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About St. Helens mist. (St. Helens, Or.) 1913-1933 | View Entire Issue (July 24, 1914)
ST. HELENS MIST T II K I (UMlHI) 1KHI IhmumI Uvoiy l liilny lty . I H T I 1 11 1.1 Hit I SO Cn.MI-.tNV M. K. AIIIItT, lltlltor " I'niii 'il UN iincimil cIiihb mnlUn-, January lotli, JUU ' 11 Act of Murc'i 3rd. 187b - ' HUIISCKUTJON HATK:I oi, v- r ii.no SI; M.i. iIih 76 ,Wi..ilnliiK r' ' Known on npplU-dtiuii ,.i;t.l notlrc 2& CHtilH or Itllo. ,i K r o i'n"i"v o KlFro'i al i A 'i k h A DIFFERENT SYSTEM ' ruml vvmk on the Columbia 1 linkway ll.roiiK'i this county in nearly all licin done ,vcmii-.'irli is from outside Columbia Coiiiiiy. Vliiv l.ave almost invariably 'tub let the vari ous cm'iracts and the sub-contrai-to's have iil-siisiili-lil to others. This system of sul.-con-iractiiif,' has gone to such extent that the peo ple arc wontU ring whether or not there is any money to be made by the people who are actu ally doing the work and whether or noi the contract price being paid by the county for the work is excessive for that kind of work, l'.verv pri son has a separate idea on the cpies tiotis, h: i lly any two having the same opinion. To nw.nv f the tax payers it looks as though tin- piiic being paid by the county is too high mid lli; t the work should be done for much ,.s nuiiey, and could be if the work was con tracted !o local men who have the interests of tlij coiiny at heart, and this argument was hardly to be disputed until the bids for the work "it the Nchalent road were sub mitted whin it was found that with, one sin gle evi !ti-u the bids of local men were high er than wire those of the outside bidders, la si i ; ' instances the local, men were prc- . i it -1 ! i. : i paretl v.iiu an me uecesary m.u innery ami eiiiiiiin nt to go on and do the work really at Ic-sco't than .could any outside contractor I, ring in equipment with which to do the work, ami yet these local men, tax payers and resi dents i f the county., bill- considerably more than did the outsiders. So it would seem that when residents of the county will hid tin .re f- r doing the same work, being familiar with all conditions in their locality, having the necessary equipment, and fully able to handle the job. will bid more than the foreign Jinns, it must be said that the work is being done as cheaply as it can be done for under the con tracting system. . Now the questions as to whether the coun ty can do the work at less cost than can con tractors will be settled for the Columbia City Warren road bids were opened by the Court last Saturday, only one bid being submitted ami that of the firm of JelTrey I'ufton of Port land, which the Court rejected as being too liili and w ill do the work under the direction if the mad master and County Court. This demonstrate the dilTercnce in cost under the contract .system and the other system of of County doing its own work." The Mist has no hesitancy in predicting that the work to be done 1 iy the County Court will cost far less than the contract work. Another feature of the work to be handled hy the Court is that white men and residents will he given the preference of the work and instead of having crews of illjtcratc.and un naturalized foreigners and non-taxpayers t lie farmers and the fanner's horses will be given employment on thc public road paid' for by llic la payers of the county. Really the ( Conn is to be commended" ft rongly for re- j jrrtiitg die , ids on this piece of work and liaving it done by the people who help pay f'r il and who can thereby reap some of the lieiulits of public work in the community. IN A HOLE Si nne person is to blame very seriously for the sewer situation in St. Helens just at present. ' )C contract for the construction of a sewer in District No. 3 was let to the James Kennedy Construction Co., at a price which was, tu say the least, all the property could stand and t,c specifications as prepared by tlio City I'ngineer contained provisions for certain kinds of work. After some months lie work was finished, the engineer in charge "f the work fur the City reported a full com pliance with thee ontraet, the city council ac Cllted the sewer and issued warrants for the '"Il amount in payment therefor and passed a" ordinance assessing tlic cost of same to 'lie properly owners. 1 1 poll trial by some of lie residents of the sewer district it was '"iind that the sewer did not work satisfact nrly. Tests were made and it was found that ''c.l'ipc joints were not all cemented and the W-Hcr would run out instead of going down Hie pipe. Other experiments were made with "'c same results. . '' 'ic situation at this" time is anything bt f'Uisfaclory to the property owners of the city. Hie contracting company has its money; the c,'y council has accepted the work; the prop fly owners refuse to pay for thc sewer until 11 is finished according to contract. At a later meeting of the council the action in accepting the sewer was rescinded and tbo mo-inn,.