PORTLAND. OKEGON.
Entered at Portland. Oncon. Postof0.cs as
Becond-Oau Matter.
subscription Rate Invariably In Adrance.
By Mall.)
nl ! J f un5r Jneludad. on. year, .r." . .8.00
El funy included. lx months 4 as
R; Sunday included, three month... 8.25
r.VM' Included, one month 75
y. without Sunday, one year .0O
S? t' w't5out Sunday, aix months 3.25
Da v w unr- ,hrM month.... 1.75
" Ithout Sunday, on. month 60
ekly. on. year 1 50
Sunday, one year 2 50
Sunday and weekly, on. year-I"!""! 8.50
(By Carrier.)
C.lw' ut,i Included, one year 0 00
Dllv. Sunday Included, on. month. . . .75
oi" rW .R",,,V Send ix"ornc. money
Jour wifj" S"" or P"-onal check oa
your local bank. stamp., coin or currency
re ln fui nciu1jnK oounty ind .atata.
to 2nse.Rl?.te-.10 12 u nt;
Soum. i5;" F?fer PO-t..
wnh"6Jrn7!.iUAn" OfflreThe 8. C. Beck-
FORTLAyn. TTKSnAT. APRIL 27, 1909.
PROGRESS IX PANAMA.
Mr Taffs article on the Panama
Canal, published ln the May McClure's
f written before his inauguration,
but no doubt, it still expresses his
sentiments. It to a compact argu
ment, replete with facta arid figures
gathered on the site of the canal, in
favor of the lock type as adopted by
resident Roosevelt and Congress, and
against the sea-level type. The lat
ter seems to be advocated principally
by two engineers, who were advisers
of the original committee appointed
to recommend a plane for the canal
Their names are Bunau Yarilla and
Bates. Each of them presented a plan
of his own to the committee and each
of these plans were unanimously re
jected. No wonder these men attack
the lock type, which, is under con
struction, with a certain venom which
It requires all Mr. Taffs suavity to
answer with nniit.n...
Taffs strong faith in the stability
and economy of the lock type, receives
remarkable support from an article in
The Independent for April 22. This
stiff-necked magazine never has been
inclined to conceal or pajliate the er
rors committed by the engineers in'
the canal zone. Readers will recall
the virulent article by Poultehey Bige
low, which it printed some time ago
ln which everything was assailed from'
the sewerage of Colon to the Culebra
cut. The Independent has begun a
new series of articles on the canal
which show a marvelous change of
heart. The hard brick pavements of
Panama are admitted to be a credit
to the American engineers. The fills
which have banished the . outly
ing ji warn ps are praised. The $40--OOO.frOO
paid the French for their
rights on the Isthmus is flatly de
clared to be "one of the best bar
gains ever made by our much-swindled
Government." This praise may be
raint, but, considering the source, it is
valuable.
Both the writer ln The Independent
and Mr. Taft are of the opinion that
the difficulties which beset the Gatun
dam have been greatly exaggerated.
Much was made by the fault-finders
of a "mammoth sink" ln the founda
tion of the dam. To read some ac
counts of the- Incident, one would
have thought the whole base of the
dam had sunk into a bottomless pit.
What really happened was not iialf so
terrible. Mr. Richardson, in The In
dependent, says simply that it was
merely an occurrence such as all rail-
K.I 11 . .
cjvijvul ana are prepared
for. Mr. Taft. eager not to leave the
malicious critics a leg tt stand on
goes into detail. A big hole had been
dug back of where the dam is to
stand and a lot of heavy rubbish
piled on Its higher edge. Some feet
beneath was a stratum of squashy clay
which, under the pressure, naturally
squeezed out into the hole. This was
a little thing to make such a great
fuss over, but the enemies of the
canal are compelled to magnify trifles.
Otherwise they could find nothing to
eondemri. ...... ...
All the aCCOUntA ArM that -. l
In the Culebra cut is going forward
more prosperously .than anybody ex
pected. In all the time they worked
at the cut the Krenclv removed not
more than 81,000,000 cubic wards of
earth. Our army engineers' had re
moved 69,000,000 cubic yards by Jan
uary 1. 1909, and they are now dis
posing of 8.000,000 a month. Cheered
by the rapid progress of this mammoth
task, Mr. Taft ' confidently predicts
that the canal will be done as early as
191-5. If the die-E-ine- In thi At m
go on to the end as fast as It proceeds
now, ships would sail across the Isth--
-rnis before -19 IS, but -Mr. Taft warns
us hot to expect " too much. As the
- cut deepens, the engineers will not be
aV.1 a
""?. .-mw a-" tneir steam shovels.
Hence... the last part of the work will
be likely to drag a little.
The. .belated advocates of. the sea
level type of cAial have jeered at the
great disparity between the original
and the present estimate nf
-r-the lock type. "We were told in the
'beginning that the expense would fall
short of $140,000,000. Now it turns
out thati.300.000.000 will be required.
mor.?.than 'double the first estimate!
:i ThUiTriltow.jnuEHfchi.per a .sea-level
.canaL would have been," cryrhe fault
-finders: -Rut Mr. Taft shows that a
sea-level canal, of the proper width
and defended from floods by necessary
nams, wouia not be cheaper. On the
contrary, . It would be a great - deal
"dearer. - It would cost something like
760,000.000 before it was finished,
strict-even then there -would be a cur
rent at certain seasons which would
endanger large : Vessels during their
transit.; Add . to this .the fact that
two; first-class ships could not pass
each other in the canal unless one of
them, tied up.'and you-have an accu
mulation -of difficulties . which makes
the delays, at the locks appear trivial.
