The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-10-18
4 QUANTITY ALWAYS PLUS,

The Oregonlan. october %. 1884;
Portland was founded and Portland has
grown strictly In accord with natural con-
dluons. Il was founded az the place
where natural routes meet. along when
commerce could move with the least re-
slstancc, By some II has been supposed
that with the development OF our rail-
road systems this advantage which na-
ture has conferred would cease to be op-
eratlve. or certainly would be greatly re-
duced. In the time Of speculative devel-
opment this seemed plausible; but now,
when the squirt or burst OF irregular ae-
t.ylty is done, and industry and COM
mercc are settling down into natural
channels. the old advantage is again as
serting itself. The same conditions that
made the Columbia river gateway the or
lgInal route OF commerce and the first line
in the northwest along which Industry
was developed. are operating today, and
will operate forever. with the same gen.
crnl force. In other words. It is easier ana
cheaper and quicker 10 pass through our
high mountain walls than to pass over
them. And, the closer the margins on
our products. and on trade In general
the more distinct will this advantage be-
come.
The distance from Pasco to Tacoma
by rail is g76 miles. The distance from
Walula to Portland by rail is PA miles,
or GO miles In favor OF Portland But this
Is not all The former is a high noun
famous route; the latter a water-level
grade. Nevertheless, in the application
OF the common point principle, there
has been discrimination against the CO.
lumbia or oregon lines, The roads to the
north OF us have made the same rates
to their terminals that have been made
to Portland, though our route is g. miles
shorter and free from mountain grades,
Neither Portland nor the producers or
the interior therefore have yet received
the full benehts of their natural advan-
tages,
The quick and ready way to bring about
the desired result is to build railroad
to Astoria. This will shift the common
point for the Columbia or oregon route
down to the sea. 1t does not mean that
the river between Astoria and Portland
would no more be used by ships but ii
would mean that the railways running
direct into Portland and on to Astoria
from the interior could rid themselves OF
the disadvantage under which they labor
mon point" doctrine to a condition that
permits them to receive no advantages
from their shorter distances and easy
grades,
From Portland to Astoria by railway
survey, the distance is IS miles This
would make the entire distance from
Wallula to Astoria by rail $40 miles, with
water level or lightly descending grade
all the way, and only Sc miles further
than from Pasco to Tacoma, with very
long and heavy grades, and enormous ex-
pense to overcome them. In such a COM
parlson the further distance Of Sc miles
is not to be taken into acoounB and, II
It were IL Is far more than overbalanced
by the greater distance that ships must
sail in going into ana returning
from Puget Sound, Vessels bound from
Puget Sound ports almost all sail up past
the Columbia river, and the excess of dis
tance going and returning, is not less
than 500 miles, and the time both ways
from twelve to twenty days
With the opening of a railway route to