The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1921-02-03
JEFFREY SAYS
LEGION PAIR
WENT TOO FAR
Ex-COmmander says Morrison
and Curtin Overstepped
Scope of Their Committee
FILES A MINORITY REPORT
Other Two Members Make False
Statements and Fail to Give
- Authority for Statements

In report forwarded last night to
Commander Swale, Of the American
Legion, F. R. Jeffrey, Of this city,
member of the Legion's land settle
ment committee, charges that Morri-
son and Curtin, the other two mem
bers Of their committee, went be-
yond their authority. in attempting
to pass judgment upon the acts of the
state reclamation board; that their re-
port contains many conclusions with
out stating any justification for such
conclusions; and that it contains many
statements which he considers unjust
and incorrect.
The report contains twenty-one
typewriter pages in which the writ
er points out specific inaccuracies in
the majority report and takes them
severely to task for their accusations
and insinuations against the people of
several of the projects.
Mr.. Jeffrey says: My understand
ing of the purposes for which this
special committee was appointed, is
that the committee was to investigate
the work considered or accomplished
by the board having in charge the
administration of the land settlement
act, and to make report on that
work, and also to offer any sugges-
tions concerning constructive policies
which might be adopted to bring about
greater results for the benefit of the
service men under the provisions of
the act. The report of the majority
of the committee does not contain one
constructive suggestion or criticism
with the exception of a recommends
ton that the personnel of the board
be changed. Neither does the report
give consideration to any of the land
settlement. propositions considered by
the board with the exception of a very
brief reference to settlement under
the Methow- Okanogan project. I have
understood that the board has inves-
tigated and given consideration to sew
eral land settlement propositions,
which seems to me, might as well have
been reported upon by this committee,
but the chairman of the committee has
entirely overlooked them in his re-
port"
Elsewhere in his report, Mr.. Jeffrey
says: 81 wish to call your attention
to statement in regard to the Rich
land Irrigation district in the follow
ing language: They (referring to the
officers and people of the district) are
apparently willing to support gen.
eral log rolling campaign against the
state treasury, provided they get their
share Another statement of similar
nature is quoted from the report on
the Kennewick Irrigation district:
'Kennewick is supporting the state
board because of expected benefits,
and, 'Kennewick is not at all hood
winked by Chandler personally, but
will lend itself to his purpose in hope
of private gain by the district By
these statements Chairman Morrison
charges that the directors and the peo-
pie of these two districts are unprin-
cipled and dishonest and that they
have bargained away their honor and
honesty to the state board to support
unscrupulous propositions to pilfer the
state treasury in order to further
their own private interests. Such un-
just and unwarranted charges attack
ing their honor and integrity are most
strongly resented by the people of
these districts, and the making of such
statements in the name of the Ameri-
can Legion cannot be too strongly con-
demned. do not believe that the Am
erican Legion is justified in making
an investigation of the work of state
officials or official boards, and making
reports thereon containing unlimited
charges of mis-feasance, nonfeasance,
and mal-feasance, except insofar as
the work of such officer or board may
affect the membership of the Legion.
The work of the state reclamation
board in administering the state rec
lamation act is entirely Independent OF
the work of that board in administer
inp the land settlement act, and do
not consider that review and report