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Entered at the Poet Office at Athena, Oregon, as Second-Class Mail Matter
VOLUME 47.
ATHENA, UMATILLA COUNTY, OREGON. FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 5. 1926
NUMBER 6
(I. S. TO ENTER
ARMSJJONFERENCE
$50,000 Voted to Pay Cost of
Delegation to Meet at
Geneva.
WhriJIngton, D. C Plans for Amer
ican participation In the parliamentary
disarmament discussion at Geneva
crystallized into a definite project
when the senate adopted without de
bate the resolution providing 150,000
to pay the, expenses of an American
delegation.
The house already had approved it,
and the next step will be .communica
tion to the council of the league of
nations of an oficial acceptance of the
invitation to take part and announce
ment by President Coolidge of the
personnel of the delegation.
Minister Hugh Gibson, at Berne,
Switzerland, will head the American
delegation, and Rear Admiral Hilary
P. Jones and Brigadier General H. A.
Smith, who have been in collaboration
with state department officials in prep
aration of instructions, now are slated
for appointment as chief technical ad
visers. They will have the assistance
of other officers of both the war and
navy departments, and will be author
ized to draft military or naval attaches
sow abroad for services.
SOVIET WOULD TRADE
GEMS FOR MACHINERY
Moscow. Soviet Russia Is ready to
turn her crown jewels into American
tractors and machinery. Negotiations
are In progress for the sale of the vast
collection of gems to American and
other foreign jewelers, but it is real
ized that private buyers can take only
a negligible portion of these treasures
because of their enormous volume. The
government, therefore, Is prepared to
exchange the remainder for American
agricultural machinery,, locomotives
and other products Russia urgently
seeds.
"We want to turn the glitter of our
25,000 diamonds into the glitter of
American steel," said one high official
tothe correspondent of th-9 Associated
Press. "These magnificent jewels
were bought by Russia's former ty
rants with the sweat, toil and trial of
our peasants; we desire now to give
them back to the peasants in the form
of implements with which to till the
ground or machinery for industries,
We have already turned millions of
military bayonets into ploughshares;
we wish now to turn the imperial
jewels, which are a dead asset, Into
tractors." . .
U. S. NOW READY TO JOIN
Entry Now Subject to Approval of
49 Nations.
Washington, D. C President Cool
idge will put the United States into
the world court without delay. Sec
retary of State Kellogg was Instructed
by him to approach the 49 member
nations at once with diplomatic feel
ers to ascertain whether they will
permit the United States to join with
the reservations of adherence by the
Senate.
The refusal of a single state to ac
cept those conditions would prevent
the signature of the United States to
the protocol and statute now deposited
In the headquarters, of the league of
nations at Geneva.
Leaders of the pro-court forces ex
pressed confidence that the present
members of the court would find ac
ceptable the reservations and declara
tions of policy In the resolution of ad
herence. Adherence of the United States to
the world court with reservations was
approved by the senate, 76 to 17. .
The vote brought to an end one of
the bitterest fights the senate has had
since the memorable struggle over the
league of nations. . '
ATHENA WON CHAMPIONSHIP
IN THE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
Athena clinched the championship
honors in the Umatilla County Bask
etball league Wednesday night, by
winning from the Helix "Red Dev
ils" by the score of 31 to 23, in a
game "net up" witn more iree
throws than in any contest ever
played before on the Athena floor.
Referee Landreth saw a total of
27 fouls, netting 37 throws. He
gave 33 throws to Helix, and they
converted 15 points from them. He
donated three of the thirty-seven
fouls to Athena, netting four throws,
of which three points were converted.
It was surely a foul night for
Athena, and only the fact that the
team was going well from the start,
is all that put the result on the
right side of the score board.
. The first half ended 22 to 5 for
Athena. In the second half Helix
made three of her four field goals
of the entire game, but more regu
larly cracked for free throws through
the hoop for 11 points.
Geissel and Harden tied for high
score for Athena, at a eacn, and
Cook led for Helix with 6. Athe
na wins the championship cup, now
on display at Steve's store, and will
end the season in a game with "Ad
ams on the floor of the new gym in
that town, next Wednesday night.
The lineup:
Athena 31 Helix 2?.
