TIIE MORNING OREGOXIAN, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1909.
8
PORTLAND. O KEG ON.
Entrd r.t Portland. Oregon. FoatoKc
Eecond-C.a Mattr.
bulucripUoa Kate Invariably la AdTmnce
By Mill)
Dally, Sunday Included, una year $5.00
tsaiiy. Sunday Included, six months.... 4.2a
Wily, Bunaay Included, tnree months. ..1.2 j
liiy, Sunday lnciuded, one month. ... .6
Ijj.11. without Sunday, on year....... -00
tally. without Sunday, six months J-2
laiiy, without Sunday, threa months.. -'
Ialiy, without Sunday, oui month. ....
TVeKly, on yar. .........
Sunday, one year. ............. Z.oO
Sunday and Weekly, one rear &
(By Carrier.)
Pally, Sunday Included, una year...... t-JJO
Daily, Sunday Included, one month.... .75
How to Kcuilt Send poitofflc money
rder, expreaj order or personal check on
our local bank. Stamps, coin or currency
ar at tn sender's risk. Give postofilce ad
dress In full. Including county and state.
PiMtace Kstrt 10 to 14 on gem. 1 cent: 1
to 24 patfes, J cents; 30 to 44 paes. cents;
44 to 6u pages, 4 cents. Foreign postage
double rate.
Eastern Buin- Office The S. C Beck
wit h Special Agency New York, rooms 44-
0 Tribune building. Chicago, rooms ylu-612
Tribune building.
zr-, . ' " :
PORTLAND, SAT CRD AY, FEB, 27, 1909.
COURTESIES EXCHANGED.
We find these remarks In a paper
printed at Pendleton, Umatilla County:
Oregon"! greatest too at this tlm. and
It has been th. nam. for many year. past,
la The Oresonlan. The "doff In the
manger" policy and th. our balled peMt
mlftn of that sheet has done much to thwart
the progress of this itate. The libel per
petrated by The Ore-onian largely cauaed
the death of the atate'a normal achool sys
tem. Ita aubaervlency to the railroad In
terests has helped Harrlman Veep Orejoa
bottled up and .helved away Uk a Jar of
preserves for future use. Now that the
rtate la trying to help Itself The Ore
S'.nlan Is doing Its utmost to block Its
effort. It has always done so.
Whenever the lines of battkJ are drawn
The oreg-onlan r.ever falls to line up as a
henchman for Harriman. There Is some
tUn wronic with Oregon. This state Is not
Coin forward as It should.
The paper that thus assails The
Oregonlan nevertheless pays tribute
to it by false Imitation of Its name, as
It supposes for its own commendation
and advantage. That is to say, the
paper that published this tirade calls
Itself the Kast Oregonlan.
It is a favorite assertion with all
these revilers that "The Oregonlan
has no influence," and that any man.
or cause would better have Its op
position than its support. And yet,
when in another mood, and wishing to
support another kind of assumption,
they declare The Oregonlan the chief
est power In the state. Another of
these revilers rub3 the poor itch of
his opinion, thus:
Why all this fustian about bankruptcy,
and why all this plain talking" It boasts
It Is going to do. when the only Interest
menaced Is Mr. Harriman with his six mil
lion a year strangle-hold on Oregon? Gen
' erally there Is something In It for a news-
paper that so madly champions the cause
of a great corporate monopoly. Will The
Oregonlan deny that It Is roceivlng, or Is
to receive, compensation for the great serv
ice it Is endeavoring to render Mr. Harrl
man T
The greatest service to Harriman
that could be rendered by the State
of Oregon would be to engage the
state In railroad construction, on a
large scale; for, after the state had
squandered millions In construction,
had lost other millions In operation,
and had brought bankruptcy on itself,
Harriman would get the roads paral
leling his recent achievement in
Georgia: and Oregon would have Its
debt and Its experience.
One may expect, of course, the
false and foul assumption that The
Oregonlan, in its effort to save the
state from the consequences against
which the founders strove to protect
it, and against which all experience
warns It, Is acting as a "champion of
the cause of the great monopoly";
and is "receiving, or is to receive,
compensation for the great service it
Is endeavoring to render Mr. Harri
man." That sort of assertion well
suits the character of these scrubs of
Journalism, whose being is wrapped up
la devotion to scheming purposes and
sundry Jobs to bo promoted at the ex
pense of the state. It takes a. foul
fancy to whelp so foul an aspersion,
against the one independent news
paper of Oregon, the one newspaper
whose career proves It able and will
ing to make Its stand against every
abuse, error and wrong, however
gTeat whether backed by unlimited
wealth or an ignorant or misguided
public opinion. AH know what serv
ice The Oregonlan has rendered to
the state, in all liiese various matters;
often, too, at great sacrifice to itself,
as when its opposition to the silver
craze cost it an immense sum of
money, through loss of business cut
off by fanatics and fools, and when
Its criticism of the waste of Portland's
municipal franchises brought down
upon It the displeasure of the most
powerful forces in the state.
This journal will continue Its op
position to the dangerous'and destruc
tive scheme of state railroad owner
ship; and it will win the fight, too.
Xo other business In Oregon would be
benefited more by extensive railroad
construction than that of The Ore
gonlan; but it wants railroads built
by railroad builders, not by the state.
