THE MORXIXG OREGOXIAN, MONDAY, XOVE3IBER 22, 1909.
PORTLAND. OREGON.
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PORTLAND. MONDAY, NOV. Z. 190
THE CIRCULATION OF THE
OREGONIAN.
It required 64.000 pounds of paper
to carry yesterday's isaue of The.
Oregonlan the usual Sunday edi
tion or 27 tons. The iasue was 53,
00 copies, and not 200 copies were
left over at 5 o'clock. Nobody within
100 miles of Portland, who reada
any newspaper, fall to read The
Oregonlan. and great numbers beyond
the 100-mlle radius read It as largely.
It la read simply for what It con
tains. Today's Issue Is 41.800 at
present the regular Issue of week
days, which Is growing faster than
at any former time la the news
papor's history.
! . THE RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH.
Free speech is a talismanic phrase.
Chiefest of personal rights Is the right
to speak and to write freely. Milton,
lln his famous Areopagitlca, placed It
first among all rights that men enjoy,
i But he did not contend that men have
the right to use free speech and free
writing and printing to the injury of
..'others. Exercise of this right, as of
all other rights, must be regulated by
. law. You may drive freely on the
road, but you mustn't run over peo
' pie.
What Is contended for at Spokane,
and what is contended for by the Gom
pers people, is the right to use speech
and writing for injury of others. Not
'only have private individuals rights
that must be protected against wanton
. attack by speech or press, but the pub
lic has a right to insist that the streets
or highways shall not be blockaded by
.'crowds gathered to listen to harangues
from speakers who thir... they have
'. messages ot one sort or another to
' deliver.
The right to attack a lawful busl
'. ness, by speech or print, for the pur
pose of injuring it. is not a right at
all. That it should be claimed as a
. right Is extraordinary- An effort In
the Sixtieth Congress failed; and it
' then was threatened by Mr. Gompers
and his associates, that they would
'.'make it an Issue" in the elections of
. 1908. They indeed did their utmost In
'this direction; but the effort was a dls-
mal failure. The Gompers "'remedy"
' was offered In a bill (called the Pearse
;bill) which proposed to enact into law
" the doctrine that "no right to carry .
? on business of any particular kind,
or at any particular place, or at all,
shall be construed, held, considered or
'. treated as property or as constituting
a property right." The Intent of this
bill was to prevent the use of restrain
ing orders against the boycott and the
blacklist. It did not carry; for it was
. made apparent that if the right to
carry on a lawful business, and use or
employment of the right did not con
stitute a property right, there could
' be no such thing as a property right;
and any body of men might organize
fonsplracies to ruin the business of
any man. any firm, any corporation,
without fear that any equity court
would restrain them.
It is necessary In all cases to bear
simple principles In mind. The right
to speak and to print doesn't include
the right to injure others; and If there
Is Intent to Injure others, and conspir
acy or combination to Injure others.
o much the worse.
PREVENTABLE DISEASES.
Statistics of vitality (and mortality)
feem to show that the Infant today has
In prospect a much longer average
lifetime than did the baby of two
generations ago: but a man 60 years
old has in prospect an average after
lifetime no greater than formerly. A
recent bulletin. Issued by the Commit
toA of One Hundred on National
Health (New Haven), says the proxi
mate cause of this contrast would
seem to lie in the fact that the mor
tality from many of the diseases of t
- later life is on the Increase. The death
rates from diabetes, heart disease and
; Bright's disease have atl doubled. Yet
one cause of this apparent conse-
quence may lie in the fact that statis-
tics now are much fuller and more
accurate than formerly.
It is known that the death rate in
- the United States from tuberculosis
'. equals the combined death rate from
: smallpox, typhoid fever, diphtheria,
cancer, diabetes, appendicitis and
meningitis. Yet tuberculosis is, in
large degree, -a preventable disease.
- Equal in the number of its victims
" is pneumonia, largely preventable also.
Pneumonia is now known to be a
v i j: -m rt e
commuiilt-auie Ulan-ant-, wio romii " ,
' which is very widely distributed.
Where preventive measures are
taken against typhoid fever, the re-
suits are very remarkable. In Munich
(Bavaria) the typhoid mortality dur
Vlnsr 1856 was 191 Der 100.000 of POP-
" ulation. The city at that time con--tained
numerous cesspools, and the
"water supply was largely obtained
-from wells and pumps. From 1856 to
'.1887 there was great activity in the
1 filling up of cesspools, the abandon
ment of pumps and wells, and the In
stallation of modern sewers. A cure
-water supply was also secured, the
" water being brought from a distance.
"The typhoid fever death rate fell in
1887 to ten per 100.000 of population
a reduction of 97 per cent. In Ham
.burg the typhoid mortality for 1880--1S92
ranged from twenty-four to
-eighty-eight, averaging thirty-nine and
seven-tenths per 100.000. In May,
1893, a filtration plant was opened,
.U n t f.il I In Ytat enmn VPr tO
eighteen. For the five years following
It averaged only seven and two-tenths,
showing a reduction of over 80 per
cent.
