Entered at the Post Office at Athena, Oregon, aa Second-Class Mail Matter
VOLUME 47.
ATHENA, UMATILLA COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 12. 1926
NUMBER 7
GOVERNMENT WILL
FIGHT BAKING TRUST
Suit Begun in Federal Court
at Baltimore to Prevent
Huge Consolidation.
Washington, D. C. The federal
courts were asked by the government
Monday to prevent formation of . "A
huge combination in the baking in
dustry" by the Ward Interests and
others.
It was charged In the petition that
the companies named already had vio
lated both the Sherman and Clayton
anti-trust acts and it was asked that
the defendants not only be prevented
from further amalgamation but- requir
ed to dissolve any combinations al
ready entered Into.
The department of justice, in a
statement, declared the action had re
sulted from investigations which be
gan with the first rumors of Important
mergers In the baking and related
fields,, and continued against the bafc
lng concerns as soon as the Ward Food
Products corporation received its char
ter In Maryland last week.
Announcement of plans for a $2,000,
000,000 organization" was claimed by
the department to have confirmed its
findings that foundation stones for a
huge combine were being gathered to
gether. It charged in court papers
that the control proposed by the de
fendants extended both to local and
interstate competition.
11,737 BILLS IN
CONGRESS PASSED
Washington, D. C The difficulties
congress encounters in trying to keep
Its head above the flood of proposals
by its 531 members is strikingly illus
trated by the cold statistics of what
has been accomplished in, the two
months of the present session.
Since opening day on December 7
exactly 11,737 bills have been intro
duced and Just three were passed
through all the stages necessary be
fore they become the law of the land.
The only piece of legislation of Im
portance to reach "President Coolidge
is the joint resolution appropriating
550,000 to defray the expenses of Amer
ican participation in the preliminary
disarmament conference at Geneva.
The senate has spent most of its
time considering the resolution of ad
herence of the United States to the
, world court, which was adopted, last
week. ,
The house has been going ahead
faster, but' with new proposals com
ing in every day congress cannot hope
to consider a third of them.
A great bulk will find a final rest
ing pldce in the waste paper basket
after this congress expires.
COAL STRIKE AID REFUSED
CoolMge Reaffirm Non-intervention
Policy in Face of Senate Request.
Washington, D. C. The senate ap
pealed to President Coolidge to seek
a solution of the anthracite controver
sy, but the request was answered al
most immediately by a reiteration at
the White House of the president's
policy of non-intervention.
The senate's action, . it - was said
officially, had not convinced Mr. Cool
idge that there was any change In con
ditions which would justify a change
n his policy.
The senate's action was taken by the
adoption of the Copeland resolution,
which it twice voted down last weeki
Its adoption followed a flurry pf de
bate in which administration leaders
characterized the move as "futile." and
sought to prevent its passage as an
embarrassment to the administration,
but the democrats rallied around the
resolution and, supported by insur
gent republicans, it went over 55 to 21.
Oregon State Bank Assets Increase.
Portland. Or. State banks and
trust companies of Oregon increased
thejr assets $14,000,000, their deposits
by a Ijka amount and there were
only two failures of state banking in
stitutions in 1925, according to the re
port of the state superintendent of
banks,
Mississippi House Bans Evolution.
Jackson, Miss. An anti-evolution
bill, prohibiting the teaching in state
supported schools of . the theory that
nan ascended or descended from a
lower order of animals, passed the
Mississippi house of representatives,
aph'e vote was 76 o !?.
CONFESSES TO MURDERING
TWO AT MOUNTAIN RANCH
Confessing to officers that he shot
and killed Orville Townsend, better
known as "Shorty" Saunders, and
Fred Knowlton, at Knowlton's moun
tain ranch, west of Meacham, Fri
day morning, January 29, Joe Perry
farm laborer is being held in the
county jail.
Perry in his statements to the of
ficers said that he shot Townsend in
self defense. Townsend "pitched on
to" him in a drunken brawl, Perry
said, . and blackened his eye. Perry
ran toward the barn and Townsend
followed and fired at him. Perry
ran into the barn, and when Town
send entered the barn door, Perry
said, he fired and killed Townsend.
He also killed Knowlton when the
owner of tho place rushed out ab the
sound of the firing.
