THE MOR'IG OREGOXIAX, SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1913.
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LET CONGRESS FINISH ITS WORE.
The decision of the Democratic Sen
ators to prolong: the present session of
Congress until the currency bill, as
well as the tariff bill, become law will
be approved by the people In general.
What we need is settled, sound condi
tions, under which we can do busi
ness. The sooner we get them the
sooner we can go ahead with the work
before us.
The tariff bill will not establish
conditions entirely sound, but it seems
Inevitable and the country is recon
ciled to giving: it a trial. That being
so. the sooner the process of adjust
ment to the new tariff duties begins
the sooner it will be over. It is all
well enough for Republican Senators
to propose amendments and - Insist
upon a vote on them. That is all that
is necessary to place them on record
as having opposed the bill and upheld
their principles. But save us from
oratory; do not waste time In speeches
which do not change a single vote, are
not read at homo and only prolong the
waiting. We have-been surfeited with
tariff speeches for five long years. We
know how every man stands. The
country calls for the question.
The main provisions of the currency
bill are acceptable to the country. Crit
icism is aimed chiefly at the measure
'of Government control proposed. This
can be modified to make It less objec
tionable. The House will be through
with the bill in time for the Senate
to take it up when the latter body has
passed the tariff bill. If the harmoni
ous Democratic party can avoid a
wrangle, the legislators may be able to
secure a brief rest before beginning
the regular session in December.
There is no excuse for holding over
the currency bill until that session,
for there is plenty of work blocked out
to occupy it. One measure, even of
the magnitude of a tariff bill. Is not
sufficient output for a session at which
no other legislation of consequence
was passed. Had both houses buckled
down to work in earnest at the out
set they might have finished much
earlier. Instead, the Senate marked
time while the House worked and vice
versa. Congress should pay for loaf
ing by sacrificing its vacation, if nec
essary to finish the job on hand.
THE ALASKA HOLDUP.
The real purpose of the Forest Serv
ice in Inducing the creation of the
Chugach National Forest in Alaska,
which has proved one of the chief ob
stacles to development of the coal
fields, was extorted from W. B. Gree
ley, of that bureau, by the Senate com
mittee on territories. Mr. Greeley was
very unwilling to tell and only persist
ent cross-examination by Senators
Plttman, Jones and Walsh drew out
the truth. It had been charged that
90 per cent of the so-called forest was
nothing but bare mountain and forest
and that the timber on the remaining
fraction was of no value. Tet the
whole area has been locked up, and
railroads have been forbidden to use
Government timber In construction,
though that privilege has been freely
granted to new railroads in the main
land of the United States.
Mr. Greeley said that the reserve
contained 11,250,000 acres, the boun
daries having been established by the
"major topographic features" Instead
of by the fact of its being covered with
useful timber. He admitted that only
4.000,000 acres are covered with what
he considers commercial timber, the
other 7.260,000 acres being "almost
wholly barren, mountainous land of no
commercial importance." According
to him, the timbered portion bears
only 28,000,000,000 feet on an average
of "000 feet to the acre, some tracts
running up to 10,000 or 15,000 feet.
By close questioning he was forced to
admit that the timber is worthless for
building, has low durability and ten
sile strength and is used for piling,
wharfing, building log houses, fuel and
sometimes for railroad ties. But It is
so useless for general construction
that only four sawmills have been
built and only two of these are in
operation. Almost all the lumber
used is imported. None is exported
and the best use for the timber of
which Mr. Greeley could think was to
make pulp for paper mills.
Mr. Greeley's excuse for the cre
ation of the reserve was the conser
vation of this timber. But the bulk
of It is within five or six miles of
the coast and he was unable to say
why the reserve was extended so far
inland. This prompted Mr. Walsh to
say it looked as if the purpose was
"preventing that railroad company
(the Alaska Central) from taking the
timber that it was permitted to take
under . the provisions of the act to
construct the road."
Forced to concede that the forest
was not paying its way, that the tim
ber was so poor that little was bought
by residents and that there was no
danger of its being cut down, Mr.
Greeley fell back on the excuse that
the Forest Service was conserving the
title "from acquisition by private in
terests and its holding and exploita
tion." Mr. Plttman said to him:
So far you have done nothing toward
conservation. I say. so far. mind you. not
wbst msy happen 1000 years from now, but
so far you have done nothing toward con
servation that would not have naturally
happened It you had not been there.
Mr. Greeley's only answer was:
"We have preserved the title to the
land."
Asked how the land or the title
would have been injured if the Forest
Service had not preserved the title,
Mr. Greeley said:
There has been soma demand for that
timber, sufficient to result In indiscriminate
cutting.
Danger to timber which is worthless
except for piling, fuel and wood pulp,
and which is so sparse that no logger
would cut it for lumber!
Chairman Plttman proceeded to put
Mr. Greeley on the rack in this wise:
The chairman Ton say yon have protect
ed the title, and I ask yon how.
