COLUMBIA REGISTER
HOULTON .. .OREGON
NEWS OF THLIEK
Id a Condensed Form lor Oar
Busy Readers.
A Resume of the Lett Important but
Not Lett Interesting Events
of the Past Week.
Witte will toon reaign as premier of
Batata.
Shonta may succeed Taft at secretary
ol war.
A iplit among coal operators at the
wage conference is expected.
President Mellen, of the Northern
Pacific, denounces the rate bill.
Many Germans are eating doga and
cats because other meat is too dear.
The Standard Oil has confessed own
ership of many supposedly independent
concerns.
Ambassador Storer was removed from
his poet because hia wife involved him
in Catholic church politics.
The War department eays it can state
authoritatively that Shonta will not
resign as chairman of the Isthmian
Canal commission.
William Rockefeller, who, next to
hia brother, John P., ia the richest
man in the United States, ia suffering
from cancer of the stomach and there
Tis no hope of his recovery.
General Wood has cabled the War
department that the stories of the Moro
battle were manufactured in Manila by
yellow journalists. Only newspaper
reports tell of the killing of women
and children
J. Pierpont Morgan ia in deadly fear
of assassins.
Grover Cleveland haa juBt celebrated
hia 69th birthday.
Coal miners are working hard to pre
vent a general strike April 1.
Nebraska thermometers are register
ing from 5 to 10 degrees below zero.
John D. Rockefeller maintains an
armed guard at hia house in New Jersey.
The housemnd senate are likely to
disagree on the type of canal to he
bui't.
General Wood defends the action of
the American troops at Mount Daj),
Philippine islands.
Secretarfyy of the Navy Bonaparte
insists that the United States should
build a greater navy. .
Customs authorities have decided
that Chinese joeshouse fittings are sub
ject to a duty of 15 per cent.
Snow elides in Colorado have caused
a number of deaths and a property loes
that will reach close to a million dol
lars. Latst returns from the Colorrdo train
wreck give the number of killed as 22.
Telegraph operators are blamed for the
accident.
New York proposes to establish a
municipal seaside resort.
The president will not appoint a eu
preme judge for six months.
Susan B. Anthony'a sister will stump
Oregon in the suffrage campaign.
The Japanese parliament has voted
to buy all railroads in that country.
The house will take up the amended
statehood bill Wednesday, March 21.
Official figures show the population
of Germany to be 60,605,183, against
66,367,178 in 1900.
The Ohio legislature ia considering
a bill which will give the courta power
to punish witnesses who refuse to talk.
King Charles, of Roumania, ia near
death. The crown princo ia unpopular
and a movement has been started to
crown his 13-year old ron.
The District of Columbia court has
overruled Binger Hermann's demurrer
to indictments for destroying public
records. He will ask for an appeal to
the Circuit Court of Appeals.
Western railroads are facing a labor
famine. Twenty-five thousand men are
needed in the Northwestern and South
western states to build the roads that
are already under way, and it is esti
mated that before June twice that
number will be needed.
Denmark may put a tariff law into
effect.
Russia suspects Japan of hostile de
signs in Siberia.
All railrcdn. throueb Colorado are
blocked by snow.
Senator Depew is too ill .to attend to
hia duties in the senate.
The first severe blizzard of the. win
ter haa just swept New York. . . ,
The czar haa ordered extreme meas
ures to be taken to protect Jews from
massacre.
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 haa proven quite aa effective aa
its tiamera expected; Indeed, the gen
eral work of national irrigation is pro
greeting satisfactorily. In the admin
istration of the Reclamation service,
however, there haa been some slight
friction which has resulted in delays
that have been, bothersome, if nothing
more.
No one can realise this more than
the chief of the Reclamation service,
Mr. Newell, and the director of the
Geological aurvey, Mr. Walcott. To
obviate these delays, the reclamation
authorities 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 seivice.
Most of the friction and delay com
plained of is 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 has been laid before the house
by Representative Cooper doea away
with this red tape by providing a more
direct means of communication, at the
same time giving the Reclamation ser
vice more leeway. The director of the
geological survey is made the director
of the Reclamation service and he goes
ahead with his plans, merely submit
ting them to the secretary for approval
and not for reveiw.
