The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-02-11
THE PROSPECTS ARG;;GOOD
FOR THE IRRIGATION BONDS
AnYthing pertaining TO the proposed


govt bond issue to complete the gov
eminent reclamation projects now un
der way, is of interest to the people o.
the Payette and Boise valleys. be
cause upon the passage of the bond Is
sue bill depends on the completion
of the Payette- Boise reclamation pro
ject. Politics are a strange game and
make strange bed fellows. The indica-
. ,ion1 are that Speaker Cannon the
man whom tho people of the
wes, thinl wears horns and has a
coven hoof will be the man to pull
the bon issue bill through the House.
Tho la,est reports indicate that
Speaker Cannon is lined up on the
right side. Special newspaper re-
porters in Washington claim that the
prospects for the passage of bill
to raise additional money to complete
Government irrigation projects now
under way is brighter today than at
any time since the session of Congress
opened. The bill is not out of the
woods by a great deal, but conditions
are shaping up in a way that is en-
couraging to those Western Senators
and Representatives who are most
concerned in this legislation and it is
their judgment that the chances are
now rather in favor of them than
against some sort of measure provid-
ing about $3O,OOO,OOO additional.
After a series of delays, the Senate
committee on irrigation by unanimous
vote reported substitute for the
Borah bill, but the substitute differs
in no important particular from the
bill drawn jointly by Senator Borah
and Secretary Ballinger, save that |
the name of the securities proposed to i
be issued is changed from "bonds" to
Certificates Of Indebtedness" The
terms and conditions upon which these
certificates are to be put forth, how
ever makes them bonds, all but name
and Senator Borah is willing this al
iteration shall stand so long as those
who insisted upon it work honestly
and faithfully to secure the passage
of the amended bill.
This, also, is the stand taken by
President Taft, who, although he rec
and preferred bonds, said
he would be willing to accept some
other designation if by so doing, the
friends of irrigation could gain the
support of men who had announced
their antagonism to bonds.
TEST OF SINGER TY COM NC.
1t is soon to be demonstrated wheth-
the change from "bonds" to "certif-
Gates" was made for an honest pur-
pose or whether the change was mere
ly step in the direction of defeating
the movement altogether. Ostensibly,
the change was made primarily, be-
cause Speaker Cannon had informed
Chairman Carter that bill author
izing the issuance of bonds could not
pass the House-it being his judg-
ment, according to Carter, that the
general antipathy to bonds would be
The inference conveyed
to tho Senate comittee by Chairman
Carter was that Speaker Cannon
would support the bill if it provided
for certificates rather than bonds, and
that the House leaders would join
with Cannon in an effort to get the
bill through the lower House.
But Senator Carter himself has al
ways stood out against any bond is
sue bill, all the while preaching the
advisability of issuing certificates.
He was willing to support a certif-
cate bill, but not a bond measure
Now that the committee has reported
the certificate bill it should have the
unqualified support of Chairman Car
ter, which, because of his position,
should count for much. Therefore,
the change from bonds to "certif-
Gates" if it does nothing else, should
bring to the support of this legislation
both Chairman Carter and Speaker
Cannon. If those men be sincere in
their protestations, the change will
not have been made in vain.
CARTER WANTS CREDIT.
1t is well known in Congress, how
ever, that there was another motive
than that assigned for changing the
bond bill into bill providing for cert
ficates of Indebtedness. The bond bill
was distinctively the Borah bill in
troduced and championed by the Ida
no Senator. If it had been reported,
there would have been no special