Morning Oregonian., December 30, 1908, Page 8, Image 8

THE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, DECE3IBER 30, 1903.
8
PORTLAND. OHWWN.
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HHTIAM. WKDNBKD.4T. DEC. SO. 190a.
THE rPE OF TKE BRAKE.
,. ..ii fnrrapen that the enor
mou- increase In the valuations of
property y the Assessor of Mult-
nomah County wuul" " , "
Jn extravagance and profllgao. in all
of the public service.
Taxes, therefore, have become most
oppressive, and the con""""
certain to be felt upon building and
business. All officials are clamoring
for more money and for increase of
number of places though a large
hold sinecures and
proportion now
e little service. The omce wc
..i ittomev alone demands In
crease that will more than ubleJ
.vnendlture. The health office and
.v.- .tf office and the City Kngl
peer's office every department in
...niints UD to flights or proui
Kallty. Demands for a costly new
courthouse, more bridges, garbage
crematories anl parks and boulevards
call for bonds in prodigious sums;
and the burdens upon property for
street Improvements In many cases
are practically confiscatory. In the
same increasing propomu.w. w.0
is demanding more money for Its
operations. Owners of real estate and
ji in ni estate are perhaps in
the best position to see the effect of
all these things. And there Is no end
to the demand for more official places
and more bonds.
The paving companies have the
oronertv of the city at tneir menj
They are uncontrolled by the Com
mon Council; their prices are extor
tionate; they put down pavements
wherever thev think the property can
be made to pay their charges and
.1 kneo. what thev will. The
ffii-o f Citv Engineer Is in a miser
able rut. the same as every other de
partment. The chief part of the
energy of all of them is exerted In
getting more money out of the property-owner
and taxpayer and devis
ing' means for its distribution. The
Mavor is crazy on his project of caus
ing the city to undertake the lighting
business, which would speeuny uu
two to four millions more to the debt,
ulth nnvment of perpetual interest.
Tho la toot hatch of water bonds
(three millions) Is to be a direct
charge upon the property of tax-
pavers, instead of on the consumers
of water, as it should be. The pres
ent Courthouse Is well enough, for
tears to come, and there Is no need
of building a new and great one for
luxurious residence of an increasing
armv of slnecurtets. It Is seldom that
-any official business is expeaueu u
It should be. for the number of those
in public employments who actually
work is exceedingly small. The mu
nicipal government calls for J 1.500.
000 for the ensuing year; the public
schools for Jl.500.000: the state for
$500,000 from Multnomah County,
and the county itself for above
$500,000 more. Here Is a total sum
to be raised by direct taxation of
$4,000,000; and the taxation of owners
of real estate for improvements and
Including the operations of the
Warren and Barbur paving concerns
runs to an indescribable sum. But
even all this does not suffice; for
additional millions of bonds must be
sold and the money expended, en
tailing heavy and everlasting pay
ment of Interest. Rents are too low
to Justify and support these tremen
dous drains; and although rents are
declared by many to be too high al
ready, they surely must be advanced,
to meet these ever-increasing de
mands on real estate. Tluy who are
calling for sale of vast sums of bonds,
and for "improvements that posterity
should pay for." ought to know that
they cannot now escape their own
large distributive share of these
charges of all kinds, that will surely
come through increase of rents,
higher charges upon business and
growing prices for all the necessaries
of life. Herein lies a main reason
why the grower of food products on
the one hand gets low prices, while
the city consumer, on the other, pays
enormously high prices; and the more
that property and business in the clty
are burdened the more striking these
differences will be.
The orchardist can get but one dol
lar for his box of apples, but the
dealer in the city must charge the
consumer three.
Yet it is useless, no doubt, to enter
any protest; useless to utter words of
caution against too great haste to do
everything and to get everything at
once. We are going after "the ex
perience." and doubtless we shall get
it. A small city, in its growing stage,
should not expect to have at once the
multitude of things that contribute to
the grandeur of a mighty metropolis.
Prudence In the management of the
estate of a municipality Is as neces
sary as In the management of a pri
vate estate or business; nor is It at
all to the point to cite the Instance of
some other city, tremendously over
loaded with debt and taxes, yet tak
ing on more, as an example for our
own Imitation. That one city is a
victim of official extravagance. Is
piling up a mountain of debt and
struggling under a load of constantly
Increasing taxation, seems no good
reason why another city should be
ambitious to pursue the same course.
It Is the true policy of Portland to
follow the principles of prudence and
moderation, to maintain the condi
tions of steady growth and rational
progress, and not be carried away by
feverish attempts to do everything at
once, or to do too much at once. We
are likely to see soon some conse
quence of haste and excess in disap
pointment with new offers on the
bond market. No sentiment what
ever is there; no enthusiasm about
boom values: nothing but cold calcu
lation. You can't boom the bond
market by talking extravagantly
about the vast riches of a city that
Is profligate In Its expenditures and
running excessively into debt. The
main, projects for Improvement of J
the city must be accomplished In
time, but should be spread over a
term of years,' and the clamors of
officials for more places and larger
salaries can pass unheeded for a
further time without injury to the
city or county. It is noticeable con
tinually how extremely eager people
are to get official positions, yet how
immediately they discover that the
pay isn't large enough, that the duties
are onerous and that deputies and
clerks are needed. But it Is not
ravishing music to the ears of the
property-owner, taxpayer, merchant,
manufacturer and laborer.
