Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-05-12
PREPARE TO FIGHT
Hop Growers of State Organize
to Oppose Prohibition.
MANY MILLIONS ARE AT STAKE.
Polk County Is Represented at All.
Day Meeting Held in Portland
Last Saturday.

The hop growers of Oregon have
effected strong organization to op-
pose prohibition at the November
election, alleging that were the state
to vote dry the $25,000,000 now in
vested in the industry would be
wiped out. There were over one hun
dred growers present at an all-day
session in Portland last Saturday, ten
of the fifteen hop producing coun-
ties of Western Oregon being repre-
sented. County organizations will be
formed, and the president of each
county association will be vice
president of the state body. This
work will be taken up at an ad-
journed meeting at Independence Sat-
urday, May %. 1t is proposed to
hold meetings each Saturday at some
point in the hop-growing districts.
The name selected for the organi-
zation is the Hopgrowers and Deal
ers' Association of Oregon. The Of
fcers selected are "A. j. Ray, of Port
land, president; 7. A. Livesley, of
Salem, first vice-president; F. w. Dur
bin, of Salem, treasurer; Harry L..
Hart, of Portland, secretary; Hal v.
Bolam, of Salem, assistant secretary;
E. c. Kirkpatrick, of Dallas; J. C.
Wolf, of Silverton, George w. Lewis,
of Salem, Joseph Harris, of Salem,
George L.. Rose, of Independence, and
julius Pincus, of Portland, executive
committee.
1t was declared at the meeting, ac-
cording to The Oregonian's s report,
that should state prohibition carry in
Oregon, the hops of this state will
certainly be boycotted by Eastern
brewers to the advantage of the Cali
fornia and Washington producers.
"Not only will the farmers that grow
hops suffer but hoppickers will be de-
prived of the opportunity of earning
much money in the Fall months,"
said one of the speakers. SIN many
cases these hoppicking 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 80 per cent in value if plow-
ed up" said President Ray, and the
hop-houses and extensive machinery
used solely in the handling and dry
ing of hops will become a total loss.
Country merchants in the hop belt,
dealers and many others
will be affected by the elimination of
the hop-growing industry"
"The hop crop, in proportion to its
total value, brings more outside cap
ital into the state than any other
farming" another speaker declared.
''The value of the Oregon crop ranges
from about $3,000,00O to $5,000,000
year. 1t is practically all sold in the
Eastern states and in Great Britain.
Since 1894, when Oregon first became
a large producer about $55,000,00O of
Eastern and foreign money has been
paid to hopgrowers of this state, and
a large part of it paid out for hop
picking and other labor. "The pur-
pose of the newly formed associa-
ton is to bring these facts before
hoppickers and others
whose livelihood depends in any meas
ure on hop production and in that
offset the efforts of prohibi-
tibnists. Beyond this, the assoc fla
tion will takek no part in political