The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-11-25

H.
PORTLAND. Ore. Nov. n.-Editoi
AStorian; Tho hry question for u "a
consider Il, whother AZ
Tho First toria should. on eco
Question uomlo laws and under
natural conditions. be-
como tho chief seaport OF ths Colon1bia
basin. Or 70 reduce n % tiie iast anaiy.
~. would Astoria Bay. as our export
ing point. ada moro b th6 value Of our
oxportab9e products and increase the
wealth Of our people moro than any
other point IN Tho Pacific Northwest?
! am mot with the answer that Astoria
has railway connection now. and yet does
not do the exporting.
A Faulty This. n Il claimed. dem
Objection. onstFaes. practically.
that n Il not the natural
seaport Of our products a. against Port
land. Bui this objection s faulty In lts
logic Tho failure Of Astoria TO export
our wheat II due 10 the existence Of un-
natural conditions.
The o. n. a n. stands IN the door and
prevents that result. In geographloaI
possion. covering the
Stands In wheat growing districts.
TIE Door. enables II to refuse the
A. a c. r. r. equal
traffic privileges with those enjoyed by
competing railroads II treats the A. 4 c.
v. r. az local road. 20 be operated on
local rates only. I, refuses to give Il
such rates as will make II common
point" with TAooma and Seattle. which
arc equi-distani with II from the wheat
i0lds. II discFfminates against the As
toria road. II creases the uDnasural con-
dltlons thas produce ne result OF
which Il prutes. The rcply IL faulty. II
Ia not not conclusive answer. II leaves
open rho question OF seaport supremacy.
under natural conditions 20 be debated
upon the settled principles Of commerce.
Tp,osc principles will consider in my
next letter.
But besides that. Il IL not true thai any
test has yet been had OF THAI
question. even with the
Really No o. r. a N. standing IN
Test, a. Yet. the door and forcing the
Astoria and Columbia
River Railroad 70 act under unnatural
conditions and as local rad only. For
the A. 4 c. r. r. Is stlil under process
OF construction. II II IN the hands OF
tho construction company. which has
until January I. 1879. to turn II over TO
the operating department. Events. how
ever, may change this status very soon.
and its ultimate owners may suddenly
take charge OF that road. II is a demon
strable proposition. though. that even w
face OF this discrimination the A. 4 c.
r. r. can With a wheat buyer In the
field. secure all the wheat for export at
Astoria. Simply becNuse Il would be
worth so much more at that port than at
any other port OF the Parafie Northwest
Those In charge OF that road now, how
ever. arc not called upon to tackle that
problem. II can wait the fullness OF
time. whom hs ultimate owners shall be at
the helm. When that time shall come
Il may be found that its owners viii
have control OF the o. r. & \. Co.'s road
also. and the short Line besides. In
deed Il is thought 10 be reasonably GER
tain that such win be the case II Is
manifest. therefore. that the reply is
wholly faulty. and the problem is open
for debate with our merchants and ous'-
ness mon.
Tho O. r. 4 N. Co.'S hired writer, un-
derstood to be ''Col." Pat Donan, lately
In the Mercury derides
why No Astoria because OF her
Growth. failure to grow In he
past two years, notwtth-
standing the certainty OF securing a rail-
road. But Pat knew full well, when nc
penned that O. r. 4 n. venom, tha'
the ONLY CERTAINTY which could
haye made Astoria grow would have beer
tho certainty that she would be the sea-
mort OF this basin on railway connection
solong as the general public believed that
Il would only be local road no growth
was possible To insure that BELIEF and
hlaclcen Astoria's prospects as the tu'
ture chief seaport. the o. r. 4 N, stood
In the door refusing usual common poin
rates IA retained a venal press to how
that tho ships would be forced to 80 tC
Portland as tho best seaport, and th'
oregonlan tuned It's pipes In harmony
with that song having brisk support
from the wheat buyers and elevator men
Az the same time, II suited those who
were pushing the A, & c. 20 oompletior
no nreserve a profound silence as to It's
purpose as we'll as Its ownership. VI
course Astoria dn face Of previous dis
appointments) could not grow under
such conditions, because OF lack OF puohc
confidence In her seaport supremacy
Now let us Inquire why this concert OF
derls,on and hostility? The motive Is
a matter OF vast import
why THIS ance to be known 10
HostnIty9 Portland merchants and
property owners, even
though the Vanderbllts will most likely
make Astoria bay the western terminus
OF their ocean-to-ocean route Thl
knowledge will enable them the sooner t
reverse the conditions so inimical t(
Portlands growth and trade.
The king pin Is "Jim' Hlll's control o
the o. r. & N. CO.. which learn, can b
broken up at any time b,
The King the Vanderbilts through
PIN guaranty Of the inter
est for three years upo
the preferred stock Of thar com
many. HIls policy is, of course
to build up Seattle and the traffic owe
J the Great Northern, now leaplng to tn
front with giant strides under the pres
ent manipuladons Of the Q. r. 3 N, Co
policy, He can accomplish his objeC
only by preventing Astoria from beeom
ing the chief seaport of the Pacific Nortf
west, as these letters win fully SHOW
since wheat charters at Astoria would t
| nr,l,. nhnni aec Laa nA Gan IRA N l,inl,l