Monday, May 18,
Figures Wrong
Declares West
f the Taxpayers of Oregon:
The following article is self-ex-
ylanatory, and contains indisputable
facts, taken from the public records
f the state: '
The public service commission
jlaces the total valuation of the
Portland, Railway, Light & Power
company, for the five counties of
I if""
hare been looking Ifor a letter from
me for quite a while, Everything
has been pretty tench torn op and
we havn't beten tn any place where
we could ?e the opportunity to
write. We are not settled perman
ently yet. We expect to be billeted
out in French families very soon now
but we will all eat together. Did
you get my letter from Camp Mer-
ritt? I wrote you from there the
second day we w(re there. How
ere you all getting along? I haven't
been sick a day yet, only one or two
days on the Northern Pacific 1 didn't
feel very good. Taking everything
from the time we left until now, we
have had a pretty pleasant and in
teresting trip. We were seven days
on board from Mew York across. The
fifth day we woke up in the morning
and went out on deck and (censor)
for the first time. Our boats are
built different and are altogether the
best in every respect. Better man
ned, too, About 7 or 8 hours from
dock a big (censor) over us and sev
eral airplanes were seen. I'll have
to stop for an hour or so, they are
falling in now for church services
by the army chaplain.
BEN F. WEST
Candidate for State Treasurer,
Multnomah, Clackamas, Marlon,
Polk and Washington, on all its ope
rating property, at $46,862,971.92.
The state tax commission placed a
valuation, after deducting the county
ratios, on this same property, at
$14,609,322.55. The gas plant at
Salem, as an individual concern was
given a valuation of $211,000 by the
public service commission, while the
state tax commission's valuation,
after applying the county ratio, was
$61,200.
The public service commission
gave the California-Oregon Power
company of southern Oregon a valu
ation of $2,717,174, while the state
tax commission placed the valuation
of this company's property at
468,450.80, after applying the coun
ty ratios. This company operates in
Douglas, Jackson, Josephine and
Klamath counties. These are only
two instances.
What I want to show is the in
equality of the valuations of the
public utility properties with that of
the private corporations and individ
uals. These corporations as as
sessed by the state tax commission
nd the valuations given them by
the public service commission should
be the same.
The state treasurer Is an ex-offlclo
member of the Btate tax commission
and If I am nominated and elected
to the office of state treasurer these
conditions will be remedied. The
people of Marlon county know I play
so favorite. I therefore ask your
support and vote at the primaries on
May 17.
(Paid Adv. by Ben F. West.)
4$1$$S$,$SSS$3J$$
SOLDIERS' IiKTTEHS 4
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Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Lamkln are iu
receipt of the following letter from
their son Charles who is with the
45th artillery regiment in France:
Somewhere in France.
Dear Papa, Mama and All: Well,
va are here at last. I suppose you
- 1:30 p. m
Southern France is quite a bit like
Oregon in wheather. The few days we
have been here it has rained, only
about one hour out of the day, but
today it has rained all day so far,
Yesterday I was up town walking
around seeing things. The main busi
ness street here is about 15 feet wide.
The sidewalks are about 2 feet
wide. The people nearly all walk up
the mlddel of the street, There are
some very good dressed people here,
but most of them very poorly dress
ed. Nearly every man wears the
French uniform. We are all quart
ered here in an old French monas
tery, it is four stories high and about
150 feet by 200 with a big basement
and underneath that a dark, deep,
dungeon used here In the days of Na
poleon for their prisoners. There are
several such buildings as this one,
all inside a big stockade made out
of mortar. Underneath the walls
are the stables which held Napoleon's
bodyguard horses and the cavalry
horses, which if you remember, was
the great Dragon Cavalry of his
time. From the wall back of the
buildings you can get a beautiful
view of the valley and mountains,
vineyards and green fields. There
the grain is up here about two Inches
now. France is a country where you
see Industry in everything; and is
also a beautiful country. England
has lots of country which is good,
but is used more for gardens and
parks. It is more picturesque than
France, but that is all you can say
for it. When we were in the Brit
ish camps in England we went
through an old abbey which they
claim to be over 1200 years old. Tha
was a Bight to see. Inside all the
prominent earls and dukes and other
people of England being buried in
it. The altars, galleries under
ground passages and tomb stones
were very old. I registered my name
in a big book there and also carved
it away up in the tower. Most of the
big old colonial manors have been
turned into hospitals, so there are
lots of nurses and invalid soldiers
to be seen. I guess I have seen
nearly every denomination of sold
iers from Americans down to Turks,
The Canadians are a fine bunch of
fellows, also the Australians and th
French. But they all are glad to
see "Uncle Somme" as they call us.
The British call us tha "bloody
Yanks."
