Oregon City courier., August 03, 1916, Image 1

University : Ex 4 1 '
OMG0N CITY COUHffl
34th Year , . ' OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1916 Number 20
LOAN ACT WILL
BENEFITFARMER
RURAL CREDITS BILL, SIGNED
BY PRESIDENT, CREATES
NEW BANKS
INTEREST RATE IS NOMINAL
Experts Explain Working of New Law
Which Will Provide Cheap
Money for Farmer
The recently enacted rural credits
bill, properly called the Federal Farm
Loan act, is said by prominent econo
mists in Oregon and elsewhere, to be
one of the most important .congres
sional enactments in a decade. Its far
reachig benefits will prove a boon to
the farmers of the nation, say such
experts as Dr. Hector Macpherson, of
the Oregon Agricultural college, who
is an ardent worker in behalf of the
proposed Oregon rural credits legis
lation upon which measure voters in
this state will ballot in November.
Dr. Macpherson spoke upon the sub
ject of rural credits at the Gladstone
chautauqua recently.
Under the terms of the federal bill
farmers can borrow in amounts up
to 50 per cent of' the appraised value
of their lands and for periods of from
5 to 40 years at a rate of interest
which will not in any extent exceed
6 per cent.
The act, as signed by the presi
dent, provides for the creation of a
bureau in the treasury department,
consisting of four members appointed
by the president with the consent of
the United States senate, no more
than two members being of the same
political party. The secretary of the
treasury is ex-officio a member of the
board and its chairman. The term of
office is eight years and the salary of
the members is $10,000 annually. One
member of the board is designated by
the president as the farm loan com
missioner and is the active adminis
trative head of the board. No mem
ber of the board while a member can
serve as an officer or director of any
institution engaged in the banking or
farm .mortgage loaning business.
The act provides that as soon after
the appointment of the federal farm
loan board as possible, the board shall
divide the United States, including
Alaska, into 12 districts, to be known
as federal land bank districts, to be
designated by number.
These districts shall be proportion
ed with regard to the farm loan needs
of the district, but no district shall
contain a fractional part, of a state.
In each district a federal land bank
shall be estblished in such city as the
board shall designate, and each such
bank may, with the approval of the
board, establish branch banks within
the district.
The act provides for the temporary
organization of federal land banks by
a board of directors appointed by the
farm loan board, who shall manage
the preliminary operations of the bank
pending the time its capital stock is
subscribed and its charter is granted
by the board.
The capital stock of the farm loan
banks is divided into shares of the par
value of $5, and may be subscribed for
and held by any individual, firm or
corporation, or by the United States
government or any state government
permitted under its constitution to
make such investments. The bank,
before beginning the transaction o
business, is required to have a sub
scribed capital of $750,000. Stock
owned by the United States shall not
be entitled to dividends, though state
owned stock is so entitled.
Books for the subscription of the
capital stock of the loan banks are to
be opened in each of the 12 districts
as soon as possible by the federal
farm loan board, and if within 30 days
after the books are opened, the mini
mum capital of $750,000 is not sub
scribed it is the duty of the secretary
of the treasury to subscribe the bal
ance on behalf of the United States.
As soon as $100,000 xf capital has
been subscribed, however, permanent
organization shall be effected by the
election of nine directors, who shall
assume charge of the bant. Each of
these directors holds office for three
years, and six of the number are to be
known as local directors and to be
elected by the farm loan associations,
while the remaining three are to be
known as district directors and are to
be appointed by the federal farm loan
board. Directors must have been resi
dents of the district for at least two
years, and at least one district direc
tor shall be experienced in practical
farming and. actually engaged at the
time of his appointment in farming
within the district.
The act provides for the organiza
tion of corporations, to be known as
national farm loan associations, by
persons desiring to borrow money on
. farm mortgage security. Each of
these associations shall have a board
of directors, elected in the same man
ner as directors of national banks, who
shall' elect a president, vice president
and a loan committee of three mem
bers. The directors and all officers,
except the secretary-treasurer, shall
(Continued on Page 8)
HAWLEY ADDS TO
STOCK IN BIG MILL
HUGE CHECK MADE IN PAY
MENT FOR BRUHNER AND
BRlX BROS. SHARES
What is probably one of the larg
est checks ever made out by a Clacka
mas county firm or individual, and a
check that will rank high among the
greatest that any bank in Oregon has
ever handled, went through the Ladd
& Tilton bank of Portland this week
with the signature of Mrs. E. C.
