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About St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1915)
w""te, t.e, St. Johns is Calling You Hat teren churctiei. .Hm most promising future. ( Dittlnctivety a manufacturing city Ad joint, the city of Portland. Haa nearly 6,000 population. Ha a public library. . 4 Taxable property, $4,500,000. Haa. large dry dock, saw mill, Woolen mill, iron work, Stove work, asbestos factory, Ship building plant. Veneer and excelsior plant. Flour mill, planing mill. Box factory, and other. More Industrie coming. St John i the place for YOU. J St. Johns is Calling You 1 second in number of Industrie. I seventh in population. Car to Portland every 16 min. Ha navigable water on 3 sides. Ha finest gas and electricity. Ha two strong banks. Ha five large school houses. Ha abundanco of purest water. Has hard surface street. Ha extensive sewerage system. Has fine, modern brick city hall. Has good payroll monthly. Ships monthly many cars freight. All railroads have access to it. Is gateway to Portland harbor. Climate ideal and healthful. ST. Johns review Devoted to the Interest of the Peninsula, the Manufacturing Center of tbe Northwest VOI,. II ST. JOHNS, OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1915. NO 16 COUNCIL MEETS Matters of Importance Receive Attention At tho regular meeting of the city council Tuesday .oveninpr, it was decided that the propoai- tlon of the city voting bonds for, acquiring .the local water plant and make improvements in the sum of $130.)00 bo placed on the ballot at the April election on motion of Councilman Waldref and the city attorney was author ized to draft n resolution to that effect for adoption next week. A strong remonstrance against tho improvement of Chicago street between Smith avenue and Charleston street was pre scntcd and the remonstrance was accepted and the improve ment stnVcd. Remonstrances representing about 55 per cent of tho proper ty involved wore presented against the improvement of Os wego street between Smith nvo nuo and Columbia boulevard, but they were rejected as in sufficient. Cochrnn-Nutting & Co. asked for an extension of time on the completion of Macrum avenue, which was granted. Councilman Davis mado a mo tlon that all wooden sidewalks in tho city bo condemned, which carried; Tho object in this ac tion was to throw nil liability in case of accident and subsequent damages upon tho property own er instead of tho city, as the charter provides in cases of con demnation. Tho enginqor reported that tho remonstrance against tho im provement of Seneca street was sufficient to block the improve ment, and all proceedings were stayed. Mr, Johnson stated that tho Bailey Addition to tho city was badly in need of reflating, to which tho engineer agreed, but no action was taken at present. Upon tho motion of Councilmnn Chadwick it was decidedto im prove Swcnson street with the sidewalk omitted between Myers' and CruikBlinnk streets. Bills amounting to-$332.75, tho principal item of which was for electricity, were allowed. Mr. Johnson told of tho pro gress being mado toward short ening the running timo between Portland and St. Johns, by tho improvement via Greeloy street, which ho said would cut down tho timo of tho trolley cars by fifteen minutes, and prophesied that it would bo the greatest boon St. Johns over had. Tho city attorney was direct ed to draft a resolution submit ting certain amendments to tho city charter at tho April election for vote of tho people. Tho time of holding elections, length of term of officials and cettain sec tionB'relating to street improve ments aro among tho amend ments proposed. Leonard Erickson asked for the privilege of -laying his own sidewalk ort Chicago street, which was granted. The mayor returned the ordi nance prohibiting street work on Sundays without special per mission of tho mayor or council men with his veto, stating that it was class legislation and had 1 ii 1 r nis nearty disapproval, woun cilman Graden. the father of the ordinance, spoke strongly in fa vor of it, but upon motion of Councilman Waldref tho veto was sustained, all voting in the affirmative except Councilman Graden, who voted no. An ordinance providing the time and manner of improving Oswego street between Smith avenue and Columbia boulevard by sidewalk and grade was pas sed. A resolution directing tho en gineer to prepare the plans and specification for the sidewalking Ivanhoe street between Phila delphia and Catlin streets was adopted, Henry W, Smith, a former well known citizen of St. Johns, died on Bachelor Island Friday of last