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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1914)
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Postac-e Rates 12 to 16 pages, 1 cent; 18 to 2 pages, 2 cents; 34 to 48 pages, 3 cents; 0 to b pages, 4 cents; 62 to 76 pages, 5 cents; 7S to U2 pages, 6 cents. Foreign post age, double rates. Eastern Business Offices Verree & Conk lin. Mew York, Brunswick building. Chi-, cago, feteger building. San Francisco Office R. J. Bldwell Co., 142 Market street. 1POKTLAXD, THURSDAY, MAY S8, 1914. WHO IS TUB GAINJtJR? If it -was the beneficent purpose of the new tariff to benefit the ultimate consumer by permitting- him to buy Bior abroad, and to restrict th do mestic volume of trade so that we sell less abroad, the expectation has been admirably fulfilled. But we do not assume that decreased exports was to fee th policy of the new tariff, though undoubtedly increased im iports was to be. Yet since the new tariff went into effect there has been a remarkable revision of the balance of trade, wherein our producers and manufacturers sell less abroad, and our consumers buy more foreign products and manufactures. figures may not be interesting, but they are significant. Let some of our tariff-tin fc;erers who have been talk ing about the iniquities of a high tariff and the vast benefits of the low tariff to the ultimate consumer, and to the producer as well, give- us an explanation, of th following: Between October 1, 1913, and April 80, 1914, our exports decreased $113, .012,555, in comparison with the same period th previous year. In April, 1914, an export balance ef $53,890,849 was converted to an Import balance of $10,271,872, a to tal Chang of $64,162,721 against us. In March, 1914, imports increased 27,335,806 over March, 1913. In April, 1914, imports increased 926,446,263 over April, 1913. In April, 1914, exports fell $37, 444,586 over Aprrr. 1914. The relation to our welfare of these great facts as to our foreign trade and our domestic customs tariff is worth th study of the student of the jjreeent Democratic times and their causes. "We know that the American producer everywhere has lost. We li&ve had no demonstration of how much the consumer has gained. "Will any Democratic economist dare rise from his contemplation of th injurious effects of the Demo cratic tariff and maintain that the producer's loss is the consumer's gain? Or will he even say that the consumer has gained ? If he has not gained, -what has- th tariff done for him? What is the reason of the uniform coincidence of Democratic tariff re vision and business and industrial stagnation? ' I. A rOLLETTK'S GREAT CONSPIRACY. Senator La Folletjte has spread over 365 pages or the Congressional VReeord his indignation at the efforts to bring about a 5 per cent increase In freight rates. He made a speech which is entitled in the Record "Or ganized Campaign Designed to Influ ence Decision in Railroad Rate Case," which ostensibly fills that space. Six pages of approximately 17,000 words, including colloquies with other Sena tors, are filled with the. actual .speech. J other 3a9 pages are occupied by about 2,050,000 words of documen tary evidence to substantiate the Sen ator's charge. It consists of a dia gram showing how the railroads have engaged many other Interests in a "conspiracy," as Mr. La Follette calls it. to influence the Interstate Com merce Commission in favor of an ad Varrce in freight rates, and of a vast mass of documents. .These are news paper articles, magazine articles, speeches, resolutions sf trade associa tions, letters and telegrams from as sociations and Individuals to the In terstate Commission, the Presidents senators, representatives and Cabi net members. It is a library of rate Increase literature. In inducing the Senate to print this dreary, useless tome at public ex pens Mr. La Follette has done as eritvoua a wrong of its kind as that of which he accuses the railroads. Not one person in a million will read this volume or even a fraction of it. Hence th money spent on printing it is wasted. As leader of the progres sive movement Mr. La Follette is presumed to fight against abuses, among which publication of useless matter at public .expense under the "leav to print" rule is one of the greatest. He opposes what ha con eiders one wrong by perpetrating another. The Senator's entire charge of railroad conspiracy rests on the as sumption that the Interstate Commis sion is a Judicial body in as full a sens as are the courts and that no. attempts to influence it are legiti mate except sworn testimony and formal argument at open hearings. That Is not the generally accepted view of 'the Commission's position. President Wilson has refused to in terfere in the -rate case,, but he goes no farther than to say the Commis sion Is a semi-Judicial body. If it is half Judicial, what is tho other half? Judicially, it must determine the facts and apply the law to them, but being only semi-judicial, it should in terpret the law in the light of public Interest. Surely it is legitimate for public opinion to express itself as to what public interest demands. Sure ly also owners of railroads have as much right to express their opinions nd to enlist the support of others -as have any other sections of the community. The