Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-11-30
Frank H. Lamb Tells of Ben
efits to Accrue from the
Organization.
INCREASED TAKES LIGHT
Development Of Grays Har-
Dor Will Quickly Offset
the Cost

has made an exhaustive study of the
Port District bill, is writing series
OF articles on the subject for the
Washingtonian that are of great in
terest just now. Chehalis county will
be called upon to organize tne u.s-
trict of Grays Harbor on December
12, and every citizen should post nlm-
self in the matter SO as to vote in
telligently The first article is re-
produced below:
On Tuesday, December IL. 1911,
the voters of Chehalis county will
have the opportunity of expressing
their opinion on the advisability OF
establishing a port district for Grays
Harbor.
The Question Of Increased Taxes.
At the outset it can be said that
the only objection cited against the
proposal is the COST The district
has the power OF levying tax for
port purposes of two mills on all the
property of the district. 1t is axiom
attic that nothing doing can be ac-
complished without some cost; con-
slider what this two mill tax will
mean to the taxpayers of the dis
trict, on the present valuation it will
return $4,000 per year. This sounds
large in the aggregate, but to the
individual is a very small matter. A
valuation of $1,000 for taxation pur-
poses is an exception. On $1,000 the
additional two mills would mean $500.
This is more than the average home
owner would have to contribute to-
wards the support of the port district.
More than One-half of the tax of the
10 ht,
.ers, the profits and proceeds of the
bulk of this property go elsewhere
than to Chehalis county. Therefore,
the residents of the county will con-
tribute less than $4,000 annually, or
little more than 30 cents each on the
average.
The port district can also raise
funds for work by bonding to the eX-
tent of 21a per cent of the taxable
value of the property OF the district
peAoIddp s! enss! puoq oul Su!p!AoId
by the voters, but this VIII mean no
cost to the taxpayers as the proper
ty acquired or work done by the
funds derived from bonds must be
either self-supporting or else paid
from the funds arising from the two
mill tax. The only other method OF
providing funds is by the formation OF
local port improvement districts in
which the cost is borne in whole or
in part by the property owners in
terested. This, therefore, can con
stitute no further burden upon gen
eral taxation
Necessity for Port Development
The experience of practically every
port of consequence in the world is
that no matter how perfectly nature
has done her work, in order to prop
erly accommodate commerce the port
must be scientifically developed. In
fact, many of the best ports of the
world are wholly or largely artificial
harbors. Take for example the great
est of ports, London. The Thames
river without dredging and other i'm
provements would have accommodate
ed only the very smallest of mod
.ern steamers. The narrow river
would not afford room for the miles
upon miles of wharves. docks and
ware houses Hence London has
maintained, in the Thames. depth
that would accommodate practically
any boat, and by eXcavating she has
provided the basin and shore line nee
shipping and to provide room for her
wharves, docks and other port neces-
stiles.
Then consider Glasgow and the
ports of the Clyde. Within the mem
ory of young men the Clyde was ford
able below points where now the ship
ping of the world is accommodated
and where many of the great yes
sells of the world are built. Take all
the great harbors OF the world and
nine out of ten have been practically
created through money spent by the
local authorities under engineering di
rections.
In America, look at Montreal, with
its $500, 900 of shipping annually
located fifty miles above tide on the
St. Lawrence river Ten feet was
the minimum depth. To-day thirty
foot channel is maintained and 5000,
00O is available to make it thirty
i've feet On the Pacific coast we
have IA few natural harbors, but see
what Los Angeles is doing; she is
preparing to become one of the great
ports on the coast Without any nat
ural harbor she is proposing to spend
at San Pedro, total of $16,00000C
of which the United States furnishes
$4,000, 900, and the Port of Los An
geles $4,000, 000 Los Angeles viii
be one of the great ports of the Pa