The Tacoma times. [volume], September 24, 1917, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
CONGRESSMEN DENY GRAFTING
HALT
U. S. SOLDIERS UNDER FIRE!
HOUSE GRILLS
ITS ACCUSER
«i mi.- it 9mm i «-.i«'.i wfr.i
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24. —
Roused by veiled attacks upon the
honesty of some of its members,
the house today plunged into heat
ed debate of Representative Hef
lln's charge that certain represen
tatives mlbht have been interest
ed in the Bernstorff "slush fund."
Declaring the honor of the
house has been "slanderously at-
tacked" Representative Norton,
North Dakoto, demanded an ex
planation of Heflln.
Denerves Punishment
"If such a charge be true, no
punishment Is too severe for the
member of this house accused. If
false, even an apology from the
man who made It would not suf
fice to correct tills crime. If he
got down to this house on his mar
row bones he could not clear from
the minds o fthe people the Im
putation he has case on the integ
rity of this body," he declared.
"If this charge cannot be sus
tained this house cannot mete out
to him too great a punishment."
The lNitise burs' into prolonged
cheering as Norton finished.
Speaker Clark pounded vigorously
for order.
lleflln sought to explain his re
marks. But a half ilozon accus-'
Ing members rose to their feet
with pointed queries.
"Did or did you not make such
a statement to the press?" asked
one.
"The press said ' that I said it
on the floor," evaded Heflln. "I
said It In the lobby."
Hpics In Galleries
The house laughed.
"I said It in the lobby," he re
peated, "where there were Ger
man spies about. There are sides
all around here now."
Representative Moore of Penn
sylvania demanded that the clerk
take down Heflin's words that
there "are German spies here
now."
"I didn't mean to say that," said
Heflln. "I didn't mean to say
there are spi«Ms on the floor —there
are spies in the galleries."
Heckle Mini
"I haven't said," declared "FTef
lln, "that any member actually got
money from the Bernstorff fund.
I said there had been a rumor
about a German gambling house
where pacifists and slackers could
win money easily."
Representatives Gordon of Ohio
demanded that Helfln "stick to
the question" and "not repeat
false charges."
Taking another tack, Heflin
said he had a right to say that
certain member_,»had acted suspic
iously.
"They hßve not conducted them
selves in accordance with my ideas
of honor and patriot Ism," he said.
Demand Names
There was a chorus from all
over the house of "name them!"
Heflln mopped his face with a
handkerchief and appealed to the
chair that the house was not treat
ing him fairly. Speaker Clark
asked members not to interrupt.
"If the house wants me to
HOLES KNOCKED IN
DEFENSE OF MEANS
(Halted Freaa Leaned Wire.)
CONCORD, N. C, Sept. 24.—A
plea of not guilty to the charge of
murdering Mrs. Maude A. King,
was macre by Gaston Bullock
Means when his preliminary hear
ing began to*3"ay In the small,
crowded court room here.
Means delayed proceedings by
demanding a change of venue.
Under the law the examination
baited while, a new justice was
rushed from another towhshlp to
preside at the. preliminary hear
ing.
Tilt little room was filled witn
a throng of country folk. Beside
Means sat his father, "Old Bill"
Tough to Be Caught at It
(United Press I**mkxl Wire.)
AMSTERDAM, Sept. 24.— 'It is highly regrettable that
the American government, God knows how, has been able to
obtain apparently a whole collection of German diplomatic
documents," declared the Cologne Yolks Zeltung today .In
commenting on the Bernetorff Intrigue revealed by the state
lepartment at Washington.
"If the affair is true," the newspaper adds, "it la of the
n„.Dt At.a _nm_—ltl_ rhnrn.'ter " _.
TheTacoma Times
J7£a INTAOOMA. lc A COPY
TACOMA. WASHINGTON. MONDAY. SEPTEMBER 24. l'uf VOL. XIV. NO. 25!
name certain suspiiious members,
I'll do It," declared Heflln. "I
can't prove anything, however."
The house hooted.
"1 don't want publicity," said
Heflln, and the chamber burst in
to "boos."
"If 1 could speak to the Ameri
can people In the manner 1 wish
to speak I would make disclos
ures "
"Do It," shouted several mem
bers.
Asks Patriotism.
"No, I've dedicated myself,"
said Heflln, "to my country and
Its chief and the boys who have
gone Into the trenches."
There was another chorus of
"boos" and groans.
1 "Fellow members, let us stand
together,'' urged Heflin, amid
laughter.
Heflin then launched an impas
sioned appeal for patriotism and
loyalty by all members and took
his seat.
