OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST
FOR EQUITABLE TAX.
State Commission Proposes Revision
of Present Law.
Salem With a view to securing a
more equitable assessment of property
in this state, the Oregon Tax commia
eion has recommended a revision of the
law governing the equalization of as
eesimenta hy the county board. In
this lonnection, the commission gives
its flat disapp oval to the plan often
agitated of hav ng the assessment rolls
published in the newspapers in the
locality in which the property assessed
is located.
The proposed revision of the law re
lating to equalization of the assess
ment is largely based upon inconsisten
cies in the present law, but also upon a
lazity in the law by which wealthy
property owners have been able to co
erce county ourts into allowing an in
equitable assessment to stand. The
commission proposes a law which seems
to have "teeth in it," and which will
be effective if county officers are dis
posed to do their duty.
The inconsistency in the present law
lies in the fact that the county board
of equalization is required to meet on
the last Monday in August, while the
assessor is given until the first Monday
in September to file bis roll, or until
the first Monday in October if the
county court makes an order to that
effect. At the same time there is no
authority of law (or an extension of the
time of meeting of the county board of
equalization.
Assessors usually take the full time
to prepare their rolls, and very fre
quently ask for and are granted the
extension of time. Commenting upon
this condition of the laws, the commis
sion says that "the board of equaliza
tion is thus required to meet perhaps
six weeks before the assessment roll is
completed, and as its functions lapse
when it has been in session a week, it
muet have passed out of legal existence
at a date before the assessor is required
to have the assessment roll ready to
equalize.
"Under the present system we have
practically two boards of equalization,"
says the commission, "one meeting
after the other, and having full power
to undo the work of its predecessor.
The county board of fqualization con
tinues in session one week, and if it
does not complete its work within the
week, the county court, at its next reg
ular session, completes the examina
tion and correction of the roll.
The new law is to do away with this,
making provision for the board meeting
after the roll is completed.
This proposed law contains several
provisions that seem to be an improve
ment upon the existing law. In the
first place, a taxpayer will not go before
the county board of equalization unless
he has a real grievance, for the court
has power to raise his assessment, and
his formal petition will serve to call
the attention of his neighbors and the
public generally to the representations
he is making governing the value of his
property. Placing the matter of equal
ization entiiely in the bands of one
board instead of two will centralize the
responsibilty and give time and oppor
tunity for careful and well advised
work.
Fire Precautions at Asylum.
Salem Lest friends and relatives of
the 1,420 patients confined in the in
sane asylum may be unduly concerned
as to their welfare on account of the
recent fire at that institution, an official
of the aBylum says that none of the pa
t'ents were in danger, and would not
be even in case of a fire serious enough
to destroy a considerable portion of the
building. The facilities for getting
natients out of the building are such
that a disastrous fire need not cause the
loss of a single life. In this particular
the building could scarcely be improved.
Umatilla Canal Contract Let.
Washnigton The secretary of the
Interior has awarded the contract to the
Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging com
pany, of Seattle, for the construction of
the storage feed canal of the Umatilla
irrigation project. The work of the
contract involves the construction of 25
miles of canal from the Umatilla river,
near Echo, to Cold Springs reservoir,
and consists of 700,000 cubic yards of
earth excavation, 6,000 cubic yards of
rock excavation, 2,300 cubic yards of
concrete and 2 600 cuhic yards of rip
rap. The bid was $161,388.
Wheat Yield About Normal.
Pendleton The harvest in all parts
of Umatilla county has commenced.
The threshing up to this time has been
too limited to make a very close esti
mate of the yield, but from what has
been threshed on the reservation, and
around Athena it is thought the yield
in thoBe districts will be about normal,
and had it not been for the hot winds
the yield would have been at least 25
per cent above the average.
Flour Mills Closed Down.
La Grande The flouring mills of La
Grande, Island City and Union have
closed down, having utilised all the old
supply -of wheat.
LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Household Goods Not Entitled to Ex.
emptlon, Says Supreme Court.
Salem By holding, in a decision just
rendered, that the householder's tax
exemption is unconstitutional, the Ore
gon Supreme court has declared void a
statute that has been in force in this
state almost continuously since 1859.
