?Tht Statesman receives the. J fjfC - v. ' . w , C - " I
Jessed .wire report of the As- f "j J J ft iC fXI -i-X. !XVrV '" !
iS- -Ji DAILY EDITIOH
sixtv-igiitu -uaiu-so. . i . salkm. okkj;o, tiksoav moiimm;, may 7. ioih - ...... . ... . " ... piuck five eEsra ;
ORDERSGRAFT
INQUIRY MADE
IN WAR VORK
President Asks Department of
Justice to Investigate Ru
more Concerning Airplane
Construction Program
ACTIVITY OFGUTZON
BORGLUM IS EXPLAINED
Sculptor Secured Information
ca Which to Place Charges
Against Senrice
J WASHINGTON, May 6. Talk of
graft and mismanagement In thelaia
tlonal airplane construtcion program,
heard for months in senate debate
and capltol lobby gossip, culminated
.today In a presidential order for an
investigation by the department of
, justice. Almost simultaneously It
became known that Major General
Squier, chief signal Officer and un
til recently in direct charge of army
aviation, had demanded a military
court of Inquiry. ; . ; ;
, The White House in announcing
President; Wilson's action made pub
lic a telegram received Saturday from
Howard Coffin, former chairman, of
the. aircraft board, urging an official
inquiry "that reputations of innocent
men may not dp ruined," and a ser
ies of letters and telegrams exchang
ed between the president and Gutzon
Borglnm, the sculptor, to whom is
attributed responsibility for -statements
that corruption In the ejtpend-
tnre of funds and pro-German in
trigue has hindft red airplane produc
tion. ' . . v; . 1
AMiUiknce Given. ,1
There also was a letter written by
the president today to Senator Thom
as of Colorado, a member of the senate-military
committee, assuring him
that every Instrumentality of the de
partment of -justice will be used to
pursue charges of dishonest? or mal
versation of any kind if Mr. Borg
, Inm's allegations are found worthy
of serious consideration. Senator
Thomas laid before the president last
week assertions made to members of
the committee by the sculptor.
Investigation Personal. 5
The exact status of Mr. Borglura
as an Investigator, which unt!l now
has been more or less of a mystery
to the public, is cleared up by the
correspondence. It develops that
atfer the sculptor had written-to Sec
retary Tumulty last November In re
gard to 4he alleged defects in the
aviation organization and the desir
ability of having certain experts call
ed in, the president asked him to
present his ideas. Late, on January
2, the president wrote a letter to Mr,
Borglnm asking him to come to
Washington and lay the matter be
fore the secretary o fwar. and with
the aid of a member of the secre
tary personal staff discover the
facts by personal Investigation.
Borglum did this, and on March 29
the president wrote him that he had
placed the matter: he had furnished
ai me uispoaai or gentlemen 10 w uu-.r.
he had committed the task og mak
ing a systematic Inquiry into thi
whole aviallo nsituation. These gen
tlemen were the special committee,
headed by II. Snowden Marshall of
New York, whose preliminary report
preceded the recent reorganization
of the army aviation servieeand the
appointment of John D."Ryan as di
rector general.
EIERGEKCY FOOD
BILL REPORTED
Measure Would Carry $ l l -.712,283
for Agricultural
Activities
WASHINGTON, May 6. An emerg
ency food appropriation bill carrying
tota of '111,712,283 for agricult
ural actlvties authorized by the food
reduction act of last August, was
favorably reported to the house to
' y he committee on agriculture.
Besides this amount the measure
ould make available some $6,500,
OO previously authorized for the pur
.thane and sale of seed to farmers for
ca-h at cost. ( v . .
The bill would provide f ands for
J9 prevention, control and eradica
tion: of diseases among animals and
Fiants; for the Prevention of waste
.f food In storage. In transit or held
ior sale; for supplying farm labor
an for maintenance and, develop
ment of the cooperative agricultural
fxienston work conducted in coopera
on with slate agricultural colleges.
