University Ex
Eugene
COUI
35th Year
OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1917
Number 7
HEM
La mla mJk
ROADS ARE LIVE
IBFSJBBJECT
DISTRICT SUPERVISORS FEAST
ED BY LOCAL CLUB. PRO
GRAM WAS SPLENDID
JUDGE MAKES CORRECTIONS
Great Meal Provided for Well-attended
Meeting. Salmon on the
Menu
Good roads and patriotism furnish
ed food for thought and king salmon,
with a galaxy of tempting side dish
es filled the inner man on Wednesday
noon at what was probably the most
successful meeting ever held by .the
Live Wires of the Oregon City Com
mercial club. As special guests of
the organization the road supervis
ors of practically all the districts in
the county were present at the meet
ing. From the time Dr. W. T. Milliken
of the Baptist church pronounced the
invocation until the last stirring
word from the orator, James H. Cary,
had sounded its patriotic notes, the
meeting was interesting and rapidly
active. To pay tribute to an unusu
ally good spread prepared by the wo
men's organizations of St. Paul's
Episcopal church Dr. Milliken ex
tended his human Christianity in the
splendid style of which he is said al
ways to be capable with a bountiful
feast beforeh im; And with that the
meeting got at the task of making
away with the luncheon of salmon
and everything.
The speaking program was start
ed by the address of welcome made
by Livy Stipp, who welcomed the
road supervisors heartily for the
purpose of promoting a spirit of
friendly cooperation between the in
terests of the county seat and the
country folk. Charles Graham en
hanced the interest of the session
with "something in the Scotch line."
He sang a program from Harry Laud
er's quaint Scotch repertoire and his
greeting was hearty.
County Judge H. S. Anderson, lit
erally between "the devil and the
deep sea" as far as road subjects
were concerned, took his part upon
the program in excellent style. He
discussed road problems briefly and
corrected several statements that
have been circulated in connection
with county road affairs. Judge An
derson told the meeting that Clacka
mas county probably had spent close
to $2,000,000 on roads within the past
decade, and he listed generally the
extent of the improved highways,
bridges, etc., that the county has to
show for its money.
Judge Grant B. Dimick, conversant
with road matters in the county by
virtue of his experience as county
judge and as a taxpayer, discussed
the subject. Judge Dimick accused
the chronic "knocker" for much of
the trouble which is put in the way
of any road program outlined in this
county. He charged that petty jeal
ousies were frequently the direct
cause of the defeat of plans for the
improvement of county roads, and
brought out the experience of the
Mount Pleasant road district as evi
dence of his assertion. Here, Judge
Dimick said, a cheap squabble be
tween individuals was probably the
cause of the tabling of a proposition
to permanently improve the road In
to the Beaver Creek valley.
Judge Dimick bore upon the topic
of the spirit of the Oregon farmer,
and at the same time decried the
lack of farm development, not only
in this county but elsewhere. He
pointed out especially the losses the
United States has suffered within a
few score years by not keeping up it?
livestock herds. He called attention
to the difference in the number of
sheep, for instance, "that were upon
the farms of the nation in 1880 and
the number that can be counted at the
present time. He called attention
also to the fact that Oregon, in spite
of her great ranges and her rich soils,
this year will have to import from
the middle states millions of dollars'
worth of livestock and meats to sup
ply the home demand that should be
abundantly cared for within the bor
ders of this state. The judge illum
inated his talk with several of the
clever stories that have spread his
popularity as a public speaker.
A male trio, comprising T. A.
Burke, H. A. Swafford and Frank
Branch Riley, the latter of Portland,
entertained the meeting with its ren
dition of patriotics ongs. The trio
was accompanied on the piano by
Mrs. Nieta Barlow Lawrence and at
the conclusion of the two-hour meet
ing lead the assembly in singing
"America."
