The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-06-25
TELEGRAPHIC.
THO HOUSES FICTION
On the Committees Report on the
River and Harbor Bill.


WASHINGTON. June 17.-In the house
to. day matters of great interest to Oregon
transpired. The river and harbor bl.l
came ia from the conference committee.
| An agreement had been reached on all
items except those for the Columbia river
boat railway and the Lake Washington
canal, near Seattle. Blanchard, chair
man, moved for another conference. and
that The house insists on Its disagreement
| to the two senate amendments. Hermann
was then recognized TO antagonize this
| latter motion, when he moved tBat the
house recede from its disagreement and
concur in the senate amendments. This
E.otlon took precedence, aud was fol-
lowed by motion for q divided vote on
the amendments. The time allowed
undtr the rules for debate was equally
divided between Hermann in support of
his motion, and Blanchard against it.
Mr Hermann occupied ell of bis lime in
au extended argument for the works of
Improvement to overcome the rapids of
the Columbia bet ween The Dalies aud
Ceiilo. He cited the lolg Struggle of
Eastern Oregon, Washington and Idaho
for an open river to the sea, and after |
describing the near approach TO compie
lion OF the works at the mouth of the |
Columbia and at the Cascades, he stated |
that the last remaining obstruction was |
that at The Dailes rapids. for which the |
amendment proposed an appropriation
for ii ship railway. He brit fly referred !
to the various engineering appliances
now used III Europe, by which boats
were lifted with their c0rgoes from the
water to elevated heights. He surprised
many In his statistics as to the immense
wheat and wool production OF the cOun
try tributary to the Columh hia, and
equally surprised them when he referred
to the high rates for rail- transportation,
which be attributed 10 t1e power OF
single monopoly to impose on traffic
when there was no waterway competitiuu:
A LIBELoUs PAMPHLET
He bitterly denounced the attempt Of
some unseen influence to prejuIice cou
gres5ional action upon tbi. project 10
upen the Columbia, and referred TO
l!beous panpbiet which was upon the
mem bers' desks, which attacked the boat
railway scheme, and assumes to say that !
OF authority denied that it
would prove success because of short
curves; the mountains of sand which | !
would deposit iu the deep cuts of the
'oad; the steep grades, at places two aud
,ne bali miles long; because the track ,
Will be ten tee; uuder water during tie q
prDg floods; because a hoat railway
;ouid not be constructed flor twice tie {
um estimated by the government en- 6
,sneers, ana because car could rot pass
round a two-degree curve. 70 confirm {
his, the pamphlet stated boat railway
u Nova Scotia wss located over curves
ess than those at the dalles, but all the
york had to be thrown away and a new
ocation on straight line selected. 1t z
vas such an argument as this which Mr.. {
hermann found carefully prepared and f
resented to each member of the house, Fl
nd it was this which aided the house 4
onferees to antagonize the senate Il
mendmeuts, and greatly embarrassed
Ir. Hermann In his effort to overcome
he evident opposition of the house to
ny ship-rallway project on the Co.
lmbia. q
BLANCHARD'S REPLY. Ii
Mr.. Blanchard, in replying to Mr.. Her {
lann, referred to the immense sums of o
loney which the present bill gave to ?,
regon, greater than to any state, and
ct Oregon had not the population OF d
,me eastern counties. The committee tt
ave Oregon one of the great contracts "
, finish the Cascade Locks, with large w
I'm which will about finish the mouth of :,
e river, and had agreed to the senate VI
for |
ortland, with a liberal appropriation to L !
le Willamette river. to Coos bay and to =
aquina, and be was amazed that now a.
le delegation should seek to load down ~ ~
e bill snll more by demanding another '. '.
-eat contract for the Columbia for a ship o
ilway. He referred to Mr.. Hermann as !"
,e of the most persistent and successful :.
embers of the committee, and one who .,
10 secured more than even he thought y,
as due to Oregon, In view of the greater ~
,mands OF other states. g
WASHINGTON AND IDAHO BENEFITED. l.,
Mr. Hermann denied that these sums ii
r the Columbia were all for the benefi. ia
Oregon. He insisted that these works | W
ere Washington aud Idaho's improve fiji
ents, as much as Oregon's. and that b.
dsulD8tOu WIS even more Interested ID
an Oregon in opening the Columbia re
YER. He added that the Columbia was h,
lie of the nations great highways, and ne
Improvement was not a local benefit su
any state any more than the Missis V
ppi jetties were local to Louisiana, or at
e Sault Ste Marie canal was local to nc
ichigan. The Columbia was a common as
gbway, along which the states of the in
icific northwest must find cheap trsns- iii
,rtation to the sea by boat. He remind an
the house that the defeat of the lei
nendment would not discourage BIN, NJ
# his constituents from continuing in be
cir demand for "a permanent improve tic
ent of the Columbia river above The IT
allies, and that In few years he expect kr
that congress would agree on a work sh
ere OF magnitude and character that be
,ud be enduring and capable of ac- ca
the great traffic of the to
ture, and for all sizes of boats. re-
an