12
TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN, TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1910.
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PORTLAND. TUESDAY, JAN. 25, 1910.
CAC8ES OF HIGH COST 'OF LIVING.
Repeatedly, In speaking of the
a uses of high prices. The Oregonian
has mentioned the almost universal
lise of the telephone for sending In or-
lers, and of the expensive equipment
or delivery that the modern system
equires. Even persons, who are
'down town" and going directly home,
vill not carry so much as a loaf of
read or a pair of gloves, but the
ealer must send them. Use of the
lephone for orders brings into the
ouse a multitude of things which are
aslly called for but would ' not be
ought if seen, examined, considered
nd compared; and the telephone
self is another charge. The automo-
ile has introduced another line or
xtravagances, expanding constantly.
ouse furnishings make another list.
ith continually Increasing expense.
)ecoration, that must be frequently
hanged or retouched makes no small
ddltlons to the yearly bills. Outings,
easide and mountain trips; travel.
ow very general, almost universal;
ocial expenses of all possible descrlp
lons, formerly unknown; better and
ore expensive dress, and food in
rger variety; the growing habit of
ting at restaurants and hiring rooms.
11 tend to increase the cost of living.
These things are not to be censured
r deplored, but are entirely proper
hen they can be afforded. But to
lve in these ways and then complain
increased cost Is not a mark of
onsiderate wisdom.
The system makes so much wash-
g that there is another bill, and the
ashing is so extensive that it cannot
e done at home. Your "house help"
ill not stay if required to wash and
ron the family's table and bed linen,
nd underwear. The house must h
odern, and It ought to be; but the
as. electric and fuel bills, ana nx-
res of all sorts, to be kept in repair
ost money; and though it is com-
lalned that rents are high, few are
tiling to build houses for rent. Great-
st part of the increased cost of living
due to changes in the mode of llv-
g. It is right, however, that people
hould desire all the "comforts" they
an get. But when they "double up
he style of living" the larger cost
ill follow, inimitably. Flour and
eans, butter and potatoes have often
een as high heretofore, or higher,
nd people' didn't complain. Nothing
etter has been said about the causes
the higher cost of living at the
resent time than a statement carried
our telegraphic report yesterday,
mlng from E. P. Ripley, president of
he Santa Fe Railroad. We reprint
art of It:
General Increase of wages and the rapid
rease of money in circulation are among
e causes of high prices, but extravagance
the paramount cause. Most housewives.
hose husbands earn good wages, will pay
lliree or four times as much for foods done
In fancy pucltages as they will for the
me foods without the frills. And they
111 not go to the store or to the market
they can have a telephone. The telephone
Ids to the cost of living for thousands of
mllies. and so does the 10 per cent which
e grocer has to add to his prices to cover
e cost of delivery.
This coincides with what has often
een said by The Oregonian. The
cts are obvious. The times have
hanged; habits and customs have
hanged; people are "living in higher
tyle" than in the days when John
farshall. Chief Justice of the Supreme
ourt of the United States, took his
asket on his arm every morning, left
at the grocer's as he passed on
Is way to his chambers, and 'in tha
fternoon on his return home, bought
hat was wanted, took up his basket.
opped at the butcher's shop on th3
ay, called for his chops or beefsteak.
rrylng the materials for his dinner
ome with him. The butcher and the
rocer could sell cheaper then.
RECORD BUILDING YEAR.
Portland building permits for the
rst three weeks of January were
eater than for the entire month of
anuary, 1909, and for the full month
ill probably be more than -twice as
rge as for the same month last
lear. While this is a very satisfactory
howing, it falls far short of reflect-
g trfs remarkable activity In prep-
ration for the current season, for
ortland architects already have on
and for 1910 completion more than
12,000,000 worth of buildings, or
early double the amount that was In
ght a year ago. With this for a
arter. It is not unreasonable to ex-
ect fully J20.000.000 worth of build-
g this year. What it means for
ortland to exceed the record-break-
g year of 1909 can be best under-
ood by a reference to the 1909 sta
rtles for the entire country.
Out of a total of 163 cities reported
y the New York Financial Chronicle,
it twelve were credited with a larger
ilume of building than Portland. Of
lese twelve, four had but a small
argin over Portland, which was
edited with permits amounting to
l3.366.5S0. Kansas City, with more
ian double the population of Port-
nd, was credited with $13,368,733;
ashington, D. C, wjth $13,720,593;
etroit. $14,301,450, and Boston, with
population nearlng the million mark.
id but $14,078,646. The building
rmlts issued in the Oregon metropo-
k were greater than those of Minne-
olis, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Milwau
e, Denver. St. Paul or Buffalo,
iltimore, with a population of more
an 500,000 ten years ago, was beaten
the extent of more than $5,000,000
id the Portland permits were greater
an those of Cincinnati and New Or-
ans combined, although the popula-
in of these two cities Is five times as
eat as that of Portland.
