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About The Athena press. (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942 | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1910)
Buy Your Groceries from Your Home Grocer r,r VOLUME XXII. ATHENA UMATILLA COUNTY. OREGON. FRIDAY. APRIL 8 1910. NUMBER 14 1 "Be sure you arc right' is another way oi SteUon saying Ue sure you have a the . .- SteUon Name Stetson , , , and tken go ahead." We nave trie Stetson Soft and Derby Hats 1 1 in aU the latest styles. Remember You get per cent Discount for Cash. Return $25.00 in cash register checks and set $1 cash or trade free. T.M.TAGGART General Merchandise Athena, Oregon The m mm Cash Grocery ctr.i rut Doa't Monkey with Inferior Goods Hill Bros. BRADE STEEL CUT COFFEE . ; Blue Label Can, 35c v Red Label Can, 45c Ask your neighbor if he has ever tried that High Grade Steel Cut Coffee, which Worthington carries, and it he has not, 'PHONE UN 113 Barrett Alleges $4,797.57 Due From Illegally Collected Road Tax Commission Proceedings Men's Working Clothes and Shoes, No Shelf-worn Goods. Quick sales and small profits is the motto of the Old Reliable BLUE FRONT STORE, S0Sffif' THE TUfiM-LUM LUMBER COl Lumber, Mill Work and all Kinds of BUILDING MATERIAL PAINTS, OILS AND VARNISHES Posts and Blacksmith coal A. M. Johnson, Manager Athenu, Oregon At a meeting of the' oity council Monday evening, C. A. Barrett ap peared before that body. a!d made the statement that Umatilla oounty owes the oity of Athena the sum of $4,797.57 for road tax illegally col lected dnring the years 1905-09 inclu sive. Mr. Barrett's statement- is based on Seotion 1, artiole 5 of the oity ohaiter., which exempts the in habitants of the oity from oonnty jurisdiction in the payment of road taxes or the assessment of property within the city for road work, pro vided the oonnoil assesses and causes to be , oolleoted annually, from all property owners of the city the sum of $2.00 for every $1,000 or property assessed to suoh person, for oity pur poses, and in proportion for a greater or less amount than $1,000 for street purposes. Mr. Barrett read statistics showing that he county oolleoted road tax belonging to the oity in 1905 amounting to $586.39; in 1906, $841.21 ; in 1907. $1,093.97; in 1908, $1,865.24; in 1909, $910.76, a total of $4,797.57. Mayor MoEwea referred the matter to the oity attorney for investigation. " On roll call, Cnunoilmeu Tompkins and Wilson were absent. ' Mayor MoEwen named April 11 for cleaning up streets and alleys of the city. ... ' : ' ' The following bills were allowed : C. A. Barrett & Co., nails, $13.55. Commission water rent, $54.00. Raoorder Riobards, salary, $13.00. " Marshal Qbolson, salary, $50.00. Pieston-Parton Co. ..lights, $65.00. Athena Truok Co., transfer, $13.00. MoEwen, nails, $6.00. ' Hugh Robb. labor. $20.00. v M. Kelley, labor, $21.25. : . Will Dobson, labor, $1.25. Cleve Stanton, labor, $2.50. Fred Pinkerton, labor, $8.75. V ' W7 H. Lamn, labor, $7.50. The Water Commission. At the regular meeting of . the water Commission Tuesday evening C. A. Barrett was made chairman for, the ensuing year, W. J. Gbolson water superintendent and B. B. Biobards clerk. ' The $1,500 bond of Treasurer Hawks was accepted and plaoed on file. Monthly report of Water Super intendent Qbolson showing oolleotion of $135 in water'rents, $18 for water meters; $5 for one tap, making a total j of $161.50, was aooepted and plaoed ! on file. The following bills were allowed: Gen. Bannister, two cords of wood $13.00. H. MoBride, rig for 4 days, $12.00. A. R. Booher, $5.00. Gholson, salary $20.00. Biobards, salary, $10.00. . II. MoBride. rig, $1.50. Athena Truok Co., hauling, $3.00. Preston-Parton Co., power, $83.33. 1 G. A. Barrett & Co., supplies, $13.60. Warrants were ordered drawn as follows : First National Bank, note and in terest, $188.40. - C. A. Barrett, aoo't of loan, $304. 00. O. A. Barrett, ohairman. aoo't sink, ing fund, loan, $326.00. - Report of Chairman Barrett show ing that the commission books bad been checked and found correot was aooepted and plaoed on file. On motion the commission was authorized to order 50 8-inoh oollars and 50 10-inch oollars, . at $1.35 and $1.75 eaoh, for repairing pipe line. The proposition of Commissioner Taylor to prospect for water at the head of the gravity water system was discussed at length but no action was taken. ' . '' ' .. Mrs. L. T. MoBride, of Weston, is seriouly ill, and Mrs. Barry MoBride of this city is attending ber bedside. , I THE WLS PROMPT DELIVERY s? gbocery stib WHERE PRICES ARE RIGHT "ft, P JLxXCi