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THE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 15, 1913.
8
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PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, JAN. IS, 1913.
WHY TIGS ALARM T
Recent speeches of President-elect
Wilson have spread alarm among cer
tain Eastern newspapers- that he
cherishes dire designs of radical as
sault on the business Interests of the
country. It Is difficult to conceive
what cause exists for this alarm.
Wilson's latest speeches, all of the
same general tenor, have been only
what might be expected of a man
nominated distinctly as a progressive
on the Democratic platform. His
speeches are general in their terms;
they do not propound any specific
- measures. ,
At Staunton Wilson said that men
who legislate for sectional advantage
would have to be mastered; that busi
, ness men must give full value for
p value received and must not expect to
get something for nothing; that he
objected to monopoly; that the Gov
; ernment must safeguard ' the rights of
men who cannot struggle to the top;
' and that he would fight for these prln
l ciples. At Chicago he condemned ex-
- elusion from bank credit those against
I whom the Inner circle discriminates;
" he said that all should have equal ac-
cess to the resources of the country
, and to the Justice of the country; that
' honest men were at a disadvantage in
business; that business must be free
,". from every feature of monopoly and
must be based on genuine capital. At
Trenton he Baid he would pick only
' progressives to aid him; that he wel
comed a change of attitude among
business men, a yielding "to that great
' Impulse that now moves the whole
people of the United States," but that
" he would fight those who resisted this
impulse.
What is there In this to alarm any
; honest man who means to deal Justly
-and . to obey the law? In fighting
. monopoly, restoring competition, com
pelling Just dealing, he will only con
tinue to do what Taft has been doing
' and would still have done, had Taft
been re-elected. In enforcing equality
of opportunity, equal Justice for rich
' and poor, he will but carry out the
principles to which all parties are
pledged. His attitude Is conciliatory;
he is not spoiling for a fight, for he
welcomes a disposition of some who
have, been disregarding the law to
change their conduct. But he is ready
to use the Whip against recalcitrants,
as Taft has used It.
None need tremble on reading Wil
son's words except those who should
be made to tremble. Would they
have their fears quieted, let them go
to him as penitents, forsake the ways
of monopoly, and give value for value.
The cry of alarm which goes up from
certain quarters suggests a guilty con
science, a shrinking culprit whom only
the whip of Justice can turn from his
evil ways. To such Wilson promises
no mercy and the country will applaud
him.
GOV. WEST TO THE LEGISLATURE.
In a message to the Legislature a
Governor cannot be expected to give
his Ideas in exhaustive detail on all
the many subjects it Is his duty to dis
cuss. It would have been pleasing,
however, had Governor West enlarged
a little on some of the most important
topics embraced in his biennial advice
to the lawmakng body.
The good roads problem Is dealt
with charily, for example. Tet In view
of the Governor's veto of a construc
tive road programme two years ago,
his Ideas on the subject would doubt
less have been Interesting, as the pres
ent Legislature will desire that any
plan It adopts shall finally become ef
fective. Commissions, committees, social
workers and' conventions have been
. at work on a number of important
subjects of legislation such as work
men's compensation. Judicial revision.
Insurance code revision, irrigation,
minimum wage, widows' pension, but
the Legislature Is In the dark as to
whether the Governor has any opin
ions at variance with the Important
details embraced in the complex meas
ures and recommendations already
prepared and given publicity.
As to care of the unfortunate and
criminal classes he has a good deal
to say. A charitable and progressive
spirit in this respect is certainly to be
commended, but the general public
welfare has at least an equal claim
upon the attention of the lawmakers.
It is learned from the message that
the time has at last arrived for the
friends of the Oregon system to cor
rect its defects. It has been a long
wait for the accepted day and the
Legislature will no doubt be compli
mented by the Implication that it may
be trusted in this important work.
Only one small detail is named, how
ever, as needing change. The signa
tures on Initiative and referendum pe
titions should be confined to those of
registered voters.
The suggestion Is good as far as It
goes, but the change would cure only
part of the evil of paid petition
hawking: it would not prevent the
suppression of petitions by use of
money; it would not avoid defeat of
the majority will by submission of a
multiplicity of measures on the same
subject; It would not forestall the
joker, nor Initiative log-rolling, nor
resubmission of measures known not
to be desired by the people, nor the
necessity of raising large defense
funds against attack upon the state's
financial credit by foreign experi
menters. We trust that he who attempts to
get at the basis of direct legislative
abuses without Impairing the princi
ple Involved will not by that act alone
lose his Identity as a friend of the
system. The stand-pat representatives
of a minority that purposes to fasten
its own ideas upon the majority "will
not hesitate to make such the result of
effort honestly to Improve the direct
legislative method. But we shall not
hastily put the Governor in alignment
with these busy experimenters. Per
haps, In recommending only one scant
Improvement, he is merely feeling his
way into what some have been led, by
the protests of a noisy few, to believe
is dangerous territory.
LAND AND WATER GRABBERS.
