6
TTTE 3IOHNIXG OREGOmX SATURDAY", DECEMBER 12, 1014. "
POBT1AJTD, OBEOON.
Entered 'at Portland, Oregon, Fostofflea
second-class ma!ur.
Subscription Rate Invariably In Advance:
(By MalL) -IJLTlly.
Sunday Included, one year. ...... -S8-O0'
aiiy. Sunday Included, six months. . . 4.5
Iaily, Sunday Included, three montha.... 2.
Xaliy, Sunday Included, one montb
Ially, without Sunday, one year.. ....... -"9
JjaSly, without Sunday, six moutbi.
laily, without Sunday, three month.... !-
Pally, without Sunday, one month...... .JO
"Weekly, one year 1.0O
Sunday, one year ,,'77,
fcunday and "Weekly, one year. au
(By Carrier.)
Dally, Sunda- Included, one year. ......
lally, Sunday included, one montb '
How to Kemlt Send Poetoftlce money or
Ser, express order or personal check on your
local bank. Stamps, coin or currency axe at
sender'a risk. Olve postofxlca address in full,
including; county and state.
Postage Kate 12 to i pases, 1 cent; is
to 32 pages. 2 cents; 4 to 48 pases, 8 cents;
tO to Ut) pages, 4 cents; 62 to 76 pases, o
cents; 18 to V2 pages. 6 cents. Foreign post
age, double rates.
Eastern Business Office Verree Conk
11 n. New York, Brunswick building; Chl
fr&ao, Stonger building.
baa Francisco Office R. J. Bldwell Com
etany. 142 Market atreet.
POBTM.ND, (SATLKDAY, DEC, 12, 1814.
OUT THE KNOT.
. The suggestion made at the com
' tnonwealth conference at Eugene that
; centralization of authority and con
solidation of departments In the state
' government await a survey by a duly
appointed commission is doubtless a
popular one among the officeholders
and the officeseekers. But hardly
anywhere else will It be received with
; favor.
A majority of the "members of the
Legislature were elected on a definite
pledge to promote economy and many
of them have specifically promised to
briny about abolishment of needless
offices. The state government is top
heavy, complicated and costly.
Changes have been proposed, the mer
its of which are perfectly obvious. It
Js even better to incur the danger of
going too far than to ignore pledges
and the public demand for immediate
reform.
j If an investigating commission we
j must have, let us have it now. There
, is no necessity to await formal author
ity by the Legislature and postpone
action for another two years. There
are public-spirited men who have al
ready studied the problem and are
doubtless willing to devote time to
conferences with each other and to
the work of formulating a report. Sen
ator I. N". Day, Professor F. G. Young
and doubtless others have given the
i matter much thought. Governor-elect
"Withycombe could do no greater serv
ice for the state at this time than to
' invite them to consult with each other
,' and submit their ideas to the Legisla
ture in a formal way.
At the commonwealth conference
Thursday Professor Young delivered
an address on the subject which is
worth more than casual notice. Pro
fessor Young suggested repeal of all
continuing appropriations, excepting
therefrom the millage tax appropria
tions levied for the maintenance of
the Agricultural College and Univer
sity; the abolishment of the open
maintenance of departments by the
fee system; the inauguration of a com
plete budget plan extending to every
department and the elimination of
certain needless reports. His plan for.
consolidation of departments may be
condensed as follows:
The University, Agricultural College
and State Normal should be placed
under direction of one board of re
gents of not more than seven mem
bers, one of whom should be the Su
perintendent of Public Instruction.
The Governor's private secretary
should also act as clerk of the State
Land Board and as secretary of the
Board of Control.
The duties of the Insurance and
Corporation Commissioners should be
performed by department clerks in
the office of the Secretary of State.
The existing bureaus of Labor Com
missioner, Industrial Accident Com
mission, Industrial "Welfare Commis
sion and Board of Inspectors of Child
Labor should be consolidated and the
present Labor 'Commissioner made a
member of the consolidated board for
the full term of four years.
The offices of State Forester, Fish
and Game Commission, Game "Warden
and Master Fish Warden should be
merged and be under one head.
The State Engineer should have
charge of all engineering projects and
take over the duties of the Highway
Engineer.
The State Printer should perform
the duties of secretary of the State
Printing Board and act as foreman of
the office, thus dispensing with two
salaried positions.
The office of State Bank Examiner
should be made a department under
the State Treasurer to save overhead
expenses.
A department of agriculture should
; be created and a director appointed
' by the Board of Control, taking over
the work of all boards and commis
sions having to do with agriculture
, and farm products, and also assuming
. the duties of State Immigration Agent
and State Conservation Commission.
A department of health should bo
created composed of the State Health
Officer and the superintendents of the
two asylums for the insane. The Ore
go. Social Hygiene Society, Board of
Barber Examiners, Board of Graduate
Nurse Examiners, Board of Dental
Examiners, Board of Optometry Ex
aminers, Board of Pharmacy and
Board of Medical Examiners should
be bureaus under the Board of Health
thus created, and the State Biologist
and State Bacteriologist placed under
the same direction. The Board of
Health should also have charge of the
tuberculosis hospital.
