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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 9, 1907)
G THE StTNTJAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAM), MAY 9, 1907. Ut (Drctfontatt SUBSCRIPTION BATES. INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE. (By Mall.) Ially, Sunday Included, on year $8.00 raiy, Sunday Included, six months.... 4.25 Sally. Sunday Included, three months.. 2.23 Dally, Sunday Included, ona month.... -t5 l'ally, without Sunday, ona year ... 6-00 Dally, without Sunday, six months.... 3.25 Dally, without Sunday, thres montha. . 1-75 Daily, without Sunday, ona month Sunday, ona year 2.50 "Weekly, one year (Issued Thursday). ... 1-50 unday and Weekly, one year -&0 BX CARRIER. Dally, Sunday Included, ona year 00 Dally, Sunday Included, ona month.... .T5 HOW TO REMIT Send postofflca money order, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are st the sender's risk. Glva postofflca ad dress in full. Including county and stats. POSTAGE RATES. Entered st Portland. Oregon. FostofClca as Second-Class Matter. 10 to 14 Pag.ia 1 cant IS to 2S Pages 2 cents SO to 44 Pages 8 cents 40 to 60 Pages 4 cents Foreign postage, double rates. IMPORTANT The postal lawa sra strict. Newspapera on which postage la not fully prepaid sra not forwarded to destination. . EASTERN BUSINESS OFFICE. The 8. C. Berkwith, Special Agency New York, rooms 48-50 Tribune building. Chi cago, rooms 510-512 Tribune building. KEPT ON BALE Chicago Auditorium Annex, Postofflc Kews Co., 178 Desrborn st. St. Paul. Minn. N. St. Marie, Commercial Etatlon. Denver Hamilton nendrlck, B0S.-S12 Seventeenth street; Pratt Book Store, 1214 Fifteenth street; H. P. Hansen, 8. Rica. Kansas City, Mo. Rlcksecker Cigar Co-, Klnth and Walnut; Sosland News Co. Minneapolis M. J. Csvanaugh. 60 South Third: Eagle News Co., corner Tenth snd Eleventh; Yoma News Co. Cleveland, O. James Pushaw, 807 Su perior street. Washington, D. C. Ebbltt Bouse, Penn sylvania avenue. Philadelphia, Pa. Ryan's Theater Ticket office; Kemhle. A. P., 3735 Lsncaater ave nue; Penn News Co. New York lity--U Jones Co., Astor Hone: Broadway Theater Newa Stand. Buffalo, N. Y.- -Walter Freer. Oakland, Cal. W. H. Johnson. Fourteenth and Franklin streets; N- Wheatley; Oak land News Stand; Hala Newa Co. Ogden D. L. Hoyla. W. Q. Kind. 114 Twenty-fifth street. Omaha Barkalow Bros, Union Station; afageath Stationery So. Sacramento, Cal. Sacramento News Co., 430 K stroet; Amos News Co. Halt Lake Moon Book c Stationery Co.; Boeenneld A Hansen. Los Angeles B. 2. Amos, manager seven Street wagons San DleKO B. E. Amos. Long Beach, Cal. B. B. Amos Paeadena. Cal. A. F. Horning. Santa Barbara, Cal. John PrecheL San Jose, Cal St. Jamea Hotel Newa Stand. Fort Worth, Tex. P. Robinson. San Franclaco Foster & orear; Perry News Stand; Hotel St. Francis News Stand; L. Parent: N. Wheatley; Falrmount Hotel News Stand; Amos News Co. Goldfleld, Nev. Louie Polltn. Kureka, Cal. Catl-Chronlcle Agency. Norfolk, Va. Jamestown Exposition News Stand; Potts A Roeder; Schneider A Kaiser. Pine Beach, Va. W. A. Cosgrove. PORTLAND, SUNDAY. JUNE , 1907. THE LIQUOR TRADE ON 8UNDAYS. Prohibition of the sale of liquors on Sundays is now enforced in nearly all our cities. It is not done on the ground that Sunday Is a holy or sacred day, more than any other day. but on grounds of police regulation, of secur ing: quiet for the rest day of the week, and of general conservation of the public welfare. Portland has lagged behind most other cities in this re spect. But from 'this time another course will be pursued. . There will be question, .no doubt, whether 'the" law of the state, on the statute book during many years, has not been superseded by a clause in the charter of the city; but even If it should be so adjudged Sunday closure of saloons will not long be deferred, since the people have it in their power to amend the charter at their will. No one can reasonably doubt that the de mand for change of the charter to meet the requirement for Sunday closure would be pressed with speed and vigor: nor can any observer doubt what the result would be. No one expects to enforce prohibition in Portland. But rational regulation of the liquor traffic is to be enforced, and one measure to this end will be the mandate of the people that the sale of liquors shall not be permitted on Sundays. Nor will it avail in the least to set up the retaliatory demand that if liquors are not to be sold on Sun days streetcars must be stopped, and livery stables and boathouses, news papers must not be printed or sold, ice ' cream shall n?t be supplied, and places of amusement must not be opened. Thy people regard the liquor trade in a class by itself, liable to grave abuses, and therefore to be kept under regulations not required In others pursuits. It will be found that the people want and will have the liquor trade closed on Sundays, but will not demand suspension of such activities or incidents thereof as may hp necessary to their proper amuse ment, convenience, or instruction, on Sundays. It will be a mistake to as ume that the people do not know how to discriminate between what is de sirable or not desirable, for the public .welfare. In the great movement toward bet ter social and moral conditions, which has recently beei making: unusual progress throughout the country, Port land can not permit herself to fall behind, as she will do if she allows conditions to continue In her municipal life which will catise her to be pointed at as a solitary, or almost solitary, ex ception to the cities that close