Mi
in
V BE THRIFTY
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i THE WEATHER
Unsettled with showers to.
day and Sunday; Temp. Fri
day 68, Min. 53, river -8
foot, rain .02 inch, south
erly wind.
r-. v--.,..
FOUIMD.EP 1651
EIGHTY-FOURTH YEAR
Salem, Oregon, Saturday Morning, May 5, 1934
No. 34
CM?
If WEEKEND
Crowning of Queen Dorthy
' Scheduled for 1 KA.M.;
Pageant to Follow
Track Meet, Baseball Game
and Play Outstanding
Among Attractions
Undismayed by threat of rain,
-managers of the May Day festivi
ties at Willamette university were
ready today to carry on an inten
sive schedule of activities in cele
bration of the annual event.
From the traditional May
morning breakfast at 7:30 o'clock
this morning until the customary
junior play tonight, a heavy pro
gram awaits the students, alumni
and other guests of the school.
"Guests will register at 9 a. m.
at Chresto cottage on the cam
pus. Willamette's tennis team
will play Albany at r:30 a. m
The traditional tug 'o-war over the
Mill stream between freshmen
and sophomore men is set for 10
o'clock to be followed by the
crowning of Queen Dorthy at 11
o'clock. Sports events in the af-
. tf...i.. 1, . . : i.
iciuuuu niLiuuc a iiacA. mtrci. wini
Pacific beginning at 1:30 o'clock
and a baseball game with Linfield
at 3:30 o'clock. The junior play
tonight is in the Salem high
school auditorium.
Feudal days with all their color
and splendor will be brought to
life at the coronation ceremonies
at 11 o'clock.
Queen Dorthy Dalk and her
retinue of King Ralph Foster,
Princesses Naomi Hewitt and
Marjorie Wunder and Princes
Miles Woodworth and James Bur
dett will go through the dignified
paces of receiving their royal
robes.
Following the coronation.
"Sleeping Beauty", a pageant of
the knighthood era, will be pre
sented in two settings: the first,
in the market place of an-ancient
Tillage with quaint dances and
costumed villagers; the second,
In the gardens of the royal court.
The grand climax will come with
the traditional maypole windup.
Dorothy Ghormley will carry
the leading role in the festival as
the princess. Others in the cast
are Jessie Pyron, the prince; Mar
tha Warren, the king; and Josie
Acklin, the thirteenth godmother.
John Ross is in general charge
of the May Day functions. His assistants-in-chief
are Talbot Ben
net, manager of the queen's court,
and Don Egr, general campus
chairman.
The dance program is in charge
of Anna Jo Fleming assisted by
Edith Sidwell and Vina Smith. Jo
Anderson and Nova Hedin are
handling costumes and Clara
Wright and Rose Naef are direct
ing the musical program.
Presented by the junior class
as a climax to the May weekend
celebration, the curtain of the
high school auditorium stage will
rise at 8:15 o'clock tonight on Al
ice Duer Miller's witty comedy
Come Out of the Kitchen."
When temporary financial em
barrassment drove the old Virgin
ia family or aristocratic antece
dents to rent their house to a
rich Yankee, furnishing with it
a competent staff of white ser
vants as per condition of the ler.se,
the troubles began. Of course, the
"solution" lay in the abftity of the
younger members of the family to
masquerade as servitors,
i However, no stereotyped action
is furnished and the unusual be
havior of the serving staff brings
complications into the merry story
which continue through a maze
of delightful incidents.
TIKES FOUR LIS
TULSA. Okla.. May 4.-jiP)-ToT-nadie
winda atruck three north
eastern Oklahoma communities
late today, taking four lives ajid
leaving trails of wreckage end
more than a wore injured.
Three persons were killed near
Alsuma, 12 miles southeast of
Tulsa.
lira. Carrie Lowe, 68, was
hurled a hundred yards and kill
ed by a tornado which demolished
her farm house .three miles north
of Howden, near the Kansas line.
A piece of timber was driven
through her akull into her body.
