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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1913)
Diinnnr nnr i WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1913. LA GBAKDI IVININO OBSERVER, P10B7T70 FALLACIES OF GOVERBT OOJfTBIBVTOR DISCT8SES COM. , M18I0II WHO. Criticizes SIw of "Mlswllawoo fund of City. La Grande, March. B. Editor Ob server: Up to date there bas not been much advanced by the advocate ' of a burrlod change to the comnils- lon form of city government except a Jot of imserttonn, assumptions and glttlerlng generalities. Theae have been repeated again and again but no evidence of their correctness bus been submittod. One writer asserts that "Our present municipal govern ment is Inefficient, Insufficient, and inslwer'e." I do nut quite agree with him there. I think we have at pres ent an administration that is above . the average. ' That the majority of the present council are able and hon est men who are sincere in their de sire to bring order out of chaos and that they will succeed if given a Ti tle more time. I believe that there is at least one department that is ef- ' Anient and above reproach, as I will explain later on. Neither do I agree with' him when be says "The administration officers are practVnlly responsible to no one." Some of them, at times, ac t as though they looked at It that way, but they ' are certainly responsible to the vot ers and taxpayers of the city. If they are not, then nobody, from the presi dent down is responsible and our re publican form of . .government Is a sham and a farce. There are plenty of way to make them realize their responsibility it we only go at It in the right way. We are told that "A good system will not be managed by Insincere men', and neither can a bad system be made a good one by honest. Ben." I suspect that there la a mis print somewhere among that. If there is not, both statement are utterly un tenable, for we can not admit that the creature Is necessarily greater than the creator and ha good systems can not be put to bad uso by evil and de signing men and vice versa. What assurance have wo that in sincere men will never be In office miHor the new system T Is there any way of telling without fall wheth ap a. man la sincere or nott Our penitentiaries are full of living proofs that the best of our systems of government and business ran , and will be misused. Entirely too much weight is lal on tbe system and form by the friends of the new form. System or form counts for very little a anyone must know who bas had any contact with the world. The form of a note or bond for instance, Is secondary to tbe . reliability and reputation of the man who signs It. There Is much evidence that a cor poration form can be misused. The National Cash Register company for Instance whose officers were recently sentenced to jail, and the commission men (no Joke Intended-who were re cently fined In Portland. To the There is never any effort to cover up Its work. All its actions are known to the public and It therefore must do about the right thing to keep the confidence. of the public. Unlike many other public servants, the fire ladles respond Instantly to a call of duty, and unlike some others, they are not offended when their attention Is called to their jilaln duty. They do not look at you as if you were trying to Interfere with their private affairs.. They have no favorites, either, they respond as quickly to the call of the humblest of us as to the foremost among us, One part of the town Is as Important to them as any other part. They do not have to be prodded every time there la anything to do, they are always ready for their duties. They seem to realize that they are the servants and not the masters of the public. They are eas ily approached, no introductions and no red tape is needed. They are there for the protection of the public and not for its secret exploitation. CHANCE FOR TENNIS GRAFT No Rule to Restrain From Com mercializing Game. TERM AMATEUR IS PUZZLING Efforts te Dofins Professions! Led to Wrangling at Reoent Mooting of Na tional Lawn- Tennis Association, but No Decision. Lawn tennis players who are "wise" and have a leaning to commercialism can make tbi most of their opportuni ties dtti'liig tlic coining season and la. In the tournaments where transport:! an.K jvf . b Ma. m Ann aaVArAl 1 1 -J. -, , n I thaw . -.n. .11 f whleh have . '.. a tlon unJ free board are offered, wheth DUini.Q. WUUI.IVD ' .... CAI'Cb 1J U U IIIOII UUIJ .UCUC.CI the same system of form of govern- j called upon. If they refused to get ment as the United States. Strange j up and go to .a Are, not even', the to say, it does not prevent them from friends of the new form would have having wicked, Inefficient and un-; the nerve to blame H on to the uys scrupulous men in even the highest tem that is in use. Will some of offices, nor from revolutions and tur- them please rise and explain why the moil without end, while we, under system excuses neglect of duty In all the same system, have peace and other servants of the city, but not In prosperity. Responsibility. inefficiency and guilt are always personal, but shift ing them on to the system la cheap er and easier than bearing them. In New York City and In Portland, the chief of police Is appointed by the mayor and authority centralized '; to our fire department? It stands to reason that if all other departments were run more along these, lines they would be more pop ular too. The annual financial statement published In your issue of Feb. 28th is along these lines and our city that extent, but It has certainly not officials deserve credit for the