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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (June 4, 1914)
s THE MORNING OREGOXTAN, THURSDAY. JUNE 4, 1914. PORTLAND, OKEGOX. Entered at Portland, Oregon, Postofflce aa Second-class matter. Gubscription Rales Invariably In Advanoa. (BY MAID Pally, Sunday Included, one year 5'S? Dally, Sumlay Included, six months . .... f? Daily, Sunday Included, three months ... .o laily. Sunday Included, one montn . .... Dally, without Sunday, one year ....... -rz Daily, without Sunday, six months Daily, without Sunday, three months .. Daily, without Sunday, one month Weekly, one year Sunday, one year J?? bunday and Weekly, one year BY CAKK1ER) Dally, Sunday included, one year 9'?? Daily, Sunday Included, one month How to Remit Send postofflce money or der, express oraer or personal check on your lucal bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender's risk. (Jive poatoffice address in lull. Including county and state. i'ohtaKe Kates 12 to lo pases. 1 cent; 18 to Z2 pases, 2 cents; 34 to 4s pages, 8 cents; 60 to 60 pages, 4 cents; 62 to 78 pages. 5 cents; 78 to U2 sages, o cents. Foreign post age, double rates. Eastern Business Offices Verres ConK lin. New York, Brunswick building. Chi cago, steger building. San Francisco Office R. J. Bid well Co., 742 Market street. PORTLAND, THURSDAY, JUNE 4. 1914. HOME BCLE THAT IS HOME BX'I-K. It. was once true in Oregon, in ac cordance with an early decision of the Supreme Court, that "when the state, city and Federal Government had each enacted a statute prohibit ing a certain offense a person, by one act might commit three crimes. For example, If one chose the Postoffice steps as the location for an assault the offense was against the Govern ment, the state and the -city. It appears, however, that, each In corporated city Is now set up, by vir tue of the home rule amendment to the constitution, as an individual principality so far as laws of purely municipal character may be con cerned. This status has been brought to forcible notice by the decision of the Supreme Court holding that the Oregon motor vehicle law is unconsti tutional In so far as It applies to Portland. The city has power to regulate vehicle traffic conferred upon it by Its charter. It has exercised that power. In the damage case In which the decision was given. Judge McGinn In the Circuit Court held In effect that the city ordinance was of no force and that the state law prevailed. The Supreme Court decides that the state law has no force In Portland, but that the city ordinance controls. But the case has a broader signifi cance than the mere matters of regu lating the speed or fixing traffic routes of automobiles. The Supreme Court in rendering Its decision has this to say about the home rule amendment: In adding this constitutional mandate there was no design to emancipate any city from general legislation by the Legislative Assembly affecting the body of the people of the state In those matters Involving wholly state-wide policies and activities or to prevent appropriate action by the law makers upon any of the topics regarding which the constitution sanctions legislation, but only in respect to those phases of purely municipal government properly regulated by charters and embracing matters of in ternal municipal regulation. Again: The electors of municipalities are, subject to the constitution and criminal laws and such general laws aa may be enacted by the Legislature affecting the relation of the state to the locality, made the legislative assembly to enact the laws germane to the general purpose and object of the munici pality, free from legislative molestation, which autonomy In a sense constitutes a sovereign city. Subject at all times, how ever, to the supreme will of the state re served by the people of the state through the Initiative and referendum provisions of the fundamental law. The decision makes possible a wide range of speculation as to what con stitutes "matters wholly Involving state-wide policies and activities," and what policies and activities may therefore be regulated within a city by the Legislature. The constitution puts criminal laws In the class sub ject to legislative regulation and the Supreme Court has heretofore held that the local option act Is a criminal law and therefore extends to Incor porated cities. But the motor vehicle law Is in a sense a criminal law, for It defines certain offenses and fixes penalties. If a certain rate of speed Is dan gerous to life on a country road It Is certainly dangerous to life In a crowd ed city thoroughfare. Yet It appears that a city may permit vehicles to operate -at an excessive rate of speed within its limits regardless of what restrictions the state law may name. If the city has exclusive power to regulate vehicle traffic, why has It not the same power In regard to gambling? It la equally destructive to morals in city or country. Gam bling la declared a misdemeanor by both state law and municipal ordi nance. Does the state law apply to Portland? If not, the Sheriff has no power to make raids on gamhling houses In Portland. The police only may do so. The same question may be applied to numerous other statutes. Under a Btate law a minimum wage for cer tain female employes has been fixed to apply to Portland alone. Certain factors Incident to life in a metropo lis entered Into the fixing of the wage. Just as certain city conditions are considered In regulating automobile traffic in Portland. If the state has no authority to Interfere in the latter, why has It the power to interfere in the former? The last Legislature attempted by