f
EGOM CITY COURIER
33d Year
OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1916
Number 45
F,
E
CANBY IDEA OF SITUATION IS
SOMEWHAT FAULTY, AC
CORDING TO COURT
$7,950 "SAVED" FOR PRESENT
Fair Association Must Reorganize and
Get Legal Standing Before Ac
tion of Any Kind Can Be Taken
- Last Week's Canby Herald, in a
burst of generosity, gave the defunct
Clackamas County Fair to the county
court, following the dissolution of the
Clackamas County Fair Association
by executive order of Governor Withy.
combe. The governor wiped the fair
association out of legal existence with
a lot of other corporations, for fail
ure to turn in an annual report of its
condition. In giving the fair to the
county court, the Canby Herald says:
"This proclamation dissolves
the Clackamas County Fair as
sociation as a company of in
dividuals and thus automatical
ly transfers the ownership and
management of the fair to the
county court, in accordance with
the decision rendered by taxpay
ers at the annual county budget
meeting last month. That de
cision was to the effect that the
county court appropriate $7950
for the purchase of the fair
grounds at this place, this sum
being the total amount of indebt
edness against the property, and
that the county take over the
fair grounds and conduct the
fair as a county institution."
This is all very lovely from the
viewpoint of the county fair associa
tion, and from the viewpoint of the
Canby Herald; but according to Coun
ty Judge H. S. Anderson it isn't the
correct viewpoint.
"The county court has not got the
fair at all," said the county judge in
discussing the matter with the Cour
ier, "and as things are zt present I
do not believe the county court could
get it. The forfeiture of the county
fair association's charter does not
place the county fair under the coun
ty court as far as I know; and it ap
pears to me that the gentlemen com
prising the old county fair association
will have to reorganize and get them
selves reinstated legally before the
count ycourt can even open negotia
tions for the purchase of the fair
grounds."
Judge Anderson gave it as his opin
ion that the forfeiture of the charter
of the Clackamas County Fair Asso
ciation operated simply as would the
forfeiture of any other charter, and
that now there was no county fair as
sociation, no legal ownership of the
fair grounds, and that the creditors of
the old fair association, if they so de
sired, might take legal steps to seize
the fair property to satisfy their
claims against the association.
If the judge's view is correct, and
it appears to be, the county court has
no authority or power to expend
$7,950 to "purchase" the fair grounds,
or even to liquidate the debts of the
outlawed association. In short that
$7,950 is due to stay in the county
treasury for a good long time as far
as the old county fair outfit is con
cerned. In commenting further on the coun
ty fair debt and plan to unload the
grounds on the county for the amount
of the indebtedness, the Canby Herald
continues:
"Since the taxpayers' meet
ing certain parties of the ex
treme eastern part of the coun
ty have gazed with jealous eyes
on the appropriation establish
ing the county fair at this place
so long as the electorate of the
county see fit to continue it so,
and have made dire threats to
bring the issue under the refer
endum. According to the best
authority obtainable, however, .
the action of the taxpayers'
meeting cannot be brought un
der the referendum which the
above disgruntled ones seem to
have found out, and they are now
talking of county division. Coun
ty division would be a good
thing for the rest of the coun
ty." This brilliant statement in the
Canby Herald leads some people to
intimate that the county fajr asso
ciation was deliberately permitted to
be outlawed to "force the hand of the
county court." However, if such was
the scheme, the plan has miscarried
considerably and it is said by attor
neys in the county seat that if the
matter was carried into a fight, the
county court could be forced to ex
pend the $7,950 set apart for county
fair purposes in purchasing tther
grounds and in erecting other fair
buildings at any point in the county
deemed advisable.
People in Estacada and the eastern
part of the county are watching de
velopments in the county fair muddle
with much interest. Estacada has ex
plicitly gone on record as not want
ing the county fair in the eastern aec
tion of the county. All that Esta
NOW
HINT FOR OREGON
Thirsty "Drys" Might Try Hoosier
Tactics in Beating the Law
The use of lemon extract as a sub
stitute for liquor in "dry" territory is
told in the following news dispatch
from Vevay, Indiana:
"Lemon extract which for years
was used only as a flavoring in cakes
and pastry, is being tried as a substi
tute for whisky and beer by some
persons here since the city voted out
the saloons.
