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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 4, 1915)
TIIE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, APRIL 4, 1915. E MAP SHOWING THAT GOOD ROADS BONDS WILL HELP ALL SECTIONS OF COUNTY, TWO ENTHUSIASTIC WORKERS FOR THE BOND ISSUE AND SCENE ON COLOMBIA HIGHWAY. TO WORK TO LAST 18 ROAD THUSASTS Active Campaign for Bonds to Be Carried On Throughout Multnomah County. I BENEFITS TO BE SHOWN Special Committee to Direct Efforts mid Meetings Are to Be Arranged Practically Every Night and Literature Distributed. ' Purine an active ' campaign to be ! carried on until the date of the epe I rial road bond election April 11. the benefits of good roads will be im ! pressed on the votcrB of Multnomah ' County. The special committee ap ; pointed by the Commercial Club re 1 cently, consisting of John B. Yeon, County Hoadmastcr, chairman; A. S. Benson. J. C. Alnsworth, W. L. Boise. Frank Rilev. rhil Metschan. Jr.. Julius ; !. Meier. George Baker and E. E. Coo vert, will direct the work from the irood roads headquarters on the ground floor corner of the Yeon building, which was reopened yesterday. Meetings throughout the county will be arranged, speakers supplied, litera ture issued and arguments for the bond issue furnished. County to Be Covered. The goods roads enthusiasts expect to cover the county thoroughly during the time yet remaining before the elec tion. They hope to have a meeting practically every night until April 14. Active efforts will be made to acquaint the voters with the marked improve ments to follow the voting of bonds aggregating $1,250,000. with which to hard surface approximately 70 miles f county roads. "Multnomah docs not compare fav7 crably with other counties of this coun try in regard to modern roads, al though it is in the front rank of wealth." said a member of the commit tee yesterdav. "The City of Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., has more than 80 miles of hard surface roads, and Pittsburg, Allegany County, Pa., has more than 100 miles. These are two of the richest counties in the United States. Multnomah Itaa Three Miles. -Multnomah County, with $335,000, 000 worth of wealth, which brings it among the first four in wealth, has three miles of modern roads. Half of this is on the Linnton road and the re mainder is on the Rlverdale road. "King County, Wash., has 105 miles and is building 65 miles additional this year. "Perhaps the greatest benefit to fol low the paving of county roads with the proceeds of the bond issue is that expenditures have been so calculated as to develop rich farming districts that are now backward. The effect of a hard surface road is to bring a farm 20 miles from the city to within Ave miles of town. It is just as much an effort to traverse five miles of tba pres ent roadways as it is to cover four times that distance over a modern road. "Beyond the Sandy Hlver. between Chanticleer and Portland, there is a territory of 30.000 acres that is abso lutely wild, uncultivated land, all till able and comparable with the best soil in the whole state. Value Increase Told. "It is widely known as land of the first quality, yet it is unused because so far from the market. It is assessed from $5 to $20 an acre. When placed under cultivation, as It will be when ' this proposed road work is done, this rame lind will be worth from $300 to $500 an acre. "On the Linnton road, 5 per cent of the land is tilled, while 95 per cent is uncultivated. On the Canyon road, 10 per cent Is under cultivation and 90 per cent remains idle. The same con ditions obtain on the Slavin road, while on the Foster road 40 per cent of the land is untitled. The mileage of the Sandy, Base Line and Powell Valley roads is double that of those men tioned and these three average 50 per cent of uncleared lands tributary to them. All three have country along them that is susceptible of the highest cultivation. "Truck or jitney service cannot be operated on the present graveled roads, except under favorable conditions, to make it profitable for the farmer. With hard surfaced roads, there is not a day in the year that this service cannot be maintained. Clarke County Contrast Cited. . "Clarke County, Wash., offers a con trast to Multnomah County that is not at all favorable to the latter. From Vancouver to Salmon Creek, a distance of eight miles, a hard surfaced road runs through beautiful farming coun try and this road can be traveled every day. The farmers paid some of the cost, the State Highway Commission rome and the county the remainder. Farmers would not give up this high way under any conditions. Clarke County will extend this road to La Center this year. It is the main trunk line of the Pacific Highway and ex- tends from ancouver's Main street. Clarke County has almost three times the hard