N CITY
The annual meeting of the stock
holders of Clackamas Co. Fair will be
held in Oregon City, Saturday, Feb.
7, at 9:30 A. M.
If you want to bay, sell or trade, try
a small ad in The Courier the best ad
vertizing medium in Clackamas County
and you will get the desired results.
31st YEAR.
OREGON CITY, ORE., THURSDAY, JAN.? 1914.
No. 36
Ore
OREGO
HENRY
T
CONSULTING ENGINEER SHOWS
CHANCE FOR ECONOMY
ESTIMATES ARE CUT $13,000
Council Takes Mountain Water Plans
Under Advisement for While
Approving the chief points of H. A.
Rands' report upon a proposed mu
nicipal pipe line from the south fork
of the Clackamas, D. C. Henny, con
sulting engineer of the U. S. Re
clamation Service last Thursday even
ing gave the city council further and
expert suggestions" for the anticipa
ted city supply of pure water. Every
member of the council with the ex
ception of Mr. Tooze was present, and
in addition Mayor Howell, of Glad
stone, Mayor Lewthwaite of West
Linn and a number of councilmen
from Milwaukie' met with the city
fathers to hear the water plans dis
cussed. -
Mr. Henny suggested a modifica
tion of the Rands plans in two im
portant details, which changes he de
clared were advised for betterment of
the proposed service. He advised the
substitution of machine banded stave
pipe for the continuous stave pipe
originally proposed, and suggested
that Elyville would be a better loca
tion for the distributing reservoir
than the proposed site on the Harris
. property, five miles from the city
limits. ' If these changes are made,
said Mr. Henny, the pipe-line could
be materially shortened, and while
machine banded pipe would be more
expensive than the continuous stave,
he still believed original estimates
could be cut about $13,000. In sug
gesting machine banded pipe, which
comes ready made from the factory,,
Mr. Henny declared that it would pro
bably be more durable than the con-,
tinuous stave type, owing to the ex
cellent coating of asphaltum and tar
with which it was covered. Such a
coating could not be satisfactorily
applied to the continuous stave pipe
under . conditions which will be met
on the Oregon City pipe line.
Reservoir Details Given
In advising that the proposed res
ervoir site be moved to Elyville, Mr.
Henny pointed out that it was the
best practice to have the reservoir
as near the distributing system as
possible; first .because it would pro
vide for only steadv pressure in the
nine line, and secondly because all pipe
below the reservoir ought to be of
metnl in order to withstand service
strains. If the reservoir wag five
miles out' of the city, he said, this
would necessitate five miles of metal
pipe, which would increase the cost
of the new system considerably.
Mr. Henny further gave it as his
opinion that the reservoir at Elyville
should be built with an initial capa
city of 5,000,000 gallons, and should
be so planned that a second basin of
equal size could later be constructed,
for use when the city's growth de
manded a larger supplv. Under his
plan the pipe line would deliver con
stantly 3,000,000 gallons every . 24
hours, and arrangements would be
made so that all water not used would
be discharged into an overflow. This
would keep the reservoir supply con
stantly fresh, and as the water would
travel down from the intake on the
south fork of the Clackamas at about
four miles an hour, it would be cold
and sparkling when it reached the
city. Mr. Henny estimated that lapd
for the reservoir and all construction
work would not cost over $35,000.
This would make the gross estimate
for the pipe line and reservoir, to
gether with necessary changes in the
city system, $325,000.
All Charges Included
In this gross estimate for both pipe
line and reservoir is included a mar
gin of 20 per cent to provide for in
surance, labor, patrol cost, repairs
and other contingencies, as well as
interest upon the bond issue until
such time as the pipe line was in ac
tual service.
In sketching roughly theplans for
construction, Mr. Heny approved the
main findings of Mr. Rands. The en
tire pipe line should be submerged,
he said, probably for a depth of six
inches in the canyon portion, and for
greater depths the balance of the way.
