G
THE MOKiMAU UKlSliUiN lAX. SATUKJJAI, JULI 12, lifliy.
' rORTLAND, OREGON.
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PORTLAND, SATURDAY, JULY IS, 1013.
! KND OF THE GREAT MERGER.
. The plan by which the Harriman
merger of the Union Pacific and
Southern Pacific Railroads is to be
dissolved should be eminently satisfac
tory to both roads concerned and to
the public. While restoring competi
tion, it practically effects new mergers
between non-competitors. It enlarges
the Union Pacific's holdings of Balti
hiore & Ohio stock and thus realizes
one of Harriman's ambitions an
ocean-to-ocean line under single con
trol. The exchange by the Pennsyl
vania road of Baltimore & Ohio for
Southern Pacific stock relieves that
road from liability to attack on the
ground that It controls a competitor
and gives it a strong voice in manage
ment of a connection in the West and
South, which will prove a valuable as
set, both from an investment and a
traffic standpoint. The restrictions un
der which the remainder of the Union
Pacific's holdings in the Southern Pa
cific are to be sold give every possible
security against renewal of the mer
ger. The long period of time allowed
for completing the sale will save the
Union Pacific from being compelled
to make a forced sale at less than
true value.
i The sale of this stock will put the
Union Pacific in funds with which to
buy the Central Pacific in order to
reach San Francisco, but the decree
appears to leave the Southern Pacific
free to drive the best possible bargain.
Thus the status existing before the
merger is restored. Unable to buy
the Central Pacific alone, Harriman
bought the Southern Pacific in order
to acquire it. Forbidden to own the
Southern Pacific, the Union Pacific
must now make a new bargain. But
there Is an alternative, -which may
prove a club in Union Pacific hand3.
The Union Pacific might make some
kind of a deal with the Western Pa
cific for handling of traffic between
bgden and San Francisco. That would
be a severe blow to the Southern Pa
cific and would fatten the shrunken
earnings of the Gould system.
Although the Union Pacific will
still regard San Francisco as its prin
cipal Pacific terminus, dissolution of
the merger redounds greatly to the
benefit of Portland. This port es
capes from the blighting influence of
Mr. Schwerin. Its geographical posi
tion and expanding foreign and coast
wise commerce and the rapid develop
ment of its tributary country will
from year to year Increase its impor
tance in the eyes of the railroad man
agers until It will assume equal rank
with San Francisco.
The outcome of the suit against the
now-severed Harriman lines mark's
the close of one and the opening of
another epoch in railroad consolida
tion. The great systems will no
longer strive to suppress competition
and effect economy by buying paral
lel lines. They will endeavor to
strengthen themselves by linking to
gether under single control connect
ing lines running in the same general
direction. Even this field for consoll.
dation will be limited by the change
In traffic conditions to be effected by
the Panama Canal. More and more
traffic will be carried from points a
few hundred miles inland to points
on each' coast for transportation
through the canal, to ports on the
other coast and thence for shipment
by rail to other inland points. This
transcontinental traffic will assume
less Importance In railroad men's eyes
"and there will be less inducement to
consolidate even connecting lines.
IMMIGRANTS OF THE WRONG KIM).
Time was when the volume of Im
migration was a safe barometer of
prosperity in this country, but it is so
no longer. It is only a barometer of
the success of steamship advertising
In the countries whence the immi.
grants come. These advertisements
hold out alluring prospects of easy
money in America. Agents go through
the towns and villages of Southern
Europe selling tickets on commission.
Some of the present Immigrants buy
on the installment plan. They believe
anything they are told, and they are
told only half the truth. They learn
the wages paid, but not the cost of liv
ing or the irregularity of employment.
All the steamship companies care
about is the passage money; it is no
affair of theirs what becomes of the
immigrant, once he is landed, nor
what the effect of his coming on this
country.
But the rest of us ought to care. We
need skilled workmen, but immi
grants are generally unskilled, except
in farming. We need farmers and
farm laborers, but the immigrants are
dumped in the coast cities without
money enough to reach the farm re
gions, where they are needed. Manu
facturers, unable to get skilied men,
take the unskilled immigrant, pay
him lower wages than thev nav ,Viii0,i
men, and try to teach him. This is
costiy io tne teacher, and the immi
grant Is no sooner half taught than
he falls under the influence of such
organizations as the I. W. W. and
strikes for more pay.
Some manufacturers may be de
luded by low wages into the belief
that they are getting work done
cheaper thanby highly-paid, skilled
men. In any case, trouhle rnm a
at Lawrence and Paterson. The
standard or efficiency of American
labor is lowered, for it is genuinely
American no longer. The country is
literally worse off for the coming of
this class of immigrants. It suffers
from disorder and from the deteriora
tion of the quality of its workmen.
