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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1913)
10 TIIE 3I0RXIXG OREGOXIAX, FRIDAY, DECE3IUER 5. 1913. PORTLAND. OREGON. Kntered at Portland. Or ion. postollce a secon4-ciaaa matter. 6abecrlpUon Rate Ir.varlably In Mre (BT VAIL) Pany, onday Included, on year .......$ pally. Snnday Included, six months ..... e.2S Xaf!y. Sunday Included, three montha ... Xallv. Sunday Included am month ..... . Daily, withont Sunday, on year ........ -00 Oally. without Sunday, an montha ..... J Jj XBlIy, without Sunday, three montha ... Sally, without Sunday, ona month -SO U'Mklv mi v.. r ... 1.60 Sunday, one year Z-0 Kuaday and Weekly, ona year .......... .ae (BT CARRIER! TlTv. ftnnriev tnelnrte.1 An vIP S9.00 Xaly. Sunday Included, one month -7 How te Kexntt Send postoffiee money or. aer. express order or personal check on your roi IM. Biampa. coin or currMui at sender's risk. Give poetoffice addreae In full, Including county and state. Poetasje Ratea 12 to IS r-aa-ee. 1 cent: 18 to z pace, t eenta; 34 to o pagee. a cai 5ft to oo oaaea. 4 cents: 62 to 76 pase- cents: 7S to W2 pagea. centa. Foreign post age, double rates. East era Business OffVen Verree Conk Hn, New York, Brunswick building. Chi' cago, steger building. 8aa Francises- Office R. J. Bldwall Co. its uariai street. PORTLAND. FRIDAY, DECEMBER S, 18 IS. i OCTCBT FROM SHIPOWNERS. The LaFollette seamen's bill la d nounced as "a bill to destroy Ameri can chipping;" and Its provisions for the. safety of life at sea are held up to ridicule- by the New York Journal of Commerce. These provisions re quire every vessel, whether at sea, on the lakes or on rivers, to carry enough lifeboats to seat all passengers and to have two able seamen for every boat. In the case of the ordinary ateamer from New York to Asbury Park. 120 lifeboats and 240 men would fee necessary, most of the men would ave nothing- to do and the passenger, carrying; capacity would be greatly re duced. - Zt Is Impossible to eliminate danger f loss of life at sea absolutely. But it Is possible to reduce danger to a minimum. The requirement of enough lifeboats to carry all on board a ship , seems unnecessary In these days of Wireless telegraphy, for In time of danger help can be summoned and ships are so numerous on established lanes of travel that It Is always at hand. When the Volturno sent out her call for help, ships swarmed around her and the loss of life was due not to lack of boats, but to the storm and to scarcity of men to han dle them. On Inland waters the num ber of boats could be reduced as the possible distance from shore grew less and the probality of relief increased. The requirement of two able sea men for every boat might be relaxed to provide that every, man on a ship's crew not only seamen, but stewards, engineers, firemen and others should be ap oarsman and that all have reg ular boat drill. These men, reinforced by passengers who can pull an oar. should suffice to man the boats. Shipowners make a great outcry against abolition of penalties for de sertion and abrogation of treaties -providing such penalties. The bill retains penalties for disobedience at sea, for these are necessary to the preservation of the ship and the lives of the crew. There is no reason why a seaman, while his ship Is in port. should be on any different footing from a landsman. He should be as free to quit his employment and should be subject tu no severer pen alties for breach of a contract of service. The bill contains other pro visions to ameliorate the condition of seamen, but relief from penalties for desertion might serve the same pur pose. A skipper will control his tem per and provide better food and quar ters If he Is likely to lose his crew at the first port of call. Foreign ship owners will pay better wages rather than lose their crews on arrival at American ports. The natural result will be a closer approach to equality In cost of operating American and for.' cign ships. If the LaFollette bill be too drastic, the alternative Nelson bill Is utterly Inadquate. The one emanated from the seamen, the other from the ship owners, and neither would compro mise. A disinterested body can alone sift out the reasonable from the un reasonable demands of each party. A National commission could, by thor ough and Impartial Inquiry, ascertain what was fair to each, what was nec essary to safeguard life at sea and what other measures were needed to .restore our merchant marine and en able It to compete with foreign ships. TWO TYPES OP CONGRESSMEN. Alabama voters are approached from opposite standpoints by the two Democratic candidates for Senator Representative Underwood and Rep resentative Hobson. In former days, n-hest Legislatures elected Senators, candidates for that office needed chiefly to work behind the scenes in procuring the nomination and election ofheir friends to the - Legislature. Now they must go directly to the vot ers, which means that they must come out into the open, mix with the people and extend the hand of greeting to all. Mr. Underwood goes before .the vot ers as leader of his party In the House and as the man who has shaped and steered through Congress a great .measure for the enactment into law of a basic party principle. His claim upon his state rests upon his achieve ments for the Nation and upon the glory which they reflect on Alabama. .His absorption m this work has kept him so constantly employed at Wash ington that he has been able to make only flying visits to his home and to give only passing attention to his cam paign. Mr. Hobson, on the other hand, has been absent from Washington much of the time during the special session of Congress and has luid