Representative Kordney of
Michigan introduced a res«ilution
demanding that Heflin prove his
charges.
Vnless an agreement is reached
to disregard the rules, Kordney'b
resolution must lie over a day.
j Represent ative Howard of
Georgia, who was quoted as de
claring Friday that certain mem
bers had acted recently "more
prosperous than ever before," ob
tained the floor and <iaimed that
he had been misquoted and had
never Impugned the honor of the
house.
FIRST CAR ON
! LINE MONDAY
Tacoma's first municipally
owned street car will mak^its Ini
tial run on the municipal car line
ironi Pacific aye. to Alexander
aye., near the Todd shipyards, on
October 1, at I p. m.
Commissioner Atkins an
nounced Monday that tho line
would be sufficiently completed
nejt Monday for the first cars to
begin operation, ,
The new cars have been repaint
ed. Rail laying is almost com^
plete, and work Is now biding
rushed on the Milwaukee viaduct.
STEEL PRICES
ARE APPROVED
(MM HM Leaned Wire.)
WASHINGTON, I). C, Sept. 24.
—Netting reductions In steel
i"i.is of from 50 to 70 per cent, i
President Wilson today approved]
a nagreement between the war in-!
dustries board and the steel men I
for figures on steel and Its prod
ucts.
The prices become effective Im
mediately, subject to revision
January 1, 1918.
Means, a ty-pical southerner. The
alleged slayer's stout face was
wreathed In smiles as he beamed
upon the judge, the spectators and
the reporters.
His fellow townsmen in this
typically southern community
were grudging witnesses to his ar
raignment before Police Magis
trate Palmer.
Not Accidental
Not so the .representatives of
machinery of justice from Chicago
and New York, where Means' al
leged victim scattered her money
to the winds, and those from the
department of justice at Washlng
(Contlnued From Page Five.)
Imagine Gen. Bell Pushing a
Flivver Up Hill Into Camp!
Record Condemnation
Suit of History Jams
Courtrooms to Walls
By Mabel Abbott
Judge Clifford's department
moved Into the larger superior
court room of Judge Card In the
court house Monday morning, and
the long-unused second elevator
at the court house entrance was
put into service; but even these
facilities were too small for the
crowd of farmers, real estate men,
jurors and attorneys who began
to pour in an hour before the be
ginning of the army post con
demnation suit.
The technical interest was in
side the court room rail, where
dozens of lawyers focused their
wits on the opening skirmish of
the selection of jurors, to try the
largest condemnation case In the
I history of the United States as
Ito extent of land Involved, and
the largest but one as to amount
! of money.
Map Covers Wall.
The map o nwhlch 1,962 sep
arate tracts of land are colore.!,
hung like a great tapestry across
1 tho whole side of the room op-'
pqslte the jury box.
'The attorneys filled every chair
I that could be placed at three
tallies, and stood wherever they
could find room. .
I In- human Interest was
outside, where men and wom
en who wer. born on the
|i aiil«s. speculators who
hardly know the prairie by
sight, fai mils whose only
iiii.'iiH' is that which they
drag; from the gravelly soil,
and land owners whose hold
ings have been burdening
them for years, watched the
proceedings with strained at
tention.
The man whose name comes
first on the list, H. C. Colburn,
whose property Is In the southeast
quarter of the southeasterter of
section 20, west of the Northern
Pacific railroad, was among the
lawyers, gray-headed and gray
bearded, his hand cupped behind
his ear as he listened.
He entered an appearance as
hla own gttorney.
Colburn lives at Puyallup. "I've
just got a little land out there,"
he said, "and I didn't think they
were treating me just right on It.
"1 used to be a lawyer, until my
hearing gave out. I guess I can
hear well enough to represent my
self In this suit."
His property Is valued at $268.
The first 12 Jurors whose
names the clerk called were
1/. J. Davidson, ('. J. Murray,
(War Fredeirickson, John
Odrgard, A. 1.. Patterson,
John iJilen, W. H. Manning,
(lirls Anderson, David F,v«Br
eir, litun tnnKir, J. H. ltnr
t-on and D. B. JBolln. 1
Davidson was excused after the
first two questions, as he is 71
Kver,v Taronian remembers
Mm Gen. ,1. I i.ink 11 ii (1.-11.
fornu 11\ . ..iiiiiiiii.il. i of the
mwlrrn iII AAaMtAAt of the
»i in j, n. m . ..in inn in I. i „f ill.
i-MMlern department.
