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Wave - YoirDcsfdod, ToJtJJaUo.A Contribution To The tatesman'o ChpiDtmao Cheer Fund For ftoc'dy Folko?
f
' "VJ ft, .
"WEATHER FORECAST Clearing
weather; colder; decreasing northwest
wind. Maximum. 61; minimum, 43;
River, 3.6; Rainfall, .35; atmosphere,
cloudy; wind, northwest.
First Section Pages 1 to 8
Three Sections 24 Pages
INTY-SIXTH YEAR
SALEM, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 12, 1926 .
PRICE FIVE CENTS
5
TIL1ER1G
CREDIT BILLS
Treasury Surplus Will Be
Applied to Reduction of
Public Debt
MINORITY IDEA R EJECTED
Benefits to Be Felt by All Taxpay.
ers Instead of Those Limited
to Paying Income Tax
Assessments
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (AP)
Thumbs were -turned down by the
republican membership of the
bouse ways and means committee
today on all tax reduction legisla
tion including President Coolldge's
tax credit plan, for the present
session.
As a result, by a strictly party
vote, the committee adopted a
motion by Representative Hawley,
of Oregon, ranking republican, to
table all revenue proposals. It
carried after brief but sharp de
bate had brought out that the
president's suggestion would be
lnVV$"d among those to be tucked
away .into a legislative pigeon
hole. . r
. . This means that, under existing
law, the treasury surplus will be
applied to reduction of the public
debt at the end of the fiscal year,
June 30.
. Such disposition was- recom
mended by the president as alter
native for tax credit. In his mes
sage to congress he estimated the
surplus at 1383,000,000 while
democrats hare placed it at 1500,
000,000, P'vito action on the Hawley
nfC.i another clear . cut party
lifiVcp rejected a move .hy Repre
sentative G artier, or Texas, rank
ing minority on tfcefee-mmtttee, to
hold hearings on the $338,000,000
democratic tax reduction bill,
; Garner, author of the, proposal,
precipitated the discussion, urging
the commission first to take up
his bill, drafted with approval of
all democratic leaders. He then
vainly sought to use the presi
dent's proposal as a vehicle to
bring the subject of . tax revision
before the -committee.
Jfc After the, meeting Chairman
Green ieeuec a statement, assert
ing the republican committee
members felt the surplus ."best
could be used to reduction of the
, national debt, rather ' than for a
credit. .
"They 'recognise that there is
much to be said in favor of this
proposal." he said, "but of neces
sity the benefit of this reduction
would be limited to Income tax
payers." FLAX ACREAGE
, BEING SIGNED
FIELD MAN MEKTH UNKXPECT
ED DEMAND FOR CONTRACTS
Polk County to Double Amount,
Farmers Plan for Rotation
of Crops
. The signing up of the flax acre
age for the state flax plant for
next year is going to be an easy
and pleasant task. ,7 Col. W. ; B.
Bertram, field pan for the. state
and the Oregon Linen Mills, Inc.,
is finding a rather unexpected de
mand for acreage on the part of
farmers for contracts to grow flax.
Polk county will easily double
her acreage of this year.
What Col. Bartram calls the Au
rora district is asking tor a large
Increase over this year. In that
section Butteville had two con
tracts for this year and asks -for
eight tor. next year. Backsburg
had one this year, and wants nine
for next -year. sSL J'anl had two,
and will sign for eight; and rather
large tracts, with good land to
grow flax. . , :r" ft:f "
v Angel ' will more than
fie her acreage of this year. -;
A Very Good Sign -actlcally
every farmer who Is
applying for flax acreage proposes
to follow a rotation scheme which
It Is the wish ot the state to have
followed. Nearly every grower will
apply fertiliser peat year.; "; :..
