The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-17

So far as the amount OF aggregate
saving that can thus be Effected 10 con-
cerned the Astorian contends that the
better price which might have been OBJ
tained at the mouth OF the Columbia
river on even cne-third OF the total
crop OF the Inland Empire, or the SOO, 90
tons which the oregonian estimates as
the amount OF wheat shipped from the
Columbia river last year. would have
50 affected the price OF the remainder
OF the crOp-elther as exported trom
Puget sound or consumed by the mill
trust at home-that the value OF the
entire crop in the producers hands
would have aetted them 12.Soo,eoo, or
Sl.ee 2-S-not "a ton more than they
actually received.
Finally, attention is called to the vital
admission made by the oregOnian that
a rate OF one dollar q ton on wheat
for the lVe-mile haul between Portland
and Astoria would enable the Astoria
railroad to make money. and a good
deal OF money" and that 1T is as good
a thing as a railroad would want" The
AstOrian quite agrees with the orego-
nian in this contention. In fact. one Of
the complaints the Astorian has been
making against the o. r. g. ". Com
pany for several years is its refusal TO
reduce its rate charged on wheat from
interior points to something like this
reasonable sum. That road now charges
the Eastern Oregon and Washington
producer nearly two dollars for each 100
mile haul it moves his wheat toward
tide water. II the oregonian would aid
the Astorian in forcing the wheat rates
OF the o. r. & y. down to one dollar a
ton for each IOO-mile haul. Portland.
Oregon. and the whole Columbian basin
would get a substantial banefit from
that roads water-level grades, and the
producers could ga an average Of much
more than one dollar a ton better price
for their wheat even in Portland. A
reduction OF the o. r. & n. rate to
this sum which the Oregonian declares
to he as good a thing as a railroad
would Cor should want" would more
than wipe out the difference in the
price Of wheat which now favors the
Puget sound market over Portland. 1t
would. indeed, be a grand thing for
the whole Northwest IL the o. r. & N.
we're willing to accept this good thing
as a railroad would Tor ought to)
want
With this concession by the o. r. &
N. no extension Of the common point
is required to make Astoria equal
with the Puget sound ports. Or rather
with the rate suggested by the Orego-
nian on the o. r. & n. to Portland, the
producer can we'll stand the same pro-
portionate differ9ntial on the haul from
Portland to Astoria, and Astoria will
then have so much advantage over Pu-
get sound ports that the saving in
trans-shipping export wheat TO the yes
sci at Astoria instead Of al Puget
sound or Portland will enhance the val
ue OF each average crop in the hands Of
the producer much more than the AS
torian's estimate OF 12,5OO,OO0--ln fact.
1t would make the producers Of the
Columbia nearly II not quite. 5000. 900
better off each year The Oregonian has
struck the keynote at last, and every
producer and dweller in the Columbian
basin should thank the Astorlan for
having started its great and influential
contemporary or the right track.
GREAT LUMBER CONTRACT.