A RICH GRAB.
The whole country Is interested In
the Hetchy-Hetchy Valley. It is an
important part of the most valuable
territory belonging to the American
people. It lies In the Yosemite Na
tional Park and next to the Yosemite
Valley the Hetchy-Hetchy Valley Is
the most beautiful tract In that won
derful region. It belongs to the peo
ple and It should forever be preserved
to the people as a source of health
and pleasure. It seems pretty clear,
therefore, that Mr. Garfield has made
a mistake in granting any rights
whatever to the City of San Francisco
in this valley which will interfere with
the rights of the public, no matter
what cause there was for making the
grant. But if It has been made with
out even the appearance of a good
reason, he has made a doubly regret
table mistake. On the face of it the
Hetchy-Hetchy Valley has been alien
ated from the public and turned over
to San Francisco as a reservoir for
city water.
Even if San Francisco could not get
water elsewhere, she ought not to
have obtained the Hetchy-Hetchy Val
ley. The rights of the American peo
ple In this enormously valuable prop
erty are superior to hers. In fact she
has no right at all to it. But San
Francisco can get plenty of water
elsewhere. Her present supply prop
erly developed would furnish her 100.
000,000 gallons daily, .whereas she
uses but 35,000,000 gallons. More'
over, there are other sources avail
able without trenching on the Na
tional domain, which would supply all
she needed forever. There are few
cities In the world so well able to get
abundance of good water as San
Francisco. Why, then, this eagerness
to grab the Hetchy-Hetchy Valley
and rob the Nation of its property?
That It Is robbery there is no doubt.
Mr. Garfield, with the strangest prod
igality, has exacted no compensation
from the city. He has given away
the great water powers of the valley
with the water. He has made no re
qulrement concerning road construc
tion and he has made it possible to
exclude the public forever from a full
half of the Yosemite National Park
It all seems very mysterious.
But the mystery lightens a little
when we turn attention to the water
power which goes with the grant.
This Is worth millions of dollars.
Properly improved. It would pay for
the maintenance of the park in per
petuity, build all needed roads, erect
all structures required for use and
beauty. Mr Garfield has given it
away. Surely It Is a magnificent pres
ent to somebody. H ho gets it? Os
tensibly the City of San Francisco gets
it. In all likelihood some corpora
tion hiding back of the city lies in
wait to grab it. No man ought to
have authority to squander public
property In this way; or If he must
have the power he should be held re
sponsible for the abuse of It. Power
without corresponding responsibility
is almost Invariably mischievous. If
Mr. Garfield had to make good the
property which he so lightly throws
away, he would not throw it away so
lightly. The Hetchy-Hetchy Valley
belongs to the people and they ought
to be able to keep It.
WHOLLY UNFIT TO TEACH.
The Washington State Board of
Public Instruction will be called upon
in the near future to deal with a
teacher whose record Is that of a.
wlfebeater, a child persecutor and a
man of profane and vulgar speech and
violent temper. It Is much easier to
get such a man on the teachers' force
than It is to dislodge him. Profi
ciency In mathematics or In any other
special subject taught in the high
schools is not a valid reason for em
ploying a man of intemperate habits,
low associations and disgraceful do
mestic history to present it. The In
fluence which a teacher exerts over
the plastic minds of his pupils is great
and far-reaching; his moral status in
the community should be above re
proach. It is the purpose of all boards of
education, state and district, as it Is
clearly their duty under the law, to
employ as teachers only men and
women of good moral character.
This purpose should be pursued scru
pulously, regardless of personal pref
erence for an applicant or of his ex
ceptional ability to present a difficult
subject to a class. It is indeed sur
prising that any man whose name ap
pears now and then In the newspapers
in connection with disgraceful
drunken brawls over cards, or as a
domestic tyrant, should succeed In
procuring a certificate to teach, one
of the provisions of which Is that the
holder must be of good moral char
acter.
IN DARKEST AMERICA.
News dispatches and the tone of
Southern newspaper comment tends to
the opinion that the cowardly mur
derers of Captain Ranken may go un
punished. Not because there Is any
doubt existing as to their guilt, but
on account of the methodical reign of
terror which their allies have estab
lished In that part of "darkest Amer
ica," A Union City dispatch in yes
terday's Oregonian said that the de
fense was preparing to prove alibis by
the testimony of the families of the
accused men. Naturally these cow
ardly brutes, who are so low In the
scale of humanity, would not hesitate
to make use of perjury or any other
available means that would save their
necks, and, as their kindred and
friends seem to have a large major
ity in the night-riding districts, fear
will prevent rebuttal of this perjured
testimony.
The frightful situation which is
confronting the few good citizens of
that lawless region 1b quite clearly set
forth by the New Orleans Picayune,
which is in a position to get a much
more accurate view of the outrage
than is possible from this distance.
The Picayune, while admitting that
the crimes have been proven and the
criminals identified, concludes that
this is a case In which the establish
ng of facts and the Identification of
the criminals go for little." For the
present the region is under military
rule, which will be maintained until
he conclusion of the trial. After
that the Picayune can see nothing to
prevent the criminals from again as-
eertlng - their independence of the civil
authorities and inflicting punishment
on all who have opposed them in the
present trial, and concludes: "If there
are not enough good citizens in the
night-rider region of Tennessee to rise
and drive out the criminals, then the
only thing left is for those good citi
zens to move out themselves, while
they have, military protection, which
must soon be withdrawn."
