The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-03-07
AsoTHER AsToRrAN,s TEsT1moSY,
ASTORIA, Feb. 26, 1873.

q
ASTORIA, Feb. 26, 1873.
Editor Democrat.
II is quite amusing to observe the
terrible splutter the editor of the Bu1-
lefi'i has been worked mp TO by the
letter and figures Of Mr.. Philip Low,
OF Linn county, in regard to the ship
fnent of wheat direct to this place, in
an editorial of the 22nd inst, entitled
a "Craze'-no doubt the condition of
the editors mind in consequence Of
an over dose Of Low. The whole
sum and substance OF this matter is
just this: Mr.. Low has shown where
the commission merchant. wharfinger,
ferryman and drayman, of Portland,
are Sucking the blood and sweat from
the producers of onr State, and the
Bulletin editor has gone mad in bis
efforts TO ridicnle and disparage, in
every way that lays in his power, the
honest efforts of the farmers and pro-
dncers of this State to relieve them
selves from the tax that has been i'm.
posed upon them so long to sup
port the Bulletin's pets and owners
in Portland. Towards the close of
this "crazyn fit. with an assumed de-
gree Of consideration, he says: I'VE
would be extremely glad if the price
had been greater [referriDg to the
price of wheat, but circumstances be-
yond the control Of any person or
combination in Oregon have made it
impossible" ! contend that it IS pos
sible to rednce the cost of transporta-
ton from Albany TO Astoria more
than oDe-balf, and having the ware
houses, as proposed, at this place, ves-
sells can be chartered TO come here
for the same rates they do TO San
Francisco, averaging now about s.
per ton, or Is cts. per bushel less than
rates paid from Portland. Deduct
from this amount s1.50 per ton or Al
cents. per bushel for freight from
Portland to Astoria, as charged by @.
5. n. Co. at the present time, and we
have 10i cents. per bushel, or S135,-
90, on 5000, 600 bushels saved as one
item. It has cost the ship Roswell
Sprague:" which has just left our river
for Liverpool, s2.3s per ton for $50
tons of freight she brought from Port
land to this place, according to the
Masters own statements, (which have
been sent TO the Willamette Fd5nerl
when the river was at its best stage.
and this ship has had remarkably
quick dispatch, as statedIinthe Bulletin
of the 10Th uIt Thus you can see
another loss of 81 cents. per ton, or
s1.064.1 ii on cargo of ,222 tons that
this single ship has paid and charged
in she freight bill, to come out of the
farmer. The rest of her cargo was
lightened on steamers to this place
tor s1.50 per ton. the cost of towing
and plotting up and down the river
and delays on the average of vessels
carrying wheat will excel $3.50 per
ton, but we viii call it that amount,
and we have again, the sum of s1.0J
per ton, OF 100000 saved in freights
from Portland to this place-or a loss
of s1.00 per ton of all the ships bring
down the river,) s315.O00 plus $780,
600 equal s405, 900, then is the amount
that is paid by the farmers of this
State, directly to have vessels dragged
up to Portland. where her citizens csn
glorify themselves by saying, "look
at our commerce Ship owners
charge the extra prices for freghts;-
Insurance companies charge higher
T rates of insurance; and ship owners
are in fear. from the time they come
into the river until they leave, that
theirs hips will get ashore and be dam
aged, and in consequence spring leak
after the gets to sea. The result is they
go away home, make their report and
never come back again. Of all the
foreign ships that have visited our
river, the sBaracon,a," I believe is the
only one that has made the second
voyage, and she is small, drawing only
II feet of water. This class, of course,
cannot carry freights as cheap as
larger vessels. But the farmers of
Linn county have started the ball, and
they will lose sight of their own in.
terest if they allow it to stop. Urge
them on in the important step they
have taken for the good of Oregon
and we will do our share.
4 ASTORIA.