Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-01-05
The Express Co.'S Fight.

~ showing tie thorough kind OF
work capital always cnii>te III sway
ing public opinion to do it, bidding,
W note that the express companies
are row sending out "patcnt cditorI-
al to the country press, detailing the
many evils which they allr,c will L.
salt from an act now under cOnsidcra-
tlpn. amending the postal service - a>
to allow parcels to he carried by mail.
Tic main objection urged against the
project j., that it Will interfere with
the business of the local merchants
and tradesmcn, all over the country,
but it does not see, or ii it does see
does not state, any OF the benefits the
people will derive from cheapenlng
many OF the necessities OF life. 1t is
not expected. however, that the eX.
press companies will look on that side
OF the question. They are only
straining their nerves to maintain an
cxtortlonate monopoly which has held
the people by the throat so long,
Then rs to the loss they say will re-
suit to the country merchants: it is
more imaginary than real. 1t was
thought that the use OF machinery
would result in great loss to labor,
but it has been found that soon
q. labor adjusts itself to new-found
conditions, nobody is injured, and an
increased demand invariably results
from cheapening OF any commodity by
lcssening the cost Of production.
The proposal to bring the postal
service to the aid of the wage-earner,
and relieve him at times OF oppression,
is Il long step in progress with which
to begin the new century. That it
presents so many commendable fea-
lures, and the strong probability that
it will be favorably acted upon by
Congress, has led to the most bitter
and relentless warfare OF the lobby
that is always at the call OF corporate
greed, and among the first devices to
lull to sleep the spirit of cXhileratiOn
with which the project has been re-
ceivcd, is to furnish ready-made edi.
torials to the way-side newspapers who
are sometimes glad to find anything to
fill gaping columns which await in
vain the evolution of originality from
its brain-box.
The best thing the people can do,
for their own good, is to write their
delegation to support the bill which
is designed to facilitate the transmits
sion of parcels by post.
A GRAND WORK CoMPLETED.-Chi.
cage opened her great drainage canal
Wednesday, and although it cost $685.
100000 and was seven years under
construction, no popular furry was
made over the event. This was pro-
badly rs much owing to the fact that
the water was turned on gradually,
scarcely more than tiny stream at
first trickling through the abutment
OF earth, which was gradually increased
to rivulet, after the water had backed
up against the sluice gates. The
canal is % miles long, takes water
from the Chicago river and empties it
into the Desplaines at Lockport. 1t
is estimated that about four days will
be consumed in filling the big trench.
The primary object OF the improve
ment is to provide adequate drainage
for the big city, bat it was built large
enough so that in the course of time
it may be used for 4 ship canal, form
ing connecting link between the
Mississippi tributaries and Lake Mich
igan, by which water craft from the
Gulf of Mexico may penetrate the
center of the continent. If the OBJ
ject had been simply to afford sewer.
age the conduit could have been bull,
for one-third the expense, but as the
city has been so lavish in constructing
an improvement beyond their present
necessity, there is but little doubt the
general government will respond by
liberal appropriations for an object O
such grand Importance.
On, CONSISTENCY If we be permit