Appropriately, the meeting closed
after a brief talk by Main Trunk C
Schuebel, with the thrilling patriotic
address of James H. Cary. Mr. Cary
did his ability as an orator much jus
tice and at the same time stirred his
audience by his forceful statements
as to the duty of the citizenship of
a united nation in crushing out the
foul weed of Prussian militarism. " He
paid glowing tributes to the presi
dent, the flag and the nation, and ex-
Dressed the opinion that autocratic
CHARGE AGED WOMAN
WITH HIDING MONEY
HOFFMAN ESTATE IS AGAIN IN
COURTS. POT OF GOLD IS
MISSING. $1279 ASKED
There was a pot of gold at the foot
of the rainbow that formed after the
storm of settling up the estate of the
late George T. Hoffman, who died in
August of 1913. And the heirs of
the estate are now in the courts seek
ing to adjust finally and definitely all
claims to the golden treasure.
A complaint filed in Judge Camp
bell's court on Friday says that Mrs.
Emaline Hoffman, widow of George
T. Hoffman, knows something about
a golden treasure left by her husband
and that she is withholding such in
formation from the other beneficiar
ies. The complaint was filed by four
heirs to the Hoffman estate. It asks
an accounting and demands judgment
for $1279 over and above the amount
left by Mr. Hoffman. The judgment
asked includes $574 alleged to be due
on rent from Mrs. Hoffman for the
farm she occupied following the
death of her husband.
The complaint filed Friday by Ida
E. Ogden, F. S. Hoffman, Curtis Hoff
man and Cora Owens intimates that
a sack of coin, probably containing
$4500, was supposed to be near
George T. Hoffman at the time of
his death. Immediately after his
death, it is said, Mrs. Emaline Hoff
man hurried to hide the treasure sack,
and has failed to account for it at
any time. In addition to this, other
instances of Mrs. Hoffman's using the
funds of the estate for her own pur
poses are set out in the complaint.
Mrs. Hoffman has never told the oth
er heirs what disposition she is mak
ing of $60 pension money, and with
money that must have been paid on a
promissory note that fell due about
the time of Hoffman's death, it is said.
The Hoffman estate has been on
the court dockets here almost contin
uously since August, 1913, the time of
Hoffman's death. It appeared re
cently to be practically settled when
the complaint filed Friday was pre
pared and the entire matter was
thrown back upon the courts for so
lution. COUNTY MAKES REPLY
Claims of Fish Family Will be Con
tested by District Attorney
District Attorney Hedges last
Thursday filed answers to the sever
al suits brought against the county
by the Fish family, which seeks to
recover a total of $4400 for an acci
dent suffered on the road to New Era
last year. In substance the answers
filed deny most of the allegations
of the complaints made by the mem
bers of the family and that the acci
dent was due to any negligence on
the part of the county.
Alice Etta Fish and Amy Fish
were painfully injured in the acci
dent last August, and the machine
in which they were riding with Frank
Fish was damagedi Fish charged
that a cut in the road was hidden by
a growth of ferns and brush, and
that his machine went over a 12-foot
embankment when he attempted to
turn out of the road to allow anoth
er machine to pass. According to
Deputy District Attorney Burke, Mr.
Fish will be forced to prove that such
a condition existed and that it was
the fault of the county.
Judge Goes to Astoria
Proceedings in the circuit court
here paused for a time this week be
cause of the absence of Judge J. U.
Campbell and R. B. Runyan, court re
porter. Judge Campbell left Tuesday
evening for Astoria, where he re
lieved Judge J. A. Eakin, of the Clat
sop county circuit court during the
trial of a civil case; Court Reporter
Runyan left for the coast Monday
night and until the arrival of Judge
Campbell, was busy taking testimony
in a court martial at Fort Stevens.
Sues Orange Eastham
Elva Linten, formerly stenograph
er int he office of O. W. Eastham, lo
cal attorney .and recently candidate
for district attorney as a republican,
Saturday brought suit against East
ham to recover $85 alleged due as
wages. The complaint says that Miss
Linten has several times sought to
collect the money and that she gave
her former employer the customary
notice when she left his service. She
asks $50 attorney fees.
In the Divorce Court
Because Clyde E. Barnes told his
wife, Myrtle E. Barnes, that she had
never been anything to him and be
cause he said that he loved a girl in
the east, Mrs. Barnes Friday filed
suit for divorce. She sets up 'these
alleged statements of her husband as
evidence of the charge of cruelty
which she makes in the complaint.
