The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1881-07-30
The Oregon Monopoly.

Discussing the scheme set iorth
by Mr.. Willard in his remarks at a
meeting of representative men at
St. Paul few days ago, which is
much the largest in Its scope of
any yet attempted in the history of
railroad undertakings, embracing,
as it does, a through line from the
great lakes to the Pacific ocean,
supported by an extra system Of
branches throughout Oregon, Wash
ington, Idaho, Montana, Dakota
and Minnesota, and extending
northward into the British terri
tory, taking in the entire North
ern Pacific scheme and proposing
to extend it till the main line and
branches penetrate all parts of the
vast country which can be devel-
oped by the system; embracing all
that was originally mapped for the
Oregon Railway and Navigation
company, with the addition of lit
eral lines and branches; and finally,
including the Oregon and Califor-
MIA company with Its western Ore
gon roads and their extension to
proper connection with the rail
way system of California, and the
city of San Francisco, the Orego-
nian says:
1t is vast and comprehensive
plan, and appears to be backed by
a force that renders its success
entirely certain. 1t will be seen
at once that it is no visionary un-
dertaking, as capital enough is
already known to be embarked in
it TO put it through. 1t is doubt
ful whether any other part of the
field covered by the plans en-
braced in this prodigious under
taking will realize the changes and
general consequences to follow il
in an equal degree with Oregon
and Washington. No other part
of the field needs this development
so much, has waited so long for
it or is so entirely dependent upon
it. Alone of all the states and
territories Oregon and Washington
are still without railway communi-
cation with other parts Of the
country. We are the last to be
brought into connection with the
general railway system of the
whole United States. But in
some quarters objection begins now
to be made that we are TO be at the
mercy of monopoly. What have
we expected? \ great corpora
ton is now at work in our midst.
For twenty-five years we have
waited, striyen and hoped for the
very work this corporation is now
dong. 1t is a big corporation, of
course. 1t commands enormous
capital. But no small corporation
could accomplish what it has un-
dertaken. No small aggregation
of capital would suffice. In the
nature of things it is a monopoly
too. Occupying the place it does,
and carrying on operations on so
vast scale, it could not be any,
thing else. 1t is a monopoly be-
cause nobody else is likely to raise
or combine one hundred millions
of money for competition with it;
and if such thing could be done,
then neither undertaking could be
made to pay any return on invest
ment so great. But people who
consider the whole situation are
not going to permit themselves to
be worried by this bugbear of mo-
nopoiy. 1t may be supposed that
they foresaw the whole situation
when they were so anxious to have
the great undertakings which this
corporation now has in hand be-
gun and pushed through. If there
be any who did not foresee it, they
were singularly blind to most OBJ
vious consequences. There would
seem to be little propriety in hav-
ing waited and labored so long for
this very work, to turn about now
and begin TO distress ourselves
with anticipations of dire conse-
quences from it.