Mr.rIIarriman is said to Te planning
another "crowning effort of his rail
road and financial career," said effort
being the amalgamation of the New
York Central and its affiliated lines
undergone head. The amount In
volved in the consolidation is $1,000.
000,000, a tidy. sum. even for a man
.who handles millions as most-of man
- kind handles dollars. The economic
Krincinle involved ln these .nnonii
datlon movements ' is & good .one, as
is-o -3 uuiiuuuLuviij an enormous sav
ing in. operating and other expenses.
The Immense power, however, which
'. thus rests in the hands of one man or
one bod of men, cannot fail to cause
a feeling of uneasiness among the
. people. If Harrlman can perfect a
billion-dollar consolidation of New
York Central properties', " there does
not seem to be any good reason why
he should not pile on another billion
by adding the Illinois Central, the "Pa
cifies" and some of his other holdings.
The public would like to know where
this will end, and what the ultimate
effect will be.
CRY OF THE LITTLE BOSSES.
-There is no movement for a "re
turn tQ "the old "convention system"
in Oregon. It is false and foolish to
say there is. It is absurd to cry that
the direct primary measure is menaced
because Republicans, or a certain rep
resentative body of them- have seen fit
to hold an assembly or a convention.
It Is impossible to point'out in the as
sembly plan, so. far as it has been car
ried out or as it Is feasible to carry
but the slightest danger to the prin
ciple of the primary law. How can
the right of any Republican te express
himself in a primary as he pleases be
controlled by any such action or any
such Influence? It cannet be done.
It is not intended that it should be
done.
But It'was intended by the late as
sembly that the Republican party
should somehow have a voice and a
plan of organization. It could do no
more. It was a volunteer , body or
group that undertook to set forth for
the general benefit certain principles
on which the Republican party might
and should , agree and certain policies
on which it ought to act. As a'gfoup
of Republicans, it invited a citizen of
Portland, Mr. Simon, to be a candidate
for Mayor, and persuaded him to go
before the primary as such candidate.
No objection can be made to this
plan, or any similar plan, by any one
who has any desire that there be any
possible common basis on which Re
publicans may act or the Republican,
or any, party may be organized.
The Republican candidates suggest
ed by this assembly have proceeded
throughout in strict conformity with
the primary law. They have responded
to a public invitation to become can
didates before the direct primary. So
far as Mr. Simon is concerned, no one
pretends that he sought, at any time,
or in arty way, to influence the as
sembly in his behalf. It was known
that he was reluctant to become a
candidate. How, then, can -the cry
of- machine be Justified? - It has been
raised entirely by the Httle bosses,
who have .candidates and schemes of
their own.
"EW PACIFIC GRAIN PORT.
A high official of the Canadian rail
road is ln Portland for tb mi
examining into 'Portland methods of
nancmng gram. According to a Puget
Sound newspaper, this city was hon
ored with a call from the railroad man
because the docks and methods by
which grain is handled in this port
are the most modern on the Pacific
Coast. The visit of the Canadian Pa
cific official is preliminary to con
struction of an extensive system of
docks and elevators at Vancouver, B.
C, to be used in handling the wheat
crop of the Alberta and Saskatchewan
provinces in Canada. The Portland
method of handling --grain, has made
this port famous 'all over -the world,
and as the new Canadian grain field is
to find an outlet at a Pacific port, it is
quit natural that the Canadian Pa
cific should desire to have the Pacific
Coast standard maintained when Van
couver becomes a grain-shipping port.
This new routing of Canadian when
to the markets of the -old world will
come as. a good deHl of. a surprise to
the commercial world and will give the
old sailing vessels and the slow tramp
steamers another lease of life in the
Pacific grain trade, from which they
had been almost retired by withdrawal
of California from the wheat trade
and the diverting of the crop from Ore
gon and Washington to the Orient in
steadily increasing quantities. With
the Canadian Pacific in full control
of the business of moving the Alberta
and Saskatchewan wheat to tidewater,
it has been generally expected that
the traffic would . continue to move
eastward, where it afforded a much
longer rail haul than was possible in
moving it to the Pacific Coast.
home explanation of the new rout
ng is found in the fact that the ranid
growth of -the country from which
the wheat is hauled has offered a
great market for Pacific Coast lumber
and other products, thus enabling the
road to haul loaded cars both ways,
a proceeding that is 'seldom possible
with the roads which handle .the
wheat of Oregon and Washington. In
selecting mis new route to the old
world, the Canadians will be obliged
to adopt the Oregon and Washington
method of shipping wheat in sacks,
as it has been found impracticable to
handle It in bulk on the long ocean
voyage. The sack nlan will nlsn in
close other points of advantage, for it
win aomit or the American plan of
piling the wheat outside of the ware
houses and "elevators after the latter
have been filled to their capacity. As
the Canadian government does not be
lieve in handicapping Its farmers with
any unnecessary burdens, there will, be
no duty on the sacks, and the farmers
across the line will thus save more
Than cne cent per-bushel ln -the cost
of socks, as compared wlth"the cost to
Americsri farmers.
SALMON SEASON HEAR.