Where the line crossed farming land
Mr. Henny said it could be placed at
such a depth so as not to interfere
with plowing or other farm oper
ations. The machine banded pipe, according
to Mr. Henny, should not require any
repairs during the first 20 years of
its life, save where accidental punc
tures might have to.be plugged. After
that time, he said, some of the joints
might have to be renewed, but he
said that from experiences elsewhere
the pipe itself would probably last 30
or 40 years without extensive renewal.
Following the reading of the Henny
report the matter was referred to the
fire and water committee of the
council on motion of Mr. Albright
This committee will meet with the
Pure Mountain Water League this
week, and will consider with them de
tailed figures as to the cost of con
struction and other matters, and will
later submit a report to the council.
Many Questions Asked
Discussion of the report and the
pipe line project was general. After
general queries had been propounded,
Mr. Templeton asked the representa
tives of other municipalities present
what the sentiment was in their com
, munities in regard to taking water
from the pipe line if Oregon City
completed it.
Mr. Lewthwaite said that he be
lieved some proposition had been made
to West Linn by the Pure Mountain
Water League, and that it would be
submitted to the voters there.
"Who submitted the proposition?"
asked Mr. Templeton, sharply.
COUNCIL
II
Dr. L. A. Morris, of the Water
League, interrupted to say that no
firoposition had been made by the
eague at all. Some members of the
organization might have suggested
plans, he said, but no" official propo
sitions had been made.
Mayor Lewthwaite said he proba
bly misunderstood, but that in any
event the mater would rest with the
voters of West Linn.
Mayor Howell, of Gladstone, said
that "nature in its wisdom has
brought this same water past our
doors, and we filter it through 20 feet
of sand. We are satisfied for the
present with this supply."
Councilmen from Milwaukie said
the matter had not been taken up in
that 1 city in a formal way. Upon
motion of . Mr. Myer, the fire and
water committee was instructed to
communicate with nearby cities, and
see whether or not they would under
take to purchase water from Oregon
City.
Factions Crop Up.
W. S. U'Ren asked the mayor if the
council could give any idea as to how
long it would have the matter under
advisement. Councilman Templeton
replied that "the council must be de
liberate." Livy Stipp, special counsel for the
Pure Mountain Water' League, said
he was sure that all present would
want the council to give the matter
"due consideration," but as the people
themselves would ultimately decidfc
the matter, it was necessary for the
councilmanic committee to make any
final decision. It would take two or
three months, he thought, before the
matter would be put before the voters.
Councilman Templeton then ob
tained the floor, and sprung the sen
sation of the evening. "I make no
effort to criticize unfairly the Pure
Mountain Water League," he said,
"but the council should give these re
ports due consideration. The report
of the Pure Mountain Water League,
and the subsequent report from this
gentleman (Mr. Henny) that we have
heard tonight, is so full of loopholes
that you can throw a cat through any
corner of it. I don't want wrong
ideas put before the people. If it is
possible, as some folks tell us, to get
this mountain water at a cost of $1.34
per year for each consumer, then it
would be a very fine thing, but after
the report we have heard tonight I
doubt if it can be done for three dol
lars a consumer. In addition to .the
bond issue we must have a sinking
fund "to care for debts, labor, insur
ance, patrol charges and other costs,
and we must also care for the $100,000
debt of the present water system. I
believe that this thing ought to be
threshed out in detail, and the exact
cost of the plan put plainly before the
people."
'light to be Shed.
Dr. Morris, of the Water League,
accepted this statement as a direct
challenge, and was promptly on his
feet.
"The Pure Mountain Water League
has issued no statements as yet," he
said, "but it will, in a very short time
issue a full account to the people, in
which every detail as to cost and plan
will be set out plainly. Our report
will go thoroughly into every phase
of the subject, and after it is issuea
everyone will have a chance to be
come familiar with the problem from
every point of view. In the mean
time we place all the data we have
at the disposal of the fire and water
comittee."
Mr. Stipp asked Mr Henny's
opinion as to the necessity of keeping
the present plant as an emergency
outfit. Mr. Henny replied that it
would be largely a matter of business
judgement.
"I do not think it would be wise to
keep it if you can realize -anything
uponjt," he said. "When your res
ervoir is completed you will have all
the emergency protection that will be
needed under ordinary circumstan
ces." "Suppose half a mile of the pipe
line were to be carried out," sug
gested Mr. Templeton.
