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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1922)
VOL. LXI NO. 19,11.1 Entered at Portland Oregon . , Postofflre hm Second-clays Matter. PORTLAND, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 32, 1922 PRICE FIVE CENTS V 34 LIVES LOST IN BP DIVE Roma Drops 1 000 Feet Then Explodes. SOME OF CREW ESCAPE Rest Are Burned to Death by Flames Fed by Huge Bag of Gas. RUDDER CAUSE OF CRASH Bodies, Many Charred Be yond Direct Recognition, Removed From Debris. NORFOLK, Va., Feb. 21. Thirty four men were killed, eight were in jured seriously and three were un injured or only slightly bruised when the giant army airship Roma with her crew and a number of civilians, totaling 45 in all, plunged today from 1000 feet or more in the air to the ground at the Hampton Roads naval base. The accident presumably was caused by a broken rudder and as the huge dirigible plunged to earth it capsized, across a high tension electric line, bursting into a roaring furnace of blazing hydrogen gas. Flames Are- Fed by Gas. Long after dark tonight, many hours after her fall, the ship was still in flames from end to end of her 410-foot mass. The fire, fed on the- million cubic feet of gassvhich had distended the great bag fof the flight and made ail attempts at ires cue work futile. ' ' Barely a dozen of those aboard were picked up alive and one "of these died on the way to the hos pital. AH who survived the fire es caped by jumping as the ship struck, The others, penned in the hull of the fallen bag, were burned to death The flames were finally brought into submission by three fire depart ments, who fought them with chemicals. Derricks then began began picking up the wreckage. which consisted of scarcely more than the aluminum framework and the six Liberty motors of the once proud ship of the air. Bodies Inside AYrcekage. Wilhin the wreckage lay the bodies, practically all charred be yond recognition. But before the night had passed 33 bodies had been removed, accounting for the last of those who were known to have taken flight on the fatal voyage. A frTHI r t C nf curviunro onrl air a- ,, . . . , - . , witnesses as to what had- happened appeared to agree tonight that the huge, kite-like structure of the stern rudder, itself as large as a .bombing plane, had slipped to one side as the Roma drove along 1000 feet) above the army base. She was making a trial flight with a new battery of Liberty motors. They were installed to replace Ital ian engines bought with her in Italy. I It was just before 2 o'clock when those below at the army base at Hampton Roads had their attention caught by the approaching thunder of the six motors and looked up to see the Roma dip down from her straight flight. They agreed that the rudder seemed to have slipped bodily down and to one side. The ship nosed steeply down as she came closer and it was seen that her crew were hurling out sand bags carried as ballast from the ports in the fragile fabric that formed the covering of the space between .her keel and back, the living and oper ating quafrs of the ship. The dip ping blunt nose of the bag did not respond. Cm the ship came, un checked in her glide earthward, head first. Her commander could not force her the few , hundred feet that would have dropped her. into' tfce waters of the bay and compara tive safetyfor her people Wires Carry Heavy Current. Below ran thehigh double wires of the high-power electric line. It carried a 2300-volt current. The ' Roma's nose showed with its alumi- num guard, sank into the wires, broke them as the ship flattened to earth and rolled ovet and the next moment came the noise of an ex plosion. Flames burst out along the hull space. There . was a rush of men to the rescue from.