LAST MESSAGE
TO CONGRESS
Brief Summary of Roosevelt's Letter
to Lawmakers.
The following are the chief points
brought out in the message of the presi
dent to the second session of the six
tieth congress:
The financial standing of the nation at
the present time is excellent, and the
financial management of the nation's
Interests by the government during the
last seven years has shown the most
satisfactory results. Hut our currency
system is imperfect, and it is earnestly
to be hoped that the currency commis
sion will be able to propose a thorough
ly good system which will do away with
the existing defects.
As regards the great corporations en
gaged in interstate business, and es
pecially the railroads. I can only re
peat what I have already again and
again said in my messages to the con
gress. 1 believe that under the inter
state clause of the constitution the
United States has complete and para
mount right to control all agencies of
Interstate commerce, and I believe that
the national government alon? can exer
cise this right with wisdom and ef
fectiveness so as both to secure justice
from, and to do justice to. the great
corporations, which are the most im
tuirt.int factors in modern business.
The railways of the country should
be nut completely under the interstate
commerce commission and removed
from the domain of the anti-trust law.
The power of the commission should
be made thoroughgoing, so that It could
ctprriss comnlete supervision and con
trni over th issue of securities as well
as over the raising and lowering of
rates. As regards rates, at least, this
power should be summary. The power
to investigate the financial operations
and aeoounts of the railways has been
one of the most valuable features in
recent legislation. Power to make com
binations and traffic agreements should
be explicitly conferred upon the rail
roads, the permission of the commis
sion being first gained and the combi
nation or aereement being published In
nil its details.
Rates must be made as low as is
compatible with giving .proper returns
to all the emnloves of the railroad
from the highest to the lowest, and
proper returns to the shareholders; but
they must not, for instance, be reduced
In such fashion as to necessitate a cut
In the wages of the employes or the
abolition of the proper and legitimate
nrofits of honest shareholders.
Telegraph and telephone companies
engaged in interstate business should
be piit under the jurisdiction of the in
terstate commerce commission.
Interstate commerce is now chiefly
conducted by railroads: and the great
corporation has supplanted the mass
of small partnerships or individuals.
The proposal to make the national gov
ernment supreme over, and therefore to
give it complete control over, the rail
roads and other instruments of inter
state commerce is merely a proposal to
carry out to the letter one of the prime
purposes, if not the prime purpose, for
which the constitution was founded.
There are many matters affecting
labor and the status of the wage-worker
to which I should like to draw your
attention, but an exhaustive discussion
of the problem in all its aspects is not
now necessary.
The congress should without further
delay pass a model employers' liability
law for the District of Columbia. The
employers' liability act recently de
clared unconstitutional, on account of
apparently including In its provisions
employes engaged in Intrastate com
merce as well as those engaged in inter
state commerce, has been held by the
local courts to be still in effect so far
as its provisions apply to the District
of Columbia. There should be no am
biguity on this point. If there is any
doubt on the subject, the law should be
re-enacted with special reference to the
District of Columbia.
I most earnestly urge upon the con
gress the duty of increasing the totally
inadequate salaries now given to our
judges. On the whole there is no body
of public servants who do as valuable
work, nor whose moneyed reward is so
inadequate, compared to their work. Be
ginning with the supreme court, the
judges should have iheir salaries dou
bled. It is not befitting the dignity of
the nation that its most honored public
servants should be paid sums so small
compared to what they would earn in
private life that the performance of
public service by them implies an ex
ceeding. y heavy pecuniary sacrifice.
It is earnestly to be desired that some
method shou'id be devised for doing
away with the long delays which now
otjia.n in the administration of justice,
and which operate with peculiar severity
against persons of small means, and
favor only the very criminals whom it
is most desirable to punish. These long
ueiays in the linal uecistons of cases
make in the aggregate a crying evil;
and a remedy snould be devised. Muen
of this into.erabie delay is due to im
proper regard paid to technicalities
which are a mere hindrance to justice.
In some noted recent cases this over
regard for technicalities has resulted in
a striking denial, of justice, and flagrant
wrong to the body politic.
Real damag; has been done by the
manifold and conflicting interpretations
of the interstate commerce law. Con
trol over the great corporations doing
interstate business can be effective only
if it is vest -d with full power in an
administration department, a branch
of the federal executive, carrying out a
federal law; it can never be effective
if a divided responsibility is left in
both the states and the nation; it can
never be effective if left in the hands
of the..courts to be deciced by law suits.
If there is any one duty which more
than another we owe it to our chil
dren and our children's children to per
form at once, it is to save the forests
of this country, for they constitute
the first and most important element
in tli' conservation of the natural re
sources of the country. There are. of
course, two kinds of natural resources.