The Indians form only a fraction of the
Interior Department's care. The man who is
to fill this post will have charge of a do
main larger and more valuable than many
European kingdoms. It all belongs to the
people of the United States, and It Is en
tirely surrounded by persons and corpora
tions who are steadily bent on stealing
some of It. Comer's Weekly.
Here, bluntly and coarsely stated, Is
the ultra-conservationist's view of the
settler, the homesteader, the squatter
and the power and colonization con
cerns that have developed the great
West. They have stolen, or are steal
ing, or desire to steal, something from
the United States Government. They
are not homebuilders, but felons; not
farmers, but outlaws; not irrigation
ists, but thieves; not community de
velopers, but organized land and
water-power grabbers.
The problem of the West is to get
the lands settled and cultivated, the
water-powers appropriated and devel
oped, and the forests logged and made
Into lumber. Yet the Government is
directed by the conservationists of the
East to withhold Its lands, streams and
forests from use on the extraordinary
ground that the way to make a nation
great is to balk and to stigmatize as
criminals the men who by their labor
and their money would reclaim the
wastes, populate the wilds and utilize
the water powers.
The pioneers "steadily bent on steal
ing" some of the public domain made
up the great Western movement that
left the Atlantic seaboard and built
their pioneer cabins on the public do
main of the great Middle West and of
the Pacific Coast. But for them the
United States would today be in great
est part a tremendous wilderness or a
barren plain.
FORCE DISGUISED AS LAW.
The Boise Statesman complains that
the news accounts sent from that city
as to the State Supreme Court's de
cision against the recalcitrant editors
misrepresented the facts, insofar as it
was stated that the insolent Journalists
were sent to Jail for printing the
Roosevelt telegram and "criticising"
the judges. The Statesman declares
that "it was not criticism that formed
the basis of the court's action, but ma
ligning the court, and broad insinua
tions that its decrees were dictated by
predatory corporate and mendacious
political interests."
We apprehend that the public un
derstands the Idaho case pretty well,
though yellow correspondents may
have sought to drag in the revered
name of Colonel Roosevelt and make
it appear that he is the real object of
the court's punitive wrath.
The facts are, broadly, that the
court rendered a decision and was bit
terly assailed by a hostile newspaper.
The court then undertook upon its
own Initiative to punish its critics by
making constructive contempt out of
plain libel. The real position of the
court is that the editors, after the ac
tual decision, defamed the judges; it
Is not that they committed ( contempt
by any endeavor to influence the
court's action, or interfered with its
processes, or impeached its decorum
while in session, or in any other than
a purely technical way made any com
ment whatever on a case still pending.
They libeled and scandalized the court
tor what it had done, not for what it
was doing or purposed to do.
If the action of the Idaho court, in
citing these editors for contempt,
prosecuting them, passing as jurors on
the facts, sentencing them as judges to
Jail, was not an arbitrary exhibition
of force under the thin disguise of law,
what was it?
INCREASING THE RACE.
Payment of a birth bounty under
the British national insurance law and
the efforts of the French government
to find some means of stopping the
decrease in the birth rate mark a re
action from the gloomy theory of Mal
thus, which had much vogue a cen
tury ago. Malthus' theory was that
the population of the earth tended to
Increase faster than the food supply
and would soon overtake substence,
but for the check of vice and starva
tion, unless the human race practiced
self-restraint. He therefore believed
that there was no hope of ameliora
tion in the condition of the poor.
Against this gospel of pessimism
later generations have set the gospel
of optimism, which holds that the
productive capacity of the earth can
be increased to keep pace with the
increase in population, unchecked by
war, famine, pestilence, vice or even
moral restraint. It holds that the
growing of two blades of grass where
one grew before justifies the birth of
two babies where one was born be
fore. It holds that, as necessity is the
mother of invention, need of food will
prompt man to find new articles of
food and new ways of Increasing the
products of the soil. It holds that so
far as we can forecast the future, the
food-producing capacity of the earth
can be increased indefinitely and in a
degree sufficient not only to maintain,
but to improve on our present stand
ard of living.
A glance back at the last century
justifies this belief. The standard of
comfort of the poor is now much
higher than in the decade immediate
ly following the battle of Waterloo,
though the population of the British
Isles has , multiplied threefold. A
much larger population of the people
was on the verge of starvation then
than now. Steam and electricity have
disproved the doctrine of Malthus.
New discoveries, such as wireless tel
egraphy and aeroplanes, have followed
so quickly that we may reasonably
expect others to follow, all encourag
ing the hope that invention will con
tinue to multiply the fruits of the
earth in ample measure to feed all of
earth's growing family.
GOOD ADVICE AND BAD.
Hanging as a penalty for misleading
the President, as recommended by
Representative Sims, would be pretty
severe, but would it bring about the
desired result? If a man could only
give information or advice to the
president at the risk of his neck, most
of those who had no personal end to
serve and whose advice was, therefore,
safest to follow would be discouraged
from seeking the President's ear. On
the other hand, the men with schemes,
with evil motives or of violent preju
dices would be most likely to take the
risk, and the plight of the President
would be worse than before.
