rilE MORNING "OREGOXIAX. MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1911.
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FOBTLA.XD. OREGOX.
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rOBTLAD. MONDAY. J.Ol'AKI 1. I Mi.
,' (OKKIXti THE COXB-KRVATTOJC BOTTIX
It Is usual for legislator to give
' greater consideration to the recom
mentations of an Incoming Governor
' than to the advice of an outgoing
Governor. It U to the now executive
that the Legislature must look for fa-
. vorable consideration of pet measures.
. Usually, too. the policies of the retir
ing Governor are well known, while
outside of the main Issues of the pre-
ceding campaign the policies of the
new Governor are matters of interest
ed speculation until the time of their
delivery to the legislative Assembly,
The Oregonian. therefor, drains It
' wise to fmi'hiuUe the Importance o
one at least of the recommendations
made by Acting Governor Howerinan
This recommendation. which was
; given In full yesterday in The Orego
' filajl. deals w ith the conservation prob
lem In a manner thoroughly In har
ninny with the prevailing sentiment of
the pople of Oregon.
Oregon does nt question the great
underlivnc DrlnciDle of "conservation
so-called, but It does have a quarrel
with those who. possessing vague no
tions of conditions In the West, have
played upon popular opinion or preju
dice with the word In an effort to
bring about something that is not con
serration. A policy that once, as
Governor Boverman points out, was
inspired by the desire to preserve our
watersheds, has degenerated into
system of paternalism under which the
r.r. rv. nmnna.l f rotnln the
title to and control of all mineral
lands and available water-power
sites."
It la even planned to impose a Fed
eral tax on the development of water
powers and coal lands a tnx that
must of necessity be raid by AVestern
consumers.
Lands withdrawn under this policy
have Included great tracts highly suit
able for agriculture. Protests against
this bottling up have frequently been
met oy xne assertion tnu unuer tnw
provisions of the Federal laws agricul
tural lands may be segregated for en
try by actual settlers. But In actual
practice the Intent of the law has been
controverted by the stratagem of the
theorists In the forestry department.
Money expended and good Intentions
shown by settlers have been Ignored
and the lands sought to be converted
Into productive farms have almost In
variably been "reserved Tor adminis
trative purposes."
A grave absurdity In the situation Is
found In the fact that the state is ex
pending taxpayers' money. Indirectly,
In furtherance of the harmful policies
of these uninformed Eastern vision
sties. This money goes to the sup
port of the Oregon Conservation Com.
mission, against which the retiring ex
ecutive reads the following indict
ment:
It has parfnrmad little If any real aerr
Ire tor tha stat. but. on the other hand,
has addod Ita Influence to that of the pr-a-aat
almtnlstratlvo policies of the Feiiernl
;ovammnt In pravantln the doratopm-nt
of tha atata and In -nrouraslna the with
drawal of our landa from entry and haa ar
eorapllahd aottilna toward aecurlne our
fuat portion of tha reclamation fuira). It
haa fonderetl sorre a-vt of political na
tqr to thoea offtco-hoM-ra with who.
l.wa and pollcx-a Ita dominant members
concur.
The Indictment is undoubtedly not
directed at the individual members of
the Commission, but Is Justly Intended
as a criticism of the Influences that
have warped the real purpose of the
organization into an aid for political
advancement, regardless of the effect
such procedure might have upon the
prosperity and development of the
state.
The Legislature need have no hesi
tancy in adopting Governor Bower
man's recommendation that this Com
mission be abolished. Its policies
have not been In accord with the
recommendations of either the outgo
ing or the incoming Governor, nor
with the desires of an overwhelming
majority of the people of Oregon.
Money is ill spent for corking the bot
tle that contains so much of Oregon's
resources.
It should not be difficult for the
Legislature to make known officially
the views of Oregon on matters of con
servation. Oregon does not want a
long-distance interference with true
development, nor its people taxed for
the maintenance of a cumbersome bu
reau administered by soft-handed the
orists. Its objections are directed at
administrative policies which subvert
the true meaning and Intent of the
laws and regulations pertaining to
conservation, and not at a conserva
tion that will protect Its resources
from monopoly and insure proportion
ate benefits to present and future gen
erations. According to the testimony of An
drew Carnegie, "the more capital does
for labor the more profit the employer
makes." Continuing, the ironmaster
stated that he had not had any strikes
in twenty-six years. "I have not let '
any one, he explained, "have any
thing to say about labor but myself."
Mr. Carnegie, employing labor in a
business so well protected by unfair
laws and discrimination that even at
the highest-priced labor in the world
It affords such colossal profits that
he can with difficulty spend more than
a small portion of his vast income, is
not In a position to offer expert testi
mony regarding labor engaged In ordi
nary Industries where the resultant
profits of the labor are only legitimate
and fair. No one grudges Mr. Carne
gie's high-priced labor, or his low
priced labor, the comparatively small
portion of the profits that falls to their
lot. but It is the millions of consum
ers who are entitled to the credit for
the numerous libraries nd peace do
nations as well as the high wages that
are supposed to prevail In Carnegie
land.
A TIME KOR IBJH PATIKNIE.
