10
Q)t Bnhxxm
rORTLAND, OREGON.
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PORTLAM), FRIDAY. JUKE 18. 1909.
CORPORATION TAX AND INCOME TAX.
i The contest now In the Senate Is be
tween the corporation tax and the In
come tax. The President takes the side
of those who favor the corporation tax,
yet who propose amendment of the
Constitution, so as to remove the diffi-
culty or obstacle presented by the de
cision of the Supreme Court against in
come tax. This decision stands on the
srronnd stated In the Constitution, that
direct taxes shall be apportioned
among the several states according to
(their respective numbers; but the pro
i vision was based on conditions that
jaslnce have been superseded by our in
dustrial and political growth. Never
theless, the text of the Constitution
jetanris.
There was an Income tax for a per
I Jod of ten years, covering the time of
the Civil War and a considerable term
thereafter. The Supreme Court was
tiot called to pass, directly, on Its con
stitutionality. It was a revenue tax for
;nn emergency, and when the emer
i itoncy passed It was repealed. Its con
stitutionality during that period was
ttiot seriously challenged.
The income tax again was enacted in
'3 893. It was part of the Wilson rev
enue bill. Then it was challenged. The
Supreme Court then went into the
eubject, and by a majority of one, of
nine Judges, pronounced it unconstitu
tional. On strict interpretation of the
"Constitution on the technical letter
ttoubtlesH It Is. But all the conditions
inf industry and taxation and relations
iof activities of individuals and of cor
1 poratlons to the state have changed
iwithin these one hundred and twenty
years. The personnel or composition of
the Supreme Court has been changed
as to the majority) since the decision
'was announced. How would the Su
preme Court hold on the question now?
Even then the decision hinged on the
decision of a single Judge, who had
Shifted his position, changed his mind.
From the historical point of view his
nrgument was sound. But radical
changes of conditions have always
forced men from old interpretations to.
iev.
An Income tax Is a Juster tax tKan
B corporation tax. On this fact atten
tion Is concentrated by "the insur
gents" In the Senate. The corporation
. tax, the tax on the profits or dividends
' of corporations, will be charged, as
-taxes, to the expense of doing the
1 business of the corporation, and will be
'taken largely out of the funds due to
lthe small stockholders. An Income
, tax, on the contrary, would pass over
'most of these.
President Taft himself has said that
J the believes an Income tax law could
;1e drawn which would be held con
stitutional. The division of the Su
preme Court on the subject, years
ago, leaves scarcely a doubt of it.
Tax on the dividends of corpora
tions again is unfair, because it leaves
Individual persons and partnerships,
edoing the same kind of business as a
multitude of the corporations, untaxed.
Kit seems that only a few of the great
Itrust corporations are in the mind of
ft hose who propose this tax. Great as
they are, they are yet insignificant
fin comparison with the multitude of
rvmall corporations, through which
Treat part of the business of the coun
try is done. President Taft says, how
ever, that the corporation tax is "an
?xclse tax upon the privilege of do
ting business as an artificial entity and
(f freedom from general partnership
liability enjoyed by those who own the
Imtock." But the ' corporation Is a
! creature of the state, not of the Na
tional Government; and the state
J taxes, it on this basis already taxes
fix. ior tne privilege of doing business
433 a corporation. In this remark
President Taft shows less discern
ment than he has been credited with
liitherto. The business of the General
overnment is with the Individual
nritlzen, not with state corporations
'artificial bodies, of state creation. The
t;tte may tax them for the privilege
'of their existence, for it has created
fthein. But can, or should, the Gen
eral Government tax them? It is a
Jlax that probably will be resisted, not
'Improbably with success.
1 ! It Is urged, however, that there
."would be a political advantage In go
ring before the country with a revenue
I bill containing a tax on corporations.
; Possibly; and yet In all these things
(3-eason, in the long run, must prevail,
land balance of considerations of Jus
'tlee. Corporations Just now are odi
ous; the very name is an offense which
suggests repression. But the corpor
; ntion after all 1s a legitimate Instru
ment of business, and all of them
should not be treated as robbers be
vause of the excess of some of them.
Taxes should be laid on principles of
Justice and fairness, not on the notion I
tr aaaing to the popularity of men or
parties. Expedients, which violate
right principles, cannot in the long
run succeed. An individual Income
' tax U a fairer tax than this corpora
tion tax. On this point the "insur
gent" Senators are strongly In the
right.
There Is some Justice In the conten
tion that county roads should not be
used for automobile speed contests.
' The racetrack Is the place for these,
jjust as It la the place for horse races.
The public highway is built by the
public and maintained by the public
for the ordinary needs of traffic. It is
not In any sense a racetrack, and to
' use it for speeding purposes, either by
automobile or horses, is greatly to In
convenience and endanger the public.
, As stated by E. L. Thorp, who is good
: authority on the subject, before the
; Multnomah district Pomona Grange
: at Lents a few days ago, both the Base
'XJne, and Section Un roads lor come
miles east of this city were practically
v juuut; jus uangerous tor j
ordinary traffic for nearly two weeks j
prior to the automobile races of last '
week, on account of the speeding ma
. i
chines. This was little less than on
outrage UPOn the rights nf tr. farmpr
and should not again be allowed.