The country suffers in another re
spect. Statistics of immigration are
deceptive unless we deduct the num
ber of aliens returning to their own
country. A large proportion of our
labor migrates between this country
and Europe. A Pennsylvania miner
thrown into idleness can save money
by returning to Europe until things
pick up. He saves on the cost of liv
ing more than enough to pay for the
round trip. These men carry away
large sums of money. Others- send
large amounts to relatives abroad.
We are enriched only half as much as
we should be if Immigrants came to
stay and spent or invested their earn
ings in this country.
We should select our immigrants
ourselves, not leave it to steamship
companies, with which the sole ques
tion is: "Have they got the' price of a
ticket?" We should seek that which
we need, not take anything Europe
gives us. . When immigrants come, we
should send them where they are
wanted, not leave them to settle
where they are not wante'd. We
should apply scientific methods to im
migration, as to our many other problems.
IQI-INTING AT A SECOND TERM.
President Wilson has been in office
more than four months, but not a
word has been heard from him about
the single Presidential term to which
the convention pledged him. -This
pledge was imposed after his nomina
tion, not before, as had been the cus
tom. Secretary Bryan was formerly
the greatest champion of a single
term, and, when nominated for Presi
dent, pledged himself not to seek re
election. Either his enthusiasm has
been frozen or . hi3 month has been
stopped.
But one of the principal Wilson
fuglemen, the Springfield Republican,
is already hinting at a second term
candidacy. It acquits the President
of giving thought to the subject and
credits him with concentration on his
duties, but adds:
The quality of his service has been so high
and the assertion of his personality as the
party leader so great, as already to put a
heavy discount upon that plank in the Bal
timore platform.
The Republican says thaft to many
voters the moment the news was
flashed that Mr. Wilson was chosen,
that plank seemed neither necessary
nor wise and attributes Its adoption
to "a temporary state of mind created
by the Roosevelt campaign, but says
there was no evidence that it was a
source of strength." The Republi
can denies that there is any growing
opinion in favor of a single-term
amendment and predicts that a Na
tional referendum would confirm the
two-term precedent. It significantly
remarks that, if Mr. Wilson should
ignore the single-term plank, the
Democratic party could not afford to
reject him. It quotes William Allen
White as saying that the Progressives
would eagerly welcome him if the
Democrats rejected him, but does not
believe he would hunt a third party
nomination. Admitting - that the
pledge may embarrass the Democrats,
it adds: .. .
If Mr. Wilson should listen to a genuine
popular demand, as distinct from that early
manufactured for ' Colonel Roosevelt, he
would have the moral advantage over the
Colonel that the pledge was not of his
making.
The whole tenor of "this article is
that the pledge Is not binding and
that its observance would be folly.
Then what are pledges worth?. What
reason would the people have for re
garding seriously the Democratic
pledges of 1916 If the identity of the
candidate were in itself an open re
pudiation of the pledge of 1912? The
Republican is furnishing a good cam
paign issue for the party whose name
it bears.
A PROTESTANT CONFESSIONAL.
The Rev. Mr. Charles M. Sheldon's
notion of a Protestant "confessional"
seems a little disconcerting at first,
but really there is nothing novel in it.
In fact he says himself that the idea
is an old one. His plan is to set aside
an hour or two on Sunday afternoon
when his flock come to him with their
troubles. He gives them good advice
and comforts their afflictions.
What else have worthy pastors been
doing from the beginning of the
church? The old-fashioned "pastoral
visits" which have now lapsed into
desuetude were to carry out this very
notion of a "confessional." The min
ister went to his people's homes, in
stead of inviting them to his, and dis
pensed the consolations and wisdom
of his office to all who needed it. In
these latter days it is said that the
minister's other business has become
so burdensome that he has been
obliged to forego pastoral visiting.
What possible "business" coud be
more essential to the prosperity of
the Kingdom? This form of the con
fessional will have no terrors, we
Imagine, for any of the Protestant
denominations. The more ministers
put it in practice the better it will be
liked.
But of course Mr. Sheldon really
misapplies the word "confessional."
It refers properly to the confession of
sin and the priestly function of abso
lution. There can be nothing of this
In the Protestant churches, since it is
one of trie points of fundamental dif
ference between them and the Cath
olics. It is also worth while to remark
that before a minister can give wise
advice to his flock upon business and
domestic troubles he must himself be
come a practical man. The education
which most theological schools impart
is apt to unfit their students for any
such duty.
This is no doubt one of the main
reasons why pastoral - visiting has
fallen into disuse. The pastors were
not prepared to make it anything bet
ter than an empty form and every
body was glad to get rid of it. The
old-time Protestant minister of New
England measured fairly well up to
Dr. Sheldon's ideal. He was a leader
in politics as well as business, and was
recognized as the guide, philosopher
and friend of his flock in all depart
ments of life. But he had been edu
cated in the hard school of experi
ence, and not merely in theological
abstractions.
A MODERN WAR OF TITANS.