Then it wants the state to enforce
on them reasonable and Just and
proper regulation. For all It gets from
the railroads The Oregonlan pays
money, and It Is more Independent of
them than they are of it. To supply
the news and to conserve as best It
may the true welfare of the people of
the Northwest, and especially those of
Oregon, is its legitimate function.
Hence its resolute opposition to these
crazy schemes as they come along,
one after another; and hence from
this time till November of "next year
one of Its leading purposes and main
efforts will be to defeat this scheme
of public construction and ownership
and operation of railroads, against
which the founders of the state erected
a constitutional barrier which the
shallow drivelers of our day, through
various motives of supposed profit to
themselves, are trying to remove that
their own schemes may be fertilized
' by the) rich overflow of these fairy
rivers of Imaginary wealth. These
sophlsters and projectors and creators
of magic riches which are to fall Into
their own platter, like manna In the
desert or dews from heaven, will find
something In their way before they
get through with thlA dream of folly.
For every man who has property,
every one who desires to possess the
legitimate fruits of his labor and ef
fort, every one who expects to ac
complish anything for himself and
have the fruits of it, will exert him
self against this project, fit for Utopia,
or better for Laputa, which moreover
all knowledge and all experience and
all forecast denounce as ruinous
folly.
The conference committee which
has In charge the naval appropriation
bill la unable to agree on the provl-
slons for keeping: half of the Navy In
the Pacific and as to the price that
may be paid for colliers. Both of
these questions would be settled In
short order If affairs In the Pacific
should reach an acute stage while the
gTave and deliberate representatives
at Washington were quibbling- over
the matter. The fleet would be sent
post haste to the Pacific, and the col
liers would be purchased Just as they
were purchased during the war with
Spain. It will probably require a war
with some Pacific power to force the
Government to act in an emergency as
It Bhould act now, while no emergency
exists.
13 IT BUSINESS?
Of course The Oregonlan is familiar
with the argument that, though the
Celilo Railroad is run at heavy loss to
the state, it "saves money" to a few
shippers at certain points on the upper
river. Doubtless It has reduced the
rate somewhat for a small amount of
freight at a few points, but at a cost
to the taxpayers of the state of much
more money than it has saved to ship
pers; and besides, it Is money saved
mostly to inhabitants of the State of
Washington, which the levy on the
taxpayers of Oregon must meet.
Is it good business to save a small
amount of money to a few persons at
a greater charge upon all the rest?
Besides, is it the business of the state
to tax one class of the people for the
profit of others?
This Is a Job, and It Is quite a Job,
for the state has now over $200,000
in it, and the cost will be continuous
engineered by a clique of promoters
in Portland for their personal advan
tage, using the argument for reduction
of the rate on a few tons of freight
from points on the upper river, for
their own advantage. But it costs the
state far more than all these make or
save.
IT IS "UNWORKABLE.
Governor Hughes, of New York, has
reached the conclusion, the New York
Times complains, that the direct pri
mary is "unworkable." The Gover
nor, therefore, is modifying his plan
of primary elections, for nominating
purposes, so as to have Intermediary
conventions for suggestion of the
names of candidates. In a speech in
Brooklyn last Saturday night Gov
ernor Hughes, admitting that the di
rect plan was unworkable, said:
I, therefore, favor the adoption of a plan
which will permit the presentation of names
of candidates and furnish opportunities for
open and fair consultation by the party
committees which have been duly chosen
and whose representative character has been
reasonably assured In the manner already
stated Thus the Stato Committee would
present the names of those whom they pro
pose as candidates for state offices; the
County Committee those proposed as candi
dates for county offices, etc. Provision
should be made strictly regulating the meet
ings of the committee at which action will
be taken with regard to the names to be
presented. The committees would not have
the right of final choice of candidates. The
names they certify will be placed upon the
ballot; other names , may be presented by
petition, and the party voters will choose
the men they want as candidates.
It is probable the Republicans of
Oregon will adopt this method, or one
resembling it as a means of bringing
out candidates deemed fit for ollice,
who could get their party's support.
Under tha present system nothing at
all can be accomplished, except the
election of Democrats. The suggestion
of Governor Hughes has obtained
wide notice. The New York Sun re
marks that the Governor evidently
thinks "the election of a Democratic
Senator for the Republican State of
Oregon a scandalous perversion of
our representative system." -
It is altogether probable that the
modification suggested by Governor
Hughes, or something very like It will
be adopted by Republicans in most of
the Republican states, or ail of them,
as a means of preserving necessary
party activity and efficency, and of
arresting the tendency to party dis
integration. It is, substantially, the
primary system in the Democratic
Southern states.
REGARDING STATE OWNERSHIP.
It Is unfortunate that Mr. Harri
man should have made that offer to
build a road to Coos Bay on a guar
antee that it would yield 4 per cent.
It has established a precederit that
can hardly fail to cause trouble for
some of our energetic promoters of
state railroads. The showing made by
the official report covering two years'
operation of the state railroad at Ce
lilo was extremely satisfactory to the
Washington farmers who supplied the
freight for which the Oregon taxpay
ers paid the cost of moving over our
state road. The loss was only about
20 per cent per year on the investment
which the state has In the road, and
at this rate it would take at least five
years for the deficit to equal the
amount of the capital invested.
