Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1918-11-22
NUMBER s
NOTABLE ADDRESS
BY GOVERNOR LISTER
Points Out Wonderful Opportunities
for Making Life Worth Living
in the State of Washington

The feature of the chamber of
Commerce luncheon Tuesday was "a
forceful and eloquent address by
Governor Ernest Lister on the
After the War Program" He said,
in part:
We are now entering upon the
work of restoration and upbuilding.
The work OF destruction is ended, for
the waging OF successful war sim
ply means the successful carrying
out Of program of destruction of
life and property. In the program
of upbuilding this nation the states
must do their part and in the up
building of this state each commun-
ity must do it's part and the work
will really start at each family fire
side.
NO other state in the Union pre-
sents equal opportunities and such a
favorable combination of elements to
make life worth living as the state of
Washington Let me illustrate our
climatic advantages by one incident
which was recently brought to my at
tention: When the great shipyard at
Hog Island was being constructed,
speed was absolutely essential, but
the weather conditions were such
last winter that a hole had to be
blasted out in the frozen ground for
every pile which was driven Last
summer when the first ship was
launched from the same yard, the
heat was so intense that over 200
persons in the crowd succumbed
Can you imagine such unfavorable
climatic conditions at the Puget
Sound ship yards. The increased eff
ficiency of labor under these favor
able climatic conditions would more
than pay the freight charges on steel
from the east to be used in the con-
struction of ships, and when it comes
to the building of wooden ships no
section OF the country has so many
natural advantages as our own state.
For these reasons, in my judgment,
ship building will remain perma-
nent industry in Washington.
AS a result of the war Russia is
going to develop rapidly and the
geographical location of this state
gives us great advantages in captur-
ing the business and supplying the
needs of that vast country, provided
we make the necessary effort. We
also have great opportunities for de-
yeloping business with China and
Japan and we are the natural supply
point for the rapidly developing
needs of Alaska.
Those of us who have lived here
for many years may think that the
limit of our agricultural develop
ment has been reached, but farmers
from less favored sections see many
opportunities in our farm lands
which we have overlooked. We still
have vast areas of undeyeloped
lands which are susceptible Of de-
yelopment. Lands in the Yakima
valley which a few years ago were
worthless, last year produced crops
which sold for over $30,000,000.
There is a body of over 100000
acres of land lying in Adams, Frank
lin, Grant and Walla Walla counties,
now practically worthless, which
could all be irrigated from the Pend
Oreille river, at cost of not to ex-
coed 500 per acre. Before the war
the sum of $250,O0O,0O0 seemed
staggering, but now we are used to
dealing in big figures. This great
project could be developed for what
it was costing the government to
carry on the war for just 0 days.
# the national government can be
induced to irrigate this land, the
state could well afford to bond itself
TOT u butiiIiGIb obiii " bh9 eNiA NAAi'
vast tract and after 1t has been de-
yeloped to sell it on easy terms at
actual cost to persons who desire 10
engage in farming. The deman
would undoubtedly exceed the supply
because irrigation is the very best
insurance against crop failures.
1T is estimated that there are in
this state water powers capable of
developing over 100000 horse
power This power should be har-
messed and utilized in the production
of electricity to furnish cheap light
and power on every farm in the
state.
In my judgment the program of
CONTINUED on last paSs)