i
.VOL. LIX-XO. 18,(58 .ftl'". rcU&V
PORTLAND, OREGON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1920
PRICE FIVE CENTS
PORTLAND TO GET
nniiQFAirc oncer I
REPUBLICAN GRIP
HOME TOD SECURE
Stiff Fight Necessary for
Senate Control.
DRY AGENT HELD ON
LIQUOR PLOT. CHARGE
.NORTH DAKOTA DISTRICT OF
FICIAL'S BAIL $5000.
703 DRAFT DODGERS
IN OREGON ON LIST
JUSTICE TO LABOR
HELD ITALY'S AIM
Toilers -to Have Square
Deal, Says Premier.
GENERAL TREND OF
PRICES DOWNWARD
PROXOUXCEt) BREAKS RE
PORTED FOR SEPTEMBER.
COMMITTEE GIVES
UP HEHT PHDBLEM
Power to Curb Profiteers
Held Lacking.
SURROUNDS RAIDERS
LEMS WOMEX AT LOSS AS
THEY EX CIRCLE QUARRY".
CAREFUL CHECK TO EE MADE
BEFORE PUBLICATION".
DVS NC MMflND
Headquarters of 41st to
Be Assigned Here.
NATIONAL DEFENSE PLAN NEW
More Guard Organizations to
Be Formed in State.
FIVE STATES INCLUDED
Activities for Oregon, W .Islington,
Jil.ilio, AYyoniins; and Mon
tana to lie Directed.
SAI.EM, Or.. Oct. 8. (Special.)
Assignment of headquarters of the
41st division to Portland.
Assignment of headquarters of an
Infantry brigade to Oregon, with the
entire brigade, less one battalion, to
located in Oregon, and command
ti be reposed in a qualified Oregon
officer.
Twelve additional infantry units,
an observation squadron, with 13 air
planes, several artillery units and
smaller headquarters company and
formations of special troops, includ
ing a motorcycle company.
These are the outstanding features
in the working out of the new scheme
of national defense as affecting Ore
gon, it was learned today from George
A. White, adjutant-general of Ore
gon, who has been in Washington in
the interests of the state. The in
fantry brigade headquarters have
Veen definitely allotted to Oregon
ami will embrace national guard in
fantry in Oregon and Washington.
Liggett') Approval Xerded.
Allotment of the 41st division, em
bodying the national guard troops in
Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana
Ind Wyoming, has been made by the
general staff at Washington subject
lo the approval of the commanding
Srencral of the Ninth corps area at
fa'an Kranclsco, General Liggett.
Many Oregon towns which have
never had an opportunity to raise a
rational guard company will have
that chance next year. Colonel White
said, since the Oregon national guard
as at present constituted is trebled
in size by the new national defense
oct, approved by the president in June
and now effective. Here is the allo
cation of national guard units to Ore
gou under the new plan:
Brigade headquarters, eight officers
and 60 men; two regimental head
tiuartcrs, one of which already has
been organized.
Twelve companies of infantry, four
of which will be machine gun com
panies under a new regimental forma
t ion which gives a machine .gun cum
i;iny and three rifle companies to
each infantry battalion.
full Equipment Provided.
Three additional infantry battalion
headquarters, four officers, two
howitzer companies, one for each reg
iment of infantry; also one headquar
ters company and one administration
lompany for each infantry regiment.
One battery of field artillery, 75
51m., four officers, 50 to 114 men;
icne battalion headquarters, field ar
tillery, four officers, 27 men-
One battalion combat train, field ar
illcry, three officers, 68 men.
One company combat engineers.
our officers, 65 to 100 men.
One hospital battalion headquarters,
field officer, three men; one
lospital company, four officers, 40
nen.
One truck company for divisional
trains, one officer, 50 men; one motor-
ycie company, one officer, 36 men.
Two batteries six-inch artillery, 15
officers and a maximum of 302 men.
Henry Artillery Included.
Battalion headquarters, heavy artil
ery, four officers, 36 men; battalion
ombat train, heavy artillery, three
fficers, 41 men.
One observation squadron, 13 planes,
.3 officers and 132 men; one troop
it cavalry, three officers and 95 men.
1'our companies of coast artillery,
a ilh battalion headquarters, 15 offi
iTs and a maximum of 400 men.
