Morning Oregonian., June 07, 1909, Page 8, Image 8

TITE MOKXiyg OREGOXIAy, MONDAY, JUNE
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1-ORTLAXI), MONDAY. JINK 1. 1909.
WHOM IT MOST CONCERNS.
It is the owners of small properties,
iwho work on their own account, of
"people In ordinary lines of business and
of wage-workers -who need steady em
ployment these are the persons most
deeply concerned in careful and ef
flclent government, In moderate and
.Judicious public expenditure and low
I taxation.
But there are those "who have only
'the very rich a small class always
'before their eyes, and who demand in
' crease of public debts and extrava
gance in administration, in order to
f "get" them. "Let's have what iwe
'want." they say, "and take it out of
he multimillionaires." A most fool
;lsh endeavor; for the very rich are but
'tx small number, and even their great
l?wealth Is, comparatively, but a small
Tactor. Owners of small properties
possess far the greater part of the
Hvealth of the country; and most of
the stock even of the richest corpor
fiatlons Is held by a multitude of small
'owners, many of whom have all their
Available capital therein.
It 13 a problem, always, to keep the
methods of aggregated wealth under
lawful and reasonable control. But
jit is not to be done by piling up pub
' 11c debts and levying high taxe3. No
I other policy could do so much to make
he rich richer, oppress the owners of
in all properties and make difficulties
lor labor. It is a matter of concern
to owners of small or moderate prop
erties, and to those who have ambition
or expectation of small or moderate
personal possessions. But the blatant
socialist orator or shallow newspaper
can see nothing but the "multimillion
aire." THEY "I'NGKATEFl'IiY AVER."
Judge Munly, It would seem, has a
rlsht to his expression of indignation
ot the course purposed by Messrs.
Albee, Nottingham and their asso
ciates, towards their Democratic con
freres In recent political endeavor.
"Albee and Nottingham," says Munly,
"attained their eminence when elected
to the State Senate by the vote of prac
tically every Democrat in Multnomah
County. Now these gentlemen, in their
ambition for place and power, ungrate
fully aver that the Democrats are rank
partisans."
A true bill Is this Indictment. But
Judge Munly should know that when
"ambitions" men like these want to
rule their own party and find they
can't, they are usually fit for just such
enterprises as this. It is simply what
Is to be expected. The "ingratitude"
of the present time is a proper sequel
; to the "ambitious" method and per
formance of last year.
Nobody had a right to blame the
Democrats for their part In the per
formance last year except in so far
jfis a multitude of them called them
; selves Republicans and entered their
! names as such, in order to draw Re
publican ballots in the primary and
'vote thereon for the nomination of
'.Albee, Nottingham and other State-,-anent-onesters,
and so tie them up to
'the election of a Democratic Senator;
;nor was anything else expected ttan
that these nominees would receive in
the election "the vote of practically
very Democrat In Multnomah
;County." It was a shrewd Democratic
Tame, played to the "ambition" of
Albee, Nottingham and the rest of the
"reformers." But still, it Is not ap
parent why or how the Democratic
j brethren could expect this class of re
formers to fling away their "am
Ibltlon," at any future time, and help
those who had helped them.
The disinterested spectator must
however, sympathize with the feelings'
lof Judge Munly on the subject, and
wdmit that he has a right to his ex
pression of indignation.
1 WP ROY ED C1I VNM:L TO SEA.
The United States Engineers will
today begin making the annual survey
of tho channels at the entrance of the
Columbia River. That this survey will
reveal an increased depth of water
there is a certainty. The ease and reg
ularity with which vessels of from 23
to 24 H feet draft have been crossing
In and out at low water, and at quarter
or half tide, offer the strongest possi
ble evidence of the improvement that
Jias followed extension of the Jetty.
There has never been anything prob
lematical or uncertain about the ulti
mate result of this improvement. It
Is and always has been simply a mat
ter of engineering. There Is a certain
amount of water pouring into the sea
from the Columbia River. So long as
this great volume of water straggled
seaward through three or four chan
nels, some of them miles apart, the
greatest depth found in any of them
was unsatisfactory.
The Jetty Is now gradually forcing
this water into one channel, which is
steadily deepening under the increased
scouring pressure produced bv the re
strictions of the jetty. The advantages
to Portland of this increased depth of
water at the river entrance cannot be
over-estimated. There has never been
any question about keeping the chan
nel between Portland and Astoria In
good condition for any vessel that
could cross the bar with safetv, nnd
with that vitally necessarv portion of
the route to the sea in good shape,
there will be small likelihood of ship
owners ever again attempting to dis
criminate against the Columbia River
foundings made during the month of
May show a depth of more than 28
feet on the bar, and it is believed that
the official figures will make an even
more favorable showing. This Is of
course, much better than the depth of
a year ago. but it is only a beginning.
The work of improvement must be
pushed forward until there are not
less than 40 feet of water on the bar
at low tide. There is a sufficient
amount of water passing out o the
Columbia easily to produce this depth,
if it is kept in proper confines.
