The Tacoma times. [volume], February 01, 1916, Image 1

About The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
LOST MILLION JUST PADDING
Paulhamus ..ays the Puyallup
valley farmers, organized, "are
strong enough to spit in the eye
of any railway official without fear
of being annihilated." To learn
how they attained that strength
read article on page 8.
SLAVERS AUCTION NUDE GIRL
STUMPING THE COUNTRY FOR PREPAREDNESS
MARTIN
COMING
Reception Plans
Fall Through
Spite of All-
Due Tonight
Mr. T. H. Martin, eminent Ta
toman, will return home, It is
thought, on the North Coast Lim
ited at 9 o'clock tonight.
The Times' suggestion, made
In a page-one editorial a few
days ago, that a band, string of
' autos and reception committee be
at the station to greet him, has
met, strange enough, with a very
weak response.
Sam Wall, the Uft-the-curse
man, who surely Is the logical Ta
comau to head the reception com
mittee, was as hard *o find today
as front-yard roses, ml we have
- to limp off to press vitli the ad
mission that we haven't signed
him up for the job.
Autos are finding it hard to
navigate, and bands—well, no
• body offered a band,
The reason we were so anxlouH
for Tacoma to greet Mr. T. H.
Martin properly was to recognize
the splendid way in which he
represented Tacoma at Washing
ton during his present lobbying
expedlton.
He told the National Press
club that the name "Tacoma" was
Quite passe as a title for the
mountain, that it simply was not
done any more by our best peo
ple, that "Rainier" had been
agreed on by Seattleites and Ta
comans alike, and lord knows
, wh*t else.
P. B.—After this was written a
printer suggested that the rent
reason the reception plans fell
through is simply alush. Take
your choice.
Celebrate
Thrift Day
Thrift Day is a new
institution, growing
out of a national move
ment several years old.
Its first annual ob
servance will be ♦Feb
ruary 3, day after to
morrow.
The way to celebrate
is "by doing some
thrifty deed."
A good deposit or a
new account — either
savings or checking —
litre would be one
mighty good way to
honor the new day.
Puget Sound
State Bank
1115 Pacific A venae
The Tacoma Times
r 1 THE ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER IN TACOMA. Y~ZZ
25c a Home
Month VOL- XIIL N0- 37- TACOMA, WASH., TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 191 G. Edition
Tacoma Wants
No Return to
Spoils System
Tomorrow it will be up to the city council
to dispose of a resolution looking to the aboli
tion of Tacoma's civil service system.
There is just one course to be pursued by the
counci 1, if its members wish to act in accord
with good sense and with the wishes of the ma
jority of Tacomans.
That is to file and forget the resolution.
There positively is no demand for doing
away with the present plan, except on the part
of a few inefficient workers who are unable to
obtain city jobs because they cannot come up
to the required standards, a few cheap poli
ticians who would like to have a finger in the
appointments and a few mossbacks who con
sider that the methods which they learned in
their youths are the best of all possible meth
ods.
Tacoma does not want to return to the spoils
system. What alterations is to be made in our
civil service system must be an improvement
of the system, not its destruction.
GERMAN
SEIZES
SAILS
NORFOLK, Feb. I.—ln
charge of a German prize
crew, the African liner Ap
pam, previously reported lost
in a heavy storm, cant anchor
In Hampton Roads this morn
lug. Immigration and cus
toms officials boarded the
liner.
Some passengers were found
sick. All were excited by the
strange adventures through which
the vessel had passed.
They declared that a German
armed merchantman attacked
the Appam Jan. 15, off the Canary
Islands.
The prize crew, in command of
Lieut. Oscar Berg, was put
aboard, then the raider disap
peared.
Shots across her bow first
stopped the Appam. The liner re
sisted capture, believing at first
that It was pirates attacking, but
the two guns aboard proved un
equal to the task.
Both steamers lowered their
boats. When the German prixe
crew boarded the Appam bloody
fighting occurred on her decks.
