The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930, January 07, 1908, Image 1

The morning Astorian., January 07, 1908, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextPUSU8HC3 FULL ASSOCIATED PRCSSIREPORT flirt jftrH COVCRS THE MORNING FIELO ON THE LOWCR COLUMBIA VOLUME LXIII. NO. 282 ASTORIA, OREGON. TUESDAY JANUARY 7, 1908 PRICE FIVE CENTS MESSAGE IS PRESENTED Mayor Wise Reads An nual Document. INTERESTING FACTS Astoria's Chief Executive Points Out Evils That Have Been Cured. PREDICTS BRILLIANT FUTURE Council Meets Id Regular Session Last Evening and Tranurtt Much Business , Committees Are Reappointed Dr. Reames Named as City Physician. Tlia common council in retouo to call In the Mayor met In special session at the City 1111 yesterday at 12 noon for the purpose of listening, to the read' Jng of (he Mayot'a uieago to that body, and fur the further purpuMi of fixing a time for the regular ieion of the council for Die ensuing year. I'romjitly at the hour named the council wa railed to order by Hi. Honor, the Mayor, all of the members beli.g present. ,t the conclusion of th roll (l and reading of the rail for pedal arMlon, the Honorable Mayor, Herman U ie, reud to the body bin an nual mcsage, which follow: Astoria, Ore,. Jan. 0, 11KI8. To the jloiioruhle Gentlemen of the I'otntncin Council! At the threahold of this, my third and !at year a Major .of Atoiia, 1 deiu to coitgtattilatc you, anil through you, the people of Ihia city, upon the aplendid rogre made doling the year just paused. The prospect for the ensuing year are most promining. While appre ciating all thrite nianilctation of ma terial progiv the year 1IN7 will be rememlH'ri-d principally a the year when mo - uiy oi Astoria auvnnced to a cleaner, higher piwitiou among the cities of the Northwest. The charge that "Astoria i the touch- t tow n in Oregon" can no longer truth ifolly bo made. AIkhiI forty year ago. when Astoria waa a mere village and the mIiiioh industry Hint assumed important yroporuons, moat of the iisnermen rame lieie from the Kacrumcuto Itiver everv during, and at the clone of each season tliey were wont to return to California. lt wat then said, "these stranger, with pocket full of gold, are euro lo become the prey to the pit-fall now llourishinu In Kan Francisco; we might an 'Wei nliick them flint." Tim the "BUSI NESS" originated and it grew in liu portnnce until most of u came to be lieve that it was one of Astoria's chief induatrlea without which the busmen and professional world could not proa ler, nor the city pay its running expense. Aa the veteran aoldier becomes used to the eight of blood and carnage, a the thunder of ilmt and shell makes him ; oblivion to the agonizing criea of his maimed comrades, no did wo become hardened and it mattered little who felt hy the wayside, whose Imiv and fiirla . wore ruined, io long aa our own were ante, ami our husiiiesa shared in tlio profits. Finally the climax waa reached or itarticulnra of which I rofcr to my special message or March llitti Inst. It happened io be my misfortune to be Mayor at thla tlmo. Had I anticipated . uch a dilemma I might well have heal tated to accept the office j many of the men engngva in uance nana and gam bling had treated mo moat liberally. , none naa aone ine narm anu it was a nerve-racking trial to proceed against (twin, out, we are creatures of destiny aim muttt meet uimcuiues aa host we can. I would not be a putty Mayor; finding myself on the firing line it waa necessary to eithor shoot or run. I could not honorably run even as father and eon, brother and friend, had to oppose each other in tflio Civil Wajr Ifor a PRINCIPLE. Hardly had one question been settlod, when lust August the dls triet attorney of this district, like the district attornoye in most other Oregon districts, and they, like the prosecuting attorney in other states, were forced by an ovcewlietniin- public opinion to atop wide-open,1 indiscriminate, gam ig. -Una city, .however, ad beoomc accustomed to depending for part of revenues upon these sources, that the top J ling. o aoc f its rei of (t seemed to many a calamity. Vet the earth has continued to revolve the sun ha not cenxr.l to shine, and the City of AUnrla till liven, an independ ent, piiMpcroii municipality. The lax levy for the coming year has been fixed, ami while the obsolete' method of undervaluing proicity may give the t runner the false I in predion that due, nrti high, one people will not in fact, be called upon to my a high a tax tier capita a will be paid by the people of many other cllle lit Oregon and Washington, nor aa high a Astor liiu have (mid In year gone by, a is exemplified by the following statement procured after comilderablu researuh. In nniwer to inutrle addreMd to the Mayor of the principal cities in the two state I received thee replies: Kr. . Direct Per City Pop. Taxe Capita (Kxcl, License) Astoria, Or 15,000 $.17,411.12 ICugene, Or fl.