To connect with this 40-foot
channel, which will be needed by the
ships of the future, there must be a
30-foot channel in the river, which,
of course, will be easier of accomplish
ment than the 40-foot channel on
the bar. The two projects must be
carried on simultaneously, however.
Vessels of 25 and 26-foot draft now
pass from Portland to the sea without
delay, where twenty years ago expen
sive delays and lighterage charges
were necessary for vessels of 16 and
17-foot draft. The building of the
North Bank ' road to Portland
and increased development through
out the Columbia basin have
doubled and trebled the number of
producers who are interested In im
provement of this channel to the sea,
and never again should any difficulty
be experienced in securing the appro
priations necessary to carry on the
great work.
THE KI.FX'TTOX TODAY.
Possibly there may be some disposi
tion to revive the Republican party
in Oregon. Possibly that sentiment
may manifest itself today. True, in
deed, this is not a political election
not an election in which party issues
or divisions are paramount. Never
theless Judge Munly is a Democrat
and is i a candidate for Mayor as a
Democrat. Mr. Simon is the Republi
can candidate, and so, to an extent, it
is a party issue. Mr. Albee is the can
didate of a Republican faction that
contends for a position that it hopes
will give it control of the Republican
party hereafter.
This Is the situation for the election
of today. Of course, we do not for
get the Socialists and Prohibitionists.
Bach of these parties has its candi
dates, and each will poll no inconsid
erable vote.
In a local election, like this, there
can be no clear division on party
lines. On these local Issues many
Democrats will vote for Simon. Con
siderable numbers of Republicans will
vote for Albee. This is a kick of a
Republican faction that is "petering
out." Munly will get a strong vote
on party grounds. As It looks now,
he will be the second man in the race,
but Simon will receive as many votes
as both Munly and Albee.
Local questions and Issues of all
sorts are involved in this municipal
contest, and great numbers, perhaps a
great majority, will vote .on the phases
of these questions as they may be pre
sented to their " minds. Yet certainly
a large number of voters will think It
a good time to cast a vote that may
tend to rehabilitation of the Republican
party in Oregon.
FERRERO AS AN OBSERVER.
Readers of Signor Ferrero's stimu
lating works have begun to suspect
that the distinguished Italian may pos
sibly be something of a George Ber
nard Shaw among historians. His
love of novelty and paradox is so ap
parent that one half questions whether
it does not bewray him now and then
into a preference for startling effect
over sober truth. Of course there Is
no inherent Impossibility that he may
be right about the conduct, characters
and motives of the ancient Romans,
and all other historians wrong, but it
stands to reason that in a field where
Ferrero has so many predecessors,
many of them among the brightest
minds in the world, if what he thinks
he sees had really existed some of
them would have been likely to find It.
We must not forget, however, that
now and then a great discovery has
lain in plain sight for thousands of
years, and savants have walked over
it and stubbed their learned toes on it,
without so much as dreaming that
anything worth while was there. Then
on a day came along some man with
no scales on his eyes and actually saw
it. Thus It was with Gailileo's first
law of motion. Thus it was with
Darwin's formula of natural selection
and the survival of the adapted.
Ferrero has put forward some views
of Roman history which would under
mine a great deal of fine poetry and
make no end of oratorical flights ab
surd if they were to prove tenable.
Take Shakespeare's Cleopatra, for ex
ample, the serpent of old Nile, she
whom age could not wither nor custom
stale. Ferrero has withered her with
a stroke of his blighting pen, and
transformed her into a disagreeable
old hag, homely and cunning. To ex
plain the miracle of her performance
at Actium, he has posed us with the
greater miracle of Antony's falling In
love with such a specter. Aside from
little plays of this sort, which are man
ifestly directed to the galleries, Fer
rero has done one valuable service to
Roman history. He has applied to its
interpretation more thoroughly, than
any of his predecessors the economic
idea. In his opinion the Important
events of the ages which led up to the
empire and the splendid reign of Au
gustus were the consequences of
economic changes. This opinion,
taken by itself, will not be overthrown
and in assigning greater weight to the
vicissitudes of agriculture, commerce
and exchange than Gibbon has done
or any preceding historian, Ferrero
has undoubtedly brought us nearer to
the exact truth. Still it is one thing
to discern causes and another to trace
their effects. We may admit that
Ferrero has done the first feat; it Is
by no means certain that he has been
so successful with the second.
His recent observations upon Ameri
can affairs seem to indicate that the
Italian historian of Rome is neither a
very accurate observer nor yet a cor
rect Interpreter of what he does see.
To jump to the conclusion that he is
equally inaccurate in writing history
would not be strictly just, because a
man may walk through the living
world with his eyes shut and still see
the world of books, inscriptions and
monuments clearly enough with his
mental vision. All the same It was
hard to fool Gibbon concerning the
affairs of his own time, and there have
been few shrewder practical charac
ters than Xenophon. Ferrero has
been writing some articles on America
for the Paris Figaro in which he says
among other astonishing things that
our Government exercises unheard of
authority over corporations. Suppose
the novelties he has published about
Horace and Cicero were as ignorant?
