UBLISHKS PULL ASSOOIATIO PHIS IMPORT
COVERS THI MORNINQ FIELD ON THE LOWEFi OOLUMBIA.1
vVV
PRICE FIVE CENTS
VOMJMK LX 1 1 1 NO. 20
ASTORIA, OKKGON WKDNKSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1907
,0
I.V
RAILROAD
SITUATION
Commlllcc Hears Debate
on the Subject.
OVER COMMISSION BILL
Cotton Defends Roads Vigorous
ly Against the New
Measure.
OVER-CENTRALIZE THE POWER
Declares Main Source of Complaints it
Not Ragulation of Rates, But a
Shortage of Cara, Which Bill
' Barely Include.
HA I. KM, Ore., Jan. 29.-For hours
tho rlulnmd situation In Oregon wut
thn-ithr"! over before the Senate and
H'u railroad committee last eve
nlnif, sitting In Joint open meeting. Tim
"hnpln measure. II. It. 2. providing
for Itallrmul finiiilnl'n appointed
by the governor and embracing recip
rocal .If murrngc. was under consider
nllon. Thin iv.ik :h.. first step taken by tho
Iclflstaturii III considering railroad
eglatlon, ami It was - n"litiTi l ho
Important Unit shippers, lumbermen,
wan-housemen, Jobbers and railroad
representatives Hot ked to Salem from
im end of Hi" Willamette valley t-
tin- other.
Teal made the first mnvn by sugges
ting that thotii. who had objections
state tlnin, iillhotiKh apparently, hi
Maid, evciyne wan In favor of t in hilt
Votton ennm to tin floor In a Jiffy.
Ho (ledum!! the Commission would be
Xoctcil to seek trouble all the time
uml that If It did not It would b
held up to ridicule; thut tho Commis
sion would arbitrarily fix rate with
out tho rallroadH having mi eppnrtun
Ity to ko Into the courts for revision;
that In regard to tar shortage, all tho
Commission could do wouhl hp to mix
pend tlx law. and If that was to bo
the cam', It would hi better nut to
create an expensive commission when
It would hi' more simple and Inexpon
Hi vp to give tho governor tho power.
Cotton warned the legislator against
plachiK tho power to regulate rates
In the hanilM of any throe men, mien
power heltiK too great, hut the law
yer wan llimlly forced to admit that
one railroad man now makes the rates,
Teal and Mulr denied Cotton's as
serllons down tho line, taking up ouch
point. Tor every lint of statistics the
railroad presented the friends f the
hill had an equal number, equally eon
vlnclng. Teal declared tho whole rail
road system of Oregon Im centered In
one man, yet that tho railroads
thought throe men Incompetent to
inuko rates. Teal contended It was
the duty of tho legislature to glvo the
people a forum to which they could go
with complaints, nnd that tho moat
Important phimo of tho car Bltuatlon Is
mil rAclnroi'iit .ilomiirriiKC. but the
power of Inquiry Into tho equipment
Cotton suggested that the personnel of
tho transportation commlttoe of the
Chamber of Commerce be 'Investigated
and said that tho measure should be
entitled "A hill to let Portland sell
goods to linker City nnd Ashland and
prohibit others from selling to those
points." Mulr replied that Cotton was
directing too much animosity against
men who wanted to see if they could
try to deal with tho rallrouds, and
declared that the work taken up by
(tho Portland commercial bodies had
teen approvod by the people at large,
"This Is not antl-rallroad leglsla
tlon," exclaimed Mulr. "The spirit In
wind I III) hill .rafted whs to V
perfectly fair itfoJ just, This Is not a
rati) meaMiire, hut it hill to control the
rallc'iidx. A legit) rati) In one bring
ing Die rullioinlM 11 fair return, on the
III vent llet."
"politic was never thought of In
preparing this hill," conlliiui'd Mulr.
"Tho Idea I to eoiiriiiitriilo the power
In tint handH of omt riuin tin- gov
ernor- and not let him behind n bush."
Mr. ol'ttoii prefaced his argument
with the statement that I her was no
general rate complaint; that If there
was he could see, u demand for a rail-
1 1 i.'i l eoinlnliotlon, hut that the main
thing the people suffer from Is ear
shortage,
"This Mil has nothing to do with car
shortage, except section 2l, Inserted a
few day ago iiiul relating to reciprocal
Icinurnige," suld ho. "The only duly
if the commission under this section
Is o suspend the law, no why not give
the governor this power, and save the
wtiit.) the expeiiso of a commission?"
Contending Unit the Railroad Com-
inlrf-lon has for Its primary object the
ri-Kulall"ii of rates, Cotton went Into
a long explanation of rates.
