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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1916)
TITE SUNDAY OREGON! AN", PORTLATSHD, DECEMBER 31, 1916. IS LEGISLATORS TO JOIN RAINMAKERS Irrigation Congress Opens in Portland January 4 and Problems Are Scheduled. EXPERTS ARE TO SPEAK Particular Difficulty or Each Sec tion Is to Be Worked Out and I.ans to Correct Defects Aro Considered at Session. A majority of members of the Legis lature are to be present at the Oregon Irrigation Congress when it opens at the Imperial Hotel. January 4, and many important matters will be dis cussed directly affecting irrigation. The members of the Legislature will be here primarily to study the irriga tion situation and to learn from the Congress its recommendations for Irri gation laws; but the meeting will also afford the possibility of preliminary "feeling out" on innumerable other subjects before the Legislature which will convene a few weeks later at foalem. Every irrigation section in Oregon will be represented by speakers and by delegations Interested in particular problems of irrigation. Prominent Federal officials and representatives from "Washington, Idaho and other states will be also represented. The annual election of officers will be held Saturday afternoon, January 6, at which time also the resolution com mittee will report. The annual banquet will be held at the Chamber of Commerce Saturday night, with O. M. Clark presiding and C. C. Chapman toastmaster. The programme as revised up to date by acceptances of new speakers, fol lows: Thursday Morning. l:00 Registration of delegates. 10:00 Congress called to order by presi dent. Address of welcome, F. O. deck. City Commissioner, on behalf of the city of Port land; O. M. Clark, president, on behalf of the Portland Chamber of Commerce Response. George Russell Prtnevlile, Or. President's report, J. W. Brewer. The Dalles, Or. "A Word From the Secretary," y N Wallace, Tumalo. Or. Report of programme oommlttoe, O. O. Chapman, chairman, Portland. Appointment of committee on credentials. Recess. Thursday AllQIuoon. Main subject, "Irrigation Practice." 1:80, call to order. IV A. Dover. Portland, "Sclentlflo Bide of Irrigation and the Application of Water." R. E. Bradbury. Klamath Falls, "The Relation of Transportation to the Success of an Irrigation Project." Dean A. B. Cordley, Oregon Agricultural College. One-half hour will be accorded In flve mlnute periods for demonstration or Irri gation equipment and material. Among the speakers and subjects will be: "Metal Flume and Its Value." John S. Beall, pres ident Coast Culvert & Flume Company. Thursday Night. Main subject, "Federal Aid." 8:00 Report of committee appointed by the Fifth Annual irrigation Congress to promote enactment of the Jones Federal aid bill by the Congress of the United States, O. Laurgaard, chairman. Address. Robert E. Strahorn, developer of Central Oregon. Address, Dr. ETiwood Mead, University of California. Friday Morning. Main subject, "State Legislation for Irri gation Districts." 9:00 Call to order. Address, L. M. Rice, Seattle. Address. Judge Carroll B. Grave. Seat tle. "Development of Irrigation Laws." Address. Percy A. Cupper. Salem. "Irri gation Development In Oregon, Under the Oregon District Law." J. T. Hlnkle, Hermlston. William F. King, Prinevllle, "Success of the Ochoco District Bond Issue." H. Jl. DeArmond, Bend. Friday Afternoon. Main subject, "Needs of Oregon Irrigation Projects." 1:30 Call to order. Report of the secretary, B N. Wallace, Tumalo. Dr. Hector Macpherson, Oregon Agricul tural College, "Application of Oregon State Rural Credits Bonds Amendment to Irriga tion Development." Address. Dr. C. J. Smith, Portland, "Ap plication of Federal Rural Credits Law to Irrigation In Oregon." Address. T. B. Kay. State Treasurer, and chairman State Land Board, "Operation of the State Land Board In Relation to the State Rural Credits Law." "Irrigation Progress in Upper Deschutes," J. B. Moreen, Portland. "Irrigation Progress In Crook County," Roscoe Howard, Deschutes. "Irrigation Progress In Harney County," C. B. McConnell, Burns. "Irrigation Progress In Union County" (speaker not named). "Irrigation Progress in Columbia River Counties." Dr. J. E. Anderson, Mayor of The Dalles Friday Night. Main subject, "Financing of Irrigation Projects." 8:00 Call to order. Address. Rawles Moore, Medford, Attl tude of Eastern Investors Toward Irrigation Bonds." Address, John A. Keating, president Lum bermen's Trust Company. Portland, "Atti tude of Investors Toward 'irrigation Bonds." Saturday Morning-. Main subject, "Co-operation. With Federal Departments to Assist Oregon Irrigation De velopment." 9:00 Call to order. Address, E. F. Benson, president Washing Ington Irrigation Institute. Porter J. Neff. Mcdford. W. Lair Thompson, Lakeview, chairman legislative committee Oregon Irrigation Con gress. John Lewis. State Engineer, Salem. Address, Arthur Hooker, secretary Na tional Irrigation Congress, El Paso, Texas Saturday Afternoon. 