For all that, there is so much dif
ference In an investment that shows a
total loss of about 20 per cent and one
on which we can make Mr. Harriman
put up the money and pay all losses
above 4 per cent that a great many
people unacquainted with Colonel C.
E. Sellers Wood and Mr. Teal will
prefer the latter. Imagine the dis
comfiture of these disinterested phil
anthropists at the next session of the
Legislature in case the people decide
to embark in the railroad, building
business. What answer can. they
make to the Coos Bay delegation
which will be there to Insist that the
state guarantee 4 per cent earnings on
a line to. Coos Bay before the state
credit is used in the promotion of
more expensive railroads? Under the
offer of Mr. Harriman we know the
exact limit of loss we will be called
on to pay in case the realization
should thow a discount over the an
ticipation of our plans.
We are also afforded In this Harri
man offer an opportunity to secure
the road without investing any money,
and at the worst, if the road never
handled a pound of freight, we could
enjoy railroad facilities to Coos Bay
Without having many millions tied up
In the project.
In connection with the suggested
popullstic, socialistic scheme for build
ing state railroads, the Tacoma Ledger
quite truthfully remarks that "Harri
man would not object a bit to having
the state bear the burden of building
feeders into undeveloped territory
and supplying the big trunk lines
with suff to .transport. After the
state had sunk a fortune In the ven
ture a sentiment would probably de
velop In favor of selling the railroad.
Then Harriman or Hill, or some other
railroad manager, might offer from
one-half to three-fourths of what the
road cost. Harriman and Hill are
surely not suffering any loss of sleep
from worry over the possibility that
....... . - w. .
railroad. Usually such ventures turnj
out to be state aid to the- large sys
tems that eventually gret hold of state
built roads."
IXNG DRESSES AND SHORT.
The question of how high a woman
may lawfully and properly hold up
her gown when she walks in a muddy
street is under heated debate In the
Mississippi Valley, but the subject in
terests the Pacific Coast also. We
have mud here as well as they have
there, but it must be admitted that
ours is neither so deep nor so sticky
as that of Illinois and Wisconsin. The
natural rule for holding up the gown
would be to raise it as high as the
mud Is deep, but a woman- who ap
plied this principle in Milwaukee,
Wis., came into collision with the
minions of the law. It appears that
the prevalent, depth of the Winter
mud on the streets of that beery town
is fourteen inches. A woman who
was compelled by her affairs tp make
a pilgrimage to the grocery on a cer
tain morning, raised her gown to that
reasonable height and set forth, only
to be arrested and haled before a mag
istrate. This petty tyrant ruled that
fourteen inches was too high. Just
how much he thought a gown ought
to drag In the mud he did not specify,
but evidently it was his opinion that
it ought to go down a certain distance.
The matter being still under Judicial
meditation. The Oregonlan prefers not
to express an opinion upon it directly,
but it feels at liberty to remark that
there seems to be a conflict between
the law and common sense In this do
main of the conduct of life. Upon
most streets there are substances
strewn about- more or less thickly
which cling to garments when the
opportunity is offered and are thus
brought into the house, dispersed
through the air and breathed. They
are also mingled with food in the
kitchen and on the table. What
these substances are It Is not neces
sary to specify particularly. Some of
them are contributed by mon who
chew tobacco, some by higher ani
mals. None of ,them seems to be ex
actly fitted for breathing or for savor
ing food. Still, as long as trailing
gowns are worn on the street, that is
what becomes of them. The Milwau
kee magistrate who launched his Judi
cial thunderbolts against short dresses
may take his place on the bright roll
of fame with the Pennsylvania judge
who decided that Swedenborgianism
is an immoral cult. Both of them il
lustrate the great truth that a man
may know a big bunch of law without
being precisely what one would call
wise.
to wirrr or not to wmp?
It Is a dull day in Chicago when
they are not discussing something
which interests heaven and excites
the earth. The last man to stir things
up was Professor O'Shoa, -who dis
penses psychology in the University of
Wisconsin. Chicago hired him to dis
course to the assembled teachers of
Illinois, and he delivered himself to
the purport that boys are too much
mollycoddled In school. They ought
to be thrashed, declared the profes
sor. Persuasion is wasted on the male
section of the rising generation.
Women teachers refine them too
much. What they need is the rough-and-tumble
life. Out with the woman
from the schoolroom and In with the
wholesome and invigorating hickory.
Such was the purport of Professor
O'Shea's remarks.
From the spelling of his name one
may guess that he has a native predi
lection for the shillaleh, but for all
that there Is something In what he
says. It is pretty generally admitted
now that he exclusion of bodily pun
ishment from the schools was a mis
take and that the mistake was due
to the influence of women. They op
posed whipping because they did not
like to whip or sometimes becauso
they were not strong enough. There
are times In & boy's experience when
a sound thrashing means salvation to
him, as was beautifully set forth in a
celebrated tale published years ago
called "The Evolution of Dodd." The
book was written by some Indignant
person who believed that the depri
vation of the rod would ruin all the
boys In the country, and it is fair to
say that he made out something of a
case. There is a happy medium be
tween too much whipping and none at
all. It is well for the rod to hang
over a boy's head, like the fabled
sword, by a hair; but it is not well to
break the hair very often. Pain ad
ministered in Judicious doses is most
medicinal to the soul of a boy, but
felt too oft, familiar with Its sting, he
first endure3 and then it makes him
mad. There comes an epoch In a
boy's life when a whipping Is Just the
one thing needed to drive him into
reckless courses and finish his repro
bation. It is a bit of rtce science to
distinguish exactly wherV the benefit
of the rod ends and the harm begins.
