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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1910)
lO ' TITE MORNING OREGONIAX, WEDNESDAY, "MARCH 16, 1910. POKTLANU. OREGON. Entered at Portland. Oregon. Postoffice a Eecond-Clasa Matter. - subscription Kates Invariably in Advance. (BY MAIL.) Dilly, Sunday Included, one year.-... raily. Sunday Included, six months... Ially, Sunday Included, three months.. Dally, Sunday Included, one month.... Dally, without Sunday, one year..... raily. without Sunday, six months.... Daily, without Sunday, three month! Daily, without Sunday, one month..... "Weekly, one ye.ir "... Sunday, ona year... - Sunday and weekly, one year........ 8.00 4.-JS 2- 5 .75 e.oo 3. '-'5 1.75 .611 1.50 2 50 3.50 (By Carrier) Dally. Sunday Included, one yeir.-. ... 9-00 Dally. Sund.iv Included, one month How to Remit ftend Postofflce money order, express order or personal check on your local Lank. Stamps, coin or currency are at the sender's risk. Give postoffice ad dress in full, including county and state. I'ontaee Kates 10 to 14 pafres. 1 cent; 16 to is pages. 2 cents: 30 to 40 paces. 3 cents: 40 to 0 pages. 4 cents. Foreign postage double rate. Kastern Business Offlre The S. C. Beck with Special Asency New York, rooms 48 50 Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 510-512 Tribune buildine. PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY. MAR. 16. 1910. POLITICS IX NEW YORK. The bane of the Republican party In New York is the insignificant men who pose as Its leaders. Timothy L; Woodruff, Senator Allds, who ha3 been exposed as a receiver of bribes, and Senator Cobb, are fair specimens of these worthies. They have not the faintest conception of statesmanship. They care nothing for the public wel fare, and even the welfare of the party counts for much less witft them than their petty personal advantage. To secure this they stand, ready at any time to trade votes, and offices with the Democrats. They "stand in" with any man or organization who thinks it worth while to solicit their services and they have tried their best to de feat the measures which Governor Hughes has advocated. By this course of conduct these .' trifling creature's have brought th Republican party in Mew York to the verge of factional disruption. Unable to lead it credit ably themselves, they are unwilling to permit anybody else to take charge. Unhappily, they are numerous enough to hold their own, at least in the State Senate, against the forces of the Governor and of Senator Root. As soon as the expose of Allds oc curred and that old-fashioned politi cian of the Piatt and Depew,, school was forced to give up the leadership of his party In the State Senate, the question of his successor arose. The men who support .Mr. Hughes and his policies desired some such man as Senator Hinraan, who has been out spoken for a searching Investigation of the bribery charges, no matter who might be involved. The Woodruff and Cobb group, on the other hand, de sired to smother the investigation, to whitewash Allds himself, if possible, and to prevent the Governor from ob taining any advantage from the ex posure of their methods. Their ex pectation was that before election time the public would forget all about their corruption and elect them again in the good old way, quite as if noth ing had happened. Neither Mr. Hughes, however, nor the administra tion at Washington cherishes any such delusive hope. They are awake to the fact that the public does not forget nearly so easily as it did in the blessed days of yore, and it does not overlook as, many sins by half in its' guides and leaders. . ' For this reason, as well as for bet ter ones, both the administration and Mr. HugTies are eager Lhat the scan dals at Albany should be investigated thoroughly in order to clear the skirts of the Republican party, from the sus picion of complicity or condonement, and also that whoever is guilty may be punished. Kor this, purpose they wanted a man like Mr. Hinman for leader in. the State Senate, and no less earnestly they wanted to get rid of Timothy Woodruff as chairman . of the state central committee. Mr. Hughes' position concerning the mat ter has been known for a good while, and a few days ago Mr. Taft, speak ing through Senator Root, declared himself unmistakably. Mr. Root sent word to the little New York bosses that they ought to elect Hinman for Senate leader, and he strongly inti mate to Woodruff that ,it would be exceedingly appropriate in him to re sign from the central committee. For the little leaders there was no re course but to disappear from- public life or tc fight. They resolved to fight, end having a majority in the State Senate, they came out ahead. They elected their man Cobb for party leader and gave, Woodrtiff such . encouragement that he will not hear of resigning from the central' com mittee. The exposed and discredited band of politicians now stand in open defiance of Hughes and the Presi dent. Cobb will use his power in the State Senate to smother the Allds in vestigation, and the party will prob ably have to go before the voters smirched with the disgrace of that wretched affair. .The consequences will naturally be, the election of a Democratic governor and the possible loss of New York to the Republicans in 1312. Consequences such as these do not disturb men of the Woodruff and Cobb type in the least. "Party prin ciples" is a phrase without meaning to them, and they only want party success when it brings them personal advantage. In this case their advan tage seems to lie in a Democratic vicJ. tory, because that would eliminate Hughes and probably Taft also in the end, leaving them free to regain their ascendancy in the party and 'make such bargains with the Democratic chieftains as they saw fit. They