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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 1902)
12 THE MORNING OEEQ()gTAJ, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1902. AT THE ANTIPODES' Result of New Experime in Economics. NEW ZEALAND THRIVING Sat Merchant Visiting; Portland Says It Is In Spite of Paternal Land and Labor Laws Immigra tion at a Standstill. "Wool Is still the principal product of New Zealand, but there has been a slump on account o the low price," slid P. J. Shelton, a merchant of Auck land and - GIsborne, New Zealand, who arrived in the city last night on a tour of the United States and Canada, and is at the Portland. "On account of the drouth in Australia, we have been exporting sheep and beef to Sydney, which has never happened be fore In the history of the colony. Butter Is also becoming one of the principal ex t ports, the increase in this commodity having made up for the loss in the valufi of wool exported. We also export a grexit deal of beef, mutton, and especially labs, to England, and Sir Richard Seddon,.. says we are the butchers of the world-1 ..'"There Is a good market for wheat and fUax, and everything over there in the way. of prod uce Is looking up. "We are also! producing a little gold. The colony ejS'iti year for the last six years has shovn the largest surplus receipts over escpenses of any of the British colonies." f JtOV"ictrs- Xetk 'Oirfnpulsory arbitration -haw work?" "The principle of arbitration is good as long as you can get Independent judges. Our system is to have representatives of both sides and a Judge of the Supreme Court as president of the court. The manufacturers are not opposed to arbi tration, but to the way in which the law is worked. Seddon himself has said to the workingmen that, if they rode the labor laws to death, they would have to look out. Since then there has been a de cided change in the character of the de cisions' of the arbitration courts. Every trade union would bring the employers before the court, and, while the court -would not give the union all It asked, it would always give It something. Arbi tration has been a good thing for the manufacturers who are already there, be cause no more have gone in. Some fac tories have been closed, and others have been removed to Australia. Wages have gone up, but the price of commodities has gone up also, so that the working men, with their increased wages, are not as well off as they were 12 years ago. In one recent case of arbitration at one of the largest gold mines In the country, the employers shut down and let all the work under contract, with the result that tho output has increased 25 per cent." 3feiv Land Tax System. "How does the colony get along with the new system of land taxation?" "We have got used to the present sys tem and are fairly well satisfied with it. There is a tax based on the government valuation of land, and an additional tax on all holdings over a certain amount, graduated according to the size of the, holdings. Another law provides for the' purchase by the government of large es tates a a compulsory valuation fixed by court appraisers, and for their division into small tracts, which are leased to set nun, ras manyTnen woum wisn. That law has caused more dissatisfaction than ffny other, because or the uncertainty it cre ated among landholders. It has worked out satisfactorily for some sellers to the government, .where there was a chance of corruption. As the settlers only get a freehold, their credit Is restricted and there is no opening for investors to loan money on land. On account of the nature of the title, interest advanced, but the government met this difficulty by bor rowing in England and lending to the set tlers at current rates. "It Is not good policy to compel set tlers to sell half their land. Why not en courage settlers to take up unimproved land instead of compelling old settlers to sell land that Is already Improved? The new settlers ought to be compelled to go out Into the unsettled parts of the coun try for land, as others have done before them. "Other measures adopted by the gov ernment are generally admitted to be use ful if fairly administered. We have an old-age pension law forx people aged CO who have been in the colony a certain number of years, and have not accumul ated enough for a living. It is a very useful measure, but if dull times should come, it would cost more than the colony can stand. It was estimated to cost not over 90,000 a year, but it already costs over 200,000 a year. Seddon. Has a Sure Thinff. "We have an election at the end of this month, and Sir Richard Seddon, who has already been Premier through three, if not four. Parliaments, will have a walk over, with a bigger majority than ever. The only hope tho opposition has of ulti mately winning is that Seddon's majority will 6e so big that it will break up of itself. The opposition in the last Parlia ment was so weak that it decided to have no organized opposition, so the individual members confined themselves to criticism of the government measures. Seddon!s party Is