facts that some over-zealous friends of the railroads have de manded a . favorable decision on the rate advance and have threatened the Commission and the President do not justify the Senator in using such phrases as conspiracy," "monument of shame." "infamous method to con trol Judicial functions," "iniquity," "audacity," "brazen Impudence" In discussing the entire'movement. The promoters of a movement cannot be held responsible for every ill-advised word and act of an Individual in its behalf. ' Jloro than a year has passed since the Eastern roads gave notice of, the advance, yet the Commission has only recently completed its hearing. The advance was declared by the rail roads to be urgently needed. They had a right to ask for prompt hear ing and decision and to enlist the aid of others in making this request. They have rightly assumed that rail road regulation was intended to work both ways and they have used, the same means to procure advances which others have used to pro cure decreases that" is, they have sought to back up their pleas with the weight of public opinion. . What is wrong about that? THE LATEST FROM THE CITY HALL. Presumably, before Commissioner Daly is to be permitted to put in force his newest scheme for spend ing the taxpayers' money a munici pal lighting project the voters -will have an opportunity to pass upon it. To b sure, the Commissioner has sought heretofore to gS ahead in his own way to impose upon the people his unnecessary an costly policies for example, the water meter folly and he has been stopped only through the energetic and patriotic action of a group of citizens; but in this matter w assume that even Commissioner Daly would not venture far, even if the charter authorized him or the City Commission to go 'ahead and use the city's credit in so largo and Important an enterprise. A public service corporation in Portland "has expended millions in its equipment for furnishing light and power to the citizens; within a year or more another concern has entered the field as a competitor and it has invested other millions in a plant to furnish light, power and heat. A state public utilities commission has complete authority to regulate rates, even. If th present sharply competi tive condition should develop even tually into an agreement between the corporations. N If th newest enterprise of Com missioner Daly for municipal lighting is anything more than a warning to the public-service companies that they must be on their good behavior, and if th city should, under the Commissioner's persuasions, install a lighting plant for public' and presum ably for private service, th next step will be of ccurse to put th present street railways out of business by putting in a municipal railroad. BISHOP SCADDING. Bishop Scadding's career, in Ore gon has been one of incessant activ ity. With truly apostolic zeal he has traveled throughout the state attend ing to the needs of remote "and isolat ed churches, inspiring small rural congregations and upbuilding , the de nomination over which he presided. When he assumed his episcopal duties in Oregon strenuous missionary work was sadly required. His i task was no easy one. It involved long journeys by primitive conveyances as well as stern pioneer fare and many nights spent in uncomfortable quarters. But Bishop Scadding was fired with the devotion of th early Chris tians and no exertion or hardship seemed to him excessive if it pro moted the great cause to which he had consecrated his life. Under his wise and energetic supervision the Episcopal Church in Oregon grew rapidly in members and Influence. His death was untimely, but before it occurred he had the satisfaction of knowing that his work had already borne fruit and was destined to pro duce more abundantly in the years to come. Ho will be remembered by Iris as sociates as a fine example of the Christian scholar. His learning was abundant and ripe. Hi.-f literary ac tivities were astonishing when we -remember how much of his time was occupied .with traveling and routine ppiseopal duties. His book, "Dost Thou Believe?" was written for the edification of the devout and the con version of sinners. It enjoyed a wide circulation and added substantially to Bishop's Scadding's influence in the church. His tracts have exerted a positive, beneficial effect upon the life of the community. His death de prives Oregon of an active civic and religious apostle and ushers a devoted Christian to the scene of his merited reward. V - MIDDLE WEST NOT AWAKE. What - it calls "th canal subsidy controversy" is hailed by the Chicago Tribune as likely to "do more to sol idify the Middle West territory than th inequality of legislation from which it has suffered and continues to suffer." The Tribune describes other sections as united, but says the Middle West "has failed to appreciate its individuality" and that "it took th direct legislation of the canal sub sidy, appropriating taxes levied from the Middle West to the coffers of the seacoast shipping trust, thoroughly to arouse our people to th frauds that were being perpetrated upon them." The Pacific states are" said to "con sider themselves the whole ccuntry." So tolls exemption appropriates taxes levied from the Middle West to the coffers of the seacoast ship ping trust." Then whence