Mr. Greeley Unquestionably by with
drawing it from enlry.
The chairman Then I ask. what danger
haa there been up until now?
air. Greeley I do not know.
The chairman Can you not Imagine any?
Tell me what danger there has been op
to now. - . .
Mr. Greeley I understand 'the homestead
laws are applicable to Alaska.
The chairman Do you think that would
Injure the title? Do you Imagine a home
steader settling there would injure that
title?
Mr. Greeley It has Injured the title to
millions of acrea In the States.
The chairman Are you opposed to home
steaders? Mr. Greeley No, sir.
The chairman Are yon opposed to bona
fide homesteaders on any land?
Mr. Greeley There is no such thing as
bona fide homesteading except on agricul
tural lands, and any homesteading on land
which is not agricultural is fraudulent.
The chairman Cannot timber land be ag
ricultural land?
Mr. Greeley Oh. yea.
The chairman Are you opposed to home
steading land Just because it has timber
on It?
Mr. Greeley No, sir.
The rhairmsn Is there not agricultural
laxd within that preserve?
Mr. Greeley Our reports Indicate a very
small amount of widely scattered tracts,
forming altogether a perfectly negligible
percentage of the whole.
The chairman Now I understand what
you have done. We have come down to this
point so far: That you have taken In 12.
000.000 acres of Isnd. 4.OO0.000 acres of
which haa some commercial timber on It.
according to your own testimony, the com
mercial timber character of the land being
estimated at 700O feet per acre. You have
done nothing toward -conservation other
than would have naturally happened If yon
had not been there.
The Government can refuse patent
to a homesteader who attempts to se
cure land by fraud. It -can prosecute
a man who Illegally cuts timber on
Government land. The timber is of
small value. If any, and covers only
one-third of the reserve. There was ob
viously an ulterior motive in creating
the reserve. That motive was
to prevent settlement, to prevent open
ing of the coal land, to obstruct con
struction of railroads until Congress
could be induced to pass laws govern
ing the disposal of the public domain
such as the reservatlonlsts approve.
They are engineering a hold-up.
QUARTERLY. WATER PAYMENTS.
The Information is given by the De.
partment of Publio Utilities that, al
though water users may now pay one
or three or more months in advance,
the great majority of bills are sent
out monthly. Tet when asked what
advantage a compulsory quarterly pay
ment plan would have for the con
sumer, the reply is made that "it is
more convenient to pay bills three
times a year than to pay them twelve
times a year."
It is obviously .more convenient to
go to the pay station three times a
year than it Is to go twelve times, but
convenience also embraces ability to
pay. Apparently a great majority of
the water users find it more conve
nient from a financial standpoint now
to pay monthly, as they sacrifice the
optional convenience of paying quar
terly. Convenience is not wholly a
matter of time expenditure.
There is hope held out that the an
nual saving to the water department
by the quarterly payment plan will
make feasible a reduction in water
rates. The Oregonlan offers a guess
that if a 10 per cent deduction were of
fered today to all who would pay water
bills -three months in advance, a ma
jority would still pay by the month.
It is a dull man who does not know
that he can save materially on living
expenses by buying a season's fuel and
a year's household supplies in advance.
But the man-w ho. cares most about
such a saving is generally the one who
has not the cash in hand to effect it.
Compulsory payments of water rates
by the quarter would doubtless cause
more delinquencies and more cutting
off of water supply. The city might
not suffer- from such result, as the
50 cents fee for turning on the flow
again no . doubt reimburses it. But
the man whose necessity compelled
him to neglect payment would have
small comfort in the saving of trips
to the water ' pay station or even in
the knowledge that his current bill
had been reduced when he measured
these "conveniences" against the ex
torted half dollar.
MAKE FOREIGN POLICY NATIONAL.
It is well that President Wilson has
taken the Senate committee on for
eign relations into his confidence on
his Mexican policy. It would have
been better had he invited the aid
of the committee in formulating that
policy. With the co-operation of the
leaders of both parties, he could have
been sure of the backing of a prac
tically united Nation. Small opening
would have remained for the intrigues
of those Americans who for interest
ed motives seek to provoke war and of
the agents of the Mexican factions.
Foreign affairs should be taken out
of the domain of party politics, as
they are in Europe. The Government
should work hand in hand with the
men -who through their ability, ex
perience and position in the Senate,
are qualified to render aid. Senator
Root, through his experience as Sec
retary of State and through the knowl
edge gained on his tour of the Latin-
American states, is peculiarly quali
fied to give such aid. So. in a leas
degree, are Senators Lodge and Bui
ton. Had Mr. Wilson called them into
consultation, they would doubtl-.ss
have met him in the same spirit,
would have forgotten party in patriot
ism and would have joined him in for
mulating a policy which would com
mand the united support of the Sen
ate and the Nation. As in his inaugu
ral address, the President invited the
co-operation of all forward-looking
men, without regard to party, in do
mestic legislation, so in his conduct
of foreign affairs ho. should call to
his side all patriotic men who are
qualified to advise him and are in a
position to help. htm.