The railroad trains her look like
toys alongside of ours, The cars
are 'built In four compartments, hold
ing eight persons each, with a door
anti window for each. Their engines
look like little play things. We trav
eled along about 20 miles an hour
bumpty-bump-bump. Anyway they
are slow but sure. The whistle
sounds like the whistle on a peaunt
wagon back in the states.
We went through (censored) about
30 a.m. one morning. I was the
only one awake in our section. But
it was so dark I couldn't see much.
You know they don't burn lights in
the buildings here at night much
later than 10 o'clock on account of
air raids. The Americans are sure
going after the Germans with gas.
Germany would like to quit that kind
of fighting right now If we would
let her.
Well, folks, this is my last sheet
of paper( and I don't want to teil
you all now or I won't have anything
for next time.
Love to all, will write again soon.
Bye-byeT ,
CHARLIE.
Battery E 65th Artillery C. A. C,
American Expeditionary Forces, by
New York.
DISCOURAGING liKTTERS
CAUSE DSSERTION8
SHIPYARDS APPEAL
FOR SUMMER WORKERS
Renew Shabby
Varnished Surfaces
You can easily make marred or shabby varnished
surfaces bright and new. For floors that are worn
and scuffed use Acme Quality Varnotile Floor
Varnish. Woodwork and furniture should be var
nished with Acme Quality Interolite. Window sills,
doors and exterior surfaces are given a durable finish
with Acme Quality Sparkote or Exterolite. There's an
VARNISH
for every purpose. A floor varnish that's tough and
durable and made especially to be walked upon, var
nishes for automobles and carriages, woodwork, furni
ture or any surface that can be varnished, either
indoors or outdoors.
Tell us which you need.
Swenson (& McRae
Ashland, Oregon
University of Oregon, Eugene, May
13. C. W. Ausman, employment and
Industrial manager of the Grant
Smith-Porter Ship company, of Port
land, has Just sent an appeal to the
registrar's office at the university
for workers for the summer, and
plans to visit the university in a short
time for the purpose of obtaining
first hand information as to the pros-
recta for workmen and to ask for cooperation.
Mr. Ausman outlines some of the
advantages of the Grant Smith-Porter
yards In the following way: eight of
the yards are roofed over, there are
recreation buildings, modern sanita
tion, live athletic committees and
teams, splendid transportation fac
ilities, rooming places, co-operation
between departments and specially
trained foremen.
"Will some active students volun
teer their services this summer,"
asked Mr, Ausman, "and will they
have just as much enthusiasm as
though they were digging a trench
In France? The work is just as im
portant." v
In a recent statement the war de
partment strongly advises against
discouraging letters to soldiers:
"Recent reports from commanding
generals of certain army divisions In
dicate that one of th'e fruitful causes
of soldiers absenting themselves with
out leave is the discouraging letters
from home. Such letters frequently
give alarming exaggerated reports of
conditions surrounding the soldier's
family, that some member is desper
ately sick, that all are starving or
,that they are in some way being
harassed. In instances such letters
have so preyed upon the minds of
soldjieirs that the have absented
themselves without leave to go home
only to find that conditions had been
grossly exaggerated.
Meanwhile, the soldier had been
absent without leave, a serious milt
tary offense. His problem then be
came one oi iacmg the penalty or
getting deeper Into trouble by de
serting. Sometimes a man's pride or
fear has led him to desert.
"Every soldier wants to receive let
ters from home. They should be
frequent, cheerful, hopeful and ap
preciative of the sacrifices that he is
making for his country. They should
be full of family Incidents and cheer
ful home gossip. They should pro
tect him from the trifling alarms
and the small annoyances of every
day life. They should encourage
him by giving full confidence that his
family and his friends stand behind
him in the great enterprise he has
undertaken.
"The value of such letters to sold
iers is beyond estimate. The harm
that discouraging letters from home
do to him is clearly Indicated by re
ports at the adjutant general's office.
Here are some extracts from recent
reports of division commanders:
'"I find also that many of the
families of the men write to them of
unsatisfactory conditions at home,
sickness of relatives and how much
various members of the family wish
to see the soldier. These letters, so
far as sickness, etc., are concerned
are often overdrawn but combined
with the homesick feeling, often re
suit In the man going absent without
leave and finally being dropped as
a deserter.'
i am now, through the news
papers of Indiana and through led
urers In Kentucky, whom we are able
Vote X No. 47
I i. SCIfflF
PHD
Republican Candidate for
, Water Superintendent
DIVISION NO. 1
Has practical knowledge and experience in Irri
gation. Not representing Bonding Companies.
and comfortable and provide proper
amusements. Extraordinary meas
ures have been taken by the war de
partment during the past year to
keep the young soldier actively en
gaged while In camp with sports,
amusements and comforts that a
wholesome psychology might be
maintained. Still, a type of soldier
will yearn for home and fall into a
brooding mood. It is obvious how
harmful to blm and to the service
a discontented letter from home
might be."