Of course they are not. for Signor Fer
rero has read all the documents touch
ing on Roman history; but where un
der heaven did he get any such notion
about the relations between our Gov
ernment and the stiff-necked corpora
tions? In his own country, the gov
ernment owns the railroads. So does
the government of France, for the
most part, and that of Germany, too.
Here the most the authorities have
done toward controlling the railroads
is to forbid with more or less success
the habit of rebating and make some
doubtful regulations about fares and
combinations. The very idea of gov
ernment ownership or anything like
real control of the railroads Is strange
to us and to many citizens repulsive.
The fact known to every student of
social subjects is that corporations in
this country do pretty nearly as they
like, while In Europe they are driven
with a firm hand and a tight rein. The
governments of Germany, France and
Italy, though they have experienced
many vicissitudes, have for all that
usually been in the habit of govern
ing, while ours has pretty generally
applied the Jeffersonian principle of
permitting things to run themselves.
Government with us for the first cen
tury and a- quarter of our National
life, admitting some notable interludes
of efficiency, consisted mainly In spin
ning Intricate theories about the con
stitution and drawing salaries and pen
sions. Naturally, therefore, when the
great modern corporations began to
develop, the European nations had a
marked advantage over us. Their
rovernmer,t foa v.,
' ' - ... v. .11.., 1I1ULI1C1U 0.0
they had faced many others just as
difncujl, and mastered it forthwith.
Our government began to debate about
its authority and ended in a sea of
words, while the corporations strength
ened themselves and finally barely
missed capturing the constituiton Itself.
Very likely in course of time they will
be brought to obey the law which has
first created them and then taken
fright at its monstrous children, but to
say that they are tyrannized over is
absurd.
the nr.niKs of promoters.
Political promoters at Portland, who
are endeavoring to commit the city
to the inauguration of a municipal
light plant, in the construction and
management of which they expect to
have a hand, obtain and publish state
ments from officials at Seattle to prove
how successful the system is there,
and what it "saves" to the city.
Seattle, observe, Is In the bond-selling
stage and construction stage of
this business. Money is plenty now
still coming in from bonds and
projects of extension go finely on At
this tentative stage, and in the face
of private competition which there Is
a struggle to crush, the natural thing
for the promoters and officials, who
wish to justify themselves, is to reduce
rates, boast of it, and trust to future
taxation to make up deficits. This is
the process at Seattle. It's the old
thing, tried in many a town and city,
always with the same result. The
reason lies 'on the face of things, in
the general experience that no great
public enterprise. Involving labor,
management. skill, efficiency and
ceaseless care, can be carried on under
public administration as cheaply and
efficiently as under private direction.
For illustration of the accuracy and
trustworthiness of the processes upon
which results are obtained from figures
borrowed from Seattle, some of the
advertisements published by our ex
ploiters to influence the vote at Port
land today tell us that under the sys
tem of public control "Seattle gets her
light at rates 100 per cent below those
of Portland!" That would cut out
the whole cost and make the supply of
light at Seattle free. But your po
litical promoter, who expects to ob
tain the reward for his patriotic en
deavor somehow out of "the system,"
Isn't troubled by a thing, like that. He
is the high-minded philosopher, to
whom figures can't He, and who follows
"the truth," whithersoever it leads
him.
WHY EMPLOY TORTURE?
In refusing the other day to convict
a burglar who had been tortured by
the police to make him confess, the
Chicago jury perhaps allowed their
humanity to get the better of their
prudence, but it is difficult to blame
them for it. The practice of torture
in the secret chambers of police de
partments seems to persist in spite of
the law and the teachings of common
sense. It Is thinly disguised under
the humorous name of "third degree,"
but changing Its name does not change
its nature, nor does it make evidence
thus obtained any more reliable.
Records from the days when torture
was a regular judicial process to ob
tain evidence shows that it produced
much more falsehood than truth. A
witness upon the rack would say any
thing his tormentors desired in order
to secure a cessation of misery or a
speedy death. It was more from the
knowledge that it failed of Its pur
pose than from humanity that tor
ture was abolished In civilized coun
tries by law. That it is so often re
tained here by the arbitrary practice
of the police is no credit to our system
of criminal procedure.
Obviously the police resort to it to
save themselves trouble. It is so much
easier to obtain what passes for evi
dence by beating a prisoner or knock
ing his teeth out, or giving him the
"water treatment" than it is to make
an honest Investigation of the facts
that the temptation to officials Is
naturally strong. Their mode of life,
their association with criminals and
toughs, tends to brutalize them, and
in time they think nothing of inflict
ing the severest injuries upon a per
son to compel him to own to a sup
posed crime. Of course, If they tor
ment him enough, he will confess to
anything they accuse him of. Evi
dence wrung from a prisoner by tor
ture has no weight in court. Juries
invariably .discredit it, and the Chicago
case shows that they are even willing
to go farther and make it a ground for
acquittal. What is gained then by ap
plying the torture? Nothing except
perhaps some transient reputation for
acuteness in discovering crime.
