PAGE TW O T H E SPR IN G FIELD N E W S S ight I Published Every Thursday at Springfield, iJine County. Oregon, by b t/ TH E W IL L A M E T T E PRESS H . E. M A X E Y . Editor_________________________ Springfield. Oregon. ______________________ MAIL. S U B S C R IP T IO N R A T E Year In Advance - »1-75 T h ree Months ----------------------75c Ml M<*U* .. ............... >1W T f atMUC,>Wr- l ' THURSDAY, DECEMBER SI. 1931 G BRM AN RES PON SI BI LIT Y Having been over a great part of the devasted areas n a m e ami Belgium we do not s.vmpathue with the agitation to release Germany from reparation payments. Certainly when one country goes wild and lays waste to others it should he made to pay tor it. The property damage to Frame and Belgium as a result of the war can hardly be estimated It will take many generations to repair these damages. Germany was untouched, except for the loss of her man power, by the great war She has been allowed to be­ come the world’s greatest borrower following the war and much of this money has gone into public improvements and Into reloans to individuals to build factories, apartment houses and store and office buildings. Certainly a country which has lost several million men did not need all this expansion to take care of its own. Germany is now trying to wriggle out of both her bor­ rowed debts and the reparation payments. Threats of Bolshevism arc hurled at the world. The German people have too much sense for this in our estimation. They are no more likely to turn bolshevik than is America. This is but a brand of their sly propaganda learned so well by them during the war. We do not believe the American govern­ ment, at the exjiense of its own people, will let Germany “get away” with this sort of irresponsibility and we are quite certain France will not. even if she has to move back into the Ruhr. 01 WHO PAYS THE TAXES The valuation of the taxable property in Oregon for 1931 was $905,847,238.52. according to the state tax com­ mission. This is a decline of about 35 million dollars from the previous year. T illab le Land. 10,526,256.92 acres, value 9231,349,271.17 Non-tillable. 13.773.14S.67 acres, value 72,338.920.00 Improvements on Deeded or Patented Lands 47.760.132.00 Livestock, mostly on farm s ----------------- ------ 20.951_195.00 Town and city lots, value ......... .............. - 209.766.041.00 Improvements on lots, value ............. 178,416.467.00 Public U tilitie s , value ........ ................ 186.957.976.56 T im ber lands. 2.777,789.74 acres, value 58,227,857.00 An analysis of the above figures will show that farm property is about 32 per cent of the total state valuation, city property over 42 per cent and public utilities, timber lands and miscellaneous about 25 per cent. If tax millages were even throughout the state this percentage would hold as to the amount of burden each class w ould bear. This not being the case one may guess that the farmer pays less than 20 per cent of all taxes, the city property owners more than 50 per cent and the utilities and timber owners about 30 per cent. Only nine amendments to the United States constitu­ tion have been adopted since 1791 out of over 2000 pro­ posed. E>en a Democratic congress will have a hard time putting anything permanent over on us. Japan is some times called Nippon. We wonder if this comes from her prolonged relations with China. PROPHETS A man who was an officer in France told me this story, which is interesting and may be true. He said that on November 10, 1918. a friend of his went into onr headquarters and stopped beside the desk of an officer who was engaged in statistical work. The officer had been so busy with his charts and figures that he had hardly left his office for days. The visitor said to him: “ Well, I guess it’B about all over.” “What do you mean?’ asked the statistican. “Why, the armtistice will be declared tomorrow.’’ “ Nonsense,” the statistican exclaimed. “This war is going on for another five years.” Whereupon he drew out his graphs and his charts and proceeded to prove it. Here’s another story, told me by a banker. in November, 1930, the ten leading economists of the United States held a secret conclave and took a ballot on how long the business depression would last. One of them said it would be over in six months. Four said it would last from one to three years. The other five said it would last from three to five years. “ If they are right, the outlook is pretty gloomy, isn’t it?”. 