10
THE MORXING OREGOMAX, SATURDAY, APRIL, 2, 11U.
PORTLAND. OREGON.
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PORTLAND, SATURDAY. APRIL 2, , 1910.
' EXTRA VAOAXt'E AND UGH PRICES.
We are burning the candle at both
ends. We are Indifferent or slack in
the work of production; but, as to
extravagance of consumption, there is
no limit. From this condition prices
are high and going higher. What else
could be expected?
We are to come down to a lower
plane of living in this country shock
ing as it may be to say it. It will en
force itself. Extravagant living on
the one hand, and disinclination to
work in the steady Industries of pro
duction, on the other, will "fetch'.' us.
What does it mean that consumption
Increases at a more rapid rate (by
comparison) than production? High
prices certainly. What else?
This country of ours is using its
credit and discounting its future, to
excess. It has gone mad. Natural
consequence is that every class and
line and industry are trying to get
advantage over others. Higher wages,
of course, with higher prices of com
modities; and vice versa. And extrav
agance of living on all sides, more
and more. On either side and all sides
the effort but adds fuel to the flame.
What, then. Is the remedy? One rem
edy only. Cut off luxury, cut out ex
travagance, work harder, and live on
less. It is an economic reform that
surely will enforce itself, anyhow,
whether Jiked or not. They who work
industriously, who take care of their
resources and keep out of debt, will
have no reason to fear the catas
trophe. But only these.
What are our people doing? Push
ing into every sort of extravagance,
and paying little attention to produc
tive industry. Even high prices of
the products of labor do not tempt
them except as to the few, who posr
sess forecast. Foreign exchange is
running heavily against us. Exports
in 1907 fell nearly $400,000,000 short
of meeting our requirements. No less
than six hundred million dollars was
needed last year to pay our balance
due to foreign nations. "Money spent
by tourists abroad." says the New
York World, "the dowries of Ameri
can wives of noblemen, remittances
home by immigrants, the interest and
dividends on our foreign-owned se
curities, must all be paid in an excess
of exports over imports. When the
purchase of foreign silks and wines
and automobiles and furs and Jewels
grows rapidly, exports must also grow
or we fall behind. A princely hus
band in Paris costs so many million
pounds of mesff pork. A dog-collar
f pearls Imported calls for a cargo of
cotton in return." And yet "we have
grave varnings from economists that
the food with which heretofore our
lavish bills were met will soon be
needed at home: that cotton, our great
exchange crop, is menaced by corneYs
which provoke foreign spinners to
seek colonial cotton fields. But neither
people nor governments take heed."
What does all this mean but that
we shall be'eompelled to work harder,
Ht least. with more circumspection and
Judgment, and'drop to a less extrava
gant scale of living? The wise are
Ihose who will husband their resources
against that evil day.
Since so few take any kind of in
terest in private economy, what is to
he expected in public business? What
is wanted, in governmental affairs, is
to be had, without thought of cost.
Sell bonds. Never mind pay day. This
mode of extravagance also is one of
the sources of the high cost of living.
It is part of the general extravagance,
and ministers to it. Some time there
will be a check of all this; then, a col
lapse. Let nobody mistake it.
But, except through necessity, it is
not probable there will be any return
to rational principles. In life and ac
tion. The wise, therefore, will look
for the approach of the necessity, and
be prepared for it. The double sin of
too much Indolence and too much ex
travagance will take its toll with a
vengeance, when the time comes.
. THE BKiGK.ST CITY.
The Emperor William's ambition to
make his capital a city of ten millions
of inhabitants is perfectly natural but
not necessarily wise. There Is an at
tractiveness in big things which is
sometimes out of proportion to their
utility. The largest horses are desir
able for one who has heavy trucks to
draw, but for the carriage and the
saddle they must give way to the
lighter animal. The huge living crea
tures of the earlier geological ages
were not able to hold their own in
the struggle for existence. They have
iirrn Luiuufiifii in i f n r n o nnmmntn
of the earth to animals built on a
scale much smaller. Man himself is
not a very big animal, but he has
shown himself to be .wonderfully effi
cient. Perhaps it will turn out in the
long run that the best city is the one
where life is most efficient, and that
may not be the largest one by any
means. The cities of Greece, where
upon the whole human beings were
more intelligent and happy than they
have ever been since, were not very
large. Athens had not many more
people than Portland, but it managed
to accomplish things which the world
has not been willing to forget. How
many people must we have here be
fore we shall begin to erect Parthe
nons? Thoughtful statesmen do not labor
' " ' , i. 1'irarui lu JUCietLSe
the size of cities. Their ambTtinn is
rather to attract people to the coun
try. One reason f5r the rising cost of
living is the desertion of the rural
districts, and the neglect of rural in
dustries by which food is produced for
the world. The concentration- of man
kind in cities must lead to the devel
opment of new difficulties in govern
ment and new hardships for the ma
jority. The larger the t6wn the harder
.to keep it clean and wholesome, the
greater the chance for waste in taxa
tion, the more overwhelming the
power of organized vice. Perhaps
long Before the Kaiser "has gathered
his ten million Inhabitants at Berlin
he will see cause to revise his ambition
and begin to disperse them. .