law to divest the City of Portland of control over bridges across the Wil lamette River within its borders and make the county the ruling author lty. Was this a regulation of state' wide policies or of city Internal affairs? It may also be inquired whether. If the State Legislature may not amend a city charter by depriving the city of certain powers asserted therein, it may amend the charter so that the city has more power than its charter gives. The last Legislature extended to cities of more than 10,000 lnhabi tants which had noUalready asserted that power In their charters, the right to acquire parks and public squares. Jt also conferred upon them power to acquire power plants and railroads and buy and own land for power pur poses outside city limits.. In neither case, it seems to us, the matters in volved regard state-wide policies or activities. There are numerous other laws that might be mentioned where the divid ing line between municipal and state authority must be finely drawn. It therefore may at least be said that the court has given the lawyers something to study over. One of the great Democrats retired from public life when Judge George Gray resigned from the United States Circuit Court bench. He has served the Nation repeatedly as a member of commissions to arbitrate disputes with other nations and is a member of The Hague court, but the service which will be freshest in the public memory was that which, he rendered as chairman of the commission which settled the anthracite strike. Judge Gray was not so vociferous about peace as some men, but he has ac complished . more for peace, both In ternational and Industrial, than hosts of them. He might have been nomi nated for President had he come from a larger state than Delaware, or for Vice-President in 1908 had he been willing to take second place to the Chautauquan. He strengthened his reputation by declining and is honored with ex-Secretary Olney as one of the great living Democrats. THE PROBLEM OF REVENGE. The Psalmist's lament that the wicked "spread themselves like the green bay tree" was never better ex emplified than In the case of the vengeful Mrs. Cook. Not so very long ago this woman was a humble cham bermaid in a Sacramento hotel. To day she is the blooming and beaute ous bride of a millionaire. In the days of her poverty Mrs. Cook was persecuted by the haughty house keeper of the hotel where she toiled and moiled. When she left she cursed her cruel superior, and, like Cataline, threatened to return bringing furies with her hot from Tartarus. The furies took concrete form In the millionaire whom Bhe presently married. With funds plucked from his capacious purse Mrs. Cook bought the scene of her former tribulations and forthwith discharged the house keeper, thus bringing her own curse to pass, a luxury which is seldom al lowed to miserable man. It Is a puz zling question why it is ever allowed him. Why should the Providence who rules the world i and forbids whatever he does not like permit one human being to wreak Inexorable vengeance upon another? Mrs. Cook has her millions, but what will the discharged housekeeper do for a living? BEWARE OF THE SIGNATURE-CHASER. The sponsors for the initiative and referendum bill in Massachusetts are trying to make the way easy for signature-chasers. An amendment has been proposed for certification of sig natures that every person who signs should be Identified by the city or town clerk and the signature made in the presence of that officer. Joseph Walker said to the committee: "You might as well kill the bill at once as to Insert an amendment like that." The Springfield Republican, however, says : It seems a monumental absurdity that objection to the proper certification of sig natures to an initiative petition should arise; and we say this after having re peatedly declared that If the people of Massachusetts want the initiative and ref erendum to supplement the established law making process, they should nave it. The signatures should be real signatures. Each signature should stand for the sincere and active desire of an individual voter. If the voter does not care enough for a new aw or a proposed constitutional amendment to go as far as the City or iTown Clerk's office to sign his name, under suitable auspices, his desire for the legislation may fairly be reckoned negligible. If the polling booths were carted around on wheels to the houses or shops of the voters on elec tion day. In order that voting might be made easy to the lazy and indifferent under a democratic form of government, people would conclude that the end of democracy was in sight. Something very like the por table polling booth, in principle, la that familiar scene in which a paid signature hunter fastens upon his easy-going, good natured, indifferent-minded victim. How some people sign petitions is well known. Yes, we in Oregon know only too well how some people sign petitions. We know it to our cost. The free and easy method of initiating and refer ending bills has so cumbered up our ballots v.