Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, February 03, 1913, Page 6, Image 6

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    TIIE MORNING OREGOXIAJf, MONDAY. FEBRUARY 3, 1913.
6
PORTLAND. OREGON.
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PORTLAND, ' MONDAY. FEB. .
1913.
ZOCSXSO CP THE LAND.
The Commissioner of Corporations,
Lather Conant. Jr., apparently has
;not discovered that the Government
forest policy as directed against tim
ber monopoly is merely a chasing of
the devil around the stump. Fre--u-
-a.n. -raft ta Informed by Mr. Conant
' that so large a percentage of timber
Is becoming concentratea in tne ua.uu
of powerful interests that the exten
in nf the mw'rvM is advisable. Mr.
Conant would include in them lands
recovered in forfeiture suits, wnim,
in t.1 a nraetical illustration, would
embrace the lands In the immense
Oregon & California land grant, pro
vided the Government is successful
in that important action.
The main issue in the Oregon & Cal
ifornia case is the refusal of the rail
road company to sell lands to settlers
in accordance with the terms of the
-nanA iir tracts not to exceed 160
acres in extent and at a price not
greater than $2.50 per acre. The res
ervation policy, while bad for the peo
ple if inflicted on tnem Dy a rauruau
corporation, would be highly meritor-i-..
it nooma if -arTled on bv the Gov
ernment, and moreover inflict great
injury on the timber trust. xet tne
r:n.,ommit if the- rjresent policy be
maintained, would offer for sale the
ripe timber in tne grant oniy m. mc
price fixed by private monopoly, Uv
such methods does the Government
discourage growth in size of the tim
ber monopoly, but give monopoly
every aid in talcing from the people
all the profit it can squeeze out of
them on its present holdings. Mean
while over-ripe Umber in the forest
reserves rots for lack of purchasers.
Nor is the supposition that agricul
tural lands within the forest reserves
are open to homestead entry much
more than a myth. Improvements
totally beyond the possible physical
effort of the ordinary settler are im
nuri hv law. while entries are dis
allowed upon all manner of pretexts
advanced by special agents, im kuw
of B. St. George Bishop, now pending
in the Interior Department at Wash
ington, supplies a striking illustration
of the difficulties of taking up agri
cultural lands in the reserves.
Mr. Bishop's homestead Is on the
shore of Klamath Lake. Forty acre
are meadow or reclalmable swamp
land barren of trees; another large
portion is suitable only for dry farm
ing; the remainder Is covered by a
scattered growth of trees. It has been
declared agricultural land by the De
partment of Agriculture and that Lie
tract is best suited to agriculture has
been asserted over the signatures of
every public official in Klamath Coun
ty. Yet the struggle for a patent nas
extended over a period of seven years.
Some of the pretexts offered by the
Government officials for denying Mr.
Bishop's right to homestead the tract
huve heretofore been printed in The
Oregonian.
The Forestry Department once pre
sented an adverse report on the ground
that the land would be needed in tak
ing out timber back of it. Mr. Bishop
promptly offered a relinquishment of
a logging road right of way across the
tract. Some department at v ashing
ton then held that there was a prob
ability that part of the land would be
overflowed by a possible increase in
future of the storage capacity of
Klamath Lake as the head of an irri
gation enterprise. Mr. Bishop met
this subterfuge by offering a quit
claim for any damages that might be
occasioned by overflow. The Gov
ernment thereupon reserved the. land
for "recreation purposes."
Mr. Bishop's case is out of the or
dinary only because he is one man
who has put up a fight for the right
given him by act of Congress to home
stead agricultural land In a forest
reserve. Hundreds of other men have
submitted, through lack of fighting
qualities or failure of financial re
sources, to the general policy of the
Government of denying homestead
entries on the ground that such lands
are needed for "administration pur
poses," "ranger stations," or for some
other fancied purpose. Homesteaders
have been driven from several miles
of shore lands on Klamath Lake
lands of the same character that Mr.
Bishop is fighting for. This area lies
Idle, offering no present or prospect
ive profit to the Government and in
Its wild state stands only as a testi
monial to the subterfuge of the special
agent anil the Eastern oureauj.-.it who
fancy it is their duty to lock out the
settler.
So long as the forest policy is one of
reservation and not of conservation, so
long as It Is destructive of the timber
in Government ownership and con
ducive to the success of private mon
opoly, so long will the West resist the
extension policy advocated by Mr.
Conant- So. too, will the West, until
appointment is made, advocate wi'.h
all Its influence the selection of a
Western man for Secretary of the In
terior that mismanagement of the
natural resources may be cured.
Confidence of the Balkan allies that
the second campaign of their war on
Turkey will be short and successful
is probably based on an intimate
knowledge of the situation in Constan
tinople. They know or the fierce con
tention between the young Turks and
the older ruling faction. As one-third
of the population of the city is Chris
tian, the allies have an abundant
source from which to derive informa
tion through spies. They can count on
aid from the dissensions and Incom
petence of the Turks, and from tha
longing of the Christians for deliver
ance from Moslem rule. Once the
allied armies penetrate the Tchatalja
lines, ferment will break out among
the Christian inhabitants of the capital
which the Turks will probably at
tempt to subdue with their favorite
weapon massacre, 'mere are oioouj
days ahead, compared with which the
battles of the Autumn campaign will
pale into Insignificance.
HIGH COST OF DINING OTTT.
Interesting data and sidelights on
.... ...KW, nf hie-h COSt Of living at
restaurants are provided by a writer
in the New iors sun., inu
writer is the steward of a large
.in. n-haro he had ample time
HlAOACl.J . . w .
and opportunity for checking up
the profits made in tne nitjiicr
restaurants.
