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PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, JAN. II, 1914.
A MESSAGE OF GOOD CHKJER.
President "Wilson's message on the
trusts Is a message of good cheer to
business. It expresses Joy over the
ralm which has succeeded the hot con
tention of the last few years between
ig business and the law. It wel-
tead of Ms buslne3a
to submit to the decree of public
opinion mac monopoly must not ex
1st. It' declares the term to wiiieh
Mg business must submit, but it does
no not in the tone "of the conqueror,
but in that of the kind but firm par
ent. Though the Appomattox of the
trusts has come, the cosqueror is as
considerate as waa Grant when he
handed back Lee's sword.
This is as it should be. for the
mhole Nation, the trusts included, is
eager to complete the work of busi
ness reconstruction which Mr. Wilson
lias begun. All perceive facts to which
they were blind when heated by pas
sion that when business men are in
conflict with the law, their activities
re restricted, if not paralyzed, and
that, until the way is cleared for them
to comply with the law, the people
will suffer with them, for the paraly
sis which strikes the mightiest, fi
nancially and Industrially, will extend
downward to the humblest.
"With the leaders of big business
ready to" submit and asking for terms,
Sir. Wilson lays down conditions which
do not abate one jot of that which
the" people have demanded with great
er insistence as each year has passed.
The interests in finance, industry and
transportation which have unhealthi
ly growr together are to be separated
completely, but they are not to be
roughly and hastily rent apart. With
ekill and care and without haste they
are to be severed by the legal and
Administrative surgeon's knife, until
each is a distinct, healthy body, un
marred by scars inflicted in the proc
ess. Yet the severance is to be thor
ough. Bankers are no longer to form
Jinks which bind together in one in
terest finance, manufacture and
transportation of a given industry.
Kot only are Interlocking directorates
to cease,, but interlocking ownership
Is not to control management of two
or more corporations.
This done, business is to be set
on its way with full knowledge of
what the law forbids and what it per
mits. The decisions rendered under
the Sherman law afford the basis of
this definition. The Supreme Court's
reading of the word "unreasonable"
Into the law's prohibition of -restraints
of trade is not to" be renealert sneeif-
Jcally, but certain practices are to be
declared reasonable and certain oth
ers unreasonable. A commission is to
be created which shall at the outset
Inform a man or a corporation wheth
er his plans are legal and which shall
accessible for Information as it
may be needed. This body is to ini
tiate prosecutions and Is to carry out
flecrees of the courts dissolving
Itruats. This latter work is to be done,
is it should be, by i. business body
deciding business questions, not by
a court deciding between two groups
cf wrangring lawyers.
Having laid out the path in which
business shall walk. Mr. Wilson would
Increase the certainty that the penalties-
of departure therefrom will be
Smposect and will fall on the real of
fender. We are to have no more
fines of corporations to be collected
finally frorrr their unwilling or un
conscious customers. Guilt is to be
personal. If a corporation offends,
the official who committed or Insti
gated the act is to be fined or Im
prisoned. Individuals injured by un
lawful acts of combinations may make
conviction in a Government suit the
basis for personal suits for damages
Thus while guilt is to be personal, fi
nancial responsibility for Its conse
quences ls to be corporate. Corporations-
are thus te have a powerful In
centive for keeping their officials in
the path of legality and not for
tempting them to leave it and, when
caught, for shifting the blame to
them personally.
Mr. Wilson conveys the impression
that, while releasing railroads from
control of bankers and trust mag
nates and subjecting their financial
operations to Government regulation,
he would enable them to raise "the
money they need for their proper de
velopment to meet the rapidly grow
ing "requirements of the country for
Increased and improved facilities of
transportation" by raising freight
rates. He sees that the need is ur
gent, in the interest of both the rail
roads and the people, for he says:
We cannot postpone action in this matter
without leaving the railroads exposed to
niany sei-loua handicaps and hazards- and
the prosperity ot the railroads and the'pros
pcrlty of the country are Inseparably
connected.
Mr. Wilson's message is indeed a
pledge of "the peace that is honor
end freedom and prosperity." This
peace is honor, for it insures that our
leaders in business will be changed
from outlaws to honorable citizens.
It insures freedom, for competition
will revive and "new men, new ener
gies, a new spirit of initiative and
Jiew blood" will come into the man
agement of business. It insures pros
perity, for it will drive away the
clouds of fear and doubt which have
Ihung over the land.
The Progress Edition of the Morn
ing Enterprise, of Oregon City, ap
peared Sunday and follows the lines
Editor Brodie established a year ago.
There are fifty-six pages within a neat
cover. The halftone views of places
rd people of Clackamas County
fchow well on calendered paper and
the text is well written. The story of
!the resources and opportunities of
Oregon City and the county Is an old
one to .Oregonlans, but In the Bast it
will excite lively Interest In people
looking this way.
LAW NOT FACTS.
