The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-06-12
CHEAPER FREIGHT RATES.

Word comes from Lewiston, Idaho
that the Open River Transportation
company is making very noticeable
inroads on the passenger and freight
business of railroads in the upper
Snake River country. Al news dis
patch from that city says: 1.-THE Open
River service is proving satisfactory
and the shippers have found out tina,
the Little river steamers are some
thing more than a toy TO be used to
bluff the railroads into rate reduc-
lions. The boats have been carrying
heavy freight cargoes ever since SER
vice was established almost three
months ago and the loss in business
to the o. r. & n. must be consider
able, while the Northern Pacific, too,
feels the eject of the competition"
The patronage the BOATS are draw
ing from the Lewiston country is but
substantiatiOn of the argument ad-
NdASCu ny lOCdl open INlNcI cHlnuS-
lasts and evidence that the ends
sought, by the National Rivers and
Harbors congress are possible of at
tainment.
What is true at Lewiston has been
true all along the Columbia river
system where it has been possible to
operate water transportation lines.
The reductions in rail freight tariffs
has steadily backed up the river as
the boats advanced. Going farther away
from home we find that the same
conditions prevail along the country's
inland waterways. In his speech be-
fore the national house of representa-
t.ves last March, Hon. j. E. Ransden,
Of Louisiana gave out some striking
facts and figures in his argument for
an appropriation to carry ON the open
river work
Comparing the freight business of all
inland water transportation companies
from which it was possible to obtain
statistics, with the figures contained
In the report of the Interstate Com
merce commission for the. year end
ing June 80, 1907, Mr.. Ransdell dis
closed the fact that water transpor.
tation in the United States costs
about one-sixth the average rate by
rail There was in 1907 a total water |
carriage of 1921, S1S.S56 tons at q
cost of $1795, S04,550.SS The traffic |
carried by water was nearly one third |
as much as that by rail, and the |
freight cost instead of being about |
one-third to place it on a par with |
rail, was about one twenty third of |
that by rail. Had this 73,221,31S, 1856 |
ried at the average rail rate of 7.59 |
mills, the charge thereon would have |
been 1855, 749,S1022, or an excess of |
$477,292,471 above the rate actually
paid. Hence by the use of water this |
vast sum of $477OOoOO0 was saved I!
in 1907 by the American people,
These instances of striking freight !
reductions where river transportation
is possible. should give the merchants
of Walla Walla a good incite as to
upon what they must base their hopes
for cheaper freight rates. Having
only branch rail connections from two
great systems, which instead of COM
peting for Walla walla's annual bust
ness divide the territory, this city cah
hope for little from the railroads. But
with the Columbia river, upon whose
bosom the commerce of the nation
might float when the few remaining
natural barriers are removed, but 80
miles away, Walla Walla should be-
come conscientious worker in the
open river movement and in the
meantime put itself in a position to
reap the benefits by an Independent
connection with the great waterway