Tuesday fafr and warmer: frost
the morning; moderate noitbwest-
Mexicans Murder Entire
Family at Lamariposa
EAGLE PASS. Texas Mar C...
Mexican bandits have murdered the
'entire family of Frederick Illllcoat
at Lamariposa. in the Santa Rosa
mountains near Muzqulz, Mexico,
about 250 miles 'south of Eagle Pass,
according to a telegram received here
today. Resides Hillooat, his wife and
son. Jerry, and sister-in-law, Miss G.
Lamare.Vere killed.
The tragedy occurred in the moun
tain home of the Hillcoats last Thurs
day, according to :the telegram,
which was received by George II.
La mare, brother of Miss La mare.
All the victims were British, subjects.
Draft of Regulations
Is Ready for Approval
WASHINGTON. May C Final
draft i regulations , for registering
German) women In this country to
day went to Attorney General Greg
ory "Jot approval am ptobably will
be announced within a week. The
date for registering the women then
will be get.
' The department of justice is con
sidering further -regulations forbid
ding the travel of Germans from one
locality to another without special
permits. .
OFFICERS GIVEN
GERM ORDERS
Award Made as Result of De-
fense of Zeebrugge and
Ostend Losses Small
AMSTERDAM May 6. "In con
nection with the splendidly carried
out defense against the British at
tempt to blockade Zeebrugge and Os
tend and land at these ports," says
the Berlin Vossische Zeitung In Sun
day's edition, ''a shower of orders
has rained upon various petsons." ,
Commanding Admiral Schroeder
has been decorated with the swords
of the red eagle of the first Class;
Chief Berlet of the general stafr of
marines, has been awarded the red
eagle of the second class, with swoixls
and Captain Schuette. commander of
the battery on the mole, with knight's
M 1 1 . T . .
lern, with swords.
The newspaper says the Germans
lost only eight killed and 16 wound
ed in the fighting.
According to the Amsterdam Tele-Ki-aaf,
- the German casualties were
300, of, which 70 were men who were
killed or died of their wounds. 4
PLACE RATES ON
AIRPLANE MAIL
Senate Adopts Bill Providing
Limit of 24 Cents Per
Ounce m Service
WASHINGTON, May 6. A bill au
thorizing the post office department
to charge not in excess of 24 cents an
ounce or fraction ; thereof for the
transportation of mail by airplane
was adopted today by the senate.
The measure now goes, to the house.
The postoffice department ("an
nounced today that Che airplane mail
service between, Washington, Phila
dephia and New York would be start
ed May 15 as planned. Military air
planes for the service are being as
sembled at Mineola, N. Y. As experi
ments would be made in dropping
mail sacks while the airplanes are in
motion, mall for the present will be
confined, to letters but for the Inital
trip May 15, sealed parcels will be
Included.1 ;
WHEAT BURNED
. JN WAREHOUSES
Huge Conflagration in St
Louis Destroys Valuable
Elevators and Sheds
. ST. LOUIS, May Fire .; which
started this afternoon in ,a! ware
house of the Independent Packing
company in North St.' Louis, destroy
ed five storage houses' of the packing
company,-the Rogers grain elevator,
with several hundred thousand bush
els of wheat, the four-story .building
6f the Union Packing company, and
a number of storage sheds. . . ;
Officials of the packing companies
and the elevator company says the
damage will - not run more than
$500,000, but the police report of
the fire gives the damage at $3,
000.000. ' , ' ' ' i -l .
The cause of the fire has not been
determined. ' ;
Bill Would Change Names
of Berlin and Germany
Washington. Mac y. cities;
towns, or hamlets bearing the .name
Berlin or -"06 or cities or
towns havin gstreets so named would
be required to change, them to ,Lib
erty. "Victory,' or other name un
der a bill introducedjin the bouse to
day by Representative - Smith ,-of
Michigan. i
SHELL STORM
DIRECTED AT
U.S SOLDIERS
Projectiles Contain Gas' and
High Explosives Austra
lians and Canadians Hold
v Vital Sectors
EXPECT TO RESUME ,
HEAVIER FIGHTING
Attack on Arras Sector Antic-
. ipated as One of Next
Moves of Germans
OFFICIAL SUMMARY.
