8
THE MOT? XING SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1914.
PORTLAND. OREGON
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PORTLAND. SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1914.
1 MR. PAGE'S LIGHTISH VEIN.
If the old saying, "In vino Veritas,"
"be true, then Ambassador Page cor
rectly expressed the attitude of t'.ie
.AVilson Administration toward Great
Britain and the Wilson interpretation
of the Monroe Doctrine when he
epoke "in a lighter vein," "lata at
nigiit" and "extemporaneously" b3
fore the Associated Chambers of
Commerce in London. Not thai, we
mean to suggest that Mr. Page had
gone beyond the bounds of modera
tion in partaking of good cheer, but
that the genial spirit which prevails
at a banquet moves a man to ssy
th'ngs which he would hesitate to ex
press under circumstances where his
sense of official responsibility and his
consideration of the effect of his
words are in full control of his
tongue.
Many recent events combine to con
firm the opinion that Mr. Page only
said what he knew to express the Wil
son policy and that the only reproof
to which he subjected himself from
Mr. Wilson was something like this
"What you said was quite correct, but
you should not have said it quite so
loud or with so much publicity. Those
are the lines on -which we are work
ing, but we aim to do It quietly."
For Mr.i Wilson has shown a de
cided disposition to lean on England
for support in maintenance of the
Monroe Doctrine. He could not have
maintained his boycott on Huerta in
Mexico without British complaisance,
which secured him against interfer
ence, not only from Great Britain, but
from other European powers, which
cannot have viewed with equanimity
murder and torture of their subjects
and destruction of their subjects'
property. He says he has not heard
that the Monroe Doctrine was "fail
Ing in any way," but he could scarce
ly have upheld it in Mexico had he
not taken John Bull into a sort of
partnership.
For that is the logical effect of the
"Wilson policy toward Mexico. Deter
mined not to recognize the present
ruler of four-fifths of that country,
yet determined not to drive him out
by force, and not then to set up uch
a government as comes up to the Wil
son ideal, Mr. Wilson is dependent on
the complaisance of foreign powers
for freedom to let that policy work it
self out by the painful and tedious
process of civil war. In order to in
sure that complaisance, he enlists the
good will of England. That assured,
he car stave off the interference of
other powers for some time. In order
to hold it, he proposes that we aban
don the position taken by both par
ties on canal tolls. We are buying
England's support in warding oft Eu
ropean interference in Mexico, that
the Monroe Doctrine may not be jeop
ardized. Mr. Page's utterances fin London
closely accord with that policy. He
strokes the fur of the British lion
with soft phrases calculated to evoke
a purr of contentment, as a woman's
caresses soothe the domestic cat. He
tells a British audience that we are
"Engli3h led and English ruled," and
that to England we owe our form of
ijcvernment and our civilization. He
expresses pleasure at the knowledge
that England will profit most by our
tmilding of the Panama Canal "and
at the prcspect that the Underwood
tariff will swell the volume of British
trade." He extols "the colossal struc
ture of British commerce." He inter
prets the meaning of the Monroe Doc
trine as being only "that no European
government should gain any more
land in the new world." All this is
de-signed to put the old lion in such
a frame of mind that he will not grow
restive when a Benton is murdered in
Mexico and will forget the day when
Palmerston stormed over the wrongs
of a British subject who was a natur
alized Portuguese Jew.
Those who criticise Mr. Wilson are
accused ty the New York World of
having "too many Monroe Doctrines"
and are reminded that the original
Monroe Doctrine meant only what
Mr. Page said. The World thus in
terprets that doctrine:
Tn a word, the Monroe Doctrine forbids
further conquests on this hemisphere. It
does not establish a protectorate. It does
not relieve Latin-America of responsibility
to foreign powers. It does not shield any
country tha: murders or despoils foreigners
or is otherwise in the wrong. It does not
prevent the use of force by European nations
against delinquents. It is a guarantee ol
)nden.ndence. It is an assurance against
oppression. It is believed to be a measure
of peace and safety for the United States.
All this is true. So in a sense is
Mr. Page's definition of the Monroe
Doctrine. But the declaration that
no European government should gain
more land in the' new world imposes
on us the necessity of preventing a
situation -which will furnish an excuse
for European acquisition. Any man
who has read history knows by what
easy stages a temporary occupation
of territory becomes permanent, or
the submission of a small power to
the demands of a great power leads
to a dominant influence which saps
the independence of the small power.
