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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1920)
THE 3IORXIXG OREGOXIAX, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1930 ,fiXcxnm$ &rt $wian l-iSTABLlSHED BY HENRY L. PITTOCK. Published by The Oregonian Publishing Co.. 1-5 Sixth Street. Portland, Oregon. C. A. MORDE.V. B. B. PIPKR. ManaRer. Editor. The OrtRonian Is a "member of the Asso ciated Press. The Associated Press is ex clusively entitled to the use for publication of all news dispatches credited to It or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rlKhts tit republication of special dispatches here in are also reserved. Subscription Rate Invariably In AdTance. (By Mall.) Ha My, Fun day Included, one year ... .-$8.00 XJaily. Sunday Included, six months ... 4.-5 Ially, Sunday Included, three months 2.-5 J-.-tlIy, Sunday included, one month. 75 DhIIv, w ithout Sunday, one year G.00 rtally, without Sunday, six months .... 3.-." J'aily. without Sunday, one month .... .60 XVeekly, one yen r 1.00 fcund&y. one year .. 6.00 (By Carrier.) Tafly, Sunday Included, one ysar $9.00 Tiaily, Sunday included, thrca months. 2.25 Ia.ily. Sunday included, one month.-.. .75 tiaily, without Sunday, one year 7.80 Iaily, without Sunday, three months. . . 1.05 Xatly. w ithout Sunday, one month 63 llovr to Remit Send postoffice money rde-r. express or personaJ check on your local "hank. Stamps, coin or currency are t owner's risk. Give postoffice address in full, lncluds-iK county and state. - Postage Kufe 1 to 16 pages. 1 cent: 1ft to 32 pages. 2 cents; 34 to 48 pages, 3 cents; r0 to H4 pages, 4 cents; 66 to SO pases, 5 cent; S2 to 96 pages. 6 cents foreign postage double rates. KaNtern Business Office Verree Conk US, Brunswick building. New York; Verree & Conklln. Steger building. Chicago; Ver ree & Conklin, Free Press building, De troit, Mich. San Francisco representative, Ji. .1. Bldnvcll. THE INFERENTIAL COX. Governor Cox is a master of rea soning by inference. From Senator Johnson's statement that Senator Harding intended to scrap the league, he infers that Mr. Harding wrote a letter to Mr. Johnson saying that he (Harding) would do that very thing. From this inference he infers the question to Mr. Harding: "Did you or did you not write Johnson a let ter?" Then: "Did you or did you rot say so-and-so in that letter?" Then: "Did you or did you n6t write that letter for the purpose of hold ing Johnson's support?" From these questions it is but a step to a de mand for production of the letter, and to advice to the public to watch for publication of the letter. But Mr. Cox's entire inverted pyr amid of inferences is based on an in ference by Mr. Johnson from Mr. Harding's speeches that the repub lican candidate aimed to scrap the league. He has announced no such purpose. He has said that there was much good in the existing league which he would preserve. That jus tifies no inference that he would ecrap it. The whole structure of in ferences that Mr. Cox has built on lr. Johnson's inference thus falls to the ground. The slush fund story was built on equally frail foundations. Soiriebody submitted to the republican national committee a tentative quota of cam paign contributions for over fifty cities which totalled over eight mil lions. Mr. Cox inferred that It had been adopted. He then inferred by a process of calculation that the re publican committee was raising J 15,000,000, in the whole country. To prove that he was more clever at figures. Fifth Cousin Roosevelt took Ji3 pencil In hand and reached a total of $30,000,000. In making money with pencil and paper and a fervid' Imagination they beat the bolshe vists. Then it was proved that the quota on which these Inferences were founded was only tentative, that it had been rejected, and that pyramid collapsed. Another inference has been flung on the winds by Mr. Cox. He scented two agents of the republican com. mittee traveling in advance of him. He found that he did not get as much space in the newspapers as he thought he should have, his appetite being unlimited. He inferred that Chairman Hays' agents were fixing the newspapers, and revealed a dark conspiracy to his audiences. The habit of inference is danger ous, for it is catching. It is known that Bosses Murphy, Nugent, Tag gart and Brennan formed a solid phalanx to nominate Cox at the democratic convention, and that they won. They are known to be prac tical politicians who never do any thing for nothing. It is known that their standard of efficiency and economy is what the men who get offices do for the organization, not what they do for the public. Hence we infer the question: "What do they expect to get from Mr. Cox?" There are other Inferences which lead to questions, but this one will suffice, for it relates to the question that is uppermost in the public mind: "How shall we end the pre vailing carnival of waste In govern ment?" RIVER AM) HARBOR DEVELOPMENT. The same, community Interest which exists In the Pacific north western states with regard to rec lamation extends to improvement of rivers and harbors. Ample trans portation means at lowest practi cable cost are now recognized as more than ever a first requisite of commerce and prosperity. Cost of Railroad transportation has risen to such a point and railroad facilities are so unequal to demand that the people are driven to the water. Thus river and coastwise navigation hae assumed new importance, while the ration's acquisition of the second merchant marine in the world and Us expansion of foreign commerce have turned our minds to ocean transport. Hence it is appropriate that a rivers and harbors conference for the northwest should be held at this time, in order that this section may agree on a programme of im provement and may unite its forces to carry out that programme. In consideration of this subject the Columbia river and its tributaries naturally take first place, for a well worked out system of waterways would use them to carry the traffic of the Columbia basin through Port land to the sea. That basin includes three-fourths of Oregon, two-thirds of Washington, all - of Idaho and western Montana, thus joining all of that area in a common interest. The rroblem which is common to all of them is that of maintaining a ship channel from Portland to the sea find of canalizing the upper Colum l)ia, the Snake and Willamette in order that they may be used for barge traffic throughout the year, except when ice interferes on the up per Columbia and Snake. Puget sound is o blessed with nautral harbors as to oeed very different treatment, and the , harbors or the outer coast re quire jetties and dredging of chan nels at river mouths, which the people of the basin should aid them to secure. .