Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Lexington wheatfield. (Lexington, Or.) 1905-19?? | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1907)
THIRD TERM TALK. OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST CANNOT COLLECT POLLTAX. Attorney General Passes on Validity of Procedure. Salem Attorney General Crawford Iihh filed his opinion in the validity of the polltax collection with District Attorney Jolin II. McNury, upon a re quest from the latter. lloiiHe hill 325, w hich passed the last legislature, ro pwalod sections 11041 and 3142 of Bollin ger & Cotton' code, which abolishes the $1 polltwx law of 1854 and amended in 1870 to exompt firemen from the polltiix. roll. The act of 1885 and sub sequent amendatory acts providing for the state revonuoH cover the entire ground of the section enacted In 1854, providing that fstute revenues Bhall he 5 mills on the dollar of all taxablo prop erty and In addition to the $1 polltax. The attorney general holds thut after the repealing act goes into effect on May 25 the polltax cannot, be legally collected; that the assessment would not have tho validity of a judgment un til it iH entered on the roll. As the roll would not be mado up before the act takes effect, the assessor would have no further authority to collect the tax or make up the roll, and.that there is no authority in future for sheriffs to collect the tax. Plan to Finance Normal. Salem The maintenance of the Mon mouth State Normal school has revert ed to the shoulders of the board of re gents. Under the provision made by them at a meeting here, a regular state ment of the contingent expenses, as well as the payrolls, will be filed with the secretary of state, as heretofore, and several hanks havo agreed to advance the money on them, requiring an as-1 signment of the payrolls over to them. The members of the board will individ ually stand responsible for the payment of the hypothecated securities. This was practically the only course they could follow, as there are no funds available by the state, and Governor Chamberlain could not take any steps towards securing assistance, even if he were eo disposed. No Encampment This Year. Salem Governor Chamberlain has 'been officially notified by the War de partment of the abandonment of the regular army annual encampments, on account of so many of the men being in -Cuba, and the large number that will ber required to go to the Jamestown exposition. The department, how ever, calls attention to the fact that during one week to ten days in July, camps of instruction for coast artillery will be held, and the members of the Oregon National Guard are invited to participate. Assistant Secretary of War Oliver asks that preparations be made, together with a list of men who intend to attend, and forwarded to the department. Board of Sheep Inspectors. Salem Governor Chamberlain has named the new state beard of sheep commissioners. The new ofhcials are: First district William II. Steusloff, Salem, term of two years; district era- biaces Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas, Yamhill, Polk, Marion, Linn, Benton, Lincoln, Lane, Coos, Douglas, Curry, Josephine and Jackson counties. Second district Thomas Boylan, An telope, term one year; district compris es Wasco. Crook, Lake and Klamath counties. Third district Dan P. Smythe, Pen dleton, term three years; district com prises Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Grant, Wallowa, Baker, Harney and Malheur counties. Grain- Bags at Nine Cents. Pendleton An order for the purchase of 500,000 sacks was made oy ine exec utive committee of the Graingrowers' .association in this city. The name of -the firm of importers or manufacturers .and the price paid has not been given out, but it is thought that the sacks .are mado in Portland and they will not be more than 9 cents apiece deliv ered in this city. The contracts for 120.000 of these sacks have been signed by Morrow county growers, who, asked for and were given permission to come in with the Umatilla county farmers Howe Succeeds Williams. Salem Governor Chamberlain has Unpointed ex-State Senator W. A. Howe, of Carlton, a member of the tate board of agriculture to succeed Jasper Williams, of Albany, deceased, and President W. II. Downing, of Shaw, to succeed himself. He also re . appointed Drs. A. C. Smith, of Port land, Alfred C. Kinney, of Astoria, and C. J. Smith, of Pendleton, on the board of medical