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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 1913)
'FARM SECURITIES 'MORE ATTRACTIVE Loans on Office Buildings Are Less Inviting, Declares R. M. Tuttle. CHEAPER MONEY NEEDED Diversion or Surplus Funds to Agri cultural TMstrlets Would Result In Solving Financial Prob lems of Producers. BY R. M. TUTTLE. The Interested observer of methods that have been adopted to finance the farmer often wonders why no many mistakes have been made. Thirty years ago. In the then Territory of Dakota, I saw Eastern financial institutions Joan money to alleged farmers on terms and under conditions that many resi dents of the territory saw would be disappointing- in the results. Settlers had come in, filed on Government land, made slight improvements, proved up before the United State Land Office and immediately borrowed money on the strength of their final receipt and skipped the country for pastures green. Tile Eastern owners of the money so vanced had done their business through local agents who took first mortgages at 7 per cent for their prin cipals, second mortgages at five per cent for themselves and kept a hand some bonus in addition out of the real money from the East for drawing the papers. No questions were asked by agent or principal as to what the bor rower was going to do with the money. Locally It was known that he had no intention of using it for the construc tion of house, barns, or buying ma chinery, hogs, horses or cattle. He was going to take the $600 or $1200 that he realized by the transaction and go further West, or perhaps return to his Eastern birthplace. He had not spent one-quarter the time on the land that Uncle Sam required. Probably he bad worked in town or on the railroad, having first built a small shack of hoards and tar paper or made a dugout on tho land which he occasionally vis ited. United States land officials were very lenient. Several of these specu lators would prove up together, each commiting as much perjury as the oth ers in testifying to the time they had spent on the land, the improvements they had made and tho crops their had raised. Old Method. Disastrous. This method of financing the farmer 30 years ago as pursued in many states, was not a satisfactory one for any body. Hard times came along Just af ter the driving of the golden spike on the Northern Pacific Railroad. Drouth, pour crops and Democratic policies fol lowed. Land as good as that on which $1-00 a quarter section had been loaned could be bought for a dollar an acre. The Eastern mortgagee did not keep up he taxes. A dealer in tax titles pur chased it and eventually, several years after, compromised with the Eastern money lender by paying 50 cents an acre for a quit-claim deed, or recieved a Sheriffs deed on foreclosure of mort saae. So much for one method of financing the farmer that proved disastrous all around. In the region I have specially referred to the farmer does not today find it easy to get the money he legit imately needs at a fair rate of interest, although his security is beyond all question good. Money can be loaned there to great advantage to all parties, and net revenue realized after all ex penses ar paid of at least 8 per cent. Tho security would be, not as in tho early 'SO's, unimproved, rough land, but improved farms, whose productiveness could be largely enhanced if the owners had additional fffiids with which to put up more and better buildings, purchase cattle to milk or fatten; or to pay liv ing expenses while their grain was be ing fed to animals, instead of being drawn to the elevator or mill. There are localities on the Pacific Coast where the greatest rewards can be obtained by the farmer if he could get additional funds. Irrigation projects, on which the Government and private companies supply water, pro duce enormous crops of alfalfa, which should be consumed on the ground by hogs and dairy and beef cattle. The settlers are not of so poor a class as those that have filled up the Middle Northwestern States of North and South Dakota. They" cannot get on the Pacific I'oast irrigated lands with out making a substantial first payment lor land and water, but many of them ilo not have eriough money left with which to purchase cattle, hogs, build ings and machinery. They should have dairy cows to eat at least part of their alfalfa, instead of selling it at $5 a ton and shipping It out of the country. A few of them are able to borrow money with which to buy cows, but with the commisisons, brokerage and expenses, they find it costs them at least 12 per cent a year for the use of the money. And yet the security