The rates of profit to the caterer
range from 75 to 300 per cent. It is
held. Blue point oysters on the half
shell are cited as a special instance
of high profit. The cost of these bi
valves is 1 cent each. Six are served
to the diner at 30 cents. Chicken soup
a la creole is another example. The
steward says that it cost him about 9
cents a plate to put out this toothsome
concoction. He noted it on the menu
card at 30 cents.
He next cites a hors d'oeuvre at 80
cents. It consists of a stalk of celery
stuffed with roquefort .cheese sur
rounded by two tiny squares of toast
with thin slices of head cheese, one
half a boiled egg sprinkled with caviar
and one-half a baby tomato stuffed
with sliced apple and mayonnaise. The
cost of this does not exceed 20 cents,
leaving a clear profit of 40 cents.
Nor is any of this prodigious profit
made necessary by the cost of service.
Here again the public pays the bill.
Waiters In high-class restaurants as a
rule receive Jl per day, according to
the steward. But they are "fined"
about that much every day for break
age. Of this they do not complain,
for the long-suffering, much-pilfered
public tips the flunkeys and tips them
well.
THE SINGLE SIX -YEAR TERM.
The vote of the Senate on the single
I nn lapni OTTKiTtrtmpnt t "1 the COn-
stitution shows that the Republic-ins
were not divided on regular ana rru
...iir. fnwinnal lines, although all
glWIIb i ' .
Progressives except Brown, Cummins
and Works voted against tne amenu
The fptrniii.rs were SDlit. sixteen
voting for and thirteen against the new
system. The sona uemocra.nu
In favor of the change, with the single
oTntinn nt shivplv. shows a disposi
tion to stand by the platform pledge
to a single term
rrhia 4ct!fipQ thrt nredlction that the
amendment will pass the House. If
the Democrats in that ooay to a man
. it ihpv onn nas It over an
unanimous Republican opposition, for
they will have 291 memoers agaimsi
144 Republicans, or three more than a
... .i,i.ja moinrlfv Rut man v Re
publicans will certainly Join them in
the House, as they ma in tne oenaie,
thus removing all doubt of the neces
sary majority.
The amendment will be submitted to
the states in time for ratification by
many of the Legislatures now In -session.
It will encounter determined
opposition from the Progressive party,
but that party Is nowhere strong
enough to prevent ratification unaid
ed. The Democrats are likely to be
as united In Its support in the Legis
latures as they are in Congress and the
proportion of Republicans upportlng
It Is likely to be larger than in the
Inlted States Senate.
Adoption of this amendment 'oy the
Senate Is a symptom of the accelera
tion of the progressive movement,
which In this Instance is opposed by
the party Progressives. Although the
single-term idea has been discussed
from time to time for many years, it
had never been seriously taken up and
pushed to the front unUl the last ses
sion of Congress. Its assured adoption
at the second session at which it has
been considered marks a great In
crease In speed over the pace at which
the income tax and direct Senatorial
election amendments have traveled.
We maj thank Colonel Roos.velt
for this speeding up of the machnfy.
Despite his immense popularity and
the violent opposition to Taft within
the Republican party, the. ar.t! -third
term sentiment was strong enough to
prevent Roosevelt's election. Taffs
effort to secure a second term in the
face of his known weakness as a can
didate was a most forcible argument
against a second term. The great
amount of important work, well be
gun, which he will leave unfinished
was an argument for a longer tirm
than four years. Congreiu yields to
the logic of events.
Should the six-year term ba finally
adopted, it may lead to ether consti
tutional changes. Election of a Demo
cratic House in 1910, while the Presi
dent and Senate remained Republican,
has practically blocked legislation on
Important issues for two years.. Were
the same thing to happen in the sec
ond year of a six-year Presidential
term, the deadlock would at times be
prolonged for four years. The people,
urgently demanding action, would not
long endure such a situation and
would insist upon some means or pre
venting or breaking the deadlock.
They wish the wheels of Government
to speed up, not to slow down. Exact
ly how they will do this cannot be
foretold until the six-year term Is a
fact and the emergency described has
arisen, but that they will find a way
is certain.
THE POSTOFFICE DEPARTMENT.
Postmaster - General Hitchcock
makes so good a showing of achieve
ment during his term of office that
his successor must be a man of much
energy and ability to equal his record.
He holds out prospects that the postal
savings banks will become self-supporting
when the volume of depos'ts
reaches $50,000,000, but as the total
is now only about 28,000,000. several
years may elapse jifore this goal is
attained unless the maximum deposit
allowed by each individual be raised
above the present absurd figure of
tAA
Those who condemn the present
rates anu weigut umu ui iy
post are reminded that present restric
tions are only tentative. As Mr. Hitch
cock says, when the system is thor
oughly organized the rates may be re
an? the weitrht- limit raised.
There is no reason why the latter
should not approach tne ticrman max
imum of 110 pounds. Mr. Hitchcocn's,
recommendation that the third-class,
covering printed matter other than
newspapers and periodicals, should be
consolidated with the parcel post
sounds reasonable, but will doubtless
encounter opposition from those who
think their business Interests would be
adversely affected.
The greater abuse now coroect-d
with the postal service is the frank
i ...ororr. whioh Mr. Hitchcock holds
responsible for depleting the postal
revenue by .more tnan iu,uuu.uu uur
Ing the last fiscal year. Adoption of
hi. niin rt rtxiiiirintt- issue of special
stamps for franked matter would
place responsibility for tnis aouse
where It belongs, but that is precisely
what Ci t&resB does not wish. Only
popular Itd gnation can compel Con
gress to relax its hold on this most
cherished graft
COMMISSION RULE IN NEW JERSEY.
