8
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1914.
PORTLAND, OREGON.
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PORTLAND, TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1914.
WITH REGARD TO APOIXXSEES.
Applying to his duties as Secretary
of State the noble principles which he
enunciates In his lucrative lectures on
the Chautauqua circuit, Mr. Bryan
proposes that the United States ac
company the payment of $25,000,000
to Colombia with an apology for the
rudeness of President Roosevelt in
taking Panama,
The Oregonian, would respectfully
suggest that, if we apologize for tak
ing Panama, we should distribute a
few other apologies around the world.
We should apologize for the gross vio
lation of the law of nations which
was committed by the Pilgrims when
they landed at Plymouth Rock and
disturbed the peaceful possession of
the country by the Indians. We should
apologize for our discourtesy to King
George in expelling his ruler and sol
diers. We should apologize to Mexico
for taking Texas and for having met
Mexico's resentment with war, after
which we took California and a few
other loose ends of territory. Apolo
gies are also due to the heirs of Queen
Lilluokalani for our having hoisted
the American flag in Hawaii and an
nexed the islands after President
Cleveland had hauled down the flag.
We might also express our regret to
Spain for having interfered in Cuba
and taken that island, Porto Rico and
the Philippines. We also took an
island or two in Samoa and therefore
owe an apology to some dusky king.
All these acts of discourtesy arose
from the American's pernicious habit
of roaming around the world in search
of adventure and opportunity to do
things better than they always have
been done. He is always looking for
new fields of activity for his love of
developing wild countries and of sub
stituting efficiency for inefficiency in
civilization for barbarism. When
Mexico had about completed the
destruction of Spanish power, Ameri
cans went to Texas and soon estab
lished independence. They then asked
admission to the Union and the slave
states, which then dominated, admit
ted Texas in order to strengthen their
power, although we had in a treaty
with Spain renounced any shadowy
claim we may have had to Texas.
Mexico fought us and we punished her
by taking more territory. The only
gleam of altruism in our conduct to
wards Mexico came when we paid her
$10,000,000 for the Gadsden purchase.
Adventurous Americans got us into
more trouble in Hawaii. When Queen
Lit tried to establish despotism in
1893, they led a revolution, induced
the commander of the cruiser Boston
to land troops, established a provi
sional government to continue pend
ing annexation to the United States,
end raised the American flag.' Queen
Lil appealed to Cleveland, whose com
missioner, Mr. Blount, hauled down
the flag and whose Minister, Mr.
Willis, demanded that President Dole
abdicate in favor of Queen Lil. There
is no knowing what might have hap
pened had not Congress forbidden fur.
iher intervention. The islands were
finally annexed in 1898 and we never
pave Queen Lil a' dollar, much less an
apology.
As to Spain, we were annoyed by
the fitting out of filibustering expe
ditions in our ports, we were shocked
Vy the drastic measures taken by
Spanish Governors and Generals to
suppress rebellion in Cuba and, when
the Maine was blown up at Havana,
we held Spain responsible and took
all of her colonies that were worth
having.
In all these Instances our incurable
liabit of pernicious activity wherever
our wandering citizens go started trou
ble. When the trouble was over, we
had made large acquisitions of terri
tory and the other party concerned
had acquired little beyond injury to
its feelings. That was the case in
Panama. We made Colombia an of
fer, which it rejected. Americans then
joined with Panamanians in starting
a revolution, In which Colombia says
our sailors interfered, to her injury.
When the trouble ended we had the
Canal Zone and Colombia had a sore
ihead and a sore heart.
Mr. Bryan now proposes1 that we
cive Colombia $25,000,000 for her
equities in the Canal Zone and the
Panama Railroad, and sweeten it
with an apology. The American peo
ple may not object to paying the $25,
000,000, for, having brought the canal
to the verge of completion, they feel
good-natured and generous and would
like the opening of the canal to be
free from hard feelings in any
ciuarter, but they balk at the apology.
The Panama revolution has passed
into history as an accomplished fact
and nations have a rooted aversion for
disturbing accomplished facts. They
have an equal aversion to inquiry into
the manner in which the facts were
accomplished and to any reopening of
discussions as to the rights and
wrongs of the case.. Hence there is
small prospect of apology.
For, if we follow the argument for
apology to its logical conclusion, we
may find that we should apologize to
Spain, to Mexico, to the remnants of
Hawaiian royalty, even to the Indians.
The American Nation might even have
to apologize for being on earth, for,
if the apology theory had been applied
in the seventeenth century, the Pil
grims ..would have apologized to the
Indians for intruding and would have
vailed back to Europe. The contrary
theory having been followed, this re
public has expanded from Atlantic to
Pacific, has risen to the first rank
among nations and is doing its full
.hare of the world's work of civiliza
tion and enlightenment. When we
consider the net results of the repub
lic's existence, we do not feel disposed
to apologize for any flaws in our titles,
due to our having Impatiently thrust
xslde such Incompetents as Mexico,
Bpala and Colombia la our eagerness
to establish such splendid states as
Texas and California, to free Cuba
and to pierce the isthmus with a canal.
