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.