Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1911)
TITE MORXIXG OREGOXTAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 24. 1911. to Sfir (Drcijuinmt FOBTTAXD. 0RJ5OO3. En tr! at Portland. Onsoa. Fotoc as fcond-ciua &Is:ir. IuMct.um luulinrUliU to Advaae CBT MA1L tr.T. tmemy rn -io-lid. r' X'jly. Imir Included, slv months. ... 4-- Lt.r. liuDjir InciiKled. l.-.r month.. X-J tsatlr. Sontlr included, moatfc. LilT. wuhout Sunday. On Ii;r. without Saadir. a:x oaonibs..... J without iuDdlr. t&n I r; : F wltboBI SunUajr. Bon.lv.---- Wa-tkl. ana rr. ............ us-isy. ana yaar. ........... JT w-t&dar u4 vaaaly. ooa yar. CBT CABRJKRt tally. Svsdsy Included, or. a raar.... Xai:r. Bunuar tntiutlad. oaa month..... How I Brail Send poatofflca monay art! j. x prw ordr or paraonai cbaa wa your local nana atarr. pa. coin or eurraney a-a at tna jaodara r:. Gta poator.lce a4)raaa la rolL uriadln county and ruatasa Kalaa le to 14 pacta, t cast; l ta it p-aa. J casta; W U l F cnt,; 40 ta casta, rotaisa peatasa cuo: rata. . Laatarm Bailim Of On a Tarra at Cotik tta . ir Hrauakl. bulldla. Cu- rOETLAA D. JTUDAT. MARCH SK MIL. THE JrAEK BOC1S. Facta are aucb hampering- obstacle to tha progress of much delightfully distressing fiction. In circulation re garding a threatened Japanese inva sion. Uiat It really seems a pity to offer them for tha consideration of our Hobsons. Humphreys and other nervous people ho are enlightening and frightening the -people with gloomy predictions. The Oregonian has called attention to the fact that this country was never prepared fur war. It may be unnecessary also to call attention to the fact that we were never defeated alter we entered on any of these wars for which We were unprepared. Not economics nor poll tics has changed much since Patrick Henry publicly declared his ignorance of any better method of Judging tha future than by the past; and relying a that system, there Is not much dan ger of any disastrous outcome in any war Into which the United States might be forced. Our merry Jingoes who are attempt ing to frighten the American people kave laid great stress on the alleged ease with which the Japanese could land a vast number of troops on our shores. Theae figures submitted on this threatened Invasion vary In ac cordance with tho nervous state of Mr. Jtn-. Among the latest scares given to the public Is an estimate that Japan could land an army of J00.OO0 men on our shores In thirty days. This state ment Is frequently accompanied by the Information that Japan has 300 trans ports In readiness to effect this great coop. All this Is Important. If true. But It Is not true. Japan. In return for the payment of a heavy ship subsidy, has first call on a number of steamships engaged In tha merchant marine service. These Tassels make op Japan's facilities for transport service and are now engaged la peaceful quest for freight and pas sengers to be carried for hire, on vari ous routes throughout the world. Some of them are running to Australia, others to South America. About dozen are on the route between North Pacific ports and China, and some are running to Mexico, and a few of the best ones run to Europe. They are so well scattered throughout the world that It would be a physical Impossibil ity for them to be withdrawn from all of these trade routes and pressed Into the transport service In less than three or four months. Meanwhile their withdrawal from all of the routes on which Japan Is securing a foothold would be the signal for the American reception committee to get busy and prepare for the meeting. As to the number of vessels which conld be utilised for this purpose, the latest Issue of Lloyds Register credits Jspan with 40 steamers of mora than 1000 tons gross register. 17 of 4000 to S000 tons register, and 12 steamers of 1000 to iooo tons register. Smaller steamers would be practically useless for transport service, although Japan has 40. ranging from between 2000 and 1000 tons gross register. From these figures, which are official. It Is quite clear that It would require the ervlces cf every Japanese steamer In excess of SOOO tons to float 100.000 man. and even this could not be ac complished short of three months. The Japanese bogle may do to fright en children, but It should not be seri ously regarded bv grown-ups. MOTOR-CAR.. rurArM transporta tion. Tlie Increasing Importance of tha automobile as a factor In the trans portation business of the country Is being railed to our attention daily. This Is due to two great Influences, one working for better roads and the other for perfection In the automobile in the many classes In which It is now offered the public. A Vancouver Item In The Oregonian yesterday reports a motor-truck, with a wagon In tow. making three trips dally to Portland hauling five cords of wood each trip. The Item further states that on good stretches of the road the motor-truck with its load attains a speed of twenty miles per hour. This business suggests tremendous possibilities for economical transpor tation as soon as we begin road-build-Ing on scientific principles. If It Is possible to build portions of our roads in such shape that a apeed of twenty miles per hour can be attained by a motor truck it Is not Impossible that wa may extend the system until the city and country ars drawn together as they never can be drawn together by old methods of transportation. In this particular Instance It Is easy to trace the enormous saving that is effected. The delivery of wood In Portland under the old system In volved a haul from tha woods to tha railroad station, or boat landing. After transportation to Portland there was another haul to the place where