THE MCXRNtSG OEEGOMM, MOSDAI, .25, lWJ. , 5t v Entered at the Postofflce at Portland, Ore- Son, as second-class matter. liEVISED SUBSCRIPTION HATES. T- mall rnnilov, nrtniM tn Bilvanee Sally, with Sunday, per month 2' Dally. Sunday excepted, per year .. . 7.50 Dal.r. with Sunday, per year 9.00 Sunday, per year The Weekly, per year i-SjJ The Weekly, 3 months . -o" Dally, per week, delivered. Suay excepted.l5c Dally, per week, delivered, Sunday lncludedSOc POSTAGE BATES. Vnlted States. Canada and Mexico 10 tn H-n.-tc-o hhtuf . . .IC 10 to 30-page paper 22 to 44 -page paper . sc foreign rates double. EASTERN BUSINESS OFFICES. (The S. C. Beckwlth Special Agency) Hew Tork: Room 43-49, Tribune Building. Chicago: Booms 510-312, Tribune Building. KEPT ON SALE. Chicago Charles MacDonald, 53 Washing ton St., and Auditorium Annex; Postofflce Herts Co- 178 Dearborn. Colorado Springs C. A. Bruner. Denver Julius Black. Hamilton Hendrick. 006-812 Seventeenth St.; Louihan & Jackson, Fifteenth and Lawrence. Kansas City Ricksecker Cigar Co., Ninth and "Walnut. Xot Angeles B. P. Gardner, 259 South Spring; Oliver & Haines, 203 South Spring. Minn capo lis 1L J. Kavanaugh,' 50 South Third. L. Regelsburger, 317 First Avenuo South. New Tork City L. Jonas & Co., Astor House. Ogden V. C. Aldcn, Postofflce Cigar Store; T B, Godard; W. G. Kind. 114 25th St.,; C. 11 Myers. Omaha Barkalow Bros., 1012 Farnam: McLaughlin Bros.. 210 South 14th; Megeath Stationery Co., 1308 Farnam. Salt lake Salt Lake News Co., 77 "West Second South St. BX. Louis World's Fair News Co. San Francisco J. K. Cooper Co.. 740 Mar ket, near Palace Hotel; Foster & Orear, Ferry News Stand; Goldsmith Bros., 236 Sutter; L. E. Lee, Palace Hotel News Stand; F. W. Pitts. 1008 Market: Frank Scott, SO Ellis; N. Wheatley, 83 Stevenson. Washington, D. O Ed Brlnkman, Fourth and PaClHc Ave., N. W.; Ebbltt House News Stand ' YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem perature. 48; minimum temperature, 35; pre cipitation, .01 of an Inch. TODAY'S WEATHER Fair; westerly winds. PORTLAND, MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 1004 WHY FUNDS ARE LOW. The extraordinary straits in which our municipal government often finds itself may be partly explained by the failure of assessed valuations to corre spond -with the Increase of business and population. At considerable effort, es pecially on the part of city and county officials, we have secured comparative statements of these matters, -which may be found In extenso in last Saturday's iesu' of The Oregonian. Speaking generally, it develops as a fact that the County of Multnomah and City of Portland are actually contribu ting to the support of the county and municipal government less money than It contributed ten years ago, notwith standing Increase in wealth and volume of business, improvement in "the times" and gain In population. The county's assessed valuations were higher in 1893 than in 1903 by $10,OQ0,O00. The city's assessed valuations were higher in 1893 than in 1908 by $8,000,000. In 1895 the county raised $522,000 from taxation, in 1902 it raised S458.000. In 1894, perhaps the hardest year of all, the city collect ed SS83.000 In taxes, and in 1901 It col lected but $292,000 a decrease of $100, 000 Last year the collections reached $396,000, and this year the valuations will be again increased. It is doubtless the truth that many valuations are almost criminally low, and that the discrimination which has long prevailed in assessments is respon slble, not only for light revenues, but for the many Ingenious devices the city authorities have been compelled to em ploy In raising money in other ways besides the tax levy. Yet it is not to be declared unreservedly that a general In crease in valuations Is necessary. The undoubted theoretical truth that high valuations go along with low levies is to a large degree offset by the practical fact that officials are prone to keep the levies up even if valuations rise, in their anxiety to have abundance of money In the treasury for all purposes, their own salaries Included. This is shown by the necessity of limiting by charter the millage that may be imposed. It Is necessary to remember, also, in extenuation of stationary assessments, that the city is raising money In other ways, so that the burden of increasing municipal expenditures Is borne Just as truly as if valuations had risen steadily with the population and with the times, In 1893 the city's revenues from "other sources" was $184,510, but in 1902 it had risen to $381,940. The county's miscel laneous Income Is $52,000 now. as against $34,000 in 1897. It is likely that the in creased valuations proposed by Asses sor McDonell for the ensuing year will be just and generally approved. TEMPERANCE GROGSHOPS IN BRITAIN Blacklists for drunkards, after being tried for a year in England, have been abandoned as impracticable. The sys tem was too cumbrous for the exlg' er.eies of every-day life, and temper ance by legislation, fondly hailed as a reality, has once more been proved a dream. There Is, however, a quiet agency that is promoting the cause of temper once In England along social rather than legislative lines, and already much pood has been accomplished. The Public-House Trust Association is the name of the organization that is doing the work, and the London Times gives an Interesting review of its career. Lord Grey is the president of the trust, and although he has been in charge but two years there are now only five counties In England without local branches of the parent organization. The basic principle of the trust Is that the public-house or saloon Is a necessity. The "poor man's club" is a name frequently applied to the "pub," and the name conveys an accurate idea. Secondly, the trust recognizes the fact that a proportion of the people will de mand alcoholic beverages. Most of the "clubs" established by the temperance workers In England absolutely prohibit the sale