-Jth all the freak Ideas of ill-balanced minds that it Is impos sible for the majority of voters to form a judgment on all of them. Half of the voters in disgust refuse to go to the polls and of the half who do go many refuse to vote on these ques tions. Of those who do vote an in creasing number vote "no" to be on the safe side. This last fact encour ages the hope that a way will soon be found to eliminate the signature- chaser and to make the initiative and referendum in fact what the constitu tion declares them to be reserved powers of the people. A PREHISTORIC SKELETON. A ' German geologist. Dr. Hans Reck, has brought back with him from Africa the skeleton of a human being which he estimates to be 160,- 000 years old. It must have been contemporaneous with the glacial period in Europe. Africa at that time was Inhabitable, and from the evi dence which Dr. Hans Reck has dis covered we may reasonably believe that human beings dwelt there. Mam moth teeth were found burled with the human skeleton, some of which were ten feet long. The remains were disinterred from a deposit which has been made in an ancient lake bed. Sand and chalk gradually covered the bones after they had been finally left at rest and In course of time the strata solidified, forming the rock in which the exca vations were made by Dr. Reck. The age of 150,000 years which he assigns to the fossils is not excessive. Scien tific Investigators estimate the dura tion of human existence upon the globe at anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 years. Dr. Reek's figures lie between the extremes and are there fore probable enough. The skeleton discovered by Dr. Reck is doubly interesting because of its high development. The skull is at least as well formed as that of a mod em negro and In some respects prob ably better. The fact of the case Is that the human race as a whole has not made any marked progress physi cally since the ice period. Mentally we have advanced, but not in our bodily capacities. The skull has about the same shape and size now as it had then and the same is true of the lung cavity and the limbs. As a material machine the human animal has not become more efficient or beautiful in the last hundred thousand years. There Is a theory that man's men tal development, which of course can not be denied, has taken place only In a restricted area. The only nations which have actually progressed very far are those which have Inhabited the Mediterranean basin. Most oth ers have become dormant after ascending to a certain moderate height. This is true of the Hindus, the Chinese, the Japanese, and em phatically true of the African negroes and the Polynesian races. Some of these races are capable of renewed advancement upon' contact with the really progressive peoples and some are not. The Japanese went off like firecrackers as soon as they felt the influence of Europe and they have continued to detonate ever since, but they are an exception. The Chinese have gained Inspiration more slowly and to a less degree. It is still a question whether they will not re lapse into their old stagnation and lose everything they seem to have gained from the Western world. As for the Polynesians, they never have shown any capacity whatever for de velopment. Some of them die off when they associate with the whites. Others do fairly well physically, but are mere animals In other respects. Human history presents us with many cases of arrested development. but only a single one of continuous and irrepressible progress. The only story of mankind that is really worth telling relates to the peoples around the Mediterranean and their colonies. OUR BHEEri.IKE HABITS. William Archer, the British dra matic critic, who has been visiting the United States, explained in an ad dress not a great while ago why we have no worthy National drama. All that he said about it might be summed up in the expression that, we are too much like sheep. Let the bell wether start off in any direction and the whole flock follow pell mell until something scares or distracts them. Then they take a plunge along some other path following a new leader. As far as our plays go this National habit is obvious. Somebody writes a piece for the stage which happens to hit the popular fancy. It may dis cuss a question of politics or the plot may turn upon adventures In the un derworld. No matter what the play Is about, as soon as its success is as sured all the rest of our aspiring writers for the theater set about imi tating it. A shining- example of this tendency is seen in the history of Mr. Cohan's play, "Sevn Keys to Baldpate." It pleased the public and forthwith "The Misleading Lady," Too Many Cooks" and "A Pair of Sixes" were written in frank Imita tion of It. This is what continually happens. The public will not permit a young playwright to follow his own honest bent, but compels him at the cost of his popularity to follow the fashion of the moment. The effect of all this upon original ity is only too apparent. Instead of a body of writers each engaged in developing his own genius, we have some scores of men all imitating either their own early successes or some body else's. Mr. Archer might have said very much the same thing about our fiction. It goes by fads and fash Ions. Now we have a "school" of his torical novel writers all trying to do over again what Mary Johnston . or Anthony Hope has done extraordinar ily well. Now we have the whole mad crowd exploiting the slums, and when that rage is out they rush with one accord upon the plains after the cow boys. Only here and there do we find a novelist who Is calmly pursuing his own bent without regard to the wis dom or folly of hi3 contemporaries. REPEALERS LOSING GROUND. The Administration Is losing ground on the canal tolls bills. That is the conclusion to be drawn from the de cision of the Senate foreign relations committee to report a resolution di recting the President to negotiate with Great Britain for special arbitra tion of the tolls dispute. All of those who voted for the resolution are committed to repeal of coastwise ex emption, while those who voted against it are divided on that ques tion. The Inference from what has gone before is that the amendment originated among the