The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-03-12
rRANscoxrrNENrAL COMMERCE.
The New York Tribune says;

being more than realized. A single INK
Is lacking to the completion OF one such
belt Of telegraphic wires. Several rail.
road lines cross the North American con-
tnent. connecting at each end with steam
ship lines that complete the circuit OF the
globe: and one railroad is nearly finished
and another being surveyed across the
Asian continent Upon an these the ma
tions look with eQuanimity The pro-
motion Of travel. trade and communica-
ton for one is benefit more or less di-
rect to ALL What does concern each indi-
vidual nation is the disposition OF its own
internal and external commerce and the
transit trade across its own dominions
That is the matter that appeals to the
United States with special urgency today,
Is this country to do It's own domestic
carrying. or let Il be done by ALIENS Is
the great highroad OF transcontinental
trade and travel to cross the United
States. or pass beyond It's northern bor-
der?
Senator Elkins raised these questions
at Washington few days ago. and in
doing 50. in a lucid and convincing man
ner performed a national service. He
showed that the Canadian transcoitinent-
al railroad is conducting ruinous COM
petition with United States railroads. In
both transoontinental traffic and the do
mesilc commeioe Of this nation. The esti-
mate that the Canadian road gets S5oooo,-
oco year that should come to United
States roads Is well within bounds Of
moderation. And II is enabled to do this.
how BY the receipt OF enormous sub
sidies from the British government AMI
By the operation Of laws enacted by the
United States government which dis
criminate in favor of il and against the
railroads Of the United States. This IS
the literal fact. There is probably no
comparable institution in the world that |
has received as many gifts. concessions.
privileges and subsidies from the gov
ernment as has the Canadian Pacific rail-
road Its whole history is record OF
subsidies privileges-and corruption. And |
while United States railroads are sub
jtcted TO the provisions OF the interstate
commerce law. their Canadian rival Is ex-
empted therefrom. and yet is permitted
TO compete freely with them in interstate
commerce. In brief. an alien concern IS
permitted to DO business in the United
States without amenability to United
States law A more Illogical and incon-
This country restricts its domestic carry
ing trade by sea. coastwise. to its own
vessels Why should it not restrict its
domestic carrying trade by land to its own
railroads? Instead OF that, it encourages
alien roads 10 enter Il; just as though Il
should offer premium to foreign shipping
to DO its coastwise trade.
There is no question OF hostility to Cam
ada or to her transcontinental railroad
Tha question is one Of simple justice to
the United States and it's railroads and
canals. II Canada has enough business
to support her railroads. by all means let
her have It. without grudging. But it is
time 20 stop her from levying blackmaIl
pom United States roads and from tab
ing their legitimate business away from
them under cover Of privilege which they
DO not enjoy. Blackmail Is a harsh word
but no softer one adequately des rlbes
the demanding Of bonus Of $4,000 as the
price Of keeping the Canadian Pacific
railroad out OF San Francisco for a single
year. Yet in the face OF that the Cana
dian managers have the frigid effrontery
to say that United States business is Of
no profit to them. and that they engage
IN It only as an accommodation to this
oountry The fact is as every careful
student Of the case should know. that the
Canadian road lives on the profits OF its
United States business. and if 1t were de- {
rrived OF them would speedily become
bankrupt in spite Of its subsidies and cx-
emption from taxation.
The one argument worthy Of considera- {
tion put forward by the United States ,
friends Of the Canadian railroads is that
this unfair Canadian competition has
forced down freight rates. and thus bene-
tted the farmers of the northwest. II is I
by no means certain that such Is the
case. But II II be, the argument is by
no means conclusive. Perhaps the aboli j
tiou Of the protective tariff would tenn
rorarily lower the prices Of some goods
to United States consumers. but in the
end such action would be disastrous to the
very people II was designed to benefit Il
Domestic competition, under protection Z
will not fail TO keep prices as low as they b
should be for the welfare Of all and the /
same would doubtless be true Of the g
lines. Let United States
railroads be freed from the handicap Of /.
subsidized alien competition. the great n
Internal waterway from the head Of the /,
Great Lakes TO the port of New York be a
made adequate TO the demands Of com n
merce, the extortionate elevator and b
bther terminal charges in New York be d
abolished and both ocean gateways of :.
That harbor be made fit for the safe pass :,
'ge OF any ship at any hour. Freight rates .,
will be low enough then, and the United Ia
States will be confirmed in It's place as q Il
ink in the great route OF trade and travel n
round the globe p
To Astoria and oregon the cessation Of .
lompetition with the Canadian Pacific
railroad and its allied line of Oriental fc
steamers means much to every citizen Of OF
nur great commonwealth More import
mt to this state, now on the eve of its D
aevelopment from wilderness into ta