COM
33d Year
OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1916
Number 46
OR
OS TIT
COURIER
E
LINN JONES FIRED FROM CITY
WATER BOARD; THEN PUT
IN OFFICE ONCE AGAIN
NEAR BEER LAW IS REPEALED
Walter Filters to be Stored on Vacant
Lot and Not Connected to South
Fork Pipeline System
In spite of the silver thaw and
blizzard that did their worst without,
and in spite of a spreading; leak in
the ceiling of the council chamber that
threatened at every minute to precip
itate plaster upon the head of Mayor
Hackett, the Oregon City counci. met
Wednesday night in fine humor and
got through the evening's work with
out a single squabble. Also they got
through at ten minutes after nine
holding session for just one hour and
forty minutes. In that time they did
a lot of things and had a surprise
sprung on them, too.
Chairman Roake, of the special
committee appointed to discover
whether or not the city water board
was legally constituted, reported that
it wasn't, and recommended that Linn
E. Jones, ex-mayor, be ousted from
his job, that a vacancy be declared to
have existed in the water board since
the first of the year, and that the time
was at hand for the election of a mem
ber to fill the vacancy. The report of
the special committee was adopted
without a dissenting vote, and then
Mayor Hackett called for nominations
to fill the vacancy.
Councilman Roake rose and said
that he had been accused of prejudice
in the matter of the water board
tangle and that in order to show that
he hadn't any prejudice at all, but
simply wanted things done legally, he
would like to nominateLinn E. Jones
as a member of the water board. No
body else had any nominations to make
and Mr. Jones was declared unan
imously elected. - That ; proceeding
showed the beautiful humor in which
the council was, or else it showed that
the municipal wheels had been well
oiled. Incidentally Councilmen Tem
pleton didn't show at the meeting, and
Councilman Andrews sent word that
he was sick.
The nearest thing to fireworks at
the meeting developed right at the
start, when Hal Rands, engineer of the
water board, asked the council's per
mission to store the filtration plant
on the city lot at Sixteenth and Main
street. Councilman Albright moved
that such permission be granted; but
Councilman Roake put up a vigorous
protest
''Mr. Mayor, I think that if the
filters are moved they ought to be
connected at once to the intake of the
reservoir," said he. "If we put them
down at the other end of the city and
anything happens to our pipeline, we
will have to drink Willamette river
water straight; and I think you will
agree with me that this town has re
ceived sufficient of a black eye from
depending on the river for drinking
water to say nothing about the dan
ger of typhoid and other diseases. I
shall oppose the removal of the filters
unless they are at once connected with
the reservoir, and I think the water
board should be ordered to connect
them up at once."
"That's a matter for the water
board to attend to," said Councilman
Albright.
On the vote permission to tempor
arily store the filters at Sixteenth and
Main street was granted, Councilman
Roake being the only man who voted
"no."
The meeting being the frst of the
month, reports from city officers and
the finance committee were read and
approved. The police chief's report
showed there had been seven arrests
in January, and that 232 hoboes had
taken refuge in the city jail to keep
out of thee old.
Owing to a typographical error in
the city official paper, the ordinance
instructing the mayor and recorder to
enter into a contract with West Linn
for a sale of a third interest in the
South Fork system had to be put
through again, and will come up for
final passage at the regular March
meeting.
Bids for the codification of the city
charter were opened and read. The
Courier bid $1.53 a page, including the
indexing, and guaranted a certified
copy; the Enterprise bid $1.47 a page.
Councilman Roake moved that the
the matter be laid on the table for a
month but got no takers; Councilman
Metzner moved that the matter be re
ferred to a committee, but had no bet
ter luck than Roake. Mr. Roake then
called on Christian Schuebel for an
estimate as to the probable cost of
the work, saying that he. didn't be
lieve the city ought to go into the mat
ter blind until they found out if the
job was going to cost one dollar or five
thousand dollars.
Mr. Schuebel figured that the or
dinances would make about 300 pages
and the index maybe 65, and said he
had expected the bid to be about $1.25
a page. Mayor Hackett figured out
that at the Schuebel estimate of work
COUNCIL
MOOD
OBEYS
li
the job would cost $575, and Mr.
Schuebel said that there'd be another
hundred to add on for clerical work
and such things, making the approxi
mate total $675. The budget provides
$500 for the work.