made up mainly of tho working men In the towns, while the opposition consists of the farmers, landowners and manufacturers, who are opposed to him on account of the factory laws. While Seddon is given credit for the prosperity of the country, it is not due him, but to the farmers, who are his opponents, who have kept at work Improving the land. "What New Zealand wants now Is an arrest of legislation, so that It may digest the laws it has. The government should give freehold titles, and give security to them, and should develop the crown and native lands. If the country were not tho good country it is, the present extrava gant administration would bust it. The population has increased very little In deed, and the last census was quite disap pointing. There Is practically no new im migration. The unions discourage immi gration, because they want to monopolize all the work there Is. The country is be ing developed by its own population. Still there is a big demand for land, and when ever any government land is put up, it Is applied for three or four times. There Is now an agitation for the basing of taxes on the unimproved value of land. Surprised at Oregon. "I was very agreeably surprised to see the country I traveled through in Oregon. I did not expect to see it as well settled, or as good a country, so far as I could judge from the train. I was In San Fran cisco six years ago, and notice a great change for the better from the style of buildings. The streets are clean and well kept, and the people look prosperous. Six years ago they were a seedy-looking crowd." Mr. Shelton is traveling in company with A. McCosh Clark, a warehouseman of Auckland, who has formed a decided opinion as to the cause of the difficulty England had In subduing the Boers. He , was formerfy a volunteer soldier In Eng land, and compares tho old country stvlaj iwrrw rrmTTni - rirtTrmi iimiiii m m m i tth win m-vwafic of soldle-1 "with that practiced in the colon! e ' .j ,aw the yeomanry tactics when I gin England during'-the Boer war. and y.men were evidently just learning ia ,Iae. They only learned to ride as men do in the city, while the colonials are all rough riders. If British troops went put to New Zealand to fight the colonials, they would have the same difficulty as they had In South Africa; the colonials fpuld harry them all day and then 'get ae-ay, for the British 'could only go at a wanje. where the roueh riders would e-o at eed. -Chamberlain is one of the best the nome government, "but he did erstand what was needed to fight s. when Australia offered troops. acceplted the offer, but added infantry preferred. Within a month afterward he cabled for amounted infantry." Mr. Sheltdj.i is going through Canada to Chicago and New York and London. Mr. Clark goes n Victoria and Vancouver, then to New tfork and England. r TO I.OGA BURNED TIMBER. Great Ar Must Be Cleared Before Decay. Loggerf are looking forward to a very busy Winter. There is a good demand for lop', and there will be more than TO STRAIGHTEN AWKENY The 'kink at the Intersection of Fifth and Ankehy streets has always been a source of annoyance both to the street-car companies and the teamsters who have occasion to use that thoroughfare. The Fifth-Street Improvement Club will en deaver to have the matter of straightening the street broucht up at the Council meeting Wednesday afternoon. To accomplish the work la question, two triangu lar plats of land will have to be cut from the to diagonal corner, lots at. the in tersection. It is thought that the property-owners will not resist' the work, as it will mean a material advance In value of abutting property. x usual put in the water this Winter. There will be about the s.ame number of camps in operation, as usual, but they will be kept running steadier than .formerly, with no shutting down for small storms. In addition to helping keep the market for logs supplied, many loggers are mak insr enleu'iatlons for eettlnrr into timber Mtw tlM 0Mc TOrtr sad the C- aite there hP2.4MttMt feet ef bwrnei -timber-trlbatary to the Columbia, which it Is very desirable should be got out witnin the next two years. Some of this Is among the best timber on the Coast The quality of the lumber manufactured from this timber wilf not be affected within the next five years, but of course there will be a little more loss in waste than usual, but not a large percentage. The burnt timber district will be a new district entirely, as far as logging goes. The largest portion of tho burnt timber, at least 500.000,000 feet, is tributary to Washougal, some is tributary to the Coweeman and Kalama Rivers, and some to the Portland, Vancouver & Yakima Railroad. All who have timber in the burnt district are anxious to get access to it as soon as possible. When there Is a good supply of logs cut this Winter, and a chance for the market being flooded and the price cut down, many will start opera tions to get into their burnt timber. As soon as the work of logging the burnt timber is begun, the work will be kept up there and all the burnt timber got out as soon as possible, bo