As in personal, so in National con
duct, it becomes us to avoid the first
beginnings of evil. We can better
and more easily uphold the Monroe
Doctrine by dissuading an American
state from giving cause of offense to
a European power or by inducing an
American state to give prompt redress
for wrongs done than by calling upon
a European power to evacuate terri
tory once occupied. For this reason
President Roosevelt took precautions
that, when the coast of Venezuela was
blockaded, none of its ports should be
occupied by European forces; also
that a fixed proportion of Santo Do
mingo's revenue should be applied to
payment of its debts by American col
lectors. Our action in those cases
seemed to go beyond the Monroe Doc
trine, but really served to keep it in
Tiolate. By depriving European na
tions of opportunity or excuse for oc
cupying American territory, it ayert-
ed the danger that, under some pre?
text, that occupation might become
permanent or might reduce an Amerr
ican republic to a state of dependence.
Mr. Wilson has departed from the
Monroe Doctrine in two particulars,
both important. He has requested
Europe to keep hands off Mexico, but
by his renunciation of force as a
means of carrying out his purpose
there he has in effect said: "If you in
terfere, we shall protest, but shall not
fight." By making England his part
ner in that policy he has made it ap
pear that his protest would be backed
by the force of England, not of the
United States.
Thus he has made a European
power an ally in upholding a strictly
American policy and has thereby
weakened, it, By announcing his op
position to foreign concessions in
American republics he has departed
from and greatly extended the Mon
roe Doctrine and has created new
causes of friction with Europe. So
long as the United States has - the
power to maintain that doctrine and
is even suspected of readiness to use
that power, no European nation is
likely to infringe, but a practical em
bargo on investments by European
citizens in this hemisphere will create
intense irritation.
Truly times have changed since
Cleveland, the last Democratic Presi
dent, thundered against aggression on
Venezuela, when a Democratic Am
bassador to England tickles the rlsi-
bles of a London audience by discuss
ing a cardinal principle of American
policy "in a lighter vein.
THE REMEDY.
For a decade we have been told
that the cure for our economic ills
was to be found in the prescriptions
of an entirely new school of states
manship, indigenous to Oregon. They
undertook to provide Oregon a com
pletely new system, a flexible consti
tution, a novel code of laws, a new
party method. All these things Ore
gon has now, but somehow the cure
is not complete, though the patient
still lives.
Although Oregon has striven faith
fully to adjust itself to the new or
der, still the surgeons are not satis
fied. They persist in cutting off a
leg here and there, or eliminating an
eye, or providing a new internal or
ganism.
They would abolish poverty by-
giving everybody a job at the state's
expense.
They would insure perfect legisla
tion by abolishing the Legislature.
They would equalize taxes by ex
empting from taxation half or more
of the state's citizens.
They would guarantee the efficient
administration of civil law by ignoring
the law officers and calling out the
militia.
They would relieve the public of
the burden of supporting penal in
stitutions by turning loose the con
victs under an "honor" system.
They would insist that the state
and not the individual is primarily
responsible for idleness, vagrancy and
crime and they would coddle the
drones by supporting them at public
expense.
They would do many things that
society has not elsewhere done.
To achieve Utopia, they would put
in public office the dreamers and the
upsetters and would Ignore the serv
iceable men ' who insist on care and
caution and who have the old-fash
ioned notion that the public, as well
as Its citizens, should look before it
leaps.
The real remedy lies in staunch
and tried men for public office and
not now in new systems nor untried
nostrums.
WASTING TO CHECK WASTE.
A contributor writing today in fa
vor of the installation of meters
says of tne opponents ot me jaiy
plan:
Their sole argument seems to be some
what as follows: The city has more water
than" the consumers can use, so why spend
monev to nut in meters? Let everybody
use all the water he desires and If the
city runs short, let us spend the money
not for meters to check the waste but
for more reinforcing mains, etc., so that we
can go on wasting more.
The Oregonian has not seen nor
heard such an argument advanced,
nor anything like it. The city, in fact,
has more water than it uses. Com
missioner Brewster, who supports the
purchase of an initial 10,000 meters,
says there is no shortage nor one in
prospect. There is a city ordinance
prohibiting the waste of water. Mayor
Albee says that it can be enforced
with the co-operation of the police
department.' The opponents of the
Daly plan advocate the checking of
waste but they insist that it can be
done without spending 550Q,ooo for
meters.
The letter from this same corre
spondent gives a personal experience
which answers the contention of Mr.
Brewster that meters will alleviate
shortage caused in some districts by
an insufficient distributive system.
This writer used more water when
he had a meter than when he had
not. Yet his bill was comparatively
less. Meters will check the use of
water only if the meter rates are so
high that the consumer cannot afford
to sprinkle his lawn as much as it
needs. This one man's experience in
dicates that the consumer may use
more water with a meter for the
same price than ne may witnout a
meter. If this be the general rule
setting meters along a main of in
adequate size would not decrease the
shortage.
