The Seattle Star Newspaper, March 16, 1923, Page 1

Z T last the business men and consumers generally are awakened to the fact that the telephone company is seeking a real raise in rates ly asking one to offset a po a bigr ible reduction. aise, and not mere- That is good. The Star is glad to see the Chamber of Commerce vigorously taking Tonight and Sa: to hig Temperature Maximum, 45. Today turday, rain; mod- hs toinds. Last 4 Hours M , 38. noon, 48, Entered as Second Class Matter May 3, 1899, at the Postoffice at Seattle, Was. the side of the phone users and demanding a new hearing. The general public w asleep when the first hearings were held, and could now make a much more conyin ing showing. Gov. Hart and the state administration ought to see that the phone raise is indefinitely postponed until all the facts can be brought out. under the Act of Congress March 8, 1st. Per Year, by Mal, $2.00 NO, 17, 25, 2ATTLE, WASH., FRIDAY, MAI 2CH 16, 192 ‘TWO a NTS IN SEATTLE, LUMBER TRUST ADMITS PRICE HOLDUP! TOWN IS WRECKED BY WIND Families Are Swept Into River During Fury of Cyclone ; Middle West Is Suffering From Blizzard MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 16.—The town of Savage, Miss, was leveled by a cyclone which struck there dur. ing the night, according to refugees who reached Memphis today Later reports stated five persons had been killed at Savage and at Pritchard. Nearly a score of persons were Home Brew Howdy, folks! Well, now that we've got a S-cent carfare, we're going to have to pay for the deficit. Isn't that simply grand? see |injured when Miss Donny Belle Gann, {horn, declared when |here with her sister, Mrs, M. H. | Rich, of Savage. They reported a | number of persons were missing. When the cyclone struck the town, jentire families were blown into the| }Cold Water river, and some may| | have been swept to death, Mrs, Rich said. Mra. Rich declared her home was the storm struck of Stray she arrived | blown a block and deposited in the| by the chamber } “Me | river by the gale. } even members of the family }Cyrus Mabry, a neighbor, | tossed into the stream when their | home was blown about. | Mabry managed to save a daugh- ter, 10, one son, aged 12, and his sister-in-law, but other members of | ot were “PHONE PROBE Chamber Says the People Have Not Had Hearing Urging the department of public works to reopen its telephone rate the Seattle Commerce ot | in Olympla, setting forth eight differ. | ent reasons why no increase in phone tolls should be ordered. The increase asked by the phone com: pany, according to the chamber, | would amount to $1,000,000 a year in Seattle alone. The chamber asks the board to| keep present tolls in effect until tur | | ther evidence has been presented, holding that the people of Seattle | and of the state have not been given 4 real opportunity to show thelr side | of the case. Following are the arguments cited inquiry, Chamber has filed a petition | The general public, and bust- Rens houses in particular, understood | during the process of hearings that | the department of public works was investigating the question for the} purpose of revision downwards and| thence did not realize the neceasity | for presenting evidence to meet the| Suggestion to the city council: Now| the family are among the missing. |CO™Pany’s contention for an upward that the street car system is run- ning behind again on a 5-cent car- fare, why not give Peter Witt $100 a day to make another investigation? eee Hugo Kelley, candidate fer the council, has put out a card which ways: “You Know What I Stand For.” Sure, Hesse, you stand for Mayor 0 d how you do it is a mys- to ts eee PHILANTHROPIST With the monicipal railway running behind $4,000 a day, Kelley wants us to buy the Rainier Valley line. Gosh, how that man loves us! one Friends of Volstead are trying to get him a position as a federal judge. We'd like to get him a job as umpire in the Pacific Coast league. see Rookie: A guy that lives on hope and beans. 7 . Stenographers are looking forward to the baseball season, when the boss will have to “go out for a conple of hours on an important business mat- ter.” . TRAINING CAMP NEWS now ‘» laundry all is lost, it there was = heavy frost; begin, ing lame; ware wext fall, the dining-hall; jot so good at knocking bunts, me at once, On March 23, the state department of public works is going to hold a hearing on the proposal to reduce earfares on the Rainier Valley line. Would it not be advisable to post- pone the hearing until after the councilmanic election so that Hugo Kelley can devote his entire time to the proceedings? . “Guard Shoots Five Movie Actors.” —Headline. Quick, boy, give him the croix de guerre! cee Shooting a movie actor is too drastic a form of criticism, and then it does little good. There are so many movie actors. ee BEAUTY HINT . Li'l Gee Gee read somewhere that ice is good for the complex- fon and ever since she has been devouring orange and pineapple ices, . . A bill has been introduced in the city council providing for the inspec- tion of elevators. Yep, a lot of our elevators