The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-27
THE STATES RIVERS AND HARBoRs
Claims Of the wiIIapa Streams and of
the Palouse

WASHINGTON CITY, Oct 26.-rSpecial. /
In the office of the chief of engineers they
nave Tor some time past been holding on
TO the estimates of appropriations for the
improvement of rivers and harbors like
grim death. The time is now near. though.
when an official presentation must be
made. This is matter of good deal of
interest to the commercial enterprises of
the state, not only on account of the rec
concentrations which will be made in be-
half OF local waterways. but more because
OF what will not be recommended. Some
OF the army engineers seem to have the
opinion that before they can recognize the
need OF improvement on the smaller
rivers full-hedged commerce
must be shown TO exist thereon,
forgetting, evidently, that the very reason
for an Improvement is to afford proper
facilities for the development of COM
merce. But II is just such an idea as has
been noticed that will induce the engineer
bureau TO report against the government
dong any work on a number of small
streams in Washington.
This need not be source of discourage
ment, however, as 1t is the most common
thing IN the world for congress to make
appropriations, the necessity for which is
not apparent to officers of the engineer
corps. Success in matters of this kind
depends largely on the zeal with which
senator's and representatives attack the
committee on rivers and harbors. of
course, II is somewhat better to have the
Endorsement of the engineers, but this is
not an indispensable requisite.
These facts have been mentioned to
show that the fight in behalf of Washing
ton rivers need not be abandoned. On
the contrary, more reasons exist to begin
the struggle earlier, and to keep 1t up with
vim to the end. In his official report on
Deep river the engineer says that con
neither one of the forks is there room for
boat of any respectable size TO turn
around" And this is sufficient to con-
denim any improvement. Why, there is
an improvement in Louisiana upon which
the government is spending $1,000 year
that the engineer reported in the begin
ming, or several years ago, had no water
in it nor place for water even had there
been any, and in consequence the first
thing tQ do was TO dig out a canal trench
In which to put the water after it had been
obtained from somewhere else, and the
engineer has been on this Job ever since.
The place. in other words. is played out
bayou, and ii should in Justice be added
that the engineer expressed the opinion
that a commerce could be developed if the
| improvement is made.
There are, as is known, a number of
small rivers in Washington under the ban
of the engineers opinion. They must be
considered of some significance COM
| mercially, too, as the state legislature
year or two since deemed their improve
ment worthy of an official request to con-
gress for appropriations to increase their
navigability. Such are the Nasel, Willapa,
and North rivers, which flow into Willapa
harbor, al important and navigable
streams, and now used for a commerce of
constantly increasing Importance.
Then, again, there is the Palouse river
watering the vast agricultural and
timbered tracts in Whitman county, the
distinctions OF which are OF such char
acter that 4 comparatively small appropri-
alton would suffice for their removal. And
so the list could be extended. but the in
tention of your correspondent is simply 10
call attention to some needed river i'm
provements in the state which the en-
gineers have apparently sighted. This,
however. is no reason for giving up the
fight for the old dag and an appropria-
tion." as has been sufficiently explained.
In the future as the information becomes
available, il will be worth while 10 resume