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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1921)
ATf KEWSPAPER C 8. JACKSON .Firtlito I Be calm, be confident, be cheerful sod do bbw wn;ni urn yon would have tnem do unto pa. ) i'ubin4id every week day and Sunday moraine at The Journal buikliac. Broadway and Xaae- ' Jutland a the poatarffice at Portland. Oreto". for transmWoa Uinmab tba nuula aa eecond rlaae mttfr. li.LKrHONfcij liain 717, AatomeUc SetMU. AU department reached by tliwe niirabolt. National AuvotxiHi.su bkfbksknta- T1VB Benjamin Kcntnor Co., BrumwvcK building. 22 Fifth avenue. New Xork; U0 Mnr omidtne, I nvaito. tACIKIU tOA8T KJPKlbK.NTATlVK W. it lierancer Co.. Examiner bttiidinc. Baa n ' cues; Title larurmne baildinc. Lae Seiea, Pn-t-InteHiaeneer boildinir, Seattle. 'iUK OkkAiuX JULK.NALi reaerTea the rigot to reject adeeiUeinc copy which It deeraa oto Jectiunblt It alao will not print any copy that in an way cimnlatee reading matter or that cannot readily b recognized aa adrer tmnt. e- 8UB.HCKIITION KATK8 ' " By Carrier, City and Country DAILY A Nil HIj'NDAY Om week .16 1 One month t .69 DAILT I BUNDAT On week......t .10 Om week $ .OB One month. 45 BY HAIL. AM. RATES PAYABLE IS ADVANCE iMW.Y AND bUMIAT One year tit MO Hi months. .... 4-25 DAILT (Without bund j) One yr ...... 6 M SI moMlw. . . . . 8. '.'5 Three montna... 1.7ft One montE .00 WEEKLY ' (Erery Wedoenday) One year. .... .$1.00 Hit mrwitha BO Three, month.. .13.25 . .75 Ona month.-. . . SUNDAY (Only) On year. .... .98.00 Mix montna. . . r. 1.78 Three montba. . . 1.00 WEEKLY ASD . SUNDAY One year...... S3. 50 Tbeaa rate anoly only in the West. Batea to Eaatern pointa furnibed on applies? tins. Make remitUncea by Money Order. Eapreae Order or Draft. If your poatotliee M not Money Order office. 1 or 2-cent aUmp will be accepted. Make all remitUncea payable to The Journal, Portland, Oregon, When, one baa bad all hia conceit taken ent of elm. wben he baa lost All bia illuaiooe. -hia f rather will aoon aoak through and he will fly no more. Olirer Wendell Holmes. PARTNERS IN THE PLANT i AN 'IDEAL relationship between two forces ne-er grew out of an tagonism and distrust. It never grew out of unrelenting; combat. , It was . never cemented by ties of might, A civilization based on might is not a sound civilization. It may- live temporarily, but it will ultimately fall. A government founded on might it a. tottering government. Any relatlonship depending for its exist ence on might alone will not with stand the rigors of the years. Capital has looked with suspicion on labor. The workingman has, and often rightfully so. distrusted capital. Each has been antagonistic to the other.' , . .-: Each has invariably questioned the other's motives and unalterably opposed its proposals. On that basis an industrial system has been reared in America. It has not been eminently suc cessful. No system is eminently suc cessful that is lacking in efficiency. Millions of dollars have been wasted in lockouts. More millions have been swallowed up in strikes. Plants have lain idle for months and months, while workers' -were 'without work and wages. Economic wastage has gone out to strikebreakers. Lives have been spent In the struggles, while operations were at a standstill. The system Is not efficient and not permanent on such a basis. There have been moves to es tablish industrial plants on a founda tion of cooperative effort and mutual assistance. Visioned men have recognized that the interests of capl . tal . and labor are inter-dependent, that one's fortunes are dependent on the other's fortunes in our present scheme of things. On that principle some plants have been operated and they have been successful. The Armours have presented a cooperative proposal - to their em ployes as a solution of the . present differences. They. offer a plan of industrial democracy In which the employes share In the control of the business. , , , The ' employes are wary . of the overtures of the packing magnates. In view of the past record of the packers the workers quite naturally question the sincerity of the present .proposal. , ' ,-- t But it is & plan that should not ,be hastily rejected as without merit. If genuine it is based on cooperation and mutual aid and is calculated to eliminate antagonism and distrust. lt ; is a move toward a combination of -workers and capital for the benefit . of both." ,.It recognizes a principle that capital and labor are partners : that should long ago have been writ ten Into the code of. operations of -American industrial institutions. "The Community Chest puts char ity on a cold-blooded , business basis ; and I am opposed to it." i This state ment' was made by a Portland lawyer, when asked to be a speaker In behalf of the Chest campaign. Others should not fall Into the same error. The Commuunity Chest fur nishes an intelligently organized con nection between the: warm heart of generosity and. the' needy. It fi-m-utcea oryanieart philanthropy In a week for a year in order that appeals hall not be disappointed because of lack , of , money. The Community Chest furnishes si' whole vity rather than the comparative few a chance to put .charity on a cash basis and thus keep the heart" of : charity stronger than ever before. CAN THEY. DO NO WRONG? IT WAS Jess than a week ago that a Portland pdliceman shot a mo torist in the head ' because ; he did not stop his machine when the of ficer commanded him to halt. Al though the motorist -declares he did not bear the command, and although tne orricer was n piam ciotnes. me latter blazed away, shooting to kin, at a man against whom he had no charges. - - A few days later, another officer jostled a man on the street. The man remonstrated and was Immedi ately arrested, although no charges were placed against him. . At almost the 'same time we hear of another .patrolman knocking an intoxicated ! man- 'to the pavement with a terrific blow. Have'Fortland policemen come to believe that , they are all-powerful? Have they come to think that they are clothed with such authority that they can do no wrong, that they