It was to be used. By use of the motor truck the loading and un loading from the boat or car Is avoid ed and the wood delivered direct from the woods to the consumer at a much lower transportation cost than would be possible by old methods. The trans portation economies made possible In wood-hauling apply with equal force to other commodities whtch must stand the burden of a transportation and delivery charge from the country to the city. For this class of work tha motor-truck has both the horse and the railroad at a decided disad vantage. The distances are too short for a low rate by rail and are toe long for horsea to be used. The motor-truck, like the early au tomobile, has not yet reached a state cf perfection, but Inventors and me chanics are making dally progress In bringing It into shape where It will prove vastly superior to any other form cf tranjpertiUoa la lis I articu lar field In which It Is now most used. Soma of tha wonders that It has worked are shown In a statement re cently made by a New Tork concern which replaced Its horse delivery sys tem with motor trucks. The first year's work ' with a five-ton truck showed an actual saving of 1124.24 per week over what It had previously cost to handle the same work with horses. Another firm operated a five ton truck for a year an average of forty miles per day at a cost of 1S.47 per day. When such direct, tangible results as these can be shown It indicates that producers and consumers, as well as automobile owners, can reap substan tial profits from the building of good roads over which motor trucks can be operated with speed and safety. TOT AX STRANGERS. Governor Hawley. of Idaho, has un dertaken to reform the assessment and taxation methods of the state by In sisting that all property shall be rated by the assessors at full cash value. "By the eternal!" declares the Gov ernor, "the assessors will do It (assess at real value) or get out of office." The Boise Statesman expresses the fear that higher valuations may not be followed by lower levies, and dis cusses with many evidences of appre hension the condition when "county n. r.i.cinrni anrl rltv councils and ni,.. fmtiM and school boards. flushed with the possibilities of lnflat- 1 ea treasuries. iuu travagant programme." The Boise I paper, nevertheless, appears to have convinced Itself that the true vaiue of property should be the basis for tho assessment of taxes." No doubt: but when the ideal as sessor makes the Ideal valuation (at par) the Ideal county commissioner and city council and village trustee and school board are conspicuously absent from the public service. Gov ernor Hawley can learn a few things by coming down to Portland and studying the expedience of Oregon. High valuations and low levies are beautiful and harmonious conceptions; but In practice they are total strangers. IOVE IN rOLLEUK. President Benjamin Ide 'Wheeler makes an Ingenious flank movement against the foes of co-education. It has been the practice of these people to point with scorn to the love affairs of the co-educatlonal college. "Be hold the billings and cooing of youths who ought to tbe poring over their Homer." shriek tha critics. "What an awful scandal." But Dr. Wheeler does not see the scandal. He thinks the billings and cooings are not only lovely In them selves, but they lead on to highly sat isfactory outcomes. Compared with the ordinary marriage made In heav en. Dr. Wheeler believes that the mar riages made In . college are s great Improvement. There Is much t sustain his opin ion. Engagements to marry are com monly contracted under conditions which do not prognosticate a areat deal of happiness. With passion for a guide and Ignorance for Inspiration r.-ai vwa are taken with a fair certainty of repentance not far ahead. "Marry In haste, repent r accuratelv sums up a lamentably com mon experience, as the divorce records prove. Dr. Wheeler says lovemaklng pro ceeds very differently at college, and i..sa whv .would It not? There pas sion is no longer the guide. Venus yield the scepter to Minerva. All 1 sedate, leisurely, deliberate. Ufa flows on In an intellectual calm. The young woman beholds her swain In the pitiless glare of tha recitation room where he dally makea an exhibi tion" of himself. He regards her as shs blushes and flounders through speech on the college rostrum. There can ba no illusion, no soft Interchange of enchanting nothings, no nonsense. Vsually. as Dr. Wheeler strangely omits to say, college engagements are made In the junior year, which U a ripe age Intellectually If not physical ly. By that time the critical faculties are highly developed. If k person Is a fool or knave he cannot spend two years at college without betraying It. If a girl I simpleton it will be known to aU long ere she Is a Junior- Hence engagements are made with all the certaintv of happiness which full knowledge and mature Judgment In sure The welfare of the American family commands us to uphold the co-educatlonal college XNTO THE YAKIMA TO1X. With tha opening of tha North Coast road Into North Yakima, the Harri man Interests have added another good stout string to Portland's com mercial bow. The Taklma Valley, be ing one of the first districts In the Slate of Washington to engage In Irri gation work on an extended scale, ha now reached a stage of development where the annual value of Its fruit, hay, livestock and Frden products runs Into million The district em braces several hundred thousand acres of remarkably rich land and so satis factory have the returns proved that It has become the most thickly popu lated agricultural district In the state. In the early days of the country the rich Taklma Valley was