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About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1907)
0ttt!tt UBLItHft PULL AOOIATiO PRIM RiPORT UOVIRS TH MORNIN0 riILD ON THH LOWS OOLUMBUU VOLUME LX111 NO. W ASTORIA, OREGON, THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 14, 1907 PRICE FIVE CENTS fA SENATE CONCURS Passes Chapin Measure by Large Majority. HOT DEBATE ON FLOOR House Influence Kills Bingham Bill Chamberlain Will Not Veto. Mc CUE MAKES ACCUSATIONS Charge, Hou.t With Jockeying, With Subject Chapin Sayi Soma Mem bora Art Inilnc.rt Oth.r. Be come Personal in Debate. SALEM, Ore., Feb. 11. Tha tjenal paaaod tlm Chapin bill at 2:40 o'clock. The only dlaanntlng vole ni Wheal don's. Johnson voted for the bill un- dr pretext. The Joint conference committee on railroad leglalatlon rerommendod the Chapin bill early thla afternoon. The Senate committee first proposod that the Itlngham bill be punned. The vote atood three to three. The next House committee propoaod that the House bill be pnaand. This resulted In a tie vote, Tho House committee withdrew and the Senate committee caucused, and finally decided to recommend to the Senate the passage of the Chapin meaaure. Tlowerman and Miller of Marlon, a majority of the Senate com mlttee, made the majority recommen Jatlon, The House hy a vole of 28 to 29 took another atip thla morning In throttling nil I road legislation. In half an hour the Houae took the Bingham Railroad Commlaalon bill that had boen paaaed by the Bonnie from the table and Indefinitely poatponed It and then the Houae machine laughed In the face or the Sonata by appointing a conference committee composed of Rodger, Campbell and Jackson, the three leaders, who, with Davey, have fought for the cause of the rallroaJe and petty polltlca In the Houae. McCue plainly told the Houae that It waa Jockeying with the entire quos tlon, and Mr, Chapin charged that the member who were trying to Indefln Holy postpone were Insincere In their protestations for any railroad loglala Hon. "Let's sot together. Wo are treading on dangerous ground and we had better drop thla fight and forget petty polltlca," he aald. Dye, Edwards nnd Freeman urged that If tho Houae had any desire at all to bo fnlr It would not kill the Bingham bill, but Instead would ap point a conference committee nnJ leave tho measure on the tablo until nine mutual action could bo agreed on. Every appeal only Increased the determination of the majority for Im mediate action, though aome of the majority plainly said that this action was not fair. Half a dozen personal debates took pluco on the floor of the House, and It was evident that not for tho rest of this sesHlon will the members of the House love each other. When hy a margin of one vote the Bingham bill was Indefinitely poat poned, the men who had slapped the Senate in sarcasm moved that a con ference committee bo appointed, the motion was carried and the speaker appointed tho three leaders In the House who had fought the support of the committee for the original Chapin bill and had Just Indefinitely post poned the Bingham bill. . ' ' ,'; when the appointment were made, members called from the floor of the House, "It's going the same old way.'.' Davey, with a grim smile, reapondoJ "It's according to programme, gentle men," which Is the first time this as Ion that the mask has been dropped, The governor won't vto It. Thla la almost certain, but had the Bingham bill, giving him power to appoint boon successful, ho would have ap pointed two Republican. Skillful political manipulation has ttlrecM (he proposed railroad loglsla Hon for the pant few days, cropping out strongly today. The bitter, fight waged (it the House over an appointive Htulcj Board has Involved tho House organisation machinery nnd Speaker fmvoy, through his position, has over ridden opposition, Ignoring It ot ev cry opportunity. Speaker D;ivy promised President Haines nnd Sena tor Bingham this morning he would appoint a conference committee Infor action on S. II. 29. Instead he p t milled 8. B. 129 to be Indefinitely postponed before appointing tho com niltfe. Although Coffey, a friend of tho Bingham bill, moved for a con furence committee, Davey Ignored him In making tho appointments, placing on the conference committee only the most rabid advocates of the State Board appolntmenta. President Haines appointed! as tho Senate committee Miller, of Linn and Marlon; Bowerman and Hedges, the latter a Democrat, imvey's actio In killing the Senate bill and then appointing a conference com mittee, frustrated the purpose of the conference. With S. B. 129 killed In the House an dthe Chapin bill tabled In the Sen ate, the Joint conference became i Joke. During the morning session