Fraudulent land deals and theft of irrigation waters are common complaints. The riparian right to water established by long usage, is a joke when applied to the Indian. During the vital irrigation period of May, present year, the editor personally looked into conditions of one Indian ditch on the Ahtanum. Three Indian allottees, Louis Mann, William Adams and Joe Yemowat, dependent in part upon this ditch, had not been able to obtain a drop of water, while white renters above them had been receiving a full flow for a month. Mr. Clyde Stevens, a heavy renter, had "soaked" a forty acre field the second time, while two other renters were getting water galore. In one instance a secret way was discovered taking a heavy flow. In marked contrast to the luxuriant crops on these lands, were those of the Indians, parched and withered. While the Indian Department has no jurisdiction over the distribution of the water in this particular ditch it =does= have jurisdiction over the leased lands and has the power to evict any undesirable tenant. Why does it allow a water-hog to fatten at the expense of those whom it holds in its iron grasp? If the Injun "hollers" he is branded as a troublesome complainer and peace disturber. Intimidated and helpless, he suffers deep wrongs in stolid silence. A husky, in an altercation with one of the looters in question, took unreasonable abuse rather than come to blows. When asked why he did this, he replied: "I am not afraid of him--the shrimp. I could break him in two. It is his law that I am afraid of. I know what an Injun would get in court. I have a family to live for. Our Agent is supposed to protect us in our rights. He does nothing. He knows that the white man has no right to the water in this, our Injun ditch. He knows that it is being stolen from us. This white water thief is protected. He says that Mr. Carr is a fine man. Of course he should speak well of Mr. Carr. Look at this water thief's crop, this Mr. Stevens and others. They are fine while our crops are scorched for water. When only Injuns were on this ditch we had no trouble. All got water, dividing with each other. I was driven from the Medicine Valley country because Mr. Reece B. Brown stole all my water eleven years ago. The Indian Department knew of it, but the Department is afraid of Mr. Brown or stands in with him in that grab. I came over here on the Ahtanum to farm and now they steal my water here. The =Shoyahpoo= is a hog. He takes all and squeals for more." It takes no careful observer to ride through the Ahtanum Reservation lands and pick out the Indian tilled lands from those of white owners and lessors. The former invariably present a withered appearance, while those of the whites show fine crops, resultant from sufficient water. There may be exceptions to this rule, but the cases are few. One fair minded white man said, when questioned: