K
74 Pages
Section One
Pages 1 to 24
SIX SECTIONS
VOL,. XXXV.-XO. 51.
PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 17, 191G.-
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
v
BENSON HOTEL TO
HAVE BIG ANNEX
Seven-Story, $500,000
Structure Projected.
SITE IS ACROSS BROADWAY
Tunnel to Northeast Corner of
Oak Street Proposed.
NOVEL FEATURES PLANNED
Inability of Hostelry to Accommo
date Patronage Leads to Improve
ment, Which Will Eventu
ally Be 1 3 Stories High.
BT CHESTER A. MOORES.
As if to crown the closing: days of
1016 with the most slg-niflcant single
building development of recent years
and furnish the approaching: new year
with substantial assurance of increas
ing prosperity. Al T. Lundborg. man
ager of the Hotel Benson, announced
yesterday that S. Benson and his son.
Amos Benson, had decided virtually to
duplicate the present hotel with a
Benson Annex to be erected on S. Ben
son's quarter block of land diagonally
across Broadway from the present
hotel, and connect the two buildings
with u spacious subterranean tunnel
that may be provided with an escalat
ing sidewalk.
To begin with, the annex will be a
even-story structure to cost approxi
mately $300,000, including the furnish
ings, but the foundation is to be made
sufficiently sturdy to carry six addi
tional stories that will ultimately
match this building with the height of
Its mate. y
Hotel Coat $S00,0O0.
The Benson Hotel cost Mr. Benson
about $800,000 complete, exclusive of
the land value, and It is estimated
that the annex in its finished and fur
nished state will represent an Invest
ment of approximately the samel
amount.
The site, embracing land 100 feet
square situated on the northeast cor
ner of Oak street and Broadway, where
an old one-story building now stands,
was purchased several years ago by
Mr. Benson from a syndicate for $215,
000 within one year after the Ladd
estate had sold it to the syndicate for
$150,000.
Plan Are Ordered.
Plans for the new building have not
been prepared, but the Portland firtn of
Houghtaling- & Dougan has been dele
gated to make a preliminary design
and specifications in order that Mr.
Lundborg may submit his recommenda
tions to Mr. Benson, who is Wintering
at Virginia Hotel, Long Beach, Cal., and
Amos Benson, who manages his father's
affairs during the latter's absence from
Oregon, and who is now actively in
charge of the S. Benson investments
here. The elder Mr. Benson turned
over the management of the Oregon
Investments seven months ago to his
son.
Because of the Imperative need of ac
quiring accommodations for the many
guests who are turned away from the
Hotel Benson continually, full speed
ahead on all details connected with
the big undertaking has been ordered.
Amos Benson and Mr. Lundborg- hope
to have all plans completed within two
months and have the annex open for
operation possibly by January 1, 1918.
Tunnel Coat Rot Known.
Just how mucn the underground tun
nel is to cost 1? still an open question
some extent, but they are esti
mating that $10u,000 will be re
quired for that purpose. The proposed
tunnel, to be built along lines similar
(Concluded on Fase 20. Column 1.)
To
WHEAT REBOUNDS
IN FRENZIED PIT
DUMA'S REJECTION OF PEACE
STARTS RUSH OF BUYING.
Upward Jump of 10 1-2 Cents Comes
as Violent Contrast to Decline of
13 1-8 Cents of Day Before.
CHICAGO, Dec. 16. Somersaulting of
prices took place today on a gigantic
scale in the wheat market here. An
upward Jump of 10 cents a bushel
came as a violent contrast to yester
day's setback of 13 cents. During the
rise the rapidity of trading and the ac
companying excitement were at a pitch
not surpassed since the beginning of
the European war.
The fact was apparent that sentiment
in the wheat pit had undergone a com
plete reversal from the day before.
Wild rushes to buy started the Instant
the opening gong struck, and were
wholly unchecked intil the rise had
reached the maximum of the day. 10
cents, seemingly altogether the result
of the Russian Duma's rejection of the
German peace proposal.
Values fluctuated in sensational fash
Ion throughout the remainder of. the
session, but with no decisive advantage
to the bears. On the contrary, the last
hour showed prices near at times to the
topmost level previously reached, and
attention of traders was mainly di
rected to Washington dispatches ad
verse to hopes of immediate peace.
Final quotations were greatly unset
tled. May. the Heading option, finish
ing at $1.62 to $1.63. the latter an
advance of 9 cents net.
WOMAN'S FINE INCREASED
Mrs. C. M. Nye Must Go to Jail 11
$30 Is Not raid Soon.
Failure of Mrs. C. M. Nye, found guil
ty In the Municipal and Circuit Courts
of driving an automobile while intoxir
cated, to pay a fine of $25 levied by
Circuit Judge Morrow, led to the reop
ening of the case by Judge Morrow yes
terday, the Increasing of the fine to
$30, with the proviso that Mrs. Nye
must go to Jail for 48 hours unless the
fine is paid within 10 days.
Mrs. Nye was sentenced to five days
in Jail by Municipal Judge Langguth
last August, and appealed. Mrs. Nye Is
now in California, and Attorney R. A.
Sullivan appeared for her yesterday.
ITALY CURBS CANDY USE
Hotel Steals Are to Have Only One
Meat Coarse.
ROME, Dec. 14, via Paris. Dec. 16.
A decree has been issued forbidding
for two weeks the manufacture of can
dies or cake or their transmission by
the post or- railroad. The decree fur
ther forbids hotels to serve meals, con
taining more than one meat course.
The decree will prevent the sending
of an enormous number of Christmas
dainties intended for the soldiers at
the front.
WAR PLANT IS BLOWN UP
Fourteen Killed in Austria and 77
Others Injured.
COPENHAGEN. Denmark, via Lon
don. Dec. 16. Fourteen persons were
killed and 77 others were Injured in a
violent explosion last night at a muni
tions factory at Felixdorf, a village
of lower Austria, in the district of
Wlener-Neustadt, says the Neue Frele
Presse.
Several buildings in the town were
destroyed.
HAVANA CARMEN STRIKE
Traffic Is Paralyzed and Police Are
on Gnard.
HAVANA, Dec 16. At the expiration
of the men's ultimatum at 8 o'clock
this morning a general strike of the
Havana Central Railway was begun.
Traffic has been paralyzed.
Police are guarding the railroad and
ferry terminals.
IN THE PAST WEEK'S NEWS THESE EVENTS LOOMED LARGEST ON
COAST PRODUCTS TO
MOVE AT OLD RATE
Increased Tariff Sus
pended for 60 Days.
GAR SHORTAGE CAUSES ORDER
Action Voluntary on Part of
' Transcontinental Roads.
WESTBOUND RISE STANDS
1916 Output of Canned Goods, Dried
Fruits, Wine, Beans, Barley, As
phalt and Canned Salmon to
Go East at Old Figures.
WASHINGTON. Dee. 16. Decision of
the tran3contlneatal railroad com
panies to suspend for 60 days proposed
increased rate's of 10 cents per 100
pounds on the 191 output of canned
goods, dried fruits, wine, beans, barley.
canned salmon and asphalt from Pacific
Coast states to Eastern cities was for
mally approved late today by the Inter
state Commerce Commission.
Under tariffs filed with the Commis
sion the new rates would have beenroe
effective December 30. They are sus
pended -until March 1 by voluntary
action of the railroads, who are under
stood to have been influenced in their
decision by congestion of traffic which
interrupted the movement of thes.e com
modities eastward, now at its height.
Cost to Railroads Heavy.
Officials estimate that the loss in
revenue to the railroads through sus
pension of the increased rates will be
considerable, as hundreds of trainloads
of these commodities are moving east
ward and the flood of this traffic will
continue for two months. It Is pointed
out, however, that the general car
shortage has delayed transportation of
the crops East, and that much of the
traffic yet to be handled would other
wise have been delivered before now.
