White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-02-24
CHRISTMAS PARTY
HELD OUT OF SEASON

! but they were surely rich IN flaVoi
and substantial in size. An annoying
little fact, however, in connection
with these presents is that they are
now in the possession of the "poweI
trust" but our self elected Santa
, thinks he has a little trick play all
worked out in the way of damage suits
ETC., whereby he expects at the proper
time and place to jockey the power
trusts" out of them. There was nc
escaping the impression that when
this happened, and he assured us posi-
lively, definitely and absolutely, that
it would happen, this valley will be
rolling in wealth and prosperity and
the land all settled and cultivated by
happy contented people, living life
of ease. While being told all of this,
---and more-the crowd was unusually
quiet, every one apparently feeling
that any noise in the way of demon
stration might wake us up and spoil
the picture.
The hall was filled, fully three
fourths or more of the crowd being
from Hanford and the balance from
this end of the valley The meeting
had been cleverly advert sed, all kinds
of rumors being afloat, and some were
there expecting to see show. while
others went in the hope that some
thing tangible might be offered look
ing toward the final solution Of the
water question. Both were disap-
pointed. The talk was mostly TRADE
against the power company and it
there was anything constructive offer
ed on the water question this news
paper has been unable to find any
one who heard it. One watec right
cwner at White Bluffs who has not
been mixed up in any of the contro
versies, attended the meeting and
when asked what he got out of it
said, "Well, went expecting to hear
something regard ng the solution OF
the water case and all that I got was
that some one thinks he has found
cut something but isn't going to tell
anybody" And that seems to be the
general verdict.
1t is hard to guess what was tbs.
real purpose of the meeting unless it
was to "soften up" the water right
owners preparatory to financing an
other wild goose hunt
Referring to himself as your chair
man. Santa said that he and "tht
committee" had been examining the
company records at the office in Han
ford and had found something that
would make the Teapot Dome scandal
look like five cent fire cracker, or
words 40 that effect. This esome-
thing, he said, was perfectly safe,
being in a safety depos.t vault in
distant city" OF course whatever this
Something" is it is presumably still
among the company records, available
to any one who might come along
and steal the play. But that would
be mean trick anil it is doubtful il
there is any one who would be guilty
Of doing it.
"Your chairman" further said that
history reveals that in all great crises,
God Almighty always sent an erniss-
ary to save the people and punish the
crooks. He listed Governor Hartley
as cne Of, these, (emissaries-not
crooks), Senator Walsh of Montana
and Clifford Pinchot as others He
mcdestly refrained from naming the
heaven-insr;red emissary who was to
] lad the people here out Of their
troubles, but the inference was there,
as big as wart on your nose.
that that same history also reveals
that there have been numerous false
prophets. Fer instance there was one
here who led the charge against the
Webster decree a year or so ago.
Upo,tting that decree was just as big
cinch then, it was claimed, as it is
now contended it will be to win the
damage suits coupled with the trek
play that is to be sprung when the
proper time arrives. But the Circuit
Court Of Appeals said that the Web
ster decree carried out in detail what
the Circuit Court intended and the
original decree still stands as it was
orig nally written W thout sentence,
word or a letter changed Any one
who has any doubts about this can
ascertain the facts by consulting the
Clerk or the decree itself in the Dis
trict court at Yakima.
When the injunction suit was
brought against the Consumers Ditch
company in 1926, protesting the main.
tenance charge asked by the company,
this same prophet" advised aga nst
going into it and as result thosl
who needed this advice paid around
SO an acre more for water than did
their ne;ghbors who joined in the suit.
He also made. the positive statement
that this water case was not goink
to be tried by the courts at all but
would be settled by the Department
of Public Works. "right here in this
Community hall in Hanford" The
answer to this is that the case is now
in the Fel.ral Court and will be finally
determined in that court.
So that in picking out thei- "em s.
sary" or prophet" it might be we I
for the water right owners to judge
them on their performances rather
than on their promises.
All of the issues in controversy will
be heard and decided on their merits
in du, time, and, as he is charged
with the determination of all of these
matters, Judge Webster will undoupt-
edly be much more interes, ed in plans
and suggestions as to how this pro-
ject is to be made going concern
than he will be in any amount Of
whispered slander or empty
noise.
Toward the close Of the meeting
A. l.. Brockwav spoke for few
minutes, explaining what he called
"triflipg" sums he said he had saved
power users in the last two or three
years.