are run down, . An elevator operator leads a pre- carious existence. He is up one min-| But then He leads a ute, and down the next. think of the dentist, hand-to-mouth existence. see Mommer, mommer, does that big tramp get money for writing things like that? No, Onwald, he doesn't much money, but what he does get is awfully ood. w Senate committee says Standard fs going to send gasoline up to a ollar a gallon, “AM together, pedestrians: NO SUCH LUCK! ae IT DOES BEM A DANGEROUS PLACE TO LIVE “Eight rooms on earlines 20 minu town: 4 lots: planned for garden chickens; reasonable rent, —Want Advi. see Cheer up! The dandelion season will soon be here. * Well, anyway, parents are permit. ted to see their daughter's bean at 12, Column 3) Mabry rescued Mrs. Rich from the ey waters, and’she waa rushed here by her sister for medical attention. A number of injured whites have been rushed to Crenshaw, Miss, for treatment. The storm area was cut off from wire communications with other towns, and only meager details of the extent of the storm were avail able, Rescue workers were rushed into the district. . HEAVY SNOW IN MID-WEST CHICAGO, March 16.—The blizzard which had lashed the Midwest thru- out the week departed today after fury. | Mercury dropped as much as 20 de- | &rees during the 12 hours from 7 D. m. Thursday to 7 a m. Friday, A bitter northwest wind whipped a heavy snowfall into almost hori- zontal sheets, creating huge drifts. lines were further demoralized. | Were cut off from the outside world. | With the thermometer registering zero or lower suffering among tho | Poor in large cities was intense. | Rescue miscts: | with the unfortunate. | Coal supplies were generally re- ported suffictent to supply need: The weather cleared today and forecasters declared the severe tem- perature would gradually moderate. WINTER GALE HITS STATES KANSAS CITY, March 16.—High winds, snow and freezing tempera- tures were reported today from vart- ous sections of the South and South. west. The brunt of the storm, came out of the north, struck Mis- sissippi, where high winds caused heavy property damage and serious injury to a number of persons. Snow was general from Colorado to Arkansas and from Nebraska to Texas. Gales in Texas sent the thermome- ter to 40 degrees, while a near-bliz- zard was reported in the Panhandle. Western Kansas received a much- needed rain and snow and, as a re- sult, the winter wheat crop was greatly benefited. Trains, however, were not sert- ously delayed and wire communica- tions were but slightly effected. which Look These Over Today If you are in the market for a home and are trying to locate, you will find in today’s WANT AD Columns a choice of many homes in types and prices, Here is a suggestion, ~ OWNER MOVING TO CANADA FORCED “10 SELL S-room modern bungalow, with large klansed-in wleeping porch, loca Aixth ave, N. KB, fost north . 45th, clone to the “U's aplendid din- trict, It haa living room, dining room, nice bedrooms, a large sleep ing porch, glasned-in and plastered; will make good bedroom; all on one floor; fine cabinet kitchen; good bath; full coment basement; nice fireplace; Iaundry trays; piped for furnuce; lot 40x107 to alley, An coptionally “ood value at $2, with only $600 cash, Quick net requi c | 4 62 ARNE STN || Turn to the Want Ad Columns NOW and wee the bargains that are being offered in homes Today, giving a final demonstration of its| Transportation and communication | Many cities in Iowa and Nebraska | | crowded revision, "2. Such portion of the public as understood that an upward revision was under consideration believed that the application of the company contemplated approximately @ 31 per cent Increase, whereas the proposed tariff? will actually affect certain claasification aa high as 127 per cont. “S That altho the comiminsdon’ had presented before ft in evidence comparative rates between Seattle and other cities of comparable nize, said comparisons did not include com- parative trunk line rates, altho the Proposed increase would affect this | class of service more seriously than any other. “4. The people of the state at |large have been under the impression that such increases ax were proposed | Were to affect only the cities of Se- lattle, Tacoma and Spokane, wherens | the revised toll schedule as filed by the company is state-wide in effect, | Proposing approximately am 25 per |cent Increase in inter-community | | service. “6. Representatives of the com-| munities Interested are in fairness entitled to an opportunity of analyz ing all questions bearing on this mat- jter with the evidence presented by the telephone companies as a basis, That the questions of service have not been gone into from the public standpoint, and since service is what the rate is charged for, the public should be notified that this angle of the question will be heard before the department. “7. The proposed rate schedule filed by the telephone company con- templates an unreasonable and al- most prohibitive increase on this trunk line service, which if applied fs certain to reflect adversely to the convenience of other classes of sub- scribers, “8. It is our further opinion that if your department will issue a tem- porary present rate order, together with a statement to the public dis- closing the principal results and scope of the investigations so far made, that further hearings will af- ford much information from the users’ viewpoint which will greatly ald in the ultimate establishment of & satisfactory and fair telephone rate classification and tariff." Suit for $50,000 Is Filed Against Ruth NEW YORK, March 16.