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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1905)
18 1 HARMONY IS THE KEYNOTE AT COMMERCIAL CLUB'S BANQUET pyfi T THE eleventh annual banquet of the Portland Commercial Club, held last evening In the club rooms In the Chamber of Commerce, it was elo quence that ruled. The toasts Included cverj thing from cold, but Impressive facta to compliments on the climate, the Com mercial Club, the coming exposition and everything connected with Portland, Ore gon and the Great Northwest. Trepidant H. M. Cake, of the Commer cial Club, delivered the annual address, telling the guests how the club worked, how thousands of pieces of literature de desrrlptlve of the Northwest had been pent out by the club, how thousands of letters and cards had been written, how commercial bodies, the great newspapers, railroad officials and public servants had boen kept informed of Oregon and her eister states. As a Northwest affair, the dinner was a great success. And it was a. Northwest affair that the Commercial Club desired. The speakers declared for harmony among the Northwestern States, favored co operation in all things pertaining to the upbuilding of this section of the country and spoke of the Lcwis and Clark Cen tennial as a mcansfor enlivening Immi gration. Tho distinguished gentlemen present were greeted with hearty applause as they concluded their several addresses. There was great disappointment on ac count of the inability of Governor Good ing, of Idaho, to bo present and complete the Northwestern trio, but it was taken as a good omen that the sick Governor pent his private secretary with the speech dictated from his siok-bed, a speech that voiced the sentiment of co-operation and united effort on the part of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Tho soclat half hour prior to the ban quet proved a great success. The cor ridors and parlors were filled with guests, many of whom met for the first time, and cx-eryone made himself known to the re mainder of those present. Impromptu re ceptions Were held in corners by the Gov ernors, the railway officials. General Constant Williams and others. One Year's Work of Commercial Club President Cnke Recounts the No table Achievement of the Or ganisation in the Publicity Field. THE work of tho Portland Commer cial Club in promoting the inter ests of Portland, Oregon and the Pa cific Northwest, was described in the annual address of H. M. Cake, presi dent of that organization, among its successful achievements being the follow ing; It has effectively advertised the re sources of city and state. It has aroused the citizens of Port land to harmonious promotion work. It brought about the organization of th Oregon Development League. Commercial bodies, railroads and in quirors have been supplied with liter ature. It has aided in bringing 75 conven tions to the Pacific Coast and stimu lating Wostorn travel to the Lewis and Clark Exposition. Mr. Cake's address follows: This, the annual dinner of the Portland Commercial Club. Is In celebration of tho 11th anniversary of its cxirtence. To the member of the club It is an occasion of great interest, a the pant year has been one of unusual prosperity, not only In onr increase of mem bership and operation as & club, but In the culmination of years of effort in a splendidly organized and equipped promotion department, through which we Are seeking In earnest and persevering- work, the advancement of the In dustrial and commercial Interests of Oregon and the Northwest. With the rapid accretions of wealth and population there should be a growing sense of the mutuality of interests and the necessity of concerted and. harmonious action on the part of "Washington, Idaho and Oregon In se curing to us the greater t good in these our days of prosperity and opportunity. Idaho, "Washington and Oregon are one great ccuntry, bleated in natural resource?, with possibilities of growth that amaze the thought ful and observant student of events. In the light of accomplished fact?, many of the serious obstacles that have retarded the development of a great inland empire and the Pacific Northwest are disappearing. Tho improvement of the Columbia Hirer, both internally and at Its mouth, now as sured by the United States Government, is of tremendous importance to the permanent development of Washington. Idaho and Ore gon. The construction of the Panama Canal la an assured fact, and with the lifting of the clouds of war, the commerce In the Orient will be increased many fold. Irrigation systems of Incalculable value to our country are being organized traders the auspices of private enterprtso and the Federal Government. The great railroad systems of the country, whose distinguished representa tives nre with us tonight, are seeking our welfare in the betterment and improvement of lines and service, the tapping of new sec tions of country by the construction of branch lines, and the advertising of our resources. There should be the closest relations, the fairest and most open-handed dealing, with thtfle great factors of our growth. In short, the possibilities of our immediate future as a country are beyond estimate. In the light of coming events and the com munity of Interest, the greatest harmony of sentiment and effort should prevail between the citizenship of these three great states, and we hid here tonight with our distin guished guests to advance this feeling of good-fellowship, and to show the hearty good will of our people toward our sister states and the great interests Involved In the pro motion of our welfare as a