himself open to the charge of absenteeism. When charged with this delinquency, he re plied that he had voted on every im portant r oilcan and had been paired the rest of the time. He explained his absences by saying he had been conducting a Senatorial campaign, had been lecturing and had conducted through his district expeditions of Government experts who had studied plant life in relation to soil fertility, the boll weevil, animal Industry and the saving of human life from dis ease. He thus defined his conception of his duty: Our duty li not that cf answering roll rails. My simple philosophy of Wo Is that a man should render a maximum of useful service to his fellow man In his day and jreneratlon and he alone, with his conscience, must work out what In his best Judgment at various timea will contribute that maximum. Here we have two distinct concep tions of the duty of a Representative. Mr. Underwood considers that his dis trict selected him to serve it by serv ing the Nation and that by keeping to his task at Washington and bring ing about action on the tariff he has done his duty by his state. Mr. Hob son considers that his district chose him to procure for it benefits from the National Government and that in leading scientific expeditions through the state he has done bis duty. There is need for both types of men in the National service, and the state which sends to Congress a man of Mr. Un derwood's caliber confers a boon on the Nation, while that which sends a Hobson recognizes the local aspect of a National office. When Alabama votes we shall see which type It holds in higher esteem. FOR THE DISSATISFIED. The property owner who has per onal interest in some city park may find profit and entertainment In lay lng aside for a few moments the plan of distribution of the 2200,000 pro posed to be raised by a general bond Issue and studying another feature of the proffered amendment. It is expressed in the title as well as the body of the act that the amend ment reserves to the Council the right to assess private property for the benefits accruing to it from park ac quisitions or improvements provided In the amendment. For example. If the proposed expenditure of 234,825 In Laurel hurst Park adds that value to neighborhood lots, the neighbor hood lots, not the city at large, will ultimately pay the bill. A provision somewhat similar but more restricted was contained in a bond amendment voted In 1907, but In that case only the benefits from boule vards could be assessed to adjacent private property. Under the terms of the amendment now before the public there Is no restriction as to class of improvement and an improvement J district wide in extent may be created. The installment features of street im provement bonds are extended to park improvements. Perhaps some of the property own ers who want park Improvements or organizations other than those named by Commissioner Brewster will not feel quite so abused when the full Im port of the bonding amendment sinks In. SLACOHTER BT THE RECKXES. The extent to which Americans sac rifice life through recklessness may be seen In the killing In 1912 of 234 per sons by automobiles in New York City, when In London, a considerably larger city, the number of fatalities from this cause was only twenty-one. The number in New York is still growing. for In less than ten months of 1913 to October 26 it was 231. Between the years 1910 and 1913 the increase In London was from fourteen to twenty-one, or 50 per cent, while In New York it was from 113 to 234, or more than double. This difference, shameful to New York, is not due to more general use of the automobile In that city, for, as the American points out, motorbuses are as thick in London as streetcars are on Broadway, the taxicab is unl versally used and traction motors haul lines of wagons through crowded streets. Nor Is it due to a lower speed limit, for London has no speed limit, while New York has a rigid limit. The difference is due to the fact that London punishes all reckless driving, while New York does not. London 1m. prisons as well as fines the guilty, while New York only fines those who exceed the speed limit and, as the American says, "the latter penalty is with us notoriously a Joke to many of the most flagrant 'offenders." Reck less driving Is not a matter of speed. A reckless driver may cause an acci dent, though driving? an automobile only four miles an hour. A careful driver may avoid 'one, though his speed be twenty miles an hour. All depends on skillful, careful manage ment of the machine with regard to the traffic on the street. A death roll which In a year equals that of many a Mexican battle has taught us that speed limits with fines for violation are Ineffective as pre ventives. The penalty should be im posed for reckless driving, which concerns-not only the speed at which a machine is driven but the manner in which it is driven with reference to traffic conditions at the time of an accident. ILVNN'A SEES THE LIGHT. Dan R. Hanna, one of the most ardent champions of and one of the most liberal contributors to the Pro gressive party, has seen the light. He has recognized that the old Republi can and the new Progressive are prac tically one in principle and purpose, that they differ only in little things and that by dividing on those little things they make Democratic rule pos sible and thus sacrifice the big things on which they agree. ' His newspaper, the Cleveland Leader, doubtless ex presses his sentiments when it says that union of the two parties is the only way to prevent Democratic as cendency and that, in remaining apart. Republicans and Progressives "throw away their opportunities and abdicate their natural leadership." It says: The snlrlt of compromise and union Is wider and more potent than H haa been at anv time since the Republican party was split asunder. How widely this disposition of the Progressives to return to their former political allegiance prevails may be Judged from a comparison of the, re cent vote on Senator with that on President in 1912 in Maryland, as follows: President Senator 1W12 11-13 Democratic- iri.T4 Republican .. .. 