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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1910)
THE 3IORXIXC ORKGnMAX. TTTTTT?ST A "V PPRPTTAnv in mm , , . - . v. o PINCHOT CAUGHT IN FLAGRANT ACT Forest Rangers Sent to Col leges and Received Pay Just the Same. UTTER DISREGARD FOR LAW Whole .Practice Preposterous, as Shown by Decision of Controller or Treasury, Who Cuts Off Salaries of "Students." BT HARRY J. BROWN. ORBGON'IAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash ington, Feb. 9. The Forest Service, un- i der the direction of Gifford Pinchot. did many things not authorized or contem plated by the law. but no violation thus far discovered was quite as raw or as flagrant as the education of forest rang ers at state universities and agricultural colleges at Government expense the practice recently checked by decision of the Controller of the Treasury. R. J, Tracewell. The facts In this case were briefly pub lished at the time the decision was ren dered, but the full record of the case makes Interesting reading, demonstrating as It does the manner in which the For est Sen-Ice utterly disregarded the re straints of the law, and spent Its appro priations as It saw fit. - The whole practice was preposterous, for the fact that rangers needed educa tion in their work la repugnant to the civil service system under which they are appointed, but it Is still more ridiculous that men appointed as rangers, and, need Ing education, should be paid their reg ular salaries while studying at these col leges. Disclosures More Ridiculous. And quite as ridiculous is the further disclosure that rangers were being edu cated in. the brief space of eight or 10 weeks, in which short time they were supposed to master such subjects as sur veying, silviculture, dendrology, timber scaling, range management, etc., subjects to wluch men of more than average In telligence have devoted years of study, The - whole situation is fully set forth In the letter of Secretary "Wilson to the Controller, and the latter's reply. In his letter to the Controller, calling attention, to the practice of the Forest Service. Secretary Wilson said: '"I am In receipt of a report from Acting forester McCabe that approximately 2tK forest rungers are attending the Uni versities of Washington, Montana and Colorado and the Utah Agricultural Col lege for short courses in forestry at an expense to the Government of between $15,000 and $20,000 a month; that these men have been sent to these institutions to take courses in forestry and have been assured by the Forest Service that their expenses for transportation from their stations to the colleges and return and their regular salaries for the time spent at the universities will be borne by the United States. "The Acting Forester reports that as soon as he discovered this condi tion, entertaining grave doubts as to the legality of a payment of salary from Government appropriations co men attending Institutions of learning as students, he wired to all disbursing agents of the Forest Service, instruct ing them, until otherwise ordered, not to pay any salary or expense accounts to employes of the Forest Service in curred on account of attendance as students at the universities. Only Short Time Required. "The term of instruction of forest rangers is from eight to 10 weeks and the number of rangers in attendance at each school is from 40 to 60. it is probable that the total number will not exceed 200. The subjects of in struction Include surveying, silvicul ture,, dendrology, timber scaling, range management and other topics. I am ln- formed by the Forest Service that the character of the work is severely prac . tical and in some ways comparable to ' the short course In agriculture given by some argricultural colleges for ac tual farmers, who come for a few weeks of instruction. " "This arrangement comes to my at tention now for the first time, and I share in the doubts entertained by Mr. McCabe as to the legality of payment from a Government appropriation of salary for time spent by employes of the Service as students at an institu tion of learning, no matter what may be the character of subjects they study. "If this plan can be legally carried on by the Forest Service. I see ao reason why the discrimination should be made against men employed in other branches of scietlflc work in the department of Agriculture, which would Involve the payment of salaries from appropriations made for the De partment for meat inspectors at veter inary schools, chemists at chemical schools, pomologlsts, horticulturists, agronomists and others at the various agricultural colleges, etc. It