country. Industrial Work of the Club. Permit roe to review for a few moments the industrial work of this club for the past eight months. The PortlaE Commercial Club has made a tactical aueceea of the system which all the more effective advertising and immigration de partments of the great railroad systems of the United States agree is th most successful j plan that can be deviled in presenting the resources cf any one section of the country to the entire people of the reeding world. To b more explicit, this club adopted the plan of accompanying all printing maitr, copies of local newspapers and compilations of fact in any firm, by a personal letter or postal card bearing the name of some citizen of Portland or Oregon who was an acquaint ance or friend of the recipient. Immediately upon the organization of. Its promotion department the members of the club and dtlsecs of Portland were called upon to tupply the names and addresses of relatives, acquaintances and friends residing in ether eaten and in other countries. As a rerult, within ten days aftr the Inauguration of this department eight thousand names were fi nished, nnl ever since that time the lifts have multiplied with great rapidity. The citizens of Portland and Oregon were solicited at the same time to write letters to their old home papers, all of which secured an amount of advertising so enormous r-n to be beyond measurement as regardc dollars and cents, and thousands of letters hare been re ceived as a consequence of this phase of our work. Business Men Address Children. One of the unique and far-reaching- feature of our efforts and one absolutely new In pro motion wcrk was having the business men of the city address the echool children and get tbem interested In sending out literature and writing letters to relatives and acquaintances In other states. Some Idea of the Importance of this feature of promotion work may be ap preciated when It Is understood that twelve thousand copies of the booklet. "Oregon, were handled through the schools within a few days after the children had been addressed by the burinesa men. The plan of giving prizea for articles' upon the resources of Oregon, printed in papers out side of the State of Oreson. has resulted in a publicity In directions the benefit of which Is beyond my ability to estimate. Suffice it to say that In this plan various portions f the state have become interested, and we are dally hearing of articles written by people in the state and published in papero outside of the state, all these serving to make the citi zens of rther portions of the country better acquainted with the matchless resources of our city and state. A corps of stenographers have been busy since the inception- of this movement In an swering letters of Inquiry, and creating addi tional correspondence, until Portland and Ore gon are talked about and discussed in all sections or the United States In a most fa vorable way. Development League Organized. In order to Interest other portions pf the state and secure the best results from the character of exploitation work the club Is pur-i suing, there was Inaugurated in the City of Portland on the d and 3d day of August, under the auspices of the club. th Oregon Development League, an organization com-, posed of forty-five well-organized commercial and industrial bodies In the State of Oregon, working along the same lines as the Portland Commercial Club. This league has held meetings of state-wide Importance at Salem, Baker City and Grant's Pass, with Innumerable gatherings' of local Importance in many cities, towns and villages cf Oregon. A unique feature of this organization which has been mentioned before, but is worthy ot repetition, le the use of a uniform letterhead, made local In all lta phases. The first order for this stationery was for 52.000, and many other organizations throughout the slate are anxious to Join the league. Through the UFe of a system peculiar to the Portland Commercial Club, our prominent citi zens have been and will continue to bo Inter viewed In the newspapers in the metropolitan cities of the country, and In this way Portland and Oregon are given a prominence probably never before received. The paiers, not only of this city, but -of the entire etate, have rendered every possible as sistance, and a a direct result of the work of the Portland Commercial Club and the Oregon Development League. MO, 000 pieces of litera ture and copies of newspapers have been soot forward either br mall or in express packages to be dirtrlauted by those who are Interested In adding to the travel-Westward during the present year. Railroad Men Kept Informed. We have devoted special attention to the officials of American railroads and with won derful effect to those associated with the pas senger and immigration service. The extent and distribution of this correspondence will be better understood when I state to you that by tomorrow night these railroad officials will have heard from the Portland Commercial dub eleven times since the first day of May, to say nothing of a eplrlted and interesting correspondence with hundreds who are directly Interested in increasing the passenger travel in this direction, and many who are organiz ing special parties for the purpose of peeing the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition and making a thorough trip of the Pacific Coast. The principal commercial bodies of the United States, Canada and Mexico have been also supplied with every kind and character of lit erature, and within two or three days the malls will, for the third time, carry matter, not only advertising