8 THE MORNING OREGONIAN, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1909. PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered t Portland. Orefon, Fostofflc & J Focond-Clus Matter. '-Subscription Kate Invariably in Advance. (By Mall.) ilally. Sunday Included, one year.-... , Dally, Sunday Included, six month... Dally, Funday Included, three months. r.U y. Sunday included, one month... ,Dally. without Sunday, one year...... 'Dally, without Sunday, six month... ; Dally, without Sunday, three months.. Dally, without Sunday, one month... Weekly, one year. .................. ... Sunday, one year..',..... Sunday and weekly, on year $8.00 4 25 2.25 .75 e.oo 8.2S 1.75 .60 1.50 2 50 3.S0 (By Carrier.) ; Dally, Sunday Included, one year..... 9.00 Dally. Sunday Included, one month.... .75 How to Remit Send poetoffice money !order. express order or personal check on .your local bank. 8tamps. coin or currency . ere at the sender's risk. Give postofflce ad dress in full, including county and state. - Pnatage Rate 10 to 14 r aires. I cent; 18 'to 28 pages. 2. cents; 30 to 40 pares. 3 cents; 4o to 60 pages. cents. Foreign postage )double rate. Eastern Business Office The S. C. Beck ""wlih Special Agency New Tork, rooms 4S 50 Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 510-312 Tribune building. PORTLAND, TCESDAY. DEC. 7, 1909. , rtTBIJC OWNKBSHli" Al ADMXNIS , T RATION OF 1A.NI). The letter printed yesterday about the .land policy of New Zealand, from the London Spectator, liberal weekly, contained matter of enlightenment on a subject about which much Is said ! among us by those who know little of thc facts. The letter was written by ia resident of New Zealand, a native ' of that country, of English parentage, whose testimony may be supposed to have value. What is called the land policy of New Zealand is only in the inchoate and experimental stage. In proportion to the whole area of the country the nationalization of the land has not pro ceeded far. Certain large eHtates held -by native owners have been "resumed" with money borrowed by the govern ment, and leased to settlers for long periods. The system is an unprofitable one for the country, since it taxes all the people to support agriculture, and 'the government's income from the leases falls short of the interest on the . borrowed capital. Greater part of the land of the country is still in large holdings: and as fast as the govern t ment buys up the tracts (with bor rowed money) the former owners withdraw their capital for investment ' elsewhere. The rural lands of the country can ! be bought from the government for rash. They can also be held on "lease in perpetuity" (999 years) at a 4 per cent rental on the capital value, or 'occupation with right of purchase" for 25 years, at 5 per cent rental on the value. The rate of the ordinary land tax is about one penny in the pound, upon the actual value of the land. This makes a very light direct land tax. but the rental that must be paid to the government, on "state lands," is a heavy burden. The public debt now carried on these lands is very large. Government virtually under takes to supply money for support of agriculture: and so long as this bor rowing continues beneficiaries of it claim "good times" and "prosperity." Doubtless If government should bor row money and invest it in other in dustries this class of beneficiaries also would laud the system. Of course, it is apparent, however, that nothing but bankruptcy can await the system. The New Zealand writer says: "The chief object here appears to have been to nationalize the land at any cost, and create an army of state dependents who shall be at the beck and call of the party in power." Whether such was tho Intent or not. it must inevit ably be the consequence. It begins already to appear: since "tenants from one end of the country to the other are now clamoring for the fee simple of their lands, that they may be able to . utilize their allotments as they may .deem fit." The system is bad, there fore, both for government and people. Klse of farm products and expenditure of borrowed millions cause superficial observers to assert, however, that the "prosperity" has solid foundations. Yet the tendency of the whole system be gins to appear in removal of the bur den of taxation from the shoulders of merchants and middlemen, and to place It on those of the "man upon the land," whose industry the government must rely on for its revenue to carry the system. Interference of govern ment with productive Industry, that ought always to be carried on by pri vate initiative and direction, must lead In all cases to these or similar conse quences. In this experiment govern ment supports the farmer, who must support the government. In such sit uation the man of the soil Is merely' a servant or dependent of the state. New Zealand has a population some what greater than that of Oregon, and In area is a little larger. It Is not prob able that the people of Oregon, or of any other of our states, will desire pub lic ownership of the land, with leases to tenants, either for long or short terms, paying interest to the state on the capitalized values. INAPTITUDE. It has been noted that a number of students have recently been dis missed from the Naval Academy at Annapolis for "inaptitude." For this action the superintendent has been censured in certain quarters on the ground that the reason given is in sufficient and indefinite. It is neither. It means plainly that these lads, possi bly through political pressure or per sonal favoritism, having a chance to fit themselves for officers in the Navy, by means of a special course of train ing that is at once strenuous and com prehensive, have failed to "make SkxI." This is definite enough, and it is also a sufficient reason for refusal by the Na.val authorities to undertake, at large expense to the Government, a hopeless task. . . "inaptitude" is not a vague term. Specifically, according to the Standard Dictionary, it means "not suitable or fit for a specific purpose or use." It is no special disparagement to a youth to say that a certain vocation is not suited to hi" mental -or physical en dowments. He might be successful, might even shine, in "commercial life and yet be an titter failure In a mili tary or naval role. The material sent to the' Naval Academy Is necessarily untried. Its selection has more likely than not. 