Vol. XLELL
CkMtVAi-ris, Benton Cijnxy, Oregkn, Friday, January 5.- 1M G-
A ROUSING MEETING.
Citizens League Hears Addresses
On Important Matters.
There was , an enthusiastic
meeting of the Citizens' League
Tuesday evening, at which Jime
three subjects of much impor
tance to Corvallis and Benton
county were discussed.
The first was the subject of
fail locks and an pen river m m
Portland to Corvallis, and Mr.
Westbrook, general freight and
passenger agent for the O. C. T.
Co. was present lo lay the matter
before the league. Mn West
brook gave a highly interesting
talk, which was of much value,
abounding in general information
on this very important theme.
The speaker brought to mind
that on . everv Jen of freight
brought to this section the people
are paying 50 cents, snot onlv
paying this amount of tax to the
locks people but also t the rail
roads on the same account. It is
estimated that on the amount of
business that passed the locks
last year, the people of the Wil
lamette Valley paid over $100,-
000. Figuring from this basis, it
would therefore appear that even
if the government could secure
the locks for $600,000 it would
be a cheap investment, as in six
years the people will have paid
out that amount in taxation and
still not own the locks. Th'e
speaker reasoned that new ' locks
might be bui't on the opposite
side of the river for perhaps
$600,000, and that therefore a
greater amount should not be
paid for the old locks than would
build new.
As to the open river, the
speaker said that the government
last year spent from $5,000 to
$7,000 on dredging and other
work, between Portland and
Salem and as a result, boats
were run daily between those
points the entire year. It was
said that the worst part of the
river lay between Portland and
Salem, and for at least one-third
less than the amount spent there,
the river could be cleared and
Jcept open tne year around irom
Salem to Corvallis. The princi
pal source of trouble, Mr. West
brook said, was snags, logs, and
bars, the latter being small is
lands in the stream that divide
the current. Could these be
overcome and the current divert
ed into one channel, that a
depth of three or four feet might
be obtained the desired result
could be had. The river, it was
stated, was nature's highway and
had always dictated freight rates.
Not until a daily boat service
was inaugurated by the river
companies, was a daily freight
service put on for Corvallis by
the railroads.
It is estimated that on every
four sacks of flour landed in Cor
vallis from Portland, the Valley
people pay 5 cents to the locks
people in tax. While this amount
seems insignificant, taken by the
year on the innumerable com
modities that are shipped, it
amounts to no small sum.
Mr. Westbrook urged the
League to be etrnest and per
sistant in their efforts, to keep
before their congressman peti
tions and resolutions bearing on
this subject," and he believed that
their demands would finally b
granted. At the conclusion of
his address, a committee was ap
pointed to draft resolutious to
send to Oregon's congressman at
Washington.
The matter of an electric
railroad from v Bellefountain to
Corvallis was ably presented to
the League by Frank Bennett,
of the tormer place. Speeches
were also made - by E. II. Bel
knap and Mr. Williams. This
road is to tap the ' Lake Creek
district in Lane county, where
timber tracts, embracing millions
of feet, are to be secured. It is
proposed to build this, road with
the assistance of Corvallis busi
ness men and outside capital.
The matter was discussed, but no
action taken. -'
The city council adjourned
and appeared before the League,
presenting the matter of granting
a thirty . year franchise to M.
Welch of Salem for an electric
light and power - plant. A two
hours discussion was held, but a
motion to vote on the matter was
laid on the table, it being the
opinion of the League that the
council, which has made a "study
of the matter, is better fitted to
decide it than is the League,
which is less informed.
The" meeting was largely at
tended, 75 being present.
Mid-Winter Meeting.
The January meeting of the
board of regents of the State Ag
ricultural College of Oregon oc
curred in this city Wednesday;
of the twelve members of the
board seven were in attendance.
Governor Chamberlain was not
present. The meeting is report
ed to be a very harmonious one
and the usual routine of business
was attended
Perhaps, in fact, in all likeli
hood, in the future history of this
great institution the meeting of
Wednesday will figure as a most
notable one. On recommend
ation of President Gatch, a fifth
vear was added to the course of
instruction at the college for
those who desire it. There are
two courses Mathematical and
applied sciences. The branches
embraced are mathematics,
chemistry,, mining, mechanical,
electrical and agricultural. The
new degrees conferred will be for
civil engineering, mining engi
neering, electrical engineering.
chemical engineering and agri
cultural engineering.