GERMANY AND ENGLAND.
We print gladly the letter from the
secretary of the Consolidated German
Speaking Societies of Oregon. . Yet It
icavta me question unanswerea, vv ny
does Germany build so great a navy?
We know iwhv Vie maintains th
,....... . . i .. i .i t . . . i 1
B . caicsi Bl UIJ 111 1.115 WUL1U. -Dill wuy
aoes sne also want so great a navy? I
We know why England wants a great
nn.-., T I . 1 I
""I j . i pi ctwcij iui Lilt: saints rco- i
son that Germany supports a great
army. It is for purposes of defense.
The positions of these two great na
tions in the world are altogether dif
ferent. Germany must find her de
fense in her army; England In her
navy.
The letter Rhnwv a. rinstlHtv. nn the
part of our German people towards
tne Ji;ngiisn. that we had not sup
posed could exist. It seems to menace
war. Upon reading It one can under
stand more clearly than before the
apprehensions of the English and
their feverish haste to build battleships.
As for ourselves, in America, we are
without feeling of favor for either party
or prejudice against either; and we
shall never Interfere un 1 prq mi nwn
national interests shall be imperilled.
by the action of the one or the other.
Yet it is apparent that Germany needs
no enormous fiehtlnsr fleet fnr hor A
fense, but that England dq.es.
LEGITIMATE I T TV RE TRADING.
"Viewed either from a moral or a
strictly legitimate commercial stand
point, there should be a wide and deen
chasm between margin gambling and
legitimate buying and selling on the
stock and grain exchanges. Unfortu
nately for the legitimate end of this
method and correspondingly fortunate
for the margin gamblers, the chasm is
mlSSinCT and the faint ltn'f riomayr-a
tion is at times entirely lost sight of.
i ne report of the Hughes Investigat
ing committee, confessing its inability
to distinguish the difference between
proper and improper transactions, will
not surprise any one who makes use of
the exchanges for either gambling or
legitimate buying and selling. . It Is
doubtful even If the demand for a 20
per cent margin, as recommended by
the committee, can be regarded with
unqualified favor by the men who use
the exchange market places for no
other purpose than for handling their
legitimate business.
There is much less excuse for exist
ence of the stock exchange than there
is for the grain exchange. The latter
has become a necessity In systematiz
ing the marketing of the crop, and en
abling distribution to be spread over
the entire year instead of being con
fined to a few months at close of har
vest. To insure the working of their
great plants, millers must contract for
wheat many months in advance, and it
is the advantages of trading in futures
on the grain exchanges which make
possible preparation for distant busi
ness that could not be accepted if the
miller were obliged to take his chances
on securing the grain when he had
contracted to deliver his flour many
months hence.
If the miller is a man of some finan
cial standing, as it might naturally be
assumed he would be. It hardly seems
necessary that he pay in advance 20
per cent of the purchase price of the
wheat, as is recommended by the
Hughes committee. One great good
which will hardly fail to be appreci
ated by the most ardent supporters of
the exchanges is the light that has
been turned on them by the Hughes
Investigation. It has revealed their
vT aa tne oaa, ana
the admission that the exchanges have
a legitimate ftinrHnn In .I 1
good points as well as the bad, and
u. legitimate function In trade will
serve to correct an erroneous Impres
sion.
ECLITSES.
Our curiosity is seldom btkIIha
happens to them. A man interests u
very little, for example, except when
he is born, gets married or dies. Peo
ple were always curious about the
setting sun, because they felt that
there was some doubt whether it
would ever rise again. The dawn was
also a cause of some excitement, since
it resembled a prodigy. In ancient
times nobody could explain how It'
happened. A new sun might be cre
ated every morning for all our ances
tors knew, or It might be the chariot
of some spirit in which he rode across
the sky every day. At dawn he opened
his barn doors and whipped up his
prancing steeds for the Journey. In
the evening he unharnessed them and
went to bed. Why the spirit chose
to make a dally progress across the
sky, nobody thought it of any account
to ask. Common things are the last
to be Investigated.
Eclipses excited attention from the
beginning of time, because they were
exceptional. What caused them or
what their consequences might be
was pure guess work. Before modern
science took hold of the subject, peo
ple were unusually apprehensive that
when the sun had once gone into an
eclipse it was scarcely likely to coma
out again. At any rate, the dire phe
nomenon certainly portended misfor
tune to mankind. Eclipses ranked
with comets m the middle ages as
messengers of 111. That they occur
red in accordance with regular laws
seemed out of the question to the
vulgar, and even to many of the
learned; for learning in that day did
not much concern Itself with such
tnings as natural causes. It was be-
..vCU mat tne Almighty, or rather
Satan, darkened the sun for purposes
of his own. Perharjs It wa
a plague, perhaps to bring about the
Ul B King. considering how
easily the Almighty might have slain
any king he wished to get rid of by
disease, it is marvelous to what cum
brous devices the fancy of the dark
ages put him. Earthquakes, comets
eclipses, were all resorted to by the
deity to eliminate an individual whose
case could have been settled In ten
minutes by the black death.