PATRIOT FEAK INFOUMlED.
If political assemblies are planned
by bosses In Oregon only to ride over
the people, what grander vindication
could there be of the direct priniary
law than the opportunity that law af
fords the people to revolt and cast
down the would-be mighty?
Democrats and sore Republicans
should not grieve 'over the possibility
of boss-ridden conventions, but rather
rejoce in their alleged expectations,
because then the righteous will surely
be exalted and the reprobate cast into
outer darkness, i
Any unpopular nomination of a con
vention or any boss-engineered ticket
will go down before the wrathful hosts
in the primaries. And It is right that
this should be. The law was enacted
for this very purpose. No convention
scheme can override It. The drum
beat call of popular revolt will sound
afar.
Machine politicians are the ones to
fear bad conventions. Democrats and
their sore Republican allies are the
ones to fear good conventions. But
good conventions will name fit and
popular nominees, so that the anxiety
of the latter bunch of patriots will not
be the people's.
The point of which is that conven
tions or assemblies cannot undo the
primaries, but the primaries can up
set the conventions.
CORPORATION TAX RETURNS.
It is believed by many that the Re
publican party will lose many votes
throughout the country because of the
corporation tax. The Financial Chron
icle (New York) prints this statement:
We onlne that if the truth were known
this corporation tax provision would bo
found fo have been more potent in compass
ing the defeat of the Republican candidate
than any other sirgle cause. The Four
teenth Massachusetts Congressional Dis
trict Is a great beehive an Industrial re
gion 'where, necessarily, the private corpor
ation flourishes. The shareholders in these
numerous corporations have special reasons
for feeling dissatisfied with the policy of the
dominant party. Not only has the Federal
Government undertaken to levy a tax on
their incomes, but to compel a disclosure
of many details of their affairs by acquir
ing an annual report v.-hich will be spread
upon the public records tunless the law
shall be charged) and be open to Inspection
by all.
The New York Times presents this
further comment:
If the orlnlon of The Chronicle is cor
rect, and there is an inherent probability
that the corporation tax would be about as
unpopular in that region of Innumerable
mills and factories as anywhere in the
country, then the Republicans may as
well give up all hope of retaining their
majority In the next Houw. The corporation
tax is not merely unpopular, it is hated
universally, despised, and abhorred as a
dishonest measure, and as a dangerous one.
Among business men there is no difference
of opinion as to the Iniquitous nature, of a
statute that compels private corporations
to give up their financial statements to be
posted as public records. It would be natural
that the accumulated resentment of the
country against the corporation tax should
be visited upon the party responsible for its
enactment.
But the obnoxious feature of the
law which threatens every one of the
four hundred thousand private cor
porations with having its business
made known to every curious inquirer
and every competitor will be removed
if an amendment that has been
adopted by the Senate should be added
to the law. It was first proposed to
require the returns to be kept from
observation except on direct order
from the President; but this has been
amended further, to provide that, in
stead of an executive order, a resolu
tion of the Senate or House shall be
required for the disclosure. But we
are not aware that this Senate amend
ment has yet been adopted by the
House.
A SAFE AND SANK FOURTH.
The National movement for a safe
and sane celebration of the Fourth of
July is becoming so powerful that we
ought to see some effects from It this
year. The abolishment of noise, row
dyism and slaughter on the great holi
day of the republic can only be accom
plished by an awakened public opin
ion. The mere enactment of laws will
not do much good unless they are
backed by a common agreement that
thej- ought to be rigorously enforced.
Thus far statutes against the Fourth
of "July horror have rested as dead let
ters on the books in most cases, but
there are indications that a better state
of things is approaching. Mrs. Isac
L. Rice has collected in the MaVch
Forum a large number of letters from
the Governors of states. Chiefs of Po
lice and other persons of light and
leading who express themselves with
out reservation against the continu
ance of the Fourth of July nuisances.
Clearly the country has Just about
reached the point where it will put up
no longer with the insane turbulence
which makes our National holiday an
occasion of distress to everybody but a
few hoodlums and careless boys.
The tendency seems to be to de
mand the restriction of the use of fire
works to persons who can prove to the
authorities that they understand how
to use them without danger to others.
The firecracker in the fingers of the
small boy is a peril to himself and to
all who happen to come near him. He
flings it about regardless of eyes, cloth
ing or inflammable material, and looks
upon whatever injury it maycause as
part of the celebration. Big firecrack
ers and little ones are almost equally
dangerous in this respect. Any fire
cracker is capable of rrlaking a wound
which may be infected with the germs
of tetanus. Of course the giant fire
crackers sometimes inflict mortal in
Jury on those who are amusing them
selves by exploding them, but most of
the Fourth of July- mortality arises
from tetanus which often infects com
paratively slight wounds. Mrs. Rice
quotes an ordinance introduced last
Winter by a New York Alderman
which covers the ground of Fourth of
July dangers better than anything else
that has yet appeared.
