The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-01-26
CORVALLIS THERE.
But not Like the Other Towns-What
her Percentage was-Wi1lamette
League.

One of the best influences that
ever struck Western Oregon is the
Willamette Valley Development
League. The name indicates per-
fectly the errand of the society.
1t fails though to tell of the sincere
interest that pervades the member
ship, and of the plans of hustle and
push that the meetings stand for.
The big court room Of the Linn
county court house was too small
to hold all the delegates at. Albany,
Wednesday and Thursday. Ev-
cry man in the audience realized
that every other mar in the room
looked upon the enterprise as a ser
ious business. This sixth meeting
of the League brought as large an
assemblage of delegates as has yet
gathered. By reason of former
meetings all the delegates under.
derstood the business in hand and
the proceedings from the first we're
such as might be expected from
businesa men on a business propo-
sition.
A good speech by President Ho-
fer of Salem, opened the proceed
ings Wednesday. It was a speech
that struck the keynote upon
which the Willamette region can
easily ride to more and more pro-
gress. and that blazed the way for
the interesting speeches that fol-
5 lowed it.. 1t told of the work &C
complished by the League. includ-
ing the tax system proposed to the
voters under the Initiative. 1t led
the way for addresses of welcome
: which in turn were followed by a
= discussion of a free and open Will
lamette river to Corvallis.
:. A free" Willamette to Corval-
I lis means one on which fifty cents
a ton lockage does not have to be
: paid at Oregon City. An open
t river to Corvallis means one that
i will permit of steamboat navigation
all the year round. Several speak
ers described the iniquities that re-
t suit from lack of a free and open
n Willamette. Judge McFadden O
Corvallis, was one of them. Other
speakers had told some of the rea
, sons but he added others. HI
showed how in fact that the state
u had furnished most of the money
for building the locks. that origin
. ally the state was to have the RICH
> to buy them, and how that option
:, had been foolishly allowed to lapse
J. K. Weatherford offered a bill il
the legislature, he said to buy the
locks, but it went into the hands o.
a hostile committee and died there
unhonored and unsung.
o Judge McFadden insisted that ut
le private corporation has a right t.
It exact toll upon what nature ha:
&c made for the benefit of the Who'll
community. and that mean ough
$ to be found for freeing the locks
and for dredging the two or tire
lie small bars that make all summe
d steamboat navigation impossible
now 1t was a strong speech a
was one by MI. Westgate of tn
Albany Herald on the same sub
:, ject.
lie Corvallis had but three represen
ot tatives at the meeting. Eugen
/ had about IS, Salem about 80, In
dependence a dozen or so, McMinn
vile a like number, and othe
;e towns in proportion. The League
d ought to survive, and Corvalli
as ought to be a larger part of it. ]
. Corvallis does not want to grow an
'. does not want the rest ofthe valley t
is grow she ought at least to send he
S. quota of delegates as a guarantee
,g good faith.