LEXINGTON WHEATF1ELD
S. A. THOMAS, Publisher
LEXINGTON .OREGON
NEWS OFTHE WEEK
In a Condensed Form for Oar
Busy Readers.
A Resume of the Less Important but
Not Less Interesting Events
of the Past Week.
The canvass of the New York elec
tion shows gains for Hearst.
California politicians are now be
coming involved in the insurance scan
dal. The strike in Poland is believed to
have been broken and the country is
settling down.
Indications are thatl a new register
of the Lewiston land office will not be
named for some time.
Secretary Boot is preparing to initi
ate negotiations for the settlement of
all pending disputes with Canada.
Many women are going to Panama
to work as servants in the various
campB along the route of the canal.
A prairie fire near Aberdeen, S. D.,
caused a loss of livestock, grain and
farm buildings estimated at $500,000.
A fire which started in a Knoxville,
Tenn., paint store destroyed $200,000
worth of property before extinguished.
European nations are not pulling to
gether in their demonstration against
Turkey and the sultan doesn't seem
badly scared.
The contributions for the relief of
the Russian Jews totals $740,000 from
all parts of the world Of this $370,000
came from the United States.
All of Mayor Dunne's plans for im
mediate municipal ownership of the
Chicago street railways have been
shattered by the council reaching an
agreement with the companies placing
the time ten years hence.
Speaker Cnnon has declared against
tariff revision.
The new king of Norway will receive
a salary of $200,000 annually.
Governor Folk, of Missouri, says the
reform movement now on will last.
The president has removed Register
West, of the Lewiston, Idaho, land
office.
More than 300,000 has been raised
in the United Sttes for the relief of the
Russiaan Jews.
Austria fears her Polish subjects will
revolt of Russian Poland is successful
in securing autonomy.
The Riverside Bridge works, at Mar
tin's Ferry, Ohio, has burned. The
loss will reach $100,000
Many Russian capitalists are selling
their government and other securities
and leaving the country.
Democratic and Republican mem
bers of the house will each hold cau
cus December 2 to nominate house offi
cers. President Mellen, of the New York,
New Haven & Hartford railroad, has
declared himself in favor of railroad
rate legislation.
The board of canvassers working on
the returns of the New York election
have found many places where the
tally sheets and returns do not agree.
Germany denies she will interfere in
Poland.
Thomas Lawson has been arrested
for libel.
Balfour threatens to resign if follow
ers don't unite.
Russian workmen have ordered a
new general Btrike.
Garfield iB at the head of an inquiry
into rebates on oil.
Burke, a mining town in West Vir
ginia, has been entirely destroyed by
fire.
Advices from Singapore, China, says
the anti-American boycott is strong
there.
London proposes to establish its own
electric lighting system at a cost of
$40,000,000.
The State department knows nothing
of the proposed Anglo-Japanese canal
at Nicaragua.
New York has had its first snow
storm of the winter.
Secretary Root is working on the new
treaty with Germany.
Washington's congressional delega
tion will work for an appropriation for
the mouth of the Columbia.
American residents o the Isle of
Pines will Bend a delegation to congress
to pi vent ratification of a treaty con
veying the the island to Cuba.
Riots are occurring in Vladivostok.
The American Mining congress is in
session at 1 Paso, Texas.
CASTRO REFUSES TO PAY MORE
Keeps Back Second Installment on
Plumley Award.
Paris, Nov. 17 The foreign office iB
advised that President Castro yesterday
refused to pay the second installment
of the Plumley arbitration award. The
arbitration covered damages sustained
by French citizens in Venezuela during
the revolutionary periods prior to 1903.
Judge Frank Plumley, of Northfield,
Vermont, was president of the arbitra
tion committee, which met at North
field last year. The judgment was in
favor of France, which was awarded
about $650,000, and President Castro
paid the first installment of the award
three months ago. The second pay
ment was due yesterday, but was not
paid.
Apparently the Venezuelan Presi
dent's failure to pay the installment
was on the ground that diplomatic re
lations between France and Venezuela
are interrupted. The officials here de
cline to admit that this justified Presi
dent Castro in not paying the install
ment. The incident is considered to be
a further provocation.
CZAR HELPS PEASANTS.
Remits Millions Due on Lands and
Makes Purchase Easy.
London, Nov. 17. A dispatch from
St. Petersburg to Reuter's Telegram
agency says that an imperial manifesto
granting land concessions to the peas
ants was issued this morning. By its
terms the land redemption tax pay
ments from January 14, 1906, will be
reduced by one-half, and from January
14, 1907, the payments will be totally
abolished.