Late Sports
' PORTLAND, Ore., May 4 .-(-
Tommy Ross, 154, atonmoutn,
Ore., knocked ont "Tiger Johnny"
Monroe, 15, Forest Grove, Ore.,
In the second -f a scheduled four
round fight here tonight.
Ross Dumaguiller, 128, Manila,
fought a four-round draw with
RAAim Snina. lit, Portland. B. O.
Marshall, 162, Seattle, knocked
out Tony Lareris, 167, Portland,
in the third of a scheduled iour
round bout. , ...
TOHO IN SOUTH
Proving One Navy
Two Coasts, if
if - X v. - " " . " -
I v - - - v -! 1 '
? ' ' ,
.riaiigetl as neatly as pens in a pod, a group of U, S. destroj'ers, two
abreast, pass through Gatun Lock, Panama Canal, daring recent
record transfer of the fleet from the Pacific to the Atlantic in 47
hours. Kvery type of vessel, 111 in all, passed through the famous
waterway without a hitch.
C
111 LOG RATE CASE
Vailey and Siletz Claims
Amended Order Means
Drop, Not Advance
Attorneys on both sides of the
rate rase fight Involving the Val
ley & Siletz railroads, the South
ern Pacific and the Charles K.
Spaulding Logging company, rest
ed their cases late yesterday after
noon after an all-day hearing be
fore Judge L. G. Lewelling.
The controversy which has been
in the hands of either Commis
sioner C. M. Thomas or the courts
for the last 18 months, involves
the determination of a fair rate
on logs from Olson in Polk county
to Winona, also in Polk county,
the points of departure and re
ceipt for logs coming to the Spaul
ding mill here.
Under an amended order recent
ly made by Thomas, the rate on
logs is set at $20 a carload, the
latter averaging about 8000 feet
of logs. This rate is 2 a carload
higher than one set by Thomas
last year but is far less than a
$3.90 a thousand rate prevailing
heretofore.
Counsel for the railroads yes
terday declared that the amended
rate omitted entirely the $3 a
thousand rate set for logs by
Thomas in 1933. It was contend
(Turn to Page 2, Col. 1)
Marion Leads in
Number of Jobs
Given Last Week
Marion county again leads all
districts in the state in the num
ber of men employed by private
industries through the federal re
employment offices. D. D. Dotson,
manager of the office here, an
nounced yesterday that 91 men
had gained employed through his
office in the six-day period cov
ered in his weekly reports. In the
five-county territory of which
Marion is a part 130 men were
employed during the past week.
Next in total number of men
employed in private industry was
the five county unit including
Multnomah county. Eighty-seven
men gained work in private in
dustry there. Total employment
through the federal offices for
J the entire state during the last
week was 810.
UMENTS
HEARD
A Hack in Voter Pamphlet
Is Violation Says Opinion
When a candidate for public
office devotes a considerable part
of his campaign statement di
rectly to an attack upon his op
ponent or opponents such portion
of his statement is in violation
of the spirit of the corrupt prac
tices act, and should be served
upon those under attack, Attor
ney General Van Winkle held in
an opinion handed down yester
day.
The opinion was requested by
George Flagg, deputy secretary of
state, after John Ooss of Marsh
field and William A. Delzell of
Salem had complained that a
statement prepared by R. R.' Tur
ner, their democratic opponent
for representative in congress
from the first Oregon district, had
not been served upon them as re
quired by the corrupt practices
act. It also was alleged by Del
sell and Goss that the secretary
of state should not have distrib
uted the pamphlets containing the
Turner statement until he had re
ceived a sheriff's return that such
service had been made.
Van Winkle continued, however,
that no change in the procedure
Could Defend
Necessity Arose
MUSIC WEEK GIVEN
AUSPICIOUS DEBUT
Civic Chorus and Madrigal
Club Join in Offering
Pleasing Concert
By JESSIE STEELE
Music week made an auspicioirs
debut to the Salem public last
night at the Madrigal club and
Civic Male chorus concert given
in the American Lutheran church.
Noticeable improvement in un
ity was noted in the male chorus
since its first appearance although
its fine personnel and gifted di
rector. Prof. E. W. Hobson, have
always turned out creditable per
formances. Particularly lovely was
the initial number of the concert.