'The Railroad Commission should be
given Jurisdiction over the depart
ment of weights and measures, the
work of the State Tax Commission and
the Board of Portage Railroad Com
missioners. The bureau of mines should be done
, away with and its work taken over by
the department of mines and geology
at the Agricultural College.
The work of the Pure Seed Board
should be turned over to the Agricul
tural College.
The State Superintendent, the presi
dent of the University and the presi
dent of the Agricultural College should
constitute the State Board of Educa
tion, and perform also the duties of
the Board of Text Book Commission
ers and Board of Higher Curricula.
The Board for Licensing Sailors'
Boarding Houses and the Board of
Pilot Commissioners should be abol-
ished.
Professor Young does not himself
claim that his plan is original or per
. feet. Yet we think It offers some ex
cellent suggestions, and, moreover, its
mere recital reveals the multiplicity
of boards and commissions with which
the state is burdened. Some of the
- changes proposed do not- even need
discussion, much less the slow and
" ponderous investigation of a legisla
tive commission. There are numerous
plain roads to reform in the conduct
of the state government. The people
expect the Legislature to tread them
firmly. To do nothing- on the theory
that a formal survey is first needed
would be pure evasion of a plain duty.
BS" A MAJORITY OF OSE.
The curious reversal by the county
budget committee of its previous rec
ommendation that John B. ' Yeon be
retained as county roadmaster calls
for explanation. What - influences
have been at work to bring about thiB
change? Why should a decision that
met the unanimous support of the
budget committee be upset in a night?
The new decision of the budget
committee by a vote of three to
two is, - to be sure, not final, nor
even binding upon the County Com
missioners. But that it may be, and
perhaps will be, used to support ac
tion the Board desires to take, and
will take if it feels that it can, is
obvious enough. The duty rests with
the Board as to what shall be done
with Mr. Yeon. But the budget com
mittee, nevertheless, assumes a heavy
responsibility when it seeks to clear
the way for the Commissioners to get
rid of the roadmaster.
The Oregonian gives its distinct ap
proval to the plan to retain Mr. Yeon
aa county roadmaster, with supervi
sion over all the county roads, and
not merely over the Columbia high
way. It thinks the. public over
whelmingly desires his retention. If
he shall be removed, or his authority
shall be limited, it will be hard for
the Board of Commissioners to Justify
its action.
MR. WILSON ON RURAL CREDITS.
Touching upon the important sub
ject of rural credits President Wilson
said in his message, "It is a matter of
deeD regret that the difficulties of the
subject have' seemed to render it im
possible to complete a bill for passage
at this session." A very large number
of intelligent people will join with the
President in this expression of regret
and some of them will wonder what
are the Insuperable difficulties to
which he refers. Possibly suspicions
may arise in some minds that the one
great difficulty Is the fear of offend
ing those "interests" to whom an ade
quate system of rural credits would
be repugnant.
No doubt there are obstacles in the
way of providing rural credits for our
farmers. There are obstacles in the
way of almost every beneficial
measure. But it is the business of
true statesmen to overcome such ob
stacles, not to lie down weakly before
them and make no effort at all.
Rural credits have been established in
Europe and are working well in sev
eral countries in one form or an
other. The need for something of
the kind is pressing in the United
States.
We repeat that the country will Join
President Wilson in regretting that
the problem cannot be attacked at
present. Everybody iwill hope that he
has something -more beneficial and
important on hand and will wonder
what it can possibly be.
ONLY WASTE COJTDEMENKD.
Mr. Gill has submitted an interest
ing communication on the number of
anglers and hunters in Oregon who
buy licenses, travel on transportation
lines and pay hotel bills. But he
overlooks the sole and only criticism
The Oregonian has offered. That
criticism is that on their face the
expenditures from the game-protection
fund reveal an apparent waste of
money.
In 1913 there was expended from
the fund J140.496. This is $84,000
more than was expended in 1911 and
nearly $100,000 more than was ex
pended in 1910. The Oregonian does
not believe that the sportsmen thenv
selves have had value received for
their license money In actual improve
ment of hunting and angling possi
bilities. The sole contention is that the
game-protection fund shall not be
wasted simply because it is collected
and the law says it may be expended
We can conceive of no reason why
the anglers and sportsmen should op
pose a diversion to legitimate use of
such portion of the money they con
tribute that is not needed for game
protection and game propagation.
That is all thatinybody asks.
BUT DO THEY MEAN" ITT
There is a question whether Wilson
and Bryan mean business in their
latest stand against "sniping" from
Mexican trenches. With scores of
Americans dead or maimed from
months of uninterrupted firing on
Americans on American soil, the Ad
ministration appears to heed the ris
ing tide of American indignation over
un-American policies of the past. It
sends three batteries of artillery to
the scene of greatest trouble at Naco
and announces that firing on Ameri
can soil from Mexican trenches must
cease.
