Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-11-01
@The Good Lord Will Not
Deadhead the Town Over
Road to Prosperity"
I'VE MUST PAY OUR FARE"
SAYS SALEM LIVE WIRE
Points Out City's Needs and
Tells Citizens To Go and
Get Them

"The good Lord is not going to dead
ity. We must pay our fare"
With these few choice words, George
F. Rodgers summed up the general situa-
tion in an address last evening to the
largest and most enthusiastic meeting
of business men ever held in the rooms
of the Commercial club
To that organization heretofore
known as "The Ancient Order of Those
Who Want the Other Fellow to Do It,"
Mr. Rodgers paid few uncomplimen-
tary remarks. "This idea of q petri-
fled Commercial club is all joke. This
organization now is one of the livest
ones in the state. We don t want mon
ey but we do want nerve and brain
power. Not numbers, but few level
headed men who are willing TO do
things said Mr.. Rodgers. IA man is
a civic imbecile who thinks CONNER
cial club can do no good. At no time
have we stood at the portals of oppor-
the last few years are passing away and
we are facing great opportunities" ("
All of which was preliminary to the
membership campaign that will be
launched beginning Thursday and Fri
day mornings OF tl..s week. .&
0. NJ. Clark, president of the Portland
Chamber Of Commerce, in his short adj
dress emphasized the necessity of under
draining in this valley. ''We don Z seem
to have the right kind of farmers. To
encourage draining, clubs should be
formed, expert advice secured, and
where necessary, financial aid given
by Commercial clubs"
Portland Man Talks.
The secretary Of the Portland Cham
Der Of Commerce, w. ID. V. Dodson, said
that the Portland business men were
trying to determine Just what was the
trouble with Oregon and what was the
best thing to do about it. He intimated
that Oregon had too many laws and that
not enough attention had been given
to those that would encourage business
The big thing that allied Oregon was
the lack of markets and If the state
was to prosper, the market problems
would have to be solved.
Another problem OF Oregon was that
Of having no industrial population. In
Portland at least go per cent of the in
dustrial workers were engaged in such
work as building, city improvements
and other temporary work, and when
this stopped, these workers left the
city.
The flax industry was one that might
solve some Of the problems Of the state
Mr.. Dodson suggested, and the proper
way to secure factories would be to as
sure eastern mill men, through CONNER
cial clubs, that sufficient acreage
would be planted to give them the neces-
sary amount of flax, following the gen.
eral plan of sugar beet mills, were
certain acreage must be assured before
a mill is erected, as at Grants Pass. The
same idea as to securing canning factor
les in the state could be undertaken,
wherein the Commercial clubs would
guarantee some of the big canning in
terests, that If they would come to Ore
gon, the amount of products sufficient
10 keep factory busy would be raised
in certain locality. He thought the
woolen industry might become q great
Oregon asset. All the woolen manufae-
turers want would be the assurance by
a Commercial club that wool supplies
could be secured sufficient to Justify
the erection OF mills.
The Work Outlined.
With the object Of placing some hun
dreds of new names on the roll of the
Commercial club, eight teams of eight
men each win get busy tomorrow.
George F. Rodgers Jas chairman of the
committee, will direct the
CONTINUED on page two.)