The new age., 1906-11-03
LEGISLATORS MEET
Oregon SOlOnS Seeking InfOfmd.
tiOn on Public Matters.
PENDLETON ENTERTAINS them
Visit Washington's Jute Mill and Ore
gon State Normal School
at Weston.

| Fen0leIon, Or-, OCT. S0.-WhetheT
Oregon should supplant its stove foun.
dry in the Salem prison with a jutC
mill was studied today in the Walla
Walla jute plant of the Washington
state prison by Governor Chamberlain
OF Oregon, 33 members Of the Oregon
Legislature, G. w. James, superintend.
ent of the Oregon penitentiary, and
others. While the lawmakers have not
expressed their opinions on the sub.
ject freely, it is evident that many OF
them do not favor the change.
This is the attitude also of Governor
Chamberlain and Superintendent
James. They argue that the stove
foundry brings to the state a revenue
twice as big as jute mill would do,
that jute mill would launch the state
in business which is in large meas.
ure speculative and risky and liable
to heavy losses because the raw pro.
duct from India is manipulated by a
trust; that the finished bags would be
sold to consumers near the factory,
thereby discriminating against others
not favored by proximity to the plant;
that Oregon's participation in the bus
mess would not regulate prices, be-
cause it could make only IL per cent
OF the bags used, and the Washington
plant doubled in size could make only
rs per cent Of the bags used in that
state; and that the change to a jute
mill would entail upon the state an ex
penditure of perhaps $125,000.
The Oregonians examined the jute
mill with keen interest. It was not
running, because the day. was one of
.ts alternate idle ones, the idleness
coming from short iuta supply. But
several OF the 10 looms were put In
motion for exhibition. The visitors,
healed by Governor Chamberlain,
were conducted through the plant b,
Governor Nesd and NJ. F. Kincaid, the
new superintendent.
The chief argument fer the jute mill
Is that manufacture of grain sacks, I'm"
like that of stoves, does not compete
with free labor and that it gives farm
ers sacks cheaper than the market
price.
After viewing the Walla Walla plant,
the visitors went to Weston to view
the Normal School at that place and
thence came to Pendleton, where they
attended dinner and smoker tonight,
given by the Commercial Association.
At the Weston Normal School the
party was greeted by Robert G.
French, president of that institution,
and was led to the assembly hall of
the school where some 240 students
were gathered. President French, to
show that the institution was not
local high school for Weston, asked
the pupils residing in Weston to arise,
then those whose homes were beyond
the town. The latter number visibly
exceeded the former.
President French said afterward
that of the 1873 pupils in the normal
department, only % are residents of
Weston. In addition are 102 young
pupils in the training department, all
from Weston, their studies ranging
from kindergarten to eighth grade The
age of normal pupils ranges from Is to
27. most of them being II, Is and -.
Governor Chamberlain spoke COM
mendingly OF the school, saying 1t
would always have a place in his
heart. Representative Davey, of Ma
rion, encouraged the friends of the
school by declaring that 1t is one OF
the indispensable educational institu-
tions of Oregon. Representative Vaw-
ter, of Jackson, spoke the same senti-
ment and jocularly said that Governor
Chamberlain's remarks had put him on
record and that they would be remem-
bered when he should pass upon the
appropriation bill of the Republican
legislature. Other speakers were
Senator Smith, of Umatilla, and ]. H.
Raley, of Pendleton.
The town of Weston took an after
noon holiday to receive the visitors.
At the station, mile distant from the
school, numerous conveyances were
waiting their arrival, to convey them
up town. The keen interest of Weston
in its normal school was evidenced by
the appreciation It's citizens showed Of
the visit of the Governor and the Leg.
islators.
At tonight's dinner Governor Cham
berlain urged cooperation of Oregon
and Washington for Improvement Of
the Columbia river and the protection
of salmon. Governor Mead responded
that in improvement Of that river
Washington "ought to cooperate with
your state" But he pointed out that
Seattle controlled great part of the
legislative power Of Washington
that it was not so well informed of the
needs of the Columbia river as it
might be.