The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-06-13
OUR LETTER BOX.
Locks AT THE CASCADES.
Ocnoco VALLEY,

monopoly letters in your paper, and
] shall send you another. This freight
question is the farmers question:
Ever since the early settling OF Ore
gon the "freight monopoly" has been
the unvarying and universal theme of
denunciation by the producers of this
country. If the farmers whishcd TO
ship few bushels of produce TO mar
ket they complained that the profit
was all swallowed up by the freight.
And it is not many years ago since it
was cheaper for d farmer TO take his
eggs, bntter. bacon, lard, etc. in his
wagon and roll out 10 Portland each
fall and lay in what groceries he could
haul, than 10 pay the exorbitaDt price
charged tor frcights on the river
And why was this? Was il because
il cost any more TO carry freight OH
the Willamette and Columbia rivers
than i did other rivers in other States?
No; il was simply because corpora
tion held exclusive control Of all
freights that passed up and down these
rivers, and was thus enabled TO exact
their enormous rates. Without op-
position. however, the people. might
complimentary were helpless. When
,the railroad was building, the farmers
thought it would bring relief, as il
would be an opposition. but. the new
transportation company bought Out
the old one and left the people, as far
as cheap freight was concerned, in a
worse fix than ever. And the coun-
try would have remained in this con-
dition-in the clutches of a grasping.
soulIess monopoly. exaciing a tithe of
everything the producers had TO SELL
but for one thing, and that is, the IA
nous "Lock and Dam Swindle.' -
II relieved, as it opened the river to
competition, lbut il only relieves a
portion of the country, the large
scope of country drained by the VIII
lameiae. And the money this same
swindle annually leaves in this scope
of country goes long way towards
regulating the idea advanced by
some that the State male bad in
vestment in building the locks. In.
asmuch as every ton of freight that
formerly cost eight dollars, only costs
one; saving of seven dollars on
every ION that passes mp or down The
river, and this seyen dollars is saved
by the farmers. TO illustrate, say M
agent enters your valley 10 buy vi
grain for fi.m in Europe. From tbs
price there he deducts the freight Il
Astoria, Tor wherever his ships load)
the pilotage, the iowage and freight
on the river, aud then margin fo
speculation, 10 arrive at the price h,
can pay here, SO this freight all come:
off the grain-raiser. Now, if iki
swindle saves the farmer seven dollar
ton on his grain, is it not directl,
helping him that muchy And as i
is for his grain so it is for his butter
eggs, bacon, lard, and poul
try, in fact, everything he has 70 sell
tending TO raise the price as It lessen
the cost oftransporting il to market
And as it is TO what goes out of iii
country, so it is in direct proportio
TO what comes in. Coffee, sugar, sail
and everything the farmer has 10 bu
sho1ld be cheaper, as il costs less 1
get it here now than before, very It'll
perhaps, but seven dollars per TO
saved to the farmers for every ton 9
groceries they buy, and every ton Z
produce they sell. will amount 10 NOR
IN the run of few years than wonl
at first be supposed. This amount
saved TO the farmers by simply opef
ing the river 10 competitive transnol
tation. These Locks during The
construction were source ct ~ GOO
deal of bitter controversy; So mitch S
that they entered largely into the la,
State election becoming part
measures, but since they are tinishe
and their benefits practically denor
strated, no thinking man but admit
that they are an inestin,abie benefit I
the farmers of the Willamette vale,
as they open the river to competin
lines OF transportation, thus most e
, fectnaily guarding against exorbitar
charges tor freight in the future. Bl
. while You, of the Willamette -salle
are are benefited by the opening (
your river TO competitive transports
, ton and light freights by means {
, these Locks, we,. OF Eastern Oregon
are living under the most oppressis
m a...a,. 80. ,ha s,a;,rh,;nr ~ anv com
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ette, TINS pofCaSc eau oe Wnoiy oos