Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-04-30
WAS 1T A GOLD BRICK?

When the Oregonian of Friday
morning, April 26, reached this city,
people of Dallas who had attended
the meeting dominated by the Port
land excursionists the night before
at the court house were interested in
reading the statement displayed in
prominent headlines that a move"
had been started ito unite colleges"
Specifically the OregOnian story stat
ed that the meeting had adopted res
olutions favoring the appointment of
a commission by Governor West to
look into all phases and plans
brOached for the consolidation of the
University of Oregon and the Oregon
Agricultural college" The story fur
ther related that "300 Dallas citizens
were present and unanimously favor
ed the idea and that President Camp
bell, of the University, declared that
he was very much in favor of the
resolution
Now, all this would be important,
if true. But the startling thing about
the matter is that it isn't true, and
why the Oregonian, which had repre-
sentatiVes in plenty at the meeting,
should deliberately print a story of
this nature in the face of the real
facts, is not apparent unless it has
permitted its animosity for the state
university to influence it's veracity.
The people of Dallas have no OBJ
lection to the visits of the Portland
iunketers. The doors are open at all
times and the Portland boosters for
business will be welcomed, but they
strenuously demur to having their
sentiments misrepresented, and to
being grossly misquoted, by inference
at least The truth of the matter is
simply this The meeting at the court
house was completely i'm the hands
Of the Portland eXcursonists. Not
more than so Dallas people were
present and no resident of this city
had anything to do with the meeting.
T.. Is, Piper, Of the Oregonian, pre-
sided. and calls were made for diff
ftrcnt people i'm the audience These
generally responded and some very
interesting talks were made. During
the meeting w. X. Newell. of Gass-
ton, proposed a resolution, asking
Governor West to appoint q non-par-
tsan commission to investigate the
needs of the Oregon Agricultural
college and Of the State University, .
as regards future appropriations, and .
similar matters and report to the
next session Of the legislature the
idea being to take the Institutions out
of politics il possible. This was the
sentiment expressed In the resolutions /
as they We're read and during all of /
the discussion previous to their adopt /
ion, and after the meeting had adj .
iourncd. not a single word was said .
regarding consolidation President .
Campbell expressed himself as favor
ing the resolutions as did several /
other people. yet all who made such .
utterancc are known to bitterly OPP
pose any move looking toward con-
solidation. The people of Dallas,
generally are opposed to cousollda-
tion and they object to being mis-
represented I'm order to satisfy the am
imosity of a bunch OF Portland boost
ers for the Corvallis institution.
The story printed i'm the uregoniau
and later echoed hy Portland evening
papers, was garblcd and untrue. The
editors OF those newspapers must
have known g. and Yet they have
permitted Il 10 stand. They are per-
trctly willing it appears. Co let the
inference go vat 10 the state that the
Dallas meeting endorsed q resolution
for consolidation. if such belief will
aid them in their efforts to bring
odium on one of the states educa-
tional institutions. such a course and
such tactics DO not appeal to the
people of this city and &C. hereafter.
the Portland boosters must invade
the rural communities in quest Of
business, and in propagation of the
get toEether" spirit IL is hoped that
they viii not involve the cities and
towns they visit in their souahhles.
nor missguote the sentiment of the
-itizens in order TO further their own
deas
Bnl Hanlcy's slogan land schools A.,
.n the soil" IS acceptable and friend
mess FOR the state Agricultural coll
eEe 81 proper. Dallas people believe /,
"a beth Institutions They want 60
ec the Corvallis college. and the
eugene University grow and prosper
'hey know that each Is doing good
FORK but it is felt that both would
e benefited 90 removed from the
anEors nf politics. hence the reso- D
ltion calling Tor non-partisan COM n
llsslon struck a popular chord. II C