The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-05-17
WITH OPENING OF UPPER WA
TIERS TO NAVIGATION, AND
MUNICIPALITY OWNED LINE TO
PAsCO, RAILROADS WOULD BE
FORCED TO GIVE CONCESSIONS

rates, says the Inland Herald. The
great forces of Nature and the pro-
gress of commercialism are both al
lied in such a manner that the COM
mercial center of the Inland Empire
may ask and obtain such an adjust
ment without firing a gun before the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
say men familiar with the traffic
situation.
Through the center of the eastern
half of the state of Washington me-
anders the majestic Columbia, which
with a little more depth at several
points and suitable locks will pro-
vide for the inland territory a wa
ter traffic-way to the Pacific Coast.
Far off to the south, crossing the
Isthmus of Panama, is the Isthmian
canal project. a government water
way which, when finished, promises
to upset the reasoning OF the rate
makers.
All that Spokane asks for Is fair
and just equalization.
With the completion OF the 18TH
milan Canal and the opening Of the
Columbia river lock system between
The Dalles and Cello the adjustment
Of freight rates in the Inland EN-
pire territory may be made effective
without even so much as court
fight. The change will be gradual
ly brought about by the advance of
commercialism.
Opening of Empire.
The Cello Falls project will cost
approximately $5,OOO,OOO; the Uni
ted States government having APP
propriated 100000 annually to car
ry the work forward
1t will be waterway eight and
one-half miles long, 65 feet wide at
the bottom, with an average depth
of more than eight feet. The locks
will be 500 feet in length and As
feet wide. This canal and lock sys-
tenn is 20 miles from the Pacific
Coast.
When completed it will open up
at once Pasco, KenneWick and many
other important Inland Empire trade
centers. with a through water SER
vice to the coast.
1t will be the means of opening up
to commercial navigation for heavy
traffic more than 500 additional
miles of the Columbia river. The
great waterway will literally be the
big stick in the matter of rate adj
justment in the Inland Empire.
The building of the lock system
and the improvement of the rivers
natural bed is the only completion
of the advance work of nature, whose
handiwork seemingly provided for
an emergency in the rate tariff and
discrimination against the inland
territory.
Panama as Example.
Across the Isthmus of Panama
steel rails have been laid. They rep
resent but the advance of water
transportation soon to come.
The Tehauntepec National railway
was completed in 1894 at cost of
s13, 100000. 1t is operated under
a lease from the Mexican Govern
ment to S. Pearson e Son. Ltd, of
London. The lease became operative
in 1903 and has a life of so years
from that date.
The bit of railway has but 20S
miles of trackage, yet the company
owns 70 locomotives, rs passenger
cars, 100 baggage cars and more
than 1000 freight cars-practically
five cars for every mile of roadway.
There are excellent terminal facili-
ties at Coatzacoalcos, the gulf port,
and Salina Cruz, the Pacific port.
The railway and parts were thrown
open to the commerce of the world
in 1907, although a traffic way had
been operated many years prior to
that time.
Big Volume of Freight.
Since the date of the formal open
ing of the little bit of roadway, it
has played a most important part in
the handling of not only freight from
the Atlantic ports to those on the
Pacific Slope, but in the handling
of the great tonnage from every
prominent European shipping GEN.
ter.
The rolling stock has been found
-