In the middle of the discussion, just
to show the need of a codification of
the ordinance, Mr Schuebel slipped the
mayor Ordinance No. 535, which no
body knew was on the books. It took
the council's breath away when Re
corder Loder read it.
Ordinance 535, which was passed in
August, 1911, forestalled the prohi
bition law by some nearly five years,
and provides that it shall be illegal to
sell near-beer or any similar beverage
in Oregon City unless a license fee of
$200 per year shall be paid, that all
near-beer saloons shall be on the
ground floor of the premises wherein
the stuff is sold, that they must have
an open front, unobstructed windows
reaching to within four feet of the
sidewalk, must have no boxes, alcoves
or back rooms, that no booze can be
brought into such places, and that
minors and women must not enter
them either as employees or custom
ers, that they must be closed on elec
tion day and on Sundays, that no card
games of chance may be played in
them, and that anybody who violates
the ordinance shall be subject to a fine
from $5 to $50 and may be sent to
jail for from two to 25 days.
The Honorable Christian Schuebel,
in commenting on this ordinance, said
that he thought it ought to be repeal
ed, as it would profoundly embarass
the sale of "Hopski" and "Weinhard s
Golden Nectar' both of which bev
erages Mr. Schuebel seemed to think
were all right and worthy of special
mention. He also spoke of the hard
ship it would work upon Louis Noble's
refreshment parlors, where Mrs. Noble
prepared "one of the best lunches you
can get in the city to my way of
thinking, about the best lunch, in
fact."
"If you are going to license any
of these places, you ought to license
all places, even where they just sell
plain soda, said Mr. Schuebel, after
his gratuitous advertising of the Noble
lunch, Hopski and Golden Nectar.
Getting back to printing Council
man VanAuken moved that a special
committee be appointed to work out
the details of codifying the city ordin
ances, and report back to the next
meeting of the council on the cost and
plan. The motion carried, and Mayor
Hackett appointed Councilman Roake
and Metzner and Mr. Schuebel and Re
corder Loder.
Councilman Albright then arose, be
ing the pioneer of those present as far
as councilmanic affairs went, and said
that ordinance 535 was shoved over
after a previous council had closed the
og Cabin saloon. The proprietor
had then reopened with a near-beer
emporium. In order to discourage
him the council had enacted legisla
tion calling for a $200 license and
since then the ordinance had been
slumbering unknown on the city books
Councilman Van Auken moved that
the newly discovered ordinance be re
pealed, and Mr. Metzner seconded the
motion. Councilman Roake thought
it would be nicer if the city attorney
drew an ordinance providing for li
censing all places where soft drinks
were dispensed, but Mr. Van Auken
said that if this was done the city
might have to take out a license for
the drinking fountains on Main street,
where South Fork water was to be
had. The council passed a resolution
calling on the city attorney to draw
an ordinance repealing Ordinance 535.
Councilman Metzner told the coun
cil that though he had advertised for
500 feet of fire hose, no bids had ap
peared, and asked for more time;
venturing the opinion that probably
the ''unusual weather" had delayed
hose dealers from reaching the coun
ty seat with tenders.
Upon 'report of a special committee
the council was recommended to ac
cept the bid of C. C. Lake and W. M.
Knoop for cleaning the streets during
the year. Their bid was for $200 a
month, and included sweeping the
streets, cleaning the catch basins
when necessary, removing garbage
once a month, caring for the city dog
pound and the purchase of a sweep
er, which the city is to buy at the ex
piration of the contract. The report
of the committee was adopted.
Hesler Gets Relief
After being arrested for the third
time for a technical contempt of
court in not paying his divorced wife
alimony P. F. Hesler was given re
lief in the circuit court last week by
Judge Campbell, who reduced the ali
mony to be paid Mrs. Hesler No. 1
to ten dollars a month. Hesler said
he couldn't support two wives at the
same time, and he thought the "cut"
ought to come in the alimony.
- Big Barn Burns
George Nagle's barn, at Hazelia,
was totally destroyed by fire early
Tuesday morning, and six head of
cattle and two blooded horses were
suffocated before they could be re
moved to safety. Much farming stock
was also lost in the fire, which did
damage amounting to $3,000. Mr.
