Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-03-24

HdNtu III lAaho HCAeN-
added to net production and proht'
When we consider that there are
only II, 300 farms in this vast expanse
of country, which could have 49,
900 farms and still not be crowded. We
can realize to some extent what the
situation will be in the near future
as our prospects for immigration rom
the less favored sections of the United
States in the way of climate, assures
auce of crops, etc, are Of the bright
est. might add that in this respect
these same less favored sections COM
prise pretty much the balance oil TINS
country. We must prepare Tor TINS
coming condition, and in my mlnd IN
no wav can we commence to better
advantage than by this Good ROADS
movement of yours.
Again our climate. especially IN tpe
valleys farther north Of here, is such
that the farmer has to work against
time, as it were, on account OF MS
road conditions The long season oi
healthful moisture compels INN ID
many instances to have his products
TO market before the roads become
practically impassible for the winter
and he is therefore often prevente
from securing the best prices, which
ne could do were it possible for him
to hold and haul to market at any
time. The result is that he ordinarily
must haul as soon as his crop is har-
vested, thereby frequently congesting
the market, and always oongesting
the traffic of the railroad, often times
to such an extent that TO have
sufficient cars available to handle the
rush freight during such crop move
ment, means the lying idle on its
sdetracks for the greater part OF the
remainder of the year of hundreds Of
Cars. This condition. is made more
expensive on the railroad from the lack
of warehouse facilities Of the farmer
individually. And this condition was
in evidence last fall with the farmers
| and shippers particularly in the Will
annette Valley. and il it had not been
tnat such facilities we're furnished by
the railroad many grower and dealer
of hops would have had to sell at fully
cents per pound less than he was
able to obtain. This item alone meant
an added profit of $50 per acre to such
grower, based on an average yield Of
1900 pounds per acre.
Next to good roads one OF the things
Oregon needs most is more people-not
people for the towns and cities, but for
our rural districts, for Ours is largely
an agricultural state, and our towns
must necessarily depend principally
upon the country. Very few persons
realize what an important factor good
roads would be to augment the efforts
of the railroads in the immigration
work for Oregon. 1t has been fire.
quert occurrence to have the otherwise
attractive and satisfactory conditions
for locating the wouldbe settler, offset
by the impossible condition Of our
roads, and the chance Of holding him
lost by our inability to show him the
land, together with the unfavorable
impression he gains as result. This
condition we hope to overcome to
some extent this spring, as the Harri
man lines will extend the period of the
present colonist rates Of $25 from Mis-
souri River and $33 from Chicago to
all points on the Southern Pacific
much later than heretofore
In conclusion l wonld ask your in
duigence for the privilege Of saying
something on the question of action
necessary to accomplish in some degree
the desired results. This meeting and
similar gatherings which have been
held throughout the State during the
last two or three years, are surely
serving to prepare the way tor large
expenditures on our highways, and
the State Association, which has been
so ably guided by is worthy President,
is and has. been doing untold good in
the right direction, bet as | under.
stand the conditions in one section are
entirely different from those in another
for the builing Of roads. it would an.
pear offhand to the casual observer,
that local interests must necessarily
be considered separately to some ex.
tent, and that We should therefore first
endeavor to determine to what part
State aid must be relied upon
whether convict labor can be auyan.
tageously employed, whether we
should consider Arst the question of a
common highway through the state,
either from East to West or North to
South. which am informed is favored
by some, and other such general
qnestions-then get to work as nearly
as practicable on some general lines
and organize each locality individual.
ly to pull in the manner best adapted
to its resources and requirements.
How Should Road Fund be Ac.
quiredY' was the theme handled BY
Hon. Il. G. Smith. of Grants Pass.
Mr.. Smiths answer was BY bonds
As the state constitution prohibits
the issuing OF bonds Mr.. Smith would
invoke the initiative and amend the
constitution SO that counties could
issue bonds with which to raise a road
fund. He considered it unjust on the
present genei alton to bear the entire
cost of building roads while having to
carry the other burdens of developing
new country. To open up farms. es.
taolish businesses, build school houses.
aud churches and provide the other
public utilities, was quite enough OF
task for the people of today and the
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