1:30 Call to order. Address, C. L. Smith, agriculturist, O.-W R. & N. Co., "The Use and Misuse of ' Water." Report of committee on resolutions. Election of officers. Adojurnment. Saturday, Night. Banquet. Portland Chamber of Commerce, O. M. Clark, president; C. C. Chapman, toastmaster. Following are the members of the 1917 Legislature who have accepted the Invitation to the Oregon Irrigation Congress and will attend one or more sessions of same. George T. Baldwin, Klamath Falls; C. A. Barrett Athena; C. P. Bishop. Salem: E. D. Cusick. Albany; Robert S. Farrell. Portland; Samuel L. Garland, Lebanon; John Gill, Portland: C. L. Hawley, McCoy; S. B. Hus ton, Portland; Hermon A. Lewis, Portland; Ous C. Moser, Portland; Conrad P. Olson, Portland: A. W. Orton, Portland: M. D. Shanks. Conlton ; I. S. Smith. Marshfleld; Frederick Stelwer. Pendleton; W. T. Vinton, McMlanvlllo: George R. Wilbur, Hood River: J. E. Anderson, The Dalles; Ira C. Barber, Wlllamlna; Lou's E. Bean, Eugene; George C Brownell. Oregon City; A. C. Callan. Portland: Hamilton F. Corbett, Portland; Vernon A. Forbes, Bend; W. V. Fuller, Dallas: E. J Goode. Portland: Herbert Qor- don, Portland; Seymour Jones, Salem; K. K.I kudu, Portland; o. Laurgaard, Portland: D. O, Lewis. Portland; William W. Lunger, Lafayette: Lionel C. Mackay. Portland; Stephen A. Matthleu, Portland; Arthur K. Peck. Marshfleld; C. O. Portwood, Fossil: Roy Rltner. Pendleton; Bcnamln C. Shel don. Medford; Charles Albert Small, La Grande; R. N. Stanfield. Stanfield; Harold C Stephens, George; Charles T. -Sweeney, Murphy, and Mrs Alexander Thompson, The Dalles. Seal pups born on the Pribilof Islands were more numerous by 10,450 this year than last year. OFFICERS AND LEADERS IN OREGON IRRIGATION CONGRESS, WHICH OPENS SESSIONS HERE THIS WEEK. LINES ARE IMPROVED More Than $6,000,000 Spent in Oregon in 1916. 0.-W. R. & N. WORK LEADS Extension of Railroad Branches, Electrification, New Stops, Short ening of Line and Other Im provements Included. More than $6, 000,000 was expended by the various railroad systems in Oregon during the past year for betterments and construction work. The, O.-W. R. & N. Company spent $2,375,000, the Southern Pacific $1,800,000 and Hill lines about $500,000. Construction of about 11 miles on the Grants Pass Crescent City line and other minor Items complete the, total expenditures. Among the most important projects prosecuted) by the O.-W. R. & N. was the completion of Its branch line from Riverside to Crane, a distance of 33.61 miles, at a cost of $742,000. This line completes the extension from Vale, which is 127 miles long. About $750. 000 was expended in shortening the grade between Blalock and Coyote Junction and relaying the main line track at various points with heavier rails. Construction of a roundhouse at Huntington and extension to the round house at La Grande Involved a cost of $100,000. Relining the Peninsula Tunnel with concrete cost $362100 and an additional expendlutre of $82,54)0 will be required to complete the work. Other improvement work brought the total expenditures up to $2,373,000. Coos Bay Lino Completed. The principal work undertaken by the Southern Pacific was the comple tion of the Coos Bay line. The branch extends from Eugene to Marshfleld. a distance of 121 miles. The entire cost of the line was $10,80,000, of which the expenditures during the past year amounted to about $1,000,000. On the operated lines of the Portland division approximately $800,000 was spent for additions and betterments. The most Important work was the electrification of the line from White- son to Corvallis. Work is well ad- vanced and It is expected electric cars will be operating between Portland and Corvallis by April 1. This project, when completed, will cost approximate ly $425,000. The company also spent a consider able amount in general betterments n its Portland division. The list of betterment enterprises on the North Bank, Oregon Electric. Ore gon Trunk and United Railways lines for the year will total approximately $500,000. Tunnels and bridges consti tute the chief items. Freight Stations Improved. Probably the most Interesting fea tures of the new work completed in the Willamette Valley were the large number of additions and Improvements to freight stations, industrial spur tracks, loading platforms, new ware houses, livestock pens, loading chutes, etc. The extent of the work done In dicated a satisfactory gain in general agricultural and commercial conditions over the previous year. A considerable volume of traffic moved from valley points to market. Th demand from the farming com munities for facilities for handling products for market Indicated that the producing sections were experiencing prosperity. LAW IS WELL ENFORCED ATTORJfEY-GEVEIUL BROWS SAYS SOME VIOLATIONS EXPECTED. Officials From Other States Say Oregon Has Been Successful in Ad ministration of Law. The prohibition law has been benefi cial and has been effectively adminis tered In the opinion of George M Brown, Attorney-General. Mr. Brown