—Suit for $50,000 was filed against Babe Ruth, ot the New York Yankees, today by Miss Delores Dixon, who accuses the ball player, The complaint wag lodged in the supreme court by Attorney George Feinberg, in behalf of the girl, It alleges that the plaintiff is an un- married woman and that she ja in a delicate condition and unable to at- tend to her vocation and affairs, The action was instituted thru Barbara V, Escoe, her guardian ad litem. ‘The defendant is named as George H. Ruth, Fear Mob; Prisoner Rushed to Tacoma TACOMA, March 16.~Threata of mob violence, and a pousible lynch: ing, caused Sheriff Thompson, of Clarke county, to remove mdward Whitfield, 20-year-old murder sus. pect, from the county jail at Van: couver to Tacoma Thursday night. Great xecrecy accompanied the trans. for to the Pierce county jail here, Sheriff Desmond refused to way anything except that the) man no- cused of the brutal murder of 11. yarold Anna Nowke waa in hig cus “Tt looked too dangerous to keop Whitfield in Vancouver, I wanted to keep him enfe until his trial,” Sheritt Thompson declared Mrs. Nellie Cole, pretty cashier, who was robbed of all her money and slapped in the face by a negro burglar who jentered her room Thursday night. —Phote by Price & Carter, Star Staff Photographers | a | | | whi jand lit @ match. Is Ever BY BOB BERMANN The city engineering department Is spending approximately twice as much money every month as it 1s on {ts really necessary functions, This is the startling disclosure engineer's office, which show that only about one-tenth of the work on which plans and specifications are prepared actually gets to the con- struction stage. Such a practice, naturally, results in the annua: waste of hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money—and blame for this waste can be laid at onty one door. What it amounts to is simply this: Rather than incur the enmity of a few unreasonable property holders, who desire manifestly impossible im- provements, the streets and sewers committeo submits such petitions to the city engineer instead of summar- City Engineer Forced to Waste Public Funds Only One-Tenth of M Municipal Work Surveyed made by figures on file in the city | Started ily rejecting them, The result is that several hundred dollars of city funds are thrown away and the engincer reports that the cost is too high for the local improvement district to bear, Rather expensive—but it re- Neves the councilmen of the onus of turning down a constituent’s petition. ANOTHER EVIL. EVEN WORSE This abuse is vicious on its face— but there is an underlying evil which is even more to be deplored. ‘ery local improvement district eventually has to pay for ALL work done in It by the engineering depart- ment. This means that if half a dozen premature surveys are mado, the cost of all of them will be sad- dled on to the property owners when the time is finally ripe for the im- provement. In the final analysis, it's just the (Turn to Page 12, Column 2) In statements given out Friday in Washington, D. C,, Admiral Benson, former chairman of the shipping board, and George BE, Chamberlain, whose home is in Portland, both members of the U. 8, Shipping board, deny ever making charges against Frank Waterhouse, president of the Chamber of Commerce or of charg: ing that “the Seattle Chamber of Commerce is controlled by the pri- vate shipping interests of Japan and England, and that these interests are attempting to gain control of the Seattle harbor thru Frank Water houwe and hix clique, according to a statement given out by the chamber Friday morning Th @ speoch mage last Saturday |night at a dinner given to insurgent mombers of the legislature, Col, Lamping said: “It would be a good \dea for Seat- Chamber Says Shipping Board Denies Criticism Quotes Wires Contradicting Attitude as Claimed by Commissioner Lamping the to send an independent delega- tion to Washington and to find out exuctly what ix the matter with the Chamber of Commerce here, Ask any of the shipping board officials | and they will tell you. ‘Time and again I have had these men come to | me and ask, ‘Why doesn’t Seattle | clean out that Chamber of Com-| merce? Admiral Benson of the ship- ping board could give you some very onlightening information Goncerning infiuences that would block the pur- chase by the Seattle port of the Moran shipyards,’ FIND REPORT IN STAR CORRECT A member of the Chamber of Commerce staff asked Col. Lamp. ing if the report of hin speech in The Star was correct and he sald it was, It was said at the chamber (Turn to Page 12, Corumn 