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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1914)
HTHHf. VOL. LIT. XO. 16,639- PORTLAND. OREGON, "WEDNESDAY, 31 ARCH 23, 1914. PRICE FIVE CENTS. TAX DELINQUENCY DATE SEPTEMBER I Penalties Illegal Before 1 That Date. PARTS OF ACT DECLARED VOID Judge Cleeton Rules Many Pro , visions Are Inconsistent. LEVY INCREASED, FINDING Opinion Probably Will Be Accepted Throughout State Officials Say Emergency Exists and Spe cial Meeting: Called. FEATl'RKS OF JUDGE CI.EETOVS DECISION IN TAX SUIT. Date of delinquency held to be September 1. ' No legal duty on taxpayer to pay taxes before September 1. Sections providing for penalty on taxes not paid before September held inoperative. Injunction granted restraining the Treasurer from collecting penalty on second half payments, if first 'naif of taxes shall have been paid before April J. Entire measure effective unless one-half of taxes shall have been paid before April 1. Collection of taxes t o continue without Interruption. County and state officials to meet Friday to discuss effects of decision. "There is no legal duty resting upon the taxpayers. to pay taxes prior to Au gust 31, and there is no default until September 1," Circuit Judge Cleeton ruled yesterday in the case brought by Attorney Roger Sinnott, president of the Portland Taxpayers' Association, in which he asked for an order re straining County Treasurer Lewis from collecting penalties against persons who have paid one-half of their taxes before April-!. ., - - '' Though in the suit filed by Mr. Sin nott an Injunction was asked restrain ing Treasurer Lewis from the collec tion of penalties only against those who have paid one-half of their taxes before April 1, Judge Cleeton went fur ther and declared inoperative all the provisions of the 1913 law which re quire collection of penalties on any taxes unpaid after April 1, unless the tame shall be delinquent. September 1 Delinquency Date. The time of delinquency. Judge Clee ton held, is September 1. Under the pleadings in the case brought by Mrv Sinnott, in which re lief was asked only for those who pay one-half their taxes on or before March 31, Judge Cleeton is able to grant an injunction only against the collection of a penalty on second-half payments, if the first half shall have been paid before April 1, even though, in his deci sion, he declared ail the provisions re garding penalties which may bo col lected before delinquency inoperative. This leaves the entire law, with all Its provisions, operative against tax payers who fail to pay one-half of their taxes on or before March 31. Penalty Collection Intent. Deputy Iluckaby said yesterday that he will proceed to collect taxes as here tofore, and will prepare to collect penalties on all taxes one-half of which are not paid before the last of this month. It was suggested yesterday that At torney Sinnott and District Attorney Evans agree to Mr. Sinnott amending his complaint to include all taxes in stead of only second-half payments, that the injunction might be granted accordingly. This Mr. Sinnott said he would refuse. "The man who has not paid half his taxes and does not pay them before April 1 is not entitled to any relief under this order," said Mr. Sinnott. "The suit was brought primarily for those who have made a part payment, and relief for them was all that was asked and all that was intended. "If the taxpayers don't get in and pay their taxes before April 1, they are not entitled to any relief." Fund Shortage Is Feared. Treasurer Lewis said after he had considered the decision that if the pay ment of taxes is deferred because of the ruling the county would be short of funds before the full collec tions are made in August. Under the law he must pay to the State Treas urer by May 1 one-half of all the state taxes due from Multnomah. If this first half payment to the state is delayed. legal Interest attaches until it is paid and a heavy penalty operates against the County Treasurer, which, if the default continues 30 days, oper ates as a forfeiture of his office by the Treasurer. If the default is 10 days the Treasurer is penalized 20 per cent of the amount of default. "This means that when April 30 comes I