Nagle carried $1775 insurance on the
building and its contents. He has
been a resident of Hazelia for 28 years
and the barn was one of the finest
in the community.
Hoboes City Guests
Two hundred and thirty-two hoboes
used the city jail as a lodging house
during January.
DID YOU NOTICE
S
PARTIAL ECLIPSE OF SUN'S
BRIGHT SURFACE STAGED
IN OREGON'S BENEFIT
CLOUDS SPOIL IT FOR SOME
Celestial Entertainment Rare Event
for Northwest, Where Usually Orb
of Day is Always Unobserved
If you happened to get up this
Thursday morning and looked to the
east, and the clouds over Mt. Hood
weren't in your way, and you thought
you saw a lop-sided sun in the sky,
your thoughts were perfectly correct.
Because the sun was lop-sided this
morning, due to a partial eclipse.
It isn't often that an eclipse of the
sun is visible in these parts, but this
time the Fates made a specific effort
to show Oregon and the Northwest
something out of the usual and if
the clouds didn't interfere too much,
the sight was visible. It has been
many, many years since such a celes
tial spectacle has been staged in these
parts; and it will be many years be
fore it occurs again.
Just in case you didn't see the
eclipse, the following description of
it by Professor Edward H. McAlister,
of the University of Oregon, will give
you a pretty good idea of what accur
red. "The eclipse was total within a nar
row, belt, varying from 30 to 60 miles
in width, lying mainly in the Pacific
and Atlantic oceans. This belt, call
ed the "path of total eclipse," begins
in the Pacific ocean some 45 degrees
of longitude west of the Isthmus of
Panama, traverses the Pacific to the
westc oast of Columbia, crosses Vene
zuela, thence pursues a general north
easterly course, extending nearly but
not quite to the British Isles.
Oregon is situated far from the
path of total eclipse but for all points
in Oregon the sun rose partially
eclipsed. Imagine a line beginning on
the north boundary of the state at
the point where the Columbia river
first touches it (longitude 119 degrees
west of Greenwich), and extending
thence to the southern boundary of the
state at the point where the common
boundary between California and Ne
vada touches the Oregon boundary
(longitude 120 degrees); then for all
points on that line the "middle of
eclipse," or moment of greatest ob
scuration, occurred precisely at sun
rise; for all points in the state east of
that line, the middle of eclipse occur
red shortly after sunrise, and more
than half of the eclipse was visible;
for all points in the state west of that
line, the middle of eclipse passed be
fore sunrise, and less than half the
eclipse was visible.
The greatest degree of obscuration
visible in different parts of the state
varied in a complicated manner, but
in a general way it may be said that
in the extreme northwestern part of
the state only about one-tenth of the
diameter was obscured; at other
points within the state the amount of
obscuration fell within these limits.
"The time of sunrise on the. date of
eclipse has been computed for each of
nine different points in Oregon, widely
distributed over the state, so that the
time in other localities can be infer
red within a minute or so. The times
have all been reduced to Pacific Stan
dard time. ' In particular localities the
time of apparent sunrise may be
slightly modified by the fact that
mountains obscure the true horizon.
The computed times are as follows:
Place
Portland -Oregon
City
Eugene
Ashland
The Dalles
Bend -Pendleton
-Baker
, - -Vale
- -
Sunrise, Feb. 3.
7 hours 32 min.
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours
31 min.
30 min.
25 min.
26 min.
23 min.
16 min.
11 min.
6min.
"The times of the different phases
of the eclipse having been computed
for two places, the University at Eu
gene" and Baker. The corresponding
times at other points within the Btate
differed from these in general by less
than five minutes. These two points
have been selected as being nearly on
an east and west line through the cen
ter of the state. The times are re
duced to Pacific Standard time."
At the University
Beg. of eclipse (invis.) 6 h.
Mid. of eclipse (invis.) 7 h.
Sun rises in par. eclipse 7 h.
End of eclipse 7 h.
At Baker
Beg. of eclipse (invis.) 6 h.
Sun rses in par. eclipse 7 h.
Mid. of eclipse 7 h.
End of eclipse 8 h.
38 m.
18 m.
30 m.
58 m.
44 m.
11 m.
23 m.
" 2 m.