The decision of Judge Anderson in
the Copperfleld case may be con
densed into a few words. In sub
stance it is as follows: The Governor
of Oregon has the power to declare
martial law. Abuse of that power
cannot be restrained by injunction. If
the power is abused, however, the
Governor Is civilly or criminally li
able. There is nothing in the decision
that Justifies the spectacular acts of
Governor West. Judge Anderson dis
tinctly disclaims any effort to pass on
that issue. If the Governor had de
clared martial law in order to settle
the controversy in ' the Methodist
Church in Portland and had pro
claimed his intention to set fire to the
Taylor-Street edifice he could not
have been restrained by civil authori
ty. But he could be punished by civil
authority after the affair was over.
It ought .to be clear to everybody
that bat one point In the Issue has
been passed upon. The need for sen
sationalism at Copperfleld when an
adequate power was possessed by the
governor to proceed In a calm and or.
aeny manner and accomplish the
same result has not been established.
THE ANTI-BRYAN PLOT.
Defenders of Secretary Brvan- ner-
sihi in tne absurd cham that
nanclal Interests are active in making
mat bject f the ch-ged:
is to drive the Secretary out of the
nryan appear ridiculous. The ulti
t-apinet. in the newspaper discovery
of the plot against Bryan the follow
ing is round:
. , ""r " "i jot the Bryan presence In
nis Cabinet, as a sort of guarantee to Demo
crats that the " Administration Is keeping
faith, Mr. "Wilson would go to the extreme
. uuirienaiineag toward the business and
iiwn-iai interests wmcn nae Incurred popu
la disfavor. v
illuminating. .Bryan Is a
man of words rather than, of nctinn
The idea that he acts as a safety valve
on tne active Wilson Administration
during the brief intervals between
Chautauqua tours that he gives to
Cabinet duties is the acme of ab
surdity,
Equally ridiculous is the idea that
money interests, no matter how pow
er m, coujq successfully conduct
campaign in the public press for the
purpose of making a prominent of
ficial appear absurd. If Bryan has
been made to appear ridiculous it Is
oecause he has richly merited It. The
spectacle of a great Cabinet official
pursuing the golden eagle frantically
aoout. tne country while business lays
neglected on his desk is not calculated
to inspire paens of praise of such con
duct,
NEEDS OF THE COLUMBIA URGENT.
The meeting of business men at the
t-onmercial Club Monday rightly as
sumed that the improvement of tho
channel at the mouth of the Columbia
itiver concerns not clone Portland and
that section of the valley which is
navigable by sea-going shins: it con
cerns the whole Columbia River ba
sin, comprising three-'ourths of Ore
gon, three-fourths of Washington, the
wnoie or . Idaho, parts of Wyoming
nu Nevada, western Montana and a
iarge part of British Columbia. It
concerns even more territory, for the
fanama Canal will render the. ports
of the Columbia strong competitors
with Eastern ports for the irnnsnnr.
tatlon to foreign markets of all the
products of Montana. Wvomine-
North and South Dakota, Nebraska,
Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
The distance from Wlnninee- tr.
Portland Is 1529 miles; from Winni
peg to Montreal 1414 miles. The
slight handicap in distance Is over
come by the fact that Portland Is an
ice-rree port, while Montreal is not.
St. John is ice-free, but the rail dis
tance from Winnipeg is 368 miles
greater than to Portland. The dis
tance by water from Montreal to Liv
erpool is 2750 miles, against 8370
miles from Portland through the ca
nal, but this difference In distance
is offset In Winter by the freezing up
of the St, Lawrence. Rather than
pay storage charges and Interest on
grain until that river opens, shippers
would pay the slight e-.tra freight via
Portland. -
Fargo and Grand Forks, the wheat
cities of the Red River "Valley, are
about equl-distant from Portland
and New York, the distance from
Grand Forks to Portland over the
Great Northern being 1635 miles and
over the Northern Pacific 1729 miles
while to New Tork it is 1707 miles by
the former and 1613 miles bv the lat
ter route. Omaha is 30 miles nearer
to New Tork than to Portland by the
Billings route, 350 miles nearer than
by the Union Pacific route. The line
of equal distance would therefore be
as many miles west of Omaha.
Portland thus is the natural port
of the Columbia basin, with a popu
lation, of 2,250,000, a grain production
of 187,931,000 bushels and 750 000 -000,000
feet of standing timber. It will
be a strong competitor in the open sea
son and the most economical port in
the closed season for the 577 9'2
square miles of Alberta, Saskatchewan
and Manitoba, with a population of
1,281,000 and with a grain production
of -4C3.049.000 bushels. It will also
be a competitor for the traffic of
North and South Dakota, Nebraska
and Wyoming, having an area of 323,
88$ square miles, a population of 2 -4
99,000 and a grain production of
518,775,000 bushels.