So secretive were both Russia and
Japan about their losses in the war of
1904-5 that not until several years
later is the world informed the full
truth about that Titanic struggle. We
are now learning that in the stolid in
difference with which both armies
went into battle, inviting almost cer
tain death, and with which generals
hurled armies to destruction, that war
was unsurpassed in modern annals.
Its parallel can be found only in the
battle of the . anoients when armies
fought man to man and conflict ended
only in wholesale slaughter of one or
the other army.
The total Japanese loss in killed
and wounded at Port . Arthur was
more than 105,000 men, or 55 per
cent of the total force. The first
army Japan assembled there lost 78
per cent of its men and an entire new
army was sent to continue the siege.
To capture 203-Metre Hill alone cost
Japan 19,000 men, or more than t,he
Federal loss at Gettysburg. Russia
began the siege with 85,000 men, but
only 27,000 remained at the surren
der, and of these only 6000 were able
to march.
The battle of Mukden lasted seven
days and 213,000 men were killed and
wounded on both sides. The total
losses, in action of both Russia and
Japan in the entire war were 625,000
out of a total force of 1,540,000. The
total losses in action during our Civil
war were not quite 200,000 out of a
total of 3,378,304 engaged. Russo
Japanese losses in a war of less than
two years were 40 per cent. Civil
War losses in a four-years' war were
six per cent.
Those who lightly incite Japan to
war know not what they do. We
doubt not that, if put to the test,
American soldiers would match Jap
anese willingness to die with equal
devotion. But such a deadly conflict
should not be provoked over any such
question as the right of a state to pass
a law which has a direct bearing on
Federal functions. Were we brought
face to face with the necessity of
fighting to the death for preservation
of our race from loss of identity amid
hordes of Asiatics, we ought to fight,
even though the conflict involved
carnage such as that at Port Arthur
and Mukden. But no such emergency
confronts or threatens us. Not only
justice but wise policy dictates that
we should not provoke war on light
pretense. When the cause justifies
the cost, it will be time enough to
fight.
A WONDERJFUI HALF CENTURY.
There have been so many funda
mental rearrangements of human af
fairs during the last half century
that the year 1913 promises to figure
as one of the great epochal dates of
history. One of the vast constructive
periods closes and a new era begins,
perhaps, with the year in whose mid
dle Weeks we are now living. It is
quite certain that the external v aspect
of human affairs during the next cen
tury must be very different from that
of any past period. And since our
thoughts depend largely upon our
surroundings and habits of life it
follows that the next generation will
not think as we do, nor, very likely,
will they cherish the same beliefs.
Thoughtful observers have said that
the world is upon the verge of adopt
ing a new religion. When it comes
it will include, so we are assured, all
that Is best in the old ones, taking its
precepts from many sources, and that
it will have new tenets which are now
undreamed of. President Eliot is one
of the men who believe that the
world Is about to accept a new re
ligion. He has told us what he thinks
it will be like. He goes so far, in
fact, as to say that "the whole world
has been remade in the last fifty
years," and naturally the making of
a new religion comes in with the rest
of the changes.
If a person who passed to his ac
count fifty years ago could be awak
ened and brought into a modern city
with its electric lights, telephones and
moving pictures It would be interest
ing to watch his astonishment. Rip
Van Winkle's confusion would be
mild compared with that of our resur
rected friend, for in no twenty years
of the past, nor in any entire century,
have events moved so speedily as in
the last fifty. He would scarcely un
derstand the language we speak, since
hundreds of new words have been in
vented to signify new habits and in
ventions. How much would the word
'"motoring" convey to a person who
had just awakened from a half cen
tury's sleep? What would he make
of our familiar "aviating"? The
English language with its modern
locutions would be as strange to him,
almost, as the electric streetcars and
the airships. But language not only
expresses our thoughts, it also modi
fies them so that we come back again
to the truth that the modern man
dwells in a world intellectually as well
as physically different from that of
his forefathers. Copernicus by dis
covering the true motions of the
heavenly bodies revolutionized the
thought of his time. When people
regarded the earth as the center of
the universe it was easy for them to
believe that man was the principal
object of the Almighty's attention. It
was credible enough that the sun and
stars had been created for his benefit
and that his welfare had been sought
in all the arrangements of the world.
But as soon as it came to light that
the earth was a mere speck among a
throng of vastly greater bodies, these
beliefs were no longer tenable. The
entire trend of human thought had
to be altered and religious creeds,
as well as systems of government,
changed with it.
No doubt our modern conquest of
the natural forces, together with our
victories over all sorts of ancient evils,
will modify our thought as pro
foundly as did the discovery of Co
pernicus, perhaps more so. Man con
tinually gains fresh , confidence in his
own powers and trusts less to exter
nal aid. There was a time when in;
every difficulty he sought help from
other worlds. . Now he investigates
the cause of the trouble and relies
upon himself. Each victory" brings
the promise of new ones so that it
sometimes seems as if the supernatural
might be eliminated from practical
life as Laplace said it had been from
science. These victories are now so
numerous that the human race, like
Alexander, begins to look around for
new worlds to conquer. Most of the
old geographical puzzles have been
solved within the last fifty years. The
"American desert", which used to be
so plainly marked on our childhood's
maps, has been explored in all its
nooks and corners and much of it
has been made productive by irriga
tion. The secret of the Nile which
perplexed the world for thousands of
years has been revealed and the mys
terious river has been harnessed for
marl's benefit. Egypt no longer de
pends upon haphazard freshets for
irrigation. The great stream has
.been dammed at Assouan and art has
constrained the superabundant wa
ters to fertilize millions of acres here
tofore waste.