surfaced roads of Multnomah County, notwithstanding; our $35,000,- 000 of wealth. "The roads to be hard surfaced with the money received from the sale of the bonds will benefit the farmer first and all the people as well. It U step forward in bringing the roads of Multnomah County v.p to date." MR. CALDWELL REMAINS Kuinors or Quitting Civil Service Board Place Denied by Official. Humors that Georire V. Caldwell, chairman of the Municipal Civil Serv N ice Board, has decided to give up his position as a result of his having an nounced his candidacy for City Com missionership in the coming city elec tion, were denied yesterday by Mr. Caldwell. Be says his intention Is to keep his position. It was rumored that because of the nature of the work as chairman of the Civil Service Board Mr. Caldwell pro posed to resign while campaigning. He denies that he has decided to quit. PARRISH PETITIONS . GIFT Portland Man Returns to Be Greet ed by Demands to Be Candidate. Upon his return yesterday from a month passed in the East Dr. George Parr is h was presented with 600 peti tions, all signed up and sworn to. nom inating him as a candidate for City Commissioner in the city election to be held in June. The petitions will be filed when the date for filing arrives. April 28. For some time past cards announc ing the candidacy of Dr. Parrisb. have been in circulation. ..i. i i v .iiwm ' L1 . W lfmmWl St.. AS :.! , N F CM ; ;: . ?: i . v:l . w -JSSJ - 3LK 7 1 1 i M iimimiiii ii -- r "f mm wrWMf rr h It mmm fj?m kj jjrerfa-zsatjt aj s?5) Baaa or- cotArrr xoj-f. I i) teyt S I ? ID) rosrSJ? J o $ $ ? 3 J tj ( r f V f Jcazjt orrrrr I I 1 I if LABORING IN ARE County Commissioners Told Proposed Issue Will Be Given Able Support. ' WORKING MAN SEES GOOD Good Kouds Promoters Believe Ma jority of Union Men Will Vote Favorably and Unemployed Approve in Desire for Jobs. Laboring men in every part of the county have volunteered their support to the proposed $1,250,000 road im provement bonds to be voted on at tne snecial election one week irom ten Wednesday. Manv men who are now out of em ployment have - informed the County Commissioners and the good roads com mittee that they will vote ana worn for the bonds in the hope of getting jobs. Other workmen have Indicated their enthusiasm over the bond issue on tne ground that improvement of the county highways will aid In the general devel opment of the county and thereby en hance the interests of the workmen. Hope la Union Man Seen. Despite the recent action of the Central Labor Council to oppose the bond Issue, .the people who are at the head of the good roads movement believe that a large majority of union men in the county will vote for the bonds. They are convinced, moreover, that nearly all the non-union laboring men will vote for them. More than 80 per cent of the money accruing from the $1,250,000 in bonds will be paid out for labor. In other words, according to the best estimates of road experts, the laboring men of the cotintv will receive $1,000,000 in wages if the bonds are authorized. County Hoad to Proceed. While it is considered probable that the bond issue will be carried by a decisive majority, the Coun ty Commissioners are prepared to proceed with the road improvement work even If the bonds should be de feated. With funds now available it will be possible to improve about 15 miles of roads each year. The money would come from the regular county road funds raised each year by direct taxa tion. In this manner it would take five years to complete the work that it now Is proposed to do In one year. The money. In that case, wouia do pia directly by the people, maer tne Itib- nlan the payments would be de ferred until the bonds come due. . Another point tnat tne oona sup porters are emphasizing at every op nnnnnitr is that the bond issue actu ally will decrease the annual cost of road wort in tlie county. At present n costs approximately $1000 a mile to maintain the 70 miles that it is pro posed to cover with pavement, an aggregate of $70,000. It costs about $10,000 more to oil these roads each year, bringing the total up to $80,000. Maintenance Cost Ml. The interest on $1,250,000 at 4 per cent is only $62,500 a year, an actual saving of $17,500 over the present sys tem, as it would cost nothing to main tain the roads after they are hard surfaced. The oratorical campaigns in favor t good foads were contirued yesterday with unabated vigor. Boadmaster Yeon spoke last night In the Grange Hall at Lents, where he secured an enthusiastic and cordial hearing. Near ly everyone present promised to vote for the bonus. Mr. Teon will address a large group of workingmen in Arlon Hall, at Sec ond and Oak streets, tonight. This Is BONDS CHAMPIONS the time set by. the Socialists and their J friends to hear Mr. Yeon explain the proposed bond, issue and tell how and where the