OREGON CITY COURIER, OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1915.
OREGON CITY COURIER!
Published Thursdays from the Courier Building, Eighth Street, and entered
in the Postoffice at Oregon City, Ore, as 2nd class mail matter
E. R. BROWN, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Subscription Price $1.50. Telephones, Pacific 51; Home A-51.
THIS PAPER REPRESENTED FOR FOREIGN
ADVERTISING BY THE
GENERAL OFFICES
NEW YORK AND CHICAGO
BRANCHES IN ALL THE PRINCIPAL CITIES
STOP THE WASTE
It is one of the strange things
about "level headed Americans" that
they delight to waste their money. In
most business matters they are the
leaders of the world; in big affairs
they count the cost to the last frac
tion of a mill but in little everyday
thines they are worse than kids.
For instance, they permit two rival
telephone companies to force them to
use two telephone systems, when one
would be just as good and cost a lot
less money. They pay for two ser
vices, neither one of which is ade
quate, and yet both of which dupli
cate each other to a large degree. And
they think that because they have two
telephone companies that they are
saving money. Somehow they think
the two companies are going to cut
each other's throats, and give them
a better service for less. But the
telephone companies only appear to
compete in one direction and that is
as to which can give the least ser
vice for the price charged.
There is no excuse for a duplica
tion of telephone service. Progres
sive cities like Seattle and Tacoma
have discovered that, and have abol
ished the weaker of the two concerns,
Cities like Portland and the county
seat, however, still delight in the
senseless duplication and aggravat
ing icnonvenience of two telephone
systems. It is about time that Ore
gon City woke up, and took the first
step to getting economical service,
This first step would be for the coun
cil to order an interchange of calls
on the two local systems, so that a
subscriber to either line might get
service over the other. If this was
done, there would be very soon be
but one telephone company operating
in this neck of the woods.
While city people suffer financially
and otherwise from this senseless
double graft, the farmer is the man
who suffers most of all. And Ore
gon City eventually will rise or fall
because the farmers do business here;
so for its own protection it should try
to save the waste and inconvenience
of the double phone system. The
farmer needs to be able to reach
everybody in the county seat when he
goes to his telephone. The various
farmers' telephone circuits in terri
tory tributary to Oregon City, are
not connected with both local systems.
If there was only one phone system
here, the farmer could talk to any
store, businessman or official. As it
is now, he is Jimited to the stores
that have a phone connected with his
line. And as long as tho farmer can
not do telephone business with every
body in the county seat, just so long
will the county seat not get all the
farmer's business.
This needless duplication of local
telephones is a nuisance, a waste, and
a lack of business efficiency. It is a
handicap to the town and to every
person who tries to use the telephone
to expedite business. There is no ex
cuse for it but the greed of promoters
and the people ought to see that there
is a change.
A FUNNY STUNT
"Printing
Courier.
with a punch" at the
A minority of Oregon City's coun
cil last week pullod off a peculiar and
humorous stunt, when they develop
ed a new variety of economy, and
turned down the sale of a bond issue
to take up city warrants. Council
man Hackett, the leader of the minor
ity and rumored to be a candidate
for mayor explained the action, say
ing it was not the wish of himself
and the councilmen allied with him
for the city to go any further into
debt.
So, to prevent further going into
debt, Mr. Hackett and his aides voted
to have the city pay six percent in
terest instead of five percent. This
is a new brand of economy, which for
tunately appears not to be endorsed
by other councilmen. It is remark
able that Mr. Hackett should con
sider six percent interest more favor
able than five percent but perhaps
he was looking at it from the receiv
ing side of the fence.
Mr. Hackett also remarks that he
doesn't think. Oregon City ought to
issue any more bonds. And to dis
courage the voters and taxpayers
from so doing, the Hackett clique
tried their hardest to block the sale
of the elevator bonds. Maybe it is
the council's forte to decide what the
citizens of the county seat shall do
with their own money. Evidently
Mr. Hackett thinks it is; but some of
the other councilmen and quite a num
ber of the citizens and taxpayers seem
to believe differently. They have the
strange idea that the councilmen are
supposed to represent the people, and
are put in office to do the people's
bidding.