The fifth year in no wise mter-
fers with the issuance of degrees
for the four-year course and the
latter will be maintained as here
tofore. There has been a great
demand for this additional year
in the above-mentioned branches
and many students have gone
abroad on account of not being
able to secure degrees for the
fifth year's work in case they re
mained for it. From now on
they will receive recognition for
their work and new appliances
will be added to render the work
of a higher order than has been
possible in the past. At present
there are many students doing
fifth-year work at OAC.
The matter of granting a right
of way across the college farm to
the Corvallis Water Commission
for the installation of the Rock
Creek system came up before the
board and the president and sec
retary of that body were instruct
ed to negotiate and are further
authorized to sign such contract
in the matter as may seem fitting
to them.
TAX CODE BILL
Petition in Circulation May Re-
suit in New Law.
Benton's "Weather Record.
We are intendebted to H. C.
Clemmens, of Bellefountain, this
county, for the following report
of the weather conditions in his
precinct during the 'past twelve
monthsdays clear, rain', cloudy
and snowing:
1905 Clear Rainy Cloudy Sxcxv
Jan 4 14 11 2
Feb..... 8 12 8 1
Mar.... 3 22 6
Apr 7 9 14........
May.... 10 14 14 -
June... 10 9 12
July 23 1 7
Aug,... 16 15
Sept 6 9 15
Oct 11 17 3 ........
No.... 6 9 .14 1
Dec 20 11
Total 104
13S
130
Four Hundred Babies.
St. Vincent's Infant Asylum, Chicago,
shelters homeless waifs awaiting adap
tion, and there are nearly 400 babies
there. Sister Julia writes: "I cannot
say too much in praise of Foley's Honey
and Tar for coughs, colds, croup and
whooping cough." Contains no opiates
and is safe and sure. Ask for Foley's
Honey and Tar and insist on having it,
as it is a safe remedy and certain in re
sults. Refuse substitutes, bold by lira
ham & Worth am. v-
Blank petitions attached to
copies 6t the new tax code pr
posed ' by the tax committee of
the Willamette Valley ; Develop
ment League, were sent out by
the "president of that body, Jan
uary 1st. Those allotted Corval
lis arrived Tuesday. The plan
is to get 7,500 signatures to the
petition in order that the bill
may be submitted to the voters at
the election in June There- are
but little more than three weeks
in which the required number of
signatures may be secured. V
The bill not only proposes new
forms 01 taxation, such as an in
crease of the tax on insurance
companies, taxes on - the gross
earnings of express, telephone
and telegraph companies, taxes
on Pullman, oil-tank and refrigerator-car
companies, but also
revises the general tax laws now
in force ', . :
The bill proposed w&uld in
crease indirect taxation so that
levies for the state revenues the
first year under its operation
would be reduced one-half and
each year become less until there
shall be no state tax levied
In order to accomplish a com
plete revision of existing legis
lation relating to assessment and
taxation, the committee has com
piled all laws related to the sub
iect, omitting many duplications
and obsolete sections, and mak
ing minor and clerical changes
required to make the wnole har
monious, that the end sought
might be attained, shifting the
revenues required to carry on the
state governmemr, and all its de
partment! and institutions, to in
tangible sources, which the as
sessor and tax collector hitherto
has not levied upon.
The committee has deemed it
best not to repeal any existing
laws for raising revenues, re-
memb, ring that such legislation
compelled a special session of the
legislature,' but has lett undis
turbed the preseat method and
modus operandi of assessment
and collecting, existing as noted
herein:
Transfer the $1 county poll tax
to the road fund and collect same
as road poll tax is now collected.
This is not a new,tax. At present
it is charged up and added to the
propei ty assessment, but in case
of persons who pay no property
tax it is seldom collected.
Reduce the penalty on delin
quent taxes from 10 per . cent to
5 per cent, and the' rate of inter
est from 12 per cent to 6 per
cent.
In the section prsviding how
the amount of state taxes paid
by each county shall be estimat
ed, it is declared that the same
is based on current expense, ex
cepting only expenses for roads
and bridges. There are added
expenses for "county buildings
and repairs thereof." It is
manifestly wrong in policy to
peualize a country for its enter
prise in erecting and maintain
ing courthouses, jails, mnrmaries,
etc.
