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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 27, 1907)
v I; TIIE MORNIXGr OKEG0NIAX, MONDAY, MA ' 27, 1907. 9riirmtan 6CBSCR1PTIOX KATES. INVARIABLY IN ADVANCED , (By Mall.) Dally. 8unday Included, one year $3.00 Dally,- Sunday Included, alx months 4 25 ' Dally, Sunday Included, three months.. 2.23 ; Dally. Sunday Included, one month "5 Dally, without Sunday, one year 6 00 Dally, without Sunday, alx months 3 25 Dally, without Sunday, three months. . 1.75 Dally, without Sunday, one month 60 4 Sunday, one year '. 2.00 J Weekly, one year (Issued Thursday).... l.M : Sunday and Weekly, one year 8.60 ; BY CARRIER. j Dally, Sunday Included, one year 8.00 Dally. Sunday Included, one month 75 HOW TO REMIT Send postofflce money order, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at the sender's risk. Give postofflce ad 1 dress in full. Including county and state. ' POSTAGE RATES. ' Entered at Portland, Oregon. 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Norfolk. Va Jamestown Exposition News 6tand; Potts A Roeder; Schneider & Kaiser. Pine Beach, Va. W. A. Cosgrove. PORTLAND, MONDAY, MAY 27, 1807. LANDS AND VALVES. There Is an evil In holding land! out of use, for speculative purposes, which could be and ought to be diminished; but society or government has no means of doing It other than by taxa tion of such lands upon yearly Increas ing valuations. That is, as fast as the land grows in value it should be as sessed to the full, so that the Inert owner shall not be' atile to pocket the whole of the unearned Increment for which he waits. Country lands are lit tle . subject to this evil. It chiefly affects city lots and near suburban lands, and Is a real evil in and about every growing city. It Is commonly said that It is the massing of population in and about the cities that gives high value to land; but there are causes that give rise to the concentration of population. The energy that erects buildings, starts, pro motes and supports Industries, pushes mercantile effort, concentrates trade and expands it, attracts the working classes to the centers and makes it possible for them to obtain employ ment, is the underlying principle of all growth and progress at the centers of population. In all this movement the land-owners take the chief part; for unless they owned the land they would not build upon It, and great cities would not exist, nor, consequently, would there be the concentration of population to which It is so often said land values are due. The land-owner therefore Is entitled primarily to the credit of creating or of enhancing land values. We mean, of course, the enterprising land-owner; notthe drone, who, is holding, without improvement, for the higher values created through the spirit and energy of others. Every community, however, has its drones; but the men and women who erect buildings, push the improve ments and activities that make a city should not be told that, as land-holders, they are robbers, because they have appropriated values created by others. What is it that has made the parcels of land upon our principal streets valu able? The improvements made upon them, which In many, even most, ln- . stances represent the work of owners for their lifetime. But for the im provements on these streets the land would have no more value than it had in its original state. It will be said, of course, that it is the- growth of population that has created the values; yet without the builders there would have been no growth of population. Recognition of the work of the builders Is the moral basis of their right to the larger values, as against the argument that these owners have done nothing to create them. The legal right of those who make no improvements, but hold merely for growing values, is of course unassail able; for laws and the administration thereof must follow broad lines or prin ciples. The only practicable way, therefore, of dealing with the useless land-owner Is to assess his property each year at the fullest value that can be placed upon It. There can be no in justice in collecting . taxes upon such lands at about the rate the owner him self places upon them when approached . with an offer .to. buy .them. The evil of holding Jands out of use, for higher values, is ore not easily exaggerated. The battering rams with which the ancients tore down fortifications were mere playthings compared with a log that broke loose in a Hood River saw mill a few days ago. Imagine a green log, six feet in diameter and. twenty four feet long, sliding down a sleep chute to a millpond and striking other logs so hard that it bounded up the forty-foot incline, over which logs are usually drawn, and plunged through the mill, carrying everything before It. and out into the lumber-yard on the other sid. Hundreds of logs had taken their dive In the pond., according tft tie plans of the loggers, but this one struck other logs instead of the water