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About The Estacada news. (Estacada, Or.) 1904-1908 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1908)
LIABLE TO FINES OF *80,000,000 8 W IF Ì PACK ING CO . CO M INO K in g Edward and Queen Alexan dra, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Victoria and many government officials attended the memorial services for the late K ing Oarlos of Portugal und the Crown Prince. Clear Case Against 8. P — Paid Re bates for Years. San Francisco, Feb. 11.— Penalties unprecedented in the history of the prosecution o f corporations in C ali fornia, or a complete revision and vitalizin g of the laws applicable to railroads, will be the outcome of the Investigation to be Instituted this week by the State Railroad Commis sion, in the rooms of the Chamber of Commerce, In the Merchants' Ex change building. Assistant Attorney-General Ray mond Benjamin said today that 4,01)0 cuses of rebating have been perfected against the Southern Pacific Com pany, practically through its own ad missions. These cases will be pre sented to the Railroad Commission by Attorney-General U. S. Webb, Mr. Benjamin and O. K. Cushing, special counsel for the California Traffic As sociation. Should convictions be ob tained on each of these cases, and the Maximum penalty o f $20,000 be Imposed for each violation of the law, the Southern Pacific will face un aggregate fine of $80,000,000. In each case the evidence practi cally is conclusive, from bills of lad ing to the Indorsed checks issued by the company to the shipper, in reim bursement. When the State Board of Railroad Commissioners requested the Southern Pacific to submit its books to Mr. Benjamin, Peter F Dunne, counsel for the railroad, re plied that the railroad's books would be available at any time. The com placency with which the railroad cor poration greets the investigation foreordains that it w ill not fight the action of the Railroad Commission on merits but rather upon the law involved. Section 222 o f the state legislation which creates the State Board of Railroad Commissioners, with their power to fix rates, provides; "A n y railroad corporation or transportation company which shall fail to conform to such rates as shall be established by such commission * * * shall be fined not exceed ing $20,00t) for each offense. * in 4,000 cases the railroad com pany failed to conform to the rate set by the Commissioners. The prac tice is of long standing, but the only records available are those subse quent to May, 1900. In some of these rebates the railroad refunded 53 per cent of the orlgiual charge to the shipper. The battleship fleet has turned to the north. DRAG O U T SK E LE TO N S . Ready to Begin Work on B3.600,000 Plant at Once Portland, Feb. 10.— In the first and only authorized statement which baa been given out either here anywhere else regarding his com pany’s plana in the Pacific Northwest Louis F. Swift, president of Swift Co., last night declared that the mammoth Portland plant, which will represent an outlay of $3,500,000 and which w ill be erected on the Pe ninsula, will be completed and ready for operation in all departments one year. Portland is also to be made the center of the packing Industry of the Pacific Northwest, and the Trout dale plant, near Portland, eventually Is to be abandoned, at least so far as tbe packing side of the business Is concerned. To what use. If any, the Sw ift people are to put their present extensive and valuable property at that point was not vouchsafed. The Sw ift people are ready and prepared to go ahead with construe tion work just as soon as the rail roads have indicated what connec tions ou tbe Peninsula they w ill es tablish, and when they w ill be ready to do the work. When these councc tions with necessary terminal facili ties have been decided upon, work on the packing plant will be rushed to completion. In the official interview, H. C Gardner, head o f the construction de partment of Sw ift & Company, who w ill have direct charge o f erecting the plant, acted as spokesman for President Swift, and entered into as fu ll a discussion of the plans o f the Swifts as the head o f the big con cern deemed wise to give out for publication at this time. Mr. Gardner, in explaining why the public could not be taken fully Into the confidences of his concern at this time, said that certain plans, such as whether the company should secure power from some of the com panies already In the field here, or erect Its own plant on the Peninsula are yet to be settled, and that there were a number of other considera tions which, if disclosed now, might interfere with their consummation It was also clearly brought out that if Portland ever