THE MORNING OREGONIAN, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10. 1906. Ml TEN-MILE COSTS S2SB.H00 Waterusers Pay Highland Pipe Cost and Land Gets Free Benefit. MAKES BIG MONTHLY BILLS Were This Tube and Others Charged Against Landowners, Consum ers "Would Pay Lower Rates. Mayor Lane Favors Change. Paid for out of monthly receipts from water consumers of Portland, the High land pipeline, nearly finished at a cost of KM.OOO, runs through many areas of va cant land, between Mount Tabor and Portsmouth. Improving their value to many thousands of dollars, yet the own ers of the land pay nothing in return for tue benefits and are charged no more for water than users in any other part of the city. This method of paying for pipe exten sions is fixed in the charter and can be changed only by amendment. It places the cost of new mains on consumers throughout the city, necessitating high rates for water in order to provide the funds required by the W ater Department. Were the cost charged against the property-owners benefited, as is tiie cost of sewers and streets, instead of against con sumers, rates could be reduced one-third, lessening the average family water charge per year from $18 to $12. This would in crease the cost of water for residents of those areas which should require new ex tensions or renewals of pipes, but would place the expense on those receiving the service and exempt those who obtain no benefits from the improvements. Vacant Tracts Benefited. The Highland pipe is bordered by long stretches of unoccupied land, the largest single holding being the Ladd farm, north of Base Line road, three miles from the center of the city, which farm the pipe skirts on the north border and parallels near the east margin. Other tracts along the pipe have few or no houses, their size ranging from one lot to many and to acres. All these holdings have been greatly Improved in value by the pipe. Their owners anticipated the advent of the pipe in many cases by marking up the price of their land and since the pipe is laid have marked it up aagin. This pipe is very much needed on the Peninsula and its con-struction should probably not have been deferred longer. It serves only a fraction of the popula tion of the city, yet is paid for by all consumers, though most of them are sev eral miles distant and can never use the big tube. This Is the most expensive water-duet ever laid in the city, on account of its extreme length. Other shorter pipes have been laid by the department. Large sums must be expended in the denser part the city on both sides of the river, in the next few years in order to secure bet ter distribution of water. The tubes are too small in the compact city to afford the needed service. Mayor Lane said yesterday that the new larger mains would coat between $400,000 and $300,000. Mayor's Views on Subject. The present system of compelling con sumers to pay for new mains is declared by Mayor Lane as "unjust, dishonest and cruel." "The pipes shoulcl be paid for by property-owners,1 he remarked yes terday, "not by consumers. It now costs many families more for water than for bread. A charge of $1S per year for a family is too high. The system in this city that makes that high charge should be changed and I am going to do what I can to bring the change about. In many a block of houses like those over there (pointing across the street from the City Hall) the total monthly cost for all is between S20 and $30. There are blocks of ground, owned by rich persons, who use several streams of water, more than all the consumers in that block over there, and who pay only $tl. Thus I consider un just. Many a poor householder pays for water-mains, while rich owners of vacant land pay nothing, and yet the land of the latter Is enhanced in value just as much as that of the former." How AVater Board Stands. On the "Water Board, R. B. Lamson favors the proposed change in the meth od of paying for pipe extensions and G. XV. Allen is understood also to favor it. Dr. C. H. Raffety, It is said, would not be unwilling, but Dr. S. E. Joseph! is put down as opposing the change. The Mayor's influence on the Water Com mission will be exerted for the change. The route of the new Highland pipe is as follows: West from Mount Tabor, down Pant avenue to West avenue; north on West avenue to Base Line road; west on Base Line road to county road, be tween tracts of Betsy Bamford and C. M. Wiberg; north on county road to north line of K. B. Davidson's donation land claim; west on that line touching Ladd farm and Ralston's Addition, through O. R. & N. track and Sandy road to county road, adjoining H. C. Leonard tract: north on that road touching Fernwood Addition to north line of Isaiah Buck man's tract: west on that line touching Irving-ton to East Seventeenth street; north on East Seventeenth street, through Vernon to Killingsworth avenue; west on Killingsworth avenue through Piedmont to Patton avenue; north on Patton ave nue to Portland boulevard; west