Smallpox is another disease that
yields readily more readily than
most to preventive measures. Vac- (
cination has proven the chief pro
phylactic. In Prussia the death rate
from smallpox per 100,000 population
was twenty-four and four-tenths in
the period from 1846-1870. In 1874
vaccination, which up to that time
had been only Intermittently utilized
was made compulsory, and the death
rate per 100,000 fell at once to one
and five-tenths. Germany, however,
seems to have been most energetic of
all countries In stamping out this dis
ease. The statistics show striking re
suits of greater laxity in others. In
1886 the death rate from smallpox
In Switzerland was fifty-fourfold that
of Germany; JJi Belgium, forty-eight
fold; In Austria, eighty-onefold and In
Hungary six hundred and sevenfold
High European authority asserts that
"the introduction of vaccination has
Increased the mean duration of human
life about three years and a half." Be
fore Jenner's utilization of vaccina
tion to guard against smallpox, that
disease was causing one-tenth of all
deaths of the 'human race, just as
does tuberculosis today, while "nearly
twice as many were permanently dis
figured by its ravages. In England
300 per 100,000 population died an
nually from It. It Is computed that
during the eighteenth century 50,000.-
000 people died of smallpox in Eu
rope." '
It certainly is no proof of intelli
gence or knowledge to resist vaccina
tion, in the face of the general author
ity of medical science, backed by such
statistics as these. More and more,
prevention of disease is and will be
relied on, as means of prolonging hu
man life.
NOW THIS IS HUMOROUS. '
Collier's Weekly, attacking Secretary
Ballinger and President Taft, makes
this statement:
No one. It seems to us. who Is in touch
with or even In the mass, can doubt that
If an election were held tomorrow, the
President could be defeated by a Democrat
of the stamp of Chamberlain, ot Oregon.
"A Democrat of the stamp of Cham
berlain of Oregon!" Now you know
what the quality of the muck-raker of
Collier's is. Chamberlain is a man of
very moderate talents, much addicted
to tricks of politics together with
other addictions. He is a machine
politician, working every little oppor
tunity for what it Is worth; an oppor
tunist whom one Republican raction
and then the other has used for defeat
and punishment of its opponents; but
he has the real respect of neither.
On his own merits he never was so
strong a man In Oregon as Bryan,
whom Taft defeated in the state by
25.000 majority: To Republican fac
tionalism he owes til his success such
as It is. Neither Republican faction
In the state wanted him either for
Governor or for Senator; but each
was eager to beat the other, and neith
er cared a fig or a maravedi about the
kind of man who could be used to
effect the purpose. It would be some
thing different in a Presidential elec
tion. Moreover, more than ten thousand
persons who voted direct for Chanv
berlain for Senator expected the mem
bers of the Legislature, in pursuance
of their constitutional duty, to exer
cise their own right of choice, as al
ways heretofore. The popular vote
cannot elect, the Legislature elects;
and it was unthinkable that the mem
bers of one party in the Legislature
would elect a leader of the opposite
party to the Senate. It never "will be
done again. The knife driven to the
heart of "statement one" will prevent
repetition of that folly.
ROMAN ROADS.
It would be a mighty fine thing to
have "a Roman road" from Jackson
ville, Medford and Ashland, to Crater
Lake. Yes, indeed. But there Is no
road yet from Portland to Hillsboro,
or from Portland to Oregon City (ex
cept the road for the trolley car) that
any kind of carriage can use more
than four months in the year. We can
make roads, of course. " Multnomah
County has made the only roads In the
state. They are fairly good outside
the city; but in the environs of the
city outside the central portions,
where the county does not direct
the work the streets are ImD ass-
able. When one is driving out of
the city, the moment he touches the
county road he rejoices. Yet good
roads cannot be had at once. Talk
about the Roman roads is premature.
It is well for an ideal, but we shall
struggle yet a while to reach it.
The Cornlche road, from Nice to
Monaco, and all main roads up and
down the Mediterranean coasts of
France, Spain and Italy, are the work
of more . than two thousand years.
And of hard times and cheap labor.
But we're in a hurry. Yet with all our
hurry it will be a while before we get
such roads as that from .Sorrento to
Amalphi and Salerno, which has been
more than two thousand years in
building, and still must be worked on
every year.
Greatest problem of every country is
its roads. Even in our older states
it has been scarcely touched yet. In
our Pacific Northwest States our prob
lem Is to make a beginning; and ten
centuries, and twenty centuries from
now. our posterity will be wrestling
with it. Question, main question, is.
How far can we go in our efforts now?
We have little labor and little
wealth. We still are (substantially)
In the position of those who, sixty
years ago, opened the Canyon road for
Portland the road up the ravine that
enters the sewer at the head of Jeffer
son street. One requirement or
achievement leads to another. But
we must push all the time, yet keep
within our means.
Since oldest of countries must still
work incessantly on their roads, some
idea may be had of the work necessary
to create and maintain ours In a
country wholly new, where the work
so far has scarcely a beginning. But
It Is hardly worth "while to talk of
Roman roads except at Immeasurable
distances. Besides, the Roman roads
were poor indeed, compared with
modem roads of the same countries.
