Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1907)
8 THTE 3IOKNlG- OKEGOMAX, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1907. SUBSCRIPTION BATES. CJT INVARIABLY IX ADVANCE. 3 (Br Mail.) Daily, Sunday included, one year .48-00 Dally. Sunday Included, tlx montha.... Dally, Sunday Included, three montha. . 2.25 Dally, Sunday Included, one month J5 Dally, without Sunday, one year 0 00 Daily, without Sunday, alx montha 3.25 Dally, without Sunday, three montha.. l.T Dally, without Sunday, one month " Sunday, one year. J-50 Weekly, one year (laaued Thursday).-- l.0 Sunday and Weekly, one year - BY CARWEB. Dally, Sunday Included, one year -00 Dally, Sunday Included, one month 73 HOW TO REMIT Send poitofflce money ' arder, expreaa order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at the Bender's risk, (live poatottice au dreaa in run muntv and stale. POSTAGE BATES. Entered at Portland. Oregon, postotrice as Second-Class Matter. 10 to 14. Parea cent 1 to 28 Pages 2 0 to 44 Pages -I.--? n" 48 to 60 Pages cania Foreign Postage, double rates. Iili'OKTANT The postal lawa ara atrlot. Newspapers on which postage Is not fully prepaid are not torwarded to destination. EASTERN BUSINESS OFFICE. The) 8. C. Beckwitb Special Agency New Tork, rooms 48-00 Tribune building. Chi cago, rooms 510-512 Tribune building. 1 KEPT ON SALE. Chicago Auditorium Annex. Poatolllca Neai Co.. 178 Dearborn atrcet. St. Paul, Minn. N. St. Marie. Commercial Station. Denver Hamilton & Hendrlck. 906-912 Seventeenth street; Pratt Book Store. 121 fifteenth street; L Welnsteln; H. P- Ban HQ. Kansas city. Mo Rickaecker Cigar Co Ninth and Walnut. Minneapolis M. J. Kavanaug-n, ou aouu Third; Eagle News Co., corner Tenth and Eleventh; Yoma Nawa Co. Cleveland. O James Pus haw. 30T Su perior atreet. Washington, D. C. Ebbitt House, Penn sylvania avenue. Philadelphia, Pa- Ryan's Theater Ticket office : Kemble. A. P., 3735 Lancaster ave nue; Penn News Co. New York City L Jones & Co., Astor House;; Broadway Theater Newa Stand, Buffalo, N. V. Walter Freer. Oakland, Col. W. H. Johnaon. Four teenth and Franklin streets; N. Wheatley; Oakland Newa Stand; Hale Newa Co. Ogden D. L Boyle. W. O. Kind. 114 Twenty-fifth atreet. Omaha Barkalow Bros., Union Station; Mag-oath Stationery Co. Sacramento, Cal. Sacramento News Co., 439 K atreeL Salt Lake vn Book A Stationery Co.; Rosenfeld & Hansen. I.os Angelea B. E- Amos, manager seven street wagona San Diego B. E. Amoa Long Beach. Cal. B. E. Amoa rnsadena. Cal A. F. Horning. Fort Worth, Tex Fort Worth Star. San Francisco Foster & Orear. Ferry News Stand; Hotel St. Francla Newa Stand; L, Parent; N. Wheatley. Goldfield, Nev. Louie Pollln. Eureka, Cal. Call-Chronicle Agency. Norfolk, Vs. Krugg & Gould. Pine Beach, Va. W. A. Cosgrove. PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, APIUL S. SHAM, WE IMPORT LABOR? I Should wo weep or smile because la t bor is scarce and wages high? In al- ! farming the demand for workmen ex ceeds the supply. Does this promote J the prosperity of the country or check y It? At first glance the answer seems plain enough. Were there more labor -"ors to too had and at lower wages, land .would be cleared, forests sawn Into lumber, mines worked and railroads built much more rapidly and extensive ly than now. It la confidently asserted; but Is the assertion true? Not entirely. The difficulty Is that when wages are low the returns from invested capital are small, the rewards of enterprise meager and industry lags. The man who demands low wages and great prosperity simultaneously asks for in compatible conditions. Bad times make low- wages and low wages make bad times. On the other hand, prosperity and high wages react upon each other in the same way. Many employers hold the opinion that money paid for wages Is with drawn from business, but no error could be more patent. If workmen ' hoarded their money, of course, the more they got the worse It would be t f or productive Industry; but they do "nothing of the kind. Either through direct purchase of living supplies or through savings banks, wages return " to circulation almost Immediately. The - more money a workman has 10 deposit or spend, the more important ho be ".comrs economically; the more demand he creates. It Is a fallacy which no one ought to cherish, but which is heard every day, that demand Is In proportion Jjto population. A distinguished citizen 4of Portland was heard to argue in pub lic the other day that a large popula tion was desirable because every indi vidual Increased the market for sup plies. Tho fact is. of course, that he in '.creases It only when he has money to atspend. If he is kept alive by spending ffwhat others earn, no mftro supplies are sold on his account; but the same quan tity is divided among more people and Jill of them live on a lower plane. If rjie has a job half of the time and some apther workman takes It when he is idle. the united demand of both of them is 'imly equal to that of a single lndtvld tial working continuously. Jf by under bidding each other laborers beat their wages down, the effective demand of 'each person for goods is diminished, not increased, and the sale to the whole body may bo actually less than to a smaller number who draw higher paj Economic demand is by no means pro portional to population. One can easily Imagine cases where Increase of popu lation would of Itself destroy the mar ket and bring on hard times. This sounds like a paradox, but let us suppose that there Is a firm engaged