X' lC&UtlM , MI111 IIll JrSi. I .IIIllf'.K f.riH. IIIHT'lfir QttnrHc in t 1j -w v UUU1 U.U JLXX il MfJ, yj We est that Money can Buy Always Found Here m4 r--.i ji DELL BROTHERS, ATm ea? -in Athena, Oregon p p D P P STRAIN WOULD BE OREGON'S GOVERNOR CLEM OP lira Umatilla County Assessor Announces Candidacy Through Columns of Portland Daily Journal. Charles P. Strain, assessor of Uma tilla county, would be governor of Oregon. It's a long skip from county assessor to the governor's chair but Grover was a sheriff, you know. Of Mr. Strain's candidacy the Portland Journal says: Charles' P. Strain, well known throughout eastern Oregon as the assessor of Umatilla county, has an nounced himself to be a oandidate for the Democratic nomination for gover nor at the coming primaries in Sep; tern ber. . - Siuoe 1903, wheu Mr. Strain was eleoted assessor of Umatilla county, he has been prominent in the state through his work as an assessor. He has done muob towards the enforce ment of an equitable assessment of the O. R. & N company and other corpora tion holdings in Umatilla oonnty, and his lead bas been followed by other assessors in different parts of the state. In making his announoomeut Mr. Strain goes into bis reoord as as sessor of Umatilla county somewhat in detail, showing some of the main points of his administration. The letter of announoement is as follows: "If you will kindly allow me spaoe in your columns for the purpose, I will address myself to the people of Oregon.. In order to get my case be fore them, I shall have to speak in the first person, recounting briefly what reforms I have been oonneoted with and tbe result of those reforms. ' My publio career began with my election as assessor of Umatilla oonnty in 1902 on a platform pledging equal assess ments as between private and corporate property.,"- I found the O. B. and N. company's ..railroad bed and right-of "way. assessed 'at $4000 per mile. I raised it to' $12,000 per mile in 1903 and now. in the 1909 roll 1 have it as sessed at $40,000 per mile. "It was at first predioted that I would fail to make my assessment stiok. When I snooeeded, it was prophesied that the transportation oompanies of tbe state would advauoe their freight rates enough to recover by increased charges what tbey bad lost in higher tax payments. I then began an agitation in favor of a state railroad " commission. One of tbe leading contributions wbinh Lruade to that agitation was published in tbe Sunday Oregon Journal of Ootober 14, 1906. ' "The railroad commission was created and it is one of tbe most effli oent commissions in the United States today. It has reduced grain rates, as I understand it, 40 cents per ton in my own oonnty from here to Port land. This means an annual saving of $48,000 to the wheat farmers of this one oonnty. The commission bas also made a reduolion of about 14 per cent on other freight oharges east of the Dalles. It bas also reduoed express oharges in this territory. I am not at this time advised what bas been done in other parts of tbe state, but I pre sume that every seotion of the state bas reoeivCd benefit from it. "I foun the tax laws of Oregon inadequate to reaob certain kinds of property, espeoially franchises. Tbe tax laws were obsolete and inefficient in several respeots. Accordingly, I began an agitation for a temporary tax commission. Suoh a commission was created, the Honorable Fred W. Mulkey of Portland, Honorable W. J. Laohner of Baker county, and Honor able E. B. Seabrook of Coos county reoeiving tbe appointment as oommis fioners. This commission organized by eleoticg Mr. Mulkey chairman and Clyde B. Atohison, now railroad com missioner, as secretary. "As a result of tbeir excellent work. we now have this fine statnte: ''The terms laud, real estate, and real pro perty, as used in this act shall be con strued to inolnde the land itself, whether laid out in town lots, or other wise, Bbova and under water, oil buildings, structures, substructures, superstructures, and improvements erected upon, under or above, or affix ed to tbe same, and all rights and privileges thereto belonging or in any wise appertaining and all franchises and privileges granted by or pursuant to any law of this state, or municipal ordinance or resolution or oorpoiation, other than tbe right to be a corpora tion; and all mines, minerals, quar ries, fossils, and trees in, under, or upon tbe land. Our tax laws were improved in several respects. "I found tbe assessor with power to regulate tbe county sobool tax. The state law in 1902 required tbe county court to levy a five mill school tax on tbe