(Na) M,tmm 7.wi Albany, Or fl.lKW 1H,2MII,3S 3.WI Salem, Or 15.WK) ftt.O.'M.iio 2.(m Portland, Or.,.20,iaK) 012.07O.4U 4.05 Alx-rdeen, V, I0.OO0 BB.OOO.fK) 5.S0 KverHt, W.j So.fKK) KWA1H.34 4.35 Seattle. V .,. .200,000 l,IM),W4.IMi 5.50 Walla Walla... 20,000 75,070.1(1 3,75 I al) lliul that the running expemteK of the whole city are but little more than the expciiPtce of the Astoria achool dUtrlct, a shown bv the report of the hiMil clerk. The total running exKrne of the ( it? of Atoria lat year ex elu.lve of street improvement and other icial Charge) were fns.pin.2U. i he total expenws of the aelinol district last year Here $52,324.83, Kvcrybody concede that the Astoria School District 1 U'ing managed with prudence and ability s yet who will aug gct that the llounrublo Nchocd Itoard K"t part of it revenue from dunce hall aiut gamtiiing7 If it were wrong for the School DireHor to secure revenue from line iiUKiwd upon vice, why aliould de eeitt taxpayers expert the Common Omncil to do this wicked thing? I aUo ubmit figure taken from the record showing the amount of taxes (Mild by the people of Astoria (Indepen dent (if the rouflty and school taxes) during the last four year when the city itself collected ita taxe: City Taxei ( I MINI f22.l47.Ofl IHI'I fil.3Hl.72 I WW .- - 08.744.45 IH03 35.W2.3l The city taxe levied for next year amount to only I7.4'I.I2. 'litis in face of the fa-t that we have doubled in pop MEANS WELL SAYS BRYAN Commoner Gives Opinion on Roosevelt. ' MAKES MANY MISTAKES Silver Tongued Orator Addresses Jeffersonian Club of Omaha. QUESTION MOST IMPORTANT Whether the Government Shall be Ad ministered in the Intereat of a Few Favorites or in the Interest of the Whole People. O.VAHA, Jan. 0. Ilryan waa the prin cipal aeaker at tlw annual gatheringof the Jeffer ian Club of Nebraska to night. "The moral element In pending Iwues," wai hi (object. He aald in part: "No question i ever nettled until the moral element in the question ciiMCd and decided. Nothing, moral issue, that is, an issue involving justice, stir the heart. The time is ripe illation, now have more lire and police! J' another appeal to conscience and in protection, are aMiUtiug the Park and, dilutions point to a greater study of Library Fundi, have more aijd Mter public questions from the ethical irtand MrcH and als.ut three time the num-1 point. The corrupting influences which her of street lights. I there, then. Just,, mve oveA fnm, n,ewnurv noiiti,., cause to say that the people of Astoria lll have to pay hunlensoine taxe be eause of tlie loss of revenue from illicit sources! - , .. However, if a low tax levy be our only goat, if Atorla ever liecomcs so im poverished as to bo obliged to sell her reputation and be called "The Outcast City," if a low tax levy seems of more import mice than the city s good name or the virtue of one children then I sub mit that the 1 5,000 received annually as ' blood money" is too small a sum, have at hist oxcited attention and there now i eearching of men and of measure an such aa has not liecn known in recent times. "The President's popularity largely, if not entirely, is due to a belief among the masse that he want to do what is right, that he ia trying to do juatiue to thoee who have been unjustly dealt with. He ha imule ninny mistakes and great ones,'but these mistake have to a If the wntre of sin U death, then let ua Uvrjro extent been overlooked bv those strike for the highest possible, wages I who Ixdieve that his heart is right and the trafllo will bear it. I am prepared that lie means well. This ia onlv an to show that there Is enough money in indication of nublio attitude. 37.60 the "Husine" to pay the entire running exHnses of the city, take up our bonded indebtedness, and still leave a good margin to those who managed the un lawful enterprise. The police record for lust year show that there were 15 cigar machines; estimated daily receipts, each $2.50, total .., 110 nickel in theslot machines; estimated dally receipt, each, $5.lH),totnl ., 550.00 40 wheels, tables and other de vices; estimated daily re ceipts, each, $10.0. total 400.00 t Estimated total per day $ 087.50 Total per year (305 days) $350,000 "Taken In" at dance halls (ap-' lufcxlmately) 50,000 Uiand total.... $400,000 This is a conservative flirure, as all woll know. The vast amount of closo to half a million dollars spent annually In riotous living! Isn't this appalling? Tlia same money turned Into legitimate channel cannot fall to greatly benefit this community. Another