8 THE MORNING OREGONIAN, SATURDAY. JULY 10, 1909. , 1 trnimt PORTLAND. OREGON. Kntered at Portland. Oiegon. Postcrftes aa Second-Class Matter. Subscription Kate Invariable In Advance. (By Mall ) Pally, Dally, rally, Ially, I'ally, Ially, rally, Dally. nday Included, one year $ l nday Included, nix months 4 '. nday Included, three months. . . '2 '. nday Included, one month thout Sunday one year 6 thout Sunday, six .months a thout Sunday, three months... 1 thout Sunday, one month one year . . . 1 one year 2 ind weekly, one year 21 00 23 7 ISO ."NO SO wi ly. Bund , &und (By Carrier.) Bally. Sunday Included, one year .... 9 O0 Dally. Sunday Included, cne month 75 How to Remit Send postoftlce money order, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency re at the sender's risk. Give postofrire ad dress n fun. Including couptv and state Fostujce Kmrs lo to 14 pages. 1 cent; 10 to 28 pages. 2 cents; 30 to 44 pages 3 cents; 4l to 6o pages, 4 cents. Foreign postage double rates Raster RiiMnrss Office The S. C. Be,ck wlth Special Agency New York, rooms 48 on Tribune building. Chioago. rooms S10-512 Tribune bMildliiK PORTLAND. BATrRDAY. JULY 10, 1909. WORK FOR TILE VETO PEN. President Taft. it mav he assumed. Is doing all he thinks he can do to : ' carry out the pledges of the Republi ' can party and the purposes of the plat form on which he was elected; yet If . such be his purpose, thus far he has been signally unsuccessful. Nobody misunderstood the platform , of 1908 on the tariff, or the utterances , of Mr. Taft thereon. There was gen eral demand for tariff revision, be- cause it was believed that many of the schedules were too high and ought to be reduced. The Republican platform declared unequivocally for revision, . . and for a special session of Congress Immediately after the inauguration of the next President, for the purpose, of effecting it. Tariff reduction was meant; nothing else. However, there ia to be no reduction, but tariff ad vance, rather; which will have the ef fect of further obstruction of imports and consequent deficits of revenue, to be made up by direct taxation, in a most unequal way. This is distinct violation of the leading pledges on . which the Republican party carried the country last year. Moreover, it is as distinct a violation of Mr. Taft's speech, of July 28. 1908. at Cincinnati, , In which he said: -The tariff in a ,i number of schedules exceeds the dif- : . ference between the cost of production 01 suon articles abroad and at home, Including a reasonable profit to the American producer. The excess over that difference serves no useful pur pose, but offers a temptation to those who would monopolize the production and aale of such articles in this coun try to profit by the excessive rate." What Is this but an argument that the tariff ought to be reduced and a prom ts that It would be done? It is ground, moreover, on which the Pres ident, guided by true regard for Pledges of party and candidate, might be expected to veto this bill, whether it shall reach him in the form present ed thus far, either by the House or .Senate. Should he do so he would vin dicate his party and himself, and gain the plaudits of the country besides. There was nothing in the Republi can platform about corporation tax. Income tax, inheritance tax, or other new taxes. It was assumed that tariff revision would Increase the revenue from customs, and at the same time cheapen many commodities, by cutting down the extortionate profits of trusts and monopolies. This was what every body had In mind. It is defeated by a combination of the protected interests. Intrenched in both parties. The Dem ocrats have furnished the votes neces sary to make up the loss of Republi can objectors, when the schedules were under consideration; yet now, of course, the Democrats of the two houses will cast most of their vots against the bill which they helped to load up with these objectionable sched ules. But this is old political or parti san play In Congress, employed by one party and by another, as circumstances have presented opportunity for "put ting opponents in the hole." In his Inaugural address, President Taft said: "In the making of a tariff bill the prime motive is taxation and the securing thereby of revenue" not protection, observe; yet If sufficient revenue could not be obtained by such tariff, "and new kinds of taxation must be adopted, I should recommend a graduated Inheritance tax as cor-j--4rect In principle and as certain and j ; easy of collection." It seems to have j escaped Mr. Taffs notice that taxes - on Inheritances had already been ' adopted, as a method of raising reve- nue, by most of the states. Besides, the owners of great estates make vio- lent opposition to a graduated inherl- : tanoe tax. Just as protected monopo ; i lies make objection to tariff reduc- tion. There would remain, however,. th Income tax, against which the ques- ; tion of constitutionality has been t' raised, but in his speech on acceptance . Of the nomination, Mr. Taft said: "In ' rny Judgment an amendment to the ( Constitution for an income tax is not i necessary. I believe that an income -' ! tax. when the nrotentlv s-trrt , j customs and the internal revenue tax '; , shall not furnish income enough for t governmental needs, can and should be devised which under the decisions of the Supreme Court will conform to . j the Constitution." The President since, ) t apparently, has changed his mind on j' this subject: but the public has not t been favored with hia r . t T frkt r A . v. i , . uLucia lit v r, However, i neen very insistent in their arguments i ; against the constitutionality of income J 1 tax, and the great estates and bond 1 1 holding classes of the country are as - much opposed to an Income