can jostle people about on the street and arrest them on general principles if the latter dare to assert their rights. and that they can even employ their weapons to kill regardless of the in nocence or guilt of a citizen ? Are they empowered 'to mercilessly beat a drunken man when blows are not in any way necessary to place him under. arrest? , I i - i . : It is apparent that some of Port land's : officers are in need of in struction as to their own conduct and the duties and power of their posi tions. : .. f That 'the teachers are taking an active interest in accident preven tion in Portland is evidenced by a traffic accident chart maintained to keep preventloa constantly in pupils' minds. It is encouraging to the mothers and fathers of this city to know that the teachers are taking steps to protect the lives and limbs of the children -in their charge. WHEN CIVILIZATION ROTS TO WHAT extent is there moral A rottenness among those who revel in millions in America? Here was a man who they say was seriously discussed as a candl date for president of the republic. A shot revealed to the world his open liaison with a girl whom he ruined while she was yet in her teens. He was a topnotcher in the millions at his command " and as a political leader. - -; ' I -' ; ::. And here Ls the disgusting story of the president of the National City bank, one of the premier banking institutions of the world. He is a master of finance, a member of Gotham's exclusive rich. : His adult ery with a chorus girl and his fath erhood of her illegitimate son are revealed to an astonished country by divorce proceedings. -. And to cap the climax, by. unani mous vote the directors of his bank refused to accept; his resignation as president, tendered by him as a re sult of the scandal. Is their moral concept " so low that all the in dulgences of a bigamous lif 3 by the president of the Institution is a mere trifle? 'i. :: In the ethics of millionairedom is money license? Is there no longer an old fashioned code of morality in which the vows of marriage and the obligations of home are sacred? Is there no . law against, adultery for money kings and ' barons of oil? Probably not. But from the Stokeses, the Stillraans and the Hamons we are given examples of moral rotten ness that amaze and confuse. And from the annals of the past we learn that when nations became thor oughly immoral, they perished from the earth. i The pessimist who predicts that hard times will continue at least four years is flanked by the optimist who declares that he can ' see the time approaching when he will be able again to get all he wants to eat for 35 cents.' ." " . '. 1- WHEN WE HAD COMPETITION THERE is some controversy over what Mr. Hickman of the tele phone company sald to the hotel men. It is fair to him to say that some hotel men I say he was not correctly quoted. ,A Journal reporter. present at the meeting, says that Mr. Hickman angrily replied to one ques tioner in effect that "if you' do not like our rates cut out your oh one: we are not seeking your business." In any event, if the old Home sys tem had still been in competition with the Bell, no representative of either system - would have made such a reply. ? When the Home system was functioning both companies were competing for business. Both were seeking patrons and were very oblig ing in their efforts to land them. They would tell you the time of day and give you .information about the result of the day's baseball game, call you mornings and. render other ac commodating service. But all that was dropped when the two systems were merged. , j " 1 C ? , K -- But when we had comDetine tele phone systems the people were told that they were keeping up two tele phone plants, that it caused duplica tion and that it was more, expensive. The utilities always tell you that corn-" peting systems and duplicating plants are wasteful and costly and that the thing to do ls to combine them into one so the cost of service may I be cut and rates be reduced. ' And the people get" used; to the argument gradually accept it, the consolidation takes place, and almost without ex ception,: tHe rates go up and service retrogrades. 1 And the Home phone would b in Portland today, and there would be competition in service and competl tidn in rates, but for the deliberate action, ot the people themselves. At an election they voted down ? the measure requiring the competing sys tems to interchange ; service. . - They listened to' the - paid agents and to those who told them that interchange of service was impracticable ani im possible. ' The Journal advocated passage of the measure, . declaring that Interchange was practicable, and its Insistence : was '. fully confirmed when, after buying the Home com pany, the Bell system installed a com plete interchange of service and : is now operating both lines under such an arrangement, t ; J - ; 1 In their ' present situation it may be of value to phone users to ponder over this maxim: That it is a good thing to think when you vote and then vote as you think. Certain articles of American man ufacture have never been dislodged from their foothold in European markets by . imitation or price cut ting. Among them are safety razors. fountain pens, tooth paste in col lapsible tubes and dress shields. KEEP THE PLEDGE A GREAT gathering of farmers is to assemble at Washington to urge congress to enact agricultural legislation at the extraordinary ses sion of congress. From every state there will, be representatives of r the National farm Bureau Federation, the National Milk Producers' associ ation and the National Farmers' Union. What they ask is emergency tariff legislation to stop importation of certain farm ' products. It was promised them by those who won the election. The pledge ought to be kept. "'' . - : ? -. 