know perfectly well that Mr. Hughes will never make any terms with them. He has fought them from the outset of his public career, and will continue to fight them. .Whatever hopes they may have cherished of assistance from Washington have now vanished Senator Root has bluntly declared against them, and there is no, doubt that he speaks for Taft as well as for himself. The little leaders have not a man of first-class reputation to whom they can tiirn for counsel and comfort. They fondly imagine that Mr. Roosevelt will interfere on their behalf when he returns and arrange some sort of a compromise, but they might as well drop all such dreams at once. Mr. Roosevelt is too astute to ally himself with' a losing cause, even if he had no better reason for holding aloof from this obnoxious group. In one way or another they are bound to be eliminated from New York politics, but clearly they Intend to do all the mischief they can be fore they go. -' " UNREASONING CLAMOR. - flavor Simon has appioved an ordi nance designating 100 feet of Adams street and 100 feet of Oregon street for use of the public in crossing the new railroad bridge. The ordinance vacates the designated parts of the two streets, so that the railroad company, may place thereon a pier or abut ment for support of the approach to the upper deck of the - new viaduct. The railroad will not use the city's land for tracks or yards or In any way for its own profit or benefit. The peo ple who cross the bridge will be the ones served by the ordinance. Yet a clamor goes up against the ordinance and the Mayor's approval of It, from persons who either do not know what they are talking about or are victims of baseless fear that the railroad is getting some valuable privilege ' for nothing. . Right soon the railroad will ask the city for really valuable privileges in that same vicinity. It desires t oc cupy certain streets with its tracks and yards, for approach to the lower decjt of the bridge the, deck which. It will use exclusively for Its busi ness. The Council- and the Mayor will then be expected to exact concessions and compensations from the railroad in exchange. Considerable number of erring persons. It seems, "think city officials have given away these priv ileges for nothing in the ordinance which the Mayor has approved. The pier for the bridge approach is necessary for a much-needed public improvement; it will serv for the public use and benefit solely; the pub lic, through the Port of Portland, forced the railroad to add the upper deck to the bridge. In return for the privilege of spanning the river for its trains; the public will get a fine new bridge without any expenditure on its part for building and. for a merely nominal rental sum; the-city sorely needs the new viaduct and yet, in spite of all this, some citizens are un willing to - grant parts of two streets that never can be used by the general public for a more .desirable purpose. Mayor . Simon did right in signing the ordinance. Now let us have the new bridge forthwith and relieve diffi culties .of crossing the river. HOLY . ROLXJNG. The ferocious fanaticism of the Holy Rollers near Bellingham seeems to have deprived the poor creatures of the greater, part of their human feelings anil turned them into brutes. A few days ago they allowed a child to die while they performed ravage incantations to drive away the "evil spirit" which they fancied had pos session of it. Now comes the news that they have murdered a woman in childbirt'a in the same way. . Probably there is no way for the law to reach these pour deluded victims) (ft a fright ful superstition, but we may at least draw a lesson from their conduct. We may see the truth once more proved by their inhuman actions that there is no depth of cruelty, no . extremity of ferocious savagery, into which the kindest and gentlest of men may not be led by fanaticism. It kills all the tender feelings of the heart and transforms the human being into a creature more to be feared than a wild beast. - It is disquieting to, observe that the frenzied superstition of the Holy Rol lers seems to be only a more in tense manifestation of a spirit which pervades the whole country more or less just now. Usually Its outbreaks are mild-, resulting in nothing worse than abusive language, ignorant at tacks upon scientific research and petty slanders of the more liberal re ligious denominations. , But now and then it breaks out intl,. frenzy and does barm both to Individuals and to communities. ' The attitude of ra tional men toward such outbreaks should be studious and tolerant, of course, but It is a. mistake to encour age them by anything like sympathy. Religious phenomena of the Oliver and Holy Roller brand are essentially contemptible and the only proper feel ing to show for them is contempt. KKCOUKSB TO THE RIVER. The navigable river ie the safeguard of the farmer and merchant against extortionate freight rates by" rail. It Is for this reason that citizens of the Willamette Valley are loyal to their river. This loyalty dates from the early years of steamboat navigation, when the little Hoosler, the first Mult nomah, the clumsy Minnie Holmes, the pretentious Willamette, the dar ing Knterprise, the ill-fated Elk and other boats of an almost forgotten era in steam navigation on the -Willamette first Jlied in its water and made pos sible ' the stinted commerce of the time, which had previously been stopped each- year by the Fall rains and the.. lmpassabje condition of the roads. At first and for some time this utilization, of the river" for the needs of such traffic as existed was a sort of go-as-you-please arrangement, without organized effort to secure a monopoly of the business, but later companies were formed that were not slow to take advantage of the supef iority 6T water to wagon road trans portation, and freight and passenger rates were "all the traffic would bear." This being true, the coming of railway transportation was wel comed and steamboat' business fell away until, the fleet that served the farmers and merchants' of the Wil lamette Valley in the Winter and Spring and . went Into Summer quar ters, dwindled and almost went "out of existence. But the people still loved the river, feeling that it was their re serve assurance against exorbitant freight rates, and now and again its power has been evoked in the inter est of lower charges on freight -ttiat will bear slow transit.