Notwithstanding President Wilson's
statement at Mobile that this country
would never again engage in a war of
conquest, the next time such a task
confronts us we shall do it and we
shall not apologize.
TWO SCHOOLS OR ONE?
The Oregonian prints today a letter
from a citizen who subscribes him
self "Granger" on the Important topic
of the relations between the State
University and the Oregon Agricul
tural College., The Oregonian vouches
for the authenticity and good faith of
the nom de plume and ventures to add
that the position of "Granger" before
the state entitlr j him to a hearing on
any public matter.
Disclaiming any purpose of parti
sanship between the Agricultural Col
lege and the University, The Orego
nian nevertheless unqualifiedly in
dorses the demand of "Granger" that
the Board of Higher Curricula reach
an intelligible and practicable con
clusion in its definition of the respec
tive fields of the two institutions. That
it has not done by its straddling de
cision as to the engineering courses.
The sole function of the Board of
Higher Curricula is to prevent du
plication of courses in the two schools.
The Board ought to do its work clear
ly, firmly and positively; or quit.
If the Board does not settle the
question "Granger" intimates that the
people will. We rather think he
speaks by the card-
WHAT A GOVERNOR CAN :X.
"The 10,000-word decision of Judge
Anderson may be summarized in the
statement that the Governor of Ore
gon may declare martial law when
ever in his discretion he sees fit, and
that he may not be enjoined or pre
vented by any state court. Martial
law is an executive act and the
emergency which warrants or pro
vokes it must be determined and de
clared by the executive. He alone Is
responsible; and he may subsequently
be held responsible in the courts for
any invasion or abuse of the personal
or property rights of any citizen.
The question, of course, is and has
been as to the merit of the Governor's
action and the adequacy of his Incen
tive for the suspension of all civil
processes at Copperfield. Undoubted
ly a President or a Governor may sub
stitute martial law for civil law. It is
within his power to do St. It has not
been anywhere denied, except that in
Oregon the constitution of the state is
not at all clear on the subject. But
when the executive of a state, as the
commander of Its military forces, pro
claims martial law, there is martial
law. The court that sought to inter
fere could be, and doubtless would be,
ignored and set aside by the same ar
bitrary power.
It would be futile for Judge Ander
son, or any Judge, to say that Gover
nor West could not do what he did,
He declared and enforced martial law
at Copperfield. He may declare and
enforce it at Portland, or throughout
Oregon, for any purpose. But wheth
er he can Justify before the public this
extreme exercise of his power is an
other matter.
A WAITING WORD FROM PELS.
The Fels Fund Commission, if it
actually intends to finance another
single tax effort in Oregon, is either
surprisingly hopeful or distressingly
gullible. In spite of the expenditure
of almost unlimited sums in propa.
ganda single tax has gone backward In
Oregon in the last four years.
In 1908 an initiative single-tax
measure received 82,066 affirmative
votes, but was defeated more than two
to one. In 1912 a single-tax Initiative
amendment received 6 32 fewer affirm
ative votes than the single tax amend
ment had received four years prevl
ously.
This falling off in single-tax sent!
ment is emphasized by the fact that
27,500 more voters went to the polls
in 1912 than in 1908. Thus, although
the voting population increased more
than 23 per cent in the four years
single tax could not even retain Its
original hold on the sentiment of the
community.
Oregon advocates of single tax. It
is stated in the news dispatches, are
not inclined to spend their own money,
A few of them, however, are perfectly
willing to spend somebody ' else's
money, whether or not anything can
be accomplished by the expenditure
except replenishing their own larder,
We shall await with interest a more
definite report as to what the form
of blessing the Fels Fund contributors
of Pennsylvania, Saskatchewan and
elsewhere plan to confer on a com
munity not intelligent enough to se
lect its own benefits. Is it straight
single tax ihis time, the $1500 exemp
tion, or merely the election of the
docile URen? The people of Oregon
await with pleasurable expectancy
word from Philadelphia as to just
what question shall, by the power of
foreign money and influence, be made
the paramount Issue in the coming
election.
ENGLISH IN ENGLAND.
The Oregonian has received two or
three letters protesting that the Eng
lish were unfairly treated in an edi
torial the other day on "Our Manner
of Speaking." One correspondent goes
so far as to say that in his opinion
"the average educated Englishman
speaks as good, perhaps better Eng
lish, than the average American." It
would be a pity if he did not, seeing
how much longer practice his coun
try has enjoyed In the art. This cor
respondent evidently does not move
in the highest social circles of Great
Britain, since he avers that he never
heard anybody say "Maudlin" for
Magdalen or "Sinjin" for St, John.
Those are the accepted pronunciations
among the politer set. We never heard
a real Lord use any others.