week, death being caused by Eneupionia. Henry was bornon is father's donation land claim on Columbia slough about fifty years ago. and all his life, firactically.has been spent on the ower Peninsula. He is surviv ed by his widow, five -children, mother, four sisters and one brother. The funeral took place Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 from Byrnes' undertaking parlors in Portland. The Aftermath A LITTLE PLAY. (Comedy, wero it not so pa thetic). Time-Nov. 5, A. D. 1915. Place-City Hall. Portland. Characters St. Johns delega tion and Portland mayor and commissioners: Enter St. Johns delegation headed by prominent citizens. Spokesman for delegation: "Mr. -Mayor, and commission ers, wo have called upon you for tho purpose of pleading with you to reduce tho price of water in the St. Johns district." Tho mayor: "Haven't you cot plenty of water out there" Delegation.grudginglyr'Ycs." Mayor: "Is tho quality good?" Delegation: "Yes, there is no objection on that score, but the price is too high." Mayor: "Well, gentlemen, wo cannot see how we cun help you in tho matter of rates. They hnvo been fixed by tho Railroad Commission, which is better qualified than wc to judge as to tho rates being too high. You must hnvo been aware of this when you merged your city with otirs. You also know that tho Lewis Merger bill provides that all contracts entered into by tho former city of St Johns must be carried out by this city. Tho franchise of the St. Johns Water Works & Lighting Com pany runs for n number of years yet and until it terminates, we can give you no relieT." Delegation: "But why can not the city of Portland pur chase tho plant or run another system down there?" Mayor: "My dear gentlemen, Portland is now burdened with practically $8,000,000 water bonded indebtedness. Surely you could not expect us to tax ourselves further just to give you people cheaper water. You say you havo plenty of it and tho nualitv is all right. This being true, you are in far bettor sliapo thnn tho rest or this city. Wo havo to curtail our water supply every summer, as you must know if you rend the daily papers. The pipe lino that now runs down the peninsula is not large enough to supply the peo plo at University Park and Ports mouth with water without cur tailment. Even if this lino was largo enough to supply you with water also, do you not know af ter tho water has boon carried in the miles of pipo through tuo hot sandB on the peninsula in the summer time to St. Johns where the dead end of tho pipo line would bo that the wnter would bo so warm and insipid that it would require ice to mako it pal atable. So, since I understand that the water you now havo is cool and pleasant the year round, is filtered through tho sandin tho earth while Bull Run water is only surface water, I really do not see where you hnvo reason forcomplaint. Why, gentlemen, we only wish that the St. Johns supply was largo enough to sup ply tho whole of rortlnnd. Tho Railroad Commission has found that it stands a very high test, a,nd is about as pure as drinking water ever gets. No, gentle men, you knew conditions when you merged with this city, or if JIUU UU ilUl JUU 1VW ll4WiW3f Bodies of people, like individ uals, who plunge into something without first learning what the result is likely to be, arc not to bo pitied, and deserve no sym pathy. If you believed that you should havo cheaper water, why in the world drd not your city purchase the plant out there., in stead of coming to us and ask ing us to do it for you? You have mado your bed and you must lie in it. This city guaran teed you nothing and you cannot expect to receive any better treatment than any other Port land suburb." Delegation: "Well, since nothing can be done with the water rats at present, we would like to remonstrate against the X'emoval of many of our arc lights, which are now being ta ken away from us." Mayor: "Ihere you are in consistent again. Why do you know that the city of Vancouver with three times your popula tion has only 75 arc lights and that University Park, with a like population as your own. has only about 24 arc lights? Your city has been entirely too ex travagant in the way of lighting your eity, since you had 125. It is more than this city can stand. Why if we allowed you to have as many arc lights as you did have, every suburb of Portland would make life miserable for us in wanting tho same thing. xou must remember that your COMMERCIAL Club Takes Up (Matters of Local Importance At the weekly meeting of tho board of governors of the Com mercial Club Tuesday noon it was decided that tho Club should take up the matter of merging St. Johns with Port land,, in the wny of conducting a campaign oi education, it has been discovered that there are a number of persons in St. 