on Port land boulevard to Delaware avenue; north on Delaware avenue to Pippin street; west on Pippin street and Dawson avenue to Porstmouth avenue; south on Ports mouth avenue to Willamette boulevard; north on Portsmouth avenue near to Co lumbia boulevard. FLOOD DANGER 15 PASSED RIVER TO REACH STAGE ' OF XIVE FEET HERE TODAY. Will Then Recede, According to the Weather Bureau Southern Pa cific Is Repairing Bridges. Edward A. Beals. district forecaster, reports that the river will come to a stand at Portland today after reaching a stage of about 9 feet. It was 8.4 feet above the lower-water mark at 5 o'clock last evening and rising slowly. During the preceding 24 hours it rose 1.2 feet. The stream began to fall at Salem early yesterday morning and the crest of the flood is expected to reach here this after noon. Storm warnings are up at the various seaports along the coast in the district. Heavy rains are expected to follow the blow and consequently there is still some danger of exceedingly high water. There is thought to be no, imme- RIVER READINGS. 5 P. M.. NOV. 8. 1908. Change Height. in last Stutlon feet. i hours. Eugpne 5.2 1.4 Harrlsburg 2.9 Alt.any S.7 11.1 Salfm 10.7 0.9 Tualatin 52 ' 0.7 Barton 6.7 2.6 Portland 8.4 1.2 dlate likelihood that the river will reach the danger point of 15 feet. On attaining that point a number of the upper floors of the docks would be flooded, as well aa many of the basements along Front street. Much driftwood is being borne toward the sea by the swtft current. The locks in the Yamhill river at La fayette have been closed to navigation on account of the freshet. "Water is over the walls of the structure. The work of repairing the government dam at Can dlanl bar in the "Willamette has had to be discontinued and the plant will be brought to Portland. Operations at that point will not be renewed until next Spring. The Lewis river is full of float ing logs and brush and it is feared, that the boats will not be able to get up that stream for a day or so. All of the trib utaries of the Columbia are bankfull. The latest river data issued by the Weather Bureau is as follows: Repairs were being pushed yesterday on the Jefferson and Abigua bridges on the Southern Pacific East Side lines. Other structures in the Willamette Valley which were weakened by the recent freshets in the Santiam and Mollala rivers have been strengthened and with FAVORS FREE ITER Federated Trades Listens to Advocates of System. PLAN ALREADY INDORSED If Proposition Is Brought Before the Voters Union Men Will Work for Its Adoption at the Polls. Organised labor in Portland is strongly in favor of the free-water movement, started by the Water-Con-sumers' League. If the proposition is brought before the voters by the initi ative and referendum, all local unions will work for adoption of the new sys- would bear the burden in proportion as they are land users, renters or owners. I ask you. Mr. Lamson, what the land of Portland wonld be worth If renters were to leave Portland? Clearly. It Is the pres ence of the industries, working men, women and children who make the land values, and not the owners. We see that you know what you want, that you have been found out. It Is mere ly a compromise in reducing water rates you are willing to "cut it In half." Tou remind me of that old negro down South who was caught ccming out of a widow's hen house with four hens by a man who knew the darky, and said: "Sam. have you no more honor than to steal chickens of a widow?" Sam answered: "Gosh, masser. Is she a wldder? Den I put half de chickens back." The Free-Water Association says no com promise; the present water management Is discredited: it knows nothing of the people's rights, or cares nothing. Our plan Is common, since it is a well tried plan. Any man with common tenso and honestly can mark it, and we ask, in Justice to the common people, in the name of the men who do the work in Portland, in the name of the women who work in our laundries and often have to do without a roll of butter in order to pay the water tax; men who own the land, can you not spare these women workers, or must you have their butter money? Mr. Lamson. you acknowledge that the water has been a great snap for the land owners, not the property-owners (mark the distinction). , The people will have to vote on the prop osition of the Free-Water Association. DAMAGE DONE BY FLOOD IN SANTIAM RIVER A F.1ATTER OF HEALTH A Cream of Tartar Powder free from alum or phos phatic acid HAS HQ SUBSTITUTE SPS. 4 4 1! ilvt in. 1 1 f -4-f - f 1 " 4 mm , - ' f ) 1 - " - " - f"i: C" , WRECKED SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD BRIDGE AT JEFFERSON. the fall of the streams they are no longer unsafe. Conditions were reported as generally improved yesterday. The floods had sub sided all along the line. Overland trains to California and Southern Oregon will continue to be operated by the West Side division of the Southern Pacific and the Corvallis & Eastern for at least a