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

1 AANrN Two NNNlUltfNlAi NNitliAilcttNNNIt
to the Orient from Oregon should set
some kind of a recognition or commits.
sion nom the president which would b.
a source of protection as well as giving
shem cntree 10 the officers OF the gov.
ernment IN foreign countries from
'bailtit to king"
OF course such move once inaugur.
ated, there would grow out OF Il innum.
cradle business ramlncatlonS which
cannot even be suggested here. The
spirit ot commerce was born with the
| Anglo-SaN race. We are the COM
mcrcla leaders of the world az presen,
and the American should not lose In
luster by comparison with his British
brother Liberty and commerce have
grown together and come down 10 US
/ through the ages hand In hand
/ The power ot personal Initiative Ia Us
I as people Is the abiding trait ~ para
mount usefulness The world Is lndeh,.
/ ed TO America Tor the inventive genius
/ of the agc which has made our mod.
ern progress possible. While America
has given TO the world most Of the use
ful mechanical inventions. Including the
/ telegraph. telephone and various cleo
/ trlcal appliances. believe she is yet
60 accomplish greater things as a
/ worlds factor II she can enter properly
upon the solution % this Oriental trade
/ question.
have come to believe that he who
| does most 10 promote commerce does
most FOR civilization, I believe this on
I coming contest Is To be- one between
! political systems and that our free in
Stitutions are hes, suited 60 a progress.
I i've age and to solve commercial prob
I lens correctly.
agree with an lllustrlous American
/ who recently said tha, he believed.
should Anglo-Saxon prestige be de-
stroyed human liberty. the choicest
boon OF heaven, would perish from the
earth
Begging pardon for the length TO
which this letter has grown and hoping
TO have a reply from you az an early
date | am. faithfully your friend,
EDWARD EVERETT YOUNG.
Astoria, Oregon. Nov. 2S. 1890.
Mr.. Edward Everett Young,
Sump,er. Oregon.
My Dear Mr. Young;-I have received
your very interesting letter 0f the 25th
inst. | fully agree with YOU on the Inn
port0nce of taking some step 20 place
Oregon a, the front In the commerce
of the Orient l think that your sug-
ges,lon that an organization be formed
and that representatives be sent
throughout the far East 10 promote our
interests. most excellent plan and |
VIII gladly cooperate In maturing and
carrying out any such plan.
There Is. however. one feature OF our
present situation commercially which
| wish We're more widely understood
throughout Oregon. and particularly
Eastern Oregon. and that is the injury
that is being daily and annually luiilct-
ed on our commercial and Industrial
growth. by the refusal of our trans
portatlon lines TO grant common freight
rates on our products 10 the seabOard
and TO the east.
By common rates. mean the same
rates as are enjoyed by Seattle. Tacoma
and Portland. and every railway point
In the state Of Washington The Inn
preston prevails that this question Is
only ~ interest 10 Portland and As.
toria. and that II Is simply an issue be-
tween these two places. The truth Is.
II Is matter of.the most vital import
ance to the people throughout the state
Of Oregon and the commerce OF the en-
tire Columbia basin.
You say Jim Hin is now engaged
In constructing large and deep draft
vessels which. you think. cannot enter
Astoria harbOr. II Is true Mr.. Hill Is
having constructed ships that will have
draft OF over thirty feet. but that
policy Is not confined 70 Mr.. Hin and
the Great Northern. n Is the established
policy OF all transportation lines the
world over. and the harbOr. which.
from now on, cannot accommodate ves-
sells Of like or greater draft will cease
10 be a factor In ocean commerce.
You are mistaken. however. In assum-
ing that the harbor of Astoria cannot
accommodate such vessels. There Is no
ship ahoat that cannot enter the mouth
Of the Columbia river. nor Is there
building any ship that cannot come
into Astoria. but. Of course. such ships
cannot 20 up to Portland. The entrance
10 the Columbia Is being deepened 10 a
minimum depth Of forty feet at low
tide. which will give II ordinarily. a
depth Of from i5 10 IS feet. But even
now at ordinary high tides. a vessel
drawing thirty feet or over can enter
and any vessel that can enter San Fran
cisco harbor can enter the mouth Of
the Columbia. This is a fact which
seems not to be generally understood.
but Is. nevertheless. q fact.
II Is not. however, entirely (thOugh
largely a question OF depth Of water
that makes a harbor attractive for ship
ping. OF course there must be plenty
Of water. but II Is also important that
ships may have as little detention as
possible. The quicker a ship can dis
charge and take on another cargo and
get to sea again. the better for the bank
account OF her owner Astoria being
near the ocean, Of course, a ship can
more quickly load and get to sea from
/ here.
| However, this contention about COM
| mon rates II not to be considered from
| the standpoint Of an Astorian or Port
! lander II Is OF minor interest TO the
! people Of the state how It does or shall
affect either locally. II Is all import
ant how 1t affects the commercial and
/ Industrial growth and development OF
| the state.
The effect on Astoria Is Of interest
to her people only. but when conditions
which retard her growth retard the
growth Of the entire state, the cause be-
comes a matter Of wide public concern
! II Is not common rates on wheat alone
that we ask.
We demand common rates east on our
lumber. Not for Astoria alone, but
for every point In the state reached by
2 railroad where a sawmill Is located
Why? Simply because we must com
pete with Washington lumber in the
eastern markets, and every railroad
point in Washington. no difference
where situated. Is given exactly the
same rates east on it's lumber ship
ments as are enjoyed by Seattle. Ia
coma and Portland. While in Oregon
we have to pay local rate to Portland
in addition, and that. Of course, absorbs
the profit. II It does not prohibit the
| fraH1o