1 !,. Imported shoddies are in compe tition with American wool. The con sumer gets no relief from that com petition or from the importation of foreign wools. The price of clothing is so high that people are refusing to buy. Anyway, there is less than 1 8 worth of wool in an average suit of clothing when wool prices are high, and an import duty sufficient to protect the home industry would scarcely affect the consumer. The same thing is true of hides. The farmer cannot sell a beef hide for; enough to 'buy pair of shoes. A shoe that used to cost the retailer $5 now costs him $12 to $15.: The leather trust has made unparalleled dividends and the stockman is count ing his losses. The tariff from time immemorial has favored the' leather trust and the shoe trust and the other trusts and left the farmer the husks. Here is an instance typical of hides: A Montana farmer obtained a beautiful black hide from a two- year-old steer. He sent It to a hide and fur company to be tanned for h robe. The com pan y wrote : To tan this hide will cost you $12.17. To line it and make it into a robe will cost you $22.50 complete. We are not doing any tanning this season without o in advance, and ask you to remit us $5 on account. If we do not hear from you within K days, we shall be com pelled to send you a check for the value -of the. hide, which is $143,. less ii cents ror xreignt. ... ; For the I first time : the farmers, gathering at Washington In force. are taking a course : that will ) yield results. The trained and paid lobby ists of the Institutions that sell to farmers have always been in the leg islative corridors, stacking legisla tion. They have flocked and swarmed around congress demand ing all kinds of high import duties for the manufacturer, : and getting them. It has meant high prices for what the farmer buys and low prices for what he sells. ; f The proof Is on every hand. ' It appears in the country-wide losses to agriculture, placed at $5,000,000,- 000 in the late slump in prices. , It Is to be seen In the increase in the number of farm mortgages, . In the mounting level of farm tenantry and in the drift of farm population to the cities. ' American automobiles are gaining a widened market In Argentina. But until American ', road builders : also turn thejr attention to the southern republic. It Is doubtful if touring will become .as. popular as the machines. Most of the roads are merely (racks on the natural surface. THE ORACLES SPEAK IT was a grand day at Camden, New Jersey, Thursday.! The super dreadnought ' Colorado, the most modern ' and most expensive :; sea- fighter 4ri the world, glided into the waves for the first time. Young Mr. Roosevelt had his say. So did Sena tor Nicholsen of Colorado, So did Representative Kelley of Michigan. Roosevelt, branded all pacifists as fools. , The senator from Colorado de scribed those who favor disarmament as feeble-minded. K' , The Michigan representative de clared- there can be no such thing as disarmament. '. : : "' : v The oracles had spoken. The giant fighter glided into the water.: And now all those in this country who desire freedom from -war and i war expenses must know, that they are feeble' minded and fools. " THE END OF THE LEVER ACT : rom Loud Hurrahs to Mournful Sighs Rang-es the Comment on the Supreme Court's Action A Thing Which , Everybody Save the Gouger Not ? Only Needs but Wants. Is Still f Beyond Legislative Powers. - Daily Editorial Digest - (Conaolidated Free AmociattonJ. The stamp of "unconstitutionality" placed upon the Lever - act, originally designed to protect the public from war time profiteering, remains unquestioned as to its validity by the American news papers, but a large number of writers feel that the people will suffer when even this ? false bulwark is removed. Conceding that it .! . worked to some -extent at least during wartime, rear : is expressed by some that, now that it " , has been "calied," the profiteer will be encouraged. There are those, of course, who-think that the "illegal law, is better out of the way and that the stimulus which its removal has given business will more than make up for the escape of a few offenders. v ' - . e - .. : , - The Portland Oregonian (Ind. Hep.) takes a practical - view of the matter. Although . it!now, turns ; out that ? the Lever act, was a gigantic bluff in the sense that it had ' no support either in constitution or ' law," it, nevertheless, "worked" because it was backed by 'the united, .overwhelming force of public opinion." While .the New York Post (Jnd.) finds it ("unfortunate" that, the decision . had , to be made which per mitted nullification "of hundreds of pro secutions" and admits that ,it is "a lesson on the way not to draft a law," that paper still feels that the" act was "of great value in intimidating many would-be " profiteers ""and speculators." The Boston Transcript, (Ind. Rep.) like wise agrees with the soundness of the supreme , court's ruling but also feels that the law "has served Its purpose." The Buffalo Commercial (Ind.). too. considers that "it checked the greed of the prof iteer and the labor leader." That the results of the act "in practice fell far short of the necessities of the situa tion," the Baltimore Sun (Ind. Dcm.) believes, but grants that, they had "a great psychological effect." ' - - e e V-' ' There are those who can see little in the war record of the law to excuse its existence as a meddling civilian. Says the Fort - Worth Star-Telegram I (lnd. Dem), "The decision of the supreme court puts an end to the Intolerable in terference in business which has been practiced under the Lever act. .Not only was it intolerable in time of peace, but it actually defeated, rather than served. the purpose which it was intended to serve." . : ::. -.- ' , :-c --.f - .