St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1918-08-30
The Future of St. Johns

The Editor has asked me to
predict the future of st. Johns.
I'll have to start by rubbing it
in a trifle on this same Editor,
by saying that in my opinion our
prosperity began when we be-
came a part of the City of Port
land and tore down all the bars
of small corporation effects and
finished up the scheme of the
great City of Portland by donat-
/ ing them the balance of the
peninsula with its wealth of
natural water front. have to
start there in order to justify
my prediction in the future.
st. Johns is. at present, "A
Dream Come True" Of course,
the war forced the issue to a
great extent, but it had to come
and keep coming. We have too
many natural advantages tC
keep us from growing indus.
trially. We now have so much
capital invested and anchored
down here with increased ship.
ping facilities in proportion that
we have become distinctively the
manufacturing end of Portland,
and industrially. Portland has
concluded to become manufac-
turing town. Our So, 900, 900
Terminal that is growing along
our river front is to be a group
OF industries on rented city
grounds and water front with
terminal rates, switching to be
eliminated, coupled with the
advantages of water and rail
connections together with the
ensembled necessary facilities
for handling economically by the
latest and best machinery across
dock and rail, served by all
Railway systems that run into
Portland. In other words, the
full benefit of a Belt Line. which
means ultimately the elimination
of all switching charges to all
industries in st. Johns limits.
No other territory within the
limits of the city has this adj
vantage. This Million Dollar
elevator and Terminal was loca.
ted here on account of the rail-
roads ability to serve these in
dustries more economically here
than any where else in the city
limits. The city will rent part
of the l57 ares they purchased
to any industry coming to them
financially able at an annual
rental equal to the interest on
the cost of the land they occupy
no taxes on the land. plus all of
the ensembled shipping advant-
ages at a minimum cost. One
large flouring mill concern has
leased one acre for a 100000
mill. Our municipal elevator
will be ahead of anything of its
kind on the Pacific Coast, and
has a million bushel capacity
made 70 handle bulk grain and
will insure unto Portland the
wheat market of the Northwest
and most likely IL will rate us
first or second in that business
in the u. S. AS time goes on,
automatically. there will be every
necessary utility such as car
lines hard surface roads. etc, f,
added TO support this industrial
group. This Group of Indus.
tries with municipal backing and
interest will be the largest and
most important of any in the
City. Any new industry coming
into Portland will, each and
every one of them, have the
first opportunity to come here,
and they are bound 10 accept
on account of economic con-
ditions not equalled in any res
pect elsewhere. AS we have al
ready 80 or more good solid in
dustries employing about 1900
men, | feel that in predicting
the future. | may "go as far as
III like" Our shipyards are
owned and backed y the most
enterprising men in Portland.
; Their interest is here and has
been for several years. One of
them is now the new Peninsula
National Bank President. They
have developed the water front
into the finest property on the
river. a property that is too
valuable to ever remain Idle,
and these owners are not the
men that remain idle. After
the war this waterfront will be
occupied by big business; you
can rest assured of that. These
same people are building up the
town fanously right now, and to
a man up a tree il looks like
they believe in our future by
investing their money outside of
their industries.
st. Johns has probably 10. 200
population at this time, with
5000 more wishing they could
get houses so they could live
here. The houses will come
automatically We will be 20, 600
before lonp then 90. 600 and so