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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1913)
THE MORXIXG OREGOXIAX, TUESDAY, APR EL 1, 1913. 8 rOKTLASD. OBECON. Entered at Portland. Orea-on. poatolflea a e'eond. class iralter. . Subscription Kales Invariably to Adsance: (BT MAIL) t!Ir. Sunday Included, ona year ee"? r'ai:y. Sur.lar included, sis raontha ... ttstly. runday Inc.uded. tl,ree montaa.. Z Ia.;r, Sunday Included, ona mocta .... Dewy, without fcunday, ora year .. act- ba..y. vlfnout Sunday, s-x months ... e..i Isaily. amaout Sunday, three montaa .. L;y. vttbiwt Sunday, ona monta .... -"y Wsealy. one year. ..... ........... -rr Sunday, ona year z.iti Susday and Weakly, ona year. ' (BT CARRIER! Daily. Sunday included, one year 2? La :y. Sunday Included, one month Hoar ta Kenalt bend &ostoff:ce money or der, tiprcaa t-rdrr or pereonaj liecii on your lorai bank. Btampj, coin or currency are a. the sender's riaa. Olve poatoSica address u. Cull. ir.c:ud:r.g- cooniy and state. foalasa Re lea Tea to J uasea. 1 IS to i pages. Z cents. 30 to 10 P; cente; 40 to SO page. cent. Forelsn fioitaz. double rate. taetern Business Ofllt ea Verree at Cons I'n. New Yor. BrunawicK bulidlcf. -a cars, brerer bulldme. ban traarisco On Ice R. J. BldwaU Co.. 7- Varet at reel. - Enropeaa OB Ice No. S Regent atrea: -tt' . i..,rd"n. PORTLAND. TVEfDAT. APRIL X. JOHN PIERPONT MORGAN. Br taking John Plerpont Morgan, death has removed the Colossus of American finance. He was the man before whom lesser kings of railroads and manufactures bowed; at whose shrine Wall street worshiped and trembled; to whom business and spec ulation in distress turned for help. A man of strong will, of quick and In flexible decision, his answer was "Yes" or "No." and none dared bandy words with him. Few were bis match in power, ability and aggressiveness and those few were only too glad to be come his allies rather than his ene mies. Born' at the time whpn industry was turning from man-power to steam power and wan beginning to require the massing of capital. Morgan lived through the entire period of transition from stagecoach to railroad, from manual labor to huge combinations of many great factories operated by steam and electricity. In the year of his birth George Peabody, whose American agent he later became, changed from a dry' goods merchant with whom banking was a side issue into a banker who sold the state bonds with which many of the first rail f Toads were financed and repudiation of which gave American investments '..so bad a name in Europe that recov ; ery of our credit did not come for a 'generation. Morgan's father, Junius Spencer Morgan, was another merchant prince transformed Into a banker, and he .'.succeeded Peabody as the king of finance. By that time financial oper- atlons had become too large for any , one bank to handle them. The elder Morgan organized the first bond syndl ; cate. which underwrote a French war ;;ioan of $50,000,000 In 1870, cleared a 'profit of 15.000.000 and was as sav I'agely denounced as trusts are nowa ; days. Under his able father's train- Irg the younger Morgan rose rapidly ;;until In 1871 he Joined the Drexels in ; organizing the firm of Drexel. Morgan t A Co.. w hich became the American ..house of J. S. Morgan & Co., of Lon tlon. With Levi P. Morton these two ' banks formed the syndicate which re funded $750,000,000 of the American Government debt and reopened the .! European market to American aecuri "tles. Then came the first era, or railroad ' consolidations, in which Morgan be icame the leading figure. He took the "roads out of the hands of promoters ' and speculators, who had loaded them ' with water, and began to save from ' loss the capital which he had secured. . He consolidated some, reorganized I others and, when pooling was forbld- den. tried to prevent ruinous com petition by arranging gentlemen's agreements. These being broken, he Joined other railroad banks in refus ; Ing to finance new competing lines. His greatest work of railroad reor ganization and consolidation followed ; the panic of 1S93. when, as trustee ' for the bondholders, he told the rail '. road presidents: "Those roads belong ; to my clients." He forced them to elect him on their boards of directors. !. created voting trusts and used vast ' numbers of proxies to protect the in '. terests of his clients. In conjunction ; with that great constructive genius. - J.imes J. Hill, he reorganized the Northern Pacific, bought the Burling- ion. and. not being able after a des- - perate fight to secure absolute control ; of the former road. Joined Harriman . In organizing the Northern Securities Company to get "a company with cap l ltal large enough so that nobody could ever buy it." This merger was dis l solved by the Supreme Court, but he ' contrived to hold the Hill roads to t gether. J: Then came the great era of indus- trial trusts, in the organization of Which Morgan was a commanding fig ure. So little effort had then been ''" made to enforce the Sherman law that the manufacturers and financiers ig . nored it and under Morgan's leader Jehlp massed the chief industries of the ' country, as the railroads had been I', combined. Greatest of these trusts is 'd. the Steel Corporation, while of only less magnitude are the shipping and '.. harvester trusts. That was the cll max of his career and death alone has - probably saved him from an anti-cli-l' max. In all his operations he did not "spare water and the Government has ' t-hown 50 per cent moisture in its as- say of the steel trust. He capitalized plants, good and bad. at the owner's "" selling price, then capitalized the mo- nopoly power, enhancement of prices ' by the tariff and his hope and confi !' denoe In the future. He always took a liberal toll for