The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1896-04-18
ABOUT SEATTLE'S CANAL.
SECURED NO MENTION IN THE nv
ER AND HARBOR BILL.
Senator'S Squire and Wilson OLis..
to the Small Appropriations
for the Sound.

Washington. April 12.-The failure ~
the Seattle waterway to secure anv
kind Of a mention in the river and har-
Dor bill as reported to the house Voc
through no fault of the members of
Washington's delegation. AS has al
ready been published. more time wac
given to this one Improvement than r.
any other In the state, for Senator
Squire, realizing it's Importance. maid
principal attention to that in his ra-
marks; and both Mr.. Hyde and Mr.
Doolittle agreed with all the senator
had said about it, and added some ar
guments Of their own in it's favor.
Senator Squire had been called away
to Philadelphia by public business in
connection with the coast defense com
mittee for few days and returning the
very day the river and harhor bill was
reported, was greatly chagrined to find
no mention of the waterway. There
had evidently been some outside ;nfiu
euces at work here against the i'm
provement, and it has been openly
charged that those capitalists who are
interested in building the other canal
are very anxious to delay or prevent
the government from going on any fur
Their with the proposed joining Of Lakes
Union and Washington with Puget
sound
Certain it is that the proposed
, amounts to be given in the bill were
kept secret till the last moment, and
after the hearing the members OF the
| committee had nothing to say to the
! Washington delegation except to assure
| them in rather ambiguous terms that
| they would get their proportion Of the
/ whole appropriation. The members Of
| the committee feathered the nests Of
/ their own state improvements, and be-
yond that every body is disappointed
and indignant. It now transpires that
| the Vancouver Improvement was st
| first cut down to $4,000, which fact was
! called to the attention of Mr.. Doolittle
by personal friend on the committee
just in time to get it restored to $4,000.
which was the highest figure which
could be possibly obtained.
Both Senator Wilson and Represen-
tative Doolittle are much chagrined
| that SO small an amount was obtained
| for the Improvement OF Puget SOUND
! Aiiu AIS tIiOuldIleSp Wien $SV,VVV ""s
asked. which amount was fully needed
owing to the necessity for the improve
ment of the mouth of the Skagit. fac
which was clearly brought out in the
hearings before the committee an(
urged individually afterward. The en-
tire delegation will, Of course, make
every effort to increase the amounts IL
the committee having these matters IL
charge in the senate.
While the amount for Gray's harbo
In the bill as it came from the commit
tee is very small, the completion
that work at an early date is ASSURE
by itn being placed on the contract sys
tenn, which is provided in the bill, au
thority being given to the secretary 0
war to let a contract for the work, tn
total amount provided for being $l,Ooo
600.
There are three contests remalnln
Z TO be made in behalf Of all these appro
priations, namely, before the senat
t committee, in the senate, and in CONFER
ence. The senate being much more IL
eral than the house always. the delesa
ton has much ground for hope OF III"
terial improvement