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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1906)
6 THE HORNING OREGONIAN, 3IONDAY, JANUARY '15, 190b. Entered at the Postofflce at Portland, Or., as Second-Class Matter. SUBSCRIPTION BATES. E7 INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE. 7C3 (By Mall or Express.) DAILY. SUNDAY INCLUDED. Twelve months ?,$9 -Six months -25 Three months One month Delivered by carrier, per year 3.00 Delivered by carrier, per month Less time, per week....' .20 Sunday, one year. - . ? .00 Weekly, one year (Issued Thursday)... 1.50 Sunday and Weekly, one year . . 3.0 HOW TO REMIT Send postofflce money order, express order or personal check on your local banlc Stamps, coin or currency ere at the sender's risk. EASTERN BUSINESS OFFICE. The S. C. Beckwlta Special Agency New York, rooms 43.50. Tribune building. Chi cago, rooms C10-512 Tribune building. KEPT ON SALE. Chicago Auditorium Annex. Postofflce JCews Co., 178 Dearborn street. Denver Hamilton & Kendrlck. OOG-012 Seventeenth street; Pratt Book Store, 1-H Fifteenth street. Goldfleld, Nev. Guy Marsh. Kaaeas City, Mo. Rlcksecker Cigar Co., JJlnth and Walnut. Xofi Angeles B. E. Amos, manager seven Street wagons. Minneapolis M. J. Kavanaugh. 50 S. Third. Cleveland, O. James Pushaw. S07 Superior etreet. New York City L. Jones & Co., Astor Souse. Oakland, CaJ. W. H. Johnston, Fourteenth fend Franklin streets. Ogdea Goddard & Harrop: D. L. Boyle. Omaha Barkalow Bros.. 1612 . Farnam; Magcath Stationery Co.. 1308 Farnam; 216 South 14th. Sacramento, CaL Sacramento News Co., 430 K street. Salt Lake Salt Lake News Co., West Second ctreet South; Miss L. Levin, 24 Church street. San Francisco J. K. Cooper & Co., 740 Market street; Goldsmith Bros., 23C Sutter and Hotel St. Francis News Stand; L. E. Lee, Palace Hotel News Stand: F. W. Tltts. 1008 Market; Frank Scott, 80 Ellis: N. Wheatley Movable News Stand, corner Mar ket and Kearney streets; Foster & Orear, Ferry News Stand. Washington, D. C Ebbltt House. Pennsyl vania avenue. OREGONIAN, MONDAY. JANUARY 15. "RIDERS" IN THE TAX BILL. Objection to the tax code proposed by the tax committee of the "Willamette Valley Development League seem to foe based more upon the manner in which the measure is drawn than upon any particular obnoxious feature. The orig inal purpose in directing that the bill be drawn was to provide for the taxa tion of franchises and intangible prop erty. Instead of adhering to the plan outlined, the committee undertook to revise many tax laws, and has intro duced many changes upon which men will inevitably differ. The committee has, in other words, pursued the old and indefensible policy of putting "rid ers" on their bill, which riders the peo ple must adopt or reject, along with the .more important features. The bill proposes certain taxes upon the gross earnings of express, tele graph and telephone companies, and a new system of taxing railroad property. Let us take this as the main purpose of the measure. Instead of confining the bill to that subject, the committee in serted changes in the manner of mak ing the school tax levy, changes Jn the rate of tax on insurance companies, changes in the rate of inheritance tax, changes in the manner of making the annual apportionment. of the state tax. These latter subjects are no less Im portant than the former, and each pro posed change should stand or fall upon its own individual merits. There was no reason whatever why they should have been inserted in a gross earnings tax bill. But as the bill is presented before the people. It must be adopted or rejected as a whole. In order to en act the law for the taxation of tele phone and telegraph companies, the people must change the law governing school tax levies. Nothing could be more absurd. For years the . people of this state have "been crying out against the prac tice of forcing legislation 'by means of "riders." At ithe present time a mill-56n-dollar appropriation bill is being held up under the referendum as a pro-test-agalnst the practice of passing om nibus bills. Yet the tax' committee of the Willamette Valley Development League has adopted that same old per nicious policy of legislation, and It re quires the people to accept laws they do not want, if they adopt this measure, in order to get "what they do want. It is not necessary to discuss the merits of any particular section of the proposed bill. Let it be acknowl edged that the main purpose is good The Oregonian, anI the people of the state, favor a law which will compel corporations owning certain classes of intangible property to bear their just proportion of the tax burden, - but in accomplishing this there should not be attached to a proposed bill upon that subject numerous other measures of questionable policy. Measures to be submitted to a vote of the people should ibe so drawn that no man will be com pelled to rote for what he does not want in order to promote reforms that commend themselves to his favor. Un til full investigation and examination fhall disclose all the defects of this measure, and shall show if they are as serious as they now appear to foe. The Oregonian will reserve final judgment as to whether In its opinion it should be -adopted or rejected. THE DEFEAT OF MR. BALFOUR. That the recent Prime Minister of England, and present leader of the -Opposition, should be defeated not by a close vote, but snowed under in his own constituency, cannot pass without remark. , East Manchester has stood by Mr. Balfour for years. That a man named Horrldge up to this time a blank in British politics should so completely put down and out one who has headed the government for so long, is more than surprising It Is phenomenal. But reasons