mtmtna Wnmrits
VOLUME XXVI MU.MHKIl OK ASSOCIATKU I'ltKSS
LA GRAN DE, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1922.
n:Miw:ri oi' associatiw viikks
NUMBER 65
0. A. KRATZ
..TENDERS HIS
RESIGNATION
Commission Accepts; Will
Take Effect on 28th
of This Month .
SEEKS BETTERMENT
OF HIS INTERESTS
Resignation Comes at End
of Body's Meeting; Fir
' ture Plans Are Yet Unan
nounced. O. A. Kratz, city manager of La
Graiulu tendered his resignation to
the city commission last evening at
the cluse of the regular business
session. It was accepted and will
take effect on December 28th.
His resignation canro unexpected
ly and was worded as follows: "I
licrcbv "hand vou mv resignation as
city manager ot tho city ol u
Graiulu to become effective on J)i
comber 28th. The reason for sub
milting my resignation at this time
is that i fell Mat I can materially
better my conditions. In resigning
I wish to thank the city commission
for their undivivded support and for
the courtesies that has been ev
tended me, both by the commission, I
and the ''Hjsciw of La Grande.''
nuns unannounced. Mr. Lament denied tnnt tno stato
"I have not announced my future 'department had sent the German am
plans as yet," Mr. Kratz stated this j bassador to confer with Mr. Morgan
morning to the Observer, "but I will 1 here recently. ' Ho further expressed
.in e ...i.i,;.. tv nav in... ... u i h is nninion that the nconlo of this
Mr. Kratz came to La Grande as a 1
successor to , George Garrett and
took over the duties of his office on!
January IS, 1!22. In accepting his i
resignation, the commissioners exr
pressed regret and Air. Kratz sun-
porters in La Grande likewise felt
that they are losing an efficient offi- j
cial with his departure. i
Wilh hin I'liKiirnuLinnn cnminiT SO'
unexpectedly, the city officials uro
still considering the appointment of
his successor with no positive an
nouncement as to whom he will be
ns yet.
HARNESS PROBE
E
Scandal About Harness Sale
to Government During the
War to Be Probed.
(liy The Associated 1'iosh)
V A SI 1 1 N ( !T N . I ec. 1' 1 . Civil oV
.criminal miibi, one or bolli, ugniiiHt
t lie ln i ted Stiii t'M I iitrncsK coiiM'an.'
of Hanson, W. Va.. will ho rviiriy fur
iUNi it ii i ion tiy tlto ko eminent within
daM, ( 'ol. Hi-nry T, Anderson of
Itirluiiond, Va.. Hpocini 'assistant tc
thy allorm y ifi ikm-aI, testified Itefore
the lumae judiciary conirniltco toihiv.
MILTDNII"
IS SUICIDE
Bill Prentice Shoots Himself
Yesterday Afternoon; De
spondency Thought to Be
Motive.
. ,
MILTON', Ore., Dec. 21 Hill Pren
tice, aged 50, a laborer and a resi
dent of Milton for the past 30 years,
committed suicide yesterday after
noon about two o'clock by shooting
himself to death with a revolver,
states a special dispatch to the Ob
server. The shooting occurred in I'rcn
ticc's bunk house, and authorities at-
tu.. D.ti,-(li, tit .lesiKinili'nfv
over ill health. He is survived by a
brother who makes his home in Wal
la Walla.
Trentice shot himself just aoovc
the right eye and death was in-staiitaiifous.
GETS EVIDENG
Portland Turkeys Flop
Three Cents Wholesale
rKTl.ANJ. Vvc. 21. Tiiikry
prictH trnl;0 ruMy thu-u I'liit.1 wliuk'
nttlu h-rc loilay. 1iivi.th a infc- 3:t unl
VA vvnts forf Un- MhIh. compare"! wild
37 c-nt for ln'.st yu-nlay.
