The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-02-17
SMITH RApS
INLAND FARMERS
SAYS THEY ARE SLOW TO PAT.
RoNIZE OPEN RIVER FLEET
OF STEAMERS.

land in which he takes up the question
of the freight rate on grain bags from
Portland and Sound points to points in
the Inland Empire, of which there has
been considerable complaint among
farmers who assert that the rate of SIS
cents per 100 pounds is exhorbitaht.
| Mr.. Smith charges that the chief
fault lies with the farmers themselves
who have not taken advantage of the
competitive rates offered by the Open
River Transportation company's fleet
of river steamers, now comprising two
boats, one operating on the lower CO.
/ lumbia and the other on the upper
waters of that stream.
Incidentally he remarks that the time
has arrived when speeches and resolu-
lions from commercial clubs have
ceased to be effective in the matter of
securing more favorable freight rates
and that if the Open River association
is to maintain a fleet of steamers or
the river, shippers and farmers must
give the association more assistance
than they have in the past. Mr.. Smith
says:
Yesterdays telegraph news from
eastern Washington states that the
farmers throughout the INLAND en-
pre- have again taken up the Oft
mooted question of rates on grain bags.
| 1t is claimed that the rate from
! Portland and Sound points is IS cents
i per hundred Or $13 per ton, and that
the Washington state railroad COM
mission has been negligent in not OBJ
! tanning a reduction of this exorbitant
rate.
| 1t is also stated that the approximate
cost of freight on this commodity alone
reaches the sum of $4,000 annually.
| A reduction of much value can be
easily secured without a vain appeal to
! the commission, and the reduction once
secured will be permanent.
| The counties of Klickitat, Benton,
Franklin and Walla) Walla Of the state
of Washington, and Sherman, Gillian,
Morrow and Umatilla of Oregon Dor
] der highway provided by nature
namely the Columbia river To provide
means of transportation over the OBJ
structed portion. of the river at Cello
the state of Oregon appropriated $685.
900 for the building of a portage rail-
way and because of it's apparent in
sufficiency all sums in excess of the
appropriation were provided for by the
| Open River association. Since then the
state has appropriated $4,000 for it's
maintenance.
Two Steams In Operation.
The Open River Transportation COM
pany, a corporation comprised princi-
| pally of Portland people, has at a great
expense built two steamers one for the
upper and one for the lower river, and
while the service that they have given
has not been as good as they have de-
! sired it has been better than could be
! expected of them without aid from
those primarily benefited. This line by
| it's published tariffs has in the past
year carried grain bags at rate that
was from so to 70 per cent less than
that on the rail line. By patronizing
the river line they will secure this
sweeping reduction without the aid of
| the railroad commission, which if it
were successful would only reduce the
rail rate few paltry cents, if any.
Should the shippers of the Columbia
valley subscribe as stock to be placed
with the fund already secured the
amount expended in one year by them
for grain bags alone steamer with
sufficient power and carrying capacity
could be built that would ply the up
ner river at any season of the year.
With this powerful regulator brought
to bear against the rail lines reductions
in all classes of rates could be had
and they could secure to the shipper
Of the upper Columbia and the lower
Snake river a rate of 20 cents per
hundredweight, or 81, on grain bags as
against the IS cents or $13 per ton rate
charged now by rail.
Inc amount SdNSu yCoiiS oh 6hoiAA
shipments alone from the counties
a,ong the river would build and MAIN
tain a fleet of steamers that would not
only reduce all rates to a living basis
but nroye a barrier against them ever
again being raised.
Will the people of eastern Washing
ton and Oregon grasp the opportunity
Ito avail themselves of a formidable
wea non of defense against the rail lines
that have in the past and will con-
,inue to do so in the future, throttle
every industry until their pound of
flesh is exacted? Or are they in earn
est in their appeal? Do they expect that
the few who have subscribed for the
river line will continue to operate
steamers without assistance from these
benefited? Do they expect congress to
GRANT further appropriations for the
Cello canal without a tonnage of suf-
6cient amount passing over the port
age to show that the canal will be
used when built.
The time has arrived when speeches
and resolutions from commercial clubs
have ceased to be effective. 1t is now
necessary to produce results and this