The Chinese were particularly In
genious in explaining eclipses, as they
are about most things to which they
apply their minds. They held, and
perhaps sUll hold, a theory that a
monstrous dragon swallowed up the
orb of day. either wholly or in part,
and would have digested It if he had
been left in peace. This calamity the
Le-ar'rhT?reVend by raisin a" n
earthly din on tin r.nn ,j ,
hubbub was supposed to scare the
moitr , .C . v v care tne xne outcry mat alleged reformers
monster so badly that ho threw up JUsJaro making In regard to this matter.
THE 3IORMXG
prey in a panic, as the whale did
j ona.ii. j ne tneory was made espe-
daily easy by the fact that they did
not know how hot the sun was a
. --
little ignorance is amazingly helpful
In forming an explanation. If one can
OnlV leave nut tha rHfriiultlAa on-tr
problem under heaven can be solved
in a rew minutes. Why most prob
lems are hedged about with so many
difficulties is one of those mysteries
which shake the faith of some persons
in the benevolence of providence. It
belongs in the same category as the
larauus question wny weeds grow
more luxuriantly than carrots and,
why Codlln moths Were sent into n-
lamous question why weeds erow
rile nionat-Ht
ages.
the Period from the fall of Rome to
thf T-tR nf mnAn c.1 J
- v . n ijvicin.c, tx i?uu
deal of astronomical knnnleHn whir-v.
men of learning once possessed, was
lost. In spite of the fact that eclipses
seem to occur without much regular
ity, the ancient Chaldean astronomers
were able to predict them with fair
accuracy. To do this they had to
keep records for many hundreds of
years. When that task was done, stu
dents could look over the list and ar
rive at an Idea of what was likely to
occur In the future Rnw ta
Into the past the records of ancient
astronomy go is not quite clear, but
it is certain that eclipses could be pre
dicted, not without accuracy, as early
as the time of Croesus. The Egyptians
who built the pyramids knew about
eclipses. Thejr also possessed a good
deal more astronomical knowledge.
It is Impossible to measure land with
much accuracy without mathematical
knowledge of the stars. Tho
tlans could measure land pretty nearly
correctly as we can. They could
also orient a structure to a hair's
breadth. Sir Richard Proctor, the
eminent astronomer, has shown In
much detail how minutely the pyra
mids are squared with th
and if his theories about these enig-
.iitiwcai structures are sound, the men
who built them must have been mas
ters of spherical astronomy.
The difference between our prac
tical astronomy and that of the men
of old Is that theirs was pure rule of
thumb, while ours rests upon an elab
orate theory which accounts for every
detailed fact. To them eclipses were
events which they could predict, but
they could not tell why they happened
nor why they did not come at some
other time. Both these questions we
are able to answer, and in this field
as in every other, the answer to the
question "Why.?" has swept away
mystery and the superstition which
often accompanies it. We are still
interested in eclipses, but they no
longer frighten us.
OPENING THE CLEARWATER.
While official announcement has not
yet been made of the Joint operation
by the Hill and Harriman forces of
the line up the Clearwater River, it Is
regarded as a foregone conclusion that
an agreement for this purpose will be
reached before the new crop moves.
The line from Rlparia to Lewiston is
a Joint affair, in which the Hill and
Harriman roads are supposed to be
equally interested; but without a con
nection at Lewiston which would admit
him to the Clearwater traffic, this
Snake River line would be of very lit
tle use to Mr. Harriman. He in turn
would probably enter an objection if
the Hill forces handled all of the
Clearwater business over the line In
which both companies were equally in
terested. The Northern Pacific is naturally de
sirous of hauling the big grain traffic
out of the Clearwater country by a
more economical route than that
which now wlnda up the terrific grades
of Potlatch Canyon. To secure a
more advantageous route, it Is but nat
ural that the Hill people should be
willing to make some dlvlsl
t-ll-yJ - xieir aecision to do this
would also be influenced by the rea-
cAnahla I.... v. .. . m . i . . . .
territory, x neir decision to do
io.iui.jr Liicxt, ll Liiey taiiea to
admit Mr. Harriman into the Clear
water over Northern Pacific rails, he
would go in over his own line and un
necesasry expense and possible demor
alization of rates might follow.
The Interesting feature of the situa.
il promises to make tributary to this
port an Immense amount of era In frnm
a territory which in the past has been
jungeu to seen a marKet exclusively on
Puget Sound. As the new route will
admit of an enormous savins- in'onei--
atlng expenses for the railroad compa
nies, it. may De unnecessary to say
that they will make a sneclal ofrnrt t
see that plans tor this Joint operation
oi tne water-ievel line to Portland are
not set aside.
AN UNSEEMLY OLTCRY.