"The lower part of the sun's disc
was obscured, the obscuration passing
obliquely downward from right to
left"
Mrs. Jeremiah B. Holmes and
James M. Calavan were married at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lambacker,
of this city, Thursday. Rev. N. F.
Chapman officiated at the ceremony.
ITT I
SMOKER DRAWS MANY
Firemen Stage Lively Bouts in Aid of
Injured Members of Department
A smoker staged by the Oregon
City fire department last Friday night
drew about 300 fans to Busch's hall
where some clever boxing and wrest
ling was put on and also some that
wasn't so clever. In fact only once
during the evening did the crowd
really "go wild," and that was when
a hobby-horse pillow fight was staged
between Seiler and Warner. Warner's
inability to do anything but fall off
the horse in ludicrous methods
brought down the house.
Amrfng the wrestling bouts, that
between Lammers and Ginther was the
best, with Lammers getting two
straight. The two mat artists put up
real wrestling. The other bouts on
the mat were sadly one-sided.
In the boxing end of the program
Carl Hansen and tony Alf put up the
most gingery go, with Hansen's clever
work giving him the shade of it all
the time. Bill Gold and Carl Martin
also put on an interesting bout, with
Gold getting the decision. Clever de
fense work was a feature of the bout
between Matt Storey and Jake
Schultze. There was lots of action in
the go, and in spite of the fact that
Storey Was ten pounds heavier,
Schultze got a draw out of it.
The "star" attractions of the even
ing were frosts. In the so-called big
time stuff Jack Lewis and Muff Bron
son stalled around the ring in clinging
clinches, and Abe Gordon and Kid
Pluto held a foot-race. Abe walloped
Referee Ralph Shepherd harder than
he did his opponent, and got a re
sounding thump on the back for his
funny-business.
Receipts of the smoker were given
to two of the local firemen, both of
whom had been injured sometime ago.
SOME SPEED, THIS
Willamette Valley Southern Does Al
most Mile an Hour
The Willamette Valley Southern
train that was due to leave Oregon
City for Molalla at 2.45 Wendesday
afternoon made a record for speed
that has never been equalled on the
road; and that has seldom been touch
ed on other roads. Fulling out of
the county seat somewhat late, the
train proceeded to McBain station,
two miles out, arid arrived there two
and a half hours after it started. ....
At McBain weather conditions made
it impossible for the train to get any
further, and the passengers climbed
out and walked back to Oregon City.
Many of them made the trip back in
less than an hour, thereby beating
the train's record considtrably.
Fallen trees, ice and other obstruc
tions made the trip the kind that it
was.
- G. O. Moline Dies
G. O. Moline, an old-time resident
of the county seat, and formerly an
employee of the woolen mills, died at
his home Monday evening. Mr. Mo
line was born in Sweden in 1847, and
is survived by his widow. The funeral
will be held Thursday afternoon from
the Methodist church, and interment
will be in Canemah cemetery.
Portland "Too Tame"
Andrew Hogg, 13 years old, of Port
land, was picked up in the county seat
last week as a runaway from his home
in the metropolis. As an alibi young
Hogg said that Portland was "too
tame," and that he'd rather spend his
time in the Oregon City jail for ex
citement. This is a pretty bad slap
at Portland, coming right after "let
ter writing week."
Forger is Sued
Terrell Pope, arrested in Portland
for forgery, and believed to have oper
ated in Oregon City, has been sued
for divorce by his wife, the suit hav
ing been filed in Clackamas county.
Mrs. Lula M. Pope, his wife, charges
that her husband was arrested once
before for forgery and did a "stretch"
in the Nevada penitentiary.
W. V. S. is Sued
Suit asking $7500 damages has been
filed against the Willamette Valley
Southern railroad by R. W. Clarke,
husband of the late Mrs. Davidella
Clarke, who was killed last August at
Glen Oak station on the local line.
Contributory negligence on the part
of the railroad company is alleged.
Fishermen Turned Out
Following two jury trials, in each
of which the jury disagreed, the dis
trict attorney's office has decided not
to ask for a third trial of George
Brown and Alex Douthitt; arrested
some time ago by fish wardens and
charged with using a net above the
suspension bridge.
Sledding Accident
Fred Marquardt, 8 years old, sus
tained a broken leg last week when he
was thrown from a bobsled near the
Concord school. The lad was riding
on a sled that was being drawn uphill
by a horse, and fell from the big drag.
