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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 27, 1909)
8 THE MORNING OltEGONIANV TIIVKSDA Y, MAT 27. l!Mr.. PORILAXn. OKEGOX. Entered at rortland. Orcoa. Postofflce ss eeccnd-c'laaa Matter. bubacrlptloa Batra I a variably la Adraoeaw , (Br Mail.) XIIy. Sunday Included, one year.... $S 0 pa:Iy. Sunday Included, six montba 4 23 I;;!y. Sunday Included, three montba.. 12S Daily. Sunday Included, one montn T Eal.y. without Sunday, one year 6 OO Jjaly. without Sunday, a x months..... a 25 pally, without Sunday, three months. l.TS Dal.y. without Sunday, one month .. SO weekly, one year . ...... 1 &O Eunjay, one year....... . .......... S M Euaday and weekly, one year I CM (By Carrier. Dally. Funday Included, one year 00 Ir.lly. Sunday Included, one month... -7 How to Remit fiend poutofflce money order, expreas order or personal check oa yciur local bank. fctamps. coin or currency are at the sender's risk. Give poatafflca ad dress In tull. Including; county and stel Postage Rates lu to-14 pases. 1 cent; IS to 28 pajres. 2 cents; 30 to 44 pages. 3 centa; 46 to AO pagea. 4 cents. Foreign soatsgs double rates Eastern Buslnes Office) The 8.-C. Bck wlth Special Arency New York, rooms 48 CO Tribune building. Chicago, rooma Slu-SlS Tribune building. PORTLAND, TH13SDAT, MAY T, 1909. THE RAILROAD PE4CE PACT. The new peace pact by which the Harrlman roads secure access to Pu get Sound without the necessity of paralleling- the Northern "Pacific tracks with a new road is the most important development of the year In Pacific Northwest railroad circles. If this agreement between the two railroad kings were to be regarded as signifi cant of a genera! settlement of all differences and as a parceling out of territory between the two lines, it might he viewed with some misgiv ings. The Pacific Northwest is in need of active competition between the railroads. Not competition of the cut throat, ruinous kind, but a legitimate struggle for traffic, and for the devel opment of new territory where trans portation facilities can coax traffic into existence. Since the first announcement of the proposed Harrlman line to Puget Bound The Oregonian has protested against construction of the new road. This protest was based solely on the ground that such a line would not develop a single acre of new territory tributary either to Portland or Puget Sound. We objected to a -road taking millions which had been earned In the State of Oregon and building: an unnecessary road in the State of Washington at a time when there was such a crying need for railroads where none existed in this state. In sup plying traffic for the long haul aero the continent, the Puget Sound and Grays Harbor country quite naturally appealed to Mr. Harrlman. To hiii credit as a sagacious business man. It must be said that he realized the folly of spending S20.000.000 to S25.000.000 in duplicating a road already built through the country, and physically able to handle the business for both roads for many years. It seems to have required the ex penditure of several million dollars to convince Mr. Hill that the Harrl man attempt to reach Puget Sound "was not a bluff. Appreciating the fact that Mr. Harrlman was deter mined to reach Puget Sound over his own rails, provided he could not reach an agreement with Mr. Hill, the North ern Pacific-Great Northern magnate seems to have accepted the inevitable, and granted the concession. .As the favor was worth a great many mill ions to Mr. Harrlman, it Is of course quite reasonable to assume that val uable concessions at other points have been made to Mr. Hill. The peaceful adjustment of this protracted dispute before more millions had been wasted in fighting is an indication of the gradual changing policy In railroad management. This change brings with It a growing consideration for the rights of the public. No matter if this change In sentiment has been forced by the people themselves In the way of railroad commissions, regu lative laws, etc., it is here, and is increasingly noticeable. - Had Mr. Hill refused to open the way for Mr. Harrlman to reach Puget Sound economically, it . would have necessitated an expenditure of about S.15.000,000 more, than will be nec essary. to place. the Northern Pacific line in condition for handling all or the traffic that both roads will send over it In the next quarter of a cen tury. The road would have been built to make a profit, and the traffic pro ducers would have had to foot the bills. On a 6 per cent basis, this ex tra cost of the unnecessary road, had it been constructed, would be S 900.000 per year. To the producers and con sumers who In the end pay all railroad bills, this saving may not be easily detected in rates made in the immediate future. But it is a sav ing that has been effected. The man who makes Jwo blades of grass grow where only one has grown before may be a public benefactor, but the man who builds two railroads where only one is needed, is merely wasting money which is needed elsewhere and which later must be recouped from the pro ducers. Having effected a saving of several millions in the anticipated outlav nec essary to reach Puget Sound.- Mr. Har rlman may now feel more inclined to take up some of his proposed Oregon branches. The Tillamook line is mak ing good progress and Central Oregon awaits only the approval by the Gov ernment of the Harrlman plans. The Coos Bay line, however, seems to have been overlooked. There can be but little new development In the Coos Bay country until a railroad is built. For that reason, the demand for a 4 per cent guarantee before construct ing. the road might very properly be waived, especially at this time when a saving of about S15. 