We mustn't falter; but those roads
represent an amount of labor that will
be beyond our means for hundreds of
years to come.
THE KANSAS HEN.
"And they all take whisky In their
tea In Kansas." sang a tuneful bard of
the vaudeville stage some years ago,
when "Kansas" was a name with
which to conjure. The reason for that
pointed assertion regarding the bever
age of the Kansans has never been
quite clear, but It seems to have been
a deduction made from the conduct of
Kansas before William Allen White
made that famous diagnosis of
"What's the matter with Kansas?"
About that time Kansas had a great
reputation for production of freaks of
ail kinds, including sockless statesmen.
But for a number of years Kansas has
been so busy producing dollar wheat,
60-cent corn and other tangible forms
of wealth that it was no longer neces
sary to be freakish in order to be fa
mous. It is accordingly with considerable
surprise that we find the Sunflower
State again on the front page with a
real Kansas story, bearing some of the
earmarks of the 'old-time "whisky-ln-their-tea"
thrillers. This particular
story comes from Topeka, and it tells
of an egg laid by a Republic County
hen. Imbedded in the shell of this
egg were "ominous characters" which
spelled out "Drought 1911." In view
of past performance's, no one Is sur
prised at anything that happens in
Kansas, but that particular hen
turned out a very incomplete job by
not adding a key to the mystery.
What kind of a drought is Kansas to
expect? Does this mysterious high
sign from the hennery mean that old
"Average Precipitation" is to figure
only In the minus column of the
weather report, or does it mean (per
ish the thought!) that the Kansans
must step across the state line or go
to the "blind pig" when they are seek
ing Ingredients for flavoring their
"tea"? Still, the performance of the
Kansas hen cannot be too lightly re
garded. It has certainly shifted the
equilibrium on that old argument as
to whether the chicken or the egg
came first.
No egg has as yet produced a
chicken with any "ominous charac
ters" imbedded In the skin, or stamped
on the bill. Long life to the Kansas
hen. Neither the fabled roc, the great
auk nor any other egg-producers of
the misty past has equaled her performances.
NO PARDON BOARD NEEDED.
Oregon has some fifty boards and
commissions to carry on its affairs of
state government. They are surely
enough. But now comes a proposal
for yet another to assume the pardon
duties now performed by the Gover
nor. This board. It Is said, would take
from the executive's shoulders the dis
tressing cares that the law. creates for
punishment of criminals.
The pardoning and commuting
power held by the Governor is one
that seldom needs exercise. The courts
should be relied upon to mete out jus
tice. The exceptional convictions that
deserve clemency of the Governor are
rare. Only where there has been ob
vious miscarriage of Justice in the trial
courts should there be executive Inter
ference with the process of the law.
The constitution of the state was
framed for the purpose of admitting
executive clemency only In such emer
gency. Execution of the laws Is even
now too lax, and a pardoning board
would Interpose further delays and ob
stacles in the path of the already too
slow administration of justice.
Another trial court, for such a par
doning board would be, is not needed,
and would prove a misfortune to the
public interest. It would open up anew
many cases of convictions, after the
regular courts were done with them.
It would cause creation of new Jobs,
more favors, additional patronage and
higher taxes.
It is time to halt the creation of new
commissions and additional offices In
this state. This is a particularly good
place to stop the increase, if for no
other reason than the curbing of
crime. . .
THE CORPORATION TAX.
"Is the Federal Corporation Tax
Constitutional?" Is the title of an ar
ticle in the latest number of The Out
look, by Charles W. Pierson, of the
New York bar. The subject is ex
amined In the light of judicial deci
sions by highest authority on questions
that lie on the dividing line between
the functions of the states and of the
United States. It has been held by
the Supreme Court of the United
States that the National Government
"cannot exercise its power of taxation
so as to destroy the state governments
or embarrass their lawful action."
Now a National corporation tax is a
tax upon the exercise of franchises
granted by a state. In the exercise of
its Independent sovereignty'over mat
ters within Its own Jurisdiction.
It would seem, therefore, that the
Supreme Court must hold it uncon
stitutional. Such is the opinion of
many Interpreters of constitutional
law, throughout the United States. Has
Congress the power to tax a franchise
granted by the State of Oregon? If
so, of course, no corporation can exist
without permission of Congress, and
the state should be permitted no more
to authorize the formation of corpora
tions. That will become a function of
the National Government. The only
conceivable answer to the argument
against the national corporation tax. Is
that every corporation, no matter how
limited in its operation, does some in
terstate business. But this Is very far
fetched. A NON-PARTISAN ABSURDITY.
"Non-polltlcal Judiciary" is the dem
agogic shout of partisan Democrats In
Oregon, their half-shell Republican
allies and their newspaper organs. Yet
when their man Chamberlain, as Gov
ernor, named the two new unconstitu
tional members of the Supreme Court
lat Winter, he appointed Democrats.
