The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-11-29
ASToRIA'S LACK OF DOCKS AND
WAREHOUSES;.

Under the caption Help Yourself"
The Dalles Times -Mountaineer quotes
the following paragraphs from the AS
torian:
Wheat today delivered by the rail-
roads al the cheap port ~ Astoria,
night on the seacoast, and from three
tuseven days closer sail TO the markets
Of Europe and the Orient, would
bring 90 70 IS cents a bushel. With the
great free port Of Astoria established
as a common point the quantity Of
wheat delivered here in the course Of
a few years. perhaps one year, would
make Astoria the greatest wheat mar
ket on the Pacific coast. The publica--
tion abroad II the fact. long-looked
for by foreign ship owners and masters.
that wheat can be obtained at the
mouth Of the Columbia river where
vessels may be loaded unvexed by
towags and port charges; where no de-
lays need occur; where the matches
may be bautened down and the ship
reach the open sea 10 take advantage
ef the most favorable weather within
one hour after loading IS completed,
would bring such a fleet % the Colum-
bis every year that natural competi-
ton would reduce charter rates TO per-
haps as low figure as on the Atlantic
coast. from all the principal ports OF
which wheat is carried 10 Liverpool
for S.65 a ton.
Then why do not the wheat produc-
ers Of the interior force the railroads
TO give them the option Of shipping
their wheat 20 Astoria at the same rate
charged TO the more distant and ex-
pensive ports OF Puget sound? Why
do NOT the newpapers OF the interior
take up this question and show the
facts as to this discrimination Of the
transportation companies, and the rea-
sen for it, 10 their farmer read=rs?
On these statements the Dalles paper
makes the following comment:
Since the Astoriaa has been 50 free
TO ask questions OF the up country
press We desire TO ask some questions
Of II. Suppose the producers u the
interior were to force the railroads to
give the same rate on their wheat 10
Astoria as given To the Sound or even
TO Portland. what would they do with
It after they got it there? What facili-
ties has Astoria for storing wheat?
Is there q warehouse, dock or elevator
there capable Of taking in 100000
bushels Of wheat? Are there any IA
cilites for handling the grain output
Of the Inland Empire. amounting to
some lj.0O00O0 pr ~. 900. 900 bushels?
Does Astora expect the farmers - the
interior to go there with their wheat
anu furnish stowdge facilities too?
Docs II expect up country papers 10
advise farmers to ship their products
to a port where there are no facilities
for handing them?
It cannot BE- denied that Astoria has
the best harbOr on th- coast outside
San Francisco but IL also has "A lot Of
mossbacks that appear 10 want the
people OF the interior TO ID for them
what they should do themselves.
Since the Astorian has seen fit to tell
US what We should do. We consider II
would not be iladvieed 10 tell the AS
torian what To do. or at least 10 ask il
a few more questions First of all
WHEN you gave Mr Hammond your
railroad t. Seaside and donated MIN a
,lgTi% ,G, d,5 U, , ,' No, " stnT,as. as ,a, ~
the consideration that his railroad
o.u od ,en erh, .so,, .o,IJ 'h h "IaTa nSa
common point? Why whea You
@.t s6matHirg in .ati1rne Wbv drin,t
you display little business s-nse
conc. ssIonso And now thar YOU have
neglected 10 h-ip y24I'-,i "h-h you
wise your people to erect docks. ware
n1uS-I anu r,r.''''. "a i'ao'- "I nan, haIr-
if it were offered you? After this is