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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1914)
14 TIIE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, OCTOBER 23, 1914. FIGURES GIVEN BY LAFFERTY GARBLED Earnings of Portland Railway & Power Company Mis stated, Head Shows TRUE STATISTICS CITED Franklin G. Griffith Quotes Facts to Demonstrate Candidate for Con gress Disregards Important Factors in Reports. PORTLAND, Oct. 24. (To the Edi tor.) From time to time during: the last several weeks advertisements have appeared in the dally papers over the signature of A. W. Lafferty, in which presumably for the purpose of aiding his political fortunes, he has made at tacks upon the capitalization and earn ings of the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company. By the willful or Ignorant garbling of figures and by plain misstatements of facts Mr. Laf ferty has endeavored to create the im pression that a condition exists re quiring drastic remedy and that, if elected, he will be able to apply the remedy. I refer particularly to the advertise ment appearing in The Oregonian of the 23d instant, wherein Mr. Lafferty says, referring to the Portland Rail Aray, Light & Power Company: "This company is capitalized for over $200. 000 a mile,which is double the physical value of the system. It is capitalized for nearly $70,000,000." In the same ad vertisement Mr. Lafferty referred to the fact that the municipally-owned Qeary-Street Railway In San Francisco oost only $100,000 a mile "proves that the Portland line, capitalized for over $200,000 a mile and not nearly so wli bnilt or equipped, is over half water." The advertisement further states: "The Portland line collects gross $6,723,742 per year from our people, which is over $26 per person in Port land." Facts Are Disregarded. Mr. Lafferty either lgnorantly or wilfully disregards the fact that this company owns and operates a large interurban railway system and a light and power business representing an in vestment of many millions of dollars, and seeks to give the impression that the entire capitalization and the en tire earnings of this company are de voted to and received from the street railway system. As a matter of fact, the capitalization of the Portland Rail way, Light & Power Company today is as follows: Capital stock. $25,000,000, 75 per cent paid $18,750,000 Bonds Issued and outstand ing 39,964.000 Total capitalization $58,714,000 There is on file with the Auditor of the City of Portland an inventory and appraisement of the property of this company devoted to Its street railway business, as of September 1, 1913, which inventory is open to the inspection of any person interested, being a public document. On September 1, 1913, ac cording to the said inventory and ap praisement so filed by us, we owned within the City of Portland street rail way tracks aggregating 184.82 miles, and by the same inventory wo claimed as the value thereof on that date $18.- 404.383, or a value of $99,590 per mile of, track. , Return Is 2.74 Per Cent. In the same document there is a showing that for the year ending June 80, 1913. the total operating revenue of the street railway system of Port land was $3,377,627.94 and that the total cost of operation for the same year was $2,878,263.56. leaving as re turn on the Investment $499,364.38, or at the rate of 2.74 per cent upon the valuation of the entire street railway system at the said figure of $99,590 per mile. If we were to use the figures of earn ings and expenses of the street railway system for the 12 months ending with this month of October the showing would be very much poorer than that Tor the year ending June 30. 1913. ouoted above. The gross earnings of the Portland street railway system during the last several months have been nearly $1000 a day less than for the corresponding period of last year, and as the service must be maintained. whether the cars are filled or not, there has been nothing like a corresponding decrease in operating expenses, and un tier conditions as they exist today in the street railway business of Port land the extremely meager return on the investment for the year ending June oO. 193 3, is almost entirely wiped out. Dividends Are Suspended. In the same advertisement Mr. Laf forty says that during the year 1913 the net earnings of this company as a whole were $3,425,432, all of which he Fays represents profits sent East to the stockholders and bondholders of the company. As a matter of fact, the fig ures of net earnings are .given in th report quoted without any allowance whatever for depreciation of plant or property, and without any mention of the fact that the interest payments of this company on its bonds amount to more than $2,000,000 