Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-04-29
EUGENE
MOVES FOR
THE CANAL
Enthusiastic Meet Held There Satur.
day Takes Action

head of summer navigation. was
taken at a mass meeting at the Lane
county court house yesterday. II
was truly representative meeting.
made up of business men of Eugene.
Springfield, Junction and Cottage
Grove, fruitgrowers, farmers from
the Spencer creek valley, and along
the line of the proposed ditch. The
court room was well-filled, and the
spirit of business prevailed.
j. A. ]. Grow, who was chairman
of the canal committee of Sluslaw
grange, called the meeting to order.
In stating the purpose OF the meet
ing he traced the line of the proposed
canal from Eugene to Clear Lake,
along the chain of lakes in the Long
Tom bottom to a juncture with the
Willamette. He urged the necessity
of preventing control of the canal
falling into hands of the railroad
company. Rather" he said, "strict
record should be kept so as to form
basis for setting price II the state
or federal government should later
buy the canal. Nothing will help
the valley so much as water transpor-
tation."
Organization was effected by the
election of s. l.. Moorehead of June
tion as chairman, and ID. NJ. c. Gault
of Cottage Grove, secretary.
The chair called on s. II. Friendly
who bespoke the cooperation of the
Eugene Commercial club and the
Merchants Protective association.
Such a canal" he said, would
not only lower rates, but would be
OF inestimable value to the county,
especially the Long Tom country by
reason of the drainage Il would af-
ford. Can Il be done? II can II we
Will all work and pull together. Eu-
gene gets a postoflice building, be
cause the citizens all pulled together, |
and our Representatives in congress
will do what they can to further the |
project"
Mr.. Friedly closed by calling on |
w. G. Hawley, congressman from this |
district.
Representative Hawlcy Speaks.
Mr.. Hawley declared he had come |
to listen, as he wanted to know
as 10 what Il was pro- /
posed TO do. He outlined briefly ,
some OF the work he had been doing 7
for Oregon as representative In |
working to make avail
able the physical resources OF the .
state. In the matter OF patentlng /
homesteads, he has secured a ruling |
from the interior department that |
entries where there Is no suspicion
OF fraud, shall he completed as rap
idly as possible. and Il has been I
found that not one entry In ten Is
held up for investigation Another
thing he has been working for is the
restoration TO entry OF the many little
valleys of farming and fruit lands
that have been included within the
broad lines OF the forest reserves.
The audience expressed apprecla-
tion OF the work of Mr.. Hawley when
he announced that the attorney gem
eral OF the United States Is going 10
the Oregon and California
Is. P.) TO live up 10 the
terms of the land grant given to aid
of the railroad.
The people of Oregon have show
I'd commendable spirit In appro-
100000 toward the pur-
,hase of the locks at Oregon City"
said Mr., Hawley. 1T shows congress
hat the people have faith In the
'esources of their country. And now
'ou are TO add another argument for
he delegation in its work for an
open river.
Without Figures for "A Basis.
Your two problems, then, are the
iigging and the water supply. u
Won't hurt the Willamette to have a
amount of water divert
ID here. II will be returned to the
liver at the head OF summer naviga-
II water. What the farmers want
S an opportunity TO send their goods
o market when the prices are best.
lot when the river is up.
Without figures for basis" the
said, 1--WE cannot make
my promise, but | promise you my
interest in the matter and
vhen the figures are at hand, the eff
orts OF the delegation.
General Discussion Follows.
T. G. Hendricks followed Mr..
iawley and urged the idea OF united
'ffort. He counseled finding the
most feasible thing to do, whether
anal or river improvement. 81 am
n favor OF an open waterway to the
ca"
Allen Eaton-"As a business man
II Eugene, | pledge my support 70
he movement"
S. NJ. YOran-"Until we know |
more as TO the feasibility
# this matter. and until preliminary
urveys and estimates are made
alking won't do much good"
The matter of surveying was dis 4
ussed briefly by Mr.. Grow ana
theirs, and then II. Chezen arose 20
uggest that the river should be i'm
roved TO Eugene or Springfield and
anals could be dug as feeders later: I
ID. r. Hill of Junction was opposed {
0 this view and evidently expresses :
he sentiments OF the meeting when
e said that the cost of improving '
he river would be far greater than I
hat OF building the canal. ThS {
ocks that would be needed in the
liver in summer would be useless
n xrrfnfar onA Ia fact rnnld deneCt 4