- feature so evidently ordained that the Columbia should be the great highway of this region that its people should combine their efforts to secure its improvement- Portland "Has undertaken the care of its own harbor and provision of docks and. in conjunction with the government, is improving: the channel to the sea. It is ready to join hands with the people of the inland empire in se curing government aid to extend the waterways up the Columbia and Snake and with those of the Willam ette valley to improve that waterway. A plan is needed according to which a series of dams can be constructed from year to year to canalize these streams, opening them to navigation by barges, while river ports should be improved by their own people. The era of waterpower which has opened makes the work, infinitely easier, for power plants will share the cost and will provide power to operate locks. In other countries the most highly developed and richest areas are those which have networks of water ways. That is one secret of the dense industrial population of Hol land and Belgium. The same thing can be done on a vastly larger scale for the Columbia river basin. THE STATE FAIR. The Oregon state fair as an insti tution is nearing three score years. The fifty-ninth annual exhibit opens today. There are many in the state who recall the first, a little show, but great in its promise. That is realized this week in the grand ex position of the state's development that has been arranged by Mr. Lea. All that one can think of and more is on display.. This is the last year of Manager Lea's connection "and he has ar ranged to make it memorable. To enumerate details is work Super fluous. As a picture tells a story better than text, to see the fair this year is to realize. Every Oregonian should attend one day at least, and lie fortunate two days; many will camp and go every day. Theirs is the good fortune. The roads that lead to Salem are good, anh the rail roads, released from wartime re strictions, have been very "clever" about rates. A favored few may make the trip by filane, but they are no longer a novelty. All the way from the national capital comes the forecast of fair weather, and "Old Probabilities," as he used to be called, is not punning. According to custom, Thursday has been set apart as Portland day. The neighborly instinct will throng the grounds. This city has an inter est in Saturday as well, when the red fezants" will reign. All not in confinement bed or jail will profit by attending. DON'T HOBBLE THE NEW PRESIDENT. If Mr. Harding should be elected with a democratic senate, he will be hobbled and will be able to accom plish nothing in the way of legisla tion to carry out his policies without democratic support, which means compromise. He will require such support in either event to give effect to his policy regarding tne league and the peace treaty, but he will be n better position to dispose of those questions promptly if he should be backed by a majority. Under those circumstances a republican pro gramme of legislation could be put through, while a democratic senate might make Mr. Harding's adminis tration barren of achievement in that respect.. The condition of the country demands fiscal reform, wholesale re-organization of the government in the direction of econ omy and simplicity and legislation oh industrial relations, farmers co operation,, foreign trade and ship ping. These things cannot be accom plished with divided control of the government, and time is likely to be wasted in ineffective wrangling. But the democratic organization, haling virtually given up hope of electing Cox, strives to win the sen ate in the hope of saving something from the wreck of Wilson's foreign policy and of preventing the repub licans from retaining public confi dence by robbing them of the oppor tunity to satisfy the people's urgent demands. For these reasons, wherever a sen ator is to be elected, the same argu ments which resolve men and women to vote for Harding should lead them to vote for a republican senator. If they allow personal preference or belief that the demo cratic candidate is "a good man" to lead them to vote for him, they will go far to nullify the good effect of their vote for a republican president. To elect a democratic senate would be to hobble the president. AV EIGHTH-HOUR DAY AT SEA. The fact that a merchant shipping bill which provides among other things for the eight-Tnour workday for sailors is regarded as having a chance of passage by the British parliament will provoke reflection by old seafarers. It will represent, if the bill becomes law, a contrast between the old times and the new such as will challenge the imagina tion of every member of that not highly imaginative class who go down to the sea in ships. . For, until comparatively recently, seamen were supposed,' like city firemen, to be always on call. The alternate watch system, which worked out nominally as a twelve-hour day, was not a guaranty against being summoned for duty in the "watch below." In fact, it was the boast of a good many ship masters that they kept their men at work whether there was anything for them to do or not. Yet those who understand the philosophy of human relations, and particularly the strange currents that may make unemployed leisure the very reverse of a blessing in ' the presence of companionships essen tially not chosen with regard for compatibility of temperament, may doubt whether the shorter workday is for the seaman' the boon it un doubtedly would prove for the work man ashore. Ship captains and mates taxed their ingenuity in the old days to improvise queer jobs, to employ Jack, during most of his waking time. It was done on the principle that Satan finds some mis chief still for idle hands to do,' and there was sound experience behind it. Laxity of the work discipline almost invariably was accompanied by murmurings and bickerings and sometimes led to mutiny. The happy ships were not those whose- masters let matters go to rack. So it came about that decks were holystoned over and over again, and vast quan tities of oakum yarn were unbraided and braided over again, and paint work washed until the paint was rubbed off, and then it was