they offer is of the best. In these irri gation regions, where the unleached soil contains the right quantity of lime, phosphorus and potash, there is no surer crop than alfalfa, and no surer or better market for any farm product, than for tho cream that the cows will produce, and the hogs . that naturally accompany tho dairy. Government Aids l.lttle. Local banks are unable to care for this business in a newly-settled re gion. The Government provides an ir rigation project, puts on the water mid invites the settler, but does not provide him with the necessary tools of his trade. National and state banks are not allowed to loan money on his land, if even he has procured title to it. Such loans as he requires, even though the security is growing in value, are not "liquid" enough to use the word of the bank examiner when supervising the work of the bank offi cials. The security may be gilt-edged, but it must run a year or two to be of any value to the borrower. The cattle are growing larger, the hogs are fattening and increasing In num bers, but the banks look for 90-day loans, with the assurance more or less of getting the loans paid when due, if they need the money. - We read every little while of some large Eastern insurance company or other financial institution loaning to the o.wner of a 15 or 20-story building in San Francisco, Portland, Tacoma or Seattle $500,000 for a long term of years at 5 per cent or a shade less. AVe rejoice at the enterprise of all the parties mentioned. The building is. doubtless, needed for the doctors and lawyers and real estate men who want desk room. But what a stroke of busi ness it would be. at least in the Judg ment of those who are specially inter ested in seeing the farmer financed, if the Eastern corporation had sent r trusted man into one of these new, growing farm communities, where there can be . no question as to the quality or permanence of the soil, and loaned that amount !n small sums, at greater rate of interest? i : 1 1 .-------. i . . ii i MARKED PROGRESS IS MADE AT New Water System Being Installed 1TH the immediate completion of V ,ts rew water system, the ac 9W ceptance of plans by the City Council for a sewer system, the con struction of many new homes and the addition of several large industrial en terprises, the suburban town of Linn ton has been making substantial growth the past few months and Is about to enter upon its greatest era of progress. Situated about 10 miles north of Portland on the west side of the Wil lamette River, Linnton occupies a strategic position for a shipping and Industrial center. A sweeping view of the river and mountains can be ob tained and with the striking green hills in the background the town is ideally situated for residences. In installing the new water system it was necessary to complete arrange ments with the City of Portland for Bull Run water supply and for extend, ing the city's system to the city limits of Linnton. The deal was negotiated several months ago and the contract to Install the pipeline was awarded to J. D. Hanley. Although the wet weath er has caused considerable delay in the work, rapid progress has been made and it is expected that the en tire system will be completed 'before August 1. Bl Reservoirs Planned. The line runs along the Linnton Road from the city limits of Portland and is a 16-lnch main for a large part of , .... " CRAWFORD ADVOCATES OPENING W AT E RWAYS Banker Believes That, With Opening of Panama Canal, Bar Should Be Removed From Mouth of Columbia River. Speech by t;. G. Crawford, vice-president of the T.umbermens National Bank Port land, before the Oregon State Bankers' As sociation in annual convention at Corvallis, June 10, 3013. rHE Relation of Ocean Com I merce t the Development of Oregon" ' gives wide range to the speaker of eloquence .and Imagina tion, but as I have neither of these ac complishments, I must confine myself to a few almoi.c commonplace thoughts with the liberty of diverging at times from the t-ext. The Panama Canal has been present ed to us for the past few ,-years by many able writers and speakers. 