Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-04-05
Dill Strikes at
Root Of Problem

When a man tells me that bonds
Is the trouble with Ashland, ] feel
called upon to tell him how | have
figHred out the problem of what Is
the matter with Ashland" said John
Fl. Dill, president of the Ashland
Fruit a. Produce association at Mon
day evenings Commercial Club meet
ing.
Before the days Of pavements,
schools, parks and other things for
which bond issues were necessary,
oldtimers tell us that every Ashland
er had his meat house and his vege-
table cellar full and hard times were
unknown. Then schools and pave
ments and the like were wanted aud
the idea got abroad that by issuing
bonds and getting these things, prop
erty everywhere would boom and
everyone could sell out.
Thus, and here is the pith of the
whole matter, when the city went
into the bond business most of tho
property owners sat back, quit pro-
ducing. and waited for someone To
come and buy their property at a
price which would make them inde-
pendent. And while they were, and
are, waiting, they howl about hard
times.
ut isn't the bonds that is tho
matter, the bond debt of this city
would be mere bagatelle II people
would get busy and produce urged
Mr.. Dill
He then went on TO tell why he had
arrived at this conclusion, stating
that he had made an exhaustive study
OF the records of the fruit associa-
tion and had investigated other sides
of the matter as well.
did you know that the loce! fruit
association used to ship one hundred
cars OF fruit year, and goodness
knows how much the growers shipped
individually he questioned, "and
do you know that two years ago only
cars of fruit were shipped?
Did you know that in those days
when hard times talk was unknown
he local creamery did four times
he business II now does? And il
I'll came from quitting work in the
expectation of letting the bond bust
less support YOU
He then went on to tell some OF
he experiences of the last year. On.y
tx crates of Strawberries were ship
ed through the association while
ew years ago Strawberries were be
lg shipped carload after carload.
And we had the demand for them
{ good prices, too yes, and for plain
Id cabbage and potatoes and onions
hat you are paying scandalous prices
Or at the grocery stores these days
ecause the grocers have to ship them
from California, he explained
lie doalt briefly with the belief
nat the association had been poorly
anagcd and stated Il his conclusion
the close of his Investigations that
lie reason the association did not do
great deal was Just because the
aople DID not grow the stuff.
Mr.. Dill filled his talk with l'ttIa
lmorous quirks which drove home
s points with irrcs st'ble force.
ent down cellar the other day and
jagged out sack of potatoes and
ok them down town and sold them
r 1925 Just to see how il would
el," he narrated, and, say, | felt
ie a stockholder in trust. Just
lagine if few of your idle Ash
nd acres had been planted to pc
tees?
DIVERSITY diversity" he argued.
rst it was all to fruit, and then
to bonds and the salvation of the
lall landowner has and always will
in diversification. Springs and
rks are great things, but as a
proposition take years
bring the returns and the fellow
10 lies down and quits work hollers
out hard times and waits for the
'ings to make him rich, is liable to
rye to death first,
He closed with an appeal to those
,sent to urge everyone to plant
,ry available plot of ground in the
Y this year, dwelling upon the fact
It war prices are bound to be much
her next year.
Mr., Dill says he has never for
: second been sorry that he made
lland his home two years ago, and
t the secret is to keep busy.
Mrs. o. r. Bergner left last night