-the army post atad the navy base beyond, r Just as the Roma ntared the wires two men were seen to leap, from high up in her slanting hull. -As the 'stricken, flaming monster writhed (Concluded on Page 4, Column 3.) FIVE CIVILIANS' LISTED AMONG CRASH VICTIMS OF VICTIMS OF AIKSHIP CRASH IDENTIFIED. Official List of Survivor Also Is Compiled by Langlcy Field Officers. WASHINGTON, D. C. Feb. 21. An official list of the strrvivorS and those killed in the Roma disaster was re ceived from Langley field by the army air 'service- tonight. The addresses, however, in most cases were unavail able. The list follows: s Identified Dead. ' Major John Thornell. Captain Dale Mabry. Master-Sergeant R. D. McNally. Sergeant L. M. Harriss. x Staff-Sergreant Lewis Hilliard. Staff-Sergeant Marion J. Beale. Sergeant William Ryan. Sergeant Virgil Hoffman. Corporal Irby B. Hevron. Private Gus Kingston. Private John Thompson. Private Marion Hill. Civilian Strykcr. Civilian Robert J. Hanson. Civilian William G. O'Laughlin. Civilian F. Harriman. Civilian Walter W. Zantsmcrer. Captain Dursschmidt.' Captain Watts. Lieutenant W. C. Burnes. Lieutenant W. B. Cummins. Lieutenant Riley. . Lieutenant Smyths. Captain McFarland. ' Master-Sergeant Murray. Lieutenant Clinton. Knoirn s-urvlrors. N-. Captain Walter J. r$eed of Scars- dale, N. Y. Major John D. Reardon. Washing ton, D. C. . First Lieutenant Clarence H. Welch, Pappilion, Neb. ' . . Lieutenant B. G. Burt, pilot, slightly injured. Sergeant Harry A. Chapman. . Sergeant Virden- E. Peek,. Terre Haute, Ind. (Uninjured.) Sergeant Joseph M. Biedenbach, Akron, Ohio. .Corporal Flores. Charles Dworack, McCook field, Dayton, O. '. ' ' Itay Hurley of the national advisory committee on aeronautics (uninjured) Walter 4McNair, of the bureau of standards." Washington, D. C. Of the five civilians killed, all but Walter Zantsmerer were from Mc Cookkjeld, Dayton, O. U. S. SAFE FOUND IN LAKE Two UWer Arrest In Connection Willi Army llobbery. CAMP LEWIS. Tacoma, Feb. 21. Military and department of justice officials today cleared up the mystery surrounding the disappearance of an army safe six months ago, when, with the help of Jamas E. McCoy, a recently discharged soldier, the safe was recovered from the muddy bot torn of Lake Sequalitchew. . McCoy, arrested at San" Francisco two months ago, confesed to taking the safe from the office of battery A, 77th field artillery. Together with Sergeant H. K. Winthrop,' whom he' implicated, McCoy said he robbed the safe of its valuables, and then, with Winthrop carried it In a boat to the middle of fjje. lake and dumped it overboard. LIGHT SYSTEM IS VOTED Canby Voters Retaliate at Rise In Electrical Kales, j CANBY, Or., Feb.' 21. (Special.) . At a special election today 'Canby voters, 152 to 52, declared in favor of a municipual light transmission system, with electricity to be fur nished by the Portland Railway, Light and Power company, The voters ap proved a bond issue of J10.000 to fi nance the plan. The election was a result of a rise of 100 per cent in the rates of the Molalla Electric company, put into effect last July. ' The voters expect either to buy the Molalla company's transmission system for $8000, its valuation as fixed byvthe' public serv ice commission, or build a new sys tem after ordering thlocal company to remove its lines. ,,': ... FLEET SALE - PROTESTED Proposed Action of Shipping Board , Meets With Opposition. -WASHINGTON.. D.- Q.,j" Feb. 21. Protest against theijjroposed sale by the ' shipping board -of Virtually its entire- fleet. Was' made in the house today- by Representative Davis pi Tennessee, democrat, a member of the merchant marine .committee, on the ground that there was no -market. "It is certain tiat under "existing ,1 aepressea . conditions, .and the very low ebb of world shipping,", said Mr. Davis, "the ships cannot be solj at anything . like their -xreatj' value--or what, they would bring- when condition- f improve. AH authorities agiee Xnere is no adequate market now." PROSECUTOR IS OUSTED i ' Supreme Court Finds Charges f Extortion Are Proved. , BOSTON, Mass., Feb. 21. The . su preme court today removed Joseph O. Peiletier from the office of district attorney of Suffolk county, in its de cision returned unanimously by th majority of the full bench. Conspiracy with certain attorneys 10 extori. jurtj Bums- oi money was ; held to be proved. . , , "..