- directed to enforce the provisions of the con tract and compel the contractors to do the work over again. 'I hen comes another counter propostion by He contracting company wherein they hold that the city has entered into contracts with them for the construction of .sewers in dist rict s o and 7 and under the ruling 0f the court they are enjoined from doing any work in these districts; thereby they were compelled to remove their machinery and discharge their crew and leave the city. If the city requires them to repair the sewer in district 3 they will probably endeavor to hold the city to its contract in G and 7. The result will in all probability be a con tinued law suit with all attendant costs and troubles. Truly somebody is to blame. It would seem that the better plan for the council to have followed would have been to secure the rights of way before letting thee ontraet. It would seem that the city council should have secured the services of an engineer to superin tend the work on behalf of the city who was sufficiently competent to see that the interest!, of the property owners were protected and that they would be getting souietlng for their money. It would also seem thr.t. a firm of the standing of the James Kenne !y Con struction Company would do. the work in a manner that could not br-ng thei" into such disputes as would ruin tl eir-business in the state of Oregon. Mut the situation has to be fa-ed. The parties responsible for the blunder must shoulder the blame. The city council is in hole from which it is go'-g to be difficult to emerge to the satisfaction of all c.- nee nod. ' 'The biggest event yet 'i be lieid hi Colum bia County during V)A will b-j the County Fair in September. Fvcrv indicr. ion poi-its to a most successful fair. Fanners and fruit grow ers, stock raisers and nianufaC'ii err h.we signified their intention of having ex' ibits at the fair. New buildings have bee:', erected thereby insuring plenty of room br all exhi bits and new stock sheds will furnish ample room for the housing of live stocl:. The Col umbia County Fair should attract many visf tors from outside the county this year and these visitors should be shown what Co'tmbh County produces. As a matter of f i.-t we pro duce some of the best grains, grasses fruits ami farm produce in the world. We have in the county some of the highest class ' thoroughbred stock in the world. Our wood faclores turn out some choice 'manufactured products. m W'c can have an exhibit that will cause vi si-1 tors, and residents too, to open their eyes iu astonishment and to marvel at the greatness of our small county. It is up to Columbia County folks to have such an exhibit. When we do have such an exhibit it is up to the people of the county to attend and otherwise lend every encouragement toward making the 1914 Columbia County Fair the biggest event ever held in the county. Makcjt what the name implies, a Columbia County Fair, par-, lieipated in bv Columbia County people. The Tax- Liberator is the name of a new publication published at Rosebttrghy the Ore gon Rational Tax Reform Association and which deals exclusively with the tax questions of Oregon. The proposed tax laws which are "to be voted on ths fall in Oregon arc taken up and explained in a very able manner and tin; information given out by this paper is valuable to every voter in Oregon. If flirtation is a coeducational institution this town ought to be full of diplomas. Many a man knows what he would do in the other fellow's place, but he never reaches the place. We arc waiting to hear from our distingui shed citizen who annually has a photo taken of himself and a borrowed string of fish. . llucrta went in drunk and came out drunk er. To a discriminating smoker, the one thing better than a good smoke is a better one. A baby is a mighty good thing to have; but a twenty year old one should be put in the smoke house and cured. . .Next to the music of a tree frog, the wail of a disappointed office seeker is about the loneliest sound on earth., . Congress has been engaging in hot debate as to whether prosperity prevails or not. If Old Tros. comes nosing around us we'll nab him without the formality of debate. ' Mr. B. C. Forbes, the financial writer for the Ban Francisco Ex aminer, make some pertinent re marks concerning the causes or the present depression In business which are interesting as showing the condl tlons on Wall Street and the politl cal significance thereof. Some of hi remarks follow: Let none imagine that Pre. Ider. Wilson's sudden change of face tc ward big business has accomplitriiCH anything fundamental. Financiers point out that Wllso: set out to govo.'u t!ie Unltml tut"-, and Its hundred million Inliitmtanl with all the aroguiK-e of a school master lording over a class of child ren, that he ImuKliUHy forbade the country's larguci oualoyojx of lubo. and capital