painted some more. The workday of a sailor seemed to prove that even unneces sary and monotonously reiterated tasks were better preservers of con; tentment than none at all, though it will be conceded by any occupational psychologist that these left much to be desired. ' ' v- v, 'V't nui nun , 1 1 ouiU' board, if it shall come to pass, will call for serious welfare work. For the former problem of what to keep the sailor working at, the law will only have substituted one nearly as grave the manner and form of his utilization of the leisure thrjist on him. Few ships are now equipped with the paraphernalia of recreation, and the customary recourses to the accordion and to minstrelsy are likely to pall in time. We sense in the situation a fine opportunity for the seamen's beneficiary associations to expand themselves, and even for the American Library association to add another department to its many useful activities. It may be neces saryto organize (this being an age oi organization) a special society for teaching sailors how to play: The 'landsman off watch Is confronted by no such difficulty, being permitted to find vept for his surplusage of ebulliency In his own way; but he would, find it different if he were enclosed for months on end in a narrowly circumscribed space, with out privacy, In the forced company of fellow creatures whose society he probably would not choose if there were any way of consulting him about it, and would discover that there are worse things than being kept at work too much idleness be ing one of them. Undoubtedly the lot of the' sailor will never again be what it was of old. Unquestionably also there is justice, or at least a reaction from injustice, in the new movement. Those, however, who hastily assume that it Is the finest thing possible to have nothing to do and sixteen hours a day to do it in will thereby be tray themselves as lacking in experi ence in the ways of the marooned. AIDING THE MONEY SHARK. It would be marvelous. werA lr rtrue, if after all the centuries in which money has been an established commodity, it should have fallen to the lot of a citizen of Clackamas county, Oregon, to discover that cheap money could be had by the simple, conjury of a statute fixing low rates of interest. The law proposed by Mr. Albright, and now on the ballot fixing the legal rate at 4 per cent and the con tract rate at 5 per cent, is almost as old as civilization itself. It has been experimented with time and again in the history of the world, and never at any time, anywhere, has it done that which it was supposed to do. Interest rates, when unrestricted by law, customarily follow closely, but invariably somewhat underneath the rates of profit obtainable by capital--when invested in land or in dustries. In the early days of the Roman republic when yie income from land was 12 per cent, and in dustries operated with slaves brought fabulous profits, 10 or 12 per cent was a very - moderate charge for movable capital. Kf forts to" reduce interest rates began in Rome with the law of the Twelve Tables, which fixed the rate at 10 per cent per annum. Numerous instances may be cited from Titus Livy and Plutarch which prove that the law produced the contrary of relief from the rav ages of usury. Says Montesquieu: As the Roman people were daily becom ing more powerful, ths magistrates sought to flatter them by having such laws enacted as were most pleasing to them: capital was restricted, interest diminished and finally prohibited. . . . These con tinual changes, either by laws or by plebi cites, naturalized usurv at Rome The people, like discredited debtors, could borrow only at high rates: and this was the more so, because, though the laws only occasionally Interfered. the com plaints of the people were continuous, and always intimidated the creditors. Whereas debts became a perma nent trouble in Rome, they excited neither commoCions nor political assi tations in Athens during the same period. The rate of interest at Athens was permitted to vary ac cording to the circumstances and with the security offered by the bor rowers. In England Henry VIII fixed 'the rate of interest at 10 per cent, but Edward VI prohibited absolutely the lending of. money at interest. Eng land's trade fell off in consequence and was revived when Elizabeth ab rogated the 'statute of Edward and re-established the 10 per cent maxi mum. Thereafter Queen Anne pro nounced every contract void which fixed a rate in excess of 5 per cent. This statute, in custom, came to be -wholly ignored long before its repeal, and it was finally abrogated by degrees. A law adopted in France in 1807 fixed an interest rate of 5 per cent in civil transactions and 6 per cent in mercantile matters. For the lender to exact a greater interest was a criminal offense. Evasions became the rule and for these evasions the borrowers paid dearly. Thev naid not only the rate fixed by the cir cumstances and the character of the security but a premium as well be cause of the risk taken by the lender. Money sharks fattened on the needs of the people and so de vised means of financial repression that writers of the time tell of whole villages which did not contain more thait two solvent persons. rh.ys Leon Faucher, a noted French economist: Observation teaches us that the more restrictions the laws have, placed upon trade in money. In the past, the higher has become the rent of capital. The pen alties against usury give rise to It or develop It: they are an added risk to those naturally connected with thn t vestment of capital. In compensation for this additional peril, the lender cannot faU 10 ainano a premium. The laws which augment the risk also discourage eornpe titipn. The number of lenders and the amount of disposable capital then dimin ishes, the number and eagerness of the borrowers remaining the same; and the people are then astonished mt ih hivh Tirlce of the commodity, when they have none all they could to produce this con- uiiion ot tne market. The Clackamas .county author of the Oregon measure is no prophet. Whatever his intent, he is working towaru oppression of the borrower and to the advantage of the money Dootiegger. it is old, old stuff. It was long, long ago completely dis credited as a measure of benefit to the public. WHY LIBERTY BONDS ARB BELOW Why are liberty bonds at a dis count? This question . is asked by many who were led to expect that the war would no sooner end than government bonds would rise to par and perhaps