Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

natives are often too proud to carry umbrellas when cloud-bound. These wet days bring agricultural millions to this area plus unbelievable lawns, tall trees and fine recreational facilities. Only 7 inches of rain occurs in what ex-easterner Conley calls "Utopian summers." The weather box on page 1 of the OreIonian read like this one autumn day: "Clouds, cooler temperatures are forecast for most of the East while Oregon continues to have fair, warm weather." Portland dwellers go to work early and have an early dinner, as a rule, with time left to enjoy the balmy outdoors before nightfall. Several thousand new households are set up every year, encouraged by a per capita income of $1,897. Portland's growth between World War I and World War II was nothing to brag about, but the present rate of expansion and improvement is impressive. Its National Biscuit Co. plant, largest west of Chicago, makes two million crackers a day. The new electrochemical industry is making progress. Lumber, glass, food, machinery and thousands of other items are processed in the state's only major metropolis. Portland's future, it would appear, inevitably will be busy and prosperous, especially if it has enough low-cost electricity. OREGON CITIES ASTORIA— First permanent white settlement west of the Rockies, Astoria is located at the mouth of the Columbia River. It likes to be called the "Salmon Packing Capital of the World," and the waterfront is lined with packing plants. Retail sales in Clatsop County were $31.8 million in 1954, and $20.7 million in Astoria. BEND — Tumber, farming and stock-raising are principal industries, according to Frank H. Loggan of KBND. Deschutes County has 24,000 population and $27.6 million retail sales; Bend has 12,300 population and $17.9 million retail sales. Sash, doors, boxes and toys are among lumber manufactures. Over 1 50.000 farm acres are irrigated. Tourist business is active, with mountains, lake and stream fishing plus winter sports. COOS BAY— Within a six-mile radius of Coos Bay, according to Phil Waters of KOOS, is a population of 35,000. Main centers are Coos Bay, 6,500; North Bend, 7,300, and Empire, 3.500. Coos County retail sales were $59 million in 1954. Fishing, dairying and tourisfs are income sources. Mr. Waters said Coos Bay has the world's largest lumber shipping port, vvi*h a deep channel to the nearby Pacific. Weyerhaeuser has built a big new mill. Outlet for "the last great timber stand in the U. S.," Coos Bay notes that a tract costing $1,000 just 11 years ago sold recently for $620,000. Textron Corp. has bought a plywood plant. A nearby black sand tract has several minerals and an electronic cracking plant. CORVALLIS— Dairying, fruit and farming are main industries. Oregon State College is in the city. Population is 1 7,000. Retail sales in 1954 totaled $28 million in Benton County, $23.9 in Corvallis. EUGENE — The twin-city market of Eugene-Springfield has 102,000 in the built-up Page 92 • January 9, 1956 section, 150,000 in Lane County, said Lee Bishop of KORE. Its (Lane County's) retail sales were $163 million in 1954, with over $113 million in the twin cities. Business was good last year, especially in the fourth quarter, Mr. Bishop explained. The cities are in the heart of hydroelectric projects. A new partnership dam on the upper Willamette has federal approval. A billion board feet of Douglas fir timber is cut yearly, with much of it processed locally. KLAMATH FALLS— Timber-circled , Klamath Falls is a lumber city. A new Weyerhaeuser hardwood plant and jet interceptor base are factors in the growth. Population of the city is 16,700, with 45,000 in Klamath County. Retail sales in 1954 were $46 million in Klamath Falls, $58.4 million in Klamath County. MEDFORD — Located just north of the California border on Rogue River, Medford has lumber, livestock, farm and fruit production. Ray Johnson of KMED said manufacturing is expanding, including steel and possibly new plastics industries. Medford population is close to 20,000 with 60,000 in Jackson County. Retail sales in 1954 totaled $78 million in Jackson County, $49.4 million in Medford. PENDLETON— With 12,000 population, Pendleton is famed for its woolens and the m id-September rodeo. Retail sales in 1954 were $54.3 million in Umatilla County, $29.3 in Pendleton. ROSEBURG — Lumber and sheep raising are the main activities. Population is about 9,000. Retail sales in Douglas County were $69.3 million in 1954 of which $33.1 million were in Roseburg. SALEM — The capital city of Oregon is the center of flax and hop production, claiming top U. S. rank in these crops. Canning plants handle a big output of fruit and berries. The city crosses two counties, Polk and Marion. Its population is near 45,000. Retail sales of the city totaled $86.2 million in 1954, with Marion County having $117 million and Polk $17.5 million. POWER: AVAILABLE IN PLENTY, BUT IN NEED OF A HARNESS AN HOUR'S DRIVE up scenic Columbia Gorge from Portland brings motorists to Bonneville Dam, lowermost of a series of colossal concrete barriers that vividly demonstrate the Northwest's ability to negotiate a practical deal with a generous nature. At Bonneville the water hurtles down 74 feet, which isn't many feet by Columbia Basin standards, but it feeds 518,000 kw of electricity into the grid of the Northwest Power Pool. And at Bonneville, the paternal desires of eager salmon induce them to make the same jump, except they do it the hard way — uphill instead of down, via a series of stepped pools better known as ladders. Thus these fish fight their way to an upstream birthplace, fertilize an egg deposit and die. Behind Bonneville lies most of the biggest source of waterpower accessible to mankind. The Columbia River system, with a total of 259,000 square miles, starts near Yellowstone Park on the southeast, extends northward into Alberta, Canada, and southward toward California, and finally meets the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Ore. Around 40% of the nation's hydroelectric SOME DAY SOON, Northwesterners hope, this Pleasant Valley site on the Middle Snake River will feed its swift waters through hydroelectric generators. power lies in the Pacific Northwest. Easily the largest dam in the Columbia system is Grand Coulee, largest concrete structure in the world. It has a 350-foot fall. Blessed with a unique handout from the mountains and skies, the Northwest has lots of electricity. The area's boom, especially since Pearl Harbor, has burnt up all the power that could be generated. The low cost of hydroelectric power attracted electricity-eating aluminum plants and other industries. Factories are starting to process more and more of the raw and semi-raw materials that emerge from these plants. There might be many more such factories if enough power were available, Northwesterners say. At any rate, there's a power dilemma that would be funny were its potential not so disconcerting. The greatest power system on earth unfortunately is the political battleground for earnest people who are often accused of fighting harder for issues than for the area's economy. Hundreds of interviews and hours of reading leave such impressions as these: o Advocates of federal dams are obviously right when they insist that hydroelectric projects must consider long-range conservation, power, flood-control and irrigation. • Private companies, however, resent insinuations that they are money-mad barons anxious to grab quick millions from the rivers with no regard for the public's rights. • Federal advocates point to the landwatering facilities at Grand Coulee, which is to open farm area as big as Delaware. • They claim, too, that revenues from sale of power are lining Uncle Sam's pockets. • Private companies remind that original cost of generator is only a fraction of the cost of delivering power to subscribers. They buy a lot of federal power. • They add that important tax moneys are paid out of private utility revenues. The arguments go on and on, wherever Broadcasting • Telecasting