exclusively In manufacturing cheap parlor organs which are sold to work ingmen only. Their present scale of wages Is high, so that the sale of or-fc.t-.f among" thorn is large and the firm prospers. But now an Immigration of Japanese or Chinese laborers takes place whose competition reduces wages one-half. What becomes or the market for organs? The worklngmen who for merly bought them can do so no longer, since all that they earn must go for the necessaries of life; while rich people of a musical turn purchase pianola pianos instead of parlor organs. Thus a branch of business which had been thriving might be annihilated by a mere increase of population. The his tory of Industry bristles with such atcasea. The rule Is that wages are low be cause there Is no money to pay them; and If they arc high it is because the employer Is prosperous. Th employer cati pay high wages in good times much easier than low ones in had times, be eauso wages are never high unless the returns from enterprise are large, and they aro low only when returns are meager and capital timid. The reason is clear enough. When Investments yield heavy profits, many men are at tracted Into industrial enterprises, and. since every new undertaking requires a iv arm v- of workman, that HrmnH frtw labor presently outruns the supply and wages necessarily rise. When, on the other hand, capital is timid and men WlO not venture to speculate, there is no market for labor, the supply of hands exceeds the demand for them, and wages fall. Some business must be done even in the worst of times, but the profit is so little that the employer finds it difficult to pa" his help. Thus, as we said above, it is easier to pay high wages In good times than low ones in bad times. To pine for cheap labor is to pine for the stagnation of industry. The em ployer must choose between high wages out of large profits, or low ones out of smaU profits. There is no alternative. it may be replied to all this that the Chinese, should we admit them, would take up farm work, which shriekB for help, and would not compete with workmen in other callings. This might be true were the Chinese only half witted. But, since they are quick to learn and not slow to perceive an ad vantage, they would move rapidly into those employments which pay the most money for the least work, and In these they would -compete with white labor until the general wage scale fell so low that white men would be forced Into tasks which they now scorn. Chinese would pass from farm work info other employments and white men would for sake their present occupations for oth ers less desirable, where they would work for lower paj The general ef fect would be a decline of wages in all Industries, with a corresponding slump In the standard of living and the ef fective demand fox goods. Many prod ucts which are now sold extensively could not. under thoBe conditions, be sold at all. It is therefore easily con ceivable that the unrestricted admis sion of Chinese or Japanese labor, for which many employers long, would re sult in an industrial panic. THE CHICAOO ELECTION. Technically, the result of the Chicago municipal election is a victory for the Republicans, but It really expressed the wishes of the people upon the question of adopting or rejecting the streetcar franchises. These franchises run for twenty years, with a reserved right to the city to purchase at any time after six months' notice. The companies pay 65 per cent of their net earnings as a franchise tax and grant universal transfers. These terms are modern and they guard the rightB of the public admirably. Compared with the privi leges of the old companies, which con trolled the streets of Chicago for many years, they are an enormous advance. Mr. Dunne, who was the Democratic candidate, stood for the immediate ownership and control of the lines by tho city. Two or three years ago his policy was popular In Chicago, and had he been a man of force and deter mination, he might have carried it out and possibly made it a success. But' his vacillation has disgusted the voters with both the man himself and his policy. Probably also many citizens have come to the conclusion that it is safer and better on all accounts to try corporate ownership for a while, longer. The old corporations were so corrupt and their management of the lines so unspeakably wretched that the people turnd almost unanimously to municipal ownership, which then seemed to them the only way of reform. But now they have had time for study and reflection. They have learned that there are other ways, if not better ones. A sensible, honest franchise under full control of the city, and which adequately guards the rights of the public, differs little In theory from municipal ownership while it avoids many of the difficulties. The lesson of the Chicago struggle is that the corporations can be brought under the control of the law, no matter how strongly they may have intrenched themselves in political corruption. The solution which Chicago has accepted has been attained by honest methods and it Is adopted by the people. It is not tho work of a gang of political bosses co-operating in secret with a set of wealthy rascals. The approval of the franchise settles honorably and wisely a question which has long vexed the life of Chicago. The voters may look with complacency upon the dis tance their city has traveled, from the cesspool of the Terkes regime. HAMPERING THE STATE UNIVERSITY. Tho action of the Patrons of Hus bandry In