The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-04-16
ABOUT SEATTLE'S CANAL
SECURED No MENTION IN THE RIv-
ER AND HARBoR GILI.
senator's squire and Wilson Obiec
Ia 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 i'm the state, for Senator
Squire, realizing its Importance. paid
principal attention to that In his re-
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 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 tho
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 1T 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
ther with the proposed joining of Lakes
| Union and Washington with Puget
sound
Certain II is that the proposed
amounts To be given in the bin wers
kept secret till the last moment, anc
after the hearing the members of the
committee had nothing to say to the
| Washington delegation except to assur,
| them in rather ambiguous terms thai
| they would get their proportion of tho
| whole appropriation. The members o.
| the committee feathered the nests OF
their own state improvements. and be
yond that every body Is disappointed
and indignant. 1t now transpires that
the Vancouver Improvement was al
first cut down to $4,000, which fact was
called to the attention of Mr.. Doolittl,
by personal friend on the committe,
just in time to get it restored To $50 600
which was the highest figure which
could be possibly obtained.
Both Senator Wilson and Represen
tative Doolittle are much chagrine,
that SO small an amount was obtained
for the improvement of Puget soun,
and its tributaries when 900 wa
asked, which amount was fully needed
owing TO the necessity for the improve
ment of the mouth of the Skagit, a 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 II
the committee having these matters il
charge in the senate
While the amount for Gray's harbo
in the bin as IT came from the commit
tee is very small, the completion o
that work at an early date is assure
by ita being placed on the contract sys
tenn. 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 $1,000
900.
There are. three contests remainin
to be made in behalf of all these apprc
priations, namely, before the senat
committee. in the senate, and In confer
ence. The senate being much more ill
eral than the house always. the delega
ton has much ground for hope of ma
terial Improvement.