of intoxicants, and the average man resents nothing so much as any nttempt on the part of others to patro nize him or to choose his forms of recre ation for him. The saloons managed by the trust are open to every man that conducts himself with propriety. They are on a strict business basis, and the customer feels that he has as much right to be there as any person. The distinguishing feature is that no at tempt whatever is made to push the sale of Intoxicants. The man who or ders lemonade is treated as politely as the man who orders whisky, and the proportion of nonintoxicating beverages sold is rising steadily. Plain meals are served at a reason, able cost, and facilities are provided for those who would pass their evening hour of leisure. The trust's saloons, in phort, give the poor man the equivu- lent of a club, where-be is oman equal ity with its other frequenters. Tem perance is promoted, and the saloon sees in the trust its most Tserlou3 menace. PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT NEEDED. The decision of the Congressional river and harbor committee to with hold an appropriation bill from this session of Congress, while proving a serious disappointment all dver the Northwest, will not retard the work al ready under way at that most impor tant of all points, the mouth of the Co lumbia. With nearly $1,300,000 avail able for continuing the jetty and oper ating the dredge .on the bar, a vast im provement in the channel at the en trance "to the river Is practically as sured, and the results that will be attained with the sum now unexpend ed will be sufficiently gratifying to render it a comparatively easy matter to secure whatever is needed when the amount now available is exhausted. The amount available for the improve ment at Celilo is very scant in compar ison with what is needed, but will serve as a basis on which to make demands in keeping with the requirements at some later date. The amount available for the Columbia .and Lower "Willam ette is adequate to keep open a channel sufficient for the present depth on the bar, but the work of maintaining this channel, as In the past, will be to a certain extent of a temporary nature. The Port of Portland has performed excellent work in opening up a twenty-five-foot channel to Astoria, and with the money available this channel can be kept open for the greater part of the year by occasional dredging. The temporary character of most of the results secured by dredging, however. is not altogether satisfactory, and im mediate effort siiould be made to have the future -Improvements moM of a permanent nature. It has been demon. strated beyond doubt that a permanent channel of almost any depth desired can be obtained by the construction of jetties at the shoalest places along the river. Proof of this is amply demon strated in the case of St. Helens bar. For more than a quarter of a century after the ocean-going vessels began coming to Portland this was always the worst point on the river, the chan nel at that point being so shoal that at one time the Pacific Mail Steamship Company abandoned Portland and at tempted to make St. Helens, below the bar, the head of deep-water navigation on the Columbia. This attempt was fu tile, but expensive delays and lighter age at this point cast so much odium on the port that the citizens of Port land eventually had to take the matter in their own hands, and for many years annual dredging made some Improve ment In the depth of water. The temporary character of dredging improvements, then as now, prevented the best results, and not until the Gov ernment built the jetty at that point was a permanent channel assured. The construction of the jetty about twenty years ago In a very short time Increased the depth of water from fourteen feet to more than twenty-five feet, and to day the largest ships afloat could cross what was formerly St. Helens bar with plenty of water under their keels. Sim ilar good results have attended the "Walker's Island Jetty, and in fact the only places where permanent good has not followed the construction of jetties In the river are where they have been built so low that the Spring floods have swept over them instead of staying in narrow bounds and sluicing out the bottom of the river. "Where the jetties have been built too low they have not only failed to prevent the current wan derlng out of the channel, but sedl ment has been dropped In over the top of the piling and a detrimental Instead of a good effect has resulted. If Is, of course, Impossible to devise a method of Improvement that will do away with all dredging, and the Im portance of the port Is such as to war rant the maintenance of a good dredge which can be used wherever needed when floods deposit sediment where it interferes with shipping. "With the river channel permanently Improved by the aid of Jetties, dredging operations and the attendant expense can be re duced to the minimum, and the cost of maintaining a perfect highway to the sea will be so small In comparison with the traffic that Is benefited that no more difficulty will be encountered In seem ing appropriations sufficient to take care or tne worK. The Port of Portland has benefited a vast scope of country with the Immense sums that have been expended In open Ing a twenty-flve-foot channel to the sea. It Is not right that this city should be forced to effect the perma nent Improvements that are now due As previously stated, we have a river channel that will take care of the ships that can now get over the bar. "With the improvement at the mouth of the river will come the necessity for deeper channel between Portland and Astoria. It Is none too soon to begin agitating the matter of permanent irn provement by means of jetties at the worst points along the river. "We shall outgrow the twenty-flve-foot channel before they can be completed, and ac cordlngly no time should be lost in formulating a demand that will not be turned down when