higher. The explanation is that the discount is caused ' by faults in issuing the bonds, by waste on the part of the government and of the people, by the demoralized condition of the whole world's finan cial system, and by small wars and threat of further wars which have followed the great war. Liberty bonds were sold at lower rates of interest than the condition of the money market justified, and were bought at par because patriotic sentiment overruled business both with the subscribers and with the banks which lent money for their purchase below current interest rate. When war ended, sentiment was eliminated and the price fell to the point which would yield the return justified by government security as compared with other forms of se curity. This return is necessarily high because taxesare high, because there is no foreign market -as there was after the civil war and because there is an abnormal demand for capital- from enterprises at home which were halted by the war, and, from foreign countries. A far larger amount of liberty bonds was Issued than the people could absorb with their surplus cash. A majority of them borrowed from the banks for the purpose and have since sold or still let the banks carry them. Oj.hefs paid by installments, then used bonds as cash to pay cur rent bills. In this manner about 14, 000,000 of the original IS, 000, 000 subscribers have sold to the other 4,000,000. who are' selling at a dis count to supply needs of business or to secure the high rates paid on other securities. The amount held by banks as collateral for loans, as stated by a New York bond house in a most illuminating bulletin, is still nearly $1,300,000,000, having 'been reduced only $226J)00,000 in the last year. Subscribers should have prac ticed thrift to pay their loans, but have let the banks carry the bonds until the latter began to force them out by taking the bonds at a reduced valuation and by raising the interest rate. This process pushes more bonds on the market and further de presses the price. - If the government had been more economically administered, it would have been able to redeem more of the .bonds or- to reduce taxes and thus to increase the net return to in vestors, which would- enhance the price. As it is, thev bond purchase fund absorbed prior to Juiv 1 bonds to the amount of $ 1,850,830,232, but half of this sum was offset by issue oi treasury notes. The sinking fund is also expected to buy about a quar ter of a billion dollars of bonds yearly. If the next administration makes the expected reduction in super income tax and abolishes the. excess profits tax, liberty bonds will feel the effect, both in higher net re turn and in a larger volume of sur plus capital available for investment. The continued disturbed condition of the world nnd the delay of final peace between this country and Ger many have had a depressing effect on liberty bonds. They have inspired fear of further wars, have prevented the allies from liquidating their debt to this country and have pre vented restoration of trade in full volume." If bolshevism should be overthrown in Russia and should be succeeded by a stable, democratic government and by restored rela tions between that and other coun tries, it would do more than any one other cause to rtom r, ; w-hich is reflected in the price of all government securities. In this re spect the present after-war period Is unlike all others. After Waterloo absolute peace fell on Europe and tor iony years wars were few and local. After the civil war a cloud was lifted from this country, a period of intense development op ened, and Europe offered a ready market for American hnnrf, ii.r the Franco-German war of isto there was nimiisie iBaPu- - . . atmosphere, leading to renewed con fluence. quicK recovery of France and frreat development ( .. -.. The present period finds all great iniuiis, oi Europe in economic dis tress together whit , v, - iT-i.-j , lus. iii n : n States is not in condition to afford it .ci.ci ciua.1 io its neea. xnere is no foreign market, and the American people must absorb their own un- iscsieu securities. That process of liRiinn practice 'of thrift which will enable tne people to buy liberty bonds and to hold them as a permanent invest ment. It requires thrift by the gov ernment, that it may reduce the na tional debt bv nurehflRo r,f Kna that it may lessen the drain of taxes on the earnings of the people, thus eaving more surplus Income for in- .- e t m dnt in 4hie ari V. - When that nrnrptu i r.-imnlAA4 v. t '1- . ... i ii c great volume of bank credit that is now appiiea to loans on bonds will become available for productive ln- riustrv. Th wnv in 1.1 , bonds at par is to produce more and nave more, xnat holds good as to both the people and the government. The limitations which autocracy put on itself seem to have prevented it from involving .us in war in Mex ico and Russia by executive flat with out authority from congress, either for the war Itself tr for the expense which it entailed. If Mr. Wilson's theory of the president's absolute power in foreign affairs, which he put in practice in Haiti and San Do mingo, in negotiating the Versailles treaty and which he attempted to put in effect by demanding that the treaty be ratified without change, should be firmly established, some future president might show less moderation. Congress would have to vote money and levy taxes and raise armies in order to pay for wars which the president made. The road to unlimited autocracy would be open. The negro accused at The Dalles of attempt to attack a white woman was, in' the opinion of the. grand jury, .victim of a frame-up. He is lucky to be in Oregon. A Chinese boy in Manila was given 67 years for stealing bicycles and if the judge wants a better place in which to live this region will give him welcome. Hailstones large enough to frac ture a man's skull fell in a section of Nebraska, Saturday, as usual. For mer Nebraskans in Oregon are glad they moved. How many can locate Cove on the map? Yet Cove shipped six car loads of fancy cherries to eastern points this season. Ponzl seems to have exchanged his clients for indictments, judging from the' rapidity with which the latter are coming in. In the matter of the drop m prices, silks and cottons'are lower, but this i3 the beginning of the season of wools. , The Bees can come next year and play the deferred games, with the Beavers in first division. The Harding and Coolidge club has 10,000 members. Make it fif