fTin MORXIXG OKEGOXTAX. TUESDAY, MARCH T, 1911.
8
TOKTLJkXD. OREGOX.
Ent-r-d at Portland. Crniol, poetotnea as
Si I I a lliM to.tIer
nMuipiMi fcia Invariably ta iJc
ibt m:u
rfT. latir Inclosed, ana year. .
I oi.r. S'jn.ltr lriclva.l. 'i montha...
iai.r. Sua lie Inrliflwl. 1 n roe oionlhe.
I-e'iy. luaiir lac.od4. ece monltt...
l'a::y. wi'.ioi;! salair. eno yor.......
X'i.r. wiPiut lun.!4r. sts months.. ..
'tnMil teoler. ihroa moutba..
without SunUer. so snoata....,
WooltTj. ene yer. .......... ....'
unfair. ene yoar.... .......
S-tt6ay aa weekly, aoa year.
IHT CARCCR)
TsTT. Sjs-isy Ine!ide4. year......
lyi'T. tundir tr.r;ulod. Sao month.....
.
.:j
. a
as
.
1 VI
t-i
.;
Maw I rUaaaf nod poatoftK
r. eitreoe ordor or poreoaal cnea an
oir Wl tank. stamp. el corroney
ere at tae r.i4re r.. Ole poetofflca
e-1 trM la fu:u inrludlns eouoty ana etate.
i coo" . o i
: ?? Jli2H
i:..i.Zi.rm '
Caotara bhIim Ofnvee yarra m ."
-JJL.rr-K'1-
tlf St
roRTUMt. TtXSDAt. VAJttll 1, IS 1 1.
CACCl'S AND F.1KTT XCTY.
Candidate Eheehan assumes a fine
air of outraged virtue when he re
peats In his letter to Governor Dlx
that he "Sriu remain as my (his)
party's candidate for United States
6enator as long as the party desires
me to do so, no matter what the per
sonal consequences to me may be-
II r. Sheehan pretends to feci that his
party, acting through a caucus of its
members, has laid upon him a direct
obligation to be its candidate: and
as a faithful party man he has no
right to Ignore the party's call.
But Is a caucus nomination binding
on all the members or representatives j
er a party in a legislature? nat is
a caucus? When is a caucus entitled
to speak for a party? The binding
effect of a caucus on Its participants
depends absolutely on the good faith
of its deliberations and the represen
tative character of Its membership.
If the New Tork caucus of Democratic
Legislators at Albany was a free gath
ering cf men who had not previously
surrendered their independence ana
abdicated their functions, counseling
together for the purpose of arriving
at a mutual understanding of the is
sues as to the Senatorshfp, and of de
termining fairly the best candidate for
Senator, Its action would be. or ought
to be. binding on all its units. But if
the caucus met merely to ratify a pre
determined choice, then its mandate
Is not entitled either to respect or
obedience.
Candidate Shepard. in his letter of
withdrawal, truly stated the facts as
to that caucu when he add: "Un
der the discipline of Tammany Hall
the votes of a majority of the partici
pants In the alleged caucus had been
put into a trust and were to be cast
by one voting trustee. Such a trust
was a provision absolutely destructive
of party health, and. If carried far
enough, even of the very life of the
party Itself."
The assumption of Tammany, which
has usurped the driver's seat on the
New Tork Democratic wagon, and of
51 r. Sheehan. who proposes now to
martyrise himself for Tammany'a
sake. Is that the- minority was under
compulsion, by the unwritten law of
party procedure, to go Into caucus
and abide by the results. But the
time has long since passed when the
machine of the majority, having
caught, stamped, gagged and blind
folded Its automatons In advance, can
demand that the minority come Into
raucus and take Its medicine. The
New Tork minority has not "bolted"
the caucus. It did not. for It would
not. enter any caucus. It would not
go Into the game where it knew the
cards were stacked. The legislator
who enters a caucus ought to accept
its results, undonbtedly; and It is
babyish for him afterwards to com
plain and unjustifiable to "bolt" un
less It is fairly clear that he entered
under a misapprehension of the facts.
But If he remains out. what then?
From every standpoint party, the
public Interest, and his own sense of
duty and self-respect he should stay
out unloss he la assured of fair play
and a square deal; and. having re
fused to go la. what right has a caucus
to Invoke the name of party to make
him obey Its procured and Inspired
mandate?
COAST EtSTBAXCE TBrST.
The existence of an "Insurance
trust" which from its San Francisco
office controls fire insurance rates In
all Pacific Coast cities and towns has
been something more than "suspected"
for a long time. Now the Insurance
Code Commission of the State of
Washington has made public evidence
fully Justifying the suspicions. Among
the rules under which this trust ope
rates Is one which provides: "The ex
ecutive committee shall present for
the consideration of the board such
measures as it may consider practi
cable and efficient for the protection
of Interests of members threatened by
competition from companies not mem
bers of the board." Further provision
Is made that "No Insurance shall be
granted In any way at less than board
rates, or In any form not strictly In
accordance with board regulation."
