TOE MORNING OREliOMAX, THURSDAY, MARCH 26, .1903.
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roKTLAM). THIRSIlAY. MARCH S, IMS
- TEMPORA MUTANTS
Throughout all our states the change
luring the last tlecade in the composi
:lon and even In the foundations of
society has been very great. Old
habits, old customs, old reverence for
institutions, are giving way indeed
have given way to an extent that one
i-ould scarcely have expected except
'during the movements of centuries.
One can hardly tell how to lind sure
ground, anywhere. At present it is
a chaotic condition, tending towards
new organization of social and po
litical forces on bases and principles
yet but dimly discerned, if perceptible
at all. In these conditions the term,
"Social Statics," on which Innumer
able treatises have been written, is
nearly a misnomer. For it implies
something like equilibrium, some
where in the social body, or some
balance of forces which tends to con
ditions of stability In the different
parts of the social organism. But who
can see such tendency now? It will
appear later, surely, but then it will
most likely disappoint all prophets, by
Us results; and the experience It will
bring will be as a lamp set in the
stern of a ship, which serves only to
light up the course that has been
passed over; nothing ahead.
It has been a very common remark
that these changes have been less
general, less thorough, less radical, in
our Southern states than in other
parts' of our Union, chiefly because
foreign immigration has less affected
them, and industrial changes have
been less rapid in the South. But ,lt
Is questionable whether this Is trne.
The South indeed has yet an old con
servatism that is peculiarly its own;
but It takes the direction of effort to
l;eep the negro in his place, as the
people say, and except In this line it
docs little. In most other directions
Innovation is active In the Southern
as In the Northern and Western States.
But for the negro the changes at the
South would have been more radical
than at the North; for the South,
much more than the North, was af
rected by the Civil War and. sby Its con
sequences. Immigrants from Europe
do not go Into our Southern States,
txcept In small numbers, chiefly be
cause they are unwilling to compete
with negro labor; yet the ferment
among the great body of Southern
whites Is as active as in the North;
there is the same rejection of the
restraints of old authority and custom,
Ihe same movement towards some end
not foreseen, not definable, yet tending
Irresistibly towards some readjust
ment, some new balance, of the forces
of social. Industrial and political life.
Kentucky has always been thought
of as one of the most steady and con
servative of our states. It contains
but a single considerable city. Its
rural population is of pioneer stock,
hut little affected by any new strain
from the North, or from Europe. Of
a population of two and a quarter
millions, less than three hundred
thousand are negroes. But a vast
change has come over the temper
nnd disposition of the people, within
two decades. It seems a change for
the worse, doubtless; yet it may and
probably will In the outcome prove
a change for the better. Old Demo
cratic Kentucky had more stability,
and many think more respectability,
than new Republican Kentucky. But
In no state hs there been more com
plete revolution. It is witnessed in
the controversies of the press over
recent political and other events in
the state. Many of the Democratic
newspapers are fiercely assailing the
Louisville Courier-Journal or its re
fusal to support the Beekham political
programme, and are denouncing that
paper as the cause of the election of
a Republican Governor and Senator in
that state. The language is extremely
bitter, of tan vitriolic; many expres
sions Scarcely quotable. But the
Courier-Journal prints a batch of ex
tracts from papers which assail it, and
which in turn it. calls "a guild of
varmints and reptiles;" and it justifies
its own course by this piece of vigor
ous writing:
Matter of this sort would be lauphable if
it represented only the state of mind of a
rustic havine; as little sense of proportion
as of decency, and none whatever of public
duty; but. when wo consider the general
condition of our educational system 2-".oO0
school trustees, r.ooo of whom can neither
read nor wTlte, and 10.O0O more absolutely
devoid of any idea as to the obligations
and responsibilities of a school trustee
when we consider lawlessness on every
hand unchecked and lawbreakers unwhipped
of justice when we see th politicians of
both parties eajror only in the arts of manip
ulating elections and masses of people car
ried away by a spasm of emotional Insanity
which they mistake for religion, temperance
and morality It gives us pause, because,
obviously. It la the genesis, at .once the
source and resource, of what may be fairly
described as night-riding politics. Shall we
never have In Kentucky an end of nipht
ridlng politics ,and their newspaper or-rans?
Cause and effect may be in some
confusion here; but when such a
newspaper says such things about its
state, one may get some Idea of the
radical nature as well as the extent
of the transformation that is taking
place within it. The same is observ
able in all our states, more or less;
with differences, of course, as their
local concerns differ, or again, as the
conservatism of great cities, where
property and business largely control.