their drinking places on Sunday. If amend ment of the charter shall be necessary, as a means or measure toward this end. The Oregonian cannot doubt that the charter amendment will be forth coining. This is one of many subjects bearing on "moral sanitation," on v hich the people are aroused as never before. COMMENCEMENT. One of that great number of for tunate circumstances which make so many of us optimists Is that college commencements come in the Spring. Suppose one had to graduate In Win ter, to cut loose from the apron string of Alma Mater and sally forth into tlia battle of life amidst rain and s-iow; would It not take twice the v jurage that it does to begin among the roses? Graduation is a beginning, but it is an ending also. It is a time of joy f il enthusiasm, but not entirely with out sadness: for. do our best to make o;r seasons gay. the close of every c.'iK-h In life is melancholy and parting H tinged with grief. Commencement day closes an epoch and It is a time ..f parting. No other years are like lie four spent In college. The grad i ite speaks In his oration ot "passing from the college Into life." as if he h'd been living In some world ot en chantment. And he speaks truly. That world of books, rules, professors ii.-jj sports is an enchanted realm. The time that passes there scarcely counts toward growing old and what is learned counts not at all among humdrum realities. The learning of the colleges pertains to an Ideal world. It cannot be called preparation for practical affairs be cause It resembles nothing that takes place in the family. In business or government. Its value is for itself, not for anything that It subserves. The ideal does not draw its worth from ma terial ends. Perhaps the opposite Is true and the material and tangible possessions that we vaunt so highly would seem little worth having tout for the. light of the ideal that tints them with alluring gold. College does not prepare for life any more than childhood prepares for youth. It is complete in itself and Infinitely precious for Its own Intrinsic value. FREXCH RESTACBANTS. Mr. Ruef seems ot have played the part of a guardian angel to the French restaurants in San Francisco. Proba bly most guardian angels, of the de cent sort at least, would prefer to exer cise their watchful care over something less nauseous than these resorts, but from all accounts Mr. Ruef was not particular so long as he received his "fee." He was careful always to take a "fee" instead of a bribe from the restaurant men, and the amount was large enough to neutralize a good deal of putridity. These offensive resorts were able to pay Mr. Ruef handsomely for his pa ternal guardianship because the privi leges which they afforded their patrons were of the sort that bring large re turns. All the French restaurants have private apartments, and what went on in their Inviolable seclusion was no concern of the proprietor, so long as his pay was forthcoming. Of course they were simply brothels, and it was the professional duty of Mr. Ruef to defend them from the police and keep their licenses intact. Since this was a service performed for his clients, professional ethics seems to have interposed no objections. It Is not recorded that Mr. Ruef lost caste among his loyal brethren by re ceiving fees for protecting brothels against the law. For all that they ever would have done to bring him to Justice, he would still be flourishing like the green bay tree. 1JVESTOCK SHOW IN PORTLAND. Frequently this paper has pointed out the merits of the livestock-show plan, which has been much discussed since the livestock exhibition of the Lewis and Clark Fair, two years ago. The many advantages of a great yearly display, both to the livestock Industry, other activities and this city, have been cited so often that they hardly need repetition here. But it may be repeated that the breeding and feeding and care of horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine and poultry are promoted immeasurably by displays of fine stock, the meeting of their breeders and the exchange ol Information. This exchange brings. out the best adaptations of Northwest re gions to particular breeds and makes the knowledge gained by a few dis coverers and Inventors the common property of all breeders. This process continued many years will make the Northwest the most famous breeding ground in the world. Hood River apple and strawberry-growers, by following this method, have made their district fumed the world over. A livestock show, recurring annually, would stimulate the public Interest in livestock as nothing else can do. No exhibit of the Lewis and Clark Fair attracted greater . Interest than the livestock show. The recent horse sale In Portland drew immense crowds and people came hundreds of miles to it. The meets of the Hunt Club always are attended by great throngs. Poultry and dog shows also get large atten tion. The evidences are plain that the people of this" city and of the whole country take tremendous interest in livestock. So many kinds of people take Interest in different ways that all together they are a large body. Never before has livestock presented such favorable opportunities for production of wealth as now, and never has there been such heavy demand for good horses and mules, superior dairy and beef cattle, and high-bred swine, sheep and goats. Livestock is at the basis Of all prosperity and all the people feel this fact. The plan for a great annual Western show in Portland Is full of merit. It should have the approval of the people of Portland and they should make