The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-09-01

cation 70 the business manager
ane article headed ~some Facts and
suggestions" IN Tuesdays oresOnlan is a
misrepresentation Of the issue between
Astoria ana Portland. there is no an
,agonism here to the government, i'm.
provents az the Cascades and the DaIles.
IN the columbia. nor to such work in the
upper wmIametS. as may be necessary
70 keep that river open a, any ssagc OF
wasw for nght draf, vessels The Ore
sonian well knows that the Astorian from
81 birth has always advocated these i'm
prosements. II is part Of the AstOrian
proposition that these great waterways
shan be kept open. to gather up the pro-
dnce Of isolated sections and perform
their Indispensable once OF regulating
tariffs on the o. r. s \. ana Southern
Pacific companies. Tue people Of Astoria
have always been and are now unit on
this question. and 1t Is matter OF his
tory that 1t was mainly through their ef-
forts that the government was induced to
commence work ON the Cascade Locks
and at the end OF sixteen years complete
them. Portland. on the other hand. was
then ana is now inImlcal to the whole
scheme involved in me Cascade Locks i'm
prorcmenf. snd X was due to her under
band dealing, in combination with the
railroads. THAI the work was hung up as
long as 1t was The oregOniAn viii not
deny this assertion. for II 1t does the As
iorian viii prove its truth TO the satlsfae-
ton OF every intelligent reader In Oregon
Nor Is this all: II Is believed In Astoria
that work al the Dalles viii not be under
taken. or. II begun. will never be CON-
pleted 50 long as Portiand's influence at
Washington remains unshaken. The OBJ
sect Astoria is striving for is a common
rsiIway-pOlnt equality as a deep water
terminal with Seattle. Tacoma and san
Francisco. Portland Is striving by every
means in her power to prevent this. be-
cause she knows its effect viii be to
transfer the grain OF the Columbia and
Willamette valleys to Astoria for foreign
transhIpment Today. although right in
the beart OF the greatest coast timber
belt. Astoria mills cannot send a foot OF
lumber to eastern markets because Port
land compe;s the railroads terminating
there TO discriminate in their transeonu-
mental tariif rates against Astoria. In her
opposition TO the use OF federal money
IN the Improvement Of the lower colum-
hIa river. Astoria's protest merely goes to
the new undertaking OF further deepening
the present channel. which is now under
going agitation at Portland. 1t is claimed
al Astoria the project OF creating and
a ss-foot channel to Portland
is intended solely for the benefit Of GER
tain railroads and few shippers in Port
land. and that It win in no wise tend
10 the public advantage. one OF
Its supposed effects win be to save
the o. R. n company from hav-
Ing to divide the rates now re-
reived on grain produced in eastern Ore
son and washington-already twice as
much as charged by other transportation
for the same distance-and
compel the producers OF Oregon and
20 support its water line SER
vice between the sea and Portland. The
people OF Astoria contend that the appro-
priation OF federal money to this end con-
Iers not only no public benefit on the peo-
pie Of the northwest territory-the only
heory upon xhich such appropriations
an be constitutionally made-but it
10 the positive injury OF the
Of oregon and Washington,
sho must ship their grain out
through the mouth OF the Columbia.
The Astorian has shown. and the
commercial organizations Of Astoria will
end 10 any inquirer documentary
,roof that loss Of over a million dol
ars per year now results 20 the producers
u the Columbia river basin through the
,nforced transhipment Of their grain at
Portland instead Of Astoria. 1t follows
hus that every dollar spent by the gov
rnment In maintaining deep channel to
cortland goes into the pockets Of private
'eciplents and contributes to lose mil
1
ion dollars each year to the Oregon and
WASHINGTON farmer.
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