They were married at Portland on
January 18, 1912.
Bessie Holyfield Friday filed a di
vorce action against Edward J. Holy
field in which she makes desertion the
cause of suit. The couple was mar
ried at Astoria on December 8, 1913,
and before a month rolled around the
husband deserted her, according to
her allegations.
Prussianism little knows the power of
the blow that a united America can
deliver when her toes have been tram
pled on beyond human endurance.
L V QUID
ORGANIZE
COUNTY
N
OBJECT IS TO PROMOTE COM
PLETE PREPAREDNESS OF
RESOURCES
ALL AGENCIES TO COMBINE
Nation Approaching Emergency Must
Look to the Farms to Win in
its Warfare
Oregon City and Clackamas coun
ty have been called upon to show their
patriotism in a concrete form to as
sist the state and nation in a definite
action toward agricultural prepared
ness. In Oregon City this week plans
are being completed for the organi
zation of a county council for de
fense, to work with the state and na
tional councils.
Agricultural and other organiza
tions that have 'the interest of the
county at heart will be urged to se
lect one of their number as a member
of the proposed council. The council,
according to the outline of plans
given to the Courier yesterday by T.
D. Case of the Agricultural college,
will direct the preparedness campaign
in this county and make plans for
the organization meeting to be held
on May 12.
Startling facts regarding the world
wide shortage of food make it imper
ative that every effort be made to
secure a maximum production of
food during the present season.
The nation may now be approach
ing the greatest emergency in her
history, and we must rise to meet it
with every resource at our command.
Many have not an appreciation of
the real situation. The enormous
food supplies of our nation have been
gradually depleted until now there is
practically no surplus. The pros
pects are that the winter wheat crop
of the country will be below normal
and conditions generally have not
been good for sowing spring wheat.
It is not yet too late to plant such
crops as oats, barley, buckwheat,
beans, potatoes, corn, roots, vegeta
bles and crops for hay and stock
food. Live stock should be, conserved
and every effort made to get the
greatest possible production from
them. Breeding stock must not be
sold.
The nation must not only feed its
own millions of people, but in a large
measure provide for the millions
across the sea.
It is the patriotic duty of every
farmer to plant every possible acre
of crops, and the duty of all people
of all classes to come to his aid in
planting and harvesting. The sup
plying of food is of equal importance
with sending soldiers to the front.
Some are afraid to plant extensive
ly for fear of an over supply and
consequent low prices. The world
shortage is so great that no fear
need be felt along this line. To cre
ate confidence, government officials
are working on a plan to guarantee a
minimum price for staple farm crops.
The available labor of the state
will be listed and assigned to service
when and where needed. This will
be handled through a central office in
Portland with branches in every
county. Let no one fail to plant be
cause of lack of labor. It will be pro
vided. National and state govern
ments are taking steps to this end.
On Saturday, May 12, meetings are
to be held in every community in the
county. Men will be present to ex
plain the government plan, and to
give and get specific information.
All agricultural organizations should
be called together in extraordinary
session on that date. The need is im
perative. Let everyone attend the
meeting in their own locality.
Prof. E. B. Fitts of the extension
service O. A. C. and T. D. Case have
been stationed in this county to rep
resent the state and nation and to as
sist in organizing. Get into touch
with these men, whose headquar
ters are at Oregon City. Don't wait
for them to come to you, they ask
The county is large and the time
short.
The council will be organized next
Thursday at Oregon City One rep
resentative of every agricultural or
ganization in the county is asked to be
present, also representatives from
commercial clubs and other civic bodi
es. Every person should see to it
that his own organization is repre
sented.
BOY LOSES THUMB
Little Sister Chops Digit of Fobert
Kern While Cutting Wood
The right fore finger on the hand
of Robert Kern, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Kern, was chopped off on Sat
urday afternoon by a hatchet in the
hand of the lad's little sister. The
boy was chopping wood with an axe
and the little girl, thinking she could
help her brother, stepped up to the
chopping block with a hatchet She
struck a piece of wood held by Rob
ert and before the boy could remove
his hand the hatchet blade had struck
the finger, practically cutting it off.