This Is Indeed a desperate situation,
and It would seem to be one that de
mands the strictest attention from the
General Government. We have spent
millions in' hunting down the Apaches,
Yaquis and other uncivilized murder
ers, but the most fiendish Apache that
ever lifted a scalp, or the most cow
ardly Yaqui that ever ambushed a
prospector, was a respectable mem
ber of society by comparison with the
Tennessee fiends who for the most
trivial causes have been murdering
unarmed citizens and flogging defense
less women.
THE ITALIAN CATASTROPHE.
Terrible earthquake, with tidal
waves, has occurred at the Strait of
Messina. the ancient Scylla and
Charybdis. It does not appear that
in the three thousand years since the
composition of the Homeric poems,
there has been much change in
conditions there. We may interpret
the Homeric and Vergilian poetry in
the light of these modern events.
But there is this difference: In
the olden time man, in the presence
and the victim of these mighty forces
of nature, attributed every energy of
earthquake and volcano and tidal
wave to some offended god. Men now
know that these manifestations of
energy are the work of nature, that
has no more thought of man than of
the ant hill. In the view of nature
man Is nothing whatever He may
by his intelligence, more than other
animals, control his destiny; but
when he comes In contact with flood
or famine, with earthquake or vol
cano or tidal wave, the forces of
nature care for him not at all. No
deity protects him. Yet no deity Is
angry with him.
But in the roll of the Homeric
verse, and here and there throughout
the Hebrew Scriptures, some notion of
the majesty of man, with whom the
divinity may be displeased, appears
and these catastrophes are sent to
plague him for his misdeeds, or for
the misdeeds of his ancestors or com
panions. ' Such thought starts a smile
now. But it was a great reality thirty
centuries ago.
The narrow Strait of Messina, so
called by the modern name, was the
ancient passage between Scylla and
Charybdis. Homeric geography Is
obscure. It is a cloudland between
facts that were known and .Actions of
every description. But this spot Is
the only one In the Mediterranean
geography or orography that answers
at all to the Homeric description.
Caves were there. Into which the
waves poured and emerged again;
sea-dogs were barking at their en
trance, and when disturbed would
take refuge In the caves, and there
bark and howl within unseen. On
one side was Trinacrian Aetna, a
terrible volcano, whose activity has
b-?en more recently transferred to
Vesuvius and Stromboll. For the
boats of that time the sea in those
parts was terrible. It is as terrible
still to small boats of like description;
for man s energy with the oar is
nothing against the rush of the waters
in stormy weather; and when the
earthquake and the tidal wave corn-
join, as they still do, as of old, few
or none escape. Five hundred boats
and innumerable lives, the news re
ports tell us, have Just now been lost.
No poetry Is more powerful than the
Homeric account of the escape of
Odysseus from these seas and their
whirlpools. So realistic is the story
that j'ou believe It; and you are con
firmed In your belief by the account
of the present convulsions there.
Here is the sea- that. In the sonor
ous verse of Milton, "parts Calabria
from the hoarse Trinacrian shore."
It is the place where, as the Vergilian
hero was approaching Italy, the- saw.
'from far off at sea Trinacrian
Aetna's summit high." "And there,"
continues the narrator, "we hear of
the sea a great groaning; and beaten
rocks and broken voices sound upon
the shore far off. The shoals leap up,
and the tide mingles with the boiling
sand. Thrice we behold the bottom
of the depths; thrice we saw the
waves wash the face of the stars."
This is not poor poetry, be sure
though it Is but a Vergilian imitation
of Homer. .Undoubtedly, in that lo
cality the convulsions are slowly de
creasing In violence: but the space of
three thousand or ten thousand or one
hundred thousand years Is nothing In
comparison with aeons that have run
since the cataclysm that split the
Mediterranean, caused the elevation
of some parts and the submergence
of others, and threw in a continuous
sea between Europe and Africa, of
which the land of the long peninsula
of Italy, the Islands of Sicily, Sardinia
and Corsica, and the peninsula of
Greece, Malta, and the islands of the
Aegean Sea. are survivals. But the
trouble Is not over yet, nor will be
probably for thousands of years more.
The ancients used to say that a giant.
Enceladus, was buried under Aetna;
and when he shifted his position, or
turned from one side to the other, the
mountain rumbled and groaned, and
cast forth redounding smoke and
ruddy flame.
The country now has more popula
tion, perhaps, than at any other
period of Its history, and the loss of
ife is correspondingly greater. But
the earthquake has been known in
Italy much further north. Rome It
self was nearly destroyed by an earth
quake in the fourth century A. D.,
and the loss of life was Immense.
Naples Is built in a crater that was
extinct ages before any records of hu
man experience began.
riTTSBl'KG.
Pittsburg, whether viewed from a
political, social or moral standpoint.
seems to have developed more scan
dal and general nastiness than any
other city in the United States, not
evn excepting some cities much far
ther west. It Is perhaps understand
able that the Ill-gotten riches show
ered on the Pittsburgers by the mon
strously unfair protective tariff should
have disturbed the mental and moral
balance of the Coreys, Thaws and oth
ers of their Ilk; but It does not ex
plain all of the rottenness with which
the Smoky City Is cursed. Develop
ments In the present City Council
scandal in Pittsburg disclose a depth
of civic depravity that Is simply start
ling. The cheaper grade of Aldermen
were purchasable with streetcar
passes, suits of clothes and similar
presents, while the next succeeding
grade usually sold their honor for
from $50 to $100. and the higher
priced thieves received from $500 to
$1000, and not infrequently, even
higher figures.