Suspension of increased transconti
nental rates on, eastbound traffic will
not affect tariffs on westbound traffic.
Increases of from 10 to 25 cents per
100 pounds on iron, steel and other
commodities shipped. In large quanti
ties to the Pacific Coast will become
effective December 30 unless suspended
by the Commission, a contingency re
garded as improbable.
Delivery by Blarch. Expected.
By March 1, it is thought, the entire
product of the orchards, vineyards and
truck farms of California, Oregon and
Washington for 1916 will have been de
livered in Eastern markets.
A secondary consideration for the
suspension in rates is said to be that
contracts between producers and East
ern distributors have been based on
the assumption that prevailing rates
would continue until the 1916 crops had
been delivered. Advances in the retail
price of canned salmon, canned and
dried fruits and other commodities, an
ticipated "because of the Increased
freight rates, it 'is believed, can thus
be averted.
Hearings Still Going On.
In the intermountain rate case, rates
involved on both east and westbound
traffic have been the subject of con
troversy for years. The case is still
before the Commission and the latest
advances proposed by the railroads
were not suspended because, it is under
stood they were regarded as a tem
porary expedient, effective only until
final determination of the case. Hear
ings are now being held on the Pacific
Coast and in the intermountain terri
tory by the Commission's examiners.
The last hearing was at Spokane. De
cember 14.
Final determination of the case will
dispose of complaints of disorimtnation
In rates by cities and communities in
that section of the country lying be
tween Denver and the Coast.
h - W i! F T 5
INDEX OF TODAYS NEWS
The Weather.
YESTERDAY" 8 Maximum temperature., 42
degree; minimum. 33 degrees.
TODAY'S Partly cloudy and " occasionally
threatening weather; southeasterly -triads.
Wmr.
French victory at Verdun Is sweeping. Sec
tion a. Page 4.
Oreeee yields to demands of entente allies.
fcecuon 1. Page 4.
Pose depends on London's attitude. Sec
tion 1, Page 8.
Official reports. Section 1. page 0.
Foreign.
Tentative agreement in Franco-Chinese dis
pute reached. Section 1, Page 2.
National.
Eastbound freight rate Increases on produce
of Pacific. Coast suspended. Section 1.
Page 1.
Hood River 160,000 public building item re
- talned in omnibus bill. Section 1, Page 2.
' Domestic.
Wheat prices rebound in frenzied pit. Sec
tion 1, Page 1.
"Old" men get permanent jobs after trial.
Section 1. page 3.
Professor Munsterberg dies. Section 1.
Page 0.
Banker gives warning of grave possibilities
auer war. section 1, Page o.
Llewellyn Iron "Works at Los Angeles has
(330.000 fire. Section 1. Page 5.
Cold and heavy snow strikes .Atlantic sea
board. Section 1. Pace 1.
Big publishers asked to relinquish part of
ynm paper, section l. page .
Sports.
AI Baunt opposes removal of draft. Seo
tlon 2. page 1. .
Multnomah Club expects to have fast bas
ketball team. Section 2. page 2.
Mrs. Hazel Davis, of Portland, praises bowl
ing as exercise for women. Section 2,
Page 4.
Pasadena hotels bid to entertain big football
teams. Section 2. page 3.
Ivan Howard likely Oak., says Walter Mc-
Credle. looking forward to 1817 prospects.
Section 2, page 1.
Christmas golf matches arranged. Section 2,
page S.
Vancouver man is king of 600.000 trap shoot
ers. Section 2, page 3.
Doble's retirement announced weeks ago.
Section 2, page 4.
Christmas swim Is scheduled for Willamette
River. Section 2. page 2.
Northwestern League directors settle differ
ences. Section 2, page 2.
Pacific Northwest.