New Jersey cities are much divided
on adoption of the commission form
of government. Since the Legislature
passed the law allowing municipalities
to vote on the question, cjmmission
government has been adopted In thir
teen municipalities, ranging , from
cities to villages and having an aggre
gate population of 238,068, and has
been rejected by nineteen having 707,
763 people. The two largest of the
nineteen, however, already had what
Is called a Bingle-head commission
government. These are Jersey City
and Paterson, with 267,779 and 125,
600 population respectively. Eliir.inat
ing them from the total adverse pop
ulation, we therefore have only 314,
384 against commission government.
The new form of government would
probably have been more generally
accepted had It not effected automatic
recall of persons then holding office.
These persons had a strong motive for
working against the change, which
would not have existed had the new
charter not become effective untl'
their terms expired.
Large and small towns alike have
accepted or rejected commUsion gov
ernment. The largest cltv adopting
it is Trenton, "with 96,815 people; the
smallest Is Longport, with 118. Omit
ting Jersey City and Paterson for the
reasons above mentioned, the largest
city rejecting is Elizabeth, with 73,
409; the smallest Ventor, with 409.
Although the commission plan car
ries with it the initiative, referendum
and recall and the law has been )u
operation more than eighteen months,
there has not been a murmur of re
sort to these devices in any city. Un
like Oregon and Washington, New
Jersey cities regard direct legislation
in the same light as Governor Wilson
regards them, as a reserve power,. a
gun behind the door.
ALFONSO'S PROPOSED TISIT.
Alfonso, the youthful King of Spain,
may shortly Indulge an ancient and
..kh.iisiira n irinit th Tfnited States.
Again, he may not. The one thing
that troubles him is tne matter or nis
rAntinn H isn't certain that he
would be any too welcome on these
shores of a one-time foe. Remove mat
uncertainty and his proposed visit
nrnuM nnloVlv materialize, so it has
been made clear by Spanish court
personages.
It lsn!t difficult to describe for the
benefit and enlightenment of Alfonso
Just how he would be received. To
begin with, he would be met with
no.iroi Knnrtnv hv iho United States
Government. The big guns at Sandy
Hook would boom rortn a noisy wel
come and his vessel doubtless wouli?
be convoyed by a flotilla of cruisers.
A reception committee of distin
guished officials would escort him to
V. I., ltslntri nrllPrA h A WOUld be &C-
corded every courtesy and every op
portunity to study conditions in tne
United States. He is entitled to that
consideration as the representative of
the Spanish people.
He mustn't expect us, howler, to
take him seriously. Hospitality doesn't
prescribe that. Alfonso is known the
world over as a light-headed and
sadly deficient young man who fel'
heir to a throne many sizes too large
for him. 'He rules by the forca of
borrowed brains the while he frivols
his time away in light diversion. In
cognito trips to Paris are reputed to
be his special delight. So far as is
recorded, however, Alfonso has con
tributed nothing to the world's ad
vancement, enlightenment. Interest or
edification.
Therefore he need not be surprised
if the Interviewers want to talk to him
about his favorite cocktail, his first
amour, his latest prank or his best
preparation for facial massage. Such
subjects are precisely what mention of
his name conjures up. Nor must he
be surprised if the crowds greet him
with a show of easy familiarity. They
have his measurement, so to speak.
Leave it to an American crowd to re
ceive a distinguished visitor according
to the nature of his distinction.
We trust Alfonso will proceed with
his plans to visit the United States. It
can do us no harm and may do him a
a lot of good.
WILSON'S CONSERVATION POLICY.
What President-elect Wilson said at
Chicago on the subject of conservation
reveals his mental attitude thereon as
being in full harmony with the opinion
of the West, but it reveals also the In
fluence of those men who have made
such a fetish of conservation that they
suspect every man of evil designs who
attempts to develop or use any of our
natural resources. The speech shows
that Wilson has considered conserva
tion In relation to its general bearing
on the much larger subject of the re
lation of the Government to business
and of the law's war on monopoly, the
law's championship of equal oppor
tunity and equal access to the Nation's
resources. The passage relating to
conservation follows:
In the first place we have to husband and
administer the common resources of this
country for the common benefit.
Now, not ail business men In this coun
try have devoted their thought to that ob
ject They have devoted their thought ver
successfully to exploiting the resources of
America, but very tew business men have
devoted their thought to husbanding the
resources of America. And very tew In
deed have the attitude of those who admin
Ister a great trust in administering those
natural resources. Until the business men
of America make up their minds both to
husband and to administer as if for others
aa well as for their own profit the natural
resources of this country some of the ques
tions ahead of us will be Immensely dif
ficult OI BOlUlluu.
It has come to be believed, and I repeat
WIUl ! goiieian j . .............
true, that the raw materials the resources
of the country as yet undeveloped are not
as available to the poor man who needs
them most as to the rich man whose need la
for material to exploit to his further gain.
These things are wrong. We must not
try to say how justice must be meted out
or how resources may he available, but we
must eee that they are equally available. .
gome of our-difficulties have arisen from
the fact that we did not start with the
correct premise. We must remember, and
you must not cause people ta believe other
wise, that reservation Is not conservation.
Preservation is not conservation, where
a national life grows as rapidly and as
surely as American life growa For mere
reservation which Is a synonym for delay
ana preservation, which Is old-faahloned-
hwn In the future, are not true conservation.
Conservation la the maintenance, as a
beacon u light tha struggle of the needing
with the hope of attainment of all that
will flU the needs of the needing.
Wtiy Is It that the Government of the
United States up to this moment has not hit
upon a consistent policy of conservation?