Australian ana Canadian troops
are In action in the Hrlt?h lines
along the tltal sectors of the battle
front in France.
The Australians have struck the
Germans near Morlancourt between
the An ere and Somme rivers, east
of Amiens and have advanced tlu-lr
vlines upward of three-quarters of a
mile as a result of two assaults on
the Teutonic positions.
The Canadians have appeared in
the Arras sector, further south than
they have been since the battles in
this region began March 21; . This
part of the line is most important
as it defends Arras to the southwest
and includes localities such as Ne,u-ville-Vitasse;
Mercatel and Bois-leut-St.
Mare, where there have been bit
ter struggles since the German
launched their great offensive. I
Yankee Near MonUlidkr. '
American troops on the French
front not far from Montdidier, have
been' under a storm of shells for the
last couple of days, project it-s con
taining high explosives being inter
mingled with those charged' with poi
sonous gas fired into the lines held
by General Pershing's men.
Along the rest of the front in
France there have been no engage
ments of unusual character nor has
the Italian front been attacked as yet
byth Austrians who have assem
bled Acre. .
K-KaJt Again Abandoned.
The British forces which have
been holding the town of Es-Salt.
east of Jordan and northeast of Jer
icho for about a week have been com
pelled again to abandon the pi arc
before superior fortes or Turkish
and German troops. The British,
however, are still maintaining their
control of the crossings of the Jor
dan further south.
From the official reports and spe
cial dispatches filed by correspond
ents at the, fron-t there come intima
tions that heavy fighting may be re
sumed at any time.
There Is a feeling along the French
front that the Germans may attack
In the Yprea. Arras and Amiens sec
tors at the same time. These blows,
while carried on independently,
would really be phases of a new at
tempt to cut through the lines In
the Somme sector, eliminate the Ar
ras sector and carry the high ground
to the southwest of Ypres.
Assemble Heavy Force.
It has been pointed out by observ
ers than an attack on the Arras sec
tor either on the apex between Ar
ras and Lens, or on the sides of the
allied lines as they stretch back from
those cities, must come before the
Germans can hope to carry their ad
vance in either Flanders or Picardy
much further; It is reported that
heavy forcts are being Assembled be
fore Arras for the expected attack.
Little relative to the Internal sit
uation in Austria has come over the
cables but, from Serbian', sources .it
is learned tnat on at least two occa
sions there have been clashes be
tween the Slovenian population of
that country and th Germans.
Tho methods by which the German
military authorities have dealt witn
the Ukrainians have been denounced
in both Berlin and Vienna by Social
ist leaders.
NO JNFAVrUY ACTION.
PARIS, May . Th war office
announcement tonight says:
'The opposing ' artilleries wen
quite heavily engaged north and
south of the Avre, but there was no
infantry action.
, "Eastern theater. May 3. Recio
rocal artillery actions took place on
different sectors. Enemy reconnais
sances were repulsed on Bobropolje
and Davol valley."
MOVEMENTS PKEVEVTEB.
LONDON. May 6. (Via Ottawa)
Correspondents In France state that
the British gun fire in Flanders dur
ing the last three days has com
pletely prevented any enemy move
ment on the British lines, while the
French prevented an attack which
was undoubtedly being prepared on
their'front by attacking first.
Experts emphasixe the difficulty
of the enemy finding the target,
which Is to take the allies by sur
prise. Certain point of importance
are. carefully watched and If other
points are attacked the allied re
serves reach the battlefield as quick
ly as the German reserves.
The experts "are confident that
Mount Kemmel can be recovered '.f
(Continued on page 2)
Germany and Holland
Agree on Transportation
THE HAGUE, Sunday. May f,.
