OREGON
Dai jLdila L
33d Year
OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1915
Number 22
III
YET IS
BELGIUM'S PLIGHT FROM WAR
TOLD VIVIDLY IN REPORT
SENT GOVERNMENT
COUNTRY TRYING TO REVIVE
Manufacturers Keep Plants Running
in effort to Provide Employees
With Wages for Supplies
A partial story of what the great
European war has done to Belgium,
and of tho havoc wrought by the Ger
man invasion of the busy kingdom, is
told in the formal report of Consul
General Watts, sent from Brussels
to the United States government on
May 31, and released for publication
in Washington the last, day of July.
A copy of this report has been sent
the Courier, and reveals the devastat
ing effect of the German invasion of
Belgium, and the subsequent efforts
of the German invaders to in a
measure rehabilitate the nation. It
also shows the indomitable courage of
the Belgiums in the face of the disas
ter that overtook their country when
Europe went war-mad, and reveals
pathetically the efforts of Belgian
businessmen and manufacturers to
keep their enterprises operating, so
that their employees would not suf
fer any more than could be avoided.
The report covers the year 1914
and the early part of 1915. When
the year opened business in Belgium
was a trifle below normal, but pros
pects for a prosperous year in all
lines were excellent. At the start of
the year imports into Belgium show
ed an increase of 2.2 percent hardly
enough to notice particularly; while
exports showed an increase over the
preceding year of 5.7 percent just
enough gain to encourage manufac
turers. With the rise of the war cloud in
Europe hopes of better business
vanished, and with the advance of the
Germans the bottom fell out of every
thing. While workers in many lines
of industry quit their employment to
rally to the defense of the little na
tion, a few machine shops and foun
dries continued working. After the
German hordes had overrun the coun
try a few firms were permitted by the
conquerors to make special machinery
for the manufacture of sugar and to
export their products to America. To
rebuild the structures ruined by ar
tillery fire, the Germans gave the Bel
gians permission to manufacture a
limited amount of iron and steel gird
ers for home trade only. Near Brus
sels permission was ' given to manu
facture railroad materials so that de
stroyed lines of communication might
be replaced. On the whole the iron
trade, in all its branches, at the end
of May, was working on about one
sixth time.
The linen industry, which is an im
portant one in Belgium, was in good
shape until the war tsarted. Then it
came to a complete standstill. How
ever, in order to make provision for
the laboring classes, most of the mills
and factories went on with their work
as best they could. With all means
of transportation destroyed or put to
uses of war, but little could actually
be accomplished, and the war finally
brought the linen industry to such
shape that but 24 hours work , could
be given to each employee in every
five days. Just before the report of
Consul General Watts was mailed,
permission had been given to some of
the linen mills to export a portion of
their products, and this bettered con
ditions somewhat.
Owing to the limited amount of
work to be had, linen workers have
demanded an increase in wages, but
even when this has been granted
supplies have been so high in price
that it was only with the greatest
difficulty that workers could earn
enough to answer their barest needs.
Fruits and vegetables still furnish
a product to such as can grow them.
They are bought by intermediaries,
and are shipped at once to Germnay,
there to help in provisioning the con
quering people. No other export
trade in foodstuffs is permitted. The
wool industry has suffered perhaps
the least of any, as Germans have
paid good prices for all wool or wool
en goods they could get. In the wool
industry men receive about 75 cents
a week, and children 40 cents a week,
and in addition are given bread, soup
and clothes. Thus has the war
stricken the land of Belgium.
The businessmen and manufactur
ers of the stricken nation are carry
ing a heavy fourden in caring for
their employees and those dependent
upon them. With practically no
profits from their plants except those
the Germans will permit, many of
the manufacturers are spending from
40,000 to 45,000 francs a month to
keep their workmen and their fam
ilies from starvation.
