Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1912-05-09
CAPITAL OF
THE NORTHWEST
FOR FOUR DAYS REPRESENTA-.
TIVE CITIZENS WILL GATH
Err AT SEATTLE,

ing a Northwestern Development
Congress" to be held in Seattle June
to 8. The remarkable proclamation.
was made public by Governor M. E.
Hay of this state and for four days
Seattle will be the capital of the
American Northwest with seven gov
ernors and hundreds of citizens in at
tendance at the conference.
The conference is to. plan CAM
paign and suggest legislation which.
will assist the northwestern states
in more rapid development and to
stem the tide of immigration to Cam
ada. This fact is set forth by the
governors in the proclamation when
they say mot realizing the opportuni--
ties in their own country, thousands
of people from the United States,
with hundreds of thousands of dollars
of wealth, have developed farms and
built new homes under 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 and Oregon. The
following is the proclamation issued
by the governors:
"That an era of new and complex
development is opening in the Ameri-
can 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 pio-
neers
"The soil and climate are second to
none, there exists within the borders
of these seven states untold opportun-
tiles for the development of farms.
mines, waterpowers, the utilization of
forests, the construction of good
roads and the extension of rail trans
portation Eighty five millions Of
ares of public l'nds still await tha
homeseeker. Thousands Of acres Of
logged-off lands, the most productive
on which the sun has ever shown, are
offered for sale at the lowest possible
price, Great ranches are being cut
up into smaller farms. Millions Of
acres of grazing 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 farm during
last four years. Not realizing the op-
portunities 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 Ameri-.
can Northwest as never before if we
can but point out to them how radi-
cal are the possibilities of progress
in our country; how abundant the op-
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 hu-
man millions and how to assist them
in the advantages enjoyed by the older
and more highly developed regions,
is the problem which the people who
know about the American Northwest
must solve.
ITO determine by q congress Of rep
resentative men and women interest
ed in all lines of business and social
endeavor, how the rapid and intelli-
gent development Of our states may
best be assisted will contribute great
ly to the advancement Of this zone
of plenty" The combination Of our
efforts and the most hearty co-opera-
tion between states closely related by
location, by natural advantages md
similarity Of interests, will assist the
seven states to more quickly achieve:
their rightful destiny.
Taking into account, therefore;
these vital considerations for the wei
fare of our country, we earnestly urge
the citizens of our respective states
to participate in the Northwestern
Development Congress to be held in
the city of Seattle June 5, 6. Z and 8,
and to cooperate in carrying out the
plans which this congress may adopt
for the development of this great
principality known as the American
Northwest.
NJ. E. Hay, Governor Of Washing
ton
Continued on Page y.