Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-08
Obstructing Commerce.
San Francisco Chronicle.


The trick by which Willard, Presi
dent of theOregon Railway and Navi-
cation Company, secured for his COM
pany control of the Northern Pacific
Railway was cute one, and highly
advantageous to the party :. repre-
sents as we'll as to Porti4..u. But on
broad view of the subject it can only
be regarded as a method of obstruct-
ing the commerce of the great North
west, but especially of Eastern Ole-
gon and Washington Territory. In
fact, if it can be carried into eXecu-
ton it will deal blow to the pros
pectiye trade Of Puget Sound and to
development in the vast agricul-
tural district lying between the Cas-
cade range and Snake river, from
which there is hardly a reasonable
hope of recovery for a quarter of %
century to come. The Steam Nav
igation Company own a railway sys-
tenn connecting Eastern Oregon with
the city of Portland, and by
means OF steamers, with tho mouth
of the Columbia river, near Astoria.
This line of communication is nearly
$50 miles longer than that by the
route projected by Billings, Presi-
denS of the n. =. from the same
poiut--the mouth cf Snake riyer-to
the sea, by way of Tacoma, on Puget
Sound. But this is not all the diff
ference against the Portland route.
The largest class of deep-sea vessels
can at all seasons and any stage of
the tide get to Tacoma without
obstruction. The. harbor is one of
the best in the world as 10 safety,
depth of water and capaciousness.
A y ship that can enter the Golden
Gate at mean tide can enter the port
o. Tacoma at the lowest tide. That
is to say, Tacoma is a safe harbor
for ships that draw from 26 to 30
feet of water. On the other hand,
the bar at the mouth of the Co.
lumbia channel--at low tide
affords only water enough for
ships of sixteen feet drausht; and
unless the sea is entirely or al
most undisturbed by wind, it is
not q safe entrance for vessels
of more than twelve feet. The North
channel is narrow. crooked, very
dangerous and practically aban-
doned. The estuary of the Colum-
bia, extending from the sea as far
upward as thirty miles, is for the
greater part of the year subject to
dense fogs, during the prevalence of
which it is not safe either to attempt
the passage out or to Gloss the bar
inwardly. These natural causes can
never be remedied. Dredging the
bar gives but temporary relief. A
single heavy southerly gale suffices
to reduce the depth of water to its
original standard - about sixteen
feet at low tide. 1t follows that the
route of the Steam Navigation Com
pany, and to which their interests
are bound by the very strongest ties,
is not the route that can serve the
best interest of commerce. Vessels
of sixteen feet drausht are not the
class needed to conduct the great
grain trade of Eastern Oregon and
Washington. The largest of deep
sea vessels are demanded in the in
tsrests both of shippers and pro-
ducers; and these can only serve the
trade from Puget Sound ports. AS
long, therefore, as the Northern Pa
eifc Railway is diverted from the
route to its natural terminus on the
Sound, the commerce and develop
ment of the vast and splendid agri-
cultural region east of the Cascade
range will be seriously obstructed.
The Oregon Railway and Steam
Navigation Company will make mil
lions by it, but they will derive their
profits from the producers, who
must pay them the lions share of
their hard earnings for the transpor-
tation of their surplus to the sea by
the way of Portland. This is the
situation. There Is nothing In it
for congratulation by tho general
public. 1t will inevitably set back