same, helped the situation any. The re- There s probably only one Item that sponelblllty lies far more with theany falrminded taxpayer 'would ob officlals and the public than with the Ject to. V. Is the last one among the system. If the system Is everything, expenditures of administration de how Is It that one department of our partment. An Item of 7,451.96 is a city government is never found fault little too large to be classed as mis wlth while all the rest are? cellaneous. The taxpayers , are en- I have lived In and near La Orando titled to know within a few hundred for twenty-odd years but do not recol- dollars of what Is done with thnlr lect of ever hearing anybody klcklnft money. ' about our Are department. I've If the Issue were solely between heard all the other departments crit- "boodle politics" and "business Iclzed and1 even cursed. Now, why ; science" the'latter would certainly should there be such a difference? I think the reason is perfectly plain, though few have thought of 'It. It is the one department that is on a truly democratic basis. GARDEN SEEDS A' full .live of first class garden- seeds on display. 2sow is the time to buy as our line is complete. - FANCY APPI ES The best kind for both cooking and eating, box 70c OUR HOME-MADE SAUERKRAUT IS SPLEN DID I have some more of the 3 K. Norway Herring and also some stock fish on hand yet. It is all very fine stuff. , THE (;001 T1IIXGS TOST NO MORE THAN ORDINARY THIXOS IK YOU KJiOW W II ERE TO BUY. Stageberg Grocery PHONE MAIN 70 VEGETABLES IN SE ASON ALL THE TIME. be preferable, but that Is not stating the Issue fairly. All the good sug gestions about publicity, etc., made by your .correspondent and otherB. apply with equal force to our present system. His argument of the water pipe will not hold water any belter than the pipe he mentions would. Tndcr the clrcums'ancea, as he states them a prudent man If he were as badly In debt as the . city Is, would probably shirt off the, waterand get Ms supply from1 his nearest tielghbor for a while. At any rate, he would not rip out the entire line of pipe on his property but would only remove remove a small piece with the hole where It had been leaking. That would tie much nearer true economy than any other plan would be. Much more mli?ht be said along the same l'nes but I fear I am encroaching oo much on your space and on the line and patience of the public. In a few days I may have some more to say on these and kindred subjects. J. H. BLl'MEXSTIEN. D. R. FONG if "j MEDICINE '. ommn oi Baser City utnea CHINESE HERBS AND ROOT REMEDIES Uur wonderful life giving herbs will absolutely extirpate every impurity from the system. No drugs, no poison, non-alco-hallc. t'KI.'E CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION FREE Those living out or town can cure themselves at home with our herbs. Writs to ns for par ticulars. Office Hours: t to 11 a. m.; 1 to p. m. Sundays! to 11 a, m.; 1 to 1p.m. Telephone Mais 7 SSL Offlrst .HIS Adams Avenue LA GRANDE, OREGON. JU'A V AND PORTLAND WINNERS. Freshman (!Irl and Hoy Take Honors at Inter-Class Oratory Meet. Oregon Agricultural College Cor vall's. Ore.. Corvallis, Ore. iMarch 3. Freshman from Japan and Port land carried off tho honors of the Inter-Class Oratorical and Declama tion contest, at the Oregon Agricult ural collage. Miss Kareen Hansen of Portland capturing the audience with a nne presentation of "Claudius and Cynthia," in the girls' contest, and N'ao Uyel of Oyodo, Japan, gave by far the best original oration bis subject being "The Spirt of the New Japan." R. R. Davis, Hlllsboro. won second place In the oratorical contest for the Juniors with a eulogy on Lincoln. Arthur R. Chase, Corvallis gave the sen'ors third nlare with the iwwt original oration, on "The Farmer of the Future." Anne Rutled.g. Bvanston, 111. was a close second to Miss Hansen giving the sophomores second in the declam ation with "How the LaRue Stakes were Iost." Hazel Holt, Boston M"?.. a Junior, took third place with Kipling's "Knst and West." Vacuum FOrsR CLBAN1NH I TIMM.STERINU rTRNITlKK RFVAIRINN MATTRESS MtKINB VntNITCRE PA 11 136. I. F. HKU.IV.rlt. KOT Wah. Ave. Phone Rlark 1022 er it be by a club or a hotel. It if likely to be the lust year for this sun of petty graft Under the amateur def inition which the United States' Na tional Lawu Tenuis association placed on Its records at the unuiuil meeting iu New York recently the only thing that operates UKnlnst a player being an am ateur sih.'1ijsio he employment by a merchant of sporting goods In the lawn tennis department. By a sfrnnge freak of legislation the delegates voted a new constitution and bylaws to supersede the old, which practically were Identical with thelnsvs under which the association has been directed for more than twenty years with one unimportant exception. The gieat opportunity of enacting effective laws to govern the game, which Is be coming luore widespread every year and uttmctlng the youth of the coun try, was completely lost In the nilsts of urgumental fog and uncertain verb iage. The clause In the section defining an amateur which would hare prevented the stlgma-of accepting valuable gratu ities If not money would surely have been passed bad slight . changes beon made In its wording which would have made tt ns effective In operation. It appeared that the majority of the dele gates were lu favor of legislation of this sort i But they split on the question of legit imate clubs entertaining players. Karl Behr was quick to see this and endeav ored to have the objectionable features amended. Lyle E. Mnhan and other members of the revision committee