'been due to political favorit tern. After a vigorous course in cram ming for examinations the lad thus selected may gain entrance. It after a sufficient time it is found that he does not fully measure up to the re quired standard it is In the interest f the naval service and even of the tal and his friends to drop him. Tho world is-before him. Hia chance lies in it, somewhere. Why waste his time and the Nation's money in attempting to fit him Into, a profession for which he shows no aptitude ? Men are discharged from business houses, from railroad service, from even the common avocations every day for the same reason. An employe who does not "catch on," who In mental or physical attainments does not measure up to the requirements of his work or who Is not amenable to the discipline of the house or the employing force is discharged for the same reason given by the superintendent of the Naval Academy. Habits of indolence may be Overcome; slow mental processes may be quickened by systematic application to study. But for "inaptitude" for the work in hand there is but one remedy, and that is in change of vocation. (TAFT AND THE ROOSEVELT 1'OLIt'lES. The more the country sees of Mr. Taft the firmer grows the impression thtt there is going to be no radical de parture from the so-called Roosevelt policies regarding corporation abuses and privileges. . The cause of progress is apparently as safe in his hands as It was in his predecessor's, and there Is not much question but that he can accomplish equally satisfactory results without straining any of the laws of the country. President Taft took of fice In rather difficult circumstances. Whatever was acomplished toy his pre decessor In the way of punishing law breakers and correcting accumulating evils was attended by so many spectac ular effects that a man possessing the calm, judicial temperament of Presi-r dent Taft, in endeavoring to follow him would naturally attract less at tention. . Another influence that has caused some mistrust regarding Taft's pol icies, is the internal strife which has been waged by some of his subordi nates, who claim the unqualified rlgfit to act as Interpreters of the Roosevelt policies. That undue Importance has been placed on this internal warfare can be understood when the relative importance of Mr. Ballinger and Mr. Pinchot in the Government service is considered. Secretary Ballinger is the head of one of the most important de partments of the Government. Mr. Pin chot is the head of a branch of Secre tary Wilson's department, which, it is needless to state, is far inferior in im portance to that of Secretary Ballinger. The agitation of this subordinate of ficial in a minor department against the conduct of the office of the prin cipal in another important department of much higher rank, has embarrassed Mr. Taft, but the public is showing a disposition to suspend judgment and give him a chance to right matters. The President may not go as far as some of the extremists of the Pinchot type would like to nave him go, and it is equally certain that his attitude to ward the corporations will not be as "liberal" as some of the trust mag nates would like to have it. His po sition on trust regulation of corpora tions has always been clear, but he will no doubt accomplish such regu lation without any unnecessary noise or disturbance. President Taft may make mistakes. None, however, can be any worse than that made by Pres ident Roosevelt when he gave the Steel Trust permission to absorb its greatest competitor, the Tennessee Coal & Iron Company. For these mistakes, how- - ' . u . . . i 1 1 ' in .1 j. i. .tin . i iii 1 1 1 n n r . i - n . - I t-nw aii'jwmiLc was maue tor the mistakes of his predecessor. THT5 SPIRITISTS HEAVEN. It is wrong to discourage the pursuit of truth, even when there is no pros pect of Its attaining anything else and small prospect of attaining even truth. Upon the whole, no species of intellect ual athletics is so profitable all around as the Investigation of the unknown. It Is so Immeasurably beneficial., both to him who investigates and to those who merely stand and look on that few feel much like blaming an eager seeker when he diverges from the realm of the unknown to the unknow able. Still, it is sad to see an earnest prospector squander his time, strength and grub followinc: up - leads which are sure to end in nothing. We do not, of course, mean to assert posi tively that the leads which our various psychical researchers have ' been fol lowing for the last fifty years have been absolutely barren, but, aside from some facts of mere terrestrial psychology, what have they yielded? To say nothing of material advan tages, leaving increased health, happi ness and longevity out of the ques tion entirely, what Is the harvest ef pure truth that the spiritists have reaped? It is doubtful If fifty years of effort as sincere and zealous In any other field of research have ever proved so nearly fruitless. In deriding, psychical research, therefore, one would not 'necessarily be discouraging the pursuit of truth, since it is highly questionable whether that radiant angel lies concealed any where in the country the lovers of the occult have invaded. But we do not wish to deride It. Our sole purpose is to point out how little it has ac complished, and this is done not by any means with unholy