COM CITY COUlffi Number 37 33d y OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1915 ear STATE T LAST CHANCE FOR OREGON CITY TO PROTECT ITSELF AT HAND IN THE REFUNDING BOND ISSUE NEW SALES F "1 S IfilPHS ASSISTS ITERS ABOUT LAN STIR f PROVE SUCCESS 01 OLD REAPER DEATH WORSTED DURING 1914 BY NATURAL INCREASE IN POPULATION COUNTY GAINS 263 CITIZENS Annual Report of Board of Health is Filled with Interesting Statis . tics Regarding Development Oregon's population increased 5,178 during the year 1914, according to the annual report of the State Board of Health for the year ending December 31, 1914, which has just been publish ed in book form. This increase in the population is easy to figure out; there were 6,446 deaths during the year, and 11,624 births. As usual, the girls had the best of the argument, more of them being born than there were men in propor tion to the death rate. There were 3,891 males that died during 1914, and 2,555, females who got through with life. When it came to being, born, however, there were 5,944 boy babies and 5,680 girl babies which increas ed the ratio of women to men in the state. Among the recorded deaths 93 men committed suicide, and. only 23 women got so disgusted with Ore gon conditions that they purposely left for the next world. Clackamas county for the year 1914 showed a net increase in its popu lation of 263, there being 529 births and only 266 deaths. And in Clacka mas, as in the rest of the state, the women population increased faster than the male; 156 men dying and 291 boys being born, while for the 110 women that died 283 girl babies arrived to fill their places. Other things of interest contain ed in the statistics for the year as pre pared by the state board of health are as follows: during the year 2,585 new families took up housekeeping, there having been 5,170 people mar ried during the twelve months... Also during the year the baby home at Parkplace received financial aid from the state to the extent of $4,931.69, and Bpent for maintenance but $4,845. 00, ending the year with still -$86.69 of the state's aid on hand. This show ing was made even though $325 was expended in improvements to the buildings and equipment. The state board of health report also sheds some interesting lights on the relative purity of Oregon City and Portland water during 1914. There were 113 samples of Oregon City water submitted for analysis, and colon bacilli were found in but nine samples. During the same time Portland sent in 59 samples of water, and colon bacilli were found in 27 cases, or almost half. In fairness to Portland's water supply, however, it must be said that -about half of the tests were of water taken from wells and springs, and not from the city's regular supply. During 1914 Clackamas county had more cases of diphtheria than any county in the state, its total being 59 positive cases. Mutnomah county had 42,and Washington county 35. Most of the other counties straggled in with only one or two cases apiece. Light on moral conditions within the state, is also shed by the report, there having been 17 deaths during the year due to venereal diseases. Deaths, mind you, not mere cases. Eleven men and 6 women died of "the red plague.'' Three male babies and three female babies died of this curse before they were a year old, four men and three women died of it between the age of 25 and 50, three men over 50 died of it, and in one case the age of the victim was not ascertained. GIRL IS SUICIDE Monitor Lass, Sixteen Years Old, Ends Life with Small Bullet Pearl June Pederson, 16 years of age, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Pederson, ended her life with a 22-calibre bullet Saturday morning The child fired the lethal shot while in her own room, and so quietly did she go about her self-destruction that her Darents did not know of the deed un til they went to call her downstairs for dinner. The girl was then found lvincr dead. Coroner Hempstead and Justice of the Peace Sievers went out to inves tigate the case, and in spite of the fact that their automobile got mired on the way, they finally reached Mon itor. where tha tragedy had taken place. No explanation of the girl's suicide could be discovered. She ap peared to be in perfect health, and only the night before had been out to a party and appeared to be in the best of spirits. A girlish romance, in which a man in Eastern Oregon figured, appeared to be going well, so the Coroner was at a loss to find a motive for the suicide. Miss Pederson was extremely popu lar with the younger set in the south ern part of the county, and her par ents are well known people in the region. General sympathy is extend ed the family in their tragic bereavement TRAVELING THESPIANS AIDED AND