With the artillery on the scene and
with ample troops at hand to mas
ter the situation, the Administration
then proceeds to effect another de
lay. Yesterday shrapnel burst on
American soil and bullets fell thick
and fast from the Mexican trenches,
according to the dispatches. Did the
soldiers act? They did not. It would
have been worth the commission of
any officer who had replied to the
fire.
The Administration had a new ex
cuse for delay. It would notify the
chiefs at Mexico City and elsewhere
to warn the combatants at Naco. It
was admitted that this might cause
a delay of several days. But delay
In carrying out a drastic order is ex
actly what the Wilson Administration
has continually sought. We shall be
very much surprised if the soldiers
are permitted to stop the "sniping"
of Americans, provided the Mexicans
do not see fit to heed the warning.
Leave it to the Administration to find
some way out of doing anything.
IOOK OCT FOB SPOILSMEN.
The short session of Congress offers
peculiar opportunities to spoilsmen. In
the effort to pass general legislation
Congress usually crowds final action
on appropriation bills into the last
week or two of the session and acts in
a hurry. That 13 when the spoilsmen
do their work. They "sneak in" riders
which exclude certain classes of Gov
ernment employes from the merit sys
tem and they insert items of bad odor
in appropriations. . The leaders, in
haste to dispose of the bills and in
fear of a filibuster, submit to a hold
up and the pernicious scheme wins.
Many members were defeated at the
last election, and, having no political
future to consider, have their last
chance at the public grab-bag. They
have deferred political debts to pay,
friends and relatives to take care of at
the publlo expense, and they lie In
wait like the coyote around the sheep.
The present Congress has already
shown its greed for spoils by excluding
income tax employes, deputy collect
ors, deputy marshals and commercial
attaches from the merit system. There
is danger that it will attempt further
raids. The best hope of foiling it rests
in the President. He has had the ex
cuse for winking at former raids that
he needed the aid of the raiders in
carrying through the important meas
ures by which he wished his Admin
istration to be Judged. This excuse
has lost much of its force, and the
President would be safe in setting his
face against the spoilsmen. Nothing
can be more important than honesty
and efficiency in the public service,
and - nothing is more destructive to
these qualities than the spoils system.
Mr. Wilson condemned pernicious
riders to appropriations before he be
came President. He now has an op
portunity to prove his sincerity.
NEW NOVELS.
There has been a great sale of
books on the European situation since
the war broke out, but it does not
seem to have diminished the call for
novels a great deal. Most of us must
have our fiction whatever betide.
The New York Evening Post prints
a list of 300 selected books which have
appeared during the year and novels
occupy their usual place at the
head of it Mary Johnston enters
with a new historical story, which
she calls "The Witch," dealing with
the times of Queen Elizabeth. It is
said to be well up to her average of
merit and will please her great group
of readers. George Barr McCutcheon
enriches literature with another of
his "Graustark" tales. In fact few
of the old favorites have allowed their
pens to rust in idleness. There is
also a volume of stories translated
from Gorky's Russian.
Perhps the most promising of all
the fiction is the Countess von Arnim's
new novel, "The Pastor's Wife,"
which takes up the deplorable situa
tion of the' German Hausfrau from
the femininist point of view. The
countess la known to everybody as
the benign inventor of "Elizabeth and
Her German Garden."
THE PCBJJC IXBRARl'.
Time withers not the activities of
the Portland Public Library. They
only grow all the more vigorous and
pervasive with age. During the year
just passed a number of new deposit
stations have been opened and all the
old ones, to say nothing of the central
library Itself, have been Industriously
used by the public. It is interesting
to notice from Miss Isom's annual re
port that the outlying deposit stations
have circulated almost twice as many
books as the big heart of the system.
They have lent 800,000 volumes and
more. The central library must con
tent itself wich the comparatively
modest figure of 484,000. Together
they have supplied those mythical be
ings, the average readers, with some
what more than four and a half vol
umes per capita this last year. Which
proves, we may add, that Portland is
quite a literary town. The library
possesses about 200,000 volumes which
have been thriftily loaned times
enough to come to 1,200,000. The li
brary operates like a bank, loaning
its funds over and over again so that
a little goes a long way. .Each vol
ume has been borrowed upon the ave
rage six times.
- But this average, like all other fig
ures of the sort, needs interpretation.
We must not fondly believe that Gib
bons' Rome has been read as often as
Dickens' Pickwick. The chances are
that the novels in the library have
contributed by far the largest propor
tion of the fine showing which it
makes. This is true in spite of the
heroic efforts the authorities make to
discourage the rage for fiction and
build up a taste for more solid read
ing. But the mere laity need waste
few or no tears over the prevalent
appetite for novels. Most of them are
harmless and' a few are positively
beneficial. People in general learn
more history, science, biography and
philosophy out of novels than from
any other source. Some would learn
nothing at all if it were not for the
fascinations of fiction. The current
novel is usually enriched with scat
tered tidbits of science, art and psy
chology which preserve it from com
plete inanity. So we need not grieve
because the populace love fiction. It
is a great deal better than loving noth
ing.
