Morning Oregonian., February 15, 1911, Page 10, Image 10

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THE MOR.MXG OTIEGOXIAX. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1911.,
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-ItW. MH4T STVUTK CONDI CT.
fr. Ealley. of Tnu, Invites attent
ion to himself by hi conduct. As tha
bold defender of the unspeakable Lor.
lmer election and tha principal LK-mo-cratic
opponent of reciprocity with
Onarfa. he almost force tha public to
inoulre by what motives he Is gwr
err.e.1. Is ha a moral incapable? Is
be fcilnd to tha distinction between
right an I wrong? Or aro his great
legal and forensic abilities at the dis
posal of ar.body who can bestow tha
proper consideration? Mr. Bailey
cails himsif a Democrat, and reel
rroctty Is sound Democratic doctrine.
The President has tha tupport of the
great majority of tha Democrats In
Cor.grui for his agreement with Can
adv. But Mr. IlaJley mandi out. Ila
wants tha tariff reduced, but no hu
man Ingenuity has yet been able to de
vise a way of reducing- it that receives
Us approval. Theoretically ha Is for
the abatement of tariff taxes. Fract
tally tha extortions of tha tariff havo
IX more conscienceless defender. Mr.
Jfailey abounds In Democratic words.
Of Democratic dods he Is as barren
as the Dead Sea Is of codfish.
Bailey's defensa of tha Lo rimer elec
tion la altogether technlcaL He ties
himself to abstract Ingenuities of logic.
Not one word does ha say about tha
l.n.'amy of tha transaction. Not a syl
lable escapca his Up to show that he
ni anything wrong in bribery and
political debauchery. Indeed, we do
not believe that ha does. To all uch
thing h Is blind. I! Is this moral
Impotence combined with his great In.
teliectaal powers that makes Mr.
Bailey tha danjrerous character he Is.
Ha stands In our public Ufa as the
most complete example of an evil In
t Uicence. It would almost appear
that every wicked deed and wrongful
tendency he commends: nothing good
eajoya his favor. If the olj Biblical
Mi.in. the i-vil One. ever took the
bodily form of a politician we might
reasonably believe that be was now
entnrtned Jn the fleshly tabernacle
which goes by the name of Bailey.
Bat Mr. Bailey embodies a tragedy
as well aa a danger to the public
hen his career began It was full o
promise. Ills friends foresaw In him
the beneficent power of a patriotic
statesman. But all that la past. Mr.
Bai!y has betrayed the promise of his
younger manhood. fie has sold
nob: fame for a mess of pottage. For
such rewards as his employers ran
give he has forfeited the trust of his
countrymen and Inscribed his name
a the roll of eternal Infamy.
fiscal year. Japan has a surplus of
almost 110.000.000.
It Is remarked by Mr. Don C. Belts,
who has a striking article on this sub
ject In the Worlds Work for Febru
ary, that our National Postofflce Is
the largest and most Independent cor
poration In the country. It has no
anti-trust laws to struggle with and
no popular hatred to endure. In fact,
the Fostorr.ee with all Its faults Is the
most popular Institution In the United
.''late. It ought to show profits
larger than the Steel Trust or Stand
ard OH. and It would do so were It
managed with anything like the effi
ciency which la applied to other cor
porate business. But efficiency and I
extension of the business are the last
things our postal officials ever seem
to think of. It la a general rule of tha
business world to Increase Income by
enlarging trade. Mr. clt cuttingly
observes thst no suggestion looking
toward an enlargement of Its business
has emanated from the Postal De
partment for the lust ten years.
There the accepted method of seek-
Ing a profit Is to cut down busln
and curtail service. Mr. Hitchcock
follow the same method In trying to
reduce his deficit which obtained for
merly In the office of a streetcar com
pany in a certain Oregon town. Its
equipment consisted of one car and a
mule. The car ran once every half
hour and there was a deficit. To can
cel tha deficit the car was made to run
one every hour; then, when that ex
perlment failed, once every two hours,
and so on until finally It did not run
at alL This Is what we might expect
to happen In the Postal Department
If the principle now governing It
were consistently appUed and carried
out logically.
The true svay to cure tha deficit Is
to enlarge the service, keep proper ac
counts and stop wasto. Proposals to
diminish the usefulness of the depart
ment are fundamentally wrong from
the point of view both of business and
of public duty. The Postofflce is ex-
rected by the public to act as a great
distributor of educational matter. No
failure to perform this service will be
tolerated In the long run. The project
of penalizing the advertisements In thi
magaxlnea Is really taxing public Intel
llgcnce. besides being a wrong to I
great Industry. The publishers have
Invested their money In the magaxlnea
In the belief that the postal facilities
would remain undiminished. The sub
scrtptlon prices which they charge do
not meet the cost of publication. All
the profit ther obtain comes from ad
vertisements. Confiscate this profit and
they must go out of business. It is by
means of this confiscation that Mr
Hitchcock wishes to cure the deficit
In his department. In our opinion he
has chosen an unfortunate method of
there were fS.SOO.000 worth of corn.