It & likelv that there will have
to j bet some rejections; or cutting
down of acreage, before the plant
Ing season arrives. The-indications
are that there will be more acre
age offered than the state can ac
cept -more than the state fiax
plant iha lhe.JaeUlties o handle
though there Is likely to be a con
b 1 d e r a b 1 y Increased capacity.
through (be addition of newma-
LOCATE GRAVEL
BOUNDARY LINE
COMPANY .TO PAY STATE ROY-
ALTY FOR SOME SAND
Surrey of 1890 'Used Largely,
Complaints Made to State
Land Board
In . accordance with recommen
dations made by the state engin
eering department, the state land
board entered into a contract with
the Ross Island Sand and Gravel
company for the locating of a new
boundary line in the Willamette
river yesterday.
The contract settles the con
troversy Involving the various
sand and gravel operators in Port
land. The new line being along
the 1800 survey with a few minor
changes, and the Ross Island Sand
and Gravel company shall pay
royalty on all sand and gravel re
moved from the river outside the
new boundaries.
"In reaching our conclusions,"
read the report of the state en
gineer to the land board, "we con
ferred with the representatives of
the Rosa Island Sand and Gravel
company, members of your board
and others. We felt it was of
mutual advantage to agree upon
straight lines as far as practical,
in order that in dredging these
locations the line could be indi
cated by dolphins and the state
would be able to keep close ac
count of the material for which
the state is entitled to pay.
"The engineers and your com
mittee, with W. G. Brown, repre
senting the Ross Island Sand and
Gravel company, straight lines on
the south end of the property
which we believe are as nearly
accurate as is possible to make
them, based on the 1890 survey.
"The engineers also have drawn
a straight line across the north
end of' the high water channel be
tween Ross and East Islands, 200
feet south from the harbor line,
which encloses as much ground as
la embraced in the regular ship in
let at the north end of this high
water channel.
: "Owing to the condition of the
river it has not been practical to
survey the present low water; litte
surrounding this property- It is
also possible that this line has, to
some extent at least, been changed
by dredging. - The -Ross Island
Sand and Gravel company is ready
to agree with your board that if
the dines indicated- are adopted
that they will enter into an agree
ment that this shall not prejudice
Che rights of either party, but that
should your board wish o survey
this low water line it may do so
and that when such survey is
made such further action by either
party may be taken as conditions
at the time may warrant without
prejudice by reason of this pres
ent settlement."
Investigation of the operations
of the Ross Island Sand & Gravel
company was ordered by the state
land board, after complaints had
been filed by other operators that
the corporation complained of was
operating on state property with
out paying royalty to the state.
It was charged that this was un
fair competition.
SMITH HAS HARD LUCK
Unlucky Day for Supervisor of
Pasadena Schools
PASADENA, Cal.. Dec. 11.
AP) This was hard luck day
for Earl R. Smith, attendance su
pervisor of Pasadena schools. lie
started to lunch and his car broke
down. He cracked his head on
the door while climbing out of
the ar. He slammed the door
and broke the glass. He went to
lunch and broke a tooth while
eating oysters. He discovered he
had bitten into a pearl and had
bitten it In two.
SEVEN CONVICTS ESCAPE
9 -,
Deputy Sheriff Brutally Assaulted
By Prisoners
ST. LOUIS, Mo., Dec. 11.
(AP) Seven prisoners in the St
Louis county jail at Clayton,;' a
suburb held on various charges
Including murder and robbery, e
caped late today after brutally as
saulting Deputy Sheriff Rudy Ban
mer, acting deputy. He was knock'
ed unconscious by a blow on the
head. 4
YESTERDAY
IN WASHINGTON
Prosecution and defense rested
In the Fall-loheny oil trial, i
. Prospects of, tax legislation by
congress received a definite set
back. ; .
.. president1 Coolidge asked lon
gress for J75,000,000 to finance
lax icfoi b
New York Harbor Gets Shock
as Explosion Rips Oil
Carrier Apart
TWO SERIOUSLY INJURED
Hundreds of Families Uving in
Tenements Along Waterfront
Flee From Homes Fearing
Monition Discharge
NEW YORK, Dec. 11. (AP)
A series of explosions aboard the
oil tanker Agwisun, anchored in
Buttermilk channel, off Brooklyn,
tonight shook New York harbor.
