The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-02-29
Times- -MEullntaitleer.
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY %, 1896.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

However commendable the action of
The Dalles Commercial Club and other
commercial bodies along the river
in urging upon our representatives in
congress the necessity of immediate
action being taken to secure an ap-
preparation for the completion of the
government works at the Cascades, it.
is certainly travesty- upon the
efficiency of Oregon's senators and rep
resentatives. The report of the chief
OF engineers, asking for an appropria-
tion to complete this work, was made
almost year ago. The report shows
that comparatively small appropria-
tion is required to protect from pos
sible destruction, a government work
that has already cost more than SO, ,0O0,-
600. 1t shows, further, that certain
work is necessary to be performed be-
fore the locks can be operated with
safety, and the product of hundreds OF
thousands of people can be transported
over the natural outlet from the Inland
Empire to market.
Our representatives in congress have
had almost years notice that an ap-
preparation would be necessary to COM
plete this great work. They have had
almost years notice that one of the
most expensive internal improvements
in the United States was subject TO
serious damage and possible destruc-
ton, by high water, that is liable to
come any season, for want of few
hundred thousand dollars to protect it.
They have had almost years notice
that the key which was to unlock the
great waterway OF the northwest would
remain In the pockets of the govern
ment engineers indefinitely, unless an
appropriation for completing the walls
between the first and second locks
were available.
With all this notice, with all this
time to reflect, what have our re-
presentatives in congress been doing,
that it should be necessary to call their
attention to their duty by memorial?
Have Senator Mitchell and Repre-
sentatives Ellis and Hermann been so
busy in their efforts to debase our cur
rency that they have had no time to
devote to the needs of this great in
ternal improvement? Or have they
been so busily engaged in putting up
their political fences-securing their
re-election-by endeavoring to squan-
der the nations wealth on postoffice
buildings throughout the state, and
yilify Secretary Morton for not furnish
ing seeds, at government expense, for
them to "compliment" their country
constituency with that they have had no
time to devote to the needs OF this great
improvement that is intended to place
the people OF the Inland Empire within
reach of the markets of the world?
The action of the Commercial Club
is, indeed, commendable, it is timely.
>Whe-our- r-representativss in -congress
neglect to attend to the business for
which they were elected, it is right to
memorialize them to awake from their
lethargy and do something more than
to exert theirsenergies to retain their
seats in congress. But since these
gentlemen, are making such
grand success at missrepresenting the
interests of the great state of Oregon
in congress, is it not time that we be-
gin casting about for more efficient
servants, men who will give more
strict attention to the needs of their
constituents than do Messrs. Mitchell,
Hermann and Ellis? Men who neglect
their duty until they are memorialized
to perform it, have no claim upon pub
lie patronage; and since our represen-
tatives have thus proven themselves
recreant to their trusts, it Is time that
a change be made, and these
gentlemen supplanted by others who
will more closely consider the interests
Of their constituents.