Entered at the Post Office at Athena. Oregon, as Second-Class Mall Matter
VOLUME 47.
ATHENA, UMATILLA COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 30, 1926
NUMBER 18
FRANCE MUST REVISE
NEW DEBT PROPOSAL
Commission Believes Initia
Payments of $25,000,000
Not Enough.
Washington, D. C. France must re
vise Its new offer for settlement of
its war debt to this country. -
This decision was reached at the
second meeting of the American com
mission to , study the proposal, put
forward last week by French, Ambass
ador Berenger. Secretary Mellon will
i confer with the ambassador before
negotiations are resumed.
Although France will be asked to
modify Its offer, It was emphasized
by the American commission that the
latest discussions have not been
terminated.
One of the principal hitches is now
how much France shall pay at the out
set. Berenger proposes initial payment
of $25,000,000 annuaMy but the com
mission is understood to desire high
er payments. :
It was generally understood that the
total of the French offer was in the
proximity of 17,000,000,000, including
interest payments orer the 62-year
period. This is almost $1,000,000,
000 higher than the Caillaux proposal,
One of the problems worrying the
negotiators is believed to be an in-
clination of the French to insert some
kind of a clause which would come to
the aid of France in case the Ger
mans defaulted In reparations. There
has been no Inclination on the part of
the American commissioners even to
consider such a proviso, which is held
to be flatly against the policy of this
government.
HOUSE MAY AMEND
FARM RELIEF BILL
Washington, D. C. The house
agriculture committee voted to amend
the Haughen farm relief bill by de
ferring for two years the imposition
of an equalization fee on basic agricul
tural commodities to be used to stabil
ize prices.
Chairman Haughen announced that
it also had been agreed to increase
a revolving fund proposed in his bill
from $250,000,000 to $350,000,000.
Under the measure as amended,
agricultural prices would be maintain
ed at the world market quotations
plus the import tariff on each pro
duct. This would be accomplished the
first two years by the revolving fund,
which would come out of the treasury.
At the end of two years the equaliza
tion fee would be levied automatically
on the first sales of wheat, cotton,
corn, cattle and swine.
The Haugen bill is one of three
measures the committee has ordered
reported. The others are the Curtlss
Aswell commodity marketing bill and
the Tincher bill, supported by Secre
tary Jardine, which would afford gov
ernment credits to co-operatives.
S ! LEASE MUSCLE SHOALS
? Joint Congressional Committee Urges
. Operation by Power Companies,
' Washington, D. C Lease of Muscle
Shoals for 50 years to the Alabama
and 12 associated southern power com,
panies was recommended by a, major
Jty of the joint congressional commit,
tee appointed to negotiate lot the
operation of the government') property
by private interests.
A bill to authorize a lease to the
power companies was filed in the sen
ate and house with the accompanying
reports. No discussion was provoked
in the house, but Chairman Norrie
of the senate agriculture committee
advocate of government operation of
Muscle Shoals, made an effort to have
the bill referred to his committee.
, He was blocked by Senator Heflln,
who sought to have it placed on the
senate calendar so it could be called
up for consideration at any time, Vice
President Dawes ruled in favor of
Senator Heflln.
Lift Religious Ban on Y. W. Members.
Milwaukee. Wis. Women of all
religious faiths now may become mem
bers Of the Y. W." C. A., following the
passage of a membership clause to
this effect at the ninth biennial con
vention cf the organization here. If
was the third voting on the propose
and it passed easily 1174 to 9p. ' The
present constitution, restricts mem
bership to women of protectant belief.
BADLY FRACTURED LEG
MERRITT IS IN HOSPITAL
Elmer Merritt of this city Is lying
at St Mary's hospital, Walla Walla,
with a badly fractured leg. An X
ray examination revealed the fract
ure to be a most serious one, and
located in the thigh. It is probable
that reduction will have to be ac
complished with the , insertion of
plate. Merritt was engaged in assist
ing the Falconer forces in driving a
band of sheep over in the valley, last
Saturday, when a motorist drove
pell mell into the sheep, crippling
several. The" car also struck Merritt
with considerable force. Besides his
fractured leg, Merritt ' was consider
ably bruised.
Henry Barrett was in Walla Wal
la Sunday, and went to see Mr. Mer
ritt, who was resting as well as
could be expected under the circum
stances.
