JH
VOL. XLVI.- yo. 14,09T.
POBTLXD, OREGON, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
FAIR CHANGE FOR
AN ASSAY OFFICE
Senator Fulton Has Convinced
the Treasury Department of
Its Advisability.
REPORT TO BE FAVORABLE
Letter to Chairman Aid rich, of the
finance Committee, Gives a dear
Presentment of the Neces
sity for Passing Bill,
OREGOXXAX NEWS BUREAU, Wash
ington, Feb. 1L Senator Fulton is -working
in earnest to secure passage of his
"bill to establish an assay office at Port
land. This is not a new bill In Congress;
the late Senator Mitchell had similar bills
in practically every Congress of which he
was a member, but little progress was
ever made, because the Treasury Depart
ment has been opposed to it.
Senator Fulton, however, has convinced
the department that it is advisable, from
many points of view, to establish an as
say office at Portland, and he has prom
ise of a favorable report on his bill, some
thing that has never before been ob
tained. Such a report will do much to .
aid in the passage of the bill, but it will
be necessary to enlist the support of Con
pressmen from neighboring states in or
der to get the bill through the House.
Letter to Chairman Aldrlcli.
Senator Fulton, In a letter to Chairman
Aldrich, of the finance committee, pointed
out the necessity for passing his assay
office bill. In this letter he said:
Referring to the bill "to establish an
assay office at Portland, Or.," now pend
ing before your committee, 1 wish to
present to you briefly the reasons why
1 think the bill should be favorably re
ported and passed. It will probably be
less inconvenient to you and the cpm
mlttec for me to present my reasons in
writing, rather than appear before the
committee in person, and I therefore
adopt the former course.
At present there are assay offices for
the Western states at Helena, Mont.;
'Boise, Idaho; Seattle. Wash., and Carson
City. Ncv.. with branch mints where gold
is received, as at assay offices, in San
Francisco and Denver. r
"The production of the precious metals
in a few ef -these" stales lor the year
was:
(Sold. Surer,
ounce. ounces.
Montana. U40.GO5 18.867.22T
Idaho 72,742 7,810.200
-Washington 1D.863 140."87O
Oregon 63,368 133,157
"The Helena, Monu, assay office re
ceived in 1904 but 135,874 ounces of gold
and 26.464 ounces of silver, the total be
ing valued at $2,531,329. The Boise assay
office received during that time 57.4C4
ounces of gold and 18,500 ounces of sil
ver. The Seattle, Wash., office received
during the same period 1,003.238 ounces of
gold and 179,573 ounces of silver.
Receipts From Home Territory.
The receipts at the respective assay
offices from local or home territory in 1904
are classed by the director of the mint
as follows: Helena's office received but
19,514 ounces from the state of Montana
and 20,425 ounces of silver; Boise's office
received from Idaho mines but 28,111
ounces of gold and very little sliver; Se
attle's assay office received from Wash
ington mines but 4878 ounces of gold and
S95 ounces of silver. All of the remain
der of the bullion handled by these of
fices was shipped from outside the states
in which the offices are situated, and
nearly al of the difference between 4878
ounces of gold (the home product) and
1,003.238 ounces (the total hulllon handled)
at Seattle came from the Alaskan coun
try. All of the Oregon territory would nat-
urally ship bullion to an assay office at
Portland, because of the convenience In
time and distance and the arrangement
of transportation lines. A Portland as
say office also has equal chance with the
Puget Sound country in securing the gold
and silver from Eastern Washington,
and northern Idaho, as the Oregon city
is the shipping port for much of the
products of this country. All of the
Western Oregon country at present has
to ship bullion 400 to 600 miles whereas
the distance would "be 130 to 240, if an
office were created at Portland. The
Eastern Oregon district is able to reach
Portland in nearly as short a toute as
Jts gold now traverses in reaching Boise.
There Is another gold-producing sec
tion of importance which may be proper
ly classed as much Portland territory as
It Is any other, namely Shasta and Siski
you Counties, the principal gold districts
of Northern California, which could ship
bullion to Portland with a less railway
haul than to San Francisco.
Business for Portland Office.
As stated, a Portland assay office
would naturally receive the Oregon pro
duction of gold and silver bullion, the
total of which in 1904 was 63,368 ounces
of gold and 133,157 ounces of silver. This
would insure the new office 6000 ounces
of gold and 100,000 ounces of silver more
than were handled at the Boise assay
office from all sources in 1904, and within
70,000 ounces as much gold and 100.000
ounces more silver, than were received
at the Helena office In the same period.
The Seattle office, by receiving all of the
local production, can get from this source
but a total of 15,863 ounces of gold and
149.S70 ounces of silver.