This ordinance makes it unlawful to
set off any fireworks, torpedoes or
noisy contrivances whatever without a
permit from the Police Commissioner.
The license can only be issued for one
day and to persons above the age of
21 years, who must pay a license fee
of $5 and prove that they are familiar
with "the nature and operation of fire
works." Best of all. the licensee must
give a bond for $5000, with sufficient
sureties, to make good any loss that
may result from his operations. Such
an ordinance in every city wi the
United States would make short work
with the gory celebrations which have
become a National disgrace and clear
the way for something more civilized.
There is no reason In the world why
the National holiday should not be
made a time of Innocent enjoyment
and Intellectual profit if we can once
get rid of the absurd nuisances which
have taken possession of It.
PORTLAND'S GREATEST YEAR,
Building permits, bank clearings,
postoffice receipts and real estate
transfers for the month of March all
show that the record-breaking pace
with which 1910 was ushered in is
still being maintained and even im
proved on. The increase noted in all
of these Infallible trade barometers
is so evenly distributed through the
different items that it shows quite
plainly that such record-breaking
figures have been reached without un
natural forcing. Over-speculation or
artificial booming not infrequently re
sults in great expansion in real estate
sales, without corresponding increase
in other branches of business. No
one, however, buys postage stamps for
speculation, and there is .very little
home building for such purposes. In
both building permits and postoffice
receipts, Portland has shown tre
mendous growth since last year. Nat
urally this prosperity, in evidence on
every hand, is reflected in record
breaking bank clearings, there being
a gain of $10,000,000 over March,
1909.
There might be eome cause for mis
giving lest this remarkable stride be
lessened were it not- for the fact that
the same satisfactory influences are
working on an even greater scale
throughout the state and through all
the country tributary to this city.
Real estate transfers of more than
$4,000,000 present imposing propor
tions, especially as they break all ex
isting records for th'e month; but dur
ing the month two timber transactions
were completed on the lower Colum
bia in which the consideration was
more than $5,000,000. Smaller sales
of timber land, farm land and orch
ards for the month in the aggregate
brought into the country many times
the amount represented by the Port
land real estate figures. It is of
course on these outside sales and the
steadly increasing stream of money
that pours in from the farms, orch
ards, dairies and lumber mills in the
vast region tributary to 'Portland that
this city is dependent for its prosper
ity. So long as there are no signs of
slackening beyond the city limits there
will be no pause in Portland.
KB 1' IT FROM ROSEBUSHES.
The story that a Berkeley man has
made a rosebush produce edible fruit
is not necessarily incredible. Most of
our fruit trees belong to the rose fam
ily, the Rosaceae. The . rosebush, itself
bears a sort of berry which Isnot un
kindly in savor and might be eaten if
one were seriously hungry. By care
ful selection, no doubt the rind could
be thickened and the seeds diminished
until we should have a new fruit and
possibly a delicious one. The food re
sources of the world have not yet been
fully exploited by any means.
As the pressure of population be
comes harder and ingenuity , is driven
to its task by necessity we may expect
a great nviny new roots and berries to
be improved and added to our .com
mon diet. Naturally we shall antici
pate more from the rose than from
other families because it has already
done so much for us. Experiments
with plant families which have yield
ed good results in the past ought to
be more profitable than those which
Luther Burbank has undertaken with
the cactus, for example, which seems
to be a forbidding species. It is
armed at all points against human in
tervention, and yet patience may do
wonders with it.
It would be a rash man who should
attempt to say what could or could
not be done in the way of evolving
new edible fruits and grains. Nor is
it wise to lay down the law about
the sources from which new food sup
plies may be expected. Nature is full
of surprises and science is constantly
gaining new power over her hidden
treasures. For some time to come,
however, the most profitable labors of
American scientists must lie in the
direction of making the plants we
already cultivate more productive. As
long as we obtain only twelve bushels
of wheat to the acre we should strive
not so much to invent new food plants
as to learn how to cultivate those
we have possessed for ages.
CANADIAN TARIFF AGREEMENT.
The United States appears to have
made a very good bargain with Can
ada in the new tariff agreement. We.
have apparently granted the minimum
of favors to our northern neighbor,
and in exchange therefor have re
ceived the maximum of concessions
from the Canadians. According to
Washington dispatches announcing
the terms of the agreement, all ar
ticles under the omnibus clause in
the Canadian tariff will now pay but
17 H Per cent ad valorem instead of
20 per cent as heretofore, and there
have been liberal reductions on a
number of other articles of which
Canada is a liberal importer from this
country. In stating that the new tariff
is satisfactory, it is, of cburse. meant
that it seems satisfactory to the slight
ly thinning ranks of the ultra-protectionists.
