University
Eugene,
It is the duty off every citizen to go to the polls and vote at the primaries. Democrats who want results for Oregon will vote
15 x forHollister for Congress. He can be elected, and he will represent western Oregon.
GOM CITY COURI
fcjj J&
Weekly Reader
List of 2,650.
0 0
The Courier cov
ers Clackamas Co
OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 14, 1914
Number 2
32d Year
ORE
STILL THE
SIMILAR PRIVATE TREATMENT
WOULD HAVE KILLED
LOOSEST OF BUSINESS WAYS
That Would not be Tolerated Under
Private Concern
If one is honest in his criticism
and his criticism is honest, it isn't
going to hurt much, and if it hurts
any. it ought to.
To illustrate:
Supposing that the manager of
one of our big mills should receive
a bill for $1600, for material furnish
ed or services rendered that he had
not ordered to be furnished or ren
dered, yet found that his orders had
been disobeyed, and someone had
gone ahead with the business on his
own responsibility?
On an investigation, supposing ttie
manager could not find any person
who was responsible for disobeying
his orders, no record of the transac
tion, no nothing but the material and
the bill?
Have you an idea he would say
"well, this just happened," draw a
check for $1600 and let it slide?
Hardly.
He would round up that force, he
would locate that authority, and
there would be some new faces in
the business office.
Yet this is p'ust what has happen
ed in the business office of Oregon
City.
Its council went on legal and spec
ific record that Fifth street should
not be further improved with the
city's money, but that future resur
facing should be done only at the ex
pense of the taxpayers of that street.
Yet it has been resurfaced to the
extent of $1670 (not $1400 as before
stated) the bill has been sent in to
the city, it has been paid, yet there
is not a city record in connection
with it, not a scratch of a pen that
shows authority and no member of
the city council will admit he order
ed it done, or knows who did order
it.
Yet in comes the bill and out goes
the coin.
AND WE CALL THIS BUSI
NESS. And some people call criticisms of
it "the Courier's knocking."
Supposing after the council had
gone on official record as refusing
to appropriate money for a city dock
that someone had gone ahead with
it just the same and brought the
bill in to the city.
Supposing that after the council
had refused to improve a street,
had officially turned it down, then
someone should sirirply go ahead with
the work, improve that street, and
then the bill be paid without locat
ing any authority, or finding the
least trace of pencil or pen in the
whole transaction.
Would it be knocking if a newspa
per criticized the system or no sys
tem? Then put us down as leader of the
anvil association.
But until some authority can be
shown for the illegal expenditure of
$1671 on Fifth street, until it can
be proven that some member of the
street committee considered he knew
individually what the city wanted
better than the city as a whole un-
;i iunn iiia ova rrninr to rritfcize
the system, or lack of system, that
let this bundle of money sneak thru.
Councilman Albright says he was
never consulted about the resurfac-i
ing of this street, never ordered it.
never had anything to do with it and
knows absolutely nothing about it.
Councilman VanAuken, a new mem
ber of the council, succeeding Wil
liam Beard, who resigned, says he
supposed the work was being done by
authority given before he became a
member of the board, and as a mem
ber of the street committee, he was
never consulted and never gave any
authority for the work.
Councilman Templeton, who has
the records of the resurfacing job,
the number of yards of gravel pur
chased and the cost of same, says
he did not order the work done, aid
not contract for the crushed stone,
and does not know who did.
Yet it has been done, illegally
plugged through, and. not a member
of the street committee knows how
or who. . .
And it is such transactions as
this that get the city in wrong and
makes the people distrust the coun
cil You can't blame the council as a
.1.-1- ..., mh Momhers come
WnrV started under the
outgoing administration is carried on
v " , Thow are not paid a
5in no'n Their reward is
largely criticism of what they do not
do, alter mey si- w ,"r. f
ter night and do the best they can to
ter n'B"" . . th t dearly
too big for the time they can spare
t0IfUIthui Fifth street improvement
,. nf ommission rather
than commission, there would
nV. o T-i f XT
M u mB where some
.. . h the coun
tning naa uecn "VT-j
cil and the street committee had ne
glected to perform it, men i'
f',,u h more likelv to criticize
vruuiu
But men are not apt to forget to
do something tney nave not . v.
i i J-
the limit of
abstentmindness to exercise it this
Tnd men are not apt to order an
i j;inA 11671 and then
illegal expcnuivuii; . ,
absolutely forget they ever ordered
lt And men are not apt to manage
the repairs of a street, buy .the jock,
hire the help and tnng in the bill for
payment, and then not know ft con
PAT ENT
5 S
tinental thing about the whole trans
action. .
