OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST
COMPLAIN OF GRAZING RULE.
Oregon Stockmen's Grievances Are
Taken Up by Senator Fulton.
Washington Senator Fulton baa re
ceived many letters of complaint from
stockmen of Oregon, who express dis
satisfaction with the manner In which
the foreBt service Is managing the sum
mer range in forest reserves. The
eheepmen of Umatilla county feel that
they have been unfairly treated in the
distribution of range in the Wenaha re
serve, and the sheep and cattlemen
whose stock is permitted to graze in
the Cascade reserve feel that they are
paying too much for the privilege. So
far as the Cascade reserve is concerned,
the sheepmen object to paying 6 cents
a head for the grazing privilege when
sheep are permitted in other reserves
at 4 and 5 cents each.
The forest service explains that the
grazing season in the Cascade reserve
is longer than in the reserves where the
fee is smaller. So far as the Wenaha
reserve is concerned, the range has
been apportioned for the coming sea
son, and it is too late to bring about a
readjustment. To ascertain all the
facts, with the view to laying the mat
ter before the forest service in its true
light, Mr. Fulton has requested the
stockmen of Oregon to furnish him with
accurate data, that he may adjust these
matters before another grazing season
opens.
The Dalles to Portage.
The Dalles A company of local cap
italists, under the name of the Colum
bia Transportation company, baa
bought the steamer George W. Simons
from the D.. P. & B. N. Co. It will be
operated between Cascade Locks and
the lower terminus of the state portage
toad. The boat will leave Cascade
Locks at 6 o'clock in the morning and
reach The Dalles at 10, making all way
landings. It will lie here an hour,
then run to the lower terminus of tl e
portage, and returning will leave f( r
Cascade Locks at 2 o'clock. It ia tl e
purpose of the company in buying and
operating the boat to afford people
along the Columbia opportunity to
make The Dalles their trading point.
Many Buy Wallowa Timber.
Wallowa Locators have been doing
much business the past three months
on account of a wild rush by local men
and outsiders to secure claims in the
pine, fir and tamarack forests of Wal
lowa county. Sections which sold at
$1.25 an acre were bought first, and
only those claims remain which are in
the $2.50 sections. There are but a
few more claims open for location, and
it is expected the locating season will
be closed wfthin 30 days. Capitalists
are buying much of this timber, and
from individual holders claims pur
chased for less than $500 are Belling at
from $1,000 to 1,600 each. These
carry from 1,000,000 to 8,000,000 feet
to the quarter section.
Enterprise Still Capital.
Wallowa The Wallowa county com
missioners, at their last meeting, ac
cepted the offer of F D. McCully, L.
Knatfoer and Aaron Wade, to build a
wooden structure in Enterprise large
enouirh to meet the county's require.
ments for a courthouse, and to lease
the same to the county for five years
at an annual rental of $650. The
building is to be completed by August
1. It will be of wood, but compara
tively safe, as it will be equipped with
a fireproof "ault. The board thus
settled further controversy for five
years regarding the permanent loca
tion of the county seat.
Fight for a County Seat.
Canyon City The fight for the coun
ty seat now being waged between Can
yon City, the present capital, and
Prairie City, long aspirant for the
honor, is waxing red hot, The laws
of Oregon provide that a vote must be
ordered by the county court if a peti
tion, signed by not less than three
fifths of the registered voters, is pre
sented. The promoters of the removal
have organized an improvement asso
ciation, and among other things have
secured subscriptions amounting to
$20,000 for a new courthouse.
Lane Fruit is Unharmed.
Eugene Dr H. F. McCormick, Lane
county fruit inepector, says it is his
opinion that the freezing weather of the
past few days has done no material
demure to the fruit in tnis vicinity.
Each thaw has been accompanied by
cloudy weather. Had the un shone
warm ami bright each morning the
crop would have been ruined.
Hop Sale at Woodburn.