Linn County in deciding to call the referendum on the appropria tion made by the late Legislature for the betterment and, support of the State University Is to be sincerely regretted In the first place, it will. If pursued, cripple tho University for two years, to no purpose, economically speaking, since without doubt the people of Ore gon have a proper pride In their uni versity and will vote to sustain the ap propriation. Again, the grangers be little themselves In this matter. It puts them In the false light of opposing the liberal education of the sons and daughters of the state and commits them to the narrowness of view that Intelligent, progressive farmers have everywhere outgrown. . California, to the south of us, and Washington, to the north, support the universities that bear the state names in a manner cred itable to their citizens and to the cause of education. Oregon should do the same. Economy is falsely named when It pinches at this point. The appropriation which It is pro posed to "hold up" there being no probability that it will be defeated at the polls two years hence provides the sum of ,125,000 a year for the improve ment of the university, in equipment and for additions to the teaching force that the interests of the school and its patrons demand. The State University should either be properly equipped and supported or It should be closed. The penny-wise - and - pound - foolish policy has been applied to it too long. It will be a matter of sincere regret In which The Oregonlan will deeply share if the action threatened by the Patrons of Husbandry In regard to this appropria tion Is pushed to an issue. SPAIN'S QUEEN MOTHER. Tho Queen mother of Spain. Marie Christina, plain and dark and dull as she appears, is one of the most saga clous of the royal women of Europe. It was due solely to her tact and per severance in the line of disagreeable duty that her son. the present King, was reared as a sovereign and had a throne awaiting his coming to his ma jority. Marie Christina, a Princess of the house of Hapsburg. went to Spain reluctantly as the bride of the disso lute Alphonso XII. The years of her wifehood were years of humiliation and disappointment. Two daughters wen born to her, to her own sorrow, and the censure of the King and the na tion. Then the King, having In his early youth taken the pace that kills, died, leaving to the Spanish people an alien Queen and the promise of a post hiiTnoiia heir. This promise v as ful- filled by the birth of Alphonso XIII some seven months after the death of his father, and to this boy, a King from his birth, the Queen mother de voted her life, with the result that Spain has now a fairly decent King, as Spanish Kings go, and a people loyal to him and to the traditions of the country. An ambitious mother, a judicious sov ereign, a tactful woman, this Austrian Princess has sunk herself in her adopt ed country and is as truly a Spaniard as is the son whom she has given to the throne of Spain. The esteem In which she is held by the Spanish people was shown In the panic, into which they were thrown when it was announced a few days ago that she was serious ly ill. IN A NUTSHELL. Excerpts relating to prosperity taken from the news columns of The Orego nlan yesterday and epitomized for ready referciM'-: Surplus irsasOovernment receipts for March. SI 0,000,000. Surplus for nine months, $51,000,000; an Increase of $45,000,000 over last year. Decrease of public debt in March, $11,500,000. Increase in circulation of National bank notes In one year, $42,500,000. Gold and silver coinage for March, $6,600,0000. Increase of 21 per cent in sales of stamps at the Portland postofflce. Here are figures that need no com ment; they speak for themselves. APPLES IN THE EAST. "While no one will rejoice over the misfortunes of others, Oregon fruit growers will see encouragement for their own Industry in the assertion of a speaker before the Western New York Horticultural Solcety that in the next few years one-third to one-half of the apple orchards of New York and sur rounding states will disappear. This prediction Is based upon an observation of the rapid progress the San Jose scale pest Is making In Eastern fruit sec tions. On the Pacific Coast the grow ers early realized the seriousness of the damage wrought by the scale, and they have studied remedies. Fighting San Jose scale is as much a regular part of the fruitgrower's work in California, Oregon and Washington as Is cultiva tion. The commercial orchards were planted and trained with this In view, and the men who raise apples for ship ment have no fear of this enemy. But New York orchardists do not realize the importance of fighting the scale and have not very generally adopted meas ures for control of the pest. Moreover, they are not able to fight the scale as effectively as Oregon growers are. Trees in New York orchards are gen erally trained to high growth. The tree branches six feet or more from the ground, and the limbs extend so high as to make spraying difficult. On the Pacific Coast the practice has been to cut the main trunk of a young tree about eighteen Inches or two feet from the ground, thus causing the tree to throw out several large branches there and forming a low, bowl-shaped top. The limbs spread over a large surface, but hang near the ground. Pruning and spraying are therefore compara tively easy, and the trees are much better cared for than in the East. When a tree has once been trained to the development of a high