VOL.. LIX NO. 18.553 Entered at Portland (Oregon)
KJ1-J- J-x'v VJ. Postoffice as Second-Class Matter.
PORTLAND OREGON, WEDNESDAY, 3IAY 12, 1920
THICK FIVE CENTS
' ALL GREW BLAMED
AT WRECK INQUEST
Coroner's Jury Finds En
gineer Incapacitated.
346,319 REGISTER
FOR STATE ELECTIONS
2 28,571 . ARE REPUBLICANS,
93,405 DEMOCRATS.
BOYCOTT ON 'SPUDS'
CUPS TON PRICE $10
SEATTLE RESTAURATEURS WIN
FIGHT WITH JOBBERS.
SOCIALISTS WANT
NO RADIGAL RULE
WOMAN, 29, POISONS
3 RELATIVES; 2 DIE
TO BE IGNORED
SOVEREIGNS OF BRITAIN" AND
BEIXUCM AT "WEDDING.
STELDA HYMAV, SALIXA, KA,
MAKES CONFESSION.
LADY CYNTHIA CURZON
MARRIED IN LONDON
BLUEBEARD TO
. WRITE MEMOIRS
Watson.'to Give Life to
"Warning."
LAW
GASOLINE
V
7
r
BENEFIT OF DOUBT GIVEN
Brakeman and Conductor
Also Held Responsible.
COMPANY HOLDS INQUIRY
Tests ;il Scene of Collision Held
to tliov Trainmen I'uilcd to
Check l"p on Motornian.
Responsibility for the head-on col
lision of the two Southern Pacific
electric passenger trains near Bertha
station siding Sunday morning was
placed definitely on all members of
the crew of train No. 124, the inbound
passenger, in a verdict returned at an
early hour this morning by a cor
oner's jury in the inquest called by
Dr. Earl Smith, coroner.
The three trainmen who are held
responsible for the tragedy which re
sulted in the death of nine and the in
juring of more than 40 persons are:
D. K. Willett, engineer, who was
killed In the wreck: Austin Pharis,
conductor, and W. A. Fisch. brake
man. Pharis and Fisch are at Good
Samaritan hospital as a result of in
juries sustained in the collision.
The jury, however, gave the dead
engineer the benefit of the doubt when
it expressed the belief that Willett,
just prior to the wreck, had been
rendered mentally or physically inca
pacitated. Engineer's Complaints Related.
There was no testimony that such
might have been the case except for
the deposition of Conductor Pharis,
which stated that Willett had com
plained once or twice Sunday morn
ing that he was feeling ill.
The verdict of the jurors reads:
"We, the undersigned jurors, find
these deaths were caused by a head
on collision of Southern Pacific trains
No. 121 and No. 107, and that the
wreck was caused by the failure of
the train crew of No. 124 to execute
orders.
"It is our opinion that Engineer
Willett of train No. 124 vas rendered
mentally or physically, or both, In
capacitated by some unknown cause
prior to reaching the clearance of the
siding, and remained so up to thetime
of collision.
Testimony Duplicates Inquiry.
The jurors were J. R. Bailey, J. G.
, Thatcher, H. M. Fitzpatrick, C. J.
Mathis, T. H. Craig and Eugene
White.
The testimony at the inquest was
for the most part a duplication of the
evidence submitted at the official rail
road inquiry yesterday afternoon
Conductor Johnson and Brakeman
O'Connor of train No. 107 both offered
testimony identical to that given
earlier In the day.
D. J. McLardy, Southern Pacific
train dispatcher for the west-side
electric lines, testified that orders
for the two trains to meet at the
I'.ertba station siding had been given
to both Conductors Johnson and
Pharis, and copies of these orders,
bearing the signatures of the con
ductors, were introduced in evidence
A. T. Mercicr, superintendent of the
Southern Pacific, testified concern
ing his investigation of the wreck
and upon question by Deputy District
Attorney Bernard, gave it a his
opinion that all members of the crew
of train No. 124 were responsible for
the collision.
Walter James, one of the first to
reach the scene of tho collision, and
who rendered first aid to the injured
and Dr. George Parr'-'b., city health
officer, also testified.
Testimony Is Recorded.
At the request of Chairman Buch
tel of the public service commission
and G. B. Winter, inspector for the
interstate commerce commission, the
inquest testimony was made a part
of the official record of these bodies.
