Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1898-07-22
FIGHTING 1T HARD.

The Oregonian is making hard
fight against the Yaquina contract,
and it never misses an opportunity
to get in lick against it. In its
issue of last Tuesday it gave the
following whack at it. All the
friends of Yaquina in the great
Willamette valley ought to appreci-
ate it.
washington, July 13.-Ya-
quina, like the poor, we always
have with us. 1t looks as if the
Yaquina improvement, or rather
proposed improvement, would fig
ure for some time in the affairs of
Oregon and the war department.
1t has been with us for many years
and, as a continuing contract, will
be with lis for some time to come.
In the first place, the engineer
corps is against the proposed i'm
provement and the influence against
it permeates the war department.
The understanding in the war de-
partment is that the provision for
proposed Improvement, which will
cost million dollars, was put in
the bill by the house committee on
river and harbors at the urgent and
insistent pleadings of Representa-
tive Herman, who was then a mem
Der of the committee, and whose
nomination it was said depended
upon his securing the authorization
of this contract. 1t will be remem-
bered that if this was the case, it
came too late to have any effect
upon the republican convention of
the FIRST distri.t.
Just NOW the situation is es fol-
lows: The war department has the
authority to make the contract; ad-
vertisements for bids have been
issued, and in due time if bids are
received they will be opened and
passed upon. 1t is now believed
at the department that no respon-
sible bidders will try to secure the
contract for Yaquina i'll view of the
fact that no appropriation has been
made, and that congress has actu-
ally refu; ed to make an appropri-
alton. There is clause in all con-
tinuiag contracts which provides
that in case congress refuses to make
additional appropriations the gov
ernment is not responsible fo: the
payment of the money. or for any
expenditure beyond the appropri-
alton that is made. 1t is believed
that this feature of the contract will
prevent responsible bidders from
entering upon the Yaquina improve
ment, especially i'll view of the fact
that threat has been made to have
the authorization of such contract
repealed by some future legislation
of congress.
In investigating this subject re-
Gently, The Oregonian correspon-
dent was informed that no engineer
had reported in favor of the contact,
and that the board upon whose re-
port the present authorization was
made did not recommend the i'm
provement ofYaquina, but distinct
ly said that 1t was not required to
make any Recommendation, but to
simply report upon a plan, which
plan was submitted. 1t is greatly
to the credit of Mr.. Hermann that
he had influence enough to secure
an authorization of the expenditure
of over a million dollars in the face
of adverse reports by engineer Off
GERS, and of the peculiar report of
the board which was appointed to
examine aid report upon a plan.
But it is also a fact that members of
the committee who assisted Mr..
Hermann in securing provision
for the Yaquina project in the river
and harbor bill told engineer Off
GERS of the army that they hoped
that the contract would never be
made, and that it was put in as a
personal favor to Mr.. Hermann" "
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Persons troubled with diarrh oea