tttt: morxixg oregoxiax.' Saturday, December 20. 1913. I PORTLAND. OREGON, Catered t Portland. Oreson. Postoffice aa eeeond-elaas matter. Sabxripuun Bates Invariably Is Advance. XJally. Funday Included, one year iJellr, Sunday Included, all month Xaily, Sunday Included, three moainl ... XaHr. Sunday Included, one month 1.25 llaHv llhnnttinnr(ai m mODlbt Xa:ly. without Sunday, three month X)al!y. without Sunday, on month . . Weekly, one year .....--.------ r'vldij, ene year Sunder and weekly, one year BT CARRlBrS Yally, Sunday included, one year . 1.75 .so 1.00 2. so s.10 ts.oo .15 Haw to Remit Send poetol f e money or der, express order or peraonal "". local bank. Stamps, coin or "r"'''aiZm at sender's risk. Olve poetofflca address an foil, including county and state. PeeMMre Bate 1 to Is paaea, 1 tent t 18 to 3a psaea. 2 conta; 84 to 44 pases. c" BO le 60 pases. 4 cent.; i to i;J-t rente: 78 to 2 pace. cents. Forelsn pom ace, double ratea. I RmiHMa Offices verree tin. New York, Brunawlck building. cni- bans Franeisra Office R. J. Bldwell Co, !T42 Market street. I'ORTLAT. SATTRDAY. DEC . 1913. I rSINO THE BCHOOUIOUSES. f The public demand for a wider use f the schoolhouses is not likeiy to diminish. It is a new thing- in our day. People are Just beginning to discover what art opportunity for en tertainment and profit they have been roissing by permitting the school houses to remain vacant for the great. r part of the time and their common .sense will insist upon a more efficient iuse of their property. There will ul timately be a demand for the constant opening of the schoolhouses to po litical meetings, dramatic perform ances, debates, dances and all sorts of social gatherings. Already the question of dances Is troubling the school di rectors. Folk dances have been taught to soma extent during school hours. lAt least one request has been received to open a schoolhouse for a public dance. The authorities should make up their minds to meet this growing demand in a spirit of broad toleration und decide it with the utmost wisdom hey can bring to bear. The lack of suitable places for social . gatherings Jias nrrought much evil, both in cities and In the rural sections. In some country towns neighborhood life has keen almost extinguished by bad roads combined with the want of pleasant halls for public meetings. Undesir able gatherings have held their own, but we cannot derive much consola tion from the persistence of evil. In the cities, while the schoolhouses have besn closed and dark, young people have danced In low dena to the accompaniment of beer and vice. Amusement has been commercialized because It could not be free and for the sake of profit the worst has thriven and the best been stifled. Now 'he public is moving toward better things. The schoolhouses offer an op portunity for both entertaining and instructive meetings under safe man agement, with the eye of the whole neighborhood upon them, where young people may associate with their par ents. Instead of being left to them selves. This movement Is full of the most promising possibilities. Democ racy means equality of opportunity both for profit and for amusement. Open schoolhouses mean broader and saner public relations. They mean the continuance of education beyond the ordinary schoolbook curriculum into the fundamental relations of life. They mean the abolishment of class lines and social snobbery by mutual con tact under healthy and uplifting con ditions. But If we are to attain these desir able advantages we must consent to pay the price for them. Every bless ing that is worth having Implies some sacrifice. Neighborhood use ot the schoolhouses cannot be carried to Its legitimate extent without a wider rpirlt of tolerance than some of us are In the habit of practicing. Po litical opinions will be expressed -which we deem destructive. Young eople will indulge in amusements which some do not approve. The nat ural tendency in cases of thin kind is to force our own views upon others if we can. We all dearly love to re strict everybody else within the bounds which we prescribe for ourselves. But that will never do if we wish to make the neighborhood idea prevail in the schoolhouses. The principle, "IImb and let live," is the only one that will work. Those who do not approve of dancing should not try to compel s-verybody else to think exactly as they do on that subject They must ac rept the fact that others may differ v-ith them completely and still be Just as honest and conscientious as they re themselves. Should a dance be lield. in one of the schoolhouses no body Is obliged to attend it. Any man may stay away and In good time get hls'innlngs by delivering a lecture on the sin of those who tripped the light fantastic toe. The point to keep in mind in re gard to dancing Is that it has always been practiced by young people and always will be. Our only choice lies between holding dances under good auspices with friends and parents on guard or seeing them slink away into dark dens, where no one restrains and where evil marshals all Its incentives. The children of well-to-do parents al most invariably are taught to dance. The principal amusement of that so- lety which we all agree to call "the best" is dancing. When, therefore, we undertake to say to the children of the people that either they shall not dance at all or else they must do it under viciously debasing conditions the dlscrimlnatirm seems to lack fair ness. It is perfectly proper to argue with thorn on the subject. If we can convert them to our own ascetic views jso much the better, perhaps. But when Jt comes to forbidding them to use the schoolhouses for dances under good supervision and