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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1914)
10 TTTE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18. 1914. PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered at Portland. Oregon, Postofflce- aa Second-class matter. GobseripUou Rate Invariably In Advance: (Br Mail.) Daily. Sunday Included, one year ..... .. 98-00 Pally, Sunday Included, aix months ..... 4.25 Iaily, Sunday Included, three months ... 2.23 Dally, Sunday Included, one month 75 1'aily, without Sunday, one year .... COO X'aily, without Sunday, six months ..... 8. 25 iMtly, without Sunday, three montba ... 1.75 I'atly, without Sunday, one month .40 Tv'efkly one year .......... 1.50 KunoVy, one year 2.60 feuaday and Weekly, one year .10 (By Carrier.) Xelly. Sunday Included, one year ...... .fU.OO Kftaily, Sunday Included, one month ..... .76 - How to Remit Send Postofflce money or der, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender's rliJc. Give postofflce address In full. Including county and state. Postage Rates 12 to 16 pases, 1 cent; 18 to 32 paves, 2 cents; 84 to 48 pages, 8 cents; CO to uo pages, 4 cents; 62 to 76 pages, 6 cents; 78 to U2 pages, tt cents. Foreign post age, double rates. Eastern Business Office Verree & Conk 11 n. New York, Brunswick building. Chi cago, Stenger building. San Frmnclneo Office R. J. Bidwell Co, T42 Market street. PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY. KOV, 18. 1914. BUSINESS EMANCIPATION DAT. November 16-. 1914, wHI become his toric In the United States as the day hn business was emancipated from the shackles of the old National bank law. On that day began the concen tration in twelve Federal reserve banks of the great bulk of reserves held by National banks, of elx per cent of Na tional bank capital and of all Govern ment funds. This, process of concen tration will be gradual, that no un necessary inconveniences may result. When it is completed, the Federal re serve banks will have at their dis posal great masses of money which can be turned into the channels of business at any point or In any section where need appears. Just as a General holds a body of troops in reserve, to be cent to any point - on his line where the pressure from the enemy is strong tat. The enemy in this case is money stringency, lack of confidence and finally panic. The new banking system emancipates the country from finan cial panic, which in its effects on busi ness is as disastrous as is a crushing defeat to a nation at war. Prior to enactment of the Fed eral reserve law, the characteristic fea ture of the banking business was rigid ity; hereafter its characteristic feature m ill be elasticity. National banks were required to arry a certain percentage of their resources In cash as reserve, which could not be .used when most needed. They were permitted to issue currency only on the security of Gov ernment bonds. The amount of bonds, not the needs of business, thus became the measure of our volume of cur rency. Reserves were divided into a number of small units, which were as Useless for defense in times of finan cial stress as would be a General's reserve troops if divided into scattered regiments or stationed in a number of garrisons. The Federal reserve law concen trates bank reserves in twelve banks, which must ease financial ' strain in their own regions and go to each oth er's aid when called upon by the Fed eral Reserve Board. In order that bank reserves may be of real service, they must not only be concentrated; they must be mobile. As the facility with which an army can be moved to the frontier gives a nation a great advantage in war, so does the promptness with which money can be placed where it is needed aid business against its foes. Commer cial paper bought by National banks may be rediscounted by Federal re serve banks, which may then deposit it with the Federal Reserve Board as security for notes to be used in circu lation, these notes being secured in turn by a gold reserve equal to 40 per cent of their value held by .the reserve bank. In thi3- manner bank reserves are mobilized and bank assets in the form of commercial paper are gon verted into liquid assets. Paper currency being based on com mercial paper, the quantity of such currency will rise and fall with the needs of business as regularly and au tomatically as the tides of the sea. When business slackens, the volume of commercial paper will decrease and the volume of currency based thereon will correspondingly decrease. When business Is active, the volume of com mercial paper will increase and the volume of currency will increase 'with it. There will no longer be an alter nate feast and famine of currency such as has hitherto caused alternate peri ods of speculation and panic or de pression. The Federal reserve banks will prove a valuable agency in promoting for eign trade. It is thus fortunate that they are opened at a time when our attention Is turned in that .direction. They will deal in the various forms of commercial paper connected with im ports and exports and will buy and sell gold. The new law permits National banks to establish branches in foreign countries. One bank has already opened branches in South America, and others are preparing to follow its example. We shall by this means be released from dependence on British banks to finance our foreign com merce. The immediate effect of the opening of the new banks is to release for the uses of business more than 8500,000, 000 of money which has been held in reserve. The reserve banks have drawn from the member banks one per cent of the latter's capital and surplus