000.000 has been effected by not building the line to Puget Sound. A double-track road and improved train service which will follow the ad vent of Mr. Harrlman in the Puget. couna ana tjrays Harbor country will afford Portland an opportunity much better to serve a trade territory in which our merchants are rapidly In creasing their operations. As the Pu get Sound dispute was apparently set tled for purely economic reasons, the terminal troubles In this city will un doubetdly be straightened out for sim ilar reasons.. One terminal yard and station can certainly be handled much more economically than two. and the Interest of the public will be better served by an Immediate consolidation of Hill and Harrlman terminal inter- The. Russian Dourna. undismayed by the fate of its predecessors. Is again proposing reforms which the aristocracy may or mav not permit to become effective. The Douma is now discussing a law legalizing the sect of Old Believers, a religious body whlch was separated from the parent Orthodox Church during the period of religious reforms under Peter the Great. The sect embraces fully 15. 000.000 worshipers, and. as this is a large number of Russians to be truste.d with any kind of legal rights by the aristocrats who are running the Rus sian government. It ts hardly probable that the Dnuma will get very far with its work In that direction. MAKING TROI BLE FOR NOTHING. It would appear that the people of the Irvington district -who made com plete arrangements for paving their streets with asphalt would be entitled to the support of the city administra tion In their commendable enterprise. But they are not getting It: they will not get It from a Mayor who fancies there is a "steal" behind every project that does not emanate from his mas sive intellect or from an Executive Board that has no purpose In life but to hold Its Job. and to hold the Job it must at all times and In all places truckle to the Mayor. The Oregonian Is informed that the Irvington project had the Individual indorsement of every property-owner concerned, with no exceptions. It was desired by all to give the work to a certain contractor under terms and conditions that guaranteed first-class service. Since the property must stand the entire expense of the Im provement, and since also it was under taken on the Initiative of the owners. It Is difficult to see why the city should block their plans. That l Just what Is being done, for no good reason, by this "business" administration. We want good streets In Portland. But how and when are we going to get them If we are to have an administra tion that unearths a mare's nest when ever a definite project of street pav ing in any particular district Is pro posed ? THK LATK MR. LAW SON. Mr. Thomas Lawson. of Boston, seems to be experiencing some diffi culty in keeping In the limelight Just at present. A year or two ago. when he was making such fierce literary onslaughts on the trusts, the octopl and the "system" that It was necesary for the new dictionary-makers to add several pages of new words, his name was on every- tongue. His retirement from the literary field was followed by a savage attack on the "gclatlne splned shrimps" and "saffron-blooded apes" who had failed to lake Tommy's "hunch" and turn over to him their life Insurance policies and other col lateral. The pastime of going after the trusts and people alike becoming wearisome, Mr. Lawson promoted Yukon Gold and In the promotion In cidentally demonstrated that, while the spines of the shrimps were a lit tle weak, their pocketbooks were In easy reach. Yukon Gold vanished from the financial horizon several months ago. and the verbose Bostnnlan failed to note another opening to the public ear until Secretary Wilson's March crop report appeared. Not realizing that It was .as unreliable as Yukon Gold. Lawson grabbed his spear, mounted his Roslnante. and began charging the windmills, which. In this case, proved to be the mythical Pat ten wheat corner. May wheat was then selling around SI. 20 per bushel, and. while exhorting the people to take up arms. If necessary, and down with the tyrants, who were putting up the price of bread, Lawson La re ported to have "sold short" In gener ous quantities, with the avowed Inten tion of dragging down to financial ruin the Patten crowd. Unfortunately for Mr. Lawson. and also for Patten, either the Lawson nerve or the Lawson money gave out when wheat approached $1.30 per bushel. With the much-despised Wall Street crowd and the Pittsburg steel kings still putting up margins. Law son took his losses and retired to ponder over the worthlessness of Sec retary Wilson's report, and the nerve of the Chicago men who knew that wheat was scarce. Perhaps the most reprehensible bid for public notice which Mr. Lawson has yet made was a fawning, slob bering tribute to the late H. H. Rog ers, a man whom Lawson had pre viously painted as a fiend Incarnate. No public man In the fnlted States ever received such a wealth of vitu peration as Lawson heaped on Rogers In his "Frenzied Finance." and now, for the sake of a little cheap noto riety, he comes before the public and "takes back" all the mean things he said about the Standard Oil magnate. Some of Mr. Lawson's friends should tell him that be is a "has been." if he will not believe them and cease trying to break Into print, they should consult an alienist. A TRAYELKK'S VIEWS. Mr. L. Caper Mordaunt's opinion that the cost of living Is too high In America, deserves comment. He is