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About The Maupin times. (Maupin, Or.) 1914-1930 | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1915)
a NEWS NOTES OF CURRENT WEEK Resume of World's Important Events Told in Brief. Peace rumori are causing lower wheat prices in Chicago markets. Secretary Bryan has called on Zapata for reparation for an insult to the American flag. The Belgian Relief commission Is preparing to extend aid to 2,500,000 destitute French people. An American submarine with a crew of 26 men is missing in Honolulu har bor, and It is feared all are lost. A prominent Russian statesman says the world must, in the future, seek new methods of preserving peace. Sir John French says the French troops, regaining confidence, are bet ter man for man than the Germans. Many American Red Cross nurses have made their wills and volunteered for service in the typhus-infected zone of Serbia. German and Austrian families are leaving Italy, and one "inspired" newspaper declares the time is ripe for a decisive blow. An inheritance tax of $313,615 must be paid by Mrs. Annie L. Sears, widow of Richard W. Sears, according to a court order entered in Lake county, Illinois. Mrs. Sears was the sole legatee of the 15,000,000 estate left by her husband, who died last Sep tember. Three hundred striking 'longshore men, strikebreakers and sympathizers engaged in a riot on the principal streets of Tacoma, Wash., about mid night Thursday. Several shots were fired, but no one was hit. Two men were cut with razors. Many were badly beaten. The police used their night sticks freely and arrested a score of men. The Belgian towns of Malines, Tor monde, Louvain and Liege never will be rebuilt on their present sites, if the undercurrent of discussion among prominent Belgians results in action when peace is made. These Belgians propose that new cities be built on sites adjoining the ruins, which are to be left as monuments to the suffer ings of Belgium." Raymond Biege and Mabel Pullen, of Medford, Ore., the 17-year-old children who eloped more than a week . ago, after a strenuous search were found at the home of the boy's grand mother In Central Point. The children had overlooked the formality of a mar riage license, however, so, after con sulting with County Judge Touville, they were married and left for Cali fornia. Nearly 80 per cent of the personal property of the late Field Marshal Earl Roberts, who died In France last No vember, was in Minnesota, according to a copy of the famous soldier's will received by Attorney Goneral Smith, of that state. The total personality is given at $375,697. The Minnesota property, railroad shares and iron hold ings, valued at more than $104,000 will net the state $653 inheritance tax. Turks are routed by the British when they made a second charge on the Suez canal. A sharp campaign for members by the Portland Chamber of Commerce resulted in adding 1647 in one day. Italy is fortifying the Islands of the White Sea with heavy guns and it is Baid steamers are taking munitions of war there. Fifty-six bodies have been recovered from the avalanche at the Britannia mine in British Columbia. No hope of recovering many others is enter tained. Many passengers and a crew of 65 were rescued from the sinking steamer Denver in mid-ocean, through the aid of the wireless. Riots in Constantinople are reported untre and the city is calm. The allied fleet is proceeding slowly up the Dar danelles to the Turkish seat of gov ernment. The German emperor has ordered the removal to Berlin of valuable paint ings and tapestries from his mountain castle known as the Leatkoenigsberg, on the Alsatian side of the Vosges mountains. French aviators recently flew over the imperial Bummer resi dence, which fmormerly belonged to king of France. Governor Spry of Utah has vetoed the Shields initialve and referendum bill. He gives as his reasons that the Initiative is unnecessary at this time, as the people of the state may petition the legislature if they wish; that the expense of its operation will be dis proportionate to the benefits to be de rived and that the constitutionality of the measure it questionable. The Prussian diet has given permis sion to English subjects residing in Germany to appear aa plaintiffs in cases before the court. Sir Thomas Llpton declares that the only hope of eliminating the plague in Serbia is by fire, such as was done In London many years ago. "Seventeen Belgians, most of whom were young peasants, were shot at daybreak Wednesday in the Ghent barracks. They were found guilty by a German court-martial of espionage In the interest of the allies," says dispatch. Two Ships Torpedoed; ISO Lives Are Lost London About 150 lives were lost In the sinking by German submarines of the African liner Falaba and the British steamer Aguila, bound from Liverpool