In announcing to the Dutch chamber
today that Holland, and Germany had
reached an agreement. Foreign Min
ister Ioudon explained the settle
ment "of the German demand for
transport over the Dutch railway by
way of Roermond. Germany, , he
said, had agreed to exclude from
transport, airplanes, arms .anty mu
nitions, while there never had been
any question of the -transport of
troops. The foelgn minister said
Germany had undertaken to limit
sand and gryel sent thriuEh Dutch
waterways to a maximum of 1.600.
000 tons and had promised not to
use material for military purposes.
" . . ' '
New Chilean Ambassador
to Unite ji States Named
SANTIAGO. Chile. May G. Edn
ardo Suarexe Mujica has been named
Chilean ambassador to the United
States. 1
Corrupt Practises Are
. Attacked by Measure
WASHINGTON. May 6. A bill to
penalize corrupt practices in the elec
tion of senators and representatives
was favorably reported today by the
senate privileges and election com
mittee. Penalties of $1000 fine or
one year Imprisonment or both, are
provided. .
JUDGE ORDERS
LITERATURE TO
BE EXHIBITED
Vanderveer's Objections to to
Introduction of Pamphlets
Over-ruled
MOVE JS TIME SAVER
Evidence Not, Limited to Set
Period L-W.W. Case in
' "Full Swing
CHICAGO, May . The defense In
the trial of 112 Industrial Workers
of the World, accused of seditious
conspiracy, sustained two defeats to
day In rulipgs by Judge Landis on
admission of evidence presented by
counsel for the government.
Over objections of George F. Van
derveer, chief 'counsel for the de
fense, pamphlets ordered published
by individual members shortly before
America entered the war, and other
printed matter which has. not been
endorsed by general officers, were
read into the records.
Again late in the day the defense
unsuccessfully tried to have stricken
from the records testimony concern
ing publication of several thousand
copies or 'Sabotage" at Spokane,
Wash., before the. period, covered by
the Indictment. --
"So authorization was given by the
genetal organization for the acts ot
individual members, Mr. ' Vander
veer protested.
The court held, however, that the
acts of members, even without au
thorization from the executive board,
help to orm the structure whicbr
served as a mental guide to all mem
bers. In. his second ruling Judge Landis
held that evidence Is not restricted(
to the period covered by the Indict
ment. Letters or documents pre
pared before America's declaration
of war which show, a clear relation
ship to the present case may be ad
mitted as evidence. It was held.
Just before adjournment tonight
the government sprurg a surprise by
reading into the records a petition
signed by nearly a' hundred of the
leaders of the I. W. W. demanding
return of all papers seized In the
nation-wide raid lasfcfall. This pe
tition some time zo was denied by
the court. In It the members had
explained why they were the right
ful owners of the matter.
Thus the government, by a short
cut, established the identity and con
nection with the J. W. W. of the
members. It was stated that the
move would save days -of technical
debate. ,
- Edwin - Smitheran of Spokane.
Wash., testifying for the government,
told of the publication by .his print
ing concern of several thousand cop
ies of "Sabotage" for the Industrial
Workers of the World in 1316.
On cross-examination the defense
attempted to (how that the transac
tion was handled by Richard Bra
zere. one of the defendants, and a
member of the executive-board.
"I contend that since Braere, alone
was responsible for the tfaaeitction.
he alone should be held to tai ac
countability and not these other de
fendants," Vanderveer said.. , Hi ob
jection was overruled.
Announcement was male today. by
Benjamin Schager, one of the "In
ner circle of the organlatlon, thvat
the National Socialist party now . Is
providing funds Hot the defense of
the accused I. W. W. and that ktntl
red organizations also hare offered
financial assistance. .