$1,000,000 worth of wheat, nearly
$500,000 worth of cattle, nearly 13,
500.000 worth of pork and beef prod
ucts, and about $(.000,000 worth of
fruit and nuts. There Is no more rea
son why the farmers of the United
States should be protected from the
Canadian farmers than there Is for the
protection of the Oregon farmers
against the competition of the Wash
ington farmers.
the credit of thousands to whom for
tune presented much more favorable
opportunities.
CITTIXO TtH.fcTHEK.
The Commoner, speaking for Will
iam J. Bryan, offers glowing commen
dation to Governor Wood row Wilson
for his successful efforts to defeat the
'Interests" and elect James E. Martlne
United States Senator from New Jer
sey. The anti-Bryan Democratic
press Is delighted. "For the first time
since 1894." suys one, "there seems to
be a chance that the Democratic party
may bo ablo to .gut together on Na
tional policies." -
No doubt. If the National policies
shall happen to be the old-time Bryan
policies. If the Commoner has ex
presssed Its satisfaction with the elec
tlon, through the instrumentality of
Governor Harmon and a compliant
Legislature, of Senator Pomerene in
Ohio, It h'as escaped our observation;
nor has-thitre been any outpouring of
prldeful praise over the success In In
diana of Senator-elect Kern, the run
ning mate with whom Mr. Bryan was
hobbled in 10S. Tet the Pomerene
victory was in effect a popular choice
of the militant and untrammelod De
mocracy, since he had submitted his
candidacy to the people for their ap
proval; and Mr. Kern was tho nomi
nee of the Democratic State Conven
tion a method expressly sanctioned
by Mr. Bryan.
Mr. Bryan Is sometimes able to rise
to the lofty height of approving some
other leading DemocrAt than himself.
If that Democrat perchance approves
of Bryan or the Bryan way. Governor
Wilson defeated Bryan's enemies In
New Jersey; Bryan greatly rejoices
thereat. In the National convention
of 1913 we shall see the Democratic
party getlng together progressives,
reactionaries, 16-to-ls and goldbugs--when
the Bryan tiger again swallows
the tattered old Democratic lady.
attaining a desirable result.
crrrnvti rid or tub rtMrriL riniT
Moat men who have looked candidly
Into the affairs ef our postal service
conce.il that It Is no cre!!t to the
country. The rates are high and the
results are unsatisfactory. The speed
of collecting and delivering mall In our
large cltte cannot compare with the
service ta.t Kngland gives. Mistakes
are said to be annoytngly common
Bo far la the Postoffloe from meeting
th proper demands of business that
the New Tork newspapers find It
cheaper and safer to do for themselves
a great dal of work which th Post
office I paid to do, such as routing,
fcacgtng and delivering their publi
cations. Thla they do. not from mo
tives cf patriotic charity, but becau
they cannot trust th Postofflce. Then
there Is aa endless stream of com'
plaints that subscribers do not receive
their papers. Of course, when a paper
is properly mailed and the postage Is
paid It is the duty of the Postofflce to
see that the subscriber receives his
ropy. But this duty Is badly performed
unless the reports are misleading.
Worst of all U th everlasting poatai
!efU-tt
Mr. Hitchcock has mad an honest
effort both to Improve the postal serv
ice and get rli of th deficit. He has
partly succeeded and for what he has
accomplished he ought to receive
credit. HI struggle with the deficit
Is especially commendable, sine that
Is no doubt th crowning dlsgrac of
the department. But when Mr. Hitch
cock has received the prals which Is
Ills due for conscientious work, one
Is obliged to add that his Judgment I
not always e,uai to his seal. -The
p.tty exactions to which th railway
mail clerks have been subjected under
111 management cannot tend to make
th servic roor efficient. Th United
State la wealthy and generous enough
to pay Uvlrg wages for the work
which It obtain from Its employe.
Ther 1 oo public demand for requir
ing th mail clerks to work overtime
without pay or for refusing thero a
decent allowance for meal and bds
when they ar absent from horn on
th publio servic. It Is not by devices
of this kto4 that tha Postofflc may
b expected to reach a proper stand
ard of efficiency and economy. The
few dollars saved by pinching th rail
way mail dark will not b spclally
weicom. ww ear say, to ta con
elece ef the country. Peopl of cor
rect ethical judgment would prefer to
mmm expenses cut down la soma other
way.
For utmpk tt I th practlo to
charge op the Postoffic with th bill
of mail-carrytng for all th other de
partment. Thla I manifestly a
wT.tched y wrong procedure from the
point ef view of the business man. If
each department had to account for
Its own transportation. It Is said that
tM postal deficit would disappear. In
other words. It I merely a matter of
f ilso bookkeerlrg. So far as we have
learned. Mr. Hitchcock ha not Insist
ed particularly apoa this reform. If
lie coul l see hi way to d" so h might
ar himself many a night' worry
sn1 at least shcw that he under
s'aais something of tn real problems
of his offlc. Th Canadian Postof
re which charge much less for sec-
onft-elsss mall than curs doe, exhibits
urlu f .ilJvlOJ tor th
JTIX-KSl AXll LiTKlATTCr.
No need of more circuit Judge for
Multnomah County, Indeed; but a vast.
Impressive and Imposing need of less
litigation and less litigious practices
by litigious lawyers, hired by litigious
client.
Why are the courts choked with un
finished and Interminable business?