made the following statement: "At the close of Oregon's first year under prohibition, we assert that the law as a whole has been successfully administered throughout the state. That some violations have occurred during the year was to be expected, and we apprehend that other violations will occur during the Incoming year. "The habits that a man has been forming during his lifetime are not en tirely eradicated by the mere passage of a law. However, Oregon's prohibi tion law has been for the common good. "From my correspondence with the law-enforcing officers of other states where prohibition exists, I believe that the prohibition law has not been bet ter enforced in any tate during the first year of its existence than In our own. "I have been In many of the coun ties of Oregon within the last few months, and the testimony of observers of the effect of the prohibition law is that it has advanced the common wel fare of the people. My attention has so often been called to some person who has paid his bills under prohi bition whose money was generally squandered for drink before; to chil dren who had more shoes and stock ings, and food, under Oregon dry than under Oregon wet. "When the Anderson law was enacted outside of Its alcoholic provision It was one of the most advanced prohibition laws upon the statute books of any atate. Within a few days thereafter. the Idaho Legislature passed a stricter law, under which It Is unlawful for any person to import, ship, sell, trans port, deliver, receive, or have in his possession any intoxicating liquors, ex cept as provided in the act. "Other states have tightened up their liquor laws. "The people of the State of Oregon declared at the late election that no intoxicating liquors shall be Imported into this state for beverage purposes. This has placed upon the Legislative Assembly the responsibility of making effective such constitutional provision. This can be done by making it unlaw ful to deliver, receive or possess intox icating liquors that are hereafter im ported into this state for purposes oth er than such as are expected within the constitution. "In the enactment of prohibition laws It should be remembered that the evil the law-making body is striking at is the drink habit. There is noth ing unhealthful in the mere manufac ture and sale of intoxicating liquor. It is the use of such liquor for beverage purposes that strikes at the common welfare of the people." GRIME TAKES BIG DROP POLICE FIND CODITIOXS ARE IM PROVED BY" DRY REGIME. Sale of Alcohol by Druggists Is Only Provision of Art Objected to and Remedy la Advised. With the advent of the prohibition law the monthly total of arrests took a sharp slump. Petty crimes lessene'd In frequency, and the routine duties of the police were correspondingly lightened. Drunkenness hundred per cent greater In the cor responding records of the last "wet" year. "From the police standpoint, prohibi tion has proved a good thing." said Chief of Police Clark. "Where there is no liquor sold there Is always less crime, of course. In the past year the police have had decidedly less trouble. The greatest drawback to the present law is the sale of alcohol by druggists If this could be regulated drukenness would lessen noticeably. The first year of prohibition has been successful, we believe, and things will go even better from now on." The totals of general arrests and for drunkenness, by months, were as fol lows: 1915. , iw& - Ar5tB- Dm'la. Ar cm Di-nks. - J ........ X,tit February 1,687 Maroh 1.738 April 1,751 May 1.638 June . . . . , 1,554 July 1.642 August 1.513 September .... 1,547 October 1.809 November 1.692 ia,a3 8305 10,842 1820 xne ngures lor December are not inciuaea as they were not complete repon was compiled. DRY COUNTY COSTS LESS Spokane Saves $22,000 a Year Through Prohibition. SPOKANE. Wash.. Dec 30.- (Spe ciai.; me coming of prohibition in the state of Washington is given as the direct cause for ,the saving of more than $22,000 in the operating oAiciiaes oi opoKane uounty. Deputy County Auditor Skadan to day totaled figures of exDenses In f fices affected by prohibition for the year. They show that the greatest sa' ing has been mado In the opera- nun or -tne bounty lnllrmary, more tnan $io.ooo being cut from the run ning expenses of that institution. Offices affected by prohibition show the following savings in cost of opera tion: Prosecuting Attorney's office, $17,. 