and sped like the proverbial shot out of a cannon. A sight like that would have astonished not only the ancients, but also some moderns, who are unfamiliar with the habits of logs as large as Oregon produces. SVBMITTED VNDER ( TIIE INITIATIVE. "This Is true liberty," writes Milton, translating from Euripides, "when free born men, having to advise the public, may speak free." Suggestions, then, are in order from any citizen or group of citizens, as to the ordinances, amend ments and franchises to be voted on by the electorate of the City of Portland next Monday. A pamphlet containing "information about these matters, Issued by citizens speaking for the .Chamber of Commerce, the Federated Trades, the Taxpayers' League and the Board of Trade, Mr. Thomas N. Strong, general chairman, is offered, which presents some analysis of the proposed measures, with recom mendations thereon. By this group of citizens most of the propositions are approved. A leading exception, how ever, is the proposal for an additional pipe line to Bull Run. Some of the objections seem sound particularly the one contending that since the bonds and interest are to be paid out of the gen eral taxes and not out of the' earnings of the water plant, the market value of the bonds is likely to be diminished. This method would not, however, necessarllyrequire that water should "be "free," though undoubtedly it would be a step in that direction. Even if the bonds should be voted, therefore the people would still retain the right to pass on the proposition for "free water." On the whole, it seems to us that the city must very soon have an other pipe line; and if the present proposition should be voted'" '(Town it may be doubted whether there will be "ample time," a' asserted by these citizens, to get the result, before the present pipe line shall become ineffi cient. As to the franchise for the Economy Gas Company, we agree with these citi zens that It has not been framed with sufficient regard for the interests of the city. The measure is subtly drawn, for the purpose, plainly, of securing advantages for those who seek the franchise. It would tie the city up In many new ways, and though we believe a competitor ought to be put in against the present gas company, we should fear a Juggle in this proposal that would leave the cfty worse off than now. The plain way to deal with the present abuse is to repeal the franchise of the present company, and then allow competition on a basis that would se cure results to the city and be fair and Just all roundJ Had the Legislature done its duty at the recent session the way would be open now, but the Senate was completely dominated, by "the in terests," and voted down this and all propositions to recover to the people what hod been wrested from them by greed and chicane. Still we cannot see that the proposal now offered for another franchise would improve the gas situation In. Portland, but rather Would complicate It further. The franchise as proposed Is a one-sided affair, not drawn with the purpose of protecting the rights of the city, but with a view of securing to private per sons further advantages at the city's expense. Surely we have had enough of this sort of business. Yet doubtless there are many who will vote for this franchise under tlie hope of getting In a blow through it at the old and thoroughly-hated gas company, which certainly deserves the rub. But this grant would not meet the purpose, and would tie the hands of the city besides. This committee advises the authori zation of dock, park and Madison-bridge bonds; but it opposes the ordinances re lating to liquor license fees, on the ground that the purpose seems to be to give the liquor dealers an advantage by forestalling future action by the Council, with which body the right should remain to raise the fees even above the figures proposed. TAXATION OF CREDITS. The old question of double taxation through the taxation of a credit is caus ing some, controversy over in Grant County, and a citizen of that part of the state, W. H. Wilcox, of Prairie City, writes The Oregon lan for an expression of its opinion upon the subject. From his letter it appears that he sold a piece of real property and took a note secured by a mortgage for a large por tion of the purchase price. The prop erty is now assessed to the man who bought it and the note is assessed to Mr. Wilcox, the assessment on the note being greater than that on the prop erty. The question arises whether this is not a case of double taxation and therefore unconstitutional. It. Is a ques tion that will present itself very forci bly to any one in the position of Mr. Wilcox, and It is one to. which lawmak ers may well give attention.' The question of constitutionality is easily answered. The double taxation Is certainly constitutional in fact it would be unconstitutional to exempt the note from taxation. Such has been the ruling of our courts upon a plain provision of the constitution, which