a gentleman from Australia, who has l""nfu niuny ana nis business nat urally directs his attention to com mercial facts and economic conditions. In stating that an Australian workman with wages at S1.75 a day can live better than an American who receives more wages, he doubtless speaks by the book. Wages signify what they will buy. and no more. High wages with exorbitant prices may not mean nearly so much In the actual comforts of life as lower pay with cheaper goods. Not many months ago The Orego nian published a letter from a local clergyman, cnmnlslnine ihn w. i not afford to eat much fruit In this City on account of Its excessive coat Considering. that Oregon is the para dise of fruit, this is a strange phe nomenon. The clergyman said that apples, strawberries, and so on. were dearer here than they were In the East mrrafny uvea. Yet In the East these fruits cannot be produced without much toil and expense, while In Oregon they grow luxuriantly with little attention. Why should thev cost the consumer more? From the purchaser's point of view the business of selling provisions is too well organized. The members of the organization, or trust, pay the producer as little as possible and charge the consumer as much as pos sible, thus gathering their harvest at both ends, while the rest of the, com munity suffers from their extortion. This fact accounts not only for the high prices of green supplies, but also for the use of canned goods, which struck Mr. Mordaunt as so remark able. The simple truth is that with the beat climate la the world and the most productive sou. our consumers cannot afford to buy food In Us nat ural condition. This is an anomaly which the law may remedy sometime, but there Is no prospect of Its doing so Immediately FINE Bl'MNESUt, INDr.KIs. The Oregonian gathers seva-rsi In teresting things from the letter of Mr. Dan Keliaher. printed today, about the proposed municipal lighting plant. Ilia object. It would appear. Is to emulate Seattle In Its municipal lighting ex periment, lie would at once double the number of street lights. He would enter Into competition with any estab lished lighting concern for the business of private consumers. He suggests the recall as a definite remedy for any mistakes or misdeeds of the lighting commissioners. The Oregonian cannot agree with Mr. Keliaher that the recall Is a de pendable device for enforcement of a proper administration of public affairs. So far as It has been used In Oregon, it has shorn n Itself to be an Instrument of private revenge and of public disorder. It ought never to be resorted to. If at all, except In rases of extreme emergency or necessity. It Is childish .'or M. Keliaher to sug gest that' tie lighting commissioners will be ret ponslblr to "the people" and to Inquire of The Oregonian to whom It would have them responsible. We would make them responsible to the law. and we would have the law definite, circumstantial and enforce able. Then probably we should hare no occasion for demagogic talk or fu tile pretensions that It Is enough for any public official to be responsible to "the people." By his Initial Investment of Sl.Ono. 000 In a lighting plant. Mr. Keliaher would at once, double the city's ex pense for public lighting which, he sas. Is now annually SI 10. ooo. It la to be hoped that Mr. Kellaher'a Se attle figures are more nearly correct than his Portland figures. The City of Portland, during 10. paid the Portland General Electric Company for public lighting the sum of S7. 15T.3S. though the lighting company's bl!l for this service amounted to a little over SI 00.000. This latter sum is doubtless the proper basis for es timating the present cost of lighting. The private company offers to continue the scrvl.-e on a basis approximately of S-'.0ft0 yearly for the present equipment of lamps. Now. what does Mr. Keliaher pro pose? He wants to borrow 12. 000.000 and to go into a business that will Impose on the city, as J. W. Campbell clearly showed In his letter yesterdsy. a fixed charge of $2:0.000 annually. This tskes no account whatever of operating expenses, damage from ac cidents, repairs or other incidentals, which would, without question, bring the total expense to the city up to SJO0.O0O. jr. Keliaher wants to double the number of lights In Port land and to do It he asks the public to treble the present expense. Fine business. Indeed. The City of Seattle has gone Into the lighting business in competition with two private concerns. The re sult Is that prices have been demoral ized and the plant Is being operated at a heavy loss, with a continually in creasing burden of debt. The sum total of results in Seattle is that the private consumer of light and power Is getting cheap rates at the expense of the taxpayer. Somebody has to pay for It. of course. With Mr. Kelia her It Is all right If nobody has to pay but the taxpayer. It may bo. and probaly Is. true that we should have more lights In Port land. Certainly we must have a greater number as the city grows. But The Oregonian does not think there has been demand enough for an Immediate duplication of the total of lights. Even If there should be. It Is quite positive that there Is no public wish or ne cessity that the increase should be made at the cost of adding 200 per cent to the present annual expense of public llchtlng. xr.Ei or CHEAP SHIPS, For more than a year there have been in circulation repeated rumors to the effect that the American-Hawaiian steamship line had fallen under con trol of the transcontinental railroad Interests. Despite the vehement de nials of the steamship offlclsls. some color Is g'ven