Aurora Ed Herron, the hnpbuyer,
this week bought the Joe Kennedy bop
ciop of 72 hales at Woodburn. paying
better than 9 cents. The hope were
shipped direct to London. M. H.Gil
bertson, Ulhman Bros.' agent here,
went to North Yakima a few days ago
to look after several big lots of hops
there.
CREATED AT LAST.
President Sets Aside Blue Mountains
for Timber Purposes.
Washington President Roosevelt, on
recommendation of , the forest service,
has signed a proclamation creating the
Blue mountain forest reserve in Eastern
Oregon, to embrace 2,627,270 acres.
The reserve as created follows the gen
eral lines of the temporary withdrawal
made three years ago, with the excep
tion of 200.000 acres in the valley of
the Silvies river, which has been elim
inated because of the agricultural na
ture of the land. Around the edge of
the withdrawal small tracts of agricul
tura. and school land have been elim
inated and the boundaries are so drawn
as to exclude all land lying along the
border which has passed into private
ownership under any public land laws.
The original Blue mountain with
drawal embraced more than 3,000,000
acres. About 500,000 acres have been
left out, so . as to make the reserve a
compact body of forest land.
Long Winter in Wallowa.
Wallowa Snow covers the entire
Wallowa valley and county, varying in
depth from five inches on the Imnaba
and Grand Ronde river bottoms, to 17
inches on the foothills of the Joseph
mountains. Stockmen are somewhat
anxious concerning feed. The unusual
long season will necessitate using much
more hay than is customary in average
winters. Though this ia a hay produc
ing county, and though great crops of
hay were put away last season, and
much old hay was left over, it ia ex
pected that there will be no surplus.
Columbia County Breaks Record.
Salem Columbia county breaks the
record in the matter of payment of
state taxes this year. State Treasurer
Moore received a draft last week for
$6,360, the amount of general state
and school tax, and $265, the amount
due for the support of the Agricultural
college, from Columbia county, for the
year 1906. Only half of thia amount
waa due. The rest m ed not have
been paid until December 31.
Luckiamute Mohair Pool.
Independence The Luckiamute mo
hair pool has been organized at Arlie
and has the following officers: Presi
dent, A. C. Staats; secretary, Maurice
Fowle; I. M. Simpson, A. C. Staats
and Maurice Fowle were elected a
board of managers. The new associ
ation already has a membership of 35,
representing 3,093 fleeces. It. is prob
able 15 more names are to be' added to
the membership soon.
Cattle Bring Higher Price.
Pendleton Three cars of cattle were
shipped to Seattle from Pendleton a
few days ago, bringing $4.50 per hun
dred pounds. This ia about 1 cent a
pound higher than the last shipment
made.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Club, 68c; bluestem, 69c;
red, 66c; valley, 69c.
Oats No. 1 white feed, $27.50; gray,
$27 per ton.
Barley Feed, $23.5024 per ton;
brewing, $2424.50; rolled, $24.50
25.50. . .
Buckwheat $2.25 per cental.
Hay Eastern Oregon timothy, $17
18 per ton; valley timothy, $8 9;
clover, $7.508; cheat, $67; grain
hay, $78.
ApploB $1.502.75 por box.
Vegetables Asparagus, 8)9cper
pound: cabbage, lJQlc per pound;
cauliflower, 422. 25 per crate; celery,
7590c per dozen ;' rhubarb, $1.50
per box; sprouts, t)(310c per pound;
turnips, $11 25 per sack; carrots,
657oc per sacK; beets, 8oc$l per
sack.
Onions No. 1, 7590c per Back; No.
2, nominal.
Potatoes Fancy gradsd Burbanks,
5055c per hundred; ordinary, nomi
nal; sweet potatoes, 2424C per
pound. q
Butter Fancy creamery, 2730c
per pound.
Ezgs Uregon rancn, lbc per
dozen
Poultry Average old hens, 1414)a
per pound; mixed chickens, 1313)c
broilers, 2829c; young roosters, 13
13c; old roosters, 11c
dressed chickens, 1516c; turkeys
live, 1617c; turkeys, dressed, cuoice,
1820c; geese, live, 89c; geese,
dressfid, 10llc; ducks, 1618c.