pos sible its consummation. Promoters of tho Country Club and Livestock Asso ciation give assurance that the plan Is about to be carried out, by the rais ing of $100,000. There is opportunity to establish in Portland the "greatest ex hibition in the West. A TIIKORE.TICAI. IjOSK. The New York Sun prints an impos ing array of figures which show the value of exports from this country for the past forty-six years to be more than J66.000.000.000. of which only about J13.000.000.000 has been carried in Amer ican ships. The reason for presentation of these figures, according to the Sun. is to "give a partial idea of the many hundreds of millions of dollars we have lost by the transportation of American exports in foreign instead of American ships." As usual, it is difficult for the hard-headed business man who never believes in paying t'-i for a service or a commodity which he can secure for $1 to understand where we have actually "lost" any millions by turning over to other people a business which would not return profits sufficiently alluring to induce the withdrawal of money from industries where it was earning good dividends to engage in the ship ping business. By exactly the same kind of reason ing the Sun has "lost" vast sums of money in the past forty-six years by paying other people for manufacturing its paper, ink, type, presses and other material used in Its business. It has "iost" further large sums by paying the express companies, railroads and steamboats for carrying Its papers to the subscribers instead of doing the work with its own Immediate force. By what -peculiar system of mathe matics is It possible for the Sun to figure out that we have lost so "many hundreds of millions of dollars" by permitting the foreigners to carry our freight, unless it is also shown that the charges exacted were more than the service was worth? Any "loss" would be impossible If they performed the service for less money than we could do It for ourselves. On the con trary, it would be highly profitable for us to permit them to do the work. It is publication of such ridiculous statements by papers ot the standing and reputation of the Sun that is re sponsible for much of the misunder standing- that exists regarding the ex act statu6 of the ocean carrying trade. Our people have been led to believe that our foreign commerce ts suffering because there is an Insufficient num ber of American ships with which to handle It- Only recently a lugubrious wail arose over withdrawal from the Oriental route out of Puget Sound of three American carriers, the ostensible reason for withdrawal being; failure of Congress to pass a subsidy bill. The actual reason for withdrawal of these ships was that the Japanese, having purchased a large fleet of second-hand British steamers (Americans are pro hibited from buying foreign ships, no. matter how cheap they can be secured), cut freight rates out of Portland and Puget Sound ports from $5 per ton to 3.25 and $3.60 per ton. As the pro ducer of the freight saved the differ ence between the high rate and the low rate, it is not clear where this country was a loser by the change. As to the steamers which were withdrawn, one of them loaded at Portland last week and was paid $3 per ton for car rying cargo 600 miles to San Francisco, compared with $5 which she formerly received for carrying it 4000 miles to Hongkong. The others found even more profitable business in carrying freight to Alaska. It will require some thing more than the idle statement of a subsidy-seeker to convince the Amer ican business man that we are "losing" money by permitting a foreign steamer to carry our freight across the Pacific at $3.25 per ton instead of paying $5 per ton to an American vessel. The Sun says .that Its statement gives a "partial idea" of what we have lost. Why not .afford us opportunity for something more than a "partial idea" by printing an estimate of how much it would have cost us to ship that $66, 000,000,000 worth of freight in American vessels instead of with the foreigners? A PLEA FOR LAWYERS. It is very well to scold the lawyers for taking advantage of technicalities and evasions In order to win their cases. They deserve all the scolding they get and a great deal more. Their reputation for trying to make black look white and substituting the worse for the better reason is at least as old as the Greek sophists and It has always been richly merited. The sophists whom Socrates found so much to blame for perverting the morals of Athenian youth were nothing but law yers who taught rhetoric in addition to their other sins. Beyond all ques tion they were a bad lot but they never did anything worse than the deed of that Chicago attorney for the Beef Trust who bribed a couple of young reporters to perjure themselves for the sake of his client. The law yers of the Roman Empire were as fond of quibbles aha as neglectful of the merits of their cases as our own are, nor did the judges of those days succeed any better than our modern ones in holding justice to the fore and technicalities in the background. The practice of the law has in all ages and countries tended to degen erate into sheer quibbling to the neg lect of justice and the injury of liti gants; just as official religion has In variably become in course of time little more than a set of meaningless formulas, and education the mere stuff ing of the mind with windy verbiage. Whatever men can do by turning a crank they will, no matter what may be lost by it.. It is vastly easier to make lawsuits turn on sly tricks and artful dodges than upon fact and