The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-08-31
GET BIG SLICE
OF MILLIONS
If Forceful Arguments Count,
Yakima Should Fare Well
With Engineer.
ENGINEERS ASK MANY
PERTINENT QUESTIONS
Want to Know Just What Lands
Here Will Produce, and Wheth-
er Hay Lands Will Stand For
Water Right Costing $50.

VdtcE NlynN SOSIlnX &0Os
Whether or not the whole of the
Yakima project. consisting Of the Tie
ton, Wapato, Sunnyside, Kittitas and
Benton units, will be completed with
in the next few years depends now
upon the recommendation of the ar
my engineers, before whom last night
at the Commercial club rooms was
presented so strong an argument that
it would seem that no doubt could
exist in the minds of the officers
who listened to facts and figures pre-
scented so strong an argument that it
would seem that no doubt could exist
in the minds of the officers who list
ened to fact and figues presented by
tie most representative and expert
enced fruit growers and ranchers in
the valley.
The only doubt that appeared to
remain in the minds of the engineers
after having been addressed by local
men on various phases of the PROPOSE
ton was shown in a series of pene-
trating questions asked by Col. Bid
die, as to whether the hay lands
of the Kittitas and Wapato projecs
could be reasonably expected to stand
the burden of a heavy water right
expense. His questions were convin-
cingly answered by Jack Splawn and
others, who stated that hay lands
would produce $50 an acre net per
year.
The meeting was called to order
by DR.. Alfred Henry in the absence
of the president and vice president
of the Commercial club. in the pres
ence OF Col. Biddle. Major Kutz and
Gen. Marshall OF the board. Director
Newell, Col Langfirtt and Maj. Harris
were absent on an automibiling trip
TO Dumping Lake, from which they
will return Wednesday evening to Join
the larty remaining here, who will
spend Wednesday with reclamation
service officials and representatives of
the Teton Water Users association
in trip over the work on the Teton
project. Thursday. under the aus
pices Of the Commercial club, an auto
trip will be made by the entire marty
through the orchards of Mob hill and
the Mckee.
Senator Jones Urges Quick Work.
Senator Jones, the first speaker,
urged the early completion of the
Teton and all the other units Of the
Yakima project, sating that the pres
ent storage system is only temporary
and the High Line, Wapato and Kit
titas projects demand a permanent
storage system. He called the at
tention OF the engineers to the fact
that there was no reclamation project
in the country where the money ex-
pended would be returned to the gov
eminent so quickly as here.
Alex Miller then took up the ques-
ton of the value of Yakima valley
lands. He dem onstrated that from
the viewpoint of the most canserva-
tive business man that $500 to $500
per acre for merely potato land was
reasonable and that an orchard six
years old is worth 500 an acre, while
one ~ years old is worth $1,000 to
$500 an acre, and if within two miles
of transportation worth more. On
these values, ne said lands would pro-
duce an income of 20 per cent
Thomas Cooper, assistant of Presi-
dent Elliott of the Northern Pacific,
stated that his railroad handled 1900
cars of fruit last year and that this
year there would be 5000 cars. Esu-
mates made by a canvass of every
acre under cultivation, with an idea
of knowing what demands the future
would make upon the facilities here,
showed that next year 5000 cars
would be needed, the following year
stated that the railroad had give up
1000 and in 1918, 1900 cars. He
stated that the railroad had given up
at this point and did not care to es-
4imate any further.
Scores Poor Roads.
He took occasion to touch upon
the fact that aim ost everyone knew
now to run the railroads business
But if our company ran it's road"
ne stated, "the way Yakima and Ben
ton counties run their roads, I'd quit.
l think they are the limit, and, con-
fidentially, the engineers think so,
too. Kennewick had the best roads,
and as we came north they got grad
usally worse. Through Sunnyside and
che reservation they were the limit. I
don't know what they are like here"
Jack Shawn then informed the
SEtdhtI lIdl lllCS NtIO lhC lliAllL iiCA g
900.
H. NJ Gnberts talk, which follow
ed, presented the figures of returns
from his winesap orchard for a pc
riod Of years. Twenty thousand dol
lars worth of apples were produced
on three and one-half acres. The
Irees have been in bearing for seven
years on two and one-half acres and
five years on one acre. The gross
selling price fob. cars at North Yak
ina was an average of $1100 an acre
Mr.. Gilbert stated that he would not
sell his crop this year for $500 an
acre
w p. Sawyer's Pear Returns.
w. P. Sawyer then supplied the
statistics concerning his pear orchard
Sor a period of II years of bearing
showing a net average profit Of