his services out of ; the Inflated capitalization, his firm's compensation for organizing and financing the steel trust having been the enormous sum of $67,000,000. These operations were built on Xlor- gan's confidence In the future of this country. His father taught him to be 'I a bull on the United States and he took as his motto these words of the " elder Morgan: !. Ay man who Is a bear on the future of - the I'nlted Statea will go broke. There will " he many timea when thinae i!II look dark ' and cloudy In America, when every one wilt 4- think there has been orer-development. But ' remember, yourself, that the growth of that ' taat country will take care of it all. Always J be a bull on America. The theory on which he defended !! monopoly was that It was absolutely ;. and irresistibly logical; that its aim was to stop waste by securing Just the 1'. amount of investment which would se cure the greatest possible returns. He believed In absolute monarchy In busl .'. ness. with himself as the monarch. He ; cou!d eo concentrate his thoughts and was so quick in decision that a great ! lawyer said of him: He acts by a kind of clairvovanee. an In stinctive jBtlrmnr.t aurh as womea are aup ,.' ied to exercise. "', He was generous In his treatment of the men he pit ke.I for partners, but .'Llie worktd them so bard that he wore out five generations of them, though each retired with a large fortune. He was a ravenous worker and the energy of his whole body was used by his brain, so he took no physical exercise. At the age of 60 he began to feel the strain and took light exercise, but, be coming no better, he consulted a great physician, who, after a thorough ex amination, warned him to stop exer cise in every form, saying: "Tou have formed the habit of living without ex ercise, giving your energy to your brain. It Is too late to change." He followed this advice, outlived many partners and afterwards scored his greatest achievements. But the time had turned against him long before he died. The dissolu tion of the Northern Securities merg er had proved that the anti-trust law had teeth and President Roosevelt's assaults on monopoly had created a National demand that these teeth should bite. President Taft made them bite hard and revealed the secrets of the steel trust's Tennessee deal. The enormous power which Morgan had aggrandized silently in his chosen role of benevolent financial despot over the United States has been made known by the Pujo committee. The knowledge has strengthened the de termination of the people to work out their own destiny without the aid of such a guardian. A man has come to the White House who will continue the work which Mr. Taft was doing so effectively and he will be backed by a united, not a divided. Congress. The Morgan power was on the wane and by dying when he did he escaped the mortification of seeing the colos sal structures he had built dlsmem bered. The passing of Morgan marks the early passing of his whole generation of financiers. Levi P. Morton at a great age is a very sick man, both the elder Rockefellers are in their seventies and are in retirement, and George K. Baker Is 73. James Still- man- l the youngest among them, be' Ing only 3. John P. Morgan. Jr., who will doubtless succeed his father. Is in the prime of life, and other men of about the same age will before long succeed the other old men in con trol of the great banks, railroads and industries. They are not too old to learn the unmistakable lessons of the last decade and to bend their wills to compliance with the expressed will of the whole people. NO PROSCRIPTION. 'The "Record." says our interesting contemporary at Pilot Rock, "is ex tremelv pleased to learn that it is not the Intention of The Oregonian to pro scribe those good old Republicans who. for reasons of their own, saw fit to support for President the man who received a plurality vote of over S000 in this state, who led his opponents In nearlv every Republican state in the Union and who had a decisive majority of white votes In the Nation al convention, despite the hope and promises of Federal patronage." It Is not the office or desire of The Oregonian to proscribe anybody, not even a Presidential white hope. But it .has thought it had a duty to cor rect some misapprehensions under which our hasty Progressive friends have been laboring, and to set them straight if It could, befon their own consciences and before the public. The Oregonian long ago called at tention to the fact that thousands of Democrats In Oregon were registering as Republicans and voting at the Re publican primaries, and it denounced the practice as reprehensible and even as criminal. It protests similar ly against any man or woman who re-e-ard himself or herself as a Progres sive (with a capital P) falsely pre tending to be a Republican, or openiy repudiating any obligation to act with other Republicans, yet insisting on the right to participate in a Republican primary. What could be more con fusing and discreditable? What pos sible defense can be made for any one who seeks to kellaherlze his party? We wonder if the Pilot Rock Rec ord, and others who proudly boast of their love for the old Republican par ty, but don't vote for It, have ever stopped to appraise the worth of the thin thev sav Taft defrauded them of at Chicago? Do they think Roose velt could have beaten v uson t USELESS INFORMATION. The voters who will be able to de rive anything but confusion of mind and hopelessness of understanding from the charter pamphlet Just Issued under authority of the city will be the few who have carefully and systemat ically followed the proceedings of the various committees that have worked out the commission form of govern ment. Gauged by Its benefit to the ordinary voter who desires