The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-08-23

rate on grain; and her solitarincss
adds emphasis TO the wrong that Is
done her. There Is not single COM
mereial disadvantage that can be
pleaded against her. as to location,
distance, grade time, or other com
manding consideration in the category
Of railway requirements, usually plea.
ded IN contrayention OF such demands
as this. Louis Hill, president Of the
Great Northern, has been here and
proclaimed II the ideal seaport Of the
upper coast and predicted all manner
of things for II, In d future that he
himself must have suggestive part In
shaping. Other men, whose words
are worth balancing In such great
argument. such as Harvey w. Scott,
have said the same thing. but appar-
emily they dare not reiterate them II
Il Is common knowledge, the country
over. that Astoria Is the most acces.
sible port north Of San Francisco,
within all the rules that govern direct
and swift transportation, and yet the
railways Of the country, seeking just
such touch and bearing upon the sea,
are held up within the 100 miles (or
more) to crafty the commercial greed
Of a beggarly handful .of English and
Scotch shippers, while the inland far
mcr IL robbed of the vast sums Of cost
incident TO the inland haul Of the ship
TO these up-country ports. which sums
are included in the existing rates and
might be obyiated upon a basis Of di-
rect, through shipment TO the ship and
sea.
The constant and unwarying argu-
ment Of the railway interests is that
Astoria has no shippers Of grain, and
therefore no right to ask for some.
thing she cannot use. This high
handed conclusion utterly ignores the
right OF the port TO have this advan-
tage, tentatively, upon the fixed tar
ifs OF the day. in order that its citi-
zens may have the one, exact and
compelling allurement for just such
business. an advantage quite as valu-
able 10 the roads as 10 the port IT,
self. Astoria has no grain-shippcrs
because she has not the rate applica-
bic to the business; which Is a crying
shame on the face OF il, and acccntu-
aies the justice OF her claim II she had
no other plea 10 offer But the rail.
ways are notorious for the ease with
which they pass up questions OF abb
stract justice, or bury them in masses
OF the complicated technicalities; and
the only avenue OF relief left open TO
the minor community is to go direct
to the power that supcrcedes even the
dietum Of the amalgamated and gigan-
tic authority that imposes its wanton.
excessive and crushing systems Of cost
upon the shippers of the country
II Is time for this people to get to-
gether, line up their grievance and
90 after relief, direct to fountain-head.
without further dealings with the
the transportation concerns, under the
|aegis OF the june, 1906, amendment to
the Interstate ommerce law quoted
a, We. Astoria has waited too long
At the behest OF one influence after
aio' her none OF which were primarily
favorable to her, and many OF which
W rs simply stalling her. She has
been completely side-traeked, in more
than one instance, by the railways
nearest in touch with her development,
nd her iutu'e demands that a stand
| c al IN hv the merchants and ship
lpers and businessmen generally, act
iis through the Chamber OF Com
merce, and upon the broadest possi-
Bile lines, for the giving Of this essen-
tial and deserved advantage, She
may have to 90 to the roads for It in
the first instance and be turned down
of record in order to secure a predi-
cate for subsequent action; but when
that action is taken it should have the
full. acknowledged, aggressive spirit