The Itic-ak was due. to t!ic dclnsc
v( poultry orfnr.l oil Un- imti'ketM ilnr
Uxtz ihc 1'iift tlmrc day-. Cue hirjf;
1'fiinuiK.slim firm hu. t!. Iipii out M
iaei of i1rt'!i.,l poultry alntf tfun-
J.iy.
ItdiH iic?.t dropppU from 4.i 1
4'1 tent! per pr-uiiri.
I.i'tiKi l Mtnul.i.
C.iHl n i:iiii!v.ij pi.-:t.:y on th" Port
AMERIGA WILL
NOTGIVEHUfJS
Thomas W. Lamont, in Ad
dress in New York, Dis
cussed Prospects of Loan
to Germany.
NEW' YORK, Doc, 21. An ' ad
dress by Thomas W. Lamont of J. P.
Morgan and Co. before the council
of foreign relations luosday night,
in which he discussed prospects of
a loan to Germany, was regarded
Wednesday as one of the most sig-
1,if'cant stalmi0,lls mail u11 tnc
"The American people have no 'in
tention of making a loan to Ger
many," he said, because sho is not
in any position at the present time
"to insure our people with confi
dence to buy its bonds."-'
Mr. Lamont stated conditions un
der which he bcliuved a German loan,
might bo floated in this: country at:
somo future' time; not a large loan,
but enough to enable .'Germany, to
"get over the hill."
"Theso conditions," lie said, "are
the settlement of the reparations
Problem and the fixing of a definite
sum, so that Germany would bo
nwaie of her obligations. Following
oi the fixation ol this sum he con-
tinued,' "Germany must set out on
ft period of deflation." There may
possibly come with that a scheme of
the allies for the supervision of such
deflation, including the administra
tion of Germany's customs."
' "Even if a loan is advanced." he
'added. "I doubt' if Germany will bo
lout, a sum sufficient to discharge
her reparations debt,"
country have the utmost sympathy!
tor franco, ana mat Iney would-oc
glad to lend money to her "on a
large scale."
S:
Last everiinc durTng the fierce
winds that raged over La Grande,
the brick wall on tho east side of the
Star Theater; groaned, murmured,
groaned again? shifted a littlo bit
and then, 'jriving way to the ..on
slaught of the' wind, crumpled anil
fell into the roof of tho building.
Altogether' about thirty or forty
square feet of the surfaco of tho V"1''
toppled over, smashing through tho
roof just behind tho stage and dam
aging the roof and tho rear of the
stage to some extent. The remain
der of the roof held the brick.
The -ouildinp is owned by Mrs.
Grace Shannon and tho will in ques
tion had been overheated during the
recent burning of Carr's Furniture
company, and when the wind rose
to a certain velocity, the wall, al
ready tremendously woakened, gave
way ' .
Chicago is termed .by scribes the
nation over as tho "windy city," lint
Lake is called by westerners as the
place where "the wind comes from'
and other places likewise have their
designations regarding climatic anil
wind cnmlitinnS. and La Grande last
niirht likewise stenoed into the
"windy" hall of fame. Whether Hot
Lake was rcsponsime lor senuing um
winds or not. they came and left
ilhnir tinriri.
A mntnl chimncv lei irom inc
-....r tt, n.1,1 KVIbiwa' hnillliiur
and a filling brick, keeping pace with
xhimnnv struck n RnnW wirdoW
land broke tho plate glass. I'lalc
I glass windows in the buildings oppo
site the scene of the Carr's fire,
uinrn lil.iivn nut:, lllthontrh there had
i already been cracked. Several stor
ies came in rrom tnc residential uis
tricts relative to freaks that thi
...:. I .,1. .,,! All tiMrplhcr. the
evidences is ample proof that there
was a windy condition in the city
lust night.
lam! inarkut toiu'. liou- slmwfd
Hti-ailiiivwt Willi fc-.lr plir 2f to it(
eriit lowrr. prime tlKht lits brim,'
lUK y.25 to lit. 5". Hlii't.-p were Htuinly,
vkh weak and 2 ch-mIji lower, Imy
m if prh' til 37 to Al i-Mitf. fJClUtm
prices AS to 5 ucntn. Ifuttvr "
Urm.