This same critic tolls us, rather un
gently, that if we "will resort to Web
ster we will find that J'Chumley" Is
the proper pronunciation of "Chol
mondeley," and so on. Who denies of
it, Betsey? Our point is that the mon
strous rule which makes such mispro
nunciation correct was invented by
the English and that by the very fact
f such mental perversity they have
snown tneir unfitness to hold any
opinion upon 'delicate matters of lin
guistics. A nation which demonstrates
its judgment to be so painfully bad
cannot hope to be followed as a guide.
Another correspondent kindly in
forms us that "the purest English is
spoken in London, Dublin and Inver
ness." We attribute his opinion
mainly to imperialistic conceit. If he
were more accurately informed upon
the subject he would admit, what all
the aristocratic world knows to be
true, that the purest, as well as the
most moral, English Is spoken in 303
ton, Next to Boston comes the cul
tured UttU City of Klamath Falls,
where, by the way, the only genuine
relics of the flood have lately been
discovered. Personally we prefer the
Klamath Falls dialect to that of Bos
ton, but we do not care to set up our
opinion in such a matter against that
of the whole educated world.
The notion that the best English is
spoken in England is laughably ab
surd. It is like looking for whole
soles on the feet of a shoemaker's
wife.
OUR I'l'l'lKE MEAT Bl'ITO.
The question: ' "Whence is our fu
ture meat supply to come?" has turned
attention to the possibilities of Argen
tina, New Zealand and Australia, and
Agricultural Department officials have
studied conditions In those countries
to see whether they furnish the
answer. Arthur W. Dunn tells, in the
Review of Reviews, what they have
found.
Cattle in Argentina no longer run
wild on the pampas range, but graze
in great alfalfa pastures. The best
stock is secured at high prices, a Dur
ham bull having sold for $35,000. The
cattle-growers are largely English,
Scotch and Irish. Most of the cattle
are produced within seventy-five miles
of Buenos Ayres and many stock farms
are near the navigable rivers, De la
Plata and Parana. Packing-houses
are on the, water's edge and beef for
export is either loaded directly on
ocean steamers or is trans-shipped
from barges, rail shipment being only
for short distances. Of the eight pack.
ing-houses In Buenos Ayres, six are
owned by Argentine and English inter
ests, one by Swift & Co. and one joint
ly by Armour and Morris. Swift & Co.
also pack beef at Montevideo and mut
ton in Southern Argentine. The Sulz
berger have a beef plant at Sao Paulo,
Brazil, and are said to have leased
another at Buenos Ayres. The Amer
icans are in open competition with the
English and Argentines, they pay more
for beeves, use all the by-products.
have Introduced canning and operate
continuously, while their competitors
waste by-products, do not can and op
crate only about a third of the time.
As to exports. Dr. Melvin found that
there was no difficulty in securing re
frigeration space on steamers and that
packers ship their product without
delay, thus saving a quarter of a cent
per pound per month for storage. No
effort has been made to monopolize
refrigeration- space in ships going to
Europe. As there is a. steamer to the
United States only once in two weeks,
Europe gets nearly all the meat and
quantities have been trans-shipped
from Liverpool to the United States,
but arrangements have been made for
additional shipping direct to this coun
try. Inspection in Argentina, is rigid
enough to meet American require
ments. With better shipping facilities
dressed beef could be delivered In New.
York at 9 cents a pound, the Liverpool
price. Already Argentine packers
have arranged to Invade the Ameri
can market, planning to undersell the
American packers 1 cent a pound,
though they could stand a margin of
3 cents. Argentine cattle growers,
however, areiot increasing the supply
beyond the demand and no permanent
decrease in price is predicted.
Dr. Joss, who was sent from Port
land to Australasia, found that Aus
tralia and New Zealand would prob
ably become great Importers on the
Pacific Coast, and, after the Panama
Canal is open, on the Atlantic Coast as
well. The time of passage to San
Francisco Is only twenty-two days
against forty days to London, which
means a great saving in freight and
refrigeration. New Zealand is a great
mutton exporter and has twenty-two
freezing plants with a capacity of 82,-
000 carcasses a day. Shipment of part
of this supply to the United States is
expected to reduce the price, for a
time at least.
Diversion to America of part of Eu
rope's supply jnust raise European
prices and finally-- scale them up all
around, hence a reduction which will
materially affect tho cost of living
need not be expected. Free meat is
likely to prevent further advance
rather than to cause reduction in
prices. Secretary Houston relies more
on increasing production of hogs and
chickens and on exterminating cat
tle diseases to reduce prices. Hog
cholera cost the farmers $60,000,000
last year, which ultimately camefrom
the consumers in higher prices for the
hogs that survived. The same result
follows the condemnation of 700,000
diseased cattle, besideB large quantl
ties of dressed beef, in one year. Elim
ination of such waste will do more to
Increase the meaf supply and reduce
prices than will imports, which will
only raise prices in the countries
whence they are diverted and ultl
mately the world over.
SCHEME OF FATOt ZAND BANKS.
