Bntered at the Post Office at Athena, Oregon, as Second-Class Mall Matter
VOLUME 48.
ATHENA, UMATILLA COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 28. 1927
NUMBER
NATION-WIDE DRY
REFERENDUM ASKED
Removal of Question From
Politics Would Please ,
Leaders.
Washington, D. C. A Btudied effort
Is under way here to interest dry
members of congress in a nation-wide
referendum on the prohibition ques
tion. . Of all the proposals advanced by
the wets, this one now is looked upon
by the wet leaders as the most prom
ising means of solving the wet and
dry problem which has agitated both
houses for several seasons to the ex
clusion of pressing public business.
Dry senators and representatives
have been told by the wet leaders
that congress cannot effectually settle
the controversy without a direct ex
pression from the people, who, the
wets contend, never have received an
opportunity to pass on prohibition
either before or since the 18th amend
ment" was ratified. . . ;
Removal of this subject from the
field of national politics would be wel
comed by leaders of both of the ma
jor parties, but they do not believe It
can be done through the medium of
individual state refejrendums such 'as
those held in the last general election
because of the different forms in
which the question would be presented.
NATIONAL FOREST
FIRE LOSS $638,351
Portland, Or. Forest fires in and
near the 22 national forests of Oregon
and Washington did JG38.351 damage
to tangible resources, according to the
annual fire statistical report, just is
sued by the district forester's office
here. '
The report covers 1490 fires, which
burned over 241,432 acres of federal
and private lands.
Figures include damage to mer
chantable timber and protection for
eS, $430,456; valuable young tree
growth, $130,781; forage, $1591; im
provements and miscellaneous, $3395.
These damage figures do not include
such real economic losses as soil dam
age, wild life, water conservation and
recreational values, on which figures
are not available.
Of the area burned, 93,033 acres
wore mature or merchantable forest;
82,718 acres valuable for the protec
tion of stream flow, and 57,165 acres,
potential forest land. Merchantable
timber burned amounted to 157,672,
000 board feet. Practically none of
this timber Is salvable.
Cost of fighting fires amounted to
$500,070. It is found that 690 fires
were started by lightning, and 800
were man caused. Smokers started
2S1 fires; .campers. 236; Incendiary,
88; railroads, 83; brush burning, 31;
lumbering, 22; miscellaneous, 59.
IDAHO WANTS LAKE WATER
Legislature Forestalls Possible Use
. by Other States. ,
Boise, Idaho. To forestall any pos
sible steps toward storage of water in
Idaho lakes and streams for use In
. other states, until such time as care
ful study proves that Idaho does not
need the water, house and senate of
the Idaho legislature passed a bill em
powering tho governor to appropriate
and hold in trust for the people of the
state the water in Priest, Pend Oreille
and Coeur d'Alene lakes,
This was done a few hours prior
to a joint committee hearing at which
representatives from Oregon and
Washington placed the merits of the
Columbia basin project before the leg
islature. Headed by J. A. Ford, secre
tary of the Columbia Irrigation league,
this delegation met the waterways
committees of both house and senate!
Norwegian Envoy Will Stay.
Washington, D. C Helmer H. Bryn.
who has been recalled by his govern
ment after serving as Norwegian min
ister here for more than 15 years,
will remain in Washington with his
family indefinitely on account of the
condition of his son, Johannes, who
was injured recently in an automobile
accident His recall is presumed to
have resulted from a disagreement
with his government over the wisdom
or pressing certain shipping claims
against the United State. Johannes
Bryn has applied for American citizen-jhip.
New M'Nary-Haugen
Bill Starts On Way
Through Congress
The McNary-Haugen bill was ap
proved by the senate agriculture
committee, the action clearing the
way for a renewel in both houses of
congress of the perennial battle ov
er farm relief legislation.
The measure, which would levy an
equalization fee on basic crops with
a view to controlling surpluses, wa3
reported recently by the house agri
culture committee, three of whoso
members, opposed to it, filed a min
ority report setting forth their views.
