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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1917)
THE BIORXING OKEGONIAN. 3IOXDAT, ' DECEMBER 31, 191.7. " 5 WESTERN RAILROADS TO UNIFY SERVICE Competition Among Lines to Be Eliminated Mr. Mc V. Adoo's Aim to Be Met. ECONOMIES FAR-REACHING Heads of Roads Lay Plans to Aid In Forming National System Co- t operation Assured by Presi ', dent of Southern Pacific. Competition among rival railroads of the "West, entailing economic waste on a large scale, is to be. eliminated im mediately and completely. Railroad heads themselves already are busy lay ing' plans to obliterate competition and its accompanying detrimental prac tices, to accord fully with the aim of Director-General William McAdoo, to unify all lines into a harmonious Xa tional system, operating only for the purpose of best serving the public and the Government. Alternation of passenger service on rival lines serving competitive points and the routing of freight shipments over the most direct connections are two of the sweeping changes Coast and .Western roads will effect at once. President Sproule Outlines Plans. The fact that these far-reaching econ omies immediately are to be inaugu rated through co-operation of the rail road men is disclosed in a message from President William Sproule, of the Southern Pacific Company, received last night from San Francisco and re leased to the public through the Port land office of this company. Some of the war economy plans sketched in President Sproule's mes sage thus are indicated: "In order to put into effect at once the orders issued by Director-General McAdoo, William Sproule, as chairman of the Western department of the Rail roads" War Board, on Saturday called a. meeting of the members of the West ern committee for Monday, December 31, in San Francisco. Action will be taken without any delay to unify the railroad systems of the entire Coast. The fact is, under Mr. McAdoo's order Xo. 1, all of the carriers" facilities will be so adjusted with reference to pub lic service as to give the best general results to the public, regardless of whit road owns the facilities, thus welding the railroads of the country into a. Na tional system. Most Direct Service Is Aim. "Following this out, the question of what route the shipper prefers his freight to take will be made subordi nate to the question of what route can best be used by the railroads as a Na tional system in carrying out the Na tional purpose of adapting the service to the wants of the people as a whole, and. primarily, to the purposes of the war. "Detail questions have to be dealt with at this time, such as alternating passenger train service between com petitive points, and thus reducing the number of trains, while still serving the public; and, in freight, sending north ern business through northern gate ways, central business through central gateways, and southern business through southern gateways. In short, cutting out everything that was cre ated on the competitive system, but which is not necessary in war time for the public business, or which impedes the general traffic of the country. Un der the new condition, each question is submitted to the test of what will bring the service within the needs of the Na tion and of the Government, by the most effective work on the part of the carriers. but without unnecessary service." Mr. Sproule's telegram concludes with the announcement that because of re stricted cargo facilities via Galveston, the Southern Pacific, effective at mid night last night, is to receive no more freight for the Sunset Gulf Route. The only exceptions to this embargo will be shipments of war materials or those consigned to the Government or its agents. WAR BOARD TO MEET TODAY Members of Western Department to follow Mr. McAdoo's Orders. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 30. The Western department of the Railroads War Board will meet here tomorrow in order immediately to put into effect the orders issued by Director-General McAdoo relative to Governmental operation of the railroads, it was an nounced here . tonight by William Sproule. president of the Southern Pa cific Company and chairman of the Western department of the Board. It was expected immediate steps would be taken to unify the systems on the Pa cific Coast. The Western department of the War Board, which was said to be the largest geographically of any of the departments, includes Alaska. Tomorrow's conference, it was an nounced, .would be attended by repre sentatives of all lines in these West ern states. Associated with Mr. Sproule on the board are J. D. Farrell. presi dent of the O.-W. R. & N. Company: L. C. Gllman, president of the Spokane. Portland & Seattle Railway; C. M. Levy, president of tho Western Pacific Railway; R. S. Lovett, chairman of the executive committee of the Union Pa cific and priority department of the Government, and E. P. Ripley, presi dent of the Santa Fe. Detail questions would have to be dealt with by the Board, at this time, it was said, among them being alterna ting passenger train service between competitive points, thus reducing the number of trains, while still serving the public; in freight, sending northern business through northern gateways, central business through central gate ways and southern business through southern gateways, the objective to be the elimination of everything that was created on the competitive basis, but which was not necessary in war time for the public business, or which im peded the