VOL. XIVI.-XO. 14,663.
PORTLAND, OBEGON, THURSDAY, DECE3IBER 5, 1907.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
OPEN
WATERWAYS
10 RELIEVE ROADS
Leaders of Nation Call
for. Action.
USE EXPERIENCE OF FRANCE
Jusserand Says Canals Act as
Rate Regulators.
BLALOCK ON THE COLUMBIA
Root Points Out Urgent Need ol
Cheaper and More Abundant
Transportation Means Lakes
to - the - Gulf Waterway.
WASHINGTON. D- 4. Prominent offi
cials of the National Government, Gov
ernors of states, representatives of for
eign powers, members of the Senate and I
House of Representatives and leaders in
all walks of civil life in America partici
pated today in the opening of the conven
tion of the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress. Nearly 2000 delegates, repre
senting; every stars in the Union, were
present. It was not expected that any
definite or concrete action in promotion of
the projects advocated by the congress
will be taken, but it Is hoped that the
, work of the congress will so impress the
National Congress, now in session, as to
Induce It to make adequate appropriations
for the improvement of the rivers and
harbors of the country.
It is the desire of the delegates to secure
such action by the Congress of the United
States as will promote the trade and com
merce of America. It is not a - special
project that the congress has in view, but
the adoption of. a polity by the Govern
ment .looking, to the extension of the
.ransportation facilities of the United
States.
Eminent Speakers Present.
On behalf of the National Administra
tor Elihu Root, Secretary of State, ex
ended to the- congress hearty sympathy
n thes work which has been undertaken,
ind gave assurance of the support of the
Idmlnlstration In the conclusions arrived
it by the delegates. The congress will be
n session for three days, a,nd the body
fill be addressed by some of the most
iromlnent economists of the United
Jtate.
Representative Joseph E. Ransdell (La.)
presided and J. F. Ellison, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, officiated as secretary.
The session began with prayer by Earl
Cranston. Bishop of the Methodist Episco
pal Church. .
Before the congress formally convened
President Ransdell was presented with a
lilver-mounted gavel by the Upper Mis
lisslppl Improvement Association. Mr.
Ransdell, in opening the congress, re
tcrred to the work of the National ad
ministration in promoting trade relations
between America and foreign countries.,
particularly those countries lying to the
south of the United States, referred in
complimentary terms to the achievements
of Secretary -Root In promoting these
relations. He then presented the Secre
tary of State. '
; Secretary Root In Sympathy. '
Secretary Root was received with great
applause, the delegates rising to greet
him. He said:
It Is a pleasure to extend to you the In
terest and hearty sympathy of the National
Administration In your great work. It .Is a
subject of misunderstanding and even of
derision. Our people are so busy that the
Inhabitants of one section of the country
understand little of what is going on in
other sections.
The irrigation scheme has been sought
tinder color of river and harbor improve
ments. I felicitate the convention on the
fact that the river and harbor bills of this
day were removed frim temptations of the
kinds referred to. The policy followed by
the United States must be considered truly
as a policy and not as a project.. The con
struction of the Panama Canal and Im
provement of the trie Canal are Instances
showing that the American people stand
squarely behind the Improvement of water
ways, and I hope they will assert that policy
In the future.
In your last convention there was some
reference that we should not cross a bridge
until we reached it. We now have reached
the bridge (applause). There is-no, greater
achievement than the transportation of arti
cle valueless at one point to another point
where they are valuab.e.
The railroads of-the country no longer
are able, physically, to carry the traffic of
America, and the one avenue open to such
traffic is waterway transportation. We must
move forward or we will' go backward. I
see American .production handicapped by
two things. First, the great cost of getting
the good. to the seaboard, and. second, the
absence of an American merchant marine.
President Ransdell presented a report
of the work of the Congress during the
last few months, then he Introduced M.
Jusserand. the Ambassador from France,
to the United States. He said, in part:
French Ambassador Speaks.
We hold the record for the present, you
will hold It In your turn, when the great
Panama Canal is finished, of which we
turned the flrt sod. ' You will turn the last,
and no one will applaud mora heartily than
your predecessors.
