Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-05-11
HOPMEN ORGANIZE TO
FIGHT PROHIBITION
s25.ooo,o00 Invested by Hop Growers
Who Stand TO be Ruined by
"Dry" State.
SALEM MEN TAKE DART
AT PORTLAND MEETING
Oregon Hops win Be Boycotted in
East If Prohibition Is Carried
in Oregon.

Believing that if Oregon goes dry
the hop industry of the state will be
wiped out, and the 1000 growers, with
their $25,O00,O0o capital invested,
ruined, an organization of growers and
dealers was formed in Portland Satur-
day to work against prohibition.
More than 100 men engaged in the
growing and selling of hops were pres
ent at sessions held in the Morgan
building in the morning and afternoon.
Of the 10 counties in Western Oregon
that produce hops, ten were repre-
sented.
The name selected for the organiza
tion is the hopgrowers' and Dealers
Association of Oregon. The officers
selected are: A. j. Ray, of Portland,
president; T. A. Lvesley, of Salem,
first vice-president; F. W. Durbin, Of
Salem, treasurer; Harry L. Hart, of
Portland, secretary; Hal V. Bolam, of
Salem, assistant secretary; E. c. Kirk
patrick, of Dallas; j. c. Wold, of Sill
verton, George W. Lewis, of Salem,
Joseph Harris, of Salem, George L..
Rose, of Independence, and Julius Pin
Gus, of Portland, executive committee.
County organizations will be formed,
and the president of each county asso-
citation will be viee-president of the
state body. This work will be taken
up at an adjourned meeting in the In
dependence Opera.house Saturday, May
23. 1t is proposed to hold meetings
each Saturday at some point in the
hop-growing districts.
1t was declared at the meeting that,
should state prohibition carry in Ore.
gon, the hops of this state will GER
tainly be bOyeottel by Eastern brew
ers to the advantage of the California
and Washington producers.
''Not only will the farmers that grow
hops suffer, but hoppiekers will be de-
/ prived of the opportunity of earning
much money in the Fall months,' said
one of the speakers In many cases
these hoppieking wages furnish the
cash for Winter schooling and clothing
in farmers families, and with this
resource cut off no similar occupation
will be afforded by other agricultural
lines"
"Hop land now planted will de
preciate so per cent in value if ploweC
up" said Ilresident Ray, and the hop
houses and extensive machinery use(
solely in the handling and drying OF
hops will become g, total loss, Country
merchants in the hop belt, implement
dealers and many others will be af
fected BY the elimination of the hop
growing industry
"The hop crop, in proportion to iti
total value, brings more outside capita
into the state than any other farming,
another speaker declared "The value
of the oregon crop ranges from about
$3,OO0,0V0 to $50@0,000 year. 1t il
practically all sold in the Eastern
states and in Great Britain.
Since 1894, when Oregon first be
came large producer about $55, ,O00,OO'
of Eastern and foreign money has beef
paid to hopgrowers of this state, AM
large part Of it paid out for hop
picking and other labor.
"The purpose of the newly-forme'
association is to bring these. facts be
fore hopgrowers, hoppickers Hnd other
whose livelihood depends in any meas
ure on hop production and in tha
manner offset the efforts of porhibi
tionists Beyond this, the associatio
will take no part in political matters