teen! - I-ooks like "Diamond Bill" Bar rett was due for another trip to Europe. , Fair and cool, with some frosts this week. That's state fair weather. When you arise early and see the sun shining, that's Oregon. BY-PRODUCTS OP THE TIMES Rent Jamps Not Modern Phenomena In America. Four ' hundred per cent rises In rents in New York City were the rule during the revolution, according to the tesUroony of & British of ficer stationed there in those days. The officer, one "William Butler, wrote: "The Inhabitants of the city, from the arrival of his majesty's troops till the evacuation of New York in No vember, 1783, were free from the pay ment of taxes of every kind, either for the purpose of lighting the streets or cleaning the city, repair of the pumps, streets or roads, or the public works, as well as tae maintenance of the poor. "The markets were raised above 800 per cent for the necessities of l'fe. The landlords, from the demands for houses, raised their rents on an aver age of four times the sum such houses rented previous to the rebellion. And the vast number of merchants and others dally arriving in the city was the cause of a constant Increase in the article of house rent." , m A knotty problem of nationality of an applicant for citizenship papers broke the dull routine of the natural ization court, says the Philadelphia Public Ledger, -and for a time per plexed Judge J. Whitaker Thompson, naturalization officials and lawyers. The dispute arose when Miss Steph anie d'Oreste Sroczynska, a social worker for the society for organiz ing charities, came up for naturaliza ation. It was disclosed she was born of Austrian-Hungarian parents on Russian soil, which recently became Polish territory. That brought up the question whether the applicant should renounce allegiance to the red gbvernment of Russia, the Austro Hungarian dynasty or the republic of Poland. Complications arose when Miss Sroczynska protested she was not a Russian and did not want to go on record as having anything to do with the reds. The naturalization clerk insisted that allegiance be renounced to the present soviet government. After much thought Judge Thompson decided to allow the applicant to re nounce Austria-Hungary and Poland, eliminating tha soviet clan. . - V " - The beginning of theage of man, some 500,000 years ago. roughly esti mated as the close of the age of mam mals, marks in reality but the begin ning of the cldae of the age of mam malj. writes Henry Fairfield Osborn in Natural History Journal of the American Museum of New Hampshire. The extinction of the most superb mammals that the earth has ever pro duced, during the early stages of human . evolution, progressed from natural causes due directly or indi rectly to the glacial epoch. With the introduction of firearms the destruc tion has proceeded with Increasing rapidity, and today it is going on, by the use of guns and steel traps, at a more rapid rate than ever. By the middle of this century man will be alone amid the ruins of the mammalian world he lias destroyed, the period, of the, age of mammals will have entirely closed, and the age of man will have reached a numerical climax, from "which some, statisticians believe it will probably recede, be cause, we are approaching the point of the overpopulation of the earth in three of the five great continents. September 25" marked 'the 230th anniversary of the birth of news papers in ,A.merica, the Boston "Pub lick Occurrences." It frightened the people and the colonial legislative body immediately suppressed the first American newspaper. One issue only was published. And yet it contained nothing but news of the nearby neighborhood. It printed no editorials, no cartoon; it- did not attack any person nor political nor sociai doc trine. It was something too radically new, an innovation, and they sup pressed it. as The pupils of various schools in Blankville were recently vaccinated, and when each boy had been attended to the doctor gave him a red ribbon bearing the words, "I have been vac cinated." to wear on his coat sleeve. One lad proceeded to adjust the ribbon to his arm. ; "You're putting it on the wrong arm," said the physician. "No, I'm not," said the wise youth. "You don't know the boys at our school."-Edinburgh Scotsman. Doctor (questioning an insurance applicant). Ani now tell me what do you do for a living? Applicant. I make money, sir. Doctor.' Yes. I know you make money, but how do you make the money? Applicant (somewhat peeved). I make money, sir. Doctor (exasperated). Now, listen here. I know quite well, you make money, but. confound, you, tell me how you make the money. Applicant. I work ' In a mint. Pittsburg Chronicle-Telegraph. The Washington diplomatic set Is keenly interested in the Impending arrival of the Princess Blbesco, wife of the new Roumanian minister to the United States. The princess was Miss Elizabeth Asquith, daughter of the former prime minister of ' Great Britain. She is an exceptionally bril liant young woman, with an inherited aptitude for politics. Her husband. Prince Bibesco, is very wealthy and they are expected to play at once a considerable role in Washington's In ternational society. At one time the princess, while still Miss Asquith, was reported engaged to Hugh Gibson, American minister to Poland, then an attache of the American embassy in London-. Mrs. Jenkins -was reading the daily paper. Presently she exclaimed: "What strange things these society people do, Jeremiah!" ; "What's up now?" asked Jeremiah, who was half asleep. , "Well, it says here about the launching of a ship: 'With graceful ease the huge vessel slid into the water just after the Duchess of Dump shire bad cracked a bottle of cham pagne on her nose.' It must have hurt her! Why should she mutilate her face like that, Jeremiah?" Hous ton Post. A C4.mper writes of his discovery that a rolled strip of bacon makes quite a good candle. Old stuff! The Pilrims, take it from a New York newspaper, "set aflame their bacon of liberty on the coast of. Massachus-setts". Those Who Come and Go. "Casey" Jones, shoe salesman who makes the northwest territory,- has asked the big boss for a chance to break into the foreign, field, for "Casey" has a sneaking hunch that if he. can load a few cases of shoes in the hold of some Roumania-bound vessel, he can come back to the states with enough "jack" to keep his own family in shoes, and that's saying a good deal during these piping times of baseball scandal and high living