tax as j to an inheritance tax, and prefer a cor- poration tax to either, since such tax may be thrown largely on the stock holders of the great corporations, leav ing the bondholders exempt, and on the vast number of the smaller busi ness corporations of the country. These business corporations devoted to the multifarious interests of produc . tion and Industry or rather we should say the men who conduct them have used their Influence mainly -It the Republican party heretofore. Great numbers of them are likely to be alienated from the Republican party by this unjust corporation tax. An Income tax, such aa Mr. Taft spoke for In his speech of acceptance, would be absolutely fair; a graduated Inheri tance tax, such as he commended in his Inaugural address would be pref erable to the corporation tax now pro . posed even though that field (taxa tion of inheritances) has been bo large ' ly occupied by the states. 1 W shall, eee what the President will do further. For exercise of the veto power there never has been a finer opportunity. NEWS AND NEWSPAPERS. In I.a Follette's Weekly, of recent date, a long article Is devoted to the Associated Press, to criticism of its management and methods, to remarks about Its directors, to censure of its conservatism." and to its alleged fail ure to represent and to exploit politics and politicians of the La Follette and Tom Johnson type. It is not alleged that the Associated Press shows any bias against this class of "reformers." The grievance Is that It does not re port constantly and at length the "cause" they represent themselves with It. In other words, the Associat ed Press shows too much favor to the actual business 1nt rests of the coun try, and not enough to those who are contending for socialistic Ideas, public ownership, initiative and referendum, and so-called "progressive", purposes in general. The Oregonian is singled out as one of the fifteen newspapers under management of directors of the Associated Press which "show solici tude for corporate and special inter ests and a critical attitude toward progressive measures." All these fifteen newspapers are thoroughly Independent, and in their political tendencies and affiliations are just about equally divided between the two main parties. Their resources are ample for all the purposes of Inde pendent Journalism, and no one of them has any connection with or ob ligation to "corporate or special In terests." But each one of them is sanely conducted. Hence Its eminence and independence. The directors of the Associated Press represent the purposes and the policy of the organi zation. If they did not they would be set aside right soon. But there Is little disposition among members of the Associated Press to favor . "progressive measures" of the kind advocated by such men as La Kollette and Tom Johnson. If the members wanted this slush, if their readers demanded It. means surely would be taken to get it. The Associated Press is but one of several news associations. There are many newspapers that claim to be well supplied by these other organiza tions, and these newspapers often crit icise and censure the Associated Press. Yet most of them would take its report if they could get It, or afford to pay the cost of it. The Associated Press Is a rational and sane business enter prise. It gives the real news of the world, but doesn't waste time and ef fort on fads, futilities and follies. It can, however, do no more than fur nish news In general outline. The more prominent newspapers that use its report collect news also from other sources each newspaper to meet the wants of its own situation. The Ore gonian, for example, collects far more news through Its own direct efforts and resources than It receives through the Associated Press, and at much greater cost. WRATHFUL RAIN. Between the United States weather man and the prayer of Mr. Hofer, large quantity of hay lies rotting in the rain. The weather man predicted fair weather, and farmers mowed their hay on the promise. But Hofer's prayers so changed the Almighty's arrangements 'that wet plague has ruined a large part of next Winter's hay provision. It Is not a rain like unto any that hay farmers have re ceived aforetime; it is soggy, dismal, sunless, without precedent In this mid summer month. For last Sunday the weather man foretold fair weather; it rained. For Wednesday and Thursday he predicted fair weather; the sun hardly peeped from behind the clouds. For yester day he bulletined fair weather; once more it rained. Every blade of wheat Jumps to drink the heavenly fluid and cows see rich cream for their share. But the hay crop languishes; also cher ries on the trees. i4any hay farmers who trusted the weather man curse. Those who believe in prayer would like to vent themselves the same. The moral of which is twofold: First, let no man plant faith too deep in government of the rain by bulletin; second, let no man, so reprobate that he cannot stop rain with prayer, dis joint the usual arrangements of Divine Providence. "The hypocrites In heart heap up wrath." This is warning to the grain men when their harvest comes. TRIUMPH OF STEAM. The big Cunarder Mauretania has clipped 17 minutes off the trans-Atlantic record by arriving at Sandy Hook 4 days. 16 hours and 36 min utes from Daunt's Rock, England. This is about seven times as fast as the time made by the first steamer that crossed the Atlantic. The tre mendous bursts of speed that have been made by this great ocean flyer hive caused much speculation as t whether or not we are approaching the limit of speed in big ocean liners Already there is a tendency on the part of steamship companies to return to slower speed with larger and more magnificently equipped vessels. But while the Mauretania