the next Congress has a river and harbor bill. PAY OF SCHOOLTEACHERS. Under the new system of levying taxes for general school purposes a number of counties will find themselves with more money than they have had before for educational purposes some of them with nearly twice as much as usual But there will be no trouble To find a place for the money. In many of the rural districts the school year has been much too short, and this defect can be remedied. If, after providing a full school year, the directors find them selves with a surplus of funds, they might try the experiment of raising teachers' wages. "We say wages and not salaries, for the amount paid in most of the rural and smaller city schools has not been large enough to warrant the use of any word that would be commendatory. The average monthly salary of male teachers In this state last year was $47.5S; that of female teachers, J37.6L "When the amounts paid to city princl pals and teachera are taken into con sideratlon, it is evident that teachers In rural schools have been teaching for less than $45 for males and $35 for fe males. If the average length of term in rural schools was eight months, which It Is not, the income of a male teacher for a year would be $360, and of female teacher $280. This is not enough. As a general rule it may be said that compensation is sufficient where plenty of persons can be found to perform the work at the sum offered. Yet It will not do to adhere too closely to this rule, especially in an occupation in which the quality of the work is of an Importance not to be measured in dollars and cents. But even if this rule be followed, it is apparent that teach ers' wages have not been high enough, for there have been reports of a scarcity of teachers in nearly every county in the state. Young men and women have found that they can do better in other occupations than they can. In school teaching, and have left the schoolroom in response to the offer of larger com pensation. School officers must not con duct their . official business upon the theory that the education of the young may be left to men and women who can find nothing else to do. That isn't good business policy, and doesn't, result In the employment of successful teach ers. A better plan Is to pay a fair -wage and insist upon having good service. A district having in its employ a teacher whose efficiency has been demonstrated should keep him even If a raise in salary is necessary. A district without a good teacher should get one by offering a sal ary sufficient to induce such an edu cator to accept the employment. "When the teacher's profession yields compen sation more than sufficient to pay liv ing expenses, it will be easy to drop out the Incompetents and place all the schools In the charge of men and women who will accomplish the best possible results for the children who are pre paring to take their places in the ranks of the world's workers. SHOULD LUMBERMEN AID? Under the caption "Lumbermen Should Aid," the Seattle Post-Intelli- gencer states that the lumbermen and the shlnglemen of the State of "Wash ington have a large interest in the bills now before Congress extending the coastwise navigation laws to the Phil ippines, and requiring the transport of Government supplies In American ships. The Seattle paper states that "one of the most serious handicaps to the ex tension of our lumber and shingle trade has always been the car shortage," as the "amount of east-bound freight is always largely In excess of the west bound movement." On this showing the P.-I., by a decidedly vague line of reasoning, decides that by limiting the ocean transportation facilities to Amer ican ships, more west-bound and less east-bound freight would be obtainable. Every transportation man knows that steamships In order to show a profit must carry cargoes both ways, and not travel In ballast The Philippines are susceptible of wonderful development from a trade standpoint, and they al ready supply large quantities of out ward freight to the steamers going there with American products. Seattle will be unable to consume all of this freight, In fact her capacity for absorb ing It will not be materially Increased, no matter what kind of navigation laws are in force. The freight must then fol low the route it is now following that is, go east by rail and accordingly the excess" of east-bound freight would be just as much in evidence as before tne ocean transportation facilities were restricted. Just where the "Washington lumberman is to be helped when the cars which bring freight for the Phil ippines to Seattle are loaded back with freight from the Philippines Is a mat ter which needs further explanation. The Seattle argument on this point will naturally be recognized as ridiculous, but the P.-I. gravely follows it up with this chunk of logic: These considerations are apart from the prospect of Improving the market for American lumber and shingles In the Phil ippines which will follow the Improvement In transportation facilities to the Islands. Could a more alluring bait be offered the "Washington lumbermen and shln glemen? Just over the boundary line, so close In some places that the loggers cut a tree in Canada and It falls In the United States, are lumbermen and shin glemen engaged in the same business as the Americans. They are sawing lumber and making shingles for the buyers of any country on earth that can pay for It. The P.-I. frequently informs us that they can manufacture these products so much cheaper than the Americans that an Import duty Is nec essary to keep them from giving the American lumber-users the benefit of $2 to $2.50 per thousand feet in the price. Now, If the Post-Intelllgencer succeeds In Its method for "Improvement In transportation facilities to the Islands" by restricting the American lumbermen to American carriers, will their advan tage over the Canadians In the same line of business be as great as the P.