The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-12-23
WHERE THE FAULT LIES.

WHERE THE FAULT LIES.
western oregon needs the canal =
says the Oregonian, and then the Port
land paper launches into vigorous
utterance with reference to commercial
conditions existing now and in the past
In the Pacific northwest and particu-
Tarly in our own beloved Oregon. The
expression is a remarkable one, for 1T
bears out all that was ever maintained
in Astoria respecting commercial mat
tiers, and is q complete refutation Of the
g}regonian's own strenuous statements
during the long period that the famous
common point agitation was carried on,
Says the Oregonian:
"Why is Portland not a city of 2O0,-
900 people today instead of 100000 or
125,00o? The answer is that the trade
that would otherwise have come to 1t
has gone to Puget sound. Seattle has
100000 people, and Tacoma has $4,000.
The state of Washington has $4,000,
the state of Oregon has 41S,000. The
state of Washington increased by 160,-
900 from 1890 to 1900 while the state
Of Oregon increased but 95,000-why? !?
Principally because the sound has been
built up through the efforts of railroads
Rauling across the Cascade mountains
those eastern Washington and eastern
Oregon products which, with an open
river and consequently lower rates,
might have come to Portland"
The failure of Oregon to keep pace
with her sister state was indeed due
to the failure of Oregon to hold the
bulk Of the grain exporting business.
That failure was the fault of Portland,
Long before the sound country had
reached its present important propor7
sions. Portland's railroad--the o. r..
a. N. Co. (then nothing more than q
local line, depending solely on business
picked up between Spokane and Port
Iaud for it's maintenance, and making
no pretensions, except in name, as a
transcontirfentaD went into pool with
the Bound roads, the arrangement maxi
ing 1t possible for the Northern Pa
cific and Great Northern to handle an
nualIy many hundreds of thousands Of
bushels of grain that should .never, in
Justice to all concerned, have been
hauled one foot beyond the Columbia
river. Our farmers were mulcted, our
prosperity threatened, and Portland,
the metropolis OF the northwest, stood
ON the banks of the Willamette an in
surmountahle barrier to the progress
Of the great state of Oregon.
There was then solution of this
prohleni. and the Oregonian fought Bit
terly to maintain the existing order of
fR2ngs. Its editor director of the
Oregon road, the Portland paper raised
its voice against the people of its own
state ana the vast country behind IL
and assisted In every manner possible
in continuing the very situation that
gave, the sound its commercial prestige.
II ridieuled the Indignant protests Of
the people living elsewhere in the state
aud sought the undoing of those who
opposed the unholy pool Its wilful
misrepresentation poisoned the minds
. fthe people most commemorative farm
ers, against the Astoria contention, and
the producers were robbed of vast
sum annually the while Seattle ana
Tacoma and other Washington towns
became cities
Now the oregonian howls for mn
open river, that the products Of the
inland empire may be hauled down to
its docks in direct competition With the
railroads. Had terminal rates been ex-
tended 10 Astoria six or eight years ago
there would have been little need Tor
an open river, for utilization Of this
rort would have brought the railroads
into competition with each other. The
orexonian once had great influence
with railroad--or vice versa--ou'
that time has passed, Mr. Hartman
does not recognize oregonians in his
commercial plans. He seeks to DO
business at the least possible operating