The Irish members of oAsquith's
coalition government wish home rule
at once. But Asqulth serves notice
that the first reform must be that of
the House of Lords.
So the . Irish members must con
tent themselves for the present.
The Premier announces that the Lib
eral majority of the government will
refuse to bo ."coerced" by "the Irian
minority. Any other attitude, he says.
would expose Liberals to the charge
that they "prefer office to principle;
the retention of office at the price of
the abandonment of principle."
The Premier declares the "predomi
nant and governing issue" to be. "cur
tailment of the veto of the House of
Lords." A doxen or a score of great
causes, he adds, hang upon that issue.
One of these is Irish home rule. "In
purely Irish affairs."
Doea this mean Indefinite postpont
ment of home rule? Probably not;
but It evidently means delay for some
time to come. Right now the Irish
will have occasion to exercise self-
control and moderation. Their ex
plosive, frothy natures they will need
to -hold subdued. They will have to
be patient and to refrain from bolt
ing the programme. Their only hope
of home rule lies In adherence to the
Libera coalition. Their only possible
friends are In that camp..
Will the Irish prove themselves
equal to this emergency? Will they
"refuse to play" unless they get what
they want? This ordeal of Irish pa
tience will be an interesting spectacle.
Victory will be a new triumph In Irish
statesmanship.
A MEKJTORiOl 8 TENSION 11 1.1-
The ease with which a bill adding
about 5. 000.000 to tho pension roll
of the cnuntry slipped through the
House at Washington offers some
hope that a pension bill possessing
real merit, and now before the House,
may meet with similar success. This
pension bill, which has never ap
pealed very strongly to Congress, pro
vides a pension for men who have
become'too old or have been disabled
In the life-saving service. If all the
sleek, well-fed. rich old fellows who
are now drawing pensions to which
they are not entitled could be relieved
of their unearned monthly instal
ments of Government money, there
would be ample funds for taking care
of the men who have actually earned
pensions.
A recent extended expose of pension
frauds by a prominent magazine con
tained numerous photographs of men
who were drawing pensions for total
disability, and who were at the same
time, receiving large salaries for their
services in commercial and political
life. The number of patriots for pay
discovered by this magazine was no
great that one can hardly question the
charge that there are thousands of
similar cases that might be unearthed
if determined efforts were made to
stop the frauds. With the Ufesavers,
the case Is different. It requires a
brave man to assume the risks that
are the essential part of the work, and
brave man would not as a rule be
seeking a pension to which he was not
entitled and which he did not need
The Llfesavlng Service has become
one of the most useful and valuable
features of the work of the Govern
ment. During the year Just close!
the men In the service saved or as
slsted In saving ships and cargoes of
value of more than $10,000,000. In
these disasters 77.000 lives were In
Jeopardy, but, due largely to the effi
cient work of the Llfesavlng Service,
only 83 lives were lost. The work in
volves great hardship, and the men
grow old or are disabled at an age
when, in easier walks of life, they
would still be in their prime.
Thus far the only provision on the
pension order that the Government
makes for the life-savers gives men
who are injured while engaged in duty
full pay for a year, but never In any
circumstance for more than two years.
As the pay Is Insufficient to admit of
any great saving, old age finds most
of these heroes objects of charity ln-
stead of the care of those whose prop
erty and Uvea have been saved by
their efforts.
MAKING A tiOOD START.
Since January 1 money in an un
precedented volume has been pouring
Into New Tork from all parts of the
country. The gain In surplus reserve
of the clearing-house banks of New
York for the first week In January was
more than $12,000,000. bringing the
total higher than the figure reached
In any corresponding week since 1899.
For the week ending last Saturday the
record-breaking was still more pro-
ounced. The surplus reserve was not
only the highest on record at that dato.
but it reached a higher figure than had
been touched since early last Septem
ber, when money stocks were being
accumulated for crop-moving pur
poses. That there should be such an
accumulation of money In New York
this time seems all the more re-
markabT when it is noted that the
disbursements through the New York
banks on January dividend account
were more than $200,000,000.
With this direct, tangible evidence
that there Is an abundance of money
In the country. It Is not unreasonable
to expect a return of confidence, which
in the East has been missing for many
months. The money which Is now
owing into New York in record-
breaking volume has fulfilled its crop-
moving mission In the West and South
and Is available for other purposes.
As soon as there is a restoration of
confidence, borrowers and lenders will
get together and make use of it. An
early settlement of some of the most
Important suits against railroads and
other industrial corporations would
ndoubtedly prove" highly beneficial to
every one. not excepting the defend
ants. Nearly every prominent rail
road In the country is in need of
money with which to construct new
lines or repair old ones, but Just at
present railroad securities are far from
attractive to Investors.
That there is excellent reason for
the investing public to steer clear of
them, as well as from Industrial stocks.
Is quite strikingly shown In a recent
compilation giving the values of
ninety-five prominent railroad and
the same number of industrial stocks
at the close of business December 31,
1909. and . on the same date in 1910.
