La Grande evening observer., January 30, 1917, Image 4

PAGE FOUK
LA GRANDE EVENING OB&EftVEIt
TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1917.
EDITORIAL PAGE OF LA GRANDE OBSERVER
ii
An Independent Newspaper.
Published Daily ami Weekly at La Grande, Oregon, by the
LA GRANDE KVKNING OBSERVER PUBLISHING CO.
J. D. MEYERS II. li. LEITER CLARKE LEITER
President Vice-President Editor and Publisher
Entered at the Postoffice at La Grande, Oregon, as second-class
matter.
Address all cojiimunications to THE OBSERVER, 1710 Sixth St.
On Sale in Other Cities: Oregon Hotel News Stand, Portland;
Imperial News Stand, Portland.
City Official Paper. Leased Wire Telegraph Report of United
Press Associations.
The Observer carrier boys are in structed to put the papers on the
porches. If the carrier does not do t hia, misses you, or neglects gc-ttog
the paper to you on time, kindly phon e The Observer, as this is the only
way we can determine -whether or n ot the carriers are following instruc
tions. Phone Main 37 before 7:30 o'clock and a paper will be sent you by
special messenger if the carrier has m issed you.
THE OUTLOOK FOR THE YEAR 1917.
It begins to look as if the United States with typical American
caution has already discounted the chances that the great Euro
pean war would end in 1917. From every quarter comes the
report that speculation is decreasing, that banks are conservative
in their loans, that manufacturers are preparing to go into other
lines when the war orders cease. Indications are that when the
great day comes the United States will be ready to retain the
advantages that the fortunes of war have brought to our shores.
The year 191G was remarkable in many ways. It brought on
us full tilt the high cost of living, which is due in part to the
short crops of the. year. In 1915 we had a billion-bushel wheat
crop; in 1910 030,000.000. Reduced yields in other cereals brought
the total cereals yield up to 4.703,000,000 bushels as against 5.XS2,
000.000 in 1915. Ordinarily this would have caused distress among
the farmers, but the high prices compensated them for the short
crop.
The United States is now the banking nation of the world, and
one of the great problems thrust upon the New York bankers is
how to dispose of the great influx of gold that has been pouring
into this country to pay for war orders and supplies. We are
accustomed to rail at Wall Street, but we must say that, led by
Prank A. Yanderlip, the New York bankers have been showing
some statesmanlike grasp of the situation. Vanderlip's bold
stroke in invading the South American trade and leading the
American manufacturers with him is real banking. In the last
eleven months we have increased our export trade by $1,605,
000,000. America has developed qualities of independence ami leader
ship during the war that we will keep. America has demonstra
ted its supremacy in all forms of manufacturing, it is learning
ship-building, if the war keeps up long enough and we revise some
of our shipping laws we may have a merchant marine. Our lum
ber trade will immediately revive after the war, and ship building
will continue good for many years. And if we study the les
sons of the war by the time it is ended we will also have a first-class
army and navy and able to cope with the world
O
TRYING TO ANNUL THE LAW.
There are omnious murmurings and inutterings that a bill
is to bo introduced in the present legislature that proposes to
seriously curtail or even alxlish the functions of the present water
commission of Oregon and hinder its work in equitably adjusting
the distribution of water from the various streams where the
"water-hog" has heretofore prevailed in his tyrannical reign.
As the writer understands this new legislation only authorizes
the water commission to make the findings as they are presented
through evidence, but then must submit this to the judicial arm
of our government. In other words, to simply act as referee
Or this legislation may go so far as to alxlish the commission
entirely and throw the whole matter into the courts. But if not
v abolished, then the commission is to be shorn of its rights in mak
ing a decision of any nature whatever.
It is a well known fact to all the News readers that the Oregon
water code passed full muster before all the courts of the land
and that the water commission is fully vested in its rights. Any
act to weaken this authority of the commission is but a thrust
into the vitals of the now invulnerable water law of this state.