OUTDONE BY CITY - FATHERS' ACTIONS EVERYBODY HAS A STAR ACT Regular December Meeting of Munici pal Rulers One of Most Enter taining Held During Year Wednesday night was "amateur night" at the council session, and one of the best vaudeville shows of the season was staged in the city hall. Not only did the council outdo itself, but it also handed out some substan tial aid to a troupe of strolling play ers now performing in the county seat; thus showing the deep bond of sympathy that exists between all per formers. The aid given to their fellow act ors who are professionals came when Mayor Jones passed the buck to the council in the matter of a request for a reduction of the license charged for performances at Shively's hall. It appears that there is a small stock company holding forth in the theatre on the hill at this time, and that the company cannot with ease pay its share of the nightly license and its own expenses at the same time. The company intimated to the council that if the license fee was reduced it is now three dollars a night that their performances might be made a per manent feature of the county seat life and that they would make Oregon City their headquarters. Councilman Long, who runs one of the local movie houses, said that he didn't figure the stock company on the hill would interfere with his business, but said he'd like to have his own li cense fee reduced, too. According to Mr. Long, he now pays $120 a year for what he could get in Portland for $60 annually. He said he thought the license fee ought to be fixed ac cording to seating capacity. Councilman Metzner said he didn't think the council ought to go into the matter of reducing the Shively li cense for the stock company "because the show will probably bust up in a couple of weeks.'' Councilman Albright said he didn't see the consistency of the idea. "This is an outside show company," he said, "and they blow into Oregon City to get our money. The council has passed an ordinance to keep Portland jitneys out of town so as to protect the Portland Railway, Light & Power company, which pays taxes here. Why should we protect a traveling show company that comes in here and com petes with our local theatres and theatrical men, who1 have money in vested and who pay taxes here?" Councilman Van Auken thought that the stock- company might be helped somewhat by giving Mrs. Shively a permit to run the house without paying any license for a while; and on motion -of Councilman Meyer such a permit was given, to be revoked by the council at any time it saw fit. Traveling dramatic companies were not the only things that stirred the council, however. The Portland Rail way, Light & Power company request ed permission to tear up six and a half inches of Main street's new pave ment on each side of its track to try to get rid of the "bumps" which have appeared over the ties. In place of this the railway company said it would lay Belgian blocks and keep them in condition. Councilman Albright asked if there was any reason to believe that doing this would solve the trouble, and wanted to know what would happen if the bumps appeared again six and a half inches further out in the paving. He said he didn't wonder that the company suddenly wanted to do some thing, for the council had threatened to stop the cars unless the paving was fixed. City Attorney Schuebel explained that the company was seeking permis sion to tear up the paving so it could find out what the trouble was and remedy it. City Engineer Miller went into details regarding the plan.. Councilman Cox said that he thought the council was unduly sus picious of the Portland Railway, Light & Power company, and assured the council that the railway wasn't trying to take any advantage of the Then he moved that permission be granted. , Councilman Metzner wanted to know why the city engineer didn't ask the railway company to saw off the ends of its ties that protruded under the pavement Mr. Meyer said that he didn't like the idea of having the street turned into a "crazy quilt" of Belgian block and concrete paving, and thought that whatever was done should be uniform the whole length of the street. Councilman Long said the street would never be uniform till the railway tracks were given a con crete foundation for the whole dis tance through the city. Mr. Cox urged that the company be . - i ;x . a. 1 .. t .1 graniea us request, auu uiai. me tvuu- cil take its word for its good inten- J Is it better to pay a seven mill tax annually on your property for the next 20 years, and know that in so doing you are placing Oregon City on a firm financial basis ; or would you rather run the risk of having the circuit court slam on a tax of 55-mills for three years to clear up Ore gon City's warrant