At noon next Saturday an army of
fishermen scattered along the Columbia-River
for a distance of more than
100 miles will begin reaping their an
nual harvest from the waters. The
royal' chlnook. which-. in;1 no other
stream on earth attains the high de
gree of -excellence " reached . in - the Co
lumbia . River, . is. a very important
factor in" the ecpnomlc- system -of the
lower Columbia, and Its value in trade
circles is felt throughout the Pacific
Northwest. -Oregon has .made -"such
rapid strides In the' development of
other -resources that the-salmp-n busi
ness ni longer holds the important po
sition Jt once, held as one of the great
est wealth producers.-
For all that, an Industry which an
nually puts in circulation from $2,
000,000 to $3,000,000 in a" compara
tively restricted area, in about four
months" time, cannot be regarded as
other than a highly valuable asset for
any locality or state. There - are still
plenty of men engaged in. the salmon
business and in the wheat' business
who can. remember when the value of
the salmon exported from the -Columbia
River was much greater than that
of the grain and flour that were sent
foreign. The grain business, of course,
has doubled, trebled and . quadrupled,
and is still doubling and trebling, while
in the size of the output -th-e ea-lmon
industry does not show a g"ain. That
the business is of more value to both
.fur, Monsixr.
Astoria and Portland, the two points
most interested, than it has ever been
Is quite plain, however. v
Not only does every man connected
with the business, with the possible
exception of the packer, secure larger
returns for the fish handled than in
the old days when fish were more
plentiful and prices lower, but the
money, that the industry places in cir
culation does -vastly more good to the
Individual, the - community and the
state. The day oT the drunken, Irre
sponsible, transient fisherman, who
drifted, in with the beginning of the
season and drifted out at the close af
ter spending his Summer's earnings in
riotous living and carousing, is over.
The men who have replaced this type
are -steady, hardworking citizens of
good habits and thrifty natures. They
have invested their hard-earned sav
ings in homes and small ranches ad
jacent, to the river, and bet
ing seasons find work in the sawmills
ana logging camps or in improving
tneir o"wn properties.
Year by year -the "harpies of the
shore", who formerly plucked the sal
mo'n fishers, find It more difficult to re
lieve the fisherman of his earnings;
and ; the hard-earned dollars which
formerly went to the gamblers, the
dancehalls and the low doggeries in
the lower river towns now do active
duty in useful channels of trade. Ore
gon has seen a wonderful develop
ment ln Its agricultural industries. It
has become world famous for fruit, -hops,
wool, wheat and lumber. These
and a. number -of attendant industries
contribute a steadily increasing num
ber of millions to its annual wealth.
Not all of the growing greatness, how
ever, will permit forgetting the old
friend, the royal Chinook salmon,
which was bringing wealth and fame
to the Columbia River before other In
dustries had, hardly got out of their
swaddling clothes.
WirERE IS THAT SURPLUS WHEAT?
Wheat In Liverpool advanced nearly
2 cents per bushel yesterday, and the
Chicago market showed a decline of.
about 2 cents per bushel. There was
a liberal decrease in the American
visible, and quantities on passage were
more than 6,000,000 bushels less than
on the same date last year.
Thomas Lawson is reported to have,
entered the market and is selling
wheat with a vengeance ln an effort to
break the alleged corner ln Chicago.
Perhaps the most interesting feature
of. the day's news was that regarding
receipts at Chicago, Minneapolis and
Duluth, the total for these three great
grain centers being less than forty
carloads, or but little more than twice
as much as was received at Portland.
If the farmers are in possession of the
great amount of wheat with which
they are credited by Secretary Wilson,'
they are certainly not being attracted
by the highest- cash prices that have
been offered in many years. It has
been years since daily receipts- have
fallen as low as they-are-' ntrw"sK6wlng
in the great grain centers of the world,
although the price for cash wheat Is
still soaring..
HARDLY GOTHENBURG. '
.The -contributor to The Oregonian
who thinks the so-called "Gothenburg
plan" for dealing- with the -saloon
problem, which has been proposed as
a charter amendment. Is -".something
quite different, an adulterated article
with a false stamp on it," does not
miss the' head of the nail 'very far. The
principle at- the bottom of- the pro
posed charter amendment is profit to
the company wjilch-seeks a monopoly
of the saloon business in Portland.
The principle c-T the real Gothenburg
plan is not profit to anybody.. Its fun
damental purpose is to discourage
drinking by various restrictions upon
the sale and use of liquor. :The pro
moters of the genuine plan ask and re
ceive but 6 per cent on "their money.
Whatever other profit there is goes to
the town of. Gothenburg and is used
for public purposes.
The plan prop.osed In Portland seeks
first of all fo'make money for the men
who are back of It. To be sure, a
considerable sum is to be paid to the
city, $3,825,000 in all, but this is only
a small -fraction of what the business
will earn ln the next ten years. If the
promoters should receive the monop
oly which they desire, they will reap
an enormous gain from it. Instead of
restricting and hampering the use of
liquor, they will naturally promote It
in every way. Nor must it be forgot
ten that by entering into-' the ' desired
contract the city will have transformed
the permission to sell liquor into a
vested right. The courts look with ex
ceeding tenderness upon .franchises of
all kinds. It has been decided by the
highest court in the .country that a
franchise which has been accepted
constitutes a contract which may not
be revoked by the legislative power.
Certainly the proposed franchise re
serves to the city the right to revoke
for. "Jack, of due . diligence and good
faith in carrying out its provisions,"
but what is lack or due diligence?