The text of the bill to provide for
agricultural credits shows it to be
founded on the systems existing In
various European countries. It au
thorizes establishment of National
farm land banks under the supervision
of a commissioner who is to head
bureau of the Treasury Department at
a salary of $6000 a year and who is
to be appointed for five years. He Is
to issue charters to farm land banks
In states which have passed suitable
legislation as to simplification of land
title registration and conveyance and
as. to simplification, promptness and
economy of methods of securing and
foreclosing farm land loans. He is
to prepare and publish amortization
tables, covering from six - to thirty
years at varying rates of lnteerst.
which are to be used by the banks as
the basis of their business.
A farm land bank may be organ
Ized by ten or more "natural" persons,
corporations being thus excluded as
stockholders. If it is co-operative, the
word "co-operative" Is to be a part of
the title. In co-operative banks no
stockholder may own more than ten
per cent of the stock and each stock
holder has only one vote on all mat
ters pertaining to organization and
management. Out of profits stockhold
ers In co-operative banks are first to
have a dividend at the prevailing rate
of interest, and the balance is to be
distributed among patrons in propor
tion to business done, but by a. two
thirds vote share-owning patrons may
take double the dividend paid to non
shareowners. Shares in co-operative
banks may be of $25 par value; in
otherland banks they must be $100.
Operations of each bank are to be
confined to a specified state and cap
ital must be not less than $10,000
Charters are to run for fifty years an
are subject to change by general law
except as to rights of creditors. Di
rectors are to numbeij from five to
nine, and one of them is to be Federal
fiduciary agent. .Banks may accept
and pay interest on deposits not ex
ceeding 50 per cent of capital and sur
plus; may make loans for not over
thirty-five years, secured by " first
mortgage or first deed of trust on
farm land within the state and not
exceeding 50 per cent of the value of
Improved and occupied farms and not
over 40 per cent in other cases. Prin
cipal of these loans may be paid In
installments after five years. Bonds
may be issued, secured by mortgages,
but the interest on mortgages must
not exceed by over one per cent the
rate paid on bonds. Installments paid
on mortgages are to be used in re
deeming bonds. Capital stock, surplus
and deposits may be used as a revolv
ing fund for purchase or holding of
mortgages or redemption of bonds or
for loans on m rtgage to an amount
not exceeding 50 per cent of capital
and surplus. The other 50 per cent
may be Invested only in bonds of the
United States or of the state in which
the bank operates or in -other securi
ties authorized by the commissioner.
The banks may also do a general
banking business within the narrow
limit placed on thier capital and de
posits. The amount of land bank bonds
must not exceed fifteen times a bank's
capital and surplus. Charges on loans
must not exceed one per cent on the
unpaid portion. Banks must not make
loans on their cwn stock or that of
other farm land banks or to any one
ndivtdual or association in excess of
0 per cent of their capital and sur
plus. They may buy real estate for
their own use, but must not hold for
more than five years that acquired in
payment of debts. The bonds are to
be available as security for deposits of
postal savings funds in farm land and
other banks; as investments for sav-
ngs funds of National banks, and for
trust funds and estates administered
by the Federal courts; as security for
oans from National banks to farm
land banks. Loans may be paid in
full on any interest date after five
ears. ,
This system is so simple, so full of
common sense and sound business that
one is tempted t ask: Why has no
body thought of it and put it In prac
tice before? It has been done before
in this country, but the safeguards
provided by this bill will popularize
the system and create a market for the
bonds. It should end the days of 10
and 12 per cent Interest to farmers.
The opposition to the "new dances"
arises more from their newness than
their immorality, though, of course,
much depends upon how they are
danced. There was the same furore
when waltzes were first fashionable.
but the world recovered its sanity in
due time. Now everybody waltzes and
few are harmed by it. We rather
expect the tango to have a similar
history.
The Wisconsin eugenic marriage
law may result in a crop of breach
of promise suits. Doctors say- not
more than forty men In a hundred
can "make good" in examinations, and
the lawyers may reap a harvest, for
the rejected will not, for very shame,
tell the reason. In future men may
take the examination before proposing
marriage in order to be on the safe
side.
It does not speak well for the busi
ness ability of 'our farmers that there
should be -even a suspicion of a "but
ter trust" in this section of country.
By properly organizing themselves the
farmers could quickly put such a
trust out of business if it existed. By
failing to, organize they invite not
only a butter trust, but many others
to form and plunder them.
-
The more District Attorney Whit
man shows up the Tammany grafters,
the more deliberation Governor Glynn
shows in carrying out his promise that
they shall go. Mr. Whitman has an
unstatesmanlike habit of doing what
he has agreed to do. This is most
embarrassing to practical politicians
Another phenomenal prediction from
the general weather office Is that un
settled weather " conditions may be
looked for in the country this week.
In the course of a few months no
doubt that reckless prognosticator
will presage milder weather with oc
casional sunshine.
Sentenced to death by his President
and with a price on his head In the
rebel ranks, General Mercado, of the
Mexican army, has cause to feel grate.
ful for his prolonged detention by the
United States authorities.
The Orernnlan never misses a chance to
throw It Into Bryan if ho leaves the Capitol
for ten minutes, but do you remember of it
roastlns- Mr. Taft because he was away about
naif tne time during- ma term in otiice :
Oregon City Courier.
