VOLUME 48.
ATHENA, UMATILLA COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 25. 1927
NUMBER 8
The Farm Relief Bill
Is Passed By House
Final Vote Is 214 to 178 and
Measure Now Goes to
the President.
Washington, D. C The McNary
Haugen farm relief bill was passed
by the house in exactly the form ap
proved by the senate. The vote was
214 to 178, a margin of 36 votes.
Inclusion of tobacco and rice and
the elimination of cattle as basic farm
commodities was credited generally
for the increase in strength mustered
by the bill. The basic commodities in
the measure as It goes to the presi
dent are swine, wheat, corn, cotton,
tobacco and rice.
The measure, framed Jointly by
Chairman Haugen of the house com
mittee and Chairman McNary of the
senate agricultural committee, Is de
signed to promote orderly marketing
of basic crops by the control and dis
position of surpluses.
It would set up a federal farm board
of 12 members, to be selected by the
president from a list of 36 names sup
plied by farm organizations. Whenever
it appeared a surplus existed in any
of the basic crops, the board might
declare an "operating period," buy in
a crop until its surplus had disappear
ed and feed the surplus into world
markets.
The mor;ure provides for a $250,
OCO.OOO revolving fund for the board's
operations. Any loss sustained in the
board's activities would be assessed
against the producers through imposi
tion of an equalization fee.
II. S. OCCUPATION OF
NIGARA6UAC0MPLETE
Washington, ft. C United States
military occupation of Nicaragua was
practically completed Monday.
Marines are under orders to land at
Corinto and take up positions, at Chin
andega and Leon and along the Mana-gua-Corinto
railway, the state, depart
ment announced. The liberal revolu
tionary army is reported menacing the
railroad.
Vigorous steps to block with Ameri
can bluejackets and marines any at
tack by Nicaraguan liberal forces on
Managua synchronized with the re
ceipt in Washington-of a preliminary
of proposals of President Diaz for new
treaty relations with the United
States.
Protection of Nicaragua from ex
ternal attack or internal disorders due
to outside interference through a
treaty guarantee by the United States
of Nicaraguan sovereignty was under
stood to be the general purpose of
the Diaz proposals.
Worst Storm of Season
In It's Tropical Fury
Lashes Oregon Coast
The heaviest rain storm of the sea
son came in from the Pacific ocean
Saturday and Sunday night, battered
the Southern Oregon coast, swept in
land over Central and Eastern Ore
gon, and interrupted railway and
highway transportation service in
Southern and Western Oregon.
At Athena a high wind drove be
fore it a blinding rain storm Sunday
night. It was by far the heaviest
rainfall of the season. Snow pre
vailed on the higher altitudes.
Torrential rains resulting in slides
and washouts in the southern Oregon
district had totally demoralized traf
fic on the Southern Pacific line Sun
day night.
Ihroughout all western Orecnn
record-breaking rainfall was report
ed. At Marshfield three inches of
rain fell in 12 hours and the South
ern Pacific annuled a night train to
Portland. At Grants Pass there was
five inches of rain in 48 hours. The
Rogue river rose at the rate of n
foot an hour and was at the highest
point since 1902. Situation there
declared worst in recent vears.
Cottage Grove and Eutrene rennrteH
heavy rains with rising streams. All
ram records at Bend were shattered
with a fall of 2.42 inches in 32 hours
Portland's precipitation was .92
inches in 24 hours.
The torrential rains were said to
have been experienced through the
entire southern Oregon district and a
large number of streams were out of
their banks.
The Rogue river and its tributaries
fed by torrential rains and melting
snow, swept over banks, tore out
railroad tracks, inundated and cut
highways, and did damage to prop
erty. , Farms in the vicinity of Roseburtr
were flooded and residents
forced to flee to higher ground. Near
Eugene, 'homes were under water.
and many persons took refuse in
trees, waiting for boats to remove
them to dry land.
Baker, suffered from a fortv-mile
gale. Many windows were broken
by the wind and power lines were
out of commission for a time.
BRANCH DUJK BILL PASSED
Glass Charges $100,0(30 Used by Lobby
to Pass Amendments.
