The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-03-19
PoRTLAND'S PERvERsITY
RETARDs oREGoN's GROWTH.
a Resident Of Portland Points out the
Wonderful Commercial advancement
OF the State OF Washington.

The pcrvrrsity OF the people OF Port
land regarding whaS Is called the Astoria
proposition" said an old and highly re.
spectacle citizen Of Poruand. who wa,
once mayor OF that city. to an AstoriAr
representative Friday. will be referred
TO some day as one OF the most Surpris.
: Ing incidents In Pacific coast history.
/ II have lived long enough In Oregon tc
rccah time when the tnen territory
Of Washington had less than i5.Ooo lnhab.
ltantS. At that time oregon was a full
/ fledged state aud had many times the
population Of Washington. In point Of
natural advantages and resources. Ore
gon Is far superior TO Washington and
yc, the latter state hus steadily Increased
In population and Importance until II IL
now so far In advance OF Oregon that
our own state h practically lost sight
OF by immigrants and investors,
"Thls comparative decadenoe Of Oregon
Is attributed solely TO the narrow and
provincial spirit OF PortlanderS. WASH
ingtons growth ls entirely due TO her
commercial development. oregons back.
wardness IL due 10 her lack OF commercial
development, In spite OF the fact that
she has the advantage OF the mlghtiest
river on the north American continent
with site for an cntrepot and seaport
al the mouth OF that river eQuallcd by
no other but New York In this whole
country.
"The vast possibilities OF this seaport
have been not only totally neglected by
portianders but actually rcpressed and
discred.ted IN every Imaginable way. out
Of a mistaken apprehension OF its future
rivalry,
millions Of dollars have been utterly
wasted in frultless attempt to maintain
seaport supremacy at Portland The
money squandered In this way for the
last i've years II invested at the mouth
OF the Columbia river would have made
Portland by this time fully the equal
of san Francisco, and the cities, OF
Seattle and Tacoma would have relapsed
into huwling wilderness
To-day Seattle and Tacoma have not
ony fully revived from the disastrous
panic of few years ago, but In all es-
sentials that go to make up n live and
progressive city, Seattle Is far ahead Of
Portland and pressing hard on San Fran
cisco. have seen my own city steadily
decline until II has ceased to figure In the
commerce OF tho world and even of our
own coast, except as an Inland point for
loading portion of the grain raised In
the Inland Empire.
~ earnestly urged our businessmen
years ago to take steps for the develop
meni OF the Alaska trade, At that time,
with the same number of railroads reach
Ing Puget sound. and in spite of the ad-
vantages Cf Seattle's boastcd inside pass
axe, we controlled this trade. | have
seen this trade decline until It has been
totally lost, and in the last - months
out OF the thousands OF passengers and
countless cargoes Of merchandise which
have gone to Alaska, not one passenger
nor one pound of freight went from
Portland,
~ need not speak OF the great Oriental
traffic now centered IN Puget sound nor
of The tremendous growth Of coastwlse
trade tributary to the two cities located
there To contrast all this with the one
single line of two regular steamers sail
ing out Of this port for San Franelsco
humillutes and pains me to the core,
Aside from the wheat brought for foreign
shipment to Portland because It can find
no outlet elsewhere, oregon with all It's
vast coast line and Its noble river would
cut absolutely no figure in the maratime
statistics Of the world"