The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-05-07
ACTION ON CUT OFF PROJECT
pLEASES COMMERCIAL CLUB
$4,000 APPROPRIATION is RE.
SUIT OF EFFORTS OF LOCAL
ORGANIZATION.

Inc announcement yesterday that
Senator William Alden smith has sue
ceeded in including the Princess Point
| appropriation OF $13S.O00 i'm the rivers
and harbors bill. was gratifying to
members of the Copper Country Com
mercial club, through whose efforts,
Senator Smith became interested in
the project.
Ii is one more feather i'm the hat of
the Commercial club, which was organ
lied eleven months ago for the pur-
pose of lettering the conditions in this
district and boosting for the copper
country.
The history of the Princess Point
appropriation is a long one Approx
imately one year ago ii was proposed
that the point be channelled to allow
large steamers a safer passage through
the dangerous canal. The point was
surveyed and the cost estimated, but
the project Immediately was dropped,
on the ground that it would necessi-
tate too great a cost to complete the
work. The active members of the
Copper Country Commercial club be-
came interested in the work and i'm
mediately set about to secure the
needed funds for the completion Of the
channel ..t
Captains of vessels which passed
through the canal were appealed to
for their opinion as To the great dan
gers encountered In attempting to
pass through the channel. The an
swers were all tn the effect that the
channel was too narrow to allow "A
large vessel To swing around the
point and on dark or foggy night IL
was practically impossible without
great danger Of grounding on the
point. Many of the captains of the
larger vessels were under orders from
then owners not To attempt To pass
the point in the night, but To wait
until the next day. This necessitated
great delay and many vessels were
tied up in the Portage canal awaiting
daylight to pass the point.
When Congressman Robert NJ.
Switzer was in the copper country last
winter with the Congressional investi-
cation committee, the Commercial
club waited on him to interest him in
securing the appropriation. Congress-
man Switzer was a member of the 1
on rivers and harbors, but
owing Ia, poor health and other adj
verse conditions the congressman was
unable To lend any assistance and |
HING hap 70,
time.
Senator Smith was then appealed to
Tor aid and he Immediately exerted |
his influence with the committee in |
charge Of the Rivers and Harbor bill |
to secure the appropriation. The bill, |
without the amendment, had already |
passed in the house and ii was with !
great difficulty and effort on his part |
that he finally persuaded the senate |
to place an amendment i'm the bill for |
an appropriation of $l3S,000 to COM |
Dlete channel through Princess |
point.
The bill was first brought before
he house. that is the Rivers and Har-
)ors bill as a whole. The house pass
I'd the bill and il was at this time |
that efforts to secure an amendment
or the appropriation failed The
senate finally received the bill with |
he amendment attached and all that /
s necessary at the present time is to
nave the house act fayorably on the
and concur with the sem
lte. According to advices received |
rom Senator Smith there probably |
will be no difficulty in securing the
passage of the amended bill through |
he house for the second time.