The Southern Pacific board of in
quiry, in actual tests made yesterday
afternoon at the scene of the acci
dent, brought out the fact that, had
Conductor Pharis and other members
of the crew on electric train No. 124
been alert at their post of duty the
collision would have been averted.
O. O. Johnson, conductor of the out
going passenger No. 107, gave much
of the testimony which tended to fix
the responsibility upon the shoulders
of Conductor Pharis and Brakeman
Fisch equally with that of the dead
engineer, S. K. Willett, of the in
coming passenger.
Some Blame Pat on Contactor.
"'It is the conductor's business to
see that he is in a place where he
can see that theothcr tr: . is in tho
siding at tho place of meeting," testi
fied Conductor Johnson, who escaped
from the collision with slight bruises.
"Tou feel, then, that the conduc
tor shares the responsibilities with
the engineer?" he was asked.
Acs, was the answer; "those are
the rules."
Conductor Johnson then testified
that had he been the conductor of the
the other train, he would have mad
certain that the train to be met was
in the siding at the Beriha station
(Concluded on Page 2, Column 2.
Elaborateness and Beauty of
Bride's Trousseau Talk of Femi
nine World for Days.
LONDON. May 11. Two kings, with
their queens, the sovereigns of Bel
gium and Great Britain, were among
the distinguished personages who at
tended today the wedding of Lady
Cynthia Curzon, daughter of Earl
Curson, foreign secretary, and Lieu
tenant Oswald Ernald Mosley, St. P.,
in the chapel royal.
The affair out-rivaled anything of
a similar nature in London in recent
years. A host of diplomats and other
prominent people were present, In
cluding John W. Davis, the American
ambassador, and Mrs. Davis.
The king and queen of the Bel
gians had come- by airplane Saturday
from Brussels for the purpose of at
tending the wedding. They were
week-end guests of Lord Curzon.
The wedding presents were many
and of great value. King Geo.rge and
Queen Mary sent the bride a diamond
brooch, while King Albert and Queen
Elizabeth presented her with a dia
mond and pearl bracelet.
The (elaborateness and beauty of the
bride's trousseau has been the talk
of the feminine world for days oast-
The bride is the second daughter of
the late Lady Curzon, an American,
who before her marriage was Mary
Victoria Leiter, daughter of the late
Levi Z. Leiter of Chicatro.
EVANSVILLE, IND., GAINS
Increase of 22.-1 Per Cent Keoorted
by Census Bureau.
WASHINGTON, May 11. Population
statistics for the following cities were
announced today by tlie census bu
reau: Lvansville, Ind., 85, 264
increase
15,617, or 22.4 per cent.
Jamestown, N. Y., US, SOS; increase
01, or 24 3 per cent.
Bisbee, Ariz., 9205; increase 186. or
2.1 per cent.
Temple, Tex., 11,033; increase 40, or
0.4 per cent.
Medford, Mass., 3S.6S7; increase 15,-
537, or 67.1 per cent.
Chicopee, Mass, 36,214; increase. 10.-
S13, or 42.6 per cent.
Sherman, Tex., 15,031; increase 2691,
or 21.1 per cent.
Blue Island, III., 10,528; increase,
483, or 30.9 per cent.
Butler, Pa., 23,778; increase S050, or
14.7 per cent.
Fort Collins, Colo., 8734; increase
624. or 5.4 per ceat.
Patterson, N. J., 135,866; increase
10,266, or 8.2 per cent.
Ottawa, Kan., 9018; increase 1368. or
17.9 per cent.
Hackensack, N. J., 17,667; increase
3617, or 25.7 per cent.
Marlborough, Mass., 15,017; increase
4c8, of 3 per cent.
UNDERWOOD HOLDS LEAD
Senator and Representative HeHLn
Ahead In Alabama.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 11. In
complete and unofficial returns gath
ered tonight by the Birmingham Age
Herald showed Senator Oscar Under
wood and Representative Thomas J.
Heflin leading in the race for the
senatorial nominations in the Ala
bama democratic primary.
Available figures at 9 o'clock were:
Long term. Underwood 1331. Mus-
grove 946, Weakley 123; short term,
Heflin 291, O'Neal 167, Rushton 144,
White 125.
The length of the ballot, which con
tained the names of candidates for
the national house of representatives
from 10 districts and a number of
state and local offices, together with
the system of voting first and second
choices, delayed the returns, particu
larly from rural districts.
CAFE PROPRIETOR KILLED
Man. Conspicuous in "Night Life"
of Chicago Shot Dead.