for Lisbon. The Falaba was torpedoed In St. George's Channel Sunday afternoon. The vessel carried a crew of 90 and about 160 passengers, and of this total only 140 were rescued. Of those res cued eight died later from exposure. The Aguila had a crew of 42 and three passengers, and of these 23 of the crew and all the passengers were lost. In both cases, on sighting the sub marine, the captain tried to escape by putting on all speed possible, but the under-water craft overtook the steam ers, showing that Germany now has some of her most modern submarines engaged in the blockade operations against England. The captain of ths Falaba, who was one of those lost, was given five min utes to get his passengers and crew in to the boats, but, according to the sur vivors, before this was possible a tor pedo was fired, striking the engine room and causing a terrible explosion. Many personB were killed anrt the steamer sank in ten minutes. Trawlers which happened to be in the vicinity rescued most of those who were saved; others got away in the boats, which were ready for launching and which were quickly lowered when the order was given to abandon the ship. Those who were still on board the steamer when the explosion occurred were thrown into the sea and it took the fishermen an hour or more to pick up the persons in the water who man aged to keep themselves afloat. , The Aguila as attacked off the Pem brokeshire coast. The sumbarine, which in this case was the U-28, opened fire with her guns, shells from which killed a woman passenger, the chief engineer and two of the crew. Even after the crew had commenced to lower the boats, according to the story of the survivors, the Germans kept up their fire, and some of the boats were riddled with bullets. The captain of the trawler Otillie, whom the commander of the submarine told of the sinking of the Aguila, went to the rescue and picked up the three boats containing 19 of the crew. The fourth boat, which contained the other members of the crew, could not be found, and it is believed that it had foundered. On their arrival at Fish guard, several of the crew wore band ages, having been wounded by the fire from the submarine. Another Dutch steamer, the Amstel, of 495 tons, has been blown up by a mine off Flamborough Head, but her crew was rescued. Special Irain Carries U. S. Iroops to Border San Antonio, Texas Three batteries of the Third Field Artillery, including 450 men and 12 guns, in command of Colonel George W. Vandeusen, at Fort Sam Houston, were entrained Tuesday for Brownsville and were ordered rushed to the border by a special train. Major General Frederick FunBton departed also upon receipt of advices from Brownsville after ordering out the artillery. He said that the in fantry at Texas City would not be sent to the border for the present, but would be held in readiness. General Funston, commanding the department of the South, will take charge of the situation at Brownsville and he has discretionary powers to act in the event firing into Brownsville by either Mexican force continues. He served formal notice on the command era of the two forces that they would be held personally responsible for shots fired into the Texas town, and that American troops would be prepared to enforce the order. An attempt is being made to sur round and attack the Villa forces un der General Jose Rodriguez, in camp at Las Ruias, by Carranza troops ap proaching in two columns from differ ent directions, according to a message from Matamoros, Mexico. One body of about 800 troops with 15 cannon was said to be moving from the south and another column under General Ildefonso Castro, with 1700 men, was reported approaching from Nuevo Laredo and expecting to reach Las Rnsias before daybreak Wednes day. Germans Active in Baltic. London German naval activity has been resumed in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, with the Inten tion of carrying out a blockade cam paign against the trade of Finland and Sweden, according to a Copen hagen dispatch to the Daily News. A German fleet has been observed north of the Aland islands. Several Danish and Swedish vessels are re ported to have been halted by German submarines, but, so far as known, only one was fired on and she escaped un harmed. Shot "Stray," Says Britain. Washington, D. C American Con sul Green at Hamilton, Bermuda, cabled the State department that the British authorities had informed him, "it was a stray shot," that hit George B. Montgomery, of Baffalo, N. Y., who recently was shot in the foot and seriously woulded while sailing near a camp of German prisoners of war in the Bermudas. The consul said a full report was being forwarded by mail. Italy and Germany Trade. London A dispatch to the Morning Post from Berne says Germany has agreed to send coal to Italy. Food stuffs and