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Monmouth
Herald
VoLIX
Monmouth, Polk County, Oregon, Friday, April 27, 1917
No. 34
Monmouth is Located in the Best Section of the Best Valley of the Best State in the Union.
STATE SUPT.
AT NORMAL
Subject "The By Product"
Talks to Students Friday
The many friends of Miss Ma
bel West, Head of the Library
Department of the Oregon Nor
mal School, will be pleased to
know that she has fully recover
ed from her recent illness and
will soon take up her usual work
in the Normal.
Mr. Pittman returned from his
Eastern Oregon trip last Thurs
day, and reports a very interest
ing and pleasant trip. He also
says that the Normal school has
a splendid standing throughout
Eastern Oregon.
The program for commence
ment week at the Nornmal
School is as follows:
Saturday, June 9 -President's
Breakfast; Junior Prom
Sunday, June 10-Baccalaure-ate
sermon, to be preached by
Rev. D. V. Poling, of Dallas
Monday, June 11 -Faculty Re
ception; Class Play
Tuesday, June 12-Last Chap
el and Class Day; Alumni Picnic;
Alumni Banquet
Wednesday, June 13-Com-mencement.
The commencement
address is to be given by Prof.
Norman Coleman, of Reed Col
lege. The summer session will begin
June 18.
Miss Parrott, Head of the Eng
lish Department, "spent Saturday
in Dallas where she gave a talk
to the Literary Section of the
Women's Club.
Last Friday morning Mr. J. A.
Churchill, State Superintendent
of Public Instruction for Oregon,
' delivered a spendid talk to the
students and faculty of the
Oregon Normal School on the
topic "The By Product". Mr.
Churchill spoke of the changes
in educational methods, the dis
tribution of students in respect
to the subjects in - high school,
and the opportunities open to the
school in inculcating moral vir
tues. With all these things comes
the by product in the form of
character, patriotism, participa
tion in actual life and the return
to society of the pupil through
his active endeavor. Subject
matter and methods are power
ful factors but the invisible, in
tangible influence of personality
and moral force working through
the American school system is
the biggest contributing power
to the production of the finest
things in our boys and girls.
When Mr. Churchill came on the
platform the students rose to
greet him with hearty applause.
After his heartening speech they
again showed him his place in
their regard.
Thursday Miss Esther Ander
son represented the Senior class
with a talk entitled "We are On
ly Human After -all". f(.
The Literary Societies of the
Oregon Normal School met Fri
day evening, April 20, giving a
short joint program in the chap
el before adjourning to their re
spective meeting places. The
Vespertine program was held in
the Training School Assembly
Hall, and was most enjoyable.
The evening's entertainment was
"The Old Peabody Pew", a play
by Kate Douglas Wiggin. Miss
Leta Bowerman gave a synopsis
of the story, telling what had
happened before the first act be
gan. She introduced the charact
ers in a most charming manner.
The acting was splendid and the
actresses, imbued with the quaint
wit of the play, caused the halls
to ring with laughter.
Miss Margaret Tiffany direct
ed the play, and to her should be
given much credit for its suc
cess. The literary societies of the
Normal held a very interesting
joint meeting April 20th at which
Grace Williams and Lyrel Morris
of the Delphian Society enter
tained with an instrumental duet
"The Poet and the Peasant".
After the joint program which
was followed by the regular bus
iness meeting, the Delphians
held their annual story telling
contest in the Chapel. Two mem
bers from each class had been
chosen by a system of try-outs.
Miss Edith Pentney with the
very interesting folk tale "One
Eye, Two Eye and Three Eye"
and Miss Katherine Springer
with Barrie's "Peter Pan" rep
resented the Seniors; Miss Flor
ence Dawson with William Dean
Howells' "The Pony Engine and
the Pacific Express" and Miss
Olga Wickburg with the popular
ethical story "Pig Brother" were
selected from the Juniors; and
Mrs. May Anderson with the
myth "Pigmalion and Galatea"
and Miss Verna Lucas with the
well known fairy story "Dia
monds and Toads" upheld the
honor of the Sophomores. Each
one told her story almost ideally
but to Florence Dawson, who
won first place, is due much
praise for her realistic interpre
tation of Howell's charming sto
ry. Katherine Springer, who
won second place, also did excep
tionally well as did each contest
ant. Those who capably perform
ed the difficult task of judging
the stories were Miss Todd, Mr.
