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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1914)
8 THE MOT?XTXG OREGCTNIAN, TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1914. PORTLAND. OREGON. Entered at Portland. Oregon. Postoftlcs as second-class matter. Subscription Kates Invariably la Advance: (BY MAIL) Pally, Sunday included, one year $8.00 I'atly, Sunday Included, tlx months 4.23 Daily, Sunday Included, three month! ... 2. 25 ijaUy, Sunday Included, one month ..... .73 iJally. witnout Sunday, one year ........ 6.00 IaJIy, without Sunday, six mouths ..... &-'t ."Daily, without Sunday, three months ... 1-75 ally, without Sunday, one month 60 Weekly, one year l-0 Sunday, one year 2.50 unday and weekly, one year ........... t.S0 (BY CARRIER) Dally, Sunday Included, one year 9-2 Daily. Sunday included, one month ..... .76 How to Remit Send Dostoffice money or. der, express order or personal check on your i'.LOI U IV. DlHIBpi. COm OF JUTK3-y at senders risk. Give postoffice address in full. Including county and state. Postage Kates IS to 16 pages. 1 cant; IS to 82 pages. 2 cents; 34 to 48 pages, S cents; SO to 60 pages. 4 cents: 62 to 76 pages. 6 cents: 78 to 92 pages. 6 cents. Foreign post, age, double rates. Eastern Business Offices Verree & Conk- nn. New York, Brunswick building. t-04-cago. Steger building. ban Francisco Office R. J. Bidwell Co., 142 market street. PORTLAND, TUESDAY. MARCH 10, 1911, THE WEST SHOULD NOT WAIT. That President Wilson may have freedom to become more deeply in volved in Mexico, the interests of the West are to be sacrificed by repeal of toll exemption. That this measure may have right of way in Congress those measures in which the West is most . vitally interested must wait. Lifting: of the embargo on water power development and on develop ment of coal land and other resources of Alaska and the West must wait; reform of the homestead laws, which is necessary to stop the exodus to Canada, must wait; the reclamation loan of $100,000,000 must wait. The West is content to await the passage of anti-trust laws and a rural credit law, for it will share the bene fits of these laws with the rest of the country, but it is not content to await repeal of canal toll exemption, which will do it a direct injury, es pecially when the purpose is to pro mote a Mexican policy, which can bring- naught but trouble to the West along with other sections. The Administration Is committed to the measures enumerated, which would advance- the prosperity of the "West, but it desires to push them aside. The Western Senators . and Representatives should insist on land legislation being pushed forward and should unite their forces in order to compel attention to their demands. They need to settle their differences about the three homestead bills, to unite behind one bill and never to relax their efforts until it becomes law. The West Is. prepared to support Secretary Lane's programme of land legislation, but it should not be con- tent with the preparation of a pro gramme; it should insist upon action at this session. The combination of Western men which Senator Cham berlain gathered behind river and harbor appropriations suggests the means. A like combination should be able to obtain as good results in land legislation and to overcome the obstruction of the Pinchot brigade. In tariff legislation and in repeal of toll exemption the West is suffer ing some hard blows from this Ad ministration. If it cannot win any favors by the voluntary act of Mr Wilson and his Cabinet it should ex tort them. ' - ANOTHER FLAMv REPUDIATED. Representative Cullop, of Indiana, ,is in a fair way to get himself dis 'liked by the ' Administration. A bill having been introduced to provide an -additional district judge for Eastern Pennsylvania, Mr. Cullop moved this -proviso: That the President shall make public all Indorsements made in behalf of the person appointed as uch district Judge. In so doing, he reminded the House .of a plank in the Baltimore platform, which reads: We recommend the Democratic House of IRepresentatlves for extending the doctrine of publicity to recommendations, verbal and written, upon which Presidential appoint ments are made. Remembering that plank and the ardour with which Secretary Bryaq had advocated its principle, the House adopted the proviso, as it had similar motions- of Mr. Cullop in the last and present Congresses. Perhaps Speaker Clark viewed the proceeding with the -more satisfaction, that it promised to pin down President Wilson ' to this plank and that it put Mr. Bryan in the position of having made rouble for the President. But the Senate balked. It struck out the proviso and its conferees stood pat. Senator Norris took up Mr. Cullop's fight, quoted Mr. Bryan's utterances in favor of publicity, and forced a vote, on which he was de feated. Several conferences were held, but the Senate stood firm. Fi nally Representative Clayton, one of the . President's spokesmen, moved that the House recede from its posi tion and consent to strike out the pro viso. Mr. Underwood and Mr. Pal mer both told how. badly Pennsylvania needed another judge and urged that the House be content with having in dorsed the principle at stake and re cede. Then came Mr. Bryan, of Washing ton, to support the policy which the other Mr, Bryan had made hie own before becoming Secretary of State. He began by saying: The Cullop amendment ia Democratic medicine, nut up in a Democratic capsule, and I think it is good enough for the Dem ocratic party to take. Then he commended the President's reply to the suffragists as an example of fidelity to platform pledges, though lie omitted to speak of Mr. 