These boodUng Aldermen, of course.
when taking office pledged themselves
by solemn oath to guard the city's
interest and to remain honest in their
dealings with the people. For viola
tion of this oath and bartering their
honor these men are entitled to the
most severe punishment that can be
inflicted. It should not be forgotten,
however, that for every man that is
bribed there 1s a bribe-giver, and. in
the Pittsburg case, as in most of these
scandals that have reached public at
tention, the briber Is an individual or
firm whose position In the community
should place him above such debauch
ery.
The spectacle of these Pittsburg
bankers, who supplied the funds for
the wholesale bribery, is one that is
humiliating to every American citizen
To a greater extent than any other
agency, work of this nature is respon
sible for growing class hatred and
suspicion. By an overwhelming ma
jority the American people are honest,
but for all that thi people as a whole
are generally compelled to suffer some
of the odium that attaches to the dis
repute of those whom they place in
office and in whom they have mis
placed their confidence.
It is reported that Germany will be
among the first of the European
countries to endeavor to secure mini
mum tariff rates under the terms of
the new tariff act which is expected to
be passed at the special session of
Congress. As the present workings of
the preferential tariff with Germany
have proved highly satisfactory in In
creasing both imports and exports
with that country, there does not
seem to be any good reason why we
should not hasten to meet the forth
coming request for minimum rates
without quibbling or objection. Such
a course, however, is hardly probable,
for the American Economist and some
of the other rock-ribbed worshipers at
the stand pat shrine will emit howls of
rage over the threatened Invasion of
the rights of the sacred trusts which
have for so many years been perfect
ing their strangle-hold on the Ameri
can consumers. , Yet, sooner or later,
the objections of the standpatters to
tariff reform will be brushed aside
with scant ceremony and the Ameri
can people as a whole will benefit
greatly by the change.
The Manufacturers' Record, in an
estimate of the probable mileage of
railroads to be constructed in the
South in 1909, places the figures at
3300 miles, exclusive of sidetracks and
double-tracking. This is nearly dou
ble the amount built in Southern ter
ritory in 1908, and If the other sec
tions of the country show a propor
tionate increase in new construction,
there is an excellent prospect for the
new year to break all previous rec
ords in railroad building. In the
Southern States, Texas alone will have
1000 miles of new track and Arkansas
nearly 300 miles. No estimate is made
of the mileage that will probably be
constructed In the Far West, but if
one-half of the projects now under
way or in contemplation are pushed,
the Pacific Northwest will, at the close
of 1909, report a greater mileage than
was ever before built in a single year
in this territory.
The new subway route, to be known
as the Lexington avenue subway, has
been confirmed by the Appellate
Court of New York. Starting from
the Battery, the line will run under
Church street to Vesey street and un
der the old Astor House to Broadway.
At Broadway and Tenth streets it will
turn under Wanamaker's (the old
Stewart store), then across Fourth and
Third avenues beneath Grammercy
Park Into Lexington avenue at Twenty-second
street; and on further up
town. The action of the court re
moves all legal obstacles, and the
work will be begun at once.
The sad and faded mother or the
heartbroken wife of a man on trial
for his life subjects herself to need
less suffering when she listens to the
vigorous arraignment ana scatning
denunciation of the prisoner by the
state's attorneys. It Is a mistake to
scourge one's self cruelly when no
possible good can come of the bitter
Infliction and the relatives and friends
of mothers and wives thus sorely hurt.
should by all possible means strive to
Induce them to spare themselves this
fearful and useless ordeal.
The Oregon Electric Company, In
laying the foundation of a fortune for
Its promoters, is giving a tremendous
impetus to the growth of the sections
which its lines traverse. Fine areas
of farming and orchard lands, hith
erto uncultivated because practically
Inaccessible to market during many
months of the year, have been tapped
by the lines of this company and will
soon make response to the opportu
nity afforded through various chan
nels of Industry and development.
In the death of A. L. Alderman at
his home in Dayton, Or., a few days
ago, one of the sturdy pioneers of
Polk and Yamhill Counties passed
away. He was 76 years or age ana
had lived In Oregon more than two
thirds of his life a good citizen and
a simple factor in the agricultural de
velopment of his section. Of such
men as he the ranks of the advance
guard of civilization In the "Oregon
Country" were composed.
The new acreage planted in fruit
trees In the Rogue River Valley this
year Is already In excess of 5000 acres
and may reach 7000 acres. With good
luck and continued high prices for
fruit, five or six years hence, the val
ley of the Rogue ought to be one of
the richest regions in the state.
A great many Republicans voted
for Chamberlain, but they did It be
cause thev were not satisfied with
Cake, and expected the Legislature to
elect some other Republican whom
they deemed might be a fitter man.
Are or are not the several deputies
of the District Attorney, who want
more pay and more help, exclusively
engaged as deputies; or have they
other and more important interests?
'Can a man afford to marry on $6
week?" asks a correspondent.
Prince Helie de Sagan married on
even less.
