Oregon City courier. (Oregon City, Or.) 1902-1919, October 21, 1915, Image 1

Oregon City courier., October 21, 1915, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextOffiGOH CITY C OUMM 33d Year OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1915 Number 31 T 15 OF TWO AND A HALF HOURS TAK EN IN FIGURING EXPENSES ' DOWN TO INCOME ELEVATOR CAUSES MUCH WOE Charter Amendments Filed for Pub lication Also Help to Complicate Discussion of Finances ' The war in Europe and Oregon City's municipal elevator both have made their influence felt on the Ore gon City's budget for 1916; and had it not been for .these, matters Chief of Police Shaw, City Engineer Miller and Street Superintendent Babcock would have got their salaries raised. These three, however, fell victims to the need of strict economy;' and after two and a half hours discussion last Friday night the council finally con structed a budget which on paper at least will keep Oregon City from continuing its customary practice of spending more money than it collects. Before the budget was taken up a number of charter amendments were filed for publication. One of these was the one initiated by Wil liam Stone, providing for jury trials in the recorder's court, and should this be adopted it is liable to play hob with the recorder's end of the budget. Another charter amendment, filed at the request of Mr. Temple ton, will, if it carries, knock the bud get into a cocked hat, for it cuts the levy from ten mills to seven, as far as the city's running expenses are concerned; and then adds another sev en mills to pay for a proposed $250, 000 bond issue to pay off the pres ent city debt in a period of twenty years. This Templeton amendment, drawn by the Honorable Christian Schuebel, also provides that any councilman voting to issue warrants in excess of the budget shall be personally li able for the money thus appropriat ed, and shall also pay a fine of $500 for each separate warrant so issued. For a time this startled the council men; but they soon took heart again, apparently none of them aside from Templeton thinking that the propos ed amendment stood any chance of being adopted by the people. The budget as finally adopted is based upon an expected income of $47,000 for 1916; this income to be made up of $28,000 to be raised by a ten-mill levy, $15,000 from the road fund, and $4,000 which is ex pected to be forthcoming from fines, licenses and franchises. This money has been parceled out by the council as follows, and the councilmanic idea of spending it has to be ratified by a taxpayers' meeting called for Mon day, November 8. Five thousand dollars is to be . spent for interest on $100,000 of five percent bonds, $5,000 is to be spent retiring road warrants, $9,000 is to be spent retiring general fund war rants, and $600 is to be spent for in terest on the elevator bonds. This makes a total out of the budget of $114,600 that is to be spent On "dead horse." For engineering purposes, $1,500 is to be allowed, of which $1,300 goes for salaries. The City Recorder gets $1,300 for his department and inci dentals. The city health officer is al lowed $300, and the police depart ment gets a total of $3,630. In settling the amount for the po lice department the first festivity of the evening occurred when Council man Cox moved that the night pa trolmen be raised from $65 to $75 per month. The motion carried with out dissent, whereupon Councilman Hackett moved that the chief of po lice be also paid $75 a month, a re duction of $15. Councilman Albright was on his feet at once, and declar ing that the chief was a much over worked man, moved as a substitute that the chief be raised to a hundred dollars a month. Councilman Metz ner supported this change, and warm ly praised Chief Shaw for the work that he did. On a vote the council split even on the matter. Councilman Long being absent. Hackett, Van Auken, Cox and Andrews voted for the reduction, and Albright, Metzner, Templeton and Meyer for the in crease. The mayor cast the deciding vote, favoring the increase in the chief's wages. Mr. Hackett remarked that raising salaries was a mighty poor way to start economy. In discussing the several items under the police bud get the sum of $90 for fumigation , brought out the fact that the Euro pean war had greatly increased the price of standard fumigants, Mayor Jones saying that the increase in the cost of permanganate of potash and formaldehyde alone was 1000 per cent Fumigation was set down in the budget therefore at $350 but lat er on was erduced again to $90, and the excess expected expenditure was taken care of in an emergency allow ance of $500. The fire and water committee got an allowance of $1728, no increases CITY BUDGE II COUNCIL (Continued on Page 8) ALBRIGHT SLIPS ONE Council Votes $500 for Pure Mountain Water Celebration . Councilman John F. Albright taught City Lawn Mower Sharpener Temple ton a trick or two Monday night, when he maneuvered two council meetings in succession to get a vote on the ap propriation of $500 for Oregon City and West Linn's combined celebration over attaining pure mountain water, A letter from the South Fork Water commission, suggesting that the coun cil set aside $500 for the celebration started the ball rolling. When the motion