Bowes, William

PDXScholar (Portland State University)

Portland State UniversityPDXScholarErnie Bonner Collection Oregon Sustainable Community Digital Library7-13-1925First National Bank Linnton letterWilliam BowesLet us know how access to this document benefits you.Follow this and additional works at: http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/oscdl_bonnerPart of the Urban Studies Commons, and the Urban Studies and Planning CommonsThis Correspondence is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ernie Bonner Collection by an authorizedadministrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please contact pdxscholar@pdx.edu.Recommended CitationBowes, William, "First National Bank Linnton letter" (1925). Ernie Bonner Collection. Paper 122.http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/oscdl_bonner/122July 13, 1925,Mr. Sinclair A. Wilson,President, First National Bank: of Linnton,Linnton, Oregon*Dear Sir: (I • •I have your letter of the 10th In regard to theplans and development of Front Street.There Is no question about the plan* as you harementioned in your lettert and it is the only plan that will per-mit property owners along Front 3treet to keep their propertyand develop it economically*From the water to practically the line of Second Streetthere have been no new buildings built in a quarter of a century,The buildings that now occupy the ground are entirely inadequatefor modern business, therefore* rentals are at a very low ebb*Many property owner3 are not receiving sufficient from themrtopay their taxes, but we always find opposition from this classof owners to any project that means expenditure of large sumsof money. They realize their property is a liability at thepresent time, but they hesitate to spend more money to bringit to a paying basis.VI am fully alive to the large development of the Cityof Portland. I believe our city will continue to grow anddevelop irrespective of a certain group of people who arecrying about heavy taxes, and trying to discredit public of-ficials when they try to do the big thing* hoiwever, you willagree with ma that public officials cannot moive^faster northink faster than the public, and it is through such men asyou who see the possibility of development that public sen-ti.nent must be molded, so that city officials may feel thattheir efforts are being appreciated, arid it is necessary forthe forward looking business men of ths community to 4.0 as youhave done - approve the efforts of the public official^ -and in this way public sentiment will be turned from criticismto approval. ;fi V^The present City Council is endeavoring to do tha-bigthings that they see are necessary to be done in keeping withthe progress of a big city. Whsn .you realize that in the lastfour years property owners have practically spent one huAdr^ edmillions for buildings in the City of Portland, and about'tenmillions In streets and sewers, we can begin to raallzethat the citizens of our great City believe in Portland,when they are willing to bond themselves to the last dollarIn order to get the necessary improvements, however» theseimprovements are largely on the East Side, where it is es-timated 7£$ 0r more of the people reside*The West Side, which was onoe the great city ofPortland;, seems to have dropped into a rut, and permittedbusiness to move from the West 3ide to the ieast Side* Thesebusiness interests have moved there beoause of the better fa*cilities for transacting business on the East Side than on theWeat Side* I have bean told by some of the Front Street mer-chants that their cartage bills for hauling to and from theStreet j?as approximately as much as their rent was. It hasalmost become a necessity, regardless of expense, to improveFront Street so aa to provide proper facilities for the trans-action of business, and if this is not done the business willmove (to the east Side, where traffic and transportation ia attheir command*Again I thank you for taking the time to express yourappreciation of one of the big things we are trying to do toreclalm tbe West Side business district. I know this districtlike a book&j was on the Street 26 yearst and there has not OQQUa new board placed on the Street during that time, and I trustthis first move to re-claim Front Street property will recievethe he/arty cooperation of business interest that are progress-ive in the City of Portland*Yours r^xj truly,C0IiMI3310N^B Of PUBLIC vVOHZS,

First National Bank Linnton letter

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First National Bank Linnton letter

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