"According to the man who claims
to have discovered the drink substi
tute, 50 cents' worth wilL bring that
happy, don t care feeling, and $1
worth will result in a first-class jag.'
"for some mflnths there have been
an unusual number of cases of intoxi
cation tried before Mayor Campbell.
Courts of inquiry to learn where the
intoxicants came from were without
result. Finally, it was learned that
where the grocery stores here former
ly sold only a few bottles of extract in
a week's time, dozens of bottles are
now sold daily.
"It is expected that a new law will
be required, similar to those now in
effect in Montana and Idaho, which
prohibit the use of flavoring extracts
in prohibition localities in order to
overcome this evil."
TRUTH WILL OUT
California Climate Described and Illus
trated by Standard Oil Co.
When the Standard Oil company
started publishing a monthly "bulle
tin" in attractive magazine form, it
announced that the purpose of the
publicaion would be to tell the truth
about itself, the oil industry in general
and such other matters as might be
of general interest.
And apparently the Standard Oil
company has kept faith, for the cur
rent (January) number of its bulletin
contains a two-page picture of "win
ter sports" in California, showing half
a hundred or so people clothed in
sweaters and wearirig skiis, wallow
ing in the snow at Truckee, and on
another page are three pictures of the
snow at Stockton. On the same page
as the Stockton snow pictures is one
of a snow scene in Spokane, Washing
ton and as far as snow goes there
isn't much choice between them.
All of which goes to prove that the
California "winter climate" isn' so
very different from Oregon's present
"most unusual weather." It is nice
to have the Standard Oil company
advertise to the world the fact that
it snows in winer in California, just as
it does in other places.
STOVE BLOWS UP
Canby Home Damaged by Explosion
of Hot Water Coil '
Sunday morning Al Fellows, of
Canby, got up and lighted the fire in
the kitchen range. Shortly after
wards the water coil, which had froz
en over night, blew up With a loud
and powerful bang, scattering stove
lids and other things over the kitchen
and blowing Guy Fellows, the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Fellows, through the
kitchen door. The young man was
unhurt.
Following the explosion, which se
verely shocked Mr. and Mrs. Fellows,
members of the family were kept busy
putting out the scattered and burn
ing fuel, and in stopping the flow of
water from the supply pipe. The
Fellows home was damaged to the ex
tent of $300 by the blast which was
one of several that occurred in the
county during ther ecentc old spell.
Calavan Likes Job
J. E. Calavan, county school super
intendent, who was appointed to office
upon the resignation of T. J. Gary,
has announced himself candidate for
the republican nomination of county
school superintendent. Mr. Calavan s
slogan is the word "Efficiency," and
he declares that if continued in office
he will keep up his work of trying to
better thee ounty schools, and of mak
ing every effort to make the school
work more attractive to pupils and in
teresting to the parents. As super
intendent he has made an excellent
record.
established at some "central location"
and the Estacada Progress has even
suggested Gladstone Park as a suit
able location. The Courier has heard
many people say that the county fair
would be more centrally located if
placed at Milwaukie or near Clacka
mas. Outside of the Canby contin
gent, no persons interested appear to
have picked any definite site and
Canby wants it at Canby.
With the county fair association
outlawed, and with the county court
automatically estopped from opening
any negotiations with the members
of the old fair association until they
are rehabilitated legally, it begins to
look as if the county fair muddle
might be cleared by the establishment
of a brand new location. There is no
reason or excuse for the county court
worrying at this time about the Canby
location or property; and unless some
thing is done to reorganize the asso
ciation that formerly controlled the
Canby grounds, the grounds and
buildings may be claimed by credit
ors of the old association.
