The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1890-12-16
STATE OFFICIALS
SYMPATHETIC PORTLAND.

- Il III run LIN H.
The Oregonian in speaking of the Col
umbia river, recently says;
"The rivers are free to local enterprise.
No right of way is necessary in order to
use their channels i'll the interests of
commerce. The method heretofore pur
sued has been to growl ut and pile up
complaints against the transportation
companies for lack of adequate facilities
for conducting the traffic of the Inland
Empire; for cXhorbitant freight and
passenger charges and for several mat
tentions to the peoples interests. Years
of these complaints have failed, for obvi-
Gus reasons, to bring relief. If the people
who have lodged them can do better for
themselves than the existing transpor
tation companies can do for them the
river is theirs, let them show determi-
nation to use it. If they will not do this,
it is clear that to continue in the old line
of querulous fault-tinding is but waste
of time and energy. Prudence must
suggest to them the wisdom of striving
to possess their souls in patience while
they tell to the child on the knee, tales
of the wonderful prosperity that will be
the inheritance of those who live to see
the canal and locks at the Cascades COM
pleted."
This is fair statement of the case, a
frank admission as to Portlands' inter-
est heretofore in the matter. 1t is
brutally frank, cruelty true. We are
told that the river is free, and that we
can take advantage of it, or let it alone,
as it suits our will. Were the river open
it would be possible for us to make the
best of the invitation, but as it is the
cost of transferring low priced freight at
the Cascades precludes our utilizing the
far from cheerful advice. Josh Billings
said that castor oil and advice, were
better to give than to receive, and the
above sample is no exception. 1t may
be, and no doubt is true, that we of East
ern Oregon have not shown proper
energy and determination in our efforts
to take advantage of the Columbia as a
means of transportation. 1t may be and
perhaps is true, that with proper energy,
unity and determination, the people of
Eastern Oregon could themselves have
constructed unaided the locks at the
Cascades; and it is further true, that
had this been done years ago, the saving
in freight rates on grain alone, would
have completed the locks long since.
We admit this, but we add that it is
equally true that Eastern Oregon paid
her proportion OF taxes to construct the
: locks at Oregon City, and give the Will
annette valley an open river and cheap
transportation to Portland 1tis equally
true that the members of the last legisla-
ture from the Willamette valley voted
against a beggarly $50, ,OOa appropriation
for constructing and equipping half
mile of railroad at the Cascades, which
would have afforded us relief until the
locks were completed, and would no
doubt have accelerated the work there.
We have no kick at the Union Pacific
management. Whatever their sins of
omission may have been, they are
doing their best now, but that best is
not enough. The trade of the Inland
Empire has grown beyond their capacity
to handle, no matter what thier motive
OF road equipment may be. Our products
must find market, andif that market
is to be Portland the river must be util-
lied. Portland is interested in the solu
tion of this problem as much as the pro-
ducers, and in will find to its cost that
the Oregonian's advice may yet be fol-
lowed, and the Columbia from Cello to
Pasco be used by the producers to send
their products to the Sound. That por-
ton of the river is ''free to local enter
prise"