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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1915)
8 THE MORNING OREGOKTA5T, ' 3IOXD AT, JANUARY 23, 1915. la advance -S.O0 . 4.25 . . . .75 . 6.00 . 3.25 . l.To . W . l.W . 2.50 . 3.50 rOKTLAN'O, OREGON. Entered at Portland, Oregon, Poatofflca second-class matter. SubscripUon Rates Invariably (By Mail.) Tally, Sunday Included, one year Dally, fcunday included, six montba .. Dally, Sunday included, three months Xally, Sunday included, one month Xaly, without Sunday, one year ... Dally, without Sunday, tlx months .. Dally, without Sunday, three months Daily, without Sunday, one month ... "Weekly, one-year ,........ Sunday, one year .............. euuay and Weekly one year ........ (By Carrier.) Dally, Sunday Included, one year $9.00 Dally, Sunday Included, one month . . .75 How to Remit Send Postoftice money or der, express order or personal check on your jocai duir. Biamps, coin or currency ra i sender'a risk. Give postofflce address in full. Including- county and state. Postage Kitten 12 to m cages. 1 cent; 18 to J2 bilges. 3 cants: 24 to naffes. S cents: CO to 60 pares, i .cents; 62 to 7 pages, 6 cents; 78 to V'J pages, tt cents. Foreign post age, doable rates. Eastern Business Office Veres A Conk- lin, .Nsw Tork. Brunswick building; Chloago. lenger building. Kan Franrisre Office R. J. Bldwell Com. pany, 742 Market street. PORTLAND. MONDAY. JANl'ARY tS, 1816. 6TATE CONTROL OF WATER POWER. The Legislature of Oregon has the opportunity to take the lead in a mat ter of vital import to the future not only of this state, but of every public land state. By inviting the other states concerned to join Oregon in appoint ing; delegates to a conference on the conservation bills, it can Bet on foot a movement which may, by wise and persistent effort, break the grip of the reservationists on the resources of the "West and throw them open to devel opment on terms that will ba just to both the Nation and the states. Through the passage of the Ferris (water-power bill and the general land leasing bill by the House and through the amendments made in the former bill by the Senate committee, know clearly against what we have to contend. There is no prospect that either of these bills will be passed by this Congress. It is possible, though not probable that an extra session of the sixty-fourth Congress will be held. On account of that possibility. meeting of the proposed conference early in the Spring is advisable. There Is greater probability, however, that action on the conservation bills will lie postponed to the regular session next December. That allows a valua ble interval for the Western states to marshal their forces for the fight. The Ferris bill impairs state sover eignty by permanently withholding from the states civil jurisdiction and from state taxation large parts of their area without giving the states a full equivalent. The pretended equivalent offered by the bill as it passed the House namely, 60 per cent of the rentals after they have been used in and returned to the rec lamation fund is as Illusory as the fabled pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The Senate committee's amendment giving the states half the revenue from the outset meets this ob jection partly, but not entirely.- for a large part of the state would con tinue to be held by an absentee land lord the Government who has proved singularly incompetent to manaee his estate. Adoption of the leasing policy in place of sale is so radical a new de parture and it so impairs the control of the state over its own territory and Its own citizens that the states should never consent to It unless under it they are put in as good a position in all respects as under the old system. The leasing system is so contrary to the spirit of the enabling- act that it would not stand fire In court. By attempting alone to fix the terms on which water power shall be devel oped, although the Government owns only the power site and the state owns the water, the Government acts like one of two partners, who makes a bargain for the firm without consult ing the other partner. The situation demands that state and Nation shall in some way agree on terms on which they will jointly sell or lease. The re quirement inserted by the Senate com mittee in the Ferris bill, that lessees shall first obtain water rights from the states, does not meet this objec tion. The states might fairly pass laws of their own defining the terms on which they would lease water power or grant water rights. These laws would probably conflict with the Federal law and would result either In two conflicting leases, or more probably. In no power development. If tho states hold out for their rights in this respect. Congress cannot continue to ignore them. Congress proposes to reserve to the Government the right to "recapture" any power plant at the expiration of a liftytJ'ear lease, conceding that right, after itself, to the state or municipal lly. That is another case of the tall trying- to wag the dog. The power site, owned by the Government, Is the tail; the power, owned by the state, is tho dog. The Government already has so much on its hands that it could not efficiently manage a number of scat tared power plants 3000 miles from the seat of government. If any ex- . periment in public ownership of hy dro-electric power is to be made, it should be made by states or munici palities. Let the states try the ex periment If they wish. When power enters into Interstate commerce, it will re subject to Federal regulation, whether developed by a state, a city or a corporation. The Ferris bill contains numerous provisions designed to prevent monop oly of water power, and Congress evinces a grandmotherly fear lest the states, if given sole