'We all know something about the transpor tation advantages and have been told of some of tho possibilities which will result from this new transportation route. Many think it will change the world's commerce, and no doubt it will work many changes in time. I am not going to discuss the Panama Canal ex cept as it supplies the basis for the thoughts which I wish to present to you. . The canal has undoubtedly aroused our attention and interest in water transportation as nothing else has ever before done, especially here on the Northwest Coast. We have been used to ocean commerce and water transportation to be sure, but have thought of ships mostly as transporters of wheat and lumber. And as a matter of fact these are the principal exports by ocean-going vessels and will con tinue to be for some time to come. Railways Superseded Waterways. The only means of transportation for any important distance in the early days of Oregon was by water, and one found the settlements along the river. After the advent of the railroads, we ceased to use the waterways to the same extent as formerly. The railroad was faster, a car once loaded could be sent to any part of the United States without handling again and the shipper would generally pay more per ton by BAKER DEDICATES $4000 COUNTRY CLUB AND MORE THAN 500 ATTEND OPENING -.r . .-. ' " EASTERV OREGON TOWN HOLDS DISTINCTION. BAKER, Or., June 28. (Special. ) With the dedication of its $4000 Baker Country Club last week this city took another step in its rapid progress to lay claim to the distinction of having the only country club house of the kind in the state outside of Portland. More than 500 at tended the opening on June 17. and the season is opening with much interest. The house has two floors, the first being of concrete and the second ?f ;,rack l0SS wl,ich wer selected in the forest near here. On the lower floor are mens lockers and ladies' dressing-room, dining-room and keepers room, besides the pantry and kitchen. The upper floor is the main club room. At each end is a large fireplace. The floor is of uieaaea xur uancing. ,ioY. w a S 01 ttle,Baker Country Club are: Dr. W.L.Parker, presi- rV A' t" "trm",' vlce-president: Kmil Malzer, secretary-treasurer: i"? erF' Patterson. c- c- Powell, Isador Euchs and A. h. bhockley, trustees. at cost of $125 000 Sewer System to cost $50,000 Payroll Exceeds $40,000. 5 - H1KUSHVK VIEW OK TOWN, the distance. The remainder of the line is a 12-inch main. In the Town of Linnton laterals will be laid and an eight-inch extension will be laid for about one mile north of the business district. The system will include seven reservoirs of a capacity of 125.000 gal lons each. One of the reservoirs will be located on the summit above Linn ton at an-altitude of 1100 feet and others will be located at lower levels. Those below the 200-foot level will be supplied by gravity. The water sys tem will cost approximately $125,000. The system was planned by Louis C. Kelsey. a civil engineer of Portland. The plans for the sewer system sub mitted by Mr. Kelsey were recently accepted by the City Council and the contract for installing the system will oe let in ,j M. , , . t ' ' " -je. jut-, iiiiiiii i run K. sewer will be 20 inches In ,ii.m.i.Fi" -",.v '"'" ou","! umpanj. ana the smaller mains will he 12, 10, 8 and 6 inches in diameter. The sewer system will cost about $50,000. The town also will be supplied with gas by the Portland Gas & Coke Company. In addition to these Improvements plans al30 are under consideration for hard-surfacing the main business thor oughfare and connecting it with the hard-surfaced county road leading Into Portland. Town's future Hoiratr. C. F. Bunker, of Portland, who found, ed Linnton in 1889, and Mayor J. B. Schaefer were active In securing these Improvements. In speaking of the prospects of Linnton, Mr. Bunker said: Although the town has been with- 1 ' rail than by water. The Panama Canal haB again aroused our attention to water transportation and we are told It will be possible to transport 1000 feet of lumber to Philadelphia for $10 to $12 as against $16 to $20 by rail. The development of Portland is an illustration of the growth that attends tho cultivation of commerce. Portland Is because it Is at the head of deep water navigation. The first wheat shipB that loaded at Portland had a maximum draft of some 15 feet. Port land in those days was a town of 20,000 inhabitants. When it became apparent that the bar and channel were not deep enough to accommodate the shipping that sought entrance, the Government first and then the city of Portland be gan the work of putting the river and its mouth in order. Each added foot of depth meant increased commerce, and the growth of commerce was at tended Invariably by increase of pop ulation. It can well be said that every foot that has been added to the depth of the bar and channel Jias meant 20,000 more people for Portland. Now steam ships loaded to a depth of more than 27 feet move.- down the river without delay. Barters May Be Loaded at Eugene. 