Hops Oregon, 1905, choice, 10
10c per pound; prime, 89)c;
medium, 78c; olds 57c.
Wool Eastern Oregon average best,
162lc per pound; valley, 2426c;
mohair, choice, 2528c.
Veal Drecsed, 368c per pound.
Beef Dressed bulls, 23c per
pound: cowb, Z 4)c; country
steers, 45c.
Mutton Dressed, fancy, 89c pe,r
pound; ordinary, 45c; lambs, 8
Pork Dressed, 66c per pound.
CUT AWAY THE RED TAPE.
Purpose of Bill Regulating National
Reclamation Work.
Washington, March 20. In its gen
eral operation, the National reclama
tion law has proven quite as effective as
its framera expected; indeed, the gen
eral work of national irrigation ia pro
gressing satisfactorily. In the admin
istration of the Reclamation service,
however, there has been aome slight
friction which baa resulted in delays
that have been bothersome, if nothing
more.
No one can realize thia more than
the chief of the Reclamation service,
Mr. Newell, and the director of the !
Geological survey, Mr. Walcott. To
obviate theae ' delays, the reclamation
authoritiea have explained the situa
tion to the president and he has ap
proved their recommendations and at
the joint request of these officials a bill
has been introduced in congress which
will, if enacted, prove of very material
benefit to the Reclamation service.
Most of the friction and delay com
plained of ia the result of red tape that
exists between the Reclamation office
and the Interior department proper.
Their dealings are not direct, and in
the roundabout course they follow
many delays are likely to occur. The
bill that baa been laid before the bouse
by Representative Cooper does away
with thia red tape by providing a more
direct meana of communication, at the
same time giving the Reclamation ser
vice more leeway. The director of the
geological survey ia made the director
of the Reclamation service and be goes
ahead with his plana, merely submit
ting them to the secretary for approval
and not for reveiw.
Another important change is made
by the bill in the matter of apportion
ing and expending money for reclama
tion worka. At present this money ia
entirely under the control of the secre
tary. At thia time there is a very
strong sentiment in congress against
allowing cabinet officers to handle such
funds in a free manner; and the ten
dency is to restrict lump appropriations
and stipulate the various purposes for
which the money is to be used. The
Cooper bill permits the Reclamation
service to send to congress each year a
statement of the expenditures which it
proposes to make during the following
12 months, so that congress shall spe
cifically authorize the various expendi
tures. Thus, while the Reclamation
service will retain the right to say how
the funds shall be apportioned, their
findings are always subject to the ap
proval of congress.
Notwithstanding this bill ia approved
in its entirity by Presidnet Roosevelt
and by the bouse leaders. Repreeenta
tive Mondell, of Wyoming, chairman
of the irrigation committee, saya it is
faulty and baa asked permission to
make certain amendments.
GREAT TRADE WITH EUROPE.
Our Exports Passed the Billion-Dollar
Mark in 1905.
Washington, March 20. Europe
takes two-thirds of the exports of the
United States and supplies practically
one-half of the imports, says a bulletin
issued by the Department of Com
merce and Labor. Of the $1,021,000,'
000 worth of merchandise Bent to Eu
rope in 1905, $Z39,uuu,uuo was manu
factures, the other $782,000,000 worth
being largely foodstuffs and manufac
turers' material.
In 1900 the exports to Europe
crossed the $1,000,000,000 line, and
since then have averaged about $1,050,
uuu,uuu per annum, in lauu the ex
ports to all sections oi the world other
than Europe were $354,000,000 in
value; in 1905 they were $498, 000,
000, the. growth since 1900 in epxorts
to the non-European countries having
been proportionately greater than to
Europe.
Prior to 1890,fthe share of the im
ports drawn from Europe averaged
about 55 per cent; in 1905, it was 48 4
per cent. This reduction, the bulletin
says, ia apparently accounted for by
the growing demand in the United
States for tropical and subtropical pro
ducts, which are supplied almost ex
clusively by the other grand divisions
of the world. The value of these pro
ducts into the United States in 1905
was $508,000,000, against $303,000,
000 in 1895.