An attorney has been employed to
look after Merritt's interests, as a
damage suit is in prospect. The driv
er of the car is said to have been
wholly to blame in the master.
JUDGE WALLACE M'CAMANT
QUITS FEDERAL JUDGESHIP
Judge Wallace McCamant has re
signed from the United States cir
cuit court of appeals and resignation
has been accepted, effective May 3,
Judge McCamant was appointed to
the bench by President Coolidge,
whom he placed in nomination for
vice-president at the Republican na
tional convention in Chicago.
Confirmation of McCamant's nom
ination was opposed by Senator Hir
am Johnson, of California, , who
charged that McCamant, as a dele
gate to the national convention, had
disregarded instructions of the vot
ers of Oregon to support Johnson for
the Republican nomination for the
presidency.
PICTURE PROGRAM
For tomorrow night and Sunday
the Standard is offering excep
tionally entertaining programs at
regular - admission prices. Petite
Colleen Moore will be seen tomorrow
night in "Sally" one of the best
photoplays of her career, and Sun
aay night Paramount- shows a Wal
lat production, "Rugged Water."
with Lois Wilson and Warner Bax
ter in the leading roles. The Wed
nesday night Western play, "The
Deadwood Coach." featuring Tom
Mix and Tony is a clean-cut bill of
entertainment for old and young
alike. Good comedies, news reels,
etc.
FARMER'S RIGHTS
Co-operative marketing offers no
permanent solution for the troubles
of the farmers, declared A. R. Shum
way, candidate for the republican
nomination for senator, who spoke
at a Pendleton meeting. Farmers
are eo.ually as justified in seeking
government assistance as are other
industries, he declared, and until
the president is given some western
education along this line little help
can be looked for.
GOOSE CHASING FUTILE
The proverbial "goose chase" has
beeome a reality on Blalock wheat
ranches. The geese are wild and the
chasers are the farmers. Thus far
they Jiave been unable to keep the
big birds off their fields. The birds
fly out low from the nearby islands,
seeminglyaware of th'd protection af
forded them by the state. Estimates
of damage vary from half the yield
down to none.
PREACHED AT HELIX
Evangelist Hutton, who is holding
series of meetings at the Christian
church in Athena, accompanied by
singer Fairbanks . and a number of
Athena people, drove out to Helix
Monday evening, and preached to a
congregation there. Mr. Hutton tnd
Mr. Fairbanks may hold a meeting
at Helix, at the conclusion of their
work in Athena.
WITH WILKINS PARTY
The newspaper correspondent, Fred
Earp, with the Wilkins party in
the Arctic north, spent his boyhood
at Weston, a son of D. D. Earp.
Young Earp began his newspaper ca
reer with the Walla Walla Union and
of late years has been on the Seat
tle Times staff.
WARM WEATHER
A change from cool weather, with
frosts last week, to warmer tempera
ture is noted generally over' the
Northwest this week. Wednesday,
thermometers registered 96 in Athena.
FARM RELIEF BILLS MAY
GET THE RIGHT OF
Consideration by congress of farm
relief legislation is expected to begin
early next week. -
The agricultural committee repre
senting three bills requested that
they be given right of way as soon
as possible and were told by Repre
sentative Tilson, . the Republican
leader, they probably could be called
up luesaay. four days general de
bate in prospect.
. Carrying out the program jt .adopt
ed 10 days ago, the committee re
ported the Haugen bill to stabilize
prices with a revolving fund of $375
000,000 and collection and equaliza
tion fee on basic commodities after
two years. The Tincher proposal to
carry out Secretary Jardine's plan
with an appropriation of $100,000,000
for loans to farmers' cooperative as
sociations and the Curtis-Aswell
measure to form national commodity
marketing associations, financed by
the farmers.
None of the bills commanded a
majority in the committee, which
defeated, 15 to 5, a motion to have
them reported separately, with a re
cord vote on each. The vote to re
present the three concurrently was
unanimous.
Coming after more than two
months of hearings, the procedure
represents the committee's final
move on farm relief this season, ex
cept for passing for action on the
floor.
It calls for the Haugen bill to be
brought up under a special rule
making the other two measures in
order as substitutes, thus giving the
house an opportunity ' to vote on all
three.