"You would then have your reser
voir supply to fall back on," answered
Mr. Henny, quietly.
"Reservoir," snorted Mr. Temple
ton. ''Yes, that will cost more
money." Then, apparently realizing
that his remarks were not meeting
with the sympathy of the meeting,
he added., "When you touch a man's
pocketbook, Mr. Henny, you touch
him in a sore place."
"I know that," replied the. consult
ing engineer, quietly.
Here's the List
Here is a list of officials to be el
ected from the state at large this
year, and the salary of each.
United States Senator, at $7,500 a
year.
Governor, at $5,000 a year.
Members of Congress from First,
Second and Third districts, at $7,500
a year.
State Treasurer, at $4,500 a year,
Attorney-General at $3,600 a year.
Four Justices of Supreme Court,
at $4,500 a year. '
State Superintendent of Public In
struction at $3,000 a year.
State Labor Commissioner, at
$3,000 a year.
State Engineer, at $3,000 a year:
One railroad Commissioner, at
$4,000 a year.
Manning Talk Postponed
The weather did not permit the
street speech of John Manning of
Portland Tuesday night, and as the
opera house and as both halls were
engaged, the speech had to be post
poned. Will Purdy of Newberg spoke
in' the opera house, but as it was not
advertised there was a small attend
ance. Wanted! K
(over 18 years of age)
To operate SEWING Machines
in garment factory .
Oregon City Woolen Mills
GOULDN'T LOCATE
THE BLIND PIG
NO EVIDENCE OF LIQUOR
VIOLATIONS PRODUCED
OFFICIALS IN STORMY SESSION
Charges in Newspaper Interview are
not Substantiated
Following the publication in Tues
day morning's edition of The Enter
prise of what purported to be an
interview with S. A. McDonald, field
worker for the prohibition party, in
which Mr. McDonald was quoted as
saying "there is at least one blind
pig in Oregon City and I have every
reason to believe that there are three
places in town where one can' secure
liquor," Councilman John Albright,
chairman of the police and health
committee of the council, called a
special meeting Tuesday afternoon to
investigate the charges . There were
present at the meeting Councilmen
Albright, Long and Hackett, Mayor
Jones, City Attorney Schuebel and
Recorder Loder, as well as a dozen
citizens interested in prohibition jpork.
"This meeting has been called to
permit Mr. McDonald and The En
terprise an opportunity to explain the
blind pig story," said Mayor Jones,
"and enable the police and health
committee to get any evidence in re
gard to the illicit sale of liqjor in this
city as may be at hand. I would like
to hear from Mr. McDonald."
"I talked with an Enterprise re
porter in a casual way about this
matter," said Mr. McDoonald, "but
I had np idea at the time, that they
were going to make a great big story
out of it. I have had for some time
strong, suspicions thift there was
liquor being disposed of in Oregon
City, and men who have come in from
outer points in the county have told
me positively that there are law viola
tions elsewhere."
Rigid Inquiry is Aim
. Mayor Jones interuppted to say
that thera was no disposition on the
part of those present to criticize Mr.
McDonald, bu tthat there was merely
a desire to get to the bottom of the
matter.
"The newspaper article quotes you
as saying that you know of one place
where liquor is sold, Mr. McDonald,"
is that correct?"
"I have no direct evidence of any
liquor being sold," replied Mr. Mc
Donald. "I have heard reports that
liquor was disposed of in Oregon City
but I realize that rumors are not evi
dence. People have told me that
liquor was being disposed of."
"Could these parties who have
spoken to you furnish the officials with
convicting evidence," asked the may
or. "I do not believe they could," an
swered Mr. McDonald. "But I want
to say this, whenever I' have heard
reports of the illicit sale of liquor I
have gone to Chief Shaw about it, and
told him what information I had. He
has said he would investigate. As
to this story in the morning paper, I
Lmerely talked to their reporter as one
man will talk to another, and 1 had
no idea he would make a story out
of it. If I had evidence against these
places I would not go to the news
papers, but I would go after the law
breakers." Names Suspicious Places
"You are quoted in the paper as
saying that there are three places of
which you are suspicious," said City
Attorney Schuebel. "Will you tell us
where they are?"