Crushed With Iron Hand.
Sukhum, Transcaucasia, March 20.
The manner in which General Ali
kanboff has crushed the revolution in
the government of Kutaia by razing
towns, executing ringleadera of the
movement and driving sympathizers
with it to the mountains, has produced
such resentment that acts of terror and
the throwing of bomba at the troops
are frequent. General Alikanhoff has
proclaimed and is enforcing martial
law with terrible vigor and revolution
aries and other pesrons caught with
arms are immediately shot.
Pest In Eastern Persia.
Askabad, Russia, March 20. News
received here from Beistan, in Eastern
Persia, Bays that a pest is spreading,
that the populace is becoming panic
stricken and that many persons are
fleeing.
GIFTS ARE ILLEGAL
Opinion of Judge In New York
Insurance Investigation.
JEROME ASKS FOR WARRANTS
If Intent Was to Defraud. Perkins
Committed Larceny, Says the
District Attorney.
New York,'LMarch 24. If the grand
jury wnicn ia investigating some of
the conditiona developed by the recent.
legislative investigation reaches the
conclusion that contributions of in-
rance company funds to political
campaign committeea were made with
intent to defraud the true owner of
this property, it must find that larceny
has been committed. This opinion
was expressed today by Justice O'Sul
livan in the Court of GeneraUSessiona,
in answer to a presentment on the sub
ject submitted to him by the grand
jury. Judge O'Sullivan added that it
is not within the province of the court
to say whether or not there was such
intent. That is a question which the
jurors must determine for themselves
from all the facta and circumstances in
the case. He charged the jury to make
a thorough investigation into all the
facta and to place the responsibility for
such crimes, if theyfind that crimes
were committed.
Mr. Jerome waa in court today and,
when Judge O'Sullivan bad delivered
his opinion, the district attorney asked
the jury to remain, aa he desired to ad
dress it upon the subject in question.
He declared that Judge O'Sullivan had
misconceived the subject which he had
considered, and that, if the court held
to its opinion, it would be the duty of
the grand jury to return indictments
against George W. Perkins, ex-vice
president of the New York Life Insur
ance company, for larceny, and against
George B. Cortelyou, chairman, and
Cornelius N. Bliss, treasurer, of the
Republican National committee, aa re
ceivers of stolen goods.
GOVERNMENT MAY APPEAL.
Wants to Punish Officers of the Beef
Trust with Corporations.
Washington, March 24. President
Roosevelt held an extended conference
today with Attorney General Moody,
Secretary Taft and James R Garfield,
commissioner of corporations, concern
ing the adverse decision rendered ii
Chicago by Judge Humphreys in the
beef packers' case. ' No details of the
conference were obtainable at the
white bouse, but it is certain the at
torney general proposes to look care
fully into the law bearing upon the
matter, with a view of ascertaining
whether an appeal from the decision of
Juige Humphrey by the government
will He.
Despite the decision relieving the
individual officers of the packing cor
porations prosecution will continue, of
course, but it was the desire of
the government to place responsibility
for the violations of the law upon offi
cials of the corporationa where they
are found to be guilty of such viola
tions. In such efforts as may be made
by the attorney general and other offi
cials of the department of Justice to
secure an appeal from the decision of
Judge Humphrey, this point will be
kept to the front. It could not be . de
cided at the conference today whether
an appeal from the decision would lie,
but that question will be gone over
carefully, and if, in the opinion of the
law officers of the government, a foun
dation for an appeal can be made, it
will be taken.
States Should Interfere.
Chicago, March 24. The committee
appointed in Chicago last February at
the conference of governors, attorney
generals and insurance commissioners,
with instructions to prepare a form of
laws for better regulation of life insur
ance companies, with a view to their
ultimate adoption in several states,
concluded its deliberations tonight and
adjourned after declaring itself in favor
of interference by the Btates in the in
ternal affairs of the insurance com
panies and in favor of a standard form
of policy.