Portland has the advantages over
other North Pacific Coast ports in bid
ding for this traffic, because It is down
grade all the way from any point west
of the Rockies and because the passes
t-rossea oy railroad from the Canadian
wheat belt to Portland are lower than
those on the roads leading to other
ports; also in the distance a vessel
would steam between the canal and
Portland Is less than . that between
the canal and the ports to the
north. In going from the Canadian
wheat belt to Vancouver a train would
cross v the Rockies at an altitude of
5321 feet and the Selklrks at an alti
tude of 4310 feet, while in coming to
Portland it would cross only the
Rockies at an altitude of 4 410 feet,
and a steamer from Panama would
make a trip 600 miles longer to Van
couver than to Portland. 'In going
to Seattle a train would climb 2784
feet over the Stampede Pass or 3373
feet over the Cascade Pass and a
steamer would make t extra round
trip of 600 miles. The extra round
trip by sea to Prince Rupert would
be 15 00 miles.
Portland thus has the advantage in
distance and in grades over her rivals
on the Pacific and in freedom from
ice over her rivals on the Atlantic.
She needs only to clear the way for
the largest vessels to enter the Co
lumbia River freely and safely at any
stage of the tide In order that this
business may come here. The inter
TnE MOItXIXG OREGOXIAX, WEDNESDAY,
est of the whole territory above de
scribed demands that It come here.
The obstructions must be removed in
time for the entrance of the largest
vessels as soon as they are ready to
enter the river. We cannot wait till
the north jetty Is completed and has
deepened the channel through the
gradual action of currents and tides;
the channel must be dredged. We
cannot wait until a dredge is built to
aid the Chinook; one must be pro
cured to begin work next Spring.
In asking Congress to pass as an
emergency measure the Lane bill for
construction of a dredge of the Le
viathan measure and, while it is be
ing built, to provide another dredge,
the Portland business men make no
unreasonable request. They speak not
for Portland alone, but for the whole
region which will benefit by the de
velopment of the most economical
route of traffic. . They speak for a
section or the country which has re
ceived little at the hands of this Ad
ministration except as It benefits with
the country at large, and it has suf
fered much by discrimination in tariff
revision. It has contributed suffi
ciently to the membership of the ma
jority party in both Senate and House
to obtain a hearing for its claims and
favorable action upon them. ' By
speaking with united voice it can
compel a hearing. Where one deter
mined man has killed a bill, a dozen
or a score equally determined can
compel action on a bill of such in
herent merit.
I'TTSCHISa DECREASE.
J-.yncnings have decreased, the
number having been 51 in the year
1913, as compared with 64 in 1912
This decrease is attributed by the Bos
ton Transcript mainly to the efforts
of Southern executives to prevent
lynchlngs. It says that, while Sena
tor Swanson was Governor there" was
not a lynching In Virginia, because
negro suspects were guarded bv the
militia, whose officers the Governor
held responsible for the safety of their
prisoners.
That is doubtless one of the main
contributing causes of the decline of
lynching, but there Is another the
gradual Improvement in the charac
ter of negroes, due mainly to the
work of Booker Washington's Tuske
gee Institute and similar institutions.
A leaven of educated, self-supporting.
self-respecting and law-abiding peo
ple has gone out from Tuskegee
among the negro population and has
had Its Influence. Such .people inspire
respect which cannot be felt for the
ignorant, brutal, lazy blacks who
have usually been the prey of lynch
ers. They also Invite imitation among
ineir race. The negroes are gradually
being lifted from barbarism and, as
this process goes on, there is less dis
position to treat them as wild beasts.
Parallel with a growth among- the
whites of respect for the law has gone
a growth among the negroes, of title
to respect. The two facts act and re
act each upon the other. As the negro
rises above barbarism, he will be
treated more as a human being, and
the more he is thus treated, the more
quickly will he rise.
A CENTURY OF PEACE.
Next Christmas eve will round out
a century of unbroken peace between
the United States and Great Britain.
The treaty which closed the War of
1812 was signed at Ghent on the night
of December 24, 1814. There were
five American Commissioners, Adams,
Bayard, Clay, Gallatin and Russell.
The British were represented by three
Commissioners, Gambier, Dr. Adams
and Gouldburn. Not long after the
treaty was ratified peace societies
were formed both in England and
America with the avowed purpose of
preventing .future wars between the
two. countries. Partly owing to the
efforts of these societies, no doubt, the
two nations presently agreed to keep
the Canadian frontier clear of forti
fications and ships of war were for
bidden upon the waters of the Great
Lakes. The boundary line between
the American and British dominions
on this continent has been from then
till now a mere dellmination between
peaceful neighbors. The very absence
of fortifications and warlike arma
ments seems to have prevented the
necessity of any.