With the bodies of the two men in
the barn, Perry set fire to the struct
ure, mounted his horse and rode
away. Later, Townsend's wife, who
is an Indian, discovered the charred
remains of Townsend and Knowlton
and rodo to Meacham, where she re
ported it. After her husband, who
with Perry, had left Cayuse . Thurs
day, Jan. 28, had not returned home
Wednesday of last week, she drove
a team hitched to a buggy from
Cayuse over the Oregon Trail ard
then took the ridge road in tho
mountains. The snow was at least
two feet deep on the level, and be
fore she had gone far from the high
way her buggy broke down. She
rode one of the horses into the
Knowlton place and discovered the
ruins of the barn Wednesday after
noon at 1 o'clock. She gave the al
arm Wednesday night after having
ridden through the snow back to
Meacham.
Perry returned home Friday night
after the murder, and had been in
Pendleton on two different occasions
between the day. of the murder and
the time of his arrest the following
Thursday.
Perry who is 27 years old, stated
in his confession to' the officers, that
he and Townsent left their homes at
Cayuse Thursday, January 29, to go
to Fred Knowlton's place to get
some liquor. They bought some,
drank it up, and then got seme more
the next morning, Friday.
They had trouble and Perry was
struck by something on the left
cheek bone that rendered him un
conscious, he said. He stated that
he lay on the bed for some time and
that when he regained consciousness
he heard Shorty Saunders say that
they, Saunders and Knowlton, ought
to kill Perry and get rid of him.
Perry said he immediately left
the house and started towards the
barn where he had a 22 special rifle.
Just after he left the house a rifle
was fired, whether at him or mere
ly to frighten him he said he did not
know. We went into the barn, got
his rifle and waited. Within two er
three minutes Saunders entered the
right hand door of the barn and
came toward him. Saunders had no
gun. Perry shot him twice when he
was a few feet distant. Shortly af
terwards, Knowlton, entered the
barn, and Perry killed him. Knowl
ton had no gun with him.
Perry said he then went back to
the house and got his coat and hat.
He saddled his horse, threw Knowl
ton's body in the manger, touched a
lighted match to the hay in the barn
and started home across country.
Perry said that Saunders had of
ten threatened "o get him."
CHAPLIN COMING
Charlie Chaplin will be at the
Standard Theatre Wednesday and
Thursday nights, February 24 and
25, when he will appear in the "Gold
Rush," his latest big super-comedy.
The Standard is considered to be
fortunate in securing the "Gold
Rush" for showing at this time, fol
lowing its recent appearance in the
big theatres. By contracting for two
other big pictures, Fairbanks in
"Don Q" and Mary Pickford in "Lit
tle Annie Rooney," three of United
Artists leading productions are book
ed for showings at the Standard.
"Don Q'! comes March 17 and 18,
n4 "I4tte Annie Rooney" comes
April 2 and 8.
WILL HAVE TEAM
.... George Wilson, all-American half
back, of the University of Washing
ton, has decided to follow the foot
steps of "Red" Grange in organizing
and managing his own gridiron elev
en next season.
Changed Methods in Handling Milk
Where proper tanitary measure! are
neglected the bacteria in a drop of
milk look like thii,
i
How much do the farmers and
dairymen of the United States pay
In toll to bacteria in milk? In proc
ess of arriving at the answer to
this question, representatives of load
ing milk and dairy products com
panies of New York recently met
with officials of the State Agricul
tural Experiment Station, with the
Department of Farms and Markets
and the College of Agriculture at
the Experiment Station, Geneva.
The bacterial count in being used
more and more as a basis for de
termining how much, per pound a
farmer is to be paid' for hia milk.
Getting the bacterial count under a
given figure means millions of dol
lars annually to Uncle gam's dairy
men. Dairymen, themselves, are
alive to this question, and where the
milk produced is a material part of
. the inconve from the farm, com
plete sanitary precautions are being
taken to insure a low bacterial count
in the milk.
Precautions start at the beginning
of milk production and continue
clear through until the time the milk
U in tho hands of the consumer.
To begin with, properly ventilated,
easily cleaned stables are provided;
plenty of bedding is given the cows;
platforms are built the right length to
accommodate the particular breed of
cows that are kept; the gutter is puUt
wide and deep; the animal is clipped,
about the udder and flanks period-
Where tanitary pretention are taken
there are few harmful bacteria in milk.