top, its form cannot bo changed, so the. New York growers are at a serious disadvantage. While a tali tree can be pruned and thoroughly sprayed, the work is diffi cult and is therefore more frequently neglected. Oregon growers observe the rule that a limb on a fruit tree that grows out of reach of the spray nozzle Is a menace to the whole tree, and, in directly, to the whole orchard. Because the Pacific Coast has adopted modern Ideas in horticulture, it Is in a position to profit the more from its superior cli matic conditions' as a fruitgrowing re gion. Residents of New York will some day buy their apples in Oregon. ONE OREGON ALMSHOUSE. An almshouse story that might fit a purlieu of London in a past age is told of the Jackson County poorhouse. The report of the Jackson County grand jury reveals conditions of filth and neglect, of vermin and foul odors, that recall the blood-curdling tales of the dungeons of the Middle Ages. The only feature lacking is the underground cell from which light as well as fresh air was excluded. A revolting feature of this recital Is that one of the keepers, and seemingly one in authority, is a woman who is both vulgar and profane, and that one of her charges is a woman between 80 and 90 years old, who is kept In a condition of filth most disgusting and even appalling. The story has never had a counter part in the poorhouse annals of this state. The only approach to It which we recall was the case of an insane woman in one of the most Isolated dis tricts of Clackamas County many years ago. Before Oregon Territory had an asylum for this class of unfortunates, this woman, aged and demented, be longing to an ignorant and supersti tious family, was kept in a rude hut without fire and practically without clothing for many months. Her case coming to the attention of the late Dr. Hawthorne and Dr. Loryea, it is said, spurred them to the establishment of a suitable retreat for the insane. The disclosures in regard to the Jackson County poorhouse will, without doubt, incite its good and humane citizens to a county housecleaning that will sweep the slatternly virago who is in charge of the women paupers out with the rest of the vermin of the place. It may be said, however, that, if the findings of the grand jury were correctly reported, nothing but fire will cleanse the place. Jackson County, one of the most pros perous and progressive in the state, can well afford to furnish new buildings and equipment for the care of Its de cent paupers, and apply the torch to the structure that at present disgraces It. In fact. It cannot afford to do oth erwise. While many of the State Legislatures have adopted resolutions calling for a National convention for the purpose of drafting an amendment to the Consti tution for the election of Senators by direct vote of the people, Massachusetts is following a different plan and pro poses that the expression of opinion upon the question shall be referred to the people of the state and the result of the vote will determine whether Massachusetts joins in the call for a National convention. The Boston Transcript, while predicting that the people will vote in favor of a conven tion, says that there Is no reason why that state should be prominent in such a movement. The people will be in duced to vote for a constitutional con vention because of the spectacle that has been presented In Senatorial fights in Rhode Island. Delaware, Utah, Cali- fornla, Oregon and other states. This I acknowledgment by a paper apparently opposed to direct election of Senators that the people of a state which has I had no difficulties over the election of a Senator will vote for the amendment, Is evidence that the people of the en tire country want the mode of electing a Senator changed. When a majority sf the people of Massachusetts want 1 popular election of Senators established there can be no doubt of the attitude of ' other states, which have directly suf fered the evils of the present system. I The figures contained in a recent bul letin issued by the Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Commerce and Labor, showing a revival of export trade with Japan, will be somewhat re-' assuring to those who have feared seri ous injury to our commerce with that country as a result of the attitude of Americans toward Japanese in this country. For the year ending Decem ber 31. 1906, the exports to Japan showed a drop of $21,000,000, or about one-half, as compared with the preced ing year. The exports to Japan for the month of December, 1906, were less than for the same month in 1905 by a mil lion dollars But the figures for Feb ruary, 1907, just received, show an in crease of $500,000 as compared with February last year, and for the eight months ending with February the fall ing off is but $2,750,000. or a much smaller per cent of decrease than for previous months. With the informa tion at hand it is difficult to say what caused the decrease and the subse quent return to normal conditions, but there is reason for gratification over the Improvement in Oriental trade condi tions. The Washington Post has a world wide reputation for possessing "the courage of its convictions," but for some inexplicable reason has on one impor tant matter shown the white feather. On March 4 The Oregonlan said that "after today Senator Mulkey will be once more a private citizen, and the Senate will have no handsomest man at least none worth mentioning." The Post asserts that there is still a hand somest man in the