very bad fea ture has been the fact that a large pro portion of tJiis vast sum was taken away from here by the awnrm of non residents who, like birds of prey, used toiconie here iu the Spring,, leaving the town soon after the season waa over with fat pocketbook! and then, too, like tlm (Jivat Captaina of Monopoly,' the "Jntereata" have made themselves . obnox ious to the people by combining and attempting to dictate polities and poli cies to the Municipality. The greatest danger to any building is not the rav ages of the e'lementa from without, but the worms that silently, steadily, surely (working unseen) undermine the struc ture; to the greatest danger to the so oial fabric are the views that gnaw at the vitals, endangering the Home, the foun dation of all society and of all good gov ernment. In thl connection I am temp ted to quote two lines from Goldsmith's "Deserted Village'! "Ill ifares the Land, to hastening ills a prey, Vhcre Wealth accumulates and men decay." I say these things, not with bitterness (Continued on pago S) "Another indication ia to be found in the influence of voters. Not since the civil war have party lines hung so loosely and this is the natural result when voters become earnest in their desires that wrong shall be overthrown and right vindicated. "Pw ple differ as to the relative im portance of the different issues, some placing the trusts first, some the tariff question aa paramount, others believing the railroad question most important. But the fact is, they all point to the same issuo and those who take the peo ples' aide on one of these questions are likely to take the peoples' side on either of the other fcwoj "The issues presented in each and all of these questions is whether the govern ment shall be administered in the in terest of a few favorites or in the in terest of the whole people; whether the people tdiall be taxd that a few may be enriched. THAW TRIAL BEGINS. Nine Jurors Have so Far Been Selected Defense to Plead Insanity. NEW YORK, Jan. O.-At the close of the throe court sessions which marked this, the first day of the second trial of Ifarry K. Thaw for the alleged murder or Stanford White, nine tentative jurors were selected out of 67 tales men. AU the men in the jury box are subject to peremptory challenge. Legal insanity, at Mme of the tragedy Is to be the sole defense. This was made clear at the very outset of the proceedings today when Lawyer Littleton formally served notice that the former plea of not guilty iwn amended by the specifica tion that defendant was Insane when the homicide was committed. The trial opened with little or no ceremony. The only women allowed present were members of the defendant's family and newspaper writers. Mrs, Evelyn Thaw was again the center of Interest even to t ne exclusion of the defendant himself, WILL APPOINT RECEIVES. California Safe Deposit k Trust Com pany Insolvent. HAN FRANCISCO, ,Iun. 6. Presiding Judge Coffey, of the superior court, will tomorrow iipint a rewiver for the California Safe Deposit & Trust Co., which cloned it door last NoveiiiU-r owing it depositors nearly nine million dollar. President J. Dalzell Jlrown, Director W. .1. llartnett and James Trcadwell, another director, is in the county juil charged with embezzlement in connection with the 'wrecking of the institution iu which twelve thousand de positor liad placed their money. Inves tigation bv the grand jury revealed a course of frenzied finance reckless of tanking method almost without pa rallel. It is admitted the bank is in solvent. LNV0Y RETURNS. Minister Lemieux Mas Nothing to Say About Mission. VICTORIA, Jan. 6. Hon. Rudolphe lemieux, Canadian envoy to Japan, re garding the proposed restrictions of Japanese immigration, returned today. He would not make a statement before re-porting to the Ottawa government, but It i learned on high authority no ar rangement lia yet been concluded re gardii.g the restriction of emigration from japan to Canada, but the promise i obtained that Japan would restrict emgi ration from Japan to Canada. TO JAIL FOR RTJEF. SAN FRAXOIHOO, Jan. fl.