St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1915-03-05
Mo Silly Predictions

| Editor Review: Accepting
Iyour kind Offer to open the col
Iumns of your paper for the dis
cussion of the question of city
consolidate j beg leave to
Submit the D. owing facts as |
understand 'lem. / do not care
at this time % indulge in lot
Of silly predictions as to what
will happen or not happen. |
vii c.nine myself to what | be-
li.,' be facts. The question
I OF 600 much importance TO be
,rea aI as a barroom joke.
Il Is conceded | think by all
tfat st. Johns will some day be
consolidated with Portland. !
think that 99per cent of the peo-
pie that invested money in st.
Johns property did so with that
idea in view.
The only question then is;
when? Had we better do il
now. or wait a while. On this
question there will always be a
difference of opinion. OF course
we can always expect that peo-
pie that are Immediately inter-
ested that is, drawing a little
pay check each month out of the
city treasury, will be very much
opposed 20 annexation, whether
now on 20 years from now. This
is but natural and we will not
quarrel with them. Then there
is the " Boss" the man or clique
Of men that runs the town or
think they do, the power behind |
the council, they also will be OPP /
posed to any change now or next |
generation. Eliminating all |
these, we only have to consider
the welfare of the common citi-
zen.
What changes then can we
reasonably expect if we consoli-
date with Portland? D
First; is there any advantage
In Great City? The relative
greatness of cities is measured
lrst by the number of it's popu-
alton; 2nd, its Bank Clearings
which very closely measures its
business activity. The various
push clubs all over the world are ,
spending annually hundreds of
thousands OF dollars 10 attain
hese things, TO make their city
,reater than its rival. Certain
Y these people are not fools.
Cortland is already one of 4
yreat cities ON the Pacific coast. {
lut st. Johns can never hope TO {
Ittaln that distinction. We can
My enjoy the advantages of 1
.reat city by becoming part {
hereof. We can never rise |
hoye about a 10th grade city
lone as cities are measured to- q
ay. /
Commission Form of Govern
lent. What will we gain by v
onsolidation now? First and !
I once we would get a commits p
ion form of government. well I
rganized and highly successful, n
nd i'm good running order. and v
satisfactory to the "
1882 population as witnes ssed b
y the result of the attempted d
'call last summer, If 277,Sl2 d
aople are satisfied. don't YOU o
link 5000 more could stand il? il
'e would at once get the legis- c,
tive, and executive ability of Ia
commissioners or councilmen W
orth s.. 900 year We would
Il a mayor worth Sc, 600 a year. al
e would get a city attorney II
orth $4S00.00 a year. And we Ia
ould get the services of a city m
Igineer worth $4,000 a year n,
ID all this at a tax rate lower is
an we are paying now. Ii
The tax rate is lower in Port di
nd than il is in St. Johns, and PC
the same time the real prop in
ty in st, Johns is assessed at
higher price in proportion to if
selling price, than il is i'm wi
rtland, AS a result of this we tn
E paying more than our share sp
State and County taxes. wi
United Effort. Second: We Ian