at proper times we are going too far. The attitude taken by Mr. Sabin and Mr. Plummer Is fur more rational. Mr. PaNn said at the Board meeting, where the sub ject came up for discussion, that he sympathized with those who wanted to' dance." His sympathy did credit to his humanity and good sense. Mr. IVummer pointed out that his own children learned to dance and he t ould not tee why all the public rfiould not enjoy similar advantages. Hie Judgment Is sane and true. In deciding matters of this kind we must bear In mind that many men of many minds are concerned and that all have an equal right to the use and njoyment of neighborhood property. The Ideal condition is attained when each group of Individuals gets Its full charo without unduly restricting the others. The "dog-in-the-manger- at titude is to be shunned at all hnrards. The maxim that "what I don't like nobody else shell do" is. fatal to all neighborhood life. The true maxim to follow 1 that "what I don't like I will not do, but U is not my province to prevent others from doing It." Of course the line between what Is prop er and what Is not must be strictly drawn, bat no mere fanaticism should be permitted to draw it. TOO DRASTIC. A Eugene correspondent, -who with many others Is honestly Interested in devising some method of correcting 1 initiative and referendum petition abuses, invites the attention of The Oregon Ian to a proposal that no county be permitted to furnish a greater proportion of names on any petition than the number of voters in the county bears to the total number of voters in the state. In other words, Multnomah County, having one-third of the voting population, should not be allowed to supply more than one third of the signatures on any peti tion, and so on down the list of coun ties. i We are not sure that this corre spondent, who approves the sugges tion, hag carried Out the plan to its mathematical conclusion. In filling a petition under the proposed system it would be essential that every county be represented thereon. On a pro portionate basis no twelve or fifteen or twenty of even thirty-three coun ties could produce a valid petition. Every one of the thirty-four counties would have to furnish its quota of names. If in Curry County, for ex ample. It waa found impossible to ob tain Curry'a proportionate nunjber of signatures a bill Would fail to get on ths ballot, no matter if the petition were signed by fifty per cent or all of the voters in every other county of the state. The Oregonlan believes that what ever plan is devised for regulating the filing Of petitions that plan should have for its foundation the abolish ment of the paid circulator. It is not content that the paid petition circula ting should be made unlawful unless some reasonably adequate substitute for the paid solicitor's services is made available. If there are to be no paid circulators and a requirement is put in the law that a petition shall be cir culated and names obtained In every county in the state the Initiative and referendum will be practically Inop erative. THAT TREATY WITH HOLLAND. Secretary Bryan meets with success In negotiating peace treaties with na tions with which the United States is never likely to have war and which are hopelessly outclassed by Us in military strength. Holland is decid edly more respectable than Salvador, but In military resources it is not In our class. Peace treaties with Holland and with petty Central American states are one-sided bargains. We might find it necessary to chastise them as we chastised the pirates of the Barbery Coast a century ago and as we chastised Spain fifteen years ago, but the treaty would forbid us. There is no probability that any petty state w.ould wish to declare war on the United States, hence the treaty binds it to do only that which it would do without a treaty. Mr. Bryan will not have accom plished anything of value In the cause of peace until he has negotiated trea ties with nations Which are some where near a match for us. If he should arrange for postponement of hostilities pending inquiry Into, a dis pute .with such powers as Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Russia or Japan, he would have some cause for self-congratulation. He has already dropped an important part of his original scheme by not including in the agreement, with Holland the stipulation that war preparations be deferred until after the year of In quiry. If he should make treaties with any of the great powers without this stipulation and If a dispute with any of these powers should become the subject of Inquiry, a year of fever ish war preparation might ensue. This would make the year's truce a period of great expense and of great suspense. It would be the next worst thing to war. If war preparation were forbidden by mutual consent, the expense would be avoided and the sus pense greatly mitigated. Without regard to party, the Nation is In sympathy with Mr. Bryan's de sire to diminish the possibility of war, but a calm review of the steps he has so far taken shows that he has made no real progress. Tieing our hands in our dealings with the little fellows is not progress: that would only be gained when we tied the hands of our equals in strength at the same time that we tie our own. MEXICO'S P05KHSLCB NEXT RULER. What manner of man Is Pancho Villa, who has made the constitution alists masters of all Northern Mexico and who himself rules with military rigor a large part of that areaT The answer will help us In forming an opinion as to the prospects of perma nent peace, order and good govern ment in Mexico, should Huerta fall before the assaults of the rebels. Villa is half Indian, but is reputed to be