Show Funds for Aqueduct Hinge HingeOn On Decision by Roosevelt Whether the public works administration would restore a allotment for the Salt Lake aqueduct aqueduct one one of Utah's chief work relief projects for the winter of 01 1938 Saturday 1938 Saturday hinged on executive action by President Fra Franklin klin D. D Roosevelt I Senator Elbert D. D Thomas had a a telephone e. e call I nf orthe p president es d nt and Q Governor Henry H. H Blood Bloodw 1 awaiting word from the presidents president's secretary Marv Marvin i Mcintyre Intyre In the meantime Fisher Harris counsel for th the Salt Lake City Cit metropolitan water Cr district board said the hoard boat was ready to sign the contract between the district and the federal government go lr pro pro- I viding repayment of federal yon A President r nt Roose Ro o 0 f sul a s Mr A fr from i r d I eUr g Ju exe u q ye va or m g August 15 as d deadline allne for letting the aqueduct construction contract a deadline that President Roosevelt extended at request of ot Governor Henry H. H Blood Although K n. F. F reclamation rda mation bureau engineer at Denyer Dener cr in ft a telephone conversation conversation conversa conversa- tion Friday lirida with W siti Governor Go Blood lood mentioned that the repayment contract had land not been executed Mr Harris stated that the repay repay- ment contract was sas not the reason rca rea son that the P W V A Friday withdrew withdrew with with- drew the funds Stenographic notes on the conversation conversation con con- report Mr Walter as saying saying say say- ing We were all ready to advertise for bids on the Olmstead tunnel tun tun- nd nel but the repayment contract has not been signed Governor Blood also said he believed believed be be- Mr Walter did not necessarily necessarily necessarily mean to imply that the re repayment repayment repayment re- re payment contract was holding up the funds Mr Walter said his telegram from Washington did not give the reason reason for withdrawal of the funds Mr Ir Harris expressed the opinion l ion bin n that the interior department as a ft routine maneuver maneu checked the aqueduct off the list In Ignorance Ignorance Igno Igno- rance of the I presidents president's time ime ex cx- cx tension if After a at t conversation c uM Column P Four K T 1 AQUEDUCT CASH FIGHT PRESSED Continued from Page One Saturday with John C. C Page U.S. U.S. U. U S. S a. a reclamation commissioner Mr Harris quoted Mr Page as u saying The only thing that stands in the way of going forward is this withdrawal with with- dr wal of fun funds Mr rr Walter had explained to Governor Governor Gov Gov- Blood that while the construction construction construction con con- contract could not be let before the repayment contract was executed the construction contract could rould be advertised before execution execution tion of the other contract The following statement was Is Issued issued issued is- is sued from the metropolitan water district office Saturday in an effort to o clarify the aqueduct situation Several incorrect impressions have lave resulted from the withdrawal of P W A funds for the Salt Lake valley aqueduct which in the public interest sho should ld b be corrected The facts which cannot be disputed disputed dis dis- dis are I 1 Withdrawal of the I P I W A funds docs does not mean that the aqueduct has been lost even cnn if the funds should not be restored It would mean at most that we should have to wait walt for congressional congressional congressional appropriations to carry on th work The department of the interior the reclamation bureau and conk com gress itself Itself Itself-by by its previous appropriations ap ap- ap- ap have have fully guaranteed guaranteed guaranteed guaran guaran- teed to Salt Lake City the construction construction construction con con- of this aqueduct as a apart apart apart part of the Provo river project At worst therefore there could be e only a highly regrettable and unnecessary delay at a time when unemployment is a serious problem problem lem which It it was expected would be solved by the expenditure of this money commencing about November 1 2 The August 15 deadline does not refer nor has it ever been represented as referring to the enactment of the contract for forthe forthe forthe the repayment of cost This deadline deadline deadline dead line referred only to the construction construction construe construe- tion contract and was furthermore furthermore furthermore further further- more set aside by President Roosevelt himself at the request of Governor Henry H H. Blood The president willingly set et aside the limit after it was pointed point point- ed out that the aqueduct construction eon con on- on can start well within the congressional deadline of January 1 1939 Commissioner John C. C Page of the reclamation bureau personally assured Senator Elbert D. D Thomas and Fisher Harris Mater water water Ma wa- wa- wa ter board counsel that bids can be called for Immediately and would be except for the P PV W V A withdrawal Construction could start within a month thereafter 3 The status of the repayment repayment repayment repay repay- ment contract for construction of the aqueduct as distinguished from the construction contract is not concern concerned d in the present difficulty dif dif- dif dif- All AI provisions of f fth th contract contract contract con con- tract except for a few details applying applying applying ap ap- ap- ap plying to purely local conditions were agreed upon by Mr Harris and reclamation bureau officials in Washington D D. C. C last June The remaining details have been settled and signing of the contract was authorized by the water board Friday At no time has it it ever been the understanding understand understand- ing of either the water board nor so far as we know the reclamation reclamation reclamation tion bureau that this contract must be signed first It has been consistently stated that the signing signing sign sign- ing of this contract was of secondary secondary sec see importance in time to completing the engineering so that bids could be called for However it now happens that all of these details have been ad ad- There is no reason reason why the aqueduct construction should not be under way by October provided provided provided pro pro- vided the P W A funds are re re- re stored The would be loaned by bythe bythe bythe the reclamation bureau to the water district without interest repayable in 40 years |