HUNS STARVE
PRISONERSIN
HARZ MINES
Shameful Treatment of Cap
tives Told by American
Soldiers Thin C a b b a g e
Soup Only Nourishment
HOT CHAMBER MEANS
OF PUNISHING MEN
Deaths From Deliberate Ex
posure to bold Not Fa- '
frequent
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. MAY 6. American pris
oners of war are being shamefully
treated in German prison camps, if
all have had the experience on an
American ' Interviewed by a French
soldier, also a prisoner In Germany,
just before Be escaped. The French
man's story, as told to American of
ficers, follows:
' A short time before I lert Haiti
eln. Hanover, I washable to have a
few minutes interview with an Amer
ican soldier who was 'taken prison
er several months ago. Being un
wounded he was assigned directly to
a prison camp. Weakened by exces
sive work be .was forced to do in the
alt mines, and being unable to stay
longer, he was .sent to Hameln.
Thirty-lhrre IVund.s.
I do not remember the name of
the man, or-number of his regiment,
but he had been among the first
Americans In the trenches, and his
home was in New York. He told me
that during the three months be was
in the Harz mines he had lost thirty
three pounds. He was a man who
was solidy built and it could, be easi
ly seen that be bad been vigorous and
healthy, but when I saw him he was
incredibly thin and so weak he could
hardly croos a room without stopping
repeatedly, leaning on pieces of f uni
ture or supporting hlmeslf on zoxes
piled there. v '
Kngli.Hh Not' Favored.
"Englishmen also are badly treat
ed in the mines. . I found out that
th'ree of seven who were sent back
to Hameln died. Packages services
does not exist in the mines and the
prisoners receive practically noth
ing. Their only nourishment is
from thin soup made of barley or
cabbage, sometimes salted codfteh
eggs and those of other fish which
it is impossible to eat. There are
very few potatoes' and very little
bread. It is impossible for a man
to work without becoming sick or
weak, to the point of falling down.
The men were also'strnck with rifle
butts and the flat side of bayonets
and are placed In dark .cells on bread
and water.
Punishment Repeated
"These cells are known to the
mine prisoners as 'hot chambers' as
they are heated by steam to a high
temaperature. After the men are
held in these cells, they are turned
out in the snow, where they are re
quired to stand at 'attention for a
certain length bf time. Needless to
rsay. deathse ai frequent.
'This man was punished several
times In this way and told me all
I am relating. I can conUrm his
story because other Englishmen and
Frenchmen I raw at Hamelin did not
have the strength even to hold a cig
arette." Poison Gas In Letters.
PARIS. April 19. (Correspon
dence of The Associated Press)1
Certians are credited, in reports re
celveed here, with injecting asphyx
iating gas into letters sent borne by
prisoners in their campss. A woman
Jiving In the village of La Sicotlere
recently was 111 for several days af
ter opening a letter from a French
prisoner in Germany.
On the same day, it Is said, an
other woman received a letter also
containing poison gas from her hus
band, a captive in Bavaria. Other
cases -have been reported.
'Aviator Not Sporrsmen.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, May 3. (By The Associ
ated Press) Gervan aviators are
now resorting to unsportsmanlike
tricks in an endeavor to outwit
American flyers. The trickiness of
the German soldiers afoot is emulat
ed by enemy airmen who are marking
their' machines to make them look as
much like allied markings as possi
ble. The Germans hate taken to round
ing off the corners of the cross on
the wings of their planes to make
.nem look ' like allied badges. The
game of the German airmen is to
play around, get in a shot if he can
and then run. American flyers, for
fear or attacking a probable friend,
must get up close to an enemy ma
chine, usually after considerable ma
neuvering, before opening a fight. .
j-rASl'ALTV LIST.
OTTAWA. .Ont.. May 6. The
names of the following Americans
appear in tonight's Canadian casualty
list: ' ' - . v -"
Killed in action: W. McAulirfe.
Danville. 111.
Died of wounds: R. H. Turner,
Toledo, O.
Pro-German Activity In
Porto Rico Is Uncovered
. AN ATLANTIC PORT. May 6.