In other words. If any Independent
company dares to write Insurance on
the basis of the legitimate risk. In
stead of according to schedules fixed
by the trust, the executive board will
present practicable and efficient
measures for the protection of Its
members and no Insurance will be
granted at "less than board rates." It
Is this Insurance trust which hns been
responsible for the high rates that
Portland and other North Pacific
States have been forced to pay for all
kinds of Insurance. The loss by the
San Francisco fire was the heaviest
ever suffered by the insurance com
panies and. as many of them had ap
parently spent the big profits which
they earned before this fire of the
century occurred, they were obliged to
retire from business. The companies
which stood the strain have appar
ently endeavored to maintain rates at
a figure that would enable them to
recoup from their losses in as brief a
period as possible.
For years before the San Francisco
fire and since the fire. Portland has
been mulcted for very high rates, the
premiums collected being out of pro
portion to the leases paid. The main
tenance of these rates would be Im
possible unless the trust controlled the
Pacific Coast business. Portland has
for the past three years been lessen
ing the fire risk by -erecting a superior
class of buildings. A flreboat has les
sened the risk along the waterfront,
and an enormous water pressure at
the numerous hydrants makes It very
Ufflcult for a big fire to get under
f way In thla city. But with lessening
' of the rtak there has been do corre
sponding reduction In rate. The In
surance trust should be busted.
a run axd mv btattjiext.
The School Board ha made specific
j answer to the charges of Inefficiency
and mismanagement, which, having
had their beginning In criticisms made
by the Civic Council, have extended
in lines more or less restricted
throughout the community. Reading
this plain and careful presentment, in
which no detail U lacking, the public
must come to the conclusion that the
School Board has handled the bus!
ness of District Number One In ac
cordance with businesa principles and
as economically as the public demands
In the interest of Its schools would
Dermlt
That the expenses of the puoiic
I schools of the district have Increased
Itrrr lartrelv In the last ten years is
. aDDarect. That this Increase has been
resoonse to general demand for
T school faculties In accordance with
the growth of the city In population,
In sanitary regulations. In the mai
tlonal number of teachers required
and in civic pride Is manifest.
There are those who Imagine them
selves capable of running the schools
j on a more economical basis and that
! iwlt hout In the least Impairing their
efficiency than have those who have
given their time and attention to the
details of school management In the
past. This is not strange. It Is the
history of all criticism and all critics
In regard to public enterprises that
Involve the use of public moneys,
One thing has been made clear by
this tempest in school affairs. This
Is that there Is no such thing in
literal sense as "free schools." On the
contrary, the expense of maintaining
the public schools Is large, and neces
sarlly so. It Is moreover increasingly
large since civic pride and the best
interests of the community demana
that these schools be kept abreast the
times; that the best teachers obtain
able by paying good salaries be em
ployed In them: that ample room be
provided for all the children or tne
district who apply for entrance; that
old and decaying buildings be sup
planted by modern .structures : that
due attention be given to sanitation,
and In brief that the schools be kept
In the van of progress.
The School Board has told Its own
stonr In relation to these matters. It
Is a straightforward story, properly
backed by figures showing where the
money of the taxpayers has gone and
giving in detail Information asked by
critics. It U a report gratifying to
patrons and supporters of the public
schools.
(KTEXCE AXD HTLIX.
The Investigations of students like
Forel and Krafft-Ebblng have thrown
much light on the conduct of persons
who commit apparently unaccountable
trespasses. Stuart Morris HuIIn s pre.
dllection for snipping off locks of hair
to which he has no right Is hardly
stranger than a multitude of other ob
sessions which are duly recorded In
the books dealing with abnormal psy
chology. Some persons afflicted much
as he appears to be have found It lm
possible to refrain from slashing
women's gowns as they passed on the
street. Others have & mania for steal
ing ribbons or gloves or even slippers.
Men like HuIIn are victims of a
mental disease which has been inves
tigated by scientists. It manifests It
self In many curious ways. Som
times it assumes aspects which are too
revolting for public mention. Occa
sionally It forsakes the comparatively
harmless walks of thoft and petty as
sault and leads to murder. There Is
a connection which an educated phy
sician would have no trouble in trac
ing between the silly mania of Hulin
and the hideous crimes committed by
"Jack the Ripper" a few years ago.
Hulin's annoying rreaks lend co
gency to the modern theory that many
crimes are to be attributed to disease
rather than to wilful depravity. It
la not to be supposed that a normal
Individual would derive any pleasure
from petty trespasses upon women's
headdresses. No doubt Hulin Is
moved to commit his ridiculous as
saults by an Impulse which he Is
scarcely responsible for and which he
cannot fully control. Imprisonment
may help to awaken his power of re
sistance and possibly tend to educate
his will, but the chances are that it
will not. It has been round by spe
cialists that there is more help to be
expected from hypnotic suggestion In
cases like Hulin's than from the ordi
nary processes of the law. Our crim
inal procedure was devised in an age
comparatively ignorant of modern
psychological science and many rem
edies which It applies have little cura
tive effect. Often they confirm the
criminal In his evil courses.
CHEAPER STEM. KIEDEP.
In the readjustment" which the rallo
roads will find necessary now that the
Interstate Commerce Commission has
denied their right to advance rates,
there Is a possibility that some of the
"Increased cost of living" may be
shifted to other industries which can
stand it to better advantage than even
the railroads could. Prominent among
the Industries which might be award
ed a portion of the burden which the
railroads have bee"n legally compelled
to carry is the steel business. An Im
mediate effect of the Interstate Com
merce Commission decision was the
halt in the advance in steel prices. It
had been known for a long time that
the roads were holding back 'Orders
for rails and equipment In the belief
that the rate advance would be sanc
tioned and. In the light of events
which followed the decision, the
trust had apparently hen holding the
market up for the purpose of grab
bing an Increased ahare of the profits
that were Included In the $35,000,000
advance In rates.