The correspondent also estimates
that his Summer's water charge is
Jo. 17 greater without a meter than
with it. He uses that as an argu
ment for meters, yet doubts that the
ffeneral installation of meters will
cause the revenues of the department
to be insufficient. His own case is
an argument for installation of me
ters only in the event it is not excep
tional. If consumers generally would
save an equivalent amount by the in
stallation of meters the revenues of
the water department would fall on
more than $200,000 a year.
If we can afford to sacrifice J .200.-
000 a year and at the same time ex
pend $500,000 for meters it is obvious
thk-the flat rates are" now too high.
The short and reasonable course is to
reduce the flat rate . and save the
$200,000 a year without spending a
half million to Co it. If the city or
dinance against water waste is en
forced the inequalities incident to dif
ference in water needs among the
same-sized families in the same-sized
houses will be infinitesimal. When
there is more water available than
the city can use what is the sense in
spending $500,000 for the gratifica
tion it may give John Smith to know
that Jim Jones cannot bathe oftener
than he without paying extra for the
privilege?
France, is about to send an army of
50,000 men, from Tunis oa the. east
and from the Atlantic seaBoard on the
west to attack Taza, the sole Berber
stronghold which blocks the way to
communication through the interior
of Morocco south of the first Atlas
range. Railroads have been built in
both directions towards Taza and,
when it is taken, they will be Joined
and the way will be cleared for civil
ization to return where only semi-civ
ilization has existed since Roman
times.
' A BAXIEL, YEA, A DANIEL.
An aggrieved world will weepingly
applaud Judge Turnbaugh, of ChH
eago, for his feather decision. It is
a step, albeit but a short one, toward
the emancipation of the henpecked
ana harried male sex. The learned
judge decided that a man who sat
behind a woman and suffered from
her feathers had some rights in the
premises. Not many rights, but still
some. He might, after the torture
had risen to a certain degree of in
tensity, grab the feathers and jerk
them out of the woman's hat without
incurring any legal penalties. In fact,
if we read correctly between the lines
of this upright and erudite judge's
opinion, the law will mildly and dis
creetly applaud a male person who
thus defends himself against intol
erable oppression.
It has always been the aim df
Anglo-Saxon courts to uphold the
persecuted individual in maintaining
his personal liberty. The right to
life, liberty and happiness ought to
be secure even against the 'weapons
which women attach to their head
gear. To be sure in this case there
were aggravating circumstances
After the, woman had just about put
out Mr, St. Aubien's eye with her
feathers and tickled his nose till he
was more than half distracted he
meekly remonstrated. To his repre
sentations she replied that "he was
an old fool." It was then that Mr.
St. Aubien, taking the neglectful law
into his own hands, grabbed the
feather and heroically jerked it out.
We hope he threw it on the floor and
trampled it with his boot, but on
that point history is unhappily silent.
Had Mr. St. Aubien gone to a dun
geon for his lofty deed we should
still have cheered him. The world
has a real grievance against the per
vasive feather. If you go to hear
Kreisler fiddle, the chances are ten
to one that a woma. just in front
of you will torture your soul with
a horizontal plume until there is no
more music left in it. To be sure,
she will take off her hat when the
playing begins, but what of that?
The mischief is done. The appercep
tive nidus has been destroyed and
there is no enjoyment for you that
night. ,
The horrible feather is everywhere,
in the streetcars, at church and,
worst of all, in the elevator. Caught
in that trap, the female Torquemada
has one at her mercy and she never
lets up until the victim expires in
agony.
GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE.
George Westinghouse, the great in
ventor and constructive genius, died
on March 12 in the fullness of years
and honors. Although hn did not es
cape financial reverses in the course
of his long career, still ne retained
a foremost position in the engineer
ing and manufacturing world up to
the time of his death and almost to
the last exercised those remarkable
powers which wpn him renown, lead
ership and wealth. Westinghouse was
one of the finest examples of the old
fashioned American, who by force of
will and inborn capacity rose from
humble beginnings to world-wide in
fluence. He was not self-educated
in the ordinary meaning of the
phrase, though, of course, every man
who knows anything worth while
must have mastered it by his own ex
ertions. Education cannot be gained
by the coddling process. Still West
inghouse knew what it was to go to
school and college. He went to the
Schenectady High School and after
ward to Union College, which he at
tended through his sophomore year,
but he never took a bachelor's de
gree. Later in his life when he had
achieved success and won renown
Union College recognized his merit
by conferring an honorary doctorate
upon him. He was also made a doc
tor of engineering by the Royal Tech
nical High School, of Berlin, an in
stitution which outranks many an
American college in academic pres
tige.
Westinghouse was no recluse con
suming his life in solitary meditation.
He was always active in the affairs
of men, with wide interests and per
sistent principles which he strove- to
make efficient in practical affairs.