Within the last fifty years Africa
has been explored from north to
south. The whole continent is now as
well known as Pennsylvania. The
petty savage tribes have been super
seded by civilized governments. Eu
ropean nations have founded great
colonies where superstition formerly
declared that white men could not
dwell. The whole course of the Nile
is paralleled, by a railroad and it will
not be long before another follows
Stanley's route along the Congo. The
changes in African politics and trans
portation are not much more com
plete than those of 'Europe. The
French republic is hardly half a cen
tury old and the German empire is
about the same age. Italy became a
united kingdom within the memory
of Vnen still alive. Spain has revolu
tionized her government three or four
times in the same interval and we all
remember when Portugal became a
republic. The disintegration of Tur
key and the rise of the quarrelsome
Balkan powers is still more recent.
The political world alters from day
to day. Its stability is scarcely more
than a figment of the imagination.
And domestic and commercial life
alter just as swiftly. It is basic in
ventions like that of the gas engine
which transform us most rapidly.
There is not a domain of practical life
which the gas engine has not invaded
and revolutionized. From , sawing
wood on farms to flying in 'the air,
thousands of daily conveniences vand
activities depend on it. It Is probably
trjie that the gas engine is the most
powerful factor in existence for the
amelioration of rural conditions. It
will do more to make the country at
tractive to intelligent people than any
dozen other helps. It is becoming the
universal servant, the common friend
of the human race. But the gas en
gine is only one among scores of in
ventions that are making us different
from our ancestors in habits, beliefs
and feelings.
The Oregonlan's denial that wom
an's chastity depends on the amount
of money she earns is indorsed in
terse and Justly Indignant language
by Mrs. Anna Y. Reed, of Seattle. The
morality argument for the minimum
wage is an insult to womanhood.
There are plenty of good, sound argu
ments in its favor without adopting
one which assumes that the choice
between vice and virtue is decided by
the dollar mark.
Postmaster-General Burleson will
be compelled to drop all subterfuge
and "turn the rascals out." He Is
having a hard time to find plausible
pretexts for demanding resignations
and then 'efficient ' postmasters fail to
see that being Republicans disqualifies
them. Meanwhile the Democratic
bread line is kept waiting.
Evelyn Thaw could scarcely have
earned J4000 a week dancing the
tango if she had not been a princi
pal figure in a sensational murder
trial. A large proportion of her
earnings are interest on the capital
ized value of her story of wrongs and
loose living.
If the Eastern trainmen should
strike. Congress will be responsible.
Railroads and employes are willing to
arbitrate on the terms laid down by
the bill amending the Erdman act.
All Congress need do in order to pre
vent a strike is to pass that bill.
Crop reports hold out pleasing
PrOSDectS to . NorthwMtprn fnrmofa
With condition below average in the
eastern and Middle States and above
average in Oregon and Washington,
farmers in this section will
prices for bumper crops.
Judge Stevenson took tVi rlii(
course with the Chinese "druggist"
who has been kp.11 ins- "nnk" fn hwa
Two hundred days on the rockpile
win give him time for cogitation on
the enormity of his offense.
Mr. Boehnke's troubles in living on
his salary as an instructor at the Uni
versity of California show that trained
brains are to trained muscle as J 75 a
month is to $5 a day, Mr. Boehnke's
wages as a plasterer.
If Sheriff Dan Kerfoot, of Malheur
County, has caught the men at the
head of - the cattle-rustling outfit
working Eastern Oregon, he deserves
a monument a mile nigh made of
horns and hoofs.
Auction sales of surplus fruit will
put an end to the condition where,
when we buy a box of fruit, we pay
not only for that box, but for another
which goes to the garbage crematory.
If Lady. Balfour of Burleigh's
method of silencing crying babies
should prove efnective, all the sleepy
fathers and mothers will call her
blessed and tilt up the cradles.
Suggestion is offered to managers of
fairs soon to be held to make as many
cash prizes as possible. Cups and
medals are very nice, but cash is
mighty handy to go home on.
Professor Harrington has probably
hit upon the reason why country boys
leave school early. They will stay
willingly if taught the things they
wish and need to know.
Congress has become a band of
muckrakers, stirring up the nasty
mess of years with its lobbying in
quiries. It is a malodorous occupa
tion for hot weather.
If we were to undertake a clean-up
of Mexico, there would be another re
union of blind, deaf and feeble vet
erans sixty years hence, like that at
London, Ohio.