of good family. Upon his fath er's death he became guardian of his sister. A neighboring Sheriff eloped with her and Villa pursued and over took them. He forced a marriage, compelled the Sheriff to sign his own death certificate, to dig his own grave and to lie beside It. Villa then shot the man and rolled lilm into the grave. The Sheriff's father rode to Villa's ranch and was shot dead at the door. Villa fled to the hills with a price on his head and became a bandit. That was fifteen years ago. Since then he has been a murderer, bank robber and bandit, holding together his followers with the lure of loot. Last March he returned from the United States with a "borrowed" horse, two sacks of flour and nine men and re cruited a band of kindred spirits in the constitutionalist cause. By forced marches and sudden attacks he has overcome one body of federals after another, and success has swelled his forces until now; he is at the head of between 10.000 and 20,000 men. He procured 95 per cent of his guns and ammunition and all his artillery by capture from the federals, saying, "taking them from cowards Is the easiest and best way." He has thus acquired thirty-eight large fieldpieces, fifty rapid-fire guns, a tralnload of ammunition and other trainloads of supplies. By robbing banks and by forced contributions he has accumu lated more than $3,000,000 Mexican. He led in sacking Torreon and is re ported to have taken J3.000.000 cash from there. He has looted Chihuahua and compelled the rich to add to his treasure. He has issued decrees con fiscating the vast estates of the Ter rains and Creel families. He shoots as traitors prisoners taken in battle and women fall prey to his brutal sol diers. Should the revolt succeed, its most successful leader would become the chief power ia the government, and any attempt to restrain him would be likely to lead to a new revolt. Car ranza, who has himself countenanced military executions and forced con tributions, may become President, but Villa would be the man behind hm. This would be a long step downward from Madero, who endeavored to carry on war according to civilised methods and who stayed his hand when the execution of Felix Diaz might have averted the revolt which ended in Madero's death. There may have been some excuse of political ne cessity ' for Huerta's murder of Ma dero, and by comparison with Villa the Provisional President is humane. Tet the outcome of American policy may be Substitution of Villa for Huerta. After Diaz, the dictator who brought peace, order and prosperity to Mexico, cane Madero, the idealist revolution ary chief; after Madero came Huerta, his murderer, a military chieftain; after Huerta may come -. Villa, the bandit chief and mankiller. Are low er depths possible? Are we mending matters by freezing out Huerta with out offering a better man for hts place T poRTLAjrrys fctcbe. Professor Lyman's opinions upon the future greatness of Portland harmon- ize very well with predictions Which The Oregonian has often published. Our situation at the head of naviga tion on a great Inland water system ought to be decisive of the matter. When the transportation arrange ments of this part of the world are complete it will undoubtedly be prac ticable to transport heavy freight from Eugene down the Willamette without transfer of any kind on the way. And it will also be practicable to ship wheat and other produce from points far up the Columbia and Snake by water direct to Portland. This will be accomplished by systems of locks and canals, which, compared with the cost of such Works elsewhere, Will not be very expensive. Before a great many years regular lines of steamers will traverse Both the Columbia and Willamette Rivers through the greater part of their courses and freights will then be much cheaper than they are now from internal points to Portland. This city will be the natural distributing focus for Western Oregon and the entire Inland Empire and its growth will correspond to the extent and resources of those great regions. No part of the United States has kept pace with -European countries in the development Of Inland waterways. France and Germany have built ca nals to eke out the transportation capacity of almost every one of their rivers. This, together with channel Improvements and the protection of river banks against wash, has made Internal navigation expeditious and cheap, so that the railroads carry far less freight, proportionally, than they do for us. The European countries are con stantly Improving their water trans portation. While we, .for the last half century, have been neglecting ours. Not only have we built comparatively few canals, but some old ones have been allowed to fall into disuse and ruin. This was all very well In the flush times, when It required no great effort to pay comparatively heavy railroad charges, but now as economic pressure begins to show Its effects a change of policy will probably be ad visable. ROOT AS A PROOKEHSIVK. Senator Root, who was denounced less than eighteen months ago as a leader of reactionaries, has placed himself at the head of the Progres sive Republicans of New York. The occasion of his doing so was also the occasion of the reappearance as a Re. ublican of W. A. Prendergast, a leader among those who" followed Colonel Roosevelt to Armageddon. The Senator offers the party in his state a programme of progressive measures which Is termed radical by some, but which is approved by news papers of all political stripes. Mr. Root, by the speech which he made at the Republican conference and by the readiness with which his advice was accepted, earned endorse ment by hosts of Republicans of Colonel Roosevelt's