as subscriptions to their own capital and will soon draw $64,000,000 of Government deposits, but these urns will immediately become avail able for rediscount of commercial pa per. So also wiil $110,000,000 in the United States Treasury,' which the Government will deposit. Portland will share the benefits of having this banking capital available, and the good effects will be felt throughout the Northwest. . Confidence is essential to healths business activity, and confidence will be firmly established by the new bank ing system. This will prove true be cause money will be available at rea sonable interest for every legitimate transaction and every meritorious en terprise. The people will not come into direct relations with the reserve banks, for they are to be banks for banks only, but the people will feel their beneficial effects more and more as they become more firmly established and as they extend their operations. They are to mobilize the vast wealth of the Nation for an era of prosperity, which will find every factory in opera tion and will carry American goods to every land. .. The Turks are known to be good fighters and nobody is surprised at the ephemeral success their armies are w-inning. But the odds are heavy against them. The country which the Greeks and Bulgarians whipped to a finish is not likely to win over Eng land and Russia with France to help, Italy hostile and Greece ready to plunge into the fray. FOB THE W1XSON SUCCESSION. Having emerged from the White House with the benign recollection of the Wilson reconciliation among his most blessed treasures. Colonel Henry Watterson blossoms forth once more in double leads as Grand Counselor in Chief of the Wilson Administra tion. From a state of profound pes simism as to the future of the country under Schoolmaster Wilson he is con vinced that a Great Man now occupies the White House, and there will be nothing . but a sweeping Democratic victory two .years hence. Says the Colonel in the Courier-Journal: The Courier-Journal gives It to the Re publicans straight that they have no chance of electing; a President In 1910. In the first place, unless they take Penrose and Cannon, they lack nominees of the proper caper and flavor, ,Borah is yet an unknown quantity, unfamiliar to the people, and perhaps we know Cummins, alas, too well. It would be a waste of promising material to sacri fice Herrick. Better put up the ticket Ollie James and the Courier-Journal have suggested Penrose and Cannon and get things in shape for 1920. It would show the valor of conviction. Of course, the Colonel offers the Penrose and Cannon suggestion with a sneer; but let us suppose that it will be Penrose and Cannon. Whom will the Democrats put up against him? Not Wilson and Marshall,, for they ran on a platform pledging them to a single term. Who, then? Why not Colonel Watterson and Colonel George Harvey? To be sure Colonel Watterson is only 74, while Mr. Cannon has reached the treat age of 78. But in 1916, Colonel Watter-1 son will be 76 and quite old enough to be a worthy foe to Mr. Cannon, who will then be 80. It would be a battle of the reactionary giants. We rather fancy Woodrow Wilson would be pleased to have Colonel Watterson for his successor. BETTER SURGEONS. There is a commendable agitation among the surgeons of the United States to elevate the general standards of their profession. As conditions stand each practitioner is more or less oZ a law unto himself. If he chooses to conform to the strictest ethics well and good. , If he prefers to indulge himself in quackery there is little to hinder. Professor Finney, of the Johils Hop kins University, has lately read a pa per on this subject before the Amer ican Medical Association. It Is his belief that unless the surgeons them selves proceed to regulate the practice of their art the public will soon take the matter out of their hands. Intel ligent people cannot be expected to entrust their lives indefinitely to men whose professional standards are so uncertain. "Let us get together like men and brothers," said Profesaor Fin ney, "to benefit humanity, to put down corruption and graft, to cleanse our professional escutcheon of the foul blots with which it is stained, to ele vate the ideals and the whole tone of the profession, to encourage research and study, tp increase the efficiency and to raise the standards of every individual surgeon." This is courageous talk and the en lightened public will heartily approve of its spirit. By necessity we put more confidence in the surgeon than in any other professional man. He literally takes the lives, of his patients into his hands. His skill and fidelity are there fore matters of intimate public con cern and there should be some way of certifying to them beyond any ques tion. Each of the high professions ought to regulate its own internal affairs. Its members understand the subject better than outsiders can. But when the profession fails to act Intelligently and honorably there is nothing left for the public but to takfi the plow by the handles and guide it the best they can. A CHAMVION OF ANTI-TmSECnON. The hysterical violence of expres sion in the letter from Mrs. Diana Belais which The Oregoiiian prints to day sufficiently indicates its values. Like most of the anti-vivisectionists, Mrs. Belais, who is president of their National society, hates science and scientific experiment. The fact that it is only by means of experiment that new knowledge can be acquired and new conquests of disease effected is of no consequence whatever to the anti-vlvisectionlsts. Their fad Is dearer to them than truth or human welfare. We might mention also in passing