The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-12-23


gun the right, Indeed Il it not their
duty. 60 demand that our railway lines
give uH equal rates, under IKE condi.
tions, TO those enjoyed by our COM
pOtnorsG
Exactly the same rule applies to west.
bound shipments The farmer or miller
desiring TO ship torcisn finds that II he
would ship fiom the Columbia river,
he cannot Ect common rates to that
point, that is, he cannot ship there Tor
the same rate that he can ship 10 Ia.
coma or Seattle lie can ship TO Port-
land Tor the same prices hut from there
he must take either scagulng vessel
and pay towage detention charges and
possibly lightcmgc. or he must pay local
rates from Portland 20 the mouth of the
river IN order to get his freight for
wardcd ~ that point
Now II he wants To ship 20 any point
In Washington, h. can do So. Tor the
same price charged for shipping 90
Portland, seattle or Tacoma, In other
words. ror one and the same price you
can ship from any point reached by a
Washington railr,ad wheat or other
products, for foreign shipment % any
seaport Of Washington. reached by q
railroad. whereas. In Oregon. for an
equal price. Wv can shin only 20 rort-
nna Is such policy calculated TO
build up our commerce and develop In
dustrlesg
our Portland friends seem to thnk
that II common rates wcrc extended to
Astoria. Il would work to porlland's In
jury. Such polloy IN Washington has
not resulted inlurlously ia Seattle and
Tacoma. suppose you have observed
that by the census returns, Washington
Is shown 10 have population some
thing like hundred thousand more
than Oregon. Ten years ago we wcrc
ahead 10 Washington,
Rul have you had occasion "a CONT
pare the commercial growth ~ Puget
sound and the Columbia II not, IL
VIII make sou weep when you have
compared them In 1854. the foreign
shipments from Puget sound ports ag-
Eregated In value. ts09s 55s, aud those
VI thv Columbia river wcrc ti.,s6,gi9. In
1893. thar Of the sound ports had IN
creased 70 Sst.si2,S0s. or 1900 per cent.
while that of the Columbia had only
advanced 10 Sg0lj,5,i or less than 80
per cent incpaSe Does this situation not
furnish food Tor reflection Is there
no, something wrongt What Is the
cause or OrcgOns feeble growth IN pop.
ulatlon and commerce. Largely due. Ia
my judgment. 70 the hllberal policy
pursued by our railroads
Have not the people OF Oregon tht
right 10 demand that their dcvpwatrr
port be granted rates equally as advan-
tageous as those enjoyed hy competing
ports IN Washington II that Is not
DONE can oregon hope 20 become a
successful competitor tor the Oriental
trade3
II such rates were granted. the largca,
vessels atioat would come 90 the Colum-
bla and with such shlrs We would
have the cheapest port on the Pacific,
IN my judgment Il Is also Portland's
interest. indeed Il Is necessary 20 her
prosperity. that such rates b. granted
Astoria Tor only hy 80 doing can conf
merce be- kept In the Columbia river
channel. This does not mean the ccssa-
ton OF river improvements. Secure and
Keep as deep channel as possible 10
Portland. Many ships will doubtless
continue 10 go there. but the deepest
draft vessels will stop here.
No one doubts but that Portland viii
continue "a be the metropolis OF ORE
gun. because the wealth and Influence
Of the state are cenlercd there. but she
should be and continue 10 be the me-
trupolis u the entire Northwest. Press
ent conditions and policies VIII not per-
init her so 10 be.
/ do not suppose any Orrgonlan Is
willing 10 admit that Oregon has been
less favored by nature. Is less wealthy
In natural resources and advantages
than Washington. am not. But lt
IL necessary that oregon shall have
equal transportation rates. The North
crn Pacific hRuls wheat on an up grade
from points one hundred 10 one hundred
and iifty miles further from Tacoma.
:han corresponding points In Oregon are
from Portland. on the Dew line of the
o. X. x ~. on a down grade. for ex-
actly the same price.
Yet, when this proposition II first
suggested. many people naturally are
surprised that we should expect the O.
r. 4 y. Co. 20 haul wheat - Astoria
for az low rate as 10 Portland. They
forget that u IL not n question between
Astoria and Portland. but between the
mouth Of the Columbia river. or Ore
g0n's deepest harb)r. and the senports
OF Washington and California. The
question Is. shall the producers OF Ore
gon profit by their gravity route 10 the
seabOard2
Some people say Portland Is the
natural shipping point for Oregon"
Very well, II she has natural advan-
tages they VIII protect her, and she
need not fear being damaged by equal
rates being extended 10 other points.
Her natural advantages will protect
her and what we want II. that all Ore
huI Ia ola
equality with all seap0rts OF Washing
ton.
think II was the Oregonlan which
made the statement the other day that
II only cost. on an average. about $500
To tow vessel In and out and that 20
per cent Of that was charged up be-
tween Astoria and the sea, and only
30 per cent between Astoria and PORT
land The o. X. & n. does the towing
and II might say II charged up 90
per cent between Astoria and the
sea, but that would not make fifteen
miles more than 125. II ls folly to make
such statements.
Every one who gives the subject any
thought knows that II must cost more
to tow from Astoria to Portland. 10
miles. than from Astoria to the sea. Is
miles.
However, I fear you will think have
wandered far from the subject sugges-
ted IN your letter. StIll. I believe my
suggestions are germane TO the ques-
ton, and while there are other things
to BE- done and your proposals are on
the right line. we must have common
rates With Washington to the seaboard
and 10 the East.
Sincerely yours.
~ w ITfT nnN