remark that Sen ator Root was "the ablest man In the public life of. this or any other coun try in my day." He called upon the Republicans of New Tork to "re orient themselves, to clarify their ideas and to seek greater efficiency." They should have an affirmative and progressive programme which would benefit the greatest number of people, and the party should have strength and efficiency enough to have the programme adopted by the people. What the party needed, he said, was solidarity, loyalty and an honest de sire on the part of its. leaders and members to subordinate individual ambition and individual opinions in matters necessary to party efficiency. He went on: Aa to efficiency, no party can be fit to govern that does not act aa a whole. To Inrure efficiency a party mint afford an opportunity for the expression of opinion by every member of the rank and file. Every voice should receive Its due weight. When there le no such opportunity we have the situation which, makes revolution respectable in Mexico. W hen there is that lair oppor tunity, then the man who takes office and repudiates his honorable obligations is ob taining office nnder false pretensea. . The programme which he set forth and which was adopted by the con ference is distinctly progressive, but contains no parts which can reason ably cause division In the party. It commands approval of Democrats and of all Progressives who care more for progress than for revenge on the Re publican party. It Includes "a pri mary bill that Is real, and not a sham like the last Democratic bill"; the short ballot, with no elective state of ficers except Governor, Lieutenant- Governor and Judge of the Court of Appeals; a compulsory workmen's compensation bill; a state budget and revision of the rules of the Assembly that will prevent the smothering of legislation in committees in such man ner as to prevent us from knowing who did it." Mr. Root showed his wisdom equal ly in the fight with .William Barnes on the direct primary and In his re fusal to carry opposition to the state chairman to extremes. When Mr. Barnes proposed reaffirmation of the direct primary planks In the plat forms of 1912 and 111 3 Mr. Root fought him and won by a narrow margin. When the subject of elimi nating Mr. Barnes as chairman of the state committee was raised at a meeting of that body it was shelved with the understanding that he would resign voluntarily in the Spring. Thus the healing of one breach is not to create another. Having Deen otit voted on a matter of detail, the Barnes forces can cheerfully yield to the majority in the interest of that party unity on which Mr. Root laid stress, but personal humiliation of, their leader might have driven them into revolt. Discussing the action of the confer ence In conjunction with the return or Mr. Prendergast to the party, the New Tork Times says: "The Republic ans of New Tork are preparing to meet their returning brethren half way," and of the five items on the programme it says: They represent progress, they art progres sive; and the pursuit of these policies by the Republicans of New Tork will leave the Progressives no particular reason for pro longing their existence. The World says: Senator Root has presented a programme which If Honestly carried into etteot will put ths Republican party on its feet again. It le a programme which has the additional merit of being non-partisan. It Is progres sive in the true sense Democrats as well aa Republicans oan subscribe to It, and it rep resents the settled political convictions of a vast majority of the voters of New Tork. It wishes there were "somebody Of equal Influence and ability who would do the same for a discredited and de graded Democratic 6rganization," and concludes: When men like BHhu Root are willing to fall Into step with honest, eane radicalism, American institutions ean face the future with renewed confidence and serenity. The Globe cannot lose the opportu nity to deliver a homily on Mr. Root's part in ths split of 1912, but calls the resolutions of the conference admira ble, though their , good effect "Is marred by the fact that the Confer ence did not call for the retirement of the men Identified in the public mind with everything reactionary." It adds: It is not likely the Progressives will re turn Id a body If they understand that Mr. Barnes Is the ohlef member ot the reception committee. Since Mr. Barnes early elimination is assured there will be no difficulty on that score in the way of Progres sive return to the fold. The Marine Corps Is always ready for an emergency, for it is the first to be called upon. When riot or revolu tion endangers lives and property of Americans, the American Naval com mander lands marines and with their guns draws a deadline, which dis order dare not pass. They fight, and fight well, when occasion requires, as they have often proved. Honor to the marines! . The Christmas number of the Seat tle Argus, always welcome, has ap peared and is full equal to preceding numbers. With a colored photograph of great beauty on the cover it la filled with fine photographs of Seattle and the scenery of Puget Sound and the North Pacific Coast in general. It also contains many interesting arti cles abounding in useful Information about the Washington metropolis. Mr, Taft's appearance at the Pennsylva nia Society dinner as a satirist was a dis tinctly new role but a successful one; giv ing promise that by the reduction of the smile as well aa the superfluous flesh that encumbered him ln'1912, he may show up In 1916 as a gladiator with hie hat in the ring. New York World. Is that meant to Imply that Mr. Taft can "come back?" By some oversight, did