Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-02-18
Portland RaikOod Subsidy.

Portland Raikoed Subsidy.
The oee husdred thosl.sd aollsn Sab
sidy deoasded BY Bes- Holiday fsso The
ei,isens Of Portlssd for bsildiss he West
Side Railroad. he bses Subscribed slles .
loog and psisfsl effort. We asas list
this ,ardy liberality comes TOO hss - ave
that TOYS from IMMENSELY i.Pssdisg d.
cay. Five yess ago Postlasd esoossdsd
and gave TO San Frasciseo oss-third Of
the commerce which built up and support.
ed population Of nearly one hundred and
Fifty thousand Inhabitants 10 the latter,
while the forser maintained highly pros.
porous population Of about Eve thousaod,
without foreign commerce and no direct
trade with any port but San Francisco of
which it was mere dependency or feeder,
when with public spirit aud business tact
on the part its citizens, il might have
enjoyed the entire profits Of its own trade
and commanded = thrifty population Of
fifty thousand. Instead, however, Of main.
tanning its advantages BY . liberal system
Of public improvements, its business men
were content to be mere toll-collecton for
more enterprising commercial centres and
as natural consequence large portion
of its trade was turned to other channels
of communication. The town vas s1bie.
quently offered . chance to redeem the
opportunities it had lost by default, when
foreign capital and enterprise sought to
make it the centre Of railroad operations.
But these efforts, instead Of receiving THE
aid and encouragement due from local
capitalists aud tho newspaper press, were
met in provincial spirit Of jealousy and
open hostility, which has nearly if not
quite succeeded in neutralizing the great
benefits which might have been derived
from that source. The Chinese policy Of
exclusion has SO long prevailed in Port
land that capitalists aud men Of enterprise
proposing to invest in public improve
ments, will seek more congenial and ap-
preciative field for their operations. Hence
the new town of Kalama, which within the
next twelve months will command more
trade than Portland, aud in brief period
thereafter will be the central point Of rail
road operations in the valleys Of the Co.
lumbia aud Willamette, which Portland
might have been had its representative
men exhibited more enterprise aud less
sel6shness at the proper time. They re-
sisted the food tide aud now they have tho
ebb.
The citizens Of Olympia may aud should
profit by the experience Of Portland.
This town commands the most eligible pc.
sition for the first railroad connection with
the Sound, but it does not command the
means to make this advantage available !;
or monopoly Of eligibility which can con.
troll capital invested in railroad enterprise /;
it cannot successfully command or resist ;
it can only succeed by liberal and generous
cooperation. The Railroad managers,
governed like all other business men by
self.iuterest in the investment Of their
capital, will make their connection on the
Sound where they can realize the most
profit. If the property-holders Of Olympia
donate sufficient amount of real estate TO
make it an object to the company to locate
here, they will do it; if some other place
less eligible offers = sufficient additional
amount to more than make up the differ
ence, that place will be selected. Populs.
ton and business will inevitable follow the
business facilities offered by the railroad
connection with ocean transportation.
This point is clearly manifest to tho most
obtuse and the mao who will not take ad-
vantage Of it has net sufficient capacity to
succeed in any business enterprise. ~
ANOTHER RAILROAD TO raE SoUND-
In the Washington Daily Globe Of Jaasa.
ry 1s, We find the following in The 6esate
reports: IL, wei. ,.i3'
Mr.. Harlan asked, and by unanimous
~