One is the kind which can only be used
as part of a process or exnaustion;
this is true of mines, natural oil and
gas wells, and the like. The other, and
01 course, ultimately by far the most
iniponant, includes the resources which
can be improved in the process of wise
us-' the soil, the rivers, and the for
ests come under this head. Any really
civilized nation will so use all of these
three great national assets that the
ration will have their benefit in ihe
future.
All serious students of the question
are aware of the great damage that has
beri don in the Mediterranean coun
tries of Kurope, Asia and Africa by
deforestation. The similar damage that
has been done in eastern Asia is less
well known.
The lesson of deforestation in China
is P-sson which mankind should have
learned many times already from what
has occurred in other places. Denuda
tion leaves naked soil: then gullying
cuts down to the bare rocks: and
meanwhile the roek waste buries the
le ttoii lands. When the soil is gone,
recti must go; and the process does not
take long.
What has happened in northern China,
wr-a: has happened in central Asia, in
Palestine, in north Africa, in parts of
the Mediterranean countries of Kurope.
will surely happen in our country if we
do not exercise that wise forethought
which should be one of the chief marks
of anv peop! calling Itself civilized.
Nothing should be permitted to stand In
the way of the preservation of the for--sts,
and it is criminal to permit Indi
viduals to purchase a little gain for
themselves through the destruction of
forests wlien this destruction is fatal
to the well-being of the whole country
in the future.
Action should be begun forthwith
during the present session of the con
press, for the Improvement of our In
land waterwavs action which will re
fijIi in giving us not only navigable,
hut navigated rivers We have spent
hundreds of millions of dollars upon
these waterway, yet the traffic on
nearly nil of them is steadily declining.
This 'condition is the direct result of
:he absence of any comprehensive and
far-seeing plan of waterway improve
ment. Obviously wo cannot continue
thus to expend the revenues of the
government without return. It is poor
business to snend money for inland
navigation unless we get it.
Inquiry Into the condition of the Mis
sissippi' and its principal tributaries re
veals very many instances of the utter
waste caused by the methods which
have hitherto obtained for the so-called
improvement" of navigation. A strik
ing instance is supplied by the "im
provement" of the Ohio, which, begun
in 1824. was continued under a single
plan for half a century. In 1S75 a new
plan was adopted, and followed for a
quarter of a century. In 1902 still a
different plan was adopted, anil has
since been pursned nt a rate which only
promises a navigable river in from 20
to 100 years.
Such shortsighted, vascillatlng and fu
tile methods are accompanied by de
creasing water borne commerce and in
creasing traffic congestion on land, by
increasing floods and by the waste of
public money. The remedy lies in aban
doning the methods which have so sig
nally failed and adopting new ones in
keeping with the needs and demands of
our people.
I urge that all our national parks ad
jacent to national forests be placed
completely under the control of the for
est service of the agricultural depart
ment, instead of leaving them as they
now are, under the interior department
and policed by the army. The congress
should provide for superintendents with
adequate corps of first-class civilian
scouts or rangers, and, further, place
the road construction under the super
intendent, instead of leaving it with the
war department. Such a change) in
park management would result in econ
omy and avoid the difficulties of ad
ministration which now arise from
having the respons'bilty of care and
protecton divided between different de
partments. I had occasion in my message of May
4. 1906, to urge the passage of some
law putting alcohol, used in the arts,
industries, and manufactures, upon the
free list; that is, to provide for the
withdrawal free of tax of alcohol which
is to be denatured for those purposes.
The law of June 7, 1906. and its amend
ment of March 2, 1907, accomplished
what was desired in that respect, and
the use of denatured alcohol, as intend
ed, is making a fair degree of progress
and is entitled to further encourage
ment and support from congress.
The pure food legislation has already
worked a benefit difficult to overesti
mate. It has been my purpose from the be
ginning of my administration to take
the Indian service completely out of
the atmosphere of political activity, and
there has been steady progress toward
that end. The last remaining strong
hold of politics in that service was
the agency system, which has seen its
best days and was gradually falling to
pieces from natural or purely evolu
tionary causes, but, like all such sur
vivals, was decaying slowly in its later
stages.
1 again renew my recommendation
for postal savings banks, for depositing
savings with the security of the gov
ernment behind them. the object is
to encourage thritt and economy m
the wage-earner and person of moderate
means. In 14 states the deposits in
savings banks as reported to me comp
troller of currency amounts to $3,590,
245,402, or 9S.4 per cent of the entire
deposits, while in the remaining 3 2
states there were only J . o,jos,h4.j, or .o
per cent, showing conclusively mat
there are many localities in the United
States where sufficient opportunity is
not given to the people to deposit their
savings. The result is that money is
kept in hiding and unemployed. It is
believed that in the aggregate vast sums
of money would be brought into circu
lation through the instrumentality oi
the postal savings banks.