Because the lawyers purposely Imped
th apeedy and effective administra
tion of Justice, and th Judges allow
them to do It. Th endless Dunlway
war on the Broadway bridge Is only
an aggravated and offensive Instance
of a practice any lawyer, or at least
many lawyers, will pursue, or would
pursue. If they had th backbone and
pecuniary backing.
Th methods of the courts, applied
to the arbitration and settlements of
dispute and controversies of dally
business, would paralyse all Industry
and bring th world to a standstill.
Th Judre are too willing to accept
pretext for delay. Any old excuse Is
good enough, ordinarily. Th lawyer's
stenographer sore fingers prevented
hi getting a document ready In time.
or the Judge had an Important engage
ment at the baseball park anything
will do to delay, procrastinate, put off.
defer, retard, postpone. Or the lawyer
or Judge finds It Imperatively neces
sary to Instruct other embryo lawyers
or Judges) in a private U school,
which affords a I leosant and profit
able avocation for the lawyer or Judge,
and makes It necessary to have only
one or two more Judges to look after
the public business.
We have Judg enough in Multno
mah County or we would have. If our
Judge tolled as men In every other
vocation are obllced to labor.
TR THE ELKS' CONTE'TIOX.
Portland, through th local lodge
of Klks has Invited the National body
to meet here In July. 112. In order
to secure this much-to-be-deslrpd con
vention. $i:5.000 is to be raised and
pledged. A considerable part of the
total has been appropriated by Oregon
lodges. Including Portland. The bal
ance is expected to come from public-
spirited citizens.
Canvass begins this morning. There
Is nothing for Portland to do but reach
Into her pocket for the money. Fail
ure to subscribe th requisite sum Is
unthinkable. Immediate benefits of
the convention, to say nothing of the
wide publicity for the future, are well
known. It psys to have the National
Convention of Elks, a overy city so
privileged can testify.
Even-body must holp. Therefor
don't keep the committees waiting.
With them it is a work of love, not
profit. Make up your mind how much
you can afford to contribute and sub
scribe it promptly. Whatever the sum.
It will come back In good time with
compound Interest.
Exceeding length of years Is neither
profitable nor desirable. As a freak of
nature the individual who passes his
or her one hundredth birthday is noted
but not otherwise. The man or woman
who thus lags superfluous on the
stage may bo and should be an object
of tender care and gentle reverence by
the younger generation, but to rejoice
In such, -extreme longevity and herald
it as a .blessing is at once irreverant
and foolish. Why Indeed should any
tired worker lay in the field after all
the grain has been garnered? Why,
except that the messenger has neg
lected to call for him and take him
home? It Is because of this suggestion,
the mainspring of which is tenderness,
mat tne picture of an aged face, worn
Into hollows by tho "incessant tramp
of years, excites pity in the beholder
and regret that It should have been left
as a stamp upon a life service, long-
drawn out and tardily finished, the
value of which it does not In any sense
convey.
WIVES FOR WASHINGTON FARMERS
Common sense Is still to the fore in
the matter of delaying traffic across
the bridge during the rush hours of
the day by river craft. County Judge
Cleeton hns doclded in the face of ar
bitrary Federal ruling that the clos
Ing of the bridge draws for a period
when working people are hurrying to
and from their work Is of more 1m
portance than that a few river boats
should have and maintain the tradi
tional right of way at any and all
times, v The strenuous opposition to
this ruling comes in the main from
masters of minor river-craft which
carry small crews, who live and work
on the boats "and to whom the slight
delay occasioned by closed draws dur.
Ing the rush period morning and oven.
Ing Is inconsequential. It shows how
exceedingly loath any class Is to yield
one iota of special privilege, even
though the greatest good to the great
est number Imperatively demands
such concessions.
rHillTlXO WIXDMUJA
It is not at all surprising that the
National Grange should strike back at
Secretary Wilson, who fulled to get
his ear to the ground soon enough to
enable him to pave the way for his
new reciprocity arguments. It I due
to the false teachings of Secretary
Wlleun and others of his class that
there exists In the agricultural regions
In the United States an erroneous be
lief that the Canadian farms are a
mecac to th agricultural Interests
of this country- But th argument
of th Grangers In their reply to Sec
retary Wilson's belated approval of
reciprocity with Canada are fully as
Illogical as those with which the Hon
orable "Tama Jim" year aner year
padded out his annual report.
'You know," says Mr. uacneidor.
master of the National Grange, In his
reply to Secretary Wilson, "the price
of farm land la much lower In Canada
than In th United State. Toa know
that the Canadian farmer buys his
manufactured article cheaper because
his dutla on foreign goods ar lower.
And yet. knowing all this, you would
stiik down the very moderate tariff,
averaging about Xi per cent, which
they now receive, without giving them
the benefit of any real reduction In
dutle on manufactured goods." The
price of farm land In Canada has ab
solutely nothing to do with th case.
There will com Into th Portland
market next weeJc about 1009 ton of
wheat which was produced In Central
Oregon on land that wa bought a few
year ago at $J to $10 per acr and
that oaa b bought today for :
to $J per acr. It will sell in the
Portland market for exactly the same
price, grade considered, as wheat that
was grown on th 1 100-per-acr lands
In th Walla Walla country.