During the century that has elapsed
since the Treaty of Ghent was con
cluded there have been plentiful oc
casions for war between England and
the united States. Boundary troubles
have been numerous and sometimes
bitter. Perhaps the worst of them
was the "Oregon Question," which
once brought us to the very verge of
war. One President was elected on
the cry, "Fifty-four-forty or fiht "
which expressed the feelings of our
wiiaer spirits toward England in the
excitement of the moment. But mild
er and wiser counsels finallv rrevaied
The ferocious slogan having served its
real purpose by Eafely landing a set
of office-holders, was promptly rele
gated to oblivion and the difficulty was
aeinea Dy cairn negotiators in their
comfortable offices. No more justi
fiable cause for war was ever given
by one country to another than Great
Britain gave us during the Great Re
bellion. Her sympathies with the se
cessionists were ardent and openly ex
pressed, not only by irresponsible men
and newspapers, but by members of
the government. England allowed the
Confederates to fit out privateers in
her ports, which wreaked havoc upon
the commerce of the Northern states.
At one time, in the thrilling episode of
the Trent Affair, had not President Lin
conl yielded to her haughty demands
var would actually have been de
clared. Looking back over the century
that has passed since 1814 and con
sidering the fateful incitements to war
through which we have safely passed
vne iiaturany gains an assurance of
continued peace. If such occasions of
III feeling have yielded to reason and
conciliation what can ever arise to
drive us into bloodshed? The diffi
culties of the Civil War included
money matters, National honor, deep
seated prejudices and old-time inter
national hatred and yet they were set
tled peaceably. Does this not argue
that all future difficulties with Eng
land can and will be settled in -the
same way?
It is satisfactory to remember also
that the amicable disposal of each new
misunderstanding between England
and the United States has told for
good feeling. Wars leave perdurable
bitterness behind them, thus propa
gating new wars in endless succession.
England and France never hated each
other so malignantly as during the
Hundred Years' War, when each was
doing all possible injury to the other.
The negotiations conducted by the
late King Edward, which cemented an
alliance between the two countries,
were Immediately followed by a great
outburst of kindly feeling. It was the
same with the arbitration that closed
the miserable tale of the Alabama
Claims. As soon as England had dem
onstrated her inclination to do the fair
thing by us hatred quieted down In
stantaneously. Even the Venezuela
trouble which occurred In Cleveland's
Administration couM not revive the
old International illfeeling. When
Cleveland brought us Into a blind al
ley by his rash ultimatum public opin
ion almost unanimously agreed that
he had gone too far and the whole
country showed through the press that
It preferred a peaceful settlement to
war even over a matter as Important
as the Monroe Doctrine.
The experience of the United States
and England might well become the
experience of all the nations of the
world. Let them once begin to ter
minate their troubles by peaceful ne
gotiations and each conquest over the
war spirit will make the next moral
victory still easier. Fighting is a
habit. Hatred Is simply an evil turn
of the mind. It would be Just as easy
to- form the habit of peace if we would
only think so and international kindli
ness may be cultivated quite as thrifti
ly as hatred. The committee formed
to celebrate the conclusion of a full
century of peace between the United
States and England are making elab
orate preparations for the event. They
have enlisted the co-operation of
thousands of significant people in this
country and England and have not
forgotten to interest Frenchmen, Ger
mans and other foreigners. They in
tend to make the lesson of our long
friendship with the mother country
tell as impressively as possible upon
the Imagination of the whole world.
It is high time that something should
excite the imagination, of the civilized
world in favor of peace and disarm
ament. The combined war debt of
the nations is now about $38,000,000,
000, with an annual interest charge of
more than a billion, and it Is Increas
ing at a fearful rate. France and
Germany have each made the pile
higher within the last few months.
Even our peace-loving United States
now spends for military purposes 65
cents out of every dollar it receives In
taxes. Our little war debt of two bil
lions is a mere trifle compared with
the monstrous burdens of France and
Germany, but it would not take much
of a war to bring It up to the fashion
able level. Whatever tends to
strengthen the peace sentiment of the
world builds up the bulwarks of hu
man happiness.
Few housewives use waste paper as
thriftily as they might. In olden
tims it was artfully rolled up into
firelighters, but matches did away
with that- . Now Its principal use Is
fot- kindling. It might serve a hun
dred other purposes. Nothing cleans
a spider of grease so well as an old
newspaper. Laid over one's knees it
keeps out the wind on a drive better
than any blanket. Paper quilts are
warmer than down. And yet we burn
this precious material.
Texas is . making heroic prepara
tions to double Its corn crop next year
We, in Oregon, might easily. Increase
ours tenfold. All we need is good seed
and cultivation. It has been proved
that corn will mature here and it
ought to be planted extensively on
every farm.
What is a big city like Portland
for if not to market the products of
the surrounding country? H. B
Miller says Portland has failed to do
its plain duty in this particular and
he calls for a change of policy. Such
a change should come speedily. Port
land needs it and the state needs it.
Fortunately somebody held Con
gressman. Johnson before he could
get his gun. Johnson hardly can be
a true Kentuckian, Inasmuch as he
was not toting the weapon and, fur
ther, in announcing he was going
after it. ie has the yellows.
A plan is on foot in Belgium to
have all the peace societies wire
Huerta and Carranza to quit fighting.
iney shouldn t overlook the several
hundred other leaders and patriots,
including Villa, who have a voice In
the matter.