accessible only from the Columbia River terri tory and Portland enjoyed what little trade there was with the stockmen and woolgrowers. . By the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad across the Cascade Mountains, an easier route for getting In and out of the valley was provided, and for twenty-five years anything ilka close business relations between this city and Taklma Valley has been practically Impossible. The route over the Cascade Mountains to Seattle and Tacoroa was the only avenue open for reaching the world's markets and tha trade of the valley was thus artificially diverted from the route over which nature Intended It should move. But "the line of least resistance" is today more religiously regarded by the trans portation companies than ever before and Portland Is agln coming Into her own. It would ba foolish to assume that the Puget Sound cities will relinquish their hold on that rich trade, without making a struggle to retain n. it win accordingly be necessary for Portland to put tha best foot forward and show our old neighbors, from whom a transportation barrier has long separ ated us. that we have not abandoned the old business principles which en abled us to get along so satisfactorily with the pioneers of the Takima Val ley before the railroad came. The re-establishment of these cor dial relations would of course be more difficult If It were not for the fearful handicap undar which the Puget Sound cities suffer aa compared with Portland. Nature made the trails over which commerce now seeks the most economical routes and the com merce of the Taklma Valley will fol low the Taklma River' down to the Columbia and thence to Portland, for the same reason that a new and rapidly-swelling trade is following the line of least resistance down the Snake, the Clearwater, the Deschutes and. the tributaries of these streams. The ad vantages of the water-level grade were never mora prominent than at the present time. Portland, the only port on the Pacific Coast at the foot of a water-level grade from the Rocky Mountains, Is enjoying prestige con ferred on her by nature. j -CTTISED BE CANAAN." - As a far-off echo from the old cry, "Cursed Be Canaan," comes a protest from the servants of the State Insane Asylum against the employment there in of a colored man and his wife. These persons are, as far a has "yet appeared, suitable for the work to which they have been assigned, yet some of their fellow servants protest In lofty language against their em ployment and have memorialized the Governor on tho subject, saying: "We, the employea of the asylum farm, con sider It an Imposition and disgrace to have, colored people occupying the po sitions that they do (the woman as waitress in the dining-room and the man a worker In the engine-room) and object thereto most strenuously." Now In point of fact, as everybody knows, colored people, trained for serving, make the very best of serv ants. The question Is not one of social equality or Intellectual capacity. It la one of fitness for the work. Doubtless the managers of the Insane asylum have found the same difficulty in se curing competent servants for the various department of that Institu tion that employers of domestic help find In private life, only on a much larger scale. The tone of the above remonstrance Indicates clearly that the servants In the Insane asylum or at least those who Joined In this re monstranceare Inclined to make much of the fact that they are em ployed by the state, 1. e. that the state pays their salaries. "Wages." of course, they, do not receive. Therefore they are not servants In the sense that they attach to that word, but "em ployes." who have a certain dignity to maintain and who look upon labor as beneath them. Hence to have persons who are trained to work, and who are satisfied with a humble place In the ranks of labor added to their number Is "an Imposition and disgrace." A far-fetched conclusion, truly. The vocstlon represented by this class of labor Is highly honorable, combining as It doe the ministrations of the hand with those of Justice, pa tience and humanity. All depends upon the spirit In which this vocation Is filled and the acceptability of the service from the standpoint of capable, conscientious endeavor. Upon this basis the employea of the asylum should be chosen, and upon this basis they should be retained or discharged, regardless of race prejudice or Indi vidual likes and dislikes. THE FRENCH CABINET. " The member of tha new French Cabinet who Interests Europe la Del casse. Tha others are virtually seros and derive their significance,' such a It Is, from him. The Premier, M. Monla, has been In public life for thirty years, but nobody ever heard of him before he was called to the head of the French government. His three years' tenure of the portfolio of Jus tice, under the Waldeck-Rouaseau government, which came Into power in 1899, was no doubt creditable, but It gained him no reputation. He began life aa a lawyer in a modest way, add ing to his Income by dealing in brandy, and has pursued a consistently Incon spicuous course all his days. The best that can be said of him is that he Is likely to be harmless. Nobody knows anything about hlra either to praise or blame. Most of his colleagues In the new Cabinet are radicals and some of them are socialists. It Is commonly believed In Franca that it will depend upon the socialists for support and that It Is likely to be disappointed. Dire necessity -will compel the Cabinet to adopt the policies which brought disaster upon Brland and try to carry them out. Since these policies are bit terly repugnant to the socialists, the Cabinet is leaning on a