His youth fell in the exciting years
of the Civil War and like many other
ardent and gifted young men of his
generation he enlisted in the Union
Army. Afterward he entered the
Navy, where he was made an assist
ant engineer before he left the serv
ice. But the bent of his mind was
inventive, not military. He began to
produce original contrivances in his
boyhood, a practice which was en
couraged by his father, a machinist.
in whose shop George worked- as soon
as he could handle tools. Neither
hand nor brain was neglected in his
education and the result shows how
much he gained by an all-round
training. His first invention of con
sequence was a rotary engine which
he made when he w-as 15 years old,
not long before he joined the Army.
The most important of his earlier
discoveries was the principle of the
air-brake, which he applied to rail
way trains. Lacking money to de
velop this fundamentally important
Invention, he applied for assistance to
Commodore . Vanderbllt, the famous
railroad magnate of that day, only to
be repulsed contemptuously. The
millionaire, with the narrowness of
many of his. class, could see no prom
ise in an attempt to brake railway
trains "with wind." "Wind," how
ever, turned out to be precisely the
means by which railroading could be
made both safe and speedy. West
inghouse applied to more enlightened
capitalists and ultimately saw his in
vention used everywhere with conse-
uences which are familiar to us all.
' George Westinghouse made some
important electrical inventions but he
was not among the foremost in this
line. He shone rather as a .friend
of men like Tesla, whom he greatly
aided, and as a constructive electrical
engineer. He utilized in practice the
inventions which other men made.
Against strong opposition he intro
duced the alternating current in light
and power systems, though he did
not invent the appliances which made
it possible to do so. These w-e owe
mainly to Tesla, to whom Westing
house supplied financial backing
when that great genius was in straits
for funds. It is interesting to note
how few of the fundamental electrical I
Inventions have been made by native J
Americans. The dynamo, for exam
ple, which lies at the root of modern
electrical practice, was invented In
Germany. But, on the other hand,
Americana have constructed electrical
machinery with an ingenuity which
astonishes the world. Westinghouse
built the first ten dynamos by which
some of the energy running to waste
at Niagara was saved for Industry,
He also built the dynamos for the ele
vated roads and for subways in New
York City. The Metropolitan street
railway of London also employed his
wonderful constructive capacity when
It installed Its electrical system.
Westlnghouse's abilities were exer
cised in many other fields besides
electricity. He was one of the pio
neers in turning natural gas to ac
count. He, in fact, devised the meth
ods by which it was conveyed through
pipes and utilized in mills, factories
and dwellings. In his nature years
Westinghouse became a great capital
ist and employer of Jabor. As the
head of numerous corporations he
controlled some $200,000,000 of
money and commanded the services
of 50,000 men. The panic of 1907
sadly disarranged his affairs and in
volved him in proceedings which
finally deprived him of the active
management of the great concerns
which he had built up. From this
blow he never recovered. From that
time his energies gradually declined
with a loss of bodily health and in
terest in life. He was not only
wrapped up in his business, but it was
truly an essential part of his being.
When circumstances compelled him
to part with the management, a large
part of the man perished.
It is interesting to remember how
many great men have died very soon
after falling from a commanding po
sition in the world. Shakespeare
makes Cardinal Wolsey live only a
little while after he had lost his
greatness. Lord Bacon's latter years,
after he had been deposed and fined
were merely a lingering death. Every
body knows with what pathetic speed
politicians who have risen to high
station sink into the grave after they
have been stripped of their power.
The history of Oregon would furnish
plenty- of examples if one wished t,o
recall them. Westinghouse w'as a
man of towering genius who utilized
it fully for the good of mankind. His
career affords one of the best in
stances' in history where great abili
ties met great opportunities with the
happiest results for the world.
It is believed by M. Duroquler, a
noted European electrical engineer,
that the crossing of wireless waves
caused the burning of the steamer
Volturno, the Cardiff mine explosion
and the destruction of the Freneh
battleship Liberte at Toulon. He
bases his belief on the fact that these
disasters occurred at points where
wireless waves between . different sta
tions cross. English experts call this
theory absurd, but we certainly do not
Tinow all that is to be found out about
wireless . energy. Explosion of a
quantity of dynamite at a distance by
an Italian and control of a motorboat
from shore by young John Hays
Hammond show that we are still dis
covering new facts about the new
force. The next Maine explosion may
be caused by a wireless expert sta
tioned on the other side of the globe.
J. P. Morgan & Co. show that they
only made $350,000 in twenty years
as financial agents of the New Haven
road and had no part in the bad bar
gains which were made by the Mellen
management. Then who did loot the
road? There is no question that it
was looted, and it is up to the Inter
state Commerce Commission to dis
cover the guilty and relieve the inno
cent of suspicion.