$' ... IRISH PACT SPLIT BE Sinn Fein .Convention Wants to Keep Unity. CHEERS GREET PROPOSAL Movement Launched Without Leaders' Aid. EACH SIDE SURPRISED Elections Postponement for 3 Years Suggested to Give Irish Chance ' to See New System AVork. .. DUBLIN, Feb. 21. (By the Asso ciated Press.) There is a possibility that a split in the Sinn Fein over the Anglo-Irish treaty will be avoided. The Ard Fheis, the national Sinn Fein convention, which met at the Man sion house today for. the purpose of defining the attitude of the Sinn Fein clubs on the treaty, whether for a free state or a republic, adjourned until tomorrow, with instructions to leaders of the two parties to come together and devise a plan to keep the Sinn Fein organization united. The unexpected outcome was due to the direct Initiative of the meeting: in general and was not prompted y the leaders of either side. Both Sides Cheer Plan. Cheers from both sides greeted the suggestion of Father Gaynor, an in fluential member of the' standing committee, composed, of both sup porters and opponents of the treaty, for a tnree years' postponement of the elections and proved that the pre vailing sentiment of the convention was for unity in organization, in the view of possible eventualities, an! that it should ' not be difficult for Eamonn de Valera and Arthur Gr'f f ith, president of Dail Eireann, to reach an agreement, avoiding disrup tion of the organization on which Ireland, In the case of a breach with the British ministers, might be .com. ptlled to rely. - Mr. de Valera a.rgUed that elections at the present time would be unfair because the Irish people would have only the vaguest idea of what they were offered in exchange for the re public. De Valera Is Accused. Michael Collins did his best to meet this objection and Indicated that he dia not desire that the elections be rushed, but was unable to give a guarantee against elections. He pointed out that so long as the elec tions were delayed it was open to j the supporters of de. Valera to defeat the provisional government in the Dail Eireann and that defeat by even one vote on a minor point would compel1 the government to resign. Mr. Griffith emphasized the same points and charged that De . Valera was trying to avoid a decision by the people. Despite the long-drawn-out and ar- (Concluded on Page Column 1.) HE GOT J 1 AVOIDED I- ' . . i ! tr ' : - ft : . T . . v. e vM I " 1 - I V ..:-.".'..' -'.-.. f ... ..".. :.'.- '. ' '' ,-"".' ' ; t ' . - - , ' - t CHEST CAMPAIGNERS , FIND UNEMPLOYMENT , v,. PHARMACISTS DEMAND. REGISTERED IN BIG Epidemic of Colds and Grip Is One Reason for Slowing Up of Drive for Funds. No end of unemployment in Port land has-been brought to light in the community chest campaign by the, workers. ..' v ' Yesterday they discovered one ac tivity that is clamoring for men. They felt relieved when this unique condition was first suggested. "Here's where we get Jobs for some of our people," they said. , . But hopes were dashed when, it was made known that registered Pharmacists are the men now most . in demand in Portland. - One of the city's 'druggists told General '.Robert K. Smith that because of the prevail ing epidemic of colds and grippeit was impossible to keep up with the demands upon the drug stores. "We can't find enough prescription men," he said. "Yesterday I started in at my prescription case in the morning and I could not leave it until after 9 o'clock that night." This situation came to light when General Smith sought to align the druggists in the group recanvass for the chest. It was found necessary to give more time to the apothecaries and they must await at least a par tial recovery of the public health. This is but one of the instances whereby the prevailing sickness has slowed up the chest campaign. .' Real estate dealers will be the next group to be recanvassed. A prelim inary conference was scheduled be tween General Smith, Franklin T. Griffith, Dow V. Walker and Fred W. German yesterday afternoon, but this had to be postponed, also be cause of illness. The wheels will begin to turn with the realtors this week. Other units of the population will follow just as fast as they can.be lined up for the new pian of attack. Pending the recanvass there is but little money coming in. Yesterday's total was $514,297. STILLMAN SUBPENAS UP 51 Witnesses Wanted for Hearing in Mpntreal. MONTREAL, Feb. 21. Application soon will be made before the superior court for subpenas on 51 witnesses expected to testify here next month at hearings in the suit of James A Stillman, New York banker, to di vorce Mrs. Anne U. Stillmdn, it was said today by her local counsel. . Eugene . H. . Godin, appointed com missioner to hear their ; testimony, said that the subpenas issued in anticipation of a hearing which was to have been held in Montreal several weeks ago were no longer valid. : DIAMONDS SET IN TEETH Jeweled Incisors Declared