Beach, Bailey, Hodson and Miller, of Marlon, attempted to force the pass age of the Chapin bill and to prevent the conference. Bingham fought for a conference In order to place Speak er Duvey on record. RESTS IN CONGRESS Peaceful Settlement of San Fran Cisco Incident Assured. CONFERANCE AGREES ON PLAN If- Amendment to Immigration Bill is 'Passed School Board of 8an Fran oisoo Will Rescind Order for Oriental 8ohoole. WASHINGTON, Feb. 13. The Jap anese school controversy Is settled In aofar as President Rooaevelt, Mayor Schmlti and the members of the San Francisco school board are concerned. Amicable adjustment of the question now rests with Congress. If an amend mont to tho Immigration bill proposed by Secretary Root, excluding for elgners who use passports to gain ad mission to the United States "to the detriment of labor conditions In this country," Is accepted by Congress and the Immigration bill la passed at this session of Congress, tho San Francisco school board will rescind Its order es tablishing Oriental schools, unless the Japanese government agrees to the proposition to separate schools which will provide equal facilities for Jap anese children. Schmltz nnd his associates con versed with the President today'and assured the President that the amend ment to the Immigration bill would be mttrely satisfactory to them. Secre tary Root participated In tho confer once and made a report on his nego tiations with Republican leaders in the House and Senate and with the Japanese ambassador. While the Cal- Ifornlans are still hopeful, that VU count Aokl will agree to separate schools In California they stand will ing to rescind the order establishing Oriental schools and again admit Jap anese children to white schools. Another conference will be hold at the White House Friday and in the meantime the President hopes to be able to assure Schmlts and his asso. cites that the, Immigration bill, In cluding the exclusion amendment will be passed at, this session, of Congress. MAY EXTEND SESSION Lower House Favors Two More Weeks CAN'T COMPLETE WORK But Disgusted Minority Members May Go and Not Leave. Quorum. THREE HUNDRED BILLS LEFT House Would Have to Pats Measures at the Rat of Twelve Bills An Hour to Finish on Time New Bills Being Introduced. SALEM, Ore., Feb. 13. The Oregon Legislature may do this aalon what It has never done before extend the 40 days' session for another week or two. The situation Is this: If the House holds night sessions every night until Sunday, It will have, Including today, only 28 working hours, the sessions being each day from 10 a. m. to noon and from 2 to 5 p. m. and from 8 to 10 p. m. With 28 working hours left In which to pass House bills the House has something more than 320 bills to act on, nearly as many as are usually acted on during an entire session. This means that during every work Ing hour from now until the end of the week the Houso must pass finally on nearly 12 bills an hour, and to date no Oregon House haa ever made a record of that sort. As many of the most Important measures of the ses sion are still ahead of the House, It Is clearly Impossible to attain this average, for at the utmost speed on local measures that require slight 'Je bate the House finds trouble in dls posing of more than half a doien an hour tho day through. More bills have been Introduced for first reading the last three days than have teen disposed of, something that never happened before. The members for ten days have been saying some thing must be done. But now they are frank In confessing that they don't know what to do. Half a dozen leaders In the House, including the Speaker, have been in terviewed on this question today and without exception they can see no way out unless another week is added to the session. Everyone admits that this la the only feasible way of es cape, but the majority are anxious to go home and several state that they will leave for home when the 40-day term exnlres. no matter, what the House may deckle to do. It might easily result that tho log Islature would decide to prolong us sessions and then loso enough mem horn ho hnt no ouorum would be present nnd nothing could be done, The latest fight over the railroad bill In the House has antagonized a strong minority in the House and many are disgusted enough to leave the leglala ture suspended In mld-alr. TWELVE HONOR LINCOLN. Number of States Will Officially Ob serve His Birthday. NEW YORK, Feb. 12 Twelve states of the Union will today officially honor the memory of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's birthday Is a legal holiday In this state, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illnols, Massachusetts, Min nesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wyoming. With