308 in 1916 and $17,639 in 1915; Jail HZ.Z02 in 1916 and $15,696 in 1915; Sheriff's office. $17,659 for 1916 and $27,689 for 1915; county indigent fund $37,624 for 1916 and 142,674 for 1915 Superior Court, $65,170 in 1916 and $72, 622 in 1915. Airbrakes Cause Man's Injury. HOOD RIVER. Or., Deo. 80. (Spe clal.) Robert Tecker, an Inspector for the Pacific Fruit Express, sustained se vere bruises on one hip and a sboul der by being whipped from a car and thrown to the ground when the air brakes became deranged. The young man was taken to St. Vincents Hos pital In Portland this afternoon. Portland Couple Obtains License. TACOMA. Wash.. Dec. 30. rSDeclal.l Marriage llcerfses were Issued here today to Morris Wilbur Hedden and Meta Ellene Thayer, both of Portland and to John Bruncev, Hoqulam, and Fannie It. Ross, Gig Harbor, Wash. DIB BOO 91 644 1.034 Us 617 1.083 188 675 1.148 181 641 1.029 144 688 72 100 60 738 190 683 795 160 614 788 188 641 1.018 238 858 687 210 . ........... .. - ::-a- y SAVINGS SHOW GAINS Increase of Time Deposits in Oregon Banks $7,000,000. ALL ACCOUNTS HEAVIER Compilation Made toy Superintend ent Sargent Gives Total of All Deposits as 984,950,461. $08,758,802 One Tear Ago. The people of Oregon saved more money the past year than ever before. Their aggregate savings deposits have Increased approximately $7,000,000 since January 1, 1916. Every section of the state reports a substantial gain in the volume of Its savings deposits. In Portland savings were increased fully $2,500,000. Approximately $4,500. 000 over the previous year was saved in communities outside of Portland. These figures were taken from the cur rent reports of 8. (. Sargent, State Su perintendent of Banks. ' The reports were compiled to reflect the condition of the banks on Novem ber It, 1916, when the last call of the Controller of the Currency was made. His comparisons are with the situation on November 10, 1915, the date of a similar call. The call of 1918 showed $25,445,242.96 in the savings banks of the state, com pared with $21,352,228.63 reported un der the 1915 call, an increase of $4,093, 014.33. An aggregate of $17,932,235.33 was deposited on time certificates, com pared to $14,835,474.11 In the previous year, an Increase of $3,096,761.22. These time certificates really can be classi fied as savings deposits, as they rep resent virtually the same class of bank patrons persons of small means who want to put their money in a safe place where it will draw Interest. Time deposits in the Portland banks alone aggregated $6,636,543.62 on No vember 17, 1916, and $6,052,788.64 on November 10, 1915, an Increase of $483, 754.98; savings deposits were $18,730.- 069.81 and $16,574,830.91. respectively an increase of $2,155,238.90. ' Commercial deposits likewise have Increased handsomely In both the city and state at large. Commercial deposits In all the banks of the state. Including those of Port land, aggregated $S4, 959, 461.55 this year-and $68,758,802.34 last year an Increase of $16,200,659.21. Commercial deposits in the Portland banks alone were $35,896,746.04 and $33,425,735.78, an Increase of $2,471,010.26. These fig ures represent the active checking ac counts which' are used In transacting the everyday business of the com munity. The Portland banks, moreover. show an Increase of more than $11,- 250,000 in the deposits carried with them by other banks In various parts of the Northwest. DRY LAW HELD BENEFIT DISTRICT ATTOHXEY EVANS GIVES VIEWS ON PROHIBITION. Multnomah County Prosecutor Seea Betterment of Social and Crim inal Conditions Here. "From the viewpoint of a prosecuting officer a year of approximate prohi bition in PorUand and Multnomah County has produced a marked effect upon the community, both In reducing the amount of crime and in the better ment of social conditions," says Walter H. Bvans, District Attorney. "Only a few days a.go the Sheriff of this county reported that in 1916 he held 406 vagrants and in 1916 only 32; that he had had In the county Jail 1500 prisoners against 2500 in 1915, and $200 in 1914, and only 31 non-support cases compared with 91 In the preced ing year. "Similar ratios are maintained in the figures in this office. In the months from January to August, inclusive, in 1915, an aggregate of 197 defendants were bound over to the errand Jjury rom the Municipal Court. In the same months of this year S5 were bound over. That this Is not due to any change of policy upon the part of the prose cutors is evidenced by the fact that the total felony charges brought in the Municipal Court during; the first period was 365; and during the second period 158. In the first period there were convicted on misdemeanor charges 1339 persons, and in the second period 283. "There is no question that crime has been cut almost in half since prohibl tion went Into effect. "Much of the work of the District Attorney's office during the present year has been in the prevention and punishment of violations of the prohi bition law. The amount of cash pen allies collected from offenders of this class has been sufficient to finance the cost of prosecuting. Each day further fortifies the authorities in their efforts to reduce the amount of this business. "Since the saloon has been abolished there has been a marked exodus of crlmlnnl cldsses. I am informed that fully 50 per cent of the professionally Immoral women have migrated. "The worst evil that we had to con tend with during the year was the al cohol business and this, while bad enough, has In fact been confined to a comparatively small coterie of con firmed drunkards. "That