and her sister ship, the Lusltania, have broken all records by many hours, and their per formances are little short of marvel ous, an even more wonderful exhibi tion of applied power and high speed can be witnessed daily on our Ameri can railroads. The ocean liner, once clear of tho land, has a clear track all the time. Strictly observed regulations, put in force by the steamship owners, com pel the east and west-bound craft lo keep In certain well-defined "lanes" which converge only as the VDyage ends, and in which the possibility of collision, even In thick weather, is very remote. Under such conditiOTS, with a careful man on the bridge, the big ocean liners can race acr S3 the ocean at top speed from land to land, with only a minimum of risk of disaster. ' The high-speed railroad train is beset with dangers from tho moment It leaves the yards, until its journey ends, and the momentum reached by the fastest of these trains Is so great that the slightest defect In a rail or a misplaced switch means wholesale disaster. The Mauretania's flight across thj ocean is a wonderful performance, bur the daily trips of the fast trains be tween New York and Chicago are still more remarkable. One of these trains, carrying an average of nine cars per day and making the trip from New York to Chicago in eighteen hours, recently established a record of 12 3 consecutive trips in which it was late a total of but ten mintuea in a total operating time of 2214 hours. The mileage covered during thia period -was 120,000. Tho train, welgh- ing 1,800.000 pounds, was drawn by an engine weighing 266.000 pounds, and night after night this tremen dous weight of steel and iron was hustled nearly one-third of the dis tance across the American continent at a speed of more than a mile a min ute. The aeroplane is one of our modern miracles, but as an awe-inspiring spectacle of speed and power it is far outclassed by the big liners which are lowering ocean records and by the fast trains which annihilate space on our railroads. CHAL'TAVQITA. In his erratic way Elbert Hubbard says some very good things about the Chautauqua Idea, in one of the July magazines. In his opinion it was a misfortune when Bishop Vincent, the founder of all the Chautauquas. retired from that work and devoted himself to other affairs. Hubbard thinks the Chautauqua in its original form was the most Important educational idea that ever came into the world. The notion of uniting men, women and children in a common effort for their advancement was certainly unique and may have been valuable. The retire ment of Dr- Vincent disrupted the Chautauqua organization and left each society to hoe its own row. Even without a "head they seem to have prospered pretty well." The taber nacles of the societies rise all over the country and in every one of them at about this time of the year the voice of song ascends through the trees while the unmelodious lecturer does his best to interest the multitudes in science and art. How many of them are interested It is hard to tell. One may guess at a hazard that nine-tenths of those who visit Chautauquas go for baseball and the delights of tent life spiced" with the big "attractions" who come from afar with their wit and lightsome learning. For the humble teacher in the modest grove or tent, they care not a fig. Still, there is a remaining tenth of the at tendants who seek something solid and enduring. Very likely they get what they seek, just as the oVhers do. Even In the most diluted lecture there is something worth while said, and an earnest student will draw inspiration from surprising sources sometimes. Chautauqua has brought Intellectual refreshment to thousands of dwellings in town and country. Its rills of wis dom run down every hillside and re fresh parched lips which could never quaff from the genuine Pierian spring. There are some who say that the col lege of the future will borrow a good deal from the Chautauqua' idea, inas much as It will lecture to old and young sitting on the same benches, and pay more attention to what its students learn than to what they know when they enter. This may be an idle dream," but it is a pretty one. BLOODLESS STRIFE OF NATIONS. The weakest nations are the ones that will fall behind in the present race for armaments. Thus far It is a process of peaceful elimination of the unfit if we are to continue nature's evident meaning that the unfit are the weakest. The strife now on between Germany and Great Britain is bloodless, though grim and grinding. Still, it 13 more comfortable than war. Any method of modern living is better than war, for war Is the nearest approach to hell on earth that mankind ever feels. War Inventions probably do not make war sufferings worse. It is no more horrible to die in a steel battleship than . in a wooden Greek galley; no more terrible to die from a bullet than a spear, nor in a distant gun duel than In a hand-to-hand battle. Neither Great Britain nor Germany will cry for quarter; they will keep on building ships and Germany will keep on hold ing its army against that of France. The sum and substance of the whole matter is that there Is a bloodless strife In progress to determine which nation shall rule the waters of Europe. Eventually It may break out in car nage, but right now the building of ships is the method. War in these days, as perhaps it always has been, is a matching of economic resources. The Nation that can support the strongest fighting force and repair its losses readiest is first. Southern strat egy and bravery in the American Civil War went down before Northern eco nomic forces, which, of course, were supplemented by fighting spirit in the field. Russia could not maintain an army in Manchuria to match that of Japan. Had Russia held