Th price of Canada's grain. Ilk
that of th United btatea. la fixed by
th demand In foreign markets wher
th surplus from both countries must
t marketed. Remov vry restric
tion from th entrance of Canadian
product Into th United State, and
aa overwhelming proportion of th
grain, bsvrf. bacon, fruit and other
product would still find it market
In Europe. Certala districts in Can
ada may "oversell" and be obliged to
buy agricultural products In the
United State, and th same may be
tru In thl country. W find, for
example, that among th $140. 000.000
worth of Imports which Canada pur
chased! from th. country last year ,
ixx-oro-orr um fob farmixo.
The plnn to add thousands of acres
to the agricultural area of Southwest
ern Washington py reaeeming tn
bumed-off and logge.d-off lands of that
section Is one that Is not only feasible
but promising. Settlers coming thither
from the Middle West In sufficient
numbers to establish communities that
would do away with the element of iso
lation, which Is'aa pronounced In these
logged-off districts as In the vast tree
less regions of the table lands, could In
th course of a decade turn thousands
of these now desolated regions into
fertile fields, smiling pastures and
fruitful orchards, with homes, school
houses and churches dotting the re
deemed landscape.
The soli of the lands thus designated
la rich with the stored forest loam of
the ages, to which has been added the
ash and cinders of great forest nres.
The clearing in some districts will be
heavy. In others relatively light. But
with modern appliances dinplaclng the
hand-swung mattock, and with Are, the
settler's surest and best friend when
under control, the task of subduing
the erstwhile forest lands to agrlcul
ture will not bo so great but that it
will yield to persistent. Intelligent pur
pose. These lands lie outside of the
district wherein Irrigation Is a neces
sary factor to the production of grain
fruit and forage crops. The climate Is
that of the Middle Pacific Coast; that
la to say. It Is without the extremes
of either heat or cold and the abun
dance of moisture.
It Is, above all. healthful and the
soil once reclaimed la fertile, yielding
large and ready returns to Intelligent
farming Intensive or general. Tha
market and facilities for reaching It
are constantly widening and improv
ing. The effort that Is being organized to
get people on these lands should meet
with s'jeces. The case is one wherein
numbers will count. The lone settler
on a wide area, whether sentineled by
blackened stumps or by gray-green
sagebrush, presents a dreary spectacle,
while a succession of houses, however
unpretentious, from the chimneys ,of
which a blue line of smoke denoting
human habitation and cheer rises, pro
claims at once a nelghborlinesa of
spirit and contact that mocks at isola
tion. It may well be hoped that the
effort to people and redeem these
logged-off. bumed-off forest lands to
agriculture will meet with an encour
aging beginning that will lead to ulti
mate large success. '
Twelve years In the penitentiary was
tho sentence given a hold-up man by
Judge Kavanaugh yesterday. This
should have some effect in checking
the present epidemic of crime in this
city. There are, of course, a few of
these skulking thieves who will con
tinue their work until a tfctlm who is
prepared for them removes the life
from their worthless carcasses, but
with many the prospects of a long
term in the penitentiary are sufficiently
unpleasant to cause them either to
abandon that kind of crime or at least
to be less active In the pursuit of vic
tims. The hold-up man, being always
prepared to commit murder If It be
comes at all necessary in . the fulfill
ment of his plans, and always having
his victim at a disadvantage. Is the
most dangerous as well as the most
cowardly of all pests that Infest civ
ilized communities.
Captain Thomas Latham, who per
ished In the wreck of the gasoline
schooner Oshkoeh In Monday gale,
was a plain, unassuming, seafaring
man. In .early llf he had sailed on
tha seven sea, and for th past thirty
years he had repeatedly faced death
on nearly all th bar harbors between
California and Alaska. Viewed from
his own standpoint. Captain Latham
led a prosaic life, and In doing his duty
a he found k could not realize that he
was either brave or heroic. And
yet h was both. Less than a year ago
with th same craft that carried him
to hi death. In th face of a raging
gale, he crossed out of Tillamook at
midnight and at the risk of his life
rescued nearly all of th passengers
and crew of th sinking steamer Argo. 1
This is only one of many similar heroic I
deeds that the recording angel has to
th credit of plain Captain "Tom"
Latham, and In his humble walk of life
th dead mariner accomplished more
real good than will ever be placed to
The State Printer is to go on a flat
salary perhaps after the term of
the present Incumbent expires. A
great gain for bunco reform and bo
gus economy Indeed. The State Printer
Is said to make $20,000 to $30,000 a
year out of the office, which Is too
much. Why doesn't the state adopt -a
sensible and practicable policy toward
Its printing office and cut down the
volume of printing and adojU a fair
scale of payment? If the state can
get Its printing done at commercial
rates. It will do well enough. But
now it purposes to buy a printing plant
and do the work Itself. The printing
then, of course, will cost nothing. The
waste and graft of the present method
III be trifling compared with what we
shall see hereafter.
The proposition appears Indisput
able that the women of the slums
must lodge somewhere. When driven
out of their customary haunts they
naturally run to cover somewhere
el. to. What is accomplished by hound
ing them from pillar to post? One
thing at least. The corruption which
was fairly well delimited Is scattered
broadcast through the city, but one's
vision needs a peculiar squint to per
ceive any moral gain In the result.