'Wilson's repudiation of the canal plank or of Mr. Wilson's silence on the single term plank. Mr. Thompson, of Oklahoma, also a Democrat, tried to pin his party down to its principles and embar rassed his leaders by recalling the votes by which publicity of indorse ments had .been approved. In the Sixty-second Congress a similar mo tion by Mr. Cullop was adopted by 151 to 84, all except thirteen Demo crats favoring it At the recent spe cial session another like motion was adopted by 170 to 84. On both occa sions Mr. Underwood and- Mr. Palmer had voted against it, though they now said the House should be content with having indorsed the principle. Mr. Thompson most inconsiderately quoted the following words of Secre tary Bryan, thus risking unpleasant ness between the President . and his premier: A man who really believes that the Presi dent should be permitted to make his ap pointments on secret recommendations can not be trusted to represent a Democratic constituency. The House finally yielded to the Senate by a vote of 145 to 137, which ehows that there is considerable- inde pendence among the Democracy and that many of them aredlsposed to hold the President to strict adherence to his platform. It can be inferred from the personality of the men who op posed the proviso in both faenate and House that the President does not de sire to publish appointees Indorse ments. The Democratic leaders will probably put the subject to sleep un til it again becomes useful as a means of harrying? a Republican President. DON'T ABOLISH IT NOT QUITE. The Oregonian will not be so un gracious as to insist that Dr. C. J. Smith ought not to complain when the oublic and the newspapers take his remarks on i.he political forum to be an authoritative exposition of his position on public questions. The- doctor made a speech the other night in which he was understood by all the reporters, and doubtless by all other auditors, to favor abolishment of tne Legislature. His own faithful news paper organ quoted him -as declaring that if one or both houses or the Leg islature "are not abolished we would be better off if they never met." But the Reslduar; Legatee now ex plains that he was misunderstood. have been tempted to make such an assertion many times," says he, "but I did not intend to be so understood in my remarks before the Jackson Club." He was so. understood, indeed. But he didn't mean it quite that way Let it go at that. Nevertheless, Dr. Smith, thinks he has discovered that the easiest path to popular favor is to slang-whang the Legislature and to intimate tnat it deserves to be abolished, thougn oerhaDS it cannot be. What then, if there is to be an end of representative government? If legislatures are unfit it is De- cause legislators are unfit. That is the whole story. Why are unfit men preferred to fit men in the popular selection of candidates! if they : re? If the people are unable to select fit men which The Oregonian denies why are they incited In demagogic appeals to prejudice and ignorance to blame the Legislature ana exculpate themselves? IMPl'GNLNG THE COURTS. An advocate of promiscuous martial law asserts that the wicked Legisla ture pulled the teeth of the new stat ute giving, the Governor power to sus pend undiitlful District Attorneys and Sheriffs. The Governor, he points out, is not given summary power but must present the matter of suspending the officer, to the Judge' of the Circuit Court, and the latter might be a member of the same crowd. Alas! So he might. But suppose he were and the Governor had sum mary power to remove the Sheriff and District Attorney and replace them with men of "his own choosing. The Governor's appointees would have to present their evidence in a court presided over by the same gangster. A Governor inclined to avoid the orderly method in favor of the spectacular would still have the same excuse for promoting his own notoriety if the fancied "teeth" re mained in the Ian. The objection to the existing act is purely theoretical. In practice it did not hold good in Baker County, where the Governor's apologist cites It as an excuse for the Copperfield incident. The Circuit Judge there was not a member of the "crowd," or if he was, he did not let that fact interfere with his sense of duty. He decided the injunction case in accord ance with the law as he Interpreted it and he refused to restrain the Gover nor in his peculiar course of action., Oregon courts are as clean as the .executive office. There is no com plaint that the law Is not followed in the courts, or the facts are there ig nored, or that justice is not there ob tained. To imply that the Governor will always honestly judge whether a county officer is performing his duty but that the courts cannot be trusted in that particular, casts an un just and hurtful imputation upon the honor of the bench of Oregon. THOMAS STARR KING'S WORK. The fiftieth anniversary of Thomas Starr - King's death deserves more than passing attention. This remark able Unitarian minister, who did more than any other person to preserve California to the Union cause, w-as born in New Tork City, but the vicis situdes of fortune took him to Boston early in his life. He began his ca reer as a teacher, but falling in with the celebrated Universallst clergy man, Hosea Ballou, King took up the