reed which is pretty sure to break before a great while, M. Delcasse, the only outstanding member of the Cabinet, was Foreign Minister In 1905, in the Rouvler gov ernment, when tho alliance between Great Britain and France was con cluded. Under Delcasse's manage ment the British understanding took the aspect of hostility to Germany. HI manipulations were so deft that for a time -Germany was Isolated In European politics. The natural con sequence, was resentment and the Kai ser's diplomats set themselves at work to destroy Delcasse's power. The in strument they used were threats of war more or less thinly veiled. The difficulties In Morocco, terminating In the Algeclras conference, gave Ger many a desired opportunity, which was Improved so Industriously that the French were thrown Into a panic and Delcasse was dismissed from his office. The Kaiser declared almost openly that the retention of the too active Foreign Minister would be sn un friendly act leading to war. The In tention was to make his dismissal the signal for a breach of the understand ing between England and France, but this did not happen. France has held steadily to the British alliance, which, with Delcasse's return to the Cabinet, may again assume an aspect of un friendliness to Germany. Of course the English are delighted to see him come back to power. His position in the new Cabinet Is not that of Foreign Minister, but since he has the brains of the government In his cranium he will control Its policies. At least so It Is assumed In Europe.' His ambition Is to build up tha French fleet, which Is In a sad state of decadence. Nobody who knew only of It present condition would ever dream that France once disputed with England the supremacy of the seas. M. Delcasse hopes to place her navy on an equality with Germany's within a few years. If his plans succeed France will become a much more val uable ally both to England and Russia than she Is now. Russia has no effi cient fleet since the Japanese war, so that a strong French navy would vir tually double her European prestige Combined with the British fleet the array of ships to which Delcasse looks forward would outnumber any three navies In the world and war against the combination would be foolhardy even, on .the part of Germany. While Delcasse's policy will be ex tremely vigorous, perhaps even threat ening. It will really tend toward the stability of peace In Europe. Since tha nations have adopted the policy of preventing war by keeping op arma ment it will not do for France to let her navy remain decadent. Such a condition simply Invites aggression. There are mutterlngs In Germany of the old hostility to Delcasse. but very likely France will pay no attention to them. She is not quite so timid as she was in 1905 and possibly the Kaiser is not quite so ready to let slip the dogs of war. The danger to the new-Cabinet, In cluding Delcasse with the other mem bers, arises from the opposition which they must necessarily excite among the socialists. Although they owe their power to the socialists and most of them belong to that group, it will be Impossible for them to adopt the socialist programme In the face of public opinion. France Is radical but not yet socialistic. The power of mod erate opinion compelled M. Briand to abandon his extreme views, and it cannot fail to act in the same way upon the new Cabinet. They will ac cordingly be looked upon as traitors by their party men and will be de-' nounced unsparingly. For' Instance, M. Steeg, the Minister of Education, is a radical socialist, but the most he expects to do is to maintain secular education about as It stands. The treatment of tha railroad employes will be the same as they received from Brland and so it will go down the line of public questions. It would be unsafe therefore to pre dict a long life for the new ministry. It will probably be destroyed soon by those who are now Its friends. Still It would ba a mistake to speak of the French government as fickle. Its per sonnel does not continue long without change, but the policies persist. For the last twenty-five years there has been no Important alteration In the general alma of the French people as ' represented by their government. Mills of the steel trust In the Chi cago district are running light while those In the Pittsburg district are op erating on a much heavier scale. This is due to the heavy export business and the comparatively light demand at home. No difficulty Is now experi enced in filling orders for home con sumption In a few days. The heavy foreign demand Is, of course, due to the low price at which the trust sells Its surplus abroad. So much secrecy veils the operations of the trust In its foreign business that the prices se cured are unobtainable, but as steel rails In Europe are usually several dollars per ton lower than In this coun try, tho figure. In order to cover the freight and other foreign delivery charges, must be at least 15 per ton under the American prices. Perhaps II the steel trust would sell Its prod ucts to American consumers at as low a figure as It quotes the foreigners. It would Increase the volume of Its do mestic trade. , Here Is fresh ammunition for tha ship subsidy seekers. At a conference held In Cologne this week the repre sentatives of the trans-Atlantic steam ship line renewed their agreement regulating passenger traffic between Europe and the United States. This Is the alleged "combination in restraint of trade" In which Representative Humphrey and other noted subsidy seekers discovered such a mare's nest last year. As the passenger rates. Including meals and berth on the steamers of the "pool." are lower'than the rate which are