CHICAGO. May 11. James Colos
imo, restaurant proprietor and con
spicuous in Chicago's "night life" for
many years, was shot and instantly
killed in a dining room of his cafe
today. The unidentified slayer es
caped. The body was , found behind
door.
Several suspects were taken into
custody. The police expressed the
theory that the slaying was the re
sult of a gamblers' war.
STEAMER RATES GO
Teachers Going to Honolulu
UP
Ex-
-An-
em p ted From Increase,
SAN FRANCISCO, May 11.-
nouncement that single passage rates
between here and Honolulu will be
increased by $20 each June 1 was
made today by the six steamship
companies clearing out of here for
that port.
Teachers will be exempted from
the increase for the part they are
playing in the Americanization of the
islands, it A-as announced."
MAYOR RULES20 HOURS
Charles Rankin Charges Aldermen
Take Over Function;
FATETTEVILLE, N. C, May 11.
Twenty hours as mayor of Fayete
ville with a hostile board of alder
men was enough for Charles Rankin,
and after holding the office once
around the clock he today handed
in his resignation.
itankln charged that the board of
aldermen had, taken over all his
functions.
MEMORY OF ONE IS TENDER
Mrs.
E. H. Williamson Brings
Gifts to Prisoner.
CANADIAN "LIST" FOOND
Medical Lake, Idaho, Tested for
Depth Before Drowning or
Alice M. Ludvigsen.
LOS ANGELES, May 11 James P.
Watson that is the name the papers
will bear that will commit to San
Quentin penitentiary for life im
prisonment the bigamist-muraerei
who, authorities say, has confessed
to the murders of nine or his score or
more wives announcea wudj
the prison ward of the Los Angeles
county hospital that he would write
his "memoirs."
'My pen," he said, "may send forth
a warning which may be helpful to
many who have started on the down
ward path."
In his spare hours at the peniten
tiary, he said, he planned to complete
his "memoirs" upon which he already
has started.
I Khali dedicate the remainder oi
my lire to stuoy. ne saia.
He spoke of two early marriages in
the east years ago, saying he had been
legally divorced each time.
K.illl7s Mania Recent.
"It was only within a compara
tively short and recent time," he de
clared, "that I have felt the mania
to kill. I am confident I was on the
road to recovery when Nina Lee De
loney threatened to expose me and I
had to kill her."
Watson asserted he had told his
whole story" and was "ready to do
anything he could to atone for his
crimes. .
He was quoted, however, as saying
he was "not sure" but another victim
might be added to the nine confessed
"when the strain of the last few
weeks will have subsided."
Memory of One Cherished.
A new list of names of women,
chiefly resident of Winnipeg, Mani
toba, was found among his posses
sions today by officers, they said.
Mrs. Elizabeth Wiliamson, one of
the women who married the bigamist
murderer, sentenced to life imprison
ment under the name of James P.
Wat6on. today called at the prison
ward of the county hospital and bade
him an affectionate farewell, prepar
atory to departing tonight for her
home in Sacramento, Cal.
She gave him a tube of toothpaste,
a tooth brush and $1.20 in change, all,
she was quoted as saying, she could
afford to give him.
The prisoner, who said he was
christened Joseph Gillam, and that he
had taken the name of Dan Holden.
declared Mrs. Williamson was "the
only one of the many women with
whom I have bad to do who has had
nothing to say against me."
"She has borne with me in my
suffering," he continued. "He,r mem
ory will be my most valued posses-
(Concluded on Page S, Column 2.)
' ' " (j
Records for 1920 Show Increase
of About 30,000 Over 1918.
Figures Are Announced.
SALEM, Or., May 11. (Special.)
Registration of voters in Oreeon for
tfie primary and special elections to
be held on May 21, total 346,319, ac
cording to figures made public today
by Sam A. Kozer, assistant secretary
of state. Of these 228,571 are classi
fied as republicans, 93,405 democrats.
and 24,343 miscellaneous. The regis
trations under the head of miscel
laneous include prohibitionists, social
ists, progressives and all others than
republican and democrats.
Prior to the special election held in
June, 1919, there were 289.980 regis
tered voters in Oregon, while prior to
the general election in November,
1918, the registered voters aggregated
315,410.
The registration for this year shows
an increase in the state oi aooui
30,000 over that of two years ago.
Registration of the state, segre
ated by counties, follows:
County Rep. Dcm. Misc.