Washington, D. C The last of the
many legislative steps that have been
necessary for the highly controverted
McPadden branch banking bill to
reach President Coolidge was taken
by the senate.
Scarcely had the conference report
as amended by the house been ap
proved, 71 to 17, before Senator Glass,
democrat, Virginia, co-author of the re
vised measure, proposed a senate In
vestigation of report that a group of
bankers favoring the discarded Hull
amendments had spent more than
$100,000 in maintaining a lobby in
Washington.
The resolution of the Virginia sen
ator, who formerly was secretary of
the treasury, was referred to a, com
mittee, but its author will press for
action soon with a view to having the
senate banking committee conduct the
inquiry and report by next January 1.
Insull Refuses to Reveal Contributions
. Washington, D. C Although threat
ened with a possible jail sentence for
alleged contempt, Samuel Insull, util
ity magnate of the midwest, renewed
his defiance of the Reed campaign
fund committee by' refusing to reveal
all his contributions in the Illinois
senatorial campaign last summer. In
sull, the gray-haired head of $500,000,
000 worth of public utilities, stood by
his personal attorney, Daniel F. Schuy
ler, in refusing to reveal the names of
the persons to whom he gave $40,000
last summer in the midst of the sen
atorial primary.
Off the Reservation
The shooting of George Nelson,
white, by James Strong an Indian,
over trapping privileges has caused
Agent Estep of the Yakima agency
to issue orders against white men
trapping on Indian owned lands on
the Yakima reservation. This is
merely the enforcement of a federal
statute prohibiting white men from
trapping, hunting and fishing on In
dian reservations. The statute pro
vides a penalty of $500 fine for any
white man caught trapping, hunting
or fishing on Indian lands.
Senate Defeats the
Patterson Tithing Bill
Kay Advances New Propos
al To Bring State Out
4 of Hole.
The Portland Telegram says: In
spite of some strong personal feel
ing that has developed in the house
against th senate because the latter
defeated the tithing bill, the joint
assessment and taxation committee
of the two houses at a session de
cided to introduce two new measures
for relief from the state deficit.
One of these is a plan advanced bv
State f Treasurer Kay for diversion
of the market road fund amounting
to $1,100,000 a year, and the other
is a license tax on tobacco and tobac
co products, to which the emercenev
clause can be attached for the rea
son that it is to be called a license
tax instead of a tax for revenue.
This, Chairman Miller of the senate
committee admitted, was "beating the
devil around the bush." The emer
gency clause would forestall the re
ferendum.
State Treasurer Kay pointed out
at the committee meeting that his
plan, while an advance over both,
was first suggested but not advocat
ed by Governor Patterson in his
special message, and later embodied
by Representative Gordon in house
bill 505. - The new bill will either be
a new measure entirely or an amend
ment of the Gordon bill. The Kay
plan differs from the Gordon bill in
that it provides for reimbursing the
highway fund.
Under this plan the one-mill mar
ket road tax would be diverted to
the general fund for 1927 and 1928.
In lieu of the market road fund so
taken the highway commission would
take care of market road activities
to the same extent that the state now
does under the one mill act, and pay
for these activities from the sale of
bonds under the provisions of the
highway bonding act, with a provis
ion that these bonds be general obli
gations against the state and be paid
by a tax levy rather than from the
funds derived from gasoline and au
tomobile license money. The plan
contemplates that a half-mill tax
will pay the interest and retire the
principal of $2,000,000 worth of bonds
in about 4V4 years, and it is held
that this can be legally levied in ad
dition to the regular millage tax
under the six per cent limitation. In
asmuch as that act exempts a levy
for the payment of interest or prin
cipal on state bonds.
THELMA jvl'MILLAN
Miss Thelma McMillan, who was
elected "Miss New Zealand" for 1927,
n Auckland, and so Is considered the
most beautiful girl in. those far-away
Islands.
Initiation of Woodmen
One of the largest initiations of
Woodmen ever held in Umatilla coun
ty, took place at Pendleton, Monday
night, when 150 candidates were
scheduled for initiation. A parade
was held prior to the initiation cere
monies. District Organizer Willis
was present. Of the 150 candidates
mustered for initiation, 111 were ob
tained in a period of five days solicitation.
