The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-11-24
PACIFIC NORTHWEST NEWS
Thirty Mile Tunnel being Seriously Con
sidered by SeattIe-SingIe Tax
Gets Black Eye

zens, at a mass meeting held last week,
fatty repudiated the statements OF
Mayor Hi Gill regarding the gang OF l.
w. w. which tried to invade Everett,
and battled with Everett citizens at the
dock two weeks ago. Mayor GilPs
utterances in which he tried to place
blame on the people Of Everett instead
Of on the I. w. w. gang which was re-
! cruited and armed in Seattle for the
ATTEMPTED invasion.
The meeting here constituted itsell
into law and Order league, and adopt
ed resolutions condemning the actions
and comments OF Gill. Seattle busi-
ness men have no disposition to trifle
with the 1. w. w. agitators, and Pro-
scouting Attorney Lundin has assisted
the Snohomish County authorities in
lodging charges of murder against
seventy-fve Of the men who were on
the invading excursion which killed
two citizens Of Everett. The opposi-
ton Of the Law and Order committee
to Mayor Gilps attitude Of condoning
the I. w. w. outrage, gave rise to re-
port that the business men would start
movement to recall Gill. This the
law and order committee has no inten-
ton of doing, although few members
who attended the first meeting expressed
wish that the mayor could be removed
from Office. Seattle has had about all
the recall agitation that is popular here,
and it is not likely that an effort to
oust the mayor will get any serious
results. But as a spokesman for tie
city in regard to I. w. W. affairs he
has been pretty strongly repudiated.
The plan to build thirty mile tun-
mel under the Cascade mountains, con-
Meeting Seattle with Eastern Washing
ton by rail with no heavy grades, has
been revived by General H. M. Chit
tenden, retired general of engineers,
u. S. Army, and is receiving serious
attention. The growth of the over sea
commerce Of Puget Sound has been SO
phenomenal since the war began, that
business men feel some steps should be
taken to insure a continuance of this
state, and perhaps the best way to
maintain the trade Of the port would be
to give it better access to the pro-
ductive lands which lie back of it.
General Chittenden's plan calls for a
tunnel from Skykomish to Leaven-
worth, two points on the Great North
ern line, which would eliminate all
heavy mountain grades and permit
trains to speed from Seattle to the
Columbia River valley at sixty miles an
hour. Electricity would be used to
operate through the big tunnel.
The expense Of the project is esti-
mated at from forty TO fifty millions,
and there is talk Of attempting to
finance the plan with public credits, and
make the route common user right Of
way for any railroad wishing to use it.
Such tunnel would eliminate all the
extra cost OF hauling grain and lumber
and fruit and other products over the
Cascades, and would put Seattle on a
par with Portland in transportation costs
from the east side Of the state
Returns from the recent election in
Oregon show that the attempt TO put a
single tax amendment into effect there
was overwhelmingly beaten at the polls.
The proposition voted on in Oregon
called for a tax on land values only,
throughout the state, aud provided also
a scheme of farm loans to be derived
from the products Of the land tax.
The scheme was severely condemned
as calculated to confscate one mans
property for the benefit of another, and
was beaten by vote Of more than two
to one. 1t was the most radical Of the
proposals on the Oregon ballot this year.
The next summer campaign OF the
I. W. w. agitators in this state, when
they get through making trouble in
Everett, will be in the Wenatchee valley,
according to statements Of l. W. W.
leaders who are wintering here and lay
ing plans for their activities next year.