Is a steady restraint, and stronger
than any even among the rural popu
lation of the. country, which, till
within memory still recent, was
deemed the force that -best assured
stability to the country, and was itK
surest reliance against experimental
or dangerous innovation.
A FEW SfOGESTIONf.
It is not probable that the City of
Portland . will undertake a municipal
lighting plant without having first
made the fullest investigation of con
ditions of development, and supply
here, and of results attained else
where. It is a subject upon which mislead
ing is easy. There is an available long
list xu cities and towns where the ex
periment has bffenTnade and failed.
In a few places it appears to have
been successful; but there is a well-
grounded belief that all expenses in
these cases are not charged to lighting
account.
Until calculations are made out by
a competent engineer it is only a guess
how large an amount of moneyWWuld
be required for a city plant at Port
land. But it certainly will be more
than one million dollars, and within
five years would probably be two
millions.
Use of Svaterpower would require
long-distance transmission, necessitat
ing high voltage, and consequently
great danger, loss, and expense of
maintenance. A large number of em
ployes would be required, in an extra
hazardous employment; with conse
quence of many accidents to employes
and to the public. This is a source of
great expense to the Portland General
Electric Company, and would be
vastly more so to the city; for a cor
poration will resist where the city
would be an easy victim. Insurance,
indeed, might be had against acci
dents, but the rate would be very high.
The city would have to enter on its
pay rolls a constantly increasing force
of men, making demands for increas
ing wages to meet the requirements
and dangers of the employment; and
the demands could not be resisted.
Finally, the use of electricity even
yet is in its infancy, and any plant
erected now, no matter how costly
and complete, may have to go to the
scrap heap within a year or two
owing to new discoveries and improve
ments. For example, a large part of
the electric energy used in lighting is
dissipated In heat, and many able men
are pushing experiments and Jests in
hope of working out the problem of
utilizing all the power for light alone.
This solution found, all existing elec
trical plants would be out of date.
Certainly these considerations do
not make out a case against the pro
posal to set up a municipal lighting
plant at Portland. The suggestions
are merely admonitory. After all, the
question is an economic one. Would
the city be likely to lose or to save
money? That is the question for
study; and here are a few hints
upon it.
THE NEW MESSAGE.
When this session of Congress
opened there was a great deal of pre
diction that no laws would be passed.
The leaders were so fearful of doing
something unpopular that they de
cided to do nothing at all. At any
rate, people who were supposed to
know all about it asserted that this
was their state of mind. If it was
they are quite likely to experience
a change. The President's latest
message presents them with a beauti
ful array of tasks, and, if they know
when they are well off, they will take
hold of the work and finish it up be
fore they adjourn. The country is
in no mood to forgive that utter
neglect of duty which is so attractive
to the politicians because it enables
them to shirk responsibility." ;,
Mr. Roosevelt reiterates his former
recommendations upon child labor,
employers' liability and injunctions. In
this field of humanitarian legislation
our Republic is many years behind the
rest of the world. The opposition to
a child labor law for the District qf
Columbia and an employers' liability
act for the whole country is so mean
and narrowly selfish that one can
hardly understand its Influence in
Congress. The enactment of both
these measures will distinctly
strengthen the Republican party with
the intelligent voters. If a few of the
baser sort are alienated it will not
matter much.
These subjects tfle President does
not stop to discuss, but he has a good
deal to say about the Sherman anti
trust law and his remarks are Inter
esting. . He thinks this act was very
unwisely drawn in the first instance
and that it sadly needs amendment,
sc. as to permif combinations of labor
ers and especially farmers. He would
also permit such combinations among
corporations and employers as are
beneficial rather than harmful. Con
gress ought to make those changes
without persistent urging by the
President, and very likely it will do
so. The idea of submitting proposed
combinations to the Bureau of Cor
porations to be passed upon is a good
one, if the Bureau can- be kept under
honest management. One involuntarily
recalls the history of the Government
Land Office, however, and accepts the
proposal with misgivings. It is just
as well not to devise new opportuni
ties for corruption unless they are in
dispensable. It is encouraging to observe that
Sir. Roosevelt thinks the time has
come at last for getting ready to re
vise the tariff. His plan is to appoint
a committee of Congress to gathtjr
the facts. Then perhaps some action
can be taken next Starch. This is not
the ideal plan, but it is incomparably
better than leaving the rates to be
fixed by the trusts, as Congress did
when the last two tariff . bills were
passed.
Among enlightened people there is
no difference of opinion about the de
sirability of the waterways commis
sion which he recommends, nor will
any good citizen blame the President
if he vetoes all the waterpower grabs
now before Congress, as he threatens.
Why should the Republic give away
its waterpowers when there are plenty
of men ready to pay for them?