Logan 6 F Nelson 7
Geissel 6 ...P .....Cook 8
Harden 8 C Tosier 1
L. Pinkerton ..G .....ffergeson 2
Dudley 6 ....G King 5
Kretzer
Hodgen
J. Pinkerton
DEMAND FOR WHEAT
MAINLY FROM EAST
The demand for wheat for export
account has fallen off during the
week. The few buyers in the market
limited their bids for white wheat to
$1.64 and some who were recently
buyers have turned sellers. No new
foreign business has been reported
in either wheat or flour and with the
domestic flour and feed trade like
wise slack, the mills are showing
hardly any interest in wheat. In
quiries continue to come from the
southeast for soft wheat, but the
specified kinds and qualities are not
abundant. Most of the business
worked in the interior with the
southeast has been in flour. The
northwest trade with that quarter to
date in both wheat and flour is fig
ured to equal about 1,000,000 bush
els. As the farmers are believed to
be holding 35 per cent of the crop,
this amount does not make much
impression on the surplus. Bids on
the Portland board were little changed.
The opinion prevails in the grain
trade here that the American mark
et is on a firm foundation in spite of
the occasional reactions and most
of the dealers are convinced that
prices will ultimately be consider
ably higher.
Carload shipments of wheat to St.
Louis, were made this week by the
Farmers Grain Elevator company, of
Athena.
BASKET BALL TRIP MADE
BY ATHENA HI SCHOOL
Coach Logan and his basket ball
squad consisting of Dorsey Kretzer,
Dean Pinkerton, Arthur Taylor, Dal-
berth Taylor, Dale Stephens, Ronald
Lieuallen, George Gross, Fred Radt-
ke and Leonard Geissel arrived home
Sunday.
The game with Hay at LaCrosse
was a good game until the last
quarter when Hay scored 13 points
to Athena's nothing. The game end
ed 9 to 26 with Athena on the short
end of the score.
In the game with Winona, the first
half ended 5 to 3 In favor of Wl
non. The final score was 5 to 7 In
favor of Athena, with the basket
that won the game coming during
the last 30 seconds of play,
. In the game with Endicott, Athe
na probably showed the best style
that was shown on the trip. . The
first half ended 14 to 3 in favor of
Endicott. ' The second half the boys
snapped out of it and out played
them to the end of the game. In
the second half the score was 9 to
in favor of Athena. Altho' this gave
Endicott the game by a score of 19
to 12, there might have been a dif
ferent story to tell if Athena had
played in the first half as they did
in the second half.
Every one who made the trip had
a very good time. The boys and
coach Logan as well as the entire
school, wish to thank Mr. Kirk, Mr.
Radtke and Verne Dudley who so
willingly offered their cars for the
trip as soon as it was mentioned,
Everett Postmaster Diet.
. Washington, D. C James M. Ver
pon, 77, postmaster at Everett, Wash.,
died here. He was visiting his son,
Leroy T. Vernon, Washington corre
spondent of the Chicago Daily News,
James Vernon was born in Zanesville,
O. Burial is to be at Mount Vernon, O.
States May Try U. S. Dry Agents-
Washington, D. C. The supreme
court upheld the rights of states to try
linder state laws federal prohibition
Agents who kill citizens. The decision
was rendered in a test case brought by
jttie state of Maryland.
AIR MAIL RATES GIVEN
Announcement is made that special
postage rates for the Pasco-Elko and
the Seattle-Los Angeles air mail
lines, will be 10 cents for each ounce
or fraction of an ounce on routes
1000 miles or less. Fifteen cents will
be the rate on routes of more than
1000 miles and less than 1500 miles,
and 20 cents on routes more than
1500 miles, direct air mileage to
control in each case, with 5 cents
for each ounce or fraction qf gn
ounce additional for each air mail
zone or part of such zone the mail
is carried over government-operated
air mail routes. Such postage in
eludes any necessary transportation
to and from the contract air mail
routes, except by air mail.
THORN HOLLOW ROAD WORK t
STARTS SOONf AAYS COURT
At the Athena Commercial Associ
ation meeting Tuesday evening, lo
cal road matters were discussed,
among other topics of interest to
this community.
The county court went on record
sometime ago, when they assured
members of the Athena Commercial
Association that in connection with
the Thorn Hollow grade, the com
pletion of the extension of the Wild
Horse market road tprough Eagle
Hollow, and the continuation of the
Adams road from the' Duffy school
house to connect with the Thorn Hol
low grade, would be completed at
one sitting of the county rock crush
er and road-working , equipment at
that point.
