Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-12-11

question which will attract the at
tention of the country.
The Columbia River.
The Columbia river convention
held at The Dalles on the ID inst.
was made up of delegates from Van
couver, Portland, Big Bend ahd
Colville, Weston, Pendleton, DAlles,
Waitsburg, Walla Walla, Astoria,
Goldendale and Wasco. 20. A.
Boulby of Astoria presided, with W.
B. Daniels of Vancouver as secro.
tary. II. G. George of Portland dc
clared that Portland was not opposed
to the opening Of tho river. Ho
said it was the duty of all to stand
together and fight tho monopoly,
which prevented the cheapening of
transportation. He thought that
even the Oregon Railway and Navi-
cation company would in tho end
be benefited by the improvement
This view Mr.. Il. o. Dunbar Of
Golendale contested. He predicted
that the Oregon railway would con
tinually oppose the opening of tho
= 10 49, A., 1.
and would continue it's policy Of
charging all that the traffic would
allow of. In reply to inquiry. James
Young of Portland said that the
difference between shipping rates at
Portland and at San Francisco was
about $3.50 per ton, due almost en-
tirely to the Columbia river bar. At
this time ships could load no deepcs
than % feet. He estimated that il
the bar did not exist, the people OF
Oregon and Washington would re-
ceive 81 900, 900 moro for their whoat
this year alone. Colonel Lang, of
The Dalles, pointed out that farmers
shipping wheat from The Dalles had
to pay II cents per bushel to Port
land 81 miles, while it costs only 4 J
cents per bushel to ship grain from
Chicago to England, moro than A.
600 miles. There was no hope for
the inland empire now. They could
do nothing till there was free way
out of the country. Mr.. Chapman,
of Walla Walla, thought that the
locks at the Cascades could be fin.
ished for 5000, 900, and that $780,
600 more would put a railway for
steamboats, around The Dalles,
which improvements would save in q
single year over 50, 800 900 to the
producers of Oregon aud Washing
ton. A memorial to Congress was
finally adopted, setting forth that
with the exception of the obstruction
at The Dalles the Columbia river is
navigable for steamboats, and heavy
tonnage from tho sea to point l ,032
miles inland, with tributaries aggre-
eating not less than 800 additional
miles of navigable waters, through a
country of great productivoness, and
capable of sustaining dense and
prosperous farming population. The
Government has already expended
S955, 900 upon q canal and locks at
the Cascades, and it is estimated
that $3.50, 1000 more will complete u
practicable channel through this OBJ
struction; that the tonnage over the
bar at the mouth of the Columbia
river was for the year ending Sep
tember, 1885. 69,943 tons, which
was destined TO be greatly increased
in the near future. The memorial
lists ask that appropriations for tho
required work may be continuous
until tho same shall be fully com.
pleted, and that the lands adjacent
to the Columbia river, at all places
where obstruction exists, requiring
the use of the banks for permanent
improvement. may be reserved from
settlement and sale. 1t was voted
TO send a copy of the memorial TO
the Legislature of this Territory, in
the hope that it would add its apprc-
val thereto. Finally, it was voted to
make the waterway convention a
permanent institution, its powers
to he invested in an executive COM
committee consisting OF President
Bowlby, Secretary Daniels. j. c.
Trallinger, d. p. Thompson. L. NJ.
Hidden and III. L. Holmes. The
convention adjourned TO meet a,
Waila Walla in October next.
TRAIN robbers are becoming SO
plentiful in Italy rs to attract the
notice of the Government. They
are said to be under the control Of q
man who once lived in the United
States.