The greatest era of canal building In
France is the present. The aim la to have
throughout France free canals, aa they have
free roads.
Owing to the recent great effort made by
the republic the total length of our canals
Is 4(17.1 kilometers; the total expense has
been about 2,000.000 francs and far from
considering that it has cost too much, we
know quite welt that It Is not enough, and
we add new sums from time to time.
' Canals in France are under the super
vision of the 'government. From 173 to
1900 the traffic Increased 112 per cent, and
it now amounts to more than XO.000.000
tons. The investment Is valuable because of
what It yields or because of sh-at it helps.
and also for what It prevent. The best
thins; It prevents Is .railroads raising; their
tariffs too high.
As soon as the railroad companies raise
their tariffs shippers or goods find that they
can very well afford to travel at a slower
pace and take the water route. Our canals
act. In a way. as a kind of rate bill, a self
regulating one.
It is an absolute principle no forests, no
waterways. Without forests regulating; the
distribution of waters, rainfalls are at once
hurried to the sea. hurried sometimes, alas,
across country. After having devastated the
country, the rivers find themselves again
with little water and much sand; and with
such rivers, how will you feed your canals
In all seasons? Btnce our forests suffered
damage, which we are now bent upon re
pairing at considerable pains . and cost, a
river like the Loire has been entirely trans
formed. It used to be the best of water
ways, and It is now the river whose Inun
dations are the most destructive. The ques
tion is as clear as can be: Do you want to
have navigable rivers, or do you prefer to
have torrents that will destroy your crops
and never bear & boat? If you prefer the
first, then mind your forests. We can tell
you, for we know.
Would Unionize Sentiment.
Senator Newlands, of Nevada, in his
address, -said. . .
Transportation does not heed state lines
any more than disease heeds slate line.
The present system of financial exchange
Is paralysed by lack of uniformity. 'It is
rur purpose to standardize the methods of
transportation. In order that we may union
ize the sentiment of the country in favor
of the largest exercise of the power of the
people of the country.
Chairman Knapp, of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, said, that no
T - V
ix Jr rv
5t iff a "5S. 3
Henry Osborne Htivemeyer, President
of American Sugar Refining Com
pany, Who Died Yesterday.
man could afford to keep silence when
a- crisis was presented, and he beliex'ed
that Buch crisis is now presented. The
transportation interests of America, ex
ceeding 4.000.000 tons every day. .was In
creasing dally. Unless this trafilc is able
to be carried, he inquired, what possible
use is there to produce it? He pointed
out that It was beyond the physical
power- of- raih-mo"3tfl"tncrSlise "their fa
cilities in the Immediate future. Said he:
It is not a question of rights of way, of
locomotives, or general equipment, but of
terminal facilities of railroads, and we must
make our profit by carrying our products
to the Nations' hearts. What Is to be the
situation if 30 days- are required to carry
products of this country, for example, from
Buffalo to New York via the Brie Canal?
We must lok to an Increase.of our inland
transportation by water if we are to be
able to compete In foreign, commerce.
A letter of regret was read fromi
Andrew Carnegie. Its salient point was
this: "Instead of expending money on
warships to fight Imaginary foes, we
should expend it on our waterways."
I.akcs-to-GuIf Waterway.
At the opening of the afternoon session-
the vice-presidents and members of
the committees on- resolutions and nomi
nations werei presented by the chairmen
of the various 'state 'delegations. The
credentials committee reported that 19T0
delegates from 33 states and territories
had been registered, but that the list
was not complete. Chairman Ransdell
then Introduced to the congress Cyrus P.
Walbrldge, of St. Louis, ex-Mayor of
that city, who revelewed the work of
'the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Waterways Asso
ciation and the present management of
the present association. He said that
the work of the association was in the
hands of 20 members. Including the Gov
ernors of several states. The object was
to promote the construction of a ship
channel, at least 14 feet "deep from the
Great Iakea to the Gulf of Mexico. Such
a waterway, he said, would extend our
coast line 1500 miles into the Interior of
the country and. in effect, would create,
with the Erie Canal, a continuous water
way from the City of New York to the
City of New Orleans.
President Ransdell then Introduced
John Barrett. Director of the Bureau of
American Republics, who delivered an
address on the "Waterways of Other
Americas."
