The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-01-12

Der OF Commerce, presented ms repor
or the past year at the annual meet
ng OF that organization last night a
follows:
win try to set forth as aceuratel.
and definitely as possible resume o
the work done by this Chamber dur
ing the year 1908 not including tha
which has been done by the promo
ton committee. In instances tht
work Of the Chamber proper and o
this important committee, has over
Tapped and intertwined so that ,her,
scarcely seems a distinction or diff
ference. This Is, however, as it shoult
lbe, especially with such entire har,
Imony and absolute feeling of coop
Grafton as has been uniformly mani
Tested during my term OF Office.
! AT the meeting Of January 10th the
president appointed Messrs. G. Win
gate, A. N. Smith and James w
lWelch to draw up a plan for the crea-
Ition of the Port Of Astoria. At the
specal meeting Of January 10Th that
plan was submitted and according to
,ne of its provisions. the mayor was
requested to appoint committee Of
four from the City Council to act
with the Chamber Of Commerce COM
mittee. Judge r. ]. Taylor was at
this special meeting appointed as an
additional member to the Chamber
committee. Mayor Wise, being re-
quested in accordance with this plan,
appointed Messrs. Logan, Kaboth,
Henderson and Leinenweber. It was
first intended that the proposed Port
OF Astoria bill should also devise a
method for the building of a seawall
or bulkhead, but the joint committee
was unable TO agree upon the neees-
sary details, and later the city coun-
ell members Of this committee pre-
pared an independent bill providing
for the construction OF that long
contemplated public improvement.
The chairman Of the original joint
committee went ahead and prepared
the Port of Astoria bill.
AT the city election held December
9th the Port OF Astoria bill became a
law, while the bill providing for the
construction Of the seawall was de-
feafcd, although a change OF 4o votes
would have carried it.
Through the assistance of Senator
Fulton on the 10th day Of January
we received telegram from Wash
ington saying that the revenue cutter
Mccullough had been directed to
make her headquarters in Astoria,
After long delay the Mccullough
put in an appearance and stayed two
or three days. The commanding Off
Ger afterwards reported to Washing
ton. So we were informed, that the
price of coal was so high here that
it was impossible to make Astoria
headquarters, and the vessel was ac-
cordingly allowed to leave. AS the
price Of coal was something over
which the Chamber of Commerce
had no control there was nothing
further that could be done by this
body and the Columbia river is still
without a revenue cutter.
During January and February the
matter of establishing an indepeDd-
cnt steamship line from Astoria to
San Francisco was taken up, especial
| ly for the purpose Of enabling the
lumber mills Of Astoria to again re
sumo operations on full time, that
suggestion, in fact, coming from As
toria lumbermen themselves. During
the latter part Of January the secre-
tary made trip to San Francisco and
took the matter up with vessel own
ers there, with the result that after
continued work, the Richardson
steamship line was established, be-
ing the vessels of the Loop Lumber
Company. The F. s. Loop, the R. D..
Inman and the Johan Poulsen now
make regular trips from San Fran
cisco to Astoria about every seven
days. The tariff sheet for this COM
pany is on file in this office and IS
probably well known to all shippers,
with the result that the merchants
have been saved to very consider
able extent in transportation charges.
In all Of these plans for cheaper
transportation to San Francisco was
the main idea that the vessels who
brought freight up could do so cheap
er II they were enabled 10 take lumber
back. This independent company de-
serves the fostering attention Of all
our merchants. In This connection
II may be pointed out that the Hill
railroad interests have announced
that they woald establish a steamship
line from the Columbia river 10 Col
umbia River 70 San francisco.
Such an action may have a most fa-