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About Oregon City enterprise. (Oregon City, Or.) 1891-194? | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1912)
mm Oregon CDTY ENTE Hai yv ubsorlptlon ex- plrtdr Look at the label. You ihould not miss any of our news numbara. 4 Attend to It now. FORTY SIXTH YEAR No. 0. OltEQON CITY, OltEQON, FRIDAY, MAUCH 1, 3912. ESTABLISHED 1M S E ID LEVK DENOUNCE EACH OTH Eli PROSECUTOR EOF HILL MURDER PROBE-NO ACTION TAKEN MASS AND LBS SCORED BY TONGUE . 4 4 4. District Attorney IS. II. Tongue wuh under lire fur more than two hour Hutiirtluy iiflernoou before lint Cluck unia Ciiiuity ('unit, which IihiI io quested IiIm presence ut h conference, liitvliiK tor Its primary nirKHo the solution if thn mystery surrounding the killing (jf Mr, 11 ml Mrs. Will Hill uml their two clillilreii at Ardenwald lust Hiiiiimer. Mr. Tongue engaged In a iniiiiiier or verlml MHx with Hliui Iff Mass uml Detective L. L. Irving (if ion inn. 1, mm ino no wuh jmnHcd u score of times. Tim conference, however, wan friililcHi. At the outset County JiiiIko Unit I c explained IU purpose, as being ciiliilliileU lo DHHlMt the District At torney 111 ferret Inn uut the murderer und even offered to appoint a special prosecutor at the expeiiHo of tint coun ty, hut Mr. Thiikuo evidently did not receive 1I1 In aiiKKcHtlon with favor for lie never referred to It during the en tire afternoon. There were present Ut the hearing JiiiIko Itoiltle, Commis sioner iiinir and Mattoon, Dlntrlct Attorney Turnout, Itepuly DlHlrlct At torney Stlpp, Sheriff Musa unit Detec tive (vltlg. Mr. Tongue Immediately pimped Into a caiiMtlc rrltlclKiu of the methods employed liy Sheriff Max unit Detec tive Ievlngs In attempting, uh he ex pressed It, to Influence the grand Jury to bring In an Imllctnient against Na than It. Ilnrvoy, the wealthy Mllwau kle nurseryman, who wan arrested on a churKO of having murdered the Hill family mid who was releiiHed upon preliminary examination of Justice of the Pi-iire Hamxon. "Utvlngs took liberties." said the DlMtrlct Attorney. "In telling hlsj story to the grand Jury ho read let tern mild to have heen written to the District Attorney thnt the DlHlrlct Attorney never got. Ho has xald I wan trying to throw cold water on this Investigation. Now 1 know my duty mill I do not care If Ievlngi Is not satisfied. do not care who It ultn and I do not care who It doea not ault. I do not care to pleiiHe or displease nnybody and I only seek to bring out the facta, living told me a long while ago that the grand Jury wan uuxlous to Indict llurvey. He told me that ho and Sheriff Muaa hud been working for month on the case and had not got very far and he wanted me to have Harvey Indicted, for If lliirvey'n Indictment camo as a thun derbolt out of u clear aky, Levlngs wuh satisfied he would be able to ob tain a confoHHlon. "Hut I aald no." continued Mr Tongue. "1 told Levlngs It la Just aa much thn duty of the grand Jury to protect the Innocent an to Indict the guilty, and I suggested Harvey ar rest on information. My Idea U that a grand Jurymun should not be ap proached by anyone. One Juror told me that livings had been to him twice and urged an Indictment of liar vey on the Bole evidence of Muhh and livings. It haa been charged that I tcld the grand jury not to Indict Harvey, but thla la a damn lie. Maaii told me thut the Indictment of Mar vey would mean my reelection aa DUtrlct Attorney, but I don't play the political game that way. 'What I did do waa to explain to the grand Jury what waa evidence and what waa not evidence. I aald to the grand-Jury, 'When you consider thla cane you niUHt cIIhiiiIhs any pre judice for or against Harvey; you iniiKt throw nalde all bins and public opinion and forget thut Levlngi bad ever talked to you. It la not a ques tion for you to play politics for me or for Mann, and whatever you do the DlMtrlct Attorney a office will be sat lulled.' "There waa some evidence present d before the grand Jury thut was more positive and more direct agninal Another man than It waa against Har vey and It did not come from Mass or Levlnga, It waa direct testimony. There la no one who wants to get at the bottom of thla case any more than I do, but whenever I go before a Jury and ask them to take a man'a life, I want to know I am right. I did not advise the garand Jury one way or another, and the grand Jury ftlmply went to the end of the evi dence that waa before them. On the .evidence that waa presontcd the case would never get to the trial jury.' Detective Levlnga denied many of the assertions of the DlHlrlct