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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (July 28, 1921)
THE OREGON DAILY JOURNAL, PORTLAND. OREGON . TKUKSPAY, JPXV ft, lttl BOOST IN TAXES UfrWIUSuWt FIRMS REQUESTED Taxation of public service Hons is more equal proportion to their claimed value when before the state public service commission on rate ad joetment natters s advocated by the city council of St. Helens. Through the City recorder, J. B. Godfrey, the council of fit Helens sent to the Portland city council today copies of a resolution it has passed on this subject, and a state ment thereon. "It appears to the management of this city." cays the . statement, "that while th nrta ft urvthlnv 1 Hlnc 1- - ' nsotpt taxes and public service rates that the taxes of private corporations ad persons might be very- materially reduced if the assessment upon public service corporations were proportion ately equal to or made upon the same basts as that of outer property. TAX i'AVOR CLAIMED j' "A superficial examination only is sary to bring one to the conclusion that the public servtee corporations are very greatly favored in this tax game, and we are asking your -cooperation, to be exer cised in your own way. in order to ob tain an equal adjustment. "Railroad rates and telephone rates are very high, in fact, are the only things that do not indicate a returning to nor malcy ; is (here; then, any reason why these corporations should not pay their just portion of the cost of government?" The resolutions adopted, by the st. Helens city council, which are being sent to the state tax commission and to each municipality in the state, set. forth "Whereas it appears from the records of the assessment of Columbia county, Oregon, for the year 1920, that the prop erty within said county, exclusive of that owned and held by the public service corporations, is assessed at nearly its true and actual cash' value ; and "Whereas it appears from' the state ment issued by the state tax commis sion of Oregon that the property ot the public service corporations within Co lumbia county is assessed for the year 1920 as follows,: FIGURES SUBMITTED 1 "Railroads, $2,972,140 ; telegraph com panies, $44,369.32 ; telephone companies 261,402, but that the actual suras upon which the tax levy is made are as foi lows, to-wit: "Railroads, 21.112,444.60 ; telegraph companies, $27,060.41 ; telephone compa nies, $37,455.22, and "Whereas it appears from the forego ing quotations from said statement is sued by said state tax commission, that the assessment of ths property of the public service corporations of sate county ip not greater than 25 per cent of the 'actual cash value of such prop erty, and that the sum upon which ths actual tax levy is made does not exceed 20 per cent of such actual cash value, and probably not that much, and "Whereas it appears that from the evidence adduced at the lets telephone bearing in Portland, that the rate base value of the telephone company's prop erty alone in the state of Oregon, for the year J.920, was $15,692,110, and that the tax for sad year against said company covering all the counties, was actually levied upon the base of $5,761,629.79. REDUCTION IS CITED "And whereas there has been a grad ual reduction in ths assessment ef the property of said public service corpora tions tor the past three years, and "Whereas the discrimination in favor of ths public service corporations and against the other industries and texpay Ing individuals is too palpable to be longer Ignored or excused, now there fore be it, "Resolved by the city of St Helens, Columbia county, state of Oregon, that the state tax commission of Oregon be and it hereby is requested to so raise and adjust the assessment on the prop erty of the various public service corpor ations ef the .state that they shall be re quired to pay a tax equal to those paid by the various other industries and indi viduals of said county." H WALL IN AGEE COUP (Continued From Past One) ess the statement that he had owned a white sailor hat, such as might have been mistaken for a white mask re ferred to by Mrs. Ages. But Klecker declared that he had given the hat to his brother at Los Angeles before the date of the murder here. When Klecker was married at Los Angeles recently, he testified, be thought that he was the one charged with Agee's murder, as well as being held as a ma terial witness. Mrs. Nellie Young, neighbor end fre quent companion of Mrs. Ages, returned to the stand this morning, revived after the fainting spell that overcame bet Wednesday night TROVES POOR WITNESS She proved a poor witness for the State, offering no new evidence, except to affirm that she saw nothing wrong with Mrs. Agee's conduct and did not observe Klecker' alleged devoted at tentions to the woman. "Did you ever see this coat before with the front plastered with blood? Cigarette No oigaretto has Haver as Luoky Strike. Because Lucky Strike lthe STATES BACK AGAINST ?luXnY WEIRD EXHIBIT IN AGEE MURDER TRIAL Kok at that knife! Did you ever see at bloody blade