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About Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927 | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1914)
THE POLK COUNTY OBSERVER, FRIDAY, MAY 22, 1914. Published Each Tuesday and Friday. BY LEW CATE8 Subscription Bates. One Year $l..r)0 Six Months 7o Three Months 40 No subscription taken unless paid for in advance. This is imperative, ative. Entered as second-class matter in the Postoflice at Dallas, Oregon. Office 517-519 Court Street Telephone Main 19 THE ROBIN. Wben first the willow catkins show And water elms put on a veil Of golden glory and the flow Of maple sap In trough or pall With merry drip and tinkle makes The pulses leap, the fancies throng. Then robin comes at dawn and wakes And gladdens all the world with song. High on the cherry tree be ' tunes His voice to many a winsome lay, Or In the long, sweet afternoons Till sunset sings bis soul away. Best bird and wise, no Idle praise Nor foolish blame disturbs his rest; Content be weaves divinest lays Or tolls at bumble love's be best We crown him laureate of our woods. We welcome bis returning wings, And dream of joy's beatitudes Whene'er the vernal robin sings. Benjamin S. Parker. thus Bpent should constitute a good investment, with ample and adequate returns. IT IS CONTAGIOUS. According to statistics which have been gathered by the American High . way association, the present year will be a record breaker in the matter of good roads work in this country. Tn twenty-eight states provision has al ready been made for spending ithis season the enormous total of $01,- 000,000 on public highway improve ments, which is prettiy good proof that all the good road agitation dur ing recent yearn has not been in vain. And one of the surprising features .of the situation is the fact that while - eastern states will invest heavily in road work this year, some of the middle states will actually lead them in Miis movement. Of course it is true that as a rule the western states are behind in this line of improve ment, but the generous appropriations now being made indicate their inten tion to catch up with the older settled sections of the country, and to do so as soon as possible. A good many people have the idea that New Yoik leads in highway ap propriations hut as a matter of fact so far as this year is concerned it will have to take second place. Iowa leads all with nn appropriation of $7,310,000, while New York will spend this year only $0,000,000. Minnesota ranks third with $,,(i72,000. And al though some people seem to think that Oregon has very suddenly grown reckless and extravagant in its high way expenditures, it occupies a very modest place in this year's list and is led by several other states not so rich, populous and progressive as our own. The south, of course, has fewer modrtui highways than any other part of the country, yet I lie people below the Mason and Dixnn line evidently are waking up. In counties in south ern states where the roads have been put in first-class condition piixrly has increased in value to a remark nble degree and the farmers have lie come more proserous through being able to get their produce to the big markets readily. In these counties no longer does fruit rot on the ground and no longer are vegetables fed to hogs or cows because it takes too much time and trouble to haul them to market over almost impass able roads. This has opened the eyes of the southerners. North Car olina, a state that is considered far from rich, will spend this year no less than $5,000,000 on. good roads, while little Maryland will spend $3,700,000. The time is coming when this country will be as celebrated for its fine highways as is France. Thous ands of miles of good roads will be built in the Tnited States within the next twelve months, and the money THE FAIR BONDS. While The Observer may not be thoroughly familiar with conditions surrounding the proposition to issue bonds for the purchase of grounds on which to permanently locate the coun ty fair, generally speaking it heartily endorses the measure, believing Dal las to be the logical place for the annual exhibit and that it should provide ample accommodations there for. Although the immediate dis bursement to assure its permanency here may seemingly be large, it is an investment that the people of this community cannot overlook. The re turns will be many fold within a comparatively few years, not only from a financial standpoint but an educational standpoint as well. Pal las is largely dependent upon the ag ricultural, horticultural and dairying industries of .the contiguous territory, and the development of these may be materially bettered through compari son of exhibits and discussions by those engaged in these particular lines of endeavor at a common gath ering such as is made possible through a county fair. Polk county enjoys an enviable reputation throughout the Pacific Coast country for its products as well as its productiveness, and no