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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1909)
THE MORXING OREGOXIAX, PORTL.1XD. OREGON. r.atsred st Portland. Oregon. Postofflcs as f eofniNclaas Matter. Subscription Bates loTSs-faMy in Advance. . .. BJr Mall.) Xs1Jy, Sunday included, one year (8.00 cuQ'isy inciuaoOt six montns.... .Z5 siiy, tiinflay Included, threo months pally. Sunday included, one month.. Ially. without Sunday, one yesr 2.25 .75 6.00 xally. without Sunday, mix months. 3. Dally, without Sunday, three months... 1.75 iimity, without Sunday, on monto... Weekly, ons year Funday, one year Sunday and weekly, one year (By Carrier.) Dally, Sunday Included, on year.... Dally. Sunday Included, one month... 60 1.50 2 50 S 50 9.00 .75 wow to Remit Send postoffice money fder. express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency r at the sender's rldk. Give postofflce ad dress In full. Including- county and stat. Postaiire Rat re 10 to 14 pases. 1 cent; 16 to 28 pares. 2 cents; 30 to 40 pases, S cents; 40 to 60 pages, 4 cent. Foreign postag tioohle rat. Kastrm Mnslness Office The 8. C. Bck wlth Special Agency New York, rooms 48 S0 Tribune building. Chicago, rooms BlO-SllI Tribune building rORTtAND. THl'BSDiT. DEC. 30, 1909. W ll.I, STBAIOHTES Ol'T. The popular vote that grave Cham bprlaln a plurality was not a vote for "'hamberlaln. nor for his party. It was Jiot a vote for "Statement One," but vote axatnst it. It ;vas a vote against n political bunco came. Thousands of Republicans among them the most serious and earnest members of the Republican party voted for Cham berlain, not because they wanted him or approved his polities, but because they desired to express their disap proval of the bunco game and to give its advocates "a plenty of it." Bourne insists on "Statement One" s the fundamental principle in our politics. That is because he doesn't know never knew what fundamen tal principles, or any principles, are. .And that is the reason why he sup ported Bryan in 1 S96, and was the life end spirit and soul of the Bryan campaign in Oregon. Bourne was not elected by "State ment One," nor for it nor upon it. Ie was elected by party loyalty. He had managed to obtain a measrer plu rality over the highest of four other candidates for the Senate. His, vote was made up, moreover, out of the rafts and faKs and tagrs and ends and frtnsros of party, who had voted for Bryan, were grrateful for Bourne's leadership in their cause, and wished to give him their recognition' and re ward. Party loyalty did the rest; and Bourne sot a majority over Gearin. Bu his majority was extremely small; thousands of Republicans refused to vote for him, and thousands who did vote for him repent it. For the con sequence didn't end with the election of Bourne. It led fo the election qf Chamberlain, led to it directly -for thousands of Republicans, constitut ing the bono and sinew and intellec tual and moral force of the party, voted for Chamberlain for the one purpose of casting: discredit and odium on the whole bunco game. But the Republican party of Oregon will right itself. It must and it will right itself, or It will cease to exist. It will right itself through the con vention or assembly that is, through the representative system, which is the foundation of all republican gov ernment. There is a lot of twaddle about "a Portland machine," said to be "work Ing to d to dtat the will of the people." jet. theVe are no "machine manip- In fa ulators sit Portland except "State Jnent One" partisans. These are the only persons who want a "michlnc" and "work for it. Not one of those who oppose it and them is a candi date ior oince. . -i ne machine con 1 sists of the Bourne-Chamberlain com- ' 'bine, using "Statement One." It will have mighty little show, hereafter, in the name of the Republican party. That masquerade is ended. The fal lacy will now straighten out. A VERV VBOl'ER CHECK. Very properly, the school meeting fit Portland oji Tuesday evening de clined to Increase the indebtedness of the district for the purpose of buying "play-grounds" or "athletic fields." Nor should the Indebtedness be increased, for any purpose. Such Increase would, in fact, be illegal. There is excess of debt now; and they who, at the school meeting, called a halt are entitled to public commenda tion. It was reported at the meeting that the debt of the district now far ex ceeds the legal limit. The laws of the state provide that the debt of a school district never shall exceed one nun tired thousand dollars; but here, in the Portland district, is a debt already exceeding $241,000. It cannot be said that Portland is not doing enough for the public schools. 'It expended last year on them $1.484. Rt7 or one-third of the amount ex pended for all purposes. Including stato and county taxes. The restric tion provided in the statutes was in tended to prevent excess; yet we have gone even beyond those limits. Cer tainly It was time to call a halt. One of the phases of the craze for things "free" Is the craze for free schools. The public school Is part of our life, and will be continued, be cause necessary. But even the neces sary thing the best thing may he carried to an extreme. . Nor is the rational objection based merely on protest against excessive taxation. The whole social body, the whole body pol itic, is corrupted by the notion of "free" things. . Nothing that costs money or costs effort can properly be called free; and we are breeding hoodlums and young highwaymen in Portland all the time by propagation of the monstrous error about "free" things. The condition Is made worse by proposals to override the law for limitation of public debt, to get "free" things. 