In the geographical argument alone
Portland is ablo to prove her title to an
assay office. She would draw from im
mediately contiguous territory more than
either the Boise or the Seattle offices un
der present conditions. If the past is to
be considered, Oregon has produced be
tween 020,000,000 and 5130,000,000 gold.
The heaviest receipts of gold at any
Pacific Coast assay office are now and
will be for many years at least, from
Alaska. Last year the Far North coun
try produced a total of approximately
$23,000,000 gold, which would weigh about
1,150,000 fine ounces. Of this grand total
for the Alaskan country, about $.000,000
is produced on the Canadian side of the
boundary, the Klondike district's yield
for the preceding year being above $7,
000.000. Tanana Basin, on the American
side, produced materially above. $,000,000,
and Nome sent out to the credit of the
Seward Peninsula $5,009,000. The most
optimistic for the Southeast coast of
AlaJska. for the past year Is less than $3,
000.000. In 1903 Seattle's assay office received
nearly $19,000,000 gold, most of which
came from Klondike. Tanana and, Nome.
This year Tanana is confidently expected
to produce from $10,000,000 to $12,000.(00.
while the other, districts will certainly
show an increase.
Switching of Alaskan Commerce.
Radical change has been made in the
lines of Alaskan commerce the past year,
and the change is becoming' "more pro
nounced. All of the lower and middle
Yukon country has been wont to ship
"bullion to the outside world via Dawson
or St. Michaels, involving a long voyage
on the Yukon River. This region, em
bracing the rich Tanana Basin, is pre
paring to ship its metal product directly
across the low divide to the sea at Sew
ard or Valdez, and thence directly to
XJnltcd States ports on what is known as
the "outside" ocean route.
The routes, known as the "outside" and
"inside," have great bearing on the
changed condition of affairs. When the
Yukon gold production mainly came via
Dawson, it reached ea water at Skag
way, and the natural line of traffic from
that port south was along the inside
route, which terminates on Puget Sound.
Vessels following the outside route from
Valdez, Seward, Dutch Harbor. .St. Mi
chaels and Nome find it equally aa con
venient and Just as near to go to Port
land as to any Puget Sound city.
When the Alaska Central Railway pene
trates further toward the interior, which
will be this ycar as at present the man
agement is working from 1000 to 1 men
in construction, the entire Tanana and
Middle Yukon Basin will -ship via Seward
or St. Michaels, which necessitates the"
outside route on the last stage of the
trip.
Gold Is Alaska's Main Product-
An assay office is the most potent fac
tor that can be given a city on the Pa
cific which is struggling for a portion
of Alaskan commerce. Gold Is practical
ly all the North country has to offer yet
Gold'.s first and .only destination after
being gathered in the form of nuggets or
xiust. or reduced to bullion, is a Govern
ment assay office, where it may be
weighed by competent authorities and
exchanged for its full value of the coin
of the realm.
It would be a mere waste for an
Alaskan miner to send gold to a city
where there is not an assay office oper
ated by the Government, for he would
either have to reshlp thence or nay a
bank or express company to do it for
him. What hope can any Pacific Coast
city ever have of securing a large share
of Alaska's trade without possessing a
Government assay office?
Portland's merchants arc .establishing a
steamship line to connect with Seward,
Valdez, St. Michaels and Nome. Her
business men want a good share of the
more than $11,000,000 trade represented by
the purchases of Alaska's people last
year. They have the facilities and ma
terial to supply the northern patrons,
they command the steamships for trans
portation, their city is situated with
marked geographical advantage, but they
have it not In their power to- open a Gov
ernment assay office to receive the gold
that will be sent South in return for their
commerce.
Any private assay office they would
open has no opportunity of winning the
confidence pf the miner that is given
tlic Government Institution. Portland is
able to .share equally Jn the Alaskan
commerce, if given this one small right
by the Government.
Centers of the Pacific Coast,
At the present time there are three
great centers on the Pacific Coast com
peting for Alaskan trade San Francisco,
Portland and Puget Sound. Portland -is
pre-eminently the financial and commer
cial headquarters of the Northwest. It
Ib the greatest wheat, flour and lumber
shipping point in the world. Both San
Francisco and Puget Sound have Govern
ment assay offices for receiving the
miners' gold. Portland has none. This
Is a serious handicap, which the Gov
ernment ought not to Impose upon the
citizens of Oregon.
An assay office of sufficient size and
equipment to receive all he gold pre
sented, Tetort it, weigh, refine and ship
to the Mint, will cost but a trifle for con
struction and maintenance. It will mean
an imperceptible outlay by the Govern
ment, but an equalization of favors that
I submit Portland may justly expect at
the hands of the Government.
Reviewing the situation, we find that
Portland would draw from local terri
tory to a Government assay office sit
uated there, more gold than is going to
some offices now established, and has an
equal opportunity with other Coast cities
to share the $23,000,000 gold output that
is brought annually from the northern
territory of Alaska and the Canadian Yu
kon. OWNED BY STANDARD OIL
PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC
SAID TO HAVE BEEX SOLD.