will make a check, payable to the State Treasurer, for $785,456, one half of the amount due the state from this county," said Mr. Lewis. "The sec ond half is not due until November 1, and I don't anticipate any trouble In making that payment. But I don't in tend to default on this first payment, for the penalty is a personal one. In addition to the interest on the amount (Concluded oa Pase IS DOCTOR REPORTS BICHLORIDE 'CURE' POISOX CONVERTED INTO OXE MUCH LESS DEADLY. Iodide of Potassium and Albumen Declared to Have Produced Re Eults In Case of AA'oman. SAN FRANCISCO, March 24. (Spe cial.) An antidote, or "cure" for bi chloride of mercury poisoning has been found, according to Dr. Veirlin C. Thomas, of San Francisco. He de clared today he had discovered a "cure" which transforms the poison within the victim's system into an other poison, far less poeent. Such an antidote has been sought by the sci entists of the world for a long time. National interest was recently aroused by the announcement of East ern scientists that they had discovered an antidote for bichloride of mercury poisoning the injection of calcium into the blood directly. This has now been dropped, however. Dr. Thomas expects to announce his method to the medical world in a short time, after further experiments. To be effective, he said today, his system must be resorted to without de lay. At least one cure is reported al ready. Three weeks ago Mrs. Florence M. Elliott, of Stockton, visiting friends here, took seven and a half grains of bichloride of mercury by mistake. She is now practically well, although the dose she took was sufficient to kill half a dozen persons. . Dr. Thomas' method is the adminis tration of iodide of potassium and al bumen and the inducement of profuse perspiration. The mercury bichloride is changed into iodide of mercury, only one-eighth as poisonous. PRUNES AHEAD OF SEASON Clarke County Crop Well Along In Development. VANCOUVER, Wash., March 24. (Special.) The prune orchards of Clarke County are irom 10 to 12 days ahead of the season in development. Buds are swelling, leaves are coming out, antf there is every probability that the blossoms win come out about April 1 to 5. By April 15, or 20, a fair esti mate may be made of how heavy the crop will be this year, not taking into consideration frosts, or early Fall rains. Some packers are already figuring on buying their annual supply of boxes and other supplies, and salesmen are now here taking care of the business. Prune here form the chief fruit ex port every year, the crop some seasons running to $1,000,000. SCHOOL MEETING" IS" SET Sessions at Culdesac Will Continue Two Days. CULDESAC, Idaho. March 24. (Spe cial.) Parents, teachers, school offi cials and all interested In public school work will meet in Culdesao on March 27 and 2S. On the evening of March 27 a reception will be given by the school faculty and the next day a ses sion will be held. Music will be a fea ture of the programme. Among the speakers will be C. W. Farr, of the Holden improvement com mittee; Professor R. R, Richmond, of Lapwai; Miss Redfield, County Super intendent; Miss Alba Bales, heud of the domestic science department of the Lewiston State Normal; O. M. Osburn, and J. Schwartz. SNOW FALLING AT BAKER 'Stockmen and Fruitmeii Apprehen sive of Danger. BAKER, Or., March 24. (Special.) Snow began falling here at 6:30 to night and by 8 o'clock it was an inch deep, with a prospect of a depth of several inches by morning. Temperatures of from 40 to 65 de grees in the last three weeks were suc ceeded by a sharp drop in temperature today, and cattlemen and sheepmen who have turned their stock on the ranges are worrying tonight. Farmers also are perturbed, as fruit trees are blooming, and a return of Winter now may mean heavy losses. STREET J0GSFACE BAN Commissioner Dicek Would Stop Ir regular Platting. To prevent irregularities in streets due to irregular methods of platting tracts of property for sale as lots. City Commissioner Dieck will submit to the City Council a proposed ordinance re quiring the owners of all property to have the City Engineer survey tracts to be platted before they are finally subdivided into lots. The city faces the necessity of chang ing a