East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-12-29

In local circles the complaints 60
Ing up from Baker City regarding the
selection of Pendleton as a site for the
branch asylum are regarded as ridi-
culous and the story that Baker peo-
pie may try to take legal proceedings
to stop the location OF the asylum
here are regarded as unfounded.
II had phone conversation with
a prominent Baker man this morn
Ing" says w. l.. Thompson, president
Of the Commercial association. He
was one of the leaders In presenting
Bakers claims before the state board
and he told me he had heard OF no
move to ask for an injunction. Fur
thermore he told me that such a move
II undertaken would meet with a Wig
orous protest from him."
In view of this and of other facts
known to local men the rabid state
ments emenating from Baker sources
are not taken seriously. 1t would be
very poor grace for Bakeries to take
such action local men assert. for il
would only place them in the light OF
being poor losers. Among local men,
politicians, business men and others,
the sentiment is unanimous that Act
ing Governor Bowerman strove hon
estly TO locate the asylum upon its
merits and did so. If political consid-
erations had any bearing upon the de-
cision those considerations did not in
terfere in any way with the real merits
Of the case
Climate Won Out,
In the view of DR. c. ]. Smith who
has always been n Jealous worker for
the branch asylum and was the au-
thor Of the constitutional amendment
that makes its location here possible
Pendleton won the asylum because OF
its altitude, its climate and it's fine
geographical location. 81 believe that
our altitude and our climate were es-
pecially in our favor" said the doctor
this afternoon. "It is generally con-
ceded that our altitude is more favor
able than a high altitude. Then we
have a milder climate than has either
Baker or Union and we are free from
hard biting winds such as they have.
Yet l feel too that the board was
influenced greatly by the fact that
this place affords a more central To-
cation for the branch hospital and is
therefore the economical location"
No Danger OF Injunction.
When asked this morning for his
opinion as to the grounds for an in
junction against the building of the
asylum in Pendleton which course of
procedure is threatened by Baker
City, Judge Stephen A. Lowell said:
II do not believe there are any legal
grounds whatever upon which to base
an injunction. The selection OF the
site was purely discretionary with the
board and the fact that Bowerman
constituted two thirds of that board
does not alter the legal phase OF the
matter. Baker City may secure a
temporary injunction for It is an easy
matter to trump up allegations, but
when the case is taken up in the
courts, think the decision will re-
main favorable to Pendleton."
Judge Lowell stated further that he
believed the selection of the site was
made purely on the basis OF relative
merits. "I believe the board judged
Baker to be- too high and cold and
the Grande Ronde valley too windy"
he said, while Pendleton with its
mild climate offered advantages to
the patients which could not be had
elsewhere in eastern Oregon"
Steiner Recommended Pendleron.
"It was largely through the recon-
mendation Of DR.. r. e. Lee Steiner.
superintendent of the Oregon State
Insane asylum that Pendleton was Sc
lected. DR.. Steiner pointed out that
the climatic conditions Of Pendleton
are superior to the other towns, in
that 1t is much drier and that the