Director and Secretary or Bip Trust
Have Been Put on the Gov
erning Board.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11. (Special.)
A special from New York says the Stand
ard Oil Company has acquired control of
the General Electric Company, of Port
land. Or. A. C Bedford, the son of E. T.
"Bedford, a director of the Standard OH
Company, and Frederick B. Pratt, the
brother of Charles M. Pratt, secretary of
the Standard Oil Company, have been
elected directors of the Portland General
Electric Company. This concern controls
all the lighting and power plants in Port
land, Or.
A few weeks ago announcement was
made of the formation of a big company
to supply electric power to San Francisco
and the towns in the Sacramento Valley,
in which A. C. Bedford and other capital
ists associated with the Standard Oil in
terests had an important part.
L0NGW0RTHJS ON MEND
Fiance of 3Iiss Roosevelt Will Proba
bly Be Out Today.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11. Representative
Longworth, of Ohio, who has been suf
fering from an attack of tonsllltls, was
much Improved today. Tonight he ate
dinner with the members of the house
hold. He will, probably bo able to go out
tomorrow If the weather continues favor
able. Gift From King of Italy.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 3L-Of rare value
and beauty is the gift of the King of
Italy to Miss Roosevelt upon the-occasion
of her marriage. It is a table of Italian
mosaic work, showing designs from Ital
ian cities and towns. The table was made
in Florence and was personally selected
-by the Z1b.
ARMED TROOPER
TO KEEP 0
Pennsylvania Provides Body of
Picked Men Against Time
of the Coal Strike.
VERY LIKE ROUGH RIDERS
Americans Only Arc Chosen Who Can
Ride Like Centaurs, Shoot Straight
and Arc Trained for Task
Ahead of Them.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 11. Special.)
When the great coal strike comes oa April
1 the miners will find themselves con
fronted by a new kind of foe.
There will be no Pinkcrtons to "inflame
the passions of the workers." No militia
or private guards of any kind will be on
duty, nor will the militia be called out.
The duty of protecting life and property
will be confided to the state constabulary,
an organization without a parallel in the
United States. The nearest approach to It
is the body of men known as the "Texas
Rangers." famed principally in dime nov
els, but the state constabulary has greater
powers than the rangers, and far more
work to do.
At the last session of the Legislature,
authority for the organization of the force
was given, and now the men have been
selected, drilled and are ready for work.
The superintendent of the force, which
now numbers 210 men, but can be over
fourfold if the Governor decides an emer
gency exists, is John C Groome. a former
militiaman, who saw service as a com
missioned officer during the Spanish
American War.
Picked Body of Men.
Superintendent Groome sternly disre
garded all the pressure that was brought
to bear upon him by politicians, and not
only did he declare that not one appoint
ment would be made to oblige a dealer
In patronage, but he kept his word.
Several thousand men were examined
before the quota was filled, and there are
now on the Jists fully 5& qualified men.
who can be called -upon If an emergency
arises.
Like Roosevelt's .famous. Rough Riders,
the state constabulary are a mixed lot.
Included In the membership are young
athletes just out of college, cowpunchcrs
from the Far West, farmers, artisans and
mechanics.
Every Man an American.
One requirement was insisted upon:
Every man had to be an American, be
tween the ages of 21 and 49. and be a good
horseman. Although it-was not a requi
site that troopers should have seen mili
tary service, yet it was found that those
who had been Jn tho regular army or the
Pennsylvania National Guard best an
swered the tests, and practically all of
those chosen have been soldiers, real or
"tin."
The Instruction which the men have un
dergone makes interesting reading for
their brothers on police forces in the city.
Every man was taught, for example, how
to make a camp for the night, to tap tele
phone and telegraph wires, to cross
streams where there are no bridges, to
cook, to shoot accurately at a moving
target from the back of a galloping horse,
and a number of other things that would
fairly daze a metropolitan bluecoat.
Experts in Horsemanship.
Every man in the corps is an expert
rider. They simply have to be, for the
test through which they have passed is of
the severest. Texas ponies are their
mounts, wild, untamed, but full of go and
ginger. Every trooper was obliged to
break his own horse, and some of the
men had the time of their lives doing It.
At this work the cowboys and ranchmen
easily took the shine out of their Eastern
brethren. The kind of horsemanship that
is demanded In the United States Cavalry,
only, if possible, a little more so. has
been Insisted upon. Each man has been
required to learn to ride in different at
titudes, standing on his mount, swinging
from its neck so as to shield his own
body from the bullets of pursuing cne-
mies, standing' In the stirrups, sitting
backward, shooting from behind the
horse's neck, shooting lying down on the
horse, etc.. Furthermore, two men were
taught to ride on the same horse, so that
if one man's mount were shot he could
climb behind a brother officer and thus
have a chance to escape
Faeroling the Conntry Districts.