week or until the Jefferson bridge is sufficient ly repaired to permit the passage ot trains. Local service will still be main tained to, Jefferson on the East Side. Because of the longer haul to Albany by the West Side trains continue to come in late. Mails yesterday from California were delayed about three hours. Hood River Flood Recedes. HOOD RIVER, Od.. Nov. 9. (Special.) The high water in the Hood river which caused some damage and threatened to do more has gone down and the fear that it would carry away the dam of the power company has passed. The struc ture is being strengthened to withstand any future flood. The track of the Mount Hood Railroad has also been repaired sufficiently to allow of the running of trains. The flood did some damage to ir rigating ditches in the valley and is also said to have carried out a dam in the west fork of the Hood river. Logs Floated Down by Freshet. TILLAMOOK. Or.. Nov. 8. (Special.) The flood in Wilson river has floated about 3.000,000 feet of logs belonging to the Hadley Logging Company down to the bay. These logs comprised half the logs In the river. River Falling at Salem. SALEM, Or., Nov. 9. (Special.) The water in tha Willamette river at this place began receding this forenoon and is now at 11 feet 6 inches, or six inches less than high mark. No damage has been done here. PERSONALMENTION. Hon. S. C. Tichenor. Mayor of Clats kante. Or., has left for San Diego, Cal., to visit his son. Mrs. Kelsey, widow of the late Judge Fred D. Kelsey. of Kodiok, Alaska, is visiting her mother at 56S Vancouver ave nue. She is on her way to her future home at Columbus, O. William T. Hobson and Frank W. Eck strom, of the firm of Uhl Bros., San Fraieisco, are guests at the Hotel Port land for a few days. D. H. Karm. a well-known traveling man of San Francisco, who was taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital two days ago from the Portland Hotel, is in an ex tremely critical condition from pneu monia. At St. Vincent's Hospital the deckhand of tha Charles Spencer, . Stratton, who had his right leg pulled off at the knee at Porter's landing some days ago, is, contrary to expectations, improving and will recover. CHICAGO. Nov. 9. (Special.) Orego nians registered today as follows: From Portland W. C. Barker, Mre. Et Little, at the Auditorium. From Oregon C. E. Briggs, at the Palmer House. MOSCOW7, . Idaho, Nov. 9. (Specials Northwestern people registered today as follows: From Spokane J. M. Anderson, at the Imperial. From Seattle Mrs. J. West Gerard, Mrs. M. B. Sayre, at the Woodstock. PERS MENTION BCSIES3 ITEMS. If Baby Is Cuttlnc Teeth Be 0nr and use that old and well-tried rem edy, lira Wlnslow'e Sootnlnc Syrup, for chil dren teething. It aoothee the chud. often the gums, allays all -" ' " cure wlaa eolla and diarrhoea. tern, which provides for the mainte nance of the water system at the ex pense of the property-owners of the city, and not by payment of monthly tolls by consumers. The Federated Traces Council showed its hearty support of the movement last night at its regular meeting in Union Hall. A committee was present from the Water-Consumers' League and addressed the Council, explaining the proposed change and advocating it. The committee was headed by C. E. S. Wood. H. D. Wagnon and E. S. J. Mc Allister. Each spoke at some length, outlining the plan of the league and showing reasons why it should be adopted. It was contended that the change in the present system so that the ex penses of maintaining the city water system would fall on the landowners instead of the consumers would meet with the support of all citizens. The Trades Council has already taken fa vorable action on the proposition and showed itself heartily in sympathy with the views of the committee. It was stated that when the plan is re ferred to the people by means of the referendum, organized labor will rally to its support. The movement to form a labor party, which was launched at the last meet ing, was discussed by the Trades Coun cil last night. Over half of the repre sentatives of the different unions re ported favorably on the movement, and the several organizations have named delegates to a convention in Union Hall November 30, when the party will be formally organized and a platform announced. The plan of reorganizing the Build ing Trades Council, which was formed several 5'ears ago. but which has not been strong, was discussed and the mat ter was made a special order for the next meeting of the Federated Trades Council. It is the" opinion of labor leaders that the Building Trades Coun cil will be reformed on a stronger basis. All seemed favorable to this plan at the meeting- last night. WAGXOX DEFENDS FREE WATER R. B. Lamson's Objections Answered by Leader of New Plan. H. D. Wagnon, president of the Free Water Association, yesterday sent the following open letter to R. B. Lamson, member of the Water Board: Portland, Nov. 9. (To R. B. Lamson. member of the Water Board.) Dear Sir: I have read your letter