The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-07-01
TIE wIlIAMErrE Valley.

H4k
1t may not be unworthy our atten
ton for few moments to glance owe
the present ospect of affairs in tn,
Willamette Valley as regards thu future
and permanent prosperity of its inhabi
tants and the undeveloped possibiitiei
it contains. In this issue of the DEno
Graf will be found an interesting
article from the pen Of ready and yer
satile writer, descriptive OF the country
west Of the Coast Range With Wv
idness he portrays the probable future
of section which after all that can be
said IN its favor, Is not to bs
compared in any way with our valley
We possess climate, unsurpassed BY
that of any section of the United States
It Is at once bealthful, pleasant. and
well adapted, both winter and summer,
for the growth of evsry kind of cereal
and fruit. Our soil is on the average
perhaps richer and more productive
than that of any other section IN the
world of equal extent With these
two important factors of healthful
climate and = productive soil, We have
aransase to begin with which goes >
long ways toward the make mp of a
prosperous country. We have many
among US who do not seem to sppre
ciate their value A moments CON-
parison of either or both with the eli
mate or soil OF some of the most popu-
ions and prosperous regions of the globe
viii however, show even the worst
grumbler his error Patient industry
and intelligent management are two
more of the essential elements of perma-
nent prosperity. We find here in the
Willamette Vaiieg--ierhaPs as intelli-
gent and industrious population as
can be found anywhere else in the
world. Again, when intelligent in
dnstry has titled the soil and taken
from It stores of grain and fruit and
various products, it yet cannot he said
to have accomplished much unless it
can find ready and profitable market
EoE,the resnlis OF its labor Upon this
latter condition depends In large
measure the success of the four first
mentioned elements. That there Is q
demand for every bnsE.el of wheat,
every pound of wool, and every other
2nzadgct which We are able to produce,
there can be no Question. And there
is also no question but what that de-
mand Is urgent enough SO that we
could command good prices for every
thing. provided it existed at our doers
and did not require the intermediate
factor Of transportation, which consumes
a good share Of the value of .he pro-
duct to the consumer before the con-
snmsr can get it. And right here we
fnd the very element we lack in this
yalley, before we can hope to realize
from .nr products what they should
justly bring us, viz: prosperity and
-pezer falling competence. The people
Of this valley raise annually enough
grain and other produce over and
above what they consume, 50 that, If
they could themselves realize for it the
price which the consumer IL finally
compelled To pay, there woa!l neser be
any scarcity Of money and times would
always b. good. If a reasonable per
centage only of the value Of our products
vas required to take them to the con-
gunner We might then be pros, ,,eroas,
and to reasonable percentage no man
would object. But we are now long
distance from our market and the cost
Of getting our products there is the ore
disconraging prospect of our future,
provided we propose to remain always
mere producers Of the raw material
which We must of necessity ship to the
Manufactures who will bny it, and who
n return pays ng in manufactured
articles, charging to our account the
cost Of transportation also, as well as
profit upon the articles he sends US.
Thus we stand to-dly. Producing far
zaers than would make US the most
people In the world we pay
out for expenses Of transportation more
than one half of all we produce either
sfiipping it to market or in getting
The goods which we exchange it for
back here where We want them. There
are perhaps two theoretical RENE
dies fer the Ell. One of these is cheap
and more direct transportation, the
other IS to manufacture ourselves such
articles as We produce the raw material
an d thus build up class among Us