Several were Injured, two dying
RAIDER
VESSEL,
HER HERE
Commander Harrison then sur
rendered and the prize crew head
ed the Appam for America.
Berlin Admits It.
When the Germans captured
the Appam they liberated a score
of German prisoners captured in
West Africa, en route to London.
It is believed the prisoners aided
the crew in preventing a mutiny
during a voyage to America re
cently,
Berlin announced today that a
British liner has been captured
off the coast of Africa, and a hun
dred of the crew have been turned
over to the Senussl rebels.
SANK FREIGHTER
The vessel which captured the
Appam sank a meat-laden Aus
tralian freighter within sight of
the Appam, the crew and pas
sengers said. Beside the 800
passengers and crew, 800 Brit
ish prisoners were transferred
from the raider and brought
here.
BRITISH TO ACT
WASHINGTON, D. C, Feb.* 1.
—The British embassy is expect
ed to request the release of the
Appam.
FLOODS
MENACE
If Chinook Wind
Should Blow It
Would Do Vast
Damage Here
One of the worst floods in the
history of Tacoma will occur if a
Chinook wind melts the present
heavy blanket of snow that covers
Western Washington.
The danger from a chlnook is
chiefly to the speed with which
it converts the snow to water.
City and county authorities are
watching the weather anxiously
today, fearing for the safety of
bridges, sewers and other public
improvements the minute that
the thaw sets In.
James Hayes, county bridge
inspector, consulted with mem
bers of the city council today
over the condition of city bridges.
It is believed that all city bridges
are strong enough to withstand
any flood.
Low Today, But—
"The Puyallup and other riv
ers are still very low today," de
clared the bridge inspector.
"But with all this slushy suow
on the ground, a warm wind
would cause floods of almost un
heard of proportions. I think
that all of the county bridges
are safe enough to withstand
the high water, but one never
can tell what might happen In
flood time.
The rivers are low today be
cause the slight warm spell in
Tacoma did not affect the foot
hills v here the rivers get their
conception. Freezing weather
still prevails there."
City Hall Leaks.
Today's slight thaw caused
endless trouble in Tacoma
So heavy did the snow become
on the 11th street bridge, that it
was necessary to send a squad of
men to clear It off before the lift
could be raised. "There were 75
tons of wet snow on the bridge,
and it wouldn't budge an Inch
until we had the weight re
moved," said Commissioner
Woods.
The roof of the city hall
threatened to collapse today
when eight inches of snow on It
began to melt. The pressure of
the soggy snow caused the roof
to bulge downwards in several
places, and several leaks formed
sending streams of water down
Into the offices below. Work
men shoveled a large part of the
snow away.
Sewers Are Heavily Loaded.
Sewers are filled to capacity
with slush and water. No breaks
have occurred. Commissioner
Woo-s declared today that Im
mense damage would occur If
another freeze-up comes at this
time.
City snow plows that have here
tofore been pulled by two horses
required four animals to pull
them through the wet. slush to
day.
Hill streets were impassable
tor automobiles unless equipped
Where Do You
Stand on Rates,
Mr. Governor?
(AN OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR)
Gov. Ernest Lister:—We are not addressing
this note to you in any spirit of complaint. We
know you are a very busy man these days,
but—
We want to ask you this:
Why aren't you joining with us folks in
fighting to get back the rightful tourist travel
to our northwest cities, of which the southern
railroads have been allowed to rob us by un
just discriminatory passenger rates?
We are in the fight, every one of us - hotel
men, shipping men, business men, auto clubs,
commercial organizations. All-except that
one degenerated, dying-by-inches Seattle
Chamber of Commerce. And that one can't
get in because its patched breeches are weight
ed down to the runboards with railroad money.
Is there any reason, Mr. Governor, why you,
as the chosen leader of the folks of Washing
ton, should not take an active leadership in
' this fight?
J -Surely you are too wise to be buffaloed by
*%the wheedling, lying complaints of the prize
' double crossers representing the Seattle Cham
ber^ Commerce.
Speak out, Mr. Governor.
