The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1903-04-24
WILL PACK MEAT
SWIFT 6 co TO ENTER NORTH
WEST FIELD.
Only Question of Doubt Is How Soon
the Company Will
Start Work.

The Portland 0regonian says Swift d
Co., meat packers, have an eye on Port
land as the probable location of new
packing enterprise. That their inten-
tions are serious is indicated by the way
their agents have been examining the
livestock industry Of the northwest, the
possibilities of developing that industry,
the opportunities offered by domestic
and transit Pacific markets, and Port
lands relation to the northwest as the
metropolitan city.
When Lewis f. Swift, second vice.
president Of his company, was in Port
land about month ago, he dropped a
hint that Portland is well located for a
packing house enterprise-in fact, that
that city offered better inducementsIthan
Seattle There is no doubt that his
company is inspecting the opportunities
for new enterprise there. That Swift
& Go. actually contemplate entering the
northwest field is quite evident. The
only question of doubt is how soon the
company will do so.
w. j. Martin, OF San Francisco. ar
rived recently to survey the field. He
said he was land agent Of the South San
Francisco Land company, of which the
Swifts are tie head. This company es-
tablished packing plant at the Bay
City in 1890. The plant has done well
and employs about 800 men.
A local committee was appointed to
secure site for the plant. This COM
mittee is composed Of j. O. Ainsworth,
@. f. Ladd, j. Thorburn Ross and F.
E. Beach. 1t has not done anything be-
cause of the unwillingness oflandowners
to contribute until they have been as
sured that Ward means business. The
opinion prevails that Wards hackers, if
they have money for plant, will come,
subsidy or no subsidy. Ward wanted a
bonus Of $25,0OO or the equivalent Of
that sum, and promised in return for
that gift to invest 100000.
The belief is current that Wards
people, or the Swift people, as some
citizens identify them, will soon make
some move toward project at Portland
and that they will perhaps acquire site
this year. But they will go about this
business very quietly go as to prevent
landowners from running up prices tC
extreme figures. Realty values will i'm.
mediately take big jump whenever the
agents of the enterprise are discovered
to be buying.
Ward preferred the Kittredge tract
north of Portland, to all others. This
tract contains about 70 acres, but il
could be enlarged by moving the line O
the Northern Pacific westward. Another
proposed location is north Of st. Johns
on the Columbia river, where severa
hundred acres are available. This lane
is owned by the p. 7. Smith estate, ant
r. @. Judson, industrial agent Of the o
r. & N. Co., has held an option on it TO
some time. 1t is reported that the op
ton now has passed to other persons.
A packing plant together with stock
yards would require about l50 acres c
land. There has been some objection
giving the packing company control {
he stockyards. Control by local con
pany would be more to the liking {
Portland interests. Under such a
arrangement all packing companit
would enjoy the same advantages, an
there would be no discrimination againl
enterprises already in existence.