the passing of each successive decade, the observation of the natal day of the Civil War President is be timing more marked. Many polltcal organizations, societies and clubs will observe the day this year with dnnera and socal gatherings. One of the lar gest of these will be the annual Lin coin's birthday banquet of the Repub lican Club at the Wuldorf Astoria Banks, exchanges, schools and post of flees atirtlons will be closed because of Ihu holiday. Hotels, theatres, public buildings and clubs will be decorated with the national colors and flags will be flung to the breeze at half mast. MAKE MORE HEADWAY, Half of Navai Appropriation Bill Com pleted by House. WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-r-Conslder able headway was made today by the House In the consideration of the Na val Appropriation bill and more than half the bill was perfected. A number of points of order were made and sus talned against minor provision of the bill. President Roosevelt's public land message was read. An appropriation for a steel floating drydock to cost not to exceed 11.400,000, was also stricken out, on a point of order made by Mann of Illinois. BILL UNSATISFACTORY. WASHINGTON, Feb. 13. The compromise coal land bill has been agreed upon by the House Committee on Public Lands, but falls far short of the President's programme. In the bill agreed upon ccal land is reserved under the same isriciions pa land ottered under it I er laws than coal land laws with the exception of home steads, patents to which are Issued without commutation. THIRTY ARE VICTIMS Gas Explosion In Los Angeles Kills and Injures Many. BRAVE SESCUE WORK DONE Proprietor of Restaurant in Which Catastrophe Ooours Rushes Into Flames and 8aves Maimed Men from Falling Walls. LOS ANGELES. Feb. 13. An ex plosion due to leaking gas in a res taurant near the corner of Second and Main streets In the heart of the city today killed three persons and horri bly mangled and Injured half a dozen others, seriously Injured nearly a score more and completely wrecked a two story brick building in which were located four small business concerns. The . restaurant waa completely wrecked as was also a tailoring estab lishment and a small laundry. The offices of several small concerns on the second floor were completely ruined. A large force of firemen and workmen labored all the afternoon clearing away the wreckage Electric lights were strung tonight and the work contin ues. It is feared that others are still In the ruins. The building was an old one and will be a total loss, inner buildings In the vicinity, one of which was the First National bank, also suf fered severely. The exact cause of the explosion Is yet unknown, but it Is be lieved that gas was Ignited by an em ploye of the gas company who was searching in the basement for a leak In the pipe. He was terribly Injured and may die. Many had narrow es capes and a number of brave rescues of injured were made by the proprie tor, who rushed into the smoke and dust and dragged out the maimed and helpless ones from the danger of fall ing walls. ASTORIA MAN APPOINTED. '' ' WASHINGTON, Feb. 13. Lars Bergsvlck, of Astoria, has been ap pointed an engineer In the Reclama tion Service. POSSIBLE MISTRIAL Illness of Juror's Wife De lays Thaw Case. MAY CAUSE SUSPENSION Physician Declares, Thaw's Pulse Shows Poor Nervous System. HAS DEPRESSION IN SKULL Defense Will Probably Introduce Thaw's Will Again Today, as Tes timonyAfter Which Mrs. Thaw Will Resume Story. NEW YORK, Feb. 13. The Thaw trial today was limited to an after noon session of less than two hours' duration, the morning session having been abandoned because of the Illness of the wife of Juror Bolton. The juror was allowed to visit his home in com pany with two other jurors and two court officers. He found his wife suf fering from double pneumonia and two physicians certified that her condition was very serious. Bolton returned to the Jury panel In time for the after noon session, mere was a stipula tion by l he counsel by which the jur or might again visit nls home accom panied by the bailiffs tonight Bolton this afternoon appeared distracted, taking little interest In the proceed ings. If Mrs. Bolton's condition con tinues so critical her husband cannot be expected to give proper considera tion to his duties as a juror, there may be an Indefinite postponement, all jurors being locked up, or possibly a mistrial. Dr. Britton D. Evans gave the only testimony heard today. His direct ex amination was concluded, but District Attorney Jerome reserved the right to cross examine the expert later. Dr. TTvon- tAstlfled to the existence of a depression In the hack of Thaw's heal of the rrost unusual character, but