Now If the white pugilists will draw
the color line, the colored race can
keep the championship where it be
longs. No members received in the Ana
nias Club after March 4. The shut
ters will be put up.
Christmas givers who paid cash will
be In good form to start the new
ear.
'The fighting doctors are exposing
one another's secrets.
GREAT EARTHQUAKES OF PAST
Millions or Lives Are "Lost in Dis
asters of Past Hltory.
The series of earthquakes that have
wrought such terrific damage In Sicily
and Southern Italy rank among the
greatest of the world's seismic disasters,
both as to the number killed and the
territory affected. Below is a list of
other earthquakes that have been notable
in history:
Euboea made an Island. B. C. 425.
Ephesus and other cities raed. A. D. 17.
Pnmpell and Herculaneum. 70
Asia. Pontus and Macedonia, l.0 cities
destroyed. 157.
Constantinople destroyed, thousands kilied,
537
Syria, Palestine and Asia. 500 cltie. de
stroyed, millions killed. 742
Catania, Sicily. 15,000 buried in ruins,
1137.
Syria. 20.000 killed, 1158.
Calabria, tidal wave overwhelmed entire
city, September. 1186.
Cillcia. 6O.500 perished. l'.'fiS
Naples. 40.000 persons killed, December 5,
1450.
Lisbon. 30.000 persons burled in ruins,
nearby towns engulfed. February 26. 1531.
Naples, 70.000 dead, 30 nearby villages
ruined. July SO, 1626.
Calabria, thousands dead. March 27, 163S,
Roarusa demolished. 5000 dead, April 6.
lrtivr
ychamak. auake lasted 3 months. 80,000
killed 107.
Jamaica, engulfed Port Koyal, drowned
300(1. June 7. 1602
Slcilv, destroyed 04 cities and 300 villages,
Including Catania. 100.000 deaths, Septem
ber, nil):!.
Aqulla. Italv. 5000 dead. February 2. 1703.
Yeddo. Japan. 200.000 perished, 1703.
In the Abruzzi, Italy. 15.000 dead. No
vember 3. 1706.
Algiers. 20.000 killed, May-June. 1716.
Palermo nearly destroyed. 6000 lives lost.
September 1. 1726.
Pekln, China. 100,000 dead in city alone,
November 30, 1731.
Lima and Callao demolished, 18,000 dead
In ruins, October 2R. 1746.
Grand Cairo. 40,000 casualties. Septem
ber, 1754.
North Persia, Kaschan destroyed and
40.000 perished. April. 1755.
Great Lisbon earthquake, luted eight
minutes. 50.1X10 people killed. Coimbra,
Oporto and Braga ruined; St. Ubes utterly
destroyed; part of Malaga and Fez razed
and 12.000 dead at latter city. Shock felt
for 5000 miles. June 7, 1755, shocks contin
uing until November.
Syria shaken for 10.000 square miles, Baal
bec ruined and 20.000 killed. October BO.
1759.
Tauris, thousands buried, 17B0.
Messina and other Sicilian towns, Febru
ary 4, 178.1.
Entire district from Santa Fe to Panama
shaken. Cuzco and Quito demolished in
one second; 40,000 annihilated. February
4. 1797.
Naples. 6000 killed, July 23, 1S05.
Genoa, Palermo and Romei thousands
dead, 1819.
Aleppo destroyed, 20,000 perish, August
September. 1822.
Ppaln. 6000 perish. March 21. 1820.
Canton. China, 60O0 dead. May 26-27. 1830.
Calabria. loot) buried. April 29. 1S35.
Calabria. 100 dead. October 12. 1835.
Port Royal. Martinique, January 11. 1839.
Cape Haytlen, San Domingo, 5000 lost.
May 7. 1842.
Southern Italy, Melfi ruined, 14.000 per
ished. August 14, 1851.
Great Sanger Island, Moluccas group, 3000
lost. March 2. 1856.
Calabria. 10,000 perish in city and vicin
ity, December 18, 1857.
Asia Minor, thousands killed, June-July,
Mendcsa, South America. 7000 lost. March
20, 1800.
Manila, P. I.. 10OO dead, July 2-3. 1863.
Peru and Ecuador, many cities destroyed,
25.000 killed. August 13-15. 1868.
Cub, Venezuela. KM killed, property loss
150,000. April 14, 1878.
Southern Italy, many towns destroyed.
March 15. 1SS1.
Italy and Java, thousands. 1883.
Andalusia and Spain, 1170, 1884.
Charleston, S. C, city destroyed, August
31, 188U.
Riviera and Southern Europe, 1SS7.
Japan, 4O00 dead, 1801.
St. Pierre, Martinique, 40,000 buried In
citv. May 8. -"B02.
India. 25O0 dead, 1902.
Svrla. 500 perished, 11103.
Northern India, 35.000 dead. April 5, 1005.
Calabria, Italy. 500 killed and towns
ruined. September 9, 1905.
Region near Vesuvius. 1000 dead, Novem
ber 11. 1H0B.
Formosa. 2000 killed. 1906.
San Francisco destroyed, 600 fatalities,
April 18. 191)0.
Valparaiso ruined, 1000 dead, August 8,
1906.
Klngstr.n. city ruined, 1003 dead, Sep
tember 28. 1907.
City of Mexico, several hundred buried,
April' 15. 1IHJ7.
Hussian Turkestan, 1500 dead, November
11. 1907.