BRITISH TO REOPEN
OREGON RECRUITING
Lieut. E. Evans, Sergeant G. M
Slade and Sergeant G. C. Klllam of
the British and Canadian recruiting
mission are planning to make a two
months' trip through Oregon to en
list British and Canadian subjects
for overseas service with those forces.
The Journey is to be made by auto
mobile and the recruiting officers
are now In Portland preparing for
their trip. They expect to visit every
hamlet In the state.
"The British-Canadian recruiting
mission had notable success In Ore
gon, particularly in Portland," said
Lieut. Evans, "but in the smaller
towns there are many subjects of the
crown who should be enlisted. They
will doubtless do so when the oppor
tunity Is presented to them.
"We will take men into the serv
ice up to the age of 67 years If they
wish," he continued. "The Canadian
draft age Is 40 years. That of the
British army is 45."
Old papers for sale at the Tidings
office.
to reach through the office of the
adjutant general of that state, en
deavorlng to advise the home people
of these men of the seriousness of
these offenses and that their efforts
should be to assist every man In per
forming the duty that has devolved
on him, to lighten his worries and.
above all, to regard desertion in its
proper light. I shall also attempt
to get the West Virginia papers, to
Institute a campaign of education
along similar lines.'
"A division inspector submitted
the following in this connection:
'"While stationed at Columbus
barracks, Ohio, last year I was a
member of a general court marital
that tried apporxlmately 100 enlisted
men for desertion from national
guard regiments stationed on the bor
der. I believe I am safe in saying
that at least 90 per cent of them gave
as their reason for desertion the fact
that they had received letters from
home to the effect that a wife, sister
or mother was either dying, very ill
or In destitute circumstances, ana
beggged the man to come home at
once. Many of the men admitted
that when they arrived home they
found that the writer of the letter
had exaggerated conditions.'
"Many young soldiers, fresh from
home, suffer from homesickness, no
matter how army officers may try
to make their surroundings pleasant
Fred A. Williams
GRANTS PASS,
OREGON
N Republican Candidate
For
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER
Came to Rogue River Valley In 1906. Have been practising law
1 8 years.
Believes that the man who pays the freight should have something
to say about the fare and service of PUBLIC UTILITIES, ESPE
CIALLY, LIGHT POWER AND WATER.
Co-operation with the PUBLIC is the duty.
No. 43 on the Ballot. ' ' .
(Williams fr Commissioner Committee)
Paid adv)
Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Spencer left
Sunday night for Albany where they
will attend the department encamp
ment as delegates of the local wo
men's relief corps and G. A. R.
Medford's quota in the third Liber
ty loan drive was $233,000. On com
pleting the count Saturday evening,
at the close of the drive, it was dis
covered that' this city had exceeded
Its quota by nearly $31,000, having
a total of $264,450 to its credit.
Mobilizing Your
Finances
It's easy when your available cash
Is all snugly reposing in a sound
bank. You can handle your finances
with less cost and trouble.
Join Our Army of Depositors
and be prepared for the financial bat
tles that face you.
State Bank of Ashland
I For Governor
GU C M0SEK I
Republican
President Oregon State Senate
FOR A VIGOROUS PROSECUTION
OF THE WAR TO A VICTORIOUS
CONCLUSION.
FOR STRICT BUSINESS PRINCI
' PLES IN MANAGEMENT OF STATE
AFFAIRS.
FOR RURAL CREDITS EXTENSION,
IRRIGATION, DRAINAGE AND DE
VELOPMENT OF ALL OUR RE
SOURCES. ,
FOR ASSISTANCE BY PORTLAND
CAPITAL AND BUSINESS TO EV
ERY SECTION OF OUR GREAT
STATE.
FOR THE RIGHTS OF BOTH LABOR
AND CAPITAL UNDER A SCHEME
OF MUTUAL CO-OPERATION.
For Good Roads, but Fighting the
Paving Trust
We are paying about $5000 more per
16-foot mile of Bltulithic pavement
in Oregon than is being paid in Wash
ington. Let us build good roads in
every county in the state GIVE
EVERY COUNTY A SQUARE DEAL.
Elect MOSER and you will forever
banish the subtle Influence of the
Paving Trust from Oregon politics.
AGGRESSIVELY INDEPENDENT
A Patriotic American
A Native oi Wisconsin, Age 47
For 27 Years A Resident oi Oregon
The Man Who Put the Rogue River
Fish BUI Through the Senate
(Paid Adv) f