This eourse would have been -pecu
liarly wise for a President whose mind
has been turned more to internal than
foreign affairs and with a Secretary
of State who is "green" at the business.
But Mr.. Wilson has not even taken the
leaders of his own party Into his con
fidence. He decides on matters like
the Nicaraguan treaty without ascer
taining beforehand that It has good
prospect of ratification, and learns
with surprise that some members of
his own party oppose him, while some
of the opposite party support him.
Had it been announced that the re
call of Ambassador Wilson, the refusal
to recognize Huerta and the mission
of John Land had been decided upon
after conference with, and with the ap
proval of, the leading men of both par
ties in the Senate committee, adverse
criticism would have been stilled and
public Judgment would have been sus
pended to await tha outcorie of the
steps decided upon. By this - means
much comment which cannot but have
aggravated the tension with Mexico
would not have been made.
The skill with which the Administra
tion has so far promoted its policy in
internal affairs contrasts strongly with
its bungling of foreign relations. Oth
er administrations have invited the
aid of the opposition; this Administra
tion does not even invite that of its
own supporters. In the Mexican af
fair it has gone ahead with a mystify
ing secrecy, though it might have pre
vented the mischief it now seeks to
undo. In the Nicaraguan affair had
acceptability of the treaty by the Sen
ate and the attitude of other Ceniri"
American states been . ascertained,
there would have been no occasion to
back up on the proposed protectorate.
Good Judgment would have inaugu
rated the Bryan peace policy with the
signature of a treaty with a first
class power, not with a midget like
Salvador. That would have won re
spect instead of ridicule for it.
The foreign policy of every Adminis
tration should be neither Republican
nor Democratic, but National. It
should confine Its politics to domestic
affairs.
RESULTS MORE IMPORTANT THAN
FORM.
The man who loves a technicality
better than Justice may agree with cer
tain newspapers which are criticising
Government activity in the Dlggs-Cam-inettl
case. The Mann white slave
law was enacted to curb and prevent
importations to one state from an
other of women for engagement in
commercialized vice. But here we
have the Government invading the po
lice powers reserved to the State of
California to punish persons who were
not engaged in actual white slave
traffic and who could be prosecuted
under state laws just as well. So runs
the argument.
The reasoning Is not entirely novel.
When the Mann law was before Con
gress it was attacked on the theory
that, as the white slave traffic is not
interstate commerce, the law would be
unconstitutional, and it was also con
tended that the law would invade state
rights. Perhaps a sufficient reply is
that the United States Supreme Court
in the lottery case upheld the right of
Congress to prohibit a business in the
interests of public morals. But it is
argued that the Diggs-Caminettl epi
sode had no commercial Incentive. It
was not business. It was merely a
wild and immoral escapade. But how
short a step it is from elopement with
a married man to commercial prosti
tution is known to all. It Is the al
most inevitable end for the girl in the
case. With this fact in mind one can
hardly distinguish a difference between
the Reno case and one in which a city
procurer lures an Innocent girl from
the country into a prison house of vice.
Naturally, the critics of the broad
application of the Mann law reserve a
high regard for law enforcement and
punishment of evil-doers, but we see
small cause for worry over the method
adopted to Inflict a proper penalty so
long as the method is guarded by fair
legal formula and insures adequate and
speedy Justice. Moreover, Federal
recognition of such crimes promotes
more certain conviction of the guilty.
States are rarely able to secure con
victions under adultery statute. Simple
adultery is known as the hardest crime
to fasten legally upon him who com
mits it.
The Federal white, slave law Is the
most effective instrument we have ever
had in curbing a widespread form of
Indecency and immorality. Its value
should not be hampered by worship of
abstract doctrines or by bowing to
shadowy jurisdictional prerogatives.
TUB NEW1 SCHOOL READERS.
Once a year the Independent has the
useful habit of publishing a list of
the new textbooks it has received and
making some comment upon them.
This year the list is a long one and
in many respects encouraging. It is
particularly interesting to observe the
industry of the textbook writers who
are concerned with the mother tongue.
The Independent mentions 125 of their
works, and we suppose there must
be others which that periodical haa
overlooked. Supplementary reading
seems to call for a great deal of ef
fort. We all know how arid the old
fashioned school reading book was.
The selections were usually of a high
ly moral tone, but there was little
else to recommend them; Their style
was dull and their substance often
silly.
It seldom occurred to the maker of
reading books for school children to
select his matter from good authors.
Like the fatherly Chinese fish which
chews the food for its little ones into
fine hash, these laborious providers
cut and slashed and diluted until noth
ing was left that resembled literature.
In the up-to-date supplementary read
ing books there is a praiseworthy at
tempt to give children Fomethlng sen
sible to occupy their minds.