come the taxes applied to improvement of lake navigation, construction of the "Soo" canal and improvement of the Mis sissippi river and to their mainten ance toll-free? ,. Don't these come from th whole country? But what crass ignorance of facts is shown by that whole statement of the Trib une's. Chicago has a down-grade to New Orleans whence coastwise ships will carry its products through the canal to the Pacific Coast. Improve ment of the Mississippi and connec tion of that river with Lake Michigan by means of the drainage canal would give the Middle West continuous tvater- transportation, all at National expense." What would -Chicago say if it were proposed to impose tolls on vessels using that waterway, or the Soo" canal? ' If tolls are imposed on coastwise vessels plying through the Panama Canal, Middle West traffic must pay them, and their influence will be come more perceptible as waterways are improved between the Gulf and Chicago and as the volume of traffic down the river'and through the canal gYows. The weight of the tolls will be felt by the Middle West producer who sells on the Pacific Coast and by the Middle West -consumer of Pa cific Coast products. The tolls issue does not concern the Coast states alone, for the tolls will add to cost of transportation far inland from each coast. We are on th eve of an era of water transportation in which the traffic of the Mississippi and Mis souri Rivers will be revived. The di rect benefits of th canal will then extend into the heart ' of the Middle West, and tolls will be a tax not only on the Coast states, but on almost, if not quite, every state. The reference - to exemption aa a subsidy to th seacoast shipping trust betrays ignorance of tho law. The canal law excludes ships owned by trusts and railroads from the canal entirely. They could not go through the canal if they paid tolls. Only in dependent, competing ships could benefit by exemption. Passage toll free through the canal would not be a subsidy to any trust or railroad; It would be" free use by the American people of an American waterway, just as the "Soo" canal, th improved Monongahela, Ohio, Mississippi, Mis souri and Columbia , Rivers are used toll-free. There1 is no subsidy except In th imagination of those who see a subsidy bogey hiding in every bush or who are hard-pressed for a pretext to repudiate a platform pledge. CHANGING NAMES. There is quit a rage In ' th land to change the historic names of churches. Scarcely have we recov ered from the painful effort to make "Catholics" out of our excellent Epis copal brethren than an iconoclast comes along who wants to transmo grify th Unitarians. The reports do not say wnat he would substitute for the nam that suited Channing, Mar tineau and their compeers well enough, but doubtless he, has some thing in mind. Perhaps he would like to go back- to primitive history and recall th title "Arian" from its desuetude. Th Unitarians really are Arians, and if they should ever multiply as rapidly as did their predecessors in the Roman empire we might have another bloody war to settle thej question of pre-eminenee between them and the trinitarians. Our Gothic and Teutonic ancestors were Unitarians' when first brought into the fold, so that it would only be a return to first principles if we- should all relapse to their heresy. But w do not believe that it is best to change the name "Unitarian" for '"Arian" or anything else. The Rev. Lewis G. Wilson, who advocates th reform, as he calls it, says that the old title misrepresents the "scope of th church's work." So does the name "Methodist." So do most names. Very few proper names give much indication of the real nature of the thing they stand for. They. are con venient handles by which the mind takes hold of objects. It is folly to pay too much attention to their ap propriateness and worse than folly to take th trouble to change them after they are one accepted. COINO DOWN TO THE SEA. New York is wild with excitement over the arrival of th Vaterland, the largest steamship in the world. The vessel belcj:gs to the Hamburg-American-line and. was built in Germany without the aid of a subsidy. She symbolizes th relentless energy and high ambition of tiia German people, for Whom no effort seems to be too great and no achievement impossible. The Vaterland is so large and her stability so great that she was some distance on her way before the pas' sengers knew that the voyage had be gun. ' There is no vibration; little yielding to the swell of ' the ocean and scarcely any of those perils which in other days beset the traveler by sea. Of course complete safety is impos sible either on land or sea, but it may be taken for granted that a passen ger upon the Vaterland, or any other of the great modern boats, is quite as secure from danger as ho is in his own living-room at home. Nothing but an unprecedented accident can Injure him. Comparative safety at sea was attained long ago. It is com-T fort and luxury that are now the aim and the company which constructed the Vaterland has gone to great lengths to secure them. In. the luxurious kitchens of the Vaterland there are one hundred cooks and bakers. The cooking and cleaning apparatus is manipulated by electricity and the food is prepared with the same attention to variety and delicacy as