Members of the county court say
that Thorn Hollow road work will
begin soon. The East Oregonian
quotes statements made by members
of the county court, as follows:
"A market road south from Athe-
no down the Thorn HpIIow grade is
to be constructed this spring, accord.
ing to an announcement today by the
members of the county court. Con'
struction work will begin immediate
ly so that the road can be completed
in time for wheat hauling this fall.
"Petitions asking for construction
of the road were presented to the
court about a year agq, Money to
do the work was not available at
that time. The petition was prob
ably the largest ever presented to
the county court, according to Judge
Schannep, and contained about 1,000
signatures,
"The right of . way . has been se
cured over all of the deeded land,
and steps have been taken to pro
cure the right qf way through In
dian lands,
"The road will eliminate the preg
ent steep grade from along the riv
er. north and will give wheat farm
ers an easy grade over which to haul
their crop to market.4. Quite a vol
ume of potatoes will also be hauled
over the road. It will be between
five and six miles long and will be
constructed by the equnty with its
own force,''
INTERIOR OF FERNDALE
SCHOOL IS DESTROYED
LAWNS TRAMPLED
A herd of mules, carelessly driv
en through the streets qf Athe'na.
Wednesday afternoon, did consider-!
able damage tq lawns and parkings
on Fourth street, particularly at the
home of Mr. and Mrs,. Miller, at the
corner of Adams street, where the
lawn and newly made parking was
badly trampled, It is. said the herd
was not driven by the qwner, but
was allowed to roam at will in fol
lowing a led horse.
HARBINGERS OF SPRING
The usually accepted signs of ap
proaching spring have already ap-
peared in Pascq. Meadow larks have
been singing for sqme time and
ground squirrels are reported active.
Up the river a few miles from Pas
co last week a rattlesnake was killed,
Early Tuesday morning the in
terior of the cement Ferndale school
two miles north of Freewater, was
destroyed by fire. The blaze evi
dently originated in the furnace
room, and though the Freewater
fire department arrived soon after
discovery of the fire, it was unable
to save anything.
The building was erected in 1909
and it is estimated could not be re
placed for less than $20,000. In
surance in the sum of $13,500 was
carried. A $400 fire escape had just
been installed.
The school board met and took
steps to pi !.:'. three classrooms in
the Ferndale hail. The primary
building across the street from the
burned structure will, by the addi
tion of one room, accommodate three
classes. The insurance company will
replace all books destroyed, which
will remain the property of the dist
rict.
TWO ORATORICAL CONTESTS
TO BE HELD THIS YEAR
A meeting of the principals of this
section was held in Athena, January
29, for the purpose of making ar
rangements for the sectional oratori
cal contest. The following arrange
ments were made;
There vill he two separate con
tests this year. The grade contest
is to be held at 7:30 p. m. March 18,
and the high school contest will be
at the same hour on March 19. Both
contests are to be held in the new
gymnasium at Adams. A charge of
25c for all adults will be made
There will be no charge for school
children. Any profit after expenses
are paid will be pro-rated to t'K-
various schools taking part accord
ing to the number of contestants
The names of contestants, selec
tions, and divisions shall be in the
hands of the sectional director by
March 12. The speaking ordsr will
be determined by lot. The drawing
will take, place at the Athena school
at 4:30 p. m., en March 12. Mr.
Hadley is sectional director,
IITY M
RECEIVES PLEASINC TRIBUTE
TAX RECEIPTS UP
WITH LOWER RATE
WILL PLAY IONEJ
Wilbur Harden, manager qf the
High school basket ball teams, is ar
ranging a game for Friday night
February J2, with lone high schqol
for both hoys and girls teams, In
the game with Walla Wa'la they
went behind $20, in expense and
guarantee, and wquld appreciate it if
the community would turn out and
support the High school teams.
ANY OLD TIME
Oregonian: Just to see the foot
ball game which is tq be played this
afternoon, three enthusiasts have
motored, tq Portland from Umatilla
county, They are J, A. Murray, P.
II, Rounds and Glenn Dudley, all of
whom are registered at the Benson
from Pendleton. This trio drive to
Portland or Eugene or CorvalUs any
time there is a big game listed.
COMMERCIAL, ASSOCIATION
The Athena. Commercial Associa
tion held a well attended meeting
Tuesday evqning. The usual busi
ness routine occupied the attentiqn
of the -members.' The Association
will sponsor the Athena community
program to be broadcast from sta
tion KOWW, Walla Walla, Friday
evgning, February 19,
SAW HIS SHADOW
February 2 is the day when the
fabled groundhog iB supposed to
cpme out and decide whether it's
time for Old Jack Frost to put up
bis playthings or set the winter lov
ers up for another round. Supersti
tion has It that if he sees his shad
ow there's to be six more weeks of
winter. He had plenty chances t
see his shadow here, so look out for
a spell of winter weather, something
we haven't had, so far.