Coal mining stopped abruptly with
the German invasion, and subsequent
to that only 60 percent of the miners
returned to work under German su
pervision, and turned out only 30
percent of the normal product. Ger-
(Continued on Page 8)
NEW LAW MADE
Stealing Chickens isn't "Burglary;
Nor is it Safe' , '
Recorder Loder, of the county seat,
laid down a new principle of law this
week when Ed Florey and John Drug'
ger were brought to him for trial
to explain how it happened that they
had, in the dark of the moon, enter
ed the chicken coop of Frank McGa-
huey and abstracted therefrom two
chickens, of the reasonable value of
$25. Patrolman George Woodward
caught the men in the act of raiding
the chicken coop, and arrested them
as "burglars."
Burglary, or breaking and enter
ing in the night-time with intent to
steal, is a felony in Oregon, and is
risky business anywhere. And Pa
trolman Woodward said that Florey
and Drugger were burglars. When
arraigned before Recorder Loder, the
judge explained to the men who were
willing to plead guilty, that "bur
glary'' was a serious charge, and that
if they pleaded guilty to it he could do
nothing but send them to the county
jail to await action of the grand jury,
This so increased the troubles of the
pair that they asked Mr. Loder if
he couldn't fix things up, as they
Were sure that they were not bur
glars. They had merely wanted the
chicken to eat at a party, they pro
tested, and didn't think that raiding
a chicken coop was burglary.
Recorder Loder thought it over for
awhile, and not wanting to see the
men languish in jail for what had been
largely a "lark'' (even if it was a
chicken, instead), finally reached a
conclusion that establishes a new
precedent in local legal circles.
"I will change this charge from
burglary to one of just stealing
chickens," said . Recorder Loder. "I
think this court will have jurisdiction
over that. And since you plead guil
ty to stealing chickens, I will accept
your plea, and will fine you twenty
dollars.''
And so it developed that chicken
stealing is no longer burglary.
JOYS OF THE OFFICE
Neighborly Paper Tells Some Things
That Make Journalism a Joy
The Aurora Observer last week re
vealed a few newspaper secrets. Lest
people think the Observer-is the only
paper so afflicted, the Courier re
prints its remarks with a hearty
"Amen" at. the end. Says the Ob
server: "There is no doubt that it requires
many kinds of people to make up a
community, but the Observer is glad
that it has no subscribers of the kind
that wrote the following letter to the
News-Journal, of Campbellsville, Ken
tucky: " 'Please send me a few copies of
the paper containing the obituary of
my aunt. Also publish the enclosed
clipping of the marriage of my niece,
who lives in Lebanon. And I wish
you would mention in your local
column ,if it does not cost anything,
that I have two bull calves for sale.
As my subscription is out, please stop
my paper. Times are too bad to
waste money on newspapers.'
"It is often said that the world is
full of people who want something
for nothing, but investigation always
showis that such people always live
just outside our community in the
next district, the next town, the next
county, or just across the mountains.
That class of people are not our
people not our patrons, not our sub
scribers. They are subscribers and
patrons of our friend the enemy of
our competitors, and did we wish
them ill, we would wish them more
such patrons. But since we wish all
men well, here's hoping each gets
what he wants and what he deserves
and the wherewith to pay for it!"
The Courier for job printing.
GIRL IS DROWNED
Estacada Lass Meets Death While
Trying to Save Friends
While bathing in Eagle Creek, near
Estacada, Miss Ruth Githens, of Es
tacada, was drowned last week while
trying to pull two of her companions
from deep water. Girls on the bank
threw a sapling to Miss Githens, but
she was too weak to retain her hold
upon it, and sank under the surface.
The girls she was trying to fetch in
to shore were saved.
Miss Githens was 16 years of age,
and was one of the most popular pu
pils in the Estacada highschool. Her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Githens,
of Estacada, are well known in the
northern part of the county, and uni
versal sympathy is extended to them
in their bereavment.
HILL WORK KILLS
Cyclist Dies of Heart-Failure after
"Pumping" up Grade
Eugene Hyland, of Arleta, tried to
ride his bicycle up a hill near Clacka
mas last week. The hill had some
characteristic Clackamas county road
upon it, and when Hyland got to the
top of the grade he dropped off his
machine and expired.
The body was discovered by A. A.
Durkee, who notified the coroner.
Investigation showed that Hyland
had died of heart-failure, Induced by
over-exertion. The dead, man was
alcut 50 years old, and was well
known throughout Arleta and Lents.