The man who eats heartily of
smelt just now clears the system after
a sluggish meat diet all Winter and
accumulates brains for the Spring ac
tivities. The early run of the little
fish is designed for a purpose.
Wisconsin's eugenic law has been
declared unlawful. This Is a great
victory for the unfit and gives assur
ance that the supply of congenital de
tectives will not run short.
Another professor Is wasting some
body's money in attempts to produce
artificial life. Any result will have
little value. The world is full of mis
fits now.
Militants demand an audience with
the English King -and hint at dire
consequences if they are refused. Will
they never learn to catch flies with
honey?
Board of Equalization statistics
show that in Clatsop country dogs are
held at a very low figure. Current
cost of curs curtailed, as it were.
A tiny Tacoma woman carried her
bulky husband out of their burning
home. Truly the old order of things
changeth.
France Is overwhelmed by a terri
ble blizzard. Possibly it is a curse
following on the heels of the tango.
The lazy husbands act should be
broadened to apply to the husband
who doesn't split the kindling.
The McNamaras cannot be paroled
for at least seven years more. That's
something to be thankful for.
Women are registering in great
numbers. Which leaves even the most
astute male politicians at sea.
Seven feet of snow strikes a Cali
fornia town. The. Arctic circle Is rap
idly losing its reputation.
Slipping a piece of money to a man
employed in a public utility is another
kind of profit-sharing.
The agitation contingent at the Au
ditorium shelter ran a gocc! thing into
ths. ground. .
The Wisconsin eugenics law de
manded too much in these days of
hit or miss.
Butter prices having fallen, we may
now spread it on a little thicker.
David Lamar succeeds Colonel Mul
hall in the hall of fame.
Roses are still blooming In Portland.
JANUARY 21, 1914.
LABOR COLOSIES FOR FXEMPLOTED
Haw Enropeiui Countries Handle FTrofc
Iena S( Confronting Ua.
PORTLAND, Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Under the present industrial sys
tem, the unemployed problem, like Ban
quo's ghost," will not down, and while
it Is Imperative that measures be taken
to meet present emergencies. It Is also
wnperative mat every state, and large
cities especially, shall investigate meth
ods used in other countries In solving
the problem.
Several years ago two of the largest
women's organizations tn Portland
called attention to the need of a mu
nicipal lodging house and farm col
ony plan only to be met with marked
indifference on the part of the chief
executive of Portland at the time. Mr.
Burns, the English labor leader, sug
gests a completely equipped "labor bu
reau" in every town for what he calls
"genuine unemployed." They are to
register and so establish communica
tion between tne men that want to
work and the men seeking: workers,
this labor bureau to be connected with
a central labor exchange.
This plan is worthy a thought, and If
systematically carried out would be of
inestimable value to those unemployed
who were anxious to work, but would
not solve the hobo or vagabond prob
lem. There are three classes of unem
ployed. First, those who desire work
and cannot find it; second, those who
are willing to work but are unable to
do so on account of physical weakness
or accident; third, those who are able
to work but are unwilling to. The
last swell the army of vagrants, and
are a menace to the community; they
are non-producers, hence liabilities eco
nomically. In treating of the unem
ployed problem it is necessary to dis
tinguish between the blameless and the
not blameless, the able-bodied and the
non-able-bodied.
I have watched the "Labor Colony"
movement in other countries with much
Interest. In Holland, where the colony
movement originated, while little is
done, so far as investigation shows, to
ward reformation of the vagabond, yet
the Holland system, according to re
ports, has rid the highway of tramps
and the cost has not been large. In
two respects the Holland system falls
short. The colonies are not self sup
porting and they have rjractirall v
abandoned the effort of reforming the
vagabond altogether.
In Belgium, where there Is a labor
colony system, it has also been demon
strated that at a small cost vagrancy
can be abolished.
The Swiss seem to have the most far
reaching all-round work for the elimi
nation of the tramp and the unem
ployed problem.
They have a "travelers' relief book"
which sets forth the fact that the
bearer ia a "genuine unemployed." Two
grades of labor colonies are estab
lished, one a "forced colony" to which
are committed the culpable vagrants,
and a free colony whose doors are open
to ail indigent persons wJio are not
culpable. .These two colonies enable
the officials to assign the tramps and
vagrants to one of these, and the un
fortunate to a home where they can
work if able to do so.
The colony movement is so self evi
dently a wise system as not- to need
comment. It seems the only way o
meeting the condition that the large
centers, and often the smaller ones, are
always "up against" as Winter months
approach. It would do away with a
large share of the undiscriminating
character of charity, and aid materially
in abolishing "soup kitchens" .and
"bread lines." Furthermore, it would
reduce the column of liabilities (non
producers) and Increase the assets in
community life.
In one of the forced colonies In
Switzerland we find it not only self
supporting, but by simple methods it
seeks to reform all those capable of
reformation and promote them to the
free colony.
