Seattle's Chamber Tries to Get Tacoma on Board for a Ship Canal

The Chamber of Commerce yesterday seconded the action of Mayor Phelps by appointing a committee to act with his committee and with the county commissioners in securing right-of-way for the Lake Washington ship canal, and followed up this action by adopting resolutions asking the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce and the Tacoma Commercial Club, in view of the aid rendered by the chamber in promoting measures for the benefit of Tacoma, to indorse the canal proposition and to petition Congress to carry it out at the next session. A report on the improvement of the water service was also adopted and a committee appointed to see to the matter.

The communication from Mayor Phelps to the Chamber of Commerce to appoint a committee to co-operate with a committee appointed by him and with the county commissioners in securing the right-of-way for the Lake Washington ship canal was read, and the following were appointed: Thomas Burke, B. H. Greene, George H. Heilbron and A. P. Mitten. The president is authorized to add to this committee.

The preamble and resolution following, presented by Mr. Prosch, were adopted unanimously and ordered sent to the Tacoma organizations referred to:

"Whereas, The Seattle Chamber of Commerce several years ago joined in the movement that secured to the city of Tacoma the magnificent military reservation of Point Defiance, for park purposes without cost to said city; and

"Whereas, The Seattle Chamber of Commerce initiated the movement that led to the establishment of the Pacific forest reserve, chiefly in Pierce county, and the chamber has since done what it could to secure its adoption by the government as a national park; and,

"Whereas, The Seattle Chamber of Commerce has repeatedly asked Congress to appropriate money for a public building in Tacoma; and,

"Whereas, The Seattle Chamber of Commerce has cheerfully joined in the efforts to secure railroad right-of-way across the Puyallup Indian reservation, and to open to settlement said reservation; and,

"Whereas, The Seattle Chamber of Commerce has urged the Secretary of the Navy to test the coals of Pierce county on ships of war, with a view to their use instead of foreign coals; and

"Whereas, The Seattle Chamber of Commerce has consented to the passage of an act by the state legislature intended to take from King county that portion fronting on Tacoma bay and join the same to the county of Pierce; and,

"Whereas, The Seattle Chamber of Commerce has raised money, secured exhibits, undertaken excursions and done all that it could to encourage and sustain the Tacoma exposition; and,

"Whereas, The Seattle Chamber of Commerce has done these and numerous other neighborly things at the solicitation of the commercial bodies and leading citizens of the city of Tacoma; and,

"Whereas, The Seattle Chamber of Commerce believes that under this record its city is entitled to like recognition of its needs and wants by the commercial organizations of the sister city; be it, therefore,

"Resolved, By the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, that the Chamber of Commerce of Tacoma and the Tacoma Commercial Club be respectfully asked to at once strongly and unequivocally approve the establishment by the national government of a waterway for large ocean-going ships between Lake Washington and Puget Sound, as planned and approved by United States military engineers; and that said organizations be further asked to petition Congress to this end in the early days of the session beginning in December."

On the same subject the following resolutions were also adopted:

"Resolved, That the thanks of this chamber be and they are hereby extended to United States Senator Watson C. Squire for his very able, earnest and efficient efforts in behalf of the appropriation for the improvement of the waterway connecting the waters of Puget Sound with Lakes Union and Washington.

"And that his success in securing this appropriation marks the beginning of one of the most important works ever undertaken by the United States government on the Pacific coast."