The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-03-25
AN ASTOUNDING DISCOVERY AND
A DOUBLE DUTY.

Thursdays oregOnIan contained the
following little matter OF fac, news item;
President A. L. Mohler, DIRECTOR H
w SCOTT. General Trafic Manager B.
Campbell and Chief Engineer W. H.
Kennedy. OF the o, r. & ~. left yester-
day afternoon for trip TO Lewiston.
and they viii inspect at least a part OF
the work on the new Snake River valley
line. They expect to return tomorrow.
II thus develops that Editor Scott is
also director OF the o. r. & y. Com
pany. This VIII be a revelation to the
wheat raisers of the Columbian basin.
II at once charges Mr.. Scott with a
DOUBLE DUTY. He is. we believe. too
great man to let the blandishments OF
place or the ernoiuments OF ofice warp
the policy Of his powerful paper against
the interests Of the Columbian producers;
OF the city Of Portland and Of himself
Il is now doubiy his duty to discuss with
the Astorian the great ECONOMIC
QUESTION of the value to ALL
JEWELLERS in this basin Of an "open
railway" from the wheat fields to deep
water at Astoria. via the line OF his
railway. by means of common point
rate with Tacoma
The Astorian asserts that such an
'open railway" to the seabOard would
% add MANY MILLION dollars annu-
ally to the value of the Columbian wheat
crop. through the CHEAPER OCEAN
CHARTERS of heavy ship tonnage pos
sIbe at Astoria and impossible at Port
land: would 90 concentrate, practically,
ALL the trans-Pacihc trade upon the
Columbian basin, making that section
the center of the west and quickly doub-
ling its wealth and population; would
co greatly increase the traffic Of Mr..
Scotts railway. not only by such in
crease OF population, but also by turning
all the export and trans-Pacihc business
over that line: would tD quickly make
Portland the GREATEST city in the
West, instead of the DwTNDLING
BACKwooDS TOWN it now is
The Astorian also affirms that the o.
r. & n. Company's present policy of hos
tility to an "open railway at Astoria
is dictated by President Hill of the
Great Northern road. TO the great injury
of Portland and the o. R. & N. Com
pany by the upbuilding OF Seattle. which
WIN become very shortly the chief city
OF the Pacific Northwest, II an open
railway" from the wheat fields to As
toria continues to be successfully frus-
trated.
Director Scott doubtless knows the
true fnwardness Of the y. r. & N. Com !
pany's policy 1t is his duty to inform .
Editor Scott Of that status No doubt |
ne has already done so. As director It is /
the duty OF Mr.. Scott to act for the in
terest Of his road, as against the Great
Northerns scheme to benefit its ter
mlnals on Puget sound at the expense Of
Portland and the o. r. & N. Company.
AS editor, It is Mr. scotts plain duty
to defend himself before the people Of
the Columbian basin against the As
torian's charge that the present policy
OF his road is ruinous alike to itself, to
all the producers of this region, and es-
pecially ruinous to Portland.
The Astorlan again invites the oregon
ian to debate these vital questions with it.
We call upon all the press of this basin,
in every valley of every stream-the Will
annette, John Day Snake. Upper Column
bla, and the scores Of other fertile