Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-02-02
THE oNE-wAY RATES AGAIN.
movement.

way homeseekers rates was up Tor
discussion In the Grants Pass Com
mercial club few months ago and
At the same time The Courier took
occasion TO speak OF the injury that
Ia being done this country by bring
Ing people without capital and with
out a disposition to work In on a
cheap rate and leaving them ma
rooned here. as II were, without Wis
lble means Of support. The Eugene
Guard, commenting on this subject.
says that the class mentioned are
not what we need to build up the
country and develop It's resources.
The Guard is right, but II must con-
slider there are, ne'er-do-wells every
where and when the railroad COM
pary adopts a means of picking out
mostly people OF this class to send to
this land OF sunshine and opportun-
lty. II is doing US positive injury.
The ne'er-do-well is never satisfied
no matter where he goes. He may
work II he is obliged to but can do
more injury to community than any
other class who can come into the
country. The man with energy and
means to take care OF himself until
he gets start is the kind which are
IA demand not only in this commun-
lty but everywhere else. In an in
terview, Frank W. White. a promi-
nent realty operator OF klamath
Falls, said to Portland newspaper
a few days ago;
Colonist rates do not meet the re-
quirements OF the movement to To-
cate farmers from the states east CT
the Rockies on Oregon farms. And
the experience OF years ought to
convince traffic officials Of the rail-
roads as 1t has the men engaged in
efforts to colonize farm lands
throughout the coast states, of the
necessity OF round-trip rates extend
Ing through every month of the year,
The desirable homeseeker is not the
man who pulls up stakes and goes
on one-way rate to locate in
strange land. Indeed, the bulk of
the colonlst rate movement is of the
floating element that is not particu-
larly desirable to any community
the fellows who would as readily
start on journey to Siberia or the
moon II colonst rate we're estab-
llshed at a price within his means.
The man oregon needs is the sue
cessful tenant sfarmer OF the corn
states, or the son OF the substantial
old resident of the congested agri-
cultural districts who is coming to
the Pacific coast states to establish
himself as his parents did in the old
location two or three decades ago
The homeseeker worth while Is
the man who makes an initial trip of
inspection and after finding the spot
that satisfies, returns to dispose of
his holdings and come back later to
remain He is not attracted by the
colonist rate because II comes at a
season when his farm work prevents
! leaving home, In the corn states the
first OF March is too late for the
farmer to so out seeking a change
of base in the current year, for II is
the date on which tenants take pos
session OF land rented for the ensu-
ing crop season, In most years the
actual work OF farming operations
begins In March In Kansas, Missouri,
Iowa. Illinois and states further
south, and In any event preparations
for actual field work keeps the good
farmer at home from March until
harvest is over
The above interview is to the
point but there is another side to
this all important question. II is
not the railroad which is entirely to
blame In this matter but those com.
muultles which issue booklets filed
with extrayagant statements which
foolish people read and believe OF
course the railroads are a party to
the crime as they have a scheme FOR
printing and distributing this Kind
OF advertising matter and II Is very
successful in bringing that class o,
people who have Otoplan ideas and
y H.s a III