Gentle and Mr. Evenden.
Between the stories several
musical numbers were given. A
piano solo by Miss Mary Randall,
a vocal trio by the Misses Ran
dall, Richmond and Earsley, a
vocal solo by Miss Kerry and a
piano solo by Miss Lyons were
enjoyed;by the audience. Every
one who attended the contest is
looking forward with keen inter
est to next year.
J. Alphus Boyd
impersonator, will appear in the
Norm theater Monday night,
at 7:30. Dr. Boyd is formerly I of
the Bible university, Eugene and
a student of Eugene Knox and
comes highly recommended. He
will give us many excellent read
ings. His "Man Without a Coun
try" should be heard by all. 20
per cent of the receipts go to the
Parent Teacher Association. Mr,
Ackerman has consented to ex
cuse all students who wish to at
tend this entertainment, Admis
sion 35 and 15cts
CITY CREDIT
IS AT STAKE
Charter Amendments Favor
ed by Leading Citizens
The Commercial club at its
meeting Wednesday evening,
adopted without a dissenting vote
a resolution endorsing the pro
posed charter amendments. There
was. pointed discussion of the
subject at the meeting and the
opinion prevailed that the adop
tion of the proposals is necessary
for the welfare of the city.
Because there is a well defined
underground campaign against
them, conducted on the ground
that these amendments are a
cloak for various preposterous
schemes it is deemed wise to
make explicit statement as below
by the mayor and Mr. Poweil.
Mr. Ira C. Powell, President
of the First National Bank being
asked regarding the proposed
city charter amendments said,
"The charter is held to be de
fective in that it does not pro
vide any limit on the power of
the council to incur general debts
or issue warrants in payment,
and the purpose of these amend
ments is to remedy this defect.
It should be borne in mind by
the voters that these amend
ments affect only the general
fund warrants for such necessit
ies as officers salary, street
lighting and incidental expenses,
"There should be no confusion
as to the amount of indebtedness
which the council can contract,
and the contention of some that
a fifty mill tax can be charged
against their property is a mis
take. Simply stated, it provides
the total indebtedness, including
all carried over from back years,
can not at at any time exceed five
per cent of the total assessed val
ue of all property of the city.
"I believe both amendments
will pass by a large vote if their
effect is understood, but if they
should be rejected the warrants
certainly will not longer have a
market value, leaving the city
credit embarrassed with holders
of these warrants, who have ta
ken them in good faith, unable
to obtain cash, without heavy
discount if at all. Public obliga
tions must be made just as good
as private debt."
To the voters of Monmouth:
Realizing the vital importance
of the measure to the city and
that through a misunderstanding
of their purpose the proposed
charter amendments may fail in
the election to be held next Mon
day, I feel it my official duty to
call public attention to the mat
ter. The cause for these proposed
amendments at this time is not
of recent date.' They are submit
ted for the purpose of remedying
a defect in the charter which has
existed from its adoption some
nineteen years ago. Legal opin
ion holds that under the present
charter no warrant indebtedness
for any purpose whatever may
be incurred. If that opinion
should be sustained by judicial
decision, present outstanding
warrants would possibly be ren
dered null and void.
It might be stated here that
the matter has no bearing in any
way upon present or future
street improvements.
The remedy proposed is the
common one found in other city
charters, viz: By making a pro
vision for a limitation of the in
debtedness that the city may in
cur and thus empower the city to
issue warrants within that limit
ation. The proposed amendment
fixes this limitation at five per
cent of the assessed valuation of
all property within the city sub
ject to taxation. Taking the pres
ent valuation as a basis the limit
ation would be fixed at between
$11,000 and $12,000. In examin
ing other city charters of the
state it is found that in many of
them the limitation is fixed at
ten per cent of the assessed val
uation.