When a mere scratch from a pet
dog causes hydrophobia, there is
source of alarm in the presence of
1001 unnecessary canines In this city.
The decent people on Coos Bay are
determined to make that region a fit
one in which to live, if they have to
drive the last agitator off the earth.
If Senator Lane can bring Secre
tary Lane over to his way of thinking,
there may yet be something doing on
the West Umatilla project.
During this period of dullness in
agitation, somebody might begin a
movement to renumber the streets.
California promoters do not intend
to let any blue sky law prevent them
from selling capitalized sunshine.
A man who will cash a check on
"Any old National bank" would be
caught by any old swindle.
The escaped leper has been seen on
the streets of Tacoma, but not as a
festival attraction.
France is welcome to keep Jack
Johnson. The United States doesn't
need him.
Those little wars in the Balkans will
not cease until the big powers begin
to fight.
Bryan is soon to begin a six weeks'
lecture tour. Is that a vacation with
pay?
Yesterday was jump-oft day in Cali
fornia and the gallows did good work.
"Lucky" Baldwin's money Is a more
or less unlucky inheritance.
: The crop of railroad rumors is ripe
In Washington.
FIGURES OX Liai'OR CO.VSIMPTIOX
Per Capita Statistics Gratify Anti-
Saloon League Head.
PORTLAND, July 11. (To the Edi
tor.) Recently there has appeared in
the news columns of The Oregonian a
statement taken from the report of the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue that
the consumption of intoxicating liquoo
nas Increased greatly during the past
year; that 143,300,000 gallons of spirits
were consumed, which was an increase
of 7,300,000 gallons over the previous
year; and the consumption of beer to
taled 64,500,000 barrels, 1,000,000 in ex
cess of the former high record, not
withstanding a decrease of 18,000 in the
number of saloons.
Similar articles have been published
generally throughout the country, and
are causing some anxiety amongst the
friends of temperance who had hoped
that the increased consumption of
liquor had been checked. The Oregonian
has called attention to these figures
editorially, and inquires whether "in
widening the dry field there is a cor
responding decrease in consumption?
Or do people drink as much as ever,
or nearly as much, in places where the
law seeks to prevent it?"
Conceding the accuracy of the above
figures, there is nothing in them that
will give any satisfaction to the liquor
interests. There has been no increase
per capita: 1907 is still high water
mark In the per capita consumption of
liquor.
Taking the 'figures as reported, and
reducing the barrels of beer to gallons,
makes 1,999.500,000 gallons of beer;
adding to this the 143.300,000 gallons of
spirits makes 3,142,800.000 gallons as
the total consumption in 1913. Divide
this by 97.028,497, the population as
estimated by the American Grocer,
leaves 22.08 gallons the per capita con
sumption in 1913, a decrease of .71 of a
gallon per capita from 1907.
In 1870 the per capita consumption
of all liquors was 7.7 gallons. In 1893
it was 19.57 gallons, an increase per
capita of 154 per cent in 23 years. In
1913 it is 22.08, an increase of less than
13 per cent in the last 2ft w .i
in the last six years there has been no
Increase. What has halted the in
creased consumption? There must be
some cause.
In 1893 abfut 25 per cent of the peo
ple lived in no-license territory, which
has increased to 50 per ent in 1913.
Has this increased dry territory af
fected the consumption of liquor?
Let the brewers answer. In their
Year Book issued to the trade in 1911
they give a table of statistics showing
the number of gallons of intoxicating
liquors of all kinds used in each state.
Grouping the eight .prohibition states
shows the average amount used in 1910
was 1.35 gallons per capita. Compare
this with some of the liquor states:
New York 45.35 gallons; New Jersey
39.97 gallons; Illinois 39.13; Penn
sylvania 32 gallons, and Wisconsin,
where beer is alleged to make cities
famous, more than 64 gallons, and the
average of the saloon states per capita
was 25.23 gallons, compared with 1.35
gallons per capita in the prohibition
states. It is plain to be seen where
the liquor Is consumed.
The population of the cities is in
creasing rapidly. They are under the
domination of the saloon, and the per
capita consumption of liquor is
enormous and increasing. It is esti
mated that in hot weather Chicago con
sumes 1,000,000 gallons of beer a day,
and annually 1,000,000 foreigners, ac
customed to drinking in the old coun
try, are added to the drinking popula
tion of our cities. The increase In con
sumption iii the cities offsets the de
crease In the dry-territory. This is the
reason wny we have not halted the in
creased consumption before.
A significant item in the report above
is tne decrease or 18,000 In the num
ber who have paid the Federal tax a:
liquor dealers. At least half of these
are blind pigs who have had their eye
opened by prosecution in dry territory.
The Kenyon-Webb law will open the
eyes or a still larger number next jnear,
and from reports that are coming to us,
next year should show a substantial
decrease in per capita consumption.
H. L. SHELDON, "
Superintendent Anti-Saloon League.
