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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 1917)
VE"ATI!lSRMaTmura ypstcrdaj 90;u)imimim to'tlay, 50. FORECAST Tonight and tomorrow: Pair ir r Forty-wventh Tear, pally Twelfth Year. . MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1917 NO. lot HANSON .BOND DECLARED ILLEGA D MEDFORD IL I , A H LVJLfll JL 1VLO U 1 JCi aN BANCROFT T Paving Assessments as Originally Made Declared Valid, But Hansen Plan of Reassessment and Refin ancing Paving Indebtedness De clared Void by Supreme Court as In Conflict With Bancroft Bonding Law. SALEM, Sept. 10. According la an opinion filed by tlio supreme court today in the Mod font bonding cases, the Hansen plan nC refinancing tlie pity's paving indebtedness was de clared illegal because in conflict wilh ' the Bancroft bonding net, and the present outstanding paving and im provement indebtedness declared valid and assessments legal, because contracted in accordance with the Bancroft bonding act. The decisions were rendered in the case of C. D. Colby vs. the City of Medford. Colby brought suit to de a dure the Hanson plan invalid arid also to invalidate the outstanding paving indebtedness contracted un der the Hnnucrofl act. In the latter contention William Sluiley was an intervener: '" ' '" Under this decision, it is up to the property owners to put up their de linquent assessments nnd interest on raving indebtedness, most of which has been unpaid for the last five years. The Hanson plan of refinancing the city was adopted last January nt the city election nnd provided a re assessment of indebtedness incurred under the Bancroft act for public improvements. It was designed to take up outstanding indebtedness by H a reissue of bonds, I bus giving uddi 1 tional time to those delinquent in as sessments. Detuils of the decision will be pub lished when received. Judge Calkins decided the case fa vorably to the city and the decision was appealed. F. M. Newman was attorney for the apixdlnnts, and F. W. Meurs, city attorney, Howard A. Hanson nnd A. K. Kennies attorneys for respondents. EL PASO, Tex., Sept. 10. Ger mun mining companies continue to obtain control of large mining inter ests in northern Mexico and nro in vesting millions of dollars in silver, lead, coal and copwr mines, Ameri can mining men having holdings in Mexico declared.- The Mines & Metals Co., a Oer man-owned compuny, suid to have its headquarters in Strassburg, Gcr- many, is preparing to open recently acquired properties nt Santa Eulalie, near Chihuahua City, nnd also at Sierra Mojedo, where the company controls a branch rnilrond ns well as a large mineralized district. In Cusi hiiirinchic the I'inolcs company, . a subsidiary of the Strassburg concern has acquired large land holdings in n rich mineral district and is prcpnring to do extcusivo development work nt ' once. These German activities arc not war measures, the American mining men sny, but ore part of the German government's plan of a commercial conquest after the war, and also of fers one of the few opportunities for hinie investments of Ovrnian money abroad. AC SUSTAINED HEAVY FIGHTING RAGING ALONG E Violent Artillery Attacks Reported British' Casualties for Week Total 27,000, Showing Allied Forces Are Keeping Constant Pressure Upon Enemy Rumanians Active. BKRI.IN, Sept. 19. Violent waves of artillery flro which were direct ed with Increased Intensity yester day upon the German lines between Houtliolst wood and the Lys on the Flanders front developed last evening and this morning into drum fire, army headquarters announced today. The entente Infantry, however, did not attack. - , LONDON, Sept. 19. Casualties in the British ranks reported for the week en (ing yesterday follow: Killed or died of wounds, 135 of ficers and 4755 men. Officers wounded or missing 431; men wounded or missing 21,843. Heavy Fighting. Reports from the British front in Flanders continue to mention only raids and artillery and airplane ac tivities. Notwithstanding that virr tually all the recent London state ments have been similarly lacking In records of major operations, the Brit ish casualty lists disclose there has been heavy, fighting. Casualties on all fronts reported during the week ending yesterday, for instance totall