In the li tl(inilc market turkevn
land were reUilllnc'iit 4 i-ents today.
The supply weenm to he keeping up
with the dfiuund. itlthonch thrre I"
inn turk- ylut rcpor'ed yiv tM
I itinrktjta.
local
1
WIND
I! IN
WINDS DESCEND
UPON LA GRANDE
'Barleycorn Twins" of Congress
flll Jjlp I I I
V- i ' . z ? s
Mim ML1M3 mm,
j Two of the wettest wctfl in Consxess are shown here contrratulatlng'
teach other on their proposed changes in the eighteenth amendment which;
would virtually wipo U out. They are, left to right, Congressman Oorgj
H. T ink hum of Massachusetts and John Phillip Hill of Maryland. . '
SEARCHERS FA
BODIES
Second Detachment of Sol
diers - Put on Louisiana
Case That Attracts Atten
tion. -
MEHROUGE. La., 'ijcc. 21. The
detachment' of Nationoal Guards
that lato yesterday dragged a part
of Lake LaFourche in an effort to
locate bodies of two men reported
murdered .by a hooded band last Au
gust after kidnapping five promi
nent Merrougo citizens, were unsuc
cessful and a second detachment was
dispatched to tho lake.
The soldiers were ordered to pre
vent attempts of outsiders to in
terfere with, diving operations. Re
ports were circulated that enemies
of th'c . movement would interfere.
A chart prepared by spe.lal investi
gation shows where the bodies, pre
sumably weighted down with wagon
wheels, wore thrown
SAI'l.T ' fiTE. MAK1K, Mich., A
werk nift v elapse before nil of Oip
survivol'N or the lll-rnteil 1MB Iteli
unce arc iihle to travi-l to thi-ir lioinos.
no IntciiHO was I lief i- sufrcrllig from
cold and liuiiKer iiru-r tlieir tiny
er.'irt wan disabled and aliniulolicil -i!
I.lziud Islands. - It waa said here
WRECKVIGTIMS
ALL CARED FOR
Wednesday. The (! persons wlmj t. lineups were: AliccI, Wells
reached hero Tuesday nigl'l arc. un-'an(i Kuckman, forwards; Stuart, cen
iler tho ciiii' of physhhins ami wllljtcr; Taylor and Wallsingcr, guards,
retiiiiln al a norpit il and holds iiii-lj.a Grande, Kingwcll, Keeney and
III they have fully recovered. Waller jjluck forwards; Scroggins and Chan-
LDiiirni re has both hands and reel
frozen. . . , '
A GQOI WAY
XT',
rjww.
if"
Wo
, D
.
-
! ,"' i :
fry
BAND PREPARES
ft FINE CONCERT
The band concert to lie held In the
Methodist church on Sunday after
noon, December 81st, at four o'clock,
will take tho form of a community
service. In addition! to the musical
numbers to be rendered by the band,
Rev.l Geo. 11. Quigtcy, of the Metho
dist church, will give a short talk
on "The Building of the City," Mrs.
Aldrich and Stewart Dennett .will
sing with Miss Ruth Quiglcy accom
panying the former on. the piano and
Mr Bennett )eing accompanied by
the band.
A splendid concert has been ar
ranged by "Director Andrew-rLoncy,
nn.l the band members bava" been
working hnrd to bring tho'''oncart
up lo n fine, dogren of -perfection.
The concert will be free to 'ho pub
lic and it is expected to find a large
crowd in attendance
UElfK
A- basketball team, hailing from'
AIcol instead of imnier a was ai
first, roported, decisively defeated a
local team last evening in 'thb Y. M.