study of theology under his extremely competent direction. Readers who have been fortunate enough to peruse Hosea Ballou's autobiography will re member how decided bis character was and how humane his general views of life. Tolstoi calls him the most remarkable man, next to Ralph Waldo Emerson, whom America; has produced. Without going quite so far in our appreciation of him wemay well believe that many of Thomas Starr King's finer qualities were rich ly enhanced by his association with Ballou. Following the natural course of youthful evolution at that period, King passed on from Universalism to Unitariaulsm, but his principal influ ence on his contemporaries was ex erted through his lectures. He .had one lecture in his earlier period on Goethe, another on Socra tes and so on. These he delivered here and there throughout the country as the various- lyceums demanded him and thus ' won . extended renown. When, toward- "1860, the agitation leading on to'the Civil War became heated, King, as might have been, ex pected from a man of his liberal training, took the side of Lincoln, liberty and the Union. At about that time he was called to the pastorate of a Unitarian Church In San Francisco and this event gave him the oppor tunity of his life. ' It was emphatical ly an opportunity for service. The upbuilding of his church to be atthe very head of Christian work . in San Francisco was a notable achievement. but it was not to be compared with the extraordinary work he did for the advancement of the Union cause in that doubtful state where sentiment was wavering and parties discourag ingly complex at that time. California was so far from the heart of the country that fidelity to the Nation had not yet taken a firm hold on the hearts of the people. One faction desired to erect the region into an independent territory- The same project had emerged in Ore gon at an earlier period and had been promptly demolished by the estab lishment of the provisional govern ment. There was also a dangerous secessionist movement in California, as there also wa foiva time in Ore gon. The Knights of the Golden Cif cle were particularly active south of the Siskiyous with their intrigues and plots. Moreover. was felt, and truly, that the National Government, under Buchanan was at least aa will- ing to destroy the Union aa to pro serve It. Add to these circumstances the Indifference of the masses which pervaded the whole state and we have some notion of the conditions against which Thomas Starr King pitted his eloquent enthusiasm. We may thank him for the success of the Republican party In Septem ber, 1861, and the subsequent loyalty of the state. He seems to have been singularly gifted as a platform speak er and he employed every faculty that he possessed for the cause he had chosen. Scarcely a village in the en tire state escaped his presence during the critical Summer of 1861 and everywhere he went he heartened the unionists and discouraged the seces sionist element. To the people of California, living then, as many of them did. In remote dwellings without communication with the outer world, King's oratory must have been like a miraculous revelation of human ca pacity. It charmed, persuaded and triumphed. In later years to water and foster the seeds he had planted King made other lecture tours up and down the Coast, penetrating as far as Puget Sound. The hardships he endured -were borne with all cheerfulness for the sake of the cause, but we may well believe they shortened his life. He tells how he once rode for two nights through chilly weather without even a blanket to protect him. For riding from . Marysville to Shastatown in a rough, conveyance he paid $80, while he estimated tha. the trip on through Oregon would foot up $60 a day. But nothing daunted his iron courage and before he took his leave of the world in March, 1864, he had the joy of knowing that the Union was safe and liberty victorious. PROFESSOR O'GARA. About six years ago a number of horticulturists of Jackson County persuaded Professor P. J. O'Gara to leave Government employ to become pathologist of that county. He put his mark on the fruit industry at once. He showed the growers it was blight, not frost, that affected their fruit. He showed them advanced methods of spraying and general cul tivation. He showed them how to make the crop a certainty instead of venture. He did not create mar kets, to be sure, but his counsel en abled the orchardist. to send fruit to the markets that took the top price and made the "Rogue River" label mean something. In season and out of season he worked for betterment of the valley. He did now get rich if he "broke even" he was fortunate. His reward was that of the enthusi ast. A recent grand jury of Jackson County, of which one member "was in terested in horticulture, advised the County Court thai, it was wasting money in hiring a County Pathologist. Such is the reward of faithful en deavor. P. J. O'Gara has resigned, to be come chief of the agricultural investi gation of the Smelter Trust into dis eases of animals and plants ascribed to smelter and smoke injury and will be located at Salt Lake. Incidentally it may be stated his remuneration is three times what he received in Jack son County: yet. if the truth were known, he hated to leave. The loss is on Southern Oregon. F. T. MARTIN. Those who think about Frederick Townsend Martin at all will always be divided in opinion over him. His death in London will probably revive the interest .which