The Misses Scott Die
Miss Elizabeth Scott and Miss Fan
ny Scott, formerly residents of Athe
na neighborhood died in Long Beach,
California, February 12 and 15. They
were aunts of Joseph N. Scott and
Mrs. James Potts of this city and
had for several years made their
home in Long Beach.
Board Elects Meyer
The school board met Monday
evening and elected Prof. Lee Meyer,
at present principal of the Marsh-
field high school, to the superintend-
ency of the Athena schools for the
coming year. One other application
for the position, that of M. E. Mil
ler, superintendent and athletic coach
of the St. John, Washington, schools,
was considered by the board.
Carries Folk to Chucrh
"Ride free to church" is a new idea
of the Pendleton Christian church.
which plans a free bus service' in co
operation with the Columbia Gorge
Motor Coaches system. The bus will
make a circuitous route through one
section of the town and then proceed
to the church for the meeting of the
Bible schooL
New Tire Tread
A new Goodyear balloon tire, bear
ing the scientifically designed All
Weather tread, announced after two
years of intensive experimental work
has been placed on the market, ac
cording to Forrest Zerba tire deal
er at the Athena Garage. The latest
offering of the Akron company is
now on exhibition here.
Program At Athena
Baptist Church, Eubank
the Principal Speaker
An important event will take place
Sunday at the Baptist church in
Athena, when a missionary education
conference will be held by the work
ers of Umatilla county.
The program of the conference will
be from 4:00 to 9:00 p. m. Principal
speakers for the occasion will be Rev.
Floyd L. Carr, field secretary of the
Department of Missionary Education
and Dr. M. D. Eubank, representa
tive of the board of Missionary Co
operation. ... -;.--i.t
A large attendance of county dele
gates is expected and at 6:UU p. m.,
dinner will be served in the dining
room of the church. The program
follows :
4:00 P. M. Convocation period.
Address: "Some of My Experiences
in China," Dr. M. D. Eubank.
- 5:00 P. M. Conference period.
Leader of Adult Group, Floyd L.
Carr. Topic: "Developing a Mission
ary Church." (a) Tools for Kingdom
Building, (b) World Friendship in
the Sunday School.
6:00 P. M. Dinner. Address Dr.
O. C. Wright and others.
7:00 P. M. Conference period.
Topic for Adult Workers: "The Man
of Tomorrow." (a) Hero Programs
for Boys, (b) The Royal Ambassa
dor's Plan, (c) Building Men's Bible
Classes. ' :
8:00 P. M. Assembly period. Ad
dress: "The Church Facing a World
in Action," Dr. M. D. Eubank.
Protests Are Made
Against Rent Boost
General Objection Made to
Proposal of Raise In
Indian Land.
Frank Jackson was in town Wed
nesday from Weston.
The Pendleton East Oregonian says
active opposition has been taken
against the proposed raise in rentals
of lands on the Umatilla Indian re
servation. The Pendleton paper says
protests are - b?ing made generally
against the pita, stating that Jim
Hill, president of the Umatilla coun
ty farm bureau pointed out conditions
on the reservation which make any
attempt to raise rentals on the reser
vation to a point equal to rentals
outside the reservation impractical.
The Indians, he declared are evempt
from taxes which land owners outside
the reservation are forced to pay.
Wheat farmers renting Indian
lands are also required to make such
improvements as are necessary on
the land at their own expense while
on private lands they are made at
the expense of the land owner.
A big factor also in the necessity
for' lower rentals on the reservation
was declared to be the numerous
services the renter is required to
make for the Indian owner to keep
in good grace and as a result obtain
the same land again after the lease
has expired. These renters are re
quested to buy and haul wood for the
Indians, pay medicine bills and other
items which on an average probably
amounts to in the neighborhood of
$150 a year, it was asserted. Many
requests are made by the Indian of
their white renters which the owner
of wheat lands would not think of
requiring from his tenant.
Major Babcock declared that the
proposed increases were on but. part
of the lands to be leased this year
which would probably be in the
neighborhood of 10,000 acres and
were only in line with increases on
lands leased last year. He declared
that he realized that only so long as
the wheat and renters on reservation
lands prospered so would the Indian
owners and it was not the intention
of his office to work a hardship up
on the renter. He asserted that no
protests had been voiced to him
against the proposed increases.