Attor ney. He charged Mr. Tongue with having known of Harvey employing Portland attorneys to defend him tn rase he wag arrested, and aald the District Attorney had concealed this knowledge from the sherlff'a office. "The District Attorney," declared living, "haa done nothing to bring the Hill murderer to justice. You know and I know," said the detective. Addressing himself to Tongue, "that manv witnesses went ccrore the grand jury at a personal sacrifice and from a sense of duty and they testified on oath what they believed to be true. Ton argued every point with them and belittled every material bit of testi mony. You could not have taken up the cudgel better for Harvey had you held a brief from him. Witnesses came from the grand Jury room and complained that you bad cast asper sions on their testimony. You have aald that not a scintilla of evidence waa presented to the grand Jury to connect Harvey with the crime. I want to ask yon who haa spent their time, money and mental effort to find the real murderer and I want you to lraw a comparison for the benefit of this court as to who baa really tried to get to the bottom of thla case. I believe the grand Jury would have re turned an Indictment had It been properly Instructed." j "You have been working nara on you urn Horn,'' rejoined Mr Tongue. "In that, I hitve a hIiiiiIu the best of it, for I have tried una you have not," reported livings. "I never heard testimony that wiim testimony In thla cusn before the grand Jury." said the District Attor ney, livings handed mo a typewrit ten outline of tho testimony ho hud olilalned and on things ho claimed wero material, witnesses diihnciI him the direct lie. The District Attorney stands ready to go to any length to gel me murderer of the-1(111 family, but I have been made a gout long enough by Irving prims agents." With this statement from Mr. Tongue the conference was conclud ed, having reached no tangible point. The attitude of the District Attorney, If maintained, makes It Imperative to obtain more conclusive evidence than has ulready been presented before Mr. Tongue will recommend an Indictment, (li'orgo C. Iirownell, attorney for Harvey, said Saturday night that his rllent was anxlouH to go beforo a Jury. "Mr. Harvey and myself are both anxious to meet a Jury lu this case," said Mr. Iirownell. "My client la In nocent, and this whole business bus been worked up by detectives, politic ians and two or three lying neighbors of Harvey. I personally am acquaint ed with the testimony the state pos sesses uud there Is none of It ad missible In court, except a few minor circumstances. "I am preparing papers to com inenco action agulnst two or threo persons In Milwaukie and Ardenwald, who have slundered my client." PROSECUTOR SAYS SHERIFF AND DETECTIVE TRIED TO IN FLUENCE JURY BROWBEATING IS ALSO ALLEGED District Attorney Declares Ha Has Aldod In Evsry Way Possible To Find Quadruple Slayer IIII.IIIOUO, Or., Fob. 26. (Spe cial) Kegardlng the grand Jury In vestigation of tho Hill tragedy at Ar donwald station, District Attorney Tonguo In a statement given out to night, scores Sheriff Muss and De tective livings. The statement. In part, follows: "It must be apparent to the reading public t.iat Private Detective Levlngs an HILL CRIME PROBE SEVERELY SCORED PORTLAND PAPER 8AY9 THERE !S "80METHING WRONG" IN THIS COUNTY JUDGMENT IS HELD IN ABEYANCE "Common Sense View" and Not "Technical Construction of Evi dence" Paper 8ays, Should Prevail The Evening Telegram or Portland, has the following to say editorially, of tho Investigation of the Hill murder at Ardonwnld station: "With reference to the Investigation o ft lie Hill murder case In Clacka mas county, there Is something wrong; something so decidedly wrong that If there Is any tribunal In the county which has the authority It ought, by Its own lultlatve, to go to the bottom of the entire mat ter. "It Is not expedient that Judgment should be passed on the attitude of either party to the contention. No one on the outside can say or cares to say that the sheriff and the detective are proffering evidence that ought to procure an Indictment, which Is re jected because of the friendliness of the district attorney toward the ac cused; nor, on the other hand, can one say that the district attorney, real i.lng the evidence gathered to be Ir relevant and Incompetent, Is warrant ed In dismissing the case as depending too much on the enthusiasm and preju dice of the Investigators. This seems to be about the surface summary of the two sides of the affair; but It doea not touch the point of vital In terest to the public. "The Ardenwald murder was, possl bly, the moat horrible ever committed In this entire region. It was a trag edy of such horror that every shred of evidence which tends to lead the authorities to the malignant fiend whol commuted me aeea glioma be follow ed as far as it leads. Concerning the present controversy the layman who has common sense would conceive it to be sufficient to lay before the grand u ry the facts, and the full facts, as they have been disclosed by the In vest Kation. 