This matter should be probed un
tilt some man does remember, and
when their recollections have been
jerked out of trances, no doubt they
could then recall WHY they did it,
who gave the authority.
This committee business is a very
lame duck wing of an administration
unless there is a club over it.
Direct responsibility is what this
old town needs and a business ad
ministration. And until we get it, and until we
can find who spent that $1670 we
SHOULD worry.
All Right, Make Him
Governor Glynn of New York
cut nearly two million dollars
dollars out of the appropria
tion bill and vetoed 55 special
bills carrying $6,000,000 expen
ditures. Wanted, a Governor
Glynn for Oregon. Courier.
Editor Courier:
You wanted for Oregon: & governo4
like Glynn. Right you are. Here he
is Governor U Ren.
One of the MANY Women.
Courier Will Move Next Week
Next week the Courier will again
be printed and mailed Wednesday
night, for next Thursday the office
will commence moving into its new
home on Eighth street, at the foot of
the Seventh street stairway.
The new building will not be fully
completed, yet it will be far enough
along for occupancy, as the carpen
ters are anxious to commence remod
eling the building now occupied by
the Courier, into a store building for
Elliott Bros.
Put Paget on the Tickets
The Democrats and Progressives
have no candidate for state treasur
er. B. Lee Paget of Oak Grove, is the
Prohi nominee for state treasurer.
Democrats and Progressives can
put him in nomination on these tick
ets if they will write in his name in
the blank column, and they will not
be antagonizing their nominees.
And if Mr. Paget gets these nom
inations it will be pretty sure to el
ect him, rather than the Salem Re
publican. It's a good play play it.
Big County Registration
A total of 12,146 voters are reg
istered in Clackamas county. Of the
total registration, 7626 are Republi
cans, 3069 are Democrats, 463 are
Prohibitionists, 383 are Socialists,
228 are Progressives, and 385 are
.smcfopoJ miscellaneous, including
independent and refused.' The total
registration is neany aouuie wnou n
was in 1912.
THAT SECRET SABBATH
SESSION OF THE BOARD
A Deal Shrouded in Mystery and
Dealing with Superintendent Tooze
Tnacr1a,tfo mail hrnllcrht. 8. DOSt-
card on which was pasted this no
tice:
Tooze Re-Elected j
Fred J. S. Tooze, who has
been city superintendent of the
Oregon City schools for the last
five years, has been re-elected
to that position for another
year.
And on the card was written:
Dear Courier:
Another example of 'En
terprise First Information."
Tell us all about it.
Can't tell you ALL about it, for
;i ooxmva nf nwst.prv and "star
chamber" doings, . but here is some
thing about it:
The meeting of the board of edu
cation whkh elected Mr. Tooze for
another year was, held eleven days
ago, to be specific and ' iaaDoatn
i,;i,ir, snnHav Anril 3. Just whv
meaning, i -
it was held on Sunday, and why it
was kept such a secret does not ap
pear, and as the secretary doesn t
proposeHo have the minutes of what
should be public information scan
ned by the public, you will have to
Kues.s- ; .u. JS
The cierK 01 tne Doaru is hie cut
tor of the Enterprise. Perhaps not
legally, but he acts as clerk.
Nina ilano nnsaprl after the hiring
of Mr. Tooze, and yet no mention of
that important Happening was mnuc
which gets
all the news and sometimes gets an
item right aitno' tne eaitor is me
school board clerk.
nvH Rirhfis. the Jour
nal correspondent, went on a little
gunning trip aDout mis siiem, ou
t.fk uEcinn anH a ilisnatch to the
uaui o.o.w.., - - 1
oistol n prrpt, meptint? was
held, but that the minutes of the
meeting were retusea to mm.