With today's election the end of city
government by suspicion, prejudice
and whimsy Is doubtless in sight. Take
the case of Chief Campbell. Mayor
Lane makes up his mind that the
Fire Department is all wrong In face
of frequent and regular demonstrations
that it is efficient and well handled,
and he sets out after Chief Campbell's
scalp. He has so far failed to get it,
since he has been unable to prove any
thing against the . Chief. The latest
trouble is about those fire engines.
Bids are called for several engines.
The specifications are prepared under
direction of the fire Chief, and three
of the four fire engine manufacturers
of the United States offer bids, utterly
disproving the Mayor's contention of
"fixed" specifications In favor of one
concern. But this one concern hap
pens to submit the lowest bid, and the
Mayor s Executive Board accepts it
and prepares to close the contract. But
is the Mayor done for? Certainly not.
He adopts the simple expedient of re
fusing to sign the contract. Why? No
reason, except that he won't. That's
all. But perhaps he will before the
courts are through, since to the courts
the matter has gone. Yet it is rather
discouraging to any person or firm
having business with the city to have
to go into court to compel the city to
enter Into a contract or carry out an
obligation that was made or assumed
on its terms, and that is repudiated or
held up because the successful bidder
happens not to be persona grata to the
Mayor.
"The boldest band of buccaneers
that ever got together," is the classifi
cation given the Senate finance com
mittee by Senator Tillman. It is per
haps needless to say that the fiery
Southern Senator must have been left
out on some of the cruises which this
band of buccaneers have been making.
It was Senator Tillman who. In making
a plea for an. appropriation for one
of the worthless navy-yards in his dis
trict in the South, advanced the argu
ment that he had "stood In" for every
appropriation that had been asked for
Uv on naa,Deen asl"
! by his colleagues for similar sch
ernes.
without making too close a scrutiny of
its merits. And yet there are certain
features of this prolonged tariff legis
lation that suggest that a less appro
priate name than "buccaneers" might
be applied to quite a number of the
patriots who have their fingers in the
tariff revision pie. '
Through an injunction Issued by the
United States Circuit Court at St. Paul,
the Interstate Commerce Commission
has been restrained from enforcing its
order compelling the opening of the
"Portland Gateway" . for passenger
traffic bound to Seattle. This order
will probably tie the matter up in
court until after the exposition is- over
and the need of an open gateway Is
less pronounced. The failure of the
contending roads to reach any kind of
an agreement on this matter hardly
bears out the original reports of the
Harriman-Hill peace pact. The in
convenience and annoyance that must
be experienced by the traveling public
until the Portland Gateway Is opened
should appeal to the railroad managers
with sufficient force to cause a change
in their policy.
United societies of German-Americans,
representing large part of the
German-speaking population of the
city, have Issued a sheet which at
tempts analysis and comparison of the
various measures on the ballot to be
used today, with recommendation to
the elector how to mark his ballot
Yes or No. Rejection of the proposed
charter is advised; also rejection of
the electric light bonds and the bridges
at Broadway, Market and Sherman
streets. Electors are advised to vote
Yes on the proposition to pay princi
pal and interest on water bonds o.ut of
the water fund; also Yes on the pro
posal that the city shall pay out of the
water fund the cost of all mains of ten
inches size or more. They favor also
the crematory bonds.
Perhaps Judge Munly may be elect
ed. But The Oregonian thinks not. He
Is reported as having said, last night,
that the election of Mr. Simon would
be disgraceful and highly injurious to
the city, adding:
It Is due, perhaps, to this pervasive feel
ing ot dreaded public evils at the menace
of Mr. Simon's candidacy, as well as to the
arousing of the civic conscience, that I
have had a cordial reception by the people
In every part of the city visited by me.
The statement Is not creditable to
Mr. Munly. It becomes not a candi
date to speak thus about a competi
tor, and at the same time to assume
for himself a character of superior
personal conscience and civic virtue.
No speech is lovely that carries such
assumptions, and a canting tone with
them.
"Skinny" Madden, the Chicago labor
leader charged with extortion by de
manding $1000 for calling off a strike
which should not have been ordered,
has been convicted, but has taken an
appeal to a higher court. On being
convicted, Mj. Madden said that he
considered the verdict a "bad thing for
unionism." It Is hardly probable that
legitimate, honest "unionism" will
agree with Its recreant leader. The
verdict-was a bad thing for the partic
ular, kind of "unionism" exploited by
Madden. For the other kind, it was
decidedly advantageous, as it serves to
correct the impression that all union
labor sanctions the acts of Its leaders,
whether such acts are lawful or other
wise. Over in Helena the Government has
begun suit to recover mineralized
lands from the Northern Pacific. The
Government's attorneys there, like
those in Portland, must be young men,
who expect to live a large part of the
time the matter shall rest in the courts.
Perhaps it would clear matters up
somewhat in the quarreling Demo
cratic party if it could be arranged
first to give every Democrat a Job;
and then to pass out what is left to an
occasional Republican.
Perhaps Lightweight Nelson could
"lick" Heavyweight Mlstah Johnson.
There's no need of Jim Jeffries lower
ing his dignity if Nelson can save the
white race from its present disgrace.