are not far to seek. The times for a Laodicean are past. This adroit politician, this, irresolute and fine drawing statesman, Is spewed out of the mouth of the electorate he deemed was his own preserve. What a fall! To be beaten by Chamberlain, or Aaqulth, or Morley, or Grey, or even by Winston Churchill, the coming man of his party this might be to fall in fair fight; but to succumb to Horrldge! This man's policy was what the Eng lishman calls neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring', and the average man will Siave none of it. Now shall we see iiow Joseph Cham 'berlain, the fighter, the aggressive and strong: man, fares at Birmingham. The two great cities stand 'next to the roe tropeUs la jbsh's mia&s, raiwa asking how the cities are going. -Manchester has spoken. What will Birmingham do? GRAFT IN CONGRESS? Mr. Steffens starts well. He Is gofng to let us know specifically a few things about affairs at Washington that we already know generally, tout no less certainly. He is- not on a hunt for the grafters. He knows who they are. Everybody knows. The country has been so thoroughly educated on the subject of graft that the plain, every day citizen can put this and that to gether as convincingly as the trained Investigator, and, turning his minds eye to this, or that, or the other dis honest public official, can convince him self unerringly that "there stands a grafter." He doesn't need proof In black and white. He merely -watches for symptoms and results; and when the result is at hand, it is easy to find the cause. What Mr.' Stcffons has set out to do is to expose neither graft nor grafters, but to learn why the grafter did it. That will be interesting, in deed. But we fear that Mr. Steffens makes a rather sweeping definition of bribery and corruption. "Cash bribery," ho says, is the least dangerous form of cor ruption. Offices, promotion, commit tees, stock tips, business, campaign contributions, social position, dinners these and such as these are the higher, subtler, more respectable, and, there fore, the more dangerous forms of po litical corruption." No doubt- Yet there Is a proper employment for many of these things, -else there would be no social .life At Washington, and every Congressman would be at war with every other, and chads would ensue. We do not suppose that Mr. Steffens will advance the theory, or principle. that no. member of Congress should be subject to influence, even social or busi ness Influence. Everything depends on whether his motives, and the motives of his advisers, are good. It would be idle to say that legislation of Im mense value has not foeen adopted sometimes evcn by doubtful means. The National debt was funded' by Sec retary Hamilton, and the credit of the United States established, through a trade with jobbers in Congress who were trying to locate the National capital; and the impeachment of Andrew John son was prevented by a single vote, obtained, it is believed everywhere, by questionable strategy. But Mr. Steffens is on the right track. He Is not going to show where the graft came from, nor whom it came to, but why it came. Wc all want to know. GETTING AWAY FROM WHEAT. The farmers of Whitman and Gar field Counties, in Washington, are con sidering the proposition of planting 6000 acres of sugar beets along the line of the Spokane & Inland electric road now under construction. As the great factory at Waverly has never, since its construction, been able to secure one- half the amount of beets required to run it up to its capacity, the manage ment is making beet culture of special interest to the farmers by paying $G per ton for beets, an advance of 75 cents per ton over present rates. By offering this premium, the owners of the factory hope to have farmers demonstrate to their own satisfaction that the beet crop can be made more remunerative than wheat. At a farmers' meeting held in Garfield Saturday, some wheat growers who had been experimenting with the beets announced that, at $5.25 per ton. their beet crop had paid a profit of $5 per acre in excess of the amount that they could make with a crop of wheat on the same land. Of even greater importance was the statement made at the meeting that Summer-fallow land planted In beets would grow a much larger crop of wheat when the cereal was sown a year later. Although Summer-fallowing has been the only practical method of growing wheat In the country cast of the Cascade Mountains, the fact that the land must He Idle one year out of two has never been pleasing to farm ers. In .effect, it has cut down the yield per acre of their farms one-half, and in a great many cases, where meth ods were a little slack, such a large crop of weeds Avas produced on the Summer-fallow land that the soil was nearly- as badly exhausted as if it had been cropped with wheat. The showing made by the beet-sugar makers and the beetgrowcrs was so satisfactory that even Wheat King McCroskey, who has steadily refused to make the slight est concession to the diversified farm ing theory, is said to be contemplating planting 100 acres as an experiment. If this new industry Is the means of lifting the wheatgrowers out of the rut into which they have fallen with their one-crop ideas, It will be well worth all that the State of Washington has paid for its establishment. There Is unlm peachabe testlmolny from growers, wherever beets have been produced in the West, to the effect that there is profit in the crop' for growers, and fac tories, even laboring under the handi cap of an insufficient supply of raw ma terial, have suffered no heavy losses. It Is stated that the Waverly factory, to which, the Tjeets of Whitman and Garfield Counties would be tributary, has a capacity of 5000 tons