"Land Citing" by Grieg. Clear cut
enunciation and warmth of ex
pression lent vigor to the power
ful ballad.
The male chorus responded to
an encore with "Sclssor's Grind
er" by Bomschew following "Wa
ter Boy" arranged by Avery.
As the male chorus was deep
and vibrant in tone, so was the
Madrigal club's performance fem
inine and yet strong-toned and
alive. Quality and training in the
voices showed especially In "Dron
ing Cymbrels" by C. Cul, with a
(Turn to Page 2, Col. 2)
It Rains and
Ducks, Suds
Trade Ivory
.PORTLAND, May 4.-(iiP)-There
was no baseball game here today
so President Thomas L. Turner of
the Portland team and Business
Manager William H. Klepper of
Seattle sheltered themselves from
the rain and started swapping
players.
Seattle owed Portland some
money, so turned over Pitcher
George Caster In payment. Seattle
released Catcher Harold Doerr,
rookie catcher whose home is Los
Angeles, and Portland signed him.
Seattle has signed Frank Rag
land, pitcher, released by Port
land. Klepper also is considering
signing Frank Packard, intielder
released by Portland, but possibly
not before the rain stops as it
would mean another mouth to
feed meanwhile.
of the publication an ddlstributlon
of such pamphlets now under way
should be made as an attempt to
do so "would not resnlt in any
particular beneficial effect."
The attorney general also held
that while there apparently had
been a violation of the corrupt
practices act, the secretary of
cute had proceeded correctly
since no similar occasion had
arisen and therefore so precedent
bad been provided.
Commenting upon Turner's
statement, Attorney General Van
Winkle's opinion read:
"The Inclusion by Mr. Turner
in his campaign statement in his
own behalf of a statement which
is obviously one in opposition to
the nomination ot either of his
opponents and purporting to give
reasons why they should not be
nominated, without serving the
same upon his opponents, is a
failure in spirit, if not In letter,
to comply with the requirements
of the corrupt practices law.
"For this reason, if Mr. Tur
ner's statement had not already
been received for publication and
(Turn to page 2, Col. 4)
CAKE TRICK
UN
F
L
Cannot Retain Present Job
if and When Elected
to Governorship
Scheme to Appoint Odd Man
on Board of Control is
Vain, Opinion Now
By SHELDON F. SACKETT
The attempt of Rufus C. Hol
man, state treasurer, to have his
cake and eat it, by keeping the
treasurership until he might be
seated as governor and then fill
ing the vacancy created by his
own elevation by the voters, is
definitely Impossible under the
provisions of the Oregon consti
tution. While the attorney-general
has not yet been asked to rule
on Mr. Holman's proposal, state
house speculation on the proposed
feat of the state treasurer has
prompted an investigation of the
constitutional provisions relating
to the governor.
The fundamental law of the
state expressly provides In Sec
tion 3 of Article five that "No
. . . person holding office . . .
under this state . . . shall fill the
office of governor except as may
be otherwise provided in this con
stitution." The writer has been
unable to ascertain any excep
tions. This specific restriction on
the qualifications or a governor
comes under the heading "Who
is Not Eligible" and indicates
clearly that the makers of the
constitution directly stopped the
feat the state treasurer attempts
to do, to wit, gain the governor
ship, name his own successor as
treasurer and thus dominate the
board of control.
It has previously been assumed
by friends of Holman that the
treasurer, if nominated and elect
ed governor, would continue to
hold office as treasurer until he
had taken the oath as governor.
Then he would resign or let his
treasurership be defaulted on the
theory that the treasurer had dis-
(Turn to Page 2, Col. 1)
TAXES PAID TOTAL
HALF OF 1933 ROLL
Tax dollars totaling one-half
of the 1933 real and personal
property tax rolls have been paid
to the sheriff's office here in the
80-day period since February 15,
! officials in the tax collection de
partment at. the courthouse an
nounced yesterday. The receipts
are far above the income in
similar period last year, due, tax
collection officers believe, to lm
proved business conditions, to the
rebate now allowed for advance
payments and to the refinancing
being done by federal funds.