CV. A. gynnoby.- t.he scoro 'ioPHfi to
20, the - Alicel boys winning 'by a
display of superior teamwork.
The first half was hard fought and
ended 10 to 14 looking as if it might
be anybody's game, but in the final
half the Alice! men spurted and
scored 22 points to La Grande's 10.
Wells, of AliccI, was tho outstanding
star with Murry Kingwcll, of La;
Grande,- being hiKh point man forj
his team. Wells shot eight baskets
for a total of lit points.
dlcr, guards, and Leo McCorkte, ccn-
tor.
TO GET RID OF UNDESIRABLE OBJECTS
i); it - rf$'s
-xk.-. U.-.;. .
LESS ACREAGE
SHOWN BY THE
LATE SURVEY
Satisfactory Seeding Impos
sible Because of the
Dry Season
OREGON'S WHEAT
SECTION DECLINES
Argentina and Australia
Have Much Larger Crop
This Year Than Last
Russia Has. Forty Per
Cent Increase.
PORTLAND, Dec. '21. A condi
tion below the ten year average over
an acreage somewhat less than Inst
year is the Oregon' winter wheat
situation as outlined in the latest
report of K. L. Kent, statistician, U,
s, department or agriculture.
Winter Wheat
Throughout the mincinnl winter
wheat gruwing counties the fall sea
son was too dry for sntistactory
seeding In some of, the counties
about the usual winter acrcnge has
been seeded, but in others seeding
hns been much below the average.
A report from Union county says in
Part, "Very dry weallier ,nas inter
fered with f nil seeding, prevented
fall plowing and damaged wheat that
was sown, rail wheat acreage iu
per cent of last year." Baker, Wal-
lowwa and Jefferson also report
acreage and condition much below
normal. Umatilla, Sherman, Wasco,
Morrow wand Gilliam counties, with
about 73 per cent of tho total stato
acrcago ot winter wheat report about
the same acreage as last year, but
with a somewhat lower condition.
In tho western part of tho stato
fall seeding conditions were nearly
ideal and most growers had ample
opportunity to seed all the winter
wheat acrcnge they cared to with
tho result that the western Oregon
acreage appears to bo considerably
in excess of that of last year, hut
only ten to fifteen per cent of tlm
fltato's winter' wheat crop is grown
in this western district.
The total Oregon acrcnge seeded
this fall is estimated at 852,000- acres.
which compares with an estimate, ol
861,009 acres seeded a year ngo. Con
dition Veports! indicated 91 per iccnt
of normal on Decembtr 1,' which
compares with D2 per cent last year,
97 per cent in 1920, ami 92 per cent
for the ten year nverage.
The total U. S. acreage seeded
this fall is estimated at 40,0(19,000
which is 3.2 per cent less than tho
revised estimate of 47,011,000 acres
seeded last fall.. Condition of the
U. S. crop is reported as 79.6 per
cent. December 1 condition last
fall was . 70.0 . per cent; 1920 was
87.9 per cent and the 10 year aver
age H7.9 per cent.
Acreage and December 1 condition
in some of the lending winter wheat
states are reported as follows: Kan
sas 12,281,000, antl 73 per cent;
(Caatlnued on Page Two)
- K.
CITY ACCEPTS
OF
Proposal Relative to the
i vnt of Road ,Taxes
Due the City By the Coun
ty is Discussed at Length.
At the close of a lengthy debnto
pro nnd con concerning tho accept
ance of Jho county's offer in re
gards to the method of paying the
portion of the road tax due the
city, amounting to $20,590, not in
cluding tho present year, the city
commission last evening went on rec
ord as accepting the county s pro
pose! which is to tho effect that
$7,000 will be paid to tho city in tho
coming year in addition to the pres
ent apportionment for this year, nnd
that tho remainder of the sum will
be paid within two years in two
equal installments.
