The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-01-24
A Clog To Development.

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the general benefits, would contribute
neither time nor means in support OF
any public project. The newspaper. is
the only agency that has been at work,
and with recompense, for the past five
years. We certainly had no reason to
believe that our personal efforts in
that direction would meet with any
ones disapproval.
One of our rancher subscribers re-
fuses to support this paper, because it
encouraged the immigration move
ment, on the grounds that this cOun-
try has been misrepresented, and is
flooded with laborers in consequence,
there is nothing for them to dO-and
the newspapers are id liars any way.
Our friends ignorance is excusable
in one respect, he has probably given
the matter little thought, and has no
idea of what is going on without his
own little sphere. But he should
know that there has never been an Or
ganized effort by the representative
people of the state to direct the tide of
desirable immigration to Washington
The railroads, private corporations
and individuals having direct interests
have been doing about all that has
been done in that line so far, and
making any sort of representations.
The State immigration Society is a
legally authorized body, which will be
responsible for everything they repre-
sent.
| He should know that of late great
flood of immigration is going to Ala
bama and other Southern States, and
the New South of today is as big an
improvement over the old South of
ten years ago, as new blood, and life
and money can make it. And what
has that section to offer in comparison
with Washington? They had resources
they were unable to develop. Why
not make the effort to get the help to
develop our own Washington.
But, our friend says, the laborer will
come. Well, We can't help that.
What we want is the farmer with
some means who will come and develop
our good lands, buy portions of farms
now half titled by their holders, and
engage in agriculture and horticulture
in business-like way, and not in the
shiftless, hap-hazard way most of our
farmers do, which accounts for their
lack of prosperity.
OF course. labor as rule, is ALWAYS
rowing about seeking for "some thing
BETTER" and many of that class will
come, but so will the capitalist and
men o. moderate means who will be
able to take hold of all sorts of new or
half worked projects, build mills, and
factories and prepare our resources in
to marketable commodities. The
idea that this country is overdone or
ever was overdone in any line, Except
real estate booming) is very erron-
eous one. Its development has but
just begun.
If, while our friend was modestly
pursuing his way during the past five
years, other people had lacked faith in
Washington and not built the irrigat-
ing bitches, the Touring mills, cream
cries, canneries. smelters, packing
houses, furniture factories, wooden
mills, paper and nail mills, opened
and developed mines, equipped fishing
schooners, planted fruit trees and
shipped fruit, and done divers other
things that now bring in cash-but in
stead, had considered lumber our onlv
resource-big as it is, it could not have
supported the population, and our
friend would not now be getting 25
cents pound for his butter, as he adj
mits, but would, along with the rest of
rs, he chasing CLAIMS and dog salmon,
clothed, like the aborigine, with moth
ing but breech-clout.
But, instead, we have all had our
regular three meals day, during these
tour years of "dull times" and our
TREND, though coming to this state
with little means, has little farm and
1T IS paid for. We do not thank for
this moderate condition of affairs. the
boomers of five years ago, for that
period did this state inestimable
harm, but we do thank those who put
their money into permanent enter
prlses, that are now the support of the
country; and also those who went
seriously to work in agricultural and
fruit growing pursuits, and have saved
to Washington hundreds of thousands
OF dollars every year, which heretofore
had gone to help California and other
states. The vast sums of money that
came to Washington in the latter part
OF the eighties Immediately left us to
pay for what we consumed. and we
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