the Exposition, but pre senting the resources of Portland, Oregon and the Pacific .Northwest to the libraries of the country, and a evidence or the appreciation with which this literature is received requests for additional matter have come from over 300 libraries within the last week. Inquirers Are Advised. Persons making -Inquiry regarding any fac tion of this portion of the United States are kept advised, and it simply amazes any one to read the advance notices of people who are either coming to the Exposition or comlns here to i the country from all porticos of the United States and her eister countries on the north and south. While giving a report of the work we are doing we mtiKt not forget that many of the other bodies throughout the state are Just as active. They have been sending out advertis ing material, have been scattering their news papers In all directions over the country, and tome of them have offered prizes for articles along the same line as those presented by the Portland Commercial Club with great re sults. Compliments and praise have been showered upon the club from every possible source. Man- of the railroad men of the country advise us that they have never before btn kept so thoroughly in touch with any .great National event as they have been advised o' the Lewis and Clark Centennial and Oriental Fair, through the combined efforts of the Portland Commercial Club and the splendidly equipped and Intensely active exploitation Ce partment of the Lewis and .Clark Pair. Special excursion parties are today belns Ar ranged throughout Indiana, Ohio. Kerens'. Tex as. Canada. "Nebraska, Oklahoma. New York. Michigan, and many other sections of the country, and while we do not Intend to feel satisfied or let up in the work for a single moment, we are absolutely sure that the pres ent year "will witness the greatest Western travel ever known. Pardon the digression, but tonight and to- THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAKIT, JJ&UABY 59, H 190&. 1 IWraAkk - -v . t lilt II I I ssK. .-H 11 ! surpassed climate am to be had for the f 1 I Hi mi III . ' FK I I I sHf, -V'v ; ife&KHI I a. v u'r.s ,av J m t" - tit tismi mm morrow this club will mallmore than 10.000 pieces of matter, including an account of this very delightful incident. Pacific Coast Interests United. The work of the Portland Commercial Club of which we are particularly proud is the or ganization of an effort which combined the Pacific Coast Interests In Joining their strength to secure National conventions of importance, and in this connection we wish particularly to thank the California Promotion Committee, which has worked in season and out of season to help secure conventions for Oregon Just as earnestly aa though these conventions were to be held In California, and It has been the pleasure of the Portland Commercial Club to reciprocate, and as a result more than 75 con ventions will he held in Pacific Coast cities during the present year, adding enormously to the travel in this direction and benefiting every portion of this Pacific Coast region. I must not overlook in this connection the co-operation and assistance of the cities of the Xlocky Mountain states, for they, like us, will participate in tlie advantages that will be sure to be derived from this enormous travel. The Portland Commercial Club Is especially fortunate In having for the chairman of its executive committee Mr. Theodore B. Wilcox, who is president ot the Trans-Mississippi Commercial Congress, which stands second In Importance to tho National Congress, while our manager. Mr. Tom Richardson, is secretary of the National Irrigation Congress, these two bodies being among the most important fac tors in the development of the West, the cor respondence of which Is being largely carried on through the Portland Commercial Club, and will serve to Identify this body with the work of these two congresses and bring our organi zation directly before the most active spirits in the country. As a factor in the business life of Portland and as a meeting plate for the people of Oregon and visitors from other states. It la the hope of the officers and members of the Portland Commercial Club that It may be the means through which many thousands may be Induced to locate In this state or somewhere in the Northwest: or. If not. that they will return to their homes with a better con ception of our resources and the splendid clti xenship which goes to make up a population which for enterprise ban no superior and for hospitality and generodty no equal in this great country of ours. Idaho's Message to Portland Address of Governor Goodlafc, Itead by James McMillan, PJeder Aid to Exposition. HON. F. It. GOODING, of Idaho, who was unable to be present on account of his Illness, dictated his address never theless and It was read by James Mc Millan, his executive secretary. It pledged Idaho's loyal support to the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and was as fol lows: Gentlemen: It Is with a sense of sincere regret that I find myself unable to attend your banquet. As the Governor of and citizen ot the great State or Idaho, and of that greater commonwealth, the Pacific North west. I am grieved that my ill health has kept me from participating In this gather ing, in the Interest of the Lewis and Clark Exposition, which to me seems certain of being productive of much good to the three allied states whose exploration, acquiring, settlement and continued growth this Ex posltlon is intended to in some sense picture. i-K--Ta nTvrvr.Bnnu TV tite rv-l-jrwx? r7 A t pttib l ' ' " . .am ....... . U 1 and to