NEUROLOGISTS SMITE BEER HABIT
Regular Mind-Teats - and Total Abstl
nence Urged for Railroad Mem.
Chicago Cor. Indianapolis News.
No more drinking not even the
humble beer for the railroad man
hereafter, if the big transportation
companies take the same view as the
congress of alienists and neurologists,
which completed ita sessions at the
Hotel Sherman. The gathering passed
recommendations for total abstinence,
and for regular investigation to deter
mine the mental soundness of railway
employes. Delegates appointed by
Governors of 15 states were present.
The resolutions have added signifl
cance because they followed an address
on the subject by Dr. Theodore Diller,
of Pittsburg, who had been sent to the
congress by the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad. Other companies, it is said,
await the result of the medical experts
deductions and conclusions.
The resolutions said "many lives and
much property depend on the mental
Integrity of men engaged in the opera
tion of trains and other means of
transportation," and proceeded:
"We recommend to the railroads of
the country generally the universal
adoption of the rule requiring all em
ployes to abstain from the use of al
coholic beverages on duty or off duty
under penalty of discharge.
"The habitual use of any narcotic
should be a ground for discharge from
the service.
"We recommend some plan be adopt,
ed by" which the mental integrity of
such employes may be inquired into
systematically from time to time, for
the purpose of eliminating those .who
may become mentally unfit.
Beer drinkers were Jolted when Dr.
Henry A. Cotton, of Trenton, N. J.,
said: .Every drop or beer destroys
a nerve cell." Both Dr. Cotton and Dr,
Albert E. Sterne, of Indianapolis, as
serted a few years would see success
ful treatment for general paresis and
locomotor ataxia.
More for Industry; Less for Show.
PORTLAND, July. 11. (To the Edi
tor.) Now that the Rose Festival with
its exquisite electrical parade is past,
the Second World's (?) Citizenship
Conference over and gone, may a re
flection or two be made?
Are we not as a city misled by the
success of the Lewis and Clark Fair
into thinking such things on a modified
scale may be repeated again and again?
Would not Portland be better off if
the thousands pulled out of our gen
erous business men and others had been
expended in establishing industries
with a permanent, generous payroll,
every two or four weeks, rather than in
the show' business, which leaves only
a pittance with the cafeteria, saloon
and lodging-house?
Is not it time to see something?
C. E. CLINE.
Baby Hurts Rattlesnake as Toy.
Bellevue, Fla., Cor. Washington (D. C.)
Post.
. J. H. Maxwell, Jr., the 2year-od
son of J. H. Maxwell, of this place, is
alive and playing just as usual, de
spite the fact that-he had as a play
mate for a few minutes a rattlesnake
which he picked up in the yard of his
father's home. The little fellow came
running into the house with the snake
in his hand, laughing at his find. The
snake was wriggling and attempting
to strike him when his father seized
and killed It.
Mght Examinations Desired.
PORTLAND, July 11. (To the Edi
tor.) Will you kindly ask the civil
service people to have some of their
examinations in the evening, si that
a fellow who has a Job can have, a
chance at a better or a? USY.
PROBLEM FOR ADMINISTRATION
Irrigation Difficulties Among; Greatest
That Most Be Alleviated.
PORTLAND, July 11. (To the Edi
tor.) Where is the genius who will
suggest and carry out a workable plan
for the smooth development of the
great irrigation projects already start
ed, and to be started, in this country?
A long-felt want exists. Suggestions
innumerable are made in Eastern,
Western and Middle State papers and
magazines, many of -them by men who
never saw an acre of irrigated land in
their lives, and who know nothing at
first hand of the problems that stare
the settler in the face. The authori
ties at Washington having in charge
the great reclamation projects of the
Government are unsettled in their
minds, and every new Administration
puts to work a new commission of in
vestigation of the various suggested
projects as well as those already under
way.
There are three systems of irriga
tion in force today. There is the pri
vate project, which usually fails be
cause the expenses Incident to its de
velopment are greater than first con
templated. A large proportion of these
projects go into the hands' of receiv
ers, and the original promoters either
lose their own money, if they had any
to start with, or go off with the other
people's money, if they started with
nothing but cheek. There is the Carey
law plan, which seems to be a general
Iallure because of defects In the law;
and last but not least there is the
Reclamation Service system, which is
in the limelight of investigation and
criticism today. Some of the reclama
tion projects Have been located for po
litical reasons, in states where Sena
tors or members of the House of Rep
resentatives, had an undue amount of
pull. States such as Oregon, which
have been changing Congressional rep
resentatives as often as possible, and
generally for the worse, have been left
out In the cold, regardless of the feas
ibility of their proposed projects.