One of the finest utilities of the
public library is its hospitality to free
speech. Its halls, where meetings may
be held without money and without
price, are sufficiently numerous, and
they are almost constantly engaged.
Last year there were 364 lectures de
livered in the various rooms of the
library building, while there were also
1220 meetings of the nature of clubs
and committees. This is grand. It
shows that the library is performing
one noble public duty extraordinarily
well. In a democratic community
there is no other single factor for
safety and sanity that can begin to
compare with unhampered freedom of
expression. The lectures were attended
by 94,000 listeners, which demon
strates that some of them at least
were as popular as could be expected
for rarlfied literary feasts.
THE COMMUNITY SING.
The plans for the community sing
on December 29 are extensive and
happily devised. The singing groups
which have been developing in the
public schools are to be drawn upon
for leaders In the big public enter
tainment. It is expected that their
practice will render them efficient for
this duty and that the public, with
a goodly number of competent singers
to lure them on, will respond with
heart and voice. With the singing
there is to be an instrumental con
cert. Diversity is as excellent in
music as in farming. It is well to
try to please all tastes. Those who do
not care for the old songs and the
new ones can delight their souls by
listening to the band when the voices
are silent.
The city is to help in this worthy
project. The municipal brain has
learned the civilizing power of music
and is going to take part ire provid
ing an Ideal programme. We can
think of no better work to occupy our
officials along about Christmas time
when everybody has turned virtuous
and there is no other use for police
and Mayor, except to help make the
world melodious.
Of course the best part of the pro
gramme will be the congregational
singing when every good citizen lifts
up his voice and makes a joyful noise
before the Lord. To facilitate this
enlivening exercise the songs are to
be printed on leaflets so that all may
know what the words are and every
body sing the same verse. When dif
ferent parts of the congregation sing
different lines it somewhat Jars upon
hypersensitive ears. ..It would be an
excellent plan to distribute some of
the leaflets before the sing takes
place. The great public might then
be learning the words and getting
the hang of the tunes. Some elderly
men . sing a great deal better after
they have partially learned the tune.
Nobody expects them to learn all of
it. That Is left to the professionals.
A word or two ought perhaps to be
said about Mr. Eaton, of Lane County,
and his little effort to be Speaker of
the House at the next Legislature. Mr.
Eaton is sending letters to the state
press exploiting his grievances against
The Oregonian and other Portland"
papers, which, he says, have refused
to print his side of the controversy.
The Oregonian cannot speak for other
newspapers, but for itself it appears
well enough to say that it has. stated
the facts about the Speakership cam
paign as they developed. That is all.
Mr. Eaton was invited to make a state
ment for publication In The Orego
nian, and he sought to abuse the priv
ilege by submitting a mass of false,
trivial and irrelevant matter which no
self-respecting newspaper could have
deemed worthy to print. The Orego
nian will be patient with Mr. Eaton,
whose disappointment may be natural,
but whose resentment is not at all
warrantable. He is doing no service
to the county he represents by his silly
course. - -
Twelve years ago Louisiana pro
duced 450,000 boxes of oranges an
nually. For some reason the indus
try languished until recently, but now
It is reviving. This year the state
sends out 600,000 boxes of citrus fruit.
Louisiana is well adapted to orange
growing, and as sugar becomes less
profitable the fruitful groves are
likely to multiply. Will this make
oranges cheaper?
Lumber la becoming such a drug in
the market that the necessity for pre
serving forests, except to protect soil
and stream-flow, is diminishing, yet
Secretary Houston proposes to increase
the reserved area in a roundabout way
of classifying timbered land outside of
National forests.
What a shudder of horror would go
through the frame of the Secretary of
State if General Bliss were actually to
shoot some Mexicans. The killing of
two Iowa women by Mexicans is to
him of no consequence, but the killing
of Mexicans by Americans would be
terrible.
The Russians are adapting their
Manchurian tactics to Poland. They
change front and advance. They aban
don cities for strategic reasons, one of
which is that the Germans are prod
ding them.
It took a Walla Walla Jury Just
one minute to reach a verdict In an
important case. You see, they
couldn't afford to lose too much time
from their Christmas shopping.
A shipment of vowels to Insert be
tween the consonants of Polish names
would be timely and should not be
contraband of war. A good-sized car
go is needed.
British Columbia Hindus are or
ganizing for service at the front
What is the matter with sending
a few native Canadians to the front.
Lay in more fuel. An old Indian on
the Chehalis River says this will be
the coldest Winter on record and
bases prediction on action of the fish.
Big insurance c o m p a-n 1 e s place
themselves on record as favoring
larger Insurance policies by American
families. How very radical.
Secretary Daniels admits that our
Coast is vulnerable. What! Are con
ddtlons so bad -that even Secretary
Daniels recognizes the fact?