Subscribe for the Courier now
the best weekly in the state.
COUNCIL STARTS
L
MORE STREET PAVING; PLANS
FOR PURCHASE OF HIGH
WAY PLANT TALKED
"THIRTEENTH" SESSION GAY
Old Question of Rock-crusher Bobs
up again under Leadership
of Mr. Templeton
Oregon City's "Friday-the-thir-
teenth'' council meeting, and its
aftermath a special meeting Mon
day of this weeksaw a number of
things started by the city dads. The
"aftermath'' meeting came off Mon
day afternoon at five, and saw two
ordinances for street improvement
railroaded through with a whiz one
providing for a six-inch improve
ment with asphallic concrete of Tenth
street, from the railroad track west,
and one for a five-inch asphaltic dec
oration of Seventh street from the
entrance to the public elevator to
Main street. Final action on the im
provement of these streets will come
up at the regular ieeting Septem
ber first. Presumably the same firm
that is now putting asphaltic concrete
on Main street will get the jobs;
though bids will be received in a for
mal way.
At Mondav's meetine the citv en
gineer also certified that Third street,
street, has been Dronerlv imDroved.
and machinery for the acceptance of
motion.
To close Monday's, session Coun
cilman Meyer called the attention of
the council to the fact that Mr.
Brandt, the retiring sexton at the
cemetery, had been occupying a house
on city property during his term of
office, and had planted some crops
on the ground surrounding it. His
unexpected defeat for reappoint
ment makes it necessary for him to
move, and Mr. Meyer- thought it
would be nice if the council would let
him have until the first of the' year
to vacate his quarters and to harvest
his crop.
Councilman Metzner thought well
of the Meyer plan, and moved that
the city adopt it. Councilman Hack
ett said he had no objection to Mr.
Brandt having until the first of the
year to harvest his crops, but thought
that if occupancy of the house was
one of the perquisites of the sexton's
job, that Mr. Clark, the newly ap
pointed sexton, ought to be consider
ed. Mayor , Jones called attention to
the fact that two members of the
cemetery committee were absent, and
suggested that the matter be held in
abeyance until they could bring in a
majority report on the question. The
mayor said he didn't want to see any
fireworks set off by action of the
council when the majority of the
cemetery committee was absent. Of
the committee Mr. Metzner had vot
ed for the reappointment of Mr.
Brandt, and Messrs. Cox and Van
Auken had voted for his sucoessor.
The question was naturally delicate.
Mr. Hackett finally poured oil on
the fast troubling waters by moving
that Mr. Brandt be allowed till the
end of the year to harvest his crops,
and be allowed to occupy the house
till the first of September, by which
time the council would take further
action.
The "Friday-the-thirteenth" ses
sion of the council, staged on the "un
lucky day'' last week, pretty well ful
filled expectations. The junk ordi
nance was pushed over after a lively
fight, in which Councilman Albright
repeated his previous ideas about it
being a "company measure" and an
unjust piece of legislation. The
measure, defeated at previous ses
sions, was shoved through to victory
by one lone and slitary vote.
The sum of 3150, to pay for a
special operative main for the public
elevator was passed on the thir
teenth, though there was some op
position to the appropriation from
those councilmen who occasionally
have a warm regard for the mythical
city budget. The $3150 will be ma
terialized from some of the myster
ious recesses of the city, and it was
promised that its production would
not warp the budget aa much as was
expected. Part of the money will
come out of the elevator fund, which
through a system of high finance,
still has something like $1800 within
its depths. This money is in the
elevator fund because interest on the
elevator bonds was paid out of the
general fund.
Councilman Templeton took Fri
day the thirteenth as a date upon
which to revive the purchase of "a
city rock-crushing plant.'' The old
Jones rock-crusher, leading charac
ter in the former battle for a munici
pal rock-crusher waged by ex-Councilman
Tooze, again became the sub
ject of assorted remarks. Instead
of paying $5,000 or $6,000 for the
crusher, however, Mr. Templeton said
he thought the city could now pur
chase it for something over $2,000.