intends to wrest the bulk of the Alaska trade from the Sound cities, the merchants and shippers here will have to establish direct steamer line from here to the North. This was brought out in answer to the direct question as to whether Switt & Company intended to enter that field, now monopolized by various Seattle and Tacoma pack era. “ Sw ift & Company,” declared Mr Gardner, "a re in the packing busi ness and packing business alone. They are not in the transportation business, nor in the cattle-raising business." The Estacada News tmmmé Cadi TS ora ja r OREGON ESTAC ADA NEWS OFTHE WEEK l i i Condensed Form for Our B u s y Reeders. A Return« o f tha Las« Important but Not L « m Interaatlng Event« o f the Past Week. The battleship fleet has passed Magellan straits and Is now In the Pacific ocean. The Swift Packing Company has completed plans for a $3,500,000 plant In Portland. A Yale graduate and athlete has been found to possess a complete ou tfit of burglar’s tools. Prem ier Franco, dictator o f P or tugal has not left his room since ar riving In Bordeaux, France. Roosevelt says the charges that he Is using his Influence to help T aft along are false and malicious. Claims of alleged illegitimate heirs of Alfonso X ff are creating consid erable trouble for the Spanish gov ernment. One child was killed and many persons Injured In the crush at the funeral of the dead king and prince of Portugal. Members o f the royal household declare that the Portugese crown prince rose and fired twice at the as sassins before he himself fell dead. California railroad commission has evidence to convict the Southern Pacific of rebating on about 4,000 separate counts, the fines for which will amount to $80,000,000. Germany has duty on sugar. reduced the import A leader of the Black Hand has been oaptured in New York. The senatorial deadlock in the Ken tucky legislature continues. The Pennsylvania railroad has just ordered 55,000 tons of steel rails. Seattle ministers have started an agitation against Sunday theaters. Governor Pennypacker has been ira plicated in the Pennsylvania capitol rauds. J Franco, the deposed premier of Port ugal, has arrived in France, fearing murder but defending his policy. The Elgin National Watch company has closed its factory for an indefinite period on account of dullness in trade Government troops will be removed from Goldfield March 7, at which time the Nevada police will be ready to take charge. Warren Oliver, a member of the elec toral college which named Lincoln, is dead. He was a pioneer of California and 93 years old. Associate Public Printer Bram has assumed contol of the government printing offioe. W . S. Rossiter will continue the inquiries Into tiie conduct of the office. Woman surflagists are hard fight in New York. making a Judge Hargis, a leader of Kentucky fueds, has been killed by his son. Florida Republicans are holding Taft and anti-Taft conventions and having flat fights. Great Britain has paid the bandit Raisuli $200,000 for the release of Sir Harry Maclean. The Western Bar Iron association, of New York, will advance the price of bar iron $5 per ton. The house committee on naval affairs opposes four new battleships and the president has prepared to fight. A greyhound has returned on foot to ita old home at Oakland from Western Montana, a distance of 1,500 miles. Franco, former premier anil dictator of Portugal, has arrived in Madrid. He was driven from home by the many thraata of assassination. By an agreement of trans-Atlantic steamship oompanies the rate war be tween Europe and the United Htatoe baa come to an end. Owing to opposition to the election of a statue to the late Senator Quay on the oapltol grounds st Harrisburg, Pa , It ia proposed to put the queetion to a popular vote. Bryan declares that W all worse than Monte Carlo. street is The national convention of the 8o- elallat party will be held In Chicago May 10. The American torpedo flotilla ha* arrived at Pnnta Arenas, Straits of Magellan, French troop« in Algeria were oanght in a severe snow storm and at least 28 perished. Alleged lllegitimote Heirs of Alfonso Making Trouble. Madrid, Feb. 11.