In that , twelve months the railroad
stocks showed a depreciation of $851,
395.000, or 16.92 per cent: the indus
trial stocks depreciated $484,808,000.
or lt.zt per cent, or a total for both
Industrials and railroads of $1,338,
393.000. or 14.85 per cent. Without
discussing the merits or the demerits
of the causes which have combined
to make railroad and industrial securi
ties such an unpopular form of invest
ment, it Is easy to understand that no
cautious Investor would care to put his
money in anything where It would lose
nearly 15 per cent in a single year.
Meanwhile new wealth is being cre
ited more rapidly than ever before.
and it is crowding right along on the
heels of that already in use. The cor
poration and the anti-corporation, the j
ra-uroua ana tne aim-rum ui, ivta
will settle their differences and get
down to business on a new basis. Ore
gon for the past year has experienced
with very pleasant sensations what
it means to have the railroads spend
ing millions in new construction, and
would like to see financial conditions
adjusted so that similar prosperity
could spread over the rest of the coun
try. It woulfl Increase the aemand for
Oregon lumber, apples, salmon, hops
and other products.
IIARIt OK OREGON PROJECTS.
Between Senator Carter and the
Army board, Oregon Irrigation proj
ects suffer rough handling, i Senator
Carter's tender Sensibilities are much
stirred by accusations of lack of
faith. If not integrity." against
'those charged with the management
of the Reclamation Service" at Klam
ath, and he declares In substance that
the Klamath project "never . should
have been undertaken by the Govern
ment."
Senator Carter's idea of a reclama
tlon project that deserves generous
support is that It shall be located in
Montana. His conspicuous success in
persuading the Army board to the
same view In its distribution of the
45.000.000 reclamation fund would
appear to show that the Montana defi
nition of a meritorious reclamation
scheme has powerful approval.
Yet Senator Chamberlain, who is
also a member of the Senate Irrlga
tlon committee, could do little or notli
lng for Klamath or for West l'm'
tilla. Did Carter bamboozle and hyp
notlze him. too?
t'KEK PASSES AOAIN?
The bill intended to compel railroad
companies to Issue free transportation
comes up at an Inopportune time. Just
at present there is more anti-railroad
legislation before the people than
ever.
The railroads complain that they
are being taxed too heavily and that
they are not receiving rates in keep
ing with the service they give. Every
deadhead they would carry under the
proposed law, whether official or oth
erwise, would to a degree reduce the
revenues and offer an excuse for the
roads to make reciprocal demands
on the state. Having at last got this
railroad business down to a business
basis, woujd It not be well to keep it
there and neither be obliged to ask
nor receive favors from the roads?
Any state official, even a member of
the Legislature, who objected to pay
ing his fare, could of course resign.
It should also be remembered that
the people have already voted once
on this pass proposition and re
jected it.
THE NEW TIME'S PROGRESS.
Never before, In this Northwest
country, were opportunities for hand
and brain so varied. Some persons
may find difficulty in fitting into this
new growth that is now pressing for
ward. In every country and in every
time there have been such. But at no
time in the history of Oregon and
Washington has such variety of em
ployment presented luelf to residents
and newcomers.
In agriculture and In animal hus-.
bandry activities are multiplying.
New lessons of fruitgrowing are con
tinually impressing themselves on
our people. The apple, the pear, the
strawberry, the grape, the peach, the
cherry, each and all are contributing
to the progress of the country as
would not have been thought possible
ten or fifteen years ago. Boll, altitude.
moisture of each locality are coming
to be understood in their differing con
ditions. The business of dairying.
though not growing as rapidly as the
people's needs for its products, is con
stantly Improving. Breeding of sheep,
cattle, goats and hogs makes steady
gains. Also that of poultry. The
country's business In manufactures
shows steady expansion. More and
more the population Ls consuming the
goods of its own factories. New rail
roads are opening up new localities,
each of which will turn its wealth into
the general store and will be developed
along the lines of Its own best produc
tive power.
A thrifty people is one that has
many wants and is able to satisfy
them. A people that turns most re
sources to account is one that has
highest place in the world's prosperity.
Resources are not thus wasted; they
are converted into human comforts.
But a people that must depend on im
ported goods is poor indeed. It does
not get ahead. It is laggard In the
world procession.
Oregon and Washington are depend
ing less and less on importations of
produce and fruit from California.
They are .canning more and more of
their own products of orchard and
garden. Their furniture factories are
supplying their homes. Their own clay
is burnt into bricks and tile. Their
own shops are making their engines
and machinery. Their woolen mills
are enlarging their product.
All this is causing the country to
make fast galfis. So little of this
work was done here in the olden time
that the country's progress was slow.
The early citizens who hoped that they
would live to see the buzzing hives of
Industry that they pictured in their
dreams passed to the undiscovered
country with their pictures unrealized.
It has taken 60 years of toilsome
growth to create in these two states
homes and sustenance for their 2,000.
000 people. Slow, exasperatingly slow,
the early progress was. Now, how
ever, the growth Is fast. The 2,000,
000 population will be doubled,
trebled, in but a fraction of the long
period that has passed.