The white tpecks are bacteria.
ically. The cows are groomed care
fully every day and just before milk
ing, lopso particles of dirt are brushed
oft, or, when the cow is clipped,
wiped off with a damp cloth. Small
top milk pails are used to receive
milk from the cows. Utensils such as
milk pails, mill: cans, milking ma
chines and separators, are thoroughly
sterilized after each milking.
The fresh-drawn milk is lmme?
diately removed to the cooling tank
where it is cooled to a temperature,
of 60 degrees to 60 degrees Fahren
holt.
On receipt at the dairy, the cream-,
ery or the condensery, the same ex
treme sanitary precautions prevail.
White garbed workers who havo
passed medical inspection, who ob
serve rules of personal cleanliness
as well as hygiene In the handling
of milk and milk products, go about
their duties efficiently and intelli
gently. Immediately after the pas
teurizing of whole milk, it Is bottled
and. capped. The date of bottling is
stamped on the cap and the rnilk (a,
usually sold before 36 hours have
elapsed since pasteurizing.
What a difference over the pld-t
time methods of handling millet '
It is these changed methods (n
the handling of the nation's milk
supply that has swelled the indi
vidual consumption of milk to more
than 54 gallons per year.
FREEWATER GIRL
DROWNS IN RIVER
Tragedy occurred at Freewater
Sunday evening when Gladys Mas
sie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George
Massie, of that city, was drowned in
the Walla Walla river. The accident
occured about -7 o'clock when Miss
Massie accompanied by her father,
was crossing a foot log over the riv
er. Her foot slipped and she fell in
to the stream below. Her father,
whq witnessed the accident, attempt
ed to save the girl but his efforts
were in vain. He immediately spread
the word, and watchers were posted
along the stream. The body was re
covered about an hour later, being lo
cated some distance below the point
where the accident occurred.
Miss Massie was 16 years of age.
She is survived by her parents, an
older brother and a sister,
CRUEL KILLING OF DOG
. A fellow named Jack Hilary is
charged at LpGrande with the wan
ton destruction of personal property,
and will be tried in the circuit court.
The complaint grew out of his aK
Ieged burning of a valuable Llewel
lyn setter several weeks ago by
pouring oil on the dog's body and
then setting it afire, -
THE COMISSION REVISES
GAME FISH BAG LIMITS
Game fish bag limits have been re
vised by the state game commission,
state wide limits for lakes and
streams being set. The maximum
catch for all lakes in the state is
now 30 fish or 15 pounds and one
fish for one day, and 80 fish or 3Q
pounds and. one fsh for any seven
consecutive days.
The Chinese pheasant season for
all districts having open season, ex
cept Malheur county, was changed to
October 17 to 24, inclusive, in order
to give two Sundays gf hunting. The
Malheur season is from October J5
to 21 inclusive,
The commission decided to line up
with sportsmen in an attempt to
make steelhead strictly a game fi.sh
as Washington, has done,
PUBLIC SALE
Harold Earnetfc and Will Kirk, who
recently purchased the farming lay
out of Ralph Allen, will hold a pub
lic sale at the Fqrrest place, eight
miles, southeast of Athena, at the
head of Thorn Hollow, next Thurs
day, February 18, as announced by
posters and an advertisement ap
pearing in today's Press.
HEAVY RAINFALL GROOVES
DEEP DITCHES IN FIELDS
The heavy rains of last week,
while being of great benefit in sup
plying moisture for growing crops
and stock ranges, did considerable
damage to the grain fields of the
Athena wheat belt.
Soil washing is reported by many
farmers, and the slightly rolling and
hill lands in many instances are
scarified with ditches of various
depths, from the narrow and shal
low seams following the drill rows,
to yawning crevices cut through the
soil.
Friday and CnLuv-ay streams were
roaring at flood tide. The snow left
the lower mountains and foothills
with a rush, and combined with the
rain, the banks of Dry CreeJt and
Pine 'Creek, could not retain the wat
ers, Jesse White, who was raised on
Pine Creek, north of Athena, report
ed that the water reached the high
est stage Saturday, he had ever seen
it.
Landslides and heavy winds held
up travel on the highway in the Col
umbia river gorge, Saturday, and
a gale did considerable damage at
White Salman, Washington.
