Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-17
MORE POWER WANTED
Two Governors Recommend
Railway Restrictions.
ASK LEGISLATURES TO ACT
Washington Executive Wants Ship
pers Protected.
THEIR INTEREST IN DANGER
New Head Of State in Oregon Favors
the Creation of a Railroad
Commission.
THEIR INTEREST IN DANGER

OLYMPIA, Wash, January I'm his
annual message, read before the legisla-
ture, Governor A. r. Meade says that one
Of the most vital questions which confront
the shippers OF Washington Is the failure
OF the common carriers to perform the
functions for which they were created. The
governor attributes this failure to lack of
rolling stock, motive power and transporta-
ton facilities, particularly terminals, sidings
and additional tracks. The railroads de-
clare car manufacturers are unable to fill
their orders and high wages render 1t i'm
possible to secure labor to construct addi-
tional trackage.
The entire state is affected by these traf-
f1c restrictions he says. and some remedy
must be had which will afford shippers
protection to their transportation facilities.
To this end the governor urges the enact
ment of q reciprocal demurrage law. He
advocates the separation Of the Office of
insurance commissioner from that of the
secretary of state and the election Of the
commissioner by votes Of the people.
Washington should join Oregon, he be-
lieves, in opening up the Columbia, the
natural outlet of eastern Washington, in
order that that portion of the state may
be afforded means of transportation for its
products He says the money derived by
the state by tide lands should be devoted
to the improvement of harbors instead of
ordinary expenses of government He rec
ommends law dividing the states into
congressional districts, a direct primary
law and law regulating the length of
hours Of service for operatives in the trans
portaton.
Oregon is Neglected.
SALEM Ore, January 16.-Gov. George
E. Chamberlain in his message sent to the
Oregon legislature. with great emphasis
urges the enactment Of a law creating a
state railway commission clothed with ade-
quate powers. No state has been SO liberal
as Oregon. he says, in its policy toward the
railroads, though ''rich sections Of the state
have been left neglected by the one great
railway system which practically controls
it's whole transportation business"
Continuing, Gov Chamberlain says:
1.-The federal government has granted the
railways within the jurisdiction of the state
lands an amount not only sufficient to build
the lines now in operation, but to extend
them across and through the central, east
ern and southern portions of the state.
Also vast forest reserves have been created
in which have been included worthless lava
beds and deforested lands of railway COM
panies, and in exchange for this the COM
panies have been allowed to select hun
dreds of thousands Of acres of most valu-
able timber lands in the state thus increas-
ing by millions the value Of the original
grants.
1.-The demands of the people for railway
extension have been unheeded by the pow
ers that be, and the result has been that,
with all it's possibilities for commercial and
industrial growth. Oregon is far behind al
the other states in obtaining what 1t needs
and what it is rightly entitled to have in
the way of better facilities for transporta-
ton and travelling"