The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-10-09
CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP co.
SAN YRANoIsOO. Gel
LeuAViLLE W. NEW YORK. n. v.

compilnhed more for Astoria's real pros
pcrity during iia brief existence than any
commercial organization In tho clty'H
previous history. II Ia characteristics u
the mth-younR men-who compose this
energetic body that. while others are con.
tent 20 advise. suggest. and otherwise
talk" tho Astoria proposition they have
been quietly unobiruHlycly but persist
entity working" for the good OF the city
An immense deal has been done by them
by this method Of which the general pub
lie has never heard and possibly may
never give them credit for.
From the very beginning Of the common
point agitation the Astoria Progressive
Association has been steadily at work on
that proposition. II has not pnradcd itn
doinEn In the newspapers. nor has Il dis
cuaned them on the street corners. But
by correspondence and the circulation Of
facts and figures In directions where they
were calculated 10 DO the most good. II
has never ceased TO urEe the advantage
upon the inland producer and the state
Of oregon at large OF common railway
point At Astoria.
Among other plans Il has devised 10
further this object has been that OF hold
ing a convention OF farmers for It's dis
cusuion at sons convenient place. The
original suggestion OF this movement vas
made 40 long ago that Astoria people had
about concluded nothing would come OF
a. Hut Il Is not like the Astoria Progress
slye Commercial Association 10 take It's
hands on the plow after Il once puts them
10 Il: and 80 Il will be with It's project
OF holding q wheat-growers' congress-
on yesterday there arrived In Astoria I
Mr.. J. y. West. Of wAia walla. who will |
DO present az tomorrow evenings meet /
ing Of the Push club. rs representative
OF the wheat. growers Of Walla walla and 1
that vicinity. 70 discuss with them ways
and means for the immediate storage and
shipment at Astoria OF large
quantity Of this seasons wheat
Mr.. West n very lntelligtn, man. and
evidently thoroughly posted on the com
mon point question. He says the produc-
ers OF the Inland Empire are determined
TO cmancipate themselves from the op-
preston and extortlon OF the Portland
wheat mRnipulators and tho transporta-
lion companies lie says they real nc that
the o. r. s n. Is charging too much to
bring their product TO deep water. and Is
getting rich on the earnings Of the farm.
ers: that no reason exists why the farmer
should have 10 contribute two tolls on
The same transportation line In order 10
get his produce to market.
"The o, Il. q n. ~ now charging more
than one.thlrd larger rates for taking
wheat to Portland than Is received by the
Northern Pacific over It's mountain route
into Seattle and with this further differ
snce that. after the wheat reaches Puget
sound. although It Is stlll long distance
from the open ocean. II Is on deep water,
md nothing further Is exacted for its
transportation on any railroad.
"But." Mr. West says. 1.-THE situation
with the o. II, a n, Is very different
When the wheat reaches Portland II Is
,tlll moro than iOO miles from the ocean,
md another tarln must be paid the same
company to take Il to the
'ea for foreign shipment, or TO the San
Franciaco market"
Farmers In the Inland Empire do not
propose to put up with this condition
my longer They know that they have
been robbed OF millions OF dollars a year
ly braHen-faced combination organized
'or that purpose, Before the completion
u the Astoria & Columbia River railway
hey were, In measure. forced to sub
nit to the extortions OF the wheat pool;
cut 1t Is not so any longer. The dlffe;ence
n the price paid the inland farmer by the
wheat combine and the price they re-
'eive for II In Liverpool and San Francis
% has built up immense fortunes for
'cw men In Portland, With common
,olnt at Astoria wheat would bring al
most. n not quite. the same price now
received In San Francisco. IL Is the farm
RS due that he should have this increased
price Instead Of the wheat pool and the
D. r. X N, Co, No one desires to have
the o. r. & ~ Co. haul wheat for less
than It's transportation is worth, but that
company IL now receiving far more than
i Ia worth TO transport wheat from the
fields OF the Inland Empire to the ocean
II could well AFFORD TO deliver wheat at
Astoria for the price now paid for drop
ping Il in Portland, and II could be here
loaded in the deepest draft ships right at
the ocean With common point at AS
torla practically the entire crop OF the
Inland Empire would be shipped from
Astoria, for vessels destined to puget
sound could be intercepted at the mouth
Of the Columbia and saved the long voy-
age up the stormy coast of Washington
and the expense of pllotage ana towase
into the sound,
astoria .harbor would be thus crowoeu
with ships and their competition with
each other would result In forcing charter
rates down to the lowest figures, Every
penny so saved would go to enhance the
price paid to the farmers" +"