these rumors by the con fident manner In which the railroads refer to the steamship rate as a 0"d. Immovable rate which they will have no difficulty In meeting. Accepting the steamship company's denial at full value, the fact still remains that It would not be a difficult matter for any of the mighty transcontinental sys tems to purchase outright every steamer owned by the American-Hawaiian line. Once in possession of this line, anything bearing the semblance of competition ceases. The Pacific Mall, which Is only an adjunct of the Harrlman rail system, has never been regarded as a factor In raternaklng. nor will It ever be so considered as long as It remains under the present management. Before the railroads cam", and for many years thereafter. Portland and other Pacific ports maintained a very efficient service with sail vessels plying between the two coasts of the I'nlted States; but sailing vessels are now out of date, and the American steamers available for the trade are practically an o-wnea or controlled by great cor porations, and even at that are Insuffi cient In number to meet the demands of the business. It is in Just such emergencies as will confront the Pa cific ports If the American-Hawaiian line falls into the hands o the rail roads that the vital necessity for cheap shls will appeal most power fully to us. If the American people were granted the ssme rights and privileges granted the citizens of every other nation on earth, tha Portland. San Francisco and Puget Sound business Interests could purchase at about one-half the cost per ton of the American-Hawaiian fleet a sufficient number of first-class steamers to handle all of the business offering between the Atlantic seaboard and ' Pacific Coast ports. New 'and second-hand steamers can be secured today at the lowest prices ever quoted by every other nation except the United States. IT Representative Humphrey, of Se attle, who as been one of the most active boosters for the ship subsidy biin will about-face and devote hla energies to fostering a sentiment fa vorable to a free-ship hi:i. he will do more toa-ard placing hla home port in position to stay the Increasing power of the rsi'.roads than will ever be ac complished by a ship subsidy. The Istier subsidy would benefit only the grc.it. corporation which control American shipping. The free -ship Mil would give us sll an opportunity to engage In the business when the ra pacity of the railroads became too pronounced. morMtl. In vetoing the act Just passed by the V Wisconsin Legislature to punish profane swearing by fine and Impris onment Governor IXvMx'n has Ho isted an ancient tradition: but virtue will not suffer by what he has done, '''ring Is In bad taste. To many persons the sound of an oath Is ln rspresslbly offensive, but the prae tlce cannot be prevented by law. It Is doubtul whether a modern Jury could be Induced even by the moat eloquent lam-er to convict a man and send him to Jail f.ir uttering an oath. Of course bad language la never ex cusable, and yet there are circum stances which make It a real benefit to the physical health, whatever Its effect may be upon the soul. The bishop who pounded hla toe shen he had aimed at the goir hall did not swear audibly, but a Judge who was looking at him said hla silence was the most profane thing he had ever heard. How much more of a sin would that snlnt'y man have c : m mltted had he blurted It out and had dona with It? Still, we would not try la palliate the offense of swearing. It la never to be praised, but sometimes It is hygienic, and. like eating onions. It is often not so bad as It seems. The school year draws to a close. Hut one month remains of Ita official activities leas than a month of Its stu dent activities. A course of study reasonably exacting has been In the main skimmed or covered. That Ita thoroughness of mental discipline and digestion has been Interfered with to a not Inconsiderable extent by the ex actions of the "show business" which have been laid upon It cannot be doubted. That these exactions In con Junction with the regular work have laid heavy and In some Instances cruel stress upon the time and energies of both teachers and pupils Is also true. The latter rebel audibly: the stress to which the former have been subjected Is written In lines of weariness upon many a patient face. The futility of the work Is no Its least Irksome feat ure. Its volume Is great, loo great for anything tike carer ul Inspection by the surging mass of people who will visit the Alaska-Yukon Fair and the few. relatively speaking, who may chance to look In upon the exhibit. Still. It la done, and whether or not It will stand for what It is worth. It will stand for conscientious, intelligent ef fort on the part of b"Vl teachers and pupil, and for the educational ex heme as worked out In the Portland public schools. Reclamation of Tenas ISllhee Island. In the User Columbia, la an excellent example of the possibilities ror devel opment In the ttdeland districts along the lower rver. It Is only quite re cently that good land was so plentiful and cheap In all parts of the srste that hut little attention was paid to the rich tldelsnds on which the work of reclamation required a greater out. lay than was necessary to get other classes of land In productive state. It Is doubtful If there Is any other soli In the state that equals In richness the tldelands along the Columbia Hlver and tnbutsriea. and the phenomenal yields which have been taken off other tldelands make It a certainty that the owners of Tenas Illlhee Island will be amply repaid for their expen sive Improvements. Mr. Harrlman seems to be recognis ing that there la such a place as Port land on the map. With SI. 500. 