The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-12-14
REALIZATION.


The Spokane chamber of COM
merce has offered it's cooperation to
Pasco for an exposition in 1915 to
celebrate the completion Of the Gel
lilo locks and the Panama canal 1t
is pointed out that these events will
insure the future greatness of the
little town on the Columbia, pre-
dicted by practically every fnancier
who has glimpsed the development
of the northwest during the past
thirty years.
Henry Willard realized this strate-
gic location when he promoted the
Northern Pacific railroad At times
the slogan, Keep Your Eye on
Pasco" has fallen into disrepute be-
cause the growth has been so slow.
often the faith of the pioneer has
seemed to have been misplaced, as
the generation of those who pinned
their hopes to Pasco's growth, have
one by one tottered to their grave
without having their judgment vim
Dictated. But each oncoming gener-
alton has succeeded to the faith of
their predecessors, and today the
future of Pasco is believed in more
firmly than at any period in the past
quarter of a century.
Perhaps it is more truthful at the
present time to say that Kennewick
is a rival claimant for Columbia
river honors. Each of these two
towns have their admirers and each
use the same arguments to support
their contentious. Each have prac-
tically the same railroad facilities
and each occupies relatively the
same position with regard to river
transportation. 1t may be that the
future years will see Twin cities, one
on either side of the Columbia like
st. Paul and Minneapolis, vieing with
each other for trade advantages.
Water competition always has
been the deciding factor in the de-
termining of railroad rates. Pasco
and Kennewick are sure Of water
competition, the Cello locks open
ing the Columbia river from Port
land into the very heart of the In
land empire. The Portland cham
Der of commerce is already operat-
ing boats on the Columbia AMI
boards of trade and commercial or
CARNATIONS along the river realize
the necessity of keeping the river
boat lines from falling into the
hands of the railroad monopoly, And
it may be said in passing that the
control of river transportation by the
railroads is the greatest peril that
the Columbia river towns have "a
fear, because this would mean that
inland towns would never secure the
advantage of terminal rates.
Years of work and millions of dol
lars have been expended to clear the
silt bar from the Portland harbor,
allowing sea-going vessels of deep
draught free access to this thriving
city. While efforts in this line hay e
not been altogether successful
enough has been accomplished to
make it certain that the feat Will be
accomplished at some date not very
far distant. Portland controls the
trade of interior Oregon and her grip
on the shipping of eastern Washing
ton is becoming tighter. Portland to-
day handles more wheat than both
Seattle and Tacoma together, all by
reason of the down grade haul. James
j. Hill recognized this fact when he
built the North Bank.
But the real argument for Pasco
and Kennewick is that these cities
are natural centers of distribution
for central Oregon, eastern and CEN
trail Washington. Give these cities
a terminal rate and the jobbing
business of the coast will gather GA
the Columbia river. When the Pan
anna canal is completed, Yakima and
Wenatchee apples, Inland empire
wheat and all of those other staples
which seek the foreign markets, may
be handled by river transportation
to Portland whence they will en-
bark on their long ocean voyages 70
London, Liverpool and the distribut-
ing centers on the European cOntin-
ent. An exposition at Pasco and
Kennewicll may be a bit audacious,
but no one will deny that these
cities have every right to celebrate
the completion OF the Cello locks
and the Panama canal.
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