Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-06-19

| 'HSA 'hSiO 10 SCi Ioih ldHu peculldliy
adapted to orange culture lying i'm
mediately adjacent to land that will
not produce oranges at all. Sharp
real estate men procure the latter
kind and set it to oranges, nursing
the young trees long enough to un-
load it on a tenderfoot, knowing
we'll enough that it will never pro-
duce oranges. Result, a discomfort
ed citizen, and black spot on the
whole neighborhood as orange land.
These transactions not only initiate
against the proper development and
value of the whole neighborhood.
but while they are being perpetrated
the land is being held out of its
proper use and the whole community
| impoverished because it is not util-
lied for the production of that to
which it is adapted. Because of the
depressing effect such transactions
have on the community they should
be put an end to by law. In truth,
it is hard to differentiate between
such transactions and the act of
highway robbery If anything the
first is worse than the last, because
the last affects only the individual
robbed while the first reflects on the
value of all lands in the community.
The law against one should be no
less stringent than the other; both
should be equally backed by moral
sentiment And the men who per-
petrate these frauds should be ta-
booed instead of elected to places of
trust in the community. If land that
will not produce fruit but will pro-
duce wheat is set to fruit and held
away from the production of wheat,
and by reason of that, community
money must be sent away for flour.
the community will be drained of
cash in just that proportion. This
applies as well to all diversified pro-
duction. Every community contains
land adapted to one kind of produc-
tion and not to another and it is
the interest of every citizen to dis
courage its use for that to which it
is not adapted, that it may be made
a profitable asset to the community
in the production of that to which
it is suited. Land we'll adapted to
fruit culture may have great value,
while wheat land is seldom made
profitable at higher price than
fifty dollars per acre. 1t is greatly
to the interest of a community that
values in harmony with the proper
uses is maintained on land In other
words, excessive speculation should
as community proposition, be con-
demned always and everywhere and
substantial development encouraged
The community that does that will
prosper best. Communities prosper
less during great eras of land specu-
lation than during periods of sub
SIoiiIldl uSNSlOpLueuI.
The second general cause is politi-
cal: Without taking issue with eth
er political party, it will suffice to
say that the proposed legislative
changes are so radically opposed to
the system in vogue under republi-
can administration that it will cause
uneaslness and unrest while the
changes are being agitated at least.
The present administration is now
constructing a tariff bill which
changes that system from one of
nigh protection to one of tariff for
revenue only. Just how far it will
affect business is probematical.
Then the currency will be revised
and how radically it is too early to
determine. Then trust control will
be inaugurated along lines propos-
ing to destroy combination. Neces-
sarily these agitations will affect
business to greater or less degree
as each subject for consideration is
vital spark in the commercial sys-
TEN of the country. Laying aside
the permanent effect of this legisla-
tlon, it must he conceded that dur
Ing the formation of bills with this
view and during the period of read
Justment to conform to the new rules
business generally will be uncertain
and depressed. 1t will probably con-
sumo eighteen months time, during
which it is hardly reasonable to ex-
pect any material Improvement in
speculative and hardly more in cumu-
lative enterprise. 1t is safe to saw
there will be few real estate trans
actions during that time. Therefore,
this is an especially auspicious time
to take stock. During this period
OF depression values will settle back
and 1T should be the desire of all
that the settlement should be solid
SO that the new activity will come
with firm bottom and that the
country will develop rather than
boom. The boomer is of no more