Calabria. 600 killed. October 25. 1907.
In the 75 years from 1783 to 1867, the
Kingdom of Naples alone lost over 110,000
Inhabitants by earthquakes; an average
of 1500 a year out of a population of
6,000,000.
GLAD HAND TO AMERICANS
Gomez Welcomes Buchanan and
Good Feeling Is Restored.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 29. Cordial mani
festations of good feeling and courtesy
have signalized the arrival In Venezuelan
waters' of the ships of the American
Navy with Commissioner William I.
Buchanan, who was sent to conduct ne
gotiations with President Gomez.
A dispatch received from Admiral
Arnold says President Gomez and his
Cabinet exchanged visits with Captain
Washington, commander of the Dolphin.
The utmost cordiality prevailed.
The North Carolina Is already home
ward bound. The Maine may remain In
Venezuelan waters for a time.
ItEVOLCTION AGA1XST GOMEZ
Castro Men Take Up Arms Against
'ev Kuler.
PORT OF SPAIN. Trinidad. Dec. 29.
There has been fighting at Macuro.
on the Venezuelan coast, between ad
herents of ex-President Castro and
the crew of a gunboat working In the
Interests of the new President, Juan
Vicente Gomez. About 20 men were
killed and many wounded. The Gomez
party was obliged to withdraw tem
porarily, but later returned to resume
the engagement.
This news was brought In here by the
gunboat Miranda, which Iert La Guayra
with men who were to take the places of
the officials at ilacuro. The Miranda
arrived off Macuro yesterday morning.
General Torres meanwhile had got to
gether about 500 men, and was prepared
to resist a landing. The Miranda cleared
and went into action. Under cover of
her battery the men on board tried un
successfully to land. The fighting lasted
about four hours.
When the captain of the Miranda saw
the situation was impossible, he withdrew
and came to Port of Spain. The Miranda
then took on coal. As soon as this news
became known here the office of the
Venezuelan Consul was besieged by men
anxious to return to Macuro and fight.
A number were accepted and went on
board the gunboat which started back
for Macuro. where the engagement will
be continued.
KILLS SELF UNDER STORE
Los Angeles Music Dealer Tires of
Life ami Business AVorry.
LOS ANGELES. Dec. 29. George T. Ex
ton, proprietor of the Hxton Music Com
pany, of this city, was found in the base
ment of the company's buildjng this
morning with a bullet hole In his head.
He was alive when discovered. Tt is
thought to be a case of suicide. Exton
was unmarried and resided, in Hollywod,
where his sister kept house for him. He
.was removed to the Receiving Hospital
and the surgeons are making an effort
to locate the bullet.
fExton died shortly before noon. He
was 42 years old. Exton had been in busi
ness in this city for about 20 years and
was very well known. His act is sup
posed to have been the result of business
troubles.
BRADSTREEPS REVIEW
Untrk lie co very F'rom the Miorlc of the 1907 Storm- Larf?e and Inalatent Dr
um n d for Agricultural t'rmluctw Good lrunielf for a l'runprrou Icar la
ltM).
Nineteen hundred and eight partook
of mot of tile phenomena of an after
panic year with its full quota of early
weakness, doubt and uncertainty, but
guiding forces and ultimate results
were toward recuperation and repair.
This, at first, very slow, later hastened
to a point where conservative optimism
ruled general business. Its early
months witnessed a very heavy volume
of insolvencies, the aftermath of the
financial storm of 1907; saw business
sharply reduced in volume, an immense
amount of transportation facilities of the
country unused, public buying ability
greatly reduced, low levels touched for
most securities, a vast number of idle
operatives in all lines, a glut of money
in the banks, and a feeling of weakness
akin to that felt by the human patient
after a wasting fever. Later, particularly
in the last half of the year, a marked
recovery of strength developed, confidence
was largely restored, money was easier
to borrow, industrial wheels revolved
faster. Idle cars decreased in number,
buying became more confident, larger
crops sold at good prices helped to swell
collections, employment was more plenti
ful, wajre reductions and ruinous strikes
were largely avoided, labor proved more
efficient, and altogether the contrast be
tween the early and late months of the
year was very striking. Indeed, those
who took counsel of the fears which had
been awakened by the crash of 1907 were
agreeably mirprissd at the speed and the
apparent soundness of the recovery.
Most of the damage was visited upon,
first, the financial community, and sec
ondly, and later, the manufacturing and
commercial elements of the country.
Through it all the great food-producing
interests, aided by good domestic and
foreign demand and extremely remuner
ative prices, felt the effects only indirect
ly, and here, with restored confidence in
financial lines, were furnished firm
foundations for the later revival, the re
cuperation and the renewed upbuilding
so notable In the second half of the year.