repeal Repub licans, who have found themselves very much on the defensive and who are seeking a soft, place to alight. Of the eight who voted for the amend ment five are Republicans, Including Senators Root and Lodge. Ever since the bill reached the Sen ate providing unqualifiedly for repeal. its supporters in both parties have been seeking some way to pass It without Justifying the charge that they are surrendering American treaty rights on demand of Great Britain. An amendment was tacked on by Senator Simmons providing that the bill should not be construed "as waiving, Impairing or affecting any treaty or other right possessed by the United States." The adoption of that amendment would leave the way open for negotiation or arbitration at any future time. A week ago, however, a group of Republican repealers com bined in support of another amend ment, which reads: -That thm nassas-a of this act shall not bo construed as a surrender of the right claimed by mo unitea autiei uovernmeiu to regulate the traffic passing through the Panama Canal by giving to vessels engaged in the coastwise traffic of the United States and other vessels of the United States and Its citizens either partial or total exemp tion from the payment of tolls when pass ing through said canal. This, it will be seen. Is a more spe cific assertion of American right to exempt from tolls either our coast wise or other American vessels. Its advocates were prepared to force its adoption by a threat to vote against repeal. If it were "adopted, they pro posed to offer a further amendment declaring that: The protest filed with the Government of the United States by the government of Great Britain against such a construction of thn treatv of November IS. 1901. between said governments, commonly known as the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, is hereby recog nized as presenting an International ques tion suitable and proper for settlement by arbitration. Apparently the supporters of this amendment could not muster enough Democratic votes to carry it through committee, probably because it only stated an abstract proposition. -But the votes of the repeal Republicans are absolutely necessary to pass the bill, so they appear to have agreed with some of the repeal Democrats orf the amendment directing President Wilson to open' negotiations for arbi tration. This amendment appears to leave in suspense the question whether we have the right to exempt any of our ships until the dispute has been arbitrated. It thus enables Mr. Root, Mr. Lodge and the few Repub licans who think with them to slide from under the charge of surrender to England. Mr. Root has recommended arbi tration before The Hague tribunal, asserting that' canal tolls do not af fect any nation's vital Interests, honor or Independence, and that, therefore. the dispute Is arbitrable under our treaty with Great Britain, but Senator Galllnger pointed out that questions which concern the interests of -third parties are not arbitrable. The re pealers contend that ships of every other nation as well as Great Britain must be admitted to the canal on the same terms as those of the United States, hence interests of third par ties are concerned. . The President has said that all the world believes we are wrong; then all the nations represented at The Hague must be prejudiced against us. Dr. Galllnger reminded the Senate that at least two members of the court who would rep resent the United. States have de clared their opposition to coastwise exemption; hence they are disquali fied. The only way to arbitrate, then. Is to make a special treaty submitting the dispute to a disinterested civilized nation. Thefe is only one such na tion Switzerland. But President Wilson and Secre tary Bryan have disqualified them selves to uphold the American posi tion as to tolls, for they have both declared It to be a violation of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty. They would be In the same position as an attor ney defending an accused person, who should go Into court and announce his belief In his client's guilt. The question should be submitted to ar bitration, but not by Mr. Wilson, for he could not defend our rights with out being confronted by his own ut terances as refuting his own argu ments. The arbitration amendment first proposed by the Republicans is preferable to the one adopted by the committee. Dr. Steinmetz, the famous electri cian, predicts the Bpeedy production of an automobile .cheap enough to be bought by the masses. Motoring will then, he thinks, cease to be an aris tocratic sport and will become part of the routine of business, like bi cycling. Dr. Steinmetz is probably wrong. For many centuries the horse has been mainly used in industry, but at the same time particular breeds have been cherished by sportsmen and aristocrats. It will be the same with automobiles. , According to some authorities, the anti-trust law frowns upon associa tions of farmers and laboring men more severely than upon, the real trusts. According to this view, the loganberry growers committed a pun ishable offense "when they met at Salem to fix a reasonable price for their products. A law which even threatens to penalize farmers for acts obviously essential to the public wel fare needs to be modified. The rain of fish in the Alsea coun try last Tuesday was characteristic of that blest and bounteous land. Some times it rains quails there, as It did for the Israelites in the wilderness, and on special days' there is a shower of milk and honey. These natural phenomena make It necessary to use umbrellas of peculiar style in the Alsea country, but upon the