SQUIRRELS EAT ONIONS
The pestiferous ground squirrel is
the fly in the ointment of prospect
that is just now worrying Tom Nor
man, with his two-acre onion patch.
The rodents come scurryinjr out of
the city park, dig up an onion here
and there, eat the center out and
scamper away, only to return on
their ruinous rampage. Norman
hopes to deciminata the park colony
of rodents with shotgun bombard
ment and poisoned food,
UNEARNED CRITICISM
Urn?- )
Francis H. Sisson
KANGAROO RATS
Considered as unusually rare foi
this section of the continent, three
specimens of dipodomys ordii, Col
umbianus, more speakably known as
the Columbian Kangaroo rat, were
captured near Attalia, in Walla Wal
la county, last week by Dr. Leo K.
Couch of the United States biological
research office.
BLUE MOUNTAIN LEAGUE
The Pendleton Bucks defeated the
Indians in Sunday's Blue Mountain
league game by a score of 9 to 4,
while Walla Walla was trimming
Pasco 7 to 4. Neither Pendleton or
Walla Walla has been defeated this
season, and these two teams meet
Sunday, while Pasco and the Indians
come together for the first time.
By FRANCIS H. SISSON
Chairman, Public Relations Commis
sion American Bankers Association
There has been some disposition to
Criticize the - administration of the
country's banking system for the sud
den collapse of
prices and curtail
ment of credits in
1920 and 1921, and
the subsequent finan
cial difficulties , of
the farmers. As a
matter of fact, what
fiver blame may at
tach to bankers must
be for the too gen
erous financing, in
many cases, of spec
ulative Investment in farm property
during the period of inflation. If any
Just criticism could be directed at the
manner In which the Federal Reserve
System functioned In this situation In
the opinion of many It would be that
the Reserve banks delayed too long In
raising tha rediscount rates. An ear
Hex effort might have stayed the proc
ess of inflation.
The collapse of 1920 was by no
means confined to agriculture, and was
the inevitable sequel to the inflation
period. All branches of business suf
fered in this period of reaction and
perhaps none more than banking
against which this criticism has been
levelled. The financial situation of the
farmers was greatly aggravated by the
fact that the high land values and high
prices of agricultural products had led
many farmers to incur obligations
based on the Inflated values. If the
farmer was victimized at all, Indeed,
he was the victim of too much rather
than too little consideration. The
real progress which has been achieved
in agricultural finance In recent years
lies more In the Intelligent distribution
of farm credit than in volume.
With agencies now functioning for
the provision of ample credits for the
American farmer, his enduring success
depends upon the wisdom and fore
sight with which he meets the prob
lems of production and marketing
More than ever before, his activities
must be regulated with reference to
world conditions, and his profits, like
those of the manufacturer or mer
chant, will reflect the measure of bis
success In adjusting his activities to
these conditions. J
THE HAUGEN MEASURE
CHANGES WERE UPHELD
Application of the most debated
feature of pending farm relief legis
lation, the equalization fee on agri
cultural; commodities, would be with
held for two years under an amend
ment to -the Haugen bill, has been
adopted by the house agriculture
committee. At the end of that per
iod, the fee would be levied automa
tically on wheat, cotton, corn, cattle
and swine. . i
.. Meanwhile, the measure would re
quire the proposed federal . farm
board to maintain the price of each
basic prodir.t r.t the world market
quotation plus the . import tariff,
During the two years,, any losses in
volved would be borne by the federal
treasury and to assure an adequate
evolving fund, Chairman . Haugen
said he would move to. raise the ap
propriation from $250,000,000 to
$350,000,000. Members indicated
there would be no opposition to this
The amendment was accepted by
the middle-western farm organiza
tions supporting the corn belt plan,
the main features of which were em
bodied in the Haugen bill. In a
statement sent to the committee their
representatives explained they had
not sought the change, but if the
committee considered it desirable,
they would not oppose it.
STANFIELD ASKS THAT
TAXES BE REPLACED
BUILDING AN ELEVATOR
Alex Mclntyre is building a grain
elevator at Waterman Station, on the
Northern Pacific, north of Athena.
The new elevator will have capacity
to store 37,000 bushels of bulk grain.
In addition to elevator facilities, Mr.
Mclntyre. will install equipment for
rolling and steaming barley. He
owns considerable acreage of farm
land tributary to Waterman , Station.