Now the outside world can view a
duel of Frenchmen, thanks to the
moving-picture machine, with all the
fuss and froth that accompany the
meeting of these mercurial antagon
ists. The Chicago, man who cut off a
hat feather that tickled his nose pos
sessed more nerve than the ordinary
mortal. Yet it is a good plan to
follow.
From Hojuiam comes the story of
a death struggle between a farmer
and a black bear. The black bear is
Usually about as combative as a fat
Piff-
The wife of an Iowa tippler Is dy
ing and their child is dead, as a result
of the drunken father's pranks. The
family is usually the victim.
Orchardists of Hood River County
are setting fine example In demand
ing hard surface on their county
roads.
The Albanians are again suffering
from poverty and pestilence. And yet
they don't seem to have had enough
of war!
The Alaska railroad will be com
menced without delay. That Is the
true American way of doing big
things. .
Page spoke late in the evening and
that accounts for it. After all, there
is merit in Bryan's grape juice idea.
It is fortunate that Secretary Mc-
Adoo secured that Cabinet Job before
applying for the son-in-law post.
Six years for a New York million
aire. These are getting to be harsh
days for the rich wrongdoer.
Consumption of salmon yesterday
will make noticeable increase in
brain activity ere long.
A fossil has been found in Africa
which hints at a fine race. Must be
a very, very old fossil.
Columbia highway bridge contracts
go to a local firm. Strange if Eng
land doesn't protest.
Albany people are becoming too
proud to ride in their lone streetcar
of uncertain age.
The war on the cigarette betrins
today and the juvenile smoker must
take to the brush.
A Miran Malor is susrjecterl of
having killed Benton. So Villa has
found a goat. '
If
... flnn't havA tn T"n rft n cIIItt yyio
ter
bill it will be easier to meet our
water bills.
TVio flv- is doomed in Portland.
Hard news for the coffin trust.
That I. W. W. spirit will win noth
ing; for anyone,
(VAGES AT WHAT LABORERS EARX
Mr. V'Ren Revises HI Views on Pater
nal Care of Unemployed.
OREGON CITY, Or., March 12. (To
the Editor.)--In considering possible
remedies for unemployment it is hard
to be patient with men like Mr. Rus,
who believe in sending missionaries to
the employers, while working men and
women starvo to death in Oregon. The
average employer is driven quite as
hard to keep bis business as the aver
age workman is to get a job. This is
proved by the number of employers
who fail.
My plan of public work for those
who cannot employ themselves is not
charity. The state is to get full
value in useful labor for every dollar
it pays. The Oregonian's estimate
may be right that $3 a day is the least
that should be paid any workman by
the state, but I do not think of so high
a rate. I should think $3 a day
would be'enougrh to begin with and let
the rate be raised as experience proves
that the men actually earn more than
$3 a day in building the roads. The
state certainly cannot lose anything at
that rate, because the official reports
from Iowa state their convicts earn
that amount working on the roads. The
labor of free men would, of course, be
still more effective.
Those who cannot employ themselves
must be fed. The cost now is met by
the mere generous members of the
community. Every dollar spent in
that way Is worse than lost, because it
not only brings no return, but is a sort
of charity that degrades those who re
ceive it. On the other hand, if these
men are given honorable and useful
labor, even though wages in the be
ginning are barely sufficient to supply
thtir absolute needs, there will be no
loss of self respect and their habits of
industry and self reliance will be
maintained. They will still be desira-
uia citizens.
The professional tramps and hobos,
graduates from the school of unem
ployment and from the rockpile, can
be given piece work under guards and
guaranteed bread and water. If they
earn anything more than enough to tay
iur wieir guaras ana Dread and water,
let them have it. They would soon
learn to work without guards or else
steal away to some other state where
tney could not get a job.
Neither will the wealthy men take
their property out of Oregon because
or any mneritance tax. They have
too much pleasure in getting the wealth
to leave Oregon and most of it is not
of a kind that can be taken away from
tne state. w. S. U'REN.
Mr. U'Ren dodges around a good deal
on the subject of the unemployed or
perhaps he nas a very hazy idea of
what should be done. His original pron
osition was that the state furnish em
ployment to all applicants at wages
sufficient to maintain themselves and
families in comfort and educate their
children. Today he would have them
paid what they actually earn.
We know of no definite measurement
of comfort" or of "education," and
the only way we know of to estimate
the worth of a man engaged in com
mon labor on roads is to compare the
product of his toil with that of other
common labor paid at current wages.
Perhaps Mr. U'Ren has a system of
his own to determine these matters, but
ne does not divulge it.