Had Chamberlain chosen men for
those places whose participation In
public that is, political: affairs'of the
state had proved their superior merit
as learned expounders of the law and
as foremost leaders of public thought,
he would have more fitly represented
the pride and Intelligence of the state
In the Supreme Court.
A man's participation in political af
fairs is always the gauge of his intelli
gence and patriotism. One who Is
sound and sensible on questions of
politics and on principles of party, and
who leads the public mind toward so
lution of problems of government, Is
fittest to hold office, especially In the
Judiciary. Such a man is necessarily
a party man, and. If he Is barred from
the Judiciary for that reason, the pub
lic loses opportunity of obtaining a
qualified servEfnt. If men are to be
named Judges because they possess no
political nor party principles, the
strongest members of the body politic
are to be barred from seats on the
bench. It Is like the objectionable
habit of choosing for Jurors to try
causes of life and property and Impris
onment men "who eschew public dis
cussion and newspapers because they
are supposed to be freest from preju
dice. Yet these are the very men least
likely to have that qualification.
A non-partisan judiciary Is an ab
surdity. The most active party men
are the beet fitted to become Judges.
This has been a truth throughout the
history of the Nation. The most dis
tinguished judges have demonstrated
their superior qualifications for seats
on the bench by their participation in
political affairs and by their partisan
ship. Government throughout all its
branches Is a matter of politics, and
men engage in politics by being mem
bers bf a party. They can develop
their powers and prove them to their
fellow-citizens in no other way.
All of which Is known, of course, to
those who use the specious argument
of non-political judiciary; they showed
it when their partisan Governor ele
vated two Democrats to the Supreme
Bench. They use the argument for
temporary buncombe merely. It is
part of their deceptive business of rais
ing members of their own party to of
fices of Governor and Supreme Judge
and United States Senator against a
Republican majority that they have
buncoed often and hope to treat the
same way again.
A calm sea and coolheaded officers
prevented what otherwise might have
been a fearful sea tragedy when the
steamer St. Croix burned off the Cali
fornia coast Saturday night; There
were plenty of boats for the passen
gers and small crew on the vessel, and
the excellent discipline enabled all
hands to reach shore In safety. Par
ticulars as to the cause of the fire are
missing, but a Los Angeles dispatch
says that "ten days ago an explosion
took place in the boiler-room of the St.
Croix and Chief Engineer Doe was
scalded to death. The belief is that
an explosion in the engine-room below
the second cabin caused the fire of to
day." This would seem to . be a sub
ject for the most rigid investigation.
Explosions and fires on steamships do
not "Just happen." There is some
cause for them, and. If conditions re
sponsible for the fatal explosion ten
days earlier were not changed before
the second explosion occurred, there Is
punishment due somewhere. Luck
played a large part In saving the lives
of the passengers and crew on the
burning steamer.
From Astoria comes word that the
proposed Astoria-Seaside-Tillamook
electric railroad has been financed and
that work will begin immediately.
This will be good news to the thou
sands of Summer visitors who throng
the beach resorts south of the Colum
bia River. A frequent service, which
can best be supplied by an electric line,
will not only 'attract newcomers to
these beach resorts, but it will greatly
add to the pleasure and convenience
of the ."regulars," who f or years have
spent the Summer at the beach. The
line, by following almost any of the
routes on which surveys have been
made between Seaside and Tillamook,
would present scenic attractions of
surpassing Interest.
Is It reasonable that the candidates
of a party should be representatives
of that party? Then the represents.
tive system is the only system of se
lection. Men who nominate them
selves are not representatives of a
party. For every important office
there will be many candidates, and
only a convention can decide between
them. There can be no decision be
tween them by the multitude of vot
ers, and the candidate who gets a bare
plurality, on a widely split vote, will
not be accepted as his party's repre
sentative. The sanction of a. conven
tion is necessary for concentration of
party effort.
The Oregonlan has not objected to
the argument that the State of Oregon
has .need of five Justices of the Su
preme Court; nor that a state may
not outgrow Its constitution, as a
youth outgrows his clothes. Put It on
that ground, then, that Oregon now
needs five Justices of the Supreme
Court, and may need more letter, and
that the constitutional limitation is
no matter; this would be frank, open
and honest. But the argument that
three means five, or may mean seven.
Is disgusting for its insincerity. In the
old days It would have been called
lying.
Among Republican newspapers of
the state there is scarcely a voice that
dissents from the convention plan.
Nearly all have warmly approved it.
Democratic Journals and politicians
oppose it for Republicans but will
hold little assemblies of their own, as
heretofore, for selection of the"lr can
didates. Officers of the American Federa
tion of Labor have Just been chosen,
not by primaries, nor even by popular
election, but by convention of dele
gates. Even labor unions find it im
possible to select satisfactory leaders
without convention.
The city detectives, by new arrange
ment, are to be compelled to work for
their living. This sounds incredible.
Inasmuch as they are to be retained in
their present positions Instead of being
thrust into the cold, outsideworld.
; It is manly and refining to yell like
a Comanche and whirl like a Dervish
while twenty-two or more football
players roll in the mud and malm and
mar each other. College- education
is grand sport.