It is still open to question whether
or not the great army of consumers
would not derive greater benefits by
the complete removal of the tariff bar
rier between the two countries. The
fact that the somewhat protracted
struggle over this tariff bill at times
approached the' danger mark where
negotiations might cease and a trade
war begm, makes It all the more grati
fying to learn that the Canadians are
willing to meet the demands of our
protectionists at a point much nearer
than half way. For the calendar year
1909, our exports to Canada showed a
valuation of $188,000,600. and in the
same period we imported from Canada
to the extent of $88,500,000. ' Canada
and the United States are so close to
gether that the cost of transportation
is very light and there is every reason
why there should be the freest pos
sible interchange of both raw and
manufactured products between the
two countries.
Eventually a better understanding
of the evils of over-protection by
means of high tariffs will result in a
tariff reform that will settle for ajl
time these trade-hampering restric
tions such as have recently menaced
the relations between this country and
Canada. American emigratioivto Can
ada will also help to bulng about the
welcome change, and some day we will
be permitted to trade with our blood
brethren along the northern boundary
with no greater restrictions than are
now placed in the way of trading be
tween states and sections in this
country. '
"Every now and then it is an
nounced with much satisfaction,"
says the Saturday Evening Post, "that
a large issue of American railroad or
other bonds has been sold abroad.
This gives us the use of that much
foreign capital, at a low rate of in
terest, and is held to be a fine thing
for the country. But when we get
the use of a far greater amount of
foreign capital, invested In ocean
transportation, at a low rate at in
terest, that trade being but moder
ately profitable it is held to be a
bad "thing for the country." Com
menting on this paradoxical situation,
the Post questions the advisability of
diverting our capital to the compara
tively . unprofitable field of ocean
transportation at a time when so
eminent an authority as James J. Hill
states that our railroads alone need
about $1,000,000,000 a year of fresh
capital for proper maintenance and
extension of their lines. To be con
sistent our ship subsidy patriots should
now make an effort to place the same
embargo on the foreign capital we
use in our business that they now
place on shipping. If foreigners are
carrying our freight too cheap, they
must also be loaning us money too
cheap.
It is reported that the matter of
grain futures has been eliminated
from the Scott anti-option bill, the
House sub-committee deciding that
there was no sentiment in the West
against the grain futures as was the
case with the cotton exchanges. An
attempt will be made to pass an
amended, bill dealing only with the
cotton futures. Buying or selling for
"future" delivery or acceptance would
seem to be much the same whether
cotton or wheat is involved. The only
apparent difference is in the much
greater supply of the one than the
other. There is a possibility that the
greater opposition shown the cotton
futures than developed regarding
wheat was due to abuses which were
not permitted in the grain pits and
which have been in evidence in the
cotton exchanges. Legislating against
ttne form of future trading and ignor
ing another might come under the
head of class legislation.
Was Hamlet insane? No end of
dispute on this question. But, if Ham
let wasn't insane he was inane. He
argued every incident and every sit
uation to the extreme of irresolution
and inaction. Power of reason the
highest, sublest wit, was Hamlet's;
yet he did nothing at all, and the
filial catastrophe was brought about
by a series of incidents and course of
events which he didn't in the least
prepare or direct. No, Hamlet wasn't
insane. But he was inane; because,
with all his powers of reason and wit
he only argued himself out of the
power of action. At every point he
halted and hesitated, debated with
himself and did nothing. Hamlet is
described in the phrase of the same
master by the saying, "The flighty
purpose never is o'ertook unless the
deed go with it."
In the State of Maryland total dis
franchisement of - the negro is pro
posed. The Democrats of the legis
lature have decided in formal caucus
to enact a law to prevent all negroes
from registering and voting in the
state. This will bring an issue squarely
against the fifteenth amendment to
the Constitution of the United States,
which says: "The rights of citizens of
the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United
States or by any state on 'account of
race, color or previous condition of
servitude." A state is free to impose
educational qualifications, or any other
qualifications not based on race, or
color, or previous condition of servi
tude. But this is tjhe first time direct
nullification has been attempted.
More than 3000 tobacco workers
are on strike at Louisville, Ky. If
this industrial disturbance should
spread throughout the land we would
soon have an opportunity to under
stand what real hardship a strike
could cause. With no cigarettes or
navy plug on which to draw for in
spiration, a host of the industrial non
workers of the world would be unable
to carry on the work of solving our
economic problems.
Spokane has another convert to the
cause of "terminal rates." Henry
O'Hara, a wandering sailor, was
charged $8.25 for a shave, shampoo
and a few extras in a Spokane barber
shop. The Spokane rate was so much
higher than the terminal rates that
Henry had paid where his ship, the
Maryland, had anchored that he pro
tested to the Mayor and secured a re
fund of $3.50.
The Guggenhelms and the Pinchots
and the Cunninghams an'd the Gar
fields all are working for the same
result the locking up of the resources
of this Western country from settlers
and homeseekers.
District Attorney Cameron appears
to have satisfied everybody by that
justly celebrated speech before the
Moore Jury. Nobody else thought it
necessary to say anything.
