Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-06-28
PORTLAND TO BLAME.


flourish of trumpets, and asks for the
various commercial bodies and clubs
to send delegates to state meeting
to be held in the city of Portland on
August I'd and 3D.
The plan is not a new one by any
means. Several years ago we had a
state chamber of commerce, and at
various times we have had state this
and state that's organized for the pur.
pose of advertising Oregon. Every
one of the former associations went
the quick consumption route, and had
very few mourners at the interments,
except perhaps a handful of enthusi-
asts, who had contributed their mite
to assist the enterprises in financial
way.
It was not the fault of the people of
Oregon, that is the people residing
without the city limits of Portland,
that caused this seemingly indiffer.
ence on the part of the inhabitants of
the great state to the mater of ad
vancement. It is the unanimous opin.
ion of every persons that Oregon
needs advertising, good, legitimate
publicity, sent out from responsible
organizations.
The great trouble in past years has
rested entirely with Portland Every
club or league that has sent out liter
ature during the last ten years has
paraded the city of Portland at every
opportunity, and without regard to the
other portions of the state. Books and
pamphlets containing pictures of Co.
lumbia river scenery, Mt. Hood and
everything that might be good to look
at have been scattered through the
East, until the people of that section
of the country, from where it is neces-
sary for us to get settlers, believe
that Oregon is a rugged, wild and
weird land, with naught else than
snow-capped mountains and wild In
dians. Photographs of old "Chief
Skookum,' or any other copper colored
antiquarian, took precedence over our
fine farms and fields, our mines and
mills. The people of Oregon are tired
of following the lead of "hot air theor
lists, who believe that all there is to
Oregon is a few snow-covered hills
and rocky cliffs tributary to Portland. |
Portland is to blame for her slug.
gishness, Her great papers never lose
chance to cast slurs at the other /
towns of the state, falsely accusing
them of being slow, unhealthy, and a
dozen other things that would make
life unsafe or unpleasant to reside in
them. Portland is, in the opinion of
large majority of the Portland bust
ness men, the whole state of Oregon, !
They like to get the trade from the
cow counties, but, aside from the one :
thing, the hog idea is uppermost in
their minds all the time, They fail
to realize that to upbulld the interior
towns would benefit Portland as much
so, as to add directly to the non-pro
ducing population of that city.
Suppose smaller city or town in
the country tributary to Portland has
factory or mill that is on a paying
basis, what will the Portland CONNER
cial clubs do? They have answered !
the questions dozens of times them
selves. Simply go out and offer in !
ducements that little fellow cannot
meet, and take Mr. Factory to Port ,
land.
But the Portland business man will |
tell you that the small towns are ben
efitted by having large city near
them, They are, but not in the same
proportion as in the other instance. !
The Portland merchant ships cold ,
storage meat from the East, sells the
factory employees packed butter that
has Travelled across the continent.
dresses them in shoddy from the East
ern sweat shops, and in a hundred !
ways sends their money out OF the
state
Portland needs q shaking up, before
the people OF the state enter into any
more development leagues or adverti9-
ing agencies, The new plan may be .
a worthy one, and the metropolis may
have started on a new track Tom
Richardson, the manager of the pres
ent enterprise, may be hustler aud
up to all kinds of snuf in the immi-
grafton work, but the comon Oregon
folk have about reached the conclu.
sion that they are Missourians, and it
will take an ocular demonstration to
get them in line witL the big fellow
down the river
THE MINING IN.