assessed "value of each county respectively. It was tben within tbe assessors power to assess the property of bis connty at any percentage of iU actual value that happened to suit bim. . "If be chose to do so be could aness tbe property of bis connty so low that the five mill school tax would produoe very little, or be oould assess it so high that thi school tax would be entirely beyond the need of sohool reqniremeuts. I at once began an ncitation whioh resulted in a law that provided for a levy high enongb in eaoh connty to prodnoe a fixed sum for eaoh ohild of sohool age. . "I have been, and am now, au ad vooate of popular government as pro vided for under the present initiative and referendum laws of this state. "To sum op: I found tbe railroadj of the state assessed at $5,858,101.50. They are now assessed at $45,199,832. 50. The milage has inoreased only 1689 miles to 2213 mile9. Not only this, ut before this' agitation began the transportation oompanies were masters of tbe people, fixing charges and extending or restricting servioe to the publio at will. The railroads have, therefore, been required to pay their share of taxes on the one hand and have, on the other, been denied authority to recoup themselves by ad vancing freight oharges. The tax laws have been modernized, and tbe publio sohools have been given defin ite support. "These reforms have been worth many thousands of dollars to the com mon people of Oregon. My connection with th" is well known history and can be established beyond question. I set out to benefit tbe people generally. I have worked out tbe 'lead' whioh I begau on so far as I can do so through the assessor's office. The old system baa been oorreoted and tho assessment of railroad property bas been com mitted to the oare of the tax com mis sion. "But a new condition bas arisen whioh threatens to consume tbe full substanoe of all taxable property, both corporative and private, ' The tax budget of this county, including oity and school levies, bas risen, during tbe past seven years, from $195,000 to $441,000. If this increase bas been dnplioated in other counties, and I think it has, it presents an alarming state of affairs. -"It is not unusual to find taxing districts where tbe annual tax con sumes from 25 per cent to 50 per cent of tbe income from money loaned out, and from other inootue produoing property. "Ag I see it, the most important re form now needed is eoonomy in pub lio affairs. Somebody ought to check the already enormous and ever increas ing publio expenditures. I feel that if I am to render any further offioial servioe to the people of this county and state, I could be more useful to them in an exeoutive office wbere I oould suppress publio extra vaganoe. As to my ability to get results along this line, I will mention that I have managed to make the assessor's offloe of this oounty cost, on an average, $690 per annnm less during tbe past seven years than for the seven years next preoeeding my tennre in offloe. There bas been, of course, a good deal more work to do duriog the last seven years than durinQtbe preoeeding seven years, owing 'to tbe growth of the oounty. I have also classified tbe deeded land of the county into 40 aoin units at an expense of about $2000, and I have renewed a large portion of the ownership records of the oounty. I learned eoonomy in tbe sohool of ex perience, having worked my , way up from a pennilesi boy to a position of moderate comfort during the past 23 years. 1 began life in Oregon as a farm hand 23 years ago. "By eoonomy in publio affairs, I mean that when money is appropriat ed, each dollar of it should be made to return tbe publio a dollar's worth of servioe, or of supplies. I further mean that appropriations for enter prises that are loonl or personal In obaraoter or ot doubtful valuo should be defeated.1 "Another matter of still greater im portance than economy is tbe defense of onr system of direct legislation. Au executive is needed who can be de pended on to defend with bis veto power onr splendid system of popular government against tbe onooming as sault upon it by 'interests.' ' "If tbe people of Oregon can use me for snob purpose, lam willing to undortake tbe great responsibility. At tbe same time, I can say in all sin cerity that I bavo readied a point in lite wbere my attitude toward politi oal bouois is passive. 