The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-10-26
TWO FAVORABLE REPLIES.
Representatives Hofer of Ma
rion, and Daily of Lincoln-Ben-
ton, Favor the GaZette's
Wagon Road Plan.

ital Journal, who is now on a six.weeks
| campaign tour in North Dakota and Iowa,
the GAZETTE has the following interesting
| letter which is self-explanatory:
B. W. Johnson, Editor GAZETTE, Corvallis,
Oregon:
DEAR SIR:-In reply to yours of Sep.
25th, will say that both as a member of the
| legislature, and with our newspaper, to the
full extent of our limited abilities, L shall
heartily support your plan of extending by
wagon road the Oregon Pacific railroad
through Minto's Pass, or any other availa-
BILE route, into Eastern Oregon. we'll
built thoroughfare, connected by rail across
the Willamette valley, would pour out
through Yaqulna Bay thousands of tons of
products and take back countless tons of
merchandise and products of this valley.
There are many reasons why a wagon
road extension is the only practical means
of forming connection between Eastern
and Western Oregon at present. By their
corrupt Encouragement, railroad managers
have made it impossible to enlist capital,
l
extensions, and if there were no other rea.
sons we need not look for dollar to be
invested in railroads in Oregon or any other
state for years to come. But the pool of
foreign corporations entering Oregon has
undoubtedly since years enforced decree
that no extensions nor new lines shall be
built in Oregon, and any line that was built
would be at their mercy for traffic arrange.
ments
A wagon. road extension is peculiarly ap-
| propriate in view of the fact that it is only
by wagon roads that people living off the
| Oregon Pacific are now able to take advan-
tage of its low sea-going and local freight
| rates, and are hauling heavy freight to and
from it between Eugene, Independence and
Corvallis, and many other. points The
| local rates put in force by our railroad COM
mission to throttle traffic over the Oregon
Pacific and to prevent shipments into this
valley in any other manner than over the
Southern Pacific railroad, undoubtedly re-
fleets the attitude of the millionaire mana
gers in California and their satraps in Ore
gon who have no more interest in Oregon
than though they were European landlords
taxing tenantry.
The 800, 600 appropriation now spent on
our worse than worthless railroad commits
sion could be far better invested opening a
wagon road to Eastern Oregon. If the people
had the full service of the rervants they pay
SO we'll to look after their interests, but who
look after other interests with a devotion
that is appalling when we consider the
theory of our government, perhaps they
might hope to have the use of the railways
as common carriers to help them render
their industry profitable and The develop
ment of the state possible. With the
cooperation of the railroad commission, the
state government, the courts, and the enter
prise of the people, there is no reason why
the proposed extension of the Oregon Pacific
is not feasible.
OF course, there would be: all sorts of
propositions to build other wagon roads in
other parts. of the state to connect with
other railroads. These propositions would
be encouraged by the corporations of the
state to kill this laudable scheme. If the
Oregon Pacific is not sold for good price at
the next sale, it should be bid in by the
state for the taxes that are past due and
delinquent, just as any other citizens prop
erty would be under similar circumstances.
Not until the state acquired possession of
the property, or through its courts and state
f,,1l Of
which it is its duty to do under the laws at
present IN force, could it properly spend
dollar on it.
There will be many objections to your
proposed plan. Little minds will ridicule
it and many technicalities will be raised
in opposition. We have come to that pass
in our state government where 1T seems as
though our constitution afforded no protec-
tion against spoliatiou of the taxpayer ana
no obstacle to the schemes Of the boodler;
at the same time it is a bnlwark from behind.
which the corporation lawyers are able to
throttle almost any effort of the people to
relieve themselves of burdens that are crush
ing the life out of them. Do not be fright
ened from your course by this latter class of
constitutionalists. The people have come to
"a point where they must shut down on all
propositions involving partnerships with
corporations controlling the transportation
of their persons and products. Mr.. Receiver
Cark's success in managing the Oregon
Pacific as business enterprise and upon
business principles, under orders of the state
court, shows what can be done with rail
road when there is honest application OF its
receipts to the actual expenses OF operation.
With the wagon-road connection you pro-
pose and such management of the railroad
continues as it has had under Mr. Clark, |
the Oregon Pacific would soon be made to
pay dividends on the capital invested, and |
become profitable, valuable and desirable
piece of property.
Very truly yours,
E. HoFER.
Many excellent reasons for the approprl-