The regular reading books of the
course may be as fragmentary and
empty as ever, but those Intended to
fill In the mental chinks and crev
ices are quite human. One of them
contains six pioneer stories which seek
to make children acquainted frith the
early history of some of the Western
states. Oregon, among others, enjoys
this distinction. Another supplemen
tary reading book gives the story of
Hawaii, while still another tells about
the stars. Such volumes must be in
comparably better reading for pupils
than their ordinary textbooks. It were
to be wished that they might be used
in classes to the exclusion of the
"adopted series," but we suppose the
law will not permit. In the olden
time children, were starved at school.
There was nothing for them to read
except their primers, fourth readers
and so on. Now there Is a plethora
of matter and their intellectual stom
achs are as likely to be destroyed by
overfeeding as by hunger. The school
master of former days was on net
tles lest his pupils should read too
much. He wanted every sentence an
alyzed and parsed, every word traced
to its derivation, every allusion pur
sued to its source. Reading was made
a slow and exceedingly painful proc
ess, so slow and painful that children
hated it and never opened a book after
they left school if they could avoid It.
The modern teacher encourages wide
reading. Volumes are heaped up
around the child and his mind flooded
with stories both orally and from the
printed page. We should imagine that
the Ideal method might lie somewhere
between these two extremes.
Most men who have made an In
tellectual mark in life have been great
readers, but not of rubbish. They
have managed by hook or crook to
get hold of the world's best books
and devour them. William Cullen
Bryant, Daniel Webster, Abraham Lin
coln were omnivorous readers, but al
ways of books which were famous.
Benjamin Franklin tells in his auto
biography what a struggle he made
to obtain the world books, as they have
been-called, i and what an effect they
had upon his mind. Holmes says that
in his opinion every bright boy and
girl ought to be "turned loose in a
good library" and allowed to select
whatever books they like. They will
read some which they cannot under
stand, but what of It? Intelligence will
fill in the gaps later on in life.
It is a thousand pities that so many
young people of -our day pass through
school without reading Plutarch, "Par
adise Lost," "The Pilgrim's Progress"
and half a dozen other books of that
rank. Why should not Bacon's "Es
says" be made part of the regular
course? If it is not read in school it
never will be read in all likelihood.
We do not mean that it should be an.
alyzed and parsed. Heaven forbid
that we should be so foolish. But
children might read those immortal
essays with infinite profit even if they
did not understand more than half the
text.
Then there is Pope's "Essay on
Man." the finest didactic poem ever
written. It contains almost all the
great platitudes upon which virtue is
nourished and heroism sustained, and
they are put so melodiously, and slip
so smoothly into the memory that,
once read, they become possessions
forever. Boys of ten are ready for
"The Essay on Man." It will do them
more good at that age than ever aft
erwards. What school course contains
even a vestigo of it?
The supplementary reading books
which the Independent catalogues are,
most of them, sensible and scientific to
the last degree, but they are not lit
erary. Now we contend that the lit
erary quality Is the one thing needful
In teaching the young to read. Sci
ence they will get later. Sense will
be driven into them by the harsh cir
cumstances of life. But if they do not
acquire the literary taste when they
are at school they never will. When
are they to read Plutarch, "Don
Quixote," "Gil Bias" and "Paradise
Lost"? We have heard a man of ripe
years and great eminence roll off page
after page of Milton's great poem. He
had learned it by heart at college and
never forgotten it. What place has
"Paradise Lost" as sheer poetry in the
modern college? Would not the ordin
ary fraternity or sorority member
smile cynically at the very thought
of wasting time over a book so out of
date?
In our opinion -the return to great
literature Which was attempted in the
schools and colleges a few years ago
was a most praiseworthy move, or
would have been If it had not been
spoiled. The Inveterate pedagogical
love of cutting everything by the tape
line intervened and turned literature
into wooden blocks. If teachers could
only have allowed the children to read
books as books, what a blessing it
would have been. Even now it Is not
too late to go back and correct the
fatal blunder. Instead of flooding the
schools with new and watery supple
mentary reading, why not introduce
the children to the great and eternal
books before It is forever too late?
In view of the facts that our exports
in the last fiscal year reached a total
of 22,465.000,000 and that 1 1.600.000,
000 of this total consisted of manu
factured or partly manufactured
goods, our foreign commerce seems
to experience a tolerably healthy
growth under the protective tariff. Tet
one of the loudest pleas for a revenue
tariff is, that protection shuts us out of
foreign markets. How did we get that
SI. 600. 000,000 worth through- the
barrier?
That is a great controversy existing
between the Humane Society and its
friends and the health people as to
proper floors for stables for the horse.
The health faddists insist that concrete
la the only sanitary material, while the
humane followers Just as vigorously
advocate plain dirt. If the horse
could talk, it is likely he would ex
press preference for the harder ma
terial, with plenty of straw bedding,
and he would be more than half right.