OPEW THE GATEWAY.
In closing the Portland gateway
and thus diverting to Puget Sound
ports a large volume of passenger
traffic now coming West over the
transcontinental lines, Mr. Hill will
hardly Increase his popularity in this
city or the surrounding territory. The
order prohibiting the routing of pas
sengers by way of Portland "tcept
under a joint rate agreement was, of
course. Issued by the Interstate Com
merce Commission because the hard
and fast rules under which that body
operates, left no leeway for the use
of common sense or exercise of judg
ment In enforcing the' order. But
there is nothing In the rules govern
ing the workings of the Commission,
that prohibits Mr. "Hill from continu
ing the agreement under which his
road and the Harrlman lines have
been working for so many years.
Having this power to work harmoni
ously with the Harriman lines, his
refusal" to do so naturally places the
blame for the present discrimination
against Portland at the door of the
Northern Pacific magnate.
The Harriman lines and the com
mercial organizations all over the
State of Oregon, have spent large
sums of money in promotion work in
the eistern part of the United States,
and it is through these expenditures
that a large tide of travel has been
turned in this direction. Under con
ditions existing- prior to the closing
of the Portland gateway, most of this
travel, even when destined for Puget
Sound ports, would have first taken
advantage of the opportunity and
spent a few days in Oregon. To take
this route since the cancellation of the
old agreement, would entail an ex
pense entirely disproportionate to the
low rate under which the colonists
and tourists are coming across the
fontinent, and as a result, the tide of
travel is turned away from this por
tion of the Northwest.
The incident serves to illustrate the
indifference of all railroads to the
rights of the public. Mr. Hill, tiring
of fighting Mr. Harriman's water-level
grade down the Columbia with a line
over lofty mountains and around ex
pensive curves, builds down the north
bank of the Columbia. Mr. Harriman
retaliates ' by beginning work on an
extension to Puget Sound, and by
placing all possible obstacles in the
way of Mr. Hill's entering Portland.
THE PASSING OF THE STATES.
The position which the Supreme
Court of the United States has taken
in the Minnesota case virtually extin
guishes the power of the states to
regulate railroad rates. Such rates
can always be 'brought into the Fed
eral Courts and condemned on the
ground that they are confiscatory; or
they can be set aside as interference
with interstate commerce. One
method seems to work as well as the
other and the upshot of the process
wKl be the end of state regulation.
This increase of the Federal Judicial
power at the expense of the states is
directly contrary to what , Hamilton
predicted. His opinion was that if
power was usurped by either, the
Federal Courts would be the weaker
party and the sufferers.
Writing in the Federalist, he said
it was unlikely that the Federal
Courts would ever try to usurp- state
powers, because it " would be both
troublesome and nugatory. "It will
always be easier," he added, "for that
state government to encroach upon
the National authorities than for the
National Government to encroach
upon the state authorities." Arguing
the same question in another of his
famous Federalist letters he remarks
that it will always be easy for the
states to resist Federal encroachments,
since their means "are powerful and
at hand." These means, he thought,
were "the disquiet of the people,
hostile Governors and legislative de
vices." How much these amount to
we have seen clearly enough in the
Minnesota and North Carolina cases.
Popular disquiet the court disposes
of as '.'mob clamor;" hostile. Governors
may be derided or Ignored; while
"legislative devices'- need only a
stroke of the pen to sweep them
away.
Hamilton thought that the judiciary
was "beyond comparison the weakest
of the three departments" of the Gov
ernment. "From its natural feeble
ness," he urged, "it is In continual
danger of being ovirpowered, awed
or Influenced by the co-ordinate
branches." while again he says that
the Supreme Court can "never attack
with success either Congress or the
President." How much this great
statesman was mistaken in these opin
ions the whole course of our history
shows. The Judiciary not only ab
sorbs the power of the other depart
ments continually but it seems in a
fair way to subjugate both of them.
Between our stronger Presidents and
the Supreme Court there has always
been more or less friction with no
permanent advantage on the side of
the Executive. Jefferson, Jackson and
Lincoln all found the Judiciary
troublesome and did not hesitate to
criticise it. Lincoln saw the danger
from its usurpation clearly enough
and spoke his mind plainly, though
without bitterness. Jefferson was not
so charitable. Writing to Spencer
Roane in 1821 he said, "The great
object of my fear is the Federal
Judiciary:" and he was afraid of it
because "it is gaining ground, step by
stepr and holding what it gains." In
a letter to William Johnson he says
again. "There is no danger I appre
hend so much as the consolidation of
our Government by the Noiseless and
therefore unalarm'.ng instrumentality
of the Supreme Court;" and in a letter
to W. C. Jarvis he remarks that "It
Is a very dangepous doctrine to con
sider the Judges as the arbiters of all
constitutional questions. - It is one
which would place us under the
despotism of an oligarchy."