Baker 4.2S4 4.042 u8:i
fcenton ........ 4,"o5 l.e-SS tiS'-i
Clackamas 12,20;; 4.671 1,3"'-
Clatsop 5.7S6 LOW 548
Columbia IJ.tWO 1.102 4Sj
Coos S,!13 2,5HI 600
Crook 1,005 77( 66
Curry .......... So8 318
Deschutes 2.0S0 1.254 '-
Douglas S.llUti 2,706 6U4
Gilliam 840 40
Grant 1,855 62 354
Harney 1,010 1.050 187
Hoo-i River .... 2,2:i4 800 D06
Jacks jn 6,175 3.1':!-' 85:1
Jefferson 8S6 412 131
Josephine 2,:'.7 !o7 25o
Klamath. 3,158 1,31 -'04
Lake -. 1.214 815 185
Lane 30.X04 4.RMO 1,752
Lincoln, 2,705 90!) 42
I.inn 7,799 4.5SO 1,2:J6
Malheur 2,374 l,S2:t 275
Marlon 13.59 4,020 1,229
Morrow I.SSo 750 20fl
Multnomah .... S3,:;!i 27,018 5,838
Polk 4.!'82 . 2,554 835
ShmtlM ...... 1,11)3 555 304
Tillamook 2,1163 S34 3K1
Umatilla C.S21 3,20 022
Union 3.T77 2,300 458
Wallowa 2.282 3.375 209
Wasco 4.C93 3.7H1 3U9
Washington .... o16 2,589 1,120
Wheeltr 3.102 31i :
Yamhill 4.49J. 2220 1,248
POLES OUST BOLSHEVIKI
Odessa, Important Port of South
ern Russia, Reported Captured.
WARSAW, May 11. (By the Asso
ciated Press.) Polish forces have
ousted the bolshevik! from the Kiev
bridgehead on the east bank of the
Dnieper, according to latest army re
ports received here, and have driven
them farther eastward from that
river.
The bolsheviki have continued their
artillery Are, but the shells are not
reaching Kiev.
The Poles have established them
selves throughout tha bridgehead and
have moved their artillery to the east
bank of the Dnieper. Kiev is reported
quiet.
CONSTANTINOPLE, May 11. The
Russian embassy here has received a
report that the Poles and Ukrainians
have oaptured Odessa, the most im
portant city and seaport of southern
Russia on the Black sea.
B'NAI B'RITH IN SESSION
Portland Among Cities in Field for
Next Convention.
CLEVELAND, O., May 11 Adolf
Kraus of Chicago, president of the
Independent Order B'nai E'rith and
other officers were re-elected at the
11th annual convention here today. In
dications were that A. B. Seelefreund
of Chicago would be re-appointed sec
retary. Constantinople, Washington, Atlan
tic City, Tampa, Seattle, Portland
(Or.). Boston and St.- Paul are in the
field for the next meeting.
A motion to 16wer the age from 21
to 18 for admission into the organiza
tion was defeated
WELL, ANYWAY, THEY CAN'T DO
Retail Quotation $160 and $170.
Dealers Say Farmers Orig
inate Decline.
SEATTLE. Wash., May 11. (Spe
cial.) Seattle restaurant proprietors
have won their fight launched in the
form of a boycott, to hammer down
the price of old potatoes. This cheer
ful bit of news to housewives and
others came to the surface this morn
ing when the jobbers along Western
avenue announced that they had
clipped J10 off each ton of Yakima
Gems and are now offering them to
the retail trade at $160 and $170 a
ton.
This is the first sign of weakening
the wholesalers have exhibited since
the boycott was inaugurated. But
they are reluctant to attribute the
slump to tlie boycott. They say that
while there was a' noticeable letup
in the demand for old spuds imme
diately following the start of the
boycott the movement is easier now,
despite the fact, they point out, that
the supply in the Yakima valley is
virtually exhausted. One Jobber said
this morning that the producer is
selling at a lower figure, thereby en
abling the Seattle dealers to reduce
their price.
FREIGHT TRAIN WRECKED
Passenger Traffic on Southern Pa
cific Delayed Some Hours.
EUGENE, Or., May 11. (Special.)