•rTalko'theTimesTl
HMM_nBMMM__-nMH_HIM-^
(.reding*, did you know
tbnt the T. R. ft P. Co. Is
nim known as the Tacoma
Refrigerating ft Packing?
That Sunset concern certainly
Is awfully careless. Right on the
heeis of losing completely $1,
--065.74. r i of property, it develops
that the company has paid an
other million dollars too much
for poles, or, at least, thinks it
has.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF
HAPPINESS
Hirer up. It might be
worse. Just suppose you had
a quart, and no throat to
swallow It with.
After all, the poor man has
some advantages. There is never
a big crowd at his heels, urging
him to run for office.
THE SILVER LINING
Anyhow, the motorcycles
FLASHES
SEATTLE—A steamer, evi
dently abandoned by her crew,
was sighted today floundering
helplessly In the storm outside
Cap* Flattery by the Japanese
steamer Kll mi Maru.
WASHINGTON, D. C.—Secre
tarjr Lansing received today Aus
tria's denial that an Austrian
submarine had sunk the steamer
Persia.
WASHINGTON—Former Secre
tary of State Bryan announced to
day that he would take the stump
in the middle west against Wil
son's preparedness program.
SEATTLE —Alaska's export and
import trade for 1915 totaled
$82/864,122.
LONDON —It was announced
today that the government's con
scription law would become oper
ative March 2.
with chains. Several near-acci
dents occurred when machines
slid helplessly back down hill,
after the wheels had spun around
uselessly on the slick ice and
snow.
/'Taconla's going to see the
worrst flood of her experience if
a warm wind conies now," de
clared Commissioner Woods to-i
day. 'We are prepared to meet)
it, so far as any department can
be, but there isn't much we can
do except island by and wait for
the water to come."
are practically out of com
mission for a day or two-
Old man Cover keeps shooting
slush along faster than Owen
Woods can haul it away.
SPAHKV DAY
Page-one heads in last
night's News:
"First sparks fly over dis
crepancies."
"Flareup in Ltudtania crisis
hinted."
"Sparks flying, but there
Is no crisis."
LEARN TO DANCE
"PAN AMERICAN"
It's 1916' i Rod, White
and Blue Step.
Miss Atmee Ehrlich and
Robert Henri, famous dancers,
creators of the Pan-American,
have prepared six lessons which
Illustrate the latest dance.
The first leason appears in
The Times today. See page ...
WEATHER
Tacoma and vicinity: Rain to
night and Wednesday, not so cold.
Washington: Rain west, snow
east portion tonight and Wednes
day, not so cold.
Pastor's Daughter
Is Stolen From
Doorway--Sold
On Block
MM VOIIK, Feb. I.—
Rescued from weeks of ter
rible shivery, pretty IH-year
old Marie Klein, daughter of
Pastor ('buries Klein of the
llethany Reformed church,
told todnj bow she had been
kldna|M'd and auctioned,
nude, to v gang of lustful
brute*.
Missing since Her. 16. she
bad been held in an Italian
colony at Williamsburg. Her
■ISty of orgies there shocked
even hardened police author-
ities.
"_im_j_y Naples dragged me
from our doorway on the after
noon of Dec. 16," fine said. "He
showed nic a revolver and threat
ened to kill me if I tried to
escape.
"Then he forced me to take
|49l worth of Jewels and $35 In
cash from my parents, after which
he drove me to a house In the
Italian colony at Williamsburg,
locked rue In a room and tool;
away my clothes.
"At a Christmas ball of the col
USED FOR BOOST
IN PHONE RATES,
NOT FOR TAXES
Solved—the myWerjr of
tlie missing millions!
No, we haven't found all
those intangible bits of
pri>l>ert.y of the Pacific
which the company says it
knows it owns but just can't
locate.
Nor have we discovered
the gold trimmings or some
thing whk'U, according to
the figures of UM phone
company to the public serv
ice commission, have more
than doubled the price of
telephone itoles In the last
six years.