The duties of the men. pending the com
ing of the coal strike, are practically that
of mounted patrolmen in the country dis
tricts. There are four headquarters in
the state Reading, Greensburg, Wllkes
barre and Punxsutawncy each in charge
or a. Captain, and from these the enlisted
men spread out for distances of as much
as 10) miles. In squads of two each they
patrol the country roads, keeping a close
watch-out for violators of Use law. Their
powers are far greater-than those of the
regular kind of police, as will be seen from
reading the section of the act which de
fines their powers. It is as follows:
The varlou members of the police for
are hereby authorised and empowered to
make arrest, without nnuti, for all rio
lailoas of the law which they mxy witaes
and to serre and execute warrants Usaed by
the proper local authorities. They are olio
authorized and empowered to act a forest,
are, zasoe and flafe wardens, and, la general,
to hare the powers and prerogative conferred
by Itw upon members of the police force of
cities e tbe first class, or, cpoa coaatablcs
of the commoswealth: and are Intended.
J far a zessffcle, ve take ike. lacc of the e
EVEXTS OF .THE COXING WEEK.
AMrmWisc ef rarHasaest.
The cereaoBles attendant upon the
asaeabllar of the new BrlUsh Parlia
ment will be- somewhat clouded by tbe
fact that tbe court Is la rnouralnx for
Klnc Christian of Denmark, whose bur
ial is to take place Sunday, February
18. Tomorrow the House of Common
will assemble for the election of &
neaVer ud the remalader-of th week,
will be siren up to administering thX
oaths of office and other preliminaries.
Kins; Edward will formally open Tar- .
llameat Tuesday of next week.
Faaeral ef Ktex ChristUa.
An almost unprecedented gathering
of tbe crowned heads of Europe will
be present at the burial of Kins Chris
tian. The deep sorrow at his death has
found expression in every language,
and tbe nations wilt aend reartsenta
tires to pay their last respects. .Cmong
tbe more than SCO distinguished per
sons who will be present at tbe burial
are: Queen Alexandra of England,
Kirs George of Greece. Emperor Wil
liam of Germany. King Haakon ot
Norway, Archduke Franr Frederick of
Austria, and the Duchesa of Bruns
wick. Tbe King w'lll be buried in the chapel
of Frederick V of the Cathedral of
Rosxilde. formerly the capital of Den
mark, where the body of Queea Louisa,
llec
laaacaratleB ef Freach FresWeat.
Clement Armand Falllere, eighth
President of the third French Repub
lic, will take over the reigns of gov
ernment, becoming tbe rullnc execu
tive in France February IS. Monday,
the Elysee Palace will bo the scene
of sreat pomp and festlrlty. M. Lou
bet will leave tbe palace February 17
and at 4 o'clock on the following day,
tbe precise hour on which his seven
year term will expire, be will await
tbe corains of M, Faille res. who will
arrire attended by a full military es
cort. Premier Itouvier will present the
outgoing and incoming Presidents,
when there will be an exchanse of com
plimentary addresses. A promenade
through tbe various apartments of the
official palace will be followed by a
reception to tb diplomatic corps and
hish stale officials.
Battle Meaameat at Et Caaey.
The dedication of the battle monu
ment at Et Caaey. Cuba, will take place
February 14. A party of dlstlnrulsbed
officers of the Unlud States Army and
Nary left New Tork February S to
participate la the exercises attending
the dedication. The Cuban govern
ment will play an active part la tho
ceremonies.
Anions those who will attend are:
Webb C llayea. chairman of the Bat
tlefield Commlriloa: Ueutenant-Oea-eral
Charfee, president of the Society
of tbe Army of Santiago de Cuba;
Lleutcnant-General Tounr, who attends
as the especial representative of Pres
ident Eooserelt, and near-Admiral
Hlssinsoa. representing: tbe American
seet in tbe naval tatfle.
Wedahtc ef Hiss KeeseveU.
. T Ttrfdlr. of. "Kit vAUoe V
Roosevelt, daaghter of tbe President, to
Representative Longworth will takjj
place al the "White House at noon, Ea.
unlay, February 17. The ceremony,
which will be performed in the his
toric east room, will be solemnized by
the Right Rev. Henry T. Satterlee,
Protestant Episcopal bishop of Wash
ington. There will be no bridesmaids.