— The question of allotlng a pension of 250,000 pesetas to the Infanta Alfonso, the son of Don Carloa of Bourbon and the Prin cess of Asturias, who recently mar ried Princess Louise of Orleans in Engiuud, has received the approval of the Council of State and now goes before the Cortes. But it has raised many complications, not the least in teresting of which are suits for sim ilar allowances brought by the na tural children of Alfonso X ll by Elena Sanz, a form er well-known Spanish actress, and a natural cous in o f the king named Carlos Allen Perkins, a second-rate but popular actor in the music balls of the cap ital. Perkins claim goes back to his great-grandmother, the famous in- funtu Carlotta, who provoked the Carlist war by obliging Ferdinand V II to admit the principle o f the Salic law. It was she who slapped the face of Calomarde, the Premier, and drew from him the historic re tort: "W h ite hands are not offensive.” Perkins' birth Is not recorded In Gotha ,but he Insists that his real name is Don Francisco Carlos Plo Rose Alfonso Luis Fernando Allen Perkins Guerowsky Bourbon Luth- erlan Hossen Drlchmu Vrichtia and O ttendorf" and consequently a blood relation of most of the reigning sov- erigns of Europe. f o r b id s q u a d hand oreqon g iv e n p r o m in e n c e Corrupt Practices Act May Be Found Joint Passenger Tariff Mantions 200 Unconstitutional. | Points in State. Salem— That the corrupt-practices Oregon receives considerable prom- bill, to be submitted to a vote of the inence in the joint tariff issued by the people under the initiative and ref- Union Pacific giving the one way col- erendum. Is In direct conflict with ouiet rates to the Pacific coast Irom that section of the Constitution which Union Pacific territory. The tariff has guarantees freedom of speech 1 b be lieved by many who have read the just been issued and makes I be rates measure. The bill makes it a crime effective March 1 to April 30, inclu for any person to ask, solicit or In sive. The tariff Bets forth the rates in any manner try to induce or per detail as they have been announced al suade a voter on election day to vote ready in the newspapers. The low col for or against any candidate or meas- onist rate Is good to any etation in Ore- ure. This would bar the use of any i gon 8n(j about 200 points in this state kind of argument on election day and are mentioned individually in the there is doubt whether it would be tariff. The rate ie $30 from Council constitutional. Bluffs, Omaha, St. Joseph, Leaven Under this section of the law it is probable that newspapers published worth or Kansas City to all main and on the morning of election day would branch line points on O. R . A N. east be prohibited from printing anything of Portland, including points north of calculated to Influence voters In de Umatilla and Pendleton, via Granger termining how to mark their ballots. Ogden and Huntington, via Denver The words “ in any manner try to Granger or Ogden and Huntington, or induce or persuade” would cover a via Denver, Grand Junction, Ogden and multitude o f acts. Candidates who Huntington went to the polls and extended the The same rate obtains to Portland glad hand to voters would unques and all main and branch line points tionably come within the terms of the act, for it is common knowledge on the Southern Pacific south thereof that a warm handshake Is one o f the to and including Ashland, as well ae most potent means of getting votes. all points on the Astoria <4 Columbia River railroad, via Granger or Ogden and Huntington, via Denver, Granger Josephine Goatmen Organ za. or Ogden and Huntington, via Grand Grants Pass— The Southern Oregon Junction, Ogden and Huntington and Angora Goat Breeders’ association has via Denver and Billings. been organized with C. E. Harmon, president and Charles Meaerve, secre W ANT CHEAPER GRAIN SACKS tary. The association will have a reg ular meeting in March. The raising of goats has become one of the promi Growers at Athena Working Through Association. nent industries of Southern Oregon. As well as being profitable for the wool, Athena— C. A. Barrett, president of they are looked upon as a valuable ad the Inland Graingrowere' association junct in clearing new land, in keeping says that the principal object of the or down the undergrowth. It is calcu ganization at present is to reduce the lated that there are about 5,000 or 6,- price of sacks. The association declares 000 of the animals scattered among the that the prices the dealers ask for sacks ranches in this district, some of which are unreasonable. They say that they are importer] stock. made a good, substantial saving last year by means of the association, and that they will be able to make a far Grain Sacks at Reduced Figures Pendleton— Umatilla county farmers greater saving this year. Mr. Barrett will share in the purchase of 1,000,000 estimates that the farmers of this wheat sacks made by the Farmers’ Co county will be able this year to save The Inland Graingrowere operative union at Walla W alla. Over $40,000. 