It is up to the President to sift good
advice from bad, fact from falsehood
or misrepresentation. He is the one
man chosen among over 90,000,000
because of his presumed ability to do
this. It is inevitable that ho blunder
occasionally, but if he blunders fre
quently or habitually, it is because he
lacks the faculty to distinguish good
advice from bad. He must take the
consequences in the shape of public
censure. i
There is no real analogy between
the President of the United States and
a constitutional King In this respect.
Our President is elected because of
his presumed ability to do the work,
power is placed directly in his hands
by the Constitution and he must exer
cise It and be personally responsible.
A constitutional King succeeds to the
throne because he is next in line of
succession, not because of his known
capacity to govern. Therefore power
is exercised in his name by ministers
chosen on aceount of their capacity.
If our people err in the choice of a
President, they are responsible and
they suffer the consequences. In a
limited monarchy they have no right
to choose the King, hence guard them
selves against the -possibility of his
tyranny or incapacity by depriving
him of actual power and reposing
that power In their chosen represent
atives. The essence of a republic is popular
sovereignty, with which is necessarily
Included popular responsibility. The
people cannot escape the consequences
of an unwise choice of rulers, nor of
those rulers' unwise choice of advis
ers. We cannot enjoy the ballot with
out paying the penalty for its unwise
exercise. Our present degree of ef
ficiency in its exercise is the fruit of
a thousand years' experience and. we
have many times paid dearly for that
experience.
SURAL SUPERVISORS.
It appears that, the law providing for
supervision of rural schools stands in
some danger of repeal at this session
of the Legislature. If that should be
done, it would be unfortunate for the
state. It would be particularly unfor
tunate for the rural population, whose
educational interests have always been
neglected. The country schools need
competent supervision at least as vi
tally as the city schools, and this act
Is about the first attempt on record to
provide it for them in a sensible and
efficient way. It has been on trial for
two years only, not long enough to
demonstrate its merits fully or bring
out its defects, if it has any. But in
those two years the supervisors ap
pointed under the law have done won
ders for the rural schools. If their
work is not interfered with by the
hasty repeal of the act, they will do a
great deal more.
We are in a position to mention defi
nitely some of the good points of the
supervisors' activity. For instance,
they have saved money for the country
districts by giving advice about the
purchase of books and apparatus.
Persons who are at all familiar with
rural schools know how prone the di
rectors are to' be misled by shrewd
salesmen, who persuade them to buy
all sorts of things which the schools
cannot use. Expensive books, globes
and scientific apparatus are sometimes
foisted upon the district, while simple
appliances which it sorely needs are
not provided. The rural supervisors
have done a great deal to better this
state of affairs. Under their quiet
management the districts are spending
their funds for the supplies which are
of daily use in the school work. But
that Is not all. The supervisors are
helping effectually to introduce those
Industrial branches which the rural
schools so badly need. The old-time
cut-and-dried substitute for genuine
education will never give way in the
country schools unless there Is some
body at hand to speak constantly for
better things. This the County Super
intendent has not time to do. He has
too much other work. It must be
done by the supervisor or not at all.
Again, the supervisors have been busy
encouraging the wider use of the
school property in the country dis
tricts for social and civic purposes.
This work Is so essential that its
abandonment would be nothing less
than a calamity to the state, and who
Is to look after it if the supervisors
are thrown out of office?
In proportion to the good they do
the supervisors are not expensive of
ficials. Under the law as it stands
rural supervision costs 76 cents per
child in Marion County, while super
vision in Salem costs $2.50 per child.
Certainly the country pupil is as well
worth caring for as the city pupil, par
ticularly when it can be done for less
than a third of the expense.
NEW AUTOMOBILES.
"When it is January," said Henry
Ward Beecher in one of his sermons,
"April is not far off." In another
month Spring will be here, or if not
quite here it will be so near that
everybody will be getting ready for it.
The automobile men are getting ready
now. As the time for sunny skies and
dry roads approaches they are filling
the magazines and newspapers with
advertisements far more brilliant than
the blooms of May. Some of the great
weeklies have put out automobile num
bers where the reader may luxuriate at
his ease amid the varied beauties of the
latest models and picture to himself the
joys of owning a $10,000 car and driv
ing it far and wide throughout the
world. Every true American is resolved
in his heart to own a car sooner or
later. If he has to mortgage his house
to get it, well and good. What is a mere
house in a world barren of delight?
The man who has no car feels as gro
tesque in modern America as a guest
who goes to an elite dinner In his
work-a-day coat. The automobile has
become the earmark of the civilized
human being. To live without dining
is comparatively easy in these days of
Fletcherism, but who wants to under
take to live without his motor?
The actual number in use of these
vehicles so modern and so marvelous,
is one to every 110 of the population
in the United States. In Denver there
Is an electric car for every 217 inhab
itants, to say nothing of gas motors.