What is lack of good faith? Weighed
against vested contract rights, what
will any ordinary comnlaint TVrm hs
public amount to? The present un
certain and hazardous tenure of life
which the liquor traffic enjoys is an
immense advantage to th rmv.n
Regulation is now comparatively easy;
uut once put tnis tramc under the pro
tection of a cqntract " which .Involves
large sums of money, change the or
dinary saloon license. Into a franchise,
and regulation will become difficult if
not impossible. Beware of the Greeks
et dona ferentes.
A IXT A3f ITS LESSON. - -May-
30, .falling this year upon Sun
day, Decoration Day," will be, by order
of the National G. A: R., observed on
Monday, May 31. This is entirely in
dependent of the effort made in many
localities to eliminate all sports from
the observances of Memorial iv it, a
Is seemingly at variance with it. since
ji wouia De easier to bring the cere
monies down to a quiet and solemn
basis on Sunday'than on Mnnflov -a
this as it may. Decoration Day will be
ODservea Monday, May 31, this year
if the orders of the National G. A. R
are effective, while the preceding
ounaay win De given up to patriotic
sermonizing and music in the
churches, after the usual form th
Friday preceding will probably be the
day of days in the public schools, to
wnicn veterans will.-be detailed- to
render to the rising generation an ac
count of their stewardship as soldiers
or the Civil War.
If carried out on these lines, ob
servance of Decoration or Memorial
Day this year will . include a series of
nouaays at wnicn teachers irk as an
interruption of studies-"And to- which
children, look forward .with pleasure
for the same reason. But over and
oi;i:iOMAN. ti;i:siay.
above all, if lessons of patriotism and
heroism are not Instilled in the minds
of boys and girls, it will be the fault
of those into whose charge is given the
duty of bringing these lessons home to
youthful minds. The old soldier who
"wakes the boys up" with humorous
or pathetic incidents of canip and
march and field, emphasizing the re
cital by the stirring words of a pat
riotic song that has outlived Ira tlir. i"
his memory, but still serves a patriotic
purpose as sung with heartsome zest.
in aii.untraineo vnir-e win n
Impress the lesson of the day u"pon the
minds of his .restless audience than
will the man of cultured speech who
drones throuerh the hmr
...... uiuic LU
abstract patriotism as deduced from
e uvii war and Its results. - A word
the wise, is sufficient and wisdom
popularly suDnosed t
bute of age, though truth compels the
admission that it is sometimes eclipsed
oy garrulity.
It is perhaps too much to hon tht
any great number of women who have
oeen wont to wear upon their hats the
airy plumes of the white heron, the
brilliant plumage and distorter! hnriia.
of songbirds, or the snowy wings of
the white gull, will attend the lecture
of - Mr. Flnley on "The Trail of the
Plume-Hunter" at the White Temple
tomorrow night. Mr. Flnley-s faithful
study of birds in their native wilds is
reproaucea ln this and other lectures
nlch It would be well for nil tn hour
The trouble Is that, like the impas
sioned appeals and earnest prayers of
the good women of the W. C. T. TJ.
upon the evils of the drink habit, these
lectures nnd audience-among humane
and , orderly people who do not need
the lessons that theypresent.
Some of the drunken rowrii
were arrested for maklnr a ia,K
ance on the St. John and Mount Scott
cars Saturday night were rlvon a r-orr
.ujar slap on the wrist yesterday in the
shape of a $10 fine. As this will hard
ly prevent a repetition of the nuisance.
it. win proDably be necessary for the
escort of some of the respectable
women who are subletted to tho in.
suits of these hoodlums to go suitably
.armea lor the breaking of a few noses.
it mignt also be well for the Deputy
Sheriffs who- have twrce- n ttemntoi n
break up this rowdyism to give them a
taste or sometnmg. tttat would linger
longer in their minds than an insig-
iinicant j,u nne.
Local ministers are salrt tn . nion.
ning war on the Christian Science
Church, one of the parties Interested
In the movement admitting that he has
lost two or three mfmhprs nf Vila
church by the progress of the new re
ligion, w natever may be the opinion
of the people at laree about tho rhri.
tian Science religion, it makes a strong
appeal to some people by reason of the
stuaiea ana successful efforts of the
cult to attend strictly to their own
business and rermlt their
worship God according to the dictates
oi xneir own consciences.
- When a man -of 64 marries a girl of
19, the world expresses pity and con
tempt. But when. the situation is re
versed, as in the case told, of in a dis
patch yesterday, the world gets hilari
ous. The gray-haired bride cooes
gently whHe she tells how' she will
coax him always to love her and keep
him by her side. She cannot see how
the" marriage Vis "-anybody's affair- but
theirs. It Is not, in fact, since the Mis
souri commissions in lunacy seem to
have gone out of business.. .
A Spokane Deputy Sheriff has served
a Mibpena on Louis W. Hill command
ing him to appear as a witness Jn the
Gordon case. Mr. Hill's reluctance to
be. on hand leads to the belief that he
would like to regard the Gordon case
as more of a closed Incident than the
Portland terminal trouble, whirr.
asserts has been satisfactorily ended.
Another child has been drowned in
a tub. of water.. On an occasion of
this kind, it is downright cruelty to
censure the parent. Yet these afflic
tions are of such frequent occurrence
as to cause wonder why they are al
lowed to happen. A child able to tod
dle has rights, and am on a- them in
watchful care.