To all those who have not given this
movement any special thought I rec
ommend to them the small book of Ed
mund Kelly. "The Elimination of the
Tramp," and the "Last Waif," by Hor
ace Fletcher, where lie treats of social
quarantine. Edmund Kelly studied this
problem in many countries and his
findings are worthy our most earnest
thought and action. L. H. A.
IiAST OP MOtALLAS IS IX PRISON
Correspondent Believes Indian Is Un
justly Incarcerated for' Murder.
PORTLAND, Jan. IS. (To the Ed
itor.) Having read so much about the
"last of the Molallas," and wishing to
ascertain the exact truth, I wrote to
Professor Leo J. Frachtenberg, of thr
Bureau of Ethnology. Smithsonian In
stitution.' Washington. D. C. who, 1
happened to know, had made an Inves
tigation along this line. He writes me
that Henry Telkus, who was killed a
few months ago. had a nephew, Stephen
Savage, quite an old man at present,
who lives at St. Helens. The last male
survivor of the Molalla tribe, which was
once very large, is Stephen Savage's
son. Louis Savage.
Tracing up this Louis Savage. I find
he is now incarcerated in the United
States Penitentiary for life at Leaven
worth, Kan. On investigating the
crime I obtain from affidavits and
statements of eyewitnesses that he Is
wrongfully con-icted of the charge oi
murder, in that, while in a fight h.
shot off into the darkness to scare bis
opponent. Another man was struck by
the shot and died. While promiscu
ous shooting is to bo deplored and
punished, yet an accident should not be
the cause of a man's incarceration for
lire. On communicating with the offl
cers of the penitentiary they give him
an unqualified indorsement, stating he
is tne nest man in the nemtentiarv.
As this man is practically the sole
survivor of the once larse tribe of
Molallas. is confined throusrh error for
a crime he did not commit, is of such
a character as to show he is not
menace to th community. Is nlniner and
growing despondent under ten years of
strict confinement, can not something
De aone to "-nin his freedom? I should
think the town of Molalla would be in
terested In this case.
JAMES WATSON.
Under the statement of facts given
in the foregoing letter there is -not
necessarily error in the conviction. The
general rule is that a person whose
negligence causes the death of another
is responsible. Degree of murder in
such cases is fixed by the character of
the act which the person who com
mitted homicide was performing at the
time. If felonious, the offense ia mur
der; if the act leading to the homicide
was legal the offense is manslaughter.
it is possible, however, that in this
case the penalty inflicted was more se
vere than the circumstances warranted.
Wills In Waahlngton.
BELLING HAM. Wash.. Jan. 17 (Tn
the Editor.) My mother Is living, also
one sister, married. Following my
death, I want my only brother, unmar
ried, like myself, to succeed at once
and absolutely without interference,
legal or otherwise, to my property.
Is validity of will denendent imnn
legal or authoritative attest?
JOHN LEHMAN.
(1) The will should specifically men
tion the intent of the testator not to
bequeath the mother and sister any
portion of the property, otherwise it
may be held that the maker of the will
died intestate. Probating of the will
cannot be avoided.
(2) Tes, unless it is olographic: that
is. in the State of Washington a will is
valid if written entirely in the hand
writing of the testator and signed by
htm without witnesses. If not olo
graphic the will must be attested bv
two witnesses, who sign In the presence
of the testator and of each other.
GOING AHEAD ON COMPENSATION
Merit System of Ratlmar Can Be Applied
In Compensation Lam.
PORTLAND. Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Your editorial Sunday, "Progress
in Compensation," suggested certain
features in connection with this sub
ject that have not heretofore been
discussed. I refer particularly to the
different methods of insurance desig
nated and pointed out by the opera
tion of the new laws in New York and
California , and that the underlying
motive for providing wide latitude as
to the method of insurance is to give
free play to the merit system of rat
ing each compensation risk as it ex
ists in the various classifications of all
lines of Industry and at the same time
conserve and make certain the pay
ment of compensation as provided for
In the laws.
The benefits of the merit system or
schedule rating, as it is more com
monly called, have been rtrnonid
and accepted by the Insuring nubile
against fire losses am aiipntifiii
and economically correct. The Indi
vidual or corporation who represents
miso lire nsKs rully appreciates that
In the reduction of fire risk to the
minimum he is assured or the lowest
rates as result of his Drecautlons. Th
same rule of reason has evidently per
suaded most of the states east of the
Mississippi River, with the exception
of Ohio, to designate methods of In
surance which will induce the applica
tion of a similar rule in rating hazards
under compensation laws In the hopes
that the employer who . reduce he-
safeguards, careful selection of em
ployes and their instruction tn num
ber of accidents to a minimum that a
proportionately low rate will apply to
iii Kompensauon burden.