'e have heard a great deal In late years of the "back-to-the-land" move ment. I appear before you today as an exponent of the "back-to-the-water" movement that refers to transporta tion, and I want to tell you that it is a big. vital question that affects the interests of every one of us. The great possibilities of development of Oregon are dependent on the utilization of our waterways. Transportation is the whole story. It is Just a case of our having our rivers and harbors developed. 1 hope to see the day when a barge can be loaded at Eugene or farther up the Willamette, or even up the Ms. Kenzie, and floated to Portland, or the mouth of the Columbia if need be, without loss of time. The Yaquina River could be developed with a sys- l iVlihi l ft hr---. New Industrial Plants Established Town's Monthly out the advantages of Bull Run water or any kind of adequate water system, and without a proper sewer system, it has been making a steady growth and at the present time has a population of about 1500. "When the improvements are com pleted there is every reason to believe that Linnton will make a big growth. The entire district between Linnton and Portland is bound to make great strides. Along the waterfront many industrial enterprises "will be estab lished, while the upland section and the hills over which the high-line bou levard is to be built will undergo big development. The proposed boulevard will run from Willamette Heights and will terminate at Linnton. When this ' ' v "" j'lr 1 ' ' , inn uiolui;)i win uaveAme la Anmnlnt .V.t -1 i -. -1 . : , , 1 v, . , i , . , ton road a loop will be formed, mak ing it possible for tourists to enjoy the beauties of the Willamette River at close range from the Linnton road and to obtain a panoramic view of the country many miles east and north from the high-line boulevard." The industrial development In the vicinity of Linnton has been marked the past year. More than $2,000,000 has been expended in enterprises and more projects are In contemplation. The new plants a short distance south of Linnton include those of the Port land Gas & Coke Company, the Stand ard Oil Company, the Unlpn Oil Com pany, the Monarch Oil Company and S. C. Rasmussen & Sons. Among the enterprises which have tern of locks with the aid of dredging so that it would float commerce for many miles, and the same is true of many others of our coastal streams. There Is nothing impractical about this idea. Development of those water ways can be accomplished by means of locks, with the assistance of dredging, and it has been done in different parts of Europe with streams less Impor tant than those I have named. The River Clyde In Scotland furnishes an example. This river, at one time only a few feet deep,-has been dredged out until it accommodates the largest ves sels afloat. Return Is Step Forward. The return to water transportation is a step forward and a new element in commercial progress. It is not a return to the "romantic old steamship days" of history, but a transportation development based on the work of traffic experts and practical econo mists. I want to say with all the force It Is possible to express that the deepening of the Columbia River bar to at least 40 reel is the one great desideratum in me establishment of the great Bve.anisnip lines between Oregon and Europe, the Orient and the Atlantic seaports. This is not alone for the Deneiit of Portland. It is vitally im portant to almost all of Oregon. The development we so much desire is closely bound up In the problem of markets and a cheap distribution of our -products. To broaden these mar kets and be able to reach th riistrih. uting centers of the world we must have cheap transportation. The ocean tnrough the Panama Canal and in con junction with a development of our In land waterways, will give us the, cheap transportation. And so I repeat, the deepening of the Columbia bar tn art. mit vessels of the largest capacity is me urst step necessary in securing this world-wide cheap transportation. Bar Should Be Moved. May I take the liberty of appealing to you bankers to urge this"matter on our lawmakers in every possible way? ie improvement or the other harbors ought to come, and will come in time, but as the Columbia is the greatest water highway, concentration on this one project will give us the power to present to tne lawmakers a force that will count and secure the removal of the bar. Wifli this removed, obstruc tions to navigation in the Columbia River will become the next great ques tion for improvement, the other har bors being taken care of as well. I am told the commercial bodies at Revelstoke, Calgary and other Cana dian towns have been discussing the possibilities of transporting the wheat of Alberta to the seaboard by bringing it