It has not. You must be aware that a mere
policy of reservation is not a policy of con
servation. It la In on sense a policy of con
servation, for It conserves: but no na.tlon
can merely keep out of use Its resources in
order that they may not be squandered and
dissipated We must devise some process
of general use. And why have we not
done so? , ,
Why if I am not very moch mistaken,
because the Government at Washington was
tremendously suspicious of everybody who
approached It for rights In the water pow
ers and forest reserves and mineral reserves
of the Western country which the Federal
Government still controls. They looked with
suspicion upon every applicant to use them.
They cannot have looked with suspicion ex
cept because they believed that the men en
gaged in these great enterprises had not yet
got the National point of view. If they be
lieved that the business men oi mat ion
were nurposlna to husband these resources
and constitute themselves, as in some sense
they are. trustees tor future generations
who need them as much aa this generation
needs them, there would have been no
ground for suspicion. They would have felt
a free hand in the matter of framing a pol
icy which they could have pursued, bo tnat
when the Government at Washington under
takes in the future to develop a policy of
this sort, the first thing It must know la the
state of mind, the psychology, the purpose,
the attitude of the man that It la dealing
with.
That attitude must be declared, and open
and transparent Don't you aee that la your
responsibility, not mlnet I shall sit there
and try to preside over the matter, but I
shall know what to do only aa I can Judge
the men I am dealing with. The moment
their purpose is declared to be for the gen
eral interest, then the whole atmosphere of
suspicion will be dissipated, and the Govern
ment will come to a normal relation with
the citizens of the United States.
Then there Is another thing that la to be
done. The raw materials obtainable in this
country for every kind of manufacture and
Industry must be at the disposal of every
body In the United States upon the same
terms. I do not mean that, the .Government
must determine upon what terms they must
he available, but merely that they shall be
available upon the same terms to whoever
applies to use them or to purchase them.
That there shall not be discrimination among
those who are to have access to these re-
That, it Is true, !s merely a part and a
specification under what I have already been
talking about If those raw materials are
tO DO Used in tne "Pint UI uuia wuv "
serve the whole country only," without regard
to section or Individual, then our future is
assured of an absence of the kind of dis
crimination which the whole temper of this
country has sternly risen against
Wilson voices Western opinion when
he says that "preservation Is not con
servation"; that "no nation can keep
out of use Its resources in order that
they may not be squandered alid dis
sipated"; that "we must devise some
process of general use. Jiut ne ae-
scribes the attitude of the Pinchotltes
when he says the Government "looked
with suspicion upon every applicant
to use" our resources. He states the
(rround of this suspicion when he says
that business men have not husbanded
their resources and must change their
attitude in order to dispel suspicion,
All that Wilson says is true. HI
speech was a sincere and eloquent ap
peal to the American business man to
"come in voluntarily'" and aid him in
restoring that equality of opportunity
which was the glory of our republic at
the time of its founding. The west
is heart and soul with him and re
echoes his appeal, for the West was
the birthplace of every movement for
the preservation of our liberties, from
the granger movement of past times
to the progressive movement of today
The West first brought railroads un
der control and began the movement
to root out monopoly and to restore
competition. The West now longs for
that equal access to credit which he
demands and which would enable us
to finance Western enterprises without
ajoing to the narrow circle of financiers
whereof he speaks. The west reaany
took up the conservation movement
when it was launched and opposes
only Its perversion to the reservation
instead of the conservation of our re
No right-thinking man, no patriotic
citizen can reaa wusons auiicm tu
K..oinsSa vr,A fir aM In restoring- the
Nation's ideals without endorsing it
from his heart, wan street ana its
internreted that speech
as a threat and are obdurate in their
determination not to "come in," as
Wilson expressed it, but It was not a
threat; It was an appeal, ne Deggea
them not to compel him to use the
whip of the law in fulfilling the trust
which the people have confided to
him.' They cry with alarm at the mere
mention of the whip. He shows an
unshakable purpose to use it. If they
remain obstinate in their resistance to
the frequently expressed will of the
Nation. There is yet time for them
to repent. If they refuse to avail
themselves of that time, let Wilson
strike, and strike hard, but let him not
Inflict hardship on that section which
is most in harmony with him, by al
irvwinir nnr resources to remain locked
up while he lashes those who would
squander them. There are men in
the West who can be trusted to ad
minister the National domain in ac
cordance with the policy he outlines.
Let him put such a man In charge and
the West will stand behind him m re
sisting the onslaughts of both the res
ervationists and the exploiters.
British Tories try to change the is
sue from one of aristocracy against
democracy to one of aristocracy
.... i c intncr-j Thftv do not real-
ize that the votes they draw from the
Liberal party on this issue are more
ni,oi,. tn m to thn labor nartv. rep
resenting democracy, than to them
selves and that the larjor parry win
be more merciless in destroying aris
tocratic rights and privileges than the
Liberals have been.
Dr. Galloway, of the Agricultural
nonartment. nredicts that dates, figs
and olives will become-valuable crops
in the United States. The doctor Is
prophesying that which many or us ai-
A trnnnr Viint ETTOW OUtdOOrs In
Oregon good, luscious figs. Olives
grow to perfection in California, and if
dates do not grow in the Imperial Val
ley, it is because nobody has tried to
grow them.
senator-Milt Miller Is afraid to In
troduce a bill compelling woman to
state her age when registering. Why
obr.ii!,! woman object? No woman
is as old as she looks. It is the other
way with men, and most of them are
proud of It.
t rn.l.oi tlia nrt!1rA sro to SleeD
lu ini.h" - r
while a law and order detective steals
their records. In New York they stay
awake to help the criminals rob the
people. Our two largest cities are
not a credit to American civuiiwuuu.
nl ... lnnff hrldPA flVPf the PO-
tomac will be a creditable memorial
of the grand skedaddle from the first
Bull Run.
