Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1936-06-18
MORE FUNDS
FOR &C. DAM
House Agrees to Amendment to the
Interior Department Bill; Will
Receive Full Quota

the house agreed to an amendment
tc the interior department bill ap-
propriating $20,750,00O for contin-
uing work under contracts now in
force.
This is the full amount the senate
originally voted, plus $500 trans
ferred from the general administra-
tive fund so as to be available for
administrative work at the Grand
Coulee dam site.
However, on the insistence of
Chairman Buchanan of the house ap-
Preparations committee, the confer
ence struck out the S250,O0O ap-
preparation for beginning economic
surveys of the Columbia basin prof.
ect Buchanan insisted a. congression-
al appropriation for these surveys
would be construed as committing
congress to the building of the Col
umbia basin project at cost of close
to $300,000,00O
Buchanans contention is not
soundly grounded, for authorization
of surveys would not commit the
government. However, he was SO
stubborn that the conferences decid-
cd to yield, rather than further to
prolong the fight for other items In
the bill.
II Washington's senator's are I'm
able to force an appropriation for
survey into the deficiency bill. still
in conference, it would be possible
for the president to make an alloca-
cation for this purpose. The signifi-
cant thing about today's action is
that congress, for the second time,
places its approval en the Grana
Coulee dam, but only on low Dam
with a foundation for a high dam.
There may be further fighting in
congress to secure approval OF a
high dam and the Columbia basin
project, but the Washington delega-
ton is fairly we'll satisfied to accept
this outcome, confident that next
session they can get funds to carry
on.
They have not wholly abandoned
hope of getting money for a survey
before congress adjourns. They rec
ognize that, after another $4,000
600 has been invested in the dam,
future congresses will be disposed
to provide funds to build the prof.
ect, which alone can furnish mar
ket for Grand Coulee power.
Along with other projects indoors
ed by the budget, the Roza unit of
the Yakima project had to submit to
a. cut to all even S1,000,0OU, but the
reclamation bureau figures this will
be ample to keep the work going un-
til additional funds are provided
next session.
This appropriation removes all
doubt that the Roza unit will be
built. Its money hereafter will be
taken from the reclamation fund,
which now contains $12.000,QOO,
and which the president may expand
by a further allotment from his re-
lief fund.
Appropriations for most of the
projects in the bill were revised
downward. Almost without object
ions, the house:
Slashed IT,, $31,0OO,000 the senate
approved total of $58,00G,000 for
reclamation projects in eight states,
wiping out entirely $16,OO0,OOO
item for the Centray Valleys of Cali
fornia project.
Eliminated senate amendment
authorizing seven reclamation prof.
ects az federal undertakings, inelud-
the controversial Grand Lake-Big
Thompson transmountain diversion
project in Colorado.
The measure now goes back to the
senate, where leaders plan to delay
reconsideration, pending develop
ments between house and senate con-
ferees on the deficiency bill.
The house amendment also re-
duced to $75O,OOO from 100000
an item for administration expenses
of the reclamation bureau and linn
tied construction and contract obli
cations for the Grand Coulee project
to S63,000,000 unless specifically
authorized otherwise by congress
Moreover, the house provided tina
funds for all reclamation project
except Grand Coulee must come
from the reclamation fund. None!
for Grand Coulee will be appropri
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