costs. "I have a close personal friend who is a steward on one of the trans Atlarrtlc vessels who brought back a vivid story' of the Roumanian shoe famine," quoth "Casey," who signed the register at the Portland. "On his last trip touching Roumania he took the shoes off his feet and sold them to a man for $100. There is plenty of money there but they don't seem to be able to get shoes. What a para dise that would be for a shoe sales man with shoes!" "You see, it was like this." J. A. Herman, of the" Portland hotel desk force was engrossed in his favorite topic fishing, and- according to the group of interested listeners he pulled one from the clouds with this yarn: "Down in the Columbia slough near Clatskanie there is a deep hole which is the habitat of hundreds of bass. I struck that hole on a recent fishing trip and the fishing was so good that 1 could look down and pick j out the bass I wasited and then pro- j ceed to yank him up. Putting a chub or perch on the hook 'I would drop it into the hole, but if a small bass started after it I pulled it up and placed it near one of the sixrpounders. In that way I. got nothing but the large ones. Fishing Is a bit unusual when you can even pick out the in dividual bass you want, but that is exactly what I did on that trip." And lest some of his friends might still remain within the ranks of unbe lievers, "Herm" has two or three snap-shots of his remarkable catch which he displays to corroborate his latest fish yarn. "This will be by far the biggest year in the history of the Oregon Agri cultural college." declares Tom No lan, well-known Corvallis merchant, who is at the Portland while here on a buying trip. "There are now 4000 students' registered, and Corvallis people are lending every possible as sistance to the college officials in order that proper housing facilities may be provided." All day yesterday there tripped some of them actually did into the Portland hotel scores of Portland girls with a burning desire to win fame in the enchanted land of film dom. They wanted an opportunity to see and talk to Ruth Roland, noted film star, who had reservations yes terday at the Portland, but who failed to put in an appearance up until early last evening. Hotel clerks say that any time a noted actress or actor, either of the films or legitimate, comes to the iity there are always a certain number of embryonic Charley Chaplins and Mary Pickfords who insist on seeking interviews, and the expected arrival yesterday of Ruth Roland was no exception. "Tillamook ehees-e is now being sold Krtiip'Krtiit th world, and this branch ot the dairying business wasnever in finer snape man at tne prencni . ,, , t 1. T r.r Tttin- lime. Bays ' j- i nun ........... . mook. who is a guest at the Oregon. The cheese produced last year in Tillamook county averaged J265 per .. . ., .. noFcnn In tVi9 COUHtV. i : u yi 1 1. a. i in v. , . . . , . . . ...... ... - anri n.tt vr it is exDected to reach 300 per capita. During the war. you will probably recall, there were mighty few in stances wherein hotels were accused of profiteering. Of course, rates were increased, but where is the commodity which doesn't vote more now than it did before the war? The one man who prohably was more responsible than any other person for keeping the hotels in line throughout that period was Wallace C. Redpath, who had charge of the hotel division of the United States food administration. It was his Job to keep hotel prices "safe and sane," and his territory in cluded the nation.. He admits it was a real job. but it was a pleasure most of the time because the hotels and hotel owners gave him whole-hearted assistance. Mr. Redpath registered yesterday at the Multnomah while here on a business mission. Elbert B. Hermann, formerly in the practice of law at Washington, D. C and more recently in Roseburpr, has associated himself with the George Estes' la,w offices in this city. Mr. Hermann, is a son of Binger Hermann. Oregon's veteran ex-congressman and ex -commissioner of the general land office. During the time Attorney Gen eral George M. Brown was district at torney in the second judicial district, Mr. Hermann was deputy district at torney. "Portland is one of the best cities in the country so far as gas is con cerned," says-Henry Gray, of the Se attle Lighting company. Mr. Gray was registered yesterday at the Ben son, having been here for the conven tion of gas company officials. "Port land always will have cheaper gas than Seattle or any of the largest northwest cities." Charles A. Johns, associate justice of the state supreme court, is a busi ness visitor in Portland. He is a guest at the Oregon. HOPE IS FOR LASTING LESSON Klre Prevention Week Expected to Make Year-Hound Impression. PORTLAND. Sept. 26. (To the Edi tor.) City Commissioner Bigelow is to be commended for the excellent programme he has .arranged for the celebration of fie prevention week, as published in The Oregonian. It is to be hoped that the lessons inculcated during fjre prevention week will be such as to leave a last ing impresiiiop upon the public in general, including all city officials, particularly those having charge of the purchase of necessary equipment for the fire department with which to fight those fires that it is not suc cessful in preventing. If this celebration does nothing else than produce the above effect it will at least result in the prevention of a repetition of Elton Court disaster and it is to be hoped that the fire preven tion lessons of the week will remain effective throughout 365 days of the year not merely for the week, Oc tober 4 to 9. To assist in this great work, mer chants should,display the poster being distributed free of charge by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. LOUIS SONDHKIM. Record Corn States. PORTLAND, Sept. 26. (To the Kdi tor.) Kindly answer which is the largest corn producing state in the union and also which states rank sec ond and third respectively. A SUBSCRIBER. The yearly record for quantity pro duction of corn fluctuates between Iowa and Illinois. Iowa stood first in 1919, 1918. 1916. 1914, 1913 and 1912; Illinois stood first in 1917, 1915, 1911, 1910. 1909 and 1908. In 1919 Texas stood third: in 1918, Indiana. In other years third place in corn pro duction was as follows. 