The most satisfactory feature of this
cord building movement in Portland
that it is in no degree forced. In
sidences and apartment-houses !t
ems an impossibility for builders to
keep up with the demand, and every
structure is tenanted before the paint
is dry. In the business district all of
the new buildings have from'50 to 75
per cent of their space engaged be
fore they are completed, and speedily
fill up as soon as they are ready for
tenants. One prominent building nat
yet under roof had more than 50 per
cent of its space rented before the ex
cavation was finished, and another had
60 per cent of the office space and all
of the ground flor rented before the
framework was up.
Among all the signs pointing to the
most prosperous year that Portland
has ever known, none are more inter
esting or valuable than the" figures on
building operations actually under
way and projected.
PREPARING FOR- THE CENSUS.
Seattle is making an effort to drag
the City of Georgetown into the Se
attle fold before the census-taker ap
pears. Georgetown seems to be hang
ing back, and the Seattle Times, in
an effort to show the recalcitrant
neighbor the error of fts ways, pre
sents a long list of reasons why
Georgetown is missing a golden oppor
tunity. The Times is charmiijgly frank
in stating that the reason for the
movement "is because Seattle desires
Georgetown, already located within Its
own territory, to be a part and parcel
of this great city, and be counted
among her people on the day
Uncle Sam begins to takevthe United
States census, that has caused so much
interest to be developed at the present
time."
With a desire to emphasize the im
portance of the matter, the Times
calls attention to the methods of San
Francisco and Los Angeles, and then
makes the somewhat surprising state
ment that: ;
While Portland, years before, had taken
In almost every village within ten miles of
the center of that city, she has now reached
out for New St. Johns a burg extending to
the Columbia River and before Uncle Sam
begins to count the people of Portland, that
city will embrace SO per cent of the entire
population of Multnomah County.
The location of "New St. Johns" is
not exactly clear in the minds of Port
land people, and thus far this alleged
"burg extending to the Columbia
River" has not been apprehended by
the City of Portland. We plead
guilty to the charge that "before Un
cle Sam begins to count" the City of
Portland will include 80 per cent of
the entire population of Multnomah
County. This proportion has existed
for a long time, and has been accom
plished without taking in """almost
every village within ten miles of the
center of the city." If Seattle has the
populatiaon that the Times and the Se
attle Chamber of Commerce are
claiming, it is almost certain that the
city includes upwards of 99 per cent of
the population of King County, and,
even under a legitimate count, it is
probable that more than 80 per cent of
the residents of King County live in
Seattle.
In reviewing numerically its reasons
why Georgetown should come in, and
alphabetically the list of disadvan
tages which would follow her refusal,
the Times, under clause B, states that
unless Georgetown comes in before the
census is taken, "the desire on the part
of the City of Seattle to have Georga
town a part of this city will have been
destroyed, and then every man who
has been interested In this undertak
ing will feel that he does not care
what may happen to a burg which is
so blind to Its own interests."
FOR SCHOOL BETTERMENT.
Superintendent Cooper, of the Se
attle public schools, prior to a city
teachers' institute held recently, sent
out blanks to the teachers in the high
schools asking that they be filled out
and returned to his office immediately
as a means of knowing how these
teachers, . numbering .150, stood upon
each of .the following questions, viz:
Debating and oratory; musical organi
zation; gymnasium practice; minstrel
and other shows; and secret societies
i. e., school fraternities and sorori
ties. Out of 125 teachers who filled
and returned the blanks 68 condemned
the show business as applied to school
entertainments, "because of its bad in
fluence upon work and character," and
109 denounced secret societies for the
same reason. Debating and oratory
were recommended by 93; musical or
ganization (glee clubs) by 81, and
gymnasium practice by 78.
These replies are significant, espe
cially those that show disapproval of
"frats" and minstrel shews, "because
of their bad influence upon work. and
character." No argument Is neces
sary to prove the truth of this esti
mate. Kvery teacher knows that the
"play," whether a minstrel show, a
farce, a comedy or an attempt at trag
edy, must in preparation and drill take
a large part of the time and thought
of those who engage In it for the bet
ter part of a month. Costumes for
the different parts and scenes are in
themselves a study. They are, more
over, a not inconsiderable tax upon
the resources of parents.
Since the public school system does
not yet include training for the stage,
and since the schools are a sufficient
drain upon the public 'without taxing
It farther for tickets to amateur shows,
they may well be dispensed with. The
chief objection to them is, however,
expressed in their "bad Influence upon
work and character." Frivolity un
supervised meetings between boys and
girls of susceptible age, in the even
ings for drill, the distractions of get
ting up costumes, learning to pose and
to smirk and' to sham these are
counts in the indictment upon which
this verdict is based.
The evils of secret societies in the
public schools have been often pointed
out. Their tendency is to introduce
into that most democratic of all ln
stitutions in a republic, class distinc
tions, snobbishness, heartburnings,
petty politics and overweening self Im
portance. The public school authori
ties of Seattle have grappled openlv
and earnestly with this question with
the sincere purpose of freeing I
schools of this barnacle upon scholar
ship, this untoward social influence
among students.
Another question which the teach
ing force in the Seattle schools dis
cussed earnestly at the late meeting,
is that of school trips or team trips
In connection with athletic activities.
