ST. HELENS, OREGON, FRI DAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1915.
ST. HELENS MIST
FOUNDKD 1HNI
iNNucd Kvery Fiidiiy Ily
T1IIC .MIST PVllLIHiIINO COMPANY
M. K. Allllnr, VMUe
Kntnred as second class matlor, January 10th 1912
at the I'ost Otllco a tSulut Ilol.ini. Or'uun, under Ilia
Act of March 8rd, 187V
BUBSCIUPTION IUTEU
On Year ' ,
Hlx Month . 76
Advertising rates made known on' 'uwlkutlon
Legal notices 26 conn per line.
"tHK COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPKIl
AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE.
A number of bills liave been introduced in
the Legislature providing for an increase in
the salaries of the county treasurers. Since
the last Legislature adjourned the duties of
tax collecting has been put upon the treasurer
and in very few instances was the salary ade
quate for the additional service required of
that official. As a rule it is against public
opinion and really unwise to raise the salaries
of public officials until the duties of such ofii
cers increase to a very considerable extent,
but in the case of the treasurers it would seem
that injustice to the officers and protection to
the taxpayers require that the salaries be
placed at a reasonable amount. In the case ot
the Treasurer of Columbia County there
should be a substantial increase made by the
Legislature. Mr. Hattan has not asked lor
any increase nor, perhaps would he do so at
all, but that is only another reason why it
should be granted, lie is a capable officer,
lie spends his entire time at his office and his
records arc in first class condition. No com
plaint can be made of his administration of
the affairs of his office, lie receives the muii
ificicnt sum of Six Hundred Dollars a year
fur his services in collecting and cxpeiuliuj
nearly half a million dollars each year lie
should be paid a reasonable compensation for
his services. Our Representative and Senator
would be performing a service actually re
quired of them as such officers if they would
ask the Legislature to raise the salary of the
county treasurer.
MISPLACED CHARITY.
At Christmas time the Muts of St. Helens
extended charity to a family consisting of a
father, mother and several children. The
man said he was unable to get work and his
children were without the necessary clothing
to keep them warm and food to cat. The
mother was sick with an infant ami their con
dition was really deplorable. T he charity ex
tended to the man in his hour of distress by
the Muts was apparently misplaced. So far
as the small children were concerned, they
were entitled to this assistance and no doubt
they enjoyed this Christmas as well as any
they had ever witnessed. Hut now comes the
news that this man has been given a chance
to cam sonic money during the winter months
by cutting wood. lie secured a contract for
furnishing several carloads of wood to Port
land parties. lie then made arrangements to
cut wood on a place near this city. He hired
several men to go to work for him with the
promise that he would pay them when the
wood was sold. During the past week he
shipped three car loads of wood to Portland
and received the money for it. He came back
to St. Helens, with the money in his pocket
and on Sunday at midnight he took the boat
for Portland and from there to parts un
known. The man who furnished the timber
for him was not payed. The men who did the
work remain unpaid. The men who furnished
him with groceries received nothing. The
man who received the charity from the
citizens of the community took all the money
and skipped. A man of that kind is not en
titled to charity. He should have his children
taken away from him before they grow up to
emulate the disgraceful actions of their father.
He is not entitled to the respect or confidence
of his fellow man. He is worthless to himself
and to the world.
JUST A NUISANCE.
Reports of the business of a small concern
like the Mist are required to be made to so
many different branches of government that it
takes almost the time of an extra bookkeeper
to keep up and to prevent being fined for fail
ure to make these reports. For instance, a
report is required annually to the Corporation
Department of the State; a monthly report
must be made to the Industrial Accident Com
mission of the State; annual reports are re
quired to be made to the Government on the
income tax; on the amount of manufactured
articles in the printing office, separately list
ing the various items; on the amount of papers
sent through the mails and by express; on the
internal revenue documentary, (war) tax
business and to the census department. If a
' sr.! all corporation like the Mist is required to
iii. ke so many reports it must surely be a
great burden to some of the large corporations
to keep up with the many reports required.
And if these reports are not in within a certain
time heavy fines are imposed.
Truly this is getting to be a great age of
publicity. The way things arc" drifting it
seems that it will not be long until the gov
ernment will provide a man for each corpora
tion, large or small, to prevent any possible
surplus from going into the pockets of the peo
ple who have their money invested. Of course
there is vrey little danger of much of a surplus
in a newspaper business, but for fear, there
may be we are required to make reports and
reports and reports and reports. Hut we will
make them all right and without very serious
objections except that it is a nuisance.
. AMENDMENTS NEEDED.
The bill before the legislature providing for
the appointment of additional Circuit Judges
in ine state, might be all right so lar as the in
tention is concerned, but in its pr -sen: f .rni k
would result in more delays and gciatci- ex
pense than under the present system. l'h
main idea of the proposed bill sliouU f.ir
better service at not to exceed the sai-ie ojft
to the taxpayers. That some relief alonn- the
lines of Court work is necessary seems to be
the general opinion but the proposed law
would have the opposite effect. Taking Co
lumbia County as an instance we now have a
County Judge with probate jurisdiction. He
is on the job practically all of the time. The
Circuit Judge visits this county once a month.