We are unable to understand whethe
or not he believes he has discovered
the happy figures that represent both
what a man earns and what will keep
nun in comfort and educate his chil
aren. A touch of indeflniteness is
given by his expression of willingness
that workmen be paid, in the beginnin
wages barely sufficient to supply their
absolute needs.
At an events, if only bare living
wages were offered the willing and
piece work pay with bread and water
provided the unwilling, it is doubtless
true that capital Would not be frisht
ened away from Oregon by the U'Ren
....,..,., pw.itou, ojl course, xne pro
posed inheritance tax were fixed with
view to the certain consequences. The
consequences were indicated Friday
when an employer who sought 150 men
at $1.50 a day, with a place to sleep
uirown in, enticed away only 11 of 1200
who are accepting "charity that de
grades" at the Gipsy Smith auditorium
Help for Needy.
PORTLAND, March 13 (To the Edi-
11 ........ ,-11 , - - . .
iv. .i igclso icu me lr itterft nr nnv
iBiian science practitioners in Port
land wno give rree treatment. If so,
would you kindly give me their ad
dress, as I have a little sick girl whom
nothing seems to help and I have spent
all my money? please answer in The
Oregonian. ' II C S
The Oregonian is confident that there
are Christian Science practitioners in
Portland who will give free treatment
in worthy cases.- Such kindly disposed
persons, however, do not care to adver
tise their charity. The writer may be
able to gain information suitable to his
Individual case by inquiring at the
United Reading Rooms, Wilcox build
ing. Twenty-five Years Ago
From The Oregonian of March 14, 1SS9.
London, March 13. St James' Hall
was crowded this evening with people
anxious to hear Parnell's speech. Par
nell received an ovation.
Washington, March 13. An investi
gating tour to Europe and Canada will
be made about April 1 by a board of
engineer officers, consisting of Col
onels Mendell and Craighill and Major
i-ost, wno are Investigating the best
means of overcoming the obstructions
to navigation in the Columbia River at
The Dalles and Celilo.
Salem, Marcit 13, Mrs. Elizabeth
Smith, aged 102 years 9 months and 5
days, died here this afternoon.
Walla Walla, March 13. The Rosen-feld-Smith
Company, of Portland, has
leased a brick block about to be erected
by Max Baumeister for a tobacco ware
house. Centralis, March 13. Charles John
son has disposed of his drug business
to Mr. Mead, brother-in-law of Dr.
Minkler.
Des Moines, March 13. The Farmers'
Alliance of the Northwest today re
solved on measures to fight the binder
twine combination.
At the annual meeting of Midway
School District Joseph Manning, E. A.
Webster and M. Mann were elected
directors, and William Dempsey clerk.
N. B. Crane and J. S. Purdom have
opened a real estate and insurance of
fice at 216 L street, East Portland.
The water committee has instructed
Superintendent Smith to ascertain what
valuation A. N. King places upon his
four-inch water pipeline, which .runs
from the spring on his property near
his residence down Twentieth street to
J., The cost of the line Mr. Smith esti
mates at $1000, but Mr. King said it
was paying him interest on $9000, and
therefore was worth that sum.
Charles Oliver is making a survey of
the site of the proposed reservoir in
City Park.
Philip G. Eastwick, assistant en
gineer in the office of Major T. H.
Handbury. United States Engineer, has
resigned and will go into business here
as a civil engineer, I
MORE .WATER FOR LESS MOXEY
So One Man's Meter Showed, Yet He
Thinks Meters Curtail Vse.
PORTLAND, March J3. (To the Edi
tor.) The opponents of the meter ordi
nance, reeently passed by the Council,
have seemed sedulously to avoid meet
ing the greatest objection to the flat
rate system namely, the manifest in
equality and injustice of a non-metered
sale of water. It is a well-established
rule that all patrons of a public serv
ice corporation shall receive equitable
treatment, that no customer shall be
favored over another one andthat eacn
customer shall pay in proportion as
he receives. It would appear that a
city should be no less bound to deal
justly and equitably with the con
sumers Qf water.
The flat rate system is by its very
nature unjust and inequitable. No two
families, having the same number of
plumbing fixtures and the same area
to be sprinkled, will use the same
amount of water. This unfairness has
not been combatted by the opponents
of Mr. Daly. Their sole argument
seems to be somewhat as follows: The
city has more water than the con
sumers can use, so why spend money
to put in meters? Let everybody use
all the water he desires, and then if
the city runs short, let us spend money,
not for meters to chepk the waste, but
for more relnfor.cing mains, etc., so
that we can go on wasting more. This
argument, however, fails to satisfy,
strange as it may seem, the consumer
of water who is paying for more water
than he uses, while his neighbor, per
haps, is using more water than he
pays for.