before?" ' Collier, cold, unemotional, spitting out his words like bullets from a ma chine gun, Wednesday night at 10:30 o'clock at the end of an evening of sen sations, lifted from under his desk a bloody black overcoat and took from the pocket a long evil-bladed knife, dis playing them before the astonished eyes of Klecker, who claims be was Mrs. Agee's lover and who wag on the stand in Circuit Judge Morrow's court as the state's star witness. K5IFE IS EXHIBITED Collier stepped iivjtront ef the witness stand, with - the overcoat la his left hand, while with the right he drew the knife back and forth in front of the Witness' eyes. Klecker, beads of perspiration stand ing out on his forehead and cheeks, did not' budge in his chair. He sat as one half, hypnotised. Collier's eyes bored into his, There was hardly a breath drawn In the courtroom during a long minute. Audience, jurors and attorneys momen tarily expected the witness to collapse at this sudden development. But he did not. Then Collier shouted : "Take it In your hand! Feel of it! Look st it! Where did you last see this overcoat, that had in its pocket this bloody knife with the music sheet that you have just said was Mrs. Agee's?" Klecker took the knife and looked at It "I don't know anything about it," he said, so low that he could be heard only few feet away. SPECTATORS ARE AMAZED "That's all." Collier snapped, and turned back to his desk. Startled, bewildered, the witnesses of one of the most amaxlng scenes that was ever enacted in a courtroom sank back a their seats. Joseph L. Hammersly ana Sam Fierce, deputy district attorneys handling ths prosecution. leaped excitedly from their seats. They had not known of the discovery of the articles. v "Try the coat on. they commanded. Klecker get down from the stand while they tried the coat on him. It was snug, but he could button it With Its bloody front showing plainly be stepped in front of the jury. The coat with the knife and the music sheet in the pocket were found the morning of the murder. CoUier did not divulge where they were round, but promised to connect them up later. It Is now evident that the defense sus pects' Klecker killed Agee because Mrs. Agee would . have nothing to do with him. thinking that if he got the man out of the way he would have revenxe ana pernaps uie woman. Klecker. when called to the stand an hour before, had testified under direct examination of the state that he had been giving Mrs. Agee trombone lessens for three months previous to the raur der and that twice during- the week be fore the tragedy ne had been intimate With her. DEFENSE ANGLE SEEK The defense made it clear that it con tends Klecker was the man with the black overcoat and white mask that Mrs. Agee said she saw fleeing through tne front aoor or the house just after she leaped over her husband's body, when she was awakened by his struggles in bed." Klecker said he was 30 years old, lived at 265 Eleventh street, that hs was at present a janitor in the Henry building besides giving music lessons He had kept ne lob more than few weeks at a time for many years, he admitted. He served 20 months in the navy during the way. He ha been in Portland off and on for two years. i am married I married a girl in Los Angeles July 1, this month." Klecker aid. "You were at that time out on ball as a material witness in this case, were you not?" Collier asked. "And Is it net s fact that you married this girl," he added, "in order to shift from you sus picion of having murdered Harry Agee?" "No," the witness answered, in bis almost inaudible voice. RELATIONS ADMITTED Klecker admitted that both before and est the murder he had told people that had bad improper relations with Mrs. Agee. "More than a doses, but less than 26 people in the Henry building," he con fessed he had told. knd was that not to shift suspicion of the murder from yourself V Collier de manded. "Ko," said the witness. Klecker said that op the night of the murder he played in Campbell's band un til 10 o'clock, that he-then went to the Musician's union, then to the Henry building to change his clothes and finally home. Be wan living with his sister at the time and she was in Oregon City that sight, he said. He stated that he was ready far Vet at 11 40 o'clock. He no wiuissaip to testify as te his Before flashing the overcoat Collier produced two tern sheets ef musts, such ss used for teaching the rudiments, and asked him to Identify them, SBEET MUSIC IDENTIFIED Klecker said he believed they were Mrs. Agee's music sheets. They were similar as far as publishers ana, osnteets were concerned, and seemed to have ths same tears. When the overcoat was shews. Collier 'Wb1 ie otiy Its if d &D d th dttfiiC sheets were taken from the seme socket After the donouncemen t the state took the position that there were so positive marks of identification on the music and that they might have been different sheets. Klecker said that familiarity devel oped between hhn sad Mrs. Agee white he was giving her lessons. She "leaned A blood-stained overcoat and a keen