number of streets. Commis sioner Dieck says lie believes the pro posed ordinance will correct this trou ble in the future. DEPUTY LOSES PRISONER Man Charged With Stealing Team at Ashland Makes Esacpe. ASHLAND. Or.. March 24. (Special.) Walter Grow, accused of stealing a team of horses valued at $1500 from Fred Herrin, escaped from Deputy Sheriff Good last night while entering a local restaurant to which he was be ing taken from the city jail. Grow has not been caught. JUDGE HUMPHRIES ENTERS Seattle Jurist Says He Will Be Can didate for Supreme Justice. SEATTLE, March 24 Superior Judge John E. Humphries announces that he will be a candidate for Supreme Judge at the coming state election, instead of serving out the term of four years on the Superior bench, to which he was elected two years ago. , E OF FIERCE BATTLE Rebel .Sear Tor- ie6n Reported. 13 v ROSEATE RUMORS DISCOUNTED Fight for Possession of Gomez Palacio Unfinished. PRIVATE NEWS CONFLICTS Constitutionalists at Juarez Hear Report Torreon Has Surrendered, but High Spirits Are Checked for Time. CHIHUAHUA, March 24. An official dispatch received at S P. M. today says fighting continues fiercely at Gomez Palacio. The rebels are said to have captured the stone railroad round house and to be fighting from it. The rebels say the federal dead number 700. JUAREZ, Mexico, March 24.: Roseate rumors and "official" reports of the onward sweep of General Francisco Villa and his victorious rebels kept this city In a state of gratified excitement today, but the optimism was dashed somewhat by the receipt of the Asso ciated Press dispatch from Chihuahua quoting an official dispatch to the effect that fighting continues at Gomez Palacio. Conflicting Reports Received. It was announced officially in the course of the forenoon that this city, three miles from Torreon, was taken last night at 9 o'clock and that Gen eral Villa had ordered supplies sent direct to that city. Next came word that General Aguirre Benavides had captured two federal quartels in Torreon itself. This infor mation was conveyed in a private tele gram from Colonel Trevino, one of Benavides' staff officers, to his brother in Juarez. At this there was great Joy, but it was nothing to the excitement oc casioned when - General Manuel Chao, Military Governor of the State ef Chi huahua, and now in this city to greet General Carranza, received a private report that General Velasco, the federal commander at Torreon, had surren dered. Report Aeccpted With Reserve. General Chao accepted the report' with, reserve, however, and telegraphed to General Villa asking for confirma tion or dental. After two hours he had received no reply. The dispatch from the Associated Press staff correspondent at Chihuahua had something of a dampening effect t Concluded on Page 2) ONE ROUNDHOUSE BAS iJL : ... - i mm - INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. TESTKRDAY'S Maximum temperature, 00 degrees; minimum, 4'2; light rain. TODAY'S Showers; westerly winds. Foreign. Madame Caillaux says she shot editor be cause she feared husband would act. Page 3. King; openly denounced for surrender to . "military aristocracy" in Ulster affair. Page 2, Battle for possession of Tonreon " rages around roundhouse. Page 1. National. Test of strength tn Senate on canal tolls issye may come today. Page 2. Secretary Redfield tells of plans to develop - Oregon fisheries. Page 1. Jones and Johnson plead for channel work near Vancouver. Page 3. Domestic. Bull Moose espouse dry cause in Maine. Page 1. Doctors report "cure" for bichloride poison ing. Page 1. Measure intended to pleace Goethals is lost at Albany. Pago 3. Sport. Claude Berry says he does not desire to return to Portland. Page 8. Recruit Hanson defeats Negro Giants, 6-2. Page 0. Larry McLean speeds up in training camp. Page 8. Coast League teams ready for opening game of season. Page 8. Nick Williams tests raw material against Sox, loses 5 to 1. Page 9. "His" will pitch opening game Page 9. NORTHWEST Pacific Northwest. Twenty-five indicted as result of Governor's crusade on Copperfield. Page 1. Oregon Electric train hit and probably mor tally Injures young man near Albany. Page 6. Annexation of parts of Sylvan and Mount Zlon precincts held