whose continued development it Is certain to add so materially. No section in the United States, perhaps none In the whole world, is making such progress in Industrial and political develop ment as the Pacific Northwest. Only a few decades ago American statesmen referred to this region as a wilderness, a desert waste. They looked upon this portion of the public domain as a worthless posses sion as the farmer does hio rocky point swamp land, or the miner the mountain bar ren of mineral veins. Daniel Webster, greatest of American statesmen, spoke slightingly of this great empire. His pro phetic eye could see nothing but sage brush plains and barren hills. Charles Sum ner and William Seward. In advocating the purchase of Alaska, were set down as men of little Judgment. It was then regarded as a vast expanse ot Iceberg and glacier, lying far beyond the worthless possessions of Louisiana. Time has dlsproven the un founded assertion of Webster, and has dem onstrated the wisdom and foresight of Sum ner and Seward. Where Webster saw but sagebrush plain and barren mountain have grown up rich settlements the happy homes ot prosperous Americans. Pnture ot the Northwest. Today all eyes are turned toward the Northwest to behold the most marvelous development of the age. No longer are Idaho, Oregon and Washington mere places on the map geographical figures of speech. They are becoming recognized as being vital portions of a great Nation. Their political prestige Is established. Their Industrial de velopment Is assured. Eastern capital Is seeking investment in our varied industries. Timber men are depending .on our forests for their lumber. In the Pacific Northwest are found the greatest white and yellow pine and red fir forests in the world. Farm era are seeking homes in a land of freedom, where earnest effort will secure a compe tency, and where the richest soli and un surpassed climate are to be had for the asking: where pure air and mountain water arc the lot of every dweller. Mining men are making large Investments and 'develop ing our mines because of their faith in the hidden wealth of our mountains. The manufacturer is beginning to appreciate some of the advantages we offer him. Tho marvelous richness of the soil, the splendid hoalthfulness of the climate., the great op portunities "or commercial trade, the cer tainty of a market for all his wares, have led the -pioneers of manufacturing to the Northwest. Existing plants are being en larged and new ones arc being established. Development Just Begun. In all lines our development has Just be gun. Each new decade will witness a mar velnus transformation. During the next teu or 15 years the growth of the Northwest will be given such an Impetus by the Lewis and Clark Exposition that It will mark an epoch In Its history. People who visit the great Fair in Portland from-other portions ot the country will be reluctant to return to their homes after seeing our products and enjoying to the full the delightful Sum mer weather of the Pacific Northwest. What part is Idaho playing In the de velopment of this region, of which Lewis and Clark were the explorers? She has tried she is trying to prove herself worthy ot the name Oregon, of which she was once a part, and of which in a sense she is still a part. While one of the youngest state In the Unlon Idaho has forged ahead sine statehood was bestowed upon her, until she Is now recognized aa one of the coming great states of the Nation. We have twic the area of Ohio, and almost without ex ception every element ot wealth possessed by that great commonwealth. To mc I seems that each of the three Northwes states possesses nearly all the resources which have gone to make up tho wealth of Ohio and Pennsylvania, while the two sea board states possess the best harbors In th world, and across the' sea the best markets for the products of mountain and plain, forest .and farm, factory and workshop, that ran be found in the world. For all that we ralic. make or develop we can safely look to the Orient for a purchaser. Wealth abounds in our forests, pur moun tains and our plains. The National reclama tion act will mark an era in tire history cf Idaho. This state has more arid land and more water with which to reclaim It than any other stata In the Union. Hundreds of thousands of acres are now being reclaimed, and the work has scarcely begun. Under this wise act It is only a questjon of tlmo when every foot of arid land In Idaho is made productive. The snows of our moun tains the rains of our forests will be used to irrigate the arid portions of the' statit. This water in its descent from tho highland can be made to develop more power for us in commerce, manufacture and the arts than can bo developed in any of the Eastern States. The cutting and manufacture of her tim ber has not yet begun. Its forests are waiting to bo converted into a merchant able product. The mills and factories that will be built for the removal and disposal of this Umber will add materially to her wealth. In them will be employed great numbers of men. whose wants will all be supplied from our own farms and fac tories. Idaho's Great Wealth. But we do not have to depend for future growth and prosperity upon any one or two resources. It is not in timber and irri gated lands alone that the wealth consists. The state now ranks third in the mining Industry of the United States, and leads tho world In the production of lead. She now : produces half of tho lead in the United States, one mine alone producing one-sixth of the total output. Nor is she dependent upon her Itad output for recognition in th mining