K. OF, P. SOCIAL MEETING
The K.of P, lodge will hold a so
cial evening for members and their
families February 18th. . A good
time has been assured all who at
tend and the program committee
have submitted the following pro
gram for the entertainment of the
evening. Opening address, Mr. Clark;
Vocal solo, Jeannamae Read; Piano
solo, Lois Johnson; Selection, Jolly
Joy-Makers orchestra ; Panes, Mnr
jorie Douglas; Vocal solo, Kathryn
Mclntyre Musical reading, Mrs. C.
M. Eager; Selection, Jolly Joy-Makers
orchestra; Vocal solo, Marjorie
Montague) Piano duet, Mrs. Law
rence Pinkerton: and Mrs. Max Hop
per; Vocal solo, Edna Pinkerton; Vo
cal duet, Miss Merle Best and Mrs.
I. L. Michener; Selection, Jolly Joy
Makers orchestra.
NEW YELLOW COACH
One of the new yellow coaches that
are to take the place of tho Blue
Line coaches on the run between
Walla WaHa. and Lewlston, passed
through Athena Saturday evening.
The yellow eoach is manufactured by
the General Motors company. It is
of the parlor type, "with a seating
capacity for 17 passengers, with four
emergency seats. Chairs are of
wicker, with leather cushions and the
interior is finished in mahogany. The
car Is electric lighted, and has pro
visions for heat and light according
to the season.
JJLOAN is PRESIDENT
At a meeting of the Wenaha Wool
Growers Association, held at Walla
Walla, last Friday, Frank Sloan of
Stanfiold was elected president of
the association, to servo during the
ensuing year, '
Footprints
EASTERN OREGON WHEAT
: CONFERENCE IN SESSION
: The Eastern Oregon Wheat con
ference went into session at Moro,
yesterday with adresses by F. B. In
gels, chairman, and Pawl V. Maris,
director of the college extension ser
vice, explaining the purpose, scope
and method of the meet. The five
subcommittees went into executive
session to iron out their problems. W.
B. Spillman, consulting specialist of
the federal bureau of economics, will
speak tonight on the world wheat
situation as it affects the Oregon
farmer. N
Investigations of the five big prob
lems will continue all day today, and
Walter M. Pierce, governor of Ore
gon, will deliver an address in the
evening on Abraham Lincoln. The
report of the five groups will begin
Saturday, when final action will be
taken on the co-ordinated recommen
dations, and printing and distribution
of the findings authorized.
The first report, finance and credit,
will be presented at 9:30 by L. Barn
urn, The Dalles banker, and Fred
Bennion, agent of Umatilla county.
It will consider short-time credit to
farmers, and running on borrowed
capital.
The report of the wheat handling
committee will follow as presented by
F. B. Ingels, Dufur wheat grower,
chairman, and G. R. Hyslop, farm
crop specialist of the experiment sta
tion, secretary. It considers federal
inspection criticism, charges of rail
and water transportation, cooperat
ive selling, and how and when to fell.
The world supply and demand
comes next, brought forward by the
chairman, A. R. Shumway, Milton
wheat grower, and the secretary L. R.
Breithaupt of the extension service.
How Canada with its cheaper lands,
taxes and transportation for wheat
production affects the situation is
one of the big questions. Prospects
and effects of losing the wheat acre
age of irrigated wheat, are others. .
Managing the big wheat farm is
the next subject of ' report. E. M.
Hulden Blalock grower, is chairman,
and R. W. Morse, agent of Morrow
county, secretary. Does it pay to
run sidelines of sheep, dairy cows,
hogs or poultry on the big wheat
farm, and is production of wheat
cost reduced by enlarging an already
big farm, are some of the questions.
The report of tho tillage and pro
duction committee will wind up the
business in the late afternoon. The
place and kinds of diversification, if
any, varieties of wheat, and methods
of culture are outstanding problems.
Harry Pinkerton, Moro wheat grow
er, is chairman, and D. E. Stephens,
superintendent of tho Moro station,
secrotary.
QUESTION OF CONSOLIDATING
MILTON-FREEWATER IS UP
According to Howard Evans, who
was a business visitor in Athena,
Wednesday, the long mooted ques
tion of consolidating the towns of
Milton and Free water into one cor
poration and under one municipal
government is at last up for settle
ment. A sufficient number of sign
ers to petitions praying for a spec
ial election have been secured, said
Mr. Evans.
To the outsider it has long appear
ed to be a needless waste of munici
pal and civic effort expended in the
maintenance of two towns, side by
side, -with divided interests, when
consolidation would bring unity of
interest and purpose in the building
of one real good town.