that there may be as little loss as possible from decay. S. Benson has returned from his East ern trip and is getting his logging camps in shape for the Winter's business. He will close one camp at Oak Point on ac count of the chute down which the logs are sent into the river being so long that in rainy weather the logs get up such speed going down the chute that they rpllt to pieces when they strike the water. He has a lot of timber in the burnt dis trict tributary to Washougal, and wiU soon be opening the way into It, and others -will soon be starting logging roads Into the large tract tributary to Washou gal. For the next few years a large propor tion of the logs supplied to this market will be from one part or another of the burned-over district, as this timber must all be got out as soon as possible. TAXES TOO HIGH. A Voice From Washington County Asalnst the Centennial. HARRISON, Or.,Nov. 2. (To the Edi tor.) I see in your issue of October 25. that the Hon. H. W. Corbett says, that unless the state Legislature will" appro priate $500,000 to the Lewis and Clark Fair there will be no fair. If that be the case, I think It better there should be no fair; we are burdened with taxes as -it is, and an appropriation of that amount means an additional tax of 14 mills. Now in stead of a benefit to the state at large it would be a detriment. There has been a number of intended settlers scared out of the state as it Is by our excessive taxes. Now, add 14 mills more and few would want to invest and settle. And the $500,000 is only a beginning. Let the Legislature appropriate that sum, then comes an appropriation for the St. Louis Fair in 1904. then another appro priation for the fair in Japan. As for all the benefit to be derived from these fairs to the state at large, I do not believe that It will pay for the Invest ment. In your editorial in the Sunday issue of October 26, you say that if the Astorian, Woodburn Independent and the Hillsboro Argus correctly represent the attitude of any considerable portion of the Legisla ture, then special session or no special session, the fair might as well be aban doned. I do not know whether the Hills boro Argus represents '.the attitude of the Legislators or not, but I do know that It represents the attitude of at least four fifths of the taxpayers of Washington County, and if it requires any such sum as $500,000 to make the fair a success, ' if left to the vote of the taxpayers of the state there would bo no fair. . O. E BDSON. TO AMEND TAX LAW County Officials Recommend Changes in System. WANT LIGHTER PENALTIES Some Favor Removal of Rebate or Three Per Cent State Senator Swcck Seeks to Make the " Law More Effective. The -tax law enacted by the last Leg islature has worked well throughout the state. It haa put into operation a highly effective method for assessment and col lection, of taxes. County officiate unlver- OUT FIFTH STREET 'tf.- sr sally acknowledge the efficiency o tho law ana the advantage of the new sys tem over the old. Some of ..them, however, think that amendments should be made In order to lessen the penalties for delinquency. Oth ors think that the rebate of 3 per cent on taxes paid or or prior to March. -15" County, Judft tHrwirtoui the state "for 6us6eonaaBxsj-nowrmaKe tne opera tion of the law more effective. Mr, Sweek has received about a dozen written replies. None of the authors demands extensive alteration of the law. But a strong opin ion prevails among them that the penal ties for delinquency are too severe. The penalties prescribed are 10 per cent of tho delinquent taxes for the benefit of the county, and 12 per cent Interest from the day the taxes become delinquent until they are paid, for "the benefit of the coun ty or other public corporation which shall have an Interest in any portion of such taxes." Delinquency begins with the first Monday in April; provided, "that If one half of the taxes ... bo paid on or be fore the said first Monday of April, then the time for the payment of the remainder of such tax may be extended to and in cluding the first Monday of October next following, but If the remaining one-half of such tax be not paid on or before the first Monday of October, then such remaining half shall be delinquent, and, besides the penalty, Interest thereon shall be charged and collected at the rate of 12 per centum per annum from the first Monday of April preceding." Proposed Changes in the Law. Tho opinion Is general that the tax laws should be Improved so as to reach per sonal property more effectually. The Taxpayers' League of Portland is working on a bill to this end. Much personal prop erty, such as merchandise and stocks of goods, ia not reached , by the Assessor. One improvement suggested Is that such kinds of personal property be assessed whenever found, and another Is that the taxes be paid when the assessment is made. It is suggested that the time of delin quency be extended to April 15 and October 15 from the first Monday in those months. These dates would be more easily remem bered by taxpayers, and would give Sher iffs more time