Tacoma Refuses to Play Dog-in-the-Manger on Seattle's Ship Canal
When Seattle's chamber pushed a Lake Washington ship canal, Tacoma's president said regional gain mattered more than blocking a rival—then hedged.
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.
TACOMA, Sept. 14.—Special.—The Tacoma Chamber of Commerce today received a copy of the Lake Washington ship canal resolutions adopted by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Secretary Collyer, of the local chamber, at once notified the Seattle body of the receipt of the resolutions, and stated that they would receive consideration at the next meeting of the chamber. President Holmes, of the Chamber of Commerce, says regarding these resolutions:
“If Seattle puts $500,000 appropriated for the ship canal, I congratulate her, because the whole Northwest is going to be benefited thereby. I believe in this state pulling together for improvements of all kinds. I believe in trying to get something, rather than in trying to prevent the other fellow from getting it. When the appropriation put in the river and harbor bill to begin work on the ship canal was opposed by a few persons who wanted me to have the Chamber of Commerce of Tacoma denounce it, I said: ‘Gentlemen, if you want to do anything of that kind, you will have to elect a new president of this chamber.’”
While the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce may not enthuse over the canal project, it is evident it will never assume the dog-in-the-manger act. On this point Mr. Holmes says: “If it is a good proposition for the government to build that canal it will be built; in fact, the resolutions favor it and the Chamber of Commerce might endorse it. If it is not a good proposition the canal will not be built.”
“If Seattle puts $500,000 appropriated for the ship canal, I congratulate her, because the whole Northwest is going to be benefited thereby.”
The Lake Washington Ship Canal is now a defining piece of Seattle's geography, but in 1894 it was a lobbying fight between neighboring chambers of commerce. The exchange captures a familiar regional tension: whether to collaborate on big infrastructure or defend local advantage.
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