The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-02-28

Ivineed the farmers that better mode
OF doing this thing should be com.
menced at once.
/ think the right system is at length
pointed out in the farmers club and
district meetings, of which an account
has been given in your paper Al
low me to make few suggestions as
to the organization and the machinery
required to do the transportation bus
mess.
l would have the club or district
meetings send delegates to a State
meeting. or convention. The State
meeting should designate the officers,
directors, etc, of an organization
which would be completed by incor-
porating themselves aud associates as
"IHe Columbia and Willamette Trans
portdffon Company" with capital
of, say s20o,o00. The directors Ito be
chosen by the stockholders as soon as
half the stock is subscribed) should be
authorized TO go on and construct the
necessary warehouses for receiving the
wheat, etc, at the proper shipping
points; the accessory steamboats,,
barges and lighters, for taking the
wheat, etc, TO Astoria, without re-
handling or re-shipping; aud the neces-
sary scltart and warehouses; at Astoria
for holding the grain until sold and
delivered TO the vessels. 100000
would do all this. One thousand far
mers taking slo0 stock each, would
make 100000. The people n; Asto-
ria, and the persons who whould be
ready 10 serve as Captains of the
steamboats,, and warehouse keepers,
agents, etc, would take the other
Sl0e, 900. for the farmers could take
ally If the 100000 capital be all
paid in, and holders OF The stock are
to get 10 per cent. per annum, as in
te-est, (which is as much as invest
ments in farms are WORTH, the inter
est would be $4,000, or 100000
cents. If the shipment of wheat is
10000 bushels per annum, the in
terest would lie just one cent. per bush
el. If the quantity shipped is greater
or less. the tax upon each bushel for
interest will be proportionately de-
creased or increased. If the shipment
is 100000 bushels per annum, it
would be near G0,G06 tons (of 1900
lbs eacb.) 1 estimate that quantity of
tonnage could be taken from the vari-
Gus points on the Willamette river, to
Astoria, in the before mentioned
steamers, scows, etc, including the
wear and tear" of the vessels-(the
10 per cent. interest being paid in the
tax of one cent. per bushel) for $3.50
per ton, or 500 exclusive of the toll
at the Locks. And $3.50 per ton is
q cents. per bushel for 100000
bushels. This makes s. cents, say 0
cents per bushel for the entire expense
of. transporting it from the various
shipping points on the Willamette to
Astoria, and all the warehousing of it
at each end Of the route until it is
sold.
| 1t may be safely assumed that the
wheat will be worth from five to ten
cents. per GENITAL, or three to six cents.
per bushel more in warehouse at As
toria than it would be in warehouse
at Portland, or any other point up the
river, on account of the certainty of
dispatch in loading and getting ves-
sells to sea from Astoria, rather than
going up the river, subject to such de-
lays and expense as they must be IN
going up the river, the very thing of
all others most dreaded by the mas
ters and owners of all the vessels that
have loaded with wheat in Oregon
for foreign ports during the last two
years.
Even admitting, as some one figures
(and figures less than half the expense)
IN the Bulletin, that the cheapest way
to take freight from Astoria to Port
land, and from Portland to Astoria
in the deep sea vessels, worth from
$4,000 to 100000 for each vessel,
with its crew of 90 men, detained a
week or more each trip. still the mas
tiers, owners and underwriters do not
like the business of dragging their
vessels to Portland and back. They
will charter 3 TO 6 cents. per bushel
less to load at Astoria than at Port
land. The higher figure, cents, is
only $500 per ton.
Therefore, in conclusion, we have
this, a Transportation and Warehous-
ing Co., such as is proposed, with $780,
QUO capital, 100000 taken by 200
farmers at $40 each, the balance Ia
ken by captains, agents, etc, and citi-
zens Of Astoria, or the same or more
farmers can take ell the stock, which
will doall the freighting of the grain to
Astoria. The interest on this 5000, 900