Every now and then in history some
servant of the people gets the Haeket-:
idea, and thinks he is greater than
the electorate that put him in office.
And after this idea becomes firmly
rooted, the servant doesn t stay on
the job very long. If Mr. Hackett
wants to be mayor of the county seat,
it would be well for him to revise his
system of "economy;" and not to have
quite such an exalted opinion of the
duties of his office.
The same advice applies to the city
lawn-mower sharpener, Mr. Temple
ton; and also to Mr. Cox, of the cold
storage plant. As to Councilman
"Jit" Van Auken, he ought to know
by this time that he has troubles
enough ahead of him, without joining
the weird "economy" gang.
And speaking of him and Mr.
Hackett; why don't they tell the
council and the people the deep and
dark secret that they paid ten dol
lars to uncover some months ago?
IT HAS COME!
It's Easy to
Get It Out-
if you need money and
it's in a bank. In our
charge it's always safe.
Our vaults, time locks
and other appliances
make it so that Money
is ABSOLUTELY SE
CURE when we have
received your deposit.
Fire nor thieves can
get at it.
It's safe until such a
time as you require it.
Then our cashier hands
it out to you on your
personal check. Give
us your account. We
will help you.
THE BANK OF
OREGON CITY
Oldatl Bnk In Clucksmat County
Arising at a meeting of the Wo
men's Homestead Association in Bos
ton the other day, Mrs. Charlotte
Smith, the president of the organiza
tion suggested that a wire cage ought
to be built around stenographers
while they are at work in business of
fices.
"Just as soon as his stenographer
enters the office her employer ogles
her, draws out a box of candy and
gets closer," said Mrs. Smith. "A
young girl can't do anything but bear
it. Many a girl is afraid on account
of her position. These old sinners
take advantage of it. It's got to stop.
I would have a law passed that no
man can have a female stenographer
his office without wire cage sur
rounding her.''
After Madam president had finish
ed her remarks and sat down, Mrs.
Frank W. Page, a mere delegate, rose
to say that perhaps if some wives
showed their husbands more affec
tion at home, there would not be such
a crying need of wire cages. Mrs.
Page did not look at anybody when
she said this, but we bet a hat she
was thinking of somebody present.
Personally we can't agree with Mrs.
Smith as to the need of wire cages.
In fact, until we entered the pure and
ethical business of publishing a news
paper, we used to think that if wire
cages were needed at all they ought
to be around the boss, and not around
the stenographers. And observation
of the business world of recent years
has not made us change our opinion
a whole lot. We think the poor, tired
businessman is more sinned against
than otherwise, when the stenogra
pher question comes up.
vve Know a stenographer, for in
stance, who takes almost a "motherly
interest" in her boss, who puts flow
ers on his desk every morning when
she comes down, who inquires if his
headaches are better, and is ever will
ing to work overtime for her boss's
sake. We knew another stenographer
some years ago who pursued these
tactics and now she is the boss's
wife. We have known quite a num
ber of stenographers, in our checkered
career, who have married their bosses;
and in every case into which we in
quired afterwards, the boss was sur
prised when he discovered that he
had been deprived of single blessed
ness. The modern stenographer of today
doesn't need a wire cage. Mrs. Smith,
of Boston may think she does; but
out here in the West we know better.
Wo don't know just what the statis
tics are for Boston stenographers, but
those it was our provilcge to meet in
former days all seem to be pretty
successfully married now and most
of them married the boss. There are
a great many more women than there
are men in dear old Boston, and of
course all of the girls cannot be sten
ographers. And perhaps it was be
cause of the other girls who didn't
get such a good chance to marry the
boss that Mrs. Smith's feelings were
aroused.
At that, though, we like the cage
idea only we think the cage ought to
be around the boss. Next time you
come into the Courier office, if you
see a brass railing around the sanc
tum, you will know why it has been
installed. It will show that we have
in his office without a wire cage sur
we always like to prove that.
MORE ABOUT TAXES
The Courier is indebted to the
American Economic League for the
following. Somehow, it strikes us as
being interesting.