: FOREIGN TRADE RECOVERY.
Gradual return to normal condi
tions which were so seriously dis
turbed by the panic of the closing
days of 1907 Is unmistakably shown
In the figures for Imports and ex
ports for January and for the firs't
seven months of the current fiscal
year. The Bureau of Statistics, in its
preliminary figures for, January, shows
exports of $156,767,714 and Imports
of $103,524,028. Imports make qntte
a favorable showing In comparison
with January, 1908, when they
dropped down to $54,997,514, which
was very close to the low water mark
of May, 1908, when ' the imports
amounted to but $84,042,628. In Jan
uary, 1907, the Imports were $126,
586,934, and the preceding month the
maximum record was established with
figures of $134,349,760. Heavy im
ports, of course, reduce that some
what vague "balance of trade" which
Is supposed to represent, as near as it
can be determined, the difference be
tween what we sell to the foreigners
and what they buy from .
By' our high tariff partisans, large
Imports are regarded with disfavor,
tho assumption being that we are buy
ing something abroad that should be
bought in this country. This, in a
measure may be true, but It Is equally
true that these purchases are made
abroad because .It is to the advant
age of the buyer to make them there,
and liberal buying denotes prosperity
on the part of our own people. In
nearly all of the commodities imported
from foreign countries, valuations are
much lower than during the years
preceding the panic, yhich indicates
that we are again buying nearly as
freely as before the panic, and re
ceiving much more for our money
than we were getting. Exports in
creased in the months following the
panic from the same causes that pVo-
duced a decline in Imports. Our peo
ple needed money and in order to j
ease the situation In the briefest possi
ble period, exports were hurried out
of the country In record-breaking
quantities.
The maximum record was reached
in December 1907, with ' exports of
$207,119,906 and in January, 1908,
the figures were $206,114,718, or
nearly $50,000,000 more than for the
corresponding month this year. The
figures for the seven months ending
January 31 also reflect, satisfactory
gradual gain in both branches of our
foreign trade. For seven months of
the fiscal year beginning July 1st Im
ports show a total of $697,520,960
compared with $756,888,151 for the
same period a year ago. Exports for
the same period this season were $1,
031,805,443, compared with $1,189,
090,551 for the same period in the pre
ceding season, the heavy decrease In
exports, as previously explained, be
ing due to the forcing of exports for
the purpose of restoring the financial
equilibrium. Viewed In all its phases,
there is much that is encouraging in
the general foreign trade situation
and, with average crops this year, the
end of the season will undoubtedly
find us back on a normal plane.
The saloon and gambling business
continues to flourish under our ad
mirable city administration, but it
must be admitted that this adminis
tration is rapidly putting in a bad way
all the lodging-houses that do not
enjoy special police favor. Of course,
no citizen cares to run the risk of
being hauled out of bed at midnight
to show his marriage certificate, or to
permit the invading moral squad to
enjoy the humiliation and discom
fiture of his wife over being required
to meet the curious and insulting gaze
of strange men. Therefore, he keeps
out of all lodging-houses except as a
last resort.
It takes about all of everybody's
Income and everything he can make
and save to pay his taxes; and means
of support must bo pinched out in
some way, while the tax-gatherer is
being- satisfied, or afterwards. It
wouldn't be so bad if the taxpayers
got the worth of their money. But
they don't. Sixty per cent is frit
tered away. Officials get it, 'or it Is
wasted in ways that lead to no results.
An organization for conservation of
the revenues Is the first duty of city,
county and state. Under the present
system most of them are wasted.
Now since Harriman will build the
Coos Bay railroad If 4 per cent on the
cost is guaranteed, the first bonds of
the state, under the new system,
should bo Issued for the railroad to
Coos Bay. The state would know ex
actly what it was to pay, and the road
13 needed, If any road is. This would
be the cheapest possible construction
for the state. There Is one drawback,
however; it wouldn't exploit an East
ern Oregon land grant, from which
most of the effort comes to induce the
state to let loose its fructifying sub
sidy showers.
It Is not. possible at present, nor
will it be till the constitution shall be
changed, to consolidate, or make
coterminous, the City of Portland and
the County of Multnomah. No county
of an area of less than 400 square
miles can be created and such an area
is too large for the City of Portland.
However, we may assume that the
old mouldy and moth-eaten Instru
ment (the constitution) "don't go"
anymore.
The purchase of B000 acres near
Goldendale by Samuel Hill and asso
ciates for an Immense vineyard has
the right sound. In the old days It
was the "gentleman farmer" who
spent , money In experimenting.
Though scoffed at, he learned how to
do things better, generally at a money
loss. In these later days capital takes
hold and wins. So, too, does the
poorer neighbor. In a general way, by
example.