hilarity, but rather with melancholy reverence. Although thousands of people,, includ ing such men as W. T. Stead, Pro fessor ' William James, Alfred Russell Wallace and Sir Oliver Lodge, have held more or less constant converse with spirits for many years, IE is safe to say that they have not elicited from their celestial visitants a single fact of any particular importance concerning either this world or the other. As the Independent observes in commenting upon this subject, "We would have learned more by the discovery of a new tribe of South Sea Islanders than we have by getting into communica tion with the spirits of the mighty dead." From all this fuss and parade neither literature, science, philosophy nor religion has profited one atom. The so-called poetry which the spir its sometimes vouchsafe to transmit through the mediums is always the most depressing gibberish. Not a single line of it has ever been worth remembering. Although spirits are supposed to live a larger and freer life than we and are said to know all the facts of nature by intuition, never theless they have not told us one truth about electricity, aviation or any other significant subject , of human Interest. Philosophy stands' exactly where it would if the spirits had never been heard of, while religion- they have seriously Injured. They have harmed it by making the future life repulsive and, to many people, ridiculous. Grant ing the untenable proposition that spirit- communications prove there is a future life, who would want to live it If we must become the half-witted creatures the returning ghosts Invaria bly seem to too? If we are doomed to lose our intelligence when we be come discarnate souls, would not anni hilation be preferable? Who wants to spend eternity as a chattering Idiot? Tle Christian belief is that all our faculties will be brightened when we get to heaven. The spirits who de liver themselves through Eusapia Pal ladino and the other mediums are said to come from heaven for that purpose. They must represent the average in telligence of that blest abode. Have their faculties been brightened much? Shakspeare appears among these visi tants once in a while, but who would ever know him as the author of "Ham let"?. He does not exhibit decent common sense, to say nothing of gen ius. Bacon, Gladstone and everybody else suffers the same fearful eclipse. There must be something in the at mosphere of the evergreen shore fatal to intelligence. George Washington and- Little Bright Eyes both gibber non sense. If anything Bright Eyes has the best of It. By making heaven, out to be a sort of vast asylum for the simple-minded, spiritism has injured religion incalculably. At best celestial Joys are none .too alluring. Few peo ple whom we have ever seen . really prefer them to terrestrial satisfaction. But when to perpetual harp-playing and dancing the decay of the intelli gence Is added, the place becomes positively repulsive. THE C55AR AND THB AXReHIP. The news that the Czar of Russia has forbidden airships to come nearer than ten miles to St. Petersburg raises the interesting question how he expects to enforce his order. For some time to come, while flights of two or three hundred miles are difficult and haz ardous, Nicholas may perhaps safe guard his capital from aerial foes. He may possibly prevent them from start ing anywhere in Russia. But what of the hereafter? How will he manage when a ship can start?" say in Swit zerland, and sail serenely through the upper air whithersoever it likes? One Imagines Nicholas will be kept pretty busy policing the entire atmos phere. The job will require a fleet of dirigibles and aeroplanes which it is staggering to think of. Within a ra dius of ten miles around a given cen ter there are contained more than 6000 cubic miles of navigable air and In each cubic mile 5.12 airships can fly about and not come within forty rods of each other at any Instant. Thus Nicholas will have to keep an eye on more than 3,072,000 menacing mon sters at the same moment when things get. really started. The task la appal ling. It Is conceivable that one of the first important consequences of tho perfec tion of the airship will be a marked change of demeanor in such people as Nicholas. When It is very clearly no longer possible to rule by violence and cruelty, they may bethink themselves to try ruling by reason and justice. Hitherto every invention of world wide importance has limited the au thority of consecrated rulers. The airship is not likely to be an excep tion to the rule. SOME REMARKS AS TO SAVINtiS. The little book on "How to Invest Tour Savings," which has just come out, deserves a more comprehensive title. It treats of other subjects be sides investments. It tells one how to accumulate savings, for one thing, an art which, in most cases, must unhap pily precede' investment. It also warns the simple-minded how to shun the lures of the Insidious tempter who would relieve them of their savings easily, quickly and without return. The author of the book. Isaac F. Marcos son, has clearly devoted his mind rather Intently to the fascinating sub ject of compound interest. It almost startles one to read in his paragraphs what fabulous sums ten cents a day invested at 4 per cent compound In terest will amount to in the course of five, ten or fifteen years. The old-fashioned arithmetics we ciphered through atchool in our far-off youth used to sing the same song and so did the bookkeeping textbooks, but how many heeded them? Not many, one fears. The average citizen of small means squanders his nickels for cigars and car rides now very much in the same way as he did years ago. If he would deposit them in the savings bank they would form the foundation of a for tune for him, but it is a trait of weak human nature to prefer a present pleasure to future wealth. Saving among Americans is a rare habit comparatively. Some