No doubt the capital of Colorado is a
singularly pleasure-loving city, where
wealth more abounds than it does
elsewhere, but the figures are signifi
cant. Relatively speaking, in those
parts of the country where roads are
at all decent, motors are as common
among the farmers as in town and
their popularity Is increasing every
day. Not long ago The Oregonian had
occasion to mention that several hun
dred country churches had been shut
up in Kansas within' a year or two. A
correspondent explained the phenom
enon by telling us that the people had
not become irreligious all of a sud
den, but that with their new automo
biles they had taken up going to town
to church. We think they are envi
ably judicious. What comparison is
there between the service of the city
church with its melodious preacher,
its trained choir. Its comfortable pews
and its artistic Interior and thp starved
worship of the country town? It 1b
not the rural church alone which will
suffer from the popularity of the gaso
line vehicle. The country store and
every other rural Institution must ex
perience the same fate. We should
not be surprised to learn that a move
ment had started among the farmers
to live in the suburbs of the big cities
and go to their land every morning in
their automobiles. Either they will
do this or they will manage somehow
to create the best of city conditions Jn
the country. The mission of the au
tomobile to the farmer and his family
is civilization and comfort.
The center of automobile manufac
ture in the United States is Detroit.
It is in that city that the new models
are devised years ahead of the calen
dar. Those who are wise on the sub
ject whisper that the models for 1914
are already far on the road to com
pletion in the mysterlons inner sanc
tums of the great houses. The buyer
who obtains a 1913 model with its
powerful and reliable engine, its long
body and beautiful lines of construc
tion imagines that he has the best and
latest that ingenuity can devise. But
he is mistaken. Not only are the 1914
models already under construction,
with excellencies all undreamed of by
the unsuspicious public, but plans are
pretty well completed, for the 1915
model. Those who bought their cars
last Summer supposed that they were
getting excellent bargains and in most
cases they were. For the modern au
tomobile has passed the stage of ex
periments and silly breakdowns and
can -be depended upon in most emer
gencies. But the models for the com
ing season are far ahead of anything
that could be bought last Summer at
the same price. For one thing, the
automatic starting apparatus has been
made practicable and is to be obtained
on all the, good makes. More power
can be bought for the same money
than last year and the entire structure
of the cars Is more convenient. The
general rule that we must pay more
and get less for our dollars every year
does not apply to automobiles. There
is actual competition among the mak
ers and they are all doing their best
to give the purchaser his money's
worth.
The conveniences of civilization
often come as a pleasant surprise to
Americans who have dwelt all their
lives subject to the extortions and un
reliable service of our monopolies. Mr.
Kyle, of Florence, may have been per
fectly content to pay three or four
prices for the carriage of small par
cels from Eugene as long as he knew
of no better way, but now that the
parcel post serves him more efficient
ly for a quarter of the expense, could
he be hired to go back to barbarism?
His breakfast bacon is a small mat
ter, but the convenience of getting it
by mail when he wants it symbolizes a
changed world.
Even if the Archbald impeachment
cost $100,000, as some writers esti
mate, the country will count the
money well spent.' The outcome of
the trial will tend to quiet a good deal
of criticism aimed at constitutional
processes, which are beautiful in the
ory, but in practice, the grumblers
have said, will not work. Now we
know they will work. It is possible
to get rid of an unworthy judge with
out the recall. A good deal of the
trouble with the Constitution arises
from the fact that it has not been ap
plied except in a half-hearted way.
Common sense is making encourag
ing headway among the farmers of
SUverdale, Wash. They have organ
ized to sell eggs directly to consumers
in Seattle and have invoked the aid
of the Mayor and the Woman's Clubs
to carry out their plan. It Is only a
question of time when new and more
direct machinery for food distribution
will replace the cumbrous processes
we have been depending on. The SU
verdale farmers expect to get more for
their eggs than formerly, while at the
same time the consumer will pay less.
When the Balkan allies renew the
attack they may' find themselves con
fronted by a well-prepared foe. The
courage and spirit of the Turkish
troops have never been questioned.
Lack of preparedness was responsible
for the Turkish reverses. And it is
altogether probable that while the
Turkish peace ministers were stalling
and quibbling the Turkish army was
substituting steel artillery projectiles
for soap and destructive small arms
clips for wooden dummies.
Re-election of Senator Borah as
sures the presence in an influential
position in the Senate of a man who
will do most to promote the interests
of the West. It also retains in the
Senate a man who will lead in vin
dicating the position of the Republi
can party as the progressive party.
Election of road supervisors will
fail of results. The road system of a
county should be under a competent
head, who appoints subordinates to
carry on the work as planned. Other
wise confusion and poor work result.
Sheriff Mass, of Clackamas County,
Is entitled to the thanks of Multno
mah County for closing the Milwaukie
Club. With the roadhouses closed,
many Joy rides which end in sorrow
will be prevented. -
Mr. Taft, in abandoning his world
tour in the Interest of peace, possibly
concluded that Europe is entirely too
much interested in wars and war talk
to pay much attention to him.
