, 1885-12-24

where IN Port Townsend was the
pr.4cipal point desired 1t cannot
fillo help the standing and value of
property all over the town and all
around the ay-and that in its i'm
mediate vicinity Will have but little
il any advantage over other parts of
the town now built. 1t certainly
cannPt affect the value of business
property in the lower part of town.
The sand spit is limited in size, and
viii sooRbe crowded to its capacity,
after which its values viii increase.
We are more than rejoiced to know
that thia.matter has been finally set
tied. twill inaugurate a building
boom for the early spring such as we
have neve5Shad before, and will for
ever avert i le danger of our appro-
priation lapsing into the Treasury
through local chickering's and quarrel
ing over the site to be chosen. Port
Townsend is now firmly anchored as
the head quarters of the customs dis
trict of Puget Sound, and her citizens
ought to feel immeasurably proud of
the fact-ex-special agent evans to
the contrary, notwithstanding. Many
have objected to the selection made
by the commission because they
thought members thereof were pri-
vately interested and We're making it
a matter of speculation. While this
may have been true to some extent in
the start, yet the unusual expenses of
perfeeting titles and securing final
action on the same have eaten up all
profits ere this. Now let all turn
their attention to the future and for
get the asperities of the past in their
zeal to help along the car of progress.
We will start on the year 1856 with
our chances for rapid success heavi
ly discounted in our favor.
Hon. j. r. Lewis, member of the
House from King county, thinks he
sees job in the bill to create Ter
ritorial Board of Immigration, and
says he will oppose it. He thinks
the n. P. r. r. Co. have a hand in
the measure-at least that is what he
says. The gentleman is SO carried
away in his zeal to fight the railroad
company that he sees it as a bugbear
wherever he turns. We happen to
know that this corporation about
which politicians find SO much upon
which to build temporary fame had
nothing whatever to do with the
Immigration bill; but even if it had,
there are those who fondly imagine
that we might receive great many
really desirable people into the Terri
tory, and they might actually come
in over the n. 2. road 1t has even
been asserted that if such persons
were to ride to our shores in a
Northern Pacific car their disabilities
could be removed by act of the legis-
lature, if necessary, and they be
rendered respectable citizens ever
thereafter. Seriously speaking, the
interest of the company and those of
the Territory at large are identical in
this matter, and to raise such plea
rs Judge Lewis does in opposition
to meritoriou5 measure like the bill
in question is peuril and unworthy of
the man who makes it. Such petit
Jogging will be promptly condemned
by the great mass of people. We
believe in standing by the people
wherever and whenever the Northern
Pacific or any other corporation
attempts to override or injure them;
but when there can be no clashing of
interests it seems useless to waste
time and good ink and paper answer
ing the trumped-up imaginings even
of such eminent and able men as
Judge LeSyis. If his constituents at
Seattle don't want the University
appropriation bill knocked into king
dom come they should urge HIM 10
let the immigration bill alone. He
is in danger of doing untold harm to
his people by his course. Other
western states and territories have
accomplished wonders through their
boards of immigration; in Oregon it
is estimated that q hundred thousand
dollars in capital aud many hundreds
of settlers have been secured during
the present year through the efficient
STATE board of immigration. If we
act sensibly we can secure a large
share of this growth.
Coast Defence.