"Yes, I have had pretty good sus
picions against three places," replied
the prohibition worker. "I know of
one place where men have been inside
drunk. I do not know that they got
their liquor there, but I know they
were drunk. Now I want to say that
I 'do not think any of the former sa
loon men have been breaking the law.
If there is wrong being done the plot
is deeper than that. They tell me
that down at the Oregon City dock
they have been bringing booze in by
boak Then there is a place near the
lumber yard, down at Greenpoint, and
another place on Seventh street. I
have reported all these places to the
chief of police."
. Chief Shaw, at the mayor's re
quest told of his investigations.
"Down at the dock they have brought
beer in on the boat, he said. "I
have investigated that, and found
everything according to law. The
day I was there there were two ship
ments came in, and both of them were
receipted for by the persons to whom
they were consigned. Neither pack
age was opened when it left the dock.
The O. W. P. company and the ex
press officials also receive shipments,
and I have carefully watched the re
ceipt books, and find them all proper
ly signed."
Chairman Albright, of the. police
committee, asked the chief if he had
not, at the request of Mr. McDonald,
investigated "the place on Seventh
street." The chief smiled.
"Raid" is Described
"Yes," he said, "that was Satur-
day. - Mr. McDonald came to me on
Main street and said that he was
suspicious of a place in the basement
of the building at Seventh and Main
streets. I watched the place some
time, and I saw men going in and
then coming out They looked hap
pier when they came out, so I went
downstairs in the basement to see
what was coming off. I followed the
crowd, and found that Contractor
Shea was paying his gang off in the
employment office there."
"Were they getting original pack
ages?" asked Councilman Long
"There weren't any packages,"
answered the chief, "only pay
cheques."
Mr. McDonald rose and wanted to
know if six young men had not been
arrested in a Water street lodging
house. "And didn't they have liquor
with them, and weren't there some
girls present?" he asked.
City Attorney Schuebel leaped to
his feet at once.' "That matter has
been attended to, Mr. McDonald," he
said. "And here, if I may be per
mitted, I would like to say a few
words that may clear this matter up
a little."
Fault Lies in the Law
"The great difficulty, in enforcing
the local option law," continued Mr.
Schuebel, "lies in the fact that there
are too many people with too much
zeal and without common horse
sense. I feel deeply hurt at Mr. Mc
Donald's article "
"It isn't ray article," shouted Mr.
McDonald.
"Our great trouble is that we have
no local option ordinance in Oregon
City," went on Mr. Schuebel, when
Mr. McDonald had subsided. "The
matter is wholly with a state law, and
must be cared for by the state officers,
the sheriff and justice of the peace.
If we try to enforce the law by get
ting out on the housetops and shout
ing we have no chance at all, for we
simply warn violators that we are on
their trail.
"I want to say here that I stand
ready to offer, and do offer, $25 out
of my own pocket as a reward for
evidence that will convict any person
of the illegal sale of liquor in Ore
gon City. I believe the officials are
doing, and will do, all that they can
to enforce "the law, and such criti
cism as we have had is unjust to the
officers.
"Now in regard to the six young
men. who were arrested. You, Mr.
McDonald, would probably like to
drag in the names of the girls who
were there and make a sensation out
of it. It is just barely possible that
if we had gone before the grand jury
with the evidence we obtained in this
case we might have got a conviction
in the case of these men. It is pos
sible, I say, but it is doubtful. As
it was we brought them all before the
city recorder, and he fined them $50
each. Tljat has broken up a group
for all time that otherwise might have
been of trouble to the city.
McDonald is Grilled
"But your action in that matter,
Mr. McDonald, I think is outrageous.