An Oregon City family awakened to
find the bed in flames. Many of . us
have awakened lately wishing such
were the case. '
Prime steers sold at $8.25 in the
yards yesterday, keeping up Portland's
record as the "best beef market on
the Coast. -
Pint in OrMit Britain are to re
ceive $7.60 each for new babies. That
sum, In England, Is considerable or an
inducement
One million for the mouth of the
Columbia is not too much. That is a
maw of great capacity.
Citrus fruit men say their greatest
need is lower freight rates. How
about better weather?
The two presiding officers at Sa
lem are men who make things go.
The Washington electors are an nn
gallant lot.
It is a reasonably safe bet that Jack
Johnson will finish In the poorhouse.
Promotion of Police Captain Moore
is recognition of merit.
BACHELOR SEEKS WIFE IN VAIN
Be Had One Chain hut Girt Did at
Appeal to Him.
SPRINGFIELD, Or.. Jan. 11. (To the
Editor.) I have read with a great deal
of Interest the various letters of the
bachelors and old maids published in
The Oregonian and believe a great good
could be accomplished if some means
could be devised by which these un
mated ones could be mated. I sug
gest that the city of Portland or the
state create an office of public chap
erone to be filled by some one of high
character and respectability to whom
one could go with explicit confidence
that the question of his or her heart's
desire would receive due and most
careful consideration and be sacred from
the world. This is one of the most
delicate and yet one of the most Im
portant questions of human nature, to
bring together two lives In one union
that will endure throughout their nat
ural lives. Under the present system
of education it is becoming more and
more difficult.
I have so far been unable to find a
mate. There are girls or women in
my community and of my acquaint
ance who are worthy of the best of
men, but they do not appeal to me.
One I have all reasons to believe could
bestow all the affection I could ask
of a wife, but I rather evaded her, not
that she was unworthy of me for she
did me more honor than I deserved,
but I could not bestow all the devotion
and affection upon her which I wish
to bestow upon a wife. Therefore I
could not bring myself to the point of
accepting a life of hypocrisy to fool a
trusting heart to live and toil for what
she deserves but did not have. Better
far that I leave her free to find some
one who could give her his whole soul's
devotion which every loyal, faithful
and helping wife deserves. I could by
decision and force of will live the
life of a true and affectionate husband
until perhaps by force of habit I could
finally give her my unqualified love.
But this has not been my idea of pro
cedure in married life. Perhaps I am
mistaken. For the rapidity with which
some marriages are set up and the
rapidity with which they are dissolved
convinces me that many do not hold
my view. Marriage for social or com
mercial reasons has never appealed to
me, yet they are much more easily
brought about and I cannot dispute
the fact that many of them prove sue
cessful. After all perhaps they follow
more closely the natural law than in
those where true love and affinity are
the chief conditions upon which the
marriage relations are established.
Among the heathen, who only follow
the natural laws, the most homely as
well as the most beautiful have equal
chance for a mete. There are no dis
criminations because of their varying
charms. I have often wondered if one
could really love and adore one whom
he or she knew was extremely homely.
I have met people whom I thought
could give me light on that subject but
felt a delicacy in approaching it.
As to my wife, she must look good
to me. I do not believe I could ever
love. a woman who was to me really
distasteful. This, however, is largely
a personal taste. What would be beau
tiful to me might be quite ordinary to
someone else. But the woman whom I
could admire most, must have a beau
tiful face,, not as the stage classes
beauty. A doll is pretty but not beau
tiful in that broader and deeper sense
that reaches the soul. A woman never
becomes really and truly beautiful until
a beautiful character has matured suf
ficiently to leave its record upon her
face, of loVo, charity and hope of calm
content because she Is at peace with
herself, her nerves, with Qod and man.
I would love a woman in the first
place because she is feminine and not
masculine feminine in her noble char
acteristics of love, hope, confidence and
patience, and love for the gentle arts
and duties put upon her by nature. I
could go on Indefinitely upon this most
absorbing theme of beautiful woman
but I am afraid all the old maids
would think I was getting personal.
Suffice to say I have seen one woman
that to me seemed most beautiful. But
such women need never long to wait.
And for them men will use the best of
bait, and before I had appeared upon
the scene a happier man had made her
nueen. Then a Lochinvar came swoop
ing down and took another girl I had
found. Another girl I learned to know
instead of me loved another beau.
Such is "the experience of a common
bachelor, who plods along through life
alone still in quest of that beautltul
life in which love Is love's reward.
EL MER.
MB. GEER EXPLAINS HIS ' WORDS
What He Meant By Comparing Farm
er's Work to That of Male.