That many parents are remiss In
their duty in the training of their
children, is sadly true; that all are
thus remiss is not true. That too
much has been made of Juvenile de
generacy In this city within recent
months Is more than probable. That
is to say, degeneracy among children
is not so widespread as wnrlipm in ya
Juvenile Court and some social re-
iormers would have us believe. Ex
aggerated statements, based upon es
timates furnished by the relatively
few children who have come into the
hands of Juvenile Court officers, have
been made in regard to the lives and
home training of the masses of the
children of this city. With Imagina
tions inflamed by the neglect, drunk
enness and various forms of vice that
have been disclosed In connection with
the paternal interest engendered by
and through the Juvenile Court In
children who are born into and live In
unchlldly surroundings, the assump
tion has been reached that the chil
dren of this city of all cities are
an lingoverned, ungovernable, neglect
ed and vicious lot. It is thought, by
a few radicals that they are going en
masse, . upon swiftest foot, to jails,
houses of prostitution, reform schools
and penitentiaries of the country,
their parents looking on if not ap
provingly, at least with indifference.
Now, everybody who is in touch
with the home life and the school life
of the country, knows that this is not
true. Everybody knows, moreover,
that the reverse of this estimate Is
true, as regards the very large major
ity of parents and children. We may
grant that the minority, as represent--ed
by the children who are haled be
fore the Juvenile Court, is larger than
it ought to be; that it is too large as
long as It represents a single child of
neglect and vice in the country. But
as compared with the large number of
children who troop in and out of the
public school buildings and back to
their homes each day, it is small, In-
aeea.
OREGOXIAX, FRIDAY,
is unseemly. More than that, it is
unwise, because corrupting in Its bald
and bold suggestion. Let the neglected
children be looked after; let the vic
ious ones be put under restraint, but
do not point to them as a type, as
specimens of, the children that abide
and abound in the well-ordered homes
of the city and the commonwealth.
Rather believe and say that those are
the pitiful exceptions; these the rule
in American homes. The name of the
delinquent child should not be herald
ed abroad: still less should holy busy
bodies. In the guise of reformers, pro
claim him a type of American child
hood. A pitiful, not to say shameful ex
hibit of riotous living upon the un
earned Increment bequeathed by tho
late Jay Gould to his heirs, is made
from day to day before a New York
court. Drunkenness . is disgusting
enough when exploited by a stagger
ing tramp, casting up his begged or
stolen gorge by the roadside, but when
Its subject is a woman of beauty and
social station, sitting screaming upon
the floor of her richly appointed
chamber, tearing her hair and hurl
ing invectives at husband and servants
Indiscriminately, it passes the bounds
even of abhorrence. It may be hoped
that this wretched tale of vice and
extravagance that centers around Cas
tle Gould may speedily be concluded,
since it literally reeks with the inde
cencies of high life, so-called. In and
about the great metropolis.
WhPTlfVAP flla Aatnflov. " ........ v
. - - .s tvii.u . ? n, i f
shall get over the Idea (If it ever does)
mat i-ortiana is to be abandoned to
the bats and nwls anA that a . i
is to supersede Portland as the city of
Oregon, it .win nave happier days and
more peaceful nights. The Astorian
(newspaper) now finds that Portland
is in an "agony of fear" lest the
Southern Paifirf ina-o- r-,m t..in.
J . u.k i.i aula 11 Will
San Francisco to Seattle. Why, cer
tainly; just as trains are run right
thrOUkrh nnrh lnAnaM.nhi. .1.1
i uuic vuit:n us
Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincin
nati, ana many more. You needn't
even change cars nt TCw Vnrv
Baltimore or Philadelphia to Boston,
v-tt11 B" ngnt mrough on your
sleeper or coach. -Rut nt n,,.s
Astoria you will change cars for no-
W11C1C.
Charles W. Morse, who sticks to his
original assertion that he was what
street slang classifies as a "fall guy,"
has at last wormed his way out of Jail
and will be at liberty for about four
months, pending final settlemeht of
his case, which Is now on appeal.
Having thus created a vacancy in the
millionaires' row in the Manhattan
bastlle. there is a possibility that room
may be found therein for F. Augustus
Heinze, who was an excellent collab
orator with Morse in the work of pro
ducing a panic two years ago. Heinze
is under indictment on numerous
charges, but as yet has not reached
the prison door. High finance has lost
much of its popularity in New York
since Morse went to Jail, and Heinze
has been kept busy rustling for bail.
The famous Wright brothers were
honored yesterday at their old home in
Dayton, O., with a celebration that for
enthusiasm undoubtedly dwarfed any
thing"that preceded It on either side of
the ocean. The kings of the air have
been honored at home and abroad by
the greatest men of the age as no
other American citizens in similar
walks of life have ever before been
honored. It is extremely doubtful
however, if any of the homage paid
them by the great men of the earth
was received with no m,,v.
pleasure as was the royal greeting
meir inenas and neighbors who
knew them in the days of their ob
scurity, long before they had dreamed
that they would ever pitch their tents
on Fame's eternal camping ground."