for collection. As things are now. Sheriffs are hard rushed, and a largo force of clerks has to be employed, thus entalltng a big expense to the county. Another proposal is that taxes be paid In full in October or November Instead of in March and early April. But this would require extensive readjustment of the fiscal system of the state. The Sweek law goes as far as It can In this direction by permitting half of the taxes to be paid aa late as the first Monday In November. One writer proposes as a way toward raising assessments nearer to real valua tions that minimum values be prescribed, and another that lands be assessed when sold. One Assessor laments that he has been unable to get hold of bank stock, and urges that something be done about it. Senator Sveelc on the Law. Senator Sweek has not yet made up his mind what amendments he will propose, nor is he sure that he will, propose any. "I am trying to get as many sugges tions as I can." he said yesterday, "and to ascertain just how effectively the tax system is working. If any changes are advisable they will probably be made In one or all of three directions first toward reducing the penalty for delinquency, sec ond toward reducing or abolishing the, 3 per cent rebate, and third toward taxing kinds of personal property that now es cape assessment. "In other respects than these I do not see the need of any amendments. The ob ject of the present new law Is to force the prompt payment of taxes and to offer In ducements therefor. I believe the statute has been highly successful In this respect Delinquency is dealt with severely because this method seems to be the best and rea sonable way of discouraging it." Following are some of the opinions ex pressed: How the Law Has Worked. H. M. Palmer, County Judge of Polk Extend time of delinquency to April 15 and October 15 for. two reasons first to give the Sheriff more time In the rush that oc cirs in Anrll. Bccohd' to mako a date that ''' it&apkywa , would, more readily remember. 1; weond' suggest also reduction of the pen-.1 altynt 6 per cent, and the rate of Interest on .ifellnquency to 6 per cent per annum, and wuld advise that the Interest charge JMit iiede back as It does under the present lawl Ibelleve the law thus changed would still have the desired effect in the collec tion pt taxes, and would avoid the appear, ancetof extortion. However, the law Is a great "success how. Jonn Fulton, County Judge of Sherman If the whole of the tax were paid at one time! taxpayers could more easily pay November 1 than April 1, for the reason rtbat!the greatest wealth producers of-our state are grain, fruits, hops etci, prod ucts that arc marketed in the Fall. Mon ey ,liif easier. at that time than at any othf season. Bei Brown, Assessor of Union County All state lands should be assessed when ever sold. Bank stock should be assessed loithe- respective banks where the Institu tions! aro located. If we assess to stock holdurs, theyvcah transfer thlr holdings to Pbrtlarid,i.Salem or otherpla.ces and avoid- taxation. All personal property should be assessed wherever located. I thini: that -when there Is nothing but per sonal; property,, the taxes should be paid when; assessed, particularly on merchan dise, i Several times In this county owners of stocks of goods have sold and depart ed, and the purchaser has escaped pay ment of taxes because he was probably not la the county on March 1, and did not own the goods. I think precinct asses sors wo't'd work an improvement. The apportionment of the state tax was a great Improvement, and IRhope will be the nieans of assessing property at mar ket value. Farmers could pay much eas ier In. the Fall than In April. I think that there shpuldtbe a commission of not less than thr.ee Members to appraise real es tate, ithat their values should stand three years, that all property should be as sessed at Its market value, and that heavy penalties should be Inflicted upon assessors who undervalue. There Is no reason In assessing property at one-fourth of lt real value. C.. W..-Carnahan, Assessor of Clatsop Cdunty-rArtlcies to bo exempted should be enumerated, as there seems to be dif ference Of opinion In regard to the Intent of the law. It seems to me the Intent Is that people of limited means shall be ex empt to tho value of $300. As the house hold .furniture of poor people commonly does nol amount to half that value, J. have always exempted other personal property;. The $1 poll tax should be abol lshed If possible, there should be a min imum valuation in assessing property. Wo havei In this county 35,000 lots assessed at $1 each, while adjoining land is as sessed at ;from $2 to ?10 per acre. "H. Ri Kincald, County Judge of Lane I . am riot sufficiently familiar with the subject" to feel qualified to make sugges tions tor" the Improvement of the law. . J. 3. Sibley, County Judge of Polk First; do away with the 3 per cent rebate for early payment of taxes. I can see no good reason1for paying a m'an to do his duty. Second,- make the penalty for de linquency lighter; say 8 per cent penalty and pr .cent Interest Third, In case the. Sheriff falls to do his duty in the col lection of dejipquent taxes, glvo the Coun ty CoiiKpqijer to declare the office va cant .anjl' anoint a new Sheriff for the unexpired tcrn. Fourth, give the County Court; iJSfcretion to sell In any manner It thinks bst any lands to which the county has acquired tax title. Fifth, compel school clerks.fto have amount of any spe cial school levy in the hands of the Coun ty Clerk. 