The groom's best man will be Thomas
Nelson Perkins, of Boston, a class
mate and long-time friend. Three ot
Sir. Longwcrlh'a classmates and a
college mae at Harrard. B. A. Wal
llngford. Jr., of Cincinnati, who mar
ried Mr. Lqncworth's oldest sister;
Lare Anderson, of Washington, a
sreat grandson of Nicholas Lonsworth.
the founder of the Lougworth family
fortune ; Viscount Charles de Chasi
brun, brother of Count Adelbert da
Cbambrun. who married the sreom's
younrest sister, and Theodore Roose
relt, Jr.. the oldest aon of the Presi
dent, will be the ushers.
One thousand inrttatlosa to tbe wed
ding hare been Issued. Those Invited,
exclusive of the weddlns party. In
clude the members of the Cabinet and
their wire, former members of the
Cabinet who are now in the United
States Sesate and their wives, the Jus
tices of the United Stated Supreme
Court and their .wires, the official mem
bers of the party which accompanied
Secretary Taft to the Orient, tbe New
Tork delegation la Congress, the Ohio
delegation in Coaxress. Later in the
afternoon Mr. Longworth and his bride
will leave Washington on a trip to
Florida, traveling In a special ear. Af
ter the adjournment cf Congress they
expect to make a trip to Europe.
Meetiac of Coal Operator.
A meeting of the operators to dis
cuss tbe threatened, coal strike will be
beld-ln New Tork on February 14, and
oa February 10 there will be a Joint
conference of the miners and operator.
Great interest attache to thee meet
ings, as both the operators and miners
are reported as firmly adhering to their
respective demands.
lice formerly appointed at the request of the
various corporations.
Strike Will Concentrate Force.
The moment the coal strike takes effect
Superintendent Groome will concentrate
his men at the scene of threatened dis
order, and Is confident that his well-drilled
troops wilt have a better effect than all
the Plnkerton detectives that ever existed.
"Wo will not seek, trouble," he said, when
he was in Philadelphia, tho other day.
"But it It is nessary for us to be stern,
you will find that we will be ready to act.
I have the finest body ot men In the
world, and they will obey orders without
a murmur. It Is safe to say, I believe,
that the coal strike, if it docs come, will
be conducted courteously on both sides.
And wo will be there to aco that It is."
The state constabulary, as at present
constituted. Is made up as follows :
Payroll or the Body.
One superintendent, per annum;
deputy superintendent, $3X0 per annum:
clerk and bookkeeper, J1KO per annum:
stenographer. Jl per annum; four cap
ialas, each J1KO per annum; four lieu
tenants, each $1200 per annum; 3) ser
geants, each IKX per annum, 'and. 200 pa
trolmen at 1733 per annum.
It te a ereat body, this new-fancied po
lice, asd the Keystone State is waiting'
aaxJottsiy to see how they' will bear them
selves in the days ef trial that are fast
aroacklBr.
l
LOS ANGELES
MUTES
.Fear of Initiative Forces Coun-
cil to Take Quick
Action.
EIGHTY -FiVE CENT RATE
Threat of n Municipal Plant With a
Ilatc Sot to Exceed Fifty Cents
Frightens the Different
Corporations.
EXTORTION OF GAS COMPANY.
Crude ell for 1000 cubic feet of gas
casts not S cents mOre lb. Portland
than In Los Angele?, yet the price of
n, made from the aame oil In the
two dUea. is 30 cents more In Port
land than In Los Anseles.
The price of oil in Loe- Angeles Is
50 cento a barrel of 42 saltons; la
Portland it sells fer 65 cenU.
Between eight and ten gallons are
used fer each 1000 feet of gas.
Not only Is the gas loo high-priced
In Portland, but It Is of Inferior qual
ity, highly charged with air.
The remedies available In this city
are two: First A grant of a compet
es franchise by the City Council. Sec
ondTermination of the present fran
chise by the Legislature and Issuance
of another In Its place by the City
Council.
LOS ANGELES. Feb. 1L (Special.)
Competition and crude oil are the twin
reasons advanced by the corporation man
agers for SS-cent gas in Los Angeles. But
as this rate has been In effect lets than
a year, the taxpayers feel that the mu
nicipal rate regulation ordinance has been
a potent factor In the rate reductions.
The financial statement of the Los An
geles Gas Company, filed two days ago
with the City Clerk purports to show
that this corporation supplied gas to Its
urban customers a portion of last year
almost at a loss.
As the filing- of this statement is made
mandatory by the city's public utility or
dinance, and as It Is the basU on which
the Council fixes the gas rate for this
year, it is not taken very seriously.
"It costs the ga.H companies less than
13 cents a thousand feet for their kss In
I tho tanks." yesterday saidan cx-auper-.
fetendent of a loc&l company. ' "If they
were not required to carry such a heavy
icgisiauvo account they could furnish gas
to their customers for CO cents a thousand
and make a fair profit. But it costs
money to control councils."
Cost or Gas Companies.
Water gas, the product of crude oil. is
the only kind manufactured here. The
oil delivered costs the companies about
50 cents a barrel, that If. 42 gallons.