0 When parents lose their sense of responsibility, what is to be expected of their children? What wonder that the boys and the girls take what seems to them the primrose path, and go to the bad? Virtue is not to be pro moted by making life an easy way for the young, but by forcing on them the necessity of personal exertion and prudence and self-denial. Is it an an tiquated notion? Tes; and its truth and excellence lie in that very fact. As Hosea Biglow said: "You've got to git up airly. If you're goin" to take In God." The news that the Quartermaster's department is to give Portland a square deaf In lumber contract will be gratefully received. This city has not only suffered actual loss of busi ness by reason of the unjust discrim ination levied under tha pretext of & lZt)g tier -freight' rate than, is alleged to prevall out of Puget Sound ports, but the inference that freights are higher out of Portland than out of Puget Sound has cast discredit on the port. As has repeatedly been demonstrated. Portland lumber exporters can charter tonnage to carry lumber to the Philip pines, or to any other port on earth, at as low a rate as can be secured out of Seattle. That the Government fails to secure tonnage cn the same basis is discreditable to the department in charge f the business. Portland bid ders will sell lumber delivered In Ma nila at lower figures than It can be secured elsewhere. AH they want is an opportunity to do so. VAGUE ACCUSATION. What, In fHt:t, Is the charge against Secretary Ballinger? It Is of the most vague and indefinite description. Pres ident Taft examined the accusation on its first presentment, and completely exonerated Mr. Ballinger. The vindi cation was so complete that the origi nal line of attack had to be aban doned. The assailants of Secretary Ballin ger, It is to-be observed, says the New York Tribune, have been obliged to shift "their ground. Originally they sought to make It appear that an act of the Secretary in opening certain lands for settlement had practically nullified the efforts of his predecessors in the conservation of water poter sites and had put much valuable prop erty into the control of the "Water Power Trust." AVhen it was shown that the action of Mr. - Ballinger was perfectly proper and that it had not resulted in the alienation of any water power by the Government a new line of attack developed. It was charged that he was too favorably disposed to the coal mining interests of the West by reason of certain alleged business associations when out of the Government . service, and that this predilection of his had " been pre vented from operating In favor of claimants to coaf land in Alaska only by the alertness of his accusers. The utter collapse of the attack in Its first form tends strongly to discredit it in Its second. - As a matter of fact, he. did not "operate" atftll in favor of ilaimant of coal land in Alaska, but against them. He had a petty fee for show ing some of them what the law was anJ informing them they could not violate it. Was this treason to the public interests? Now the accusers will have the chance to make the most of it. GLADSTONE. The centenary of Gladstone's birth should not be permitted to pass with out appreciative notice. He belonged to the extraordinarily numerous band of great men mho were born in ISO 9, thought his turn came so late in the year that he barely missed slipping over Into 1810. December 29 is rot far from January 1. Gladstone's memoir Is particularly dear to Americans of Irish connec tions, because he was the courageous and constant friend of their country. He took a stand for the rights of the Irish peasantry at. a time when it meant serious danger to an English man's political career to do so. Dur ing his later years Gladstone suffered calumny most relentless and bitter on account of his project of home rule for Ireland. Today Mr. Asquith ad vocates substantially the same thing without incurring much opprobrium. Certainly the world moves. .. Gladstone was one ot those excep tional men who grow broader and more human as they grow older. In his youth he was "the rising hope" of the stern and unbending Tories, who saw in him the oromise of all that was reactionary. In his old age he was the unrivalled leader of the Liberals. Pew men are blessed with the faculty of glowing under the snows of age with ever-brighter-fires of youthful en thusiasm and Christian hope. If Eng land has seen greater statesmen than Gladstone, she has never seen one with nobler ideals or more steadfast cour age. The memory of his life Is an un dying inspiration to the youth of his country. FACTS ABOUT SISKIYOU STATE. A perplexed and despairing Eastern contemporary the New York Times appeals "for Information and for an Independent judgment" concerning the proposed new State of Siskiyou. " "We in the East," It pensively complains, "have not been favored with a pros pectus of Siskiyou's native advan tages." That desiderative boon is about to be conferred upon those East erners who will attentively peruse the following veracious remarks. From this time forward, If they are not fully prlmed with knowledge about the hy pothetical commonwealth of Siskiyou, it will be their own fault.f To begin with, the clamor for a new star in the, gorgeous constellation of the Union gathers Its thunderous boom mainly from one throat, to wit. that