Theoretically the battleship fleet
which attacked the Long Island forts
in the recent maneuvers were sunk,
but we shall never know whether the
defenses of New York are impregna
ble until a real attack Is made with
real Bhells and the forts retort In kind.
There is a psychological difference be
tween men engaged in maneuvers and
men engaged in battle.
A Chinese newspaper estimates that
at the rate at which the work is pro
gressing the framing of the constitu
tion will take twenty-three years and
cost 280, 000, 000. Why don't the Chi
nese hire Mr. URen to prepare a con
stitution for them? He would polish
off the job, with all modern improve
ments, in a week.
The New York Sun always had a
weakness for poking fun at freak
names. It gave Hoke Smith no rest
when he was Cleveland's Secretary of
the Interior. .Now it has discovered
Leake Carraway, secretary of the
Greater Charlotte Club In North Caro
lina, and Peru Hutt in Pike County,
Ohio. i
Bryan might also apologize for his
personal conduct in flitting around on
the lecture platform when foreign re
lations demanded his presence in
Washington. '
California harbor bonds carry 4 per
cent Interest and a 10 per cent com
mission to anyone who can effect a
sale. What alls them?
Lawson rot no answer to his offer of
millions to fight Tammany. Perhaps
they don t take him very seriously
back home way.
As a special feature cubeb cigarettes
might be added to the grapejuice menu
of an official banquet in Washington.
Miss Pankhurst had to be released
to prevent starvation in a hunger
strike. Chip off theold block.
There are 100,000 more men than
women in Oregon. Cheering news for
the spinsters.
That surpasses hades, to put it po
me i.
There are prospects that the next
Rose -Festival will be worth while.
Another man didn't know it was
loaded. Notice of funeral later.
Congress will remain in session until
the snow flies. Cold outlook.
The Morning Call follows the Forty-
niner and the Silurian.
"Beavers Win Again" is becoming a
familiar headline.
The Mazamas will have to -try Mo
Klnley next.
The Colts, too, are playing some ball.
NEW COMPETITOR IX THE FIELD.
Cheap Japaaeae Cotton Goods Grave
Factor In Fixing Tariff.
JACKSONVILLE. Or, Aug. 14. (To
the Editor.) Is there a deliberate at
tempt being made to ruin the manufac
tures of this country? How Is it pos
sible to have two sets of legislator
working in opposition to each other.
We In Oregon are raising the working
class to a higher plane, and our Sena
tors at Washington are In favor of
free trade. Constant tariff Irritation
Is as bad as war. Let every laboring
man give his experience of scarcity of
work when our tariff tinkers get to
work. On every hand we hear of the
great free trade boom In Britain: but
how few mention the fact that 3S7 se
curities on the British Stock Exchange
on June 20, 1907, represented in value
3.843.000,000 and on June 20, 1912. they
had depreciated 488,000,000. A great
cry Is raised by the free traders about
cheaper clothing.
Everybody should know that York
shire. England, is the center of the
woolen trade, and Lancashire Is the
center of the cotton trade. I would like
the Oregonlan to give us an idea of
the freight bills alone, paid by us, for
those goods. We cannot raise cotton
In Oregon; but we can and do, on a
small scale, raise wool. Furthermore,
as an ex-Lancashire mill manager, I
can say without fear of contradiction
that no place has the climatic and
power facilities that Oregon possesses
for the successful operation of mills.
Neither the East nor the South can
compare with Washington and Oregon.
If the farmers, gardeners and orchard
men of Oregon could dispose of their
surplus here, how much freight money
would be saved to them? But if our
learned professor President signs the
present tariff bill in Congress, our
natural resources must lie dormant.
I maintain, from practical experience,
also from present conditions, that free
trade la the very life of Britain s manu
factures. and will be the opposite to
our Industries. Our main articles of
clothing are made from cotton. Before
the Payne-Aldrich bill was passed, our
President (Mr. Taft) had a commission
appointed to go fully into the condi
Hons here and abroad. I believe it
would be of great service in combating
the present proposed cotton schedule,
again to quote the difference in wages
of Lancashire and American cotton
mills. Our mills made only an average
of 4.79 per cent In 1913 to the English
man's 12H per cent. For the benefit of
the free traders, I quote the trade re
turns of 1912 In cotton goods exported
from the United Slates aud Great Brit
ain. The United States exported 142,
500,000 worth of cotton yarns and cot
ton manufactures, against Britain's
fell. 000.000. I can see the satisfied
smile on the free trader's countenance
as he reads these figures; but let him.
and every true American, ask himself,
'How was this accomplished?" Having
gone through the mill, I will give you
my version of it
After the Civil War English and
American capitalists realized that the
proper place for mills was near the cot
ton fields. Textile mill machinery was
imported in great quantities and em
ployes in large numbers. Then arose
the question of competition. Labor
here demanded higher wages and to
protect them a tariff had to be estab
lished, and It is Just the same in all
our Industries. In time the snrewd
American employer realized that Rus
slan ant Italian work people would be
cheaper than the English and Ameri
cans and they gradually adopted them
The Lawrence strikers were of this
class.
