The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-07-05
A BIT OF FOUR FLUSHING.

In recent interview with repre-
sentative of the Portland Journal, I
B. Wilcox, the leading grain and bread
stuff handler of the Northwest, after
drawing certain parallels between the
status of Portland and the Sound cite.
in t he grain exporting business, in
which Portland is man handled for re-
linquishing her own prestige to Tacoma
and Seattle, and indicating that Puget
Sound is doing double the export trade
in this line, winds up the statement with
the following indication as to the rea-
sons therefore:
@Well, there are several reasons, but
perhaps the most vital one is the lack
of vessels in which to transport Portland
wheat and -four to the Orient. Let us
look at the figures again. The shipments
from the Sound TO the Orient are, ex-
pressed in bushels: Flour, 1882 900 +;
wheat. $4,000; total, sl36s9OOO From
Portland: Flour, 5,562 600; wheat, q
606,0O0; total ,s,l6s,OOO. Nearly twice
as much from the Sound, YOU see, as
from Portland to the Orient, and almost
all of the Sound trade you will also
note, is in flour, while practically the
Sound trade to the Orient in wheat and
flour goes in regular vessels, is sure and
steady. That from Portland must hunt
for ships. In fact, over half of the
Portland wheat and -four shipments goes
in tramp steamers, which the shipper has
to rustic to find.
''The cure of this condition, so vital
to Portland, will not attempt to sug-
gest. But one thing is sure: The North
Bank Road is going to pour grain down
the Columbia cheaper than it can be
bauled across the Cascades into the
Sound cities. Ii Portland is alive and
gets the proper shipping conditions on
the water she will capture her full share
of it; but if things are not done soon
to improve the shipping conditions TO-
the Orient in regards to ships, harbor,
channel, ETC., then Portland may awake
too late to find that the trade that might
be here has rolled past her doors and
docks to Puget Sound.
4 simply point out the facts, backed
by the figures, as they are at present.
The cure and the future / do not care
to be interviewed about just now"
There is no one man in all this coun-
try better qualified to tell the inner
truths of the grain and -four trade of
the Columbia Basin than this veteran
dealer, who has swayed these interests
for long years; whose word commands
confidence whether it carries all the
truth or but part Of it, as in this very
instance.
T. B. Wilcox is, primarily, at the bot
tom Of the drift Of the grain export
from Portland to the Sound country,
since he had always rather see it goI
from there than from its logical gate
way, here at Astoria. And it was toI
keep it from swinging hitherto that he
designed and put in operation the trend
that he now deprecates. There was
never an hour in his life that he could
not have held it to Portland by utiliz-
ing this port; and he knows better than
anyone else, that what OF tine business
Portland is to control in the future,
will be held by virtue Of this very cham
mel and the establishment Of an ocean
port rate, the lowest in the world, at
this place; he knows that the bulk of
that trade is going abroad from here
and James j. Hill has ordained it and
paid millions to achieve il and that it |
will be put in operation in Mr.. Hill's
own good time, which is not very far
hence.
The North Bank Railway does not end
at Portland, though the cream of the
handling and direction Of the grain and
flour business may center there, and