(Continued on Page 8)
HER
SOFT STREET HINTED
City Engineer Says Worswick Pav
ing will take Year to Harden
In an informal discussion of Main
street's new paving before the Ore
gon City council Monday afternoon
of this week, City Engineer Miller
said that the Worswick pavement was
going to make a fine highway, but
that if next summer was one of the
average number of warm days the
pavement would be soft to quite a
noticeable degree.
"It will make a good pavement,
there is no question of that,'' said
City Engineer Miller, "but asphaltum
is a very soft substance, and my ex
perience has been that it usually
takes a year to 'season' and that if
warm weather comes during the first
twelve months that it is laid, it will
yield under ordinary traffic, and will
cut badly under heavy loads."
Members of the council present
who had supported the adoption of
the Worswick paving, disagreed with
Mr. Miller, and said that they under
stood that the company was adding
some hardening substance to its mix
ture.
"I know that,'' replied Mr. Miller.
"They are adding amorphous lime,
and to a degree this will harden the
pavement. But I have observed that
in all forms of asphaltic mixtures it
takes about a year for the asphal
tum to 'season,' and until it is seas
oned it will not stand warm weather.
Once the pavement has hardened it
cannot be excelled. There is enough
asphaltum in the mixture being laid
on Main street, however, to make it
soft for the first year, and it will be
noticeably soft if we have warm
weather next summer. I do not mean
that it will rut, but it will be soft.
And under heavy loads it will cut
badly. At least, such is my opinion."
TIME FOR GOOD
IS
COUNTY COURT PLANS CHANGE
IN METHODS OF CONSTRUC
TION OF HIGHWAYS
JUDGE ANDERSON NOW IN LINE
Abrupt Change in Policy Swings far
to Other Extreme in Regard to
- Surfacing Traffic Routes
Following the statement two
weeks ago by Commissioner Mattoon,
to the effect that the county court
was considering the abolishment of
the supervisor system in highway
maintenance, and that in all proba
bility the county would be divided in
to four districts and each division
placed in charge of a competent road
master; County Judge Anderson this
week announced that as far as he
was concerned there would be no
more catch-as-catch-can road build
ing in the county. With two mem
bers of the county court thus declar
ing themselves, and with every news
paper in the county and several out
side of the county laughing at Clacka
mas roads, appearances are such as
to lead people to believe that there
will be a change for the better in
local road conditions very shortly.
There is no doubt that the expo
ure of the squandering of road funds
during the last year made by Ex.
pert Richardson of the state insurance
department, and widely reported in
the press has been the "last straw"
that has broken the back of the
county court's former adherence to
the wasteful supervisor system.
When it was widely advertised that
Clackamas county had during 1914
spent $368,214.85 on its roads, and
that this sum (outside of bond issues)
was the second largest outlay in the
state for highways, peopje were so
generally shocked that. the county
court must have heard about it. In
1914 Clackamas county spent nearly
half as much as did Multnomah coun
ty on its roads and at the end of
the year had nothing to show for it.
County Judge Anderson strongly
recommends bituminous macadam
roads for all future trunk-highway
work in the county. According to his
deas hard surface roads are too cost
ly for the county to lay at present,
but a two-inch dressing of crushed
rock and bitumen will be found not
only to be economical; but will also
serve local road demands ideally.
The beBt road in the county at the
present time the River road between
Gladstone and the top of the Milwau
kie hill is of this form of construc
tion; and though heavily traveled has
stood up wonderfully year in and
year out.'
To make the county roads service
able, County Judge Anderson would
have the present macadam roads sac
rificed and brought to grade, all pot
holes filled with rock and rolled, and
then the two-inch dressing applied. If
this is done Clackamas county will
have roads the equal of the old Base
Line road in Multnomah county, or
the equal of the present River road
when it was new. Estimates on this
sort of roadway, made by Ed Olds,
(Continued on Page 8)
ROADS
S
FEDERAL PLANT
SECRETARY OF NAVY WOULD
SAVE ON PRICE OF
SHIP ARMOR
"WAR TRUST" IS GOMBATTEO
Congressman Tavenner Tells Courier
Readers how Administration is
Trying to Gain Economy .
