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About The Athena press. (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1915)
f i- WHAT YOU NEED- The other fellow may have; what you have the other fellow may want. Come together by advertising In the Press. BARGAIN DAY Is every day with the Merchant who advertises in the Press he haa some thing to sell and says so. Buy Your Groceries From Your Home Grocer VOLUME XXVII. ATTAINT A, UMATILLA COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, MARCn 5, 1915. NUMBER 11. NEWS NOTES OF CURRENT WEEK Resume of World's Important Events Told in Brief. Further relief to Belgians from the United States is not guaranteed by the German government. An English trawler was sunk in the English channel by a German mine. The crew of 11 men were saved. Congress has re-convened and it is predicted that the session will hold un til the gavel falls at noon March 4. The French army is said to be ad vancing on the German strongholds in spite of the storms raging in that vicinity. Plot'to murder many rich men' of New York City is said to have been discovered by the police department of that city. Two Portland women, touring the Hawaiian Islands, were killed in an automobile accident by being thrown over a precipice. . Two important witnesses in the noted Los Angeles Times dynamiting case, have died, badly crippling the state's case against the two rcently captured fugitives. The preBS of Germany is practically unanimous in upholding the new note from America dealing with the trans portation of foodstuffs by neutrals to belligerents, Each employe of the City of : Port land, is now required to keep a card index which contains the actual num ber of hours worked per day, enumer ating the kinds of work performed, etc. . Germany, in answer to the Ameri can note, is willing to make conces sions to shipping through the "war zone," reserving the right, however, of searching vessels for contraband goods. Many Americans'jtravelingjas "horse tenders" on vessels bound for England and France, with promise of good pay and return ticket, are stranded in those countries, and are appealing to the American consuls for assistance. The exchange of maimed prisoners through Geneva began Wednesday with the arrival of 1800 Frenchmen and 800 Germans. The transfer was made under the auspices of the Swiss Red Cross society. The soldiers trav eled in special coaches, which were guarded by the miliary. Approxi mately a ton of gifts were there await ing the unfortunates, who probably will number from 4000 to 6000 men from each country. The bill charging manslaughter against a provincial police officer and three Candadian soldiers who last fall fired on two American duck hunters, '. Walter Smith and Charles Dorscb, killing Smith and wounding his com panion, was dismissed by the Welland county grana jury. ine snooting, which resulted in diplomatic corre spondence between the United States and Great Britain, occurred on the Ni agara River. After a protest had been made by Washington the Domin- ion government paid to Smith's rela tives $10,000 and a lesser sum given to Dorsch. The allied fleets have silenced the Turkish forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles. War experts say the loss of the Dar danelles will mean the complete sub jugation of Turkey. . The municipality of Berlin has de cided to acquire the Berlin electrical works, which at present has the mon- odoIv of BUDDlying current lor trac tion. Iizht and power purposes. The price will be about 131,000,000. Governor Fertruson. of Texas, has addressed to President Wilson a com munication saying continual raiding is going on along the Rio Grande border ., for 76 miles inland as a result of the atarvins condition of the Mexican " people. In the house of commons Sir Edward Grey, secretary for foreign affairs, made the important announcement, which was received with cheers, that Great Britain sympathised with Rus sia's aspirations to gain access to the open sea through Turkey. The American submarines C-8 and C-6 have been ordered from Cristobal to Balboa to work out certain defense problems in connection with the coast artillery relating to mine laying and target practice. The submarines will be the first American fighting craft to use the canal. The friendly relations between Japan and the United States were dwelt upon - by both Japanese and Americans at - ". the annual banquet of the Japan so M, eiety in New York. Ambassador and Vice Countess Chinda and Admiral ' Baron Dews, representing the Japan ese government at the Panama-Pacific exposition, were guests of honor. - The Commerce commission reports that the Louisville & Nashville rail road spent millions in politics, to raise which "watered" stock was issued. - Figures compiled by the Holland postal authorities stiow that since the beginning of the war 864 German newspapers have suspended publica tion. The London Daily Mail's Copen Wen eorresDondent says it is reported from Berlin that the German casual ties in East Prussia and Poland during the last three weeks