Still this doctrine is now universally
accepted, and the consequences which
Jefferson predicted seem to be flow
ing from it. It is well established that
the entire machinery of a state gov
ernment may be paralyzed by a Fed
eral Court order on the pretext that it
is acting unconstitutionally. Precisely
the same reasoning which applies to
"the statewill apply to the Nation. The
simple truth is that our theory of a
government with three co-ordinate
departments is unworkable. One of
the three is sure to overtop the others.
In European constitutional countries
this one is the legislative, which' rep
resents the people. In ours it is the
court, which represents the hair-splitting
lawyers. It seems almost safe to
predict that the Nation will not
tolerate the supremacy of the Ju
diclary indefinitely, and that the ques
tion of its powers will ultimately be
come a great political Issue.
The production-of paper from wood
pulp has grown to enormous proporr
tions, threatening in some places the
supply of -wood suitable for this pur
pose. It is interesting to learn from
an authority no less reliable than
John Burroughs that the hornet fur
nished the'basic Idea of this, indus
try. Whlttier sang in his poem' ''The
Barefoot Boy"
Of the architectural plans
Of gray hornet artlsanau
And Dr. Hiram H. Hill, of Augusta,
Me., who first undertook and perfect
ed the process of making paper from
wood pulp, gives due credit to these
artisans for originating the idea of
converting wood, first into pulp and
then into paper. And it may be add
ed, though the idea has been elabo
rated until great forests have been re
quired to feed and develop it, the sim
ple Ingenuity of the hornet, as dis
played in producing the material for
and carrying out his "architectural
plans," has not been surpassed by the
Ingenuity of man.
The St. Louis Times prints an in
terview with Dwight L.-Elmendorf, a
lecturer,, who has just returned from
Panama, where he was very much
Impressed with the usefulness of the
canteen, which well-meaning but mis
informed persons succeeded in abol
ishing from the Army. By depriving
the soldiers of the canteen, the tem
perance workers have driven .them tcr
places where they poison their systems
with vile whisk', cheap beer and other
deadly concoctions which would never
be permitted in a reservation can
teen. Sooner or later common sense
will win out in this campaign, and
the canteen will be restored, with the
result that Army life will be more
attractive and less harmful for the
enlisted men.
The serious aspect of the Minnesota
rate decision is relieved by what Judge
Peckham may have meant for a bit
of humor. The penalties of thfe law,
he said, were so severe that the rail
road could never hire anybody to
break it; hence, it never could- be
tested in court and was therefore un
constitutional. And while he was say
ing this the Company stood before
him actually testing the law which he
said could never be tested. Perhaps
the humor of the situation did not
break in upon the Judge's mighty re
flections, but it was there, all the
same.
Jt is hardly conceivable that
Orchard should desire commutation
of his sentence to imprisonment for
life. For it would be for life, in his
case, beyond question. His accom
plices, who were really the principals,
never can be punished; and to the
public it is of little .concern whether
Orchard shall die on the gallows now,
or die years hence, in the penitentiary.
He makes no request for commutation
of the sentence; which seems to be
the only- thing to his credit in all his
life.
If a state shall presume to fix
rates on railroads that lie wholly
within its own borders, its legislation
will now be worthless, since the stock
holders, if citizens of other states,
may appeal to the Courts of the
United States against reductions and
regulations under state authority.
The joint sovereignty of the country
is in the hands of the railroads and of
the Supreme Court. Is there anything
left for the people to say on any sub
ject? The Kaiser may forget but he does
not forgive. Last Fall he knew of no
reason why Dr. D. J. Hill would not
be persona grata at his court. Now
he- remembers that Dr. Hill did or did
not do something to his Brother
Henry years ago and the new Ambas
sador is rejected with princely dis
dain. Are these imperial tantrums as
silly as they look or do they conceal
some occult glimmer of common
sense?
Is all legislation as to railroad rates
and penalties now to be relegated to
Judges of the Courts of the United
States? Are the states to have
nothing to say further on the subject?
And if Congress shall legislate as to
interstate rates and penalties will the
Supreme Court upset all that too?
Perhaps this discussion has not ended.
Perhaps it has only begun.
It is a safe guess that Governor
Chamberlain will not let any of the
other Senatorial candidates surpass
him in commendation of the Republi
can President. He is looking for Re
publicans who commend the policies
of a Democratic Governor.
