The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-04-21
THE HOTEL QUESTION.

The people OF this city are begin
ming to marvel at the Indifference Of
those presumed to be wholly com.
mitted to the policy and plan of erect
ing and conducting FIRST class hotel
in Astoria, where such a business de-
parture is among the FIRST and most
essential Of the public needs of the
place; especially since those at inter
est have already spent, practically,
$4,000 on the venture The conclus-
ion is inevitable that the trustees Of
the Weinhard Estate are less inter
ested in the hotel, as such, than in
the multiplicity Of the saloons they
control here and the success attendant
upon that particular investment. a
conclusion that is not appreciated,
when the urgency, and larger merit,
OF the hotel, are considered in con-
trast with the dispensable issue Of
saloons.
The matter Of first class hotel in
this city stands separate, and apart,
and is Of prime importance in itself;
the project is without parallel with.
out competition, without hindranee or
hamper, as an investment, and the pre-
texts offered in abatement Of the en-
terprise, to date. are becoming bit
stilted, to say the least Of it. The
people are firing Of excuses that are
not justified in the premise, and want
something done. The third season
will have passed before this com.
nlanding public need it met. and the
Weinhard Estate is far 700 rich for
the play Of delay it has inaugurated
and maintained in this relation.
So long as the matter remains open
to doubt and conjecture, the way is
blocked to other agencies that might
be invoked in this behalf; and while
we know Of one project already afoot
in this regard. we do not deem it as
complete and adequate as the scheme
of the Weinhard trustees, though it
viii 60 long way to make good the
void now existing in the hotel line
and be infinitely better than anything
we have at present; yet this is no
real substitute for the fine program
that is, apparently, being held as a
club over the civic head Of Astoria,
and as fender against adverse act
ion here in the future, on questions
touching the liquor interests of the
city. This issue, as it presents itself
to the common mind down this way.
smacks more Of beer than of hotel;
and if we may not have the hotel
upon some plane free from such a
compromise, we had best get it from
other sources and save the credit and
dignity of the community.
The day OF such domination is
rapidly passing, along with the old
stunts Of control, and the people here
are not disposed to commit them
selves to the sway Of an element that
would be reproach, however fine the
hotel. or hawever we'll it was man
aged. We want the hotel, but there
are some prices at which even such an
Improvement would be far too costly,
and we know Of none quite so preju-
dicial as this appears to be. The pro-
jectors are clever business men, and
are, perhaps, following closely the
lines Of action needed in the mainte-
nance Of the vast business they con-
troll; but, for the life Of US, we cannot
fathom the reason for the inertia that
besets them in this regard, except that
it be to foist upon Astoria some bind
ing and hampering condition incident
to the completion Of the undertaking.
The hotel would be success from