You have sent word, through the
papers, all over the state that Oregon
City is just another 'dry town that
isn't dry.' You have done harm to
the community. And to you I want
to say this, also, whenever you get
evidence that will convict anybody of
violating the local option law, I'll
double the reward I have offered, and
I'll give you $50. The police here
want to do the right thing, they are
trying to do it, and it is a great in
justice that you have done them in
giving that interview. There is no
reason why you should assume that
the officers are crooked, when I be
lieve,, and I think everyone in this
room believes, that they are trying to
do their duty."
Mr. McDonald ; flushed as Mr.
Sshubel scored him. "Perhaps the
censure that has been given me is
somewhat deserved," he said. "I
know that we must investigate first,
in order to get evidence. When I
heard these things I went to Chief
Shaw, and told him. Wasn't that
fair? Then I talked to the reporter,
and he made that story. But I do
know that the law is broken in the
county. I can get evidence of that.
There's that dive at Milwaukie, why
don't the officers go down there 'and
make an arrest? Then there are the
kind of men we have on the police
force. Chief Shaw told me some
weeks ago that one of his men broku
up a man's home, yet that officer is
still on the force. Are these the kind
or' men to enforce our laws?"
"Chief, did you ever tell Mr. Mc
Donald that one of the policemerr
broke up a man's home?" snapped
the mayor.
"No sir, I told him that the man
had been in trouble."
Mayor is Provoked
"That's where you get off wrong,
Mr. McDonald," said the mayor.
"You believe all the gossip you hear
on the street, and then you go and
peddle it. In regard to this matter
which you mention, I investigated that
case thoroughly, and there is nothing
to it. The officer to whom you refer
did not break ,up anybody's home,
and that is why he is still on the
police force. If people who hear
gossip on the street would tell it to
the officers and not peddle it, we would
all be better off, and it would be pro
perly investigated."
Councilman Hackett interrupted
to say he thought such proceedings
were doing harm to the city's repu
tation, and that people who heard
rumors of wrong-doing should report
them to the officials, and not give sen
sational interviews to the press.
"You tan't accomplish anything by
making a great blow," he concluded.
"If, as it appears, there is nothing
to this article," said the mayor, "then
the papers should be cautioned to use
more care in regard to what they
print," or they should be taken to
task."
"I didn't peddle things," insisted
Mr. McDonald, "I went to the dis
trict attorney and the chief of police,
and I believed my information was
correct."
McDonald Gets Back
"Mr. McDonald, do you believe
everything you hear," asked the
mayor.
"No sir," answered the prohibition
worker. "The other day a man told
me that the drug stores in this town
were selling liquor, and I told him
that he lied. I don't believe that the
drug stores are breaking the law,
and I'm not saying this to get in your
good graces, either. I don't have to,
I'm honest, and I'm 'trying to do good.
Now in regard to this Milwaukie dive,
I know that the law is being broken
there. I haven't been into the place,
but I have heard drunken women
laughing there. I can't go into that
place, for I have my own reputation
to look after. But the officers ought
to go' there."
Constable Jack Frost took Up the
challenge. "The officers have been
there," he said. "Sheriff Mags, Chief
Shaw and myself went down there
last Saturday night. We were there
till eleven o'clock. We saw men and
women sitting at tables in the grill
Continued on Page 8
10. "TIE! DON'T
WANT. TO
10
AN OREGON CITY GIRL'S COM
MENT ON THIS CHORUS
AN INCIDENT TO THINK OVER
Many Men do Want Work and they
Will Work
An Oregon City girl wrote the fol
lowing article and asked if it was
worthy of publication. It is worthy of
the first page. Days before it was
written the matter of providing work
for the boy was presented to the
Courier editor. He tried and failed,
as the writer tried and failed. The
Courier heartily endorses this letter
and it is one that should make read
ers .think. Editor.
"They don't want work."
How many thousands of those who
are safely tucked in behind a com
fortable salary or income have been
guilty of that statement whenever
the troubles of the unemployed are
mentioned! One doesn't have to be
an I. W. W. nor an anarchist nor a
reader of the Portland News to know
that this sweeping remark is abso
lutely untrue, unkind and unjust.
Why don't they just say, "I should
worry" and be done with it?.
They do want work.