money is to be expendid. He will Illustrate his talk with color pictures of the beautiful Columbia River and the Columbia Highway. He will be given an hour, after which Albert Strielt will make a short talk for the Socialists. ,It is expected that the large hall will be filled to capacity, since the Social ists regard the building of good roads and the consequent employment of labor as a step in the solution of the unemployment problem. Admission is free. The public is cor dially invited. Tomorrow night he will speak at the Sellwood Toung Men's Christian Asso ciation. Country Xeeds Good Roads." One of the best meetings of the cam paign was that held last night at Ma plewood, which was presided over by A. D. Lee, and which was addressed by G. H. Douglas, chairman of the good roads committee from the Multnomah Commercial Club. "The country is Just as much in need of good roads as is the city," declared Mr. Douglas. 'Take Portland back to the macadam days, and you are back to the days of dirt country roads, impassable In the Winter. What would the maintenance of Fifth street have amounted to in the last 10 years if it had been mac adam?. Fifth street has been paved 10 years and is good for live years more. There is no argument against hard surface, except first cost, yet if the bond issue for the full amount is not carried the Commissioners are going to hard-surface 15 miles yearly for Ave years, each 15-mile unit to be paid lor yearly." Exhibits for 1915 Fair Pledged. CENTRALIA, Wash., April 3. (Spe cial.) George R. Walker, secretary of the Southwest Washington Fair Asso ciation, has returned from a trip to Eastern Lewis County, during which he made arrangements for the booths that section wll maintain at the 1915 fair. The Citizens' League of Eastern Lewis County will prepare an exhibit. according to Mr. Walker, and in addi tion there will be a large exhibit of articles made in the manual training departments of high schools at Randle, Glenoma, Morton and Mineral. Man Ordered Back to Wife No. 1 SALEM. .Or., April 3. (Special.) Charles Bennett, charged with polyg amy, pleaded guilty today, was sen tenced to serve six months in Jail and paroled by Circuit Judge Kelly.- Ben nett's first wife lives in Seattle, and Judge Kelly instructed him to go to her. WOMEN'S RELIEF CORPS HAS SEW FRESIDEXt. Mrs. Eva Rnsrer. Mrs. Eva Ruger,- of Tillamook, Or., who has been senior vice president of the Women's Relief Corps of the Department of Ore gon, has succeeded to the presi dency, owing to the recent death of the president, Mrs. Cynthia Dunlap. Mrs. Ruger will complete the preparations for the annual convention at McMinnville, to be held in June. :V-v5:.-:?-:-'--- M'W - i GRANGE FOR BONDS Unanimous Indorsement Given Proposed Highway Issue. MR. YEON WINS CONVERTS Stand of County Commissioners in Denying Labor's Demand for Min imum Wage Pledge. Commend ed; Road Workers Lauded. RESOLUTIONS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY COLUMBIA GRANGE. "Whereas, It is proposed to Issue bonds to the amount of $1,250,000 with which to complete the Columbia Highway and lay 71 miles of hard-surface on trunk roads in this county; and in view of the fact that 80 per cent of the money will be spent for la ' bor, the cash to remain at home, and that macadam has proved tinsuited for heavy traffic, there fore be It "Resolved by the members of Columbia Grange No. 267, Patrons of Husbandry, here assembled, that we heartily indorse this bond issue, believing that the 'construction of the trunk roads will greatly benefit the farmers of this county. ' will enable more land to be cultivated and pro vide the farmer w-ith roads that can be used the year round, and that we offer our hearty co operation to J. B. Yeon. road master, and A. S. Benson, believ ing that the grange should lead in the good-roads movement throughout this county and state, as the order has led in many im portant progressive measures in this county; and be it further "Resolved, That we commend the County Commissioners for refusing to commit themselves to any stated schedule of wages in advance as the price of the support of any organization to the bond issue, but believe that every laboring man should be paid all he is worth, and that we have confidence that the County Commissioners will pay in full the wages that every man can earn." There was no uncertainty or equivo cation in the action taken yesterday at the open meeting of Columbia Grange, No. 267. Patrons of Husbandry, at the hall east of the Sandy River. It was an unanimous, positive indorsement of the bond issue, after the address of Road master Yeon had been delivered. This indorsement is, perhaps, the most sig nificant from the fact that Columbia Grange is the first In this county to take such a broad stand. The resolu tions were adopted in an open meeting. and were made official