You might reach a. compromise in
those thirty-five initiative measures by
voting Yes on the few you understand
and approve, and No on those you op
pose or don't understand.
Mr. Kellaher was loudest of all the
candidates, saying they were in the
fight to finish. It's too bad that the
white feather has not a weaker voice.
Vote early today and not oftener
than once. Except that you should
vote No about thirty times, more or
less, on those .initiative measures.
Prisoner Martin, In the County Jail,
says opium is the worst enemy of
mankind. No, there is one yet worse
the man who eats opium.
Strange why the British should fear
German Invasion. Every invasion thus
far has improved British character.
The defeated candidates will find
In the roses the beauty and purity they
were so eager for in politics.
Roses, if nothing else, v ought to
cheer up the flagging candidates.
Don't worry about a
isn't going to be any.
"flood." There
AS TO UNEARNED VALVE.
A Profeisor of Political Economy X'n
mnszles His W isdom' on It.
PULLMAN, Wash., June 5. (To .the Ed
itor.) I was surprised to read your edito
rial on "A Phase of Socialistic Jargon" In
the Issue of June 3. The Oregonian has
too high a standard to afford to Indulge In
editorials of such & nature, which bring it
dows to the level of some of Its contem
poraries In the Northwest; for The Ore
gonian' style and character , lmve been
above those of other papers In this part
of the United States. When y011 refer to
the Idea of "unearned values" (or "un
earned Increments" or "surplus value") as
"merest Summery, fudge, gibberish and bal
derdash" you gain nothing. Language akin
to billingsgate is not reason or reasonable.
Whatever we may think about Socialism,
It is but fair to acknowledge the validity
of certain contributions Socialists have
made to economic thought. Unearned val
ues Involve real problems - which are not
at present as pressing as they will be In a
decade or two. When you remark that
"the phrase, unearned value, is never heard
except from the mouth of some most- shal
low person." you are striking out blindly.
Professor Sellgman, of Columbia . Univer
sity, than whom there la no more scholarly
economist in this country and who Is known
as a conservative, once remarked that Karl
Marx was one of two of the greatest eco
nomic thinkers in the nineteenth century.
One of the keenest discussions of value Is
found in Marx's chapters on surplus value.
It can do no harm If we give Socialists,
or even anarchists, a square deaL Pas
sionate bigotry serves no good purpose.
Very respectfully yours,
CHARLES B. eTANGBLAND,
(Professor of Political Economy.)
The Reply Direct.
Dear Sir. I have your letter of June 5th.
You misunderstand. Your language Is that
merely of "bookish theoric." Our differ
ence arises, I suppose, from point of view.
Point of view, on either side, depends. I fur
ther suppose, on our different and differing
relations with the world of affairs. I rely
and have always relied upon my own In
itiative. You, a professor of political econ
omy in an institution supported by the
state, rely on the state. You are a Social
ist; perhaps don't know it certainly don't
wish to acknowledge It. I detest the whole
creed and all the suggestions of Soclalirm;
for It Is a scher.ie to compel the active,
earnest, industrious and willing members of
society to carry the lazy, ignorant, idle,
worthless and vicious to compel this policy
by law.
As to property, my position is that a
man owning property Is entitled has a
right to the growing value of it. From
your letter I suppose you think yourself pre
pared to deny. this. Perhaps that is natu
ral, on the part of one accustomed to draw
his support from the public treasury. What
I call the natural growth of the property
to the owner you call "unearned" and think
government ought to take It away from the
owner. I do not. Moreover, If this be the
true doctrine or p'olicy, there can be no ac
cumulation of property.
You study your textbooks and dream over
them I am a man who knows what "im
probus labor" Is. What I gain by my labor
and by the growth of the value of the prop
erty 1 have acquired Is rightfully mine. Of
course I pay all taxes. But I Insist that
taxes shall be moderate and reasonable; and
I deny that the Government has the right,
or that It Is Its duty to confiscate the value
of my property and use It for support of
"society" on the notions of socialistic the
orists, or any other. This theory of property,
moreover. Is the theory of those defined by
the Roman historian, as "eager for the
wealth of others, prodigal of their own."
Little Is new In this old world.
I say government has no right to confis
cate the natural growth of one's property
on the assumption that the owner has not
"earned" it. Government may. of course,
confiscate one's whole property; but Is It
right? Government Is omnipotent. But to
set up the theory that Government may con
fiscate growth of values Is to aestroy the
basis of property and society. The theory
that this Is eeclal Justice Is absurd, and
government would do well to stop support
of colleges that teach such stuff. The
sooner, therefore, the colleges of all the
land stop' commendation of Karl Marx as
"a great economic thinker" the better. Were
you even passably acquainted with the
modern literature of economics, you would
know that Marx was sent to the dust heap
long ago. ron't quote your stale, discred
ited, socialist authors to me. There Isn't a
thinker or man of affairs who doesn't know
that most of the theoretical stuff taught In
the colleges. In the name of "political
economy" is a curse to the country, and
the rest of It of no actual use.
udn not written very courteously, I
know.
uut your letter from the chair of
political economy at Pullman Is of so lordly
an air as to. call for answer with plainness.