O. A. C. farmers' week programme arranged.
Section 1, Page 8.
Administration building for State Blind
School at Vancouver completed. Section
1, Page 10.
Washington board would limit accident pen
sions. Section 1, Page 10.
One nlghtrMer defendant released. Section
1. Page U.
Governor sends urgent plea for return of
Oregon troops. Section 1. Page 1.
Oregon City woolen mill to double capacity.
section 1. Page 8.
Lewlston rancher killed by employe. Sec
tion 1, Page 1.
Successful Willamette Valley corn show
closes at Salem. Section 1. Page 6.
Commercial and Marine.
Wheat bids higher In Northwest, following
Chicago advance. Section 2. page lo.
Stocks higher because of action by Russian
Duma. Section 2, page 13.
Storage wool stocks in Portland cleaning tip
fast. Section 2. page IS.
Portland and Vicinity.
Benson Hotel to have (504.000 annex across
.Broadway, section 1. Page 1.
Vancouver to remain brigade post, even if
division headquarters doe go to Ameri
can Lake bectlon 1, Page 1Z.
Reed lists more lectures. Section 1, Page 15.
Taxlcab zones approved by Mr. Blgelow.
section 1. Page 17.
Traffic ordinance in definite form. Section
1. Page 16.
School plan for sex segregation Is attacked.
Section 1, Page IT.
Ex-Govenor West gives views on how to
draft bone-dry law. Section 1. Page 19.
Noted educators score tenure law. Section
1. Page 18.
Portland cats win at Tacoma show. Section
1. Page 21.
Oregon soldiers In unrest at detention on
Border. Section I. Page 21.
Parental tchool legislation asked. Section 1.
Page 20.
Measures on ballot receive uniform vote
throughout state. Section 1. Page 21.
Restaurants find co-operative buying plan is
success Section 1, Page 22.
Fire ruins 23 autos In downtown garage fire.
Section 1. Page 22. ,
Extension of Multnomah County is proposed.
Section 1, Page 23.
Majestic owner 'eases dark Broadway Thea.
ter. Section 1, Page 22.
National Guard now is in sorry plight. Sec.
tlon 1. Page 2-3.
Widow is allowed to sue street railway for
$73,500. Section 2. Page 7.
Stores swamped by holiday shoppers. Sec
tion 2. Page 7.
Big delegation sees Bonneville hatchery.
Section 2, page U.
Weather report, data and forecast. Section
2. page 7.
Sympathy Saturday raises (1100. Section 1.
Page 14.
LONDON IS CITY OF NIGHT
Fogr, Most Dense In SO Years, En
velops Metropolis.
LONDON. Dec. 17. A fog; which set
tled over London yesterday is described
as being- the most dense in 60 years.
From early morning until a late hour
London was a city of perpetual" night.
LEWISTOH RANCHER
SLAIN RY EMPLOYE
Boy, Nursing Grudge
Kills Lester Gifford.
CHECK DEMANDED WITH GUN
Shooting Occurs in Drug Store
as Police Rescuer Arrives.
JEWELL FRENG IS SLAYER
Laborer Demands Payment for In
Juries Sustained 'While at Work
and Presses Revolver to Vio
tim as lie Writes.
LEW1STOX. Idaho, Dec 16. (Spe
cial.) Jewell Freng, the 17-year-old
son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Freng. of
Lewlston.- tonight shot and killed his
former employer. Lester Gifford, who
had extensive land Interests east of
this city and was well known through
out this entire district.
Freng- was an employe for three
weeks last Summer on Mr. Glfford's
ranch, at which time, he s.'.ys. he was
required to drive a defective header
box, and as a result of which a serious
accident occurred which necessitated
his being- confined In the White's Hos
pital at Lewlston for a month.
Threat Made to Shoot.