charged by flrst class hotels In the large Eastern cities, and freight Is carried 3000 miles across the Atlantic at about one-fifth the rate charged between Portland and San Francisco, It Is hardly probable that the public will begin holding In dignation meetings over the renewal of the agreement. "It would be a Nation's loss," vtrrote President Taft to Dr. Washington, "if this untoward Incident In any way impaired- your great power for good In the solution of one of the most diffi cult problems of the age." "It would be a tragedy indeed," said Tbe Ore gonlan the day before, "were this in cident to cast a baleful blight upon the educational work of a man who stands for the uplift of his race In the United States." These almost Identical expressions In both cases were pref aced by assurances of confidence In the Integrity of Dr. Washington a confidence that, without doubt, Is shared by open-minded. Intelligent people throughout the Nation. The occurrence will scarcely be more than "as the chaff that the wind driveth away." Professor Joseph W. Marsh, who has been in the service of Pacific Uni versity forty-four years, celebrated his 76th birthday on March 22. The few who remember Professor Marsh as a young man Join with the faculty, graduates and students of Pacific Uni versity and the citizens of Forest Grove in rendering honor due to the venerable educator, and hope that his still useful life may be prolonged yet many years- The United States Government's In ternal revenue receipts reached high water mark during the first two months of the present year. A poverty-stricken Nation like Japan will probably think twiqe and then again, before It seek plausible pretext to go to war with a country whose treasury vaults are bulging with the thews and sinews of war, or with that which make these effective. The auspicious time has coma when it Is cheaper to live on coastwise steamers on the Pacific than to stay at home. Rate-cutting between rival lines has achieved this result, and to that extent has solved the problem of the high cost of living. And Just as Spring is smiling on the blue Pacific, too, with the vacation season in the offing! Naftzger, the Kansas banker who bought stamps In Job lots and swore he had no Interest In knowing whence they came to him, was given proper sentence yesterday, but will appeal, of course. . The room clerk at the state prison is in danger of nervous prostration and the Governor will help him out of his dilemma. The State Supreme Court is catch ing up with the work, since Justice McBride take a half-mile dash every morning. . Tha cost of the proposed high bridge in South Portland will be altltudlnous alo. Company L, at Pendleton, is drilling nightly, ready to give It to any foe. Only star boarders are wanted by Warden Jameay OREGON 40 TEARS AGO AND NOW. Lord Walalngbaja i Reads Analversary N amber With Surprise. WOODSTOCK. Or, March 20. (To the Editor.) Last month I sent copies of the anniversary issue of The Ore gonian to a number of friends in the Old Country and in Europe. I have Just received letters from some of them about The Morning Oregonian of Feb ruary 4. One of these is from Lord Walslngham, who came with me on a first visit to the United States in the epring of 1871 Just 40 years ago. He spent over a year In exploring, hunt ing and collecting objects of nature In Klamath, Harney. Grant and other counties of Southern. Eastern and Cen tral Oregon. He will probably be re called to memory by Senator Charles Parrlsh. of -Grant County, and other old settlers now living. He has always been a noted natural ist and sportsman. He holds the world's record for a grouse bag with 1070 birds to his own gun, on his Yorkshire estate. On another occasion, on his Nor folk estate, he bagged with 1100 cart ridges 842 partridges. He has been the largest collector in the world of mi nute species of moths from all parts of the world. Ha has given his self made collection of 260,000 species to the Natural History Museum in Ken sington. London. His letter, dated Monte Carlo, March 6, reads In part as follows: "I received a few days ago a great bundle of papers The Morning Ore gonian for which I am obviously in debted to your thoughtful kindness. In looking them through a first time I can scarcely believe the changes that have come over the country I used to know so well. To think that, taking no provisions, I was able to keep five men and a boy besides myself always sufficiently fed for 18 months by means of my own gun and rifle on the wagon and mule trip from San Francisco to the Columbia River and back seems now like a fairy tale, but so it was. 1 gave less than half my time to hunt ing. "The Fort Klamath plains Impressed me most strongly for settling purposes, and I am sure there is oil and mineral wealth in plenty in the neighborhood. Oil a little south of Klamath, at the point of the spur of hills that almost reaches the main road; then only a track. Exudations of pitch occur among the rocks a mile or two, perhaps more, from th road on the south side of the hills. There, there are also Indian fig ures and inscriptions on the face of the rock, which Indicate that this pitch was known. If I was there, I should take up a claim; but probably even Monte Carlo would be safer aa a gam ble for a limited capital! "I hear that the bulbs you sent me are coming Into flower, so I shall have specimens sent from Merton Hall and see if they are what I saw near Camp Watson, Grant County; but I feel quite sure It was a yellow snowdrop, and not a Frltlllarla. "Do you know the curious Junlperus Occidentals of Oregon? This again oc curs Just south of Klamath Reserva tion. I am interested in a larva