are estimated at about 200,000. Washington Gets Hopeful Reports From Europe Washington, D. C. Encouraging reports from both Ambassadors Page and Gerard at London and Berlin, respectively, were received by Presi dent Wilson and his cabinet concerning tho attitude of Great Britain and Ger many toward the latest American pro posals for the safeguarding of neutral commerce from the dangers of sub marines and mines, and the unrestrict ed shipment of foodstuffs to the civil ian population of belligerent countries. Complete replies are not expected for some time, because the subject is still under consideration by England and her allies. Germany's willingness to make con cessions ana negotiate lor an under standing on the vexatious questions already has been made known infor mally to the United States and a formal acquiescence is expected in a day or two, All eyes now are turned on London, where the opinion is un derstood as yet to be divided on the merits of the suggestions. Some of the leading men in the British cabinet are said to favor in principle the American proposals as a means of solving the problem with as little inconvenience to neutral coun tries as possible. Another element, however, is said to be impressed by the military value of further restric tion of supplies to Germany and more reprisals and there is some indication that when the final resolution on the American proposals is to be made the military faction will present strong ODDOsition to them. The exact nature of the proposals is still unknown because of the rigid reticence of the officials both here and abroad, but each day adds information on the subject Briefly, this much of the contents of the American sugges tions now has been confirmed. The United States has asked that the pre vious rules of international law with respect to the shipment by neutrals of conditional contraband destined to civilian populations and not the bel ligerent forces of , an enemy, remain unaltered. A system is suggested whereby proof can be furnished that the sup plies will be used by the civilian pop ulation. ' The removal of all floating mines by Germany as well as Great Britain is proposed, this not to apply, However, to mines used for protection of coast defenses and harbors, pilots to be fur nished to guide neutral ships througn such fields as remain. Attention is called to Germany's promise that if foodstuffs are not de tained when destined to her civilian population the submarine warfare' on merchant ships will De abandoned. Sub-station at Umatilla Issues Report of Work SHIPS BOMBARD TURKISH FORTS Oregon Agricultural College,' Cor vallis "Soil and climatic conditions prevailing on the Umatilla reclama tion project were considered by the reclamation service to be better adapt ed to the production of fruit than to other crops. As a result of this early decision, the land was divided into small units with a view to the develop ment of small intensively farmed fruit and garden tracts. The foregoing is a quotation irom the report of the Umatilla branch ex periment station, made by superin tendent Ralph W. Allen and issued by the Oregon Agricultural College Ex periment Station under the direction of Director A. B. Cordley. The report tells further how and for what purpose the branch station was established, how it is maintained and managed, and reviews the leading features of its activities since its establishment. The report says further: ' "The predominating soli type on tne Umatilla project, upon which the sta tion is located, is sand, ranging in texture from coarse to fine. Approxi mately half of this area is of coarse sand and the remainder ranges in char acter from medium to fine. The higher land that " lies back from the Columbia river is mostly oi nner texture. The soils are markedly defi cient in organic matter and nitrogen. The physical character of this land renders the duty; of irrgation water very low. From a soil standpoint, the correction of these two aimcuities, which are among the principal factors influencing crop production, is of the utmost importance. "Climatic conditions of this district are very congenial for crop growth. They are a rare combination of dry at mosphere and dry weather. The effect is comparatively long growing seasons and mild, open winters." Conditions on this tract are such as render necessary scientific investiga tion in eradication of alkali, securing stands of crops, crop rotations, and the economical use of water and increas ing: soil fertility, f Reports of experiments with truck crops, strawberries, cane fruits and tree fruits as carried on in field plats, are given in the new bulletin, free copies of which may be had by all in terested persons upon request ad dressed to the! Oregon Agricultural College. : Constantinople to Be Taken By Allies at All Risk. Legislature Appropriates $6,477,031 All Told farmers Not Heard in Fixing Price of Wheat New York Joseph Leiter, long a famous wheat operator, testified at the state inquiry into the cost of bread that the farmer had nothing to say about the price