Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1914-1915, 1914-12-03
COMMERCIAL CLUB
HOLDS RECEPTION

lIUlUO llLuLI lIUN
Tuesday evening the local CONNER
eial club had as guests Louis Hill,
president of the Great Northern Rail
way system, Mr.. Gruber, general traf-
ric manager, Asst. Gen. Pass. agent
Wilde, Chas. Murphy, general counsil
r. A. McCandless division superin-
tendent of the Minot division, the sup
Mr.. Everett, also connected with the
Great Northern, and at the same time
the board of railroad commissioners
Of North Dakota, consisting Of Messrs
Stuttsman, Anderson and Mann and
Secretary w. F. Cushing were pres
ent.
President J. M. Kelley presided at
the meeting, which was largely attend
ed, and general feeling of good fel-
lowship prevailed. Mr.. Kelley called
on Mr.. Hill for few remarks, and he
gave very interesting talk and some
very wholesome advice. He went
ever the financial situation to some
extent showing just what the condi-
tions are the whole United States ov-
er, and to use his terms they are SIM
ply rotten. Mr.. Hill stated that down
at Washington they had been constant
" changing laws and chasing new
fads and fancies until they had gotten
things into such a condition that the
moneyed men do not care to take any
chances by investing their money in
any enterprise at the present time. He
said that owing to he lack of business
that railroads were laying off thous-
ands of men, and that this mean idle
ness and possibly hunger for these
men and their families. He cited the
case of the Great Northern of which
he is president, stating that during
the past month the gross business hae
fallen off million and quarter dol
lars. Along the line Of immigration
and farming Mr.. Hill stated that his
road had spent $4,000 the past yea7
for immigration purposes for Nortl
Dakota alone. He believed that late
on we might be able to get some goo'
Immigrants from the European coun
tries but at the same time we shoult
take care Of the farmers we have b.
giving them a fair chance. lie
not believe in experts giving farmer
too much free advice, but said that tn
actual farmer living on the land wa
in better position to learn things TO
himself, than to be told how to d
things by some theorist who had neve
farnled himself. Mr.. Hill maintaine
that the only successful farmer wa
the one who actually lived on the Ian
and cultivated and improves it, bu
that no Sidewalk" farmer can make
success Of farming. He said that h
had been trying that plan for man
years just to prove to himself an
others that it was impossible to max
a success of it. After his talk w. T
Stutsman was introduced and made
fine talk. Along the line Of immigrs
ton he said that he believed that
the lawmakers Of our state would sc
to it that the rate Of interest was re
duced to reasonable rate that
would be of more benefit to immigrs
ton than any other one thing, as
would give the farmers we now hav
q chance to stay here, instead Of graz
ually forcing them to the wall an
driving them to some other place. E
maintained that in most parts of tt
state farmers We're compelled to pa
10 and 12 per cent interest, and
many cases bonus on top of that az
that no farmer could succeed undo
such circumstances, if he had mar
debts against him. His talk was r
ceived with enthusiasm.
After the talks coffee and cake we,
served and there was a general smo
er which was much enjoyed by tho
present.
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