For solution of the housjng prob
lem in cities, four of the nine mem
bers of the Commission on Industrial
Relations recommend that
"Special attention should be given
to taxation in order that land should,
as far as possible, be forced into use
and the burden of taxation be removed
from home owners.''
For solution of the agricultural
landlord and tenant problem, they
found it necessary to recommend
"The revision of the taxation sys
tem so as to exempt from taxation
all improvements, and tax unused
land at its full rental value."
For solution of the problem of un
employment, they found after long in
vestigation that whatever else may
seem to be necessary, the one thing
that cannot be neglected is
"The forcing of all unused land
into use by making the tax on non
productive the same as on productive
land of the same kind, and exempt
ing all improvements.''
Wealth are certainly rich. Some of
them are aggressive, and most of
them are unarmed, but if they are in
danger of disaster through attack by
the people nearest them, no one
seems aware of it; not even the Colo
nel himself. In the same country
with them are millions of people who
in spite of industry and economy have
nothing. These have been unjustly
deprived of the fruits of their labor
through unjust laws. But tfiey har
bor no intention of attacking any who
may be rich, even though they be also
aggressive and unarmed. Calm your
self, Colonel!
HOW IT FIGURES
Mr. William K. Stone, who once
upon a time was appointed city attor
ney of the county seat, and who was
not re-appointed, appears to be the
leading spirit in an initiative measure
to alter Oregon City's charter, so that
in the future the city attorney and
the city recorder shall be eleced in
stead of appointed. Mr. Stone says
he is going to be a candidate at the
primaries for the republican nomina
tion for district attorney.
Under the present arrangement
the city attorney gets a salary of
seventy-five dollars a month, and the
city recorder gets eight-five dollars.
Under the corrupt practices act a can
didate may spend 15 percent of his
anticipated salary for expenses in the
primaries, and ten percent for ex
penses in the general election. Thus,
if the Stone charter amendment should
carry, the candidates for city attorney
could spend legally $135 to get the
nomination; and then, if they got
that, they might spend $D0 more to
try and get elected.
Mr. Stone has before this remark
ed that he was going to limit his elec
tion expenses in pursuing the repub-
Wolf Howls !
t
t I
I1 ')
It must have been joy for Dr. J. A,
Van Brakle, formerly the only osteo
pathic health officer in the world, to
read the proceedings of the Oregon
State Medical Association in Portland
last week. His old friend, Drs. Cal
vin S. White and Andrew C. Smith
were discussing the election of a sec
retary, and one of them said. to the
other: "You're as white-livered as a
chicken.'' And the other replied:
"You're a liar."
Truly, that was an "ethical'' meeting.
With school days drawing near we
note that M. J. Brown springs this
one in the Benton County Courier:
"Two boys went to market with 60
ducks. The larger boy took 30 of the
largest ducks and sold them two for
$1. The smaller boy took the remain
ing ducks and sold them three for $1.
They received for their ducks $25.
When they got home they told their
father that they had sold their ducks
at the rate of five for $2 and' gave
him $24. Explain how it was possible
for the boys to make the dollar by
this transaction."
Pretty soon our young hopefuls
will be bringing home puzzles like
that to do in their "lessons." And,
Oregon having gone dry, we wonder
if the arithmetic books have been cen
sored, so as to exclude the old "ex
ample" that reads thusly: "A man
buys five gallons of whiskey at four
dollars a gallon and mixes it with
four gallons of water, selling the
product at a dollar a quart. What
percent does he make?''
This is the Time to Put In
That Water System
Perhaps you are not aware that you can have water supply con
veniences in your home and about your place as well as the city
man. IT IS A FACT.
THE MITCHELL WATER SYSTEM
Affords you every convenience of water under a reliable and de
pendable pressure. Not so expensive to install as you may think.
Very economical in operation. Easy to operate. LET US SHOW
YOU THIS SYSTEM.
mm y
IfL. . i ... f, Jl
WE RECOMMEND
STOVERS
GOOD
ENGINES
for pumping and other
services requiring ajde
pendable and ever-ready
power. More than 5000
in use in the Northwest.
1 H. P. up in Water Cooled and
Vertical Styles.