opportunity for still further advance- Those public-spirited citizens who advanced the money to hold the pro. posed site until such time as Dallas felt financially able to take it over, are, in our opinion, deserving Of commendation. They profit nothing by the transaction, except in the same measure that every other citi zen profits. The property in question was purchased for $300 per acre, which, considering the, fact that it is practically in the city, may rightly be termed cheap, and it. is their pur pose to turn it over to Dallas with out advance. The additional tax that would be incurred through this pur chase would amount to only four- fifths of one mill on the assessed val uation of the city's property, or eighty cents additional the first) year on every $100 of taxes paid. The an nual decrease would be one-tenth for a period of ten years when the ob ligation would be discharged. It is feared that unless the oppor tunity now offered to secure a site is taken advantage of the fair may go elsewhere, and such a possible ca lamity should be averted. There re cently came under the personal ob servation of the writer a case simi lar to the one now confronting Dal las. A county seat town failed to provide adequate accommodations for holding a fair, and a less populous jlfazilian nvqr with skepticism. mingled with a suspicious amount of ridicule. There is evident malice in some of their comment, compelling the inference -that they recall the colonel's severity on alleged nature fakers. . They insist that the un known stream brought to publicity by the colonel must cross muny other charted streams and that it must run up hill if it follows the course de scribed in the explorer's preliminary statement. In proof of their contentions they point to maps which have long been accepted as authoritative. Being ex pert geographers they resent an in vasion of their domain by the great specialist on things in general, things past, tilings present and things to come. Too much of professional hos tility appears in itheir strictures. They would be more effective if they assumed a pretense of an open mind and were more mildly skeptical. But the colonel will accept the challenge. What he will do to the armchair geographers will be a-plenty. neighbor came forward with sufficient inducements to cause its removal from the seat of justice. From a small beginning five years ago that fair has become one of the acknow ledged institutions of Southern Ore gon, and those people who permitted it to get away would now congrat ulate themselves if they could get it back at ten times the price originally asked. There can be no logical ar gument against the county fair, here or elsewhere, provided it is conducted along the lines for which it is in tended. The Observer believes, with its present knowledge of the situa tion, that the proposed bonds should be voted. PANAMA CANAL IN USE. The Panama canal is already in ac tual operation, according to reports, although not yet formally dedicated and opened. As a result of the Mex ican war and the closing of the Te- huantepec railroad, a lairge quantity of freight has been diverted to the Panama route ahd the Panama rail road has been literally swamped by the offering of shipments. To lieve the congestion it has been ar ranged to ship much of this freight through the canal in barges, and long strings of the latter are now being towed through the canal. It is stated that in case of a pinch it would be possible to send even the largest boats through the canal, al though dredging operations are still in progress, and this work would be interfered with if the canal should now be opened to all commerce. Moreover, there is a prudent desire to take no chances of causing further landslides previous to the formal opening of the canal, so that nothing but light traffic will be permitted for the present. EVERYBODY SHOULD HELP. Every good citizen should do his share toward keeping the streets of Dallas free from unsightly litter, and he also should pass the word along to his careless neighbor when the latter shows symptoms of forgetful ness. No matter how active the street cleaning department may be, the thoroughfares of a city never look tidy and decent unless there exists in the minds of the citizens them selves a spirit of neatness, and they put this idea to constant practice. The tendency to litter up streets with paper bags, hand-bills, scraps of pa per, etc., seems to grow. The boys and girls are often the most flagrant offenders in ithis respect, but they are not the only ones. Some people even take on lordly manner in scattering waste around. They seem to think an official duty rests on someone to follow them around and pick up their leavings. Disorderly and littered streets and parks give the impression that a place has no community spirit. This af fects the minds of all who -pass through, and makes a place look un attractive to people who might settle here. The automobile traffic places every town on dress parade. Our home