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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1901)
&gyr?x THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1901 END OF BUSY YEAR Chamber of Commerce Work in Behalf of Portland. RIVER IMPROVEMENT PRESSED Co-Operatlon "Willi Other Town to Promote the General Interests of the Coast Middle West-Aff- srresslons Opposed. With the annual meeting, -which will be held at 2-46 Washington street, at 3:30 P. M., Wednesday, the Chamber of Com merce will close the busiest year of its existence. A great amount of good has been accomDllshed In a auiet way by the board of trustees, the governing body of the chamber, which Is composed of nine prominent business men. These are: George Taylor, Jr., Henry Hahn, J. P. Batchelder, A. L. Mills, E. T. Williams, B. M. Hears, R. Livingstone, L N. Fleisch ner and Edward Ehrman. Each trustee .has shouldered his share of the burden, doing all committee work assigned to him and attending the weekly meetings wiui regularity. President Taylor has been an especially tireless worker. Ills colleagues on the board know that he has neglected his private business more than once to do a rood turn for Portland. The policy of the board has been one of advancement of Portland and co-operation with other commercial bodies to for ward the general and special Interests of the Pacific Coast. In this way Port land has gained the good will of cham bers of commerce, commercial clubs, push clubs and boards of trade in Seattle. Ta coma, Spokane, San Francisco, Los An geles, San Diego and throughout the Co lumbia and Willamette Valleys. One of the nrst acts of the hoard last January was to vote to co-operate with all cham "bers of commerce in Oregon on all ques tions of general public interest. Hearing of this action, the San Francisco Cham ber of Commerce adopted resolutions urg ing Pacific Coast commercial organiza tions to take more Interest In National questions, to the end that the Coast shall receive recognition from the executive and legislative departments of the Gov ernment. Portland indorsed the San Francisco position. Vancouver was made happy by the tremendous pressure brought to bear upon Congress In behalf of the proposed permanent general hos pital. Seattle was brought Into friendly relations by a vote favoring It as the landing place for the Pacific cable. In the Spring President Taylor attended the farmers' congress at Salem and made friends for Portland. In the Fall excur sions of Portland business men, which had been arranged by the Chamber, at tended harvest carnivals, street and fruit fairs at Pendleton, Walla Walla and Hood River, and brought the commercial Interests of the metropolis Into contact with the Interior merchants and pro ducers. The Lewlston fair would have been visited, but for the long distance to travel, and the near approach of the holiday trade. The chief work of the trustees has been in behalf of the Columbia River, and the year closes with bright prospects for a deep channel at the mouth, deep water be tween Portland and the sea, and an open river to Lewlston. In the latter part of April Charles F. Adams, of Boston, and E. H. Libby. of Lewlston, addressed the trustees. Mr. Adams urged Immedi ate action to make the Columbia and Its tributaries navigable from Lewlston to Portland. A committee appointed by the trustees reported a few days later that the importance of this undertaking could not bo overestimated, and that it was "es pecially incumbent on Portland, as the chief city of the Columbia Basin, bott to take the lead In urging this under taking and to use all possible influences to hold the subject up to the attention of the Pacific Northwest, to Legislatures, to Congress, and to commercial bodies." Portland took the Initiative and has been cordially supported by commercial bodies in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The trustees demanded that Congress appro priate J2.531.000. the amount estimated by the Chief of Engineers, for the comple tion of the deep-water project at the mouth of the river. The river and har bor bill does not carry quite this amount, but ample provision is made for the con tinuance of the Improvements. Captain Harts, United States Engineers, has rec ommended a canal and locks between The Dalles and Celilo. so the work of opening the rivers to Lewlston is making satis factory progress. The Chamber of Com merce is entitled to a great deal of credit for what it has done for river improve ments. The contract system for the mouth of the river, which has been adopt ed by Congress, was suggested by the Chamber. The aggressions of the Middle West Job bers west of the Rocky Mountains has driven all Pacific Coast commercial bodies into a close alliance, besides resulting in the organization of the Pacific Coast Man ufacturers and Jobbers' Association. This latter body was called into existence to oppose the demand for graded rates and abolition of differentials and terminals. The Chamber of Commerce indorsed the position of the Manufacturers' and Job bers' Association and declared in resolu tions that the demands of the Middle West were excessave, and If granted would "injure and retard the natural growth and development of trade on the Pacific Coast." The ocean was declared to be a "National highway from all parts of the world, and has been and is to be used by the Coast as a factor In its trade deeloptnent." The Middle West has an other sly scheme in the parcels post bill now pending in the United States Senate. It will also be condemned as a measure dangerous to the trade interests of the coast. A detailed statement of the work of the Chamber of Commerce during the year would take up a great amount of space. Following is a summary of indorsements and disapprovals of leading subjects: Indorsed. Increase ef artillery force of the Army for coast defeases. Assay office at Portland. Proposed Department of Commerce, with a Secretary who shall be a member of the Cab inet Enlargement of Portland Postofflce. Steamship Use to Manila. Reform In the consular service. Appointment of a commission to study com mercial conditions