If -success results from effort to
grow tobacco at West Stayton, the
Oregon cigar will cure the habit.
Old-age pensions for pjstai em
ployes is no more. "raw" than pay to
retired Army and Navy people.
Easter and Spring . will arrive to
gether, on authority of the groundhog.
Annther New York banker has been
sent to Atlanta, to an early near-deatn.
Mr. Groundhog would better have
stayed out and kept on his furs.
Judge Guthrie is fooling with a
short circuit af Kansas City.
How would the Venus de Milo look
in a hobble skirt?
Eli what! California rejecting
Florida fruiu
HOW TO OBTAIN 600D ROAD 4.AWS
If Lobbies Would Leave galena, L esca
lators coma Aecemplian sunjrmin.
T.ATIREL. Or- Jan. 31. (To the Edi
tor.) In The Oregonian January it
appeared an article written by Ferd
Groner, of Hillsboro, In which he In
dorsed the road measures framed by
the Grange. I am a neighbor of Mr.
Groner and am familiar with the road
conditions in this part of the state,
having lived in this locality for 16
years.
I desire to oer a friendly criticism,
as I Aa not believe this bill would give
us much relief.
I, like the writer, will state that 1
am an ordinary farmer living 19 milas
southwest of Portland and nine miles
from any railroad, and have received
very little income from my so acres o.
land, as I started in the green timber.
I have two wagons, one hack, one bus
gy and one cart, also a wheelbarrow.
This measure proposes to raiao
state fund from two sources: (1) A
license tax of 25 cents per horsepower
on all vehicles that travel the roads ct
this state, buggies and wagons oased
txr, min-ihr nf horses or animals
used to propel each vehicle. That is to
say. a wagon drawn ny iour
would be taxed as a four-horsepower
vehicle, a hack drawn by two horses
would be taxed as a two-liorsepower
vehicle, a buggy that is drawn by two
horses in the Winter and one in the
Summer would be taxed as a one-an l-a-half
-horsepower vehicle, a cart would
be taxed as a one-horsepower vehicle,
a t ha tha whAAlhnrmw
ana i li ii. -- - - iVl
would be placed on the free list From
this license tax we wouiu rowi.o v,
000. (2) A direct tax of mill, pro
vlding 1450,000; total from the twi
ICEA AAA
Now, the proposed expenditures are
as follows: The sum of 1 2.000 to be
. . . v, . malnUnlnM of the
Set ttUUV i I'l lug .,.-- -
office of the State Highway Engineer
. i eclll) Anfi
and his ass-.stanis; osianct, !."
Twenty-five per cent of the balance
Is to be turned over to tne otate men
way Engineer to be used at bis discre
w Kno. Tha remainder,
.ro'cAA T n.acii m a iq tn ha divided
among the 24 counties, which would be
$14,073. bz lor eacn cuuuu. .e
ton County, with her 45 road districts.
i j . tfi9 7i ni HiRtrict: Road
District No. 31, in which I live, has 46
miio of roads: tnereiore we ui
nave pci .....w.
I will say that 1 have lived In the
i , I. a mil.
United States 33 years, ana nave ream
, , .. i .4;..aT, BtntM nnrl ter
ritories. I have swung the pick and
-i t MLnaila and nublid hi8Th-
ways, and have taken lessons In the
great college or observation.
In the Summer of 1879,1 worked on
a Government highway in Sweden b
contract, and at times I worked with
the engineers. Sweden passea mo
i . .. 1 ., ... nt rnnil hulldiniT CBU
turies ago, and for that reason we have
Inherited laeas mat. may .o..
even in this state but can any good
come from Nazareth?
. , .. - t... etnn wranfir
uiuuci oajo - - -
ling and get to some common-senBe
pian iBiti win & 1 .i.o-...
Yes, we elect representatives to tne
Legislature to mane our ii"".
member the road bills that were passed
by tne last iigisiiuo ....
vrr a . J ,. 1 .. ..-, iwl - WA rTTI PTT1
ernor nwi i"w -'
ber the dlMerent bills that went down
to dereat at the last election.
. ...... I nf thA T.eerislature
there are road bills presented by the
Grange, oy tne notei inou
tion, by the PaclHc Highway Associa
tion, and I presume by the "windjam
mers' association." There are hordes
or lobbyists, and all the good they can
ao IS to f.: i rnm w 1 1 ... .1 .
The Legislature in session represents
an ant mil, me uitiereju.
in by the lobbyists are as snakes
1 nn. t,m in a ahort time
inrvwn m . ...... -
there is nothing lert but a string oi
bones.
ir the legislators were left to them
selves they could accomplish some
thing. We must get some common
sense plan that will give results. Tell
the lobbyists to go to their respective
homes, shoulder a shovel, use the time
and money they now spend for travel
ing expenses and hotel bills in digging
. , . 1 .hnti, rhi-aa fAt H RPD ftlOH
the public highways. This will help
a little to cnange conuiiiu.-.
B. WENSTROM.
ADVISORY COMMISSION OS UWS
Correapondent Sofcscesta Muni of Im
proving Initiated Bill".