at the finest restau rants in the great capitals of v the world. The ship's fare is very differ ent from what it was in the old days when Captain Cook circumnavigated the globe and . Drake ravaged the cities of the Spanish main. There was no kitchen then even on the most pretentious vessel except th galley fire and fresh food for a voyage was out of the question. The art of pre serving meat and. fruit had not been perfected, nor was there any space on board for bulky supplies if it had been. Salt meat and hard biscuits were the regular fare J"or passengers ajrid crew, alike, and scurvy was one of the commonest experiences at sea. In accounts of the early voyages of discovery it is almost the expected thing to read that both captain and men were brought down with that terrible disease. It was the constant attendant upon voyages in the south seas and few arctic expeditions es caped its attacks. Now scurvy is al most unknown. The fresh meat and vegetables which are served to the crew and passengers of all ships have eradicated it. Space is plentiful on board the Va terland, but in the primitive days of navigation it was too precious to be allowed except for the most neces sary purposes. ' The sleeping quarters were . cramped. Social life on board was- almost impossible for lack of room in the little cabins. " On the modern vessels of which the Vater land is th latest example and the most perfect, society proceeds Just about as it does in a wealthy -an A populous city. There are conven iences for amateur play-acting. Balls proceed unhampered on the wide decks. The numerous dining-rooms gratify all sorts of epicurean tastes. If the ghosts of the old sailors who were fad on decayed meat and mouldy bread could have hovered over the Vaterland on its first voyage they would have howled with envy. The old-time traveler by sea demanded nothing more- than reasonable safe'ty. food which would appease the worst cravings of y hunger and some nook, no matter how 'dark and noisome, to sleep in, and even these moderate re quirements were not always fulfilled. Ocean traveling up to within compar atively few decades was an ordeal to be endured with resignation, not a pleasure to be desired. The modern traveler goes to sei, as he goes to a" good hotel, without any particular sense of adventure and without any expectation of hardships. Far from being satisfied with the -bare necessi ties of existence, he demands count less luxuries. Safety does not seem to have been overlooked on the Vaterland, but its builders paid as much attention to gratifying th refined tastes of the passengers as to securing them from destruction. ,- In the descriptions of the nonster vessel w are" told par enthetically that it has double walls eight feet apart to guard against dan--ger in collisions, that it is supplied with lifeboats enough to carry all its passengers should calamity, befall, andthat its course is steered with the aid of two gyroscopic compasses, but the emphasis is thrown upon the ompelian bathroom, the Ritz-Carl-ton restaurant and the sumptuous provisions for social entertainment. For" the rich who can buy whatever they want ocean traveling has be come simply a variation, and not a very marked one, in the everlasting pursuit of pleasure which engages their energies on the land. s x The gentleman who left his auto mobile at home and thought it had been stolen has probably been laughed at by all his friends. But prudence should make them moder ate in their ridicule, for every man is liable any day of his life to do some thing as absurd or more so. Absence of mind is a common frailty and those who are most absorbed in im portant duties are most subject' to it. Tho college professor who went down town with the coal scuttle on his arm thinking it was hi3 wife shows what any of us may come to. The pension appropriation pro posed for the next fiscal year is $169,150,000, a decrease of $11,150, 000. Th. decrease is due to a de crease pf nearly 40,000 jn the number of pensions. Of the 820,200 pension ers now on th rolls, 42,337. receive pensions under special laws. Since the disposition of Congress is to in crease the rate of pensions as the number of recipients diminishes, many years will pass before pensions cease' to b a burden, even if a new war does not swell the total. Superintendent Alderman, it is said by his critics, "introduces so many side issues there is little time for ac tual school work." By "actual school work" we suppose these wise-people mean filling out blank reports mark ing useless examination papers and kowtowing to th boss of the moment. Some persons, not less wise than the critics, believe that domestic science, nature study and moral -training are more properly included :.in "actual school work" than some of the stale old grinds. - - The people of Dayton should feel thankful that nobody was crossing their ancient wooden bridge when it collapsed. No doubt Its fall has been accelerated by speeding cars, as they suppose. An automobile strikes a bridge wjth a rending force1 that in creases in proportion to its velocity, unless the approach is perfectly de vised. Of course Dayton will now have a new bridge which will natur ally be made firm enough to with stand all assaults. It seems that the law makes it a misdemeanor to' publish "certain ad