people, as well as stranger's, j pass daily through the streets. They pass judgment on the place. If it disorderly, they circulate the story that the town is slack and slovenly. The summer is a time when pecu liar care is necessary. Refreshment stands and candy and fruit stores are running full blast and many people cast the debris into the gutters. A citizen should be as ashamed to cast refuse into bis street as to spit on his parlor rug at home. LAWS GOVERNING SUB SCRIPTIONS. Most readers of newspapers are not familiar with the laws governing subscriptions. Here are the decisions of the United States Court on the subject. " Subscribers who do not give express notice to the con trary are considered as wish ing to renew their subscrip tions. "If 'the subscribers order a discontinuance of their publi cation the publisher may con tinue to send them until all dues are paid "If the subscriber refuses to take periodicals from the post office to which they are directed he is responsible until he has settled his bill and or- dered the paper discontinued. "If subscribers move to other places without inform- ing the publisher and the pa- rjers are sent to the former address, the subscriber is held responsible. "The courts have held that refusing to take periodicals from the postoflice or remov- ing and leaving them uncalled for is prima facie evidence of intention to defraud. "If subscribers pay in ad- vance, theV are bound to give notice at the end of the time if they do not wish to con- tinue taking it, otherwise the subscriber is responsible un- til express notice with pay-, ment of all arrearage is sent to the publisher." part of the benefit it had expected to derive from the completion of this great enterprise. t , Someone remarks that Colonel Roosevelt has never yet jumped from the Brooklyn bridge or gone over Ni agara falls in a barrel. It is not exactly fair, however, to tempt him by calling his attention to such oversights. Here 's one more thing Polk county should be thankful for: This is the open season for picnics. KILL OR SELL ROOSTERS EXPERT SAYS THEY COST COUN TRY $15,000,000 A YEAR. Government Employe Warns All Poul try Men to Curb Mating in Summer. STATE GRANGE SESSION RIDICULING TEDDY. Some learned geographers of Lon don have greeted the announcement of Col. Roosevelt' discovery of a A MILLION BUSHELS. . A billion bushel wheat crop for this country this year is a prediction being ventured by some of the optimists. Of course, this is something like count ing your chickens before they are hatched, but it cannot be denied that the prospects at the present time aire favorable to the verification of this prophecy. The official report of the government has estimated a probable yield of 630,000,000 bushels of winter wheat, and if this prediction is up held and the spring wheat crop does correspondingly as well, the billion bushel mark may easily be reached in the aggregate yield of the two crops. A billion bushels of wheat would give this natnon a lairge surplus ot this important cereal for export pur poses. The average annual con sumption of wheat by the people of this country is about seven bushels per person, which would indicate that about 700,000,000 bushels would am ply supply the home needs. And if the total should amount to a billion bushels there would remain for ex port as much as 300,000,000 bushels, which alone would afford a fine bus iness for railroads and ship lines, and also would mean an excellent line of foreign credit, to pay for our purchases abroad, and even call for the shipment of gold in this direction, as of course this would be only one item of our exports. relish the prospect not a little bit. They know it is going to make trouble for them, whichever way they vote, and they also appreciate the fact that with not a few members it is going to be difficult to smooth out the resentment of their constituents who are not satisfied with the stand taken by their particular representative. The democratic leaders of the house of course understand this fully, but they evidently have grown tired of the use of the prohibition issue as a bludgeon, and they therefore propose to take the plunge ' and have the question disposed of. The terror grows no less with those members who have been on both sides of the question, for tbey at last have reach ed a point where they must show their real colore. And possibly it is just as well to have this show-down, although many members of congress would like to avoid it if they could. GIRLS AND DOLLS. Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Oilman, who manages to provoke comment, and may perhaps aim at that as much as at anything else, is quoted as fol lows : "Little girls should not be allowed to play with dolls and call them their babies. Whether it is done instinc tively or in imitation of their own mothers, they should not play house and put their 'children' to bed, nor harbor any of the emotions or duties of a mother. It is not childish; it is abnormal. That love of little girls to 'mothar' things is just another proof that with a woman her sex pre dominates. It is a rather uphill business to try to denature the sex. Individuals may be, paradoxically speaking, dena tured by nature, but the norms pre dominate. It will always be so. (Continued from Page 1) C. E. Spenee, of Oregon City, was re-elected master of the State Grange at the annual election here today. There was a keen interest throughout the election, with several candidates for the principal positions. H. Hirsch- berg, ot Independence, was chosen as treasurer. Mary S. Howard, of Mu lino, was re-elected secretary. The other officers are: Lecturer, Mrs. E, A. Burd; overseer, J. Huffman, New Era; steward, M. P. Young, Clats- kanie; assistant steward, Charles Hayes; chaplain, Cyrus H. Walker, forest Urove; gatekeeper, C. C. Bore- land; Ceres, Mrs. M. Reed; Pomona, Mrs. Ruth Mihills, Grants Pass; Flora, Mrs. G. A. Sargent, Wasco; L. A. S., Mrs. E. R. Allen, of Jo sephine county. E. E. Blanchard was called upon to discuss the new tax law. On this Mr. Blanchard said: "Suppose that A, B and C repre sent the three methods of payment and that each was based upon $100. On this basis A saves 3 per cent re bate, or $3. C, not being able to pay anything, loses 12 per cent in terest on $100 for six months, or $6, Had B been paying the same interest as C he, too, would have paid out $3, but not being called to do so, B saved $3. It will thus be seen that gives $3, B gains $3, and C lost $6. It is evident, then, that it re quires C's loss to balance A's and B's gains. "To him that hath shall be given, but to him that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath." The Grange went on record as op posed to any bonding issue for roads, declaring money for all road-building purposes should be paid at the time of the building. Federal, state and county aid was favored Federal aid to the state, state aid to the county and county aid to the district. Semi-annual payment of taxes was favored, with a rebate except on de linquencies. A constitutional amend ment for county commission govern ment was favored. Abolition of all fish and game laws was emphatically recommended and a desire expressed that all hatcheries be discontinued. Abolishing all useless boards and commissions was recommended. An appeal to poultry raisers to kill, sell or confine roosters after May 23, in the interest of the infertile egg, has been issued by W. H. Rickey of Lexington, state agent in poultry club work of the United States De partment of Agriculture. "Because roosters arc allowed to run with laying hens during warm weather," he says in a circular letter, "$15,000,000 worth of eggs are lost to the farmers throughout the Uni ted States each year; and most of this, loss occurs during June, July and Au gust. For this .reason raisers of poultry are earnestly asked and urged to kill or sell all matured males or confine them in pens away from the laying hens during the summer. Eggs that are hud by hens not mated are sterile or infertile, and do not decay. The fertilized eggs spoil very quickly when subjected to the influence of heat and if they are left too long in the nests or under broody hens or are left in any very warm place the germ, cells begin to develop, the chicks be gin to grow. These growing cells may die at any Btage of development due to unfavorable conditions. "Whether the embryo dies or not, the eggs are useless as food and is. unfit for market. If the wives of the farmers would once realize how much money they practically lose by allowing the roosters to run with the layers, they would immediately stop the practice. Not one egg more is produced with a male running with nock of hens than without one, and unless the roosters are valuable as breeders, it is far better to dis pose of them at the end of the breed ing season and replace them with the younger stock the following spring. If we follow this plan we can always have good, strong, vigorous cockerels (young roosters) for breeders, and at the same time get rid of the care of nonproducers. Let us at least make the most of what we possess. "In order to have concerted action in this matter, the -Poultry Depart ment of the United States Govern ment has designated the 23rd day of May, to be known among poultry raisers as "Rooster Day." Then kill, sell or confine the "rooster." ATTRACTIONS ARE NUMEROUS. THE PROHIBITION ISSUE. A poll of the members of the house of representatives is said to reveal the fact that the Hobson bill calling for national prohibition is certain to be defeated when it comes to a vote. It is regarded as probable, however, that the friends of the measure will be able to force a show-down vote. and a good many of the members, representing both sides, are said to Evidently the storm is fast gather ing about the devoted head of Die tator Huerta. And it would cause no great surprise at any time to hear that he has decided to join that other illustrious exile, Porfirio Diaz, "gay Paree." ' ' The