Further, this measure has
nothing whatever to do with the
levying of taxes; that is provid
ed for in another section of the
charter and is not modified in
any way by the proposed amend
ments. If the matter should be tested
in the courts and the legal opin
ion cited above be sustained, the
city would be powerless even to
provide such a necessity as the
lighting of streets.
The election is to be held next
Monday, April 30, from 9 A. M.
to 3 P.M.
Respectfully,
H. C. Ostien, Mayor.
Highway Commis
sioner is Coming
Mr. Adams of Eugene, one of
the three members of the newly
appointed highway commission
will be in Monmouth on Friday
of next week. This is the com
mission which will direct the
highway work in event the bonds
carry in June and the personnel
of the commission is therefore
of unusual interest. Mr. Adams
will speak at the chapel period in
the Normal and according to
present plans will address
a mass meeting at the op
era house at two in the
afternoon. Several plans are un
der way for the entertainment of
the guest while in the city which
will include a short tour of the
surrounding country and a lunch
eon with the business men of the
city In the domestic science room
of the training school.
The road question is in every
body's mind and all will be in
terested in Mr. Adam's remarks.
No one who can possibly attend
should miss the meeting to be
held Friday afternoon.
The Polk County Observer lists
12 Monmouth boys this week
in Company L which is several
short of the actual number.
Counting enlistments from the
Normal, Monmouth has some
thing like 25 in army and navy.
Chas. Plessinger and Robert
Thompson were transformed this
week from farm hands to ma
rines, leaving for Portland on
Wednesday. 0
GUARDS NOW
GARDENERS
Shoulder Arms With Hoe
Handle, not Broom Stick
Home Gardeners and not Home
Guards is the title of Mon
mouth's newest auxiliary for the
defense of the Nation. At the
organization meeting held in the
Norm theater last Tuesday even
ing, in view of the fact that the
authorities of state and nation
were not disposed to look with
favor on miscellaneous military
organizations at this time, it was
voted as an organization to lay
down the broomstick and manual
at arms and take up the hoe and
the manual of perspiration. As
there might be conflicting inter
ests the management of the en
terprise was turned over to com
mercial club. The reponsibilities
were duly accepted by the latter
body at a meeting held Wednes
day evening. Jacob Smith was
appointed as head gardener and
he was given a supporting com
mittee consisting of L. P. Gil
more, A. Parker and G. T.
Boothby. An idea suggested
was that while every one is en
couraged to put in gardens for
himself, we should have a muni
cipal garden. The Davidson lots
on Main street were suggested
as a good location for this pro
ject Just how this matter will
be worked out is left to later
developments.
Council Notes
The passage of the septic tank
ordinance was the most import
ant action of the common coun
cil at its regular meeting Tues
day night. The ordinance pro
vides that septic tanks hereafter
constructed in the city shall ad
here to a certain standard. Dif
ferent sizes are allowed but the
kind must conform to the speci
fications. '
Each builder of a septic tank
in the future must apply to the
Recorder who will furnish a blue
print and specifications at $1 fee
which will cover registration of
the tank and inspection when it
is finished.
Arrangements were made for
the annual hauling of rubbish
according to Clean Up Week an
nounced in another column.
Parent-Teacher Association
Program, Tuesday Night
Held in the High School As
sembly room, May 1st
Singing by Members, -Led by
Miss Hoham
Reading-Del Tedrow
Violin Duet-Hjalmar Gentle,
and Donald Skeen
Reading-Fannie Steinberge
Ladies' Quartette - Imogene
Richards, Gertrude Rogers, Ros
abelle Smith, Hope McDonald
Address-President J. H. Ack
erman. Any one who wishes a copy of
the new county fair premium list
can secure a copy by addressing
the secretary, Mrs. Winnie Bra
den, Dallas.
o