That (was a narrow escape from seri-
dus disaster in the Irvington School
It is well there shall bo no more af
fairs of the kind.
In the French and Flanders fighting
areas it continues to be a military
football game with the gains num.
bered in yards.
The Pacific Coast is not wholly de
fenseless. As -Secretary Daniels says.
there is the old Oregon. She is de
pendable.
As to Senator Works' plan to have
all aid withheld from European com
batants, he forgets that we are still
human.
The Kaiser says he Is ready for a
Christmas truce. We Imagine the
plan ought to suit the Russians fairly
well.
The people of Dover, England, seem
to have had "an" attack of nerves'
which produced visions of submarines.
It's a safe bet, though, that the
American artillerymen "will not be
permitted to fire on the Mexicans.
First one side wins a great victory.
then the other. After which the
process is repeated ad infinitum.
The whole country lies under a cold
blanket. Even in California a man
froze to death in a snow storm.
Three hundred thousand French
youths of 19 and 20 are training for
the sacrifice in the Spring.
Monday is Prosperity day. Make a
noise at 10 o'clock by buying some
thing made in Oregon.
According to figures given, the City
Pound is the most profitable line of
municipal endeavor. -
There is nothing Just as good as
contraband game. Therefore the
chance is taken.
The German and British fleets at
the bottom are now about equal In
size.
China, not having had a revolution
for about a year, is brewing one.
Another peremptory note sent to
the Mexicans. It is to laugh.
Carnegie opposes a Christmas truce.
Of course that settles it.
Old Neptune is now harboring quite
a large German colony.
Take the children to see the numer
ous Santa Clauses.
The show windows are marvels of
artistic display.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonian. December 12, ISM.
J. A Chapman. M. 13., late of the
UDited States Army Medical Corps, and
William H. Watkins. M. D., late of the
First Oregon Cavalry, have returned
and have offices at the corner ot
Washington and Front streets.
The Commissioners of Multnomah
County have offered a bounty of $50
for every man who enlists for the pur
pose of getting the full quota In the
new regiment.
At the charter election held In Salem,
December 6, John Q. Wilson was elect
ed Mayor, P. L. Willis, Recorder, and
W. 8. Barker, Marshal.
The board of delegates of the Port
land Fire Department will meet in the
Council chamber December 12 at V
o'clock for the regular annual meet
ing. Delegates are requested to be
present, as business of importance will
be discussed.
Sheriff Jacob Stitzel is conducting
several sales this week.
The last Legislature having passed
law making the Sheriff the county
and state tax collector. Sheriff Stitzel
announces that he will start on his
rounds of the city for the payment of
all taxes, which must be paid by the
first day of February of each year, rl
has been at the voting places at Fast
Portland, at Multnomah and at W ll-
lamette, and he will be at Sandy to
day; at Powell Valley, December 13;
at St. Johns. December 14; at Sauvles'
Island. December 15. and at North
Portland, December 16.
DANG KR IS SEEN 13,
MILITARISM.
Assuming It la Proposed for U. S
MX.
Lunatrui Names Its Evils.
ELLENSBURG, Wash., Dec 10. (To
the Editor.) In your rebuttal to my
last communication you state that I
ignore the fact that militarism is for
eign and impossible in a democracy. I
do not ignore it. I deny it. The most
powerful and conquering government
this world has seen was a republic.
The very word king, not merely "the
divine right of kings," was hateful to
them. That France and Switzerland
arm for defense only is true, but they
are not growing nations. Neither it
England. There are but two nations
in Europe that have not yet reached
their prime Germany and Russia.
That the United States should escape
the law that growing nations enter
upon a period of conquest, shown forth
by history, if they arm to a largeex-
tent, is at least fatuous. But we are
always prone to think ourselves excep
tions.
To Instil into the coming generation
the necessity for arms, and interest
them in the complicated engines of de
struction, as the airship, the dread
nought, the submarine, and yet to ex
pect it to be peace-loving, convicts us
of want .of reason and logic. To arm
to a greater extent at this critical
juncture would be a lamentable ex
ample for America to set for the rest
of the world. What we need to do Is to
conserve our resources to help bind up
the wounds of the world, grow food
stuffs, minufacture clothing and help
stem the torrent of destruction; not to
sacriftce still more on the altar of
Mars. For we cannot do both. War
preparations on a large scale will put
kink in even Uncle Sam's great
wealth.
We hear from various sides that the
Kaiser is unjustly blamed for this war
that what he wanted was peace. Peo
ple who get accidentally shot offer as
an excuse that they didn't know the
gun was loaded. The Kaiser sowed
the wind of military defense and 13 now
reaping the whirlwind of war and
ruin. And here, as a little digression.
let me offer: Statistics show that you
run a.bigger chance of shooting your
self with your own weapon, if you
carry one, presumably for defense.
surely not for attack, than of being
shot by a burglar if you do not carry
gun. -.
