Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1915)
"COSTLY" ECONOMY IS FELT IN CURRY COUNTY Nation's Retrenchment in Mail Service Regarded as Blow to District's Development. GOLD BEACH. Curry County. Or, Feb. 9. I To the Editor.) I real ize Curry County's Insignificance and lack of importance due to the lack of votes in the great political game which leads to the seeming careless Indifference and unconcern to what are only the Just and right claims of this one particular 'district. Also that' this I a weak link in the execution or we foundation principle of our uovern irionr. eaual rights and justice to alL Neither am I deluded by the belief that this same section is of any more importance or more unjustly ue than many other sections- of the West which have become the victims of the nennv-wise-and-pound-roolisn policy of the present "highbrow" Administra tion. But 1 do write of the things which I know and do testify of the things which I have seen, consequently confine myself to my home county. I. as have many others, have been attracted by the climate ana tne ncn ness of its natural resources, and came Into this section with the purpose of associating- with Its future and mak ing it my home, believing that the ad vantages of civilization would be steadily Increased rather than de creased, yet what has taken place? A year ago direct mail communica tion with the lower end of the county, with its plucky progress and business activity, was possible. That service lias been withdrawn altogether, al though the route from Crescent City to Gold Beach had been established for more than 00 years, then all mail, in cluding legal documents from Gold r.eacu. the county seat, to Brookinss Harbor or any point in the south end of the county, could be sent every other day up the river to Agnes, and then over the trail to Dothan. on the rail road, requiring only three days to reach the railroad, and If favored by fortune it would reach Curry County via Grants Pass and Crescent City in three more days. It usually required about two weeks to communicate with Krooklngs or Harbor, a distance of 40 miles. In another spasm of economy mail aervice between Gold Beach and Agnes was discontinued the first of the year. Yhero there were three routes to the railroad a year ago there is only one now. and it is the most indirect ot the th ree. As it Is now. all mall must so by Marshfield. It is three days to Marsh field, and the rest of the"- problem is a intricate as the problem of old, 'How old is Ann?" It is a "cinch" be fore you could reach an outside point with "a letter and receive a reply that Anns children would be gray-headed. JIow long we will be favored with this small crumb of comfort is not an enr courasing question to consider. This is not intended, neither should It be construed, as a knock against furry County. It is the truth which must be considered in regard to present conditions, conditions which should not be allowed to exist, conditions which work a hardship and an Injun-t'l-o not only on this county but on the slate snd entire country as well. So long as unoccupied land is unde veloped and unproductive so long is the state losing in its support, and the smaller the area of cultivated land tne cost of livin? is comparatively higher. In an area here of l"-36 miles there is less thau 3000 Inhabitants. With all available land In cultivation and its natural resources fully developed tnis county easily could support many thousands. A policy that ninaers ana retards its development and progress not only affects the section directly Interested, but. in a measure, the en tiro Nation. Multiply this particular Instance by the hundreds and no doubt thousands of similar cases and you begin to get Home idea of how far-reaching ana disastrous In Its effect is this econom ical policy to whose surplus Mr. Burle son Do:nts with so much pride a sur- l.lus that was made at the cost of American progress ana aeveiopmem. If our cities and large centers of pop ulation have come under the careful scrutinizing eye of this doctor of economy it has not come to the knowl edge of the writer. The chance traveler along the coast gets a small Idea of the fertile valleys and rich benches of the interior of this county. With li.OOO.OOO.OOO feet of merchantable timber. the second largest flihtng Industry In the stato. rapidly reaching to tho front in dairy Industry, and with its great wealth or mineral comparatively untouched and