Senate, and admits that it would be worth while to have his name mentioned, but concludes by saying: "We could name him. If we would." If this attempted1 evasion came from some papers, there would be no occasion for comment upon It, but when it comes from the Post it merits attention. The Oregonlan is still of the opinion that there remains in the Senate no handsomest man worth men tioning, and that if the Post thinks there is it is afraid to mention his name. Bring on your beauty. The site selected for the new home for the Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. is a very desirable one and will ho gen erally approved. It lies upon tho north side of Taylor street, between Sixth and Seventh, and covers a full half block. On the border line of the busi ness and residonce districts, it Is con veniently located for accommodation of the largest number of people. It is far enough from streetcar lines to avoid the noise and dust of traffic, ana yet close enough to be convenient for those who come and go on cars. When com pleted, tho new home will afford a very pleasant and profitable place for the young people of Portland, and strang ers visiting In the city, to apend their leisure time. It is understood that the property was secured at less than the price for which it has been held by the Ainsworth estate. The purchasing committee is to be congratulated upon the selection. The announcement of the death of Mts. Margery Serena Bellinger, widow of the late Judge Bellinger, will cause a shock of pain and surprise to a mul titude of her friends and the friends of her family In this city. Married very early in her girlhood to Charles B. Bel linger, then also in his early youth, Mrs. Bellinger spent many years as a happy wife and an affectionate mother. "We were just a boy and girl, he 19 and I 16 when we began life together," said Mrs. Bellinger when her late hus band passed away, adding, "and we never regretted it." In this testimony there is all of life that Is compassed in marriage. Of the seven children that were born to her. four survive Mrs. Bel linger. Of her useful, happy, blameless life many friends of a lifetime bear witness. The City of Eugene has voted in favor of municipal ownership of Its water and light plant. This may be taken not only as a desire to secure these public utilities at actual cost, but also to insure that the supply of water shall always bo of the best. Eugene is not a town unto itself, entitled to consider only its own wishes. It is the seat of the State "University, where young peo ple from every part of the state are sent every year far higher Instruction. Eugene owes it to the people of the state to make certain that its water supply shall bo always the best that can be had. Responsibility for fulfill ment of this obligation will always rest upon the city, and not upon any owner of a private water supply system. City ownership of the water system is there fore desirable. Because The Oregonlan quoted from and criticised a Roseburg paper that set up a "hard times" wall, other pa pers In that city are angry. If you don't like the hard times cry, sling your mud at its source. This paper didn't believe there was occasion for the wail, and said so. In taking over Hammond's road to Astoria, James J. Hill has formally In vaded Oregon. A strip of rich territory a hundred miles along the coast will welcome further conquest with ninety pound steel. After selection is made of fifty Pitts murg families worthy to attend the Carnegie banquet a most delicate task the further education of Mr. Plpp must be taken up a work not so deil cate. St. Johns polled 625 votes at the city election Monday, an Increase of nearly 50 per cent over the vote one year ago. What other Portland suburb shows like expansion? It is to be hoped that the movement started for Saturday afternoons off during July and August will not apply to ice cream and sundae establish ments. Colonel James Hamilton Lewis will now disappear over the Chicago hori zon, leaving a crimson wake. No gambling in Montana and no Sen atorial election. What a dull town Hel ena must be! nEFERBXDl'M FOR GUARD. Appropriation of gC'.ono a Beneficial Tax Says Colonel Jackson. PORTLAND, April 2. To the Editor: Referring to a statement in yesterday's Oregonlan, that the Grange would de mand a referendum on the bill passed by the last Legislature to appropriate $25,300 a year, for four years, to build armories for the National Guard of the state, it seems pertinent to inquire it they understand the terms of the bill and the necessity that exists for Its provisions. The increase of values In the state is such that It is almost impossible for companies, outside of Portland, where a fine armory has been provided by Multnomah County, to find decent housing for the amount allotted by tne statu for company expenses. Many armories now used are mere barns, and ail but one, the excellent armory at Eugene, wholly unfitted for their purpose. The United States Govern ment Is now furnishing nearly all of the military equipment for the state troops, and every captain is responsi ble, under his bond, for over $2,000 of United States property which he has now no means of properly caring for, and which .when lost, either "he or the state will have to pay for. A great deal of this property has already un accountably disappeared. . Under these circumstances, to hold an officer finan cially responsible for all the property Issued to htm and yet provide for him no adequate moans of protecting