Dr. M. C. Strickland completed the
operation.
NEW LOOMS IN AND
MILLS WILL START
PROBABLY JULY BEFORE MOV
ING IS DONE AND ENTIRE
PLANT IS -AT WORK
Thirty-four new woolen weaving
looms will be put into operation at
the Oregon City Manufacturing com
pany's woolen mills here about Wed
nesday as the first unit of the new
addition which has just been com
pleted. The new looms are in place
and the last of their equipment will
be complete early in the week. Looms
that are in other parts of the mills
will be moved to the new addition as
promptly as possible, but it is not
expected to have the addition com
plete and in full operation before
July.
The work of moving equipment
from the old buildings to the new
concrete structure will start next
week and in the meantime the 34 new
looms will be operated by electrical
power furnished by the P; R. L. & P,
Co. Later the electrical plant of the
woolen mills will be so arranged that
it can furnish its independent power
to the new addition, but by the aux
iliary power there will be no pause in
the work of the big factory.
With the completion of the new ad
dition the woolen mills will have prac
tically a 60 per cent greater capacity
than at present. The building occu
pies a ground space of 80 by 250 feet.
It will provide for the employment of
a much larger force of workmen than
has been employed heretofore.
TWO BOARDS PLAN A
UNION HIGH SCHOOL
WEST LINN AND WILLAMETTE
VOTERS AUTHORIZE EARLY
CONSTRUCTION
Taxpayers in the Willamette and
West Linn school districts Saturday
turned out in very small numbers to
vote their approval of plans for the
consolidation of the two districts for
the purpose of establishing and main
taining a union high school. The to
tal vote in the two districts' was 31
for the proposition and 18 against.
This is the first step toward the issu
ance of $35,000 in bonds to build and
equip a modern building for high
school purposes.
Within the next month another
special election will be called in West
Linn to decide upon the bond issue,
and there is thought to be little doubt,
in View of the vote Saturday, that the
issue will be authorized. The school.
board then will exercise its option on
a site for the new school near the
west end of the suspension bridge and
work will be started as soon after as
the bonds can be disposed of. Plans
in the hands of the school boards call
for an eight or 10 room school build
ing equipped throughout in the most
modern fashion.
There are 68 pupils from West
Linn and Willamette studying at the
Oregon City high school. Other pu
pils fail to enter high school because
of the distance they must come across
the river. It is estimated that at
least 100 will enroll for the first year
in the proposed new school. The
cost of educating these pupils in Ore
gon City is paid by the special coun
ty fund for that purpose, to which the
taxpayers of West Linn contribute
heavily.
DENNY SURRENDERS
Milwaukie Bootlegger Indicates Con
fession by Returning to Jail
Martin Denny, one of the former
Friars' club proprietors, who, with
his partner, Larry Sullivan, was con
victed of violating the prohibition
law and sentenced by Judge Camp
bell to a fine of $250 and 30 days' lm
nrisonment, walked into the sheriff's
office Friday evening and announced
that he was ready to go to jail, bher
iff Wilson locked him up forthwith.
On arraignment for sentence last
Monday, Denny's attorneys took 10
days to prepare for a new trial or
appeal, so there was considerable
surprise about the sheriff's office
when Denny surrendered and said he
was ready to do his bit. In pro
nouncing sentence Judge campoeu
told Denny and Sullivan he had al
ways heard they were "good sports"
and that fn the parlance of sportdom
it was one occasion when they could
n't put "anything over" to Bave them
selves from a term in the county jail,
Nothing has been heard from Sul
livan since his attorney, John Mc
Cue, took a stay of execution for 10
days. Local officials, however, are
of the opinion that he will surrender
himself soon.
Denny remarked to the court at
the time of his conviction last week
that he should be forced to go to jail
for having associated with such
person as Larry Sullivan. Denny
formerly conducted a notorious tip
pling place in Portland.
