The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-11-18
OBSTACLES
TETON AND SUNNYsIDE PR0J.
ECTS ARE DELAYn.
~ III
But Secretary ssitchcock Denies
That Reasons Are Lack Of
FUNDS Contract Offered ~ lr-
rlosfion Company Not Entirely
Satisfactory.

rlosflon Company Not Entirely
Satisfactory. N
Seattle, Nov. 15.-The Washington
CORRESPONDENT Of the Post IDtelligencer
sends the following TO his paper:
The Teton and the Sunnyside irri-
CATION projects hsve encountered fresh
obstacles on what was thought to be
the very eve Of their approval by the
secretary Of the interior.
Certain technical questions, which
are not fully explained but which will
probably soon be cleared away, have
been raised in regard to the Teton
scheme
The objection in regard to the Sun
nyside project is more serious. As
was repeatedly predicted in these dis
patches last summer, the offer OF sale
made by the Washington Irrigation
Company, owners of the Sunnyside
canal, is not entirely acceptable to the
government in it's present form, and
the proposed contract has been referred
to the attorney general for examina-
ton.
The specific objection to the pro-
posed contract between the govern
ment and the Washington Irrigation
Company is that the reclamation law
provides that the government shall not
furnish water for more than 100 acres
of land to one owner. The officers
Of the reclamation service hoped, and
still hope, that this obstacle may be
overcome, but Secretary Hitchcock is
greatly dissatisfied with the proposition
in its present form. His decision will,
however, be largely Influenced by the
opinion Of the attorney general.
Meanwhile there need be no concern
because Of the condition Of the RECLAIM
alton fund.
Not Yet . Question OF FUNDS.
Secretary Hitchcock denies with
much emphasis the report that he had
decided to approve no more additional
projects until the general fund had
been increased.
have been looking into the matter
very thoroughly" said the secretary to
your correspondents, with view to
finding out exactly how we stand. The
reason have withheld approval Of
the Washington projects is not that the
fund il exhausted, for the fund is not
exhausted.
"The Washington projects, with all
the conditions involved. are now un-
der consideration on their merits, and
hope to reach decision soon.
We have allowed good deal Of
money for reclamation out Of the funds,
but not all We have. We have come
to the point, however, where We must
begin TO consider the maintenance Of q
surplus, for il would be just
a. unwise for the government 10 spend
this reclamation fund up 10 tho very
limit Of resources Of the fund % IL
would b for . bank TO impair it, sur
plus.
"There will be emergencies. Il has
been tho history OF many large sngi-
neering projects that the 6rst estimates
have been exceeded, and we even have
the Same experience IN building .
dwelling house or q business block.
We must be prepared to meet these in
CREASED expenditures.
I'VE have been careful to guard
against etxravagance, and there has
been none in this work, but it is not
always possible to say that the expense
Of given project will be fully covered
by 10 per cent contingency allowance
over and above the estimated cost.
Sometimes it will be 90 per cent, and
then we must have surplus in the
fund to fall back upon.
"It is not true, however. that the
fund is in such shape that none of the
Washington projects can be approved
at this time. As soon as the examina-
ton Of these projects has been COM
pleted in this office there will be some
thing more to say"
The private secretary Of Representa-
tive Jones received long telegram
from Mr.. Jones yesterday asking az to
the truth of the report that the score
tary will approve no more projects at
present.
Mr.. Hitchcock authorized the reply
that no such conclusion had been
and that the Washington
projects were still under considera-
don. MGR
IT'S A HARD WORLD THIS.
y
Rich New Workers Cannot AFFORD me
Luxury OF Large ramilteS.