East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-02-20

In speaking of the legislative see-
sion that has just ended, Senator C.
j. Smith this morning said that thGn
closing days were full of interest. d.
spite the fact that there was no senn-
torial deadlock. The doctor is alsD
of the opinion that Umatilla county
interests Jared we'll during the sessiun
and gave the following resume OF TN
various measures of local interest
that were passed.
The city charter was amended ~
a bill introduced by Senator Smith,
so that the payment of the 50 p9an
tax before voter is allowed to reg
lister for the city election. is dom
away with. In the senator's opinioz.
this was beneficial change and win
have the effect of causing a fultcr
vote at city elections.
The boundary line between Umatik-
la, Union and Wallowa counties is fs
be definitely established by cum-
mission of three men, one of whcaa
is to be appointed by each of the
county judges of the three countieA.
This commission is to meet in La
Grande as soon as made up and there
decide upon fixed boundary instead
of the Summit of the Blue Noun
tains," as the boundary is now desiEr-
mated. Two-fifths of the expense or
the commission is to be paid by fhEG
county and a like portion by Union.
while the remaining one-fifth win be
met by Wallowa. The bill for the
boundary correction was Introduces
by Senator Smith.
The salary of the assessor OF Umn--
tilla county will hereafter be $l5ee
per annum, instead of on the fee syS-
tenn as at present. The bill for thin
purpose was presented by Senator
Pierce. =
In the opinion of Senator Smith.
the irrigation bill. as finally passed ty
the Legislature, meets the main re-
quirement for which such a bill wan
desired, namely. to make 1t possibAe
for the reclamation service to enter
Oregon. The bill as passed was draft
ed by John T. Whistler at the requea
of the legislature. and is supposed 10
embody all features demanded by the
governpent before 1t will enter upon
the reclamation work in this STATE
The bill was for time in danger or
being left out, hut was finally
brought up by its friends on the last
day and its passage secured
Representative Cole Encouraged
Representative w. G. Cole, whD
championed the irrigation bin formu-'
lated by the irrigation commissiSnv
and who went down to defeat twice in
the house, is highly encouraged wtfh
the final passage of a bill giving thu
government the right to acquire
water rights I'm the state and inviting
government irrigation.
While the bill does not meet the
ideals of the irrigation commissioa
nor of Representative Cole and a
large number of people who believe
in advanced irrigation legislation, Sef
| II is movement toward a modern
irrigation code, which will almost GER
tainly be passed two years hence
| "The education which the discus
sion of the irrigation measures befone
the legislature scattered among tfsn
members, will result In untold good
to the state and will prepare the w8y
for a good law at perhaps the neE
session." said DR.. Cole to the EaM
Oregonian today.
Most of the objection to the conn
mission bill is founded on a misap-
prehension of the results of such leg
islation. Logging companies, miniUc
companies and others interested IN
using the streams have been Opposed
to any measure which threatened IN
interfere with the streams of the
state, but when they come to under-
stand that the beneficial use of wafer
in the arid districts, does not threat
en- their industries, the strong oppOsz-
tion from that source will be remov-
ed. and another session can possibly
pass a good general law. embodylng
all the essential features of the de-
feated bills of this session"