A freight train wreck in Eugene
this afternoon at 1:40 o'clock tied up
all passenger traffic on the main
line of the Southern Pacific for sev
eral hours. As an extra northbound
ireignt was running at the usual
rate of speed in Falrmount, near the
University of Oregon campus, the
journal on a car in the middle of the
train "broke, causing four cars to pile
up. One. of these, loaded with ce
ment. was reduced to splinters; i
gondola car, loaded with limestone
for the Oswego cement plant, was
thrown 15 feet and overturned; a box
car, loaded with lamps, and another
boxcar were badly smashed.
Passenger train No. 15, southbound,
due out of Eugene at 1:50 o'clock
was held tup until 7:30, and No. 14
northbound, due here at 5 o'clock,
was held on the other side of the
wreck until that time. No one was
injured.
RELIGION COSTS MORE
Increased Giving Urged at Confer
ence of Congrcgationalists.
LOS ANGELES, Cal., May II. The
higher cost of religion received at
Untion in the annual report made
here today by the Southern California
Congregational conference by Dr.
George F. Kenngott, superintendent
"The dollar will no longer buy a
dollar's worth of religion any more
than it will anything else," declared
Dr. Kenngott, in urging increased
giving to make up large deficits faced
by the national societies of the de
nomination and the increases in ex
penses in every line that, he said.
must be met this year.
HOUSE VOTES $420,000,000
Sundry Civil Appropriations Bill
Is Passed.
WASHINGTON, May 11. The house
today passed the sundry civil ap
propriations bill carrying approxi
mately $420,000,000. more than two
thirds of which will go for payment
of war risk compensation claims.
The appropriation also covers the
cost of transporting bodies of Amer
ican war dead from Europe.
ANY WORSE THAN CARRANZA!
"Red Flag" Contingent Is
Voted Down.
BITTERNESS MARKS DEBATE
Session of Party's National
Convention Hot One.
'CONSERVATIVES WIN" OUT
Proposals for "Dictatorship of Pro
letariat" Throughout V. S. Are
Decisively Defeated.
NEW YORK, May H. The "red
flag of internationalists" of the social
ist party of America went down to
their first real defeat in the party's
national convention here today.
By the decisive vote of 103 to 33 the
convention crushed a "radical" decla
ration of principles submitted by the
delegation from Illinois, which pro
vided for the "dictatorship of the
proletariat" and limitation of citizen
ship throughout the United States.
Bitterness of invective marked the
day-long debate between the "con
servative" forces of Morris Hillquit
or New York and the "radicals," led
by J. Louis Engdahl of Chicago.
Radical, foiled. Retorta.
You are afraid of the dictatorship
of the proletariat," shouted Engdahl
in closing the debate on the Illinois
measure. "Yet you have the dictator
ship of Palmer, Wilson and -Burleson.
You can't fool anybody by phrases,
nor can you fool anybody with the
decorations of this convention hall
the American flag, the flag of Wall
street jnd the dictatorship of Wilson.
There is only one road to victory.
mere is only one flag, the red fla
of international socialism. We can do
noining better than allv nurseive.o
with our comrades in Russia. Italy
and everywhere else, where they be
lieve In international socialism.
"I see. only one kind of socialism,
international world socialism. We
cannot compete as phrase-mongers
with the labor party, the non-partisan
league, the committee of 48, or any
of the old parties. But we can com
pete with all in the phrases of revo
lutionary socialism."
Xo Dictatorship Wanted.
James O'Neal of Brooklyn, arguing
for the victorious Hillquit "con
servative" platform? bitterly ar
raigned the word "dictatorship."
"Are we scientific socialists, or are
w-e dogmatists?" asked O'Neal. "The
time and conditions which favored the
Russian revolution must be studied
before we attempt to adopt them here.
T don t like the word dictatorship.
Let it go throughout the country that
you favor a dictatorship of the prole
tariat and- you cease to be a pol
tical party. Introduce such a resolu
tion and you must do your work
underground, or you will be driven
under by Sweet at Albany and the
politicians at Washington, who exer
cise such a dictatorship, but that
would not excuse us.
Democracy Not So Bad.
"Bourgeois democracy, with all its
shams and illusions, permits in nor
mal times decision by an honest and
fair discussion. To espouse the dicta
torship programme would turn every
(Concluded on Paso 2, Column 5.)
Sister and. Brother-in-Law Prevent
ed Marriage With Father of
Child, Is Assertion.
SAL1NA. Kan., May 11. Confes-
10ns that they plotted the deaths
by poisoning of Mr. and Mrs. Edward
Bunch, both of whom died at Lincoln
Center, near here, nearly a year ago, I
were obtained from Miss Stella Hy
mans. 29 years old, and her nephew,
Lee Bunch. 21-year-old son of the
ictims. County Attorney M. J. Healy
nnounced tonight. According to the
rosecutor, 'the pair were in love.