out longer, however, Japan's supremacy might have waned, for the reasons now re vealed in the results of Japanese over exertions. Let the rivals of Europe keep 'up their peaceful conflicts. They are bet ter than bloody war and come to the same 'end subsidence of the weakest. Except that war would be a benefit by drafting into the bloody ranks agita tors and loafers who now sap the strength of their country with their false philosophy and their talk of so cial equality and their hate which, as Rudyard Kipling says, "brings the state no defenders." Kipling describes this class of citi zens as follows: They said, who has hate in the soul, who has envied hia neighbor Let him arise and control both that man and his labor. They said, who la eaten by sloth, whoso unthrlft has destroyed him He shall levy a tribute from all because none have emntoved him. They said, who has toiled, who hath striven and gaOered possession Let him be spoiled, he hath given full proof ut transgression. So far as armaments protect these citizens from bloody war, war would probably be better. . THE COMING PROSPERITY. Not even vexatious and unnecessary delays over tariff revision can check the rlsing wave of prosperity so long as we have before us such glowing prospects for the coming harvest. The Government report, which appeared Thursday, indicates a yield of corn and oats in excess of any previous crop ever harvested. Unless there is continued unfavorable weather before the corn is in the shock, that impor tant cereal will turn off more than 3,161,000,000 bushels. Oats also promise to break all existing records with a yield of 963.000,000 bushels while the wheat crop is estimated at 660,000,000 bushels, which is about the same as last year. Not only will the aggregate amount of the three cereals exceed any previous season's yield, but the price is enough higher than last- year's to make the total value of the three crops more than J345.000.000 greater than the crop was worth a year ago, the price fig ures on which these computations are made being those for yesterday, and a year ago yesterday. This $345,000,000 Increase does not, however, begin to represent the di rect, tangible benefits that will follow in the wake of these big cereal crops. Corn for the December option, which is the basis on which the new crop will be figured, is 5 cents per bushel lower than it was a year ago. Oats are about 3 cents higher, and wheat is nearly 20 cents per bushel higher. But the corn yield is nearly 500,000, 000 bushels greater than last year, and there is an Indicated oats crop 150,000,000 bushels in excess of the 1908 yield- These Increases mean a widening of the lines of prosperity to take in all classes of capital and la bor. They mean a demand for thou sands of cars which were idle on the sidetracks a year ago. Thousands and tens of thousands of additional men will be needed to harvest the crop and to place in repair the added equipment necessary for moving this enormous tonnage, which is already beginning to move to market. More freight means greater earnings for the railroads, and the increased divi dends earned will be distributed among thousands of stockholders, who In turn will pass the money along to others. Based on the new-crop prices for the three cereals mentioned, the per capita wealth of the entire population of the United States has been in creased an average of more than $4 as compared with the value of the three crops a year ago. In the Pacific Northwest the gain has been even more striking, for with a wheat crop about 15,000.000 bushels greater than last year. and the price more than 10 cents per bushel higher, there Is a per capita Increase of more than $12 each from this single crop, with barley and oats adding proportionately to the in crease. It is daily, becoming more ap parent that nothing short of a miracle can this year, prevent this country from enjoying the greatest prosperity it has ever known. It seems to be a very unsafe pro ceeding for the president of any of the peppery two-bit -republics down in Banana-land to leave the job even for a trip to Europe. What happened to Castro when he departed for Europe is still fresh in our minds. We would also probably remember what hap pened to him had he remained at home. Now comes the news that Co lombia is in the throes of a revolu tion which began revolving as soon as the vessel bearing President Reyes was hull-down on its way to Paris. President Reyes, like Castro, ridicules the idea that the upheaval is a serious affair, but at latest advices he had not secured transportation for the return trip. The position of a live ex-Presi dent in Paris has so many advan-, tages over that of a dead President at Colombia that President Reyes will probably follow the example of Castro and keep an ocean between himself and the position from which he has been discharged. The Beaver and the Bear are the names selected for the new steamers which the Harriman interests are building for the Portland-San -Francisco route. There Is nothing particu larly significant of speed or style In either the beaver or the bear, but the names are appropriate when the route to be covered by the steamers is con sidered. The old Beaver was the first steamer in the Pacific Ocean, and for nearly a dozen years after her appear ance she afforded the -only means of communication between the settle ments strung along the coast from Alaska to California. The original Beaver played an important part in the early history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, and ;it is fitting in the extreme that she should be hon ored by so pretentious a successor aa the new Beaver promises to be. It was through the prestige given by the wonderful limber along the Coast regions that