Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-06-03
WHOLE NUN BER 1862.
A Purely Local Job.

lngton Senators in relation To appro-
priations for public improvement. has
more than private and personal in
terest. 1t involves the good oi the
whole State Of Washington, ~ opposed
to the purely local inieres, Of Seattle.
There seems little room for doubt
that both Senators from Washington
are ready to sacrifice river and harl,or
appropriations for all parts oi the
State. the Pacific coast harbors aa we'll
us the Columbia river, to the Lake
Washington ship canal, which IL not
in the interest Of navigation and will
benefit nobody outside Of the town Of
Seattle. 1t is upon this point that
Governor Moore takes issue with them.
He is perfectly right, and he is Ger
tain to be supported by the putlio
opinion OF the whole State, so soon ~
the subject shall be understood prop
erly.
The Lake Washington ship canal
has no proper place in any river and
harbor bill. 1t is not harbor work.
Seattle has no need Of barbor Inn
provement. Every one knows that
Puget Sound is one vast harbor, land.
locked and deep and safe. The ship
canal would give access for ship. 60
deep fresh water in the rear o! seattle
and double the water frontage OF the
city, but this is purely local improve.
ment and should be paid for by the
city alone interested. Another and
perhaps the main object Of the ship
canal is to create fine water power,
by making an outlet through the lake
and canal for certain streams now
flowing directly in the Sound. This
is not proper object for which 10
spend government money. The water
power would be purely q local and
largely a private benefit. II Seattle
wants it, the city ought to pay for IL.
The enterprise goes a step farther
than the st. Anthony Falls improve
ment some dozen years ago, which IL
the biggest private job ever saddled
upon river and harbor bill before.
The government spent several millions
OF dollars to prevent conversion of The
falls into Il rapid, by the gradual
crumbling of the ledge over which
they ran, nominally to preserve the
navigation OF the Upper Mississippi,
which is a mere creek, but really to
preserve the water power Of the Min.
neapolis mills a wealthy private in.
terest. The Seattle job goes farther,
because it proposes TO create o water
power where none has ever existed.
for the benefit Of private interests no,
yet deselOped, at expense OF the gen.
eral government.
That is, nominally at expense oi
the general government. bat really o,
expense Of every harbor on the ocean
coast of the State. and Of every fertile
valley east OF the mountains that has
need OF increased facilities Of access.
shelter or navigable outlet. Every
river and harbor bill IL q pro rata ap.
portionment and no State can expect
more than its share. Every hundred
thousand dollars swallowed up In the
attempt to create an artificial water
power for Seattle il 30 much lost 10
Gray's Harbor, willapa, Olympia and
the Upper Columbia, which are lexisl.
mate harbor and river Improvements,
i'll interest Of large trade basins aud
agricultural regions. The canal will
cost $3, 100000. Residents In Eastern
Washington and on the west coast can
judge how soon their interests are
likely to receive any attention In the
river and harbor bill. 10 Seattle must
be taken care OF first.
This explains the difference between
Governor and the Senators. Moore
wants the Columbia river Improved
for the benefit Of Eastern Washington,
The Senators are diverting appropsis'
atoms from that WORT for shs local
Seattle job. He is quite right 10 ehal'
lenge their conception Of their duty "a
the State, especially that Of The sens
tor identified with Eastern Washing
ton and without visible obligations. "a
Seattle. Governor Moore 10 asiendins
the interest OF the whole State assins,
sacrifice to that Of parcly local en-
terprise, not legi,imately government
work at all. He is moro faithful a.
the larger interests Of the people oI
Washington than the senators they
have chosen TO represent them.