down the Columbia River, and that it could be done at one-half the cost now being paid for rail transportation. This would make the establishment of flouring mills at any point along the Columbia where deep-sea vessels could go. and create a tremendous milling district. With our water powers giving cheap power, many manufacturing plants can be established. Japanese Wood Imported. The explanation given us now of the fai t that we have few factories is that we have a too limited market: but It Is all a question of transportation We could manufacture many things well from wood and export them with a cheapened transportation. At the pres ent time we are bringing great quan tities of hardwoods from Japan and Siberia, which are being made Into fur. niture, and much of the furniture made In Grand Rapids is manufactured from these woods and shipped back to us. We ought to use all our own wood In our own manufactories, and no doubt will at no distant day. Of course the development of our In land waterways and our 'harbors Is closely related to the establishment of ocean steamship lines. We all know that great advantages are to folow the opening of the Panama Canal. That Is because we look forward to the foreign markets to buy our lumber and wheat and yield the golden return on which our prosperity depends. The canal will provide a market on the Atlantic Coast and through the Eastern states for our lumber, a market from which we are now excluded by reason of the high cost of transportation by. rail. Wheat III Go Up lo Cents. No less an authority than Joseph N. Teal, of Portland, says that our wheat will bring 10 cents more a bushel to the grower when it can be shipped through tne '-anai. ii tne exportable surplus of LINNTON v oeen In operation for some time Is the plant i of .the Clark-Wilson Lumber company. This concern now owns 1600 feet of water frontage and, Including me piant. nas Invested more than $250.. 000. Employment is given to about ZoO men and the output is about 200. 000 feet of lumber a day. The Wil lamette Box & Lumber Company op erates a plant that cost $100,000. It employs about 30 men. The Columbia Creosoting Works gives employment to 45 men. The West Oregon Lumber Company's new plant just below Linn ton was built at a cost of $250,000. This company employs about 125 men and has a daily output of about 100, 000 feet. A short distance below Linn, ton are the plants of the Consumers' Lumber & Supply Company and the S. . . . These various plants have an aggregate payroll of more than $40,000 a month. At tho lower edge of the town is the plant of me Associated Oil Company. The com pany has an Investment of $250,000 there and recently acquired additional property and is preparing to make more improvements. The upland district between Linnton and -the residence- section of Portland is being developed into home sites. During the past 18 months there has been considerable activity there. A number of homes 'have been built and it is expected that many more dwell ings will be completed during the year. Among the additions that have been platted are Whltwood Court, Glen Har bor. Fairraount, May brook. Waldemere and Harborton. grain in the Pacific Northwest, includ ing shipments to California, amounts up close to 40.000,000 bushels, as it has in the season Just nearing its close, this difference of 10 cents a bushel would amount to a round $4,000,000 in a sea son; and this does not take Into ac count the added stimulus to produc tion with the certainty that much new acreage would be brought into bearing. It may be of interest to note that the distance from Portland to New York by way of the Straits of Magellan Is 14.364 miles and by the Panama Canal the distance will be 6949 miles, a sav ing of a round 8600 miles. From Port land to Liverpool, via Magellan, it is 14.784 miles and by the Panama Canal 8679 miles, the saving In this instance being in excess of 6000 miles. The Oregon country has one of the greatest systems of waterways in the world, the great Columbia River and its tributaries, besides many smaller water courses to the south, penetrating the interior from the coast. I went up the Rhine a few years ago from Colonge to above Bingen by boat, and as I watched the traffic on the river and saw the railroads on either side. I thought of the possibilities of the Columbia. Barges Always In Sight. At no time that day were we out of sight of. a string of barges, as manv as three being managed by one small tug or steamer, and each capable of taking from 1000 to 1500 tons of freight. In addition there were the railways on either side of the river with trains rushing past at brief