The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-02

ton next yeaT-but the probability is
that most of them will stop somewhere
else unless the Columbia Highway is
completed. The money will be brought
to the Pacific Coast by automobilists
who visit the San Francisco Fair
s. Benson, of the Benson Hotel Com
pany, makes the estimate. 1t is found
&c on data gathered in California, and
is the result of careful canvass.
at is estimated that at least 150,-
600 machines will come to California for
the fair, and that their occupants will
spend $l5O,O00,OO0 before they leave
the state," said Mr.. Benson. "Now,
that is no rough guess.
"a careful canvass of automobile
associations and clubs was made
through the country to find out how
many expected to come to California
next year. Even in years when there
is no unusual attraction $4,000 cars
come to California from other states.
with three persons in machine
they can keep their expenses down to
$40 day. That doesn't provide for a
chauffeur or for wines or cigars for the
party. l can run a machine on that
because l don t smoke or drink, and
drive my own car. There will be four
and five persons in many of the ears
The machines will stay at least two
months in the state. Three to a car
figuring the least possible expense
would mean that each machine spent
$1,000 in the state"
And here is where Oregon and Wash
ington come in-or doesn' come in.
"The one thing that brings auto tour
lists to California is her good roads.
If we had the good roads we could at
tract the tourists and profit by what
they spent. There are 100000 automo-
biles in California. About 10000 of
these make tours out of the state every
summer. They never come to Oregon
because we haven It the roads to attract
them. 1t is certainly taking the low
est figure to say that 10000 of the
Eastern tourist machines would come to
Oregon if we had the good roads and
let the owners know about it.
"Now ten days is the shortest pos
sible time in which machine can get
into the state and out again. One sum
mer S crop would be $1S,000,000 or $780,
100000. By spending 10 per cent of
that much we could have the tourists.
Not only would the state be enriched
by the wealth they brought in and left,
but it would have the roads for its own
use, with growing number of tour
lists every succeeding year.
1.-THE people of California have seen
what riches the tourists bring with
them, and they have become artists in
attracting them. Oregon has never been
brought face to face with the posi-
bilities of the matter, and the state
slumbers peacefully. In California they
pick out a little hill, and first they
build a road around it. Then they give
it a fancy Spanish name and have its
picture taken from II different points
of the compass. These pictures are put
into a pamphlet, surrounded by reading
matter that makes you think your life
is misspent unless you see that hill, and
the books are sent broadcast.
"Within an hours drive from Port
land, Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane
there is scenery that can't be equaled
in the entire state of California. Few
people know it. The tourists from Cali
fornia can't reach it now. They get
as far as The Dalles, and there they
run against the gate that bars them
out. The good road from California
goes that far. saw an Eastern man
there last week, who had to leave his
car at The Dalles and come into Port
land by train. He didn't want to pay
$40 to ship his car here by boat Be
sides, the boats have so many cars now
that they can take all of them.
"In addition to the tourist feature,
the good roads will benefit every farm
er within reach. 1t has been the COM
mon experience in California that if
one of the good highways passes place
its value is increased automatically so
per cent.
"It was full realization of all these
things that made the State of Califor-
an~;o+o &1Q nm mn for oond