certain other products are to be received in return, aayi the dispatch. Flax-Growing Be Aided by State Board Salem Definite action was taken by the State board of control in starting the flax Industry in Oregon in compli ance with an act passed at the recent session of the legislature by a decision to offer growers in this county $15 a ton for straw delivered at the State penitentiary. This Ib from $3 to $4 a ton more than the market price in other states, and was offered as an Inducement to farmers to grow flax. Governor Withy combe said he was confident that three tons could be grown to the acre and he believed the price offered would make it one of the state's most profitable crops. The board will furnish the seed to the farmers for $3 a bushel, the money to be paid to the state when the straw is delivered. It was virtually decided to employ an expert in the manufacture of flax to install the retting machinery at the prison and superintend the construc tion of the buildings necessary. Gov ernor Withycombe said he believed John C. Cady, of Albany, would be a good man for the place. Mr. Cady recently came to Oregon from Minne sota, where he was engaged in the flax business. It was decided to defer the appointment until all the members of the board could confer with him. It was decided virtually to employ Emil Bureau of Fisheries Finds New Field on Washington, D. C. During the summer of 1914 the department of Commerce, through the bureau of fish eries, conducted(an exploration of cer tain fishery grounds off the coast of Oregon to determine if halibut were present in sufficient quantities to sup port a fishery. A halibut ground of some value was found off Newport, Ore., covering an area of approximately 250 square miles. The run of fish on this bank reaches its maximum in August and September, but apparently is of com mercial importance as early as June, and probably some halibut could be taken in the latter part of April. As an immediate result of the findings, Advertising and Selling of Farm Products Oregon Agriculturae College, Cor vallis Marketing farm products is perhaps the biggest question before the American farmers today, accord ing to Dean J. A. Bexell of the school of commerce at the Oregon Agricul tural college. As long as the middle man can market the products better than the farmer, he will be paid, and paid well, for his services, but with a better organization among farmers, which is now growing rapidly, a large part of the proceeds will go into the farmers' pocket. Dean Bexell showed that the farmer is the largest salesman in the world, selling about $10,000,000,000 of goods a year. They are very inefficient in marketing their crops, although they are the most expert traders in the world. He suggested that the farmers co operate to secure good, uniform prod ucts in their districts, and then adver tise them persistently on the commun ity plan and thus create a demand for that particular kind of produce. The ad muBt be "news," the name and label must always mean high class goods, a reputation for quality and service, the goods must be packed and graded so that they will arrive on the market in the best possible condition and have good appearance. Selling Oregon Made Clay Wares Advised Oregon Agricultural College, Cor vallis There are thirty manufacturers of brick and other clay wares in Ore gon at the present time, according to Dean J. A. Bexell, of the Oregon Ag ricultural College School of Commerce, who advocates an organization of the manufacturers for the purpose of get ing' their Oregon-made wares more prominently before the public and into the markets by means of advertising and co-operative effort. The combined output of the industries is about $730, 000 annually, and the expenditures average about $1500 for each $50,000 of output. A part of this sum will be expended in promoting a demand for the clay goods, especially drainage tiles. In the clay industries as in most oth ers the attention given to production is disproportionate to that given to creating and enlarging the demand. Right quality of prodcut that will maintain a permanent demand together with due advertising and publicity, will, thinks Mr. Bexell, bring success in this business. Marshfield Cuts Exyense. Marshfleld Several Coos county cit ies find themselvea-'obliged to adopt a retrenchment policy immediately, largely because there will be no saloon revenue in 1916. Marshfleld led off and curtailed fixed expenses about $2500 yearly by withdrawing a monthly support of $150 for the Coos Bay Con cert Band and doing away with one man on the street-cleaning force. Mayor Topping, of Bandon, has issued notice of a meeting of the Bandon counicl to decide where the city can most easily bring about a saving. Industry to HanBett, who has had experience In flaxgrowlng In Ireland, to give the