of beets per year, but hasjjover yet. succeeded in securing more than 20,000 tons. With all of their money invested in the plant. against which there are large fixed charges whether It runs or not. It Is easy to' understand that the profits to both grower and manufacturer could be greatly increased on . every addl lional ton secured above the 20,000 tons which to this date has .been the snaxl mum. "The consumption of sugar in the United States is Increasing much more rapidly than the -production, and there will accordingly be a good market for all that can be produced. There is ac cordlngly small likelihood of an over production and recession of prices to an unprofitable figure. The extent to which consumption Is Increasing Is II lustrated In a late "bulletin of the De par tin en t of Commerce, which shows that, while the annual average im portatlon during the five-year period endjng with 1SS5 was 1.0SL149 tons, for the five years ending with 1905, the average was 2,105,043 tons,, and the home production Increased from 176,035 tons in 18S5 to 600,000 tons in 1905. It Is encouraging to note that the Eastern -Washington wheatgrowers are making a move toward locking the sta bel door before the horse is stolen. The Willamette Valley farmers in some cases hung onto wheat production un til it sent them over the hills to the poorhouse. The Valley was not adapt ed to focet culture, but exhaustion of the soil by continuous cropping with wheat has at last forced them into di versified farming, and there are a great m&ny tenvasMs in the Vailey that are now -annually selling dairy products, livestock and garden truck of av greater value than the combined wheat crop of half a dozen townships In the most prosperous year of their existence. POLmCIANS AND NEWS PAPERS. The country editor "has come to learn that the public always accepts him at his own valuation. Journalism Is both a business and a profession. .So far as it sells news as a commodity, it is a business; so far as it endeavors to di rect public opinion and to- influence public action, it is a profession. It is an honest business to sell news; it Is an honest profession to mold public senti ment. If It Is honestly done. The aver age country editor Is not always sure of his own status, because of the un certain status of his calling. Some country editors look upon themselves as semi-public charges, Iflce many coun try preachers, and subsist largely on donations made through the good na ture and the charity of their patrons or neighbors. This type, we hasten to add. Is rapidly disappearing from the country press.- If weekly journalism has not so high a place in the respect of Its readers or the confidence of its advertisers as the country editor thinks it should have, it is entirely because he has failed to take himself and his business or profession seriously, and he has accepted a place In the general es timation alongside the village joker. the corner-grocery orator and the street-corner gossip. The Oregon Press Association is do ing much to elevate the standard of journalism in the state, and It is set ting an example In independence, self- respect and character that may well be followed in neighboring states. For example, the papers In the organiza tion have united in a common plan to sell their space to foreign advertisers at proper rates, which Is a good thing: but, what Is better, they -have deter mined that the advertising and ex ploitation which the politicians are ever seeking and usually getting shall be paid for as advertising. Newspapers have an .Intimate and inescapable rela tion to politics, and on that account they have ever been used as vehicles to promote the welfare of officeseekers and officeholders. Under the direct pri mary, the profession of officehold Ing becomes more than ever an In dividual and personal matter with the offlcehunter, and the average newspa per, city and country, will be more and more subject to the Importunities of the persistent man-after-a-Job for notice and commendation. It Is a per fectly proper thing to require pay for such notice outside, of course, of cur rent political news or gossip; it is es sentially dishonest to accept nay for commendation. The distinction is clear. All newspapers understand It; the public understands It. There Is no chance or excuse for anybody to be de ceived about it. The Press Association made it all plain by adoption of the fol lowing resolution; In the matter of political adverttatag. tee recommend that rpace be sold to candidates on the same basis that It is Fold t commer cial advertisers, no contract for advertising carrying with It an express er implied obli gation binding the paper to the rapport of such candidate. The Oregon . Press Association the country' editor is now definitely com mitted to this correct policy. Any per son who seeks advertising shall pay for it. Any person who seeks news paper favor on that basis won't get IL All this is good for the candidates, too. For example, when any officeseoker is approached with a proposition to pay 5100, or $200. or ?600. or even S0, to a newspaper for advertising. It Is proper for him to inquire what kind of ad vertising, who is to write the advertise ments, and whether editorial support or commendation goes with It? If he does not get editorial support, he will then know whether or not he really desires so much advertising In that kind of a paper; and. if he is to get it. he will understand that the newspaper is violating Its solemn and formal ob ligation to all other papers In the Ore gon Press Association. No doubt all the others will do everything In their power to heap on the venal journal all the odium It deserves. We hope so. We think so. Next year. If there is reason to