of the literary prodigy whose inspired pen writes the editorials in a Medford pa per. This great man wants to secede from Oregon and California because he Is mad. What he Is mad about doesn't matter. The portentous cir cumstance is that he has made up his alleged mind to withdraw and take portions o the Rogue River Valley and Northern California along with him. In this fearsome resolution he is backed up by the Jackson County Press Association,' a powerful body composed of the Medford editor, a printer's devil in Jacksonville and an outdated railroad pass the latter framed and hung on the wall as a per petual reminder of other and more glorious times. It is said a supply of arms and ammunition has been laid in to be used if the base legislative caitiffs at Salem and Sacramento re sist the secession movement. Should open -war break out, the Medford pa per is assured of the alliance and sup port of the two saloonkeepers and two grooerymen of Yreka, Cal. The man who runs the Chinese laundry is said to be neutral. Yreka's enthusiastic and almost unanimous support has been gained by promising to build the new Capitol on the lot now occupied by the mossy ruins of its once pala tial drugstore. In case- more room is needed, the cellar hole where the hotel used to stand will be available. As to the territory which the ;new state will permit to share injts glori ous opportunities, we do not under stand that the ble&ing Is to be ex tended Indiscriminately to Southern Oregon as a whole, or to Northern California, either. Thus Medford is to be left out in the cold because of the scant appreciation it shows for the sublime beauties of the Medford paper, while Jacksonville is to be admitted for the sake of its tender and touch ing faith, in the Medtord editor. The line which divides, the elect from the reprobate will wander deviously from the last subscriber of the Medford paper on the north to the city limits of Yreka on the south. We trust our Eastern friends may find that the Information here provid ed slakes their thirst for the truth about Siskiyou completely and agree ably. We also trust that some of them, who have charged The Orego nian with bias on the subject, will repent in sackcloth and ashes when they perceive with what absolute im partiality the facts on both sides are presented. PORTLAND'S "BEAL HARBOR." j The communication from W. H. Cor i bett printed in The Oregonian yester day is one of the most interesting con tributions yet made to the Broadway bridge question. It is of exceptional value coming from such a source, for few, if any, of the taxpayers of Port land have a more direct and vital inter est in the preservation of Portland's maritime, prestige than Mr. Corbett and his associates In a great Industry so largely dependent- on shipping for its prosperity. As pointed out by Mf. Corbett in his letter, and also as shown on the accompanying map, what he terms our "real harbor" has been shiftingto the north. Thismove ment began even before the- bridges were built, for the shipping lhich in" early days discharged and loaded be tween Salmon street and Ash street had to a large extent shifted to Ains worth and the newer grain and mer chandise docks still farther-north be fore the bridges were built. The four bridges now spanning the Willamette are clustered so close to gether chat the intervening dock prop erty is hardly suitable for the large deep-water ships that now come to the port, and the Broadway bridge will be built;so close to the other bridges that it will cut oft but little from the ex tended harbor space lying farther north. Deep-water shipping even now seldom uses the docks prying between the proposed site of the Broadway bridge and the Madison-street bridge, and the small coasting steamers that, still use these docks can work in and out with but little difficulty or delay. For the shipping that will still go above the Madison-street bridge the Broadway bridge will not materially. Increase the handicap it now suffers. But Portland's "real harbor," as it is termed by Mr. Corbett, will lie north of the proposed bridge. By following out the plan suggested by him it can be enlarged and deepened sufficiently to take care of an immense volume of shipping. The reopening of the channel on the west side of Swan Island is an improvement that is long overdue. It offers a straight course from Portland harbor through the draw of the North Bank bridge, and, as pointed out by Mr. Corbett, would eliminate the existing danger of col lision which is ever present when steamships must follow the sharp bend in the river at the foot of Swan Island. Thejimited area of Portland harbor that will be damaged by bridges south of the proposed Broadway bridge is too small to cut much of a figure in comparison with that which Portland will need as her commerce grows and which must be obtained in the area lying north of the proposed bridge. MADDEN AND THE PARCELS POST. It is a commonplace Item of current knowledge that the foreign x trade of the United States is and must remain insignificant in comparison with the domestic. The commercial prosperity of the country is based upon internal exchanges. It depends only to an in considerable degree upon what we sell to foreigners or buy of them. Every body knows this, and yet our postal regulations seem to be constructed oh the theory that domestic trfde is of trivial consequence, while foreign ex changes are all-important. For exam ple, an American citizen can send by mail to any one of thirty different for eign countries a parcel