II. W. S.
Professor Chas. E. Stangeland, "Professor of
Political Bconomjr." Pullman. Washlpgton
VANCOUVER'S COSTLY VESITCRE.
Tried Municipal Ownership ot Lights,
nnd Lost Heavily.
PORTLAND, Or.. June 6. (To the
Editor.) Whoever wants to know
something of the glory and beauty of
municipal electric light plants should
try and find out something of the his
tory of a similar venture just across
the state line at the City of Van
couver. It is but a very fw years
since that city Invested In a complete
plant and secured a manager and nec
essary force to run the establishment
the people own, so to speak. By
some strange and mysterious combina
tion of circumstances, the great public
utility establishment began to derl
orate, the lights with equal regularity
grew dimmer and dimmer, the bills
for light service got higher and high
er, while the cost of operating and
maintaining the people's own electric
light plant kept steadily increasing, in
fact, the management of the public
utility plant announced that It would
require entirely new equipment, serv
ice cables, etc This, of course, meant
a new issue of bonds, more taxes
wherewith to pay more Interest and
many other pleasing features which
form so inseparable part of municipal
enterprise.
A cry of despair had gone forth
from the sovereign taxpayers "Come,
let us dispose of the public utility
plant." became the battle-cry of the
citizens of Vancouver. "We have had
all we want of city light, with its of
ficeholders, plants, wire-pulling, etc"
They advertised for bids, sold the plant
at a most melancholy price and freed
themselves from the bunco game of
municipal public utility sham, with Its
extravagant expenditures and accumu
lation of debt.
E. C. BROWNING.
Kansas Experiment in "Deep" Books.
Kansas City (Mo.) Dispatch.
A girl in Ottawa, Kan., having been
told by her mother not to bring any
more books from the library unless
they were "deep" books, the next day
marched up to the circulation desk and
asked for Jules Verne's "Twenty Thou
sand. Leagues Under the Sea,"
Power ot Mind and Teeth.
Philadelphia Dispatch.
Elizabeth Nugent, of Bustleton, Pa.,
declared that In a fit of coughing she
had swallowed her artificial teeth, and
was hurried to a hospital, where. In
preparing her for an operation, a nurse
found the teeth in a. seam of the girl's
dress.
HOW KELLAHER "GOES IT BLIXD."
No Previous Provision for Installation
of Lighting; Plant. '
PORTLAND, June 6. (To the Ed
itor.) A few days ago t asked Mr.
Kellaher, through the columns of The
Oregonian. whether or not the commis
sioners which will have charge of the
proposed municipal lighting plant have
had any experience in the operation of
an electric light and power system,
either municipal or private; and so far
he has not answered me. Why not?
It Is very important that the commis
sion have knowledge of how to oper
ate a system of this sort, as its suc
cess depends upon the officers whom
theywlll select and the men whom
they In turn will also select.
There are several municipal plants
In this country which are operating
at a profit and giving good service at
the same time and there are plants
which are doing the very opposite. This
all depends on how the plant is man
aged. I would like to ask Mr. Kellaher a
few more questions. Has he asked the
local power company whether they
will supply power at a low rate of 1
or 2 cents per kilowatt hour?. If they
will, it would not be necessary to Issue
2,000,000 of bonds and run the risk of
losing It by Inefficient operation.
Does he know that from 40 per cent
to 60 per cent of power generated at
the cower house by the turbines .41 am
assuming that water will be used to
generate power. Inasmuch as It is the
cheapest and is the basis for his com
parative statements of the Seattle
plant and Portland's proposed plant) Is
lost In transmission to the lames and
motors? Has he calculated this?
Where will he put the plant if it -is
constructed? Why has he not told us
before? Who has ever heard of a
power corporation Issuing bonds before
it has selected a power site on which
the operation of the plant and conse
quently the system depends as far as
the supply of power goes? Who would
buy a bond of a company of that sort?
Why has not Mr. Kellaher come out
with everything and told us where this
plant will be built and of the operating
efficiency of the men of the commis
sion? Are the people of Portland going
to be mislead by a man who will give
only part of the Information of an ex
pensive project of this sort?
Again, does he know that there are
three power corporations: Mount Hood
Railway & Power Company, Oregon
Light & Power Company and the Port
land Water Power & Electric Company,
that Intend to build power lines to
Portland In the near future? With four
companies in the field, is it necessary
to have a municipal lighting plant?
Monday the citizens of Portland will
decide whether this city will go farther
Into debt and construct a $2,000,000
power system on such meager Informa
tion as Mr. Kellaher has given so far.
You should vote "no" on a thing like
this. RICHARD DAVIS, E. E.
HIGH SALARIES OBJECTIONABLE
This Reason Urgred Aeralnst City Gov
ernment by Commission Amendment.
PORTLAND, June 5. (To the Ed-'
ltor.) I want to Indorse what The
Oregonian has said about the pro
posed new charter. .