everybody felt when he published his book on "The Passing of the Idle Rich" thr-e or four years ago and we shall hear a renewal of the old discussion whether he was a snob himself or a simple hearted gentleman who "despised snobs so bitterly that he could not keep silent about them. The same question has been asked about Thack eray, who was almost as must dis turbed over snobs as F. T. Martin himself. Martin wrote another book or two while the tide of Interest in his "Idle Rich" ran high, but none of them re ceived the notice of his first effort That seemed to be a genuine contri bution to the sociological knowledge of the country. Mr. Martin was him self a social butterfly, at least in his lighter moments, and knew the life of his class from the inside. So when he began to publish his revelations nobody doubted that he spoke by the book. He gave us the same sort of ma terial that Upton Sinclair afterward furnished forth in his "Metropolis," but it must be said for Martin that his account of sybaritic sins was the more convincing of the two, as well as a great deal more suave. Even in his muckraking he. had the gTand manner. He exhibited social filth like a Duke exhibiting his ancestral pal ace and rebuked sin with a serene ur banity that must have made his stric tures almost delightful to those whom he scourged. But it will 'always be doubted whether Mr. Martin preached from a genuine love of reform or a more gen uine love of money. It paid pretty well In those days to expose the shortcomings of the idle rich and it is unkindly said by some that 'Mr. Martin very judiciously set out his dish while the rahi of porridge was at its height BUSINESS METHODS TO CHANGE. Operation of the Federal reserve system of banks is likely to bring about an important change in the business methods of this country. The organization committee asked the clearing-houses to suggest definitions of(i "commercial paper," which is to form the basis of new currency, and to submit standard forms of notes, drafts and bills of exchange for use under the law. In its reply the New Tork Clear-ing-House said that the currency law evidently v contemplates the discount ing of commercial paper which is either directly used in the purchase of commodities or the proceeds of which are Intended to be so used, so that it will have the presumptive security of the commodities. But the custom is for sellers to -- -int discounts for cash payments and for buyers to borrow money at banks to make these pay ments. The New York Clearing-House con siders it of the utmost importance that the old custom be restored, whereby the buyer gave a note direct to the seller, or accepted a draft from the seller. Thus an open discount market would be established and such paper "would retire itself automatic ally and be an efficient aid in making an elastic circulation." Three forms of paper are therefore proposed. One is a note for use where money is borrowed from a third party to obtain funds to pay for goods, another, is a note given direct ly to the seller and a third is a draft made by the seller, to be accepted by the buyer, each specifying its pur pose. A difference in rates of dis count in favor of the note given by buyer direct to seller Is suggested as a means of gradually changing the custom and creating a volume of the kind of paper contemplated by the law. The effect of this plan would be to Induce merchants to abandon the present practice of borrowing from banks in order to pay cash for goods. Instead, they would give notes, which the seller would discount at the bank. These would be rediscounted at the Federal reserve bank and become the basis for currency issues. In the case of large concerns, having credit in foreign countries, these notes would enter the world's discount market, probably through the medium of Na tional banks to be established abroad. Senator Owen has aimed a blow at Senatorial courtesy by proposing to abolish the rule whereby a vote can not be taken on any measure without unanimous consent. He has intro duced a resolution providing that the Senate may at any time fix a day and hour for "final vote on any pending matter, with a proviso that one fourth of the members may insist on not over 48 hours' debate. That would put a stop to talking against time by a little knot of Senators, but would permit twenty-four Senators to pre vent a bill from being railroaded. The resolution went to the committee on rules and we shall be Interested to see .whether it ever comes out. A woman notices things which es cape men's attention. Miss Katherine Davis, Commissioner of Corrections of New York, found that women prison ers were compelled to wear heavy dresses of bed-ticking, which others made and washed, while the wearers sat idle. Miss Davis has the women make their own dresses of seersucker and wash them. This occupies and pleases the women, who now bear less resemblance to a mattress set on end and are not humiliated. When the blizzard struck New York the Commercial referred to its files of 1888 and brought to light this gem: This bllz Knocks bis. That is the closest approach a man can make to poetry under such cir cumstances. Miss Mary Boyle O'Reilly, daugh ter of the ' famous John Boyle O'Reilly, went to Portugal to write on the revolution, but could not find it, so she ha$ gone to Ulster. If she goes to Belfast, her name may start the revolution. The organ of the I. W. W., Solidar ity, gives this significant hint to soap box orators: It is surprising how you can