Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-04-19
RACE MAKES
ADVERTISING
SUGGESTIONS
WAS AT PORTLAND REPRESENT.
ING THE BOARD OF TRADE
AND BOOSTING SALEM AMONG
THE ARRIVING COLONISTS FOR
A MONTH.

BRIEF review OF the work done by
the Salem Board of Trade in connec-
ton with the colonist movement will
be of some interest to the general
public. For the month past that col
onists were arriving in Salem, the
board of trade was represented at
Portland by Mr.. Earl Race and he
has returned to the city and is not at
all discouraged over the prospect.
Mr.. Race Interviewed.
81 distributed a great many thou
sand pieces of Salem literature upon
the arrival of trains at the railroad
stations and in the hotels. For the
first 10 days from the beginning of
the colonist movement, much the
larger part of the arrivals at Port
land we're people seeking free home
steads and bound for the Alberta
and Saskatchewan countries. Fully
so per cent of the arrivals were
young fellows who had taken advan-
tage Of the cheap rates to come out
west and they were looking for en-
ployment. Some said they had money
and wanted to see the country. There
was quite a sprinkling of carpenters
and civil engineers, and there was
one banker in the lot He came up
to Salem and concluded that the
banking business was we'll represent
ed here.
"Not 10 per cent of those who
came to Oregon but had some destin-
alton in view when they started, and
went straight to that destination, or
to meet friends or relatives who
families went direct to the Alsea
country and others went to Tilla-
nook. The Oregon homeseekers
scattered all the way from Portland
to Ashland and I think the william
ette Valley and Salem got their
share.
81 told all Of them who were going
to see Southern Oregon and the in
terror of the state that if they did
not find things to suit them to come
back and see Salem and gave them
literature. Quite a number of these
returned to Portland before I left
and some have returned to Salem af-
ter seeing other parts of the state
and were better pleased with this
section than with anything they saw
elsewhere. The general impression
which they got is that this is not a
boom country and that Salem and
vicinity are just coming into their
own, Prices here are not abnormal
ly high and there is no danger of
any reaction in values. What we
poad &c mona ,,on,11afioY1 fa mo int IN,
values and with more population and
the consequent development of the
country there will be a constant in
crease in values. This part of the
Willamette Valley is practically only
one-third settled and when the other
two-thirds get in here we can look
for all property values to advance to
about three times the present prices
mo city in the state is so we'll
prepared to handle newcomers as
Salem. We have our wooden mills,
sawmills, planning mills, and other
industries to give them employment
On TOP of this we have the canneries
and three prune and fruit packing
houses to give girls and women en-
ployment by the hundreds. That is
what makes Salem the best town in
the state for any family to locate in
| emphasize this with every one I
talk to, because, unless a city is pre-
pared to take care of the families and
give employment they will not be
satisfied"
"As to the future movement and
colonization of this country, I be-
lieve more effective work could be
done by distributing literature and
seeing people and telling them about
our country and its resources before
they ever started for the West. If
that work was done properly more
families would start for Oregon with
the definite intention of locating at
Salem. / believe nine-tenths of the
people who come to the state, other
than those that are coming to settle
on government lands, start for some
particular place and with some par
ticular object in view. and make all
their preparations to that end. There
must be more definite work done to
making point of compact, place
for them to land in this country, and
unless we do that more thoroughly in
the future we will not land as many
as the merits of this community en-
titles us to-
Mr. Race will probably have re-
port to make at the next meeting of
the board Of trade.