country's general traffic. The action of the board in calling the meeting was said to have been the first step taken by the railroads fol lowing Mr. McAdoo's proclamation. FTJEL shortage is grave Question of Moving Coal to Be Con sidered by Mr. McAdoo. . WASHINGTON. Dec. 30. Freer move ment of coal to districts suffering un der the cold wave and the treatment of labor questions will be the chief rail road question dealt with this week by Director-General McAdoo. By the end of the week Congress is expected to be well along with the task of framing legislation guaranteeing railroads com pensation on the basis of pre-war earn ings. President' Wilson is expected to go before Congress Thursday. The critical fuel shortage In New England engaged the attention of Mr. McAdoo today at a conference with heads of Government agencies who will submit recommendations to him tomor row. Heads' of the railway brotherhoods who conferred with President Wilson last week were summoned today to confer next Thursday with the director-general regarding the relations be tween labor and the Government rail road administration. Although the brotherhood heads are not expected to press their demands for higher wages for some time, most officials believe the Government will soon take up in a comprehensive way the varied re quests of labor for better pay and make a general readjustment which will increase wages slightly. Mr. McAdoo today appointed as his private secretary for railway work Oscar A. Price, who was director of publicity for the second liberty loan, and previously was auditor of the In terior Department. The Administration plan for dealing with railroads refusing to accept" a Government guarantee of average earn ings for the last three years as pro posed by the President, is to throw dis putes into the hands of a board of three arbitrators appointed by the In terstate Commerce Commission. The railroad also would still have the right to take its case into court. It now seems probable that a Gov ernment corporation will be formed to purchase equipment for leasing to roads and to buy and sell securities issued by railroads. It is still unde termined what appropriation will be rought for the purchase of equipment, but the amount probably will be be tween 1W. 000.000 and $200,000,000. Heads of Chicago Lines to Meet. CHICAGO, Dec. 30. In compliance with the orders of Secretary McAdoo, director-general of railroads, the heads of all roads entering Chicago will meet tomorrow to take the necessary steps toward routing through freight around Chicago Instead of through the city. It is expected that this will cut down the ime of Coast-to-Coast shipments between 10 days t otwo weeks. TROTZKY LIE REFUTED AMBASSADOR FRANCIS ISSUES A STRO.VG STATEMENT. Charges That Attempt "Was Made to Send Supplies to General Kaledines Explained Away. WASHINGTON, Dec 30. The State Department has made public without comment the statement published at Petrograd December 25 by Ambassador Francis denying charges of Leon Trotzky, Bolshevik! Foreign Minister, and of the bulletin of the Soviets that representatives of the United States in Russia had engaged in "revolutionary" activities against the Bolshevtki. Charges of the bulletin of the Soviets that American Red Cross represent atives to Russia and Roumania had tried to send several dozen automo biles and "other things" to General Kaledines, hetman of the Don Cossacks, are refuted by letters and telegrams from the heads of the Red Cross mis sions and the American Minister to Roumania. These said that the auto mobiles and supplies were for use on the Roumanian front and that such sup plies on the Russian front were being withdrawn to prevent their falling into the hands of the Teutons. "It is Inconceivable," said the Am bassador's statement, "that further documentary evidence or statements are needed to disprove the incendiary allegations intended to arouse ani mosity toward the American Govern ment and this embassy of the American people, or to attribute to the American Government or its representatives an act so wholly contrary to its traditional policy. "I trust that it will be very difficult for anyone to convince the Russian peo ple that America docs not feel friendly to Russia and -that her people do not cherish an earnest and sincere sym pathy for the people of this country In the difficulties that confront them. "Many substantial evidences of such sentiment have been given the revolu tion of March, last. Only yesterday a delegation called at this embassy and presented a floral offering as an ex pression of the effort I am making to have 1,075,000 pairs of boots and shoes shipped from America for the members of the railway union and their wives and children." EIGHT DEAD l!J WRECK BLAME FOR BEAD-OX COLLISION FIXED ON ONE CREW. Disobedience of Train Orders Said by General Manager Galloway to Been Cause of Smash. NORTH VERNON, Ind.. Dec 30. The work of removing the wreckage of pas senger trains No. 2, St. Louis to New York, and No. 23, Cincinnati to St. Louis, which collided head on near here last night, was nearing completion to night. Eight persons are known to be dead. One of the 20 injured is ex pected to die. CINCINNATI, Dec. 30. C. W. Gallo way, general manager of the Balti more & Ohio road, issued a statement tonight concerning the wreck last night at North Vernon, Ind., in which he said the responsibility for the wreck should be placed on' disobedience of train order by the crew of train No. 2 from St. Louis to New York. He said the orders required