Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-09-20
"O6 The Key

VIZ a SGL 1ACV
Every time objection is made in Salem to proposed
mung of the taxpayers the state for the especial benefit
Portland the cry is raised that Salem has right
object because is the capital of Oregon and benefits by the
state institutions For instance the Portland oregonian
deprecang the Capital Journals remarks the proposed
1925 exposition declares
Let emphasized newspaper discussing
the 1925 exposition the Oregon state fair which will shortly
scope but with comparative benefits alike
outside which onehird Of
the that all the benefit and ought
alone
The state fair state institution naugurated conducted
and owned by the people of Oregon it Salem
affair The state furnishes the money for premiums just as
furnishes the money for the various county fair premiums
The state also furnishes money for new buildings and
when the proceeds of the fair not sufficient
to make thebut the state the land and the buildings
The state also furnishes the Of money for
premiums for the livestock show that is held annually at
Portland, although it is private enterprise and not public
The state also constructs buildings for the livestock
show which located land the state does not
troll thus presenting free buildings and improvements to
the owners The last legislature made 100000 appropa
on for livestock show buildings and less than that amount
for it's enterprise, the state fair.
If, according to the Oregonians logic Portland is paying
onehd the cost of the state fair state institution the
rest Of the state paying wohrds the cost Of the Portland
livestock show private enterprise and the livestock
show gets state money than the state fair secures the
taxpayers of Oregon paying double much for the
private Portland fair they the fair Salem
Yet Salem made protest against state aid for the livestock
show
There is comparison between the state fair and the
proposed 1925 Portland exposition If the state fair board
asked for three millions of dollars from the taxpayers to
stage exposition at Salem in the midst of hard times and
excessive taxation the Capital Journal would object just
strenuousy does to the Portland proposal although the
benefits to Salem might be greater that the benefits expected
by Portland 1t would not be fair to taxpayers and the
t9 notW Wortb Tho
The 1925 exposition idea at purely Port
land proposition and such the egature was asked
It's endorsement to congress- 1t until the brilliant
idea of making the taxpayers pay for it that the rest of the
state was considered and then only get the money But
says the Oregonian:
Portland invited representatives. parts
meet in conference and asked these
the exposition and willing support
ally put up to the remainder of he and the
These 40 so representatives of Oregon were
not invited however, until the exposition boomers had toured
the state in its interest," and lined up the BOOSTERS being
taken to invite only those favoraby inclined to meeting
carefully staged by professional drive leaders, with hotar
spouting to engender enthusiasm
According to the Oregonian the "voce of Oregon has
spoken All the voiceess hreequarters of million left at
home have to do to vote the tax and pay the
the exposition promoters spend in Portland And if any
Of them object they are "Off the Key
-
The avorte argument advanced the exposition is that
the state has too few people and the fair would populate the
state that the overhead too great for the present
The exposition would not build up the state No exposition
ever built up any state Washington Idaho and California
developed much faster than Oregon after the exposition
and Los Angeles dstanced San Francisco after the
exposition. The same is true of all expostons
There are many ways in which the millions is proposed
spend the exposition could be to develop Oregon
ma her resources In much substantial manner than
ransitoy exposition excitement Portland capital could
connect up the loose ends of railroads in central Oregon
rom Bend to Burns to Klamath Falls Lakevew to Med
ord to Eugene, making possible the population Of our vast
inland empire and the utilization of its resources
Portland capital could finance the flax industry and make
he willamette valley, constructed by for such an
enterprise of the world centers of the textile industry
Portland capital could develop the millions of horse power
unning to waste in mountain and make Oregon
attractive to industry by abundance of cheap power
There are hundred similar of development that
would yield substantial and permanent returns and insure