to oli'er him counsel o, advice of any kind, or even to ente; his presence, .ui.l that ho surro'.mded himself with such avowed enemies of business Interest? a Urymi, M"Ailoo and Skelton Wil lamx, each with bib special griidge to sutlt f. But now, i lr uxpUinot;, Wilvnn c'nds he cannot ridu rough shod o r the nation's employers and Is anixl ous to win them over. His somer sault Is regarded us a ilomnnstriitlon of weakness rather than an act of repentance or statesmanship. Many business men, therefore, are not straining themselves to work up pre-election enthusiasm for the Wil son Administration. I have said Wall street can enum erate reasons aplenty for its sullen ness.'woe and lamentation. Let me dash off a few of the un settling Incidents and lnflunces many of them of Wall street's own making, which enter the glooming reckoning of the moment and pre vent the return of cheerfulness and bouyancy. 1 Expectation of a New Haven re ceivership. 2 Nervousness over the Interstate Commerce Commission's uncon cealed blterness toward the rail roads. , 3 Fears that Paul M. Warburg may not join the Federal Reserve Board and that amateurs of puny caliber will fill the vacancies, leaving McAdoo and . Williams, men of no practical experience, in control. 4 Uncertainty over pending Trust legislation. 5 Reports that the Interstate.Com merce Commission will go after Rock Island, Chicago & Alton and New. York Central. 6 Expectations that Chesapeake & Ohio dividends wll stop. 7 Financial troublos overhanging Missouri Pacific, Missouri, Kan sas & Texas, Wabash, St. Louts A San Francisco, Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Cineinnatl, Ham illon K P.ton, Western Mary land. Denver & Rio Grande, Wo-.to.a Trifle, International & Great Northern and other roads. Railroads with a total of one bil lion - securities outstanding are Already In bankruptcy. 8 Growing feeling ttiat New York Central's future Is In danger. 9 Uneasiness over maintenance of Baltimore & Ohio 6 per cent dis bursements In face of a defteit after making the payment. 10 Shrinkage in demand for new security issues.' 11 Heavy maturities pending. 12 Hidden misgivings In financial circles over the disclosure of the actual facts underlying the Claflin method of doing business and of -, raising money from banks with out giving the moBt elementary facts on which to base the grant ing of credit. 13 The threatened strike of West ern railroads employees (Wall street looks for arbitration and, as always, wage concessions. 14 Growth' of anarchistic demon strations and I. W. W.'ism. IS Renewed selling of American Investments by Europeans who are dumfounded - by the attitude . exhibited by the Government and the Interstate . Commerce Com mission toward the country's own Investments. . 16 Tariff Hfter-effeots. 17 Mexico, Ulster and Albany. - 18 Business depression here, in Canada, In most European coun tries, in Argentina,' in Brazil, and elsewhere. ,' t ' 19 Impending election turmoil. 20 Fall yesterday In several "stocks, , Including Rock Island, New York Central and Baltimore ft Ohio, to tho lowest point In their history. t- . These are samples of what Wall Street Is finding to worry over. . For my part I had figured that a helpful "rate decision would prove the signal for a substantial recovery. But If high politics are to enter Into the situation, it may easily be that no great transformation will occur until voters have been given time to L register their ' djssatisf notion with the way things have been going. To me it is significant that there is a sort of conspiracy of silence among those at the top of the finan cial heap. . . CENTRAL MARKET Our trade is increasing every day, therefore have had to add some more to our force to serve our many patrons, which we are bound give the bt'st of attention both in the market and on our delivery. eYars of experience has taught us that: the best of everything is the most profitable, the' fore, we have employed experienced help an j handle only the best, ot meats and the great variety. CENTRAL MARKET B. I. Plummer, Prop. I AH Work Guaranteed. ! Estimates Furnished. R. CONSTANTIN Plumbing and Heating Sheet Metal Work St. Helens Oregon -a- -a I o a I a a I Columbia County Abstract Company Abstracts, Real Estate, Insurance. Loans, Conveyancing St. Helens, . Oregon WINES LIQUORS CIGARS You Always Get the Best at DUKE'S P LA C E Blakesley Bldg. ST. HELENS. ORE. EUROPEAN PLAN AMERICAN PLAN EVERYTHING MODERN AT THE ST. HELENS HOTEL J. CEORCE, Proprietor ALL BUSSES CALL AT HOTEL j RATES $1.00 AND UP SPECIAL RATES TO REGULAR BOARDERS f rvrrrvi rrm b i a nvvrrrv r mTrrrmtrtt nzntmr i r :iogenes. ays-. I Here'i some good 'iV VvUtrtt . ' Vr3 S-.iKt-y:, :-;.v. NVALS FACE CREAM 1 a fine after (have preparation a SOLD AT THE NYAL DRUG STORE DEMING'S DRUG STORE ; UADCRTKIAG E. A.ROSS, " COMPLETE HOUSE TURtiaNMGS Bank Building St, Helens, Oregon 3E Patronize St. Helens Mist Advertisers 3E