Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1926-09-10

The Third District Of Washington
is, in itself. a remarkable illustration
Of the wide range Of activities Of the
United States government.
Within its limits there are ten
countless; Columbia rive; Skagit nat
ural divisions: Pacific oceansGrays
Harbor and Pacific counties; Column
bia river; Skagit, Skamania, Clark,
Cowlitz and KahIkiakum counties; Pu-
get Sound: Mason. ThurstOn and
Pierce counties; Central; Lewis coun-
ty. The waterfront counties mentions
ed, of course, run into the mountains
and the interior.
All these counties within the dis
trict have many Identical interests and
many varied and opposite ones, but
all combined make the most populous
and interesting district IN Washing
ton. The population Of the district
has almost doubled since the 1920 CEN
sus, when it had $4,000 people.
Investment Repaid
It embraces three national forests,
a land office, two military establish
ments and several abandoned mill
tary reservations.
It includes Camp Lewis, now accept
ed as one Of the nations most import
ant points Of defense, which has many
times paid for itself and on which
almost 100000 is about to be spent
for permanent barracks. The expend-
lures by the camp officers, in Tacoma
and vicinity, average $1,000 a month.
No part Of this reservation win be
sold, nor did Johnson ever propose
10 sell any part Of it. Statements in
opposition are libels.
Large Appropriations
IN this district Rainier National
park, for which over $840,O00 has re-
Gently been set aside by Congress to
carry out an extensive road improve-
ment program. The average Of net
Rainier figures for IA years is near
$4,000 and compares favorably with
sums appropriate during that time for
eleven other national parks.
There are in it rivers, hhrbors,
water-power sites, light houses, coast
guard stations, state internal revenue
headquarters for Washington and
Alaska, United States marshal's head
quarters for Western Washington,
Federal court, an immigration office,
b deputy shipping commissioner, nu-
merous deputy collectors Of customs,
federal public health officers in sew
eral cities, prohibition agents and
other representatives Of the national
government.
Eight Reservations
In it are a district Indian agent
and eight Indian reservations, includ-
ing Quinault, which is larger than
Rhode Island. On the Quinault res
ervation stands $30,0O0,0O0 worth 70
timber. Allottments are being made
under q recent Supreme Court deci-
sion. In addition, are the Quiliute,
Skookmish, Squaxon, Georgetown,
Chehalis and Chinook reservations,
and the Cowlitz tribe which seeks pay
from the government for loss of reser-
walton. Skokomish Indians above
Shelton, demand federal aid for dyk-
ing and draining their valuable lands.
Two Veteran Hospitals
It has two Veterans Bureau hospi-
tails, one at American Lake, near Ia
coma, No. %, which cost more than
$1,500,O00; has S62 patients and
which will soon have the main wings
extended so as to provide 100 addi-
tional beds. In time this hospital viii
be a double unit hospital, with 700 to
300 beds. Cushman Veterans Bureau
hospital is in Tacoma, and although
the department has threatened for
years to abandon it, it Is still there,
and likely to be needed for some years
to come. 1t occupies valuable real
estate, and several requests for pur-
chase Of this site have been presented.
It has six different federal activ-
tiles at Fort Candy, at the mouth Of
the Columbia, including a military
post and big naval radio station.
Much Of the business Of the west
ern part of jefferson county comes to
the office Of the third district men,
Der owing to the topography of the
Olympics.