The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-09-09
Subscription, $500 Per Year.
THE NON-PARTISAN COMMITTEE

On Saturday, august Il, part.
headed by Robert E. Smith, represen
ing the Oregon Taxpayers League, ar
Lloyd Riches, secretary of the Orego
Editorial Association, met at the room
Of the Commercial Club for discus
sion of ways and means of educatin
electors on the ills that would BETA
Oregon industry and commerce, if the
vote for an initiative measure, propose
for the November ballot, providing 70
reduction Of interest to four and fiv
per cent. The visitors also discussed
and with equal emphasis, the NonPar
tisan League. When these men, VIII,
had already held similar meetings in l
other Oregon counties, completed theil
presentation of data, it was unanimous
ly decided by the men present that
some organization should be projected
in Hood River county. not only for ed.
ucating people against the five per cent
interest measure but for waging a cam
paign against Non-Partisanism. The
meeting was'made W of representative
citizens, ranchers, professional men and
business men. AS it was Saturday
morning, and an exceedingly busy time
for the merchants present, it was de-
cided to forego organization for the
time being and the suggestion that the
Commercial Club and Merchants Asso-
citation appoint an executive committee
of five to take charge of the work, was
adopted. The action of the meeting
was at once made known to j. II. Fred
ricy, vice-president of the Commercial
Club and G. o. Huelat, president of
the Merchants Association.
The officials of the clubs heard the
message, which placed emphasis equal
ly on the menace of the five per cent |
interest measure and on the Non-Parti- |
san League. They agreed to take the
initiative in appointing the executive
committee, the names of which were
published last week But it appears
letters mailed out to the members of
the committee, calling the first meet
ing, failed to make any mention Of the
Non-P Partisan League, and the five men
chosen, or those of them present, or
ganized for the sole purpose of com
batting the interest bill. Nothing,
however, was said to the press about
the omission of the Non-Partisan part
of the program, and thus embarrassment
was brought TO members of the COM
mittee. 1t was unfortunate that the
press was not correctly informed of the
failure of the officials of the CONNER
cial Club and Merchants Association to
follow the program as outlined at the
original meeting.
AS was stated in the Glacier last .
week, we believe Non-P -Partisanism as
great danger for Oregon as the five
per cent interest bin We are not OPP
posed to farmers organizing for the {
betterment of their business and to Sc
cure more for their product. In view
of the prices that farmers receive for v
produce and the ultimate charge made C
to the consumer, even though the pro- +
duce passes through but few hands, G
there seems some need for reform. But Il
Non-P -Partisanism, as put to practice in n
North Dakota and which leaders Of the I
hope to foist on Oregon p
and other Northwestern states. puts "
into effect state socialism that would Il
bring us many more ills than the one b.
we can discern would follow in the
wake of a five per cent interest bill.
indeed, we have reached the point N
where it will be necessary to do some m
thinking. We daresay that not tenth re
Df the electors of Hood River county q
have any degree of understanding of d
Non-Partisanism and what have been n,
is effects in North Dakota. Many who IN
have professed support of the radical co
.rend have done 80 simply because of M
dissatisfaction with existing conditions, icI
while others,of conservative tendencies, of
rave expressed opposition simply be- ba
.ause they refuse to tolerate anything #
hat smacks of radicalsm. We are ~
point where we should give fe
his new system of state socialism a m.
lose study. The very fact that the w,
citizenship of Oregon communities has
'een found susceptible to the bacteria
4 Non-Partisan propagandists indi- 49,;
ates the need of changes that will -
etter the opportunities of producers. S',
n no very distant time, if the signs Of
Oday mean anything, voters of Oregon
re going TO have TO take a stand If -
he electors will fully inform them -
elves we have no fear Of the ni1fcnnnn ~