Docs our President desire tha Ameri
can people to compete with Japan or
England? How would he like his boy
or girl to get up at t A .M., go to
work at o'clock and work until S
A M-, then eat -his breakfast out of a
lunch basket; at 8:30 A. M. go to work
again until noon; then, tired, go to
school for half a. day, and be com
pelled to keep up with his studies? In
Japan, boys, girls and women work 13
hours per day, seven days per week.
Their mills work day and night and
their wages are one-sixth of ours. They
are a new competitor and In 1912 they
exported $44,303,362 worth of cotton
goods after supplying their own wants
of 62,000,000 people. And they have
done this with only 2.192,000 spindles.
Of course we were their best custom
ers, taking over one-third. It seems
to me we need labor representatives in
Congress, not professors. My chil
dren are born here, and It Is my duty
to protect them. Who else wilL If we
must admit one necessity, why not an
other, free of duty? How would it
suit Mr. Wilson to admit a few Jap
anese professors?
How many of your department stores
In Portland have for sale a spool ot
sewing cotton made in America? Take
the balance sheet of J. P. Coates for
1912. It resembles Morgan's banking
bouse more than an Industry. If I buy
a spool of the "American Thread Com
pany" I notice that it Is British-made.
It is a small concern and here Is the
yearly balance sheet for 1912. After
charging 8248.000 for bond interest and
523,36o for depreciation, the profits
for the year 1912 amounted to $968,210
and $922,215 was brought forward. A
dividend of 12 per cent was paid, car
rying forward $968,155. Why not take
off the present duty and annihilate
American opportunities? Let us con
tinue agitating for free trade, if we
are prepared to live as other na
tions do.
Some free traders make the assertion
that England has no farming land. That
is false, and before many years Lloyd
George will frame laws to enable the
people to farm tbeir land, and then
our surplus will not be as easily dis
posed of. The country Is far from over
populated; In fact, there Is today 17,
500,000 acrea of permanent grass land
that could be sown to grain. When this
land is thrown open to the people, and
we have free trade, it is a certainty
that we shall have to accept the same
class of wages, and be on the sarhe
plane, as all European countries, or
else close our mills, reduce our produc
tion of cereals and clothe ourselves in
Japanese cotton goods. If the press
and labor unions of this country do
not exert themselves to defeat the new
tariff bill. In a very few years great
discontent and poverty will cause our
legislators to undo their work.
JOHN GREAVES.
Saare Hem Defended.
PENDLETON, Or., Aug. 13. (To the
Editor.) I note your reference in an
editorial column to a reported plentl
fulness of sage hens In Eastern Ore
gon. Your comment thereon indicates
that the writer does not consider the
flesh of the sage hen of suitable qual
ity for palatable food. The natural in
ference, based on this assumption,
would be that this fine game bird is
not worthy of legal protection.
Did tbe writer of the article in ques
tion ever taste the flesh of a sagehen?
I "ha ma doots." If be did he must
surely have gotten hold of an old
tough cock, out of season, or else, or
whoever prepared the dish, must have
been totally ignorant of the proper
method for preparing and cooking it.
The sage hen is a fine gam bird, both
from the viewpoint of the sportsman
and that of the epicure. They do not
appear to resist the influences of ad
vancing civilisation, however, and
seem to be getting scarcer every year.
I for one am anxious that tha apparent
trend toward extermination may be
checked by an Improved sentiment of
obedience of our fairly good game pro
tective code. C. F. CRANSTON.
Mosst Hood Route.
PORTLAND, Aug. 14. (To the Edi
tor.) Please mention In The Oregon
lan, for the benefit of autoists, that
the road to Mount Hood on the north
side of the Sandy River, from Bull
Run east to where it connects with
road on south side of river, is in good
condition for travel and is not impas
sable, as Is generally believed.
WM. HAIGHT.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonlan ot August 17, 1863.
F. W. McDanlela. formerly Deputy
Sheriff of Wasco County, was shot at
Canyon City by Van Tlchnor, the Boise
expressman, and died on the following
Saturday. '
Lieutenant George Williams, of the
Regular Army, son of Hon. Elijah Wil
liams, of Salem, distinguished himself
by his fearless and patriotic bravery
at the recent battle of Gettysburg,
though be was so severely wounded
that it was necessary to amputate one
ot his legs.
A small secession performance is go
ing on at Visalla, Cal. The Union men
ana ineir opponents are greauy exas
perated. The Wells House was burned
Inai nlirht TK. .An..ainnilt thrMiB
retaliation and declare civil war com-
mencea.