was made to appropriate the sum Councilman Hackett moved that the matter be indefinitely postponed and Mr. Templeton seconded the mo tion. After much discussion, in which Mr. Albright and Meyer spoke of the ben efits that would accrue the city from celebrating its new water supply; and in which Mr. Hackett said that "it is just such things as this business that have landed poor old Oregon City where she is today," the matter went to a vote. . Templeton, Hackett and Andrews voted against the appropriation and in favor of tabling the matter, and Meyer and Albright voted for the appropria tion. Council Metzner refused to vote, Later on uounciiuman uox came in and said that he "wanted to see the celebration," and then Mr. Metzner voted for it. Recorder Loder refused to recognize this as a vote, and Mr. Al bright moved that the matter be recon. sidered. Councilman Hackett object ed, saying that Mr. Albright, having voted against the motion, could not move reconsideration, and the Mayor sustained him. Councilman Albright then moved adjournment, which was taken. Mr. Hackett put on his hat and started for the door, but before he reached it the mayor called the council together in a special session, and Mr. Albright then moved that the $500 be appropriated for the celebration. Mr. Templeton grabbed a copy of the city charter and roared an objection, but Albright's mo tion got a second, and on vote the mat ter went Albright, Cox, Metzner and Meyer in favor of the appropriation, and Hackett and Andrews against it. Mr. Templeton was so busy reading the charter to find some way of block ing the move that he didn't vote. Mr. Metzner then moved that the City attorney draw an ordinance ap propriating the $500 from the fire and water funds, and this carried by the same voto; with Templeton doing a war-dance about the council chamber and shouting at the top of his voice that the proceedings were "flim-flam, nothing but flim-flam." Mayor Jones ruled that they were regular. LODER HAS PERILS City Recorder Enjoys Thrills While Out on Sunday Auto Jaunt John Loder, city recorder in the county seat, and owner of a car that only with difficulty can control its running to the speed limits provided in this state, took his big benzine chariot up past Currinsville Sunday last. . Mr, Loder says he was alone at the time. Beyond Currinsville there is a steep hill on the road, and in negotiating this hill something .happened. The next thing Mr. Loder knew he was some distance from his car, and the big buggy was reclining gracefully on its side some distance from the road. Mr. Loder sent out S. O. S. calls, and eventually a block and tackle outfit arrived from Estacada and righted his giant car. When he returned to Oregon City Mr. Loder was very careful to tell nobody about his spill; but as the En terprise says "truth will out," and it did in this case. First reports had it that Mr. Loder was hurled 50 feet through the air and that his car turned a somersault over a five-foot fenqe, but he says any such report is grossly exaggerated. COUNTY WORTH MORE Assessor Finds Increase of Wealth Amounts to $331,980 According to County Assessor Jack Clackamas county is worth narly a third of a million dollars more than it was last year; the assessed valua tion of property in the county (ex clusive of public service corporations) being $24,242,200. This is a net in crease over last year's figures of $331,980. This increase exists in spite of the fact that the county has lost much valuable( property during the year through the sale to the government of the locks and canal about the falls and the dismantling of the Crown Columbia paper mill. Aside from the property assessed by Mr. Jack, the county also has some $6,016,549 worth of property the val ue of which is placed by the state tax commission each year. Much Cattle Bought Figures compiled by County Assess or Jack show that there are 2400 more head of cattle in the county this year than last. Most of this increase is due to the purchase of dairy herds by Clackamas farmers, many of whom have bought blooded stock. The As- sessment rolls show that the increase in horses for the corresponding per iod is but 55 head; but this is explain ed by the heavy sales made to agents to the warring European governments, who have been combing the country for cavalry and artillery steads. OU CITY NOW IS WILLAMETTE VALLEY SOUTH ERN TAKES UPLAND TRADE TO PORTLAND DIRECT ROAD'S LOCAL BACKERS ANGRY Announcement Made by President G. B. Dimick Is Taken as Slap in Face by Merchants and Others With two through trains a day to and from Portland, and with a special express and baggage service between Portland and all points on the Willa mett Valley Southern railroad, Oregon City has again become a way sta tion, and dreams that people have been enjoying about the trade that the home road would bring to the coun ty seat have dissolved into thin air. County seat merchants who gave sup port to the road in the trying days when effort was being made to get funds for construction work feel that they have been "double crossed," and declare that while the road never made it easy for farmers to shop in the county seat, it is now making it very, very easy for them to do their shopping in Portland. Incidentally the city administration is