Organization of one troop of cavalry.
one hospital company, one company
f infantry and one company of coast
irtillery will be undertaken within
the next few weeks, Colonel White
-lid, in order to complete the allot
ment made last year to Oregon for
.lie present year.
It is going to be an uphill job to
ndd a lot of units to the service,"
aid Colonel White. "The attitude
toward things military Is more or less
apathetic, although with the liberal
illowances made to every man who
M rills for every drill he attends there
ire a number of towns that will find
t possible to establish and maintain
units.
Problem -Vp to States.
"At any rate, since congress has
fallen back on the volunteer system
?nd put the burden of national de
fense largely on the shoulders of the
ktates, it is up to everyone to take
as much interest as possible in the
fcilan and assist wherever possible.
"What is needed to fill out the
resent national guard units and to
Iform the. new ones is enlistment by
khe generation that is just entering
frjjjlitary age. The men who served in
no w u ju war io iv mg hiuoi idii
fed up' on military service and are
ICaasluded CM Pae 2, Column 2- ,
Tlirce Boys, Xone Over 11, Take
French Leave From Eraser
Home and Go on Tour.
After an exciting chase through the
wooded section around Firland sta
tion in the Mount Scott district, three
youthful fugitives from the Fraser
detention home were captured yester
day by a posse of housewives, who
went to the assistance of a frantic
woman whose bicycle the youngsters
had stolen.
After the posse of women had' sur
rounded their quarry they were at a
loss as to how to proceed. At this
Juncture, E. W. Stahl, a resident of
Firland, came to their rescue and
took the lads Into custody.
Mr. Stahl then notified the police
of the capture alid the police returned
the boys to the home from which they
escaped four days ago.
The boys said they had gone to
Gresham following their escape
earlier in the week. After attending
the county fair they returned to Fort
land. They had been sleeping in
woodsheds and barns and pilfering
their food supplies from back doors
and basements of houses en route,
they told their captors.
When taken with the bicycle In
their possession the youngsters had
a small wagon piled high with pro
visions. They said they had intended
robbing a hardware store in Gresham
last night ij order to procure guns.
The boys are David Wilson, aged 9;
Wayne Wilson, aged 11, and Harold
Jensen. 11. The youngest of the trio
asserted the older boys compelled him
to do most of the thievery while they
stood guard.
LLOYD GEORGE RAPS U. S.
Ignoring Facts Held Xo "Prool of
Exalted Principles."
LLANDUD.NO, Wales, Oct. 8.
Premier Lloyd George in a political
speech today declared that "the con
flict of parties in America has led
to the result that they have not yet
signed a treaty of peace with Ger
many." He, asserted that if there
had been a conflict like that in Great
Britain the latter would have had no
peace and there would have been no
treaty.
J'There are some who criticise the
treaty of Versailles," the premier de
clared. "Better that than a state of
war going on for years and nothing
done." Mr. Lloyd George added that
there were some people who imagined
that to ignore disagreeable facts was
proof of exalted principles.
LABORER GETS $150,000
Army Back ray of $0 0 Put in Oil
Stock by Overseas Man.
ANACONDA, Mont., Oct. 8. From a
laborer's task at the Washoe smelter
to the possession of J150.000 was the
realization here today of Claude Sheu-
maker, who received a telegram from
an eastern broker advising him that
he had realized this fortune on the
sale of oil stock. Sheumaker immedi
ately drew hts earnings, purchased a
railroad ticket and started east.
Sheumaker conceived the idea of
buying oil stock while in the army.
While serving overseas with the
Twenty-third division he was wound
ed. His original Investment was J300
of back army pay, He intends pur
chasing a ranch in Oregon, he said.
WIFE DESERTION TESTED
Suffrage Amendment Declared to
Make Law Discriminatory.
DALLAS. Texas, Oct. 8. Test of the
Texas law against wife desertion on
the grounds that the federal suffrage
amendment makes the statute dis
cr'minatory was made here today by
Oscar Calvert, attorney.
A petition was filed by Calvert in
Dallas county court asking that
charges of wife desertion against H.
W. Durham be quashed. Calvert con
tended that with women enjoying
equal suffrage privileges they should
be no more entitled to protection
against desertion or cruel treatment
than- men. For the same reason, he
would abolish alimony.