000 a im propriated for a road to Central Ore gon, a S2.000.OOO contract let for the completion of the road to Tillamook, a SI. 000. 000 bridge across the W'lil smette. and two mllllon-dotl.tr steam hlt for the Portland-San Frsnclsco route, the transport silon situation In Oregon promises to show some start ling chsnges In a few years. A Wisconsin forest fire has Juat destroyed 1.600.000 feet of hemlock and hardwood logs. Owing to the diminishing supplies of lumber In Wisconsin, this Is quite a substantial loss. In a timbered stste like Oregon It would hardly be noticed. A supply of l.ROO.000 feet of logs would last the Portland sawmills nearly one whole day. If the men were not rush ing work pretty fast. It Is a very fortunate thing for our sportively-Inclined first cousins across the water that Mlnoru won the Eng lish Derby yesterday. Mlnoru Is owned by King Edward and. with that In herent worship of the nobility for which the English are noted, it was quite the proper thing for Englishmen to place their money on the animal from the royal stsbles. Now, here Is the Municipal Assn. elation out for Albee for Mayor; and that other great reformer. sS. S. J. McAllister, declaring for Judge Mun ly; and that reformer of reformers, Mr. Keliaher, warmly supporting him self. Where are the reformers at? Thirty-five count "em. thirty-five Is the number of measures to be voted on under our precious Initiative and referendum system at the coming city election. You will be able to verify this statement fully by examining your ballot June 7. Mr. Harrlman offers prize for dis tinctive and peculiar Oregon, names for his new Portland-San ' Franrtsc-o steamers. The Oregonian offers ITKen In competition. If any one knows a mora effective remedy against children setting fire to buildings than the old-fashioned spanking, let him apeak up promptly. Only a few weeks more and then Mayor Lane will give up the Job of riding hard on his unruly and stub born bunch of Councilmen. A speed of sixty miles an hour In a San Jose automobile race Sunday re sulted in the Injury of only two. That is not enough. We know the size of the Derby stakes, but the cablegrams are silent on the subject of King Edward's pii vste winning. Of course, his old friend Croker cabled congrstulstlons to King Ed ward over the vlctorv. Just so long as any old hen will lay Ugh-priced r(. "chicken" pie w ul tat pork for a "filler." K:tjuiirit .m i.K.HTtiQ J e Make ease Okeetmleas Thai Are twly esaaae.aicd Oa aV-I.eva a, ere. l1ltTI.ANt. May :S.tTo I !. Kd Ihor , In The Oregonian of May : 2 you advise the public not to vote for the Keliaher petition prui Iding for a mi. nlripat electric lighting plant for the Cly of Portland. Vuu eay tr.ia com- .,.-"". wmcn la in rve first com posed of W. 1 Morgan. C. A. Kiatow . and Iwnlel McAlIen. would be a power ' unto Haeif. would have absolute con- -trol of $:."-. snd would no be' respone4ble to any authority. r these and other reason you think the people will not vole for the municipal lighting plane , I would like to rail la your attention ' snd lo Inat of your readers, two or i three facta. In the lirat P'.are. the pro. ' poe-.l rommi.elonera at dutlnrtiy and I Indlv ldua:ir reponIMe to the r.e..m- ! To w t-.m !e would u wleh I liens to Ke res.oneltie? I.f-h rommlee'oner la subject to the recall If he does not con duct tne people a buaineea properly and on buslnees Unea. Tlie rommleslon la lo have no tirrp. flonal nor peculiar powers more than sre given lo Ciiy Councilmen or any other set of put. lie servants I v nr.t Ihe three Commissioners of Multnomah County have aheoiute. control .f their wcrk and funoa? The proooaed elec tric ilffht remmlwloD avereaee up fair ly well with Ihe County Commissioner of this or any other county, and Ore gon I'ounty Commissioners handle la ,fe assresaie millions of public money. The comml.slon plan of handling the peoples bttMneea la a SUCCees. and la here to stay. It la true IUI Ihla pro posed clly lla-hllng hill does not permit Ihe -t Courx-ll lo Interfere with I tie city's municipal 1'ahtlner business, and for lhat feature alone it Is worthy t-f Indorsement Coder this a-t Ihe clly HahtinaT le taken ou. of poimce as w-e:l aa out of the ban1s of a private cor poration that Is now taking annually mote than ll'S.uea of the people a """ and Klvlnat II. em ) than one half c'f the number of street ligtile lliat are Imperatively needod lo make Ihie city safe for Ita Inhabitants at nlcht. The so-called Keliaher ac la substan tially la harmony with tne charter pnw vieion and contains no anueual nor startling pro,sti Ion. It Is a plain. Olreel rrooal lo enable the City of lurt!and lo do Ita own street ligattrig In a safe, honest and buelneaaltke way. Why should our unreasonably e Irrtne conservatism continue to permit Seattle to torse ahead of ua In the matter of economical street lighting, aa lhal city has aires ly done lei hard-surface air-eel pavma? eeattle haa rem. pieted and now oa na a municipal Ushte Ing plant lhal l.aa a capacity of iteo horsepower, .capable of generating is. ooo of Ihe hew enclosed are lichta such sa Ihe City of purtland ta now using. Portland la getting of these area, realties total debt for Ita complete plant and distributing system Is $:.;(. 