say our thriftlessness arises from not having anything to save; but this is nonsense. Even the poorest of us who - are not actually in want have a great deal ipore to lay by than the Europeans in the same social class, but they ac cumulate capital by the hundred mil lion dollars while' we squander it just as fast. Waste is a National trait with us. One very plain reason for our dis inclination to lay by small sums Is the lack of safe banks to deposit them in. European governments have made it a prime concern to look out for the safety of the "petits economies" of the poor, as the thrifty French call them. In America the matter Is more neglected. Mr. Morcosson inculcates the desir able lesson of thrift without taking the trouble to tell us just how to make It practicable. He cites the admirable sav ings 'bank laws of New York and Mas sachusetts, but omits to mention that in most of the other states money de posited in a savings hank Is utterly at the mercy' of the officials who are at liberty to speculate with it as they please. - The universal adoption and enforcement of stringent banking raws would do more than many volumes of sermons to highten the allurements of compound interest to the popular mind. Distrust of savings banks at least of a certain class is widespread and profound. It has been created and nourished .by hundreds of unpardon able failures and the result of it is prosperity for a flock of vultures of all sizes and colors who make a busi ness of preying on the prudent poor. We suppose the people tliey prey upon may properly be called "poor." They certainly are not rich. They are school teachers, women physicians, men drawing small salaries or wages, ministers and clerks. Laborers whose wages are rather high are especially selected as victims by these harpies because of their confiding ignorance. The fascinating schemes they display to lure money from the purses -.f their dupes are innumerable.' One has a project to attach a moving picture show to hotel rocking chairs so that as the sitter rocks the scenes of beauty will pass in sweet procession before his gaze. . He points out to school ma'rns and other Innocent persons that this -will bring them some 50 per cent a, year on their savings and without waiting for wiser advice they invest. At any rate,' they call it investing. In reality they make the sleek, solicitor a present of their hard-earned money. Of late years the business of swind ling the poor people out of their sav ings has developed Into an extensive and almost respectable calling. It provides an elegant livelihood for a whole host of smooth gentlemen who would probably have to clean stables for their bread if this resource had not been invented. It is all very well'to repeat -that the fool and his money are soon parted. So they are, but it is to the Interest of the country that the fool should not be parted from his money. The foun dation of National stability is an inde pendent, self-respecting population of small property-owners. Goldsmith enunciated this economic philosophy with convincing power in the "Deserted Village," one of the wisest pieces of literature, ever written. All statesmen who can see beyond their noses agree upon its soundness. The foundation of lasting patriotism is a stake in the material wealth of the country. Fools being far more numerous than any other class of people, if they are sys tematically swindled out of their sav ings we shall come to the pass where the .. majority of the population is hopelessly dependent. .The law must deviBe some method of protecting the fools, and the very best that has thus far been conceived is a system of postal savings banks. The most arrant simpleton will trust the Government sooner -than he will swindling solicitors. Figures on the profits of the North Bank Road, in a report filed with the Washington- Railroad Commissioners and printed .in The Oregonian. recently, ought to be explained. It was stated that the road had proved a paying in vestment from the start, and in proof the fact was cited that the operating revenues for the year were $1,155,545 while the operating expenses were $793,209; leaving an apparent profit of more than $360,000 for the year ending June 30. The actual profit, however, was not visible after the "cost of construction" was taken into consideration, for . the same report shows that the road had cost $44,000, 000. Even at the low rate of 4 per cent, this would, mean an interest charge of $1,760,000 per year, which, of course, would have to be considered in any reckoning of the profits. The North Bank Road is still in its infancy and has not yet reached a point where it- can pay expenses. . Eventually the construction of feeders and develop ment of through business will take the figures out of the "red ink" col umn, but for the present the North Bank line is not a paying proposition. The universal interest that has been aroused in behalf of ;sufferers from tuberculosis, and in the effort being made to prevent the spread of the dis ease, is witnessed in the cordial in dorsement given to the Red Cross Christmas stamp. All who write let ters and send Christmas greetings or tokens are stockholders in this plan to raise money for thepurpose desig nated. It is a venture made in the name of humanity, in which no one is too poor to invest and which no one is too rich to consider. It represents a gracious, tender, widespread charity that makes direct appeal to the masses on the broad basis of the sympathy that comes from a common sorrow. For who, indeed, is there who has not suffered, nearly -or remotely, from the ravages of the "white plague"? . Citizen Foote, who. in the indis criminate use of his jaw tackle, was one of the most Industrious Workers of the World, has been sentenced to six months on the rock pilel Mr. Foote was one of those professional agita tors who temporarily