Have you the faintest idea how
many of them are following wood
saws and lumber wagons through the
streets ' in the hope of a chance to
stack wood in' the basement or do a
little repair work? The opinion
people have who are not sufficiently
interested in the troubles of others
to investigate conditions, is that this
army of unemployed men are sitting
out in the Gypsy Smith tabernacle
napping, swapping yarns and eating
what is brought to them. Well, they
just are not. Of course there are a
lot 'of hangers-on, looking for nothing
but existence with the minimum
amount of effort, but in nearly every
family you find at least one "shift
less" member. There are parasites
in every walk of life,' so, naturally,
you will find a bunch of them at the
Gypsy Smith tabernacle.
You will find also men out there
who are just as anxious to make good
and just as industrious as you are,
that they are cold, uncomfortable
and unhappy, while you are sitting
beside a good fire is in a great mea
sure one of those little tricks of Fate
we don't know why.
At a home out Irvington way a
load of wood was delivered at one
o'clock last Saturday afternoon. By
half past three exactly fifteen men
had rung the bell and asked to put
the wood in the basement. Many of
them offered to take food or clothes
in payment. And Irvington is a long
way from the tabernacle and the
cheap saloons of the North End, where
some people would have you believe
the unemployed are spending their
time. They do follow wood saws
around in the hope of,. picking up a
little work.
This is the story of one young chap
a very ordinary story; if you talked
with any of the thousands of men wht
are looking for work in this part of
Oregon, you would hear much more
interesting stories, but this chap hap
pened to come to our notice, and be
cause he is clean, intelligent and
honest we tried to help him . He is
25 years old with at least a common
school education. He is not very
strong looking the' type of man who
delivers your groceries, sells you your
shoes, repairs your telephone, and all
that.
He lived in an eastern state and had
$900. Some of the glowing literature
(We wonder what Angels in Heaven
above and demons down under the
sea" think of that booster literature
and the men who write it!) fell into
his hands and he came west. He was
persuaded to put nearly all of his
money into a small business. Boy,
you were easy, lie learned a thing'
or two in short order. His partner
is possibly one of those sitting beside
a comfortable fire some place, saying:
"They don't want work."
The boy tried Seattle and Taeoma
and came back'to Portland with very
little money left. Day after day he
looked for work. When his money
was gone, he began pawning.
"I am not a carpenter," he told us,
"But I went to every place where I
saw building going on. I rose at 5.30
in ,th morning and started out. I
asked them to give me any kind of
work at any wages, just enough to
live on. Many times I think
they wanted to give me work for the
50 cents or a dollar I offered to take,
but they didn't dare employ anyone
who didn't belong to tbe Unions."
He cut down his food supply until
he had scarcely the strength for hard
work, and when he had nothing left
but the clothes he wore, he-applied
at the Y. M. C. A. He was asked for
a fee of $5, and replied, "If I had $5,
I wouldn't be asking for help," but the
Voters of City' and County
Warned They Must Register
All voters of the city and
county must re-register now
for the ensuing two-year per
iod. All registrations made be
fore January 5 are now abso
lutely void, because of the re
cent decision of the supreme
court, declaring the 1913 elec
tion law invalid. Persons who
have not registered cannot vote
at the primaries May 15. Reg
ister early and avoid the
crowds of the last few days.
Y. M. C. A could do nothing for him.
Then he began applying at restau
rants, first the better ones, and then
the others, offering to wait on tables
or do any kind of work for his board,
but they had hundreds of such appli
cations, and also the Unions must be
taken into account.
Here is where the writer enters
the plot We asked the mills to give
him work, but they had hopeless
waiting lists already. Then we tried
to find him a place to work for his
board. The first man we approached
on the subject said, of course,
"They don't want work."
When we insisted that this young
man would work on a farm or any
place for his board, he said in that
aggravatingly airy way, "That
shouldn't trouble you long. Anybody
would let him work for his board."
"All right, then," we said, "We'll pay
his carfare to Oregon City and you
board him." "But I haven't any work
for him to do," the man hastened to
reply. That is exactly the point you
can't make most people see. Every
body wants the other fellow to give
the work.
