Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-02-12
43 Members
OfHouseVote
To Kill Bills
Gallagher and Bur
dick Win Oratorical
Honors by Expose of
Fund Waste

AOieilSlc effort OF the session, I'll. B.
17S and 1870 by the irrigation
committee, met defeat at 10 O'Clock
last night in the house of repre-
-sentatives, by a vote of 43 to IL.
The debate on the bills began at
$3.50 O'Clock in the afternoon, and
with intermission for dinner,
continued until roll call. Tho vic
tory rested with the opponents of
the measures, oratorical honors
were won by Representative Bur
dick and Gallagher, who made a
gallant and eloquent defense Of the
bills, and a convincing expose of
irrigation costs under existing con-
ditions. The opposition was voiced
by Messrs. Carsner, Hubbard, KAY.
Sheldon, Johnson. Davey and Belk-
nap.
Gallagher's Expose
Representative Gallagher stated
that with him the fight had only
begun and that IL the same con.
ditions continued, he would re-
new the battle in the future, for
ne represented, not the commerci-
al clubs and land Spectators nor
the banks, bondhoIders, contrac-
tors and other beneficiaries. but
the poor farmer who by 20 years
OF hard toll must pay the excess !
profits of the profiteers. He cited !
as an example of contracts ap-
proved by the present state en-
gineer, that of the Warm Springs
district, where the original esti-
mate of cost was $750,0O0 the
actual cost $1,550,000, and the
cost in bond discounts and com
missions s212,700, which repre-
sented Ralph Sehneelock's profits,
while the contractors Is per cent
profit, totalled $2f4,5OO, making a
total cost of overhead for COM
missions and profits to the district
not including rentals of equipment.
or $1272OO, or $14.50 per acre
against every acre In the district,
for which the farmer received
nothing--a situation that spelled
disaster If continued.
Burdick Gives Figures
Representative Burdick was
primed with facts and figures and 81
read the contracts let by the var q
ious districts, all of which were {
approved by the state engineer. Il
lie reviewed the history of irri- y
cation in Oregon and the status of L
the districts today From the +
records of Ochoco district fin
anced by Ralph Schneelock, he
showed that the contract had been =
JugSled and assigned to Twohey ;,
Brothers and different list of
stipulated costs substituted. un- "
known to at least one of the dis ~
tricts directors, whereby $4,000
mad been filched from the farmers n
OF the district. with no value re- a,
turned, He declared the Teel pro +,
Ject wavering, as a result of con d
tracts partially performed with N
$4,000 bonds certified to by the
state engineer, which could be tr
bought at so cents on the dollar. Il
ana he Lone Pine district, an V,
proved Jan. 81, 1920. still held up p
by the state engineer, despite the lo
fact the district was Willing to $;
finance itself. st
The Silver Lake project Is the
one in which Burdick's name has {
been connected with tie Warren
Construction company, and the
speaker declared that no contract
mas ever been signed for construc-
tion and he read a telegram from
the secretary of the district an "
proving his stand on the bills. IA
The Warm Springs cost-plus nc
contract, with 25 clauses wherein al
there was a "trimming-up" of the sic
district In each. was read by Mr.. We
Burdiek, who then related how re
The assessed valuation of the North ne
Unit project containing $4,000. a We
so,OV0,OOO project, was raised NV
from Sl000.000 to over $4,OOO.OOO ot
by the simple eXpcdient Of creating 'u'
fictictious land boom by taking ui'
options for property at excessive 5i'
prices, resulting in all owners rais- "
ng their own values from SIS an y
icre to $50 or more. u
1T has been a difficult task to
gather this Information for YOU
gentlemen, practically single hand
"a. Men who are behind me in this
light cannot afford to show their
land for they fear the conse-
Iuences," said Burdick.
Remember. gentlemen, that we
re opposing the most powerful
money trust on the coast, a bank
ng institution which controls
I 100000. 900.
Burdick declared that the pro
osed change was not to get rid OF
ir. Cupper. but TO divide the work
his office, which was over
nrdened aud to appoint a hydrau-
c engineer with five years con-
-ruction experience as consult
'g engineer as consulting en-
lneer TO pass upon the feasibility
I irrigation projects. while Mr..
upper devoted himself to water
sources. and adjudicator. He de-
AIRED that the allegations OF ul-
rtor motives made BY the yellow
ress. the Portland Telegram were
ilse and in line with that papers
'nunual inaction against con-
rucuve legislation.
Mr. carsner declared ne had
und no one who desired these
Us and that r. N. Stanfield and
iiliam Pollman were against
EN-. Mr.. Hubbard contended
at the bill puts too great a burd-
on the shoulders OF the state
gineer for any man to carry. and
AZ all irrigation districts were
posed TO changes and satisfied
N existing conditions
dr. Kay made a personal attack
on Mr.. Bundick. declaring that
rdick was endeaNorinr To ra.