Evening star., 1933-11-19
BY RALPH w. PAGE.


PORT,A AND, Oreg., November l8.-
Considerable effort was spent to ascer-
tain whether the n. r. A. was popular
and whether it's provisions in the main
were being observed in this State.
The vice president Of the Pacitlc
Telephone g. Telegraph Co. said botn
were true 1t was received with acclaim
bv his force in Portland, over 800 in
All He said that of their own accord
they focked to the recovery paraoe,
one of the most spontaneous ana en-
thusiastic demonstrations ne ever W.T.
messed. William W. A. May, manager
of the Chamber of Commerce, says u
was the greatest public snow ever
staged in Portland with 5O,OOO OF more
in line. Every one said 1t was a great
success except the bankers.
Perhaps better criterion is the Com
nlaint Committee. There are some 25O
Complaints still on the docket. Most OF
them are cases hardly contemplated by
the act; or misunderstanding. 10
date. all that have been heard nave
been settled satisfactorily. And then,
the whole N r. A administration mere
is financed by private subscription. Ine
gentleman in charge Of collecting said
fhat in almost every case the amounts
requested we're freely given. The eX-
ceptions he recited were more enter
tanning than important.
Real Estate Still Slow.
The incoming tide can't be said to
have reached the real estate market.
Still even here the signs are more
propitiouS than in most places. Inc
real estate men are putting up oold
front and point to headline stories:
predictions of marketing experts
were eclipsed when another record
breaking week of leasing work on
Portlands new million dollar public
market ended, with figures that showed
approximately two-th1rdS OF main
market floor space leased to responsible
tenants, and applications on me m1e
sllficient to assure 100 per cent
occupancy by December ID, the open
ing day" 49,.
although few stores are empty, all
seen to rent for whatever the tenant
feels inclined to pay, and the owner
and manager of the largest ONCE
buildings states that all such buildings
are 30 per cent vacant, and that rentS
In a buyers market are at the starVa-
ton point. Here again the haro-
messed landlords are turning TO a cooe
ss q possible remedy.
Dam Project Gratifying.
If you begin to talk business condt-
tions and recovery in Portland, II is
none Of these things that come TO tne
front.
It is the Bonneville Dam and public
works Given a reasonable proportion
of the three billion dollars pelng
distributed, and Oregon wouldn't have
,,,,a,,,y,Io1yv11 Y1r0hlprn Endless
were the propects proposed. Nothing
happened. Then people began to get
tnouisitive and critical. Word was
handed out that 1t was Washington s
fault. Washington said it was Oregons
fault. Caustic were the comments on
every side.
However much the diSpleasure of a
bemused public may mentally a1ect
the recovery effort, financially it SINKS
into inslgnificance beside the accom-
plished fact of SO million dollar
appropriation for the construction OF
the great Bonneville dam on the
Columbia River. This is not public
works proposition. It Is a War De-
partment plan, primarily for the
benefit of navigation, and Will proVloe
35-foot locks permitting traffic for big
ships up the river as far as the Dalles.
Furthermore, 1t is planned to provide
overwhelming quantities OF power.
There is a violent and ever increasing
popular clamor for Government owner
ship of power companies and for cheap
power in Oregon. Consequently this
development already is causing great
concern in public utilities and banking
circles.
Trade Boost Is Seen.
Senator McNary and Gen. Martin are
credited with obtaining this BONANZA
The generals idea is that cheap power
will bring manufacturing extract and
Inetallurgical plants hocking to the ter
ritory. L. B. McNaughten Of the First
National Bank holds the view that it
will create a boom while the money
is being spent for construction, but that
q war with the power companies for
established business is more likely to
follow than an influx of factories.
The far-reaching Importance Of the
great Coulee and Bonneville Dams can
not be minimized They will utilize
most Of the water north Of Utah and
Nevada, from the Great Divide to the
Pacific Ocean, and at one stroke guar
antee unlimited power to the North
west at cost, estimated by engineers,
OF less than two mills kiIowatt
The preliminary contracts are being
let now. Impatience at delay, criticisms
of red tape, there are and will be. But
ultimately this great enterprise will
produce activity that cannot fail to
break the depression in the Columbia
Valley.
Copyright. 1888. by North American News
paper Alliance, Inc