PORTLAND, Jan. 14. (To the Edi
tor.) Until today I had overlooked the
communication of Uncle John Minto's
In The Oregonian a few days ago, in
which he criticised a paragraph in my
book, "Fifty Years in Oregon," which
he quoted in part, only. What he
copied was as follows:
"The man whose occupation re-
quires all his daylight hours and whose
duties call for the constant bending
of the back, the crooking of the elbows
and the straining of the arms, really
leads a life that differs so little out
wardly from that of the , work-mule
that the difference is hardly worth
considering."
Of course it was a plain oversight
which caused Uncle John to omit the
preceding sentence which radically
changes the Idea tnat was presented.
The following is what was said, found
on rjaee 309:
"I rather cultivated the tendency (of
writing communications to tne news
papers) during my farm life. Indeed,
I found It the only aiversion irom
really hard work, and without some
mental rest or recreation to vary the
dally grind of farm labor, the life one
leads there is not so omerent irom
that of the horses one drives every
day and for whose physical necessities
he provides."
Then follows the quotation which
Mr. Minto criticises. But to the objec
tion he urges I myself made the qual
ification that that condition would pre
vail excepting for the diversion the
farmer receives from some sort of
"mental rest or occupation." If this
had been included in his quotation
there would have been no necessity for
bis communication at all.
In fact, I was deeply sympathizing
with the very hard lot of thousands of
farmers in this country In the quota
tion alluded to and was not In any way
desiring to "discourage the students
of our universities and colleges who
contemplate farming or cattle raising."
Not at all. On the contrary, it is to
alleviate as far as possible such condi
tions as I was describing, or those
similar, that such a very worthy insti
tution as our State Agricultural College
has been established and is liberally
supported. Indeed, its very existence,
and others doing a similar work, is a
recognition of the hitherto unsatisfac
tory condition of our farmers and a
tangible protest against its continu
ance. And certainly I had nothing at all
to say of cattle raising, though Uncle
John's statement that I might have
been a "cattle king" under other cir
cumstances, warrants the expression
of the opinion that, with the possible
exception of a well-located bishop,
there is no man on earth to be more
sincerely envied, so vast is the gap
between hi condition and that of the
average farmer, than a real, live cattle
king. T. T. GEER.
BENEFITS OF FAIR QUESTIONED.
Hood River Man Views Matter Thronfen
Blue GoKBlea.
HOOD RIVER, Or., Jan. 12. (To the
Editor.) As a citizen and property
owner of Hood River, would it not be
better for me and my community to
have $500,000 expended in our town
than in the town of Podunc? And as a
state would it not be better to spend
that sum of money within our borders
for something that is lasting; and per
manent, than to put it into an exhibi
tion building in Sun Francisco, to De
soon turned over to a wrecking crew
and razed to the ground?
Are we so flush with money as that?
It this state does construct a building
there, what shall we put into it to
exhibit? Apples? No. Our apples must
b handled by brokers with capital and
experience, and who are well estab
lished in. business in the East and Eu
rope. The consumer of apples has noth
ing to say In the matter. Ho takes
what the grocer offers him at the low
est price commensurate with quality.
The same is true with prunes and
other fruits and hops which grow in
this state.
Our fish cannera on the Columbia
and elsewhere have nothing to gam by
exhibiting their products with a huge
mass of other stuff in San Francisco to
a string of pleasure-seeking sightseers.
The canner's product is tried out on
the consumer's dining table all over the
world by the consumer mmseir. Tne
lumber business of this state ranks
first in volume of business, v e all
know that they have to find an outlet
of their products through well-estab
lished and reputable houses, located in
favorable places, determined by rail
roads and other lumbering sections.
And it is up to these retail houses to
show ur the good qualities of tnis lum
ber to people who are in need of it.
and to the actual consumer.
This is a wool-producing state.
Should our woolraen spend money for
a wool exhibit at the San Francisco
fair? No. They can put their money to
better use. Let them build a woolen
mill with their money within the bor
ders of this state and manufacture
their wool into cloth which we as loyal
citizens will buy of them, and again
keep our money at home. There is not
one single reason or excuse for our
Legislature to make an appropriation
for the San Francisco Fair. If a small
pavilion is desired for Orego.iians to
meet in, well and good, that is all we
need.
Let us invest our money in develop
Ing our own state. Our city streets and
our country roads need vast sums of
money for the proper development of
this state. We need it for our irriga
tion projects, experiment stations, agri
cultural school, insane asylums and
other state Institutions. These things
need our support, and we can then
point to them with pride to our friends
and visitors who come to see us. l cio
not think much of state-aid for roads,
but even that would be far better than
investing our money in a building in
San Francisco.
Suppose that this state appropriated
$500,000 for a state road from Portland
to the Idaho line, and the states of
Idaho and Wyoming continued this
road to a Junction with the National
Highway from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific Coast. Would this not be far
more remunerative and enduring than
a temporary fair building equally as
expensive at San Francisco? Haven't
we city parks everywhere that sadly
need Improving, which would be an at
traction and an inducement for stran
gers to locate among us? If our tax
payers will vote down a bill carrying
an appropriation for our university and
other state institutions, what will they
not do with a bill carrying an appro
priatlon for a building at San Fran
Cisco? F. P. FRIDAY.