think thit any newspaper has thus violated the high ethics of real journalism, and broken faith with its fellow-journals and with the pub lic we shall expect to see an investi gating committee appointed by the as sociation, with authority to ascertain the faots, and to make them public. A MISLEADING REPORT. Special Agent Crist, of the Depart ment of Commerce and Labor, has re turned from the Orient with a report that merchandise shipped by the transcontinental and Pacific routes cannot come Into successful competi tion in the Orient with like commodi ties coming by the all-water route from European countries. He says that we will be at a disadvantage "until steamship lines regularly ply between Atlantic ports and North China as English and German lines are now doing." If Mr. Crist has been cor rectly quoted In the Washington dis patches, there is urgent necessity for reform in other departments than the consular service. Had this special agent been endowed with sufficient intelli gence to investigate properly the sub ject on which he has reported, he would have learned that the rates made by the transcontinental and Pacific roads are all based on the rates made by steamers "plying regularly between the Atlantic ports and North China," as well as to other ports in the Orient. The special agent would also have learned that there Is constant friction between the British manufacturers and the British shipowners, because the lat ter for the greater part of the time are quoting lower rates to New York mer chants than they will quote to those doing business in London and Liver pool. Nearly a dozen large steamships will sail from Atlantic ports for the Orient this month, and, if the trans continental roaoVr did not make rates as low comparatively as those made by the steamers, there would be twice as many going forward by the Suez route. The report of this special agent will undoubtedly be eagerly seized by the subsidy-seekers "and warped Into an ar gument In favor of extending aid to our poverty-stricken millionaire ship owners. If Special Agent Crist had reported correctly the reasons for the American being at a disadvantage with his for elgn rivals, he would have stated that. under our beneficent system of protec tlon to the trusts, we are selling great quantities of steel and other manufac turlng material to the Europeans at lower figures than they can be obtained by Americans. With cheap raw ma terla.1 from America, and cheap labor for ORBUfecturins; it, our neJfchfeors across the water have no need of con cessions In transportation facilities to the Far East, and they are receiving none. The "Force of Life" bunco artists have by their work proved themselves past masters In the art of gulling the public Some illiterate but expressive philosopher once put Into circulation the coarse but truthful proverb that "there Is a sucker born every minute." The. anglers for this class of "fish" are not so plentiful as the "suckers," but when they angle, they make wholesale catches. "I stop the rush with which Father Time hurries you to the grave." said Professor Hadley, in an advertise ment of his elixir of life The cruel Government employes who Investigated the "matter concluded, however, that he only stopped the rush long enough to enable him to go through the pockets of the "rushers." The science of heal ing, no matter what form It takes, has been one of the most prolific sources of revenue for fakirs of both sexes. "Doctor" Hadley differs from some of the others in that he put out a fake medicine Instead of a prayer-book and a treatise denying the existence of dis ease Ho got the money, though, and so do the other "healers." . The assassination of ex-Governor Steunenberg was deliberately planned and was executed with a strict attention to detail which proves that it was the work of a man or men who were fully as crafty and cunning as they were merciless and bloodthirsty. With this knowledge of the character of the crim inal or criminals so apparent, there is more than a shade of possibility that the man now under arrest might have been conveniently "placed" at Caldwell for the purpose of -being arrested and tried while the real murderer was mak ing his escape. A number of dummies of this nature were put forward for arrest while the police were searching for the murderer of Dr. Cronln In Chi cago many years ago. Some of these dummies found their way to the peni tentiary for their connection with the crime, but the murderer was never caught. It would seem from the testi mony that Orchard was In a perilous position even though It be proven that he did not actually commit the murder. The basis of the pilots' objection to the Northern Pacific bridge at St. Johns Is the narrowness of the channel between the proposed site of the bridge and the foot of Swan Island. It is quite plain that a 500-foot ship in a current Is liable to trouble In a 300-foot chan nel If It becomes necessary to stop her until a train gets off the drawbridge. A remedy for the anticipated trouble might be found dn widening the chan nel between Swan Island and the bridge. The land behind the adjacent bank on the west side Is nearly all quite low. and it would be advanta geous to both river and shore to have a wide, deep channel dredged. The New York banks gained over $15,000,000 in cash last week, nearly all of It being shipped to the metropolis by the Interior banks. There were also more Investment buying of stocks in Wall street and easier rates on money. The signs would indicate that the Im mediate danger of serious financial trouble In New York had passed. Nev ertheless, the stock market is still keyed up to a pretty high pitch, and might not stand too severe a test without causing -a grand