whole the inhabitants find them agreeable. "It is my candid belief," says Laf- ferty, "that my defeat would post, pone for at least ten years a realiza tion of National laws giving to the general public the prosperity and share of wealth produced wheh it deserves." The modest Lafferty! But what an unbelieving world. For Lafferty is alone In that opinion. It has been decided by the Univer sity of Illinois faculty that fair co-eds must not attend the Thursday night dances, as studies are thereby neg,- lected. So hereafter the girls will remain home and study on what a good time they would be having were they not compelled to remain in and fret the evening away. Germany will mobilize six full di visions this Fall into a wonderful show of military strength. By way of a military antl-cllmax why should not Uncle Sam mobilize six full platoons if possible? Statistics show that the demand for matches is falling off. Well, we've got to economize some place, haven't we, in order to buy gasoline, tires and other dire necessities of modern civilization? A Sacrairieiito chambermaid, mar l-vine- monev. has boutrht the hotel where she once worked in order to discharge the housekeeper. That's the chambermaid's fondest dream come true at last. IA AUlCbl u w - - - the rockpile In order that he may get married, were we not, a giowmg op timist we might say something about jumping out of the frying pan into the nre. Secretary Daniels can do a gracious deed by ordering release of the gun ner's mate who . missed one shot in the salute. That chap would not miss any if they counted against an enemy. Inspector Stansberry Is to be com mended for condemning yesterday a carload of potatoes from Los Angeles Infested with tuber moth. Oregon cannot afford to admit the pest. Irish militants sent a couple of fe male sluggers in to beat up the. edi tors of opposition papers. The Amer ican way would be to send in a couple of peaches to jolly the editors. Huerta is ready to resign when Mexico is politically pacified. Which is a characteristic Latin-American re Iteration of his stubborn determina tion never to get out. That young fellow ip at Oakland who Is raising polecats to provide a fund on which to marry has all the world "skunked" on potential pos sibilities. More than 70,000,000 feet of lum ber shipped out of the Columbia In May records one Item of the Oregon Country's prosperity. . Lebanon will open a great straw berry fair today, for Lebanon is where strawberries grow to great size and flavor. "Another American executed aa a spy. Got to have some slight pretext, you know, even to kill an American. By refusing to deal in any way with Huerta the rebels run the risk of losing the world's moral sympathy. These are rare days in 'June, but by and by, when Old Sol gets down to work, they will be well done. If the weather has any stunts to pull off, now is 'the time. We insist on perfect weather next week. Thus far it hasn't been revealed Just what part the llama will take In William's Chautauqua stunt. Time is rw-ming, so says a prophet, when autos will sell at popular prices. Speed the day. The municipal garage is proclaimed a failure. Still, it is not in a class by Itself. Mediation is something that really comes under the head of psycho logical. ft is a fine thing to be a city em ploye with prospect of a rise in salary. The Colonel gets a clear track through France as an ex-ruler. Stars and Starmakers BY LEONE CASS BAEB. A wee little note from Mary Edgett Baker tells that that young actress Is delighted with Denver and Is up to her big eyes In superintending the furnish ing of a cozy little cottage In which she will be domiciled with Mina Crollus Gleason. Mrs. Gleason has for years been one of the best beloveds In Pacific Coast stock. She was a Baker Player and one of the finest players of char acter roles this company has ever given us. For the past five years ahe has been one of the standbys of Ye Liberty Stock in Oakland. Now she Is with the Elitch Stock in Denver for the Summer, where Mary Edgett Baker Is playing. m m m ' A stage-struck kirl approached Wal ter Gilbert, stage director at the Baker Players, for assistance in getting a start. "If you will only give me the least encouragement' she began. "My dear young lady," interrupted Mr. Gilbert. "I am giving you the very least encouragement I can." Answer to Tillamook Myrtle Gay ette was In Portland week of February 1912 for a week at the Orpheum, play ing a heavy thinking role with Wilfred Clarke. She Is booked for Portland this Spring. Yes. In 'answer to a dozen letters to this department, "Damaged Goods" Is coming to Portland. Next week it opens in San Francisco for a two weeks' engagement at the Columbia, wtlh Richard Bennett and the same cast that supported him- in New York when the play created the sensation of the theatrical season. After the San Francisco engagement "Damaged Goods" turns Portland way. Mrs. Bob Fitaslmmons has asked the courts In Chicago to free her from her famous prizefighting husband forever because he beats her. She is a vaude ville singer. i E. H. Sothern and Julia - Marlowe sailed Tuesday on the Mauretanla to spend the Summer abroad. Miss Marlowe has not accepted any propositions for movie work, although an effort is afoot to have her photo play "When Knighthood Was In Flower" during her stay abroad. A grewsome note Is sounded In the Innovation at the funeral of Louise Cunningham in Philadelphia last week. Her body was placed on a rocking chair instead of in a casket at her fu neral. This was done in accordance with a wish of the woman, who was formerly a vaudeville dancer and the wife of Jerry Cunningham, a