There are opportunities for purpose
ful energy in this country in more var
ied number than ever before. But the .
men and the women who come here to
take up tasks should be equipped for
what they undertake to do. The "im
migration" that comes simply for a
"change" or thinking that life here
may be less laborious than elsewhere.
or that. In spite of shlftlessness, there
will be some way to "get along." will
be sorely disappointed: But the Im
migration that has wiling hands and Is
not too proud nor too firmly planted J
on its "rights" to delve into the hard
tasks; that applies prudence, foresight
and industry to Its labors this kind
of newcomers will be richly rewarded.
The early Inhabitants of Oregon and
Washington dreamed of the big doings
of the present day a quarter of a cen
tury ago. When Henry .Villard, at
that time, offered the people here the
fruits of his railroad genius, their en
thusiasm surpassed that of the people
of the present day. When the Oregon
Short Line and Union Pacific and the
Southern Pacific made connections
with this country there was enthusl-
i-asm again. But after each of these
great exploits the country still lagged.
Progress was still slow.
Now, however, we are fairly entered
Into the new time. It is an opening
that thrills our people, pioneers and
newcomers. This country has a self
dependence and a self-reliance that It
never had ltfore.
The Harrlman tunnel under the pen
insula Is completed and it is announced
that It will admit of a reduction of
thirty minutes In the running time be
tween Portland and Puget Sound. The
Northern Pacific Railroad Company,
owner of the track which Is now Joint
ly used between Vancouver and Ta-
coma by the three roads, is double
tracking the line between Kalama and
Puget Sound, and when that work is
completed and the roadbed Is worn
down there should be an opportunity
for a reduction still further in time.
Portland and the Puget Sound cltief
are growing so rapidly and have so
much in common that the time is ap
proaching when limited trains making
very few stops will carry passengers
through from Portland to Tacoma in
about three hours without encounter
ing risks Of consequence.
In a review of prospects requiring
the attention of machinery houses in
the early part of 1911, a Seattle corre
spondent in the annual number of the
Iron Age takes a very optimistic view
of Northwest trade conditions. It is
interesting to note that of eleven pros
pects of magnitude mentioned five are
in Oregon, and that two others have
Oregon companies behind them. In
this list are named the proposed
Springfield electric power plant; im
provements at the West Coast mines
at Bohemia; the appropriation of
$760,000 for improvements by the
Portland Gas & Coke Company; the
bond issue of $30,000 at Falls City for
water works; the Iettlnr of contract
for an auxiliary steam plant by the
Mount Hood Railway & Power Com
pany; the new generating plant In
Chehalls to 'be built by a company
having headquarters In Portland and
the plan of Barr Bros.-Rogers Cutlery
Company, of Eugene, to build a plant
at Palo Alto, CaL
Tobacco growers In forty counties
in Kentucky have voted to abandon
this year's crop of white burley to
bacco. This action is taken for the
purpose of decreasing the supply and
increasing prices. The territory in
volved Is that in which the night rid
ers have been quite active for the past
three years, and presumably if some
Kentuckian of the Daniel Boone type
attempts to prove this Is a free coun
try by putting in a crop of tobacco he
will be murdered or maimed in regu
lation night-rider style. There is good
soil In Kentucky, and It will produce
crops other than tobacco. Perhaps
some of the tobacco men may get in a
crop of something else this year that
will pay so much better than tobacco
that it will no longer be necessary to
grow the "weed" and thus invite the
attacks of the cowardly night riders.
Little by little baseball magnates are
getting common sense beaten into
their heads. The latest manifesta
tion of the phenomenon is a rule that
umpires' eyes must be examined. They
need it. Oh, how many, many times
In Portland last season were the Cali
fornia autocrats afflicted with astig
matism! . Wonder how often the. eyes
must be inspected. An umpire might
be onto his Job all right Tuesday, but
suppose that night he looked at the
electrolier several times through the
bottom of a beer glass. Would his
lenses focus accurately at Wednes
day's game? It may prove a wise
plan to test the eyesight of players
also. Baseball everywhere Is profita
ble, so why not each club carry an of
ficial oculist on the aggregation's pay
roll? Then if the home team loses,
mob the eye doctor.
The United States has the greatest
warship afloat. The Arkansas, which
was launched at Philadelphia Satur
day, has a dozen 12-inch guns and
when she gets busy with all her
equipment she can throw about 11,000
pounds of broadside shot. The vessel
is of 26,000 tons displacement and will
carry eighty-five officers and more
than 1000 men. Unfortunately for
Uncle Sam, the glory of having the
greatest battleship afloat may not rest
with us very long. The Arkansas is
only 60 per cent completed, and prob
ably by the time the other 40 per cent
has been attended to some of our for
eign neighbors who are racing each
other In the big-ship competition will
have launched a still greater craft. ,
"Now that Oregon is entitled to an
other Congressman, The Oregonian
wants both Congressmen to come from
the Willamette Valley," remarks the
Malheur Enterprise. It may not be
worth while, but The Oregonian will
endeavor to enlighten the Malheur pa
per to the extent of Informing it that
Oregon now has two Representatives
In Congress, and under the reappor
tionment will have tHce. The Orego
nian has, moreover, made no sugges
tion that "both" or all Representa
tives come from the Willamette Valley,
or anywhere. It is indifferent. Though
it naturally desires that they come
from somewhere In Oregon.