that their fad is' usually financially profitable to them. Many of them either hold some office in an organiza tion of cranks or else have some quackery of their own to exploit so that they manage to make a good deal of money out of their so-called "hu manitarian", work. In spite of Mrs. Belais indignant protests we are still inclined to believe that anti-vivisection is a pestiferous form of commercial ized vice. It trades upon the credulity and superstition of mankind. It has capitalized that ignorant trust in sor cery and witchcraft which is at the bottom of the persistent agitation against scientific medicine. It is hardly worth while to call at tention to Mrs. Belais' misrepresenta tions, to call them by no harsher name. She says, for example, in her usual hysterical tone that "the ex perimental college- lives by mutilating animals." There is just enough truth in this to make It mischievous. No animals are mutilated by experiment ers except to advance the welfare of mankind. Nature has compelled us to choose between inflicting a little suf fering on the lower animals for a short time find allowing the human race to suffer miserably forever. We believe the physicians are entirely justified in preferring to let a few specimens bear the burden and thus emancipate both men and animals forever. What Mrs. Belais has to say about "the manufacture and sale of poisons that pollute the human blood" and "cause diseases instead of curing them" has. the genuine anti-vivlsec-tionist ring. These people have the hardihood to dispute the germ theory of disease, although it has been dem onstrated as conclusively as any propo sition in Euclid. They call medicinal serums "poisons" in face of the fact that these remedies are both curing and preventing thousands of cases of disease every week. When a person arrives at the point where an empty fad is valued above human welfare there is little hope for his future use fulness. The vaccines -which the European armies are using to prevent typhoid and cholera are among the "serums" which Mrs." Belais affects to despise. With their use typhoid has almost dis appeared from modern campaigning, but a little matter of that kind does not weigh with Mrs. Belais. She has her fad to support and if facts get in her way so much the worse for them. It is sad to observe the ruinous ef fects of fanaticism on the human in telligence. When Mrs. Belais speaks of the Rockefeller Institute's "hell farm" she betrays regrettable evidence of an unbalanced mind. The "hell farm" is a place where the cause and cure of disease in men and beasts are investigated by strictly scientific meth ods. Some of the experiments per formed there are not agreeable to a refined eye but neither is it agreeable to see human beings perishing of the malignant diseases which the Rocke feller Institute staff are trying to combat. These men in their patient and disinterested . labors deserve the affectionate sympathy of mankind. It Is barbarously unintelligent to slander them. MORE FRAUDS. The most obvious feature of the scandalous revelations about the peti tions far the recent recall is that the whole proiect was an artificial inspira tion of designing men. When the recall movement was started there was a virtuous announcement that no petition-hawkers would be hired," but that volunteers, interested for patriotic rea sons in procuring the recall of the Mayor and two Commissioners, would get the necessary names. But the same old game of putting petition-shovers to work for so much per came, or per day, was played. They were paid to capitalize the sup posed general indignation against Al bee, Dieck and Brewster, and they per. formed their task in their own way. When a name was not easily forth coming, it was forged, at least in some instances. As the recall itself was a fake and a farce, so It was fitting that the call fo"r the recall should be satu rated with fraud. Here again is another striking exam ple of the essential dishonesty of the profession of petitioti-making. Some day the whole business of petition shoving by paid circulators will be prohibited, or it svlll be put in the hands of public officials. TALE AND THE UW. There are about 2 5.000 living Tale graduates in the world and about one in every six of them is a lawyer. Manu facturing comes next in their prefer ence but it is a long way behind the law. Engineering succeeds, falling barely short of 2000, with the mercan tile business a close rival. There are more Yale men In medicine than in the ministry and more in the news paper business than in science. Art has called 244, railroading 236 and military .service 215. Yale, which is a comparatively static institution, naturally offers many a lure to intending lawyers whose pro fession prefers to linger with the rear guard of progress. It is the function of the legal profession, both at the bar and on the bench, to apply the brakes to the world rather than to accelerate Its motion. Yale kcepo the brakes on education pretty nearly all the time. It holds out longest against new ideas and adopts them reluctantly after they are in full working order everywhere else. This habit makes the old Con necticut university immensely enticing to the Mr. Legality and all his kin. WEAKENING THE ANTI-TRUST LAW. The most important appointments which President Wilson how has un der consideration are those of the five members of the Federal Trade Com mission. They are so because in that body is reposed the primary power to decide what is and what is not unfair competition, as well as the power to take the initiative In discovering whether the anti-trust laws are vio lated and in proceedings for their