Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-08-15
PORTLAND WOULD GRAB ROAD FUNDS

The Oregonian howls long and loud every possible
occasion about the pork appropriations made by the
government it's definition of pork being anything that
money is spent for that does directly or indirectly
benefit the city of Portland AS example of what isn't
pork it wants Oregons share of the federal road appro
praton expended in building automobile road around
Mount Hood to connect with the Columbia river scenic
highway. This road would be of benefit to the
mercia interests of the state and would interest only
the tourist and sghtseeryet it is not pork from the
Portland point of view. The money expended for
similar purpose elsewhere would be the subject for
wnded editorial in the morning paper the waste
full extravaganza of government funds.
Speaking of this attempt to grab the federal road
funds for this Mount Mood project the Eugene Daily
Guard says:
The federal good road appropriation was intended
aid in the development of states especially those with
large areas where improbable that roads could be
constructed in the usual manner The basis of the apprO
praton made by the federal government area popu
ation and rural routes The three factors were taken in
to consideration and the money set aside for the various
states. Scenic highways were not given place in the
calculations by the federal government Yet in Oregon
it is proposed to spend Oregons share road which
is almost exclusively in that class"
The Oregonian reports that one S. A. Buck has taken
an option mill site on the Siusaw river and will build
"a sawmf-if Hughes is elected president If Wilson is
reelected he will let the option lapse and return again to
Monroe Washington to hibernate until such time
republican president shall have been elected Buck is
quoted saying that he fears Canadian competition in
his declaration since he, the Oregonian should
know that Canadian competition is cutting figure in
the lumber business in this country because wages
age higher and it costs more to manufacture lumber in
British Columbia than in Oregon. But for the COM
petition of Southern pine, from Louisiana largely the
lumber of the Northwest would be finding large and
growing market in Chicago and the central West and
competition from Canada would cut figure in the
market. In fact the lumber business of Oregon and
Washington is in much better condition than in British
Columbia and is suffering mainly from the inability Of
the railroads to transport the product to market This
man Buck probably knows these things because it is
doubtful if he is as big fool his public declaration
prOclams him to be, but his is of those arrogant
lures which must need saate its longing for bluff and
buster and buldozing Everybody must be terrorized
or dubbed into accepting his particular view of public
affairs. year ago Buck wanted to build box
factory in Eugene and he began to promise and threaten
and budOze by turns in order to get site just to suit
streets closed that ought to have been kept open He
knew Eugene wanted industries and took advantage of
that desire until when he finally put up his plant the
people had paid very dearly fer what they got And since
they have come to know Buck better there is doubt
but they realize that the town would be better off if he
would pick his dnky little box factory up under his arm
and go away to poster the people of some other COM
munity That's Buck of Monroe, Washington and it's
easy to understand why he makes the declaration credited
to him by the Oregonan He couldn't be anything but
buffer and four-hsher if he wanted to- because nature
endowed him with soul too small to be put to any
other use. \
Johnny Scott aged II, yellow haired and blue eyed
alleys half starved and wholly neglected Three years
froi11