the abolition of the saloon has been accompllshel in Portland without injurious effects to the business fabric and with marked results upon the moral and law-abiding character of the community, is a thing which I seldom now find anyone disposed to deny." DRY OREGON GROWS Economic and Social Gain Made in Past Year. EMPLOYERS LIKE DRY ER Investigation Brings Assertion That In Some Lines of Business Effi ciency of Workers Has In creased Fully 2 5 Per Cent. (Continued From Pas14.) all the liquor of that kind consumed in the state in the "wet" days had to be bought outside the state and money had to be sent out to buy It. No one with any Information on the subject whatever Is willing even to approximate a guess how much money went out of Multnomah County every year for wine, whisky and other hard drinks. Some say It was $5,000,000. Others say It was higher. Anyway. It was many times more than the amount sent out this year under the "dry" law. - A whole lot of beeT also was brought Into the state in the old days, but this expenditure is offset In part at least by the operation of a number of brew eries that made shipments out of the state. The fact that money Is being sent out of the state under the present law was the professed Inspiration for the campaign started here last Fall to se cure an amendment to the constitution permitting the breweries to operate. People refused to be lnnuencea ay mis appeal, for they defeated the brewery bill with a majority of 58.000. At the same time they adopted the "bone dry" amendment making It Illegal to Import liquor with a majority of more than 5000. Every county in the state went against the brewery bill. The recent in-estlgatlon led into almost every avenue of trade, for the purpose of learning Just how business had been . affected. Reports Are Optimistic With the exception of those lines de pendent directly or partly on the sa loon business for their business, not a single merchant reported that prohi bition had hurt him. Obviously the ex-ealoonmen. the ex brewera and ex-bartenders have been hurt. Also the Ice dealers or some of them, at least, have suffered. The saloons were heavy purchasers of Ice Contrary to expectations, the laundry business has not suffered. Those laun dries that did a heavy business in washing bartenders' Jackets and aprons and supplying towels and other linens to barrooms suffered for the first few months. But they made that up. by branching out Into the domestic trade. As a whole the laundries of Portland did more business s In 1916 than they did j is a business that presents great prom nvass of their books ise. Theeonstant growth of prohibl- shows an Increase of about 5 per cent. All lines of legitimate merchandis ing has improved. This seems to be particularly true of Jewelry stores. Men who formerly spent their money tor drinks now are buying Jewelry. Jeweler's Business Grows. One Jeweler only a block from tfte waterfront opposed prohibition vigor ously In 1914. Within a block of his store were seven saloons. When the state went "dry" he tried to sell out. He couldn't. An ironical turn of fate placed Jewelry stores In two of the rooms vacated by the saloons. Then he tried to close out. In the process he found his business growing. Now he is doing 20 per cent more business than a year ago. Ho has an analytical turn of mind and accounts for the Im provement In this way: Men who work along the waterfront, loggers and laborers who "hang out" In that part of town formerly spent most of their money for liquor. When they bougrht Jewelry at all they bought the cheapest. They never spent more than $3 for a watch. Now they are buying $30 watches. They are better dressed and some of them need cuff buttons. Dnrlng the holidays many of them bought Chorlstmas presents somethlnff they never did before. This Jeweler declares that several of the very men to whom he sold $1 watches a year ago came In this year aad paid $25 or $30 for watches. Motion picture thenters. vaudeville theaters and all public amusement houses are doing more business than ever. Shoe stores alBO report an Improve ment particularly those in that part of the West Side east of Third street. Naturally this is due partly to the in dustrial revival of the Jast few months. Most of the men who patronize stores In that part of town are employed now and have more money to buy shoes. More Children's Shoes Sold. Much has been said by the prohibi tion champions about the Increased sale of children's shoes, as If men heretofore bought whisky In prefer ence to footwear for the little ones. While the ngures on this particular subject are In no way startling, shoe dealers agree that they are selling a greater proportion of children s shoes i.ow than they did a year ago. They have no way of knowing "whether any of the money thus placed in shoes for merly went over the bar or not. Tho assertion that children are bet ter shod this year Is corroborated by the school authorities. Having better shoes makes them better able to at tend school on wet