1 X
ail Tribune
The Weather
Prediction Fair
Maximum yesterday 44
Minimum today 30
MEDFORD
Weather Year Kfgo (
Maximum ....'; 39
Minimum 26
M
I:
t
t'nllv Kivr toon tli Yen p.
Weekly Klfty-Sccona Year.
. h .-$ t
HARDING
ENTIRE BUSINESS DIS'T
DESTROYED, TWO KILLED,
FIRE IS STIEE BURNING
Most Disastrous Fire in History of Oregon Sweeps Columbia
River Sea Port Loss Estimated As High As $15,000,000
Two Men Killed and Reports ofMany Injured Fire De
partment Handicapped By Lack of Equipment Banks and
Bakeries Burned, City Without Money Or Bread Port
land Rushes Fire Fighters and Relief Workers Fire
Spreads Under .Wooden Piling Which Supports City.
ASTORIA, Dee. 8.--A fire caused by an explosion in the Bee
Hive store at two o'clock this morning, lias practically reduced
tiiis city to a ruin of embers and ashes, resulted in the loss of several
lives, and a property loss which will rcac'h into millions of dollars.
The business district of the city is completely destroyed, all banks
and stores are a smouldering mass of ruins, every hotel and every
newspaper is burned, while the destruction of the piles supporting a
larec section of the city has resulted in many sections ot tile business
district falling into a morass ofiliuek and water.
. Two men are reported dead. They are Morris Staples, automobile
dealer and president of the Bank of Commerce, and W. II. Fellmali,
owner of thp largest furniture store, who apparently dropped dead
from exhaustioli. ' -
The first report was received at' 3:23 a. m., from the Astoria fire
department which sent' a frantic call for all available fire supplies.
At 3:32 a. in., the mayor of Astoria sent in an appeal for all available
fire fighting squipmeiit that could be spared from Portland. .
SAIjEM, Ore, Woe. 8. George.
A. White, adjutant general or
Oregon, left Salem this after
noon for Portland to ttnko
ehnrge of the detachment of 100
Notional (iuanlHinin from that
city who an- to leave lortland nt
four o'clock tills iiflernoon for
Patrol duty In Astoria. The need
for troops to augment the local
poliro authorities there to keep
ohIit and prevent looting, was
declared to bo great this after
noon. PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 8. (By
tho Associated Press) More than
thirty stiuaro blocks of tho business
district of Astoria, Oregon, including
part of tho older resldonco district,
most of tho k'udlne business houses
and banks, and tho buildings of the
two newspapors, had been swept by
a flro which started early today and
got out of control by eating under
neath tho piling upon which tho cily
has been built on tho bunk of the Co
lumbia river, about 100 miles from
here. 1
One 'death had been reported and
thoro wore rumors of many Injured.
Tho correspondent of tho Associated
press, reporting by telephone to tho
Portland bureau shortly utter 1 i
o'clock, said authorities had just
lcarnod there had been another fire
fatality in addition to the death of
Staples, business man and bunker,
who dropped dead of heart, failure.
Chief of Police ('. L. Carlson said he
had heard a man hanged himself
while tho fire was raging, but he hud
not learned tho' man's name. Chief
Carlson could give no further verifi
cation of a wireless dispatch received
ut tho United States naval radio sta
tion ut Bremerton, Wush., from As
toria to tho effect that "several
deaths and numerous injuries" had
resulted from tho conflagration.
Loss Placed nt 913.000,000.
Home unofficial estimates placed
tho loss as high as $15,000,000. Tho
Associated Press correspondent said
the assessed valuo of Astoria was
about tl2, 000.000 and added "the
residence district has not been
touched."