Congressman Clyde H. Tavenner,
who is trying to bring about sensible
reforms in the management of the
United States navy, and who believes
that the government's vessels should
be of government workmanship
throughout, has shed some interesting
light upon the plans formulated by
Secretary Daniels, of the Navy De
partment. Mr. Tavenner's remarks
may also give to some an idea of the
motives behind the attack upon Sec
retary Daniels an attack that has
been most noticeable in republican
papers whose sympathies' are notor
iously with "big business. In dis
cussing Secretary Daniels' plans, Mr.
Tavenner says:
"When Mr. Daniels, lor many
years editor and publisher of the
Raleigh (N. C.) News and Observer,
was sworn in as Secretary of the
Navy and had time to look about him,
he found that the people's money was
being wasted by the payment of ex
cessive prices for armor and prac
tically all articles required for the
navy. Thr6ughout his two years in
the Cabinet he has been earnestly en
deavoring to rescue the Public Treas
uy from the patriots for war, who
year in and year out have been help
ing themselves, seemingly at will.
from the public crib. Secretary Dan
iels has saved the Government some
$2,000,000, which is but a drop in
the bucket to the amount he could
save if he could obtain Government
manufacture of everything.''
In his first annual report for the
year 1913 Secretary Daniels asked
for an appropriation for an rmor-
plate factory, saying:
"I desire to recommend the passage
it the earliest moment of a suffic
ent appropriation to begin the con
struction of a Government armor
plant to relieve a situation which, in
my estimation, is intolerable and at
total variance with the principle of
economy in spending Government
money Only three firms
in this country can manufacture
armor plate, and these firms have put
in bids for armor plate seldom vary
ing over a few dollars, and in many
instances being identical to a cent.
Asked for reasons as to the uniform
ity of these bids, two of the firms
replied frankly that as the contract
would be divided amongst them any
way, the only effect of competitive
bids would be to reduce the profits
made by all of the three firms.
"By manufacturing armor plate' in
its own plant the Government will be
able to keep for its own use any im
provements in the manufacture or
composition of its armor that may bo
developed. The last word has not
been said in armor, and past history
showis that great improvements in
the manufacture and design of armor
plate have been made. The greater
part of these improvements were sug
gested by actual experience gained by
naval officers. Under our present
system of obtaining our armor plate
from private companies such improve
ments become the property of all the
world and can be obtained by any
body who cares to buy them. Even
now the improvements in armor and
the designs worked out by the Navy
have been embodied in the warship of
another nation recently finished by
the Bethlehem Steel Co., and put into
commission. This is not an argu
lightly to be disregarded in favor of
a Government armor plant, nor has
it been overlooked, for instance, by
Japan, which has erected its own
armor-making plant and surrounded
it with such secrecy that none of the
other nations are able to tell whether
or not at this minute the Japanese
armor may not be superior to any
other in existence. In addition to
Japan, the French government, after
experimenting with a factory capable
of producing only the lighter weights
of armor, is enlarging its government
plant so as to permit or the produc
tion of thick plates, and Russia has
had its own armor-plate factory for
some time.
"I do not see how it is possible for
Congress to justify to the people a
refusal to erect a government plant,
nor how it can answer the charge that
will be ' invariably be brought up
that the same mysterious Providence
which saved this profitable business
to the steel companies three times in
the past, even after money for a
government plant had actually been
appropriated, is not still at work es
ercising its beneficent protection over
these lusty specimens of infant in
dustries, who are even now under gov
ernment investigation as violators of
the anti-trust law."
The Courier the livest county pa
per. $1 per year if paid in advance.
Why not now, and get the news.
DANIELS
PAN
NOW SEE WHATS COME
Professional Prohibitionist Tears up
"Dry'' Nest
Elsewhere in these columns the
Courier prints a letter from George
C. Brownell, one-time candidate for
United States senator on a strictly
"dry'' platform at least so Mr.
Brownell said he was going to be
in which the statewide prohibition
law enacted by the last session of the
legislature is called "an insult to the
people" and a few other things.