Lecturing for money?
Colorado backs no Congressman Bar
tholdt with an official opinion that srrape
luice has a stick In it. No wonder Secre.
tary Bryan likes it so. Boston Transcript.
Does the "stick" explain that peren
nial smile on the Bryanlc- features ?
Storm warning for Portland and
vicinity: Don't be alarmed by the
budding of your roses, as experts say
they are certain to brave any weather
we may have from now on.
Commissioner Holman's ideas about
paying workmen hired by the county
in cash rather than warrants are
sound. There should he no rake-off
on the laborer's hire. s
Congress can now be depended upon
to get down to hard work. Campaign
time approaches, you see, and the
decks must be cleared for a recess.
Women announce that they will
fight all candidates for Congress who
oppose their suffrage campaign. Now
will Congress listen to reason?
According to a San Francisco
preacher, the model husband should
learn to cook and take -care of the
babies. So wifey can gad?
Touths are at their worst in March
and April, declares a Boston educa
tor. And at their best the week pre
ceding December 25.
The sum of $3,500,000 is needed for
the stricken Japanese. The Ameri
can people can give that and never
know it is gone. v
Viva, United States! cry Huerta's
captured men. All Mexico will be
crying that one day.
A woman has been installed Maybr
In another Oregon town. On to the
Governorship !
With the business barometer rising
rapidly, financial sunshine Is assured-
Butter prices are tending down
ward and eggs are on the toboggan.
Ty Cobb, being a banker, cannot
be tempted with Federal money.
The full crop of candidates Is rather
tardy this season.
SURGERY. NOT SOOTHING SYRUP.
Former, Not Latter, Needed In Adjust
ing: Two State College Courses.
OREGON CITY. Or., Jan. 18. (To the
Editor.) The Oregonian has given
some space to the discussion of the
recent action of the Board of Higher
Curricula. May I beg your Indulgence
for some observations by one who is in
the humbler walks of life and whose
only claim to the right to hold opinions
on matters of this kind comes from the
fact that he is a citizen, a taxpayer and
a legal voter?
It would appear that the question of
higher education in Oregon, like the
flea that perched on the eyebrow of one
of Mr. Lincoln's neighbors, looms large
to the man close to it. Evidently this
learned board has - found It to be too
large a problem for a common-sense
solution. But from the standpoint of a
man who has both feet on the ground
and who spends a good deal of energy
in wiggling them around in Oregon
mud, for the purpose of paying the
taxes which go to the support of high
er education, this proposition looks like
one that could be readily solved by the
use of horse senBe and enough courage
to back a common-sense decision.
The board has been in existence for
practically five years. So far as I have
been able to observe, It has done noth
ing but play ping-pong with a few of
tne engineering courses. First. it
bounced a couple of courses over to
the Agricultural College, and now it
proposes to bounce one back to the
University, and another one over to
the College. This may be highly enter
taining for the members of the board
and may appear conducive to the ad
vancement of political ambitions, but
It is getting mighty tiresome for some
who are paying the bills.
If the board thinks that kind of pro-
ceauro is going to eradicate the un
necessary duplication of work and the
greatly increased expense Involved in
this duplication, I would refer the
Board to the recent interview by Presl
dent Campbell, of the university, in
which he hastens to inform the people
of Oregon that, in view of the de
cision of the Board of Higher Curricula
tne university will immediately under
take the building up of a great en
gineering school one that will com
pare favorably with the great engi
neering schools of the East. This will,
require, as President Campbell points
out, "additional, laboratories, with ap
propriate testing devices, and an in
creased faculty," and, of course, ad
ditional grounds and buildings.
w e may also assume that since the
Board gave to the "Agricultural Col
lege four engineering courses, that
institution will add to its large en
gineering plant. We shall have, then,
if tho writer understands the sltua- ;
tion, two engineering schools supported
by the taxpayers, with much the same
equipment, housing requirements, and
faculty. We shall have much of the
work, such as mechanics, surveying,
etc., which is common to all engineer
ing courses, given at both the univer
sity and the college. We shall have
the same competition between our two
state schools that we have at the
present time. We shall have to provide
instruction, building and equipment for
comparatively few engineering stu
dents at the university. Why this ex
pense, when these students could be
cared for at the college, with practi
cally no additional expense? This
problem will not be solved by dis
tributing the degree courses between
the two state schools. Such action
does not touch the real issue.
If the Board is to serve the purpose
for which it is created, it must firmly
and uncompromisingly make such a
division of the work between these
two institutions as will avoid un
necessary duplication and expense.
What we need is a little surgery and
not a soothing syrup. The problem
will never be settled so long as at
tempts are being made to reach a de
cision which will be satisfactory to the
extreme partisans of the university
and the . college. There must be a
division of the work on a broader
basis. I believe that the recommenda
tion made by the Grange committee,
after a thorough study of the situa
tion and embodied in the report adopted
two years ago and reaffirmed last year,
clearly points the way. It recommends
that the work of each institution be
definitely defined (giving the work of
the pure sciences, liberal arts and
school of medicine and law to the uni
versity, and the work of applied
sciences in their relation to the in
dustries to the Agricultural College).