-' The' latest awakening upon this point noted is that of Albany mer chants, caused by a recent order of the Souttiern " Pacific abolishing the 1.0-cent- differential rate '-from Albany to ' Portland on transcontinental freight shipments Jn less than carload lots. This rate has existed for many years, . but river- competition has so dwindled of late that .the railroad company hasevldently thought better of the concession made when it was formidable enough to be reckoned with. The recent order means that the freight rate on transcontinental shipments in' carload lots will be ad vanced -from 10 to 28 cents per hun dred. As aforetime, thoughts of ship pers turn to .the river. An effort .will be made by Albany merchants to build a small steamboat that will offer some competition, to the railroad, at least on slow freights, and afford them par tial relief from the increased rate on merchandise. ' EX-JUDGE GORDON FUSE. Ex-Judge Gordon, whose name has been before the public for the past year in connection with an alleged embezzlement of a - large sum of money from the Great Northern Rail road, has been acquitted of the charge brought against him. In granting the motion for a dismissal and instructing the. jury to find for the defendant. Judge Kennan said that "in the ab sence of. representatives of the rail road company to claim irregularities against him, the state cannot make out a case." It would have been much more creditable to the Washnigton au thorities had they recognized several months earlier thatf they could expect no assistance from the railroad com pany. Since the time when the first whisperings of the alleged embezzle ment were heard, every statement made by the railway officials and every act of theirs in connection with the case tended to show that, instead of aiding In the prosecution of their re creant employe, their greatest efforts were being put forth to shield him, or at least to render it as difficult as pos sible to secure evidence which might convict him. , Enough publicity was given this case to show the public that Gordon had been repeatedly intrusted , with large sums of money to be used In the settlement of various claims and for other purposes, the details of which do not appear as -matters of record. In such circumstances it would have been no easy matter to convict him of em bezzlement, even with the testimony of a ;good complaining : witness,r and the attempt to convict him! without any complaining witness could hardly have, proved otherwise than abortive. Naturally Gordon does not escape with' clean hands. He adrnfts that he has "committed much folly and been guilty of many Indiscretions," and the public will refer to some of this folly and some of these indiscretions In stronger terms, f .. . Whatever odium rests . on Gordon must, however, be shared by the rail road company which had employed him to distribute funds. There is nothing creditable to any of the par ticipants In the disgraceful affair, and the miserable, fiasco which, the Wash ington authorities have made of the prosecution of the case is regrettable in the extreme, as if calls attention to an oft-repeated charge that conviction of men holding high position In cor poration service is more difficult than It should be.' GOOD CROP PROSPECTS. Special reports received by The Ore gonianfrom all parts of the state show an exceedingly pleasing crop out look for the coming season. In all parts of ' the state there has been a sufficient amount of moisture to Insure large yields of grain and also to pro vide arrlple water for irrigating pur poses. Conditions in that portion of Washington and Idaho that is tribu tary to Portland show similarly satis factory prospects. In the Willamette Valley the outlook for grain is not so good as it is east of the Cascade Mountains, the late rains interfering with Fall plowing. . This locality, how ever, is no longer of great importance as a grain-growing section, and most of the acreage that could not be plant ed in grain will this Spring be used for other and more 'profitable Icropsr,. " While an abundance of moisture is the overshadowing influence in bring, ing big grain -'-crops 1n this territory, improved methods of - farming .have also aided in making good crops much more of a certainty than under the old slipshod methods. The effect of an other bountiful grain crop, with prices still ranging on high levels, will be felt In all branches of business. A suc cession of "fat years," in which the yield was large and prices high, has left the agricultural community in excellent financial condition. It is no longer a question of confining expen ditures to the necessities, for there are rapidly accumulating funds for luxu ries and for Investments. Portland has had ample demonstra tion of the advantages which prosper ity In the rural districts confers on the cities, for within the past five years large numbers of farmers who have amassed a competency have moved into the city and are aiding in its' up building. Another year of goqd crops means a liberal addition to this class, and it also means greater' attractions for the newcomers who are now en tering Oregon with a view to making this state thejr permanent home. WHERE JUDGMENT IS REQUIRED. The latest automobile accident in Seattle resulted in the death of a woman who was one of the passengers and the more or less serious injury of four others. This was ot the result of a "joy ride" and a . chauffeur who had been drinking. .Nor did the: accident occur at an unseemly ihour. On- the contrarj't the car ;was one of many that was being driven out to. .the5 Ham ilton, aviation exhibition, and- its' occu pants were orderly .people ..out on a legitimate sightseeing excursion. A chauffeur, unusually careful about running over an animate creature, saw, just 'ahead of him,-a: dog. T: kfll or malm this creature would have been most revolting.