The Ground Hog
EDUCATIONAL EXPOSITION
Representatives from Athena high
school have been invited to attend
the third annual Educational exposi
tion at O. A. C. February 19, 20,
and 21. The exposition is intended
to give educational guidance to high
school students who are plannng to
enter institutions of higher learning.
The . college proposes to stimulate
student thinking to the end that
more careful consideration will be
given the selection of a course which
the student plans to pursue, than
would otherwise be the case.
AGED MASON
J. H. Christy, reputed the oldest
member of the ancient, free and ac
cepted Masons in Seattle, died today.
He was 96 years old. Christy cros
sed the plains by ox team in 1865
and homesteaded near Salem, Oregon
In 1870 he moved to Vancouver,
Washington.
MRS. KONASEK DEAD
Mrs. Mary Francis Konasek, moth
er of E. W. Konasek, formerly Nor
thern Pacific agent in Athena, died
at her home in Walla Walla, Satur
day morning.
If cooperation is an important fac
tor in community affairs surely
Athena should forge ahead in such
undertakings.
This was emphasized last Friday
night when Athena sponsored a pro
gram broadcast from station KOWW
at Walla Wf;lla.
The Jolly Joy-Maker's orchestra
and the Etude club arranged the
numbers and were ably assisted by
other local talent. . R. B. McEwen
proved an able announcer his voice
carrying well, and his Scotch stories
"getting over" to the many listen
ers. M. L. Watts gave an interest
ing talk of fifteen minutes on his
home town, Athena.
Mr. Al Johnson made the hit of
the evening with his old time dance
music, played on the instrument he
used to amuse his fellow travelers
when crossing the plains.
Considerable interest was evinced
in the prizes offered. Preston-Shaffer
Milling company presenting a
sack of flour to the most distant lis
tener who wired or wrote in to the
station. This will be decided today.
Herman Hoffman of the Ford Gar
age presented a vaccuum tube to the
person sending in the cleverest tele
gram, Mrs. Mike Gray of Starbuck,
being the winner.
F. L. Zerba garage presented aeri
al equipment and a tube to the per
son sending in the first telegram,
this prize falling to J. E. Capling-
er of Salem. ,
R. A. Thompson garage presented
a tube to the lucky number in the
drawing held at the end of the con
cert. Congratulatory telegrams and tele
phone messages from different parts
of the country were received to the
number of 80 during the evening.
Among them were distant friends
and relatives of the participants
Among those from whom messages
were received were, Captain Prest
bye,r Kalispell, Montana; Sim' Barnes
Weston; Mr. and Mrs. B. N. Hawks,
Bonners Ferry, Idaho; John F.
Hirsch, Dicker-son, North Dakota;
Woodward & Goff, Newberg, Ore
gon; J. E, Caplinger, Salem, Oregon;
Mildred Winship, Milwaukie, Ore
gon; Harry Siebers, Newtlymouth,
Idaho; Alva Blalock, Bend, Oregon;
Dr. and Mrs. A., 0. Stone, The Dal
les, Oregon; Mr. and Mrs. A. L
Swaggart, Portland, Oregon; Mr.
and Mrs. Ferd Beckner, Pilot Rock,
Oregon; Dan Thompson,' Petersberg,
Alaska; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Gillis,
H. A. Dowd and family, Washtucna,
Washington; Miss Jeannette Miller,
Marshfield, Oregon.
Word has been received that a
great deal of interest was shown by
neighboring towns, Weston's Mem
orial Hall being packed to hear the
concert by way of an Atwater Kent
radio ewned by Sim Barnes. A
confectionery store at Milton was
filled, a group of about seventy-five
people enjoying the program there.
The Standard theatre at Athena was
filled to the doors. Hoffman's garr.go
accommodated about forty-five and
groups were also entertained at the
Thompson and Zerba garages in ad
dition to many radio parties given
at private homes,
Mr. F. C. Moore owner of the sta
tion was so well pleased with th
program and the snap with which it
was presented that he has invited
the Athenaians to be present nt the
dedication on next Wednesday night
and to present several numbers on
that occasion.