taking an interest in ths latest move of the Wllamette Valley Souhern, and there is talk of reviving the demand made some months ago that the W. V. S. lin emake some provision fir caring for Oregon City passengers in stead of dumping them off near the Abernethy bridge. There is a special council committee that for some time has been supposed to make arrange ments for the Willamette Valley Southern to issue transfers to the in- terurban cars, so that people who want to reach the business heart of Oregon City can do so without paying an extra fare or walking a mile or so. Now that the valley road has de liberately "slapped Oregon City in the face" and innaugurated a through service to Portland, it is said that the council will do more than insist on transfers that it will order the road to run its trains up into the business section of the county seat, or make trouble over the unfulfilled Water street franchise. Mayor Linn E. Jones and other city officials are not a bit backward in ex pressing their opinion of the latest move of the Dimick line, and these opinions are not flatterng. Main street merchants, for the most part, look upon the road's Portland service as a direct attack upon their busi. ness; and will back the council in any move that body makes to force the Willamette Valley Southern to give a real service to Oregon City. When the road was being built, and when money for its construction was being begged in all quarters, it was con stantly declared that Oregon City ought to support the line because it would open a rich trading territory to the county seat, and would bring in a vast amount of new business. This new business has never mater ialized to any great degree, people living on the Willamette Valley South ern finding it more convenient to transfer to Portland trains at-the lit tle depot near the Abernathy than to walk uptown, or wait for an inbound interurban on which they would have to pay an extra fare. Especially was this so in rainy weather, for inbound valley trains did not connect with in bound interurban trains the conven ient connection was always in favor of Portland travel. Now, with two thru trains a day to Portland, Oregon City will lose what little business it gain ed from the road. Surprising developments promise to result from this latest anti-Oregon City move of the "local road," and it is believed that before the chapter in transportation history is ended the W. V. S. interests will see the wisdom of affording at least a shuttle service to the county seat's business section. AGED MAN SUICIDE Marion St. George Blows Heart Out With Dynamite Caps After telling children in the neigh borhood that he was -going to kill himself, Marion St. George, GO years old, a farm-hand living near Latour ette station on the Canby-Molalla railroad, locked himself in his cabin Monday afternoon and wrote a fare well note. Then he lay down on the bed, placed a number of dynamite caps over his heart, lighted a fuse leading to them, and awaited develop ments. Neighbors- were startled by the noise of the explosion, and rushing in found the entire side of St. George's chest had been blown into atoms. Coroner Hempstead and Sheriff Wil son were notified of the man's act, and went out to investigate. No in quest was deemed necessary. Neigh bors with whom St. George had talk ed said that they believed the man had at one time been married, but that he had left his wife. The Courier $1.00 per year if paid in advance. Subscribe now. STATION MAYOR IN PERIL Oijegon City's Executive Also Gets in Mud When Pipe Bursts Monday afternoon two or three joints in the river end of the West Linn pipe line worked loose under pressure, and a fair-sized geyser ap peared under the suspension bridge. In short order the geyser made a min iature Grand Canyon across Water street, and poured a deluge of mud and crushed rock into the Willamette river. Before the valves in Elyville could be turned off to stop the flood the escaping water had undermined some ten or twjenty square yards at the intersection of Water and Sev enth streets, and then the notables began to arrive. Among the spectators of the free water display were Linwood Jones, mayor of the county seat, Water Com missioner Andresen, Water Superin tendent Bill Howell, Jack Moffatt of the Oregon Engineering & Construc tion company, Coroner Hempstead, Doc Eddy, the eminent horse-fixer, Chief of Police Shaw, various and sundry citizens and the local newspa per bunch. Also Lloyd Riches. Af ter the water was turned off and ceased its swirling madly in the trench it had excavated, many of the notables crowded forward to get a close.up view of the damage. Among those who crowded closest up were Mayor Jones, Jack Moffatt and Doc Eddy. Without any warning the ground under these heavyweights suddenly got tired of its burden and slumped silently away into the yawn ing abyss into, which the united gaze of the trio was focussed. Doc Eddy felt it going first and leaped to the mayor's back for safety; the mayor leaped for Jack Moffatt, but on ac count of his burden missed him about four inches, and Jack leaped for solid ground and got to it. Doc Eddy didn't get very muddy when the cave-in was over but May or Jones was seen proceeding up the street under forced draft, kicking mud from his trousers and feet, and vowing that never again would he try to carry a man of Doc Eddy's weight out of the path of a raging flood. 