-I would like to have us believe it would be? The Canadians, like the mother coun try, England, believe in placing no un necessary restrictions on their carrying trade, and they do not care a rap what flag flies over the vessel, so long as she carries thelrf relght to market at a satis factory rate. The extension of the coast wise laws to the Philippines would thus give the American lumber shipper to those countries the alternative of ship ping his lumber In the limited amount of American tonnage available or keep lng It at home. The Canadian lumber man, who has the tonnage of the world to draw on for supplies, would then have a decided advantage, and would do the business with our new dependen cies. The spectacle of the "Washington lumbermen and shlnglemen making frantic haste to place thl3 block under the wheels of their own business would be a strange one but it will not be witnessed. MONEY FOR BETTER ROADS. The 5 per cent land sales fund this year Is large enough so that some of the counties will find It of material as slstance to them In the building of pub lic roads. This fund Is given by the Government to the state for public road building, and can be devoted to that purpose only. It Is 5 per cent of the proceeds of the sales of public land in Oregon for the past year. The amount paid by the Government recently upon the proceeds of sales for the year 1903 was over $90,000, or about four times the amount for the previous year. This sum of money, if judiciously expended, will build many miles of permanent road In Oregon. . The money Is not available for use'ln any one place, but has been apportioned among several counties according -to their area. This mode of distribution Is required by an act of the Legislature of 1893. The Secretary of State ascer tained the nurriber of acres In the area of each county, and upon this basis made the distribution. Harney County, one of the most thinly settled in the state, is the largest In area, and gets over $10,000. Malheur, next In size, gets $9252, Lake $7585, Crook $7574, and Klam ath $5787. Other counties get sums con siderably less, the amount apportioned dwindling down until it ends with Mult nomah, the richest and most populous county in the state, which must be sat isfied with $416. This mode of distributing the money was evidently intended to give to each county funds in proportion to its needs ) for road-bull ding purposes, and though it is perhaps not entirely equitable in j any one year, it is the fairest plan that j could be devised, and in the end will be found to place the money where it is most needed. Some of the distant coun ties, where the grazing is the chief in dustry, have comparatively few roads, but those in use are long. Much of the land Is still vacant, is therefore not tax able, and the county revenue available for road-building is not large "With the assistance of "the money derived from the 5 per cent land sales fund these out iylng counties can do a considerable amount of road work and aid In open ing up the country t6. homeseekers who will irrigate the land and develop, re sources that are now but little under stood. If the amount of this fund were small, as it has been at some times in the past, few of the counties would find their por tion large enough to be of material as sistance. Under sudh circumstances it would probably be better to expend the whole sum in one place, where a model state road, permanent In character and located so as to be of general use, could 1 be built Road-building Is an occupation in wnicn too many novices ana not enough experts are engaged. A few miles of" first-class public highways. constructed where they would form an object lesson to a large number of peo ple, would be of great value to the whole state. The money that has been wasted by the construction of patch work mud roads would, ,bulld for this state many hundred miles of hard-surfaced roads, if wisely expended. The great trouble has been -that road-build ers have forked too much to meet pres ent needs rather than to accomplish permanent results. It would be Inter esting to know how much of the $90,000 distributed last Thursday will be ex pended in building first-class roads that will be good 12 months In the year. The burnt chL'd dreads the fire, and accordingly the unfortunate bondhold ers who are attempting to revive the Shipbuilding Trust will have no more of Mr. Schwab than Is forced upon them by the sheer necessity of some kind of a reorganization. News dis patches regarding the possibility of Mr. Schwab's remaining In control state that "the cdmmlttee will decline to ac cede to any compromise leaving control in his hands, no matter how acceptable a division of securities may be pro posed." And yet, a few short months ago the name of Charles M. Schwab was one to conjure with, and American youth were in a fair way to get stiff necks looking up to the lofty pedestal on which he had been placed as a model for all that Is good In commercial life. His friend, ally and co-consplrator, J. P. Morgan; once testified in court that he considered John "W. Gates "a dan gerous man," but Gates with all of his high-rolling proclivities and vulgar dls play of wealth, has never been as dan gerous a man as the' discredited and distrusted Shipbuilding Trust magnate Gates was never held up before the public as a model citizen, consequently he never violated the public confidence by such a grand and lofty tumble from grace as has just been executed by Mr. Schwab. In spite of the heavy falling off of plg-lronproductlon during the last three months, 1903 broke the pig-iron record, the total output, according to the pre liminary' report of the Iron Age, hav lng amounted to. 17,949,00S tons,- against 17,821,307 tons In 1902 and 15,378,354 tons In 1901. This record Is, however, dis appointing in view of the heavy output month after month, when It looked as. If a total of almost 20,000,000 tons would be made. But September and October showed some