' The acccntanco of 1 tho county's
proposal was made will) the fooling,
Jieui by commissioners' C J. mack
nnd Dr. H. ' S.! Brownton, that the
county shuuld pay Interest to tho
city on the funds that had not' been
turned over, - from the ' dnto when
they were duo tho . city, but that,
iimsmuch ns similar ifunds hnd not
been turned over to other cities in
Union county, a concession should
bo mndo so thill tho county would
not bo pressed with an exorbitant
debt that would be diff.allt to meet
on short notice.
Following tho arguments on the
mntter tho city manager recommend
ed that the commission giant- au
thority to purchase and install a
"firo pumper" which would mater
ially increase the efficiency in fight
ing fire and would tend to reduce
the insurance rates in the city as
well, "Such a pump, combined with
a chemical apparatus and hose
equipment, would have made it nos-
siulu lor tnc firo department to com
pletely flood Larrs basement 111 tho
late lire and have saved the build
ing," air. Krnls stated. "With the
(lump in action every bit of water
that could have been drawn through
the ten inch main could hava been
directed upon the blase." Tho mat
ter was laid on the table lor con
sideration. Water System . Discussed. '
Again tho much talked of water
sym.eiiK ol- Ifi , tiramls ' became the
conter 'of discussion. Accoming to
tile city manager, reports . had been
circulated that the pressure was low
on the morning of Guns fire and
reports had also been about tno
stieuts that .the reservoir had been
drained shortly alter the fire start
ed. Ho Hinted that tliese reports
were riclitious and that the reason
for the "low pressure" was duo to
mishandling ot the hydrants by ama
teurs who combined with tho lire
department in fighting tho blaze and
also reluled the statement that the
water- in the reservoir had been
diainod. i lie likewise k.iscrtcd thai
statements that dead 'fish Polluted
the city's drinking water and stories
duncurning the "terrible" condition of
the system in general were witnoui
foundation.
Ordinances 1'asncd.
Two ordinances iwcru passed last
evening, one relating to the .lixing
of license fees for pool halls and
soft (innK establishments and Tola
live to the (prohibition, of tne-, po
i,, .-..-(lull u tuiioxicating 'liquor, 'mon
tioning places- that wciic' . Considered
nuisances, and giving tho municipal,
judge auihiplty; yi. issu$ search. War
rants in- theiis; (o'nnti-tuin; i-ijj-"
Several Mft'iiMnTO patter-V rela
tive to a J petition' Mr 'an' ale 'light
on Washington and Kith stiects, the
lesti'iuniiiK of the proposed erection
ol a billboard on . Madison-dear 1'ir
street, the 'matter of the improve
ment bond, sinking funds and con
cerning the application for a lease
on tho septic tank property by Wong
John were discu.sed and passed on for
consideration. The city manager
was requested to make an exam
ination into the matters and was
given authority to act finally in
1 1. Kiu ils to tho septic tank property
lease. Houtine business, reports,
and other minor matters were like
wise handled at this itimc.
LOIS WALTER PASSED
ON IN WASHINGTON
Kriends nf Mrs. John Walter, of
Starltuck, 'Wa.thinjrton, were hockeil
to hour of the death nf her daugh
ter, Loin, fourteen years of affe,
who pnHMcri on recently. The funeral
will be held this afternoon in Walla
Walla, Washington. .
Mrs. Walter formerly lived in Ln
Grande and was formerly Miwii Jessie
Alexander. Her many friends in, this
vicinity sympathize with her in hur
bereave m cnt.
0
COUNTY COURT
i
Waitress Charges Man
Oi River with Murder
(lly The Associated 'Press)
I'OKTI.ANI), Dec. 2l.-rolicc an
nounced early today after a long
questioning nf Miss Helen F-cary,
waitress, aged twenty, nnd ("ash Weir
a riverman aged sixty-throo, that
they were unable to decide ns to the
accuracy of - the story- told ly the
woman when she stated she had wit
nessed through tho knothole of a
houseboat the killiwr of an unidin
tificdrirl aged fifteen by Weir on
CLASH TODA
BETWEEN 11
BIG LEADERS
Venizelos, of Greece, and
Eiza Nur Bey, of Turkey,
Have Hot Argument
ADJOURNMENT TAKEN
TO END HEATED CLASH
Venizelos Attacked Angora
Government and Kiza
Nur Charged Ex-Premier
With Causing the Turko
Greek War. .
