St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1918-02-15
Should Get Busy

No state in the Union is DeJ"
ter equipped for wood shipbuild-
ing than Oregon. She has the
natural resources, easy.E Eof as.
sembly at tidewater points; she
has yards already in operation
and others can be quickly pro-
vided. If given the opportun-
ity, this state could give the ma.
tion a demonstration Of record
wood ship construction. Her
neighbor, Washington, though
probably equally equipped with
timber resources, could not hope
to surpass Oregon in wood ship
production Yet Washington,
at the present time, is leading
Oregon in this industry, as it
is in many other lines relating
TO Government activities. This
is not stated in any feeling Of
envy. The point is that Ore.
gon is neglected, and there
must be reason. ] shall try
TO indicate il.
| have learned that there rs
a well fixed idea in the minds
Of the Shipping Board that 1T
is physically impossible for.
Oregon and Washington TO cut
lumber fast enough TO meet the.
orders of the shipyards.' To
the people of Oregon, knowing
the states natural resources
and milling capacity, such an
idea is ridiculous. But there II
is, in the Shipping Boards
noodle. lt seems 10 me that
IL was essentially the business,
yes, the duty, of the Oregon
Congressional delegation toI
counteract this impression.
Have they done so. or tried tol
do so? II so, nobody has noticed
IL.
Passing up the recent discus |
sion in the Shipping Board r..
specting the merits Of wood !
ships as compared with steel |
ships. the fact stands out that !
when the Board finally decided |
on wood ship building pro |
gram. Washington was given
nominal recognition. Oregon |
was comparatively slightcd and
the bulk of the contracts went
Co Atlantic coast yards II de-
veloped that the latter could not
obtain on the Atlantic scaboard |
or in the south sufficient lum
ber Co iill their contracts. hence
n call was made FOR lumber
from Oregon and Washington
necessitating an expensive haul |
and long delay over the trans.
continental railroads.
Isn't IL n fact that Oregon
yards could have had the kccls
laid for most of this fleet and
the work of construction well
under way in the time required
for such transportation of lum
ber eastward? think | am safe
In answering yes. And. since
time IN of the essence uf the
Governments war shiphuilding
program. would il not have
been "A highly patriotic service
for the Oregon Congressional
delegation Ia have laid down
on the Shipping Board and pre-,
sented Orcgou's adNantagcsgI
Did they do SOP Again. / say.
IL they did. nobody has noticed
IL. II they did. where are the
results? | ask. why are the
of our delegation sit
ting around, letting Oregon
3hipyards go unuoticed when
they are not only ready and {
capable. but anxious 90 take ON q
and still more con- .
.racts? Have the representa-. r
lives of Oregon in Congress any
dea of the number of ships we
,Fe building for the Govern
nent. or how many more we
'ould build If given the chance
Does the Oregon delegation
understand the Governments
leeds for tonnage. and its In.
Ibility 10 have ships built as
asst as needed back ON the At
antic coast? III So why did not
his delegation make a dusty
.ath between It's offices and the
ilices of the Shipping BOARD,
ternally boosting Oregou's ship
ards and insisting that they he
.iyen more work? The Wash
ngton delegation kept the trail
ot. and that's why they got re-
ats; but there is manifcstly a
Inference between the Washing
on delegation and the Oregon
elegatlon. After all, it's the
blllty of a Congressional dele
alton 10 grasp what its state
eeds and get those needs prop.
rs before the right authorities
nat counts. In the wood shin
uildlng program the Oregon
elegation has fallen down: i'm
act, IL never functioned. +. e.
.arley, Mayor of Astoria.