minstrel. Mrs. Cunningham's body lay in a rock ing chair among the mourners. The hands were peacefully folded and the head reclined a little to one side as though In slumber. The body was cremated, as Mrs. Cunningham had alBO desired. The Columbia Theater management In San Francisco has just concluded arrangements with Wallace Munro, rec ognized as one of the most far-seeing of New York managers, to put In an all-star stock company for the Sum mer months, commencing June 22. It has been demonstrated that the bright est and most successful periods in the Columbia's - history were associated with the Summer stocks that used to descend from New York during the Summer 'time, and it looks as though a revival of the custom would be most successful. The policy of the company will be a aeries of revivals of the most high-class comedies, forming as It were a cycle of the most brilliant con tributions of Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, Cylde Fitch, Bronson Howard, etc. The company will be headed by Rose Coghlan. Charles Rlchman. Charles Cherry, Charlotte Tittell. Ada Goodrich, Frank Kingdon, Horace Mitchell. George Christie, Lucile Gard ner anf others equally well known. Charlotte Tittell la one of the trio of famous Tittell sisters. She is Mrs. Wal lace Munro In private life. Rose Coghlan was out here last season In "Fine Feathers." Maude Leone Is going to play a Summer stock engagement with the Avenue Players In Seattle. Oliver Morosco'a next important con tribution to American theatricals will be the new comedy drama by Richard Barry, called "Brenda of the Woods " -which is now being worked into shape with a view of producing it for pre liminary hearings at his theater in Los Angeles before sending the same East for the final verdict. It Is likely that Peggy O'Neill, who 'has made a personal success In. the title role of "Peg o' My Heart" with the Western Road Company, will be featured In the leading role of the new comedy. William Hodge Is coming to the Helllg in "The Road to Happiness." Also "Omar the Tentmaker," headed by the noted actor, Guy Bates Post, will be with us soon. Blanche Bates is playing the Or pheum in San Francisco, but by some Juggling of bookings did not visit us. She is accompanied on her tour by her husband, George Creel, ex-Police Com missloner of Denver and also - well known as a writer. On Thursday of laat week the actress and her husband were entertained at a mid-day lunch eon given in their honor at the St. Francis Hotel ' by the San Francisco Civlo Center. Carol McComas, a Los Angeles girl. who is known as a "whistling come dienne," has been engaged by John C Fisher for the leading role In "The Eleventh Hour," the new play by Al bert Price, which Is to be produced by Mr. Fisher early In the Fall. Miss McComas was in "The Marriage Mar ket" last season with Donald Brian She will have a strong emotional role In "The Eleventh Hour." Vaudeville Is picking up. If you don't believe It, consider the authors and players that have but recently gone Into this field. Among the former there are Bernard Shaw, Sir James Barfle, Plnero, Henry Arthur, Jones, Charles Klein. Edwin Milton Royle. Galsworthy. 'Granville Barker. our rlassic Sheridan, and writers who have gone to Dickens, Thackeray and Tol stoi for their plays. From the English and French-speaking stagea during the last 12 months such players as Sir George Alexander, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Arthur Bourchier. Violet Vanbrugh. H. B. Irv ing, A. ,E. Mathews. Mm a. Rejane, M me. Bernhardt. Mme. Simons. Ethel Barry more, Blanche Bates and Bertha Kallch have gone Into the vaudeville theatera CORNER IN SHOVELS ACQUIRED How Ranch Foreman Obeyed Orders Literally and '-Stuck." Employer. PORTLAND. June . (To the Ed itor.) In The Oregonlan last Thurs day I read a very interesting article by Addison Bennett concerning the growth of Sutherlin, the railroad under construction frorar that city into the timber, and the Owners and promoters of the city and railroad. Apropos of that same, J recall an extremely amusing Incident that closely concerns one of those owners, and hap pened when, some years ago, the rail road question had once before been very much agitated. This man of whom I write is very popular, and has an exceeding sense of humor, albeit at times a hasty temper. It seems that he had ordered some especial work done on a certain day, but when he went to inspect it found that it had not been done as requested. Calling his foreman he Inquired the reason and was informed that the shovels were all at the upper ranch and in use. Hence he had put off that particular "piece of work for that day, thinking that it could be done as well the next when he could have the shovels without Interrupting the men else where. The owner, exercising the aforesaid hasty temper, told the man to go straight down to the store and buy up all the shovels in the place, then see if he could have the work on his ranch done when he wanted it. As I have said before, there had been a great deal of talk at this time about that hoped-for railroad, and the pro prietor of the little store, being a somewhat forehanded man, had just a few days ' before received a consign ment of fourscore shovels, so as to be prepared in case of need. Only eight of them had been sold to date. But our foreman, too, had been blessed with some sense of humor, and grimly com plied with his orders, and had the lot sent up. . Imagine the surprise of our friend when a bill for 72 shovels was handed him the first of the month. But be it to his everlasting credit that all he ever said about the matter was said right then and