per year. For the information of Mr. Lafferty and of the readers of his advertisements, it should be stated that this company, up to June 1 of this year, was able to pay dividends of only 4 per cent on its cap ital stock, and that because of the great falling off in earnings and the increase in taxes, it was forced, on September 1 last, to suspend dividend payments entirely. In another of Mr. LafTerty's adver tisements he asserts that this company is annually sending several million dollars East to enrich a few stock holders and bondholders. The facts are that the stock of this com pany is held by 872 stockholders and that Its bondholders exceed 6200, scat tered all over the country. This company is prohibited' by law from taking any part in furthering the political Interests of any candi date for office or in defeating any such candidacy, and my purpose in making these statements is without political significance and the statements are made to correct what I believe to be willful and malicious misstatements of facts calculated and intended to create an unwarranted prejudice in the minds of this community against its greatest public utility. FRANKLIX T. GRIFFITH. President Portland Railway, Light & Power Company. TEN POINTS MADE FROM HOUSEKEEPING LECTURE Mrs. Earl R. Weller Wins Prize for Showing Intelligent Understanding of Mrs. Kate B. Vaughn's Instruction. lRomoiiriig ! : i ' -k t " - J? - H -.'V. . ..It V y I k I J tit'' Vote 340 X Yes and Bust the Dental Trust ! Wr MA. Challenge to the' Dental Trasft p - 1 i Photo Bushnell. MRS. EARL R. WELLER, WHO AVO V PRIZE AT MRS. Vll'GRVS LECTl'RE. MRS. EARL R. WELLER, a young matron whose home is in the Rex Arms apartments, was the winner of the prize cake awarded to the house wife who should make the best outline of 10 points of Mrs. Kate B. Vaughn's lecture on the "Young Housewife," given last week in the old Helllg The ater. Mrs. Weller's 10 points were: 1. Definition of Economy To get most out of time, money, strength and opportunities; not merely dollars and dimes, but an all-round, full adminis tration of the house; education, amuse ment, happiness, comforts and higher training. 2. Finding out the leakage and weak spots. 3. The difference between house and home Love and companionship, cheer, respect of family, balance of praise of home, upbuilding of characters or lives of, those intrusted in that home. 4. Suggestions regarding the han dling of the family income, the wife having an opportunity and incentive to grow, to become more efficient. Realizing the purchase price of a dol lar, rightly consuming that which has been produced. 5. Not to get out all the silverware and china for display when a guest comes, but let him share in the genuine home atmosphere. 6. Wisely planning one's work by system, order, thrift. 7. Home reflects work of one's hands and the spirit of his heart. 8. We get out of life or our dally living just what we put into it. 9. Illustration of difference between what father supplied and what hus band supplies. (Realizing that father has been years accumulating and hus band is just starting in.) 10. Spend as little time in the kitch en as possible to get the best results. Strive for the all-round balance for the entire "home." BONDS' SAFETY TOLD Emphasis Laid on Desirability of Interstate Bridge Issue. MR. LIGHTNER GIVES VIEWS County Is I'ree From Indebtedness and Security Returning Five Per Cent Interest Deemed Gilt Kdged for Investor. Believing that the forthcoming issue of interstate bridge bonds gives a splendid opportunity to local people to obtain a gilt-edged investment. County Commissioner Llghtner gave a number of reasons yesterday why he thinks all who can take a block of these bonds should consider themselves fortunate. He said: "No better security could be offered to people who have money to invest than Multnomah County interstate bridge bonds. "Multnomah County stands alone among all other counties on the Pa cific Coast which has a large city. It has paid for such buildings as the Library. Courthouse and the Multno mah Farm buildings, and has no in debtedness of any kind; these bonds probably will be the only debt- Mult nomah County will have. "These bonds are issued in denomina tions of $100, $500 and $1000. They are negotiable and draw Interest at the rate of 5 per cent per annum, payable January 1 and July 1 of each year. Many people deposit their money in the postal savings bank and other insti tutions where they receive a much lower rate of interest, and where the security is no better than the Mult nomah County interstate bridge bonds. These bonds not only give local peo ple a chance to make a safe and profit able investment, but they also give the county an opportunity of paying thou sands of