the Pacific Northwest first became famous as a timber country. That the timber resources of the Pa cific Northwest are by no means lim ited to that locality is now quite gen erally known, but $2,000,000 timber deals as far inland, as the Coeur d'Alenes are exceptionally interesting. A single transaction in which 30,000 acres of timber was sold for $2,250, 000 was reported on the St, Marie and St. Joseph Rivers, in Northern Idaho, this week. Practically all of the man ufactured product from that region will find a market in the East, but a considerable portion of the money that it sells for will be spent In this city or in the territory for which this city is the trade headquarters. Has Hofer the nerve to go back to Salem and face his outraged neighbors whose cherries he caused to be split and hay to rot in the field by the success of his supplications for rain? Just now Salem knows of a place fre quently referred to in the Bible where Hofer's efforts are much more needed, and will be better appreciated. King Solomon and Brigham Young must divide honors as matrimonial ex perts. One John Madson, said to be an "aged" man, is wanted by police officials of many cities for the offense of marrying ten widows. He had fourteen more in his string when dis covery stopped his career- The O. R. & N. Co. should turn the location of that railroad bridge over to Mr. Clarno and Mr. Bernstein. They could, of course, pick out a site that would suit everybody; or, if it didn't, it would suit them; and the rest doesn't matter to them. Some of the cities that cannot have a rose carnival or a cherry fair might get up an annual land drawing. Spo kane expects a hundred thousand visitors at the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene Flathead "gamble" beginning next Thursday. Fifty-five million bushels of wheat from the Pacific Northwest in one year is worth while, when it will bring $1 per bushel, or thereabouts. Look out for lively times in the Pacific Northwest the rest of the year, and longer. Ten Republicans got away from Mr. Aldrich on his tariff bill, and he gleaned one lone Democrat- But there were other Democrats ready to Jump into the breach if they were needed. That is what the Democratic party has come to. Mayor Simon went down to the site of the garbage crematory' and at once announced that a new crematory would bo built. All through his fatal sense of smell. After all, it is the man who owns it that makes Oregon fruit land worth five to ten hundred an acre. With some men it would rate at one-tenth of the figure. Yes, this is July, despite the weather. But it will not always be July. SPEECH WANTED FROM PRESIDENT Several ' Difficulties) and Incongruities That Ought to Be Cleared Tp. New York Sun. It Is two years and ten months since Mr. Taft. speaking on September 5. 19H6, in Bath. Me., opened the tariff question by advocating a "revision" of the Dingley schedules, and opened at ( the same time his campaign for the of-, rice of President, to which he had good right to aspire. President Taft is developing an easy going faculty of speechmaking which may be good for him, his Administra tion and the country, or may be quite the reverse. His conservative friends, who deplore so much public talking, may nevertheless wish him to make Just one speech dedicated to an ex planation of what was really in his mind regarding the tariff from the Bath disclosure down to his recent message to Congress on the subject. Did he or did he not intend such tariff schedules as the Senate has made and a large "annual immediate defi ciency of money as the result? How does he reconcile his seemingly conflicting utterances on an Income tax and the need of an amendment to the Constitution? Heat first publicly urged a death tax, as an appendix to a new tariff law, as Roosevelt had urged it, and then pri vately advised the ways and means committee to add a corporation tax. Were both to be enacted? How much money annually did he estimate would result from both, and what did he think should be done with it? Were tariff taxes, corporation taxes and death taxes all needed for revenue? Is it quite the thing In order to pro mote his wish that his special detec tives may "exercise supervisory con trol" of state corporations as his prede cessor urged, for the President to press such an inducement on Congress to vote a tax on the net income of those corporations that Is labeled an excise tax? It can but be that a candid speech by President Taft, treating with judi cial temper the foregoing observations, would be helpful to his conservative friends who prompted his triumph last November. EVOLUTION OF THE SCHOOLBOOK. Horrors and Comedy Besprinkled Old Arithmetics and Klfth Readers. New York Evening Post. First among the literary genres whose evolution another Brunetiere mu,st trace, is the schoolbook. The critic's will be no dull task. No comedy can " match the great body of first-grade arithmetics and fifth readers for humor and the unex pected. The editor of the Journal of Ed ucation has been rummaging through his shelve of antiques and is shocked at the horrors there. Every page in the arith metics of a generation ago was sprinkled with ale and brandy; when the pupil added, he put 2 glasses of ale, S toddies, and 7 dippers of gin together, and his least common denominator was always one that a bartender might use. Again, the minds of the old-time pedagogues ran to gore and slaughter, doubtless as a re sult of too much birch. Sometimes they stuck to domestic tragedies, as In the following problems: If 9 cats have killed 18 birds, how many has each killed? If a cat divides 4 birds between 2 kit tens, how many will each kitten have? A skunk went Into a barn, where he found 3 nests: one had 7 eggs, another 8, and another 