It appears to the Courier that this
is a good time for the Canby contin
gent to be very good and meek, in
stead of announcing that thee ounty
court has automatically come into
possession of the Canby equipment
and that it will have to pay the debts
WORTH
LOOKING
TO, IS
111
HAS OUR HOME STATE BRED
A "JYNX," AND IF SO
WHOSE FAULT IS IT
MATTER CONCERNS ALL OF US
Progress to North and South of Line
Not Reflected Within Borders,
In Spite of All Boosting
Pioneers and some other people will
readily remember the day when Ore.
gon was the greatest state in the
West People even left the golden hills
of California to come to Oregon, and
Portland was the chief center of cul
ture, business and progress west of
the Rocky Mountains. Oregon had a
great future before it, and the people
who lived here had an abounding faith
in their state.
What happened to that future?
The Courier asks its readers to look
facts in the face, and then to think.
The Courier is an Oregon paper, and
it Wants to see Oregon fulfil its des
tiny. It has faith in Oregon, it knows
this state has., wonderful resources
that are yet untouched, and it firmly
believes that when Oregon wakes up
it wall startle the world.
But wen will it wake up ?
Who is going to wind the alarm
clock, and who is going to hop up and
hustle when the bell rings ?
The Courier has an idea that the
bell is even now ringing, and it won
ders why more people don't hear it.
Recently there have come to the no
tice of the Courier a number of in
disputable facts. They are as fol
lows: Washington has 627 sawmills, Ore
gon has but oU5. Yet Uregon has
more standing timber.
Washington has 397 shingle mills,
Oregon but 111. Yet shingle mill la
bor is cheaper in Oregon.
Washington has 5,178 miles of rail
road, much of it double-tracked. Ore
gon has 2,685 miles, and the ' only
stretch of double track leads toward
Tacoma, Washington.
Washington has a population of ap
proximately a million and a quarter;
Oregon's population is a scant three
quarters of a million. Yet in actual j
area Washington is only about two
thirds the size of Oregon.
In the last three months of 1915,
Washington imported and exported
almost ten times as much as did Ore
gon in the same space of time.
Washington has five cities with a
population over 25,000 people; Oregon
has one.
You can ship anything from any
point in Washington to tidewater
cheaper than you can ship the same
commodity from any point in Oregon
to tidewater.
Washington has. more and better
constructed schools than Oregon, has
better roads and more of them, and
has a vast system of interurban lines
of transportation; while Oregon's in
terurban lines simply radiate in two
directions from Portland.
And Oregon is now getting more or
less enthusiastic over the plan of the
notable Robert Strahorn to build a
railroad in the central part of the
state that will drain Oregon business
to California.
Between ten and twenty years ago
the two states were almost equal. If
there was any difference in the statis
tics, the difference was in favor of
Oregon. What has happened in the
last ten or twenty years to change
things so why hasn't Oregon forged
ahead as Washington and California
have ?
Climatically Oregon has the "bulge"
on Washington. The summers are
longer and the winters are not so se
vere. Oregon also has the advantage
over California, in that the summers
are cooler, and the winters are no
worse. Geologically the three states
are on a par all have a wonderful
variety and fertility of soil and are
capable of growing record-breaking
crops of every kind. Why, then, is
Oregon behind in the procession?
The Courier calls these facts to the
attention of its readers in the hopes
that Oregon people will think about
them, will rouse from the twilight
sleep in which they have been so com
fortably been reposing, and will DO
SOMETHING to catch up with the
procession.
The first place these remarks ought
to hit is in the home of every commer
cial club and boosting institution. Our
commercial clubs are burdened with
the duty of seeing that their individu
al communities make progress the
more progress the community makes,
the greater the credit for its com
mercial club. The Courier does not
desire to criticize any commercial club
in particular but it believes that
every club ought to consider the facts
here presented.
Every citizen of the state also
should consider them, and consider
them well. When Oregon makes pro.
gress and joins rank with her sister
states to the north and the south,
EVERYBODY IN OREGON will be
benefitted. Figure out for yourself
what is the matter with Oregon, what
is the "jynx" that is hanging on Ore-
OREGON
GIRLS HALT MAILS
Milwaukie Goes Without Letters Be.
cause Two Misses Have Scrap
People who didn't get up before
half past nine last Sunday didn't get
any mail at the Milwaukie post office.