control, will per mit power to fall Into the hands of monopoly. The fact Is that the West ern states began to tight monopoly long before Uncle Sam lifted a finger against it, and. through their regula tive commlssioins, have converted the big corporations, of which Congress has such dread, into obedient, useful servants. The West is the land of big things, and we recognize that water power Is best developed In big units, but no unit is too big for state con trol. When that control Is effective the Government need not worry, no matter how big is the unit. The Smoot bill, providing that power sites be handed over by the Government to the states under cer tain restrictions. Is worthy of consid eration as an alternative scheme to the Ferris bill. An outline of Its pro visions was published on the editorial page of The Oregonian January 21 Jt more nearly recognizes the rights of the states than any bill yet proposed, bnt it protects the rights of the Gov ernment and -guards against improvi dent handling of the power. Tho points outlined farm the basts of a strong case for the states against the Ferris bill on the grounds of pub lic policy and abstract justice. Since we have good cause to believe that the Constitution is on the side of the states, they need not fear to go Into a light against measures which would go far to reduce them from the posi tion of self-governing states to that of provinces ruled from afar by a benev olent despot through his deputies. IMPRACTICABLE FOB STATE. Practically every legislator has his private business to attend to during the period he is paid to attend to the public business. He can't do justice to both. If either is neg lected, it is bound to be the public business. Until there Is a commission of men select, ed to administer the affairs of the state and nothing else, every legislative session will fall short of the beat and most business-like administration of state affairs. The foregoing Is from the Medford Sun, a newspaper published In a sec tion that is perhaps more jealous than any other in the state of its local rights, privileges and representation. Is the Sun aware that one of the main principles of commission govern ment is abandonment of local repre sentation? When commission govern ment in cities is first adopted this principle is usually accepted without question, but sooner or later there often arise a demand by some spe cific district that it have its own man on the commission. Gratification of the later desire invariably leads to failure of commission government. The Oregonian can see how a com mission truly ejected at large can wisely govern a. city, but it cannot see how a commission can wisely legislate for a state of such area and diversity of needs and resources as Oregon. If elected at large, some districts are bound to suffer. If local representa tion is attempted there will not be enough places to give all localities equal consideration. HOW THE CHINESE EGG CUTS IN. With Mr. Cogswell, who expresses in a letter today satisfaction with the price he receives for fresh eggs in Winter but dissatisfaction with the price paid by storage men for eggs in the Spring, The Oregonian agrees in one particular. Shipments of Chinese eggs during the slack laying season do not have much more effect upon the price of Oregon fresh eggs than would an equal number of lltchl nuts. But on the other hand importations of Chinese eggs do affect the market price of fresh Oregon, eggs in the Spring. The Chinese egg competes solely with storage or Eastern eggs. There Is a sufficient number of oonsumers Who would not use Chinese eggs at any price to maintain the high prices for Oregon fresh eggs during the sea son when production is low. With many persons the fresh egg is a com modity that has no rival. But In the Spring fresh Oregon eggs go into storage. Later on they be come competitors in the market with Chinese eggs if the latter are im ported. The law of supply and de mand is bound to affect the price of storage eggs and the ultimate price to the consumer is reflected in the price paid the producer for the fresh article bought for storage purposes. The bearing of prices by the stor age men may be due- in part to com bination or agreement, but It is cer tainly aided by the admission of i cheap Oriental product that la accept able to those who under other circum stances would use Oregon storage eggs. are revised and bonuses are paid with a view to giving workmen an incen tive to increase output and to save time and material. The amount of scrapped material is reduced and scrap is sold to such advantage that a great industry has grown out of the sale of waste material. What would happen if the National Government were subjected to this acid test Jy efficiency experts? Sup pose a board composed of captains of industry such as Charles M. Schwab, Andrew Carnegie, H. C. Frlck, Will iam M. Wood, Julius Rosenwald, Will lam Vail, were to be organized, with full power to examine the entire ma chinery of our Government and to re port how it could be reorganized with a view to doing the same work with the greatest efficiency. What an end less tale of waste it would tell! What a panic there would be among the drones at Washington and among their political backers! What howls of indignation would go up at the sug gestion that these drones be turned out on a eold world! OTIIER PEOPLE'S MONEY. The provisions of chapter 2S6 of the laws of 1913 are that tho Insurance Commission shall establish In all coun ties of the state a uniform system of acountlng and shall cause the books of each county and of each state depart ment and office expending state money to be audited once each year. The expense of formulating the account- ng system and instructing county offi cers in the use theref Is paid by