Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-01-05
A RoUsING MEETING.
Citizens League Hears Addresses
On Important Matters.

meeting of the Citizens League
Tuesday evening, at which time
three subjects of much impor-
tance to Corvallis and Benton
county were discussed.
The first was the subject of
fall locks and an open river from
Portland to Corvallis, and Mr..
Westbrook, general freight and
passenger agent for the 0. c. T.
Co. was present TO lay the matter
before the League. Mr.. West
brook gave highly interesting
talk, which was of much value,
abounding in general information
on this very important theme.
The speaker brought to mind
that on every ten of freight
brought to this section the peorle
are paving so cents, not only
paying this amount of tax to the
locks people but also to the rail-
roads on the same account. 1t is
estimated that on the amount of
business that passed the locks
last year, the people of the Will
lamette Valley paid over $780, :
900. Figuring from this basis, it
would therefore appear that even
if the government could secure
the locks for 5000, 900 it would
be cheap investment, as in six
years the people will have paid
out that amount in taxation and
still not own the locks. The
speaker reasoned that new locks
might be built on the opposite
side of the river for perhaps
5000, 900, and that therefore
greater amount should not be
paid for the old locks than would
build new.
$ AS to the open river, the
speaker said that the government
last year spent from $4,000 to
$7,oo on dredging and other
work, between Portland and
Salem and as result, boats
were run daily between those
points the entire year. 1t was
said that the worst part of the
river lay between Portland and
Salem, and for at least one-third
less than the amount spent there,
the river could be cleared and
kept open the year around from
Salem to Corvallis. The princi-
pal source of trouble, Mr.. West
brook said, was snags, logs, and
bars, the latter being small is
lands in the stream that divide
the current. Could these be
overcome and the current divert
ed into one channel, that a
depth of three or four feet might
be obtained the desired result
could be had. The river, it was
stated, was natures highway and
had always dictated freight rates.
Not until daily boat service
was inaugurated by the river
companies, was a daily freight
service put on for Corvallis by
the railroads.
1t is estimated that on every
four sacks of -four landed in Cor
Wallis from Portland, the Valley
people pay S cents to the locks
people in tax. While this amount
seems insignificant, taken by the
year on the innumerable COM
modities that are shipped, it
amounts to no small sum.
Mr.. Westbrook urged the
League to be earnest and per-
sistant in their efforts, to keep
before their congressman petit
tions and resolutions bearing on
this subject, and he believed that
their demands would finally be
granted. At the conclusion of
his address, a committee was ap-
pointed to draft resolutions to
send to Oregon's congressman at
Washington.
The matter of an electric
railroad from Bellefouutaiu to
Corvallis was ably presented to
the League by Frank Bennett,
of the former place. SPEECHES
were also made by E. T.. Bel
knap and Mr.. Williams. This
road is to tap the Lake Greek
district in Lane county, where
timber tracts, embracing millions
of feet, are to be secured. 1t is
proposed to build this road with
the assistance of Corvallis busi-
ness men and outside capital.