of merchandise weighing eleven pounds. To any do mestic postoffice he can send by mail no parcel weighing more than four pounds. But this does jiot tell all the tale. Postage an a parcel mailed to a foreign country is charged at the rate of 12 ceijts a pound. For the carriage of a parcel between two postoffices, both within the United States, the citizen for whose benefit the Government is supposed to exist must pay 33 1-3 per cent more, or 16 cents a pound. Edwin C. Madden, formerly Third Assistant Postmaster-General, sets forth these facts, with others of like import, in an instructive article in the Woman's Magazine for January. He adds forcibly that the people will never obtain a parcels post such as other civ ilized nations enjoy until they make It perfectly clear to Congress that the' want it. Then it will come as easily as faling off a log. The opposition of the express companies will cease to be effective the moment the popular de mand becomes unmistakable. In writing to Congressmen to de mand the .parcels post, citizens should bear in mind that the full privilege of mailing merchandise as it exists in Germany would largely increase the postal revenue. It would not increase the deficit, but would wipe it ..out. There are two reasons for this. First, an . adequate parcels or merchandise post would utilize the Government's outfit of bags, pouches, carts, horses and rural carriers, which now works up to but a fraction of its capacity. Here would arise a large income with no new expense. Second, the mail business, conducted at a good profit, would increase by leaps and bounds. The parcels post on a civilized basis would make the postoffice a highly profitable business within six months. GKTTENG DRUNK AT NKW YEAR. A disgraceful thing has crept into the social life of Portland, which, if not stamped out, may grow into a cus tom. It is the imported idea that rnie best way to usher in the New Year is to get drunk in public. Port land probably caught the infection from San Francisco the one Ameri can city that boasts of imitating the fashionable vices of the gay French capital. There will be a "booze" fes tival tomorrow night, beginning at the usual bedtime and. lasting until long after the clock strikes twelve. Preparations are complete. All the tables in the leading grill-rooms have been engaged. Caterers have only one detail to meet at the last moment, namely, how many bottles of bubbling stuff to pack In ice: for they must serve the rounders, male and female, who drop iu, as well as those in. even ing dress seated about the rooms. Toward midnight, if the orgy on last New Year's eve is repeated, men and women will stand three deep clamor ing for intoxicants from over-worked waiters, singing and shouting, while the more enthusiastic of the fashiona ble set mount,, the tables and with glasses high in air. "Ring out the old. ring in the new." Customs change. It may be that the number of old-fashioned folk, many of them living righteous lives, in whom the approach of the New Year awakens serious and solemn thoughts, is relatively smaller than in former years. - Possibly the impress ive watch-night services still In vogue may be dispensed with for a time by the new, light-hearted, pleasure-loving generation. Nowadays few utter protest against the growing custom of frivolous boys and girls, young women and j'oung men, making the night hideous with horns and mega phones as they march about the streets by the thousands. But every right-minded person Is shocked when a considerable number of alleged re spectable adults of either sex deliber ately set out to drink to excess in public on New Year's eve. It is almost inconceivable that nor mal men and women, whose conduct 364 days in the year bars reproach, should at this time compromise them selves by getting into a position where their intemperate acts may be seen and criticised by entire strangers; where for a few brief hours in the public mix-up it Is not easy to dis tiirguish decent people from women of the underworld and their male associates. If they must get drunk in order to celebrate the advent of the New Year, let them do it in the pri vacy of their homes and not act as self-invited guests to a Bacchanalian feast. Football is a roughgame. It always will be rough. The sport-was not in vented for and is not intended to be played by mollycoddles or students at a feihale seminary. Rules have been amended and all dangerous plays "eliminated" several times; for ex ample, the murderous flying wedge was abolished. Still, . the death list, grew longer. And now the National' Intercollegiate Athletic Association has resolved that the rules committee "shall endeavor to bring about such modification ... as shall reduce to a minimum the danger of physical injury," which means nothing and Insures nothing until twenty-two strong, fighting. never-say-die young Americans testae theory on the grid iron. New York loomed large in the news dispatches yesterday, with the an nouncement that her total net indebt edness for the year was seven rimes as large as that, of any other city In the United States. San Francisco also came in for prominent mention with the distinction of having the smallest per capita debt of any city of more than 300,000. Seattle enjoyed a dis tinction all its own. It: received prom inent mention as "the only city of fewer than 300,000 inhabitants having an increase of more than $1,000,000 in its indebtedness." Let it be under stood that Seattle did not reach this high eminertce of publicity by any mere margin