The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-08-25

tOiAn W oipiotiA anu iCeui II W tbC
sea, and 35 cents per registered
ton for towing vessels one or both
! ways between the Pacific ocean
and Astoria, subject to an addition
al charge of 10 cents per registered
b! ton vessel with cargo towed from
| the sea to Astoria or Portland; and
a charge of $40 for tugs hawser
each way between Astoria and
the sea in all cases where the same
is used
"The company has further given
notice that these rates are for tow
age only, and that all pilotage fees
must be paid direct to the pilots.
"With regard to pilotage we are
! informed that the pilots now re-
9uire payment of the tonnage fees
to which they are entitled by sta
tnte, with the result that the
charge on the ship is greatly in
creased.
'The results of these changes is
to impose on ship a charge two
or three times as great as formerly,
e. G. a large ship now about to
leave the port has had to pay
$1700, whereas before the recent
changes she would have been
charged 5000 only, which was the
maximum charge on ships of be-
tween 1900 and 2100 tons regis
ter.
"This increase in expenses should
not be overlooked by shipowners
when treating for freights from
Portland
The ship referred to is said to be
the Crofton Hall. No one can now
contend, it would appear, that the
effect of the new law will be other
wise than to increase the expense
of the port. The idea of those who
in good faith contended for the bill
and succeeded in so mystifying the
country members that they passeJ,
the measure blindly, seems to have
been that the Union Pacific could
in this way be forced to pay for q
better service, and is thoroughly re-
futed by this paragraph printed in
italics in the company's towage
tariff sheet.
"Rates named above are for tow
age ouly, and do not include eth
er bar or river pilotage; and all
pilotage fees, if any, must be paid
direct to the pilots. The companl
toes not assume any responsibilit,
for the acts or omissions Of any ba
or river pilots; and any unneces
sary detention Of towboats caused
by any fault of the ship or pilo
thereof will be charged for at tho
rate of $8 per hour in addition t..
! the above rates."
| As has been explained before, tho
! Union Pacific has charged tho
/ pilots for using its tugs, go that j
| will safely reimburse itself for what
IL is out by law There is suppos
ed to be enough increase elso to
Offset the lessened freight tariff in
| Washington under the Anderson
rate law. The Palouse country
farmers, therefore, will get about
as much for their wheat under the
Tacoma-Portland competition as if
the pilotage law here had been un-
changed. The Willamette Valley
and Eastern Oregon farmers will
have to pay the Increased expenses
of the port in lower prices for their
wheat than they would otherwise
have obtained. For relief they
must look to the next Legislature.
-[Oregonian Aug. 4.
The farmers of Eastern WASH
ington as well as those Of the Will
lamette Valley and Eastern Oregon
should take heed Of the conditions
concerning terminal charges at the
markets of the Northwest, as prices
for their products are vitality affec-
ted by the conditions ruling in re-
gard to the expense of the towing
vessels from sea to sea. AS stated
in the foregoing ''the farmers will
have to pay the increased expense
of the port, in lowering prices for
their wheat" Therefore, it is we'll
for the producers of all sections
wherever possible, to see that their
products are placed in such posi-
tion with regard to the transporta-
tion lines, sothat they can be ship
ped to any port where charges for
towage and rilotage Of vessels are
the cheapest, made SO by more fav-
, orable conditions for access to deep
) water, as in the case Of Puget
! Sound, where charges for towage
: services are considerably under
other Northwest ports, and will
ever remain so. aug-25-1t
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