en forcement. In the final debate on the confer ence report on the Trade Commission bill Senator Reed brought out clearly the fact that It will rest with the commission to decide in the first in stance what are unfair methods of competition. Price discrimination, tying contracts and fixing of retail prices by manufacturers,' which are among the most common and most severely condemned of trust methods, might be held fair competition by the commission. In that case, those prac tices could be attacked by private in terests only and without the aid, per haps against the opposition, of the Government. Not only is this possible, but Repre sentative Stevens, of New Hampshire, actually introduced a bill legalizing contracts by which manufacturers of articles under trademark or special brand may fix the price at which they are to be sold to consumers, the price to be specified on the package. The sarrfo men who favored the Stevens bill have approved section 5 of the Trade Commission law vesting in the commission power to define unfair competition, evidently hoping that it would permit such contracts. Mr. Reed explained how far-reaching is this power when he said: The distinguished Senator (Xewlands) who Is the sponsor here for section 6 of this bill .has twice stated upon the floor of the Senate In substance and effect that he does not know but that under the clause "unfair competition" the board which Is to be cre ated mav set aside the decisions of the courts, mav set aside rights which have been declared by the courts to exist, and, if I mistake not, on at least one occasion he expressed doubt whether the commission might not set aside a right bottomed upon a statute of the United States. If the Sen ator be not in error, then we have given to this commission the power to declare that legal which is today illegal; that proper which Is todav unlawful; that .lust which Is today declared by the law to be unright eous. It that be true, then we have turned over to this commission the authority, un der the general language of section 5, to wipe out all the trust statutes, wrought out, as thev were, with such toll and labor, and to which we have been accustomed to turn for relief for the people. The Democrats in their platform demanded "vigorous enforcement of the criminal as well as the civil law against trust officials" and "enact ment of additional legislation to make It impossible for a private monopoly to exist." - They promised to put teeth in the law. They have passed laws which impose no' penalties and can be enforced only by order of the com mission and by injunction thereby in viting years of litigation. They have professed to strengthen the Sherman law, but they have actually weakened it. They have placed in the hands of the commission power to reverse de cisions of the Supreme Court con demning certain trust practices. If the Government should wish -to prose cute a trust criminally, it cannot in voke the supplementary laws but must Invoke the original -anti-trust law, which the Democrats have professed to strengthen, for , that law alone con tains penal provisions. It will rest primarily with the com mission to decide what practices are permissible in Interstate commerce and when the law shall be put in mo tion. Therefore, the opinions, pre dilections and affiliations of the men whom the President will appoint must undergo most searching scrutiny in order to Insure that the commission will serve the people rather than the trusts. The magnitude of the "unemployed problem" begins to make itself keenly felt by the best minds in the com munity. They recognize in it a por tentous phenomenon mot to be safely left with agitators. The unemployed army Is one of the sad products of ad vancing civilization and civilization must find a way to dispose of it with out cruelty and equally without folly. The fellow Traunson who'killed Miss Ulrich will, when found guilty and sen tenced, be considered too young to hang, if not previously held to be in sane. This is merely in line of pro cedure in Oregon. Some day, perhaps, a young woman will carry a gun and get the first shot. In that event, .the fathers of other young women of the state will get her a medal. Ke'htucky observed November 6 as Arbor day with a grand orgy of tree planting. Oregon has plenty of ever green trees, but nuts and hardwood are sparse. It would be a fine deed to line the highways and fence rows with walnuts. Plant the nuts and the trees will manage to grow with a little protection. November, 6 would be a good Arbor day for Oregon. With regard to oil and copper, the expected has happened. They are to be treated as contraband of war. With out them Germany's air fleet would be helpless, hence the temptation to ob tain supplies by way of neutral traders must be irresistible. It is impossible to blame the allies for refusing to take chances upon this vital point. Big business Is vastly convenient to governments now and then, much as our own professes to dislike it. When a single firm can make a loan of $500, 000,000, borrowing is immensely sim plified and warfare facilitated. Lloyd George is to be congratulated upon the opulence of his patriotic money kings. Los Angeles schools have adopted the plan of giving pupils credit for home work about the kitchen, farm and so on. This is a good idea and it seems to be spreading. Those who profit by it ought not to forget that it originated with Superintendent Alderman. England has stopped "boozing" since the war broke out, or at least she has cut down her indulgence. The result is said to be a drop of 30 per cent In indictable offenses. If steady habits could be made permanent the gain