If it is impossible to keep an assem
bly out of the hands of machine
bosses, what Is to be said of the assem
blies of the labor - unions and the
granges and some other organizations?
Oregon led at the ' Spokane apple
show and Rogue River led Oregon.
Portland would like a chance to see
and taste and judge some of the
world-beating apples It hears about.
Dr. Cook proposes. If we doubt his
Polar exploit, to show us his Esqul
mos. and if we doubt his Mount Mc
Kinley climb, to show us the moun
tain. All of which is convincing.
- A bachelor Justice- in 'Michigan sent
a man to jail for ninety days for steal
ing a kiss from a girl.- "This penalty
should deter many, a bachelor from
danger. ' ' f " i
We were told turkeys would be
cheap this year. But perhaps there
was compensation in the hope of low
prices, even when we cannot realize
them. . -
It will be advantageous for Prose
cutor Heney to obtain for jurymen .to
try . BInger Hermann men whose
grandfathers BInger cannot rfem
ber. Signor Caruso wishes he were happy
earning $2 a day, instead of $5000 a
performance. Many other men wish
the same thing.
THE BRITISH BUDGET.
Outline of the Proposals) Before the
British Parliament.
The Outlook.
Will the House of Lords fight or sur
render? That i the one question
which is stirring England today. The
Budget which has kept Parliament at
a white heat for six months, without a
thought of the usual midsummer holi
days, has passed the House of Com
mons by an unexpected majority 379
to 149. Debate on it will begin In the
House of Lords on November 22. Will
the Lords defy the force of tradition
and custom by amending it or rejecting
altogether, or will they make a wry
face and adopt It? The British Budget
Is the measure in which Parliament,
under the leadership of the Cabinet,
determines what money the country
shall spend during the coming year
and how It shall be raised. .
fn April last the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, the Right Hon. David Lloyd
George, found himself confronted with
a deficit for the coming year of $75,
000,000. His Budget, which was pre
sented in a speech four hours long,
sought to' provide for this deficit by
Increases in existing taxes and new
methods of taxation which have been
hailed by the Conservatives, and espe
cially by the large property-owners as
"revolutionary." Mr. Lloyd-George's
chief proposals are briefly these:
1. An increase of 1 per cent In the
income tax on .all unearned incomes
and on earned incomes over $15,000,
wltha super-tax of 2hi per cent on all
incomes exceeding $25,000. 2. An in
crease in the death duties or inherit
ance taxes on estates of over $25,000,
so that the maximum rate of 15 per cent
will be reached at $5,000,000 instead
of at $15,000,000. 3. A tax on motor cars,
ranging from $10 for the smallest cars
to $300 on a car of over 60 horse
power. 4. A tax of 6 cents a gallon
on gasoline. The receipts from these
last two taxes are to be spent in Im
proving and extending the .good roads
of the country. 5. An added tax of 94
cents per gallon on spirits, and one
of 16 cents per pound on tobacco. 6. An
increase in the stamp tax from $2.50
to $5. 7. An increase in the duties on
liquor licenses. 8. A tax of 20 per cent
on the unearned increment in . land
values that Is, that part of the In
crease In the value of a piece of land
which Is due not to the labor or im
provements put upon the land by Its
owner, but to agencies outside his con
trol, such as the improvement of neigh
boring land, the growth of population,
and so forth. This tax Is to be reck
oned from a, valuation of the lands In
Great Britain to be made at once. 9. A
tax of two-tenths of 1 pe-r cent on
mining royalties, and on the value of
undeveloped land. 10. A duty of 10 per
cent on the benefit accruing to the own
er of leased land at the termination of
a lease. The taxes under the last three
heads carry out the principle of the
Single Tax, and it Is these proposals,
together with the increased Income and
Inheritance taxes, which have especially
roused the Ire of the Conservatives and
the landowners.
RELIEF FOR THE SUPREME COURT
Suggestion to Limit Appeals and Ap
point Circuit Court Arbitrators.
CROY, Or.. Nov. 20. (To the Editor.)
I desire to commend The Oregonian's
editorial on the Increase in number of
the Supreme Judges by the "holy
Statement Legislature.
When the Legislative .Assembly pro
vides for the election of Supreme and
Circuit Judges in a distinct class, sec
tion 2 shall be null and void. The
meaning could not be made plalirer than
it is now.
It is probable that with the increase
of population that the Judges of the
Supreme Bench are behind in their
work. But if this Btate had followed
the advice of ex-Governor Lord's mes
sage in 1895, there would be no neces
slty of an increase in the number of
our Supreme Judges until at least we
had 1,000,000 inhabitants in Oregon.
I will, however, make the figures a
little larger than Governor Lord did. To
remedy the increase of Judges referred
to, make it possible for a man to sue
in a Justice Court for the sum of $2o0
from which no appeal shall be taken,
except to a court of arbitration, and
the arbitrators to be appointed by the
Circuit Judge. Also I suggest that no
appeals be allowed to be taken to the
Supreme Court for less sums than $2000,
and from the circuit judge an appeals
under this sum should go to a court of
arbitration. The arbitrators should be
appointed by the Supreme Judges of
the state.