to Inform himself concerning the proposed char ter the publication of 60.000 copies is a sinful waste of money. The document is a pamphlet of 180 pages and from a technical and legal standpoint is nerhaDs a complete and accurate presentment of the charter as it will exist provided tne commis sion amendments are adopted. But In the form In which it is published it presents a vast mass of material use less to the Informed and detrimental to the understanding of those who are not. Were the Issue plainly presented therein it would still have the fault of being at least a month late In ap pearing, while in Its existing complex, ity six months" time for consideration would be all too short. It is apparent that In compiling the pamphlet the Auditor compiled strict ly with the instructions given by the City Council. He was required to number the sections providing for commission form of government "and insert the same in proper place In the rhiriw nf i03. and thereafter have the same published in pamphlet form. nut sureiy tne council cuui not have foreseen the result. For example, the commission char ter provides that all the powers con ferred by the charter of 1903 upon th. vvAfiirtvei Board, the Water Board and other boards and commissions abolished by the new charter snail h .xerrUed hv the citv commission or new form of Council. The duties of these boards are to be continued but their formation is to be changed. Tet the pamphlet contains all the sec tions of the old charter which provide for the number, qualifications and method of appointment of members of these abolished boards. The strong, est argument in favor of the commis sion form of government lies In its centralization of authority. It Im poses upon a small and well paid Council the duties now performed gratuitously by numerous boards ap pointed by the Mayor. Tet the reader endeavoring to ascertain something from this pamphlet about the proposed commission will In his study encounter sections apparently requiring the ap pointment of citizens, not of the Coun cil, as members'of the Water Board, Docks Commission, Health Board and the like. In addition the pamphlet contains section after section from the old charter the force of. which has ex pired by limitation. Among these is the amendment of 1911. authorizing the Issuance of $150,000 in crematory bonds. These bonds have been is sued, sold and the proceeds used In the construction of a crematory which Is In operation." Yet the uninformed voter could readily infer from this pamphlet that if he voted for the commission charter he would be ap proving a new Issue of $150,000 in bonds for the purpose of erecting; a crematory. There Is also included the bond Issue of $260,000 authorized in 1907 for the purchase of a fireboat and oth er fire-fighting apparatus. There is the later amendment authorizing an Issue of $2,500,000 for public docks. There Is Included the amendment pro viding for a bond Issue of $450,000 for the Hawthorne-avenue bridge, al though the bridge has been built and has long been In use. To give others would be useless repetition. What possible Interest can the voters have in these dead issues? It Is a volume burdened with char ter sections that have lost their force In the lapse of time and with other sections that wouid be repealed by implication if the commission amend ments carry. It Is unfortunate that the careful, painstaking and intelli gent work of the framers of the com mission charter should be presented in such form. If the commission charter be successful the pamphlet may be of use here and there among lawyers and others who require a work of ref erence as to city law, past and present, but as an official campaign document or conveyor of information to voters It is practically valueless. A REASON OF GOOD Ml'SlC The beautiful concert which the Portland Symphony Orchestra gave last Sunday formed a fitting climax to its season of sincere and thorough ly artistic work. Unlike most sym phony orchestras this one does not enjoy a large endowment fund. The members give their services without salary and it is only by unremitting devotion to the public interest that the organization has been sustained. Predictions have been freely made that it must fail and there was much excuse for them since no other sym phony orchestra In the country has undertaken to do so much with so lit tle means. But the predictions have all been falsified and its career both this season and in previous years has been highly successful. The last ooncert was particularly brilliant. The music rendered was of the finest quality and the performance was exquisitely ar tistic. The future success of the Sym phony Orchestra seems to be assured. Its fine concerts this season have been an Important feature in the richest series of musical performances Port land has ever enjoyed. The Portland Musical Association has brought before the public a num ber of great artists in a variety of performances. This association is composed of women who are willing to expend time and effort in the cause of musical culture. Their aims are high and it is pleasant to be able to say that their undertaking has been financially as well as musically suc cessful. Portland has supported their entertainments liberally and there is good reason to expect that the asso ciation will continue its work another year. As In former seasons, the Steers-Coman company have provided a number of musical programmes of the highest excellence. Their untir ing energy has been a powerful agency for the development of musical taste In Portland. We must credit them with providing an amount and variety of artistic enjoyment which the city could scarcely have obtained without their enterprising ability. The Steers Coman entertainments culminate this season in a