White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-01-11
HARMONY PROGRAM IN
WATER CASE FAILS

lunvU1VIVu ] NOUunVu uN
water Case FAILS
The movement for harmony be-
tween the Hanford water right owners
has gone flooey as a result of the
meeting in Hanford last Saturday
afternoon and the two factions are
right back where they were when
the movement was started.
The two elements of discord were
the two committees. Realizing this,
the members of the old committee
had previously rendered their resigna-
tons to their supporters as a gesture
toward harmony, leaving the way
open to the new committee to take
some similar action to clear the deck
for the selection of third committee
which was the only possible way to
bring about unity and permit coopera-
ton.
Many of the water right owners,
particularly from the upper part of
the valley, went to the meeting not
organized to make fight but rather
to promote and foster a harmonious
program. The afternoon, however, was
not very old before it became apparent
that the new committee and many of
it's supporters were not there for
any such program and believing they
had sufficient votes and power Of
attorney from absent water right
owners and possibly others who never
had water right, to control the meet
ing and force those who might feel
otherwise to accept that committee
whether they liked it or not. This
they proceeded to do and the dove
of peace that had tried to find place
to light at the outset of the meeting,
flew out of the window and did not
return.
c. F. Wooten called the meeting
to order and announced that list
of water right owners would be
read to determine who could and
who could not vote in the meeting.
1t is not known where he got the
list that was read but it certainly was
not a list Of water right owners for
many names Of persons were read
who never had water right. L. T..
Brooks made motion that the meet
ing proceed in regular manner by
the selection of a chairman. Mr..
Wooten ruled him out of order and
shortly thereafter called r. r. Woods
to the chair. This caused wave
of protest. Mr.. Woods is not water
right owner and many felt that water
right owners should be permitted to
select their own chairman. Mr.. Woods
however, did not put any of these
questions to vote and the hope for
harmony faded right there.
Mr.. Wooten then announced that
he wanted to make a report of his
committee. This aroused another pro-
test as it was claimed that the reg
ular order of business as set out in
Roberts Rules of order, generally rec
ognized as the controlling order in
public meetings, was not be;rgfollow-
ed. It then developed that Mr.. Woo
tens committee had prepared special
order of business of it's own that
it insisted on using and after. con-
siderable discussion during which it
was difficult to tell just what was
going on, Judge G. T. Slavens, in
order to get the meeting under way
again, and over as soon as possible,
moved that the report be heard, and
everybody voted in the affirmative.
In making the report Mr.. Wooten
consumed about two hours Of time
during which some Of the water right
owners, convinced that nothing was to
be accomplished at the meeting, got
up and went home. The whole time
was taken up in an attempt to explain
why the committee had made COM
plete failure of everything it had at
tempted. To those who let Wooten
do their thinking for them and who
take MS word as gospel, his explana-
the audience who do some thinking
for themselves and who base their
conclusions upon the records and facts
it was a lot of boloney and nearly
all a gross Misrepresentation of the
facts cunningly worded to deceive the
water right owners. At its conclusion
motion was made to receive the
report and discharge the committee.
The vote on this motion was taken
by ballot and when the votes were
counted it was announced that 43
had voted Eyes" and &c had voted "no"
which meant that just exactly moth
ing had been accomplished at the
meeting. The motion to adjourn that
followed was unnecessary as nearly
all Of the water right owners had left
the room.
Nothing was offered at the meeting
as to what was to be done to meet
the present situation and it will now
be up to those who believe in pro-
gress and who are determined not to
Let the project go to pot to get
together and formulate some plan
with this end in mind. They have
always been able to do this in the
past and will, no doubt, be able to do
so again although they can expect a
stubborn fight from the reactionary
element.
While the harmony program failed
it was worth the attempt for it would
have been lot easier to carry out
constructive program by the CO.
operation of all Of the water right
owners than to have to fight for every
progressive step.
The water right owners are divided
now between those who believe there
is Santa Claus who is going to put
something into their stockings, and
those who believe, with the COM
panies definitely out Of the Picture,
That ~ h n tovar 10 dono fo ,,,obo tbo