That the cry for a national defense
is correctly labeled militarism needs
no further proof, for here comes its
champion in America's Kaiser, Theodore
Roosevelt. It begins to look as though
the issue in 1916 will be on this plat
form: "National defense" between Wil
son and Roosevelt. Politics is said to
make strange bedfellows. Wouldn't it
be a joke to see Teddy heralded by the
stand-pat Republican press in 1916 as
"the only one"?
But this issue shall not win. The
country is extremely' fortunate in hav
ing at its head Woodrow Wilson, a man
of peace, at this critical time. We
have gotten a strong boost in the right
direction and though some, like unruly
boys, would like to fight, their will
shall not prevail. Let us . not be in
haste to condemn the waiting policy.
The mills of God are not reputed to
grind fast. Some people have been
killed by our tardiness, yet a far great
er number would be killed by an hostile
occupation. It is important that Mexi
co be shown that we have no evil In
tentions toward her. We certainly
gave her cause to have them when in
our last war with her we sheared her
of half her territory. To whip some
one for their own good was the doctrine
of the middle ages, when the "star
chamber" and the "inquisition" were
supreme. We are living in the 20th
century and, though wne-half of the
world has suffered a relapse Into the
12th and 13th, we can best help them
by keeping true to the standards of
our day. NEL3 LUNSTRUM.
Mr. Lunstrum, like the President,
demolishes a straw man. There is no
suggestion that the United States em
bark on an armament policy such as
France and Germany adopted. No sug
gestion of a nation trained to arms has
been made. It is not proposed that this
country "arm to a large extent."
MT FATHER'S GOOD ADVICE TO ME
A Dissertation Ons Are We Americans
Quitters?
"Still Jim," by Honore Willsie, in
Everybody's.
"My father said to me, "Jimmy, never
make excuses. It's always too late for
excuses."
He said, "A liar is a first cousin to a
skunk. There isn't a worse coward than
a liar."
He said to me, "Don't bellyache;
stand up to your troubles like a man."
My father said, "Hang to what you
undertake like a hound to a warm
scent."
He said to me, "Life is made up of
obeying. What you don't learn from
me about that the world will kick into
you. The Btars themselves obey a law.
God must hate a lawbreaker."
My father sakl, "Somehow we Amer
icans are quitters.'
My mother said my father said. "I
want Jimmy to go through college. I
want him to marry young and have a
big family."
The thing my father said to me
oftenest lately was, "Jimmy, be clean
about women. Some day you will know
what I mean when I say that sex is
energy. Keep yourself clean for your
life work and your wife and children."
Blanc Is Fixed.
PORTLAND, Dec. 11. (To the Editor.)
The writer of the editorial in the
Portland Journal, December 8, anent
Colonel Roosevelt's - indictment of
President Wilson and Secretary Bryan,
seems to have missed the point. Let
us look this matter squarely in the
face. If Colonel Roosevelt's indictment
is true, Wilson's and Bryan's hands
are stained with the blood, the life
blood, of priests and nuns. All the
perfumes of Arabia will not wash
awav that blood from their lily white
hands. J. H. BLACK.
64 East Eleventh street.
MONEY BENEFITS COME FROM GAME
Mr. GUI Makes Estimate of What
Sportsaiea Spend la Season.
PORTLAND, Dec 11. (To the Edi
tor.) More than 10300 anglers in
Multnomah County paid $1 each in
1914, and In 1913 11,607 anglers of
this county paid $11,607 for fishing
icenses. Many " thousand hunters in
this county during the last five years
paid yearly the same aggregate sum
for shooting licenses. Throughout the
state the aggregate received for these
nuntlng and angling licenses for 1914
was ?ius.s0u.
Many men take out licenses for both
hunting and angling, but surely more
man tou.uoo individuals are Included
among this great number who con
tribute the total.
Doubtless manv thousand! sf rhAsn
do not catch a fish or shoot a bird
yearly, but thousands make coed use
of their privileges.
lo hsh. for trout or hunt dunk, or
pheasants in Portland is out of the
question; so from this city alone, for
half the year at least, more than 1000
anglers go weekly on trips which cost
for transportation an average of $1 or
more. During the Autumn and Winter
their member is decreased, but the
hunters nearly make up the shortage.
Increase the sums paid for licenses
fourfold and you will fall short of the
sum paid for transportation alone; say
for the state $250,000. Hotels and
other stopping-places receive, nearly as
large a sum from these sportsmen. It
is almost lpcrseUble that 23,000 men
and boys In Portland .should have the
dollar or the faith to produce such
sum, but many -men keep cogs and love
mem, ana pay their licenses, and
comply with ordinances for muzzling
tnem. The state is taxed for scientific
examinations for rabies, for time spent
by the Legislature in discussing
licenses and other dog laws, and other
costs.
xen times as much money is ap
propriated for the supervision of the
livestock of the state, and in the many
attendant expenses for the anglers
and hunters' cost to the general public
And If wisely expended the appropria
tion for livestock is well bestowed. The
fisherman pays his part of that, tax
wnnouc a murmur.