smash among the devotees of frenzied finance. The Washington Post expresses the opinion that "Oregon, after her bitter experience, will take pains to send to Congress a" delegation that will reflect credit on the state." We really haven't done much to give any one In Washing ton so optimistic a view of Oregon, but we're grateful to the Post, Just the same. And we'll try; really, we'll try. The admission of a millionaire mem ber of the beef trust that he had served a jail sentence forty years ago for de frauding the Government is of interest merely as showing the difference in the handling of meat magnates by the courts then and now. It can scarcely lower his social standing in packing house circles. One aspirant for a nomination for a high office announces that he "stands for the people and against bosses, poli ticians, trusts and grafters." This Is a platform that has been common to all candidates, time out of mind. Who ever heard of any one favoring either a boss or. a politician? People who are worrying over the threatened expose of Tom Richards "hotel" will And comfort In reading the "chapters that have gone before" in Tom Lawson's "Frenzied Finance." recalling the fact that' they were the most sensational part of that famous narrative While Mayor Lane's policemen are dragging rich and respectable citizens into the Police Court and holding them under cash ball for obstructing the sidewalks, the man behind the six shooter continues to block traffic on the back streets unmolested. The candidate for office and all his friends are abroad with petitions to be signed, and voters are everywhere held up. All such must remember that patience Is a virtue. We are giving the direct primary a air trial. "Constant Reader" heed not worry The subscriber who brings in a box of big, red apples or a load of cordwood will get his name in the paper Just the same as he did before the Oregon edi tors formed their advertising rate com bination. The East Davis-street gas meter which continued to pile up dividends for the company eight days after It was disconnected from the main seems to have rejoiced in more lives than a cat. "Show me," said Missouri to the Jolly Rogers. "How old Is Ann?" was the witty reply. But It looks as If the Supreme Court will help, show Rogers the real way to show MissourL Seattle Is endeavoring to raiser $25,000 to get the National Christian Endcav orers convention. It will be worth $25. 000 to Seattle to find out who and what the Endcavorers are. The Job of sitting on the HIll-Harri-man lid will no doubt help some to still Sheriff Word's wild ambition to keep something closed. . Midshipman , Meriwether may And that he is In-real trouble this time. He charged with hazing, and his victims lived. THE SILVER LINING. The man who does a little less than Is expected of him Is the dangerous factor In all business. Give a hundred and one cents worth of value for every dollar you receive. What Is the finest quality in human character? Is It not truthfulness? The youth that Is taught to speak the truth cannot but be honest, brave, self-respecting, ultimately capable. The man or the woman who speaks the truth cannot but have friends and love and genuine suc cessfor, in a world of lies and evasions, such an one is as a rock in the midst of a quicksand. Newsboys, politicians. Bruin's pals, edi tors, ministers. Hill. Harriman, Rogers, Morton and Ananias, pleaso digest this nugget. When Bruin told a woman criminal that there was a price on her head, she asked him If It was on straight, and how he Is scratching his own head trying to find out what she meant. That's straight. Miss ,Grover. an enthusiast about fe lines and blooded tabbies, has just got ten herself Into a peck of trouble by sending a Judge two $3 bills in supplica tion that her beloved cat, which was then In custody, might be protected, and the learned incumbent of the bench be Inspired by the wisdom of Solomon In his decision of the case In hand. The Judge got mad as hops at the woman, and she explained that she only sup posed that It was his usual fee. It Is needless, to add that this idea of universal ' graft occurred in New York. There is also no accounting for woman's love for cats. A scratch Is a scratch, and a woman is a woman, but. In the words of the illustrious General, "cats is hell." Some success Is born of conceit and much conceit Is born of succoss. The average American woman has the voice of a peacock. Advertisement All the Eastern 5-cent Sunday newspapers can bo had at any Portland news-stand for 10 cents a copy. We watched an Eastern astrologer's prediction, and this is the record: PROPHECY. "An appaling catastrophe will take place in New York City, or some city In the United States, on December 14. in which there will be heavy loss of life." . FACT. Nothing doing. Nearest approach to an appalling catastrophe about that time was on January 12. when Rogers testified. No loss of life. Brains and character are undoubtedly better than money. But when you con sider these three singly and separately, perhaps a fairly generous helping of each would be most desirable. Of course, mid night toilers in newspaper palaces have so much of everything that they can view the whole matter from a lofty and disin terested standpoint. Poise is the ambition of every man who seeks to meet successfully the contending forces within and around him. It is tho practical outward expression of true phi losophy. The pathology of football la thus summed up by the surgeons: Tcno-synovltis tendo-Achllles. disloca tion of tho xiphoid cartilage, dislocated semilunar cartilage, traumatic valgus, fracture of the zygoma, dislocation of acromial end clavicle, middle mlnlngeal hemorrhage, hematoma of the ear. We heartily