The Daily Alaska empire., 1928-01-27
HEARINGS WILL BE RE-0PENED,
 LOCAL PROJECT
Chamber of Com mere e Given Chance Present
 New Data on Dredging

Hearings on the dredging ol Mendenhall Bar, rejected by the Board of Engineers for Rivers an1 Harbors several weeks ago. will be reopened by the Board at it's next regular meeting on February 2. the Chamber of Commerce was informed today. At that time the project will be defended by Dele. gate Sutherland, District Forester c. H. Flory and Commissioner Henry O'Malley of the Bureau Of Fisheries.
 At the request of the Chamber District Forester Flory last week laid before the Chief of Engineei s a request for a rehearing. le asked the Chamber to furnish the Board with additional informa- tion bearing on the project which has been done.
 Seeks Cooperation
 A wire from Delegate Suther- land to Olaf Larson, President 5f the focal Fishing Vessel Owners Association, said that Major Mall colm Elliott had also asked for the Board 10 reconsider it's re- jection of the proposed work, ure- ing that it be considered with 2 view of securing cooperation from the Territory. He added he would appear before the Board of Engineers and present data to back up Major Elliott's new pro gram.
 The economic value of the pro. ject must be we'll established bs- fore it can hope 10 get past the Board and Congress, said Major Douglas H. Gillette, Acting Dis. trict Engineer, who made the sec ond preliminary investigation an.i recommended the dredging be done. He outlined to the Chahl- Der the nature of data which was required to make a showing. The fact that large appropriations will have to be made for flood col- trol. he said. will cause a closer scrutiny of all such requests for Federal appropriation than nor mally is given. Congress, he ad | ed, is primarily concerned with the economies of the project and it will have to stand on that basis in relation to similar projects from all over the country.
 Working in Harmony
 "It is remarkable how much co operation" is being received iron cannerymen and fish trap opera tors generally by the District Eh gineer's office in it's new policy of issuance of trap construction permits, Major Gillette said. An this was characterized as very gratifying.
 In the past, Major Gillette pointed out, all of these matters have had to be referred to Wash ington for final approval, causing considerable delay and more ol Jess difficulty in some instances 5 This year the local District En gineer has been given authority to handle everything, eliminating the delay in transmission of cor respondence and other files be tween Juneau and Washington If this works out satisfactoril, and without disadvantage to th' main purpose of the District En gineer, who is head of the flask. Road Commission, that of build ing roads, it will be continued If. however, if causes too muc, difficulty and diverts too much 0 the time and attention of the en gineering force from roads to fisl trap regulations. the old methol will have to be restored. H pointed out that the local admin istration saved the operator money and made their work les difficult
 Major Gillette admitted that tn question of priority of rigl through applications might lead [ complications next year. He II yited suggestions for a solution.
 Juneau Herring Center
 Juneau is the center of intel est for halibut fishermen rigl now, declared President w. George. This is the result of tn supply of herring for bait that tn Juneau Cold Storage has secure and the fact that this is the onl section in which herring are ple' tiful. In addition to the suppl in the storage two ponds ha@ been put in at Tee Harbor. N bait is on hand either at Sitka Ketchikan, he said.
 Members of the Association [ Government Contractors are ma "