abandoned his soap-box pedestal on the Portland street corners and hastened to Spokane to aid the Great Unwashed Army of Neverworks in violating, the laws of the City of Spokane. It is perhaps unfortunate that Mr. Foote permitted hlg zeal for the Neverworks to carry him so far as Spokane. Had he been content to follow the system of Citizen Wood, his delicate hands would not today be handling rock, and the cause Of freedom would not be so severely crimped. Another aviator was killed in France yesterday, the motor of his aeroplane exploding at .a. height of 1650 .feet. This is the third fatality of the kind since the aeroplane came into promi nence, a little over a year ago, the other victims being Lieutenant Sel fridge, who was killed at Fort Meyer while a passenger with Orville Wright, and Lefebvre, a French aviator, killed about two ;nonths ago. When this death-list is considered In propor tion to the number of aeroplanes in use, it is easily noticeable that the new means of travel - afford greater possi bilities for fatalities than any others ever ' invented,' not excepting the dir igible balloon. If suffragists would use the same blandishments as women do when seeking husbands, they would get the ballot without trouble, but that may be the reason so many of them have no husbands. The Oregon State Dairymen's Asso ciation will meet in Portland next Thursday, but not at the milk-wagon hour, because sleep-loving milk inspec tors are Invited to attend. Many of the fire laddies want more "time off." But it wouldn't pay for any one to start fires just to relieve their long periods of Idleness. The trouble with snow Is that it comes at the wrong time of year. It would be vastly more appreciated in the ice .cream season. Plumbers are disastisfied because the weather isn't cold enough. That's about the only solace for the rest of us. "Beautiful snow" must have been written by somebody who didn't' know the comfort of chinook rain. ' Perhaps Walter Wellman is jealous of any other North Pole faker. ' -, Where did all the sleighs and sleds come from? - The Only Way. Fltegende Blaetter. Stranger Excuse me, which 'is -the way to ? . Native; Go straight down . the street, and it's in front of you. Stranger But-1 didn't tell you where I wanted to go. j , Native All the jfvisitors ask which is the way to the bfct place for a glass of Deer. EXPECTS .TO "POUR" HOUSES SOON. Edison's Proposed Cement Buildings Not nn Idle Dream. '" Allen L. Benson in December Munsey's. Some of the big builders, the kind who erect New York skyscrapers, told me they didn't believe a cement house could, be -poured. Impracticable! A dream! I told Edison what some of the New York, builders had said, but the news didn't teem to irritate him. 'Those fellows couldn't be expected to understand how I am going to do this." he replied. "They have no im agination. They make me think of the, fellows who told . me there was nothing in the electric trolley. After I had worked on the trolley for some time, spent $42,000 on my experiments, and got the idea . where I thought it could be made commercially successful, I went before the board of directors of the Edison Electric Light Company, of which I was a large stockholder, and made this proposition: " "Reimburse me for the money I have spent, and I wll turn over all of my trolley patents to the company." "I well remember the meeting. It was held at the corner of Broad and Wall streets in New York, in the build ing in which are now the offices of J. P. Morgan & Co. The ' directors were some of the most prominent of New York. There was Just one man on the board besides myself who thought there was- anything In the trolley. He was Henry Villard. He was in favor of accepting my proposition. All the others said the trolley was a dream, and they rejeoted my offer. Spencer Trask, by the way, was one of the men, and I guess he Is making more money exit of electric railroads today than any other one man in the country. So, you see, it doesn't bother me much to have men say that something I am trying to do can't be done. I have heard that story before, but I never paid any attention to it, and I shall not pay any attention to it now. I'll pour a house about' the beginning of the year, and, by next Spring-, others will be pouring houses all over the world. More than that, this new kind of construction will ultimately go far toward doing away with the use of lumber in building." XEW-OLD IDEA IN TEACHING. Instructor Who Believes In Less Text . Books and Slore Teachers. - Cleveland Leader. The veteran superintendent of the pub lic schools of Toronto, Canada. who headed the delegatidn of teachers that have just spent three days in Cleveland, told an interviewer, while here that he believed the use of text books in schools would be done away with altogether. He explained ' that he thought Individual in struction, varying with the children to whom it was adapted and especially fitted to the needs of every boy and girl, would take the place of more or less uniform lessons from books. " Given money enough to provide a suffi cient number of teachers of the requisite ability, there would be no difficulty in giving children much important mental training without , the use of books. The personal factor in the Instructor is of immense Importance. President Garfield used to say, with reason, that "Mark Hopkins on one end of a log and a young man on the other would be enough to make a college." Yet the fact remains' that not even such an Instructor as the inspiring and lovable head of Williams College, In Garfield's student days, could take the place of text books plenty of them, constantly used. The vital point is that the student who does not know how to mine wisdom out of books is sent into the world, where there are no tutors devoted to his enlighten ment, without training or skill in the use of the stored-up resources of civilization. Books are the world's banks In the realm of knowledge.