The 1933 tax roll aggregates
81,617,362. Including receipts for
May 3, 8622,508 of this sum had
been paid. Additional receipts on
rolls before 1933 totalled at least
$200,000, officials said, making
at least $825,000 collected at the
sheriff's office, since the new
rolls were turned ovr by the as
sessor. While the total tax intake has
slowed down materially since the
utilities and larger corporations
took tbeir discounts and paid in
full by March 15,' from $6000 to
$10,000 daily is continuing to be
received at the courthouse.
The due date for the second
quarter of 1933 taxes is June
15, 1934, and many payments in
anticipation of this date are being
made. The majority of taxpayers
do not understand the rather
complicated discount and interest
charges provided in the 1933 tax
law. As a result checks received
by mail are seldom for the correct
amount due the county and
there must either be an addition
al payment made or a check sent
to the taxpayer for an overpay
ment refund.
SOUi CITIES ARE
E
SEATTLE, May i.-JP)- Short
earthquake shocks that frightened
citizena and rattled loose objects,
but apparently did little serious
damage, were felt shortly after 8
o'clock tonight at many Pacific
northwest cities.
Port Angeles, Port Townsend,
Everett and Hoquiam, In Wash
ington, and Vancouver and Vic
toria, in British Columbia, were
the first cities reporting the series
ot tremors, which began at 8:05
and continued, at Intervals ot one
minute, until about 8:18.
At Everett it was the second
quake felt in seven days. Houses
were shaken and late workers in
downtown office buildings said
the structures were swayed by a
shock lasting 30 to 40 seconds.
Hoquiam reported two distinct
shocks. Doors and windows were
rattled at Qulnault, 45 miles north
of there.
N
ROCKED Of Oil
Female Jail
Guest Puffs
Cigar Smoke
Salem had its own cigar-smok
ing woman prisoner yesterday in
the person of Mary Doe Gudger of
Silverton.
"You bet, I like cigars; I al
ways smoke them," Mrs. Gudger
declared as she puffed on a stogie
at her headquarters in the wom
an's section of the county Jail.
And I hate cigarettes," she
added.
Bonnie Parker, companion of
Clyde Barrow, Texas gangster, has
been publicized as a cigar-smoking
woman, but Bonnie has denied the
charge at intervals.
Not so with Mrs. Budger. "I've
smoked cigars for a long time,"
she said yesterday.
She Is to have a hearing today
In justice court at Silverton on a
charge of vagrancy. Silverton, po
nce oincers say she was somewhat
under the influence of liquor when
they arrested her in a poolroom
where she was having a great time
showing men how the game of
pool was played. "But I wasn't
drunk," she insisted yesterday In
her cell.
Mrs. Gudger says she has
worked In Portland until the last
two months and declares that she
was a house detective in a Port
land store for a considerable
period.
Relief Only for Employes,
Charged; Crowd Greets
Bourbon Aspirant
"We were told the Knox law
was to raise money for relief in
Oregon. About the only use I have
seen of that money is to create a
fight over whose salary would be
increased," Willis M a h o n e y,
Klamath Falls candidate for the
democratic nomination for gover
nor told an audience at Union
Hall here last night. "I'm against
the Knox law," he declared. "I'm
for temperance; I am against
putting the state in the liquor
Dusiness.
Mahoney. on the only occasion
during his campaign when he has
spoken in. Salem, drew an audi
ence which packed the hall and
overflowed Into the hallway.
Quoting an extensive and bitter
.11.
mi lc on utility noidmr com
panies, Mahoney dramatically at
tributed it to President Roosevelt
and said he stood directly behind
the president in his fight on graft
in the utility business.
Mahoney scored the conduct of
the state industrial accident
commission and said one of his
first acts as chief executive of
Oregon would be to clean out that
department.
He promised he would. work for
old-age pensions for needy per
sons above 65 years ot age and
for an exemption from taxation of
all homes of a value of $3000 or
less.