vertisements" in Oregon. Neverthe less papfxs containing such advertise ments are sold freely at news stands. The penalty is, a fine ranging -from $100 to $1000. Why is th law not enforced? There can be no possible difficulty in proving the offense. But there may be some difficulty in over coming official inertia. We fear the Colonel has lost some of his snap and ginger. Otherwise he would not be wasting his time consulting various Pro gressive gentlemen about the political situ ation. In the old days when the Colonel wanted to know anything about politics he told himself. New York World. We shall see when h makes a speech on the canal and the apology to Colombia whether he has lost any snap. Norway, having secured ' separation from Sweden, now talks of a Scandi navian alliance with that country and Denmark' for defense against Russia. There are only about 10,500,000 peo ple in the three countries, but they are good, sturdy fighters, and, if Rus sia were to attack them, she would at least know she had been in a war. There still will be opportunity to put Mr. Mellen into a revised edition of the "Book of Martyrs." New York World. A revised edition of J. Rufus Wal lingford would seem to be the place for the late J. P. Morgan. Salvador reports indicate that 10, 000 natives want to Join Mexico in fighting the United States. What powerful stuff the popular drink in Salvador must be. Ten thousand Salvadoreans would help Mexico in war" with the United States and that, is the exact number of casualties in that crowd when the war shall be over. Chicago employers do. not want office- girls with slit skirts and fussy curls, it is announced. Employers" wives must have organized. Why don't the London courts put th raving suffragettes in a cage, as the Italian courts put the Camorrists when they were on trial? W are willing to admit that Teddy discovered that river. But has he discovered that his Bull Moose jdea is a frost? Pots of boiling water are to be used in London against suffragette attacks. Looks like the militants are in for a warm time. Americans outnumber all others in Canadian immigration just now. The "mover" is a restless person, but he will return. But suppose the Mexican envoys do agree to anything and everything, will the basic troubles of Mexico be altered ? '. Th Government will take a cen sus of the seals in Alaska. Why not, also, of the mosquitoes in New Jersey? John D. is rated in Ohio at $311, 226.367. However few will find it in their hearts to envy poor John. -Republican nominees for office should corrinrence . making arrange ments to take their posts."""" " Rumor: A man seen near St. Johns late last night running north is believed to be Huerta. An American horse won the Derby yesterday and be was not bred in old Kentucky either. What fun Carrie Nation missed by dying before the suffragettes went on the warpath. With, rosebeds and lawns thorough ly watered, the' sun's back on th job. V - Pity th poor Easterner .sweltering in the withering sun - Huerta wants to retire with nlty and a sack. - , dig- Stars and Starmakers BY LEONE CASS BAES, The authorities just must not begin to charge 1 25 for license to. carry a gun. That will make it so expensive that it's likely to become a fad with actors and actresses. e Nat Goodwin, of whom it is next to impossible to write without making some reference to his habit of marry ing. Is coming to Portland this Summer In "Never Say Die." This is the farce comedy in which Willie Collier failed dismally. Mr. Goodwin's current wife, Marjorie Moreland. is his leading wom an also. " . Interest is great in the early presen tation' at the Hellig of "Omar, the Tentmaker," Richard Walton Tully's spectacle-drama based on the life of the great Persian poet. Those who have seen "Omar, the Tentmaker," declare that, it is the most lavish production that the American stage has known, not even excepting "Kismet." Otis Skin ner brought "Kismet" here last season. Schumann-Heink says" that she has traveled a mlllionjmiles since she start ed to sing. That's a long ways to car ry a heavy voice like hers. v ' - Schumann-Heink is being divorced by Herr Rapp and I haven't seen one par agraph about her not giving a"rap. I William Faversham ' has sailed for Europe to join his wife, Julie Opp, who Is said to be ill with tuberculosis in Switzerland, where she is under the care of specialists. He" has snceled his engagements of the season, includ ing his appearance in the film produc tion of "The Social Highwayman." Later on he and Mrs. Faversham will return to this country. He has ac quired a Paris success for the Fall, which he will produce under the name of "The Hawk" and will have for his leading woman Gabrielle Dorziat, who is playing in the French production. " Adele Blood is in stock in Toronto. . You can twist it around and read It: "Marry at leisure and repent in haste." i . Mrs. Gertrude Atherton says that her dramatic ambitions are not very ar dent, although she has a one-act play that Nance O'Neill is going to produce in the Autumn. It is entitled "The Hurricane,"' and the scene is on the Island of Nevis, West Indies, in a great storm. The characters are the mother, father and grandmother of Alexander Hamilton, whose life Mrs. Atherton wrote under the title of "The Conqueror." In August Stolces is bring