0. With the proceed S2. ooo eve of bonds for l-urtlar.d's sntanlt ipal plant a model plant ran he bultt and fully ;i per rent of the bonds ran be left un issued if tne experience of Keallle rsa be taken aa an Illustration. The aver age rate x r kilowatt hour for reel. den--e lia-hiiig In fort land la 11 centa. In Seattle Die highest rate for the same llsMing la a rents, and for business licnllng centa. Taeoma owns Its dls trihullng system and also every pn vate ware distributing current for lighting In lhat city. It bu a rurrenl from ihe eVettie-Taeorua INwer Corrt panr at Ihe amarlnalv low rate of 1 centa per kliowat hour, and la aetlina Ita s'irplu after lighting the streets. To realise what this means It I ot.Iy necessary lo see Ihe hnlliantly-Uchted streets of Tirana. With ihe Inaisht II haa already sained Into Ihe area! economlea of municipal lighting. Ta -coma Is now building Its own power plant, and will thee own both the power and dletrlbutlng erst em. With these facta and conditions right sl our door. Is It wise for ua to hesi tate lona-er? Portland should lead In nil big movements lhat make for bel ter and more economical public service. While comparisons are usually odious, snd eepeclslly so when made lo our own dlead vantase. it s a fact lhat Seattle, with Its munli tpal lighting plant, ran deliver electric current lo Its city switchboard at sn artust real of i. cent per kilowatt bour. Yet INvrtland. with equally available water power, la paviner I centa per hour for residence lighting True, some Portland Ucht sre bought rHesper than that. I rsn refer you lo a certain department store In Portland thai I- getting It lighting for i rente per kllomatt hour. IA municipal llahtlrg plant, servlna the city at nlgM. haa electric power to sell cheap during the davllght houra. For llltstratlen. ihe pacific block la Scat t le. a six-story buli'ilrg. has three elevators. run by hvdreulic power with water supplied by the city. The power was costing the owner 1230 lo SIfcO per month. An engineering firm In the bull ling ptoposed lo put In a eteel preeaure lank with an electric motor and a pump, at a cost of fsfcoci. and buy city electric current lo sup. ply t.c h draullc elevaiora. Thia was don. Tue total cost of power, repairs and oil for opersilrc the ihree ele vators now la 14 to per monih. aa a result of municipal ownership of elec tric current. Thorles and prejudice are well enough sometimes, for certain purpoeea. but reeutla are m hat we otisht to con sider In ehsplna our public policies. PorCand has ihe water power, and needs the street Ushte. Thla city should today have double Ihe number of street ttsrhts In use. and three year from thla date will need them doubled aaraln. When thsl lime eomes we will, under present conditions, have to pay the present t'ahtlng corporation some thing Ilk half a million d l:ara a year, unless Ihe Clly of Portland makee pro vision for supplying Ita own lighting. IiAN KKLLAHEIC r a seed ew tm fsnirlleil. Wlnseed. Conn . Pirich to the New York World. How long can a hen suneiet eat hay and go without drinking Men er.aed In moving hay In Patrick Presnsn's barn, on fe-.seon H '!. found a hen buried beneath ton of hay had been there !nee last AuguaU whea Ihe hayloft mas f.!!ed. The hen was altre when taken out and wela-Hed Just one pound, but died today, f he waav overcome w!th Joy at her freedom." said a hen e x pert TWelr One Iet. They haven't any children le provide for. To w etch.lhraugb anxious eights and Irylrg day. To lay their surplus carefully aeide for Or keep from straying into error' way. They hava't any dng to claim atten tion. And not a rat receives their loving care: No pel of any kind that you could men tion Has ever had a rosy comer there. No child haa ever flsTured la bar wishes. And he has never lor.ged to lata a sob : She wouldn't even bother with geld fishes For any kind of profit or for fun. No furred or feathered creature, lame or wary. !! over shared the love Ihey hv In stock: They've never even haj a blithe rarary. liut they posee-s a h'isr euckoo cloc k. Clila.o JUou rii-XUt;d. MR. nrtoi , : MtRrtiY- rtRTooM seal king Crtisrsase ef Ilia ssserw. A fclch lav W erksiaa Isefeneta. PORTI-AND. May Jl To the K.Hter s'any times since I have been in Port land I have been dtssusled by your cartoons have never In my life seen uct barroom- scenes aa Harry Mur phy manufactures for The oregonian. Perhaps It haa not been broucht to our attention before that, if yon would search Ihe hole c-euntry over for auch Mdeoua facea as he shows In hi cartoons, you would fall, lor I do not thing that ary eiher city s.'iews uch picture oa their pases Having been used lo cartoon that have a sens of humor and of the ri diculous. I rail to see how aeyone with any sense of refinement wouid see any thing to amuse In all Ihe grimaces and distorted countenances that een lo be the only may he hsa of ptciutlng tt.e events of the day If ou mi,i examine them for Ihe past Imo weeks and nnd anvtl.lnat thai you Ihlr.k would do a person good In any mav. please m-mlon. If you mill study Ihe car toons of Ihe Chicago Tribune and other papers. Mlnneapolla Journal. Clncl nail and Kansaa city papers. nu will see lhal they hare mays of expreaale.g eurrenl events without distorting the human ' countenance into all Ihe evil forms thai he can conjure up aa no oa else ran. It seems lo me lhal I have never seen anything so horrible on the human face, which should rene-t the glory of Intellect behind It I cannot see hove anyone could gt on helpful thotisM from any of yo-ir cartoons, for they only show Mdeoua f "cea ra lhal what the young of thla clly are to behold a thev traw to maturity? What a spectacle' Think It over and see if you can nnd food for thought. tvTrrts-jtTFn visitor. I have prevailed on Ihe editor lo print the foreTolnaT. In" order lhat t may thank Ita m-rlter since, because of. dr say. very