Governor Hadley, of Missouri, has
vctoeu tne Din providing for an ex
penditure of J20.000 for a Missouri ex
hibit at the Seattle Fair fnr. tv,
son that "the state needed this money
mum. iur eaucaung its citizens and for
the poor." In other words, the Gov
ernor is desirous of reducing the num-
i uiiBHounans who have to be
onown, even at the sacrifice of mak
ing a "showing" at the Seattle Fair.
Nearly the whole tnriff richato i i.
product of the desire of Senators to
square themselves with their constlt
uents Dy long SDeechea wViiy. t..
ever, consist mostly of Ignorant gabl
uie, line ia i ollette's "speech," that
""3 Pages or the Congressional
Record, yet doesn't contain anything.
A Tacoma waiter la in tail . v.
... j . A i oiau
blng a cook because the latter refused
to mix some salad dressing in accord
ance with the waiter-'
dom does a devotion to duty or a de-
0" l" P'ease patrons lead the tip
hunters to the adoption of such dras
tic measures.
Of what avail WAS t frl- XT' r cr-1 n - .
have rescued Europe from domination
of France and of Napoleon, to see Eu
rope now. including Fna-lant V,-i
fall under the domination of Germany
-reiser.' rnis is the way Eng
lish writers now put the question.
In the view of Professor George
""""""" osier or sjnicago University
luracui question oi religious free
dom points to a union of all the
Protestant churches with the Catholics
against tne so-called Free Thinkers
And then ?
In mid-July the banks of the Clack
amas will not be so fascinating to the
Third Regiment, Oregon National
Guard, as the sea shore does at the
height of the season. There won't be
an oversupply of Summer girls.
"A friend; just a dear friend," says
Miss Case of young Mr. Spreckels.
"But our engagement has not been an
nounced." It appears to be difficult
to break the news to Papa Spreckels.
The celebration at Dayton, In honor
of the homecoming of the Wright
Brothers, took place on good old terra
firma. There, are a few things yet
to do before the air is conquered.
Now that the Pope, as well as the
President, is interested In baseball,
can't McCredie put a little more gin
ger Into his teams? Is further in
spiration needed?
Dr. Eliot's first installment of his
"five feet of books" is a trifle musty.
However, the bookshelf Is the place
for such a dusty list.
However, it may be assumed that
, Mrs. Gould had her sober intervals.
JUNE 18, 1909.
A WAY OPENS.
11,rty Action May Be Had Under the
Primary Law.
Albany (Or.) Herald.
The aspect of the political situation,
i far as the Hennhilmn nnfv
as
ce:
at
cerned in Oregon, is more hopeful Just
. present tnan It lias been for years.
The results of the recent city election
Portland lndimta that xtn .
in
County, which wields the balance of
uuwer tn state elections, has at last
effected an amicable solution of differ
ences and apparently settled to a con-
uiLion mat promises unity of action In
the future anil a mnA . , .
...... o oauo 111U Wise
handling of the political supremacy
mi.. i ngnt oeiong to her. This
indicates that the Republican majority
u ma state can once more assume the
irection of affairs In th nniitioi i.u
of action. '
Whole the shaping un of fuhim naw
control and work should In no wise
undertake to larnora or h...
primary election law. for laws In force
mourn be strictly adherer) in t,h ii..
observed, yet it is clearly apparent that
way nas Deen suggested in the assem
bly method strlctlv null AfitWalw in
formlty wltn the primary law. Indeed
enlarging and strengthening its alms
and objects and curing one of its most
Bidnng delects. Inasmuch aa it ..
the "self-nominatiug" feature that has
Deen tne most obnoxious part of Its
regime so far in its active enforement
The honest and conscientious asplr
In to office is not only proper and
right, but Is also commendable, but
the self-nominating that has been
brought Into action through the mat
application of the primary law is more
reprehensible than ani? nf . . -
ally denounced results of "bossism" of
.ormer times, to put a stop to which the
primary law was enacted.
It behooves Republicans in Linn
County, and in fact all over the state,
to awaken to the situation and get into
line to take advantage of the condi
tions as at present they exist, unify
the factions into harmonious action
a.nlpu11 OI,e and an together for the
right men In the right places and for
measures of true economy in govern
ment, and away from "freak" legisla
tion that COStH rt miirtt. - .
little and makes our state so much in
..oicmc in me union or States.
POOR TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES
Mala Reason why So Fot City People
Lave On the Fourth.
PORTLAND, June 16. (To the Edi
tor.) Your suggestion to the Portland
people concerning the Fourth of July
does you credit and it looks well on
the editorial page, but let the public
try the experiment and it will result
in failure. Admitting our willingness
to go and celebrate the glorious Fourth
In some of the charming Valley towns,
how Is any considerable number of us
to reach these places? I have attended
Fourth of July celebrations at Beaver
ton, Hlllsboro. Cornelius, Forest Grove
and other points, and enjoyed every
part of it excepting the ride to and
from the festive towns. Standing
room would be a misnomer on these
trains. You stand up all right, but
there is no room. My pet corn always
reminds me of that fact when I ven
ture on one of these excursions. Much
as the call of the wild stirs my breast
a"d th8 early July sun tempts me to go
riding on the merry-go-round and drink
lemonade in some cool, shady grove I
positively decline to leave our noisy
smoky city on the Fourth unless pur
transportation companies put enough
trains on their lines to carry the mul
titudes that are trying to reach the
small towns to share in their celebra-
nun a.