unprospected. is not this section worthy of some justice or some consid eration? The life of the pioneer has Its pleas ures, yet It always has had and al ways necessarily will have Its hard ships. Though the lines of the frontier are gradually closing in. growing smaller and dimmer each year. It has not yet lost its Importance, and even the friends of our present scholarly Administration would hardly deny that It Is a matter of the simplest kind of economi"- l civo tho pioneer every reasonable aid and encouragement rather than add to the burdens, al ready heavy, but cheerfully borne, and the failure on the part of our Govern ment to do so shows a lack of ability to understand the true conditions, which are not learned li Greek mythology or the higher mathematics. It is not enough that the undevel oped sections of Oregon should suffer Irom the hand3 of the Government In the so-called policy of economy. Our State Legislature must win some plaudits from tho wave of public sen timent that today Is shouting economy, and they would, or possibly have, dis continued the State Bureau of Mines, the department which most of all should be fostered and encouraged. The importance of opening and developing tho state's mineral resources are sec ond to none. And In no way could encouragement and assistance be bet ter given than through such an or ganization under the guidance of such an able man as Professor Parks, whose Integrity, ability and loyalty to the work is beyond question, who would. If unhampered by lack of funds or un Mndered by the official "butting in" of some brainless politicians, work wonders in uncovering and exploiting the great mineral wealth In this grand old state of ours. I can only see two reasons that would cause anyone to oppose this grent work: Ignorance or Indifference to the best Interests of the state. By all means give us economy in all things, but with It use and give ua common sense. A PIONEER. term "exorbitant taxes," from which they are demanding relief, and the wily politician ever stands ready to take ad vantage of tie dissatisfaction of the public by promising to meet its de mands, at the same time daring to hope that he may be able to make so much noise in the legislative halls that the "dear people" will be mesmerized for another two years. There is an opportunity for some member of our legislative body to crown himself with immortal glory If he will awake and come to the front with a legislative measure that will reduce personal taxation, or do away with it altogether give employment to tho unemployed, and reduce the high cost of living one-half, without injur ing anyone but a few food gamblers. It can be done and the only reason that It has not long since been accomplished is because it is so simple and not veiled in mvstery. The average legislation and the majority of the people are so much Interested in the mysterious that they have allowed themselves to drift where ex-President Taft placed them, "unfit to govern themselves." When Joseph Smith, of Salt Lake Citv. was testifying before a Congres sional committee in reference to the cost of the production of sugar, he Bald: "It costs one dollar and sixty cents to produce one hundred pounds of sugar." Mr. Smith's estimate Included interest dividends on watered stock and over paid officials. The State of Oregon has thousands of acres of land fit for Irri gation and cultivation which will pro duce a paying crop of sugar beets or from 14 to 20 tons per acre. Now if the state would build sugar factories in the localities that are suitable for beet production, it could pay the farmer a good price for his beets, pay the labor $5 per dav, sell sugar to the consumer at $3 a. hundred and make a profit suf ficient to build hard-surfaced highways to every farmhouse in the state, and still have a sufficient amount of money left to finance all of our schools and other public institutions. It could buy or build flouring mills throughout the state: pay the farmer a profitable price for the wheat, and deliver the product of the mills to the consumer at about one-half the cost now charged and realize a sufficient profit to pay the state's running expenses, leaving after all this had been deducted, an addi tional amount that could be loaned to - . : , v. a ciatA f or . ihe rurpose of building factories that would wipe out municipal taxation. Who will be the man to introduce the measure. I. X. L. PEET 5.CGAH FACTORIES "KEI Pay City Man Suggests