The committee adopted . the
Illinois plan of requiring publi
cation of the assessment roll be
fore it is acted upon by the
county board of equalization.
The enforcement of this provis
ion has resulted in greatly in
creasing the total assessments by
bringing the amount of property,
real and personal, given in by
each person to the attention of
his neighbors and the general
public. The publication will
be made in the newspapers in
each county nearest the property
by precincts.
The committee has raised the
taxes on the gross premiums of
insurance companies from 2 to 3
per cent. It is a fact that 26
states collect a higher tax on in
surance companies than Oregon.
This bill levies a 2 per cent
I tax on the gross earnings of the
express and telegraph companies
and 1 per cent on telephone com
panies. It will not affect farm
ers' mutual telephone lines.
The committee found it neces
sary. to revise the inheritance tax
so that it will- come nearer to
filling the purpose for which it
was intended, the ' production of
revenues from inheritances. We
have provided that the" state as
an interested party shall be rep
resented at the first appraisement
of all estates qi over $ 10,000 by
the local attorney of the State
School Land Board, and by
abolishing all limitations so that
all heirs will pay the small sum
of 1 per cent on the amount of
property inheiited. Heirs of the
second degree of consanguinity
pay 2 per cent on the amount in
herited, and all others pay 3 per
cent, including bodies corporate,
and for sums over $10,000 and as
high as $100,000 a graduated tax
until 10 per cent is reached.
The committee adopted the
Iowa law for the assessment and
valuation of railroad property,
by creating the . governor, . secre
tary of state and state treasurer a
state excutive council and giving
them authority to ascertain and
and determine the value of all
railroad property in the state,
based on reports of earnings and
other information required under
the" decisions of the supreme
court.--.' Under this system a rail
road is treated as a continuous
piece ' of property, and the assess
ed value per mile is the same for
the entite length thereof. This
is the law of California and
nearly all of the other states.
Imperfect Digestion.
Means less nntrition and tn conse
quence less vitality. When the liver
fails to secrete bile, the blood becomes
loaded with bilious properties, the di
gestion becomes impaired -and the
bowels constipated. Herbine will rectify
this; it gives tone to the stomach, liver
and kidneys, strengthens the appetite,
clears and improves the complexion, in
fuses new life and vigor to the whole
system. 50 cents a bottle. Sold bv
Graham & Wortham.
! FOR OUR DEAREST
silverware we ask no more than yon
wonld expect to pay for far inferior goods.
We want you to feel able to aflord the
best, whether it be for yoar table, side
board or dressing case. So we make a
specialty of fine silverware moderately
priced. We have sets and single pieces. .
Standard and special patterns. Every
piece is fully warranted to wear foryears.
We 6hall be very glad to have you look
at the collection any time.
Albert J. Metzoer
JEWELER '
Occidental Building, - - - Corvallis
THE CITY EEAT PABICET
has moved into the brick building Ber- V -v
- man's old stand and will be pleased to
; ; serve all our old customers and many new
' ones with all kinds of :
Fresh and Cured Meats, Lard & Sausage
Call and see us; we will treat you right.
- Goods delivered in all parts of the city
' - promptly and satisfactory. .
C&DY, SCHWiG
CO.
We run our own delivery wagon
Nqw that the holiday rush is over we have time to do your re
pair work with neatness and despatch.
.Fine Watch Work a Specialty
The diamond ring rawing will come off Jan. 6, 1906. A ticket
with each dollar's worth purchased until that time. Everything
desired in the jewelry line is carried by us.
Eyes tested free and glasses fitted properly In a
v most up-to-date manner.
E. W. S. PRATT, Jeweler and Optician.
The Weekly Oregonian and the Gazette
Both one year for $2.55
S GAPY'S
Great J
anuary
For cash we will make special prices on
Dining Chaws' and
ouches
during" the month of January as follows
117.50 couches 816.65
14.50 couches 12.05
13.25 couches 11.85
81.50 chairs 81.30
1.10 chairs .95
.90 chairs .75
. This is the best opportunity ever offer
ed to save money on these goods.
Our goods ;i re marked in plain figures and
you will fiiul prices as quoted. Come' and see.
mil
ADY, Confallis