If the Board cannot do this, some of
U3 common scrubs who are paying the
taxes -are going to get together and
do it for ourselves, und when we take
lajid. we probably shall not stop
half way. We may do what a lot of
us, after all, are beginning to believe
will be the only real solution of this
Oregon problem--that Is to combine
the two institutions. GRANGER.
llarlkirl Defined.
PORTLAND, Jan. 18. (To the Edi
tor.) I want to correct your mistake,
for I think it is my duty as a sub
scriber.
You said "harikari" in the paper yes
terday and today, but it is not correct.
You must say "harakirl," because
"hara" means belly, "kiri" Is cut, there
fore it means "belly cutting." "Seppu-
ku" is the same meaning.
Harakirl is not an aboriginal Japan
ese custom. It was evolved gradually
during the middle ages. The cause of
it is probably to be sought in the de
sire on the part of vanquished warriors
to avoid the humiliation of falling into
their enemies' hands alive.
Thus the custom would come to be
characteristic of the military class; in
other words, of the feudal nobility and
gentry. From being a custom it next
developed Into a privilege about A. D.
1500. A JAP.
Suggestive Almanacs
By Dean Collins.
Oh, I am growing pale.
And my health begins to fail,
And I'm smitten with a headache and
a pain within my back.
Since the mailman at my door
Left me copies three or four
Of the nineteen fourteen issues of
the bloomin' almanac.
There's one of them that's sent
Which treats of liniment
That's guaranteed to be a sure relief
and respite giver;
The other ones I see
Devoted gen'rally
To compounds which they recommend
to straighten out my liver.
'Twixt the phases of the moon
And the calendar, eftsoon
I read about the symptoms, and about
my system spot em,
'Till I, In wild dismay.
Am quite compelled to say
That all the ills the human race Is
heir to I have got "em.
My liver's out of gear
And I shed a bitter tear
In noting, by the almanac, the
status of my heart.
And feel, indeed, that I
Am sicker than that guy
They picture on the frontispiece with
his insides apart.
Beyond the slightest question.
The almanac's suggestion.
Upsets my system every Spring and
puts me to the baa.
As I read with eager eyes
Of the cures they advertise
And descriptions of the illnesses that
other folks have had.
That is why today I'm pal
And my health begins to fail
And mv liver's getting torpid and
I've pains within my bacjc.
For the mailman at my door
Has just left me three or four
Of the nineteen fourteen copies of
the bloomin' almanao.
WHERE TO HEAR PCBE ENGLISH
Contributor Avers It Is lax England, Not
In America.
PORTLAND, Jan. 18. (To tlfa Edi
tor.) Referring to your editorial re
marks of January 16 upon English as
spoken In England and America you
appear to have made a few errors
which I make bold to correct.
You say the English language has no
standard. The standard of all the
languages throughout Europe is as it
is spoken by those in the highest so
cial circles in the capital, hence the
term the King's English.
True, we have no ponderous diction
ary like Webster's, but upon inquiry
you will And that Chambers is the
recognized standard.
Upon the question of dialect you
have overlooked the fundamental facts,
it Seems. Dialect arises from the fact
that generation after generation will
continue to live in the same locality.
You confuse language with dialect.
Four separate and distinct languages
are spoken in the British Isles, namely
English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish.
Irish is confined to the west of Ireland,
but Scottish and Welsh are spoken in
their respective countries, Scottish
being more common In the Highlands.
However, throughout the United King
dom no difficulty will be. found in .con
versation In any of the large cities by
transients.
I might state in passing that the
purest English is spoken in London,
Dublin and Inverness.
You say that Americans have no
dialect, that the people on the Pa
cific understand the people on the
Atlantic. How could it be otherwise?
The people here are all Eastern folk
or at the most children of Eastern
parents. I am excepting, of course, the
Orientals amongst us.
Let us compare North and South,
however, and I venture to say the
Southerners have a dialect so pro
nounced that it will not ba understood
by Northerners at first hearing.
In conclusion I might say that the
comparison in pronunciation was most
unfair. You compared English place
names with ordinary words. Old coun
try names have, I confess, a pronun
ciation which has been molded as time
passed and you will find it is the old
names that have passed through such
a process of local pronunciation that
they have assumed a soft, pleasing tone
although the spelling has remained
fixed. Look at your own examples and
you will readily realize a literal pro
nunciatlon would be harsh.
But are not your own place names
difficult to pronounce? How often have
you not laughed when you have heard
a stranger's first attempt to pronounce
names of places around here. Compare
the pronunciations fairly and the
American will be found to be sorely
wanting in correctness. I can Imagine
the boarding-house keepers surprise ir
you asked her "Is stoo doo on Toosday
in this Institootlon?"