is true that some of the men might be made more efficient by such courses and the plan would popularize the Depart ment among ambitious young men de sirous of securing an education along technical lines, but I do not believe It was the intention of Congress that greater efficiency in the individual should be secured by paying from Government funds for his education at a private or state institution of learn ing." Ruling I. Asked. ' The Secretary then asks for a ruling from the Controller. After citing the law and appropria- tlons for the Forest Service, the Con troller replied as follows: "It is a fundamental and statutory fact under the method of appropriating made by Congress to support the Gov ernment service, that all appropria tions must be used for the specific purpose for which made, and not other wise. "It is true that in a service like the Forest Service, as to the details of the use of the appropriations made for its support, a considerable dis cretion Is left to the head of the De partment, but such discretion Is a legal discretion and cannot extend to purposes not fairly within the mean ing of the language of the-appropriation and not fairly Included therein. "You have cited me to no statute nor have I been able. in the short time at my command, to find any law which, by fair interpretation is broad enough in its scope to authorize you to use the appropriation for the Forest Service to pay the salaries or compen sation of forest rangers while in at tendance at colleges or their traveling expenses while going from their sta- tlons to said colleges. and return therefrom. These employes of the Government are legally entitled to the salaries agreed to fee. pais t them up- f ' M ----- - . . . " . COMMANDER TO BECOME REAR-ADMIRAL AS REWARD FOR FINDING POLE. fc ' - f . S J I ' ' ' - t ' ' I " . . M J v J , ' x ; - - . f , - f ' ' X. r t r - f I i " - if"" K - - i :; . j - K- y ?s " v . i . i f 4 it It . - - a U - y-:?z ROBERT E. PEAKY. WASHINGTON, Feb. 9. Promotion to the rank of Rear-Admiral as one of the honors to be bestowed upon Commander Robert B. Peary, U. S. N., for his achievement in discovering the North Pole, received the . Indorsement of. the .Senate .today.. .The Hale bill, adding Peary's name to the list of Rear-Admirals in the Navy and providing for his im mediate retirement with the highest pay received by one of the rank was favorably reported by the committee on naval affairs and was passed almost immediately without debate or comment. A similar measure offered in the House by Representative Allen of Maine, was forwarded to the Navy Department by Chairman Foss, of the House naval committee, who said he hoped it would be approved by the department and that he would urge its nassaea bv the House. . famiT-f ?VJ?FnE- RVI" ICb- "U ,S a reat h0nor to mrseIf and t w y mf, Commander R. E. Peary tonight when he was informed that a bill making him a Rear-Admiral had been passed by the Senate. on performing the service for which they were employed, and to be rein bursed for their traveling expenses when traveling on public business un der proper orders. Employes to Be Educated. "Unless there is something in the law to the contrary It is presumed that officers and employes of the Govern ment when appointed and employed have the necessary education to per form the duties for which they were appointed or employed. "The language of the appropriation tor the Forest Service negatives the Idea that the Government will- pay for the education of these rangers at the Government expense, .when it limits the Durchase of law h.i.. the service to sm rn. , . . . .wo luiiriu year. tt is true the college course they take Is a short one. but if you are authorized mcui a. snon college course you are equally authorized to give them a -a ii question or the time of the college course is one of administra tion and dlscreUon, if you are authorized t0,.iy law to Blve the" s- college course. The. question presented, however. Is not a Question nf nHmtnlet.a,U- 1 . of power. There is nothing, as before Btated. in the appropriation for the For est Service or in the law, that I have been able to find, which, in my Judg ment lodges with you the power to send these rangers to college at the Govern ment exDense. or nt h . the appropriation In question to pay their salaries while away at college, which is only another way of expressing the same 'I therefore decide that vm, -A authorized, on the above statement of facts, to pay the salaries of these forest rangers for the time consumed by them while in attendance at colleges, or their cAi,riip4 going irom tneir stations to said colleaes or in