'Before g-olng- to the hospital he pur
chased a ,38-caliber revolver, which he
constantly carried after leaving- the
hospital, and told Mr. Gifford If he did
not pay him some money he would
shoot him. Tonight he met Mr. Gifford
and his brother on ' Main street and
Park avenue and put the muzzle of the
revolver against Mr. Glfford's body,
telling- him he would either pay him
$130 or would suffer the consequencea
Mr. Gifford pleaded ha did not have
that amount of money with him. so
Freng forced him Into the Idanha
Pharmacy, where Mr. Gifford wrote a
check in Frengr's favor for 1130. Mr.
Gifford said he was signing the check
under protest and would stop payment
on it, He told his brother to go out
and g-et a policeman.
Policeman Sees Killing;.
As Patrolman Eugene Gasser entered
the door, Freng whipped out his re
volver and shot Patrolman Gasser leaped
upon Freng, who fired three more
shots, the bullets going- wild.
Lester Gifford was 23 years of age.
He leaves a widow with a one-month-old
baby girl; also a mother, father,
two brothers and three sisters, all of
whom live here except Mrs. Frank
Shaw, who Is in California.
Jewell Freng. commonly known as
"Joe,"' has lived with his parents and
brothers and sisters in Lewlston for 11
years, where they are all well known.
KAISER'S SON IS FATHER
Tenth Grandson to Emperor Born to
Princess Joachim.
BERLIN. Dec. 15, via London, Dec
16. Princess Joachim of Prussia,
daughter-in-law of the German Em
peror, today gave birth to a son. The
child is the tenth grandchild of the
Emperor and the fourth to be born
since the beginning of the war.
Prince Joachim, the youngest son of
the German Emperor, Was married to
Princess Marie Augustine of Anhaft in
the Royal Castle of Bellevue on March
11, 1916.
THE VISION OF CARTOONIST REYNOLDS.
RETURN OF OREGON
MEN AGAIN ASKED
GOVERNOR SENDS SECOND TJR
GENT FLEA TO WASHINGTON. .
Executive Is Incensed at Failure of
War Department to Act on His
Letter of December 1.
SALEM. Or.. Dec 16. Sptcial.) In
censed at failure of the War Depart
ment to take any action upon his for
mer request to withdraw from the bor
der Troop A. Oregon Cavalry, and Bat
tery A. Oregon Field Artillery. Gover
nor Withycombe today forwarded a tel
egram to Newton G. Baker. Secretary
of War. urging" prompt measures In
connection with those troops and ask
ing that they be returned to their
homes from Calexlco by New Year's at
the latest.
The executive wrote to Secretary
Baker -on December 1, but has re
ceived no reply to hla request for re
moval of the troops.
In his telegram he said:
"Receiving no answer to my. letter,
dated December 1, requesting with
drawal of Oregon troops new held In
Southern California, and being besieged
with Inquiries concerning- them, I ven
ture again to query you as to what
action Is proposed. Cannot they be
returned before the new year?
"They have done their duty and made
big- sacrifices. Citizen soldiers, in
tended for emergencies only, should
not be made to suffer because regular
Army is Inadequate to cope with situ
ation. Such treatment will undermine
possibility of enlistment in future
emergencies."
SOLDIER'S FAMILY WANTS
Christinas Cheer Lacking for Mother
antT Her Two Children.
There is a little family in Portland
to which the Christmas season does not
bring the cheer and happiness with
which it is customarily associated. The
father is, on the Mexican border with
Battery A.
The girl-wife has been compelled to
support herself and her two children,
aged 3 and 18 month. ty her unaided
efforts. Her earnings are barely suf
flclent to keep them all from starva
tion. There will be nothing In that little
one-room home to Indicate that Christ
mas is different from any other day.
unless somebody comes to the assist
ance of the bereft family.
SAFE PASSAGE GRANTED
Entente Powers Recede Regarding
v Austrian Ambassador.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16. Ambassador
Page at London today officially noti
fled the State Department that the al
lied naval commanders had been in
structed to grant unhindered passage
to Count TarnowskI, the new AmBas-
sador to the United States from Austro
Hungary. The entente powers receded from
their refusal to do so on representa
tions by the American Government.