the state, but the county must buy the books and forms. If the provisions of the law have been carried out, the uni form system is now installed and noth ing more Is needed except such minor additions as new legislation may make necessary. The cost of exporting the state's accounts is borne by the state, but that of experting the- counties' books must be paid by the counties. The act appropriates $10,000 yearly and increases the salary of the Insur ance Commissioner JS00 per annum. A bill repealing this chapter has passed the Senate and is now before the House for consideration. The chief complaint against the law does not concerii.ithe uniform system of accounting. nt the county audit system. As to that, there is widespread protest on the ground that the cost is excessive. According to a statement made by one accountant who under took the work in several counties, the price charged for the work performed was reasonable, but, at the specific in structions of the Insurance Commis sioner, he went into more detail than was necessary. There is the argument in favor-of retaining this law that if the audit of accounts is left to persons employed by the County Courts, the latter may seek a prejudiced report or because of political favoritism employ incompe tent men. It is doubtful, however, if such methods are so prevalent as to make it necessary to turn supervision of the work over to the state. When it leaves county control It encounters that tendency, almost universally prev alent, to be careless in the expendi ture of others' moneyJ That is ex actly what is now charged in the crit icisms of the law. If there is any doubt as to the ad visability of repealing the law, it might be well to inquire whether J10, 000 per annum is a reasonable charge for experting the books of state offi cers and departments, and also whether under the existing voucher and audit system conducted by the Secretary of State it is necessary to expert the books every year. The Oregonian does not believe it is necessary or wholly wise that the em ployment of accountants to audit county books be taken out of the hands of the county and intrusted to a state officer who has no particu lar interest in holding down county expenditures. It would seem that if a reasonably comprehensive schedule were provided and the County Courts required to employ certified public ac countants to report in acordance with such a schedule the ends desired would be gained. TEE SACRIFICE IN HOGS. In the last seven days more than 12,000 hogs have been received at the Portland Union Stockyards. For the corresponding period a year ago the number received was a little more than 5000 and two years ago for the third week in January the number was a trifle fewer than 2000. These figures are taken from the books of the stockyards company and are to be relied upon. Most of x us remember that seven years ago hogs were selling on this market at 10 cents a pound. Jive weight. It will also be remembered that during the following year sev eral buyers were sent to the Middle West in search of brood sows, which were bought and shipped to Oregon carload after carload. The trouble was that the hog market in Oregon was so much higher than ever be fore that almost everything that looked like a hog was sent to the shambles. Hence the high prices in stead of benefiting us as a whole were a detriment, setting the hog-growers back twq or three years. Now the large shipments come from another cause the high price of wheat, for most of the hog-growers depend upon wheat to finish their hogs for market. This could be done at a fair profit with wheat at a nor mal price; when it soared up to the J1.60 mark it meant a loss to feed it to . hogs that were worth something like 7 cents a pound. So again Oregon is being cleaned out of hogs. Of those reaching this market, and we understand the same can be said of Seattle, Taeoma and Spokane, only a proportionate few are actually fit for slaughter. The rest ire shipped by the f irmers and other growers simply to save wintering them. And the price is falling day by day. These abnormal conditions are to be regretted. They arise largely from a lack of business acumen among farmers. They do not think far enough ahead. They have, it Is true, done wonders in making Oregon a hog-producing state, thanks to the crusade for more hogs that the stock yards and packinghouse people have made, assisted very largely by ' the railways. But another forward Step must be made by the farmers they must not only grow hogs; they must grow feed for them. The idea that wheat is the only feed or the- best feed for making pork is fallacious. Just so long as the farmers depend upon wheat wo are liable at any time to have conditions arise as they ex ist at present. ' The farmers, especially the small farmers, should raise, so far as pos sible, their own hog feed alfalfa, corn, peas anything for finishing. They should not depend upon the wheatgrowers. They should so con duct the business as to buy wheat when the market justifies, but to de pend almost solely upon It is sheer folly. It looks now as if next year we would he sending East for broow sows again. Surely if the present ship ments continue for another month or two we must. Then we shall be back right where we were seven years ago starting anew in the business. This Is all wrong. Three months ago the Northwest was in better shape as to the hog business than ever be fore. Then came $1.50 wheat and we are approaching the bottom very fast. plan of action to meet a possible con tingency. It was possible that Ger many would invade Belgium and they concerted plans for that eventuality. It was possible that Holland might aid Germany; In that case British trans ports would be justified in forcing the passage of the Scheldt. These