restriction of output, No vember fell 30 per cent, and December almost 50 per cent below August, the December production being only 898,000 tons, whereas in August it was 1,614,000 tons. The weekly capacity of the fur naces In blast on January 1 was only 197,931 tons, whereas on June 1 the capacity was 398,000 tons. But January 1 probably marked low tide. Prices have stiffened somewhat, and several furnaces have been put again Into com mission. . TheGerman petroleum company which has been organized at Berlin with capital of $5,000,000 expects to compete with the Standard Oil Company for the business of some of the remote districts of the Old "World. In the early days of his career Mr. Rockefeller might have been Induced to regard such competl tion with a mild degree of seriousness but the "penny-ante" days of the oil business are over, and the thrifty Ger mans will be permitted to enjoy the de lusion that they are competing with the oil king until they build up a trade worth having. Then Jo'hn D. will take it away from them, and Miss Tarbell can add another chapter to her story The Count of Monte Crlsto In his fevered Imagination "thought" the world was his. John D. Rockefeller "knows" that It belongs to him, and woe be the man who disputes the ownership, so far as the oil business is concerned. Apparently despairing of bringing his name before the public by any other method, Mr. Norman Shelby, better known as "Kid McCoy," has filed petition In bankruptcy with liabilities of $25,000 and assets of $150. The con tributors to this advertising fund of $24,850 are not mentioned, but as the occupation of Mr. Shelby was that of inflicting physical discomfort on his fellow-man, it is probable that the cred ltors are not of the class that will And their standing In the mercantile agen cles impaired by the announcement of the loss they have sustained. As fighter Kid McCoy never succeeded In extracting much money from the pub 11c, but as a failure, paradoxical as It may seem, he has been, with the excep tion of the $150, an unqualified success, Sending cards to announce a divorce Is said to be the vogue In Paris. As cards announce both engagements and weddings, it would seem proper to send out cards announcing the institution of the suit for divorce, as well as the com pleted decree. The basis of the action could be given, the amount of alimony asked for, and all the other details that are so dear to the gossips. By this means the horrid newspapers would be forestalled, and bothersome explana tlons avoided. London's last annual health report shows the death rate from all causes in the British capital to have been 17.2 per 1000. This compares favorably with St Petersburg, 23; Rome, 21.9; Vienna, 19.4; New York, 18.7, and Paris, 18.4. In view of the terrible overcrowding and the chronic starvation of a large per centage of London's population, these figures seem extraordinary. SPIRIT OF THE N0RT& WEST PRESS Why Didn't They Do Better Ui 19Q2? Albany Democrat. A good, many Linn County people would be glad of the privilege of voting for Governor Chamberlain for President the United States. He has already shown that he has the backbone as well as ability for the position. Strong Temptation Justifies Leniency Salem Journal. A Portland man Is accused of tearing out and carrying off, with intention of readlf The Oregonian editorial page. If convicted, . of course, he will be commit- tea to the -asylum, and properly belongs there. Important, If True. Castle Hock Leader. The north-bound passenger train was delayed here over an hour by a hot boxj The engine had to be raised and some new brasses put In1. A freight train was here at the time, but the crew refused render any assistance, because the engineer of the passenger was not a un ion man. Civilization in the Flour Barrel . Albany Herald. The American miller has been one of the most potent factors in the enlighten ment of the Asiatic Coast That part of the 'world Is still quite a bit behind In things that commonly go with this time In the world's history. But the Pacific Coast sack of flour has done much to bring comfort and -knowledge of the outer 'barbarians" to some of the districts of the Middle Kingdom. An Equivocal Indorsement. Roseburg Plalndealer. The ardent admirers of George EL Cham berlain (by the grace of Republican tall mashers), Governor of Oregon, have de cided to present his name as a mascot to the National Democratic Convention for nomination for Presidential honors. We congratulate our friend George In advance of the honor he wil receive and hope that he may see his cork sink In the Democratic vfish puddle. No Stronger Than .Bryan. McMlnnvllle News. Governor Chamberlain Is to be presented as a candidate for the Democratic nomi nation for the Presidency. If nominated he probably would carry Oregon; but he really stands no more chance for the nomination than Mr. Bryan. The Dem ocratic candidate must come from the East, and be a man satisfactory to both wings of the party. Then Roosevelt will defeat him, whoever he may be. Should Read It. Burns Items. The New Year's edition of Tho Ore gonian Is well worthy of pratee. More up-to-date facts and useful Information relative to the present state of things, resources and prospective future of Ore gon and the other Pacific Coast States, can be gathered .from this issue of The Oregonian than can be gathered from any history extant. Every one at all inter ested In the coming Lewis and Clark Exposition and In the future of our great state should read it. Suspicious of Uxoriousness. Salem Journal. Will the Oregonian or the Statesman tell' the women flatly, and without any soft solder or equivocation, that they are not lri favor of women suffrage? Or will they tell them that they are In favor of It? Come, gentlemen. It Is not fair to deceive the weaker sex any longer. The Journal has told them squarely thaft It Is against the proposition tooth-and-toe-nall So far. not another paper in the