East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-09-17


Sale from $500 $40 to $3.50 $500
Sugar =. $40 TAO TO 200 800
Canned @. $40 TAO to 200 800
Nails :. $40 TAO to 200 800
Grain from
Dalles 27o to 1.50
An average reduction on salt, su-
gar, canned goods and nails of so
per cent on carload lots and 60 per
cent on l.. c. L. The reduction was
i5 per cent on grain.
Previous TO the opening OF the
state portage railway at Cello and
after the opening OF the Cascade
locks, the rate on sale in carload lots
from Portland TO The Dalles, eighty
eight miles was $3.50 and 10 Umatil-
Ia. one hundred and eighty eight
miles or a little over twice the dis
tance was $3.50 or five times as much
sugar and canned goods from Port
land TO the Dalles $500 and from
Portland 10 Umatilla, $1O50. or lit
tie over five times as much. The
rates now in effect from Portland 10
umatilla are: on salt $4.20, a reduc-
tion OF 1890 but still almost three
times as much as from Portland to
The Dalles On sugar and canned
goods, 1900, a reduction OF 1920 but
stu three and one half times as much
as from Portland to The Dalles.
The consistant claim OF railroad
men that competition on the Column
bla and Snake rivers has not had any
effect on the railroad rates. looks Pc
culiar in view Of the revision of the
freight tariffs Immediately following
the opening Of the Cascade locks and
the Cello portage railway.
The only important point where the
Northern Pacific came In contact with
the water competition, affected by
the opening OF the Portage railroad.
was Pasco and they at once made
the following reduction from Port
land TO Pasco, class !. $3.50. class 2.
s2.s0; class 3, $40; class 4, sl.40;
class 5, s1.S0; class A. soc: class b,
Sl.2O; and class c, 60c. Glass c re-
duction held good TO the amount Of
forty cents TO other prominent inland
points but none Of the other seven
classes were changed. why? II not
water competition. why?
The O.-W. II. e. y. following the
opening OF the Cello Portage rail-
way. made a general reduction In the
rates to all up river points and in
terror tributary points. For example.
VIII take that OF umatilla. not that
II is the greatest or the least but as
a fair example. Class 1. sl.OO; class
?. S3.20; class ,. $500. class 4. s2.SO;
class ., S220; class 4. sl20: class b,
fls0. class d. soc
am not against the railroads. we
need them. they have done a great
work and without them this country
would still be a wilderness. There is
room now and there always will be a
growing demand for fast rail service
but IL We are 10 grow rapidly and
reach our greatest development. the
slower, cheaper water transportation
Is absolutely necessary.
You may think that the condition
of the river will not permit steam
boats operating at profit in compe-
tition TO the railroads. you may point
To the failure OF the open River Line
as proof but / will call your attention
10 their limited capital. They were
| Pioneering. They had unusual series
of misfortunes and they had only
partial support of the shippers tribu.
tary TO the river. Their rates were
INFORMALLY lower than those of the
railroads and they should have had
full loads both ways every trip. Tn,
excess Of the rail rates over tho
steamers dates TO points between Ce
lilo and Lewiston were on class
from soc to $500. on class 9 from
60c to $500. class from soc to S6.OC
class from T0c 10 $500 and class
from 70c to s4,20. These could b,
very materially modified and leave
fortune to the shippers in the cours,
OF a year.
Did YOU ever think of what a IL
per cent saving in transportation
means? a gain of 10 per cent OF
all products shipped out and a similar
saving on all supplies shipped in. Yo,
all know the grain shipped out of tn,
country tributary TO the river 4
sufficient TO maintain a big boat lin,
not TO mention supplies which ar
brought in. As n matter OF fact the,
will not change the number of boat
but merely supply a back haul Listel
the wheat produced that could go t,
the river, estimated from the 19l
crop amounts to the following; Wash
| ington, 23,300,000 bushels, Oregon
/ l5,950,000 bushels. Idaho 5,05O.O0
bushels; total l4,S00,O00 bushels o
1890. 900 tons
Barley $4,000 tons; Oats. 271,25
tons; POTATOES. 100000 tons; voc
l from $500 to 5000 tons, say 5000 tons
apples, 10000 tons; grand total o
\ 2,11s,250 tons.
\ A saving Of 10c per ton on thi
freight would be $4,000. The DIFF
I ference between rail and river rate
II quoted above on the various classes 0
|l freight amounts to from 60c to $50
and II the entire business tributar
to the river was handled by boats,
/ would not be too much to expect
saving OF million dollars per yeal
H Look at II in another way. We hav
a total Of 44,SoO 900 bushels OF whea
II $4,000 bushels of barley, 1o.71o
II 900 bushels Of oats or total OF go
II $4,000 bushels OF grain. Assumin
n an average crop OF thirty bushels I
the acre, II would mean 20.256, ,0O
j acres or $4,000 farms Of 100 acr,
: each II each farmer would put
$500, II would give capital of $685.
mn ,,,Ith ,rlinh 10 .inri n hnnA n