G. M. CORNWALL ELECTED
Portland Man Is Secretary of Log
ging Congress.
VANCOUVER, B. C. Oct. 8. The
1921 convention of the Pacific log
ging congress will be held at San
Francisco, it was decided at the clos
ing session of the organization here
today.
These officers were elected: George
W. Johnson. Seattle, president; James
O'Hearn, Mount Vernon, Wash., vice
president; George M. Cornwall, Port
land, secretary; P. A. Wilson. British
Columbia; Kenneth Ross, Montana;
Thomas Murray, Washington; T. E.
Burns, California; T. P. Jones, Idaho,
and W. R. Holland, Oregon, executive
committee.
TURK MINISTRY STORMED
Army Officers Wives Seek Money;
Funds Almost Gone.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Oct. 8. The
war ministry here was stormed twice
, Tuesday by the wives of Turkish war
prisoners and unpaid officers, who
demanded money.
Sabri Bey, minister of finance,
waved a report to the crowd showing
that the treasury had only $100,000
with which to meet a monthly pay
roll uf Jl.000.000.
LEADERS BIT APPREHENSIVE
Chance of Something Happen
ing Causes Anxiety.
CAMPAIGN RIPE TOO SOON
Problem for Party Managers Is
Holding What They Have Won
Till Election Day Comes.
BT MARK SULLIVAN.
(Copyright by the New York Evening Post,
Inc. Published by Arrangement. )
DES MOINES, la., Oct. 8. (Special.)
The best way to describe the pres
ent situation Is to say it is a repub
lican landslide, in spots.
It is a republican landslide in Min
nesota, in Kansas, in Oregon, in Wash
ington, in Michigan, and in parts of
other states.
But these states are almost uni
formly republican anyhow and one
reason it is such a landslide in these
places is that the democratic organ
ization In nearly all these states is
more or less moribund. There is not
the machinery to get the democratic
women registered, nor to get the vot
ers to the polls on election day. From
thn democratic point of view the
worst thing about this lack of organ
ization which exists in degree every
where, is that it leaves that party
with no means of taking advantage
of anything that may happen be
tween now and election day.
Every Da Dangerous.
From the republican point of view,
everybody knows there is danger of
something happening. Every day
from now until election will be for
the republicans a dangerous day.
Every morning from now until No
vember 2 the republican .managers
will pick up the morning papers with
nervous apprehension. Republicans
fear that something may happen and
democrats hope for it- They don't
have any specific thing In mind. It
is merely that any- gambler experi
enced in betting on elections, would be
willing, to take a chance that some
time between now and election day
the republican chances will not Vok
a3 overwhelmingly good as they do
tort ay.
The republican campaign ripened
too soon. The republicans were ready
for the election fully six weeks be
fore it comes. It is difficult to keep
public interest at the peak for so long
a period:
It is like a play on the stage hav
ing its climax at the end of the sec
ond act. Wherever the democrats
M'onttnued on Paso 3. Column 2.)
i i"i i i i i; in it una iuvi-w i u a
I .
Trans-porting Liquor and Con
spiracy Against Federal Gov
ernment Are Alleged. '
FARGO, N. D., Oct. 8. R. B. Leady,'
recently appointed prohibition en
forcement group chief for North Da
kota, was arrested today on a charge
of violating the prohibition laws. He
was placed in the Cass county jail in
default of ,5000 bail.
The.charge preferred against Leady
here is "transporting intoxicating
liquor in violation of the federal
prohibition laws and conspiracy to
commit a crime against the federal
government-"
Leady's" arrest followed the arrest at
Sioux Falls, S. D., of Theodore Miisg
Jerd, who recently resigned from the
North Dakota prohibition enforce
ment force for alleged violation of
the prohibition statutes. '
SIOUX FALLS, S. D., Oct." 8. Theo
dore Musgjerd, formerly a federal pro
hibition agent here, who was arrested
last night when he was found to be
in possession of a motor car load of
whisky, today told local police that
he had been commissioned by Robert
B. Leady. federal prohibition agent for
North Dakota, to deliver the liquor to
I. L. McCoun, a private detective of
this city, who had assisted Leady in
several raids on "moonshniers" in this
state.