Portland was preparing to scr.d aid
to tho stricken city. Astoria business
men sent word to Portland that tho
city was in need of moncv na all the
banks had been burned and cash
was locked up In the vailts. All the
bakeries were burned and bvead was
needed. Beds will bo obtulned from
Seaside, near Astoria to accommo
date homeless persons, It was an
nounced. As the correspondent of the Asso
ciated Press was telephoning to
Portland tho sound of explosions of
dynamite wrecking buildings In the
path of tho fire, close to where the
correspondent was. could be hoard
over the wire.
The fire had reached Seventeenth
street In the east end of Astoria, at
11 o'clock.
Newspapers Huriied.
The plants of both Astoria daily
newspapers, the Budget, nfternoon,
" "
and Astorlun, morning, were swept
by the fire.
Tho Budget occupied a two story
brick building and lite upper floors
were burned. Tho composing room,
including tho linotypes and gus plan.
was wrecked. Whether tho press In
the basement was destroyed was not
known nt noon. The Budget wiib
getting out today's edition, a six
eolumn one-puge sheet, nt Seaside.
Tho Astorian recently moved into
a new concrete ono-story building and
this was swept through by tho flames,
which destroyed much of tho equip
ment. Apparatus arrived from the Port
land fire department, including two
steamers and-a gasolino pumper and
0000 feet of hose. This was added to
six lines of hose which the Astoria
tiro department bad on. tho fire.
Reported Many Injured.
SEATTLE, Dec. 8. A dispatch re
ceived by tho United States naval ra
dio station at . Bremerton, Wash.,
dated from Aslorin, Ore., nt 9 a. m.,
said:
"The fire is extremely out of con
trol and fanned by n westerly breeze,
is sweeping rapidly over tho unburn
ed area. Several denths nnd numer
ous injuries have resulted from the
conflagration and dynamiting is being
resorted to In an effort to check tho
flumes. The entire city Is In immi
ncnt danger of destruction."
PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 8. Port
land business men at n meeting today
arranged for a relief train to tuko
food and supplies to Astoria.
Looting Is Reported
ASTORIA, Ore., Dec. 8. Tho flro
at 1015 hud Crossed Sixteenth street
at Commercial street, where a de
termlned effort was being Hindu to
stop It nt the Astoria business col
lege building. Tho flro nt that time
had swept through the concrete
building of the Astorian.
The fire was expected to burn Itsolf
out at tho east end because few
buildings remained In Its path In that
direction.
Tho police were making an effort
to patrol tho fire swept district.
Thero wero some reports of looting.
There were rumors of persons being
Injured, but no further deaths had
been reported up to ton o'clock.
A meeting of business men was
called at the Episcopalian church to
plan relief nnd re-construction work.
Buildings In the vicinity of the
city hall were dynamited to cheek tho
flames there and windows of the city
hall were shattered. The flro had
been stopped across the street from
the city hall and that building ap
peared to be safe.
According to reports from the fire
swept nren early todny, Norrls Sta
ples, one of the lending automobile
dealers of the city, and president of
the Bank of Commerce, had dropped
dead. Another report said Brennan
Van Dusen. a business mrfn, was
(Contintiod on Pago sit.)
', MEDFORD,
OREGON,
FOR STRICT DRY ENFORCEMENT
Negroes Rob Harry
Payne Whitney Home
$150,000 Valuables
NEWD YORK, Dec. S. Theft
by a gang of negroes of J150.000
worth of valuables from the sum
mer homos of Harry Payne Whit
ney and other prominent New
Yorkers was revealed lust night
by detectives after a battle In
"Hell's Kitchen," on the edge of
the uptown theater district. Tho
detectives made two arrests and
recovered loot valued at $50,000.
BY MEDFORDITE
W. B. Bicldle of This City,
Takes Firm Stand for U. P.
at Hearing Before I. C. C'
Railroad Competition Crying
Need.
WASHINGTON, Dec. S. Finan
cial aspects of the proposed sepa
ration of the Southern Pacific rail
road from tho Central Pacific were
put before the interstate commerce
commtsison today by Judge Robert S.