Watterson says his assailants in
Kentucky "are not thoroughly lewd,
or base, as one might think them.
They only lack the sense of moral and
intellectual accountability." This is
generous. '
Coos County Republicans, not wish
ing a Democrat to represent Oregon
in the United States Senate, have
kicked a hole in Statement No. 1.
Iowa is for Taft, leaving Leslie Shaw
the only living candidate for the Pres
idency without any votes or the pros
pect of any.
This fs a good week to register; also
tr. visit stores that sell garden seeds
and primitive agricultural imple
ments. It might help some if all Portland
were to ask "Jim" Hill to open the
gate.
"ACTIOJf IS ELOftl'ENCE."
"And the Eyes of the Multitude More
Learned Thaa -Their Ears," Shak. 1
President . Woodrow Wilson, of
Princeton University, has a depressing
opinion of American oratory, and the
frank statement which he has made of
it is" calculated to cause keen sorrow
to some of our most esteemed pub
licists and statesmen who have been
happy In the conviction that an enrap
tured country hung upon their words
as the words of perfect oratory.
Mr. Wilson admits that some of them
are good "talkers." He says: "If one
or two of them should happen to have
an idea they would become irresistU
ble." Help! Assistance for William
Jennings Bryan! An ambulance for
Bourke Cockran! Surgical aid for
Champ Clark and Jeff Davis! A whole
Fire Department for James Hamilton
Lewis! -
That was a cruel blow. The thing
that hurts is the insinuation that they
could acquire an idea only by accident.
"If they should happen." Mr. Wilson
plainly means to say that if "one or
two of them" rushing in one direction
by the merest chance should collide
with an Idea rushing in the 'other and
should retain sufficient mental control
after the impact to recognize the idea
as such, to appreciate its worth and to
capture it, "they would become irre
sistible." Evidently Mr. Wllexra does not be
lieve that by any chance our orators
could overtake an idea. Apparently he
does not think that they and the ideas
are going in the same direction. There
must be much .injustice in this. The
scholastic viewpoint is a detached one.
Frequently it has the advantage and
the disadvantage of being In the world
but not of it. -
Jn the first place, it would occur to
th'e worldly mind to inquire what ora
tory has to do with ideas anyway. What
has an appeal to the emotions to do
with the intellect? An audience of
Intellectual giants would'Vit unmoved
by the purest oratory, but they might
shed tears of delight over the reading
of a statistical table. Oratory is the
application of a full, powerful, melodi
ous voice to a series of easily apprecia
te platitudes with the accompaniment
of graceful calisthenics. It wis Edward
Everett who moved the Gettysburg au-'
dience and. not -Abraham Lincoln. Lin
coln's speech never will be forgotten.
Everett's has ben long forgotten. Ev
erett had that one audience in bis grip
at the time. Lincoln has had a whole
country in his grip ever since.
If It be laid down as a rule that our
oratory must deal with ideas, then the
only salvation of our public men is
collaboration. Let them go at their
task as comic opera writers go at their
"words by James Hamilton Lewis,
ideas by Roger C. Sullivan, voiced by
William Jennings Bryan."
That surely would produce some
thing. VERY SOUND ADVICE
On Initiative aad Referendum, From
the Master of the State Grange.
Eugene Register.
In a published interview in The
Oregonian, A. T. Buxton, master of
the State Grange, offers some sound
and sensible suggestions on remedying-
the prevalent abuses of the ini
tiative and referendum. His plan is
to Initiate no measure that has not
first been tried out in the Legisla
ture. He points out the abuse of circu
lating petitions by which some men
make a living but know nothing of
the virtue of the measures for which
they solicit signatures. His idea is to
abolish the fee of so much per name so
ma! -measures that are really meri
torious and of vital Importance to the
state will have better standing before
the public and will be backed up by
responsible parties.
Mr. Buxton reiterates the same warn
ing sounded by the Register some time
ago, namely, that the uses to which the
initiative and referendum is being put
by certain classes of the people are
bound to bring the law into such gen
eral disrepute that there will come up
a demand like a tidal wave from all
over the state asking for its uncondi
tional repeal. If that is ever done it
will be goodbye for this reformatory
measure. The law should not be abol
ished, but it should be made sane,
sound and sensible, or it will be cast
Into the dungeon along with other
overworked reforms that have been
killed by their fool friends.
HOPES DEAL' WILL GO THROUGH
Says Pron-oarH South Portland Packing
Plant Means Full Dinner-Pall.
PORTLAND, March . (To the Edi
tor.) In -last Tuesday's Oregonian 1
notice a communication from W. L.