The new bill would take away the probate
jurisdiction of the County Judge and still leave
us with the visit of the Circuit Judge once
each month and on many occasions only for a
day or two at a time. So we would be left
without a probate judge all the time with the
exception of a few days the early part of each
month. Our condition would be no better,
nor even so good as at present. Cut there is
some reason in the argument that there is
work for a Judge in Columbia County all the
time. That is a judge with probate jurisdic
tion. It is true that a judge with all these
duties would be kept busy most of the time
and that it would expedite matters consider
ably. Put such work is not worth $4000 a
year, nor is the work of the judge in any one
county, with possibly a few exceptions. If
the legislature wants to make a real change for
the betterment of conditions they should pro
vide for a judge in each county and then fix
the salaries at figures in proportion to the
work. If that method was adopted there
would be real progression and greater satis
faction at a cost not exceeding the present
cost. It would be better to keep working
under the present system than to adopt the
plan proposed in the bill now before the legis
lature, without these amendments.
GOOD, SO FAR.
The Legislature so far has not enacted any
very important legislation. The session is re
markable only for the great reduction in the
number of bills introduced, less than one-half
the number that were introduced two years
ago. Important measures are pending and
will no doubt be enacted so that the 1915 ses
sion promises to result in much good to the
people of the state. Already it is reported
that many thousands of dollars have been
saved in the way of appropriations for the
state institutions and if this policy is pursued
to the finish the economy promised by the
members before election will be to a certain
extent realized. With the important tax laws
that are really necessary, the prohibition law
and the consolidation of the various boards,
together with the general appropriation bill
out of the way there should be little excuse
for any great amount of useless legislation.
The present Legislature is making a record.
It is hoped that they will not mar that record
during the last half of the session.
LEST WE FORGET.
The Mist has had nothing to say about State
Highway Engineer Bowlby now for a couple
of weeks and we had intended to drop the
matter of his work in this county, feeling that
we had done our full duty in setting the facts
before the people, but this week we got a
glimpse of his report, not that he sent us one
but there is one in this city which we had the
pleasure of looking over for a few minutes,
The figures given by the State Highway En
gineer in this report are so at variance with
the actual figures submitted by him and which
arc on record at the Court House that it would
not be fair to allow them to go unchallenged.
Just as soon as we are able to get hold of a
report these figures will be compared, and we
will publish the comparison so that the people
of this county may see just how reliable are
the figures submitted, both in the report and
in his estimates on file in the clerk's office.
When this comparison is made and shown up
it will be real interesting reading to the public
and to the State Highway Commission.
IF1 "
2 WEEKLY SPECIALS
One day each week we give specials, the prices
on goods ottered are always cheaper than you
can steal them. Next Wednesday, starting at 9
a. m., we will sell 81x90 inch good quality bed
sheets, regular price 90c, sale price 65c. Not
more than two to each person. A tine line ot
Dress Ginghams
Apron Ginghams . .... .
Calicoes, exceptional quality, . .
Fine quality Table Damask . .
Old Glory Sanitary Gauze . . .
Try our Toilet Soap, three bars tor
Seven boxes of Matches for . . .
o
0
WATCH .
OCIt WINDOWS
FOR 8PKCIAI.S
NOAH'S ARK
. llc yard
10c yard
6c yard
. 57c vard
6Jc yard
. 10 Cents
. 25 Cents
ST. HELENS
FIVE ANI TEN CENT
STORE
This Farmer Lost $5,000
He had managed to clear from his
farm during the past 6 years a total
ot )5,000. He kept it hidden in the
cow stable. The other night the
barn was burned down the sav
ings of five years destroyed. Brother
Farmer, where do you keep your
money where will it be when the
I'lre King comes? Why not keep
it at The Columbia County Dank.
It is absolutely safa nere. It is not
absolutely safe where you now keep
it. Isn't that so?
You can bank with us by
Mali. May we tell you
how?
Columbia County Bank
OLDEST IN THE COUNTY
ST. HELENS, ORE.
Wc pay i per cent. Interest In our
Savings Department.
AN UP-TO-DATE
Jewelry
Store
COMPLETE STOCK OF
Watches
AND
Clocks
EXPERT WATCH REPAIRING.
VON A. GRAY
Jeweler. ST. HELENS
Auto Troubles
respond quickly and inexpensively to our treatment.
If your car rattles, or does not run smoothly, or jars,
or makes too much noise, IT IS TIME TO BRING
IT TO US if you want it to last. A dollar or two
spent on that car today may save you ten tomorrow,
and that is an INDISPUTABLE FACT.
Gasoline 16 Cents. Murine Engine Repairing.
CITY GARAGE
St. Helens.
yOI IOI IOI 1
rr
O
SYMPHONY LAWN WRITING PAPER
Its Use a Mark of Refinement.
Plain White and tinted, Surf Green, Old Lavender,
Champagne, Boudoir Blue, Shell Pink. Variety of
shapes and sizes. In Gold Edged Correspondence
Cards, with envelopes to match, in white and tints,
it 40c. and 50c. the box.
Remember we handle Krause's High Grade Candies,
in boxes and by the pound.
PLAZA PHARMACY
W BANK BUILDING
01
PHONE 100
Ol
ST. HELENS, OREGON
IOI
LUNCH
MASON'S
RUTHERFORD
BUILDING,
CHOICE
Confectionery and Cigars
QUICK SERVICE
LUNCH
ANY HOUR.
LARGE ASSORTMENT OF
BOX GOODS.
All Work Guaranteed.
Estimates Furnished.
R. CONSTANTIN
PLUMBING, HEATING,
SHEET METAL WORK.
St. Helens -
- Oregon
I NEW PERKINS HOTEL 1
r
PORTLAND, OREGON.
Handy to Large Stores, Theaters and Banks
Comfortable and Convenient
A RESTAURANT
Of High Class, with Moderate Prices,
- in Connection.
c. Room Rates:
With bath $1.50 up.
privilege $1.00 up.
With bath il
C. H. SHAFER, Manager.
o