1 said it certainly was. “There is just one joker in the story as I told it,” he added. “That the meeting was not held in November, 1930. It was held in November, 1920. And that depression came to a close, as we now know, in August, 1921.” Looking back over history, we can see that prophecy has always been a dangerous business. But as between the optimistic prophets and the pessimistic the balance is in favor of the optimists. Old Mother Shipton, in the early 1500’s, prophesied that “Iron upon the sea would float as easily as a wooden boat.” She foretold the irtr-plane, the submarine, and the tele­ phone. She was suspected then of being crazy, but she does not look so crazy now. John I^aw, of Mississippi Bubble fame, sold shares in his vast concessions on this continent. Speculation ran them up to wild prices, and the ensuing panic ruined thous­ ands. But those concessions represented the richest part of the United States. Even at their highest prices they would be cheap today. I do not Intend to join the ill-fated company of pro­ phets. I merely record my general agreement with the late P. T. Barnum, who said: “ If the truth were known I think it would be found that In this wide-awake country more people are fooled by believing too little than ever were fooled by believing too much.” L. nsels MARY ROBERTS RINEHART Kn.e,.-d » . . e c n d class m atter, Feb ru ary 24. l*> 3. nt the poetofflce. cue TH U R SD A Y, DECEM BER 81. 1981 T H E SPR IN G FIELD NEWS J e x p e c te d WASHINGTON _____________ 'k B Y FfM * t i i l V R A D F O A D M O B L B Y ------------------------ It is o f course possible that my tunes. ____ »... ___ -____ dur­ .1..— "IV, Do you mean that something hap­ nerves were somewhat unstrung ing the days that followed. 1 wakened pened at ten o’clock.’’ S Y N O P S IS "No. Certainly not. No. indeed. 1 he one night to a terrific thump which i t , «ropl«. Horace Idhas»» (w k o M l la « 0 , 7 c S . w ife . oW M r a U r n . H r-tto,, shook nty bed. and which seemed to be water washad it away, all of it. Not feMnaaa, «ad kia «•«»»<, A b e t an.1 D i the result of some one having struck i a trace ............. 9 s a .ry , I rim ,la and iM ifh h ,',*. a r t in the th< ioot-bk'ard with a plank Im n tf’ I "Where did all trits happenr Lakh at koldins a r r k l j m a ru n (a A l on« of diately following this came a sharp She named, without hesitation, a A rm . Mra. Dana. who IB hoalraa. rarie a Ih t knocking on the antique bed-warmer | seaside resort about hlty miles lions wrocraai h j < w *a p « M d lv «rr»n«m « a ap.nl beside my fireplace. | our city. I here was not one sit us, I nohatic »rance w ith Miaa Jrrrm > . • t n m d of which hangs H r Sperry and a,ot a profaaaional. aa th r When 1 had sufficiently recovered my dare say. who did not know that tha WChilUitt self-control I turned on my bedside Wellses lud spent the preceding sum- A t tha C n t a n n a » ih a m edium M ila tha inter there and that Lharlie hlling- derails o l a m urder aa it ia o cc u tn n » I aiat lamp, but the room was empty. that nlaht Sperry learua that a neighbor, But on Thursslay night of that week ham had been there, also Arthur W ell«, bat h am ahot wiyaMnouala Do you know that Arthur Wells W ith toh-aon ha eve» to tha W alla raaidanta mv w ife came into my bedroo m , and stated daily «hat there were burglars is dead ?“ and they And conSrm atioa o l tha ■ a d n iw ’l aaaoiaat. M ra. W alla M ila them bar huahand in the house. “ Yes He is dead." •hot him «all ia I *1 o l dapraaaion “Did he k ill him self ?" I got out o f bed and went down - N O W GO O N W I T H T H E S TO R Y TO BE CONTINUED W ISH OF STATE BOARD In wishing the people of the state of Oregon a happy, healthful and ' prosperous N ew Year we rem ind they are at the present tim e, and HIGH SCHOOL CLASS HAS REUNION MONDAY the highly specialized aids to com­ fo rt did not exist. In the old days much th a t is now done by machin­ ery was accomplished by the Indi­ you th a t good health habits once vidual. Exercise and open a ir ac ti­ established form an easy road to vities were a necessity and fact. Riding, w alking and outdoor life In health. general occupied the attetnlon ot Good health habits set an indivi­ everyone eith er by compulsion or dual apart from those who are care­ choice. T h a t the disease rate was less In the niceties and refinem ents much higher In the good old days of proper living . T he proper dis­ was not based on a lack of exer­ charge of one’a daily duties In ac­ cise but upon the Inab ility of sci­ cordance w ith the laws of hygiene ence properly to cope with the com Is the p rim a ry requisite of physical munlcahle diseases of infancy and i fitness. Men and women of dis­ early childhood. tinction are men and women real­ Today the situation Is quite re­ izing the im p ortan t p art physical versed. Amazing progress has been health plays In th eir success. Diet, exercise, rest, fresh a ir and re­ made in the last fifty years against the Ills of hum anity. Smallpox, by creation occupy a much larg er part In the program of leaders than reason of vaccine; typhoid fever, form erly was the case. T h e funda­ through the proper control of m ilk m ental living rules, as a m a tter of and w ater supplies; tuberculosis on account of modern tre a tm e n t; diph­ fact, are as rigid and exacting as theria to Im m unization; the m ala­ those of society. dies of children due to prenatal and Years ago, the necessity of good well-baby care; all of these havs health habits, while alw ays Im port­ succumbed to the onslaught of sci­ ant, were not so p artic u la rly essen­ ence and are therefore pre-em in­ tia l as they are today. L ife moved ently under control.