Cruelty is the allegation made by
Marjorie Pierson against A. Romeyn
Pierson, Jr., in a divorce complaint
filed here Saturday. The couple was
married in New Jersey on January
16, 1916, and there are no children or
property rights.
NETS IKE POOR
FIRST DAY
ANGLERS DISPOSSESSED AFTER
AN UNFRUITFUL SEASON.
WARDEN BUSY
THREE BUYERS ARE OPERATING
Price is Said to Be High. This May
Be Last Season For the Gill
Netters
After one of the poorest angling
seasons in many years the rod and
line fishermen on the Willamette riv
er were dispossessed at noon Tues
day and the gill netters turned out
in full force. ' The river was open to
net men after the noon hour, and
Tuesday night the first big sweep
was made. Wednesday the first haul
was turned over to the Portland fish
buyers at prices probably a little
higher than have been paid hereto
fore.
The usual competition among buy
ers is eliminated for the most part,
because of an agreement made be
tween the buyers and the Fishermen's
union, and no matter who buys the
fish from the nets, the three firms
buying from the river here will un
doubtedly share evenly in the catch.
Two Portland market buyers and the
Pillar Rock cannery people are the
chief buyers.
The anglers have had an unusually
poor year, although they believe that
there are more fish in the river than
tere have been for many years. On
ly a few of the prizes offered by the
Oregon Salmon club have been claim
ed. Tuesday morning the river with
in sight of the suspension bridge was
lined with rod and line fishermen
seeking the last day of sport with the
royal chinook. The river has been
extremely muddy every day since the
season's run of salmon started, and
angling has been, therefore, highly
unprofitable. At the rapids where
the Clackamas enters the Willamette
the current has served to clear the
water somewhat and angling there
has been more successful than on any
other part of the river, tl is esti
mated that several hundred anglers
were on the river before 8 o'clock
Tuesday morning.
A few of the season's horde of gill
netters drifted their nets shortly af
ter noon on Tuesday, but the major
ity, as usual, waited for . darkness.
And along the river banks during the
wee sma' hours of Wednesday morn
ing there was evident great disap
pointment. The nets brought in the
smallest catches that have been re
corded on a first day for many sea
sons, and all just when the fishermen
thought they had a chance to become
rich over night.
Many of the gill netters quit their
work in disgust after the first few
hauls at the nets failed to bring up
the royal chinook in great quantities
from his damp home. Each man
has an alibi, however, and they
threaten to make good their predic
tion as to large catches before the
season is done. They, believe there
are many more fish in the river than
there usually are, and blame the
depth of the water and its muddied
condition for much f the lack of
success on the first night.
The three buyers operating in this
community fared poorly, of course,
in view of the light catch Tuesday
night and Wednesday morning. But
they are prepared to pay the same
price for every pound of fish as is
paid by the Columbia river buyers
That price may go above 12 cents
this year, a figure almost unprece
dented.
Reports from Jennings Lodge yes-
terday brought further hope to the
hearts of the anglers and net men
alike. It was said that at Jennings
Lodge and thereabouts there appear
ed to be an unusual run of fish and
that in spite of the high, muddy wa
ter anglers were having excellent
luck. This fact was taken to indicate
that fish are working their way tow
ard the falls in large numbers and
that today or tomorrow may prove a
lucrative one both for anglers and
gill netters.
The local fishermen are drifting
their nets for the last season unless
the referendum of the Clackamas
County Fishermen's union against the
Gill bill is successful. It is said that
more than half the required number
of names have been attached to the
initiative measure and that the Gill
bill will probably be held up pending
a vote of the people and the net men
will have one or more seasons in
which to fish in the interim. They
are firm in their conviction that the
Gill bill will not hold good if the peo
ple get a chance to express them
selves, in spite of the favor in which
the legislation closing the river to
within the boundaries of Oswego is
held by sportsmen throughout the
northwestern part of the state. The
Gill bill, local net men say, is man!
festly unfair and they are spending
much time and money in a concerted
effort to keep the authorities from en
forcing it
One of the busiest men on the riv.
er these days is Bert Jewell, the pop
ular deputy warden who has held the
RAUL
PREPAREDNESS CARS
TO BE HERE MONDAY
SPECIAL MEETINGS ARRANGED
FOR STUDENTS AND PUBLIC.