EUGENE, Or., Feb. 1. (To the Ed
a In Tha nrorniilfln. Jan
HUI,; A ICIW v -r. .
uary 81, contains some good advice re
garding the initiative, out, umui in
nately, the suggestion as to submitting
to the legislature duis prewu i
Initiative is beset by the current-aver-
, J ..n.!.!.. nf -hA TelslatUre
as a means of carrying out the will of
the people. And yet the Initiative is
In need or some measure in una unc
tion. The people, acting In the mass, have
j i . KH nf nnn.hlA indl-
IieU Wi OkJl.lK wwuj w. . 1
vlduals to assist them and properly
formulate tne duis ana eee iual
-1. v ti n r An not con
etie .... j "
flict with previous laws on the statute
books. Since the Legislature is out or
ravor, I think it wouia oe a koou
to have a committee selected tor this
purpose. The committee to consist ot
not over five persons; all bills by ini
tiative to be referred to it; when the
bills are placed on the ballot or listed
I . 1 C . . n nf Rtaia fn. dlatrlbU-
Uy l-lltr OClylCWH J " . . .
tlon to the voters, the committee to
state its opinion in writing regaruins
the bills and their objections, if any,
to them, either as to the phraseology
or general erfect, also their advan
tages; said opinion to be placed on the
list mentioned.
mi .. (..... .hi.n1n hove, nn nnxVAi
to reject them, but act merely in an
advisory capacity ana do ouojeui m e
call like other state officers. The
1 1 1 .... ! , n mArnVtAM fm in nrfldT tO
render it more responsible or efrective.
Also WOUia miae it mn uuij wi
body to assist any one applying to it In
. i n. n...-).. im a si M hills, and
iio.iiii.ib vi 6 a-
it to have authority to originate bills
for initiative tne same as otuer mm
vlduals. i ! J- BEASLY.
LIFE RESEARCH HALF REWARDED
Student Finds One-Learned Chinaman,
but Still Seek Dead Male.
PORTLAND, Or., Jan. 31. (To the
Editor.) As I have otten paused to re
mark, you can easily rind out the cir
culation and popularity of a newspa-
Der if vou know how.
A little while ago I Inquired, through
The Oregonian, ir any one had ever
seen a deceased gray mule or a one-lee-sred
Chinaman, and today I am in
receipt or a letter rrom Astoria saying
there Is a one-legged jninaman resi
dent or that town.
This lnrormation, which I regard as
Ttrmelv valuable. Is due solely to the
popularity or The Oregonian, and I
have no doubt that the publication or
this letter will bring forth news oi tne
man who has seen a dead gray mule.
It so, two much mooted questions will
have been cleared up.
The unthinking man might be in
clined to scoff at these Important re
aeari-.hes. to Dass them by unnoticed.
but when I have found the man who
has seen a dead gray mule I will have
something of real interest to reveal re
garding mules and Chinamen. Tomor
row I will Journey to Astoria to verify
the Chinaman story and hope to hear
rrom the mule By next aaturaay.
ROBERT G. DUNCAN.
E49 East Forty-ninth street. North.
NO.
GRANDVTEW, Wash, Jan. 31. (To
the Editor.) A lived In Oregon and
..n . nn.h 3nn ol nTlllWtV and real
estate. He sold all his Interests there
and moved to wasnington, August i,
1912. Can a Sheriff or Oregon collect
personal taxes rrom him after he is
living in Washington?
B A SUBSCRIBER.
CRYING NEED IS REAL RELIGION
Fault la Found With Churches aa They
Are joasy,
PORTLAND. Jan. 27. (To the Edi
tor.) The communication of Messrs.
Neale and Charette in The Oregonian
today, together with some others pub
lished during the past week, indicate
tha, thn neonla ara beErinnlnar to think
and examine their surroundings a little.
If I understand Mr. Neale correctly, ne
indicates that humanity is just as bar
barous as It was zuuu years ago, nut
the barbarity is more refined. In other
n.n A .,. nun 'lv. . tn R n fl nulnldft
or break a bank by a little secret gos
sip or quiet sianaer properly in.iinu,
... l, l v. Ha nrrinnto irarA tnr rousrh and
ignorant properly to understand. Hy
pocrisy has been well educated and
has grown more cunning as tne years
naaaaA Tha NlnVA-owner of ceo
turies ago whose serfs wore a collar
around their necks and were given a
fixed living, have not changed their
conditions perceptibly, simply because
the ancient master now poses as the
prominent business man or stockholder,
and by his devious methods forces the
workingmen to accept nis terms ur
starve. ,
Organisation is a wonderful thing in
unscrupulous hands. It sustains old
conditions under a new aspect- But as
regards Mr. Charette's contention as to
at.. cn.ioiivta and rfilteion. Is he not
making the mistake of so many people
In talking aoout ine oniy true
i.iAn .. ii, Mhnri will follow in
stinctively If not swerved by his en-
ViriAAlAl.lAfc , " .--
slderably of a humbug. Not much more
so. however, tnan tne moaern e"v
orders. Both draw great sums of money
from the people In the name of the ever
livlne God. and sometimes of his Mes
senger, Jesus Christ, who was alse
somewhat of a soap box orator in his
day, and was harried from city to city
because he talked too much. Ir I un
. . v. - a..t.iiata Maa itrjrractlv
aersianu mo ...w.. -
church and religion are not synonymous
object or oppression which is always
begging money tor purposes iuicib..
to the purpose ror which Christ would
have spent It. In other words. It is
i na . n anma h I srh-nriced minis-
ter build a costly church to be used
one day in the week for telling the
same old story In the same old way.
while the lot of the poor and destitute
Is the same today as It has been for
centuries. A year ago I heard a min
ister In San Diego make the statement
that In Germany several nunarea tnou
j nniA it liav. fnre-rttten the ex
sauu pew,.. a
act figures which he gave) believed
that the church was uieir enemj. i"i
you, not religion, but the church. And
. . ,A i,i .AAmH tn be srro win b: In
this country. The Idea appears to be
. i. .. . ,h. ,i,n,.h hnn moved awav from
LUAl LUVJ i,..u. w. - -
the people, and is not fuirilling the
purposes mtenaea ny mo mo
lngs or Christ. In other words, that
it is collecting money irom ion
not to be used in their behair. but in
toadying to mammon and the golden
calf. The trouble is. we have too much
costly church and too little real reli
gion HENRY F. JOSLIN.
