The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-01-23
FRIDAY OPPOSES Big
FAIR APPROPRIATION
E. F. Friday in The oregOnian.) }

fE. r. FRIDAY IN lue OIeBOHiaH.l
Asa citizen and property owner Of
Hood River. would it not be better for
me To have $500, 900 expended in our
town than in the town of Podunc? And
ss a state would it not be better to
spend that sum Of money within our
borders for something that is lasting
and permanent, than to put it into an
exhibition building in San Francisco, to
be soon turned over to wrecking crew
and razed to the ground?
Are we so flush with money as that!
II this state does construct a building
there. what shall be put into il to ex-
bibjt? Apples? No. Our apples'must
be handled by brokers with capital and
experience, and who are well established
in husiness in the east and Europe.
The consumer of apples has nothing to
say in the matter. lie takes what
the grocer offers him at the lowest
price commensurate with quality. The
same is true with prunes and other
fruits and hops which grow In this
state.
Our fish Gamers on the Columbia and
elsewhere have nothing to gain by ex-
hibiting their products with a huge
mass of other stuff in San Francisco to
a string Of pleasure seeking sightseers.
The Gamers product is tried out on
the consumers dining table all over
the world by the consumer himself.
The lumber business Of this state
ranks first in the volume of business.
We all know that they have to find an
III In IN
established and reputable houses, To-
Gated in favorable places, determined
by railroads and other numbering sec
tions. And il is up to these retail
houses to show up the good qualities of
this lumber to people who are in need
of it, and to the actual consumer.
This is wool producing state.
Should our woolmen spend money for a
wool exhibit at the San Francisco fair?
No. They can put their money to bet
ter use. Let them build wooen mill
with their money within the borders of
this state and manufacture their wool
into cloth which we as loyal citizens
will buy of them. and again keep our
money at home. There is not one sim
gle reason or excuse for our legislature
to make an appropriation for the San
Francisco fair. II small pavilion as
desired for 0regonians to meet in, well
and good, that is all we need.
Let US invest our money in develop
ing our own state. Our city streets
and our country roads need vast sums
of money for the proper development
of this state. We need it for our irri-
cation projects, experiment stations.
agricultural school. insane asylums and
other state institutions. These things
need our support, and we can then
point to them with pride to our friends
and visitors who come to see US. | do
not think much of state aid for roads,
but even that would be far better than
investing our money in a building in
San Francisco.
Suppose this state appropriated
$500, 600 for a state road from Portland
to the Idaho line, and the states OF
Idaho and Wyoming continued this
road TO a junction with the National
highway from the Atlantic to the Pa
cifc coast. Would this not be far more
remunerative and enduring than tenn
porary fair building equallysas expen'
sive at San Francisco? Haven't we
city parks everywhere that sadly neeC
improving, which would be an attrac
tion and an inducement for strangers
to locate among us2 If our taxpayer
will vote down bill carrying an ap
preparation for our university and othe
state institutions. what will they no
do with a bill carrying an appropriate
for building at San Francisco?