'by the 1st of January,, so that tho cleric canmako his extensions imme diately after the county levy is made. REGkNT ACCESSIONS. New fieoks Received at the Library , Association of Portland. Following ire the new books received at the Pbrtland? Library Association: Allen,! Grant-3tory of "the Plants .1 My .Four i...J680.4Aa67s dung Chil- ....... J372.-4A758 t.-J&i JIIMMMMLWtOnes to Lit- turs; .Wi ?..-H52TT:T J428.CA75S J5jecxer. arw-rwo -anu its En- . vlrcms ,.-i.....,,M7,r.. P914.436B133 Balcli. H. S. Antarctica. 919.9B174 -isaitthin. james uiastories of the .aast J220B1S1 tseeoe. M. ts. Jfour American Naval Heroes J923.5B414 uower, w J? Specifications; a Prac tical System for Writinie SDeciflca- tlons for Buildings 692B7S6 Burton. A. H. Four American Pa triots .J923.2B974 Cervantes Baavedra, Miguel de El In ireitioso Hldalen Don OuilntA rt In Mancha S863C419 Clarke, M. Stay of Caesar JBC12Sc uraiK, u. jm. now-wow ana Mew- mew JC8S7Sb Dole. J. H. Crib and Fly: a Tdlo of Two Terriers jD663c jsmenon, J. a. common spiders of the United States 595.4E53 Franolllon, R.- E. Gods and Heroes J292F817 ueorge. m. Jd. i.itt;o journeys to Alaska and Canada... J917.9SG34S ueorge, ja. M. .tittle Journeys to China and Japan j915.1G348 Geortre. M. M. Little Journeys to Cuba and Puerto Rico J917.29G34S ueorge. zi. vai- little Journeys to Ha waii and the Philippine Islands ............. J919 69G348 Gillespie, William Land "of Slnlm: 'or. China and Chinese Missions.... 275.1G478 Haye, C. de la, and Blondel, J. Nou- Rome ". 264.02H417 iioinus. Q. w. Grandmother s Storv and Other Poems JSUH752 iowens, w. D. i' light or i'ony $aKer.. JH859f lnaiana iUDiic instruction, Depart ment of Literary Selections JS20.8I39 1-ingSi.ey, xs. j. i?our American Ex plorers J923.9K55 tongieuow. H. W. Paul Revere's Ride and Other Poems JSllLS53p -.uaruneau, iiarriet uroiton tsoys JM3S5C Miller, Margaret My Saturday Bird Class J598.2-M649 Mlllhouse. John New Enellsh and Ital ian Pronouncing Dictionary,. R453.2M653 Morley, M. W. Fl07ers and Their Friends '. J380MS64 Mowry, w. A., and Mowry. A. M. American Inventions and Inventors. J608M938 -rancer, air unoert uonovan Pasha.. P239d P.ivnfi V n Rimrninhlool Motiiro Studies. . J372.SP346 -rerez. .tiscnen, Enrique m Frac Azul S863P4378 l'erez isscrich. Enrlaue Los Matrl- monios del Diablo, 4v SS63P4378m Perez ualdos, Jjenlto Dona Perfecta.. SSC3P438 Perry, it. M.. and Beebe. Katherlne Four American Pioneers j923.9P462 jf ratt. n. Li. Americans atorv for America's Children J973.1P916 Kagozln. Mme. is. A. History of the World; Earliest Peoples J913R144 ileal Academia jsspanoia Dlccionarlo de la Lengua Castellana R4G3R28S anedden. G. a. Docas. the Indian Boy of Santa Clara J970.1S671 united States American Republics, Bu reau of Nomenclatura Qomerclal; Spanish. English, Portuguese R428.2U58n Wagner. Chimes The Simple Life: tr. from the French 17QW132 'weDster, uaniei opeecn in -Kepiy to Hayne , JS15W378s Wells. H. G. Sea Lady W545s Wilson. Mrs. L. L. (W.) Nature Studv In Elementary Schools J372.3W749 wncnt. Airs. j. cmxiw.) seaside and Wayside. No. 1 J590W951 wmnt, Mrs. J. aicjn.j seaside and Wayside. No. 2 J590W951s Wright. Mrs. J. (McN.)-SeasIde and Wayside, No. 3 J590W9olse WrtKht. Mrs. J. CJlcN.) Seaside and Wayside, No. 4..., J590W951sea Gifts. FINE PIANOS FOR RENT. Just now Eilers Piano House Is in spe cially favorable position to furnish fine brand hew pianos for rent, for an evening, a weeK, or by he month. No advance in prices In spite of In creased cost of pianos and Increased freight rates. Ten cents a day wlllplace a good piano in your parlcr now. Why not have music in the home? See Eilers Piano House, 351 Washington street . "Garland" Stoves and Ranges. Awarded First Prizo Paris. 1900. Buffalo. 1001, IF Meier "Join our "Willamette" Sewing Machine Club For full particulars see yesterday's Ore ' gonian, or the salesman will explain it to you. From Sunday's Oregonian Important Store News Condensed Great Bar gains in Silk, Suits, Linens, Carpets, Ribbons, etc. Exceptional values in Ladies' Coats, Costumes, Wraps, Suits, Waists, etc. . Greatest Silk Sale we ever held starts this morning, $1.50 values 97c yard. Remnants of all kinds of Carpets below cost Bring size of room. 5000 yards of Satin Ribbons in all colors No. 9, 12, 18 9c yard. Ladies' and Children's Winter Underwear, best grade, below cost. 1000 pairs of Ladies' $3.00 Shoes, new styles, at $1.95 a pair. Men's $3.50 Shoes, all the best Fall styles, $2.88 a pair Thousands of yards of 50c and 60c Waist Flannels, 35c a yard, 25 great bargains in all kinds of good Soap. , See yesterday's Oregonian for particulars. Meier