intervals. The heavy bulky freight went by barge at an extremely low rate and the higher grade freight by rail. Germany has 1458 miles of rivers wlilch have been converted into canals and 1619 miles of made canals. From all parts of Germany freight can be transported at the low rates made pos sible by her waterways, and no doubt this factor has had much to do with the wonderful development that has taken place In that country in the past 25 years. Oregon is 306 miles in length from east to west and 278 miles from north to south. and contains 94,560 square miles, or 60.618,400 acres of land surface, and 1470 square miles of wa ter surface. Germany, with Prussia ex cluded, covers 174,227 square miles, or less than twice the area of Oregon. Oregon is Just as fertile naturally as Germany and could be made Just as fertile actually. In the states of Ger many I have used for comparison there are something over 22.000,000 people and in Oregon, nearly half the size, about 700.000 people: that is to say the density of population is more than 15 times as great in Germany. If we in clude the Oregon country, we have an empire equal in size to all of Germany, including Prussia, with a popalatio'a NEW HOSPITAL AT " . , r ; . "imp : -J- --A v-i- i -: v.A virtii J - -air v. :."!' ,iv . y?: :. t I.STITET10 ONE OF MOST MOOERX IV E.vSteR.V OREGON. CONDON. Or.. .Tune 2S. (Special.) Condon s new hospital. St 'Br.s' was dedicated recently with exorcises in charge of the Right Rev. BWhop O Reilly. of Baker, assisted by Father Campion, of this city, and other Catholic priests who had come from Baker in the chapel car. St. Peter. A large crowd attended the exercises The new hospital, which occupies a floor of the new academy building, is one of the most modern in Eastern Oregon. In the evening- services in the chapel car were attended by a large crowd George C. Hennesy, superintendent of chapel cars for the Catholic Extension Society of the United States, was in charge of the chapel .car,. of over 65.000,000 people against our less than 2,000,000. Inland Waterways Important. I think much depends on the use of not only ocean transportation, but on the Improvement and use of our inland waterways. One whole side of Oregon Is washed by the Pacific Ocean and we have the Columbia River. Yaquina Bay. Coos Bay and several smaller entrances. which with Improvement will provide harbors for a great commerce. That the great railroad systems are alive to the business developed from ocean commerce is proved by the prep arations that they are making in order to be in readiness when the Panama Canal opens. Every .great port on the Pacific Coast and the Gulf of Mexico has felt this. Within 10 years 17 dif ferent railroad systems have entered Houston and the fame number have In vaded New Orleans either with lines or trackage arrangements. Kive have KOne to Mobile, three to Pensacola. Into San Diego two new systems have gone and three into Los Angeles. Several have entered Portland. Seattle and Van couver. Ft. O., in the last fw years. The North Bank line was built Into Port land and the Milwaukee into Puget Sound territory and each of these have brought others through trackage ar rangements. Third to Half l,et. I have gathered a few rotes mad at the present time by the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company from Port land to New York. This freight is han dled three times and pays a rail rate across the Isthumn of Tehuantepec be sides and still is 33 1-3 to r.O per cent less than the rail rate. 1 will give you some examples: Dried fruits -water, drd ; rail, $1.10. Barley water, 62 H rail. 73' cents. Hops water, $1.06 $1.73. 63 cents per hun- cents per hundred; per hundred; rail. Shingles water. 70 cents rail. 83 cents per hundred. Grease and tallow water, hundred; rail, ft.Stl. per thousand ; , 54 cents per -U ool water. 01 cents per hundred rail. l.VV. If this Is the difference now, the mar gin certainly will be much greater in favor of water transportation when shipments are made through the canal, and whereas it now takes 30 to 36 days to make the trip, the time will un doubtedly be cut down to 20 or 25 days. Twenty-five days is the average length of time consumed in rail shipments. If this great difference exists in the cost of transporting products by ocean rather than by rail, certainly we ought carefully to consider our Interior waterways as a means of transportig our products to market. Barg-es Should Carry Bulk. It is argued frequently that rail transportation being quicker, affords an advantage over moving freight by water. The authorities do not bear this out altogether. Probably