Mr. Brownell pretends to be "all het
up'' over the act of the legislature in
passing a law that will permit 24
quarts of hard booze to be purchas
ed by any thirsty Oregonian once a
month after the law goes into effect.
Mr. Brownell says that this was
an outrage on the part of the legis
lature, inasmuch as the people voted
for an amendment to the state con
stitution which was as follows:
"From and after January 1, 1916,
no intoxicating liquor shall be manu
factured or sold within this state, ex
cept for medicinal purposes upon pre
scription of a licensed physician, or
for scientific, sacramental or medic
inal purposes."
' If the facts were as Mr. Brownell
assumes them, the legislature might
deserve all the sweet things he says
about it. It might even be surmised
that the legislature was influenced
by "certain Portland people and in
terests," as he intimates.
However, there must be a suspic
ion that Mr. Brownell is seeking
anew to get into the political lime
light through his tirade against the
prohibition law. Maybe Mr. Brow
nell is going to blossom out as a
senatorial candidate on a "more-than-
prohibition.'' platform. Maybe he is
going to be so much of an "ultra-
prohibitionisf that he will attack the
present law, argue for its repeal, and
so please the "wets."
As a matter of fact the people of
Oregon knew full well what they were
voting for when, they voted for the
so-called "prohibition law." Mr.
Wheeler and his Committee of One
Hundred, ably assisted by Orton
Goodwin, their English press-agent,
told the people in shrieking advertise
ments and in column after column of
prepared boiler-plate, that the pur
pose of the proposed prohibition
amendment was to do away with the
open saloon. Eleventh hour advertis
ing by the "drys" proclaimed only
this: "Do not be fooled, the open sa
loon is .the issue.'' . ,
And the "wets," tickled to death
at Mr. Wheeler's admission of the
purposes of the. Committee of One
Hundred, went into all the papers of
the state that they could reach, and
in page and two-page advertisements
shouted at the people that the pro
posed law was NOT prohibition, that
it would permit the shipping into the
state of a certain quantity of beer or
booze every month, and that it would
take from the state $900,000 in an
nual revenue, and would send Oregon
money to California liquor houses.
The closing two weeks of the cam
paign were filled with explicit air
ings of the purposes of the proposed
amendment, and with the plans of
the "legislative committee'' who en
gineered the law through the hous
es at Salem.
And knowing this; being familiar
with the whole silly frame-up; under
standing nil about the 24 quarts of
beer and the two quarts of booze, the
voters of Oregon cast a majority for
the so-called "prohibition amend
ment." Oregon voted for the clos
ine of the saloon nd the brewery,
and for the shipping in of a certain
limited amount of liquor by those
who wanted it. The people knew
what they were going to get and
they got it.
This being the case, one must won
der why Mr. Brownell is breaking
forth just as politics begin to ripen
with this "attack" upon the. prohi
bition law. People must wonder
what" George wants, what part this
"opening shot" is to play in his own
political plans, and what George him
self is after?
The Courier prints Mr. Brownell's
article because he was courteous
enough to say that it might, and be
cause it wants its readers to study it
carefully. The complaint of Mr.
Brownell is founded upon a faulty
hypothesis at the start, so it amounts
to nothing but two columns or so of
words. But the purpose of it may
be plain to some readers and as this
is the brewing time of 1916 politics,
it is perhaps well to understand Mr.
Brownell right at the start.
In brief: Oregon voters knew what
they wanted and what they were vot
ing for, both "drys" and "wets'' buy
ing much space in the newspapers to
explain the workings of the amend
ment. The people voted for it. Pre
sumably the people are happy in their
choice. And, apparently, George C.
Brownell is not happy. As a "pro
hibition" booster as a man who has
declared that he was going to run
for U. S. senator on a prohibition
platfom, why shouldn't George C.
Brownell like the law he supported
during the campaign?
More Paving Planned
Paving of Third, Fourth, Fifth,
Sixth, Eighth and Ninth streets, in
the county seat, from the railroad
tracks to the river, is planned by the
city council. In the near future reso
lutions calling for this improvement
work will be introduced.
Tin .tr, i-o ii,u r,, ,,; t si nn a
year in advance.
