The Eugene guard., June 13, 1925, Image 7

rJay Evening, Tmrt 13, 1925
-rr TITE EUGENE GUARD T
' . - ' ... POT
'
ME
I 4
An
Appeal to the Cit
y the People
hens of Eu
pringfield
gene
You have been asked to vote for $175,000 to pur
chase 209 acres of land west of Eugene to trade for
the shop site held by the Southern Pacific in Spring
field. You have been told by these men who have taken
options on this land that you now have an opportun
ity to accomplish big things industrially for Eugene.
You have NOT been told that by this action you
would do a great injury to a neighboring city
You have NOT been told that the car shops, located
in Springfield, three miles east of Eugene, would do
your city practically as much good as having them
located two miles west of your city.
You have been told that the men backing this
promotion scheme expect to reap no benefits indivi
dually if they carry it through. We challenge this
ascertion. We believe that certain men among these
promoters expect to make large sums of money out
of the sale of adjoining property. We ask you why
certain members of this committee who went back
to Washington two years ago and testified that the
Southern Pacific Company was trying to bottle up
the Willamette Valley, and are now asking you to
give the railroad company $175,000? Why they
once told the interstate commerce commission that
what Eugene needed was common user rights over
the Southern Pacific lines and why they are now
lauding the Southern Pacific? Does this typify con
sistency and sincerity? There are a lot of things that
might be said about the personal motives of some of
these local promoters but we are not conducting a
campaign of scandal. We wish to make our appeal
to the fair minded average citizens of Eugene on a
high moral plane.
Since the first railroad was built into this city
(the Woodburn-Springfield branch in 1875) Spring
field has been selected as a railroad terminal point.
The whole town has been builded on that plan. Hun
dreds of thousands of dollars have been invested here
to bring this railroad development about. Thirty
five years ago when the 70-acre grant was made to
the Southern Pacific railroad where the station now
stands by the Pengra donation land claim, it was
deeded to the railroad company with the expressed
provision that it should be used as a site for railroad
terminals.
The building of the Wendling line in 1 900, the con
necting of Springfield and Springfield Junction in
1905, and the starting of the Natron Cutoff soon
afterwards all were in accordance with a plan to make
this a railroad center.
Contemplating the completion of the Natron Cut
off in a few years, the Southern Pacific Company
sent its representatives to the Mayor of Springfield
in 1913, asking him to secure the company the shop
site on the East edge of the city limits, and to guaran
tee them not to pay an excessive price for it. Spring
field men stood ready to pay the difference between
a fair price for the land and any excessive amounts
the owners might demand. The land was purchased
at a price of from $300 to $400 an acre, costing in
all about $100,000. The price was satisfactory to
the railroad company and the work of the Spring
field men was lauded both by the railroad company
and by the people of Springfield. The site was then
and is now regarded as the most logical and best
situated that the Southern Pacific company could
find on its lines. Officials and Engineers who went
over it declared it ideal. President William Sproule
who inspected the site here remarked that "God must
have had the Southern Pacific and Springfield in
mind when he created this site."
All the lines that are on the railroad map now were
constructed then or under contract. Conditions are
exactly the same now as they were in 1 9 1 3 so far as
the Southern Pacific Company is concerned.
What has happened then to make the Southern
Pacific Officials change their minds?
The fact is the Southern Pacific has not changed its
mind. It is only hoped by these promoters, who are
asking you to vote $1 75,000 in bonds, to change the
Southern -Pacific. Company' , mind. They want to
take your money and buy the shops which they can
not get in any other way. They seek to strip Spring
field and Cottage Grove of industries vital to these
cities growth and prosperity.
These men are preparing to make the Southern
Pacific an offer. They have not been told that it
would be accepted as ypu have been led to believe.
If any Southern Pacific official, with authority, had
made this promise, these promoters would have
heralded it to the world. Don't be mistaken, if any
official has made a direct proposal, why don't they
say who he is and what he said?