dollars interest money to local people instead of sending it East." "The Horors of Peace." (North American Review.) We must not close our eyes to the fact that thercare fewer than 30,000,000 square miles of land suitable for the support of mankind on this globe. Cen turies of experience show that this land will not support more than an average of 100 persons per square mile; so the world's population would seem to be limited to three thousand million. Al ready the earth's population exceeds half this limit. If all nations are to cease preparations for war and concen trate their energies in the pursuit of peace and happiness, the worlds pop ulation will be more than three thou sand millions in a single generation. Obviously, if the world's population Is not kept down by war, it must be restricted by Qther means. It is for the advocates of disarmament and uni versal peace to decide whether or not war is more horrible than the practice of infanticide, the burial alive of "wid ows with their deceased husbands (now modi lied to the prohibition of widows marrying again), the periodical ex termination of millions of men, women and children by ruthless foreign in vaders. or by famine, pestilence and floods, or by the wholesale prevention of children before they have bad a chance to demonstrate their fitness to survive. PORTLAND COUPLE CELEBRATE 56TH ANNIVERSARY. , Serene Indifference. (Washington Star.) "What is that dog's namef "Dat's what I been tryin' o fin' out ever since I owned him." replied Eras- tus Pinkley. "I dun called him all de names a dog kin have an' he pays jes' as much attention to one as be does to another." An automobile jack operated entirely with one foot so that Its user's hands may be kep,t clean, has been patented by a Chlcagoan. x . . e i -c. k " if JtJt it X- MSA M -- v"" fifTV- x-V a v If v - - , - s il : - - i I - - 1 If, - .... I , . ' J T1 Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Stone, of 4936 Forty-second, avenue Southeast, cele brated the 56th anniversary of their marriage recently. The wedding took place in Decorah, Iowa, and they resided in that state until 1887, when they came West and have lived, for the most part, in the Willamette Valley, though having spent some time in California and Washington. Mrs. Stone has just passed her 74th birthday and Mr. Stone will celebrate his 75th next month.- They are the parents of four children,- grandparents- of -14 and ereat-grandparents of 1L Three weeks ago I issued a challenge to Rev. Wm. T. Foster, of Reed College, and Dr. Herbert C. Miller, of the North Pacific Dental College, ta meet me in joint debate on the Dentistry Bill, and have received no reply. I offered to meet either or both of them ; to give them more time than I would take, in any number of debates, anywhere in the State of Oregon; and I also agreed to pay all the expenses. Are these two eminent college professors afraid to match their trained minds and intellectual ability against one lone dentist, who, both of them say, didn't have brains enough to pass the Oregon State Board of Dental lixaminersi If they have the courage of their convictions and believe that I am a brainless, itinerant dentist, why don't they accept my challenge and come out and show me up? s The Dental Trust dare not meet me in this campaign in' joint debate on the Dentistry Bill. They are conducting a gum-shoe campaign whispering into the ears of the voters. The Dental Trust says I did not pass the State Board examination, and that my papers will prove it. Then why don't they publish my examination papers? I have offered to pay the expenses of publishing them, 'I have been denied the right of seeing my own papers. I have brought a suit in court to compel the Dental Board to show my papers, but the board is resisting that suit and does not dare to let it come to trial before election day. I will go farther. If the Dental Board or any member of it, or any member of the Dental Trust, will produce my papers in public and show before election day, November 3, 1914, that my record of examination before the State Board does not entitle me to a license to practice dentistry in the State of Oregon, I will make a present of $10,000 to assist the worthy unemployed in the City of, Portland this Winter. If I didn't pass the State Board examination, and the State Board can prove that I did not pass, here is a chance to get $10,000 of my money for a worthy public charity. Now, gentlemen of the Dental Trust, either vou are right or I am. You say you have the papers to show that you are . right. If you have those papers, produce them. The Dental Trust thinks it can win this fight by mis representation. If they are right, why should they depend upon misrepresentation T Here is a