ed more than 27,000, of which the killed numbered 4890. '" Point is given these facts to the recent reports of correspondents that despite the laconic official announce ments, the British activities are by no means as unimportant as they might seem, and that all arms of the British service are being constantly employed In the process of wearing down the German resistance. The German casualties for specific pe riods aro not so readily available, but observers at the front calculate them as extremely heavy in the sort of fighting now In progress. Ilumunluns Active PETROGRAD, Sept. 19. Human Ian forces yesterday attacked the Aus-tro-German positions south of Groz echtl In the Ocna region and occu pied heights there, the waf depart ment announced today. Rumania's army is continuing Us activity on the Moldavia front and has won another Biiccess. -J'etro- grad reports the occupation by Rus sian troops of a Teutonic position on a height near Grozechtl. The Rus sian front proper is comparatively quiet, neither side apparently being engaged In any Important operations. HILL STEAMERS l'OHTLANIL Sept. 10. Orders came today from the Vailed States shipping hoard to him the comman deered twin lihers Great Northern nnd Northern Pacific over to the gov eminent immediately, according to an announcement made here today by the Great Northern Pacific Steam ship company, which owns the boats. They are to be sent to llremcrti Wesh., at once, and it is believed, converted into transports. When the present t rips on their run between San Francisco and Flnvel. Or., are completed the boats will be taken off. The Northern Pacifie was due to arrive nt Flnvel on its In.) trip today. The Great Northern will leave San Frmiciteo on its la-t trip tomorrow, according to lite company announcement. BELGIAN LIN AMOY, China, Sept. 17 (delayed). More than 00(1 natives were killed by the typhoon wlpch struck Amoy without warning nt the end of lust week. Eighty-five per cent of the water craft in Ihe harbors nearby was destroyed. No foreigners have been reported lost. Outlying districts cannot be com municated with and it is feared great damage has been done there. One village on the island of Amoy reports that only sixteen out of 200 fishing boats were saved. The Japanese, steamship Amnkusn Muru, 2!!5(i tons, is on the rocks op posite Kulungsii, and it is doubtful if she call be salvaged. The former German steamship Keong Wai, 1777 tons gross, is in a hoc)css jiosition on the Kulangsu rocks. The Chinese steamship Kongo was driven nsho're at Kiilangsii, and the Hritish hulk Shanghai, was beached at Amoy. Both of the vessels, it is believed, enn be saved. WASHINGTON, Sept. 11. A com plete agreement by night on the ad ministration trading with tho enemy bill was promised when conferees on the measure resumed work today. The insurance and Imports embargo provisions were among the more Im portant questions awaiting final de termination. WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 Major General Monroe, chief Inspector of mall arms ammunition at the Frank fort arsenal, testified today before the houso Investigating committee that eight million cartridge primers had been condemned since the de fective primers had been discovered in the arsenal's output. ihe opider and the t iy POSTAGE RATES M BILL WASHINGTON, Sept. 1!). Dis pute over second-class postage rates mucked today's session of the con ferees on the war tax bill, with the result left in doubt. Final agreements were not reach ed on any of the importunt contests, according lo reliable reports from the committee room. Tho house con ferees held a separate conference during their luncheon recess, discus sing further movements in their con tests with the senate members. In endeavoring to fix details of the zone compromise system for increas ed second class mail rates, the con ference was said to have developed much feeling, with Ihe senale mem bers inclined to abnnilon yesterday's agreement for a compromise increase and adamant to house proposals be lieved by Hie senate conferees lo be too drastic. Exceptions from war excesses profits taxation und the standard of taxable capitalization also continued lo divide the conferees. Representatives of jewelry, auto mobile ii in ii n In ct LircrM and other in