Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1940-02-22

/
i other hand, the federal government
has spent almost $30,000,0O0 to
date. In addition, under my bill,
the federal government will com
plete about $5,O00,000 worth of
! highways that would have been
completed at state cost, if my bill
had not passed.
The Army Engineer are now MAX
ing study which will be completed
soon to determine exactly how much
they can pay the district for ease
ments l have urged them to pay
the highest possible amount. When
this study is completed, we will
know exactly how much the district
would be short if they were not to
follow the intent Of my bill and
turn over to the federal government
everything they have at full price.
Under the terms of my bill the fed
eral government has authority to
condemn everything the district
has, and take it. | have assumed
that such a move on the part of the
federal government would be met
by court resistance and, for this
reason, as we'll as my desire to see
conservation promoted to the full
est, | have been waiting for this
final figure from the Army Engi-
neerS.
Seeking Appropriation
In the meantime, we are now
working extremely hard to get an
appropriation for next year as l
want to get the whole matter clean
ed up in two or three years.
You suggest that Congress pass a
bill to have the government pay
full price and let the district keep
the use of the land. l have dis
cussed the matter with Congress
man Seccombe and we do not care
to get laughed out of Congress.
would like to see you get bill
through the state legislature provid-
ing that the state would buy 10
acres of timber for a state forest
but that a provision should be left
bought it from, could have all the
timber.
1t is not a question of what we
give to the federal government; it
is a question of how much we can
get, and all of us know we can not
get as much for an easement as we
can if we buy the land.
Will Cooperate
| intend to cooperate with all
groups in an effort to find solu-
ton to this problem but | have al
ready gotten a bill through Con-
gress to take the tax off the bene-
flied property owners, and | GER
ainly am not inclined to approve
my plan that would put this tax
back on the people. | am surpris-
I'd that you would even suggest
,lan that would have that result.
All of us must cooperate, and | as
sure you we can get some place if
We do
In the five years all Of us have /
)een working on this problem to re- {
ieve the tax payers, | do not recall s
having seen you in Washington, and ]
am sure we will never get any ,
where if you take poke through ,
he newspapers at every suggestion ]
made by myself, Congressman Sec t
ombe the Judges. or any one else
Who know when they face a prob {
EN- and use their best effort IN {
working it out. |
Governor Bricker In Accord I
Furthermore. the plan ] suggest
d was not suggested to you. I sug
rested it to Governor Bricker, who ,
'eceived it courteously and sympa
hetically and who, like myself, re-
lized that an act Of the state leg ,
stature would be necessary, even
f it were deemed to be fair and ,
.deouate solution.
If the Conservancy District or the
tate wishes 10 give a part of their
ssets to the federal government in
he way of easements and retain
he rest. some one has to pay for
What they keep. This somebody
vill have to be the taxpayers down
he valley or the state as a whole.
The other extreme solution is for
be federal government to con-