makes it the duty of the Legislature to provide for the assessment and taxation of "all property, both real and per sonal, excepting such only for munici pal, educational, literary, scientific, re ligious or charitable purposes as may be specifically exempted by law." A note is personal property. It has a value. It can be bought and sold, car ried from one state to another, con veyed by will or otherwise disposed of. J It Is property and not within the ,ex- emptea classes, nence it is not oniy tne power but the duty of the Legislature, under the constitution, to provide for its assessment and taxation. And the tax can be collected, by a levy upon the property of the qwner. The old mortgage-tax law made mortgages taxable as real property. That law has . been repealed, but a credit, otherwise known as a chose in action, Is subject to taxa tion as personal property even though secured by a mortgage on real prop erty. .The effect so far as the taxpayer is concerned is the same. That this system is not entirely equitable is readily apparent. If A should borrow from B $1000 and deposit It in a bank, or even carry it in his pocket, the law imposes upon A the duty of paying a tax upon the money and upon B the duty of paying a tax on the credit, so that if each gives in his list of property faithfully there will be a total assessment of $2000 where but $1000 of actual value exists... If A should, in turn, loan the $1000 to C, the money would be assessed once and the credit twice, making a total assessment of $3000 with only $1000 of actual value. Since the only exemptions allowable are those prescribed by law, A could not escape pavinsr taxes on the M000 owed to him by C by offsetting the $1000 he owes to B. There is not the slightest reason in this situation, but it is a situation cre ated by law by constitutional law. The most that'ean be said In extenua tion is that the man who loans money knows that the law requires him to pay taxes on the money due, him, and he must make his terms accordingly. In practice the injustice of this sys tem is multiplied, for one man escapes the taxation while another must bear the burden. A man whose note is se cured by a mortgage has made a pub lic record of the qredit and cannot hide his property from a vigilant Assessor. Another man owning a note of the same value but not secured can keep it off the assessment rolls if he is willing to perjure himself when he gives in his list of property. The man who faithfully reports a list of his property is penal ized for so doing. It is safe to say that the number of men, who pay taxes on notes and other credits is incon siderably small as compared with those who escape such payment. It is also a safe guess that such a situation exists In Grant County, from which the pres ent protest comes. The only remedy that now suggests itself Is for Mr. Wil cox to insist that all notes and credits be assessed upon the same basis as his own, and thereby he will arouse a pub lic sentiment which will demand the amendment of the section of the con stitution creating the injustice. SPECULATION RUN RIOT. The comparatively insignificant part played' by physical conditions of the wheat crop, in producing such an ava lanche of speculation and high prices as has raged in Chicago the past month. is shown by a statement in a Chicago dispatch in yesterday's Oregonian, that the trading on the Chicago Board of Trade In the past thirty days reached a volume of $200,000,000. In the midst of a wild speculation of such monu mental proportions, it is but natural that conditions bearing any relation on supply and demand, which in the end must govern prices, should be entirely lost sight of. A late season and unfa vorable weather conditions, together with some damage by bugs, and a fairly strong foreign situation, warranted an advance in wheat prices from the low figures at which they rested prior to May 1. But natural conditions, statis tical or climatic, were speedily lost sight of in the seething whirl of specu lation, which swept the. market off its feet and made it impossible to deter mine how much of this sharp advance was legitimate and how much was due to the plunging of the Wall street gamblers, who temporarily abandoned stocks. Even the American Society of Equity, which began a campaign for dollar wheat about two years ago, stands breathless In amazement at the sky rocket flight of prices, but recovers sufficiently, modestly to state: "As a factor in the rapid rise, there Isn't a doubt but the agitation for controlled marketing and the campaign for dollar wheat, played a conspicuous part." There has been occasion in the past to criticise the advice of the Society of Equity, when it urged farmers to hold their wheat in the face of the weakest kind of a statistical position. But the organization is now to be commended for its instructions to farmers to sell all of their wheat at the "minimum price," which is $1 per bushel. In spite of this advice, the