The $40,000 appropriated for bounties
upon predatory animals could as rea
sonably be charged againot the State
Board of Dentistry . as against the
sportsmen. It was appropriated to
protect poultry and lambs, as every
body knows.
Can it be possible the Oregon census
was 600.000 short? If not. then half
of our adult male population of military
age must be licensed anglers or
hunters. Those who hunt are presum
ably marksmen, and their value must
be greatly enhanced as military
resources for the state. It was the
skillful -marksmen of Colonial times
that made the armies of raw levies
formidable opponents of well-drilled
Hessians who did not know how to
shoot.
And if one In three of our males
above 18 Is a sportsman, and pays the
legal license, from which fund, alone
the propagation, policing and all other
costs of the fish and game commis
sion are paid, it is not to be wondered
at that there is a lively interest in
this subject. Half the members of
our Legislature doubtless are licenti
ates (in this sense).
The handsome fund paid for licenses
has been a temptation for some time.
It would be very nice, indeed, to use
even a moiety of it for some other
purpose than that for which it was
paid and is solely meant. To attempt
any such ulterior use of this money
or any part of it will be let us say
inadvisable at the present time.
A very large proportion of the
anglers', fund has found its way Into
the expense of the commercial fisheries
and since these Interests overlap, in
some degree, the anglers have paid
cheerfully. They know that the in
crease of our commercial fisheries is
so important that a few thousand
dollars of the anglers' fund may be
Wisely spared to that end.
When Secretary Redfield was in
Portland last SDriner he told the Co
lumbia River Packers' Association.
who were entertaining him at a lunch
eon, that the State of Maine received
in 1913 from sportsmen who went
thither from all parts of the United
States nearly $20,000,000 in licenses,
fares, guide hire, etc This pleasant
fad, this whim, this annoying subject
of legislation as you describe it, thus
produces annually for .Maine a sum
five times greater than the annual
value of all Oregon's fisheries; yet
Maine had the product of its fisheries
to add to this great revenue from
sport; and we hope the determined
efforts of the- Sportsmen's League and
the anglers' clubs of our state may do
much to repopulate our rivers and
lakes with fish for our own pleasure,
for the attraction of sportsmen from
abroad, and for the filling of many
million more salmon cans annually.
The "few" sportsmen are not nig
gardly " fellows. They give away five
game birds - for every one they eat.
We hope your worship has not been
overlooked.
If game birds and game' fish were
for sale in the markets, still many of
us would be ignorant of the gust and
flavor thereof. It is brooding upon
such privation that makes life seem a
waste. Really pate de fols gras is
not comparable to good -mutton chops.
- One hardly seed read between tho
lines of your article to receive the
impression that game laws, propaga
tion, conservation and the trouble we
give ourselves over these things is not
worth while. I
The "few" sportsmen and anglers
of Portland and the state have a more
buoyant . view of matters, and will
willingly face the cost and trouble for
the end that there shall be more fish
and birds and better sport.
JOHN GILL.
Qaaljflcatlona of Lawyers.
PORTLAND, Dec 11. (To the Edi
tor.) What are the qualifications nec
essary for one to practice law in Ore
gon? Can a layman practice in the
lower courts? - ADVERTISER.
Anyone may practice in the courts of
this state who has successfully passed
the state bar examinations and been
admitted to practice. As a requisite
to taking the examinations, the appli
cant must either have taken the regu
lar three-year course in a law school
or spent three years as a student in a
law office. It is also required that the
applicant be a graduate from some high
school or else pass an examination on
general educational subjects. A layman
may practice in Municipal Court only,
with the permission of the court.
Doubtless It Was.
Kansas City Journal.
A husband and wife ran a freak
show in a certain provincial town, but
unfortunately they quarreled and the
exhibits were equally divided between
them. The wife decided to continue
business as an exhibitor at the old ad
dress, but the husband went on a tour.
After -some years' wandering the
prodigal returned and a reconcilia
tion took place, as the result of which
they became business partners once
more. A few mornings afterward the
people of the neighborhood were sent
into fits of laughter on reading the
following notice in the papers:
"By the return of my husband my
stock of freaks has been permanently
increased."
Change In Aparbneits.
Washington. (D. C.) Star.
"I thought you were going to move
into a more expensive apartment?
"The landlord saved us the trouble.
replied Mrs. Fllmsilt. "He raised the
rent of the one we have been occupy
las."
Twenty-Five Year Ago
From The Oresonlan. December 11. 1SS9.
Johnstown Again has tiiis ill-fated
town been visited by disaster. This
time instead of water it was a cry oC
fire in a theater. Nearly a score of
lives were lost. The cry of fire was
false, and many were trampled to
death Id the Jam through the narrow
stairway, in I'arke's Opera Housev
,-Brooklyn Oliver Johnson, the last
ot the first ureat figures in the aboli
tionists' ranks, died yesterday after
noon in this city. ith the aid of
William Lloyd-Garrison, he organized
the anti-slavery movement in 1822.