This Government is too easy with its
wards. A bill is pending to allow the
Apaches held at Fort Sill to return to
the reservation. Of course they can
do no more killing of white settlers,
but release from prison will lessen
punishment, and that is what should
not be done with an Apache.
The two-score people who spent four
days comfortably in a Great Northern
train In Montana, snowbound and the
mercury at 58 below, learned some
thing of modern railroading.
Testing the eyes of National League
umpires will provide men who can
sidestep wlien an indignant runner
"sees red."
Butler Ames, old Ben's grandson,
has the proper blood to welcome a
controversy with the Colonel.
QCESTIONS FOR SIXGLE-TAIERS.
Why JVot Be Content With Preaent
Great Growth and Prosperity
PORTLAND, Or.. Jan. 13. (To the
Editor.) The recent discussion on "Sin
gle Tax" between Messrs. Cuslck and
HImes, found on the editorial page of
The Oregon'an, has interested me, and
I have hoped to see more of it.
Mr. HImes says: "It is not the pur
pose of single tax to place all taxes on
land, but on land values, found largely
in unused city sites held for specula
tion, and franchises which are land val
lues held by public utility corporations."
Does he mean, for Instance, that va
cant land adjoining land on which
stands a skyscraper should be taxed
about the same amount as the owner
of the skyscraper pays? That the owner
of land beside a mill, factory, or wharf
should pay as much as the owners of
these? That an employe trying to save
up enough o pay for a couple of lots
on which to build a home should pay
the same as his employer who has a
fine home nearby pays on the same
number of lots under his improve
ments? Would he try to force the building
of improvements to make land pay, re
gardless of the flnanc'al condition of
owners or whether they (the improve
ments) could be made to pay. in com
petition with properties already- builtT
Would he force heavy toll from own
ers of a franchise before the use of
said franchise could be made to pay,
or wait until It did pay?
Would capitalists loan money on im
provements and enterprises thus sit
uated? Would people want to buy land un
der such condition? If not, which way
would the value of land go, and how
long before the land would go for taxes,
and could It be used to pay public
bills?
He says there would be "impetus to
business, and rise in city land values
also "The so-called single tax would
check speculation and discourage land
monopoly." How both these?
I quote further: "Under a system
of land-value tax there is much poor
land in Oregon now taxed because it is
'n private hands, that should not be
taxed at all, as It has no rental or use
value."
Who owns these worthless lands?
Speculators' How about the value of
a town lot if it could not be made to
pay. or was of no rental or "use
value"?
He says : "The agricultural class will
have nothing to fear; the values are not
in the country districts, but in the cities
the farmers will be relieved of some of
their unjuest burdens."
If the values are not high in the coun
try how about land selling from $100 to
$1000, per acre and going higher? Lo the
poor farmer! Can he now raise enough
to supply the demands of his city broth'
ers at "high cost of living" prices?
Mr. HImes writes furthor. that "for the
benefit of ail, the slogan and advice of
James J. Hill, 'Back to the land.' should
be realized." If the people were too poor
to live in town, what would they buy
high priced land and equipments with
and who would they sell their produce
to If the cities were half depopulated
and the producers ten times as many as
now?
Portland and vicinity are a fair crl
terion by which to Judge the whole
United States, and nearly every one is
busy and contented. We are building all
the dwellings and business blocks that
the growth of the country and city de
mands, on a paying basis. Reasonable
people of all classes are banking on the
prosperity and - stability of things as
they now are and may continue to be
until unwise people may, through the
unwise system of law making under the
initiative and referendum disrupt thing.
How would it do for chronic agitators
to let well enough alone for awhile or
until there is a slight reason for com
plaint and not be continually trying to
get in contact with eome one to cuss
or cuss them. G. B. TUCKER,
1653 Fiske! street.
Reply to Mr. Cuslck.
PORTLAND, Or., Jan. 10. (To the Edi
tor.) Friend W. A. Cuslck has some queer
ideas of the single tax that I cannot be
responsible for. Thanking The Oregonian
for the space devoted, and not wishing
to trespass too greatly, allow me to point
out some of them exposed to the public
in his communication of January 9.
"Above ground property: what on
earth does friend Cusick mean by that?
I never used the term. I never heard
of such a definition used, but as he
Quotes it I presume somebody did. No
one in Oregon has ever proposed such a
definition in any law that the writer
ever heard of. Is Cusick's idea that the
single tax proposes to tax the cellar and
foundations and not the house, the hull
of a ship below the water line and not
the sails? Absurd!
But tills is the proposition of the land
value tax measure that will shortly be
placed before the people of Multnomah
County:
Exempt all improvements or personal
property from taxation; tax all land
values, timber, mineral wealth, rights of
way, franchises of public corporations.
This would not consiifer whether a tree
or a house was below or above the
ground, or whether a machine was In the
cellar or the attic.
Another queer use of English afflicts
friend Cusick when he talks of the "tax
burden" of Multnomah County being in
creased by $100,000,000. In 1909 all the
taxes of the county amounted to $4,394,000
In round number The tax burden by
exempting "Improvements and personal
property could not possibly re increased
to $100,000,000. He probaoiy means that
the taxes on this latter sum would be
added to the present tax on land values.
