Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1886-01-21
NAVIGATION THE COLUMBIA

NAVIGATION OF THE COLUMBIA.
The San Francisco Bulletin, of Jan.
9TH, has the following
: There is good prospect of the open,
ing OF the Columbia river to the passage
ut ships from tide water to the rich agri.
cultural region of the inland empire
The government has for SOME years been
tardlly pushing the construction Of the
canal and locks at the Cascades and their
early completion will be urged upon
congress during this session. Nc'hlng
has yet been done by the government
toward overcoming the obstruction to
navigation at The DAlles, but private
enterprise is now coming forward with
plans to that end. Recently a company
OF Oregon and Washington territory cap.
itaists has been organised for the pur-
pose o! building ship railway around
The Dalles, with capacity for the tran.
portation Of the large river craft. Sur.
veys have already been made, maps and
estimates have been prepared, and other
preliminaries arranged. Thi. movement
has induced the Oregon Railway & Navl-
CATION company to set up claim to right
of way for Il similar project relating back
to surveys made years ago by the Ore
gon Steam Navigation company. Be-
sides these rival schemes, party is now
in the field surveying route for ship
railway around The Dalles for company
concerning which little seems to be
known yet, although it is said to number
d. .. Mills among its members. There
are thus three strong organizations con
tending for the business of hauling load
cd vessels around this obs acle to the navi-
cation of the Columbia, with the view of
getting the road into operation by the
time the Cascade canal is completed.
The high rates prevailing on shipments
to aud from the inland empire seem to
hold out to capitalists the hope Of good
profits in entering up,n a moderate com
petition. The object OF the Oregon
Railway 4 Navigation company in ad-
vancing a claim to right of way is, OF
course, to tighten its grip upon the coun-
Try by occupying all avenues Of ingress
lnd egress. Ii will be the province Of
he people OF Oregon and Washington,
through their representatives, to see to it
hat their comm unications are opened.
The navigation of the river should be
Kept apart from the railroad system OF
he northwest 1t is the natural regula.
Or Of that system, and should BIZ main
aimed in a condition to fulfill its proper
functions. The construction of the rail
'oad by either Of the other organizations
would open freight competition, unless
/ resort to pooling should be invoked,
which would be very likely result.
legislative regulations might be effective
o maintain low tolls, but, at tn. best,
he opening OF the river by private enter.
rise can only be regarded as make.
hitt in the absence Of government action.
Dur great water highways should be free
rom the grasp OF individual or corporate
'ower. Thanking The Dalles, either by
anal or railway, i. as properly the work
f the government as blasting out lodges
r dredging out sandbars in the bed Of :
he stream. In default OF the necessary
eyislation, the dwellers in the Columbia
asin will welcome corporate competition
$ the next best solution of the trans
'ortation problem.