Puget Sound Secures the New Navy Yard
Washington State beats Oregon in Senate lobbying, winning the site for the Pacific naval station.
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.
The Washington senators are to be congratulated on the brilliant victory which they yesterday won over their colleagues from Oregon in securing an amendment to the naval appropriation bill eliminating the Columbia river from consideration as the location of the proposed navy yard on the North Pacific. It will be remembered that, although the report of the commission was strongly in favor of Puget Sound, the bill contemplated the location of the navy yard on 'the Columbia river or Puget Sound.' Senator Allen moved that the bill be amended by striking out all reference to the Columbia river, thus limiting the location to Puget Sound. This amendment was earnestly opposed by the Oregon senators and as earnestly supported by Senators Allen and Squire. It was finally carried by a decided vote, and Washington scored its first victory over Oregon won on the floor of the Senate. The people of the entire Sound, indeed of the entire state, are to be congratulated on the action of the Senate, which probably fixes definitely the location of the future navy yard at Port Orchard.
“The time is past when Oregon can contest the entire North Pacific coast, and oppose any improvements which are not to be located within her own borders.”
The rivalry between Washington and Oregon over federal infrastructure is a century-old staple of Pacific Northwest politics. This 'victory' paved the way for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, which remains a massive economic and industrial anchor for Bremerton today.
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