Eight gallons of oil will make a thou
sand cubic feet of gas in a large plant,
manufacturing: as much as 2,000.000 cubic
feet dally. In smaller plants, where the
run is shorter the amount of oil con
sumed Is proportionately greater. A gas
company receives several thousand dol
lars a year for by-products.
But the gas In the tank is one of the
minor expenses of a gas company.
Twenty-fh'e cents a thousand cubic feet
for delivering the gas to the consumer,
including- collecting- and maintenance of
mains Is here considered a conservative
rate To this must be added 10 per cent
for apparent waste. Leaking- mains and
slow meters causo a shrinkage of at least
that much. A hundred thousand cubic
feet of gas In the tank shrinks to 50,000
cubic feet by the time It is delivered to
the customers.
Percentage for Extensions.
Another 10 per cent should be added for
extending arid maintaining a system. The
average length of usefulness of a main
in the ground is ten years; If kept longer
than that it becomes honeycombed and
the loss from escaping gas Is correspond
ingly heavy. One Important Item is in
terest on the bonds and dividends on the
etock.
But all these. It is claimed here, can be
brought well within the 50-ccnt HmiL
Only professional, politicians .realize how
heavy Is the political expense ot a gas
company In a city where competition
threatens, rate regulation Is required by
ordinance and the air Is filled with rumors
of municipal ownership.
Four year ago but a single company
was operating- here: then tho prico of
gas was JL10 for 1000 cubic feet. Then
came the Independent Gas Company, and
the rate dropped to 51 a 1000. Tho list
of consumers of the Independent
Company increased rapidly and the old
company, seeking- to retain its prestige,
dropped the rate to 95 cents a 1000.
Even at this rate the Independent Com
pany held Its own. Householders who
for years had been at the mercy o'f the
old company remained loyal to the new
comer, though tbe rato was higher. They
recognized the fact that if the newcomer
were to be frozen out the gas rato would
very likely soar skyward once more.
Municipal Ownership Talk.
It was at this point that the municipal
ownership bee began buzzing In the bon
nets of a coterie of local reformers. They
issued circulars purporting to show that
If the. city owned and controlled Its own
plant It could deliver gas to consumers
for 60 cents a 1000.
Householders began to sit up and take
notice; municipal ownership promised to
play a prominent part in the coming city
election. Three years before tho city had
taken over Its water plant and was mak
ing millions out of it. Just about this
time the Gas Company lowered Its rate to
CO cents a 16C0.
The municipal ownership Mayor landed
but tbe gas and electric companies re
tained control of a majority of tho Coun
cil. A year ago the municipal ownership
advocates presented to the Council an or
dinance providing for the regulation of tho
rate charged by the gas and electric com
panies; also for a standard test of the
quality of gas and electric light and
power.
The ordinance was not to the liking of
a majority of the members of the Coun
cil, but they wero compelled to vote for It
Initiative in Los Angeles.
This statement may sound strange to
Portlandcrs. but it Is well understood
. here. In tbe Los Angeles city charter is
a device called the "initiative." It pro
vides that when a proposed ordinance is
signed by a number of electors equal to
15 per cent ot tho total vote for Mayor
at the last general election the Council
must either adopt that ordinance with
out amendment or submit It to a vote of
the people at a special election.
The ordinance presented provided as a
standard test that gas must contain 550
heat units a foot, and that Its lighting
must be equal to 16-candle power. Its
proponents told the Councllmen that if
the ordinance was rejected they would
bring In an "initiative" ordinance pro
viding for GCO heat units and lS-candle
power.
Knowing well the temper of the peo
ple, the corporations issued instructions
that the ordinance should be adopted. It
Is the one now in force. It provides that
during the month of January each year
each gas and electric company must flle
with the City Clerk an Itemized state
ment of tho value of the company's real
and personal property, the number of
cubic feet of gas sold during the year, the
gross expense and the gross revenue.
During the month of February each
year the Council must look into these
statement?, make investigations of its
own and establish a maximum municipal
rato for the year. This rato is to go into
effect in the following July.
Statement or Corporation.
This year Is the first that the com
panies have been compelled to flle state
ments. Here are the salient features In
the one filed by the Los Angeles Gas and
Electric Company, the corporation that
enjoys almost a monopoly of the gas
business In Los Angeles:
Receipts.
For sale or S .?l,05i21t?-of;
For salo of tar and carbon 3.WO.WJ
HxpeBdltures.
Manufacturing supplies , $ 244.S51.73
Salaries and wages..;..-.'. 08.003.00
Repairs and replacement 223.601.36
General expenses iI'155-55
Taxes and licenses 33,023.87
Total -81.043.23
Gas sold, cubic feet 1,1-0,602,100
Expended for betterments: .