and on cold days That Is one reason, probably, why the average attendance In the schools Is better now than It was a year ago. I. R. Alderman, Superintendent of Schools, declares positively that prohibition Is responsible for this Improvement. The blgr specialty stores and the big department stores have noticed no ef fects from prohibition one way or the other. They are unanimous in the as sertion that it has not hurt their busi ness. Ail of them are doing; more business now than a year ago. They don t know whether the absence of sa loons has helped in this or not and don't pretend to say so. but they Insist with equal emphasis that it would be Just as idle to say that prohibition has hurt their business. IlusIncM Mm Chance Opinion. Many business men who voted against prohibition In 1914 fearing that It would hurt their business now con fess that they would vote against the saloons if, by any chance, the question shouM'.come up again A prominent merchant tailor who worked hard against prohibition two years ago now asserts that he would work Just as hard the other way. He Insists that prohibition actually has helped him. Men are buying better clothes and a greater percentage are paying cash for them. Fewer men neg lect to pay their bills. And this brings up another impor tant economic factor, collections. Every credit man who is able to get a line on the situation reports that collec tions are better under prohibition. This Is particularly true of the smaller stores. The department stores and the big specialty stores have their credit departments better organized and seldom hazard heavy losses. But the suburban grocery and the strug gling retailer in the main business district are forced to take long chances. While prohibition has by no means eliminated the "dead beat," they say that their losses are lighter. The big wholesale houses In Port- land say that their collections from mtintr-,, ,,-.. V. ... n a a K,tla. ii I a n nthan last and attribute no small part of the Improvement to prohibition. The passing of the saloon has left no abnormal number of vacant store rooms. In the main business district all but three or four of the rooms for merly occupied by saloons now are filled by legitimate lines of business. In the outlying sections the vacant saloon rooms are more numerous. More than 75 per cent of the old sa loon locations were snapped up by other business men within a month after the saloons went out of business. As a rule the present occupants are not paying as raucft rent as the saloons paid. Real estate men say that the saloons were paying more than the value of property Justified. In fact some properties were valued on the ability of a saloon tenant to pay a high rent. The elimination of the saloon has brought these rents down to a normal basts. These reductions have had an Influence, too, on other rents on nearly all except the princi pal streets where traffic is heaviest. One Landlord Injured. Landlords who own property In the North End, where the barrooms once thrived like cactus on a desert, are having some trouble filling their build ings. One owner who formerly rent ed a two-story frame bulMlne for sa loon purposes for $350 a month now is able to rent the first floor for only $75. The second floor Is unoccupied now. It was vacated when the saloon closed. The landlord complains that $75 Is not enough to pay his taxes. He is In a bad flx. Prohibition is responsible. Prohibition, Indirectly, has had an adverse effect on the hop industry of the state, Oregon Is one of the heaviest hop-producing districts In the country. Hops are used In making beer. Most of the. Oregon hops, however, are ex ported for use Jn England, Germany and other beereonsumlng countries. The war hurt this trade even before prohibition affected it. At present there is an embargo on hops. None can be exported. The surplus stock re mains on the growers' hands. Conse quently the market Is bearish. War Hurts Hop Business, It Is the war, as well as prohibition, that has hurt the hop business In Ore gon this year. But hopgrowers as well as brewers see the handwriting on the wall and are preparing to curtail their output. They believe that the entire country and perhaps some of the big European countries eventually will be "dry." There has been some argument that brewers will not buy hops In a dry state. Well-informed hopmen do not bellave It. Brewers are close Usurers. A difference of even a fraction of a cent a pound will drive them into a "dry" state for their hops. All other conditions being equal. It Is probable that they would buy in a "wet" state in an attempt to punish the "dry" state. Coincident with the decline In te hop Industry has come a rapid develop- 4ment of the loganberry industry. Many now are producing loganberries. Breweries Make Lomn Juice. Loganberry Juloe factories are com ing into being in various parts of what formerly was the principal hop terri tory the Willamette Valley. Some of the ex-breweries have been transformed into loganberry Juice