Another important change is male
by the bill in the matter of apportion
ing and expending money for reclama
tion works. At present thin money is
entirely under the control of the secre
tary. At this time ttiere is a very
strong sentiment in congress against
allowing cabinet officers to handle such
funds in a free manner, and the ten
dency ia 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 congre-s 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 is approved
in its entirity by Presidnet Roosevelt
and bv the house leaders. Reprefenta
tive Mondell, of Wyoming, chairman
of the irrigation committee, says it is
faulty and haa 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, Bays a bulletin
issued by the Department of Com
merce and Labor. Of the $1,021,000,
000 worth of merchandise sent to Eu
rope in 1900, $239,000,000 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,
000,000 per annum. In 1900 the ex
ports to all sections ot 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, the share of the im
ports drawn from Europe averaged
about 55 per cent; in 1905, it wis 48 4
percent. This reduction, the bulletin
eays, is 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
kanhoff Iibb crushed the revolution in
the government of Kutaia by razing
towns, executing ringleaders 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 ehforcitig 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 Heistan, in Eastern
Persia, says that a peat ia spreading,
that the populace ia becoming panic
stricken and that many persons are
fleeing.
OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST
COMPLAIN OF GRAZING RULE.
Oregon Stockmen's Grievances Are
Taken Up by Senator Fulton.
Washington Senatoi Fulton has re
ceived many letters of complaint from
stockmen of Oregon, who express dis
satisfaction with the manner in which
the forest service ia managing the sum
mer range in forest reserves. The
sheepmen ot Umatilla county feel that
they have been nnfairly treated In the
distribution of range in the Wenaha re
serve, and the sheep and cattlemen
whose stock is permitted to gras in
the Cascade reserve feel that they are
paying too much for the privilege. Ho
far as the Cascade reserve la concerned,
the sheepmen object to paying 6 cents
a head for the grating ptivilego 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 w here the
fee is smaller. Hj far as the Wenaha
reserve is concerned, the range has
Wen apportioned for the coining sea
son, and it it too lute to hi ing about a
readjustment. To ascertain all the
facts, with the view to laying the mat
ter before the forest service in its tr.ie
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, hat
bought the Strainer (ieorg V. Silno.i
from the D.. I. .c II. N. t o. Il will be
operated between Cascade Locks and
the lower terminiH of the state portage
road. The boat will leave Cuscnde
Locks at 6 o'cl ock in the morning and
reach The Dalles at 10. making all way
landings. It will lie here nn hour,
then run to the lower terminus of the
portage, ami returning will leave for
Cascade Locks at 2 o'clock. It is the
purpose of the company in buying ami
operating the txiat 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 pant three months
on account of a wild rush by local men
and: outsiders to secure claims in the
pine, fir anil tamarack forests of Wal
lowa county. Sections which sold at
$1.25 an acre were bought first, and
only those claims remain w hich are in
the $2.50 sections. There nre but a
few more claims open Lr location, and
it is expected the locating eaon w ill
le closed within 3i) days. Capitalist
are buying much of thin timber, ami
from individual holders claim pur
chased for less than $500 are felling Bt
from $l,0KO to 1,600 each.' These
carry from 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 feet
to the quarter suction.
Enterprise Still Capital.
Wallowa The Wallowa county com
missioners, at their laut meeting, ac
cepted the offer of P. I). McCullv, L.
Knapper and Aaron Wade, to build a
wooden structure in Enterprise large
enough to meet the county's require
ments for a courthouse, and to lease
the Bame 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 vault. 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 miiHt 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 inspector, says it is. his
opinion that the fret-zing weather of the
past few days haa done no material
darntge to the fruit in this vicinity.
Each thaw has been accompanied by
cloudy weather. Had the sun shone
warm and bright each morning the
crop would have been ruined.
Hop Sale at Woodburn.
Aurora Ed Herron, the hophuyer,
this week bought the Joe Kennedy hop
crop of 72 bales at Woodburn, paying
better than -9 centa. The hops were
shipped (fifect"toondon. M. II. Gil
bertson, Ulhman Broe.' agent here,
went to North Yakima a few daya ago
to look after several big lota of hops
there.
CREATED AT LAST.
President Ssta Aside Blue Mountains
for Timber Purposes.
Washington President Roosevelt, on
recommendation of the Jorest service,
hat signed a proclamation creating the
Blue mountain forest reserve In Eastern
Oregon, to embrace 2,627,270 acres!