200 farmers were present at a mass association is a corporation and buys meeting at which contracts ior the pur its own sacks direct thus making chase of 1,000,000 sacks from the J. Z. great deal better bargain than the Smith company and the Kerr-Gifford dealer can make. Another purpose of the association is company of Portland at a uniform price of 7 >*c, was made. As the same to force the O. R. A N. and Northern quality of sacks sold last year at from Pacific railway companies to arrange to 10 to l i e each, the farmers have made shift cars from one line to the other a great saving in purchases for this without removing the goods from one car to another. Another object the year by asking for bids. association has in view is to reduce freight rates on large grain shipments. New College Building. M ilton— A t a meeting of the board of Columbia college It was decided Klamath Cattle News that an administration building cost Klamath Falls— The shipping season ing $2 5,000 should be erected, and for Klamath county cattle is about over it Is understood that this building NIGHT RIDERS O N RAID. shall be ready for use at the next cel - 1 and the totals show that , ever $500,000 lege term next fall. The building is worth were driven out during the past to be equipped in the most modern j season. Since August the number Imprison Citizens and Burn Tubicco way, giving every advantage to th e , driven to Montague and Gazelle for and Warehouses. students. This is a South Methodist shipment equals 16,686, and there yet Hopkinsville, Ky., Feb. 10.— Last institution, and is proving very sue- remain in the valley, mostly in the cessful. There is an enrollment of M errill country, about 3,000 yet to be night at 12 o’clock a band of about over 100 students this terms, all driven out. This does not include the 150 mounted night riders, masked, form different parts of the north Fort Klamath cattle, driven out by Way heavily armed and wearing the in west. of Ashlaud and Medford. About half signia of a secret clan, invaded Fre- Psy Weyerhaeuser's Taxes. ..total waa "‘''PP61' b? J' C ' Klamath Falls— The Weyerhaeuser ‘ 1 c ie * _________ Timber company, which has extensive Wj|, Adver,ite in E, i t . land holding in Klamath and Lake w. m r , , counties, has announced it. intention , u T , of adopting the system follower! by the J u.b ha8 » P P ^ a t e d $300 for adver- government in leasing the lands within , tl8,ng U n e coun‘/ and fmest reserves for cra/lmr rnrnoses I ern PaPers next month, or until the T The . company .nmnenv owns own« approximately « n n r w i l L i v ^ otH),- i i o ’ colonist rates _ ^ , . on the - . transcontinental 0- c 000 acres of timber land in tiie two ».Iroad a go into effect Of the $1,375 counties, home of the land it has ac- by the promot.on department ,nired in recent years, bin much of it . " Blm,ndpa in had been held for a long time. It Iras Survey for New Tunnel. Eugene, thereby really turning the Seattle, Wash., Feb. 11.— Survey nover made any attempt to derive reve money subscribed back into the com ors und engineers In the employ of nue from the lands. munity that gives it. the Northern Pacific have for months been locating a new tunnel through State Wants Sidetrack. Fuel Down at Pendleton. the Cascades. The fact became Salem— The slate board has asked Pendleton— An exceptionlaly mild known yesterday, when the men, tire Railroad commission to investigate winter has combined with the recent fi driven from their work by the heavy snows, arrived at Green R iver Hot the question of tho need of a sidetrack nancial panic to create havoc w ith the on the Southern Pacific at the site of fuel situation in this city, as viewed Springs on their way to St. Paul. From Hot Springs comes word that the proposed home for the feeble mind- from the standpoint of the fuel dealer, The rail- Coal has dropped from $11 to $7 per the big Stampede tunnel Is to be ed, just, south of this city. abandoned as soon as the new bore road company refused the state’s re ton, and though the wood price is being is completed. The new bore is to quest for a sidetrack. The state board kept up temporarily by the sheer force be seven miles long and will cost up wants the sidetrack established as an of the local combine, the bottom is sure ward of $10,000,090. aid in transporting material for the to drop out of it shortly. new building, which will be started Mourned by All Creeds. soon. PO R TLAND M ARKETS. Washington, Feb. 11.