Senator Bourne's followers in Ore
gon doubtless are delighted that the
posts of Minister to China and Am
bassador to Mexico are open, and will
expect fine things ' of hiin in the pie
line. But they dont need to be told
that the Senator will do nothing for
them. However,, he may tell them he
can't.
Senator Bailey ought to make it
clear whether he- intends to have his
great income-tax scheme cover official
incomes, including private and secret
incomes from such sources as, say, the
Standard Oil Company. '
Now we have a judicial declaration
that the Willamette Is not the-Columbia
River. Just so. But there are
still some old-timers who. say that the
Wallamet is not the Willamette
River. -
Portland is another metropolis that
takes its baseball seriously. It Is one
of the few cities in the country that
can win two games in a day or lose
them, as the case may be.
A home run won for Portland at
Portland and also a home run won for
Portland at Seattle. It would seem to
be up to Manager McCredie to sign
none but home-runners.
The style of gasoline car which
made its debut as trie "Hlllsboro mo
tor" a few years ago Is in operation
at Milton. It is' a success where the
grades are light.
Certainly - looks as if Brother Mc
Kenna had been badly buncoed by the
lazy or crooked solicitors who circu
lated his petitions. Who put them up
to it?
"Sufficient unto the day Is the evil
thereof"- which means there may still
be . strings to Mayor Lane's announce
jnent that he is not a candidate.
. Maybe a parity between wheat at
Chicago and at Liverpool could be
maintained If the matter were submit
ted to The Hague tribunal.
' Tall-enders in rvnl 1 f-- 1 rnntoot. ....
always indignant when they are not
-t&Ken seriously, jsut arter. every elec.
tlon there are tail-enders.
.- Wanted A Democratic leader: ad.
dress George H. Thomas, general de
april 27, tooo.
SHALL THE VOTER "GO IT BLIXDr
Or Dwt He Dealre Oraolaatlos of
Party for n Primary!
Grants .Pass Observer.
The primary law, with all its evils,
will continue for some time yet, and
the only hope of good Republicans to
secure the nomination of desirable Re
publican candidates is by holding con
ventions of the party to select and
recommend suitable candidates for the
guidance of -Republican voters. This
was done in Portland a few days ago,
and there is a strong probability that
the Republican candidates recommend-
u win ne nominated at the primary
election by the Republican voters, and
in. that way the unsatisfactory Demo
cratic administration of the city's af-
iira put an end to.
The approaching Portland
is a matter of great political Interest to
the. people of Oregon. A convention of
Republicans who prefer their party to
tne primary law. has named a full
ticket of city officials and -nn,m.n.
ed them for the nomination of the
voters. In doing this, they are en
tirely within their rights and In no way
infringe upon . the primary law. The
memDers or this convention and all Re
publican voters who sympathise with
the Republican movsmmt .in
the solid convention ticket. Other as-
oumea republicans oblnr-t tn v,-
ventlon, and hold the primary law to
be of more Importance than their
party, ana they mav vfln ae-ntnx-
convention ticket. Under the primary
jw republican Portland has had a
Democratic Mayor for two terms, and
the administration has not been satis
factory. The Interests of the city call
for a change. The Republican con
vention has named ex-Senator Simon
for Mayor. The. disaffected Republi
cans have so far been unable to find
a Mayorallty candidate of any conse
quence. The voters will then have to
choose between a Republican candi
date recommended by a convention of
earnest Republicans and a straight
Democratic candidate. In this position
of antalrg. the disaffected Republicans
must either vote with their party or
s """"trwic jr tney go with the
Democrats, the Renuhlinnr. oju.t
will probably be defeated, but the op-
republican voters who helped
to defeat him will have no moral right
thereafter to figure aa Republicans.
However, it Is more than probable
that there will be sufficient real Re
publican voters to elect Mr. Simon. The
uuserver floes not believe that any
considerable number of even half-sincere
Republicans are now In love with
the primary law.
KISSIJfG DOWN TO A KIKE ART.
3000 Canadians Give a Demonatratlon
on Meeting New York Frtendi.
New York Dispatch.
Five trainloads of Canadian excur
sionists, 2000 in all, have come to New
York- City for a ten-day visit. The
excursion la largely a shopping expedi
tion on the part of small storekeepers
and others. ,
As there was a fresh outburst of joy
every second, and as the glad vocal out-
2?k latted .r seven hours- man
with a burning passion for statistics
figured that 60.000-cries of "There's
Jin! and an nnn .hi.i,-
Z and 102'000 ecstatic gurgles of
. ,uu near: were heard when
the excursionists arrived in- the Grand
Central Station.
Kissing! if there had been a phono
graphic recorder of that sort of thing
it would have broken down five min
utes after the arrival of the first train
load lmthe grand annual excursion of
Canadians to New York. The excur
sion came along In five sections, almost
ali Pullmans. The frrst was due to ar
rive at 7:20. It got ln at 9.
Ever since 7 o'clock friends of those
aboard had been waiting to extend
greetings. When the announcer mega
phoned the news that the train was
almost two hours late there was a
stamoede nf rn vflHi. v. .
- . " -"viii,a id res
taurants for breakfast. Then they went
.?. u wero Jolnea Dy the crowds
Waiting to meAt frlanrio .u. .
