for. The potent influence that this idea of an historical commemoration has to inspire co-operation has already been manifest in the prompt and generous responses by our sister states.
The occasion to commemorate a great anniversary, then, is of the nature of a possible tidal event in the affairs of a people, through which it may emerge on a wider expanse of life and activity. To realize this outcome will require united action to a common end an effort that will result in a new mastery of our environment and a better command of our relations with the outside world. This involves a critical historical investigation of every element of the civilization of the Pacific Northwest and a scientific exposition of its resources. The workers along these lines, if appealed to in behalf of a centennial observance, will respond to the charm of this exalted purpose.
That the Pacific Northwest may command the best advantages possible to it in the world's commerce, it must have the geography and principles of international trade laid before it and applied to our conditions and products. This, as I will show, the best authorities on commerce stand ready to do. The Pacific Northwest is a new point of view for them, and they are eager for the light it will throw upon the world's system of commerce.
In these two fields of economic history and science, and of the world's trade relations with the Pacific Northwest, lies the work that this society can do. First, it should organize what would virtually constitute an academy devoted to the preparation of accounts of the development of the economic, institutional, and social elements of our civilization, and of scientific expositions of our natural resources, with the recommendation of policies from which will result their utilization to the highest public welfare. Then, too, the Pacific Northwest has a unity and character of its own as a section of our nation, and therefore many problems peculiar to itself. These get but a scant attention from national agencies for their solution, since we are comparatively so small in population. The peculiar conditions confronted by the different classes of Northwest producers in the world's markets may be taken as representative of these problems. This centennial observance is the occasion for meeting them.
The different departments of our larger universities and agricultural colleges, co-operating with all real students of our problems, could take up this work of determining the essential tendencies of our civilization and the elements of our environment, and would thus be most normally applying their energies devoted to investigation. The patriotic purpose back of the appeal to them would no doubt secure a hearty response from them. In conducting their investigations they would have occasion to elicit the co-operation of the masses generally. The finished results of such investigation would naturally be printed as part of the proceedings of the exposition, and become for all time