society, through its press bureau, ventures the opinion that it may be advisable to fix the price for the new crop at a higher figure than $1 per bushel. Meanwhile, the game goes on and, as usual, there are losers where there are gainers, and someone will get seriously hurt if the price goes too high or too low. The American Society of Equity, and the men who are shipping green bugs to the wheat fields, are both fac tors in the present hysterical condi tion of the market, but the one great overpowering factor, which in the end will restore prices to a normal level, is supply and demand. When the specula tive haze clears a little, so that we can more easily discern the dimensions of this factor, Wrall street will find the field for speculative endeavor so cir cumscribed that its plungers and pikers will return to their old game of stocks. common and preferred. STRICKEN SAN FRANCISCO. But little more than a year has passed since San Francisco passed through her awful baptism of earth quake and fire. As her thousands of people groped painfully among the blackened ruins of their homes and ele gant and -costly business edifices, it seemed to them that they had sounded the depths of mental and financial dis tress and suffering, and that nothing which could happen could ereate a worse condition of affairs' than then existed in the stricken city. But that oataclysm of fire and death, which swept out of existence hundreds of lives and property valued at many millions, did not rob San Francisco of her matchless natural location at the gate way of the Orient and the Occident, nor did it eliminate that indomitable spirit of the West which was a heritage from the pioneers who laid the foundations of San Francisco's commercial and financial greatness. That spirit of the West and the nat ural location of the port were collateral on which a sympathetic world seemed willing to advance money. As soon as the details were worked out, San Francisco began rising from the ashes. The enterprise and faith of her people were so inspiring that they could not fall to attract attention, and for a time the city made rapid progress in regain ing her lost prestige. But a year brings great changes, and today, more than twelve months after San Francisco be gan emerging from the ruins,- the fire swept, graft-ridden and heart-broken city is. infinitely worse off than it was on that awful April morning a year ago. Then the whole world, in ignorance of the rottenness of its grafters, the tyr anny of Its labor unions, and the law lessness of .its corporations, stood in readiness to assist in - its upbuilding. Now the sadly needed capital and de cent, law7ablding labor are avoiding the unhappy city. Building- is at a stand still because the cost of all material and labor has reached a point where all hope of profit from the investment has vanished.- . The cost of every building erected In San Francisco since the earthquake has run so far ahead of the estimates that it will be an irremovable burden against the investment as long as It stands,, and the men who attempt to do business on such conditions will be forced to meet the competition of oth ers who establish themselves in less expensive and more orderly cities. The present chaotic condition of affairs can not, of course last forever, but some of the damage wrought is irretrievable, and at the best it will be many years before honest capital and decent, self respecting American labor will again be safe in the Bay City. The wisdom of the Oregon Legisla ture, in turning a deaf ear t.o the Request of Professional Agitator Furu seth, of San Francisco, who was at Salem endeavoring to secure the pas sage of a bill repealing the law against crimping, Is now apparent. Furuseth has a strong hold In California and succeeded in working his bill through the California Legislature. As a result, crimping In the Bay City is now carried on with a degree of lawlessness that was unknown in the North even in the days of Jim Turk, Bunko Kelly and other past masters in the shanghaiing art. Blood money in the Bay City is up to $70 per man, and may go higher. The situation has become so serious for the shipowners that it will be discussed at the meeting of the International union in Paris next month, and San Francisco undoubtedly will be punished with a heavy advance in freight rates. The wool-buying season in Eastern Oregon is interesting, both for sheep men and buyers. When a rancher has 100.000 pounds of wool, a difference of one cent a pound means a great deal to him. On the other hand, the value of a particular lot of wool depends not only upon the character of the wool itself, but also upon the amount of sand in it. The buyer who misses his guess as to the amount of dirt in the wool may easily lose on one lot enough to equal his salary for six months. If he is over-cautious in allowing for sand, some other buyer is likely to get the wool. To tie a good buyer of wool re quires as much experience as to be a good