With three dissenting voices against
112, the teachers declared for limiting
the trips of the athletic teams to state
lines, long-distance trips for student
contesting teams, for manifold and
obvious reasons being deemed harm
ful. A modification of the coaching
system and a more general encourage
ment of students to take part in ath
letics were urged as necessary to keep
this' branch of activity from pernicious
domination.
It will, occur to many persons and
most teachers that an' institute that
deals persistently and broadly with
matters looking specifically to the bet
terment of our local schools would be
much more helpful to the teaching
body than is an Institute with a pro
gramme rendered by leading educa
tors from other sections of the coun
try through lectures upon questions 3f
general application. Such questions
are presented and fully discussed from
time to time in the leading educa
tional journals to vhleh many teach
ers subscribe, and which are accessible
to all through our improved system
of library, distribution. That which is,
required for the betterment of the
local schools Is fairly outlined in the
foregoing summary. School officials
and teachers should know their home
ground. The general scheme of public
school education is pretty well under
stood; the courses of study in the dif
ferent cities arevery similar. Text
books,, though not always wisely se
lected, are uniform throughout ' the
state. The question of school better
ment does not, so far as local teach
ers are concerned, depend upon these
things, but upon the detail that must
be worked out In connection with the
schools of every city according to
specific? conditions. .
CHILDREN AND DIVORCES.
The children of divorced parents
furnish more than 2 6 per cent of the
cases which come before the Juvenile
Court at Seattle. Judge Frater, who
presides over the court, gives outthese
figures. He thinks they indicate a de
plorable state of domestic morality,
and we agree with him. Since liquor
accounts directly for only 18 per cent
of his cases. Judge Frater draws the
further conclusion that the divorce
evil is a more fruitful cause, of misery
than drink.
This conclusion appeals somewhat
hasty. One can scarcely concur in it
without further investigation. The
truth of the matter is that Judge
Frater's fondness for exactitude has
betrayed him into an error. The
cases of juvenile crime and misery
which he attributes boldly to "the di
vorce evil" ought to be attributed to
the cause which lies behind the di
vorce. A goodly -proportion of the divorces
which excite Judge Frater's abhor
rence are the consequence of drinking
habits followed by one of the spouses,
or both. Hence, to reach anything
like correct figures, we must ascertain
the exact number of cases which come
from these families and add them to
the 18 per cent which he mentions,
As a usual thing, the divorce of par
ents add little to the hardships-of the
children's lot. In many instances they
are a great deal better off for it. For
example, when the mother of a family
obtains a divorce from a drunken hus
band, she betters her own condition,
and that of the children in every way.
Judge Frater 'bases something of a
philippic against divorce itself upon
the pretty shaky statistics he has coU
lected from his docket. His remarks
are far from conclusive. Many of our
wisest jurists would not think of call
ing freedom of divorce "an evil," as
Judge Frater does. On the contrary,
they deem it the only practicable rem
edy for many evils. Reform in this
particular, as in many others, must
be preceded by a reformation of char
acter in the people concerned. Sup
pressive measures may gratify super
stitious prejudices, but they will ac
complish nothing else. Still Judge
Frater Is unquestionably right in ar
guing that the law ought to take bet
ter care of the children of divorced
parents.. Some hold that it ought to
take better care pf all children.
ACTOMOBILING FOR OFFICE.
'Philosophers have not yet specu
lated much upon the political signifi
cance Trf the automobile, but they will
pretty soon. Events will drive them
to it. The agile motor car is destined
to play a distinguished part in future
elections, because it affords an oppor
tunity to combine canvassing and "en
joyment in a way heretofore impossi
ble. A man who likes to motor may
pervade an entire state in a few
months, conduct heart-to-heart talks
with the farmers by the roadside and
have the time of his life while he is
doing it. Tom Johnson, the collapsed
single-taxer, of Cleveland, was perhaps
the first politician to think of this em
ployment for the automobile but his
practice left much to be desired.
Tom Johnson only used his red au
tomobile to flit across the country from
one spellbinder's meeting to another.
He made a "whirlwind" campaign
with it, which was an error. The
rural vote Is opposed on principle to
whirlwinds, or cyclones. It prefers a
gentle zephyr which cheers but does
not blow the house down. Tom John
son should have lingered by the way
side to discuss prices with the man
hauling a load of potatoes to town. He
should have dallied in the fence cor
ner to chat with the hired man and
lighten his heavy task of slashing
briers. His tour should have been
leisurely, reposeful, democratic and
that is just the kind of a tour Mayor
Dahlmann, of Omaha, is planning. De
siring to run for Governor, he proposes
to spend five months in his automobile
preparing an apperceptive nidus for
himself In the-voters' minds. His ma
chine is a red one, like Toni Johnson's,
but, unlike the latter, he seems to
understand thoroughly the fine art t f
steering it into the executive mansion.
THE CANALS ON MARS.
The controversy among astronomers
over the so-called . canals .on the
planet Mars dates back to 1877. In
that year the distinguished Italian ob
server, Schiaparelli, t.iscerned certain
streaks on Mars which seemed to him
to form a reticulated system. It
looked so artificial that he hazarded a
conjecture that It had been construct
ed by intelligent designers and used
possibly for irrigation. This suppo
sition chimed very well with the
known fact that Mars is but illy pro
vided with water. 'The seas appear to
e gathered around the poles, while the
equatorial regious are naturally desert.