Four little coaches do not promise
much of a pleasure ride when you size
up. the crowds that, expect to be ac
commodated. A cattle-shipper can ship
only so many heads per car, but is there
any one who can tell me what the limit
is for excursionists on a Fourth of
July? The rates are reduced to a very
tempting figure on such days, but what
good is that without sufficient cars?
I think that The Oregonian, with its
power for good, could help us by agi
tating this holiday transportation ques
tion. We are steadily adding to our
population, yet do I see no increased
service to handle the crowds. When
this city reaches the coveted 500.000
we'll probably still see three or four
small coaches, loaded to the guardrails,
pull out of the Union Depot and, stop
ping at. Alder street, take on another
crowd. Where they put them all la a
mystery to me, and another stop at
South Portland Increases the mystery;
but I do know that many are anxious
to leave the noisy city on the Fourth,
yet the end of some suburban street
car line is the limit of their ambition
in the traveling line. The small towns
receive a few hundred visitors from the
big city by the Willamette instead of
so many thousands.
FRED R. RAMEL.
SAFETY OF PLEASURE CRAFT.
Objection Raised to a City Ordinance
Requiring Life Preservers.
PORTLAND, June 17. (To the Ed
itor.) I would like to take up a little
of your valuable space by asking a
few questions. There are three or four
hundred launches on the river operated
solely for pleasure, a great many of
them having a capacity of only four or
five people. The Federal Government
makes up carry the same equipment
as a boat 20 or 30 times as large. The
lights used must be a certain size and
screened three feet ahead. The whistle
must be operated by compressed air.
All these things require room in the
boat. The United States Government
has sole jurisdiction over all tide
waters or their connections, and In its
pilot rules soecifically says: "Except
boats operated solely for pleasure do
not have to carry life preservers." .
The phrase is. put in to distinguish
them from boats operated for hire.
Now has the city of Portland the au
thority to pass a law conflicting with
tne federal laws? Isn't the United
States supreme In such matters? If
one city can pass laws different from
the general navigation rules for small
boats, they could do the same for large
boats and would cause confusion.
Our objection to life preservers is
that they would take up all the room
In the boat and have no room for the
owner. Furthermore, according to the
authorities at Washington, D. C. the
local harbormaster and, as . this morn
ing's paper stated, policemen have no
authority to even inspect the boat.
That duty belongs to Inspectors Ed
wards and Fuller or their deputies.
Now, who is biggest. Portland or Uncle
Sam? ONE WHO LOVES THE SPORT.
Income Tax Dodged In Former Days.
PORTLAND, June 16. (To the Ed
itor.) An Income tax. If fairly and
generally collected, would seem to be
the fairest way of raising revenue; but
collecting the same, as experienced
after the War of the Rebellion, proved
to be very costly and unjustly Irregu
lar. Many persons of reputed and
known wealth, with large incomes, paid
little or nothing. Their wealth was
soon out of sight, it was difficult to
'obtain insight of their financial af
fairs. It is also unpleasant to have
your private financial affairs pried into.
Persons of fixed salaried incomes had
to pay the full per centage; whereas
the incomes of millionaires could not
be got at. A REGULAR READER.
' STOP THIS WAR TALK,"
And He Proceed. . Read a Lecture
IT is astonishing that a prominent pa
per like The Oregonlan has articles
in its columns so often and repeatedly
about the international relationship of
England and Germany, wherein Germany
seems to be the trouble-maker, and Eng
land Justified in crushing the power of
her imaginary antagonist.
As you seem to side every time with
England, you will allow me to express
my opinion about this nightmare, or
whatever you call it.
First, the idea that a German battle
Ship will ever be used against the United
States is simply ridiculous, because no
war would be so unpopular and detested
by the Germans as a war with Uncle
Sam, where so many of their country
men have found new homes, and enjoy
the liberty of our great republic. The
German government Is wise enough to
know that it cannot risk any war not
popular with the masses of its people.
Furthermore, should such foolishness
ever occur, we German-Americans alone
would be able to keep the Invaders off
our shores, which are easy to defend
against any enemy who has his base of
supply so far away, if Uncle Sam gives
us the weapons wherewith to fight for
him. Therefore, we will all have to be
come crazy before there ever will be war
between these two great nations.
It looks different between England and
Germany, however. -
By nature, the Germans are very peace
able, progressive, diligent and patient in
the pursuit of their various callings.