— Memorial services in honor of the late Rev. Dr. Wheat— Club, 82c; bluestem, 84c; Paisley Wants the County Seat. Stafford, pastor of St. Patrick's Bilver ljike— W . H. McColl, of Pais valley, 82c; red, 80c. Oats— No. 1 white, $28; gray, $28. church, were held at Chase’s theater, ley, is authority for the statement that when tributes to the life and char Paisley wants to bring to a vote at the Barley— Feed, $27 per ton; brewing, acter of Dr. Stafford were paid by June election the question of the re $32; rolled, $29@30 men prominent In public life. Vice- Corn — Whole, $32.50; cracked, moval of the county seat from lake- President Fairbanks spoke of Dr. $32.60. view to Paisley. Paisley, Summer Stafford as "T h e Citizen” : Senator Hay— Valley timothy, No. 1,$17@18 Beveridge o f Indiana as The Ora Lake. Silver lake, New Pine Creek and to r "; Hannis Taylor. ex-MInlster to North Warner voters would probably per ton; Eastern Oregon timothy, $20 Spain, as "T h e Scholar and Philan favor the move. Paisley is many miles 321; clover, $14(315; cheat, $15; thropist,” and ex-Commissioner of nearer the geographical center ol the R™'n hay, $ 14<3>15; alfalfa, $12013; Pensions Janies Tanner, as "T h e Pa county than Iakevlew. j vetch, $14. ------------- Batter— Fancy creamery, 30@S5c per triot.” Franco Excitss Curiosity. Bordeaux ,France, Feb. 11.— Sun day passed with Senor Franco, the ex-Preniler of Portugal, still in Bor deaux and still in seclusion. His privacy has remained unbroken; since his arrival Friday” he has not emerged front the hotel where he Is stopping, not even, from his room. The former dictator has become a problem which the people are dis cussing with curious, wondering, even sympathetic interest, but no one has been enlightened as to the hour of his departure, or his destination, for it Is certain that he is not to re main here long. The Japanese government will in Wreck on Wabash. crease the tax on atiptr, sake, alcohol, Detroit, Mich., Feb. 11.— The Con beer and kerosene. tinental Lim ited passenger train on The people of Ohio will vote on an the Wabash railway, westbound, was initiative end referendum law at the derailed today by a brokeu rail at Delhi, Ont., 150 miles east o f De November elaetion. troit. None o f tbe passengers nor Every trace of bnbonie plague has train crew sustained any injuries, gone from San Francisco. The cam other than bruises. Mrs. J. W. Dan iels, o f W allace, Idaho, was taken paign against rates will continue. from the train at St. Thomas, suffer In a battle between French troop« ing from nervous shock and with this end Moon, the Moon lost 10,000 killed exception all of the passengers con tinued to their destinations. and wounded end the French 180. Sevan I firemen were injured end one Temp trance Worker Dead le mining In New York where a fire in New York, Feb 11.— John W. a dry goods »tore oanaed a Ion of $200,- Oliver, editor and principal owner of the Yonkers Statesman, died at his Blaek Hand murders continue In home In Yonkers today, aged 92 years. Mr. Oliver was an early lead Chicago. er In the temperance movement, and Japan is diverting many emigrants with his brother. Isaac Oliver, found ice. ed the Sons of Temperance. Bales Under Hinkle Ditch. P°'!nd- . „ v Pendleton-Seven sales of arid land P o »^ y -A v e r a g e old hen. 13014c per pound; mixed chickens, 12@13c; aggregating over $11,000 have just been spring chickens, 13@14o; roosters, 10 made from the Hinkle Ditch company's (^12c; dressed chickens, 14c; tnrkeys, tract in the western part of Umatilla live, 14015c; dressed, choice, 16017c; county. The tracts will all be settled geese, live, 9(310c; ducks, 18@20c; and reclaimed and s large settlement nabs, $1 50(32. is anticipated in that pert of the county P ' * ™ 8’ ^ 100' T 26@27c this spring. Those making purchase« Eggs-F,esh tench, candled, ca were J. H. Strohm, W. P. Littlefield, Pe'. “ 01 zen' 76 to 125 pounds, 909 tyc; Maui Ice D. Scrogga, Elisabeth J. Tuck- * , , 125 to 150 pounds, 7c; 160 to 200 er, Martha A. Travis, Lorio G. Henry pounds, 5(36iyC. and B. F. Btrohm. Pork— Block, 75 to 150 pounds, 7(3 7tic; packers, 506c. Demand Flat 2 1-2 Cent Fair. Fruits— Apples, table, $1.75(32 50; Balem— A committee of the Travel cooking, $1.25(31.50 per box; cranber ing Men's association has arranged ries, $8(311 per bsurrel. with the railroad commission to file a Vegetables— Turnips. 75c per sack; complaint against all roads doing bosi- carrots, 65c per aeck; beets, $1.00 per neee in Oregon and asking for a fiat sack; cabbage, ltgcper pound; canli- $V cent rate on mileage books. The flower, $1.75 (32; celery. $3.5004 60 rats now is about 2*« cents, end the per crate, onions, 15020c per dosen; books eold are not mileage books, but parsely, 20c per dosen; peas. 10c per ere coupon hooka, each coupon repre pound; peppers, 171yc per ponnd; senting 5 cents. pnmpkins, 1 0 1 1 ,0 per ponnd; radish es, 2Ac per dosen; spinach, 6c per Eagles Worry Benton County , Monroe— A pair of large eagles »proots, te per pound; aqneah, are playing havoc among the email i * 3 * w c per pound, lambs on the foothills west of town. | Onoions— $2.50 per hundred. They are expert In keeping out of| Potatoes— 40@60c per hundred, de rifle