farmers certain instructions. He will be paid only when actually at work or during the flax season and his salary probably will be $150 a month. The bill authorizing the state to en courage the growing of flax, carrying an appropriation of $50,000 and speci fies that the money may be used only for giving employment to the convicts. Governor Withycombe said be was anxious that farms near the prison be planted to flax, so the convicts could work them and be returned to the in stitution at night. It is planned that they do all the work, even to the har vesting of the crop, but the growers must deliver the straw at the prison. Because of the fact that it was a new industry Governor Withycombe thought expert men should be employed to assist in planting, cultivating and retting and and he believed the board should obtain such help as soon as pos sible. He said he had been informed the machinery and buildings necessary would not be expensive. It has nev er been the intention of the board to use all the appropriation in the flax in dustry and if it does not furniBh em ployment for all convicts other means for doing so will be devised. The board plans growing flax on Beveral of the state farms. Oregon Coast fishermen made 21 trips to the ground, taking about 850,000 pounds of hali but, valued at about $24,000. Trips yielding 40,000 pounds were made in four days or less. Irrespective of the abundance of fish, weather conditions, and the lack of habors will inhibit fish ing expecting from April to October. Coos Bay is expected to produce hal ibut in limited numbers; and the en tire coast of Oregon was found to abound in flounders, soles, rock cod and black cod a valuable food supply when market conditions warrant its exploitation. The report of the in vestigation, with charts, will soon be issued and may be obtained on applica tion to the bureau of fisheries, Wash ington, D. C. Wages Are 7o Be Cut. Hood River Local apple growers will endeavor to cut the cost in pro duction of apples this year by making substantial decreases in the labor scale. The orchardistB of the Pine Grove district, one of the heaviest bearing districts in the valley, have made plans for the organization of all growers in the district, in order that the wage scale may be maintained. It is proposed that hereafter not more than $1.75 or $1 and board will be paid for the ordinary day's work in the orchard. Heretofore this has usu ally cost $2.60 a day. "While the matter of packing will be left with the shipping organiza tions, who should name the price, the packer should receive and his respon sibilities, we suggested that not more than 3 cents a box be paid, where the packer follows a grading machine," says C. A. Reed, who attended the Pine Grove meeting. "Where women do the work of men they are to receive equal pay." Mr. Reed declares that local orchard- ists have made poor arrangements for handling their labor. "We have few bunkhouses," he said, "and yet those growers who have erected structures to house their pick ers and fruit thinners say that the work has certainly been well worth while. It gives the laborers a place to dry their wet clothing after a rain, a place to get warm, and to engage in a sort of social intercourse." While individual growers will be ex pected to make arrangements with permanent laborers as they see fit, all are asked not to pay more than $45 a month for new, inexperienced men, to whom houses are furnished. Bandon Debaters Win. Eugene The Bandon High School debating team, taking the affirmative on the government ownership of rail roads, defeated Medford High School in Eugene, two to one. The Bandon team now must debate Salem High School. The winner then will meet the Eastern Oregon champions for the state title. The affirmative contended that government ownership is neces sary for economic development. The negative declared it financially impos sible, since the valuation of American railroads is $16,000,000,000. Rail Board lakes Stand. Salem The State Railroad commis sion has issued an order which will have the effect of enforcing a law passed at the 1913 session of the legis lature providing for physical connec tions of railroads for the convenience of shippers. The commission has made two attempts to put the law into oper ation, but the applicants did not show sufficient reason for physical connec tions. Hereafter the commission will refuse to approve crossing contracts which do not contain a clause provid ing for physical connections if desired. Clackamas Deed Records Broken. Oregon City The deed to the Ore gon City locks, filed recently, is the largest instrument of its kind recorded in Clackamas county since the so called war tax became effective. An internal revenue stamp is not necessary on deeds conveying property to the government, or R. A. Leiter would have been forced