SIMPLE APPAREL FOR STUDENTS
Fancy Dreaa Produces Mediocre Mind
Saya Former Teacher.
PORTLAND, Or., Jan. 14. (To the
Editor.) I-n The Sunday Oregonian of
January 6 appeared an article advocat
ing plain and simple dress for school
girls. The article appealed to me as
a thoroughly sensible one, and I, for
one, a mother and an ex-teacher, wish
that all mothers could be influenced to
nut into practice .the ideas there ad
vanced. The writer spoke of the
estnetic and also the moral side of the
question. I think she was absolutely
right. One kind of dress for swimming,
another kind for the gymnasium, still
a third kind for the schoolroom; all are
convenient and appropriate for the re
spective exercises of body and of brain.
Ail our school girls should be brought
to see that the schoolroom Is the place
to exhibit brain work, not to display
party clothes. A party dress Is, to my
mind, as out of place in the school
room as In the gymnasium or the swim
ming tank. Most teachers will agree
that a display of clothes in the school
room usually accompanies mediocre
minds. Would that a sensible public
sentiment could be fostered among the
mothers, and that they all could be
brought to see that such a display of
clothes In the schoolroom is as mucn
out of place as a swimming costume
would be, or, let us say, a ball gown
on the street. A MOTHER.
NATIVE WOODS FOR 1015 FAIR
Oregon Building Should Be Permanent
SrmMurr. Says ProfeMor FlinK.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON. Eugene,
Jan. 13. (To the Editor.) Oregon
Huuuiu uu" u j ....... , .
building at the Panama exposition. Let
US nave a struciure iiitvi oiiiii nut. witij
De iittue in 1 . -
tive woods, but shall represent at the
same time tne aDimy or our uusu
1........C, anrl maohjiniN.
UllliUircia ..
Walls, roofs, floors, framing and all
parts, botn structural ana uriianieindi
can be constructed in units convenient
for erection and for transportation by
After the fair this building could be
taken down and shipped home to serve
as a permanent exposition or art, u
ence and education or for other appro
priate purposes.
The general plan of using an expo
sition building on another site Is not
new. There is now standing In the City
of Mexico the magnificent structure
which formerly graced the cotton ex
position in New Orleans.
Let us resolve to have, instead of the
too-common sham of lath and plas
ter, a real building that shall repre
sent our state from the ground up.
within its walls, "If you are looking for
our cmet csiuun, iuu
F. G. FR1NK.
A NEW COIN FOR BRITAIN.
Suggestion That Elghtpence, or Sixteen
Cents Be Minted.
London Globe.
Since the insurance act came into
i , ..i, criitinnal work has been
thrown on cashiers in large business
establishments owing w me "'
of deducting small sums from the
weekly wages.
Incidentally, it has led to something
of a copper famine, and the suggestion
, i tviat thA mint should
IIU3 UU ......... ' ...
issue a new coin, of the value of eight-
pence, to be cieariy msuusiuSu ;
the shape or design from the existing
.- tv. w. . inn fa that many
wages now amount to "something and
elghtpence.
... . .tffhtnAHnv rtlArA werA is
sued it would be easy to distinguish it
from the existing nnw tuimBo.
simplest method would, of course, be
to use nickel, which would enable the
eight-penny bit to be large enough to
nrevent its being taken for a shilling
.. n r. A i -. 1 1 1 H f nrl lior
or sixpenny .- .-
be distinguished by the presence of a
small nole in tne center. i """"
has been adopted in the case of the new
i In Ka earn. TTitnl In.
r-renuii vumaeo
cidentally. we should have small change
of a mucn cleaner naiurB Liu. v
bulky coppers.
His Maiden Speech
By Dean Collin.
He hath pondered long and hath pon
dered deep.
And hath pondered with zeal and
care:
He hath vlsloned a scene in the Senate
hall.
When he shall be standing there
And, in awe-struck silence, the Sena
tors each
Shall list to him in his maiden speech.
There's a bill drawn up by a careful
hand:
Doped out by a level head:
Which he .Is to father and to defend
Ere the Senate session be sped:
And in its defense he hath planned a
peach
Of a line of talk, for his maiden speech.
The pipe draws well, and he hath a
dream
Of galleries thronged with folk.
Who weep when he hits the tremolo
stop.
Or roar at his well-timed Joke.
And nod assent as they hear hint
preach
With wisdom and weight in his maiden
speech.
He sees the Senators shedding tears;
He hears their applauding snout.
When, with three hours of his eloquence
He hath put his opponents to rout;
And in his dream, doth he hear them
screech
For mercy after his maiden speech.
With shout and cheer to his side they
rush.
In spite of the gavel's fall.
And hailing a Webster in their midst,
They tote him about the hall:
And eager Journalists, jostling, eacH.