or caring for It, does not seem to tho lay mind to be right and Just. The money provided for in this bill is more of a loan than an outright ap propriation, as it provides that rent shall be paid to the state by each com pany for use of the armory. The com panies are now paying about $5000 a year in rents which will In time re turn the whole amount to the state treasury. It is also probable that every town where a company exists will provide the ground. The building and ground will belong to the state and will increase in value with the increase of population and business so that. In tho end, the state will lose nothing and may make money on the transaction. Tho manner in which the money Is provided, $25,003 a year, makes It an inappreciable tax which no one person can possibly feel, while the boneflt to the state will be enor mous. It will provide an assembly room, witli papers and magazines, for young men of each, community, which will be a great benefit in keeping them from unfavorable ' associations. The state militia is not only a school for Instruction In the military art and preparation for war, but is one of the very best of schools for good citizen ship. There is hardly a citizen in the state, of proper ago, but would be benefited, and his character and use fulness increased by serving a term In tho State National Guard. To the rls ing generation this kind of schooling Is of Immense value. Besides this, the defense of this country must rest upon the people. Congress will never pro vide a sufficient army to relieve them from that necessity, and our people should take the same pride the Swiss do In seeing to it that every man, liable to military duty, is armed and trained to meet any emergency that may arise. The National Guard is tne only organi zation to get this training, without re moving them from productive pursuits. Inst"ad of hampering and discouraging the men who are patriotic enough to give their time to this preparation and so make themselves of inestimable value to the community when trouble doe8 come, tho people should encourage and aid them in every possible way. A recent circular from the War De partment states that the sea-coast for tifications of this country require for "one relief" that means constant duty and no relief -1764 officers and 41.833 men: that Congress has provided for tnls duty, 714 officers and 19,321 men. The Artillery Department Is now turn ing to the states to help them out in this dilemma by organizing sea-coast artillery companies which can go into the fortifications for ten days in each year and get some little knowledge of what will be required of them in time or war, as green men in a sea-coast bat tery would be about as useful as wood en guns on the parapets. The Chief of Artillery states "that approximately zo.ouo coast artillery troops, officers and men, must be drawn from the state forces to furnish the guns mounted, or soon to be mounted, on our coast, with one manning body or shift." The Adjutant-General of the United States In his report to the Secretary of war states: "it Is evident that to ob tain and maintain a high degree of efficiency In the militia, provision must be made for the housing and comfort oi tne troops, as wen as tor their equip ment and instruction. The militia reel ments of the several states and terrl-" tones and of the District of Columbia have been armed and equipped and have been provided with ammunition, cloth Ing and tentage by the Federal Gov ernment, and at the last session of Congress provision was made for the equipment, construction and mainten ance of shooting galleries and ranges. In view of all this. It does not appear to be unreasonable to expect the states to provide facilities for the training of the militia and for the care and pres ervation of the arms, uniforms, and equipments furnished by the General Government." These armories will be a great help towards keeping up and increasing the State forces which will unquestionably be the "first line of defense" for the protection of the people when trouble comes, and It may not be far away. JAMES JACKSON. Inspector-General Oregon National Guard. Doe Swimmer Beats a Steamboat. Eastport (N. Y.) Dispatch to New York Times. The inhabitants along the south side of Shelter Island are discussing the spirit and swiftness of a beautiful doe which, after a desperate swim in Gardiner's Bay, eluded her would-be captors, who chased her In a steamboat. The animal was dis covered by the crew of the W. I. Ste vens, Captain Raymond, while the animal was floating on a detached cake of Ice. The men started in pursuit of the ani mal, which, leaping into the water, start ed for the shore. The boat, with a full head of steam, started for the animal, which, exerting every muscle, reached the mainland just as the steamer's prow was abreast of its body. It then quickly dis appeared in a nearby grove. Myself and Me. George M. Cohan. I'm the best pal that I ever had; I like to be with me; I like to sit and tell myself Things confidentially. I often Bit and aak me If I shouldn't or I should. And I find that my advice to me Is alwaya pretty good. I never got acquainted with Myscrf till here of la-te. And I find myself a bully 'chum, I treat me simply great. I talk with me and walk with ma And show me right and wrong; I never knew how well myself And me could get along. I never try to cheat me. I'm a truthful aa can be; No matter what may come or go, I'm on the square tvlth me. It's great to know yourself and