Leadj- formerly was federal pro
hibition director for South Dakota,
but had asked for a transfer to Kan
sas City, Mo., shortly before he was
sent to Fargo. Musgjerd resigned
here late in July.
MISSING FIANCE SOUGHT
Walter Logan, 2 9, Fails to Return
to Mills City.
Walter Logan, 29, left his home
in Mills City, Or., and came to Port
land Tuesday, and his friends have
not heard from him since, although
he was expected to return home and
be married immediately, according
to a report to the police last night.
He told, his fiancee that he was com
ing to Portland and draw $1000 from
a bank. The police have been asked
to investigate and find out if he met
with foul play.
Mr. Logan was described as about
5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighing
168 pounds. Ho was of light com
plexion, with gray eyes, and wore
a gray suit and hat and brown fchoes.
ENGLAND WANTS BARRETT
Extradition Papers Said Issued for
Return of American.
LONDON, Oct. S. (Special Cable.)
It is stated by authorities here to
day that extradition papers in the
case of William Barrett have - been
sent to America. The warrant for Bar
rett's arrest was issued here several
weeks ago on charges by Mrs. John
D. Spreckles Jr., that jewels Fhe had
entrusted to Barrett had not been re
turned to her by him.
Mrs. Spreckles has been staying at
a well-known west-end hotel, but it
is said there she had sailed for
America.
HE'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
: 'Hip' Mill
' ' Bui 'Mil' 4l 1 n II
Adjutant-General "White Declares
Record Is Only Hair Size of
State's Honor Roll.
SALEM. Or., Oct. 8. (Special.) '
Seven hundred, and three names ap
pear on Oregon's official slacker list,
which has been obtained by George
A. White, idjutant-general of the
state, from the federal government.
The list is being checked with all
available state records to remove any
possibility of injustice when the
names arg released for information
of . the.' public.
"Oregon's roll of dishonor" was the
term Mr White applied to the long
roster of the state's recorded, draft
dodgers and their place of residence
in the state. "But it is only half the
size of Oregon's roll of honor, those
Oregonians who gave their lives In
battle, and it Is only a small fraction
of one per cent of the Oregonians
who were eligible for service and who
responded enthusiastically," said Gen
eral White. "While I have no infor
mation on the number of recorded
slackers in other states, I will make
the prediction that Oregon has one of
the smallest if not the smallest slack
er list in the country."
While stating that he could not
give out the list until every possible
precaution had been taken against er
ror, Mr. White said that three Ore
gon counties show a clean slate. They
are Benton, Lincoln and Wheeler.
Every case in those three counties
has been cleared up.
Portland, probably because of its
heavy population, leads the slacker
list with a total of 2S1 men. Out
side of Portland the state is divided
into counties in the slacker distri
bution with Clatsop county leading.
There are $4 slackers in Clatsop coun
ty. Most of the names are foreign.
Klamath county stands second with
a total of 28 draft dodgers. Umatii
la with 25 and Baker county with
23 occupy third and fourth places,
while Coos is fifth with 20.
Josephine county records show only
one man, Tillamook, Sherman, Hood
River and Grant two each and Jef
ferson county three. Other counties
have the following: Linn 8; Polk 11;
Crook S; Gilliam 7; Harney 15,' Mal
heur 17; Morrow 16; Union 10; Wal
lowa 8; Clackamas 11; Columbia 18;
Deschutes 14; Marion 16; Multnomah
(outside of Portland) 15; Wasco 11;
Washington 8; Yamhill 5; Curry 8;
Douglas 6; Jackson 15; Lake 10; Lane
13.
WOOL MEN GET $460,000
Excess Profits Available for Distrl-
' bntion te Producers.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8. Through
closing up the government's wartime
operations in the wool market the
department of agriculture reported
today $460,000 has become available
for distribution to some 100,000 pro
ducers who grew the 1318 clip.
" The amount has been returned by
dealers who bought the wool under
government supervision and were re
quired by regulations to return ex
cess profits made in the process to
the growers.
"FArAOUS C.ARYOON
WORKERS' DEMANDS UPHELD
No Revolution Seen in Indus
trial Movement.
OBJECT PURELY ECONOMIC
Xew Relations Between Labor and
Capital Are Expected to Re
store Industrial Stability.