The proposal, sponsored jointly by
Chairman McNary and Haugen of
the two committees, is now on both
the senate and house calendars, with
its proponents determined to force a
vote on it before March 4, adjourn
ment, and its opponents resorting
mainly to the. Curtis-Crisp bill as a
weapon to defeat the equalization fee
provision. -
Managers of each bill plan to press
them forward next week with spon
sors of the McNary-Haugen measure,
predicting that modifications made
in the bill will overcome the opposi
tion that resulted in its defeat in
both the senate and house at the last
session.
Chairman McNary declared in a
statement that his bill "provides a
way for producers of the basic., agri
cultural crops to adjust supply to de
mand in their most profitable markets
to their best interests, while the min
ority report of the house committee
members Representatives Tincher
of Kansas, Pratt of New York ar.d
Fort of New Jersey, republicans- -branded
the measure as "more object
ionable and certainly more unconsti
tutional than the original proposal
presented at the last session."
The action of the senate committee
with two absentees, was unanimous
and without' amendment. Under the
measure a federal revolving fund of
$250,000,000 would be appropriated
to be administered by a federal farm
board for the export of the surplus
of cotton, wheat, corn, swine and
rice, ' which would be repaid by an
equalization fee collected against the
crops, at the processing point. Lim
itation of outstanding loans for any
one commodity at one time, would be
fixed at $25,000,000.
. While the senate committee was
acting, the house agriculture commit
tee approved the Tincher bill to en
able members of farmer's co-operative
association to obtain seats on
grain exchanges.
The two measures in controversy
are unlike in several respects, but
the most Important of these is the
equalization fee by which the Mc-i
Nary-Haugen bill would control crop
surpluses. The CurtlsCrlsp plan
omits this feature.
In addition to declaring the fee to
be a tax and unconstitutional, the
minority report said the bill contain
ing it was a price-fixing measure;
that it would upset all existing trade
channels, kill cooperative marketing
organizations and increase production
if it actually succeeded in Increasing
prices.
The method of selecting the fede
ral board to administer the McNary-
Haugen plan also was assailed as un
constitutional because it tended to
interfere with tho president's consti
tutional right to appoint government
officials without advice except from
the senate.
Nancy Jane-McKinney Dead
Nancy Jane McKinney, aged 91
years and seven days, died Monday
at the home of her daughter, Mrs.
George Lieuallen, near Athena. Fun
eral services were held at the Meth
odist church yesterday afternoon at
1:30. Mrs. McKinney was bora in
Missouri January 17, 1836. She came
to Oregon, settling in the Willamette
valley ,jn the early 60's later coming
to Umatilla county. She is survived
by two sons and six daughters.
Weather Moderation
. Fears that the seven-inch blanket
of snow might be removed from the
fields and piled up in deep drifts
were lifted yesterday morning when
on the wings of a mild chinook, tem
perature was boosted upward and the
snow began to melt. For more than
a week the snow lay on the ground
unmolested by wind, and now water
soaked, it is storing away needed
moisture.
Former Athena Boy
Is Victim of Suicide
In Los Angeles Home
Clarence Brotherton, born ' and
raised at Athena, committed suicide
by shooting himself in his home at
Los Angeles, last week. A Los
Angeles paper gives the following de
tails of the young man's tragic end:
Clarence Brotherton, 34 years of
age, a police officer attached to the
University Division, shot and killed
himself yesterday in his home at
4391 Sycanore street, Lennox. Ill
health,. which resulted in a nervous
breakdown three months ago, is be
lieved to have prompted the act.
Brotherton left his wife, Mrs. Har
riet Brotherton, in the yard early in
the morning, returned to the house
and shot himself through the head
with a heavy police revolver. Dr.
Dale Wheeler was summoned but the
officer died an hour later without re
gaining consciousness.
Brotherton leaves two brothers, W.
C. and L. A. Brotherton, of Los An
geles, and a step-father and mother
in Long Beach.
After his breakdown, Brotherton
had returned to his duty and was as
signed as a special guard in Exposi
tion Park.
Clarence was the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Brotherton, who lived
north of Athena, on a farm for many
years. He attended the grade schools
in Athena. The family left here
about fifteen years ago, going to
Waitsburg, where Mr. Brotherton
died. His widow married a Waits
burg man about two years ago, and
lately they have been residing in
California.