He is at home, under medical care.
Elks to Have Dance
The Local Lodge of Elks will give
their sixth annual dance March sec
ond at Busch's Hall.
You can get the Courier for one
year for $1.00 if you pay in advance.
YlliL SCHEME
GETS BIG BOOST
STATE ORGANIZATION INTER
ESTED IN CLACKAMAS
COUNTY FIELDS
$40,000 OUTLAY IS PLANNED
Conty Seat to Have Modern Building
with School Equipment and Rural
Work also to be Carried On
Determined to show certain Clack
amas county churchmen that it is not
narrow, creed-bound organization;
but that on the contrary it is a self-
supporting movement for the better
ment of conditions under which young
men and boys live, the Young Men's
Christian Association is fast develop
ing plans for a "beneficient invasion"
of Clackamas county. If Clackamas
county churches, as institutions, wish
to help the association in its plans,
they will be welcomed to join in the
movement; and if Clackamas county
churches to continue their independent
and futile efforts to build up so-called
'boys clubs" then the Young Men s
Christian Association will go on with
its work alone, or with such aid as
the liberal men and women of the
county desire to give.
Last Week in Portland, state lead
ers of the Y. M. C. A. held a meeting
at which the work of the organization
for the past ten years Was reviewed,
and at which tentative plans for the
next ten-year period were maid. The
very scope of the work undertaken and
developed by the Y. M. C. A. has
forced the organization into broader
channels than those in which it was
first launched; and today the asso
ciation has become a constructive
power in nearly every community a
power for good moral training and
for vocational training. Particular
ly has the Y. M. C. A. made progress
through its varied night schools, in
which everything from stenography
and book-keeping to the trades of the
manual arts are taught.
It is, perhaps, this instruction work
which has brought the Young Men's
Christian Association recognition as
one of the most important factors in
modern life. While the association
still continues its work along ethical
and moral lines; it is far more widely
known and far more generously sup
ported in its other lines its gymnas
ium work, its trade-schools and its
business courses. For by these lines
of activity the association is making
better bodies, is fitting men to earn
increased wages at trades, and is en
abling young men to enter the busi
ness world with better training than
they would otherwise have. So the
Y. M. C. A. has forced itself into the
plan of modern development, and has
come to stay.
This comment is made here to tell
briefly what is the modrn scope of
the organization that Is Boon to ex
tend its advantages to Clackamas
county. It is this constructive work
among men and boys that the asso
ciation is best able to do because of
its vast and complete organization;
and because of this very organization
it is better able to do the work than
any purely local combination of well-
intentioned people..
In carrying out its - scheme, the
Young Men's Christian Association
has set aside $40,000 for the erection
of a headquarters building in Oregon
City the building to become a fact
as soon as the community will per
mit. Opposition from certain church
men both ministers and lay mem
bers may delay the coming of the
big organization for a time; but the
$40,000 having been set aside for the
county seat, the organization will be
here sooner or later. And when it
does come, it is the belief of the
Courier that it will find a ready sup
port and a warm welcome from young
men who are really anxious to better
their education, to avail themselves of
a modern gymnasium, and to enjoy the
mentally broadening meetings which
are a part of the everyday work of
the Y. M. C. A.
In coming to Oregon City the Y. M.
C. A. will come as an industrial or
ganization, primarily. It will have
its Sunday meetings, too; but it will
make the greatest appeal to the coun
ty seat along educational, industrial
and physical lines. And in carrying
out this program the Y. M. C. A. di
rectors are also planning a rural ex
tension of its activities that will reach
throughout the county, and that will
make possible the benefits of many of
the organization's features in every
home in the county. This will be car
ried on largely through correspond
ence courses, through circulating li
brary activities, and through commun
ity meetings that will be held from
time to time. More details of this
work will be given in the Courier as
plans mature.
And right here the Courier desires
to make some pointed remarks. This
paper is not a booster for the Young
Men's Christian Association in par
ticular. This paper's sole desire is to
sec established in the county seat some
form of recreation center, some form
of organization that will give the
IDAHO WELL FIXED
Reclamation Has Done as Much for
State, Almost, as Washington
The richest agricultural section of
Idaho lies in the valley of Boise River
in the southwestern part of the state,
Herein is located the great Boise
Government irrigation project, em
bracing 243,000 acres of exceptional
ly fertile land.