In accordance with calculations made
from the official returns by the best real
estate and actuaries' figures in no casa
would the taxes on land values of the
farmers be doubled In any county in
Oregon, although In eome cases the taxes
on Idle lands would be so Increased. The
working and producing people of Malheur
County, Including merchants and pro
fessional men, pay $57,000 too ihuch. All
the county taxes of Malheur in 1909
amounted to less than $112,000i The land
speculators paid over $50,000 too little,
and so on In other countries.
If tho large land holder with no im
provements is assessed more, he will sell
to someone who will use. or. he will use
himself. That will be the general ten
dency of a tax on land values to put a
premium upon use.
The farmer, on the other hand actually
using his land, has now, and always and
everywhere has, a great amount of
capital1 Invested In improvements. The
effect of a land value tax is to encourage
him to use his land, to improve his land
and to upbuild and beautify his home.
The more he does so the better he Is
off. The speculator selling his lands will
sell to those who will use and develop
It. The confiscatory part of the taxa
tion question lays with those who now
tax the worker for his industry and
thrift.
The error of friend Cuslek. as with
many other wise men, consists in con
founding In his mental processes the im
provements and personal property of
the farmer with his actual land values.
The two are entirely separate and dis
tinct The farmers of Oregon are as
sessed on over $100,000,000 worth of im
provements classified as land. They pay
over $2,000,000 In taxes on these Improved
values, which they should not pay. A
tax on land values would relieve them
of this.
An ounce of fact Is worth a pound of
theory. The facts developed in Van
couver, B. C. and hundreds of other
places throughout the world, absolutely
and invariably uphold the contentions of
the single taxers. In so far as their prin
ciples have been applied. Mr. Cuslck
should go to Vancouver and find sut who
rta.v tha t&xea now that the rottare of
the mechanic the palace of the million-
I aire, the big business buildiDg and the
shack, are exempt from taxation, the dif
ference being taken up by land values.
The farmed lands of Oregon are as
sessed on an average $22.50 more than
unimproved land alongside. The tax on
that sum amounts to the fine levied for
clearing and plowing and preparing land.
In the- aggregate It amounts to millions in
taxes paid by farmers in excess of their
Just share.
Friend Cuslck should read up, and not
depend upon hearsay for his Ideas of the
single tax. Find out what its advocates
propose, and then seek the facts.
ALFRED D. CRIDGE.
EQUAL, HEADWAY BY CARS NEEDED
Former Traffic Man Points Out Diffi
culties Encountered.
PORTLAND, Or., Jan. 9. (To the Edi
torsAs I have recently become a per
manent East Side resident of this city
and having severed my connection with
the Twin City Rapid Transit Company,
with whom I'havebeen associated in dif
ferent capacities for nearly 17 years, the
frequent letters by the people and arti
cles criticizing tho street railway serv
ice in the city have led me to make a
study of the local situation to see if
In my Judgment the service could not
be improved and perhaps offer a sugges
tion to the local company in this line
which, on account of my experience,
might perhaps be taken kindly. '
in the Twin Cities we held the safety
of the public to be of the first import
ance and then came the maintenance of
cars on an equal headway. I jjresume
that the local company to its own in
terest would consider safety first but to
a casual observer It would seem that
maintaining time schedules was the last
thing considered and here Is where the
people who must depend on tne cars
tveing on time come In with their criti
cism, because there can never be efficient
service unless cars are run on an equal
headway. From experience I know a
time schedule cannot be put into prac
tical operation as long as cars as well as
everything are held up from 4 to 15
minutes on account of opening of the
bridges.
Take, for instance, a line operated on
a ten-minute schedule. If a car on that
line Is held up on the bridge say five
minutes, the congestion resulting from
opening the draw that length of ttm
would, during rush hours when team
traffic Is heavy, delay it another five
minutes, which would give it an overload
causing It to lose another ten minutes
before reaching the end of the
line, so In place of a ten-minut
service we would have 30 minutes head
way with people jamming and crowding
the first car while the others would be
comparatively empty. The only way to
get a ten-minute service again would
be to ' turn back before reaching the
terminal of the line.
Now that same car may be held at
some other time of the day when traffic
Is not so heavy and only lose whatever
time it would take to onen and close
the draw and still be able to take care
of the extra passengers occasioned by
such delav.
It has also been my experience that
whenever cars are behind time th
danger ' of accidents is much greater.
Therefore it is only reasonable to believe
that the company should, in order to
avoid accidents and criticism by the
public on account of late and bunched
cars, make every effort to maintain tha
time schedule.
