The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-08-10
ASTORIA, OREGON:
A California Opinion.

state are discussing the proba-
bic effect upon them Of the COM
pletion of the Northern Pacific
Railroad. The BuNain says:
The effect which the completion
of the Northern Pacific is going to
have on the future OF this city, is
one of the problems Of the hour.
San Francisco has, in a large
sense, been the port oi Oregon.
To this city were conveyed the
goods from New York and Europe
which our sister state needed. Her
export trade, mostly consisting Of
cereals. follows different route
that is to say, around Cape Horn
to Europe. The trade likely to
be affected NAV be defined as a
species OF brokerage. The com
modities destined for Oregon were
deposited here on the way, and we
took such toll out OF them Is the
business would stand. But this is
a sort OF commerce which must
attain TO enormous volume to be a
factor in maintaining a large city.
We have all the China trade there
is, coming this way. But no very
large commercial benefits are de
rived from it. The tea and silk
are transferred from the ship to
the car, and leave nothing behind
but the trifling expense Of hand
ling.
The invention OF the sealed OF
bonded car has operated not only
against San Francisco, bat ali sea-
board cities. Before the era OF
that custom house on wheels, all
foreign goods had to 90 into store
at the point of importation. The
new regulation became the law
before any Of the seaboard cities
had walked up TO its importance.
if, indeed, they considered il 1t all.
1t was brought about by the quie,
exertions of the entcrprising inte-
rior cities. Though it has IN "a
small way affected the interests o.
individuals in scaporis-for under
it every interior city can be a sea-
port, 50 to speak, to itself-wc do
not know that any strong obiec-
ton can be urged against it. 1t is
certainly a rule in the interest OF
the cheaper handling Of goods.
But no trade of that character can
keep a town up unless Il assumes
colossal proportions. Liverpool
NAV be cited as = case in point.
That city Is the place Of the In-
port ana export Of great empires.
in some respects it is unique.
There is no other city that is ex-
actly a parallel. 1t handles most
of the articles imported into Eng
land from or exported 10 tie
United States. I'm that way, il
may be said TO be the place where
the products Of eighty ca ninety
millions of people are exchanged.
1t is also the entreport for most OF
the trade of Australia, India, III
rica and the Mediterranean. But
with all of that Liverpool has only
grown To have n little more than
half a million OF people. Ifit had
nothing else but this trade, colos-
sal as it is, to depend on, it would
not be near 50 populoas. There
are 10 facts accessible 10 show
how much of It's Development is
due TO actual manufactures and
how much to commerce. But il
may be assumed with safety that
Liverpool would be 4 small city
to-day if it did not have sugar re-
ineries, iron and brass fcundries.
iron and steel forges, works for
making steam engines, ma
chinery, chains, cables, anch-
ors, rope, sails, soap, ship build
ing on an extensive scale, and
watch and jewelry manufactures.
New York does not occupy q
position corresponding to that o.
Liverpool. 1t is not the sole ex-
change place between America and
England. 1t has four or five rivals
i'm the business, which ut the latest
computation accessible had 90.
away with Il per cent Of its com
merce; but New York for all that
has more than double the popula-
tion Of the city named. There is
enough here TO show that it is not
commerce exclusively that builds
up cities. Commerce indicates
the point where they must in the
first instance be located, and helps,
but is not the prime factor. 1t is
only where associated with manu-
iactures that 4 great city is posi-
bic. All that we have a prospect
of losing is the brokerage on a
portion of the trade of a growing
state north Of US; but as it will
presently appear, only in very
restricted sense.
The trade of Eastern Oregon,
never very great, has long since
been largely diverted from this
city. That section has been OBJ
tanning much of the supplies it
needs directly from the Union Pa
chic and its branches in the east.
The goods which ROW come across
the Central and Southern Pacific
to this city and are shipped hence
to Portland, will hereafter be trans
ported mostly by the Northern