Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-04-17
ABOUT SEATTLE'S CANAL
SECURED No MENTION IN THE RIV-
ER AND HARBOR BILL.
senators squire and Wilson Object
to the small Appropriations
for the sound.

Washington, April 12.-The failure of
the Seattle waterway to secure any
kind of "A mention in the river and har-
Dor bill as reported to the house was
through no fault of the members of
Washington's delegation. AS has al
ready been published. more time was
given to this one improvement than to
any other in the state. for Senator
Squire. realizing it's Importance, paid
principal attention to that in his re-
marks; and both Mr. Hyde and Mr..
Doolttle agreed with all the senator
had said about 1t, and added some ar
guments of their own in its favor.
Senator Squire had been called away
to Philadelphia by public business in
connection with the coast defense COM
mittee for a few days and returning the
very day the river and harbor bill was
reported, was greatly chagrined to find
no mention of the waterway. There
had evidently been some outside influ-
ences 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 tho
whole appropriation. The members OF
the committee feathered the nests OF
their own state improvements. and be
You'd that every body is disappointed
! and indignant 1t now transpires tina
the Vancouver improvement was 81
first cut down to 0,000, which fact was
| called to the attention of Mr.. Doolittlt
| by "A personal friend on the committed
| just in time to get it restored to $500
| which was the highest figure which
could be possibly obtained.
| Both Senator Wilson and Represen
| tative Doolittle are much chagrineC
| that so small an amount was obtained
for the Improvement of Puget souno
and it's tributaries, when 1000 wal
| 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 tn
| hearings before the committee an
| urged individually afterward. The en-
| tire delegation will, of course, max
| 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 o
that work at an early date is ASSURE
by it's being placed on the contract sys
TEN, which is provided in the bill, au
thority being given to the secretary o
war to let a contract for the work. tn
total amount provided for being 81 900,
900.
There are three contests remaining
to be made in behalf of all these appro
| priations, namely, before the senat
committee, in the senate. and in confer
ence. The senate being much more lib
eral than the house always the delega
| ton has much ground for hope of ma
| terial Improvement