The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1893-01-03
THE PORT OF COLUMBIA:

What seems to be new scheme of
Portland to defeat an open Columbia
river, has been mapped out by the Ore
gonian as plan for an open river; but
it will not become popular plan by any
means. Perhaps we should call it by
the name given to it by the Oregonian,
scheme" 1t says:
A new scheme is on foot to secure the
opening of the Upper Columbia to navi-
cation. 1t is proposed to apply to the
legislature to create a commission hay
ing the same powers in regard to re-
moving the Instructions at the dalles as
the Port of Portland commission has in
regard to improving the Lower Colum-
bia and Willamette rivers. The dis
trict it is proposed to tax for the i'm
provement is to include all the counties
along the upper river, and probably
those also which will be directly bene-
fited by the river being opened. The
scheme is not matured yet, but the
above will give an idea of what is pro-
posed. The citizens of the counties to
be included in the district to be taxed
would probably take more kindly to the
scheme if it were so arranged that the
city of Portland should stand the cost of
the improvement, and doubtless an
arrangement if the plan is ever carried
into effect.
The last clause in the above paragraph
should be read over again. ''The citi-
zens of the counties to be included in
the district to be taxed,' as well as the
citizens of all Oregon; have long ago re-
allied that there is nothing to be ex-
pected from Portland, unless Portland
gets the lion share from the investment; !;
and further, that Portland has never
taken kindly to any scheme except
the Oregon Transcontinental scheme.
That was bitter experience. 1t cost
Portland from $4,000, 900 to 5000 900
f'out of pocket" blind pool as it were,
to help railways and nothing else. No,
the Inland Empire has learned to ex-
pect nothing from Portland in the shape
of influence or anything else, to assist
in opening up the Columbia river to free
navigation from its source to the sea-
In the above paragraph the big daily in
Inmates plainly that Portland is not
built in a way to lend its aid toward the
development of the water routes of the
interior. ''The scheme is not matured
yet says our Big Brother, and we
would suggest that tax paving citizens
will not "take kindly to the scheme
under any circumstances with Portland
left out. We have had taste of that
before, and often; Portland was to take
the cargoes of Inland Empire products
from the foot of the state portage rail-
way at Cascade Locks in 1912, after
The Dalles people taxed themselves to
put the freight on to the portage railway
from this city. Did she do it? No and
The Dalles people were compelled to
make another assessment upon them
selves and complete the line. The
Oregonian means what it says. Portland
believes in the railways-ignores the
river-don't want it improved; thinking
that the railways will center business in
the consolidated city for the benefit Of
Portland exclusively. The people of thi:
great Columbia basin want to see the
river opened, for cheaper rates of freight
We understand that Senator Willis, o
Multnomah county, has plan which
may be formulated and carried out sue
cesSfullY