54.956 Bull Moose 67.7SS 111.445 74.300 7.03 As the total vote fell off 32,593 and as the Democratic vote fell off only S9, it appears that many of the, 67, 53 voters who deserted the Progres- Ive party must have voted the Demo. cratic ticket this year. In a border state like Maryland, which haa shown a strong disposition in recent elec tions to change its political allegiance. It was to be expected that the new party would draw heavily on the Democratic party. Were the falling off n the total vote divided among the three parties in proportion to their total vote in 1912, it would come 16,- 94 from the Democrats, 794S from the Republicans and 8356 from the Progressives. Deducting the Demo cratic loss and adding the Republican gain to these figures, it appears that the Democrats must have gained 16. 105 and the Republicans 26,292 from the Progressives, while 8356 Progres sives abstained from voting and only "033 remained true enough" to their party to vote for It. While the ap parent gain of the Republicans was only 33.4 per cent of the vote of 1912, they won over enough Progressives to make up for their absentees as well. After deducting absentees in 1913 from the vote of 1912, their actual gain was 39 per cent. Ono election after another. In Maryland as in New Jersey, in New Jersey as in Maine and Michigan, shows the Progressive party to be wasting away. It was an emotional uprising without foundation for a per. manent structure. The spasm of emo tion having pasted, the Progressives in their sober senses are returning to their former party, which in most in stances Is the Republican. In ad vising them to reunite with that party Mr. Hanna only recommends a course they are taking without his advice. PRtDERV OX THE WARPATH. . The Oregonlan has received a com munication signed by Jack London, James Oppenheim and other well known authors entering a counter protest against that contained In a petition which has been sent to the Postmaster - General. The petition asks that the mails be closed against certain books, stories, poems, maga zine articles and plays which deal frankly with the subject of sex and questions of sex hygiene. It is signed by "a Mrs. Elizabeth Grannis, a Miss Jane Stead" and others like them. The purpose of the petition la ob scurantist. The desire of the good women who have signed it Is to quench the discussion of vital prob lems which has lately become so live ly throughout the country. They are in favor of that secresy which has facilitated vice for many years and, finding no consolation in reason or common sense, they follow the exam ple of all bigots and seek the aid of the law to enforce their deplorable fanaticism. Very likely they have been encouraged by what has recently happened In Chicago. The postmaster of that city, posing on the attitudes of his moral purity, has shut out of the malls a course of lectures on sex hygiene which were delivered in the public schools. These discourses were pure, enough for the children, but not for the malls. Mrs. Elizabeth Grannis, peering out upon the world through a little silt In her parlor window curtain and shuddering at the awful things she be holds, hopes that the Postmaster- General can be persuaded to take the same Impossibly fanatical position as nls Chicago subordinate. . If these women can have their way he is to be ruled by Ignorance, Just as they are themselves, and stop a great social re form to gratify the prudish whims of a set of silly females who do not, and probably cannot, understand what they ask for. Consciously or not, the persons who stand In the way of publicity for sex hygiene are allies of commercialized vice. They foolishly, or wickedly, as sume that wilful Ignorance is identical with virtue and that knowledge means sin. We hope the Postmaster- General Is wiser than his petitioners. If he Is not we hope that Congress will deprive him of his power for mischief.' BERNARD SHAIVS PYGMALION. London by Its naughtiness on previ ous occasions has forfeited the orivl lege of seeing Bernard Shav's new play before the rest of the world. Pub lication is forbidden in England for the present and Its first presentation was at the Hofburgtheater in Vienna. Afterward It was played in Berlin and the reports are that it bids fair to become the most popular play on the Continent this Winter. Meanwhile London languishes In repentant sor row over the treatment it has to en dure from its unnatural adopted son. Shaw explains his unfillal conduct by reminding the British that they damn every new play of his with the epi thets "dull, blasphemous and unpop ular." Thus his works go to the Continental theaters with a bad name and their chances of success are sadly impaired This play, which he calls "Pygmalion," will be offered to Lon don only after it has become famous in Germany and America. No doubt the London critics will then be shamed out of their attitude of cyni cal dispralsement. "Pygmalion" treats of a very old theme, but, of course. It contains Shavian variations of the most unexpected character.. The story is that of a lowly maiden who is taken in hand by a high-born patron and fashioned into a thing of grace and beauty. As usual the patron falls In love with his handi work. The plays and novels which have developed this