The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-15
TUE NORTH CANAL
a New Contract Approved ~
the Governor.
WATERWAY Al SMITHS COVE.
over q 900, 900 to Be Expsndsd WIN
In Two Years Cut tor Lsfse
sells to 30 Turned Over Free

ON AZ the most important steps io~a. iowa.,
-. csrf Of the Lake Washington edhai
md the Improvement OF he Ba's - -.
aken yesterday Gov. NclHaN h"s
,,royed the contract for the niiins -, ~
cmith's cove and the adjacent w.
"a a was filed al Olympia yesterday
The contract was applied for nearly a
year ago by W. +. Hays. OF Sea,ue. o.
frank Hays, OF San Francisco. hspi -
,nr California capitalists. and caur t
tbs 6flinc In of 90 acres OF tide islhas' ="
- begun within sixty days and cota''if.ea
within two years. II was approved ~ w
commissioner Of public lands klsi rug ~
and has since been In the gover""I
hands, who. after an invesuRauDn.
n,,;r~a that certain notifications be made.
The chief change was that II should pro-
vide for . cut across the portage between
arnifh's cove and Salmon bay. unoer the
direction and supervision OF TIE var oe-
partmsnt. This cut when completed u 10
be Turned over 10 the government or me
state free OF any cost sor Work done IN
making It.
Gov McGraw fully recognized the Frea.
importance OF the proposed improvement.
TO the harbor ard 20 the state. p'ii i's very
Importance led him TO hesitate about ap-
nyoving until he had been Satisfied ihat y
Would jeopardtxe no rights, that the Work
gas practicable, that the contractors were
responsible parties ard that t}~ bonds OF
fercl fer their part Of the wcsk were OF
such character as 10 protect Nhe STATE
This he Insisted should be at the maxi
mum amount required BY law. There
we're also questions OF public policy 10 be
considered and the governor has sfSeh
patient hearing 70 all Interests. and noG.
having satisfied himself on all points. APP
proves the contract.
Apart from the aid gwen 10 both canals.
70 that either may be perfected. the great
ADVANTAGE TO seattleo 81 q good harbor, water
front and sets for docks and factories has
been sufficiently realized. but beyond these
the state VIII derive considerable revenue
from the improved lands without a dollar
Of risk Or expense. n Ii calculated that
the additional assessed valuation VIII
amount 10 between ss000.D0o and s.. aoo 90.
Had the law Of 1893 been enacted several
years ago At the time Of the constitutional
convention. the variation would have been
greater but the delay has enabled private
ownerp 10 cut up the lands into snch small
holdings ~ TO prevent economical and sys-
fematsc Improvement and Seattle s the
only harbor which win rive the fiii value
% tho state. Where the cwnersn.p fss
passed out Of the state into private hsnds.
before contracts have beer sssvei. u viii
be irnpractIeable for many years 20 secure
co-oper'Eon ana agreement. no, oiiis VIII
the state he deprived OF the possible taxa
ton arising from Improvements. but the
harbor fronts win be rendered ursigntly
ard offensive by the accumulation Of refuse
from the towns. drainage over lqlrgioved
tide iards being wel-nah imposs'h'e.
The location Of Smiths cove makes II the
gateway for railroads coming from the
north. The waterway will be 700 feet wide
ard 10 intended 10 connect with the govern
n1ent canal. II viii accommodate tie isrg-
est ships and will AFFORD means of trans
ferr.ng products from rail- 10 ship. Tho
economy OF transhrment viii be eonsld-
cradle aid In stimulating commerce. II Is
estimated that the cost OF filling In VIII lie
over - .0n0 and the work must be COM
pleted within two years.