The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-09-13
Visit Here of Walter l.. Fisher of
Interior Department Thought
to Mean Much for Yakima
QUESTION OF FINANCE
is THE ONE PROBLEM

Is The ONE PROBLEM
Member of Presidents Cabinet
Shows Great Interest in Various
Irrigation Problems in This
Valley and Aids in Solution
Because of the visit Saturday of
Secretary of the Interior Fisher to
the Yakima valley there is fresh nope
in the hearts of people interestd in
| reclamation development in this val
Hey. In North Yakima, despite the
fact that he set a hard task for the
trustees he made it clear that there
is water for the proposed High Line
! ditch and that what is needed is a
| show of faith on the part of the
property owners. At GrandvieW he
put cheer into the hearts of those
Iwho seek to bring some 14.310 acres
Iof laud under cultivation by declar-
ing that those interested in the pump
ling plants at Outlook, Suipes noun
tain and Grandview had made fine
! presentation of a meritorlous case
Later in the evening, at Toppenish,
his interest in the. drainage work. the
! Wapato project and the facts present
ed to him alike by Indians and white
| men, and one or two things he said
there led to the belief that he would
| see that the available water was made
to work in the development of the
reservation Actual results will of
course follow later but now that the
secretary has been on the ground,
seen the land and heard the people
express their interest those who spent
the day with him are Cheered over
the prospects.
Finance Is Big Question
Finance was the one big question
to be overcome in every case pro-
scented. With the IlIgh Line the sec
rotary made it clear that there is no
government money available and
none to be expected before 1914 ana
he fairly and squarely put the money
question up to the property owners.
At Crandvfew, where $685. 600 are
needed for the pumping plant WORK,
he listened with interest to the sug-
gestion that money be loaned from
some other fund to be returned
within three years, and said he would
Investigate that idea. At TOppeniSh
he made careful inquiries regarding
funds available resources, cost of de-
velopment and such things and sug-
gested that his heart was in the work
| of assisting in some solution of the
problem which presents itself there.
Secretary Fisher at North Yakima
was taken Immediately from his train
out over the Summit View road west
Of the city and was shown what irri-
cation has accomplished and some
part of what is being done under the
Tieton project BY motor car he was
taken down through the splendid Zil-
lah. Granger, Sunnyside and Grand
view country, was shown the dlversi-
| fled interests of the valley, and at
Grandyiew was shown irrigated land
on one side of the track and sage
| brush on the other and was shown in
his car an exhibit of the splendid pro-
ducts of the soil to which water has
been applied. AT Toppenish he was
shown the work and results of drain
age. the broad acres awaiting irriga-
tion and the moral obligations to that
particular work We're referred to.
Met Here by Citizens
Reclamation and Land office Of
Ifcals and representatives of the
| Commercial club met the secretary's
party on its arrival here aud the
| visitors, including President Elliott of
| the Northern Pacific railway and Mr.
! Gilman. assistant to President Hill of
| the Great Northern were taken out in
automobiles They We're accompanied
by Il NJ Gilbert Senator Jones, O.
A Fcchtcr, George Donald Fl. Y
Saint, Ira B. Englehart Bruce Mil
roy. c. II. SWisart. O. b. William
son and other leading citizens. The
trip, the conference with the Water
Users association in connection with
1.-THE High Line. elsewhere reported,
and brief informal reception at the
! Commercial club made up his day in
| North Yakima Instead of the visitors
/ dining at the home of II. B. Milroy.
as was planned, Mr. Fisher and Mr..
Miroy being personal friends from
their college days. Mr. Niroy was
carried away, mt the earnest request
! If President Elliott to dine with the
/ visitors in their car The party left
/ here at o'clock over the O. w r.
* * railway, accompanied by num-
/ her of citizens OF the lower valley.
Trip in Lower Valley
! Tho secretary WAS taken through
the sunni side country and given OPP
portunty TO inspect the project from
the car window. travelling over the
Oregon Washington Railroad & Navi-
CATION company's line from North
! YaEimu TO Grandvew, and over the
s :