void. Page 7. State Tax Commission to confer on de linquency decision. Page 18. Albany woman renounces modern Enoch Arden. Page U. Gill makes himself solid with union musi- clans by abolishing cabaret ehows. Page 7. Mr. Bllyeu ssys Game Commission seeks to give sportsmen value received for money contributed. Page 7. Commercial and Marine. Scarcity of wheat cause of - advance Jn Northwestern markets. Page 10. Break in corn affects wheat at Chicago. Page 19. London Is liberal buyer of stocks in Wall Btreet. Page 19. Contract for East Side dock let to Guthrie, McDougal & Co. for $2L'U,447. Page 14. Seattle Construction & Drydock Company bids lowest for olenroy repairs. Page 11. Portland and Vicinity. Train motorman held blameless in Mlchell- Ellls tragedy. Page 13. "Miss Hobbs" to be put on stage and Gov ernor pledges support "with militia, if necessary." Page 7. Physicians "seek ousting of osteopathic health officer of Clackamas. Page 11. Tax penalty date fixed at September 1 by court. Page 1. Weather report, forecast and data. Page 19. Walter Greer Campbell, once San Francisco millionaire, arrested here for $-50 debt. Page 14. Hose display during Festival attracts surf porters. Pase u. STATE TO jJY CULVERTS Centralis Product to Bo Vscd on Roads of Washington. CENTRALIA, Wash., March 24. (Special.) R. C. Stanley, manager of the Stanley Reinforced Concrete Com pany In this city, was in Olympia yes terday conferring with the State High way Board relative to the purchase of concrete culverts, for use on highway improvements this year. The state has already used some of the local product and is preparing to use more. The new plant of the Stanley con cern started up yesterday morning. Tho output has been doubled. SOUND PLANK GOES BY THE OREGON FISHERIES TO OUT LIVING COST Redfield Tells Plans to Develop Coast. INVESTORS READY TO ACT Pacific Expected to Rival Great Fishing Banks. EDIBLE SCALLOP FOUND Tliis and Consumption of Mussels Mentioned Among Ueccnt Achieve nienls Department Inves tigating Possibilities. SAN FRANCISCO. March 24. The Department of Commerce is going to do much during the coming Summer for the benefit of the Pacific Coast, Some thing of the department's plans was outlined before the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce in a speech to day by Secretary Redfield. He prom ised to tell moro of these plans when he speaks beiorc the Commonwealth Club of California at a luncheon to morrow. Two great undertakings, at least, al ready have been determined on-a sur vey of the fisheries off the Oregon coast, to determine how much they may contribute to the food supply of the Coast, and a more careful survey of the Alaskan coast to increase the safe ty of shipping in the Far North. Edible Scallop Introduced. Secretary Redfield spoke of what the department had done through its Bu reau of Fisheries to cheapen the cost of living in the East by promoting the consumption of mussels and the intro duction of the edible scallop, found In great quantities outside New York Harbor and almost unheard of until about a year ago. The steamer Alba tross, now lying in San Francisco Bay, will leave next Summer for the Oregon coast, he said, to investigate the hali but andother fishing possibilities of the pacific waters. "I believe that we may add as great ly to the food supply of the Pacific Coast in this way," he said, "as the fishing banks of the Atlantic Coast have contributed to the food of the East. Investor Ilrnnrtrd Ready. "We hope next Fall to report pros pects which will encourage the men, who I am tojd are ready to invest in such an enterprise, to undertake the development of this source of addi tional wealth to the Pacific Slope." Speaking of what problems the Eu - (Concluded ou Pag -) BOARD 1 i x$ MOOSE ESPOUSE MAINE PROHIBITION PROGRESSIVES GO ON" RECORD IX FAVOR OF DRY STATE. Submission of Liquor Question to Voters of Xation Advocated at Convention in Bangor. BANGOR, Me.. March 24. A strong stand for prohibition was taken by Maine Progressives at their first state convention today to nominate candi dates. Their platform advocated the submission of the question of National prohibition to the people of every state and pledged the party to a strict state wide enforcement