'Johns who clnim that they do not know which way to Vote on thotiuestion, that they aro un informed as to the probable nd vantages or disadvantages of such a stop, and it is with the purpose of furnishing enlighten ment that the Club has become Interested. The Club officially will uphold neither Bide. The question is a most vital one and should be discussed thoroughly. Speakers will probably bo secur ed from Scllwood, Albina and Lents to tell of conditions in these places since nnnexatiofi to Portland and what benefits were secured by connecting up with rortlnnd. Local sneakers pro and con will probably bo invited to discuss tho question from their viewpoints. It is expect ed that the auditorium of the high school building will bo se cured, for tho speaking, and tho dates' announced Inter. Tho matter of having tho fer ry bout equipped with fire fight ing apparatus is still under way. but no definito arrangements havo yet been made. Tho com mittee on improved street to the woolen mills havo not completed their work, but there is a proba bility that they will decido upon tho improvement of Bradford street between Pittsburg and Baltimore streots.and Pittsburg street between TJradford and Crawford streets, which would niford hard surface improvement to tho woolen nulla. An appli cation for ono now member was received. population is only ono fiftieth pnrt of tho city as a whole, and wo simply cannot treat one su burb differently from another. You enn only hnvo arc lights on improved streets, and I am afraid you havo too many of them there nnd they may havo to be thinned down a little. Elec tric light is very expensive." Delegation: "Well, then, we would like to have our fire truck' brought hack from University Purk. We. know the same thing wiib done after. Albina annexed with Portland, yet we bolieve wo aro entitled to better treat ment, and need the truck at St. Johns." Mayor "No doubt you would desire to havo it remain at St. Johns, but University Park is about tho centre of the peninsu la, and as we aro short on fire fighting equipment, tho (ruck you had can be used either way from University and ntford pret ty good fire protection., Of course wo could not permit of keening paid firemen at St. Johns. It establishes a bad precedent, nnd is something no other suburb of Portland en- JOJS." Delegation: "we do want to register a protest against reduc ing our polico force and giving us only one instead ot lour. Since they havo been removed crime has increased at a fearful rate." Mayor: "This is another thing that cannot be done. If you had read the daily papers you would nave noticed mat we had to prune down in evey de partment this year'in order to get the mill rate down to 7 mills. The police department fund is especially at a low ebb and there will probably be a de ficit by the end of the year. It is true that we should have twice aB many policemen as we now have all over the city, but we simply cannot afford it. Now, gentlemen, we have given you as much time and more than we should have done. You will nrobably find much to complain about but we shall not have time to listen to it. If we gave up our time in listening to com plaints we could not get any thing else done. Good clay, gen tlemen." Exit disappointed and discon solate delegation. Curtain. The substance of the above will probably be printed as news matter some time after merging it such a calamity occurs and the water plant is not purchas ed. Ed. , Minimum Wage Law Tho minimum wage law is a two-edged sword it cuts both wnvs. Its practical application proves that it is a good thing for the girl who has a job; that is it makes qr job possibly more remunerative, uut it. cma uown the nymber of jobs, nnd it is mighty bad for tho girl who is thrown out of work by reason of its application. Understand me, I am strong for the ideal; would like to sco every man nnd woman perfect morally and nhvsicaltv. I would liko to see poverty, privation and suffering banished from tho world. 