1 simply offer my services to tbe people. If tbey ac cept tbem, I will do ray utmost to make good. If tbey do not, I will find a niobe some plaoe in private life wbere I will fit in comfortably." Tbe Alumni of tbe State Normal at Monmouth ask your support for that sohool. You know we mast have teachers. We must educate tbe boys and girls; a trained teaober is the test agency for this. ..Tbe cost is four cents a year on a thousand dollars. Vote yes for Monmouth and settle this question. J. IS. V. Butler, Seo. Com. Mayor McEwen Proclaims Monday, April llo Be Clean Up Day. -Walla Walla Here. At the meeting of the oity counoil Monday evening, . Mayor t MoEwen named Monday, April 11 as Athena's annual oleaning up day. Air citizens and property owners are expected to turn out on that day and clean up tbeir premises and the streets and alleys contiguous theroto. It is essential that the whole town be thoroughly cleaned for tbe reason that all desire that tbe oity present a oreditable appearanoe at the time of the holding of the meetings of the ministerial association and tbe county traok meet, both of which events take place next month. Pendleton and Milton have had olean up days and tbe looal papers of two towns report splendid results ac cruing from nnited effort on the part of property owners and oitizens. It all w.ll give the matter attention and a little time, the mayor is con fident that the town will have a great deal better appearance when tbe day's work is done. The faot that the members of the Walla Walla Commercial club, over one hundred strong, aooompanied by tbeir wives and sweethearts, are to be in Athena tho day following olean up day, should serve as an incentive to all in furthering tbe effort to olean their premises. The Walla Walla Club will run a "get-acquainted" excur sion from tbe Garden city to Pen dleton on Tuesday, April 12, stopping at the intervening towns. The excur sion will reaoh Athena about 10 a. m. and will be met at the O. B. & tf. station by tbe members of tbe Athena Commoroial Association, oitizeus and possibly the Athena band. DEATH OF ALEXANDER M'KENZIE Prominent Mason and Pioneer Passes , Awav Tuesday Funeral today. After years of suffering from tbe ravages of oanoer, Alexander MoKen zie died at'his borne west of this oity, Tuesday. - At bis bedside were his sons Daniel and Alexander, and daughteis Rutb, Lizzie and Agnes, tbe other son, Robert, not being present when the father died. Mr. MoKenzie was one of the old pioneers who oontribnted tbeir energy in the development of Umatilla oounty. Some 35 years ago be took up a homestead near Adamsjind there with his estimable wife, who has pre ceded bim to the grave, a borne was made and the ohildren reared to man hood and womanhood. He was a promiuent Mason, and un til bis affliction bore him down, ho took an aotive interest in Masonio affairs. For many years be bad been a devout member of tbe Christian ohurob in this oity. He was born in Glasgow, Sootland, July 1, 1841, and when a young man oeme to this conn- try. He was one of Nature's noble men, and was held in bigh esteem bv all who knew hip. A kind friend and loving father, he will be missed by friends and family alike. The funeral sermon was preaohed by A. MoKenzie Meldrnm, at tbe Christian cburob at 1:30 tbis afternoon. Ser vices at tbe grave were conducted by tbe Masons. Tbe funoral was largely attended, "' :, , Oregon's Grand Old Man. Geoige H. Williams, tbe "grand old Man" of Oregon, tbe most prominent figure in tbe politioal history of this state and onoe a member of President Grant's cabinet, died suddenly at his home in Portland Monday aged 87. Death came poaoefnlly , daring bis sleep early in the mcrniug. He had onlv a few days ago celebrated bis 87th birthday by giving a banquet to bisfiiends. Judge Williams retired to private life two years ago. He was one of tbe founders ot the union party and canvassed tbe conntry for Lincoln for president. Later bo served an United Stales senator from Oregon and became attorney general in Grant's cabinet in 1872. To Enlarge Milton College. Tbe contract bas been let by 'the trustees of Columbia college for tbe eroctioo of, new toildiogs for tbe in stitution. The contract went to Earl Williams of Milton, tbe lowest bidder, for $22,581. Tbe beating and plumb ing oootraot will be let separate. Wore will commence at onoe as tbo ooutract calls for tbe completion of tbe building ty September 1. The financial agent, Rev. H. S. 8baugle, is now in tbe east attending the con ference of tbe M. E. ohurob, sontb, and will probably receive help for the college. XTbe work of clearing off the atb letio field at tbe city park Is" nearing completion. - J. E. Froome, who has had tbe work in charge has performed his duties well, and tbe meeting of tbe Commercial Association Wednes day evening was given a vote of tbuuk.