later. Several prominent members who were hostile to' the bond issue at the opening of the meeting came to Mr. Yeon after he had concluded his address and said they never had looked at the matter in that light and would vote for the bond issue. and urge all others to do the same. For an hour and a half Mr. Yeon hammered out the facts and figures. and held the attention of the Grangers closely. He pointed out that the farmers were to receive a great benefit. while paying but a fraction of the cost. Farmem9 Benefits Shown. "At one time it was proposed In this county to lay hard-surface on the trunk roads and assess one-half the cost to the farmers, said Mr. Yeon, "but that was unjust and I opposed that method of construction, and favored the bond issue for the reason that the heavy taxpayers will pay the bill. Do you- know that S per cent of the taxpayers of this county, which includes Portland, will pay 75 per cent of the cost of carrying these bonds, while 91 per cent of the taxpayers will be called on to pay 25 per cent? Here comes in the plan of the greatest good to the greatest number. "If the bonds are not voted we have a $600,000 investment in the Columbia Highway that is nearly useless, and we shall continue to pay out $80,000 every year to maintain these trunk roads that we desire to hard-surface. It will only cost $62,000 to pay the in terest on these bonds, and hence there would be a saving of $25,000 if we lay hard-surface now and stop the cost of maintenance. Now, I want you farmers to follow me closely and check up everything I say. Take home the sub ject and give it serious consideration. Effect on Land Cited. "Do you want tne benefits that have come to King County. Washington. where 103 miles of hard-surface roads have been laid and where they are pre paring to lay SO miles more next year? Before these hard-surface roads were put down in King County you could buy land there for $75 and $100, but you can't touch it for less than $1000 and $1500 an acre now. and the people there are prosperous and happy. You can do the same thing here by voting these bonds April 14. Just now it costs you $1.20 to get to Portland by way of the railroad and return, but when you have a hard-surface road in front of your hall you can go to Portland and return at 1 cent a mile, or 44 cents for the road trip by automobile bus, which Is the charge in King County, Wash ington. "You can have a depot in front of your farms and send your produce to the Portland market by auto trucks, the same as is done at Seattle. Interest Cost Analyzed. "Now the man who is taxed on $1000 will pay yie first year 18 cents, the price of two cigars, and the highest cost will be 55 cents. If the bonds are not voted it will mean that the County Commissioners will build by direct taxation 15 miles of hard-surface roads every year, and It will take five years to build 71 miles. If the bonds are voted we will get all these hard surface roads this year, and the Lord knows we need them, and we can pay oft the bonds easily. Do you farmers want to wait Ave years for the bene fits that you can get right now? I think not." "It is charged that there Is a graft for 8. Benson and myself. Let us see about that. Mr. Benson gave $10,000 for fountains in Portland, his contri bution to the temperance cause. He gave $20,000 to save Gordon Falls and $7500 for Multnomah Falls. He gave $10,000 for the work at Shell Rock on the Columbia Highway. He took $75, 000 of the 5 per cent bonds of Hood River County to enable the work to go aneau, wnen it might have been hard to dispose of them. He loaned the state $50,000 to push the work at Mitchell Point, Graft Charge Ridiculed. "Mr. Benson was my right-of-way man. When there was a dispute with owners that threatened delay, Mr. Ben son put his hand in his pocket and paid the amount wanted. Do you think Mr. Benson is the man who seeks graft out of the paving of these roads? Not for one minute, and you farmers know it. Mr. Benson made his money here and is pushing good roads in recognition of the opportunities he had to make money. The graft charge is without foundation as far as he or myself is concerned. "I might talk . all day about good roads, but I shall not do so. I want to say that every dollar put Into these roads represents full value of work done, and if you vote these bonds every dollar shall represent an investment of $1. I want to say to you farmers that we want your help. Organized labor de manded a minimum wage of $3, which had to be denied, and now organized labor threatens to defeat the bond issue and set this county back ten years. I believe in paying a man all he can earn, no more and no less, for I have been a laborer myself and sympathize fully with every man." Rochester Thief Captured. CENTRALIA, Wash., April 3. (Spe cial.) The bunkhouse of the N. & M. Lumber Company, near