sample : N' They are trying to make the voters believe that the labor organizations are opposed to the Dentistry Bill. Their speakers are trying to make it appear that the Labor Press is the mouthpiece of the labor organizations against the bill. A3 a matter of fact, on October 16th, the Central Labor Coiuicil endorsed the Dentistry Bill and advised the members of organized labor to vote for it, This is a matter of record, and has been printed-in the Labor Press of October 19th. They went to the Carpenters' Union and asked for a resolution condemning the Dentistry Bill, but the Carpenters' Union refused to do anything of the kind. ' They went to the Barbers' Union this week and tried to get the barbers to oppose the D"entistry Bill and the barbers refused to do anything of the kind. The Dental Trust has' the assistance of the Non-Partisan League, an organization which has opposed every reform measure in the State of Oregon. It is opposed to the Non Partisan Judiciary Bill, to the Eight-hour Law, and the Dentistry ' Bill. That is the kind of company the Dental Trust keeps. The Dental Trust speakers are telling the people that the Oregon State Medical Society is opposing the bill. If that is true, why did the Northwest Dental Journal, published here in Portland, with Dr. Henry Cline Fixott, D. M. D., as business manager, say, on Page 34 of the October issue, the following : "The State Medical Association at the annual meeting this month endorsed the Dental Bill and pledged their hearty support." Either the Trust speakers are not telling the truth, or the Northwest Dental Journal is not telling the truth. BOTH are opposing the Dental Bill. 'I want to win this fight for dental reform in Oregon, but not by misrepresentation of the facts. This is a life and death struggle for the Dental Trust, and it has raised $45,000 to defeat this bill. If Bill 340 is passed by the voters of Oregon, it will be the end of the Dental Trust, while if it fails to pass, I can keep on my work for dental reform as I have for 25 years, because I have clean hands. Vote 340 X YES and bust the Dental Trust. Painless Parker, Dentist, Sixth and Washington Sts., Portland (Paid Advertisement.) FEDERAL EXHIBIT FIRST' PARCEL. POST DISPLAY READY FOR LAND SHOW OPENING. Booths Kow Getting- Final Touches. Business Men aad University of OreEoa Ready With Features. The United States Government bears the distinction of having been the first to complete the installation of its ex hibit at the Manufacturers' and Land Products Show at the Armory. This Is the parcel post exhibit, which was finished yesterday under the direction of Clinton O. Stone. Other booths are receiving the finish ing touches and the entire exhibit will be in place long before the time for the opening, tomorrow night. One of the largest displays and one of the most striking . will be that of the Oregon Society of Artists, the Mu tual Art Association and the Portland Art Association, which are working jointly on an exhibit in the ballroom of the Armory. . This exhibit will be one of the most comprehensive dis plays of the work of Oregon artists that has been assembled. The East Side Business Men's Club is boosting vigorously for its part in the how, which will be Tuesday. October 27. Prizes will be given and badges will be furnished all visitors at the expense of the club. Another feature of the programme will be supplied by the University of Oregon. The announcement was re ceived yesterday afternoon that Dr. Dodge, of the university, will lecture on October 29. and a concert by the University of Oregon Glee Clob will follow his lecture. II. B. Miller, the director of the school of commerce in the University of Oregon, also will speak on the same day, on the principal phases of the Oregon Industrial survey. Special features for the show during the first week have been arranged as follows: October 27 Wool Growers Associa tion: State Women's Press Club; State Sunday School Association. October 28 Vancouver day: Knights and Ladies of Security. October 29 Royal Rosarian day. The Rosarians will be the hosts to Queens of festival associations from all over the Northwest. Portland Grocers and Merchants' As sociation: University of Oregon: Wil lamette Valley day; Progressive Busi ness Men s Club. October 30 Elks' nlshed by the Elks' Vegetable parade Realty Board, each member of which will carry some well-known product of the garden In a triumphant Journey from the Commercial Club to the Armory. October 31 Old-fashioned Baby Show In the afternoon. At night a special Hallowe'en programme by the Manu facturers' Association. day. Music fur Band of 45 pieces. . by the Portland EIGHTH AND TROOP A SHOOT Clackamas Rifle Range Scene of Contest for Banker's Trophy. The Eighth