The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-04-11
OPPOSITION OR moNopoLY--wHICHs I

liar interests of the people, is in a
wholesome competition. In no coun-
try has the want of competition in
transportation been more fully ex-
emplified than in our yet infant
commonwealth. The history of Or
egon has shown an uninterrupted
career of transportation monopolies
unequaled in the history of any
other State of corresponding age
The Oregon Steam Navigation Com
pany, which dates its incipiency from
the advent of the pioneers of the
North Pacific Coast, has had one al
most continued and exclusive franchise
of the carrying trade of the Columbia
River, and has grown rich almost be-
yond computation. That company
has held the key to the mountain
locked valleys of Eastern Oregon;-
and, although its charges have not
been so exaeting and immoderate as
other carrying corporations, yet they
have been sufficiently onerous to re-
tard the settlement, and cripple the
growth and developement of that
vast, rich and almost exhaustless por.
tion of our State.
The Holladay line of steamers has
for years enjoyed an exclusive control
of the transportation business be-
tween San Francisco and Portland,
and by its immoderate exactions i'm
migration has been IN great measure
excluded from our domain and our
population has teen for decade al
most at standstill.
Upon the waters of the Willamette
the Peoples Transportation Company
enjoyed an exclusive monopoly for
nearly score of years, during which
time that company was a most soulle SIS
leech upon the peoples pockets. Its
history was one of exactions the most
onerous and demands the most out
rageous. Various attempts were
from time to time made by as many
parties to place upon the river a
wholesome and permanent opposition;
bat that company which had got rich
from the peoples tribute was still
blindly supported by the public, be-
cause forsooth that blinded public
was granted fieeting benefit by the
temporary reductions of the shrewd
monopoly; and when the opposition,
too weak in means and too poorly en-
couraged by the public, were at
length bought off or removed from
the waters by the old line, the system
Of exaetions and oppressive charges
was renewed at even more burden.
some rates. And with the purchase
of that line by Holladay no relief has
ensued. Owning both the railroads
in our valley and the only line of boats
which traverse the waters of Western
Oregon, as well as controlling the
means of ocean travel between San
Francisco and Portland, he holds the
transportation and immigration inter.
ests of the State in an iron GRASP
which can only be hurled from the
throats of the long-suffering people
by the people themselves.
The opportunity for the peoples
freedom is now offered. The opposi-
tion line, inaugurated by gentlemen
representing means and possessing Z
determination equal to the emergen
cy, has been fairly established, and
now asks the people to sustain it.
1t is now generally understood that
the Railroad Company have gone into
a coalition with the Wheat Ring tc
crowd the opposition off the river by
preventing them from being patron
lied. We are credibly informed that
parties who have the past year con
trolled the wheat market in Oregon
are doing all they can against the op
position line, not only by not patron
/. izing it but by giving their agents al
the different points on the river orders
not to ship by the opposition boats :
and where they formerly only pur.
chased grain delivered in Portland
they new refuse to buy grain excep,
at the warehouses in the interior
where it Is stored, thereby taking
away the power of the country grain
merchant to ship by the new line and
thus securing the freight to the Hol.
laday line. Our readers will at once
perceive that the Wheat Spectators
do this for the reason that, if the op.
position is driven off, they will have
their own way in establishing the
price of wheat. Before the opposi.
tion came on the'river it is a well
known fact that the farmer was actu-
ally excluded from shipping his own
wheat because they would only take
it at certain price by the car load OF
ten tons, which amount had to be
delivered at the depot in one day
and if not so deliyered the price
charged for freight was more than