But though we have not found
the missing telephone millions
(and It is very likely that nobody
ever will) the mystery has been
cleared. The clue was found in
a dry old law book (Chap. 182,
House Bill No. .28) in a para
graph of a law passed by that
notorious legislature of ours
which sat In the halls of Olympia
In the year 1913.
The paragraph was stuck away
in an insignificant, out-of-the
way place where nobody would
be likely to find It, except those
who had It put there—ln case of
emergency.
Here's what it says—that the
valuations of corporations' prop
erty, as made by the commission,
"shall be admissible in evidence
in any action, proceeding or
hearing, EXCEPTING WITH
RESPECT TO MATTERS OF
ASSESSMENT AND TAXA
TION."
Get It? It's made to order—
for the very purpose of allowing
this telephone company of tak
ing just as much cash out of '.ts
patrons' pockets as it thinks it
can get away with.
Just l*ure Myth.
That mlsßlng million dollars
worth of property which the
company says It owns, and that
so-called million dollar jump in
the price of telephone poles nev
er have been, never are and nev
er shall be, world without end.
The little joker, or rider, or
whatever you may call It, In the
public service law amendment of
1913, encourages a corporation
such as the phone company to
slap on figures by the dozens in
the valuation of Its property be
fore the public service commis
sion la order to get the very
highest rates possible from Its
patrons.
For the law protects them. It
says our county assessor cannot
take the company's padded val
uations and assess the company
onists I was sold. Naples had
been the doorkeeper of my room
and he admitted many men. The
dance was hrcaklng up and it
was getting toward dawn. I \va»
terribly ill.
"Naples called the men bacK
and said I would be auctioned off.
Then they brought me down nude,
but I was too ill to know much of
what was going on. Then they
placed me on a stage and held me
there while the brutes bid.
"I was delirious, but I could
faintly hear them—s2s, $30, $33.
and then by $1 and 60-cent In
creases until I was sold to some
one for $s.i 1 don't know who
bought me, for 1 became uncon
scious and woke up In the cottage
where the detectives found me."
Naples, the alleged abductor, Is
under arrest, but he was taken
only alter a struggle in which de
tectives beat him nearly uncon
scious to subdue him.
After the girl disappeared, it la
charged, he terrorized her parent*
with threats to out out their
hearts if they sought to connect
him with the case.
accordingly. The figures sworn
to before the public service com
mission, cannot be used by the
assessor In slumming on the
taxes.
By no means. The corpora
tion must submit an entirely new
set of figures to our county as-.
sessors, The assessor, in spite
of the fact that a valuation al
ready has been made, must waste
the taxpayers' money In making
a new valuation and assessment.
Had Hunch, Maybe.
The property valuation sub
mitted by the company to the as
sessor for taxation is just as ex
tremely low as that submitted to
the public service commission for
rate making is extremely bulky
with padding.
Something must have turned
over at the state capital between
1911 and 1913. Perhaps the
phone company had a hunch the
rate hearing was coming up be
fore long. It Is certain the com
pany didn't like the looks of the
original law of 1911, which said:
"When the commission
shall have valued the prop
eity of any public service
company nothing less than
tbe market value so found
by the commission shall i><>
taken us a true value of the
propni.v of such company
used for the public conveni
ence for the purpose of as
sessment und taxation."
8o at the hearing In the Fed
eral building the phone company
is taking unto Itself property _y
the millions. At least or.c mil
lion of this it says can't be
found. Another million it says
is attached to its telephone poles.
And ho on, until they have val
ued their property, for the pur
pose of making rates, at $10,
--000,Ono more than the stale en
gineers value it.
Tax this $10,000,000. No
chance!
The legislators of 1913 put up
a fence to hide behind when it
comes to taxation.
Now if the company could only
bluff Chairman Reynolds and
the rest of the public servlee
commission, we phoners would
have to pay.
But the public service commis
sion isn't going to be buncoed.
II units HELD OVER
The January term of Jurors
were held over to try two crim
inal rases this week. A jury was
drawn today to try Isaac Clauson
on a second degree burglary
charge before Judge Card.