Hawley, wife of W. P. Hawley, Sr.,
affixed. The check called for the
payment of $182,880 in cash to the
bank.
Mrs. Hawley made out the huge
paper fortune in payment for the
block of stock owned by Phillip Buh
ner and Brix brothers of Portland in
the Hawley Pulp & Paper company
mill in Oregon City. The Portland
bank handled the transaction for the
principals and for that reason pay
ment was made to the bank. The
stock was held in eschrow by the bank
and turned over to the Hawleys upon
the payment of its enormous value.
Mr. Hawley, previous to the pur
chase of the Bruhner and Brix stock
shares, had an unquestioned control of
the great Hawley industry and the ac
quisition of shares valued at $182,880
this week further adds to his control
of the great corporation.
The check made out and signed by
Mrs. Hawley in payment for this
block of stock calls for an unusual
amount of money and because of the
interest it holds by reason of its val
ue it has been neatly framed and will
ornament the Hawley offices here.
CARTLIDGE ANSWER
RENEWS SCHOOL WAR
. ,
TEACHER AND HUSBAND ANS
WER COMPLAINT FILED BY
SUPT. F. J. TOOZE
For the purpose of enhancing his
personal popularity with the public
and the board of school directors,
Fred J. Tooze, superintendent of the
Oregon City schools, has been guilty
of falsehood, demoralizing habits,
conduct and influence; ignoring
merit in the disposition of honors to
pupils and teachers; neglect of re
sponsibility, and several other sins of
omission and commission, according to
an answer filed in the circuit court
yesterday by Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Cart
lidge in connection with the superin
tendent's recently filed $20,000 damage
action against them.
Mrs. Cartlidge was until this spring
head of the English department at
the local high school and resigned in
the heat of the anti-Tooze fight. Mr.
Cartlidge has been prominently iden
tified with the quarrel through the
publication of Bulletin No. 1 and his
general support of the cause of the
teachers.
The answer to Mr. Tooze's com
plaint contains a series of charges
against the city superintendent that
are substantially the same as those
contained in Bulletin No. 1, which was
the inspiration of the damage action
started by the city superintendent.
With reference to the bulletin in
question the Cartlidge answer to the
Tooze complaint says:
"During the several years preced
ing the publication complained of by
the plaintiff and during the year in
which said matter was published as
aforesaid, defendants were informed
that plaintiff's acts, conduct and hab
its had a demoralizing and baneful
effect on the pupils attending the
high school and as well as discour
aging and disorganizing influence on
the teachers thereof. In particular
said defendants were iformed of num
erous occasions on which plaintiff had
uttered falsehoods to teachers, pu
pils and members of the board of di
rectors of the said school district, the
facts of such falsehoods and their na
ture coming to be commonly known
among teachers and pupils of said
high school; of other occasions on
which plaintiff had deceived pupils or
teachers or school directors; of occas
ions on which he had taken to himself
entire credit for plans and methods of
instruction that rightfully belonged to
teachers under his supervision; of
other occasions on which he had ig
nored merit in the disposal of honors
among pupils; of occasions on which
he had acted with a motive of curry
ing favor with members of the board
of directors; of other occasions on
which he had evaded responsibility
that was rightfully his and had shift
ed the same upon teachers tinder his
supervision, for the purpose of en
hancing his personal popularity; of
other occasions on which he had used
his position to intimidate teachers of
said high school."
District Union Service
The annual union services of all of
the denominational churches of Esta
cada, Currinsville, Garfield and
Springwater will be held all day Aug
ust 6 in the grove adjoining the Zion
church in Garfield. Among the speak
ers will be President Talbot, of Kim
ball college, of Salem, and Dr. Nugent,
pastor of the Union Congregational
church, of Newburyport, Mass.