6) NEW Pretty Girl Is Victim of Thug Robbed and Hit by Yegg Negro Hnters Home and Wakens Cashier Held a terrified prisoner nearly half an hour Thursday night in her apartment by a burly negro burglar who had attempted twice before to rob the ullding, Mra, Nellie Cole, pretty at the White Lunch 808 First ave, and narrowly rious harm at the hands of the thug, Altho badly frightened, Mrs. Cole bravely hid her fear of the criminal cashier escaped ¢ and succeeded in influencing him to the other 1726 leave without molesting apartments in the building, Bellevue ave. “I was alone in the building and) Mrs. Cole Friday, “when I w &@ noise in the bathroom. Then the lights were switched off. I was #0 frightened I couldn't even scream, told the police awakened by asleep, Then a black shadow crossed to my| cold was bed, and I felt pushed against my a revolver. LAUGHS WHEN HE FINDS PURSE “The burglar spoke ing haw much money I had. I told him there was $3.50 in my purse, ch was lying at the foot of the He seemed to doubt my word, He laughed when he found $28.50 in it. “That made me angry. 1 asked| him, ‘Is that all you're got to do, | robbing girls of money they have to work hard fort’ He laughed again, and hit me in the face. ‘If my partner makes a good haul I'll bring this back to you,’ Re said." ‘The burglar calmly searched Mra, Cole's apartment with the ald of matches, while (he terrified girl watched from her bed. ‘The thug, upon failing to find other valuables, threatened her with death of she did not tell the hiding place of her | Jewelry. TRUCK HER SRAL ‘TIM She protested that she had none, At length the negto gave up the search and chatted with his victim, Several times striking her in the face. Hoe told her that he had “just arrived from Alaska with his partner something cheek. It ask to me bed. jand had to raise a Ittle money.” After he had remained in the room for half an hour, the burglar left after cautioning the girl to remain silent for 30 minutes, at the same time punctuating his remarks with | flourishes of his revolver. When she was satisfied that he had gone, Mrs. Cole called the police. An extensive search for the negro thruout the city proved fruitless, however. Frederick J, Cox, manager of the apartment house, had been downtown together with his wife at the time of the robbery, returning several hours after it had occurred. TRAIN BANDIT IS SHOT DEAD Escaping Negro Is Slain by Mail Clerk OMAHA, Neb. March 16.—A ne- gro bandit believed to be George Kennedy, Pocatello, Idaho, was shot and killed when he attempted to es cape after robbing a storage mall car on Union Pacific train No. 6 at Summit, Neb., near here, last night. Kennedy was carrying $200 worth of silks and other valuables when shot to death by Mail Clerk J. C. Kull, Kennedy is believed to have boarded the train at North Platte, 300 miles west, The train crew saw Kennedy leap to the ground as the train stopped at Summit. The shooting followed, 5 Bandits Escape With $15,000 Cash WELLSTON, Mo, March 16,— Five armed bandits today escaped with $15,000 in currency from the Wellston State bank, KICKLESS CIDER IS NOW URGED BY DRYS ASHINGTON, March 16,—A ruling will be rendered! soon by Attorney General Daugherty. fixing the amount of “kick” that may be allowed to accumulate tn older and unfermented — fruit Juices before the processes of na ture make them in violation of the Volstead law, Prohibition Commissioner Haines has ins formed Representative John Phil Ip Hill, of Maryland. The decision, which will affect the cider of thousands of farmers thruout the country, and the fruit fulce mixtures of the lity dwell ers, has been delayed for several months, was robbed of $28.50) | Fir Exploitation and Export | | “There was a good deal of price- leutting in the lumber business—and |you wanted to see if you couldn't do away with cut-throat competition; that was the principal reason you jhad for organizing the combine, wasn't it?’ Griggs was asked by: Henry Ward Beers, for the government “It was one of the principal things; certainly was,” was the answer. Friday morning's session of the jhearing, which ts being held ‘in the County-City building before Trial Ex- aminer W. W. Sheppard, of the fed- jeral trade commission, was marked by numerous angry tiffs between op- posing counsel, CROSS-EXAMINATION 18 NOT RIGID Louis Titus, of counsel for the de- fendants, took exception to the man- ner in which Special Counse!] Beers conducted the cross-examination of | Maj. Griggs, and protested to Exam- iner Sheppard time after time. Sheppard finally instructed Beers to lower his voice and refrain from |intimating that the witness was not | telling “God's honest truth.” Griggs, who has been on the stand jever since the Douglas Fir Co. jopened its defense, Thursday, was | subjected to a most exhaustive cross- examination thruout the morning session, Attorney Beers endeavoring to force him to admit the utilization of doubtful methods to strangle com- petition. “Do you think that you have the | right to sell or refuse to sell to any- one you please, regardless of the buy- er’s credit?” was