-Judge Dunne announced today he would issue an orde. Wednesday terminating the elisorship In the case of Abe Ruef, who. pendinir the mi ft trials, las been kerit in a private prison. Ruef will be handed over the custody of the sherifreleet as soon as be takes the oath of office. Case offCongressman William son Remanded Back. ERROR WORKED OVERTIME Because of Technicality in the Wording of the Indictment the United States Supreme Court Reverses the Decision of the Lower Tribunal WASlUNl. lOX, Jan. 6. The case of former Congressman J. X. Williamson, of Oregon, charged with unlawfully cut ting timber on the public lands in Crook county, Oregon, in conspiracy with 100 others,' was decided by the supreme court of the United States today in favor of Williamson. The United States circuit court for Oregon imposed a fine of $500 and sen tenced Williams to prison for 10 months, but the supreme court reversed that de cision. The reversal of the decision of the lower court was baed upon the irregu larity in admiting affidavits. Justice White announced the opinion. "We are of the opinion," tsaid Justice White, "that the elaborate argument made by the government, concerning the use, in the indictment, of the words 'declara tions' and 'depositions,' can serve only to suggest an ambiguity in the indict ment and a possible doubt as to meaning of the pleadings. But as, of course, in a criminal wise, doubt must be resolved in favor of the accused, we hold that the indictment does not charge conspiracy to suborn perjury iu respect to final proofs, and therefore that there was prejudicial error committed in the in structions to the jury on that subject." Justice ' White considered, at some length, the requirement of general land office that applicants, if they had made their preliminary sworn statements, must again swear to such facts, after notice of hi application had been pub lished and the time had arrived for final action on the application, and he con cludes the requirement to be invalid. The case therefore, was remanded to the United States circuit court for the district of Oregon. Justice White dis cussed, at length, the contention of Wil liamson that his office, aa a member of Congress, protects him from arrest, con cluding that,- "Since the terms treason, felony, and breach of peace," as used jn the constitutional provision, excepta from the operation of the privilege, all criminal offenses, the conclusion result ing that the claim of privilege from ex emption from arrest and sentence, was without m;rlt. COMMERCIAL BODY ras Annual Session of Cham ber of Commerce. OFFICERS ARE ELECTED Retiring President J. W. Welch Will Donate Site for Car negie Library, W. T. SCH0LFIELD PRESIDENT Big and Public-Spirited Assemblage of Members Make a Record Mark in the Chamber's History Interesting Re ports Filed. ooooooooooooooooo NEW OFFICERS. President. . ..... .W. T. Scholfield Vice-President..' G. WSngate Secretary John H. Wbyte Treasurer ..,.C. R. Higgins OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO A hundred or more representative citizens of Astoria were assembled at the first meeting of the Astoria Chamber of Commerce, last night, to initiate the year's work and elect their new officers for 1908. President J. W. Wfeleh presided, with Secretary John H. Wbyte, and Assist ant Secretary James Wallace, at his elbow with the record and documents incident to the session and its business. The formal opening of the Chamber was effected in regular fashion, and a call was made for the submission of the practical suggestions called for by the secretary recently; and these simply poured in, each and all being cordially and heartily received and "promptly re ferred to the committees most nearly allied to their accomplishment in the future. These, of course, were preceded by the readi g of the reports of Presi dent Welch and Secretary Whyte, which appear at length in these columns). Among the apt suggestions submitted, were the following, each followed by ap propriate comment, in turn: A. R Cyrus, for the establishment of a rifle- range for the use of the army, navy and national guard near Astoria; referred to committee consisting of A. R. Cyrus, J. II, Whyte, and C. J. Trenchard. 'By G. WSngnte, for the fixing of sea board terminal rates for Astoria, in and out of port, and suggesting the compli mentary benefits that would innure to the port and city; referred to the pro motion committee. By C. W. Caraahan, for the location of an experimental spawning pond for sal mon for testa in ripening and spawning that game fish near this market and field. Referred to the committee on fisheries. By W. J. Ingalls, asking consideration for the essential needs of the city and county by way of additional sawmills, a tannery, a boot and shoe factory, a marble-yard, - a pulp mill ,and several other good things inseparable from these adjuncts. Referred to the committee of manufactures. ..; By A. R. Cyrus, for the establish ment of a green-house in the city. Al ready under consideration In the Cham ber.) , ' By Dr. J. A. Fulton, urging the assist ance of the Chamber to tie committee in charge of the oil and gas project in the matter of securing leases of land in that behalf. Passed to the next regu lar meeting. By F. N. Clark, for the cutting up of large bodies of land into small acreage, five and ten-acre