Householders exemptions have been
allowed every year except 1904, when
the exemption law had been repealed.
It was re-enacted by the special session
of 1903, but went into effect too late
to be applicable to the assessment of
1904. '
Approximately $8,000,000 has been
exempted from taxation in this state
from year to year, and legislators,
county officers and the people generally
have recognized the exemption as valid.
Now the Supreme court has declared all
these exemptions invalid.
Tins decision will make it necessary
for county assessors in many counties
to make a reassessment of property in
their counties for 1906, for it 1b the
practice of many assessors not to lict
property that is exempt. In some and
perhaps most of the counties the assess
ors list the exempt property and make
the deductions afterward.
Clackamas Farmers Are Happy.
Oregon City There 1b an abundant
yield of all hay and grain crops in
Clackamas county this year that sur
pass the average in quality. Early
fruits and vegetables yielded heavily,
while the vineyard, field and orchard
with maturing crops, give the producer
every assurance of increased prosperity
with the harvest. In celebration of the
large and satisfactory crops, a number
of harvest festivals have been held and
others are being arranged. It has been
years since Clackamas county farmers
were as prosperous and contented.
Yields 90 Bushels an Acre.
Weston A remarkably heavy yield
of barley has just been harvested on
the farm of u. Turner, two miles
north of this place. The yield from 14
acres was 529 sacks, or 1,267 bushels,
an average of 90 bushels to the acre.
Turner Bros, were expecting a good
yield, but did not look for more than
70 bushels to the acre, which is a big
yield.
Half Million to Clackamas Roll.
Oregon City By the decision of the
Supreme court on the tax exemption
law, Assessor Nelson reports that there
will be added to the Clackamas county
assessment rolls about $400,000 addi
tional on which next year's tax levy
will be made. Revision will delay the
task of completing the rolls which were
received from the state authorities ten
weeks later than the usual time.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Club. 71c: bluestem. 73c:
red, 69c; valley, 71c; new club, 70c;
new bluestem, 72c; valley, 7lc.
Oats No. 1 white feed, $30 ; gray,
$29 per ton.
Bar lev Feed. $23.50 per ton; brew
ing, $23.50 per ton; rolled, $2424.50.
Kye $1 50 per cwt.
Hay Valley timothy, No. 1, $11
12.50 per ton; clover, $8.509; cheat,
$6.50(37; grain hay, $78; alfalfa,
$11.
Fruits Annies. $1. 50 2.25 per box:
apricots, $1.251.35; cherries, 610r
per pound; currants, 910c; peach-
es, 75c$1.10 per box; plums, $1.25;
Logan berries, $1.35(2)1.40 per crate;
raspberries, $1.401.60; blackberries,
8c per pound ; gooseberries, sc.
Vegetables Beans. 5 (3 7c per pound:
cabbage, l2c; corn, 1520c per
dozen; cucumbers, 4Uouc per dozen;
egg plant, 1015c per pound; lettuce,
head, 25c per dozen; onions, 10
12c; peaa, 45c per pound; radish
es, 1015c per dozen; rhubarb, 2
2c per pound; spinach, 23c; toma
toes, $1.253 per box; parsley, 25c;
squash, $11.25 per crate; turnips,
90c$l per seek; carrots, $11.25 per
sack; beets, $1.25 1.50 per sack.
Onions New, red, llKc per
pound; new yellow, l2c per pound.
Potatoes Old Burbanks, nominal ;
new potatoes, 75c$1.25.
Batter Fancy creamery, 2022c
per pound.
Eggs Oregon ranch, 2121c pel
dozen.
Poultry Average old hens, 1314c
per pound; mixed chickens, 1313$c;
springs, 16 17; roosters, 9 10c;
Hrnnned chickens. 1415c: turkevs.
live, 1517c; turkeys, dressed, choice,
20322c; geese, live, 89c; ducks,
11013c.
Hops Oregon, 1905, ll12c; olds,
9c; 1906 contracts, 1215c per pound.
Wool Eastern Oregon average best,
1620c per pound, according to Bhrink.
age; valley, 2022, according to fine
ness; mohair, choice, 2830c per
pound.
Veal Dressed. 5U8c per pound.