In China and Japan. Senator Simon's position on the Porto Rico tariff bill Pacific-Atlantic canal. Application of navigation laws to HairalL The Newberr beet-sugar factory. Raised money for the Galveston sufferers. Co-operated with the Taxpayers League for clean streets. Landing of returning volunteers at Portland. Disapproved. Proposal to make Nome a sub-port of entry for the benefit of Canadian shipowners. Leasing of United States public lands west of the 08th meridian, as being "directly con trary to the interests and development of the West." To Bay Die Lot of Railroad Supplies. NEW YORK, Jan. 6. Among the pas sengers who arrived here today on the steamer Cymric was H. F. Parshall, who according to rumor will be the represent ative of Mr. Yerkes In London, and man ager of the Charing Cross underground railroad. Mr. Parshall, when asked about his management, said that he only knew of It through the newspapers. He said: "The relations between myself and Mr. Lauterbach, and Mr. Yerkes representa tive, have been under way for some time. I made him a proposition, and I may re ceive a favorable reply. That is as near as I come to being Mr. Yerkes' London manager. At present I come here in the interests of the Central London Railroad and the Glasgow Corporation Tramway to place .a large order for railroad sup plies." The nature of the supplies, and the amount, Mr. Parshall would not say. He will return to England January 30. ARMY OF PHILIPPINES. Steps Taken to Organize a Branch, In This State. Spanish-American War veterans have been working for some time to establish in Oregon a branch of the National Society of the Army of the Philippines, recently organized at Denver, Col., of which General Greene was elected presi dent, and General Snmmers second 'vice president. So many Oregon boys have served with distinction to themselves and glory to their country in the Spanish War, "IRREVOCABLE CONDITIONS" TO WHICH CHINA HAS AGREED. A The dispatch to Berlin of an extraordinary mission headed by an Imperial Prince in order to express the regrets of His Majesty, the Emperor of China, and of the Chi nese Government for the assassination of His Excellency, the late Baron von Ketteler, Minister of Germany. B. The erection on the spot of the assassination of a commemorative monument, be fitting the rank of the accessed, bearing an Inscription in the Latin, German and Chi nese languages expressing the regrets of the Emperor of China for the murder. IL A The severest punishment for the persons designated in the imperial decree of September 23, 1000, and for those whom the representatives of the powers shall subse quently designate. B. The suspension for five years of all official examinations In the cities where for eigners have been massacred or have been subjected to cruel treatment. , III. Honorable reparation to be made by the Chinese Government to the Japanese Gov ernment for the murder of Mr. Sujyama. rv. ' An expiatory monument to be erected by the Imperial Chinese Government In every foreign or International cemetery which has been desecrated or in which the graves have been destroyed. , V. The maintenance, under conditions to be determined by the powers, of the interdic tion against the Importation of arms, as well as of material employed exclusively for the manufacture of arms and ammunition. VI. Equitable indemnities for governments, societies, companies and individuals, as well as for Chinese who. during the late occurrences, havo suffered In person or in property In consequence of their being In the service of foreigners. China to adopt financial measures acceptable to the powers for the purpose of guaranteeing the payment of said indemnities and the interest and amortization of the loans. nr. The right for each power to maintain a permanent guard for its legation and to put that It was felt such a society would be the means of keeping them more closely together, and cementing friendships formed on many a hard-fought field. The project received its initiative Sat urday night, at a meeting held in the office of Adjutant-General Gantenbein, the presiding officer being General Summers. It was decided that the annual conven tion of the Spanish-American War "Vet erans shall be held in Portland on Feb ruary 22, at 10 o'clock A. M., when the question of consolidating the various camps will come up for settlement. It is also expected when this convention meets that a ladles' auxiliary corps will perfect state organization. Another meeting will be held in the near future, at which it Is hoped all members eligible will be present and help to form the organization of a National Filipino Army Association. It was pointed out that there was no disposi tion on the part of the newly-formed organ ization to disorganize the state association, and that the Army of the Philippines takes the same position to the general organization as do the Army of the Poto mac, Tennessee and similar bodies, to the Grand Army of the Republic. The' general scope of the Army of the Philippines is thus set forth in the con stitution: This society shall Include every officer and enlisted man, with honorable dis charge, who has served at any time or may hereafter serve honorably In the Army of the Philippine Islands, either In the volunteers or regular establish ment, and shall have given his tssent to the constitution and by-laws of this so ciety. It shall also Include all United States officers and enlisted men who at the time served on vessels which, during the Spanish-American War, co-operated with the troops in the Philippine Islands, or have served since then in the waters of the Philippine Archipelago and shall have given assent to the constitution and by-laws of this society. Membership in this society shall be open to the sons of members and to the sons of those who are, or would have been entitled to membership In this association, thereby perpetuating membership by In heritance: but for all of these, election by a majority vote, by ballot, upon ap plication at any annual meeting, shall be necessary, and those Joining under this section shall pay the same dues as other members. Honorary