In my last annual message i com
mended the postmaster general s recom
mendation for an extension ot tne par
cel post on the rural routes. Ihe es
tablishment of tha local parcel post on
rural routes would be to the mutual
benefit of the farmer and the country
storekeeper, and it is desirable that the
routes, serving more than 15,000,000
p -opie, snouid De uunzea 10 tne iuuesi
practicable extent. An amendment was
proposed in the senate last session, at
the suggestion of the postmaster gen
eral, providing that, for the purpose of
ascertaining the practicability of es
tablishing a special local parcel post
system on the rural routes throughout
the United States, the postmaster gen
eral be authorized and directed to ex
periment and report to the congress tne
result of such experiment by establish
ing a special local parcel post system
on rural routes in not to exceeu ioui
counties in the United Siates for pack
ages ot fourth class maner unsmauuB
on a rural route or at me uisiriouium
postoffice for delivery by rural car
riers. It would seem oniy proper that
such an experiment should be tried in
order to demonstrate the practicability
of the proposition, especially as the
postmaster general estimates that me
revenue derived from the operation of
such a system on all the rural routes
would amount to many million dollars.
The share that the national govern
ment should take in the broad wont or
education lias not received the attention
and the care it rightly deserves. The
immediate responsibility lor the sup
port and improvement ot our educa
tional systems and institutions rests
and should always rest with the people
of the several states acting through
their state and local governments, but
the nation has an opportunity in educa
tional work which must not be lost, and
duty which should no longer be neg
lected.
I strongly urge that the request of
the director of the census in connection
with the decennial work so soon to te
begun, be complied with and that tne
appointments to the census force be
laced under the civil service law, waiv
ing the geograpnical requirements as
reoucsted bv the director of the census.
The supervisors and enumerators should
not be appointed under tne civil service
law, for the reasons given by the di
rector. I commend to the congress the
areful consideration of the admirable
report of the director of the census, and
trust that his recommendations win
he adopted and immediate action there
on taken.
It is highly advisable that there
should be intelligent action on the part
of the nation on the question of pre
serving the health of the country.
Throtgh the practical extermination in
San Francisco of disease-bearing ro
dents our country has thus far escaped
the bubonic plague. This is but one of
tie many achievements of American!
health officers, and it shows what csn
be accomplished with a better organiza
tion than at present exists.. f
The dangers to public health from
food adulteration and from many other
sources, such as the menace to the
physical, mental and moral development
of children from child labor, should b"
met and overcome. There are numerous
diseases which are now known to be
preventable which are. nevertheless,
not prevented. The recent international
congress on tuberculosis has made us
painfully aware of the Inadequacy of
American public heal'h legislation. 1
th'-refore urgently recommend the pas-pias-
nf a bill which shall authorize a
redistribution of the bureaus which !;ha!l
best accomplish this end.
I r"Commnd that legislation be en
acted placing under the jurisdiction of
the depar.ment of commerce and labor
the government printing office.
All soldiers' homes shou'd be placed
under the complete jurisdiction and
control of the war depar nient.
Economy and sound business policy
require that all existing independ -nt
bureaus and commissions should be
placed und.-r the jurisdiction of appro
priate executive departments. It is un
wise from every standpoint, and results
only in mischief, to have any executive
work done save by the purely executive
'odies, under the control of the pr-si-i-nt:
and each such executive body
should be under the immediate super
vision of a cabinet minister.
I advocate the Immediate admission
'f New Mexico and Arizona as states.
This should be done at the present ses
sion of the congress. The people of the
T"
two territories have madui It evident by
their voles that they will riot come in as
one state. The only nlter.nativo is to
admit them as two, and '1 trust thU
will be done without dely.
I call the attention of the congress to
he importance of the problem ot tin
fisheries in the interstate waters. On
the Great Lakes we are now, under the
very wiso treaty of April 11 of this year,
endeavoring to come to an interna
tional agreement for the preservation
and satisfactory use of the fisheries of
these waters, which cannot otherwise be
achieved.
