The west shore., August 01, 1888, Page 404, Image 2

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THE WEST SHORE.
and when to made are provided with facilities for
shipment by land and sea which do not exist at any
other place. Eren San Francisco, possessing equal
transportation facilities, is at a disadvantage in pro
curing raw materials and fueL Nor has that great
metropolis of California another advantage this city
txHMtae, one which no practical manufacturer will
ignore Neither that city nor any other on the Pa
cific caaat possesses the great volamo of available
water power which is an adjunct of Portland. At
Oregon City, a town so near as to bo almost a suburb
of the city, are the beautiful and celebrated Willam
ette falls, having a height of forty-ono feet and carry
ing a volurno of water which may lo developed into
power ono hundred per cent greater than those which
Inyo made such a great manufacturing city of Min
crapolis. With such facilities as these, with a capi
tal of $10,157,00000 already invested in mannfactur
ing, with a banking capital of $7,307,U8.(J0, with $5-1,.
000,00000 invested in commercial pursuits, with a to
tal of $ I.'ijo.'l.H of exported products annually,
and with a population of sixty thousand, equal to the
combined population of tho five next largest cities in
the northwest, Portland often not only tho best, but,
as well, tho only complete facilities for largo manu
facturing enterprises in this entire Columbia river
basin.
It might be well to call attention briefly to a few
linos of indantry which will find hero excellent op
portunities. It has Wen estimated that if all the
wagons, carriages and agricultural implements sold
in tho northwest, tho great bulk of which aro hand
led by our business houses, wero made here, it would
give employment to ten thousand people. For this
work we have all tho materials and facilities pos
smed by any of tho great centers of those industries
in tho cast, as well as some they do not enjoy. Not
ono of thorn possesses tho combination of materials,
manufacturing facilities and shipping conveniences
found in conjunction hero. It can net bo doubted
that large factories of this kind will sometime find a
location hero. Nothing but a company with ample
capital can accomplish anything in this lino in com
jx'tition with tho old firms of the east, whose pro
ducts aro handled by tho leading business houses of
the city. This is a fact too self evident to bo ques
tional Another industry for which we possess pe
culiar advantages is mills for tho production of steel
rails, iron and steel plates, bar iron and steel and
nails. Tho let quality of iron exists almost at tho
ciys limits, cot in one, but in several localities, and
in unlimiUl quantities Already a large capital is
invested in tho production of pig iron. Rolling mills
would find a market in the northwest for all the steel
rails they could turn out for many years to come, as
railroad building is progressing at a rapid rate, and
thousands of miles of necessary road remain yet to
be constructed. Iron and steel plates and bars are
in ever-increasing demand, and their production here
would encourage a development of ship building as
well as numerous other industries. Nails are requir
ed by the thousands of tons in the great work of
building np the cities and towns of Oregon, Wash
ington, Idaho and Montana. The manufacture of the
cheaper grades of glass, especially bottles, could be
made a large and profitable industry. A fine quality
of flint sand has not as yet been discovered here, but
sand suitable for cheaper glass can be had in abun
dance. We have bottling interests of sufficient msg.
nitude to support a good bottlo factory. Smelting
and lead refining in conjunction with the reduction
of ores, ship building and numerous other industries
which might be profitably engaged in here, or being
now established might be materially enlarged, are
mentioned under the proper headings in the follow
ing alphabetical summary of the city's industries:
BAGS, TENTS, AWNIXOS, HAILS, ETC.
There are three firms engaged in the manufacture
of tents, awnings, sails, eta, one of which is also a
large producer of bags for flour, grain and other pro
ducts, and of canvas hose. This institution is doing
an immense business and employs a large force. The
bag industry is especially a large and important odp,
as it comes in strong competition with the factory in
California and the Calcutta article, of which millions
are imported for the grain crop of the Pacific coast.
This is an industry that ought to be protected by
tariff, as it would grow to large proportions and give
work to many hands. Protection would not raise the
price of sacks more than temporarily, since a combi
nation of importers now keeps the price far above a
legitimate one, and it would necessarily come down
again under the influence of competition as soon as
our home manufactories were established. To aid
this industry, both jute and flax ought to bo produced
here, and they would be if there was tariff protection
enough to enable our home manufacturers to supply
tho market There is a capital of $130,000.00 invent,
ed in tho business, and the annual product of the
three firms reaches $.531,000.00.
IJOOTS AND SHOES.
But one firm, employing fifteen hands, is engaged
in the manufacture of boots and shoes for the trad,
while three are making uppers, one of them employ
ing six hands. Three Chinese firms are engaged in
this business, whose product is omitted from the sta
tistics here given. Hmaller shops doing custom work
add much to the total Taluo of the product, producing