Usually the office lobby is open all day
Sunday, and late risers can get to
their letterboxes, but Sunday the lob
by was locked, and lazy people went
without news from the folks back
east and without mail order catalogues
and magazines.
And all because two Milwaukie girls
got up early Sunday morning and felt
so frisky that they staged a fight in
the Milwaukie post office. . In the
course of the argument,, which was
of a playful nature, one of the young
ladies heaved the other one through
the glass partition that keeps ordinary
people from reaching in to Post
master Haggemann's desk and grab
bing the registered mail. The glass
partition fell in sparkling pieces all
over the floor, and to keep others
from going through the hole in the
glass, Mr. Haggemann locked the of
fice up for all day.
The names of the young ladies have
nothing very much to do with this
story, and as they have agreed to pay
for the glass which they broke in
their friskiness, they will not be ar
rested for trying to break into a U.
S. post office. But just the same,
those two girls made a lot of Mil
waukie folk go without their letters
Sunday.
ECHO OF FRAUD
Southern County Folk Still Looking
Vainly for "University" Agent
The "Rev." Otto F. Nelson, who
sold numerous residents of Aurora,
Canby, Barlow and Hubbard, courses
of instruction in the "Angelus Uni
versity," $3 being paid down, with
regular sums each month until the
course was paid for, cannot be
found nor can the "University"
whose "courses" he peddled.
Numerous complaints have been
made to county Attorney Ringo that
the whole matter is fraudulent. Mr.
Ringo wrote to the chief of Police of
Los Angeles, the supposed home of
the "University," but neither building
nor faculty can be found there. How
ever, letters continue to come to the
"students" here, threatening to sue
them if they do not pay the alleged
balance due. Most of the students
have quit "sending good money after
bad," and express a strong desire to
meet again the glib-tongued "Rev."
Otto. (Aurora Observer.)
CITIZENSHIP QUESTIONED
County Clerk Refuses to Permit Rev.
W. T. Milliken to Register
Because the Rev. W. T. Milliken
was unable to produce his father's
naturalization papers, the county
clerk's office refused to permit him to
register this week.
Dr. Milliken was born in Canada,
but came to the United States with
his family when a child. In due time
his father became naturalized, and
took out his final papers. Subsequent
to this a fire visited the Milliken home
and the naturalization proofs were de
stroyed. Dr. Milliken has always voted be
fore, and is not exactly overjoyed at
the proceedure of the clerk's office. He
will write to the state department at
Washington, D. C, and endeavor to
get a copy of his father's naturaliza
tion papers, so that he may fully satis
fy the interpreters of the Oregon reg
istration law in the clerk's office.
LETTER BID PLEASES
San Francisco Banker First to Answer
Boosting Notes from County
Leroy D. Walker, president of the
Bank of Commerce, Oregon City's new
financial institution, received early
Wednesday morning the first answer
to the flood of boosting letters sent
out this week from Oregon City. The
answer came from the assisstant cash
ier of the First National Bank of San
Francisco, and read as follows:
"The letter which you sent out tell
ing of the attractions of Oregon City
and vicinity is very tempting indeed,
and makes me want to take advantage
of it myself. I have been there on
two occasions, but have never gotten
beyond the banking institutions. I
hope it will be my privilege to come
that way some day and see the beauty
spots you tell about."
INDUSTRY REORGANIZED
Brick and Tile Concern has Put in
Many Improvements for Season
A reorganization was effected this
week of the Unique Brick & Tile
company, doing business at Hoover's
station on the Estacada line.
The by-laws were amended, reduc
ing the number of directors from sev
en to five and the following were
elected for the coming yearl Milo C.
King, Al. Bingham, E. Gurney, L. O.
Pershin and B. F. Hoover. Mr. King
was elected president; Mr. Bingham,
vice president, and Mr. Gurney secretary-treasurer.
Mr. Gurney will
also be the manager of the plant
Nearly $2000 have recently been
expended in improvements and the
plant is fully equipped for a prosper
ous season in sight.