Miss Hymans, the prosecutor al
leged, admitted to him today that
he administered fly poison first in
coffee to her sister who died August
last, and then to her brother-in-
law, who died August 14. The same
poison was given Lee's sister, Nancy,
who escaped with her life, but was
left permanently an invalid, accord
ing to physicians, the county attor
ney said.
Her motive for the crime. Miss
Hymans is said to have eaid, was
that she was the mother of a child
of which Lee Bunch, son of the couple
he killed, was the father, and that
his parents would not let him marry
her. She said also that her cistcr
and brother-in-law abused her. Miss
Hymans said she poisoned Mrs. Bunch
first. After his return from the
funeral, Mr. Bunch continued to
abuse her and threatened her with
a revolver, she said.
'I thought I might as well kill
him as to have him kill me," her
statement said in explaining the poi
soning of Bunch.
Lee Bunch in his statement tonight
at Lincoln Center admitted, accord-
ng to Mr. Healy, that he helped his
aunt plot the deaths. The prosecu
tor said Miss Hymans admitted that
she had administered the poison.
Both Miss Hyman and Lee Bunch
are being held in jail here pending
further investigation.
ASSENGERS LEAVE SHIP
Pershing and Others Arc Taken Off
Stranded Transport.
SAN JUAN, Porto Rico, May 10.
General John J. Pershing, Governor
Yager and other passengers aboard
the United States transport Northern
Pacific, which went aground at the
mouth of the harbor Sunday after
noon, were brought ashore this after
noon in launches.
n was expected tnat all the pas
sengers would be off the vessel before
dark.
MORE CERTIFICATES OUT
Xew Issue of $100,000,000 Of
fered by Secretary Houston.
WASHINGTON, May 11 Secretary
Houston tonight offered another is
sue of treasury certificates of in
debtedness amounting to $100,000,000
or more.
The Issue will be dated May 17 and
mature November 15, with interest at
Bl per cent.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature 6ft
degrees; minimum. 4a degrees.
TODAY'S Fair and warmer; northwest
erly winus.
lorficn
Lady Cynthia Curzon marries member of
tntlsn paruamenc. rase 1.
National.
"Ignore prudence," Wilson te'.la
Pase 2.
navy.
Democratic leaders enraged over Wilson
message to wamaker. Page
Peace resolution fight commenced. Page 3.
Civil war pensions greatly increased under
new law now in eriect. rage 4.
Mexican revolutionists promise Americans
saiety. . -race s.
DomeAtie.
Kansai woman poisons three relatives; two
die. Page 1.
William Dean Howells, distinguished Amer
lean writer, dies In New York. Pace 2,
Two thousand delegates at San Krancisco
lor roreign trade convention. Page 4.
Radical element decisively defeated
socialists national convention. Pase 1
Bluebeard to write memoirs In prison as
' warning. - page i.
Daring sem theft staged by "cripple.
Page 15.
Election of Methodist bishopa may begin
- r nua. rase i.
Pacific Northwest.
State officials to 'snore nasoline law dur
ing lamine. Page l
Oregon atatc board reluctant to sell road
bonds at low figure. Page
546,319 register for state election. Tago 1
Washington state democrats looking to
Hugh wanace to straighten out party
tangle. Pago S.
Boycott on "spuds" clips top price J10.
Pago 1.
State supreme court upholds public service
commission in railroad rate case.
Fags 7.
Sports.
Washington high shuts out Columbia and
makes it four straight. Page li.
Ten boxers to figure In 58 rounds of tight-
ing- here tonight. Pago lu.
Coast le&frue results: Salt Lake fl. Oakland
8; Sacramento 4. Vernon 1. Pase 14.
Seattle g-olt club gets aid of two stars.
Pags 14.
Commercial and Marine.
Sugar prices believed to be at or near top.
Page 23.
Early fralns In Chicago corp market are
not held. Page 3.
Bears in control of WalVstreet stock mar
ket. Page 23.
First sulphur cargo in bulk is comins to
Portland. Page 22.
Portland and Vicinity.
Low-fst gasoline may bo distributed.
Pago 9.
Democrats predict Wilson-Bryan fight.
Pago 13.
Crow blamed at wreck inquiry for failure
to check up on engineer. Pago 1.
