The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-11-24

w be the Chief seaport of
'Tis Vital the cosumbla bassn. X
FFush. that result would be TO
~ mutual bsncht OF both
Portiand and Astoria and II that reahIs
would also rescue our commercial ,rlghts
from aaattle and Puget sound. then the
people of the two cities should know
the truth They should know II speedily
and taey should come to an .about face,
IN shcft order. They should become
dear friends instead OF being mortal foes.
That Astoria should. By natural laws
Of commerce become, tho chief seaport
Of this basin. Is no new
Not aNsw idea with mo Il learned
Idea Il from the oregonian.
80 recently a. October
lssf. thae great paper declared: "As-
ToRIA is THE SEAPORT OF ORE
CON. NATURE Has 50 ORDERED
1T THAT THE STATE CAN HAVE NO
OTHER GREAT sBAPoRT.' II insisted
that railway extension 70 Astoria. 10
make n the seaport. was mot an As.
tona scheme but an oregon scheme"
saying the term Oregon" was used in
the old sense when Il included the Pacific
Northwest For two years prior 10 that
time u had most ably urged the value
TO Portland Of making Astoria the chief
seaport Of the Pacific Northwest. Like
most Portlanders my judgment was
swayed. convinced by It's forceful
thought ]: may be that great paper
makes mart" with SPECIAL Interests out
OF It's power TO sway our minds. Some
strange influence has caused Il lately
10 take the opposite view. Il now claims
Portland must retain the exporting
trade at her wharves and leads our peo-
pie to hno up on that side Of the ques-
lion. Fortunately for me. and perhaps
for Portland. tts able discussion led me
TO careful thought upon that problem so
vital TO Portland's trade and prosperity.
II enabled me TO do my own III hiking.
Now. think that papers original, hon
est IDEA Is the correct view Of this sItua-
tion. II you will permit
Offers to show me. win defend It
the Facis. against its unexplained
change OF opinion. 1 will
submit some facts and deductions 20 show
Its first opinion was clearly sound. I
will also show that II that Is correct
Il Is 90 the highest interest Of Portland,
as wen as Of Astoria. that the latter
should be quickly made the chief ex-
porting point OF this great basin-show-
ing that Portland should fas II easily
can through its railroad) hasten that
resuk with more eagerness than Astoria
would have In the premises.
viii. with your permission. also show
that II Is 10 the highest interest OF the
o. r. & N. Co. to speed
Ths o. n. fly make Astoria the
M Interest. chief seaport. and that
ITS policy in opposition
TO its own interest is due. by clear in
ference. to the influence of one who Is
blocking the prosperity OF Portland's
great road as well as the prosperity OF
Portland itself and OF Astoria also. 10
say nothing OF millions Of values lost to
our interior producers
/ will endeavor TO make Il reasonably |
plain that some occult reason has Induced |
the Oregonian to double |
An Occult on its tracks in order TO |
Force. enlist Portland mer-
chants and Portland |
property owners to uphold policy that |
Is clearly against their best interests |
and that is making a graveyard Of de-
lusive hopes out Of our city
My two great propositions to be proved |
In these letters are % that Astoria is
natures seaport for
rh, Two Oregon" in the larger
Great Facts. sense OF the Pacific
Northwest. both against |
Portland and Puget sound; and (9 |
that the o. r. & N. Co.. by making
Il such las It can in day. would soon
double Portland's trade and population
and quickly double It's own trafic. In
the first claim. l shall rely |
upon the principles Of gravity and
heavy ship tonnage" as securing better |
prices from our export products at the
mouth OF the Columbia through cheaper |
rates by rail as well as by ocean. In
the second claim, It will be
my aim to show an almost incredible ad-
iltlOn to the wealth and population of the
river basin by reason Of the
revolution on the Pacific |
coast and especially in the Pacific North
west that must follow compliance with |
natural laws in shipping our products
from Astoria.
1t need not surprise my fellow mer-
chants 90 discover between the lines,
that "Jim" HiI's craft
The Wheat is aided by a pool of
Pool. selfish interests consist
ing OF the wheat buyers,
he elevator men, and the transportation
companies. All others who aid the
'cheme-all other merchants and prop
srty owners-are mere dupes, deceived
oy powerful press,
Come, let us reason together Let us
not be led by the nose thorough cham
eleon newspapers that
To Portland change opinions without |
trShants. shame and without apol- |
ogy Let us study for |
ourselves this greatest problem Of com
merce In the West, and see IL 1t is true |
that Portland's highest interest is bound
up with that of Astoria. Let us see If it
Is true that these two cities have only
mutual interests and common destiny,
| hope the Astorian viii circulate this
letter In Portland. so our business men
here may become aroused to the critical
situation and to the ruin wrought by
the policy of the o. r. & N. under the
control OF the Great Northern road So
they may, by force of public opinion, at
once put stop to that fatal policy of
refusing to the A. & c. r. R. common
point rates with Tacoma.
An "open railway from the wheat
fields to the month Of the Columbia is
the burning need of the hour for Port
lands prosperity.
A PORTLAND BUSINESS MAN.