Comparisons are odious, but It
might not be amiss to note that the
Sheriff has been catching all the local
thieves of late. Including the bank
robber, th purlolner of the Ladd trot
ters and the defaulting secretary of
the Leatheworkers' Union, while the
only thing that appears to the credit
of the police recently is the arrest of
one of their own number in a rooming-house
raid early Monday morning.
It costs the state one dollar a ton
a mile to carry freight over the state
railroad at Celilo; From one-half cent
to one cent a ton a mile Is "big
money" for carriage over the railroads
in general. But you know the state
railroad exists for relief of the people.
Not every man can have his brains
and genius capitalized for several mil
lions, as has Luther Burbank, and yet
that course Is necessary If the world Is
to benefit by his work, for Nature
rarely combines genius and business
acumen In a man.
Professor Lowell thoughtfully says
we will have fourteen years' notice of
the time of the great catastrophe
when an unknown body shall collide
with the sun. There Is small need to
worry. Noah got along on less.
Of course, at the special session of
the Legislature) should there be one
every old job will put up Its head
again; and If there are not many new
ones It will be a wonder.
We shall also undoubtedly hear a
lot of loud and defiant denunciation
of President Roosevelt by certain
members of Congress when he Is far,
far away in Africa.
Is there no way, for the general
protection of the public against all
manner of lawbreakers, that Sheriff
Stevens can multiply himself?
The Billy Possum fad will make the
meat a luxury in the black belt and
stimulate the raising of poultry. In the
dark of the moon, of course.
The Milwaukee Judge who thinks
fourteen inches too high to lift a skirt
on a muddy crossing does not believe
In revelations, evidently.
There are but a few days left In
which to splinter the Big Stick, but a
pitchfork cannot do it.
Half a loaf Is better than no bread,
of course. It has to be, under present
price conditions.
Flood sufferers in the Ohio Valley
should move to a dry country like
Oregon-.
Seattle says its fair will open on
time. Portland made the precedent.
WILL STATE MAKE THIS MISTAKE?
Gains; Into the Railroad Bnaineas a
Grave Blander.
Eugene Register.
The people of Oregon are privileged to
vote on whether or not we shall build a
railroad of our own. Now we shall have
the interesting spectacle of newspapers
which oppose a state railroad, being
charged with subjugation to Harriman' s
influence, while on the other hand ad
vocates of a state road will be charged
with an effort to plunge Oregon into the
throes of socialls-m. So far as the Regis
ter is concerned, neither horn of the di
lemma Is disposed to give us any worry,
but in the meantime It is not too early
for us to say that In our opinion It would
be a great big mistake for Oregon to go
into the railroad business as a means of
coercing the Harriman system into build
ing more roads.
As much as we should like to see a com
peting force put Into the field as a stim
ulus to railroad construction, the experi
ence of other states"ought to carry suf
ficlent warning to keep Oregon out of
such a losing game.
So far as I-IarTiman or Hill is con
cerned it is a safe bet that neither of
them would put a straw la the way of a
state-owned railroad. They are in the
road Jobbing business and a state-owned
road would fall easy prey to one of these
bis corporations after the line had been
operated at a loss a sufficient length of
time to convince tho people of the state
that It is not a success at the business. We
can , depend upon it, however, that the
columns of the state press from now un
til the stato railroad question Is sub
mitted to the voters, will be filled with
weighty articles in support of the move
ment by men who never cocked a can
non nor caused a ripple on the surface
of the state's industrial activity.
LOOKED Ol'T FOR HIS FRIENDS.
Motive 'That Seems to Have Guided
Governor In Considering; Bills.
Eugene Guard.
Governor Chamberlain's veto of the bill
for the publication of the delinquent tax
list, on the ground that it would entail
a hearty expense upon the taxpayers, is
silly In the extreme. Competitive bid
ding for such publication In Lane and
several other counties brought the publi
cation of the list down to the actual cost
of setting up the type, making tho ex
pense inconsequential. Besides this ex
pense is as a rule willingly borne by the
property owners, because it frequently
gives them the only notice they have that
there are unpaid taxes against land they
may have purchased, without looking up
the records and believing the taxes to
have been paid. The present law for
collection of delinquent taxes Is not in
accordance with the accepted idea in this
country of giving a poor man e-ery possi
ble show to pay up before his property
Is taken away from him, or heavy and
unjust penalties are added to the burden
of his taxes.
In this connection we cannot fall to
note that tho Governor has quickly ap
proved every bill providing for new of
ficials where his Democratic henchmen
or Republican supporters were to be pro
vided for. He favored the creation of a
new Judgeship in Multnomah County be
cause Billy Gatens, his faithful private
secretary, desired to wear the judicial
ermine, although he has probably never
tried a case before a higher courf than
that presided over by a Justice of the
Psap. The hill addine a third Judae in
the jecond judicial district was approved
In spite of the protest of Judges Hamil
ton and Harris, and John Coke, a Cham
berlain Republican, was given the Job
without a thought for the poor taxpayers
who have to put up $3000 a year for an of
ficial who was not needed. The tax com
mission bill was approved because along
with others it provided a better place
for State Land Agent Charles Galloway
at $2.W0 a year, while two more staunch
supporters of the Governor, King and
Slater, moved up a notch and became-Su-preme
Court Judges by appointment, when
the bill increasing the number of Judges
received the executive approval.