The bulk of his speech was de
voted to a discussion of his many
sided platform as a candidate for
governor. He spoke vigorously and
directly and received frequent ap
plause. James Preble, candidate
for the democratic nomination as
state senator, sat with Mahoney
on the speaker's platform.
E
Henry J. Bean and Harry Belt,
justices of the state supreme
court, yesterday sent letters to
the secretary of state, revoking
previous instructions that 15 per
cent be deducted from their sal
aries of 8625 a month.
Belt's letter read:
"On account of assessment on
stock which I own in the defunct
First National Bank and other
financial reverses, it is absolutely
necessary in order to meet my
contractural obligations that I
draw my full salary as justice of
the state supreme court as pro
vided by law."
Bean offered no explanation in
his letter to the state department.
The reductions in the salaries of
both Bean and Belt were volun
tary, as their compensation is
fixed by statute. Belt voluntarily
accepted the reduction several
months prior to the date on which
the general cut in salaries of state
officials and employes became ef
fective. Dillinger to Be
Sought on Boat
at Scotch Port
MONTREAL, May 4-(flJ)-Otfi-ciala
of the Canadian Pacific
steamship line tonight received a
request from the department of
justice at Washington to investi
gate reports that John Dillinger
might be aboard the Duchess of
York, bound from Halifax to
Glasgow.
Thf liner is due In the Scottish
seaport some time tomorrow.
- Although no official govern
ment statement was made, it ap
peared both it and shipping of
ficials were keyed up over the
, report.
H ATTACKS
LIQUOR
LAWSETUP
JUSTICES
REVOK
DEDUCT ON P
SLOTHS
TABU IN SALEM
Gambling Devices Disappear
From Most of Business
Houses Promptly
No Arrests; Marble Games
and Most Punch Boards
Included in Order
Following close upon local de
mands for an enforcement ot ex
isting city and state laws against
the operating of gambling devices, !
local police early yesterday noti
fied all operators of slot machines
that their operation in the city
would be illegal. The ban also wp :
applied to use of marble machines
and the majority of punch boards.
As a result, by noon yesterday
almost none of the gambling de
vices were in nse in business
houses downtown. No arrests had
been reported last night, renters
of the machines declaring they
wished to obey the law.
The move followed action by the
police committee of which F. N.
Needham is chairman. Recent su
preme court decisions and a writ
ten opinion by Chris J. Kowitz,
city attorney, convinced the com
mittee that machines now operat
ing here were in open violation of
the city's ordinance.
The action came the same day
announcement was made that po
lice in Portland were to destroy
about 70 machines held since re
cent raids.
Mayor McKay recently ad
dressed a letter to his police com
mittee pointing out the fact that
gambling devices were being op
erated in the city, presumably
against state and local laws.
A number of the gambling ma
chines were picked up yesterday
by their owners. Under the pre
vailing arrangement, the machines
are not owned by the storekeeper
where they are used. He receives
50 per cent of the net for allowing
the machine to be in his place. In
vestigations made on numerous
occasions have shown that the
typical slot machine vends only
20 per cent of its gross intake.
Three Killed
In Grounding
Of Freighter
ASTORIA, May 4.-P)-The bet
tered, leaking Norwegian motor
ship Childar with its crew deci
mated by death and Injuries, was
proceeding toward Puget Sound
through stormy seas tonight un
der convoy of the coast gnard cut
ter Redwing.
The tug Roosevelt was racing
to her assistance from Seattle.
Four members of the crew lost
their lives as the craft was tossed
and buffeted on Peacock spit at
the mouth of the Columbia river
this morning. The ship was
strained at the middle and a gap
appeared in her No. 4 hold at the
waterline.
The storm was from the south
west and it was deemed advisable
to head northward.
With extreme difficulty injured
crew members, lashed to mat
tresses, were lowered into small
coast guard boats and brought to
shore through the jolting, punish
ing waves.
The dead:
Helge Andreas Christiansen, 41,
chief officers washed overboard.
Bertram Bjonness, 30, second
officer, washed overboard.
Ingolf Bertinius Jacobsen, 41,
steward, washed overboard.