would almost be worth continual war fare. The Pope's peace encyclical ,shows that he is a shrewd observer and keen critic of purrent events. "There Is more talk of brotherhood than ever before and less practice of it," he says for one thing. And who can deny that he hits the nail on the head? The Glasgow, which escaped in the sea fight off Chile a few weeks ago, did not waste time in getting to Rio Janeiro. She may yet have opportu nity to sink under more even con ditions. Dr. Wiley's bill of fare in fifty pound boxes for European sufferers "makes a noise" like mighty good eat ing for many at home who are on the ragged edge of starvation. Snow is now ankle deep on the bat tlefields. When it gets waist deep the armies will lose some of their ardor and Jack Frost will dominate the sit uation largely. The British House of Commons votes a billion for war with the same airy nonchalance as that with which a Democratic Congress passes a pork barrel bill. . Everybody " wants lower taxes, but also wants more of the things on which taxes are spent. The only way to sat isfy both wants is to make money of rubber. We may get to see Villa yet in vaudeville. If he declines the presi dency and leaves Mexico we suspect that it will be because of receiving his price. A warship must hustle out of a neutral port within twenty-four hours after arrival, but the Christines ship will be welcome to stay as long as she likes. The Prince of Wales would like to rival the fame of his predecessor, the Black Prince, but reasons of state will deprive him of the chance. The Prince of Wains is off to the front. It remains to be seen whether he gets any nearer the firing line than has the Crown Prince. The Turks report having repulsed British and Russians. Must have been at least seven Turks to each foeman, then. If Germany is sending boys and old men to the front, for what Is she re serving the men in the prime of life? England may impose a war tax on grog. Thus war munitions may be purchased from every British Jag. With the Prince of .Wales on the firing line, fashionable young England will swarm the recruiting offices. The Mexican presidential term of office will eventually be reduced to one hour, it would appear. The turks are meeting with heavy losses in Southern Oregon and Willam ette Valley points. - All prisoners of war are being treated well. So no wonder there are so many of them. If they get Cracow the Russians" will be in a position-to give Berlin a mild attack of chills and fever. Lloyd-George is getting on thin Ice with additional duty on beer and tea. When both sides admit a deadlock In Belgium and France it must be so. The path of glory leads the German to the furnace and not to the grave. De Wet would be an appropriate name for both armies in Flanders. Business is beginning to recover from the war knockout. The candidates are beginning to tell what it cost them. O.TLT EVIL, SEEN IN VIVISECTION President of Society Declares) No Good Hsus Ever Come From Senuaa NEW YORK, Nov. 12. (To the Edi tor.) I have received- a copy of The Oregon lan, which contains an editorial entitled "Commercialized Vivisection." I may readily pass over the remarks applied to me, since they betray the ignorance of the editorial writer of my individuality and my work. But to term, as he does, anti-vivisection as a "singularly evil form of -commercialized vice" is so grotesque a fancy that I must beg of you since he has taken occasion to attack me so gratuitously to give me the courtesy of your columns to make & reply. . Anti-vivisection is fundamentally a protest against the most hideous form of commercialized vice that humanity can conceive. Were Portland an older community, it would be more familiar, perhaps, with the singular industry fathered by the vivisector, namely: the experimental college and its con comitant, the serum manufactory. The one lives by the mangling of animals and the secret inoculation of humans, and the other by the production and sale of poisons that pollute the human blood, causing diseases, not curing them. You seriously misquote me as saying "Let the miserable babies die if they will." . . I have fought and am fighting the battle of the babies especially the poor, helpless, neglected babies in the public institutions of our country, who are being utilized as "material" by heartless experimenters, who are be coming more emboldened ' in this cruel and vicious pursuit because of the de fense of their practice on the part of "ill-informed gentlemen, such as you and your associates, who would cringe with very shame were they to know the true story. , I fought the cause of the baby foundlings of Philadelphia, where, in Blockley, so-called eminent physicians of the University of Pennsylvania seized upon these poor foundlings and injected polluted tuberculin into their little eyes and their frail bodies', as a result of which there ensued a dread ful mortality and serious injury to the sight of these poor orphans. Far from dwelling In a world of imaginary torture, I am in a position to substantiate every statement as to the sickening atrocities of heartless experimenters, by quoting their own words, giving the date and publication in every instance. You, who live so many miles distant from the Rocke feller Institute and its hell farm in New Jersey, can have but a faint con ception of the hideous practices that prevail there. ShaUowlike animals totter through those vivisection dens, with transplanted organs, others writhe in the vivisection troughs, all the victims of experiments that have never in one instance been successful, not withstanding the brazen effusions of the publicity agents of that