The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-09-13
ASTORIA MUST AID ASTORIA
Doctrine Of Local Interest Urged--Let
the Railroads Alone for Awhile
Build Up Nearby Issues and
Others as Well.
astoria, Sept. IL, 1906.

"Mr. Editor-Why make 80 much
about Portland and the riverf We
all want public money and depend upon
eac! other for II; and not altogether
on merit, either! II one inquiries too
CLOSELY into the merit OF his neigh
boris wishes, perhaps flaws will be
found In the inquiier's demand; at least
an opposition may be awakened that
viii defeat the desire Of the latter.
'The improvement Of the Columbia
river between its mouth and Portland
has been largely In the interests Of
the railroads. 1t has saved the road
100 miles Of haul and still gives 1t
the same freight money. it would have
received II it had carried the grain that
one hundred miles instead OF the ships.
ut may have cost the farmer east of
the Cascade Mountains, from one to
two cents per bushel more, but what
OF itf Astorian's do not own any
wheat land there and the farmers liv-
Ing there are able to take care of them
selves. When railroads shall be built
through the country the farmers will
assert themselves; and while they are
beseecbing the companies to extend
the roads, they will not say much about
freight rates, and while the country
newspaper proprietor Is railroad tick
ct agent and carries transportation in
his pocket, he will not talk nor write
for reduced raiload rates, common
point, etc.
"The improvement in the river bene-
fitted the railroads, and, perhaps, Port
land; let us rejoice in their prosperity
and be thankful for the 'crumbs.' II
may have injured the commerce Of the
Columbia river basin at large; 1t may
as some argue, have cost the east-of-
the mountain farmer one or more cents
per bushel on his grain, but why should
you battle pro bono publico'i Would
it not be better to look at home; de-
yelop local interests, show up our ad-
vantages, rather than the blunders of
our neighbors who will not see, nor lis
ten! 1t may be true, as is said, that
if sea-going vessels had not been able
to 90 inland the railroads would have
gone to the seaboard, and had they Tor
it) done so, the haul from east of the
mountains would have been no more
than it has been been to the mouth of
the Willamette, now the common point
rate; but the farmer east OF the Cas-
cade mountains was the loser; besides,
the railroad companies thought it but
fair that the country should, by a
large freight rate, help to extend and
build more roads.
Business affairs adjust themselves
in time. When the Sound began to get
the better of the Columbia, on rates,
Portland milling firms and exporters
opened offices at Seattle and Tacoma.
The flow thither of the farmers grain
swelled to the astonishment and dis
may of Portland; she begged the Ore
gon railroads to pay the ship a sufi-
cient sum to warrant 1t going inland to
the Willamette river rather than to
the Sound ports, This helps the far
mer on the export grain and why should
YOU bewail9 True, it does not help
him on grain consumed at home, as per-
haps rail delivery at Astoria would
not on San Francisco shipments. You
cannot expect the railroad at once to
give up all it gets for lO0-mile haul
that it does not carry! We want more
railroads. Is it not best to silently see
them gather in a little harvest?
CAS- soon as Frankfort shall be con-
nected by rail with Pc Ell, Astoria
will be almost as near to Tacoma as
to Portland, and will have the ad-
vantage of competitive market and sup
ply. Perhaps the open river from Brit
ish Columbia down will give the farm
er the relief you desire him to have.
"In the meantime, let us make known
to the world that we have opportunl-
ties for the poor man to make pros
porous home; the capitalist to invest
and develop great enterprises; that
our timber and lumber industries are
ing business in their very infancy: our
hardly touched; the dairy and garden
deep-sea fishing susceptible Of tremen-
dous expansion and our ship-building
field practically unoccupied.
"oBsERvER."