buyer of hops. An active wool market is as exciting to the producers as an active hop market, though the prices of wool do not vary so much as, or so often as. the prices of hops. The Southern Pacific seems to have reason on its side in the position it has taken in California, on distribution of cars for transportation of fruit. It distributes cars according to the quan tity of fruit ready for shipment, but Jsome of the fruit men want them dis tributed according to acreage. The Santa Fe distributes according to acre age, and that plan is unsatisfactory to many growers, who are complaining. When there Is a shortage of cars the growers are quite likely to be dissatis fied with any plan of apportionment, but the plan adopted by the Southern Pacific seems to be most likely to result In equal treatment to all. The initiative is Invoked for raising the salaries of officials. Why raise the salaries of officials? Truly and Indeed if men don't like the pay they needn't hunt for the offices. But your good citi zen thinks the office highly desirable; he abandons the practice of medicine to become Mayor, or gives up other am bitions and lucrative pursuits to be come Auditor or Police Judge or City Attorney; and straightway after he gets the office encourages the thought of larger salary. But you will observe that he never wants to quit and to push for business and livelihood on his own account. Theodore TUton is dead. But he lived long enough to see the day when the scandal which made him famous,' or perhaps infamous, would have been a second-rater In comparison with the kind which New York seems to demand In this twentieth century. The' Thaws, Goulds, Coreys et aL. may not be work ing along exactly the same offensive lines as were followed toy Tilton, but the odor arising is infinitely worse. The gross receipts of the Union Pacific for March, 1907, were more than $1,000,000 greater than for the corre sponding month a year ago. This Is one more step in the direction of that bankruptcy which we were assured would come if the President and the states did not recede from rate regu lation. And there was no backing or side stepping, either. The' pessimistic individual who thinks that Portland Is beins: over-boomed. or is growing too fast, should start out In quest of quarters either for residence or business purposes. A few days' quest in any and ajl or the desirame localities will convince him that Port land is not growing fast enough. A Seattle man is suing the Standard Oil Company for $1.50 because one of John D.'s delivery wagons damaged an awning to the amount named. Any op portunity which escapes a Seattle man desirous of putting out a little adver tising will hardly be noticeable to any one else. They need the money. It is a sad commentary upon the ethics of the legal profession when a defendant insists upon pleading guilty over the protest of his attorney. But some criminals have more sense than their attorneys, even if they have less knowledge of law. If old Jay Gould had left his son a little less money, perhaps the family name would be less involved in scandal To have one's name mentioned In the same breath with that of Corey and Thaw is a calamity of no small magni tude. Lane County farmers who have de cided to dip their sheep without further protest are wise. It is said that spray ing is good for a tree, even if it is not diseased. Quite likely, dipping is good for a sheep even If it is not scabby. The Czar gave audience on Satur day to a delegation of Japanese on its way to the Peace Conference at The Hague. This was probably not em barrassing, for he has conferred with Japs on peace questions before. It Is timely lest we forget. When Mayor Lane makes a speech like that he made on Friday evening, about the looting of the franchises of Portland, he rubs in on the "first families." And it's all right. . Lest we forget. Calhoun and Mullally proclaim their Innocence through the newspapers. Well, then, why not plead "not guilty" and submit the question to a Jury with out further delay? Berries have "declined" to $5 a crate. That is $4.50 a crate 'better than they were a dozen years ago, when the grow ers could scarcely give theni away. If there were fewer idlers in the plaza blocks these - pleasant days, perhaps Hood River would not be in such urg ent need of berryplckers. Now it would be nice of President Roosevelt to suggest Mr. Bourne as a suitable candidate for Vice-President. GOOD WORDS OP SENATOR BOURNE Why He Has Already Won Hlh Place at Washington. Eugene (Or.) State Journal. That Jonathan Bourne, Jr., would make one of the best Senators that Oregon has ever had we never doubted and frequently asserted both before and since his election. Along with his many other personal friends who en tertained similar views we take great pleasure in knowing that e has dur ing the few months that Tie has been In office more than made good the fondest hopes of his most ardent ad mirers, of which we- have for at least 