1 would like to see ideal social conditions, whero every man nnd woman would bo awarded his or her full measure of the good things of life. Hero's tho run, tnougn: u we depend upon man made Inwb through legislative enactments to bring theso good things to us wo will get gloriously left. This minimum wage law is an exam ine it serves part of tho people and works grnVe injustice to an other part; thnt is to say, it benefits for the sake of figures, 100 girls, and absolutely injures 25. Now tho question is, what is going to become of thoso 25 girls; they havo just as much right to live as tho majority, it will be" conceded. Yet the Inw arbitrarily says that they must be sacrificed for the sake of the one hundred. You sco in. passing n minimum wngo law it was never contem plated that such a law would throw anybody out of work: tho idea was that tho employer Would bo compelled to pay high er wages to tho same number of employees. But when tho mat ter was passed up to a lot of em ployers they could not cut tho mustard and in order to comply with tho law thoy just reduced their forces. Supposing some gink would get it into his head to havo n law passed requiring this news- paper to pay one thousand dol lars a month to tho forcmnn of this newspaper office. I1 rom one point of viuw it would be an excellent law; it would apparent ly raise tho wages of tho work ingninn to a comfortable sum; but when ono examined the effect of such a law it would bo found that its only effect wns to throw tho foreman out of a job. it'sacaBOjof driving n horso to water. You can pass any kind of a law you want, but tho trouble is you can't always got, the effect that you desire the horse won't drink because his esophagus has been plugged and ho enn't drink if ho would, you can pass minimum wage aws, but tho results aro you work such hardships upon the employer that ho can't stand the pressure and is compelled to retire as un employer or curtail us force. There are a lot oi working gills in the stataof Washington today who are wish ing'that tho minimum wage law. tad never been passed, uu there are a lot of employers who have been crippled in their business because of the law, Charles H, O'Neil in the Walla Walla Val- ey Spectator. r Have Taken It Up Editor Review: Would it not n a m i 1 bo: n two idea ior tno uommer- cial Club to take up the subject of annexation with Portland and have it discussed, pro and con. It is a subject upon which much education is needed. There should be speakers on each side of the subject. Many people do not know how to vote, and thus they would be given a chance to more intelligently decide. Surely the subject is us import ant as any that could be taken Up by tho Club. Public meet ings might be arranged ior. Isn't this worth considering? Subscriber, The Subscriber is roferred to action of the Commercial Club Tuesday, which appears else- wnere in wiib mnir, iu. I have a friend who owns 18 acres of the very choicest farm ing land, one and a half miles from Sheridan. Oregon, with im provements and unencumbered. He wishes to sell and take house and lot in St. Johns that is worth from $2,500 to $3,000 as part payment Will take balance on long tijne payments with low rate of interest Reasons, ad vanced age. Dr. W. JGilstrap, First National Bank Building, St. Johns, Oregon. THE LIBRARY Interesting Notes for the Library Patrons Hours: Afternoon, 12:00 to 5&0. Evening, 7:00 to 9:00. Sunday. 2:30 to 5:30. One of the most interesting of the publications subscribed for by the library in 1915, is tho National Geographic Magazine. Tho January number contains articles on Holland and Poland profusely illustrated. Tho library has recently receiv ed much interesting and useful material in pamphlet form. Iho following are exnmples: .25 booklets put out by the Health Education League on such subjects as Nerve Waste. Tonics and Stimulants. When to call a physician. Leaflets on tho prevention nnd treatment of diseases such as scarlet fever, whooping cough, yphoid fever. The yenr in Rhyme a nntion- al historical poem. A sot of booklets put out by a Boston bank on such subjects as Tho U. S. Mint. Ancestry of tho American dol- ar. Token Monoy nnd Private Hntnntn. Financier of tho Revolution. Origin of Bunking. Brief History of American Currency. Romantic History of our Nu merals. Curious Currency. Ancient and Modern. Books: Aztecs nnd Incns. "Tho most stupendous achievement over nttained by a nation in so short time wns tho discovery, con quest and settlement of Mexico and. South America by .Spain within the compass of a cen tury." On tho other hand, nothing in the history of the American continent affords such romantic interest as the life stories of tho two chief conquer ed nationB tho Aztecs of Mexi co nnd tho Incus nf Peru. Their origins shrouded in the midst of able, tho HPlendor of their gen us out-shining that of any other Amorican nation, the tragedy of their downfall ucting ns a dark foil to tho brilliance of tho Span ish triumph, they are still a con stant luro to tho student of his tory, a constant