During the fiscal year 1915, 44 of
the 162 national forests paid their
local operating costs, or in other
NEW TRADE PATH
BY
UNCLE SAM BUSY DURING WAR
BETTERING WORLD'S SHIP
PING OPPORTUNITIES
SULU SEA CHARTED AT LAST
Stretch of Waters Long Shunned by
Mariners is Explored and Costly
Gaa Beacon Lights Are Placed
While nations of the Old World
have been busy for the past year or
so knocking the stuffing out of each
other, piling up a gigantic debt, and
battering each others' ships to pieces,
what do you suppose your Uncle Sam.
uel has been doing ?
Of course most of us know he has
been sending notes to the warring
powers, asking that humanity be re
garded somewhat, and that women
and children non-combatants be not
exposed to the terrors and perils of
submarine attack.
But your Uncle Samuel has also
been doing something more and also
in the interests of humanity and pro
gress. He has charted the Sulu Sea,
and found a safe route in this wreck
strewn expanse of reefs and channels
for the commerce of the world a
route that saves hundreds of miles in
the distance formerly steamed by
vessels engaged in Oriental commerce.
An account of this work on the part
of the United States government is
published in a recent number of the
Daily Commerce Reports, and makes
most interesting reading,
The Department of Commerce,
through the Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey and Bureau of Lighthouses, has
recently surveyed and marked a safe
passage through the Sulu Sea of the
Philippine Islands, a body of water
covering over 50,000 square miles, ex
tending from the southern coast of
Palawan to the northwest coast ot
Mindanao, and . from the northeast
coast of Borneo to the southwest ex
tremity of Panay. Over this vast
area there has been little known of
the great depths and isolated ' sand
cays and coral reefs, save for a few
srattered soundings and approximate
locations of reefs, made by early
navigators, which of themselves serv
ed to warn navigators in modern
steamships from using its waters.
The entire region has been consider
ed so dangerous that its navigation
from the southern island ports of
Iloilo, Cebu, and Zamboanga of ves
sels en route to the Suez or the west
coast of Borneo and Sumatra has been
forbidden by the underwriters, and
necessitated the water-borne com
merce to be carried hundreds of miles
from the most direct course.
During the early days of the pres
ent European war it was obviously
necessary that merchant vessels of
the warring nations seek the less-frequented
parts of the sea, and the re
routing of ' commerce demanded that a
track across the Sulu Sea be discover
ed and developed if it existed.
On September 13, 1914, the British
ship Bengloe, loaded with a valuable
cargo of sugar, hemp and copra, and
bound from the port of Cebu to Liver
pool, stranded on a shoal while en
deavoring to cross the unsurveyed sea
and became a total loss. This shoal
proved to be one previously reported
by the master of a British steamer
about the year 1888, but unfortunate
ly the position given by the British
charts proved to be nearly 4 miles in
error.
On October 13, 1914, the Coast
Survey steamer Pathfinder, was order
ed to survey a track that would short
en the distance from the Philippine
ports to Singapore and the Suez, and
determine the true positions of all
islands, reefs, and cays along such a
route through the Sulu Sea. Astro
nomical observations were made at
the wreck of the Bengloe and at all
reefs, islands, and cays adjacent to
the most direct route . Soundings
were taken at frequent intervals and
a track from 10 to 15 miles broad and
260 miles in length was practically
completed.
The old courses across the Sulu
Sea used by the Royal Spanish Mail
and the more venturesome tramp
steamers required five changes of
course, while the new route requires
but two changes of course, furnishes
immunity from the ordinary dangers
of unknown waters, and lessens what
was previously considered a safe route.
by approximately 200 miles.
Following the survey of the new di
rect track, the Bureau of Lighthouses
of the Philippines placed two large
steel towers with flashing acetylene
lights at the two turning points in
the course. The lights are each vis
ible for 14 miles, forming as they do
a link in a chain of lights extending
in almost a straight line from
Iloilo to' Balabac Straits and the
southern parts of the China Sea, a
distance of 370 miles. These light
towers are placed on low cays, which
show by a few feet above the sea,
and close to the new route, thus
changing some of the most serious
dangers along the route into efficient
0
ABOUT ROAD FUNDS
County Judge Anderson Tells Courier
Readers How Money Was Spent
Last week the Courier published a
statement given out by the county
clerk regarding the expenditure of
road funds in this county for the year
1915. It appears there was a "cleri
cal error" in this statement, and that
the total was about $110,000 out of
the way.