Matrimony and Logged-Off Lands to
Interest Yeacoover, Waib, Taday.
ORCHARDS. Wash., Feb. 14. (To
the Editor.) The Southwestern De
velopment League of Washington
meets in Vancouver, Wash., Feb. -15-17.
There will be a thorough discussion of
back to . the farm, also of the best
methods to clear up and occupy the
logged-off lands in this part of the
state. Every means possible and every
proposition that will aid In this work
will be gone over, as there is a united
sentiment to solve this very Import
ant subject at as early date as possible.
At the time of reorganization of the
present Commercial Club of Vancouver,
Wash., the women organized a matri
monial bureau to assist In aiding the
development of home building in Clark
County. The club did excellent " work
for a short time, but recently it seems
to have ceased to bo an active factor
for the development of this section. As
we believe that the southwest part of
Washington has a desire to make use of
every means possible to aid home-building,
why not Invite the women dele
gates and visitors to reorganize this mat
rimonial association and take up the
subject while the male delegates are
wrestling with the "stump" proposition?
This a work that the women ar
certainly familiar with and they know
best how to further a scheme to trans
port the large surplus of marriageable
women In the Eastern states to assist
the home-building proposition, or the new
homes to be opened on these logged-off
lands Doth In Washington and Oregon
vvnat is a Deneilt to one will be an aid
to the other, and the subject certainly
Is worthy of consideration.
The young men in the Eastern and
Middle States have been coming West
for years and they are found in every
line of business In the West. Some of
the states In the Middle West have even
fallen off in population in the last 10
years. Persons who visit those states
will find that the young men have left
the old home to come West and not the
young women. The latter are still there.
not from choice but for the lack of proper
mates. These mates are here. The prob
lem Is to get these together, and If the
women of Washington and Oregon take
hold of the matter, they will soon remedy
the situation. Tha cities do not feel the
scarcity of female help that the country
does, and here Is an opportunity to do a
great good and help the farm proposl
tlon. Something must be done to remedi
the disparity in the numbers of Western
bachelors and Eastern spinsters. , Ask
the women to take up this matter and
remedy tne evil. J. A. kjsaton.
RAILWAYS IX PLACE OF ROADS.
Oregon farmers ought to be grateful
to Mr. Chamberlain for saving the
duty on hops, but not extravagantly
grateful. Since hops are raised prin
cipally for export and the market Is
controlled In London, the duty has no
effect on the price. It Is one of the
shiulng baubles with which the far
mers are pacified while others slip
away with the fat prizes of protection.
No wonder Judge Lovett has optim
istic views concerning the future of the
Harrlman lines. From Portland to
Los Angeles every mile of territory Is
furnishing more traffic, and all the peo
ple are working hard still further to
Increase It. Traffic counts.
Brazee street, too, succeeds in mak
ing effective Its protest against the
Mount Hood Jtallway. Evidently the
promoters of the road made a mistake
In not projecting an aeroplana line.
If the predictions made at the Lin
coin banquet are true that Japanese
Invasion of America would be easy of
accomplishment then Uncle Sam
should cease cutting down the bars.
Last year our Imports from Canada
amounted to $103,000,000, while our
exports to that country were $241,
000.000. What may not reciprocity
do to swell both totals?
BAD USE OF INITIATIVE SHOWN
Rogue lUver Fish Law Agitation Is
Noted In Eastern States.
ASHLAND, Or., Fib. ll-(To the Edi
tor.) The action of the Oregon House
of Representatives, In parsing the bill
repealing the anarchistic Rogue River
fish law, is commendable and of state
wide benefit. Had such a law been writ
ten on the statute books of any other
tate. It would have attracted world
wide criticism.
This unjust blow to long-established
legitimate business Is already being In
vestigated by agents of financial con
cerns and writers from other states, to
get a better knowledge of just to what
extent the Initiative will be used In
Oregon by one community or one com
bination of men against another com
munity, or against any business that an
individual or a enmpany may build up
nder established laws and customs.
This law becomes the more notorious.
anarchistic and unjust when it is known
Jtist what sort of people fostered it.
When a state will permit Its employment-making
Industries that contribute
to Its commerce and the duvelopment of
one of Its most Isolated counties to be
Confiscated by a bunch of sportsmen
without siny moral, legitimate or real
sentimental reason. It is due time that
It ought to reap the fruits of such In
justice through wide publicity In states
that it looks to for capital. Investors
and homesoekers.
Oregon already feels the effects of the
uncertainty of Its system of taxation,
and our Legislature has done a wse
thing in taking what steps it can to cor
rect this odious situation that the pr-ople
were deceived in creating.'and the same
Is true as regards this Rogue River tlsh
law. Medford, the ' community that
stands the strongest for the annihila
tion of commercial fishing on Kosue
River and financial loss to adjoining
counties, Is at this time In need of
much assistance in various lines from
other communities, and has enough to
do to attend to the building up of Its
own business without tearing down the
established business of other communi
ties on false pretenses, as can be seen
by thorough investigation of the ques
tion. W. J. BIRKMAH.
Writer Sugg-eats Substitute for Horse
and Auto Traffic.