The protective tariff has placed the
steel trust In such an Impregnable po.
sltlon that It has been enabled to rob
the railroads along with other con
sumers of steel . products. The rail
roads, however, had an advantage over
the smaller users of steel for they gen
erally evened up matters by passing
the burden on to the people In the
thatw of higher freight- rat en. We.
thus arrive In that hackneyed "laat
analysis" to the point where the con
sumer pays the increased profits of
the railroad and the steel maker as
well. Now the people through their
duly accredited agent, the Interstate
Commerce Commission, have prevent
ed the railroads from Increasing
freight rates and have thus apparently
saved the consumers many millions.
Having scored a success in this
commodity why not follow up the
matter? Our steel mills can make
rails at a cost of less than $15 per ton.
Their minimum price Is III per ton.
And here, as on other commodities,
the consumer foots the bill. Why not
remove the tariff and give the Ameri
can consumer a chance to buy at as
low a rate as the foreigner. Railroad
rates In this country are much lower
than In Europe, but steel rails made
In America are lower in Europe than
they are In this country. The Euro
pean manufacturer Is satisfied with a
reasonable profit on his capital in
vested. The American manufacturer
la holding us up for nearly 100 per
cent profit. By cutting this enormous
profit down to 15 per cent we would
help the railroads and the people.
OlB INTEREST IN CONSERVATION.
The resignation of the Oregon Con
servation commission Is a shock that
the public will somehow endeavor to
withstand. We are assured that It Is
not failure of the Legislature to make
an appropriation for Its maintenance
that has caused the Commission thus
to strike Its flag and abandon the field,
but a desire to relieve the Governor of
any embarrassment he might feel
through finding a left-over board on
his hands, and to give him an oppor
tunity to start anew.
The Commission's retirement from
Its voluntary and unappreciated serv
ice Is about the most popular act of its
career. The role of publlo benefactor
is an ungrateful one. The publlo has
an Instinctive aversion somehow to be
ing made the special object of the be
nevolence and philanthropy or its sen.
called guardians and cuatodlans who
assume that the. people don't know
what they want and that It would not
be the right thing If they did know,
There Is a type of busybody who will
not let the nubile alone. Lately he
has had an itch to "conserve" the pub.
lie resouroes water powers, lands,
forests, minerals and the like. The
people of. the Northwest and Alaska
have been "conserved" almost to par
alvsls. They know when they have
too much.
The chief fault with the Oregon Con
servatlon Commission is that it did not
represent and voice the Oregon idea
and Interest In conservation as against
the Plnchot Idea and Interest. Oregon
has been exploited by the Plnchot con
servation for the benefit of the na
tional Treasury and for the glory of
the Plnchot name. Oregon favors sucn
a conservation of Oregon lands and
waters as will conserve its own for the
benefit primarily of Oregon.
EXTRAVAGANCE IN TAXATION.
In Seattle the subject of taxes h
taken a place among the uppermost
tODlcs In the public mind. The prob
lem presented Is not one of method in
the levying of taxes but of reducing
them. As a first lesson a committee
of the Chamber of Commerce has pub
lished the results of a careful lnvestl
cation.
Out of the mass of figures and sta
tistics the Information stands forth
prominently that Seattle's population
has not kept pace with its expenai
tures. In 1900 the population of Se
attle was 80.671 and In 1910 it was
237.1S4. the latter total representing
an increase of 194.0S per cent In 10
rears. Between 1901 and 1911. the
assessed valuation of property In
creased, according to the report of the
MmmltleiL from I43.980.9Z4 to IZU&.
262,448. The increase represented
here Is 877.67 per cent, or 183.54 per
cent more than the increase in popu
lation. The average basis of taxation
for each Inhabitant grow in the period
named from ISSS.84 to 8811.81, and
the averare payment In taxes per in
habitant Increased from 84.23 In 1902
to 214.63 In 1911.
The committee has reached the fol
lowing sound conclusions:
Aaartaed values must not be raleed ax.
orh.ro th.ro la a clrar and unrnkatak-
able Increase In tha valua of the property
taxed there muet bs no advances for the
Mntiv. nurnoaa of ralslna tha total paid
In taxes without apparently aumenUn the
rate. ....
Tk. wo tA attain theaa results Is simple.
thouxh It cannot be followed without con-
tinn. ootr-r.atroint in tne manor ok ex
penditures. There must oe no unevoiuauia
Ir.creaees In city expenaea: exiatins ex
n.nu. must ho cut down wherever they can
k. MrfMrf without reduclna the efficiency.
and. above all. there muat not do a ounor
In.pa.n I n lh. In ..root -btirllir debt of the
city unlaaa It la for aome Improvement that
has become ao imperative in i.
poeatbly ba omitted or postponed.