fascinating theme are numbered by the hundred. It has even invaded the chaste realm of poetry. "In robe and crown the king stepped down," sang Tennyson, "to meet and gTeet" the beggar maid and ended by conferring his crown upon her. Shaw's beggar maid sells flow ers in London at some corner on Tot tenham Court Road. Her impossible father drives a cart which occasional ly contains property picked up along the street more or less furtively. Her mother Is lost in a mist of step mothers. Of course she is miserably poor and her speech Is vile beyond de scription. It is the speech of the Lon don gutters, reeking with all Imagina ble linguistic filth. Her vowels are mere slobbers of sound. Her conso nants are hiccoughs. This charming heroine's name is Eliza Doollttle. Tak ing refuge from a rain one day in a porch of St- Pad's, she falls into con versation with a Mr. Uiggins, a person of wealth and station who has acquired world-wide renown by the marvelous lossons he gives in phonetics. With him is his celebrated friend Picker ing, who has written a great book on "Spoken Sanscrit." The two men are the most formidable living? authori ties on phonetics. Eliza begs them, la her gutter dia lect, to buy some flowers. Pardonably scandalized at her distressing utter, ance, Higglns wagers his friend Pick ering that within three months he can so transform her language that every body will mistake her for a Duchess. It Is not what we do but what we say that determines our standing in life," says Mr. Hlggins and he be lieves that he can by his educational method fit poor Eliza for the most exalted station. But what of her fu ture? Will It be well thus to dinar range her affairs? What will become of her after she has been disquali fied for the gutter without any pro vision for a better fortune? Higglns replies that "the time to think, of the future Is when we have no more future" and waves the difficulty away with a scornful gesture. Eliza. Is in veigled into his laboratory, and his mother, Mrs. Higglns, mildly coun tenances the project. The girl's edu cation is begun with scientific thor oughness. She presently exhibits won derful aptitudes In almost every di rection. She can play classical pieces of music after once hearing them. Beethoven and Brahms are mere toys to her. She learns all languages with equal facility. As an Imitator she is miraculous, but for months It seems as if she had no brains. Her accom plishments are pure parrotry. She went to the garden "party, where the great test of her proficiency was to be made, and came off gloriously. Not a person there dreamed that Eliza was anything, but a Duchess, the daughter of a hundred earls at least. The experiment might now have been ended and done with, but for one confounding circumstance. Eliza, upon her return from tho garden party, unexpectedly demonstrated that she had a soul. Instead of -tho hollow shell of a woman that she had seemed to be. It turned out that after all she was a real woman, capable not only of parroting everything she heard but also capable of loving and suffering. The future which Hlggins had so lightly waved away obstinately con fronted the little group who were in terested In Eliza. It particularly in terested the girl herself. "Why didn't you leave me In the gutter?" she ex claims to Higglns. "You thank God that everything Is over and you can shove me back into It, don't you? What is to become of me?" Higglns is first presented in the play as a sort of scientific monster without any apparent human sensibility. All he seems to care for is the progress of his experiment. But toward the end Shaw more than hints that he Is not so ada mantine as he has shown himself. As sociation with Eliza has wakened his slumbering passion, but he manifests It In a singularly Shavian way. "I can get along without you," Eliza cried, "don't think that I can't." Hlggins coolly replies, "I know you can. I've told you so myself." In response to which endearment Eliza calls him a brutal bully and accuses him of being glad to get rid of her. To cap the scene Hlggins calls his Eliza a liar. Lovemaking of this kind provides an agreeable change from the conven tional hugs and kisses which the most devoted theater-goer must confess to have grown a little stale. Nothing in Shaw's Pygmalion is stale, though we can scarcely say that anything is orig inal either. The play refreshes be cause It is so odd- Ideas are shifted Into strange places. Things happen as they do in dreams, without the an ticlpated logical relation. Naturally, too, the playwright finds occasion to exploit his social doctrines and heap deserved obloquy on "middle class morality." We should think the play would please American and British audiences as much as It has the Ger man, for it is bright, witty and provo caUve of thought. A slump In the demand for ex pen slve apartments in New York has caused the New York Real Estate Se curity Company, controlling 318,000, 000 worth of such property, to apply for a receiver. The apartments rent for 33500 to $4000 a year, and one of the petitioners said when asked how he explained the decreased demand! By the high cost of living. The truth of It Is that people -who moved out of apart ments last Spring have either remained In tho country or else they have taken quarters In hotels, where they can live cheaper by eating outside than they could by keeping nousa tnemaeives in meir eccusiomea siyie. I am living In a hotel myself, so I know. Even the high livers in New York are cutting expenses. It is not such a very wonderful dis covery that cubist art originated among the Indians, nor Is it strictly accurate. All primitive art is cubist. that is, it represents curved surfaces by planes and