- . To avot"d such a catastrophe he quickly swerved his heavy machine." As if resenting the deviation from a straight line, the ma chine skidded, turned half round and went over with its load of seven hu man' beings,- including the humane chauffeur. The casualties were as above stated. The dog escaped In Jury. If there is a lesson In this occur rence, it is, first, that dogs should be confined to the country, where they are, in a sense, useful, and second, that excess of caution, when an emer gency confronts, may lead to conse quences .quite as serious as reckless ness. The man at the helm, whether of a ship, a streetcar or an automobile, should be a man of judgment and one who knows his craft. ,.A large share of the accidents, with ' fatal results, that have followed the introduction and general use of the automobile have come from the employment of chauffeurs of Immature judgment and unsteady habits men or boys who are delighted with rapid motion and who have picked up enough knowledge- of the mechanism of an automo bile to be able to drive It successfully on a smooth, unobstructed way, but who in the very nature:" of things are utterly incapable'of meeting an emer gency in a way that may avert serious accident. The vocation of the chauf feur is exhilarating.-- The tendency of rapid- transit Is to minimize the dan ger that attends it. It is a vocation that should be forbidden to anyone who has not attained maturity of Judgment and had thorough training in the management of the machine, dependent upon a fair understanding of its construction and of the energy, which propels it. 'While the public will undoubtedly, have another opportunity to defeat Mr. Bryan for the Presidency, his late running-mate, Mr.- Kern, will hardly be a candidate. - One of the most strenuous denials Mr. Kern found it necessary to make, while he was cam paigning with Bryan, was of the story that he was assisting Tom Taggart in keeping the latter's gambling hall at French Lick Springs from feeling the arm of the law. Now comes the story from Paoli, Indiana, that Mr. Kern-' has appeared publicly as Taggart's lawyer and has succeeded in prevent ing the annullment of the charter of the hotel company, which controlled the gambling at French Lick Springs. There - are still several good Demo crats who have not appeared on the ticket with Mr. Bryan, so he, will not be obliged to run alone. Why does not someone start a Vice-Presidency boom for our own Citizen Watson? He is one of the few good men in the United States who believes that Bryan can be elected, if he runs often enough. . The moon Is blamed for the pecu liar workings of some of the emotions of mankind, and "Fair Luna" and her neighbors are also held partly respon sible for those climatic conditions which make the stampede of cattle a very easy matter. Thus finding in the heavens some of the causes for otherwise unexplalnable and eccentric actions of man and beast, someone may advance the theory that the near approach of the great comet Is affect ing mankind. There is a great army of enginemen between the Mississippi and the Pacific who are- becoming very restless, and are likely at any moment to start a stampede that may not be checked without the expendi ture of considerable effort and treas ure. The contending parties in the strife do not agree as to the location of the blame, so It might as well, be placed on the comet. According to a New York dispatch, at the ship subsidy love feast Monday night "Henry Clews, the banker, was hissed when he proposed that Amer ica go into the cheapest market for her ships and her sailors." Mr. Clews should have known better. What ex cuse would there be for paying a sub sidy, if we were permitted to buy and operate ships on even terms with our competitors? Mr. Clews apparently got the cause of the merchant marine and the cause of the ship subsidy confused. They have differ ent meanings. The shamrock is typical of Spring and a new life, when Nature spreads her mantle over the earth to hide its wintry desolation. Its leaves are typ ical of the graces, "and the greatest of these is charity." Let every one to day and tomorrow wear a shamrock and by that token exemplify the trust of the Great Teacher. There should be none too poor to. add a mite to the work, for -the orphan is the child of God. - . A British judge has declared that moral delinquency in men does not have the same significance as In women. Although protesting women have raised a storm about his ears, still that is. the view women uncon sciously take of the matterl And, It may be added, effects are quite differ ent although this should not condone the sins of the ..one sex more than those of the other. Patten the plunger is speeding homeward because the English cotton dealers did not treat him right, and Paulhan, the French aviator, is outward-bound, en route' for France, be cause he says the Americans did not treat him right.' This exchange of celebrities ought to keep the interna tional balance fairly even for the present. It would be more convenient to see that comet now before bedtime than two months