1908. Nebras ka: 1909, Missouri; 1910, Missouri; 1911. Missouri; 1912, Missouri: 1913, Indiana; 1914, Indiana; 1915, Nebras ka; 1517, Nebraska. SITES ALONE DO 5iOT ATTRACT Other EMaentlals Are Considered Also by Locatlon-Seekins; Industries. . PORTLAND, Or., Sept. 26" (To the Kditor.) In the matter of industrial sites for Portland, some few serious minded citizens are approaching this problem from an economic standpoint, but unfortunately, a great majority seem to treat the matter lightly and follow more along the lines of the public clamor. This is no time for emtionalism in business, politics or civio improve ments and I woula appeal to thcec who are devoting their tim and at tention to this problem to analyze the necessity for industrial site prepara tion, taking into consideration such factors as (a) Centralization versus de-centralization. (b) The definition of a prepared site giving proper value to fill level. railroad connection, power connec- tions, water connections, gas connec- ! tions, paved highw-ay for trucking. housing for labor, street car transpor tation, etc. (c) Considering the value of actual water frontage as against access to water by means of a, public or pri vately owned shipping dot-k properly connected with good highway to the I industrial sites in that particular UIIC. (1) An estimate of the total acre age now used by industries together with ail industrial acreage now on tne market in various states of prepared ness from zone to 100 per cent. (e) A study of the rail line terminal -situation in Portland with possible extension of the Portland terminal yaods to include a belt line railroad interchange which I understand now has the serious consideration of the executives of all the railroads enter ing Portland. It appears to- me that like many other businesses, production in the matter of factory sites, over-shadows the selling of the commodity. There is no use in producing it if it can't be sold and the way to determine whether or not it will be salable, is to go at the problem somewhat along the lines above indicated. I am strongly of the opinion that you will find potential .factory site locations in the city Vf Portland at this time far in excess of our require ments for many years to come: some approaching a very hiprh percentage of preparedness, but most of them not sufficiently prepared to be' immedi ately attractive. If these partially prepared sites could be so grouped and improved with the necessary facilities that arc missing, is it not a far better plan to do this at a comparatively small expense than to attempt any projects that require a large outlay of public money to produce something which may become a drug on the market? In my experience in this depart ment, I have found the prices of in dustrial property to be very reason able in Portland and more or less graded upward in proportion to the degree of preparedness. The popular clamor is "Industrial sites to attract industries," but, of course, we must realize that the site will never do the attracting and will never be anything more than a concluding argument af ter other essential issues have first done the attracting. As a concluding argument. we should, of course, have prepared sites at. the right price, and I feel sure that this very desirable situation can be brought about in the city of Port land with very little expense. Some recognized public body should be en trusted with this work giving the problem a sane and sensible business analysis devoid of all emotionalism that might be inspired to satisfy a public clamor. Portland Chamber of Commerce, manager Department of Industries. WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD. RAGTIME I.N PlFlL QUANTITIES Theatergoer Complains of Quality and Inadaptlhility of Music. PORTLAND. Sept. 26. (To the Ed itor.) Why do we have to listen to so much ragtime in our theaters and photo-drama houses? It can hardly be expected that managers of our theaters will carry on their business solely on art principles, nor can they afford to make the theater an educa tional institution, but they ought to try to have the music in keeping with the character of their house and, as far as possible, appropriate to the plays given. A small but well-proportioned or chestra with a leader who can adapt and arrange music, such as operas overtures, dances, with solos for dif ferent instruments, is competent to furnish music which will give pleas ure to the educated ear, and at the same time educate the popular taste. If an orchestra of this size is too ex pensive it would be possible to re duce the number to half a dozen players and. have, in addition, a piano, a violinist, violinccllist and flutist. Instead of that we have the blatant cornet, trombone, drums, hells and wood wind instruments, each . one making the greatest possible noise, played by a person who calls himself a musician, on the picture-house or gan. Why appeal in music to a lower class, or allow, in th orchestra, a lower standard than Is in keeping with what is presented on stage or screen? I have mentioned hastfly some of the defects of our methods of music education and pointed out in my hum ble way some of the obstacles to orr advancement to a higher musical standard. No art. 1 believe, offers so much evidence of the spiritual in man as music. Tt keeps the body and soul in health and no man's education is complete without it. MRS. JACOB HENRI GENSLER. DROPPING OF" 1SSIB PHOPOSKn Conlrlbntor Would End Discussion of Prohibition for Other Questions. PORTLAND. Sept. 26. (To the Edi tor.) I didn't never have no convic tion, but 1 use to have a idea The Ore gonian editor was kinda punk cause he didn't think like I did. Every time I sent him a letter 1 says, now he dasn't print that one. but he printed every one so far except one', and I don't blame ham for that cause of the paper shortage and everything. It was a space pig, all right. I ain't never met the editor personal yet, but I begin to think 1 would like him cause 1 think he's a good snort. I always feel that they was never no doubt that any feller even if he was a republican might be honest. Law gives our criminals benefit of the doubt; so I sayB let's give our hon est citizens the same doubt. So I was in this kinda liberal mind when I read the editorial comment on a letter what you got from the lands of grasses, milk and cheeses, which sounds almost like the "promised land," where a feller asked what wordJV Senator Harding used to make himself dry with. So I read all through the editorial, what's ten times as long as the ques tion, and didn't find" no words what was called for. I ain't never heard neither candi tates say he was dry, but I bet