BY LINCOLN ETEE.
(Copyright by the New York World. Pub
lished by Arrangement.!
ROME, Oct. 8. (Special cable.)
There is no real Bolshevism in Italy.
There is, however, a very strenuous
determination on the part of Italian
labor to gain what the workers deem
their economic rights. Convinced
that their demands are just and rea
sonable, the Italian government, first
among the powers of the world, is
striving to assure the working class
a "new deal" in the relations between
employer and employe, without which
industrial stability can no longer be
guaranteed.
The above sentences summarize the
impression I carried away from a
conversation with Signor Giolittl, the
prime minister of Italy and minister
of the Interior. The veteran states
man, whose four-score years have
neither bowed his stalwart frame nor
dimmed- the nimble alertness of his
brilliant brain, granted me an audi
ence In the hope, as he put it, that an
expression of his views might dissi
pate the strange misapprehension
about the state of affairs in Italy
which appears to prevail in the United
Slates.
Movement Not Bolshevistic.
"Apparently," he observed with a
quizzical smile, "the American public
i9 under the belief either that a rev
olution is actually under way in this
country or, if not yet started, is due
to begin any moment. You have vis
ited our principal cities, talked with
ail elements of our population. Have
you foundrevolution anywhere?"
Upon my negative reply, Signor
Giolittl continued: "Not only are the
disturbances in the metallurgical in
dustry, now happily almost at an end.
not revolutionary in character, but
there is among our workmen no rev
olutionary movement of any Impor
tance whatever. The bolshevism
which seeks to overthrow by violence
the existing regime finds so small a
measure of support in Italy that it
may bo said virtually to be non
existent. "On the other hand. It Is equally
true that the working class is thor
oughly dissatisfied with the old in
dustrial system and demands an
equitable share In the proceeds of
production. There is In my mind no
doubt of basic justice in its present
aspirations."
Italian Word Misconstrued.
The premier paused, then smiled
whimsically. "Much of the misunder
standing abroad about the situation
here," he went on, "Is due, I believe,
to one word the Italian word 'con
trollo' which we use to define the
change desired by the workers in
their relations with the bosses. 'Con
trollo' has been translated into Eng
lish as control, and hence In America
and England it is thought the work
ers desire to control; that is, to dic
tate the administration of the facto
ries in which they are employed.
"Our meaning of 'controllo,' how
ever, is not that at all. Writh us
it merely implies supervision or sur
veillance, and that is all the work
ers ask.. They have not asked to man
age nor even to participate in the
management of the industries. They
simply ask- to exercise over the ad
ministration a ' form of surveillance
not unlike that to which the govern
ment Is subjected by our "parliament,
ary commission of controllo.' Once
this point is clearly grasped, the
character of the conflict is greatly
simplified."
I asked the premier to sketch In
Ijroad outlines the issues of the con
troversy. Object Purely Economic.
"They are purely economic," he de
clared emphatically. "The movement
initiated by the metal workers in
Lombardy has a dual object higher
wages and supervision by the oper
atives over the whole domain of in
dustrial production. The metal work
ers were underpaid in comparison
with their fellows in other trades.
- "The government recognized' this
and persuaded the manufacturers to
grant an incxease of four lire per
day, which brings the workers' earn
ings up to about $1 a day at the pres
ent rate of exchange. Would your
steel workers work for that amount?
I don't believe so.
"There is another Important phase.
Influenced by the socialists' cam
paign, the workman has simply pro
ceeded to enforce his demands by
striking or seizing factories. Now
the trade unions claim, and the gov
ernment and the great majority of
the manufacturers agree, that if the
worker were enabled to ascertain for
himself the exact state in which a
given industry found itself, he would
j refrain from demanding the impos
sible , jnjiceJ2sUJsJm
, Concluded on fast 5, Column l.j
One Commercial Agency Notes S2
Recessions in Quotation List
Against 15 Advances.
NEW YORK. Oct. S. Downward
trend of prices' continues, according
to Bradstreet's monthly average of
commodity prices, published today,
and R. G. Dun & Co.'s review of
commodity prices for the past week.
A decline of nearly 6 per cent In
September and of 19 per cent from
the high level of the earlier part of
the year was shown by Bradstreet's.
