The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-11-17
A LOOK AT THE SITUATION.

The Astoria chamber OF commerce
should appoint a select committee OF
one say NJ. ]. Kinney or d. X. Warren
or other trustworthy. independent, and
substantial friend OF Astoria to confer
with President Hammond upon the
railroad situation.
There are three distinct interests in
volved in that situation. 1t is a three
eornered struggle The o. R. & N.
Company has its interests tied up with
Portland and is now holding unknown
ultimate purposes as to the ocean ter
minus The A. & c. R. R. Company
has its railroad interests with equally
uncertain purposes. dependent upon
the interests Of Its unknown owners,
who are proceeding with profound
secrecy and without giving any conf
dence to the people Of Astoria or seek
ing their cooperation by disclosing
whether 1t is their purpose to force
connecting lines TO use it in making
Astoria the seaport or whether it is
their purpose to bottle up this great
port for reasons Of interest financial
or business) to themselves. The city
Of Astoria has an interest distinct
from the other two. Her sole object
and only possible interest is to have
the A. & C. cooperate with connecting
lines for the purpose of making this
the exporting and importing point Of
the Columbian basin. Her interest is
at one with that OF the producers Of
that basin who will thereby secure the
additions Of millions Of dollars an
nually TO their pockets through cheap
ened ocean charters.
Whether President Hammond and
his associates in the A. G. c. Company
are seeking to secure this sole object
Of AstOria's ambition no one knows;
they do not choose to disclose their pur-
poses or plans. So far as is visible TO ,
us they are making no progress in the
direction which Astoria is seeking. OF
course it may be they are working
secretly and most effectively to that
end. 1t is even surmised by some that
they have the necessary agreements al
ready made whereby the Union Pacific,
the Southern and Northern Pacific viii
soon be jointly owning and using the I
A. & c. K. r. as an exporting and i'm
porting trunk line. But no one knows
how that is II the n. P. which stands I
in the door Of the situation, has re- A
fused absolutely to make Astoria its s
western export terminal; if the A. & 2
g. IS not seeking TO secure the great Z
object Of Astorians and of Columbian a
basin producers, then it is time for h
Astoria to know the facts and to gird "
IN her armor 1t is time in that case. c
'or her to appeal to the producers and ..
,ther interests Of this basin TO the end n
hat this plain right shall be secured. "
L the A. & c. r. r. and its owners are II
t one with US in that ambition, the fight ="
will be short sharp and decisive. Mr..
hammond, leading us, can very soon {,
ompel the Z. p. 10 come to terms. If ii
fr Hammond or his associates, how u
yer, have opposite interests, then the .
ght viii be harder, but it can be won ".
y the united struggle Of the people tn
-storia and the producers Of this basin. IN
The Astorian hopes, in fact believes. -
hat Mr.. Hammond and his associates -
re working to make Astoria the sea tiC
ort Of the Columbian basin, but there nj
IN be no assurance that this is 50 70
ON results so far accomplished. 80
The only way for Astoria to act ad-
sedly in the promises is for her pr
lamber Of commerce to appoint ye
'oper committee TO interview Mr. Is
be-
almond and learn from him the true ioc
atus of the railroad situation. and if lea
is as here surmised, to Cooperate lar
Ith him and to give assurance to the ol
ople Of Astoria that the A. & c. r. e
their friend and doing all that Is In