Senator Root hap pen to repeat one of hts 1896 campalgd speeches? iew Tork World. Since the man against whom Mr. Root spoke in 1896 is now in the sad dle, the occasion would seem to re quire the repetition. Dentists in session at Ashland fa vor a dental education movement in the schools. The schools are heavily laden with frills already, but primary teaching in the movement of the toothbrush, will not overload the pupil. The small community that holds a public Christmas tree, on which some thing Is hung for every child, large and small, comes nearest exemplifying the true holiday as well as Christian spirit. The case involving the boycott of the Danbury hatters amounts In judg ment and costs to more than a quar ter-million already. When settlement day comes there will go up a howl. A German Army lieutenant has been sent to Jail for cutting down a cripple with his saber. They should also kick him out of the service, which is no place for a mangy coward. A War Department order directs that a lot of Kansas militia generals nd colonels must be dispensed with. Wait, until that order reaches Ken tucky! The city is being overrun with woodsaws, say the operators, because the license is too low. The man with wood to be cut is not aware of It. Chief Wappenstein has been par doned on condition that he remain away from Seattle. Want to keep him out of temptation, you see. Villa says he will protect foreign property. He carefully abstracted everything In sight, though, before an nouncing this policy. Tuan. is opposed to Parliament. Governor West is opposed to the Leg islature. The truly great want no opposition. New Tork property sold for $307 a square foot. Takes a . millionaire to get his feet muddy on that sort of ground. -Chicago bee. men would take their hives to California for the Winter. Think they would survive the frost? If Northern bees can be induced to work during Winter in the South, why not try translation of the hen? A local couple eloped In a' racing auto. By aeroplane, however, is the up-to-date way. Habit developing is urged in the schools by Professor Alderman. Habit moves the race. ' Fresno has established a rockpile for tramps. Exit Fresno from' the' bo Itinerary. ' With a minimum temperature of 40, Portlanders think the weather Is cold.. Wilson is up and about again. Hope he's In a better humor. French suffragists are using smiles and violets. They'll win. Holland agrees to the Bryan peace treaty. Safe at last. We know what should be done to Lothario Ghormley. Just watch Troop A, First Oregon Cavalry, on parade. Dugdale believes in continuous bawi." ... NEED OS" KKIFB GROWING 1.ES8 Struma and Antitoxins Are Taking: Vm Away Press Serg-ery. Dr. John B. Murphy, of Chicago, In an Interview in the Milwaukee Journal. No other Investment made in the his tory of the world ever resulted in such beneficial returns aa money Invested in original research work. The new est thing in surgery is that we are trying to get away from It, and it is through original research work that we have already accomplished wonders and hope for still greater things. For .Instance, we have discovered that many ailments, at One time supposed- to be due to different causes, are traceable to exactly the same germ. We now know that rheumatism is an infection caused by the same germ that in some patients causes ulcerated stomach. In others inflammation of the heart, in others, general rheumatism, in others, muscular rheumatism, and so on. It all depends upon the soil the germ finds in the infected person, what manifestation it makes. So now rheu matism, which we once treated as a dietic mistake is treated as an infec tion. The Confirmation Of this theory we owe to Dr. Rosenow. of the McCor mick Contagious Diseases Hospital fund staff. It was original research work that did it. Take common lockjaw, if you want an example of our getting away from surgery. It was nothing uncommon In the old days in. Chicago to hava dosens of cases of locked jaws, for which we had to operate, after a Fourth of July. Now we rarely have a looked Jaw. Antitetanus serum has done it. Take diphtheria. You have heard of operational relieve a patient, A surgeon is only a retailer. Suppos ing he saves a patient or two by an operation. What becomes of the un told multitude ho cannot treat because of his physical limitations? The dis covery of the antitoxin for the cure of diphtheria was their salvation. It works wholesale. In Paris, where they keep their statistics very well, the percentage of mortality in diphtheria cases was 4. Since the serum was discovered it has dropped to 1 8-16. Over in India, you know, the natives are subject to dysentery. It kills them by the thousand. We had known that ipecao relieved the patient. A man named Rogera, who had been experi menting at Calcutta for years, recently discovered an alkaloid made from ipecac which be named emetine, He can cure all cases of dysentery in from three to five days by an injection of emetine. That's original research work. You remember how we had to operate for an abscess of the liver, put In a tube that we didn't get out for months. Now, Rogers injects emetine, the absceess is killed, and the- liver heals itself. Our great effort ts to find a means of curing without resort to the grosser and cruder methods of treat ment, of which surgery is the acme. It is only by original research work that this can be accomplished. There fore, there is no higher purpose, to which a rich man can put his money than endowing original research lab oratories. The men who work in them work for a pittance enough only to keep alive. Few of them reach fame. Thev hut be compared to the bricks in a great architectural