Then we asked a newspaper man, a
doctor, a Sunday School superintend
ent, a lawyer, a foreman in one of the
mills, two business men, a few women
and the only farmer we could reach.
Nobody, when it came right down to
the personal equation, could give him
work. It was too wet for gardening
and farming. One of them would
have been glad to offer him work if
she kept a cow, but she boarded and
didn't have a cow.
Out at the tabernacle there is just
such a crowd as Christ fed with the
loaves and fishes, If He were on
earth now do you think He would be
saying much about the evils of the
tangoo or fishing on Sunday? Neither
would He consider that His part was
finished if He sent $5 to the Salvation
Army to feed the poor. You would
find Him right down in the crowd,
helping, healing, comforting, inspir
ing. He passed His work on to us,
and what are we going to do about
it?
At the very least, don't ever make
that sweeping declaration again,
."They don't want work."
Will Appear Next Week
Several communications have been
crowded out this week and will be
printed next week.
Erickson Pays Fine
After serving two of a 125 days'
jail sentence in default of a fine of
$250, August Erickson was released
Friday last, after paying the fine.
A Ditty of Hope
Workmen are dragging the steel
for elevator from the foundation and
some are of the opinion that construc
tion is going to start and the locks
canal will be beaten out.
. Purchased Store at Gresham
D. C. Ely, who has for many years
been a business man in this city, and
who sold his department store to El
liott Bros, some months ago, has pur
chased the Lewis Shattuck depart
ment store at Gresham and has tak
en possession.
Dates to Remember
. April 10 Last day upon which
nominating petitions may be filed
April 15 Last day upon which
nominating petitions may be filed
with county clerit.
May 1 Closing of the registration
books by county clerk until after the
primary election.
May 15 Primary nominating elec
tion for Democratic, Progressive and
Republican parties.
July 2 Last day upon which ini
tiative petitions may be filed with the
Secretary of State.
November 3 General election day.
NO ARGUMENTS AGAINST
Oregon City Cannot Reject Pure
Water Proposition.
Editorial, Portland Journal
, Oregon City is in the midst of an
agitation for a mountain water sup
ply. The prsent source of supply is the
Willamette river. A filtering plant
of modern design purports to pro
vide, average purity. There are,
however, many people in Oregon City
who insist that a filtering system is
not always dependable and that when
ever there chances to be a lapse in its
efficiency customers are drawing their
water suply direct from the great
sewer of the Willamette valley.
The Pure Mountain Water League
is an organization which heads the
movement for a gravity water system
for the city. From contributions of
its members it has financed a survey
of the head waters of the Clackamas
as a probable source of Bupply. The
engineer reports that perfectly pure
water can be delivered to consumers
in Oregon City through a pipe line
26.1 miles in length, and at a total
cost of $300,000. The league proposes
a bond issue to cover the cost, and
points to tho fact that the system
could bo put into operation in about
one year from the beginning of work
on tho pipe line. A proposed special
election for voting bonds is a part of
the plan.
It is almost inconceivable that Ore
gon City will reject such a program.
Such water at such a moderate cost
would seem to be reason for the city
to jump at the chance and be grate
f ul that it is in position to place it
self alongside other Oregon cities
; with a perfectly pure water supply,
j No argument can be offered again
l st the plan. The 20 dead and the
!more than 300 typhoid patients at
i Centralia answer all arguments
I against pure water supply. There is
: no perpetually pure but a gravity
I system which brings its flowing wa
J ter straight from the heart of the
mountains.
How can any city justify itself in
i accepting inferior water?
i How can any city defend itself for
using questionable water when ab
solutely pure water can-be had for
a very small if any advance in cost ?
TT rm , . .
How can any city afford to pay 10
or 25 or 50 cents a month increase
in water cost against the health and
lives of human beings?
How can anv citv excuse itself for
1 playing a dollar against a man?
T
OF
E
COMMITTEE PRESENTS DATA
TO THE PEOPLE
RATES WILL YEARLY LESSEN
Cost of Production will be Much
Less Under Gravity System
A joint meeting of the Fire and
Water Committee of the City Council
and the executive committee of the
Pure Water League was held in the
parlors of the Commercial Club
Tuesday evening, the 27th.