Beryl Hodgen Elected
Captain of Oregon Eleven
Beryl Hodgen, former Athena high
school athletic star has been elected
to the captaincy of the University of
Oregon football team. Hodgen's
splendid work on the Oregon team,
especially during the past year under
Coach McEwan, has easily placed
him in the enviable position he now
occupies.
Athena is proud of the lad's ad
vancement, but there is one other
whose pleasure reaches plumb out of
bounds over Beryl's success, and that
is Coach John Murray, of Pendleton.
Murray is the stanchest friend and
patron that Oregon athletics has ever
had. ' -
He groomed Hodgen as he has oth
er high school athletes in coaching
them to enter his alma mater. Seeing
that Beryl was making good he has
never missed a chance to encourage
him and assist him in every way
possible. He is keeping the same
careful eye on Wilbur Harden, and
this Athena boy already owes much
to John Murray for the advancement
he attained on the freshman team
this year.
The athletic department of the Uni
versity of Oregon has many a friend
ly friend, but there is only one John
Murray.
Athena High School
Too Good for Mc-Hi
Third String Players
Athena is always just good enough
to spring ' the unexpected any time
opportunity presents itself in high
school athletics, and Friday evening
Coach Stolzheise's youngsters kicked
over the bucket of done by handing a
trimming to Mac-Hi in a merry tune
of 23 to 19. ' -
And everybody in Athena was hap
py. At that, it was about the luckiest
game of basket ball ever played at
the local gym. For a week sickneas
and injury had doled out huge gobs
of gloom, and with the arrival of the
day for the game, three were still
counted on the sick list and another
had barely recovered from injury.
The score 16 to 6 at the end of the
half went to substantiate in a meas
ure the crippled condition of the
Athena team, and things evidently
looked easy to the McLaughlin coae!:,
for he began to tinker with his ma
chine. Turning in a bunch cf substitutes
at the beginning of the second half,
he figured that he had a safe margin
on the game, and in the last quarter,
just to show 'em what he could do,
he wigwaged his third stringers into
the fray.
Well.
And that wasn't all.
Athena had been holding the prune
packers down to a gain of three
points in the last half, and with but
two minutes to go she tied it up in a
knot, 19-19.
And there you are. ,
Then from the side lines, from
the showers, from everywhere the
Mac-Hi coach beckoned for his regu
lars. They came, they saw, but they
couldn't conquer.
Athena had struck a stride that
could not be denied. For the two
minutes she held the enemy scoreless
while she deftly looped in two bask
ets, winning the game 23 to 19.
Stephens, Kretzer, Johnson, My
rick, Radtke, " Taylor, Gross and
Moore played for Athena. Warren
of Pendleton High, refereed the
game.
"Stop Flirting" a Fine
Wholesome Comedy
Of course you will never forget
"Charley's Aunt." Well, Al Christie
has given to the screen another of his
fine, clean, wholesome comedies in
"Stop Flirting," which comes to the
Standard Theatre tomorrow night.
Even though Wanda Hawley and
John Murray were not in the lead
ing roles, the Christie trademark
would be sufficient to put over the
production with a whiz.
Sunday night an especially fine
photoplay is offered by Metro-Gold-wyn
in the presentation of Monta
Bell's "The Boy Friend," featuring
Marceline Day and John Ilarron in
the starring parts. Good comedies
are featured In both programs.
"Pals First" and "The Brown Der
by" two gilt edged productions have
been booked for early showing at
the Standard,
Pheasants and Partridges
Have Hard Time
In Finding Food
- Chinese pheasants and Hungarian
partridges are having a hard . time
finding food with a six inch ' snow
covering making their quest almost
hopeless in the fields of this part of
the county, and unless something h
done for them immediately, sports
men will face a closed season on
these birds, next fall.
Deputy Game Warden Albee has
issued a call to the hunter and
sportsmen of Umatilla county for
help in feeding the birds until such
time as the snow disappears to give
the birds a cl r.nce to shift for them
selves. He says any grain distributed to
the starving game birds will be paid
for by the state game commission,
and that what is needed promptly at
this time is volunteers to see that
grain is placed where the birds can
get it.
Dead birds are being found in all
parts of the county, the warden re
ports, and assistance must be given
at once, else the mortality will be so
great that several closed seasons may
be necessary to restore breeding
stock, to say nothing of any surplus.