state has taken a square stand. Are you all afraid of that lady "behind the throne," or are you freemen with the courage-of convictions 7 No Division for Idaho. Boise Capital. The rapid" crowth and development of Idaho means that within three or five years, anyway, several lines of new rail roads will traverse the state, binding to gether the now widely separated sections of the state, thus removing all desire or cause for separation. When that time comes pride in a united state, with re sources, and Industries more varied than any other commonwealth of the West, will outweigh all trivial local animosities, and all will rejoice in the fact that the state division movement was allowed to die' a-bornln', as It most certainly will Seems to Cover the Ground. Paisley Post. The New Tear's Oregonian-was a splen did number. Every portion of our state was written up by writers .of well-known ability, who set forth the advantages of the several counties in the state in a clear, concise arid Intelligent manner. The Ore gonian never does things by halves, and Is the greatest paper on the Coast. Its editorial writers are men of ability, and its newsgathers get all the news. Every thing Is so arranged in its columns so as to be easily and readily found. No taint of yellow" Journalism permeates Its col umns. It Is a paper for the farmer, for the merchant, as well as for all classes. The Immorality of Legs. Deschutes Editor. In Its New Tear's edition the Portland Oregonian preaches a very nice sermon on the moral improvement that has come about generally during the past few years. On the same page is found a dis sertation on "legs" by the paper's humor ist, which is extremely interesting reading but does not conform at all to the moral spirit that the paper has Imbued Itself with. It do be funny how these "law-and-order" papers sometimes forget them selves. The Oregonian School of Journal Ism is unique in that It Is the only one that can properly define "character" and "morals." Our friend Truthful James, Is one of Its graduates post graduates. Her Bad Quarter of a Minute. Arlington Record. The telephone gives rise to some ludl crous incidents. At the Livestock Con ventlon last week, there were two men of the same name. One from Walla Walla had taken his wife with, him; the other from Arlington had left hl9 wife at home. The Arlington wife wishing to con' fer with her husband called up the clerk at the Imperial, to know If her husband was there, and was Informed that he was, and had just gone up to his room with his wife. The Arlington wife lm mediately wanted to converse with the woman who bad gone up with her sup posed husband, when II was revealed to her that the man was not her husband at all. and about this time the Arlington husband put In an appearance and straightened out the tangle. No Contest in Oregon. Salem Statesman. Recent Interviews among the leading Republicans of Portland bring out the fact prominently that both "factions" are solidly In favor of the renomlnatlon, or, rather, of the nomination of Roosevelt for President. In some quarters there has been a little concern lest those who are known as Mitchell Republicans might be somewhat hostile to the President's nom ination because ot his repeated turning down lri the most positive manner of many of their men recommended for offl clal position and bis Insistent ousting of some ot them from the places they held. but the Interviews among them seem to Indicate that the animosity, if It ever ex isted, has passed away and he will have no opposition in Oregon. This augurs well for the party in the state and means that while there may be a little friendly tussle on local affairs there will be no contest in Oregon's choice for a Presidential candidate. GOOD WORD FROM THE SOUTH. Monteomerv TAla.'i Advertiser. 1 This la the dav of blsr newspapers and I ----- - -- - - - l i hardly a day passes that we do Eot j ceive a special ecuuon mat is a. wctui. to the newspaper fraternity and a graphic example of the wonderful progress which has been made of late years In the art and business of newspaper making. But of all the big papers that have reached our table none has been more creditable and more important than the 1st of Jan uary edition of the Portland Oregonian, consisting- of 64 large pages. This paper Is not notable for artistic colored plates, or fine paper and work, but solely for the amount and character of the matter con tained in It for It Is a complete and graphic Illustrated history of Oregon, of Portland and of tho preparations being made for the Lewis and Clark Exposition to be held there next year.- It takes up the history of the country for a century and literally tells us all about it, as weu as illustrating and telling of the men who made and are making this one or tne most Important states of the great JNortn west. In short, reading and studying this edition of The Dreconian Is an education In all matters nertalnlng to that region. And this leads us to say something or the great "World's Fair that Is to te neia in Portland in 1905 to celebrate the Lewis and Clark exnedition ICO rears ago, for the people of Alabama- are Interested In j it, as well as the people ot au otner sec- tlons of the Union. "While in one re- spect it might be called a local affair, to celebrate a special event, it wui De ot world-wide interest and importance to all the oeoDle. Tho wonderful capabilities and possibilities of the Pacific Slope- that portion of it north of California, at least are little known to our people. It Is a wonderful region, not only for what It Is. but for what the future holds In connection with it. And whllo Portland Is not precisely a seaport, Its position and marine facilities, through the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, make it one of the gateways of the Immense region of wnicn it Is one of the principal clues. Visitors from the older states to Port land In 1905 will find many things to ad