And then, when the matter had
ll, tho F.nt.pmrise Drinted the
ahnvA five-line storv. A short time
before, when tne iecuny was eietieu,
and the meeting was NOT secret,
tho F.nternrise made a big page story
of the transaction.
(Wonder why ne oniy gave iir
urun u "InaiHo" nf thflf. peculiar
Tf IlOV Hit - tr
meeting was we can't back up by the
official records oi an unomciai ciem,
but newspapers sometimes have a
way of guessing pretty close, and
without fearing a libel suit we will
risk this:
M Tn7a ma rA.plpctpri On COh
j:i: Ama hointr that, he re
Ultiuiia, wic ;
sign, pronto, from the city council,
stay strictly on tne scnuoi juu,
the City of Oregon City, Ore., sink
or swim without the pull or push of
u:n konH anA lot Mr. TemDle-
ton hereafter have a monopoly or
the oratory.
Understand all this was not em-
hniiH in the nrnvisions. That he
i Vii' " - .
the Courier editor just imagines was
.AMmi were tha rpmifl. i ne rest.
Wo imHorctanH Mr. Tooze agreed.
pronto, but at the time of this writ-
H1C vulval 1 i-lj" n -J
.aaiimotinn nnt and it is eXDected
to put in its appearance at the coun
cil meeting tnis iweanesaayi niB"""
inJ this id all tVip rnnripr can re
late of the Sabbath secret session,
- nr0nt nt rfptailpH information.
But we might ask you citizens
what you think of these gum-shoe
methods of running our public
schools. And we may ask several
more questions later on.
Tft
BURDEN
E
T. W. SULLIVAN SHOWS BENE
FITS OF ROAD BONDS
ONLY SOLUTION FOR ROADS
Able Arguments from Man who has
Studied the Problem
Oregon City, May 7th, 1914.
Editor Courier: ,
Since the question of bonding this
county in the sum of $600,000 to pro
vide funds with which to secure the
construction of hard surface road
ways on the main trunk roads of our
county leading from the market
places and shipping points out into
and through the populous country
districts 1 have had many personal
discussions with sincere, open-mind
ed men as to the cost and value to
the community of such roadways and
bonding the county for such purpose.
Many frankly admitted that, before
going into the matter sufficiently to
understand it, they were prejudiced
agains the movement and opposed
to the issuance of bonds but alter
the plan had been made clear they
could see that onlv a great good to
the whole people would result. To
the many others who are still in
doubt or do not understand the great
economic benefits that will result 1
wish to address the following state
ments giving facts and figures:
In the first place the bond act
provides how and where the money
raised under it shall be spent. This
must be clear to all now since the
County Court has, in carrying out
the wishes of the petitioners, mostly
from the country districts, to place
this bond measure before the people
at the election to be held on the 16th
day of this month and in compliance
with the law, selected the roads to
be improved m a permanent manner
as provided for and declared the min
imum amount of money to be spent
on each road so selected. Only per
manent roads can be build under the
bond act.
Good, permanent all-year roads
are one of the greatest factors in
increasing the prosperity of the far
mer and reducing the cost of living
for all. Good permanent roads bring
the farms nearer the market (i. e.
in time required to reach it) and en
hances the value of the farm on that
account. They permit the farmer to
haul his produce to the market or
shipping point at any time so he can
take advantage of the best prices for
his produce when a good demand is
there for it and keeps him more in
dependent of the middle man and in
closer relation with the consumer to
the mutual advantage of both.
The heavy cost of bad roads falls
on the entire population of the com
munity served and affected by such
roads, but tnis neavy cost iaus in a
greater degree on the farmers who
are the principal haulers of produce
over these bad roads.