The American farmer, with flattering
profits in 1907, found large and insistent
demand for his surplus products at good
prices in 1908. Agricultural values as a
whole were the largest ever known, and
the prosperity of this basic Industry, un
common in a year following a panic,
proved, as. never before, that America's
eggs were no longer in one or two bas
kets. e
It will be seen from the aftove that 1908
was not exactly like the years which
followed those of 1837, 1S57. 1S73 or 1S93,
periods of Immense stress, and years,
moreover, when American Interests were
more largely centered In a few things,
and when industry was not diversified as
it is now. For instance, there was no
parallel this year to the depressed con
ditions of agricultural prices which ruled
In 1893 to 1896. Perhaps the closest anal
ogy to the recently past depression was
the period following the financial panic
of 1S84. which was severe while It lasted,
but from which recovery was relatively
rapid. Our most recent upheaval was
severe and acute enough, however. In
that industrial outputs were sharply and
suddenly reduced at an early date, and
this fact, together with the promptness
of the later recovery, which was made
possible by the absence of underlying
weakness and depressing stocks of all
kinds of commodities, places 1908 In a
class by Itself. Yet there were many
drawbacks to be surmounted. There was
a very unsettled feeling in labor lines
regarding possible wag3 reductions, the
Spring was cold and wet, while the Sum-
WANTS PROTESTS AGAINST VOI'SG
Daker City Mnn Uniultuble aa Port
land Pontnianter, Sn" Mr. Fulton.
PORTLAND, Dec. 29. (To the Editor.)
The letter which follows from Senator
Fulton Is self-explanatory. It should
cause Republicans in this community to
"sit up and take notice."
If we desire to prevent the confirma
tion, as postmaster of Portland, of one
whose recent conversion from Populism,
and whose recent removal from Baker
City to this city would Indicate that the
two Incidents were the result of a desire
to get a fat Federal office, we must take
steps to strengthen Senator -uiiun a
hands. This can be done only by pro
tests, and It te high time that we should
"get buev," if we would not have the
erstwhile Bryan contingent absorb the
Republican party of Oregon.
Please publish Senator Fulton s let
ter, which, though not intended for pub
lication, is an appeal to this community
to protect Itself against political perfidy.
LKW1S C UAttitiljCCi.
WASHINGTON. D. C, Dec. 24. 190S.
Mr. Lewis C. Garrigus, Attorncy-at-La w.
Commercial Block, Portland, Or. My
Dear Mr. Garrigus: I have yours or the
18th inst. in regard to the postmastership.
I fullv agree with you that Mr. s:oung
Is not the man for the place and that it
is an Insult to the Republicans of Ore
gon that he should be nominated. How
ever, you must remember that I am not
in any wise responsible for it. It Is the
universal custom here that a Senator has
the right to select the postmaster lor nis
home town. I can only object for good
cause, namely, that he is incompetent or
offensive to the patrons of the office. I
am, however, getting very few protests
compared with the number of patrons. I
do not see how I am going to be able to
do anything to prevent the nomination,
if the people of Portland have no deeper
Interest than they have evidenced so far
to defeat the confirmation. Sincerely
yours.
C. W. FULTON.
w Plan to Arrent a Corporation.
New York Mall.
How are you going to arrest a corpora
tion, when It has neither soul nor phys
ical body? The Federal Department of
Justice has had this problem before it,
and Attorney-General Bonaparte submits
to Congress a suggested solution, offered
bv a Federal District Attorney in Iowa.
The plan Is to have a Judge of the court
where the alleged offense is triable to
direct that a notice shall be served on
the president or secretary of the corpora
tion at least 20 days in advance, speci
fying the indictment and the time and
place of the hearing to be held upon it.
When this service has been made by a
marshal and the time has elapsed, "the
alleged offender shall be deemed to be
arrested and present in court at the place
designated In the notice." and may be
proceeded against, wnether or not he was
present by person or counsel.
This ingenious and yet reasonable step
is one of many that must be adopted be
fore the public control of corporations
catches up with their own facilities in
covering their tracks.
tarsrelr Lost Near His Oitn Building.
Washington, D. C, Dispatch.
Lost within one city block of his own.
$12 000,000 building was the fate that over
took Andrew Carnegie the other night.
The ironmaster set out to make a call
on Secretary Root and democratically
took a streetcar. He got the wrong car,
although it went In the general direction
of the home of the Secretary of State,
and was forced to walk several blocks.
When he ran into Scott circle, on which
several streets and two avenues converge,
he became bewildered. He was standing
at the base of the statue of General Win
field Scott when a policeman approached.
"Move on there," commanded the blue
coat. "But which way?" queried the Laird of
Sklbo. "I'm lost, officer. For goodness'
sake pick out of this wilderness of streets
the one on which Secretary Root lives."
OF THE BUSINESS YEAR
mer and I'all were hot and dry', and the
approach of the Presidential election in
itself held element's of disturbance and
doubt.
Perhaps the most notable features
brought out In t",e statistical exhibits In
IMS were the sllKhtly increased yields of
most leading crops, which commanded
higher prices at times of heavy marketing
than in the preceding year of shorter
yields. Exceptions to this were found in
cotton and hay. where loiwr prices offset
enlarged yields. C"er?al prices were aided
by exhaustion of old supplies. Kuropean
war talk and a strong bull speculative
movement. Farm values as a whole were
the largest ever recorded, hut low prices
for cotton, due to immense movement
and a strike in Lancashire, were a draw
back to Southern trade In the Autumn.