LARSEN IS lll JAIL
AS BOMB SUSPECT
DANE CONFESSES AND REPUDI
ATES STATEMENTS. HE IS
THOUGHT INSANE
: J
STORY IS PROBABLY FICTION
Emaciated Prisoner Confessed to
Gain Freedom That Was
Promised : Him ,
Any connection with the San Fran
cisco bomb outrage 'which cost the
lives of several and injured scores in
the bay city a fortnight ago, was flat
ly denied by Chris Larsen, of Copen
hagen, who has been held in the coun
ty jail here for more than a week, in
conversation with Henry Harkson,
royal Danish vice-consul of Portland
on Tuesday morning. Mr. Harkson
was called to Oregon City by Sheriff
Wilson in an attempt to get Larsen
to tell a straightforward story of his
actions.
Mr. Harkson talked with the pris
oners for some time in the presence
of the sheriff and reporters and later
had a private chat. As a result the
consul agrees with Sheriff Wilson,
Judge Anderson and physicians who
have examined the man, and is of the
opinion that he is insane. Larsen is
a Danish subject, although he says he
has been in. America nearly 25 years.
Late last week he appeared at
Milwaukie and appealed to Marshal
Sam Riley for protection from the
hirelings of a Seattle dentist who was
trying to get his money from hhft
The prisoner claims to have about
$1200 on deposit in the Hiberian bank
of San Francisco. He states that he
left the bay city three months ago and
since that time has been in Portland,
Seattle and Tacoma, where he has
sought work as a cook.
In Seattle he had dental work done
and the practitioner learned that
he had money in the bank. After a
threat to get his money the dentist
hired ."shadowers" to follow Larsen
and to secure the money in some way
or other. These men, says Larsen,
hounded him in Seattle, Tacoma,
Portland and followed him to Milwau
kie. He has had much trouble with
dentists, according to the story he
tells. In Oakland a dentist so dis
torted his face that he became an out
cast, being unable to secure work or
companionship because of his facial
appearance, which seeems to be per
fectly normal. '
Larsen, who is a pack of bones,
apparently suffers more from the rav
ages of hunger than from dentists,
detectives and the sensation-seeking
newspapers in Portland and Oregon
City which have attempted to saddle
the San Francisco crime upon his
frail shoulders. He is alleged to have
confessed his crime to a fellow pris
oner and to Burns' detectives. To Mr.
Harkson the prisoner, said that he
had been promised his freedom if he
would confess the outrage. Wishing
freedom he, of course, confessed.
This confession he repudiated in every
detail before the Danish consul and
said that he had not been in San Fran
cisco for three months; that he had
no acquaintance with labor leaders,
I. W. W.'s., anarchists or others who
might be behind the bomb plot.
He has told conflicting stories, but
the recital of his actions for the past
three months was given repeatedly
and in detail to the Danish consul on
Tuesday morning. He still contends
that he is being followed by employes
of the Seattle dentist and it is they
who have caused his arrest and de
tention here.
. Officials have practically banished
suspicion that Larsen was connected
with the bomb explosion at San Fran
cisco and consider him more or less
harmlessly demented. He will be
held in the county jail for several
days pending the establishment of
some of, his statements . to "Consul
Harkson. The consul will investi
gate through San Francisco references
given by Larsen in an effort to ascer
tain that he is truthful when he says
that he left the bay city three months
ago and to make sure that he lived at
the addresses mentioned.
Larsen asked Mr. Harkson not to
acquaint his San Francisco friends
with his predicament because he did
not want to let them know of the
trouble he was in for no cause that he
had knowledge of. After a thorough
investigation of his statements is
made, Larsen will probably be brought
up for another medical examination
to determine whether he will be re
leased or sent to Salem.
. Cazadero Eligibles Tested
Post office inspectors are making
investigations at Cazadero with a
view to the appointment of a post
master to replace the official who re
cently tendered his resignation to the
department The exact date of exam
ination will be announced by the in
spectors and they will gathrer infor
mation from whatever source permis
sible under the civil service rules
touching the suitability of eligibles.
The Courier $1.00 per year.