The average cost of hauling, by
horse drawn wagons, a ton of freight
or produce a distance of one mile in
these United States over our roads
of all kinds is 23 cents, in this state
it is considerably more, while in Eu
rope over high grade roads the. cost
is but 7 cents. The average cost in
this country of hauling a ton one
mile over hard surfaced roads is but
8 cents. The difference or saving
in hauling cost alone is great and
will save to the farmers, stage lines,
rural mail carriers and others having
to haul over the country roads many
thousands of dollars each year in ex
cess of the cost of these hard surfac
ed roads if the people are wise and
fully alive to tho''1 own best inter
ests by voting for the bond issue and
constructing hard surface main trunk
roads where designated by the coun
ty Court. This saving in hauling
over hard surfaced country highways
as compared with that over present
average roads has caused one promi
nent paper in an adjoining county
which first opposed the permanent
road plan before it found out by its
own investigations of the great econ
omic gains to be made by the con
struction of such roads through the
country to exclaim: "Were all the
bad roads to be maae into gooa, naru,
level roads, the annual saving in
hauling over the country highways of
the United States would aggregate
the mighty sum of $7,500,000,000.00."
This one item of annual loss to the
American people would build fifteen
Panama Canals.
'If all the highways were improv
ed this seven and a half billions of
dollars would go to those who do tne
country hauling, chiefly farmers,
uihn in turn would share the benefits
of these billions with the city and
town people who form the market for
the country hauled freight. It
would cut down the cost oi living by
cutting down the big margin existing
hotwoen retail nrices in the city and
cost of production in the country. It
would put these billions every year
into the nocKets oi tne American
npnnlft."
In addition to the great saving in
the cost of hauling over these roads
as above set forth is the further ad
vantage to the farming communities
at least, of the better social and san
itary conditions they will bring about
as well as the better facilities they
will afford to the children to get to
anrt from the district school, espec
ially during the winter or rainy sea
son. I have said that good permanent
roads bring the farms nearer the
market and enhances its value on
that account. This is a fact and a
very substantial benefit will accrue
to the holder of every acre of land
in this county served by such roads
and are in addition to the' benefits al
ready enumerated and set lortn.
For examole. in Vanderburg County,
Indiana, the townships that have
I (Continued on Page 2)
STINT
Bids Rejected in Clatsop Co.
The county court of Clatsop last
week rejected all bids for the con
struction of the Columbia highway,
as the lowest was $50,000 above the
amount voted for by the people at
the special election last fall.
Probably Next Governor
!,"If they want to be endorsed, let
them run as prohibition party candi
dates," was the slogan voiced by Mr.
Chafin at the state prohibition con
vention. U'Ren is the only man who
can consistently do so, and he will
probably be the next governor.
McMinnville Telephone-Register.
May Proceed with the Work
Circuit Judge Campbell dissolved
the injunction granted by Charles
Tooze some weeks- ago against the
Willamette Valley Southern Ry.
building its trestle along Water
street, under a franchise granted by
the city, Mr. Tooze held that Water
street had never been in a condition
that it could be used for a public
street, and that the city had no right
to grant a franchise on it. Judge
Campbell held that a street was prop
erty of the city when it was dedicat
ed, whether it was used as a street
or not.
Smith Opposes Bonds
To the County Voters:
In connection with the road bond
election to be held Friday of . this
week, I wish to make an explanation
of my position, as I have heard re
peated rumors that I am for the
county bonding proposition.
I wish to state emphatically that
no man in the county is more in fa
vor of good roads than I am, but I
would differ with the supporters for
bonding in the way to get them. I
do not favor mortgaging the county
for permanent roads, because I be
lieve we can get them without, and
at much less expense. It is easy to
get on bonds, but the experience of
many a town, city and county is that
it is hard to get them off.
J. W. Smith,
County Commissioner.
In Early Days
William Gardner, the Main street
jeweler, handed the Courier an inter
esting little bit of old time history
last week, in the form of a paper
published by Rogers Bros, dated
back to 1847, and reproducing news
items of that early day. And in it
we find these items:
According to the Spectator, Ore
gon City contains five hundred souls,
and 80 nouses, two churches, two tav
erns, two blacksmiths' shops, two
cooper's shops, two cabinet shops,
four tailor shops, one hatter, one
tannery, three shoe shops, two silver
smiths, and a number of other me
chanics; four stores, two flour, and
two saw mills, and a lath machine.