- They hold its Intellectual currency reserves, the circulating medium of thought and mental life.. One. of the best uses- to which schools can be put Is to make their pupils quicker and surer in getting the best out of books that the books contain. Cromwell Side of Henry t. Stanley. William II. Rideing in McClure's. Before I met Henry M. Stanley I .had talked with men who had been under him in his African expeditions, and all they told me about him was more or less ap palling. He was not inhuman, but in desperate straits he spared neither man nor beast, nor would he defer to the coun sel or the pleas of others, or have any patience with less than instant and un questioning obedience to his orders under all circumstances. He would not forbear under arguments or excuses or relax his severity by any familiarity or pleas antries even when his object had been gained. He was both despot and mar tinet: stern, exacting, uncompromising, silent, humorless, inscrutable, Crowwell lan. "I cannot saye we loved him," one of his lieutenants said to me; "we were all afraid of him; but we all believed in him. When he hadn't his rifle in hand he had his Bible, and no matter where our camp -was or how long and distress ing our march had been he never missed his bath and shave in the morning." From a Tacoma Paper. Tacoma Tribune. Yesterday The Oregonian had a birth day it was 69. The Oregonian started December 4, 1850. Yesterday, in its birth day number. The Oregonian gave a three column review of its history, its aims and its principles. The Oregonian takes just and modest pride in its position, attained by years of hard work, as the greatest newspaper of the Northwest, and one of the greatest in the West, and if meas ured by the standard of truth, liberality, conservatism, progress, loyalty to its city and state, and standing up for what it believes to be right, independent of popu lar clamor,' it is one of the greatest news papers in any city in any land, of any time. Canada's Highest Officer. PORTLAND, Dec. 6. (To ho Editors Is the Premier of Canada appointed or elected by the people? Is there any one higher in authority than the Premier? R- M. BRADLEY. The highest officer In Canada is the Oovernor-Gener-al who is appointed by the King. The Governor-General . appoints the Premier. That Is to say, he obeys the wishes of the party that happens to be in power. Indirectly, therefore, the people, choose a Premier. . What Every Baby Knows. - Life. That a cry will bring a quicker re sponse than a laugh. That baby clothes must have been the invention of the devil. That some 1 day it -will get even, with the people who chuck it under the chin. That the efforts to make it-comfortable usually have the opposite effect. - A Remedy for Failures. " . . Outfitter. Disinclination to. work is a. human fail ing to which we are all more or less sub ject, but when to this drawback there is added the defect of lack of proper train ing the reason for so many failures in business .is apparent. One method which will give us a properly, trained race, of workers Is apprenticeship: Display Pood for Hungry Birds. PORTLAND, Dec. 6. (To the Editor.) With the earth, covered with a snowy mantle, let us not bo unmindful of the feathered tribe and their search for food. I saw a very pretty picture today, when two ,children were scattering crumbs to a family of birds, and the noise the birds made showed thetr appreciation. C J. S. OLD-TIME VIRTUES STILL. POTENT Non-Moncy-Gf abbing Millionaire Wins by Industry and Loyalty. Holland in Wall Street Journal. . . Thei directors of the Corn Exchange Bant have adopted a resolution ex pressing their high admiration for the character, ability and personal quali ties of one . who had been for some years a director, but who recently died, James McGovern. So, also, the trustees of one of the larger insurance com panies of New York adopted a like reso lution, las will doubtless be done by other boards of directors with which Mr. McGovern was associated. Mr, McGovern had. a career which emphasizes ' the fact that . there is abundant opportunity for any lad who begins with .no other capital than in dustry, a sense of loyalty to his em ployers, and a never-failing desire to gain Information. The story may be worth telling, not only as an example, but as an illustration of what is pos sible in New York. A little over 30 years ago, the man ager of a firm of brokers in New- York advertised for an office boy. There appeared in response to the adver tisement some 20 lads of ages run ning from 12 to 15 years. Of these there was one bright-eyed lad, alert yet modest mannered, who atracted the attention of the manager, who asked him what his name was, and the reply was "Jimmy McGovern." Then the manager aRked him his age, and the reply was "I'm 14. sir, next birthday." Again the manager asked where his home -was, and the lad replied: "In Brooklyn.". "What does your father do?" asked the manager. "He's a flag layer, sir. He puts down paving stones." There was something in the boy's manner that persuaded the man ager that possibly he had just the qualities that were needed for. an of fice boy. But be wore that day clothes which were more appropriate for the docks. lie promised to appear the next day, however, in his Sunday clothes, and at 0 he entered the office. The manager instantly 'sent him to wash his hands, and Instructed him upon certain other details of his per sonal appearance. Never. after that did he come into the office with soiled hands, and his teeth glistened with evidences of careful attention. He was one. of the. office boys who are always on hand when wanted, and who have ability to . anticipate wants, yet be never in the way. The eyes of both partners in tnat firm were speedily fixed upon the lad. and he became a