I have lived in Portland for six years
and 'have in that time occupied me
tered and non-metered houses, so I
have had considerable first-hand ex
perience with both systems. A com
parison of 1912 and 1313 will, however,
suffice to show some of the workings
of the two plans. During the year
1912 I lived in a dwelling where the
water was metered. ,The area of tho
lot was 50x100 and the amount not
covered by buildings was 8800 square
feet. The house contained bathtub,
lavatory, toilet and kitchen sink. My
bills for water for the months of June,
July, August and September were in
the total sum of $3.30.
In the year 1913 I moved into a resi
dence where water was supplied under
the flat rate plan. The lot was 50x117,
area not covered by buildings, 4410
square feet; fixtures in house same as
in former dwelling. The total bill for
June, July, August and September thi3
year was $9. Assuming- that I
sprinkled the additional 610 square
feet as much as I did the area
sprinkled in 1912, which incidentally
was not the case, and assuming that
the balance received a like amount of
water to the ground sprinkled in the
former year, and that the house con
sumption was equal for the two years,
my bill under meter would have been
$3.83, a difference of $5.17.
A meter installed costs approxi
mately $12; serveices chargeable to
meter reading and billins about 30
cents per annum. Therefore in two
and one-half years I would savo In
the difference in my bills the cost of
the meter, which I, as a taxpayer,
would have to pay. And, as the aver
age life of a meter in this city is
about 13 years, I would save in water
bills for these four months only, dur
ing the balance of the life of the
meter, practically $44.
It may, however, be argued that the
present meter rate is too low, and that
if every service connection was me
tered, paying at the present rate, the
income would be Insufficient to meet
the demands of the department. I do
not believe, from my knowledge of th
rates of other cities, that such would
be the case, due to the increase
revenue the city would receive in many
cases if the water were supplied
through a meter instead of at a flat
rate, as at present. But. granting that
this would prove to be the case, there
remains the fact that then the con
sumer would pay his just proportion
and there could be a scientific adjust
ment of the rates a thing impossible
as matters now stand.
We insist that the electric light com
panies and the gas companies install
meters, but there is far more reason
why we should insist that the city in
stall water meters. I can get aloni
without electricity if I am so minded.
I can refuse to usa gas. If I choose 1
can walk instead of using the street
cars. But I must have water anil my
very necessity should demand that my
payment for it should be fair and
equitable-a thing impossible of at
tainment under tho flat rate system.
E. E. B.
V
The foregoing argument for meters
refutes Mr. Brewster's argument for
meters. There is more about it in
another column.
Publication of Declnion.
OAK POINT, Wash., March 12. (To
the Editor.) Please advise me whether
or not it is compulsory for the courts
to give a public record in a news
paper of the disposal of any cases, or
whatever disposition is made of a case
that is on the court docket. Is there
anyway to find out what disposition
has been made of a case without in
quiring directly to the docket? In
other words, is there at some time or
another a published record of all
cases. C. A. S.
In some cases, when the judge of
the Superior Court orders property
sold, the Sheriff Is required to publish
tho fact that the property is to be
sold.
However, in Washington, there is no
law requiring a published record of
court cases. The only way to find
out would be to refer to the records
of the County Clerk and clerk of the
court, one office. It is compulsory for
the proceedings of the County Com
missioners to be published.
DO METER READERS HAVE WIXGSf
Engineer Clark Has WronK Idea of
Speed of City Employes.
PORTLAND, March 13. (To the Edi
tor.) Mr. D. D. Clark, in The Ore
gonian, defends Mr. Daly and his
meter scheme. What struck me is this.
Mr. Clark says a good meter reader
can read from 200 to S00 a day. Ye
Gods! Think of it! Less than two min
utes to pull the covering off, then wipe
the meter so you can read it, or prob
ably dig dirt and sawdust out of it.
then pull out his book and mark it
down, put the lid on and run to an
other house. Who ever saw an em
ploye of a city (except firemen) run?
I mean when on duty.
Mr. Clark may be an engineer all
right, but when it comes to reading
meters, I'm from Missouri. I watched
a man reading a meter on Nineteenth
street a short time ago. and he put In
17 minutes on one. City employes are
only human. They can't fly. Besides
they may organize a union and only
read so many a day. But. in justice,
give them more than two minutes.
ONE WHO DON'T LIKE METERS.
Oldest Paper In Cincinnati.
PORTLAND, March 13. (To the Edi
tor.) Please give the name of the old
est paper now published in Cincinnati
Ohio. SUBSCRIBER. '
Commercial Tribune.
Literature In Japan.
London Tit-Bits.
In the last year 41,620 books were
published in Japan, while Germany, the
most bookish of European nations, had
only 31,281 volumes to her credit. .
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonian of March 14. IStil.