I think if we will follow this plan
we will have no necessity for more
Judges, and all disputes will be settled
Just ad equitably as they now are.
J. E. DAVID.
Europe's War Chests,
' American Banker.
At the present time, and for the future
as well, there Is lying at the Bank of
France, in Paris, a reserve gold store of
160,000,000, which Is, in fact, writes one
correspondent, "looked upon as a war
fund, beside which the 20.000,000 of Ber
many looks very small." But the German
"Kreiegschatz," or emergency war-chest
fund, only amounts to six millions ster
ling, and it is lying not In the Helens-
bank, at Berlin, but in the vaults of the
Julius Tower, In the fortress of Spandau
near the capital, against the coming of
Germany's next war day. It has been ly
ing there as a dead fund ever since Ger
many received from France her war in
demnity of Jt2o0,000,0000, from which it
was taken. . -
New Novels With Double Names.
Boston Dispatch.
In America Mrs. Humphry Ward's
new novel will bear the name- "Lady
Merton," thus giving democratic Ameri
can readers a glimpse of the English
aristocracy. In England it will be called
"Canadian Born," giving conventional
English readers a taste of the picturesque
life which, they imagine exists in " the
wilds of Canada, In both countries the
book will appear serially in magazines,
before it is brought out as a volume. Mrs.
Ward's American story. "Marriage a la
Mode." was named "Daphne'yfor a non
committal title for her English story
readers.
Line-Up of Europe's Ariso-rat.
Kansas City Star.
ir TA, Toimh Antor'n ilO.O00.0fl0 nueht
to enable her practically to take her pick
of all the unmarried "noblemen" in
Europe.
CURRENT SMALL CHANGE.
Teacher '"How many makes a million,
Johnny? Johnny Not many. Judge.
The Different Bides of a Story Lsdy
(who has Jumped on the lop of another)
Stupid woman! Came down Just In front
of me, and nearly save m a bad fall!
Punch. ......
"So you don't care for mother-of-pearl.
ehT" asked the salesman in the Jewelry
store. "No," replied the sad-looking- cus
tomer. "I married a girl named Pearl."
Philadelphia Record.
Little Willie "Pay. pa. what Is the dif
ference between a farmer and an agricul
turist? Pa A farmer, my son, makes his
money on a farm and spends it In the city;
an agriculturist makes his money In the
cltv and spends It on a farm. Chicago
Daily News.
Mistress (hurrying frantically) Mary,
what time Is It now? Maid -Half past
two mum. Mistress Oh, I thought it
was lster I still have 20 minutes to catch
the steamer. Maid Yls, mum. I knew
ye'd be rushed, so I set the clock back 30
minutes to give ye more time. Puck.
"I always submerge myself in the part
t am niavinr" sAid the man who claimed
to have once heen with Booth. "I forget
that I am acting." "Well." the critic re
plied. "I shouldn't think that would be hard
lor you iw ww. i.wwuj, m-. - -
member that you're aUnar" Chl-
.cago Record-Herald.
NO MONOPOLY IX WATER FOWER.
General Electric Company Says Glfford
Plnchot'a Allegation Groundless.
William E. Curtis, In Chicago Record
Herald. J. R. McKee, who Is in charge of the
water power installations of the Gen
eral Electric Company, says: "The
question of that company or anybody
else getting up a water power monopoly
is so ridiculous that it is difficult to
understand how any sane man can put
any faith in such a suggestion.
"So far as the General Electric Com
pany proper Is concerned," continued
Mr. McKee, "the only water power
plants in which we have an Interest
are six In number, and they are located
in Missouri, North Carolina, Connecti
cut, New. York, Colorado and Califor
nia. The largest amount we have- in
any one company, ig $200,000, and in
every case the interest was acquired
In the settlement of Indebtedness. For
perfectly apparent reasons I do not
think it would be judicious to publish
the names of the companies. It might
be considered a violation of business
ethics.
"If you will look over Bulletin No.
4230, which was Issued by the General
Electric Company nine years ago. in
August, 1900, you will see a list of 244
water power transmission plants, which
are scattered all over the country, and
In fact all over the world, and will
note that they all antedate the forestry
service and everything of that char
acter. This list does not Include any
of the thousands of plants which have
been set up since 1900, but it will give
you an idea of the enormous number
and the amount of capital which was
Invested in them before, the forestry
policy was adopted. The census office
has Issued a bulletin which brings the
list down to a later date, and shows
whe'n each company was established,
the capital invested in it and the char
acter of the plant."
Here Mr. McKee mentioned that the
water power plants owned by the Tel
lurlde Powder Company are every one
of them on land owned by the com
panies themselves, and none of them
are on forest reserves, and after sketch
ing the history of the Edison and
Thomson-Houston companies In the
electrification of railroads, and show
ing the necessary growth of subordi
nate companies, he proceeded:
"Incidental to this, the next devel
opment was In connection with water
power, and when assistance was wanted
by different people to organize or ex
ploit a water power company they
were always referred to these subordi
nate companies. I do not believe there
is a single one of these water' proposi
tions In the United States today In
which the electric companies have con
trol. "S. Z.- Mitchell, the president, recently
made a report to the bureau of cor
porations at Washington in answer to
an Inquiry, in which he said:
"The only water power companies in
which we own stock or bonds are as
follows:
" 'Animas Power and Water Com
pany, Southwestern Colorado.