revive the dying- enthusiasm of a crowd by a tirade against the police or the army. Anything to hold the attention of their dupes. When 10,000 people visit one Port land playhouse Sunday, despite the lure of a beautiful day and evening and attractions elsewhere, the only meaning is that Portland has become a large city. Tom Mann is evening up things with South Africa for the deportation of nine labor leaders by going to that country himself. It takes nine ordin ary labor leaders to equal one Tom Mann. ' The Mayor of Dallas, under arrest for violating the dog ordinance that he signed a few months ago, proposes to contest. What's the sense of being Mayor if one cannot let his dog run? Resolutions were adopted by Bos ton unemployed advising a carnival of stealing. That's a certain way of providing free board and room, with a watch and chain thrown in. Naught remains for the convicted dynamiters but to put their affairs in order and go to Jail. When they emerge they will find new leaders and the old occupations gone. The men who forcibly returned Vegara's body from Mexican soil show how easy It Is to do things when backed by a little aggressiveness and willingness to act. A Missouri man made his own cof fin in order to escape the coffin trust. We trust he will not now find him self in the clutches of an eternal fuel trust. President vv llson will select a new counselor of the State Department without consulting Bryan. Trying to get someone with a little backbone! London militants used clubs on the police. If, at the climax of their des perate fight,' they should win, how- many would take the trouble to vote? It will be noted that Carranza, in advising Villa not to hold prisoners for ransom, did not speak above a whisper. The face of Nature is putting on the proper color in anticipation of the great anniversary one week from to day. In case of trouble Oregon might dispatch a couple of regiments of candidates for Governor to the front. Just when to hang out the "show ers ' sign must oe a puzzling promem for the weather man these days. The Administration appears to fear that Mexico may become annoyed by the Vergara incident. The carp are due for a catsup jag if. all that confiscated product Is spilled in the river. With the advent of boating weather the river is making extra work for the grave diggers. Another big cargo of Chinese eggs is coming. Real Eastern eggs for Easter. Fall has taken a hard fall out of the Administration's Mexican policy. West called ' on Chamberlain yes terday, but was it fixed? The Idle army is being kept busy in California. Again Sunny Oregon. Side's sure cub. SITE FOR SCHOOLHOUSE IS GOOD Location Selected for Shattnrlc Build ing Defended by Writer. PORTLAND, Marc 9. (To the Edi tor.) Remonstrances are being circu lated against the proposed site of the new Shattuck School on the block bounded by Hall, College, Broadway and Park streets, the signers maintain ing that the presence of the school would damage property in the vicinity. Those of us who favor the proposed site consider it an ideal one for the school. It is high and sightly;, it is one block distant from, the nearest carline: the park blocks would be safe and convenient recreation grounds for noon and the recess periods, and a large number of children would be near their homes in a thickly settled residence district. The presence of the Ladd School at West Park and Jefferson has not caused a depreciation of values in that vicinity, and It is doubtful if a lot could be purchased there for less than $25,000. Of course, the grass In the park blocks is worn off by the chil dren, but there are many who consider the loss of the grass more than com pensated by the healthier condition of the children who are allowed the use of the blocks. The present site of the Shattuck School is on the block bounded by Harrison. Hall, Fifth and Sixth streets. Car tracks menace the children in play periods on the east and west sides of the school, and the pupils have no place to romp except In the basement. If a new site is to be chosen It would be better to select one at least one block away from a carline. Some years ago the Board of Educa tion bought a block at Seventeenth and Davis for the new Lincoln High School. A remonstrance was placed before the board by the property own ers adjacent, who thought the hlgl school would damage them. The board yielded and bought the present site at Market, Mill, Broadway and Park streets, and property owners in . this vicinity are now proud of their new million-dollar building, an ornament to the landscape and a monument tp tile cause of education. If there has been any objection to the presence of the 1200 young men and women who at tend the school, the writer, who is a resident and property owner on West Park street, has never heard of it. As to the price to be paid for the proposed site, J 14 0.000, it is "pretty steep"; perhaps $40,000 too much: but there is always a tendency to "hold up" the public treasury when any prop erty is wanted for public use. It is doubtful, however, if a desirable site can be bought for rrfuch less at this late day. JERRY NUN AN. TOY BATTLESHIPS FOR PANAMA Miniature Fleet to Sail Through Canal Without Manipulation. New York Times. While those whom he had invited to be present looked on In amazement Samuel Orkin, a young Boston inventor, gave the first demonstration in New York of his miniature battleship at the Hotel Breslin. Tiny sailors moved around the boat's decks, a band was heard