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

In speaking of the legislative ses-
sion that has just ended. Senator C.
]. Smith this morning said that the
closing days were full of interest, de-
spite the fact that there was no sena-
torial deadlock. The doctor is also
of the opinion that Umatilla county
interests Jared well during the session
and gave the following resume of the
various measures of local interest
that were passed:
The city charter was amended by
bill introduced by Senator Smith,
so that the payment of the 81 poll
| tax before a voter is allowed to reg
lister for the city election. is done
away with. In the senator's opinion,
this was a beneficial change and will
have the effect of causing a fuller
vote at city elections.
The boundary line between Umatil-
la. Union and Wallowa counties is to
be definitely established by a COM
mission of three men, one of whom
is to be appointed by each of the
county judges of the three counties.
This commission is to meet in La
Grande as soon as made up and there
decide upon a fixed boundary instead
of the Summit of the Blue Noun
tains," as the boundary is now desig-
mated. Two-fifths of the expense Of
the commission is to be paid by this
county and like portion by Union,
while the remaining one-fifth will be
met by Wallowa. The bill for the
boundary correction was introduced
by Senator Smith.
The salary of the assessor of Uma-
tilla county will hereafter be $500
per annum, instead of on the fee sys-
TEN as at present. The bill for this
purpose was presented by Senator
Pierce.
In the opinion of Senator Smith,
the irrigation bill, as finally passed by
the legislature, meets the main re-
quirement for which such a bill was
desired, namely to make it possible
for the reclamation service to enter
oregon. The bill as passed was draft
ed by John T Whistler at the request
of the legislature, and is supposed tu
embody all features demanded by the
government before it will enter upon
the reclamation work in this state.
The bill was for a time in danger OF
being left out. but was finally
brought up by its friends on the last
day, and its passage secured.
Representative Cole Encouraged.
Representative w. G. Cole, who
championed the irrigation bill formu-
lated by the irrigation commission,
and who went down to defeat twice in
the house, is highly encouraged with
the final passage of a bill giving the
government the right to acquire
water rights in the state and inviting
government irrigation.
While the bill does not meet the
ideals of the irrigation commission
nor of Representative Cole and a
large number of people who believe
in advanced irrigation legislation, yet
1t is a 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 before
the legislature scattered among the
| ihSihbCAS' Will lcSull III ullOiu SOOu
to the state and will prepare the way
for a good law at perhaps the next
session." said DIR. Cole to the East
Oregonian today.
| Most of the objection to the COM
mission bill is founded on a misap-
prehension OF the results of such leg
islation. Logging companies. mining
companies and others interested In
using the streams have been opposed
to any measure which threatened to
interfere with the streams of the
state, but when they come to under
stand that the beneficial use of water
il the arid districts, does not threat
en- their industries, the strong opposi-
tion from that source will be remov-
ed, and another session can possibly
pass good general law, embodying
all the essential features of the de-
feated bills of this session"