Now if T. R. shall "butt into" the
budget veto fight in Britain the' Old
World will i learn something "more
about America's Big Stick Boss.
Since a. New Jersey justice has
ruled that "damn" is not' profanity,
it will fail to raise a laugh in light
comedy.
Mrs. Cudahy thinks of going on the
stage, but really the person who would
draw largest houses is Jere Lillis.
It fs surer that the comet has a tall
than that many alleged jokes about
it have any sense to them.
Tacoma has more than a million
city money in the local banks. Tacoma
may be quite a place yet.
It was just a joke of the weather
man to forecast "fair", weather for
yesterday.
So far In Africa and Europe the
politicians generally approve T. R.'s
methods.
The real fool is not necessarily the
person who "bit" at the April fool
joke.
Strangers in the city who keep out
of the dancehalls avoid much trouble.
pSOUTTH POLE SURE TO BE WON
Sharkleton Says Stamina, Food and
Equlsmnt Will Deride,
-New York Times.
Sir Ernest Shackleton, who went
within 111 miles of the South Pole and
has' c6me to the United States to de
liver a series of lectures. Is very de
cided on four joints: He believes Peary
reached the North Pole; refuses to dis
cuss Dr. Cook; will not take command
of any expedition to the South Pole
until Captain Scott "has made his at
tempt to reach the goal and is confi
dent the latter will get there if his
expedition is proper'y equipped.
"The success of an expedition to the
South Pole," said Sir Ernest Shackle-
ton, "depends on the stamina of the '
men, their equipment, and, most im
portant of all, the food. If we had had
60 pounds more solid food we should
have reached our goal, as the condi
tions for traveling were good, and the
111 miles that separated us from it
were over practically flat Ice. As far as
we could see wifh the Zeiss glasses
there was "no obstruction ahead. Our
range was only four or five miles on
the horizon, but a barrier of ice of any
considerable height would have been
visible between our position and the
South Pole. There might have been a
rise of 100 feet or so. but nothing that
could not have been surmounted."
"What do you mean by solid food?"
he was asked.
"By that," replied the - explorer. "I
mean cheese, pemmlcan and plasmon
biscuits. Those do not contain moisture.
The pemmlcan we carried was different
from the American kind, as it was com
posed of 60 per cent of lard and the
best parts of beef. It is called Bovery
pemmlcan and comes from Copenhagen,
where they understand the preparation
of foods for expeditions into the frossen
regions of the earth.
"From November 14, 1908, to Feb-
Lruary 23, 1909, our party was always
nungry. except on Christmas day, when
we divided a four-ounce plum pudding
into four parts' and licked the spoons.
We had another luxury that day in a
tin of frozen sardines, which contained
17 fish. After taking four each we
tossed our knives on the ice for the
odd one. We started to take a tin of
Jam with us, but as it weighed two
pounds we left it 121 miles from hase,
which was 750 miles from the pole.
Our breakfast consisted of pony steaks.
"To reduce our weight as much as
possible, we cut 20 inches from the legs
of our trousers, which may seem
strange, but every ounce tells on a trip
like that. At first we had 32 ounces for
a man a day, which gradually got
smaller until our rations were reduced
to 16 ounces a man when we reached
the top of the plateau, but after a few
days I saw that it was not sufficient to
keep up our strength and it was in
creased to 20 ounces."
Sir Ernest went on to explain that
their clothing was made of Jaeger wool
with boots made of reindeer skin pre
pared in a peculiar -way - by the Lap
landers, who soak the hide in brine and
then chew it to make it soft and wolf
skin gloves.
"I realize that I have lost caste with
thousands of small boys because t was
not picturesquely garbed in furs," said
the explorer with a smile, but we had
to study weight and the garments were
windproof and equally as warm as
furs."
In answer to a question as to the
difference in the difficulties encoun
tered in expeditions to the Arctic and
Antarctic, the explorer said tjat the
base of supplies was much nearer to
the Noith Pole than to the south, there
was more animal and plant life and
the-cllmate was not so windy nor so
cold as it was going south.
On the other hand the disadvantages'
of going to the North Pole were that
the traveling was much rougher over
great hummocks of ice and it was im
possible to make any . depot or pitch a
tent on the Ice, as it would float away.
. "On our expedition," Sir Ernest went
on to say, "we lost all signs of animal
or plant life five miles after leaving
the coast line. We were entirely cut
off from the world, and if our ship had
been wrecked we should have never
got back, as no vessels penetrate those
seas.
"The wind was a drawback, as it
blew with great force in our faces,
carrying the fine ice drift with it. For
three days we had a wind of from 50 to TO
miles velocity an hour and in gusts
it attained a speed of 130 miles. All we
could do was to lay covered up in our
sleeping bags until the gale had mod
erated. To have exposed ourselves- to
the wind would have meant certain
death.