Three years ago it was a dense
forest of fir and underbrush, and was
laid out by Dr. McLaughlin on the
west side of the Willamette Oppo
site (he city and falls is Linn city,
which contains one tavern, one chair
manufactory, one cabinet shop and
one wagon shop. 1
A new expedition to Oregon is fit
ting out at Newburyport, Mass.
GO SLOW, COUNCILMEN,
ON MAIN ST. PAVING
The Remonstrance and Referendum
are in the People's Hands
Editor Courier:
On Monday evening, May 4th, at a
regular meeting of the Oregon City
Council a petition from the various
property owners on Main Street was
presented to said council protesting
against the repairing of Main street
at this time. Said petitioners fur
ther asked that the city patch up the
bad spots at the expense of the gen
eral fund. By a majority vote of the
council it was decided to grant the
prayer of the property owners.
It seems certain members oi tne
council are determined to force an ex
pensive hard surface pavement up
on the property holders at this time.
For sake of argument we will admit
Main street needs repaying ot re
pairing, to naro sunace tne en
tire length of this street win cost
the property holders anywhere from
$50,000 to $60,000 good hard cash.
Mam street can be repaired by tak
ing up the uneven and bad places, re
fill and relav. and by the addition of
a few more bricks make Main street
good for three or four years at a
cost of not to exceed $3,000 or the en
tire street can be taken up and re
layed with the addition of a tew
more bricks in practically as good
condition as it originally was lor a
cost not to exceed say $8,000. Hun
dreds of square feet on Main street
are in fairly good condition today
and it does seem wrong ana unwise
to throw all this away simply be
cause certain people who will not be
out a penny are demanding costly
improvements.
T am of the opinion the cost oi
this method of improvement should
ha hnrnp. hv the property holders.
The present business conditions of
the country win not warrant. Ore
gon City main street property hold
ers to lay a new hard surface pave
ment at this time witn as gooa a
crrnund work as they now have with
an Avnpnse nf from $3,000 to $8,000.
1 tell you It will nut Kut nnu ii. wic
enuncilmen who are boosting so
. . i . : 1 1 .. t n . if ,(.a
strong for an all new pavement con
tinue, they will have a remonstrance
n their hands that will kill any and
all improvements on this street ior
this year at least.
The Courier has called the at
tention to the awful expense Oregon
City has been subjected to in the past
few years tor sireei worn, it uu
suggests a halt be taken and allow us
to catch up, a very wise suggestion,
and if not halted soon, will cause the
ruin of more than one property hol-
Main Street should have all wires,
tiinaa. eras or water and all other un
derground improvements made be
fore attempting to ibik auout puv
tine dnwn new pavement.
Th nronertv holders along Main
Street are going to say just what
kind of improvement is going to be
put down, so go slow, councilmen, go
slow.
"Main Street Property Owner."
1 1
If you don't vote, don't croak.
THE COURIER AND
THE BOND
E
MEREDITH QUESTIONS AND
COURIER EDITOR ANSWERS
IT'S LIKE CHICKEN BUSINESS
A Cinch on Paper but It Seldom
Works out That Way
P. W. Meredith, editor of the
Equity page of the Courier, writes
the following note of inquiry from
Mt. Pleasant:
May 11, 1914.
Editor Brown:
I see by last week's Courier
that nearly everybody but the
Courier editor takes a stand on
the proposed bond issue for
hard surfaced roads. Will the
Courier editor tell us through
the Courier where he stands?
He will. If there is anything he
likes to do it is to take a stand
when some persistent fellow like
Meredith puts him where he can't
dodge.
The $600,000 bonding proposition
is a matter to scratch one's head
over and there's a nice little half
moon just rising on the writer's
crown. 1
For weeks he has read everything
and listened to - everything on the
proposition, both sides of it, and
here is about what it analyzes:
Those favoring bonds present a
pretty good proposition and sustain
it with convincing arguments.
They show the biggest of bene
fits as a result, and they have work
ed out an easy payment schedule
that seems almost like having an un
cle die and surprising you with some
easy money.
It could be run on this schedule,
no doubt; could be paid off as shown
in the tables and arguments, and the
burden would be light if it was car
ried out according to program.