Jus tice. We must expect therefore an ineradicable inclination of the lawyers toward artifice and the expectation is seldom disappointed. The path of least resistance is the one they choose, like all other men. If lawyers sought justice In their contentions Instead of victory there would be small need of judges. Judges are appointed to um pire the game and see that it is played according to the rules; but it is also their duty to see that the stake is not forgotten in the heat of the contest. In a lawsuit the stake that is played for is justice between the litigants and as the game goes it is, more often than not. trampled in the dirt of the field. When the flurry is over the wondering spectators ask each other what it was all about and 'no body Is able to tell them. Like little Casper's grandpapa we are able to say that it was a glorious victory hut what good came of it we cannot even guess. - In fact, as Mr. Frederick Trevor Hill clearly points out in his article on "Legal Defeats of the Law" in the June number of Putnam's Monthly, for the most part no good at all comes of It. but rather evil. For that failure of justice which is so common in mod ern lawsuits Mr. 'Hill blames the law yers. He states his case with the skill of a practiced advocate and fortifies it with instances ot trickery so glar ingly iniquitous that there seems to bo little worth saying on the other side. He tells how they lay snares for the trial judge and set traps for his un wary feet In order to prepare the way for a reversal on appeal; how they use the statute of limitations to defeat just claims and employ vain technicali ties to set red-handed murderers free. And all that he says is true. The lawyers do these things to their ever lasting shame and they Justify them with arguments which are as hollow as their picas in court. Perhaps the worst of all the accusations which Mr. Hill makes against his own .pro fession is their way of bringing the law into contempt by enticing the courts to declare statutes void. This abuse has been carried to such lengths that nobody thinks of allowing full validity to a legislative act until "the courts have passed upon it." The judicial veto power has come to be much more important than that of the executive and the result has been to relax the sanction of iaw itself. Still, there is another side to the case. Mr. Hill's article, convincing as it is at a first reading, is in reality only another specimen of the same sort of ingenuity which it seems to condemn. . It Is apparently Impossible for a lawyer even when confessing his sins to get at the real point of the matter. If cases in court are made to turn upon technicalities rather than merit, who is to blame for it? Mr. Hill says emphatically "the lawyers," but this is a superficial reply. Lawyers make their living by winning cases and they are only partially to be con demned for doing so In an easy rather than a difficult way. The stress of competition would speedily drive out of practice one who failed to take ad vantage of the statute of limitations and similar encouragements to fraud. But it must be remembered that no lawyer can profitably play any tricks except such as the higher courts sanc tion. He may set ever so many traps for the trial judge; they will avail him nothing unless the superior courts give them effect. If cases are reversed for trifling defects of form itiis tha superior courts that do it, not the law yers. They ask for the pernicious favor but it is the judges who grant it. The truth is that the courts of ap peal could reform the practice of the law almost instantly were they so in clined and destroy the labyrinth, of technicalities in which Justice now wanders helplessly by simply declin ing to recognize their fictitious im portance. Lawyers are, of course, to blame for not rising superior to the exigencies of competitions So are all the rest of us. But judges are exempt from competition. They do not' make their living by winning cases. They are under no economic confpulsion to exalt technicality and degrade justice. Moreover, the " power to end the wretched farce of our modern legal procedure is theirs. Why do they not exercise it? We hear a great deal about the courage of Judges and no doubt they are as brave as other men; but in this essential matter of bring ing Justice- to the front and banishing form and precedent to the rear, while some of them talk much they do very little. In discussing the defeats of justice it is only fair to place the re sponsibility where it belongs and this Mr. Hill conspicuously fails to do. THE LAND OF TOMORROW. Any statement that appears in con nection with the name of John Barrett, director of the International Bureau of the American Republic, commands attention in this community, the ob vious reason toeing that Portland is the home of John Barrett, hence an article bearing his name as author which ap pears in the current number of Mun sey's Magazine, under the title of "The Land of Tomorrow," will find no doubt has found many readers in the North west. It will perhaps cause no surprise when the first glance shows that South America Is the land thus designated, since, as everybody knows, Mr. Bar rett's official, duties have lately taken him to and through the South Amer ican republics. Furthermore no one thinks of South America as a land of today, nor is It a land of many dis tinguished yesterdays, commerclally speaking. It may be said of Mr. Barrett's art icle that it is at once interesting and entertaining. It introduces the reader, to use the words of the writer, to a continent