brilliant programme of grand opera more elaborate and beau tiful than Portland has ever seen be fore. The arrangements are on the most expensive scale and no doubt the enthusiasm of the muslc-Iovlng pub lic will amply reward their energy and courage. The effort to provide grand opera In a city of Portland's size must al ways involve financial risks to the promoters. Since the enterprise in a way competes with New York It fol lows that the prices current in that metropolis must be paid to the artists. But the population from which the audiences are drawn is comparatively small, so that unless musical enthu siasm is far more prevalent than it Is in New York the business side of the venture Involves unavoidable risk. It lies with the people of Portland and Oregon for liberal patronage of the grand opera entertainments to as sure to the promoters a fair return for their outlay. As conditions stand It is only by heavy sacrifices on the part both of promoters and audiences that cities of the size of Portland can enjoy even a. brief season of grand opera. But even though the price of seats is high, the expense to those who attend the concerts is very small compared with that of a trip to New York or Chicago, which seems to be the only alternative to bringing the companies here. Great music . Is not cheap anywhere. In Europe,, where the artistic capitals are comparatively near together and fine opera-houses are numerous, the performers do not receive as large salaries as in this country, nor are the incidental ex penses so heavy. But even in European cities it has been found impossible to maintain opera of the highest charac ter without liberal subsidies from the government. Sometimes the munici palities provide the funds, sometimes the national governments, but there are very few Instances where either theater or opera Is self-supporting. Subsidies from the public purse en able European cities to enjoy more musical performances than we usually have here, and at lower prices. Thus far Americans have disliked the thought of public aid to enterprises of this kind and have either provided for them by private subscription and the sale of seats or gone without. Whether this will continue to be our policy is a matter for speculation. The feeling steadily gains ground In this country that music and the drama ought not to be looked upon simply as a pastime. They are important factors In public education. Citizens who lack that particular kind or cul tivation cannot be said to have been educated In the highest and best sense. If we should ever come to be- j Ueve that the drama and music are as essential as reading and manual training it will naturally follow that we shall provide for them from the public funds as we now provide for the public schools. No doubt the fu ture will tiring about great changes, both in our esteem for the artistic side of life and in the methods we shall take to cultivate It. The Greeks, whom we frequently regard as our models In democratic government, looked upon the drama as an indis pensable element in civic life. They saw to it that the theaters were large enough to accommodate all who might wish to attend and the admission price was not beyond the means of the humble. At Athens the poorer citi zens could obtain the price of a seat from the public treasury if they de sired. Whether we shall ever appre ciate art and the drama to this degree time will tell, but It would be re grettable if the appeal of those mo mentous factors in education should always be as restricted as It is now. The problems that arise from polyg. amy in Utah, which Is a thing of the past, are baffling. For example: A Mrs. Geddes Is seeking part of the $10,000,000 estate of David Eccles, who died three months ago. for her 13-year-old son. although both denied the lad's parentage to the Smoot com mittee a few years ago. Mr. Geddes has been dead twenty-one years, and It is admitted Eccles contributed to her support since. Eccles left a wife and a polygamous consort, with twenty-one children by both. He did well, and It Is evident from the looks of things he did even better than well. In the old days in that country "splr itual" wives were a tangible asset. De. spite the Edmunds law, there must have been something doing since its passage. The Nebraska Legislature refuses to make an appropriation for partlclpa' tlon in the Panama Fair. If the ex- hlbit were to be along the lines of the display at the Lewis and Clark Expo sition, refusal Is Just as well. In the matter of seeking a home, nobody will care to go from this favored section to the land of tornado and cyclone; but Nebraska could at San Francisco attract an attention to its resources In the line of corn and hog products that would inure to its benefit. There are yet two years for eleventh-hour con sideration. A group of Chinese students at Harvard has called Dr. Charles w. Eliot to account for his .severe stric tures upon their national religion. They demand the facts which he bases his Judgment upon and it is not cer tain that he can supply them. There is enough good in' any of the great na tional religions to build a progressive life upon. The undesirable element will gradually be eliminated and the pure nugget of truth remaining may be found to be about the same In China as In Boston. ' On the wall of his private library Mr. Carnegie has this legend: "All Is well since all grows better." This ex presses genuine optimism ana it air fers totally from the ' complacent hnmhiip- that "All Is for the best In the best of worlds." Mr. Carnegie be lieves not that tne worm is as goou as it can be, but that it can be made better. The fiction that we live in the "best of worlds" provoked Vol taire's scorn and moved him to write "Candide." perhaps the most incisive of