NOTE GOES BY AIR AND SUB
Card Sent by Aeroplane and X'uder
Sea Liner Reaches Berlin.
BERLIN. Dec. 16. (By wireless to
Sayville, N. Y.) The Zeitung Am Mlti
tag publishes a message dispatched on
a postcard from Chicago on November
3 and now received In Berlin.
The card was carried from Chicago to
New York by airplane and to Bremen
on the submarine Deutschland.
PRISON-MADE DRINK FATAL
Three Dead, Three Dying, From Al
cohol Taken From Shellac.
JOLIET. 111.. Dec 16. Three prison
ers in the penitentiary here are dead,
three more are expected to die and
three others are 111 as the result of
drinking wood alcohol which they ex
tracted from shellao in an effort to
satisfy their cravings for liquor.
ATLANTIC SEABOARD '
CITIES SNOWBOUND
Transportation in New
York Hampered.
WINTER COVERS WIDE AREA
Two Die at. Chicago Before
Weather Moderates.
TEXAS HAS FREEZING DAY
Shortage of Cars Makes Coal Fam
ine Likely at Many Places.
College Boys Give Aid in
Cleaning Streets.
CHICAGO. Dec. 16. (Special.) Ris
ing temperature, a gentle snowfall and
the abatement of high winds took off
considerable of the ragged edge of
Winter In Chicago and its territory to
day. Meanwhile, however, the tempest had
moved on to the Atlantic Seaboard,
driving before It a foot of snow that
Is causing some discomfort in Eastern
cities, chiefly New Tork. and transpor
tation Is said to be badly hampered
there by the snow, and unusual trouble
Is being- experienced in securing labor
ers to clean the streets.
Collegian Give Aid.
All the available college students
were called into service last night and
today, but even with this active and
enthusiastic addition to the force the
city was not cleared of the heavy snow.
It Is estimated it will cost the city
$500,000 to clean the streets.
In Chicago there was not enough,
snow to cause any disturbance in traf
fic or transportation schedules. Some
Incoming trains were late, due tor bat
tuns' with snow banks cast and west,
to broken rails and other incidentals of
a high storm.
The storm, while sudden and severe,
did not leave the usual list of death.
Two Ylctlma of Storm.
Only two fatalities were recorded In
this city. One nltfht watchman, be
numbed and blinded by the cold and
snow, sought refuge In a lumber office
and was burned to death. The other,
an aged woman, known only by hur
first name, was found in a basement
frozen to death. She was a ragpicker
and had not been missed. Firemen
called to subdue a small blaze in the
building stumbled over her frozen
corpse In the dark basement.
The first and really formal entry of
Winter extended over a wide area.
Chilly blasts swept as far south as
Dallas, Tex., where a mark of 20 de
grees above zero, the coldest in two
years, was recorded.
Tulsa, kl.. Has) 3 Above.
Tulsa. Okla.. shivered under tempera
ture of 2 degrees above. Considering
the nature of the buildings in that
country and the facilities for keeping- '
warm by artificial heau thia figure
represents about what 20 degrees below
zero would mean to the upper Middla
West and Northwest. All of the South
except the extreme tip of Florida has
been very cold. Upper Florida reached
the freezing point last night.
Snow fell tonignt over all of Michi
gan. Upper Ohio, the Dakotas, Western
New York, Wyoming and Wisconsin.
Temperaturea In the Middle West and
Northwest are considerably tempered,
compared with the first two days of the
storm. , Iowa, Minnesota. Michigan.
Wisconsin and Western Canadian
points still report 2 to 12 below, as
compared with temperatures running as
low as 21 below two days ago.
More Cold F.iprrlfd.
Heavy snow has fallen over all of
Canada and the Great Lakes cooled
(Concluded on Page S. Column -.1