East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-02-07
IRRIGATION MEN
INTEREST PORTLAND
GFTIZENS or UMATILLA
COUNTY BOOST PROJECT
local Men Visit Metropolis TO Enlist
Big Commercial Interests I'm Irrl-
CATION by Dry Lands-PortIand's
Aid Necessary for Completion of
Project.

THE Umatilla project is in the back
yard Of Portland and we want Port
land to help US persuade congress to
give us the water to water 1t, so that
We can plant II and make it bloom
INTO the garden OF Portland"
This Is the reason, or one of the
reasons. why DR. C. j. Smith, state
senator from Umatilla county G. w.
Phelps, district attorney from Una
hlla and Morrow, and Judge James A.
Zee OF Pendleton are in Portland to
see the officials OF the chamber of
commerce.
Building Dam.
Up in Umatilla county the United
5Iates reclamation service has been
digging ditch and building a dam
for some time, as a result OF which
$4,000 acres OF land are now begin
ming to bloom and bear in wonderful
fashion where before the coyote and
the jackrabbit scurried through the
ngebrush before the advance of the
engineer Umatilla people are very
much obliged TO the government for
what 1t has already done, but they
consider that they have the one dis
trict in the state best adapted to ir-
rigation. with the most suitable cli-
mate soil and elevation Therefore
they desire to see the supplementary
project" which includes some 145,-
600 acres. put under water. To Sc
cure this object they are beginning to
direct stream OF petitions and let
ters, personal calls and other forms
OF influence toward the Oregon dele
cation in congress
The Portland chamber OF commerce
is hooked upon as n very powerful or
ganization by the men from the Una
tina country. and they have visions Of
the Portland organ ization coming to
their aid So far, however tho Port
land organization, with the business
OF the iobbers. who make up much OF
It's membership, al heart. mas not en-
tered any too eagerly into the bat
tIe. fearing TO arouse the enmity Of the
Klamath Fails district, which also has
iis eve on the assistance of the gov
ernment
Has S2,325. 900 Coming.
I
uonal Irrigation fund something like
$2,325. 600. which has been expended
in other states and which will very
probably be available soon for refund
ing for Oregon irrigation. This
amount viii fN up the Umaulla Sup
plementU' project In fine shape, or
1t would lit out the klamath Falls
district with an irrigation system
hard 10 beat It would stretch the
amount however. were it 20 be at
tempted to complete both projects
with the sum
The irrigation fight seems To have
narrowed between the Umatlla dis
trict and tho klamath district Each
has been given start in irrigation,
and each likes the dose and wants
It repeated Because Of this, Senator
Smith. District Attorney Phelps and
Judge Fee. representing the people OF
Umatila. have come TO Portland to
persuade the Portland chamber OF
commerce TO get back Of the Umatilla
supplemental" project and boost it
for all It is worth
The Umatllla project is the only
project in the state, according TO our
belief" said Senator Smith yester-
day afternoon at the Imperial
Has Many Advantages.
1T has the climate the soil, the
elevation. almost perpetual sunshine
everything to make 1t the equal of any
of the great projects undertaken by,
the government At Umatllla 1t is
only 500 feet above sea level 1t now
has good transportation facilities ana
soon will have better. 1t is only sew
en- hours away from Portland-really
In Portland's back yard. What we
want is for Portland to help us get
the water on 145 1000 acres OF the
richest land anywhere and make 1t
Portland's garden,
''It will require most Of the avail
able money due and coming to the
state for reclamation work and To
complete the big project aud what
we want is for the oregon delegation
to see to 1t that the work is turned
10 the completion ~ the supplemental
project
There IS not an interior town be
tween Portland and that district or
contiguous to IT, whose chamber OF
commerce or commercial club has not
indorsed the Umatilla project.
Send Resolutions.
Many of them have sent rcs"lu-
tions and petitions to the oregon dell
egation for use In securing TN" ap-
portionment OF the irrigation fund tor
the Umatilla work.
we would like to have the support
OF the Portland chamber of com
mercc and Of the Commercial club
We have already presented the mat
ter to the chamber OF commerce, ana
II has indorsed both the Umatilla and
the Klamath projects,
we believe the Umatilla project To
be the better of the two, and because
OF IFS great possibilities ana the won
derful results its completion and op'
Grafton would mean. and because OF
its nearness to Portland. that the
chamber of commerce should come TO
our aid in the battle for the appro-
priation. We hope to be able to I'M
press this on the chamber of COM
merce as soon as we can get an auul-
ence with Its leaders"
The three Pendleton men were TO
have held a conference with some of
the chamber of commerce people yes