Seattle Is confronted by a promem
that the city is undoubtedly capable
of aoivlnsr and the real solution Is
along the lines Indicated by the Cham
ber of Commerce Committee. tod-
ably the publication of the report will
call from some fertile brain a new
scheme for levying taxes. It is' so in
Oregon. In Portland no small por
tion of our tax agitation Is over the
methods employed In raising public
revenues. We are told that taxes are
assessed against the wrong kind of
property. Our loudest tax Investiga
tors do not urge us to keep within our
means but to hunt for the sack of gold
at the end of the single-tax rainbow.
It is probably at a sacrifice of some
pride that Seattle publishes the re
sults found by the committee that In
vestigated the tax question in that city.
It is not a good advertisement. The
situation revealed perhaps accounts
for the dull times of which the Wash
ington metropolis complains. .It Is the
Inevitable outcome of extravagance.
It Is a poor bid for homeseekers or
manufacturers.
These things are not told for the
purpose of putting a neighbor in a bad
light before the public. They are
printed simply for the lesson that they
furnteh. Portland is growing rapidly.
Its taxeaters are as rapacious as those
of Puget Sound, and people and legis
lative bodies in the flush of prosperity
are more man generous. Minie
gance now will augment hard times
If the pinch comes, and tne pincn is
sure to come ir tne extravagance
reaches certain proportions.
TIIXAMOOK BAR IMPROVEMENT.
Mr. Russell Hawkins of the Whitney
Timber Company, who has spent near
ly all of his time for the past two
years endeavoring to secure an ap
propriation for improving Tillamook
bar, has returned from Washington
with the discouraging news that no
relief can be granted before next De
cember. The Board or Review in
charge of river and harbor work has
refused to approve the findings or tne
special board that recommended an
expenditure of approximately 81,700,-
000, provldod the people of Tillamook
would raise about oo.ooo. it was
necessary for the people of Tillamook
and Bay City to pledge themselves to
the last dollar of bonded Indebtedness
that they could incur In order to raise
this large amount, but they succeeded
and had every reason to believe that
their enterprise and their faith In
their locality would be recognized by
the necessary appropriation from the
Government.
The loss which Tillamook and Bay
City will suffer through their Inability
to secure the ocean transportation that
la absolutely necessary to admit of the
economical development of the great
timber resources will be . great, but
Portland and all of the Intermediate
territory will also suffer In degree.
The mills and logging camps of the
Whitney company alone would give
employment to nearly a thousand men,
if water transportation were available,
and these workers would create a de
mand for farm, garden and dairy
products which would thus make em
ployment for hundreds of others. Un
til the Government comes, to the
rescue of Tillamook 'with a channel
that will admit ocean carriers of mod
erate draft it will be Impossible for
these great resources to be developed.
The building of the railroads to the
coast will of course help Tillamook
and the Intermediate territory very
greatly, but It Is In the rough grades
of lumber which must be shipped out
by water that the profits in the busi
ness are found. Until it Is possible
for this class of lumber to find a mar
ket by water there will be but little of
this traffic for the railroads.
The Tillamook project is in large
degree a Portland project. .This city Is
certain to share In all of the advan
tages that will follow the opening of
the port. For that reason Portland
should Join with Tillamook and pre
sent her case at fVashington In the
best possible light In order that some
help may be given by the next Con
gress. When two small communities
like Tillamook and Bay City pledge
more than 2600,000 for an improve
ment of this nature, their enterprise
should be rewarded by the most liberal
possible support.
The difference between theory and
practice in handling the vexed sailor
question Is shown in the experience
of the French bark Bossuet. which has
been ready for sea for a week and Is
prevented from sailing because the
men who were so confident that sail
ors could be secured for a $10 ship
ping fee are unable to produce them
The new law Is not yet effective and
vessels which pay the regular $30 ad
vance, which was highly satisfactory
to the shipowners, have had no delay
In securing men. As the time of a
ship like the Bossuet is worth about
$150 per day it has already cost tne
owners more than $1000 to have the
difference between the $10 fee of the
commissioners and the $30 advance
exacted by the sailor boarding-house
men. Before the season Is over we
shall undoubtedly see sagacious ship
masters paying $100 per man for sail
ors, in preference to having their ves
eels delayed indefinitely. Unlike the
$30 payment, however, the $100 fee
will be handed out on the quiet, al
though the owner will hear of it and
wonder why the new law was passed
Just how the words "unmistakable
wrong" may. In the process of writing,
composition, proof-reading and print
ing, be transformed without detection
Into "unspeakable larceny" is not easy
to understand or to explain; but sucn
a miracle was wrought yesterday in
The Oregonian. An editorial article,
discussing among other things the
people's laws, sought to point out that
the recent Legislature had undertaken
to correct an "unmistakable wrong in
flicted by the Rogue River closure;"
but the sentence as It appeared con
veyed quite a different idea, far from
the writer's mind and In no sense a
true interpretation of any Informed
view. Hasty chlrography and careless
proof-reading have been responsible
for much mischief in the history of
Journalism, not altogether avoidable
in these days of typewriters, linotypes
and fast presses. '
Anyone, If there be anyone, who
has the emotional and financial wel
fare of Alfred G. Vanderbllt at heart
should kindly refer him to the advice
given by Sam Weller to his impres
sionable son: "Samlvel,. Samlvel, ,be
ware of vldders." "With two widows
on his trail, each, according to the re
doubtable Mr. Weller, equal to twenty-five
ordinary women, and both well
versed In the ways of men and in ex
perience gained In the regulation so
journ in the "Reno Colony," it cer
tainly behooves the gay ana resuve
Alfred to "beware."