Lovett, chairman of the board of
directors of the Union Pacific.
Application of the Southern Pa
cific for permission to retain tho Cen
tral Pacific despite the supreme
court decision ordering their divorce,
he said, was considered by the Un
ion Pacific to be "in a certain sense,
war."
Judge Lovett freely conceded that
the Union Pacific had expended
largo, but unnamed amounts of
money to Influence public opinion
on the Pacific c6ast and olsowhore
in an effort to defeat the campaign
of tho Southern Pacific.
"The Union Pacific is willing to
buy the Central Pacific at a fair
price from tho Southern Pacific,"
Judge Lovett said In response to
questions that Fred H. Wood, coun
sel for the Southern Pacific-
"That Is, the Union Pacific is will
ing to make the purchase, provided
that the Central Pacific can bo sep
arated from the Southern Pnclflc ttn
dor conditions that will let it live.
But' we are not trying to buy tho
Central Pacific though wo are willing
to do so. All we ask here is that the
two lines be separated so that compe
tition may be maintained and not
limited. In transcontinental railroad
operation."
Hallways Vital to- Industry
W. 11. Biddlo of Medford, who
served at ono time as president of
tho Frisco line and as vice-president
of tho Hock Island, said thero was
dire necessity for railroad competi
tion In southern Oregon and north
ern California.
"My own oxperlonco In the devel
opment of a railroad," he. said, "is
that It is almost impossible to se
cure the location of Industries with
out railroad competition. It Is a
very vital factor. Tho territory
north of Sacramento and south of
Kugene, in the neighborhood of 500
miles Is susceptible of wonderful de
velopment which can come only from
competition of railroads. The physi
cal character of the country Is such
If Is Impossible for Independent de
velopment of a railroad. Tho con
struction of a new road Is not justi
fied, so development of the country
must come from the ttue of facilities
already constructed or partly con
structed. Tbo use of these properties
must be under competitive condi
tions If the country is going to be de
veloped"
Mr. Biddle said competition would
prove a great factor In building up
southwestern Oregon, In some parts
of which he stated the only thing
now produced is cord wood and moon
shine.
Oregon with all its natural advan
tage!, he said, Is more backward than
any other state he has observed and
ho attributed this condition to the
lack of railroad competition. He org
jed that the Southern Pacific's applt-
(Continued on Pago alt.7
S. P. DIVORCE IS
STRONGLY URGED
OKEGOX, Fill DAY, DECEMBER 8, 1922
DESTROYED
i
18
IN R. R. RATE
C. C. Commission Grants
Reduction in Freight Rates
to Northern, California and
Klamath Falis Rates From
California Raised Present
Rates Declared Unfair.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8. Railroad
rates on classified freight moving from
Portland, Medford, Klamath Falls and
other jobbing centers in Oregon to
consuming territory in southern Ore
gon and northern California were held
today by jthe r . Inter-state commerce
commission to be unreasonably high
and to constitute a discrimination
against the Oregon cities and in favor
of San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramen
to, Stockton and Marysvllle, Cal.
The commission ordered a general
reorganization of the rates applying
to the traffic o the general principle
of reducing slightly the "charges on
classified freight moving from the
northern points and increasing slightly
the rates to the same. restrictions on
similar freight, movjjg from the. .Cali
fornia ClllOB. n I
A complete formula which railroads
must follow In reconstructing rate
schedules was laid down in the decis
ion and the western roads were ord
ered to put the new schedule into ef
fect on or before February 24.
Traffic associations and shippers
from all the cities named participated
in the controversy submitted to the
commission and tho public service
commission of Oregon supported the
demand for the alteration granted to
day, while the railroad commission of
California opposed it.
California Favored
The commission's decision said that
though the consuming territory lying
along tho Oregon-California border
was approximately equal In distance
from the California and Oregon Job
bing centers, under the rate schedules
Oregon shippers had been able to fur
nish Icbs than 17 per cent of the total
freight shipped into this territory.
