Evening star., 1954-05-25
The Political Mill
Oregon 6. O. P. Backs
Portys Power Policy
Public Development
Advocates Are Defeated
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
Advocates Of Federal power develop
ment-aS against the Eisenhower
Mckay policy of Federal and private
partnership a "shellacking" in
the Oregon Republican primaries last
Friday. A result is to throw hydro
electric power policy into the Novem-
Der election campaign in a big way.
For Democratic nominees for Governor,
Senator and members of the House
are expected to support strongly the
idea that the Federal Government
should build all the dams and handle
power development for the entire
region. Whether it will be winning
issue is doubtful to say the least, in the
light Of the recent primary vote.
Secretary of State Earl T. Newbry,
who espoused Federal construction of
the proposed Hells Canyon dam and
sharply attacked Secretary of the In
terror McKay's administration. was
sunk under a flood of votes for Paul
Patterson, who became Governor when
Secretary Mckay stepped out of the
governorship to join the Eisenhower
cabinet. Mr.. Patterson. during the
campaign, went right along with the
Eisenhower-McKay power development
policy. Unofficial returns from .2,289
voting precincts gave Mr.. Patterson
136.689 to 49.015 for Mr.. Newbry.
Angel Defeated.
A veteran member of the House
from Oregon, Homer d. Angel, who
also stood for Federal construction of
the Hells Canyon dam and for Fed
eral construction Of other power de-
velopmentS, was defeated for renomi-
nation by Tom Lawson Mccall, who at
one time was an administrative assist
ant to Mr.. Mckay, and who, like Mr..
Mckay, stands for partnership" de-
velopment of the hydro-electric power
projects in Oregon and the Northwest
generally. Unofficial returns from 700
Of 815 precincts in Multnomah County
(Portland) gave MIR. Mccall 34,215
votes to 22,283 for Mr.. Angel. Mr..
Angel has been elected to the House
eight times. Secretary Mckay himself
spoke in Oregon May 10. IL days before
the primary, in support of the Eisen-
hover administrators power policy.
He was attacked by some of Mr..
Newbry's supporters for mixing in q
Republican primary fight. However, the
Republican voters of the State appar-
emily gave the former Governor-as
we'll as the newly named candidate for
GOVERNOR resounding vote of ap-
proval.
In the same primary election, the
Republicans renominated Senator Guy
Gordon, and the Democrats picked
Richard Neuberger, a State Senator
and free lance writer, to oppose Sem
ator Gordon. They, too. personify the
policy issue, with Senator Gordon TAX
ing the Eisenhower-McKay position
and Mr.. Neuberger strong for Fed
era; power development all along the
line. It was largely on the issue of
power policy that Senator Wayne
Morse, former Republican, broke with
President Eisenhower during the sum-
mer Of 1852. The Senator. now an indie.
pendent, is expected to support Mr..
Neuberger in the coming campaign. He
has become one of the most ardent
critics of the President and his ad-
ninistration.
sofia nepuDucan.
Involved in the Oregon election are
candidates for four seats in the House
of Representatjves-all now held by
Republicans. In those contests, too, the
power policy issue threatens to raise
its head. Oregon, however, has been
a stanch Republican State for years.
No Democratic Senator has been elected
there since the late Senator George
Chamberlain, who was chairman of the
Military Affairs Committee Of the Sem
ate during World War I. although
Democrats served for a time in the
Senate, under appointment, following
the resignation of Senator Frederick
Steiwer, back in 1938-39. It is con-
sidered Signlflcant-when looking to-
ward the coming senatorial campaign
that no Democrat was able to win
in Oregon for the Senate during the
20-year stretch when Franklin D.
Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman were
III the White House and every Congress
was Democratic except the 80th. Since
that Is the case, Republicans are asking.
Why look for q Democratic victory
in Oregon next November?
The Hells Canyon dam and who shall
build it-particular bone Of contention
in Oregon politics-rests at present be-
fore the Federal Power Commission.
with hearings under way. The proposal
to have the Federal Government con-
struct the dam has never yet had the
approval of Congress. The Idaho Co.
wants to 60 ahead with 1t. Secretary
Mckay has taken the position he will
be guided by the decision Of the FPC.