'It Is not so much the technical con struction of that evidence as It Is the common sense view of It which should determine Its value In the hands of the grand Jury. The jurors certainly ought not to be partisans of the one side or the other. They ought to be able to say what certain facts Indi cate without the advice of .the district attorney, and If the presentation of the case by the sheriff and detective Is persecution, or attempted persecu tion, they ought, as men versed In ev eryday experience, to discover that It Is, to say the least, a queer condi tion In Clackamas county that pre vents the most searching investiga tion into every circumstance connect ed even remotely with this terrible tragedy." Myers Named Guardian. W. W. Myers has been appointed by Judge Beatle guardian of George B. Thomas and Rhoda Thomas, of Es- tacada. The appointment was made upon the application of the five chlld- thls case and you fell down and now ren of the aged couple. d Sheriff Muss, through the articles either written or Inspired by thorn, In the dally papers of the lust few days, have been endeavoring to lash the grand Jury Into returning an Indict ment agulnst Nathan B. Hurvey, Irre spective of the honest judgmont of that body, whether or not there was sufficient evidence, In the body's Judg ment, to warrant such action. The grund Jury, which for several days, listened attentively to all evidence presented, comprised foremost citizen of Clackamas county and their honor ami integrity are above reproach. They are not required to answer to Private Detective Levlnga or Sheriff Muss for any action or non action with reference to any subject coming bo fore them for investigation and It does not llo In the mouth of any poli tician reward seeker, sheriff or Drl- vale det ctlve, to Impugn the motives or conduct or honor or Intelligence of thut body, which acted along a desire to satisfy the law' demands and their duties as Jurors and not the whim or desires of those who have suspicions but no tangible evidence. "Their refusal aa yet, to Indict Mr. Harvey upon the evidence presented to them needs no defense, either from themselves or from me. The law re quires that only competent evidence shall be submitted to the grand Jury and I conclude from the fact that no Indictment was returned, that the In. vestlgatlve body was not of the opin ion that surricient competent evidence had been presented to them to war rant a true bill charging Harvey with so heinous a crime, and In thla view I heartily concur and I wish to take this opportunity to brand as unqualifiedly false any assertion, either by Levlngs or by Mass that I advised the grand Jury against Indicting Harvey or any other person In the Hill case or that I concealed any evidence from either Levlngs or Mass or from the grand Jury or that any witness was brow- beaten or mistreated before the grand Jury "The grand Jury and I are Just as anxious to bring to the bar of justice the guilty parties as is either Levlnga or Sheriff Mass and will go Just far along legitimate lines to accom plish that result as either or both will go, but we Insist that the Indictment be returned regularly upon the evk deuce presented and not through any communication or Influence had with the grand jury by Levlngs or Mass or any other person, prior to their delib erative session, or other representa tions that the evidence before the grand jury did not substantiate.' ft t h SUPPLIES NEEDED WANT. 4, Oregon City, Or., It. F. D. No. C. Feb. 20, 1812. Editor Mom. lug Enterprise, Oregon City, Or, Dear Sir: At I have been a reudei of your most valuable paper ever since Its first art- 4- t; pcarance and believe that I have 4 read every number that has been 'p Issued, I feel disposed to con gralula'e you upon your com Dlete success. The "Enterprise haa supplied 4 the long needed want In the way 4 of a dally publication In Oregon 4 'f City and especially should we residents of the rural districts be ' ' appreciative. I have waU.