11
,
locks and Canal Project at Oregon City Considered by L). S. engineering Department.
mrrTON MERELY A8KS THE WAR
DEPARTMENT TO ASCERTAIN THE DIFFERENCE IN COST OF LABOR AND MATERIALS NOW AND IN 1000 WHEN BOARD OF ENGINEERS
DECLARED IN FAVOR OF GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
jgOLCT0
111" SK'"U"
DAILY CAPITA L JOURNAL. SALEM. OREGON. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8, 1008.
rt
" t nlu find Canal bill In tho Inst legls-
tVMttih Jn?n nU hopes of having, In the lifetime of tha
J Rlten the peop'o no and dQwn tho wlllamoMo ,.lvor
!ofoawrfh'aC. rnrnoration planted at the falh of the river
rfPtfT t'lblll provlde4 that tho stato contribute $300.-
itr mo . - $100,000 each lowauu Atiu run-
XGOnSK GOVEHNJtEXT OP THE AFORESAID
(A.w7- necC38ary. One was tuo aecisiou or. me rivers
lUiwin" undcrtake such projects untess the stato lu
..wt roniffliW0 io uu .. . ... inMnHv nrA henr At lMt.
tnrltCd WOUld lKW fc"v v
M te 0thcr reason was that tho federal government
ha rD6M. Tfl0 ... j .mii 1nr.tr a nnrl nnnlB nn nnvf-
: . . Mi nffl II 11IIU VlUW w..m ... - . -
SSrfl STATE OWKKIWIUP ALONE VA3 IMPOSSL
MT action without state add Was imprac
n0"1"1..- -.-- r,onr n hv- the state leElalaturo nnd will
.-i ,i nnnmtn lofiks and canals on navl-
: -i.i. tn mainiiuu " .
t . .- !. HKU. .- A r-. r A r. crrxf.riv
i!U" " . .
ter
So the jomi P A.i-pni crnvflrnment. As tho correspond-
jlrbeccpc . projected Improve-
c...i v-onnrtmont will show tho projected lmprove-
Tfrf M PeDd,nS and n,y rM1UlreS fl fGW Prcl,mlnftr,C3 t0
'orth acuon ui .""t
I Work of Open River Association.
.. Valley Open River association has ovorcomo ono atop
eiw nii.t, thn final result of frco locks nnd canal.
. ... . mrUA.i ndvanco In the cost of lurabor, Iron nnd
,JM " 4. -.nri, and labor is higher than It was In 1900 and
'JLTi for tho cost of rebuilding tho locks and canal at Ore
aSe Itt 1900 WILL NOT DO FOR A GOVERNMENT IMUIOVE.
W BE MADE IN THK NEAT u iuo.
. .... i.a- jrMoned In ronforenco3 between tho Wlllamotts
. ..., ...relation, and tho United States cnglneerlhg dopart-
'Li..j Thr-.n conforencoo havo rlso developed tho fact that
Lrlne, department at Portland In Washington are disposed to
' . . . .u-.4i. l, rnnl.lllt.r nt Mm nrnlnot TiV.1.
nrjble W their conBiaunvuua ui mo ow.v a-
tutorial la tho Portland Journal has called forth theso stato-
tot Portland and saiem journal navo lougm smo uy i
ripruHST I'OSSinLK COMPLETION OF THE LOCKS AND
jB A pnOinCT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNACENT, which is
Mthem (reo forever. Horo Is tho Journal's editerial:
(Portland Journal Editorial, Fob. G.)
"WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"
i 'ayman cannot undors'nnd tho Ingoings nud outgoings of
Poijlbir tho upmovlnEs and dovnslttlngs of legislation at
are. not Intended to bo comprehended by tho lay mind.
itl Journal Is pardonablo; If It orrs In ithls humble Inquiry:
e u It necessary for a now survoy of tho locks nnd cnnnl nt
idtrtoasc rtaln tholr probablo co3t? Such a aurvoy" hns nl-
Wta tnr.de by tho Unltod Stat03 onglneors, and tholr roport Is nt
Tl fiinrej are on fllo with tho war dopnrtmont, nnd If It really
nisi coagress can got them without tho slightest trouble Thoso
cm Dttnralljr excite curiosity n to why Senator Fulton has had lu-
I la h- cnato a Joint resolution ordering a now "ourvoy" of
tan and locks, with a view to dotormlnlng tholr probnblo. cost.
i's-rrejr' all tho writing peoplo of Oregon nro to got out of this
a Does tho action mean that thoro Is to bo no appropriation
u
if, 'u to be thrown to OrogoninnB as a solnco for tholr disappoint'
mi
ment? Having had a "Burvoy" already, If this Is not what It means
what does It mean?