which feeds on the seeds; probably the older and drier ones, which are discolored; but I scarcely know whether to collect them now or in August or September. If you have this tree near you, please send me some berries." I visited the Fort Klamath region In May. 1871, before Lord Walslngham had reached that region, and from my own observation I think he is Justified In his belief of petroleum being found there; but not with limited capital to explore it. The railroad systems now about to open that region will greatly facilitate proper investigation. Parts of Yamhill and Washington Counties are the nearest points to Portland for finding petroleum. If any of The Ore gonian readers in Southern Oregon know the Junlperus Occldentalls tree and would kindly send me some of the seeds 1 will forward same to Lord Walslngham. B, M. BRERETON. First Children's playgrounds. PORTLAND. March 22. (To the Edi tor.) In The Oregonian of March 21, in the review of the work accomplished by Mayor Simon and his several boards, credit Is given the Mayor and the pres ent Park Board for the installation of the first children's playgrounds in Port land. This is not quite in accordance with fact.' The real initiators of the movement in Portland for children's playgrounds In their modern form, with various play apparatus and a super visor, were the women of the People's Institute Club: Mrs. Helen Ladd Cor betr, then and now president; Mrs.' W. B. Ayer, Miss Mary F. Failing, Mrs. J. G. Gauld, Mrs. W. M. Ladd. Mrs. Charles E. Ladd, ills. A. H. Tanner, Mrs. T. B. Wilcox, and Miss Valentine Prlchard, director of the club. , The club some time In the year 1906 resolved to take steps to establish playgrounds for the children in the neighborhood of the Institute In North Portland. They accordingly petitioned the Mayor and the Park Board to set aside two- or three of the North Park Blocks. This was done, and the rest of the story is best told by the report of the Park Board for that year, and the report of the playgrounds com mittee of the Institute Club to the Park Board for the same year. . Permit me this much in Justice to the women of the People's Institute, and in the interest of the history of the beginning of a movement which every one must rejoice to see carried forward, and which must become of great Importance to the civic welfare of Portland. J. R. WILSON. ' Laws for Working1 Women. PORTLAND, March 20. (To the Edi tor.) Will you kindly answer these ques tions through the columns of The Ore gonian? 1. What Is the law In this state re garding the hours per day for working women and the number of hours in a week of seven days? 2. Can an employer lawfully deduct fines from employes' pay checks for In fringement of private rules, such as coming a few minutes late, etc., without notice of such rules? S. Has an employer the lawful right to withhold wages in event of employes leaving without noticee? WORKING GIRL. L Working hours of employed women are limited by law to 10 hours a day. 2. There Is no legal provision prohib iting penalizing of employes for infrac tion of rules. I. No; unless an agreement Is had beforehand. Waea Mortgages Are Foreclosed. PORTLAND, March 21. (To the Edi tor.) Would you kindly answer the question for me: When a mortgage is foreclosed on certain property, are the occupants of said property compelled to vacate at once, or are they given a certain length of time to remain and attempt to re deem said property, the occupants be ing the owners of property? PERPLEXED. The purchaser of property sold un der mortgage foreclosure is entitled to Immediate possession. . Taxing of Homesteads. MALIN, Or, March 18. (To the Edi tor.) Is a homestead taxable after It has been proved up on, and before a person receives a patent from the Gov ernment? A SUBSCRIBER. After final proof has been made and a certificate Issued therefor, the land itself must be assessed, notwithstand ing the patent has not been issued (Laws 1907, page 4aSJ, REASONS FOR THE! REFERENDUM Tamil ill Citizen Explains Movement Di rected at College Fnada. MTMTNNVILLE, Or, March 22. (To the Editor.) The referendum move ment begun in this city some weeks ago, seems to have been misunderstood by a number of the voters of the state. The key to this whole situation was voiced in a recent editorial in The Ora gonlan favoring the combining of the higher educational institutions of- the state. This sentiment was heartily ap proved by thousands of Oregon citizens, and was greatly strengthened by the fact that large appropriations were asked for and granted to the institu tions mentioned. The merging of these institutions was the dominant question at the mass meeting held In this city. It was thor oughly and ably discussed by a number of prominent citizens. It was argued from almost every conceivable point of view, and the final conclusion was that the first necessary step was to prevent further investment In these institutions until the question of union was settled; therefore, the referendlng of every ap propriation for new buildings and in creased maintenance granted these In? stitutlons was necessary, as a prelim inary step to the initiating of a law combining the state's higher educa tional institutions. The Idea that Yamhill County people do not believe In higher education is an affront and an insult to every citizen within her borders. As a matter of fact, Yamhill County has for years en Joyed as many Institutions for higher education as any other county In the state. And these colleges, too, are sec ond to none the work done by them being first-class In every particular and accepted by Yale, Harvard Brown, Chi cago and all of the higher educational institutions