concur with the doctors in the assertion that the "pile-UD" Is where the most and the worst Injuries are re ceived. As for the thundering Latin, a cold In the head can be called blennorr- hoea nasalis. Give the surgeons ten days each and call the next case. The New York Sun has this: Ob. ay, What's happened down Kentucky -way Whafs the matter with the Colonels? Don't they know enough to know That their state's not In the Senate If she hasn't got her Joe? Who can talk an Joo can talk? "Who can toll so many stories? "Who can be Kentucky's pride? "Who can thunder forth her glories? "Who can do the statesman stunt Just as Joe has always done It? "Where's Kentucky In the push. It her Joe ain't there to run It? Oh. aay. "What's happened down Kentuoky way? "What makes the Colonel all so sad? Hear thexn sinking sweet and low. Like a solemn requiem: Toor Old Jee." It is related that a Columbia River log ger went to a Portland hotel to get a room, and left in disgust because he was assigned to a room provided with a feath er bed. He was accustomed to sleeping on a "bunk." with only a blanket under him. This recalls a story that has often been told, but never published heretofore, concerning the late H. S. Lyman, the his torian and educator. Lyman believed It wise to accustom himself to hardships, so that when circumstances made it neces sary he could endure without discomfort what would be very disagreeable to oth ers. It Is said that very frequently at his home or at hotels he would leave his bed unoccupied and sleep upon the bare floor In order to harden himself to such accommodations. When visiting his ranch on Clatsop Plains, he refused the shelter of his cabin at night, but spread a blan ket under the trees, and there slept sound ly until daylight and the singing of birds awoke him. One King They Didn't Know. Fairbanks "(Alaska) News. CHRISTIANA. Dec. 2. King Haakon ha taken the oath before Parliament. This Is offered here as a sample of the news service that Is vouchsafed us. It Is the first we ever heard of King Haakon since somewhere back in the middle ages. We had not been told that King Haakon was so much as talked of for the throne of Norway. The last man spoken of In connection with the Norwegian crown was Prince Charles, of Sweden. Sons of Sweden and of Norway alike have been awaiting the further proceedings with in terest tempered with patience, and out of the void comes this intelligence that "King Haakon has taken tho oath." It is enough to make us all tako an oath or two. The News has Inquired of a num ber of sons of the several Scandinavian families, but no one knows King Haakon. Watterson's Opinion of Kentucky. Boston Herald. Hear Colonel Watterson on present po litical conditions down inKentucky. Never has Kentucky touched so low a point, nor have Kentuckians heard such shocking tales of brutality and wrong In our elections, in our political machinery and In the public service. Not one slnglo Kentucklan In the public life of tho Na tion stands high enough to be seen of all men. Not one single Issue of Kentucky origination Is to be found upon the fight ing line of public affairs. We seem to have fallen back upon a time when it was said that the only world-famous Kentucklan was a hone. This looks like a rather ambiguous compliment to the GoebeL aaaa who has fceatea Joe Steckfeura. GAS AND THE PEOPLE Portland Advertiser. And now It's the Portland Gas Com pany. Portland people are possibly un aware of the distinction which is being thrust upon them, for soon must this gas company, continually enlarging the grasp of Its tentacles and waxing fat upon Its grafted spoil, be ranked along with the Standard Oil and the Beef Trust. Starting on their career of Lawsonlzcd money-getting, the first price removed from the pockets of the meek and docile householder is theJ3 deposit for the me ter. Five dollars Is the minimum deposit, but In some cases the deposit Is ?50. Now, In all sense, why should a gas consumer deposit anything for a meter? It belongs to the gas company; nobody else has any use for it, and It being placed In the house 13 simply that the company may have a means of measuring the amotmt of gas consumed. The man who brings milk might as well charge toll for his quart measure, the butcher for his scales, or the merchant for his yardstick. The money deposited goes to the company, is held by them so long as the meter Is used, and refunded, without Interest, of course. But It's been bringing Interest to the gas company, this money of yours, mine and the other fellow 6. S or 10 per cent in clear gain for a space of one year, pos sibly three years; money to which they have no more legal right than a highway man. Talk about railroad rebates! Why, the meter deposit walks clear ahead of the whole procession. Next in .the bold scheme of robbery is the Imperfect plumbing by which gas es capes continually, the meter, of course, recording the leakage along with the act ual consumption of gas. The gas leakage is the main point of issue, though, of course, one must not for get that the service is miserable and the price robbery; that patrons pay for air and not gas; that bills increase steadily from month to month; that Mrs. B.s gas bill remains each month at a fixed price because the company found out just how much Mrs. B. will stand for; that though Mrs. D.