St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1915-04-02
Subscription prie. 500 per yssr.

w. j. Peddicord, a former
well known real estate man of
st. Johns, but now located near
University Park. has an extended
article in this issue, wherein he
extends a most urgent invita-
tion to come into Portland and
share their misery. st. Johns
and University Park started out
together upon pretty equal foot
ing some ten years ago. Uni
versity, however, cast its lot
with Portland. while st. Johns
decided TO become independent
and go it alone. Could a better
object lesson be obtained any
where? st. Johns, loosened
from the yoke of Portland,
sprang ahead with remarkable
rapidity. Today it has miles of
hard surfaced streets; Univer-
sity has little. st. Johns has
126 arc lights; University is said
to have 25. st. Johns has four
policemen; University has one
or two. st. Johns has a free
public library; University has
none. st. Johns has a paid fire
department and uptodate truck !;
University has a hose cart and
volunteer firemen. st. Johns
has a high school building and
four others: University has two
school buildings. st. Johns has
most Of its streets improved
University has two or three.
st. Johns has many industrial
plants; University has yet to get
hers. Such is the difference
between being in Portland and
being independent Of its domi-
mating aud discriminating inhu-
ences. Outside Of a few clerks
University furnishes no employ
ment for its inhabitants and
many of them come TO st. Johns
to earn a livelihood. University
is a nice quiet place in which 10
live. where the sound Of the
hammer and the saw will not
disturb ones peaceful rest, and
where one can spend his declin-
ing years with no activity 10
disturb the serenity Of his
rosy-hued dreams. And yet Mr..
Peddicord invites us TO come in.
and naturally receive like
treatment. No. thanks. IL
smacks too much Of the story
of the Spider and the Fly: or a
case of sour grapes. Mr.. Peddi-
cord. makes capital Of the old
adage, I'm unity there is
strength" This is true in some |
cases. but University has dis
covered that Portland proper
gets the strength and University |
gets the unity. The people there |
give all their strength in the !
way Of taxes and get unity in
return. st. Johns would rather
keep what we have and get |
both the strength and the unity.
Mr.. Peddicord assures us that
Portland would welcome us
with open arms. There IL not
the slightest doubt in the world
of that. II wants us. needs us
worse than il needs any one
thing. IL needs our taxes 20
flow into its Golfers. il needs
our territory so that il can de-
posit It's sewerage at our back
door. il needs the licenses il can
eXtOrt from our citizens. IL
needs our unrivalled location. il
needs us. yea every hour il
needs US, an1 It's rapidly depict
ing treasury is yawning for
lur contributions. Mr.. Peddi-
,ord urges that in union there is
reduction of cost OF administra-
lion. Had he read last Fridays
Telegram he would have noted |,
hat il cost the city OF Portland
n. 30 per capita for salaries alone
o conduct It's administration.
while in St. Johns a less cost per
'apita paid for running the whole
'ity government. His PROPOSE {
ion may be all right in theory. {
but il certainly is not borne out
~ facts. Mr.. Peddicord in
ylorifed terms praises the COM {
form Of government. {
He should read an account in
sundays 0regonian of the meet
ing held by 500 citizens in the
North Branch Library last Sat- !
Irday night. in which a commit
ee was appointed TO investigate !
ways and means of securing !
, more competent and efficient I
administration of municipal 3
" And yet he wants us b
o come in and accept as our I
,wn this discredited administra- i
in of Portland. AS to the sem 8
imental reason, if he will look i
lp the postotiice address of the s
PEOPLE of ST. Johns he will find e
hat il is now ST. Johns. Portland. a
oregon, the same as University
s now University, Portland. Or
'gon. Our postoffice address p
would not in the least be chang q
d by merging. Until this city II
las a population of 10. 900. when /
Independent free mail delivery il
nay be secured, the postoffice \