examiners. Their terms had expired. Commission Approves Rate. . Salem The Oregon Kailroad com mission has given its approval to the existing rate of $1.25 per thousand on "lumber in carload lots from Astoria to -Seaside on the Astoria & Columbia ! Kiver railroad. GATHERING DATA ON CARS. Commissioner Campbell to Ask Ship pers for Many Details. Baloin One of the important under takings of the Oregon Kail road commis sion is the collection of accurate infor mation regarding the shipment of pro duco in carload lots. Com miss ion er Campbell Is now arranging with the lumber companies to have them report to the commission every application for casr, the number and Kind, the uate oi application, and the date the cars were furnished; the date loaded, started from the shipping point and the desti nation. The commission will also ar range to learn when the cars reach the consignees and when they are unloaded. Information will be gathered also con cerning shipments of other products than lumber. The purpose is to place n the hands of the commission figures which will enable it to act intelligently upon controversies mac are likely to arise in the future. The reports will show tc what extent ttie car shortage is due to scarcity of equipment, delay n loading, delay in shipping and de lay in unloading. Crop Outlook Good. Milton Farmers in this section of Umatilla county are very optimsitic over the prospect of a bumper wheat and barley crop this coming season. The fall was an ideal one in regard to rainfall, there being plenty of moist ure in the ground before the setting in cf winter weather. The snowfall in the mountain districts this year has been unusually heavy, thus conserving the water supply for the suummer months. With the supply already pro duced by the thawing out on the low- amis or light sou districts, it leaves ittlo question as to the adequate sup ply of moisture. Crop Outlook In Harney. Burns The winter in Harney county is over and the snow in the valley has gone off with a warm rain. There is plenty of snow in the mountains to keep the high water over the swamp land and make good crops of bay. Stockmen have turned their herds out on the range, which is better than has ever been known for tais time in the year. Farmers are preparing their ground for spring crops and everything points to a successful year to the farm ers of Harney county. More Trout for Oregon. Oregon City Two hundred thousand Eastern brook trout have been received at the Clackamas United States bureau of fisheries station for distribution in Oregon, and 100,000 rainbow trout have been received from California. Super intendent O'Malley has started a sub station at Eagle Creek for steelhead work. PORTLAND MARKETS. Wheat Club, 7172c; bluestem, 73 74c; valley, 70c; red, 6970c. Oats No. 1 white, $29; gray, $28.50 Barley Feed, $2222.50 per ton; brewing, $23; rolled, $23.5024.50. Rye $1.451.50 per cwt. Corn Whole, $24.50; cracked, $22.50 per ton. Hay Valley timothy, No. 1, $14 15 per ton; Eastern Oregon timothy, i(fli8; ciover, su; cneat, ?a; grain hay, $910; alfalfa, $14. Butter Fancy creamery, 32Z5c per pound. Butter Fat First grade cream, 33c per pound ; second grade cream, 2c less per pound. Poultry Average old hens, 15c per pound; mixed chicken?, 14c; spring, fryers and broilers, 20(a)226c; old roosters, 1012c; dressed chickens, 1617c; turkeys, live, 1315e; tur keys, dressed, choice, 1820c; geese, live, 8c; ducks, 1618c. Jiggs uregon rancn, 17(2)18c per dozen. Apples uommon, oc(j?i.25 per box; choice, $1.502.50. vegetables Turnips, per sack; carrots, $11.25 per sack; beets, $1.251.50 per sack; horseradish, 7 8c per pound; cauliflower, $2.50 per dozen; celery, $3.25(3.50 per crate; sprouts, 9c; radishes, 30c per dozen; asparagus, 1012c per pound; ihu barb, $2.252.50 per box. Onions Oregon, 7590c per hun dred. Potatoes Oregon Burbanks, fancy, fi.3o; no. i cnoice, ?i(ai.z&; com mon, 75c$l. Veal Dressed, 59c per pound ueer JJressea Duns, 6(w,6i per pound; cows, 5 6c; country steers, otnjc. Mutton Dressed, fancy, 1010c ordinary, 89c per pcund. Pork Dressed, 69c per pound. Hops 912c per pound, according to quality. Wool Eastern Oregon average best, 1318c per pound, according to shrink age: valley, 2023c, according to fine ness; mohair, choice, 2730c pet pound. Movement Refuses to Down and the President May Accept. Washington, March 11. Politicians in Washington are trying to figure out the meaning of the sudden outburst of the Roosevelt