Why bond your city, when you are already stag
gering under bond issues, to buy something for the
railroad, because a few men, who hope to profit by
the move, want you to? If they Were not so near
sighted they could see that the shops in Springfield,
three miles East of Eugene, will be pratically as bene
ficial to Eugene as they will be two miles West of
your city. There are many business men in Eugene
who are just as patriotic to the city's interest as this
self appointed group, who will tell you this. Then
why amend your charter whereby you will become
the prey of real estate sharks in the future? Why
set such a dangerous precedent?
If these Eugene men want industries, why do they
not step out and lend some of this support to new
ones, instead of seeking to profit by tearing down
other cities Especially other cities who are a vital
part of Eugene's trade territory. Changing the shop
site adds nothing to the community at large but
Springfield great injury.
Seventy-five per cent 'of the Springfield payrool is
now expended in Eunrene. If this were not true we
would have a city of twice the present size. Whv
slap us in the face and take away an industry which
has lone? been promised and is now on the eve of
materializing? We have helped to make Eugene a
strong commercial center and in return we expect
her to appreciate it.
The benefits of the Southern Pacific shops west
of Eugene would not be as great as these men would
have you believe; While on the other hand hundreds
of thousands of dollars have been invested in Spring
field on the promise that the shops would be located
here. To lose to shops would be a great blow to this
city. Eugene, to have the shops, would not profit
nearly so greatly as Springfield would suffer to lose
them.
While these self appointed shop site promoters
were scheming to "steal" the shops from Spring
field we have been silent. We had little to fear from
them so long as they confined their efforts among
themselves. But in the false undertaking to line up
in battle the citizens of one city against those of a
neighboring town, we cannot remain silent. This
scheme to make enemies out of friendly people to
"feather the nest of certain individuals" is the worst
kind of sculduggery ever practised in Oregon. It
will create a breach between the two towns that can
never be closed again in friendly relationship. It will
hurt Eugene in more ways than one it will result in
the loss of business not only from Springfield but
from other communities in this section. If one city
sets out on a campaign to steal from another, then all
other communities will be suspicious of it. Already
the press and individuals living in other cities have
cried out at the injustice of this attempted stealing of
the shops from Springfield, and the scheme has only
been publicly known a few days.
Springfield and Eugene will naturally grow to
gether and become one large city if this growth is
not interferred with. If the Southern Pacific com
pany is allowed to go ahead with its plans and build
the shops here Springfield will meet Eugene half way.
If the shops are built two miles west of the city limits
of Eugene it may mean community and the results
will be disorganized interests in this section.
Property in Eugene will not be benefited by hav
ing the shops west of that city. The west wind that
blows across the Willamette Valley from the ocean
will carry dust and smoke completely over Eugene
from this proposed site, while at the location in
Springfield this same dirt will be carried away from
the city. Railroad shops will not increase the desir
ability of Eugene as a place to live. It will not be
worth $175,000 to you, the average citizens, especial
ly when you can reap the benefits of this railroad
development without it costing you a cent in taxation.
You have a city planning commission (authorized
but not appointed) to plan locations of residential,
business and industrial sites within a six-mile radius
of Eugene, along lines of beauty, health and sanita
tion. We will leave it to any city planning expert
as to whether it is better to have railroad shops and
a large creosoting plant on the windward side of any
city and at the main entrance of the town, on an in
terstate highway, or whether the railroad shops
should be on the opposite side where the smoke, dirt
and stench will be carried into the uninhabited hills.
We, the People of Springfield, appeal to the Eu
gene citizens' sense of fairness, justice and obliga
tions toward your neighbors, to not become a party to
this underhanded stealing. Use your influence and
vote against the scheme that is against both your
interests and ours. By so doing you will unite Eugene
and Springfield in bonds of friendships that these
selfish schemers cannot break.
THE PEOPLE OF SPRINGFIELD, by the Springfield Chamber of Commerce