there, and consisted of but four words: "Well, I'll be d d." HORACE WILLIAM MAC NEAL. INCOME IS NOW LESS THAN HALF. Carpenter Not Only Thinks Democratic Times, but Feels It In "Innards." EUGENE, Or., June 2. (To the Edi tor.) I see that President Wilson says we only think times are hard, in other words, it is all in our eye. Of course it is. A man with a salary of $75,000 a year, guaranteed for four years; can't even "think" hard times, but when it comes to a poor devil like myself, a man with a wife and five children from 3 to 15 years of age, who earned dur ing President Wilson's first year Just $378.25' as a carpenter well. I cannot only think it but can feel it in my "innards." During the last year of President Taft's Administration I earned $874.75 quite a difference. If it had not been for my garden and a lot next door which the owner kindly allowed me to put in potatoes and cabbage and onions and the little profit I made out of my cow and some chickens I would now have used up all my little savings. People wanted a change, and they've got it with a ven geance, and I think this Fall we'll have another change and after 1916 I don't think the President's name will begin with a "W," either. It Is an insult to intelligent Ameri cans to tell -them they only "think" times are hard. Why is it that so many factories are closing down? Why Is it that 20 men stopped at my house a few days ago eager to put in soma slabwood that came while I was down town look ing for a Job? Poor fellows who looked so disappointed when I told them I ex pected to put it in myself, that I was almost tempted to let some one of them do it. although I needed the money as badly as they did. What town shows much building activity this Spring? God pity the poor fellow who has not sense enough not to think that times are not hard, or who merely thinks his empty dinner pall Is really empty. Send it to President Wilson and let him see that it is not empty. I am a good carpenter usually get $3.50 a day when anything is doing but I would be glad to work for $2.50 if I could get a steady job from now to Thanksgiving. "ONE WHO THINKS." WHY HOLD PRIMARY ELECTION f Judge Lowell Thinks One Vote, With Second Choice, la Enough. PENDLETON, Or., June 2. (To the Editor.) The publication of the of ficial results of the recent primary election gives rise to the Inquiry, why hold primary elections at all? If they ever had any proper place their ne cessity passed with the abandonment of conventions. Under existing condi tions the primary serves no purpose either In party or Governmental econ omy. Roughly speaking, the state and counties expended last month in elec tion flpen-es $200,000 probably, and private individuals spent half as much more, with a result that would have been in substance the same had all the candidates appearing in the primaries submitted their claims to the people directly at the November election. There would have been a few names added to the list. Mr. ITRen would have been on the ticket, and possibly a few more, but the voters would have expressed their choice betwen all, and the man receiving the highest vote would have been elected to the office to which he aspired. Now, however, we must go through another campaign and another election, solely as a matter of habit, wholly without reason. Is jt not wise that we adopt the sec ond choice system, abandon the pri mary altogether, let every candidate go direct to the people at general elec tions, and give the offices to the high men, counting both first and second choice to reach the result? Perhaps the people will then vote. Now they will not Out of an estimated population of 750.000 we must have 300,000 legal voters. Only 229.500 reg istered altogether, while less than two thirds oC those who registered voted. STEPHEN A. LOWELL. Abont Those Mexican Indians. SALEM, Or., June S (To .the Edi tor.) Your good-natured comment on correctors of errors in The Oregonlan emboldens me to make a correction, or rather an inquiry. About a month ago the leading editorial opened with the statement: "Four-fifths of the people of Mexico are pure Indians. Ignorant and brutal." The latest analytical "dope" I have been able to get told of resolves the "greaser" admixture Into the following Ingredients: Whites, 15 per cent; In dians, 30; mixed, 64; negroes, 1. Cita tion of the authority on which your statement is based would serve an en lightening turn' In establishing the facta and Is due to the Indians, who now stand charged with being guilty of 80 per cent of the contents of that witches' cauldron of double trouble that seethes below the Rio Grande. II. M. IRWIN. Use of the Word "pure" was an Inad vertence. The International Year Book states the population of Mexico la made up as follows: Indians 38 per 'cent, mestizos 43 per cent, white 19 per cent. "Mestizo" la a term applied In Mexico to the offspring of persons of Euro pean stock and Indiana Lode of Mrs. Newlywed. Boston Transcript. Newlywed (disturbed over purchases) You had very simple tastes before I married you. Mra Newlywed I had to in those daya I never could get any money out of father. Twenty-Five Years Ago From The Oregonlan of June 4, 1889. The Oregonlan acknowledges the re ceipt of $5 from A J. Hamilton, ol Beaverton. Or., for the Jonhstown suf ferers, and will make this the nucleus of a fund. D. B. Newcomb, agent ol the Pacific Express Company, informs us that all money or merchandise foi the relief of the sufferers will be for warded free of charge. Salem, June 3. The State Board ol Railroad Commissioners today re ceived a communication from the Board of Trade of Junction City asking then; to