Their schools are of such a high stand
ard and the training in the workshops
and factories Is so thorough that the
manufactured goods can be sold in the
markets of the world with profit, thereby
keeping Germany's dense population at
r,"3 as we" an '"dividual has
LIS earn a honest living by honest
labor, so has one of the most intelligent
lot 65';0 the right to manufac
o? the irtrl1 ltsSoda " the -markets
to buy tTem ' PePl' WiUin
warVnn ??rCe 1870' When France made
lesl nr? Fflany under the mt reck
rf.fni ?retext and received a crushing
punishment (by far not as much as
she deserved) there has been no war
speak ofral THnd, WeStern EurP to
speak of. The last few years ought
to seV?nLVt? aI1 ampl8 opportunity
ferrnr Vl CUO. f Germay n a dif
hlmiLi. Kht- ,Dld not Kln Edward
i?n? ' rUn a11 over Europe to make
ententes and alliances with every pow
wJ f .l8,0l.at Gerrnany? And
was Isolated and had only one other
ahW!T (UStr.'a Hunsary), to which ally
-t ZA SOlid and true- wa3 U not the
same Germany which a few months
ago saved the world from the horrible
spectacle of a world's war whereby
minions of young men, the cream of
manhood, might now be rotting on
bloodsoaked battlefields of Europe?
Has not Germany with her strategic,
very unfavorable frontiers the right
to protect herself as it pleases her or
has she or any other nation to ask
John Bull what he will allow them to
do? Has not Germany with her ex
tensive shipping. Industries and new
colonies to develop, a far inferior
fighting fleet then England? Shall
England be the tutor of the world's
nations in commerce and Industry, and
all others do as she says, otherwise
risk her rage? How many wars would
Uncle Sam have had with John Bull,
if he had heaped so. many unnecessary
Insults, direct or Indirect, on our coun
try as he did to the German nation
And by all these facts vmi nnnHmn
Germany for preparing herself to keep
the peace? You know by the way Ger
many Is developing her industries and
commerce, she will be on a level with
Great Britain In two or three years.
She is Increasing her national wealth
at the rate of $2,000,000 a day, by edu
cating and keeping an Industrious
and hard-working people at peace
able labor. You thinlr that a
whole nation will abandon all of
this in order to please John Bull'
Do you think for a minute that said
John Bull would not smash all what
stands in his way of making money, if
his competitors would not be on the
lookout? Is it not a fact that Eng
land Is Jealous of a nation which tries
to make an honest living and pros
pers by hard work with brain and mus
cle? Is not England the first white
nation to form an alliance with a
yellow race to enable her to crush
progressive Caucasian races? It seems
that every pair of suspenders or yard
of cotton sold by Germany in the mar
kets of the world makes England Jeal
ous. Because Germany sells more and
more every year, should it therefore be
crushed?
The way you shape your editorials
regarding the two countries, is the
same as if I use an example applied
to two individuals, about like this: A
Mr. John Bull starts years ago In Port
land. He has lots of means and cor
ners the trade in our Rose City. He
did not think that at any time some
body else would have the boldness to
start another business like his. But
a man of the name (call him Mike
Schultz), who was a. very poor fellow
when he started, but had a lot of en
ergy, good brains and muscles and tried
to do an honest business with every
body, became a competitor. Although
a newcomer, his business increased
rapidly and to such an extent that John
Bull got jealous. Now John Bull comes
to you and you write him a nice edi
torial in The Oregonian, demanding
that Mike Schultz' property be de
stroyed by all means, because John
Bull cannot make money any more as
he did before. Would you write him
such a nice editorial? I guess not, I
think you would send him to Salem.
And that is just the position of England
with regard to her competitor. It is the
heartiest wish of the average German that
his country should work In harmony with
England, the United States and France
for the progress and betterment of the
whole world. We Americans ought to en
deavor to work first for our country.
then side with nations which are for
peace and civilization in the whole world,
throwing the weight of power of this
mighty Republic, or at least our sym
pathy, to a nation that wants to live in
peace, instead of taking a one-sided part
for a nation that wants to rule the seas
and commerce of the world by all kinds
of means. If any other nation would tell
us to stop building battleships, or there
will be war, what would Uncle Sam say?
And, as Uncle Sam does not allow any
other nation to humiliate or dictate to
him, neither do other great powers. No
man with common sense can blame such
power for looking out for its own interest,
without interference from outsiders.
Therefore this chronic talk of war be
tween England and Germany In the Eng
lish and American papers Is disgusting.
England would have to start it, and her
alleged course would be considered by humane-thinking
people so reckless as to
throw all sympathy of fair-minded man
hood to her antagonist's side. Such a
reckless cause would start the so-called
furore Teutonus, a kind of fever whicn
transforms the most peaceable German
into a daredevil, so that the world would
shudder at the ravages and destruction it
will cause. It might be the commstice
ment of the end of the reign of the Cau
casian races in the world.
