The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-06-28
BRIDGE BILL IN
LIME LIGHT
ENEMIES OF GOVERNOR HAY
ARE URGING IT'S REPEAL IN
RETALIATION FOR HIS URG-
ING INVESTIGATION.

Though the enemies of Governor
Hay are making a great deal of capi-
tai out of story that Hay has his
heart set on the purchase by the
state of the Columbia river bridge
and are pushing legislation towards
the repeal of the bill for its pur-
chase, yet Wenatchee people are not
worrying very much over this legis-
lation. It is not believed that it will
be possible to secure enough votes
to repeal this bill. The P.-I. of Sun
day states that both the bills to re-
peal the bridge bill and the bill of
appropriating $4,000 for the i'm
provement of the upper Columbia
river will be passed by the house,
though that is purely a matter of
speculation.
at Olympia is author of the follow
ing relative to the purchase of the
bridge and is of interest to the peo-
pie of Wenatchee The whole story
is perfectly ridiculous and re-pub-
lished for the purpose to show to
what extent the enemies of Cover
nor Hay are driven to.
when Rydstrom, of Pierce, in
troduced his bill in the senate pro-
viding for the repeal of the Wenat-
chez bridge appropriation, it was
Falconer who advanced to the res
cue with resolution that State
Highway Commissioner Snow fur
nish certain data about the bridge.
If the question is fully opened in
either branch of the legislature
there is bound to be hot fight. In
more than one quarter the authority
to purchase the bridge is regarded
as a job, in which the acting COVER
nor will come off second best, if the
matter is fully opened up.
''The acting governor has not yet
made any special denial of the
charges that he is interested directly
or indirectly in the affairs of the
bridge, although his friends and the
Wenatchee Development company
have made a show of denial for him.
1t is but natural that the latter
should do so, in its desire that the
deal should be completed and the
bridge paid for by the state.
THE fact remains that the acting
governor was extremely anxious to
secure the passage of the bill, and
that it was one of the first measures
to receive executive approval.
1T is urged, on the best Of au-
thority. that the now notorious
bridge was planned and built by the
Wenatchee Development company
and the high line canal people for
the main purpose of carrying water
across the Columbia river to their
East Wenatchee desert lands. At that
time there were not, and it is said
there is not now, much more than
a score of settlers east of the Colum-
bia river, near Wenatchee. who ever
use the bridge in ORDER to cross the
river.
"The purchase of the bridge is
branded as a great scheme for the
canal people to get the state to help
them in watering their lands, and in
offering them a good thing in the
shape of $4,000 added to their
profits.
ITO say the least, outside of the
question of Hays purchase of the
s35, 900 Clark residence in Spokane,
the acting governor did the canal
people a good turn. and it is to be
expected that they will help him in
quieting the matter. as thorough
investigation would be hazardous, in
showing the acting governors zeal
to promote a private enterprise and
install himself as chief bottle-washer
in rushing the bill through the legis-
lature."