W. J. WILSON CO.,
OREGON CITY
GEO. BLATCHF0RD,
MOLALLA
The
or - ' - .8818
"INVESTED in a
-Lpair of Florsheim
shoes will bring you satis
faction in style, comfort and
service.
Wear better shoes
and you will never , buy
cheap ones again.
It's not what you
pay, it's the number of
days wear you get which
is the true measure of
value.
"WHERE CLOTHES FIT"
Sixth and Main Sts. Oregon City, Ore.
I I
America. We know of no better way
to whiten shoes than to walk along
almost any county road. And the
dust won't come off.either.
Last week we saw the editor of the1
Courier -carefully and painstakingly
correct the correspondence from a
certain section, and on looking over
his shoulder, we saw he was making a
certain word read "threshing.' When
ire asked him about it, he said
threshing" was the correct way to
spell it and to pronounce it. And now
comes a government report, prepared
and sanctioned by Uncle Sam, on
Steam Thrashing Machines in Rus
sia." And all the way tnrougn tne there is always a handy man around
report it is "thrashing, and not
streetcar line, the railway company
has protested to the municipal author
ities against allowing a continuance
of thsi jitney service. The company
says that it pays large taxes on its
property and franchise, while the pro
moters of the jitney service are only
required to take out the usual li
censes at small expense. The matter
will be considered by the city council
shortly.''
We presume some councilman there
will play the same role on behalf of
the railway company as was played in
our own county seat by the author
of the ordinance to regulate "public
utility vehicles." It is funny how
In short, whatever industrial ques
tion they studied relating to social un
rest, they found the land question at
the bottom.
ANSWER TO TEDDY
One of our single tax friends calls
our attention to the following, apro
pos of some recent mouthings of Ker
nel Roosevelt. We suspect that there
is probably single tax thunder hidden
away in it, but at that we are going
to take a chance and print it. The
answer to Teddy follows:
"The surest way for a nation to
invite disaster," saids Colonel Roose
velt, "is to be rich, aggresive and un
armed." That should not cause much
nervousness in a nation where (55 per
cent of the people own only five per
cent Of its wealth. In such a country
the masses must be very poor. The
fact that they are in that condition
shows in itself that they are not ag
gressive, and as to being unarmed;
none but a violent revolutionist would
consider that an evil. So why be con
cerned about what may happen to a
"rich, aggressive' and unarmed'
people ?
Possibly Colonel Roosevelt's hys
teria about possible disaster to a
"rich, aggressive and unarmed nation"
is disproven by conditions in the Unit
ed States. Two percent of the people
who own 60 percent of the national
lican nomination to "not more than
forty dollars." As he feels that way
about it, it is not surprising that he
thinks that a man of fit mentality to
be a city attorney could "make a
fight" for the office for $135. But if
one regards Mr. Stone as the associate
for many years of the Hon. George C.
Brownell, who is supposed to know
all about politics, it is surprising to
find him expecting any man to make
a fight for any elective office with a
limit of $135 on his prelimnary ex
penses, and $90 on his final campaign.
Maybe Bill Stone can do it; but we
doubt if the situation proposed in the
Stone charter amendment will appeal
strongly to any practical politician.
There may be men who would spend
nearly three months' salary to get a
$75-a-month elective job; but some
how we don't figure that men of that
sort are of the calibre that make good
city attorneys and recorders. In this
town the city officials are usually men
who go to considerable personal sac
rifice to serve the people, because they
feel it a duty of citizenship. Such
men will accept an appointment as a
mark of honor but they won't "run
for office" on a campaign fund of
$135.
The amendment doesn't listen like
"better government"
"Printing
Courier.
with a punch" at the
Maybe examples like that lead chil
dren to envy the saloonman. Who
knows ?
Does Cuba love America, the nation
that set her free from the tyrannical
rule of Spain ? Oh yes, she loves her
Uncle Sam. Witness this proof of it
from a government report from Con
sul P. M. Griffith, at Santiago:
"Horseshoe nails of German and
Swiss manufacture are used exclusive
ly in this section of Cuba. They were
introduced years ago and have dom
inated this market ever since. They
are reputed to be much cheaper than
the nails of American manufacture
and superior in both flexibility and
tenacity. No American horseshoe
nails are on sale in the retail stores.