I have also heard the people criticise
the comDanv for turning cars before
reaching terminals. However undesir
able to have to change from one car
to another it is the only way to get
back to an equal headway. Now I do not
know this to be a fact but have hoen in
formed by residents of Portland tna
there are the same number of bridges
crossing the Willamette at the present
time that there was ten years ago and
I see by the recent census figures that
the city has increased in population
durJne- tha same rjeriod over 100 per cent
It is very evident that either you had
too much transportation facilities in the
wav of bridees ten years ago, wnicn
hardlv Drobable Judging by my experi
ence with municipal affairs, or you have
no adequate facilities to-handle twice the
number of Deonle now tnat you am men,
It is hardly fair to compare operating
conditions here to tnosa existing in
Minneapolis, as the streets are narrow
here, which makes rapid transit exceed
ingly dangerous. Thery the blocks are
nni i feet long, as against from 400 to
500 In Minneapolis, necessitating frequent
tr.na with correspondingly slower sched
ules. But a few mmuies more running
fimo wnnM hardly be noticeable if the
headwav could be maintained particular-
iir Hnrinr tho two hours in the morning
and evening wnen over iwo-mirao ui mo
rici traffic la handled.
it m tn me that some compromise
r.iA ho arranged between tne city ana
ih. nuviir.itlon companies wnereDy ino
bridges could be closed say between 6:30
and 8:30 A. M. ana 4:30 ana d.ju r. m-.
which would remove the greatest obstacle
the company has to contend with as It
would also remove the best excuse the
company has to offer for not maintaining
a riAfter service.
Tn conclusion let me state tnai a am
nt nnw connected- with this or any
other street railway company but have
entered Into business for myseir.
CARL O. DUAJULiaiv,
24 East Seventh street
Hotter of Washington Officers.
WHITfi SALMON. Wash., Jan. 14. (To
the Editor.) Will you please publish in
The Oregonian a roster of tne state on
cers of the State of Washington, also the
Senators and .Representatives In Congress
from Washington. A large number of
iirhth er&da DUDlls are to take the ex
amination January 19 and 20 and that
question is frequently asked. Tour com
pliance win te greauy upprecmieu.
A. X vv UUlrf L
The state and Congressional officers in
Washington, not Including department
heads or commissioners appointed by the
Governor follow: Governor, M. B. Hay;
Lieutenant-Governor, vacant: Secretary
of State, L M. Howell; Treasurer, John
Lewis; Land Commissioner, to. w,
Ttnaa: School Superlntenaent. n. r.
Dewey Auditor, C. W. Clausen; Attorney
General, W. P. Bell Insurance Commis
sioner, J. H. Schively; Justices of Su-
r,rmo fnnrt. R. O. Dunbar. H. ttuoKin,
m a ifiillorton. S. J. Chadwlck, Wallace
Mount, H. D. Crow, M. F. nose. . -u.
Morris, E N. Parker; United States Sena
w Jones. S. H. Piles (Senator-
elect to succeed Piles Miles Poindexter):
Representatives in congress, vim xj.
Humphrey, W. W. McCredie, Miles Poin
dexter (Congressmen-elect to succeed
McCredie and Poindexter Stanton War
burton, William La Follette).
Building; Reatrlctlons.
PORTLAND, Jan. 12. (To the Editor.)
Please Inform me through The Oregonian
if there is a limit to the height of the
buildings to be erected In Portland, and
if so, how many stories may there be
in one building? If this be true. Is there
any way in which a person or persons
can erect a structure of more than 20
floors? A SUBSCRIBER.
The recently-adopted building ordi
nance restricts the height of business
blocks to 160 feet and 12 stories.
Parcels Post In Europel
. PORTLAND, Jan. 14. (To the Edi
tor.) Regarding parcels post, for
which a great part of opposition has
come from dealers, I wish to say that
In Europe small and large dealers are
those who use most the parcels post
system. Practically the people order
whatever parcels they want through
their dealers, as it saves them time and
trouble. They do not pay any more
than If they ordered directly and the
dealers make their commission.
I E. N.
OREGON WOOL AXD OREGON APPLE
State Haa Equal Opportunity to Be'
Famous for Ita Textiles.
PORTLAND, Jan. 14. (To the Edi
tor.) Nothing has ever taken me back
to old England in the last 22 years as
did the sheep show. While walking
around among the beautiful sheep, it
seemed to me I was in the cattle mar-,
ket of one of the country towns of
England pn a market day. Especially
so when I got to the Cotswolds I was
right at home, as the Cotswold Hills
(the home of the Cotswold sheep) aro
only 16 miles from the old city of
Gloucester, my birthplace. I must
say, I have seen a lot of sheep In Eng
land but never saw a finer fcunch than
at the Oregon show.
I was much interested In the remarks
of the judge of the show, when he said
that Oregon's climatic conditions and
soil were so well adapted for sheip
and woolgrowing. I thought at the
time there Is also another reason for
this good sendoff to Oregon. Had Ore
gon only a bunch of poor, mongrel
sheep on show, being allowed to run
wild, without any pride or care, or
thought of them or the kind of wool
produced, the same Judge would most
likely have said, "You can see by the
wool of these sheep that Oregon is not
adapted to the growing of wools."
Nothing has advertised Oregon more
than her fruit, especially Hood River
apples. Now, it is not only the apples
that made Hood River famous; it is
the honest way of packing them. When
one sees the brand he has confidence
that the apples are all right, and that
the old gag of a stovepipe down the
center filled with small, scrubby, wormy
apples has not been worked on hini.
