The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-06-23
THAT CANAL SCHEME.
DistinctIvely a Seattle Job---The -NIys-
teries OF Politics.
From the Spokane Review.

teries OF Politics.
From the Spokane Review
1t is hoped that the house conferees
on the river and harbor bill will remain
firm in their opposition to the lakes
Washington and Union ship canal
scheme. The estimated cost of this i'm
provement is from 50 ,000, 900 to 81, ,500,-
600. governed largely by the choice of
two proposed routes. If. the work is
undertaken the interests OF the rest of
the state must languish, Every dollar
wheedled out of congress for this local
job will be taken away from the vastly
more important Improvements of pub
lie nature. and the interest taken in it
by the Washington senators detracts
just that much from their efforts to
bring about the opening of the Columbia
river. That Senator Squire should work
for this deal is not matter of surprise.
He is from Seattle, and this is distinct
ively Seattle job, but that Senator
Allen should give it his support, when
his colleague is doing little or nothing
for the Columbia river, is one of the
mysteries of politics beyond the compre-
hension of ordinary mortals. For years
we have heard the contention that the
harbor in front of Seattle is the finest in
the world; that it has anchorage and
scope enough for the combined navies OF
the universe, and that the ravages of the
teredo were too trifling to be considered.
And SO it is with surprise that we read
in Senator Squires statement before the
senate committee ON commerce that all
this has been error; that the harboI
there is exceedingly restricted, and that
the demands of the commerce of the
state require the immediate construction
of artificial harborage.
The senator might have spared him
self the pains he has taken to speak fo1
the producers of the Inland Empire
The people of the grain and mineral Sec
tions don't want canal dug from Sal
mon bay to the lakes inqusstion. They
are convinced that Puget sound affords
enough harborage for all denoands that
may be made within the next thousand
years, and if fresh water harborage is
such great advantage as the senator
now considers II, the commerce of the
interior can find plenty of it, not only in
the Columbia river, but at different
points along Puget sound. The people
of the interior demand that the Colum-
| bia river be open to navigation. YOU
might dig canals on Puget sound until
/ the crack of doom, and the work done
would not carry bushel of additional
wheat to the market would not afford
| the producer even trace of competitive
transportation They would still remain
at the mercy of the railroads. The truth
is that canal or no canal, fresh water Oh
no water, ships will come to these shores
in proportion to the tonnage afforded by
producers of the state. Without this
tonnage they can not be lured here by ar
tificial berths, The supply will equa
the demand, and tonnage is what consti
tutes the demand and what will always
constitute it. The canal is purely loca
job. Outside of Seattle it has no advo-
Gates, either east or west of the noun
tains. The Review farors liberal i'm
provernents for rivers and harbors, bu
it views with indignation deals OF thi
4 transparent nature, and resents unwar
rapted pleas made in the name of peo
j pie who are up in arms against the job.
Ladies' Purse Lost
A ladies purse, containing a five dolla
! gold piece about four dollars in silver