range and no one has been able] livsred Portland; sweet potatoes, $3.26 to get a shot at them. 03.60 per cwt. Hop«— 1907, prime and choice, 50 Cannery Puts Up Beef. 7 per ponnd; olds, 1(3*0 per ponnd. Brownsville—The Brownsville can Wool— Fasten Oregon average best, nery has been experimenting in the 13021V per ponnd, according to shrink- canning of beef and It will probably'age valley, 1 3020 b . according to fine- pnt up a large amount in the near fn- ] neei mohair, choice, 29(330c per tore. 1 pound. donia, Crittenden county, captured James Scarberry, operator of the Cumberland Telephone Company, and cut all telephone connections. They then forced Dave Potter, a clerk in a drug store, to open his store, in which they corralled several citizens and held them prisoners. Leaving a large guard in the town, the others galloped to the village of View, five miles away, and blew up A lfred H. Cardin’s tobacco factory, containing 35,000 pounds of tobacco belonging to him and his croppers. The loss aggregates $10,000, w $5,000 insurance. A fte r firin g volleys Into the air the night riders returned through Fredonia and released their prison ers. Eighty per cent of Crittenden county farmers have tobacco pooled In the Society o f Equity. Mr. Cardin Is not a member. He Is a prominent citizen, aged 73, and was form erly a candidate for governor on the Popu list ticket. The Planters Association has no organization in this county. HALL IS CONVICTED Prediction ol Prosecotloo Proves Correct. JURY DELIBERATES THREE HOURS Speedy Agreement Believed to Indi cate Conviction, In View of Judge's Instructions. Poitland, Feb. 8.— A t 1:30 o'clock this morning the jury iu the Hall con spiracy trial announced that it had reached a verdict. The verdict was sealed in an envelope, under instruc tions given by Judge Hunt laBt night, and was returned to the court and opened at 10 o’clock this morning. On convening court this morning Judge Hunt directed that the envelope lie opened and the verdict read. The jury found H all guilty as charged. Under the Federal statutes, conspiracy such as that charged in the indictment on which Hall was tried, is punishable by a fine not wceedlng $10.000, or by imprisonment not exceeding two years. Portland, Feb. 8.— A t last night’s session, which convened at 7:45 o’clock, Judge Hunt delivered exhaust ive instructions to the jury, the charge requiring two hoars for its delivery. At 10:12 o’clock, after Judge Webster for the defendant had interposed ob jections to practically every instruction of the court, the jury retired to deliber ate on a verdict. The jurors were in structed by Judge Hunt that if a ver dict should be reached during the night, they were to seal it in an en velope and repair in the custody of the bailiffs to their rooms, the verdict to be returned at 10 o'clock this morning to which hour the court then ad journed. Judge Hunt’s instructions were far more elaborate than in any of the pre ceding land fiaud or conspiracy caeeB. They consisted of a learned exposition of the law as applied to conspiracy harges and a lucid interpretation of the statues pertaining to the fencing and homestead acts and the statute of limitations. When tbe instructions had been given Mr. Heney expressed his satisfaction with them, but Judge Webster, for the deiendant, submitted exceptions in a general way to the entire charge. REFORM PO ST A L 8ERVICE, Commission Recommends Changes in Interest o f Economy. Washington, Feb. 8.— In a prelim inary report of the postal commission authorized during the last congress, the main recommendation w ill be to the effect that the office of the fourth assist ant postmaster general shall be done away with and that an executive officer appointed by the president for a long term be installed as the active head of the department, who shall act under the direction of the postmaster general and hold the same relation that a su perintendent of a railroad holds to a railroad president and directorate. The examiners found that politics too often interfered with the systematic running of the department and that the heads were seldom installed for any length of time before being retired or placed elsewhere. Under present conditions it is neces sary lor a mail bag lock broken on an Alaskan route to be transported tbe en tire distance to the Mississippi valley before it can be mended. To do away with this and other impracticable meth ods, the commission proposes the for mation of divisions with lull power to administer offices within their boundar ies. Said boundaries shall not neces sarily follow state lines. Of the 62,000 postoffices rnn by the government it is thought that fully 30,- 000 can be operated in such a manner as to become non-accounting offices and do away with the too frequent issuance of stamps and many intermediate re- porta. Frustrate Republican Plot. Marseilles, Feb. 10.