11 "JITNEY CIRCUS I! TEMPLETON SHOVES OVER HIS PLAN TO PUT PORTLAND CARS OUT OF GAME MEETING FILLED WITH GAIETY Mayor Jones and Taxpayers Flay Fol lowers of Railroad Banner, and Criticise Methods Used The Courier apologizes at the start for having two "council stories" on the front page this . week but when any council behaves as the city dads of the council seat did on Mon day night, it is wbrth a story in any paper that pretends to print the chief happenings of interest in its commun ity. Monday night Councilman Temple ton temporarily put the skids under the jitneys that operate between Ore gon City and Portland, and incidental ly he piled up a nice bunch of grief for himself and a few others. The matter came to a showdown when Templeton moved that several appli cations for franchises from Portland jitney men be granted. "I move you, Mr. Mayor, . said Templeton, 'that these applications for jitney franchises be granted (naming a number of the applicants by name) and that their franchises provide that they pay to Oregon City the sum of $50 quarterly in advance, that they put up a bond of $5,000 each and that they be permitted to operate between the hours of six in the morn ing and ten at night." Councilman Metzner seconded the motion. Councilman Meyer said that he thought the franchises ought to provide that the jitneys follow a cer tain definite route, and that the fran chises have definite terms of life. City Attorney Christian Schuebel wanted a provision in the franchises that jitney men could not stand on the corners and solicit business for their cars.- Mayor Jones asked if any provision was going to be made by the council to govern local auto drivers who kept their machines standing on the street for hire. Mr. Schuebel replied that all cars owned or operated from local livery stables would be exempt,- and that local for hire cars would not be asked to obtain franchises.- "It seems to me " said Mayor Jones. "Now don't go clouding the issue, we are dealing solely with Portland jitneys at this time," interrupted Mr. Templeton. Councilman Hackett asked Mr. Templeton how he would square him self for charging the Carver line jitneys only $24 a year, while he wanted to tax the Portland jits $200 per year. Mr. Metzner came to Hr. Templeton's rescue, and replied that the Carver jitneys would be "a bene- (Continued on Page 8) COUNCIL VERY RAW STUFF RUMORED FRAMED DOUBLE-CROSS OF PEOPLE AS WELL AS RAILROAD SAID TO BE CONSIDERED FRANCHISE MAY HIDE SCHEME Transfers to Portland Automobiles at City Limits Reported to be Idea of Foxy Promoter The double-cross is being framed right, if reports current on the street of the county seat this week are to bo believed. The double-cross is to be hung on the people of Oregon City and on the Portland Railway, Light & Power company, which is generally accepted as being the moving spirit behind Councilman Templeton's solicitude for the "protection" of the public and the banishing of Portland jitneys frorn Oregon City. The scheme in brief is this: the council will give an exclusive fran chise to a local jitney king to operate cars within the city limits. The local jitney will then make regular runs to the Abernathy brige, and charge 25 cents for the rido. At the Abernathy bridge transfers will be given to waiting Portland jitneys, which will honor the transfers and take passengers into Portland. People who want to "jitney'' from Portland to Oregon City will board the jits in Portland, pay 25 cents, and at the Abernathy bridge will be given tran fers to the local jitney king's car. The transfers will be honored for a ride anywhere in Oregon City. - Back of this scheme is the willing ness of the Portland and local jitney promoters to swap transfers, and if there are any extra ones left over, to redeem them from each other at a face value of 20 cents. This scheme is fine business just as business. And as a double-cross it is the limit. It is a double-cross on the people of Oregon City, and on the Portland Railway, Light & Power company, which some of the xity councilman say they want to "protect'' from jit ney competition. It is giving jitney privileges to Portland for a nominal sum. exacted from the local jitney king as a fee, and barring out independent Portland jitneys which are not in the game by forcing them to pay $200 a year for privilege of running less than half a block within the county seat's limits. It is a dirty piece of work. It is about on a par with some other schemes hatched in certain local quarters. Maybe the move on the part of some of the council to cut out print ing city ordinances and franchises has something to do with this. It is the sort of stuff that would be most like ly to be covered up with silence. It is the sort of a rumor that ought to make every citizen sit up and watch any franchise that the council may grant. In short, it is slipping over' the double-cross. That an exclusive jitney franchise is not an impossibility, as far as the vote of het council is concerned has already been, shown. And when an exclusive franchise wouldn't even be necessary to slip this over. This jitney mess has ceased to be funny