Railroads concerned defended the
higher rates from the north on tho
ground that grades wore steeper and
operating expenses greater than on
the linos from the south.
"We are of tho opinion that tho ex
isting advantage to tho California job
bers in the class rates between the
central California points and the des
tination territory is greater than Ib
warranted," tho commission s opinion
said, "by the operation, transportation
and commercial conditions surround
ing the northbound traffic as com
pared with that moving from the Ore
gon points southbound. Wo have
never hold that it Is necessary that in
order to preservo advantages of loca
tion, rates should bo based rigidly
on mileage or on cost of service. A
certain Uegroo ot flexibility is itwmlt-
ted in adjusting rates if commercial
and competitive conditions warrant."
The entiro rate structure to points
In California north of Rod Bluff to
tho Orogon state line wns ordered
modified. The Oregon points to which
the rates are to be altered are mainly
located on the Klamath Falls branch
ot the Southern Pacific.
S.F,
GUESTS RESCUED
SAN FRANCISCO. Yoc. 8. -Fire
which swept through the six-story
hotel fiarllund today, was pronounc
ed definitely under control nfter vir
tually all tho flro .fighting apparatus
in tho city had fought It for three
hours. A search of tho hotel re
vealed that all of the guests were
safe.
Scores of guests wero reset d only
after repeated acts of heroism on the
part of the fire fighters. and hotel
employes. Three firemen .wero In
jured, none seriously.
The (iartlnnd is valued at 1300,000
and tho interior appears to be de
stroyed, according to Fire Chief
Thomas Murphy, lis guests for the
most part were women stenographers
nnd clerks.
MEDFORD
'
Serves Sentence By
Feeding One Goose
A Day to Family
ATLANTA, . Co., Dec. X.
Louis l'uzoll . today begun serv-
lug his sentenco .of eating one
gooso a day for six days follow-
ing his arraignment in polico
court horo yesterday bocmiso
his flock of Blx domestic geeso
kept neighbors uwnko with
tholr hissing and honking.
l'uzoll, unable to sell his
feathered Dock, suggested to
tho court that his case be dis-
mlssod it he served ono gooso
a dny to IiIb family. Ho cx-
pects to encounter no trottblo
In carrying out the sentence.
WAR TO DEATH
IS
Free State Executes Four
More Prominent Rebels As
Reprisal for Assassination
of Deputy Hales Yesterday
Dublin in UproaVr
LONDON, Doc. 8. (By the 'Asso
ciated Press.) The Irish republi
cans, says a dispatch to the livening
Standard from Dublin, have Issued
a manlfosto describing Timothy
Healy, the govornor general, as a
lifelong enemy of tho nation. The
manifesto adds:
"The fight will go on as long as
there Is a man in Ireland. It is war
to tho death."
DUBLIN, Dec. 8. (By tho Asso
ciated Press.) Rory O'Connor and
L'.ain Mcllowos, together with two
other Irish robelB, wero executed In
Mountjoy prison this morning, it was
officially announced.
Tho two "other men executed wore
Joseph McKelvy and Richard Bar
rett, both prominent republicans.
An official army roport says , tho
four men wero executed bb a reprisal
for the assassination of Sean Halos,
tho deputy shot yesterday, and as a
solemn warning to those associated
with them "in tho conspiracy of as
sassination' against tho representa
tives of tho Irish pooplo."
Roderick (Rory) O'Connor, and
Limn Mollowcs wero loaders of the
hand of Irish insurgents that hold
the Four Courts building in Dublin
in its stand against tho free Btate
troops last Juno. Knch was taken to
prison when the .building was cap
tured after a throe days siege,
Tho prisonors wore tried by a mili
tary court martial during tho night,
found guilty and sentenced to death.
The death sentence was carrlod out
at 0:20 this morning.