County Judge Anderson has given
the Courier the following correct
statement regarding the road expendi
tures of the county, and this paper is
very glad to print it. Says Judge An
derson: "There has been paid out of the
entire fund raised by the general
county levy of eight mills the sum of
$228,767.69.
"Thi3 was divided as follows: dis
trict funds, which include all amounts
paid out of the funds apportioned to
the 60 road districts, $118,110.22;
amount paid to cities, $37,909.76; paid
out of the general road fund under the
direction of the county court for
roads and bridges, $72,747.71.
"There has therefore been spent on
the roads of the county, as distinguish
ed from streets in incorporated cities,
from the eight-mill levy the sum of
$190,857.93
Paid from special taxes
levied in road districts, $54,931.50;
making the total expended from all
funds $283,699.19."
BURBANK DAY SET
March 7 to be Observed in All Schools
of the State
Superintendent of Public Instruc
tion Churchill, with offices at Salem,
has set aside March 7 as "Burbank
Day." March 7 is the anniversary of
the birth of Burbank, the California
plant wizard, and on that day special
efforts will be made to interest in
horticultural and agricultural work.
"It seems particularly fitting in
connection with our agricultural and
industrial club work in the public
schools, that we should have a Bur
bank day, and with proper preparation
and exercises familiarize the boys and
girls with the man who has accom
plished so much for human progress,"
said the superintendent in making the
announcement "When farm boys
learn that soil chemistry, horticulture
stock breeding and similar studies re
quire as much brain activity as do
electricity, law and medicine, and that
Burbank is classed with such men as
Edison, and has an income greater
than most lawyers, they will hesitate
before going to the cities to become
flunkies for corporations whose man
agers win consider tnem omy as so
much property."
SCHUEBEL MAY RUN
Robert, not the Honorable Christian,
Has Legislative Ambitions
In a public letter Robert Schuebel,
of Eldorado, says that he is thinking
very seriously of becoming a candi
date on the republican ticket for a
legislative job at Salem. Mr. Schue
bel thinks the county is spending too
much money, is disappointed in pro
hibition, and in general seeks to dis
cover what is wrong. He thinks the
legislature is a good place to discover
why the cost of living has so gener
ously increased.
In particular Mr. Schuebel says that
he was told that if the prohibition
law carried, crime in the state would
be cut down three-quarters in quan
tity; yet he is pained and puzzled to
note that following the passage of the
prohibition law it became necessary
to appoint a deputy district attorney
in his county.
What effect the possible candidacy
of Robert Schuebel will have upon the
political "dopesters" confess that they
are stumped by the prospect.
JUSTICE IN BAD SHAPE
Evidence Can No Longer Be Weighed
at Clackamas County Courthouse
The recent "weather" that we have
all been enjoying has, among other
things, put a crimp in justice at the
Clackamas county courthouse. No
longer can the fair goddess of reason
carefully weigh evidence that is sub
mitted to her for the simple reason
that one of the pans of her scales has
been blown away.
Justice, be it known, is the only
young lady at the court house who
wears a slit skirt as one of our con
temporaries once remarked. Justice
is the more or less white statue that
stands over the court house entrance,
and that formerly balanced in one up
lifted hand a pair of scales.
Formerly balanced, we remark for
on "the day of the big wind" one of
the pans of the scales went sailing off
into space. So now the scales are on
the blink, evidence cannot be weigh
ed, and in short Justice cannot do its
duty.
Beggar Gets 10 Days
A beggar who didn't give his name
wandered in to a county seat store
Thursday and asked for something to
eat. The proprietor felt good natured
and gave him plenty for a mulligan.
On leaving the store the beggar threw
the stuff into the street, and Chief
Blanchard arrested him; thus accord
ing the Btranger the honor of the first
"pinch" of the new administration.
Recorder Loder gave him ten days in
jail to think it over.
The Courier is $1 a year if paid in
advance.