of vast and varied possi bilities, with the announcement that the traveler, the merchant and the pro moter will find Its peoples, problems and potentialities of impelling interest. It is scarcely necessary to speak of the ignorance that is generally pre valent throughout the United States in regard to this vast Southern continent. Mr. Barrett characterizes this ig norance as appalling, a characterization that is Just when we consider its den sity and its', commercial consequences. This being a commercial age, it is natural that the latter phase of the question should attract instant atten tion. The story of the development of Industry and trade in the South Amer ican republics, and of the stage to which, this development has attained, has the fascination of romance. The great streams of this great continent; its quaint, busy cities; its beautiful harbors; its swarming population; the remarkable advance that has been made In railroad construction ; its enormous areas; its delightful climate; the productiveness .of its soil,, are ele ments of a story at once wonderful and interesting. This recital, however, is merely a prelude to the story of the commercial possibilities that await de velopment in this Land of Tomorrow. That part of the story that deals with the commerce and trade of South America is of paramount interest to the people of a commercial era. It shows the field to be one of critical im portance to our manufacturers and ex porters. It proves, says Mr. Barrett, that South America has awakened to a new life and is buying and selling like any prosperous part of the world. There are ten independent - South American republics. The story of their jealousies, their dissensions and their wars Is familiar to the reading world. This ts the only story, indeed, of a vast continent with which the people of the United States are moderately familiar. Yet, the total foreign trade of these republics, exports and Imports, as as certained by Mr. Barrett, exceeded In value in 1905 the sum of $1,250,000,000. In this commerce the United States shared to the extent of less than $250, 000,000, and of this latter amount the balance against us between exports and imports was nearly $100,000,000. This situation alone, says Mr. Barrett, shows that we are not mastering the opportunity as we should, and that Europe Is awake to the benefits that will result from keen exploitation of this wide commercial field. Perhaps the eyes of the exploiters of our commerce have been dazzled by the show that Japan has made of rapid and persistent growth in recent years. Their attention has been drawn to Japan, to the neglect, as it appears, of the wider possibilities of commerce with South American republics. Argen tina's record alone in material progress rivals that of Japan. With a popula tion of only six millions the South American republic conducted in 1906 a trade valued at $500,000,000, buying and selling more in the markets of foreign nations than did Japan with a popula tion of forty millions and China with a population of three hundred mil lions. Of this great bulk of foreign trade, the United States received only $52,000,000. Brazil sold to this country nearly $100,000,000 worth of coffee and other products in 1905, and bought of what we had to sell only $15,000,000 worth. Chile has a foreign commerce worth $140,000,000 a year; of this the allotment of the United States was but $17,000,000. Something is wrong here, says Mr. Barrett, especially when the heavy purchases in or from Europe by these countries are noted. The commercial value presented by a continent of vast resources, large population and awakening Industrial development is practically incalculable. Its development during the next ten years promises to arrest , the attention of the world. The part which the cap ital, enterprise and industry of the United States will play In this great industrial and commercial drama will depend upon our manufacturers, ship pers, business men and mechanics. The field Is wide, its resources are varied, and it is ready to be explored and ex ploited. Concluding, Mr. Barrett says: There is no limit to the demands upon capi tal for legitimate railway-buildinr. but tha requirements for electric tramways, ' electric Uchta, for utilisation of water-powers, for the erection of factories, water-supply plants, sew--erage works, telephone and telegraph systems, for agricultural extension, atock-ratslng. and kindred undertakings, offer Innumerable at tractive opportunities for the personal or com bined action and interest of North Americana Another scandal in so-called high life, with the name of Gould in the title role, has been put upon the boards in New York. Actresses and waiters are to testify to circumstances In sup port of the statement that Howard Gould is a man "impossible for any woman to live with and maintain her self-respect." This dragnet of society can hardly bring up anything new from depths so often sounded. Names, dates and places will alone lend va riety to the oft -told tale of 'marital infelicity and social Indecency, and of such details it would seem the Gould name has already furnished its full quota. The Albany Democrat is greatly of fended because The Oregonian printed a cartoon showing the threatened rivalry for. party favor between Gov ernor Chamberlain and Mayor Lane. "There is not now and probably never will toe any rivalry between Mayor Lane and Governor Chamberlain, and certainly at the present time no excuse has been offered for such an uncalled for cartoon," saya the Democrat. Then why aU this fluttering? The