Clearings for the year, which were the
smallest since were at the lowest in
February and at their highest In Decem
ber. Foreign trade shrunk from the rec
ord totals of 1907. with the largest loss In
imports. Reduced foreign buyinir abil
ity was reflected in our export trad
late in the year. Industrial movements in
iron, coal, coke and oilier production, and
in building, showed shrinkages from 1907
or r.to records. Failures increased 37 per
cent in number, but liabilities shrunk 21
per cent from 19o". January holding the
year's record for casualties and damacro
alike, but the year's failures were betow
those of either 193 or ls. Activity In
building was most marked In the last
half, but the decrease in expenditures
from 1907 was 10 per cent, and from 1906,
15.6 per cent. The commodity price move
ment was a marked feature. From the
high point in 1!7. on March 1. to the low
point on June 1. J90S, prices fell 15 p r
cent, hut regained 7 per cent of this los
in the later Summer, Fall and early
Winter. The strength of cereals and food
products generally a.s notable, and
brought increased strain on poorly cm
ployed or paid labor. Cotton was an ex
ception to the strength of most products
dropping 3 cents from t lie high price at
the opening of the year. Strikes were
comparatively few. one lare coal dfsput
going far to rweil totals. Immigration
fell off sharply, but later began again to
Increase. Railway building was small,
but, on the other hand, bankruptcies wera
comparatively few and relatively unim
portant. With past experience as a guide, and
with events of 19"7 and l!xS immediately
In mind, it Is to he observed that panic
history does not necessarily repeat It
self along precisely similar lines. Gov
erning these manifestations more and
more, nowadays, are the changes In un
derlying American financial and business
conditions, the growth of population and
the diversification and thn solidarity of
Industry, which all serve to absorb shocks
and to readjust matters in away superior
to what was possible in other years of
strain. All things considered, the, coun
try really Is and. what Is equally Impor
tant, really feels in far belter shape than
a year ago, and this gain in optimistic
sentiment, with the, knowledge that we
have been partially spared one of tha
wor.t effects of previous great panics
long-continued and acute depression, with
the consequent sacrifice of business life
and slaughter of capital is in Itself a
great gain for trade confidence. There is
a sense of deep relief that the community
has passed so safely through a great
crisis, and It is with a feeling of chas
tened and yet cheerful conservatism that
the business world looks forward to the
year 1909 with a fair degree of confidence,
but with little expectation of a boom.
M4IN onJKCTION ONE OP EXPENSE
Frowna On SuKgeatlon for Crematory
at Willamette lUver Mouth.
PORTLAND, Or., Doc. 29. (To the Ed
itor.) A news report in last Saturday's
Oregonian, headed "Garbage Troblem,"
in which It is suggested building a cre
matory near tile mouth of tho Willamette
River, transporting the garbage down tha
river with scows, has attracted my at
tention. In my estimation, this plan la not
practicable. It has been tried, and proved
a failure, owing to the enormous ex
pense, incident to the maintenance of
scows, towboats and crematory, and thn
unsanitary conditions ensuing from tha
handling of the garbage on tho docks
and scows, it often being allowed to stand
on tho dock for several days before being
transported, during the congested sea
sons. This plan would bo vigorously
opposed by the citizens of the First
Ward, as one experiment of this nature
is quite enough for them. They fully
realize the inefficiency of the present
plant, but prefer it to loading garbas
on scows at docks, as proposed.
The abova reasons, coupled with tha
fact that it would require at lea-st four
docks two on the East Side and two on
the West Side of the river at an ap
proximate valuation of J250.0H0 each, to
accommodate the present necessities of
tho city. will, in my estimation, be suf
ficient reason to condemn this whole
project in the minds of the taxpayers.
For the benefit of The oregonian's
readers, who ate not aware of the cost
of inaugurating such a proposed system.
I Rive herewith an approximate estimate
of the Investment n"cessai.v.
One towbont
Six scows at $-n'i each
Docks at crematory
2,i.0n
4-.'i"0
10.lOO
1IMIC0
Crematory site
Four docks In city at J2.10.ooo each l.o.oi
$1.oM.fi
TAXPAYER.
Will
r I'rlie for Each Birth.
Nantes. France, uispanwi.
The Municipal Council of Nantes has
voted a subsidy from the public funds to
every citv employe who marries, with an
additional amount for each child born.
Henceforth any city employe of
Nantes in good standing will receive $20
down on marrying and $10 a month for
each child until the latter is 14 years of
age Should the father's salary over
pass JM'iO yearly, no further subsidy will
be paid, as that sum is expected in
France to support a family of eight.
a,m,. there are , several thousand func
tionaries in Nantes, this initial outlay
represents a considerable sum.
According to official figures recently
published, the excess of deaths over
births in France In 1907 reached 19.920.
There were 32.S7R fewer births and 13,693
more deaths than in 1908.
Wu Tina; Fangs Dieting Slate.
Washington, I). C. Dispatch.
Wu Ting Fang, the Chinese Minister,
has the following to say about eating
and drinking: "1 never take any break
fast and make my stomach earn Its first
meal by work until about noon. I take
but two meals a day and never drink '
water with my food. 1 wait until after
my meal and then take a little water or
unfermented grape juice. I take no In
toxicating drinks of any kind and I do
not even drink coffee."
Work for the Undertaker.
Illustrated Kits.
Buffalo Bob Buzsaw Bill and Tlzen
Pete are looking for each other with
guns.
Town Marshal Pore wilh one an
other" Buffalo Bob No; there is some doubt
as to which is the oldest inhabitant,
and they're going to settle the ques
tion for all time.
Cantro. the Over-Enter.
B.-rlln (Germany) Dispatch.
Dr. Israel, of Berlin, has discovered
that Castro's trouble is duo to overfeed
ing and is not serious.