, 1862-06-21
masbinoton Statesman.
SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 81, 1862.
The oregon Steam Navigation Company.

Inc manner III WHICH IhlS company nave
conducted business during the present sea
son, has given rise to many complaints on
the part of merchants and shippers who
have been necessarily brought in contact.
with them. We have hitherto been in
clined to regard many of these complaints
as misunderstanding rather from popu
lar inclination to rail against monopoly
than from any apparent system of injustice
practiced by the company, But when we
find an entire community of merchants and
shippers who make the same allegations
against the company, we are forced to the
conviction that there is merit in the excep-
tions taken to their manner of dealing
The men who have dealings with this COM
pany, and who make these complaints, GER
ta:nly cannot all be unreasonable men and
hence we believe, although the exceptions
taken may not be SO clearly defined as to
be satisfactory to all, the company is justly
deserving of censure for its manner of trans
acting business.
This company has grown within the short
period OF year or two, from position of
modest dependence upon the business in
terests of the country to that of monopoly
arrogant and overbearing. They have thus
far managed to concentrate all the business
of shipping upon their line of steamers !;
and through the liberal patronage of the
public, they have been enabled to amass
the means of controlling the waters upon
which their steamers ply. Monopolies may
correctly be considered Objectionable, how
ever honorable and fair their business trans
actions. Particularly is this true in the
present instance. A monopoly of the wa
ters between this place and Portland, is
like toll bridges on a county road-preju-
dicial to the interests of the people, besides
being a severe reflection upon their enter
prise. While it is to the manifest interest
of the upper country that no monopoly
should ultimately prevail on our waters,
at the same time no particular blame can
be attached to the company for doing the
best they can, even though by their exer-
tions in a legitimate way they build up
barriers to our progress. This is no more
than any company of men would strive to
do if placed in similar circumstances. In
this country it is not expected that steam
boat owners shall be public benefactors
and for advantages gained in this manner,
people and patrons have no fault to find.
The company are welcome to the advanced
position they have gained on our waters,
and receive all the eommendation due their
enterprise and foresight in obtaining that
position. But merchants and shippers do
justly complain against the company for
using the means obtained in measure
through their patronage, to cramp and crush
their business operations, and in number
less ways cause them trouble and expense.
The manner of conducting business during
the present season is vastly different from
that of last. Then some little regard was
paid to the shippers interests; and without
grumbling or complaining on either side,
I IL 81 IL
tween the two parties was conducted in a
manner satisfactory to both. So long as
this state of things continued, no complaints
were made. BUTT seems in proportion as
the company have advanced in wealth and
position, so have they become careless and
negligent in their relations with shippers.
Hence we frequently hear of little annoy
ances in the way of delays in the receipt of
freight, loss of packages without recourse
for damages, extra charges, freight arriving
in dribs instead of coming through as orig
inally shipped, and many other little dis
crepancies-all of which result from want
of proper regard for the shippers interests,
and occasion extra trouble and expense.
When the company have not sufficient
means of transportation from Dalles to
Deschuttes, thereby making it necessary
for shippers to employ their own teams, We
can see no justice in charging seven dollars
per ton extra freight from Deschuttes to
Wallula on goods so transported. This
has been done by the company, but we do
not know that it is a general rule. This
season the company do not make practice
of itemizing bills of freight, whether large
or small shipments. The bill of charges
sent forward simply specifies the number of
packages and the total measurement on
lot of goods, thus binding tie shipper as
to the correctness of the measurement
The new rule of exacting payment for freight
on up-country goods at the Dalles, and the