and foolish and ridiculous it is getting to the stage where it will bear watching. This is good dope for taxpayers and voters of Oregon City to remember, and to look into.' And if anybdy wants to take of fense at these Remarks, the Courier invites them to make their kick and then we'll tell some more about the double-cross. MARSHAL FALLS DOWN A. J. Ames "Drops Through Skylight In Portland Lodging House A. J. Ames, city marshal of Esta cada, and known more or less promi nently in the county seat as a game warden, dropped into the L. & II. sa loon in Portland last week, under the Willamette lodging house, at 326 Stark street. Patrolmen Shaffer and Thompson, who investigated the case, say that Ames game down from Es tacada to work off the tedium of a dry-town, and did it a bit too well. They reached this conclusion because in dropping into the saloon Ames did it literally pluging down through a skylight in the ceiling of the bar room. Ames was taken to the emergency hospitai in the central police station and patched up where the glass of the skylight had cut him when he went through. In dropping from the window of a room he occupied in the lodging house to the saloon floor ha fell abut 20 feet, and was pretty well bruised. After he had been given first aid a charge f drunk and disor derly conduct was placed against him; it being illegal in Portland to enter saloons except by the regularly pro vided doors. MRS. ENGLER DIES Molalla Pioneer, Sister-in-law of Abi gail Duniway, Laid to Rest Mrs. Nancy H. Engle, a sister-in- law of the late Abigail Scot Duni way, and a pioneer of the Molalla country, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Thomas McFadden, at Molalla, last Saturday evening. Her death followed an attack of la grippe. The funeral was held Monday, and scores of people from the country about Molalla called to pay their final respects to the woman they had known for so long. Nancy H. Duniway was born Feb ruary 16, 1838, and crossed the plains with her father's family. Her mother died on the trip to Oregon territory. On this trip west, at Barlow's Gate, she first met Mrs. Bagby and hei family, who were to be their neigh bors at the new home. The Duni way family settled near Needy. In 1854 she was married to Samu el Engle and seven children were born. For 40 years the family lived upon one part of the Engle donation land claim and then moved to a new place on the Wilhoit road. Mrs. Engle's sons and daughters settled nearby on different portions of the home place; Mrs. McFadden in the ranch house; Mrs. Ben Harless on the adjoining 50, and Mrs. W. W. Everhart on the corner of the place which comes within the city limits of Molalla. Clarence, Albert, W. H. and D. Engle all have homes nearby and the Engle family is one of the most prominent In that section of the county. All of her children, excepting one son, Clarence, survive Mrs. Engle. Mr. Engle died March 1, 1902. COUNCIL APPROVES BONDS Charter Amendment Providing for Levy and Debt Refund Filed A charter amendment providing for a seven-mill municipal levy, and foi a further levy of seven mills to be devoted exclusively to paying the interest and principal of a $275,000 bond issue was presented to the coun cil at a special meeting late Monday afternoon, and was unanimously ap proved. The bonds provided are to run for a period of 20 years, and are to be sold at not less than par and accrued interest. The amendment provides that the city levy shall not exceed seven mills unless Upon a vote of the electors, and that any councilman who votes for an appropriation beyond the sum to be realized by the seven mills shall be held personally liable for the money and shall be fined $500. The amend ment is the result of a compromise between the council and the "commit tee of nine," which has been working on needed changes in the city method of doing business. The $275,000 in bonds are to be utilized for refunding such portion of the city debt, aside from the $100,000 bond issue already out, that it may be deemed wise to take up after Jan uary 10, 1916. The entire bond is sue need not be sold. HOW NICE THIS IS "One Day Rest" Outfit Wants to Put On Sunday Lid Tight We hear that a nice Methodist preacher is traveling over the state, advocating "one day of rest out of seven," and telling the hard-working laboring man that he is trying to do something for him. This sounds very nice everybody ought to be able to rest one day out of the week. Most of us rest on Sunday. However, this one-day-rest outfit has strings tied to it. They want to close the theatres on Sunday, stop the ball games, and otherwise put on the blue-law lid. In short they want to tell us how we are to rest. They want the laboring man to rest on Sunday but they don't want it to be possible for him to see a ball game or a theatrical performance or any other sort of mental recreation while he is resting. The outfit will initiate a bill for "one day of rest out of seven," it is said, and the bill will also carry a Sunday blue-law. Just for a guess the Courier will bet that the measure is snowed under and all because the promoters want us to rest in their way, and not in the way that may suit us. PROHIS HOLD MEET Humor Not Entirely Absent from Gathering in Buptist Church Oregon's statewide