Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1922-02-16
MAY ESTABLISH
CUSTOM HOUSE
CONGRESSMAN FRENCH INTER
ESTS FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS
IN THE PROPOSITION
WOULD RIP-RAP KOOTENAI RIVER
River Has Dangerous Possibilities il
Left Unchecked

The meeting of the Kootenai Valley
Commercial Club on Monday evening
proved of unusual interest, several
matters of great interest to this COM
munity being under discussion. A
number of out of town guests were
present.
After disposing of routine matters,
the president read two letters from
Congressman French in which he
stated that he was taking up with the
treasury department and the depart
ment of labor the question of the ad-
visibility of consolidating the custom
houses and the immigration stations
at Bonners Ferry that are now To-
Gated elsewhere in northern Idaho
He stated that he had explained the
situation thoroughly and that he had
been advised by both departments that
the matter is being referred to their
field officers for advice touching the
advisability of making this change.
Mr.. French states that the question
will be decided on purely business
basis as the departments are very
anxious to work out the location of
these offices in northern Idaho so as
to solve in satisfactory manner the
questions of service on the one hand
and economy on the other. Inasmuch
as it seems apparent that both these
ends would be best served by the pro-
posed consolidation and removal of
these offices to Bonners Ferry, it
would appear probable that the change
will be made.
Mr.. French in his letters also re-
ferred to the matter of a proposed
federal building at Bonners Ferry, but
did not hold out much hope that this
could be expected at the present time.
The tendency of congress, he ex-
planned, was not in the direction of
constructing public buildings any
where and no general bill for CON
struetion of public buildings has been
passed by congress for eight or ten
years.
1t was brought to the attention of
the club that the residents of Meadow
Creek and Eastport do not own the
land on which the buildings in these
places are located, both being within
the forest reserve. The government
owns the land and rents it under per-
mits to the residents who desire to
put up residence or other building.
There is thus no announcement for
anyone to erect permanent building
of value or to make extensive improve
ments of any kind at these points.
1t was felt that as they are permanent
business centers serving a consider
able territory it would be much to the
advantage of their residents to own
the land on which their homes and
business buildings are located, as we'll
as advantageous for the county at
large. A committee composed of A.
]. Kent and 2. NJ Flood was appointed
with instructions to look into the fea-
sibility of the creation of a government
townsite at these points so that resi-
dence and business lots may be pri-
vately owned
Congressman French, whose actiyi-
ties in behalf of the interests of this
community are noticeable, also wrote
the club with reference to the steps
which he thought it advisable to take
towards securing federal aid in the
Kootenai valley drainage proposition.
After considerable discussion the sec
retary of the club was instructed to
wire Senator King at Boise TO inter
view State Engineer Swensen and as
certain the present status of the nego-
tiations between the state and federal
officers on the reclamation project.
The matter of the cutting of the
bank of the Kootenai river at two
points within the city limits was
brought to the notice of the club, i'll
being stated that the present situation
presented dangerous possibilities of
future trouble if unchecked. A COM
mittee composed of A. j. Kent. I.
Causton and G. W. Megquier was ap-
pointed to take the matter up with
the board of village trustees with
view to securing necessary rip-rap
and other work to be done at the
threatened points.
Messrs. Herbst and Becker, engi-
neers in charge of preliminary survey
work on the proposed reconstruction
of the Bonners Ferry Montana road
reported that the work was progress
ing in satisfactory manner, the only
difficulty experienced being on ac-l
count of the continuous heavy snow
fall. They reported that no unusual
engineering difficulties had been en-
countered and that satisfactory grades
could be secured.
Mr.. Whitehouse, visiting architect
from Spokane, in a few words ex-
pressed the opinion that the Kootenai
Valley Commercial club was doing a |
great work for Boundary county and
north Idaho generally, and that other
localities were rapidly becoming aware
of the fact that this was a live and
community.
Entertained Friday Evening