Odd Mevil, 20, cook, crushed by
sbiftlng cargo.
All were of Norway.
Scholarships
Today at U -
Award of a dozen scholarships
to the 4-H clab summer school at
Corvallis and the girls' style dress
revue at 3:30 o'clock this after
noon will climax the fifth annual
Marlon county 4-H boys and girls'
fair. Exhibits, in the old Kafoury
storerooms in the Oregon build
ing on State street, will be open to
the public all day, until 6 o'clock
this evening.
The demonstration teams will
complete their work this morn
ing, with groups from Sublimity,
Mt, Angel, and Woodburn going
through the competition.
High praise for the work on
display at the fair, not only from
qnantity but quality, was paid by
H. C. Seymour ot Corvallis, state
club leader, who visited at the
exhibit late yesterday afternoon
while enronte home from Port
land, where he attended a meet
ing of club leaders.
"Ton have a wonderful exhibit
and fine work. The club leaders
in Portland commented many
times during the session there to-.
day upon this Marion county
fair", Seymour told Wayne D.
I GIVEN
Liquor Board Charges
Meier With Meddling;
Hints Possible Reason
o
Youth Killed as
Log Rolls from
Truck in Woods
SILVERTON. May 4 Norman
Bergland. 24. was killed instantly
at the Silver Falls Timber com
pany camp at noon today when be
was struck by a log which rolled
from a loaded truck. Bergland,
whose body was brought to the
Ekman mortuary here, is survived
by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. S.
Bergland, a sister, Jerdis Berg
land; a brother, Arthur; and a
married sister, all of Silverton.
The Silver Falls camp has had a
record remarkably clear of acci
dents. DEAL ISULED
I. B. Dexter, Former Island
Official, is Purchaser of
Unusual Homesite
A deal whereby one of the
finest rural home sites near Sa
lem, the old Lansing property
three miles south of town just off
the highway, passes into new own
ership became public yesterday
when F. N. Dexter, brother of
the new owner, took possession.
Forty-five acres, including the
part on which stands the 10-room
colonial residence and also about
20 acres of orchard, comprise the
parcel of the Lansing 70-acre
holdings bought by Irving B. Dex
ter of Manila, Philippine Islands.
While final papers in the trans
action, which has been in progress
since early in February, have not
been passed, it is known that Ir
ving B. Dexter has paid a substan
tial sum on the deal and intends
to come here himself this sum
mer, probably in July. He and
his brother, F. N. Dexter who has
been in Salem several weeks, will
both make their homes on the
place. F. N. Dexter's family is
expected to arrive shortly from
South Dakota.
This country home site Is some
times known as Alderbrook, and
has been owned for about 40 years
by Major E. T. Lansing, wiflf ex
ception of a few years recently
when Fred Thielsen held the prop
erty. (Turn to page 2, col. 6)
E
BRIEFLY BY BREEZE
The rains and 40rmile winds
about 4 o'clock yesterday after
noon tossed the top of a large
tree into the Portland General
Electric power lines on Marion
street, where a 11,000-volt cir
cuit crosses the street, interrupt
ing service In as section of the
town for a bare 20 minutes.
The area north of North Mill
creek and west of 12th whs
without power for this perlor.
In 20 minutes members of the
power crew had completed mak
ing a connection of this circuit
onto the 17 th street circuit, thus
restoring service. The prompt re
turn of electricity to homes was
due to the loop system, which
makes possible connection be
tween two sections in case of such
an emergency.
William M. Hamilton, manager
of the Salem offices, reported
early last night that no further
damage to the power lines had
been experienced by the gale.
to be Given
H Clubs' Fair
Harding, Marion county club lead
er. A group from Portland, the
leaders explained, came down
Thursday to see the local display.
Many persons, both from Salem
and from the rural sections, vis
ited the display yesterday, and it
is expected many more will view
the boys and girls work today. It
is open to the public without
charge.