indebtedness? Think this over as it effects YOU. Tf the voters of Oregon City do not adopt the proposed $275,000 refunding bond issue, which automatically will take care of the city debt, and which also AUTOMATICALLY GUAR ANTEES NO FURTHER INDEBTEDNESS; the court may, upon application of any creditor of the city, levy a tax sufficient to pay off the warrant debt. This levy may be in the form of 55 mills for three years, or it may be sufficient to pay the entire debt at once. In either case such a levy would spell ruin and confiscation to many of the home owners of the county seat. Do YOU want to take the chance of this happening? . Oregon City is in a hole a very deep and had hole. In its effort to keep abreast of the times it has for years exceeded its income. Maybe that was wrong but this is not the time to cry over spilled milk. The damage has been done, the debt is incurred and the creditors are tired waiting for their money. A refunding bond issue is now proposed. This bond issue ., will care for the city debt at once, and will carry but five percent interest on itself, instead of the six percent that is now draining out of the treasury on unpaid city warrants. The bond issue will pay for itself in twen ty years at the. outside, and will then leave a balance in the city treasury. If prosperity hits Oregon City a dazzling blow between the eyes, the bond issue may be taken up sooner than twen ty years. . - The bond issue will be cared for by a special tax levy of seven mills annually. The ordi nance that authorizes, the bond issue limits all other city taxation to seven mills additional, and forbids, under heavy penalty, the council incurring any further debt. THE BOND ISSUE IS THE ONLY SAFE AND SANE WAY OUT OFTHE PRESENT TROUBLE. Citizens of Oregon City will have the opportunity to approve this bond issue at the city elect ion next week. For the preservation of their own homes they ought to give it their vote. For the good name of the city they ought to approve the bond issue. For the sake of good business they ought to vote for the bond issue. THIS BOND ISSUE VITALLY EFFECTS THE AVERAGE MAN. The property of the average citizen of Oregon City is worth close to f 1,500. The property of some is a whole lot more, but the man of moderate means is the one who will have to bear the greatest relative, burden.- If the bond issue is approved his taxes for the next twenty years will be about 21 annu ally. The average citizen can raise this 21 and not bo unduly pinched. But suppose the bond issue is defeated, and the court levies a tax of 55 mills for the next three years to pay the outstanding debt. That will mean an individual tax of about $180.00 an nually that the manof the average and moderate circumstnee will have to pay. DO YOU WANT TO SEE A TAX LIKE THAT ON THE PROPERTY OF THE MAJORITY OF OUR CITI ZENS? .. , . . ... '' - Will the court levy such a tax? The chances are that a levy "of at least that will be ordered. One of the circuit judges has already gone on record as saying that he would appoint a receiver for Oregon City if he Avas asked so to do. And there is every indication that the request will be made if the bond issue the one remaining way out fails. What are. YrOU going to do about it? As a good citizen, we think YOU are going to vote for the issue of refunding bonds. (See Page 9) TRAIN KILLS WOMAN Mrs. E. E. Klar Meets Death on Track Between Canby and Molalla While walking on the tracks of the Southern Pacific branch between Mo lalla and Canby, Mrs. Ernest E. Klar, of Rames Station, wae instantly kill ed by a locomotive. Mrs. Klar was hard of hearing, and failed to hear the warning whistle sounded by Engineer L. P. Howard. The Southern Pacific right-of-way runs through the farm property of E. E. Klar, Mrs. Klar s husband, and members of the family often walk along or beside the track in going from one part of the ranch to anohter. It is believed Mrs. Klar was thought- lessly traveling in this way when she was hit by the train. Coroner Hemp stead was notified and investigated the accident. Mrs. Klar was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Wallace, of the Mu- lino district. She is survived by her widower, parents and two daughters, Hazel, age 14 years, and Rosa, aged 15 years. tions. "Mayor Jones said that in these days the words of some corporations weren t worth very much, and that the only thing to do was to get every thing down in black and white. Mr. Albright wanted to know what had become of the wigwag signal the P. R. L. & P. had promised two years ago for the Greenpoint crossing. Then Recorder Loder, City Attor ney Schuebel and Mayor Jones got their heads together and drew up a motion, which they hung on Council man Cox, somewhat to his