- l no second
section, which made in at 9:40. The
iJ' " '"--taino so great the station po
lice had to rail off the train exits with
a stout rope. This situation continued
until the last section of the excursion
train arrived at 1:50. P., M. When the
embracing and kissing among that sec
tion were finished th -0ii.
ployes wiped their broVs and sighed in
A few more than 2000 Canadians ar
rived on the five sections. They were
a well-dressed, alert lot; there was a
Joyous holiday sparkle in nearly every
Those Canadian women were well
dressed, too; but who ever knew a girl
to be content with the good clothes she
has? The visitors said one of the prin
cipal attractions in New York to them
was the clothes they Intended to buv
here.
Parties of pretty girls went through
big department stores. "Ohs!" and
"Ahs!" of admiration were plentiful as
the Northern lassies looked at models
of the latest Dlrectolre gowns or ball
dresses. . .
' International Horticulture.
The University of California is about to
try the experiment of raising grapefruit
from trees Imported from Amoy. China,
said to produce the best fruit of the kind
in the world.
Crippling; an Adult Industry.
Chicago Evening Post.
The Hon. Champ Clark would better be
quiet, or some malevolent-enemy will put
a prohibitive tariff on chautauquas.
Maltese Cat Weighing 38 Pounds.
New York Press.
A Maltese cat weighing 38 pounds has
been added to the Bronx (New York)
soo.
HOW A GOTHENBURG MAN VIEWS IT
PORTLAND, April 26. (To the Editor.)
Having been born ln Opthenburg.
Sweden, and having lived there for more
than 25 years, and receiving letters and
papers weekly from that city, I know
something about the Gothenburg system,
so much discussed ln The Oregonian.
In Gothenburg, .a number of prominent
citizens, ln the Interest of temperance,
formed an association to control the
liquor traffic They Invested a large sum
of money, asking to get only 6 per cent
on the money invested and that the
balance of the money should go to the
city. In the City Council, there are 48
Councllmen. who serve without pay, but
are fined $2 for each absence. With no
political ties and without favoritism, the
Councllmen, ' being the best men in the
city, serve for the honor of it and have
Zull control over the corporation. The
City Council decides how many saloons
there shall be and where located, when
open ' and when closed, etc
Last February the City Council . decided
that the saloon, for a certain period,
should be closed from 1 P. M. Fridays
until 8 A. M. Mondays. The Council
employes liquor-testers who are paid out
of the liquor fund, to see that the liquors
sold are pure- and of the best quality. No
member of the liquor company serves ln
the saloons or takes any active part ln
Its business. Foremen and bartenders are
employed at given salaries by the com
pany, and they have not the slightest
HEARST'S PARTYOX ,TS LAST LEGS
Iadrnriiil rait T k k ...
Independence Lrag-de, Alone or At- '
curuiiK runoa, negiianble Factor.
New York Tribune.
The Independence Leacrue. whlcTi hd
dinner on Saturday night. Is onlv a shall
ow of the party it once was. Examina
tion ot tne election returns shows how
rapidly it is tending to go the way of the
County Democracy, the Steckler Dem
ocracy and the Sheehan Democracy to
ward extinction. In the municipal, elec
tion of when Mr. Hearst ran for
Mayor and many persons regarded his
candidacy hopefully as an- Independent
movement that might disintegrate Tam
many, the Hearst
220.000 votes ln this city. In the following
mo combination with Tam
many, which revealed the Independence
Leagues indifference to principle. For
that year no figures fairly indicating the
party s strength are available.- But the
oi lau,. wnen the Independence
League chanced siria
. aim icaii-
beared as the enemy of Tammany, dis-
u cueuL oi us lactics upon its
strength. In three years the party had
dwindled from 220.000 to 34.000.
Saturday night s dinner naturally did
not settle the question whether or not the
Independence League would enter into a
fusion this F-all nn the t.
merely disclosed Mr. Hearsts determi
nation not to -De again his party's candi
date for Mayor, which will not surprise
any one. in view nf hi, ....
voting strength. The league may, if it
"e wnn xammany or with the Re
publicans, as it has done with both of
them in the past, or it may put its own
ticket ln the field. Whichever it does,
now that Its vote has fallen away to
34.000. its future is not rosy. It is hardly
11i!Ce,y tnat tno r"BUlt ot any combination
that may be made will be to add to the
Hearst strength, while running alone it
is impossible for a party as email as Mr.
Hearst's party now is to hold together
without that tlevotion to principle which
keeps some of the minor parties alive.
For many reasons it is to be regretted
that the Independence party has dwindled-
and promises soon to leave the
scene. On the lines on which it was pro
jected, as a radical anti-Tammany mu
nicipal party, it might have served a use
ful purpose in disintegrating the political
ring that controls New York. But its pos
sibilities were thrown away to serve the
ambitions of its managers, and ln the
course of one municipal administration
it has become a nearly negligible factor.
A MASTER OP BASEBALL ENGLISH
The 2Vew York Sun Sarcastically Hand
les Mr. Sanborn, of Chicago.
New York Sun.
Our valued and vertiginous contem
porary, the Chioago. Tribune, has not
given up to stockings and gloves what
was meant for the permanent happi
ness of mankind. In spite of its fe
rocious war on Gloversville and Hoster
dom it is still true to the felicities,
rarities and preciosities .of style- Ith
uriel Ellery -Sanborn was present with
all his squadron of languange- at the
"christening" of the Chicago baseball
season last week. We Invite students
of the living speech to -the works of
the master:
The Cardinals were outbatted by many
parasanitx.