With an expenditure of nearly
$15,000,000 the Reclamation Service
has constructed one of the greatest
irrigation systems of the world, in
eluding the spectacular Arrowrock
dam 350 feet high. Hundreds of miles
of canals have been laid out through
the valley, two enormous reservoirs
control the flood discharge, and a very
prosperous community of 2,000 farm
families are now occupying the irri
gated farms.
The State of Idaho owns approxi
mately 14,000 acres of land under the
system, which it has agreed to sub.
divide and sell at public auction.. The
State Land Commission at Boise is
making a strong bid for settlers in
an announcement recently issued of a
public sale of early 600 farms on
February 25. Under the terms of sale
purchasers will have 40 years in wheih
to pay, with interest at 6 per cent
These farms include some of the choic
est lands in the valley, located in the
midst of a well settled agricultural
community. Interurban trolley sys
terns connect the farming districts
with the numerous cities and towns,
excellent schools have been establish'
ed, and the pioneering stage is large-
ly over.
RIVER GOING UP
Flood Conditions Threatened Through
out Lower Willamette Valley
While the snow and colder weather
Wednesday night stopped the quick
rise in the river, millmen and others
along the waterfront are looking for
trouble following the two days of rain
that came with the silver thaw. Ac
cording to Street Commissioner Bab
cock, of Oregon City, the river at the
county seat went up four feet and two
inches in ten hours Tuesday night and
Wednesday morning, and was still go
ing up when he stopped measuring.
In Portland the river is above the
danger point, and merchants and
others in the downtown portion of
the west side are expecting the water
to cover the lower docks and flood
basements shortly,
Unless cold weather continues un
til the surplus water can run off
things look good for excitement on
the river. The Clackamas is higher
than it has been this winter, passing
the mark Wednesday afternoon that it
reached two weeks ago. If the Co
lumbia floods at this time, the back
water will force the Willamette well
over its banks.
Did you know that the Courier is
$1.00 per year if paid in advance ?
boys a better chance than they have
at present. This paper is heart and
soul behind the present movement
for the establishment of a park WITH
IN the city limits, and it is for any
plan that will go beyond the park and
bring about the establishment of some
central place where boys and young
men can meet on rainy evenings and
on rainy days, enjoy a gymnasium and
have an opportunity to better their
education. This paper would like to
see a trade school established in the
county seat, where young men can
fit themselves for something besides
unskilled labor, or pushing a truck, or
fishing, or working at odd jobs. And
just at present the willingness of the
Young Men's Christian Association to
come into this field seems to offer the
best opportunity for these better
ments. And that is the sole and only
reason why the Courier is "enthus
ing" over a Y. M. C. A. SERVICE in
the county seat and in the county.
And here's anpther "pointed re
mark." The Courier knows that there
is opposition to such a plan. The
Courier two weeks ago told of in
formal conferences looking to the es
tablishment of a Y. M. C. A. in Ore
gon City. AND FOLLOWING THIS
ONE OF THE OREGON CITY MIN
ISTERS HAD THE UNMITIGATED
GALL TO SEND WORD TO THIS
PAPER TO SHUT UP. The Courier
was told that it must not print any
more Y. M. C. A. news until this min
ister came to it and gave it such news
as was permissible. The minister re
ferred to didn't "give us permission"
to print this article. Probably he
wont like it but the Courier isn't tak
ing its orders from any minister in
Oregon City or elsewhere and IT IS
GOING TO TRY AND GET ESTAB
LISHED IN THE COUNTY SEAT
SOME CONSISTENT SCHEME OF
DEVELOPMENT FOR THE YOUNG.
That's about enough of this. But
if you want to help do something for
the young men and the boys of this
county, ONE OF THE BEST THINGS
YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW is to
tell the minister of your particular
church that you want to see SOME
KIND OF CONCERTED EFFORT
MADE FOR THE BOYS AND THE
YOUNG MEN, and that you think the
matter is too big an issue for any
narrowness of creed to interfere with
it
Oregon City would be benefitted by
a $40,000 Y. M. C. A. Clackamas
county would be benefitted by the
M. C. A. extension work. Are you
going to help it, or are you going to
stand with the narrow element and
try to block it?