was uuuble to state Its significance. He aid Thaw's pulse was the most extra ordinary he had even seen. It would varv 12 to 14 beats in a minute. The pulse Indicated that his sympathetic nervous system waa seriously at fault. Evans said he discovered no evidence of drug habits nor any tremors char acteristic of excessive excessive in dulgence In Intoxicants. As a result of the conference between the counsel just before adjournment Jerome's at torneys said Thaw's attorneys had turned the will of the defendant over to him fore examination before It should again, be formally offered In evidence. Jerome said he mlgnt not offer any further objection to it. The counsel also,, agreed that Jerome should have the privilege of talking. freely with Dr. Detemar and Dr. Blng man, the Thaw family physician, about certain testimony they have to offer. Jerome said if he knew the na ture of . the testimony he might not have to occupy so much of the court's time and crowd the record with tech nlcal objections. Tomorrow Delmas will offer the will In evidence. If .it is accepted by the district attorney it will be read to the Jury. If It is not accepted by the consent of the district attorney, there is likely to be an ex tendel argument Following the dis position oJ the bill, Mrs. Evelyn Thaw will losuine the stand. MUCH WORK DONE. WASHINGTON, Feb. 13. The Sen ate today passed a bill giving the gov- ernment ths right to appeal to the Supreme Court for construction of constitutionality of any law Involved In the criminal court, " ; ' t This measure has been under con sideration tor several days, and waa paasej only efter many amendments had baen an.ii.ted at the suggestion of those senates who have criticised the provisions of the bill. The District of Columbia appropriation bill carrying; nearly eleven million dollars was passed after an hour's consideration. A bill establishing an agricultural bank in the Philippines was taken up for consideration, , but difficulty was encountered because of the Philippines tariff bill which passed the House at the last session was offered by Mc Creary of Kentucky as an amendment. No accl.'.i resulted. The conference re port of the Immigration Bill was read but 'i'n was deferred. The bill had been In conference since the last ses sion of Congress and Is brought for ward at this time to aid the adminis tration in settling the Japanese-California school question. The message of President Roosevelt urging the con sideration of legislation affecting pub l'c lands was read. The Senate hold r first night session to consider pri vate pension bills. EX-GOVERNOR HIGGIN3 DEAD. OLEAN, N. T., Feb. 13. Ex-Governor Frank W. Higglns died at 8:30 last night For years Mr. Higgins had been afflicted with heart trouble. He was repeatedly warned by physicians of a serious organic difficulty after he had entered upon his duties as governor of New York, but he refused to relax his efforts In the performance of his duties. He remained conscious to the last Mr. Higglns was bora August 18, 1856, at Rushford, Larchmont Survivor Says Women ' Were Left to Fate. Negro Waiter Declares Captain Got in Small Boat and Then Told Pas sengers to Step In Women . Were Left on Board. CAPTAIN FIRST TO LEAVE PROVIDENCE, R. L, Feb. 13. Ter rible tales of suffering were brought here tonight by survivors of the steamer Larchmont and some passen gers assert that in the hour of peril helpless women were thrust aside by men who cared only for their own safety. The charge of cowardice is made by Fred Heirgesell, an 18-year-old lad of Brooklyn, N. Y. He said that not only were women left to their fate, but that Captain McVey left the sinking ship In the very first boat; that some of the ship's crew filled the boats to the exclusion of passengers and at least one boat was manned without oars when put over tho side. Louis McFarland, a colored waiter on the Larchmont, said that when he reached the captain's boat he found the captain there. The captain order ed the boat to he swung out, calling to passengers at the same time to step in. , The passengers, McFarland said, seemed afraid to do so and as the ship was going down, McVey ordered the boat lowered. When it reached the water, however, the hope fastened to the ring bolt and attached to the da vit above became caught and those in the boat were In danger of being dragged down with the steamer when the boatswain cut the rope. Helrgesell's statement la not con firmed toy any of the other survivors, but he insists that he Is right Pres ident Dunbaugh stated tonight that the schooner was responsible for the collision and In view of the short time before the steamer sunk he believes the steamer's crew did all they could (Continued on Page 8.) CHARGES COWARDICE