ing out her new novel, called "Perch of the Devil," and it is said that she may dramatize it for Margaret Illington. The Dramatic Mirror is authority for the announcement of the engagement of Laura Hamilton and Harold Ath- eridge, who are to be wed when the tour of the "Passing Show of 191S" ends in a few weeks. Miss Hamilton is with the company doing burlesque of Elsie Janls, Julia Sanderson and Buster Collier. Mr. Atheridge . is an author of musical comedies, one of which "The Honeymoon Express," we saw lately. "The Passing Show" shows all next week alt the Hellig. fm " On May 16 George .Alison concluded a five years' engagement as leading man of the Crescent Stock Theater in Brooklyn. An ad in the Dramatic Mir ror says he Is "at liberty," which means open .for engagements. r Henry Hall, remembered in Portland for stock work and in "The Man From Home," is heading a stock company in Hamilton, Ontario. , . A story from Spokane says that Don ald MacDonald, who recently staged the second annual University Club musical melange, "Tango Town," in Spokane, and Mas. B. Creighton Targey, wife of a Butte millionaire, have combined forces and expect to appear in vaude ville on th Orpheum time. Negotiations between the principals and the Orphe um officials are reported to be about completed. They probably wijl make their debut in Seattle. When Bessie Barriscale opens her season at the Alcazar Theater in San Francisco, following the Mack-Ram-beau engagement,, her leading man will be Thurston Hall, who comes back to San Francisco with a long record of big successes in the East to his credit Hall will be readily recalled as one of the leading men at the Bakar. George Nash, who will be remem bered as the original prosecuting at torney In "The Witching Hour," and who played the leading role in "The Harvest Moon" two years ago, has been engaged by Cohan & Harris for the role of Doc Madison in "The' Miracle Man." which George M. Cohan is dramatizing from the Fraiik L. Packard book. Oliver Morosco is working out an original scheme at his theater in Los Angeles in the production of a play in which moving pictures will be shown between the scenes of the acted drama. These pictures, will help to develop the story of the play outside of the regu lar scene, and so keep the spectators interested and the , story's value en hanced. no risk: from the - WIRELESS Investigations Fall to lSbow Danger of Igniting" JUsgrlns of Ships. Wireless World. ' In April, 1913. at the instance ofa Arm of shipowners, the Marconi com pany carried out exhaustive experi ments with the view of ascertaining whether there was any actual danger in the presence on board oil ships of sparks arising out of the use of the wireless plant- A quantity of naphtha was placed in a saucer -and lodged as near as possible to a heavy spark, and a piece of waste saturated with naphtha was placed close to the spark electrodes.v but in neither case was the vapor ignited by the spark. A sim ilar test was applied to the small sparks which obtain at minor parts of- the apparatus, but it was not until a continuous spark was allowed for a very long period that the naphtha was eventually ignited. The tests, which were all the more important as naphtha is one of the most inflammable cargoes, carried, convinced the officials who carried them out the superintending .engi neer of the shipping company and a representative of the Marconi Com panythat fumes of naphtha would never be sufficiently dense inside the wireless cabin to permit of -ignition. Outside the rigging this woiiUi be even more obvious. ( Joining the Mission Band. Dallas (Texas) News. "I can't stay long." said the chair man of the committee from the colored church. "I just come to see ef yo' wouldn't Join de mission band." "Fo" de lan' sakes honey." "was the reply, "(loan- come to me! I can't even play a mouf-organ.' s SHIPPING LAW MIST BE CHANGED Otherwise Grief Awaits Oregon, Wish. - Ington and California. ' OMAHA. Neb, May 24. (To the Ed itor.) la 1315 San Francisco will throw open to the world the most beautiful exposition city ever built by any city or country. At the . same time San Diego will offer to visitors a rare treat in an unique exposition. - San Francisco being the chosen city for an exposition, commemorating the opening of the Panama Canal, the loyal cittns came forward in a true patri otic spirit and raised a fabulous sum of money. Insuring the best yet produced. Underlying this patriotic spirit of the Californlans Is the hope and belief that an introduction of the millions of visit ors to the wonderful Pacific Coast country means greater population and development. To me there exists a tremendous handicap which the Pacific Coast peo ple seem to disregard. It is the anti quated shipping laws of our country. I cannot warn you too forcibly against drifting along under these laws. Un- -less they are repealed and laws enacted enabling the purchase or charter of ships in any part of the world, just so sure are you going to lose the hoped for benefit from the opening of the Panama Canal, which benefit will be dropped Into the lap of British Colum bia with its great wealth of fine tim ber, soil and climate unsurpassed for making more than happy a vast popu lation. ' The laws of British Columbia are so much more favorable to the