B. S. Pague. of the State Weather
Bureau, goes to Forest Grove today to
nstall a complete meteorological out
fit for the college there. It will be
come part of tho. state weather service.
A sketch of the building to be erect
ed by the Hibernian Benevolent Soci
ety at the corner of Washington and
toixth streets has been completed by
the architects, Williams & Williams.
Harvey W. Pearce, of Brooklyn,
head of the Vulcan Saw Works of New
York, is in the city visiting his life
long friend, C. W. Boynton.
The new Grace M. E. Church will be
dedicated Sunday morninc. Rev. Dr.
Ross C. Houghton conducting the serv
ices. H. will be assisted by Rev. E.
W. Caswell. Rev. Dr. G. W. Izer, of
San Francisco, will preach in the even
ing. Invitations have been Issued for the
marriage of Charles F. Leal, cashier
of the Merchants' Bank, of Port Town
send, and Miss Margaret A. Hum
phreys, of Liverpool, England. The
wedding will occur at the residence
of Mr. and Mrs. William A. Wadhams.
343 West Park street, ChrlBtmas eve.
at 8 o'clock.
Tho Granite Mine, of Coeur d'Alene.
of which Mayor De Lashmutt is one
of the principal stockholders, declared
a dividend of $10,000 Monday and paid
the same yesterday.
President Donald Macleay, of the
Board of Trade, has appointed Cap
tain George Pope, E. N. Shurtleff and
W. F. Burrell. a committee to gather
data to provide to our Congressmen
to be used in their efforts to get an
adequate customs house for this city.
PRECEDENT OF SELLING ELECTION
One Other Man Has Served as Presld
ins Officer In Both Houses.
PORTLAND, Dec 11. (To the Edi
tor.) Dipping into the pending con
test for the Speakership no further
than to say that Mr. Selling would
make a most impartial and efficient
presiding officer, his election would
present the second instance in the 55
years of Oregon's history as a state
where any man has been chosen to
serve botn as President of the Senate
and Speaker of the House.
Ex-Governor John Whltaker was
chosen Speaker of the House in 1863
and in the sessions of 1876 and 1878
served as President of the Senate a
distinction that has never been ex
tended to any other man, even Includ
ing the ten - years of our territorial
history.
Very few men have served more than
once as President of the Senate or as
Speaker of the House. James Fay, ot
Jackson County, was President of the
Senate in the sessions of 1870-72 and
John Whitaker in those of 1876-78; C
W. Fulton, in 1893 and in 1901. In this
respect, however, Joseph Simon has
the highest record, as he was Presi
dent of the Senate in 1S89, 1891, 1895
and 1897. I
W. P. Keady is the only man who has
ever been presiding onricer or eitner
houso from two different counties
from Benton in 1885 and Multnomah
in 1893.
Very few men have served a term
In the Senate and then a term in the
House. Among those who have I re
call D. P. Thompson, who waa a Sena
tor in 1868-79 from Clackamas County,
and a Representative from Multnomah
in 1889, and H. B. Miller, who was a
Senator from Josephine in 1887 and a
Representative In 1891 and now Mr.
Selling. Doubtless there are others,
but very few men have had this ex
perience. Several men have served four terms
in the House of Representatives I be
lieve Allen Eaton's recent fifth succes
sive election from Lane County gives
him the state record but Ben Simpson
is the only man who has served in
either house from four different coun
ties, territorial and state history in
cluded. He was a member of the
House from Clackamas in 1860. from
Marion in 1851 and 1852, from Polk in
1862. and from Benton in 1872, each
term in the House and he was always
a scrapper.
These little putcroppings of history
are interesting not only to old-timers
and near old-timers, but it would be
a matter of benefit if such matters, or
those kindred to them, were more fre
quently presented to students in our
public schools. T. T. GEER.
Messengers
of Santa Clajis
A delightful front page in Bril
liant Colors Which Breathe3 the
Spirit of the Yuletide Season.
Christmas la Many Lands.
An illustrated article of how the
merry day is observed in the far
corners of the globe.
Christmas in Camp.
A page article, with many illus
trations, narrating memorable
Christmas days spent by warring:
armies in the field.
Revolutionizing Tarm Methods.
The story of a remarkable agri
cultural movement which is being
spread rapidly throughout the
rural districts of the United States.
Women and "War.
An illustrated acconnt of sorrow
and suffering in the Sultan's do
main. Torpedo Cruisers.
Hudson Maxim describes a new
type of "fighting craft, which he
says will render dreadnoughts ob
solete and gain complete dominion
of the seas.
Winter Campaigning.
A reproduction of three famous
paintings of the Franco-Prussian
war. .
Dolly Dip.
The second appearance of the re
freshing tango maid. A page in
colors, with verse and music.
The Music Lesson.
The tenth in the series of free
piano lessons is in the keys of
E-flat and C-minor.
Tairies' Christmas.
An illustrated story for the chil
dren. Many Oilier Features to Meet
Every Interest.
Order early of your newsdealer.