Oregonian offers no "excuse," for none Is needed, but calmly awaits developments in Democratic politics to Justify its early prognosis of a great struggle among our loving Democratic brethren. Dallas College has just completed the most successful year in the long history of its educational endeavor. Under the old name of La Creole Academy, this school had its beginnings, and under this name its memory still lives in the hearts of many whose school days were passed under its fostering care. It added,' at the late commence ment, seven to the long list of the grad uates it has sent out. A lot of Impassioned editorial writing in the Orient might have been spared if President Roosevelt explained to the Mikado that San Francisco has always been cursed with a crowd of hoodlums who delight in cowardly attacks on de fenseless foreigners who can't vote. It is the one city in the United States where a rotten police approve outrages on Chinese and Japanese. The people said by a vote of 10,042 to 3712 that the city councilmen should not have $100 per month. But possibly this isn't an entirely fair expression of public opinion toward the council. Let the council try out on its merits the question of their worth by submitting an ordinance abolishing the $25 per month and giving nothing. Crook County, which, by the way, was named for the warrrlor, and not, as evil-minded folk might think, with reference to land frauds, raises prod ucts worth showing and will hold a country fair beginning October 5. If ever a railroad is built through that section, people who travel by it will have cause to ponder. While the Oregon National Guard Is lifting imaginary warships of a hostile fleet out of the waters of the Columbia next month, they need not neglect cap turing real salmon and torn cod 3 on the same- 'battlefield. County Judge Webster has returned from another vacation, and has broken the record for one day's business In his office. That ought to entitle him to another month in Southern Oregon on his private business. If the truth were known, many of the "loyal" Republicans, made "sore" by the election of Lane, doubtless were tha identical Republicans who helped elect Chamberlain, Manning and Word. While feeling sorry for ourselves that strawberries are so high-priced, let us remember the growers and take comfort in the thought of what we should do in their boots. Whil lamenting the tenacity with which vast fortunes hold together, we may rejoice that there are actresses to help the young millionaires scatter their patrimony. We can think of no more auspicious time for inaugurating the "dry" Sun day than right now, after the people have authorized a new water pipe from Bull Run. The Oregon National Guard Is to be felicitated on having been detailed for coast defense practice at a season when razor clams and crabs are tooth somest. Secretary Garfield does well to come to Oregon. A look at the crops raised on irrigated lands conveys knowledge that he can't acquire studying maps in his office. Actor Nat Goodwin now announces that he will abandon the stage. Doesn't pay. Will open a barroom, no doubt, if there is any liquor left for his cus tomers. Close the . saloons on Sunday and a large number of citizens will surprise themselves with the ease by which they get along without the stimulant. "One hundred million dollars on the way to the penitentiary makes a great deal of noise," they say in San Fran cisco. Sure. Money talks. If you don't believe that dairying is a failure, ask the farmer who depends upon pasturing nis cows upon the pub lic highway. He knows. Between what he has confessed and what others tell of him, Harry Orchard's reputation Is a bundle of reeking rags. The stiff-necked Prohibitionists now have evidence that they wasted their votes when they opposed the election of Manning. According to the directory Tacoma has 110,000 inhabitants. Allowing 100, 000 for possible exaggerations, that's about it. One of the evidences of Portland's fast growth Is the rapid increase in its school census and school attend ance. In every city there is a class of drug gists who profit by restrictions of the liquor traffic. Portland Is no exception. It may be expected that the side boards at Portland clubs will not be idle the first day of the week. Have the home' fans - been so far tamed that baseball defeat no longer creates disappointment? If the next election were not a year oft. Dr. Short might be Induced to come back again. COMMENT ON CURRENT STATE TOPICS Labors at tke State Text-book. Commission at Salem M ay the Eirtuge of Old for New Books Will Cost Utile Small Publishing Houses and Taelr Growing; Import sue Trouble ot the Railroad Commission A Modern Pooh-Bah Over the State Line Jonathan Bourne's Namesake. SELECTION of public school text books for use of the public schools of' Oregon for the next six years was the most important event in this stats during the past week. The meet ing of the Commission at Salem at tracted but little general attention, but those actively engaged in educational work awaited the result with consider able interest. The event was of Im portance not so much because of the financial effeot of the selections as be cause of the influence the selections will have upon the educational interests of the state. From a monetary stand point there was little involved, for an exchange of textbooks is not as expen sive a matter as most people suppose. While a change makes It necessary for pupils to get new books, the exchange price is low and the child gets, on an average, cheaper books at the time of exchange