of the prohibitory liquor law. Halbert P. Gardner of Patten, mem ber of the Progressive National Com mittee, was unanimously nominated for Governor. The platform declared In favor of the initiative and referendum, woman suffrage, a 54-hour week for women and children, workmen's compensation, the recall of all elective executive officials in state and counties, conservation and development of resources, and the ex tension of good roads. United States Senator Clapp, Min nesota, who addressed the convention, pictured two great national parties in the future one Conservative and the other Liberal. E. M. Thompson, of Augusta, and Dr. E. D. Merrill, of Foxcroft, were nomi nated for Congress in the Third and Fourth districts, respectively. BAKER FUGITIVE CAUGHT Martin Knezevich, Late of Copper- field, In Toils in Idaho. BAKER, Or.. March 24. (Special.) Martin Knezevich, the Copperfield sa loonkeeper who, on being ousted by the saloon-owning Councilmen there, complained to Governor West, who sent the militia to Copperfield, closing the saloons, has bee.i captured at Caldwell, Idaho, by the City Marshal there. Knezewich va; indicted last Friday, but he fled across the line into Idaho before the officers could get him. He declared today he would not re turn to Baker voluntarily and a legal battle may follow his attempt to es cape prosecution on the charge of gambling and selling liquor to minors. District Attorney Godwin tonight telegraphed Governor West asking if he would give extradition papers for Knezevich. Up to a late bouh tonight he had received no reply. ARTESIAN FLOW IS STRUCK Warm Water Available for Irrigation on Yakima Reservation. NORTH YAKIMA, Wash., March 24. (Special.) An arteelan flow of warm water which spouts 20 feet into the air from a four-inch plpo was struck today at a depth of 320 feet on the ranch of Judge Stephen J. Chadwick, of Olympia, on the Yakima reserva tion. The ranch lies about 10 miles directly west of Wapato, and in near the J. T. Harrah ranch, on which a larger ar tesian well was brought in about two years ago. The land is being put in alfalfa, aud the flow of this well wili be sufficient to irrigate it. The flow is regarded as an indica tion of a large and easily accessible body of artesian water. MAMMOTH'S TUSKS FOUND Professors Decide KIcplius Once Roamed in AYillaniettc Valley. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, Eugene, March 24. (Special.) Parts of two huge tusks and a tooth found two miles from here indicate that in prehistoric times the mammoth elephas roamed in the Willamette Valley, say professors at the university. Professor W. A. Beer made the find Sunday on the Fairington farm. Pro fessor A. J. Collier, head of the depart ment of geology, today classified the tooth and tusks as being part of the remains of an elephas, the forerunner of the modern elephant. The elephas lived in the Pleistocene age, from 500,000 to 1,000,000 years ago. BRIDGE CAUSING WORRY Vancouver People AVonder AYhen AA'ork on Span AA'ill Begin. VANCOUVER, Wash., March 24. (Special.) Now that the bonds for 1300,000 have been voted for the erec tion of Washington's share of the in terstate bridge, and it has been more than seven months since the election, people here are wondering what is being done about building the bridge. They are beginning to worry about it and wonder when work will start. It will not be long before high water, and little can be done in constructing piers when the Columbia River is 20 or more feet high. C. A. JOHNS IN HILLSB0R0 Republican Candidate AVelcomed by Business Men. HILLSBORO, Or., March 24. (Spe cial.) C. A. Johns, Republican candi date for nomination as Governor, reached Hillsboro last night and was met by a delegation of business men, who are working in the interest of the Portland attorney. Although Mr. Jonns will hold no pub lic meetings and make no addresses while here, he will confer with leading Republicans of tne district. Mr. Johns will return to Portlaud tomorrow nisbU- By JURY Ex-Convict, Made Coun cilman by West, Is One. COPPERFIELD OFFICERS IN NET Governor's Agent and Probers Have Stormy Session. FUGITIVE INFORMER FOUND District Attorney Ridicules Execu tive's Man After Permitting Him Private Audience