Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1899-03-10
yAQUINA BAY LEFT,
Not Dollar Secured to Protect or
Improve That Harbor.
Appropriations For Everything Under
the Sun But Not For That Compe-
ting Waterway.
From the Corvallis Times.

'NNh"V VuO dquluu pIuJcCO, duu du
journed without making an appropri
alton, A provision for Sl500OO 70
Yaquina, attached TO the SUI
dry civil bill IN the senat,
was promptly stricken out by tn,
house. The conference COMMITTEES
appointed TO settle the differences
over the bill failed tn restore the pro-
vision, and Yaquina is accordingly
left without aid for the present. The
senate appears to have been friendly
to the measure. Defeat came in the
house, where Representative Tongue
appears not TO have weighed heavily
enough in influence to overcome the
unknown aud powerful agency" that
he says, sought the destruction of ans
plan for Yaquina's improvement,
There is, however, to be another
survey Of the entrance 20 Yaquina by
a board of engineers 1t Is supposed
that the board willabe a ppointed
at once, and that the survey will be
made at an early date. The board
will be sim liar tothe one that made a
survey two or three years ago. II the
report it makes be favorao ole, it is pro-
vided that the contract awarded To a
Chicago firm shall be signed without
further congressional action. With
the contract 50 signed the dnal com
pletion OF the Improvement 1t is sup
posed would be assured. Should the
report OF the new board be unfaYora-
BILE, the result would probably be the
final defeat OF the Improvement aud
the repeal Of the measure authoriz-
ing It,. A special Washington dis.
patch TO the Oregoniau, says, concern
ing 1t;
The conference report on tue river
and harbCr bill allowed all Oregon
items to remain ia the bill unchanged,
except for the Yaquiua and boat rail-
way projects, aud the appropriation
for the canal at the Cascades OF the
Columbia which was cut down from
500 900 to S75, 900. The effect OF the
action OF the conferees on the YaquIna
project providing for the appointment
OF new board 60 make surveys, will
be TO ,haye the contract now signed
let without further congressional
action In case of a favorable report.
An adverse report, however, would
probably mean the final defeat OF the
project"
Friends of Yaquina do not know
whether or not to take hopeful view
OF the situation. One OF them said
"The commission may be an easy way
of letting the Yaquina project down.
1t has been found easy In the past To
thwart all the steps that seem TO point
concluslvely TO success In securing the
final improvement. The report OF the
engineers was favorable. The law OF
congress provided for awarding the
contract for completion OF the project
contingent on such favorable report,
The proceeding was approved by
the chief OF engineers, and after some
delay, by the secretary OF war:
Nothing was left TO achieve inal sue
cess but the letting OF the con-
tract. The law authorized the eK-
pendlture OF a million on the pro
ject, but bidders offered TO do the
work for little more than half that
sum. The signing OF the contract
would have ended the matter; but the
contract was never signed. Instead
congress now demands another sur
Vey. Ia the light Of all these discour
agements IL Is difficult 20 take hope
full review Of the situation, IL is easy
behind the scenes 10 congress O. man
ipulate. hope that the new board
is TO be appolned in good faith, anC
that the outcome may be what w
most desire. We shall be Informed by
aud oy."
Other Oregon points Jared we'll al
the hands Of the late congress. Som'
of the items are as follows;
Tlllamook bay, $4,000; mouth O
Sluslaw, $50, 600; Coos bay, $4,000
canal at Cascadsl, $4,000; Long TON
50, 600; Willamette and Columbia be
low Portland, sl2i 900; Coquille river
5000,