. L. Fowler and L. E. Dillingham. Tho former for-mer is a wealthy merchant; the second, cashier of the Mackay bank, and the last, named, editor of tho Mackay Miner. No ordinary ovent or condition of affairs af-fairs could tako these three bus' men away from llioir respective lines s of bufiht'SP for a period of thrco days. This is an extraordinary situation and is far-reaching in its illustration of the incapacity of tho Idaho state land board to proper1- perform the functions of government intrusted to its keeping. When I left Mackay two weeks ago, with the data from which I published a story in The Tribune of the Mackay dam mix-up, tho board of state land commissioners had absolutely refused, by resolution, to acccdo to tho demands of the citizens' committee of Mackay to allow them to name ono member of a committee of ongiuecrs lo act on a board with one appointed by the board and ono by these two. In his explanation explana-tion to the citizens, by letter, Governor Gover-nor Brady had justified this course on tho part of the board, and the pooplo of Mackay woro highly indignant at this conclusion, which they had explained ex-plained fully to Miss Chamberlain, who visited Mackay tho day previous. On the same day of my doparture, George P. Gagon of'Blackfoot went to Mackay at tho instance of Governor Brady to straighten out matters, if possible. Tho Adverso Report. It. will be renieinbcrcd that, based on tho report, of J. B. Lippincott, the special spe-cial engineer from California einployod by the citizens ' committee of Mackay, a copy of which had been sent to tho boardj an order had been spread by the board stopping work on tho dam. Phis order had been made then for more than a week. This left the dam in practically the samo shape as whon Engineer Lippincott had mado his ro-port ro-port against it. A view of tho upper half of the dam shows a coro wall in tho exact center cen-ter of what is intended to be the completed com-pleted structure, with irregularity and small dimensions of this concrete core. A stream of water is seen flowing against and through the coro wall. This stream percolates through and under the entire upper half of the dam, a distance dis-tance of 250 feet. Specifications call for an impervious puddled core to extend thirty feet ou either side of concrete core wall. Tho view shows no puddled core whatever, but instead coarse gravel up to within five feet of tho core wall itself of tho concrete coro. Larger stones are seen falling to the bottom of lifts through the method of dumping cars. There would bo at least eight of these lifts in the completed structure,' making eight porous strata throughout the entire width, desigued to bo 500 feet. Men are seen shoveling gravel directly di-rectly from embankment into tho concrete mixer, without screening. This material makes good concrete, aud therefore contains no earth or puddling material as roquirod by tho specifications, specifica-tions, when used in the embankment. The seepage at the time Mr, Lippincott Lippin-cott mado his report was twenty second-feet, second-feet, or 1000 inches of wator. The Governor Comes Down. Then came the comprehensive story of the situation iu The Tribune, and two dnvs after its circulation in Idaho tho following telegram from his excellency Governor Brad': ijoiso, Ida., Aug. 11. Hon. A. L. Fowler, lUackay, Ida.: Board today agreed upon action outlined by Gagon. which, I understand, your people fully approve. Send In name at once If possible. I will come over and discuss Ihe matter with :ou and the citizens. Please say to them for me lhat thoy need havo no feats whatever but that they will bo fully protected. J, II. BRADY. M 8;13 a. m 12th. To this the citizens of Mackay sent to tho governor tho following rep'ly: Aug. VJ. 1010. Hon. James H. Brady. Boise, Ida.: Wc told Gagon we wanted to name one member board; you to namo another, those two to namo tho third. Also Immediate Im-mediate appointment of board and Immediate Im-mediate Investigation by them. If thoy roport adverse lo Lippincott report to nhow conclusively why and wherein he Is wrong. Was this Gagon's outline approved ap-proved by you? , v CITIZEN'S' COMMITTED OF MACKAY. The reply of the governor verified the committee's understanding of their previous conference with Mr. Gagan. as indicated by this reply to their mes: sage: Boise. Ida., Aug. 12 Citizens' Committee of Mackay, Mackay, Ida.: Gagon's outline, our understanding under-standing and yours the same. Pleaso sond In thrco names immediately. 4:10 p. in. J. IL HARDY. Then came a message from S. Belle Chnmbcrlain, a member of tho board, who exhibited her anxiety to square herself for past, delinquencies in tho following language: Boise. Ida.. Aug. 11. Hon. A. L. Fowler, Mackay: Governor Gover-nor returned last night from northern Idaho. Board meeting was held today: citizens' request granted. Governor will visit Mackay soon. S. BELLE CHAMBERLAIN. S;15 a. tn., 12th. Then Bishop Hobcr O. Hale, the register reg-ister of tho state lnnd board, added his halo to tho situation in the form of the following message: Bolao, Ida.. Aug. 12, Mr. A. L. Fowler. Maclay, Ida.: .Wire ; at once three names engineers, from whom board may choose one to help form a committee of three, the second to be appointed by board and third chosen by theF two for purpose of Investigating Mackay dam. IlEBER Q. HALE, Register Stato Land Department. 11:05 a. m. The citizens' committee promptly replied re-plied to these messages in tho following follow-ing two telegrams: Mackay. Ida., Aug. 13, 1910. Governor James H. Brady, Boise, Ida.: Wo have selected J. II Qulnton of Quln-ton Quln-ton Place, Los Angeles, as a- member of board. If he Is unable to serve will name others. CITIZENS' COMMITTEE OF MACKAY. Auir. 13. 