At the same time the capital of the
Peasant bank is increased and the bank
is granted additional loan privileges
with the' object of facilitating to the
utmost the purchase of lands by peas
ants. It is estimated that the amount of
taxation thus lifted from the peasants
by the manifesto will aggregate $40,
000,000, while the extension of the
field of operations of the Peasants'
bank will enable vast tracts of crown
and private lands gradually to become
the property of the peasants.
PRETENDER LEADS PEASANTS.
Army of 50,000 Supports Usurper's
Claim to Czardom.
St. Petersburg, Nov. 17. A false
emperor has suddenly made his appear
ance near Penza, and already his fol
lowers number 50,000. This is the
startling report received this afternoon
in a dispatch from Simbrisk. Penza is
in the heart of the vast region extend
ing westward from the Volga, where
agrarian uprisings on a large scale have
occurred, and if the report turns out to
be true that the pretender to the throne
has placed himself at the head of the
peasantry, the government will soon
face, besides its other troubles, a form
idable agrarian rebellion. It required
a year to suppress the famous rebellion
led by PugatichefJ, who impersonated
the dethroned and murdered Peter III
in the time of Catherine II. That up
rising was started in the Bame region
on the banks of the Volga.
STORM CLOUD IN AFRICA.
Germany Protests Aeainsf an Anglo
French Agreement in Liberia.
Washington, Nov. 17. The State de
partment has learned that Germany
has protested to Great Britain and
France against the conclusion of certain
negotiations now on foot between those
two governments and the government
of Liberia. Liberia wished to borrow
some money and is willing to hypothe
cate certain territory as security. Ger
many sees in this proposition a threat
of undue expansion of British and
French influence in that quarter of
Africa. The State department has not
felt called upon bo far to take any ac
tion in this matter, and in fact regards
the communication merely as informa
tion. Anarchy at Vladivostok.
St. Petersburg, Nov. 17. The latest
reports from Vladivostok indicate that
the rioting has not yet been suppressed.
Both sailors and fortress artillerymen
particapated in the outbreak.' The
commandant lost his head, the situa
tion got beyond control, and energetic
measures were not taken until a large
part of the city had been destroyed.
The population iB still seeking refuge
on the vessels in the harbor. Accord
ing to one report from Vladivostok, 300
rioters, mostly Bailors and artillerymen,
were killed or wounded.
Standard Oil's Big Dividend
New York, Nov. 17. The Standard
Oil company has declared a quarterly
dividend of $10 a share. The previous
dividend was $6 a Bhare and the divi
dend at this time last year was $7 a
share. Today's declaration brings the
total dividends focr the year to $40 a
share. Last year it was $36.
APPROVE PROJECTS
Hitchcock Will Reverse Himself
on Irrigation.
TO THE BENEFIT OF NORTHWEST
Had Taken Bad Advice Walcott Re
moves Objections to Umatilla,
Okanogan and Sunnyside.
Washington, Nov. 18. Secretary
Hitchcock is preparing to reverse hira
Belf and approve the Umatilla irriga
tion project in Eastern Oregon, as well
as one or more projects in Washing
ton. This, at least, is the inference
to be drawn from an authorized state
ment made at his office today to the
effect that action on the Umatilla pro
ject would be taken some time next
week which would be satisfactory to
the people of Oregon, and that similar
action was to be looked for on one or
more Washington projects. It is not
known at this time what Washington
projects will be approved, further than
that the choice will lie among the Tie
ton, Okanogan and Sunnyside schemes,
all of which have been favorably re
commended by the Reclamation Bervice.
This announcement from the secre
tary's office was made after a confer
ence between Mr. Hitchcock and Di
rector Walcott, of the Geological sur
vey, who is the intermediary between
the secretary and the Reclamation ser
vice. This afternoon Mr. Walcott re
turned to the secretary all papers bear
ing on the Umatilla, Okanogan and
Tieton projects and, in addition to the
original recommendations, submitted
unanswerable arguments showing that
all these projects are not only feasible
and desirable, but that there is no feat
ure about them to which objection can
be legitimately raised.
In point of fact, Mr. Hitchcock,
shortly after taking adverse action on
the Umatilla, Tieton and Okanogan
projects, saw that he had acted on bad
advice, and realized that his position
would become untenable. He saw that
he had made a blunder which would
have to be rectified, and he has cau
tiously been feeling his way back to
aolid ground. He is not yet ready to
make the final leap, but is preparing
for it and, when he does, Oregon and
Washington will benefit. Incidentally
it might be mentioned that the men
who gave the secretary bad counsel
have heard from it, and have been
warned to display more intelligence and
common sense in future
ONLY AMERICANS AS CONSULS.
Root Will Not Appoint Foreigners if
He Can Help It.