all satires. If J. P. Morgan's fatal illness was caused by the money trust Investi gation we may take it as proof that conscience retains its power even in the breast of a billionaire. When he was brought face to face with his sins, Mr. Morgan felt the sting of re morse so keenly that he sickened and died. Had we a Shakespeare he would make a tragedy out of the story, as his great predecessor did out of Lady Macbeth's remorse. Senator Lane waiting for the last entry before making his selections for Federal offices reminds one of the countryman who stood on the main street of a great city waiting for the crowd to pass. Once upon a time a man took a chance and picked up a purse that was being kicked along the walk by people who would not bite on an April fool Joke. It was full of money. The new King of Greece will visit Saloniki, the purpose of tie visit not being announced. It Is certain, at least, that he Isn't going for his health. Syrians seem to be displacing local bidders on sewer contracts Just a pre monition of what may happen when the Canal is open. - The fact that Morgan Inherited $10, 000,000 will lead every failure to de clare he could have done as well with that start. San Francisco firemen were utterly unable to cope with a sulphur fire. Let this be an added warning to the -wicked. We will not be greatly surprised if a lucrative vaudeville engagement fol lows the "Bat" Nelson matrimonial farce. The Turks have Just scored a big victory. Many a groggy fighter has rallied in the last round and won. Omaha wants a toond issue of a mil lion for rehabilitation, but Dayton wants the cash. Lane is in no hurry to fill the of fices. Possibly he enjoys the spectacle of suffering. Only one additional provisional President was proclaimed in Mexico yesterday. There will be no high water now. Falling temperatures confirm the pre. diction. After a brief rest Professor Taft is hurrying to Yale .to take up his new duties. A thrilling story remains to be told of the siege and capture of Adrianopie. Whether It is to -be seen or merely to hear the opera, by all means go. When Tacoma has a lull In other amusements it holds an election. Well, a "literary" man will go to the court of St. James. Hope you enjoy the Joke today. It will soon be Prof. Taft. "Swat the fly!" Play ball!" April foolj PRESIDENT CHARMS PROGRESSIVES Mr. Ware Talnka Wllaoa May Poaaibly Lead New Party A sal net Stautdpattera. MEDFORD. Or., March SO. (To the Editor.) I cannot recall ever reading In any newspaper eight editorials writ ten for one Issue that were as apropos and able as the eight editorials In The Oregonian Saturday, March 22. Every article should have been read by every man who takes Interest In his country's welfare and desires to read things that set him to thinking along lines of thought that may help him better to decide what his course of action shall be when the proper time comes for him to decide the things that go to make mankind better or worse. However, I have to differ with you about your view of Colonel Roosevelt in your editorial, "Colonel Roosevelt's Silence." Colonel Roosevelt by not com promising with the standpatters at the Republican National convention and either taking the nomination himself or showing the white feather and con senting to Hadley becoming the nom inee with the old bosses In the saddle, probably did more to make the election of Wilson possible than any other fac tor in the late National battle of the voters. Colonel Roosevelt during the time he served as President did more to arouse the latent progressive forces into action and bring about the over turning of the old political bosses than any one man has succeeded In doing In the past 30 years, thus making it pos sible for a Wilson to be elected in 1912. The fact Is acknowledged by all fair minded men and women of all parties. President Wilson has not seen fit In any publio address to give any credit to Roosevelt for anything he accom plished during his term of office, nor acknowledged the debt he owed to Roosevelt for the great fight against tremendous odds that he made with a reluctant Congress, thereby bringing so many Issues directly before the people. On the other hand. In his oook, "The New Freedom," he hands out several hot roasts to Roosevelt. In fact, Wilson has criticised almost every prominent i .i e-nr, TtrnRhine-tnn to Bryan and Roosevelt, with the possible exception of La Follette, who has now become one of his most valued aavisers.- Trnnw1ncr all this ROOBCVelt WOUld hardly be human If he at once took particular pains to praise President Wilson. If he did. most of us would think he had either become a saint or that he was playing a deep game to win public approval. Personally. I would like to have seen him rise above all personal feeling or hr, of future, reward and have come boldly out and praised Wilson's great inaugural address in no uunn" words, and no warmer praise have I heard than from our local Prbgressives as to President Wilson In all he has done since he was elected. We all wish T-.Eisn wiisnn Ruccesa and hope he may continue to lead the way In all that goes to mate men Dener auo generous In their dealings with their fellow men. Roosevelt has always been far In ad. vance of the general rank and file of the average voter In his ideas as to the best course to pursue to obtain the best results and It is possible he went so ... .w. v-n nnw has to Dause awhile for new vigor and fresh breath for the battle that Is sure to come wtt.mii mo veara. For one. I am willing to give him credit for what he did and am perfectly willing to await pi:"j .v. inai -tto-rfift nf all srood. honest men and women as to his being one of the greatest political leaaera oi i Hi.. - -DroalriRnt Wilson HOW OCCUPleS the center of the stage and we, the common folks In the common seats, not In the boxes, are ready ana wining io i .. .4 o-nnri move . And. if he aiiimuu j - succeeds as well as he has begun, even give him the usual honor oi me un serving encore-a second term, not withstanding the plank In the Demo cratic platform. One of two things is 1 ! 