construction. Hardly anybody notices tne Drichs. a few notice the capstones, but every body halls the setting of the keystone, yet were it not for the bricks there would be no nlace to set the keystone. The genius who comes along in re search work and sets tne Keystone ue pends absolutely upon the work of the humble and unsung workers in the re search laboratories. Every great dis covery has been due to their work ex cept, perhaps the X-ray, which was discovered by accident. Serums and antitoxins are going to take the place of the knife and the saw. The research laboratory will be the physical salvation of the race. HOW TO SAVE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS Route Xcw Orearoa City Cars on MI1- waukle Street, Says Writer. PORTLAND, Dec. 19. (To the Edi tor.) The reference in The Oregonlan . .ni nn -Tllwniiki( street" ij uajij v, .. w - 1 Aoo-erAat-Inn nf !3 't calculated to Influence the public mind adversely to tne reierenoum peuuwn iu in vention of track laying on Westmore 1 i ' Cuntilonnth Ot rfftf Soma SUb sidlary of the PorUand and Oregon City Railway apparently naa sudh. used The Oregonlan to boost the rail T Cantnantll dtroAt ifl Ot)(1ied SS & railroad it will oeieai me very pur pose for which the city needs a drive within sl few hundred feet of Mil waukle street The latter, crampea with wide gauge tracks, is inaaequate for all trarric ana as ier . i j -..n ...... a tlnrrlqnn n.nd Wash ineton. so should Seventeenth take care r vhl(.lAa nther tnan streetcars, me very way to diminish the "number of accidents to venicies is m ru" i" n a riraunn City half hourlv cars over the common user tracks on Mil- ..1.1a Bvont The Inference that the railway right of way will solve tne controversy m the opening of Seventeenth street un..o-h -Midway la entirely without merit and misleading. The opponents of the previous opening; uigvomouio have been the taxed property holders i ivia ATnnt Westmore- in t;j land owners, taxed from $7 to almost 100. were in favor or opening; sev enteenth long ago, but some as rar south as Sellwood demurred when taxed il and $2 for the improvement, which would certainly have benefited them tenfold, and so defeated the opening. These latter folk have now been misled. Dy agents oi m into the belief that the Seventeenth . ...ni. ,mi will be assumed bv the railroad and are now great boosters for a carllne ana an upeii ocrtNi."" through Midway. The width ot a railroad track or two if the Portland & Oregon City chooses so to burden an otherwise beautiful thoroughfarecould at the . , i .. pnGl trt the former most put rcuu 1 - obstructionists 60 to 76 cents each, and It seems to me that for this paltry mess of pottage citizens would not sell out the best interest of all that great number who must have access to this trreat wide soutneasi eection. HIGH SCHOOL MAIDEN OX GIVING Five Dollars Father Saves on Her Christmas Presents Goes to Peer. PORTLAND. Dec. 19. (To the Edi tor ) There has been so much about poverty said and printed these last few weeks, that I thought perhaps my plan of charity work might be a suggestion to some of the young readers of The Oregonian. . , . I belong to a family having an aver age income, but my father and I made an agreement several years ago that we have carried out each Christmas. I suggestedSto him that, instead of his spending so much on my present, ha Sive me J5 of the money for some charitable purpose, and spend -only the balance on myself. He immediately fell in with my plan, and each year I have been able to help some one who would have gone without a Christmas. Five dollars, however, is a small sum when the list of poverty cases Is in creasing so rapiuu. - - all know. Portland has more poor fam ilies than ever. There are many of us girls who can snare at least 11, and if every high school girl gave 1 what a great deal of good could be done with the sum! Let us form the habit, then, as we can never start younger, and feel that we . . ; than mil iha in are not. uu-m - --- aiding our poorer fellow-men. Let us show xne cn""" ..... ' .1 the rising generation is back of them in their good works! A WASHINGTON HIGH STUDENT, WE DOTT WANT WHAT WHS WANT That Is, After We Oct It or Are About i Acquire It, PORTLAND, Dec IS. (To the Edi tor.) It's a painfui duty, an immense responsibility to keep the editors in the straight and narrow way. to see that they continuously walk the chalk line of correct conceptions of the many great and momentous questions that agitate and worry us. But. like Josiah Allen's wife, two or three times I had to do it, yes, just had to do It. But Just now 1 have a still greater re sponsibility; I've bad to . sound a note of warning to the Postmaster-General regarding Government ownership of telephones and telegraph. I've always been strong for Govern ment ownership of telegraph, but now that there is a possibility of getting it, as you will note from the attached let ter to the Postmaster-General, my at titude is somewhat like that Of Port land voters toward Commissioner Brewster. Sure we wanted efficiency! That's what we elected him for. We demanded that the payroll be pruned of ail useless timber, and that Only the most efficient be employed, but Mr. Brewster couldn't understand that when it comes down, to brass tacks we merely want efficiency in the abstract. Here he goes and fires an old man when many of us are supporting old fathers while nearly all of us are worrying about what is to become of us when we get old. Away with such a Commissioner; throw him to the lions! Therefore 1 Cannot think of permit ting the Postmaster-General to have his way until he fixes it just right. This Is what I wrote to him: I am not opposed