producers. This tlon territory offers an eer-widening iriar.ei ior soit annas. Thus, while prohibition has damaged the hop industry, it has aided In creat ing the loganberry industry, which promises soon to surpass hops in Im portance. On account of Its depen dence on the breweries for its market the hop Industry is on a precarious foundation. The loganberry industry Is subject to no such hazards. Barley growing has been somewhat affected, too, by prohibition In other states rather than In Oregon. Some barley Is used In making whisky. Ore gon never made any commercial whis ky. Barley land, however, can be used to grow other hardy grains and farm ers who formerly were In the barley business easily can grow something else. Few Breweries Are Idle. Few of the old breweries are Idle, despite prohibition. One or more are making loganberry Juice. Several are making soft drinks. Another Is to be converted Into a condensed milk factory. A few, however, are not op erating at all. There Is one other economic element that needs to be considered in passing on the prohibition situation. That is the tourist traffic One stock argument of the "wet" forces before the state went "dry" was that tourists would avoid a state If they could not patronise the saloons. Actual experience . with prohibition has proved this theory to be absolutely false. Tourists have not avoided Portland or any other part of Oregon. They have not avoided Washington, which also is "dry." ' The railroad records show that more tourists visited Portland last year than any year with the exception of 1905, when the Lewis and Clark Fair was in Portland: 1909. when the Alaska-Yukon Fair was In Seattle.'and 1915, when the Panama-Pacific Fair was in San Francisco. Saloonless City Lorn Tourists. Prohibition Portland has attracted more tourists than Portland with Its saloons ever did In a normal year. " All first-class hotels report better business this year than In any normal year before the saloons were wiped out. Naturally those hotels that made a heavy profit from, their bars are suf fering Just that much loss. But their other departments continue to make money. Some of them are absorbing the losses due to the elimination of tho bar by the increased business In their rooms and restaurants. Employers Approve Dry Regime. The growth of the prohibition move ment has made it necessary for all ho tels to organize their business Inde pendent of their liquor sales. No good department store will permit its shoe department, for lnstanoe, to carry the losses of its dxessgoods or Its rurnl ture departments. Every department must stand on its own bottom and make money. Hotelmen say there is no reason why a hotel should depend on Its saloon to carry along the rest of the house. In conducting the recent investlga tlons The Oregonlan questioned scores of employers In various lines of Indus try regarding the effect of prohibition on their employes. The .answers were monotonous In their approval of the "dry" regime. Sqme employers asserted thqft those of their employes formerly inclined to drink have gained fully 25 per cent in e tlcularly True efficiency. This was par ol logging camp opera tors. At the recent convention of the Pa clflc Logging Congress in Portland the larger part of an entire evening was devoted to a discussion of "The Ben efits of prohibition." The reports of more 'than a score of owners and op erators showed that prohibition had been a decided benefit and advantage to them. Not one of them said a sin gle word to the contrary. The loggers were united in their opposition to the brewers amendment. This somewhat superficial review of the situation should be sufficient to snow just how prohibition has affected The facts revealed herein explain. perhaps, why the people of the state after 10 months of prohibition, gave I majority of more than 58.000 votes against the plan to modify the funda mental prohibition law. Doubtless these facts explain, also. why the people living in "dry Oregon voted last November to make It even drier 'by adopting the amendment mak ing It Illegal to import liquor for bev erage purposes. TRADE MAKES GAINS Bank Clearances Increased $95,329,385 Over 1915. P0ST0FFICE YEAR IS BIG Building Permits, for First Time tn Five Years, Show Increase, and Important Projects Consid ered for New Year. (Continued From First Pr0 a new high level in the city's financial operations. Clearance Gain 3,329,3S5. Clearings this year aggregated $649. 775.141.36. an Increase of $95,329,385 over last year. The previous high water mark In Portland banking busi ness was In 1918, when clearings to taled $627,818,010. or $21,955,131 less than this year's clearances. In 1914 they were $678,884,01$. and In 1915 they were $554,446,756. Bank clearings covering the past two years, month bj month, were as fol lows: ima. iib. Janusry 44,603.844 $ 43.261.088 reoruary ....... .4-a.41 :;i.uto, i:u March 61.771.01- .VJ. 423,639 April 4.049,34lt :.2.:73.314 May 41.03i..11!l 51.&S4V07S June 41.06-.20'.) 