at which his wheat should be sold. That, he added, was determined at the terminal markets. The Liverpool exchange, which is the leading exchange of the world," he said, "usuallv fixes the price." Mr. Leiter said 76 per cent oi tne elevators are owned either by the big wheat operators or the railroads, while 25 per cent were owned py maepena- ent or small operators and farmers co-operative societies. The United States has controlled the wheat prices of the world since September 1, 1914, and will continue to do so until an other crop is raised, Mr. Leiter.as- serted. Mr. Leiter gave -it as his opinion lhat the "invisible supply" of wheat, or that which is in the hands of farm ers and not recorded in the government report, has been a large factor in keening down the price. The farmers have become tne larg est speculators in the country; they will hold crop after crop, sometimes for so long as four years," be said. In a year such as we are having we find that there is an enormous lot of wheat that iBn't covered by the gov ernment records. If it wasn't for this fact the prices today would be much higher." "There isn't anybody left in tne speculative market now," Mr. Leiter said. "The speculators got out after the price passed the $1.40 mark the small trader was forced out and the big one was frightened out. The rise would have come much sooner had it not been for speculation." German Success Costly. Petrograd "Many German prison ers," says the Russian official news agency, "have been captured on the roads toward Grodno. They are unan imous in affirming that their corps sus tained grave losses, in spite of the suc cess of the Germans in the Augustowo forest, their ranks having been greatly demoralized. According to the cap tives, the large number of prisoners taken by the Russians at the Moghely farm was due to the suddenness of the Russian attack and the lack of experi enced German officers." Salem The appropriations of the Twenty-eighth Legislative assembly make an approximate total of $6,477, 031, or $1,258,880 less than the pre ceding session. These figures are based on the actual general and con tinuing appropriations totals, and an estimate of $350,000 for special appro-Driations. Appropriations for the general fund total $3,616,800, and those cared for by existing laws, millage tax and spe cial funds total $2,610,731. The ag ereorate appropriations for the 1913 session were 7,735,iil.ta. money was appropriated directly by the last legislature for the University of Ore gon and the Oregon Agricultural col lege, while all but three or four items will be taken care of in the future by millage tax. While the wavs and means commit tee gave the appropriation for the In dustrial Accident commission as io,- 187, it is as a matter of fact only about $126,000, being one-seventh of the amount collected in fees by the department. Following are the general state ap propriations: Oresron state nospitai, oid,ioo; Eastern Oregon state hospital, $306,- 860: penitentiary, $202,000; institu tion for feeble minded, $144,961; cap- itol and Supreme court buildings, $58,- 650; institute for blind, . $28,213; school for deaf. $54,987: compilation laws, resolutions and memorials of 28th legislative assembly, xbuuu; in dustrial school for girls, $34,200; training school, $66,276; legislative expenses, $66,000; special agents, $7000; library, szs.HOU; supreme court library, $15,612; water board, S5.S95: eneineer. $37,430; depart ment of education, $39,088; bounty on wild animals, $110,000; orphans and foundlings, $100,000; board of healtn, $30,000; social hygiene society, $16, 000; Florence Crittenden home, $7500; Patton home, $6000; Historical so ciety, $12,000; tuberculosis hospital, $53,126; state treasury department, $36,875; executive department, $23, 700; secretary of state, $61,000; old soldiers' home, $31,658.75; board of horticulture, $12,000; forestry board, $60,000; livestock sanitary board, S49.940: Humane society, $2000; Na tional guard, $155,000; completing Eugene armory, $6000; board of con trol, $16,000; sealer of weights and measures, $10,000; fee for legal services, I. H. Van Winkle and Martin Pipes, $2200; State Fair, $38,931.87; attorney general's office, $35,000; sun dry deficiency claims, (13 items), $8, 179.27; 28th legislative assembly mis cellaneous printing, etc., $27,000; election expenses, $65,000; fugitives from justice, rewards, $19,298.66; miscellaneous claims (28 items), $6, 457.63: Industrial Welfare commis sion. $7000: Pilot commission, $2400 labor commissioner, $11,600; child labor commissioner, $5000; wayward eirls. $20,000; Supreme court, $99, 600: bureau of mines and geology, 125.000: mineral exhibit Panama- Pacific exposition, $10,000; dairy and food commissioner, $39,000; Land de partment, $18,000; Banking depart ment, $16,000; tax commission, $30, 000; railroad commission, $80,000 Circuit iudires. J200.000: district at- tornevs and deputies, $134,000, and purchase of land for Oregon hospital, S26.000. ' Following are appropriations cared for by existing laws, millage tax and