-. Probably no recent court detision, -the Brooklyn Eagle ; (Ind. Dem.) . believes, "has done so. , much , to . settle business conditions," for, in the words cf the De troit Free Press (ind.).Jt will "place a quietus 'on the. activities of some people who have been trying to use the Lever act as an excuse ' for' sticking : their fingers into things with which they' have no concern." y Reminding , its .readers that it "has repeatedly ;. questioned the validity of a law which, In peace . times, should dictate to "a dealer . what ? he should charge for! anything- he had;' for sale,", the Canton i (Ohio)- News ( Dem. ) remarks : "There is no law which ..re quires patrons to buy from any particu lar dealer, and the dealer, has a right; to demand what I he ''pleases for his mer chandise his property rights are guar anteed by the constitution. It is doubt ful if the public took seriously prosecu tions made under the Lever law against alleged profiteers." In the opinion of the Pittsburg Gazette-Times (Rep.), the act was "seizure of despotic! power by the government of a democratic repub lic" assented to by the people simply because the country was at war and they were willing to make any sacrifice necessary to win." e "However. another side to this phase of the question is recognized by many papers, among them the Sioux . City (Iowa) Journal (Rep.) which grants that "the act was an interference with business," but continues : "There is a point at which. It becomes the right and duty of the government to interfere with business. : Although the act was diffi cult of enforcement and has been ' de clared unconstitutional. It I was not wholly Ineffective." r Following this logic a step further, the St. Louis Star , (Ind.) suggests that now since the supreme court has "cleared out some of the trash." the people can "demand something constructive to fake Us place," and the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (Dem.) predicts that "sooner or later there will be a law in this coun try that will make it possible for organ ized society to protect itself against ex ploitation." That this will . not bo so easy of accomplishment is the fear of the Ohio State Journal (Columbus, Rep.), which feels that "the main thing ; the government could do successfully to protect the public to some deirree against the greedily powerful"' would be nega tive rather than positive : that is, "mere ly to grant no special favor of any kind to any Interest, and thus do something in promoting fair and free competition." As it is, the abolition of the Lever act. the Hartford f Times (Dem.) regrets, leaves the country without any protec tion against price gouging except the little it may secure through j the anti trust act and conspiracy statutes, v - . e Under these : circumstances, the Nor folk (Neb.) News (Ind.) believes that it "will be generally regretted that there remains no adequate way of dealing with the man who made a fortune out of the war by takinsr advantage of the distress and needs of the people. The "moral" effect of the decision will be detrimental, the Birmingham Age-Herald (Ind. Dem.) believes, for "It will give comfort to unscrupulous firms and Indi viduals" and "it will strengthen the con viction of the ' prof iteers victims, -who constitute a considerable part of the na tion's population, that their government cannot prevent : them from being ex ploited." : These "immediate and lasting effects of the ruling." the Rochester Herald (Ind.) thinks, "will be profound ly harmful.", ;-;;':';iy-v i -s;-.- Curious Bits' of Inforrnation Gleaned From Curious Places Howe's cave, in Schoharie county. N. T- 89 miles from Albany. - is i regarded as the most remarkable cavern in exist ence, after the Mammoth cave in Ken tucky. - It was discovered sin 1842 by Lester Howe, who is said to have pene trated into its interior for a distance ot 12 miles. The farthest point reached by the. visitor is about four miles from the entrance. . The cave contains some re markable stalactites and stalagmites and abounds In curious and fantastic forma tions. - . ' . MRS. HARDING'S FIVE COOKS From Capper Weekly.. Mrs. Warren G. Harding found her servant problem solved s for her - when she became mistress of- the -White House. Cooks, chambermaids, laundry women, butler and pantrymen 20 in all are provided by the government at a cost of $30,000 a year, and there is a housekeeper who has been in charge of the servants since the administration of ex-President Taft.: Previous to that time a steward was in charge. Only the expense of the personal ; servants whom a new president and his wife may choose to hare accompany them to the White House is borne by the chief executive.,1.-- ----- - 4 - : - O"- Mrs. Harding has retained the serv ices of Inez McWhorter, . her cook, and a chauffeur but . she found at . the White House four cooks retained by the government : and four .chauffeurs. All food bought for the White House table, - whether for the private table - or for state functions, must be paid out of the pocket of the : chief executive. Caterers to the White House usually are selected by the housekeeper, unless the "first lady of the land" desires to follow particular preferences which may previously nave been formed. f Communication Bent to - The Journal for PWMieauon xn this oeparunens anouid M wnmen oa only one aide of the paper; ahould not exceed 30O word in lencth, and unit be aisned by the writer, w&ose man addreaa 10 lull uuat accom paoy th oontnontion. I ' . " - REBUKES COMMISSIONERS Not Bound, to Render , Decision on ' ; Incomplete-Information. Portland, March 22 To the Kditor of The Journal The decision of the hotel owners to ask for a rehearing ; in the telephone rate case and, failing there to get relief, to take the decision to the courts, la the prescribed J procedure in the public utilities act. .Following this course would, perhaps, appeal more strongly to the more sober minded per sons . thart the recall movement. It might be appropriate to mention in con nection with the above that the public service ' commission has . already stated through the press ' that if the public is not satisfied with its decision -it has the privilege of seeking redress through the courts. ' Putting this statement in as mild a form as possible, it is; a defiance that is, if you don't like its decision, "cut it out" through the jcourts.. but don't bother us. . The representative of the telephone company said yesterday to the hotel owners: "If yon don't like our rate charges or our method of propor tioning rates, cut v your telephones out we are not seeking your business." C The public might Construe or under stand the statements made by both the commission and the telephone company, that