of the United States. Hence there can be no question that Yamhill citizens are appreciative of higher edu cation. The citizens of old Yamhill also know something of what it costs to edu cate a pupil in these independent col leges, and know to a certainty that it does not cost one-half as much to edu cate a pupil In either of the colleges of this county as It does to give the same grade pupil the same education In the University of Oregon, hence the desire on their part to combine the Institu tions, thus making their money go as far as possible. " The writer, together with many oth ers over the state, believes that every dollar of public money should be spent with the sole Idea of giving the great est good to the greatest number. If this principle is kept inviolate, our peo ple should be more concerned over the ninety and nine who cannot get to the higher educational institutions than they are over the one who can. Is it right to spend so much money on the few and so little on the majority? Why not spend more on educating the many? Why not more rapidly develop our pub lie schools? Why not pay the country teachers salaries In keeping with those received by the city teacher? The people of today are gradually drifting from the ancient idea of educating the leaders of men we have too many seir styled leaders now; we need more men who can think for themselves and the quickest way to get them Is to make a better education possible in every coun try district of the state. The idea that Yamhill citizens have decided to referend the appropriations through spite, or because a bill of one of Its Representatives was killed, is pure roC mere idle twaddle, and should not be given a moment's consideration by any fair-minded man. The only ob ject sought, as already stated, is to give the people of Oregon a chance to say First, as to whether or not they are willing to Bpend -ach large umt on higher education in comparison with tne relatively small sums appropriated for our public schools; and, second, as to whether or not it would not be econ omy to combine the higher educational Institutions, and provide for their main tenance by an annual continuing appro priation on the same basis as Monmouth Is now provided for, thus removing the necessity of making biennial appeals to the Legislature. -tt,,t TIMOTHY BROWNHILL. Maneuvers or War? PORTLAND. March 23. (To the Edi tor ) You have referred to me In The Oregonian as one who "scents war" and have stated that the present concen tration of troops was for "maneuvers, maneuvers only." I would like to know, as a matter of curiosity, if you really think that the President of the United States, after having, throughout the last session of Congress, recommended the utmost economy in appropriations, and after having had the military ap propriations cut down to the lowest possible figure, would immediately upon the adjournment of Congress have or dered 25,000 troops into the field, at a cost of millions of dollars,, merely for maneuvers? If he did. what would Congress have to say when It meets in April? The Eastern papers state that the President is not worrying about what Congress will say. Certainly not! He has the papers to show and they don't mention "maneuvers" either. JAMES JACKSON, CoL U. & A. The Oregonian has suggested repeated ly that the President's own explanation, through Inspired semi-official channels, that the mobilization of troops at the Mexican border has no hostile intent toward Mexico, or any nation, ought to be accepted at face value by the coun try. That It has behind it any serious purpose to intervene in Mexico, except as an ultimate necessity for the pro tection alike of Mexico and of the United States, The Oregonian does not believe; and that it has anything to do with Japan, or tbe remotest likelihood of war with Japan. The Oregonian re gards as both ridiculous and foolish. phases of Good Road I-aw. FORT ROCK. Or., March 18. (To the Editor.) Will you please answer the following inquiries in The Oregonian: "Is there a law In this state to the ef fect that a road which has been in use for 10 years or over cannot lawfully be fenced? Also, must room for a road be left on all section lines or may a man fence In more than a section of land without leaving a road through on the section line? LEWIS E. THOMPSON. A "highway not established by law which is used continuously for 10 years without interference becomes a county road. , Establishment of section line roads is a matter of local regulation in Oregon. Sonnets of a Car Conductor. Chicaso News. Oca, this is tough! Shafa promised me to come . . . Out to a picture show tonight, and. OSI I dunno where I'm solo' to raise tna dough. For lova has put my bank book on tha bum.. My purse is now as empty aa a drum. Nary a alngla red have I to ahow; But I must have a ed or two. ana so It's ut to me to look around for aome. I haven't got a pal that I can toucn For any mora than two bits at a stroke. And" I will need a dozen tiroea as niuch. Say. cully, ain't It hadea to ba broke. Wall, as I mut dig up tha change aome wheres. . ... . Thera-a nothrn' left (but knockln' down soma tares. iMt night X dreamed the-daradet bunch of rot; . Lova as a trolley ear I seemed to aaa Hlttln" it up the pike for fair, and gee. The crowd on board was such a mushy lot, Cooln' away like ringdoves in a cot! And dinky little Cupid seemed to be The jnotorraan. Meanwhile, his majesty Old Harry waa eollectln' (area, I thought. And I was aittln' holdln' Mamie's hand, Swappin' a heap of lovey-dovey guff, Pllin' the soft aoap on to beat tha band And handin' out a raft of hothouse atuff When suddenly we hit an open switch And Uaded, badly