PUSU8HC3 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.