If employers, as well as emnlovea.
are sincere In advocating legislation
ior compensation that will operate di
rectly to prevent accidents as to the
first importance, and the payment of
compensation as secondary, the above
method should appeal stronerlv to both
parties, as it will surelv nenalie th
careless employer In the most direct
manner and confer an Incentive to the
careful employer who is constantly
exercising every preventive to safe
guard his employes ac-ainst- Bcoirtante
That the above me'thod nf mtin
no longer an exDerlment. hut ha hom
demonstrated a success beyond any
question. Is easily ascertained h-o- in
vestigation of the operation of the
compensation laws In Michigan. New
Jersey and more recently in Illinois
and Minnesota, where the merit sys-
uciu ui rating is being applied to all
hazards in the same general manner
as generally follows the application of
fire schedules.
Nobody objects to the state enter
ing the fire insurance of compensa
tion business, at least I don't, as long
as competitive conditions are conserved
to the public. In the matter of com
pensation protection, as well as in all
other lines of insurance in which the
State of Oregon may feel it necessary
to experiment, I -shall treat them with
the same consideration as anr other
competitor by providing and selling a
policy covering the same scale of com
pensation benefits as the Industrial
Commission, but In a more attractive
form to the employer and employes.
If the United States Supreme Court
upholds the Washington compulsory
compensation law. there can h nr.
further intelligent obiectlon to it
adoption in the State of Oregon or
elsewhere, so far as the question of
compulsion is concerned. In this
event, it does not follow, however, -that
compulsory state insurance as provid
ed by the law is either logical or eco
nomically sound. In fact, the figures
tor tne tirst two years of operation
have demonstrated what has always
iec preaictea oy underwriters,
namely, that the number of accidents
will steadily increase in proportion to
the total, number of emnlovos an.) that
me expense or state insurance will
show an annual increase for several
years to come. Independent of any
amendments which may be made to it
Increasing the benefits. Out of a total
of S2.500.UOO paid the State of Wash
ington by employers for the first two
years, on the industries which con
tributed $1,750,000 of this sum, the fig
ures indicate that the classes which
make up the latter amount paid 33 1-3
per cent more on the basic rate for
the second- year as compared with the
first year.
In fact, the difference between com
pulsory compensation and compulsory
state insurance is extremely wide anil
significant and will be more easily
demonstrated as time goes along. The
merit system of rating applied to in
dividual risks in all classes is abso
lutely sound and will tend, if anything,
to reduce accidents to a minimum and
reduce the cost of the burden of com
pensation loss to each employer to its
true basis in as practical a manner as
any system that has yet been devised.
PAUL C. BATES.
AVIiat Mother' Tried to Make.
Someone with imagination but no char
acter at stake
Has been telling of the good things
that his mother used to make;
How he dined on foods ambrosial in the
dim and distant past.
When the good old soda biscuit held the
fort from first to last.
You may call us superstitious, a mon
strosity or freak.
Yet we think prevarication is a refuge
of the weak.
Had he been the least familiar with the
mother that we had,
He'd confine his oratory to assertions
true but sad.
And if impelled to mention that most
antique angel cake.
He would say. with tears regretful,
"Its what mother tried to make."
We are sure we know about it, for we
lived there at the time.
And we smelled those loaves and bis
cuits which had soured -in their
prime;
Likewise the spoiled plum butter and
the Juice that wouldn't "jell,"
The preserves burnt on the kettle and
the cake that always "fell,"
While the cheese was able-bodied and
the bacon full of life.
And had Corbett met the butter he'd
have given up the strife.
Sure, our mother was persistent, with a
mighty fund of pluck.
It the sausage wasn't flavored It was
simply blamed to luck.
Yes, we have a recollection that a panic
couldn't break.
All of strange conglomerations that our
mother tried to make.
There was steak that even Ajax couldn't
pierce with heavy lance.
There was hash that seemed to fill us
when we took a second glance.
It is said that men resemble, more or
less, the food they eat.
If its true, our neighbor's diet is of
lobsters and pig's feet.
Some there are who live on oysters,
and still others favor crabs
You can tell it by their methods in their
great financial grabs.
Now, we know we've been a failure
ever since we -first begun.
And are beaten each election by the
man who couldn't run;
Some have told us that our cranium
never got but half a bake.
But we blame -it all to dumplings that
our mother tried to make.
J, S. KNAUSS.
203 Tlatt Building.
Thorough.
(Washington Star.)
"What did you talK about
reading circle?"
at your
"Cleopatra," replied younjr Mrs
Tor-
Kins.
"I suppose the discussion brought
sri-eat knowledge into evidence."
"I should say o. By the way they
tore her character up, you mictil have
thought she was one of our own neiah.
bora."
Twenty-five Years Ago
From The Oregonian of Jan. SI. 18S9.
Washington, Jan. 20. Representa
tive Hermann, In speaking on the
omnibus statehood bill, protested
against the exclusion of Washington
Territory.
Spokane Falls. Jan. 20. No casket in
the city was large enough to hold the
remains of Robert S. Turner and one
had to be made. He was the biggest
man In the territory, weighing 360
pounds. The hearse was not large
enough to hold the coffin and a spring
wagon bad to be used instead.