The German government has for
bidden further exportation of German
moving picture films to Sweden. We
wonder why? Didn't the Swedish
audiences cheer loudly enough when
the Kaiser was shown in the fore
ground of every picture? Or is it
that maybe Sweden does not appre
ciate "kultur?"
Writing from South America, a
government trade agent says there is
a wonderful opening there for the sale
of a preparation for whitening shoes.
Somebody ought to bottle Clackamas
county dust and ship it to South
"threshing.'' We guess the editor
ipn't as wise :.s he thought he was.
John Stark doesn't like to have us
quote the Daily Consular Reports, but
John didn't get into the paper last
week, so maybe he is away some
where. Hence we feel free to indulge
in our favorite reading this week.
And we see that Vice-consul John W.
Dye, at Cape Town, South Africa,
tells his Uncle Samuel that the South
African Railways have just ordered a
lot of "whale cars" designed to tran
sport whole whales out here in the
Northwest we cut 'em up as soon as
we can after catching them, and burn
what is left. It leaves the air in a
more attractive state. South Africa
must smell worse than the. sulphide
end of the paper mills when a train
of "whale cars" goes past.
,
Speaking of chances for business
in Columbia, our Uncle Sam informs
us that "the language of the country
is Spanish. Purchases can be made
in any language, but sales can only
be made in Spanish." Now what we
want to know is this: when a Colum
bian receives a trade letter in United
States language, how does he know
whether it deals with a purchase or
a sale till it is translated; and after
he has found out, why won't he talk
business in United States if it doesn't
offer him a chance to unload some
thing ?
Columbia appears . to be unique
among the nations of the earth.
Uncle Sam says so. He gives a list
of things that the Columbians manu
facture, and included in the list is
this: "Petroleum, gasoline and fuel
oils; competition impossible.'' Just
think of that there IS one place
where Standard Oil cannot cut in and
underbid prices for local trade!
That ought to interest John Stark
and make him want to go there.
Consul Wilbur T. Gracey cables his
government from Seville, . Spain, as
follows: "There is a shortage here of
dried and shredded codfish. Prices
and terms are required immediately
Address American Consulate, Seville,
Spain." The consul must be hungry,
or maybe he is expecting King Alfon
so to dinner. We suggest that if he
can't get codfish, he try canned sal
mon.
Cablegram from E. W. Thompson,
at The Hague, comes to Uncle Sam as
follows: "Fertilizer factories are com
bining to build sulphuric-acid works."
This sounds as fi the Dove of Peace
was getting ready to fly from Andy
Carnegie's palace in The Netherlands.
Somehow this sounds familiar. It
is from Consul J. H. Goodier, at Ni
agara Falls, Canada. He says:
"A jitney bus service inaugurated
in this city the, first of this week is
well patronized. Passengers are car
ried across the city for 5 cents. As
the jitney route parallels the local
"Printing
Courier.
with a punch" at the
R. L. Holman and T. P. Randall,
Leading Undertakers, Fifth and Main
St.; Telephones: Pacific 415-J; Home
B-18.
How's This?
Wo offer One Hundred Pollars
Reward for any case of Catarrh
that cannot be cured by Hall's
Catarrh Cure.
F. J. CHENEY A CO., Toledo, O.
We, the undersigned, have known l' J.
Cheney for the last 15 years, and believe
htm perfectly honorable In all business
transactions and financially able to carry
put any obligations made bv his firm.
NATIONAL BANK OF COMMERCE,
i Toledo, O.
Hall's Catarrh Cure Is taken Internally,
acting directly upon the blood ana mu
cous surfaces of the system. Testimonials
Bent free. Price 75 cents per bottle. Sold
by all Druggists.
Take Hall's Family Pills for constipation.
MRS. THOMSON
TELLS WOMEN
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Vegetable
Compound.
rinkiiam s
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pound for what it has done for me,
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Change of lafe is one of the most
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Women everywhere should remember
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If you want special advice
write to Lydia E. Pinkham Med
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and held in strict confidence