playing the "American Patrol' as the anchors were lowly raised by unseen machinery, and everything about the little boat was operated .as though intelligent men on board were in charge. By art arrangement of electrical devices almost everything that is done on a regular battleship can be repeated on the model exhibited by Mr. Orkln. The boat itself is 9 fee long, 17 inches beam and draws 8 Inches of water. It is made entirely of steel and in appearance and equip ment is an exact model of the super dreadnaught type of battleship. When he demonstrated the boat Mr. Orkin first set several screws and plugs and then stepped away to wait for the action that so amazed the onlookers. Everything worked automatically with out manipulation by anyone. Mr. Orkin will build a fleet of IS battleships and exhibit them at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco next year. He said that he would send them through the Panama Canal from one end to the other without touching any or them. They win stop and start, enter and leave locks, and make turns without adjustment after he has set them by calculation, ha said. Registering; by Naturalized Citizen -PORTLAND, March 5. (To the Edi tor.) .-Kindly advise me whether it is necessary for me to present, as cre dentials, to the County Clerk my nat uralization papers each time I register. same having been presented when first registered here more than six years ago. I have registered each sue ceeding year when registration was required, although no demand was made of me for my papers after the first registration. I have lived at the same address during the entire period of my residence in Portland. R. W. Section 345S. Lord's Oregon Laws, provides that "the Clerk shall inquire of the elector (who may be applying to register) and enter the following information in tho general county reg ister, in the division set off in the pre clnct in which the elector resides, to wit: . . . (8) if naturalized, the time, place and court of naturalization, or declaration, as evidenced by the legal proof thereof, exhibited by the elector." This statute has been inter preted to mean that the Clerk shall require legal proof of naturalizatlrn every time the elector may apply to register, notwithstanding previous practice by any particular official. The statute is mandatory. Aa Socialist Sees It. PORTLAND, March S. (To the Edi tor.)-We do not hesitate to differ from both the editorial and the letter from Mr. Rus In The Oregonian Satur day. There is a single remedy, una mat remedy is stated by Mr. U'Ren, viz., to furnish employment, an-d. compel those who will not work if such there be to live on the product of their labor, bread and water, until they will work. We declare that class A, as defined by Mr. Rus, is an effect and not a cause. It is clearly the environment thrown about certain temperaments that makes such cases possible. Given the opportunity to work and obtain the full social product of their efforts no man or woman, not invalid or abnor mal, would refuse to care for their own being. Mr. URen. while not covering tne cause in his preamble that leads to the consequences of unemployment, does provide for conditions tnat we nave brought upon ourselves and his plan would temporarily relieve the unem ployed problem. When Initiated Laws Go Into r. II cot. RAINIER, Or., March 8. (To the Editor.) It is our recollection that there was a decision of the Attorney- General printed in The Oregonian in November, 1912, to the effect that an initiative measure tooK etiect imme diately after the election, before the Governor's proclamation. The woman suffrage measure had passed, and the decision of the Attorney-General al lowed the women to vote before the Governor's proclamation. If there was such a decision will you kindly print It again and greatly oblige. SEVERAL SUBSCRIBERS. Judge Bean, of the United States Dis trict Court, has held that an adopted Initiative law goes into effect upon the closing of the polls election day. FACTS AND FIGURES ARE DESIRED. Commissioner Should Iaaue Clear State ment On W ater Meter Isaue. PORTLAND. March 9. (To the Edi tor.) I rise for Information. Our practical, critical, theoretical and lit erary gents have written columns about the water meter matter and the people of this town have sloshed around in it for the last month. We hava been told a lot of things by writ ers in our esteemed press who do not seem to have any figures based on actual facts, while the taxpayers of our beautiful and modest city stand about with their tongues hanging out awaiting Information that is worth something. We are. likely to monkey with this referendum thing and get stung no matter which way we vote, if we vote without having the intimate and detailed facts of this subject placed intelligently before us. ' What do the meters really cost in wholesale lots of S000 or 10,000? How long do they last and what is the cost of upkeep, based on experience else where? Do they require a horde of meter readers? Do the public utility companies employ hordes of meter readers and make it pay? How many meters can a good reader average per day? If a reader, for example, can read 60 meters, per day, then 20 read ers would read' 1200, and if they have 36,000 meters to read they could do it in 30 days and leave a bill at each house. What number of water meter readers are now employed in this city and how many readings do they aver age per day? What amount in clerical hire and postage would be saved by not sending