Under tho bill, there would be ttu
rlmticn for the railroad or n private
ItUen to review the rates, and rates
cannot be set aside because they are
unseasonable, but only because they
are unlawful, "If we gavn the Port
land jobbers a rate to Itolne City there
would never be a demand for tho rates
of Oregon to b reduced. Portland
traders wanted a rate which would
compel liolse la buy Its Kaslern goods
from Portland alone."
"I've no objection to the commission
making a rate." added Cotton, "and
putting It Into effect, providing It l
Just and reiisonablo, We want the
privilege of going Into court and show
ing a rate Is not right, If you want a
i oinmlssloit .put a rate Into effect, but
give us a half-way decent appeal. Lot
the commission ait when someone
complains. limi'l lie curried away by
antl-rallroad complaints, Ituslness men
dnn'l draft such bills unless In their
own Inteiists."
Surprise Caused by Sudden Act
ion of Counsels in Thaw Trial,
NO REASONS WERE GIVEN
Motion for Exouae Waa Made by Dia
trict Attorney and Sanctioned by
Counael for the Dofenae Loaa
la Off iet.
NKW Y'OKK, Jan. 29.-The first big
Hurprlse In the Thaw trial came today
when n motion of District Attorney
Jerome with the consent of tho ile
fe.ndant's counsel, Jurors Arthur S.
Campbell and Harold R. ' Falro were
excused by tho court "without any re
lied Ion whatever un the Jurymen."
District Attorney Jerome said the rea
son for tills action was not t be made
public, but they are of a business na
ture. When questioned afterward
Knlro said bin being excused came as
a complete surprise to him and he is
In Ignorance of the reason. Campbell
said he had too much respect for tho
court to grunt an Interview. Two new
Jurors were secured today, thus off
setting tho loaa. Forty-six talesmen
were examined, using up tho original
panel of 200 men and taking 18 from
the new panel of 100. One now juror
Is John S. Dennee, a traveling freight
agent, 88 years old, unmarried, nnd n
native of New Orleans. He Is known
us Juror No. 10. Thaw showed plain
ly his satisfaction when the Southern
er was chosen. David S. Walker was
selected to replace Juror No. 4. He
U a real estate broker, 34' years old,
unmarried, and a son of John Hrls-
bane Walker. Members of the Thaw
family were all In court today and
frequently chatted with one another,
thus disarming reports of family quur-
rels.
EXCUSE TWO JURORS
mi. i nr.ir ai
IUI1 LUUIUrtL
ASSESSMENT
Joint Committee Moves to
Adjust Taxes.
BILLS ARE IMPORTANT
Railroads Will Get Radical Raise
in Assessments on
Trackage. .
WOULD TAX ALL WATER POWER
New Billa Before Committee Favor
Exteneive Changes in Pretent Slip
Shod Methoda of Appraising
Value of Property.
SAI.KM. Ore.. Jan. 29. Things com
menced to happen right after the ad
journment of the House yesterday af
ternoon. Most of them occurred In
the Joint committee meeting of tho
Assessment and Taxation committee of
the Senate and House, which met with
representatives of the Oregon Tax
Assessors' Association and the State
Tax Commission appointed at the last
wsslon of the legislature. Clyde n.
Altches'n represented the Commission,
which was composed of K. W. Mulkey.
W. J. Lachner and K. II. Soubrook.
House hill 89, the flrnt examined,
provides that tho assessors shall have
until the third Monday in October to
make their rcllurns, Insxend of the
tlrst Monday In September, us at pres
ent. The bill provides that the as
sessors shull take Into consideration
the earning value of real property,
when making his list of values and
this was what caused the first stir In
the committee.
Assessors, Slgler among them, and
other members of the committee,
thought that the earning power of city
property was the only real criterion
of what such proierty was worth, and
after a debate the subject was passed.
This will be one of the fighting
grounds for the committee, but It
looks now as though this Instruction
to assessors would bo Incorporated In
the law recommended by the joint
committee.
This bill also provides that water
power shall bo taxed as realty at full
value. Assessors present stated thut
In some counties there was a much
us $3,000,000 wortli f water power
utilized that was not paying a cent of
taxes. A last Important provision of
the law was that persons not making
a return of personal property shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor and liable to
a fine of $.r0; the present tine 1st $20,
and Is not heavy enough, in tho opin
ion of assessors to make the section
of the present law, relating to per
sonal property effective.