hence before sunrise. Naturally great many persons are straining their ' eyes for the sky speeder. Are the same persons clamoring against the Oregon-street bridge ap proach . who are making the noise against Broadway bridge? , ' Jack Cudahy is said to be hiding in Chicago. This will be glad tidings to gay birds of Pittsburg and perhaps of some other cities. John D. Rockefeller Is said to be a most loveable man. It's too bad that he -can't much longer stay with his coal-oil money. Rain would be welcome to a consid erable number of citizens who are cop fronted with fulfillment of Spring gar den pledges. , We venture to say that If any bank in Portland should now "go broke," no grand Jury could find anybody to send to prison. - W'e suppose the lawyers have invited a. preacher to open their feast tomor row night with a suitable blessing. Japs say they don't wish to go to war with America. Certainly not un til they have paid their last fiddler. Envy not the promoters who thought they would make money out of the aviation meets, but didn't. How Big- la Pint-hot ? The Dalles Optimist. Pinchot takes himself entirely too se riously. He seems to think that he is "a bigger man than old Grant," as a certain Texan once said, and many East ern people may agree with him. But we of the West know that he is an enemy to the people of our section, and the trust he would create, had created, of Government resources was the greatest bar to -the growth of the West that was ever conceived. And the law for this trust was not on the statute books, but a creature of the mind of sail Pin chot.. Echo From War of 1812. Kansas City Star. Again the rumor is current that Mr. Wilson is to resign from the job of Sec retary of Agriculture. This story started soon after the War of 1812. AaslKnlnK Reason. Prineville Review. . An observant Prlnsvill-3 citizen has discovered why. there -ar-a no. divorces in fceaven. There are no lawyers there. URGES TAX TO PAY KOR. MAINS. But Writer's Scheme Would Not Cure Graft of Lot Speculator. PORTLAND, Or., March 14. (To the Editor.) The articles in The Oregonlan on the water miin matter indicate to all that you intend to be fair. That the end. hass come- to the game of collecting from consumers to pay for mains to Increase values of speculative lots in the suburbs is apparent. The proposal to place all cost of ex tension of mains upon the gene:al prop erty tax is based upon the idea that the valuable lot depends for a portion of its value first, upon the water and, second, upon the population attracted, in part, by the water. If the assessments of the city are raised to three hundred million next year a tax of 1 mill out oi a levy of perhaps 18 would give $300,000 for ex tension of- the mains." In a few years the entire city would have mains to every lot. Probably half this levy would be sufficient. The lot worth half a million owes some of Its value to the labors of the small home owner, some' to the fact that good and cheap water can be ob tained in the city, and some becausa of other public Improvements. If the consumer paid his actual cost it would be very low, with the expense of mains cut out perhaps $2 or $3 a year. The big properties will need mains snd their lots will be increased in value by reason of them. Why not have them pay for them? Would not a general property tax for the extension of mains do away with too much of it by reason of the opposition which the $2,000,000 block owner would put up? Anyway, The Oregonlan is to be con gratulated on being willing to take the burdens of the mains from the con sumer. A. E. CRIDGE. The writer of this letter evidently falls to perceive that his -arrangement would shift payment for water mains from con sumers to taxpayers, without abolishing the graft that has been enjoyed by lot speculators. The speculators are the ones who should pay this charge, not con sumers nor taxpayers, becausa the spec ulators are the persons who "realize" from the improvement. The small home owner owes relatively as mucn to the office-building owner as the latter does to the home owner perhaps more for without facilities of doing business and attracting capital, Portland would not be an important city and there would be no need of so many homes. The persons whose land is improved by water mains are the ones who should pay for the mains. Any schema of es cape for land owners, from th'.s charge means that others must be taxed for their benefit. Land owners pay for side walks, sewers and streets. Tliea why not for mains? HIGH ASSESSMENT, TAX-BOOSTER Encourages Official Extravagance and Make U'njust Burden. Grants Pass Observer. There is a great deal of complaint on account of the excessive increase in taxes, which in two years have in creased about 150 per cent. Some par ties at Merlin are contemplating apply ing for an injunction to prevent the Court of Commissioners from incurring further debt. About five years ago the assessment of property in this county was about one-half value, and taxes were reason ably low. There was a state law that property be assessed at full value. The Observer objected at the time that high assessment invariably Induced high taxation, but the ' county court then claimed that it would not be so, and would result merely in a lower levy. But it did not work that way, and the Observer was right. . The high assessment " has encouraged increased taxes, till there is complaint all over the state. The next Legislature ought to amend the law requiring full value assessment, and provide for one-half, or at most two-thirds, value. In regard to value there are two or three different qualities. There is the assumed value of the owner, the ap parent value, and the forced sale value. No assessment should ever be made at higher value than the property would bring at forced