have A pal that's all your own; To be such company for yourself You're never left alone. Tou'll try to dodge the masses. And you'll find a crowd's a joke. If you only treat yourself as well As you treat other folk. I've made a study of myself. Compared with mo the lot. And I've finally concluded I'm the best friend I've got. Just get together with yourself And truat youraelf with you. And von'U be surprised how well yourself will like you If you do. OREGON GIRLS' DRILL COMPANY. Mr. Cooper Lauds Indian Features From This State for Jameatomn. M MINNY1LLE, Or.. April 1. (To the Editor.) The Oregonlan gives an adverse criticism of the Indian and cowboy fea tures of the Oregon Girls' Drill Company, from The Dalles Chronicle. These things were considered In the inception of the Idea. There Is a universal sentiment thaoughout the East that yearns for things pertaining to or typifying . the Indian of the olden time. It was to feed this sentiment that these features were introduced. They will bring together tens of thousands, where any other would get but hundreds. The pretty Indian cos tume proposed will bear little resem blance to that of the wild and wooly Wascos. and the girls who wear them will soon dispel any idee, that they are savages or that they live among a vulgar people. But should they be taken for real Indians! My country: V hat a stam pede there would be to see the real white women of Oregon '. The fabricated, supercilious Gibson girl of the effete East would be left without admirers. Then again, the objection to the cow girl attire, for the reason that It would give the impression that wc are bar barians, will not be sustained. There are no finer people than those of the great ranges and the costume will only empha size the great benefits of our free, out door. Western life. Even President Roosevelt will sustain this feature and opinion. He has had tho experience, and knows. I want to concede to The Dalles Chron icle the best of Intentions and do not accuse It of being a knocker that whines at everything proposed out of the pro saic and stereotyped order. "When the croakers and the mossbacks are burled, along with the old Indian blanket and tomahawk, then and then only will Ore gon be able to take her place where she belongs. Literature by the ton is being pumped out and armies of promoters are abroad from evt ry state in the Union, and we are not gaining much If any on our neighbors in the column of progress. With the Girls' Drill Company, we can put our state a few lengths ahead. The peculiar language of Mr. Parker is char acteristic of those who oppose anything not In their line. Ills proposition to have the girls demonstrate their ability to bake and perform other domestic duties is not a bad Idea. But It would be top one-sided without a sample of woodchop ping and potato hoeing by 40 promoters of Mr. Parker's school. My experience with Oregon girls Is worthy of attention and I believe will make good the claim of our advertising literature, that Oregon's climate is un surpassed. Nine years ago, I took a drill company of 41 village girls, got together without regard to their physical quali fications, to Astoria on a six days' strenuous campaign. They were active some days, from 4 o'clock In the morning until 11 o'clock at night. Drilling and military routine, with marching every day from five to 15 miles, and many dainty feet were blistered but not one girl missed a drill, march, rollcall or meall Forty-one seasoned veterans never did better. Last Summer, I drilled a com pany of girls at the Tillamook Fair, and some of the girls lived six miles In the country- They rode their bicycles Into town in the afternoon and drilled from 3 until 4 o'clock; wheeled home and milked 15 cows each, wheeled back again and drilled one hour in the evening and wheeled home again at night. They kept this up many davs and thought little of It. ' I have confidence In the physical excel lence of the Oregon woman. Her match less complexion Is an evidence of the vitality within. Luck comes to me. with proof from high authority and wholly unprejudiced. I have Just received a let ter from the Surgeon-in-Chlef of the Regular Army camp at the Jamestown Exposition, dated March 24. It Is his sec ond letter concerning tho Oregon Girls' Company. He writes: "My interest in the matter is due to the fact that I have written a book on 'The Effect of Tropical Light on White Men,' published by Redman & Co., New York, and have incidentally called attention to the fact that the Pacific Northwest Coast of our country is the best climate for white men that we have. Not only do army statis tics show that our soldiers are less sickly there, but the types of native humanity are better than In more sunny climates. I have written much on this point and your contention bears me out." The East Is wondering at the Intrepidity of these Oregon girls, and I am wonder ing how I am to direct this offered energy to the glory of the state and the merited honor of these gifted girls. The Indian and cowboy features could be eliminated, but this would In a great measure destroy the attractiveness of the enterprise. The home training that these girls have had and the training that is in store for them, will enable them to make good In every thing that will be required of them -whether in their drills, uptodate classical music, piano, riding-horse, milking cows, cooking, teaching Bchool. stage recitntlons, entertaining in the parlors of the Presi dent, and in fact everything