favorite, solely because of his faith fulness, industry and tact. In a year or two he was promoted. Then he was tempted by another firm to enter their employ at an increase of salary. "No, money - isn't every thing," lie said. .. "1 have learned to be a litle" proud of our house, and I'm going to stay here." But he would not permit his employers to know that he had received a.n offer at an advanced salary. Ynen came a dull .season, cus tomers were, few, and were almost nothing. All salaries were reduced ex cepting that of this lad. He went to one of the partners, and insisted that his be also- reduced, saying: "When' the house goes do'vn, I want to go down with it; when the house goes up I want to go up with it." And the mean ing that was In that remark was under stood by the partner. So that the lad accepted, because he asked for it, a reduction of salary of $50 per month. At last he became manager, and some years later Junior partner, his chief capital being hs ability, integ rity, and the friends he made. ' There came a time when the Old partners re tired, and one of - them said to the junior partner, who was to succeed to the firm: "Now, I. am going to re tire, but I am willing to put $in0,fln0 into the firm as special partner." "I don't want the money." was the reply. "I don't need It, I think 111 hold the customers, and take care of the business. . But I owe all I am'to you. you have' been very kind to me. and I should regard it as the highest pleasure If you would allow your son to come in the firm. Not that 1 want the money I don't care for that. But I'd like still to be asociated with one of your name and ' family.'-' That partnership was arranged, and the new firm became James McGovern & Co. Ho was received into intimate asociatlon with some of the more im portant financial institutions, was trustee of several of the leading phi lanthropies of the Catholic Church, was a man of great private generosity, and was one of those who give what ever flavor of. integrity and honor the Wall Street district has.. He died re cently, and his estate is presumed to be considerably in excess of ' $1,000,000. and may be as high as $2,000,000. THE CONVENTION NECESSARY. Oregon Offers a Method That Shovrs the Way Out. Los Angeles. Times. In Oregon the conditions became so confused that experience has driven the people back in a crowd to the old ways of procedure. From one end of Oregon to the other comes a demand on the part of the country press , that a return be made in ail future elections to the party conventions composed of delegates chosen in the open by as many voters as wish to take part: that these conventions shall put before the people a carefully selected ticket made up of representative men known in the community and judged cap able by their neighbors of filling the of fices. In Portland they began by holding a convention of the Republican party; and so great was the dissatisfaction and in dignation of the general public in regard to the primary eleetion laws of tOregon, so similar to those of our own city and state, that the Republican ticket in the city of Portland was elected by an over whelming majority and that city is ex periencing a period of political peace not known .since the dreamers attempted to run everything political in the Wcbfoot State. Put Vp "Hands-Off" signs. , Philadelphia Bulletin. 'It is of course absurd at this stage to attempt predictions ' as to what Mr. Roosevelt will or will not do after he sets foot on American soil. He Is now a private citizen. Whilh he remains such he is entitled to conduct his own affairs as he sees fit. But unless absence shall have changed him materially, it is prob able that he will be heard from later with the' emphasis of .utterance which normally marks his .course. J'ew . men who are acquainted with his personality and record expect him to abstain from participation in public affairs at an age when he is at the prime of life, and when his interest in issues of importance has shown no signs, that its aggressive keen ness has been blunted. Kansas' School-Insurance l,an, Topeka; Kam, Dispatch. Charles Barnes, state insurance 'superintendent.- issued an-order today reducing Hie insurance rates on country school houses and-churches from $1 to S5-cents, eliminating -the charges for a builder's risk and eliminating the additional charge for tenant occupancy on farm and city property. The business was carried 'at any rate the agents could get above 85 cents. Term -"Electricity". In a Nutshell. . Kansas' City Times. The term "electricity" was derived from the Gr6ek word meaning amber. Klectrlcity' itself Is earliest described by Theophrastus (321 B. C.) and . Pithy (70 A. D.I, who mention the power of amber to attract straw and dry leaves. Life's Sunny Side When Senator Dick of Ohio stopped in to chat a bit with President - Taft the other day, he had occasion to illustrate a point with an anecdote called from his own rich life's experience. This -.happened in the cailow days of Dick's ca reer, when he -was yet In the hay and feed business in Akron. One day he was called to the telephone to take an order. "I want a bale of hay," said the distant voice. "A bale of hay," repeated Dick, taking copious notes. "And twenty bushels of oats." . "Yes, sir." "And a half a load of straw." "Yes. sir. Anything else?" "No, that's all. Send it right away." "Yes, Bin" said Dick, politely. "And who is this for?" "Why, who do you suppose?" the other demanded, angrily. "It's for the horse, of course, you darned fool. Don't get gay with me." Cincinnati Times Star. A young preacher who was staying at a clergy house was in the habit of re tiring to his room lor an hour or more each day to practice pulpit oratory. At such times ho tilled the house with sounds of fervor and pathos and omitted it of most everything else. Phillips Brooks chanced to be visiting a friend in this