1. 1 hannpn Plthflr a lot Of veiy iicy t- f Progressives will be Wilson Democrats or a lot of Wilson uemocram win the Progressive party and it is not so uncertain either that Wilson may be nnmtncA no. ne-alnst a standnat Repubocrat. It Is nearly a safe tip that few Progressives will ever return to the G. O P. Senator Cummins has said in more than one private lener uu uu- h ,Aaace of tha Reoublican party IMS -"0 1 - - can meet and adopt the plan of cutting out the present plan oi eieciinK un gates from the Southern States, the old Republican party is dead beyond all reviving. So attacks on Roosevelt will not 1. nnA .nnvrt to Republicanism, but will only tend to widen the breach and make it so much naraer ior any i mnninii antlon amonE liberal Repub licans and Progressives. A. A.. WAXVCi. BOARD FEET IN TAPERING STICK Correspondent Gives Simple Role for Getting Rleht Answer. BUCODA, Wash.. March 30. (To the Editor.) Being a constant reader of The Oregonian, I trust I may be per mitted to do a little figuring on that stick of timber. . -,.1 fnr. finlfno- tha V.lllime Of a frustum of a pyramid is: Add to gether tne areas oi me uppei aim v. bases and the square root of the prod- .. . .Ha two nmnR- multiDlv the sum by one-third of the altitude. This gives the cubical contents wnicn can be easily reduced to square feet. As it frequently occurs there Is ,a difference of opinion as to the correct way of ascertaining the board measure . .- . ....... tlmW the fol. uuuieuio i " i " - - r. ........ . , lowing method is both simple and cor- rect, and win enaDie anyone w iisme the exact contents without delving into square root: To find the contents or a timDer in feet high, 12 by 12 inches at the bot- . 1 Bv hi- Biv Inhoa at- thA tOt). lltlll wm ' ' "J ... ...... - - square both ends separately, then mul tiply the top ana ootxom siue, nuu mo three products together and multiply the sum by the height, and in all cases divide by 36. Operation: ,1 -I 1 -nnals ....1-44 ft times S eauals. 36 S timea 12 equals Total Multiply 252 by 40 and the product Is 10.080. Dividing by 36 gives 280 as the number of board feet. The common error that would be made in figuring a timber of this di mension would be to call It nine by nine, the supposed size at the middle. The contents in that case would be 270 feet. That appears to be the way the Wasco correspondent figures it, but it is not correct. The method I use can be proved by figuring a square timber on the same principle. J. G. FISCHER. Bucoda, Wash. " I'nwrirteB Un Revised. PORTLAND. March 31. (To the Edi tor.) The varying opinions expressed by correspondents in The Oregonian in regard to the "unwritten law" are most Interesting. I would like to ask some of your contributors one question: If a man is Justified In killing his wife's paramour, is not a wife Justified In killing her husband's mistress? M. B. H. Getting Baelc at Lawyer. London Tit-Bits. "Prisoner at the bar," said the Judge, - Kit-, nnvthtnz vou wish to eay be fore sentence Is passed upon your' NO, nay lora, tncre i . say, but If you'll clear away the xt .hair, for ma to thrash m V lawyer, you can give me a year or two extra." TRIBITK TO FRIEND OF BOYHOOD Grave of Samuel MeRoberta Leads Mr. D'Arcy lata- Renalmiacenee. .. SALEM. March SO. (To the Editor.) A few days ago while walking through the Oddfellows' Cemetery south of Salem. I noticed for the first time Jhe following inscription: "Samuel McRoberts Born In Dan villa. 111., December 13, 1845. Died In Salem. Or., March 21, 1864." When I read this my mind Teverted to Incidents which occurred many years ago when, as a small lad, I attended the old Institute located where the gymnasium of the Willamette Univer sity now stands. I read and reread the Inscription with much Interest. I did not remember his resting place until I saw this monument. How few there are living in Salem who remember Samuel McRoberts. "Sam" McRoberts, as. he was familiar ly called by the students, was several years older than myself. It Is strange how this young man's Individuality seemed to interest me. My remembrance of him is somewhat indistinct, but his personality has impressed itself upon my mind so much that I have never forgotten him.-When I read the inscrip tion many reminiscences passed through my mind of the pioneer days of our city and the many changes which have taken place since he attended school, and his death in the flush of young manhood. My recollection- of him was that he was a brilliant student, line athlete, and a splendid speaker. He was un selfish and generous, kind to the younger boys. My happiness was com plete when I was privileged to run for his ball, hand him a bat, and in return for services rendered receive a pat on the shoulder and kindly words of en couragement. He was my ideal in every way of what a student should be. Many times since he was buried have I thought what a success in life he might have achieved with his intel letual qualities, pleasant and agree able manners which he possessed. Sam McRoberts was a cousin of Hon. Charles B. Moores, of Portland, and Messrs. A. N., Ross E. and Carl Mooras, of Salem. At the time of which I write many persons knew him well. Nearly all of them have solved the problems of this life and passed away from earth nevermore to participate in the trials, struggles and vicissitudes which we all encounter. On reading the above inscription I could not help oHerlng a small tribute of respect and affection to one who fell