members may be elected by a majority vote of the members present at any annual meeting. Every officer and enlisted man desiring to become a member of this rociety shall sign the constitutlcn and by-laws and pay to the treasurer the sum of one dollar as annual dues, said dues to be paid at the treasurer's office in advance: provided said member does not belong to a state or territorial society, and such societies shall pay into the treasury of this so cietv the sum of twenty cents (20c) an nually for each of its members, provided such society Is acting under a charter furnished by the national ''society, for which charter such society shall pay to the national society the sum of two dol lars ($2). The payment of six dollars ($C) at one time shall entitle the member to life membership without payment of annual dues. Plenty of Money. Cincinnati Commercial-Tribune. Mr. M. L. Huhleman. of the United States Treasury, states that this coun try's total stock of money has increased since 1S92 from $2,357,000,000 to J3.053.000 O0C, and the per capita circulation from $23 SS to $27 55. A vast amount of gold has been added to our stock since 1S9G. In four years the addition of gold has been $118, 000,000, of which the Treasury reserve gained $105 000.000. The money in circula tion increased from $1,586,000,000 In 1832 to $2,113,000,000 in 1900, three-fifths of the Increase being gold coin and gold cer tificates. Some $80,000,000 of the Sherman, silver notes have been canceled. Out side the comforting features of Its plentl fulness and reassuring increase, it is in teresting to note that a ready disposition toward an adaptation to general conveni ence of handling is made manifest in the growing proportion of paper money in small notes from ones to tens. Notes of $20 and under and silver dollars and sub sidiary silver coin have increased from $915,000,000 In 1892 to $1,217,000,000 in 1SO0, an Increase of $3 per capita in the kinds of money the people use most. There has been also a greatly increased use of checks, which has not been materially affected by the duty stamp. The use of negotiable notes is not given consider ation. It probably, however, has not be come obsolete. BUSINESS ITEMS. If Baby Is Cutting Teeth, Be sure and use that old and well-tried remedy, Mrs. Wlnslow's Soothing Syrup, for children teething. It soothes the child, softens the gums. allays all pain, cures wind colic and diarrhoea. MAY BE BIO ENTERPRISE UNKNOWN COMPANY WORKING IN EASTERN PART OF COUNTY. Snsrfifestlon of Electric, Plant andva New Town Land Near Greahnm to-Be Tested for Oil. Residents of the eastern-portion -of-the county are endeavoring to fathom the purpose of a company which is promoting what appears to be a large enterprise. Last Summer surveys were made along Gordon, Trout and Hurlburt Creeks, pre sumably to determine the volume of water available for generating purposes. The promoters of the enterprise have ten men at work making a road to an 80 acre tract on Trout Creek, and are en deavoring to let the contract for havingjt cleared. A small bridge has been built across Trout Creek and orders for large quantities of lumber have been given to Bramhall's mill. Some say a large elec trical power-house will be built on the tract. The site is about two miles south- east of County Surveyor Hurlburt's place, and about 25 miles from Portland. It is asserted by some that a new county road will be laid out from the scene of opera tions to a point near Mr. Hurlburt's farm and that a townslte will be surveyed and several substantial buildings put up. Looking- for Oil. An agent for an oil syndicate has been at Gresham for a week, endeavoring to secure options on several farms for the purpose of boring for oil. He asks the privilege of holding the options for 15 years and reserves the right to move buildings and tear down fences, If neces sary, while conducting operations. The owners of the land may still live upon U and continue their farming, but they will be required to relinquish all title If the company decides to close the deal within the prescribed time. The agent says there is oil near Gresham and that his company means to And it So far as known, only two farmers have given the option asked by the company. Parsonage at Rockwood. The Methodist church at Rockwood will have, a new parsonage before long. The people of that place met Tuesday even ing to raise a fund for the building. Rev. Howard Osborne, pastor of the church, presided. Presiding Elder Rockwell has promised to make several changes in the circuit If a parsonage is built, and the people have adopted plans for a five room house. Dr. Osborne will begin a re vival tomorrow evening. DlffKlnp; Up His -Orchard. Captain J. A. Brown has made up his mind to root out his trees on Melville farm and use the ground for something else. The trees were planted years ago by a former owner and have always given a good yield, but Captain Brown has more faith in potatoes than in fruit. New School for Gresham. The special school meeting held at Gresham resulted in a tax of 20 mills be ing levied, which will be added to the 50 mills raised last year for the con struction of a new schoolhouse. Supreme Court Problem. LINN COUNTY, Oregon, Jan. 4. (To the Editor.) The voters' emphatic rejec tion of the constitutional amendment pro viding for more Supreme Court Judges pointed directly to the cutting off of mi nor litigation in that court. In the dis cussion of the question, pending .the elec tion. The Oregonian stoutly counseled the TT-ltV. iAmtnfx ? ma .a . I . n4 ..i..t-.l ' as the proper remedy. And the popular denial of more Judges voiced the repeal of the provision which made more nec esearj. The lawyers with one voice Ig nore that message and fall back upon the creation of a board of Supreme Court commissioners. That would be followed dv their permanent retention, for if need ed to bring up the accumulated business of the court, it would be equally needed to prevent future accumulation. If the Legislature is a representative body it will apply the remedy plainly intended by the people. The concern of the pro fession for the poor man is touching. But