Without going Into details that af
fect local property-owners in Salem,
the Mayor's veto of the Salem, Falls
City & Western's electric road 'fran
chise seems to outsiders who have
struggled to get Into, out of and about
in the Capital City to be extremely
short-sighted. Salem belongs not
alone to the property-owners within
its limits. To a greater degree than
applies to any other city, the Capital
City belongs to the state, and It Is due
to a wide constituency mat ingress
and egress be convenient.
Mormon activity Is again agitating
England, the grievance being that
young girls are Induced to emigrate
to Utah. The lot of the young .eng
lishwoman, or the woman from any
part of the North of Europe, for that
matter, will be happier as the wife of
a prosperous Utahan, than If spent in
single or double "blessedness" at
home. The bugaboo of polygamy Is
well enough to scare the children and
the cows, but It should be given the
heed by an active and energetic dam
sel that its lack of existence deserves.
Some people who come from East
ern States 10 eastern urejoo who
Spring will be disappointed for they
will find conditions far different from
those they left, as well as unsulted to
their activities. Tet more will nna
them Just right and they are the peo
ple who will aid in development.
Spectacular pulpiteering, as exem
plified at Binghamton, N. X.. last Sun
day, has little value. A crowd that
fills a church from curiosity will more
quickly attend a theater or ball game.
Tt will be observed that the woman
who led her drunken husband to Jail
Sunday to send him to the rockplle Is
not bothering the divorce court for
relief. That is moral suasion.
Just as a pointer to call attention
to a growing Oregon Industry, It may
be noted that receipts at tne rwortn
Portland yards over Sunday totaled
6382 head.
A man who kicks at a dog and.
missing aim, get injured, is entitled
to little sympathy. The experience of
the Salemite will last all his life, ir he
recovers.
Colonists will find In Oregon a land
flowing with milk and honey, but they
must own the cows and bees, with a
patch of alfalfa for feed.
A revolution is on in the seven by
nine republic of Paraguay, but it Is
too far away to demand attention.
If Dr. Aked feels that his duty lies
In salvation of the Bay City, he should
heed the call, not dally.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oreffonlan. March 7. 1861.
The telegraph meeting at tha Council
rooms night before last was very meager
in numbers. Nothing was done but to
appoint a chairman and secretary. An
adjourned meeting la set for Friday even
ing next.
A 300-yard horserace came off yester
day on the bottom, below tlie distillery.
The nags were Charles Lawrence's "Big
Lummux" and George Fuller's "Fancy
Grey," and the wager was $15 a side.
"Big Lummux" won easily by three
lengths.
The sale of Oregon leather in the San
Francsco market brings up the remem
brance that two years since we received
large supplies of the article from that
point. Another evidence that we are
progressing.
At our last dates from Washington It
was understood that Colonel Hayne, In
behalf of the nation of South Carolina,
had demanded of the President the pos
session of Fort Sumpter. The President
replied that he would send his answer
to Governor Pickens. If this answer is
not satisfactory It Is surmised that an
attempt will be made to take the fort
by force. - Anticipating an attack. Major
Anderson has sent off the wives and
children belonging to the officers and
men In the fort. It Is said that the
South Carolinians have erected immense
batteries on Cummlng's Point and that
Fort Moultrie has been supplied with
guns of the largest caliber so thaf Fort
Sumpter Is surrounded by batteries carry
ing metal nearly equal to her own. We
look for the next news with painful In
terest. i i e j
What la Cafeteria
ALBANY. Or., March 3. (To the
Editor.) In reading "Timely Tales ofi
the Day" in The Oregonian of March I
1, we were much Interested In that
one of a banker and his friend going to
a cafeteria for luncheon, and the friend
not understanding the situation.
There are a whole lot of us in the
same boat the banker's friend was In,
and we would appreciate the favor Im
mensely If you would give In The Ore
gonian, for the benefit of us and other
benighted ones, an explanation of the
modus operandi of the cafeteria sys
tem. S. S. BENNET AND OTHERS.
The "modus operandi" of a cafeteria
Is not so complicated as necessarily to
alarm the timid. The feature of the
plan Is the absence of waiters. The
patron helps himself to a tray, napkin,
knife, fork and spoons Just after en
tering the cafeteria and passes along
a counter back of which articles of
food are displayed. A price list In
large letters is In view. Servers help
the patron to portions of whatever he
orders, and he then passes in review
before a checker, who examines, the
tray of food and places on the tray a
check for the amount purchased.
The patron carries his own tray to a
table, and after he has eaten, either
returns the tray and dishes to the
counter or leaves them on the table to
be removed by employes of the cafe
terla. He retains his check and pays
the cashier before leaving the place.
One need only follow the leader In the
line at meal time to get along swim
mingly. As a warning to the novice. It
may be said, however, that the fact
that "the eyes are larger than the
stomach" Is more likely to get one Into
trouble In a cafeteria than In a res
taurant where one orders from a print
ed menu card.
Individuals and Conxreaa.
