Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-07-02
THE CORVALLIS GAZETTE,
TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1901.
The VISITING COMMITTEE.


In some quarters it seems to be
regarded as unfortunate that the
River and Harbor committee
did not visit Cello, and of no
practical benefit whatever that it
should be shown the beautiful
and productive farms of the Viii
lamette valley. This was the
view first taken by the Oregonian
and presumably by many Port
landers. Long accustomed to re-
gard Portland as the whole thing
in the politics, the commerce and
the development of the state, we
scarcely feel surprised if that city
and its BIZ daily are unwilling to
acknowledge, or at best, tardy to
concede the fact that they owe a
large measure of their growth and
greatness to the prosperity of the
farmers and other producers in
the Willamette valley.
The character and extent of
the distractions to navigation of
the Columbia river at Cello and
elsewhere, the obstacles in the
Willamette at Corvallis, Inde-
p,ndence, Rock Island and other
points are matters for as careful
and scientific examination by U.
S. Engineers who are qualified to
conduct such examination and to
make comprehensive report as to
the measures and expenditures
necessary to remove or overcome
them.
It is, however, of paramount
importance that the committee
should have intelligent concepe
ton of the large and varied in
terests which would be served by
the free and unobstructed naviga-
ton of these rivers. If the men,
bers of that committee could see
every farm, orchard, dairy, mill,
mine and forest in the state and
50 form fair estimate of the ma
ture and extent of Oregon's pro-
ducts and resources, they would
by that much be better qualified
for their official duties.
They will see the Willamette
valley the most densely populated
portion of the state. They will
learn that after supplying local
consumption it produces a large
surplus of grain, -four, hops, fruit
and other commodities for general
distribution, and for export, and
that the Willamette river is the
natural highway over which this
must pass to market. They will
see that the river is paralleled fol
the greater part of its navigable
distahce by two lines of railroad
practically owned and operated
by the same company, and that
consequently the river affords the
only competing line of transpor-
tation. They may then easily
conclude that to render the Will
lamette easy Of navigation for all
seasons of the year is a work of
vital importance, not only to the
people of the valley and the city
of Portland, but also rightfully
of national interest. So of the
Columbia river, which is the
natural route by which the pro-
ducts of the larger part of three
great states must reach the dis.
tributing point and port of ex-
port.
The improvement of these nat
ural highways of commerce is of
such transcendent importance to
the whole state that there is no
reason in jealousy by one locality
or section toward another con-
cerning them, and with the pos
sible exception of Astoria, the
GAZETTE believes no such feeling
exists. The better thought of
the Oregonian is manifested by
its publication of valuable statis-
teal matter and its editorial en-
phasis. of the commercial necessity
tor and national importance of
these Improvements of our water
ways.