were given time to submit a change The result of their labors was so hope lessly Involved that Behr's efforts and -the objectionable clause, which was the crux of the whole structure, tum bled together. This clause, which was stricken from the amateur definition, read ns follows: "Has never accepted from iny hotel, club or similar organization at which or In connection with which a tennis tournament- Is being held, transportation or money for transpor tation or board, lodging or other gen eral living accommodations or money to cover any or all of the same, or any secret or exceptional reduced rate in connection with such tournament. The Interpretation of this rnle shall not prevent a player from taking nd vantage of a reasonable special rote from such hotel, club or similar organ ization if such special rate is properly announced nnd is open to any one en terlng the tennis tournament" Two remarkably strong points devel oped In favor of such a cluuse as the above being Incorporated In the Amerl can rules. England has recently enact ed such a law. and the International federation, which meets In Paris next month, contemplates similar action In Its efforts to standardize all of the laws and rules for all nations. Henry 'W. Slocnm, the chntrman of the revision committee, stntck a true note when he stated that an American nmnteur might and himself debarred from foreign tournaments because of the laxity of the American rule in this respect and after the meeting It was remarked thnt a question of this char acter had once been diplomatically in slnuated by England as to a player uii the United States Davis cup team, who part lu the matches The one. thing thnt Impressed those who attended the thirty-second annual meeting or tue .association was the fact that the voting of proxies no long er falls into the hands of one or two prominent officials It was much split up.' the western and southern clubs standing fairly well together In voting upou moxt matters, with a sprinkling of the smaller eastern clubs giving them the balance of power. On several occasions the line of de marcation appeared almost factional, the west vutlim against the old guard of the east. It is likely that tills pe culiar feature will rather Increase than diminish, as the clubs throughout the country are becoming Interested and educated In the government of the game. lu connection with the awanf.ng of the national nil comers' rhnn.nl..nhi.. " I slno are "aware that the lournaroent must lie given a pleudid setting in or der to coutlnue ft there. The grow have been scientifically surveyed, so tbut s greater number of courts win be available next August Senators Tryinfl Out Collsglan. Inflclder Zncb Hrnard. a student at Columbia university. New York, snd native of tbut city, bus been signed for trial by the Washington club. Chamberlains Tablets lor Constipa tion. For constipation, N Chamberlain's Tablets are excellent ' Easy to take, mild and gentle In effect Give them. a trial. For sale by all deaers. J JONES NEW YALE COACH. Old Eli Player Is Selected to Head Football Staff This Season. Howard Jones. Yale 1008, Sheffield, was recently appointed bead coach of the Vale football team for the year 1013. Jones will tuke up his duties at the spring practice and will havo com plete charge of the team In the play lug season next full. The appointment is for one year. Jones' home Is In South Orange, N. J. ne coached at Syracuse university the year of fcis graduation from Yale, spent the fall of 1909 with the Yale team, coached Ohio State in 1910 and since then bus been each fall with the team of his alma mater at New Haven. KM frv - r rrz Souths Now a Rhodes Scholar. E. A. Son thee of Sydney, who has a brilliant record as an all round Jumper, will be one of the Australian Rhodes scholars to enter Oxford university. Frant lacing Is not the only requirement of a perfect cor set. The popularity of the Gos sard Front Lacing corsets has been followed by a number of Imitators. Other than lacing In front all these imitations are totally lacking in the essentials .which make Gossard corsets so ertremely desirable. Every woman who investi gates buys a Gossard corset ', A complete line of all mod els and sizes always on band. Prices J3.50, 5.00, 6.60 asd 8.50. Mrs. Robt. Pattison ! Phone Red 3221 CORSETIEBE Res. 1702 Spring and Oak LIGHT What you should be interested in is, not how little you can pay for light but how to get the best light for your money. Electricity puts this hht with in your means and gives you the best light, regardless of cost. You get greater volume of light, plus safety, convenience, cleanli ness and healthfulness. Any one of these qualities should be an in ducement for you to insist on, electric light. Eastern Oregon Light & Power Co. "Always at your service." For Two Weeks Only mmmmtmmmmm- ''iMMiSMSMSMMMSMSBWSSi Per gallon Reg. price Now ' Oeyser Brook Whiskey $5.00 $4.00 Clyde Spring Whiskey 4.50 3.75 Kose of Ky. Whiskey 4.00 Cherokee Spring Whiskey... 3.25 Port Wine Sherry Wine ..... Tokay Wine Angelica Wine 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 3.50 2.75 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 FREE DELIVERY TO ANY PART OF T0WK U. LOTTES Wholesale Lionor Dfialnr, 1118 Jefferson Are. Phone Black 51 I I'M' in iiii i i iii i-m t ow When You Are Plan ning to Build m sbm am.. tr2;!i WfcNAHA LUMBER COMPANY remember that our sMngles. sash es, doors, flooring and other lum ber are recognizes ia this com munity as thoroughly trustworthy and high grade, asd that we do not make a sraetke of vsr-eharglsg. We bought our preseat stock whes lumber was lower In price. 4 r n