12 years been one of the most enthu siastic. As stated in these columns during the primary campaign, he Is peculiarly well fitted, by nature and by education and association, to suc ceed in that high and responsible of fice in the . highest degree. He is able, active, Industrious, optimistic, persevering, firm, conscientious, relia ble, sincere, truthful, and Is supe rior In many ways to the common run of politicians. He always means what he says - and is not afraid to speak out and say what he means. If he says "yes" he means it, and if he means "no" he says so and does not deceive by evasions or pretending to be non-committal. His word is always as good as a first mortgage bond. , Tou can depend upon him, which cannot be truthfully said of a great many people occupying high positions. This adds greatly to his value as a public servant. It saves many peojsle, and often whole com munities, from disappointment, on ac count of double-dealing or false prom ises. When you are expecting or desir ing something you know whether you can depend upon his assistance, and are not kept in suspense and caused to lose time and labor in pursuing an impossi ble scheme. This qualifies him in a high degree for the duties which he has been chosen to perform. He has the ability and force sufficient to grapple with difficulties and overcome opposi tion, when force is needed, but has the tact and suavity sufficient to accom plish more by diplomacy than can be done by force. Socially and intellectu ally he Is a very brilliant man, and can and does win much by- these qualities, where brute force or intellect without suavity and an agreeable personality, would fail. Already he has made a National reputation, and has won the esteem and friendship of the President, Senators and members of Congress, and influential people from all parts of the country, by cultivating the friendship, rather than stirring up animosities and opposition by "butting in" to everything and everybody and display ing oratorical abilities in season and out of season, as has been done by men who talked too much to the galleries. WHISKERS AS SANITARY HELP Dr. Mary Walker's Advice Falla on Irreverent Understanding. New Tork Sun. The Burlington Railroad Company has refused to heed the following- re monstrance from Dr. Mary D. Walker, of Oswego, N. Y.: "The order to remove the whiskers of conductors should be rescinded im mediately, as such protection is needed as a sanitary measure. It is the worst of orders, engendering-lung troubles." Sympathy for the shaven conductors because they may be threatened with pneumonia 13 misplaced. A competent lung protector would be much more serviceable than a beard. As a sani tary measure the order to remove whis kers really commends itself to the faculty. To take exceptions to the order we should seek other grounds than the climatic protection afforded. Beards by some are regarded as a badge of dignity, and the Orientals re vere them. There is nothing quite as majestic as a grave, wholesome old man with a. flowing patriarchal beard, especially in advertisements of cereal foods. Tradition and the orthodoxy of more faiths than one could be cited in favor of the beard. The oath by it was sacrosanct. In western countries the rise and fall of the beard in popu lar favor makes a voluminous litera ture. If the beard had always been treated with respect by its wearers and nature had been allowed to take Tter course it would not have fallen into disrepute by the vulgar name of whiskers. The Dundreary, Burnside and Galway cuts account for much of the ftbstllity to hair on the face. There is a popular and excusable impression that a man with an eccentric beard or too tnuoh beard has a screw loose or is a crank or humbug. Quacks notoriously run to beards. Nevertheless, a man has a con stitutional right to grow a beard, though he may waive the right if he is a railroad employe or a waiter. There is one excellent reason why railroad conductors should not wear full beards; it is illustrated by the knifing of Amasa. Joab took Amasa by the beard amicably, inquired about hla health nnd thrust the sword under Amaaa's fifth rib. A conductor acting as a po lice officer on his train is greatly han dicapped by a longbeard. For this reason, and because a smooth face dis tinguishes its conductors from grang ers, musicians, artists and retired lake captains, giving the trainmen an alert, brisk and on-time expression, the Bur lington stands on its order. Irish Hall of Fame Hartford Courant. "Please give," said the teacher, as she rubbed her tired eyes, "The names of some great .Irishmen, my dears." And when a hand waved frantically she no ticed with surprise Th; grimmy paw was Jlmmle HeAleers. Twas something new for Jlmmle to be iafc terested when A question was before the house, and so, "Well, Jlmmle," said the teacher "name your famous Irishmen." He proudly answered: "Here's a few I know: "McGlnnlty and Hogan. Mike Kelley. Dick Cogan, Jim Collins, Wild