mire and to wonder at. In the words of The "Oresronlan: "They will see how the business men of Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Tacoma have already cap tured"the Oriental and other foreign mar' kets for the export flour and wheat trade; they will note the mammoth cargoes or lumber that Portland and tne otner Northwestern deep-water ports are now shlonlnff to China. Japan, Siberia and South America." All this the people of this section will see If they visit the Fair, but they will see a creat deal. more. They will see visitors from all tho Oriental countries, as well as from all portions of the Union, and from the British regions of North America, and will be able to compare notes and exchange Information with tho civilized and half-clvlllzed world. It will be such an opportunity for Alabamlans to become acaualntecl with the wonderful Northwest as may uot occur again in lifetime, and the opportunity should not pass unimproved. Let Alabama and Ala bamlans take advantage of such a great chance to give the world some Informa tion about ourselves and our state. Its Chronic Bitterness. New York S'un. We sympathize fully with those other friends of our President who are now ran sacking the lexicon and the thesaurus and the dictionary of synonyms for nouns and adjectives -of turpitude sufficiently ftpvpro to dpswihe; X. The Republican who -falls to-see that he already owes tho same loyalty to Mr. Rposevelt not as President, but as a candidate for a nomination lor Presi dentas If the convention had been held and Mr. Roosevelt nominated. 2. Tho Republican, whose ethical per ception is so defective that he cannot understand the treasonable nature of whatever lurking preference he may en tertain for some other statesman. 3. The Republican incapable oz com prehending tho reasons why no discus sion of rival candidates and alternative nominations can be tolerated half a year before the convention of 1904. i. The Republican who still cherishes the Infamous doubt that Mr. Roosevelt will be nominated by acclamation, without contest, and on a platform written sub stantially by himself. 5. The Republican so base as to doubt whether Mr. Roosevelt can be elected If nominated, and to hope, accordingly, that another candidate may be chosen by the convention. For all such persons or conditions of mind as are included in the foregoing category, the lexicon, the thesaurus, the dictionary of synonyms, or possibly the writings of Laurence Sterne and Francol3 Rabelais, have in store somewhere the adequate penalty; and when found it should be applied mercilessly. Crests on Writing Paper. Minneapolis Times. The crest upon the writing paper of the society woman Is becoming so common as to cease to excite remark, but If she has any respect for heraldry or the eternal fitness of things she will have the next paper engraved merely with her initials If It must be engraved at alL A author ity upon heraldry says: "A crest Is an heraldic figure or ornament which In Its original use surmounted the helmet. No ladles, except severelgn princesses, can with any propriety attach a crest to their arms." This Is where the patriotic Amer ican will get In some charming guff to the effect that every American woman Is a sovereign princess in her own right. Despotism and Free Government. Collier's Weekly. While France Is purifying herself In the retrial of the Dreyfus case Germany im prisons Lieutenant Bllse for criticising tho-army In his novel, "In a Little Garri son Town," although at the same time the government admits the truth of his exposures by punishing the officers whom he attacks. Lieutenant Bllse may have deserved his fate, but the Incident 13 a reminder of happenings not long past. which point the difference between country In which, in spite of military needs, public opinion Is In ultimate con trol, and one where, although the people are liberal and enlightened, the system of government is despotic How to Get Good Roads. Philadelphia Inquirer. The Romans considered good roads necessary part of their military equipment Senator Latimer thinks they belong prop erly to the Agricultural Department, and perhaps they do. but he would be more likely to get his bill for them through Congress If he could persuade that body to taue tne itoman view. Lucy. William Wordsworth. Strange fits of passion have I knowp- And I will dare to tell. But In the lover's ear alone. What once to me befell. When she I loved look'd every day -Fresh as a rose In June. I to her cottage bent my way. Beneath an evening moon. Upon the moon I fli'd my eye. All over the wide lea; With quickening pace my horse drew nigh Those paths so dear to me. And now we reach' d the orchard-plot; And, as we climb'd the hill. The sinkinc moon to Lucy's cot Came near and nearer still. In one of those sweet dreams Z slept. Kind Nature's gentlest boon! And all the while my eyes I kept On the descending moon. My horse moved on; hoof after hoot He raised, and never stopp'd; When down behind the cottage roof. At once, the bright, moon dropp'd. What fond and wayward thoughts will slide Intoa lover's head! "O mercy I" to myself I cried, . "If Lucy should be dead!" flOTE AfiD COMMENT, Controversy Over Great Im t -t . .. " cyutt win auena u: meetings of the Board of Public Works and other public bodies, and make their reports from what actually occur Instead of guessing at the same, or Interviewing some Interested person who isn't disposed to tell the truth, they won't be guilty of publishing such sheer non- sense as that which appeared in that publica tion yesterday, touching the remoral ot a certain atablo on Queen Anne Hill. Seattla Times. Robert Burns, January 25, 1759. - The fields of Ayr are fresh, and fair, The furrow true and lontf. The lark 1" the lift with wild un thrift Scattered Its showers ot sons. The fields ot Ayr shall aye be fair. The furrow true and long-. The lark aye drift In the bosnle blue lift, ' While rings the plowboy s sons. The