BIk Jefl Qverall cut the cardiao region of
tne plate.
The turnout from Bugville waa surpris
ingly large.
Zimmerman makes winning clout.
. One on a pass, .the other on a puncture.
Compiling a double.
There waa a gay yelp when Steinfeldt
smashed.
-After Overall had whiffed.
Overall caught him off balance, accom
plishing Roger's demise.
But for Browne's unfortunate decease be
could have scared pulled up.
Moran poked a hot one.
The little fellow stabbed it.
There were two dead Cubs.
- A couple of underground nhoots.
Manager Frank had not tourh.il the nan
Arbiter Klem showed him a slewfoot print
on the edge of the rubber.
Opposed to the Cub Star was Left Handed
Lush.
If Mr. Joseph Medill were here to
exult In the glory ot the "master" and
the Cubs he might need an Interpreter
at first, but he would instantly ap
plaud the originality, the tang, the bite,
the procession of home bagging parts
of speech that belong to the Honorable
Ithuriel Ellery Sanborn. May his vo
cabulary increase, if such -a thing 1s
possible. We take the liberty of nom
inating him as a member of the Honor
able Henry Cabot Lodge's Academy.
Is there another living writer who can
produce in quantities to suit such mus
cular, meaty and animated English.
Senator Hale Shies at Subway.
Washington (D. C.) Dispatch.
Senator Hale of Maine, the oldest
member of the Senate in point of serv
ice, got lost In the new office building
the other day. He took one of the ele
vators down to the basement, intending
to ride through the. subway to the Cap
itol. The lower part of the building is
a good deal like a labyrinth, and after
wandering around awhile ln a vain
effort to find the entrance to the sub
way, the Senator came back to the ele
vator from which he started.
"Take me up," he yelled to the ele
vator man. That is, he said it calmly
but forcefully and firmly, for Senator
Hale never does anything so undignified
as to yell. "I want to get out of here "
The elevator man took him. Since
then Senator Hale has avoided the sub
way. "Will, you ro down to the aubwavt"
asked the polite elevator man of Sena
tor Hale next day.
v .0," ald Senator Hale, most em
phatically. Then he got off on the first
floor and walked over to the Capitol
above ground. p
Triplet Goats Born In Lane County.
Eugene Gua'd
nJvi?1! V,a Were born to a nannle
or? b Al Mo.ntSmery at his ranch
on the McKenrie thU month. Lane
County climate Is very remarkable,
and correspondence is solicited by Mr
Montgomery for other records In goat
production. i
Would Tost His Cearage;
. Detroit Free Press.
man doesn't dare hustle
over to Africa and say it to his face.
Interest In the sale of liquor. The less
they sell, and the fewer hours the .saloons
are open, the easier for them. The
areaofd9 Where C
are sold, only soft drinks, and where
there are numerous books and news!
papers to read, the places befng real
libraries, provided with tables, chairs
rea?nrV Sme of the sioons
real restaurants. where better and
ehtn" "Sr th anywhere
else in the city. In some of the,
meaTand' ,nqUr 'S wlthtne
at all! D "quor ls v
The business.- however, pays so well
that on capital Invested It neu. t ronT 15
"V0 20 Per C6nt- nd the m
ThT. Z eat 6 per cent- the Income to
the city m very large. It Is provided that
the surplus shall be used for parks,
baths. market-places. etc. There are
plenty, of the latter in Gothenburg?
always being Improved and enlarged,
built from sales of liquor.
ThiSi ln short, ls the Gothenburg sys
tem and if this is what is being agitated
for in this city. It will certainly be a
blessing to the public. But I don't think
this is what is being thought of here
It seems to ba something quite different
--an adulterated article with a false stamp
on it. I was never interested in the
liquor business and don't know anything
about it. but I believe ln fair-play
GOTHENBL'RGER.
I RIGHTS OF" PEDESTRIANS SUPREME
t . .
utnerwlse, Says T. T. Ceer. New Brand
i,r?J ayrriU'"X Lw Established.
TORTLAND, April 24 (To the Editor.)
After the delivery of a series of ser
mons by Sam Jones ln which he severely
criticises the shortcomings of his church
K6!?- Tne f tho latter accosted him
,T Ty comPIained of the castiga
tlon the flock was receiving. Upon enter
ng the pulpit the preacher related the
incident and said it reminded him of an
unon antCimle h"? ia COUntr hotel once
inK a o'clock In the morn-
nhffustlrfhereUk!
hals'JeV1 WindW- HU
h?8i. ' ""ally arose, took a brick
which was evidently used ordinarily for
propping the door open, raised the window
mob faVed,the misslle lnto howling
mob of canines. A sudden dispersal fol-
, rvj-y i ot one doe Whirh
disappeared down the alley at Zions
fasfl'v ten J-l Jones- "cod
easily tell which dog had been hit."
Referring tr tv. ...,
,v, D" - Humianea statement
rifii ? ortland Automobile Club has de
rin i" hand the Punishment of
. ",,vrra as a means of pro
tection to thnna -..-. - . . 1
it i. - "-rB'"i ana sane,
it Is proper to remark that it should at
in cnarge nr. G. E. Watts, nnt
" a reckless driver, perhaps, but as a
newsnamer HranHn. . -
rKwn reffard the r,Kht" of the auto-
.U.if A , BUPr,or to those who are com
hf...t0 Walk In the transaction of their
business. I nevor before heard of Dr.