BUI Donovan and Ryan; McGlll and Mclntyre, Spike Shannon and McGntra, McCarthy, Dolan, Daly and O'Brien; Jlggs Donohue. McBrlde. Waddell, the Phillies' pride, McFarland. Muggfl, McGraw and B. Mc Gulrk, Maloney, Grady, Lally, Jack Sullivan, O'Malley, Pat Flaherty, J. Hurley. Eddie Burke, McCormlck and McConneN; McGilllgan. O'Donnell; McGinley. McNamara and McGann, Hugh Duffy and McMackin. McHale. McGee, McCracken, CNell, McQuald. McManus and Mcahon." "Why, Jlmmle." cried the teacher," "just wait a moment please; What did those folks you mention ever do? How Is It that you didn't give roe any names like these: Tome Moore, Parnell and Robert Emmett, too V . "Gee whiz!" exclaimed the urchin, "I never seen dem guys " I named the warmest members in the mess; De tellers you are boostln' fer can't be so very wise; Dey must 'are played In some bush league, I guess." CRIME IN CARRYING OF PISTOLS Law la Nowhere Enforced, but It Should Be. 'Indianapolis News. The man who carries a pistol is In a state of war and rebellion; he should be treated as an enemy of the public, and the law so regards him. Many thought less and foolish boys have no malicious intent In "carrying a gun," hut they pay heavily for their folly often by using the weapon in a moment of passion. If they were not armed their anger would pass off and no harm would result. Every day's occurrences include shoot ing by men, and even women, whose fault begins when they put pistols in their pockets. There is sudden efxeitement. a disturbance growing out of an unpre meditated ' incident, some one pulls a pistol and commits murder or man slaughter. Could the dead who have lost their live; in such needless encounters be assembled, they would form a vast multi tude. The parent . or teacher who dis suades . a boy from the pistol habit is preventing murder. The woods are no longer full of Indians or savage beasts (In fact, more Is the pity, there are no woods), and the world is not so bad. that men must be constantly armed to meet expected danger. Every civilized community forbids the carrying of concealed weapons, but few communities enforce the law. New York police, driven to act by a murderous con dition existing among the Italians of the city, have been searching' and disarming men and boys in the Italian districts. There will be universal sympathy with the police everywhere If they disarm not only Italians, but Americans and Afri cans and whoever needlessly and in viola tion of law fills his pockets with danger ous weapons, his stomach with bad liquor and his head with fantastic notions of danger and bravado. Chicago Record-Herald. Most criminal vagabonds carry weapons. The city ordinances permit a fine of $200 for the offense of carrying concealed weapons, and a $300 fine in moat cases means an extended stay in the Bridewell to work it out. If the police made an effort they could arrest dozens 'or scores of weapon carriers every day. They not only make no effort, but when they ar rest men with guns or knlveg they rarely book them on this charge. The neglect of the possibilities that lie in the enforce ment of this ordinance has gone so far that some of the judges of the Municipal Court have taken special note of it and complained of the lost opportunities to punish men who need punishment. What Yale College Men Do. New Haven (Ct.) Dispatch. Professor William Bailey answers the question, "What became of Yale men?" In announcing the result of an extended Investigation into the occupa tion of every graduate from the class of 1897 to 19J2. He finds that law takes double the number of graduates that any other profession does, a total of 29.4 per cent of graduates seeking that field. He notes a drffp in the num ber of alumni who enfcer the ministry to 7.7 per cent. A quarter of a cen tury ago it was moreftthan atwtce as great. ,; r - .. Professor Bailey's classification ranks politicians and farmers together. His summarized table is as follows: Per Occupations. Number, cent. Law 713 29 4 Finance 320 13.4 Education '-'ill 10 6 Medicine 23 8.4 Ministry 185 7.7 Farming and politics 170 7.1 Merchants 169 7.0 Journalists 77 3.1 Engineers 69 2 8 Miscellaneous 74 3.0 This list foots up a total of 2243 graduates. Tim a Hard Question. Washington Post. Mr. Watterson is too eminent a turf man to enter in the Presidential Derby of 1908 a man born In 1835. That takes Adlal E. Stevenson out of the paddock. Perhaps Carter Harrison is the man. Chicago pulled Illinois Into the Demo cratic column in 1892. -Tom Johnson is too rich. JJo rich man has been a Democrat since Samuel J. Tilden was gathered to his fathers. Ben Cable is another rich man besides, he was a Palmer and Buokner traitor of 1896. Judson Harmon is altogether too much of a Democrat to be thought of. So is William H. Vilas. We do not ( know what response Mr. Bryan will give to Mr. Watterson's overture. This we do know -that the momentous question now confronting the Democracy is not whom shall we nominate? But