They have also been requested to
put on a two hour program Friday
evening, February nineteenth. This
program will be sponored by the
Atnena commercial cluh. A com
mittee consisting of R. B. McEwen,
Henry Dell and Grant Prestbye ha
been appointed to take charge of arrangements.
1925 Revenue From Income
Levy Exceeds 1924; Other
Sources Lowers
Washington, D. C Despite general
,y lower levels of tax rate in effect
during 1925 the federal government re
ceived a greater volume of taxes than
it did in 1924. Official figures for the
two years, made public by the bureau
of Internal revenue, showed total re
ceipts of $2,694,257,246 for 1925, com
pared with $2,688,045,620 for 1924, or
an Increase last year of $6,211,625.
The revenues from sources other
than the income tax failed to go for
ward under the stimulus of reduced
taxation. The income taxes, however,
yielded $1,825,704,135 laiJt year, a gain
of $24,599,724 over 1924. Miscellan
eous receipts dropped from $886,941,
208 in 1924 to $868,553,100 in 1925.
Total receipts from Oregon tax
payers dropped from $9,559,027 in 1924
to $7,790,999 in 1925, but the decline
was more notable in the instance of
income taxes alone, which dropped $7,
915,120 in 1924 to $6,448,030 in 1925, or
almost $1,500,000.
Receipts of miscellaneous taxes
from Oregon fell off some $300,000
from $1,643,907 in 1924 to $1,342,969 in
1925.
Receipts from the state of Washing
ton, Including Alaska, by the 1925 pre
liminary figures were $14,492,578, as
compared with $18,558,892 the year,
before. Income' tax receipts dropped
from $15,336,347 to $12,168,725, and
receipts from miscellaneous taxes front
$3,222,634 to $2,322,853.
ALUMINUM PROBE
ASKED BY WALSH
Washington, D. C. Senate investiga
tion of he Aluminum company ot
America, in which Secretary Mellon is
a large stockholder, is recommended
in a report submitted to the Judiciary
committee by Senator Walsh, demo
crat, of Montana.
The proposal is nmrto the senator
says, because of "doubts aroused as
to the vigor and good faith of the de
partment of justice," in the conduct of
its inquiry to establish whether the
Aluminum company has violated a fed
eral court consent decree entered
against it in 1912.
Besides recommending what would
be a third government investigation ot
the Mellon company within four years.
Senator Walsh asks that the senate
direct the federal trade commission
to turn- over to it all the evidence
furnished by the Aluminum concern
and which the commission withheld
from the justice department on the
grounds that It is "confidential."
WILL PRESS TAX MEASURE
PROGRAM MADE HIT
In speaking of the Athena com
munity program at Moore's radio
station in Walla Walla, Friday night
the Walla Walla Union says: "Mr.
Moore Btated that the program by
Athena made a big hit Friday night
eighty telegrams and phone tails
were received, points from Alaska,
California and North Dakota send
ing in messages. One "listener in"
telegraphed from North Dakota that
the program came in fine. This
man's brother, who was playing the
piano at the time, was pleased to
hear it. The North Dakota man was
unaware he was listening to a relative."
Senator Smoot Predicts Final Vote by
Saturday Night.
Washington, D. C. The tax reduc
tion fight In the senate, centering on
proposed repeal of the Inheritance tax
and discontinuance of the publicity ot
income tax payments will reach a
showdown this week.
Expressing confidence that the sen
ate would approve the compromise be
tween republican and democratic regu
lars, as embodied in the finance com
mittee's report on the bill and includ
ing repcul of those two provisions,
Chairman Smoot of tho committee pre
dicted a final vote would bo reached
by Saturday night.
If action is not obtained by Saturday
night, Senator Smoot said ho would
press next week to speed up the work.
Under this program, leaders expect to
assure final enactme-nt of .h bill by
March 15, when first Income tax io
stallments are due.
Governor Hartley's Secretary to Retire
Olympla, Wash. Announcement
was made by A. R. Gardner Monday
of his resignation as secretary to Gov
ernor Roland Hartley, effective not
later than March 1. In his letter of
resignation Gardner, who Is of frai!
physique ami has had considerable ill
ness recently, states that "it la now
apparent that the next 12 months will
call for a performance beyond my phy
sical powers," and that in fairness to
the governor, to his family and him
self, he considered It his duty to give
up the secretaryship to some one bet
ter qualified and more able to carry
on during the remaining three years
of the administration.