-hi-d the 4 growth and progress of the 4 "Morning Enterprise" with In terest snd now at the beginning -? of another largr) subscription campaign, equally considering 4 ' the value of the prizes offered to those ever launched by any j 1; paper In the state, I wl.sh you - continued success. f Sincerely yours, MARY A. LAZELLK. Q i t $r 4' e J GOV ERNORS GO 1 BETTER FOR TAET ONE WHO URGED COLONEL ANNOUNCE 8AID TO BE WAVERING TO RoosEvars men are answered Announcement of Taft Bureau Taken As Answer To Appeal For Ex Preildent Square Deal Asked GETS SUBSCRIPTIONS The publicity committee of the Commercial club began Its annual campaign for funds Wednesday. The entire committee was out and one of the persons called upon was a promi nent attorney who said: "Gentlemen, I am glad to see you, I congratulate you on your past record and honestly believe that you are responsible to a great measure for the good things that are coming Oregon City's way, as the government docks, terminal rates, op en river with a six-foot channel, fed eral building, etc. I will pledge myself for a goodly payment each month, but before doing so, I will treat you all to a cigar." The committee will continue its work. The members are O. D. Eby, a T. McBaln, M. D. Latourette, T. W, Sullivan and T. L. Charman WASHINGTON. Feb. 27.-Telegra-phlc "pledegea of support from nine Republican Governors were given out tonight from the campaign headquart ers of President Taft. The executives go on record In favor of the Presi dent's re-nomlnatlon are: Eberhardt, Minnesota; Carroll, la.; Hay, Washington; Goldsuorough, Maryland: Tener, Pennsylvania; Hooper, Tennessee; Spry, Utah; Pen nowlll, Delaware; Pothier, Rhode Island. In addition to the signed statements made public, the Taft managers claimed the support of Denneen, of Ill inois, Oddle of Nevada and Mead of Vermont. The announcement from the Taft bureau Is taken as an answer to the Chicago conference of seven Gover nors upon whose solicitation Colonel Roosevelt based his formal entry to the Presidential contest Twenty-two states have Republl can Governors, and all are accounted for in the various statements of polit- cal prelerence as follows: Declared for Taft 9, claimed by Taft managers!!, declared for Roosevelt 7, declared for La Follette 1, preference not announced 2. The Governors who have declared for Roosevelt are Glaascock, West Va., A Id rich, Nebraska; Bass, New Hamp shire; Osborn, Michigan; Stuubs, Kansas; Hadley, Missouri; Johnson, California. Governor Carey, of Wyoming signed the ''Governors' letters" urging Col onel Rossevelt to become a candidate but It is now asserted that he has reserved Judgement. Neither has Governor Vessey, of South Dakota, announced his choice. The California executive did not sign the letter, but has declared for the Ex-President Govern McGovern, of Wisconsin, Is committed to Senator La Follette. The nine Governors who have come out for President Taft take the posi tion that his record entitles him to re-nomlnatlon and re-election. Fol lowing are extracts from the Gover nors' messages: Eberhart Minnesota Taft's Admin lstration measured by all standards of accomplishments and fidelity to duty, entitles htm to the Indorsement of a second term, which I bellve the Inherent sense of fairness and Justice of the American people will ungrud gingly give him. HOME RULE PLAN GAINS, SAYS UREN LAWYER THINKS CALIFORNIA CITrE8 AND TOWNS WANT TO REGULATE TAXE8 ONIONS UNANIMOUS FOR CHANGE Minimum Wage Law Advocated To Protect Workers From Cheap Labor Canal Is Expected To Bring "Comparatively few of the men I talked with said they were In favor of the single tax but I did not meet half a dozen who opposed home rule In taxation,' said W. 8. U'Ren, who returned Monday from a four weeks' trip through California. Among the cities visited by Mr. U'Ren were San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento. "The business men of California are anxious for home rule In the counties, cities and towns in the matter of regulating tax exemptions,'' continued Mr. U'Ren. "The Home Rule League in California, Is doing a great work and is backed by the League of Municipalities, which is composed of the officers of the various cities and towns. I found that the people of California are out of patience with the vactrnt lanj owners, even to a greater extent than the people of Ore gon. Organized labor Is almost unani mously In favor of home rule In regu lating taxation. Another Important problem Is be ing given consideration by the people of California a minimum wage law. It is believed that the Pacific Coast cities will be flooded with cheap labor from Europe after the completion of the Panama canal. The coast states will have