Pleads for the manuscript of his speech,
L'ENVOL
Oh Imp of Perversity, stay your hand
When the day he hath dreamed shall
. . fall;
In mercy fasten the doors and keep
His colleagues still in the hall.
Lest, as he orates, they have a hunctt.
All to slip out and go to lunch.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonian, Januaiy 15. 1863.
The Washington Territory Legisla
ture has appropriated $500 to buy a
stand of colors for the First Regiment
of Washington Territory Volunteers.
The Jacksonville Sentinel says that
Jackson County has 1000 voters in it
and that five men have been killed in
it during the past year in fights and
quarrels.
Snow fell at Steilacoom. W. T to tha
depth of eight inches on January 2, but
went off quickly.
From this time forward it Is a pun-i
ishable offense to refuse to take green
backs at par in Washington Territory.
The penalty is $500 fine or six months
imprisonment.
George Francis Train says McClellari
has fortified Washington so well that
no army can reach the White House
but the army of contractors.
In view of the extensive Importation
of United States legal tender notes for
the purpose of speculation and the
consequent loss entaled upon the trade
here and elsewhere throughout the
state, the undersigned hereby agree to
accept them at the rates current in
San Francisco as published from time
to time in the daily papers of Portland
by Ladd & Tilton, bankers, (Signed by
79 merchants.) Legal tender notes thi
day 83 84o.
WASHINGTON METAL PRODTJCTIOX
Incrensed . Production of Copper anil
Sliver Occurred In 10VS.
Although the output of gold, which
is the principal metal produced in
Washington, ' decreased to about $679,
C00 in 1912, according to preliminary
hgurea by C. N. Gerry, of the United
States Geological Survey, the total
value of all metals produced In the
state was greater by nearly 7 per cent
than that of 1911. This was due to
the increased production and better
market price of both silver and cop
per. There were no shipments of zino
ore, and only a few cars of lead ore
were marketed, against a nominal out
put of zijic and a production of 848,584
pounds of lead in 1911.' Interest cen
tered around the new cyanide mills at
Republic, in Ferry County, and the
copper mines at Chewelah, In Stevens
County. The decrease in gold output
of about 20 per cent, or nearly $163,
000, was the result of fewer shipments
from. Republic, where much ore was s
accumulated for the two cyanide plants
which weie operated during the lattr
part of the year. After changes made
in the crushing department, the North
Washington mill was treating 126 tons
of ore per day In September. The ore
averaged $7.75 a ton and the extraction
was said to be 95 per cent. The San
Poll mill, alBO rated at 125 tons, made
its first bullion clean-up in September
from $12 ore. During the year ship
ments vrore continued from the Sur-
prise. Knob Hill, San PoiL Insurgent
and Qullp mines at the rate of 300rt
tons a month during thn first half o
the year, and at a somewhat decreased
rate thereafter. Besld33 that from the
Republic plants, bullion was sold frurt
mills operated in Chelan, Kittitas and
Okanogan counties;"
The estimated increase in silver pro
duction of 63 per cent made the total
output for the year close to 398,000
ounces. Copper ore produced in Stevens
County is to be credited with this in
crease, as well as with the increase of
295 per cent in the state copper out
put, which brought the total copper
production up to about 1,250,000 pounds
in 1912. The United Copper Company
shipped five times as much ore as in
1911. and there was much activity in
development in the Chewelah district.
Lead ore came from mines near Boss
burg and Turk. The lead plant at Ta-
coma was closed In July and Improve- J
merits were made for copper smelting,
including blast furnace, basic converter
and electrolytic refinery.
Care of Sidewalks.
PORTLAND, Or., Jan. 13. (To the
Editor.) Can you inform a mere tax
payer what department of this city, or
what individual official of this city,
bas supervision and control of the side
walks within its boundaries?
The writer has made diligent effort
to ascertain whose duty it is to force
derelict property owners to keep their
part of the public thoroughfares free
from obstructions and dirt, but up to
date has been unable to induce any
department or official, either Council
man, police, engineer, or street, to In
it tht owners of abutting property
shall keep their sidewalks in proper
shape for the use of pedestrians, and
not compel them to take to the street
in order to reacn a destination.
There is. in my mind, one location in
particular, on one of the main arteries
of travel, in a select neighborhood,
where fallen dirt covers the walk for
hundreds of feet, and no appeal for its
removal so far has met with acknowl-orte-oment
or action, except one very
courteous reply from the Superintend
ent of Streets to the effect that his
province extends merely from curb to
curb. Have we a Cornelius Vanderbilt
in charge of us?
H. 11. 1.L.A.U.
Tt Is the duty of the police to en
force an ordinance which provides that
nroperty-owners shall keep clear their
own sidewalks. It has not been rig
idly enforced, however, and many times
the City Engineer has sent out men to
clear a sidewalk for the general good
of the city. Any property-owner who
neglects to comply with this ordinance
may be arrested- by the police and
prosecuted m Municipal Court, but it
is said by City Engineer Hurlburt that
this has never been done.