special funds, for which no new appro- nriations are necessary: Aerieultural fairs, $95,400; barber examiners, $16,000; corporation com missioners. $37,200; teachers' exam iners. $20,900; dental examiners, $4, 200; Oregon Agricultural college resi dent instruction, 1760,000; experi ment stations $207,400; Agricultural colleee extension service $194,106 University of Oregon, $570,000; high way commission, $490,000; industrial accident commission, $126,000; insur ance department $30,000; optometry board, $830; medical examiners, $1095; motor vehicle registration, $47,150, and stallion registration board, $11,400. Among the special appropriations are the following: . Returning Oregon Panama-Pacific exposition exhibit to state and estab lishing permanent exhibit of Oregon products, $15,000; exterminating rab bits, $3000; Roseburg armory, $4000; paymentdeficiency traveling expenses veterans" to Gettysburg celebration, $4819.90; issuing blue book, $2200; naval militia, $16,000; special elec tion to vote on measures of session, $12,000. Minesweepers Clear Ship Channel and Heaviest Part of Great War Is Now Begun. London Twenty-eight warships of the allied fleet entered the Dardanelles Saturday and bombarded ' the inner forts, according to a dispatch from the Athens correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph company. The message adds that a battleship bombarded a Turkish camp on the Gulf of Saros. Alter having completed the destruc tion of the forts at the entrance of the Dardanelles, the allied fleet of British and French warships, the greatest which has ever been in action, is now attacking the chief forts, which here tofore have stood between Turkey and invasion by the sea. Apparently the outer forts could not withstand a great bombardment, and when they had been leveled and desert ed by their defenders, men were land ed from the ships to complete the work of demolition, while mine-sweepers cleared a passage for ships in the straits. More'serious work is now ahead, for the all-important fortifications at Kilid Bahr and Chanak, which guard the narrowest part of the straits, which the fleet is now approaching. There is no doubt, however, that the allied commanders have their instructions to make their way to Constantinople in spite of obstacles and have been sup plied with the best means of carrying out these orders. Mutual Fire Insurance Company Quits Business Salem Upon application of the di rectors of the company, which is un able to meet its financial obligations, Circuit Juge Galloway appointed Har vey Wells, insurance commissioner, re ceiver of the Horticultural Fire Relief of Oregon, with offices in this city. . Assets are estimated by Mr. Wells at $20,000, with liabilities of from $60,000 to $60,000. The company ab sorbed the Oregon Merchants' Mutual Fire Assurance Association of Dayton, and the Pacific Home Mutual Fire In surance company of Forest Grove in 1912. Recent large losses and the absorption of the two companies are ascribed as the cause of the failure. The three companies had insurance ag gregating about $18,000,000. Ar rangements will be made with the Pa cific States Fire insurance company to rewrite as much of this business as possible on a 10 per cent basis. Insurance commissioner wens saia "The net premiums received by this company during 1914 were $80,072 and losses Incurred were $89,976, plus an expense of about 80 per cent of the Traitor General Is Shot Copenhagen The newspapers here publish a Berlin dispatch reporting the killing ef a prominent Turkish general in Syria. His death was ordered from Constantinople, it is said, the charge being made that he committed treason in endeavoring to carry out negotia tions for peace. The basis of the gen eral's negotiations, it is said, was the proclaiming of himself as sultan, the limiting of Turkey to Asia and the abandoning of Palestine and Mesopo tamia lo England. premiums received. Practically the same condition prevailed with the business in 1913. "A short time after I took posses sion of this office it became apparent to me from inquiries from all partB of the state that the Horticultural Fire Relief of Oregon, Oregon Merchants' Mutual Fire Assurance Association and the Pacific Home Mutual Fire Insur ance company were having trouble in meeting their obligations and also in collecting assessments levied during the month of December. During the first part of laBt month I requested the president and secretary oi tnese com panies to call at this office for a con ference. They readily accepted this invitation, and in discussing their fu ture plans, it was decided a thorough investigation be made by an expert insurance accountant. This met with their approval and they employed W. W. Chambreau. "The results of this investigation showed these three companies to be in such financial condition that the board of directors deemed it advisable to notify the insurance department of same, and on being informed of con ditions I decided that immediate steps should be taken to protect the policy holders and warn those who