In The Oregonlan in' which you try to take shelter behind the city charter for the sins of the water man agement. You know they are unjust, and now 'come out and try to make amends toy the suggestion that the land bore the ex pense of the water mains, all of which is included in the reforms that will be sub mitted by the Free-Water Association. Mr. Lamson. it is plain why you rushed into print at this time. Tou say that free water is out of the question and then pro ceed to set up a man of straw of your own make and say it is what the Free-Water Association proposes, which goes to show that you know no more about what the Free Water Association proposes to do than you do about the proper management of the water system. In your zeal to serve the land interests you quite lose your temper when you vent it in the following assertions: "Such a proposition would be on par with free heat, free light, free bread, free any thing: to be mado free by a general tax on city property," and goes to show that you know noLhing or care nothing for econ omic Justice. The people of Portland (all the people) own cur water system, not the Water Board or the land speculators. We claim that the act of the people (all the people) In bringing Bull Run water into Portland has added millions of dollars In value to the land in Portland, and on this fact rests the justice of our contention that the landed interests should pay for the water. As all the people are land users, so all This letter I will give to The Oregonian for publication. Respectfully . H. D. WAGXOX President Free-Water Association. EIGHTY-FOOTPLAN ADOPTED VILLA AVEXCE PROPERTY- OWNERS TAKE ACTION. had sunk so that only the tops of her masts were showing above the water. No trace could be found of her crew. The Foam was owned by Absalom Joed- ray. The wreck must have occurred about three weeks ago. for fishermen at Peters burg say the boat had been In the water ten days when they found her. FIVE BIS DEALS CLOSED ACTIVITY FOLLOWS LULL IN REAL ESTATE MARKET. That Thoroughfare Will Be Opened Through Ladd Farm at Once if Council Consents. At a meeting last nigiit of some of the heaviest property-owners on Villa avenue east of the Ladd farm, Chauncey C. Ball presiding, the announcement was made by Dr. William De Veny that the Ladd estate would consent to either an 80-foot or a 100-foot street through the farm, con necting Villa avenue and East Glisan street, but preferred that the street should be made 100 feet wide. Following this announcement a motion was made and carried that an SO-foot street be opened from the eastern limits of the city to the western side of the Ladd farm, with a committee to prepare a resolution to the Council to this effect. Before the motion was put to the meet ing Attorney H. B. Dickinson explained the methods of opening a street as pro vided by the charter, as many were not informed on this point. Mr. Dickinson stated that viewers would be appointed who would assess the damages and bene fits, and that where houses were moved, or where an owner was directly damaged, damages would be paid by those bene fited. James Hart made an earnest appeal for a 100-foot street extending from the west side of the Ladd farm to the city limits and undertook to point out the great advantages of a wiue street. He said that 50 houses would have to be moved that would cost probably $10,000. which would be paid for by the property benefited. Mr. Hart declared: "If you do not now make Villa avenue a 100-foot street you will live to regret it. It is a street with an easy grade and would be one of the finest streets leading out of Portland." He could not prevail upon the meeting to accept his views, although several favored the 100-foot plan. Charles Hyle. H. B. Dickinson and Dr. William De Veny were appointed to carry out the wishes of the meeting, and they will have a resolution prepared. Announcement was made at this meet ing that the work of preparing a piat for the Ladd farm is now in progress, and there will be no direct streets be tween the right of way of the electric and the Base Line road, but that all the land will be "contoured." Dr. De Veny stated that the farmers beyond Montavilla were anxious to know what would be done on Villa avenue, as they were willing and anxious to continue Villa avenue to Fairview as a county road as soon as definite action had been taken inside the city limits. He also stated that the matter of extending the Montavilla car line eastward to Fairview had been taken up with the Portland Railway Company. Sunk With All Sails Set. SEATTLE. Nov. 9. (Special.) A fishing vessel found to be wrecked on a reef in Frederick Sound, and reported as being the sloop Foam, is thought to have gone down with all hands aboard. News of the wreck's discovery was given the Alaska steamer Humboldt at Petersburg, the headquarters for the halibut fleet, and the Humboldt brought the news to Seattle this morning. Wrhen the wreck was discovered by fish ermen all the sails were