Discussion on “irrigation in the Spokane valley” (Corbett), Portland, Ore., April 16, 1912. (see proceedings for April 1912)

J. B. Fisken: To show what electrical engineering has done, I might state that the first time I saw the Spokane valley was twenty-five years ago, and I don't think there were six houses in the whole 35 miles. The valley was covered with bunch grass, which was considered only good for the Indians to feed to their cayuses. I had a request from a prominent member of this Institute to make some inquiries as to prices about two years ago, and I found prices for irrigated lands ten miles from Spokane ran from $800 to $1,000 an acre. When I first saw it, I could have bought the whole place for $2.50 an acre. I say that merely to illustrate what irrigation has done in the Spokane valley, and to encourage others who have had a chance to exploit it. Mr. Corbett has omitted to show one thing on the diagram in his paper to which attention might be called. There is one place up there where there are arranged radially at the foot of the shaft four chambers, the idea being that one pump was all that was required to start with. That plant could have been quadrupled without any additional expense in walling the chambers. Mr. Corbett states that there is a rate at present of $4 per month, per kv-a. He does not state whether the charge is by the month during the irrigation season or the rate of $48 a year; the discussion on that point has not brought this out.