East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-03-20
OPEN RIVER WILL
MEAN CHEAP COAL
If ROAD IS BUILT
Local Merchant Estimates That Three
Dollars Per Ton Can Be Cut From
the Price.
FARMERS DISCUSS PLANS
StanfIeld People Can Meeting "a
Boom Road from PendIeton %
Umatilla-Effort VIII BE Made To
Prevent Friction That Would Hurt
Both Causes.


At the Farmers' Union headquar-
ters on Court street this afternoon
a. meeting OF the Cold Springs road
committee and others interested In
road to the Columbia river Is un.
derway. The meeting was called by
K. o. Earnhart and ]. E. Montgom-
cry. chairman and secretary Of the
old road committee. and Is for the
purpose Of discussing ways and
means OF proceeding to get the full
benefits from the open river after
the Cello canal is completed.
One OF the first steps necessary in
connection with a road to Cold
Springs is TO ascertain II suitable
ground for dock purposes can be had.
A good dock under public ownership
is regarded as essential in the scheme
and II such accommodations cannot
be had at Cold Springs the road
could be extended to Umatilla via
the reservoir, says r. o. Earnhart.
What we desire" says Mr.. Earn.
hart, is to get the full benefits
from the opening OF the river. We
are not welded to any set plan but
we must have a road that will get
the wheat to the river. Otherwise
the chief economic advantage OF the
road would be lost"
News reached here this morning OF
a road meeting to be held at stan
field Tuesday evening to boost for a
highway from UmatiIla TO Pendleton
through Hermiston. Stanfield and
Echo. The Stanfield Standard inter
prets the meeting as intended to
knock" the Cold Springs road pro-
Ject by insisting the river road lead
directly down the Umatilla river in
stead of striking north OF the CO.
lumbia.
Must Work Together.
However, local businessmen de-
clare such a policy would be a mLs-
take and say that the road to the
west end should be brought up as
separate proposition but not in an
tagonism to the Cold Springs road.
Members of the Pendleton CONNER
c.al Club have been invited 10 attend
the Stanfield meeting and it is prob
able a delegation will attend with a
view to seeing II a conflict cannot
be averted. They assert Pendleton
should and will support both roads
and point out the danger that will
result if advocates OF the different
schemes get to fighting.
VIII Cheaper Coal.
1t is the belief of A. ]. McAllister.
local druggist and vice president Of
the Commercial Club, that through
securing a hard surface road to the
Columbia the people Of Pendleton
and other parts OF the county will
be able to cut as much as three dol
lars ton off the local price for coal.
At the present time, says Mr.. Nc
Allister, approximately one-half the
coal price goes for freight. With
the opening OF the river We will get
access to Australian coal which Is
imported to this country as ballast.
Then within a few years the govern
ment will have the Alaskan coal
fields opened and that coal will be
shipped south by boat. Mr.. McAllis-
ter has made considerable study OF
freight rates and estimates that with
trucks operating over hard sur
face road to the Columbia freight
rates to Pendleton will be material
ly lowered. He estimates that tho
first class rate nom Atlantic points
to Pendleton via the water route and
a hard surface road can be lowered
20 s1.S2 as against the present rah
rate upwards of $3.50.