But WOULD IT BE?
Would the $600,000 build the
roads as designated? Would the
bonds be met when they came due?
Years ago I went into west Tex
as and gave it out I had a few dol
lars to put into the sheep business.
They saw me coming and for two
weeks I saw figures that multipjied
success and beat the biggest claims
of the bond boosters for future re
sults, until I finally investigated as
a matter of self protection against
the sheep owners who would, thrust
riches upon me.
I remember one shrewd hombre
copped me out, took me to a stuffy
room in a hotel in a border town, and
there he showed me the amazing pos
sibilities of the sheep raising indus
try. All I had to do was to invest
$3,000 in that bunch of long-legged
baragas he had brought over from
Mexico, take them out on the range
and let them grow me into a million
aire. Next day I went to figuring on the
leads he gave me, and if the pencil
had held out I would have had the
Waters-Pierce Oil Co. crowded out of
I would have had Rockefeller back
in the bush league. Increase and
wool, increase and wool. I could see
that Texas would soon be too small
for range and was considering taking
the matter up with Diaz and see if
he wouldn't confiscate Sonora and
lease it to me.
But after two years I found I had
got a heap more Spanish itch and
Texas experience than dinerio Out of
thp unpen business.
Quite a little lump from Clacka
mas countv. Ore., bond issue and per
haps a far-fetched comparison, but
the point is that the way you figure
out a proposition on paper, and the
way you worn it oui in com, imiu ex
perience are very much different
answers.
If vou doubt this try the hen bus
irpoa in theory and practice.
A man related to me how Polk
county bonded for a bridge twenty
nr mora vears ago.
"They had it iigured out jusi an
the bond boosters have it figured for
vnn. It would be SO easy none oi
us would know when we paid it. The
result wil be none of us will ever
Unnw whan we DO nav it."
This man went on to explain mat
other countv expenses came along,
and not wanting to have taxes too
high the sinking fund to retire tne
bonds was passed up year after year;
tha hrido-e wore out: the bonds were
renewed; another bond issue was vot
ed to build another bridge, "and now
we will probably never pay either
bonds, but lust pay perpetual inter
PBtiust what the bond owners
want."
Tf t was a case of emergency or
nsppBuitv lt would be different.
Thirty years ago, if the residents
of Clackamas county had voted bonds
for good roads, it would have been
inatifiahla. for it would have been
the only means through which they
could have gotten them.
Today we are a pretty weaitny
omintv rich ennuch to build good
vnoAa anH nav for them without
mortgaging the county and paying
$2.50 back for every dollar we bor-
In five years we have expended
over $1,000,000 in roads in thig coun
tv, they tell us, and yet we have de
plorable highways.
Two hundred thousand dollars a
year. In six years this would
amount to the same sum we are now
asked to bond for. ,
If Clackamas county can't build
satisfactory roads on this amount,
without borrowing $600,000 more,
then it is time to have the lunacy
commission come to Clackamas coun
ty and see if we are capable of ad-
fniniotarinfT its affairs.
Last year the road and bridge
fund was over $300.000 half the
amount of the proposed bond
If we would cut the present road
I A nvum v r-
I expenses one-half, (cut out all
im-
provements only those of emergency
and absolute necessity) and apply
the money to permanent road mak
ing in four years we would have all
that we would get under bonding, and
it would be a saving of $2.50 on
every dollar.
State Grange Master Spence
shows up where bonds and their in
terest will carry us. He says the
total cost of the 77 miles of road at
the end of the thirty years will be
$1,500,000 or an average of nearly
$20,000 per mile.
Judge Anderson's letter in last
month's Courier was to the point, and
thinking men are bound to acknow
ledge his arguments are sound.
This paper is for good roads they
are the one big need for develop
ment for the county.
Newcomers go back ten or twelve
miles, look over the county and then
refuse to purchase. The main rea
son they all give is that they can't
get out during the winter months.
But to get these roads is it nec
essary to go to our uncle the three
ball shop and "hock" Clackamas
county for security, when we already
have the money on hand to build
these roads, and are every year
spending enough to put in many
miles of permanent roads.
