Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1922-05-12
PRESIDENT PORT
COMMISSIONERS
STRONG FOR BOAT
j. w. Parrish Takes Rap at
Chamber of Commerce Off
cials for Seeming Opposition
to Purchase of Boat.
Claims That Purchase Would
Not Increase Burden of Tax
payer but Would Be Great
Asset for Development.

Port of Toledo, Toledo, Ore, May 10.
To the Editor OF the
Lincoln County Leader:
On behalf of the Port Commission
of the Port of Toledo | deem it my
duty to correct some of the incorrect
reports that are being and that have
been circulated in this Port District
Reports concerning the purchase Of
boat by the Port Of Toledo that are
misleading and unfair
First, wish to pay my respects to
the Toledo Chamber OF Commerce.
While | have not read its constitu.
tion and bylaws to know what its
objects and purposes are, still, from
the name | would presume that its
main objects are first to aid and as.
sist in securing and developing COM
merce on the Yaquina Bay, and Sec
ond, to aid and assist In the develop
ment Of the resources of Lincoln
County | have no knowledge that it
is now making or ever has made an
effort to get boat to come to this
Port to carry the products of the
local mills to market via water trans
por,ation. There is this exception.
Lieut.. Patterson stated that he had
written to ex-senator Chamberlain,
Of the Shipping Board, about a Gov
ernment boat, and which he reported
was too large to meet our conditions.
Now for example, let us take the
Roberts saw mill. There is $50000.00
to $15,000.00 invested in this plant
and when operated continuously fur
nishes a living for at least 100 .oggers
and mill men, many of them having
families. When operated full time =
is valuable asset to the community
and just so with all of our manufac.
turing plants. And, If not operated
these plants might just as we'll not
be here so far as being OF value to
the community.
Now wish to ask the Chamber Of
Commerce what 1t Is doing to keep
these mills running. If 1t is not doing
this then in my judgement 1t is falling
short Of its mission.
! had the pleasure OF attending the
special meeting OF the Chamber OF
Commerce called for the purpose OF
discussing the proposition OF the Port
buying boat. expected to hear a
laii anu kiui uloIubEiOu VI tlC
matter and 1t Is putting It mildly
when l say that l was sore.y disap.
pointed. Disappointed, because in
a community where all the people
should work together for the develop
ment Of the resources and the upbuild-
ing of Lincoln County | found the
meeting of the Chamber Of Commerce
controlled by strong personal bias.
We all know that the freight rates
on the railroad are excessive and a
barrier to the development of the
county and the only real remedy for
this is water transportation. The
Port of Toledo has expended approx
imately $456, 100000 in harbor and chan.
mel Improvements. The Port initiated
the project for channel of sixteen
feet at lower low water and two
hundred feet in width on straighta-
ways and two hundred fifty feet on
the curves. The War Department En-
gincers in Portland reported adversely
on the project on the grounds that there
was not enough commerce on the river
to justify the expenditure. The Port
Commission then appealed to the
Beard of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors in Washington, ID. G, The
Commission secured all of the data
that it could and submitted 1t to the
Board. A hearing was had and the
project was referred back to the
Portland office. There 1t is being held
In allegiance, awaiting the develop
ment of enough commerce on the va.