Why a Now Estimate Is Needed.
Senator Fulton ha3 Introduced and had deforrod to tho committee on
commerco a resolution reciting that tho stato of Oregon has passed an
net appropriating tho sum of $300,000 .to aid tho general government In
purchasing tho locks and canal at Oregon City or building a now flight
of locks at tho falls of tho Wlllametto at that place, and directing the
war department to havo an estimate mado of tho dlfforonco in cost of
labor nnd materials now and In 1900 when a former survey was mado
for the purpose of acquiring tho locks by tho goneral government and
ASKING THAT DEPARTMENT TO LAY BEFORE CONGRESS AN ES
TIMATE OF COST. Tho war department Is disposed to consider tho
project as ponding, and that It has all tho Information necessary for con
gress to act, excopt that an appropriation cannot bo mado Intelligently
without knowing what tho work will coat, and when a rivers and harbori
bill is prepared this project will havo right of way.
Tho Project la Pending.
Following corrospondenco with tho engineering department has been
had showing tho status of the proposed government work for which an
appropriation, has been mado by tho stato and WILL BE MADE BY
CONGRESS AS SOON AS ALL THE FACTS ARE FULLY BI3FORE IT.
Letter of Mnjoi' Rocwdcr.
The river and harbor net of March 3, 1899, provided for an examina
tion of-
"Tho canal and locks Bltuatcd on tho west flldo of tho Wll
lametto falls, in Clackamas county (Oregon): With a view to
ascertaining tho doslrnblllty of their condemnation and pur
chaso by dho United States."
Major Fish mado tho preliminary examination nnd a bonrd of en
gineers mado tho Anal roport nnd ostlmato of tho cost of acquiring tho
locks of tho Portlnnd General Electric company, or of building a now
flight of locks on tho other aldo of tho river. Tho conclusion of tho
board was Mint $156,000 COULD ADVANTAGEOUSLY AND ECONOM
ICALLY BE EXPENDED BY THE UNITED STATES IN BUYING THE
PRESENT FILGIIT OF LOCKS on tho couth sldo and putting thorn in a
Btnto of repair corresponding to tholr condition when now, or to build a
tight of locks on tho other side. Iln making this recommondntlon tho
bonrd Btnted, howovor, thnt beforo anything wbb dono It would bo well
to uncertain the rights of the United Stntos to tho Wlllnmotto river nt
this point.
Aotlng on ithls roport, the rlvor and hnrbor act of Juno 13, 1002, oon
'tnlncd tho following Item:
"Canal nnd locka at Wlllamottoo falls, Wlllametto rlvor, Ore Ore
eon: Tho secretary of wnr lo hereby authorized and directed to
ascertain, through a board of onglneors or otherwise, nnd ro
port to tho house, whether olthor tho acquisition of tho pfoiont
cnnal and locks nt Wlllametto fallo, Oregon, or a construction of
now cnnnl and locks by tho United States government nnd tholr
oporatlon for tho oxclusivo benoflt of tho navigation of Bald
rlvor, would, by withdrawing tho wntora of tho Wlllamottoo
river from tho chnnnols In whlorthoy havo been accustomed to
flow or othorwlao, lnjuro In a material mnnnor tho operations of
tho manufacturing enterprises now In oporatlon or contemplated
nt tho Wlllnmotto Rlvor."
This matter was nlso roforred to a board of onglnoors which, In turn,
obtained an opinion from the U. S. district attorney, John 11. Hall, as
to tho rights of tho United States In tho premises. It was Mr. Hall's
opinion, based upon certain decisions "of tho courtB, THAT THE UNITED
STATES HAD THE RIGHT TO AS MUCH WATER AS IT NEEDED FOBS
NAVIGATION PURPOSES, EVEN TO THE EXTENT OF TAKING THW
WHOLE OF IT, without any liability to any of tho vested lntero3ts la
that locality.
