The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-09-22
Lumber Mills on Lower Columbia
6reatly hsmpsred.
DISCRIMINATION IS ALLEGED
Astoria Mills Are Forced to Suspend
Night Work Because No Cars For
Shipping Can Be OBJ
tanned.

A problem that is becoming more Sc
rious every day. and one that threat
ems to cause thousands OF dollars loss
to millmen and the lumber industry
generally, on the lower Columbia, is
the extreme shortage OF ears to ship out
the mill products, Millmen in Astoria
and along this part OF the river, are
strictly sup against it, and in spite
of protests, appeals and even prayers
to the railroad, have been afforded not
the slightest relief.
The consequences OF this paucity OF
ears are already being experienced in
this city. where the Tongue Point Mills,
the Clatsop Mills, and other large in
dustries have been forced to suspend
night work, and are only opeNting a
day shift. 1t is stated that there be.
ing no facilities for shipping lumber by
rail, the yards would simply become
filed with orders which could not be
delivered and loss would entail. At
present water transportation is about
the sole means OF getting mill products
out OF the way and orders from the
South are being filed and sent out as
fast as possible BY this means.
Eastern orders and shipments des-
tined for the middle-west, are being
refused by the local mills, or II TAX
en- at all the mill refuses to guarantee
the time OF delivery.
In speaking Of the situation yester'
day, a prominent millman said that
the outlook was indeed very gloomy for
any improvement, though he said that
perhaps when the wheat of Eastern
Washington had been gotten out OF the
way, there might be chance for the
lumberman. Every day our mail is
filled with correspondence from our
Eastern customers, complaining Of the
DELAY in deliveries Of orders, and all
we can do is to attempt to explain our
failure to deliver on time. In some
cases we are even threatened with law
| suits"
Discrimination in the matter Of sup
plying cars is also intimated. 1t is al
legged by local millmen that the rail
road uses favoritism, supplying cars tt
some and refusing them to others. Ger
tain canneries on the river are said tc
be able to obtain cars upon request
while the mills are refused any salts
faction. Portland lumber mills anc
mills farther up the river are not trou
bled so greatly in the lack Of cars
which the railroad seems to be able tt
furnish when called upon. astoria II
at the end Of the line" said maj
acquainted with the facH, "and it look
as If the road did not care whethe
the mills here were supplied or not
Portland has the pull and the mill
there naturally get the cars
At the present time it is said tn
Tongue Point Lumber company coul'
use 200 cars with ease, If they wer
to be obtained, and it is the same wit
other mills. To meet this demand tn
above mentioned mill was supplied wit
one car yesterday. Ten cars were sal
to have been standing on side tracl
and but one could be obtained. N
other mill secured single car out @
this lot, despite repeated requests.
was alleged that the canneries were t
be supplied first.
What the end will be is only conjec
tural. Now the onus Of the blame fo
the car shortage seems to lie with tn
traffic lines, but according to them, ther
is no discrimination used toward Az
toria mills. Railroad men all say tina
the shortage is the same in all Orc
gon and Washington lumber district
The cars are simply not to be had A
Gray's Harbor, for time, the mill