good reasons, he Haa withheld hi name for Ma alto gether charming opinion of my car toons. People frequently write In compli mentary term lo me bat such letter as this sre loo few. If some of my hated rivals could but See thai about my pictures telng the ua licet In Ihe country goodness: They'd fetish of envy. The very thoushi makes me shiver with Joy. And thai delicate and original conception of Ihe human face representing the glory of Intellect be kind It how elevating it Is' My Ideal of my craft. I see new. are decidedly Philistine. Itul Just think of the lofty outburst about the young rising to maturity under Ihe baneful Influence ef my hor rid mug; Consider one msn wielding all lhal dreadful power. Hy heaven '. II rnakee me feel a very devil or a superman, or something like lhal. My perfect harplness, however. Is modified by the tear that the corre spondent l-mltaka In deeming It my picture that be ob)ct lo. yr every, on living In these sophisticated lime of "auio-uaseilon." "sub-oonsciouanesw. etc, know how easy self-deception ta Perhsps n-.y cartoon are only com monplace, after all. and u la my manner that arouse dissatisfaction. stavbe It Is too Jaunty for on In my humble station; or la II the arrangement of my hair or my choice In bolery? Will the correspondent pl-e.ee writ again and aaur me lhat hi Judg ment I nol biased by any such con siderations, and thsl my cartoons are all lhat tr said they were? HARRY MI.'RPI1T. Mr. Murphy received la Ihe same mall the following, which he offers as a fair offset lo Ihe above! "Ts On sea's Cwweaaa) a. When Harry Murphy see a thing In print, be grsbs his pen. And In a I rice I throwing Ink To magnify some lady s sin. Oh, Harry, you're a brave old chap. You II do In any line; You hall from Oregon, perhap. , But every lady thinks you r fine. Tou're up-to-date la all your work: You don't let facts gel sta4e; You never once you're duty ehlrk. Your Inspirations never fall. And so we Ores-onlans ' Are keen for your support; Tog skin sll the lioetonlans. tm cartoons of every sort. And Oregon's mighty proud ef yen; hh alms your work lo cheer. And wlh you st'.il more great Sucre For every coming year. Prtnevllle. Or, May 21. FAN. E TTIX 0 IOWA (.. llnH A i' i ma i d by a reXlllem rsraf ef a. waT I ell ale Id ( etllar. pea Moines fpecial la New York World. "W hst ran you expect of a man who wear a celluloid collar?" This Inquiry haa succeeded the "Iowa Idea" of a tart IT as the question of the hour In the Hawkey Plate. The man making It la n F. Kelt, who realm ed from the gtate pharmacy Board after a sharp tilt with avnvernor H. F. Carroll. la the Mansion t Wmo cr at Kelts m aa credited with attacking Ihe Oovmor-s record by making the Inquiry, which hss gone broadcast over the state. Members of the ptal Itoua force, who are personal friend of the Qor. ernor. gave an Indignant denial to the re port. "The re I nothing to It." said Plate Treasurer Morrow, who Is one of Ihe esax-utlve council snd Ihlr.k he ought lo know -The Oovernnr always wears a linen cealisr." When the Oovernor returned today from Ilurliegion. where he haa been attending the stsle meeting ef Ihe A. O. C. W he waa the renter of In -tercet and Ma collar wa examined critically. It wa round lo ho pur linen, moderately high and faahlnnably cut- -s-o far as I know lhr bs never been a state official who wore a cellu loid collar eacepi Tim McCurdy. the e -cuato ian" ssld another Stat House official today. "The charge scalnst h Oovernor 1 cruel." asm fee Mlaaeaata -Tstm riltem.s Indlanapolla News. The -Twin cities ' ef Minnesota Ft. Paul and Mlnneapolla ars talking about uniting, and a bill lo lhat end has been Introduced In the leslsla lure. The rumor of a poaslhle wed ding between these two old-time riv al a and traditional enemies have sronsed much comment In th paper throughout lh country. The first lo USSest a nam for th consolidated muntclpalttlea la th Cleveland Ieader. which orser "Minnepaul" as prefer sble lo "Psulopolis- TW temsalat. Time wss when I mas seandirapped To clasp my sweetheart ma let. For I mas ever short snd stout While Kste grew up In haste. But the lateat rprlng-tlme fashisa This trouble haa erased. For all the ladles up-ta.dale Quit tllahly are gowned In alt tl.e latest fashion mtth T.'ie watstl!ne rear the ground Now f can walk with Kalle dear. My arm r.r waial around. ruk. :i ircTiox M tti:ks F.iplansilon of Mraearva rvnslnlng lo Water bjstrra. . e in ir.t June election VI I pas on I proposed charter amendments lo the lai l-.e or - . relall ( and the manner of p,ir ir.r,r,-r. . ,-i i.p renting amcr.c'.luer t s i ro - poees . ri.n Bw lol.omed by ts,. Water Ho.,,1 , "' reeernt avetecn. , h oo-t of a.l mater tram. i. raid aa i ,e concivta are Installed hy ihe owners cf iVe bene r.ted proper! v in ihe sane r. snicr as eemers and drains oe of the r I- ; ei i .1 anirnclme-nts. subedited by the or'cral c carter ev a. on Comen'.eston. lhat the flicMe of l. e proc i.ira tualne all tee charted ajtsrn.t tr meter fund, mhue the ol her. eu.n 'lcj be n -tv Council, sulhm-.sce the Im.enre cf bonds by ihe city to pav f.-T a.l mater "a.'s of ten inches e e e a I ei.r Foirt the p-lncl;,! ancl interest of si h Son.'