prohibition law and what would probably happen when it went into effect the first of the year, were discussed at a meeting held in the First Baptist church, in the county seat, last Sunday. Among those who spoke were R. P. Hutton, state leader of the Anti-Saloon Leag ue leader. Attorney General Brown and Dr. Anderson, of The Dales, who were on the program, sent regrets. Mr. Hutton explained the working of the new law, and forecasted bitter conflict when the authorities tried to enforce it. Among other cheerful visions that he had was a procession of "booze boats'' plying on the Willa mette river and calling at Oregon City. As both Oregon and Washing ton will go dry, and as the ocean going boats from California cannot come up the Willamette to the coun ty seat, quite a few people who heard Mr. Hutton wondered where the boats would come from. At the end of the meeting an open (Continued on Page 8) FARMERS 1 LIABILITY INSURANCE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL CLASSES OF LABOR ACT MUST BE ACTUALLY MET Formal Acceptance of Terms Required Before Benefits May Be Enjoy ed by Employer or Employee (By Carl Abrams) Farmers of Oregon are coming to realize that insrance for their work men against accident is desirable, therefore the State Industrial Acci dent Commission has established a rate for different lines of farming operations under authority of Section 31 of the amended act passed by the last legislature and which became ef fective July 1st. The great interest manifested by farmers is shown by the fact that up to date about 200 f aimers have availed themselves of the benefits of this Act, although the Commission has up to this time been so busy putting into operation the new amendments to the law that no effort has been made to notify farmers of their privilege to take advantage of the Act. This information is be coming widely disseminated and has caused a number cf unfortunate in stances in the Commission office dur ing the past few weeks. In a number of cases men have been injured on the farm and the employer has then made application to come under the Act and sent in remittances to cover his premiums with the hope that by so doing the injured man would be cared for by the State. This, of course, is im portant as will be realized by all readers. It is similar to insuring a building after the same has been burned down and then expect to col lect insurance on the building. Sim ilarly a great many applications have come in from farm hands who have been injured, for benefits under the Act, they thinking that as long as they have not rejected the Act they are entitled to its benefits. However, no protection can be extended to workmen unless accepted by applica tion of the employer. The rate fixed for farming opera tions in general farming including all operations incident thereto, two per cent of the payroll. Threshing, clover hulling, hay and straw baling 4 per cent; prune drying 1 percent; wood cutting, 3 percent; ... land clearing without blasting S percent; with blasting, 5 percent; road work 3 per cent. .' , . In addition to the above the em ployer is required to collect from the workmen and remit with his own con tribution one cent a day from each workman. In computing the amount due the Commission add $15.00 per month for board when the men are boarded. For instance, a farm hand is paid $40.00 per month and board and works 26 days, his wages would be $55.00 per month. The premium would be 2 percent of $55.00, or $1.10 plus 26 cents to be contributed by the workmen making a total amount to be remitted to the Commission of $1.36 for the month. This is due and payable on or before the 15th of the month following thnt in which the work is performed. ThoBe farmers desiring to secure the protection of this Act may do so by making application to the Com mission for application blanks and a copy of the law. The protection afforded to both employer and workman is absolute. In case the workman is injured in the course of his employment, the Commission will pay all expenses for doctors' bills, hospital bills, medicine etc., not exceeding $250.00 and in ad dition compensate the workman for time lost by paying him a portion of his wages, not less than $30.00 per month. Under no circumstances can he sue his employer for damages on account of injuries sustained as the money paid by the Commission is full compensation under the law for the injury. This insures the employer absolute protection from damage suits and possibly from court costs and in sures the workmen of the payment of his expenses and money on which to live while injured. WEST LINN WISE Improvement Club Against Secret Meetings of City Council Favoring amendments to the West Linn charter prohibiting secret or "executive" sessions of the city coun. cil, prohibiting cattle from running at large within the city, and favoring a division of the city into four wards, the West Linn Improvement club held an interesting meeting last week. Officers for the ensuing year were also elected, those chosen being L. L. Pickens, president; Mrs. P. J. Winkle, vice-president; Nick Michels, treasur er; James Nichols, secretary, and Er nest Layton, ovtemor. West Linn people are also favoring a consolidation of their city with the neighboring city of Willamette.