It is understood that farmers in
some instances have been, putting out
grain for the birds, but what is really
needed is immediate and responsive
cooperation in a general effort to get
food to the birds.
Third Term President
of the Association
At the recent annual meeting of
the Athena Commercial Association,
E. C. Rogers, for the third time was
elected president of the organization,
by acclamation of the membership
body present.
During President Rogers' incum
bency over a two year period, the As
sociation has accomplished much good
for Athena and vicinity in the matter
of securing permanent market roftd
improvement. ' '
President Rogers and the Associa
tion had the advantage of assistance
from an active road committee com
prised of Homer I. Watts, Tim Mc
Bride and A. H. Mclntyre, and in his
appointments for the ensuing year,
President Rogers has again named
these men to serve on this committee.
W. P. Littlejohn was re-elected
vice-president, Brooks Anderson sec
retary, and M. L. Watts treasurer of
the association.
President Rogers appointed O. O.
Stephens, Art Douglas, Bert Ramsey,
Mose Banister and Donald Johnson,
members of the house committee. B.
B. Richards, F. B. Boyd and Homer
I. Watts constitute the Harpoon committee.
Lewiston Editor Dead
A. II. Alford, editor of the Lewis
ton Tribune since it was established
in 1892, died Monday night while he
slept, at Hot Lake sanitarium. He
had arrived at Hot Lake the day be
fore, for a short rest from his news
paper work.
Purchase Registered Stallion
George Gerking, Art Douglas, Herb
Hale, Sheldon Taylor, and Will Piper,
have organized a partnership in the
purchase of a prize winning register
ed Belgian stallion. '
. .
Mired!!
"A Thing of Beauty Is a MAILED FIST SHOWN
Joy Forever"
jja ,w
v jr a! a u
Spirit Behind School
Band Makes Champion
Elkhart, Itid. It's the spirit of i
town, und not the number of its in
habitants that determines the si;:e anc
quality of its high school band, ac
cording to James V. Boyer, wldelj
known mush :-.in and supervisor of tin
Conn Mu!e Center here.
As proof of li's contention, Mr.
Boyer cites the ruse of .Toilet, Illinois
home of America's V,)'M i-lmiuploii high
schcol band, Census figures give the
population of Joliot as under fiO.OOO,
yet public-spirited fathers and musical
ly umbilious sons have hero made pos
sible a (i."ipieee prize-winning band. It.
their natty full-dress uniforms tlu
boys made u sensation as . the?
marched down the streets of Fostoria
Ohio, on their llrst lap toward" national
band Iioiioi'h.
Asbestos Long Known
but Little Employed
People of modern time are engaged
in a ceaseless search for ways to Im
prove; living conditions. Safety, com
fort ami reduction of expense rank
among the principal things to be con
sidered. Asbestos, a material known
for centuries but put to use only a
comparatively short time ago, lias
done as much or mors toward the
realization of these three fundamen
tals than any other one thing In Its
class. Traces of its use have been
found In ancient China, In Persia, by
the eurly (ireeUs and ltomans, ami
later, in about the sixteenth century,
In the Island of Guam, now a posses
sion of Hie United States. The sud
den emergence of asbestos, from the
long period In which It was almost
entirely Hie subject of myths ami leu
ends, or treated merely as a cosllj
curio, Into one of tho world's st Im
portant minerals and Industry's most
Important aids, is remarkable. Even
electricity did not have quite so sud
den a transformation.
British Army Club
Tho Union Jack club Is a national
Institution of Great Britain where sol
diers, suitors and airmen can go when
on leave or pusslng through London,
a place where they may deposit their
kits and valuables, where they may
obtain ut moderate charges good meals
and comfortable bedrooms to them
selves and where they find the usual
amenities of a club, Including library
and writing room, billiard room, baths,
barber shop and also a club shop in
which articles of everyday use and
almost everything that service men
require may be purchased. The Union
Jack club was erected by public sub
scription as a national memorial to
those who bad fallen In the Soul li
African war and other campaigns,
and wuh opened on July 1, 1!)07, by his
late majesty, King Edward VII.
Trust to Pictures
In these days of hustle and bustle,
hyper-activity and constant "go,"
there Is one thing that every one ran
do to neutralize to some extent the
restlessness that has Invaded our life.