battered, in tha ditch! , Timely Tales of the Day J. S. Van Winkle, -who has Just been reappointed' postmaster of Albany, in Linn County, attended a. banquet in Salem given by the Young Men's Re publican Club a few days after his first had been considerable "josh ing" at the banquet about state pat ronage and when Van Winkle arose to respond to a toast he called attention to the fact that Linn County paid a larger state tax than any other county of Oregon, except four, but that de spite this it had no state institutions of any kind, state college or even a normal school. Judge Henry L. Benson, of Klamath Falls, was the next speaker. "The plight of Linn County Is indeed sad," said he, "and I lament with my friend Van Winkle the fact that it has no penitentiary or asylum, no state university or agricultural college or even a little normal school. But, thank God, Linn County still has a postofflce. There have been intermittent grumb Upgs over the class of service that has been given on the Mississippi-avenue carline, and it appears that one of the conductors on this line invariably drew until a few days ago, a crowd that took delight in complaining about what was called 'votten service." The conductor kept hearing this so often that he got to believing la real earnest that-there was something rad ically wrong about the treatment af forded the patrons of his line, and, be ing something of a wag. he thought he would make a strong hit with his pas sengers one evening. 6o, when the car approached the "R.-S.," or Russell-Shaver transfer point, he called out so that all could hear him: "Rotten-Service Junction." The car was packed and the disgrun tled passengers caught the sarcastio play on words in an instant and it went big. Everybody talked about It, and the nickel-gatherer was happy. The next night he repeated the call and he scored another hit. He tried it the third time, and this time It was a "knock-out" for him. He is not working for the company now. for there happened to be an inspector on the car. Thurston Hall, of the Baker Stock Company, tells this story as an Illus tration of how people never can see where the actor ever does any real work. It looks like one continuous good time to them. A circus opened in a small Iowa town and with it was a young man who had run away from home to be come a "razor-back." It waa his duty to drive Btakes, help the "property man" and occasionally follow the wagons to the loading place so as to help pull the wheels out of a rut should such a thing happen. He had grown weary of the work after tha glamor had disappeared and when the circus hit the town In question he de cided to quit. He went up town seek ing a' Job. Near the depot he saw two men unloading a car of coal. He stopped: , ' "Say," he said, "who's bossing this Job?" "I am," replied one of the men. "I want to go to work." "What you been dolnT "Drlvin" stakes for a circus." A look of disgust spread over the face 6f the boss, as he said: "No chance, young man. There never was an actor who could shovel coal." The late Judge J. B, Lewis, who died at Los Angeles Sunday, but was really of Seattle, had the unique distinction of having resigned a Judgeship with out knowing it, When Idaho waa a wild territory, without railroads and almost without law. President Grant sent Judge Lewis out to be Supreme Judge of the ter ritory. Lewis took with him some old fashioned Ideas of law-enforcement which did not suit the lawless dwellera In the West of those days and he Im posed sentences on them which spread consternation among the evildoers. They cast about for some means to get rid of him and hit upon the original scheme of forging his resignation and sending it to the President It must have been a good forgery, for Grant promptly accepted it and. knowing how sadly courts were need ed in Idaho in those days. Just as promptly appointed a successor. When Judge Lewis received notice that his resignation had been accept ed, he protested that he had not re signed and never intended to resign. In fact, he was not one of the resign ing kind. He would resign when he got ready, but the knowledge that any person desired his resignation was cause enough for him to stand pat. But Grant simply replied that not only had his resignation been accepted but his successor had been appointed, and that the appointment could not be cancelled. He found Lewis a way out of the difficulty by offering him the appointment of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Washington. This being as good a job as the one out of which the Idaho lawbreakers had euchered him. Lewis accepted, and that Is how he came to be a power in the affairs of Seattle and to acquire riches which he enjoyed In his old age In California. MANY FEATURES IN THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN "The Indiscretion of L e 1 1 y Shaw," fourth story in E. Phil lips Oppenheim's new adventure series. Taal Volcano's Recent Rampage, showing very first pictures of terrible eruption that wrecked Taal Island. VVTiat Commercial . Changes "Will the Panama Canal Effect? An intimate study of an important and complex subject by John F. Stevens. American-Born Women who will participate in the coronation of King George and there is quite a colony of them. Happiest Hours of Some of Our Great Men In every case the most unexpected versions are given. Women Who Stare on the Street are Flirts, says a street masher in his confession. Goo-Goo Eyes, fluffy hair and ponty lips not part of real Amer ican beauty, says noted artist in , selecting new model. Colorado's Penal Drones are put to work building good roads. Mr. Twee Deedle, Sambo and the Widow Wise have some new adventures.