distaste. The motion gave the railway permis sion to tear up the six and a half inch es provided that they assumed all cost oty-jXitira unifom throughout the street, that they abide by the will of the council in making any other changes desired, and that if Belgian blook didn't prove a remedy to the "bumps" that they take up the Bel gian block and put down whatever the council wanted, and further specify ing that the city waived none of its rights by granting this permission, and that whatever work was done be done with all expedition possible. In this form the council granted the permission.. An invitation from the Portland Stock Show, asking the people of Ore gon City to visit the show, and city officials to b . quests at a banquet, was slipped on the table. City Attorney (Continued on Page 10) INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS Enterprising Legal Light Illuminates Local Horizon a Bit A reporter from the Courier office went to see the Honorable Christian Schuebel on Tuesday afternoon of this week, and asked him a few little questions about legal matters. Inci dentally the Jones anti-booze law, which Mr. Schuebel drew, was discus sed; and .so was the matter of the city budget. The reporter thought there might be legal discrepancies in these matters, but Chris said that there were none. More about that next week. In winding up his remarks, the Honorable Christian Schuebel relieved himgelf of Mowing tribute to local attorneys in general. "The trouble with some of these smart law yers who have been filling you up,'' Chris said to the reporter, "is that while they may know the law in the abstract, they don't keep posted on the supreme court decisions effecting these laws, and so they really don't know what they are talking about. A law may be passed and may apper to have something the matter with it, but if the supreme court passes on it and construes it as being good, these ap parent troubles don t amount to any thing.'' Wednesday morning the Enterprise had an interview with Chris, in which the wise attorney allowed that the Stone charter amendment, providing for the election of a city prosecutor, left a loophole for the council to ap point a "city attorney." If the coun cil did this, Mr. Schuebel is quoted as saying, the city's legal bill might be doubled should the Stone amendment pass. v Thus it appears that Mr. Schuebel is not even averse to picking flaws in laws himself, when it suits him so to do. Of course, as the charter doesn't provide for anything but a city prose cutor, and as the term "city attor ney" is a decoration evolved solely for the benefit of the Honorable Christian Schuebel, the supreme court, if the matter was brought to its at tention, would probably rule that the INTENT of the amendment was to make the city legal o.Ticial elective instead of appointive and so would knock out all chance of there being two jobs foisted on the city. Chris, it appears, doesn't want to see the city prosecutorship elective, but prefers to have the job kept ap pointive. And when it suits his end he elaborates technicalities in the pro- ELEVATOR IS BUSY Municipal "Uplift Work" Appreciated By County Seat Folk Oregon City's municipal free ' ele vator, having disgorged itself of lead plugs, air bubbles and other prelim inary drawbacks to its piping system,! started in work in earnest last week, and has been doing heavy service ever since. Mayor Linn U. Jones and John F. Albright, patron saints of the elevator, kept tabs on the business that the big cage did last Saturday, and found that between six In the morning and eleven at night the lift carried 3,869 people. While doing this the cage made 488 trips, and if its movement had been all up, instead of alterntely up and down, it would have reached a height of 16 miles. The hydraulic machinery used 117,120 gallons of South Fork water during the day. The test count is regarded as an excellent average of the elevator busi ness, for though Saturday may have brought a few extra people downtown for shopping, there were no school children using the big lift, as on week days. Everybody who has tried the elevator so far seems to like it. MRS. JAEGAR DIES Wilsonvilie Woman Passes Away in One of Portland's Hospitals Following an operation Saturday afternoon, Mrs. Gus. Jaegar, of Wil sonvilie, died Saturday night in a Portland hospital without recovering from the anesthetic. Mrs. Jaegar was well known in Wilsonvilie, where she had resided for the past 25 years. The funeral services were held Tuesday, and interment was in the Pleasant Hill cemetery. Her husband and five children sur vive her, and are receiving the sympa thies of a large circle of friends and acquaintances. MRS. SULLIVAN DIES Mrs. T. W. Sullivan, wife of