of a million or so. The Increase in the net indebtedness of our northern neighbor was $5.T1,078. Even the carping critics of Tacoma will admit that "that's going some." Our great and good Government makes m nice and easy for passen gers as well as freight to .make use of the best facilities for transporta tion. Governor Frear, of Honolulu, had important business at Washing ton, and the only vessel by which he could reach this country in time was a Japanese steamer. As the sacred cause of protection to our American shipping will not permit so serious an offense as was committed by Gov ernor Frear, he will be compelled to pay a fine of $200 for himself, and the same amount for his daughter. If the men in control of our navigation laws could only make it a little more difficult to transact any kind of busi ness on the high seas,' we might in desperation be driven to sanction the ship subsidy raid on the Treasury. A campaign for prohibition is open ing in Oregon. This newspaper, while it wishes to publish all news about this prohibition campaign, is not willing to make itself the organ for propagation of "the cause" that is, of the daily appeals of the prohibition propaganda. The ''argument" of its advocates would b? without end. This statement will explain why many long letters and addresses sent to' The Oregonian can not be published. The Oregonian is a general newspaper, not a special or gan of crusaders and faddists, of any description. For like reasons it is compelled to deny many communica tions and addresses on the other side of the prohibition debate. . It is as Im portant that we should spare our read ers as ourselves. There is a Colonel at Salem his name is Hofer, and he conducts a pa per called the Capital Journal. His "weakness" is"Statement One. In his paper he says that Senator Bourne "has come out in a flat-footed declara tion that he will fight the assembly from start to finish." Which is very well. Senator Bourne will see the fin ish. No tolerance (will be given by the Republicans of Oregon to Senator Bourne or to Statement One. At least or worst, it will be possible to find Democrats who will be preferable, on emergency, to these cheap and slippery so-called Republicans, who are not Republicans at all, but only temporiz ers and irre-servers, silverites and" populists. There will be an end of this juggle. If by contrast with worse condi tions in less-favored localities one may extract comfort, Oregonians will find volumes of it by reading the iwieather reports of the last two days from the empire east of the Rocky Mountains. Can the oldest inhabitant recall three weeks of continuous sunshine in Oregon's wettest month? While the climate elsewhere in the United States is changing for the'worse, our weather Improves with age. If you have a pair of double-thickness ear mufflers, put them on and crawl under the bed. New Year's eve will be here tomorrow. Zelaya insists that he is still "titu lar" President of Nicaragua. But since Secretary Knox took a hand he is not working at the Job. ' The water wagon is no joke. Ask the man who has contrived to stick on for, say, about three days. It Will Prrrn Minority From IlulioK Majority. : Polk County Observer. The Scio News, a Democratic newspa per, closes a long editorial against the proposed "assembly" by asking this ques tion: "After all. what difference does it make to the people whether a Democrat or a Republican is elected to office?" In answer to this question, it may be said that, to the average" voter who opposes the assembly, it makes no difference. It is because there is still a respectable number of Republicans in Oregon who believe that the name Republican should stand and does stand for something, and that the way to carry Republican princi ples and policies into effect is to elect f Republicans to office, that the assembly plan of making nominations is being urged in this state. TMere is still a re spectable number of citizens in .Oregon who are not willing to see political par ties obliterated. These are the citizens who believfe that the country can be gov erned best by maintaining opposing polit ical organizations and by nominating for office men of positive natures; men of force of character; men who stand for something. These are the citizens who are not willing to meekly submit to any system of government that makes it pos sible for a minority to rule a majority: who refuse to become parties to the movement to fill the leading offices in Republican Oregon with ranting Populists and dyed-in-the-wool Democrats: who are unwilling to permit the dominant party in the state to be lured to destruction by the siren song of "non-partisanship." The Observer opines that the number will in crease as the day set for holding the as sembly draws nearer. WHAT CTRE FOR DRINK HABITt Is It Wise to Try to Hide the I.Iquor, Leaving; the Same Old Dralre! PORT TOWN6END, Wash., Dec. 25. (To the Editor.) Observing the differ ence of opinions on the liquor question as e'idenced by The Oregonlan's edi torial of December 24, I wish to add something more to what you say, but from a new angle. The editor, no doubt, in common with those who differ with faim, would a thousand times rather have the pro ducers of the Nation's wealth retain that wealth in their own name and right, than exchange it for whisky, thus building big homes for the few and few homes for the many.' With every man's life necessities should come first. These are food, clothing r and shelter. To obtain these men apply . their talents, their labor. By