Maher, a resident of South Portland for
20 years, in. which he makes objection
against the City Council granting Messrs.
Schwartzschild & Sulzberger a franchise
to maintain and operate a packing-plant
and slaughter-house in South Portland,
and giving as his reasons that the beauti
ful Willamette River would become a
dumping ground for refuse from said
plant.
Parties owning and operating such a
plant would not allow anything like this
to exist, not saying anything about the
wage earner, who is waiting so anxiously
for this industry to come among us.
. Now, as to the great herds of cattle
that will be driven along the highway, at
all times of the day, etc. It is not the
custom to drive great herds of cattle
through the streets of cities, in daytime;
neither is such a thing practiced any
where. Cattle, hogs, etc, are driven to
the plants after night or are sent by
railroad.
Let us get together and get in "the
game." and not let this business oppor
tunity get away from us, which .means
so much to the laboring class and the
full "dinner pail."
J. B. MATTHEWS.
Hood River Issue a Challenge.
HOOD RIVER, Or., March 24. (To the
Editor.) At the last Tegular meeting- of
Pine Grove Grange, No. 356, we, as its
committee, were instructed to tender the
full use of our large and commodious hall
to any public speaker who desires to de
fend or oppose Statement Xo. 1. We
have ' the finest hall in the Valley, well
lighted with electric lights, and guaran
tee a packed house on either side of this
queistion. We prefer to have a Joint dis
cussion, and if this is not satisfactory,
we will separate nights.
If any of our public speakers, office
seekers or their representatives who are
sincere advocates of either side of this
question, desire to avail themselves of
this opportunity, and will write us, we
will be pleased to arrange satisfactory
dates. j
A. I. MASON,
J. H. MOHR,
Committee.
DRASTIC SALOON RESOLUTIONS
Aberdeen Council Wants All Screens
and Curtains Removed.
ABERDEEN, Wash., Marcri S. Spe
cial. ) Drastic resolutions were adopt
ed tonight by the Council with regard
to the saloons. They provide that all
screens and curtains must be kept up.
so as to give police officers' a full view
of the interior of places where liquor
is sold. Women are prohibited from
frequenting saloons and conviction of
Sunday law violations is to be followed
by revocation of license and the re
fusal, to permit any portion of the un
earned license money to be returned.
The 1 o'clock closing ordinance sub
mitted by Mayor France was killed.'
"OI.D ORCHARD APPLE TREES.
Favors Cattlas Back to Stamp and
Then Top-Graft Ina.
EUGENE. Or.. March So. (To the Edi
tor.) Being- a native of Western Oregon
and a fruit raiser of 40 yeans of Oregon
experience, I have made a careful study
of the old orchard problem.
In the treatment of an old orchard the
expense for labor is a large item. Ex
perienced pruners command high wages.
J3 to 4 per day. Inexperienced men will
do more harm than good. Four to six
trees per day is all that can be handled
properly. After the pruning is all care
fully done, effectual spraying Is impos
sible on account of the great elevation
from the ground. - Old orchards were all
trained too high. Modern conditions and
memoas aemana a tree mat is neaaea
low so that diseases may be more easily
combatted and the fruit more readily
gathered.
The M. O. Lownsdale method of cutting
back the old trunk to within 18 inches or
two feet of ,the ground' accomplishes sev
eral Important results, towlt: It saves
a vast amount of expensive labor, since
little or no training is required for this
work and one man worth T2 per day and
armed with a saw .can easily dispose of
W0 or more trees in a single day. The
tops or trimmings can be more quickly
disposed of by drawing away with team.
A low head is thus secured, so that dis
eases of" both the tree and fruit are more
accessible. Experience proves that it
is cheaper to grow new limbs than to
treat and cure old ones, hence a large
item of expense is saved in chemicals for
sprays and labor.
For changing the varieties of the fruit
the M O. Lownsdato method of cutting
back to a stump and top grafting seAns
to need no argument to support it, since
it affords the only solution except to dig
up the tree bodily and plant a new one.
I paid five cents each for apples in
Eugene today at the rate of J5 per box.
Trees at 8 years old will bear five boxes
each, worth $35. and 50 trees to the acre
means J1230. Cut this in two for whole
sale prices and the grower will get J625
per acre.
Old trees reconstructed by the Lowns
dale method will come into heavy bear
ing in five years, and the first full crop
will be worth ten times as much as the
old tree would liave produced during the
five years of waiting.
If Mr. Lownsdale is a crank he is the
most useful one that has been engaged
in Willamette Valley fruit raising during
the past 30 years. His advice, if fol
lowed. Is worth millions of dollars to the
orchard owners of the Willamette Valley.