mili tary officers did no more than Is doubtless done by the American gen eral staff or the American War Col lege. They study war by devising plans of campaign against this, that or the other country, though no such war is contemplated or within the range of probability. In the case of Belgium, war was probable. Plans for defense against Germany were prepared, because that country was a probable aggressor. Plans were not prepared for defense against France and Great Britain be cause they were not considered neces sary. Events have vindicated the sound ness of Belgium's judgment as to the purpose of her neighbors. On the eve of war France and Great Britain re newed their pledge to respect 'and maintain Belgian neutrality, and they have kept the pledge. Germany re fused to give such a pledge and in vaded Belgium. Events have proved that Belgium had cause to fortWy her frontier against Germany and. had no cause to fortify against France, for Germany attacked her and France did not. Had these documents proved that Belgium had already violated her neu trality by -allying herself with France and Britain against Germany, they would still not have Justified Ger many's action, for Germany acted in ignorance, real or pretended, of their existence, and the German Chancellor admitted and excused her violation of the . treaty. Germany intended to break faith, not knowing of the Justi fication she pretends since to have found. If Mr, Dernburgs defense be the best Germany can make, she would better keep quiet about Belgium, The more she explains, the worse she makes her case. Better rest on the original plea of military necessity than make the laughable defense that wicked little Belgium was plotting with Germany's foes to attack Ger- J many. Twenty-Five Years Ago. Drug manufacturers have turned their attention to filling the gap left by stoppage of imports of German chemicals. This requires use of many medicinal plants which grow wild in the United States. Many of these grow in Oregon and could be gathered by our young people and manufac tured by our drug-makers. An ele mentary course in botany would ena ble school children to recognize those plants with which they are not fa miliar, Dut any-Doay Knows me our dock, barberry, dandelion, elder, fen nel and sage. When the country weekly discards the Washington handpress and In stalls a cylinder it justifies the asser tion in its "salutatory" that it "has come to stay." That is what has oc curred Jn the office of the Banks Her ald, a creditable publication that is doing much to let the world know all about a great section of Washington County. Has the rumored settlement of the patronage fight between President Wilson and the Senate any connection with the lining up of the Democratic forces on the ship-purchase bill? If so, the situation would resemble that which existed when President Cleve land whipped the Senate into line for repeal of the Sherman silver-purchase law. We have relied chiefly on Germany for our suply of potash, but that min eral is now being extracted from the slag of steel mills in Pennsylvania, from kelp in California and from rock in Utah. Oregon has as good kelp beds as California, and prospectors have as good a chance of finding pot ash rock in this state as in Utah, A JOB FOR EFFICIENCY EXPERTS. Much has been written lately about the great economy effected in various Industries through the work of effi ciency experts. The arrangement of a factory is studied with a view to economy of time and labor in passing raw material In at one end, putting it through the several Btages of manu facture and packing and passing it out at the other end. Machinery is studied with regard to its capacity for producing the largest quantity of goods of the highest quality in the shortest time. Every movement of I every workman is studied in order to place between military officers shows eliminate lost motion. . Wage scales that they were simply agreeing on a BLAMING IT ON BELGIUM. An attempt is made by Dr. Bern hard Dernburg, in a pamphlet entitled "The Case of Belgium," to prove that before Germany invaded Belgium the latter country had already violated its neutrality by agreeing on plans for a British army to enter Belgium for the purpose of fighting Germany. The basis of his statements is the docu ments found by the Germans in the secret archives at Brussels, These documents reveal plans for British troops to land at Calais and Dunkirk and thence to enter Belgium for defense against Germany. They also discuss a plan for British troops to land at Antwerp, though, in order to do so, transports would have to pass up the River Scheldt through Dutch territory and to violate the neutrality of Holland. The conversations took place in 1911 and 1912 between the British military attache and the Bel gian chief of staff. The plans were all based on the assumption that Ger many would invade Belgium and that Belgium would call for help, the only passage in the documents which can bear a different interpretation being the following extract from the min utes of a conference between Colonel Bridges, the British military attache. and General Jungbluth, the Belgian chief of staff: At the time of the recent events, the Brit ish Government would have immediately effected a dlsembarkment in Belgium, even if we had not asked .or assistance. The General objected that, for that our consent was necessary. The military attache answered that he knew this, but that since we were not able to prevent the Germans from passing through our country England would have landed her troops in Belgium under all circumstances. The phrase "since we were not able to prevent the Germans from passing through our country" clearly shows that the only eventuality for which Britain was providing was a German march