SMOKE NONUNION CIGARS UNION MEN PATRONIZE SWEAT SHOP GOODS. Many of Theno Are Trust-Made Dealers Fear Invasion, of Retail Field. The members of tho labor organizations must hereafter inspect the brands of cigars which they smoke. It has been dis covered that many brands do not bear the union label and these are the brands that are In particular demand by the laboring people. Among the brands Is one which bears the name and tho portrait of a well known man. The cigar Is called for pretty generally, and although It has not the blue label it finds a ready sale. "We must keep It," said tho cigar man, "because everybody demands It." "Where are these cigars made?" was "In Philadelphia. You will probably re member the great fire there a short time ago when the manager could not give tho names of the missing girls and could only place them by numbers?" "Numbered them like convicts?" "Just s"o, and that cigar is called for and we havo to 'keep It because If we do not someone else will and we lose the trade. Look at the eelllng at two for a quarter, and who would think that these same cigars were rolled by little girls In New Orleans who earn probably enough to get their dresses." "Why do you keep such stock?" "Wo have to do it. We have to do it People want these good. They are will ing; .to -pay US cents for: a cigar-made by eiFlnNvewOrleans:-when theifwlIL ,TVotpay 10 cents for a good home-made cigar." "But" "There are no buts about It. The peo ple want those cigars and they must have them. It does not matter whether the cigars are made In the cigar sweat shops or not. Most of the 5-cent cigars come from the sweatshops, and if you will stand around here long enough you will see a great many people buying these nickel smokes." "Would goods with the union label bring the same price, nickel or two for a quar ter, as the supposed foreign cigars?" "Oh, no; the cigar goes with the name. The more romantic the name Che higher the price of the cigar. The tobacco or the rolling don't count. Have It rolled In New Orleans and call It Havana Flno, and you have a bargain over the counter." "Is this due to tho tobacco trust .or are the sweatshops Just an ordinary matter?" "No," reflectively, "the. sweatshops are out of the usual run, but they haye made an appearance since the trust presented itself. What is the object of the trust? Well, here Is my warning: " 'The enemy, if not already, will soon be In your city opening up retail stores. One of their favorite methods Is to go to the landlord and lease your stores at a great deal higher figure than you are now paying, In order to drive you out of busi ness. If your lease expires the first of "May or a year from next May I would advise you to quietly get a new lease, covering three or five years, so that you may be able to counteract their efforts. "The communication was signed by the Cigar Dealers' Association of America, through William F. Crowley, secretary, and was dated from Chicago." "Does that mean that the trust will crowd you out of business?" was asked tho dealer. "No, the trust will not reach us here, or at least not for several months. With the Dukes and the Ryans and the Cobbs and the Harrlsses and the Paynes, It Is now running, or trying to run, the Jobbing trade of the East, and It Is, according to my advices, trying to run a part of the retail trade. It will, unless strings are tightened, get all the Jobbing trade, and in time come out West and draw us in the net." "And make you sell the sweatshop cigars you spoke of?" "We are selling them now and people seem to want them. They always call for special brands, and we have to give them what thev ask for. No. that la not so," In answer to an Interrogating look at a cigar passed to a customer, that cigar Is anti-trust. You heard him call for It? Yes? Well, he knows a good cigar. He used to Ginoke some of my three-for-a half Imported up In Seattle and Tacoma and Spokane, but now lie has got wise and he smokeB anti-trust home-made cigars. Lord! That smoke was good to smell. Wish he had stayed here a .while longer. Say, you wouldn't think that was a nickel trust cigar, would you? ' "No, I would not." "Well, It wasn't. That cigar has a high sounding and taking name. It Is made by the sweatshop girls of New Orleans and it brings 25 cents for two. He calls for them every day." GOOD HUNTING WEATHER Six Pnrtles Retnrn Frok Vancouver With Bis Siring of Ducks. The first returns from the Sunday's shooting were brought In last evening by six parties which had been shooting along Columbia Slough. Most of them had their ducks with them on the car, and all had made big killings. The score for parties of four ran from 12o to 175. The party which shot at the Gertz place, near Van couver ferry, had one of the largest strings, Including a great number of mal lards. All reported the ducks as very fine, and all were pleased with their luck. which slightly exceeded' their expecta tlons. The day had been rough, but the hunters were all dry and warm, having Been prepared for a rough day, with rub ber coatst pants,, boota and hats,, and Frank Company