Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1916-04-24
GREER'S "ULTDLATUM."

The Record refers to Greer's offer
OF an option to the city on the Leon
ard property at $1,000 as an "ulti-
matum"
Greer issued no ultimatum on the
subject. He took an option on the
property for his Los Angeles associ-
ates. He thought the city needed the
property and was willing TO turn it
TO the city instead Of the Los Angeles
people, if the city wanted it. Greer
made no formal request of the city
council to take it. He simply adyer-
tised that the city was given an op-
tion on it till April 90, so that in fu-
ture years, when the property has
grown valuable, this same knocking
sheet could not logically make the
claim that Greer ran in under the
city when it was about to purchase
the property and took it away from
the city.
He thought he had done enough
when he advertised that the property
would be held for the city, without
making further formal offer. The
council had a perfect right either to
consider the matter favorably, or un-
favorably, or not at all. That was
not Mr.. Greer's business, and he is
not complaining because the council
did not see fit to consider it.
In regard to the price, Mr.. Greer
did not say what price he paid for the
property, but, to satisfy the spleen
OF the knocking sheet, we will simply
state that the price made to the city
is exactly the price at which the prop
erty is being taken over by the Los
Angeles people.
If the plans are carried out, and
they no doubt will be, unless discour-
aged by the knocking sheet and its
satellites, some $4,000 will be ex-
pended on the property in amusement
buildings and equipment. Was not
the $175, 900 voted for the enterprise
by the people invested in the hope Of
Inducing new capital, new investment
and new blood--in short, new tax
able values?
From the best information we have
been able to obtain it requires an in
vestment OF about two million dollars
to make high-class watering resort.
The writer has been working on the
theory that only about two hundred
and fifty thousand in all could be
furnished by the city of Ashland. The
balance must be made up from pri-
yate investment in the sort of things
demanded by such an undertaking.
Those most interested in the advance
ment OF the city have been figuring
day and night how private capital
could be induced to make the invest
ments necessary to the complete sue
cess OF the undertaking. They have
met with some success. In fact, when
the people who have their money be-
hind the Leonard property project
consented to invest in Ashland, we
congratulated our good fortune in Sc
curing them. We thought everybody
would be delighted and admit our sur
prise at the attitude taken against
the enterprise and those who for
warded It, by do-nothing newspa-
per, with no enterprise and less stand
ing in the community.
One thing. however, we are exceed
ingly gratIiied 10 relate. The people
Of Ashland have shown their conf
dence IN the Tidings and It's editor by
building the largest circulation for It
that the Tidings has enjoyed in its
history. Since January first, 1916,
more than tvo hundred new sub
scriptlons have come in, and many Of
them, IN subscrlbIng for this paper,
have stated that they we're former
fubb,ribers 70 the Record, but had
grown tired Of ia attitude against
the springs. and those who have
worked hard 20 forward the under
taking, and therefore we're diseon-
tinuing their subscription to the Rec
ord TO take this paper. The fact that
the Tidings has four subscribers for
every one supplied By the Record
shows which way the wind is blow