It was also pointed out that most
rentals on wheat lands outside the
reservation were made 6n a crop bas
is where the owner obtained a third
of the crop grown. On Indian 'land
the tenant is required to pay a cash
rent and this rent in advance. Where
there is a crop failure the tenant not
only loses the crop but is also out
the amount paid in rent. On lands
where a crop rent is paid if the
crop is light the the owner .rets but
a proportionate amount of tho crop
grown still leaving the renter some
of his wheat to meet his obligations.
- J. W. Maloney of Pendleton, was
in Athena Tuesday.
Lion or Lamb?
CwW.W.W.P. J
Athena Has Hermiston
As Her Ooooncnt In
Annual Tournament
Ten high school teams of Umatil
la county are entered for participa
tion in the annual basket ball tourna
ment, which opened at Pendleton yes
terday morning and will continue un
til tommorrow night, when the finals
will be played. The winning team of
the tournament will represent the
district in the state tournament. ,
Athena drew Pendleton as her op
ponent in the tournament prelimin
aries. The game is scheduled for
this evening at 9 o'clock. The tour
nament schedule is as follows:
Weston and Helix meeting at f
o clock and Umatilla and Adams at
9 o'clock Thursday. The two win
ners will meet at 7 oclock Friday
night. Stanfield and Milton meet
Friday at 8 o'clock, Pilot Rock and
Echo at 6 o'clock nd Pendleton and
Athena at 9 o'clock. The two win
ners of these two latter games' meet
at 10 Saturday and the winner of the
Stanfield-Milton clash meets the win
ner of the Wesson, Helix, Umatilla,
Adams fray at 9 o'clock Satur
day morning and the winners of the
two semi-final clashes will meet Sat
urday night for the championship.
Tickets for the events will cost 50
cents for each session.
lone, Condon and Hermiston were
admitted into the basket ball tourna
ment after the above schedule had
been arranged. As a result of this
Athena's first game was with Her
miston instead of Pendleton.
O. A. C. Forest Nursery
Has Trees for Farmers
Under authority of Section four of
the Clark-McNary law, forest tree
stock is being produced at the Ore
gon Forest Nursery at O. A. C, for
distribution among ranchers of the
state. This planting stock may be
used for woodlot. shelter belt, and
roadside planting. It cannot be used
for ornamental, purposes.
The following stock is now avail
able for distribution: Green Ash, Box
Elder, Russian Olive, Black Locust,
Russian Mulberry, Black Walnut and
Honey Locust.
With the exception of the Black Lo
cust, the stock is two-year old stuff,
averaging three feet in height. The
Black Locust is one-year old stock
about eighteen inches high. Except
the Black Walnut this material is es
pecially suited to planting in Eastern
Oregon. All species will do well in
Western Oregon.
This planting stock may be had at
the cost of transportation from Cor
vallis. Since the material is limited
in amount, individual application
should not exceed 1,500 trees. The
stock should be planted as soon as
the ground can be worked. The trees
should be spaced about five feet apart
and thinned when they begin to crowd
each other.
Application for stock should be di
rected to Georsre W. Peavy, School of
Forestry, Corvallis, Oregon.
Dance Will Be Novel
The dance schedule for tomorrow
night at Legion Hall by the local
Legion Post, promises to be novel in
character. Through an arrangement
with "Steve" and the Burbee Candy
company of Walla Walla, two big
boxes of candy will be put up as
prizes. Candy packages will be is
sued to those attending the dance,
and in the packages will be numbers,
which corresponding will designate
dancing partners for the Candy
dance. Of course this will be the
novelty feature of the dance, and in
terest will center in the winning of
the prize boxes of candy.
The Japanese Accept
Coolidge's Proposal
Endorsement Given Plan to
Limit Construction on
All War Vessels.
Washington D. C Japan has ac
cepted the' Coolidge proposal for a
supplementary Geneva conference to
negotiate a five-power-treaty "limiting
cruisers, destroyers and submarines.
