Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/132



120 MARSHALL N. DANA

to making appropriations for undeniably meritorious pro- jects the footballs of successive congresses. Under the present plan, extravagance of cost and deferred completion are not the only evils; as long as the present system continues every good and needed project will rest in the balance until actually completed, and there will be biennial opportunity for proponents of indefensible projects to contend for the money which this government has for the improvement of its rivers and harbors. May experience hasten the day when Congress will provide at one and the same time for the beginning, the continuous work upon, and the com- pletion of needed improvements.

A special committee of the Chamber of Commerce in a re- port made in 1910 indulged in a bit of retrospection to prove the point that under the present plan of appropriating for gov- ernment improvements, the accompanying public effort is in- dispensable :

"We believe the building of the Portage Railway exercised a profound influence to furthering the commencement of the canal. Whether this be true or not, it is a fact that the third project was approved in the year 1904 and adopted in 1905 ; that work started at Three-Mile rapids, April 12, 1904, one contract was let in 1905, another last year, and that appropria- tions totaling $1,250,000 have been made up to April 29, 1908, and the project now stands on the recommendation for suf- ficient appropriations to complete it and have the work go on continuously until it is finished."

The Open River Transportation Company continued with its service, invading even the Snake river country which had been neglected by steamboats since the seventies and the days of the O. S. N. Company. Under the beneficent competitive influence, the railroads steadily became more accommodating in the matter of cars and shipments and rates. The little group that had subscribed many thousands of dollars were called upon for still more and there was little suggestion of loyalty in the hearts of shippers that would keep them patronizing the line