Advocates Columbia Improvement.
Dr. N. G. Blalock. of Walla Walla,
Wash., concluded the afternoon proceed
ings with an address in advocacy of im
provement of the Columbia River. He
urged that the project was not merely
local, but of world-wide Importance. The
Pacific Ocean, he said, would be the
theater of the world's greatest dramas in
time to come, and that, necessarily the
Pacific Northwest would be the center of
the commerce of the Western world.
He said that the traffic between the
Occident and the Orient would traverse
the Columbia River, because it would seek
the shortest route to th-Orient from this
country. He said that he spoke not
merely as an American, but as a citizen
of the world, because he believed Ameri
cans eventually would . become a light, a
guidance and an inspiration to the whole
world.
MAKE FIXE APPLE , DISPLAY
Members of Waterways Congress
Delighted Over tiregon Product.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash
ington,. Dec. 4. The most striking feature
of the opening of the waterways congress
this morning was the magnificent display
of Oregon apples sj laced In a prominent
part of the convention hall, and presented
by Delegate J. N. Teal. Each of the 1000
delegates and visitors at the congress ex
pressed surprise and 'delight at this un
usual feature, and Oregon was In the
forefront of favorable aomment. At the
opening session the delegates from Ore
gon were: OrvlUe Dodge, Coos Bay and
J. N. Teal. The Portland members of the
Oregon delegation In the Senate and
House also attended, as did Congressmen
from nearly every state In the Union.
t
TAFT TALKS WITH
CZAR NICHOLAS
Long Conversation on
World's Affairs.
EMPEROR PRAISES AMERICA
Proud of Siberian Railroad
Traversed by Visitor.
REVIEWS GUARD REGIMENT
Autocrat Discusses Philippine Prob
lem and Work on Isthmus Taft
Dines With Russian Cabinet,
Ministers! and Generals.
ST. PETERSBURG, Dee. 4. Secretary
Taft was received In audience today by
Emperor Nicholas at Tsarskoe-Selo, and,
received from bis majesty the frankest
expression of Russia's sentiments of sym
pathy and regard for the United States.
The Emperor requested Mr. Taft to con
vey his greetings to President Roosevelt.
The Secretary spent about five hours
with the Emperor and enjoyed the honor
of a long, intimate conversation regarding
matters In the United States and the
problems confronting the American Gov
ernment. As the Empress Is 111, Mr. Taft did not
see her, but was presented to the other
members of the Imperial family.
On account of the Secretary's expressed
desire that he be received unofficially, no
salute was fired, but the reception was
given a military setting by a parade and
regimental festival of the Seminovsky
regiment. The Secretary and party left
St. Petersburg at an early hour on a
special train for ' Tsarskoe-Selo. At
Tsarskoe-Selo the visitors were driven
direct tOjthe so-called I-iittle Palace, the
residence of -the - Emperor, and escorted
through the palace with the usual cere
monials. " Conversation With Czar.. .
Mr. Taft was received by His Majesty
In his private study. There the Emperor
discussed with him military topics at
considerable length. He questioned Mr.
Taft concerning his Journey over the
Trans-Siberian Railroad, and drew a con
trast between the present means of com
munication and the method In vogue,
three-horse sleighs and steamers across
the rivers and lakes,- when he made hit
trip across Asia to Inaugurate the Trans
Siberian lines. The Emperor showed a
keen Interest In the problems which the
American Government has to solve In
the Philippine Islands, and he asked
many questions concerning the new
Philippine Assembly. He referred also In
a complimentary manner to the work
........... - eeeeeeee'eeeeeeeeeeeeeee. ................ .i
done by the American Government on
the Isthmus of" Panama In Its fight
against yellow fever.
The part? then proceeded to the riding
school, where the Seminovsky Regiment,
lfOO strong, accompanied by a machine
gun battery and several other detach
ments, was drawn up. The Emperor and
his guest, accompanied by their respec
tive staffs, walked together through the
lines of the regiment and inspected its
formation: When this exercise was over,
the troops passed twice at a quick step
before the reviewing party and then the
host and his guests returned to the palace
for luncheon.