Frank Company heavy sweaters. It Is probable that tho same sort of shooting will be reported from points all the way down tho river to Deer Island, when the hunters get in this morning. Tho hunters who shoot out on Columbia Slough have an advantage over all others on tho river In having an electric railway to go and come on. Those who go down toward Kalama patronize the Astoria Railroad, but tho gangs which shoot on Sauvies Island havo to go and come on a steamboat. THE MONUMENTAL MISTAKE Can tho People of the Pacific Coast Save Themselves From Itt PORTLAND. NovTT (To tho Editor.) Now that Colombia" has again marked up the price of her strip of mud Into which French engineers havo been for 20 years vainly emptying the savings long hoarded In French stockings, It would be a good time to again warn tho President and others against a Panama Canal, or the butt end of one, which the French com pany offers for sale. Senator Mitchell has well characterized this monumental mistake tho decision to purchase the Panama hole In the ground as the blunder of the century. Lewis M. Haupt, whose opinions are, by reason of his achievements as an engi neer, entitled to outweigh those of tho other members of the Canal Commission, has declared that if the Panama Com pany's rights and property could bo se cured gratis it would be wise to decline them and take the more northern route, and he shows good reasons why. Quoting from one of The Oregonian ed itorials: "The Panama route He3 In the region of equatorial calms, which debar sailing vessels from access to Panama without great expense for towage; while the Nica ragua route lies in the region of the trade TyinjiSi ; which also contributo; tho salu brity ancl cbmrort of this route. ... Because of tho difficulties of navigating the Bay of Panama, no sailing vessel en tered or cleared there during the past year." The entire editorial, which was a sum mary of Mr. Haupt's arguments, should be republished. To the arguments made by Mr. Haupt and others I would add these: First Mr. Haupt being an engineer se lected from among our 50,000 or more civil ian engineers, while the Government's en gineers were selected from among only a few score or hundred, his opinions should count for much more than that of a Gov ernment engineer. Second The movement toward sailing vessels will grow more rapid as coal and oil fuel Increases In price, which increase is natural and can be assumed as certain. Many predict that in 50 years nine-tenths of ocean tonnage will be sail. Third If wave power were used for propulsion, as.lt should be and is pretty suro to be soon, steam vessels would prac tically disappear from the ocean In a few years In all probability befcjre the Pan ama Canal Is completed. A sigh of regret 4000 miles long will then reach across tho country, but alas, too late! A demonstration of the great superiority of wave power over steam for propulsion could be made for $500; a mere trifle. Once made and Indorsed by the Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade of the Pacific Coast, It would serve as a very loud warning against the Panama routo. and perhaps knock It out. This demon stration should be made Immediately. I am willing to make It myself when one or more of your citizens stand ready to repay my outlay upon a decision of three other of your citizens that seagoing vessels should use wave power In place of steam. And there are other methods which may be better than mine, which mine would draw out. The ocean Is a vast field of free power, its waves being wind power stored up in condensed form. It Is a great waste for vessels traveling over it to uso fuel for power. A wave is a waterfall. Waves will soon be utilized, but not In time to put the Isthmian canal In the right place, unless one or two Pacific Coast citizens act quickly, and so I come to fell you. Even should the demonstration spoken of fall to turn the authorities from Panama, it would, If successful, be worth millions of dollars to Portland, a3 can be shown. If desired; and If not successful I would be the only loser. S. N. STEWART. TO SPEAK ON 1905 FAIR. Mrs. j. B. Montgomery "Will Address t Portland Women. Mrs.' J. Montgomery, one of tho Wo man's Board of the World's Fair, will talk to the women of Portland on exposi tion matters at the Unitarian Chapel, on Tuesday evening, November 4, at 8 P. M. Mrs. Montgomery Is very enthusiastic on the subject of the Lewis and Clark Cen tennial, and the position that Oregon should occupy at the World's Fair. There are also other details In connection with tho advertising of the state which will bo presented by Mrs. Montgomery. Gov ernor and Mrs. Geer will be present on this occasion, and other prominent peo ple out of Portland. Tho directors of the Lewis and Clark Fair are especially in vited to attend. Mrs. Montgomery will leave this week , for New York, where she will attend a meeting of the Woman's Board of the World's Fair Commission, to be held at the home of Miss Helen Gould. DOES THE PROPER THING. O. R. & N. Maizes Very IjOtf Rate for the Irrigation Gathering. In order that