It seems to me that the said pro
posed charter ought to be rejected be
cause of the high salaries it proposes
to pay the city officers If for no
other reason. The argument that high
salaries will secure better administra
tive ability Is fallacious and mislead
ing, If not pernicious. A high salary
attracts the plunder element In public
affairs. It loes not attract 'conscience,
or a high sense of honor. It appeals
directly to cupidity and personal ad
vantage. It Is the pool In which the
plunger swims and grows ponderous.
An honest, self-respecting man would
be satisfied with modest compensation
and the gratification he would have
In the sense that he had served his
fellow citizens well and faithfully.
Nay, there are competent men who
would not regard the money 'compen
sation at all, as George Washington
did not in the Revolutionary War. He
got his pay in a high sense of duty
discharged, and there are men of that
kind alive yet.
A man who regards the salary as
the chief thing in securing a public
office is not well qualified to dis
charge the duties of office to the high
est and best interest of the public. He
takes the place for his own personal
advantage and not from a sense of
duty. It is not more ability that Is
needed In public office, but more In
tegrity, more downright honesty. Al
most any good average citizen has
sense enough to run a city office as
it ought to be run, but a good many
who have sense enough do not want to
run it that way. Too many regard
office as an opportunity to make
money, by any means within reach
and high salaries attract Just that kind
of people.
The salaries proposed In the sug
gested charter, I think, are twice as
much as they ought to be. and for that
reason the amendment ought to be
voted down. LEVI W. MYERS.
T 1
Method of a Snake-kllllngr Dos.
Lewiston (Me.) Correspondence Phila
delphia Record.
Edward McCoy, of this city, who Is In
charge of a gang of men engaged In
peeling bark on the mountains ad
jacent to Granville, reports that Tow
ser, the camp dog, killed a six-foot
blacksnake. The dog is a peculiar
specimen, with the trait of kindness
to children, but loathing a snake. The
dog circled 'round and 'round his
coiled-up snakeshlp just beyond strik
ing distance, darting backward and
forward as opportunity appeared to
afford, until finally the snake was
caught oft Its guard, and, grasping It
back of the neck, he shook It as a
terrier would a rat. On examination
It was found that the reptile's back
was broken In three places.
Pis; That Barks Like .a Dos.
Saco (Me.) Dispatch to the New York
v World.
Fred M. Thlm, of this city, a well
known electrician and railroad man.
has at his home In lower Beach street
a pig that barks like a dog.
The black and white markings of
the pig are much like a hound. Its
ears also much resemble those of a
hound In their size, shape and the way
they hang.
Mr. Thim has had many visitors to
see the animal and hear it bark. All
say It Is startling to hear such sounds
come from a pig, and there is an im
pulse to Jump.
Trolley Poles as Fire-alarms.
Philadelphia Dispatch.
When fire breaks out In Caldwell, N.
J., the firemen are summoned by beat
ing upon the hollow steel poles that
carry the trolley wires. When the first
alarm is sounded others rush to the
poles with clubs, and soon the" air re
sounds with noises that may be heard
for miles through the valley. Then
.the - locomotive whistles In the Erie
railroad yards scream and the firemen
quickly respond from the four corners
of the town.
Not a Bomb,' bnt a Rnllfrogr.
Camden (N. J.) Dispatch.
An Italian shoemaker, of Belleville,
N. J., was badly frightened by sounds
coming from a box which a stranger
asked him to hold for a while. Think
ing a bomb was inside, a policeman
was called, who opened the box. out
of which jumped a big bullfrog.
WOE! WOE! IF THIS BILL PASSES.
Here's a Breesy bnt Truthful Letter
on McKenna Measnre.
PORTLAND, June 6. (To the Editor.)
The Baloon has long. been the football
of politics, and legislation directed against
the saloonkeeper, the liquor dealer and
tho brewer is the principal amusement of
many politicians. The mixologist makes
a fine target, and the missies thrown at
him are not bouquets, but meant to hurt.
About every scheme on the calendar has
been worked at his expense. In Portland
this year he faces what seems to be about
the last word In legislation this side of
prohibition. Mr. McKenna is after him,
and Mr. McKenna can think of more ways
to make his life burdensome than any pro
hibitionist yet heard from. If the Mc
Kenna act becomes law the Portland
liquor men will write a new Book of Job.
If the people of Portland will drink,
Mr. McKenna proposes that they shall
do it in sackcloth and ashes. His law
confines the retailing of liquor to the sa
loon, and makes of the saloon a place
where none would journey unaccompanied
by a colossal grouch. The thirsty who
have the temerity to enter a saloon will
drink on parade, because Mr. McKenna
will have no paint on the glass doors or
windows, nor anything obstructing full
view from the sidewalk. Those who walk
may rubber In and feast their gaze upon
the unhappy performers. Neither will
there be joy nor comfort Inside the saloon.