1910. Register State Land Board, Boise, Ida.: Citizens namo J. H. Qulnton of Qulnton Palce, Los Angeles, an member of board. If he Is unable to serve will name others. A. L. FOWLER. Then on tho loth tho governor replied re-plied as follows: Boise, Ida., Aug. 15. Citizens Committee. Mackay; Qulnton Quln-ton satisfactory If proper terms can be mado with him nnd he can, come Immediately. Imme-diately. Have wired him and suggest you wlro him also, urging him to act Immediately, as It Is desire of board to have action at earliest possible moment. 10:22 a. m.. 16th. J. H. BRADY. The following day tho governor again exerted industr', in the following message: mes-sage: Boise, Ida., Aug. 16. Citizens' Committee of Mackay, Ida.-Qulnton Ida.-Qulnton accepts. Cannot leave beforo 25th; trying to arrange by wlro agree-ablo agree-ablo third party. Advise that j'ou agree Qulnton make such arrangements by wlro and como soon as possible, 7:10 p. m. .TAMES H. BRADY. Then the citizens' committee sent this message to Mr. Quinton, whom tho,v had selected at tho instance of Engineer Lippincott. to protect them, their lives and their property:' Aug. 17. 1910. J. IT. Quinton, Qulnton Place, L03 Angeles, An-geles, Cal.: Governor Brady states that you accept to serve as member of board of three engineers for Inspection of dam and consideration of Lippincott report. You to have privilege of naming third member of board In conjunction with state engineer. We named you as a member of the board and you can arrange ar-range as to third member of board by wire If you so desire, or wait until you arrlvo In Idaho. What Is earliest date you can leave homo? Answer collect. CITIZENS' COMMITTEE OF MACKAY. Then Came Bad Faith. Tho committee then observed tho public notice of the state land board meeting in a paper from Boise, which meeting was attended by tho attorney for tho bonding company, tho contractor contrac-tor on the works, aud the construction company 's engineers, which resulted in this resolution, viz.: Resolved, In the matter of tho construction con-struction under the Big Lost River Irrigation Ir-rigation project, especially In relation to the construction of the Mackay dam, and the unsatisfactory reports coming from the citizens of the vicinity of Mackay, It Is hereby' resolved, that three competent onglneers be employed at the earliest possible moment to make thorough examination ex-amination and detailed report as to the safety and actual condition of tho Mackay dam, and to advise tho board In a written writ-ten detailed report what will bo necessary neces-sary to put the dam in permanent, safe and proper condition. Resolved. That the Big Lost River Irrigation Ir-rigation company be permitted to proceed pro-ceed with the works on the Mackay dam, until such time as It Ih determined by the state engineer and tho stato land board lhat said dam, as now constructed and to bo constructed. Is not sufficiently strong and safe to hold the entire amount of water to be stored, according to the contract between the state and tho company, com-pany, and in accordance with such changes In plans and specifications as may be suggested by tho slate land board and the stalo engineer. The Incensed Citizens. This incensed the citizens of Mackay greatly! t They were at fever heat of indignation t The work on this porous construction would bo coercd up and the board to be appointed could hot seo it as Engineer Lippincott had seen it. They called up tho governor by long distance phone. Thoy so arranged the Mackay switchboard that three of thorn could hear at once. Thoy got the governor to tho phone and protested vigorously, lie said they could do nothing noth-ing more. TI1C3' insisted that they be heard in defense of their sacred rights, lie answered that tho board was dissolved dis-solved and scattered. Thoy told him that a committee would come to Boise and insist on that degreo of protection to which the Mackay people thought thoy wero of right entitled. Ho answered an-swered that, he himself would be gone before they could reach them. Then they asked him where ho was going, awl he told them, "To Pocatello. ,rThen the committee assured him that in order or-der to do justice to themselves and their noighbors the', too, would go to Pocatollo. This ended tho turbulent conversation, conversa-tion, and aftor the governor had "taken stock" of tho long distance interview he ''got busy" to squaro himself, and in his calmer momouts sent this telegram: tele-gram: Mackay. Ida., Aug. IS. 1910. Hon. A. L. Fowler. Mackay, Ida.: I will be In Pocatello, Friday, and would be very glad to meet you and as many citizens as you can have come with you, so we can fully discuss question of the Mackay dam. Tho board bus Instructed me to personally visit the dam site. I cannot be there, if nt all, beforo next week, and for fear 1 cannot come I think It absolutely necessary that we should meet nnd discuss matter. JAMES H. BRADY. Governor. S;10 a. m Aug. IS. Brady Defaults., Hero the matter rests today. The committee is hero 'and no governor has appeared at dark to explain his reasons for allowing an order to be spread authorizing au-thorizing the work to proceed beforo tho committee to be chosen by agreement agree-ment can report on the character of tho work nlroady done. There aro two elements of grave suspicion sus-picion at Mackay; ono. that the board is tied up to the bondholders and the contractors; the other, thnt it is fencing fenc-ing mightily to delay any further inspection in-spection of its shortcomings on tho Mackay dam until after August 30, when throe of them. Governor Brady, Superintendent Chamberlain and Attorney Attor-ney General McDougall, arc asking the people for their votes as the nominoos of the Republican party for their same positions. The open, free, thinking voters of southeastern Idaho are humiliated at the spectacle which tho , board is presenting pre-senting in this Big Lost River land pro-n'ect. pro-n'ect. They aro up in arms at Mackay at the politics they must see played over the mass of earth and stone piled in this stroam to stop a largo lnko of wator. |