The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-03-04
THEIR HARD FIGHT.
How Tongue and His Colleag-
ues Secured Favorable Action
in Yaquina Matters.

| spain mas lnIluenceQ Lne mouse 10
reject the amendment appropria-
ting $150,OOO for this years work
on Yaquina harbor improvements
under the contract which the war
department will soon let. This
action is not final. The matter
will be urged by Mcbride in the
senate and there IS good prospects
for favorable action in which the
house will acquiesce.
The matter of appropriation is
one that interests chiefly the gov
ernment and the contractors. 1t
raises the question, "when will we
get our pay?" But the improve
ments will be made.
Favorable action by the war de
partment was the all important
desideratum. And the war de-
parlment was very much inclined
to be decidedly .''fornnist" the
proposition. That, Tongu*, with
the aid OF Mcbride and Ellis.
could move Alger and his subor-
,lln.tes to let the contracts is al
most miraculous under the Cir
cumstances.
= In Il private letter to a Corvallis
citizen our congressman gives The
details of his battle, and liberty is
taken to publish part OF the letter:
IL feel good deal of pleasure
in our success in reference to the
Ya1uina matter, myself. It. is of
great benefit to every county in
Western Oregon. and | think to
every county in Eastern Oregon.
1t will raise the price OF every
class of agricultural products that
are exported from the stale from
eight TO ten per cent in Corvallis.
The price paid there will largely
fix the price throughout the ell
tire state. 1t means a great deal
to the agricultural sections. No
expenditure OF that amount in
Oregon, or elsewhere could have
benefited SO many OF the asricul
tural classes as this expenditure at
Yaquina bay.
"You are correct in saying that
few people knew the difficulty
that we had to encounter. An
impression had prevailed, and |
regret to say that in some quarters
an effort had been made to create
it. that the river and harbor act OF
1896 provided for the completion
of this work, authorized it TO be
done, and appropriated the money
for it, and that the administration
was simply deiying the law and
refusing to execute it. This Is to-
tally incorrect. That act author
lied the secretary of war to let
this contract, providing that he
might do it, if in his discretion il
was worthy and proper improve
ment to make. The question of
determining the commercial i'm
portance OF the work and the ad
visibility of letting the contract
was vested IN the secretary of war.
He was not defying the law or re-
tusing to execute it, but was Car
rying out the law and acting in
accordance with its provisions
when he proceeded to exercise his
own judgment and discretion in
the matter. 1t was incumbent
upon us TO convince his judgment
and induce the exercise of that
discretion in favor of the work.
The present partial delegation
have succeeded in doing that
work. But l assure you it was
no easy matter. | have made life
somewhat a burden for the occu-
pants of the war Office since COM
ing back here last fall. The sick
ness of the secretary of war has
materially retarded lis. We final
ly induced Secretary Miklejohn to
agree to take the matter up with
us. Il had lost no opportunity to
endeavor to enlist his sympathies
with us. At last he told me he
was satisfied of the commercial
Importance of the work. The on
ly ether matter was question of
the treasury, and if satisfied upon
that, he would endeavor to get the
department to act. l felt quite
sure that the work would not cost
the full amount, and l asked him
to give a hearing to the entire
delegation, which he did, and We
went down and discussed the mat
ter with him. He promised to let
us know the result the next day.
Not hearing from him, Senator
Mcbride and myself went down
the next morning. and we failed
TO hear that evening, and | went
again the next day, and received
news that the matter had been
filed with the department in oul
favor. | lost no time in wiring
out to you people. We are urg-
ing that the bids shall be adver-
tise at the earliest possible mo
ment."
i Manager Stone. of the Corvallis
& Eastern Railroad Co., has an
interesting letter from Mr.Tongue,
explaining in detail the exac'
status of the Yaquina matter, but
as he returned only yesterday