That one thing Is to surround oneself
with beautiful and restful pictures.
Pictures take the mind off the wor
rlsoinc, petty details thut are so Ir
ritating to the nervous system. A
good-natured Jolly Cavalier to look
down on us understanding from the
wall, or a lovely Madonna to fill us
with peuce and contentment are like
real companions and friends, and
have utt advantage that even the best
friends do not have; they make no
demands and expect no favors; they
are always equally depeiUttbl"
ever r'l" to serve.
CKINESEJY POWERS
The Armed Forces of Great
Britain and Japan Are
Mobilized.
Shanghai. The mailed fiat, as ex
emplified in the armed forces of Great
Britain and Japan, thrust itself into
the foreground of the Chinese situa
tion,. With additional reports of con
stantly spreading anti-foreign and an-ti-ChHstian
agitation, and the success
of negotiations for the return of for
eign concessions to China undecided
at Hankow, both powers made unmis
takable military moves which, how
ever, were described as "merely pre
cautionary measures."
Prom Hong Kong the British dis
patched three companies of Punjabi,
northern India, troops to Shanghai,
while from the Sasebo naval station
four Japanese destroyers departed for
unannounced points In China.
In Hong Kong it was stated that
the departure of the native Indian
soldiers marked. tho commencment of
the British quota for the defense of
Shanghai, in accordance with an agree
ment with the United States, France
and Japan, revealing for the first timo
that the powers had so completely
considered the possibility of the for
eign settlement being attacked that
it had been decided how many men
each power should supply for the de
fense of the concussions.
The dispatch of the Punjabi troops
to Shanghai lollows closely a disturb
ance here Saturday night, during
which scores were injured when po
lice of the International settlement
battled with celebrating tramway
strikers.
U. S. TO ACT ALOE
IN CHINESE CI
iS
Washington, D. C.Tho American
government is preparing to act inde
pendently of other powers in the pres
ent Chinese crisis, It was plainly in
dicated ut the White House after a
cabinet meeting at which the situa
tion was discussed.
President Coolidgo does not consid
er there is any similarity between tha
American situation In China and that
of the other foreign powers. Ila point
ed out to cullers that tho British and
other foreign (lowers had extensive
concessions In China, where the Uni
ted States has none. Therefore, ho
does not believe tho respect ivo situa
tions ure analagttous.
Simultaneously with tho promulga
tion of this official viewpoint by the
While House, the house foreign affairs
committee voted unanimously to re
port favorably the Porter resolution,
calling upon President Coolidge and
Secretary of State Kellogg to punuu
nn Independent course in China ar.d
to negotiat3 treaties with China cu
a basis of equality.
BAN JOHNSON REMOVED
III Health Declared Cause for Reliev
ing American League President.
Chicago. Ban Johnson is no longer
active president of tha American
league, the crganlualion he founded
t7 years ago.
The American leagu) executive,
baseball's stormy petrel, was remov
ed from actual conlr.-d by his chili
owners Sunday night on the plea that
he was suffering from 111 health. l!i
will retain his salary for the present
as his contract runs until la.'iS, but it
was said that he would never again
bo In active control of tho lengii'-'rt
aifali s.
The "Imwdowii heween Kenncsa.v
Motui'iia l.aiidK hasi-ball commIsHio:
e?, am! .lobiison, ovi r tho dismissal of
7y Colin and Tris Speaker, did not
I tome Hi f.
I I-'i.Mik .1. Xavin. preii Cm of (V
! Jtolroil lub. ami vicc-pusiderl of I ' ;
' league, was named to us.mme 'ha
! duties of resident.
! Hag.'id:rt!i Hc?its Wool Growers.
! I'.ui;- i'vnu J. Ibrronbai .h
of Spii.i : v.c i elected presi
dent ol ile- National Wool Crow-era' i'
,oeiat:o'i K,r the lith consecutivu
year. Tin' io xi annual meeting will
be hcdl In 0'dc:i Pah.
Lcc N'act:;! Insurance Commissioner.
S.ih ei. Or. Clare A, Lee cf Kuge:to
was jippoinwd stt Insurance co:n-mlsnioiit-r
to wuccted Will Moore, v.'lia
hus resigned.