Practical Economy Step to Legislature. BAY CITV. Or.. Feb. 11. (To the Edi tor.) Is it possible for this Legislature to redeem its pledge to the people? I refer, of course, to its campaign slogan. "Economy." While it is an easy mat ter for a candidate to make a promise of this kind to his constituents, it ap pears that it is not so easily accom plished. Especially Is this true when til. preceding Legislature had been elected on the same pledge, but was grounded In the breakers that confront all ships of "economy." It is true that there 1ms been a little trimming here and there: but to apply the rule of economy to the ship of state is impossible and unnecessary. The people are burdened with what they BIG AVAR IS HELD CONSPIRACY Articles in French Magazine Are Said to nave Fanned Flame. PORTLAND, Feb. 11. (To the Edi . . i nt the readers of Of,A guuu . 1 1 .... The Oregonian and many more citizens are un to date, yet in mo uain. ' i ne thp nresent European war and the real conspirators tnat started It. and heap an Diame upu many. This war has been brewing for . in vAiini and the real tne p6i 1 " - . conspirators were only awaiting the opportunity to gei n """ proper time. jvnvono v 1 1 ' i . . . ' the various articles published from time to time tne past si jt.o - ; nvintAH in the French lan- guage at Paris, and, hence, authentic will know different, ana Know uoi. iuu well that this present war was a pre arranged affair between Russia. France and England to erase Germany from the face of the European map. They had the whole campaign figured out before hand, with Russia to take Berlin, and then France to cross over Germany with their hordes of cavalry to Join Russia at Berlin, while England would come in by the way of Holland and Denmark as a finish up. This is the analysis of those articles published relating to the invasion of Germany the past six years, and it would actually mean and be suicide to any country not to prepare for it in due time. The French. English and Russians will not go to Berlin this time. They have been beaten at their own game, and it serves them right. The English have made advances for the past four months, and. notwithstanding all this bravery, are still in the same locality.' WILLIAM C. MATH. BETTER STREETCARS AVAXTED Electric Vehicles In I'se in Portland Viewed as Comfortable. PORTLAND, Feb. 11. (To the Edi tor.) Just a word in regard to the much-discussed jitney question. I be lieve the main reason that jitneys are welcomed by the public is the fact that the streetcar company does not furnish the right type of car for its patrons. Compare our streetcar system with that of Los Angeles. In that city it ia a real pleasure to ride on the streetcars. All seats are front-face, allowing the passenger a view of the scenery and a seat from which he does not have to move until he reaches his destination. This makes the workingman's ride to and from work a real pleasure and a period of rest. There is no moving back and forth to make room for another and no embarrassing staring into the faces of fellow-passengers. There are thousands of people in Fort land who would take streecar rides for recreation if a more comfortable car were in use. I know from my own ex perience that I have often wished to take a ride out to St, Johns and other suburban points, but have given it up on account of the impossibility of get ting a good view from the cars. If I were going to buy .or rent in Portland I should be greatly influenced by my dislike of the streetcars in use here, and I believe there are many like me. I should w ant to be sclocated that I could use the interurban lines with front-face seats and be assured of a comfortable, restful ride. If the street car company would adopt a modem type of car it would have little to fear from the Jitney, for from the standpoint of safety and responsibility the jitney is not "in it" with the streetcar and the streetcar company. JOHN TANNER. FOE OF VACCINATION' SPEAKS Mae A. Grant Says "Medical Graft" Should Be Ended Now. PORTLAND. Feb. 11. (To the Edi tor.) Many more noble and broad minded men of intelligence, like Senator Moser in politics, are in great demand, as he displays through his opportuni ties in life, to use his best Influence in crushing out the medical graft game carried on for so many years. In Pittsburgh. Pa., eight years ago thousands of people I can safely say and including myself were almost frightened sick, when the general public