The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-02-18
THE LINK RIVER DAM.

THE LINK RIVER DAM.
We are printing elsewhere in this
issue Of the Herald the argument Of
q. w. Onield against the klamath 1r-
risation District joining in the suit
to test the slegality Of the contract
between the Reclamation Service and
the California; Oregon Power compa-
NY. Keep this argument on. file. as it
will be referred to and analysed from
day to day, and you will need it for
), comparison.
This question is of as much inter-
est to the people of klamath Falls as
It is to the people living on the pro-
ject. because this city is an interest
ed party. 1t has rights under the
project just the same as the farmer,
and the disposition of this power is
as Vital to every resident of klamath
Falls. as It is to them. Today We
will take up the First" reason that
Mr.. Ofield advances why the land
owner should vote against it:
In this Mr.. Onleld undertakes to
befog the question by making it ap-
pear that It is the Contract between
the district and the reclamation ser
vice that is at issue. This contract is
not the one to be tested. 1t is the
contract given by the government to
the power company. He says: THE
proposition was fully presented to
the stockholders and a copy
OF this paper mailed to each voter,
together with copy Of the proposed
contract" That is true, but Mr..
Offield has not told the whole story.
After the matter was presented to the
land owners, during which time there
was nofhing said about the separation
from the project of the power that
the farmers had bought and paid for,
Mr.. Offield and his co-directors passed
a resolution setting out how this con-
tract had been voted by the people.
how they understood that it meant
the elimination Of the power feature.
and then to sew them up tight, put in
the following damnable provision:
THAT THE BOARD OF DIREC-
TORS EXECUTE THE SAID CON-
TRACT. UNDERSTANDING FULLY
THAT UNDER THE SAID CON-
TRACT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT
DID NOT INCLUDE FUTURE
DRAINAGE, DID NOT INCLUDE
REPLACEMENT OF PERIsHABLE
STRUCTURES AND DID NOT IN
CLUDE ANY RIGHTS IN POWER
SITES. OR IN POWER POssIBIL-
tiles"
per what they think Of that proposi-
tion! Here are men who were placed
in control of the interests and rights
of the land owners, men who were
supposed to jealousy protect them,
men who we're trusted by their neigh
bors and friends. quietly-yes, Sc
cretly. for this resolution was never
given publicity-acQuiescin to such
provision, q provision that is word
ed SO strongly and in such detail as
to leave no possibility of doubt as to
the full purport Of its meaning. 1t
means that the power that has been
created by reason OF the klamath
project coming into existence, and
which the farmers have paid for, is |
cast aside without dollars consid-
Grafton; II means that when this con- |
tract Is consummated, the land own
ers will have no recourse and that ev-
erything that has been done to de-
pgive them of their most valuable as
act IL irrevocably approved. And, yet,
Mr.. Ohleld, who seeks to pose as the
friend Of the poor devil who has paid
for every cent he. has put into the
Klamath project with sweat, with
hardship. with deprivation, with wor-
-, has the offrontery to stand up in
public and say that he believes that
lhe .svoters acted according to their
best Judgment in the matter with re-
gard 70 the power rights
n The argument that Mr.. Brad
pusy presents win be found no per-
Icnal basis. He has tried to lay be-