to cover the docu ment with $375 in stamps. U. S. Warship to Carry Cash to Aid Sisal Crop Washington, D. C. An American warship will take to Yucatan money to finance the movement of Mexico's sisal hemp crop, needed to make twine for binding the enormous wheat crop made by farmers of the United States this year. The money $625,000 In cur rency, which manufacturers propose to advance to the hemp growers is in bank vaults at Galveston, Tex., but until recently no safe means of getting it to Mexico had been found. Secretary Daniels agreed to permit the use of a warship for the purpose, after hearing a statement by Edward C. Heidrich, Jr., of Peoria, 111., rep resenting the sisal purchasers, who outlined the difficulties that bad been encountered. It is probable that a gunboat or destroyer now in Southern waters will be sent to Galveston to transport the money. There are said to be some 250,000 bales of sisal ready for shipment at Progresso, the port, and Merida, the railway center, of Yucatan. Since the United States government pre vented Carranza from blockading Pro gresso the chief obstacles in the way of moving this supply have been scar city of labor and shipping facilities. Several ships are now awaiting car goes, however, and the labor situation is improving, according to reports to the State department. Arrival of the American money is expected to result in immediate further improvement. Discussing the Mexican situation generally, Secretary Bryan comment ed on conditions with a reiteration of the declaration that recognition of any faction had not been considered by this government. He spoke hopefully of the plans to insure transportation of sisal and announced receipt of an offi cial expression of regret by the Zapata government for the murder of an American citizen, John B. McManus, in Mexico City. Concerning conditions in the Mexi can capital, the secretary said no ser ious complaint had been received by the department recently. Asked if matters had progressed far enough in the revolution-torn republic to effect any change in the policy of the United, States, Mr. Bryan said that there was no change of policy. Ex-Secretary Root Warns of Coming National Crisis Philadelphia Elihu Root, ex-United States senator from New York and ex Secretary of war, was the guest of honor at a reception given here by the members of the Union League. The league s historic gold medal of honor, the first recipient of which was Presi dent Lincoln and which had been given on 16 occasions, was presented to Senator Root. Senator Root, in outlining what he termed the mission of the Republican party at this crisis of the nation b history," said: "The party 's'duty is to restore con fidence in business, wipe out the mis understanding which has arisen be tween the farmers of the West and South and the captialists of the East and North, fight to the last ditch against increased governmental regu lation of business and prevent the power of the Federal bureaucracy from becoming stronger." In the present lack of confidence, he declared, the nation is facing a crisis as great as that of the Civil war and "will inevitably go to ruin unless the business men of the country assert themselves, as they did when they elected McKinley in 1896 and in 1900." lurks Are Routed by British Near Suez City London A statement was given out by the official press bureau here telling of a defeat inflicted on a Turkish force operating against the Egyptian town of Suez. The statement says : "On the 22d at dawn one of our patrols discovered a party of the en emy near El Kubri Post, opposite Suez. Shots were exchanged. "Aeroplanes estimated the number at about 1000, composed of infantry, artillery and a few cavalry. "The guns at El Kubri opened fire and inflicted casualties, whereupon the enemy retired and formed a camp eight miles east of the Suez canal. "Early on the morning of the 23d, a force under General Sir G. Younghus- band attacked and routed the enemy, who is now in full retreat. "A prisoner says this this force came direct from Bir el Saba, having taken 12 days en route, and that Gen eral von Traumer and three other Ger man officers were with it." Airman Attacks Steamer. Southampton The British steamer Pandion, which arrived here recently from Rotterdam, reports that in the vicinity of the North Hinder lightship, she was twice attacked by a German aeroplane. Seven bombs were dropped by the aircraft, some of which fell close to the Pandion, but the steamer escaped damage. Owing to this incident the Zeeland company, owners of the steamer, here after will not transport British, Bel gium, French or Russian men of mili tary age. Texas Fruit Hard Hit Marshall, Tex. With the thermom eter as low as 22 degrees this week, fruitgrowers say the Harrison county fruit crop is ruined and the yield in the main Texas belt