47.ti62.006 July 40.S6O.i); 40.lo.i.5J4 August 40.382.04:1 .11.409.171 September 48,475.76 " .i3.vo:t7 October 89.997.497 79.C03.91I3 November 48.428.73S - .1 December 46.084.703 C.S..TJ8.S94 Total $354,448,758 $849,779,141 Postofflce Bualneaa Grows. One institution that always is taken as a fair barometer of the city's com mercial status Is the postofflce, and the postofflce reports show that business increased substantially all through the year. Postmaster Myers estimates that the aggregate receipts for the Port land office will approximate $1,216,671 this year. This figure Includes the actual volume df business for the first 11 months of the year, and the esti mated volume for December, which can be gauged' fairly accurately by com parisons with previous years. The De cember receipts will total about $132, 000. The postofflce business In 1915 was $1.167.293.03 about $48,000 less than this year. This difference represents an actual gain of 5 per cent for the year. Steady Gain Indicated. The postal receipts, by months, were as follows: January $101,448.28 February 92.910.71 March 100.724.90 April 97,072.99 May 99.S10.2S June 100.243.93 July 90.1S4.21 A September 100.897.78 October 103.046 5S November : . .:'ir,.s December 132 coo. oo Total .$1,216,517.24 Estimated. One of the notable features of the Portland postofflce business Is steadily increasing volume of the postal sav ings bank. There are now 7544 deposit ors, with $1,342,831 to their credit. Tho gain 'in deposits over last year was $294,178. The Portland postal savings bank now ranks seventh In the United States. nnlldlng Makes Advance. For tho first time in five years the building permits In Portland showed a gain over the permits of the previous year. The aggregate value of permits for 1916 was $6,049,143. compared with $4,S95.345 for 1915 a gain of $l.lE3.8uO. or. approximately. 25 per cent. There are under consideration several mDortant building projects and It la. probable that active work on some of them will be started, soon, with gen eral improvement in business It is ex pected that there will be considerable building activity In 1S17. Statistics covering building permits In Portland the past 10 years are as fol lows: Permits. Va'.-mtlon. 1907 8P0 t ;. I HV.I82 1908 484S 1900 4739 1810 8323 1911 787 1812 8224 191S 6710 1914 6939 1915 4623 1910 4237 10.400.I3L 1."..41.3S0 in nm w 19.152.370 14.6S2.07l 12.956.915 8.334.075 4.895.345 0.049.145 Lumber Shipments Below Normal. Oregon's lumber cut for the year reached about the same total as In 1915. which was approximately 1,760,000.000 feet. Lack of tonnage, due to the war, has struck a serious blow to the industry,-and. as far as the Columbia River district is concerned, the exportation of lumber for the past two years has been exceedingly below normal. Do mestic shipments have suffered simi larly. Movement of lumber by rail also was seriously affected the latter half of the year on account of the continued car shortage. In several cases Inte rior mills were forced to suspend oper ations for considerable periods because of the inability of the railroads to supply Cars. For this reason many mills were obliged to cancel their or ders and the loss of business was marked. Orders Are About Average. The seriousness of the transporta tion situation began to be felt about six months ago. Since then the mills gradually have curtailed production, and during the pasl two months the cut has been greatly below normaL The situation of the lumber Industry today can be summed up at follows: Orders for lumber are about normal. Production has been reduced materi ally, while shpments are still less than production. There is little probability of imme diate relief in cargo shipping, but lum bermen hold out the hope that the car supply situation will begin to improve soon. Just as soon its tho railroads are able to furnish cars, the mills will be able to take care of a large part of the business offered. Domestic stocks are said to be com1 paratlvely low now, and with continued prosperous times, especially in the Middle West, it is not improbable that the demand for lumber will continue briyk throughout the year. All In all, 1917 promises to be a much better year for the lumbermen than 1916. Cereal Demand Is Heavy. On account of the scarcity of ton nage. Portland's export trade was ex ceedingly light. The demand In Eu ropofor foodstuffs was so great, how ever, that the average quantity of cereal products from Portland's ter ritory went abroad via rail to New York and other Atlantic shipping points. There were 22 vessels dispatched from Portland during 1916 with wheat, barley and flour cargoes. These vessels cleared In the early part of tho year, but since that time there have been no ships available, and exporters were content to ship by rail to Atlantic ports. The wheat exports for the year to taled 1,698.463 bushels, valued at Jl.9b2.964, and flour exports were 85,903 barrels, valued at $387,145. The exportation of lumber amounted to $2,341,713 feet, valued at $226,679.