VI
MONEY
T
WILLIAM E. STONE OUT WITH
SCHEME TO FATTEN POT
FOR FEE SEEKERS
WOULD AMEND CITY CHARTER
Attorney Wants Juries in Recorder's
Court and Elections for Choice
of Appointive Officers-
Burstiner in all the pristine glory
of a young and rising politician into
the limelight of newspaper' publicity.
William Hi. Stone, city attorney oi tne
countv seat when the municipal ele
vator stunt was "put over,'' this week
confides in the Enterprise tnat ne
thinks the city charter ought to be
amended in three ways.
Mr. Stone, who is a candidate for
the republican nomination for prose
cuting attorney in this county, and
who studied law and politics under
the able and experienced leadership
of the Hon. George C. Brownell,
thinks he can do a kindly duty for
the common man and at the same
Hmfi "save the taxna vers' money'' by
getting Oregon City's charter amend
ed so that there may be jury trials
in the recorder's court, and so that
the recorder and city engineer will be
plnpfpH tn office bv the neoDle. in
stead of being given their jobs by
the council.
' Mr. Stone savs that three amend
ments to the charter will be neces
sary to bring about these much need
ed reforms, and before the December
municipal elections he will endeavor
to have petitions signed with suffic
ient fervor to assure the proposed
amendments going before the elec
torate.
.Turv trials are not at present per- .
mittfld in the recorder's court. The
supreme court of Oregon has decided
that they are not even necessary, as
a jury is not needed even though the
constitution provides that any defen
dant may demand a trial "by a jury
of his peers.'' However, adding jury
trials to the work of the recorder's
court would add a tremendous burden
to the taxpayer. It would enlarge the
system of fee-seeking, and would pro.
vidfi various and sundrv "professional
jurymen" with a wider range for the
stalking and capturing or pumic
funds. It would be possible to de
mand a jury for every trivial case,
awh ns thn charces of drunk and dis
orderly; and would make necessary
the payment of a large sum annually
in jury fees. Judging irom tne ire-
quency with which juries are now de
manded in the justice court, the pass
age of the proposed Stone amend
ment to the city charter would mean
about three juries a week in the re
cnrrliir's court or an excess over
present expenses of not less than $800
a year. Probably the taxpayers
would be glad to contribute this $800
additional each year to enhance Mr.
Stone's glory as a friend oi tne down
trodden and persecuted.
The amendments making the of
fices of city recorder and city engin
eer elective, instead of appointive, are
also scintilating outbreaks of reform
from a mind that refuses to be bound
by precedent. The city recorder and
city engineer are forced ny tneir po
sitions to work in constant harmony
with the council. So that the coun
cil may have their aid all the time,
it was deemed best by the original
rVinrter framer9 to allow the council
to pick men who would be in sympa
thy with it. But Mr. stone wouiu
throw the lists ODen. and would make
it possible for a city engineer and
city recorder to be elected that mignt
or might not work well with the city
dads.
To make the offices of city engin
eer and city recorder attractive to
men of the riirht calibre, the salary
would have to be raised. Men now
accept these positions not so much for
the salary they yield, but from a
fnalinir of civic patriotism that makes
them willing to serve the city on a,
minimum pay. Possibly men oi tne
same calibre would campaign for
these offices under the Stone plan
but it is to be doubted. Probably the
man who would make a fight for
thn office for the nresent salarv would
be the kind of a man who thought
any salary at all was Better tnan not
having a finger in the municipal pork
barrel.' If the salary is to be raised,
again will the cheerful taxpayer be
glad (presumably) to assist Mr.
Stone's reform plans.
There is one excellent angle of the
Stone idea, however. As a forecast
of what may happen to Mr. Stone's
ambition to be the republican standard-bearer
in the coming county pri
maries, the charter amendment idea
is hard to beat. If the people of the
county seat endorse the proposed
Stone amendment by their ballots,
and add to the burden of taxpaying
and to the intricacies of electioneer
ing, then Mr. Stone may assume that
he has' a fighting chance to get the
republican nomination that he covets.
And if the people turn the Stone
propaganda down well, Mr. Stone
(Continued on Page 8)
AXPAYERS