PENDLETON, Or, March 1. (To the
Editor.) how can an individual help
In the fight for free wood pulp and
sainn increase in postal rate on
magasmes7 W. J. WARM AN.
By writing to his Congressman and
inducing his friends to write.
TICK SINGLE TAX BBQTJIEM.
There rose the legislators' laugh of scorn.
The single tax bill, battered, bruised
and rent,
A mournful corpse, came hurtling through
the air.
Out by the selfsame doors wherein it
went;
The slngle-taxers viewed the frayed re
mains. And lifted up the doleful fun'ral strains.
And has It been in. vain, the sealous
work
Of these great prophets of this genera
tion? Have their cerebral tissues writhed in
vain.
Conceiving simpler systems of taxation?
Have they for nothing showed the Legis
lature That we. In taxes, should get back to
Nature ?
Has the sage advice of Fels been fruit
less.
And all his Western pilgrimage in vain?
Must all the shining snekels that he
epended
To make his philanthropic hobby plain.
Accomplish naught, despite his soaring
hope.
But advertisement for his Kaptha Soap?
The single tax, the perfect panacea
For all our civic ailments manifold.
Knocked at the Senate chamber. Impor
tuning
Its .name upon the statute books en
rolled: Knocked long, but vainly, for the harsh
law-makers
Consigned it coldly to the undertakers.
Long have
the
people lain awake at
fear that ever deeper
night,
Gnawed by
waxes.
That while they foot the Governmental
bills.
Some bloated millionaire may dodge
his taxes.
With single tax. such fear could find no
lodging
They might escape without the need of
dodging.
Harrow, alas! The brutal Legislature
Has laid the single tax upon the
shelves:
The people may not foil the rich tax
dodger.
By taking all the taxes on themselves.
And still eternal vigilance must trouble
em.
Sans Henry GVs solution of the problem.
His net idea treated with derision.
Subjected to the Legislature's scoffin'.
Must well cause Henry George to squirm
and wiggle
Within the narrow confines of his coffin.
And fretfully to flap his cerements.
Plagued by the ghosts of "Unearned In
crements." Let us bewail the dear, departed Issue,
The bill that wa. alas, untimely slain;
Let us condole great Fels, who lent his
larnyx.
And furnished "sinews" for the long
campaign.
Backing unflinchingly, with voice and
rouble.
The doughty efforts of URen ' and
Scbeubel.
But though the state must still remain
unblessed
With our solution of taxation's puzxlo.
Still has the prophet Fels one message
given.
That e'en the Legislature could not
muzzle: I
One star illumes our busted horoscope
We've learned this fact at least that j
Fels makes soap.
DEAN COLLIN 3. I
BOT CAPTURES A BRITISH ARMY
Playful Young Amerleaa Bewilders
nro WarrinaT Uosta In Bermuda.
New Tork World.
Single-handed, William Earl Dodge
Stokes, Jr., captured a British army near
the City of Hamilton, Bermuda, several
days ago. New Yorkers back from Ber
muda tell how.
The two regimento of infantry end one
of artillery that constitute the Hamilton
garrison were ordered by the British
War Office to conduct their annual war
game. When the hospitable officers took
to the field they could give no more
dances. That greatly disappointed young
Stoke and the doxsn American girls and
boys who, under proper chaperonage,
make up his party.
The garrison was divided Into the Blue
and Red Armies, and. with . military
umpires looking on, played at war with
much sertousneHS for two days. Stokes Is
an expert at wireless telegraphy and
telephony and la familiar with helio
graphy. So It was comparatively ea?y
for him to decipher' the signals which
the scouts of each army made with the
heliograph and by "wigwagging.'
With this knowledge young Stokes de
termined to end the mimic war and then
"on with the dance."
Early last Tuesday morning he rode
to the top of Hamilton Hill, which the
Blue Army occupied. As soon as the
sun was high enough he secreted himself
and heliographed In its secret code to
the Red Army on the opposite hill at St
George:
"Now's your chance. Proceed to Devil's
Hole and up the footpath."
Naturally the Reds' commander was
confident the signal came from one of
his splee, so he followed it. His troops
were halfway up Hamilton Hill when the
Blue Army surrounded them and tecum
cally captured them lgnominiously.
Young Stokes had ridden back to the
hotel long before the surrender. The as
sault showed so amazing a lack of tacti
cal skill on the part of the Reds' com.
m antler that the chiefs of staff of both
armies investigated it All the Reds'
scouts swore they had not sent the signal.
Then a sentinel said he had seen Stokes
ride up the hill and down. The young
American was requested to appear before
the garrison's commander.
By this time the whole affair was re
garded as a huge Joke on the Reda.
Stokes confessed his part In It and the
Governor of Bermuda invited him to
dinner.
The Presidency and the Primary.,
Victor Rosewater in American Review
of Rev'ews.
How shall we ever get to an ef
fective direct popular choice of Presl
dential nominees if . It Is thought de
sirable? My answer is that it must
come through the National organiza
tions of the political parties themselves
or through Congressional legislation,
for which perhaps a constitutional
amendment may be prerequisite. Any
one or the National party organizations
can at will Introduce the direct primary
for President-choosing and either do
away with National nominating conven
tlons altogether or continue them only
for platform-making and the con
tingency of no nomination at the polls.