it should be remembered that appeals are not seldom taken by the richer for the purpose of oppressing the less able, who cannot well follow the Judgment obtained in the district to the Supreme Court on account of inability to pay lawyers; and If he does so, Is apt to find his judgment swallowed up by the added fee of his at torney leaving him to reflection upon the vanity of lawsuits. Judge Lord had long and honorable service upon the Supreme Bench, and no man is better qualified to judge of the remedy for the congestion there. He said: "Enact a law that shall limit appeals In civil cases to the Supreme Court to those involving title to real estate or matters affecting the 'public revenue, the constitu tion Of the state or of the United States, or where the question of franchise is raised, or where the arrtount of the judgment ex ceeds $500." That with giving the court discretion in the matter of writing opin ions. He adds that "the records of the court show that ibout 30 per cent of the cases appealed are under $500, varying from that sum to less than $50." Also cases are appealed to "cause vexation and expense. Judge Lord further added; "That chronic argument that -every citi zen should have the right to appeal, no matter how small the sum. Is entitled to little consideration. The community should not be taxed several hundred dol lars to gratify two obstinate men In bandying some trivial matter through the courts when Its merits can be fully de cided In the circuit court as the court of last resort." Governor Lord recom mended that the judicial districts of the,, state be reorganized and three of them dispensed with. In addition, It Is qulta commonly understood that there would stijl be one or two superfluous circuit judges. All our legislation relating to the 'courts, including excess of districts and. multiplicity of Judges, has proceed ed' Irom lawyers, and we will presume with tiever an eye to "business." Will not "some one of them prepare bills cover ing Governor Lord's recommendations, and will not lawyers in the Legislature and out of it permit them to become laws? ' ' RETRENCH. STING OF THE TARANTULA It la Not Necessarily Fatal, and Can Be Quickly Cured. New York World. Dr. Seth B. Sprague, of 283 Grove street, Jersey rClty, was surprised to learn yes terday that he had successfully treated a patient who had been bitten by a tar antula'. Charles W. Melgel, of 21 Mercer street, employed in a Jersey City box factory, called on Dr. Sprague last Satur day. His right hand and arm were swollen and Inflamed. He told the physician he had been bitten by some Insect. Although he knew he had been bitten by a tarantula, Meigel purposely wtth held the Information from Dn Sprague. the diplomatic quarter In a defensible condition, the Chinese having no right to -reside inthat quarter. VEX The-destruction of the forts which might obstruct free communication between "Po kln and the sea, IX. The right to the military occupation of certalnrpolnts, to.be determined by an un derstanding among the powers. In order to votiiM oiiu fruv avs X. The Chinese Government to cause to be published during two years in all the sub prefectures an Imperial decree (a) embodying a perpetual prohibition, under penalty of death, of membership In any anti-foreign society; (b) enumerating the punishments that shall have been Inflicted on the guilty, together with the suspension of all official examinations in the cities where foreigners have been murdered or have been subjected to cruel treatment, and (c), furthermore, an imperial decree to be 'Issued and published throughout the empire ordering that the Governors-General (Viceroys) and all provin cial or local officials shall be held responsible for the maintenance of order within their respective jurisdictions, and that In the event of renewed anti-foreign disturb ances pr any other Infractions of treaty occurring' and which shall not forthwith be sup pressed and the guilty persons punished, they, the said officials, shall be Immediately removed and forever disqualified from holding any office or 'honors. XI. The Chinese Government to undertake to negotiate amendments to the treaties of commerce and navigation considered useful by the, foreign powers, and upon other mat ters' pertaining to their commercial relations, with the object of facilitating them. XII. The. Chinese Government to determine In what manner to reform the department of foreign affairs and to modify the court ceremonials concerning the reception of foreign represtntatles in the manner to be indicated by the powers. ' Until the Chinese Government has complied with the above conditions to the satis, faction of the powers, the undersigned can hold out no expectation that the occupation of Pekln and the provinces of China by the general forces can be brought to a" conclusion. He had been turned away by two phy sicians on whom he had called for treat ment. They told him nothing could be done for him. In despair he went to Dr. Sprague. He was inclined at first to tell him the truth, hut remembering his pre vious experience and fearing similar treatment, he simply said the Injury had been caused by an Insect. Dr. Sprague examined the wound, which was on the middle finger of the right hand, and declared It serious. He resorted to a treatment usual in cases of poisonous stinging. This was to soak the finger In a solution of bicarbonate of soda as hot as the patient could stand It, and keep the member there from six to eight hours at a time. He also prescribed twenty drops of tincture of muriate of Iron, taken Internally every three hours. Melgel faithfully followed the doctor's Instructions, and Sunday when the pa tient made a second call on the doctor the finger had become softened and the swelling was greatly decreased. Dr. Sprague applied the lance, and a hard core half an Inch long was taken from the linger. After that Meigel was relieved fro.n pain. The swelling, disappeared al tegfther, and Meigel left the physician fully convinced his life had been saved. A day or two later, Meigel, having fully recovered, called at the physician's house to thalk him for his treatment