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

Fourth-The assurance of cheap water
rates would result in the immediate
settlement and improvement of millions
of acres of land in Eastern Oregon and
Washington, the trade of which would
be assured to Portland.
Fifth-Such system being operated
without any of the burdensome alliances
or great corporate expenses of its most
formidable competitors would be able to
withstand any opposition, and at the
same time give to producers of the In
land Empire the benefits of permanent
cheap water transportation.
Sixth-For the purpose of securing
carrying trade other than local, arrange
ments might be made with the Great
Northern and other roads approaching
points on the Upper Columbia for the
shipment of through freights to and
from San Francisco.
SEVENTH pro rata law such as is in
force in the other states, might be
adopted by the oregon and Washington
legislatures, compelling rival roads to
receive and deliver freights at water con-
nections and forward the same for
reasonable amount of the whole haul,
thus giving to all sections of Eastern
Oregon and Washington the benefits of
water transportation.
Eighth-Such a system being operated
by Oregon and Washington capital for
the sole purpose of earning legitimate
interest ON the money actually invested,
would be able to defeat any possible
railroad combinations detrimental to
either the producing or industrial inter-
est of Oregon or Washington.
i Ninth-Such an enterprise would give
cheaper lumber and coal, and better
prices for grain and wool to Eastern
Oregon, and valuable local market to
Portland.
Tenth-For the purpose of aiding the
agricultural interests of the state arrange
; ments could be made for the erection of
; grain warehouses on the Columbia where
grain could be stored and advances made
upon the same until such time as favor
i able foreign shipments were offered.
COST OF SUCH AN ENTERPRISE.
Ship railway, Cello, est. u 6. engineers 100000
Completion of locks at Cascades. 10000
Two steamships (san francisco servicel 10000
3 Grain elevators, warehouses, etc. 100000
Incidental floating bonds, etc. ......... 100000
100000
In summing up the probable cost of
such system, 1 have allowed s., ,O0O, 900
for the purchase of the Hunt system,
but as he might not be disposed to sell
at that or any other figure, and as the
same results could be had through q
traffic agreement with him, that item
might be stricken out. The estimated
cost of ship railway at Cello is 81 ,250,-
600. This is work that ought to be
g undertaken by the general government
but for the purpose of giving the country
7 the benefits of a speedy completion of
the same, it might be constructed by a
. private corporation and allow the gov
ernment the right of purchase as soon as
its feasibility and value to commerce
was determined. And the same might
!. be said with reference to the Cascade
+. locks. Thus the actual cost of an open
4 river with an ample river and railway
, service attached would be about 50 900, :
600, a very insignificant sum when the
: benefits to the country are considered, /,
4 AS Portland has already expressed a
willingness to invest -, 200 1000, in the
4 Hunt railroad, Ga minority interest too)
for the sole purpose of securing indepen-
dent connections with the ..Inland EN-
. pire,' l see no reason why it cannot take
6 this matter up single-handed, and con-
\ duct a profitable transportation system
+ just as well as Henry Willard, Elijah
Smith or aoUhoJ1, a1ca %,
OF the sum necessary to carry out
such an undertaking, not more than
, twenty per cent. of the capital stock need
be paid, the balance being obtainable
through the sale of bonds to run from
twenty to fifty years. To prove that
steamboating is not as improbable as
y he Oregon Railway tc Navigation COM
q pany would have us believe, it is only
necessary for us to refer to the career of
Captain U. b. Scott. When it is consid-
cred that Portland's wealth and COM
mercial prestige, has made the fornla-
, ton of such companies possible, as the
t Oregon Railway & Navigation Capital
, SAC, 900, ,OO0), Oregon & Transcontinental
($40, ,000, ,000), and Oregon Improvement
+ Company ($15, 1000, ,O90), see no reason
why perfectly feasible transportation
company backed by business interests of
Portland and CARRYING with If an aSsr,r