3. From each nest he ate 2 eggs. How many did the skunk eat? More often, however, the writer's eyes followed sterner events; thus: One hundred and nineteen persons died from drunkenness in New York, and 137 In Philadelphia. How many in both? A man had 7 children; a of them were killed by the fall of a tree. How many had 13 loft? Three-score and ten kings had their thumbs and their great toea cut off and gathered under the table of Adonlbezek. How many thumbs and toes were under AdonitMzek's table? A person was 17 years of age 89 years since, and suppose he will be drowned 23 years hence: pray, in what year of his age will this happen? A human body, if baked until all the moisture is evaporatod, is reduced In weight 1 to 10. A body that weighs 100 pounds, when living, weighs how much when baked? There Is Puzzle Here. New York Sun. The chief objects that Mr. Roosevelt had in view during his term of office were, first, the regulation by Congress of state corporations, which he en deavored to obtain under the inter state clause of the Constitution; next, heavier Federal taxation of the rich through "direct taxes." and, finally, the absorption Into the National Treasury by death taxes of the bulk of great in dividual possessions. Is Taft aiming at the same results, through the opened door of a tariff so prohibitory of im ports as not to provide enough revenue. Mr. Roosevelt sought to control state corporations by the interstate com merce route. Is Mr. Taft seeking the same result by the tariff route, which will make an opening for the imposi tion of other taxes? Perversity in Polities. The Dalles Optimist. It is too bad the way the Optimist and some others are acting on this po litical question, this one of a conven tion to nominate our Republican candi dates! Or you can call it an assembly if you choose. Yes, it is too bad ac cording to the Portland Journal! But whon the Journal applauds a Republi can there is something wrong with him, and when it abuses him he is sure not on the wrong track not on the Demo cratic track! Alaskan Moonshine. Ketchikan Miner. Up here in Alaska the moon rises in the south, and sets in the north. Its beams are liquid and they enamel the landscape with a porcelain loveliness. It casts a spell more potent than e'er did the magicians of the East. Under its wizardry the rocks turn to silver and the brown old mountains are con jured into giant pearls. True wealth exists in the mind, and whoever be holds an Alaskan moonlight Is thrice hundred times a millionaire. This Talesman Passed. Success. Judge You are a freeholder? Talesman Yes, sir; I am. "Married or single?" "Married three years last June." "Have you formed or expressed any opinion?" "Not for three years, your honor." In a Dry County, Too. Albany Democrat. "Where will I find a barroom?" asked a stranger. "Just up the street," was the answer by some one who knew, and the man started for a blind pig. Because They Don't Try. Albany Democrat. A one-armed man just went by riding a bicycle and leading a horse, and yet half the men with two arms have hard work getting along. The "Dreadnought" of America. Washington Star. Ajax defied the lightning, but In these days the tariff statesman goes farther and defies the entire climate. One Fatal Omission. Washington Herald. Oh, yes; and Dr. Eliot left the cook book off his list of good reading! Without the Discomforts. Woodburn Independent. Those who do not go on a Summer outing can just imagine it. PAY ONLY FOR WATER CONSUMED Under the Meter System Every House holder Gets a Square Deal. PORTLAND. Or., July 9. (To the Editor.) A few days ago The Ore gonian chronicled the fact that Mayor Simon, at a meeting of the Water Board, had declared himself unfavor ably impressed with the orolect fnr delivering city water to all Portland ' consumers through meters and charg ing each consumer for the water ac tually consumed. I think that not Mayor Simon nor any other can bring fact or argument which will show any system other than the meter system to be just, either to consumers or to the city. Under the flat rate system a family of two persons pays the same amount monthly for water as a family of 12 persons, although naturally the fans ily of 12 will use six times as much water as the family of two. If- the family of two is paying a fair rate the family of 12 Is cheating the city. If the family of 12 is paying a fair rate the city is cheating the family of two. The meter system would correct this injustice. If one's lot Is 50x100 feet one pays $1 a month for irrigation under the flat rate system. It matters not that one's house covers three-fourths of one's lot, while the house of one's neighbor next door covers but one fourth of his lot of equal size; each pay alike $1 a month for irrigation, al though the other Is irrigating three times as much ground as the one. It matters not that one may be satisfied with keep ing the sprinkler going an hour each day. while one's neighbor keeps his sprinkler going seven hours each day; each pays $1 a month just the same. The meter system would correct this in equality. It cannot be corrected other wise than by the meter system. Limitation of hours for irrigation is unfair and works great inconvenience. If one is willing to pay and does pay the prescribed charge for water con sumed, one should be allowed to use as much as one pleases, when' one pleases. The meter system would make this practicable. Nobody Is going to waste water if everybody knows that all water used must be paid for. There is no doubt that the present minimum meter charge 25 cents a month is too low. Fifty cents a month would be entirely reasonable and would cause few If any protests. It may be that the meter rate above the minimum charge Is also too low. If so, let