" 'Central Colorado Power Company,
Eastern Colorado.
. " 'Carolina Power and Light Com
pany, Central North Carolina.
" 'Little River Power Company, North
east Alabama.
" 'McC'all Ferry ; Power Company,
Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
" 'Rockingham Powder Company, south
Central North Carolina.
" 'Stanislaus Water Power Company,
Central California.
" 'The only ones of the above men
tioned companies controlled by us Is
the Carolina Power and Light Company
and the Little River Power Company.
" 'The American Gas and Electric
Company owns the stock of the Rock
ford Electric Company, Illinois, which
in turn owns a fractional interest in
the water power of the Rock River at
Rockford.
" "We own the stock of the Alabama
Power Development Company at Talla
dega, Ala., which owns a water power
site on the Chocolocco River, upon
which there was an electric light plant
at one time, but it was partially washed
away and dismantled something over
a year ago and may be rebuilt In due
course. The old plant developed less
than 300 horse power.
" 'The Little River Power Company
hag no plant at all, but contemplates
building one when the titles to suffi
cient property can ba acquired and
business conditions justify.'
"In Colorado and pther Western
States the water belongs to the state
and is rapidly being appropriated for
Irrigation, which spoils It for power
purposes.
"There is a great deal of power going
to waste In Montana, for there Is no
present demand to Justify Its develop
ment. The Missouri River can fur
nish water power enough to satisfy
several generations, , and there is a
great deal in the forest reserves.
"Altogether about 200,000 horse power
has been developed In California to
generate electricity, but millions of
horse power are running to waste.
There is more unused water power in
California than will be needed for &
century. That which has been devel
oped is controlled and used by seven or
eight different companies, which have no
relation or financial connections. Tho
undeveloped power is distributed among
a very large number of owners, pri
vate individuals, mining companies, wa
ter" companies and speculators. The
Government still owns an enormous
amount of water power In California,
which has not been taken up because
there is no present use and therefore
no demand for It. It will be genera
tions before it will be needed and much
of it is in the forest reserves.
"Tacoma is the only city that does
a commercial business in electricity.
It owns a plant on Cedar River, where
it also gets its water supply, and. In
addition to lighting the streets, sells
electricity for general manufacturing
purposes at moderate rates. Buffalo,
Syracuse, Albany. Troy, Schenectady,
Utica, St. Paul. Minneapolis, Boise City,
Butte, Helena, Tacoma, Seattle, Port
land, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Ogden and Salt Lake City are
all lighted by water power, but Ta
coma is the only municipality that
owns Its plant.1'
"When Father Files His Saw,"
: PORTLAND. Or., Nov. 17. (To the
Editor.) Will you kindly print, or re
print, as the case may be, the poem
entitled "When Father Files His Saw?"
If not mistaken I read this poem sev
eral years ago In a Portland paper,
but did not realize its value In time to
preserve it. It is a gem of art, de
scribing the delicious agony furnished
the whole family and the neighbors
when "dad" goes to the basement to
scrape his saw with, a dull file. If the
editor is unable, will some reader
oblige by supplying this little poem
for republication, thereby affording
pleasure to thousands of other readers
as well as to a MECHANIC.
China Has Arms of the Cincinnati.
Indianapolis News.
Through Mrs. Marshal Philpot, the
National Museum has received a valu
able set of china, bearing the arms of
the Cincinnati. The china was original
ly the property of" Dr. David Townsend,
who served through the Revolution under
General Washington, The set was orig
inally brought from Canton by Samuel
Shaw, in 1790, and is one of the three
sets ordered at that time by General
Dearborn, Governor Eustls of Massachu
setts and Dr. Townsend. The set, aside
from historical associations, is said to be
valuable as a sample of Chinese pottery
of the time.
NEIGHBORS TRUST MR.. BALLINGER
Seattle Chamber of Commerce Defends
Secretary, of the Interior.
. Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
The Seattle Chamber of Commerce? in
an open letter addressed to the people of
the United States, has come to the defense
of Secretary of the Interior Richard A.
Ballinger, in refutation of the attack
made upon his official character by Col
lier's Weekly.
Tho letter waa written by the chamber's
committee on National affairs in accord
ance with a resolution adopted at last
Tuesday's meeting of the chamber. The
letter, which Is signed by Judge Thomas
Burke, chairman; Judge C. H. Hanford,
John H. McGraw, Rev. M. A. Matthews,
George H. Walker and C. 9. Miller, reads
as follows:
"To the People of the United States:
We have read with surprise and indigna
tion the baseless and malignant calumnies
published against the Honorable Richard
A. Ballinger, Stn-retary of tile Interior.
One of the extraordinary things in con
nection with the publication against him
is that In not one of them is there any
specific charge of wrongdoing.