that train to wait at North Vernon for train No. 23, with which it collided, and that these orders were disobeyed for a reason as yet un known. INDIAN SHAKERS TO UNITE Klamath Branch Will Slerge With Corporation at Olympla. KLAMATH FALLS. Or., Dec. 30. The Indians of the Shaker religious faith on the Klamath Indian Reservation have decided to combine with the orig inal Shaker corporation at Olympia, Wash., according to Rev. Sargeant Brown, who left for that point this morning. While there he will complete the details of the arrangement. On his return he will file the corporation pa pers at baiem. The Shaker faith is a separate Indian faith, and has only been practiced about 4o years. Five or six thousand mem bers from different tribes all over the United States have now embraced It. It is spoken in 25 Indian languages. FREIGHT FOR EAST CUT OUT Sunset-Gulf Route Announces No More to Be Received. SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 30. No more eastbound freight for the Sunset-Gulf route will be received by the Southern Pacific Company until further notice, commencing with midnight tonight, ac cording to a statement issued today by G. W. Luce, freight traffic manager of the company. Th action was attributed to re stricted freight facilities via Galveston, HEW YORK CHILLED; MERCURY 13 BELOW Metropolis Has Coldest Day in Its History and Coal Is Scarce. FIVE FROZEN TO DEATH Hundreds Lacking Fuel Seek Refuge in Police Stations and Theaters; Other Eastern Points Report Rigorous Conditions. NEW YORK. Dec. 30. When the mercury went to 13 below sero today New York had the coldest weather in the history of the local Weather Bu reau. There was general suffering be cause of coal shortage. Six below zero was the former low mark. Five deaths due to cold were reported and many persons suffering from frost bite were treated at hospitals. Fog over the harbor virtually suspended water traffic Hundreds who had no coal took refuge in police stations, but as few are out of work the demands on char itable Institutions were not heavy. The coal shortage was made more acute because men could not be se cured to handle fuel at New Jersey terminals. The 12 Keith Theaters In New York and Brooklyn were thrown open to night to the poor in search of warmth. Two men were frozen to death in Brooklyn during the day. GLENS FALLS, N. Y.. Dec. 30. Un official reports from the northern part of Warren County said that the tern perature this morning ranged from 69 to 62 degrees below zero. ELKINS. W. Vs.. Dec. 30. The cold est December 30 on record here was re ported by the official Government ob server early this morning when the mercury fell to 27 degrees below zero. PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 30. With tem peratures ranging from 4 to 25 degrees below zero. Eastern Pennsylvania to day had the coldest weather in many years. There was considerable suffer ing in many places, due to the shortage of coal. Both the production and movement of anthracite coal was slowed up by the Intense cold. Colleries were making every effort to prevent the freezing of workings, but it was felt that a num ber would be unable to operate tomor row. WASHINGTON, Dec SO. Extreme cold was reported today throughout the south. LEATHER SAVING ORDERED England's Manufacturers Told to Reduce Height of Shoes. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash ington. Dec. 19. While American shoe manufacturers, with utter disregard for war's demand for leather, are straining a point to build women's shoes as high as possible, England, after three years of war, has gone to the other extreme and limited the height of women's shoes. As shoes in America go up, they go down in Eng land, as evidenced by the following cable from the American Consul-Gen-eral at London: "War Office forbids from February 1, except under permit from Director of Raw Materials, the purchase, sale, or offer to purchase or sell any boots for women with uppers exceeding 7 inches in height if of leather, or 8 Inches in height if of any other ma terial. From January 1 manufacturers are forbidden to cut material for up pers exceeding dimensions named. CUBAN WOMAN HELD AS SPY American Government Asked to In terfere in Kidnaping Case. EL PASO, Tex., Dec. 30. Mrs. Rita Castillo y Garcia, a Cuban woman, who is being held in Juarez by the authorities on a charge of espionage, was kidnaped from her home in El Paso by two Mexican policemen from Juarez who came to the American side yesterday in plain clothes, induced the Cuban woman to go to Jaurez on the pretext of wanting her services as & trained nurse and then arrested her as soon as she crossed the international bridge, according to her husband's story to the American officials tonight. "The Cuban consul for the border, stationed at Galveston, has been asked to intercede in behalf of the woman and telegrams have also been sent to Washington to the Cuban Minister pro testing against the alleged kidnaping of the woman. TWO INDIAN CHIEFS DEAD Chief Saluskin Buried at North Yak ima; Yo-Yomen Dies in Woods. NORTH YAKIMA. Wash., Dee. 30. (Special.) Priest Rapids Indians who yesterday came to North Yakima to at tend the funeral of Chief Saluskin re ported that Yo-Yomen, a Priest Rapids tribal chieftain, died of cold and ex posure in the mountains in Kittitas County a few days ago. Yo-Yoman, who was a, son of Chief Smo-hat-la. went with others on a hunting trip. Three of the men left camp for a short excursion into the hills. They started a deer and pursued it many miles before