OVERLOADING OF SCHOOL COCRSE
Mr. MItty Sees In New Policies Dinger
to Essential aBowieage.
cnT.i or- .Tan. 30. (To the Editor.)
The Oregonian, January 22, states
that I am an enemy to me puum.
schools; to which In justice to my
..ir t loxira to make public reply.
Those engaged in educational work
cannot put the Paciflc Ocean into a
gallon jug; neither can tney. company
.1 ... ..1. nrnn-1 a UPfl of knOWl
edge within a school-jug course oi
eight grades. Hence it Is possible to
introduce such a multiplicity of sub
jects within such grade work as to
destroy tne enriciency um ""
of Instruction in all studies, and impart
..... ...no-AMiai inefficient knowledge
of the most important subjects to be
learned oy tne pupua v. vu. -
SCUUUia. .... .
If the average school child has Been
overinstructed in reading, writing,
spelling, arithmetic, grammar and
kindred subjects and possesses a use
less superabundance of knowledge upon
. i ,ki..t. ia la n.ii-c tn me.
LUeSO BUUJw, .t. " " " ' " -
All knowledge acquired through lire
is not gained in tne scnooiruuin, ain.
much useful Knowledge can u
quired elsewhere to a better advantage.
i a,,nnABafniiv rained chickens.
J. UU.n UU..-.--'-'. J -
pigs and gardens and have worked
upon and am Interested in our public
J- . T n.ao nn piVP.n BUnerflClal
ruuus, . a. " o - , -
instruction upon such subjects wniie
attending pumic school
I have made an honest living by
working upon the farm, the public
roads, in the logging camp, sawmills.
. , ..!.. n.i. fiAi-lrlnsr 4n eeneral
merchandise stores and various other
a hova. nivrnin e-iven satis-
factory service, in doing so I have
always found tnat my raowii8 ":v
those subjects wmcn i nto t.a.CTA
.i..i ..hnai ntiirltafl was useful
e&aeiii-ici-A ...... -
. an. t hnvA h 1 so leamea
anti ucycAAaij, . - . . .
that when I lacKeo. Knowieuse ."
should have been tnorougniy imprts
mlaa Murine- mv school days
11 IJ U 11 ill. A.1...U - -, . -
it was a deeper, better knowledge of
those same identical suojecia.
What the public school course has
to do with the past birth rate in Amer
ica and how publio school instruction
in road work, if It had been taught 50
....... hii nrnriiiced nerfect
years ag,!., w - - ,
roads all over our sparsely-settled state
by this time, tnougn bo ansimy
veloped In other lines. Is beyond my
comprehension and seems but vague
.... i.,-.tw. I.. MTTTV
Imagination. ui-unui. v.. -. -
REVOLVER BILL FAVORS CROOKS
Correspondent Believe It Would Have
. . . i . i.-......
UpPOaiie OI 1U1COUC.
prutrxm nr.. Jan. 29. (To the Edi
. t hnn, that our legislators will
not be worked into the passing or the
bill to prohibit revolver carrying or
owning, and providing heavy fines and
imprisonment for any infraction.
Hardly can they be Ignorant of the fact
that the people who want to commit
hold-ups, muraer am mo ...,
in n mnrm Attention to a law
. :aa; thai, hnvitiz small lire.
1U1 uiuuine ........ -
arms than they do now to laws against
roDocry anu aiiiai.c.
The result is decidedly in their (the
crooks) favor ior tney iiccm u
.... 1 1 f ir ..-In.. A hilt IBW
careiiu iu wii.iAAt..."& .
or the otherwise lawabiding people are
r.. . .. .w ti. nf a tinnn finA
likely to run mo no. . . ...--
and one year imprisonment vmo
mum penalty) ror protecting or them-
. rpk. 1 -rnnlH tn ttA tW.T
selves. e a i .
the right to defend one's seir against
those who care for no law. It would
have. an entirely different effect from
what the bill's sponsors desire it to
I hope the bill is passed that Is to
make compulsory an examination by a
nh.rolA.ian hpfore issuing
compcicu. ij " . -
marriage license to applicants and
limiting me tee """ "
service to a figure not unapproachable
to the poor.
Another important thing that our
. . , .a J 1- An ..... .1 a
Legislature enoum w .v -memorial
to Congress urging the pass
age of stricter, more effective immigra-
a -fMllTatlnn aal with auall-
tion aim wa.vu.- ; -
fication for suffrage. Such acts, and
especially tne naturauiamiu ia,
. t A nf ImnmVAmrnt
Daaiy iia igca w. -
Don't wait until you're down to
seek to Keep wu, i
avoid getting sick. &
John Mull's Autobiography.
. .,.n i 9 1 ITn thn Kdl-
ruKiiA.Aii -i " - - - .
tor.)
l Kindly lniorm roe 111 n-na-v ..,-
azl
ne me auiooiosrn.iiuj- va.
being published. MRS. L.
Is
Atlantic Monthly.
Inspector of the Bee
By Dean Collins.
i. at ma atrike my lyric lute
And sing with many trills.
How the tsenate ana tne nouso
Thromrh the lengthy session browse
III A (luiud V-
There are long bills and short bills
Bills for regulation.