The taxpayers of Clackamas coun
ty have always been very liberal to
dig up the money for roads. They
will continue if they get somewhere
near value for their money and it is
no more necessary to pawn' the coun
tv than it is for Vincent Astor to run
a grocery bill.
Yet it is a pipe that the taxpayers
of the county simply cannot and will
not stand for any heavier taxation
and road bonds and interest mean
heavier taxation regardless of tables
of figures to the contrary.
If we would give the same atten
tion and endeavor to reducing unnec
essary taxation in state and county,
and put the reduction on roads, we
could soon have as good hard sur
faced roads as any state has without
any more burden.
The state tax commission, need
less, abolish it.
The state railroad commission,
just as extra, lop it off.
The naval militia, an expensive
plaything. Kill it.
The fish commission, an aid soci
ety for the salmon canneries. Close
the streams to net fishing and we
don't need it.
The school supervisor law the
people don't want it and counties
don t need it.
The county veterinary law just a
useless expense.
The sealer of weights and meas
ures law give the authority to the
county clerk or sheriff.
IA dozen or two more could be
abolished and never a leaf would stir
in Oregon.
If we would- cut out the needless,
useless tips we are giving to politics
and get right down to tacks on coun
ty expenditures, we would very soon
have the best of permanent roads in
Oregon. ' ' .
We need business more than
bonds. ' .
This countv doesn't need to run in
debt and pile up interest for thirty
vears for something it nas tne coin
to pay for spot cash.
Spence, Andeyson, liicinnotnam,
Schuebel and other protestors are
dead right.
The bond issues should be voted
down.
Is this plain, Mr. Meredith?
ROSE SHOW AND
CARNIVAL COMBINED
Saturday, May 23 to be Double Cele
bration in Oregon cuy
Saturday, May 23rd, is going to
be SOME day in Oregon City rose
festival and street carnival day com
binedand the plans being worked
out should fill this city full of people
on this Saturday.
Heretofore the city has put on
separate celebrations, and both occa
sions have been big attractions.
This year it has been decided to com
bine the festival days anu nave one
hiir celebration, and the rose club
and commercial club are both work
ing together this year.
The program has not been fully
arranged yet, but it will be a splen
did record of interesting events
sports, parades, stock show, bands,
and. all kinds of carnival attractions.
Next week the Courier will give
you the full program of events. In
the meantime date yourself to come
to Oregon City for one whale of a
good time.
WORK TO START AT
OGLE MINE AT ONCE
Manager, Engineer and Crew Left
Last week to Start Plant
The engineer, eeneral manager,
the Fairclough brothers and a force
of men left for Ogle mine last week,
and it is but a matter of a few days
when the mine and the new cyanide
plant Will be in operation.
The mine will start with a force
of ten men, which will be added to as
the work gets under way, until about
forty men will be on the payroll.
Ogle mine has come up from a
little hole on the side of Ogle moun
tain to the present big plant and
thousands of feet of shafts solely on
its merits. It isn't a "blue sky"
proposition and has never been. For
eight years it has been worked and
has grown to where it must be oper
ated as a mine, and the present full
enmnment is the outcome.
The cyanide piant win treat irom
100 to 150 tons of ore per day, and
,ml ., ... .. -11 X i t
any man can figure what this means
on ore that goes $5 to the ton
and Ogle ore goes better, as has
been rjroven by many assays. let
when Oi?le produces a real gold
brick that can be seen, felt and
weighed, there will still be some of
thJ skepticais wno win asK "i won
der if it IS gold."
The Courier Editor has been at
Ogle mine, passed days there. He
has seen the ore, been in every foot
of the tunnels, seen the assays and
has talked with the different engi
neers who have visited the works,
He ttas confidence in the mine and
the Fairclough boys who have for so
many years stayed with it . nd now
the mine is where it is going to
prove itself. It has the machinery,
the, money, tne men ana tne ore.
THE SDUEEZE OF
THE MOST RICH
VOTE BONDS OR YOU DON'T GET
STATE MONEY"
AND BY WHAT AUTHORITY?
