Yakima's Water Was Not for Sale

The citizens of the Yakima Valley are considerably agitated over the movement under way by the Washington Irrigation Co. to secure control of the water supply of that valley.

The Washington Irrigation Co. protests that it is not attempting to secure a monopoly and that all of its efforts are being directed for the good of the whole people. Perhaps so, but it is the opinion of The Ranch that they need watching. The tactics adopted by this company in attempting to put their schemes through are not very creditable, to say the least. It will be remembered that Mr. Blame, President of the Company, during the last legislature endeavored to get a bill through, which would grant him the Yakima reservoir sites, and judging from the policy pursued seems to think the Yakima people a lot of sheep. He addressed the Yakima members of the legislature as if they were his servants, trying to bully them into supporting his measure, but finding they were not willing to follow his commands, he called a meeting of the Yakima Commercial Club attended almost entirely by friends of the company, who passed a resolution favoring the bill; but which as soon as its intent was understood was immediately rescinded by another meeting which was called, at which the representative citizens attended. Upon realizing his defeat he resorted to abuse, calling the Yakima people a lot of damned fools. Such methods are not apt to be successful among people of the character of those of the Yakima Valley, and he has aroused a great deal of ill feeling against his company thereby. The Yakima people are alive to their interests and they will vigorously oppose every effort made by the Washington Irrigation Company to secure control of its water supply. The time is shortly coming when the government will be ready to take over the reservoirs of such districts as the Yakima Valley, when it will be carefully conserved in a manner that will benefit equally every section thereof.