rAtiimim, ,v, froYn.' . GAYNOR POPULAR MAYOR CContlnued From First Pace.) coarse work that the authorities are com pelled to take notice of It. Shortly after Gaynor moved into the City Hall, one of these cases happened. A nolicm amurk on Broadway, clubbed a number of citizens, and was Anally dragged to his station. There he was relieved from amy, dui not locked up. The next morning. Mayor Gaynor sent for the Police Commissioner. He wanted to know why the policeman was not put into a cell like other violators of the law. The Commissioner explained that it had never been the custom. "Well, hereafter it will be the -hb- tom." remarked the Mayor. "A police man Is as good as anybody else, but not one bit better. When one of your men is accused or a crime, treat him Just as you would a plain every-day citizen." In addition the Mayor has displayed a great curiosity as to cases of clubbing. In several Instances, he has had the vic tims before him. and has gone into their cases with great care. Here are a few of the Mayor's deductions on the sub ject: 'A policeman has no more riirht to club a citizen than a citizen has to dub a policeman. The only time the use of a club is excusable is 'n an emergency, such as the combined attack of a riotous mob. "The night stick, instead of beinr a protective adjunct, is a dangerous weapon in a policeman's hands, apt to provoke him to violence and brutality. The night stick was abolished by Inspector Byrnes, and should never have been re-established." Some people figure that the Mavor's views have made him unpopular with the rank and file of the force. The contrary is the fact, however. Only a small per centage of policemen are brutes. The majority of the men are delighted to see that a strong and energetic character has taken a sensible interest In the de partment, and is making reform where reform is needed. The Mayor walks across the brldee from his home in Brooklyn to the City Hall every day. regardless of weather conditions, and generally finds something that needs to be remedied. And he shows a cheerful willingness to apply his in genious and acute mind to anything and everything which he regards as the city's business. And we really seem to have what we have often been promised, but never en- Joyed heretofore, a non-partisan city ad ministration. If Gaynor keeps on as he has begun, the non-partisan idea will become firmly grafted on the body politic. Furthermore, that seems to be the only TaXt ia BighX. INQUIRY IS WIDER Senate Accepts Amendment on Food Probe. HEARING TO BE HASTENED Not Only Food, but Other Commodi ties, and Salaries, Earnings and Tariff Will Be Made Subject of Investigation. WASHINGTON, Feb. 9. As finally de termined today the investigation of the increase of the prices of food and other necessaries of life which the Senate Is about to enter upon wIU cover a broad field. The measure providing for such investi gation was passed today with compara tively little discussion. It authorizes an inquiry by a special, committee of seven Senators Into the general enhancement of values, covering not only food and cloth ing, but many other articles used in every day life. The investigation - also will cover the questions of salaries, earnings and the tariff. Range Will Be Wide. ,At the instance of Senator Burton, the resolution was made to cover all com modities, while Senator Warren obtained the- insertion of hides, leather and boots and shoes. Senator Johnston obtained the insertion of beef, sheep and hogs, and Senator Bacon the insertion of steel. The inquiry will be conducted with great despatch. Senator Stone addressed the Senate at f length on the subject today. He said that he knew of nothing which stood in such great need of a coating of whitewash as the tariff laws. Asserting that there had been a rapid enhance ment of prices since the passage of the law. Senator Stone declared that neither an increase in the demand for food nor an increase in the gold supply could ex plain these advances in so short a time. In all probability, Mr. Stone continued, Mr. Lodge would head the committee of investigation, and Mr. Stone expressed apprehension that that Senator would hesitate to follow out any line of inquiry W1 1 1- ll Tllleht RiihstantlotA 9,,.Btn .... 