through Belgium, either unre sisted or unsuccessfully resisted by the Belgians without calling for Brit ish aid, in order to attack France. The treaty of 1S39 bound Britain to Inter vene in this eventuality as much as in any other. There is also a dispatch from Baron Grelndl,the Belgian Minister to Ber lin, urging that similar plans be pre pared for co-operation with Germany In opposing Anglo-French invasion of Belgium. The fact that these discussions took It was perfectly proper to .send ex- Judge French, of Wallowa, started for the penitentiary, to thq institute for the feeble-minded. If he had not been afflicted hecould not have com mitted the crime. Judge, jury and half the county were wrong; only the Governor was right. From Th Oregonian of January 25, 1890. Tacoma, Wash. H. S. Hudson, assist ant engineer of the Northern Pacific, has left for Seattle to take the first steps in the plans for the construction of the extension to the international boundary. He was accompanied by Su perintendent Horner. Washington The President - today nominated supervisors of the census as follows: Oregon John H. Shupe, first district; J. N. Strange, second district; Washington Will D. Jenkins. Chicago The National W. C. T. U., in an address Issued today over the signature of President Frances E. Wll lard, and addressed to the South Amer ican, Central American and Mexican commissioners of the Pan-American Congress, states that the ladies read with surprise that during the round of banqueting to which the Nation's guests were treated. Intoxicating liquors were served on every occasion anil Indulged In by the Pan-American delegates. The W. C. T. U. urges the Southern delegates to study the bene fits of prohibitory laws in the eight states now "dry." Cleveland The seceders from the National W. C. T. U. have organised. The name will be either "The Ameri can Women's Christian Temperance League" or the "National Crusaders." It will be strictly nonpartisan and non sectarian. John G. Whittier sent a let ter to the seceders commending the nonpartisan, nonsectarian purpose of the seceders. The Denver Republican carries an editorial news article which states that Stanley's reported achievements in Af rica are becoming more and more ques tionable. It is insinuated bis relations with Emin were far from harmonious. John Nichols, who lives in Polk County, south of Dallas, has captured his 40th bear. The bear-slayer is now 85 years old. Thomas Godell. who lives in Tibbetts Addition, East Portland, says the heavy snow recalls the flood ot 'bl-ez wnicn hit Champoeg, due to the snow, and subsequent quick thaw. The inhabi tants had to flee on rafts and in ail manner of craft W. T. Burney has returned from As toria and says the people there are enthusiastic over the prospects for a railroad to that city. County Treasurer Hacheney has been dangerously ill with influenza for some days. He is slowly Recovering after a serious relapse. Politicians are already predicting a lively campaign. The nomination of Pennoyer by the Democrats seems to be a foregone conclusion and the Repub lican nomination will not be a walk over for Thompson, De Lashmutt, Moody or Beekman, the four promi nently mentioned. The glove contest between Joe B. Choynski and James McLarney, the "Irish Giant." takes place tonight at Mechanics Pavilion. L. T. Barin, of Oregon City, was on the street yesterday and said he would issue the central committee call soon. Attention of the Colorado and Mich igan mining companies and miners is respectfully called to the strike at Miami, Ariz., in which there was "never a quarrel or even loud argu ment," as an example worthy of emulation. Arizona will pass to the head of the freak class. Widowers with depend ent children are to receive pensions. The stepmother is an unknown quan tity in the arid state. When Judge Stevenson the other day ordered a young thief to keep out of poolrooms for a year he struck at the root of an evil that is growing al together too fast - Mark Briggs, the 4-year-old Albany boy who saved a S-year-old compan ion from drowning in a canal, deserves a Carnegie hero medaL Bailiff Humphrey Is another of those wrong-headed Individuals who refuse to recognize Dr. Osier's age limit. Thaw's exaggerated ego must have become more exaggerated than ever when lie heard the Bostonians cheers, If ever a nation earned its independ ence, including' the right to spell Its name any way it pleases. Serbia has. A local man has Invented a stump splitter, but what a world of women most needs is a handy wood splitter. Lassen Peak might as well subside. It is a mere sideshow to the war, the Italian earthquake and Congress. The voyages of the Dacia aiid the Wilhelmlna promise to be as historic as those of the exploring ships. If Secretary Lane is seeking a dry spot to Irrigate in Eastern Oregon, he might try Copperfleld. "The whole world knows tho Port land rose," to be sure, but It took Mr. Cooper to tell us. A sporting writer says Salt Lake's only need is pitchers. Rush the growler. The clemency of the late executive seems to have had a party tinge at times. JITNEYS 8HOULD BE REGULATED St. Johns War College Decides They Are Common Carriers. ST, JOHNS, Or., Jan. 24 (To the Editor.) The St. Johns War College has discussed the jitney bus situation from every standpoint, and has decided that the jitney car is not in the taxi class and should not be subject to 11 cense, as it is in no sense a vehicle for hire. One may not hire it for any spe elal purpose or destination, consequent ly, as it is routed over certain thorough fares and to certain destinations, as are streetcars, and a "Jitney" is, therefore, for a long or short haul. It must belong to the common carrier class. This being the case, it should be sub jected to the same regulations, taxa