House bill 85 Is an attempt to break
away from the local taxation system of
taxing bunks. The bill provides that
banks shall return all property held
by them or owned by them of any
sort at Its face value, and generally
gives tho assessors a leverage on
these corporations that, according to
statements made by assessors present
at the committee hearing, had been
escaping with a tax on capital stock,
when In many caaes they were re
turning a profit each year of S00 per
cent on the capital Invested by carry
ing deposits greatly over tho amount
of their capital and making large and
profitable realty Investments. Another
thing pointed out In this connection by
Assessor Slgler was that banks hold
ing large tracts of real estate gave
these In at the price they were pur
chased for, when in a majority of In
stances the properly was worth much
more.
J Inline bill 87 was the. last taken up
by the committee. This Is a bill to
creiite a Hlat(. lioard of Tax Commis
sioners, consisting of the governor,
secretary of state, state treasurer and
two experts. This board shall fix one
rate through the state f;r railroads on
each mile of roadbed and In general
shall deal with the question of tax
ing general public service corporations.
It w'is shown that Oregon wa one
of the four states that still clung to
tho old system of local taxation :1
big general Interests, and the commit
tee without dissent agreed that a bet
ter method was necessary.
Tho Commission showed that the O.
It. & N. and Southern Pacific were
assessed from $0,000 to S1S.OO0 a mile
according to the Ideas of the various
county asm-' rs.
It developed, according to the re
ports of tin: Commission and the as
sessors present, that the usual rule
had been through the stale to assess
railroads at what It was thought they
would pay without making a fight.
This had resulted In the railroad es
caping often wlih a per mile valuation
of JO.'iOO or less, when In fact the Har
rlman system was returning dlvldenJs
an dlntercst on a valuation In the state
of about $6f,000 a mile.
After House bill No. 87 had been
presented by the Commission, the com
mittee adjourned.
RELIEF REMOTE.
Snow Blockade and Fuel Famine Com
bine Againat Middle West. ,
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 29. The snow
blockade and fuel famine in the north
west continues and relief seems as re
mote as ever. Another snow storm has
swept Nortlj Dakota and Minnesota,
and from points on the railroad come
reports f stalled trains, deserted en
gines and Rnow plows. Hundreds of
cars of coal and provisions started
westward, may not reoch their destln
atlon for days or weeks.
LARGE IRKS BURN
Plant Partly Destroyed by Flames
Started in Paint Shop
LOSS IS A MILLION DOLLARS
One Thousand Men Employed in De
stroyed Building Escape Wall
Tumbles on Four Men, But
None Seriously Hurt.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 29. A fire
which started with an explosion In a
paint shop destroyed am.gn.tlre section
of the big Baldwin Locomotive works
tonight, entailing a loss of $1,000,000.
The destroyed building was about 175
feet long by 150 deep Immediately ad
joining the main office at Broad and
Spring Garden streets. These with
several other buildings were threat
ened. The entire fire department was
called out. All of the one thousand
men employed In the destroyed build
ing escaped safely, notwithstanding
tlio llanies spread quickly. Shortly af
ter the tire started the upper portion
of the wall on Spring Garden street
fell and one fireman and three work
men were caught by the falling bricks.
They were Immediately rescued with
but slight Injuries. The flames were
put under control within an hour after
the Are broke out. The fire will not
greatly hinder work, as the depart
ments destroyed were duplicated In
other parts of the plant.
BRICKS GO UP.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 29. The
price of brick has been raised to $12,50
per thousand from $10, the price which
has ruled for a long time past. The
brick Industry of San Francisco is in
the hands of four concerns, two of
which are located In this city.
riMuni
All
UU111I1UL ILL
Three Roads Have Freight
Traffic at Mercy.
OPERATE IN COMMON
Harriman Paid Over pillion for
Outlet for Wheat
Shipping.
SCHWERIN GIVES EVIDENCE
General Manager of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company Before the
Commission Railroad Officials
Enter Testimony.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 29. Inter
state Commerce Commissioner Lane
today commenced an Investigation into
the relations between the Southern
Pacific, Union Pacific and Santa Fe
railroads, and the result of these rela
tions, with a view of determining in
what particulars, if any, these roads
have violated the Interstate. Commerce
laws. It developed early In the hear
ing that the Southern and Union Pa
cifies, which are now one, and the
Santa Fe, have entered Into an alliance
and between them they control the rail
transnortation of the Pacific Coast
south of Oregon.
