East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-09-05
VIZ FEDERAL AID is NEEDED AM UMAT1LLA RAPIDS

great opportunity open to the people of the northwest
through development Of hydro electric power the Columbia
basin.
Strangely enough the Portland paper discourage the
umata rapids project the ground that project would
seop much electric power It's the
continuous that may be developed at Umala rapids
would than suffice operate all the railroads of Oregon
Washington that would produce more power than now
used the entire Portland district and that the secondary
r that may be developed at the rapids would be greatly
cess of what is needed for irrigation pumping
those facts true they constitute argument build
M the project not for delaying construction indefinitely The
building OF great power plant such this would cheap
power because the cost per horse would be low Them
the aNaby OF cheap power would automatically broadenj
and enlarge the market The Oregonian mistaken
mate q the present power market of the northwest ers
through figuring on the market for high priced electricity Natl
uTay the market for such is limited There would be
limited market for bread if bread had to be sold AMI
ounce lhere would be no demand for railroads railroad
charges were prohbve There would be very little demand
1or sunday newspapers they had to sell at 81 copy The
comparison could be carried indefinitely but it
sary The mistake of the Oregonian palpabe that
scarcely needs exposure All intelligent and know
that electricity not being used be used 1t used
not at all in Oregon for heating purpose though in Tacoma
W not widely used for cooking and only more ort
nate homes is it used to do the washing ironing and sweeping
II Is conservative to that electricity being
twentieth part Of the work would be called upon
Gneap power available It is idle for to talk about
lack market for power the northwest cheap power can
be had.
The Oregonians editorial quotes an enoineer~ a SAVING
that only ll4000 of land is subject irrigation through
pumping from the Columbia by power developed at Umalla
ernment and state reports showing larger acreage
subject to rgatng pumping But acre pro-
iect would be small affair 1t would be bigger than anv
present project in Oregon Such project would add over
100000 the the counties affected thus
oueg 1ga lne NE Tax Tax burden on present property
power project built because such enterprise would reduce
eec charges and thus cut dividends of electric companies
now in the field But the Portland paper anxious to have the
FEDERAL government spend millions improving the Columbia
Q Portland SO as to facilitate water competition against
he railroads and incidentally build Portland trade such
federal aid usable for Portland why is not federal aid for
an interior project good thing also?
the Qregonian supports the federal reclamation
policy whereby the United States has expended
many mnons watering arid land that is competing with
privately developed land is probable that the price of al
lana To-Day would be twice what it had alfalfa produc-
ton been vastly increased the ten years through
ment reclamation of land. Yet at time when alfalfa grow
federal policy under which $3.50 100000 more of edera
money will be used to finance irrigation work Where
n with farmers and then shy at asking federal help on
projects his good public policy reclaim waste land why
The oregonian says is mot hope" that private cap
a WIN develop power on the Columbia Private capital may
DO 50 sometime but will not be very big scale The nr
ale electric companies naturally limited supply of now
- aL ane power they have can be marketed good fig
pubic need for buyers market There is well known com
muny Of interest among the power corporaons and tb IN
dersandng works against the building of projects that would
reduce prices If private electric developed power at
Umatilla rapids they would have mammoth sTnnl o io
priced power Through regulatory laws now in effect thev
Noud nave TO sell that power price on the producing
winch would mean to cut northwest power prices to
half or one third what charged MAY we
electric corporations do that? Certainly not and no
man expects It. Furthermore project like the Una
a rapids project too big for private financing The
feature Is TOO big for private succeed with
eaplta certainly cannot be expected devote its
energies to improving the navgabiy of river That die
ey government task, just much
ment on the lower river Eastern Oregon is not nroten
against the use of federal money beerng the channel t
Portland why should Portland newspaper argue against
r d Tor an Eastern Oregon enterprise similar merit?
II Columbia basin is developed on big scale as III
houu pc IT VIII be done through federal aid or through d
from some other public There is no other answer nd
he facts should be faced We had hundred Years Of
lance on private development and owat of power is
ng generated on the Columbia If private capital wants to
er hs Held why has not done so? Why not private
corporation offer obuld the Umatla rapids proect Should
eh enter the field in good faith agreeing to sell
rs power at fair rate above the production cost that
ion would be welcomed with open But such thing is
oo much TO expect for reasons already mentioned
The people Of the southwest are backing mower and ;
on scheme on the Colorado that for more money than
oes the Umata rapids project Compared with the afa
aps project the Colorado project hair braned Yet the
ouhwe asking federal aid and has secured one preliminary
appropriation from 1t secured this summer de-
spite the Oregonan claim that the federal government will no
pend for such purposes If the southwest can secure
eera aid for such work why not the northwest? have