The Fight for Power on the Columbia
Settlers and a New York corporation clash in federal court over the future of the Priest Rapids dam project.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Prompted by Judge Rudkin's recent ruling on water rights in the Hanford and White Bluffs region, Manly B. Haynes of Hanford has argued that the development of the Priest Rapids dam is essential for the region's prosperity. He contends that a New York company has manipulated the development company's finances to evade obligations to local settlers. While attorneys argue whether mortgage holders or water rights holders hold priority, Haynes emphasizes that for the local pioneers, this is a matter of survival, not just corporate litigation. The potential for low-cost electricity and irrigation pumping remains the key to unlocking the economic potential of the Columbia river valley.
“Let them come in closer touch with the Pioneer who has toiled and as yet received scanty return.”
This 1914 power struggle reflects the ongoing tension in Eastern Washington over control of Columbia River resources. Decades later, the Priest Rapids Dam stands as a cornerstone of regional infrastructure, yet the battle over 'who owns the water' remains a persistent theme in local governance and agriculture.
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