inspiration to to the spinner of fiction. Read ers ot both will tind much ot keen interest in tho following group of books now on tho libra ry shelves. Janvier Aztec Trcnsuro louse. An account of a successful senrch for tho fabled hidden city fascinating mixture of fact and fiction. Markham History of Peru. From tho timo of thelnca Em- )iro to 1891. Final chanters on tho wealth, trade and manufact ures of tho country. Prescott Conquest of Peru. Tho most popular treatment of the subject yet produced. The author obtained tho larger part of the material used from docu ments preserved in tho archives of Spain and formed them labor iously into his two-volumo work at a timo when he was practicnl- y blind. bchwatka In the Land of Cavo and Cliff Dwellers. The d strict concerned is Nor thern Mexico. The illustrations are especially interesting. Wallace Tho Fair God. The ihngnificent epic of the conquest of Mexico by Cortez is :iere told in the form of a ro mance by tho author of Ben Hur. The chief interest centers in one Aztec family of high rank. Perhaps of no less interest although not yet endowed with the glamor of distance, is the story of tho slow but steady struggle f the present South American countries for a place in the modern commerciul world nnd the catchysmal recent years in Mexico, these phases may be studied in such books as Edwards On tho Mexican Highlands. Fife The Real Mexico a study on the spot Hust Argentina. When the piled up inches of the Incas and the' inexhaustible mines of the Peruvian Andes beckoned to the greedy adven turers from the mother country, the endless alluvial pampas and dense nrimeval forests of tho least called in vain. But nature r V in ro I lin M 4 sx A Mnnr!nn lu juoi in K''"K HJ mtsuiibiuu u Probably Misinformed Editor Review: Is it a fact that all the Socialists of St. Johns are in favor of consolidat ing St. Johns with Portland, nnd if so, what is tho reason? Citi zen. In reply to the above will state that we do not believe all tho Socialists in St. Johns are in favor of merger. In fact a man could not be a true Socialist and lavor merger at the same time. In the first place the ba sic principle of Socialism is to permit the peoplo to rule them solves. They do not believe in one-man rule. Therefore, when thoy vote to nbolish tho form of government that now obtains in St. Johns for the restricted and monopolistic government of Portland thoy voto against their principles. Again, in St. Johns tho Socialist party has been rep resented in tho city government for tho past several years. 1 hey now hnvo a Socialist Muyor, who will likely be reelected and who, by the way has made umost .ex cellent presiding officer; in fact, it is doubtful if abetter man for the position could be secured. So when tho Socialists vote to throw away what they have gained and reject a Socialist mayor in favor of an anti-Socialist mayor, they cannot bo termed very good Socialists and have little regard for tho success of their party. Tho Socialists as a party have a chance in St. Johns to secure representation, but little if any in Portland. There- lore, no truo Socialist can be in fnvor of dissolving tho city gov ernment of St. Johns. A Big Celebration Dates hnvo been set and, plans arc well under way for a tre mendous celebration, extending over an entiro week, on tho com pletion of tho Celilo Canul and tho opening of that splendid project for tho extension of riv er traffic. President Wilson has been invited to attend, also Ad miral Dewey. Congress has psascd an act authorizing tho at tendance of three senntors and nine representatives at tho be ginning of tho festivities. May 5th. Subject to possible chango, tho program has been outlined as follows: May 3, at Lewiston, Idaho. I'orcnoon, May 4, at Pasco and Konnewick: after- noon, nt Walla Walla. Evening, at Umatilla in co-operation with Pendleton. May 5, high noon, formal dedication of tho canal. Afternoon nnd evening, .it tho Dalles. May G, forenoon, at Vancouver; uftornoon und even ing at Portland. May 7, fore noon, at Kalama assisted by Rainier and other river cities. Afternoon und evening, at As toria. During this evening and all of the .8th tho sixth anuuul convention of tho Columbia and Snnko River Waterways Associa tion will bo held. A part of tho preliminary plan is to have the people nt Astoria and other lower river points, charter a steamer for tho entiro round trip, proceed up tho river cleur thru to Lewiston picking up participants in tho celebra tion at all river points. It is be lieved that u very attractive rate can be secured. prodigious extent of flat fertile soil, more