GEO. MELVIN MILLER.
HOVET GOES TO THE PRODUCER.
Ararues That SInicle Tax Will Make
Land Speculator n Worker.
FIRLAND, Or.. March 25. (To the
Editor.) J. B. Ziegler takes issue with
one of my statements in a former com
munication printed in The Oregonian,
to the effect that the land speculator
would make up the deficit caused by the
proposed exemption law. ... Allow un
used lands to be used; pass a law en
couraging production by exempting the
act from a fine, and. remove the incen
tive for speculation. The single tax
would be such a law. Thf producer's
burden is twofold one part goes to sup
port tho government, and one part goes
to support the non-producer. Single tax
wipes out the land speculator. One bur
den is entirely removed; The speculator
either becomes a worker or is replaced
by a worker. "Many hands make light
work." Many producers make light taxes.
Under the single tax regime, no one
would hold land, whether it be a ranch
or a lot in the heart of the city worth
many farms unless he used it. There
fore the speculators could sell to no one
but a producer.
Since Mr. Ziegler and I both' agree
that the land speculator is a burden;
that the producer supports not only the
government, but the speculator besides;
that the single tax will eliminate the
land speculator; and since I believe that
under single tax the speculator will
either become, a producer or be replaced
by a producer let us join hands and use
the single tax as the "busy bee" does his
sting when Winter sets in and the
"drones" are too numerous. The natural
law is that the honey belongs to the
producer-bee.
If all become producers in the broad
sense of the word, all will have a right
to the "honey" in exact proportion to the
amount of each individual production.
P. S. GUILFORD.
HIS DAILY WHITE HOUSE VISITS.
Senator Bourne Xot Persona ?ion Grata
- At the Manalon.
Washington Letter to the Columbus (O.)
Press-Post.
Another curious fact much commented
upon here is .the devotion of Senator
Jonathan Bourne, of Oregon, the inven
tor and proponent of the "second elec
tive term" to the President, and Mr.
Roosevelt's apparent affection for him.
When Senator Bourne is in Washington,
and he is quite regular in his attendance
here, he never fails to visit the White
House daily. This sounds like an ex
aggeration, but it is not. Every Teporter
or correspondent assigned to White
'House work knows it to be a. fact, and
the attendants and secretaries In tile
executive offices there Joke about It con
tinually. Now, Mr. Roosevelt insists that he will
not be again a candidate, but no man
gets so quickly into the imperial presence
as does Bourne. The mere fact that the
Senator is starting headquarters for the
purpose of pressing the Presidential re
nomination does not seem to affect Mr.
Roosevelt's friendship for him. f course.
If the Bourne activities were offensive
to the President, a mere word to the
doorkeepers at the White House would
serve to discourage tliese dally calls.
But the word has not been spoken, and
the daily calls continue. It is little inci
dents of this sort that make Washington
skeptical concerning Mr. Roosevelt's put
ting aside for a third time the Presi
dential crown, which he has made as
kingly as the one which Caesar accepted
at the third proffer.
Ore-sou and California Colleges.
PORTLAND. March 25. (To the Edi
itor.) Noticing in The Oregonian's edi
torials relating to the Stanford Univer
sity affair and also references to the
University of Oregon,- I should like to
know approximately the relative cost of
maintaining students at the California
and Oregon colleges, also as to the rating
of graduates from either state. We will
soon be forced to decide tltfs matter In
our own family. We know of many Port
land parents giving preference to the col
leges of California. They say the cost is
about equal, but the Oregon colleges have
no .reputation and that their graduates
are not in favor or rated as highly as
those of California. I should be delighted
to find this hearsay to be without any
basis. One naturally prefers his own
state other things being equal.
A SUBSCRIBER.
While at present the California colleges
probably stand higher than those of Ore
gon, yet there is hope that In the near
future our local colleges will have im
proved so much that Oregon students
need not go to other states to obtain a
first-class education.
Tit for Tat.
Louisville Courier Journal.
"We thank God we are not as law
less, as Kentucky," says the Arkansas
Gazette. Congratulations, ole hoss,
but may we take consolation in the
fact that our barbarians haven't yet
extended their activities mo far as the
United States Senate.
WATER
RIGHTS
Christian Co-operative Federation
Plans 75,000-Acre System.
VALE, Or.. March 25. (Special.)
Rev. H. S. Wallace, president of the
Christian Co-operative Federation, left
Vale today, after a stay of nearly three
weeks in the vicinity. The net results
of his negotiations while here are the
filing of deeds to two valuable reservoir
sites on Upper "Willow Creek (Beer s
and McPherson's), and the arrange
ment of a contract with the Water
Users' Association of Wttlow Creek to
take over the control of the Impound
ing of water for the whole of Upper
Willow Creek. The printing and pre
paring of the individual contracts is
now being done, and they will be
signed when ready.