Luncheon at Palace,
i
In the course' of the luncheon Emperor
Nicholas toasted the Seminovsky Regi
ment 'and thanked the officers for their
loyal services in recent trying times,
makfrig special reference to the work of
this regiment in putting down the Mos
cow Insurrection.
It was a late how in the afternoon
before the visitors returned to St.- Peters
burg. ' -
Tonight Mr. Taft and the members of
I c v. v " ! I
! !!
King Oscar, Of Sweden, Whose Ill
ness Cause 111m to Appoint Crown
Prince Regent.
STOCKHOLM, Dec. 4. A serious
situation has arisen in Sweden. King
Oscar, who is nearly 85 years old. Is
In such ill-health that he has been
compelled to hand over the reins of
government to Crown Prince Qus
tav, who tts formally appointed
regent today..
The Illness of the King ' la such
that there la little hope for. his re
covery, his heart and kidneys being
seriously ' affected. .
his party were entertained at dinner
by Foreign Minister Iswolsky. At this
function there were present also Premier
Stolypin. Minister of Finance Koskovsky,
War Minister-General Rudlger, Lieu-tenant-CJeneral
Balatzyn, Chief of the
general staff, and the most prominent
officials of the foreign office. Covers were
liWd' for 20 guests. . (
TAFT'S MOTHER "EAR DEATH
Family Decides to bend No Message
to Secretary.
WORCESTER,' Mass., Dec. 4. The con
dition of Mrs. Louise M. Taft has be
come so grave that her son, Horace, was
tent for, and he arrived last night fror
Watertown, Conn. A family conference
was at once held as to the advisability
of informing Secretary Taft that he may
hurry home. His mother is unconscious,
growing weaker daily, and the physi
cians say her death can be expected at
any time.
Horace Taft announced after the con
ference that no message would be sent
to Secretary Taft.
TROOPS READY TO
QUIET GOLDFIELD
Great Mining Camp in
Dread of Anarchy.
ROOSEVELT ISSUES ORDERS
Crime Rampant and Riot Like
ly Among the Miners.
NEVADA HAS NO MILITIA
Garrison at Presidio Ordered to Be
Ready to Move Federation Re
sponsible for Strike,. Which
May Be Its Last Stand.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4. President
Roosevelt today Issued orders to have
Federal troops In readiness to aid In re
storing order at Goldfleld, Nevada. This
action was taken upon representation
from .Governor Sparks, of that state, that
the miners at Goldfleld are in revolt and
riot. 7
Nevada, is the one state In the Union
which has no state mllltla.
The Governor does not deem the situa
tion such as to Justify immediate Federal
Interference, but It Is likely at any time
to get beyond his ability to control.
The nearest Federal military base is
at San Francisco.
UNREST MAY END IX RIOTS
Mineowners Assured of . Protection.
Crime Becoming Rampant.
GOLDFIELD, Nev.,' Dec. 4. The ex
ecutive committee of the Mineowners'
Association " of' Goldfleld tonight re
ceived assurances from Governor Sparks
that he called upon Washington re
questing; that Government troops be
held in readiness for use in the Nevada
mining camps, and that a garrison of
regulars be established at Goldfleld.
There Is nothing in the Immediate
situation to require the Intervention of
troops.. The town is as quiet as usual,
but It. le feared by the mineowners
that trouble Is brewing and that overt
acts might be committed at any time.
The srike is at a deadlock and the
mineowners propose to keep the mines
iliut down until the violent element of
he Miners' Union and the lawless ele
ment generally In the camp are com
pelled to leave. The Miners' Union Is
not prepared to make a long fight, as
Its treasury Is depleted, and It is be
lieved that for this reason the miners
will force the issue by violence, as has
been threatened.
Money has been scarce in Goldfleld
Since two of the banks closed and scrip
was resorted'to by the third bank, and
as all the mines have been shut down
for several days, the pinch of poverty
is being felt by the miners, who, as a
rule, are an Improvident lot, living
from hand to mouth. Hold-ups and
burglaries have been frequent of late,
attributable to this fact, and there is
a general feeling of unrest which Is
likely to break out Into a general riot
before long. Protective reasons; more
than an acute situation, have impelled
the call for troops.