Two men were seriously injured
and taken to a hospital. Fifteen
men of the crew of 38 were on
board the vessel at the time, but
due to the alertness of Thor Brage,
oiler, they all escaped. A fev.- re
ceived injuries.
Alter the first explosion Brage
flan' a line to a tug 30 feet av.ay
and the men aboard the Agwisun
climbed hand over hand to safety
before a second explosion crsaie
which twisted the steel plates of
the fore part of the vessel apart
Algot Johnston, machinist on
the boat, received a fracture cf the
leg. Joan Walters, a shipyard
worker, who was about 10 blocks
from the scene of the exioion,
also suffered a broken leg when
thrown to the pavement b tho
force of the blast. Botta, men,
residents of Brooklyn, were taken
to the Long Island College hos
pital. Windows were broken within
a halt tnile rsdlus of the: scene.
Hundreds of families living in
traraent8"?al omghe-twutert ront
fled from their homes fearing that
munitions explosion hd o'curred.
An the tanks of the ship had
been emptied of ail when the ex
plosion occurred and were being
cleaned preparatory to refueling.
It is believed . that the explosion
was of gas accumulated in them
from the acid used in cleaning.
About an hour after the explos
ion the Agwisun sank.
DISTRICT BONDS SIGNED
State officials yesterday signed
953,000 of Oregon district interest
bonds which were Issued recently
to care for the interest due on
securities voted by the various ir
rigation districts.
LONGVIEW SPAN
GETS APPROVAL
SEN. McNARY LOSES FIGHT
AGAINST MEASURE
Bill Would Authorize Engineers to
Build Bridge and Collect
Tolls
1
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.
f AP) The senate concluded its
first-real controversial legislative
task of the session whether to
allow construction of a .bridge
across the Columbia river between
Longview, Wash., and Rainier,
Ore. by approving the measure
today after almost two days of
wrangling and sending it to the
house.
Quorum calls followed each
other rapidly as Senator Jones,
republican, and Dill, democrat,
Washington, sounded the merits
of the nroposal and Senator Mc-
Nary, Oregon, dwelt at length on
the calamity which he said con
struction of the bridge might
bring by blocking traffic between
Portland and the sea.
When opposing senators had
finished answering and assailing
each other, the senate, without
even the formality of a record
vote, calmly approved the bill and
then got into a fight as to what
to consider next, the maternity
(Continued on psg 8.) ,
PORTLAND WANTS
STATE BUILDING
LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION
TO CAUSE DISPUTE
Rose City Claims Need for Exten-
tion Offices of State
Departments
Following the recent agitation
for the erection of a new state
office building to accomodate the
increasing state departments,
boards and commissions, reports
were received here yesterday that
in event the proposed new struc
ture is approved by the. next legis
lature an effort would be made to
have It located in the city lot Port
land, f
It was argued that in locating
the proposed new building in
Portland it would provide accom
modations for the state game com
mission, state fish commission,
state historical society, state wel
fare commission and a large num
ber of other departments which
are now housed in privately own
ed .structures.
Persons favorable to having the
proposed new building located in
Portland also contended that
such a move would provide branch
offices for the state insurance
commission, state corporation
commission, state superintendent
of banks and other departments
(Continued on Dg 2.)
THEY CAN'T "KID" AL!
SCHOOL OFFICERS
PRAISE TURNER
ASPIXWALL ELECTED PRESI
DENT At county meet
Take Action About Transportation
of Pupils and Payment for
Directors
Resolutions were passed in the
meeting of the Marion county
school officers yesterday after
noon for several legislative acts
benefiting the district schools of
the county.
The two most important
improvements voted on were
concerning transportation of
pupils and paying of district
school directors. At the present
time a director of a district is not
allowed under any circumstance to
accept money for work done in in
terest of the schools, which in
some cases of repairing of build
ings and other material aid ren
dered, either forces the school to
go without repairs or else the dis
trict fs forced to pay excessively
for the work. The directors being
in a position to assist If compen
sated for time lost at their regu
lar work.