.s St-e in he paid 01A of I !e meter f.i--d The plan pom f:omed. hv mti u the ornner of the pre;-rlv teicf.ted hv the lav Ire of a mam are n-Quitcd to pay the cost, ts deeed hv rrany see r; ---- eoull shie then either of the r-eopoed amend ment The on'v o' eciion M t !e preecrt avstem. It is admitted hy its Ce'cr.lcra, Is that mbere a new itrv-t te to te epr-:cd mtth mater. It le a hardeh p on Ihe peopert y-om nerm of that particular district to be required to pay all of the eapense The amendment tenpnaec) I V the O lrtsr Revision "vmtnlseion province t 1 at "all mater malna. Including iatera a and stales ''e relnfnrremeM herearter ;ad oe ret), etructed. shall be p,i,t for out of the water rates arvd not elherswe " There la stronr opooeition to this amendment Imn many sources on t he (renal around lhal It propose-a to assacaa on s l w ,i:mrr the cost of lav lea- mains eitoe-r for the Im provement of the aenire n one sMtnn of Ihe city m- for ma. rue e a t c-ne. -ns in t- stem Into fll.lnoa not a1re.a.1v snnl It Is cl. arced thai Ihe raprnee of InealVtif mater mains m unimproved t"ltr!cte should be chararc-d ecamet the r.mpcny benefited and not be lk.n frevm the general fund ef tbs mater department The same ohec!lon Is urged aca'nat the amendment submitted by 1 1 .e aoi:nrtt. which provldea tnat Ihe city eha;l tee t!e boeida n pament for lav ir all s-eneral dmlnbution mains of ten In hoe and evr In s'.se. t'nder Ihe terms of It-is amend ment, tf 11 Is adopted, tie Cty t-tuet assume the cost of metalline I '-.e lr-e distribution mains while the lndlvvii;! renaumct ml't pay the cost of mak'n sll connect tons. Tl.e conditions cf this smc-nd-fnent are: rc '.-1. fcemevec. that atwene a e c-oain. rUef the Our et ror.a W. 4eo tl SSST f.e t-e r-T . the t i ; m bceehy aa'Horleea t iwu aswt air"ee ef lesfla er tee c-liy ear loct aer1 ffar ihe ees. etrmctarsa cs? eereea Aieiehmlh-aa ansjne cf the eimeni?el ef le xprbe or ever. M a hoe-ae liaii I e ll be of aa a-utt Aetr a -t by the lusrll astd the Inters a-. 4 I inc'pal ef mhl.a shall be . 1 eat 1 -.a melee run Tie fern. Ae-troml ns t -aa . Stiee li.o av4 raae ef intceeei. aa! an s.biihs ana thtre reiette. am the leeoe and C. ; or av! tee.s scar t-e pec-iAe4 h, . c""..e.. rll by cetlnsace. ssa a be eepeetcee ee.eiede4 mttla tbe taeme an M lbr-.- aMil a ea be to! anil ef the mmter par. 4 of ths c . cf I art lead. Fot t MR at. a OX I steak ttaTltnT strm. See-ma me a a. at v tee -let manwi Wsl "d aa one sva seas Kssl ahb-K special to New Yor World Mr, llnah F 8rrar., the oideet living member of the Women Relief t'oajve tla women's e."1isnet to the aj A R cele brated bee Kssh birthday today by eal. Irjr four big meals. Mra faprecue la aa svry Ihe aver ace Woman ef Ma. aed at. trit-use her lontevity in raiir.g. Tils Is whst she at today: 'kfaea. Tare Tans i-saiaaia ee rntfa rcied pel a esra laaaaia. flol Water, ant's, ffaei beet, aei a.te Wal. a potstoee aftaiif ua A piece -T a-!tchy caae raearhaute Freed eblrfcea If a b t . a. 1 1 t-aaea rMatem. Slrsabma anaikeaia rftee Mist lasers. Wet ef tea. TMeee ef rr. r-. d cb-ae lcread and ruller preerrve Scows haste -Always eat m hat e, m-ant and as often a you want." auud Mm Fprasue. snd yotj Will be healthy. I dme It a.l my life, and never had lo rail in a doc tor but once, and lhat mas In my lt tear, when I tej down oo the i'-e and brofca my arm Mrs. Rrrsgae was born In New Tork City la ! She savs doushnuta were considered ju!l a dclioscy in the tnoirop ol In tlioe days, snd that eh never has got over her foOilnesaa for then. It was a 1 mo t a m hoee (hi. a cm that sSa ale for supper, bee r.lec suaid Wnen she look her nisht lunch she as d S be lieved lhat a little -Ml" wou.d be.; lr sleep better. rmmetsug ass Ise lesser. a m si a Pee, In the American cowboy the I'nlted plate ha given on of Ihe most pic turesque and ontlral characters In tha world's history. The passing of the hardy, cape-free men. who were reedy at any and all times lo face dancer and under ao anv hardship without romp'alnlng. cannot be noted without a re a ret It I only loo apparent, however, lhat Ihe cowboy's davs sre numbered, liven now In the sectlnna where be la tilt supreme hi movement are be coming more circumscribed and the nature of hla employment so chattel that Ihe cowboy af I h present day la only a reminder of the one mho went before- Hi occupation I a lam one, compared wlih lhat of hla predecessor. H la no Ion at er vapecied lo aiecp on hi arm and b prepared at a mo- j force border law against rattle rvsileia land horse thlevra. The barbed w Ire corral haa relieved him In large meae 11 re of Ihe tiresome snd mary times dargerou ntahl rl Itr.g of Ira herd, and the free life with no bounds but the borlron I ceasing to be Ms. Wuu vry succeeding er the advance of lh farmer Into the ranr rour.lrc drive the c-ewhey tt;i further losarl Ihe "Jumping off place. Tern, ef r.sisrasce la ise saddle, Plttef.eld Ilspalch to the lloston Clot., laeorae A. Ilcklnorv. a horseman, rode l!.s ml lea In 1? hours and It minute. lie used elsht horse a. TMa ta the longest rloe ever undertaken In the f'aet. and tb fastest time mate for that distance east of Ihe Missies. p pl River. It waa the outcome of a bet llcklneoP, an V -coe roy and ea eavalryman. had said that Ihe n1e of -l"riJer.t Roosevelt a .rtir.i was no unusual teal. He told of rid ing 7 miles In s day. and expteacd the belief that with hla horees l e C-Oiild ride 11 mile In a day. Hie challenge was taken up snd a larse sum msceied. A reutas waa laid out In Pitt.cll. Washington and Inalton. C? mUce lonK. iMcklnean weed elsht Arabian horses, chanslna st every round of the course. He began rldlr.s at 1 . oclork. an! at II A. M had finished 111 rr.l.ca Ha completed hla 2Id round Just before 7 ocloca. havlnar been In the sadw.s IS hours and l minute. I Veil Makes Jealsaa a Pel Tela set. nttshtirr. pe luspatch, Jraloua hrsur Xlarv. the lltt'e daugt.tcr ef W. K M.cr. ef AHoone. I'a. evidenced pertlaj'tv for vrf- u a pet fo terrier attacked lh. c;.l.d snd bit her. city a