sale. But there are assessments In Josephine county, cer tainty in Grants Pass, that are higher than the selling price of owners, and that is a rank injustice. One man In an other county, who was assessed in ex cess of his selling price, entered action in court, but not many people care to do this. Spring: Market Report for Poets, Etc. Judge. "Verses this morning opened weak and off about one cent a word under heavy selling by professional poets, influenced by weakness in magazine editorial rooms. Trie movement against high prices for well-known writers is having i decided effect on the sentiment. Jokes were somewhat higher, owing to favorable weather, good dinners, and larger advertising receipts. Skits today had a partial recovery, be ing covered by shorts, but later eased on further selling. The undertone was very nervous, and sentiment, on the whole, - was bearish, although cash mar kets in New York were steady. Short stories rallied on last night's close, but sagged after two had . been sold. Curing the noon hour trading in spe cial articles was rather quiet, but prices were steady, advancing three-quarters of a cent per word. Palmy Day of New York Graft. New York Tribune. The removal from the County . Clerk's office of two safes which had been pur chased by the city in the days of "Boss" Tweed recalls the story which a man once prominent in Albany politics used to tell whenever he had an opportunity.' John MoBride Davidson, maker of safes and member of the inner circle, was met In City Hall Park one day" by a man who introduced himself as a fellow Al banian. "I am a glazier: can't you get me a job on the Courthouse or City Hall?" "No." said Davidson. "I don't think I can. They give those jobs to New Yorkers." . . ' '.'But L want only the Job to put in one pane of glass." "Once I have a contract for one pane of glass from- those gentlemen, my fam ily is provided for. I need never work again," was the reply. . New Baltimore Better Than the Old. Baltimore News. After facing a property loss of over $55,000,000. the citizens of Baltimore have made up the loss many times. In place of the destroyed structures, which were valued at approximately $13,000,000, other buildings valued at near $40,000,000 have been erected. Of the 1343 lots which were bared by the flames not more than two score still remain open, and for the majority of this small number other buildings are now planned. Many of the lots on which once stood buildings have been acquired by the city and con verted into wide street ways and on the majority of the remainder structures which surpass their predecessors in every way have gone up during the last six years. Yale Man Offers 5O0O Prime. Philadelphia Inquirer. , For the purpose, it Is announced, of encouraging an interest in dramatics at Yale, a prize of $5000 has- been offered by Frederic Thompson, of New York, for a suitable modern drama on American life, '.written by . a member of the university. The play must deal with American life of today. PINCHOT AND HIS INFERRED "FACTS" General Opinion That the Late Forester Had No Baala for Ills Charsra hut Hcaraay, Suspicion and His Own Unwarranted Conclusions Sy mpoMitim From Representative Newspapers. New York Tribune. From the testimony of Mr. Gifford Pinchot it appears that the charge he made in his preliminary statement that Secretary Balllnger had "wilfully de ceived" the President was based solely on inference. Mr. Taft had written to Mr. Balllnger approving his refusal to continue the co-operative agreement be tween his department and the Forestry Service on the ground that a ruling of the Controller made the 'refusal neces sary. Mr. Pinchot holds that the Con troller's ruling did not make the termina tion of this agreement necessary. The fact that Mr. Taft said it did was proof to his mind that Mr. Balllnger had told him it did. and had therein "wilfully de ceived" the President. This, as he tes tified, was ' an "Inevitable Inference." Now, If the testimony is correctly re ported, there is nothing to show that Sec retary Ballinger told the President that the Controller's ruling made the agree ment impossible. There is nothing to show that the President himself did not read the Controller's ruling, which he hed before him. and reach his own conclu sion regarding its effect. Furthermore, there is no evidence that Mr. Taft's and Mr. Balllnger's opinion of its effect is wrong and that Mr. Pinchot' g is right. Nevertheless, the "Inevitable inference" is that Mr. Ballinger "wilfully' deceived" the President! The other charges in Mr. Pinchot',3 remarkable preliminary statement seem to hang chiefly by threads just as slen der as that. Mr. Ballinger's inclusion among the documents submitted by him to the President of the mistaken state ment of his former law partner regard ing the case, although preceded by his own true statement, was an attempt to deceive the President. His restoration of the water power site lands to entry, although he promptly re-withdrew them after eliminating certain errors in the original withdrawal, was open to no other inference than that he entered the"" Cabi net in order, to destroy the policy of conservation. ... CENTRAL POWER I3T PINCHOTISM la Republican Party to Desert Old Es tablished l.snilmarks f Chicago Inter Ocean. Mr. Taft rightly seeks to be judged to have his administration judged and his party Judged on the record as he understands it. In fact, he is said to feel that his intentions .as expressed in that record are not fully understood. He is said to feel especially misunder stood In the matter of a "conservation policy," and Is reported to intend to de vote himself especially In his speeches to refuting "insurgent" insinuations that to be for "conservation" one must be against Mr. Taft. Mr. Taft might well save himself