Vice President Payson of the Santa
Fe and John D. Spreckels gave inter
esting testimony. Under the question
ing of Counsel Severance for the gov
ernment, Captain Payson went Into
the joint organization by the South
ern Pacific and Santa Fe, of the
Northwestern Pacific Company, and to
the Joint ownership of the Short Line
leading out of Bakersfield and oper
ated alternately by the two roads. He
also testified that a Southern Pacific
line from Mojave to Needles is leased
to the Santa Fe. Spreckels testified
to the purchase by President Harriman
for $1,300,000 of the Coos Bay and
Coquille Valley Railroad Company;
the Coos Bay, Roseburg and Eastern
Railway and Navigation Company,
some coal properties and a steamship
line. They cost Spreckels' company
$1,000,000. Spreckels says he does not
believe the Southern Pacific was af
ter the coal property, but that It want
ed an outlet for wheat traffic from
Roseburg and from Portland to tide
water. The witness said so far as he knew
no other road was competing with the
Southern Pacific in the purchase of
the road, nor surveying for another
similar road, although he had heard
reports that the Rock Island road had
been looking that way. R. P. Schwer
In, general manager of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company testified that his
company alternately gives cargoes
from his ships, first to the Southern
Pacific and next to the Santa Fe. He
said this was an arbitrary practice
and liable to be changed any time. He
said he aimed to give the Santa Fe
about the same amount of business the
Santa Fe gave him. "The Southern
Pacific," said Sehwerin, "will never In
terfere with any ship under this man
agement." "Then Mr. Stubbs looks on you as a
rank outside?" observed Severance.
"Absolutely, to my great regret."
Sehwerin then gave more details of
his arrangements with the two roads.
He said at one time he told the
Southern Pacific he would not give
them any more business if they didn't
give better car service. He said this
didn't bring any remonstrance from
the owners of any of the stock.
CALIFORNIA
HOTEL AT NORTH BEND.
Fs'-'r-?t?ry ',.!?,ipe to be Erected
at That Plaee.
NORTH BEND, Ore., Jan. 29. Con
taining 140 rooms and covering a
ground space of 108 by 132 feet, a
$50,000 hotel will be erected In North
Bend, construction to start In four
weeks. Money Is furnished by Mayor
1 J. Simpson, of this city, and Sey
mour II. Boll and Henry 11. Hewitt, of
Tacoma. The trio is also behind the
proposed Coos Bay Electric Railway &
(jas Works.
The hotel will be the first four-story
building to be erected In North Bend.
Steam heat and an electric elevator,
both heretofore unknown In North
Bend, will be installed. Every room
will be fitted with a telephone. The
building will be a frame structure
resting on a concrete foundation.
OLIVER GET8 PARTNER.
Bidder for Canal Construction Backed
by Bank President.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29. William
Olliver, whose bid to construct the
Panama canal has been accepted, au
thorized the Associated Press tonight
to say tha he has entered Into part
nership with Frederick C. Stevens,
president of the Commercial National
Bank of this city.
WELCOME DOUBTFUL
SALT LAKE, Jan. 29. By a margin
of one vote the state House of Repre
sentatives today invited W. J. Bryan
to deliver an address to them during
his coming visit to Salt Lake. Four
teen Republicans voted with the Dem
ocrats to carry the motion.
DROWNED AT COOKTOWN.
BRISBANE, Australia, Jan. 29.
The government schooner Pilot wai
wrecked In the recent cyclone at Cook
town. Seven were drowned. Includ
ing Hargreaves, a member of the
Queensland legislature.
MANY LOSE LIVES
Explosion in West Virginia Mine
Entombs Eighty Workers.
ALL PERISHED INSTANTLY
Two Hundred Men Were in Shaft at
Time, but Majority Escaped Un
hurtEfforts Made to Reach
Buried Bodies.
CHARLESTON, W. Va., Jan. 29.
With a detonation heard for miles
around and hurling debris hundreds of
feet Into the air, dust in the Stuart
mine near Fayetteville exploded this
afternoon, bringing terrible death to
eighty or more men at work 500 feet
below the surface. There is no chance
that any will be taken out alive, for
it is thought the terrific force of the
explosion snuffed out their lives In
stantly. Though rescuers cannot reach
the bottom of the shaft for forty
eight hours, every effort Is being made
to reach the entombed men, but there
is little hope any of them are alive.
At the time of the explosion about 200
men were In the shaft. Of the un
known dead 36 are white and ten ne
groes. In addition to the number of
white Americans who have taken em
ployment at the mine so recently that
their names are not known to their
fellow workmen, about 20 foreigners,
whose names are not known, were also
killed, it Is thought.
At least fifty or sixty persona are
dead at a result of the explosion at
the Stuart mine tonight, according to
the latest reports received. The death
list may total seventy-five.
AMERICANS GET CONTRACT
RIO JANEIRO, Jan. 29. An Ameri
can company has been authorized to
build a harbor at Rio Grande de SuL