Scoring in the third and fourth
divisions of clothing exhibits was
completed yesterday, with these
results:
Division three Group one, El
eanore Parkes, Turner; Florence
Upjohn, Salem; Velma Shelley,
Fail-view; Eunice Wright, Salem
Heights; Virginia Wright, Sunny
side. Group two, Catherine Zin
ser, Salem Heights; Edna Gae
bert, Evelyn Melaon, both of Eei
ser; Rachel Riches, Turner. Group
three, Zena Godwin, Turner; Eth-
elmae. Titus, Stayton; June Lar
son, Sunnyslde: Alida Sautter, Sa
lem Heights; Donna Danlelson.
Aurora. Group tour, Maxine Rent-
schler, Salem Heights: LaRaine
(Turn to Page 2, Col. 1)
IM U FARM
SERVIG
DISRUPTED
Holtz Matter, Change
in Patronage are
Mentioned
Governor Favored Big
Salary for Chief,
Statement
PORTLAND, Ore., May 4-P;-Members
of the Oregon liquor
control commission tonight charg
ed Governor Julius L. Meier with
trying to impose his will on tbeir
actions and with "sniping" at
them individually.
They declared the state liquor
law entrusts to the liquor control
commission administration and
supervision of liquor and they
would continue to administer the
law without dictation by the state
board of control and free from
politics.
Chairman George H. McMorraa
and Alex G. Barry conferred by
telephone with James D. Burns,
commissioner from Condon, and
then released a statement by the
commissioners as a unit.
Later, however, Commissioner
Burns telephoned a request that
his name be removed from the
statement for the time being.
The statement read in part:
"The commission was not at
all surprised at the governor's ac
tion in recommending to the
board of control that the salary
adjustments authorized bj th
commission in the conduct of its
business be rejected, but It hi sur
prised at the action taken by the
board as a whole without its first
having the facts before It. . . .
"Since the day of its appoint
ment, the commission has been
handicapped and sometimes un
duly Influenced by the governor,
and because its members were
unable to reconcile their views
of the problem confronting them
with that of the chief exeestive.
and on occasions have exercised
their own judgment rather than
followed his suggestions, they
have been individually and- col
lectively sniped at during their
tenure of office, culminating in
the governor's recommendation to
the board of control.
Governor Meier himself at ene
of the first meetings of the com
mission expressed' his opinion that
the position of . administrator '
should carry a salary ot 812,060
or 815,000 a year.
'He urged upon the commission
the appointment ot Aaron Holts.
After allowing the commmlsaion
to spend several weeks interview
ing over 20 applicants for tin po
sition of administrator. Governor
Meier again renewed his sugges
tion of Aaron Holtz. Mr. Holts
was finally retained by the com
mission in another capacity. . . .
'Throughout the life of the or
ganization Governor Meier has un
duly attempted to use his influ
ence, both in appointments of the
personnel, designation of agencies
and the operation ot the business,
and has otherwise involved him
self in the commission's opera
tions. His threat to wash his
hands of its affairs and his re
peated statement that he does not
wish to interfere with the com
mission have both been over
looked. . . .
"If the commission is allowed
to carry out its program unhin
dered, the state of Oregon should
benefit by upwards of 81,000,000
a year. The present controversy,
stripped ot all its embellishments,
concerns a few salary increases,
all of which were, in the Judg
ment of the commission, deserved
and necessary to the proper func
tioning of the system.
"The motive may well be a dust
screen raised to conceal the real
cause ot dissension above referred
to, augmented by the fact that
the lines ot a few liquor dealers
which monopolized the original
price list negotiated for by Mr.
Holts, have been or are beiag dis
continued, due to the faet that
the public refused to buy them."
Prosecution in
Spud Price War
Held Probable
Max Gehlbar. state director ot
agriculture, declared yesterday
that there probably would be at
least one prosecution In connec
tion with the potato price war
which has been raging at Eugene
for the past week.
One merchant there was re
ported to have given a SO pound
sack ot potatoes free with each 11
cent bona fide grocery purchase.
Gehlhaf said he would not di
vulge the name of the merchant
to be prosecuted until such time
as he had conferred with Charles
Cole, In charge of. the plant and
vegetable division of the state ag
ricultural department. Cole went
to Eugene yesterday and had nor
returned here last night. .