TEACHERS REGISTER
FOR SUMMER SCHOOL
J. E. CALAVAN HAS ARRANGED
FINE PROGRAM; EDUCAT
ORS TO SPEAK
The first few days of the annual
County Teachers' institute being con
ducted by the county school depart
ment at the Barclay school in this city
have been unusually successful, judg
ing from the attendance and the in
terest displayed by teachers from all
parts of the county.
On Monday, the first day of the in
stitute, 85 teachers had registered and
before Tuesday night more than 100
had signed the rolls. The registration
for the first day of the annual ses
sion this year was better by a good
many teachers than the attendance on
any first day since the institutes have
been held in Clackamas county.
Superintendent J. E. Calavan is in
direct charge of the institute and for
the instruction of the many teachers
gathered here has assembled a pro
gram that is a model, not only from
the viewpoint of diversity but from
that of the men and women who are
speakers and lecturers. The superin
tendent himself will take several
hours during the summer course to
address the teachers and to outline the
plans and ambitions of the school de
partment, that they may be the more
capably carried put when schools open
next fall.
The classes will continue on each
week day until August 18. Educators
of national renown are among those
who will speak to the teachers at the
several sessions.
All teachers within the county who
have not had 27 months of actual
teaching experience are required to
attend the institute unless they have
attended a summer session at one of
the standard schools or colleges of the
state or are graduates of an accredit
ed Normal scheol. Also all teachers
who wish to take advantage of the
professional certificate, in spite of the
other requirements, will be required to
attend at least three days of the an
nual institute.
The faculty of the summer insti
tue comprises Mrs. M. L. Fulkerson,
Miss Lena Ulen, Brenton Vedder,
school supervisor, T. J. Gary and F.
B. Guthrie. In addition to this staff
Superintendent Calavan has enlisted
the service of such noted educators as
President J. H. Ackerman of the Mon
mouth Normal school; J. A. Churchill,
state superintendent of public instruc
tion; President J. W. Kerr of the O. A.
C; President W. T. Foster, of Reed
college; Dr. H. D. Shelton of the U.
of O.; the Rev. W. T. Milliken of Ore
gon City; H. C. Seymour, state lead
er of industrial club work for the
(Continued on Page 8)
CAN BY IS TO BUILD
NEW WATfR SYSTEM
COUNCIL AND LEE HAVE FAIL,.
ED TO AGREE AS TO PRICE
ON SYSTEM NOW IN USE
The M. J. Lee water Bystem which
serves the community in and about
Canby may have to be replaced by
municipal service, or, at least replac
ed to large extent, as Mr. Lee asserts
that he. will continue the operation of
his plant even after the municipal
plant is installed in case he and the
council do not come to an early agree
ment. According to S. A. Cobb, city engin
eer of Canby, who has charge of the
proposed work on a municipal sys
tem, construction will be started early
this month and the plant and distrib
uting system should be completed
within two months.
The source, if a new one is created,
will be a well drilled on city property
in the southern part of the city, and
this will be the base of the gravity
system. A reservoir could only be
built at a great distance at much
greater expense and as a result the
container will be erected over the
source of supply. The container will
be a tank of 75,000 gallon capacity
and will be filled from the well by an
oil burner and pump. When the base
and source of supply is erected the
work on the distributing system to all
parts of the city will be rushed to
completion.
For a considerable time the city
council of Canby has made efforts to
come to terms with M. J. Lee, owner
of the system that has supplied the
community with water for a number
of years. What the council wanted
and the desires of the owner were ex
pressed in different words, however,
and attempts to arbitrate on values
proved practically unavailing. The
Canby council stood divided upon
question of paying the price, $5,000,
asked by Mr. Lee, and has since order
ed the purchase of main pipes, taps,
fire plugs and other necessary equip
ment to an up-to-date water system.
In case Mr. Lee submits to the ver
dict of one half the council or in case
the council unites in its effort to pur
chase his Bystem, it will be incorpor
ated in a project which means a great
improvement in the distribution of
water in the city. In such an event
(Continued on Page 8)
COUNCIL FIGHTS
BITTERBATTLES
SEXTON CLARK OUSTED BY
VOTE MAJORITY. BULLARD
GETS THE JOB
PROPERTY IS ASSESSED AGAIN
Mayor Would Acquire Water Front
Land for City. May Rebuild
the City Hall
Popl Pop! So go the fireworks
in the city council.