and to arologhe foi having deceived him. Dr. Sprague was not at home, and Meigel, af ter telling Mrs. Sprague, the doctor's wife, that he had been bitten by a taran tula, asked her to give his compliments to the physician. "I would like to see him personally," taid the grateful man, "and thank him, but I must go at once to Arizona, where my mother is on her deathbed." Melgel told Mrs. Sprague that he cap tured the tarantula In a load of lumber that he had been handling. He took it home and put it In a bottle. While In specting it the tarantula escaped from the bottle and bit him on the finger. Life a Century Ago. Memphis Commercial Appeal. One 'hundred years ago a man could not take a ride on a steamboat. He -cbuld not go from Washington to New York in a few hours. He had never seen an electric light or dreamed of an electric car. He could not send a telegram. He couldn't talk through a telephone, and he had never heard of the hello girl. He could not ride a bicycle. He could not call in a stenographer and dictate a letter. He had never received a typewritten communication. He had never heard of the germ theory or worried over baoilll and bacteria. He never looked pleasant before a pho tographer or had his picture taken. He never heard a phonogrash talk or saw a klnetoscope turn out a prizefight. Ho never saw through a Webster's Un abridged Dictionary with the aid of a Roentgen ray. He had never taken a ride in an ele vator. He had never imagined such a thing as a typesetting machine or a typewriter. He had never used anything but a wooden plow. He had never seen his wife using a sewing-machine. He had never struck a match on his pants or anything else. He couldn't take an anaesthetic and have his leg cut off without feeling it. He had never purchased a 10-cent maga zine, which would have been regarded as a miracle of art. He could not buy a paper and learn everything that had happened the day be fore all over the world. He had never seen a MoCormlck reaper or a self-binding harvester. He had never crossed an iron bridge. In short, there were several things that he could not do, and several things he did not know. Nearly Starred at tbe Lelter Ball. Washington letter. An echo of Wednesday night's much advertised reception at the Jelter resi dence was heard Thursday when the ex perience of Postmaster-General Charles Emory Smith was related to friends. The Postmaster-General and Mrs. Smith went to the Lelter mansion on time according to the card invitation. It was announced that refreshments would be served at 10:30. As a matter of fact they were not served until nearly 1 In the morning, and the Postmaster became so faint that he went home at midnight and permitted Mrs. Smith to make him a pot of tea and some toast. Frjday morning Philip Brady fell down Np.4 shaft in the Republic mine and died shortly afterward without regaining consciousness- REGULATION OFCOMMERCE SYNOPSIS OF ANNUAL REPORT OF INTERSTATE COMMISSION. Knowledge, of, Present Conditions and Tendencies Increases Neces sity, fpr Legislative "Action. I WASHINGTON. Jan. 5. The; subject of further legislation amending the aqt to regulate commerce has been fully dis cussed in previous reports to Con gress, and recommendations both-general and specific lav.e been repeatedly made. The reasons for urging these amendments have "been carefully explained .and repeti tion of the argument at this time can hardly be expected. While the attitude of the commission has been misunderstood by some and misrepresented by others, the views heretofore officially expressed are believed to be Justified alike by experi ence .and' reflection. They are confirmed toy later and current observa tion. Knowledge of present conditions and tendencies increases rather than les- maintain" open communication between the T sens the necessity for legislative action upon the lints already indicated, and in such other dire'etions as will furnish an adequate and workable statue for the regulation of commerce "among the sev eral states." One aspect of the situation, however, is specially referred to. The commis sion pays it must be apparent to the thoughtful mind that equal charges for equal service cannot be secured without some restraint upon th competitive ac tion of independent lines, and refers to classification, Interchange of cars, switch ing service, storage and terminal charges, demurrage, car service rules, and other similar matters as having been looked upon with favor as operating to public advantage. Uniform classification, for ex ample, Is regarded so desirable that the commission has recommended and urged Us adoption by voluntary action, or, that failing, by compulsory legislation. The act to regulate commerce seems to favor associated action by competing roads for purposes of this kind. True, it prohibits pooling that is, the actual division of competitive traffic or the earnings derived therefrom and even this provision is be lieved by many to be practically incon. sistent with uniform charges to all ship pers and the fair adjustment of rates be tween different communities and differ ent articles of traffic. Whatever view may be held as to the degree of incompatibility between the pro hibition of pooling and the other pro visions of the act, it was generally under stood, after the act was passed, that mutual agreements respecting the matters above mentioned, not Involving the divi sion of tonnage or revenue, were in no respect made unlawful by the act, but were regarded rather as aids to Its proper observance. Accordingly, numerous as sociations were formed and many features of the railroad service more or less sub jected to common control by carriers otherwise In actual competition. The tendency and Intended results of these arrangements were to remove the prac tices and charges Included in their terms from the field of competition. These conditions are said to be (materi ally changed, in their legal aspects at least, by the passage of the anti-trust law and the interpretation which that law has received. The prohibition against railway association Is no longer limited to pooling of competitive traffic or the revenue