to protect themselves against this class of labor, and the people of California think the adoption of a minimum wage scale will do much to protect the workers.' Mr. U'Ren delivered speeches up on the Single Tax before several civic clubs, women's civic centers and labor unions. IS OUT EOR LEGISLATURE David E. Lofgren, a Portland law yer, and one of the promoters of a colonizing tract of 12,000 acres In Clackamas county, Saturday announc ed his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Joint representative from Clackamas and Multnomah coun ties. W. 11. Chatten, also of Port land, who served in the House at the last session of the Legislature also is a candidate for the nomination. Mr. Lofgren favors Statement No. 1 and the building of roads. He also advo cates the establishment of a state sys tem of weights and measures and the Inspections of all scales and measures at frequent intervals. "I shall. If elected," said Mr. Lof gren, "advocate an act providing for state inspection of corporate assets. No corporation should be allowed to sell stocks or securities unless li censed by the state and they should be actual assets. I favor limiting ap peals io tne superior Court to cases involving amounts of more than 1250, This would enable the court which Is now eighteen months behind to soon catch up without the election of more Judges.' STATE NOT TO GIVE L CANA RIGHT E TO BE TRIED HERE PLAN TO DREDGE RIVER APPROVED RIVERS AND HARBORS' COMMIT TEE FAVORS APPROPRIA TION FOR WORK. SIX-FOOT DEPTH IS NOW ASSURED Congressman Hawley Wires Action of Committee to Commercial Club Quick Work Expected. GOVERNOR INTENDS TO COLLECT $200,000 OF SALE PRICE OF LOCKS. ATTORNEY GENERAL TAKES ACTION Legislature Has Appropriated $300,000 Toward Purchase of Property Money Part of the School Fund. TAXED NINE TIMES KANSAS CITY. Hfo.. Feb. 22 Every woman who bnya a soring suit must pay at least nine separate taxes on it." said Mrs. W. L. Plattenburg, a prominent Kansas City clubwoman, addressing the Athenaeum here today. "f irst tnere la the tax the farmer paya on his stock, including the sheen. The commission dealer buys the wool and pays another tax upon it The manufacturer makes up three taxes la the price he Axes one for stock In trade, one for machinery, and one for dye used in coloring the goods. The wholesaler, the merchant tailor and the retailer follow. Finally, to the list must be added the tariff on Im ported wool. There Is only one way to remedy such conditions that Is, through state and Federal constitutional amendments In favor of the land value tax." I SITE FOR SCHOOL The controversy over the school house site at Cherryville, on the Mount Hood automobile road, may have to be settled by the directors starting condemnation proceedings. T. J. Frlel, owner of the tract In which the building stands, agreed to donate an acre to the school district, and with this understanding the directors erect ed a new achoolhouse on the site, on-, ly to find "they had not title to the ac re, that being held by the heirs of Mr. Frlel, to whom he deeded the property SALEM, Or., Feb. 27 Mrs. Minnie Taylor has won an important victory in her fight to set aaide the divorce granted in Oregon City to her hus band, Charles D. Taylor, a multi-millionaire of Santa Ana, Cal. The action of the supreme-court was to sustain a motion made by Mrs. Reynolds, through Floyd Reynolds, her coun sel, to dismiss an appeal by which Taylor sought to block further consid eration of the case by the lower court Mrs. Taylor's original suit to set aside the divorce granted Taylor will now go to trial on its merits in Ore gon City. - Records of the state circuit court for Clackamas county show that on September 19, 1910, Taylor obtained a decree of divorce from his wife, whose maiden name, Minnie N. Ter willlnger, was restored to her. In his complaint Taylor charges Mrs. Taylor with Immoral conduct, drunkenness and flirting with strange men In pub lic cafea. Throughout the litigation which has followed Mrs. Taylor has contended that she was not properly served with summons at the time the suit was instituted and for that rea son was prevented from making an appearance. According to Mrs. Taylor, the first Intimation she received that she was not the legal wife of Taylor was on March 21, 1911, at Santa Ana, Cal., when a petition was filed asking tnat her suit against Taylor for a month ly maintenance of $2500 be transfer red from the superior court to the Uni ted States district court at Los An geles. At the same time another suit by Mrs. aylor against T Russell Joy was pending in the Santa Ana courts, In which Mrs. Taylor asks the annul ment of deeds given by Taylor to Joy and conveying title to Santa Ana property of. the estimated value of $25,000. 