Fashion in Brazil. - NEW YORK, Feb. 21. Diamond Studded teeth are the rage in Brazil. This was the word brought back from Sao Paulo by Dr. George Washington Holbert of Knoxville, Pa., a dentist who returned today on the steamer Caxias after practicing in the Bra zilian city for ten years. "The adult Brazilians have little re gard for their ,teeth," he said, "al though a group of the new rich have adopted a fad of having diamonds and other jewels imbedded in their front teeth." IT WHERE THE CHICKEN GOT "WASHINGTON'S DIARY IS FOUND IN CAPITAL LAST WRITING OF PRESIDENT RECORDED IN PAGES. Entries Date From Time Spent in Office or Chief Executive ' to Day Before Death. YORK, Pa, Feb. 21. (By the. As sociated Press.) Discovery of a lost diary kept by George Washington the last -year of his life was announced tonight by George R. Prowell, curator and librarian of the Historical Society oi York county. . "While searching through unclassi fied documents in the library of the department of state at Washington," Mr. Powejl said, "another gentleman and myself found the 'lost diary' of Washington, Written during the time he was president and until his death." One of the first entries quoted iolifat i-rirMM that written by Washington on his ( birthday and, . in . this connection, a little-known fact is brought to light that in the last years of Wash ington's life, the people of Virginia observed. February 11 Instead of Feb ruary 22 as the anniversary of his birth. - - Mr. Prowell explains this by point ing out that Washington was born in 1732 and it was not until 20 years later that the Gregorian calendar was accepted in England and the United States. Washingon's birthday,, as a result,- was recorded !n the family Bible as February 11, 1732 (old style), and February - 11 continued to be observed ,in Virginia. The entry of February 11, 1798, reads as follows: "February 11. 1709: I went to Alex andria to the celebration ot my birth day. Many maneuvers were performed by the uniform ' military companies and an elegant ball and eupper at night. On the following day I re turned to my home." The dairy contains several refer ences to the marriage of Eleanor Parke Custis, adopted' daughter of General Washington, and Lawrence Lew, a favorite nephew. Mr. Prowell quotes a letter written on Tuesday, February 1, to Captain George De neafe, clerk of the Fairfax county court. It said: "You will please to grant a license for the marriage of Eleanor Parke Custis-with Lawrence Lewis, and this shall be your authority for so doing." This was followed on February 21 by this entry in the diary: "The Rev. Mr. Davis and Mr. George Calvert came to dinner' and Miss Custis was married about candlelight to Mr. Lawrence Lewis." ' - - : - , During the spring, Washington be gan to turn his attention to the grow ing' crops on his plantations and to fisheries' which he owned along the banks of the Potomac. These duties, together with the harvesting of crops, occupied his attention through the summer and autumn. On July 4, 1799, he celebrated In dependence day by attending a ban quet at Kemps tavern in Alexandria, given in his honor by the citizens of the town. A few days previous the chief justice of the United States and a distinguished party of friends, dined with the Washington family at Mount Vernon. t The entire day of July 9 was spent in writing his last, will, which con sisted of 29 pages of manuscript, all of which he wrote himself, affixing his signature at the bottom of each November, 1799, about six weeks before his death, he noted in his diary the, fact that he had spent two days making a resurvey of one of his (Concluded on Page 2. Columnl.) THE AXE. rjit-: t BIG MILLS DEAL El E Flouring and Elevator Properties Viewed. OPTION HELD SOME TIME Actual Negotiations Begun by Gray-Rosenbaum Co. IS STARTED VHLUH I lUIV Exporters Contemplating Deal Are Conceded to Be Largest in United States. Negotiations for the acquisition of the holdings of the Portland Flouring Mills and the Pacific Coast Elevator company by the Gray-Rosenbaum Grain company are now pending, ac cording to an announcement made yesterday following the arrival of a party of prominent grain dealers as sociated with the Gray-Rosenbaum interests in the United States, Europe and Argentina. The party, which arrived in Port land yesterday, included P. X. Gray, who is in