lumber in terest than the laws of this country that this difference alone would more than offset ' a free tolls subsidy so strongly fought for by some of your representatives in Congress. The Cana dian Government is wise to its advan tage and since the building of the canal became an assured fact, it has oeen working with its railway con struction and terminal improvements, getting good and ready, for the benefit the Panama Canal is sure to confer upon that country. The millman of British Columbia can ship their lumber to any port of this country (being a toreign country there is no law to pre vent), hence I predict that in very few years, unless our shipping laws are re pealed, British Columbia will control the Pacific Coast lumber business with the North Atlantic seaboard, and their rich country will be developed by leaps and bounds through the advantage con ferred upon them by the handicap of our shipping laws. We must not be blind to the busi ness commercial evolution that has for so many years been going on through out the world, beginning with the lay ing of the Atlantic cable, the change from the old' type of seacraft to the modern steel steamships, the Suez Ca nal all these aroused a new energy throughout Europe- and this country, eventually reaching all the countries of the world. This evolution has changed all the old methods to such a degree that with the opening of the Panama Canal and Pacific Coast states Sot this country under existing shipping taws wui sutler untold loss in develop ment and manufacture. The very con ditions bo hoped for will go to your neighbors north of the line on Puget Sound. As an illustration, from my personal knowledge and experience of tho com mercial evolution during a period of over SO years in New York City: My business was with Mediterranean and other Eastern products, and consisted of oranges and' lemons from Sicily, rais ins, almonds and Almeria grapes from Spain, figs from Turkey and prunes from Bosnia and Servla, walnuts and prunes from France, as well as many other products. To make a long story short I - was wise enough to hedge when I saw the magnitude of develop ment of fruit Interests in California,' Oregon and Washington. The evolution in the production of these products be rami: complete that for three years before l retired from business (In 190K) I shipped many tons of your Pacific Coast prunes to Europe. Evolution has placed the American shipping laws beyond the pale in fact, a menace to the commercial advance ment of our country. The sooner these laws are repealed and laws enacted placing the country on an equal fopting with the shipping of the world, the better it will be for this entire coun try, and undoubtedly your salvation on the Pacific Coast, if you are to have the great benefit due you from the opening of the Panama Canal. JAMES C. CHADWICK. Examination ef Fnpils. HOOD RIVER, Or., May 26. (To the Editor.) Do the teachers of the Port land schools go to private homes to give examinations in case of illness or was such a- case ever heard of in Port land? AN OREGONIAN. No such instance is on record or re membered in Portland. However, a pu pil does not necessarily -suffer because he or she does not take an examination. In Portland the general work of the schoolroom counts 70 per cent and the examinations SO per cent. In case the child is not able to take the examina tions he fails or passes on the record of his general work. Examinations have never been sent out from the of fices. In some' eases children have been passed without examinations sim tly on the recommendation of the teachers as to the character of the work done. A DAY IJT MAV. How wide, how limitless the beauty of this day! Beyond a languid haze are hills, a quiet blue; An Indistinct horizon fading far away. And close-by rolling hills of startling 'verdure, too, - With pine trees, neatly tapered, . fresh and tall. And flowers, new to life, bold-colored all What calmness, what a joy abounds in May! A soft breeze moves my hair, the wild grass lightly sways: A bird high up drifts effortless upon the air,' With listless, dreaming eyes I view' with glad amaze The satisfying, perfect beauty every where. . Midst, all this May-month vastness downward wings - The bird toward me and jubilantly sings. The sunlight through the wavering tree-leaves plays. By Milton A. Stoddard. IV MODEST mien. (With, no apology to Tennyson or any body else.) , Honor and deathless fame, I little care for thee. I flo not seek the semblance of a name No tin horn toot for me: But such a blast as Gabriel will blow Shall cause the earth to stand. When I have demonstrated what I know . A whole brass band! Sobbing nor gurgling sniff. Nor yet a trickling tear - I would not have a humid handkerchief Around- my bier; But such a deluge as shall swamp the town lit aftermath of mud. And turn the thoughts of angels, look ing down X To Noah's flood! Schoolmaster. Twenty-Five Years Ago From The Oregonian of May 2S, 1SS4. Washlngrton. May 37. The President this evening made the following ap pointments: Robert S. Anderson, of Baker City, to be commissioner for the district of Alaska, to reside at Ouna latska; to be register of the land office at Oregon City, John Apperson, of Ore gon City. Montesano. W. T.. May 24. Last night the City Couneil closed a