— State Hoard at less speed, enervating duties and of H ealth . I lie ta x p a y e r is n o t lo escape lo a f Is b e tte r th a n n o b re a d . «I. II >id » li» s In H ie lith e . H u n , , ,, ,, I laws appear certain and are expect I ’erhaiM Ihe hoHeal right w ill »«• | cd to prove agreeable to both W A R IIIN U T H N . I> f EVlilmra» Him tha» |ra>Ni>ni »«>»»li>ii of ('on cur over the bills lo Impose mori parti«*. gresa 1 m going to ba* olio of til«' liartlosf working bosh*»* ovor a<»loc toil was furnished on (he oponlng ilay »lio n iho roll anil at I vulgoal Iho fga'I iliut only four Senator* wora • b M B tlM S a O UI alt pio lllnota six i 'll TI h < Itnlitluy sett a« nt tiK ttin t iif iir t lH its m i o p |H > r tu n - tltloal lo sit. anal Hie only two Itcp- ra sa n ta tlvo * wore missing out of Ity to exteiitl Gi-e<>(iiiKs to our frlentlit anti pul nuts tlio 434 prov tala'll for. and wish ihein ull hupplnviw In the tlttys uheud. Loaders of both parties w ill bo a-allod upon to exert th e ir uliuosi endeavors lo keep th e ir members in Washington during every vote and to plaa-ale th e ir tnstirgonts anal In the New Stttre Sprlngfleltl Independent member«. T h e lower house has a Ih'inocrutle m ajo rity of tw o over all opposition anal has taken ovor all the chairmanships of the various rom m ltteea. Any hope iho Hopubllrans hud that I splits would develop In (he selec­ tion of men for these Im portant Our wish for ull I h (he happiest of liolltluys unti poata vanlshoil when (ho Da maacrats n reulizutlon of eherlslietl hopes during brighter duyu hold a six hour caucus, named the to come. various chulrm t'ii and broke up “ Home of Violet Rny and Cenerai Ethyl Caaoline” w ithout leaving a single disgrunt­ led party member. T he Republican* proved equally united In the face of defeat anal (ho 5th and A Streets Springfield S n e ll-T ilto n battle (or the Speaker­ ship, which had been announced In advance as a struggle (hat would go to Ih e death, ended In Iteprea " illa tiv e Tllson caangratulatlng lilt 'ippaanent and promising his lu ll a l­ legiance. Observers here pra»dlct that (he two leading parties w ill (unction strictly along party lines ( on all mutters o f Importance, a a a In Appreciation Ketels Drug Store WOMENS’ HEADQUARTERS GOOD H E A LTH FOR 1932, (Ills Is ......... lost logli al a. Hon III. all m«Hers Hull are not ot Ihe grav scot free. However, ss new sales esi im portance, a llo » lug him self to. luxes, especially oil luxuries mid he guided by Hie reeling Illa t h a l l n ur luxuries, w ill he proposed II I* When I told him it w as * case of tuicide, he remarked, philosophically: “A lot of people get the bug once in a while, they come in here for a dose of sudden death, and it takes watching. I t ’» a matter of the point of view,” he continued more cheer­ fully. "And my point of view just now is that this place is darned cold and so’s the street. You’d better have a little something to warm you up be­ fore you go out, M r. Johnson." I was chilled through, to tell the ir-rth. and although I rarely drink anything I went back with h im and took an ounce or two of villainous nttiskey, paired out of a jug into a graduated flass I t is with deep hu­ T h e re was som ething h o rrib le in the black depths of tha low er hall. miliation o f spirit I record that a house­ maid coming into my library at seven “ You can’t catch me on that. I o'clock the next morning, found me. the stairs. But I must confess that I in top hat and overcoat, asleep on the felt, the moment darkness surrounded don't know." me, considerably less trepidation con­ library couch. Here the medium laughed. It w u I had. however, removed my collar cerning the possible burglar than 1 horrible And the laughter made the felt as to the darkness itself. Mrs. and tie, and my watch, carefully whole thing absurd. But it died away wound, was on the »moking-stand be­ Johnson had locked herself in my quickly. bedroom, and there was something side me. “ I f only the pocketbook wai not N ever before In the history of The death of Arthur W ells had horrible in the black depths of the lost.” she said. “There were so muny taken place on Monday evening Tues­ lower hall. things in it. Especially cur-tickets. • Congress have there been so many day brought nothing new The coroner W e are old-fashioned people, and W alking is a nuisance.” bills uttered (or consideration as al was apparently satisfied, and on have not yet adopted electric light I Mrs Dane's secretary suddenly i Hie present session. N early three Wednesday the dead man's body was earned a box ol matches, but at the spoke "Do sou wunt me to tuka thousand bills are now In the hands cremated. foot o f the stairs the one I had things like tbut ?" she asked. "Thus obliterating all evidence.’ lighted went out. I was terrified. I j of Ihe public p rinter. They are to "T ke everything, please," was tha ight another match, but ¿perry said, with wnat 1 felt was a tried to i cover everything from absolute irw — there was a draft from somawherai. 1 a n s u e e mote o! relief. Put I think the situation was both- i The second match went out before i “Car-tickets and letters. It w ill b« free trade lo higher protection; and ering him. and that - -- he hoped to dis- 1 had time to glance about 1 was terrible if the letters are found.” from free coinage of silver lo a a Where was the pocketbook wj*tr count in advance the second sitting v by immediately conscious o l a sort o l (In n e r stand on gold as a medium Miss Jeremy, which Mrs. Dane ‘ had 1 : al- soft movement around me, as of Sperry asked. " If that w e re kn o w n , it co.ild bv of exchange. ready arranged tor the following shadowy shapes that passed and re -| One it seemed to me that found,” was the reply, rather aharpeIy M any of them are aimed at cur­ Monday, for on Wednesday after­ passed. He ing the present depression. They I noon. following a conversation over a hand was laid on m y shoulder and given. "Hawkins may have it. not lifted, but instead dissolved into was always hanging around The cur- the telephone, Sperry and I had a provide for vast public Im p ro v e -; private sitting with Miss Jeremy in the other shadows around. The sud­ tain »us much safer.” mt-nts at enormous expense; re d "W hat curtain?" den striking of the clock on the stair Sperry's private office. I took my wife "Nobody would have thought of prncnl trade agreem ents with Hus- ; into our confidence and invited her landing completed my demoralization. to be present, but the unfortunate I turned and fled upstairs, pursued to curtain. First ideas are best.' She repeated this, following coldness following the housemaids my agonized nerves, by ghostly hands ous plaus for relieving European ■ discovery of me asleep in the library that came toward me from between once before, with rhymes for tha final word, best, rest, ches\ pest nations from the crushing weigh! on the morning after the murder, was the spindles of the stair-rail. ’T e s t!" she said. "That's Haw A t dawn I went downstairs again, still noticeable and she refused. of th e ir w ar debts. T h e appm prla- i The sitting however, was totally heartily ashamed of myself. I found kins!" And again the laughter. "Did one of the bullets strike tk» tions ra ile d for In these d iffe re n t | without value. There was difficulty on that a door to the basement had been bills. If they were ull passed, would the medium's part in securing the left open, and that the soft movement c ed in g ? ” “Yes. But you'll never find it. I t Increase Ihe national debt beyond I trance condition, and she broke out had probably been my overcoat, sway­ is holding well. That part's sal» once rather petulantly, with the , re­ ing in the draft. enough— unit unless it made a hole in inc the power of the nation lo pay In ! perry had, I l believe, ocueve, ioia c ru c ri enougn— Sperry told n Herbert mark that we were interfering with centuries. . ilnson of what we had discovered, 1 floor above.” Rob! i her in some way. , , , , "But there was only one r m s ; How ever, everybody here real i I noticed that Sperry had placed but nothing had been said to the Arthur Wells's stick unobstrusively on women. I knew through my wife that chamber in the revolver. How couW lit s that only a few of these bills his table, but we secured only ram­ they were wildly curious and the night two shots have been fired? There was no answer at all to * 9 1 ever he reported out of com bling and non-pertinent replies to our of the second seance Mrs. Dane drew questions, and whether it was because me aside and made me promise I this. And Sperry, after waiting, went m ltte r and get Io-tore the H o u s e d. the Wells matter did not come up at would tell her all I learned, a fter it on to his next question: "W ho oc- Muny ,,f ,, |pn| ar(, (lb, l()URl cupied the room overhead? .... ’ all I found a total lack of that sense was all over. But here we received the reply to lnK m aterlul w hile others are of Miss Jeremy did not come to din­ of the unknown which made all the ner. She never ate before a seance. the previous question: "There.w as a the [dainty m arked "vote-catching evening sittings so grisly. in the table-dresser, type- W hen Ihe new Dem ocratic I am sure she knew we had wanted And although we tried to keep the box of cartridges „ something, and that she had failed to conversational ball floating airly, there From“ hat point, however, the far « ’ " " " It te e chairm en get down lo give it to us. for when she came out was not the usual effervescence of she was depressed and in a state of the Neighborhood Club dinners. One terest lapsed. Either there was no business, a lot of the hills w ill he lowered vitality. „ and all, we were waiting, we knew answer to questions, or we got the sum m arily disposed of and Hi.