VANCOUVER BARRACKS, Wash.,
Feb. 13. (To the Editor.) The trans
portation problem threatens to become
very vexing. It does not mean "good
roads" alone or macadam roads or
automobiles. The question Is, rather,
how to solve the problem of moving
goods and persons in the most econom
ical way to the greatest number of
places In the least space of time and
under all, even the most trying me
teorological conditions.
Suppose, now, you present the prob
lem thus stated to an engineer for so
lution, how would he go about It? He
would not only consult the experience
of the past, but looking Into the future
would try new combinations of known
factors towards a solution that would
be practicable for many years to come.
Is It wise to build expensive macadam
roads and hand them over to the dan
gerous traffic of automobiles and
horses? Do these roads prove satisfac
tory during the rainy season? Con
sidering first cost and repairs they are
a poor investment and an expensive
luxury. The difficulty in getting ap
propriations arises from the fact that
the benefit to be derived looks small
compared with the size of the expendi
ture. There will be no such difficulty
when a w-ise, farseelng policy works
at the transportation problem.
Here Is my suggestion for a solution:
Assuming that all transportation meth
ods tend to eliminate animal traction
and to substitute mechanical power,
and the vehicle mechanism is devel
oped to a final standard or nearly so,
it Is necessary to standardize both
vehicle and road. The most econom
ical road is a railroad track. It is
easier to build and easier to keep up
than any other road, dirt or macadam.
It la reliable under very difficult con
ditions of w-eather and it has the great
est possibility for an extensive traffic
and better living conditions In city and
country. Steam railroads use a stand
ardized track to every part of this con
tinent. Unfortunately, in years gone
by. It was made so narrow, as to cramp
the development of the rolling stock
to more economical dimensions. For
the primary transportation in the city
and in the country, for hauling produce
to town and bringing back supplies It
would be well to adopt the urban
streetcar track as a standard.
This change would restrict or do
away entirely with the road-destroy
ing rubber-tired automobile, and an
imal traction could not compete for ef
ficiency with such twentieth century
methods. Better keep the horse only
for farm work and perhaps substitute
the humble but efficient ox In tilling
the soil and also to the benefit of the
meat supply. Before sinking a lot of
money In futile attempts to build ex
pensive and inefficient roads let the
rails unite city and country and neigh
borhood, so the farmer can easily go
with a heavy load to town by day or
night and especially when the weather
Interferes wtlh work out doors. I look
forward to a railroad system owned
by the community uniting every farm
ing establishment with the town anu
every business place in it. The main
arteries are double tracked to handle
a phenomenal traffic of farm produce
and to pulsate new life through dor
mant or lifeless farming communities.
A less expensive machine than the
automobile would be available for every
farmer. Day and night, rain or shine
he would be able to steer his converti
ble utility or luxurious family sleeping
car for town or to his neighbor's over
a smooth and safe road. The immense
waste of fertile land through unneces
sarily wide and very inefficient coun
try roads would stop. Also the incon
venience of mired suburban and urban
treets. The tracks could be relocated
with ease and land returned to eco
nomic use, when necessity or conven
ience detected a more serviceable route.
The forest wealth of this state would be
marketable.
The secret of the transportation
problem's solution is standardization
of road and vehicle.
FRANZ J. FEINLER.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonian, Fob. 13, IStll.
Oregon farmers did well lust year.
With the single exception of wheat, their
productions have paid well, considering
the times. They have driven foreign
butter and cheese from the market. We
have now those articles aa good as wo
desire. Foreign pork and hams will soou
be seen here "no more, forever." Our
apples In dried fruit. In cider, in vinegar
will be likely always to pay, and espe
cially Oregon can always command the
market of the Pacitic Coast for her late
keeping apples. Everything Invites our
farmers to go ahead in their calling.
Olympla, Feb. 10. No news In rmrrket.
The even current of the times has only
been disturbed by two dog lights, the ar
rest of one 'Tiuramer 1 for making too
free with whisky, and a false alann of
fire.
ralles. Feb. m The character of the
late Indian outbreak Is now getting to
be better understood than It was when
the news first reached here. It is gen
erally believed that the robberies were
committed by a small band 0 marauders
who live somewhere in the Yakima coun
try. They acknowledged no chief, and
when asked where is their illahee reply,
"everywhere." They crossed the Colum
bia with their stolen stock, and when
the stage came down from Walla Walla
yesterday eight armed Indians were seen
driving 30 or 40 head of horses towards
the river. This was on Willow Creek.
Two "companies of dragoons from Walla
Walla have arrived at the scene of
hostilities.
We have a few items of Eastern news
said to be two days later than that be
fore received. It is said Governor Pickens
will give up the forts in Charleston Har
bor if Major Anderson will go hack to
Fort Moultrie. He has also forbidden
the Government to send supplies to Fort
Sumpter. Judge Smalley of the United
States Circuit Court in New- York has
declared South Carolina guilty of high
treason. A Washington dispatch says
that an expedition is fitting out there to
seize the California steamers. The con
vention of Alabama has passed an ordi
nance for secession. The collector of
Mobile has refused to honor the drafts
of Government. Virginia and Tennessee
have agreed to call conventions.
The Anniversary Number
X Peer on Pacific Const.
Weeton Leader.
Familiarity with The Oregonian, per
haps, impels its readers to regard it as
superior to other leading papers In townn
of Portland's class. Perhaps It Is su
perior. It looks to be. In news getting
and news classification, editorial
strength, and in mechanical excellence.
