The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1913-08-01
n. P. PROJECT
NOT ABANDONED
Probable that Construction Will
beDeferred by Unfavorable
Business Conditions

CllCC IL was lcdIucu Cudt Illc pre-.
liminary surveys for the proposed
Northern Pacific high line canal
had been completed, there has been
much interest in learning whether
the railroad company would i'm
mediately undertake the carrying
out of the project.
There have been reports that the
whole plan had been abandoned.
This does not appear to be true.
But it seems that the estimated cost
of construction is considerably higher
than the company officials had an
ticipated and that this fact, together
with unsettled financial conditions,
probably means a postponment of
active work.
In response to request from the
Yakima Republic for an authorized
statement on the subject, Mr.. Thos.
Cooper, assistant to the president of
the Northern Pacific, writes as fol-
lows:
Awaits Final Estimates
THE field work has all been COM
pleted, the report and estimate and
maps are now being prepared and [
expect to receive them within the
next 80 days. I discussed the mat
ter with the engineer about two
months ago and he gave me an esti-
mate of what he thought the cost
would be per acre; it was much
higher than we had anticipated, so
much so that if the final report and
estimate confirms the preliminary
figures that he gave me, l should
doubt very much if the company
will undertake the construction of
the canal. AS you are aware, the
financial and other conditions are
not propitious at the present time
| for an undertaking of this character,
and that, together with the higher
cost than was anticipated, will prob
ably lead to a postponement OF ac-
tive work on the project.
However. as is stated above, the
final report has not yet been re-
ceived and until we have an oppor-
tunity to examine it and give it
careful consideration we will not
reach final Judgment
Irrigate 175.OOO Acres
AS projected, the plan, it is un-
derstood, was to purchase storage
water from the Reclamation service
under the terms of the Warren act,
divert it from the Yakima river at
a point near Roza. and carry it
southeasterly atsuch level as would
provide gravity flow for approx
mately 5000 acres in the Yaki-
ma and Columbia river valleys.
1t has been intimated that drops
would enable the development of
sufficient power for the operation of
pumping plants, by means of which
considerable additional acreage could
be irrigated.
The desire of the company, SO it
was stated before the surveys were
commenced, was to construct such a
system that the company's land un-
der the canal could be sold, with a
water right of about 500 per acre
and with low annual maintenance
charge: the scheme being one for
the offering at a low figure, of land
equal to that in any part of the
state, with ideal water, soil and air
drainage.
1t was also reported to be the
desire of the company to offer its
own land, with this water right, to
actual farmers on such terms of pay
ment as would be unusually attrac-
tive.
AS Mr.. Cooper states, the final
estimates have not been received and
until they are final judgment is re-
served.
Postponement, in any event is
likely to be but temporary, as the
railroad company ownes large acre