certain kinds of light freight move more advantage ously by rail, but reliable statistics prove that bulk freight moves by barge at an average speed of 100 miles in 24 hours, while by rail the speed of the same class of freight is somewhat less. As to the relative cost, the comnari son shows the advantage all one way. Coal fleets go down the Orlo River with 5S.000 tons in tow, one cargo, the freight or 60 locomotives and 1900 cars, and the coal freights move by river cheaper than they could move by rail as 270 miles is compared to 2000 miles. To make the comparison clear, I shall quote Mr. Thompson, secretary of the River and Harbor Congress, who said that $1 will ship a ton of freight on a, good wagon road 10 miles, or on a railroad 127 miles, or on the Great Lakes 1250 miles, or on the navigable rivers 200u miles. Of course, our own rivers have not been developed to a point where there is enough bulk freight to Justify the establishment of freight barges, and that is the system of transportation used on the Mississippi and its tribu taries, where we are told that $1 will ship a ton of freight 2000 miles. As an example of the low cost of transpor tation on the Great Lakes, it may be cltd that whet has been shipped all the way from Duluth to Buffalo for 1 la cents a bushel. (To be concluded next Sunday.) RAILROAD WORK RUSHED KLMin.V IS NOW UEACHKD BY WORK TRAINS. Grade. Is on Xcw Line in Almost Completed Florence District. Oregon In FLORENCE, Or.. June 28. (Special.) Work on the railroad between Acme and Kugene rapidly is progressing. Work trains are now running as far as KImira, which is a great help, as the wagon roads are in poor condition and it is impossible to haul heavy loads over them.' During the Winter, owing to the -difficulty in getting supplies, most of the camps were forced to close down, but they -are now re-established every few miles along tho way. Last September the right of way had been almost entirely cleared, the tun nels begun and the grade started. This Spring the buildings were moved from the right of way, and the grade is ul most completed and needs only the bridges to Join the different sections together. There will have to be many of the smaller bridges, for the mountains are full of creeks which are small during the Summer but are swollen in "the Winter. The Not! tunnel, which is about 15 miles from Eugene, is not yet com pleted, but it is planned to finish It by next Kail. The smaller tunnel at the mouth of the Wild Cat is finished. . nswiowuaiina is now regarded one ot tne must promising- future roup-ri of supply of petroleum within th British Emplr". There ara oil indications for lit) miles along the vest coat. CONDON IS DEDICATED -"" hr- KENTON IS GROWING Modern Fire Station Marks Devtkpment of District. MUCH PAVING BEING DONE New iScliool RuiMInt; to Be Com pleted In Fall and llou Are Built Iviipirlly t lcn riiis or Slough One Bif; Need. The installation of the new fire sta tion at Kenton Monday nisht marked a progressive point In that district. Ken. ton is not an old suburb, it having been two or three years since the tract there was platted, and now a modern fire house has been built and a paid fire company installed. This fire com pany will cover a wide district as soon as the extensive paving plans have been carried out. Many of the main streets have been paved, but there are 11 other streets to bo paved this year and for which the contract has been let to Elwood Wiles. Altogether the paved streets in Kenton alone will cost about $30". 000. The street in front of the fire station has been paved. Work is in progress on Lombard be tween Wabash and Derby streets in Kenton, and presently this improve ment will be finished, which gives the new fire company access to Peninsula and the surroundings, where there is an important center. Jt is proposed to pave Lombard street to Albina ave nue and Albina avenue to Killings worth avenue. Krnton In Center. The prosperity of Kenton has been due largely to the fact that it ia a center for the operatives and men em ployed in the numerous manufacturing concerns, which have located on Co lumbia boulevard. Kenton has more than 2000 people now, according to the school census. By the opening of school next Fall the children of Kenton will be housed in a modern build In if. for which the contract has been awarded and on which work has been Marted. Many of the children of school ago have been going to other buildings a long distance. The new school is be ing built on Lombard street, a through street for this entire district. There has been an excellent growth in new homes in Swinton. which is along the east side