It mis Mm. Gen. Hell who
was chiefly lnMriiiiieiit.nl In
bringing the ■ant on men!
camp i.i ri.'i'i <■ county, lie
vls.lte.il this city siciiil
tlni.-.. i.n.,. during' Hie bond
« Hllipalgll llisl wind r.
Also every Tacoman knows
who Mrs, Fuiistoii is, the
willow of lb.- major general
who was Ntrlckeii siiddenl)
last sprint;.
Anil to all the officers anil
men at Camp Lewis the
names will he as familiar as
their en plain's.
Well, M«-- I'liiist.ni has
f..Hint It ni-'« -sin \ In take
up newspaper writing for the
mii |Hiri of herself and three
children.
The Times anil its sister
■PHI have ai I'Miige.l for her
first article*. No. 1 tells of a
visit she made to Camp I |>-
ton. i.mig island. \. V., and
of a meeting with Gen. Hell.
Also how he hel|wd push
a little i-.wi.lsi. i mired In the
ruts, up a bill ini«> camp.
Kvery Times rea<ler will
enjoy her account. It will
lie printed tomorrow.
years old and a little lame, and
Judge Clifford did not believe lie
could keep up with the juiry in its
travels over the land to lie con
demned. W. McNary was drawn
In his place.
In an effort to shorten the ex
amination of Jurors, Robert Davis,
associated with Special Attorney
I.yle, undertook to read the whole
list of defendants to the whole
number of jurors, and ask them
all to make note of such as they
are personally acquainted wlt'.i,
work for or have any relation
whatever with.
"It would take hours to read
he defendants to each juror sep
irately," he said.
Attorneys predicted at noon
that the selection of the first jury
would take two days or more.
City Buys Its
Own Car Bonds
With, no other bidders for the
city's street railway bonds, a
resolution was passed by the
city council Monday authorizing
the city light and power reserve
fund tq purchase the entire issue
of (180,000.
These bonds were necessary
for construction of the tldeflats
car line. They will pay 5 per
cent interest.
WILSON'S ANSWER
WILL GO FOR ALL
II ..lir.l Preas I rased Wire.)
LONDON, Sept. 24. —The allies
are adhering to their plan of let
ting President Wilson's reply to
the pope's peace offer stand as
the answer of all enemies of Ger
many, according? to all indications
today. Intimations from Rome
that the Vatican expected separate
replies from other allied belliger
ents failed to change the situa
tion.
RIGIDLY ENFORCE
LAWS PROTECTING
WOMEN WORKERS
(Halted l're«« Leased Wire.)
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 24. —A
determined campaign to prevent
employers from using war-time
strain on industry as a pretext
for Ignoring the laws governing
the hours and occupations of
women was begun today. Author
ities are determined that these
statutes shall be as strictly en
forced now as In timet of peace.
TODAY'S CIiKARINGS
|ciearlngs I 788,571.34
Balances 116,191.06
Transactions 1,272,619.92
TWO SAMMIES
ARE WOUNDED
BY WILLIAM PHILLIP SIMMS.
(U. P. Staff Correspondent)
WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN THE FIELD,
Sept. 24.—American troops for the first time are un
der German fire in France.
Two American soldiers have been slightly wounded.
They were struck by fragments of a bursting shell.
A certain contingent of the American army is now
located directly behind the British lines, well within
range of the enemy guns.
The two wounded men are the proudest members of
this contingent, which I visited Sunday.
The eyes of the American contingent are turned
longingly to the British line- so near to them that the
\ Americans are now withing range of the enemy guns.
The Sammies work with the boom of cannon in their
ears. They are great pals of the Tommies and listen
enviously to stories of "going over the top."
j So eager are the Sammies to fight that the strictest
:regulations, imposing severe punishment, have been
[necessary to prevent them sneaking off to the front
(Continued on Pago Five. I
WOMEN KNOW
An agreement Higned late last
week by the Portland Railway,
Eight & Power to. and the Port
land union platform men granted
the eight-hour day, a minimum
wage and other demands which
the carmen In Tacoma and Seat
tle are making was the most Im
portant evidence submitted to the
arbitration board, headed by Dr.
Henry Suzzalln, when It began its
bearings in the Tacoma Commer
cial club rooms Monday.
This evidence was offered by
Attorney Charles A. Reynolds,
representing the carmen.
The agreement, which is
now in the hands of Hie Ore
gon public servirr commis
sion, provides for a mini
mum wage of 38 rents an
hour the first year, 40 cents
an luiur the second year, anil
45 cents after the second
year.
Tacoma carmen have been
getting from 28 to 84 cents,
and have lieen working from
. 10 to 11 hours a day.
In the Portland contract, all
working time over eight hours
and 30 minutes is to be paid for
at the rate of time and one-half.
