Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-05-08
GOVERNORS OF
EIGHT STATES
TAKE ACTION


Guiding Alaska, today issued a joint
proclamation calling a Northwestern
Development Congress-. to be held in
Seattle June to s. The remarkable
proclamation was made public by
Governor NJ. E. Hay Of this state and
for four days Seattle will be the cap
ital of the American Northwest with
eight governors and hundreds of cit
liens in attendance at the confer
ence.
The conference is to plan a cam
paign and suggest legislation which
will assist the northwestern states
and the territory of Alaska in more
rapid development and to stem the
tide of immigration to Canada This
fact is set forth by the governors in
the proclamation when they say mot
realizing the opportunities in their
own country, thousands of people
from the United States, with hun
dreds of thousands Of dollars in
wealth, have developed farms and
built new homes under a foreign
flag"
States which expect to perfect an
organization to work for the Ameri-
can Northwest are Minnesota, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Ida
no, Washington, Oregon and the ter
ritory of Alaska. The following is
the proclamation issued by the gov
ernors:
THAT an era of new and complex
development is opening in the Amer
ican Northwest there is no doubt, un-
told resources of wealth, not for the
multi-millionaire alone but chiefly for
the community at large, are awaiting
the coming of second pioneers.
"The soil and climate are second to
none, there exists within the borders
Of these seven states and Alaska un-
told opportunities for the develop
ment Of farms, mines, water powers,
the utilization of forests, the con-
struction of good roads and the ex-
tension of rail transportation. Eighty
five millions Of acres Of public lands
still await the homeseeker Thou
sands of acres Of logged-off lands,
the most productive on which the sun
has ever shone, are offered for sale
at the lowest possible price. Great
ranches are being cut up into small
er farms. Millions of acres of graz
ing lands are tired of growing buffalo
grass and want to produce wheat In
short, success still awaits the willing
worker toward the sunset.
"A spirit of unrest exists in the
older sections Of the United States
and in Europe. Five millions of peo-
pie have returned to the land during
the last four years. Not realizing the
opportunities of their own country,
thousands of people from the United
States with hundreds of thousands of
dollars in wealth, have developed
farms and built new homes under a
foreign flag,
During the present decade, men
and women will come into the Amer
lean Northwest as never before II
can but point out to them how radi-
cal are the possibilities of progress in
our country; how abundant the OPP
portunities in the northwest and that
they will not have to face the hard
ships endured by the FIRST pioneers
How to carry this message to hui
man millions and how to assist them
to the advantages enjoyed by the old
er and more highly developed re-
gions; is the problem which the peo.
pie who know about the American
Northwest must solve.
"To determine by congress oI
representative men and women inter.
ested in all lines of business and soc,
ial endeayor, how the rapid and in
tellgent development Of aur states
and Alaska may best be assisted will
contribute greatly to the advancement
of this zone Of plenty" The combi
nation Of our efforts and the mos
hearty cooperation between state,
closely related by location, by natura
advantages and similarity Of inter
ests, will assist them to more quickly
achieve their rightful destiny
Taking into account, therefore
these vital considerations for the we'll
fare of our country, we earnestly urge
the citizens OF our respective common
wealths to participate in the North
western Development congress to b,
held in the city OF Seattle, June 3, 6
Z and s, and to cooperate in carrying
out the plans which this congress ma!
adopt for the development Of thii
great principally known as tn,
AMERICAN Northwest
"M Il. Hay, Governor of Washing
ton; A. o. Eberhart, Governor o
Minnesota John Burke, Governor o
North Dakota; r, S, vessey, Cover
nor of South Dakota; Edwin Norris