it be raised. But let us have the meter system, which does not gouge one consumer while it. lets his next-door neighbor gouge the city. Let us not cling to the antiquated flat rate system simply because we have had it for 40 years past and it would be bothersome to make a readjust ment. ONE CONSUMER, CHINESE PHEASANTS IPT OREGON. First Introduced by the Late Judge O. N. Dcuny Years Ako. FOREST GROVE. Or., July 8. (To the Editor.) When were the first Chi nese pheasants introduced into this state, the number and by whom? C. L. LARGE. By the late Judge O. N. Denny in 1880 or 1881. He was then United States Consul-General at Shanghai. There were about 20 pairs in the ship ment. These were, turned loose on the farm of Judge Denny's mother near Lebanon, Linn County, where they multiplied at a prodigious rate. Some months later Judge Denny sent 100 pairs to the Portland Rod & Gun Club to be shipped into various sections of the state. They arrived at the time of a blizzard, and, despite the best ef forts of the club, about one-third of the precious birds died. Part of the "survivors" were let. loose in ... the Willamette Valley, where they in creased rapidly and part were sent to Protection Island, Puget Sound, where they perished through lack of interest by local sportsmen. Unconsciously Created Slang. Boston Transcript. Those who take a particular pleasure in discovering the origin of slang, in order to support the contention that it is seldom born on ' a low plane, though oftenest heard in unconven tional speech, will be interested at learning how a recent bit of slang came to life. A little girl, the story goes, astonished her parents, not long ago, by saying that on an anticipated outing she expected she and her com panions would "startle the pigeons from their perch." Naturally the older members of her family asked her where she heard such an expression. "It's In 'Paul Revere's Ride." " she replied, sur prised at the Ignorance of her family in her tone. The family circle took It up then, almost unconsciously, passed it on, and now it circulates. In It we have a term synonymous with various flippant anticipations of good times fil tered, it may be said, through the mouth of a babe from one of our poets. Its uses will be many, and In strange places, before it is put on the retired list. "Where We Are At." The Dalles Optimist. Many newspapers in the state and a number of clubs are now quite out spoken in their attitude against some of the fool laws on our statute books, such as the Initiative and referendum, the recall and Statement No. 1. We are put down abroad as a set of cranks. Intelligent people know that we gave about the largest (proportional) Re publican majority at the last election of any state in the Union. And then they look to the Senato and find that precious pair of Republican statesmen Bourne and Chamberlain! One a blatant, demagogic Democrat, the other an ignorant mountebank without a party. Economies in Wheat. Washington Herald. Well, what are you growling about? You may get less doughnut for your nickel Just at this time, but you get more hole, do you not? Why be un reasonable? The Master Stroke. .New York Sun. Cheered for his agile feat and nimble stunt The bronzed ball player swells with hon est pride; The long and accurate throw, the wily bunt. The daring steal, the perilous headlong slide. Each In tie homage of the gladsome eye Close to the public heart an hour has sat: Plucked from the blinding sun the incred ible fly. Or fiery liner smoking from the bat. Full oft the timely and prodigious whack The multitude has Jubilantly thrilled The- great, aerlaJ fence-dlBdaining crack And home-run wallop when the bags were filled. Lo! where the catcher like a granite rock. Kinsman to courage and unknown to fear. With dauntless front repels the iron shock And. awful volleys, of the cannoneer. And unforgot the pitcher's mighty hour. Whose fusillade immortalized hia name. Held the dread sluggers helpless In hia power. And broke their proud hearts with a hit less game. With feats like these our plaudits they evoke. On the green diamond In a game of ball; These, and the Incomparable master stroke And flash of genius that outshines them all: Such as of old had made Olympus ring. And vitalized the beauteous Phtdlan clay. And given to Homer's haxp another string. The glorious unassisted triple play I MR. BLUM ACER A "TRIE SPOHT." Smilingly Paid Heavy Fine After En. counter With Customs Officers. New York Sun. July 5, Sol Bluniauer. described by Deputy Surveyor Mciveon as a cheerful person, whose sense of humor was not ruffled even when by order of Collector Loob he was ordered to pay $1500 fine for falling to declare goods of that value, arrived last week by the Hamburg American liner Kaiserln Auguste Vic toria. He was accompanied bv his wife and they had been to Paris to attend ; the marriage of their daughter to IL J. Litt. They left the young folks honey mooning and took the Kaiserln at Cherbourg. Mr. Rlumauer is a wholesale liquor dealer in Portland, Or., and has lots of money. He apparently had not road the papers recently about the Inspection of baggage at this port, otherwise he might not have taken the trouble to make preparations to pay the Govern ment $1500 more than he would have had to put up if he had declared the things, mostly expensive wearing ap parel, he and nis wife brought over In several- trunks. He made the usual declaration that each had only $100 worth of dutiable stuff, which passen gers are permitted to bring in. Inspector Halloran went through the trunks of the Blumauers very carefully and surprised Mr. Blumauer "verv much by telling him that there would be about $800 duty on the things he had failed to declare. Mr. Blumauer said he was willing