The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1914-12-31
Another Boost
CONTINUED from page one)

Of the State Of Oregon, known as
Central Oregon" more particularly
in the basin Of the Deschutes River.
On the 25th Of February, 1913, an
act was passed "To provide for the
construction, operation and mainte-
nance and disposal, by the State Of Ore
gon, Of the irrigation project in Crook
county, Oregon, commonly known as
the Columbia Southern Project I"
This likewise, was before Mr.. Lane
was made Secretary of the Interior.
Not one syllable or word in the entire
act relates or refers, either remotely
or by inference, to any plan for CO.
operation between the state and the
Nation.
On the contrary, when, on June 10,
1913, Director Newell wrote TO Gov
ernor West that Secretary Lane had
authorized him TO state that an allot-
ment Of Si5O,0O0 would be made for
cooperation with the State of Oregon
in connection with the Tumalo project,
the people Of Laidlaw and other Ore
gon communities rose up in protest
against any portion of the fund appro-
priated for the Tumalo project being
considered as a cooperative fund.
In this connection II is well TO call
your attention TO the fact that Socre-
tary Lane did not authorize the direc-
tor of the reclamation service TO state
that $450,000 Would be allotted for CO.
operation in the State of Oregon in
connection with the Tumalo project;
on the contrary, his instructions were
to recite TO the authorities of the State
of Oregon that the sum of $450,000
would be appropriated for the purpose
of cooperation with the State of Ore
gon in Central Oregon in compliance
with the terms of the act of June II,
1902. The statement of the director
that this allotment was for the Tumalo
project was an inadvertence on his
part, as is plainly shown by subse-
Quent correspondence and records.
II is to be regretted that there
should have been any misunderstood
ing upon this point, and no one regrets
il so much as Secretary Lane; but the
proposition as laid before him by Gov
ernor West contained on the Cover
nor's part distinct pledge that if the
Secretary would indicate informally
that it was his intention and desire
to cooperate with the State of Oregon
by an allotment of s450,000, he would
see TO il that like amount should be
produced by the state for dollar for
dollar cooperation with the Federal
Government.
Cooperation implies a complete par
ticipation by both parties to the con-
tract in all of its features; both as to
Investigations and construction, as
well as management. The United
States has had no part in the expendi-
ture of the s450,000 fund used in the
construction of the Tumalo project;
has had no voice in its management;
has had no consideration whatever;
has not been consulted in respect to it
il is in no sense cooperative project.
No definite determination can be
made as TO which of the projects in
Central Oregon shall be adopted by
the United States in its cooperative
work with the state, until the en-
gineers have agreed as TO one or the
other as that in which the money to be |
by the state and the
United States can be most economi-
cally and beneficially expended for
the good of all concerned.
Very truly yours,
w. A. RYAN, Controller.