how shall the old party be saved from an nihilation? - Then and Now. Chicago Record-Herald. A valet helpa him into bed; She cannot dress without her maid; Zn haunts by fashion tenanted Her jewels nightly are displayed. Their fathers both as pioneers Drove oxen over !pn)y ways; Their mothers tolled through trying years And cooked their own meals all their days. He has to have his morning tub. An expert polishes her nails; He sits and dobbers at his club, To Europe twice a year she satis. Their fathers and their mothers through The wilderness hewed out a path And ate things with their knives and knew Not what it was to have a bath. WHERE HE No Alarm In Milton Town. Milton Eagle. The report that a Mormon had been elected president of the O. A. C. is causing no consternation in this part of the state. There are a whole lot of people kicking about the Mormons who are maintaining one wife on alimony and another on credit. Color Line la Seattle. Portland Advocate. But. on the other hand, if a commit tee of colored citizens had been ap pointed to find suitable locations and places for the entertainment of the bishops during their attendance at the Christian Endeavor Convention, and nof attempt to force them into some hotels where their presence is not desired and their money not wanted, in our estima tion they would have been doing the proper thing. The time has come when the colored man must learn to care fur his own, and cease depending wholly and solely upon the white man. GOSSIP OF OREGON EDITORS. Hood Rlrer Invites Lownadale. Hood River Glacier. M. O. Lownadale has issued an open letter to the fruit growers of the Wil lamette Valley in which he proposes the holding of an apple show for the growers of the Valley this year. We are exceedingly sorry that we are not permitted to enter the competitive race. We took nearly everything in sight at the great apple exhibition In Port land last Fall, and we are anxious to get another clip at Brother Lownsdale's "Just as good as Hood River" proposi tion. Well, we are not selfish. We hereby invite our brother to be present at our apple fair next Fall. We will accord him the best position in the pavilion. Survival of Moasbackianu Pendleton Tribune. It is the survival of the old mossbaclc tendency that kills. It was noticed a couple of weeks 'ago than when the state sheep Inspectors went into Lane County to superintend,' or, rartver. in quire Into the -necessity of enforcing the state law requiring the dipping of scabby sheep, they were met by the notification that if they undertook to Interfere with what was claimed to be the right of each Individual to deter mine for himself, they would be driven off their premises with shotguns. The result was the local inspector re signed his position rather than, as he said, incur the hostility of his neigh bors and the- loss of his practice, he being a physician. The old-fashioned theories are good enough for some people, no matter whether it be sheep scab or codlln moth that demands a recognition of new methods. Jack London "Runa Dry." East Oregonian. The Portland Oregonian made a sig nificant remark about Jack London In a recent issue, when it said the public should know what book he Is going to take his next novel from. The first few things which London wrote were excellent, radiating, illum inating flashes At literature. He touched a new and extremely popular fancy. He wrote with a whirl and a rush seldom, If ever, equaled In lit erary history. But soon he "ran dry." as they say of a false oil well. He was soon pumped out. Instead of spouting high up above the surface he failed. His stuff became stale. He was evidently writing for money, on the refutation he first made. His last few stories are absolutely silly. He copied his "Before Adam" from a book and a plot long extant and otherwise "flunked," as they say when a man does not make good. London is now trying to make money on his reputation. The magazines en courage him by buying his silly etuttyr4 and the people are wondering If he Is., ever going to "spout up" again, as he did when he first broke into fame, or if he is permanently "dry." ' BIG DOINGS IN THE COUNTRY. - Out of Slaht, Anyway. Pendleton Tribune. As a result of a combine among the manufacturers of hosiery it is said stock ings are getting higher and higher and the end is not yet. Just Klda. Moro Observer. The -mother Angora goat belonging to Reed Hulse, had triplets this spring. One died, and the pair Is a great attraction to all the other kids in town. Everybody Works. Independence Enterprise. There Is not an Idle man to be found In Buena Vista and women and child ren are training hops for a dollar and a half a day. Polk County Landmark. Dallas Observer. Uncle Ira F. M. Butler, of Monmouth, celebrated his 95th birthday. May 20. All day long his many friends called to pay their respects, and the band boys gave him some fine music in the evening. STANDS From the New Tork Press.. I W ' V .- I t r sl- ..... I y.