Chairs are taboo likewise benches or
seats of any description.- Music there may
not be even the phonograph Is on the
blacklist and the saloonkeeper may not
Indulge a taste In art, pottery or shrub
bery. The patron must stand up and
drink swiftly, thus fostering the treat
ing habit, for It will be desirable to drink
deeply and be gone. Nothing but real
coin of the realm will be accepted in ex
change for liquid Joy. Symbols or tokens
In the line of beer checks, "come-backs"
or "splits" are rigidly barred. The sa-'
loon must consist of one room, with but
one entrance. If the Ice man bumps your
shinbone with a 100-lb. hunk of congeal
ment, don't cuss him out, but blame It
on Mr. McKenna.
The hotelman is placed on the retired
list. He may have no bar, nor may he
keep anything malt, spiritous, vinous or
jaguous for sale. He may serve drinks
In his public dining-room, but only with
a meal, and only in sealed bottles. He
may not serve a guest In hi3 room. The
process of serving drinks with meals in
the dining-room is elaborate. The hotel
man must go outside his own establish
ment, make an outright purchase of a
saloonkeeper, and bring the proceeds of
this transaction to his guest. Then and
there, with proper ceremony and ade
quate solemnity, the boniface may draw
the cork. The McKenna act reserves
unto him this Inestimable privilege. All
drinks served In hotel dining-rooms will
require this stately though complicated
function, because only drinks in sealed
bottles may be served. It will be seen
from this that Mr. McKenna has an eye
particularly on the Insidious cocktail,
that preliminary canter fo a good dinner.
It is a mixed drink. It must be com
pounded. It must go, as must the hilari
ous highball, the reckless rickey, the gey
sering gin-fizz, and all other drinks gre
garious, miscellaneous and indeterminate.
They are anathema. They are mixed.
The guest may drink, but, by Heck! he
will drink a whole bottle or drink not
at all. .
The McKenna act does not overlook the
brewer cr the wholesale liquor dealer.
Heretofore they have supplied to Port
land families fhe beer, wine or spirits
for home consumption. The new law
would make It Illegal. They may sell
only to licensed saloonkeepers. The staid
citizen who has sorter sidestepped the
saloon, and taken an occasional jorum at
odd times, in the sanctity of his home,
will have to replenish his supplies piece
meal, at fhe saloon, or do without. This
means going to the saloon and making
his purchase in full view of the passing
throng, and. being there, he might as
well treat himself or any acquaintance
he may meet, later proceeding to his
home with a bundle under his arm and
such dignity of demeanor as he can mus
ter. All suitcases seen downtown on
Saturday afternoons and evenings will not
be coming from or going to the railroad
depots. Shoe boxes, lunch baskets and
various innocent-appearing contraptions
will cover a multitude of sins and some
liquor. Tailors will have t'o make larger
hip pockets for Portland's trousers.
Just how the clubs will wriggle around
the law does not yet appear. It being
unlawful to retail liquor In any room
other than that . used for saloon pur
poses, and that room restricted tn
lng but one entrance, no chairs, benches
or seats of any sort, no tables, either
card, pool or billiard, no music or games,
the clubs will not attract the gentlemen
who have hitherto lolled In undisturbed
comfort at the Commercial, Arlington
University, Elks. Concordia and other
palaces of luxury and good cheer.
Life Is real, life is earnest, and a drink
is not its goal. Still, it's often a friendly
milepost. But if we are good, we will
be happy, and Mr. McKenna Is trving to
make us good. His formula is simple:
Make it so blamed uncomfortable and
conspicuous to drink at all that we will
all swear off: hammer the saloonkeeper
Into retirement or a blind pig; put the
hotels and clubs out of commission, and
put such a crimp In the wholesaler and
brewer that they will sell out and move
their businesses to Idaho.
Then the millenium!
GEORGE E. FAREWELL.
Jl'G-HAXDLED FINANCIAL SCHEME
So Writer Labels Gothenburg Liquor
Plan to Rob Clly of Revenue.
PORTLAND, June 5. (To the Ed
itor.) What will be the result of the
"500,000-ln-1912" movement, started off
and carried along with such enthusi
asm. If the Gothenburg petition be
comes a law?
If this corporation obtains a fran
chise giving It a monopoly of the
liquor trade of the City of Portland
for ten years, under the agreement that
it shall pay to the city an average of
$382,500 yearly, the city will re
ceive Into its treasury no more revenue
with a population of 500,000 in 1912,
than with our present population, nor
would It receive any more until the
expiration of the Gothenburg fran
chise, no matter how great the popu
lation. Putting aside ,all other arguments,
isn't this a jug-handled financial
scheme entirely In favor of the pri
vate parties behind the Gothenburg
movement? Messrs. Crofton and Mc
Allister advance the argument that
their scheme is not only a solution of
the liquor question, but Is very ad
vantageous to the city from a point
of revenue. They fail to state wherein
this will be true under a population
greater than we now have.
Of course the Gothenburg plan will
not be adopted by the people, but the
specious arguments advanced by Its
promoters should be exposed so that
few, if any, of our citizens will be
fooled by them.
If we want "500.000 In 1912." we do
not want the proposed Gothenburg
system, any more that we want the
drastic and fanatical McKenna act.
Half a million population in three
years Is not chimerical, and progress
toward this much-wislied-for consum
mation will continue along sane,
orderly lines.
GEORGE I. THOMPSON.