The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-10-11
E.ock and d'nnnl IsilI.

the Legislature providing for the State
10 acquire possession by lease and
eventual purchase of the canal and
locks at the Willamette falls. Is excit-
ing much discussion at this time. The
bill as first introduced provided an an
nual rental to be paid by the State OF
not to exceed $50, 600 for period Of
ten years. This was amended to $iO,-
200 for five years, ten per cent. ann,l-
ally to he paid into the common school
fund. Three commissioners are to he
elected every two years by the Legis-
lntllrc. who are authorized by the bill
10 lease the locks 80 soon as they are
completed. They are to have control
Of the canal and locks, fix the rate of
toll, and pay the collector and other
persons employed. The canal collec-
tor Is TO pay all money collected as
tolls into the State Treasury, and the
money 80 obtained is to be paid into
the general fund untihit exceeds the
sum Of fifty thousand dollars a year.
and thereafter, should there be any
excess, it shall be paid into the COM
mon school fund. AT the expiration
Of the lease of five years the State may
purchase the canal and locks at their
actual value, as provided in the Act of
1870, detMctihg the'&sOO, 600 already
alsap&d by the. State. This Is our
understanding of the bill. We do not
believe this bill ought to pass. While
we believe the State ought to own
these works, she should not be required
to pay more than their cash value. 1t
Is well known that the tonnage Oh the
Willamette river has f;illen off year
by wear MS railroad facilities have been
provided, until it now amounts to no
more than twenty or twenty-five thous-
and tons, which at fifty cents would
yield the State but $l1 cooper annum.
The tolls for passengers would proba-
bly, increase that from one to two
thousand dollars more. and then the
rest Of the forty thousand dollars rental
would have to be paid ont OF the State
Treasury, thus increasing the taxes
on the people to cover that amount.
But then how long will the tonnage OH
the river remain at $4,000 tons? 1t is
computed that upwards Of one-halt of
that amount comes from Yamhill
county, and that when the West Side
Railroad il completed through there,
that much, If not alEof that will be
lost to the river, thus diminishing
these figures nearly If not quite one
half. The thing looks to US like an
imposition. The men who
are building the locks, it seems to lis,
would not be so anxious to lease or
sell, were il a profitable or paying in
vestment. They went into the pro-
ject, backed by two hundred thousand
dollars from the school fund, with the
design of making "big thing tinan-
cially, and not with the laudable aim
of increasing the facilities Of naviga-
tion. The speculation does not prom
lse to pay as they thought, and sothey
want to get ont Of it as handsomely
rs possible. They have right to
make this endcavor, If they choose
but the people do not care to be taxed
10 death to enable them to succeed.
| .et the State buy these improvements
1t a reasonable figure, for their pres
mt cash value; but don't pay them in
rents more money than the canal and
locks are worth. The duty before our
Representatives In the
legislature In regard to this bill Is
very plain. They shOuldreiect it most !
emphatically.