if it did not" like the decision and the telephone rates it could go. to h L I would ' not advise the acceptance of such an invitation, but I certainly would advise going direct to the courts for relief, and proceeding with the recall movement. The public service commis sion has admitted that it was not author laed under , the law to examine certain sub-corporations of the parent company and was thereby ; barred from making a complete investigation, which was absolutely necessary as a basis for rais ing or reducing telephone rates. ; Not withstanding this important fact, the rates were increased .30 to 250 per cent. This In itself, in my opinion, would disqualify the personnel of the present commission. I have carefully examined the law creating the public service -com mission and setting- forth its powers ana duties and I cannot agree with the statement that it is without power to make a . proper Investigation ; ' on the contrary, - it has practically unlimited power and authority and could force the utility companies to furnish any and all information required, upon which' to base an equitable decision. - The decision of the commission in the telephone rate case reads in part : "Under the law and in the light of the records of this case, the commission has no alternative other than to - provide additional revenue." " It is, claimed and admitted that the evidence was Incomplete. . ' Yet an in crease in rates was granted.' The com mission was not duty bound 'to render a decision on an incomplete record or in the absence of a complete and sweep ing investigation of the case. In the absence of complete evidence the public should have been given the r benefit of the doubt. . W. L. Archambeau. THE OLD POSTOFF.CE 4 Insistence That It Be Left Alone; Mon- ' - ument Somewhere Else. -it Portland, March 18. To the Editor of The Journal The. present old post off ice at Fifth and Morrison streets is needed, and badly needed,- by the great mass of ordinary, everyday citizens that live or do business "downtown." To abolish it would cause inestimable inconvenience to the .mass of people who make Port land great, no matter how many "branch postoffices" were put in behind little blind desks in drug stores and other in convenient places. As sure as that office is discontinued a cry will go up for some other downtown place where business can be transacted on a big scale, as it is there ; where the Christmas rush can be taken care of. at least to a degree. The needs and convenience of the great mass of ' citizens should be the first thought of our public men,! and Con gressman McArthur is to be commended for asking expressions of opinion as to the removal of the building.. Just let it alone. - Business will get along very nicely. The real estate dealers will find "something else - to play with," and Mayor Baker's fervid patriotism will soon bubble over in some new place. ' Horace Addis. . THE TELEPHONE INCREASE . A Protest Against One. of the Compauy's Chief Arguments for It, ; Portland, March ,23. To the Editor of ; The Journal For. working people there is not much interest in the con troversy between the telephone company and its patrons over the question of in creased . rates. It is only . when the henchmen of this : overfed corporation justify the increase with the proviso that the higher rates will enable the company to create jobs for 'the idle, that one objects. The fact Is that we have been fed up on such-bunk for so long that the dish - has . become nauseating, and unless : the telephone company has some more plausible . reason than the philanthropic one of trying to find work for the unemployed it should not succeed in retaining the higher rate. - '' R. Harrigan. WOULD RENAME THE COMMISSION Portland, March 22. To the! Editor of The Journal Would it not be proper to rename' the public service commission of Oregon? I would suggest it should be called - corporation service commission. The commission has done nothing to help the public in the matter of high prices. Everything in the way of eatables and clothing has taken a decided drop. Why not phones, gas and other public utilities? 'The people of Portland and Oregon must be thankful to The Journal Tor. the fight it has always put up in favor of the people. ' I think it is the only paper worth while in the city. Sam Goldenberg. Uncle Jeff Snow Says One of these here agricultural sharps was a-tellin us at the Corners school house t'other - night that farmers bad orter keep ; books so's to tell - where they're at on. the cost of butter, pigs. loganberries and sich. But Jedge Mc Cracken doubted the wisdom of it. He 'lowed that If the farmer got to figgerin like the big corporations does he'd bring hisself out busted all the time; and, not havin' any bunch of commissionerslto raise his rates fer him, like i the rail roads and the telephones has, he'd git so discouraged that he wouldn't raise nuthin' nor buy nuthin' and the coun- try'd go Bolshevik by 4,000.000 majority. HE'S DOOMED 4 -From the Baltimore American An international roping match has teen announced between a -i- Mexican woman, and an American woman.? The name of the .man has not yet - been Letters From the People divulaed. - , COMMENT AND SMALL CHANGE Everybody happy?-' . - Let the Community Chest swell. a . e The terror of sin Is that children must bear the burden of penalty , for their elders. - . - . . . . e ' As fast as automobiles lengthen the spines of the race, reckless drivers shorten life, so the score ls even. . Some of these new "California bunga lows" seem to - have been built to ; fit California's drouthy climate. - e , e . "' Having been given an inch, the public service commission seems to want the whole city. When the Clara Hamon motion pic tures are released we shall have a real test, of the worth of censorship. Twenty-five chickens to a city lot will be quite enough to make the sleeper's Sunday morning nap one long cackle. "Masterpiece carved on bean. No, sonny, -that doesn't mean that someone has been crowned with a length of pipe. - Veteran coughs un Cfvil war 'bullet. That's nothing. - We coughed up the price of a sack of flour just before the price dropped s , e It will be handy to have a capable man like Hoover in the cabinet if for no other reason than to solve riddles for his colleagues. . - - , e . ,- v.'