farmers are busy with their crops these days, but of course this does not prevent them from keeping up with politics and the latest "war news. And still more street improvements, says the council. Alhanv must be recovering. It an nounces a Rose carnival for June 3. Albany evidently believes that an oc casional taste of extreme joy is all right, but as a regular diet it loses its flavor. Through the democratic proposal to repeal the free tolls clause of the Panama canal, act, the west laces practical certainty of losing large Carnival Company Will Precede Chautauqua By a Week. The announcement that the Follow & McClalland Carnival company had booked into Dallas for the week ot June 16 created some little stir among Commercial club members and the Dallas band on Wednesday, these or ganizations believing that this amuse ment would injure attractions to ap pear under their respective auspices at later dates. An effort was made to induce Mr. Smith, representative of the Pollow & McClalland company, to withdraw from the field until another time, the Chautauqua follow ing his closing day within a week and preceding the band's carnival by a month, but that gentleman hart perfected his arrangements and de dined to listen to the appeal. At a meeting of the Commercial club Wednesday night, after all par ties interested had been heard, on motSon of Mr. Miller, a committee of three was appointed by Vice-Pres ident Guy, who presided, to conter with the city council relative to its rescinding an order giving the car nival company use of streets. The committee is composed of Messrs. Mil ler. Miles and Patterson. Notwith standing this opposition Mr. Smith de clares his company will appear here on June 18-20, and is advertisin those dates. HONOR DALLAS WOMAN AGAIN CHOSEN STATE SECRE TARY OF REBEKAHS. Judge Galloway Chosen Head State Oddfellows Body at McMinnville Meeting. of BAND CONCERT TOMORROW. First Street Entertainment of Sum mer Promises Well. The first band concert of the sum mer season will be beld in the pub lic square next Saturday evening un der the directorship of B. A. Down ev. A splendid program has been prepared for the occasion, and the promoters of this entertainment are desirous that the band boys, who are ever generous with the public, should be given a cordial reception from a numerical standpoint, that appreci ation will follow is conceded. The program follows: March, "The Iron King," by r. J. or. Hair; one step, "Tango Tokio and Sailing Down The Chesapeake Bay," bv Wells & Bots ford; fantasie, "On My Old Ken tucky Home," by C. W. Dalbey; grotesque march. "Two Thomas Cats," by L. C. Smith; concert alta, "Enchanted ights." Dy ism Moret; march "Bombasto," by O. A. Farrar; medley overture, "Bits of Renicks Hits." by J. B. Lamp; march, "Fidelity," by F. H. Losey. The four-day convention of the state grand lodge of Oddfellows end ed yesterday at McMinnville. The grand lodge officers were elected and installed in their new offices. Cir cuit Judge William Galloway, of Sa lem, formerly ot that place, was chos en grand master; John F. Hall, depuv- ty grand master; E. E. Sharon, grand secretary, and O. D. Doane, grand treasurer. Ihe following olhcers- were appointed: J. S. Fine, grand marshal; Robert Miller, grand con ductor; A. J. Howell, grand guardian; A. Arbuckles, grand herald; D. S Young, grand chaplain, and Henry Taylor, grand representative. The following olhcers were chosen by the Rebekahs at their closjng ses sion: President, Mrs. Kate Lando, of Marshfield; vice-president, Mrs. Rose Palmer, Baker City; warden, Mrs. Nellie Wattenbcrg, of Klamath; secretary, Mrs. Ora Cosper, of Dal las; treasurer, Mrs. Eda Jacobs, Portland; trustee of the home, Mrs. William Howell, of Oregon City, re elected; trustees of the assembly, Mrs. Jessie Peters. Eugene; Mrs. Nicklin, McMinnville; Mrs. Mary Donnellv, Condon. BETTER BALL PROMISED. Sheridan is coining Sunday, rein forced by several of McMinnville 's special artists, and Manager Sibley is confident of a more iptcresting game of ball than has recently been played on the home grounds. The Sheridan manipulators are said to be strong, but for this occasion they have draft ed additional strength from their county seat town. "If Manager Sib ley is giving it to the tans wrong trouble is bound to follow," says one of the most enthuiastic enthusiasts. MOUNTAIN VIEW. Mr. J. Stewart has bought a new- Ford car. The Popcorn and Mountain View- schools close Friday, May 22. Mr. and Mrs. Stearns entertained guests from Salem several days last week. Mr. Fry is building a house on his place. Mrs. Miller of Greenwood has been visiting her daughter, Mrs. Koehn. The Parent-Teachers' club will meet for the last time Friday even ing. Officers will be elected for another vear. The Ladies Thimble and Reading club will hold their annual picnic Saturday in the Kubin Grove. People are busy taking care of their Strawberries. Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Hayter were Salem visitors last Saturday.