The Oregonian does not suffer, even,
by comparison with the great dallies of
New Y'ork and Chicago. On tho Pacific
Coast it lias no peer.
Always Read With Joy.
Baker Democrat.
The Portland Oregonian deserves the
heartiest congratulations on the com
pletion, last Saturday, of the 5oth anni
versary of its birth as a dally. . . .
No matter how much one might honestly
differ from tho policy, position or views
of The Oregonian, he always reads it
"with the stern joy which warriors feel
to meet a foeman worthy of tholr steel"
A Mine of Information.
Heppner Times.
The Portland Oregonian of last Satur
day, the 50th anniversary edition of that
publication, was certainly the finest paper
ever published on the Pacillc Coast with
in the knowledge of the writer. It was
a mine of information as to the vast
resources and wealth of the great State
of Oregon.
POSTAL It ATE OS MAGAZINES
In the Pan-American commercial
conference It pleases us to note the
presence of President Taft and Champ
Clark, but wher In the world can
John Barrett be?
Semi-official promise from Washing
ton that hops will not be put on'the
free list ought to evoke a Joint reeolu
tlon of thanks from Salem.
If we do not mistake the spirit of
San Francisco, Oregon can have the
pick of the situation for our Panama
Fair building.
How time files! In a few weeks The
Oregonian once more will be printing
scores of the Pacific Coast League. '
How does Lorimer expect to bolster
his cause by digging up and exploiting
shady records of his colleagues?
Naturally Seattle xili boast that no
city of her size In the world paid so
much for police protection.
That was a horrible Valentine De
tective Burns handed toWappensteln
at 8eattle. "
Elbert Hubbard, th ragtime philos
opher. In vaudevlll? Horn at last.
Attempt to Advance Same, Asserted to
to Be a 11 low to Popular Liberty.
WALLA WALLA. Wash., Feb. 13. (To
the Editor.) Any attempt by a revenge
ful President and his scheming advisers
to Increase the postal rate on advertising
sections of magazines that are not "pure
ly for literary and educational purposes"
To establish censorship and intimida
tion of the press.
To ruin periodicals that are exposing
dishonesty in high political and buslncea
life, and favor magazines that will not
do so.
To limit the rights of the American
people and prevent them from gaining
Information that will aid them in gov
erning themselves.
The promise to the public of penny
postage and exemption of newspapers
from increased rate is a vicious "sop1
to prevent criticism of the measure, but
the public and honest newspapers will
not be fooled by this trick.
That any man holding a Federal office
should advocate or vote for such an ini
quitous measure, causes suaplcion that
be has something In his life to conceal.
That any political party should thus
willingly Incur the public wrath. Is past
belief. It Is obvious to all, except those
blinded by their political desires, that
the people will eliminate any party that
attempts to throttle criticism of. the
act of bad men in public life.
LLOYD ARMSTRONG.
Rural Visitor's Comment.
Judge.
Farmer WIckens paused on Broadway
to stare at a traffic policeman standing
In the middle of the street, from where
he directed the foot passengers and
heavy traffic with astonishing skill. Af
ter a few moments of this, the rural
spectator ejaculated:
"By gum! that constable may be able
to stand in th' middle o' th' road like
that, with all them rigs and streetcars
dodgln' 'lm, but he couldn't do It up at
Hodgklns Corners, at train time, with
out glttln' run down by th' village 'bus.
I'll bet yei"
"Oo-lng IP !"
Life.
When you have to bolt your breakfast 'cause
you haven't tim to wait.
And you reach the elevator at the ofrloe
good and lata.
You've observed the chap who runs It won't
accelerate his pace
Until you reach the doorway, when he slams
It in your lace.
As yon watch the car ascending while you
wait another ase
For the periodic passage of that heaven-
klsstng case.
Are there any lens as bitter in the depth ef
orrow'e cup
that jeering, disappearing cry of "Go
ing up!"
80 while you frame In alienee an opinion
witn a sunn.
It's Impossible to bag him while he's riding
on tne wins;
For, although you've quit decided he's a
disobliging pup.
You haven't time to tell him while he's
"Go-lag upi- j
Another Worst City.
Washington Herald.
"Irkutsk Is not only the wickedest,
but It Is the fastest city in the world,"
said George Woodruff, an American
banker who recently made a trip to
China to investigate the railroads there
in connection with a new loan.
"There Is more night life In that lit
tle town of 100.000 people." said Mr.
Woodruff, who was seen at the New
Wlllard, "than there is In all of Paris
or New York. In one of the gambling
houses there I saw as much as $100,000
staked on the turn of a card a dozen
times In an evening. In the cafes I
saw gay parties drinking bottle after
bottle of wine at $20 per bottle. In all
my travels I have never seen so many
beautiful and well-dressed women and
w.omen of all nationalities.
"The Irkutsk opera is almost as bril
liant as the opera In Paris. Duels, sui
cides, and murders are of weekly occur
rence, but a formal reception at St.
Petersburg could not boast of any more
culture than Is to be found at a smart
entertainment in one of the fashionable
homes in this Siberian city. If any one
imagines New Y'ork is swift, a visit to
Irkutsk will open his eyes. The quint
essence of vice Is to be found there."