of Kenton. While most of the homes are modest in size and cost, some are more pretentious. There is a steady growth through to Woodlawn in the fine residence terrl tory, which has been opened up there. The land la all mostly high land. Most of the streets In Swinton have) been graded and cement sidewalks laid. The natural growth remains, so that the home-owner can have his home lot ornamented with the shrubbery which nature has provided without the ex pense of artificial growth. Hero abounds the white dogwood with ita beautiful blossom. There is hardly a lot in this territory which Is not adorned with a dogwood tree. Jn fact these trees are scattered well all over the Peninsula. Park ?ieed Evident. The programme adopted by the Wom en's Auxiliary ot the North Portland Commercial Club to get. a park of a few acres near the schoolhouse is probably halted by the defeat of the bond issue, but the need of a park of some sort is evident, not so much for the present as for the time when the tracts there will all be built over and land values will lie much higher than at present. New manufacturing es tablishments ace going into the Colum bia Slough district constantly and the territory on the higher grounds south of Columbia boulevard is being tilled up with homes of the operatives. The land is growing in value now. and before a tract of sufficient size, is se cured for a paik the values will have more than doubled. It is hoped to put under way as soon as the new city administration is in power the clearing of Columbia Slough for which an ordinance appropriated $2000. There has been so much delay in getting this matter started that, many of the Peninsula property own ers have become discouraged. Th opening of Columbia Sloush and mak ing it available for sewage is the nn essential thing Tor the entire Penin sula district, and it is expected that, the new Commissioners will take hold and have the real work as outlined don? without delay. Few more streets on the Peninsula can he paved until sewers have been laid, and sewers cannot be had without an adequate outlet. Oeorge S. Shepherd, president of the Woodlawn Improvement Asso ciation, by soundings and careful ob servation taken on a recent trip from the Inlet to the mouth has demonstrat ed that by clearing out the obstruc tions caused by the accumulation of driftwood and deepening the mouth that the slough may be dredged out for boats at the expense of a large district. Entire District to Hciirflt. The principal objections offered to the plan to dredgn out Columbia. Slough under the district plan has been that it would enrich owners of prop erty on the Slough at the expense of the owners of lots located on the higher ground on tho Peninsula. While it I true that the land near the Slouch, will be vastly benefited by making a. ship channel, yet it would mean that practically the whole of he Peninsula district would benefit, the higher and more remote lots on the Peninsula, along with the lands on the Peninsula. However, it is evident that when the Slough is dredged out so it may bo navigated by boats between the Wil lamette and the Columbia it will prob ably have to be paid for by a district taking in practically the whole of tho city and the town of St. Johns. St. Johns and the Lower Peninsula are determined to have a direct road way to the Union Meat Company's plant and the Columbia River at the point about where the interstate bridce will land when erected. It is pro posed to construct a roadway from East St. .lohns to the Union Meat Com pany's plant and then the company wiil continue the roadway the balance of the distance to the probable ap proach to the interstate bridge. With the Patton and Union avenue ap proaches and the approach from East St. Johns the Peninsula and its sys tem of boulevards will be well provided with connections with the proposed bridges. It will be essential that the Lower Peninsula should have an ap proach to this bridge and one that will connect with the Willamette boule vard, which is part of the Pacific Highway. It hH8 not been determined how these roadways shall be built and how paid for. hut it was estimated that the Patton avenue extension Beross the Peninsula alone would cost J500.000 if u solid earth fill be made with the necessary bridges over Columbia and Oregon sloughs. In the construction of any roadways across, the Peninsula to ttve Columbia River the fact that Columbia Slough will be made a ship channel must he taken into considera tion. Either draw bridges must be provided or a high bridge built, morn than likely the former, as the tim Is coming when ships will make their way up the Slousrh.