Threo priests wero present. Tho
prisonors, bllndfoldod, wero marched
to tho place of execution. O'Connor
had to bo assisted to the scaffold.
The startling swiftness with which
the free slato government acted In
consequonco of tho assassination of
Deputy jlaley caused a great sensa
tion among Dubllntlos.
Through today's executions, the
Irregulars lost two of their principal
leaders and two other Important, al
though less known men. All four
surrendered after the destruction of
the Four Courts, In tho seizure of
which O'Connor and Mellewes took a
loading part.
LONDON, Dec. 8. (By the Asso
ciated Press.) The Dublin corres
pondent of the Evening Standard re
ports that a party of men today en
tered the Mercers hospital and shot
a free stato soldier lying in one of the
beds in reprisal for tho executions of
Rory O'Connor and Llum Mollowes.
SEATTLE, Dec. 8. Western
Washington was again today grip,
pod by a heavy snowfall which start
ed early this morning and was gene
ral throughout the district, accom
panied by slightly subnormal temper
atures, according to reports recelveo
here.
At Ellenshurg, Just east of the Cas
cades, the thermometer lust night
dropped to nine degrees nbove zero,
the lowest mark of the season.
DECLARED BY
IRISH RADICALS
BY
PRESIDENT
CONGRESS BY MESSAGE
WITH A PUNCH IN IT
Chief Executive Takes Strong Stand for Prohibition, Urges
Abolition of Railroad Labor Board, Consolidation of Rail
road Systems With Motor Truck Lines Incorporated as
Feeders, Extension of Credit to Farmers Two Amend
ments to U. S. Constitution, the Registration of Aliens and
War On Hyphenated Americans Denies Isolation of
America Declares Every Obligation Has Been Met-
WASHINGTON, Dec. S. Presi
dent Harding in his annual message
delivered to congress In person, deals
with nearly a score ot subjects, chief
among them prohibition, farm
credits, tho transportation problem,
child labor and Immigration.
The executive announces his pur
pose to Invite the governors of slates
and territories to an early confer
ence with tho federal executive au
thority with a view to applying defi
nite policies of national and Btate
co-operatioif in administering the
prohibition lavs. J!a says the day Is
Ulllikelv' to conii when the nrnhlhl-
tlo'ft nrtiendmenCwill Ve'repeaiod arid"
that the nation should adopt Its
course accordingly.
President. Harding tells congross
that if tho statutory provisions for
prohibition enforcement are contrary
he does not believe, tho rigorous and
literal enforcement will concentrate
public attention upon any requiulto
modification.
"Huch n course," lie adds,
"conforms with tho law nnd
naves tho humiliation of the
government and tho humilia
tion of our iK-oplo lx'foro tho
world and challenge the do
Rtmrtivo forces engaged Jn
nitleNprcail violation, official
corruption and individual dc
lilorilllzntlon." Almlish Railroad Labor Hoard
With regard to the transportation
problem, Mr. Harding proposes that
the railroad labor board bo abolish
ed, with tho substitution of a labor
division In the Inter-state commerce
Commission with ampin power to re
quire Us rulings to bo accepted by
both parties to a disputed question.
Tho executive also proposes that the
law rcquiro the carriers and their
employes to Institute, means and
methods to negotlnlo between them
selves their constantly arising differ
ences, limiting nppeals to tho gov
ernment body to deputes of such
character ns aro likely to affect tho
public welfare.
For Railroad Consolidation
Coordination of all transportation
facilities Is urgod by tho president.
Thcso would Include not only Inlnnd
waterways but motor truck transpor
tation as well. He Inveighs against
the system of paralleling tho rail
roads with truck roads, thus draw
lug freight from the steam linos In
stead of muklng tho motor truck
foodor for them. As to tho carriers
themselves, Mr. Harding suggests as
ways of increased economy and effi
ciency there be a merger of lines Into
systems, interchance of freight cars,
tho tonsolldntlon of facilities and tho
use of terminals. Ho declared that.
the managers of the lines are without
that Inter-carrlor. cooperative rela
tionship "so highly essential to fho
most and best economical operation,"
adding that they could not function
In harmony when tho recent strike
threatened tho paralysis of all rail
way transportation.