Test of Battleship New Jersey.
Quincy, Mass., March 24. The bat
tleship New Jersey, constructed for the
government by the Fore River Ship
building company", left today for an
unofficial test of ber engines. The
official trip will be held on March 28
or 29, when she will be required to
make 19 knots an hour.
HAS NOT THE POWER
Congrees Cannot Control
Life
Insurance Affairs.
OPINION OF HOUSE COMMITTEE
Are Unanimous That the Decisions of
the Supreme Court Are Against
Federal Control.
Washington, March 22. That there
is no constitutional authority for Fed
eral control of insurance or other state
corporationa other than railroads ia to
be the conclusion reported to the house
by the judiciary committee. The re
port has been drafted by Chairman
Jenkins, of the committee, and is now
in the hands of members of the com
mittee for their perusal. An unofficial
poll of the members indicates that with
practically no exceptions they concur
in the correctness of this conclusion.
The report collates all the important
court decisions on the matter involved,
treats each exhaustively and reduces
the whole problem to these two prin
ciples:
First The Supreme court of the
United States has declared and has
never been shaken or weakened in
maintaining, first, that insurance ia not
commerce, and second, that congress
cannot impair the police powera of the
states.
Second The advocates of Federal
regulation concede, according to the re
port, that insurance is not commerce.
The report sets forth s set ion 8 of ar
ticle 1 of the constitution aa conferring
the only power possessed by congress
to regulate commerce.
PACKERS ESCAPE LAW.
Judge
Gives Immunity to Individuals
But Not Corporations.
Chicago, March 22. All of the pack-
era who were indicted by the federal
grand jury last summer upon chargea
of being in conspiracy in restraint of
trade and commerce were today granted
immunity from criminal prosecution
under the indictment. While the in
dividuals are to go free, the indict
ments found against the corporations,
of which some of the indicted indi
viduals are Members and others are
employes, are to stand.
The decision to the above effect was
handed down thia afternoon by Judge
J. Otis Humphrey, in the United
States District Court.
Immediately following the dismissal
of the jury, District Attorney Morrison
raised the question of the date for the
trial of the corporations. He asked
that the case be Bet for trial and that
it commence within two weeks.' Thia
met with a storm of protest from the
attorneys for the packers, who insisted
that they would be unable to prepare
for the case before the fall of thia year,
pleading the number of witnesses whom
it would be necessary to bring to Chi
cago, the strain of the present trial,
and various other reasons. After some
discussion, Judge Humphrey directed
that the lawyers agree among them
selves upon a date and notify him of
their decision next week.
BUY OUT GREAT LAND OWNERS.
Kutler Proposes to Divide the Land
Among Peasant Proprietors.
St. Petersburg, March 22. M. Kut
ler, ex- minister of agiiculture and now
candidate of the Constitutional Demo
crats for election to the lower house of
the national parliament, today began
publication of an interesting series of
articles on the agrarian question. He
says the only solution of the problem,
which ia a most crying issue before
Russia, ia the expropriation of the
land of the big proprietors for the ben
efit of the peasants, who, he contends,
have a moral right to the land, much
of which was stolen from their ances
tors by the Boyars when the latter re
duced them to slavery.
Pattison's Case Serious.
Columbus, O.,' March 22. Governor
Pattison's illness took a serious turn
today, and his physicians were at his
bedside until midnight Dr. Wilson
said that the governor was quite ill to
day, after having spent a very bad
night, but that he was resting more
comfortably tonight. There had been
an increase .of pain, which had raised
trTe patient's fever to 103 degrees. Dr.
Wilson declared that there was no dan
ger when he left the governor's bed
side, although the governor ia a very
sick man.
Gross Earnings Tax Invalid.
Austin, Tex., March 22. The Court
of Appeals ot this, the Third district,
today declared unconstitutional the law
passed at the last regular session of the
Texaa legisslature assessing a special
2 per cent tax on the gross earnings of
all railroads.