The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-12-29
DISAGREEABLE,
BUT USEFUL
WHITTIER ARE We DRIFTING
A Stern Condition and Not q Sweet
Theory COnfronts AstOria-ln-
dOIcnce Means Ruin.

A letter 10 the Orsgonian yesterday
from q special Astoria correspondent
caused much comment on the street.
The letter was IN part az follows:
Astoria ~ d0OmrJ' There Is no
longer any use 'n trying % hold up,
was q statement u a prominent mem.
Der Of the Astoria Street Railway
Company today WHEN we electrified
the street car line dght years ago.
DE continued, There were thirsen
canneriea running ln Upper Astoria
ana the employees. with their families.
w-r" using our line which paid vel.
Then the panic came. Then fOlOwec
the cinuery combine, which was al
most ne bad Tor he town and rs prop
erty-hoidsrs Nov there rs oriy one
cunnery % b. operated In UppertoWn.
Everything rs against the town and
a man might as we'll got out az quick
8F he can"
The gtockhpdsr II the gtroe.-caY
company was feeling very blue over
the foreclosure o fsw days ago " the
81 900 mortgage on the line BY the
trust company. 0f Portland He was
alsv ilahaart-Hed Over the failure ot
the Kuettner (alleged) syndicate's
nptiJn. which Expired yesterday.
Thes two Simultaneous blows hit
the prominent and optimistic Astoria
street railway stOckholder very hard.
and left him with a sid heart az
Nuletide. There are some who claim
that the cunning hand Of the Astoria
Company, A. B. Hammond, manager.
Is behind the whole situltion-ths Op-
tl0n the foreclosure and the default
IN complying with the option; all With
the purpose of buying Il for the trus,
cJmpr"y's debts. These per sons In
support Of that claim, point out thai
Ar. Hammond Is the most active bear
on iS- Astoria situation. and never
0mits a chance 20 bellttle the situR-
tion q the seaport boomers by the
roaring OCEAN. They point out 10 hF
removal Of his business offices ard
residence 10 Portland and his refusal
10 lead any movement for securing
wheat shipments al Astoria. The
interes. on the bonds of the street
car company has hen unpaid for
several years The llne IL running
under direction OF The receiver. but
with the Old officials still in charge.
The travel Is very hight as the aver.
age Astorlan prefers 10 hoof Il along
tho sOggy plank walks where their
webs have a fine chance to grow.
R@lly. the town Is not In 50 bad o
FIX as tfe respondent stockholder de.
clared. He himself Is doing a nns
business in his line and there are many
Industries that make a large payroll
IN the little town Of big eXpecta-
tions."
Intentionally or not, the writer does
Astoria service IN pointing out the
unpleasant fact that our tendency
commercially IS not upward This city
cannot expect the cannedes % support
the present population OF Astoria. for
the contraction in that industry Is
inevitable. Astoria will not only 10.
grow under pres ut conditions but she
win decline
Astoria has a railroad WITHOUT COM
mon point rates, giving US all the dis
advantages and none Of the advap.
tages Of railway communication. The
line Is but a feeder for Portland and
Astoria is doing the feeding. It is now
rumured that the railroad offices will
be moved to Portland and some re-
cent happenings tend to confirm the
rumnr
What are we going to do?" We
might curse and We might cry bu,
neither will bring business and popu-
laton to Astoria Work; hard. intel
ligently directed effort. perslstcntly
made, is palpably the one thing left
for Ast0Tlans to do.
In a discussion Of the "streat-car"
letter yesterday gentleman remark.
ed, 1T seems to me that in trying 10 |
remove the transportation restrictions |
that prevail against us we have tried
10 work too much alone, or. what is
more useless, tried TO work With Port
and, whose leading business men are
opposed to all that we ask.
Dur natural allies in this fight are the
'armers, yet we have made no effort
o secure their organized assistance.
We should have sent representatives.
Who can intelllgently discuss the sub
ect to every grange and to the state
The proposition should have
,een presented personally by delegates
0 the commercial bodies OF inland
owns and to the editors OF inland
newspapers. General, impersolal ap-
reals accomplish little unless hacked
Ip by discriminating personal effort"