— The frustra tion on Friday last at Oporto of an elaborate plot to proclaim a republic Is announced in a telegram which was received today from one of the highest officials In Oporto by his brother, who has just arrived here from Lisbon. According to the tele gram a large number o f conspirators have been arrested. Including the leaders. It was also stated that numerous bodies of m ilitant repub licans had been seen about the sub urbs of Oporto. The police captured large store o f revolvers and car bines. Hava Hot Fight With Moors. Paris, Feb. 8.— A dispatch received here from General d’ Amade, the French commander in chief in Morocco, say* the column operating on the coast had an engagement yesterday with the Arabs at a point eouthwest of Kashber Rachid. The French apparently had routed their enemy when the Moors re turned with reinforcements and attack ed the French camp a second time. The fight was a hot one, bat the Moors were eventually forced to retire in tbe direc tion of Settat. Five Frenchmen were wonnded. Blow Up Bank. Joplin, Mo., Feb. 10.— Four men early this morning blew open the vault of the Bank o f Sulphur Springs, Ark., and secured over $1,300 In cash, besides notes and other val uables. The citzens o f Sulphur Springs were aroused by two explo sions, but by the time the officers reached the downtown district, the work of the thieves had been com pleted and four men were seen to mount their horses and ride west ward. The mountains In thM” direc tion are filled with many gorges and It is believed that the men have made good their escape. Mexico Grant« Coaling Station. Mexico City, Feb. 8.— The concession by Mexico to the United States grant' ing the privilege for the establishment of a coaling station at Magdalena bay is now in force and it is expected that the two barges provided nnder the con cession will be anchored in the bay be fore the arrival there of the fl«et. Fur ther negotiations are pending for a large target range and permission to land marines for small arms practice. Previous requests of like nature were not favorably received by Mexico, but this one may be granted Demand to Show Hard. Parts. Feb. 10.— The recent figh t ing In Morocco, as well as the protest which Abd-el-Axiz, the Sultan, is re ported to have submitted to Germany against French occupation and ag gression In that country, has led M. Juares, the Socialist leader, to formu late a new interpellation on the sub ject. In the Chamber o f Deputies tomorrow he w ill form ally demand from the government another ex planation o f the Moroccan policy. No British Squadron Coming. London, Feb. 8.— The Associated Press is officially authorized to declare that there is sbedotely no truth in the report telegraphed from Halifax that the British squadron in the Pacific ia to be materially increased. No changes whatever are contemplated in the Pa cific squadron and the British govern ment has not the slightest intention of eplaeing the old Pacific fleet, which formerly had ita base st Eequimealt, “ C. Archbishop Returns. New York, Feb. 10.— Archbishop Patrick William Rlordan, o f San Francisco, whose recent mission In Rome was both for rest snd to advo cate the appointment of Rev. Edward Hanna, of Rochester, as Coadju tor Archbishop of San Francisco, re turned today on board the ateamahlp Cedric. Smuggles Arms Into Chine. Hongkong, Feb. 8.— Chinese Imper ial enstoma officials this afternoon seit- e Japanese steamer near Macao, which was landing arms on Chinese territory. It is alleged that the arms were intended fot revolutionists under Dr. 8un Yet Ben, the leader of the rev olutionary party ia Chine. FAIR BILL PASSES. 8anata Stands by Seattle With Almost Unanimous Vota. Washington, Feb. 7.— The Beattie exposition bill went through the senate yesterday by a practically unanimous vote. Burkett, who threatened to do all manner of tilings to defeat it, made a vicious attack and thundered loudly for half an hour. When be concluded, several senators spoke in bebalf of the bill, and, when Piles moved ita pas sage, barely a voice save that of Bur kett was heard in opposition. Burkett’s antagonism really strength ened the bill, for he is generally dis liked in the renate, and his onslaught created sympathy for Piles. who was pressing the b ill. . Tbe house committee will now take up and report the stnate bill, instead of that introduced by Congressman Humphrey. In the discussion before the vote was taken, Burkett opposed the bill, as he said he had opposed every other bill, for that purpose since he had been in congress. He said the proposition to- hold tbe expoeition did not originate in Alaska. “ It has been put forward,’ ’ he said., “ by a lot i f (roomers of Beattie, who purpose to boom their real estate and their private Interests.” Burkett read a list of expositions in the United Btates showing that $20,- 960,727 had been expended by congress in aid of th6m. Tillman supported the idea of expo sitions, saying the Charleston exposi tion had brought many people from the North to be “ civilized there.’ ’ Carter believed tire idea of equity should influence congress in appropriat ing for an exposition in the Far West, as so little had been done in aid of that section. MAY A D JUST RATES. Northwestern Mill Interests Confer With Railroad Presidents. Seattle, Wash., Feb. 7.— As the re sult of a conference held this morning, between President Louis W . H ill, of the Great Northern, and President Howard Elliott, of Ihe Northern Pa cifican tbe one side, and President Jacob Fourth, of the Puget Sound Na tional bank and Frederick Bailsman, representing the commercial bodies o i the Pacific Northwest, hope is express ed that the controversy between tho lumber interests and tiie railroads con cerning the rate question may be ami cably settled. Nothing definite result ed from the conference, but there is to be another one within a day or so. At the close of the conference Mr. Furth made the following statement: “ Mr. H ill and Mr. Elliott, at our invitation met Mr. Bausman and my self this morning to discuss tbe possi bility of bringing about a settlement of the rate controversy between the lum ber and shingle men of the Pacific Northwest and the railroads. Both the railread officials appeared to be w illin g to receive proposals from us, acting for the commercial organizations of the cities of the Northwest.” URGEB HALL’S A C Q U IT T A L. Webster Makes Earnest Argument for His Client. Portland, Feb. 7.— Ably and with in tense earnestness Judge Lionel R. Web ster yesterday advocated the cause of John R. Hall, ex-United States attor ney, before a jury in the United Slates court. Counsel was unable to con clude before eonrt adjourned at 6 o’ clock and will reeume this morning at 10 o’clock. Although his argument was confined to a review of the testi mony almost exclusively, Judge W eb ster pleaded loyally and eloquently in behalf of the man who for years had been his faithful and intimate personal and political friend. Judge Webster prefaced his address with a brief discussion of the responsi ble duty of a juror together with a defi nition of the charge of conspiracy on which H all is being tried. A t the out set of his remarks, connsel for the de fendant took issue with Mr. Heney, who, in his opening argument Wednes day, asserted that the failure ¡of prose cuting officials to discharge their duty and to enforce the laws w s b rotting and decaying the very foundations of a re publican form of government. Keep Japs Ont. Victoria, B. C., Feb. 7.— Tbe immi gration bill framed on the lines of the Natal act, which provides that all im migrants who cannot write and read English language of Europe will be re fused landing, was passed by the Brit ish Columbia legislature this afternoon and will be referred at once to the lieu tenant governor for assent. Prepara tions have been made to carry the regu lations of the bill into effect at once, provincial immigration officers being appointed for this purpose if it should be approved. New Safeguards on Battleships. Washington, Feh. 7.— Plans have been completed by the naval ordnance bureau for the installation of new am munition hoisting arrangements for the tnrreted vessels, comprising some 176 turrets. This is rendered necessary by the introduction of smokeless powder, which has permitted a greatly increas ed rate of fire. The new arrangement will supply ammunition as rapidly as it can be fired, and will effectively separate the turrets from the handling room below so that there shall be a prevention of powder ignition. Locomotive Worke Re'reneh. Philadelphia, Feb. 7.— 1 Tea thonsand men have been laid off since December by the Baldwin Locomotive worke, ol this city. Bamuel Vanclain, a member of the firm, in speaking of the condi tions at the works, said: “ No substan tial orders have come in since Decem ber. We have received a few scattered orders and we are now working upon these. Whereas we formerly were tnrning ont abont 60 locomotive« a week, we are now taming oat only 20.” May Go Dry Forever Charlestown, W. Va., Feb. 7.— A joint resolution woe pawed by the boose today providing for an amend ment to the constitution which gives tbe right tc voters to decide whether or not liquor cr the mannfactnre of liqoor ill be prohibited forever In the state.