The latest depreciation (ft the char
acters, moral and physical, of the ma
jority by the minority, comprising
Councilmen Templeton, Metzner and
Albright, was injected into the meet
ing) of the aldermanic body last night
with an oratorical volley of accusa
tions against the majority, especially
directed at Councilman Van Auken, by
Councilman Templeton.
Templeton, leader of the minority
and, therefore, its most vociferous
spokesman, charged Van Auken and
his mates on the north side of the
table with several of the cardinal
sins, ranging from an intimation of
graft to the charge of a frame-up in
the majority ranks to oust W. H.
Clark, sexton of the cemetery.
As a result of the vote of the coun
cil Clark will be replaced as sexton by
Frank Bullard, the majority candi
date, who was elected over the strong
ly expressed objection of Templeton,
who brought into his objections bitter
personalities against Van Auken.
Templeton charged Van Auken with
having hit Clark with his fist on one
occasion after a wordy altercation be
tween the councilman and the sexton,
on October 9, 1915. The blow found
Clark unprepared for counter-attack
and broke the sexton's eye glasses.
Templeton, Metzner and Albright vot
ed for the retention of Clark and lost
to Buckles, Van Auken, Cox and An
drews. G. W. Gillette was an aspirant
to the sexton's position, but his name
was not placed in nomination
"A man with prejudice in his heart
to the detriment of the efficiency of
city government has no business in
the city council," said Mr. Templeton.
Albright rose to the occasion by say
ing that Van Auken worked against
Clark's re-appointment and engaged
in fistic battle with that gentleman
because the sexton would not "come
through."
Templeton proceeded to "take the
bull by the horns" as chairman of the
cemetery committee and stated that
the committeo would exercise its
right to oust the newly elected sex
ton in accordance With the power
granted by the city charter. This
subject was dropped immediately,
however, with the final statement by
Templeton that it was "a rotten, dirty
piece of business."
The reassessment of property in
the Tenth street sewer district will be
ordered as a result of the elimination
by councilmanic order of certain as
sessed property which should not have
been included in the district when the
previous assessment was made.
In a speech early in the meeting
Mayor Hackett brought about the ap
pointment of a committee, comprising
Metzner, Cox and Van Auken to in
vestigate the possibility of the city
acquiring title to property along the
river front, especially on both sides
of the bridge for a considerable dis
tance. The mayor advocated such ac
quisition strongly and it is entirely
probable that his plan will be carried
out if the committee finds such a
thing possible. The value of this
property to the city for municipal
docks and other purposes is demon
strated daily, according to Mayor
Hackett. It is his idea to improve
certain parts of the property, if the
city can acquire title reasonably, with
municipal docks and other facilities
for the accommodation of shippers.
The committee appointed will no
doubt work along the general plan of
getting as low a value as possible and
in some cases can induce individual
owners Jo give the land into the per
petual keeping of 'the ctyy. The city
already holds what is known as a tax
title to the water front land.
Mayor Hackett was full of business
at the meeting last evening.- He
stood sponsor for several ambitious
ideas. He recommended the trial of a
new paving material introduced by E.
D. Olds of Oak Grove, and suggested
that the trial be made on the im
provement of Molalla avenue. He
also recommended the reconstruction
of the city hall building so that the
lower part of the structure could be
made a revenue producer through the
creation therein of store rooms, and
that the halway and stairs to the sec
ond floor be moved to the back of the
building so that the entire upper floor
could be made into one room for the
greater accommodation of the coun
cil and for rent for different purposes.
Another vitriolic outburst from
Templeton came when City Engineer
Miller, acting in the place of the ab
sent recorder, John W. Loder, start
ed to read the monthly report of the
finance committee, signed by Ctfuncil-
(Continued on Page 8)
COUNTY GETS LARGE
CHECK FOR SCHOOLS
SHARE OF IRREDUCIBLE SCHOOL
, FUND INTEREST AMOUNTS
j THIS YEAR TO $20,493.06
Only Multnomah, Lane and Marion
counties profit more from the annual
apportionment of interest from the
state's irreducible school fund than
does Clackamas county and County
Treasurer Dunn has received a check
from State Treasurer Kay for $20,
493.06 as this county's share of the
fund.