out the monthly bills? If the esteemed City Commissioner who is proposing this water meter plan expects the people to support it he should try to do something toward giv ing them all the facts both for and against the proposition. It may be a perfectly beautiful business project and he may have a good conception of it. But the people can't read his mind and should not be asked to try. It's too metaphysical. There ought to be some clear-headed official about the of fice who can write out a clear state ment of the facts and figures covering all sides of the case, and the newspa pers certainly will publish it. M. HYSKELL. Ready, but Not Expectant. UNIVERSITY PARK. Or., March 9. (To the Editor.) The writer has been attracted to the recent expression of views respecting the end of the world. To think we are near the end of the world Is no new thing, as the New Testament writers, at least in part, anticipated the speedy return of the Lord. This was so with so sane a thinker as Paul. Peter was very oer tain of the quick coming of the event. If Jesus himself did not know when the end was to be, it behooves people,' whether teachers or taught, to be modest in prediction. Jesus indicated a long period to elapse before the end, in the words "The bridegroom tarried." It is de clared In holy writ that the millennium is to precede the event. Are we think ing we are very near the start of the millennium, as encouraged as we are by the trend of things toward betterment especially in the scientific spirit and the social' sense of consciousness, so evident? That the sun can endure a long while to burn and shine is not in the way of a speedy end of the world, as the sun could light up. the new world to hold righteousness to take the place some time of the old earth passed away, and fall also upon other worlds. If the world comes to an end tomorrow all right with me. I can go on with out it. B. J. HOADLEY. Copyright Reeulatlons. PORTLAND. March 8. (To the Edi tor.) 1. In writing- a play what is the advantage of having same copyrighted? 2. What are the rules, if any. to be followed in writing a play, to enable one to have it copyrighted? 3. Can a company produce a play eent to it for an opinion, without the author's consent, if it is not copy righted? A READER. 1. It insures the author and .producer that the play will not be pirated. 2. A complete manuscript or type written copy may be registered upon payment of $1. If it is to be sold in printed form it must be published with the copyright notice and two copies sent to the copyright office, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C. with $1. Application blanks may be had upon request to copyright office. 3. It can be done, but a manuscript is safe in the hands of a reputable pro ducer. Truth and Fairness. PORTLAND, March 9. (To the Edi tor.) Wish to congratulate you on your portrait of President Wilson which was published this week in one of your editorials. You have given him credit for what was to be praised in his deeds, and character, and you have criticised wnat was deserving criticism. This is a departure of the old time custom of approving or blaming blind ly a public ' man, according to "The Ticket." Devotion to truth, irrespectively of personal or party preferences, in all issues, is what makes an editor a man of name, and a publication a high standard organ in public opinion the long run. ALGERNON ASIITON. Married "iVoraenind Suffrage. PORTLAND, March 8. (To the Edi tor.) Has the wife of a foreign sub ject the right to vote, if she is American-born and bred? I always thought no, but a recent article in The Ore gonian led me to hope otherwise. An early reply would be much appreciated, as I want to register if I may. ONE WHO WANTS HER RIGHTS. There is no Oregon court decision on the question, but competent legal au thorities hold that the right to vote is not lost by an American woman upon marriage to .a foreigner if she main tains here residence In this state. Moon and Crops. OAKLAND. Or.. March 8. (To the Editor.) 1. Please state why the moon's influence is supposed to have an effect on the growth of vegetables and many other things. How can any one tell when to plant if they have no almanac? 2. Please translate the following line. Herzlichen Gluckwunsch zum namen- stage. A. KEAUEK. 1. There is no scientific explanation, as it is wholly a matter of superstition. !. "Cordial good wishes for your christening day." Statintica on Teaching. PORTLAND. March 9. (To the Edi tor.) Kindly inform me where a per son could set a report regarding such matters as number of teachers, sal aries, etc., of different states. HAROLD D. WRIGHT. Ask your Congressman to obtain printed statistics from the National Bureau of Education. Yes. PORTLAND. March 8. (To the Edi tor.) Does the law declare that a broker must have a written contract from the owner of property before he can legally claim any coraminslon in case he should make a sale of the prop erty! S. E. COVELL. Twenty-five Years Ago From The Oregonian of March 10, 1889 Walla Walla, March 9. This after noon Troop F, Second UnlTed States Cavalry, 42 strong, under command of Captain S. W. Swigert, left with 10 days' rations to report-at Umatilla agency near Pendleton, and remaiii there until further orders. This move ment is the outcome of the discovery that a vast body of the best lands of the reservation are held by whites, mostly French Canadians, under leases from the Indians. These leases are un doubtedly illegal and their holders