institute, with which you are doubtless more familiar and more inclined to be lieve than my statements. My charges, however, backed up by the sworn statements of former em ployes of the Institution, have appeared in the public prints, and have never been and cannot bo denied. The serumsv taken from artificially deseased animals and injected into humans have systematically failed of curing disease, and will ever do so. I may refer to the fatalities resulting from the use of Flexnefs anti-meningitis serum, as charged by reputable physicians whose words I have quoted. There again I espoused the cause of the babies in our public hospitals, since I hope you are aware of the deaths that ensued on the use of this deadly serum in a Cincinnati public hospital not many mbntha ago, the facts having been taken from the official organ of the vlvisectors, the Journal of the American Medical As sociation, and : republished in my journal, the Open Doer. I pray you to investigate this sub ject a little further. Do not take my words too lightly. Where there is so much smoke, there must be a wicked fire. The cries of tortured and mutilated animals are indicants of secret cruelty, while the deaths and disfigurements of innocent infants, public wards, motherless and father less, spell merciless barbarism of self seeking and notoriety-hunting medical pretenders. DIANA BELAIS. President New York Anti-Vivisection Society. If Nobody Shirked. I know not whence I came, I know not whither I go; But the fact stands clear that I am here. In this world of pleasure and woe. And out of the mist and murk. "Another truth shines plain It is my power each day and hour To add to its joy or its pain. I know that the earth exists. It is none of my business why; I cannot find out what it's all about, I would but waste time to try. My life is a brief, brief thing, I am here for a little space, And while I stay I would like, if I may. To brighten and better the place. The trouble, I think, with us all. Is the lack of a high conceit. If each man thought he was sent to this spot To make it a bit more sweet. How soon we could gladden the world. How easily right all wrong. If nobody shirked, and each one worked To help his fellows along! Cease wondering why you came Stop looking for faults and flaws; Ki.se up today in your pride and say, "I am part of the First Great Cause! However full the world. There is room for an earnest man. It had need of me, or I would not be I am here to strengthen the plan." Ella Wheeler Wilcox. War Material la Contraband. PORTLAND, ' Nov. 18. (To the Edi tor.) Are war uniforms, horses, sad dles, foodstuffs, shipped from the United States to England, France or Germany, considered contraband of war? Does the United States commit a breach of the neutrality laws by per mitting shipments as above noted? "CONSTANT READER. They are contraband of war, but the United States commits no breach of neutrality by permitting their shipment to belligerents. The sellers take the risk of the goods being seized by an enemy of the country to which they are consigned. If such goods are seized they can be confiscated, and neither buyer nor seller can collect compensa tion. World Trip in Honeymoon-Time. New York Globe. Mazie Artie, where are we going on our honeymoon? . Artie Around the world, darling. They're going to give it in seven reels at the corner picture show. Cold Chicken and Policemen. Puck. Mistress Bridget, did I see Officer Flynn eating cold chicken in the kitchen last night? Bridget You did, mum! And it's not me will heat up a chicken at half-past tin for any cop! Polite Bint to a Smoker. Lustlge Blatter. "Say, neighbor, does smoking bother you?" "I'd be much obliged if you'd stop." "Now, you go into another car riage, you're a fool feller anyhow." Piga' Chances In Heaven. Liverpool Mercury. Rector Those pigs of yours are in fine condition, Hodge. Hodge Yes. zur, they be. An' if we w us all on us as fit to die as them are, sur, we'd do. NEIGHBORING IGNORANCE DENSE. Sir. Baraee Concludes People of Wash ington Do Understand Labor Problem PORTLAND, Nov. 17. (To the Edi tor.) When we read what Washington State Labor Commissioner Olson, as re lated in The Oregonlan, has to say on labor conditions in Washington and on this Coast, we are prompted to exclaim with one of old, "thou fool,"- If he thinks we will "readjust our industrial affairs to such an extent that an army of unemployed exists no longer" with out changing the system under which we labor and exchange our products. Does Mr. Olson have the least idea that this is going to be accomplished, even in any limited degree, without abolishing the system that permits dis engaged individuals to take from labor without having first given an equiva lent in direct energy to that produc tion? In this statement Mr. Olson is either purposely deceiving the people who car. be duped, or he 13 deceiving him self by being uninformed about labor and Its relation to what it produces. Most likely It is the latter; i. e, he is Just ignorant of what he talks about and as an officer was elected by those who know about as little about the la bor problem as he does; both of which are trying to do the Impossible. In telligent people, such as Washington and other states have, should under stand more of the scientific principle of economics than even to hope to put out a fire by adding fuel to the flames. If labor is deprived, by law or other wise, of any part of that which it has produced, it is plain that it cannot buy back that part for which it was not paid for producing. . When, therefore, it cannot re-purchase its own product it is also plain that some one who has not produced