that goes to make up a high-grade Oregon girl. J. C. COOPER. Alton Hogr of Svrlll Financing;. Hartford (Conn.) Courant. We have had our eyes opened as to what eminent financiers do and are. The average hog in his pen 1b absteminous and self-restrained compared with the plunderers who plucked the Alton. Burglar Forfeits $ 100 Bail. SALEM. Or.. April 2. (Special.) Sher iff Culver is looking for R. W. Porteous, one of the quartette of alleged burglars who robbed the Pair Grounds store last February, who has skipped out. forfeiting his ball of $400. put up by his father. James Stewart, another of the four im plicated, was arraigned In the Circuit Court today, pleaded guilty to the bur glary charge and will be sentenced Fri day. Stewart is an old-timer, having served a sentence In Folsom. C. A. Lara bee, recently discharged from the United States Navy, and Ed. Regan, an ex-rail, road brakeman, are the other two men indictee!, in the same case. EXPERT PROSECUTE POISON-SELLERS. Government Already Has Evidence Under Pure Food Law. WASHINGTON. April $. The Depart ment of Agriculture is making prepara tions to begin prosecutions under tho Dure food law at an early date, and Dr. Wiley has given instructions to his in spectors to secure as soon as possible the samples on which the accusations will be based. The offending establishments have gen erally been located, and nothing remains except to obtain specimens of the articles alleged to be adulterated. AVhen these are procured charges will be formulated and supplied to tho United States District Attorneys in whose dis tricts the offenders may reside, whereupon they will be required to begin criminal proceedings. There will soon be 40 or 50 inspectors In the field, and Dr. Wiley expresses the opinion that a largo number of prosecutions will result from their in vestigations. SWIFT LOSES PROMOTION. Captain of Connecticut Guilty of Neglect of Duty. WASHINGTON. April 2. Captain William Swift, who was in command of the battleship Connecticut when it grounded near Culebra on January 13, was found guilty of inattention and neglect or duty by the courtmartlal which tried him at Norfolk. The Navy Department reviewed tho sentence, and today it was announced by Assist ant Secretary Newberry that. Captain Swift will be suspended from duty for nlno months and will lose three num bers. Tho court-martial recommended sus pension for a year and a half and a loss of five numbers, but also asked for leniency. Lieutenant Harry Tarnell. who was tried on charges similar to those brought against Captain Swift, was acquitted. BELIEVES NEGROES GT7ILTLKSS Captain of Company I Also Stands by His Soldiers. WASHINGTON. April 2 Captain P. Lyon, of Company D., Twenty-fifth In fantry', was the only witness examined today in the Briwnsville investigation be fore the Senate committee. His personal view that negro soldiers did not do the shooting attracted much attention, as he said at first he was convinced of their guilt, but his opinion was changed by the report of experts who examined the shells picked up in the streets of Browns ville. Cubans Oppose Paying Church. HAVANA. Aoril 2. The Cuban nress la commenting adversely upon the decision or secretary tart to pay tne catholic Church 0,932.143 for certain property in Havana, which has been occupied contin uously since 1901 for government purposes, under lease. General Humphrey Reapotiited. WASHINGTON. April 2. The President has reappointed Brigadier-General Charles I' Humphrey as Quartermaster-General to succeed himself on the expiration of his present term. CITY FINANCES IN ASTORIA. Liabilities Exceed Income. Exclusive 1906 Taxes, by $214,072.88. ASTORIA. Or.. April 2. (Special.) The reports of City Auditor Anderson and City Treasurer Dealey for the quarter ending March 31, were filed today. Tho Treasurer's report shows the receipts and disbursements of bis office to have been as follows: Cosh on hand at commence ment of quarter. J14.560.28; receipts. J26. 227.4(5; disbursements. $17,671.44; cash on hand at end of quarter. J2S.106.31. The Treasurer has Issued calls for warrants which have not. been presented, amount ing to J25.635.27. The Auditor's report shows the city's financial condition to be as follows: Liabilities. Municipal warrants J S3.IW7.M3 Street repair warrants 15K41 Street warrants la.48u.52 City Hall warrants .VJfl.BO Municipal bonds 189,05o!in Street bonds 5.25.1. Total I274.44R.SO Ilesourceji. Taxes due J 11.151.42 Assessments due 25.21ft. Ill Cash on hand 23,106.31 Total S 59.470.0J This shows the excess of liabilities to be J214.972.88. but in computing the re sources no account was made of the taxes on the 190K roll or the collections that have been made on it. Small Blaze in Paper Mill. OREGON CITY. Or.. April 2. (Spe cial.) Prompt action prevented a dis astrous fire in the mills of the Willam ette Pulp & Paper Company this after noon, when a box on the gear that furnishes power to the grinders be camo overheated, and tfte. woodwork was set on fire. The mill is equipped with excellent apparatus for fighting fire, and the danger was soon sup pressed. Officers Barlow Toll Road. OREGON CITY. Or.. April 3. (Spe cial.) The annual meeting of the Mount Hood & Barlow Road Company, which controls the tollgate on the road to Mount Hood, was held here yester day and the fallowing officers were chosen: M. A. Moore. president; Charles H. Caufleld, secretary; Elijah Coalman, vice-president; E. G. Caufleld, treasurer. TESTIMONY From the Philadelphia- Prea