-cooks with gas, her bill Is no larger than that of Mrs. A., who uses It only for lighting, and that as econom ically as possible, but then Mrs. D. Is such a vigorous kicker the boys know how much not to charge. And. too. when you go- to pay the bill you. are reminded of the ancient Byzantine Empress whose subjects crept to her august presence upon their knees and saluted her royal big toe with a kiss of fealty and homage. You enter the office, fall In line with some several dozen other lambs gone to the shearing, and wait and wait your turn to pay what you owe and then some. Of course. It's too much to expect the com pany to open more than one pigeon-hole at a time, so you stand there and listen to some 23 people before you register their kicks; you look at 25 hopeful, but Impa tient, victims behind you. and by tho time It's your turn you are only too will ing to put up the coin, glad It isn't any more, and make a get-away. Talk about populism. Socialism, co-op-cratlon and Government ownership the real wonder is that the American people cn masse don't turn anarchist! Portland New Age. The Oregonian Is to be commended and congratulated for Its fight for cheaper and better gas. The people of this city have been treated outrageously in the matter of gas, both as to price and qual ity, and It Is quite time a general and vigorous "kick" was made against present methods. Wc hope The Oregonian will keep up Its "lick" until we get better and cheaper gas. If we can't, people had better rely on electricity, or even go back to'candles and peat. They ought unanimously to re fuse to be swindled by the gas company any longer. THE GREAT TRACTION MERGER A Great Bclmont-Ryan Stock-Jobbing Scheme, Remindful of 1001. New York Outlook. We reported last week the purchase of the surface railways of New York City by the capitalists who now control the elevated and subway systems. This trans action proves to be rather a merger of the two, and Is founded on a stock-watering operation of gigantic proportions. The figures are thus given by the New York Evening Post, the comments of which arc the more significant since no one will suspect ' that journal of anti-capitalistic sympathies: The full plan of combination of the Bel mont and Ryan traction Interests Is now before us. It contemplates turning the pres ent 5SO.00O.0OO- Interborough stock Into $70. 000.000 bonds, with a "bonus" ot $31,300,000 In new stock: converting- the $52,000,000 out standing Metropolitan Street Railway stock Into $75,000,000 new stock, and buying up the stock or the old "holding company" with stock of a new one. This is, clearly enough, a stock-watering plan on the scale of 1001. W aro not likely to hear again very soon the assertion which the Subway's financial managers hare been wont to make with pride, that here at least Is a railway enterprise In which capital Inflation has played no part. The new plan. If carried out successfully, will change all that, and will change It on much the same lines as Jay Gould selected, a generation ago. for watering the- stock of the Elevated Railway. We naturally turn to the New York Times to find what defense there Is for this stock-watering operation. Its de fense Is mainly silence: perhaps it re gards the figures as part of the news not "fit to print"; the only editorial refer ence we find to It Is In the fololwlng sen tence: Vlt must be plain to every man's understanding that the capitalization of the new concern is based on an expecta tion of largely Increased business of carrying more passengers." Ten Fortunes $2,000,000,000. Harper's Weekly. Today It Is computed that there are in the United States no fewer than 70 es tates thaCavcrage in value $3.00O,O0O each. There are ten private fortunes aggrega ting $2,000, 000, COO thoso. namely, of John D. Rockefeller. Andrew Carnegie. Mar shall Field. W. K. Vanderbllt, John Jacob Astor, J. P. Morgan. "Russell Sage. J. J. Hill, Senator W. A. Clark, and William Rockefeller. There are 400 fortunes aggre gating $3,000,000,000, and 4500 aggrega ting $10,000,000,000. Five thousand men in this country, whose aggregate wealth is estimated at $15,000,000,000. actually own. to say nothing of how much they control, nearly one-sixth of our entire national wealth in money, land, mines, buildings. Industries, franchises and everything else of value: which sixth, if put into gold, would give them all of the yellow metal above ground in the world and Ieate more than J?, 000.000.000 still owing them. A Nation's Strength. Emersoa. What builds the nation's pillars high And Its foundations strong? "What makes It mighty to defy The fos that 'round it throng? It Is not gold. Its kingdoms grand Co dowa la battle's shock: Its shafts are laid on sinking sand. Not oa abiding rock. Is it the sword? Ask the red dust Of empires passed away; The blood has turned their atones to rust. Their glory to decay. And Is It pride? Ah! that bright crows Has seemed to nations sweet; But God has struck Its luster dawn la aahea at his feet. Not gold, bat only man. can make A people great and strong; Men who. for truth and honor's sake. Stand .fust and suffer lose Brave men whe work "while others sleep, Wha- a while others 'fly They build a nation's tltarx deep . Aad. Mt tm te the sky. DEPEWS DIRECTORATES. New York Evening Sun. Senator Depew says that the statement relative to his retirement on his 72d birth day from the companies with which he Is at present associated Is misleading in that It omits to mention the fact that his pur pose is to retain his position with the Vanderbllt lines, which he explains is largely honorary, and which will not pre vent him devoting full attention to his duties in the Senate. These are 'principal companies of which Depew Is trustee or director: American Safe Deposit Company. American Surety Company. The . Bagdad'Cbase Gold Mining Company. Bagdad Mining & Milling Company. Peech Creek Railroad Company. Benjamin Chase Gold Mining Company. Brooklyn "Warehouse and Storage Company. Buffalo. Erie Basin Railroad Company. Buffalo. Thousand Ialea & Portland Rail road Company. Canada Southern Bridge Company. Canada Southern Railway Company. Carthage & Adirondack Railway. Carthase. "Watertown & Sacket's Harbor Railroad Company. Central Dock & Terminal Company. ChecapeaSe & Ohio Railway Company. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company. Chicago. St. Paul. Minneapolis & Omaha. Railway Company. Clearfield Bituminous Coal Corporation. Clearwa'ir and Raauette Lake Railroad. Cleveland, Cincinnati. Chicago & St. Louis Railroad. Columbus, Hope &. Greensburg Railroad. Delaware & Hudson Company. Dunkirk. Alleghany Valley & Pittsburg Rail road. Brjultable Life Awurance Society (resigna tion already handed In. but not yet acted upon). Fifth Avenue Trust Company. Fonda, Johnstown & Gloversville Railroad. Fulton Chain Railway Company. Fulton Navigation Company. Gouvemcur St Oawegatchle Railroad Com pany. Jemey City & Bayonno Railroad Company. Kenslco cemetery. Lake Erie. Alliance & Wheeling Railroad. Lake Shore A Michigan Southern Railroad Company. Mahontng Coal Railroad Company. Mercantile Trust Company (a eubsldlary company of the Equitable). Merchants' Dispatch Transportation Com pany. Michigan Central Railroad Company. Michigan, Midland & Canada Railroad Com pany. National Bank of Commerce (a subsidiary of the Mutual Life). National Surety Company. Jfew Jersey Junction Railroad Company. New Jersey Short Line Railroad Company. New Tork & Ottawa Railway. New Tork & Harlem Railroad Company. New Tork & Putnam Railroad. New York Central Niagara River Railroad Company. New York, Chicazo fc St. Louis Railroad Company. New York State Realty & Terminal Com pany. Niagara Fall Branch Railroad. Niagara, Grand Island Bridge Company. Norfolk & Southern Railroad Company. Oswego & Rome Railroad Company. Pine Cre-k Railway Company. Rajuette Lake Railway Company. Rome, Watertown & OgUcnsburg Railroad Company. Rutland Railroad Company. St. Lawrence &. Adirondack Railroad Com pany. Spuyten. Duyvil Sb Port Morris Railway Company. Standard Trust Company. Syracuse. Geneva & Corning Railway Com pany. Terminal Railway of Buffalo. Tlvoll Hollow Railroad. Toledo. Canada Southern &. Detroit Rail way Company. Toluca Electric Light & Power Company. Union Trust Company of New York. Utlca & Black River Railroad. W'alklll Valley Railroad Company. "West Shore Railroad. "Wertern Transit Company. Western Union Telegraph Company. Yale University. THINGS DOING IN OREGON. Back Again With Nose Before Him. Starbuck Star. R. M. Mitchell, our big barber with tho jovial nose, after a two-weeks visit down in Weiscr. Idaho, is home again at work, making the fur fly. Rib Broken by a Warehouse. Nyssa News. Mr. Snow, who had a rib broke Christ mas as the result of a portion of tha For warding Company's warehouse breaking through, is getting along nicely. What IiOCkwoocTs Pig Can Do. Enterprise Chieftain. C. M. Lockwood has a pig that has tho distinction of being the only one in Enter prise that can jump down a well 20 feet deep and be hauled out without being hurt a particle. This extraordinary stunt waa performed by this extraordinary pig Tuesday morning. Strictly Business on a Toll Road. Tillamook Headlight. V. A. W. Schlappl was held up on tho Wilson River road by a little girl, and sha made him dig up 50c. This Is the receipt the little girl gave him for holding him up: Toll Gate. Dec. 27, 1305. Received of V. A. TV. Schlappl 50c. for the purpose of riding a horse- up the Wilson River oil the public county road. Agent for the Toll Road Company. WESLEY RUSH. Ninety-Two Danced, One Drunk. Pilot Rock Record. As an Indication ot the strenuousness of country life it may bo mentioned that 93 numbers were sold for the dance at Pilot Rock Monday night. The atmosphere oC the old hall was heavy with dust and foul odors, but the gay costumcrs tripped tho light fantastic until daylight. There was some money left In the old town as a re sult of the dance. The two saloons took In $200; $92 were paid for tickets, and: about $80 for supper. One young man. un der age, was arrested for being drunk, which Is a good showing, considering the amount of "booze" sold. Why Not? Before We discover the North Pole in an airship hadn't we better first discover an airship? Louisville Courier-Journal NEWSPAPER WAIFS. Her "Were you ever In love" Him- "Tes." Her "And are you still in that blissful condition?" Him "Oh. no. I'm married now." Chicago Dally News. "Pop!" "Yes, my son." "What Is it a man loses and then can't tell you what It Is until he finds It" "I really don't know, my boy." "Why, his breath!" Yonkers States man. Misguided Walts (of slender repertoire, but vaat persistence) Noel! Noel! Noeir" Saturnine Householder "Isn't there? If I com down to you I'll make you alter your opinion!" Punch. Hostess "And do you really believe In. Christian Science" Visitor "Well, you se. I've been getting rather stout lately, and It'a such a comfort to know that I really have no body!" Punch. Mrs. Kratchett "Bridget, T don't Ilka the looks of that man who called to see you last night." Bridget "Well. well, ain't It funny, ma'am? He said the same about you." Philadelphia Ledger. Johnnie "Pa. -won't you please buy me a microbe to help me with my arithmetic?" Papa "What good will a microbe do you?" Johnnie T just read in- this paper that they multiply rapidly." Judge. , The Judge "Bat. if you tooted your horu. how is it that the plaintiff did not hear you, In Uaae. te get out ot the way?" The De fendant "I am convinced, your Honor, that the accident' was due entirely to the Inferior velocity ot sound." Brooklyn Life. "Do you think that the corporatlas mea are going to run the Government!" "No." answered Senator Sorghum. "I doa't think they wilt give their time te It so long as eerperatteiM pay to raaeJi larger salaries, thaa tha GeverameBt." Waihtagtwi Slar