. tne Presumption is that he Is a
good fellow, wholly imbued with the idea
1 o a comf"n with an automobile
a "'"n or woman on foot ls as likelv to
demolish the car as the latter is to Injure
the human obstruction. Indeed, he vlr-
thnl tb"ayS.f0-' JIe ls reaJ1' indignant
that the matter should be discusswl-Mioh
risks docs the auto driver take when 'he
rushes nto a pedestrian, the latter stand
J!?' ..perhaP"- maybe "thinkinc."
while the "joy" Imbiber is racing t ten
pf 15 miles an hour.
iJ50.. ahsurd and even reckless is Mr
VVatts position that its mere statement
but serves to emphasiee the necessity of
taking the matter in hand by the author
ities. He mentions several instances
where he actually failed to kill people
though he could easily h-,Ve done so
and In one case given. He was goina
so rast that he was compelled to tip
his machine over and become a cripple
wl V " 0rd0.r to sava the man who
Mde -Ji " ayl In describing this in
cident Mr. Watts says: "What should
I no next tim un h m-
- v. .-iu i a ii i : 1 1 ryi
stances? I would 1 . ,
possible If not. I would come through
If
iiuwa out tor number one." In
other words, he would kill the man.
tbough it would occur to most people
.l a drIver ""ho boasts of the ease
with which one may govern a machine
unknown to ordinary mortals, that If
he had slowed down until the man was
passed It would not have been neces
sary to actually tip his machine over
In order to save the life of the oh
truder, who was !n his wav. An ordi
nary farmer could have "done better
than that.
But to slow down ls the last thought
that possesses the mind of the speed
maniacs. To slow down Is a disgrace
to the machine, for the word "auto"
spells speed. To travel slowlv Is to re
proach the very object of the Invest
ment In an automobile. It Is much
more expensive to own one than a fine
team of horses. The only purpose of
an auto ride ls to "get thece." Nobodv
would think of traveling along an open
road in one at so slow a gait as even
the fastest team of horses could make
and it ls because of this fundamental
purpose of an automobile Investment
that the unfortunate portion of the pub
lic which is compelled to go from place
to place on two lco 1 9 thu v ....
caped an auto collision insists upon
a strict regulation of their speed on
our streets.
In what appears to be actual ser
iousness. Mr. Watts says: "If the
truth were known, everybody who gets
hit by an automobile knows down ln
his own mind that he was going along
thinking about something and not pay
ing attention where he was going, and
if he had paid attention, he could have
avoided the accident." Zounds, but
this is the limit! What right has a
man while on the streets during busi
ness hours to be thinking of his busi
ness? At such times as he Is In the
business district of the city his mind
should be concentrated upon the dan
ger of Impending death for are not
automobiles abroad in tha land? What
right has he to be thinking of any
thing else? Here I eomei Stop your
thinking of anything but me! Get out
of the way!
All men are not athletes. Many are
not. Most women are not. Many of
the latter have children with them on
the streets and It is impossible for
them to be eternally on the watch for
such drivers as Mr. Wat Is and those
he so warmly defends. Old men and
women at times venture upon the
streets, those who are unable to make
a miraculous sidestep in order to ac
commodate reckless drivers who pre
sume that all pedestrians who are di
rectly ln their way 50 feet ahead will
be out of their way a second hence.
We Invite them there and they have a
right to be protected.
And I renew my prediction, that the.
time Is coming when automobiles will
be ruled off the business blocks of our
large cities. "Portland ls no longer a
villlage." sure enough. It is for that
reason that bicycle riders are prohib
ited from using the sidewalks in the
business districts there is no room for
them. In a village there is. Since
automobiles are valuable only for tho
speed they can make, and since speed
should not be permitted on streets
which are crowded with pedestrians
pursuing their vocations, these ma
chines should he compelled to ' travel
only the residence streets. These are
numerous enough to get to any part
of the city without Interfering with
the inalienable right of jthe average,
man or woman to "think" on the streets
of some subject besides the jugger
nauts which are bearing down on the
unfortunate public.
Ninety-nine per cent of the business
of the city Is done on foot by peopl.?
who have the right to have their minds
on their business. The others are, as
a rule, out for pleasure.
There are many careful drivers of
automobiles, many of them, who are
regardful of the rights of the public,
and who will regret the stand taken
by Mr. Watts. The speed driver on
crowded streets must go. The right
of the pedestrian ls supreme abso
lutely so. It is he who is transacting
the city's business. Men and women
have the first right to go and come
on the streets, and any vehicle which
means death to him or her who ls even
careless at times while crossing the
streets should be made- to take a de
cidedly secondary position In the scaln
of rights in the matter. The street
cars are in tho service of the public,
and are confined to tracks which make
them comparatively safe. They are
easily dodged, and if you are off the
raUs you know you are safe without
looking four ways at once to Insure
bodily protection.
The Portland Automobile Club is do
ing a good work ln Its movement in
the matter of regulating this question.
There has been a noticeable improve
ment "during the past two weeks, and
vigilance on the part of conscientious
drivers, supplemented by the alert
ness of the authorities will go far to
ward some man taking tha matter In
hand and invoking a new brand of un
written law ln justification of his ill
timed retaliation.
There is no disposition anywhere to
interfere with privileges or pleasure
of automobllists, but the rights of pe
destrians on our streets are supremo
and must be respected.
- T. T. GEER.