The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-08
THE CANAL MEASURE.
Bal to Enable King County to
Do the Building.
n{cnaNcEsroR secoMlno LAW
OsAperssa SD Usgsd By sssttIe Chan-
! Der - Cennsses-A Summary
Of 1ts ProvlssenA

A!ssrong effort was made in Olympia
yes4srdsy and will he renewed today by
Kirk county men now there. to secure the
pas4sge Of senate bill No. 15s, introduced
by SENATOR Forrest, prescribing the pow
ers AZ counties relative to public work and
stru1turss for public works. The bill 10
comlnonly known - ''the King county
cana bill. }" and its main purpose IL to ena-
bic King county to commences the con-
ssruxtion Of the canal II it should zee fit to
do d. The bill was discussed ct yester-
day1 meeting Of the Chamber OF Com
msrSs. and was referred TO committee
cons. sting Of John Leary, Thomas wv.
Proskh, d. H. Gilman and Griffith Davies.
Thh provisions of this act are already
well Known. In brief they are Is follows:
Thu scs authorizes any county. through the
eoun1S commissioners, 70 UNDERTAKE construct,
acQul4s. maintain and operate any public work
for 4ounty purpose, whether II b wholly or
only partly within the county, and 70 acquire
b. pus chase. condemnation or otherwise auy
real sststs or personal property necsssary or
convse,isnt in the exercise Of such authority.
Before undertaking the work the county COM
Wiosid1egs must cause 70 b made IN eatimato
Of IT. koot and annual maintenance. II this g.
timat4 do not exceed one-Afth Of per cent of
the vssus Of al taxable property in the county.
and tie annual maintenance does not exceed
ospoo,rhs county commissioners can order the
work undertaken. But the estimate b
eFsatef than one-nfth OF / per cent, or the an
Duai p3sintsnancs greater than IS 900. the propo-
sition fmust b submitted TO . vote OF the
eiectoe Of the county, thfee-ffths OF all votes
east beng necsssary 70 authorize undertaking
the wt4k. II requires that the work cannot be
undertaken without approval OF plans and e.
timateS By the governor OF the state. who, II he
thinks.H expsdient for the interests OF the
Otsts, sali appoint Q commission of three to
supervf,s the work, two 10 b residents OF the
county one Of the three . civil engineer, and
the chf:rman Of the board OF county commits
sionsnSo b chairman.
The IT also authorizes the county commits
oicnersko levy Q tax not exceeding I mill per
annumf For construction Or maintenance: grants
20 counties tho right OF eminent domain for the
purposdh OF the act: makes such work general
county purpose; forbids interfering with any
navisat{e straam further than In necessary:
gives tn broadest possible definition 10 the
terms Of the oct: repeats all Inconsistent acts.
and prosidss IN emergency.
The Sill was the result Of action taken
by thes Chamber Of Commerce early in
Januarf. when . committee, of which d.
II. Gilman was chairman, was instructed
20 investigate the matter. and made re-
port. which. BY the way, was not given
publicity until yesterday. That report
was - allows:
Your Committee ON Lake Washington canal
rsspsctis lly bsG leave TO report that during the
last sesss N Of congress they did all in their
power tssid In securing an appropriation for
the com eucenent OF the construction OF this
most i'm Sortant public work, and that the leg
isiation 20 that end was In q favorable condi-
tion. hs'sng passed the senate In the river and
harbor ELL. but the house, failing to concur
with ths:senats. the appropriation was lost.
separate bill for the commencement of the
work 10 SOW on the calendar of both houses, and
come prtE,ress will doubtless b made towards
the passage Of the measure. but IL 10 extremely
doubtful whether IN appropriation can b &C.
cured bsaore the adjournment Failing success
~ this stesion. no appropriation could be ex-
pectsd befors 1894 or 1895; even then success
win be v!ry doubtful In any event We could
NOS exp4rt the dfst appropriation to be more
than e25s00o. nor would We be likely TO obtain
more thr;s s25oyooo to $4,000 from any one con.
grcs& The completion of the work under these
circumstances would. therefore. b deferred
many yesra
In visv Of these facts your committee
thought ,.t wise to take under consideration
other MONS OF securing the early construction
OF the cs1al. and after due celebration came
to the eoeelusion that although the work was
one Of 18TH national and state importance, the
obstaclesklu the way Of securing prompt action
by congr4Se were 20 great and the results so
doubtluItit was serious question whether the
bsst wsytWas not for King county to under.
take Thea project - public work, considering
ehst the s,sns fits accruing to tho whole county
from ths%arly commencement of the work were
% MANIFEST and vast that there would be Lit.
tts DOUBT that the people would favor the pro-
ject with practical unsnimity whenever tho
matter ..iouid b presented for their decision.
~ 81. T. - a A.
oouseitu eoual power OF the county 10 undertake
shs work. We therefore proceeded to designate
. commit lee, composed OF some Of the most emf
nsnt msisbsrs OF the King county bar. and sub
mitssd ts.a question to them. The committee
named We: Judge J. r lewis, Roger Greene,
Orange Escobs, H. q. stsuve, Thomas Burke
Junius E3chester. J. A. stratton, W. IL. Thomp
con, Hs,4id Preston. George Donworth and
john r. sMiiicr. That committee were OF the
opinion tSat tho legal right Of the county to
undertake the construction of the canal a. a
pubic work. and TO become indebted therefor
was clear and they designated q subcommittee
TO write their opinion, of which subcommittee
Judge Rcssr 8 Greene 10 the chairman. copy
OF said amm,ttees report 10 hereto attached
and mAd..a part Of this report The import
ouce aud2aue OF the work IL too well known
to oil ou,3cople TO need much elaborate on Tho
construeN on OF the canal in accordance Wit
the plansff the board of United states engi.
gested byGhs board. will make three splendid
fresh watfr harhors Of q constant level: namely:
Salmon bfy. Lake Union and Lake W Arlington.
having q combined area OF nearly Ave times a.
great A. tse docksge area OF Liverpool. There
would u: be no harbor in the world at all
comraraess with that OF Seattle, aud the rapid
ity with fhich commerce would concentrate ut
this portS would, in q very few years. make
Seattle ,he drs, city on the Pacific coast 1t Is a
conservative estimate 20 say that our population
in Eve ers from the commencement of the
work wc..ld be i5o.ooo and that the taxablc
vainstior 81 the county would be q. lea, $50. =
ooo.oo Manufactures, ship yards. wharvcs
and ware couses would spring up like magic on
the shor.-: of these lakes. The tracks Of FIVE
trsnscon, Genital railroads will touch their shores
and ctsSxehange traffic with ships from ali
the ports II the world. The picture 10 All alIur.
Ing one, rit 10 10 not overdrawn.
II she cAunty undertakes the work We recon
mend thsS the entrance TO the canal be hy the
outlet OF sslman bay, known "A the Shilshol:
bay roa,cs because that route 10 the test natural
nj "a ahs 4 .o \ r,,s.