The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-11-22
RAPID TRANSIT
According 10 Mr.. Staftord's View Of the
Situation, Must BE Used Con.
Jointly With Common
Point Rates.

The following letter from d. r. stat
ford, who although he has no imlne-
date financial interests in the question.
yet has. with thousands Of others, ore
CONS best interests at heart. appeared
IN the columns Of yesterdays Oregon.
ian. His presentation Of the situation
IL candid and very much 10 the point.
PORTLAND. Nov. 20.-(To the Ed
tor lin reading the articles on the
common point. It Is interesting 10 note
the def(ersnt phases 0f the subject as
shown by different correspondents.
hope you VIII thoroughly yentilate the
subject. Please give space 10 this ar
ticle, which voices the ideas Of many
OrgOnlana. who. Ike myself. have no
pecuniary Interest IN either Portland,
Astoria. the river or railroad; but az
OregOnians We have AN interest In the
welfare u any part Of the state. and a
pride In the energy and thrift Portland
has dlsI layed IN the past, which, II
continued In the future. will keep her
where she belongs. which Is AT the head
Of the cities OF the Northwest.
When / first raw Portland. It's COM
merce. or trade. az * Is now called, was
small and local. and might be likened 10
a small stream, which could b. guided.
damned or controlled With lisile ef-
fort The valley. The mines. and a few
/ logging camps we're ALA bark during
the summer. an ocean steamer once a
month and few small river boats fur
| nished the carrying capacity FOR Ore
gon'B c0n'mrrce. With room 20 spare.
Back Of Portland lies the INLAND En-
/ pire The spirit OF erHplre In this
country Is not the imperialism Cf Bry-
an, but trade; Just plain. simple trade
so as this Inland Empire began 10
! TEEN with life. the little stream cf trade
at Portland increased and became a
river. not 50 easy TO dam or guile. It
bids fair 70 become a flood. on which.
let Us hope. Portland viii ride with
pennant flying
With the settlement Of the Philip
/ pine trouble. and the war In China. we
/ shall have the whole continent OF
North America 5ssSz!s..ng the Oriental
trade by way OF the Pacific. Then the
canal at the lsthmus will come right
along and throw big trade In lumber.
shingles. and the heavy articles TO the
water route that now 20 by rail or fail
10 go at all. Everything points to the
flood 0f trade for the three coast ports
on the Pacific.
In the rush and rustic for her share
Of this trade. Portland will need the
common point for her harbor at the
mouth Of the Columbia.
There must be no hold up or weak
link In the chain Of commerce. She
VIII need the river for heavy and SLOW
freighting and the rails for fast freight.
The need Is told in two words, rapid
transit"
II Portland is to have her share OF
this great coming trade. she must be
prepared 10 put goods onto wheels and
send them trundiing across the conti-
nent. perhaps TO New York. Boston.
Montreal. or. maybe. London. The
freight has. in fact, started for the
worlds market so soon as il leaves the
dock on wheels. A carload Of high
priced goods may be sold and It's final
dtstinatlon changed several times while
on It's way 10 the East. The difference
OF few hours may give a profit or
loss
Portland has an advantage over 9TH
or cities Of the coast, II she is willing
10 use II. in the fine harbor at the
nver's mouth. Modern advantages like
the telephone and telegraph make II
easy for a merchant in Portland to
lead or discharge a vessel six miles in
side the bar as at dock in Portland.
What would London be today IL her
dependence was on the trade that was
compelled to pass up or down the
Thames?
1t is for Portland TO choose whether
she will be a leading Northwest city,
doing her part and getting her share
OF the worlds trade. or be relegated to
the list OF those cities depending on
their surrounding local trade. II Is
time she was getting all her forces and
advantages in line and ready for ac-
tlon.
Just 4 few words in regard to the RI
valry and jealously existing In a few
psople. both in Portland and Astoria.
This all comes from that good old trait
OF character which. makes n man want
TO night for his home and firesde. Good
things. however. are often a little mis-
placed, which is the case In this. They
should be shoulder to shoulder. Instead
OF face to face. Their interests are one.
The river and harbOr from inland to the
sea are as much the property of one
as the other. The ability to use the
advantages Of the river and harbor has
not made itself apparent in Astoria; so.
II used, some other place must do the
using. Why not Portland? The needs
OF trade win surely set some one to us
ing them. The common-point question
Is not of Astoria. or Portland in partie-
ular, but the question is, Shall any
man. or body OF men. stand in the way
and hold up the worlds trade? MANY
there are who say no.
d. F. STAFFORD