therefrom, but extends to every form of combination, which directly re strains competitive freedom. While this does not mean" that every such agreement violates -the anti-trust law. It does mean that all such engagements as actually re strict competition are void from their in ception and subject those who make them, or who connive in efforts to continue themi to tho hazard of criminal prosecu tion. It Is evident that railroad managers generally have made no attempt to con form their practices to the spirit of this law. They may keep within its letter and succeed in avoiding Its penalties, but they claim that they are virtually compelled to. counteract its aim and evade Its ob servance. Thus it happens that some of the most important and useful Incidents of railway service are maintained by methods which are believed to be inhar monlpus with, if not in actual violation of, a Federal statute. This Is more than the question, of pooling contracts between rival carriers it is the question of such agreements as relate to classification, terminal charges, and the like concerning which uniformity, certainty and stabil ity are of manifest benefit and conveni ence to the public. Under the conditions now existing It is Inevitable that frequent discriminations should occur and endless acts of injus tice be committed. Theoretically it is possible for each road to observe Its pub lished schedules In every particular, but this in many cases must be done, if done at all, only at the loss of needed traffic, unless all rival roads with equal strict ness and honesty conform In like manner to their published rates. The Idea of pub lic regulation implies certain standards of correct conduct to which all carriers shall conform. It also implies some measure of supervision and control over those subject to its requirements, to the end that these standards may be ob served and practices made to conform thereto. This, without doubt, is incon sistent, to some degree at least, with actual and constant competition as that , term Is commonly understood. If, as Is alleged, that competition is compelled in all thlnrs by "one law which Is binding upon the? carriers, it can hard ly be supposed that another law of 'more or less diverse and opposing tendency will at the same time bo obeyed. It Is universal experience that capital takes advantage of competition. If public trans portation can be bought and sold like a commodity,- the ""largest purchaser will, some of, the time, If not all of the time. get the best terms. It is Idle to suppose tha't railroads ' will actually and all the while r compete with each other as to every Item of, service or facility and at the same time expect that all their patrons, small and large, will be treated exactly alike. Such a result has never yet been, realized, -and practically will not be realzed. The policy now pursued can not and will not prevent an outcome of .vicious discrimination. And what Is most unfortunate of all, those discrimina tions favor the few and place the many at disadvantage. They aid the strong, who have no need of assistance, and handicap the weak with burdens which by comparison are always unjust and often destructive. The present state of the law and the facts here referred to have undoubtedly furnished a great incentive to the con solidation or unification of rival linos, which Is at once the most conspicuous and" the most significant result of current railroad financiering. i One of the striking features of recent times in the industrial world has been the tendency to combine for the purpose of limiting or eliminating competition. In no branch of industry, probably, is the Inducement to form combinations of this sort greater, nor the advantages to be hoped fpr from them when formed more certain, than in railway operations. First No competition is so destructive as that between railways. In most kinds of business competition stops with the bankruptcy of one or more of the com petitors, but here the weak, roundabout, bankrupt line can often Inflict as serious damage as could a prosperous rival. Second The nature of the business ren ders possible large profits from such com binations without attracting undue atten tion. Transportation is analogous to a tax Imposed in varying degrees upon al most all commodities. With Important exceptions moderate advances in rates. If equally distributed, would not be espe cially noticed by the public as a whole. But every such advance adds to the net revenues of the railway, and a very slight Increase In all rates, If It should be per manently maintained, would enhance enormously tho value of railway securi ties. Third No kind of property lends Itself so readily to the permanent formation of such combinations as railroad property. He who combines all the factories in the United States of a certain kind may lose In a short time the benefit of that mon opoly by the erection of other factories of the same kind, but a monopoly cre ated by the combination of all the rail ways now controlling any considerable area of tho United States Is reasonably certain to continue for years to come. Fourth In addition to these induce ments, the statutes of the land operate to produce the same result. Many years ago the railway managers found it necessary, in what they .believed to be legitimate self-protection, to form pooling contracts. They still believe that the right to make and enforce such contracts is a proper and essential one, but the Interstate com merce act renders the formation of these contracts not only Illegal but criminal. That act also provides that carriers shall publish their rates and adhere to them, but the anti-trust act, as Interpreted by the courts, renders any agreement with reference to. the making or maintaining of lntereatate rates a crime. If carriers are to make public their rates and to charge all shippers the same rate, they must, as a practical matter, agree to some extent with respect to these rates. When railway managers believe that the law fcblds in one act what they deem necessary to the observance of another, the obvious tendency of the enforcement bf such a law is to lead