The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-26
WALLA WALLA'S CHANCE.

In raising $1050 to contribute TO the
work which has besn undertaken py
the National Rivers and Harbors con-
gress, the city of Lewiston, has fur-
nished an object lesson which Waila
Walla will do well to heed. With quick
intuition the Idaho city has been
prompt in recognizing on which slde
its bread is buttered and has eVlnced
an unusual willingness to take advant-
age of every proposition that tends TO
accelerate the work of opening the
Columbia river Walla Walla's contrl-
button to the national fund should not
be less than LeWiston's. If anything it
should be more
An open river means as much to
this city az to any point at which the
steamers will touch when the work
is completed. 1t means, when final
analysis of its significance is made,
either the making or breaking of Wal
Ia Walla as the jobbing center of
southeastern Washington and north
eastern Oregon. 1t in a great meas
ure enjoys that position now, and now
is the time to render it's future su-
premacy absolutely certain.
Columbia river transportation has
already proven a great factor in the
making of freight rate. AS the work
proceeds up the river the railroads
backs up ahead of the steamer and
each new stop is duly chronicled by a
reduction in the rail tariff sheets. Fig
ures however, tell this story better
than words. Only a few instances are
necessary to show the trend of rate
making affairs along the Columbia
and its tributaries. The excess of rail
rates over the. steamer rate in dollars
per ton on first class freight at river
stations is as follows: Cello, 80 cents,
Rufus $1.90; Blalock, $40; Airing
ton, 81; Heppner Junction, 81; Castle
Rock IS; IrrigOn, $3.50; Umatilla, Z;
Wallula, $40; Kennewick, $40; Ripa-
ria, IS; Lewiston, $S 1t must be appar-
ent to the most casual observer that
the Portage Railway is responsible
for the reduction made by rail lines
and the charges made beyond river
points show how far-reaching the ben
fits resulting from water competition
extend.
The benefits that a deeper Columbia
will bring to. Walla Walla are three
means of transporting millions of bush
els of wheat to tide water will be fur
nished and a lower rate on incoming
freight will be secured The third and
great feature of the situation is en-
tirely in the hands of Walla Walla 1t
is the building up of great distribu-
tive center here. The jObbng and
wholesale business of the United
States eXemplifies the most highly in
Volved and complex details of COM
mercial competition. In this field it
clearly appears that railway traffic
managers hold the welfare of whole
communities in their hands Our soil
climate and other natural resources
Will more or less completely determine
the outcome of our commercial supre-
macy but our distributive business is
largely shaped by artificial means It
Is subject to human control and may
be influenced by personal considera
tionS. The question that confronts us
Is. shall the people of the great en-
pire of which Walla Walla is the nat
ural center, be supplied with manu-
featured goods of all sorts from their
one large city or shall the distribu-
'N'iNO paw CT ZIG iioiiuS VI JoO-
brig houses located in Portland or
shhl the shipping be done from the
smaller towns along the Columbia. AS
said before Walla Walla's chance is
NOW, and the method of procedure is
apparent Boost for the open river and
with better freight rates head off Port
land and then take the distributive
business out of the hands of traffic
managers by means of electric lines to
connect with the Columbia and wharf
the river front now and cinch the trade