The new elevator will be completed
in time to take care of this season's
grain crop.
Turk3 Arm fer Clash With Italy,
London. Turkey's new levy ef
army ccn3cr!?ts is causing general,
speculation aud. I3 regarded in various
luarters as giving substance to recent
:-umor3 of coiiiampiatcd Italian or
ftalo-Greek crb'r:a.-,ion at Turkey's expense.
LANP GRANT CASH
An advance of $5,000,000 by the
federal government to certain coun
ties in Oregon as tbeir share from
the sale of public land grants in
that state was urjred before the
house public lands committee by
Representative Hawley, republican
Oregon, daily.
So far reports of Athena angle
who have fished the Umatilla, spell
poor luck. For some reason or oth
er, the 60,000 trout liberated from
the hatchery ponds, do not take kind
ly to bait or fly.
WALLA WALLA FAIR
The dates of September 9. 10 and
11 were tentatively selected for the
Walla Walla County fair this fall at
a meeting of the fair board, when
officers of the board were named
and other matters relative to the
project were considered. Dr. H. A.
Trippeer was elected general chair
man of the board, to be assisted by
C. B. Auker, as vice-chairman. Char
les Baker was selected as secretary
of the body,
KILLED UNDER TRACTOR
F. .L. Kelly of Hermiston, operat
ing a tractor in highway surfacing
work on the Old Oregon highway
lost control of the tractor he was
driving at Emigrant hill Tuesday
morning, backed over an embank
ment and was crushed beneath the
machine suffering injuries from
which he died while he was bein;?
rushed to St. Anthony's hospital at
Pendleton.
BOARDMAN BERRIES
The first ripe strawberries of the
season are reported at Boardman.
The Queen of May
The senate public lands commit
tee has opened a hearing on a bill
introduced by Senator Stanfield, Ore
gon, to appropriate $5,000,000 to
eight counties in western Oregon
and one in Washington to take the
place of taxes the counties would
have received during the last ten
years on land reinvested in the gov
ernment from grants to Oregon and
California railroads.
" Two million four hundred thousand
acres of land with a taxable valua
tion of $22,500,000 is involved, the
land was granted to the railroads in
1860 with the understanding that the
railroads were to sell the land to set
tlers at $2.50 an acre. This was not
done, and under the Chamberlain
Feriss. bill passed in 1916, the gov
ernment bought it back at $2.50 an
acre according to the original contract.
SNIDER WEEDER PATENTED
UNITED STATES AND CANADA
J. F. Snider, inventor and manu
facturer of the Snider weeder, has
received his patents on the machine
for both ti;9 United States and .Can
ada says the Weston Leader.
The Snider weeder meets immedi
ate favor from the farmers wherev
er introduced, and much activity in
its manufacture and sale will, follow
the issuance of the patents, which
clear up any doubt as to the legal
standing of the Weston invention.
It will be extensively introduced in
the big Alberta farming region, and
J. F. Hanson and company of Fre
mont, Nebraska, are making and
selling many of the machines in the
Middle West.
The output of Mr. Snider for the
present season from his small fac
tory in Weston will, be upwards of
200 weeders. The demand indicates
that he would have sale for many
more.. He conducted a demonstra
tion near Walla Walla Tuesday and
the. farmers present were much tak
en with the device.
COMMITTEE FINISHES
PROHIBITION HEARING
Both Sides Confident That They
Had the Better of Argument
Over the Volstead Act.
Washington, D. C Amid bursts of,
applause from partisans and sighs of
relief from senators, the final curtain
fell on the colorful prohibition drama
which has been staged for three weeks
before a senate judiciary sub-committee.
The senators, several of whom fre
quently assumed leading roles, retire
now to the wings to discuss alike the
fate of the proposals of the wets to
modify .the Volstead act - and the
propositions of the drys to put more
teeth into that law.
The wets never entertained any
hope of Immediate victory in con
gress, but assert they have accom
plished their purpose of giving tha
facts about prohibition to the country.
The drys believe they have had the
better of the argument and will get
enacted most of the bills they sponsor.
The prohibitionists ended their case
with the declaration by Director An
drews that he did not favor loosening
the liquor laws to allow light beer.
Andrews' statement was adduced by
the drys to rebutt the declaration
drawn from him last week that he
believed light beers for home consump
tion would aid law enforcement.