- l!y Tho Associated I'l-ess)
I.AUSANNK, Dec. 21. worily nl.
tenitloit between Kx-I'remler Venize
los of nrceeo and UlKn Nur liny,
Torklsli NiiMonnl ilck-gitti'. - Ciiiisi-ii
Hignor Moiit-inca. president tji" the
N'onr. Hast conference commission on
minorities, to abruptly end (Ills nwrn
liis'u session' of the commission.
The dispute was over tho uiiesllon
oT liberty or Immigration. Venizelos
bitterly attacked the Angora govern,
nient protesting uguliist the alleged
ilnimrlatton or Oroeks by thousands
rrom Anatolia.
Itlna Nur replied In tho name vein
charirlnit Venlmlos with being ro
sponsllilo Tor the Tuiko-OiueU war.
Tho voices or the two deleuntes rose
lo a nigh pitch.
William S. Hamilton Passes
On At the Home of His
Son at End of Long Ill
ness. ft f"ylf imitilffi
Wllllani S.: Hamilton died at tho,
homo of: his" son this jnorning ti
2:25 o'clock at tho age of 67 years
and 20 dnys nt the termination of
un extended illness. lie twas form
erly of Wallowa whoro he wns em
ployed as engineer by the Nibley
Mimnaugh Lumber company for a
period .of ten years.
Interment will be mado 'in tho
Sumniervillc cemetery on Sunday af
ternoon nt 2:1)0 o'clock under the
n'tsptrta of the I. lO. O. F. of which
the deceased was a member. Snod
grass and Zimmerman undertaking
pnrlors have charge of the body.
William S. Hamilton was born No
vember 22, 1855, in Friendship, Sci
oto county, Ohio, and went to Mis
souri when a small boy then cross
ing tho plains in 1874, arriving in
the Grnndo Hondo valley on July
7th. He settled on the Sand Kidgo
nnd was united in marriage to Olive
C. Hulso September 28, 1882. To
this union wns burn five children,
three sons nnd two daughters, Will
lam II., Arthur, Charles S Mrs.
Mnei wewuin aim .Mrs. lidith lirown,
. all of whom survive him with tho
(.exception of 'Arthur' who died -when
a small boy. j Addition suivivors aru
hia.wifo, one brother, C. W. Hamil
ton in tiicci; iTirs. -u. a. itnincnart
of Husuin, Washington, and Mrs.
Hichard Myers of Caldwell, Idaho,
besides a number of more distant
relatives
T
IS PLEASING
The benefit concert given in tho
high school auditorium lust cvoning
by the Salvation Army .proved to bo
well up to the expectations of tho
music loving public. A fine program
carried out in manner that was
near professional perfection, delight
ed the audience who . were loud in
thoir praise of tho concert. Tho
concert was well attended and tho
Salvation Army will use tho proceeds
to Bcrvo a Christmas dinner for
those in l.n Grando who otherwifu
would do without tho usual Yule
title fenst. '
the 2:ird lny of last September.
llolh the waitress and tho river-,
man are being held pending inves
tigation. Police are endeavoring to
locate Karl Weir, son of tho river-
i man, to obtain his version of tno
alleged affair.
The woman claims the ron entered
the houseboat just after the girl had .
been killed and aided his father in
disposing of the body. The elder
Weir scouted the story declaring it
entirely manufactured. .
PIONEER DIES
THIS MORNING
ARMY GQNGEH
1
Mi
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illLiill.t ............ ,