White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1934-05-17
Possibilities Of
River Traffic
Again TakenUp
INLAND EMPIRE WATERWAYS AS
ISOLATION MEETS AT
WALLA WALLA

Describing some OF the engineering
details of the Bonneville Dam, on the
lower Columbia, Major G. F. Williams,
chief of the Army engineers In charge
of the construction, gave the principal
address at the meeting of the Inland
Waterways Association at Walla Walla
Saturday A small but representative
gathering from numerous points OF the
Inland Empire attended the meeting.
Major Williams brought out the fact
that to install ship locks would require
a canal 200 feet longer than for barge
locks Since sea locks would have TO
have a 20 foot greater depth OF water,
one lift would not suffice, as for barge
locks. TO install necessary additional
gates the longer locks would be re-
quired, but for these the engineer SAID
he knew of no engineering obstacles.
He also stated that in building sea
locks, either at once or later, stoppage
of the river to all navigation for nine
months or year would be required.
w. s. Nelson, managing secretary OF
The Dalles- Wasco chamber OF COM
merce, said that since river Navigation
had been resumed on the lower Column
bia, farmers of the area contiguous TO
the river near The Dalles had saved
$185,OOO in lower transportation costs
during the past year. In the survey
which he is preparing for presenta-
ton to the army board in support OF
ship locks at Bonneville, Mr. Nelson
said that more than a 100000 saw
ing annually would be possible on oUo'-
900 tons of produce grown IN the area
contiguous to the lower Columbia
.The only way in which railroad
freight rates can be brought down to
an economic level is through compe-
tition by water-borne freight, ne SAID.
'"This has already been accomplished
in California since a canal was pullC
from San Francisco to Stockton, tine
point of production for large amounts
of produce. Ocean-going boats are now
able to move up this canal to STOCK
ton. thus reducing the transportation
costs from the point of production TO
the point Of consumption, ana result
ing also in reduced rail freight rates
from Stockton to San Francisco.
"Most of the produce grown IN the
interior of the Northwest is not con-
suned in this section; 1t IS Largely
shipped to the east coast or to foreign
markets. Transportation costs at the
present time are so high that it Is
impossible for this section to compete
successfully with other sections IN thf
world markets. BY installing locks ane
dams on the Columbia and Snak'
rivers most of this produce can b
moved direct from the point OF pro
duction to the consuming center Will
a large saving in transportation cost
and we will have freight rates Una
are based upon economic factors RAIN
pr than on what the traffic WILL pear.
T. r. Plette, manager Of the Yaklm
Traffic and Credit Association, declare
that. .In building up the fruit indus
try of the Northwest we have pro
ceeded upon the assumption that spec
was necessary to get our perlshapl
crops to the markets of the east. a
the same time we have stored the1
here for several months or for the lare
er part of the year. In doing this, "
have been increasing the cost OF gel
ting the product to market.
Last fall, shipment OF pears We
sent from Yakima to New York
boat. and the condition of those pea
on arrival, due to mechanical refrie
Grafton on the ship, was such that tht
brought ten to fifteen cents per be
more than pears which were shippt
by rail. If transportation on the GO
urnbia is developed, it will mean tn
orr fruit will reach the eastern ma
kets in better condition, thus brlngil
better prices, and that transportatit
charges will be reduced considerably
Other speakers at the meeting we
F.. 3. Aldrich, member OF the Oreg'
state highway commission and or
Dorman, president of the North T
cific Emergency Export corporation
Telegrams were read at the meeti
from the congressional delegations
Oregon, Washington and Idaho, proi
ising definite support of the associ
tons program of opening the "
umbia river to navigation.