Real estate Sj.0S4.S6
Gas works J2'?5H5
Street mains -?H5HI
Gas services M29-2i
Oas meters - "S'i'i-i
Regulators j.040.00
Total 440.738.50
Actual cost of property, real and
personal $4,751,807.32
Present cash value 4.731,330.05
All Items show a decrease between the cost
and present cash value, except the real estate
Item. In that the appreciation of property Is
S234.0O0. Tho land cost the company $270,000
and Is now valued at S5O4.0OO.
As the present Council is known to be
decidedly friendly to the gas company it
is not expected that the rate established
will be lower than S3 cents; although
there are those who profess to be able to
prove that the actual cost to the company
of manufacturing gas and delivering It to
consumers. Including maintenance ot
pjant. extensions, interest and dividends.
Is less than 50 cents a thousand cubic
feet.
California Oil Used.
In manufacturing gas here only Califor
nia oil is used. Most of the wells are lo
cated within a few hundred miles of Los
Angeles. Some contracts .for oil have been
let for as low as 42 cents a barrel, but 0
cents Is considered a fair price.
Two California companies which build
gas plants guarantee , that their small
plants, making not more than 1,000,000 feet
in a day will do so at a cost not to con
sumo more than H gallons of oil to the
thousand cubic feet of gas. Their largest
plants they guarantee to consume not
more than nine gallons of oil to the thou
sand cubic feet of gas.
Some civic bodies and Improvement as
sociations still favor a municipal gas
plant. They have figured that It costs
less to manufacture gas here than in
Glasgow. Scotland, and they argue that
all In excess of SO cents a thousand cubic
feet Is tribute to the corporations.
On file in the City Clerk's office at the
present time Is a proposal that the city
vote 51.000.000 bonds at the next city elec
tion for a municipal lighting plant.
Feeling IScgardlng Gas.
The following Incident typifies the feel
ing here anent rate regulation:
Three weeks ago the Council, one Mon
day morning, under pretext of removing
an Incompetent official, repealed a certain
ordinance. A newspaper reporter looked
up tho number of the ordinance and dis
covered that it was the public utility ordi
nance that had been repealed. The Coun
cllmen were told what they had done, but
they showed no disposition to reconsider
their action. It was this ordinance which
(Concluded on Page Four.)
CONTENTS T0DAY'S PAPER
The Weather.
TESTBRD.VT'3 Maximum temperature. 43
dep.: minimum, 35 dec.; precipitation, none.
TODAY'S Partly cloudy and .occasionally
threatening; easterly winds.
National.
Treasury Department takes a favorable view of
Portland's claim for aa Assay Office.
Paxe 1.
Old treaty with Russia has the most favored
nation clause. Page 3.
Vote on ship subsidy bill to be taken by the
Senate next Wednesday. Page 3.
"Whlpplnx-post for District of Columbia may
come up before House. Page 3.
Speech of Senator Heyburn makes forest re
serves a Jive Issue. Page 5.
Forelsa.
President Castro, of Venezuela, boasts that he
will test the Monroe Doctrine. Page 4.
Germany makes semi-official demand regarding
the police system of Morocco. Page 3.
Prussian commission gives result of tudy of
American railway sydtems. Page 3.
Viceroy In Southern China said to be stirring
up anti-American feeling. Page 3.
Domestic.
Specially drilled constabulary will keep order
In Pennsylvania (luring the coal strike.
Pago 1.
Colored minister at St, Paul starts general
fight In church when he assaults a trustee.
Page 1.
President Mitchell, of the mlneworkers. Is
scored for alleged failures in soft-coal
strikes. Page 2.
Masked mob lynches negro ln Alabama. Page 3.
Paclac Coast.
C S. May Is found guilty of wrecking the
National Bank of Davenport, Wash.
Page 5.
Standard Oil said to have acquired the Port
land General Electric Company. Page 1.
Candidates tor Oregon Loslslature shy at
pledge for Senator. Page 4.
Prominent farmer killed near Tillamook.
Paae II.
Horticultural Society organized at 'Albany.
Page 10.
Mariae.
British ship Balmore off the bar. Page 13.
French bark Jacques makes quick time from
Portland, to the sea. Pajte 13.
Fine weather draws large crowds to the
water-front. Page 13.
Tort land aad Vicinity.
California grower tells ot dangers to hop In
dustry. Page 8.
What fruitgrowers think of private-car lines.
Pago 0.
Two Republican organizations work for party
unity. Page 8.
Guildtf Lake reduced to a bare mud -flat.
Pago 9.
Themes from the pulpits of Portland churches.
Pace 8.
Child rescued from burnlne building by act
ot heroism. Page ,14.
How Ixw ABjrelea regulates gas rates. Page 1.
Democrats are smoking Word out. Page 9.