tion, etc., as are streetcars, being com mon carriers and operated under fran chise. Similar franchises should apply, granting and requiring similar privi leges and obligations. It would seem, as a matter of justice to the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company and the preservattion of an established and dependable transporta tion system to the public, that the city authorities should take some action to regulate the jitney bus people and re strain them from using the franchise rights granted the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company and absorbing the business the company has built up. There are plenty of other streets on which they could establish lines and build their own business, which should be protected. Then the jitneys would be a legitimate aid to the transporta tion problem of the city. The present methods of the jitney car is a "hold up," pure and simple. nd as the railway company, without the Intervention of the city, must hold up Its hands, it is like taking candy from -a baby. The people, by assisting the jitney cabs In this "hold up" busi ness, are making trouble for them selves. Some of them, as well as the innocent, may have to wait longer than is common for transportation in the future. They will then put up a howl against the streetcar company, whom they will have compelled to reduce car service to the minimum. The company should not be expected to run cars at a loss to accommodate people who rids on them only when no other convey ance is at hand. E. O. MAGOON. COLD STORAGE HEX ARE BLAMED Eggr-Producer Thinks Chinese Imports Do Not Affect Ebb; Price. PORTLAND. Jan. J4. (To the Edi tor.) We hear a great deal from pa pers, poultry journals and protection politicians, about the woes and failures that will ruin us in Japanese and Chi nese egg imports and very little of our immense exports to those countries, nor of the benefits to cheap restaurants and poor families to whom Importa tions may mean cheap eggs or none. The only restriction that should be made on food for the common people is that the buyers and oonsumers should know Just what they are get ting. We produce 100,000 clean fresh eggs a year on a few city lots and al ways have ready sale for them. Ws have a dally record of prices we have sold at for the past six years, and to day prices are as good as ever at this time of year and promise to average as high the entire year as any time within my remembrance of egg mar kets for the past 55 years. Tne oregonian. In October, 1914. re ports four and five cars of fresh East ern eggs are coming to Portland each week, and no other comment is made on it, but the unloading of 100 case o Japanese egg from a ship is heralded from ban Francisco to Alaska, Such shipment is only equal to what our hens will lay In ten weeks, and It is only three times as many as a Yakima retail grocer sold to families there one day. The Oregoninn. December 1, 1914, report the sale of 4,000.000 egg to England In one shipment. Califor nia, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia this year will not produce enough eggs to feed their own people. The progressive energetic egg pro ducers of the United States have noth ing to fear from Oriental or any other old eggs that are sold for what they really are. The great menace to egg producers Is the speculator and cold storage men the very men who ought to aid the most by taking cars of tha Spring surplus on a fair margin. But in recent year they begin January 1 to bear down prices as hard and fast as they possibly can, selling tha last of their storage eggs very low, and advertising Chinese eggs, fresh Oregon and fresh Eastern at very low prices. When eggs 90 per cent fresh are ready sale by the carload in Chicago at 41 cents a dozen, the Sound storage men are quoting fresh (?) Eastern and fresh (?) Oregons at 30 cent. Many growers and egg handlers know better, but they can no more stop that rapid fall of prices than the sailor in the tropics can stop the hurricane that hits his ship. Thoy all have to rush tho eggs as fast as laid until prices reach bottom and storage houses are filled. Then prices advance fast enough to suit everyone but the consumer. The trouble Is, it Is driving a lot of beginners to ruin and out of business. For months good hens and pullets have flooded the market, all marked at prices far below cost, and many poul try plants are for sale or rent. Last month The Oregonian reported several well-known business men a having a large up-to-date poultry plant and furnishing some large Port .'and consumers all their eggs at 5 cent a dozen above the refrular market. Strictly fresh ergs were very scarce just then, and, being willing to help out, I wrote to a big firm of egg handlers that they were members of, asking prices on strictly fresh, clean. white, infertile egg. The top 'price quoted In reply was 6 cents below the market as quoted that day in The Ore gonian and less than I could get right at our yards. These cold facts show right where the grower Is up against it, and why so many are sacrificing their chickens instead of doubling what they have. L. K. COGSWELL. Half Century Ago. This is elegant airship weather, if anybody were going that way. POEM TELLS OF SHATTERED HOPE S500 Confederate Bill With Verses on Back Is War Reltc. THE DALLES. Or., Jan. 23. (To the Editor.) The inquiry in The Oregonian by a person holding a Confed erate bill reminds me of a poem which has long been in my possession. It was given me In Springfield, Mass., more than SO years ago by a colored man, Henry Thelrman, who sorved in the Navy during the Civil War. It was written on the back of a $500 Confederate note and Mr. Thelrman had several copies printed on facsimiles of the note. I have several Confederate bills among my war