The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-01-06
AN EvAsrvE ANswER

AN EvAsIvE ANSWER
Elscwnere We copy an oregOnlan edl.
iOnai IN reply to the Assoran's claim
that the heavy snip tonnage possible
as Astoria and impossible At Portland
would add mlnIOns. annually to TN
products Of this basin If THE o. R. a
\. co. WOULD MAKE ASTORIA A
coMMoN POINT WITH TACOMA In
other words. our claim that an open
RAILWAY FROM THE WHEAT
FIELDS TO THE OCEAN Is worth nil
Hons every year to our producers.
TIE edROrtl cOnccdes vaguely IT Is
sruel our claim that As,Oria's heavy
ship tonnage would add these millions
70 our producers pockets IL makes the
concession as follows: The economies
Of commerce. the Astoran declares. reat
largely upon increase In the size md
depth Of ships This Is a fact both true
and familiar" Tacitly cOnceding TIA,
vessels Of 2 ,S = fses drassh, OF modern
commerce cannot get to Portland. il says
In substance. however. that the river to
Portland can be deepened COy the Port
OF Portland enough to admit ships Of
the heanes, tonnage That Is an absurd
answer In face OF the plain admission
that railway equality between Astoria
and Tacoma would AT ONCE give our
producers s20 a ton more for their wheat
The s2sa a toa now charged by the o.
r. & n. steamers TO take It to san
Francisco for foreign shipment al Liver
pool prices It Is not only an absurd
answer. Out 1t IS a false one. Philadel-
phia has now a sO-fOot channel as against
POrland's SsA-fOOt channel Yet prac-
tically all the wheat goes past that city
20 New York for foreign shipment. in
spite Of a heavy railway dsnerenuai TO
Philadelphia. Why is that sof Simply
because the wheat is worth more to the
producers at the coast port than q,
far Inland port Of however great depth.
FurthermOre, II would be impossible for
the Port Of Portland to vuiid and
maintain sO-foot channel for 100 miles.
Its construction would cost nOO.s.aoOo.
!, would bankrupt Portland. Even the
United States could not accomplish such
a gigantic feat in face OF the annual
spring freshets OF the Wild and turbulent
Columbia Why then such a Wild schsne
Of uncertain results. in fact in face Of
almost certain failure. when giving the
A. 8 C. equal rates with the Northern
% Tacoma would accomplish the de-
'ired result7 Suppose the northeastern
Through a wheat poor should
somblne to force exports at Philadelphia
md Baltimore. with a loss Of vast NIL
Ions annually to the producers. how
Ong would the people Of that section
Itand such oppression? Verify, in the
anguage Of the apostle. they would wipe
he earth with that pool and scatter 1t
% the uttermOst quarters OF the globe.
Talk in newspapers or elsewhere. says
he great organ. never made port and
lever Eill make one" But II an un-
fought press Of this basin shall arouse
'ur people to the iniquity Of the o. r.
N. Co.'S refusal to make an open
ailway' to the sea by means OF common
'oina rates with Tacoma, the desired
esult with its inestimable benefits to
LII THE PEOPLE OF THIS BASIN
VII follow like magic. 1t would not
simply increase land values in Astoria"
: the small organ OF the wheat pool
the East oregonian) says Nor is it
rue. as that s. 0. says. that 'the news |
apers of the Inland Empire have no
interest in Astoria. other than what ii
,reates for itself by worthy efforts"
This finest port on earth is worth vast
md increasing millions to the Inland
Empire and to all honorable newspapers
{ that great region. It is the key to
immense wealth for all those people and
4 Portland also, as the Astorlan's ex-
lanstive pamphlet shows. The S. 0. ne.
Fleets to answer that fair and complete
Irgument except by mere assertion.
such assertion as that If there were
uch a difference between charters be-
ween the two ports 1t would not be a
week before Astoria would be shipping
Wheat to Liverpool" It ignores the fact
ct out in that pamphlet, and wen es-
abliahed. Of the incomplete condition Of
ar road ana Of the hostility Of the o.