The congressional Investigating com
mittee In the New York custom-houBe
has discovered that the beads of that
institution receive the following sal
aries: Collector Barney. (83.600 per
annum; Surveyor Andrews. $61,430, and
Naval Officer Sennison, $81,930.
Several of our most enterprising
merchants are taking active measures
to urge upon Congress the propriety
and necessity of making Portland, a
port of entry and of establishing here
a branch mint and a marine hospital.
The dedication of the new Beth Is
rael schoolhouse took place last Sat
urday. The pupils. $5 in number, bear
ing a beautiful Union flag, marched to
the -new schoolhouse. The company
were entertained with speeches and
songs In English and German by the
young ladles and gentlemen. Master
Myer Harris recited Drake's "Ode to
the American Flag." Mr. Mansfield ad
dressed a few remarks to the scholars,
after which Governor Glbbs delivered
an address.
The steamer Rival, plying between
this place and Oregon City, broke her
crank near Milwaukee on Saturday on
her way up the river. The E. D. Baker
went to her assistance.
QUERIES ON WATER PAYMENTS
Pertinent Iilormilloa Given Relative
to Quarterly System.
PORTLAND. Aug. 15. (To the Edi
tor.) I have heard so many conflict
ing statements concerning the pro
posed new method of collecting water
rates that I am unable to decide what
really would be best. Therefore, for
my benefit and the benefit of others
as well, will you please publish the
tacts concerning the following ques
tions: 1. Can a person pay for three or
more months under the present plan?
2. What advantage would the pro
posed plan have over the present plan
as far as the consumer Is concerned ?
3. Would the estimated saving of
$30,000 on the present system bring the
expense down to where it was on the
old system a year ago?
4. Would all meter deposits,
whether large or small, be Increased to
three times the present amount?
5. In case of a leak In a house hav
ing a meter would the tenant be liable
for the' total amount of the water as
shown by the meter for the full three
monthsT
6. Would the owner bo held liable
for the water bill of a tenant who
might move out without paying the
bill then due?.
7. Would there be more than ten
days, as at present. In which to pay
a quarterly bill before the water would
be turned off?
VIOLA PATTON.
The following answers have been
uupplied by the -City Department of
Publio futilities and are the views of
that department: " . -'
1. Yes, but unless a uniform sys
tem is adopted whereby all accounts
are billed quarterly no advantage is
gained, a with the great majority of
the bills being sent out monthly no
reduction in the force of accountants is
possible.
2. ' It is more convenient to pay
bills three times a year than to pay
them II times a year. By the estab
lishment of the quarterly payment plan
It will be possible to effect a great sav
ing annually and the mora the cost of
operating and maintaining the water
system is reduced the more likelihood
there is of the annual water rates be
ing reduced.
3. This estimated saving would, ot
course, be one element in reducing the
cost, though not the only one under
the proposed rearrangement.
4. All meter rates are now paid
In advance. After the first month the
consumer pays for each ensuing month
a sum based on the consumption of the
previous month. Under the new system
the first quarterly advance payment
would be based on the experience of the
quarter Immediately preceding. In a
case where a primary connection is
made the first advance payment would
be three times the minimum monthly
rate. If a consumer moves at any time
he Is entitled to a refund ot the unused
portion of his payment.
6. The same rule would apply as
at present. The consumer is respon
sible for all leaks Inside the property
line.
6. It is the plan of the Utilities De
partment ultimately to make the prop
erty liable for the payment of water
bills, but for the present the rules now
in effect apply and the consumer is
required to pay in advance.
7. There would not be more than
10 days allowed.
Holland Colny to Be Founded.
PORTLAND. Aug. 15. (To the Ed
itor.) In one of your editorials today
you say: "It were greatly to be de
sired that some wealthy and patriotic
citizen should take up the work of
founding one of these foreign colo
nies " The very work you
wish for Is being done by the Willam
ette Valley Irrigated Land Company,
who have had a representative on the
road for several weeks visiting the
Holland-American dairymen in a cer
tain part of the United States, making
them attractive propositions to form
a Holland colony on the company's
Iar.d near Marlon. All the company
requires is thrift and ability. The
colonists do not have to make any pay.
ment for two years. On the other hand,
the company will buy them the neces
sary dairy cows, for which they can
pay out of the cream checks. All the
newcomers have to do 1s to erect small
homes and get busy.
Such families can be bad without
having to go to Europe for them, and
the Kreat advantage ia that they are
acclimated and can use their voice to
make their wants known, while the
imported foreigner is absolutely help
less in that respect and has to spend
years in gaining a knowledge of our
tongue and methods.
JOHN H. HARTOG.
How He Advertised.
Houston Post.
Wife Be sure and advertise for Fido
In the morning newspapers.
Next day the wife read the follow
ing:
Two dollars reward Lost, a 'mangy
lapdog, with one eye and no tall. Too
fat to walk. Responds to the nama of
"Fido." Smells like a monkey house.
If returned stuffed 15 reward.