FAVOR NORMAL
According to Roy Ritner, republi
can candidate for joint representat
ive, people of the east end of the
county are in favor of a normal
school for Eastern Oregon. Ritner
attended a joint meeting of the Mil-ton-Freewatcr
chambers of com
merce at which action was taken in
the appointment of a committee
from the two towns, consisting of
Bruce Shangle, R. E. Bean and Vic
tor Chastain.
PASCO-ELKO MAIL
Air mail service between Pasco
and Elko will be resumed well in ad
vance of the limit set by the postof
fice department. The planes will be
flown over the route daily for a week
or more in tests in order that there
be no further dclavs. Contractor
Varney received a 60-day postpone
ment of service when the first day's
operations developed motor trouble.
WHEAT HEADING OUT
Reports come from ranches south
of Athena to the effect that wheat is
heading out. Nearly all Federation
growth is at the boot stage. Early
fall sown Federation on Mrs. Mort
on's place, farmed by Til Beckner is
heading and also a field of E. A.
Dudley's wheat is at this advanced
stage of maturity. An early harvest
is anticipated.
FROST NfPS PLANTS
Tender plants were nipped by frost
in the Walla Walla valley last Fri
day night, but little if any damage
resulted to fruit trees. Early gard
en plants, strawberries and other
small - fruits were damaged by the
frost in the Spokane district. In
Athena and vicinity, low places were
visited by frost, but no material
damage resulted.
A FINE CAR
Of the new models placed on the
market this year, none present hotter
appearance in finish and style, or
give more satisfactory road perfor
mance than the Studebaker product
One of the models, the brougham, an
especially fine car, was recently de
livered here U Marlon Hanscll.
CONGRESS HOPES TO
QUITBY MAY 15
Washington, D. C. Senate and
house leaders emerged from a break
fast conference at the White House
with two things in mind folding
down appropriations and adjourning.
,, House leaders .even saw prospects
of ! quitting for - the summer by May
15, and some of the senators thought
It would be possible to fininh up the
legislative program early in May and
then consider the impeachment of Fed
eral Judge English of Illinois.
The guests got the very definite Im
pression that the president thought ap
propriations had gone about far
enough for this session, and Repre
sentative Tilson, the republican floor
loader, expressed the opinion that it
would be best tor congress to adjourn
and go home, Inasmuch as "we have
no money to spend."
It was gathered from expressions
of the leaders that farm relief leg
islation which would place an imme
diate tax on the treasury would have
a rocky road to travel, but none would
say definitely whether the pending
measures came in this class.
Another bill which some of them ex
pect to be vetoed is the measure to
increase the pensions of disabled
Spanish war veterans. The president
now has this measure and is seek
ing the opinion of Director Lord of
the budget as to how it will affect gov
ernment finances.
ROOSEVELT URGES REPEAL
on
Prohibition Blamed for Crime
"Gigantic Scale."
New York. Theodore Roosevelt, son
of the late president, urged the re
peal or modification of the Volstead
act and the substitution of local op
tion In various states.
Speaking before the bureau of ad
vertising of tho American Newspaper
Publishers' association, Roosevelt as
sorted that the prohibition ouforca
ment act "has brought about law vio
lation on a more commercialized and
gigantic scale than our country him
ever known before."
When Mr. Roosevelt was a candi
date for governor of New York In
1925 he wp.8 Indorsed by the statu
Anti-Saloon league.
Roosevelt said that he Is opposed
to the return of the saloon. "I am
oonvlnced," he said, "that tho repeal
or modification of the Volstead law
does not predicate the return of tho
saloon, That can be prevented by
enactment."
A SECOND QUAKE
A second slight earth quake, fol
lowing that of Saturday, April ,1,
was felt here shortly after 5:30 FrU
tiny morning. Three distinct shocks
caused windows to rattle. Tho
quuke lasted for about five second;,
and seemed to be from east to west
in movement,
. Riff Conference Ends In Failure.
Camp H-rtreaux, Morocco. Tlia
armistice conference broke up after
a seven hours' sitting with the French,
Spanish un Kltflan debates in com
plete disagreement The opening of
the ofriciitl conference at Oudjda,
wherehy It was hoped to terminate
the Moroccan strife and bring peace
to the land, has been postponed, with
out dato.