The total amount of the interest
collected on the fund in the past year
was $369,482.96, which sum is $9417.96
in excess of the amount collected in
1915. The increase allows the state
treasurer to increase the per capita
apportionment of the fund to $1.77
from the apportionment of last year,
which was $1.75.
There are 280,748 children of school
age, including all between the ages of
4 and 20 years, in Oregon. Of this
number, 11,578 are in Clackamas coun
ty, and this year the school fund pro
vides the county with $1.77 for each
of these children. The increase in the
school population of the state over last
year is 2996. The increase in the fund
more than offsets the increase in the
school population.
Multnomah county gains the most
from the fund apportionment and has
since the fund was created. This year
that county gets $20,746.17 or $253.11
more than Clackamas county. Marion
county profits in the sum of $23,732.16
or $3239.10 more than this county.
The apportionment by counties:
Baker, $11,189.94; Benton, $7373.
82; Clackamas, $20,493.06; Clatsop,
$9457.53; Columbia, $6665.85; Coos,
$12,016.53; Crook, $5177.25; Curry,
$1486.80; Douglas, $11,818.29; Gilliam,
$2086.83; Grant, $3738.24; Harney,
$2674.47; Hood River, $3623.19; Jack
son, $11,804.13; Jefferson, $1816.02;
Josephine, $5175.48; Klamath, $4954.
23; Lake, $2709.87; Lane, $20,746.17;
Lincoln, $3902.85; Linn, $14,384.79;
Malheur, $5784.36; Marion $23,732.16;
Morrow, $2672.70; Multnomah, $94,
234.80; : Polk, $9425.25; Sherman,
$1906.29; Tillamook, $4115.25; Uma
tilla, $12,451.95; Union, $9439.91;
Wallowa, $5872. 86; Wasco, $7490. 64;
Washington, $14,741.10; Wheeler,
$1970.01; Yamhill, $12,349.29.
B0YSEN COMES BACK
AND LANDS IN JAIL
BOOTLEGGER FORGETS PROMISE
TO STAY AWAY. COUNSEL
DESERTS HIM
Fritz Boysen, notorious as the pro
prietor of the infamous Hotel Belle at
Milwaukie that has caused Clackamas
county peace officers many sleepless
nights, has apparently arrived at the
end of his rope and is resting peace
fully behind the bars of the county
jail for the first time in his career as
a law breaker.
Boysen was arrested on Tuesday
evening at the Milwaukie hotel where
he was enjoying life in his shirt
sleeves. Recently Boysen was sen
tenced to six months in jail and a fine
of $500. The former penalty was sus
pended upon Boysen's promise to leave
the county and never to return.
Boysen seems to have cherished
the thought for years that he could
hoodwink the county officers, however,
and bravely returned to his old place
of business on Monday for the purpose
according to his. story, of arranging
business matters with his successor.
On Wednesday Boysen's former
counsel, it is said, refused to handle
his case and present to the court a pe
tition for a writ of habeas corpus.
Such a writ is the only possible thing,
say attorneys, that can keep Boysen
from languishing behind the bars for
the term designated when he was
convicted recently. Boysen is very
apt to remain here as the guest of
the county for six months.
Sheriff Wilson and Constable Frost
found Boysen lounging about the Mil
waukie hotel just as he did in his
palmy days and they made short work
of bundling him into their machine
for the trip to the county bastile.
MERCHANT BUNCOED
Stranger Gets Handful of Change and
Package of Medicine
One of the stone-age stunts that
made the bunco game such a success
in its halcyon days was "pulled" on
the Huntley Drug company on Tues
day by a stranger at the Willamette
hotel, and the company as a result is
out of pocket in the sum of $19.80
and the value of a package of medi
cine. The stranger asked over the phone
to have a package of medicine sent
to him and change for $20, saying
that such was his smallest coin.
A messenger was despatched and de
livered the medicine. The stranger
saw that the boy would not give up
the package until he had the $20, so
the bunco-steerer overpowered the lad,
took the change and fled.