to the Government ownership and operation of telephone and telegraph linee In connection with the pos tal service if we can have a seven-day service each week, but the fact must not be overlooked that a vast multitude whom nn man can number honestly believe that God Is offended with any work performed on Sunday, and who would ever seriously object to the Government's transgression of their conception of God's laws. A personal experience with Canada's pos tal service as operated through its poatofflce Induces me to give you this advance warn ing. My Wife was visiting her mother in a small town lrl Ontario. I became very 111. A telegram was sent Sunday morning for her to return immediately. The law (either local, state or national) prohibited Sunday delivery. Late In the afternoon my brother- ki-law met the postoffice clerk, who was suoh a close friend that he permitted my wife's brother to sneak in and get the tele gram for her. Just last week. I read the lecture of a famous American who was speaklne- In Lou don about 60 years ago. With great pride he related how in a town In Massachusetts a railroad had committed the unpardonable sin of running a freight train one Sunday, bow a bale of cotton took fire, and with what satisfaction the bystanders saw two carloads of cotton burn, refusing to unload it. The audience even included one ot the .road's directors, who took satisfaction in seeing the conflagration because he had vot ed against Sunday service. Our theology and bigotry have experienced wonderful evolutions since then, but you notice we object to keeping the Postoffice open on Sunday. The question naturally arises, have we as a whole yet reached that conception of God and his laws that we would permit the Government to operate the telegraph and telephone on Sunday? Cer tainly it would offend the religious sense of tens of thousansd of good citizens in every state, and the Postmastor-General would be ever li hot water unless the Con gress In passing such a bill absolutely pro vided for a full seven-day service irre spective of the demands of any village, city, county, state or official even including the Postmaster-General. Would Congress pass sucl a last Try it! I have my ''doots." And if they would not then, THICK forget It. GEO. T. ATCHLET. SEA RESORTS NEED BEAUTIFYISG. Coast Climate Sot Antagonistic to Or namental Shrubberf. PORTLAND, Dec. 19. (To the Ed itor.) While visiting various ocean Coast resorts during the late Summer and Fall, the writer observed with re gret that few attempts at beautlflca tlon, by means of shrubbery, had been made, although there is no place like ocean beach homes for delightful, ro mantic and highly interesting devel opment of lovely dens. Most people appear to believe that because many trees and shrubs fail to grow when planted near the coast, all must eventually perish in a salty soil, a saline atmosphere and a strong coast wind, yet there are a few varieties of both trees and plants that under certain obtainable conditions will thrive quite well while enduring such common ocean coast exposure. There are others which when planted under the part protection of these hardier ones will also grow, and because they are making growth un der different conditions from those of their natural habitat tbey often form coils and nests which would at a cas ual glance make one think they be longed to another species of trep or plant, than their legitimate line. Yet this tendency to take on peculiar char acteristics by trees, vines, shrubs and all plants, has the effect to add new interest and beauty to every lot which has been so improved. The writer hopes to see a vast change made for the coming Summer season by the owners of all lots at resorts all along- the coasts of North America. The season for tree and shrub planting on the Pacific Coast is after the first cold weather of March Is past or between the 20th and last of that generally windy month. ' J. ALBRIGHT. Oregon's Minimum Wage, r New York World. What elsewhere is a matter of con jecture the State Welfare Commission of Oregon has reduced to a certainty. By unanimous vote it decides that "the minimum sum required to sustain a self-supporting woman In frugal but decent conditions of living is $8.25 a week." No commission ' could have reached this conclusion without the support of public opinion and the concurrence of many women likely to be directly af fected by it. The solution of the problem even in its incipiency, so far as one commonwealth Is concerned, is a noteworthy achievement In the field of social and economic progress. Whether the decision is wise or un wise, time alone will prove, but the fact that an issue everywhere dis cussed can be put to the test in a free and enlightened state under the most favorable conditions is of the greatest value to all states. The value of this Bystem of local self-government is too often lost to sight by hasty reformers who want everything regulated by National de cree at Washington. Our numerous states are the proper fields for experi mentation. What is good will sur vive. What is bad will perish. Self-Made .Men Ineligible. .PORTLAND, Dec. 19. (To the Edi tor.) The new rules for admission to practice law in this state require that the applicant "must show certifi cates of graduation from a high school or literary institution of equal or bet ter standing." How about self-educated men who have never attended even a common school? Could Abra ham Lincoln, if living, be admitted to the bar in Oregon? This new rule strikes me as being of the diaphanous gown variety. Are the dentists and lawyers of Oregon afraid of open competition by self-made men? How about it? R. H ROY. No to Bota Questions-' ROSEBURG, Or, Dec 17. (To the Rdltor.) Is a woman owning property Jointly with her husband and subject to taxation, entitled to vote at a school election held in the district where she resides if her name does not appear on the tax list? Since women have been enfranchised does it make any difference in school elections?, S. GETXE, Twenty-five Years Ago From The Oregonlan of Deo. 20. 