Beef Dressed bulls, 3c per pound;
fnwK. iXtfaSUc: conntrv steers. 56c
Mutton Dressed fancy, 78c per
pound; ordinary, ooc; tamos, iancy,
88c.
Pork Dressed, 78)c per pound.
LOSS BY DISASTER.
Insurance Companies Male Returns
in San Francisci.
Albany, N. Y., Ju'.y 81 .4-State Su
perintendent of Insurance Otto Kelsey
tonight made public the results of Ms
investigation as to the losses of fire in
surance companies in the Sao Francisco
disaster.
All joint stock fire and inland marine
insurance companies transacting busi
ness in the state weie called! on for a
sworn statement as to their losses in
California. The companies were asked
for the grossamount of iniurance in
volved in risks destroyed or damaged,
the deduction for amounts recovered
by reinsurance, the deduction for esti
mated salvage, the total deduction and
the net amount of loss as shown by the
records June 30, 1906.
The New York state companies, 47
in n imber, thow the gross amount of
insurance involved as $41,110,069; the
reinsurance to be recovered, $10,834,
195; the estimated salvage, $7,137,183,
and ths actu41 amount of loss 123,138,
000. Returns from other joint stock fire
and fire marine insurance companies,
84 in number, show the grops amount
of insurance $80,423,704; reinsurance
to be recovered, $22,130,167; estimated
salvage, $11,358,25; actual amount of
loss, $51,983,111.
The foreign companies, 32 in nuoiber,
made these returns: uross insurance
involved, $101,4302,533; reinsurance
to be recovered, $32,281,808; estimated
salvage, $153,18,859; actual loss, $57,
701.856.
The gross amount of insurance in
volved by all companies was $222,836,
307 ; reinsurance, $65,246,771 ; salvage,
$33,814,468, and actual loss, $132,
823,067.
TIE-UP IS NOW COMPLETE.
Kruttschnitt Forbids More Freight
Cars In San Francisco.
San Francisco, July 31. The ember
go of the Southern Pacific on lumber,
lime and bay has been increased, and
now includes all articles from the north.
Not a pound of freight can be shipped
into San Francisco from Portland or
adjacent territory until the freight tie
up at San Francisco has been loosened
This is the latest edict of Julius
Kruttschnitt, who has been threatening
to do this for some time unless the sit
uation speedily cleared. It has been
decided by the local authorities to take
no further chances but to stop at ence
all shipments from the north.
For the embargo there is only one
remedy to clear up the congestion in
the freight yards. Efforts in this di
rection are being made by all the
freight agents, and the missionary
work among the consignees is having a
salutary effect. The unloading in the
yards is going on at a faster rate, bat
not fast enough to suit Kruttschnitt,
who has taken the precaution to see
that no more cars are added to the glut
that is already crowding the tracks.
The tie-up is working to the detrl
ment of the city, as many merchants
throughout the state are sending East
for their goods instead of patronizing
the wholesalers of San Francisco, be
lieving that they can secure their stocks
just as quickly under present conditions
ARREST CAUSES MUTINY.
Battalion of Russian Troops Attempts
to Rescue Prisoners.
Poltava, July 31. A grave outbreak
occurred yesterday in the Sevsky regi
ment owing to the arrest of a private of
r.he First battalion, who was discovered
with some other soldiers in a shed
where the revolutionists are in the
habit of holding meetings. After the
arrest the entire First battalion, accom
panied by a large crowd, paraded the
streets in defiance of the military au
thorities.
The soldiers proceeded to the artil
lery barracks, where they seized several
guns and marched with them to the
priscD, where the political prisoners
are confined. At this stage all the re
mainder of the Poltava grarison was
called out.
The loyal troops fired on the muti
neers with machine gum as they were
engaged in breaking novrn the gate of
the prison. Several men were killed
or wounded. The outbreak was not
suppressed until 2 o'clock this morning
Patent Office Behind.
Washington, July Sir-Patent attor
neys throughout the country are arrang
ing to send a delegation to see Presi
dent Roosevelt at Oyster Bay and re
quest him to either remove Commis
sioner Allen or cause sich change in
methods as will place tie patent office
on a satisfactory basis. The work of
the patent office, attorneys declare,
baa been running behinl since the ap
pointment of Mr. Allen five years ago.