But the problem is quite as pressing
In the interstate waters of the United
States. The salmon fisheries of the
Columbia river are now but a fraction
of what they were 25 years ago, and
what they would be now If the. United
States government had taken complete
charge of them by Intervening between
Oregon and Washington. - During these
25 years the fishermen of each state
have naturally tried to take all they
could get, and the two legislatures
have never been able to agree on joint
action of any kind adequate' In 'degree
for the protection of the fisheries. At
the moment the fishing on the Oregon
side is practically closed, while there is
no limit on the Washington side of any
kind, and ' no one can tell what the
courts will decide as to the very stat
utes under which this action and non
action result. Meanwhile very few sal
mon reach the spawning grounds, and
probably four years hence the fisheries
will amount to nothing; and this conies
from a struggle between the associated,
or gill-net fishermen on the one hand,
and the owners of the fishing wheels
up the river.
The federal statute regulating inter
state traffic in game should be extended
to include fish. New federal fish hatch
eries should be established. The ad
ministration of the Alaska fur seal serv
ice should be vested in the bureau of
fisheries.
This nation's foreign policy is based
on the theory that right must be done
between nations precisely as between
individuals, and in our actions for the
last 10 years we have in this matte'
proven our faith by our deeds. We
have behaved, and are behaving, toward
other nations as in private life an hon
orable man would behave toward his
fellows.
The work on the Panama canal is be
ing done with a speed, efficiency and
entire devotion to duty, which makes
it a model for all work of the kind. No
task of such magnitude has ever be
fore been undertaken by any nation, and
no task of the kind has ever before been
better performed. The men on the isth
mus, from Colonel Goetlials and his tel
low commissioners through the entire
list of employes who are faithfully do
ing their duty, have won their tight to
.he ungrudging respect and gratitude ot
the Am rican people.
I again recommend the extension of
the ocean mail act of 1S91 so that satis
factory American ocean mail lines to
eiouth Africa. Asia, tiie Philippines and
Australasia may be established. The
creation of such st amship lines shou'd
be the natural corollary of the voyage
of tli" battle fleet. It should precede
the opening of the' Panama canal. Even
under favorable conditions several years
must elapse before such lines can be
put into operation. Accordingly 1 urge
that the congress act promptly where
foresight already shows that tic-non
sooner or later will b .' inevitable.
1 call particular attention to t ho ter
ritory of Hawaii. The importance of
those islands is apparent, and the need
of improving their condition and devel
oping their resources is urgent. In re
cent years industrial conditions upon
t lie islands have radically changed. The
importation of coolie labor has prac
tically ceased, and there is now devel
oping such a diversity in agricultural
products as to make possible a change
in th land conditions of the territory,
so that an opportunity may be- given to
the small land owner similar to that on
the mainland. To aid these changes,
the national government must provide
the necessary harbor improvements on
each island, so that the agricultural
products can be carried to the markets
of the world. The coastwise shipping
laws should be amended to meet the
special needs of the islands, and th
alien contract labor law should be so
modified in its application to Hawaii as
to enable American and European labor
to be brought t hi t her.
Real progress toward self-government
is b ing made in the Philippine islands.
The gathering of a Philippine legislative
body and Philippine assembly marks a
process absolutely new in Asia, not only
as regards Asiatic coloneies of Euro
pean powers, but as regards Asiatic
possessions of other Asiatic powers;
and, incl ed. always excepting the strik
ing and wonderful example offered by
tiie gnat empire of Japan, it opens an
entirely new departure when compared
with anything which has happen d
among Asiatic powers which are their
own mas ers. Hitherto this Philippine
legislature has acted with moderation
and self-restraint, and lias seemed in
practical fashion to realize the eternal
truth that there must aiyvays be gov
ernment, and t'.iat the only yvav in
which any bodv of individuals can escape-
the necessity of being go erned
by outsiders is to show that tle-y are
able to restrain themselves, to keep
down wrongdoing and disorder. The
Filipino people, through their ' I t'k ia is,
are theielor-- making r al steps i.i t:ic
direc.ion of Self-government.
I again recommend that Anieriein cit
izenship be conferred upon the people of
Porto Rico.
In Cuba our occupancy will c -ase in
about two months' time. The Cubans
have in orderly manner elected their
own governmental authorities, and tin
island will be turned over to th- m. Our
occupation on this occasion has las ccl
a littl - over two years, and Cuba has
thriven and prospered under it. Our
earnest' hope and one desire is that the
people of tic- island shall now govern
themselves with jus.ic -, so that peace
and order may be secure. We will glad
ly help them to this end; but I wood
solemnly warn them to remember the
great truth that th" only way a peoi le
can pcrmanen ly avoid being governed
from without is to show that they both
can and will govern themselves from
within.
The Japanese government has post
poned until 1917 the date of the great
international exposition, the action be
ing taken so as to insure ample time in
which to prepare to make the exposition
al that it should be made. The Ameri
can commissioners have visin-d Japan
and the postponement will merely give
ampler opportunity- for America to be
represent -d at the exposition.