to pay the dutv. He was perturbed when he was told that that would not be all that would be re quired of him. but that he would have to appear before Collector Loeb and make more explanations. The collector listened to the cheerful remarks of Mr. Blumauer. as did the United States Dis trict Attorney's office, and it was de cided that Mr. Blumauer was not in nocent enough to get away with the payment of the duty alone. The law allows the imposition of a maximum line equal to the foreign value of goods that passengers bring in with intent to deceive the Government, and as the value of the Blumauer importation was $1500. Mr. Blumauer turned over $2300 to the collector, and he did it with a smile, regretting that he did not know that the laws were so strictly enforced at this port. Mr. Blumauer later became a little disturbed. He said that his daughter and son-iis-law were coming home on the American liner St. Paul, which ar rived at her pier 15 minutes before midnight on Saturday, and that they were bringing a trousseau of consider able value that he didn't want them to have any bother about. He was told that he might easily reach the St. Paul by wireless, and later he confided in an inspector that he had sent several wireless messages. The purport of them, Mr. Blumauer said, was to in form his daughter and his son-in-law of the nature of the laws in regard to the declaration of baggage and the contents thereof. Mr. Blumauer was one of the first persons on the pier when it was an nounced that the liner was going to dock Saturday night even if she did not get in until after midnight. He was still smiling and told the friendly in spector that "everything was all right." The bride was among the first to land when the gangplank was put up at 11:45. The meeting between her and her father and mother was enthusiastic. The bridegroom's father was also on hand. The most skillful appraiser In the port and one of the best Inspectors were assigned to look over the three trunks of the bridegroom and bride. Bride and bridegroom were quite as cheerful as the radiant Mr. Blumauer himself. The declaration of the Litts was one of the most satisfactory docu ments, consisting of two carefully written pages, that has ever been ex amined on a steamship pier. They did not omit anything of value and the to tal was $1580. Father-in-law was on hand with the money to pay about $SO0 duty if it had been then demanded. As it was Sunday morning -when the trunks were gone over the payment ol tha duty was deferred. WELhMAS NEEDS MORE ECLAT. Therefore He Should Start Farthei South With His North Pole Dash. New York Sun. We gather from the Tromsoe dispatch announcing the demolition of Mr. Wal ter Wellman's airship house in Spltz bergen last December that the airship itself escaped. Mr. Wellman no doubt has it with him in some safe place, and in that event the disaster is not ir reparable. A good strong airship house should easily be constructed in a short time, and then the voyage might begin again. Spitzbergen seems to be a mighty windy spot, and who knows that Mr. Wellman's houses will not be blown away as fast as he builds them? Isn"t it quieter at Tromsoe? And if so, why not make the start from there? We have had evidence of late to the effect that balloons, flying machines and the like do not launch well in a very high wind, and it seems to us that Mr. Well man should look for an Initial point where the conditions are more balmy. He ought to try Tromsoe. or if things are no better there, an even milder starting point. As it appears to us the Important consideration with Mr. Well man is to make a start, and the more eclat attendant upon the ceremony the more satisfactory to all concerned. At Tromsoe, for example, the city fathers might grace the occasion, with young women to scatter flowers and freshly Ironed school children to sing trium phant songs. We are constrained to believe that no start will be made this year. Last De cember's storm, which we have just heard of. by the way, seems to have settled all that; but for next year, say, couldn't Mr. Wellman arrange to spring his dash from some point further much further south, with multitudes to acclaim the sendoff. and with all the material of rescue ready on the spot? That would furnish amusement and in struction to untold thousands of sym pathetic folk, and it would possess the merit of Involving a minimum of dan ger to the Intrepid explorer. This expedient is recommended, ol course, on the assumption that Mr. Wellman's balloon is real and that if will fly if properly approached. Mrs. Seat Gets Her Maiden Name, Ask. Chicago Dispatch. Mrs. Mary A. Seat told Judge Stougt why she wanted a divorce from James A. Seat, whom she charged with non support and desertion. Then sho askei that her maiden name be restored. "What name is it?" asked the court, "Ask," replied the plaintiff. "I did ask," said the Judge, severely. "Well, I told Your Honor. My nam was Ask." Judge Stough ordered the decree writ ten up. Judge Charles G. Neely, counse.' for the defendant, shook hands witt Judge Stough after court. "I'm surprised that you would un-Seat a lady," remarked Mr. Neely. "Well, she Asked me to," responde: Judge Stough. and they were quits. Magna Charta Island Is Sold. London Dispatch. Magna Charta Island, in the Rivet Thames, near Windsor. England, has beer sold to a purchaser who intends to us the island as a private residence. Th name of the new owner is kept a pro found secret and the story has already started that he Is an American. Careful inquiries show no more warrant for thia report. On Magna Charta Island stands a Email Gothic cottage in which is the stone on which King John is said to hav placed the great charter in order to at tach his signature In June, 1215.