Schiaparelli thought the canals might
have bn constructed to carry water
from the polar seas to the vast arid
regions of the Martian tropics. Had
hte hypothesis stood the test of closer
observation; we should have to admire
the engineering genius of the Mar
tians. All earthly irrigation projects
are lillputian compared with theirs.
But Schiaparelli's hypothesis has
not fared particularly well as tele
scopes have become more powerful.
The instruments at the Lick and
Yerkes observatories seem to resolve
the "canals" Into disconnected blotches
of some sort scattered over the planet's
surface. The long, straight lines which
Schiaparelli imagined he saw are an
optical illusion. He was perfectly
honest In reporting his observations.
but with the feeble instruments he
used he could not detect a mass of
details which is perfectly obvious to
the observers' at Lick and . Lake
Geneva.
The big French telescope at Meudon
has lately given the final blow to the
canal myth. The more clearly as
tronomers see the Martian surface
the less semblance they detect tq any
system of canals. Professor Lowell,
of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology still believes in the myth, ac
cording to reports, but he is almost
alone in- his faith. With the canais
vanishes the only spark of evidence we
ever had for the opinion that Mars is
inhabited.
Of course the "beef trust" Is enti
tled to justice, and there is probably
ground for its complaint that it has
suffered from an exaggerated idea of
its profits. . For example, a widely
spread news story has it that the
"earnings'" -of Swift & Co. in 190-9 were
$250,000,000; Armour Packing Com
pany, $240,000,000: Nelson Morris
Packing Company, $110,000,000; and
so on. Of course, "gross earnings"
were meant. The following from a
recent news item in The Oregonian
will give a more nearly correct idea
of what one packing'firm Swift &
Co. has been doing:
At the Annual meeting of stockholders of
Swift & Co.. held In Chicago, the report
submitted showed gross business for the
fiscal year ended September .'10 last of $250,
tlOO.OOO, an increase of tlO.OilO.lmo over the
previous year. While it is stated that the
profits derived from the company's gross
business were -only about 3 per cent, the
net results were satisfactory, being equiva
lent to 13.(16 per cent on the $00,000,000
common stock. After paying 7 per cent
on the preferred and 7 per cent on the $0.
000.000 common, and allowing liberally for
maintenance, there was left $4,000,000 to be
added to surplus account, as compared with
$2,800,000 In the previous year. The sur
plus, as given In the balance sheet, now
stands at $22,000,000.
The margin of profits for the packer,
it would seem, is not so great. after all.
Perhaps he is not altogether happy
himself over the high prices of meat.
Flour declined 20 cents a barrel In
the local market yesterday and eggs
are down about 10 cents per dozen,
and in the Chicago market there was a
heavy slump in provision prices. This
is a fair beginning, for one day, but
it will require continuation of this
kind of a market well into the Spring
time before the consumers will begin
to notice the difference In the grocers'
bills. In the Chicago market yester
day wheat, corn and oats all suffered
heavy declines and closed at the low
point of the day. . Present high prices
in farm products were brought about
slowly and gradually, and the inevi
table decline will come in the same
manner. If the 1910 crops turn out 'as
well as now seems probable, there is
good reason for expecting lower prices
next Fall. The change will not be
welcomed by the wheat barons, but it
will be highly beneficial to the con
sumers. The Supreme Court of Illinois has
decided that the owner of property
in that state cannot be compelled to
remove the snow from the sidewalks
in front of his property. The side
walks, it declares, and the snow there
on, are the property of the city, and
the owner of the land bordered by the
sidewalk is under no obligation in the
premises. Therefore, any effort by the
city government to make the property
owner act is unconstitutional. Proba
bly the same decision would be ren
dered in Oregon if the municipal ordi
nance were resisted. Yet it may be
hoped nobody will take such course,
but that every one will clear off the
snow when it falls. There is poor
pubHc spirit in a totVn whose citizens
will not do it.
Governor Hughes, of New York, an
nounces that with the expiration of his
present term he will quit office and
politics. He will not again be a can
didate for Governor, and calculation
for the Presidency has not entered his
mind. He says he has served the people
of New York the best he knows how,
and having done his share, must retire.
He intimates that he must resume the
practice of the law in order to make
provision for his family. The salary
of the Governor of New York Is $10,
000; and all authorities agree that the.
necessary expenses of the position are
twice that amount.
Four years ago many Republicans
proposed an assembly or convention,
to "suggest" candidates, or to "invite"
men to become candidates; but they
were bluffed out of it by Democrats,
who then proceeded to hold an as
sembly themselves; and this assembly
named a ticket straight through,
which was put Into the primary for
nomination, and was nominated
straight through. f These gentlemen
now hold that Republicans will vio
late the law and subvert the primary
system if they do so wicked a thing.