third term boom here. They regard as especially significant the typewritten memorandum given out by Representative Martin, of South Dakota, after a conference with the president, vigorously defending the third term idea. They have reached the conclusion that the president lealizes that the third term movement must be allowed to run right on in order to head off the progress of the booms of reactionary candidates. The prevailing opinion here repiains that President Roosevelt personally will go as far as he can to prevent his own renomination, but will stop at nothing to assure the nomina tion of a successor in accord with his policies. Rather than see them succumb, many believe that the president himself, if properly approached, would take a re nomination, providing no other candi date satisfactory to himself and friends is strong enough to unite the next Re publican national convention. DISARMING IS EXCLUDED. Russia Will Not Allow Discussion at The Hague Conference. St. Petersburg, March 11. Professor de Martens, Russian imperial councillor of state, who has been making a tour of the capitals of Europe for the purpose of determining the program to be dis cussed at the next peace .conference at The Hague, is expected back in St. Petersburg this week. The introduction of any measures fo the limitation of armaments is regard ed here as definitely excluded, because of the attitude of several of the powers. United States Ambassador Riddle has inquired at the Foreign office here re garding the mode of admission to the next conference of certain South Amer ican and other states which did not participate in the first conference. He was informed that practically all the signatories had agreed to the method proposed by Russia, namely, notifica tion of acceptance of the regulations, the signing of the protocol of the first conference and the number of delegates ALL PRISONERS GOING NAKED. Refuse to Wear Clothes Because In fected With Leprosy, v St. Petersburg, March 11. Four hundred political prisoners at Smolensk have gone on a very original strike A week ago they refused to put on any clothes and since tnen they nave walked around stark naked. The reas6n is that the prison author ities took away their own clothes and gave them clothes made from the poor est grade of burlap unfit for making bags. After they had worn these clothes a few days nearly all were suf fering with a rash covering their whole bodies, but still the prisoners did not mutter. When a number of them had been infected with leprosy, one morn ing all of the clothes, blankets and Bheets were thrown out of the prison ers cells and they declared unanimous lj that they would go naked rather than run the risk of contracting diseas es from wearing the prison garb. PLAN TO FORTIFY PHILIPPINES. President Considers It and Will Push Construction Rapidly. Washington, March 11. Fortications of the Philippine islands formed the subject of a lengthy conference at the White House tonight, participated in by the president, Major Genera) Frank lin Bell, chief of staff; Brigadier Gen eral Murray, chief of coast artillery; Secretary of the Navy Metcalf, and Cap tain Mason Sargent, of the naval gener al board. There is available at the present time for this purpose $1,435,000 and tenative plans already have been prepared for carrying out the project. These were carefully gone over today by Secretary Taft and Generals Bell and Murray and it was the secretary's in tention to be at the White House to night and join in the conference, but he was unavoidably kept away. Will Bridge Gap of Time. Washington, March 11. As a result of consultations between Secretary Root and Director North, head of the Ameri can Tariff Expert commission, which visited "Germany relative to the making of some tariff arrangements before the expiration of the German order sus pending for a year the application of the German maximum tariff rates to American exports a new arrangement will have been made which will bridge over the period of time between that date and the reassembling of the next congress. Those 600 Not Avenged. Danville, 111., March 11. Tn the trial here of Will J. Davis, charged with manshmtjhter, owing to the Iro quois theater fire at Chicago, in which nearh 600 lives were lost in 1903, Judge Kimbrough today held that part of the Chicago ordinance , on which Davis was indicted is, void. NEWS FROM THE DECLINE TO MEET PINCHOT. Fulton and Heyburn Unwilling to Sup port