1711 son's contention that American food products are sold more cheaply abroad than in the United States. Tariff Blamed for- Rise. Mr. Stone quoted from letters and newspapers to show a general increase in the necessaries of life since the en actment of the Payne-Aldrich bill. Among the letters was one from a St. Louis merchant saying that cotton goods had increased in price from 12Vi to 33 per cent-; linens 74 to 10 per cent, and hosiery 10 per cent- Every man of com mon sense, he declared, ought to know that "the enormous profit accruing to investors in these industries is the re sult of artificial conditions created by law." "I don't see' how It can be contended," Stone . continued, "that these artificial conditions, from which the consumers of the country, thank heaven, are begin ning to become the impatient sufferers, are chiefly for the benefit of the Ameri can wage-earners employed in those In dustries. I assert with the greatest con fidence that the tariff rates, as a rule, are far in excess of any difference in the labor wage in America and the chief competing countries of Europe, and 1 assert with equal confidence that the chief beneficiaries of this system are the men who employ this labor, as the chief sufferers are the consumers who are the victims of their monopolies." Chamberlain s Cough Remedy -never disappoints those who use it for ob stinate coughts. colds and irritations of the throat and lungs. It stands un rivalled as a remedy for all throat and lung diseases. Hold by all dealers. GREAT AREA TAKEN , OUT OF RESERVES Of 4,000,000 Acres Thrown Open, Half-Million Will Be Oregon's Share. BOUNDARIES MORE EXACT Some of Eliminated Land Is Suit able for Dry Farming, but More Will Be Open to Grazing. President Approved. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash ington, Feb. 9. The joint plan formu lated by Secretaries Ballinger and Wilr son and now approved by the Presi dent will restore 4.000,000 acres, now in reserves, to public entry, and will eliminate from the reserves 470.000 acres in Idaho and about 500,000 acres in Oregon. The lands Involved in the restoration for settlement are those not suitable for forest purposes and represent more than 2 per cent of the total forest area As three-tenths of the forest domain still Is - unclassified, it is difficult to estimate what will be the total elim ination when the whole area has been mapped out. lands Not Definitely Chosen. It cannot be stated at this time that withdrawals will be made from the public lands for forest purposes in ac cordance with the policy of classifica tion. The subject Is under considera tion and lands best adapted to forest purposes will be added to the National forests, but the subject has not reached concrete form. The great area. It was announced today, which would be elim inated from the forests, is scattered throughout the reserves. Tracts in the interior of the forests and much land along the edges will be lifted out of the confines of the reserves, estab lishing with greater exactness the boundaries of the forests. Some Dry Farming Possible. Some land eliminated is suitable for dry farming, though the greater part is grazing land. These lands, more suit able for tilling and grazing than the growing of trees, will now be placed to profitable use instead of lying idle with in the National forests. The Forest Service has been at work since May collecting data to determine the proper classification of the lands within the National forest domain, un der the plan evolved by the Interior and Agricultural departments, and it is ex pected to insure the amicable adminis tration of the public lands by the General Land Office and the Forest Bureau. VASQUEZ BETWEEN FIRES Nicaraguan Rebels Explain Away Boasted- Victory of Madriz. WASHINGTON, Feb. 9. Such details of the battle of Boaca as have been able to get through to Washington indicate to Latin-American diplomats here that Chamorro, by what was reported as his flight, has simply changed positions with the Madriz commander, Vasquez, who now finds himself between two insurgent forces, Chamorro in front and Matitia in the rear. The Insurgents make the deduction that, when Chamorro broke through the lines of Vasquez, he hastened on towards Granada, and is now within 15 miles of the city where the Chamorro family is all-powerful. "This victory of the Madriz troops re minds me of one of Mark Twain's de scriptions of a fight," declared a repre sentative of the Estrada faction, "when he said 'I Inserted my nose between his teeth and pinned him firmly to the gTound.' Chamorro broke through the Vasquez forces and fled, but he fled in the direction of Managua." LINCOLN DINNER POPULAR Tickets for Banquet of Republican Club in Great Demand. Tickets for plates at the Lincoln ban quet of the Union Republican Club are in great demand. It was announced last night that 800 tickets will probably be sold. The dinner is given in celebration of the birthday anniversary of Abraham Lincoln. Several after-dinner speeches by prominent members of the Repub lican party in Oregon are scheduled. Among those to speak from other towns in the state are Judge R. R.