Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-12-11
New Members Brings
Membership to $50.
THE INTEREST IS INTENSE
Freight Agent Malboeuf Takes Ex-
ception to Derogatory Ar
ticle Sent From Here.

A well attended meeting OF the
Commercial Club was held Tuesday
evening; the old members were par
ticularly pleased with the large turn
out OF those who had recently Joined
the organization. The membership
now reaches close on to $50 and the
campaign for additions still goes on.
The principal business of the
evening was talk from c. A. NAL
boeuf. district freight agent Of the
Southern Pacific who had been
promising to address the club for
some time. He opened his remarks
by referring to recent article which
appeared in the Portland Journal
under a Grants Pass date, which
criticised the railroad company for
raising the freight rate on potatoes
and some other staples, and It was
plain to be seen, was not in very
good huror over the criticism. AZ
ter this he went over the matter of
freight rates pretty thoroughly, say
ing that the old rate of 25 cents on
potatoes. which was raised after Il
had been thoroughly demonstrated
that the Rogue River Valley could
raise fine potatoes and It was
thought best to increase the freight
rate to prevent outside people filing
this market with them to the det-
riment of the home growers, for the
reason that the Southern Pacific be-
lieved in encouraging home indus
try. He then referred to the rate
on green fruits. stating that our
cannery here enjoyed the lowest pos
sible rate, and that our fruit grow
ers could land their fruit in New
York at the same figure as is charg-
ed the fruit growers of Idaho.
showing that our fruit is in reality
hauled from here to Idaho, a dis
tance of about 1000 miles, for moth
ing. All of our freight rates, he
insisted, were lower than charged
on any other line west OF the Mis-
souri, for similar distances, and that
II they were any lower the mer-
chants would complain, because the
merchants favored a high freight
rate as 1t discouraged the people
from sending away for supplies.
The railroad company, said Mr..
Malboeuf, stands in the same posi-
tion TO a town on its line, as a par
ent does to its children. II must
do the best It can for the people
as only by assisting in building up
industries for a community can the
road build up business, and it isn't
necessary for the people to use
club when changes are desired as
the officials are always willing to
talk the matter over and make ad-
iustments in accordance with the
needs.
Reference was made to the liter
ature which has been sent out by
the club, and its lack OF mention OF
railroad facilities. Mr.. Malboeuf
thought that II these booklets stated
that the railroad facilities were all
right 1t would have the effect OF
offsetting the criticisms which ap-
pear from time to time in the pa
pers. The criticisms, according TO
his way Of thinking, do not hurt the
railroad as much as they hurt the
community. as they would have the
tendency to keep people from set
tling in a place where railroad IA
cilities are supposed to be not OF the
best.
At the close Of Mr.. Malboeufs re-
marks, President Anderson Of the
club stated that he felt certain that
he was only voicing the sentiments
OF this community when he stated
that the club was not finding any
fault with the present rates and SER
vicee furnished by the Southern Pa
cific Railway Co., and that the Of
ficials OF the company are demon
strating almost daily the fact that
II is ~: ie-i . :n-or ste with
TIE c!ti-e's 80 cCs7.-. interests