T. W. Sullivan, president of the Oregon City Commercial club, and a man promi nent in Clackamas county affairs, died at the Oregon City hospital Thursday morning after an illness of but a few weeks. Three children and her hus band survive her. In an effort to pro long Mrs. Sullivan's life an operation was performed Thursday, but she fail ed to rally. posed measure to help in its defeat. Somebody once remarked that con sistency was a jewel. But we notice that Chris doesn't wear much jewelry, STATEWIDE "PROHIBITION" ACT APPEARS TO HAVE PLENTY OF TEETH PROVISIONS ARE CATALOGUED Way of Transgressor Will be Hard, in Spite of Prophecies to the Con trary by Foes of Statute For the information of its readers the Benton County Courier last week gave an excellent summary of the leading provisions of the statewide "dry" law which will go into effect in Oregon the first of the new year. The outline of the effects of the law, as published in the Courier, is so excel lent that the Oregon City Courier takes the liberty of reprinting the ar ticle herewith. After you have read what follows, maybe you will think better of the "prohibition" amendment than you have in the past. "Under restrictions liquor made in another state may be brought into and consumed in Oregon, and the fol lowing outline of the provisions and penalties will be interesting reading to many who will not take the time to wade through the whole law. "It is unlawful to receive liquors transported or delivered in violation of the law. The penalty is a fine of $50, or imprisonment not exceeding thirty days. "Transfer of shipping receipts, bill of lading, order or other receipt call ing for delivery of intoxicating li quor is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500 or imprisonment to 90 days. "Carrying liquor to a dance hall or public place, or having in possession at such places, is a misdemeanor, with a fine of $200 or imprisonment to 100 "Disobedience of subpoena, refusal to testify or sign testimony is a mis demeanor subject to a fine to $300, or three month's imprisonment, or both. "It is unlawful to handle commer cial paper to which is attached a bill of lading, order or receipt for intoxi cating liquors or which is connected therewith directly or indirectly. Pun- shment: fine from $25 to $100, or im prisonment not more than 90 days. 'For violntion of injunction relat ing to premises, the penalty is a. fine not less than $100 nor more than $500 and imprisonment from 30 days to a year. "Maintaining or assisting in main taining a nuisance is a misdemeanor punishable under general provisions. "The first offense s punishable by fine up to $500 or imprisonment up to six months; the second by not less than $100 fine nor more than $500 and from 30 days to a year in jail; the third offense by two years at hard la bor. "Premises where a nuisance exists may be fined the corns, which are made a lien on the property. "The use of leased premises to maintain a nuisance voids the lease and right of possession, and the prop erty reverts to the owner. "To make false affidavit for the re ceipt of liquor is perjury, punishable by two to five years imprisonment. "It is unlawful for a carrier to de liver liquor without taking an affidavit from the consignee. "Carriers must file affidavits by the tenth day of each calendar month. "Carriers cannot deliver liquor on a transferred bill of lading. Violation means a fine not to exceed $500 or 70 days in jail. "It is unlawful for carriers to de liver to a minor, habitual drunkard or an intoxicated person or to any other person than the consignee whose name is on the package. "It is unlawful to solicit, take or receive orders within Oregon. Vendors must not advertise or dis tribute circulars, price lists, etc., un der penalty of a fine from $100 to $500. "Vendors must not give away li quor for the purpose of evading, nor use any shift, device or subterfuge therefor. "It is unlawful to maintain a locker room or similar place for bartering, giving away or sale. This applies to an individual or an association. Of fenses are punished under general provision. "Druggists must give a bond ol $250 to obey the law. "Druggists must take and file affi davits and prescriptions of all sules of alcohol with the county clerk. Pen alties for druggists are: First offense, forfeit of bond; second, suspension of license for six months; third, revoca tion of license. Physicians are under the same penalties as druggists. "Officials cannot dodge the enforce ment of the law without running grave risks. The county clerk must furnish blank affidavits, record, file and preserve them for two years. "Sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, magistra tes, mayors, marshals, police officers and other peace officers