any trouble on this score. To the average man, outside of a few particular locali ties, conservation is an issue somewhat abstract and far away from his daily life. , Administrations and parties are judged not as they understand themselves but as the people understand them. And. the Taft administration will be Judged, and the Republican party with it. In the No vember elections by the answers that experience gives the average man to such questions as these: Is the Republican party to be one of organization or insurrection? Is it to be a historic party, moving forward on the line .of its traditions, or Is it to be a Bryanized party, regardless of tradi tions and veering off on unprecedented courses with every new wind of doc trine? Is the American ideal to be what It has been in the past the ideal of the utmost freedom for individual effort with individual energy restrained only by gen eral laws prohibiting conduct recognized as always criminal? Or is the American ideal to become one of state socialism, with every citizen's every act continually subject to governmental inquiry with .everybody in leading strings from Wash ington? "s Is this to continue to be a Union of powerful states or merely an aggrega tion of provinces governed from Wash ington? Is it to be still the Federal Re public of the last 126 years, or la it to become such a Republic in form only, and a centralized despotism In fact? These are the questions in the public mind. And the question about Mr. Taft in the public mind is which way do his thoughts incline and which way would he lead this people, or has he any clear conception of his goal? PIXCHOT'S TESTIMONY REVIEWED His "Pacta" Are Seen to Be Tissue of Hearsay, Inference and Suspicion. New York Independent. In the Balllnger-Pinchot investigation Mr. Pinchot, under cross-examination, said his charge that Secretary Balllnger had given to the President a statement absolutely false in three essential partl" ulars was based, not upon Mr. Balllnger's personal statement, but upon a letter written by Judge Ronald (formerly tho Secretary's partner) to Dr. Lyman Ab bott. This letter, which seemed to be supported by Balllnger's notes on the pages of a magazine, Ballinger had at tached, as an exhibit,; to the statement sent to the President in his own defense. This was In November last, and the wit ness admitted that In the preceding Sep tember Balllnger had sent to the Presi dent a correct statement as to the three matters in question. These related to Agent Jones' report on the Cunningham coal claims, to the efficacy of Glavls' pro test against the clear-listing of thes claims, and to Ballinger's argument be fore a House committee for legislation that would have favored them. Witness had urged Glavis to lay his statement be fore the President and had given him a letter of introduction. He had told Secre tary Wilson, on January 3, that Senator Dolliver had asked him for a letter to b read in the Senate. The Secretary had offered no objection, and had said there would be no trouble about the President's executive order. He believed he had th" Secretary's consent. At this point Secre tary Wilson became a witness, denying that he had given consent. That could not have been, he added, for in ths letter Pinchot had presumed to review the President's action and had assumed his (the Secretary's) authority. There had been a conversation about sending a letter to Senator Dolliver, but he had no idea that such a letter as the one which Pinchot wrote was to be sent. He supposed it was to deal only with de partmental affairs. He would not have approved any letter dealing with the President's action concerning Glavis. There were some contradictions in the Secretary's testimony. Again taking the stand, Pinchot was subjected to a long and wearisome cross examination, which drew out nothing of importance. He admitted that he had made erroneous assertions, or mistakes, in a letter to the President. He knew little personally, or at first hand, in sup port 'of his charges against Balllnger, but relied mainly upon the official record and upon knowledge acquired by other persons, some of whom will testify here after. He had urged President Roose velt to veto certain power site bills. To the question whether he had written the veto messages he gave no answer. He read a long letter sent to him in September by the President, Inclosing a copy of the letter to Ballinger which caused the dismissal of Glavis. Address ing the witness as "My dear Gifford," the President urged him not to make Glavis' case his own, saying that he was not familiar with the entire record. Wit ness, he thought, had bean unjust to Bal linger. Expressing his confidence in Pin chot and his desire to support liis con servation policy, he spoke of the im mense value of the Forester's work, and said he should consider u out; .u greatest losses of his administration i Pinchot should leave the service. H; hoped his action in tho Glavis case would not cause Pinchot io take such a step. PINCHOT CHARITABLE WITH M;l.l- Hia Own Errors "Mistakes"! Those He Finds In Balllnitcr Deception." Tacoma Ledger. Whenever Pinchot finds stat( rucnt.s i.f Secretary Ballinger that ho thinks do not square with the exact truth, he c.iLa them "willful deception." Whenever Pinchot Is forced Into a corner allot:: his own Incorrect statements he calis them "mistakes." It all depends upuii ' the point of view. Pinchot tkr-s a charitable view of his own f.tiUire to state the facts. For Secretary Falliiiper, who dared to resist his power, Pincl-.oL has nothing but suspicion. Anythint; in Mr. Balllnger's statements that apr-o.