The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-02-11
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY II, 1919
MALHECR LAKE RESERVE AND
THE LINK RIVER JOB

There is pending in the Oregon le-
gislature a bill--House Bill 316-
which provides for the ceding to the
federal government jurisdiction Of
Malheur lake The specific reason
for this proposal is the fact that ii
is one of the bird reserves created
sometime ago by the federal govern
ment. Not satisfied with the grip
they already have, the federal Off
cials are seeking to get tighter hold
on It, and to accomplish this purpose
are going to the Oregon legislature to
secure a release of all interests this
state may have. II the legislature
grants this request, every member
ought to be hanged. Oregon should
cede nothing to the federal govern
ment. Instead of ceding anything.
it should go after that which il has
already released and get it back. 1t
should start movement that would
drive from the confines of the state
every federal official that is here by
reason of the various reserves that
have already been created and which
are drawing from this state millions
of dollars annually that should re-
main in Oregon and be used in the
development of its resources.
We have here in Klamath County
the result of this ceding business
When the Reclamation Service came
in here. it. by fraudulent representa-
tions. induced the farmers to sign up
contracts for irrigation: it got them
to induce the legislature to cede the
rights of the state in the Upper lake.
What are the results today? We find
this same service trying to steal from
the farmers and turn over to priv
ate corporation the greatest asset
they bave-the power. We find them
trying to put thru a contract that will
If effective. flood thousands OF acres
of land instead of reclaiming it. We
have found and will find the govern
ment arbitrary, autocratic, disregard
full of the rights and interests of
everyone and everything, where they
conflict with the opinions. ideas.
rules and regulations of the petty Of
ficers of the government. They will
cook up. frame and put through every
conceivable scheme that will aid in
the contamination of their plans and
present them to their superiors in a
favorable light and in this way place
the state in an unfavorable position
before the higher officials of the gov-
ernment.
The day is passed when Oregon
should let the government get any
tighter grip than 1t already has on
the vital interest of the state. If this
bill goes through, it will later be
found that rights have been lost TO .
the state that wiz be as important
and as necessary to the interests of
The people of Malheur county as are
the right lost to the people of this
county in the Upper lake. Kill that
bill. Kill every measure that may be
presented to the Legislature that will
cede any privilege to the federal gov
ernment. Let us make fight for
state rights, that we may once more
breath the air of free men, unhamp- I
cred by the restrictions of carpet !
Begging federal office holders, whose /
one thought has ever been, not the I
rights. interests and welfare of the .
people of the west, but the holding |
tighter to their Jobs, that they may f.
continue to eke out an easy living no ,
matter what the cost may be to the
citizens who have made this great
empire west of the rockies.