must give in formation and names of witnesses to the district attorney on receiving rea sonable grounds of suspicion of viola tion. Failure to do so brings a fine COUNTY SEAT STORE AIMS TO GIVE SERVICE REGARDLESS OF PROFIT OR COST PORTLAND'S PRICES ARE MET Development of "Buy It at Home'' Idea Brings General Increase in All Departments of Business When Lou Adams subscribed to the "Buy It At Home" campaign recently instituted by Oregon City merchants, he. did more than just promise his business colleagues that he would tell his friends to do all the shopping pos sible in Oregon City. He determined to so conduct the affairs of his store that shoppers would find it greatly to their advantage to do their trading in their home town. And with charac teristic modesty he didn't take a trum pet and announce his plans broadcast he left if for people to find out for themselves. And so it has really been somewhat difficult for the Courier to discover just what he has been doing. In fact this story might not have been written had it not been that a clerk in the shoe department in the store, succumbed to the wiles of a Courier reporter and told some of the secrets of the store management. Mr. Adams himself was as communi cative as the sphinx. The recent pur chase by this store of a line of shoes proved to be the clue that, led to the discovery of the new plan. It appears that shoe manufacturers of Brooklyn, New York, put out a fancy grade of shoes. Recently one of their salesmen was in Portland closing coast orders, and this shoe clerk went down to see if there was anything suitable for his store. He saw some shoes that a large Portland department store had ordered, and which the Portland store will retail for seven dollars a pair. They are ladies' shoes, and are designed for fancy dress wear. He asked the price of them, wholesale, and after hearing it exclaimed: "Why, we can sell those same shoes in Oregon City for five dollars a pair and make a profit on them. Put ma down for some." And he gave his order. Thus it will be possible for Oregon City shoppers to get shoes in their home town for five dollars, while if they go to Portland they will pay seven dollars for the same thing. This difference in price is due to two things the Portland store has a repu tation to sustain as a headquarters of high-grade (and presumably high priced) shoes, and has a heavy over head expense to meet; while the Ore gon City stores have less overhead expense, and have a reputation solely for SERVICEABLE goods to main-. tain. "The small town stores have an ad vantage in other ways over the big city store. . Not only are the expenses less, but outside of certain standard lines that are constantly called for, they can carry smaller stocks, and so turn over their profits more quickly. The big store has to carry an immense line of goods of all sorts, while the smuller stores can get along with less, but still give its customers all the advantage of the big store." "How is that,'' asked the reporter. "Well," replied the merchant, "take ladies' tailor-made suits, for instance. The big Portland store not only car ries a heavy line of custom-made suits, but is forced to maintain an expensive tailoring department. Here we carry enough custom made goods to meet the average demand. But if a lady wants a suit that we do not carry in stock, all she has to do is to pick out her cloth in the bolt, and our experts take her measurements. Three days later we deliver to her the suit tailor-made to her measure and three days is as quick, if not quicker, than any Portland tailor can turn out a costume. By buying the goods from us and giving us the order the customer does her shopping here, deals with her home town people, payi no more than Portland prices, and ge.ts quick and personal service.'' The same thing, it develops, can be done in men's wear. The local dealers all represent some reliable clothing manufacturer of men's wear. They carry a well-assorted stock, but naturally they cannot be expected to carry every grade of garment that the big Chicago clothing houses manu facture. These stores, however, have a complete line of samples of all the factory fabrics, and a sty(Ie book; and (Continued on Page 10) from $100 to $500 and forfeiture of office. "District attorneys who fail, neglect or refuse to faithfully perform any duty imposed on them by this law are,r liable to nne not less than $100 nor more than $500, or Imprisonment in the county jail from 10 to 90 days and forfeiture of office. "The governor may appoint prose cuting officers where district attorneys don't or cannot act. "County courts must pay all ex penses incurred by or under directions of the district attorney in gathering evidence, prosecuting violators, etc."