, 1881-11-12
Matter Calling for the Ceasiaera-
tsoa OF People East u tie
CAocAdea.

From the Mosa..aiaeer:: A leader in the
WALLA WALLA STATESMAN of the 29th Of
October details facts of great importance
to the people east Of the mountains, and
ought to call for their united attentica
and action In securing those privileges for
free navigation, and for the transfer Of
their grain and other products in such =
manner and upon such terms IS shall en-
courage the farmer and leave him q re-
ward for his labor.
We have been informed Of the loading
Of the steamship Dakota with Wala
walla grain. at New Tscoma, and we're
awaiting an account Of the experiment
from our correspondent, when we found
it clearly represented in the STATESMAN,
whose editor has been upon the spot, and
learned from Captain Gilkey, of the
Dakota, all tho facts, which our people
must be ready 10 sccep. IS presenting
wedge at the vulnerable point in the great
bulk Of our disadvantages This move
ment Of Captain Gilkey certainly gives
promise of relief from one Of our most
serious difAcsities for il is little use TO
spend tine I'D sG.st 70 r,iss assPaan of
products, if NO way to market them with
profit can be had.
Producers Of wheat or other grain for
market may now see what is unjGstly
forced from their earnings to gil the
pocket Of the middle man at Portland.
The STATEshAN's article further repre-
sents that, ON account of the less cost for
. ship to load, discharge and reload on
the Sound, and the less risk attending,
insures wheat Of 6rst-eiass quality to be
worth as much at the Sound as at San
Francisco. Accepting this as fact, and
the prices current Of wheat at
San Francisco, October 26th, it will be
found that the difference in its price at
that port and Portland, Oregon, is 20
cents per GENITAL, good profit upon pro-
But upon this, We who live
east Of the mountains, must submit not
only to shipment 20 Portland, and to the
extra charges mentioned above, but to a
rate Of freight for this hundred miles be-
tween Portland and The Dslies, more
than three times as great rs from ST.
Louis to New Orleans, distance uf 200
miles. Our people can see by these
facts, and Judge for themselves whether
the present movement 10 obtain an in
crease of appropriations by the govern
ment to hasten the opening Of the locks
at the Cascades, calls for their prompt and
earnest attention OF not.
There can be but little satisfaction in
working hard throughout the year, sub
mittin, to the yicissitudes Of the elements
aud chances for success, to have the
profits Of the years struggle eaten up in
getting the product to an unProtitable
and, for our Columbia farmers, ali I'M
natural market, up the willamette river
to Portland We have good country,
and good home il offered to many poor
man upon its millions of ain-producing
acres within short distance of navigable
waters, yet we are practically no better
off for this contignity to deep water than
If We were 1900 miles away from it.
The cost Of transDor tation 1GG miles to
Portland, and the charges incident to that
port for shipment, are Of ruinous and
unjust character, which leaves no alterna-
tive but the most earnest effort for our
selves for the immediate opening Of the
locks, and such Improvement upon the
river as shall open freely the $50 miles Of
navigable water above US, so that the
Products of agriculture can without trans
shipment 90 to market, and leave a profit
to the consumer.