The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-04-09

Moore by Joseph N. Teal, one of the
trustees of the Columbia & Walla
Walla Traction company and also
president of the Open River 'associa-
ton, who was invited to attend the
public meeting held in Walla Walla
Saturday:
Mr.. TeaI's Letter.
Portland, Ore, April g., 1906.
Hon. Miles c. Moore,
Walla Walla, Wash.
Dear Sir: 1 regret that will be I'M
able to attend the meeting to be held
Saturday afternoon in Walla Walla of
those interested in seeking to obtain
not only more and better transportation
facilities, but to get the benefit OF those
great instruments for good in this
connection-the Columbia and Snake
Rivers. I regret it the more for the
reason that no city in the northwest
has a greater interest in this and kin
dred movements than has my own
home-the City of Portland.
Situated practically at the junction
and almost at the mouth of these great
rivers, through which under natural
conditions the products of great and
growing section of this country would
normally flow, it is not matter for
wonder that the people of Portland are
vitality interested in the development of
traffic through and by the water ways
Your own section is in a like and equal
manner interested in obtaining through
these means fair and reasonable
freight rates and increased power of
distribution.
What 1 say is not actuated by any
desire to injure any existing Transport
tation interests, but is based solely
upon the fact that the opportunity to
correct many of the evils and disad-
vantages we complain of and labor I'M
der lies in our own hands.
The great wealth producing section
Of our common country, sometimes
called the finland Empire" is drained
by two mighty rivers flowing resist
stacles involving no great engineer
ing or technical difficulties, these riv-
ers are navigable for hundreds of miles
and improved as they should and will
be, and used by those whose burden
bearers they would gladly be- will un-
questionably settle and regulate the
question Of rates for all of the grea,
section lying Gas old timers say east
of the mountains
This subject is one that has been up.
permost in my mind for many years
and I have often wondered in thinking
over it how it has been possible that
the people of the three northwestern
states, an empire in extent and pro-
ductiveness, full of empire builders, the
peers of any pioneers, Independent ahd
self reliant, could have been so heed
less and Indifferent to such powerful
factors in their development.
In every community under the sur
the water courses have been and are
the arteries Of commerce, the great
controllers of rates. the keys to the
transportation problems. Their courses
marked the lines of developments and
their grades and levels determined the
lowest factor of transportation cost
But we have been under some spell
some hypnotic influence, and we have
allowed the instruments Providence
placed in our hands to go unused, to
be of no benefit, until it almost be-
came belief that their chief, nay
| their only purpose was to be part OF
a scenic attraction-a pretty picture
but of no use otherwise.
This was all the more strange to me
when l recalled what DR.. Baker did
/ UiuSi tLS iiiooI ulSo1uN dIllciSCouS ClI
cumstances; when I thought Of the
Ainsworths, the Thompsons, Ladds
Reeds, Lewises and a number of
others who years and years ago de-
monstrated that these rivers could be
| used. But now, the spirit which ami
mated the early pioneers seems to be
once more asserting itself and
through the efforts of determined
people we shall see, and I hope soon,
free and unobstructed navigation from
Lewiston and Okanogan to the sea.
| Can you imagine such great rivers
in any part Of this Union, in Europe
anywhere on the civilized globe, be-
ing permitted to remain closed to nav
igation? 1t is unthinkable. In Europe
they spend millions on artificial water
ways, even though the railroads are
owned by the governments. In New
York but two years ago they voted
s1O0, 900 to deepen and otherwise
improve the Erie Canal. In the Mis-
| sissippi Valley they are working for a
channel from st. Paul to the Gulf. Yet