all over the city, to prevent smallpox and other diseases were to be vaccinated. Men and women and my self tried to plan all sorts of schemes to avoid this most horrible and un necessary operation as we termed it, J but, strange io saj . was me umy one to my knowledge who escaped being butchered, even though every time I saw a physician I almost swallowed my heart from fright, as I was threat ened in every way. bolus told I was a poor example to be a buyer and manager with a firm of S000 people or more for them to undergo the penalty Y D our Chances to Save Slipping Away aily at Baker's Big Clearance It's not in the nature of things that these great shoe bargains should last forever. Baker s values are too well knovv-r to admit of it. Thousands of people in Portland and vicinity know Baker's regular values to be tTe biggSt to be had in the West They also know that when Baker's regular prices are reduced, they must tne Difgefct w ub M,r?r,o-c Tailv ' Vmnrlrprls nf neonle are auietlv snapping up these rare bhoeTargSs Each day lessens sectionT Better not put it off any longer. Come tomorrow. Special-EXTRA-Special, these absolutely new Lace Boots at these greatly reduced prices! 62 MEN'S NETTLETON SHOES Values to $8.00 Men's new Oxford gray cloth top English Lace Boots, not out - of - date d ! foot wear but D positively new shapes. Sale g25 Men's full double-soled English last Bluchers, made of extra heavy calf leather, either im ported dull calf or Shrewsbury tan grain leather and rawhide slip between soles. Our regu lar price $8.00, now $g45 Women's Laird & Schober Shoes $7.50 imported patent calf and dull calf button boots with the new cloth backs and Louis heels. All sizes and widths from AAA to D. Now priced $g85 $5 Lace Boots Cut to $3.85 These Lace Boots haven't been on our shelves a week, and are genuine $5 Shoes. To show you what big val ues Baker's give we have selected one Btylc, in either black, gray or fawn top, with the new iopular white stitch and priced them at $3.85. Shoes exactly as cut Men's $5.00- A tremendous showing of big values v in Men's High Shoes in this lot. You can't afford to overlook them... 3i New York Made $6.50 & $6 Shoes Patent calf, gunmetal, bronze or kid, dull kid or cravenettc tops of finest quality. All new shapes and splendid high-grade styles. Our sale price $41 Men's $4 and $3.50 Values Women's $4 & $3.50 Values Men's button and lace Boots, big values at regular price. Now $285 Snarmv new Boots, models that have been eageriy bought all season at reguia price. Now J) IO J v jt Men's $3.50 and $3 Values Women's $3.50 & $3 Values Cut from $5 The Shoes in this lot are staple values that have helped to give Baker's its reputation for big values. Now $245 Thflofl cfiac aro all this season's A UtOV- OayJiV-M w models in patent, gunmetal and kid leathers and with either the heavier street or light dress soles. Made with either plain or fancy cloth backs. Now $945 Broken and discontinued lines of Nettleton Shoes, regard less, of former QE? price, at t)JOt3 270 Washington St. LARGEST RETAILER OF SHOES WEST OF CHICAGO i 380 Washington St., Cor. West Park Broken lines in Women's Shoes, mostly d1 QC small sizes,now P A 270 Morrison St and I a coward to refuse. But never theless, no matter what my creed or belief, by law of th. city I must be .. . ; wmr nhvsirmns failed lo VHCUHIillCU. " J"--" master me. they sent word to my firm. They came and explained mane I could either resign my position or be vaccinated. 1 said. "Well. I need my position very much, and I'm enjoying the best of health at present, and most everybody in this firm who has con descended to the whims of the Physi cians have handed over many dollars for one. two ana mm o tco - i kac vaccinated. If an neFS i... American woman has no say as to her own healthy body I would like to know . . tti. tttat ft America Is wnat mo uiutcu . - coming to. but you may keep your position, as i iuh'j cinated." I did not lose my position, nor was I ever vaccinated, nor will I ever He. It Is absolutely a graft game and It is high time we had such and many other civil conditions crushed by men like Senator Juoser. . MAE E. GRANT. JITNEY'S DEATH AGENT SEEN Restitution Would Be Easy Method to Extinction, Says Straphanger. - . - 11 (To the Ed.tor.) Is not the suggest on of the Commercla ud m "5"T"r the Jitney dus essiem gestion s to the easiest method putting the Jitneys oui thus disposing of the troublesome mat- Because two