Mr. Evans was pleased with the
outlook in securing consolidation at
this time, and said the people of
both Miltm and Freewater wer
readily signing the petitions calling
for the election.
THIRD D!UWINg"oF PRIZES
AT STEVE'S TOMORROW NIGHT
For the third time since "Steve"
began giving tickets with each dol
lar cash purchase, or each dollar
paid on accounts, a drawing for priz
es will take place tomorrow night at
10 o'clock at the Pure Food Grocery
At that time there will be thrse
prizes awarded to holders of the
three lucky tickets, drawn from the
glass jar, by some young lady, blind
folded, At this drawing, the first prize
will be a Pendleton blanket; second
prize, 41-piece set of dishes, third
prize, basket assorted Heinz pro
ducts. The drawing will take placa
at 10 o'clock, or immediately after
the show at the Standard Theatre
MUSSOLINI WARNING
TO GERMANY HOSTILE
Anti-Italian Campaign Advoca
ted in Bavaria Not to
Be Tolerated.
Rome. -Premier Mussolini's speech
In the chamber of deputies, in which
ho warned Germany against the anti
Italian campaign carried on in the
relch, was characterized frequently la
political circles as almost equivalent
to a declaration of war against Ger
many.
Tho fateful words uttered by Mus
solini in the thronged Italian chamber
were an unmistakable warning to Ger
many, and had particular reference te
a recent speech of Dr. Held, the mill
tant Bavarian premier, who called up
on all good Germans to help their
fellow countrymen In southern Tyrol,
now under Italian sovereignty by vb
tue of the treaty of St. Germain.
The climax of Mussolini's tiratte
against Germany came at the end,,
when he exclaimed: "Fascist Italy
can If necessary, carry her flag be
yond the Brennero frontier, but never
backwards from where it flies now."
"To the German nation, we say,
as we say to all peoples, the fascist
people want to be your sincere friend,
a friend by looking in your eye, a
friend with your hands up, a good
friend, but outside of 'kulture.'
"I wish I could be understood by
all who should understand my words,
so that the Italian government need
not pass to a more concrete reply.
This would be given tomorrow if the
German government assumed respon
sibility for that which has happened
and which may happen In Germany."
GERMAN MINISTER
ANSWERSJUSSOLINI
Berlin. German Foreign Minister
Bustav Stresemann' Monday repudiafr
ed Italian Premier Mussolini's attack
on Germany in which Mussolini as
serted Italy could advance "beyond
the Brenner Pass."
Stresemann declared that Italian op
pression of Germans in South Tyrol
violates the assurances given by Italy -when
that mountain region was an
nexed to Italy under the peace treaty.
Stresemann spoke earnestly before a
crowded house, many of whose mem
bers had been worked to a high pitcli
by what was characterized among .
them as a serious affront from a sup
posedly friendly neighbor.
Stresemann drew applause when b
sternly declared:
"Neither the Bavarian nor Germaa
government is responsible for the boy
cott movement in Germany against
Italy. Therefore, it seems to be aa
unheardof procedure to threaten a
repture of international commercial
relations which would also render in
ternational relations Impossible."
The foreign minister deplored the
Italian atmosphere of "political expan
sion" which, he declared, counteract
the spirit of Locarno.
Itallo-Cernian relations, he contia
ued, had been very friendly until 1924,
and then the German movement aros
In reaction to the Italian course with,
the South Tyrol Germans.
QUAIL TO AID FARMERS
Kansas Imports 5000 Mexican Bird
to War on Insects.
Topeka, Kan. Kansas has found a
way to import farm labor without run
nlng afoul of the immigration law.
The stute has Just Imported 6009
quail from Mexico to help out the Kan
sas farmers. They are expected t
eat up 125,000 insects during next suio
mer, and, with their brood of young
"bobby whites" to destroy at least a
quarter of a billion weed seeds by
autumn.
The Mexican quail is slightly small
er than the native bob white of Kan
sas, but the state gamo warden Is
assured that the two will interbreed.
He estimates conservatively that the
purchase of 5000 birds will bring Kao
sas 25,000 young quail next summer.
Soviet Gems Are In Demand.
Moscow. Gem exports of seven na
tionalities are contending for posses
sion of part of the fumous Romanoff
crown Jewels, which the soviet gov
ernment has placed on the market.
Americans are the most active bid
ders, closely followed by French and
British experts.