set and the boat Single Lot on First and Morrison Streets Sells for $101,000 and Marks Advance. After several days of comparative in activity in the real-estate market, due to the rain, several important sales were closed yesterday. The largest transaction involved a consideration of slightly over $100,000, and there were others of $75,000, SSS.OCO, $23,000 and $20,000 each. A single lot at the southwest corner of First and Morrison streets was purchased for $101,000 by Leo Friede and the Lewis estate from Mrs. Louisa Heuston, of New York. The sale sets a new figure on lower Morrison-street property, as the lot was offered a short time ago for $SO.O0O. There is a two-story brick on the property with a frontage of 100 feet on Morrison street and 50 feet on First. It is occupied by a millinery store on the first floor, with offices above. This is a step in the recent activity which has been shown on First street, and which promises to de velop into a still more Important move ment. A large sale of North Portland realty was made by Brooke & Kiernan. A quarter-block at the northeast corner of Third and Couch streets was sold by this firm to A. C. Pike, a lo.l merchant. The previous owners were S. B. Linthicum and several other local men. The hold ing is unimproved except for a frame building, and brought $65,000. This is re garded as a very reasonable figure In view of the advance of values in the northern part of the city. A large tract of land, owned by A. L. Parkhurst, at the head of Lovejoy street, was sold yesterday to W. B. Scott, who recently came to Portland from Montana. There are 40 acres in the holding, and the price was $75,000. The property lies north of King's Heights, which is a fine residence district, and will be platted for residence property. The sale was made by Knapp & Mackey. Dr. R. C. Tenney has sold a lot on the east side of Park street, between Morri son and Yamhill, to James Surman for $20,000. The lot lies immediately south of the Park-street annex of the new Tull & Gibbs building. A lot at the northeast corner of Seventh and Everett streets has been sold by Mrs. Mary T. O'Brien to Mrs. Florence Lyman for $23,000. There are three frame dwell ings on the lot, which will be removed for the erection of a three-story brick warehouse. SETS FIRE TO TENEMENTS Five Blazes in Few Hours Cause Panic and One Death. NEW YORK. Nov. . One woman is dead, a man is in a hospital suffering from severe burns, 2000 persons fled from their homes in panic, and thousands more passed a sleepless night as a result of a series of incendiary fires in the two blocks bounded by Sixtieth and Sixty-first streets and Columbus and West End ave nues early today. Scores of persons whose lives were endangered by the con flagration were rescued by firemen. In all there were live tires, everyone of them incendiary, between midnight and 3 o'clock this morning. The woman who lost her life was Mrs. Caroline Swain, 70 years old. whose home adjoins one of the buildings which was fired. She died of heart failure, induced by fright. Adrian Tompkins, in a hos pital with his hands and feet severely burned as a result of climbing down a redhot tire-escape, is seriously injured. The rapidly-succeeding fires raised the people throughout the vicinity to a high pitch of excitement, which spread even to Broadway and the Maria Antoinette hotel in the neighborhood. In each case the firemen quickly stopped the progress of the flames. The loss was about $20,000. Frank Morris, of Boston, a vaudeville performer, was arrested on suspicion of setting the fires. The police allege that' in each of the hres tenants reported that when they fled from, their apartments Morris was the first person they met. All the houses where the fires occurred were flats, three occupied by white and two by negroes. There were many brave rescues by firemen and tenants. Mikkleson Loses Part of Crew. SEATTLE, Nov. 9. (Special.) Three members of the crew of Captain Mikkle son's polar exploration ship Duchess of Bedford have deserted him. and the reve nue cutter Thetis has filled their places- News to this effect was brought down by W. T. Lopp. superintendent of the rein deer herds and native schools, here to testify against the notorious whaler. Cap tain Newth, accused of despoiling Eskimo villages. Lopp left Captain Mikkleson at Point Barrow. It was the explorer's Intention to Winter somewhere near in the vicinity of Bank's Island, making sledge journeys overland to Heriand Island. Mikkleson Is of the opinion, from the action of the currents, that there is an undiscovered island between these two points. Forged Check at Fifteen. SEax J7LE. Nov. 9. (Special.) Harold Fisher, a lo-year-old Ballard boy, passed a forged check for $16 at the Oriental Tea Company yesterday. When the check went to the bank today it was shown to be bad and the lad was promptly arrested. Later he was sent to the reform school at the suggestion of his father. 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