'Upon the allowance of the applica tion to defend and the filing of the answer, the default is set aside, and Incident thereto the judgment should be vacated, as it is do longer sup ported by the record," says the opin ion in conclusion. B. T. McBaln, president of the Com mercial Club, W. A. Huntley, George C. Brownell, Mayor Dimick, Col. C. H. Dye.'H. E. Cross and other resi dents of this county received tele grams Saturday night from Congress man Hawley announcing that the Rivers and Harbors' Committee had adopted the proposition to dredge the river between this city and Portland so as to give a six-foot depth at the lowest stage of the water. It is be lieved that the report of the commit tee will be approved by Congress and SALEM, Or., Feb. 27. Attorney. General Crawford has directed a let ter to the Board of Canal Commission ers, calling attention to the fact that the Federal Government Is about to purchase the locks at Oregon City owned by the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company, and to the fact that the state haa a $200,000 interest In them, and Inquiring whether this Is to be collected for the benefit of the school fund or contributed for the benefit of transportation on the Wil lamette River. Governor West, on behalf of the board, has replied that the board has no Intention of donat-' lng the $200,000 to any one. and that just as soon as It Is advised that the purchase haa been made, the Attor ney-General will be Instructed to take such action as is necessary to protect the state school fund. The Attorney-General's letter in part follows: I notice by published statements that the Federal Government has come to an agreement with the Port land General Electric Company, now the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company, for the purchase of the ca nal and locks at Oregon City, and I wish to call your attention to the fact that when said canal and locks were built in 1870 to 1873, the State of Oregon contributed $200,000 toward the constrvction, and that the act au thorizing the contributing of money by the ftate for that purpose and au thorizing the canal and locks to be built provided, among other things, as follows: '"And it is further provided that the issuance and payment of said bonds shall be made upon the express condition that said corporation shall pay to the State of Oregon 10 per centum of the net proceeds arising from the tolls collected for passing freights and passengers through said canal and locks, which said sum of 10 per centum of the net proceeds shall be paid into the common school fund of this state.' "This law came under the Inspec tion of the Supreme Court of this - - - . "u mo uuiniui Willi Ul lull the Senate, and that the work of state In the case of Board of Com dredging the river will be started the com.ng summer. The telegram re ceived by Mr. McBaln follows: "Rivers and Harbors Committee adopts project for improvement of Willamette River between Oregon City and Portland and makes appro priation recommended by engineers. Mr. McBaln said that the plan called for a channel 250 feet wide, and that the appropriation recommended for the work was $30,000.- Mr. Haw ley Introduced the bill providing for the improvement. "Because of the proposed dredging of the river," said Mr. McBain, "it will be necessary when the locks are remodeled to Install another one at the north end. The dredging of the river will make the water three feet lower at Oregon City and another lock will be required to overcome this." Mr. McBaln has no doubt that the appropriation will be approved by the present Congress and the work will be started this summer. & STANDING OF CANDIDATES. Joseph Sheahan 19,400 ? Ruby McCord 11,000 ? John Weber 6,000 Charles Beatle 6,000 Harry Miller 1,000 John Haletson 6,000 McColly Dale 1.000 Edna Huchlnson 1,000 $ Rosie Brown 1,000 Barnett Howard 1.000 York Hammond 1,000 Delias Armstrong 1,000 i Kathryn Towney 1.000 Mabel Chase 1.000 Rose Justin 1,000 Mildred Ream 1.000 Ethel Rle 1,000 Fred Metzner 1.000 Frank Bruce 1.000 8 Leo Shaver 1,000 CHALLENGED TO DUEL WASHINGTON. Feb. 23. J. J. Mott, of North Carolina, now in Wash ington, haa taken exception to Senator Bourne's criticism of President Taft for withdrawing ten North Carolina postofflce nominations, and has pub licly challenged Bourne to meet him and settle the matter In "the good old-time way." In sending his challenge Mott re ferred to Bourne