There are. besides the men under arms,
about 4.000.000 Germans now pursuing their
peaceable worknof earning bread for them
selves and families, who will have to Join
their colors, if England forces them to do
bo. If they have to go to defend their
SAYS A PEACEFUL GERMAN
..The Grecian for Statin, Well-
UZl ? d means of earnin an honest
do their ?T,,Cer-ainJy wUI not "
do their citizen s duty quickly and with
a. good mans full heart. It is a hard
thing to ieave w,fe and chndJenS,athhand
L a wno,f,"0t 6e,elns them asaln-
is a whole lot easier than to stand a con
ThosemVM? r, humihauon:
able nv 0t res-"ctabla and peace
able citizens have no time to think or
wh, deS";e, t0 fisht a neighboring nation
wHI Jnl"he"i "V8 Peaee. but the
will fight good and true, to a finish if
hu'mlUon." deS-'r'
One of the main noints in the constitu
r.1" the .German-American National
B.ind says: "We stand for the propaga
tion and development of the very best
friendly intercourse and relations between
our new fatherland and the mother coun
try we left, to be true in every way to
our adopted fatherland, ready at any time
to sacrifice for the welfare and security
or the same, abiding by its laws, as good
citizens do. unselfish and true." The pub
lic press, by giving the real facte, could
.do a whole lot of good for humanity and
mankind. Instead of stirring up hatred
amongst the nations by printing one-sided
editorials. They would smooth rising fric
tions among them by giving out the state
of affairs as they really are. and the
common sense and fairness of its edu
cated readers the world over would have
such Influence that nations would become
accustomed to live together in peace and
harmony. If England wants to wage war
on Germany for the only cause as above
stated, and you side with her, then we
have mighty poor principles in the 30th
century. One thing will be sure about
John Bull; that by picking a quarrel with
Germany, he will not find a few tnousand
Boers whose national existence ne crushed
with a ten times bigger army of hirelings;
he will pick up a different job altogether
Even should he win. which is very doubt
ful, he will come out like an old Leghorn
rooster ready to die, whom other nations
especially the Asiatics, will not find any
difficulty to finish. Therefore, we hope
that this war talk will stop and England
accustom herself to the fact that other
nations have a right to live also, and that
she will be much better off by cultivat
ing peace than war. But if she wants to
risk It, let her do so, and if your sym
pathy Is then with England again. Ger
many will have to do her best without
your sympathy. k. FUCHS.
Secretary Consolidated German-Speaking
Societies of Oregon.
KEEP AMATEUR BANDS AT HOME
Protest Against Sending Any but Pro
fessionals to Seattle.
PORTLAND, June 16. (To the Ed
itor.) I note several statements in the
daily papers wherein it is proposed to
send some of the amateur bands, such
as the Police and Peninsular, to the
Seattle Exposition on Portland day.
Having had years of experience In
professional music I feel competent to
criticize such a procedure. It Is cer
tainly poor business judgment to send
as representative of our city a band
composed of amateurs who have hardly
progressed far enough to give a good
rendition of an easy march. Doubtless
one or more concerts will be expected
from the organization that is sent to
represent us. Imagine either of these
bands appearing in concert where such
organizations as Innes, Wagner, etc,
are holding forth daily. Shades of
Mozart spare us.
The Park Band has been rehearsing
for two months, is composed of musi
cians of highest ability, and should be
the band to go.
The amateur bands play creditably,
considering the time- organized, and
when they appear before the public In
their home city the conditions are
understood, but to Bend them to Seattle
as representative of Portland's musical
ability Is absurd. During the Rose
Festival I heard all the bands in the
parades; union bands were limited to
16 men, amateurs had from 28 to 50.
Regardless of the handicap In numbers,
the union bands were far superior.
In reply to Mr. NoltVs statement that
the union musicians are "butting in," I
would ask him what action he thinks
the Multnomah Bar Association would
take were it proposed to appoint a
first-year law student to a position on
the bench? What action would the
medical fraternity take were it pro
posed to appoint a similarly advanced
medical student to the position of city
physician? Possibly the comparison is
odious and the questions not to the
point, but Mr. Nolta admits that his
amateurs have been organized but a
few weeks; therefore, we feel justified
in regarding them as hardly first-year
students. Posing as a band manager
he has evidently "butted in" to a busi
ness that he knows little of. Witness
his offer to wager.
Being engaged in other business, I
have no Interest tn what band goes to
Seattle other than from a standpoint of
ability. Keep the amateurs at home.
FRANK LUCAS.
Man Swallows Bullet and Teeth.
Lancaster, Pa., Dispatch.
At York, Pa., an , old cartridge ex
ploded in a junk heap, the bullet strik
ing a man In the mouth, three of his
teeth being dislodged. The man swal
lowed the bullet and the teeth.
IN THE MAGAZINE
SECTION OF THE
SUNDAY
OREGONIAN
ACROSS SOUTHERN
OREGON BY TEAM
A Summer's journey through a
fruitful empire where railroad in
vasion has just begun.
GOOD-BYE TO THE OLD
POLITICAL BOSS
Careers of men who were once
a power in American politics, now
in retirement and obscurity.
FINE PAINTINGS AT
THE ART MUSEUM
Description of the beautiful
works by famous artists owned in
Portland, which have been on ex
hibition. TROUT-CATCHING IN
THE BIG DESCHUTES
Rough but joyous experience of
two Portlanders along Eastern Or
egon's great stream.
GEN. JOHN B. HOOD,
MODERN KNIGHT
Romantic story of the brilliant
Confederate officer who rose from
Lieutenant to Major-General.
ORDER EARLY FROM YOUR
NEWSDEALER
i