The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-06-11

Ihe AstoIIan iNP'AN's
a strong article from the Hillsboro In.
dependen, on the decline Of foreign com
merce with the Columbia river 1t will
be a great satisfaction to the people Of
Astoria to know that paper OF the in
auence and character of the Independent
has taken up this important public ques.
tion. That Oregon, in many respects the
greatest seaboard state Of the Pacific
slope: state right in the pathway OF
the rapidly growing commerce between
the United States and the Orient, with its
matchless possession Of the Columbia
river and complete system OF down
grade railways through the water level
pass Of the Cascade range to that rivers
uov;h. should be surpassed by the dis.
tant and inaccessible ports on Puget
sound in the volume of It's exports and
imports is a source OF both wonder and
humiliation Such a condition is a re
iection on our intelligence and enter
prise as a state. and it Is a loss 10
the people Of the whole country amount.
ing in the aggregate TO many millions
annually. This is no fsneiful statement
nor one born Of hostility or envy Of Porl.
land or the Aourishing cities Of The Puget
sound region. II the Independent will
take the pains to pursue this subject fur.
ther, the extent OF oregons backward
ness compared TO sections incompsraoly
less favored will be a revelation Of start
ling significance. The Independent has hit
upon the exact cause for this unnatural
and ruinous condition. Il Is the attempt
TO continue Portland as the seaport out
let for the great Columbian basin. It was
not merely through The completion OF
all rail connection between the vast pro-
ductive area Of the Inland Empire and
the mouth Of the Columbia river that
Portland ceased longer to serve as the
adequate seaport Of the Columbian basin, |
but the changed economic conditions |
brought abou; by the introduction OF
the immense modern carriers Of ocean |
commerce has rendered the transfer Of
the seaport from a point 100 miles in.
land to the ample mouth o. the Co.um-
bia river absolutely necessary. These
great vessels cannot by any possible ar
tffce Of man be enabled 70 reach a por;
situated in the interior. Their place is On
the ocean. and they must frequent ports
which afford the depth Of water and ia.
cility Of access required by their tire.
mendous boroms. The low price paid
FOR Northwest wheat, and the necessity
for transferring by expensive rail and
coast transportation nearly, II not quite,
onethird of the total product OF oregon
and Washington to San Francisco for
export is the direct consequence of at
tempting to hold the seaport Of this sec.
ton at Portland, or on the other side
" the almost insurmountable mountain
ranges between the inland farmers and
Puget sound. By long odds the natural
point for exporting the products Of the
Interior and importing the products Of
the Orient is at the natural seaport stu.
ated at the end of the only system Of
water level railway transportation on
The entire Pacific coast-the mouth Of
the great Columbia river. The Astorian
has shown, and can show again II II O
Is desired by the Independent, that. the
producers of Oregon, Washington and
Idaho would have saved on this years c
crop Of wheat alone the stupendOus sum
Of 100000. if It had been exported from c