The note, made public by the state
department, asked that the conference
approach the subject of ratios with an
open mind. The president had sug
gested as a basis of negotiation a
5-5-2 ratio between the United States,
Great Britain and Japan, similar to
the capital ship ratio of the Washing
ton treaty.
Japan's acceptance Increased the
hope in official quarters here that
subsequent Informal negotiations may
lead to a three-power pact between
this country, Britain and Japan.
Rejection by France of the original
Coolidge plan has destroyed any im
mediate possibility of a five-power
treaty, officials believe. Italy is ex-'
pected to reject the five-power plan or
accept with major reservations, while
Great Britain is expected to approve.
In its note the Japanese government
said "it fully shared with the Ameri
can government the views expressed
in the (Coolidge) memorandum" and
"cordially welcome the initiative tak
en by the American government."
Juno 1 was suggested as the opening
date of the proposed conference to
permit additional Japanese delegates
to arrive at Geneva from Tokio.
FATE OF SHANGHAI
HANGS IN BALANCE
Shanghai. The defeated troops of
Marshal Sun Chu-an-Fung, ruler of Ki-
angsu province, and the nationalist
army that forced them to retreat from
the rich city of Hangchow were re
organizing to continue the struggle
that will determine the possession ot
Shanghai, the "Paris of the orient."
Forty thousand of Sun's soldiers,
thrust from their master's province
of Cheklang, were seeking a place
along the Hangehow-Shanghal railway
to make a stand against 50,000 Can
toneso preparing to drive aeainst
them. Sungklang, 28 miles from
Shanghai, was believed to be the place
selected by Shanghai's defenders bo
cause of its strategic location on the
Whnngpoo river.
Beheading of at least 12 Chinese
strike fomenters; minor disorders;
stonings, and spread of the demonstra
tion to take in between 8S.000 nml
loo.ooo natives marked the second day
of Shanghai's internal disturbance.
The strike started recently, a poll-
tical movement fostered by Cantoneso
propagandists and aiming at the col
lapse of power of Marshal Sun Chuan
Fang, ruler of Klangsu province,
whose troops are fighting to halt the
advance of Cantonese (Nationalist)
armies on Shanghai.
Freak of the Wind
During the wind and rain storm
Sunday night, a 000-bushel grain
tank was lifted from Alex Mclntyre's
farm at Waterman, and with the ex
ception of the top, was blown into
unknown territory. The freakish
wind picked this particular tank from
among others left standing, lifted it
across the road where the top fell
off, and then kited the tank away
into the unknown. A heavy rain fell
in that section during the wind storm.
Hill Mitchell
The wedding of Mrs. Mattie Mit
chell of this city and Harvey C. Hill
of Redmond, Oregon, took place in
Pendleton on February 17. The
I couple, accompanied by the bride's
father, L. J. Foss, left for Redmond,
and will move soon to Nampa, Idaho,
to reside on a dairy farm. Mrs.
Hill has many friends In Athena who
while offering congratulations, regret
her departure from among them.
CHINESE PACT IS MADE
British Right In Territory Controlled
by Canton Defined.
Hankow. An agreement defining
the rights of Great Britain in Chinese
territory now controlled by the Can
ton nationalist forces was reached
here by Kugnne Chen, Cantonese Chi
nese foreign minister, and Charge
d'Affalres O'Maiiey, representing Eng
land. TIip contents of the agreement
were not divulged.
Announcement also was made that
Great Britain would begin conversa
tions with leaders in northern China,
looking to a similar concord with tha
northern administration.
Messages from Pekin said that Dr.
V. K. Wellington Koo, foreign minis
ter for the I'ekln government, and
Miles W. I.ampnon, British minister
to China, would begin conversations
there for the purpose of reaching an
agreement in the north.
Idaho Solone Kill Bank Guaranty Bill
Boise, Idaho. -The bank guaranty
fund bill offered by the democrats and
progressives was killed without print
ing by the lower house of the Idaho
legislature. The oleomargarine bill,
progressive platform plank and pro
posed protection for Idaho dairy farm
ers were killed. The senate killed a
bill passed by the house requiring 10
days' posting of marriage intention be
fore the issuance of a license.