V
The Walla Walla County Poultry
Association has just closed its tenth
annual show in that city. .These poultry-raisers
are practical people. Wit
ness the following resolutions as
passed by the association:
We recommend that the workingmen of.
the United States raise poultry, thereby in
creasing the meat supply of the country,
which ia less than the demand.
We further recommend that the lovers
of .pure-bred poultry use poultry and eggs
more, abstaining from other meats.
Persons who don't wish to produce
food cheaply In the country, yet stay
in the city and complain about high
prices, Can easily fix the responsibil
ity. The comet is conveniently near
now, to take the blame.
Oregon Democrats held an assem
bly to nominate their last state ticket,
but now think the primary law forbids
Republicans doing the same. There's
queer consistency.
Pugilist Johnson says sobriety is the
touchstone of success. That's sub
stantially what every champion has
said, but it didn't make anyVdifference.
The Liberals can organize the gov
ernment with the help of the Irish
and there is no doubt that the Irish
can show them. how.
The British didn't heed the brainy
statesmen in America, who told them
the right way to vote. The British
are a stupid lot.
Kext it will be necessary, in order to
fight high prices effectually, to put the
ban on the pelts of food animals, that
is, on shoes.
A Myrtle Point man dropped dead
while building a fire. In explanation
it may be said he was a widower.
The new Mayor of Indianapolis was
an auctioneer. Of course he was the
best bidder.
CANNON, NECESSARY SCAPEGOAT
This Country Is) Always Looking; for
Some One to Punish.
New York Evening Post.
If democracies must have their pop
ular heroes and idols, they find it nec
essary also to have their National vil
lains and scapegoats. During the past
few months the American people have
been angrily looking around for a vic
tim, and appear now to have found him
in the person of Speaker Cannon. He
is today- that indispensable man in our
public life the one who "must go."
Without some such official, upon whom
public suspicion and indignation can be
centered, and with whose departure we
fondly-lmagine all our iNsNvIU depart,
we cannot really get on. Without, a
scapegoat, our "insinuations" will not
work. Hence Mr. Cannon may feel a
certain sort of melancholy distinction in
being singled out as the autlfor o all
our woes, who must now be matle a
sacrifice for his country's good.
The Washington view Is now positive
that Cannon is a beaten man. His- Illi
nois district may cling to him, but the
House and the party have determined
to throw him over. The Irrevocable
decree has gone forth, and Mr. Cannon
knows himself the scapegoat elect.
That he and his friends should com
plain bitterly of the Injustice done him
is but natural, and there Is something
Co be said for their protests. The Speak
er is not a sinner above all who dwell
in Washington. He Is not the only man
who has been caught in the coils of
log-rolling, bribery and corruption,
which we call protection to American
industries. If exact distributive justice
were ever done in this world, It would
Indeed be hecessary to send many an
other into political exile along with
Cannon-That is admitted, as It is also
that the Speaker's removal will remove
neither, our troubles nor our lamenta.
tions about them. A victim cannot last
much longer In this country than can
a hero.
It is probably safe to say that Presi
dent Taft regrets today that he did not
push home the attack on Cannon which
he half-heartedly began about a year
ago, only to do his best to thwart the
Administration's efforts to secure a de
cent measure of tariff revision. How
ever, Mr. Cannon will not be Speaker
of the next House. : e is said to re
mark with a chuckle that no Republi
can will be. "Were the men," says the
Tribune's correspondent, "who regard
the loss' of the House by the Republi
cans probable to speak out openly, it
would create consternation In the Re
publican ranks."
Ed. Howr'l Philosophy,
Atchison Globe.
If you annoy anyone unnecessarily,
you are mean. That is the long and
short of It.
A man can find plenty of ways to
waste time without devoting It to his
complexion.
It is pretty safe to distrust the man
who claims to be working overtime as
a peacemaker.
No woman was ever fortunate enOfPJPli
to get a switch that matched her hair
all over her head.
After you hear a' few mysteries ex
plained, 'it is hard to understand why
there is so much curiosity.
Instead of efforts being made to re
form the fools and educate them, every
thing possible is done to encourage
them.
In the West an automobile story is
always started on every man who
makes more than $100 a month.
We heard a woman say the other
day: "I have my faults, but I am as
good as any woman who chews gum
on the streets."
If It were not for the great econ
omies to be practiced "next month,"
how would the women ever manage
to save?
We have noticed that most of the
Good Samaritans who look for quail
that are starving to death seek them
with guns.
How patient a girl is with the tem
per of any young man, and how im
patient she is with the ill temper of her
father. "N .
On every typewriter there Is a bell
which rings and gives warning when
you are approaching the end of the
line. What a pity there is not a bell
to give men warning in a thousand
other particulars.
i
Maine's Fntlle Prohibition.
Lowell Courier-Citizen.
Prohibition in Maine has always
been a farce in the opinion of those
who viewed without prejudice It and
its enforcement. There have been
plenty of facts to support this view
and more are coming out as the new
regulations for interstate commerce
go into effect. It is shown that there
are 1100 internal revenue liquor tax re
ceipts which are not licenses dis
tributed through the state. A big
liquor trade has been done on the C. O.