18SS. Washington. Dec. 19. Senator Ed munds introduced a resolution stating that the Government of the United States will look with serious concern and disapproval upon any connection of any European government with tho construction or control of any ship canal across the Isthmus of Darien or across Central America. Washington, Dec. 19. The President sent to the Senate the nomination of Thomas Burke, Of Washington Terri tory, to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the territory. "Vancouver, W. T, Dec 19. At 6:30 this afternoon engine No. 1. of the V.. K. & Y. Railroad was safely and amid great cheering and blowing of steam whistles transferred from the O. R. & N.Co.'s barge to terra flrma, the first railroad engine that ever touched the soil of Clarke County. Albany, Dec. 19 The stranded vessel Yaquina Bay is a hopeless wreck at , Yaquina. Alhany, Or.. Dec 19. A. B. Siauson, associate editor of The Oregonian, and Miss Mary Irvine, daughter of Hon. S. A. Irvine, were united in marriage this evening at the residence of the bride's parents, Rev, S. U. Irvine offi ciating. Salem, Dec 19. Uncle Ed De Lash mutt, one of the best-known pioneers of the Valley, died at his home at Dallas this morning, aged 74 years. In the United States Circuit Court yesterday K. C Singletary was awarded judgment for the possession of certain lands described in his complaint against' C F. McKinney. j. H. Wood, Robort Ivers and Charles Riley. Rhetorical Will be held at the Holla day School Friday, December 31. School then closes for the Christmas vacation. Among those who will take part are Kulla McFadden, Jennie Floyd, Bennle Patterson, Etta Moody, Guy Phillips. Floy Breyman, Anna Mac Ethel Bond. Jessie Jones, Tommy Russell, James Cannas, Mark Bogart, Ethel Taylor, Floyd Dillon, Hart Rappleye, Eva Tut tle. Pearl Empkln, Lora Gard, Logan Roe, Curtis Merrick, Minnie Crozier. Madeline Crosby, Marian Morris, Nora Conyers. The Carlcton Opera Company pre sented last night at the new Park The ater Collier and Stephenson's comedy opera. "Dorothy." Half a Century Ago From The Oregonlan of Xlecember 21, 1SG5. Governor Glbbs has replied to Rob ert W. Wlncapaw and T others, of Canyon City, who complained that they had not had adequate protection against Indians and asked that their section of Wasco County be exempted from enrollment. He says he has done all he could to raise troops to fight Indians and promises to send troops to protect them. Ee explains that en rollment is a preliminary to draft, but that no draft has been or i3 likely to be ordered, and that persons who im pede enrollment will be arrested and tried. The office and printing establish ment of The Oregonian daily and weekly newspaper have been removed to Carter's new hrick block, corner of Front and Washington streets, up stairs. Entrance on Washington street, first door from corner. The pupils of the public school will give an entertainment on next Wed nesday, commencing at 1 o'clock r. M. Visitors will be treated to a va riety of exercises in vocal music, com position, declamation and dialogue. Wednesday, December 30, at 10 A. M., I will sell at my auction-room, corner of Front and Oak streets, lots 1 and 2 in block 13 a, situated on Third street,- running 100 feet westerly on College street. This choice homestead property is inclosed with a good, aur stantial fence, a new cottage, contain ing seven rooms, closets, etc., hard finished, a good woodshed and stable on premises. A. B. RICHARDSON, Auctioneer. TUB SUNSHINE WINDOW. There's a beautiful sunshine window In a neat little church I know; Whatever the state of the weather This window is all aglow. 'Tis built in the north of an alcove Where least you'd be thinking to find Continuous, radiant shining. As tho' from a lamp behind. Now, whence does it gather its sun - shine In dark, gloomy days, will you tell? I'd almost aver in its own heart Some wonderful sunbeams dwell. Our lives, like this marvelous window. May light shed that clouds cannot dim; Kind words, kindly deeds the reflection Of sunshine that glows within. MATTIE J. T. BENSON. Christmas Features Scores of bright Christmas features have been provided for The Sunday Oregonian. The fiction features are espe cially attractive, the contribu tors including a number of noted writers, including1 Robert Barr and John Kendrick Bangs. A Christmas Storm is a de lightful Christmas romance, strikingly illustrated. Slaves of St. Nick is a bril liant full-page in colors that will delight young and old. Interviewing Santa Claus The bounteous old sprite of the Northland tells all about Christ mas toys, Christmas gifts and the Christmas spirit. Christmas in Bygone Days The day was not always what it is now. A full page, with bril liant illustrations, is devoted to Yuletide. celebrations of long ago. Christmas Shopping John Xlenry goes into the subject through the medium of George 'V. Hobart. Luck This is what explains Anne Swinburne's remarkable stage success, according to her own version. An illustrated page interview with a Portland girl who is a glowing star in New York. This is just a hint of the many good things in the Christ mas number, which includes the Semi-Monthly Magazine with its array of fine stories and clever illustrations. Order early of you newsdealer.