Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-02-16

supplied all Of wsshington's wants
10 years ago. Today we End that the
increase in brewing in the state OF
Washington for the past year and
half is greater than Oregon's entire
output
Washington during the last few
years mas built many malt houses.
glass factories for the making OF beer
bottles. cooperage and box factories
cold storage aud warehouses. aside
from greatly enlarging the brewing
business Itself or course this does
not include The vast benefits derived
by the supply houses and other busi.
nesEes that deal with the brewing
trade.
T. is now a little over two years
since our people concluded TO build
up a business IN this state. When I
hrBt visited oregon I saw the state
through the portals OF the Willamette
valley. To a man living IN tho west
ern part Of Washington, this valley
looked like paradise. Its opportuni
ties for a great and prosperous ia
turo appeared certain. could not
help but note that there was almost
twice a. much open. fertile agdcul
tural land in the Willamette varey
than there Ia In the whole OF western
washington, was surprised 20 SEQ
what little real progress had been
made when considered that for near
ly 90 years Oregon had been a state
Enthused with the spirit that IL nat
urai 70 one who has lived ON Puget
Sound Il seemed 20 me that this val
ley. were Il located Ia western Wash
ington near Seattle. Il certainly would
have had over a million inhabitants.
Hardly had We built our enterprise
and Invested about 100000 In the
venture than the local option law was
passed That law places the manu-
1 faoturer Ia the same category with
tho saloon. Il makes no distinction.
AZ any election tho voters OF che
Fourth ward. salem. oaL vote that
precinct "dry" n a majority OF one 80
declares. Il absolutely puts us out %
business. for the law declares woI
cannot sep any OF our product II The
precinct goes 'ry Notwithstanding
the fact that We do little. II any bus
mess In that precinct, aud that ouI
trade Is mostly o. the outside
throughout this state and California
We are prevented from doing any
business. and our property is for all
intents and purposes worthless. This
sword OF DamOcles, In the shape OF
the loca option provision, hangs over
as continually Do you wonder thai
We cannot afo.d a. sensible business
men 20 invest an ther dollar IN the
enterprise. Do you wonder that
outside capital viii refuse 70 invest
In Oregon
IL is rather hard 20 restrain oneself
and not enter INTO the discussion Of
the subject OF prohibition. 1 do not
intend 20 do so az this meeting, Tor Al
Is certain 10 engender a useless dis
cussion. address myself 10 you, a.
members OF the willamette Develop
ment league. as farmers and property
owners and TAX payers. place the
matter before you in just the eondi'
tion Il Is. and ask you 10 think the
matter over seriously.
As an instance to illustrate what
effect this law has already had. Our
people wish 70 build al Salem larger
mating establishment, not alone foi
supplying our plant al salem, but
also the ones al Olympia and Bei.ing
Lam. Washington. Il Was also De
sired 10 build large enough TO engage
actively in the business OF selling malt
70 other breWeries. This enterprise
means the investment OF several hun
dred thousand dollars and would an
nually use several hundred thousand
bushels Of barley, which could DC
raised in the Willamette valley toI
We believe that The soil OF this valley
viii produce the very best OF brewers
barley. AS long as the present con
dition OF anairs exist regarding the
Local option law, this enterprise Viii
be lost 70 Oregon. and II no change Is
accomplished next June the enterprise
win 20 70 the state OF Washington.
Here Is Oregon. the greatest hop
producing state 10 the union. Ihe iH'
dustry represents millions OF dollars
annually. Fifty thousands people are
annually engaged in gathering In me
lcrop Do you farmers think g "ooo