The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1916-01-07
IRRIGAnON|STS CONVENE
Urge State Guaranty of Bonds for New
Projects With Cheap Money
Rural Credits Included


insuring state backing of the projects,
will make possible the development
Immediately OF the irrigation anC
drainage projects Of the state. !"
]. I. Hinkle, who preceded Mr..
Day, had touched upon the apparent
lack OF public sympathy with the irri-
CATION movements, and the failure Of 9
Dill emDodying much the ideas ad-
vanced by Mr.. Day to be carried IN the
last election by referendum vote.
Mr. Day replied to this by asserting
that public sentiment has to be edu-
Gated, and that It the irrigationists let
single setback stop them they will
never get what they are after.
y. Y. Letter, secretary OF the reso-
lutions committee Of the congress, ad-
dressed publicly before the congress,
questions to Mr.. Day, @. G. Chapman
and Mr.. Hinkle.
He asked MIR. Hinkle if the bill he
had mentioned had been supported by
an active campaign, to which Mr..
Hinkle replied negatively. He asked
Y. Y. Chapman II the Chabmer Of Com
merce would favor any kind OF meas
ure providing for rural credits and
state guarantee OF irrigation and
drainage bonds, and if before the ad-
lournment OF the congress the Cham
Der would indicate the nature Of bill
1t would lend its support and indorse-
ment.
Mr.. Chapman, while expressing
doubt that the Chamber would give a
hasty decision in favor of any resolu-
tion the congress might see fit to
adopt, believed that it would give the
most careful consideration to any
measure proposed and take the posi-
tion which seemed best for the State
of Oregon at large.
He said that he believed the Cham
Der would not indorse the measure un-
al the form Of the bills proposed had
been submitted to it.
Q. Laugaard asserted that he had in
formation from officials Of the Cham
Der to the effect that It will probably
support any action taken by the con-
graEs, but recommended that the bill
be prepared first and then submitted
to the Chamber for its Endorsement.
The responses Of Senator Day to in
quiries from Mr.. Letter brought out q
definite outline Of procedure whereby
the measures might be passed by the
people OF the state of Oregon.
Mr.. Day urged that joint commit
tee, composed of representatives from
the Irrigation congress and farmers Of
the willamette valley interested in
Drainage, oranges and Farmers un-
ions, be organized to prepare draft
OF bills providing for the state guarari-
tee OF bonds and the development OF q
system OF rural credits.
This committee would also circulate
petitions to put the measure on the
ballot and raise, by soliciting subcrip-
tions, q fund OF $4,000 to conduct the
campaign in its behalf. 4
VIII Mr. Day help such q move
ment financially and personality
asked Mr. Letter.
whether the measure be adopted
or not, whether the people pass the
Dill or not, am for this measure,
replied Mr.. Day.
i am willing to go in, il the move
ment is initiated, and give to the sup
port OF the bill all the time and means
am able, to carry it through. The
man who wants to take up a measure
Tor the beneflt OF the state until he is
certain OF success Immediately ia of
little use, and | would just as leave
pioneer this Dill as any other that
means the development OF Oregon and
the betterlng OF the conditions Of liv-
ing Tor its citizens"
The whole attitude OF the congress
during the discussion was intensely
enthusiastic and, while the movement
PROBABLY as powerfully as ever, the
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