The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-02-15
ASTORIA S OWN DAY
Continued from page ~


l. pletei, It is a perfect port, Tho pre-
ont city OF New York may be "a
to have been accomplished within Il
. brief time OF slxty-tive years, WI
} the present magnitude and prospe,
ity OF this country as a guide. Il
. safe to say that the New York OF III
Pacific will be accomplished In hal
of that time See what has alread
been done AT Seattle. We all admir-
the wonderful growth of that city Sc
attle Is seaport. II had no othe
reason for existence. Yet Seattle new
er can have advantages anywher,
near equal to those Of Astoria. So
attic is an upgrade. salt water. In
land port. Astoria Is a down grade
an-tide. fresh water port. We ar,
many miles nearer to every port o,
destination in the world. except Alas
ka, than IL Seattle, by land. we are
considerably nearer almost every
center OF production than is Seattle
There Is no natural flow Of commerce
toward Puget Sound. The natural flow
always down grade; down the Co.
| t.x. Ia
body OF splendid timber tributary to
It, we have more than ten times as
! much tributary 10 Astoria. Lumber
made all the cities OF the middle west,
And lumber was the chief product OF
| Seattle until II had over $4,000 pop
ulation. Yet We have more than ten
times rs nuch. right around us. The
standing timber In C'atsop. Columbia
and Tillamook counties Is today
worth hundreds Of millions OF dollars,
reckoned at the lowest lumber values.
Think OF what that means That
timber Of ours means big rolls for
the next so years. and pay-rolls make
cities. When Seattle started we had
aitv million people in this country,
and now there are eighty-fi millions.
Then we were a creditor nation, and
now we are the richest nation the
world ever saw. Many rivals around
the shores OF Puget Sound grew from
her young blood and handicapped her
development. There Is but one mouth
to the Columbia. Surely We have
many advantages over Seattle, as a
seaport. Portland certainly has the
right to fight for the continuance Of
the shipping She has been keeping
up a big effort, and OF course she will
continue 1t. We cannot blame Port
land at all for that Any Of us would
do the same. Portland is fine city;
a really wonderful city. We believe
the shipping properly belongs here
and we propose to have 1t: It Is a busi-
ness proposition. and there should be
no jeers and no slurs; just fair
fight.
IF Portland is good, as a seaport.
then Astoria must be- for every YES
sci that goes up the river must first
pass Astoria. II costs money to go
UP the river. And there can be no
real advantage in going up the river.
Can any larger ships go up than can
enter the mouth? Does It cost less
to take a ship to Portland than to
Astoria? Is there any more room for
the ships u pthere than down here?
~ costs somebody a iot on money
for every ship that goes UP the river.
There Is nothing free that costs mon
ey Ultimately, the product carried,
pays that charge, in some way or
manner. Cheapening processes every
where prevail II 1t be cheaper to load
the ships at the mouth OF the river,
then certainly they will be loaded here.
And that will mean the ultimate al
Of Portland, and not It's dis
For TO build up Oregon
Is Of course to build up Portland.
'The common point rate will be
extended to Astoria on wheat, the
same as on all other commodities;
that is now certain. Portland might
Is well try to dam up the river, as {
70 dam up its commerce. And she
will find that the biggest step she I
has ever taken towards real great
less will be when the farmer goes
o the sea with his products, instead
# being compelled to break bulk up t
he river somewhere. '
Portland has contributed to the r
'rowth Of Seattle and Tacoma by not '
ooner utilizing the mouth Of the G
iver for Its shipping. Portland has r
eemed to think she must really have
very ship load at her own Jocks; b
nd 80 large amount Of her business Il
as drifted to the Sound. Now the Il
cal question today Is not Portland n
s. Ast )rla, but rather the Columbia 6