Living evidence of pro-German and
anti-conscription activity in Porto
Rico reached here today on an Amer
ican steamship, which arrived from
the island. Federal marshals had on
board as prisoners Gerard Leibisch.
a German veterniary surgeon of San
Juan, convicted of offering bribes to
soldiers to desert upon their arrlral
in France, and ro over to the Ger
man side: and Florencfo .Romero, a
wealthy Porto Rican.. convicted of
spreading literature against the draft
and of attempting to form an anti
militaristic league. Each was found
guilty or sedition In Porto Rico and
sentenced to four years in the fed
eral penitentiary at Atlanta.
i
Employes of Associated
Press Buy Liberty Bonds
NEW YORK. May C The em
ployes of the Associated Press sub
scribed for $49,000 to the third lib
erty loan. This amount was divided
among 484 subscribers. The previous
loan totals were, first $sd,000; sec
ond, $ 44.0OO. These figures do not
include, the subscriptions made by
the 'association itself. .-
SOVIET TROOPS
ARE DISARMED
General Ahtonpff Resigns
Rank of Commander
Propose Boundary
LONDON. May 6. -A Russian
wireless message received here today
says; V
"The ex-chief General Commander
Ovseinenko Antonoff has sent a dec
laration to the government of the
Russian republic, stating that the
soviet troops have retreated beyond
the frontier or Ukraine and have
been disarmed in accordance with
the Brest-Litovsk treaty. General
rAntonoff announces the cessation of
hostilites against the . Gerniano
Haldamack troops and resigns the
rank of commander in- chief of the
southern republic.
"Nikolai Lenine and Leon Trotlky,
In a joint declaration, have ordered
single detachments In the southern
republic to be disarmed immediately
they pass the frontier or the Russian
soviety republic and that the advanc
ing .Germano-Haidamack troops be
Informed of this disarmament and
that there' is no justification for the
transference of the righting Into the
Russian republic. They propose that
an agreement shall be concluded for
the immediate cessation of hostilities
arid fixing the boundary line. And
In case the Germano-Haidamack de
tachments decline oar offer and
trample under foot the conditions of
the Brest-Litovsk treaty, we must
defend ourselves to the last drop of
blood, mobilizing and arming the
whole adult population of the men
aced regions." . -
m
Members of Jap Consulate
at Irkutsk Held as Spies
LONDON. May 6. A Reuter dis
patch from Tokio says thai the Rus
sian authorities at Irkutsk have ar
rested -the Japanes vice-counsul and
also the president of the Japanese as
sociation on the charge of being mil
itary spies.
INTERPRETER ON
WITNESS STAND
Lieutenant Marchand Takes
Part in Trial of Directors "
of Bonnet Rouge .
PARIS, May C. Lieutenant Mar
chand, an Interpreter" In the French
army, and an expert In German pro
paganda, was the principal witness
at the trial of the directors of the
defunct Socialist and Germanophile
newspapers, . Bonnett Rouge, today, i
He showed the similarity between ,
the policy pursued by the Bonnet
Rouge and; that of the Gazette of
Ardnnes. a paper which the Ger
mans published in the occupied dis
tricts of northern France, using the
French language. :
The purpose of the Gazette, Lieu
tenant Marchand stated, was to In
flaence the French population re
maining in the occupied districts.
Some articles which the censor had
prevented from appearing in the
Bonnet Rouge, nevertheless, appear
ed in the paper issued by a German
agency at Zurich.
. ;Maiy articles that appeared la
the Gazette and were reprinted In
the Bonnet Rouge showed a tendency
to ridicule the Idea that German
spies were working In France to dis
courage soldiers and dishearten the
civilian 'population. ' Lieutenant
Marchand pointed out fifteen differ
ent press campaigns -in which the
Gazette, the Bonnet' Ronge and the
Germanophile newspaper at Zurich
all need the same arguments, cited
the same facts and even showed the
same style In composition and the
same errors In citations.