As regards the army, 1 cad attention
to the fact that while our junior officers
and enlisted men siand very high, the
present sys.em of promotion by seniority
results in bringing into the higher
gradjes many men of mediocre capacity
whoViiave but a short time to serve.
Tmc cavalry arm should he reorgan
IZpd.ipon modern lines. This is an arm
In vrhich it is peculiarly necessary that
thv'fteld officers should not be old. The
cuivalrv is much more difficult to form
tin infantry, and it should he kept up
the maximum both in efficiency and
strength, for it cannot he made in a
rry. At present both infantry and
aitiilery are too feyv in number for our
needs. Esp cia! attention should be
paid to development of the machine gun.
A gen.-ral service corps should le- estab-
iisneo. ..is tniiiu's are row the average
soldier has far ,oo much labor of a non
military chat-act' r to pe rform.
Now that tiie. organized militia, the
national guard, has ln-en incorporated
with the army as a part of the n-itiona1
forces, it behooves the government to
do every reasonable tiling in its power
to p rfect its efficiency. H should be
assisted in Its instruction and otherwise
aided more liberally than heretofore.
The continuous services of many well-Tainc-d
regular officers will be essential
in this conn'-c tion.
I approve the recommendation of the
eeneral board for the Increase of the
navy, railing espcrpil attention to the
need of additional destroyers and col
li -rs. and, above all. nf the four battle
ships. I! is desirable to complete as
soon as possible a squadron erf eigh'
battle-ships of the best existing tvpej
""he North Dakota, Delawar. Florida
and Utah will form the first division of
this squadron. -The four vessels pro
posed will form th- second division. Tt
ft he an improvement on the first, the
-hlrs being of the heavy, slncle caliber,
all big gun type. All the vessels should
have the same tactical qualities, that is
sp"ed and turning circle, and as near a;
possible these tactical, qualities should
lie the same as la in Ihe four vessels
before named now being built.
Two hospital ships snould be proyld
d. The actual experience of the lios
pital ship with the, fleet In the Pacific
lias shown the Invaluable work wliicl.
such a ship does, and bus also proved
that It Is well to have It kept under the
command of a medical officer. As was
to be expected, nil of the anticipations
of trouble from such a command have
proved completely baseless, it Is as
absurd to put a hospital ship under a
line officer ns it would be to put a hos
pital on shore under such a command.
This ought to have been realized before,
and there Is no excuse for failure 'to
realize It now.
Nothing better for the navy from
every standpoint has ever occurred than
the cruise of the battle fleet around -lie
world. The Improvement of the ships
in every way has been extraordinary
and they have gained far more experi
ence in battle tactics than they would
have gained if. they had stayed in the
Atlantic waters. The American people
have cause for profound gratification,
both in view of the excellent condition
of the fleet ns shown by this cruise, and
in view of the Improvement the cruise
lias worked in this already high con
dition. I do not believe that there Ik
any other service in the world in which
the average of character and efficiency
in the enlisted men is as high as is now
the case in our own. I believe that tin
same statement can be made as to our
officers, taken as a whole.
GREAT NORTHERN HOLDUP.
Three Masked Men Board J .Engine
Just Out of Spokane.
Spokane, Wash., Doc. 10. Great
Northern passenger train No. 4 was
held up by three masked robbers about
a mile and a half east of llillynrd
shortly before midnight last night.
The presence of mind of the fireman
prevented the express car, which is
supposed to have contained a large
sum, including a $20,00(1 shipment from
Spokane, from being robbed.
When he was ordered to dismount
from his cab and cut off the baggage,
express and mail cars from the other
coaches, he cut two, but left the ex
press car, which was the last of the
firsf three cars, and thus saved the
treasure.
The train had been out of Ilillyard
but a few minutes when the engineer
and fireman were surprised to see
three men. two of them masked,
crawling down from the tender. With
drawn revolvers they ordered the en
gineer to stop the train immediately,
lie obeyed their orders, and as soon
as the train came to a stop, all dis
mounted from the cab. the trainmen
leading the way. covered with the
weapons of the robbers.
The engineer was left standing with
two of the hold-ups while the third
accompanied the fireman back part
way while he was obeying the orders
to uneoimle the ears. When he had
fooled the thugs by cutting off two of
the cars instead of three, the three
robbers boarded tlu engine and start
ed off down the track, leaving the fire
man and engineer with the dead train.
After proceeding about two miles the
hold-ups, who are said to be old rail
way men, judging from the manner in
which they handled the locomotive,
stopped it and then went through the
mail car, obtaining a considerable
quantity of registered mail.