A constitutional amendment could abol
ish the electrial college, which we all
know has become mainly ornamental,
and give us direct popular election of
Presidents. It could predicate such an
election on a direct primary nomina
tion or it could combine it with a
preliminary election and a subsequent
by-electlon to determine between the
presidential race horses polling the
highest votes In the tr'al heat Such
changes In our machinery of govern
ment would be decidedly radical and
are not to be expected to materialize
in a day or a year. If the demand for
direct Presidential nomination, how
ever, should become general and Insist
ent one St the political parties might
respond to It In the hope of striking a
popular chord and scoring an advant
age over the political enemy. In the
meanwhile the sporadic efforts of Ore
gon, and states that may follow suit, to
project a Presidential primary on the
installment plan must be at best only
experimental.
Statistics of German Universities.
London Globe.
Germany I not only well provided
with universities, but the seats of
learning, 21 in all, cannot complain of
indifference on the part of the people,
for there are enrolled for the Winter
session 54,822 students, compared with
52,407 last year. Ten years ago the
number was 34,000, and if we go back
far three decades we find only 21,000
matriculate. The distribution given In
a Paris contemporary, which la not
complete, by the way, shows 15,625 are
studying history, philosophy and
philology, 11,240 medicine, 10,980 law
and 7914 mathematics and natural
science. There Is a marked increase
In the number of women students, 2448
at present against 1850 a year ago. Of
these 2100 are Germans: the remainder
are for the most part Russians and
Americans. Of the women 1370 are
taking philology, philosophy or history,
627 medicine, 356 mathematics and nat
ural science. 60 constitutional law and
agriculture, 49 dentistry, 38 law, 7
theology and 5 pharmacy.
. That Bar Resolution.
PORTLAND, Or., March 5. (To the
Editor.) The Multnomah Bar Associa
tion, I believe, is a body of lawyers.
constitutionalists and patriots. The
evidence of this is embodied In a reso
lution, now of record, adopted Satur
day night last a quorum being present
Vfcva consociatlol
That this Is puzzling to the vulgar lay
man, is nothing unusual. The City of Til
lamook boasts of a character called Bill.
Bill Indulged his imagination so liber
ally some years ago that he wound up
in a state Institution for the cure of
mental erysipelas, lip-flux and jokes.
During confinement Bill managed to
get enough of brains together to be
admitted to membership of the pro
gressive Republican party, so he was
turned loose.
One day thereafter Bill crossed
tongues with a local editor on things
safe and sane in matters governmen
tal. "You're crazy," declared the editor
with cooksuredness. "Crazy!" yelled
Bill. "I have a certificate for my san
ity, and you haven't"
J. HENNESSY MURPHY.
Why the Vetoes T
Grants Pass, Courier.
Governor West has" certainly made a
reputation which will stay with him for
some time as the veto Governor of Ore
gon. Some men seek reputation at the
cannon's mouth, others head great In
dustrial enterprises and build up coun
ties and states, but Mr. West wants
seemingly reputation as a knocker, and
so he uses the veto as his hammer. A
veto can sometimes be used for a good
purpose, but when a Governor or a
President uses his power indiscrimi
nately he can hardly avoid doing in
Jury, as can be plainly shown in Gov
ernor West's case. He refused to ap
prove of legislation passed by the rep
resentatives of the people Just because
his friends outside of the Legislature,
so the newspapers say, advised him to
do so. It is fortunate, however, that he
did not veto all of the bills passed.
Divorce sued Desertion Period.
NEWBERG, Or., March 2. (To the
Editor.) Will you please tell me
through The Oregonian if a man de
serts his wife and goes to another state
to live, and does not intend to come
L. 1 k.Ap lnntr f 1 1 ihA llltVA In wlf
before she can get a divorce for de-
sertion? A SUBSCRIBER. I
J
She cannot get a divorce on the sole!
j .f j.riin until nn hoo
..in.. whirh rerivi th. h,,.. j
eiKlfocui - "...
band has not returned. I
Timely Tales of the Day
In public school examinations last
term Portland's precocious youngsters'
answers to questions were easily up to
ths mark of classroom comedy recorded
by Myra Kelly.
In the Ladd school one of the questions
asked was, "Where Is Portland?"
"Downtown," was a little boy's answer.
' At the Highland school to the question,
"What Is the Klondike?" a tiny girl re
piled, k-It is the place that keeps water
away from Holland."
In answering questions in civil govern
ment .the youngsters invariably referred
to the President as "Mr." Taft and to
h's predecessor as "Teddy" Roosevelt
When dentists examined the mouths of
the school children recently many were
found to have adenoids, and the dudIIs
I so affected were told to inform their fam
ily physician. One little girl at the Fall
ing school presented a bad case of ade
noids, and when the dentist had charted
her bad teeth, he cautioned her to tell
her parents she had adenoids In her nose
and should be taken to a doctor.
Straightway the little one ran home
breathless and, all In a flurry, announced
to her mother:
"Mamma, the doctor says I have a big
word up my nose."
Mary and Georgle are merrfbers of one
of the primary classes of the Atkinson
school. Mary insisted on saying "gog
rafy" and her teacher took pains and
much time to teach the little girl to
pronounce the word "ge-og-ra-phy." A
week after the child had learned the
pronunciation lesson thoroughly the
teacher asked:
"Mary, where is your ge-og-ra-phy?"