angles. The modern fashion is nothing but a return to first principles in order to make a new and perhaps a better start. It is absurd to believe that all the forms of beauty have been discovered. We shall see nobler ones than brush or chisel ever yet revealed. Democratlo leaders of New York State favor the calling of a constitu tional convention and among the changes In the constitution which they favor are woman suffrage, working- men's compensation and the Initiative and referendum. The most reaction ary state seems to be growing radical. It costs money to get a divorce in New York. Benjamin J. Colvln, a de tective, has sued George Schlagel for the balance of a bill of 311.751 for services In procuring evidence against Mrs. Schlagel, nearly $1400 of which was expended in promoting a divorce suit by the wife of the co-respondent. "Oh, Gilford! I am through," may be read between the lines of Presi dent Wilson's remarks on conserva tion. The President Is not afraid to let the people use our resources, but they destroy or give To monopolies their own inheritance. New York plumbers have been sys tematically robbed by unknown em ployes. Without wishing to cast dis credit on anyone In particular, we would suggest that they watch their apprentices In the plumbing business. On account of high water In a Texas town food had to be propelled on elec tric light wires. Which leads the ubiquitous office boy to Inquire if the populace Is subsisting on currents. A boy of 17 who would attempt to commit suicido when blighted In love needs a dose of liver medicine to re store his appetite. Coddling will not help him. Income tax will be collected pend ing suits. Money will be returned if the Government loses. Joke. Who ever got bark taxes paid? Villa says he will move on Mexico City, but fixes no date. Of course it will be that popular Mexican day for doing things tomorrow. The Cornell college paper Is pro nounced too spicy. Is that some ruse on the part of the circulation man ager? President Wilson must remain In bed with a cold. He may get bettor, however, after the suffrage conven tion. A new spiritual cure for drunken ness is announced by an Eastern psy chologist. Spirits versus spirits. Cubist art is traced to the early In- dians. Another crime laid at the door of the primitive red man. The heavens have been observing the blue sky law most beautifully hereabouts of late. Game and fish wardens think there Is no man like the Governor, and are glad of it. According to a noted observer, Chi cago people live Just like ants. Busy bodies. Fighting in Northern Mexico is de clared at an end. Until the next revo lution. Portland can have continuous ball next year, "only don't do It sgain." Why not a chair of tangolstlcs in our public schools? Really, do Salem folk know where they are at? The muzzle is oft and the dog is again himself. - - - MARKET IS SOT SAFEGUARDED Provision Fsusd V meat la factory Else where) Seea la AsMenament. PORTLAND, Dec Z. (To the Edi tor.) There are certain phases of the proposed $25,000 bond issue for public markets. In the form of an amendment to the city charter, to be voted oa December , that are worthy of serious consideration. It Is a question if the proposed amend ment is not inadequate in the matter of protecting the public's interests. The Impression is general. I believe, that the purpose of a public market is to bring the producer and consumer Into direct relation, and under such condi tions as will encourage the producer to bring his produce to the market, and the consumer to patronize it. Such being the case, for the producer to at tend, he must be assured of a low ren tal, or at least a reasonable one, and an equal cbanco with other producerr using; the market, to dispose of hi' goods. Kor the consumer to attend tho market must, to attain its purpose, be operated in such a manner that the producers cannpt stand In together to control prices, on the one hand, nor the middlemen gain control of the market on the other hand. Without this pro tection to both producer and consumer, the market will be patronized by neither, except to the loss of the con sumer. Public markets have proven decided failures In every city in which the producer and consumer were not amply protected by law. f The proposed amendment, placing the erection and management of the public market la the absolute control of the City Council, contains the following clause: "The Council Is hereby author ized to let or lease the whole or any portion of the space In such public market or markets to any persons de siring to use the same." You will note there is no provision restricting the use of the market to producers, the meas ure not barring middlemen and dealers of every kind as should be done. You will also note the amendment permits the Council to "lease the whole or any portion." Leasing the whole of the market would certainly nullify its use fulness. Aod, for that matter, leasing the different portions of it to different parties would produce the same effect, ns tha tenants, protected by their lease, could In one way or another stand in together to control prices. As a mat ter of fact, the proposed amendment authorizes the Council to do those very things which have proven the death knell to public markets in other cities. In voting for publio markets Is It generally understood that we are to empower the Council "To let or lease the whole or any portion of the apace In such market or markets to any per sons desiring to use the same?" Not doubting In the least the integrity of the Council to carry out the wishes of the voters, are these generally under stood as the conditions under which we are to provide the money? If our de- finite wish, expressed