Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-04-14
ALBANY CONVENTION
CONTINUED from Page 1.)

population of the Pacific coast is not
alone the opinion Of those resident
here, but is understood and emphat-
ically declared by keen Eastern think
ers, who have carefully looked our
valley over with clear and critical
eyes. Mr.. c. M. Keys, writer in the
Worlds Work for August, 1909, af-
ter a careful scrutiny of the entire
Pacific coast, says of the william
cite valley: THE country immedi-
ately tributary to Portland should
become the most densely settled large
area of land in the Northwest, and
there is little doubt that it will. The
/ Willamette valley seems destined by
nature to be a veritable warehouse
of solid wealth; not of timber that
can be cut off; nor of mines that can
be emptied, but Of products of the
soil that never cease, but flow in
ever increasing volume as the years
go by. The man who studies care
fully the whole Northwest might we'll
conclude that this valley is to play
the very largest part in the ultimate
solution of the cost of living prob
lem"
This being true, it therefore fol-
lows that the work Of citizenship of
the present, making for the estab-
lishment of permanent conditions,
which shall contribute to the well
fare of generation present and TO
come, as we'll as of the ever-increas-
ing tide of immigration now setting
strongly into our midst, is most i'm
portant and responsible. I believe,
therefore, that this present assembly
has the right to congratulate itself
upon it's responsibilities; and that it
will grid itself for the performance
of its duties, 1 have no question.
One of the vital facts relating to
the material advancement of every
great community is the transporta-
tion problem. The Willamette valley
is singularly blessed by nature with
a great navigable stream, "limpid,
volatile and Eve hope to be) free"
For many years the task of making
the Willamette river navigable to
its southermost available point has
occupied the attention Of our citi-
zens, with what success is well
known to every one present. The
strange anomaly exists Of a stream
easy to be made navigable at mini
mum expense, practically in state
Of innocuous desuetude. That this
condition is due in large measure to
the influence, direct or indirect, of
corporate power, railway or other
wise, Is the opinion of most men
well informed of the situation. Rail-
way transportation in the Willamette
valley, although in its infancy, is of
no mean proportions, and promises
to become in the era Of development
now at hand a tremendous factor. ]
do not take it that it is the purpose
of this convention to underly, harass
or antagonize the development or
operation of the railway lines, but it
ought to be the purpose of this as
sebmly to take what steps 1t may
looking to the permanent opening of
the Willamette river to free naviga-
tion, so that the merchants, manu-
facturers and producers of this val
ley present and to come, may have
the benefit of wholesome competitive
freight rates. The embargo of so
cents per ton placed upon every ton
of freight passing through the Ore
gon City gateway has it's effect, not
alone upon the actual freight upon
the decks of the steamboats, carrying
it. but also directly or indirectly up
on every ton of freight handled by
the railway lines in the Willamette
valley. This embargo should be re-
moved by the purchase and free OPP
Grafton of these locks by the United
States government. Comparisons
between the volume Of tonnage car
AAC0 ny AlfSl anu lAAeSl NNbA 4ACQ W al
in the Willamette valley are 80 sig
nificant as almost to be classed as
odious. The Oregon Railway Com
mission, in response to the request
of the Albany Commercial Club,
makes the following statement:
''The annual tonnage affected by
Oregon City locks, II operated by gov
ernment on free lockage basis, is as
follows, for the periods indicated:
Through the Willamette Locks for
Year Ending December 81, 1900.
Passengers, 10,s37.
Cattle, 1896 head.
Sheep and hogs, rs head.
Lumber 8. Ola feet.
Tons OF freight, 13,413.
Handled by Southern Pacific r. r.
for Year Ending June 80, 1900.
Freight, 1,46b,333 tons
Passengers carried 1,94S,313.
1t is not difficult to see that with
an open and free river and competi-
tive staamhOat tFananortatfon that