AVitli Body of Investigators. BAKER, Or., March 21. (Special.) Today's session of the grand jury in Baker was the most spectacular in the history of Bauer County. Twenty-five indictments wora returned. Every Copperfield saloon man was indicted, and Frank H. Snodgrass, special in vestigator for Governor West, appeared before the grand Jury in a stormy ses sion at which he and the grand ju.ors shouted at each other at the top of their voices and at which the spokes man for the Governor made general and sweeping charges against Sheriff Rand and District Attorney Godwin charges to which the grand jurors paid but small heed. One of the most startling in the list of indictments returned by the grand Jury was that against J. J. Burns, one of Governor West's appointees as a member of the Council at Copperfield. Indicted Man Ex-Convtet. Burns is an ex-convict who was pardoned by Governor West when it was shown to him to be necessary to do so if Burns should act on the Council. Burns was indicted on a charge of giving liquor to minors. William Wiegand was not indicted on the charge of displaying improper pictures in his saloon, despite Mr. Snodgrass' appearance. The grand Jury had asked for Lieutenant-Colonel B. K. Lawson's testimony. Mr. Snod grass testified today that he had helped Colonel Lawson take the pictures front the walls of the saloon. Wiegand was Indicted, however, on a charge of selling liquor to minors. So were all the other Coppcrlieid saloon men, including ex-Mayor Stewart, Tony Warner, a Councilman, and William Woodbury, a bartender for Stewart and Warner. Hotel Man Is Accused. The cleanup extended to Richland, where 4. D. Jones, a hotel man. was indicted on a charge of bootleggincr. There were other indictments in Eagle and Pine Valley, but these were not revealed. William Wiegand awaited his in dictment at the door of the Sheriff s office, where he stool with a handful of bills for bail for himself and for his Copperfield associates but not for .1. J. Burns, who was "one of the op position." Snodgrass' interview with the grand jury was stormy. District Attorney Godwin retired from the grand jury room and let Mr. Snodgrass present whatever evidence he might have. Loud talking was heard through the doors and at times it seemed that tho seven grand jurors and Mr. Snodgrass were all shouting at the some time. Discoveries Are Told. Mr. Snodgrass said he did not come especially for the grand Jury, but was here primarily on a parole case. "Colonel Lawson knew nothing more about the pictures in the Wiegand saloon than I did," he said. "As to any testimony against Mr. Godwin and Mr. Rand, I have nothing. I can simply testify to the grand jury that 1 came here and found the slot machines und disorderly houses run ning open and above board, with no attempt at concealment. Whether Mr. Godwin or Mr. Rand knew of them I could not say. I can only say that I would be ashamed to say that I did not know of these conditions if I lived in a town where things were as wide open as they were here. "No, I did not call the attention of Godwin and Rand to the conditions. But they were informed. That I know. And no prosecutions resulted." Mr. Godwin declared Snodgrass" statements were ridiculous. ' Governor's Action Late. "The caliber of Mr. Snodgrass and the man he represents, Governor West," ho said, "Is shown by the statement that prosecutions were expected for something that everyone knew was going on here and which was covered by city ordinance. Of course there were slot machines and disorderly houses, but there have been none for a long time, long before Governor West started his fireworks here. We didn't prosecute them as it would not have been fair. But we Issued one warning and they all did close up right away and there have been no violations since which have not been prosecuted." The grand jury expects to complete its work tomorrow. Warships Asked for Encampment. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash -ington. March 24. Senator Jones today urged the Secretary of the Navy to de tail several battleships to Bellingham for the Grand Army of the Republic encampment, to be held June 24-26. Th Secretary promised to give the request consideration. 25 ARE INDICTED BE GRAND