.i. ' Farmers are to make a drive on con gress. - Given the same success farmers have in their gopher drives, congress had better look a little out. - s MORE OR LESS PERSONAL Random Observations About Town Mr. and Mrs. Leon E. Ren ne lis of Eu gene are guests at' the Seward. "Just say I , am here on business," said . Mr. Rennells. "I don't want everybody to know I am here on my honeymoon. Till a "week" ago my wife - was Miss Alta Gentry of Grants Pass. : I find business conditions from Eugene to Klamath Falls improving on account of farm - credits easing up. I sell farm machinery, so I am In position to know. While In Klam ath Falls recently, about all I heard from the farmers was praise for Captain Siemens, the banker. . He held lots of the notes of farmers and stockgrowers. They could Hot sell their livestock and hay, so they could not take up their notes. He called them together and said. "If -I enforce collection a. lot of you will go to the wall and lose your places. I will close my bank till you can dispose of your stock and take up your notes : then I will open again.' He did so and, now that he has reopened, you couldn't drive his depositors away." Dean Abrahams, from the cheese me tropolis -of the Pacific coast, is at the Imperial - and : reports the farmers of Tillamook -well pleased with conditions there. . . e . . Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Shepard, whose home ls . at McMinnvtlle, .are Portland visitors and are registered at the Oregon. ; ' .,4 . v., William Brown, from the Inland sea port of Reedsport, is registered at the Oregon. : - .. ' - e ' Mr. and Mrs. George T. Michaelson of Bend are guests at the Hotel Imperial. - - - . . - r . . .. F. B. Holbrook of Goble ls registered at the- Imperial. - e e H. M. Kershaw of Willamlna . is at the Imperial. , . , . . , . . e e . V - ,i. . T. B. Desch of La Grande ls registered at the Imperial. . . - . t CL a Oliver of Hood River is a Port land visitor. - . . - e L. H. Ziegler of Lexington. Morrow county. Is a guest at the Imperial. Dr. J. W. Kerr, president of O. A. C, is a guest at the Imperial. , ; L. E. Bolt of, Pendleton is transacting business In the city. . ,- - e e . . F. H. Haradan Is In town from As toria, registered at the Hotel Benson. e t Carl Crow, registering from Shanghai, China, is at the Benson. e - " Grant Hale is In the city from Albany. OBSERVATIONS AND IMPRESSIONS OF THE JOURNAL MAN By Fred f Choice extract from hia private correspon dence. Mr. Lorkler aharea with Journal reader today. lieroiniscmt of the World war are two of these. Another will be enjoyed by thoee who are fond of the study of gem patticularly tM opali v - - , . If I were a collector of postage stamps I could make a good slxed collection of stamps from all over the world, from the letters written me by friends I made while overseas, many of whom are how- wandering, to the far corners of the world. In yesterday's mail I received a letter from Colonel G. E. R Overton of - the British army, whose address is Frimstone, Liphook, Hants, England. I was his guest at dinner at Winchester. In his letter he says: "I often think of the pleasant times I spent with my American friends at Winchester. I am not a very good cor respondent, although I send occasional messages to - some of my American friends. I... often hear from Colonel Jones, who was In charge of the camp at Winchester. The world is going through, a rough time just now.. Our latest plan is to help the devastated villages of France. Many towns and districts in England t have formed com mittees to help some particular devas tated town or : village . In - France by sending - clothing or other articles to help tbem make a new start. My wife and I have been living very quietly on our place in the country since the war. Remember me, if you will, please, to any Winchester friends you may chance to meet." . -"-' -: .'- ,. e Percy Marks is a most likable Aus tralian. His address Is. No. 5 Hunter street. Sydney.. N.. S.. W. ..' I received a letter from him recently. He Is an old- time gem miner. - He writes most inter estingly about his experiences in mining for the rare and beautiful Australian black opaL This type of opal is found in a small area in New South Wales near the Queensland border. The dis trict where the f ipest gems are found Is known as Lightning Ridge. This dis trict ; is about 600 miles from Sydney and the nearest base of supplies for the opal hunters is at Collarendabrl or at Walgett. This field was discovered in 1907. The opal is found at a depth of S to 50 feet. The locating of an-opal bed is almost entirely a matter of luck. The only guide toward getting a good place . is in noticing the : presence of potch" on the surface of the ground. This potch Is k soft black or brown opalised substance . without commercial value. The opal usually occurs in seams of very hard rock . or in ,eode-like nodules. When this." district was first opened the miners usually sold their black opals in the rough at so much an ounce. . Later they had them faced or even shaped and polished and If it haDDened to be an unblemished speci men of some sise they made a killing. NEWS IN BRIEF SIDELIGHTS . If you knew yourself as well as you do your neighbor you might not think any more of yourself than you do of him. Corvailia Gasette-Times. i . - r - Portland Is hot on the trail of the high school fraternities; the Portland board must have decided to take over the management of the school system. Pen dleton East Oregonian. .. . ; : . Since he has successfully run a news paper, the confidence with which; Presi dent Harding has attacked his job of running the government is perhaps not unjustifiable. Weston Leader. The construction of a tourist hotel at Crater Lake, like the building of a rail road to the Blue Ledge, hinges on keep ing the lead pencils sharn and the throat clear. Medford Mail-Tribune. . - . What are we going to do about the slaughter of American citizens In Mex ico? Some of the editors who know Just what Wilson should have done ought to prompt Harding at onee Eugene Guard. Professor Welaman Says that 45.000 acres of land are available in Palestine for Jews who wish to buy it Professor Weizman will have to offer something besides. - sentiment, however, to get American Jews of normal intelligence to go back to PalesUne. Corvailia GtL-zette-Times. . . The Corvall is Gazette Times Is install ing a semi-rotary press which will de liver papers at the rate of 8500 to 4000 an hour. That's a handy little machine to have around at press time, but what will it be' good for during the other 23 hours and 69 minutes of the day? Cot tage Grove Sentinel. Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Weaver, proprie tors of the Hotel Umpqua, are guests at the Hotel Portland. "The roads between Roseburg and Portland are in excellent condition." said' Mr. Weaver. "It la about J60 miles from Roseburg to Salerrt and we made it in five and a half hours and then came, on into Portland in-a little over two : hours. . From Roseburg to Portland in less than eight hours ls good evidence that the roads are In . good shape. We met lots of autos. Tourists are coming up from California, While a good many are headed southward. Last r nudjr nigm we nan hi Dig -cars arawn up in front of the Hotel Umpqua. whose passengers stayed overnight. -- From Port land to Roseburg is a little over 200 miles. A good -many PorUand tourists plan 1 to make -Roseburg the stopover point on their way south." - f , -. - .- '. ' . ; - " '. ' '--'"' A. J.,Burley is here from Sheridan, the town named for and made famous by the dashing cavalry officer whot when lieu tenant, was quartered at the Indian agency."-: i.r-- e, e , e ': Mr. and Mrs. , J, M." Reed of Turner, in Marion county, are registered at . the Imperial.-; - , -- :-- -' - - -- - :-i - H. T. McGrath. who calls Kings Valley his home, Is transacUng business in PorUand. : , , e a , -. . D. R. Brownell of Umatilla Is at the Imperial. 1 ' - 1 .... . - - 1 - . . T. C. Nye of Pendleton ls a guest at the Oregon. ' 3 F. B. Stanley, hailing from Bend, is a Portland visitor. . e . W. M. Smith of Astoria Is a guest at the Hotel Oregon. e e R.- B. Wanless, from' the University City, is a Portland visitor. A. L. Barnett of The Dalles is a' guest at the Multnomah. --e.....: , -':-U.--' : M. H. BuUer and B. Butler of Corval lis are at the Multnomah. , ' . .. . ' -; . . F.. T.' Petty ls down from, the Capital City for a brief visit in the metropolis. The Misses C. and L. Taylor of Cor vallis are guests at the Hotel PorUand, Delbert Starr of Brownsville ; is a guest at the Hotel Seward. E. B. Adams of Hood River ls a Port land visitor. E. P. Foils of Hood River is at the Seward." . Lockley but often an ; apparently fine specimen would develop Into a stone with -sand shots or other blemishes and prove unsalable. Flawless black opals of good size are not only rare but are becoming increasingly Valuable. ' The black opal is a rare form of . hydra ted silica in a porodine condition. The wonderful luster is caused by its having expert enced unequal contractions in varying directions - and, being amorphous,- its polarization is similar , to that of a doubly refracting body. The , unique beauty of the black opal comes from the fact that the prismatic colors ; with afi their scintillating glory occur ; in a background of sombre bue, so that you get the effects of . the' flashing of the Northern lights against a velvet blue black sky. The real black opal varies from Nile green to Crater Lake . blue, with all the varying shades between, and In .its heart are flame-like flashes of hidden fire. There Is a fascination about a black opal hard to describe. Someone speaks of them as "ablaze with flashes of liquid flames that change to sapphire blue' or merge into , molten green- of the racing wave as It breaks on the shore." They are agleam and a-qulver with points of glowing crimson that even- as you look change to golden fire. They burn and twinkle like stars on a frosty night or glow with a lam bent glory like the stars of the Southern Cross. Experts will show you harlequin black opal, royal blue,, golden flash black pmfire, redblack harlequin or plaid and crimson - black fire opal, and many other varieties, but to me they are all bits of 'ever-glowing, ever-changing color that fascinate with their glorious riot of rainbow : colors mixed with sunshine, starlight and living fire. .. - r - Recently I received a letter from my long-time friend, Wallis Nash of Nash vflle. For many years - Mr. Nash was an editorial writer of The Oregon Jour nal. He has recently written a book of reminiscences which is as fascinating as a novel. In his letter to me he says: "A paragraph in the introductory epistle to Sir Walter Scott's 'Monastery that I came across today- made me think of you. Possibly you may care to reprint it. ' Here It isr The man in the Iron gray suit could tell the very year in which the family of De Haga first settled ; on their ancient barony. The faittily of De Haga modernized Into Ha'g of Bemersidj Is of the high est antiquity and Is the subject of one of : the ' prophecies of Thomas - the Rhymer : ' . . , 'Betide, betide: whate'er betide. Hais ahall be tUig of Bemenide.' "So slips into ancient history the field marshal. commander-in-chief of the British armies la the great war. Mel rose Abbey, the near neighbor of Ab botsford, stood on one corner of the lands of Haig of BemersldeV "The Oregon Country Northwest Happening In Brief Form for the . Jiuay Header -.v OREGON NOTES ,4 For the first time In 14 years Albany college will turn out a baseball team this season. Reduced rates on lumber and thinrles from the Pacific Northwest to Eastern markets will be effective March 31. At an suction sale in Klamath Falls, Seaforth Queen 3d, a 4-year-old roan cow owned by S. T. liernpe, brougnt 675. . .., . ' The Lewis Malone Logging company, on the Lewis & Clark river south of Astoria,, will start active operations early in April. , The Malheur county farm bureau has fixed the wagen of farm laborers for the coming season at 20 cents an hour, room and board, . ,; Daniel Lane, living eight miles north of La Grande, was burned to death, in his home when flames comuletely de- voured his residence. Lynn Sklllington. 