tracts. Mr. Clark touched upon the advertising work of the Chamber in the past year and coun selled patience in waiting for the real results of that scheme; and also alluded to the year 1908 as the real year of destiny for Astoria in happy fashion. Some one suggested that it waa leap year and that perhaps Mr. Clark was enthused from that standpoint.) By W. J. Ingall. reverting to the ex- eellent work done by the Chamber in tb way of advertising, and hi con clusion that it had enhanced property value in this section. By Dr. lte, suggesting that the col lector of dues for the Chamber have a schedule whereby members could pay at given season. The secretary waa in structed to list the doctor for tbe month he had missed and to collect in full for what tim be had been overlooked, or sidestepped. By A. N. Smith, for the development of the strawberry in this county on the coast acreage; and for tbe raising of tbe street grades in Astoria; also for more sawmills. By Mr. Bush, of Svensen, for smaller fruit farms and tract acreage, and es pecially for roads leading to them. By William Larson, for an extended apple culture and better caw of the, small fruits in this county. By W. T. Scholfield. for the raising . of small fruits and raising of Astoria'! street grade; and or tbe better care of orchards throughout Clatsop county. By Brenham Van Dusen. for the ac quirement of more sawmills, and for the collating of records of people with sites for such mills and ready offerings in value in this behalf. ! By W. J. Ingalls, offering a ten-acre tract free, as a bonus to any man or firm woo would establish, on bis Lewis and Clark farm, a sawmill, a tannery, a pulp null, or a shoe factory. This waa the keynote of generous expression of the evening and was thoroughly well re ceived, and it stands just as Mr. Ingall made it. j This closed the filing of practical sug gestions' and the whole scheme was one of tbe brightest features ever introduced at a meeting of the Chamber and will be repeated from' time to time. . The real business of the evenintr. the election of officers, then ensued, and the Chamber got down to business in good shape under the skillful handling of President Welch, who called for nomina tions for his successor in office. IW. T. Scholfield was nominated by A. X. Smith; J. W. Wekh was put in line by iir. Jeffers; and G. Wingate went to the front on tbe nomination of W. J. Ingalls. There was plenty of giiod cheer and kindly backing for each of the candidates; but Mr. Welch, in Jecliuing the nomination, took occasion to honor Vice-President T. L. Ball, for the presidency, and this in turn was declined by the doctor; and as Benjamin Ward also 'withdrew tbe name of Mr. Wingate from nomination, the field was left with only Mr. Scholfieki's name up for consideration. His election was made unanimous and carried with a whoopt lhe vice-presidency then fell to G. Wingate upon an unanimous vote of the Chamber after A. Dunbar had declined a nomination for the post; and John H. Whyte was, of course, re-elected unani mously to his post, no other name being heard of in that relation. The treasuryship went to C. R. Hig gins on a whirlwind vote after J. E. (Continued on pag 4 PUTER RE-ARRESTED. PORTLAND. Jan..6.r-S. A. D. Puter is a free man, the pardon from the President, issued at the instance of Heney, arriving this afternon. Puter was immediately re-arrested on a charge of subornation of perjury in connection with State school lands. He gave bail in the sum of $1000 which was approved by the court. Puter announced his in tention of reimbursing all persons who suffered by reason of his operations. Puter was 51 years old today. HENEY TALKS. TUCSON, Aris., Jan. 6. Asked for a statement regarding the Williamson case, Heney, the special government prosecutor, tonight said: "I have not been officially1 notified of the -decision of the supreme court and consequently can give no definite opinion on the matter. I will state, howevcer, if Williamson has been granted a new trial he will be tried again." GEORGE DIXON DEAD. NEW" YORK, Jan. 6. George Dixon, the famous negro pugilist and winner of hundreds of battles and perhaps several hundred thousand dollars, died today in the alcholic ward of Bellevue hospital, penniless and friendless.. He was 37 years old and for many years feather weight champion of the world. MAINTAINS INNOCENCE. NEWARK. N. J., Jan. 6. Evidence unearthed in the ease of Helen Whit more, whose body was found in a pond near Harrison, leads the police to believe that two men were involved m. the mur der of the woman. Theodore Whitmore, the husband, during a severe examina tion today, though frequently giving way to tears, etoutly maintained ha knew nothing of the murder.