Company of Coast Artil lery and Troop A of the Oregon Na tional Guard will compete at the Clack amas rifle range today in the bankers trophy contest which was started some time ago. Competitions"" of the South ern Oregon companies have been held at Albany and Eugene. Today and next Sunday the contest will be on the Clackamas range. Next Sunday will wind up the competition. The shoot is for a large cup provided by the bankers of the state. It goes to the company making the best showing in competition in which, the company Is represented by, at least one-third of Its full strength. It is expected there will be about 46 men in the shoot today, half representing the Eighth Company and the other half Trooo A. The bankers' shoot Is an annual affair. Mineral Waters. (Geological Survey.) Our annual Imports . of mineral waters arc over 3,000,000 gallons, hav ing a value of nearly a million dollars. Two-thirds of these imports came from Germany, France and Austria-Hungary, and as soon as the stocks on hand are consumed domestic waters should take the place of those derived from foreign springs. In this connection it is inter- esting to note that last year the re ported sales from 838 commercial springs In the United States were more than 47,000,000 gallons, having a total value of 5,600,000. The recent activity of the New York State Reservation Commission in conserving the natural mineral waters at Saratoga Springs, as well as in improving local conditions, is of interest in calling attention to the many opportunities in this country for utilizing such waters and adopting modes of treatment similar to those which have made the bath resorts of Germany and Austria famous. There is a somewhat popular but fallacious im pression that certain European waters have medicinal properties not possessed by any American waters, and many persons addicted to the foreign-watr habit might be equally well satisfied by waters from American springs In bottles of American glass, bearing la bels printed in the United States. NILE WEEDS FOR FUEL Suddite, New Substitute (or Coal, Is Cheap and Efficient. " Dr." Leonard Keene Hlrshberg, In In dianapolis Star. For centuries it has been remarked and returning travelers todav relate. that a strange growth of thick weeds and sedge near the surface of the waters of the Nile, above Khartoum, Is responsible for the impassibility of the river at that point. To any one who has vtsited the Sudan the barely navlglble Nile about that region Is a source of great disappointment. Ex President Roosevelt particularly com mented upon it. Baedecker carriers may now save their tears. These vain 'regrets are literally wasted on the desert air. for two German pundits, Herr Dr. von Rath and Professor von Horing, after i painstaking investigation of this fiber- like moss, have constructed a startling theory that this was the sort of stuff that, under proper geological condi tions, became what we recognize as coal. Then they set about to prove their hypothesis by tacts. The periodic flooding of Egypt by the Nile may or may not have some thiag to do with the rapid, accumula tion of the sedge, called sudd. It pos sibly has nothing whatever to do with this information, but that is neither here nor there, so far as coal Is con cerned. The essential fact is that It gathers so quickly in the waters of tne blue and white Nile that the an- plication of such a refuse and waste to fuel uses will produce a chean and easily accessible material. Because coal is almost completely absent, and practically prohibited for fuel uses, at the necessarily high price in the Sudan. industrial development of the country has been seriously retarded. Doctor How are you today? Patient Really, doc. I'm Just aching to get Terrible Eczema! The Clean, Non-Greasy Liquid, Zemo, Stops Itching and Burning Imme diately and Quickly Ends Diseased Skin Conditions. Bottle Sent Free For TrlaL. A great host of people have been cured of eczema and other skin trou bles by Zemo. We have stacks and stacks of letters from such former suffer ers. They tell of cures effected by Zemo, after all other means had failed and hope of relief bad been al most abandoned. We believe Zemo will do as much for any sufferer and think our free trial bottle will prove it. Just get a 25c bottle from your drug gist or send your address and 4 cents (for actual postage) to E. W. Rose Co Laboratories, Dept. 32. St. Louis. Mo., and the free bottle will be mailed (in plain wrapper) postpaid. Send today. Suffer no more torture and embarrass ment. Spend no more nights of wake ful, maddening Itching. Zemo does the work and does it quick. Zemo is Bold and guaranteed by drug gists everywhere, and in Portland by Huntley Drug Co.. fourth and Wa.su- lngton streets. Adv.