Total profit of 3 cenis on sugar recog
nized by department of justice. Page 12.
Fire in warehouse may result in slaying
charge. Pago 8.
Deportation, ruling lets reds escape Oregon
syndicalism law. Page 15.
Wood plea rejected by lowdcn manager.
Page 4.
Funerals for five wreck victims to be held
today. Page s.
A Suffrage failure laid to wel
, 4 I joy. fag 0.
4- I Apartment owners tighten i
by lr. Love
up on rules for
tenants- Page a.
State Officials Pave Way
to Prevent Famine.
GOVERNOR TO REMIT FINES
Prosecutions Suspended by
Hoff During Emergency.
ADVISER URGES ACTION
Altorncy-General Brown's Recom
mendations on "Obsolete" Grav
ity Measure l'ollowcd.
SALEM. Or., May 11. (Special.)
The people of Oregon have no cause to
fear that their industries will be crip
pled and their social welfare menaced
through the operation of the so-called
56-degree gravity gasoline law, now
n effect in this state, as long as
Governor Olcott is clothed with the
power to grant pardons. This was
made plain in a statement issued by
the governor following a conference
with State Treasurer Hoff and Attorney-General
Brown this afternoon.
The gasoline situation in Oregon
has reached an acute crisis through
which industries are not only threat
ened, but crippled, and there is an
immediate probability of no more gas
oline being shipped into the state,"
said the governor's statement. "The
use of srasoline has become so closelv
Tinked with every phase of modern
life that any serious curtailment of
its supply is nothing short of a
catastrophe.
Statute la Called Almurd.
'The alarming condition which ex
ists is largely due to the law of the
1917 legislature which prohibits the
sale of gasoline of less than 66 degrees
pecific gravity. The 1920 legislature
had an opportunity to do some con
structive work by wiping this absurd
statute from the statute books and
the lower house was unanimously in
favor of so doing, but in the senate.
by a closely divided vote the amenda
tory act was killed. As a result the
people of the state are facing a con
dition which already is causing a
heavy loss to business.
"This office has been asked to sus
pend the operation of the law. The
executive office, or any other branch
of the state government except the
legislative branch lias no authority
under the constitution or otherwise
to suspend the operation of this law.
When the legislature failed to func
tion by repealing or amending the
law, avenues for suspending its, op
eration w-ere closed until the legisla
tive authority again has an oppor
tunity to act.
flora Can Be Remitted.
"The constitution of the state, how
ever, as a safeguard against situa
tions just such as the present one
or to remedy situations where a grave
injustice may have been worked, has
extended to the executive office the
power to remit fines and to grant
pardons. In the light of such a con
stitutional provision I have no hesi
tation in saying that the people of
the state should have no cause to
fear that their industries will be
crippled and their social well-being
menaced through the operation of a
law which has outgrown its useful
ness and its place on the statute
books.
"Further, I see no reason why the
officials of the oil companies should
hesitate to go ahead and import into
the state all of the gasoline neces
sary to place our industries and the
operation of cars back on a normal
basis."
Duty to reople Is Cited.
"It is the duty of the executive to
ste that the laws sre enforced. I also
conceive it to be his duty to protect
tho people of the state, as far as it
lies within his delegated powers,
against damage or injury that might
be sustained through the workings of
some ill-advised and unnecessary
statute, and that is just what I in
tend to do if- tho "occasion should
arise."
State Treasurer Hoff reported to
the conference that he had received
information from a representative of
tho Standard OH company that unless
Governor Olcott. Attorney-General
Brown and him-iolt issued a statement
authorizing the importation of lower
gravity gasoline into Oregon without
fear of prosecution that the corpora
tion would refuse to bring any more
of the product into the state
Attorney-General Brown said the
law regulating the sale of gasoline
was on the statute books of the state,
and that he, nor any other man, had
a legal right to suspend its operation
by a written token.
He declared, however, that it was in
tho province of State Treasurer Hoff.
who by virtue of his office is also
state scaler o weights and measures,
to refuse to prosecute offenders
aeainbt the law in case of their ar
rest. lioveraor Advised to Act.
Governor Olcott was advised by the
attorney-general that he, too, had
power to aid in relieving the situa
tion in that he had authority to remit"
fines and free from jail sentences any
persons who might be arrested and
convicted under the act. There was
no constitutional authority, however,
according to -the attorney-general.
(Concluded ob Pago 9, Column 2.)