Seattle, Jan. 20. Governor Semple
has written a letter to General Hill,
censuring him for calling out the
militia at the ttrn of the Nswcastla
riots.
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Pittlnger and Mrs.
Captain "Vinnjgerholz will leave today
for Southern California.
W. G. Kent, well known in Alblna
and formerly purser on the steamer
Alaj-m, has been appointed mail clerk
on the narrow gauge road between
Portland and Coburg in place of W. E.
BlodgetL
The old landmarks are disappearing
one by one. The old county road
alon the gulch is being rapidly filled
from the grading of G. B. Montgomery's
lots on Russell to Gaines street.
Quite a number of carpenters are
finishing up the central division of the
exposition building.
The funeral of John Maliff. the well
known contractor, took place yester
day. Mr. Maliff was a prominent mem
ber of the order of Free Masons.
Knights of Pythias and Ancient Order
of United Workmen.
John Jack & Co. will start on a dra
matic tour in a few days.
Catholic residents assembled yester.
day in the basement of St. Mary's
Cathedral and decided to erect an
orphanage. A tract of some 500 acres
about 15 miles south of town has been
tendered by Archbishop Gross.
Lee Moorhouse. of Pendleton, Is in
the city.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonian of Jan. 21, ISM.
Headquarters, Department of West
Virginia. Jan. 16. Major Cole. In com
mand of a battalion of Maryland cav
alry, encamped in Loudon County, was
attacked yesterday by Mosby, the
guerrilla, with 400 men. After a gal
lant fight for an hour Mosby was re
pulsed, leaving his killed and wounded
on the field.
Washington. Jan, 16. The Demo
cratic and Conservative members of
Congress met yesterday and con
demned President Lincoln's emancipa
tion proclamation as revolutionary am!
unconstitutional.
As a wagon loaded with wood and
drawn by two horses was crossing the
upper foot plank on Madison street,
along First,- yesterday it broke down
and made the passersby take to the
mud.
The merchants and business men
generally on North Front street have
arranged to close at 7 P. M.
The Washington Guards, Captain
Mills, were out drilling on Front street
last evening and attracted much at
tention and approbation.
Doggone Rich I'll Be
By Dean Collinn.
(The average valuation set by the
Assessor on dogs In Union County is
$50.83. while in Clatsop County it is
only $2. News Item.)
I have a noble plan in mind.
And if it works without a hitch.
My friends will very shortly find
That I have grown immensely rich.
My wealth shall mount to millions up.
And p'ortune 'whelm me with her
bounty
I'll buy the Clatsop County pr
And sell the same in Union County.
Observe the valuation set
By Union County's wise Assessors.
And note the different system met
By Clatsop County's dog possessors.
Full fifty bones and more, 'tis said.
They rate the Union mongrels at.
While dogs In Clatsop County bred.
Average a scant two shekels flat.
Then forty-eight round silver medals
Shall be the pront one shall hog
From Union every time he peddles
A nice two-dollar Clatsop dog.
So 1 shall roll a million up
And Fortune shall dispense me
bounty
I'll buy the humble Clatsop pup.
And sell the same in Union County.
(truan literature.
CORVALLIS. Or.. Jan. IS (To the
Editor.) Can you BiTe-raewiy sugges
tions or inform me where I may be
able to find material relative to the fol
lowing topic:
"Trace the Influence of Christiantt y
through all agencies, movetnc; and
organization on German literatures -from
the beginning until the Middle
Ages." SUBSCRIBER.
Read "Germany in the Middle Ages."
It is obtainable at the Portland Public
Library but The Oregonian is not in
formed as to whether it is available at
Corvallls.
Magaaine for Young Folks.
SALEM. Or., Jan. 18 (To the Ed
itor.) Please tell me (1) If there Is
still published a weekly magazine for
young people called "Golden Days," and
(2) where one can subscribe for it.
CLIFF DIPSON.
(1) "Golden Pays" is published by
James Elverson Co., Ninth and Spruce
streets, Philadelphia, Pa., at a subscrip
tion price of $3 per year. "Golden Days"
has been published since the year 1S80.
(2) Write . direct to publishers, or
through your local newsdealer.
Tango Togs
Have you learned the new dances?
Have you the proper raiment In
which to dance them?
This is the season for all kinds
of social festivities and dancing is
so much a part of the evening's
programme that if you are not
properly prepared you will find
yourself very much a wall-flower.
The new dances have brought in
new styles in evening dresses, eve
ning slippers and hosiery and even
hair ornaments have been changed
to he in harmony with the new
effect.
You can't afford to be behind in
these matters. Look over the ad
vertisements in The Oregonian and
other good newspapers and you will
see ttiat the reliable merchants are
ready to provide you with what
ever you require.
Never were dances nnd dancers
so critically watched as now. Make
sure of the success or your eve
ning's outings by reading' The Ore
FTonian's advertising columns and
profit by their suggestions in buy
ing what you need. Adv.