-trs inconsistent to Pinchot is called "wilii'ul deception." Pinchot is an extrfemi.st. When ho testified about some official who wrot.j a letter that might be construed as a denial of having done a certain thin;.', Pinchot said the thing was "indignantly" denied. On cross-examination he -w-as forced to admit that there was no in dignation about it. Pinchot had real into the letter, for his own purposes, "indignation." He finds what he thlr.U is a discrepancy In some of dcrttary Balllnger's communications to the Trepi dant. He does not call it a "mistake" or Just plain "deception." He calls it "willful deception." And yet it nas h. en proved that Mr. Ballinger did not de ceive the President at all, thai tio President was in full possession of t e facts that Pinchot suspected had been withheld. Another instance of Plnchot't. ex tremism: In his letter to l'rcider.L Taft introducing Glavis, Pinchot said, "I have known him for several years " On cross-examination Pinchot was not sure whether he had ever seen U'.avis before he met him at Spokane last yt ar. "I had several years' knowledge of him, but not personal acquaintance," said Pin chot on 'cross-examination. Probably no "willful deception" was intended by the man who was Chief Forester at that time. His momentary enthusiasm got away wlth him. Then there was also a statement In the letter Pinchot wrote to the Presi dent from Spokane that Pinchot had learned water sites had boen acquired on lands restored and before the second withdrawal. "That is another mistake?" asked At torney Vertrees. "It has since turned out to be," an swered Pinchot. "And a gross mistake," suggested At torney Vertrees. "I should not characterize it as a gross mistake. I was informed by a, man that I had reason to believe was thoroughly acquainted with it, that this was the fact," said Pinchot. It depends upon the point of view. What do you suppose Pinchot would cail It if he found that Ballinger had writ ten a letter to the President saying cer tain things had been done when they had not been done at all? Nothing less than "willful deception." for that is the way Pinchot accused Ballinger be fore the Congressional committee. But when Pinchot is convicted of misrepre senting the facts, he calls them "mis takes." WASTE OF PIXCHOT'S DISl.SE. Government Should Conserve Without Sealing Resources. Aberdeen World. The introduction of "corroborative evi dence" in the Ballinger-Pinchot case ap pears at this stage as nothing more than an agreement of other "'witnesses" with the "inferences" and opinions of Glavis. Pinchot and Garfield. Xo new facts are adduced. Indeed, there are no facts at all in this whole case, and have not been from the start no facts sufficient, that Is, to warrant any Investigation at Secre tary Ballinger, or to Justify the state ments or beliefs of Pinchot et al. that the secretary is "unfit for public office." Be cause these gentlemen think a thing does not per se place it in the realm of fact. Similarly, the antagonism that has been aroused to Mr. Ballinger is not well founded. It has no basis in fact. It began and continues in pettiness. Any idea that "conservation" is at issue in this matter is a mistake. The contro versy is one of official temperaments. Conservation Is quite another thing. We all of us believe in it to a certain degree. We do not all hold to tile idea that forests preserve water supplies on watersheds or that they prevent floods or snow-slides, but most of us do be lieve that some method ought to have been devised long ago that would give every man an equal chance in the forests. There has been such a method In theory alone. For the moHt part It has so worked itself out that a few men and large combinations of capital appropri ated to their own selfish uses all the timber possible, and used It or shut it off from use as best suited their pur poses. Half the following Pinchot has today comprises those who think the for ests or public lands unevenly divided too much for tho few, too little for the many. Resentment at bold, - plain, defenseless, downright theft has crept into this atti tude. So it was that tho Pinchot ideas gained favor without people in general knowing very much of ultimate mean ings. The people were with Pinchot be cause they thought his plans prevented further aggressions on the part of tin corporate or individual few. They were not, and are not really witli I'inchot on a basis of disuse of natural rest, c. ices. Not here In the Northwest, at i-aat. Here we want proper use of resot.rc-..-, because we must have development. W'e look ever into the future in this section of the world and constantly act and work with the future in view. Young- McCormlclc Writes a Play. Chicago Inter Ocean. The Princeton University Trianglo Club, the dramatic organization of Old Nassau, will make an extended Western trip this month, visiting Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago, appearing in the latter city March 28, to present its annual pia . This year it Is "His Honor; the Sultan." Society Is preparing to celebrate the event, as the author of the play. Cyrus McCormick, '12, is a son of Cyrus II. Mc cormick, of Chicago. The music of "His Honor, the Sultan." as well as the lyrics, has been writt-oi by undergraduates, and a large under graduate chorus will accompany the play. Half Dollar Sold for $3750. New York Dispatch. One of the original four Confederal, half dollars struck off at the United States mint -at New Orleans in 1SR1 alter It fell Into the hands of the Conreo'erate government, was sold today by a loca; coin dealer. for J3730. . The buyer was a wealthy New York collector, whose name is withheld. To Remove New York Snow, $1,308,00(1 New York Dispatch. "Big Bill" Edwards, Street-Cleanins Commissioner, obtained from the Board of Estimate an issue of $300,000 for the payments of the snow removal during the last storm.' This makes a total of $1,398,000 appropriated for the removal of snow this Winter.