Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-02-09
irrigation
Bill llCauseo
House Battle
Statement of Personal
Motives Made by
Cupper Are Denied
On Floor

On Floor
Under personal privilege, Reprc
sentative Burdick took the floor o
the house late Tuesday afternoo,
and made denials of statemapt,
which Percy Cupper. state enei.
heer' mas made in letters written &c
members, and in statement issued
70 the press, regarding house bill
lIS, relating to irrigation. The biz
would shunt Cupper from the of.
lice OF state engineer to cleri, al
tne desert land board and state
water board.
Cuppers statement contained n
personal attack on Burdick and
Representative Gallagher, ard de-
clared that the constituents of
these members of the house were
not behind the irrigation bill. Bur
dick said that there was nothing
personal behind the measure spon-
sored by the irrigation committee
put ne announced that before the
irrigation question was settled on
the floor the public would have n
great deal of information on the
subject. Burdick accused the state
engineer and his employees of ac-
lively lobbying against the bill.
Burdlck and Kay Clash.
Representative Kay intefruotvD
long enough to advise members moi
10 sign an agreement to pass the
irrigation bill untll they were ia
millar with 1t. He pointed at Bur
dick and declared the latter was
circulating petition to get 81
supporters. Burdick .retorted that
ne was satisfied to abide by the
judgment OF the members when
lAey n'iew me leal inside o. tneI
irrigation matter. and meanwhile
ne suggested that Ray keep tne en-
pioyes of the state engineers office
~ their office and not in the lob
by.
Burdick spoke highly of the
north unit and said IL was one of
the best projects in the state. He
also said that he had telegraIns and
letters advocating the passage of
the irrigation bill
The statement issued BY State |
Engineer Supper's office to the /
press follows:
Representatives p. j. Gallagher
and Denton G.. Burdick, In adyocat-
Ing the passage OF house bill IT'S,
which seeks. to legislate the state
engineer out of office, hold that lr-
rtgation interests are behind the
measure. However, they have fail
% to disclose those interests.
Many Projects Oppose Bill.
In view OF the tact that the
Oregon irrigation congress, com
posed of accredited delegates from,
all sections of the state, strongly
declared itself against any such leg
fslation, and the Ochoco irrigation
district. the Suttles lake Irrigation
district, the north unit irrigation
district ana the irrigation districts
OF klamath county all In Repre-
sentative Burdick's districts, and
the Succor creek irrigation district,
and the Warm Springs irrigation
district In Mr. Gailagher's district,
have declared themselves in oppo-
sition to the measure, as well as
many other irrigation districts of
the state, we are at n loss to know
whom Mr.. Gallagher and Mr. Bur
dick represent. Certain it Is that
the oft-repeated statement that Mi
irrigation interests were behind the
measure Is false.
THE truth Is that II is not the
irrigation interests that want the
measure enacted. These past mas
ters In the art of legislative log
rolling have even gone so far as to {
assert that the state engineer had |
acquiesced in the plan to oust him
from office and that the entire {
plan was satisfactory to him as he /
wished to be relieved of his duties d
Sclf-Intcrest Il Alleged. G
perhaps Mr., Burdick has cause b
for complaint. He ei'iered into a n
contract with the silver Lake irri- n
cation district OF only 5000 acres to a
90 the legal work for the district .
Tor one year after the bonds were n
for per cent of the
pond issue OF 5000. 900, making a
ZEE of $4,000. In view of the fact II
hat this district requested the ir
fgation securities company to pay III
he interest on Its bonds, II felt call
ID upon to question the reasonable
less OF MIR. Burdiek's fee, and
doubtless incurred his displeasurc.
Among other defenses. MIR. Bur-
lick asserted that he had spent con III
iderable time working up a deal
With the Warren Construction COM III
ANY and presented the results of III
lis labors In the form OF cost
',us contract for the construction
4 the project. with renta's on III
and equipment. II seems
little strange that Mr.. Burdicl,
nd his colleague should now burst III
orth into assumed righteous ndig-
alton at the fact that such con III
racts had been let Tor the construc
on OF other projects particularly
hen the same were consummated
nder war conditions and in con
ormity with the general plan in ef-
sct at that time by government,
municipal and private corporations
"As MIR. Gallagher's and Mr..
iurdicks constituents and the ir-
Igation lists OF the state are not
ehind the bill. who is?"
MReY4s lAA