tool of the slayer of Harry Agee, say barristers who are seeking to shift the toll of crtmerom a woman's shoulders to those of her admirer sued music teacher. He Is not certain that the crumpled sheets of a musical composition pictured here did not come front Mrs. Agee's music roll, though they were found in the frequently kissed each other afterwards, he declared. On the Saturday before the Saturday on which Agee was killed. Klecker testi fied, he met Mrs. Agee down town. He suggested that they go to a hotel, he said, but "she was afraid we'd get caught" SU . they west to Mt Tabor park. WOMAN WITNESS FAINTS The trial was delayed Wednesday night when Mrs Nellie Young, one of the state's star witness, fainted ss she was entering the bar ef the court to give her testimony. She was carried to the judge's chambers and physicians were called. Mrs. Young; was expected to testify to going out nights with Mrs. Agee end to the domestic trouble said to have existed in the Agee home. The testimony of Vernon Axe. 6 year old son of the defendant and the mur dered man, was admitted by stipulation. Ths boy is ill of scarlet fever and is In the ooynty hospital. It was stipulated that he would testify, were be able to be present that his father kept two raaors is s box on a shelf over the kitchen sink,' one having a mottled handle and the other a black handle. He said, according to the stipulation, that the per Introduced in evidence by the state, which was found under a window at the home on the morning of the tragedy, was his father's. The state claims that Mrs. Agee cut her husband's throat with this razor. Lieutenant John A. Quits and Detec tive John H. Schurm of the police de partment testified in regard to their investigations at the Agee home on morning of the killing. Both said Mrs. Agee talked frankly about the affair. apparently making no effort to conceal anything. . BLOOD ON RAZOR Blood covers the black handled razor' with which, ths state charges, Mrs. Agee killed her husband, according te the testimony of Dr. George A. Cathey, given in Circuit Judge Morrow's court Tuesday afternoon. Ths blood covers the sides, ends and back of the blade and extends to part or tne aansie. stated or. cathey, who is inventor of a test for blood which te in use in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Portland. Under cross examination by John Collier, of council for defense, the physician said the blood oould not be secured in quantities enough to de termine whether or not it is human or animal blood. The state claims Mrs. Axes threw this razor from her as aha fled from the house screaming. The defense denies that this razor was the instrument with which Agee's threat was cut Detective A. O. Powell, one of the men from headquarters who responded to the alarm from 1770 Druid avenue, said that hs found Mrs. Agee "comparatively calm when he talked to her." She told him that Agee had never threatened suicide. that he had no enemies in the neighbor hood and that she had no familiars outside the family. COURT IS ADJOURNED Judge Morrow's wifs has a birthday today and court having been in session Wednesday night he decided not to hold court this afternoon. 'Court Will re convene Friday morning at 9 o'clock and wilt be held Friday evening. Collier an, nounced that he probably would be able to complete his case in a day, so that the arguments should be heard Friday evening. Whether or not Mrs. Ages will be called to the stand. Collier would net state. He said : "Police officials have repeated the story she told them. The story she told at the coroner's inquest has been re peated sad Mrs. Ages has told me the same story many times. We may call her or we may not" ' IS CALLED OFF i) President Harding, it was teamed- Lord Northcliffe learned of this action white is New York. It was stated, but having a personal invitation to meet the president and ths members of his cabi- Northcliffe spent an hour and a half with Harding today. Ths ly gives mors than ties minutes to s sailer. PUBLISH BS XQBTHCLLFFE ABB HABDIBG TALK SB OP Washington, July 26. (L H- 8.) There was a most important Journalistic conference st the White House today. President Harding, owner of the Mar lon Star, and Lord Northcliffe, owner NORTHCLIFFE DINNER i snsBEEJ -edged blade may be tne cloak and pocket of the --'ril coat. minutes. "We talked newspapers," said Lord Northcliffe, st the conclusion of the con ference. "Just newspapers. Your presi dent knows all about newspapers. He agreed with me that the hour before going to press is the most interesting hour in a newspaper man's life. "His Marion Star was os his desk. - I examined it It is a most excellent news- paper "You have a very handsome and Signified president." Northcliffe turned to depart when someone fired a question about the dis armament conference. "See here, young man. I know this game. I have been in it for years ; you cant draw me out" said the British peer. "I have been in Washington be fore, X know the things to discuss." Thsn someone mentioned prohibition. Lord Northcliffe became