world. Gold and copper mines ar being developed, which Njivo promise of giving her first rank in the production ot these valuable metals. The great heart of the mineral belt of Idaho has not yet been prospected. The producing mines ot todav are on the outskirts ot that mineral belt. New discoveries aro being made constantly, which roveal the enormous wealth hidden in her rock-bound hills. Idaho might Justly boast of her stock" raising and horticultural pursuits, which are attracting attention far and wide. W believe that in the history and development of the Pacific Northwest she Is destined -to play an Important part. She doesinot de pend on one industry, but she is a. land of many, the least of which Is great enough for tho enrichment of an empire. Her re lation to the destinies of the Northwest is fixed with an open river to the sea her fu ture will be assured. To the enterprising citizens and business, men of Portland. I send greeting: Tn the strong and unselfish effort you are making for the success of the Lewis and Clark Ex position, you are engaged in a noble work ot helpfulness, not alone to Portland and your state, but in almost an equal degree a work ot helpfulness to the entire Pacific Northwest. It is plainly our duty to follow your leadership to emulate your enterprise. I can aamire you that Idaho youngest of the trinity of the Northwest States will not fall In this duty. Is Oregon the Mother State? James McMillan, Executive Sec retary to Governor Gooding, Says Idaho Is Loyal Danchter. BEFORE reading the address of Gov ernor Gooding, Mr. James McMil lan, executive secretary of the Gover nor, made a short hut telling address. Mr. McMillan said: It is always a hard matter to represent another at an occasion of this kind, and while I wrote President Cake that it was with a great deal ot reluctance and regret that I sent him the telegram that It was absolutely Impossible for Governor Gooding to be present,' It Is not until now, when I look Into youf faces and around this beau tifully decorated room, and seo ho elab orate arrangements made for a "feast of reason and a. flowing bowl," that my heart really aches, for I fully realize what our Governor is missing; but what is bis loss is my gain, and I was never good at shedding crocodile tears. When I left Boise Mr. J. P. Marshall, whom many of you know, was a. very busy man with tho members of the Legislature. He had made an educational talk to a cau cus of both Houses, and early in the week a bill will be Introduced making an appro priation for tho Lewis and Clark exhibit. It is not a question with the Legislature as to how little we can get along with, hut how much wc can appropriate. That ypu may understand our difficulty. I will state that our constitution limits the amount of our state expenditures to 5 mills on the dollar of our assessed valuation, which this year will turn Into the treasury about $335,000, and there are already appropriation bills presented to this session of the Legislature to the amount of 51.500,000, so that you can see that to he a legislator in Idaho is a strenuous position. We are told that Ore gon has appropriated 5-130.000, Washington $73,000, etc We cannot do anything nearly as well, and If this was to he a showdown of dollars we would stay at home; but the disposition of our Legislature is to do ail they can, for. we feel that this is our Ex position as much as yours. When Lewis and Clark explored this coun try there was no Oregon. Washington, Idaho, but we were all what is called the Oregon Territory. A time came when Sister Wash ington thought that she could keep houst for herself; later the Kid Idaho believed that she could run a bachelor girl estab lishment, and we have been separated for some years, and now we are this year going to pay Mother Oregon a visit, bringing with us our fancywork, to show the good mother that we have been busy, and we hope to se cure the motherly pat .of approval on the back from Oregon, and the sisterly "That's very nice" from Washington, and wo are coming with affection of the daughter for the mother and sister, and the hope that if we have not the best, you have, so that it is all in the family. J On this visit, we hope to have a room of our own. but if for the reasons mentioned we cannot afford it, we are willing to bunch up with the other girls and promise to be on our good behavior. To illustrate our state pridoone of our Senators told mo of his visit to the St. Louis Fair, and, remembering the smallncss of our appropriation, he thought he would not mention his place of residence to anyone. He finally stumbled on Idaho's mineral ex hibit, later her agricultural and horticul tural display, and then he wanted to get on top of the biggest steeple on tho grounds and proclaim that he was from Idaho; so ir you find your steeples ornamented with new statuary. I beg of you don't shoot, for it Is probably only the man from Idaho. I want you to know that overyman. woman and child in Idaho is a "booster" for the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and we are all coming down to see our Fair. United by Strong Bond of Friendship Governor Mead Points Oat Com munity of Intercuts of WasMris tou and other Pacific Northwest States. nON. ALBERT E. MEAD, Governor of Washington, responded to the toast. "Washington and the Pacific Northwest," speaking of the reasons, both -historical and geographical, for a strong bond of friendship between the states carved out of the Oregon Country. The Lewis and Clark Expo sition, of recent events, he declared was one of the most important, means. not only for advertising the natural