at the polls, were enacted by the Council, would not the purpose of public markets be endan gered? In Toledo, owing solely to the lack of the very precautions to which attention is called, the producers hav combined, and sell In large quantities to dealers only, the purpose of the public market having been defeated. Is It generally known that most or certain of the Italian truck-gardeners around Portland have a marketing place for their produce on Union ave nue? Such la the case. And do theao producers cater to the actual con sumer? They do not. They sell in large quantities to middlemen, dealers, hawkers, and by 8 A. M. are on their way back to their truck patches. How many housewives want to buy celery, for Instance, by the crate, or under any circumstances, how many will at . tend a market between 6 and SAM.? In other words, controlling their mar ket, they operate it to suit themselves. Coming back to our mutton, if we de sire a public market for the benefit of the consumer we will not get one by "Leasing the whole or any portion" of it. And especially not "to anv persons desirti.g to use" It. TAXPAYEK. APPORTIONMENT IS TO DISTRICT Board May, at Option. Transfer Per Capita for Convenience of Puplla. JENNINGS LODGE. Or.. Dec 3. (To the Editor.) Will you kindly and very carefully tell this and other neighbor hoods the proper Intention and con struction of the school law on this point: May all pupils of any school district. In Oregon, which has not a high school in Its district use the per capita tax which would be apportioned to them in their district from the Irreducible school fund to pay their tuition In an other district which haa a high school, but which is not a county high school, nor a union high school, provided they have regularly graduated from the eighth grade at home? P. D. NEWELL. All public schools, both grammar grade and high, are free to pupils from 6 to 21 years of age who reside In the district. The directors determine the conditions under which non-resident pupils may attend. In schools that are not crowded, non resident pupils are often admitted free of. charge for tuition. In some in stances, the board of a certain district will contract with the board of another for a non-resident pupil to attend school under an agreement to transfer the per capita apportionment, for the year, of the district from which the pupil Is sent. This is a matter for the two school boards to decide, and their action is final. A board cannot be re quired to pay tuition or transfer the per capita apportionment, as here men tioned, but may do so at Its option. School funds are not apportioned to children as Individuals, but to school districts as corporate organizations. A pupil of school age who Is enumerated la a district does not, because of this fact, acquire control of the per capita apportionment made for the year. Section 105 of Oregon School Laws, edition of 1913. is as follows: The Board of Directors shall admit, free of charge, to the schools of their districts all persona between the axes of 6 aDd 21 residing therein; and all other persons may be admitted on such terms aa the district may direct. A provision of section 1!5 of the school laws reads as follows: Th School Board may. ut Its discretion. contract with th Board of another district for th admission of pupi:a In any school In such other district, on terms agreed on by th two boards; which contract shall be In writing, on blanks furnished by th Su perlntenunt of Public Instruction. Th ex pars so Incurred shall be paid eut of the school lunila of th district sending such pupiis. Looking I.Ike Rata. Detroit Free Press Professor Thomas R. Lounsbury. of Yale, Is a foe to the purist and the pedant- He who insists on saying "To morrow will be Thursday" will find no champion In Professor Lounsbury. on a New England vacation, the pro fessor, gazing out -across the lake one sultry afternoon, remarked: "It looks like rain." A pedant was rocking in a rocking- chair near by. w hat looks like rain, professor?" he chuckled. "Ha! ha! I've got you there! What looks like rain?" 'Water," Professor Lounsbury an swered, coldly. Not Safe to Propone. Houston (Tex.) Post. "I am Just wondering whether It would be safe to propose to that girl 1 have been'golng with." "I don't think t would." " hat makes you think she would turn mo down?" "1 don't. I think she would snap you up." I OWNERS MORTGAGED FOR WATER Tkrefore Let Coanamere Pay the Clerk Hire, la Arsraea. PORTLAND. Deo. 4. (To the Editor.) In the stormy conference Wednesday between taxpayers ana tne tity wm missloners. Mr. Daly defended his pro posed scheme of assessing water bills to land owners instead of to consum ers by saying that the water depart ment is operated with the money of consumers, not with that of taxpayers also that taxpayers get service of water for fire protection without paying therefor that Is. consumers carry the cost of this service. Therefore, reasoned Mr. Daly, land- owning taxpayers ought to be willing to pay the water bills of defaulting consumers. m Such areument Is unworthy of an of ficial In high office; it shows lack of knowledge of the facts of city finance or disregard of those facts. The water department, with Its debt of bonds. Is financed on the credit of the taxpaying city. The property of every taxpayer under the new charter is pledged to pay the principal and In terest of the water debt. The property of water consumers is not so pledged, in fact, they and theirs are liable for no part of such debt, except as to their monthly water rent. Now comes Mr. Daly, attempting to relieve con umers from even this meager liability. When the water department sells bonds It offers to Investors, as secur