Descriptions of the character have
been sent broadcast. The messenger
boy gave chase and then searched for
officers while the stranger made his
escape.
PUBLIC SERVICE
IS HEAVILY TAXED
ASSESSOR JACK GIVES FIGURES
TO SHOW CONTROL OF
CORPORATIONS
COMPARES PROPERTY VALUES
Three-Fourths of Corporation Tax in.
County Is Paid by the
V P. R .L. & P. Co.
Public service corporations have a
prominent part in the support
of Clackamas county government
through the payment of heavy tax
assessments, as is shown by figures
and facts compiled by County Assess
or J. E. Jack for the information of
Clackamas county people.
In a measure the net of power pro
ducers, railways and electric service
corporations make up the burden of
the tax revenue of the county that is
levied upon the property and enter
prises of less than one half the county.
The fact that 54 per cent of the
entire area of Clackamas county is in
national forest reserves and, there
fore, exempt from taxation or other
assessment makes the burden on the
remainder of the county far larger
than it would otherwise be. But the
public service corporations come to
the rescue of the smaller taxpayers
because of their extensive holdings
and enterprises within the county.
Taxation of public service corpora
tions, most of which do an inter-county
business, is assessed by the state
tax commission and returns submitted
to the county assessor. The figures .
prepared by Mr. Jack cover the as
sessments of the past year and the
assessments were made by the state
department.
One fifth of the total assessed val
nation of the county is owned by pub
lic service corporations, says Mr.
Jack. This amounts to $6,085,961.98.
The total assessed valuation of the
county is something over $30,000,000.
The heaviest individual taxpaying
corporation doing business in this
county is the Portland Railway Light
& Power company, which operates
several power plants in addition to its
net of trackage. More than three
fourths of the entire public service
taxation is paid by the P. R. L. & P.
Co.
There are power plants at Bull
Run, Cazadero, Oregon City ana
River Mill with a valuation as assess
ed of $1,411,720. There are 902.013
miles of power lines within the coun
ty paying taxes on a valuation of
$1,096,651.83. These properties alone
represent almost 8 per cent of the
total assessed valuation of the county.
An itemized statement of the as
sessments follows: .
Cazadero main line track, 21.38
miles, $23,200. a mile; side track,
12.76, $11,600 a mile. Oregon City,
main line track, 9.61 miles, $23,200 a
mile; side track 4.84 miles, $11,600 a
mile. Bull Run main line track, 4.36
miles, $17,400 a mile; side track, .71
miles, $8,700 a mile.
Southern Pacific, main line track,
21.70 miles, $34,220 a mile; side track,
6.42 miles, $17,110 a mile.
Hydro-electric power plants: Bull
Run, $251,720; Cazadero, $406,000;
River Mill, $406,000; Oregon City,
$348,000.
"There are 101,121 acres of culti
vated land in Clackmas county; 527,
745 acres of uncultivated land, of
which 200,000 is fit for clearing and
cultivation," says Mr. Jack. "This
cultivated land is taxed on a valuation
of $6,115,340 and the uncultivated
land is assessed on a valuation of
$9,717,520, including the valuation
of the heavy holdings of the Oregon &
California Railroad company, com
monly called the Oregon and Califor
nia land grant. Improvements, not
including platted property, are valu
ed at $1,280,765 and the value of un
platted lands, with their improve
ments, is $17,213,625."
From the figures denoting the valu
ation of public service properties and
the comparison with the value of other
property it can readily be seen that
the corporations doing business in
Clackamas county are important to
its material welfare and that their
support of the county treasury is of
such proportions as to take from the
shoulders of minor taxpayers a
very heavy burden. The assess
ment against these companies is not
arbitrary, but is evolved after a thor
ough study of valuations on the part
of the state tax commission.
It is the farsightedness of city and
county officials in the county that does
everything possible to protect the
property and the interests of the cor
porations. They are an undeniable
asset to the county and officials with
the proper interest in the welfare of
the community at heart, aid as much
as they can in fostering the mainten
ance and development of public ser
vice organizations.
Married at Vancouver
A marriage license was issued on
Friday at Vancouver, Wash., to For
rest Ott of Oregon City, and Miss Ga
brella Johns, of Salem.