Credit for Knrmcrs
More extended credit for the farm
ors Is strongly urged by tho execu
tive who declares that tho very proof
of helpfulness already given Is tho
strongest: argument for the perma
nent establishment of widened credit.
Amend Constitution
Two constitutional amendments
are proposed. Ono would give con
gress authority ovor child labor gad
the other would restrict the Issues of
tax exempt securities which are de
clared to be "drying tip the sources of
federal taxation and encouraging un
productive and extravagant expendi
tures by slates and municipalities."
Hyphenates Bobbing I'p
Knnctmont uf legislation providing
NO. 221
F
RE
STARTLES
for registration of aliens and for
more thorough examinations of emi
grants at the ports of embarkation is
urged. The president says there is
a "recrudescence of hyphenated'
Americanism which we ' thought to
have been stamped out when we com
mitted the nation, life and soul, to
the world war," and adds that advo
cates of revolution are abusing the
hospitality , of 'American shores,
"finding their deluded followers
among those who take on the hab
iliments of an American without an '
American soul."
Register Aliens . ,
... RoglstiatUm of aliens; KhepreBi- i
dent adds, will enable the nation to '
guard against abuses in emigration,
chocking the undesirable whose Ir
regular coming is his first violation ;
of the law, and at the same time will
WB0 who mean t0 enro11 as clu"
Dealing with foreign affairs, Mr.
Harding tolls congress that American '
relations are not only free from every '
threatening cloud, but the country
has contributed "Its larger infltionce"
toward making marked conflict less
easy.
"It has been our fortune both to
proach and promote international un
derstanding," ho ndds. "Wo are
cognizant ot tho world's strugglos for
full readjustment and rehabilitation
and wo liavo shirked no duty. which
comes of sympathy. or fraternity, or
highest fellowship among nations.
Every obligation consonant with
American ideals and sanctioned un
der our form of government is will
ingly mot." 1
Old World Has Gone
Tho president bogan his address by',
calling tho attontlnn ot congrcsss to
general world conditions, which ho
said still wero scrloiiBly disturbed aa
a result of tho war. ' Ho assorted that -.-"tho
Inevitable readjustment of the
social and economic order, is not
moro than baroly begun," and con
tinued:
"Thero never again will bo pre-,
cisely tho old order; indeed, I know
of no one who thinks It Is desirable.
For out of tho old order came tho
war Itself and the new order estab
lished and made secure, never will
permit its recurrence.
"It is no figuro of spoet'h to sny
wo have como to tho tost ot our civ
ilization. The world has been pass
ing Is todny passing through a
great crlBlB. The conduct ot war It
self Is not more difficult .than tho so
lution of tho problems which nocos- ,
surily follow. I am not speaking at
this momont of tho problem In its ;
wider aspects of world rehablllta- ,
tlou or of International relation-,
ships. The reference Is to our own
social, financial and economic, prob
lems at home. Those things aro not -to
bo considered solely as problems
apart from all International relation
ship but every nation must be ablo
to carry on for Its ownsolf, else its '
International relationship will havo
scant Influence. Doubtless our own
pooplo havo emerged from the world
war tumult less impaired than most
belligerent powers; probably we have
made larger progress toward recon
struction. Had we escap
ed tho coal and railway strikes, which
had no excuse for their being, and
lesi Visttflratlon for their delayed .
setHement. we should have done In
finitely 'better. But labor was so
Insistent in holding to the war
heights and heedless forces ot reac
tionary sought the pre-war levels and
both woro wrong.
The railway strike accentuatod
the difficulty of the American farm
er. The first distress of readjust- ,,
(Continued on Pag tlx.)
r