Lewiston inter-state news. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1905-1906, 1905-05-05
PORTLAND HAS But TO ACT
TO CONTROL TRADE IN INTERIOR
E. II. Libby Gives Splendid Interview to Portland
Oregonian Relative to Resources of Lew.
iston.Clarkston and Interior Country

Portland May 4.-The Oregonian
says:
"A transportation line $40 miles in
length from the naturally richest pro-
ducing territory in America to the sea-
port of Portland. That is the purpose
of the movement which is so intensely
interesting all the people in that ter
ritory from Lewiston Charleston to the
Bitter Root mountains, with voluntary
aid offered from Walla Walla Pendle-
ton and Wallowa counties. A trans
portation line 40 miles long, at a cost
of 40 miles of railroad. plus $4,000
for steamboats,. That is the problem"
said f. H. Libby, of Lewiston. chair
man of the board of>trustees which has
organized the momement. who. with
committee, has been discussing ways
and means with Portland business men
and associations. Asked for state
ment setting forth Portlands interest
in the enterprise. Mr.. Libby said:
Portland cannot avoid greatness If
she will live up to her opportunity. The
glory of Veince was founded on the
wealth gained by the enterprise of her
merchants. England's dominions were
conquered by commerce. Scoff as we
may at trade from the imaginary pin
nacles of science. art and literature,
yet the basic fact remains that COM
munities. of cities. The means. the
! highways of modern trade, are rail-
| roads and waterways. For a time the
railroads seemed to be crOwding the
| waterways out of use. but in recent
! years rivers and canals the world over
have been regaining their natural, log
I ical position as the economical ave-
nues for traffic. The river valleys. the
great basins. are the necessary. natu-
raj territory of the commercial cities,
simply because it is cheaper to haul
freight down Hill than over hills and
mountains.
Portland's Territory.
Portland has already achieved a
proud position, through the energy, en-
, terprise and judgment of her mer-
chants. Her natural territory for COM
merce is the whole Columbia river ba
sin. Yet some OF her broad minded
men still mentally limit the horizon OF
their effort to the political borders OF
Oregon. The Valley of the Willamette
is hers through the means of rail and
water transportation. a little fringe
of the Columbia valley is hers onl!
, because the o. r. & \. CO.'S lines car
deliver their freight nowhere else. Th'
great basin of the Columbia is natural
ly. reasonably tributary to Portland
All grades of territory second il
America only to the Mississippi vale,
lead down hill to Portland (the por
Of the land. in truth. This great val
lev is as much oPrtland territory al
its lesser branch, the Willamette.
How to. Achieve Dominion.
, ITO make it such i'm fact to maxi
Portland the real metropolis. the actua
, seaport. the imperial city of this splen
did empire of the Columbia river ba sill
requires only the use of the Snake ant
Columbia river transportation
routes with railroad feeders from tn
producing plateau to the riversides
Some say that Spokane and Lewiston
walla Walla and Pendleton. will b
more benefited than Portland by sue
cess of this movement AS well sa
that ST. Louis. Kansas City. Omaha ar
more benefited than is New Orlean
by the freedom Of the Mississippi wa
terway. Others say that the railroad
would still haul wheat over the Cas-
cade mountains. in spite of water rout
freight rates to a nearer port. Doe
Mobile grow at the expense of Ne,
Orleans? Can Boston or Baltimore off
set in any way New York's positio
of advantage as the outlet of the Hud
son river and Erie canal? Folly! Th
only result that could accrue from tn
regulation of Columbia basin freigf
to water route basis would be tn
building of the Northern Pacific an
Great Northern down the Columbi;
i'm order to save their traffic. Rates O
: wheat today from the fields to the por
of Portland are about nine times great
er per ton per mile than along I'll
: Mississippi and only because of tn
cost of lifting some of it over tn
Cascade mountains. Free the river
to traffic, and the resulting rates wi
compel the railroads to use the watS
grade route.
River Improvement.
e Completion Of the portage roa