early In life's battle. The beautiful cemetery where he is buried overlooks Salem, the peerless city of the West. From here one has a delightful view of the Willamette Valley, the garden spot of Oregon. In the distance the snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Range of Mountains, Mount Jefferson and the Three Sisters can be seen lovely panorama or me beauties of nature. Kind, generous and noble young man, how your presence has been the cause of many high anl lofty Ideals. May your sleep be peaceful and serene, in th vio-or of vouth. with fond hope and bright prospects, you passed beyond the river. As I regretted your death very much at the time it occurred, so as the years have fled away my boyish feeling and good will for you have Increased. The remembrance of Sam McRoberts and the old days are with me still. The chimes of memory keep In mind the days of long ago. Surrounded by friends and acquaint ances and those who dearly loved him, Samuel McRoberts passed out to the unknown shore. All hall, good friend of my boyhood fancies. Your memory will ever be treasured by one who had an affectionate and sincere Tegard for your kindly and sterling character. P. H. D'ARCY. FIRST MISSTEP RARELY FOR GAIJf Woman Writer Blames Immorality of Men for Downfall of GIrla. PORTLAND. Mar. 30. (To the Edi tor.) I have read various letters that have appeared in The Oregonian under the heading "Why Do Girls Go Wrong?"; also your editorial on the same subject. All kinds of reasons were given in these letters excepting the right one. That was not mentioned for the reason the writers were men. A woman of the so-called outcast class, a witness before the Vice Com mission of Chicago, made the very true statement that if there were no im moral men there would be no immoral women. Commercialized vice is mostly the clearing house for the victims of men, and Is not allowed to exist In any other way. Not one girl in a hundred takes the first step for gain. It is the per sistent, unrelenting pursuit of a man r often a married one) for a victim. After he is through with her she Is turned over to the redlight district and our wolf gets busy preparing another for the same fate. 'Tis an endless chain under the present system. Put the burden where it belongs by punishing men who are the guilty ones; use the same drastic means and tha same diligence in punishing the fiends who debauch girls as Is used on those who debauch boys and you will have gone a great way toward solving the vice problem. Stop the supply and the rsst will be easy. It Is but folly to punish the sheep and let the wolves run at large. The statement said to have been made by Judge Gatens that 75 per cent of men are Immoral, if true and 1 do not doubt it is enough in Itself to ac count tor the thousands of degraded women and girls and the unspeakable misery from disease of those who marry these men.v A cheerful outlook for those yet to marry! Put the burden where It belongs; re verse the present procedure and watch the results. J. G. T. LEGISLATURE AS CLEAN AS PEOPLE Indiscriminate Slurring Reflects on In telligence of Voters. Harney County News. The following editorial note is from a neighboring exchange: "We can be thankful for one thing. The Legislature has adjourned, but, of course, as Congress will now convene we must be reconciled to take the bitter with the sweet." We have seen several similar "witty" statements of late and they are of perennial bloom. They are unjust, senseless and Injurious, and they are doing their deadly work of breeding contempt for law, for order and for the Ideas upon which representative gov ernment is based. There is no sincerity back of such expressions nor is there a particle of reason or Justification for them. The actuating motive of the average Legis lature is to do that which it is thought a majority of the people want done, and that which is deemed best for tne peo ple as a whole. Occasionally Legisla tures lose sight of that motive, but rarely. The personnel -of the Legisla ture, whether state or National, is made up of and by the people, and Is of a character fully as high, fully as clean, fully as Intelligent and fully as virtu ous as that of the power that made It. Whenever you slur the Legislature In any manner. Just so far you chal lenge the character of the people for Intelligence, for honesty or for virtue Indiscriminate slurring of the Legisla ture and of Congress, not for any sin of omission or commission, but simply be cause of existence, is a sure sign of superficial thinking or none at all, and an absolute lack of care as to the ulti mate and natural effect. There is at present an insidious In fluence at work to destroy representa tive government and to centralize power In few hands for the execution of laws which are to be made through Dublic clamor, and if that be ever brought about, then good-by prosperous and peaceful United States! Twenty-five Years Ago From Tha Oregonian of April 1. 1S8S. Mrs. Belle Brown has been appoint ed postmistress at Lents in place of David B. Fleck, who declined. Dr. C. F. Gladding, the dentist has accepted a position as traveling sales man with the gutta percha company. It will be a great day for Portland when she ceases to wait on outaide people to do the work she ought to do herself. From this time forth every vacant lot and street corner will be monopo lized by the small boy with ; bat In hand. Yesterday a deed was recorded trans ferring 52 acres southeast of East Portland to a syndicate oomposed of Jos. Burkhard, H. D. McGulre and L F. Chemln. The consideration was $30,000. The tract is the slghtliest part of the Clinton Kelly donation land claim. Half a Century A-jo' From The Oregonian of April 1. 