this means wealth is produced. From this point the other transactions of the wealth producers should be measured: the exchanging of it for other forms of wealth, useful or other wise, becomes as important as the pro duction itself. If the laborer exchanges what he has for whisky, he surrenders his wealth for something of no value, and is no longer in possession of the vealth he created. It has passed from his hands forever, and by . no honest means can he again possess it. He may continue to earn more wealth, but the first loss he has sustained permanently. Whisky is not wealth to the man who drinks it. By no known method can drink add to the individual s wealth. Neither can a community, a state or a na.tlon drink itself rich, t Of all things that has ever been devised by man nothing equals whisky in tak ing from labor the wealth it produces. It would almost seem that whisky was designed to take from labor the wealth it creates. Still thousands of men with no sur plus on hand hasten' after pay day to hand over their accumulated food, clothiryg and shelter.. The amount ogvealth passing out of the hands of tliw masses and into the hands of a comparative few, because of drink,, has been estimated at nearly $2,000,000,000 per year. Can the wealth producers of this Nation afford this? Can the Nation it self afford it? There may be other agencies that take from the people an unfair or an unjust share of the fruits of their toil, but in nearly all instances something of value Is given them in return, but not so with whisky and beer. I am connected with a society whose purpose it is to impress upon the minds of men the value of temperance to the individual. We have found out that it is much more practical to Induce men to turn away from whisky than to at tempt to hide it beyond their reach, leaving within them the same old de sire for it. Man's natural Impulse to resist any Invasion of his rights has placed thousands of men in the ranks of the liquor men. because the temper ance people have allowed themselves to become absorbed by the advocates of prohibition, so that now no effort is longer directed to get men to stop the drink habit. The man who depends upon prohibi tion to save his boy from drink may be a badly disappointed parent. It may seemS right to some to take from the people the things we think they should not have, but whether this should, or even can be done successfully, is a doubtful proposition. If the advocates of temperance would present the question of temperance upon its own merits and direct their arguments to the working people along economic lines, instead of political lines, the workingmen would readily understand the value of the argument and keep the ' wealth in their own pockets. ' When you tell men you are going to take whisky away from them, they will fight you: but if you tell them to insist on getting something of value before they surrender their wealth, your ad vice will appeal toliem. There are so miv effective argu ments that will apeal to the men who buy and drink the whisky that it is almost cruel to drive them solid into the wrong side of this question because of the way it has been handled. MURDOCH MURRAY, Coffeen, I1L ; 1acher In One Town SO Yesrs. St. Albans OVt.) Messenger. Miss Eunice Ladd. who died a few days ago at her home in Pownal. probably had the longest teaching record in the state, having taught in the public schools of Pownal, her native town, for nearly fifty years. She was born in Pownal seventy five years ago, and during her service of nearly half a century had taught in all of the thirteen districts. It is esti mated that fully half the population of the town have at one time or another been her pupils. Miss Ladd resigned her position on her seventieth birthday anni versary, five years ago. the date she had long fixed foytier retirement. MOTHER GOOSE, IT-TO-XOU. BY WILIJAM HENRY. Sing a song of sixpence A tummy full of rye; Another resolution ' That I kissed good-bye. Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John Went to bed with a good load on; His collar oft and bis necktie on Too much New Year's for my son John. I had a little hobby horse. "His name was "Statement One"; I loaned him to "Non-partisan" To ride to Washington. worked my hobby horse so hard That I said right then: "I'll see that he shall never ride Mr hobby horse asrain." FIVE- CENT FARE rP AGAIN Attorneys Teolare I.tnnton Reduc tion Should Begin Imediately. The Llnnton 5-cent fare cue has again come to the front". Attorneys G. F. Mar tin and R C. NelFfh; representing C. W. Watts and other linntonites, filed in the Circuit Court yesterday a motion for judgment against the United Railway Company upon the pleadings, without taking the case . to trial. The date set for judgment to be entered is January 3. The attorneys argue that, although the company has filed an answer to Watts' complaint, the- same points are urged which were decided by Circuit Judxre Morrow recently upon demurrer to the complaint, and that the 5-cent fare should therefore be enforced. In answer the company asserts that it operates under two franchises, one is sued by the City Council and the other by the County Court. It charges 6 cents within the. city limits. It argues, -under the city franchise, and 5 cents more bo, tween the Portland city "limits and I.inn ton under the county franchise. COURT WIIL BE BUSY TODAY Four Will Plead Causes Before Cir cuit Jnclgc Bronaugh. William Simpson, proprietor of the TCagle House, at Third and Burnside streets, was arraigned