companies perform the same public service is no reason why they should be regulated In the same ' ,1,. renuirements maS. of them as public carriers If the methods or service arc cuw.., feAnd why should a new transporta .. h. start be rr- tion compeuj ---- - -- quired to give the service that It has taken an older company years to build up? Under this reasoning, if a sub- way or eievmeu n ----- - ----- for they should be required to dupli cate the present surface system service. The point 1. the jitney system is dif ferent and It is only fair that sympathy for the street railway company be for gotten and the jitney considered on ita own merits. To require a city wide service of them from the start looks very much as if the motive back of such a requirement was not consid eration for the public, but opposition to the jitney. Time may prove this to le as foolish and ineffective as was the opposition to the steam locomotive out of sympathy "for the horse. STRAPHANGER. STAUION IAW DEFECT CITED Too Frequent Registration Demand ed, Thinks Wasco Fanner. WASCO, Or.. Feb. 11. (To' the Ed itor.) i wish to call the attention of the Governor and Legislature to some defects in the stallion registration law. It is a nuisance and unconstitutional as it stands. It calls for registration every three years with a fine of $10 attached. The Oregon Agricultural College has registered the same horses twice and collected $10 each time. I ask what incentive is there for a man to try to build up his stock, or to build up the stock in his vicinity to benefit the commonwealth? It Is not a tax. If it were, the Sheriff of each county would collect it. Why does not that law include all male animals? It only applies to the horse. Why does not that same law Include owners of rral estate and compel every owner to send his deed to the County Clerk to gether with a $10 fine because he was fool enough to own the same property for three consecutive years, and have it recorded that -of ten? Why does it not Include professional men, doctors, at-torneys-at-law and compel them to have their diplomas recorded with the Secretary of State with a fine attached every three years? Does it make the registry any more efficient, or make the horse more ef ficacious In -his work? Does it add to his worth? In what way does it im prove his blood? Why condema a man to pay a fine every three years for being a public benefit? The Con stitution of the United States says that taxation without representation is tvranny. We, the horsemen, were not consulted in regard to this matter. It is not a tax, but a fine. They take something and give nothing in return. To do that one must either beg or steal. This is a hold-up, robbery. Three year a-n la. Rnrlar fhe OreEOn Acflcul tural College fined the owners of 1655 horses $10 each because they owned them. A total collected of $16,550. (These are the figures given by The Oregonian in answer to my inquiry how many were registered). Last Spring the Oregon Agricultural Col lege came again and registered the same horses and probably a few more, assessing the same fine, making in the two fines a total of $3.3,100; and now asks the Legislature for an appro priation of over $11,000 for stallion reg istration. I want to know (I have a right to know, having paid my fine), what was done with this money. It Is time a committee from the Leg islature looked into this graft; It is a plain steal, nothing more or less. I also want to ask, is .this the way the Oregon Agricultural College gives aid and help to the farmers of Oregon? S. N. MILLARD. STORY REVIVES OLD. MEMORIES Early Day. In Portland Called Up By Occidental Hotel Article. PORTLAND, Feb. 10. (To the Edi tor.) There are doubtless thousands of oldtimers in Portland who read with deep reminiscent interest tho sketch in The Oregonian of January SI of the old Occidental Hotel, which stood for so many years on the northeast cor ner of First and Morrison streets. I must call it the Occidental Hotel, be cause that was Its name, blazoned on two swinging name boards one on First street, the other on Morrison when I first made its acquaintance, in the Autumn of 1869. This is. of course, a correction of the writer's statement that the name of the hotel was changed from the Western to the Occidental In 1870, but I am sure he will pardon me when I explain that I speak from posi tive personal knowledge. I am not by any means an authority on pioneer dates in general probably could not give