East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-01-31
ASYLUM QUESTION
TAKES new TURN
ALLEGED BACKGROUND LAW
MAKERS TO SPRING SURPRISE
New Interpretation of Act Declares
Lawss Intent Was for Board To
Chose Site, Not Buy.

Holding in their sleeves what they
believe to be the high card in the
Eastern Oregon branch asylum con-
troversy certain members of the sem
ate and the house who are still re-
naming in the background, promise
to throw Il bombshell into the legis-
lature by presenting an entirely new
legal aspect of the situation and de-
mand that the whole question be re-
opened, says a special from Salem to
the Portland Oregonian.
In the act passed by the people pro-
viding for an Eastern Oregon asylum
the duty of selecting a site is placed
upon the state board, including the
governor, state treasurer and secre-
tary of state, the site to be selected
within five miles of either Pendleton,
Baker or Union. The act expressly
reads that the board shall "locate a
site"
With this in view when the ques-
ton of securing a new site within a
mile or few miles of the site now
located, comes up for consideration
a fight will be waged in both the
house and senate.
The fact that the people passed an
act which provided solely for the 'lo-
cation of site and with no prov-
sion for buying property not conti-
guous to the site selected, is consid-
cred wedge to be used in a demand
that the whole question be reopened.
Purchase of additional sites will be
cried down by opponents to the pres
ent location as an assumption beyond
the meaning of the act A bill will
be introduced demanding that the
Eastern oregon branch asylum be To-
Gated somewhere east of the Cascade
mountains, the location to be deter
mined by disinterested committee or
board, similar to the committee Sc
! lected by Governor West, to investi-
gate the location at Pendleton.
Champions of the proposed new
measure believe that State Treasurer
Kay and Governor West are right in
their contention that there is no suit
able building location on the oliver
Carpenter tract at Pendleton and they
declare that an attempt to force Sc
lection OF this site without additional
purchases will result in a fight on
the floor of both houses that will
cause former sensations of the pres
ent session to appear tame.
Court Fight Promised.
Senator'S and representatives from
Baker and Union will undoubtedly be
foremost in their attack on any move
to purchase further land at Pendle-
ton. They have developed into a con-
sequential force sufficiently large, at
least, to wage a battle royal
With the legal aspect brought into
the foreground, the constituency of
Baker and Union will demand injunc-
ton proceedings If an effort is made
to go beyond the terms of the present
act and the controversy promises to
be carried before the judiciary as well
as the legislative department.
With keen interest the report of
the legislative committee and the COM
mittee named by West is being await
ed here and on the findings of these
committees will hinge the answer to
the question of war or peace between
the factions. Should 1t be determine ed
that there is a suitable building site
for the state tract at Pendleton, then
work will probably go ahead. The
opposition, however, is satisfied that
the statement given out by Governor
West and State Treasurer Kay as to
the utter unfeasibility of that location
for building site is correct and is
quietly enlarging its force for the de-
termined conflict which now appears
to be a certain feature of the mex;
week or two of the session.