Also at the present time a dis
trict cannot vote funds for trans
porting high school pupils into
other district schools or any dis
tance without being forced to pro-
(Continued on page 8.)
POLICE WRANGLE
OVER RADIO MAN
ORMISTON'S CUSTODIAN'S RE
PORT HOI WILLING CAPTIVE
Los Angeles District Attorney Re
ported Due in Chicago
Today
CHICAGO, Dec. 11. (AP)
WTiile Kenneth Ormiston rested
today in a suite afforded "by his
captors from the journey which
followed his detection at Harris
burg, Pa., officials ot Chicago and
Cook county bickered over the
disposition fcf the unarrested pris
oner.
The former radio operator,
charged in California with : sub
ornation of perjury and conspir
acy to obstruct justice in connec
tion with the Almee McPherson
case, eluded with complete suc
cess all newspaper men except
these whose guest he is, and ap
parently was undisturbed by the
asperities which he aroused be
tween the chief of police and the
state's attorney.
The latter official, Robert - E.
Crowe, telephoned today to Chief
of Police Morgan A. Collins, said
that he understood that Ormiston
had been brought: to Chicago -last
night in the company of but not
in the custody of Harry Donnelly,
a city detective and directed that
(Continued on pgo 4.)
EVIDENCE ENDS
INMSPH
TRIAL OF FULL
Conclusion Comes Four
Years to the Day of Sign
ing of Oil Leases
NOTED SINGER TESTIFIES
Counsel Agree Jury Must Convict
or Acquit Both Although in
Case of Conviction Penalty
May Vary
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11. (AP)
Four years to the day from the
signing of the celebrated Elk Hills
naval oil reserve lease, presenta
tion of evidence was concluded
today in the criminal conspiracy
trial of Edward L. Doheny, veter
an California oL'. man, and Albert
B. Fall, former secretary of the
interior, which grew out of that
transaction.
Twelve hours of argument
evenly divided retween prosecu
tion and defence counsel, rdualn
before the jury 'scharged to file
into its quarters late Tuesday or
early Wednesday to write, the ver
dict which will terminate first
criminal trail born of ther senate's
senatorial inquiry into the oil leas
ing policies of the Harding admin
istration. Conviction wouli carry for each
defendant two years imprison
ment, or a fine ot $10,000, or
both. Counsel are agreed tha jury
must convict or acquit both al
though, in the event of a co .mic
tion, the penalty may be varied as
between the defendants. There is
no authority for a prosecution r.p
peal, an acquittal would end ihe
criminal case forever. A convic
tion likely would be followed by
an-appeal to the United States
suprfetne court.
-The defensenderits cas
day with dramatic swiftness with
out calling to the stand the for
mer cabinet member in whose jur
isdiction the naval oil reserves
were vested by President Hard
ing's executive order of May 31,
1921.
Only two witnesses, Postmaster
General New and Charles N. liass
ctt, El Paso, Texas, banker, wera
called in behalf of FalU Both tes
tified they knew .the defendant to
be of -good repute lor honesty and
integrity.
... The abrupt termination o: the
efense-ease followed announce
ment by Owen J. Roberts, special
government prosecutor, ; - that ha
had abandoned tentative plans to
summon former Secretary of Staur
liughes for further inquiry con
cerning the 1921 Pacific war scare
which impelled the navy, accord
ing to defense testimony,, to. push
s plan for a 4,000,000 batrel oil
storage plant at Pearl Harbor. Ha
waii. Linked with the Pearl HarT
bor award to Doheny's Pan-Ameri
can Pet 'oleum and Transport com
pany, in April, 1922, was tho Elk
Hills, Cal., lease of December 11
(OontiaMd on psg 6.).
MELLETT TRIAL STARTS
Jury Locked Up Over Week-End
Under Guard
CANTON, Ohio. Dec. 11. (AP)
After six months' investigation
into the murder of Don R. Mel
lett, Canton editor, the state Mon
day will lay its case before a Jury
in the common pleas court of
Judge Edwin J. Diehl.