house one day when the budding ora tor was holding forth. "Gracious mc!" exclaimed the bishop, starting up in assumed terror. fray, what might that be?" "Sit down, bishop," his friend replied. "That's only Young D practicing what ho preaches." Yale Record. A well known hotel keeper and politi cian of. Ohio received an appointment as collector of internal revenue. Arriving at his office one morning he found on his desk a letter addressed to him of ft cially, and without any postmark. Upon opening the letter he was surprised to find a $Vxi bill, to which was pinned a piece of paper with these words: "fun science money." Folding up the green back and tucking it carefully in his vest pocket, he remarked: "I always did sus pect that bartender of mine." Philadel phia Record. ' Maisie, a poor young woman of reunion, was being entertained by .a '-patroness." During tea the girl led 'the. conversation into personal channels, "is your husband in work " she asked her hostess. "Yes" and raised eyebrows, "How nianv chil dren have you? rwo" and an aston ished smile. "Does your husband drink:"' Why, my dear, what put ail this into your head?" "Mother said 1 was to talk like a lady, and that's how tliev talk to her." Professor Robert Herrit-k of the Uni versity of Chicago desired to point out. to a young sonneteer the difference' be tween the words "nslonish" and sur prise." "Noah Webster." Professor Mer rick said, "was once caught bv bis wil in the act of pressing the hand of the pretty cook. The cook, blushing like a. rose, fled at once to her kitchen. Mrs. Webster said, in a sad.- tremulous voice: 'W hy. Noah. I'm surprised.' But the philologist, frowning over his glasses at Ids wife. answered reprovinglv : '.Madam, you have not studied our glori ous language as you should. It's 1 who am surprised. You are astonished.' ". I'REFERS STA.Tll,LE TO CHICAGO Gertrude Atherton flakes Comparison That Are Odious. New York World. "1 would lather go . to hell than to Chicago!" "Corning to New York is like coining to Paradise!" That's the difference, according to Mis. Gertrude Atherton, tho novelist, who has just arrived in New York from her hoi, if in San Francisco via . Chicago. Mrs. Atherton js to stay with us all Winter and write a play for Mrs. Minnie Maii dern Fiske. Just at present she is im mersed in the proof shoots of her nw novel, which will appear shortly.- She really doesn't look as if she cuu'lfi say harsh things about 'anvbodv. For her hair is childishly yellow and fiuffv and she wears an' Alice blue suit that just (Hatches her eyes, and her smile is all inclusive and delightful. But she said It. and more in similar vein "Chicago Chicago is nothing but rawness and crudeness. and ugliness, un speakable." declared the authoress. "It is an awful nightmare. Why, truly, I had rather go to hell than to Chicago, if I had to choose one or the. other for my abode. "In Chicago one feels that everybody one sees is either vulgarly, disgustingly rich or shamefully, horribly poor. The great ladies whom ono meets driving about in their carriages seem to be lit erally swelling with wealth one inoincn tarlly expects them to burst. "And tiie other people whom one sets, the poor, poor people, are so tragically helplessly miserable. It is like Dante's Inferno. There, is the look of utter tor ture on so many of the faces. That's -why I think Miss Addams is so wonderful- because she can do such splendid work in that awfully depressing atmosphere. "Then the big office buildings in Chi cago are so ugly. Every inch is bcplas tered with signs for auto lamps or har vesting machines, or somebody's supermie cereal. Y'ou don't disfigure your build ings here in any such fashion. Each one of yours is a splendidly picturesque struc ture." All for the Dear People. Polk County Observer. Isn't it funny the way' the politician who has a rusty old ax to grind sudden ly gets- interested in tho "d6ar people V Jonathan Bourne bleeds for the people, because he wants to be re-electfed Sena tor; Colonel Hofer bleeds for the people, because ho wants to bo Governor of Ore gon: the Portland Journal blcedfor the people, because it wants to replace, a few more prominent Republican official with Democrats; Henry McGinn bleeds for the people, because he is a political "has-been" and wants to get back Into the limelight. "The dear people" It havs been the cry of the demagogue and. the pic-hunter from time immemorial, and has been the means of putting more mis fits and incompetents into public office than all other Influences combined-- But the game is about played out. The pro pie are getting wise. Judge Would Put to Death lusane. Fargo, N. D.,' Dispatch. . Judge Charles Amtdon. of the . United States District Court of North Darkfita, in an address here, advocated the puttiiTs to death of professional criminals, and 'the hopelessly insane. fie said it costs- as much to keep a man in the. penitential y as to keep and educate a man in a uni versity; that well behaved young -men should not he deprived of an education by the expenditure of puhlic money ' in keeping a naturally bad man under lock and key; and that the percentage of pro fessional criminals who are reformed is so. small as not to be worth mentioning. Economy In Corespondcnce. Cleveland. Plain Dealer. "About the most economical corre spondents I've heard of." remarked . As sistant Postmaster Ray Floyd, "were two women who stopped at a window down stairs the other day and wanted to know if it would be all right If they both were to write to a friend on the same postal card and thus save a cent." -' A Prayer for Peace, Cleveland Plain Dealer. It is sincerely to be hoped that the many good things in the President's pro gramme will be given ample considera tion on their merits and put into' law. and that Republican factionalism Will not be permitted to hinder the progress of desirable reform;