recommend to the Southern Pacific Company extension of its line front Corvallis to Junction. Albany. June 8. J. M. Moyer, F. J. Craft, John Waters and J. P. Galbraitn arrived from Brownsville today, and will at once begin the erection of wool en mills in this city. Salem. June 3. Albert Whyte, a prominent lawyer of Tacoma, was mar ried here to Miss Frances May Mlsner, sister of Mrs. Professor Arnold. Chehaiis. June 3. The Seymour A Spaulding shingle mill was sold Satur day to Alpin Bros., recently from Still water. Minn., for $2500. Seymour & Co. will' immediately erect a new and largei mill on the river nearer town. The Seventh-Street Terraces Com. pany. through its president. W. W. Spaulding, has purchased Hoffman's or Robinson's Hill, a tract of about 24 acres, on Seventh and Grant streets, and will open it for settlement. The typewriting machine belonging to W. H. Holcomb's stenographer has been found. It was stolen and carried out into the brush near S and Twentv- third streets, where the bottom was broken out in search of valuables. It was found by a man looking for his cow, and Albert Cookingham went out and secured it. There were a lot ol letters in the case and some cipher books. Plans for the proposed free bath house are being drawn by Otto Klee mann. The Northwest Loan & Trust Com pany on Saturday elected the follow ing directors: George B. Markle, J. Thorburn Ross, Herbert Bradley, G. A. Mooney, C. F. Beebe. D. F. Sherman, Richard Williams, J.' A.sSladen, Van B. De Lashmutt. E. D. Shattuck, C. A. Alls ky, S. B. Willey. A. Thlelsen. Two huge barges belonging to the Columbia Lumber & Fuel Company came down over the Cascades yester day In charge of H. B. Borthwlck, who telegraphed to D. J. Moore that they were safely moored at Bonneville. The smelting works at Brooklyn were sold yesterday at auction to Mr. Chase, of Omaha.' George Langford will begin laying brick today on Henry Weinhard's build ing at the corner of Oak and Second streets. The East 'Portland City Council last evening passed a resolution declaring the East Portland Water Company's rates and appointing John H. Hall and Thomas R. Turnbull commissioners to meet with commissioners for the com pany and fix new rates. Miss Emma Arrlngton has gone east of the mountains, where she will re main all Summer. The Portland Speed Association met last evening In the parlors of the Pan theon. Present: F. & Rothschild. R C. Smith. C. M. Forbes. S. A. Gunst and William Frazler. It was decided to canvass the city for the sale of tickets to the races. Half a Century Ago From The Oregonlan of June 4. 1S4. A. L Lovejoy writes to The oregon lan: "I notice in The Oregonlan of this morning my name as an Inde pendent candidate for State Senator for Clackamas County. Allow me to state that the same is wholly without my knowledge or consent and under no cir cumstances will I allow my name to b used as such, nor will I serve if I should be elected." Some disaffected persons have been circulating a report that Judge Will lams was in favor of the Independent candidate for the Legislature. The statement is a base slander. Judgi Williams was a delegate to the union county convention and Introduced the resolutions Indorsing the platform of the union state convention and pledg ing support to the candidates nomi nated by that convention and by the county convention. On May 22 hewrota from Salem to J. J. Hoffman: "I would advise you to liave nothing to do with any tickets or candidates except thos on the regular Union ticket. If any uso Is made of my name In connection with any opposition to the regular ticket. It la wholly unauthorized and contrary to my wishes." Hon. David Logan and others will address the citizens of Multnomah County at the Willamette Theater this evening In support of the regular Union ticket. The largest Indian expedition ever fitted out on the continent is now mov ing towards Idaho, having for Its ob ject the subjugation and extermination of the Sioux Indians.-. It has been or ganized by General Sully at St. Louis, and will number 3000 cavalry anil mounted infantry, with eight or ten pieces, and a force of frienfliy Indians to act as scouts, spies or warriors. The water In the river is now above the high mark of 1861. and within about seven feet of the high mark of 1862. At Couch's wharf Thursday evening a small scow was floated over the lower dock, containing several llvi hogs for shipment. They were landed Immediately under the office window of the agent's building. The letters, bullion and packages taken by Wells, Fargo & Co.'s dray man to the steamship Oregon Thursday loaded one dray, the weight being suf ficient to set the springs down solid. A pack train of 54 animals arrlverl yesterday from Placervllle, Cal., and were shipped to Vancouver. These ani mals were purchased by Levi Frieden rlch from the Washoe and Moro routes for use on the Boise and Owyhee trails. The Crane & Drlggs appears to be the favorite stock in market. Another sale of 10 feet of the reserved stock was made yesterday at $100 per foot to one of the best business firms of the city. Again we are without dispatches. This time the. wire is down beyond Al bany. THE KEY TO RUMMER COMFORT It may be some articles of warm weather furniture. It may be a boat, or better fishing tackle, or perhaps more satisfying attire. The stores are full of Just the things you need. But It is not much fun shopping around from store to store, and it takes time. Why not look ever the advertis ing; first nnd tre If the "Key to Com fort" la not right here. . Solving your needs is one of the most important services of this newspaper. Let its advertising help you. a