The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-04-04
INLAND EMPIRE FARMERS FILE A SUIT FOR COM
mon RATES THROUGH TO ASTORIA
Proceedings Are Commenced at Washington For the
Purpose OF Securing Equitable Rates on Wheat
to This Port--IS Of Great Importance
To This City.

secure the best quality and quantit,
Of such products and for taking II,
necessary means to provide and faciIi
tate the storing and marketing o
these products as will be most econ
omical and secure to the membership
Of the association the most proftabI,
handling; and that among the genera
purposes Of the association is to Sc:
ure reasonable rates for the trans
portation Of farm products. especiall,
from the States Of Idaho, Washington
and Oregon to the nearest market on
the Pacific Coast as point from
which to tranship wheat and other
products direct TO foreign markets.
I 1t may be said that the Farmers
Union controls about forty wheat
warehouses scattered throughout the
Great Inland Empirt and that they
have determined to establish a ware.
house Of warehouses at Astoria from
which they will ship farm products,
especially wheat to the Orient and
Europe
The Farmers Union has been look
ing into the Astoria situation for
nearly year, the Promotion Commit
tee OF the Astoria Chamber of Com
merce having been in correspondence
with the farmers since June 9th Of las:
year,
The officers Of the Union visited
Astoria several months ago and CON
suited with the Promotion Committee
After consultation with Chairman Pat
ton, other members of the Committee
and Manager Whyte, the farmers
were. astonished at the apparent dis
elimination practiced against this
Port
The Promotion Committee sent
Judge ]. Q. A. Bowlby and Manager
Whyte to the Convention OF the far
mers held in Spokane February 9Th
and 9th and there after consultation
the farmers determined to do their
shipping from Astoria and to take i'm
mediate steps to get the just rate for
that purpose which every farmer was
confident the Commission would
grant them upon application.
At that Convention the farmers
duly assembled passed resolution
with great eclat unanimously petition
ing all the railroads operating in the
wheat country to grant rate on
wheat and grain to Astoria common
with the rate to Puget Sound and
further pledging the organization 20
give its full and hearty cooperation
to all efforts directed towards the
securing Of such rate,
The farmers saw with half an eye
that the shipping of twenty-five mil
lion bushels OF wheat from Astoria
after such just rate has been granted
would be saving to them Of at least
S2500O0 a year, that is one cent per
bushel
They saw upon an examination that
big ships will never be able to reach
Portland, especially within the life
time of any people now living al
though ships drawing 40 feet will
be able to reach Astoria
within the next year, as soon as the
Dredge Chinook can be operated
successfully in a few months They
we're made to understand that Port
and is opposed to the deepening OF
he water over the bar to greater
iepth than obtained above Astoria |
ip the Columbia and Willamette
Rivers to that city. And Of course
hey understood that such selfish |
policy on the part of Portland was |
nothing more nor less than process /,
IF blood sucking from the very vitals |
ST the wheat growing farmers. In
'act not farmer present but felt
'ighteous indignation at the short ,
sighted and selfish attitude Of Port
and which has as a matter of fact
lriven most Of the Columbia Rivers [,
to Puget Sound. This
vas shown conclusively by tabula'