contract with Converse, agent of Westlnghouse Electric Company, for an electric light plant and also granted a charter for a street railway. Salem. May 27. David Mulkey, re siding half way between Stayton and Mehama on the Santiam River, died yesterday, aged about 70 years. He came to Oregon in 184". New York, May 27. The Young Men s Democratic Club of this city extended a banquet to ex-President Cleveland this evening. At the meeting of the East Portland City Council last evening. President Merrick in the chair, an ordinance for a new street railway to be built by the Oregon Water and Street Railway Company was introduced. .The lines are to run through Holladay's Addition. The steamer S. G. Reed will convey tho East Portland Baptist Sunday school to Multnomah Falls and Cas cades next Saturday. Mayor De Lashmutt returned from his visit to Washington Saturday. Mayor W'heeler. of East Portland, is much improved in health. His'partner. Mr. Forbes, went over yesterday to take him out driving. J. F. Halloran, editor and proprietor of the Astorian. paid Portland a visit yesterday. The Marine Band has engaged C A Jones, a leader of many years' experi ence in the East, and the membership has been increased. . Charles E. Wiberg. eldest son of C. A. WlberfcS died at Elgin on Sunday. Mr. Smith ("Okanogan Smith") the pioneer settler and prospector of the Osoyoos country, is in the city. William Reid has had built for the Portland & Willamette Valley Railway two passenger coaches of rather pecu liar construction. They are divided into compartments crosswise a"hd each has seven doors on each side and a step or footboard running the whole length of the car. County Clerk E. H. Wheeler is re ported as having considerably Improved in health. The Fourth of July committee met last evening. F. R. Mellis in the chair. A committee from the Alpine Club rep resented by W. (. Steel offered to illuminate Mount Hood and Mount St.' Helens simultaneously with Mount Rai nier. Peter Jackson, the colored heavy weight champion, accompanied by Tom Lees. ex-Australlan champion, and Sani t Itzpatrlck, another noted pugilist, ar rived from San Francisco yesterday. Popular Vote In lo. ASTORIA, Or., May 26. (To the Ed itor.) Kindly publish (1) the entire popular vote cast for President in 1860: (2) also the entire cost of the Civil War to the North and South combined. DeWITT GILBERT. (1) 6.676.SS3. '(2) The estimated cost of the Fed--eral Government nnt .i , . ; sions, is $3,400,000,000. The cost to " oouin cannot De accurately esti mated, as Confederate currency with which men were paid and supplies purchased, dropped in gold value from 90 cents In 1861 to 6 cents in 1863 and finally became worthless. Confederate bonds had about the same relativo values after specie in Southern banks had been exhausted by the purchase of initial issues. Workmen's Compensation Urn, CLATSICAXIE, Or., May 26 (Ho the Editor.) What states have passed tho "workmen's compensation act?" s MABEL COLVIN. On January 1 workmen's compensa tion laws were in force in Arizona, Cali fornia, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kan sas. Indiana, Massachusetts. Michigan, Minnesota, .Nebraska. Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio. Oregon. Rhode Island. Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wis consin. An Armored Vessel 'of 1530. Les Nouvelles, Paris. Armored vessels of war had an earlier origin than is generally sup posed. The Knights of, St. John of Jerusalem built in 1530 a -war galley, the Santa Anna, which was protected with a cuirass of lead, to its great advantage in sea fights. The Santa Anna had another modern feature; a contemporary chronicler narrates with pleased astonishment that the vessel carried a bakery, which permitted the crew to enjoy the luxury of fresh bread. ' How to Register. t PORTLAND, May 27. (To the Ed itor.) The foreign-born wife of a nat uralized citizen wishes to register so as to vote at the coming election. What are the necessary steps to take? REPUBLICAN. Th foreign-born wife of a natural ized citizen can register by showing her husband's naturalization papers to the' registration clerk. Where to Meet Progressives:. PORTLAND, May 57. Am an ardent Progressive, but a stronger In the city. Would like to get in touch with Pro gressives. Is there a club in Portland. -and to whom should I apply for mem bership? KHAYYAM. Roosevelt Progressive Club, 410 Henry building. lialf-Cloaed Kyen. Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Pastor's Wife What peculiar eyes young Ashley has. They always seem half-closed. The PaBtor Yes, ho has me guessing. I'm inclined to think he sleeps all through my sermons but I can't catchs him at it. ' The Closing Days bf School v in -college., high school and lower grades will soon be here. It Is-" a season when all school folks want to lookthelrbest a season of ora tions and parties and gift giving and good clothes. The red letter event of the entire school year. Students and parents will find the merchants of Portland glad to co operate with them in preparing for the great occasion. Keep in con stant touch with the advertising columns of the newspapers for sug gestions in wearing apparel and hints for gifts. Stocks are complete now and the range ef choice great er than it will be later on. I