The moral to be drawn is that if some
of the vetoed bills; like that requiring
the publication of delinquent taxes, had
carried with them a fat Job or two, they
might not have appealed so strongly to
the economical Instincts of our state exec
utive, who has many good friends in, both
parties to provide for at public expense.
Just a Little Talk on Honor.
The Dalles Optimist.
How keen the Statement No. 1 men
were to vote for Chamberlain and save
their honor! Honor Is a fine, sonorous
word! It sounds so large and pleasing.
coming from a Republican when casting
a vote for a Democrat! But how about
the passing of tho bill placing two more
Judges on the bench of the Supremo
Court, when the people, the same people
who would be up in arms If Statement
No. 1 was not carried out to the last
Jot and tittle how about the voice of
the people when they said last June by
a majority of over 20.000 that such a law
was not to be passed? And yet how sim
ple It all is; the strict carrying out of
Statement Xo. 1 placed a Democrat In
the United States Senate, and the defeat
of the will of the people In the case of
the Supreme Court Judffes placed two
Democrats on tho Supreme bench!
One Way to Make Harriman Happy.
Woodburn Independent.
Why Is tho plan of the state building
a railroad meeting w;!th favor? Because
of the erroneous idea that Harriman will
not build. He is building now, from' Kla
math north, and will extend Into Central
Oregon. We have waited for years for
railroad development and will soon realize
our hopes If we but have patience. Tak
ing advantage of a wrong impression and
throwing this state Into millions of dol
lars of bonded Indebtedness would mean
development to a certain extent, but not
real progress. Threatening to construct
such a road is no bluff to Harriman, who
would prefer the state doing it than him
self. If anything, such talk merely makes
Harriman pause to see if the state is
really foolish enough to build the road.
If You Would Tench, Educate Yourself.
Hillsboro Argus.
The failure of the Legislature to ap
propriate money for the various Normal
Schools of the state, will meet with the
approbation of the people everywhere
within the state, except in Normal School
towns. The Argus is in favor -of appro
priations for the Oregon Agricultural
College, as that institution educates the
farmer boys and gives them education
along practical lines. If young men and
women desire to educate themselves for
teaching, let them do so at their own
expense.
Pays to StanA In With Chamberlain.
Newberg Graphic.
Charles V. Galloway has been appointed
one of the new Tax Commissioners at a
salary of $2500 a year. The Galloways
are products of Yamhill, and although
they belong to the minority party, they
are always able to land the fattest Jobs
that are on the calendar. A happy re
sponse to -rich soil, a salubrious climate
and the glad hand. Nothing like it in
all Oregon.
Hops Contracted at 10 Cents.
SALEM, Or., Feb. 26. (Special.) George
L. Rose today contracted to deliver to
Julius Pincus 100,000 pounds of 1909 hops
at 10 cents and an equal amount of 1910
hops at 11 cents.
ANOTHER DEFECT IS FOUND
Appointment of Curricula Board
Will Thus Be Delayed.
SALEM, Or., Feb. 26. (Special.) It
was discovered today that the emer
gency clause on the act creating the
board of higher curricula Is defective,
and therefore that the act does not be
come operative until May 23.
The emergency clause was put upon
the bill because the University and
Agricultural College must issue their
catalogues early in the Summer, and
It was therefore necessary that the
board decide early upon the question
of eliminating studies from the course
of instruction of one institution or the
other. The facts In this regard were
recited in the emergency clause, but
there was no reference to health, peace
and safety, so the emergency clause Is
Ineffective.
Secretary of State Benson today sent
letters to the five men appointed on
the board by Governor Chamberlain,
informing: them that when the law be
comes operative he will reappoint them.
Though the board cannot hold its meet
ing March S, as required by the act,
the letter from Secretary Benson will
enable the members to arrange for a
meeting as soon as the law goes into
effect.
The members appointed by the Gov
ernor are: Dr. J. R. Wilson, of Port
land, appointed for one year; A. W.
Prescott, of Salem, for two years; O. P.
Coshow, of Rosehurg-, for three years;
J. C. Hedges, of Oregon City, for- four
years, and C. J. Smith, of Pendleton,
for five years. Those appointed in the
future will each serve five years.
MTRE THIEF IS CAPTtHED
Victor Bums, Employe of Street
Railway Company, Confesses.
Released from the City Jail yesterday
afternoon because the police were una
ware that he was 'a thief, Victor Burns
was arrested Immediately afterwards by
Deputy Sheriff W. P. Lillls and is now
a prisoner in the County Jail, guilty by
his own confession of stealing a large
quantity of copper wire from the Port
land Railway. Light & Power Company
Burns has been an employe of the street
car company and has worked in the
stable at Nineteenth and Washington
streets, where the company's wagons
are kept.
Yesterday morning at 4 o'clock he was
arrested by Patrolman Stanton at
Seventeenth and Everett streets, while
on his way homo with a large sack of
copper wire slung over his shoulder.
At the police station he was charged
with being out after hours. Being un
able to get further Information against
him, the police decided to let him go at
4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, accepting
the nominal ball of $10 for Ills release
Hardly had the man disappeared out of
the door before Deputy Sheriff Lillls
came in, Inquiring about the case. When
tola that the man had gone a chase en
sued. The Deputy Sheriff ran Burns
to the corner of Third and Pine streets,
where he overtook him. At first Burns
denied his guilt, but finally confessed.