yesterday on a charge of aiming a feun at K. J. T.ong. a plain clothes detective. He will plead in the Circuit Court tomorrow. - It was on December 11 that Ing en tered Simpson's premises to quell a dis turbance. Simpson met him -ith a re volver, although he says he dfl not know at the time that Long was an officer. Judge Bronaugh has released the acacused man on J1000 bail. Owen McLinden. accused of murr in the first degree, for having beafen bis brother with a clib In a quarrel so that he. died, is to plead tomorrow, also. Dr. P. L. Austin, a dentist and presi dent of the Potici Mining Company, was arraigned yesterday on a statutory charge involving Nettie Wynn. who was also ar raigned. They will plead, tomorrow. SAMUEL COHX FEARS HIS AVIFE Threatened Willi Choking, Husband Wants Divorce. Samuel Cohn complains in a divorce complaint against Ethel Cohn, which he filed in the Circuit Court yesterday morn ing, that she threatened to choke and kill him in December, 1907. This threat was repeated tiiis month, he alleges, be-, cause he was unable to meet his wife's demands. He married her m Stockton, Cal.. Augusfr 13, inoo. Hattie B. Rowley filed a divorce suit in tne Circuit Court yesterday against Walter Rowley, alleging desertion in 1903. They were married in Tacoma, No vember 6, 1902, and have no children. O. R. & N. Sues for Property. The Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company has filed five condemnation suits to secure property upon which to construct Its line from St John to Trout dale. Sarah J. Kronenberg, A. Kronen berg. J. W. Townsend and Carrie Town' send, are among the defendants. The company alleges it offered the Kronen bergs $500 for their propertj-, but could not purchase at that figure, and that $1000 was offered the Townsends, who also refused to sell unless more money was forthcoming. Mrs. Inman's Estate "Worth. $15,000. Frances Laura Inman's estate, valued at $15,000. was admitted to probate In the County Court yesterday morning, and Robert D. Inman appointed administra tor. She died December 20. The estate consists of lots S and 8, block K, Kern's Addition. SAJV FRANCISCO PLAN'S FAIR States West of Rockies and Honolulu Asked to Join. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 29. The first meeting of the committee of 200 ap pointed to devise ways and means for the holding of the Panama-Pacific World's Fair of 1915 was held today. It was decided that all the states this side of the Rocky Mountains, the Territory of Hawaii and the counties of this state will be asked to nominate members of the ways and means com mittee to confer with the 200 members already appointed. D. W. Gormann, W. J. Dutton and Leon Loss were ap pointed to nominate a committee of 30 to have charge of the organization of the exposition. "KILIv SQFIRRETjS" IS SLOGAN California Active in- Trying to Pre vent Spread of Plague. WASHINGTON. Dec. 29. Wholesale killing of plague-ridden squirrels in California is to be discussed soon at a conference between public health and biological survey officials. Although the plague is declared by experts to be localized, danger to other sections is feared. A Government biological expert is in California Investigating the most de sirable and economical bait for this purpose. "We won't let the plague spread." said an official. "It might possibly get into Oregon, but we are working liardand purpose to stop Its spreading anywhere, if possible." MEXICAN DESPERADOES HILLED Kurales Slay Four, Capture Two. Valuable Stock Recovered. TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 29. News was re ceived here today of a desperate battle which occurred four days ago between Mexican rurales and a band- of despera does near Altar, in Sonora, Mex. Four of the band, including the leader, were killed and two captured. The ru rales were unhurt. The band had for some time operated between Altar and the Salt River Valley, stealing horses and cattle, crossing the line at an unguarded stretch known as "No Man's Land," west of Sesabe. The rurales fired from am bush. Many head of valuable stock were recovered. " . MRS. GILLETT DENIED VDIVORCE Snit Begun Year Ago Dismissed at Salt Lake City. SALT LAKE CITY. Dec. 29. The suit of Viola Pratt Gillett, for divorce from George H. Gillett. began January 21, 1908, was dismissed by Judge Morse today. The GiHetts were married September 12, 1897. S Failure to provide was the ground upon which. the divorce was asked. Mr. Gil lett's attorney attacked the complaint with the allegation that Mrs. Gillett was a non-reBldent of" the state. The plaintiff made no answer to this contention. Lebajii XIatchery Being Rebuilt- SOUTH BEND, Wash., Dec. 29. (Spe cial.) Work began today on the re building of the Lebam hatchery, which was wrecked by the flood of December 6. 