The review says:
"In September, as in August, prices
went off heavily, more sharply in
deed than they did either in August,
in May of this year, or in the Jan
uary following the armistice. In the
latter month they dropped 4.9 per
cent, in May of this year 4.1 percent
and in August 4 5 per cent.
"As regards the September decline
it may be said that ten groups of
commodities declined while only two
advanced."
The review of R. G. Dun & Co. eaid:
"While a somewhat firmer feeling
prevailed in a few important com
modities this week, there was no
check, as a whole, to the downward
trend of prices in the primary mar
ket, there being S2 recessions in the
list of quotations compiled against 13
advances."
HARDING LEADS IN VOTE
Republican Xomince Has 132 3 to
880 Ballots for Cox.
The straw vote of the Owl drug
store in Portland yesterday stood
1323 for Harding and 880 for Cox.
The men gave Harding 945 vote and
Cox 670. The women voted for Hard
ing 378 and for Cox -10. The straw
vote of the state yesrvrday was 5128
for Harding and 2649 for Cox.
In a straw vote taken on the
steamer Rose City on its trip to Port
land, as reported by Captain T. J.
Macgenn, Harding polled 98 and Cox
42, while Debs had 18 supporters.
NOMINATIONS ARE FOUGHT
Irregularities in Two Cases in Col
orado Arc Charged.
DENVER, Colo., Oct. 8. A petition
charging irregularities in connection
with the nominations of Charles S.
Thomas, United States senator, and
Charles W. Waterman for United
States senator on the national and
Roosevelt-American tickets, respec
tively, were filed in the county court
this morning.
Emmett II. McClenahan, campaign
manager for Samuel D. Nicholson, re
publican nominee for eenator. filed
the charges.
EXPLOSION PROBE BEGUN
Blow-Up in Biili-li Tanker to 15c
Fully Investigated.
NEW YORK, Oct. 8. Investigation
to" determine "whether any culpable
neglect caused the explosion in the
British tanker G. B. Crowe yester
day, which killed five and injured
more than a score of workmen." was
begun today by the district attorney.
Only three of the injured remained
in the hospital and these were out
of danger.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature. 64
degrees; minimum, 51 decrees.
TODAY'S Probably rain; northeasterly
Square deal for workprs Italy's aim, de
clares Premier Giolittl. Face 1.
Politic.
Stiff fight necessary If republicans hope to
control senate. Fays Sullivan. Page 1.
Plot of democrats to penalize farmers to
get eastern votes charged. Pace 4.
Harding wages militant campaign against
Paris league. Pace 2.
Xew census Indicates west and youth will
gain most politically. Pace 3.
Piea made to send republicans to con
press. Pace 8.
Cox scathingly attacks Harding's attitude
on league. Pace 2.
Cox J.'OOO note investlcatton at Parten
concluded by senate committee. Page 6.
National.
Corn crop yield larcer. ! forecast, race S.
Allies meet in United States to allocate
cables seized frofrt Germany; Pago 5.
Domestic.
Trend of prices continues downward, say
mercantile agencies. race 1.
San Francisco woman prohibition director
removed. Pace .
North "Dakota prohibition officer accused
of violating liquor law. Pace 1.
Pacific Northwest.
Awarding of prizes at Gresham fair draw
ing to close. Page 7.
Seven hundred and three draft dogders
listed in "Oregon. Page 1.
Kerly and Rathie are sentenced to hang.
Pace l.
Portland wins assignment of headquarters
of 41st division. Page 1.
tsports.
Cleveland radiates confidence in world se
ries game today. Page 14.
Coast League results. Oakland 7. Portland
3; Los Angeles 3. Seattle 1; Salt Lake
fit Vernon It; Sacramento 3. San Fran
cisco 2. Page 14.
Slashing boxing battle expected Wednesday
at Milwaukie. Page IS.
Winged M to play T'ni versity of Oregon !n
initial football game of season today.
Page 15.
Cleveland team seems likely to break out
with batting rash. Page'14.
Commercial and Marine.
Patent flour prices are again cut by Tort
land mills. Page 21.
Chicago wheat weakened by offerings from
Canada. Page 21.
Stock market suffers from bear attacks.
Page 21.
Benefits of revised rates to Pacific coast
found small. Page 10.