There are millions of acres of land
In the dry belts of the Nation that can
be made available for the most inten
sive agriculture when the rivers that
flow through them are utilized for
the purposes of irrigation. It is only
in very recent years that the pro
ducers of this country have become ac
quainted with the great value of al
falfa for raising cattle, hogs and poul
try, and the fact is being developed
that the leached out soils of the middle
states, with their natural salts washed
away, are not nearly as well adapted
to raising this wonderful forage plant
as the Western sage brush lands with
their abundance of potash, lime and
phosphorus.
But the great problem is how befct to
utilize the waters that are running to
waste. The Columbia River is wasting
300,000 horsepower at the Celilo falls,
and those falls are bounded on the
north and south by untold acres of
dry, volcanic ash land that Is capable
of tremendous production of forage and
other crops, if the water of the river
be put upon it.
The average settler on an Irrigation
project, whether private or Govern
ment, is not able to make the financial
progress that is made by picked men,
whose success is exploited in the public
prints. He finds that when he has
potatoes for the market there is a glut,
and he must feed them to his hogs.
When Be has a fine crop of watermel
ons or cantaloupes, the market cannot
take them, because there are too many
from other regions. He cannot get
them to the ultimate consumer for lack
of organization. But his payments
come due for land and water, the in
exorable grocery bills mature, and he
Is at his wts" end. On neither private
projects nor those under the Carey Act
ur me .reclamation Service, are the
lands being developed as they should
be.
The genius who will ultimately work
out a plan that will remedy the pres
ent drawbacks will secure: (1) suffi
cient capital for project managers and
settlers at cheap rates, such as the
borrowing capacity of the Government
can secure: (2) the co-oreration nf
State officials, and he must possess
(3) the prophetic vision that goes with
tne promoter of the private entemrise.
tempered by a fair share of business
conservatism. When the man steps
into tne arena witn authority and
ability to carry out and organize the
irrigation business on these lines, present-day
difficulties, such as are out
lined above, will- fade away.
Years ago the Republican party
made a tremendous- contribution to the
agricultural prosperity of the' Nation
by the passage of the homestead law.
Will the Democrats signalize the pres
ent administration by solving the great
aniicuities mat tne irrigation problem
now presents? Is Secretary of the In
terior Lane the long-looked for and
mucn-needed genius?
R. M. TUTTLE.
GIANT GUNS TO PROTECT CANAL
Slxteen-Ineli Rifles Will Throw Pro.
Jectiles Twenty-one Miles.
West Coast Leader. Lima. Pru
The United States Navy Department
has recently completed the design for
an enormous engine of death and de
struction which is to be the biggest
one the world has ever seen. It is a
16-inch breechloading rifle and is the
first of a .series of similar gigantic
weapons which has been proposed to
oe Dunt ror sea coast defense and the
protection of the Panama Canal.
The total length of this a-un 1 49
feet 2.9 inches, with a diameter of the
rear portions of 60 inches, the forward
part tapering from this diameter to
27 inches at the muzzle. The lpncth
of the main bore is 37 feet 3 inches
wnu a ammeter or 16 niches. The
cylindrical part of the powder cham
ber is 7 feet 6 inches long with a dia
meter of 18.9 inches, and if smokeless
powoer be used it will require E76
pounds for a single charge, while if
DiacK powder is used 1176 pounds will
be necessary.
The range and energy of this gun is
iar aneaa or tnat of any other of the
large caliber guns in existence. The
projectiles of the gun measure 5 feet
4 inches in lengtn and have a penetrat
ing force in steel at the muzzle of 42.3
inches. The most marvelous feature
of this death dealing contrivance is
Its range, which is 21 miles. It has
been estimated that this gun may cre
ate all kinds of havoc 21 miles away
with the proper angle of elevation.
The trajectory of this projectile shows
that in ranging this score of miles the
shell would reach an elevation of
about 30.500 feet. This is far greater
than the maximum of any other gun
up to the present time. i
The total weight of this huge gun
is 30 tons. Whatever will happen to
a vessel when hit by one of Its pro
jectiles is beyond the power of de
scription. There is a probability that
there would be no splinters left of
sufficient size to tell whether the
wreck had been a fishing smack or a
battleship.
Question of Citizenship.
SHERWOOD, Or., July 10. (To the
Editor.) My father and mother were
Americans, born, raised and married in
United States, but removed to Canada,
where I was born. Before I was 6
months old. my parents returned to the
United States, where they and I have
resided continuously since. I am now
64. My husband is an American-born
and raised in the United States. Please
tell me If I am an American citizen or
a British subject? MRS. C.
You are an American citizen.
Incorrect.
PORTLAND. July 11. (To the Edi
tor.) Kindly inform me if this sen
tence is correct:
"This is him talking."
READER.
The sentence should read: "This is he
talking."
Twenty-five Years Ag
(From The Oreeronian of July 12. 1888.)
Washington, July 11. The House to
day reached the wool section of the
Mills tariff bill.
Seattle, July 11. The grand lodge,
A. O. U. W., of the jurisdiction of Ore
gon, Washington and British Colum
bia assembled in this city today. All
the grand officers were present, as fol
lows: George B. Dorris, of Eugene City;
George T. Russell, of Oakland; E. L.