any other one correctly but I never can forget the date of my first introduction to Portland and the Occi dental Hotel. No country girl, on a first visit to New York, was ever more impressed than was I with the lze and magnificence of Portland in 1869. Just what were the established city limits at that time I cannot say, but the visible city lay between Marquam's Gulch on the south, Tenth street on the west and what was then G street on the north, there being only a few strag gling houses outside those Dounaarics. It was after nightfall of a rainy Oc tober day that I came ashore with my parents from a river steamer plying Portland and The Dalles, and found myself In a city nearly ten times larger than any village or tne aiiouie wsf I had ever .ten. First street, from Stark to Yamhill, was ablaze with light so brilliant that I find It nara to ac cept the statement that there was no gas street lights at that time. If that light emanated from kerosene oil, it must have been of an enchanted brand, the formula for which has not been handed down to the Standard Oil Com pany of the present day. And the sun and center of all that light, brilliance and exuberance of active, Joyous life was the Occidental -Hotel, where we so journed for a week or so, while house hunting. True, there were more impos ing buildings than the Occidental, for First and Front streets boasted some brick skyscrapers, three stories in height, but they were business build ings and could not compete with the hotel in attraction for the cosmopolitan throngs. An able ally of the hotel In this respect was the postoffice, then located on First street, one door north of the Occidental. There was no mail delivery, and every man was his own postman. There were no street rail ways, no bridges, no automobiles, no electric lights, no elevators; In short, no anything now classed as indispen sable conveniences. The show place of that era was Ladd & Tilton's Bank building at First and Stark streets, which was of recent con struction. Its genuine beauty of out line and finish, and Its big plate-glnns windows the first in the city were pointed out to all newcomers by proud Portlanders. The problem of ofty government was a very much simpler proposition than It Is today. We of that olden time knew our Portland better then than now. and. perchance, with all its short comings, we loved it better. Bui that isn't saying that we are not proud of our Portland of today. C. B. MORGAN. Corps to Give Benefit "Musics le." A "musicale" will be held at the Sal vation Army Hall, S43 Ash street, to morrow night at o'clock for the benefit of Corpa No. 1. Th. pro gramme is: () "School Life" (Fox). b "Bnbemlan OIH" (Balfr), Cllfford i Junior Orchtr. olo, Pflctrd, Mm. Moritin Fowl.; cornm 5o!o. "Tho Rotary," Andro !.ony; rowllns. "Pa's Inltlstlon," Millie Hroulllote Brwlrk. piano, selected, Profewor W. J. CrKeeK. "Melody In F" Rubente!n. "I'rfect D" (Bond), rillford's Junior orchtra; olo. lerted. lira. Morn Kowle; piano. "Imita tions," Profeiwor W. J. f'arkek; eorn.t ol "Calm At tho NlKht." Andrew Uony; ri Init. "Mrs. O'Toolo and-th. Htretrr con ductor." Mlllto Hroullletio Horwlck; Ha waiian Air. 'Aloha." "National Air" (Cllf ford), Cllfford'a Junior Orchoatra. A directory of the uaoful mineral, of the United Ftatea, telling where earn may be found, ha. been issued by tlx en1nirl'l Snrvev. Restorative Treatment for Nervous Men Coming from a our-e of tin-; questioned miihnrlly on the ail ments 'f men It in presumed to he infallible, while the profu sion generally Indorse Ih. Ingre dients nnrt prescribe them In manv different forms of various disease. The following formula Is highly .fflflent In quickly re storing in nervous cxhsustlun. melancholia, anxiety, timidity In venturing. fllxKliiess, heart pMlpl tation, Irembllna limbs. Insom nia, thinness, cold e trrmlt lea, tiied-ll-ln feelluar and aener.l Inability to do tho. natural and rational a-ts upon whl'-h depend a man's success and happiness In social and everyday life. The Instructions for obtaining In three-gralr tablets are sim ile, as a physicians prescription s nn lonxer neoexaiiry, because he tablets do not contain any opiate, or hablt-formlnr drup.. JuH ask for three-grain c.do mene tablets. Ill sealed tube, with full directions for horn. us.. Astounding rervous fore, and tviuillbrlmn follow th. tre.troent, no matter how serious th. r., . and the loy of a healthy bodr nd strong nerve, i. aooa experienced. r.