Prosecutor C. B. McClintock. in
bis opening argument, will tell
the jury that he seeks to prove
that Patrick! Eugene McDermott,
first of three co-defendants to be
tried, was' an underworld hireling
who joined in the counter attack
of organized vice against the ed
itor's cmsadew ,
The defense, counselled by E.
L. Mills. James Ems ley and Ho
mer C. Durand, will declare that
McDermott not only did not kill
Mellett, but that he does not know
who were .the conspirators.
CALGARY STORM CENTER
Snow Driven in Drifts Throughout
Manitoba Area
WINNIPEG. Man,, Dec. 11.
(AP) While snow -was driven In
drifts throughout Manitoba, AI
berta and. Yukon territory today;
'rain' accompanied ahaw In Sas
katchewan. The street of Regina
Sask., ran -with wateY.? ;
Snow continued to fall In Mani
toba. Two and a half inches had
fallen in Winnipeg by 3 o'clock.
?The cold wave which, folowed a
warm Spell,, dropped the thermo
meter from 54 above to 10 below
4a Calgary, the vortex of the
storm. ' :
Trae Statesman
CHristmas
Chj eer Fund
II Is growing each day as
yoajig and old decided to as
sociate themselves with Santa
Claits in spreading' happiness.
TheJ f realize Santa cannot reach
all ! of the worthy kiddles and
so lare willing to- enter into
partnership with him.
Tlie Cheer crowd grows long
er ek.ch day as people work for
an tinselfish Christmas.
B eing or send yourcontribu
tions to the Christmas Cheer
Fund) editor.
Amo'tnt previously
acknowledged ...... 229.00
ChecJk 25.0Q
Marvfln I. Stokes 25
Unselbsh Boy, No. 2... 1.00
Cash y M .60
CHRISTMAS CHEER
FUPfD INCREASING
SANTA CLAUS PARTNERSHIP
GROWING DAY BY DAY
Clothes, Food and Bedding Ac
cepted as Part of Christ maa
Cheer Work
Yesterday another unselfish boy
came into The Statesman office
and gave of his meager savings
that' others might have a little
happiness on. Christmas day.
When he left his fiace was wreath
ed in. smiles because of the good
he wjas doing. Other contribu
tions came in during the day and
so many formed a - partnership
with Santa Claus to assist him In
caring for the worthy kiddies. .
Many people have clothing, food
and bedding to give away. There
are needy families throughout the
community, who really appreciate
such things. .The Christmas Cheer
editor has decided to include such
contributions: on the list and so
has made arrangements for all
such things tp be delivered to the
Salvation Army rooms on State
street. The Army will see that
they are placed where they will do
the most good. With the nrivi-
lege ot such added contributions
tne unselfish spirit of Christm.
IsTrywTnTraJtdW.v'
Another good thing about this
Bplrit' of unselfish Christmas is to
be found in the fact -that some
have asked for names of young
sters and will play Santa them
selves. This is fine and we wish
that more would follow their ex
ample. ( . t.'
The time is growing shorter In
which to join the Cheer crowd.
Comtiaved on p&f 8. .-'
HOT TEXT FIGHT COMING
. . - 5 -
Bill Being Planned to Furnish
-- . Free School Books
One of the spirited fights of the
next legislature, probably will cen
ter on a bill now being prepared
by an Eastern Oregton legislator
providing for free textbooks for
the school children of ( Oregon. In
event the bill is approved by the
legislature the textbooks would be
printed in the state printing office
and distributed thrdugh the, state
educational department.
Reports received here indicated
that the sponsor of the bill has
not yet determined definitely the
amount of mnnT It wnnlrl nit t
'print the. textbooks, nor the ex
pense that would be entailed in
eauinniner the stats nrintinr nlant
to handle the undertaking. It was
said that these figures were being
assembled. .. j
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Nominating Committee Appointed
to Report
Ihe annual election ot officers
of the Salem business men's
league will be Thursday, Decem
ber 23, at 8 o'clock in the cham
ber tot commerce roams. A nom
inating committee has been ap
pointed by G. E. McAfee, presi
dent. The chamber ot commerce
annual election is scheduled for
Monday, December 20.