to the discovery, if possible, of some way in which it can be avoided. So if there can be no agree ment in the operation of independent rail ways, It seems Inevitable that there will be unity or agreement In their owner ship. No one at all acquainted with what Is transpiring can doubt that combina tions have been formed and are certain to be formed among railroads which will be more extensive, more permanent, and more far-reaching In their ultimate re sults than those of any other department of industry. The experience of 13 years shows that there is no serious difficulty in securing, upon the part of competitive lines, the adoption and publication of rates satisfactory to the carriers, but hitherto it has been found Impossible to secure the actual observance of rates on competitive traffic when adopted. A rail way will seldom reduce the open rate un less to meet some actual or supposed de parture from that rate by a rival line, for it Is well understood that such a reduction by one moans simply a corre sponding reduction by others. To prevent rate competition, therefore, it is only necessary to secure compliance with the open tariff. In order to do this it is only necessary that a competing line should own or control, or that some person in Its Interest should own or control, enough of the stock of its competltorto Influence the election of a board of directors, and this seems to have been the method re cently adopted in many Instances. The commission has no official knowl edge of the extent of recent railway com binations, but It has Informed itself as well as possible from unofficial sources. Disregarding mere rumors, but taking ac count of well-authenticated statements, there were absorbed in various ways between July 1, 1899, and November 1, 1900, 25,311 miles of railroad. There are in the whole United States something less than 200,000 miles of railroad: and more than one-eighth of this entire mileage was, within tho above period, brought, in one way and another, under the control of other lines. The scope and effect of these operations is illustrated by some exam ples given in the report. The commission goes on to say that when we consider what has actually been done, what is un doubtedly in contemplation, the entire fea sibility of these schemes, the very great advantage which would result to the own ers of the properties involved, and tho fact that a step once taken In that di rection is seldom retraced, it becomes evident that in the immediate future the main transportation lines of this country will be thrown Into great groups, con trolling their own territory, and not sub ject, with rpspect to most of their traf fic, to serious competition. Such a condition Is not without its benefits. The evils which competition be gets will largely disappear with that com petition, and many of the worst forms of discrimination will cease. Owing to wasteful competition transportation by rail actually costs more than it ought. To eliminate that competition will bp to work an actual saving in the cost of the service, and this should redound to the benefit of both the carrier and the ship per. The danger lies In the fact that the only check upon the rate is thereby removed. Hitherto competition between carriers has kept down the price of carriage. If that is taken away nothing remains except the force of popular opinion, and the feeble restraints of the present law, which are of little effect when directed against slight and gradual advances. It will He within the power of two or three men, or at most a small group on men, to say what tax shall be imposed upon the vast traffic moving between the East and West. The nature of the service apd the conditions under which this species of property is operated may be such that it cannot be, and perhaps ought not to be, brought un der the controlling force of competition, but those very conditions make It impera tively necessary that some other control should be substituted for competition. It is idle to say that freight rates cannot be advanced. During the past year they have been, by concerted action upon a vast volume of traffic, advanced in every part of this country. It Is equally idle to say that they will not be advanced. It Is both human nature and the lesson of his tory that unlimited power induces misuse of that power. Railways are not com bining for the purpose of "extortion and abuse," but none the less should the peo ple provide- some protection against that possible result of the combination. The Behlmer case, otherwise known as the Summervllle, S. C, long and short haul case, was decided by the United States Supremo Court in favor of the rail road companies on 'January 8 last. In deciding tho case the court referred to its former decisions construing the long and short haul clause of the law and de fined somewhat more fully Its view con cerning the effect of competloin In cases) brought under that provision of the stat ute. The Supreme Court decided that the) construction given in this cause by tho commission and the Circuit Court of Ap peals to the fourth section of the act was erroneous, and hence that both the com mission and the Circuit Court of appeals mistakenly considered, as a matter of law, that competition, however material, aris ing from carriers who were subject to tho act to regulate commerce could not bo taken Into consideration, and likewise that all competition, however substantial, not originating at the initial point of tho traffic, was equally, as a matter of law, excluded from view. No decision was rendered by the court upon the facts In this case. In a proceeding known as the Colorado Fuel & Iron case the Circuit Court of Ap peals reversed the decree of the Circuit Court and directed dismissal of the com plaint. This case was based upon an order of the commission, holding that tho rate on iron and steel articles from Pu eblo, Colo., to San Francisco. Cal., amounting to $1 60 per 100 pounds, was unlawful under tha act, and that tho rates charged on such articles from Pu eblo to San Francisco should not be moro than 75 per cent of tho rates contem poraneously charged on like traffic from