WORK IS IMPORTANT
A number of prominent men and
women were called together at the
Commercial club Tuesday by E. T.
May, who is traveling in advance of
the food preparedness train under the
auspices of the Oregon Agricultural
college. Mr. May spoke at some
length of the plans and ambitions ot
the promoters of the food train and
saw to it that the meeting was a
properly constituted committee to see
that the train's visit here accomplish
es its purposes. Mr. May outlined
the necessity for food preparedness
and brought out the individual's duty.
The food preparedness tram with
its teaching staff will arrive in Ore
gon City on Saturday evening. It
will remain here all day Sunday, and
on Monday a series of lectures and
demonstrations will, be held. From
to 10:30 in the morning, Miss Tur-
Iey and Miss Helen Cowgill will ad
dress high school pupils in the school
assembly room. At the same time
Professors W. S. Brown and C. C.
Lamb will take up distinct phases of
food preparedness in rooms at the
high school. The latter lecture will
be especially interesting for boys.
During Monday afternoon the four
lecturers will be at the food pre
paredness train on the siding here.
They will -talk on food preparedness,
home canning, vegetable growing and
poultry raising. In the evening at 7
'clock Miss Helen Cowgill will de
liver a special lecture on home can
ning at the Commercial club.
On Saturday the preparedness
train will be at Canby, where special
meetings and lectures also have been
arranged,
SOLDIERS GET AID
Doctors and Druggists Promise Not
to Charge Guardians of Flag
Through the Loyalty league of
this city, the soldiers who are sta
tioned here will have free medical
advice and free medicine whenever
they require it during their stay in
Oregon City. Such was the report of
a commttee at the meeting of the
league held at the Commercial club
last night. Practically every doctor
in the city has willingly agreed to
advise and treat soldiers free of any
cost and the drug stores of the city
have pledged themselves to furnissh
medicines at cost
The Loyalty league's action is said
to have been spurred by the know
ledge that one doctor here thought
lessly charged a soldier $1 for a pre
scription. The youth had only 90
cents and he gave a check on a bank
where he had no funds to pay the
price. He immediately advised the
bank of his action and will cover the
check from his first pay.
The Loyalty league meeting last
night was poorly attended, but con
siderable important work was done.
The league considered the attend
ance due to the general lull in patri
otic sentiment through the city and
will continue its meetings to be pre
pared for the revival of interest
WILL STOP NOISE
Screechng Trains Will be "Restrain
ed" by City Aldermen
The trains whose whistles screech
discordantly upon the peaceful night
air of Oregon City will be restrained
from the unseemly practice during
reasonable hours if the city council
can find a way to force the matter.
Once the Southern Pacific company
has indicated its inability to stop the
noise of prolonged, shrill whistling
in the gulch through the city. The
shrill whistle is heard for miles and
is highly troublesome to residents on
the hill and through the lower part
of the city, the council said at its
meeting last night.
The monthly meeting of the alder
men was busy at routine work for the
month and had no time for the 'usual
display of wrath and personality. It
authorized that $250 be paid for a
street sweeper, that $75 be appropri
ated for the G. A. R., and that $200 be
spent for the construction of a sewer
on High street between First and
Second streets. The usual reports
for the month were read and that of
the police chief showed there had
been no arrest during April.