D. basis, with which the new regula
tions lnterefere. Biddeford, with 18,000
people, has been receiving a carload of
rum a day. largely on that basis, and
Bangor's business in the same line
must be something immense. That Is
true in proportion all over the lot, and
will be under any possible system of
regulation. Those engaged in the
Illicit traffic or who buy in other states
for their own use. will simply have to
send cash with the order. The collect
on delivery feature no longer goes.
Maine would be a more law-abiding
state under a good local option law
than under Ineffective constitutional
prohibition.
Blaine Failed In Accuracy.
J. F. Rhodes in "Historical Kssays."
Blaine's "Twenty Years of Congress."
a work which, properly weighed, is not
without historical value, is only to be
read with great care on account of his
hasty and inaccurate generalizations.
There are evidences of good, honest la
bor In those two volumes, much of
which must have been done by himself.
There is an aim at truth and impar
tiality, but many of his general state
ments w;il seem, to anyone who has
gone over the original material, to rest
on a slight basis. If Blaine had felt
the necessity of giving authorities in
a foot note for every statement about'
which there might have been a ques
tion, he certainly would have written
an entirely different sort of a book.
When a Note Is Outlawed.
CENTRALIA. Wash.. Jan. 22. (To
the Editor.) How long after a note is
given is it outlawed in the State of
Oregon? I J. D.
Six years. The same period applies
to the last payment on a note, either
toward the principal or Interest. Ac
ceptancy of Interest renews the legal
life of the note six years.
s 1
Eitreme of Shortness.
Cleveland Leader.
"What makes you so grouchy?"
"Financial matters."
"Are you short this week?"
"Short? Say, I'm bo. short that when
my corns hurt I think I've got a head
ache:" A Keen Look Ahead.
Boston Herald.
Hank Stubbs Ooin' to raise that calf
o' your'n, or put it Into veal?
Btge Miller Ain't decidVd till I know
whether them Cleveland folks are goin
to give up eatin' meat or not.
STEALING XEW YORK'S THUNDER
Loud Wall Against Purloining a Great
Political Spectacle.
New York World. ' -We
are unalterably opposed to this
Wild West scheme for a Roosevelt tri
umphal march across- the continent from
San Francisco. What has San Francisco
to do with the return of the Little Father,
and what has the return of the Little
Father to do with San Francisco?
That circus belongs to New York. It
was here that the Hon. Bwana Tumbo
first saw the light of day. Most of the
Malefactors of Great Wealth live here.
This is the original habitat of the Crimes
of Cunning. A majority of the most dis
tinguished members of the Ananias Club
reside within a radius of 500 miles from
this town, and we -doubt if one of them
can be found west of the Mississippi
River. Loeb lives here too the man who
was to blame for everything. The great
est zoological garden in the world is
up in the Bronx, and the floats that were
used In the Hudson-Fulton celebration
will add eclat to the triumphal proces
sion of the Faunal Naturalist.
Starting at San Francisco would be an
anti-climax. Whoever heard of a suc
cessful show that opened on the Pacific
Coast and worked its way east? All of
them have to get a Broadway reputation
before they tour the provinces, and we
protest against this miserable conspiracy
to "frost" the Return from Elba. Maybe
the suggestion that Champ Clark talks
about came from Western commercial
bodies, and maybe it 'didn't. It looks to
us as if Balllnger or some other wretched
reactionary was the responsible person
and that it was framed with malice afore
thought. The Colonel will land in New York. Tim
will ba at the pier to greet him, and so
will, Herbert. The Governor would be
there too, only : pressing duties of state
will detain him at Albany; but this disap
pointment will soon be forgotten and the
town will give itsalf up to a delirium of
delight.
Chicago took the World's Fair away
from New York, but San Francisco will
not be allowed to steal the Greatest
Show on Earth.
MR. DOOLEY ON COST OF LIVING.
Kor the Workingman, It Has Always
Been the Same as Now.
F. P. Dunne.
"'An' so it goes. I complain iv th'
rent me landlord asts me, an' some
times I accede, as Hogan says, to his
request. Me landlord complains iv th
way th' plumber overcharges him. Th'
plumber says he can't do any betther
thin make a livln' on account iv th'
rapacity iv th' plumbers' union. Th'
most prominent, distinguished an'
wealthy member iv th' plumbers' union
borrid two dollars from me yesterdah
because he cudden't pay his bills out
lv th" vast hoards that he'd wrenched
from his bos f'r mendin' waste pipes.
" 'An' the sthrange thing about it is
that it's always been thrue in my rec
ollection an' I can remimber almost as
far back as to think av mesilf hollerln'
'mort' to ye whin we were buildin' th'
pyramids. Ye'll say the cost iv livln"
was niver higher f'r ye an' ye ar're
right. Ye say it niver was so high an'
ye're wrong. It's always been the same
f'r ye an' th' likes iv ye. I niver knew
th day whin ye weren't about th same
number iv jumi-s behind in th' price iv
eggs. Whin ye're not wurrukin' egys
Is down. That's all there Is to it. Ye're
to blame, me boy, because a colledge
profissor in Harvard can't afford to buy
himself a new hat. Ye've paused th'
boost in prices. Whin ye had less
wuprk ye ate less an' wore out fewer
clothes. Whin ye got a steady job ye
raided th' grocery store, th' price iv
pork chops took a sudden leap an'
whin th' profissor at Harvard wlnt
down to th," foreman an' got his pay
check that had been ample while ye
were unemployed he found har'ly
enough In it to pay up. th' butcher's
bills. Whin 10,000.000 iv th' likes iv
ye gets 25 cints a day more pay there's
just that much added to what it costs
iverybody to live.'