There are now 23,000 ipplications for
patents unacted upon, besides numer
ous, copyrights, trade na-ks, etc.
Viborg Manifest) Seized.
Kharkov, July 31. The authorities
have seized copies of tb; Viborg mani
festo issued by the outLwed parliament
to the weight of 400 poinds which have
been surreptitously ihi'ped into Khar
kov. 1
IRRIGATION SCHOOL
Big Gathering for Boise tor the
First of September.
ONLY ONE ON COAST THIS YEAR
undreds of Letters Are Received at
Deadquarters Daily Special
Rates to Be Granted.
Boise, July 31. The Fourteenth Na
tional Irrigation congress, which meets
at Boise September 3 to 8, is the only
meeting of national importance to be
held on the Pacific slope during the
present year. Chairman Eben E. Mc-
Leod, of the Western Passenger aesocia
tion, has notified the executive commit
tee that rates for the congress will be
determined at the Minneapolis meeting
of the association today.
Although more than a month . will
elapse before the congress is to meet,
delegates to the number of over 1,000
have been appointed from different sec
tione east of the Rockv mountains, and
an average of 100 letters a day are be
ing received at headquarters, asking for
general information concerning the con
gress and the opportunities to be had
for learning as much as possible of ir
rigation methods, size of farms, capital
required, character of crops produced,
and the revenue to be depended upon
by the irrvigationists.
The Boise session of the congress is
to constitute a great school for irriva.
tion. Scientific and professional men
will discuss and analyze advanced theo
ries, engineers will give the solution of
the many engineering problems that
have been worked out, and the practical
irrigators will show in a practical way
what is accomplished by the results on
exhibition.
The general government has loaned
nearly $40,000,000 for the purpose of
reclaiming arid lands and providing
homes for the people. The loan was
made through an act of congress ap
proved by President Roosevelt four
years ago. At the Idaho meeting the
government is going to be asked to add
$100,000,000 more to the loan made to
its citizens for the more rapid comple
tion of the works now under construe
tion. Senators and members of con
gress are the real trustees of the anv
ernment in the loans made, and they
are coming to investigate the conditions
of the security which reclamation is
giving to insure its repayment.
Statesmen, capitalists, manufactur
ers, business men. emrineem and irrioa-
, -o
tiomsts, immigration and colonization
societies, borne makers and home seek
ers, all to the number of 2,000 or more,
will join in the great movement at the
Boise session of the National Irrigation
congress.
A special train will be made up at
Chicago for the delegates from the East
ern states. 'Vice President Fairbanks
and his party will occupy one of the
cars. The special will be known as
"the vice president's train."
MOSCOW BAKERS STRIKE.
Want Endurable Life, While Governor
Talks of Czar's Burdens.
Moscow, July 31. A strike has brok
en out here among the bakers who are
striving to obtain a betterment in their
working conditions and Sunday for a
day off. According to the Council of
Wotkmen, the total number of men on
strike in Moscow has reached 18,000,
in addition to which the Voekressensky
factory today locked out 3,000 em
ployes. The governor of Moscow has issued a
proclamation in answer to the Viborg
manifesto of the outlawed parliament
and given it a wide circulation here.
He declares the manifesto to be revolu
tionary in character and directed against
the emperor. It is time, the governoi
declares, for the loyal population to
come to the assistance of his majesty
and lighten his heavy burdens.
France Regrets Killing.
Paris, July 81. The French embassy
at Washington has been instructed to
express the deep regrets of the French
government at the killing of Lieutenant
Clarence England, navigating officer of
the United States cruiser Chattanooga,
who was mortally wounded at Chefoo,
China, July 28, by a rifle bullet fired
from the French armored cruiser Du
petit Thouars, while the crew of the
latter were engaged in small arms prac
tice. The authorities here are await
ing fuller reports before establishing
the responsibility for the accident.
Cruiser WashingtonTurned Over
Camden, N. J , July 81. The cruis
er Washington, built at the yards of
the New York Shipbuilding company,
in this city, was formally turned over
to the government yesterday. The
cruiser will not go into commission for
several days. No ceremonies marked
the transfer.
WILL HAVE BEST IN WORLD.