Eastern Oregon will be wen ii;jJieaciiieu ui me lirJKUUun meeting In Portland, November 17. the O. R. & N. nas accmea to maice one rare for round nil, iitncu un uie iiuTemoer n. Merit wins, and this is the reason for the llfiu ,jpuiariiy or aooa s Sarsapa TO 00 AFTER SETTLERS? QUESTION OF AN IMMIGRATION" BIW REAU AGITATED, Business Men "Will Be Asked TJielj ."Views Cost Would Be Ik tha' Neighborhood, ef 930,000, Tho RIlTlfonf nt an Imml 13 agitating the minds of a number o gentlemen. Among them are Seneca Smltn, Colonel Frank Drake, J. M. Sloore, Will iam Killlngsworth, I. Q. Davidson. A. L Craig and R. B. Miller. This commltte'jo was named by President F. E. Beach, of the Board of Trado, about two weeks ago. It has held several meetings lately to re solve upon what to do, and has decided to call a conference with hndnfqi man the city. , The object before the committee la tho creatlon of a bureau to distribute lnforma tlon about Oregon among1 peoplo in the- East who desire to locate homes In Ore gon, and to receive them at Portland antt . BUlde thnm to nnltflWo Irutntlnno T,.W V now newcomers have nobody to direct', Into the city, strangers in a strange land. -To give them information that they re-, 3 qulre would bo one of the Important da-' , ties of the bureau. . Another duty would be that of wnrlrinr . up sentiment in Eastern communities IqkP Immigration to Oregon. Several membeip V of the committee feel that the Harrimair iuuuiauuu -Duituu win not cover xn work on tho lines which a bureau T?lt neaoquarters at Portland could follow. ' Js pointed out that (SO per cent ot ti toward Puget Sound on tho Northern IJ cine. j Plans havo been discussed for orsranlziw- uie Bureau on lines Rimiinr tn tbn which the Oregon Immigration Burearf " was conducted: from 1587 to 1531. .In th five years of its existence that bureau expended over $200,000. All this raised by public subscription. Ellis G. ' Hughes had a leading part in the work, of this bureau. Not less than $30,000 would be required, for a similar bureau now. In asmuch as the merchants of Portland would be called upon to contribute largely to a iund or this kindr the committee will ask them for their views on the matter. The subject Is an outgrowth, of that of an enlarged permanent exhibit. The need of such an exhibit is universally acknowl- eaged. The Terminal Company has agreed to provide rooms' in Union Depot for an exhibit. The plan under discussion now Is that of carrvinc out tnerethpr th?j project and that of the immigration bu- TWO MEN ROB A THIRD. A. H. Ward Sees a. Hold-Up Victim Disappears Two Men. Arrested. What looks like a hold-up case took place last night about 8 o'clock, on East Morrison street, near First, but the vic tim disappeared as soon as his captors re-' leased him, and his name is not known. A. H. Ward, ono of the officers stationed at the Salvation Army Barracks, East Side, was walking up Morrison street when, in tho rain and darkness ho saw two men pounce on a third one The vie tlm yelled, and his captors qulcluy dragged him to a dark comer on the op posite side of the street, where his strug gles became fainter. Then the two hold up men ran one way, and the victim ran In the opposite direction. Not wishing fo be mixed up in the fray. Ward walked Into a store and telephoned what he had seen to tho police station. On coming out, he met Policeman Relslng, to whom he related the occurrence. "Would you know the hold-up ma again. If you saw them?" asked the po liceman, and Ward stated that he would; Just then a man happened to cross the street, and Ward said: "That looks like one of them." Relslng got hold of the stranger, and turned him over to Po liceman Wilson, who had arrived on tho scene, the stranger giving his name as John Stewart. Relslng then went In search of tho second man, and arrested Paul J. Flanagan In a near-by saloon, on Ward's description. Both Stewart and Flanagan were taken to the police station, where Ward stated that they resembled the men who had at tacked the stranger. Both prisoners de nied any knowledge of the affair, but got muddled up when they stated the time they had been in tho neighborhood of East Morrison and First streets. They said they both lived on a scow on East Washington street. No money or valu ables were found In their possession, and they were detained on suspicion, until the case against them can be inquired Into. In the meantime, the police wish that the man who was attacked will call at the police station and see if lie can lden tlfy the prisoners. SPECIAL FOR THIS WEEK Owing to the backwardness of the sea son, and the fact that we have a large stock of high-grade shoes on hand that we must sell this Fall, we aro going to make the following sweeping reductions for one week: Men's $4.50 grade $i Men's 54.00 grade w Men's 53.50 grade I II! sail Men's 53.00 grade 5755 Men's $2.50 grade jo?? Men's 2.00 grade si'k Women's $3.00 grade '.""""sk Women's $2.50 grade " H'vn Women's $2.00 grade "I"Xil70 Stockings free with each pair of Chil dren's Red Schoolhouse shoes. They -wear well. 2d. Billings, 223 Morrison,