held insur ance in these companies to secure new insurance. American Liner Captured , by F rench Warships Paris A French cruiser has arrest ed the American steamer Dacia in the Channel and taken her to BreBt. This announcement is officially made. The steamship Dacia left Galveston for Rotterdam January 81 with 11,000 bales of cotton to be trans-shipped to Bremen. It was fully expected at that time that the ship would.be seized on her way to Rotterdam. Great Britain questioned the valid ity of the recent transfer of the Dacia from German to American registry, The Dacia touched at Norfolk Febru ary 11 and proceeded. The Dacia was formerly a Hamburg- American freight steamship which had been used before the war in trade with Bremen and New Orleans and other Gulf ports. At the outbreak of the hostilities she was interned at Port Arthur, Tex. - The Dacia was bought on December 24 by an American and on January 4 American registry was obtained. It was then announced that she was to be used to relieve the cotton congestion and loading was begun with a Cargo of cotton to be. taken to Rotterdam and thence shipped to Bremen, where it was already sold. Representations were made immedi ately by the British embassy at Wash ington, questioning the validity of the transfer of the interned vessel and it was generally understood that if she sailed she would be seized by British or French warships and taken before a prize court. War Budget Yet Grows. Berlin The Federal council adopted the preliminary budget estimates, in cluding 10,042,000,000 marks ($2,510, 600,000) for extraordinary expendi tures. This amount is for carrying on the war. The estimates of ordinary expendi tures is 8,823,000,000 marks ($83, 075,000). Almost all of the amount to be devoted to the war will be raised by loans. The Cologne Savings bank has sub scribed 20,000,000 marks and the Vic toria Insurance company to $30,000, 000 of the new war loan. . Bank Is Ordered to Pay. Salem "From the whole case It appears that the defendant, through its president, decoyed an ignorant old woman, who relied upon the, credit of the bank, into making an equivocal contract whereby she must- probably lose her money unless the defendant pays it, as in good morals it ought to do." This was the substance of an opinion by the Supreme court affirming a verdict of a Douglas county jury in favor of Elizabeth Byron against the First National bank of Roseburg. Annapolis Post 1$ Won. Klamath Falls Leon Boiler, of this city, has just been advised byjRepre- sentative Sinnott that he has won the highest place in the competitive exam ination here February 16 for appoint ment to the United States Naval Acad emy at Annapolis, and that he has been appointed principal by Mr. Sin nott. uiaude uiil also oi mis city, won second place, and accordingly has been named first alternate. This is the second time that Klamath Falls youths have carried off the honors in Annapolis tests in this district. Cent Per Letter Urged. Washington, D. C Senator Weeks, of Massachusetts, haa launched a cam paign for 1-cent letter postage. In a statement Senator Weeks declared The Amercan people have a right to expect congress to consider enactment- ing general 1-cent letter postage. The government is making a large profit from first-class mail, just how much it is hard to say, but it must be nearly 1 cent on every 2 paid, and the profit de rived on drop letters, or letters for de livery in the same city in which they are mailed, must be even greater." Russian! Dislodge lurks. Petrograd Russian successes are reported in an official communication from the general stall of the army In the Caucasus. The statement says : "On February 28, pn a line from Trans-Choruk, . our troops progressed with success, dislodging the Turkish forces from their positions. "In the passes south of Alacherkerte our troops in an engagement seized two Turkish artillery pieces." German Cruiser Gets Two. London Lloyd's correspondent at La Concepcion, Chile, sends the fol lowing dispatch : "The steamer Sker ries reports that the British bark Kid- almon and the French bark Jean were sunk by the German converted cruiser Prinz Eitel Fredericb in December, The crews are at Easter Island and have refused to be taken off." - FOSS-WINSHIP HARDWARE COMPANY SELL SUPERIOR RANGES THE World Leader SINCE 1837 BARRETT B'LD'G, Athena, Oregon, ESTABLISHED 1865 Preston-Shaffer Milling Co. AMERICAN BEAUTY PLOUR Is made in Athena, by Athena Labor, in one of the very best equipped Mills in the Northwest,, of the best selected Bluestem wheat grown anywhere. Patronize home industry. Your grocer sells the famous American Beauty Flour. The Flour Your Mother Uses Merchant Millers and Grain Buyers Athena, Oregon. Waitsburg, Washington. v I Home of QUALITY MBS Groceries Good Groceries go to the Right Spot Every Time This is the Right Spot To go to Every Time for Groceries. Try These They'll Please! ONE BEST THE MONOPOLE Monopole Vegetables Monopole Fruits Monopole Salmon Monopole Oysters DELL BROS., Athena, Or. Caterer to the Public in Good Things to Eat