Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1903-12-03
1t Will Take Twenty
Years TO Build
the Canal
Road viii Save Ten Times
It's Cost Before the
Canal Can Be Fin
iShed

1870
ture there will be no effort made to
repeal the portage railroad bill. The
somewhat startling announcement
has been made by the author Of the
measure that developments subse
quent to its enactment last winter
have brought about conditions which
obviate the necessity OF carrying the
design Of the bill in o practical effect.
In other words thai by reason Of the
conclusions reached by the war de
partment. racomm ading the con
strution u the Cello canal. the pur.
pose Of this legislature has been am.
ply served.
II is extremely doubtful IL citizens
OF Oregon generally viii ,ake this
view OF the matter. As a matter OF
course. it is acknowledged that the
object to be attained 10y the con.
struction Of the portage road was Of
temporary value, but at the same
time that value was considerable &c
the state at large. and a careful con.
s~ideratien Of the subject. even in the
light Of the recent action Of the war
department. will fail 70 disclose any
newly arisen condition which. by any
logical conclusion, has lessened t.
The purpose Of constructing thiI
state road about the falls Of the Up.
per Columbia was TO afford immdi.
ate competition between rail and
water transportation. which would be
put on a permanent basis as soon as
the proposed canal was completed.
At the time Of the passage Of the bill,
IL was presumed. on the basis Of a
careful and intelligent estimate OF
thu time required for the building Of
the canal. that il would be at least
six years before the work was finish.
ed. and the canal ready for use. More
conservative estimates placed the
time from 10 TO - years. The por.
tage road was TO suffice as a trans.
p~orta;ion rate reducer in the interim.
What has happened since 10 i'm.
peach the ~soundness Of these conclu
sions? The mere fact that the fed
eral government stands ready to
build the canal as soon as rights OF
way can be obtained by the state
surely is not 10 be taken as a war
rant that this important Bit Of river
Improvement will be completed with.
In a shorter time that was supposed
Il is well known that the competing
railroad line controls the greater por.
ton OF the easements TO be acquired.
and a. a matter OF business policy il
is o 10 be expected that this corpo.
ration will relinQuish rights which
eventually viii result in -lessening
It's revenue one than ii is Obliged
to do. The possible delay on this
score, which probably will be ended
al the end OF condemnation proceed.
ings, that may extend over a perioI
OF two or three years and perhaps
longer. Then comes the construction
OF the canal and who shall say in
consideration Of the time required for
the construction OF the locks at tho
Cascade, how much time will be con
sumed before the work Is completed?
Twelve years Of even Is years. may
not be beyond the limit
Il is a~scertained that with the. ex-
penditure Of sls5, 900. in eight months
the portage road can be ready for
business II this assertion is any
where neal eorrect-if the road as a
mater OF fact can be constructed at
the cost specified within one year
the producers on the Upper Colum
bia viii have accomplished a vast
prospective saving which in 10 OF Is
years win pay for the cost Of this
road many times over. Il viii be
dimcult 20 convince these people that
II there vas no reason for the pas
sage Of his bin last winter there Is
not every whit as urgent reason
lis ranaar az rha u-.eanr tine