charge of the European business transacted by his company and its subsidiaries, Charles Hersch ler, director of Bunge & Co., Amster dam, Holland; M. Marx, director of Bunge & Borne, wheat exporters, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and J. A Pease, manager of the Seattle branch of the Gray-Rosenbaum Grain com pany. Ultimate Deal Expected. While it will be fully 30 days be fore any definite statement can be expected as to the final outcome of (he negotiations by the Gray-Rosen baum Grain company, conceded to be the largest grain exporters in the United States, all indications yester day were said to point to a success ful conclusion. , About ten days ago. financial in terests involved, in the Portland Flouring Mills and its subsidiary company, which operates about 15T wheat stations and elevators in the northwest, appointed the Gray-Ros enbaum interests to take charge of the operations of the flour and cereal mills as well as all other activities of the two companies. Xlnety-Day Option Obtained. After obtaining a 9"0-day option on the properties, the Gray-Rosenbaum interests sent W. Hi-Foster, vice president of their company, and Ern est Reiner, general manager of the Chesapeake Export company, a sub sidiary of Ihe J. Rosenbaifra Grain company, toPortland to begin active operation of the properties of the Portland Flouring Mills. At the same time Mr. Gray, who through the entrance of the Gray Rosenbaum company into th.e Portland field last September was familiar with conditions here, immediately ca bled to Messrs. Marx and Herschler to go to New York immediately for the purpose of making the transcon tinental journey to Portland to in spect he properties under option. ' Day Passed In Chicago. Both men arrived in New York a week ago and, in company with Mr. Gray began the journey, stopping a day in Chicago and one day in Minne apolis to inspect grain elevators'and warehouses. Immediately after arrival in Port land yesterday the party entered into conferences arranged by Charles W Eaum, vice-president and local man ager of the Gray-Rosenbaum com pany, with local bankers. Shortly after luncheon the party was taken aboard the steamer Dix II, where, in company with Mayor Baker and G. B. Hegardt. chief engineer of the Portland dock commission, a trip was made down the river and the various properties of the Portland Flouring Mills were viewed and a thorough inspection made of the grain elevator on terminal No.. 4, which is used by the Gray-IJosenbaum com pany for the handling of all grain exported by them from this port. Business Charts to Be Studied. Today members of the party will go over inventory sheets and business charts so as to gain a composite view of the business landled by the con cerns upon which the option is held. Mr. Herschler is a member of a firm that does the largest wheat sell ing business in Europe and is thoroughly familiar with European' markets'. His company acts as one of the principal European aeencies for the Gray-Rosenbaum Interests. On the other hand, Mr. Marx is one of the largest grain exporters' in Argentina and likewise serves as an agency through which the P. N. Gray com pany, wheat exporters, operate in South America. While both of these men have been in countless wheat elevators, of both obsolete and modern types, the grain elevator built by the Portland dock commission on Terminal No. 1 was declared to be the very best equipped and most modern in which either ot these two men have ever set foot. Elevator Construction Praised "It Is truly marvelous." declared Mr. j Herschler, "I.can see that Portland (secured an excellent grain elevator f (engineer to construct its elevator. Its (Concluded on Page 0, Column 4.) UN R WHY HER STUDENTS MORE KEEN THAN COLLEGE HEADS STANDINGS IN PSYCHOLOGY n TESTS ARE COMPARED. Freshmen Answer Questions Try ing Quickness of Mind Better . Than Leading Educators. CHICAGO, Feb. 21. Psychologists giving mental alertness tests to 24 college and university presidents at Northwestern university today an nounced that not one of the educators had attaine. a grade as high as that made by the best minds in this year's freshman class. The educators have been: attending a conference at the university. They are from middle-western institutions. The tests were the same given all freshmen when they entervNorthwest- ern. They are somewhat