Dismiss Barber Divorce
The divorce action brought by El
sie O. Barber against Orange L. Bar
ber was dismissed upon motion of
Mrs. Barber's attorneys. It is the
son of this couple who has been be
fore the juvenile court this week for
running away from W. H. Wettlauf-
er of Clarkes, into whose keeping the
boy was given by the Boys' and Girls
Aid society. Mrs. Barber's efforts to
recover the child have thus far been
unavailing.
fish laws of the state up to the re
spect of anglers and net men here for
several seasons. Mr. Jewell has thus
far reported only very minor infrac.
tions of the fish laws and no arrests
have been made. However, he Is
kept busy during his working hours
and seemingly at most other times,
patrolling the river and watching the
many men who seek profit from the
finned life in the Willamette. '
SINK
BOATS
IN SINGLE WEEK
INCREASE OF DESTRUCTION
ALARMS GOVERNMENT AT
WASHINGTON
SHIPPING NOW THREATENED
German's Undersea Fleet Sinks More
Than 400,000 Tons of Allied
Ships in Few Days
The enormous inroads on world
shipping made by German submarines
within the last few weeks has brought
to American government officials a
full realization of the disaster that
faces the United States and the allies
if the undersea warfaro is not check
ed. . ,
Governors and state representatves
at Washngton Wednesday for a na
tional defense conference, will take
home to their people a message from
the government emphasizing the men
ace to America and urging that there
must be the fullest co-ordination by
the states in war preparation if Ger
many is to be defeated.
Secretary Lane told the conference
that the great destruction of ships
was threatening the existence of
Great Britain and France and men
acing the United States. No one, he
said, knew the exact number of ships
lost recently, but estimates put last
week's submarine toll at 400,000 tons.
Later he explained that this estimate
was probably too high.
Secretary Lansing in a statement
declared the seriousness of the sub
marine situation could not be exag
gerated, and that it was time the
country awoke to the true facts. Re
ports to the state department give a
total of 80 vessels lost in one week,
figures much higher than any con-,
tained in recent British annouce-.
mots.
The British mission announced that
the rate of destructon in recent
weeks had continued unchanged and
that it showed alarming increases.
All its members agree the situation
is critical, however, and that the com
bined shipbuilding facilities of the
world can meet the peril only if their
output is increased tremendously.
Announcing the government's pro
gramme for exercising more direct
control over the country's shipping
and ship-building facilities, Chairman
Denman of the shipping board said
estimates had reached the board of
300,000 tons of shipping sunk in one
week.
The present world's ship tonnage
is estimated at less than 50,000,000
tons. In 1916 the entire loss in ton
nage due to war causes was put at a .
little more than 2000,000 tons, or
some 162,000 tons a month. At pres
ent the Germans are sinking consid
erably more than that each week.
A bureau of navigation report pre
pared recently estimated the world's
ship construction in 1916 at slightly
less than 2,000,000 tons. If the Ger.
mans keep up their present rate of
destruction officials admit without
hesitation that their campaign threat
ens to sweep the seas clean.
"The seriousness of the situation
is apparent," said Chairman Denman
Wednesday. "When we consider the
present productivity . of world ship
yards and their highest output likely
within the next four months, the en
tire production will not exceed one
fifth of the monthly loss at the rate
given by Secretary Lane. The ship
ping board's figures do not reach that
high a total, but they are sufficiently
high to make the situation extremely
grave."
The administration's ship-control
program will go to congress this
week in bills giving the presdent
direct power, if needed, to take over
the country's ships and shipyards.
MEDALS PRESENTED
High School Debaters Get Honors at
Special Assembly
, Special ceremony Friday after
noon marked the presentation of
medals at the Oregon City high school
to pupils who were prominent in de
bate during the year. With the audi
torium filled with pupils, Superintend
ent F. J. Tooze presented the souve
nirs to Miss Lulu Miller, Miss Aud
rey Tuor, Fred J. Tooze, Jr., and Les
lie Wievesiek. The high school or
chestra played during the meeting
and brief talks were made by Pro
fessor John Mason, Professor W. L.
Arant, Marvin Eby, student chairman,
and Superintendent Tooze. Medals
will be sent to John Rankin and Earl
Paddock, who left school a short time
ago to join the colors, and for his
work as coach of the debate teams
Professor John Mason received one of
the pins.
Bank Sues Anderson -The
Clackamas county bank last
Thursday brought suit against A. H.
Lamm, administrator of the estate of
Thomas Anderson, to recover on a
promissory note for $203. The in
strument is dated at Gresham on
January 24, 1916, and calls for 7 per
cent interest Attorneys' fees of $40
are asked.