Poet's Feet. Tour feet, Indeed, are meet, My Sweet, No feet were ever neater, But mine Have got yours beat, r- My Sweet My feet, you see, are meter. Kid McCoy is bankrupt; still, that's a whole lot better than being broke. t , r we iope published photographs don't do Justice to th& girls that captain Oregon basket-ball teams. "Old Bet," a Missouri mule, has aied In Howard County at the age of 45. It is the good that die young. Japan appears as anxious for a reuly to her note as a boy that has invited hla. first girl to a dance. In the classified ad. columns of The Oregonian today the, following appears: JAPANESE, VERT PLENTY COOK, NAMED xtoy -jrtUDoi. wants to worz largest ramuy;r only a plenty cook. C S4, Oregonian. Will the largest family please step for ward? Persons wishing to danco in Albion, a college town in Iowa, must present a cer tificate of good character to the town clerk and pay $15 for a license. This rule Is the result of a dance that broke up in a row early in January. Fifteen dollars a danco Is likely to make leaden the feet of Terslchore. That a mere Chief Justice should demur to the ruling of Major McCawley on a point of ceremonial law is Intolerable. Major McCawley, who is assisted by eight associate Army and Navy officers, attends to questions of precedence and such mat ters at the White House, has been called the "star dancing man of the uniformed service." And it Is this uniformed leader of cotillions whose decisions a Chief Justice would dispute. Chicago Is apparently determined to fix the blame for the Iroquois fire. The In vestigation held in Seattle Into the cause of the Clallam's loss i3 apparently a farce. The Seattle Argus says that more Interest Is being taken In the Victoria inquiry than in that proceeding In Seattle Itself. The reason, the Argus thinks, Is due to the be lief that the British Columbian authorities are in earnest and that the Washington authorities are not in earnest. The life, of a superintendent of schools is not altogether one of unruffled ease. William H. Maxwell, superintendent of schools In New York City, Is tha defend ant In a damage suit for $10,000, brought by Miss Emma Walker, who complains that Dr. Maxwell made false statements in connection with her applica'tioh for a "Grade A" certificate. In describing a - visit of protest to Superintendent Maxwell', Miss Walker testified that "he gave me the look that is known among school teachers as the 'Maxwell glare,' and It made my blood run cold, so that I vowed I never would go to see him alone again." What an Invaluable asset to a pestered man must be a glare that makes the blood run cold. Having long considered the Ladles' Homo Journal the most admirable of the maga zines, It Is with regret that we regard Its course this month. Propriety, with M. Bok as chaperon, seemed more proper. The Young Person could learn nothing but worthy sentiments and how to make crewel work from the Home Journal. It was read, at the expense of the Nation, by Mr. Clark and other blameless members ot the Senate, and whether In Senate or seminary never brought a blush to the face of Innocence. And this month the La dles' Home Journal comes out with a cover of shockingly bold design. Two heads, a man's and a woman's, are shown in jux taposition. Inspection discloses the fact that a kiss is being exchanged, a chill and chaste specimen, indeed, but yet a kiss. Is this rlghf? It cannot be. A kiss is not the thing to hold up to the lily maids and ladylike youths that read the Home Jour nal. Publicity is distinctive of the kiss's charm. Flowers are most fragrant at twi light, and so is the kiss. ' ' WEX. J. OUT OF THE GINGER JAR. Officer Shawhan What's yon big slater get. tin' teacbed up dere at de school? Teeney O'Tuff Aw, electrocution, physical torture and stuff like dat. Puck. He I think the bride was wonderfully lucky in receiving so many beautiful wedding pres ents. She Oh, she always was lucky la that respect. Brooklyn Life. Mrs. Oldstyle I don't think that a college education amounts to much. Mr. Spa re rod Don' t you? Well, you ought to pay my boy's bills and see. Chicago Journal. The Actor I hope we'll have better luck at the next town. The Actress Oh, we can't complain. We're leaving town Id broad day light, and with our baggage. Puck. "What makes you think she has a saving sense of humor?" "Because she laughed 'so heartily when she described the way you pro posed to ner." Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Then you have no sympathy for the deserv ing poor?" said 'the charity-worker. "Me?" retorted the self-made man, "Why, sir. I have nothing but sympathy." Chicago Dally News. Mrs. Gummey Is Mrs. Cranio really as philanthropic as she pretends? Mrs. Gargoyle I should say so. Why, she even invites her poor relations to her receptions. Town. Topics. "Two men held mo up coming home," my dear," ventured the tardy husband. "So you admit you had to be carried, do you, you brute?" returned the Irate wife. Princeton Tiger. Excitable Party at the Teleohone Hello! Who Is this? Who Is this, I say? Voice from the Other End What are you asking me for? Don't yon know who you are yourself? Cin cinnati Times-Star. Ruyter I'm writing a sequel to my book, "How to Uve on Five Hundred a Tear." Scribbler What do yon call the sequel? Ruy ter "How to Get the Five Hundred." In dianapolis Journal. Chicago Man I do think our cab drivers are the worst la creation. New York Man (with the pride of conscious superiority) My dear fellow, they're Innocent angels compared with ours! Chicago Tribune. Nodd Awfully sorry to hear your house burned down. Did you save anything? Todd Ob, yes. After some very lively work we suc ceeded in getting out all the things we didn't want. Town and Country. Nell I was delighted to meet her at a' bar gain sale today." Belle I thought you de tested her. NeU So I do; and curing; tne crush I found a chance to give her a few good pokes on my own McouiuV-PhUadet-phla Ledger.