immediately in terested. He denied that he had ever said there was no prohibition in the United States. "What I said was that I had seen ne prohibition in the United States sad I haven't I understand you can always find it In the next town, though. I am interested to see whether you have it in Washington." T "Will there ever b prohibition is BWg landf" he was asked. There was an explosive "No!" the interview was ended. VETS, IN RUSH, RAISE OLD GLORY (Continued From Fss One) by members of the dub, who said that they wers following a custom Inaugur ated before the war in lowering the flag nanway on uie aeatn or a member. J. H. ALBEBS' 1T5EBAL IS SET FOB SATURDAY Funeral services for John Henry Albers, wealthy former miller who died st his . Miiwaukie home Wednesday morning, will be held Saturday at 9 :96 a. m. from the Catholic church at Mii waukie. Father Bernard win officiate. The services will be public and friends are Invited. Arrangements are- in charge ef McEntee A Eilers. Relatives have not announced where Albers will be buried- e . - War on Gopher And Squirrel Pests Is (letting Results Returning this morning from Wallowa county. Stanley O. Jewett end Ira N. Gabrielson ef the U. S. biological sur vey, are planning to leave en soother field trip Monday through Lake county. Gabrielson, representing the rodent animal section of the service, reports great progress In the poisoning and killing of squirrels and gophers In Wal lowa county. Jewstt inspected the work of hie section in the extermination ef predatory animals Beth men stats Wallowa county crops te be excellent and ths steak en ranges in fine con dition. She dared everything for her bs SONORA GRAND CABTOOW COBTBDTUBBBTT T1W9 ABATES ABB OCB GIABT OBGAJT wtoiSF LATEST TWO MILLION IN BONDS ARE SOLD BY COM Bids were P6 today by the Stat? highway commission foe as issue of bonds te the amount of t2.SM.0O6 ana also for the improvement of 66 miles of highwsy. Including the psvemest of an eight mile section of the Pacific high way in Linn county. Ths. issue wss sold this afternoon to John E. Price A Co. and . H. Rollins Co. for M, 609.64. For the bonds the best bid was that ef John E. Price who offered $1,661.47 per thousand, for serial bends bearing 6V per cent interest or a total of 63. 602.940 for the entire let The next best bid was that of White Wells Co., who bid 92.602.200. The price offered te s shads than that obtained last menu by commission, reflecting an lis pro v in the money market In the matter ef the location ef the Reeebarg-Coos Bay highwsy the com mission decided te adept what 4s knows the Brookway connection with the Pacific highway en condition that Doug las county build a good road to DUlard, the nearest shipping point. Bids were opened on the following read projects : Clackamas county, paving floors of Try on creek. Sucker creek and Molalia river bridges. Clatsop county Grading and macad amising four miles. Moles croasing-Skip-anon section, coast highway. Deschutes county Clearing and grad ing 17 miteS Allen Ranch-Klamath county line section The Dalles-California highway. Lake county Grading 17 miles Chan' dler creek-Chewauman Narrows s Often. Lakevtew Bend read and approaches to Paisley bridge. Lincoln county Grading 16.6 miles Chitwood-Tetede section Newport-Cor-vallis highwsy. Linn county Paving T.6 miles Shedds Hatesy section Pacific highway. Tillamook county Graveling 1.5 miles Wllsen-Riverdale section coast highway. Wheeler county Grading and macad amising 2.7 ndles Cummlsgs Hill-Fossil section, John Day highway. Union county Concrete span over Wolf creek. Old Oregon trait Wallowa county Seven small timber trestles Waltewe-Lcetone section La Grande-Joseph highway i seven trestte pans over Prairie creek. Washington county Repairs to briage Forest Grove-Oaston section. Delegation of Fifty Of Salvation Army Leaves for Astoria In command of Brigadier caurtstepber- eon, in charge ef the Seandrsgvisa work ot ths Salvation Army in the Northwest 66 officers of the corps and the band from Seattle headquarters, left for As toria Thursday morning on the steams: Georxtana to attend the summer confer ence. Special meetings wilt be held at Seaside. Colonel W. Bamet Turner of Bt Francisco will be the principal speaker at As torts. Colonel Turner lsstjseretary ef the western division. Brigadter Hay ef the Bngileh branch and Brigadier Muirhead ef the International headquar ters in London were guests. K. of C. Delegates And Supreme Knight Pay Portland Visit A party of 60 delegates te preme convention of the Knights of Co lumbus, headed by James A. Flaherty, supreme knight is being entertained to day by local members with n trip an the Columbia river highwsy. They will attend the supreme USUI tion opening in Sen Francisco August 2. and are mostly from Maryland. Pecs sylvaaia. New York and Connecticut. A party of Canadian delegates will be re ceived here Saturday. Portland may enter the lists st San Francisco for the convention to be held here in 1996. local delegates to the coming convention in dicate. Seattle has withdrawn