Twenty-five Year Ago
From The Oregonlan of August IS. 1S3
Portland. Me.. Auc. 15. Btaine ar
rived here at 1 o'clock. There was a
large crowd at the depot and loud en
thusiasm. Seattle. Aug. 15. Today Ed Clark and
J. D. Symons killed in the North End
of town a large she bear and a small
cub.
Indianapolis. Aug. 15. About 600
visitors from Kush. Decatur and Dela
ware counties cal cd upon General Har
rison this morning.
Mayor Van B. De Lashmutt yesterday
voted an ordinance for the repair ot
Multnomah street by the city. ; The
vote was unanimously sustained.
D. P. Thompson and C. H. Dodd.. as
a committee from the Board of Trade,
asked the Council to attend to the
dredging of Swan Island bar.
Professor T. H. Crawford has com
pleted his 11th and final report as Su
perintendent of Schools.
Mr. Dana, of Portland, has ascer
tained the altitude of Mount Adams to
be 13,785 feet.
- G. F. Telfer, corner of Ninth and G
streets. East Portland, is the first to
beat the Salem record for peaches. The
largest of the Salem peaches measured
10V4 inches In circumference. Mr.
Telfer sends a peach measuring
Inches.
The horse attached to tha delivery
wagon of Malarkey's market ran away
down Morrison street yesterday, throw.
Ing out the driver, Henry FriedenthaL
The wagon struck Dr. Perry's buggy,
damaging It somewhat, -
The Unitarian Church will be opened
next Sunday and services will be con
ducted in tha morning by Rev. E. C
Smith, a recent graduate of the Cam
bridge Divinity School.
Major-General James R. Carnahan, of
Indianapolis, commanding the uniform
rank of the Knights ot Pythias, ar
rived in the city yesterday.
The river and harbor bill provides
for a board of engineers to investigate
the feasibility of constructing a boat
railway at The Dalles and Celilo.
MORS OX WATER PAYMENT PLAN
City Proposes to Profit From Depriva
tion of Many.
PORTLAND, Aug. 14. (To the Edi
tor.) The plan proposed by Commis
sioner Daly to pay water rates three
months in advance, at first . glance
seems all right. And according to Mr.
Daly's statement would save to the
city something like $15,000 per an
num, as a result of a reduction of ex
penses made necessary in the custo
mary monthly collections heretofore.
This seergs quite an item in favor ot
the city as a whole, but what about
the few who" are deprived of said
amount In the- interest of the city at
targe?
No doubt those from whom the year
ly amount of $15,000 shall be with
drawn will feel the loss quite percep
tibly. It la simply robbing Peter to pay
Paul, when Paul Is much more able to
stand the loss than Peter. Then, be
sides. It is claimed that the plan will
not inconvenience nor make any dif
ference in price or otherwise with the
consumer. But If they take the last
three months as an average for the
entire year, as has been suggested, it
will make quite a difference In cost
to many, as their water bills are al
ways much larger during the Sum
mer months on -account of water used
on lawns and gardens. And unless
some allowance Is made for this there
Is sure to be a great deal of dissatis
faction. B. JUST.
Preferences In Languages. .
Everybody's. Magazine.
A boy who had been absent from
school for several days returned with
his throat carefully swathed and pre
sented this note to his teacher:
"Please don't let my son learn any
German today; his throat Is so sore he
can hardly speak English."
Diplomacy at tke Barber's.
Life.
Mr. Almost Bald Tony, my hair Is
getting thin.'
Tony (the barber) So! Which on?
Features for
Sunday
GIRL BUYERS Fifteen hun
dred young bnsiness women
invade New York to pur
chase for the great depart
ment stores of the country.
Why the girl buyer ia com
ing more and more into de
mand is shown in an attrac
tive page feature.
CARRANZA Is he the Moses
of Mexico! A correspond
ent gives the inside story of
the leading revolutionist and
his methods. The article is
illustrated by snapshots.
15,000 LOVE LETTERS
They were written by one
woman to one ' man to Vic
tor Hugo. A half-page fea
ture. IS MAN LOSING HIS MAS
CULINITY? Frau May
rader says he is and blames
civilization for making of
man an effeminate creature.
SACRED CATTLE FOR
MEAT How Zebus are be
ing crossed on the Texas
ranges for American mar
kets. BASEBALL CIVILIZES THE
FILIPINOS Although the
islanders opposed our bayon
ets, they have taken up our
baseball with a will and are
becoming ardent fans.
MORE SUMMER GIRL CON
FESSIONS Rita Reese
writes of the secret of pop
ularity with men. Sympathy,
she says, is the most potent
and powerful weapon a girl
can have in winning hearts.
POLICE COMMISSION DAYS
Theodore Roosevelt . con
tributes a chapter on the days
when he was remoulding the
New York police department.
THREE SHORT STORIES
COMPLETE SUNDAY
Many Other Features
Order today of your newsdealer.