Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-08-05
OREGON DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE
Convention Meets for Two Days
Session i'm Portland.

The Oregon1an OF Wednesday
devotes a page to the doings of
the league that is expected to do
SO much for our state in the near
future. Three hundred Develop
ment League delegates, represent
ing the best citizens and best in
terests of the state, spent Tues
day at the Marquam Theater in
comsummating the Development
League idea whereby the states
energies are to concert in the big
forward movement intended to
give Oregon a place among the
great states of the Union: En-
thusiastic delegates filed the
theatre and made their reports,
and in every section the senti-
ment was shown to be tremen-
dously in support of co-opera-
tive development which will re-
suit in effectively tapping the
great storehouses of wealth that
lie untouched.
No more notable gathering was
ever under one roof in the his
tory OF the commonwealth.
Every section of the state was
represented and from expressions
made by delegates it was readily
apparent that the time is ripe for
the great awakening that is to
take place. The delegates left
their farms and their stores and
their Offices and their Individual
interests to lend a part in assist
! ing the interests of the state.
The personnel of the conven-
ton is notable. The delegates
are not the class of men given to
efervescenCe in meaningless
streams of oratory. The typical
Development League delegate is
solid man of the community
from whence he comes and has
its welfare at heart. He has not
travelled many miles during his
busiest season to hear himself
talk, but with the idea that the
interests of the community and
thereby his own interests may be
advanced. Nor are his ideas
selfish, for he has a pride in his
own particular locality and in
his state that is equal or far
greater than his regard for his
personal interests.
One of the first speakers on the
program was E. L. Smith, OF
Hood River, president of the
State Board of Horticulture, who
gave an able discourse on the in
ner secrets of orchard-growing,
dealing particularly with apples.
Mr.. Smith was followed imme-
diately upon the platform by
DR.. Jas. Withycombe, who read
a paper on "Some Examples of
Actual Results in Agriculture" "
This paper was comprehensive
aud instructive statement of what
the state is producing from her
fields.
Tom Richardson took the at
tention of the convention for a
few minutes with some practical
suggestions on advertising coun-
ties and helping along the good
work of state development.
Reports of actual work we1e re-
ceived aud listened to with much
interest.
At the Oregon Experiment
! Station last year IS IS tons of
green alfalfa per acre were Sc
cured, representing 7.31 tons of
hay, worth S43,S6. This season
over FIVE tons of good cured
clover hay were secured, worth
| ISIS. Their report continues:
With the aid of the citizens of
the state, Oregon will become one
OF the greatest states IN the Union,
great not as Minnesota for her
wheat production, great not as
Illinois for her corn, bur great
for the wealth of her agricultural
land, her immense forests, her
large mineral wealth, her mag
! nifcent scenery and healthful
climate. 1t rests with you, citi-
zens of Oregon, to see that this
is accomplished, and let us hope
that each one of you will realize
that this is a duty yon owe your
selves, your state and the Nation.
Brother Bennett, of the Irrigon
Irrigator, furnished the spread