The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-09-12
ASTORIAN ABROAD
SENDSBACK WORD
SOME cAUsTIc ALLUsr0NS TO
P0RTLAND's INSUFFERABLE
RAILWAY POLICY AND SOME OF
ITS REAcTI0NARY EFFECTS.

bulietiD, ana one OF the Guys bflght'
est young writer's, who has the advan.
tagc Of very definite schooling in the
matters with which he deals in this
communication.
Editor The Astorian:
I'm the Portland Journal OF even date
II TO be found the following declaration,
which Il given great prominence:
"'For 90 years the people Of Oregon
have been demanding better and cheaper
railroad transportation. The demand
has fallen upon unhceding ears
Surely, there Is no absence OF hu.
NOR in this statement, when one stops
TO consider how the people Of Astoria
and OF some Of the grain producing sec
tions Of the state fought for 20 years
for equality, and how the people OF
Portland fought them every inch Of the
way. For all OF those 90 years the
Portland grain pool, In whose interest
the welfare Of Oregon was sacrificed,
successfully combatted the demand, with
the result that Oregon fell far behind
In the commercial race. When 0regon's
only transcont!nenta! was dominated at
Portland, this very cry was laughed
at in the proud metropolis, and Astor-
ians were hooted at as fools. But, now
that the viper which Oregon warmed
these 20 years has sunk its fangs into
her breast we enjoy the novelty Of
howl from Portland. It's pathetic but
nevertheless very funny
"All Of us well remember---it was on.
ly a year or so ago-when Mr.. Ham
mon officially proclaimed financial
weakling by the Portland sages. He was
belittled in every way. Now he's
railroad hero-a commercial philanthro-
pist. At Portland they believe he
means TO build a railroad into Central
Oregon.
There is and can he only one solu-
tion OF the commercial problem in Ore
gon Until such time as the transpor-
tation business Is conducted on a bust.
ness basis Oregon may expect nothing
better than she Is now getting. 1t is
unnatural that the shipping Of the great
Inland Empire should he conducted at
Portland, where tonnage is limited, and
all the will-o' -the.wisp schemes that
may be suggested win never right the
situation. When the railroads agree to
do business at the ocean port, then
may we expect to see Oregon prosper,
but not until that time, It's dismal
heated howl that goes up at Portland.
Those who kept themselves informed
know that for years there was no hon
est effort to improve the bar, The un'
protected superstructure was annually
left to be swept away by the storms
OF the winter, and hundreds of thou.
sands of dollars was thus wasted. Had
the work been carried on as II has been
conducted this year. the jetty would
long ago have been completed, and there
would have been ample depth on the
bar.
Portland wanted bar that would
At the river channel, that she might |
enjoy the temporary advantages to be
derived thereby. Well, she got it--and
now the howl, the cry for equality.
"oregon is vastly richer state than
Washington, yet Washington has out
stripped her at every mark along the
commercial highway. Brief residence in
this state tells the story. Seattle isn't
Washington, by any means, but it strives
with all its might to encourage the
gloWlH OF utHeI tuNllS' IuANioiiN ~
Oregon, and it has always sought to
curb the growth of other towns, Why,
nn Astoria attorney told me few
months ago that Portland bankers
turned down gilt-edged proposition
because it was to be launched at As
toria, and that he was compelled to go
to Seattle to get the money. A different
spirit prevails here. in consequence of
which we find Washington growing,
healthy youngster, and Oregon a poky
old fossil.
"The Portland spirit is not Of the
sort essential to state building; but
perhaps the railroad lesson which the
is learning will broaden the
view of the people of that city The
,dore B Wilcox has no money for
-four mill at Astoria but he has ample
funds for mill at Aberdeen. And so
it goes. It has been costly lesson
Tor old Oregon, but it ought to be