The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1923-07-05
Renresentatives of Several
Units of Yakima Pro-
iect Plan Campaign
WANT SECRETARY OF.
INTERIOR TO COME
No Criticism of Federal De,
partment Voiced at Sun
nyside Meeting.

For the purpose of consolidating the
efforts Of the communities of the
Yakima Valley in working for the
continued development of the U. ).
Yakima reclamation project, the Yak
lima Valley Reclamation League was
organized at Sunnyside Friday.
The organization meeting was par
ticipated in by sixty men represent
ing practically all the communities
from Kennewick to Ellensburg.
M. M. Moulton, of this city, gave
the keynote speech, outlining what ne
believed the best course for the meet
ing to follow. He said he thought it
would be i'll advised to condemn any
other western project or in any way to
refer to the recent change in director
ship of the u. S. reclamation service.
He said that he for one could not
condemn the action of Secretary Work
in dismissing Director A. P. Davis and
appointing ex- governor D. w. Davis,
Of Idaho, in his place, without having
definite knowledge of the reasons
therefor He though it was up to
the people of Yakima Valley to get
behind q movement to bring federal
reclamation funds into the valley;
that there was only one source from
which these funds could be obtained,
namely, the revolving fund of the U.
s. reclamation service; that we have
aright to expect that government ex-:
psnditures in the valley shall be con-
tinued without any cessation and that
when the Rimrock reservoir is conf
pleted money should be available each
year for canal construction. He be-
Eeved that the vital thing was to get
something started at once to tie into
the U. S. reclamation revolving fund;
and that we should be united in not
fighting anyone else, in not opposing
any other section of the state, but
for the sngle purpose to obtain fed
eral aid in building caals for which
water will soon be available.
Mr.. Moulton was chosen to head
the resolutions committee the report
Of which was unanimously adopted
as follows:
Whereas, the state legislature, Of
Washington, has heretofore granted to
the United States government cer-
tain rights in the streams in the state
Of Washington; and.
Whereas, acting upon said grants
the U. S. reclamation service has
secured releases from the various
water appropriations and has been en-
gagged for many years in the con-
struction of storage works in the wat
er shed of the Yakima river for the
which storage works have been con-
structed at an expenditure of many
millions of dollars, and is now about
to complete be present program o.
storage construction; and,
Whereas, the construction of said
storage works makes available an
abundant supply of water for the re.
clamation of large areas of irrigable
land under the Yakima project, othe,
than the lands now under irrigation
and,
Whereas, the irrigated lands unde,
the Yakima project have been easil,
and quickly colonized with the resul,
that repayments to the reclamator
service of construction cost under thi.
project have been steady and con
sistent; and,
Whereas, there are several unit.
OF the Yakima project now ready fol
canal construction, without which {
portion of the waters made available
by the storage construction cannot
be used, the governmet Investment
therein will be in part lost.
Now, therefore be it resolved b,
the representatives of the various
units OF the Yakima project, now as.
sembled, that we urge upon the sec.
retary OF the interior that he recon.
mend to congress that sufficien,
amount be appropriated annually from
the reclamation revolving fund. com.
menclng with the next fiscal year, fol-
the construction of the various units
OF the Yakima project, at such time
CONTINUED on page 4l