Hanford Irrigation Defense Fund Stalled
Lawyer forced to front legal fees as landowners fail to back their own water rights challenge.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
If the Hanford water right owners are really in earnest about fighting the attempt of the Black Rock Power Irrigation company to appeal from the decision of the Circuit Court of Appeals, they will have to show a lot more speed in sending in their remittances to the defense fund. Attorney Carroll B. Graves has entered his appearance in the Supreme Court, but because of lack of funds, it was necessary for him to dig up the appearance fee out of his own pocket. Only one of the larger landowners has mailed in his check so far and only a few of the smaller owners. The committee is anxious to have the water right owners give this their attention and to send in their remittances at the earliest possible date. In most cases it has probably been just an oversight, but there should not be any more delay. The hearing of the case is impending and funds should be available to meet the necessary costs.
“Attorney Carroll B. Graves has entered his appearance in the Supreme Court but because of lack of funds it was necessary for him to dig up the appearance fee out of his own pocket.”
Water rights and the consolidation of power—whether by corporate monopolies or government projects—have been the defining tension of the Columbia Basin for over a century. The struggle of Hanford settlers to finance their own legal representation mirrors the perennial challenge of rural communities seeking to protect their resource autonomy against larger corporate or state entities.
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