as a man who has disgraced his country and the office he holds. In Bourne's criticism of the Presi dent he is quoted as saying: "This rumored flagrant misuse of patronage must necessarily receive much cred ence, especially In the minds of those remembering the famous Norton let ter. Purchase of votes for Federal patronage debauches not only the in dividual parties to the transaction, but the Nation Itself, which every thoughtful man must abhor." RAILWAY ACCEPTS OFFER FOR LOCKS PROPERTY TO BE TURNED OVER TO UNITED 8TATES FOR $375,000. SURVEY IS NEXT THING IN ORDER Vice-President Fuller of P. R. L. & P. Co. Acts In Absence Of Pres ident Josselyn Question At Last Settled. In tho absence from Portland of B. S. Josselyn, president of the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company, F. I. Fuller, vice-president of the corpor ation, has accepted the proposal of the War Department made through Major Mclndoe, Corps of Engineers, IT. S. A., to dispose of the Willamette River Locks at Oregon City for $375, 000. Major Mclndoe made the pro posal in writing and a satisfactory reply having been drawn, it will be forwarded at once. There are details that probably will rest until the return of Mr. Josselyn, but next week that portion of the com pany s holdings at the Willamette Falls that are to be Included with the right-of-way of the locks and basin in the transaction will be surveyed. Assistant Engineer Thomsen will be on the ground to represent the Gov ernment In designating the boundries. The abstract will be prepared and sent to Washington without loss of time and after its Inspection by the De partment of Justice the next step will order acceptance of the locks. When the locks will be thrown open to the public depends on the dispatch given the preliminary features. missioners vs. Willamette Transpor tation Company, C Or. 229, in which the court says, relative to the rights of the state: " 'In fact it may be said (referring to the transportation company) to have been placed in the possession of a valuable property, standing In the very gateway of commerce, which not only affects a great public interest, but in which the public have a pro prietary interest as part owner.' "The transportation company paid its 10 per centum of the net proflta In 1874, since which date It and Its sue cessore failed to pay, until the Su preme Court again directed the pay ment of the '10 per centum, in the case of the State of Oregon vs. Port land General Electric Company, re ported in 52 Or., page 502, in which case tho court compelled the company to account for several years back, but held thtt up until about 1897 the sta tute of limitations barred the state from collecting. However, a decree waa given for over $7000. "The state has an Interest In the canal and locks to the extent of $200,- 000, which sum of money was, In case the canal and locks were taken over by the state, to have been raised and put into the school funds of the state of Oregon. The Legislature of this state has provided by law for the collection of $300,000 to be donated to the Federal Government towards the purchase of said canal and locks. "I respectfully call your attention to the foregoing facts, that you may consider the question as to whether you should, as the Board of Canal Commissioners of the State of Ore gon, insist on the payment of the $200,000 into the school funds of the state of Oregon, or whether that sum should be considered lost to the school funds of the state and donated to the purpose of securing free transporta tion on the Willamette River." L A meeting of directors of Mllwau- kie, Concord, Jennings Lodge, Wichi ta, Oak Grove and Willsburg districts. will be held at Oak Grove, the date to be fixed later, to consider the matter of establishing a union high school at Milwaukie. A preliminary meeting of these directors was held in the Mil waukie school last Friday night when the sentiment favored the union high school. John Gibson, director of the Wichita district, opposed the move ment saying that students for the high school can be sent to Portland, but George Atwood, of this same dis trict favored a union high school at Milwaukie. B. Lee Paget, director from Oak Grove, spoke In favor of the union high school. At the Oak Grove meeting the movement will be considered further and figures indi cating the number of students that may attend a high school will be pre sented from the several districts. Mil waukie will establish a high school whether these outside districts join or not and Is preparing to erect a suit able addition to the present school-house.