The Albany Journel, a pew and
handsome paper, is cheerfully added to
our list of Oregon exchanges this morn
ing. It is earnestly devoted to the
welfare of the Union.
The Multnomah County Union con
vention elected Rev. T. H. Pearrte
chairman and S. A. Moreland and R. J.
Ladd. secretaries. A. M. Starr, Thomas
Frazar, J. H. Mitchell, D. Powell, H.
Failing, L. H. Wakefield, T. H. Pearne
and J. B. Congle were elected dele
gates to the state convention. Reso
lutions were adopted in favor of the
re-election of Lincoln as President.
The Clackamas County Union con
vention elected W. W. Buck, chairman.
E. T. T. Fisher, secretary and R. N.
Short, assistant secretary and the fol
lowing delegates to the state conven
tion: J. H. McMillen, H. W. Eddy, E.
T. T. Fisher, H. W. Shipley, John M.
Drake, Owen Wade, William Barow,
W. P. Burns and Nelson McConnel.
Washington. March 11. Senate bills
for the admission of Nevada and Colo
rado into the Union of states will be
considered on the 15th.
New York, March 11. A letter from
Farraguet's fleet says he intends to
silence Fort Powell so as to send the
mosquito fleet up Mobile Bay. This
will cut off Forts Morgan and Gaines.
Mobile is strongly defended.
Washington, March 11. By order of
the President, General Grant is as
signed to the command of the United
States Army. Major-General Halleek is
relieved from duty as general-in-chief
and assigned to special duty in Wash
ington as chief of staff. Major-General
Sherman Is assigned to the command
of the Division of the Mississippi and
Major-General McPherson is to com
mand the Department of the Tennes
see. General Grant is to establish his
headquarters in the field with the
armies of the Ohio and Tennessee under
his personal supervision. General W.
T. Smith was today nominated Major
General of volunteers. This is sup
posed to be preparatory to his assign
ment to the command of the Army of
the Potomac. General Grant intends
to concentrate all the western forces
in camp for smashing blows this
Spring.
A thief attempted to steal a very
fine saddle from the store of J. B.
Congle on Front street Friday even
ing. Being closely observed, he left
his booty on the street cprner and es
caped, k
Vandals demolished tha mirrors hang
ing over the bar of the Pearl saloon,
corner of First and Morrison street, at
midnight Saturday and turned the fau
cets of all the liquor casks.
The bark Iwanowna, Captain Brown,
which has been for the past three
months dashing around in her efforts
to reach Portland, arrived in tow of
the John H. Couch Saturday evenins
with 313 tons of salt consigned to
Richards Sr. McCraken.
Memoirs of
Princess Luisa
The romantic, often tempestuous,
life of the former Crown Princess
of Saxony is told first-hand by
Luisa for the first time. The
opening chapters of the memoirs
will appear in The Sunday Ore
gonian. Brady's Fight Tales.
YV A. Brady is the one man who
knows the inside story of the
fighting game of the days when
Sullivan, Corbett, Jeffries and
Fitzsirnmons were making fistic
history. His reminiscences form a
remarkable narration of absorbing
interest throughout. First install
ment Sunday.
Right From Paris.
A full page of photos showing
the latest conceits from the foun
tainhead of fashion. Three other
pages, especially for women.
Trapping Elk.
A new herd arrived a short time
ago and is now at home in the
City Park. The story of how these
animals were rounded up and
tamed is an unusual one.
Why Is a Mode?
The inner facts about the origin
of fashions. Starting a style is as
difficult as cranking up a rusty
motor. It must be turned often,
and coaxed along before it will go.
Dreams
They are the echoes of a pre
historic past, says a (j e r m a n
psychologist, who has a new and
most interesting theory about the
origin of nocturnal visions.
Pen Pointers
Another page of character read
ings, by Edith Macomber Hall,
drawn from handwriting specimens
submitted by readers of The Orer
gonian.
A Breeder of War
It is only a mild-appearing little
plant, but it has fire in its vines,
arid it really has much to do with
the present state of chaos in
Mexico.
Taming Wilhelm
They've shorn the German Em
peror of most of his power and
left him helpless. Just how this
was done is described by a Berlin
correspondent of The Oregonian.
St. Patrick's Fold
Interesting facts and figures
about the Irishman in America. An
appropriate St. Patrick's day fea
ture in colors.
The Labor Question
It is discussed by Theodore
Roosevelt in chapter 52 of his au
tobiography. "Motor Goose" Ehymes
An illustrated feature for the
children, together with a half page
of stories and pictures for the
little ones.
FICTION FEATURES
The Prince of Graustark Sec
ond installment of George Barr
MeCutcheon's story of love and
adventure.
Together A domestic comedy.
by Thomas L. Masson.
Many Other Features
Order today of your newsdealer.