"HiB life during his residence of more
than 20 years in this state has been as
clear and as open as tho day. As a pri
vate citizen, as a lawyer, as a Judgo and
as Mayor of this city, his record has
been honorable to his head and to his
heart, and an inspiring example to the
young men of the whole state. Not a
breath of scandal ever soiled his name In
any relation in life. Ho wag appointed
Land Commissioner by ex-President
Roosevelt, and In that difficult and re
sponsible position proved himself an ablo,
honest and fearless officer. As Secre
tary of the Interior under the present
Administration, the public records incon
teetably show that by his industry, his
attention to and mastery of the details
of the extended and complicated business
of his office, and by his sound common
sense he has done as much to conserve
the natural resources of tho public do
main to the people of the country as any ;
other man that over held that office.
"The whole country, and especially this
state, has a deep interest in protecting
such a character against reckless detain
ers, who by artifice and calumny would
blacken his name and compass his po
litical destruction.
"As neighbors who have known and
trusted Mr. Ballinger for years, and from
that Intimate relation know that he has
been faithful to every trust, and that he
is by nature and training a scrupulously
honest man. we protest against the out
rageous and wholly unwarranted attacks
that have recently been made upon him."
Won! Thla-Counta.
Springfield (Mass.) Republican.
A conspiracy of Roosevelters against
President Taft? Nonsense! says Sen
ator Jonathan Bourne, of Oregon. "I
am sure," he says, "that Mr. Roosevelt
is Just as popular everywhere in tho
country, as he ever was, and I am sure
that Mr. Taft's popularity is growing
more and more every day." No higher
authorfty on the subject of popularity
than Senator Bourne can be found in
this country. What he says is final.
Rare Bums' Book Brings $1025.
Baltimore News.
Robert Burns' "Poems Chiefly In the
Scottish Dialect," a rare octavo printed
by John Wilson, at Kilmarnock, Scot
land, In 178S, was purchased at the auc
tion sale in Boston of the private library
of the late James Brown, a publisher, by
George Clark of Kilmarnock. The price
was $1025. Mr. Clark, who lives in
Burns' old neighborhood, will take tho
book to Scotland.
Chile nnd Argentina.
Chile has $S2,00O.0no gold In its currency
conversion fund and will continue to aid
to it $500,000 per month for the next ttva
years, when gold payments go Into effect.
Argentina increased Its currency con
version fund during the year by $50,000,
000 gold, the total now bqjng $170,000,000.
An Examiiiation on the Tariff.
BY J. H. M.
Stand up. Mike, and define the tariff?
I defy th' deflnement.
Are you In favor of protecting oor in
fant industries?
I favor th' maximum claws f r Jeff an'
th' minimum f r th' nagur.
Spell protection.
P-r-o, pro; t-e-c-t, protect, wid a shun
protection.
How is a tariff bill made?
Ask Jidge Binlt.
What is meant by revision? ,
Revision is a protection av th' tariff, an''
th' tariff is a revision av th' protection.
Bring it home.
It's a dry cough an' a wink betune th'
Couch building an" th' Chamber av Com
merce. Does the tariff protect the consumer?
It protects thlm It don't consume.
Do you belong to the party of Hamil
ton, Lincoln, McKinley and Roosevelt?
D'ye mean th' party av Payne, Aldrich,
Cannon an" Taft?
Are you a Republican?
Me father was a Republican an' me
brother was an aviator. I'm a reformer
meself In a state av grace, but plaze God
"t won't always be so.
Tou're a reform Republican?
What wud ye call th' tongue av a Re
publican In th' gob av a Dimocrat wid th'
golf-stick av a Jonathan to smite th"
Philistines?
Are you interested in the tariff?
So far as it affects meself.
How about the other follows?
Oh, they have th' consolation av lUety
an' th' comfort av expectation; th' gospel
av th' tariff is evanjilllcal, ye know; it's
f'r th' salvation av th' goats an' th" con
version av th' sheep.
Didn't your party keep Its platform
promises?
It did: it kept th' promises in th' plat
form an' gave th' perorations to th' gal
leries; what did your party do?
Don't you think you got the best tariff
bill possible under the circumstances?
Sure I do: anything -under thlm cir
cumstances wud have to dig its way out-Pig-iron
and hides fainted wanat or twice,
but escaped; electric carbons an' catarrh,
dutch razors an bunions, suar an" skin
troubles, philanthropists an' gnlT, wood
pulp an' paresis, cotton bantring an'
baked beans, beauty lotion an' divorce.
hair rats, blarney stones, woolen goods
an' religion are reported safe. Insurgents
at home nor foreigners abroad will never
destroy th' pallajum av our tariff while
we have a text av St. Paul left -in a can
non's mouth.
Where did you get your views on the
tariff? '
From the debates.
Where did the debates get them?
From th' comity av finance, an' ways
an' means.
Where did the committees get them?
From th' experts.
.
Where did the experts get them?
From th' Interests.
Where did the Interests get thero?
From th' campaign fund.