What is a praposltion? The mean
ing of this word is understood by very
few who use it even with the wrong
pronunciation. "Something" is com
monlv pronounced "sumpin." "Certain
ly" is contorted into "sitenly." A nasal
twang is noticable on "a, o tap lor
top. aut for out. I will not irritate
you by going any further save to ask
you where is Merland avnoo .'
U. a. lj. JVJliittt.
IN DEFENSE OF HOLD HEN GLAND
American Manner OI Speaking Averred
to Be Inferior.
PORTLAND. Jan. IS. (To the Edl
tor.) I read your editorial on "Our
Manner of Speaking." I firmly believe
you do a great injustice to the English
nation. The average educated n;ngiisn
man speaks as good, perhaps better,
English than the American. That much
noticeable to anyone wno nas
traveled through English-speaking
countries. Certainly the different coun
ties have their different dialects, but
you will only find them in the out-of-
way villages, I myseir am a yoricsnire
man, and I know that I have been puz
zled to understand some old Yorkshire
farmer when he spoke in the dialect.
Put an old Yorkshire rustic with
Devon farmer. and i. admit they
wouldn't get on very well with their
conversation, but take an-y town
dwellers from the two counties and
they will both speak the same brand
of good English, providing or course,
thev have had some education, news
paper boys and street Arabs are the
same all the world over. Our own
Portland boys cry "waxtry piper,
"speshal idisdun" just the same as the
newsboys in Australia, Canada, bng
land or any English-speaking country
Most likely you are acquainted with
various English people, please go tn
round" and find out how many say
St. .Tins (St. Johns) and Maudlin
(Magdalen). I have never heard those
names murdered in such fashion and
believe If you give yourself this test
vou will find yourself a trifle mistaken
Of course some people murder the
English language, but I maintain that
Americans are as bad as tne ".cngiisn
Take New Yorkers with their "goils
ftrirls). "poifect" (perfect), etc. Mos
Westerners say "parket" (pocket)
tan" (too), "battam" (bottom), etc.
and the Southern gentleman murders
the language quite as bad as a London
rabbv. onlv in a different manner.
This Quotation from your editorial
"Enellsh people write 'Cholmondeley
Beauchamp' and say 'Chumley Beac
ham." What right have such people to
any views whatever on pronunciation.'
You mention "WeDSter- several nine
in Tmnr- r!ltorial. Please take th
trouble to open your "Webster" and
you will And that Chumley Beacham
is the correct pronunciation oi uuui
mondelev Beauchamp. Surely you
could not have been ignorant of th
fact. What then was the wea;
JACK FAWKES
GARBAGE BONDS ARE SUFFICIENT,
Mr. Story Disputes Mr. Daly's Estimate
of Collection System Coat.
PORTLAND. Or., Jan. 18. (To th
Editor.) In replying to the statemen
nf flnrnfiilsaioner Daly in The Oregonian
January 18. that "the men who framed
the $75,000 bond issue must have had In
mind the establishment or garDage col
lection on a small scale," I wish to
state that the members of the City
Health Department under Mayor Simon
and Mayor Rushlight knew exactly
the amount they wanted for a fund to
establish a system of municipal collec
tion of garbage when they asked the
City Council for this appropriation.
At that time "Councilman" . Daly
thought that this amount would be
sufficient, but under the commission
form of government Commissioner
Daly thirjks $250,000 necessary to
establish a city collection system. Mr.
Daly states that it will be necessary
to buy 100 or more teams and wagons
to collect the garbage. This statement
is so utterly absurd, that it borders on
the ridiculous.
This purchase by the city at the sug
gestion of Mr. Daly of $250,000 worth of
equipment, in addition to the $150,000
crematory bonds would be a needless
expense, as it will require about 15
three-ton trucks and about ten wagons
to collect the garbage from the entire
city, and that not on "a small scale."
A statement from Mr. Daly detailing
how he intends to expend this $400,000
would, I believe, be of interest to the
taxpayers of Portland.
GEORGE B. STORY.
Name of a Poem.
PORTLAND. Jan. 19. (To the Ed
itor.) Kindly tell me the name of the
poem containing these lines: "Let me
live in a house by the side of the road,
and be a friend to man."
Also, please state the name of the
author, and when was the poem first
printed. READER.
The author of this poem is Sam Wal
ter Foss, and it can be consulted at the
Public Library, by reading "The Li
brary Journal for April, 1911.
Twenty-five Years Ago
From Tho Oresonlaa of Jan. SO, 1889.
Apia, Samoa, Jan. 19. German war
ships have burned American houses
and flags, torn down United States
flags, seized American citizens in
neutral waters of Apia harbor and
taken them prisoners on board tho
German men-of-war and fired upon the
American flag.
Albany, Or., Jan. 19. James M. King,
secretary of the Galena Smelting &
Mining Company of Portland, was in
the city today on his return from the
company's mines on the Santiam.
Major George A. Hilton, of Washing
ton. . D. C, the great temperance lec
turer, was at the Esmond yesterday.