Freak bills, and eke bills
I . V. ..1 n nf hill '
For appropriation;
But among them all, still
One appeals to me;
if. a hill, ao they state.
For an act that's to create
An Inspector of tne nee.
Let -me toot my lyrio flute.
Caroling with glee.
How with joy i win carouse
If the Senate and the House
Pass the bill about the bee.
There are hard jobs and soft jobs.
Jobs ouite sinecure.
Tough jobs am1 rough Jobs,
But still to me, lor sure.
Out of all those jobs. Just one
Makes a hit with me;
If they cass that bill. I'd love
An appointment, from the Gov.
As inspector of the Bee.
Let me grab my lyrlo horn
And blow with lusty lung.
How I could efficiently
Be Inspector of the Bee,
Without fear of getting stung.
There's the wild bee, the tame beat,
Int. bee Industrious,
The queen bee, tha mean be
And he's a vicious cuss.
But I would have the whole swarm
On friendly terms with me.
If this weighty bill was passed
And they 'pointed me, at last,
The Inapector of the Bee.
Let mo hook a lyrio harp.
And tell about the power
I'd develop cleverly
To dlsc.iv-r how the bee
Doth improve each shining hour.
There are foe riowers, rich flowers.
And sunflowers great.
Slender flowers and tender flowers
These I'd imitate;
The colors of the blooming field
I'd copy cleverly.
Till bees from over all the" state
Came bumming to Investigate
The Inspector of the Bee,
NOTE.
As he seized a big bassoon
To burble merrily,
Came the keeper with a grist
With a n?t be gathered in
Tho Inspector of the Bee.
There are odd ginks, strange ginks
With wl'Cels inside their bean;
And cmy ginks with crazy thinks
And that's the kind I mean.
Inside a r fatly padded cell.
Full gaily chuckles he, 1
Of how he hopes to make things hum
If In time he shall become
The Inspector or the Bee.
Portland, February 8.
Half a Century Ago
From Tha Orefonlan of February ft, 1803.
Some enterprising gentlemen have
determined to build a railroad around
Willamette Falls, on the Oregon City
side or the river. The enterprise was
carried into effect by the Oregon City
Railroad Company. The stockholders
are W. C Dement, J. D. Dement, A. L,
Lovejoy and D. P. Thompson. The rail
road track extends from the lower
steamboat landing at Oregon City to
the steamboat landing at Canemah, a
distance of one mile and six rods.
Daniel Harvey has erected a mill 41!
by 56 feet to take the place of the mill
which was swept away last Winter.
A barrel factory Is to be erected.
We understand, says the State Re
publican, that some of the irrepressible
Long Tomers refused to be assessed
when Assessor Cranston called on them
a few days ago, saying that they did
not respect Abe Lincoln nor his laws.
The smallpox is still raging at Vic
toria, and threatens the moat dreadful
consequences. Persons lnrected are
kept outside of the city limits.
For some days back men have been
arriving trom the valley in consider
able numbers, whose destination is our
eastern gold fields. Most or them pos
sess horses and Intend to make the
trip to The Dalles by water and from
thence to the mines on horseback.
The telegraph to Yreka la again In
operation, and we have received over
land dispatches to even date with the
steamer news. Later news may be ex
pected after today.
H. C. Small, of Eugene City, .iSas
been appointed recruiting ordoei. tor
the new companies or Oregon cavarry.
Twenty-five Years Ago
From Tha Oregonian or February 8, 1888.
Washington, Feb. 2. Senator Dolph
gave notice that he would, next Tues
day call up the bill ror payment or
unpaid balances or Oregon and Wash
ington Indian war claims or 1855 and
1866 and address the Senate on the
subject. At 2 o'clock Senator Kenna
secured the floor in reply to the tarirf
speech or 'Senator Sherman.
Washington. Feb. 2. Dennis Kear
ney, of San Francisco, talked to the
House committee on foreign affairs
this morning In support of Cummings
bill prohibiting Chinese Immigration.
The greatest trust of all, a scheme
to consolidate the leading railroads of
the country. February 2 a circular
addressed to the executive heads or
the leading railroads or this Coast is
said to have made its appearance lately
dated trom Chicago. It unfolds a gi
gantic scheme for overcoming the pro
hibitory provision of the interstate
commerce law.
The graduating exercises of the Feb
ruary class or the High School took
place yesterday morning and evening.
The East Side A gentleman driving
through Multnomah Addition to Al
blna the early part or the week count
ed 12 cottages being built out there.
The high water will carry away the
great amount ot garbage that has been
deposited in the sloughs about the
city. The City, or Albina is to be Il
luminated with electricity.
The steamer R. R. Thompson will
resume ber regular night trips to As
toria beginning next Saturday.
Superintendent Matthews., or the
Street-Cleaning Department, has a
large rorce or men at work and is
cleaning up the principal streets as
fast as possible. The amount or mud
which managed to get on the streets
In the time of snow Is something won
derful. Owing to the blockade on the C. &
O the Pyke Opera Company are
obliged to return to tMa city and take
the steamer for San Francisco, instead
of going overland. They will play
three nights and a matinee.
At last accounts, from letters re-
, .. . 1 J. .urarniT II P. ThomD-
son and party were making the ascent
of the Nile.
A Good Hand at Crtbbage.
ttTADOTHV Wash TTeh. 2. (TO tllO
Editor.) Please tell me the full count
of the following hand in crlbbage rour
or spades. Ave or clubs, six or hearts,
six or diamonds, six or spades. C. M.
Thru fifteena count 6: three runs or
rour, rive, and six count 9; three sixes
count 6; total TL-