COMMISSION TAKES STOCK,
Inventory of Natural Riches of Coun
try and Their Duration.
Washington, Dec. 10. Governor
John A. Johnson, of Minnesota, in an
address yesterday before the joint con
ference of the national conservation
commission and the governors of dif
ferent states, brought an enthusiastic
message of accord from the great mid
dle west in the schemes of conserva
tion and declared that the paramount
problem of the hour was the develop
ment of inland waterways. After the
inventory of lands, presented bv Sen
ator Nelsc
discussion.
Smoot and
Ansel. I.e.-
there was an informal
Senators N'c wlamls and
Governors Noel, Broward,
and ex-Governors Hoke
Blaiwhard participated.
Mini h
am
More 'than thirty-
state governors were
present.
.Much ot the time of the session was
devoted to reports on water, forest
land and mineral resources, these be
ing in the form of an inventory.
I lie report ot the commission was
presented by ex-Governor lilanchard
of Louisiana. Mr. I'.'nnchard urged
the appointment of a permanent con
servation commission.
Mr. .Newa'.icls spoke ot t he im
portance of the commission's work
and the need foe its permanency, with
suitable appropriations, and, upon his
motion, seconded by Senator Smoot
of Utah, a committee will be appoint
ed to present the question to con
gress. MILLIONS FOR RIVERS.
Rivers and Harbors Congress Solid
for $500,000,000 Bond Issue.
Washington, Dec. 10 Sentiments
in favor of a government bond issue
for a comprehensive improvement of
the rivers, harbors and canals of the
country, to the end that the nation
shall have the greatest system of wa
terways in the world, gained headway
at the opening session of the Rivers
and Harbors Congress here yesterday.
The scheme contemplated $.100,000,000
worth of federal bonds for internal
watercourses, to be distributed over a
ten-year period, or $.10,000,000 annu
ally. President Roosevelt and President-elect
Taft before the joint con
servation meeting have advocated the
is-nanee of government bonds for con
structing permanent public improve
ments. The spckcrs included ice-President
Fairbanks Andrew Carnegie.
Ambassador Brycc. Seth lnv f New
York. Representative Joseph K. H.m-cb-11.
'Representative Champ Clark of
Missouri, Governor Gcoree h. C.lnm
berlain of Oregon at.cl Samuel Gom
pcrs. president of the American Fed
erafufn of Labor.
Upwards oj .'1..100 delegates, repre
senting 44 states and the territories of
Alaska. New Mexico. Hawaii and
Porto Rico were in attendance.
Fl;ghts Are Successful.
Le Mans. France. Dec. 10. WiV-'ir
Wright, the American aeroplanist,
made a' series of successful flicrhts
here yesterday. Four members nf the
British Aero cbib went aloft scpar-te-lv
with Mr. WnVM. None of t Le
flights was marred by accident.
NEWS NOTES GATHERED FROM
VARIOUS PARTS OF OREGON
HARNESS HARNEY RIVERS.
Nevada Capitalists Plan Power Plants
in Southeastern Oregon.
Burns. There is good prospect of
important development of electrical
power in Harney valley in the near fu
ture that will set things humming.
George S. Nickerson, a well-known
civil engineer, whose headquarters at
present are in Winnemucca, Ncv., has
been taking measurements for several
months along the Donder and Blitzen
river in the northern slopes of Stein
mountains, the result of his investiga
tion and calculations being that a man
representing heavy capital has filed in
the county clerk's office a claim to a
water right on that stream of 4, sot)
cubic inches, or 1120 cubic feet per sec
ond, the intention being to build dams,
flumes, etc., and develop an immense
power for generating electricity
to
simply the entire Harney valley
light and operating force.
with
Gas Stops Drillers.
Ontario. The gas pressure encoun
tered at the Ontario oil well contin
ues. It has been flowing 00 hours
and increases in volume steadily. The
drillers were forced to stop work on
account of the tons of water thrown
into the air continuously. The well
is now capped, but the water is being
forced out between the casings to a
height of 12 or 14 feet. The directors
of the company will meet to decide
what course of action to pursue. They
will probably apply for a gas fran
chise Monday for heating and light
ing Ontario and other towns in the
country. An attempt will be made
to continue drilling for oil, as the well
may furnish both if drilled to a suf
ficient depth. Gas was found in the
fine sand -jo feet below blue shale. The
drillers believe the main head of gas
and oil is probably a few hundred feet
below.
Lebanon for Good Roads.
Lebanon A rousing good roads
meeting was held here last week by
Judge J. II. Scott, of Sail-in, president
if .the State Ootid Roads association.