Rochester, was entered by a thief Thursday and a gold watch, a flashlight and about $6 in money stolen. Deputy Sheriff Hig gins left Rochester in an auto in pur suit of the thief, but the latter walked boldly Into the town and purchased a ticket to Tacoma, He was arrested by the Tacoma police as he alighted from the train. The tvatch and flash light were found on bim. BOND "Mir DENIED INTERPRETATION OF H. A. DARN'ALL CONTROVERTED BY OTHERS. Judge Stevenson I rises Bond Isaac Be" fore Civic League Declaring Labor Will Be Benefitted. The intimation of H. A. Darnall and others in the debate at the Civic League luncheon at the Multnomah Hotel yes terday, that the proposed road bond measure to provide for hard-surface highway In Multnomah County con tains a "Joker" that would make. pos sible an annual issue of $1,250,000 bonds instead of a total issue for the entire proposed work of only $1,250,000, was refuted by Frank Branch Riley and C. E. Warner. Mr. Darnall based his opinion that the measure contained a Joker which would certainly cause litigation at the least, was based on the statement in the election announcements for the bond issue, which said; "No more than $1,250,000 to be issued in one year; and the fund so raised shall he expended the most acceptable manner. Keen competition forbids the paring of prices below the safety margin. High rentals, owner ship with heavy taxes and longer delivery hauls increase prices. These are none of our concern, as we purposely do business on the East Side, where most of Portland's homes are situated and business rentals are fifty per cent, and less, than on the West Side. Our rent and general expense amount to less than property tax of some firms. Does it not sound reasonable to you that we can sell for less the same Furniture and Homefurnishings offered by other firms? Come and Compare Prices. Buy on Credit if You Like and No Interest Will Be Asked. Bill New Ownership New Stock r1 f? FURNITURE CO. Grand Avenue 5EE THAT! Symptoms of Eyestrain Headache Smarting, burning, watering eyes Dizziness Type blurs when reading Squinting in bright light Nervousness when doing close work Frowning, seeing double Any or all of these disagreeable symptoms may be corrected by use of glasses, scientifically made anl fitted. Little defects grow into big defects. Neglect is sure to cause regret later. We have the experience to dis cover the extent of eyestrain and the ability to make glasses to cor rect it. THOMPSON OPTICAL INSTITUTE, 209-10-11 Corbett Bldg, Fifth Morrison. ind in the building and construction Of per manent roads in Multnomah County." "This Is confusing and ambiguous," lierlared Mr. Darnall, "and at any event iippears to me likely to bring about a tost In the courts to find out whether it means that the entire sum to he r.iised Is $I.2.'i0,0i0 or whether the proplc have voted upon themselves a eoii'inuous bomllng of $1,250,000 e cry year for pavlnar roads." C i;. 'Warner declared tliat the arlii'le from which .Mr. Iwrnall quoted does jipci'lflcally limit the total amount and provides no means by which It could he construed to mean i puissihlc niiniial Lord If.iio or I, 000. It was brought out mat tne phraFeolOKv used a necessary to meet lcs.nl requirements. .Mr. Klley further supported Mr. War ner's statement, by pointing out that expenditures for each of the various roads to he improved are specifically given, ami that this and further state ments make impossible the construction of the measure that Mr. Darnall at tempted to place upon It. "I hope that before anyone beslns attacking the measure ou the ground that it is anihiguously drawn or con tains a joker." he said, "will take the trouble to read it through carefully." Judge Stevenson, at the close of the meeting, spoke strongly In favor of passing the bond issue, "The Civic League has been working long on plans for the relief of the unemployed," he said. "Here's a chance to pay $1,000,000 to labor. If the Civic League wants labor condi tions ameliorated, now Is the time to do something definite toward that end. 1'. S. Myers was chairman of the day. Other speakors were Mrs. M. I T. Hidden, who supported the argu ments of Mr. Darnall. Isaac rweei, c. Vcrsteeg and Mrs. Flora I. Foreman. SUPPORT PLEDGED BONDS Falrvlew KnthuslaMs to Back Koad Issue In Election April 14. , t,.n,li for hard-sur- 1 ne pri'puovu - facing roads in Multnomah county were heartily indorsed at a meeting of the Fairview Grange yesterday. A full at tendance was reported enthusiastic for h Koni nledelng support In the election on April 14. The action ot tne luuihj sloners in refusing the demand for a $3-a-day minimum wage also was In dorsed. ng the Public Best AH thinp;s considered, that store serves the public best that gives the most for the money in Mr. S. II. Morgan continues his con nection with this store. and East Stark