anything must consume this surplus which the producer can not buy or there would not be any further demand for production on the part of the jjroflt-taker. Now if we might Increase the Idle surplus consumers to a sufficient num ber that would take up this surplus (it matters not whether these idle con sumers hold financial Interests or are Just plain, so-called bums, bo long as consumption kaepa pace with produc tion) the problem of unemployed Is solved and the "baneful influence" among working men would not be present. Statistics prove exactly the contrary to this deduction. There is ever a less ening of idle or non-productive con sumers who are able to buy; coming from the ever-increasing consolidation of small business concerns into larger and more economical corporations, the middlemen who have been or are now performing this business being silent ly but effectively eliminated. Shall we not conclude that Mr. Ol son does not know what he is talking about; neither the men and women who elect him to office? We, Social ists, who do understand this problem, are passed by as the political pendulum swinats from one extreme to the other on election days. Even our Increased vote in elections is not given out until the interest and immediate possibility' for direct comparison has passed away from the minds of the people, lest they discover, become interested and the world's problems find a sane, equitable solution. C. W. BARZEE, We trust Mr. Barzee has made a closer investigation of labor problems than he has of the causes for the be lated giving out of the Socialist vote. It may be said that the Socialist count is available at the newspaper sources of information as early as any other party's vote to anyone who cares to undertake compilation. It is also given out in official returns coincidentally with the votes cast by other parties and is published generally by the news papers having, large facilities at that time. To supply complete figures on all minor party candidates and weak Independents prior to the official can vass not only would greatly enlarge the cost of election returns to newspapers but the additional effort entailed would retard the publication of news in which general interest Is keenest. Doubtless the Socialists themselves, as a rule, are more interested the day after election in learning who has suc ceeded than they are in ascertaining the increase in their party's vote, which means nothing so far as immediate election results are concerned. The Socialist vote Is treated the same as that of other minor parties. COMMITTEE HANDLING HUGE TASK Red Croas War Friaooera' Durrnn Re ceive 10,000 to 13,000 Letters Daily. The international committee for the Red Cross, whose headquarters are at Geneva, Switzerland, has inaugurated its second half-century of activity by the creation of a service of which the very development indicates Its abso lute necessity. During this gigantic war, countless numbers of soldiers, wounded or well, are taken away into the land of iue enemy from where they are unable to send any communication to their families and friends. The handling of such a problem came once up for discussion at The Hague in 1907 and it was finally decided in Washington in 1912 that the International Red Cross should be Intrusted with the execution of a task of this description. The central committee of the Red Cross has thus become an official mediator between the prisoners of the different belligerent nations and their families. Whether they be of French, German, Belgian, British, Russian, Austrian or Servian nationality, there are everywhere families who are anx ious for their dear ones and to them must be extended a helping hand. The idea of an international bureau for the prisoners of war has quickly gained an enormous importance. It was modestly started in the Rue d'Athenee with a voluntary staff of six persons, but very soon it had to add to its premises and the help was also Increased. As soon as the exist ence of the bureau became known in Europe, the Incoming mail increased in appalling fashion and the com mittee saw Itself obliged to ask the administration of the City of Geneva to place some more spacious premises at its disposal. On October 12 the recently renovated Museum Rath was consequently turned over to the ener getic committee whose staff of volun tary workers has actually been in creased to 250 personal but even this army of helpers cannot keep pace with the inpouring work, which includes now daily from 250 to 300 verbal, in quiries, 10,000 to 15,000 letters and 2000 to 3000 telegrams. The bureau sends every day 4u0 to 500 letters with In formation to the families of the pris oners, also 400 to 800 money orders. It forwards from 2000 to 3000 letters and 200 to 300 money orders, with a total of about Fr. 4000 to Fr. 500C. All inquiries for information are en tered and classified in alphabetical order. An official request for particu lars is then sent to the country which detains the prisoner and as soon as the answer arrives the same is for warded to the families concerned. Many inquiries are, of course, made without any results, the reason being that the person in question has either disappeared or that the information service of the country which has been interrogated Is not sufficiently well organized. Mr. Gustave Odor, one of the most distinguished politicians and orator in Switzerland, Is the president of the international committee of the Red Cross ' and he directs this enormous undertaking with his usual brilliant competence and his wonderful insight into affairs. Twenty-Five Years Ago From The Oregonlan, November 16. 