The opera house yvas filled principally
!.y farmers from the surrounding coun
try, who are becoming deeply interested
in the good roads movement. At tne
i-iose of the meeting a good roads
league was organized, yvith K. E. Tay
lor, one of the county's most progres
sive road supervisors, as president, and
. Y. Kirkpatrick as secretary. The
Lebanon organization will work in har
mony and in conjunction with th6 Al
bany meeting, effected at t ho meeting
held there last week.
Londoner Buys Mines.
(irant's Pass A mining deal of im
portance was consummated a few days
ago. when the Cook & Green copper
j-old group of claims of Blue Ledge dis
trict was sold tt V. A. Phillips, of
London, England. The consideration
was not made public, but is known to
f;e a large amount, as this is one of the
richest and best developed mines of
Blue Ledge. Mr. Phillips is owner of
the famous Wolfram mine, of Devon
shire, and litis unlimited capital behind
libit. He visited Blue Ledge this past
fall, and was highly impressed with the
splendid showing of the properties.
Water Users Stand Pat.
Klitnath Falls The directors of the
AY.'it e ru -'ers ' association, at their regu
lar monthly meeting took a determined
stand not to pay over $18.(10 per acre
for government ii rigation. They will
gather hundreds of affidavits showing
that the wat ertisers were promised water
at $18. (ii) per acre, including mainte
nance, and that the cost would not ex
ceed .fl-'O per acre in any event. If
tiie reclamation service insists on the
payment of $30 per acre ami 75 cents
maintenance charge, the association
will go before conyress with a release
''ill for the dif feretiee.
10-Acre Tract Sold.
Shelburn. George W. Nelson, of
Yamhill county, has purchased a 10
acre tract near here from G. Vernon
The price paid yvas $200 an acre.
Other sales nearly as good have been
nnde in this vicinity the nast month,
showing the healthy condition of the
real estate market in this section. The
firm of Osborn & Son, of this place,
is creeling a two-story building near
the depot. The ground floor is to be
occupied as a store, yviuic tne upper
story will be a lodge hall.
Douglas' New City.
Oakland. Superintendent Fields
and other Southern Pacific officials,
accompanied by an official of the
Suthcrlin Land & Water company,
went to the new townsitc at Suthcrlin
Monday to locate the ground on
which the new station is to be built.
Work yvill commence at once on the
station building, which yvill be con
structed of concrete and finished in
side yvith natural Oregon fir. The
railroad company yvill also negin con
(ruction on a passing track
Heavy Snow Reported.
Pendleton. Farmers and ranchers
coming to town from the son; hern
en ! of the count v brinrr news of a
aw snoyvf-iU. which is greatly a;-
rip-t ritcd I liougi, the ha'ance o tli -
comity 1""- been fivored with two
heavy rainfalls recently the trrt of
the county south of Pilot Rock has
had hardly uf i'H-nt moisture to lay
the b"-t. The fall of snoyv therefore
is welcomed.
Cut Court Expenses.
La Grande. Hereafter the county
court will expedite matters by requir
ing the county judge to act as a com
mitting magistrate and take from the
justice nf the peace all lieirings of a
nrelim'nrry nature in eriniina! ct-cs.
Th" reduction in expenses will be ma
terial.
WILL ENLARGE CAPITOL.
Additions to West Wing Proposed by
Commissioners.
Salem. Secretary W. N. Gatens, of
the capitol building .commission, has
been instructed to secure architects'
plans for two additions to the state
house. The proposed additions, if
constructed, will be placed on either
side of the west wing of the state
house, and will be two stories high.
The floor space will be about 20x-K)
feet. The additions are urgently need
ed, as office room at the statehouse
is crowded. The plans will be sub
mitted to the legislature. The prin
cipal question is whether the addition
will mar the appearance of the whole
building.
Oregon Advertising Matter.
Portland. Over five tons of adver
tising matter about Oregon were
shipped by the passenger department
of the llarriman lines from Portland
last week, bound for every point in tho
United States and many of the princi
pal cities of Europe. In tho shipment
yvere 137 cases weighing 200 pounds
each, making the shipment amount to
11,400 pounds of Oregon advertising
matter. The booklets and advertising
pamphlets are sent out at this timo
largely because of the travel next stun-'
mer. The winter months are conceded
to be the best timo to distribute book
lets on the Pacific, coast because- the
trips made by most travelers to tho
coast are conceived and planned for be
tween Christmas and the spring mouths.
The advertising work being done for
Oregon at present is on the largest
scale in the history of advertising any
wher in the world, and has far out
stripped the famous work done for Cal
ifornia. Protest Rate Raise.
