The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-01-30
THE PILOT BILL.
A Correspondent Accounts For the Milk
In the Cocoanut.

To The EDITOR OF The Historian.
The milk in the pilot bill cocoanui
is this; Portland and Tacoma are, by
agreement between the o. r. & n. Co
and the n. P, made common points
That is wheat we will say is hauled
from the interior. to the two places
at the same rate.
Ships can be chartered for Tacoma
at about the same rate as to Astoria.
This leaves on the other side of the
EQUATION against Portland, 100 miles
of sand bars and shoals between Port
land and Astoria, the natural COM
mon point with Tacoma. This differ
ence against Portland, is charged mp
to the ships loading at Portland, which
makes charters higher there, than at
Tacoma.
This places Portland at disadvan-
tage by the amount of extra cost be-
tween Portland and Astoria, which is
what Portland is trying to get rid of
now. In her desperate effort to keep
the pie and eat it at the same time,
she has brought forth the pilot bill,
whereby the men who brave the
storms by night and day, and who
risk their lives for the safe conduct
of ships into port, are reduced to q
mere pittance for their services, that
Portland might be able to maintain
her supremacy in the commercial
world-that she might be able to
cope successfully with Tacoma. She
is trying to demonstrate that, He
that hath not shall be taken away
even that he hath" Suppose that
they succeed in driving the pilots
from the river, which they surely will
do if that bill passes, unless the o. r.
& n. Co. magnanimously steps in and
makes her river captains pilots, what
will be the result? or course up goes
insurance, and consequently up goes
charters, then where are they? The
0fegoniGn has always claimed, and
justly too, that wheat can be hauled
down through the Columbia gap to
Portland cheaper than it can be
hauled over the mountains to Ia
coma. Then why don't they do it, so
as to make the difference in the costs
between Portland and Astoria, and
not try to cripple commerce, and do
an unjust thing, by making the pilots
pay the difference. .
The reasons are very simple. First
the o. R. & N. Co. wants that difference
to put into its pocket, secondly they
don't dare do it, because so soon as
they do, the n. P. Co., will follow
them down in rates, and they will be
just where they were when they
started, because the two places, Port.
land and Tacoma, are made common
points by agreement. There is no
law Of commerce or trade, that will
eliminate the difference in cost Of
charters between Tacoma and Port
land, for the simple reason that they
are not by nature situated the same.
No amount OF tinkering and sq4eez-
ing and unjust legislation, can make
them commercially equal, for the bed
Of the river from Astoria to Portland
is too near the surface. AS we'll at
tempt to make 6 equal s. Then what
is the remedy? Surely not in putting
pilots on half rations. II the 0. Z. &
Co., can haul wheat down the Colum-
bia, cheaper than the N. P. can haul
over the mountains, let it continue
its line on down the river to Astoria,
the great natural common point with
Tacoma, and let it deliver wheat at
Astoria, the same as it is delivered at
Tacoma, and that will settle it, and
nothing else will. That is the manly
and business way to do it.
This will save to the farmers 70
cents to a 81 a ton, on every ton of
freight they ship, the o. R. & n. Co.
will be as well off as the N. P. Co., by
their own admission; Portland will be
just as well off as she now is, Astoria
will be little better of, there will be
better feeling all around, aud the
whole country will be more prosper
Gus and harmonious.
There is an irrepl essible conflict
with nature in this matter, that will
not down, till justice is done the
country by these transportation lines.
II the o. R. & N. Co, is not dis
posed to do what is right for them
selves and the whole country, put
Oregon's commerce on an equality
with that Of the Sound, let the leg
iSlature cOrnDpl them TO do so If If he