IB
BABIES
Y LEAGUE, EH?
CLYDE H. TAVENNER TELLS HIS
BROTHER SOLONS WHAT HE
HAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT
BIG INQUIRY MAY BE RESULT
Munitions Firms and Their Directors
Appear to be Interested in Organ
ization Boosting "Defense"
Congressman Clyde H. Tavenner, of
Illinois, who is familiar to Courier
readers through his articles on the
munitions ring and the unreasonably
high prices charged the United States
for war materials, set off a few bombs
in Congress shortly after it opened
for the present session. Some of his
remarks throw an interesting light on
the Navy League and other organiza
tions, and are herewith reprinted for
the benefit of Courier readers who are
interested in the general subject of
"preparedness." Mr. Tavenner said,
in part:
"I believe in giving credit to whom
credit is due. For instance, the
gentlemen back of the Navy League,
in my opinion, deserve full credit for
the sentiment that has been aroused in
the large manufacturing centers and
other parts of the United Sates for'
the proposed $500,000,000 bond issue
for battleships that the Navy League
has been advocating. I am in favor
of giving the Navy League full credit
and also full responsibility.
"On November 19 I made the state
ment, publicly that, I intended to in
troduce in Congress a resolution to
investigate the Navy League and to
require J. P. Morgan, one of the di
rectors of the League, to take the re
sponsibility of testifying under oath
as to whether he is interested in war
trafficking firms.
"In a letter sent to Members of
Congress, dated January 13, 1914, A.
H. Dadmun, secretary of the Navy
League, said:
" 'Certain Congressmen have ' In
sinuated that the League is supported
by people who are interested in the
sale of war materials to the Navy.
They are entirely mistaken.'
"Mr. Dadmun, in a letter published
in the January, 1916, issue of Pear
son's Magazine, reiterates that the
men back of the Navy League 'are
men who will not profit by the re
sults of the league's propaganda.'
"What is this Navy League ? Who
founded it, and who are its directors?
hold in my hand the bound Navy
League Journal for 1904. In the
opening number is the statement that
this is 'the official organ of the Navy
League of the United States.'
"I turn now to page 32 of the is
sue of February, 1904, where I find a
list of 19 men who are named as the
"founders" of the Navy League. Now,
then, let us see who they are.
"I note in the list of founders the
name of the Midvale Steel Co. The
United States Government since 1903
has bought from the Midvale Steel Co.
48,399 tons of armor, and we have paid
for it an average of $420 a ton, or in
al $20,375,858 for the single item of
armor plate alone, not to say any
thing about other millions of dollars'
worth of contracts that have been giv
en to the Midvale Steel Co. for other
things used by the Army and the
Navy; and if the Navy League's pro
posed $500,000,000 bond issue goes
through Midvale will stand to draw
down some more millions.
"Let us see if there are any more
war-traffickers here. Is Charles N.
Schwab, whom I see listed as one of
the founders, a war trafficker? Well,
he is president of the Bethlehem Steel
Corporation, and we have bought
from Bthlehem, 95,007 tons of armor
at an average price of $445 a ton, and
have puid Bethlehem for armor plate
alone $42,344,937. That is the second
member of the armor ring.
"Now there is another member of
the armor ring, and that is the Car
negie Steel Co. Let us see if we find
them also among the founders of the
Navy League. Yes; I see here the
name of J. P. Morgan. The late J. P.
Morgan was the organizer and a di
rector of the United States Steel Cor
poration, which controls, according to
Moody's Manual, the Carnegie Steel
Co. We have bought from the Car
negie Steel Co. 89,933 tons of armor
plate, paying an average of $442 a
ton, or a total of $39,783,497 for the
single item of armor plate; and if the
Navy League's proposed $500,000,000
bond issue for battleships goes thru
they will receive still larger contracts.
So that you see the three firms which
have a monopoly of the manufacture
of armor in this country are all found
ers of the Navy League, and we have
bought from them 233,339 tons of ar
mor plate, paying for it an average
of $439 a ton, or a total of $102,504,
292. ,
"Remember that figure, $439!
There have been 10 official estimates
by Government officials as to the cost
of armor plate In a Government fac
tory, and the average of those esti
mates is $251 a ton; and had we
manufactured this armor in a Govern
ment factory, which the Navy League
(Continued on Page 8)