" 'But what am I goin' to do about
it?', said Mr. Hennessy.
" 'Some pollytlckaj economists are in
favor iv ye're not eatin'.' said Mr.
Dooley. T wud say stop wurrkin' if it
gives ye such an appetite." "
United States to Blame.
Charleston News' and Courier.
A lawyer of Pau. France, has sent to
the Treasury Department at Washing
ton a Confederate bond for $500 and a
Confederate note for $100 for redemp
tion. He accepted these securities in
-good faith in the settlement of an es
tate, and was afterward advised that
they "were valueless because of the
time that had elapsed since their issue."
He has written to the Treasury ex
pressing his astonishment that the
United States Government should re
pudiate any of its obligations, and he
is entjrely right. There can be no
question that but for the United States
Government the bond and note would
have been perfectly good, and as this
Government is responsible for the con
ditions which have made the bond and
note held by the French lawyer un
marketable, in the forum of National
honesty it ought to be responsible
even at this late day for the acts of
its agents.
Farmers Combine to Destroy Rots.
Chicago Journal.
Texas has its jackrabbit hunts.
Mountain states make organized war
on the predatory coyote. Indiana is
to have an equally useful sporting
rivalry" in a state campaign on the rat.
The farmers of Warrick county have
taken counsel together and discover
that the rat pest destroys hundreds
of thousands of dollars' worth of mar
ketable produce each year. There
fore they have decided to exterminate
rats and eliminate the loss.
The example set by Warrick county.
Indiana, should be followed by every
county in the United States, especially
In thickly populated districts.
Tea and Coffee for Theater Patrons.
New York Despatch.
An innovation is to be made in the
Plaza Music Hall. Tea and coffee will
be served afternoons and evenings in
the remainder of the season to patrons
of the theater. Two important fea
tures are attached to the service that
makes this miniature restaurant un
like any other. There will be no
charge for refreshments, and tips to
the waiters will be strictly prohibited.
The waiters are English girls who
arrived in the St. -Louis from Liver
pool. None to lt-pilte Him.
Denver Republican.
Lieutenant Shackleton says the pen
guin is one of the most intelligent
members of the bird family. And the
nature fakers in . this country are too
cowed and discouraged to dispute him.
Xew Official Club.
Rochester Herald.
Maybe Mr. Taft won't have much use
for an Ananias club, but it looks as
though he would find plenty of filling
for a down-and-out club before he gets
through.
Watered Science.
(The Martian canal myth has been dis
posed of. J
From the London Chronicle.
Wrinkle, wrinkle, little bars
On the comic faoa of Mars,
j God of Glee and not of War.
Which we used to take him for.
, Just as Butler did descant
On the lunar elephant.
We today detect the hoax
And ' applaud the Martian Jokes.
Sweet revenge and swift is ours.
Since the watch n Martian towers.
To a gaping audience tells ,
How the earth is full of Wells.
LIFE'S SUNNY SIDE
A friend of James Whitcomb Riley
tells of an occasion when the humorist,
who usually dislikes social functions,
was Induced to attend a "literary" din
ner in Indianapolis given in honor of
one of the novelists who live there.
Mr. Riley had been told to take in to
dinner a sister of the host, an excellent
woman, but not literary.
The conversation touching upon the
beauties of Chaucer, about whom a cer
tain set of the city was then cultivat
ing a fad, a spirited discussion ensued,
during which the bewildered sister
caught from time to time only the name
"Chaucer." At last she -whispered to
Riley:
"Who Is this Mr. Chaucer they're
talking so much about? I he very
popular In society?"
"Madam," solemnly responded Riley,
"that man did something that forever
shuts him out of society."
Mercy!" exclaimed the worthy
woman, "what was It?"
"He died several hundred years ago,"
said Riley. Kansas City Times.
Richard Le Gallienne, the poet, was
entertaining a group of magazine edi
tors at luncheon in New York.
To a compliment upon his fame Mr.
Le Gallienne said lightly:
"But what is poetical fame in this
age of prose? Only yesterday a school
boy, came and asked me for my auto
graph. ' I assented willingly, and to
day at breakfast time the boy pre
sented himself.
" 'Will you give me your autograph,
sir?" he said.
' 'But.' said I. 'I gave you my auto
graph yesterday.'
" "I swapped that and a dollar," he
answered, 'for the autograph of Jim
Jeffries." " Washington Star.