Charges. Washington, March 13. In a report made to the house, Representtaive Lit tlefield, of Maine, chairman of the com mittee on expenditures in the depart ment of Agriculture, defends the Fores try bureau of that department. The recent attacks made upon Gifford Pinchot, chief forester, by Senators Fulton, of Oregon, and Heyburn, of Idaho, on the floor of the senate are held to be disproved by Mr. Littlefield after an examination of Mr. Pinchot under oath. Senator Fulton charged that the Forestry bureau was the "worst organized department of the govern ment," and blamed it for the land frauds in the Far West. Upon exam ination, Mr. Littlefield fcund only one flaw in the entire organization of the bureau, which was only minor in char acter, and immediately remedied on his suggestion. He showed that the land frauds of which Senator Fulton com plained were all perpetrated before the bureau of Forestry was established and when that branch of the government was under the control of the Interior department. Senator Fulton declined an invitation to appear before Mr. Littlefield's com mittee and cross examine Mr. Pinchot, as did Mr. Heyburn. who charged that at a meeting of the advocates of forestry at Boise. Idaho, last summer he had been howled down and openly insulted by employee of Mr. Pinchot's bureau. Mr. Littlefield himself was present at this meeting, and stated that there were not to exceed twenty foresters in an audience of 1,500 at that meeitng, and Senator Heyburn had . rever men tioned the matter to him. LAND ORDER IS RECALLED. President Finds Holding Up of Titles Hardship on Settlers. Washington, March 14. President Roosevelt today sent. the following let ter to the secretary ot the interior can celling his order of February 12, relat mg to the issuance of evidence of title under the public land laws: "My order of February 12, I9u, re lating to the issue of evidence cf title under the public land laws is hereby cancelled for the reason that congress did not appropriate an amount suffi cient to enable the commissioner of the general land office properly to carry out the purposes of that order, which were to have such examinations made of all applications for patent as would facili tate the issuance of title to bona fide settlers and homemakers; would reduce illegal entries to a minimum and bring the work of the land office up to date With the amount actually appropriated it is not possible to carry out the order or to provide with certainty .for the de tection of fraud without causing unrea sonable hardship to bona fide settlers and homemakers. ' In order to accomplish as much as can be accomplished with our present means in preventing illegal acquisition of public lands, the commissioner of the general land office wlil detail all his available field and office force in such manner, by concentration or other wise, as will as effectively as is possible with the actual appropriation restrict fraud, enforce the existing laws and promote the bona fide settlement of public lands by homemakers. Northwest Postal Affairs. Washington, March 9. Washington rural routes ordered established May 16: Hatline, Douglas county, route 1, population 340, families 85; Walla Walla, Walla Walla county, route o, population not given, families 120. Maurice W. staples has been ap pointed regular, John S. Gates substi tute, rural carrier, route 1, at Endicott, Wash. Oregon postmasters appointed : Cor bet, Newell P. Gleason, vice W. II. Reed, removed; Leland, Percy Or. Mims, vice H. C. Ball, resigned; Ma pleton, Ernest A. Tabor, vice F. C. Bean, resigned; Wren, George W. Hovey, vice Richard Wilde, resigned. Ammunition Not Guarded. Washington, March 14. That am munition used in infantry rifles is not guarded as closely as has been claimed by discharged negro soldiers, and that it is possible for soldiers to obtain ex tra ammunition was brought out in the Brownsville inquiry today. This testi mony was given by Captain D. W. Kilburn, of the Twenty-sixth infantry, which regiment preceded the negro soldiers at Fort Brown. The same wit ness declared that citizens of Browns ville made threats that they would run negro troops out of town. Forest Rangers for Idaho, Washington,, March 9. The follow ing forest rangers have been appointed in Idaho: W. A. Wickersham, J. W. Hill, H. A. Beigh, C. T. Gray, J. L. Wooden, C. K. Hoyt, of Boise; G. W. Hudnnicutt, Badger; C.H. Huff. Priest River; II. O. Rose, Weston; J. D. Mc