The reaerve as created follows the gen
eral lines of the temporary wtthdrawaj
made three years ago, with the exoep
tlon of 200,000 acre in the valley of
the Silvies river, which has been elim
inated because of the agricultural na
ture ot the laud. Around the edge of
the withdiawal small tracts of agnail
tura. and school land have lieen elim
inated and the boundaries ate so drawn
as to exclude all land lying" along the
border which haa 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 covets the entire
Wallowa valley and county, varying In
depth from five itichen on the liuuaha
and Grand Konde river Initlom. to 17
inches on the foothills of the Joseph
mountains. Stockmen are somewhat
anxious concerning feed. The uuuiual
long ean will necessitate using much
more hay than M customary in average
winters. Though this is a hay produc
ing county, ami though great crops of
hay were put ay lust season, and
much old hay was left over, il is ex
pee'ed that then will tie no surplus.
Columbia County Breaks Record.
Salem Columbia rountv breaks the
record in the nutter of payim-nt ol
state taxes this )car. State Treasurer
Mixire received a draft last week for
$,:IM1, the amount of general slate
nud school tax, and $2ii5, the amount
due for the Bilpirt of the Agricultural
college, from Columbia county, for the
year l'.HHi. Only half of this amount
was due. The rest n ed not have
been paid until December Ml.
Luckiamute Mohair Pool.
Independence The Lin kiamute mo
hair ool has been organized at Arlie
ami hits the following officers: Presi
dent, A. C. S'.aats; secretary, Maurice
Fowl.-; I. M. Simpson, A. ('. Stnats
and Maurice Fowle were elected a
iMiurd of managers. The new a'ci
atioii already has a membership of H5,
representing M '.i'i.'l fleece. It ia prob
able 15 more names are to be added to
he memliership soon.
Cattle Bring Higher Price.
Pendleton Three cars of cattle were
shipped to Seattle from Pendleton a
few days ago, bringing $1.50 per hun
dred pounds. This is about 1 cent a
pound higher than the last shipment
made.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Club, 5j!7c; bluestem,
6f367c; red, 4mi'5c; valley, tlHc.
Oats No. 1 w hite feed, $27.50; gray,
$27 per ton.
Barley Feed. $23(424 per ton;
brewing, $24(424.60; rolled, $24.50(4
25.60.
Buckwheat $2 25 per cental.
Hay Eastern Oregon timothy, $13q
14 per ton; valley timothy, $8ffl9;
clover, $7.50(38; cheat, $0(47; grain
hay, $7(48.
Apples $1(42.50 per box.
Vegetables Asparagus, 910e per
pound; cabhage, ?4'e per pound;
cauliflower, $2(42.25 per crate; celery,
75(390c per dozen; rhubarb, $1.75(42
per box; sprouts, rtr(410c per pound;
turnips, $1(41 25 per sack; carrots,
o5(475c per sack ; beets, 85c(4$I per
sack.
Onions No. l,80c(4$l per sack No.
2, nominal.
Potatoes Fancy graded Bttrhanka,
50(4IOc per hundred; ordinary, nomi
nal; sweet potatoes, 'JtliQlVe per
pound.
Butter Fancy creamery, 27 (430c
per pound.
Eggs Oregon ranch, l(i(? l(tJc per
d0Z-ll
Poultry Average old hens, 1314c
per pound; mixed chickeiiB, 12(413i:;
broilers, 20(422c; young roosters, 12
f412'c; old roosters, 10 & lOc;
dressed chickeriM, 1415c; turkeys,
live, Hi 17c; turkeys, dressed, choice,
1820c; geese, live, 8 (4 9c; geese,
dressed, 10C412c; ducks, l(l(T$18e.
Hops Oregon, 1905, choice, 10
10c per pound; prime, 89c;
medium, 7(48c; olda, 67c.
Wool Eastern Oregon average best,
16(42lc per pound: valley, 242Uc;
mohair, choice, 25(428c
Veal Dressed, 37c per pound.
Beef Dressed bulla, 23c per
pound: cows, 3 4c; country
steers. 45c.
Mutton DreBsed, fancy, 89c per
pound; ordinary, 45c; lambs, 8
Pork DreBBed. 88c per pound.
WILL QUIT CANAL.