"He reminds me of Smith and his
bad $3 bill." said Senator La Follette.
in speaking of a corrupt politician who
had come to grief. "imlth went to New
York for the Hudson-Fulton celebra
tion. He had In his pocket a bad $.
note. One night after a banquet he
handed a cab driver this bad note by
mistake. The driver handed htm his
change a $1 bill and whipped up his
horse. Suddenly Smith realized what
he had done."
"'Hey, there! Stop!' he shouted after
the man. 'That bill's bad!'
"'It's good enough for you! shouted
back the driver without stopping.
"And Smith, examining his change
under a street light, found it, too, was
bad." Everybody's Magazine.
Mrs. Pankhurst at a farewell lunch
eon in New York said of a certain
suffragette:
"Her "clumsy methods do more harm
than good. She is like some of the rich
and romantic girls who became hospital
nurses in war time.
"In" a Cape Town hospital after
luncheon one day an earl's daughter
hastened down the aisles of beds
toward her favorite soldier, only to
find him. asleep, with this scrawl
pinned on the counterpane:
'Dere Lady Maude too ill to be
nursed today most respectfully T.
Adkins." " Washington Star.
m m
In a Western Kentucky town Ben
Watson had saved the life of Myra
Underhill. Miss Underbill had been
overturned in a creek with a swift cur
rent, and the act of young Watson was
a very heroic one. He had barely
strength to pull himself and the young
woman to shallow water. The news
soon spread and Ben Watson was
hailed as the real, live hero of the vil
lage. Aunt Tabby Wilson, the oldest
woman In the village, mother of the
little colony, was loud in praise of the
heroism of the young man and at once
declared that Ben and Myra must get
married. "Ben saved Myra's life," she
said, "and now they must marry and
be happy ever afterward. Just as they
do in the storybooks." But Ben de
murred. The arrangement did not suit
him. "Why not marry Myry, Ben?"
said the old lady. "She is yours, and
we must have a wedding." She's a nice
girl, all right," replied Ben, "but I don't
think we oughter marry. Seems to me,"
he went on, "I have done enough for
Myry."
Cost of Food Prkage.
Manchester Union.
In the widespread discussion of the
increased cost of living some attention
is being paid to the great change which
has come about in the manner of sup
plying most of the necessaries In com
mon use. Comparatively few people
nowadays ever buy or even see a whole
salt codtish. as In the old days. Such
salt fish as is used in the family comes
from the grocery store or market, bone
less and in packages which have added
materially to the cost. Dried beef and
bacon In the same way. instead of be
ing sliced at the market in quantities
to suit purchasers. Crackers, biscuits,
raisin's, oatmeal and so on and on.
through all the long list, are bought
in packages rather than in bulk by a
large proportion of consumers, and at
an increase in the cost, because the
form is slightly more convenient. In
fact, it is obvious that the cost of the
package, showy labels and other acces
sories, is the result of a decided prefer
ence on the part of1 the consumer, but
it makes a material increase in the
course of a year in the living expenses
of the average family.
A Church Hulldlnc In Two States.
Baltimore News.
As the audience portion of the Oc
toraro Methodist church at Fremont,
Pd., is in Maryland and the pulpit in
Pennsylvania, the Mason and Dixon
line passing directly through the
building, and the marriage lsrensQ hav
ing been secured In the latter state.
It was necessary that the pulpit bo
utilized for the ceremony at the wed
ding of William Kerthly and Miss
Clara St. Clair.
A Keen Look Ahead.
Boston Herald.
Hank Stubbs Goin' to raise that
calf o' yourn, or put it into veal?
Bige Miller Ain't decided till I
know whether them Cleveland folks
are goin' to give up eatin' meat or
not.
CI KKEXT WIT AXI) HUMOR.
A person who is very set In his way has
to stumble over himself to get anywhere. .
Puck.
Mrs. Newlvwed "Don't you like girl
babies. Mr. Oldbach?" Oldbach "Er yes
very much, indeed, after they are grown
up.-' Philadelphia Record.
"What Impressed you most, the pyramids
of Egypt or the pagodas of -China?" "Oh,
I don't know. They both made goodjback
grouncis for photographs of our party."
Louisville Courier-Journal.
Householder (to street musicians) "No;
I sha'n't give you anything. You play nil
out of tune." Cornet (confidentially)
"Well. I'll tell you 'ow- it Is, sir. There's
some of 'em 'as a grudge against others,
and does It o'purpose." Puck.
Emperor "I do not care to hear your
proposition, sir. Everything that is sub
mitted must first be put through the prime
minister." Subject "Nothing would please
me -better. I wanted to show- you the new
bayonet which 1 have Invented for array
use." Judga.
"Many works of the highest literary ex
cellence went begging among the publishers!"
said the reminiscent person. "Yes." an
swered the man who doesn't care for best
sellers. "But the publishers appear to have
learned the'.r lesson. Nowadays they seem
willing to put almost anything into print."
Washington Star.
"I say. me good man." queried Algernon
"Perceval Montmorency as he entered the
drug emporium, "have- you aw a good
hair wenewah that I could aw use on me
moustache, donchcr know?" "Yes." replied
the druggist, "but we have something still
better for your purpose. It is called
-Blank's Hair Originator.' " Chicago XJally
News.