"The prevailing wind was south and
southeast The distance we traveled on
foot as the crow flies was only 639 miles.
but with back marches and relays we
really covered 1755 miles. Sometimes we
marched six miles to make three for
ward and even more to avoid bad
places, as It was hard work hauling
our equipment. The Manchurian ponies
were of great service to us, as we used
them until they were worn out and
then shot the animals and dined on
the steaks. The rest of the meat was
frozen and carried on. The mean tem
perature taken at the base of supplies
was below zero. Summer and Winter,
but "with a wind blowing it was much
colder. We had the sun night and day,
as- it was mid-Summer in the Antarctic,
but there was no warmth in its rays.
Our party was very fortunate in having
14 days continuous fine weather, which
was purely luck. Weather conditions
enter largely into the success of an
expedition to the South Pole. I intend
to make another trip to the south,
probably in 1911. on a larger scale, but
it will be entirely for scientific pur
poses and not to get to the pole."
The explorer explained that the ice
in the south was land ice and - that it
had been shown that there was- a con
tinent of some 4,000,000 miles of land
there.
H ousjefeeeplniE Experiment Station.
A housekeeping experiment station is
the unique institution conducted by Mr.
Charles Barnard and his wife in Darien,
Conn. Every labor-saving device for
household use put upon the market is
tested In their home, for, Mr. Barnard
argues, the small home rather than the
large laboratory is the practical test
of all such devices, from a pineapple clip
to a washing machine. A close record
of time and cost is kept, and the results
of the experiments are set forth in bul
letins and in lectures which Mr. Barnard
give? at domestic science colleges all
over the country. Denatured alchol, he
believes, will make cooking lessons pos
sible In country schools where the
absence of gas has prohibited individual
cooking stoves. The Barnard family din
ner is cooked in the same dishes in which
it is to be served, for the experiment
station has made a study of saving dish
washing. Mrs. Barnard was condemned
by her neighbors as a neglectful house
keeper until it was discovered that she
left her supper in the fireless cooker
while she spent the afternoon in calling,
and returned to take the meal out, ready
for serving.
Protection for Automobiles.
Brooklyn Eagle.
The Joyrider will not be a permanent
feature of automobiling risk. The in
ventor will find a way to lock some vital
part of the machine in the safety deposit
vault of the garage office subject to the
owner's call only. An automobile ought to
be as safe from trespass as a private
mug in a barber shop.
Too Bdit Raldag In Coin.
Houston Post.
The title of Jim Jeffries' second chap
ter is, "I Made a Good Start," and he
begins by stating, "I was born in Ohio."
Now, will he kindly tell us why it is he
has not become President?
LEGISLATURE NOT TO BLAME.
Thin AnnlDz Measure Vn Passed
I Drier the Initiative.
Eugene Register.
Attorney-General Crawford says that un
der the act of the last fool Legislature a
newspaper cannot publish matter favoraol
to a candidate or measure, without it Is
marked as an advertisement, containing the
name and address of tse person responsible
for it. Great Statute ' ol Liberty! Ail-any
Democrat. .
Either the Democrat or Mr. Crawford
is mistaken about th above law being
the work of the last rfool Legislature."
The corrupt practices act, under which
the above named restrictions of the
press come, was initiated at instiga
tion of the politically anointed U'Ren
and supported in tha last election by
such papers as the Democrat, with the
result that the peoplf voted It into a
law. Of coarse, with 'this information
at hand, it would ntjt be the proper
thing for the Democrat to charge that
it was the "fool people" instead of
the "fool Legislature" khat did it. Bet
ter let it go by just linbasting U'Ren.
He don't mind it. Hefcrtovs that any
kind of fool law he 3eks to initiate
will find plenty of Omgon papers to
support It, no matter mow hard they
may kick at It when itl becomes a law
and its full force and effects is known.
U'Ren now has a latr up for con
sideration at the next Section making
the Governor the supreane dictator of
the state, with appointing1 powers be
yond that enjoyed by tie ruling mon
archs of the Old World. (This law, be
cause U'Ren framed it, lll find plenty
of supporters in spite oi the fact that
such a law is in direct opposition to
the rule of the people s ardently ad
vocated in other ITRenlc (measures, un
der which we aregovernd.
PRO PERT! AND HIG PRICE S.
Government Regulation Cannot Change
Natural Tendencies.
PORTLAND, April 1. (To the Edi
tor.) In the talk againstlhigh prices,
people seem to lose sight! of the fact
that advancing prices are prosperity
and
that we can't have, prosperity
without steady or Improving prices.
v nen a man s wages ard going up,
when a business' profits ard increasing,
when the farm yields morl and more
In dollars and cents that lJprosperity.
But It would not be prosiirity- if to-
nignt an prices. Including wages,
were simply to be doublit: such a
change would do no more titan main
tain the relativity of one price to each
and- all other prices. j
Here is the vital point in phis whole
price matter. Some price advance
more rapidly than others; (wages of
trade unionists, for example, or the
price of wheat as brought (about by
foreign demand; what is the result?