Chicago to San Francisco, nor more than 45 cents per 100 pounds on steel rails and fastenings, and 37& cents per 100 pounds on bar iron and other enumerated iron articles. The Circuit Court upheld tho decision of the commission, but tho Cir cuit Court of Appeals, following later de cisions of the Supreme Court, held that the commission was without authority under the act to regulate commerce to prescribe rates for future observance by the carriers, and that this applied as well to an order of the commission determin ing the relation of rates between localities as to an order prescribing maximum rates. The court further said that determining the relation of rates involved the exercisa of legislative functions to tho same extent as fixing the rate on an Independent con sideration of what would be a reasonable compensation for the service. The com mission points out in this report a dis tinction apparently madebetween prescrib ing maximum rates and determining tho relation of rates by the Supreme Court in the maximum-rate case, in which tho commission's power to prescribe maximum reasonable rates was denied. In review ing the decision of the Court of Appeals tho commission takes occasion to state tha necessity for authority to regulate rates for the future, and demonstrates that & suit at law for damages cannot, in tha very nature of thinsrs, be an effectual or appropriate remedy. As a rule, saya the commission, the persons actually in jured cannot obtain redress In suits for damages, and In those cases whero tha real sufferer can sue and recover the ex cess above unreasonable or unjust charges the aggrieved shipper cannot afford to bring and maintain an expensive suit every time an unreasonable or unjust rata Is charged, nor to do business in reliance jpon a possible recovery In tho law courts of sums unlawfully exacted for transTior tatlon during any given period. Other court decisions noted in tha re port are: The decision of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals in tho livestock terminal charge case originating at Chicago In a sulttto enforce the or der of the commission; the suspension of decree pending appeal by the defendant carriers In the La Grange, Ga., long and short, haul case, which was decided by tho United States Circuit Court in Alabama in favor of the commission; a case involv ing the legal obligations of belt railroad companies engaged in interstate com merce, and one involving the question, of removal of persons indicted under the act to regulate commerce to other Judicial districts for trial. Another case men tioned is one Involving the constitution ality of the Kentucky railroad commission law. . USES WOODEN BULLETS. Negro Has His .Own Ideas for Stop pi is "Bad Nlssers." Louisville Courier Journal. Dum-dum and soft-nosed bullets have been much In prominence since the com mencement of the Boer war. Their flat tening or spreadlng-out proclivities ara marked in the production of mortality. These bullets are made of lead, as might be supposed, but they are not always made of lead, as the following shows: A negro was recently arrested for soma misdemeanor, and in being searched at the police station was found to have a pistol. It was loaded, and before being ticketed it was broke and the cartridges thrown out. Tho apperance of the balls and their lightness attracted attention, and on examination disclosed the fact that they were of wood. "Where did you get these?" was asked the negro. "What?" "These cartridges." "I bought tho cartridges from a store.' "Did they have this kind of ball In them?" "No, Indeed. They had a regular lead ball. "Where did you get theso wood balls from?" "I made them." "What for?" "Well, you .see, I often fools along with some mighty mean niggers who Is awful handy with a knife. I ain't had no luck with a knife in fights, and when I has hit niggers with a lead bullet it ain't never stopped them. They kept on com ing. So, I gets to thinking about it, and I reads In the papers about how force ful spreading bullet Is In stopping peo ple. Right then and there I gits the idea. Nothing spreads more and splinters mora than wood, and I gits me them cartridges, takes out the lead bullets and puts wood bullets In their places. Thay's, of course, for close fighting, and. Captain, you ain't got no idea how quickly they stop a man when you turns one loose real close to him. The way they scarify your person is real ugly, and If you don't stop In your tracks you keep going backward. They's the finest spread bullets there Is." Exit Trainboy. Chicago Record. The action of some of the railway com panies in deciding to remove the trainboy from their service apparently marks an Inevitable step In evolution. In the days when travel was much slower and dining" cars were rare, the trainboy was almost a necessity, and he certainly did much to ameliorate the hardships of travel. His regular visits through the car were a di version; the bananas and candles and cigars which he dispensed for a considera tion afforded refreshment to the physical man. and the varied collection of paper back, novels, which he distributed with a discerning eye to the probable tastes of each traveler helped to while the time away. Now these comforts are mora easily accessible. Most travelers lay In a supply of literature before they start, and if they do not patronize the dining car or carry their own luxuries they can general ly get a meal of some kind at the railway stations. Thus has the trainboy's occupa tion gone. No more win the passengers be importuned to buy literature from his weird collection of Action; no more will the car floors be littered with the unsani tary debris of banana peels, peanut shells and asale cores. On the whole, the change seems to be only a natural and proper result of Improved conditions of transportation. The Seattle Board of Public Works awarded contracts for nearly $45,000 lrt public improvements Saturday. The Im provements include grading and planking streets, construction of sewer and water mains and cement sidewalks. Van Camp's Soups, 10c. rtl rfjijf jLjBHfMtiTirtfta-tm,th-aVfaa-miMi& ' I hiiili"HriiWr,ii Vtiihi