effort te land the 1925 meeting. It was reported by the Seattle lodge. Northern Pacific Puts New Modern Cars Into Service Commencing with the North Coast Limited train No. 1. which leaves St Paul today. pMingsi equipment ef the Northern Pacific railway will be re placed with new ass dor steel oars of the latest design, according te ad v toes received today by A. D. Charltes, gen eral agent ef the Northern Pacific is Portland. The second Urals te new equipment will be North . Limited No. 2, tearing- Portland Seattle Monday, and other transooatl nsntal trains will be takes cave of in rapid succession. Ths equipment Include baggage and mail cars, day coaches, tourist end standard sleeping oars and dining ears, Charlton stated. OURWlfE he refused te beUav Bar OPERA STARS B OOLB SB ABE ISSION Pioneer Memorial Building, Monument To Poet Are Backed net Id 1st dedicated directors of the pointed S committee to c separate with etner interestee organisations out the state te take necensj The committee constat ef Tfsrssp O. Starkweather. Mrs Mary Barlow WU- kins. B. R Bui iiii. Mrs- D. P son and Ralph B. Williams. The hoard voted to assist in the lion ef s monument te Barn U Sim Oregon's pioneer poet A aunpftre the auspices of the society will be heed in September m 00 ef the city for the pioneers and facer Attractive features consisting of old fash toned dan ess oa the and music will be arranged. Lower Wool Bates Would Be Boost to Portland as Center Decided benefits to Portland as s wool coster would follow favorable action on ths applications of transcontinental rail Uses for permission te mane lower rates te Eastern destinations from Pacific ports than from intermediate points, ac cording te John H. Lothrop. secretary of the Portland Traffic and Transporta tion association. Granting of lower rates, Lothrep stated, would tend to promote ths' wool scouring and manufacturing business of Portland end would result in move favorable water rstes oa wool shipments. Application ot the rail carriers is based on the desire of the reads te meet water competition is the transportation of wool from Pacific ports to the At lantic seaboard. Hearings before the interstate ssmmsi 1 e nsmmlsnlss on the pusns new rate will be held here August If. according to advices rivod by Secretary Lothrop today frees Wash- iagton. Heart earing on ths wool rate also win be held la other Western cities os the following dates: Boise, Idaho, August 1 ; uenvsr. 0010., august ; Bait Lake City, August 6; Los Angeles, August 10 ; san Francisco. August It ; Spokane August 17, aftd'Helena, Mont. August 19. to Oregon pioneers. Society ef the Sons and I Complete New Show I I TODAY TODAY TODAY I m Pjj hPISjhIm sftJ AM E M OVA IK jBH SH BL B t6BV 0d6fl BBBBBB I .BBBBsfl SW BBBBBBBBBBVBBBBs! BBBBBBBnSs! dB6 JHBFh ("prizma" HEALTH CRUSADE URGED IN BEHALF OF BOYS, GIRLS All the Saetsr te the country, all j the nurses and ail the social and health workers Cannot bring about the rigs ot health standards that ths nation Is In t seed of." said Miss M Grace QMS taut dh ssiu ef Che msi era health swam 6s wark ef the Xa Uonai Tuberculosis association, in he address this morning at ths institute wnicn sns'is consucting for thane days in the Meter Frank auditorium. "A health revolution g S matter for personal effort and to secure the indi vidual Interest we must first educate the children In ten value of good bee lib Children love te slay a ansae, a same of being a soldier or a crusader appeals 10 tneen especially, and when it is out en a competitive baste Us appeal is even Ipsmssss. hence the rapidity with which the modern health crusade has 'caught on.' Already we have been asked te prepare a graded causes hs the hsojtb crusade work in order te stimulate the Interest of the children as they advance to higher grades. This new course will be ready for use next fall. I strongly advise the linking us of the crusade with local movements of n health, educational or civic character as s mesas of sus taining the interest Every child en rolled in the crusade is a potential health officer or nurse, who is of vastly bore of his family than any community nurse, ror he is listened te. end he is sn the Job 86 hours a day. Much of the morning session was given over to introducing the crusade to ths children, one of ths umbers of the in stitute acting as crusade executive an) the others as ponlis Mrs. Saidis Orr- Dunbnr, executive secretary ef the Ore gon Tuberculosis association, and Miss Osborne anted as executive, thereby bringing out mush constructive discus- This afternoon's session is devoted to s discussion and round table on various phases of pubtHJty end sanitation cam palgna. The institute will continue over Friday with ipQ at is a. as. 1 :96 p. sn. VMiU.B e9BBBnwsBW' 9 RIVOLI MUSIC ANITA.... STEWART LN PLAYTHINGS OF DESTINY The story of a woman who married once for love and once to for got it. SCREENLAND NEWS Portland's Owns Grown News Reel If you were at Winde muth loot Sunday, come in and see yourself. TODAY "FOX NEWS" Busesnmii i ,i i . .. .' i . rS-i in '