1S63. By an act of the last Congress. cents is made the single letter rate of postage all over the United States, including letters from California to the East. ... -: Washington. March 23. Admiral Porter's dispatch says that the whole Yazoo Pass expedition had arrived in the Tallahatchie, which gives us con trol of the head of the Mississippi. : Late Richmond papers continue to speak of the scarcity of provisions South. One of them recommends the people to live on two meals a day. The dramatio troupe continues to at tract fair houses at the Willamette Theater. The beautiful drama of "The Bushrangers" seemed to . please the audience last night. M.' Mansfield has removed his auc tion rooms to the commodious build ings across the street. CSB FOR VACANT LOTS IN BERLIX Portland Woman Tells How Every Foot Is Vtillaed to Advantage. BERLIN. March 12. (To tne Editor.) It is not necessary that one should have country estate or expensive sub urban lots or even private lots In tha crowded city In order to make them selves gardens, for everyone who has a space as big as a soapbox makes a garden here, so that the balconies and window boxes stretch, tier upon tier, in endless succession from one end of the streets to the other, and people, in Summer, find the streets so attrac tive that they are lured Into walking miles without fatigue, so encliantinK are the vines and flowers. No one is so poor or busy or inert that a window box may not be achieved, and to belong to the window-box brigade is to be a poet is to show recognition of Sum mer to salute nature herself. We like to helieve that the day of rites and ceremonies is over, but the truth is thero lives within us an inextinguish able desire for them, and from time immemorial man and beast have wel comed the coming of Spring and re joiced In the bounty of Summer. Oregonlans can do as well, for they have more money, as much time and as good a climate. All they need Is the spirit to do the deed. Flowers bloom not from seed alone, but by the grace of spirit. On every table in Germany there Is a bouquet of flowers, and man, ' or maid, however humble their station, will stop and buy a flower, for there are hundreds of flower booths on the streets. In Berlin the vacant lots are let, for a small price, in plats, some not larg er than 20 by 30 feet In area. A neat shelter Is built by the tenant and the family goes there in Spring and- plants every foot of vacant ground with vege tables and flowers. All the place is kept so clean that it Is great pleasure to behold what can be done. Every thing needed for sanitation is provided by the land . owner, and tenants can have water for irrigation. A commu nity of these dwellers will have a pile of sand, and there clean, well behaved children play to their hearts' content. It is surprising what Is done in this manner and how far-reaching are lt:( benefits. Already the members of such colonies are preparing their little gar dens so as to have early vegetables. What, a change would .transpire in Portland if all the neglected lots were treated as vacant lots are treated In Germany. FRANCES MORELAND HARVEY. Woman's Idea of M Dress Reform." ALBANY, Or., March 30. (To the Editor.) There has been so much dis cussion of late in the press and in the magazines by men concerning what sort of clothes a woman ought to be allowed toawear, that It seems to me It would do no harm for one woman to say what she thinks about the sub ject. It is, of course, possible that no one else holds the same views. I can not help thinking that a great deal of this discussion is not alto gether unnecessary, but "bromldlc" in the extreme. Why, indeed, should men try to dictate what women should wear or not wear? One misguided Indi vidual In the Middle West has - even gone so far as to introduce a bill in his state Legislature stipulating penal ties for bare throats and thin stock ings.. If the men of his section are so feeble and weak-moraled that a woman cannot wear thin stockings and low shoes for coolness without endanger ing herself, things in general are at a pretty low ebb there. It would ba much more to the point if men would pay more attention to their own morals and less to criticism of women's cloth ing. The best women of today do not wear conspicuous clothing, and those women who do are only on a par with the men who affect extremes In padded shoulders and "peg-tops." At 'her worst, no woman could present the spectacle offered us women very fre quently by college youths In track clothes and basktcball suits and by workmen who s.'ied important portions of their clothing for convenience In their work, regardless of the eyes' of the public. The men would do better if they would leave off the discussion of this subject in such extravagant terms as have been used heretofore. The rem edy will be found not in a swathing, formless, all-concealing garment for women, but in stronger backbones .for our whole body social. LUCILLE HART. Florence Crittenden Homes. HILLSBORO. Or., March 29. (To the Editor.) (1) How many Florence Crit tenden Homes are there in the United States, and where are they located? (2) What is the yearly average num ber of girls received in these homes? (3) Are such homes exclusively "res cue missions" for fallen women, or are young women and girls who need aid In other ways welcomed? L. O. R. (1) Seventy-six. The list Is too long to print, (2) Write to the matron, Florence Crittenden Home. East Thirty-first and Gllsan streets, this city, enclosing stamped envelope for reply. (3) Such homes are devoted to the protection of the young, the rescue of the fallen, and the maintenance of a single standard of morals, equally binding on men and women. Send for the monthly magazine "Girls." $1 per year, and published by the Nation al Florence Crittenden Mission, 215' West Thirteenth street, New -York City, ; .