Simply that those who work for the
wages and those who raise Theat are
ahead in the price race. A4 long as
they continue ahead, they ar prosper
ous. But, at length, the hifh prices
which they are receiving are diffused
and the prices of the articles which
these same classes require to live on
reach the same scale or, possibly, go
beyond the wage and the wheat prices.
When that condition ' arrives, those
who have been prosperous are unwill
ing to accept the prices fixed by the
natural ratio of that which they have
to sell with the commodities they re
quire. (
To doctor economic conditions or to
interfere with trade by means f dras
tic government regulation will not
change natural tendencies but will set
up new and more baffling conditions.
E. E. WELBT.
Kant and West.
Tacoma Tribune. j
While New England is taking the
lead in attempting to fasten upen the
West the horde of Pinchot conserva
tionists to harass and keep off set
tlers from our public lands, thelstate
of Massachusetts is proposing to ipend
$100,000 to get settlers on herl own
unused lands, of which there are! said
to be 150,000 acres of undeveloped
tillable land and 1,000,000 acres Depas
ture land, which could be made homes
for the people of the crowded cities
and towns.
The "abandoned farm" Is pne of the
features of New England, yet those
same New Englanders are sittingTup
nights to devise ways and means! of
obstructing and delaying the settle
ment of the vacant lands of the West,
unless the New England bondholder
has a mortgage on everything or , a
New England "corporation can con
trol it.
First Autonitille Railroad
Leslie's. ' I
1
Texas used to claim the distinction of
having the first automobile railroad. Flv
cars used to make regular trips on a
three-hour schedule over the 45 miles
between Lubbock and Plainview, tha
county seats of Lubbock and Hale count
ties. The line had a private right of way
fenced off as for a railway and Its road
bed was worked by section hands to this
extent It was kept scooped free of sand.
The drivers (this in the sense in which
the EngliBh use the word) were cowboys
in blue overalls and large felt hats.
They were required to make the 45 miles
In three hours because the line carried
United States mail and was under con
tract to keep a schedule.. Often the cars
would clip an hour off that for good
measure. i ne round trip fare for 90
miles was $10. .
A Record Inconsistent.
Newberg Graphic.
A prominent Portland preacher who
was a warm supporter of a noted can
didate for office in the last election,
whom he knew to be one of the worst
boozefighters in Oregon politics, is said
to be arranging to come to Newberg
at an early date to talk temperance to
our people. The Graphic entertains
very grave doubts as to the brother's
orthodoxy on the question of state
wide prohibition, and he will pardon
us for suggesting for his text the well
known passage, "Physician, heal thy
self." Editor Don't Kid Anton.
Newberg Graphic.
The editor of the Graphic spent a
day in McMinnville last week and
found Mr. Martin, of the Telephone-Register,
and Mr. -Hammerly, of the News
Reporter, grinding away in their respec
tive dens and not sporting automobiles
as we had anticipated, after reading of
the many investments made in machines
lately by the bon-tons of the county
seat. The season is not far spent; how
ever, and there is plenty of time for the
fever to get in its work on those who
have been exposed.
Tattooed for Identification.
Popular Mechanics.'
A novel means of identification has
been adopted by one of the "large insti
tutions for deaf mute children of New
York. The children sometimes wander
away or become lost while traveling, and,
as many of them cannot read and write,
it is often -a difficult thing to return
them to the institution. By tattooing
the name and address on the skin it Is
an easy matter for the deaf mutea to be
identified. The tattooing is done in ink
that not Indelible, but which 'will
stand for a year or two.
Compensation.
0 Harper's Weekly.
"I felt so sorry when I heard your
house was burned down, Mrs. Jones.
said Mrs. Hawkins.
"It was too bad," said Mrs. Jones,
"but it had its bright side. John and I
were both afraid to discharge our cook,
but now that- the house is gone, of
course we don't have to." .
LIFE'S SUNNY SIDE
. A young man who travels in the West
for a local manufacturing firm, whs tell
ing his friends of his trip.
"Iast Sunday I was in a little town
that boasted one small hotel,' he said,
"and I asked the landlord where I could
go to church."
"Well, he said. "I suess you want to
know the different denominations. .You
can take your choice of what we got.
We got a Reformed Presbyterian, an' we
got a United Presbyterian, an we grt
another Presbyterian that ain't neither
reformed or united." Philadelphia Tel
egraph. Senator Murphy Foster, at a dinner In
Washington, said of a certain retrac
tion: "It was a retraction without value.
It recalls the Nola Chueky scandal.
Deacon Washington, in the heat of a
revival, shouted from the pulpit of the
Nola Chucky chapel:
'I see befo me ten chicken thieves,
includin' that thar Calhoun Clay.
"Calhoun Clay at once rose and left
the church. He was very angry. He
brought a powerful influence to bear,
and th deacon promised to apologize.
"So, at the following meet, the old
man said: 4
" I desires to retract mah last night's
remark, namely I Fee befo' me ten
chicken thieves Includin Calhoun Clay.