Remarkable Achievement.
Brownsville Times.
The BOth anniversary number Is the
most comprehensive edition of a news
paper ever published in the Northwest,
and. one seldom equaled In the East or
anywhere else. Nothing was omitted.
As a matter of newspaper achievement
It is remarkable.
Views Ilia Monument.
Goldendale (Wash.) Sentinel.
The Oregonian. past and present, is a
great organization and Mr. Pittock lives
in an age when he can see the results
of his work enjoyed by the people of Ore
gon and Washington, particularly, and
to view the monument his enterprise and
business ability has builded.
Will Do a World of Cowl.
St. Helens Mist.
The Oregonlan's 50th anniversary num
ber reached St. Helens last Saturday
morning and It is the finest thing of the
kind we have ever seen. It will do a
world of good for Oregon when circu
lated in the Eastern states.
Surgeon Helps to Blot Out Crime.
Boston Cor. Cincinnati Enquirer.
Dr. De Witt Wilcox, of the medical
staff of Boston University, declares he
has demonstrated that surgery can, at
least in a great degree, put an end to
crime.
"So many persons are criminals through
no other reason than physical efforts," he
said. "Last March I operated upon the
skull of Edward E. Grlmmell, a noted forger.
"I found a growth 01 tne skuii pressing
slightly on the brain and remedied this.
"Since that time Grimmell has no
thoughts of forgery or of crime, and has
so Impressed the prison authorities that
they were instrumental in getting a par
don for him."
THE TTNSENT VALENTINE.
"Oh Jonathan Junior. Jonathan mine."
So Kellaher misht have written.
"I wanted to send you a valentine.
T3,it row hiiHritr.a, nrdleet was bitten:
For the valentine that I wanted to send
The law-maaers wouinn bwuiaL-n,
Tours for the waatobasket,' wild they cried.
we d rather sena him a comic
"Ah 'twas a lovely creation, John.
A Kcaiitv and iov forever.
This wonderful valentine on which
I lavished my Dest enaeavur:
A full-lenpth fluure Tne Oregon nan
Mankind looking on in wonaer.
Tha legend, 'Best In the whole wide world,"
In blazoned lettering; unuor;
Symbolic figures The Voting Men
with the power League to attend 'em.
Toyed with two sticks of dynamite
The Inish' and tne Keterenaum
Or with their eves enveloped well
In & thirty foot ballot sheet.
Played blind man's buff with a ballot box,
A pastime simple and sweet.
"And the politicians who couldn't carry
A vote In the old reelme.
Were basking beneath the Direct Primary.
At the feet of the Oregon Scheme;
And poising gracefully over all
This group of political heroes.
On fluttering glad hands wafted high.
Flitted George E.. as Kroa.
"And then, when one held the valentine up.
And let the light shine through.
Smiling benignly, one beheld
The gentle visage of you.
Draped In tha toga's graceful folds.
Your vision aimed at the stars.
Your right hand blessing the Oregon Plan,
Your left dispensing cigars.
"Ah. 'twas a classy valentine.
And my heart beat high with hope.
As I asked the Solons to lend their seal,
A stamD and an envelope;
But they only laughed In their fiendish glee,
A laugh that would turn your stomach.
Ham,' they roared, "with your valentine,
We're going to send him a comic' "
Dean Collins.
Honest Publicity Literature.
Harrisburg Bulletin.'
The Oregonlan's big anniversary num
ber was simply a top-notcher in the way
of honest advertising literature of the
vast resources of Oregon. The support
of the enterprise was evident from the
pages and pages of high-claws advert
ing from every section of the state.
Finest on the Const.
Pilot Rock Record.
The anniversary number was printed
consisting of 117 pages of the most inter
esting matter, covering all sections of
the great Northwest and from the stand
point of a newspaper was the tinceit edi
tion ever published on the Coast.
Top-Xoteher In Every Uespect.
Newport Signal.
The BOth anniversary edition of The
Portland Oregonian ia certainly a top
notcher in every respect. All previous
anniversary editions of that journal have
been eclipsed by this latest one.
Congratulations From the Nation.
Grants Pass Pacific Outlook.
And so from every corner of the Na
tion where The Oregonian has pene
trated, hands will be extended In con
gratulation on the appearance of the
paper's anniversary number.
Equal of Any.
Portland Advocate.
The 50th anniversary of The Morning
Oregonian Issue was one of the finest
editions of its kind ever Issued on the
Pacific Coast, and the equal of any In
the United States.
Attracting the Eait to the West.
White Salmon (Wash.) Enterprise.
It soon became, and still is, the lead
ing paper of Oregon, one of the great
forces that Is attracting the East to
the West.
Oregon's Best Advertisement.
Grass Valley Journal.
The best advertisement Oregon has
had for many a day, was that of the 60th
anniversary edition of The Morning Ore
gonian, of February 4. 191L
Has o Superior.
Jefferson Review.
The Oregonian has kept pace with and
been the principal factor in the wonder
ful development of Oregon and the.
Northwest and as a newspaper has no
superior.
Kept Improving Constantly.
St. Johns Review.
It kept constantly enlarging and Im
proving year by year until today It is
the newsiest and most reliable news
paper on the Pacific Coast.