This gives the purchaser confidence,
and confidence creates demand, and as
supply and demand regulate the price
of an article this Is one of the big rea
sons why the East and Europe give tho
big price they do for Hood River applet.
The whole world gives our climatic con
ditions the credit they deserve as cre
ating one of the best fruitgrowing sec
tions in the world.
Now. wouldn't It be nice If we could
hear these same remarks said of our
textiles? Experts admit that our wools
are good. Mr. Francis, the Philadel
phia expert, a year or so ago admitted
that our olimatlc conditions, as well
as the soft water from our beautiful
mountain streams, were not to be ex
celled at least In the United States.
When we get to making woolens or
worsteds, then will Oregon become
known as the best place in the United
States for the manufacture of textiles,
and then will be the time that Oregon
will be able to get from 25 to SO cents
more per yard for goods of the samn
quality as that made in less favored
sections of the country.
Western Oregon conditions are equal
to the best in the world for manufac
turing first-class goods, and as our
fine conditions will only show them
selves on good grades, as it does on
good fruit, the quicker we get a pride
about us and produce such goods, the
quicker will we be able to keep a great
deal of money at home that now goes
to Europe for cloths to ba worn in
Oregon.-'
How nice it would be to have a man
come up to you and say. "Jim, I like
that suit you are wearing. Is that
English, Irish or Scotch?" and then to
be able to say to him in answer, "The
goods In this suit was made right here
in Oregon; from wool grown in Ore
gon." The people are all ready to buy
these goods and ready to pay the price
for thorn, and what is the reason that
our wools, climate and water cannot
have a fair chance to show the world
what we can do in the production of
woolen fabrics as well as growing fine
apples? I am, -yours respectfully,
CHARLES COOPET.
THE DINER ISf THE CAFETERIA.
Annoyed One Complains of Wordy
Menu Aaaaulta by Servers,
PORTLAND, Jan. 13. (To the Editor.)
"A Server," as she (or he) states In The
Oregonian of January 13, seems to have
troubles, and also seems to think there
is but one side to this question. Lika
many other questions, it occurs to mo
that it has two.
I have seen many a man pass through
the "chutes" at a cafeteria without ut
tering an unnecessary syllable, and many
another who would have done so had
he had half a chance. But one seldom
has a chance to get through so easily.
By the time-he has gathered up the vari
ous utensils with which he purposes to
make an onslaught upon sundry viands.
the first server behind the counter, the
one with a white suit, a tall white cap,
an Immense butcher knife with which
he makes rapid and bloodcurdling rasp
ings on a long steel, and a ferocious for
eign look upon his face, asks with a
long-drawn wail:
. "Roast beef-mutton-pork-liver and ba-
con-tongue-corned beef and cabbage-sau
sage; home-made sausage, sir; with home
made gravy?"
Perhaps you had an idea when you en
tered the place of what you wanted, or
perhaps you might have gotten an Idea
when you saw the smoking meats: if you
did you will have to keep cool under
this fire or you will no longer be able
to hang onto an idea, and if you are an
ordinary man you will be startled into
selecting something so rapidly that you
will almost Invariably select something
you don't want.
On you go: Mashed potato-cornbread-
hot rolls-soup?" lisps the demure damsel
presiding over these foods. Now if you
were left (to yourself you would have
no trouble in at once selecting and say
ing exactly what you want: but the
tone of voice and manner of this poor
abused creature causes you to glance
around nervously to see If the line is
bearing down upon you so rapidly it can
not be stopped, and you gurgle out hur
riedly: "Gimme some hot rolls." You
wanted some of those mashed potatoes
with gravy, but were too confused and
frightened to know how to say so.
And so It goes on aown tne une 01
vegetables, pies, puddings and cakes.
You know what you want if you only
had time to think, but the names of
eleventeen kinds of food are continually
ringing in your ears and you can't think
any more than you could stop to read a
book on a battieneia.
I will venture to say that if the ordi
nary person were left to himself, given
chance to select and say wnat ne
wanted, the servers would not find him
very bad customer. It is barely pos-
ible they create some of their own
troubles. And then, we should all follow
the golden rule, you know.
Farmers Bulldine Fireproof Homes.
Indianapolis News.
The Mutual Insurance Companies'
Union of Indiana, an association made
up of organizations which protect tnou
sands of Indiana farm homes from fire
losses, met recently. "George V. Kell,
of Huntertown, president of tne as
sociation, made his annual address.
He said one good result that is com
ing out of the scarcity or tlmDer is
that the farmers are making steady ad
vances in the direction of fireproof
homes and barns. Safety from fire also
9 snreadlng in the rural districts since
electric and gas lighting have begun to
take the place of tallow candles and
il lamps.
Arizona and Vtw Mexico.
MINTO, Wash., Jan. 13. (To the Ed
itor.) Will you kindly Inform me as
to whether New Mexico and Arizona
have been admitted as states. If so,
when? A SUBSCRIBER.
New Mexico and Arizona are not yel
states. Congress has passed an acl
providing for their admission, but the
constitutions adopted by the prospec
tive states have not yet been approved