relics, but I did not suppose that any one in this 20th century harbored the Idea that they possessed any money value. The poem follows: . Representing nothing on God's green earth And naught in the waters below lt As the pledge of a nation that's dead and gone, KeD It. dear friend, and show it. Show it to those who will .lend an ear To the tale this trifle will tell. Of Liberty born, of a patriot's dream- Of a storm-crsalea nation tnat teiL Too poor to possess the precious ores. And too mucn or a stranger to borrow. We leued today our "promise to pay," And hoped to redeem on tha morrow. The days rolled on, and weeks became years. But our cotters were empty still. Coin was so scarce the treasury quaked It a dollar should drop in the till. But the faith that was in us wss strong mdsed, Thoueh our poverty well we discerned. And this little check represented the pay That our suffering veterans earned. They knew It had hardly a value in gold. Yet as gold our soldiers received it; It gazed In our eyes with a promise to pay. And every true soiaier DcuBveo. it. But our boys little thought of price or pay, Or of bills that were overdue We knew if It bought our bread today. Twis the best our poor country could do. Keep it, it tells all our nistory over. From the birth of the dream to its last. Modest, and born of the Angel of Hope, Like our hope of success, it passed. HELEN N. PACKARD. STREET SIGNS ARE CRITICISED Stranger Finds Difficulty Finding; Way In Portland. PORTLAND, Jan. 24 (To the Edi tor.) I don't want to be classed- as a critic for knowing myself better than others do I am not. I am merely a harmless crank that has a certain amount of virus in my system, and for self preservation am compelled to spill some of it at stated intervals. I am almost human, for there are lots of times that I have dllllgently pursued the column in The Oregonian. headed "Twenty-five years ago," and have wondered If some parts of it are really not the news of today. During those old days there were so few streets, that it was not necessary to place their names on any conspicuous lamp post or corner building, as all the stranger had to do, was to make the query, where In such and uch a street, and it could be pointed out without any troublo from tho spot "That was 25 years ago." I am a bit of a stranger to Portland and am not quite half-witted, so ought to be able to get around fairly well. The othe r day I tried to find one of the large business places In Portland. 1 was directed to the corner of Fifth and Morrison, which I believe Is the center of the retail district. Being a strang er I did not know whore either Fifth or Morrison was. but thought by exer cising a little dilliirence, and loontlng First, Second or Third I would be eventually led to Fifth, and Dy watch- Ing the corner signs I would be led to Morrison: In most any otner city i would. Imagine yourself a stranRer; forget, any, you have lived In Port land for 26 years, and try and locate any popular corner oy tne signs. which, bv the way. can be found In any city, be It ever so small. I will wager you will fail. I know vou are going to state mat the streets bear their name engraver! in the sidewalks at the corners; I will orlmlt some do. a few. very few, but Portland being subject to an excess of moisture most all the year, causes mud to accumulate on the walk, en tirely obliterating the signs. Then, again, you must admit the sidewalks are not'the easiest place to read a sign at ninht. on a poorly lighted street. under the best of conditions. Another thing that struck me as being strange, was that I can at any time walk from either of the train depots up some Btreet that bears street ear tracks to any of the hotels and novor hn overtaken by a streetcar in my walk. Moreover, if the streetcar company here has built a new line into any of the now building tract within the last few years. I have failed to see it men tioned. To verify my claim, I respect fully refer you to any of the Rosarians on their return mere is a Dctier, i faster and a more dependable street car service between the cities of Los Ansreles and Pasadena than there Is between the Union Depot and Wash ington street In Portland. Buckingham Hotel. L. LINDON From The Oregnnlan of January 35, Two men were arrested last Thurs day as suspects In the murder of old Mr. Delany In the Waldo Hills vicinity near Salem. One of the prisoner own a farm near th Delany place and had the confldenco of Mr. Delany more than anyone else so far as known. He is reported to have said that a fortune might be obtained by anyone killing the old man. The other man was seen In the same vicinity on the day of the murder and carried a shot gun. He told conflicting stories after hi arrest. About 2 T.ou 0 of Mr. Ie lany's money has been found, some $30(10 In a wheat bin and lio.ono each In the bottom of two barrels filled with corn in Mr. Delany' attic. The mur derers are supposed to have carried away 125,000, all they could tote. Captain Leonard White, late com mander of the steamer Cayuse and part owner of the schooner James Bukanan, has gone to Colvllle to construct a steamer to run on the Colubmla abovo Kettle Falls. William J. McNamara and Miss Anna M. Chops, of Canyon City, were mar ried January 8 at Canyon City by W. Lair Hill. From an Inspection of the Stratford . register it la found that Phakespear s widow subsequently married a shoe maker ot the town named Richard James. The Owyhee Winers' Consolidated Gold ac Silver Mining Company has elected the following officers: C. M. Carter, president: W. H. Watklns, sec retary; A. O. GlbPS, C. M. Carter, J. A. Chapman, E. W. Tracy and W. T. Ual lous, directors. Frances Fuller Victor has written a poem for The Oregonian, It is "Ashe of ltoes." COLONIZATION PLAN PRESENTED ladnstiions