SAN JOSE SCALE
y
ALL VARIETIES OF TREE AND
FRUIT PESTS DOING WELL
IN CLACKAMAS VALLEY
FARM'RS SOMEWHAT INCENSED
Letter to Courier Reveals Situation
That Is Alarming if Matters are
Actually as Reported Therein
The Courier has received a letter
from a Clackamas valley farmer that
bears all the earmarks of absolute
truth, and that brings into promi
nence a condition that ought to be
attended to at once if the facts as
stated, in the epistle are correct.
From some investigation that the
Courier has made, this paper has
,' reason to believe that the situation is
about as set forth by the letter writer,
and for that reason it gives the com
munication the prominence of front
page space. Also, for reasons which
will be apparent by a perusal of the
letter, the Courier respects the wish
of the writer and does not print his
name. The letter follows:
Editor, Courier: I wish you would
call the attention of the proper author,
ities, whoever they may be, to con
ditions' which exist, and which have
existed for some time, in the Clack
amas valley, and to a less degree in
other portions of the county. I re
fer to the way in which San Jose
scale, wooly aphis, and other tree and
fruit pests have been permitted to
spread in this section due to lack of
inspection.
Now, Mr. Editor, what I have to
say does not reflect upon the enter
prising farmers of the Clackamas
valley. Those of them who value
their trees have done their best to
keep them sprayed and healthy. We
have spent much money taking care,
of our fruit and in fighting pests, but
we cannot do this work on other
farms than our own. And there are
some farmers in this section who have
only a few fruit trees, and who do not
care for the fruit, who have not done
this kind of work. Not caring wheth
er their trees lived or died, and feed
ing their apples to hogs, they have
simply neglected to care for their
trees because they have not been forc
ed so to do.
For this we do not blame them very
much. If they don't want fruit trees
on their places, that is their affair.
And if they let their trees become af
flicted with San Jose scale and with
other pests, that is also their affair.
Maybe they don't know what shape
their trees are in, because there has
been nobody to tell them. And that
isn't their affair, either; but it is our
affair.
This county is supposed to have a
fruit inspector. His name is O. E.
Freytag. There was a time when Mr.
Freytag used to be out amongst hb
every week or so, and many farmers
who formerly had fruit trees know
this because Mr. Freytag said the
trees were infected and made them
cut the trees down. Now they haven't
got any fruit trees.
Last year, however, Mr. Freytag
wasn't among us. Those of us who
expected him to come around and tell
us what was the matter with our
trees, didn't see him. On inquiry we
heard he was in San Francisco, operat
ing a booth at the world's fair, and
telling people what fine apples they
grew in Oregon. And up here in
Clackamas county we were growing
apples, too and some of our neigh
bors were growing them, and be
cause our neighbors were not told by
the inspector down in San Francisco
to spray their trees, they also grew
nice crops of scale and rot and bugs,
and the wind came and blew the spores
around, and now all of our trees have
scale and rot and bugs.
I do not know whether Fruit In
spector Freytag drew his salary
while he was in San Francisco or not.
I mean his salary for being fruit in
spector not his salary for taking the
Clackamas county exhibit from the
land show to Pendleton. But I do
know that there was nobody came
around in Mr. Freytag's place, to tell
the farmers who didn't care about
fruit to cut down their trees, or to
tell the farmers who were otherwise
busy to spray their trees. As a re
sult the scale and the aphis had a fine
time of it, and prospered as their
Creator intended them to do; and this
year it is going to take a lot of spray
ing and a lot of cutting to clear the
valley of these pests. And some of
us, are going to lose our fruit trees
because there was no adequate in
spection of somebody else's fruit trees
last year; and nobody is going to pay
us for the trees we will lose.
Some of us, Mr. Editor, feel pretty
mad about this. We know we tried
to do our part, and we know we
should have been protected against
those of our neighbors who didn't
care what happened to their , trees.
And we are just about mad enough to
write to somebody at Salem and see if
something can't be done. I feel that
this ought to be done too, but before
I write to Salem I thought I'd write
S
AP
cada wants is to have the county fair
of the outlawed association.
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words, were self supporting.
aids-
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