have refused to move. Tacoma, March 9. The individual military rifle championship of the Northwest was won by R. B. Mullen, the present champion, in a match with W. E. Box today. - Seattle, March 9. Judgre Burk leaves tomorrow for Whatcom to con vene District Court. His resignation was handed to President Harrison on Tuesday and today he sent a dispatch urging immediate action. Walla Walla, March 9. Ex-Governor Chadwick, of Oregon, is here en route to Colfax to visit relatives. The plat of Sunnyside addition to East Portland was filed by Benjamin H Bowman and wife yesterday. W. M. Tovey, a waiter, fell overboard from the steamer Lurline near Kalama Thursday night and was drowned. Secretary W. G. Steel, of the City Board of Charities, has the application of a boy 12 years of age for work with a family for his keep. The half lot on the southeast corner of First and Stark streets belonging to John S. and A. E. Raleigh, was pur chased by Mayor De Lashmutt and George B. Markle for the Northwest Loan & Trust Company. The price was $50,000. or $2000 per front foot, and is the highest price ever paid in Portland. There is a three-story brick building on the property. The Chicago Company have located their smelting and reduction works ad joining the Peninsula addition to East Portland. Leon Hirsch, for many years in the employ of Meier & Frank, leaves today for Europe. Half a Century Ago From The Oregonian of March 10. 1SS4. Howard, Romaln and Lower were le gally hanged at Lewiston for the mur der of Magruder and his party. Washington, March 6. General Meade appeared before the committee yesterday and denied emphatically that and orders were made or delivered to Sickles -or Doubleday regarding the re call of the Army at Gettysburg. Washington, March 5. The result of Kilpatrick's cavalry expedition is: The main track over the principal railroads by which Lee's army gets supplies is destroyed and also commissary depots and ordnance stores. Six canal-boats were burned and several locks op the James River canal destroyed. Large numbers of prisoners were captured, several hundred l.orses pressed into the service and hundreds of negroes es caped. Washington. March 7. It is rumored that Grant, who is on his way to Wash ington, is to succeed Hallock. New Orleans, Feb. 29. Farragut continues his attacks on Fort Morgan. The amount of assays made in the city of Portland during the year 1863 was $4,505,731, as follows: By Wells Fargo & Co.. $1,800,000; by Tracy & King. $1,542,000; by Goldsmith Bros.. $1,163,731. We were shown through the various departments of the state penitentiary yesterday by Mr. Gardner, keeper. The establishmen is in most excellent, con dition, clean and healthy. At present there are 32 convicts, most of whom In fair weather labor on the outside. Eight are engaged In the prison shops in the manufacture of saddles, arap apes, cinches, etc., and two Jn the uli nary department. A telegram of greeting was received yesterday by Mayor David Logan from Mayor Jacob McLellan, of Portland, Me., in response to one sent on the completion of the telegraph line. The celebration of the completion of the telegraph came off Tuesday even ing, March 8. The military and fire departments were out in torchlight procession. After marching down Front street and back, the procession halted in front of the telegraph office (the Pioneer Hotel) where a speakers' stand had been tastily arranged, deco rated with the Stars and Stripes, etc.. upon the verandah. Here Rev. T. H. Pearne addressed the crowd in his happiest manner, the band played a tune and Judge Williams made a fine speech and dispatches sent to other cities and replies were read. The need of tugs with capacity suf ficient to go beyond the Columbia bar for vessels is almost dairy felt, ' Allen Soldier and Citizenship. PORTLAXD, March 9. (To the Edi tor.) Having served in the United States Army as a soldier for 25 years, does that entitle me to be a citizen of the United States and a voter, or will it be necessary to take out citi zenship papers? FOREIGN-BORN. You are entitled to final citizenship papers on application. Taking out of first papers Is not necessary. . Oyster in Kc7. PORTLAND, March 9. (To the Edi tor.) A correspondent wishes to know if any one can verify her statement that oysters were sold in kegs. For four years prior to 1862, the year I came West, I bought oysters in kegs in Detroit. Mich.; Cleveland, O., and Springfield. III. H. H. T. The Economy of Quality It's a sad fact that, as a rule, poor people get less for their money than the more well-to-do. There's no real necessity for this condition. The reason is that in trying to get the most for their money, they un wisely go after the most in quantity instead of in quality, and frequently end in finding that what they have bought is worthless. There is no economy in dealing with unknown, unreliable merchants. If you go into a dirty little shop with signs marking cheap prices stuck al around, you may make up your mind that the money you spend there will probably bo money lost. The merchants who carry reliable merchandise don't have to resort, to any tricks to get trade. They stake their reputations that the things they sell are absolutely as represented. They announce publicly through the newspapers what they have and what their prices are and are pre pared to stand behind what they say. You can't make a mistake if you deal with a man who comes out in print and tells you frankly all about what he Is selling. Adv.