The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-16
PORT OF ASTORIA TO
START NEW BOAT. LINE

Astoria, Ore, July IA, Especially
has instructed its ways and means
committee to ascertain Immediately
its legal rights with respect to the
establishment and operation of a
line of Independent steamboats, on
the Columbia river from Astoria to
PaScO and Kennewick, and eventually
on the Snake river to Lewiston, Idaho
and Asotin, Washington. If the pow
ers of the commission will permit of
this enterprise (of which there is
little doubt steps will be taken at
once by Commissioners Geo. w. San
born, c. H. Calender, G. Wingate,
Frank Patton, Geo. B. Mcleod, and
Engineer F. ]. Walsh to carry out
the transportation program.
The subject was brought to the
attention of the Commissioners by
Wallace R. Strubble, publicity man
ager for the Port of Columbia COM
mercial Club and secretary of the
Columbia and Snake Rivers Water
ways Association. The members of
the Port Commission had already
given the matter a great deal Of
thought and when the subject was
opened all entered into it with an en-
thusiasm that promised to bear fruit.
British Vice Consul E. M. Cherry was
also present and offered his assist
ance in the matter.
1t was the unanimous opinion of
fall present that an Independent
steamship line between Astoria and
interior points would be great stim-
ulus to the commerce of the Columbia
river, and that the scheme would
work nicely in connection with the
municipal docks now under construc-
tion at Smiths Point, as there would
then be plenty of need for the docks
as soon as they were completed.
Manager Strubble displayed a map
showing the watershed of the Colum-
bia and Snake rivers and the vast
productive territory that is tributary
to the mouth of the river.
The tentative plan is to build or
purchase light draft boats with a
carrying capacity of 500 tons that
can be operated through the Cello
canal as far up as the streams are
navigable. Although Astoria NAV
| ho urantod tho torm;no1 roto oc ooh "a
for, it is quite probable that it will
be a year or two before the question
is finally decided, and it would not be
advisable to wait that length of time
before trying to solve the transpor-
tation problem.
Engineer Walsh stated that the
Grace line of steamships had announ-
ced its intention of making Astoria
a port of call and had already written
for information about the municipal
docks. The Royal Mail Steam Packet
| Company has also signified it's inten-
tion of making Astoria a port of call
on the completion of the Panama
canal.
| The Governors of Oregon, Wash
ington and Idaho recently named a
joint committee to gather informa-
tion with view of location of high
ways to be used. in connection with
river traffic, and to report on eligible
| sites for public wharves. The mem
bers of this. cOmmitte are Samuel
| Hill of Maryhill, Wash, chairman;
Joseph N. Teal of Portland, secre-
tary; Harry l.. Powers of Lewiston,
Idaho. At recent meeting of this
committee in Portland it was shown
that the farmers of Klickitat county,
/ Washington, had saved $4,000 in
freight charges the past year by us
ing the ten mile hard surfaced road
from Goldendale to Maryhill as
against the Ais miles of railway
from Goldendale to Lyle. Similar
savings probably will be effected in
other localities by means of the COM
bined motor truck and river haul.
The Astoria boat line will seek to
cooperate with interior points by
means of these highways.
The Astoria Port Commission is
cognizant of the fact that the con-
Meeting link to supply ocean carriers
with return cargoes lies in an open
river transportation line. That this
is now possibility is seen in the
vigor with which the project is to be
carried out.