In addition, It provides that
PT. DEFIANCE LOSES,
FERRY IS HOMELESS
Tacoma business men, with city and If nothing but passenger and
and county officials, spent anoth
er two hours Mnoday morning
trying to convince members of the
Metropolitan park board that a
dock for the new island ferry
should be placed at Pt. Defiance.
The attempt again proved a fail
ure. At noon, when the visiting
delegation of 60 prominent Taco
mans tiled out of the park office
in disgust, the ferry boat was as
homeless as it had been before the
session.
Park Commissioners A. M.
Craig and Richard Vaeth each told
the business men that they would
permit the ferry to land at Pt.
Defiance^ under certain restric
tions, if' no other landing place
were available.
Two Hours of Talk.
But when Vaeth made a mo
tion bringing last week's resolu
t lon up for reconsideration, no
one offered a second to It.
The resolution, which puts the
park board on record as refusing
to grant permission for a ferry
slip, still stands.
I Craig was the only park com
missioner who was willing to talk
on the ferry subject. The re
mainder of the two hours were
taken up by speeches of business
men and public officials.
Craig declared that altho he
was opposed to the landing of a
public ferry at Point Defiance
park, he would vote for it If the
county and city would promise in
writing to pay all bills, If the slip
could be erected and managed un
der supervision of toe park board,
conductors shall lie supplied with
$fi in change when they start
work (in Tacoma they have to
furnish it out of their own pock
ets), and shall lie ullowed time
for writing accident reports In
stead of having to lake It out of
their own time. It concedes an
eight-hour day, as well as an in
creased wage schedule in the me
chanical department also.
Testimony to show that thei
present wages of Tacoma carmen
are not enough to clothe their
wives and children properly, that
they are unable to Have a cent'
for future or provide anything but j
the barest necessities, was offered
by Mrs. Charles J. Hopwood, wife'
of a conductor, living at J!6ltS
Kast I st., and by Mrs. Charles
Stunner, wife of a motorman, of
1146 So. 36th.
Each of the women submitted
a budget showing what it would
cost to clothe herself and one hoy
and one girl for a year, in order
to live comfortably and without
embarrassment. The prices, they
said, were taken from Tacoma
stores, and were "bedrock" prices.
Mrs. HrTpwood's total was
192.40- for a woman; It*.Cl for
i girl of 12, and |71.70 for a
Vassenger-automoliile traffic were
permitted.
County Commissioner O'Farrell
made a lengthy plea for a ferry
slip at the park. He even offer
ed to remove the slip at the end
of a year if the park board found
it objectionable.
O'Farrell declared taht the suc
cess or failure of the ferry boat
rested on teh question of whether
the boat could be .landed at the
park. A longer route would kill
its effectiveness, he said.
i.mhk'ii Gets Mad.
City Commissioner Gronen be
came indignant at the board for
"beating about the bush," and de
livered a hot speech demanding
that the park board approve the
ferry plans If all legal and finan
cial objectJons could be cleared
away. But the board members
sat silent.
Chairman Allen of the park
board declared that the board
might be able to discuss the ques
tion of reconsideration later In
the day, but Insisted that routine
matters for the b'.-weekly meeting
be taken up first.
Among those who tried to urge
the park board to action were A.
V. Love, A. G. Prlchard, County
Commissioner Belllngham, F. C.
Walker, County Commissioner
O'Farrell, Frederick Heath, W. R.
Rust, City Commissioner Gronen,
Forbes Haskell and K. F. Messin
ger.
Peter David of Old Tacoma
spoke against the Pt. Defiance
site.
Homo Edition /^fi^M
'l at-.mi.l mill vicinity: Ham /Mtf\ / /\
lohlklil hiul Tueadaj \Jw\jZL / /ft
Wn*hlnnton: Tonielit, mSjSv// j I
fair i-iißt, rain west portion; irV~ *kr J 1
.-oolt-r it.iiu-hi iu-nh.,l i /.., A\ **Tf/k
lioi'tlou; Tuenday, rain. ij&V \^7////m
PERSHING AND
SIBERT A TEAM
BY C. C. LYON
Staff Correspondent of The Times
WITH THE AMERICAN TROOPH IN PItANCK
(Oontrole Amerieain), Sept. 24. -The American
troops have now had three months training in Franco.
What are the log outstanding features!
1. — General Pershing is fast developing his forces
into a real fighting machine.
2. —Young officers from the American training
camp schools are making good with a whoop.
3.—The enlisted men are showing wonderful apti
tude in learning trench warfare methods from theif
French instructors.