Has Slate Highway Commission
Usurped the Supreme Court?
Talk about the squeeze play, this is
pulling it some.
And the question is whether the
taxpayers of Oregon who have piled
uo $238,000 of gate receipts are go
ing to let the managers use thee oin
in this kind of a ball game.
As the Courier editor understands
the frame up (and he thinks he
knows what he is warbling about)
the state highway commission (one
of the 52 commissions we can spare
and not notice the sparing) has "de
cided" that only the counties of the
Willamette Valley which vote bonds
(for Pacific Highway purposes) will
be entitled to a piece of the $238,000
jackpot the legislature put over when
the people did not suspect it.
Now if this is a fact, if this com
mission makes laws as well as Pacif
ic highways and politics, and if this
c mmission has gone into holding a
club over the heads of the counties .
to force them to vote bonds to get a
piece of their own money then it is
time the people rose up and demand
ed either through the initiative or.
the coming legislature, that this
commission be abolished before it
usurps the supreme court and takes
its place.
As a matter of fact, and as a fur
ther matter of law and constitutional
ity the legislature had no right to ap
propriate this $238,000 for a Pacific
highway and if anyone would hold
this matter un the courts would de
cide it was sectional benefit at the
expense of the whole state and un
constitutional. A similar play was made at Crater
Lake, to make the state pay for a
tourist benefit, and the supreme
court knocked it out. And it would
this one if brought before it.
The bald proposition of taxing
eastern Oregon farmers to build an
auto boulevard between Salem and
Portland is too leaky to hold, and the
legislators who plugged it through
knew it if they knew enough to el
igible their seats.
But through it went, and the
people have stood for it.
And because they were so meek
and lamb-like, this supreme court of
a Pacific Highway Commission evi
dently thinks they will stand the
spurs again, so they dangle this
$238,000 over their heads (money
that belongs to the voters) and tells
them if they want a piece of it back
to vote $600,000 more to go with it,
in the way of bonds in Clackamas
county.
Wouldn't that make you hunt a
referendum petition?
Wouldn't that make you want to
abolish something?
Wouldn't that make you vote
against bonds on general principles?
ALL THAT LOOKS YELLOW
IS NOT YELLOW GOLD
Banana Peel is Yellow and Many
Have Slipped on It
The Courier editor is informed
that his criticisms of the purchase
of the Jones' rock crusher and the
proposed street making outfit has de
veloped a public sentiment that may
result in the defeat of or abandon
ment of the project.
Thanks and we hope it is so.
And we are also told that if we
had not been misinformed on the mat
ter we have been writing about, we
would not have made the criticism,
for facts and figures would have
convinced the editor, or anyone that
the proposition would work out as an
investment and money saving for
Oregon City.
1'erhaps so. we win aumit it
rather than to figure interest and
dig into past history.
Uut it was not on tnese grounus
we opposed the deal. It was on the
grounds of slowing up on expenses
that are getting bigger than the
pay checks.
Oregon City could put in its own
electric lighting plant and it would
no doubt be an investment for the
city.
but it would be a loousn move at
this stage of the game.
lt could hard surface every im
proved street in Oregon City and
save money over the present expen
sive system of putting on crushed
rock chunkh and a little later on
carting it off in liquid mud form.
But Oregon City can t tane on
this expense until its ledger account
gets further from the red ink balanc
es. .
Oregon City could build a three or
fnnr atnrv ritv hall on the location of
its present dump of a building, and
rent out enough of it to make the
investment pay dividends.
But with the absolutely necessary
work that has to be done, it would
be a most foolish proposition to tack
le it now.
It looks all right on paper.
A fllow was walkinc along under
an arc light and ho stooped to pick
up something that glittered. Wip
ing the wet off his fingers he dis
gustedly said:
"Darn a man tnat spus "r
quarter."
This municipal proposition to
build streets is all right when we are
able to take it on, but the time'
isn't pat with a 33 mill tax.
Lft it rest, let new streets rest
and iet the deposits get within seeing
distance of the outstanding warrants
and indebtedness.
Democrats and Progressives, write
in Paget's name for state treasurer.
r