similar to the army intelligence tests and were designed to search out latent ability of students and determine whether they were fit subjects for college edu cation. The questions are mainly a test of the quickness of the student's mind. ; Following are s,ome of the examples: Give the names of animals repre sented by these letter combinations: Then follow such letter groups as CTA, OLNI and GDO. The correct answers in order would b'e cat, lion and dog. In other questions, a series of words, such, as ' short," "high" and "sweet," are written down with the injunction to write their opposites beside them. The grades made by the educators ranged from 33 to 79 out of a possible 100. Freshmen drew marks from 24 to 84. This was explained by President Scott of Northwestern, who said that it was only natural that older men would not be as quick mentally as younger students. POWER LICENSE SOUGHT Calirornia-Oregon Company Will Build 100-Mile Line. THE OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Washington, D. C, Feb. 21. The Cal-fornia-Oregon Power company has applied for a license to construct a transmission line 100 miles long from its prospective power house in south ern Oregon to Springfield, Or. At the latter point a connection will be made with the system of the Mountain States Power company. The trans mission line, at first, will be con structed to carry 66.000 volts. This later will be changed to 110,000 volts. The line will form a connection be tween the power areas of the Colum bia river valley and the power cen ters in the state of California. FARRAR SUIT IS ARGUED Taking of Divorce Testimony in Paris Is Requested. NEW YORK, Feb. 21. Counsel for Geraldine Farrar and her husband, Lou Tellegen, today argued before Supreme Court Justice Bijur an ap plication of Mme. Farrar for appoint ment of a commission to take testi mony in Paris to be used in her suit for divorce. The papers w-ere sealed and the arguments conducted behind closed door: at the request of Tellegen's lawyers. INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Westhfr. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, 4" deg-reea; minimum, SI degrees TODAY'S Ram; northerly winds Foreign. Irish pact split may be avoided. Page 1 ' National. today. Bonus work begins In earnest Page 2. Admlnlatratlon leaders accept reservation to Pacific treaty, rage i. Bonus work begins In earnest today. Page 2. , Democrats to raise old cry of secrecy. Page 6. ' Domestic. Thirty-four lives lost In United States air ship, crash. Page 1. Washington's diary found In capital. Pago 1. Five civilians listed among airship vic tims. Page 1. Mining operators ready to confer with unions. Page 2. Bodies are burned ast recognition. Page 4. Harmony surprises political rebels. Page 6. British exchange at hew high level since 11)19. Page 1. Mary Garden tired of managing opera. Page S. National republican club declares pending bonus legislation madness. Page 3. Dancing splits up young people's church societies. Page 3. Students more keen than college presi dents. Page 1. Pacific Northwest. Wife of retired Episcopal bishop leaves estate valued at JSO0.0O0. Page 7. Telephone' rates pronounced fair. Page 1. I Washington state tax Investigation com mittee called. Page 7. &ports. j Sportsmen'a-.show opens today. Page 13. Lincoln defeats James John, 20 to 13. Page (12. ' Welling favorite over Harper tonight. Page 12. Zbyszko's brother defeats Stecher. Page 13. Commercial and Marine. Advance in wheat prices In northwest Is checked.- Page 21. Prospect ot breaking up or drouth weakens vwheat at Chicago. Page 21. Bands and stocks active at stronger prices. Page 21. . . " New york stock market Improves. Page 20. Swedish steamers to replace Americans here. Page 14. ' 1 - r - Vortland and Vicinity. Chest campaigners, flna ' unemployment Page 1.