The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-10-24
THE ENerNBER's WERE HERE.
The Special Board Appointed by Con-
gress to Look Over the Inland
Empire.

Empire.
The board of engineers to examine the
obstruction at the dalles, and decide
whether the Inland Empire is a region
worth saving or not, arrived here Satur-
day evening by steamer Regulator, and
proceeded to the dalles yesterday, by
special train, returning last evening.
Those present were: Col. G.. H. Men
dell, Col. w. R. King, Col. G. r. Suter,
Mai. J. G. Allen, Gen. E. p. Alexander,
Capt. T. w. Symons, 1t. Henry Taylor,
V. q. Bogue, and W. r. Hutton. II
Col. Mendell is well known here, as is
also some of the other gentlemen. He
was chief of the European commission,
appointed to inquire into the practical
Bility of the boat railway plan, and
made a very elaborate report on the
Subject. He is also the chief of the
present commission. The day has been
taken up here in making inquiries, and
several Dalles city gentlemen have called
upon the commission and altogether
they left The Dalles on the noon train
as well posted perhaps as it were posi-
BILE to be in the short time at hand.
No interviews for publication today
we're to be had. That portion of the
work must come through the regular
channels. One member of the commits
sion, however, volunteered to say to
THE CHRONICLE representative, that
before leaving the east he had been in
formed that this Inland Empire of the
fir oil
that we were not producing anything this
year, and he was gratifed to see the
evidence of contrary fact, in our more
than doubled productions, and that we
might rest assured that the truth would
be embodied in their reports. On the
noon train they proceeded to Walla
Walla. They will then travel to differ
ent points in the Inland Empire, and
form an opinion as to the necessity
which exists for the improvement of the
river. Lieut.. E. j. Burr, formerly in
charge of the works at the Cascade
locks, is the secretary of the board. He
arrived yesterday, having been delayed
b5 strike on the Santa Fe railway.
1T is not difficult to draw the conclu-
&ion as to the necessity of the improve
ment, and it is not easy to see how they
can come to any other agreement than
that the commerce of the Inland Empire
demands its speedy construction. If
they should report adversely it would be
questioned Immediately as to what were
their motives, as no resident of the In
land Empire has been SO bold as to ever
claim that the Columbia river should
not be opened in every way possible to
the advantage of commerce.
Not only is the present but the future
to be considered. The growth of the
Inland Empire has been exceedingly
rapid during the last five years, and the
record of the next five will be more re-
markable. A suitable sum has been ap-
Propriated by the government, SO that
even the minutest particulars can be
studied, and a perfectly reasonable state
ment of conditions, needs and cost, can
be made for the consideration of the
next congress.
These gentlemen are supposed to be
eminently qualified to reach just con-
clusion, and the Pacific northwest will
closely watch their movements and anx-
xiously await their recommendations
The Columbia is great waterway, and
1T drains an immense country. The
Mississippi alone equals it in CONNER
cial Importance of rivers within the
boundaries of the United States. While
complaints are made by envious and less
important sections of the land than the
country tributary to the Columbia, an
impartial consideration of absolute needs
would convince any unprejudiced mind
that the appropriations already made
were justified, and that further large ex-
pense is entirely warranted.