Pacific coast port officials meet at Seattle
next week. Page lrt.
Portland and Vicinity.
City rent Investigation committee admits
Inability to curb profiteers. Page 1.
Wife declares missing hubby ha eloped
with another woman. Page 12.
Posse of housewives surrounds three boy
raiders. Page 1.
Planting of Portland roaeway is started.
Page 4.
TWO REPORTS ARE FILED
Herbert Gordon Is Accused of
Blocking Work.
MAYOR DISCHARGES BODY
I'jortilive, It Is Said, Plans to Un
dertake Xew Line of Action
on "Rental Question.
Without legal power the rental In
vestigation committee appointed by
Mayor Baker to adjuA rents In Port
land apartment houses cannot obtain
satisfactory results, according to its
final re-port filed with Mayor Baker
yesterday at a meeting of the com
mittee at the Benson hotel.
The report requested that the com
mittee be discharged because of its
inability to relieve the high rent sit
uation. Mayor Baker accepted the re
port, discharged the committee and
following the meeting retired to take
up a new line of attack, on the rent
problem. .
Two reports were filed with the
mayor, one a minority report signed
by 1. E. Niokerson, representing the
Central Labor council, which, in ad
dition to a resume of the activities
of the committee, declared that in
vestigations had established the fact
"that in a great many instances prof
iteering (in rents) is very plain."
Kxcens Hentnla Alleged.
The majority report, which also
was signed by Mr. Nickerson, after
it had been adopted by the vote of all
members of the committee present at
the meeting except himself, said that
"although the general advance in
rentals has not been as great as the
average increase of other living costs,
there can bo little question that in
many instances the advances here
have have been excessive."
Charges that Herbert Cordon, a
member of the committee, who also Is
a janriidale for mayor, had success
fully blocked the work of this com
mittee were hurled at Mr. Gordon Just
prior to tho close of the meeting by
Kichard W. Price, president of the
iolelmt.'n's association, and represen
tative of the presidents' council of
civic clubs.
The charges fell like a bombshell on
the meeting and resulted in emphatic
denial by Mr. Gordon, who charged
Mr. 1 rice with unfair play in making
the. charges at this time.
'rdin Held OliMtruelor.
Mr. Price asserted that about the
time the committee started getting
t.icts and figures from apartment
house owners, Mr. Gordon, who was or
iiad been president of tho apartment
house owners' association, advised the
owners, according to information, to
ignore the committee, as it had no
law to back it up. This alleged ac
tion, Mr. Price said, was followed by
the refusal of the owners to give the
committee desired information or to
appear before the ommittee in re
sponse to summons.
f'Wlien we started thi3 work in all
sincerity," said Mr. Price, ' "certain
tilings transpired that led me to make
a personal investigation on my own
account. I called on certain apart
ment houses and statements were
made to me which, whether true or
not, indicated that something was
wrong1.
Tip Reported Passed.
"I was told that Herbert Gordon,
a member of this rental committee,
until recently was president of the
Apartment - House Owners' associa
tion and that he had advised the
owners of apartment-houses that this
was the time to obtain high prices
ar.d that the law could not touch
them. If this is true, in whole or In
part, it is not surprising that the
committee has failed utterly to ac
complish what it set out to do."
, Mr. Gordon denied the accusation.
"To make such a charge at this time
is decidedly unfair." he said. "1 never
made such a statement."
"Were you the president of the
Apartment - House Owners' associa
tion?" Mr. Price asked.
"Yes," admitted Mr. Gordon. "I was
the first president of the organiza
tion, but I attended only a few meet
ings. At no time was there a dis
cussion of rents at these meetings.
There is no control of rents. Every
one charges according to his own con
ditions. It would be better, no doubt,
if there were a uniform scale adopted
by the owners.
hnrges Flatly Denied.
"But to accuse me of making these
statements is unfair, because I did
not make them. I have acted fairly
on this committee and I believe the
majority of the members will agree
that 1 have co-operated to the best
of my ability to gain the desired re
sults." When asked for a specific statement
as to facts which led to his own in
vestigation. Mr. Trice said:
"When the committee held its first
meetings the majority of the apart
ment house owners responded will
ingly and gave the desired testimony.
Then, suddenly, the apartment house
owners, with a few singular excep
tions, defied the committee and re
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