GRESIIAM PLANS FOR FAIR
Association Soliciting' for Sale of
More Stock.
GRESHAM, Or., Feb. 26. (Special.)
Arthur F. Miller, one of the directors of
the Gresham Fair Association, Is now
traveling over the county soliciting sub
scriptions and selling stock of the asso
ciation. About one-half of the capital
stock remains unsold and it is hoped to
raise $3000 at once.
The fair gronuds, which were taken
upon an option last year, have been
bought outright by the association from
the City of Gresham, the former owner,
with the understanding that ten annual
fairs must be- held there before a com
plete title shall pass. The $1000 recently
appropriated by the Legislature, to
gether with the money raised from sale
of stock, will put the association in
good condition, it Is thought. Many
improvements are contemplated and
the annual premium list is being
made up.
SERVED WITH OOM PAUL
Jack Busch, Who Saved Boy's Ilfe In
Portland, Dies In Yakima.
NORTH YAKIMA, Wash., Feb. 26.
(Special.) Jack Busch. who was buried
here today, was one of the most inter
esting and picturesque characters In
Yakima Valley. He was a native of South
Africa and a friend of Oom Paul Kruger.
When young men they belonged to the
same company and fought side by side.
Later Busch came to America, and was
known up and down the Pacific Coast,
where he was a longshoreman.
Some years ago Busch rescued a young
man from drowning at Portland. The
boy's father 'offered to .recompense him
for his heroism, kept in touch with him,
and when an accident befell him, paid his
hospital expenses.
AVHEVT AREA IS IXCREASKD
Echo Farmers Planting Every Bit
of Available Ground to Grain.
ECHO, Or., Feb. 26. (Special.) Wheat
farmers are sanguine of bumper crops
this year. Rain fell today and has been
falling more or less since the snow li ft.
All who can possibly do so are sowing
their fields to wheat. Where to put the
crop, when It shall be gathered, is a
question the warehouses must decide,
and those who know are Inclined to the
belief that both warehouses will need
twice the storage room they now have.
College Expects to Get $50,000.
ALBANY, Or., Feb. 26. Special.
That Portland has contributed Its quo
ta of $10,000 for the endowmnet fund
of Albany College has caused rejoicing
here, as it practically assures the $."0,
000 endowment. When the National
College Board of the Presbyterian
Church offered the college $25,000
provided an equal amount were raised
in Oregon, the trustees of the college
planned to raise $10,000 . in Albany,
$10,000 in Portland and the remaining
$5000 among Presbyterians throughout
tho rest of the state. Albany contributed
its allotment.
Elks in Amateur Theatricals.
WALLA WALLA, Wasn.. Feb. 26.
(Special.) WitL practically 400 people in
the cast, there was given in a local thea
ter tonight the largest show of Its kind
ever presented in this city by the Order
of Elks. The cast consisted In large part
of young boys and girls, many small chil
dren taking part In the dancing and sing
ing. The main singing selections were
prlncipallly taken by advanced students
attending Whitman Conservatory and the
faculty of that Institution also assisted.
Talesmen Oppose Hanging.
WALLACE. Idaho, Feb. 26. Twenty
five of the 40 Jurors called this morning
In the trial of Thomas McDalrmid, for
the murder of W. H. Wilson, declared
they were opposed to capital punishment.
A new venire of 50 men has been ordered.
Andrew Chilberg Is Knighted.
SEATTLE, Wash., Feb. 26. Andrew
Chilberg, royal Vice-Consul of Sweden at
Seattle, has been driven the decoration of
a Knight of the First Class of the Order
of Vasa by King GuetaX V.
IiABOR ACT IS n TO PEOPLE
R. A. Harris Proposes to Vee th
Initiative.
SALEM, Or., Feb. 26--(Special.)-An
employers' liability act will be submitted
to the voters of the stato at the next
general election, according to R. A.
Harris, one of the labor organization
leaders In the lobby of the recent legis
lative session. The bill to be submitted
under the initiative will be no less dras
tic than that which was introduced in the
Senate by Senator Slnnott and defeated
by that body. The labor unions expect
to enlist the State Grange In behalf of
the measure and to secure its enactment
by tho people, by which means they hope
to place the law beyond the reach of the
Legislature, believing that the Legisla
ture will not amend a law the people
have adopted.
The labor unions did not fare well In
the recent Legislature. Some of the
measures they advocated were passed,
but those in which they were most deeply
Interested failed. There were a number
of bills not Introduced by their request
but which they Indorsed ;Jid helped to
pass. Others opposed by them failed.
Their great disappointment, however, was
over tho faili.re of the employers' lia
bility bill.
In his report to the State Federation of
Labor, Mr. Harris rejoices over the de
feat of Senator Bingham's antl-trnst bill,
which was so' drawn that it would put
labor organizations under the ban of the
law.
The measures passed whieh pleased him
most are: The hill increasing the salary
of the Labor ( 'oniinisioner from $2H) to
$30o0 a year, the bill permitting tho or
ganization of co-operative associations
and the bill amending the 10-hour law for
women so that it npplies to telephone,
telegraph and express companies. Other
bills, the success of which he deems ad
vantageous to laboring men, are:
8. Ti. 4, Bafloy Giving an Injured man
the risht to have tho diimacs fixed 1-y a
Jury, even th'HiKh the defendant defaults
In a damuso suit.
