Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-04-24
MORSON NOW BEFORE
DESERT LAND BOARD
Says Suggestion Makes Him Want
S350,0O0 and That He Can
Get 1t.
GOVERNOR HAS NO DOUBT
REGARDING HIS ABILITY
Irrigation Promoter Says His Credit
Is Better Than the State of
Oregon.

The desert land board met at 1880
this morning to take up the matter of
extending the time in which the some
what notorious Morson land reclama-
tion project might be finished. Mr..
Morson was present, and the meeting
was rather informal, as he got the
floor and held it most of the time un-
til the noon recess. Mr.. Morson has
good teeth apparently, as well as flow
of language far superior to that of the
water on his irrigating project. The
result was that the rag was thorough
ly masticated and the situation mi
nutely described.
1t transpire1 thst the notification to
Mr.. Morson was rather indefinite, and
he did not bring the data the board
expected, hence the meeting in that
line was somewhat of a failure. Mr..
MOrson talked to the board as though
he, considered its members lot of chill
dren and openly defed the whole
bunch.
Governor Did Not Doubt 1t.
Among other things he said he chad
seen in the newspapers that the gov
ernor had suggested that it was possi-
bic for him under present arrange
ments to get away with $360000.
"Now when / suggest candy to my
kid he always wants candy" he said,
I"and as the governor suggested that
l can get away with $360,000 makes me
want to do it, and think am big
enough to do it."
Understand, broke in the COVER
nor, "that l have never doubted for
a minute nor do l doubt now that you
will"
Attorney General Crawford asked
..orson if he could get the money and
continue and complete mis- contract, and
was answered that "my credit is bet
ter than that of the state at the pres
ent time" Which it is freely admit
ted is "some crcdit'
Nearly Ready for Patent.
Morson explained rather fully the
details of tie two section, one on the
east and the other on the west side of
the Deschutes, ana now he had offered
those on the east side the privilege of
taking lands on the west side in lieu
thereof if they cared to do so, but that
none had taken advantage of the offer,
saying they were in no hurry, as they
did not expect to commence operations
until the railroad was completed. He
said ON the west the compay's lands
and interests were worth a quarter of q
million dollars.
The engineers estimates show that
about $1,000 would put the west side
lands up for patent, would complete
the main canals and put water on the
highest part of each 20 acres in the
whole tract.
did Not Care a Dam"
Morson claimed he had been held
up by the board, the governor, the sec
retary of the interior, or all combined,
and that the time lost was about three
years and three months. He said the
board was mistaken if it though he was
asking it for an extension of time, for
he was not. He insisted his contract
provided for that and he did not care
a dam, irrigation or any other kind,
what the board did.
He was asking the secretary of tho
interior not to extend time, but to re-
store the three years and more of which
he had been robbed. In conclusion,
and between chews on the dilapidatcd
linen, Morson hauled out the contract
he had with the board. From this he
read that Gin case the work was not
begun within the stipulated time or if
for any reason it was not completed
within the agreed time then the board
must serv enotiee on him to proceed
with the work, and if he did not do SO
within sixty days it could begin pro-
ceedings to foreclose on him. -
Will Proceed to Proceed.
Besides the contract read that the
same should be under the 1901 statute,
and not under the later one which the
board evidently thought governed it.
'The board has not served notice on
me-" said the incessant vocabulary,
'and l wish it would" am going
ahead with the work for the simple
reason it is none of the board s bust
ness, was the substance of the further
remarks. Then he added, with n grin.
l"H l am notified to proceed / will
proceed, and if / am not notified to
proceed will proceed any way. In 9TH
er words, | will proceed regardless of
all proeeedings' The noon hour having
arrived the board proceeded to the eat
ing districts, where Morson was for.
gotten and trouble and irrigating
bitches and questions did not enter in.
The board will take a further look
into the matter later, but so far as the
La Pine irrigation project is concerned
the settlers can expect Mr.. Morson to
do some exceedingly rapid proceeding
in the near future; that is if Morson
said what he meant and meant what