Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-01-07
Regular Meeting
Commercial Club

The Commercial Club met Tuesday
evening and rounded up the business
of the month. After the bills were
audited the club had $3.12 on hand.
Lynn Purdn was elected to mem
bership. The following designations
were accepted: H. T. Baughman, G.
Cunningham, William o. Dickerson,
o. e. Diebert, C. r. d. Jones, l.. l..
Multi, |. e. Vining.
The committee on civic interests
and public policy-O. H. Johnson, c.
B. Watson and f. j. Shinn-rendered
report on two matters of nation and
world wide interest referred to them.
One was a request that the club en-
dorse the Gardner resolution for an
inquiry by congress into the matter
OF the nations national defence in
case of war. The committee reported
adversely for the reason that the
matter is before congress, that we
are not in position to advise the
Oregon delegation thereon intelli-
gently, that they are on the ground
and have the facilities for forming a
definite judgment. Their report was
adopted.
Another was a resolution favoring
the ratification of the pending treaty
with the United States of Columbia
which pays that country $25,000,00O
for the province of Panama which
this country needed in a hurry to
start the Panama canal and obtained
1t from a hastily arranged republic.
Now that the canal is built and in
operation and the United States of
Columbia is no longer an obstruction
to progress there is a growing senti-
ment in the United States that we
pay her for the transaction. The
change of administration since that
period offers the occasion for doing
this and at the same time Saving the
nations face" The European cata-
clasm having smashed its commerce
with South America and the present
administration having arranged its
diplomacy with view of uniting the
sympathies of the United States with
the various republics south of us on
this hemisphere, 1t seems that now is
the time to remove the feeling among
the nations to the south that the
United States would exercise its
power to injure smaller nations and
that it was imbued with the spirit of
being the supreme master OF this sec
tion of the world The committee
recommended the adoption of the
| resolution and II was brought formal
ly before the house. F.. Il. Watson
said he was heartily in favor of the
proposition itself but was opposed
to the club endorsing the resolution
as 1t had also political aspect and
the adoption of the resolution would
set a precedent that might plague
the club at some future time. The
resolution was finally tabled
Senate Bill No. 6S27 was laid on
the table on the recommendation OF
the committee for the reason that
the Oregon delegation in congress
had access to more information than
this club. 1t is one of many bills in
congress dealing with irrigation and
conservation.
Communication from the office of
the Naval Board of the Oregon Naval
Militia requesting the adoption and
forwarding to the states senator's
and congressman of resolutions re-
questing their support of the appro-
priation bill to defray the Naval Mil
itia expenses upon the cruise of the
United States navy to Panama for the
formal opening of the Panama canal
and to tho Panama-P Pacific Exposition
at San Francisco and that they per-
sonally request the secretary of the
navy to send the battlesltp Oregon
to Portland.