- grist absurdity that we had encountered "I'm afraid I'm not helping you, not for what. ham mered down to a slxe that can I am sorry to record that there before, about the drawing-room furn­ she said "I'm a little tire £ I think. he handled She was tired. I felt suddenly were no physical phenomena of any iture. But unsatisfactory in many very sorry tor her. She was so pretty sort at this second aeance. The room ways as the seance had been, the effect and so young — only twenty-six or was arranged as it had been at the on Miss Jeremy was profound — she Among the hills (hat are certain thereabouts — to be m the grip of first sitting, except that a table w ith , »as longer in coming out. ar,d greatly of appearance are measures to pro-i a candle and a chair had been placed exhausted when it was all over. forces so relentless. Sperry sent her . . . a a . _ 1 / __ She refused to take Ihe supper Mrs. vide for Increased taxation - home in his car, and took to pacing behind a screen for M rs. Dane’s sec­ Dane had prepared for her. and at rbangps In the Federal Reserve ■ retary. the floor of his office There was one other change. Sperry eleven o’clock Sperry took her home 'I ’m going to give it up, Horace, Rank Act; and revision n t the pres- ; be said. ‘Perhaps you are right. W e had brought the walking-stick he had in his car. I remember that Mrs. Dane inquired, ent Income anil Inheritance (ax pro- ____ ____________ from Arthur Wells's room, and may be on the verge o f some real taken visions. I ’nlttleally, the change of discovery. But while I ’m interested, so a fte r the medium was in trance he after she had gone, "Does any one know the name of interested that it interferes with my placed it on the table before her. the complexion of the Low er House The first questions were disappoint- the Wellses’ butler? It is Hawkins?" work, I ’«n frankly afraid to go on. ¡ng in results. Asked about the stick, I said nothing, and as Sperry was front Republican lo Democrat Is There are several reasons.” I argued with him. There could be there »ras only silence. When, how- the only one likely to know and he expel led to Oeneflt Instead of narnt , ne, the inquiry went no further, President Hoovar, W h atever the | no question that if things were left ever Sperry went back to the sitting | jg back, I realize that Herbert, as they were, a number o f people of tiie week before, and referred to j z Democrats do w ill be used by M r would go through life convinced that questions and answers at that time, the »-hi.e less cynical, was »till skeptical, H e r hand, that his sister was non-committal, but Hoover's campaigners as a boost ¡ Elinor W ells had murdered her hus­ medium teemed uneasy. band. Look at the situation. She had held under mine, made an effort to f Or some reason watching me, and tor th e ir candidate In the coming sent out all the servants and the g o v free itself, and. released, touched the that Mrs. Dane was in a state of de­ election and, conversely, w h a te v e r’ She lifted it, and struck the light ful anticipation, nrr.es s, surely an unusual thing in an cane. M y wife, however, had taken a dis- , that party tails to do w ill be equal etablishment o f that sort. And Miss table a hard blow with it. "Do you know to whom that stick [¡^e to Miss Jeremy, and said that Jeremy had been vindicated in three the whole thing bored her. points; some stains had certainly been belongs?" A silence. Then: "Yes.” “The men like it, of course,” she washed up, we had found the key " W ill you tell us what you know said, "Horace fairly simpers with where she had stated it to be, and pleasure while he sits and holds her Arthur had certainly been shaving about it?" " It is writing." hand But a woman doesn’t impose on himself. . , „ "W ritin g? ” ■ other women so easily. It's silly." "In other words,” I argued, we " It was writing, but the water "M y dear,” Mrs. Dane said, reach- can't stop, Sperry. You cant stop. | ing over and patting my wife's hand. But rov idea would be that our inves­ washed it away.” Then, instantly and with gr- :t r - “w-onle talked that way about Colam* tigations be purely scientific and not pidity. followed a wild torrent o f ' bus and G . 'T ■ And it it iz nonsense, i criminal." , „ , words and incomplete sentences. It is I j, , „ c|, thrilling nonsense!” O i "Also, in other words, he said, / “you think we w ill discover something,1 im rtirii’-'te. and ihe «ecretarv made no so you suggest that we compound a record it A« I r