The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-09-23

A writer IN the oregOnIan OF septem-
bsr u complains that ships enough can
nOs be had to carry oregOn's exports to
she Orient. and that Portland has been
obliged to utilize Oriental steamship lines
sailing from the Sound. Yet in the same
number Of that paper appears the usual
daily quota OF Misrepresentation and Eidi-
rule OF Astona's EFFORTS to secure com
mon point equality with the Sound. The
oregonian knows well enough that COM
mon point at Astoria would ooviate any
NECESSITY for the shipment OF oreSOn's
products by way OF the Sound. because
Astoria would then attract more ana
cheaper shipping than the Sound. but
nothing can make much palmer the
existence OF a studied policy on the part
o. the oregonian and Portland TO build up
the ports on the Sound in order to keep
down the development Of any seaport in
Oregon outside OF Portland In one OF the
0regonian's recent attempts to account
for the difference in the price OF wheat
between Oregon and California It was al
Iaged that the reason charter rates were
higher at Portland than at San Fran
cisco was because ships entering the lat
ter port could bring inward cargoes.
which they could not do at Portland VIII
he oregonian explain why 1t is that ships
entering the Sound ports bring inward
eargoes, and that large proportion OF
the autY now collected by the Portland
custom house Is on goods imported at Ia
coma and Seattle! The oregonian may
seek to lall the Astoria controversy or
II may aght II as It chooses, but the per-
tInent questions here and heretofore
asked that paper will continue to be
urged by Astoria people until the atten-
tion OF the whole state Is drawn to the
subject and the selfish attitude Of Port
land and the oregonlan Is thoroughly ex-
posed 10 readers everywhere. 1t is not AS
fora alone. but other sections of oregon
and pretty nearly every industry outside
Of Portland are made to suffer In order
that few Portland cormorants may con-
tinue 10 feast and fatten upon the vitals
Of the state A sugar factory has been
started at La Grande. but instead Of en-
eouraging an industry which promises 50
much for the state and that particular ag-
ricultural region. We find the oregonian
ponderously and strenuously advocating
the Importation Of sugar from the fields
OF cheap and heathen laborers in the
Philippines and elsewhere. mus the life
of this new industry must be endangered
or destroyed. IL necessary. to the end
that real estate in Portland may be
doomed by the retention there Of the
mythical title Of a seaport in oregon.
Astoria must be slandered and the claims
Of her position on the map OF the uni
verse derided in order that Portland's
railroad and wheat pool may get rich at
the expense Of the t.llers Of the Columbia
basin. So feverishly concerned is our
great contemporary that Portland's su-
premacy shall be upheld. 1t catches at
every seemingly favorable straw that
drifts along. careless Of the relation Of
other things. and utterly regardless Of all
consistency with It's own prior utterances.
In this same issue Of the 18th instant the
0regonian lauds the idea Of a true
transcontinental road" and the control
Of the o. II. & N. by Sound road. en-
tirely overlooking the fact that but lit
tie while ago It printed long expatiationS
and profuse congratulations TO Portland
over the independence" Of the o. r. &
n. and its non-llabillty to control in the
Interest OF any transcontlnental road;
saying that 1t should be forever kept di-
vorced from any system and be used
alike by all as a great toll road into Ore
gon. Is the oregonian become so blind
Z cannot see that any Sound road in con-
troll Of the o. R. & n. would use its ia
eilities east to increase shipments to the
sound and keep down competition from
any port on the COLUMBIA?
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