Salem. A. G. Burdick, president of
A. G. Burdick & Co., dealer's in dried
fruits, complains of the raise in rats
on prunes from !?1. to $1 10, in effect
January 1. Mr. Burdick says the in
crease will shorten the life of an in
dustry that is already doomed. Grow
ers, according to Mr. Burdick, are
selling their fruit on a narrow mar
gin as it is, and many have uprooted
their trees to plant a more produc
tive crop. If the increase announced
goes into effect many more will dig
up their trees, he declares, and an
other legitimate industry for develop
ment of the Willamette valley will be;
killed. Mr. Burdick's complaint fol
lows a similar one filed by the Wil
lamette Valley Prune association of
Salem.
Big Josephine Nugget.
Grant's Pass Unusual interest in
being taken this year in the diggings of
northern Josephine county, particularly
the bars and benches along the streams.
A few days ago a if'JOO nugget yvas
found in one of tin? channels by a
placer digger. The ground there is
very rich, paying from $2 to It a cubic,
yard, which allows good wages even for
the man who works yvith shovel and
rocker. Coarse gold is common, nug
gets of from $-5 to $75 value being
often found. The Kublo mine is tho
oldest hydraulic property of the dis
trict, having been yvnrked continually
for the past 40 years.
Dallas to Be Boomed.
Dallas. The business men of Dal
las met last week and. organized a
commercial club, which they have
named the Dallas Development
league, for the purpose of financing
and carrying out a
carrying out a plan
to advertiser
the resources ot Jiai
in the eastern states
tourists and settlers
as and vicinity
and to attract
to this place.
Hon. U.
president,
and '. G.
S. I.oiighary yvas elected
II. G. Campbell secretary
Vassal treasurer.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Bluestem, WVn !i7c;
club.
'.He; fife. (MHc!ilc; red Russian.
ssc ;
40-fold. '.He; valley, iilc.
Barley Feed, $2(i.."o per ton; brew
ing, $27.
Oats Xo. 1 white, $?, 1 (a. 111 . SO per
ton.
1 lay Timothy, Willamette Valley,
$14 per ton; Fastcrn Oregon timothy.
$K'ci 17: clover, $12; alfalfa, $1.1; grain
hay ?12 ."or,7 n.
Fruits Apples. CUca $1 .25 per box;
pears. $l(ri1.2r per box; grapes. $Ut
I.'iO per crate: quinces. $1(71 2.") per
box; cranberries, $!.'. ."iiirV 14 per bar
rel; huckleberries. HK'i 1,"c per pound:
persimmons. $lcVi 1.2.V
Potatoes 7.1'W s.ic per cyvt.; sweet
potatoes. 2fc;2lc per pound.
Onions f(n I K) per 100 pounds.
Vegetables Turnips, $ If? 1.2.; per
sack; carrots. $1; parsnips. $1.2":
beets, $l.;i.i: horseradish. R'j'lOc per
pound; artVbokes, !i0ci$l per dozen;
beans, IWa 14c per pound; cabbage.
1 ?oi 1 '7c per pound; cauliflower. 7."efc;
$1 per dozen; celery, $:i.;"i0 per crate;
cucumbers. '10'iZ.M per box; egg
plant. 11c per pound; lettuce, $Kj 1 2"i
per box; parsley, o0c per dzc-n; pens.
12c per pound; peppers,
pound; pumpkins. K'llc
LW20c Per
per pound;
radishes, ::nc per dozen; spinach.
per pound; sprouts, 9Vci 10c per
pound; squash, P?Ijc per pound; to
matoes, ")0ccc; $1.7.1.
Bttt'cr City creamery, extras. ?A'tt
.17c; fancy outside creamery, ?.l(7??,:,c
per pound: store, fii'ir.
I'.ggs -Oregon selects, 42 U? Lie ;
Fastcrn, .lii'cf :!.1c per dozen.
Poultry Hens, 1 :!iV? 1 ::Jc per pound:
stiring, large 12 1.1c; small, l.ifiMc;
mixed, 12'12k; clucks, 11771.1c;
geese, O'cTlOc; turkeys, 10(77 17c;
drescd turkeys, nominal.
VealFxtra. 0fai?c per pound;
ordinary. 7cVi8c; heavy. ',1c.
Pork Fancy, 7(?Sc per pound;
large, f)Jr777c.
Hops 1008, choice, 7?'c?.8c; prime,
Cir 7c; medium. .ICic per pound; 1907,
2r??Mc: loor,. ir77i?c.
Wool Fastcrn Oregon, ny'errige
best. 10r7?14c per pound, according to
shrinkage; valley, l.ir7?ir.c.
Mohair Choice, LSc per pound.