Sbontt Will Give Entire Attention to
Hit Railroad.
Chicago, March lit. A .Washington
special says: . ,
Information frot trustworthy source
makes it seem practically assured thai
Theodore Perry Shouts, ol Chicago,
chairman of the Isthmian Canal com
mission, intends soon to send hit resig
nation to President Roosevelt. It ia
unquestionably the Intention of Priwl
dent Koosrvrlt to nominate John ,
Stevens, the chief engineer, to succeed
Mr. Shouts. Sir. Steveni will combine
tfte duties ol the two o Dices.
' Pressure front his associates on the
rail mail with which Mr. HhonU la con
necled hat been strong for tome time to
bring U)ut this result hlr return to
tailroad work and hit resignation from
the canal board. Mr. Shoutt had
withstood the pleat of hit business as
sociates, but recent events have induced
him to consent.
Mr. Shouts Is ttill president of the
Clover Utt railroad, and it It said that
the interests of that road, In the mind
of hit colleague, demand that he
return and take active charge of the
propertv. It It laid ha owna securi
ties in the road to the value of about
$3,000,000, and, In the Interest of
these holdings, a well as the holdings
of others, it Is declared that he feels he
must no longer divide time and hie
lalnir.
There has leen no secret that the le
latlous between Secretary Taft and
Chairman Shout have been strained at
times. They are probably blay not of
the most amicable nature. It is prob
able that Mr. Tuft Will succeed to thn
vacancy in the United Slates Supremo
courl caused by the resignation oj Jus
lice brown, but will not take bis seat
before next October. Mr. Tall has Mm
own views about the canal wmk, which
are not in a, void with those of Mr.
Shouts.
When Mr. Taft goes to the Supremo
court, It is ti e intention of Piesidenl
Ivoosevelt to turn the supervision of
the canal over to Secret iy Root's de
partment, The secretary of war de
sires to arrange the construction plans
to suit his own judgment before the
transfer is mad.
T MBER LAND BILL READY.
Senate Committee Favort Repeal, but
Fulton Will Fight It.
Washington, March 19. The senate
public lands committee today virtually
romplcted the bill to repeal tho timber
and stone act and authorize the sale of
public timber at not less than its ap
praised value, small dealers to be given
pre ferenre in the sales and miners free
use of timber for domestic purposes,
the same as in forest reserves.
An amendment insisted upon by Sen
ator Fulton will be adopted giving tho
counties 10 per cent of the amount of
sales in their respective limits In lieu
of taxes.
The committee, is also framing a bill
to permit homestead entry of agricul
tural land in forest reserves. This bill
is designed particularly to meet tho
principle objection to reserves in Ida
ho. Senator Dubois Is strongly urging
this measure and predicts its passage.
Mr. Fulton is the only member of the
committee opposed to the repeal of the
timber and atone act, but other West
ern senators agree with him and will
join him in opMisition to the bill when
it comes up in the senate. In case it
is impossible to prevent the passage of
the bill by the senate, Mr. Fulton will
seek to increase the amount to he paid
counties from the receipts of timber
sales from 10 to 25 per cent.
The Oregon senator ia so thoroughly
convinced of the inadvisability of re
pealing the timber and stone act that
he will carry his fight to the house and
seek to induce the house committee to
table the senate bill, just as it ban
heretofore tabled a similar bill in the
house. He feels certain that this leg
islation will be killed in the house, if
not in the senate.
Trustees Endorse Tax Dodging.
Cheyenne, Wyo., March 19. Irping
Howhert, president of tho Portland
Gold Mining company, and his entire
board of directors were re-elected at
tho annual meeting of the stockholders
today. Tho re-election was bitterly
contested by J. F. Burns, who was
oiiHted from the presidency a year ago.
The action of the trustees in removing
tho headquarters from Iowa to Wyom
ing to avoid paying $1,000,000 accumu
lated taxes was indorsed. Tho secretary
states that dividends in 1005 amounted
to $1,080,000.
Started I 000 Rivets.
Baltimore, March 19. The British.
Bteamer BolfaBt, Captain McKee, which
arived from Las Palmas, Grand Ca
nary, today, brought mails from the
drydock Dewey. - Captain McKee re
ports that when he )oft Us Palmas re
pairs were hoing made to the dock,
which had started a. thousand rivets on
the trip across the Atlantic.