The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-01-26
STAR GETS COPY
OF HIDDEN REPORT

| " the same under the TWO tyhtcuh.
STAR GETS COPY
OF HIDDEN REPORT
Batchciler turned over a copy OF
his report TO The Star as soon as he
was informed that Director Scott had
refused 20 permit a reporter 10 sec
the original In Olympia.
In this report he makes the fol.
lowing comparison between the gray.
ity and pumping projects.
I'm comparing the gravity project
with tho pumping project. II Is first
necessary to have equal areas In or
The cost estimates Of tho pumping
equipment and main supply canal
were made on the same basis NJ
the estimates OF the main supply
canal for the gravity supply. The
dlnfribution systems were both csti'
mated at the same time by tho Co
lumbia Basin survey commission
and should therefore be on the same
basis.
AS published In tho 1890 report
OF tho commission. the cost of this
entire gravity project for the maxi
mum area OF i.Tss.o00 acres Ia
$500. tTs.s7s or sifi.4o per acre
This cost per acre remains prac
ticaiiy constant over a wide rangs
In project areas.
Tho corresponding cost OF tbs
dumping project for the same nrea
and without commercial power !,
seTt. sol $40. or sist.7s per acre. The
cost per acre OF watering additional
land u 81. co. which viii rcducs
the average cost per aero OF the
entire project.
THE cost OF the pumping project
for tho same area and with a com
merciai power installation OF $50. 00f
horne power n s7ss.sos.sso. which
II tsTa.oss less than the irrigation
cost Of the gravity project. with
Ia net revenue of $40 per horns
power year from tho saie OF com
mercial power. the equivalent irrt
cation cost Of tho pumping project
would BE- sf7sbs per acre a. com
pared with siTi4o for the gravity
project with a net revenue OF Sc
kper horse power year from tho sais
OF commercial power. which is about
the revenue obtained at Niagara
Fails. the equivalent Irrigation cos,
Of tho pumping project would b.
ss5.os. or i.ss than half tho cost
Of the gravity project.
Tho gravity project does not In
ciuds . commercial power installa
ton. and for this reason compare
tive estimates cannot be made. Botf
projects have possibilities Of pro
ducsng secondary. or seasonal. pow
er, during tho irrigation season. bu,
M this power would have but little
II any commercial value and would be
similar In the two cases, this feature
does not affect tho comparison and
has been omitted for n.mpiIfication
while the area which can be tr
rfgafed by the gravity project (,
limited. the pumping project can bs
extended 10 include every irrigabls
acre In the district by installing sec
ondsry pumping stations TO pumr
out OF the canal by tho use Of power
from tho Grand Couleo.
WATER POWER
INTERESTS INvOLvEDs-~
"A reduction In construction cost.
prior 10 the commencement Of work
on the project would affect the cap
itai cost tho same with both plans
would result In q greater advantage
for the pumping project. due to the
fact that the commercial power
revenues would reduce the irrigation
expense TO = greater degree.
The length OF tho main supply
canal for the gravity project IL 1870
miles. a. compared with IS miles
for tho pumping project. of which
2s miles will conslst OF Grand Coulee
lake. All cost estimates which have
been prepared on tho subject show
that the cost OF the pumping equip.
ment and main supply canal for the
pumping project In much less than
the cost of tho main supply canal
for the gravity project. 1t seems
reasonable to assume from an In.
spection OF tho area that tho dis.
tribution systems for tho two pro.
jecss should have approximately the
same cost per acre"
BatcheiIcr points out that the
Columbia river board Of en-.
gineers, In Its report 10 the fed
cral power commission ON the use
Of tho waters Of the Upper Col.
umbia river. approves the data
contained In his suppressed re-
port and also states that the
most economical use Of the
water will be obtained by the
pumping project, which, In
addition to Irrigating the same
area as the gravity project,
would also provide $4,000 horse
power moro water power.
| While Batcheller made no direct
accusations In this direction. Il Is
said by engineers I'm touch with the
situation that the Western Power
Co.--thc General Electric Co. inter.
ests---is greatly interested In having
tire gravity project accepted. instead
Of tho pumping proposition. Obvious.
Z ~, the General Electric people aren'.
much interested In the welfare OF the
farmers. who will benefit from the
/ Irrigation.
4 But the fact that the gravity prof.
Get would increase the minimum
flow OF the Spokane river from 1900
cubic feet per second to 10000 cubic
feet may he OF some interest TO them
lin view OF the fact that there are
several General Electric plants on
tho Spokane river. which would
greatly benefit from the Increased
water power available.
A telephone communication to Ths