CAMOUFLAGE; ,
SAYS MAYOR
TO HAMLTOi:
Keyes Takes Issue on Request
That Council Ask Senrice
Commission to Probe Need
of New Rates
MANAGER DEFENDS
POSITION IN CASE
Merely Wants Assurance Thut
City WiH Abide by Com
mission's Order
.Mayor Keyes took sharp issue lact
night with the ordinance committer
of the city council and with Manage r
W. M. Hamilton of the local division
of the Portland Railway. Light c
Power company on a jesolution which
Mr. Hamilton asked the city council
to pass, requesting the public servlr.j
commission to Investigate rate charg
es for use of gas In Salem and to
allow an Increase if the investiga
tion shows that the present rate ii
too low tor the company's welfare.
Aldermen McClelland and Ward
stood with the Mayor who sent Alder
man Wilson to the chair and took tl.
floor to make his argument.' A mo
tion by the mayor that the question
be deferred and made a special ordt r
at the next meeting was passed.
FaJrncM la Admitted.
Mayor Keyes branded. as camou
flage a part of Mr. Hamilton's argu
ment, but later, prior to the vote on
his motion for postponement, adinit
ed that Hamilton's reasons for axkic?
the city to fubmit a petition to tt
service commission were fair.
Mr. Hamilton first appeared ca
the floor and set forth the reason
for the company's desiring an. in
crease in rates, calling attention to
the higher cost of operation and it i
lack of a corresponding increase la
revenues. His explanation of the re
quest that the city ask the commis
sion to investigate was that this ac
tion would show the company that
the city would be willing to abide by
an order of the commission increas
ing the rates, should the commission
so decide, and the result would be
that the company would have no hes
itancy in spending money for an ad
ditional bench, or gas generator, to
maintain an adequate supply throufcii
the coming summer season. ,
-We want to feel.- said Mr. Ham
ilton, "that If the commission ahoul 1
order an increase in rates the city
would not fight the order and make
a lot or trouble about It. . It ttp
council will pass this resolution we
ctlght even Install the new bench
without watting for the commission's
decision. ,
. McClellanJ Would Avoid IU
Alderman Ward found objection
to the resolution In that it would
suggest to the com mission that the
city is prepared for an Increase in
gas rates and that the commission
would be Influenced to that extent.
- McClelland declared the council
should not be asked to pass the res
olution. The company should take Its own
petition to the eommb&ion. he de
clared. The (-cent fare case has
caused the biggest stink In the state
and .naturally the commission will
be' in a mood to evade responsibility
for anything else In connection with
the Portland Railway. Light A pow
er company. I am oppose, to this
resolution because I wsnt the com
mission to take the whole responsibil
ity and not shuffle It off upon the
city counciL If there la any odium
let the commission bear it-
Mayor Keyes took the floor. -'
-I do not think it is light," said
the mayor, "that the company should
I shield itself behind the city counciL
nr. Hamilton comes oerore tn coun
cil -and says th company needs a
new benCb and needs it at once. I
say this is all camouflage. He has
known for months about the need of
a bench. Why hasn't he prepared
his petition and placed It before the
commission according to law. X am
opposed to Increased gas rates and
am not sure that we are not paying
too much now."
The mayor read figures covering
the rates In ether cities in support
of this argument. Manager Hamil
ton quoted figures to show that the
rate in Salem is not higher com
paratively than the rate in other
places and said the company volun
tarily had decreased the rate twice
in the last two years, from $2 a
thousand down to J1.C0.
City Help Light UHdge.
A resolution submitted by Chair
man Wiest of the light, committee
was parsed obligating the city to pay
half the maintenace of light on the
new Willamette river bridge. The
ropt will be $15 a month. Aldermen
KUlott and McClelland beth oppoW
the resolution ou grounds that the
city should give more attention to
lighting properly the ostsklrts of the
city where residents are petitioning
for lights. F. W. Steusloff. president
of the Salem Commercial dob, ap
peared before the council in behalf
of the tesolutlon.
By another resolution of the tight
committee adopted last night the nty
will economize on street lfgbtiog by
- (Continued on page ) ' .