Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-01-02
The !, PACIFIC COAST
AN EASTERN VIEW OF The PRO.
GRESS OF new STATES
CENSUS RETURNS FROM PACIFIC
COAST STATES ASTONISH EAST
-POPULATiON ONLY NEEDED
TO DEVELOP RESOURCES AND
DESIRABLE PEOPLE ARRIVE IN
LARGE NUMBERS.

Our Pacific coast states are very
naturally jubliant over their recent
growth in population. Not very long
ago they seemed discouraged-par-
ticularly California. These states
had immense territories and large
resources. Bnt what they needed was
people. They are now getting peo-
ple-and people of the right sort.
Even Nevada has gained SO per cent.
since 1900, and in the preceding de-
cade that state had actually shrivled
up in the number of it's inhabitants.
California shows gain of 60 per
cent. and Oregon of 62 per cent. AS
the Republican has already said,
Washingtons growth is the marvel
of the census returns, being no less
than 120 per cent. Doubtless, Brit
ish Colun3i has had similar de-
velopment, for Canada's Pacific coast
province is increasing rapidly in coal-
mercial and political importance. Tie
entire coast is on the go.
1t is cause for congratulatiOn that
this increase of population is not in
the least due to Oriental immigra-
ton, for demonstration that the
white race is capable of fully popul-
ating the Pacific coast states must
be reassuring to the states them
selves and to the rest Of the coun-
try. The fear was felt not long ago
that California especially would be
crippled very seriously in its develop
ment because white immigration
seemed to be coming to a stop, while
the Orientals, who We're so well adapt
ed to do the rougher work Of econom-
ic exploitation, had been shut out
out by federal laws. After the
Russo-Japanese war, when the Jap
anese colony suddenly began to come
in, it was maintained by some that
they were sorely needed as lab0rers
and that their exclusion would be
a blow to the Pacific Coast con-
monwealths. Doubtless they We're
needed in many ways. Yet the cN-
clusion bars were quickly put "
against the Japarese also, and s,i'i
tho state Of California has etinod
nearly 100000 inhabitants, While the
increase in the three states fronting
the ocean has been in the vicinity
Of 1,100,000 These newcomers are
white people almost exclusively, and,
consequently, we should hear less
hearafter of the danger of Oriental
izing our far Western common
wealths.
The more white people out there
the better, of course, since the Pa
cfc coast states face the Oriental
peoples of the far East; and they are
people who are rapidly asserting
themselves in the great competitions
of the world. America needs strong
prosperous states, homogeneous with
the rest of the republic. on the Pa
cific frontier. And the recent tend
ency in the movement of population
indicates that we shall have them.
ought to bring added strength and
The completion of the Panama canal
pros perity to that section, and the
development of Alaska should add
materially to it's wealth and COM
mercial Importance. The develop
ment of the great Canadian West,
also, cannot fail by reflex atcion to
improve the position of our own Pa
cific states, the more so if trade re-
lations between the United States
and Canada are placed on more
businesslike basis. AS the worlds
commerce with the Orient increases,
meanwhile, large share of it must
follow the natural trade route across
the North Pacific and find entrance
to populous America through our
chief seaports on the Western ocean.
Springfield, (Mass.) Republican.