- Butler, of Condon, and Frank Mulkey, of Ashland. It is expected that the attendance at the banquet from out-of-town will be large owing to the fact that a meeting of the state central committee will be held Saturday. A Delightful Experience awaits the person who dis covers that a long train of coffee ails can be thrown off by changing to POSTU The delight comes from a rebuilding of new nerve cells by the food elements in the roasted wheat used in mak ing Postum, and the relief from the effects of caffeine the natural drug in coffee. Any one can soon feel the Vielight, and -"There's a Reason" Read the little book,"'The Road to Wellville," in pkgs. POSTUM CEREAL COMPANY, Ltd. Battle Creek, Mich. M I, ' SHOES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY On Short Notice. Your High -Cuts Mountain and Logging Shoes Made to order in Our Shoe Factory. 144 - BET. Portland's Only ALEXANDER KERR BUYS $72,000 PAID FOK TOUR. TEETH-STKEET PLACE. Property Between Washington and Alder, 100x100, Changes Hands. Beaverton Farmer Invests. Alexander Kerr, of the firm of Wad hams & Kerr Bros., has purchased 100x100 feet on the west side of Four teenth street between Washington and Alder streets. The property was pur chased from two owners, 75x100 feet being bought from F. S. Meyers and the adjoining 25x100 feet from Mrs. Harriett ManBfield, the total relnfr COLONIST RATES Spring Tfif Stock 4 Arriving LMfy GOODYEAR SHOE CO. - The management of the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Co. and Southern Pacific Co. (Oregon Lines) takes great pleasure in announcing that the low rates from Eastern cities, which have done so much in past seasons to stimulate travel to and settlement in Oregon, will prevail again this Spring DAILY from March 1 to April 15, inclusive. People of Oregon The railroads have done their part; now it's up to you. The colonist rate is the greatest of all homebuilders. Do all you can to let Eastern people know about it, and encourage them to come here, where land is cheap and homebuilding easy and attractive. FARES CAlf BE PREPAID at home if" desired. Any agent of the roads named is authorized to receive tie required deposit and telegraph ticket to any point in the East. REMEMBER THE RATES From Chicago, $33; from St. Louis, $32; from Omaha and Kansa3 City, $25. This reduction is proportionate from all other cities. WM. McMURRAY, General Passenger Agent, Portland, Or. . GUT PEECBS ON ALL ALL THE TIME 146 FOURTH STREET MORRISON AND ALDER CUT-PRICE Family Shoe Store given as $72,000. The sale was nego tiated through the agency of D. Parker Bryon & Co. The Meyers prop erty was deeded yesterday at $45,000. and it is said the Mansfield property was sold for approximately $27,000. Mr. Meyers bought the 75x100 feet 60 days ago from Dr. J. Block at a figure slightly less than paid for it by Mr. Kerr. The Mansfield property is occupied by a well-built three-story frame rooming-house and the Meyers property is occupied by three dwell ings. The entire property brings in a good revenue on the sum invested. W. H. Walker, a young farmer of Beaverton. has purchased a four-flat building on the east side of Tenth street between Morrison and Tamhill streets from George F. Russell and W. B. Streeter for $36,500. The property is 40x100 feet and brings in a rental of $140 a month. Mr. Walker has pur chased considerable real- estate In Portland and is now a heavy owner here. This property purchased yes terday will held as an investment. a b. j m "v SUNSET I0GDEN & SHASTA ROUTES WE HAVE THE LARGEST Shoe Repair Factory on the Coast. Re pairing while you wait. We call for and deliver FREE OF CHARGE Phone Us. Oeeds were filed yesterday trans ferring the quarter-block at the north east corner of Seventh and Oak streets from the Ladd estate to the syndicate of Portland people organized a few weeks ago by -D. Parker Bryon. This syndicate lias incorporated under the name of the Sevenoaks Investment Company. The deal required the pay ment of $130,000 cash. A mortgage for $65,000 at 6 per cent for one year was given by Sigmund Frank. Plans are now under way to make this property income bearing. ' Astoria Port Coniniision Named. SA1JEM. Or., Feb. 9. (Special.) Gov ernor Benson today appointed the fol lowing commissioners for the Port of Astoria; Samuel Elmore. Astoria; John: Fox. Astoria: Charles F. Lester, War ren ton: Alexander Gilbert. Seaside: Chris Schmidt, Astoria. Today is positively the last day for discount on the West Side gas bills Head gas tips. TO and the Crreat Northwest OREGON r