than at any other time. The law requires the publishers to take In exchange any book that may be in the family of a pupil, whether that book be of the grade used by the child or not. The exchange must be of course for a book of the same grade and upon the same subject, but under the prac tice that has been followed a child who needs a third reader can get an old reader any place and exchange it for a new reader of the same grade by pay ing the exchange price. The exchange price is, as a rule, about Half the retail price. The books offered In exchange are, on an average, more than half worn out. For every so cents paid by him in exchanging books th.6 child therefore gets more than 50 cents worth of value. In other words, he gets more credit for his old book than the condi tion of the book warrants. Another In teresting and important feature of the textbook selection, from a financial standpoint. Is that the contract made with the publishing nouses Is that they will sell their books for no lower price In any other state than they are sold for In Oregon. If, therefore, the pub lishers offer their Dooks for sale in New York, or any other state, for less money than the contrast price in Ore gon, the prtce must be correspondingly reduced here. This Insures Oregon chil dren lowest prices. ONE of tha interesting developments of the recent meeting of trie State Textbook Commission was the growing Importance of the small publishing houses In the textbook business. Here tofore the large houses have furnished nearly all the books used In the schools of this and other states. Rgfeause they did a large publishing business, adver tised on a large scale, spent consider able money keeping agents In the field pushing their books and were able, by reason of the magnitude of their busi ness, to name lowest prices, they have been successful in keeping their books in the schools. But in the. last six years a number of young and active men have been going Into the textbook publishing business in a small way add have been succeeding. They begin on small capi tal, secure a book of particular merit, own no printing plant, 'but 'nave their printing done by contract with large printing houses. They employ no agents, but go out and work personally for adoption of their books. They have only one or two books, and they center their energy upon presentation of the merits ot the few publications in which they are Interested. Their expenses un der this plan are no heavier than those of the large publishing houses, so they are able to name prices as low as any. While some of the old publishing houses are still urging retention of old books, they are putting forth new and more attractive works. While the agents of the old houses are talking to the text book commissioners upon the merits of more than a score of books, giving but a moment's attention to any one, the small publishers are giving all their time to one or two books, and are able to present the merits of the few In the most effective manner. If an agent has an hour .in which to talk with, a Com missioner, he can prive but superficial attention to any ode of a score of his books, but If he has but one book to talk about and an hour to devote to it, he can give the listener a pretty clear Idea of its merits. While the Commis sioners examine the books personally, and compare their merits, there can be little doubt that the arguments and ex planations the agents have to offer are of some effect in forming the opinions of the Commissioners. The publishing house that offers two books on one sub ject Is hardly In a position to make as strong ari effort In behalf of either as Is the man who has but one Vok, which he has published because he considered it newer and better than any others on the market. THE success of the small publishers is of interest to the people, because It gives a measure of assurance that no combination exists or will exist for the purpose of preventing competition either in prices or merits of books. To get a book better than anything else in use must be the effort of the small publisher, for only In that manner can he succeed. To abandon the old and out of date and to substitute new books must be the effort of the large ana well-established publishing house. If It would retain Its position in the busi ness of furnishing books for use in the public schools. The small publisher is a specialist. He centers his efforts upon one or two books, and must rise or fall according to the merits of that publi cation. He is therefore more zealous in hunting for the best than Is the large publisher, whose Interest lies chiefly in keeping old publications in use in the schools. ONE of the textbooks on English of fered for the consideration of the Textbook Commission contained exer cises Intended to give the children practice In the formation of sentences. These exercises consisted of questions which the child must answer in com plete sentences expressing his own Ideas. This plan met no criticism, but when tha agent of a rival publishing house came across the question, "How can your father make home more pleasant," he Insisted that he had dis covered an Insurmountable objection to the book. Such a question, he said, would bring up in thechild mind mem ories of some Incidents at home which It would be better to encourage him to forget. Then. too. If he should answer the question according to the Ideas the question suggested) the answers would sometimes bring discredit upon the pa ternal parent, create more merriment in the school than did Mary's little lamb, and would eventually