The Fire and Water Committee
announced to the meeting that they
nad selected William Andresen, W.
A. JLong and M.. U. Latourette as a
commission to have charge of the
construction of the pipe line to the
bouth 'orK of the Clackamas River.
Among othere things, thev expect to
recommend that this commission have
power to select their own secretary,
hire an engineer and employ such le
gal help as might be necessary. They
also expect to recommend that the
Council have the legal proceedure
necessary to submit the charter
amendment, provided and looked after
by bond attorneys of national repu
tation in order that no delav mav be
experienced, and the bonds might'
bring the highest possible price.
inese matters were approved by
the committee of the water league
but it will be the duty finally of the
City Council itself to pass upon them
and say whether the recommenda
tions are to De carried, out or not.
A great many things were dis
cussed and especially matters relating
to water rates under the proposed
system. Based upon the reports, of
Mr. H. A. Rands and M. Henny, and
also upon facts learned by members
independent ot these reports, the
following statement was agreed upon,
as being fair in every respect:
ine present water equipment and
property not needed for the proposed
system, excluding the water rights
and wheels, as an asset would offset
the present warrant outstanding in-
ooDteaness oi tne water department,
as a liability.
The income would be made ud as
follows: 1
Present yearly water
collections $18,338.00
Add 60 per cent (This
would cost the ordi- ,'
nary householder who
' now pays $1.25 per
month, $2. per month
:.. $11,002.80
Rent of present water
power rights
29,340.80
5,000.00
$34,340.80
Total
Interest 5 per cent and
Sinking fund 3 per
cent on $325,000.00
$26,000.00
Interest on' pres
ent bonded
debt $40,000.
at 4 1-2 per ct. 1,800.00
Balance for operating
27,800.00
expenses and care pipe
line , $ 6,540.80
The New System
Outsido of the cost of nnerati'no.
the filter plant and that part of the
present system wmcn should bo dis
posed of and extensions, the present
system does not cost anything like
$6,000.00 per year.
No extensions should bemado that
will not pay 6 per cent on the cost
from the beginning and eventually
pay out on the principal.
Method of reducing the cost of
water to consumers. 1st, At the
end of the 5th paymant of the $325,
000.00 of proposed bonds, tho yearly
charge for interest and retirement
may be reduced from $26,000 per' year
to $22,750 per year, making a saving
of $3,250.00 which could be taken from
charges to water consumers. 2nd.
The cost of operation will be less
than $6,340.80 which would also les
sen tho charge. 3rd. Increase in the
number of the consumers in sections
of the city already served, and which
add no txtra cost. 4th. Sale of water
to consumers outside of city who
would build their own pipe line to
the reservoir. . "
The proposed pipe line would bring
in upwards to 3,000,000 gallons per
24 hours, and Oregon City does not
consume beyond 1,000,000 per day at
present, so it readily can be seen,
that when two-thirds of the suply is
used, either by sale to outsiders or in
Oregon City itself, the cost to in
dividual consumer can be correspond
ingly reduced.
Their calculations shows that a
charge of 8 per cent would pay the
interest on this bond issue and at the
end of the fifth -year this might be
reduced to five per cent and still pay
the interest on the bond issue and
retire all of the bonds at the end of the
24th year and they recommend that
the bonds should be issued in such
form that they might be sold re
tired. At this meeting the members of
the Fire and Water Committee were
invited to become honorary members
of the Pure Water League and ac
cepted, the other members of the City
Council and the mayor also not being
present were also invited to become
honorary members.
The enthusiasm was very marked
and all persons present seemed to be
very much ..encouraged.
Shaw Case Appealed
Grant B. Dimick has appealed the
Shaw salary case to the supreme
court, Attorney N. B. Hicks filing
the papers Tuesday.
This is a sequel to the appointment
of Chief Shaw as keeper of the jail
here when Dimick as mayor refused
to appoint him chief of police,
It was tried before Judge Eakin
who decided in favor of Shaw and
the city paid him $1,100 salary.
WATER