This idea is supposed to eminate from an Eastern Oivgon sen-
Tbc man
that says
advertis
ing doesn't
pay is like
the man
who burnt
one match
under a
ton gallon
kettle of
water and
said that
fire would
not heat
water.
Some ad
vertising doesn't
pay, but
that doesn't
signify
that it can
not be
made to
pay.
' The
OBSERVER
with its
superior
circulation
is .the
paper you
need to
reach the
most buyers
in Union
and Wallowa
Counties
at the
least eost.
"1
i
i
i
i i
Broken Lines of Boy's Cloth-
ing at Less Than Factory
Prices. All Sizes.
:
i
i
all
We have the goods and it is our business
to please you.
It is your business to get values for your
money.
We welcome your inspection of the
MAMMOTH GROCERY
1211 Adams Ave. Phone Main 82
Oar Want Ads bring results.
! Dead or Alive!
5$ 4? ff? r? fc fc fb 4? fc $C
i
A dead dollar is the one which is hidden
away; which earns you nothing, and
which is liable to turn up missing with
out a moment's notice; or the kind you
carelessly push aorosn the counter, for
this and that; things you really don't
need then wonder in a week's time
where they have gone.
A live dollar is the one which you place
in this bank, where it is always safe.
They will call for company; the result
is, more saving; then when opportunity
arrives, you are financially able to meet
it with open arms, and a bank account.
La Grande National Bank
i . I
ator, wno is a member 01 Uie law iraternity. inis endeavor on
his part is probably to obtain additional fees for conducting claims
through both avenues of supposed justice
The next idea is that it will aid and abet the large grasping
companies and corporations, who hope to gain a decided advant
age over the poorer contender for an equitable adjustment of
rights by an expensive program of litigation. The powerful ranch
and cattle companies together with certain individuals of the
law fraternity are behind the proposition as strong as possible
These again are aided and abetted, by individuals and institu
tions of more than mediocre success who desire to leave conditions
in a semi-comatose form for their own selfish' gain, because under
this condition they are reasonably assured of a personal profitj
ihese individuals and institutions are not m line with immediate
progress on account of the shortsightedness to the fact that a
general prosperity means prosperity for them, too. They are
willing to accept things just as they are and to h 1 with pos
terity and prosperity for the many.
Should this vastly important issue be wholly placed within
the jurisdiction of the courts, this dignified body would spurn a
personal visit to insiiect conditions as they really existed. The
court would decide very coldly and technically according to law.
If the law was not good, then get rid of it, the court would say,
and there you are.
As it is with the water conunission, they visit and associate
themselves with the natural physical conditions as they exist and
know and feel a strong prompting to do everything for the good
of the many. The water commission has not as yet completed
any of its full functions and should not be judged, juried and a
verdict of condemnation given until there is full and complete
evidence of being guilty as proven by its acts and decisions.
Harney County News.
O
SMALL PUBLIC UTILITIES ARE ENTITLED TO PROTECTION.
The small public utility companies
to keep from being swallowed un bv
rowned by unfair competition.
They have asked the legislature to help. They ask to be
guarded from confiscatory competition. They ask the legisla
ture to pass a law requiring companies proposing to enter a local
field, already occupied, to show that public necessity exists for
another utility, in other words, to get from the Public Sen-ice
Commission, after a thorough investigation and public hearing, a
certificate of necessity ami-convenience.
The movement in Oregon is being led bv the Oregon Local
Telephone association, of which Charles E. Wells, of Hillsboro, is
president. This organization consists of about 20 of the locally
owned town and rural telephone companies of the state. Mr.
Wells points out tli.it regulatory laws aimed at the larger cor
porations land on the "little fellow" with great force because the
httlo fellow must obey in spirit and letter since he has neither
the money nor the legal organization to "take a chance."
Six-aking for the telephone industry, Mr. Wells savs nracticallv
all the small ltx-id lines are now operating in this state at a verv
small marirm of profit ler:ins t.hov hnvn no rnnnppt.innr linrv-i t,iof
bolster up their earnings, the Bell company having control of
practically all the toll line. Many of the local companies, he
says, havo insufficient revenues to meet the. depreciation charges,
to say nothing of building up reserves as a basis for dividends.