Wilson'a Opinion on Effect of Meat
of Meat Inspection Law.
Washington. July 30 Rnnrplnrv
Wilson today declared that, as a resnlt
of tne new meat inspection law and the
rules promulgated by him, a radical
change for the better would occur.
within a very short space of time. '
he said, "the meat products of the
United States will be purer and more
wholesome than any similar products
of the world. The conditions existing
in some ot the slaughtering and pack
ing nouses abroad are about as bad as
5 n be imagined, and the American
people henceforth will enjoy a distinct
aavamage over tne loieign consumers.
"Of particular importance is the rule
providing for weeklv inspection renorta
to be supplied the bureau of animal in
dustry, without such reports it would
oe uimcuit to cope with the situation.
As a general proposition, however, the
law will be complied with in every di
tail, but I shall take nothing for grant
ed, a id will make the inspections in
every establishment that the law reach
es rigid and complete."
It has not been determined when the
rules governing the interstate transpor
tation phase of the Question will be is
sued. The secretary is in almost daily
conierence witn railroad men, particu
larly from the West, and from these he
has already gathered a considerable
amount of data on the subject. It is
believed at the department that the
railroads will not be less sincere in
complying with the law than the pack
ers. In fact, it was stated today that
they have evinced a determination to
co-operate with the department in every
way in order that those meat products
which bear the government label shall
find their way into other than the states
from which they were shipped.
ROB POLISH TRAINS,
Armed Bandits Secure Large Sums
of Government Money.
Warsaw, July 30. Two daring train
robberies were committed in Russian
Poland today, one of them resulting in
a considerable loss of life. A train
from the frontier station of Herby,
bound for Czentochowa, was carrying
money received from the custom house
to the branch Imperial bank under
protection of seven frontier guardsmen.
General Zukat, chief of the frontier
guards ; General Weltering and Captain
Lacuma were passengers.
Fifteen persons boarded the train at
a way station. They evidently had
been waiting for it, and made an attack
on the guardsmen, who were reinforced
by the officers named. A regular
skirmish followed, in which the two
generals, two officials, five soldiers and
one robber were killed and Colonel
Brezeziki and one robber wounded. The
wounded and dead were taken to Czen
stochwowa. The robbers escaped, taking $8,000
and the arms of those who had attempt
ed to defend the train against robbers.
The second robbery was committed
on the Warsaw-Vienna railway, six
miles from Warsaw. While the train
was under way unknown persons pulled
the danger signal, causing it to stop.
Robbers who were aboard jumped out
and seized the locomotive and detached
the mail car from the train and ran it
down the line. They secured $37,500
of government money.
TRAIN HITS ELECTRIC CAR.
Passengers Tossed About and Many
Seriously Hurt.
Los Angeles, July 30. One woman
was killed, two or three persons fatally
injured and upwards of 35 hurt, many
of them Beriously, in a collision this
aiternoon by a local Southern Pacific
passenger train running between this
city and Pasadena and a car of the Sier
ra Madre division of the Pacific Electric
Railway company.
The accident happened at Oneonta
Junction, in the suburbs of South Pas
adena.
The electric car left here with 42 pas
sengers on board. Arriving at Oneonta,
the car stopped and the conductor went
ahead to the Southern Pacific crossing
at this point. He caw no train ap
proaching, and the car started ahead,
reaching the center of the crossing,
when the train from Pasadena for Los
Angeles suddenly rounded the curve
north and crashed into the car with
terrific impact.
More but of Worse Quality.
Washington, July 80. Revised fig
ures indicate that the immigration to
this country daring the fiscal year end
ing June 30 last, was 73,574 greater
than it was during the fiscal year 1905.
The immigration during the past year
aggregated 1,100,078, against 1,026,499
for the previous year. It is notable
that the class of immigrants was not so
high as in many previous years, most
of them coming from Austria-Hungary,
Russia and Italy. During the year just
paBsed 12,433 persons were debarred,
for various causes.
Testing New Bullets for Army.
Washington, July 30. Bullets which
are lighter and more pointed than those
now in use are being tested at the
Springfield armory. The new bullets
have much flatter trajectories than the.
old type, and consequently are much,
more efficient against advancing enemies