Call, Lardo; G. F. Johnson, Meacham; D. II. Kerby, C. E. Herrich, Alphi; W. M. Carrbell, Weiser; NATIONAL CAPITAL PHILIPPINE ELECTIONS IN JULY Taft Will Attend Opening of First As sembly In September. Washington, March 15. Secretary Taft's proposed visit to the Philippines in September to attend the opening of the first Philippine assembly has direct ed attention toward the new legislative body to be created for the islanders. The assembly will consist of 61 mem bers apportioned upon the basis of one delegate for each 9,000 persons, and provision is made to increase the num ber to a total of 100. It will in a gen eral way correspond to the American house of representatives, while the Philippine commission will correspond to the United States senate, and the acts of the assembly must secure the approval of the commission before they become laws. Elections are to be held on July 30. Secretary Taft will start for the islands in August, and the first assembly will convene in September, subsequent elections for the assembly are to be held upon the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in odd numbered years, the delegates to hold office for two years. The election law of the Philippine islands requires that voters must be males 23 years old, citizens of the Philippines. The Australian ballot system is to be used, and heavy penal ties are prescribed for corrupt practices. WITHDRAWN FROM FOREST. Large Area In Pend d'Orielle Moun tains Open to Settlers Washington, March 16. The Forest service has received notice that 372,000 acres of land in Stevens county, Wash., have been released from temporary withdrawal. This land lies between the Pend d'Oreille river on the east and the Colville and Columbia rivers on the west. It is principally unsurveyed and mountainous. The area was orig inally withdrawn pending examination to determnie suitability for addition to the Priest River national forest. Its release was recommended by the forester because of numerous protests by settlers againet its reservation and because protection of the watersheds was not necessary in order to conserve any streams used for irrigation pur poses. Reports of examiners show that it is chiefly a brush land area much burned over, though a small proportion is timbered. The released land will be subject to settlement for 90 days before becoming subject to entry. Will Transfer Inspectors. Washington, March 12. Secretary Straus, of the department of Commerce and Labor, is greatly dissatisfied with the present methods of steamboat in spection, and today announced that marked reform is to be immediately inaugurated with a view to increased efficiency of service and reducing the chances of disaster. He has directed a change in the station of all inspectors of hulls and boilers throughout the United States and will ask congress next winter to authorize him to keep inspectors continually on the move. Gets Deserved Promotion. Washington, March 12. No govern ment official ever earned promotion more than F. II. Newell, who was to day made director of the reclamation service, succeeding O. D. Walcott. Mr. Newell entered the government service in 1888, first undertaking general irri gation surveys and later taking charge of the hydrographic bureau, when it was formed. For 18 years he has de voted his entire time to studying the resources and irrigation possibilities of the arid West, and he is now better informed on this subject than any other living man. Reopen Much Coal Land. Washington, March 13. President Roosevelt will sign an order restoring to the public domain practically 30, 000,000 acres of land recently with drawn as coal land. The land was part of a withdrawal aggregating 64,000,000 acres. Since the withdrawal experts of the Geological survey have been engag ed in ascertaining the coal bearing val ue of the withrawn land and, while the land to be restored to entry is still classified as coal land, it is understood its value as such does not warrant ex clusion from public entry. New Bids for Life Saving Tug. Washington, March 12. Bids will again be opened April 4 for the con struction of a life saving tug for for the station at the entrance of the straits of Fuca. The department hopes to get bids from the Pacific coast. In previ ous competitions Pusey & Jones, of Wilmington, were the lowest bidders, at $189,000, but their bid exceeded the appropriation. Congress has since In creased this, and now $203,000 is available.