thev both use towels. They couldn't neither of them make us wet, or dry, if they wanted to. You say prohibition don't never worry Harding, and Cox says it ain't no more important than slavery, so 1 says let's go fifty-fifty on the ques tion and drop it. That will give us more time to talk about the league of nations and other things what docs worry us. Let's continue a friendship what is betinnin" to ripen. H. D. N. More Truth Than Poetry. By Jamea J. Montague. THE WEATHER TEST. The wind is bleak; the skies are gray; The birds sit silent in the trees. No more I hear along the way The drowsy murmur of the bees. A crow disconsolately calls. And as the light begins to wane A solitary splatter fails. The herald of approaching rain. But through the clouds I still can see A beaming sky: a radiant sun; The world is bright and fair to me 1 went around in eighty-one. The skies are blue: the wind Is soft And all the afternoon along The birds have poured their souls aloft In rhapsodies of joyful song. And where the sunbeams fall aslant Upon the woods across the wav. A thousand insect choirs chant The praises of a perfect day. But though there's perfume in the air And though the summer sun may shine. My soul is filled with grim despair I went around in ninety-nine. A putt that carries off the green. A. drive that tumbles off the tec. A bunkered ball that needs sixteen Or twenty strokes to get it free; A chip that takes erratic ways And rolls among the scattered stone. Quite off the course, will dim the rays Of any sun that ever shone. And though soft winds blow o'er the lea. And skies with radiant beauty f lame. No day is ever fair to me In life or golf, when off my came. No tne TrylnR. You can't keep a good price down. Look What Encland Is Up Agalont: Let's not try to annex Mexico. Her. new- president is named O Bregon. It's a Listless Campaign. About the only way to get out the vote this year will he to build the polling places on golf courses or put moving pictures in them. (Copyright by the Bell Syndicate, Inc.) In Other Days. I Tnfntj-Fii-e Years Aero. rroni The Oregonian of Sept. '-'7. ISO" ashington For the second time in the last 12 months forthcoming monthly statements will show an ex cess of receipts over expenditures of the government. Salem Kx-Reprcsentative Bryan, who is to speak at the state fair, ac companied by ex-Governor Moody, ar rived this morning on the train from Portland. Poundmaster Foster now has an ex cellent force of dog catchers at work and points with pride to S6 assorted dots, representing a two-day catch. G. M. Irwin, state superintendent of public instruction, arrived yesterday from I.a Grande, accompanied by his bride. I-"ifty Years Aro. From The Oreconlan of Stpt. 27. 1S70. Florence Garibaldi is still being held as a prisoneY. but unmolested. As the Minnehaha was taking on sheep at the wharf, the animals stam peded and 50 of them plunged into the river. " Citizens in small boats suc ceeded in rescuing all of them. Salem Milkmen here are deliver ing milk to their patrons at 30 cents per gallon. NEW mil. DING LV NOT NEEDED Elton Court Life Losses Held ot Wholly Due to Dulldine Plan. PORTLAND, Sept. 26. (To the Ed itor.) As a result of the Ellon Court fire a drastic oPdinance is now before the city commission. It affects hotels, rooming and apartment houses, and its object is to force those who built, just as the city asked them to at the time they built, to change their buildings- to conlirtrm to the building code of the present moment. There is reason in all things, and to exact these changes when property alrcady pays S" per cent of the city taxes, is not only unfair, but doubly ruinou;:, particularly as property has carried a heavy burden for many weary years, and is just beginning to see a little dayliRht. Tho public always wants to know who is to blame for a catastrophe, and without investigation it want something done quickly to some one. The newspapers reflect the people's feelings, and the city commission, prodded by both, must hasten to show itself "not guilty" and alive to the people's interest. As a result an ordi nance is started. The fire department draws the ordinance, and the build ing department approves it. Of course the fire department would like build ings so constructed they could not burn at all; the insurance companies would like to collect premiums on those perfect 1 uildings and have to pay n losses, and the building de partment would be very Elad to put itself beyond , public criticism. But the commissioners must do the acting. They feel they must justify them selves before the people. They can have no grudge against the property owner, for thiff building is not in ac cord with the city ordinances at the date erected, it is the fault of the city inspectors and the city itself. But they must do something, and in their desire to do this something they are figuring a tremendous hardship, and heavy financial loss, on many of our citizens who contribute heavily to the financial upkeep of the city itself. As to-'Elton Court I consider the city directly responsible and not the property owner. If there had been a second fire escape on the building, and the fire department had had suf ficient ladders, there probably would have been no loss of life. The unin closed elevator shaft may have aided in spreading the flames, but no one can say it was responsible for the loss of life. If the city will properly equip the fire department. and compel property owners to put fire escapes on buildings now without them in vio lation of the ordinance, and otherw ise to conform to ordinances now in ef fect, there will be no need of many of the drastic measurt threatened in the new ordinance FAIR PLAT. Orrcon-Made Slicna. PORTLAND. Sept- 26. (To the Ed itor.) Possibly you have noticed some of the signs put out by the Oregon State Fair. As the Oregon State Fair is organ ized to boost "made-in Oregon" prod ucts, you will notice that their signs, are printed in Massachusetts. Considering the fact that Orccsa has ample machinery to print any sign or folder, it would be a gooi! idea for the members of the commit tee in charge of the State Fair t" use one of their own axioms, "keep Oregon money in Oregon": also for them to practice what they preach. Also, you, no doi?bt. have noticed some of the Pendleton Round-ui posters put out by the O.-W. It. & X. company. These posters were niad in Oregon, which emphasizes tin above statements that it pays to use Oregon-made products. J. A. G.