The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-01-15
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DAY OF REPRISAL AT HAND.

Ine fortland OHegonlan II opening
campaign foA the resuscitation or re-
habilitation, or reincanation (any old
term win dol. of the defunct and for
gotten Port OF Columbia" bill the pet
grating scheme of the small coterie of
shippers in that city, that was whip
sawed through the Legislature last
winter BY tactics that were as raw as
they were nefarious. and which was
later thrown out of the supreme court
on the ground OF its rank unconstitu-
tionality; and every line of that papers
comment on the bill and its pretended
value to the metropolis is marked
by q desperate soreness that shows the
venomous rancor of the defeat that
overlook it last year. 1t is an undigni-
fed and unnecessary show of ill-temper
and spleen, especially on a subject of
such frazzled interest as the Port OF
Columbia" bill.
ALI Astorians know the nature. and
the animus, of the measure, and were
q solid unit in bringing about its nulli-
fcation, and will coalesce again to de-
feat it, whatever the Limit of savage
fervor wherewith the Oregonian shall
seek to revamp it.
We know it to be the last desperate
piece of chicane to jespail this port and
the commercial prestige thereof; and if
the city Of Portland and its press ever
does any thinking about the value of
the millions of money this city con-
tributes annually to the metropolitan
markets, it is time they were reckoning
with the chance of reprisals along this
line, and put quietus on the man in
the Oregonian building who has the ear
of its managers; it is time the influence
of that great paper was diverted from
this wretched subterfuge and used to-
expedite the real truth of the CONNER
cial situation in the lower Columbia,
namely. that the shipping is to be done
from here, in the near future, by both
the Hill and the Hartman systems. and
not from the Sound, as the OTegonian
persists will be the case. 1t is very
plain that Portland would rather see the
commerce of all Oregon 60 to Puget
Sound rather than to this, the natural,
the cheapest, the most direct and feasible !
port, the sea-end of the water-level
down-grad haul from the wheat fields |
Of the Inland Empire; for what the Ore
gonian says Of Portland must be true.
and it says this thing every day lately.
If the loyalty of Portland to the
State Of Oregon Is 10 shallow q thing
that the metropolitan shippers can
bring about the sheer commercial sac
rifce of Astoria (which should. and
would, be Portland's, and Oregon's. com
mercial right-bower). then Astoria will
quickly learn her own duty to herself
in the matter of her annual outlay in
the markets that are part and parcel OF
her undoing. 1t is queer attitude for
the chief city of great state to assume,
that of being willing to send millions
of commerce out to rival ports and
centers in another state, rather than
give the benefit to sister-city, nearby,
at home, and directly in line, and at the
natural terminus of that line, on the
easiest conceivable grades, and known to
be the next and rightful place of COM
mercial Importance in the certain course
Of development now pending; IL is SO
queer indeed, that Astoria intends to
watch closely, and figure accurately, and
govern herself as comports with her own
advantage and merit in the case. We
have had about all of this sort of
treatment we can stand.
--O------
The calendar is doing its best for an