Washington, Nov. 18. Not a single
foreigner has been appointed to the
American consular service abroad since
Secretary Root assumed office. He
feels that it is his duty to "put none
but Americans on guard." Aside from
the fact that a foreigner naturally
might be expected to take less interest
than an American in the development
of our trade abroad, it is felt that in
time of political stress, wherein rela
tions might become strained, no such
test should be placed upon the loyalty
of a foreign consular agent to his na
tive country as would be imposed by
requiring him to do vhis full duty to
the country which merely employed
him.
So. although a number of vacancies
have occurred in these posts since Sec
retary Root assumed office, he has held
consistently to the policy above laid
down, and where it has not been possi
ble to find Americans to fill the vacan
cies, the offices have been allowed to
remain vacant. Of course, the vacan
cies cannot continue indefinitely, but
the secretary hopes that, with the
pressure of the business world behind
it, congress will yield to his appeal for
more liberal compensation for these
small posts, so as to enable him to send
out American officials.
Ballot Reform in New York.
New York, Nov. 18. At a confer
ence yesterday between representatives
of organizations interested in ballot re
form, a resolution was adopted declar
ing that ballot reform in New York
should proceed on the lines of the Aus
tralian ballot as in use in Massachu
setts. As the representative of the
Corrupt Practices association, D. Cady
Herrick asked the support of the con
ferees for a bill which his organization
intends to present to the legislature
and which he said would be drawn so
as to do away with election corruption.
Plan International Parliament.
Paris, Nov. 18. Representatives of
the parliaments of the principal na
tions will assemble bere November 18
to consider the American appeal for a
permanent international parliament
and a general arbitration treaty, as
presented at the Brussels parliamentary
congress by Congressman Richard Bar
tholdt, of Missouri, who represented
the United States at the congress.
IRRIGATION MUDDLE.
Oregon and Washington Suffer From
"Too Many Cooks."
v Washington, Nov. 15. "The Mal
heur irrigation project in Eastern Ore
gon is reeking with graft," said a high
official of the Inter inr department to
day, "and until this graft has beon
eliminated the government will not
adopt and build the project which the
Reclamation service lias prepared. The
government does not propose to be held
up."
This statement was made by an offi
cial very close to Secretary Hitchcock,
and he, apparently, knows whereof he
speaks, for he but recently returned
from Malheur county, where he made
careful investigation into the entire ir
rigation situation, and found such con
ditions as warranted him in recom
mending against the immediate con
struction of that project. It is hie
candid opinion that the time is remote
when the government will undertake
the construction of the Malheur project ;
indeed, he has doubts whether that
project will ever be built by govern
ment aid.
There is no just reason why the
Umatilla project should be delayed one
day. It has been demonstrated that
there is money available; the technical
objection is trivial and ought to be
waived. The Maxwell company mere
ly asks to retain 300 acres, with water
right, but Mr. Hitchcock rules - that,
under the law, this company can have
but 160 acres, with water right, over
looking the fact that the three members
of the Maxwell company, should they
mak entry individually, could each
hold 160 acres, or 480 acreB in all with
water rights attached.
The same thing is true of the Sunny
side project in the, Yakima valley, in
Washington. The Sunnyside canal
owners are willing to sell out for $1,
500,000, but they ask to retain more
than 160 acres of the land they now
own, with water right attached, and
the secretary is unwilling to grant them
this privilege. So he holds up that
project, which in the opinion of the re
clamation engineers is very attractive
and can be acquired to advantage at
this time.
Representative Jones, through his
secretary, today made inquiry as to
why Mr. Hitchcock refused to approve
the Tietan and Okanogan projects, and
found, as previously stated, that both
were sidetracked "because there is no
money." Neany a year ago Mr. Hitch
cock allotted $2,800,000 for the con
struction of the Palouse project, but
the reclamation engineers recommended
indefinite postponement of this under
taking, and it has been temporarily
abandoned because of excessive cost.
It has been decided to withdraw this
allotment, which contains enough
money to build the Tietan and Okanog
an projects, and purchase the Sunny
side canal as well, yet the department
still cries "no money." There is much
quibbling among officials over the exact
status of irrigation projects in Oregon
and Washington, but the situation is
as represented : There is money enough
in both states for immediate work, but
Mr. Hitchcock refuses to authorize its
expenditure.
Bargain in Irrigation Works.
Washington, Nov. 15. A nonpartis
an delegation from New Mexico called
on the president to discuss with him
the proposed sale to the government of
an irrigation project which has been
built to irrigate the Pecos valley. The
dam and its contingent system were
constructed by private individuals at a
cost of $750,000. Last spring a flood
carried away a part of the dam and left
the reservoir practically dry. The
farms, orchards and gardens, which
were irrigated by the Bystem, are
threatened with total destruction unless
the dam is rebuilt. The delegation
proposes to sell the entire plant to the
government for $150,000. The presi
dent promised to give full consideration
to the proposition.