Feenle Nreeaaary, Sara Correspondent Pointing; Way. PORTLAND, Jan. 24 (To th Edi tor.) May I say a word relative to the proposed effort of the Irrigation Con gress recently assembled at Portland to secure aid for irrigation uuder a state mill tax? Tha arid and semi-arid portion of Oregon received many year ago, un der provision of the Carey art, the best possible method of development, yet little or nothing has been accomplished from the very fact that Irrigation proj ects, both private and public, are, gen erally speaking, unsuccessful. There can be no argument against this, other wise Intelligent capital would eagerly grab every foot 'of land In the state that could be secured practically a a free gift under the Carey act. Condition may come In time s the state develops along Intelligent lines, when the soil worker are organised. product properly advtrtteed and mar kets established; but I venture to say that there I not an Intelligent capi talist In th state who would at tha present time undertake the Irrlgst on of a large tract, wore it presented to him free; if so. I can point to eo.ooo acres of tillable land unexcelled for fruit and alfaira that ran be had for 15 an acra and Irrigated at a cust of $30 an acre. Any Irrigation engineer will tell you that Irrigation project are generally failure because w have not In this country a class of people ot sufficient industry to administer water on the land. So it Is people we want, not land. But Kaatern Oregon I not the greatest wilderness In the slate. the Jackrabblt and coyote of Eastern Oregon have left that country In large droves to make the perilous Journey across the Cascade Mountains, even as our forefather did, to find protection the grout wilderness of th Wil lamette Valley. I say the Vallev Is full of them. Motor at night along any road and ea the long-eared rascal scooting like a band of sheen In the glare or your searchlight; then listen lot tho coyote howling In ghoulish glee from some secluded spot (where rolls tho Oregon amid the tangled woods of tho most fertile valley of all the world. If the Chamber of Commerce, tho Oregon Development League end tho railroads wish to develop the state they must Induce Industrious puople to clear up this wilderness. Improved high ways will not do it. There Is a better plan. I would suggest that a ColonUatton Commission be created with the modest appropriation of $100,000. Let them buy 1000 acres of land for $50,000; have the Agricultural College map It. pho tograph it and muke a thorough soil survey, enumerating soli products that will profit the owner $200 an cre. as It will for the mm on a small trsct who will work. Then select a member of the commission capable of properly presenting It; let him go to Europe, if it need be. and find a capitalist or a coloniser and sell the land under a 20-year payment plsn, or make him n present of it. with the stipulation that it be settled Immediately In 20-scre tracts by a class of Industry that will make those old farmers back up with the same astonishment on their faces that the North American Indian bed at the coming of the while man. Don'l say we are feeding the Hi-lgian now snd It can't be done. That's Idiotic. This is the very time to do It and there never was such an opportunity before. There ere millions of dollars that run be reached: there are millions of dol lar of foreign money Invested In America. For.ilgn capitalists and pro moters will buy Or.'non bind if they can get It right. They will establish a rural banking system so that a while man can get money to operate a farm, and the oak grub and fir brush can bo wiped out. and two million thrirty and Industrious people ran live on farm In the Willamette Valley. OKO. E. WAGGONER Hovr to Pronounce Them. Puck. For the Information of war-Inclined readers, we print the following table of pronunciation, hoping it will prove as helDful and illuminating as the average table of its kind In the dally press: Xyrousspucbiurj. pronounced Yush- hkdhsg-hsg-hgx-J. Hbcdhkhfgeu, pronounced Lawyuf- ghms-ing-yys. Zygfr, pronounced Gsmx-fy. Vitchafdhhkzzyprl, pronounced VId-ka. Grhamamatveitch, pronounced Dsa- nmeo-go-bombskl. Boobmf, pronounced Boobmf. Visitor Asks Question. PORTLAND, Jan. 24. (To the Edi tor.) After a walk about your beauti ful city and a close Inquiry into the financial and unemployed conditions. I am impelled to ask the progressive citi zens of Portland this question: Why not build fewer handsome skyscrapers and more factories? A. L. GRAHAM. Smith Center, Kan, Questions for Ktntlstlrlans, PORTLAND, Jan. 24 (To the Edi tor.) There are In this stato srvrr.il associations that are endeavoring to Im prove business condition by bonstlng home manufacturing, etc. I would Ilk to have the answer to the following Questional What I the aggregate of Interest on all kinds of bonded Indebtedness, pub lic utilities included, that must be paid by the people, and I sunt out ot th state? What Is the amount sent out of Ore gon for life and tire Insurance? What is th amount of money sent out of Orcson for manufactured product? What is the total Income from Oregon product ent out of the atate? How much of the Income of high priced property Is expended In the state? 1 there anything to prevent this state Issuing scrip on Improvement and keep the money at'home? T. A. SWEKNET. Getting the Point of Contact A product' point of contact with consumers Is over the counter of the retail store Th best advertising a manu facturer ha is the kind that does these two things: Make consumers believe It Is a good article to buy. Make dealers bcllote it Is a good article to sell. Newspaper advertising Is tho ideal medium to accomplish these two results. It not only bring immediate and direct consumer demand but It also inspire the retailer. 4