East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-08-26
THERE is A MARKET NOW FOR UMATILLA RAPIDS
POWER

TINE Portland Oregonan thinks awake to the subject of
developing Columbia river power but shows by its own
comment is still slumberng At rate 1t does not
grasp the possibilities of the Umalla rapids project The
Oregonian answering East Oregonian editorial yesterday
said:
development Of columbia river and is accused of just
attract manufactures ncrease sretal production and bv cdny
improving nsxieaton d cbaa4 This would enlarra the
volume Of fio for r, & bst tb % anI r % & % bn % br T Ip
Of Vpow producing goods for and Improvement OF the
' N 9 s I thS S goods better out outlet @ the & sea
power Development commission
already field prepared
p or ia P @ S they sa 2 find PoanS s
enterprise magnitude involving
% power company & aTIans fo @ location near Us plant Of on one y
more @ winch nave contracted 10 buy large pfoPoIlon % GI me
on the large initial investment be Most of this would
% n the dam which must b4 competed before any power a. all @ be o
would be 10 ab Industries that you'd consume power ana 10 cooper
@ in causing al establish them Portland will readily work
Particular attention called the last paragraph of the
Oregonan editorial The fear as to the availability OF power
market apply to the Cello location Such fears do not
apply IN the case OF the Cmaa rapids project Inc trS p1r
pose of the Umata rapids project to rgae arid land Be
tween 100000 and 100000 land may be watered
through pumping from the Columbia if low priced car
be had by building dam at Umalla rapids The Columbia
carries its maximum flow during the months when
water is needed for irrigation purposes The Umaha rapids
project capable of developing 200O0 secondary horse power
during high water for pumping in addition to 10000
continuous horse power Engineers say that this secondary
be sold figure that will provide irrigation at rea
such vast body of land in Oregon and Washington would
to create, in the Portland trade territory
equal productivity the Willamette valley Does not such
thing interest Portland? AS to market availability is not
market for the secondary power already at hand and now
could power be benefcay than in fostering r
rgaOn that would add millions the tax rolls Of Oregon
and Washington?
On the of continuous power the situation is almost
good There railroads along both banks of the Columbia
river operated by of imported coal and OIL
They should be operated by electricity because it is cheaper
and better power At meeting held in Pendleton during
February official of the Chicago Milwaukee ST. Paul told
OF the successful operation OF that road by electricity and stated
other things electric locomotive does the work
of three locomotives Why should the people of this
gon freight and passenger based expensive
method of railroad operation when cheaper and better
OF operation may be had?
But railroad elecrficaton is not all of the story There
would be considerable demand for power for indus
trial and domestic purposes cheap could be had Farm
machinery may be operated electrically Homes may
electrically. In Eastern Canada electric power being
transmitted than 200 miles 1t possible to transmit pow
500 miles Therefore every big city the northwest
countless smaller cities and towns would be within the transmits
radius of the Umaa rapids plant Then why
ny about market?
The Oregonan ntmates private capital be relied
to develop Columbia basin power 1t is vain hope Private
companies might well operate such plants built but he
VIII build them
the big things involved in developing power such sites
Umata rapids Cello and Bonneville The dams would droW
out the rapids and make barge transportation feasible but
Nte corporations do not improve rivers That is the govern
ments ob The federal must have hand IN de
veloping the Columbia will not get develop
men Furthermore it too much to expect private capital
take up 100000 acre irrigation project That distinctly
field for Uncle Sam. Our government projects succeed;
private projects have trouble Eastern Oregon learned tina
{ and II did not learn it out of book
Some may say the federal should have pan
in development because would be directly ndrec
~ competing with private enterprise But the United State
has spent many millions in rrgating arid land
and bringing the products of such lands into direct compel