The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-10-16
WHAT CAN WE DO?

WHAT CAN WE DO?
Scarcely had the ruins of Byers' mill
at Pendleton ceased smoking when
propositions began pouring in upon
Mr.. Bvers Offering him substantial in.
ducements to put up Touring mills at
different places in this state and Wash
ingtou. Astoria offered material in-
ducements, and now Tacoma comes
forward with an offer of 5000 bonus
to induce Mr.. Byers to erect mills In
that city. In this Tacoma shows its
enterprise and business-like apprecla-
tions of manufacturing industries.
That city wants large Touring mills
and is willing to put forth an effort to
get them. Its example is indeed COM
mendahle, and might with profit be
followed by every other city on the
coast that has aspirations to become
center for manufacturing and COM
: mercial interests.
The Dalles is not at present in need
of increased facilities for manufactur-
ing flour, having already one OF the
best equipped mills in the interior,
hence cannot make bid to Mr. Byers,
but there are other classes OF factories
it does need and can we'll afford to pay
literally to secure. First OF all, 1t
needs wool securing plant that 1t
may be able to continue as the great
est wool center of the Inland Empire:
then it needs wooden mills to convert
the wool into cloths. What can it al
ford to offer as an inducement for
capital to come here and invest in such
industries? Cannot it afford to offer
bonus of S25, 900 for such industries?
The natural facilities and advantages
it possesses are not sufficient lniuce-
ments to attract capital to invest In
manufacturing here, so long as other
places are ready with more substantial
inducements. In short, we cannot ex-
pect manufacturers to come to The
Dalles and erect factories simply be-
cause there is ground here to build on.
and an abundance of raw materials at
hand, while there are other cities
standing with their purse strings
loosened ready to roll out thousands OF
dollars as extra Inducements. Capital
invests where it can do the best. and
manufacturing industries are built in |
places where the people are willing to |
give them financial encouragement.
If we cannot attract outside capital |
to come here without a bonus, then |
how much can we afford to offer? |
What would it be worth to The Dalles
to have a wool securing plant here |
capable of securing the 1000, GOO or |
5000, 900 pounds of wool that comes |
here annually? What will it cost The
Dalles to lose the wool trade of the in
terror? And what would it be worth |
to The Dalles to have wooden mills |
that would give steady employment to
from 100 to 200 operatives the year
round?
The wool trade that has come to
The Dalles the past 10 or IL years has
been sourceof profit either directly
or indirectly to every business in the
city. On an average the wool sales
in The Dalles have been at least $780,
600. At least one-third of this amount
has been spent in the city by the wool
raisers. To lose this trade would be
serious to the business interests OF the
entire city. And without securing
mills are we not liable to lose it? Let
us see. If the Columbia Southern
railroad is extended 20 miles further
into the interior, the wool raisers of
southern Wasco, northwestern Grant
and all of Crook county will have 30
miles shorter haul. over better roads.
to reach the terminus of the Columbia !
Southern than to reach The Dalles.
Will they not go there? But if there
we're plant here with capacity for
securing the wool, it would likely be
lauled by wagon to the terminus of
he Columbia Southern, then shipped
o The Dalles to be secured before be-
ng sold or sent on a long haul across
NE continent. LINUS SCuufluS plduG
would retain the wool trade regardless l
" ransportation facilities. Then The
Dalles can certainly afford to offer
ome inducementfor the establishing
If such plant; in fact,it cannot afford
o do otherwise. Z
AS to wooden mills, few will deny Z
hat we need them and can afford to j
ffer liberal bonus to get them. u
very property owner in the city T
ealizes that there are more empty Il
uildings. both store rooms and dwell d
ngs, now than at any time in the past
We years. The owners of property are
esirous of filling their buildings with
enants, but the tenants are not here, y
or will they be here until something u
done to increase business and fur y
ish employment for more people. u
his can best be accomplished by
reating manufacturing industries, and c
t present wooden mills seem to be the
1ost feasible. Then what can The d
)alles afford to offer as q bonus to get II
hem and securing plant? Can it of
er as much as Tacoma does for flour q
ng mills? .