18, messenger hoy for the Western Union, was struck by an automobile In Klamath Falls and sus tained a fractured skull. The Union Oil company of California sold in Oregon during February gaHoline and distillate upon which it paid to the state taxes amounting to 13814 33. The Gold Hill cement plant, which suspended operations last December, has resumed with a crew of 110 men. The output of the plant is 1200 barrels daily. The general board of education o the -Presbyterian church has offered to give 1100.000 to the endowment fund of Al bany college provided the college raises 00.000. , Daniel Boyd of Enterprise was pre sented last Saturday to President Harding by Senator McNary, who urgel Boyd's appointment as minister to Nicaragua. , ' The Oregon Alpha association of,. Sigma Alpha Kpsilon has bought a tract of land and will erect this summer one of the most pretentious fraternity homes In Corvailia At a meeting of the board of directors of the First National bank and the Flrnt Savings bank of Albany, Ralph Mc Kechnie was elected cashier of the two institutions. . .-Another drop of $3 a thousand In the price of common lumber was announced this week in Vale, making the total re duction about 60 per cent below last year's prices. WASHINGTON W.- Thompson, 54, in Jumping from a truck at Vancouver, fell under the wheels and sustained two broken legs. ! Six tanks for Comnany L, Washington National Tank corps, have ben bhipped to the Centralia company from New Jersey. . It Is estimated that 35 to 40 per cent of. the 19:20 crop is still in the hands of the wheat growers of the Palouse country. Four hundred acres1 of- orchard be longing to the Yakima Orchard com pany are to be cultivated this year by use of dynamite. -. Louis Primorsch, a seller of moon shine whiskey, confessed to federal authorities at Taooma that his profits last year were $15,000. George Kuhn suffered a fractured erm and two broken ribs when the bridge on Seventh street In Pomeroy went down under a caterpillar he was driving. The I. S. Pue home at Ahtanum was destroyed by fire last week, causing a loss ; of $13,000. The mother of Mrs. Pue narrowly escaped being burned to death.--- i, - Governor Hart ' has signed the bill passed by the recent legislature placing automobile bus transportation under regulatory authority of the director of public works. Sixty-three inmates of the Washington state reformatory at Monroe were par doned by the board of control at its last meeting before going out of exist ence, under the new civil administrative code. . Charles Edmonds, under arrest at Seattle, has confessed that he had been involved in the burglary of 22 (Seattle homes, covering a period of six monthn, and had taken loot estimated to be worth $5000 ; Three boys playing in a park in Seattle stumbled onto a girl lying un conscious and drenched under an um brella. An empty bottle that had contained nelson was lying beside her. The girl was Anna Park, aged 19. 'Heirs of John D. and Mrs, Sherwood, the wealthy Spokane couple who were killed in an automobile accident in California, have just paid at Olympia the inheritance tax on their eHtates. That of John V. Sherwood amounts to $49,450.92 and of Mrs. Sherwood $27,-. 553.52. IDAHO Federal pay for two troops of Idaho cavalry has been received at Home. The amount is $2571.93. The Oregon Short Line railroad has reduced the rate 011 peas and beans from Knull. Idaho, from 83 ',4 to 63 tents per hundred pounds. , The alfalfa meal mill at tSmrne't. which was destroyed by fire a week ago, will be rebuilt immediately. .The plant was valued at $25,000. There is now stored In the Jackson lake reservoir near Burley 311,020 acre feet of water aa sgalnst a total of 140.840 acre feet at the same date last year.e Hi People's Highline ritch company at Blackfoot has gone Into the hands of a receiver because of an indebtedness of $90,000 which has been accumulating for several years. - William Hess. 30, of Burley entered the room where his three c hildren were ' sleeping last Friday night, fired a bullet into his head and died Instantly. The children were not harmed. , Governor Davis left Boise Saturday for Washington.? where he will assist congressional members from the West in drafting the. reclamation legislation to be presented to the special session of congress. . ICNOW youR PORTLAND ' The Portland Realty board's name Indicates its purpose. It is an asso ciation of real estate men. - It was organized In February, 190$. It has . at the present time 435 members, of whom 260 are active members and , 175 affiliate members. The latter class includes large own ers of property not directly In the business of buying and selling, real property but whose interest is usu ally due to the fact that their build, ings and lands are bought and sold by authorized agents. The president of the Realty board is Coe A. McKenna. Frank McCrlllls is first vice-president; A. R. Ritter of Ritter, Lowe & Co., second vicc' president; A. G. Teepe, third vice president ; B. Lee Paget, treasurer, and Paul -A. Cowgilt, secretary. The executive committee members are Rodney Glisan, attorney ; Alfred A. Aya, manager of the Peninsula Industrial company: A. R, Johnson of Johiwon-Doddon company ; Walter Gill of A. II. Birrell-GllI company; Frank McCrillls, financial agent; Walter M. Daly, Title & Trust com pany.. The Realty board has done much to give dignity, confidence and sta bility to the real estate business in Portland. It frowns upon exaggera tion, misrepresentation and fraud. Its members believe that real estate transactions on a business basis, gov erned by - real values, are belter speculative enterprise. It is an ef fective contributor to the success of many 'civic enterprises. " A member of the Portland Realty board. - Fred E. Taylor, is president of the National Association of Ural Estate Boards.