terests, stirred by publication of re imposilion of the lax rates iiffeeting them, reached here in numbers today and were heard by individual confer ees, while other member of both houses were deluged with telegrams from business interesls in their home states protesting nguinst Ihe rales. AUSTRIA REPUESlo . POPE SATURDAY AMSTKHDAM", Sept. 1!). Aus triii's reply to l'oe llcncdiet's pence proposals, snys.lho Wiener Allge lueine Zciliing, will be handed to the papal nuncio at Vienna on Thursday ami niU be published Saturday. The reply will confine itself to n detailed di-eus-ion of ihe pope's sug gclion. The report llint it will con-, lain new and astonishing peace pro. posals, the Vienna newspaper adds, is nh"nliilely nt variance Willi (lie fuels. 99 C L COI'FNHAGUN, Sept. II). Two German submarines have been sunk by British naval forces, reporlH the Hcrgen correspondent of the Tidens Tegns. Six men from the U-boats were taken prisoners. An nrmed British steamer in the North Sea sunk a German subma rine which was shelling a neutral sailing vessel. The second submarine was sunk by a British torpedo-boat destroyer while attacking an armed steamer. CIIRISTIANIA, Kepi. J!). German submarines have sunk the Norweg ian steamships Facto, of 21172 tons, and Ihe Thomas King, ll.'ilill tons, it was announced today at Ihe Norweg ian foreign office. Two men from each vessel perished. The Hcrgen correspondent of the Aftonsladet says Hint the nrmed stonmer which sunk a German sub marine in the North sea while the U biinl was shelling a iiculriil sailing ship was an American steamer. CHICAGO, Sept. 19. Mayor Wm. Halo Thompson, whoso opposition to sending troops abroad aroused com ment all over the country, apparently climbed into tho patriotic band wag on today with a proclamation occas ioned by the departure of scioctcd men from Chicago to the Rockford cantonment. In tho course of the preamble ho days: ''' ' ' "Whereas, It is tho duty of ail pa triotic cllzens to slnnd by our conn try In time of controversy with any other con nt ry and to show In an un mlslakable way that the American people Blu ml behind the army and the navy which represent tho majesty of our government." Ho calls upon citizen of tho "sixth German city" as he labelled it some tlmo ago, to show soldiers nnd sail ors we are "nulled In a common love for the blessings of our frco govern incut." CONFEREES ON WAR BOND BILL IN AGREEMENT Measure Calling for Eleven and a Half Billion War Credits to Be Fin ally Passed by House and Senate This Week War Deficiency Bill In Senate Hands. WASHINGTON, Sept. 1. Agree ment on the war credits hill author izing $11,5:18,0011,000 of new bonds and certificates was reached today by somite nnd house conferees with no change in Ihe issues proposed. Adoption of the conference report tomorrow by tho senalo and by the house on Friday is planned. Minor changes only were nuido by the. conferees. They adopted exponse allowances of one-filth of ono per cent for tho bonds and wur saving certificates us originally recommend ed by Secretary M'cAdoo, mid ono tonlh i( one per cent for the treeas ury certificates of indebtedness. They eliminated Senator La Follette's amendment fixing the rate on tho war saving certificates at 4 per cent, and retained the house provision giving the seeretury of tho treasury full au thority to demand tho rule which is expected to bo slightly uioro (hull 4 per cent. Four Billions for Allies. The bill authorizes $7,r:i8,000,000 of new convertible 4 per cent bonds, subject to income siirluxes und war excess profit tuxes. Of Ihese four million are for new loans to the al lies, Ihe remainder to convert Ihe 31, per cent liberty loan and to refund miscellaneous bonds. . Issuance of $2,0(10,01)0,0(10 of war savings oer tificutes and same amount of short term treasury certificates of indebt edness also was provided. Carrying .$7,000,000,000, tho war deficiency bill is today in the sen ale's hands, following ils pnssuge yesterday by Ihe houso wilhout a dis XPiitinir vole. The senalo probably will act promptly afler its appropri ations committee, which now is con sidering the bill, reports. linker n Witness. The commiltee today begun hear ings on tho bill wilh Secretary Huker appearing as the first witness. The seeretury was expected to present new estimates for tho army which, together with other estimates, may bring Iho bill's total up to .uboiit $8,0(10,0110,000. The bill is Ihe big gest money measure in American his tory. Among the larger items of up. proprialions are: Shipping board, $I,7I!I,OIIO,000; forliliealion-s, $1, 4!)f,()00,000; emergency funds, $200, 000,000; torpedo boat destroyers, 'j:i.