The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-09-07
lRY LAND FARMERS
WANT THE HIGH LINE

KittitaS recldHh"t4'" P''J'NO al ( ="
n.nv the effect of its possible con-
.,ruction will be so great. that indi-
v,dual objections are completely
.,odowed. 1t has been only a short
time since the Milwaukee construc-
.,on camps were strung along the
galley. and the effect upon all bust
ness and upon property values was
almost magical. In its magnitude
tho construction of an irrigating
..nal in the high line district is
mich greater. The heavy construc-
finn work is in the upper valley and
,he benefits that will come in
husiness way will be many times
reater-but it will not end there.
When the railroad work was finish
ID and the construction outfits
moved on there was reaction. a
depression that had to be met by
activities in other directions. When
The construction of the canal is fin
khed instead of reaction the bene-
fits TO be felt will only have been
begun. The period of development
which must follow the irrigation of
he arabic lands that will come I'M
der the ditch will last for several
YEARS and the possibilities in the
xay of growth and development are
not possible of comprehension.
And now is the time, \ delay in
The matter of taking advantage of
the present plans for this work may
delay it for all time. This project
must depend entirely upon storage
water, and storage water only.
Every available portion of the
streams has been appropriated and
the unirrigated lands in this valley
will have to depend solely upon the
ability of engineers to provide res
eroirs for compromising the flood
waters. Naturally the easier and
cheaper projects are the first of de-
velopment.
The government has undertaken
two such projects. either of which
Is available for the use of the pro-
posed high line canal-the reservoir
projects at Keechelus and Kachcss.
The former is the more expensive
and besides does not. as the work is
at present projected. furnish sufi-
Gent water The Kachess supply
will be ample, however. and the high
line committee was fortunate in Sc
curing the governments refusal in
the matter of its sale for irrigating
purposes and if the Kittitas recla-
nation district is organized a suffi-
cent quantity of this water will be
reserved for the use of the high line
anized 1t will be apportioned to
other applicants who are already
eager to be substituted as preferred
purchasers. The charge of the gov
eminent for the water will be the
setual cost Of constructing the reser-
voir. In this respect the Kachess
project is one Of the cheapest that
TIE government has undertaken. If
Tie people do not grasp the oppor-
unity to get it, they will later be
9mpelled to pay many times the
resent cost, because of the greater
umculties that must be overcome in
nture projects.
Besides cheaper water at this
ume the high line district will also
ave the advantages of cheaper con-
1uction work than has been posi-
"e IN recent years. There is no i'm
portant public work going on at the
present time, and many of the large
"ntracting concerns are compare
u'ely idle. The high line committee
ms assurances from reliable sources
-a' there VIII be no dlHlculty III
setung this work done on a basis OF
least 80 per cent less than was
possible two years ago, and this is
mother item that may be lost to
"operty owners if the high line or
eanlzation is turned down at this
time.
again 1t should be definitely I'M
.e'stood that vote for organization
Soes not settle anything-except
@at 1t puts the people of the dis
a.ct IN shape to pass legally upon
matters pertaining to the canal.
"uen the voters have sanctioned an
sanitation, then all the data re-
sung TO construction and cost Will
carefully prepared and all ques-
~0n' submitted for ratification or
'or bowel complaints in children
lays give Chamberlain Collie,