Unrest Still Prevails in Odessa.
Odessa, Nov. 15. Considerable un
rest continues to pervade this city.
Looting and attacks on individuals are
reported to have occurerd in various
quarters. The new prefect up to the
present time has not taken any drastic
measures and in cconsequence the peo
ple fear to leave their homes after
nightfall. The university opened
today. A number of policemen have
resigned, and it is openly asserted that
they secured sufficient plunder during
the disturbances to make them inde
pendent. Mutiny at Vladivostok.
St. Petersburg, Nov. 15. The latest
adviceB from Vladivostok, received at
an early hour this morning, state that
the mutiny there is now under, semi
control, although the danger is by no
means over. The Chinese quarter has
been entirely destroyed by fire, and the
loss of life is reported to be very large
but, owing to the strict censorship, it
is impossible to secure details.
STORM STOPS RIOTS
Russian Capital Held in Grasp oL
Fierce Blizzard.
FOREIGNERS TERROR STRICKEN,
Fear Escape May Be Cut Off Are.
Advised to Leave Country
Without Delay.
St. Petersburg, Nov. 16. A fierce
northeast blizzard and snow, which
blew down on St. Petersburg tonight,
prevented bloodshed in the Russian
capital. The bitter cold, by forcing:
the strikers to remain indoors, did
more to preserve order than all the
Cossack cavalry patroling the streets.
Heavy military reserves are stationed
in all the industrial districts, but up
to midnight ' there was no rioting.
There were rumors of collisions in
different parts of the city, but on in
vestigation they turned out to be false.
The Social Democrats had an impres
sive response on the part of all organiz
ations of workmen to their Buminona
for a general political strike to de
monstrate their solidarity with the
struggle of their Polish comrades for
autonomy, and to protest against the
execution of . the mutinous sailors at
Cronstadt.
The situation has caused a renewal of
the panicky feeling among the inhab
itants, whose nerves were already shat
tered by the events of the lust fort
night, and hundreds of persons who
had just returned a'e again leaving for
Finland. The foreign residents are be
coming more arid more alarmed, and
many of them are hastily preparing to
go abroad for the winter. In case the
Finnish Socialists should join their
Russian comrades and tie up the Finn
ish railroad, the only egress would be
by wt.ter, and the freezing of the gulf
of Finland a fortnight hence would'
close the last exit.
MAY BUY OUT THE SETTLER
Possible Compromise, as War Depart
ment Committed Itself.
Washington, Nov. 16. Senor Que
sada, the Cuban minister here, called
at the State department today and'
seemed to be considerably agitated over
the news of the movement in the Isle
of Pines to oppose the formal transfer
of the island to Cuba.
The contention of the American resi
dents is that, as they own in fee simple
five-sixthB of the ground, and as the re
maining one-sixth is in the hands of
one or two Spanish families", the 1,200'
native residents being non-property
owners, they should have a right to be
heard by this gvernment. A sugges
tion has been made here that is known
to have received serious official consid
eration to the effect that, in view of
the fact that the War department act
ually did at one time give ground for a,
belief on the part of some persons that
the Isle of Pines was American, it
would be only just for this government
to pay these settlers for the land.
TAFT IN WASHINGTON AGAIN
Denies Story He Will Transfer CanaU
Affairs to Root.
Washington, Nov. 16. Secretary
Taft arrived in Washington from
Hampton Roads at 7 o'clock this morn
ing. Immediately after he called at the
executive office and saw the president
when the latter came to the office.
Secretary Taft made it clear today
that he had no intention of relinquish
ing supervision of Philippine affairs.
During his temporary absence in Pan
ama it was reported that matters relat
ing to the Philippines were to be trans
ferred to the State department and:
hereafter be under the direction of Sec
retary Root.
"That story," said Secretary Taft,.
"originated in the mind of the man
who wrote it. There is absolutely no
foundation for it, whatever."
v Colorado is Dammed.
Los Angeles, Nov. 16. Local South
ern Pacific officials state today that the
engineers and riprappers who have
been at work for months past at Salton
sea, in an effort to check the flow of
water from the Colorado liver, have
been successful and that the waters are
now practically under control. Exper
iment after experiment has proved un
successful, and the railroad company
has been compelled to build several"
successive pew tracks to get away from
the encroaching waters, at a heavy
expense.
Battleship Oregon Ordered Home
Washington, Nov. 16. Orders have
been given by the Navy department for
the return of the battleship Oregon
from the Philippines to the United
States at an early date. Two cruisers
of the Denver class will be sent to the
Philippines later on. The Oregon will
bring back a crew of men whose enlist
ments are about to expire. '
t