1SS9. New York A private cable from Rio Janeiro says a revolution has broken out in Brazil and that a Republic prob ably will result If the revolution is successful. The Ministry has resigned. London Annie Besant. who was a candidate for membership in the Lon don School Board, brought action for libel against Rev. Hoskyne, recorder of the church In Shepney, who, the plain tiff alleged, at the time of tne election issued a pamphlet in which he asserted that the plaintiff regarded "chasiy as a crime and unbridled sensuality a vir tue." The Judge summed up strongly against the plaintiff and the jury dis agreed. Washington Henry Cabot Lodge be lieves that Reed will be elected speaker of the House, San Francisco Will B. Hopkins who was recently married to Miss Jennie M. Whiteside at Tacoma. and who is said to have eloped from this city with the bride, is the son of S. D. Hopkins for many years president of the Fire men's Fund Insurance Company. Messrs. Green, Sewell, Buchanan and I. R. Dawson have just completed build ing new sidewalks three feet wide in front of their homes .on Hawthorne avenue. A. C. Sheldon, general passenger agent of the Burlington route, has ap pointed H. C. Eckenburger contracting freight agent for this city. Charles Saulsbury died at St. Vin cent's Hospital yesterday. Mrs. George W. Langford, plaintiff In the celebrated Langf ord-Jones dam age suit, was at the point of death late last night. Her sister from New York is in constant attendance at the bed side. Dr. D. IL Rand will pay ,20 for the arrest and conviction of the person who on Wednesday night destroyed his sign at Second and Ash streets. Carlton C. Crane, local passenger agent of the Vanderbilt system has re ceived a message from San Francisco saying the Vanderbilt party was much pleased with their recent stay in Port land. The Camera Club held a meeting last night. Among those present were V. W. Bretherton, president; and Ed Nor ton, secretary. Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland. two newspaper women, rivals In their professions, are on a race around the world, each going in the opposite direc tion. Nellie Bly has undertaken to do it in 75 days and Miss Bisland will try to po her three days better and do It in 72. She started from San Francisco on 15 minutes' notice. Jessie Oaks, Helen Baldwin, and Kittie O'Brien, women bicyclists of fame reached Portland yesterday. Half a Century Ago From The Oregonlan November 17, 1804. The annual election of officers of the People's Transportation Company will be held in Salem December 1. The call for tne meeting is signed by David McCully, president, and S. T. Church, secretary. D. W. Williams & Co. are advertis ing 000 barrels of island sugar, brought on the bark Cambridge. Joel Palmer, president, and John K. Miller, director of the Columbia River Road Company, have announced that the road to Dalles City is available for the travel of stock. There is a good ferry on Dog River tnd one on Sandy River. New York The World, Democratic authority, admits that the party is beaten both on the Presidential vote and for Governor. Seymour, there fore, will not be the Governor much longer. T. B. Russell, of Salem, Mass.. has manufactured a smoking automaton the figure of a man. seated in a chair who smokes a cigar with all the ease of a human being. The man's vitals are made of machinery, bellows and India rubber pipe. Thomas Hoover and Miss Mary J. Chambers, of Washington County, were married by Rev. II. Lyman October IS and the notice has just been given. A majority of the incorporators of the Willamette Railroad Company met last night and it was decided to open books for stock subscriptions of lands and money on both sides of the river and the construction of the road will be in accordance with the greatest lib erality of the people, in their respective localities. Funds were assured for the preliminary canvass and to place the beginning of the work on a sure basis. Those present at the meeting were Governor Gibbs, Captain J. C. Ains worth, W. S. Ladd. H. W. Corbett, Charles M. Carter, Colonel G. H. Belden and S. Ellsworth. Messrs. Ladd & Tiltoh have fitted up new banking quarters on Stark and Front streets. Governor Gibbs has issued a procla mation calling for one regiment of in fantry in adidtion to the volunteers now in the service or of the United States. The regiment will be known as the First Infantry. Oregon Volun teers. Keeping; "Tab" "on a Boarder. London Tit Bits. Sandy Shiftit had been paying S4 a week for his board. His appetite con stantly increased until finally his land lady saw that she must either sell out and quit or raise her boarder's rate. One day after watching him feverishly devour plateful after plateful, she picked up courage and said: "Mr. Shiftit, 1 shall have to raise your board to $5." Sandy looked up with a start. "Oh, Mrs. Small, don't!" said he, in a tone of consternation. "It's as much as I can do now to eat J 4 worth!" Bryan Thrice Candidate. GOODNOE HILLS, Wash.. Nov. 16. (To the Editor.) (1) Kindly inform me did William Jennings Bryan run for President three times or not. (2) Also, what was the electoral vote given Wilson, Taft and Roosevelt In last Presidential election? SUBSCRIBER. 1. Mr. Bryan was Democratic can didate for President in 1896, 1900 and 1908. 2. Wilson. 135; Taft, 8; Roose velt, 88. Manufacturers This Is Important A shoe of national reputation had been a large user of so-called national mediums. A year ago it transferred Its ac counts to the newspapers. The result was a wider distribu tion, better co-operation from deal ers, and a very large increase in sales. This year it Is increasing its newspaper appropriation.