ity, the property of taxpayers of the city. And It points with pride to the total of the assessment roll as evidence of this security. Buyers of these bonds thus see that taxpayers of Portland have guaranteed the payment of prin cipal and interest. Therefore they are willing to buy and to pay high prices. Bear In mind It is not the consumers for whom Mr. Daly proposes this new business who in last resort are bound to make good the water debt. The water department Is financed on the credit of taxpayers and landown ers. Moreover, these persons are the ones who pay the $5000 salary of Mr. Daly and the other Commissioners, al though it may be admitted that an other element of voters may. under certain conditions, carry the balance of power In an election. The point of all which Is that the bone and sinew of the water depart ment's finances is the property of taxpayers, who guarantee the city's debts and even its running bills. Soph istries about "fire protection and tax-paying tenants" ought not to be permitted to becloud the business of the water department. When taxpayers are mortgaged to bring water from Mount Hood at cost of millions of dollars, it aeems reason able that consumers should at least pay clerk hire for collecting the bills. Even though consumers -have been paying Interest on this debt and pro viding sinking fund, there, is no tell ing when taxpayers will have to make good to bondholders tho guarantee. Abundant loans have been obtained from bondholders at low rates because property owners stand back of the bonds. It is taxpayers who are financ ing the big works of the water depart ment, rather than consumers. LESLIE M. SCOTT. NO POPULAR DEM AND FOR CH ANGE Mr. Arkrrsoa Seea Extravagance la Charter Amendment Electloa. PORTLAND, Dec 3. (To the Editor.) The Council has placed before the voters of'Portland nine amendments to the charter to be voted on December 9. Not one of these amendments was offered to the people because of a popular demand. Three concern Jobs it is desired to offer to Eastern men. If these amendments corrected serious defects In the charter the voters would not object to the expenditure of publio money for clerks. Judges of elections, polling places and printing. amounting to over $10,000 of the tax payers' money, to say nothing of the loss of time to the housewife, business. professional and laboring classes going to and from the polls. The placing of the appointment of Municipal Judge in the hands of the Mayor alons? with the appointment of the Chief of Police and City Attorney gives him absolute control of three branches of government contrary to our scheme of government. It is the old idea of bureaucracy and Is un-Ameri can. The Municipal Judge should be elected by the people, why don t Mr. Albee present to the voters the op portunity to decide this issue? Why? Let us have an explanation from him. If we are going out of Portland for our engineer and park superintendent why not carry the idea a little further and have an amendment to the charter so that we can select Commissioners from anywhere In the United States? Will the Council call a special election for that amendment? It is a poor rule that does not work both ways. Mr. Brewster presents us with an amendment to spend 1200.000 here, there and everywhere about the city on trees, lights, walks, benches, door knobs, etc The various things that the proposed bond issue is for should come from the general fund. They are not bonding propositions. No business house would bond to pay Its office boy's salary. Bonding' for an Inter state bridge, a Council Crest tunnel, a Swan Island removal have merit. At this time Portland is passing through a serious business crisis and we should not take on too big a load. As Jim Hill says, the country Is water logged with bonds. We are discount lng the future. We must stop the reckless spending of the people s money. Vote no on all bonding amendments. Vote no on all amendments you do not fully understand. Our taxes are 30 per cent higher this year. CHARLES W. ACKERSOX. REPEAL EVERY TAX EXEMPTION Mr. Wright Would Exclude Only Public Property and Barial Lots, PORTLAND, Dec 4. (To the Edi tor.) Last August The Oregonlan pub lished a complete list of real estate exempted from taxes in 1S09, furnished by Aaaessor Reed. The tvtal assess able value. Including public property, was computed at $19,133,500 Of this $7,072,485 was private property belong ing to churches, clubs, lodges, etc If the tax rate was 30 mills it would have paid $213,174, and had It so paid the rate would have been lower and taxes more equitably distributed. In 1913 the value of this non-taxed property will be far greater, and the burden of car rying the load is shifted upon the re maining property in ever-increasing amount, as each year sees more prop erty exempt. It pays nothing for fire or police protection, lights and many advantages, while all woo nave no in terest In It pay the bill for Its benefit. I stand ready to urge any club or lodge to which I belong to support a constitutional amendment to exempt nothing from taxation but public prop erty and burial lots. We may let a man go when fee Is dead, for he has the burden while he lives. Christ was asked "Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or no?" He answered, "Render unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's and unto God. the things which be God's." How many of the followers of the meek and lowly one are ready to render unto Caesar as he commanded? That Is, how many can see the injustice of church exemptions, lodge exemptions, club exemptions and say they will pay their Just taxes? How many will support the constitu tional amendment I propose? Raise the