-,,()lio,()ll(), und machine guns, $:I.'I8,0IIII,()I)0. With the beginning of senalo hear ings on the bill today, .Secretary Ba ker presented estimates for addi tional appropriations of $287,41(1, 00(1, principally for ordnance and Hie engineering service. LONDON, Sept. 19. Tho Ameri can steamer I'laturla was torpedoed by a German submarine on Septem ber Hi. Forty-flvo survivors have been landed by tho Italian steamer Andrea. The master of the I'laturla and eight of tho crew were drowned. The I'laturla was a tank steamship of 3145 tons register, owned by tho Standard Oil company and was for marly known as the Dlamiint. She left Newport Nuws, Vn., In July, with cargo of oil for Italian ports. She was coiniuiinded by Captain John Leslie. Captain I.e.dlo lived In Jersey C'lly, N. J. All told thero wera 1 1 mem bers of tho rrew and 1:1 naval gun ners. Among the crew including the captain were ID Americans, including T. Johnson, baker boy, l!Mt Iron St., Belliugham, Wn. PROSPECTSGOOD FORSETILEMENT COAST STRIKES Entire Coast to Be Considered as Unit In Determining Wage for Ship yard Employes at Gompers' Sug gestionMetal Trades Refuse the Mare Island Wage Scale. WASHINGTON, Sept.-19 Labor dopurtment officials today expressed the opinion that there "is some pros pect of adjustment soon of the shlp bulldingand iron workers strike at San Francisco. ' . Their estimate was based largely. It was said, upon a telegram received from W. T. Boyce, assistant commis sioner of immigration at San Fran cisco, who Is acting as conciliator. Mr. Boyce reported conferences last night and that he expected to resume' them today. ' Coast as a Unit. Urgent suggestion from the Ameri can Federation of Labor, however, that the entire Pacific coast should be considered a unit In determining wage scales for shipyards employes dimmed the hope of shipping board officials of settling independently the strike of Iron workers at San Fran cisco. Consequently the shipping board dovoted more attention to solu tion of the difficulty arising out of a Seattle company's action In grant ing high union wao demands. Chair man Hurley of tho board considered postponing his trip to the coast until he could confer wilh the general man ager of the Seattle company due to arrive hero tomorrow. Mr. Hurley had planned to leave late today, Another Conference. Tho suggestion of federal concilia tors that (lie San Francisco strikers go back to work temporarily on the basis of the Mare Island wage scale, recently Increased about ten percent, was not rocelved favorably by offi cials of the metal trados department of tho American Federation of Labor. They explained that the Mare Island sealo was based on rates In commer cial plants about Sun Francisco and was considered too low. Interna tional officers of the federation ex pressed the opinion that the San Francisco disputo could not be set tled b'eforo the Seattle situation is composed. Mr. Hurley and Samuel Gompers arranged another conference today on tho problem. TO BE ORGANIZED WASHINGTON, Sept. 10. Mer chant representatives aro to be nam ed for all stales to assist in organ izing retail merchants for work in co-operiilion with Ihe food adminis tration. WASHINGTON, Sept. 10. Tho fond administration him commission ed Henry Woll'er, formerly head of (he Minnesnlu Stale Binder Twine Works, to invesligulo the sisal nnd hemp industry, with a view to action toward reducing prices. The price bus risen not) per cent since the wur began. TACO.VIA, Wn., Sept. 1!). Hidden under a carload of watermelons, the first big conslgnmoi.t of liquor to he solzed since the federal dry law went Inlo effect was taken last night at Buckley when tlio city and county dry squad found seven cases of whiskey value dut $101)0 under present con ditions. The cur was consigned to K. A. Dillon, a California Jobber, who Is now held at the county jail, and who denies knowledge of the ship ment. ... ! J
