The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-07-17
THE WEATHER
Oregon and Washington-Fair and
warmer except near coast.
SHIP TO cARGoi.

The fundamental object of highsea
transportation, as in all other sys-
TENS OF public carriage, is the cargo,
the traffic, and the quick despatch OF
these. The deep-water ship never
leaves the sea farther than it has to,
as an organgic principle of ocean
voyaging, and the ascent OF rivers to
inland ports is the exception, not the
rule, OF marine traffic. Not that it is
not right and expedient TO do this if
it is virtually necessary, but there are
elements Of danger and cost insep-
arabic from the course, that, as mat
ters OF sheer business, are deprecated
BY the owners of deep-water tonnage,
the world over. The nearest, safest
bay, or roadstead, is as far as the
ship, sail or steam, is supposed to go
for cargo, and all shore transporta
tion is founded, so far as export and
import business is concerned, upon
the hypothesis of reaching the sea
and maintaining terminals there. The
doctrine of the ship going to the
cargo is pleaded by all cities remote
from the sea, and by no one else in
the business, and the plea is under
stood and appreciated; but the hazard,
the cost, the delay, are always there
and may not be abated however they
are minimized.
Portland is one of these inland
cities that is ever making the struggle
to maintain maritime prestige liz
miles from the sea and up two rivers,
with few river-reaches, narrow, in
efficient, cramped, yet digni6ed with
the title Of "harbor," the limitations
of which have recently been found by
the grain feet, and which must be
admitted as utterly inadequate if the
tonnage Of the port" is ever greatly
amplifed.
OF course, she will claim the whole
Of the Willamette (this side Of the
falls), and the Columbia river, down
as far as Tongue Point, as "harbor,"
if it shall become necessary; and she
cannot be blamed for pursuing the
traversty to its last limit Of business;
but the day must come when the farce
will end and the real facilities for sea
commrce, lying dormant at Astoria,
will be taken over by Portland capi-
tai in lieu of the hazardous and ex-
pensive regimen now in vogue 1t is
an unacceptable transition.
Portland has spent well over two
MILLIONS to maintain her channels and
ne government has paid out enough
more to bring the total to about $4,-
10000. Now she is about to bond
herself for $500000 more in this be-
half. All of which goes to show how
profoundly she believes in the doc
inc we have quoted. Had these mil
lilns been spent in sending the car
g les down the river, by water, or'rail,
til ~ would have been saved to the
sh p-owners in -pilotage, towage,
an principally, in the incalculable
COTS chargable to the delays incident
to the inland haul In other words,
$10000,000 is, and will be, spent to
beat the railways. The policy is sure
to react some day, and that day will
dawn when the inland farmer and
the tax-paying Multnomahn shall
realize the fierce burden thrust upon
them by the transportation companies
that conniye with the Portland ship
pers, in this gigantic and needless
farce.
Where does the saving come to the
farmer, taxpayer, ship or shipper, if it
constantly takes fresh millions to
keep open the highway from the
valleys to the sea-board?. The an
swer, favorable to Portland, might be
readily made, if there was not mag
nifcent haven at the coast-gates Of
the Columbia traffic, susceptible Of
handling any volumne Of commerce
for al time to come, and only denied
the chance in order that Portland
may aggrandize herself at the ex-
pense Of every field, farm, business
and industry, and the owner thereof,
as seaport" forsoothl.