'Superintendent Sol Markham expects to have tue plant finished in season to take steelhead salmon for hatching in the Spring. LA YD CLAIMS ARE PII I-ATE Interstate Commerce. Commission Reprimands Tardy Roads. WASHINGTON, Dec. 29. In a decision by tlie Interstate Commerce Commission, handed down today, involving a claim of 20 cents in an overchargo on freight made against the Abordren & Ashboro Railway Company and other lines, railroads gen erally, aro severely reprimanded for their delay in adjistins claims where there hus been a palpable overcharge. The rail way had admitted the Overcharge, but- did not settle with the shipper until the lat ter had filed a formal complaint with the commission. The commission intimates that it may be under the necessity of calling the attention of Congress to th matter. Commissioner Harlan, in writing th report of the Commission, says: "From shippers In all parts of the country and from local traffic associa tions which are making earnest efforts on fair 'and reasonable lines to secure a reform In tU practices of carriers in this regard, ninny complaints have been received in the last year of the inatten tion otcarriers to plain overcharge claims and of their delay in adjusting them. And a survey of theso corn plaints has led us to tlie conclusion that this practice, or rather lack of practice, among carriers is open td severe criti cism. "A substantial portion of the time and labor of this Commission is given to the effort to secure, through informal correspondence. the settlement of claims of this character, and it is a burden from which we ought to b re lieved by carriers. "On the other hand, from the ship-, pers' point of view, nothing in connec tion with transportation is more vex ing than the delay incident to the fol lowing up of an overcharge claim and securing its repayment." The Commission expresses" the . opin ion that all ordinary claims of this character shouid be adjusted and paid by the carriers within 30 days and in special ra-sos that no more than 60 days should he required for settlement. It adds that it "will expect the cordial co-operation of al! c;trrfer in our request that the Claims Department be so organized as to give more prompt reqults." . Iu- another case deoided today, originating in Chicago, the complainant had died before his claim had been adjusted, and the Commission ordered the Great Northern Railroad to pay the amount of tho claim to bis estate. COTTOX TSATKS AUK F7N"JOINKl Mississippi Ktiad-s Trotost Reduction of Million Annually. JACKSON. Miss., rec. 29. Th Illinois Central and Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad Companies today obtained ii temporary injunction against the Missis sippi Railroad Commission, rest talking It from enforcing the new rates oivn pressed cotton which were to have be come effective January 1. The new rates would meeji a reduction of about one-third from existing rates and the difference to tlie railroads would approximate $1,000,000 annually. SQUADKOX'S CUiriSE REVISED Warships on Asiatic Coast Coming Homo in. February. WASHINGTON", Tec. 23. Tho Itinerary of the first squadron of the Pacific fleet now in.-the Orient has been revised by the Navy JJepartment. . The armored cruisers Tennessee- and Washington, now at "WooEung, will go to Yokohama on January 2, to remain there until January 20. The California and the South. Dakota, now at Yokohama, .and the Colorado and the Maryland, now at Nagasaki, will go to Woosung Immediately after New Year's day. for a two weeks' stay. The West Virginia and the Pennsylvania, now at Hongkong, will so to Nagasaki for the same period. The entire squadron will assemble at Yokohama January 17 or IS and will sail on January 20 for Honolulu, arriving Feb ruary 1. The departure from Honolulu for San Francisco is scheduled for Feb ruary 8. Seven days are given for the sailing from the Hawaiian Islands to California. CHAMBERLAIN" ASAIXS BUDGET Address Urges Tariff Reform and Colonial Reciprocity, LONDON, Iec 29. Joseph Chamber lain today Issued"an address to the elec tors of West Birmingham, advocating tariff reform and reciprocity with the colonies and attacking the budget. The address asserted that home rule for Ireland, as promised by the Liberals, not only would injure the friends of Eng land there, whose interests were safe guarded by the present control, but the dangers to all would be greater, since Great Britain was now threatened by foreign nations as never before. After alleging that tlie Liberals desire a single-chamber rule, the address concluded--with a criticism of the government's lack of preparation for the national de fense. PIONEER MILLER IS EA1 J. C. Long Owned Most of Land on AVIiicli Cottage Grovo Stand. COTTAGE GROVE. Or.. rec- 29. (Spe cial.) J. C. Long, an' old citizen of tills place, died today from a stroke of apo plexy. He came to Oregon in 1875. He was a miller and built . the Farmers custom mill at Pendleton, the Peacock mill at Milton and a similar plant here. With his son George he purchased the land and cut it into the lots on which th larger part of Cottage Grove now stands, lie leaves an aged wife, three sons and oAe daughter. WESTOX POTATOES FROZEN Third of Crop Damaged in Ground, j It Is Feared. WESTON. Or., Dec. 29. (Special.) Th: weather conditionsare regarded by grow ers as unfavorable for tlie mountain po tato crop, and it is feared that one-third of the crop cannot be marketed. Much of it is yet in the ground, as the Novem ber cold snap caught the diggers in the widst of their work. Tn many places where the ground has been swept bare of snow by the wind it is frozen to a depth of six inches or more. ICE PACK IX OH IO SEUIOl S Weather Around Pittsburg Most Se vere Since 18 65. PITTSBL'RG. Ipc. 29. With zorn weather scheduled for tomorrow, the iei pack at the Ohio River- assumed a' seri ous aspect tonigcht. Since 18G5 there haw not been such severe weather condition.- at this time of the year. Damage t waterfront property and shipping inter ests along he Ohio will total $500,000. Navigation between Pittsburg and Cin cinnati has been abLJidoned for four days. More Carriers for Portland. OREGONIAN NEWS B1-RKAC, Wash ington. Lec. 20.I-:On January 3 twn addi tional rural mail carriers will b appointed for Portland, , r