Smith, of Hood River; J.' T. Brown, of
Olympia: R. L Durham, of Portland;
George W. Blumely. of Baker City; C.
J. Stevens, of Portland; James Browne,
of Portland: D. T. Wheeler, of Seattle,
and D. L. Greene, of Salem.
New York. July 11. The Republican
National Committee tonight elected M.
S. Quay, of Pennsylvania, chairman,
and J. S. Fassett, of New York, secre
tary. East Side. Three miles of rails have
been received for the Vancouver Rail
way. At the next meeting of Council
Messrs Leveridge and Halverson will
present a plan for electric fire signals
similar to those in use in Portland.
Honorable Richard Williams w
thrown from his buggy yesterday and
ixmnuuy Druisea, his horse having
run away on Washington street and
struck a vegetable wagon near Second
street.
The Oretron T? m i 1 r. -v- 1 :
. ...... .. .1 ."UVl.lUUII
t-ompany s regular eastbound passenger
jnwroay started from the west
.v.H i me niamette and, crossing
the new bridge, sped away toward the
East. The train to which is due the
honor of making the first trip across
the bridge consisted of a locomotive.
No. 54, of Manchester manufacture:
United States mail and express car No.
84, baKRage car 66. coaches 958, 7 and
18 and the Pullman sleepers Bonita and
Walla Walla. Conductor E. M. Stevens
had charge of the train; Engineer W. .1.
Sherman handled the throttle, H. P
Smith was the fireman and the brake
man was William Gray. On the sleepers
W. S. Whitman was conductor and the
porters were G. W. Samson and William
Clipper.
At the meeting of the Multnomah
Driving Association last night at the
Riverside Hotel a committee consist
ing of George P. Frank, Arthur Wilson
and Joe Cook was appointed bv the
chairman, W. B. King, to make a"ll ar
rangements for a gentleman's roadster
trot next Saturday afternoon at the
Riverside half-mile track.
Half a Century "Ago
From TheOregonlan of July 13, 1S63.
Headquarters, Army of the Potomac,
July 5. To General Halleck: The
enemy retreating under cover of night.
Our cavalry is in pursuit.' Our wounded
and those of the enemy are in my
hands. Our captures in prisoners,
colors and arms are large. Upward of
200 battle flags will be turned in from
one corps. (Signed) Meade.
Chicago, July 7. It is officially an
nounced that Vicksburg has sur
rendered. - No particulars yet
On Saturday last, immediately on the
receipt of the telegram confirming the
previous dispatches, together with the
announcement of the surrender' of
Vicksburg, our citizens determined to
celebrate the event by the formation
of a grand torchlight procession.
During the day the saloons were
crowded with perspiring and thirsty
patriots and many bumpers were
drained to the success of our gallant
armies. Sunday martial spirits pro
ceeded to the steamship landing, and.
having captured an ancient specimen of
artillery, added its loud tones to the
general jubilee. At the approach of
darkness many citizens illuminated
their residences and places of business.
About 9 o'clock the procession formed
near the corner of Stark and Second
streets, and, headed by the Mechanics'
Band, and the flag of our Union,
paraded the principal streets. The pro
cession halted in front of the Dennison
House and the crowd called, lustily
for Mr. Holbrook, who was received
with loud and continued cheering. Gov
ernor Gibbs, Judge Shattuck and Hon.
J. H. Mitchell also spoke.
We understand that our citizens have
decided upon organizing a more regular
and imposing display tonight than that
which took place on Saturday. It is
intended .to have a monster torchlight
procession, composed of the fire com
panies and citizens. Everybody is in
vited to join, bringing a torch or other
illuminated apparatus. A piece of artil
lery will be forwarded from Vancouver
and will probably be accompanied by a
detachment of cavalry.
Many Interesting
Features in the
Magazine Section
of The Sunday
Oregonian.
His Own Story of His Life
Western adventures by Theo
dore Roosevelt.
How to Solve the Servant Prob
lem By Dr. Woods Hutchin
son. .
A Shelter of the Fold A short
story by Mary Roberts Rine
hart. Why I Quit the Stage to Become
a Stenographer A compari
son of two professions.
Bryan's Dream of a Brotherhood
of Man How the Secretary
of State Would Apply the
Golden Rule in international
relations.
Two Clever Short Stories "A
Woman in the Case," by
Thomas L. Masson, and "The
"Sorrowful Queen," bv Anita
Fitch. " "
King George Hires a Press Agent
English monarch adopts
modern device to overcohie his
unpopularity.
Cupid in the Office The part
love plays in a business wom
an's life.
Vain Metropolitan Women
Spend Fortunes for Beauty -
Cosmetics required yearly by
average woman and what "they
cost in money.
Nobody Loves the Box Office
Man Trials and tribulations
of those who sell you theater
tickets.
Homes of First Americans De
velopment of housa-building
on this continent will be
shown at World's Fair.