this year will be way below normal. A leading orchard com pany estimates the loss in this county alone will toUl more than $1,000,000. Repeated failures have disheartened growers. F4 IS LOCATED IN NEW PLACE Lost Anchor of Battleship Has Deceived Rescuers. Fragments of Superstructure Com ing to Surface Verify Latest Discovery Hope Gone. Honolulu After making the heart rending discovery Sunday that rescuers had been working in the wrong spot, the United States submarine F-4 was definitely located outside the harbor. Pieces of the superstructure of the vessel have been brought to the sur face. W. C. Parks, civil engineer, has started construction of an immense diving bell, a large cast iron pipe seven feet in height, fitted with heavy plate glass ports. A hydro-aeroplane has been made ready for instant flight if required. The dredge California will shift its moorings, and tugs will criss-cross in all directions. Should their drags catch on the F-4, a chain net will be woven around the submerged boat and the floating crane from Pearl Harbor will attempt a direct lift. DeBpair supplanted hope earlier in the day when two divers discovered that chains from the dredger Califor nia, which had been fould with some thing on the floor of the ocean outside Honolulu harbor since Friday, were not attached to the lost craft but to an old anchor. All the resourses at the command of naval officers here had been employed for two days and nights in an effort to raise this anchor which was supposed to be the F-4. It is believed to have been lost by the battleship Oregon. Streams of bubbles seen rising to the surface of the water and floating patches of oil had given encouragement to the belief that the dredge's chains had become lodged on the submarine, which disappeared Thursday when at target practice. Efforts to raise the object that held the dredge's chains falied and crews of men worked untiringly to bring what was confidently believed to be the un dersea craft into more shallow water. Naval officers, expressing the hope that life might remain in the bodies of some, at least, of the 21 men impris oned in the F-4, sought to expedite operations in every way possible. Electrified Wire fence and Puddle Kill Three Los Angeles When Cornelius Valk hoff went out to his rabbit hutch Sun day to procure a hare for a birthday dinner he stepped into a water puddle as he touched the latch of the hutch gate and fell dead. An electric cable leading to a nearby crematory had broken during the night and turned its 2200 volt current into the wire fence surrounding the hutch. Mrs. Valkhoff saw her husband writhe and fall in a contorted heap, and rushed out to aid him. She stepped into the puddle as she touched his hand, and fell across his body dead. Harris Skinner, who occupied half of the Valkhoff dwelling, was the next to invade the fatal short-circuit, bent on giving aid, and he too, died. The shrieks of the Valkhoff 's child ren, who were uncomprehending wit nesses of the tragedy, attracted A. T. Slaten, a policeman. Slaten entered the back yard juBt as the girls Bped toward the deadly water puddle, and snatching their hair braids he jerked them back to safety. In doing so, however, he came into contact with the charged fence wire, and was thrown 20 feet. Italy Awaiting More favorable Opportunity Rome Italian intervention has been postponed again. Despite the failure of Prince von Buelow's negotiations to conclude a permanent agreement be tween Austria and Italy, there is posi tive evidence that this country will not enter the war until toward the end of April, and possibly not so early as that. It must not be understood that there has been any change in Italy's atti tude, except in putting off interven tion until a date when it is expected the Dardanelles will have been forced and Constantinople occupied, possibly with the co-operation of Bulgaria, and when the Russians will have passed the Carpathians and invaded Hungary. Big Coast Liner Delayed. San Francisco Due to the seriouB trouble with theturbinea of, the liner Great Northern, she will not steam from this port for Flavel, Or., as scheduled, next Wednesday, and it is possible that she will not resume her schedule until April 8, although there is hope of getting her away April 4. The Great Northern, making remark able time, had to turn back to port at noon Saturday when she was off Point Reyes, and a thorough examination developed that it will take some time to put the machinery in shape. Ihree Cargoes Iron Ore Sunk. Stockholm The loss in the Baltic of three German cruisers, the Bavaria, the Germania, and the Koenigsberg, all laden with iron ore, is announced in the Social Demokraten. The Bavaria went down March 15 with her entire crew. The cause of her sinking is not revealed. No details of the destruc tion of the other vessels are given.