hand, brethren, the Social ists would like to count you. This in justice is one of their arguments against the church. I understand a number of people who are not Socialists are seriously considering this matter, as I am doing. Khali we have equality, fraternity and liberty, or only a coun- 1 terfelt which passes for them? I ROBERT C. WRIGHT. . I Twenty-five Years Ago Fr.irn The Oregonlan of tecember 6. ISSS. Washington. Dec 4. The Post master-General has ordered the establish ment of free mail delivery at Spokane Falls and Walla Walla, W. T. Boston. Dec 4. W. R. Hearst, pro prietor of the San Francisco Examiner, was quietly married to Theresa Powers In this city a few days ago and the couple have sailed for Europe. Walla Walla, Dec. 4. This evening Judge Langford sustained the will of Mrs. John Sheets, over which a spir ited contest has existed for a long time. The deceased was the mother of Mrs. P. B. Johnson. The walls of the Blagen block on North Front street are completed and the work of putting on the roof has commenced. The Oregon Bicycle Club last night elected the following officers: Presi dent, Dr. C C Newcastle; vice-president. W. C. Goodrich: secretary. Dr. B. E. Miller; financial secretary. Law rence H. Knapp; treasurer. George Breck: captain. Richard Martin. Jr.; sub-captain. C. C. Loucks; bugler, C W. Scott; color-bearer, W. L. Herman. The club has 40 members. The work of filling Couch's Lake has commenced at last. Edward Werleln. draftsman In the City Surveyor's office, accidentally wounded his leg with an ax some time since and blood poisoning set in. He has so far recovered as to be able to resume his duties. An Oregonlan reporter talked with 50 well known Republicans yesterday about the composition of President Harrison's Cabinet. Nearly all inter viewed favored an Oregon man. and that Oregon man was Hon. George H. Williams. Spokane Falls. Dec 4 Colonel Win ston's Interest in the Review has been sold to a syndicate In this city, which has also acquired a portion of other Interests, so that a majority of the stock is held here. Parties in Port land still hold some interest In the paper. S. P. Sladden was In the city yes terday, but left for Salem on the af-' ternoon train. General John Gibbon left Portland Monday afternoon for San Francisco. W. H. Brackett, a well known con tractor of Portland, who has been in Boise for several months, hss returned. Hon. J. C Fullerton. of Douglas County. Is very favorably spoken of for President of the Senate at the coming session of the Oregon Legislature. Half a Century Ago Fmm The Oregonlan of December 5. lSW. The State of Washoe. The political pot is boiling at a high degree of temperature in Nevada Territory. Poli ticians are prospecting as lively aa miners. Every lawyer, first, second and third class, in the territory, is expecting to strike a rich lead in the state when it is pushed up out of the teritorial chaos. The Oregon yesterday carried away quite a sum of treasure, considering that the Pacific had sailed so recently. We believe that $750.0uo is not too high a value to be placed on the gold on board. The Oregon took away 700O boxes of apples. 50 boxes eggs, 20 car casses sheep, 20 quarters beef, two bundles fruit trees, a dozen packages merchandise, a lot of green hides and several large and very heavy cases containing specimens of different met als, quartz, etc Quite a crowd was drawn together at the corner of Starr's stove store. Front street, about 5 o'clock last eve ning by an affray in which Colonel W. L. White caned Dr. Loryea and only desisted upon the doctor's drawing a revolver. Miss Fanny Morgan and the entire company that have been performing at the Willamette Theater visit The Dalles today. Articles of incorporation of the Owyhee Gold & Silver Mining Company were filed yesterday by Daniel F. Brad ford, R. R. Thompson, Lloyd Brooke and J. C Ainaworth. We acknowledge receipt of an ele gant chicken supper and fixin's, done up in Bastion's best style, which the "irregulars" enjoyed hugely last night, sent from the Scandinavian restaurant In Holmes, new building. First street. The typos passed an unanimous vote of thanks to the proprietor, J. L Kingsley, Esq. What 85 Candidates Escaped. PORTLAND. Dec 4. (To the Editor.) I would at this time extend my sin cere congratulations to the worthy gentlemen. formerly candidates for Mayor and Commissioner of this mu nicipality. The sting of defeat must be more than compensated at the thought of the close call they had of being elected functionaries on perpet ual trial before a ructionary court which never adjourns. They are at least at peace with the women, the min isters, the reform associations and the outraged citiz-ncry. We have been taught that human society Is instituted by God; may God have mercy on us: J. HENNESSY ML'RPHI. CesTcslesfe of Typewrit las. Cleveland Plain Dealer. . "Perkins believes that a man's character can be determined by his handwriting." "I don't remember see ing any of Perkins handwriting." "No, Perkins alwavff uses a tvr writer. THE TYPICAL AMERICAN A composite photograph that cost $21,000 and four years' ef fort will be one of many fea tures of The Sunday Oregonian. Taken from 400 typical Ameri cans, drawn from a lL-t of 52, 000, it is the most remarkable of photographs. Robert Bar Lord Northcliffe Theodore Roosevelt These are three prominent writers whose work will be rep resented. Peter B. Kyne has a. whim sical little story, "A Flyer in Boxes," and there are three other splendid fiction numbers. Pace after page of illustrated special articles are designed to meet every taste and interest. There are three paje features of special interest to Port landers. Order Today of Your News ' dealer