Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-09-07

share in the good things that sur
round him on every side.
Mayor Waters on Electric Roads.
Gentlemen:
It is an honor, pleasure and
duty to briefly address you today or
THE Importance of electric railroad
development in western Oregon.
I feel II an honor because ! am
exchanging intelligent ideas with
representative men Of my section OF
the country. II becomes pleasure
because TO do ones duty is a pleas
ure.
I am informed from reliable
sources that over 800 miles of cleo
trio railroads are under actual con-
structlon. Something like 1000
miles are either under construction
or I'm contemplation. What does this
mean? A few years back and Ore
gon was apparently centuries from
such an era as here indicated by
these startling figures. But, as "the
darkest hour just precedes the
dawn" so old Oregon was In dark
ness to the light breaking upon her
commercial industries and the weld
| ing of q chain OF railroads destined
to more closely Intervene her var
ious Inexhaustlble resources and put,
ting In daily touch remote localities.
The development OF a country by
an electric railroad Is due largely to
the convenience II offers In the way
OF transportation. Rapid transit
makes many enterprises practicable
II creates its own traffic to a large
extent. Many things not possible
with horse and wagon become simple
questions with the electric car. Elec.
trio transportation is cheap. A
cheap fare, or freight charge, and a
convenient car, will work wonders
when both are set down In a sparsely
settled section. Large tracts are i'm
mediately cut into smaller tracts.
More homes are built where conven-
lent transportation can be had
along with a cheap fare. Vegetables,
fruits and other products ordinarily
going TO waste become valuable with
the electric car. Small quantities of
everything produced on n farm as a
rule go to waste. With the car, Il |
will pay To send In to town small |
quantities OF milk, cream, butter,
vegetables. berries, etc, which
otherwise would be loss to the
farmer, since II would not pay to
hitch up team. load these odds and
ends, drive to town on an all day
trip. lose the use of the team and
The time OF the driver and get what
you can for your farm stun. The
car viii take your small quantities
into the dealer or TO the consumer
for little or nothing. thus giving you
n source OF income not to be had
without the trolley.
Macadamlzod roads are great
things for the country folks, but
hey are not To be compared with the
trolley car. The pivot point in all
ihese questions of industry is the
question OF transportation. No mat
Ter how hne the country road. It
axes Just so long for the team To
got to town, The means OF trans
PORTING must be changed. Horses
IRE too slow for such long drives as
most farmers must make TO reach
own, and had better be employed on
ne farm You may say that good
Dads must come before electric rail.
Dads Not necessarily. II costs
bout AS much To keep up a good
Dad as II Is sometimes worth. The !
lrst cost OF a really good road Is
'reat, The car can be introduced I'm
@ a community for less than the
ost OF building the macadam road.
does not require a richer or moro q
hickly settled community To have 7
ar service AS against the idea OF :
ne well constructed macadam l
iagon road In a poorer or less thick Z
settled district The automobile q
Ill very likely come nearer settling
he question of good roads through.
ut the country than our farmers.
arming, with an electric ear pass.
'g the door daily becomes bust
ess considerably much like the &C
'erchant In town. The rural tele. q
hone brings the orders from the y
ealer In the city. or from eonsum. a
rs, The next car out carries the q
oods, The farmer does not need 10 Q
ave HIS warehouse. The farm be.
'mes a supply house for the city
erehant, The electric ear Is the y
lnuRglin1 link A, thla ......... - /, a.