Contracts to cover 25,000 acres are
to be signed, 10,000 acres to be effective
this year. The entire system as now
planned will cover 75.000 acres, and' is
to be complete in five years. Several
meetings of the water-users have been
held and a committee was appointed to
represent the dry-land farmers, con
sisting of Frank S. Vaughan, Kev. H. C.
Cleveland and Mr. Lynd. By common
consent. W. J. Scott represented the
vested interests of the present water
users. WORKS GRAFT OX ITALIANS
Smooth Man in Taconia Starts Club.
Then Takes Cash and Goes.
TACOMA. Wash.. March 25. (Spe
cial.) Antonio Caputl. alias Tony
Puro, an Italian who recently come to
Tacoma and organized an Italian Club
and mingled In politics, has left the
city. Caput! came to Tacoma about
March 1, introduced himself to the
Italians Rnd said he wanti'd to organize
a club. To promote the Huh.' he railed
upon the ignorant class of Italians to
contribute J10 towards fitting tip a
clubhouse.
Many of the Italians put up the
money, but when Caput! struck some
of the better Italians he was asked to
leave town and allow the Taroma
Italians to mannge their own affairs.
Caput! had other Ideas and went alidad
with his clubhouse. A week ago he
sold the furniture and took train for
Seattle. Caputi represented himself to
be an Italian ex-Consul from Buffalo.
N. Y.. and also said he had un interest
in -a bank at Auburn, N. Y.
RETURNS WITH HIS PBISOXER
Lane Sheriff Brings Salct-maE
Who Must Face Serious Charge.
EUGENE, Or.. March 25. (Special.)
Sheriff Flsk returned from Walla Walla
today with G. M. Whltson. charged
by the Hotel Smcede and the Chambers
Hardware Company wltli passing
worthless checks. Whltson was a well
known salesman for a big steel concern
and his indictment came as a surprise
to those who knew him.""He will re
main in the County Jail here while
awaiting his trial, which will come In
April.
Make Eugene Buildin-rs Safe.
EUGENE, Or., March 25. (Special.)
"She City Council, the Eugene Fire De
partment and the Merchants' Protective
Association are working together towaatf
making every building in which public
meetings are held in Eugene absolutely
safe in case of a fire. Every school build
ing, church, theater and meeting hall Is
being carefully examined and such recom
mendations as are made are being carried
out without objection by the owners.
New ordinances will be framed regu
lating crowds which gather inside ol
buildings and penalties fixed for failure
to comply with the laws.
Woodbnrn Nominates Ticket
WOODBURN, Or.. March 25. (Spe
cial.) At a good government conven
tion in this city tonight, the following
ticket was nominated for the city elec
tion, April 6: B. T. Randall, Major:
J. Af. Poorman and W. A. Roberts,
Councilmen; J. J. Hall, Recorder: F. M.
Hardcastie, Treasurer; Z. J.- Riddle,
Marshall
IN THE
MAGAZINE
SECTION
DF THE
SUNDAY
OREGONIAN
POKING ROOSEVELT
AND TAFT IN THE RIBS
As a text for All fool's Day
Irving S. Cobb (the Hotel Clerk)
uses the administration and the
big Secretary of War. He takes
liberties with these distinguished
personages; also with others.
Mr. Cobb is easily at the head
of American satirists; no writer
now before the public employs
humor with equal skill and so de
liciously. If you want a dozen good laughs
next- Sunday, read the hotel clerk.
ON THE ROAD, WITH RAJAH
Second adventure-of Professor
Shorty McCabe, physical eulturist,
by Sewell Ford.
WILLIAM H. TAFT,
THE HARD WORKER
Character sketch of the tnau who
finds time to do his fullest duty
and then, has ample leisure for
play, by Robert Lee Dunn.
UNCLE JOHN ON SHIPBOARD
Remember Anne Warner? The
clever woman who wrote "The
Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary.''
Then you'll certainly want to' read
this sketch of a man who had a
friend in charge on a steamer who
added unexpected variety to a
voyage across the Atlantic.
BEFORE THE ROD WAS
ABOLISHED IN SCHOOLS
' The United States Bureau of
Education has- collected a series
of pictures illustrating how chil
dren in ancient and modern times
were subjected to exquisite tor
ture. For middle-aged folk, some
unpleasant memories will be
awakened by reading John Elfreth
Watkins' recital of torture.
- Order early from your news
dealer. . ,
MALHEUR