The Oregon state employee., March 01, 1946, Page 10, Image 10

State Employees' Banquet
On the evening of February 23, the
second day of the General Council
Meeting, a banquet was held for dele­
gates, their wives and other members
of the Association.
The banquet tables were beautifully
decorated with candles and flowers by
Betty Dotson of the Library Chapter
and the members of her committee.
Arrangements for the banquet were
made by Stanley Morris of the Willam­
ette Chapter and members of his com­
mittee and credit is due them for the
fine job they did in securing the Cham­
ber of Commerce rooms and the services
of Joe Randall of the Golden Pheasant
to provide the food-
President I. A. DeFrance introduced
the guests of the Association and pre­
sented Mr. Dan McLellan of the Mar­
ion Chapter who was toastmaster for
the evening. The Association is deeply
appreciative of the fine manner in
which Mr. McLellan conducted the pro­
gram and the excellent speakers he
provided.
Major Douglas McKay, who in civil­
ian life owns and operates the McKay
Chevrolet Company of Salem and Lt.
Colonel Allen Carson who in civilian
life is a member of the law firm of
Carson, Carson and Carson of Salem,
were the speakers of the evening.
Both speakers received the nomina­
tion for Senator, representing Marion
County, in the primary election of
1942, both joined the armed forces be­
fore the general election, both were
elected in the genral election and now
both ar on terminal leave. Incidentally,
both have filed again for the nomina­
tion as Senator to fill the two Marion
County seats and have no opposition.
Major McKay, one of Oregon’s civic,
political and business leaders, spoke of
the Willamette Valley Project. He was
Chairman of the original Willamette
Valley Advisory Board which fathered
the $65,000,000 project now under
construction.
In his talk, Major McKay stated that
the floods of 1861 and 1890 were the
greatest Willamette River floods known
to the white man. During the height of
the 1890 flood, people reached the Mar­
ion • County Courthouse in row boats
and much of the business district in
Salem was flooded. Without control a
repetition of the flood of 1861 or of
1890 would result in a loss estimated
at no less than $10,000,000. Over
7,000 farm units would be covered with
water, 18 cities and towns would be
flooded or partly flooded and Cot­
tage Grove, Junction City, Harrisburg
and West Salem would be covered from
8 to 13 feet with the waters of the
Willamette River.
Major McKay then pointed out that
the seven multi-purpose dams included
hi the project would not only alleviate
floods but also would furnish water for
navigation, stream purification, irri­
gation and power.
Water for all year navigation would
provide sufficient competition to rail­
road and truck operators to keep rates
down and would furnish an inexpen­
sive water way for running logs.
The greater stream flow in the sum­
mer would add to the beauty of the
Willamette River and would permit
swimming during thè bathing season.
So polluted is the river now that its
use for recreational purposes, including
boating and swimming during the sum­
mer is' forbidden. The speaker referred
to the necessity of the cities and indus­
tries along the river constructing plants
for the disposal of sewage and industrial
waste as their contribution to purifying
its waters.
Sufficient water would be stored in
the winter to provide for the irrigation
of some 250,000 acres whenever the
farmers in the Willamette Valley or-