In developing the American troops into a high
speed, enthusiastic war machine, den, Pershing and
(ien. siheit made an ideal combination,
Silieit is field commander*>f the I'irst expedition,
Pershing lias furnished tlie iron discipline that waa
needed by the new army.
Bibert, now affectionately called "Papa" Sibert by;
his men, has furnished the pals on the hack.
(foiitiiui-Ml on Page Klve.) _
boy. Mrs. Stunner's figures were
practically the same, tho there
was some difference in partii ular
items.
Wlii'ic Wages (Jo.
One woman's spring suit, to
last two seasons, $30; one winter
suit or coat (two years). $30; one
summer bat lone NMN). $7.50:,
two pairs of shoes at $C each,
$12: five aprons at 75 (cuts
(home made); four bouse dresses, |
|t.to apiere.
Many of the articles, the
women said, they are unable to
buy with their husband's present
wages.
They said their husbands work
'every day In Hie year, including
holidays, and turn all llieir earn
ings Into the household, yet are
hardly able to make ends meet.
Avernge $100.
Mrs. Hopwood testified she had
I worn her last spring suit five
seasons, had math 1 her winter
| coat last four years, and her sum
| mer hat and winter hat three
j years. Her three children, she
| said, wear their hats and coats
I until they are worn out. She said
she makes her boys' overcoats, and
that they wear "Pyramid Flour"
hats to school.
Vessel Is Burned
(Vailed Pren Leaned Wlre.>
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24.
—The schooner Peluga, carrying
case oil to Australia, was sighted
burning off the Fanning islands
June 19 by the schooner Ottlllie
Fjord, according to report made
by Captain Dent of the Fjord to
day. Search for survivors was
fruitless. The Heluga carried a
crew of 14, In addition to Captain
L. C. Cameron, who was accom
panied by his wife and child.
WOULD ROUT
MIDDLE MAN
(1 ..lir.l Prmmn l.enaed Wire. I
ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., Sept.
24. —When banker and farmer
"unite against the middle man,
the country's problem will be
near solution, C. L. Pack, presi
dent of the Natioi/I Emergency
Food Garden association, told the
American Bankers' association,
in convention today.
"The farmer is the best friend
the country has," said Pack.
"If he is prosperous you bank
ers and all the rest of us are
prosperous. The thing for you
to do Is to get together and smash
the cornerstone of high prices.
Aid the farmer over the rough
spots so that he can produce more
foodstuffs than ever before."
Three millou emergency gar
dens by "city farmers" have pro
duced 1360,000,000* worth of
food "I. o. b. kitchen door," said
Pack. "We must produce fooi*
as near the points of greatest con-
sumption aa possible, rout the
middleman and cold storage man
j and thus refceve the railroads."
i Tin' average wages of her bus-
I hand, she sai.l. Is 1 100 a month.
II baH taken them 15 years to pay
for their house, slio added.
Mrs. Stunner, with four chil
dren, said she has had only twfl
suits in 1 1 years.
The hearing will continue Tuegft
day.
Muring the morning session Dr.
SuEiallo announced he had ar
ranged to have Ift experts aid In
Interpreting the mass of evidence
submitted concerning the cost of
living, In order to arrive at a dam
cJslon on wages.
TALK OTHE
TIMES.
Greetings, are you clinging
to H. V. D.'s yet?
"The W. C. T. U. ladles proba
hly don't take into consideration
that we are wholesalers. Jusj
taking the liquor permits as they
stand, they do look pretty big, but
we £re supplying manufacturer!
of (tracts, syrups, etc., and that
is the reason far
the large quan
tities. We tell
at retail, too,
and possibly
once in a while
somebody got
away with It
who ought not to; but I can't be
In the store personally every min
ute, and no sale Is made except
on prescriptions of undoubted re
liability.—E. H. Hoyt, of the
Crown drug store.
Dr. Kva St. (lair Onburn
finds that some Tacoma girls
are cheap. Oilier liive*rflga
i«irs have come to the con
trary conclusion.
They who Russian names can reel
off
Tell us he Is called Korulloff.
Time gallops, and so yon
probably have not. realised
until this very moment that
there remain less than 90
days In which to do your
Christmas shopping. ,
America is rich and gold
greedy, says a Stockholm news
paper. And gosh how they hat*
to come over and grab off a bunch
of It!
(As It's Sang at ('-nip l#wi».)
I drew as a private Just one
buck a day.
And worked like a horse (ID
the captain did aay:
"As corporal oM-twe-at-f wfll
mo\w be your pear."
My Gnwd! how t_e mttmj
foiled **"'*