than compensated for withholding tho gift of gold. This marvellous country, so the nutuor thinks, is destined to bo ono of tho great nations of the world. Sears Two on a Tour Through South America. T. F. Levens of this city has had un experience with thePort lund city government which shows that all is not"sunshine" over there. A sewer was put in quite u distance from his propor- i... 1 1. !i f. e- .t. iy, mm huiiuuku il was six ieei higher than his property, he was compelled to pay tho assess ment, although it is a physical impossibility that he can over use the sewer. The case was appealed Jto the supreme court, but the city won out. Whereas, in the city of St. Johns one C. J. Anderson was relieved of sew er assessment when it was found that one portion of his Phila delphia street property could not connect to a sewer running along sidevof his property to ad vantage, 'that is the difference between St. Johns and Portland. Think well before you vote to merge. Not th label on your paper. HIGH jCHOOL Incidents of High School Interestingly Told S-hl Look out! There's that Senior reporter! Among tho important events of the week were tho meetings of the Athletic Association, of tho Dramatic Association, of the Senior, Junior, Sophomore nnd Freshmen Classes, the chief purpose of these meetings being the election of term officers. In tho Athletic Association the following were elected: John McGregor, Pres.; Bert Sund strom. Vice Pres. ; Hnzel John son, Secy.; nnd Will Teutsch, Treasurer. In the Dramatic Society tho new officers are: Arlino Shaw, Pres.; Florence Davis, Vice Pres. ; and Hazel Johnson, Secy. nnd Treasurer. In tho sovcral classes the officers elected wore: Seniors. John McGregor, Pres.: Arlino Shaw. Vice Pres. : Will Teutsch. Secy. ; and Alice Wrinke, Treas urer. Juniors. Ruth McGregor. Pres.; Bert Sundstrum, Vice President; Minnie Nolen, Sec- rotary: and Olivo Zimmerman. Treasurer. Sophomores, Ferris Swisher. President; Ruth Rundnll, Vice President; Susie Lindley. Sec retary; and Clarice Wilson. Treasurer. Freshmen. Louis Dunsmore. President: Onnl Woimcr. Vice President; Hnzel Linquist. Sec retary; and Everett Day, Treas urer. Parents and Students alike wero given tho pleasure of an illustrated lecture and entertain ment under the auspices of the' I'arent-Tenchor's Association in tho High School Auditorium last Friday ovening. Prof Procter, Dean of Pacific University, gave the illustrated lecture. Among other pleasing numbers of the program render ed were the songs, "Beautiful Blue Danube," by the H. S. Chorus, "Lullaby" by Mrs. Coo vert and "Tho Perfect Day" by tho Grade Teachers' Chorus. Tho nowly entered Freshmen arc to bo entertained by mem bom of tho upper cIubs next Fri day ovening. The nature of the entertainment is to be in the form of an eight-net vaudeville show. It promises to bo a most enjoyable affair. The price of admission will boa "smile big enough to guarantee a good time." The piano for the High School Gymnasium has arrived. It is a Kimball of most satisfactory tone nnd appearance, and overy ono is most happy to have it. The music will mako possible gymnasium drills nnd general ex ercises of which the school has long stood in need. Now others than those who enter tho contest rames will bo able to secure lonoficiul use of tho gym. Arlino Shaw and Pearl Evans who have just entered the Sen ior Class havo been added to tho Editorial Stuir of the An nual, making the complete Staff us follows: John McGregor, Ed itor in Chief; Harold Buybrook, Business Mgr.; Arlino Shaw, Advertising munnger: Will Teutsch, Athletic Editor; Gladys rainier, Society Editor; Marie Bredeson, Wit and Humor Ed itor; and Pearl Evans, Art nnd Music Editor, Ono of tho disadvantages of Portland city government was given us on Monday. An old soldier ut Portsmouth had a cow given him and he secured the free use of several lots for pasturage. On account of tho wet weather he decided to build a temporury shed with a fow boards. The building inspector got onto it however, and he was asked if he had a building per mit. Tho old veteran replied that he had not. Whereupon ho was ordered to either get u permit or tear down his work. Tho old soldier was financially in u bad way, and he went to the office and told of his circum stances, but he wns given to understand that tho money for the permit had to be forthcoming or he would havo to remove his work. So the old man toro down the work he had started. In St. Johns ho would have exper ienced no trouble whatever, as permits are not required except where tho cost is $50 or more. Not tho label on your piper, j