one of Beers’ ques- tions. Griggs refused to be trapped, how- ever. “We always sell when a man has the money, regardless of whether he's a friend or an enemy,” he coun- tered, “Don't you know that’s not the way—" Beers thundered at him, but was cut off by defense counsel, TELLS HOW THE COMBINE WORKS Griggs explained that his combine decided on the amount of business “outside firms” were entitled to by making comparative estimates of their own and their competitors’ “fair production.” “Do you think,” Beers asked him, “that you have a right to rate a man's mill that isn't in your com: bine?” There was a long argument over tho admissibility of this question— but Griggs finally answered that he knew he did not have any. such right. It was over this answer that the most acrimonious argument of the morning arose, Titus protesting bit terly against Beers’ methods, “Griggs is a soldier," Beers snapped back, “He can stand a lit tle shoutin; Beers attempted to force Griggs to admit that he brought the Willamette valley rail mills into the combine In an effort to strangle all competition for the China lumber trade, but Griggs avoided the trap. ADMITS ACTING IN DUAL ROLE At Thursday's hearing Griggs ad- mitted that he was an officer in the spruce division of the army and, in such @ capacity, fixing prices to be paid for lumber by the government at a time when he was also operat: ing mills on the Pacific coast, “I object for the sake of the wit- ness," Beers broke in, ‘He doesn't know what he's doing. This matter has no bearing on the case and he wouldn't want it sald that he as purchaser for the United States army participated in fixing the prices the government must pay and participated in the profits, 1 raise my objection for the protection of the witness," Hon. John Russell Is Granted Divorce LONDON, March 16'The Hon, |John Russell was today decree in his divoree sul his wife, Christobel, whom the court found gullty of misconduct with an unknown corespondent tt Al special counsel | GRIGGS IS SCORED BY ATTORNEY Angry Brushes Mark Federal Trade Probe of Northwest Lumber Selling Combine Here BY BOB BERMANN ZB The principal reason for the organization of the Dougl Co. was to get more mo for the lumber sold by the various mills. | This was the admission forced from Maj. E. G. Griggs jan official of the company and one of the most prominent’ lumber men in the country, under cross-examination F at the federal trade commission’s hearing of restraint 6 trade charges against the concern. Mayor Brown Favors W. Government System — Return to the old ward or di representation form of government if the charter of § is to be changed at all, will yocated by Mayor Edwin J, B Friday Mayor Brown sald that will actively support that ee charter amendment in 0 & managerial amendment as | Posed by the Municipal league. Brown declared that Seattle will not delegate additional to a city council whose has been unsuccessful. “The services to the city of | Present council do not |the city giving tnem the |take the right of electing a m |away from the citizens,” the m | suid Brown declared that the |light and water departments | |the park department were inau ated under the old ward “— representation. “We now have a city council ¥ five members elected from the Un versity district,” the Mayor “All of Seattle south of Yesler ¥ and West Seattle have not a man on the council interested | the welfare of these districts.” Premier Lenin Is Reported Imp MOSCOW, March 16. — Lenin registered remarkable _ provement since voter United Press was officially inform today. oes “The doctors state that dan death ts absolutely passed,” 6 advices from the Rosta, gov telegraph agency, announced. are convinced that the pre: fliction of arm, leg and tongue, which the premier is su gradually will disappear.” Witz PRESENTS Lae “PRIZE WINNE A FRANCISCO, March 1f “Please, mister, T want to enter h in the pet show,” explained 6-y old Willie Davis to an entry ele the annual display of children's here, Tho clerk looked around for a b tam rooster or a bunny, but proudly advanced Charlotte, his ter, aged 2, “Dad says she's a prize winn r, Willie confidently insisted when that this show was chiefly for four legged pets. Tap Gas in Well on Farm Near Eve EVERETT, March 16.—(jas been tapped at a depth of 120 feet the ranch of A. Amundsen, Swan's Trail, two miles from h Tt has been flowing for just sxnotly a Week now, with a roar thit makes sleep almost impossible in Amundsen home. ‘The gas 4s Inf) mable and burns with a blaze four to six feet high when Hghted. The gas was tapped In the co of drilling for off, the faym hi been leased to George Abusl, of erett, a year ago, Slugged by nee and Robbed of Attacked sby bandits In a pai alley on’ Yesler way bars cidental and First aves, late day night, Charles Sweeds, ot Ay Draska st, was slugged and ‘col }Of $68. -Siveads was knocked unwoe solos by a blneilack pnd ay aw aranted @ | hours later ang in the Wey) against | was treated at the city hospital fi sovere sealp wounds, Tae rokbery took place three blocks from ‘opatra! Doligo headquarters,