"Ge-or-gle has it" was the response.
When Harvey Deckwlto, toastmaster at
the Commercial Club booster banquet
held on Thursday night introduced R. W.
Raymond, in charge of the industrial bu
reau, he remarked that there was some
thing mysterious of late about Ray
mond's actions. For some time he had
resided on the West Side and confined
his operations to that section. "Yester
day," said Mr. Beckwith, "I noticed that
he was actively engaged in some sort of
an enterprise out our way possibly locat
ing a factory in the Broadway residence
district where I live. Maybe he can ex
plain the matter." Mr. Beckwith, In the
course of his remarks, had unbuttoned
his coat and the banqueters beheld a
vest as red in color as an Indian blanket
It was bedecked with elk heads embroid
ered by hand.
Mr. Raymond began by telling that he
lived on the corner of Fourth and Jeffer
son until recently. He was compelled,
he said, to move on account of the loud
noise. "The city," said Mr. Raymond,
"drove Its dump carts by the house all
night They passed at all hours, keep
ing me wide awake. Then they began
tearing up the Btreet and the night gang
pounded the asphalt the streetcars rat
tled over the loosened tracks, and It
seemed as If Bedlam had broken loose.
Finally, my wife and I moved out near
Broadway only a block away from Mr.
Beckwith's house, and last night was our
first in the new place. But we could not
sleep. The air seemed surcharged with '
noise and an unobservable force. I got
up and walked around the block, and
the mystery was solved.
"I found Beckwith's vest was out on
his own clothesline for an airing so as
to be ready for tonight's banquet."
How two families were thrown into
hysterics is told by Rev. Walter
I. Eck, pastor of St Paul's EngliBh
Lutheran Church, of Vancouver.
Not long ago wedding invitations and
wedding announcements were ordered at
the same time and, of course, from the
same firm, by a couple about to wed.
They were taken to the home of the
bride-to-be, addressed and stamped, ready
for mailing.
The exuberant and happy bridegroom-
to-be was at the home one night and was '
asked to take the Invitations to the post
office and mall them. He did. He picked
up the box. and when he had bid his
lady love good-bye several times, hastened,
to the postoffice.
Dreaming of his approaching marriage
and planning ths honeymoon, as he lay
In bed that night he was shocked back
to earth by the prolonged ringing of the
telephone bell.
"Georee!" trembled a hysterical femii
nine voice over the wire, "you've mailed
the announcements Instead of the Invi
tations." At 5:30 o'clock the next morning George
was at the side door of the postoffice
after an all-night vigil, and when the
early clerk arrived, treated him as a long-
lost brother. The clerk: rescues tne an
nouncements.
Colonel R. A. Miller, Democratic war-
horse, was once editor of a small weekly
paper In Southern Oregon, and being en
couraged, will dig up many a reminis
cence of his days in the "Fourth Estate."
He tells with particular gusto of a queer
character named Jones who once worked
for him as reporter, compositor, ce.vu
and pressfeeder.
JnnM had a llklnr for stories that
verged upon the scandalous, and Colonel
Miller had to watch his copy careruuy
to keep the newspaper out of libel suits.
One day Jones picked up a particularly
sensational story about a prominent cm
sen of the town, and, knowing that his
employer would "kill" it If he got the
opportunity, wrote it and set it up Just
before the paper ,went to press, and
slipped it Into an obscure column, "next
to live advertising matter."
Next day an irate citizen descended
upon the newspaper office, and, as luck
would have It, met Jones coming down
the stairs. Without a word of warning
he landed upon both the scribe's eyes at
the same time, knocking him upstairs
onto the landing. Jones never stopped
to get up, but crawled to the sanctum
door and called out:
"Bob, ain't you editor of this paper?"
"Guess I am, Jones."
"Well, here's a gentleman who wants
to speak to you."
jka seen Tnronslt a Glrl'a Eyes.
' Philadelphia Bulletin.
A man doesn't give his heart to a
woman any longer; he merely leases it
to her for a few weeks at a time.
Divorce is a radical surgical opera
tion which relieves the heart but leaves
a life-long scar on the soul.
When a husband eays that he's sorry
for having angered his wife he usually .
means that he's sorry for himself.
A wise flirt wears his scalps beneath
his waistcoat; only a masculine or a
feminine fool goes about waving tro
phies of the love chase.
To a woman her first kiss is a con
secration: but somehow, to a man it
always seems like a desecration.
Somehow a man doesn't feel half so
much married ten years after the cere
mony as he does ten minutes after it
The girl who makes the beet mar
riage tie is the one who keeps only one
string to l"r. bow, and concentrates
on manipulating that.
After marriage, two is awfully dull
company.
Compensation of Country Life.
Jefferson Review.
Portland, with her large population,
and a series of murders, robberies, sui
cides, grafting, etc., is scarcely to be
envied by the people of our little city,
where nothing of the kind (or any oth
er kind) ever happens. When one reads
of the series of crimes occurring al
most daily In Oregon's metropolis. It Is
omnia rnmnensatlon for living in a
town so small that
each housewife
learns before breakfast which end of
the egg her neigu u .
flopped the hen fruit into the skillet
and where every man knows a whole
ir mnn about the business of the rest
r.t th male residents than he does
- -
about his own.
A
L