making a kill. After they started to return to camp Yo-Yomen became so exhausted that he could go no farther. At his request his companions left him. A party which went back with horses found his dead body. ROAD CHANGES PROPOSED Lane County Expects to Increase Work by Use of Machinery. EUGENE, Or., Dec. 30. (Special.) The adoption of a road patrol system in districts where travel is heavy as a part of the highway plans for Lane County during the coming year is un der consideration by the County Court, according to E. R. Spencer, County Commissioner. Mr. Spencer estimates that Lane County will do twice as much road work during the coming year as In former years without greatly Increas ing labor employed, as the result of the purchase of modern road machin ery. The county last year adopted the caterpillar engine and trains of dump cars, supplanting trucks. Phone your want ads to The Orego nian. Main 7070, A 60!5. 1 Year to Thereby you will form at least one good habit. You will be bene-1 fitted mentally and physically and each day there will come into your life a pleasant event the eating of that daily plate of Ice Cream. j J And most Heartily we wish for you and yours, Jl Happy and 'Prosperous &CeW Year Don't forget to place poor mriet early and that you mag 1 1 enjoy it, in all Ui goodness, be sure your dealer tupplics 1 1 fc. LI -X J LSLII I LUSIII . , I I I I II I Wkdk STONEY HEEDS CALL Member of The Oregonian's Staff Enlists. FIGHTING BLOOD WILL TELL Loyal Tipperary-American to Enter War In Which Two-hundred of His Relatives Have Been Killed or Wounded. "George F. Stoney, Tipperary, Ireland, 45 years old." That is the way it reads on the en listment record at the British recruit ing office. Third and Oak street, but it doesn't begin to tell the story. For sev eral days It has been written there, but only yesterday it was revealed that the George F. Stoney so enrolled was one of the veteran copy editors of The Oregonian. former Investment broker of Pittsburg and Spokane and at one time publisher of the Wallace (Idaho) Miner. Mr. Stoney, who only a few months ago came out of the hospital after a long illness, is dangerously near to the "other side" of 45, but he has' been accepted, passed medical and physical 25 CENTS 2MA . TLTO ? WO D7& JN:THE-nVE-POUNDSlZE. the mopt. economical, -cor fee. you Cctn btzyr BACKED BYA-GUAPANTEE THAT-MEANS -SOMETHING M. J. BRANDENSTELN & CO. 27-29 H. Front St., Portland. Oregon. examination and will leave Portland January 15 for an Eastern Canada point to enter a mobilization camp. He has enlisted in the Canadian expeditionary forces. "War's Tragedy Always Near. The war has come close to Mr. Stoney in more ways than one. For five years he has been editing telegraph and "local" copy on The Oregonian and for three of those years much of the tele graph war news has passed through his hands. This, with occasional letters and cas ualty lists which drifted through from Ireland, gave the steady toll the war had taken of his relatives, until today he has run up a total of about 200 kins men, all killed or badly wounded. Now, one of the more mature men remaining, he is going to the trenches to replace his younger cousins who have been killed. His family in Ireland was one of the established branches in the Tipperary country, and of cousins alone he has more than a company in arms. His older brother, T. G. Stoney, inspector of branch banks of the Bank of Ireland. fcas written him almost every week dur ing the war. and each letter brought news of another fatality or two. Long Resident of United States. Mr. Stoney first left Ireland 28 years ago, and it is 15 since he was home last. For several years he lived in Pittsburg, where he engaged in the Investment business, later going to Spokane, where, after engaging in the brokerage business, he became a mem ber of the editorial staff of the Spokesman-Review. Later he went to Wal lace, Idaho, where, from 1907 to 1911, he published the Miner. He. came to Portland in 1912, and has since been on The Oregonian. "Don't say anything about my going. c 1 boys,'' he said, as he turned in his resignation. GIRL RESCUED FROM SEA Little Girl, Washed Away by Wave, Rescued by Brave Woman. KLAMATH FALLS. Or.. Dec. 30. (Special.) Mrs. F. M. White saved the life of a little 5-year-old girl at Ban don. Or., recently. Mrs. White was walking along the beach with Mrs. J. B. Zentner and her little daughter when an unusually big wave rolled in. On its return it car ried the little Zentner girl some dis ii'aVS'ft jTOti.t&?v A. ktrS ' jjpp WW.i;. Economy is a great revenue, and thrift is better than an annuity. To save something each day makes you a better citizen, strengthens your power for good, in creases the resources of the Nation. We will gladly welcome your account. THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL BANK With Which Is Consolidated The Lambermens National Bank rktA Sixth Street at Stark 1 VrV Resources Over $25,000,000 j& 4 tance out. Mrs. White fo. lowed and managed, after great difficulty, to res cue the child. The little girl was badly bruised about the head and face, and was bleeding at the ears, but recovered. Schools to Teach Firearms' Use. DENVER, Colo., Dec. 30. Instruc tion of public school pupils in the use of firearms was decided upon by the Denver Board of Education at a meet ing Saturday. The Board voted to es tablish a rifle range. By a royal decree the Hellenic rail ways, posts, telegraphs, army, navy and steamship companies, were ordered to adopt the 24-hour time system.