P. H. Bailey Revising the scale of
fees for factory Inspection so as to favor
Bmaller factories.
S. H. Kellaher Prohibiting the op
eration of elevators by boys under IS years
of age.
S. Ft. 107, Coffey Requiring streetcar
companies to provide seats for niotormen
and to permit the motornien to occupy the
seats half of the time.
S. B. 204, Smith of Umatilla Authorizlnp,
working of convicts on btate Fair prounds.
Mr. Harris regrets the defeat of the
bill placing an eight-hour limit on fac
tories running 24 hours a dty and the
defeat of tho deposit guaranty bill. He
thinks tho defeat of the bill to work
convicts on tho road Is a misfortune and
In his report plainly declares that there
Is a "nlyger-ln-lhe-woodpile," to account
for the continuance- of tho practice of
leasing convicts to a stove foundry at 45
cents a day and the state board the men.
He declares that the fight against the
leasing of convict labor will be continued
until tho Legislature repeals the law
which authorizes it.
BUGGY HIT BV STREETCAR
Mrs. Gustnfson, Farmer's Wife, Hurt
and Horse Runs Away.
A streetcar collided with a horse and
buggy driven by Mrs. Victor Gustaf
son and wrecked the vehicle yesterday
afternoon, throwing Mrs. Gustafson
out and seriously injuring her. Tho
horse ran away. The accident occurred
at Williams avenue and Falling street
at 2 o'clock.
Mrs. Gustafson is the wife of a well
known farmer living near Gresham,
Or. She has two married sisters living
in Portland, and accompanied by her
youngest child, but 5 years of age,
drove into the city yesterday for a
visit. She had been to the home of
one of her sisters, where she had left
her little child, and was on the way to
visit the other. At tho corner two cars
were coming from oposite directions.
Mrs. Gustafson became confused, and
Instead of reining in her horse, at
tempted to get across the tracks before
the cars. One of them struck tho
buggy squarely.
The collision so startled the horse
that he bolted. He was last seen sev
eral blocks away from the accident
with nothing attached to him but the
shafts of the shattered vehicle. Up
to a late hour last night tho animal
had not been found. Mrs. Gustafson
was picked up unconscious. An am
bulance from the Central stables was
summoned and sho was conveyed to the
Good Samaritan Hospital. Here it was
discovered that her collarbone was
fractured. She also suffered consider
ably from shock and bruises.
DELAY TV PANAMA LIBEL
Action Will Not Bo Started Until Pu
litzer Returns From Cruise.
NEW YORK. Feb. 2tl. Assistant Dis
trict Attorney McNamara. of Washington,
who has been here In conference with
United States District Attorney Stlmson
in regard to the Panama libel case
against the editors of the New York
World, left today for Chicago. In con
nection, it Is said, with matters Involv
ing the Indianapolis Xew in the alleged
libel.
No attempt will be madn to serve
papers on Mr. Pulitzer until he returns
from his present yachting crui:e in south
ern waters.
Mr. McNamara, however, had a con
ference with an attorney representing
Mr. Pulitzer, and it is believed he was
apprised of tho time of Mr. Pulitzer's
return.
.Service on Delcvan Smith and C. R.
Williams, of tho Indianapolis News, in
the Panama Canal libel ca.so, will bo
postponed, it Is said, until after a hear
ing in the World caso In New York.
San Pedro Shipping.
SAN PEDRO, Feb. 26. The steamer
Geo. W. Elder arrived this morning
from Portland and cleared on the re
turn trip tonight.
The tank steamer Roma cleared to
day for Portland.
The British steamer Hazel Dollar,
Captain Ridley, arrived this morninar
from Shanghai, via Japan, with 400.000
feet of oak timber from Otaru, 1000
tons of pig iron and 1700 tons of sul
phur from Hakodate and general cargo
of merchandise from Shanghai. Part
of the cargo Is consigned to Portland.
The steamer Shoshone cleared today
for the Columbia River.
The steamer Santa Rosa cleared for
Seattle.
Pioneer of 1852 Dies.
OREGON CITY. Or., Feb. 26.-(Speclal.)
Reese Daugherty, a well-known pioneer
of Molalla, who died at the family resi
dence yesterday morning, was born April
7, 1840, and came across the plains In
1852, settling at Molalla. Deceased leaves
three daughters Miss Etta Daugherty,
Mrs. R. H. Sawtell, of Molalla, and Miss
Belle Daugherty, of California.
After Seals In Antarctic.
VICTORIA, B. C, Feb. 26.-A.dvlces
have been received here that a whal
ing company Is being organized In Nor
way to send two floating whaling sta
tions conveying a fleet of small whal
ing steamers to the Antarctic to hunt
oft Falkland Islands, South Shetlanda
and South Georgia this Summer.
Buying- Klickitat Lands.
GOLDENDALE. Wash., Feb. 26.
(Special.) The Columbus Land Com
pany, which has been investing largely
In fruit lands in Klickitat County, has
added to its holdings this week by ac
quiring several hundred acres of land
In and around Columbus, on the Colum
bia River.