The Indian war veterans of Mult
nomah Camp No. 2 held a meeting in
Judge Carlin's office yesterday. The
following were present: F. M. Tibbetts,
J. W. Collins. Judge Wait, Gustav Wil
son, J. M. Gilman, M. R. Hathaway. J.
Parkhlll and P. F. Castleman.
The military review of the First
Regiment, O. N. G., by Brigadier-General
Siglin at Armory Hall last night
was a grand success.
J. S. White has recovered from his
slight attack of insanity.
On Wednesday evening Katie Put
nam will appear at . the New Park
Theater in "In Honor Bound."
Half a Century Ago
Prom The Oregonian of Jan. 20. 1SS1.
The Legislative Assembly of Idaho
Territory has adopted a memorial to
Congress urging tho expediency of a
road from Lewiston to the head of
Bitter Root Valley and asking for as
sistance in its construction.
In the year 1S63 the Pacific Mail
steamers carried away from San Fran
cisco in treasure $41.569.7S3, of which
$31,000,000 went to England and $!(..-
000,000 to New York.
Saddle trains are beginning to be
talked of in the Upper Columbia Val-
lej. The Boise road company expects.
to put regular trains on their road from
The Dalles.
The O. S. N. Co. will start a steamer
for Wallula today from Celilo. The
Upper Columbia is supposed to be free
from ice.
The State of Oregon supplies the la
borers on the work of grading the
Public Square. Yesterday some 20 con
victs were employed.
The pupils of the Beth Israel School
yesterday presented J. C. Boynton, one
of their teachers, with a purse and con
tents.
A difference of one-half has been
made in favor of the traveler over the
new road from Portland to The Dalles
by the Columbia River Road Company.
The ' first wave toward the human
sea which is expected soon to roll mln
ingwards left on the steamer Julia yes
terday. RULING IS NOT PERSONAL ONE.
Invalidity of Maintenance Paving Con
tracts Is Supreme Court Opinion.
PORTLAND, Jan. 18. (To tho Ed
itor.) In The Oregonian Sunday is a
letter from Thomas McCusker, criticis
ing me severely for writing a letter of
recent date on the illegality of main
tenance guarantee of hard-surface
pavement. He seems to think that I
am attempting to make a ruling of my
own and mislead the public, notwith
standing the fact I referred to th
number of book and page in which
the decisions of the Supreme Court
could be found, holding that mainte-
nance contracts are illegal.
Those decisions are reported in
Or, 307, and 35 Or., 420. I am of tho
opinion that if Mr. McCusker will taku
the trouble to read these decisions he
will find that I am correct in my state
ments. I am not responsible for these deci
sions and am not trying to mislead
anybody.
The Supreme Court says that it is
not to be presumed that a contractor
would guarantee a pavement without
some compensation and that the guar
antee charge must bo included in the
construction bid, which is true. There
fore, when Mr. McCusker says that ho
will guarantee his wood-block pave
ment for ten years for nothing he is
making a statement that conflicts with
the above decisions.
I am not advocating any particular
kind of pavement, or representing any
paving concern, and my only object in
writing to the press is to enlighten the
public on hard-surface pavements. 1
am satisfied that the only real guar
antee, without additional cost, is by
the use of high-grade materials and
proper construction.
I may have been, as asserted by Mr.
McCusker, instrumental in having or
dinances passed providing for a main
tenance guarantee, but the argument
used by Mr. McCusker shows conclu
sively that he is noCquTte Tslear on the
subject. And for his information I will
say that these maintenance ordinances
provide that the maintenance shall be
paid out otthe general fund, and not
assessed to the adjacent property. In
my opinion, this is the only legal way
to enter into a maintenance guarantee
contract. I -.would suggest, however,
that the authorities reserve the right
to cancel the contract at any time after
one year. These contracts could be
made for a period of ten years and
could be held in force as long as de
sirable, or until such time as the
authorities were satisfied that the
pavement was properly constructed.
In this way the maintenance would be
paid annually, in installments. Instead
of being- added to the construction bid,
and paid in advance.
No doubt Mr. Holman is honest in his
desire in demanding a ten-year guar
antee, but he is wrong both in princi
ple and law, according to the decisions
herein cited.
W. L. ARCHAMBEAU.
A Self-imposed
Tariff
The tariff question is a vital af
fair to the Nation and to individuals.
Everyone talks about it and ha?
some notion or other about what
the Government ought to do.
How many people realize that the
Nation is just a large family and
that tho same principles that apply
to its management apply equally to
the comparatively little affairs of
each household?
Do you run your household with
tho same efficiency you expect of
the Administration?
Are there not several branches of
expenditure in which you impose an
unnecessary tax on your purchases
by hasty and careless buying?
Think it over.
There Is no better way to insti
tute a reform than to cultivate the
habit of reading the newspaper ad
vertisements. They keep you informed daily
about practically everything there
Is for sale In this city. If you use
their announcements intelligently
you can eliminate from your house
hold the tax 'of worthless and un
satisfactory purchases. Adv.
A
A
i