When the committee queried the Gov
ernor what he would do with respect
to a call for Government troops, should
conditions arise seeming to . require
them, he answered that he had already
taken the matter up with Washington
ten days before. The nearest troops
are at the Presidio at San Francisco,
18 hours distant by special train. The
mining camps all over Nevada are co
operating with the Goldfleld mine op
erators and ar acting in harmony with
them.
The miners know that in all the large
camps of the country hundreds of min
ers are walking the streets, out of em
ployment, and there is nowhere for
the Goldfleld miners to go. This Is the
last stand apparently to be made by
the Western Federation of Miners, and
1 Tr '
t $ " fxr;'; ?ff
Crown Prince Gnstav of Sweden, Re
gent During King Oscar's Illness.
it Is expected to make a bitter and
desperate fight.
President McKlnnon, of the local miners'
union, has instruoted the miners against
violence or agitation on the streets. Their
plans are aa secret as those of the mine
operators.
The mineowners and the miners each
have resolved that the others have
broken agreements. The mineowners
charge that the miners violated the
strike agreement by striking without the
agreed two-thirds vote, while the minrs
met today and declared that the mine
owners had violated their agreement to
pay wages In gold. Ignoring the fact that
there was nothing in the agreement on
the subject.
Ofrer of Smelter Trust.
A representative of the smelter com
bine has opened negotiations for the pur
chaseof the low-grade ores of the dis
trict, offering to take all ores up to $40
per ton value and pay one-third cash
therefor when smelted and the balance
In 45 days. As very little ore of low
grade Is shipped from this district, the
proposition Is regarded as only a subter
fuge, but the Chamber of Commerce
committee, which has arranged for mass
meetings all over the state demanding
of Congress and the President an Inves-
(Concluded on Pase 5.)
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
Th Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum -temprture, 67
degr-ftM; minimum, 43 degree.
TODAY'S Occasional rain; southwest to WMt
winds.
Foreign.
Von Buelow wins hard fight to control
Reichstag. Pag 4. . t
National.
Aokl'a recall attributed to hostility of Japan
to United States. Page 4.
Little hope for postal eavfnge banks or par
cels post. Page
Pulton's bill to prevent arbitrary raising of
rates. Page 2.
House Democrat1 refuse to reduce Williams'
power. Page ft.
House, committee begins work on currency
bill.. Fage 3.
Fleet gathering at Hampton Roads. Page 8.
Government calls on National banks to report.
Page 3. ,
Secretary -. Taft baa Interview with Cxar.
Page
. Politics.
Bryan approves many points in Roosevelt's
message. Page
Pennsylvania Congressmen start Knox
boom. Page 5.
National River and Harbor Congress opens.
Page 1.
Domestic.
UH. O. Havemeyer, sugar king, dead.
page 4.
Harrlman says new era of prosperity Is
dawning. Page 4.
Ajaarchy at Goldfleld causes Federal troops
to be rederd ready. Page 1.
Cleveland electric railway surrenders to Tom
Johnson. Pago 3.
Parlflc Coast.
San Francisco graft trials to go on Ruef
to testify and get .immunity. Page l.
Alleged confession of Great Northern train
robber. Page 5-
Plague dying out In San Francisco. Page 5.
Appeal will be taken In fight for water
rlgbts In Harney County. Page fl.
Attempt to poison School Superintendent
' and family alleged In Moscow, Idaho.
Page ft.
Half peremptory challenges exhausted In
Pettlbone case. Page 5.
Commercial1 and Marine.
Wheat farmers are not ready sellers. Page 1ft.
Break In Chicago grain market. Page 15.
Stocks open weak and close stng. -Page 15.
Captain Olson makes a statement regarding
the Alliance trouble. Pare 1-4.
Portland and Vicinity.
Report of Portland National Banks to Con
troller of Currency shows their cash re
serves far above normal. Page 10.
Resolutions of respect to the late Judge
Arthur L. Frazor. Page 10.
Ous Iowitt may be brought back to face
larceny charge. Page 11.
S. A. D. Puter receives letter from Horace
MoKlnley. Page 14. .
