The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-04-09
open RIVER MEANS LOWER FREIGHT RATES
Joseph n Teal Urges People Of Inland Empire to Stand Together
And Work For Improvement Of Columbia Boosts For
The Proposed htaurban Electric Road

landscape, until finally lost in the en-
brace Of the mighty Pacific.
The interior has not only done this,
but Portland has been equally remiss.
But the people here are awakening:
they are beginning to understand
what the rivers mean to them. They
have learned as you have learned that
Stephenson's aphorism in reference To
railroads is as true now as when first
announced, namely, that there will be
no competition when combination is
possible. There may be north bank
| roads and south bank roads. and
roads in the middle, but except on
special occasions and then only for
short times will there be any rate
wars" or real competition on the ba
sis of rates between rival roads. An
| other statement that has been worked
for all that it is worth by our railroad
friends is that the open river" will
only affect country Immediately ada
cent to it. Why? Because they assume
1t to be a fact that no one will ever
build to the river Of course the
river bed cannot be moved. but we can
go to it, and that is one thing, if 1 am
correctly advised. the people of the
Walla Walla valley propose to do. and
at once.
All the great transportation compa-
MES, indeed, all great enterprises. are
the results of the effort of aggrega-
lions of individuals and capital. Ev-
cry railroad depends for it's existence
on the industry and products of the
country through which it operates If
then, this aggregation of individuals
combine in their own interest and for
common purpose, and whose labors
and products are today furnishing the
basis on which other TRANSPORTATION
companies thrive, why shouldn't this
organization succeed. 1t can. 10y
atty and good management is all that
is required and one is as important as
the other.
Once the rivers are opened it will
not be long until you will see from
! many points shorter or longer roads
leading back into the interior. and
| then there will be a development
throughout your section that is now
but little dreamed of. In the open
ing of the river your attention should
not only be directed to the uppe,
stretch but to the mouth of the river
as well. 1t is all a part of our great
problem, and I can conceive of nc
greater advantage accruing to the In
land Empire than to have a numbe,
of great sea ports bidding for her pro-
ducts and her freight rates based or
water level haul to the sea. Ir
Portland we are now about complet-
ing an organization to place boats or
the upper Columbia and Snake Rivers
We have every reason to believe
Lewiston will join us in this enter
prise and we hope to have both Walla
Walla and Pendleton as partners also
| When we stop to think what united
| people could do if bound together by
common purpose and for the COM
| mon good. one is almost awed by the
| possibilities. know there will be dis
| appointments and trials. There will
| be failures as we'll as success.
We will have to meet great combi-
nations, brilliant minds, unrelenting
hostility secret foes, and false friends
and if any one is not prepared
for this kind of warfare, they better
| not enlist. 1t will create new condi-
| tons, will revolutionize transportation
| If we were in command of the situa-
| ton today and earning the money the
great systems in control of our trans
pOrtation are now earning what would
we not do to prevent such factor as
an "open river" being forced into it?
The people must therefore stand
| like rock for what is for their own
good. They must be loyal and must
see that their representatives every
where are believers in the faith. Then
| if we stand together we cannot fail,
for a united peoples will is law.
Respectfully,
J. N. TEAL.