Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-07-03
FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION.
(Fifth of Series.)


celebrated and the people of Grants
Pass came here six or eight hundred
strong. Ashland people should re-
turn the compliment to Grants Pass
this year and show them that we
appreciate their good will as illustra-
ted in their hearty support of our
celebration last year.
1t costs considerable money to pull
off creditable celebration. Last
year Ashland raised and spent over
two thousand dollars in it's effort to
present an attractive occasion No
doubt Medford and Grants Pass will
each spend more than that this year
in their effort. Those who con-
tribute to such enterprises do so
without the hope of getting their
money back directly. 1t is more with
the idea of offering a good excuse
for the people of the valley to mobil-
ize at one place and get acquainted.
And as such it is a splendid arrange
ment.
Grants Pass and Ashland have al
ways been on the best of terms, per-
feet reciprocal feeling existing be-
tween them. And this has been a
great advantage to both of them.
Unfortunately Medford has not
maintained such feeling with it's
neighbors. 1t seems that there has
been a disposition on it's part to mo-
nopolize all such occasions, so much
so, indeed, that it has lost the good
will of both Grants Pass and Ash
land. That should not be. The ge-
ography and topography of the valley
are such that it is evident nature
intended the whole people should be
homogeneous. That they are not is
due to artificial obstacles and not
natural conditions. Better feeling
should be cultivated between the cit
les of the valley. Some definite ar
rangement should be arrived at
whereby but one city will celebrate
the Fourth at a time and all the
other cities attend en- masse. 1t is
too late this year to bring that
about, but it can be so arranged in
future.
Last year Grants Pass and Ashland
celebrated together at Ashland. This
year Ashland will celebrate with
Grants Pass at Grants Pass. If the
understanding is arrived at now it
can be so arranged that neither
Grants Pass nor Ashland will have a
celebration next year, leaving it to
Medford to manage the occasion,
while both Grants Pass, Ashland and
the rest of the towns in the valley
will be the guests of Medford. The
Tidings goes now on record as favor
ing such an arrangement. 1t thinks
it should be carried out in the inter-
est of better harmony between the
towns.
Let us all celebrate at Medford
next year, all at Ashland the year af
ter, and all at Grants Pass the year
after that, and so on, so that each
city will be the host to the rest every
third year. We make that as a mo-
tion. Who will second it?
And in support of the motion we
offer this: A much better celebra-
tion can be financed where the towns
are not divided against themselves.
Upon such occasions more or less
money is necessarily expended. Those
who contribute the money to the en-
terprise should be given the greatest
possible opportunity to get it back in
benefits. This is hardly possible
where. the crowd is divided. Besides
the cost of maintaining celebrations
at two. different places in the valley
at the same time is too large to war
rant the division. If the money nee
essary to put on the attractions at
both Grants Pass and Medford this
year was thrown into common fund
for one celebration how much more
attractive it could be made without
the expenditure of additional money.
If the occasion justifies the expense
this year at each of the places, how
much more would it be justified if
the crowd was modified all at one
place.
No doubt both Grants Pass and
Medford will be glad for the oppor-
tunity to arrange such a plan. If
the matter is taken up now and def
nitely determined upon there will be
no Misunderstanding next year, when
the time for preparation arrives. The
cities of the valley should work to-
gether to this end. If the newspa-
pers take it up it can be speedily
arranged between the towns so that
there will be no misunderstanding.
An attempt was made this year to
cancel either the celebration at Med
ford or Grants Pass. The matter was
begun too late and could not be