Sudden gale strike Portland. -Page 11.
Mayor signs anti-rat ordinance. Fage 9.
i
RUEF TO TESTIFY
UIDGETMMUNITY
No Let Up in Graft
Trials, Says Heney.
WILL TRY AND CONVICT FORD
Juror Admits Moral Certainty
of His Guilt.
BUT LEGAL PROOF LACKING
Bo8 Demands Complete ImnnrrrttJ
a Price of Evidence Against
Bribers Calhoun Trial Begin
Today With Ruef as Witness.
I
t
WILL rSK BUKF AS WITNESS
NEW YORK. Dec. 4. (Special.)
William H. Lang-ion. District At
torney of San Francisco, who is In
New York on legal business, stated
today that at the next trial of TIrey
L. Ford. Abe Rue; would be placed
on the witness stand.
SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 4. (Special.)
"The graft prosecution will go right
ahead. Ford will be tried again in diia
time. There will be no let-up," said
Francis J. Honey today, In commenting
upon the acquittal of TIrey L. Ford on
the charge of having bribed ex-Supervisor
Jennings Phillips.
Mr. Heney's statement was echoed by
Rudolph Spreckels and William J. Burns,
who added:
"We have proof of the guilt of every
man Indicted."
The'acquittal of Ford was due to the
failure of the prosecution to place Ruef
on the stand. This was the statement
made by nearly every member of the
Jury which tried him.
- Moral Certainty or Guilt.
"The moral certainty was there," said
one member of the Jury, "but the Jurors
felt that one. link was missing and that,
as long as Ruef had not testified, there
was no absolute proof that Ford had
paid over the money. We gave Ford
the benefit of that doubt."
The graft cases have reduced them
selves to the proposition: Shall the pros
ecution send Ruef to Jail and let the
magnates go, or sl)all it let Ruef go and
send the magnates to the penitentiary?
Ruef has demanded full Immunity as the
price of his testimony, and It looks very
much as If the prosecution would not
be able to convict without Ruef's tes
timony. Will Grant Ruef Immunity.
Against Ruef are indictments enough,
on which convictions would be eaey, to
send him to Jail for three or four cen
turies. The former "boss" demands that
he be granted complete immunity or he
will Invoke his constitutional right and
refuse to testify when called to the
witness stand. Mr. Heney made every
effort to convict without Ruef, but
Ruef Is the essentia! link, and the
American Juryman refuses to convict
while the slightest doubt which could
be construed to the advantage of the
defendant remains. With the alterna
tive of the conviction of Ruef or the
magnates, it may be said with safety
that the prosecution, as much as It
would dislike to do so, . would grant
Ruef his freedom. With the testimony
of Ruef, It Is. felt that the conviction
of the guilty magnates would be swift
and certain.
Patrick Calhoun, president of the
United Railroads, will be placed on trial
tomorrow morning. It Is understood
that Ruef will appear as a wltvws in
this case.
Thirteen indictments for bribery still
remain against Ford, and the prosecu
tion Is in no way worried by the one
acquittal.
Ruef's Kvidenoe Essential.
In the graft cases which preceded the
Ford trial, Ruef was not a "sine qua
non." The Pacific States Telephone
Company paid Its bribes to the Super
visors and did not use Ruef as an In
termediary. Louis Glass was convict
ed on the testimony of the Supervisors.
In the United Railroads, gas. Home
Telephone and Parkside . bribery case?,
however. Ruef acted as the go-between
and hl testimony is absolutely essen
tial. In view of this, it Is said that
the prosecution will give Ruef the de
sired Immunity bath. When Ruef Is
put on the stand against Ford, he will
testify that Ford paid him the $200,000
which was used as boodle money. Up
to the present time the United Rail
road haa maintained that the money
was never paid to Ruef. When Ruei
gives his testimony, the company will
be forced to set up the defense that the
money was to purchase Ruef's Influ
ence only.
SFXF.CTIXG XEW GRAND JUR!
Prominent Citizens Summoned U
Serve as Inquisitors.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 4.-Th!rty citi
zens from among a new grand Jury to be
chosen were today ordered to appeal
in the Superior Court next MonCay
tConcluded on Page 5.)
V