What I should have said, dear breth
ren and s is tern, was I see befo' me
nine chicken thieves, not includin Cal
houn Clay.' St. L.oui3 Globe-Democrat.
She was a charming debuf ante, and
he was a somewhat serious chap. Con
versation was rather fitful, so he de
cided to guide it into literary chan
nels. "Are you fond of literature?" ho
asked.
"Passionately,", she replied. "I love
books dearly."
"Then you must admire Sir Walter
Scott," he exclaimed with sudden ani
mation. "Is not his 'Lady of the Lake"
exquisite in Its flowing grace, and po
etic imagery? Is it not "
"It is perfectly lovely,' she assented,
clasping her hands in ecstasy. 4:I sup
pose I have" read it a dozen times."
"And Scott's 'Marmlon,' " he continued,
with its rugged simplicity and marvel
ous description."
"I-t is perfectly grand," she mur
mured. "And Scott's 'Peveril of the Peak. and
his noble Bride of Lamraermoor'
where in the Knglish language will
you find anything more heroic? You
like them, I am sure?"
"I just dote upon them," she replied.
And Scott's Emulsion?" he contin
ued hastily, for a faint suspicion was
beginning to dawn upon him.
"I think," she interrupted rashly,
"that it's the best thing he ever wrote."
At Salsomaggiore there was a laund
ress who had always enjoyed the pat
ronage of the Duke of the Abruzzi when
ever he came there to take the cure on
his return from one of his expediUons.
The Duke, of course, knew nothing about
this matter, which was attended to by
his chauffeur-valet. Now, for some rea
son, of which I am ignorant, the servant
had taken a notion to change laun
dresses; hence great humiliation on the
part of the good little woman who,
naturally, prized her celebrated patron.
What was she to do? She wanted .to
get an explanation of the matter, at any
rate, so one day she placed herself on the
road where the Duke was to pass. When
he came up. she said to him: "Your
Highness Is no longer satisfied with your
former laundress? "
"Who said so?"
"Why, your Highness no longer sends
me his linen, and I am very unhappy
about it."
"My poor child," exclaimed the Prince,
"I knew nothing about it! Come with me,
and we will settle the matter out of
hand."
No sooner said than done. The Duke
ordered his chauffeur to send his linen
to his usual laundress In the future,
and when she narrated the Incident to
me (for I was one of her patrons), she
added enthusiastically:
"And he isn't a bit proud. Is our Duke,
for he is the first man who ever lifted
his hat to me." McClures.
An English and an Irishman were
having an argument on the subject of
Shakespeare. "I defy you," said the
former, "to find a single Irish charac
ter in the whole of his works." "Well.
I can give you two. at all events." re
plied the Irishman "Miss O'Phelia and
Corry O'Lanus." He- forgot Hamlet's
Intimate friend, who stood beside him
while he was contemplating his uncle
in devotion, and observed, "Now could
I do it, Pat, while he is praying."
Springfield Republican.
An Overnight.
Harper's.
A good story is told about a certain,
! regiment of militia which was in camp
for the first time last Summer. On the
first night, when they "turned in." they
were instructed how to lie down and roll
themselves in their blankets and gener
ally make themselves comfortable. An
officer having seen his company ."tucked
in" was reminded by a civilian that he
had forgotten something.
"What's that?" was the query.
"You haven't kissed them good night."
The silence was oppressive.
Chance for a Triumphant Test.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
A professor announces that he has
finally found the germ of fatigue.
If he can successfully prove the merit
of his discovery on the person of the
farmer's hired man, we are prepared
to hand him the Nobel prize and all
the other honors that are coming to
him.
Too Ei pensive.
Judge.
"This cigar tastes like it was made of
cabbage," growls the customer.
"Huh!" replies the clerk. "If you
knew the wholesale price of cabbage
this year, you wouldn't insinuate that
it could be put into a 5-ccnt cigar."
Hitchcock Need Not Apply.
Washington Star.
Postmaster-General TTitchcock need
never look for any literary encourage
ment from the magazines should he ever
decide to forsake a political career.
The Miracle.
She's but a little colleen gay.
Scarce thicker than me thumb.
But oh, the word she spoke the day!
Tis blind I am. and dumb.
Her email mouth had a pleatim twisx
As though 'twas wishful to be kissed;
I thought it gave the true word whist.
And hope lept in tha heart of me.
But when I tried it oh. the blow '
The Hte hand laid on me cheek!
Twaa but a feather's weight, I know.
But sure, it left me faint and weak.
And oh, the look that changed her eyesl
Twas like the change of Er!n'e skies
Prom shine to storm the black surprise
And sorrow buret the heart o me.
She stood there lashin me bold ways
So weak the gentle tongue of her.
Compared with some I've got 'twas praise-
Then somethin, sudden, seemed to 6tir
Wrthin me breast. The truth it lept
Straight out, belike-as if't had slept;
Then right into me arms she erept.
Sure, joy's near crazed the heart of me
Charles T. Rogers, In, Harper's Weekly!