PASTOR PUTS FIST
N TRUSTEE'S EYE
Promptly Knocked Down Be
fore Altar by Another Of
. ficia! of the Church.
POLICE QUELL THE ROW
Stipend or Colored Minister Cut to
Drive Hira Ont, and' Fight Was
Precipitated "When Collec
tion Was Being Taken.
ST. PAUL, Feb. 11. Efforts which
the congregation of the St, James Afri
can Methodist Episcopal Church in this
city have been making for several
weeks to oust their Dastor. Her. Mr.
Seymour, culminated In a riot during-
the service this morning, durlnar which
Mr. Seymour planted his fist In the eye
or Trustee It. C. Miner, knocking him
down and was himself sent to the floor
in front of the altar by Trustee Rohrt
Lowe. A free-for-all-fight was pre
vented by the arrival of a patrol wagon
run of policemen, who had been called
when the row started.
The trustees of the church reeentlv
voted to reduce Mr. Seymour's salary
irom 580 to 510 a month, but notwith-
standing this Mr. Seymour had refused
to give up his church. This morning
after preaching a sermon on "Brother
ly Love,' tho pastor announced the col
lection. Two of the insurgent trustees
came forward to take up the collection,
but Mr. Seymour called vociferously
upon two of the stewards, faithful to
to him, to gather up the offering.
The congregation by this time was
filing before the contribution boxes.
Mr. Seymour stood guard over one, but
two unfriendly trustees held the other
boxes.
Mr. Seymour attempted to take
charge of one of these boxes when R.
C. Miner,, a trustee, who was holding it.
objected. The pastor promptly swung
his fist to Miner's eye and the latter
went down. Robert Lowe, who was
holding the other contribution box, im
mendiately went after the pastor and
felled him before his own altar. B.v
this time the entire congregation was
in an uproar and taking sldos.
The? women rushed in between the
combatants and tried to soothe them,
but It looked as if a free-for-all flglit
would result, when the arrival of the
police, and their threats of wholesale
arrests, brought an end to tho affair.
TJXIOXS SCHOOLS FOR THIEVES
Sensational Address Made by Arch
bishop Kane at Dubuqnc,
DUBUQUE, la., Feb. 11. From the pul
pit of Straphels Cathedral. Archbishop
Kane, metropolitan of the Dubuque arch
diocese, today hit the adherents of union
ism by declaring that it Is a school for
thievery. He said:
"There are unions which bring com
petent men down to the level of work
men who are not as well skilled. The
workmen who should receive more do not
because they aro bound to hold up the
incompetents. They force employers to
pay poor laborers more than they earn.
Their aim Is to get shorter hours and do
as little work for the employer as pos
sible.' They do not earn salaries. This
practice in unionism is a school for
thievery."
The speaker then took organized capital
to task and said that efforts of the big
financiers to deprive man of his natural
rights is wrong.
"Such organized capital is a school of
thievery," he said In conclusion. "The
employer who does not pay bis employe
for the amount of his hire is a thief.
The employe who does not give to his
employer the labor he la paid for is also
a thief."
He made an appeal to men to take an
active Interest In politics, adding:
"As your duty to your family is .sa
cred, so It Is to your city, country and
state."
PKIEST DRIVEX FROJr CHURCH
Angry Mob Fired On by Police and
Three 3Ien Arc Shot.
CHICAGO, Feb. 11. An attack by a
crowd of angry Lithuanians today upon
the residence of the Rev. Edward Sta
fanowicz. a Catholic priest, resulted In
the fatal shooting of one, and the serious
Injury of a number of others. The assail
ants were all members of the church
where Rev. Mr. Stafanowlcr presided.
Dissension among the members of the
congregation over the control of tho
church funds culminated in violence dur
ing the Sunday service.. "Women arc said
to have opened hostilities by hurling .a
missile at the pastor.
Pursued by the worshippers, the priest
retreated to his residence. There he was
besieged for more than an hour. In spite
of efforts of a squad of police which
was hurried to the scene. The vollce re
peatedly charged the attackers, who had
armed themselves with. clubs and stones,
and only succeeded In dispersing them by
flrlng Into the crowd.
John Tammalis. a member of the con
gregation, was shot in the left groin and
was fatally Injured. Alex Bargas, an
other of the attacking party, received a
bullet In the head. A score of others
were injured by flying bricks and stones.
Fifteen of the ringleaders were arrested.
Quakers Employ Hegular Pastor.
RICHMOND, Ind., Feb. 1L Employ
ment of a regular pastor by the East
Main-street Friends Church of this city
today marks an epoch In the history of
the conservative Orthodox Quakers. He
Is the first regularly employed pastor in
the history ot tho church, which has al
ways been opposed to a hired minister,
and marks the taking on of modern re
ligious methods as the local congregation
is one of the most influential in Ataorica.