Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-06-30
BRIGHT FOR
IRRIGATION BILL
Agreement Reached by
Conference Com
mittee.

Washington, June "a. There
every indication that thA $50 900 90
irrigation bill will become law to
morrow. The conference commi tie,
reached an unexpected argeemen
tonight on the one provision in dis
pute. the Army engineer clause, anC
its report was promptly agreed to by
the Senate. 1t will be submitted tC
and approved by the House in ample
time tomorrow to permit the Presi-
dent to sign the bill before night.
This result is highly gratifying to
those who have labored increasingly
in behalf of this measure, for at one
time todav it looked as though the bill
would be left in conference and 20
over until short session next Decem-
ber
Senator Hale announced on the
floor of the Senate this afternoon
that Congress probably would adjourn
tomorrow. Senator Borah interiected
the remark that Hale might find it
impossible to adjourn SO soon. When
asked to taKe the Senate into his con-
fidence, Borah explained that unless
there was an agreement of the con-
ference committee on the irrigation
bill, there could and would be no ad-
iournment.
In this sentiment Senator Jones
acduiesced. for Jones, Borah. Hey
burn, Hughes. Southerland. Garter
and Smoot had agreed among them
selves not to accept the provision of
the House bill which prohibited the
expenditure of anv part of the $40.
600 900 on any project until it was
approved by a board of Army engi.
neers.
Had it been necessary for these
Senators to stand out against the con-
ference committee. the majority in
Congress might have forced adjourn
ment. leaving this bill undisposed of
for comparatively small percentage
of Senators are sufficiently interested
in this legislation to stay here and
fight it out.
While this colloquy was taking
place in the Senate, the conference
was at the White House
endeavoring with the Presidents aid
to reach agreement, but they were
Payne and Dalzell refus-
ing to depart one iota from the terms
of the House bill. The Senate con-
ferees continued to oppose turning
over the work of examinations to the
Army engineers. on the ground that
many of the projects had been de-
veloped to a point where they must |
be continued according to the original
plans or all of the money already |
invested would be lost.
The President had the confarees as
his guests at luncheon in an effort
to harmonize the differences. Those
who stayed were Senators Lodge.
Bailey and Smoot and Representa-
ives Payne, Clarke and Dalzell. Even
this failed, however.
When the conferees returned empty
handed to the Capitol and it was
1oised about that adjournment might
be indefinitely postponed on account
If this one bill. shere was another
and a compromise was
under which projects require
only the approval of the President in
,rder that they NAV receive allotments
rom the $50 900. 900 fund. The Presi-
lent under the compromise is however,
authorized to employ an Army board
% report upon all projects concerning
whose feasibility there is question.
This compromise was acceptable TO i
he Western Senators. and when re-
ported to the Senate was arReed to
AS the compromise reached tonight I
S acceptable to the President. the
Iouse undoubtedly will adopt it. The ,
resident today assured the conference {
that there would be no IN }
delay in applying the moscy Z
1ade available by this bill. but tAat &
il possible expedition would be used .
n completing those projects which {
re worthy and practicable. he ,
Decifically stated that the projects
{ Washington. Idaho and Colorado y
-ere all right, and intimated that d
hey would be among the first tn
eeeive allotments.