"Always the owners are confronted by the dancer of comne-
tition," said Mr. Wells, "which in most cases means crmfisr-nt.wm
of investment. A little studv will show whv t.h is is "5,i
"An operating company must needs have plant and invest-
are making a last stand
the big ones and being
ment sufficient to serve its community. It cannot, under the law,
make more than fair interest rates upon its investment. When
competition comes, it means not only rate cutting temporarily
at least but it also involves division of the patronage with conse
quent reduction of revenues. A portion of the existing plant,
therefore, become idle and nonproducing, with the result that it is
a struggle to earn operating expenses. The securities of a com
pany that cannot pay a return are worthless.
"Manifestly, under these conditions, owners of small telephone
plants and their friends and bankers are apt to be dilatory about
loosening their purse strings when additional money is needed for
iinrprovements or extensions."
Mr. Wells asserts that the local telephone company usually can
supply service at lower rates than the Bell company because of
smaller overhead expense. Gradually but surely, he said, the Bell
company is taking over the small plants at prices that do not al
.vw the investors their due because of implied threats of compe
t.tion which the small companies cannot stand.
Mr. Wells declares the law should protect the small company
for the reason that the public is too apt to "jump on" the local
company that has been serving it at starvation rates for years just
as soon as it tries to raise rates to provide a fund for depreciation.
1 lie public will do this with greater force than it would unon.
the big company that has been really robbing it," Mr. Wells as
serted.
This argument strikes us as reasonable. After all the public pays
the bills. What the public wants is good service at reasonable
rates. The public should be opposed to duplication of service
for which it eventually pays and pays heavily. The legislature
would make no mistake in passing this bill.
Jobs at $7500 Salary
Are Going Begging
Iresidt'nt Can't Get Big Men to Work
for That Salary on Tariff Commis
sion and Shipping Board.
BY ROBERT J. BENDER
(United Press Staff Correspondent.)
Washington, D. C, Jan. 30. rho
high cost of prosperity in the country
is hitting President Wilson.
He can't get men he wants for big
jobs now at his disposal
Business men are making 4oo nr.ucn
money in their regular p.i'siv.ts to
willingly yield them in favor of some
board or commission up n which the
president wishes them to serve.
A mere $7500 at ona time consider
ed b princely sum per annum for any
man, is now regarded as to paltry to
appeal to many men the president de
sires to serve the country.
That's what makes selection of dif
ferent committees at the president's
disposal very difficult. It has held up
completion of the tariff commission
I for weeks. It delays selection of the
shipping board. Each member of both
cnesc commissions receives 57&OU
a year.
The president himself has protested
against the situation.
He attempts to have the salaries of
the tariff commission fixed at $10,
000 each. Congress declined to pvt
the figure above $7,r00.
Clackamas county, Oregon, and died
in La Grande, January 28, 1917. He
was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs.
Albert Neukirchner and came to La
Grande with his parents where he had
resided since he was six' years
old. He is survived by his father,
mother, one brother and four sisters.
The funeral will tie held at 2 p, m.
tomorrow from the Christian church
of which the deceased was a member.
Interment will be in the Odd Fellcrws
cemetery and members of the Modera
Woodmen, Knights of Pythias and
Royal Neighbors lodges will partici
pate in the funeral.
NEl'KIRCHNER OBITUARY
Shirley Allen Neukirchner was
born June 19. ISOfi. at Mulino
Sergt. Rice Will Be
Marines' Man Here
Sergeant Charles E. Rice of Sno-
kane was yesterday named by Cnptam
C. P. Pinkston. Portland diatrirt. to
have charge of tho La Grande U. R
marine recruiting station to be opened
here about February 5.
Imbler Team. Is On
Barnstorming Trip
The Imbler Athletic club's basket
ball team plays the Wallowa team in
Wallowa tonight. Imbler was a win
ning team this winter and the predic
tions are that tonight's game will be
fast. Imbler plays at Enterprise to
morrow night and at Lostine Wednes
day night.