326
THE WEST SHORE.
TllEfiE is a gratifying revival of the lumber industry
on the Columbia, brought alout chiofly by the ac! .on of
the Union Pacific. Believing tho celebrated DotiglosB
Cr iX Lull ft ginu LulUr adapted k riiiliuuJ uao fur ties
and bridge timber than the Eastern pine, that road has
just made contracts with several of our largest mills for
a constant supply. The estimated amount required for
next year is 50,000,000 feet The prestige which Oregon
lumber will receive from its adoption by that company
will naturally result in creating a moro general demand
in that portion of tho country opened to it by railroads
centreing here. Already this is shown by efforts of Den
ver parties to secure rates that will jiormit it to enter
that market and compote with Eastern lumW on favor
able terms. Tho Union Pacific is desirous of carrying
Oregon lumber to the Halt Lake and Ogden markota in
competition with California pine from Truckee brought
over the Central Pacific, but there is difficulty in accom
plishing this owing to tho fact that the rate must bo a
combination one witli tho 0. R. k N. Co., and that if the
lumber goes from Pocatello to Ogden it must be roloadod
upon narrow gauge cars, while if sent through without
reloading it must lo hauled clear to Granger, Wyo., and
thence back to Ogden. Either method makes it more
expensive than the haul from Truckee. It is' to be hoped
the difficulties will bs overcome. The present benefit of
the market ojeuod by tho Union Pacific goes to our
larger mills, but even if they do not engage in this now
busiuoM the smaller ones will soon profit by the relief
from overproduction our home markets will soon experience.
Wilt is it that efforts to manufacture sundry articles
in the Northwest have so often proved fruitless, while
similar goods imported from the East, of no bettor quality
and no cheajier in price, meet with such ready salo?
Several causes no doubt contribute to this result, but the
most potent one is unquestionably a mistaken economy
in the use of printer's ink. Certain goodB are handled
here in competition with tho production of our own
manufactures which oost the dealers more to place in
their stores than the rival home products, and yot, be
cause thoso articles have a reputation, they are ablo to
ell thorn in oometition with the others. No matter
what intrinsic value an articlo may possess, if it have no
reputation among oonsumers its salo will be slow and
limited, and this reputation can only be gained by long,
continuous, liberal and judicious advertising. It is worse
than foolish to exwt goods to force themselves forward
by merit only. While one manufacturer straggles along
on Utat principle, another with an inferior article well
advertised captures the field. It is equally foolish to
exol consumers to purchase goods simply because they
are borne product, or to ask dealers to cease handling
article for which there is a brutk demand and substitute
others with which their customers are unacquainted.
Every man who undertakes to do business should have a
better knowledge of human nature and the laws of trade
than to expect anything of the kind. Our home products
must be advertised with all the freedom, and pushed
upon the market with all the vigor, that experience shows
were necessary to give to better known articles that wide
spread reputation among consumers which forces our
dealers to handle them in preference to any other. This
means printer's ink and plenty of it
It is to be regretted that so few of our business men
realize the great benefit Portland annually derives from
the Mechanics' Fair, otherwise there would be more in
terest displayed, and a greater effort made to render it
still more attractive and increase its capacity for good.
Interviews with a number of retail dealers reveal the
fact that during the exhibition just closed business in
creased from 300 to COO per cent, and most of them re
port double the sales of the same poriod last year. There
is no question but that the Fair stimulates trade in a
wonderful degree and brings thousands of dollars into
the city. This season the receipts of the association were
larger than lost yoor, and while this is no doubt largely
duo to the splendid weather which prevailed, greater
effort on the part of the manngers to make it a success
and increased interest on the part of the people gen
erally were important factors in achieving the result
The Fair is worthy the utmost encouragement of our
business men and manufacturers, who could better afford
to make annually a large cash donation than see its use
fulness wane. They should also encourage the managers
by frequout attendance. Such a display of interest and
good will would be fur more valuable as a support to the
institution than the price they might pay for admittance,
though the latter would perform an important mission.
One who is so situated as to gaze into the faces of visitors
night after night cannot but be impressed with the fact
that our leading business men rarely honor the Pavilion
with their presence. It certainly is shortsighted, and
seems ungrateful, for them to thus neglect an institution
from which they are receiving so groat a benefit, and it
can only be explained by assuming that they do not
realize what the Fair is doing for them. If they gave it
their hearty support and sought to make it representa
tive of the whole State, as well as of Portland, the present
large bouofite might be increased a hundredfold. What
ought to be done is to give the Fair a more publio char
acter and eliminate the feature of private gain which now
oontracU its sphere of usefulness. It should be con
verted into a mechanics institute, managed by trustees,
and its earnings, instead of going into the pockets of
private individuals in the form of dividends, should be
devoted to the advancement of science and the mechanical
arte by the purchase of a library, the support of lectures,
aud, if possible, the maintenance of a school of mechanics.
A number of the largest stockholders are willing to
donate their stock in trust for this purpose, and possibly
all might be induced to do so if the subject were properly
canvassed. In this manner the annual exhibitions might
be rendered doubly attractive, and the increased receipts
be apphod to the furtherance of the objects of the
institute.