- Mayor Baker and others declare telephone rate ruling Is unjust. Page S. Commission hunts data on taxes. Page 20. Road bids opened but no awards made. Page 10. Big flouring mill deal under way here. Page 1. Episcopal synod here is big magnet. Page 13. Portland to honor Washington today. Page 11. Weather report, data and forecast. Page 20. - , TELEPHONE - HATE ED Public Service Commis sion Flays Petitioners. , CASE IS DECLARED FARCE Protestants Said to Have Failed to Show Proof. PRESENT SCALE TO STAY Evidence Adduced in Rehearing Is Held to Have Been Nothing but Needless Agitation. SALEM, Or., Feb. 21. (Special.) Patrons of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph company In Oregon must continue to pay rates i iging from to 200 per cent in excess of those in effect prior to March 1, 1921. This was announced here today wlien the Oregon public service com mission, in an order signed by Fred A.' Williams, Fred G. Buchtel and H. H. -Corey, commissioners, reaf firmed in every particular its origi nal order increasing rates under date of February 28, 1921, and at the same time scored the petitioners who asked the rehearing. Following the order of February 28. 1921, the city ot Portland, to gether with many other municipal ities of the state, farmers' organiza tions, hotel associations and private citizens joined in a petition for a rehearing with a view of at least modifying the commission's order. This rehearing was held last sum mer and required approximately 48 days. It was estimated that the re- , hearing cost $50,000. Decision Is Reaffirmed. "It is hereby ordered," said the commission in decreeing that the increased rates shall stand, "tjiat the rates, rules and regulations set out in order 689 (under date of February 28, 1921). which by thi3 reference is made a part hereof, is hereby in all things affirmed, and in each and every part thereof, and such rates, rules and regulations set out in said order shall be and remain in effect." The petitioners for the reduction of the .present rates, according to the order, presented nothing worthy of serious consideration or justifying the suspicion and agitation which they have aroused. "Their failure to support their con tentions was so obvious, even to themselves," said the order, "that they repeatedly fell back on the ex cuse that the commission ought to in vestigate the subject, . and, by in ference, ought to supply the evidence which they had promised to produce. Expense Is Deplored. "The descent from the sublime to the ridiculous is not often better illustrated than by the transition from the grandiloquent announce ments at the opening of the caso to the feeble excuse that the commis sion V'dght to look into it.' Verily, 'Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridicu lus mus.' "Kxpense and waste of time ars not the only losses suffered through this needless agitation. The im- I mense resources of. the state need I mPney for their ' development For ths necessary capital, we must com plete with a would in need. The repu tation of a community for fair deal ing is a factor taken into account by all prudent investors. If a great and iifdispensable, state-wide public utility is denied even the earnings po3sible on a savings bank deposit, is It to be expected that new capital ' will seek this field? If bitter and p.-ejudiced agitation , is followed by the denial of bare Justice, we shall inevitably be driven to state and municipal ownership of all publio utilities. , Fair Returns Upheld. "There must be' a .definite accept ance of the principle that the true welfare of the public is est served by the maintenance of such rates as will enable the utility to pay rea sonable wages to its employes and to- expand as required by our grow ing communities. Temporary meas ures will no longer avail. The duty of this commission is plain. Toothing a .uced at the rehearing would justify the commission in doing other than sustain the original order. "Petitioners alleged that telephone employes were receiving higher wages than ever before. Tey intro duced exhibits purporting to show that wages could be reduced without injustice. They presented calcula tions of the effect upon net earn ings of a reduction in wages, yet, they claim they have not advocated such a reduction. Evidence Is Attacked. , - "The rehearing was asked osten sibly for the purpose of pointing out the errors in the conclusions reached by the commission in its previous order increasing the rates, "but the attacks of the petitioners were di rected, not against that order, but against the evidence by which the company supported it claims at the hearing which led to that order. "We' thus have the strange spec tacle ofa 'rehearing' devoted chiefly to arguments against claims made by the company and already rejected by the commission. The maneuver (Concluded oa Page S. Column 1.) REDUCTIQNDEN