The president of the business
men's league, and thu King Ring
of the Chcrriana will automatically
become directors of tbc chamber,
as these two organizations are
auxiliaries of the chamber. -
The Cherrian election is sched
uled for Tuesday. December 14. ":
"Red Robin"
and
"Fine Manners"
had bifhouses
at the Elsinore
yesterday. And
satisfied ones.
Wonderful
presentations. .
Last times today.
TEXTBOOK RDliI
DEVELOPS fJEUlf
IIIFICJITIOU
Kozer and Turner Decide
Not to Fight Against Court
Injunction -
PIERCE STANDS ALONE
Signatures of All Education Board
Members Needed to Mako
State Contracts with Pub
lishers Valid
A new ramification in the state
text book problem loomed yester
day as a result-of an action tak
en by R. R, Turner, superintend
ent of public instruction, and Sam
Kozer, secretary or state. Mr.
Turner and Mr. Kozer represent
the majority members of tho
board, while Governor Pierce, tha
third member, is opposed to their
present action. They reauested
the attorney general not to ap
pear for them in the Injunction
suit now pending In Mulnomah
county. Also, the attorney gen
eral was asked not to show cause
why the injunction suit should not
be made permanent. This In
junction' suit is at present tem
porary and restrains the board ot
education from signing, contracts
with publishers of books adopted
at tho . meeting ot the textbook
commission.
Atorneys said the refusal of
two members of the board ot edu
cation to appear in court .would
mean that the temporary iniuhnc-
tion would become permanent, and
that the signing ot any contracts
for text books for the next six year
period necessarily would have, to
be deferred until remedial legisla
tion Is enacted at the 1927 session
of, the! legislature- .
rd of education from eritertnc
Into contracts with the publisher
for textbooks adopted at the Nov.
ember meeting of the state text
books adopted at the Novembet
meeting of he state textbook com
mission, was filed by P. J. Gal-
lagner. Portland Attorney, 'on be-
nair or David L. Graham, t&x rav
er and school patron of Malheur
County. It -was alleged in the
complaint that the text-book com
mission was not legally constitut
ed, and that samples of text-books
up for adopion at the recent an-
nual meeting, were not in the
hands of members of the commis
sion 0 days prior to the adoo-
tions. . : v. - 1
Mr. Koxer's ieiier to the atlor-
CENTRAL OREGON
STRUCK BY WIND
NEAR BLIZZARD DESCENDS ON,
DESCHUTES COUNTY . .
Power Service Intermittent at the
Dalies During Rain
Downpour v;
BEND. Ore., Dec. 11. (AP)
Central Oregon tonight was in the;
grip of a atorm of wind-drlveh '
snow which has whitened the mid
state country. The near blixzard,
the first Teal storm of winter In
central Oregon followed la the
wake of a high win a which whip
ped over the Deschutes country
last night and this morning. Tha
gale of last night, which reached
a -velocity of 60 mile-an hour in
places, felled a great many trees
la the pine forest dT the Deschutes
basin, - j,-
THK DALLES, Ore , Dec 11.
(AP) High winds and rains were
experienced last night and today
with little storm damage reported.
Power service 'was Intermittent
early this morning. No slides of
consequence : were reported - on
highways; .extending : ironi The
Dalles.
EUGENE, Ore.; Dec 11. (AP)
Intermittent ehowera that had
been falling today, ceased at 9
o'clock tonight, after threatening
to break s two-year snowless rec
ord when a. chill northwest wind
sprang up but brought only dar
ing skies. Heavy snowfall is re
ported from . the high levels In
he Cascade- mountains. ,
; WALLA, .WALLA, Wash., Dec.
(AP) Walla Walla got only
a sip of the tempest which has
been sweeping , sections of. -the
state, the maximum velocity In the i
city being 18 miles aa hour today
This "Is heavier" than usual and
outside ,the.JicItyi.the wind blew
harder.: . A drop in . temperature ,
was .predicted , lor tonigh,it -
5