This Information Is embodied In two reports. Tho first ono Is No. 202
H. R., G6th congress, first session. Tho lattor Is No. 99, H. R C8tU
congress, third session. -
TJIE RE-READING OF THESE PAPERS LEADS ME TO CONCLUDM 1
THAT THERE IS A DEFINITE PR XFECT BEFORE CONGRESS WHICH
IT CAN ACT UPON WITHOUT FURTHER DATA, tt would bo unwlso,
howovor, for congress to mako an appropriation upon tho catlmnto of
tho original board becauso that ostlmato was basod upon unit prices which
wero less, In somo cases considerably less, than thoso provalltng.at tho
present time That ostlmato muBt bo rovlsed and oxpootlng eomo audi
query as tho ono you havo mado at tho Instigation of Sonator Bourne t
havo already Instructed my assistant to rovlso tho original ostlmato oil
a basis of tho presont unit prices for rock excavation, concroto, etc. I
SHALL IN DUE TIME WRITE TO THE CIliEF OF ENGINEERS TELL
ING 1HM OF THE FACT THAT THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE IS NOT A
SAFE GUIDE AT THE PRESENT TIME AS TO THE ULTIMATE COST
OF THE WORK BY REASON OF THE PRESENT PRICES, AND WILL
TELL HIM HOW MUCH THE ESTIMATE SHOULD BE INCREASED
TO CORRESPOND WITH TIBR PRESENT PRICES.
Tho abovo Is tho situation as I undorstand It. THERE IS A DEFI.
NITE RECO.HSrENDATION FOR THE ACQUISITION OF THE PRES
ENT LOGICS BEFORE CONGRESS, or failure to got them at a reaaon
ablo figure, a doflnlto recoramondatlon to build a parallel flight of lock
on tho ast sldo of tho rlvor. WITH THESE REPORTS BEFORE
THEM CONGRESS HAS ALL THE INFORMATION IT USUALLY RE
QUIRES BEFORE MAKING A DECISION UPON A PROJECT.
Project Is Ready for Action.
t can be readily soon from what Llontcnnnt Colonol Roosslor of tho
corp3 of onglneors of th U. S. A. suya In tho abovo that tho Orogon City
locks nnd cannl projoct tho projoct to mako them FOREVER FREE TO
THE PEOPLl-: AND GIVE THE PEOPLE FREE AND UNIMPEDED USE
OF THE RIVER, Is In tho boat possible condition for tho dologatlon In
congress to sec'uro favornblo action. In fact, Congrossmnn Hawloy linn
Introduced a bill to npproprlato $300,000 for tho purchaso of tho locks
and onnnl, with tho aid of tho Btato. Tho Btnto hns already acted In good
ralth and tho federal .government has gono too far to rtroat. With an,
united harmonious dologatlon nnd tho honrty co-oporntlon of tho fltato
and tho onglnoorlng department thoro Is no good renson why tho otm
bnrgo of CO conts per ton on tho commerco nnd products of wostorti
Orogon shall not soon bo romovod forovor.
Tho Fight for tm Optm River.
Tho entlro delegation In congress Is plodged to mako thh tho Initial
fight for an opon river from Eugene to tho Columbia, nnd WITH THE
LOCKS OPENED AND MADE FREE FROM THE GRASP OF THE COR
PORATION THAT NOW OWNS THEM thoro will bo hMiidrodB of thou
sands of dollarB saved annually to tho shlppora of western Orogon. Tho
Opon River association Is keeping up n coiiBtnnt fight to reach HiIb re
suit of milking tho opon rlvor a possibility within a fow years at tho out
side Yfr
U. T " -""
PORTLAND RAILWAY LIGHT 1 POWER CO.
WILLAMETTE VALLEY DIVISION
ELECTRIC LIGHT ELECTRIC POWER
GAS FOR LIGHT AND FUEL
Improvements made and under way at this . ,
time will make our service in all lines , -;
unexcelled ::::: ,
,''.".- If you have a lighting problem, a power - '
" difficulty, or want to enjoy the pleasure of
cooking with gas let us talk with you
. about your needs :::::;;
Corner Commercial and State Streets, Salem, Oregon
vi
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