bring a protest from an Indignant father who disliked public disclosure of domesttc infelicities. Whether the presence of questions such as this in the book was considered a fatal defet or not, the book mentioned was not adopted. BOOKKEEPING and business prac tice will probably be taught with much more satisfactory results In the future than In the past, for the Text book Commission adopted what H known as the budget system of teach ing. Briefly stated, this system places In the hands of the pupil a series of lessons on sheets of heavy papert with the sheets placed in a pile and the cor ners fastened together. Each day the student tears oft a page or Bheet and finds underneath the blank forms of bills, notes, checks, drafts, mortgages, deeds, etc., that are to be used In the day's work. He cannot get the blanks without tearing off the sheet of paper. Tearing off the sheet of paper Is equivalent to opening his office in the morning or receiving hi dally mall. The forms are exactly like those used In actual business practice, and the transactions are as much like those of actual business as possible. The budget system is used In most of the business colleges and In many of the high schools of the country. Its adoption in Oregon is considered one of the most important changes made by the Text book Commission. OREGON'S new Railroad Commission is evidently expected to cure all the ills of the transportation business. During the past week an Eastern Ore gon woman complained to the commis sion that she had lost a trunk that had come West from an Atlantic state, and she wanted aid in finding it. The trunk did not come by the same route she did, so it Is not remarkable that soma error was madejn checking it through. The commission good naturedly took the matter up with the railroad com panies and did what they could to get a search started. On the same day a railway station agent In a small town complained to the commission that some freight had been received at his station for a resident of his town, and after the freight had been taken away he discovered that, though the freight had been prepaid, the advance payment was not sufficient, and he should have collected from the consignee. But, af ter getting the goods Into his; posses sion, fhe consignee refused to pay. The agent wanted the commission to aid him In collecting the freight bill, but this the commission declined to do. HOLDING many Important positions In the management or directorate of transportation company . and other corporations -is very common among railroad magnates, bnt unusual among railroad men connected with small lines. The manager of the Klamath Lake Railroad, however, enjoys a dis tinction in this respect, and has busi ness connections which are excelled In number by those of few men doing business in Oregon. Though the gen tleman's home is in California, Just over the Oregon line, he is an Orego nian In business Interests. His busi ness card reads as follows: "E. T. Abbott, Thrall, Cal., station agent Southern Pacific Company; agent Wells-Fargo Express Company; agent Western Union Telegraph Company; agent Sunset Telephone Company; Postmaster; landlord Thrall Hotel; manager general store; local agent Pelton River Sugar Pine Lumber Com pany; local agent' Pokegama Sugar Pine Lumber Company; local agent Klamath River Improvement Company; Weyerhauser .Land Company; general manager Klamath Lake R. R.; general freight and passenger agent Klamath Lake R. R.; purchasing agent Klamath Lake R. R. ; chief engineer Klamath Lake R. R.; Superintendent of Schools; subject to Railroad Commission of Cal ifornia; subject to Railroad Commis sion of Oregon; subject to Interstate Commerce Commission; incidentally keeping out of jail. Open to proposals for other positions. Anything 1 ain't, isn't." THE name Bourne is not a common one is a rare one, in fact. fio alo is the name Jonathan. The two names together are so seldom heard that one would scarcely think that It might happen that two men would have that name. This is the case, how ever, for the Southern Pacific has a ticket agent at Salem who enjoys the distinction of being Jonathan Bourne. He is no relation to United States Senator Jonathan Bourne, Jr. But pos session ' of the name is not his only distinction. He has the reputation of being the wittiest ticket seller on the line, for he is always ready with a Jocular reply, no difference how impa tient or angry a patron of the road may be. Late trains, complaining travelers, bad weather or Ills that disturb the even temper of others never affect him. Witty salutations and answers come from him as naturally and as easily as his everlasting smile. These and his curly hair are as distinctive as his name. He has no intention of going Into polities or getting into jail, so Senator Bourne won't have any need to deny that he Is the Jonathan Bourne of Salem. JACKSON COUNTY real estate busi ness Is evidently about as active as realty business in t Portland. During the month of May there were 513 transfers a pretty good number for a county the size of Jackson, and as far distant from the commercial center of the state. ConimeBcement. Washington (D. C.) Herald. Now Mabel's mind is much awry. She's partly alad. Tet very much Inclined to cry. And sometimes sad. She greets with Joy and yet a tear The parting ways. For now arrives delightful, dear Commencement days. What means this disconcerted look The dam&el wears? What means this far-away, gazook. And stony stare? Mabel walking In her sleep With vacant gaze? Oh, no; 'tis Just the usual deep Commencement daze.