8 TITE 3IORXIXG OREGOXIAX, SATURDAY, MARCTI C, 1913. rORTUND, OREGON. Entered at Portland. Orccoo. PottoHlca aa ferond-daif matter, fcubccrlpiioa Kate Invariably in advance (By MaJL) raily, Sunday Included, one year.. I'aily. Sunday included. 6lx uiontha. . railr. Sunday Included, lliroo- month Oaily. Sunday Included, on month. Pall. Itiiout Sunday, out year. . . . I'aily, lthout Sunday, mx montha.. . I'4til, without tiuoday. lliroe montha. I'ally. without Sunday, ona month. Weekly, ona )ar 1 Sunday, one year. .......... Sunday and Weekly, oaa year....... (By Carrier.) Pally. Funday lnrludad, one year.... Daily, frunuair Included, one month. Maw t Krtnit Send Poto(fica money or car. axpreaa order or personal check on your local bank. Mam pa. coin or currency are at ander'a rick. Giv poalofiice addreaa In lull. Including county and atata. Poataca Kates 12 to 1 pace. 1 rant; la o 2 pacta. - centa: 34 to paces, 3 cenu: 0 to oo intr, 4 centa; t2 to a pace, a .iit: TS to V- pace. centa. Foraico port age, doubl rate. KaMera Rualaea Office Vere ft Cork l.n. New York. Urunauk. tulldjnc; Chicago, btejigcr building. baa liarin OfnV R. J. Bldweil Com- r-aro, iiu Market street. .. .. 2--5 .. .'a .. 6.00 .. . .13.00 other nations or by paying a subsidy. If thy pay higher wages to sailors than other nations pay, they cannot compue and there will be few jobs for sailers. It would be better to have a merchant marine manned by for eign sailors than to have none at all. We could then trust to the seamen's bill to equalize wages until thes reached the American standard. The Oregonian has long supported the seamen's bill and rejoices that it nas become law. We have always opposed subsidies' as vicious in princi ple and as ineffective. We have rec ommended a searching inquiry into our shipping laws with a view to a revision which win .enable Americans to build and operate ships In compe tlon with all the world, but which will not degrade American labor. We oe lieve such a revision is possible. road taxation that -can be guarded against only by constitutional enact ment. Unless provision be made in the fundamental law, one Legislature may place apportionment of. road funds in the hands of the Highway Commission, for example, and the next may take it away and assume that duty itself. ' To lay and allot state' road taxes in a state so sectlonally developed asl uregon is bound to oe a airucuit prou lem. Its consideration is one that should not await the rush hours of a time-limited legislative session. , rOTlA-D, SATTRDAY, MARCH . 1015. - THE TRICE. Mexico is our American Belgium We send millions in money and food to the unhappy and ruined people of the war-torn kingdoms of Europe, but we shut our eyes and close our cars to the piteous plight of. the fifteen millions of poor Mexicans at o elbow. They ask for help, and we read thrm a peace tract; they ask for pro tection, and we turn our backs on them; they cry for bread, and we load a hundred ships and dispatch them to Europe. We pay a pleasing tribute to our o n National self-complacence when we give and give and give: but we shirk our plain duty when we refuse to act. solely because Mexico's troubles are not ours, but theirs. ' So arc Belgium's. Mexico goes from bad to worse, be cause all outlaw Mexicans know we will not raise a restraining hand, and that we deliberately intend that they shall be left to welter in their own blood. Tet there is no hope for Mexico until we interfere, or permit some other to interfere. Yes, we have avoided performing a disagreeable and costly task In Mex ico, but are peace and self-content, achieved . through avoidance of plain duty, worth the price we pay and must continue to pay? HANDICAPS OF OCR SHITS. A correspondent whose communica tion, is published in another column !-eems to Imagine that the handicaps to 'building up an American merchant marine arise chiefly from the higher standard of wages and of living which j we nave estaDiisueu ior America labor and that removal of those handl caps necessarily implies lowering tha standard. The assumption is not jus tified by the facts nor by the proposed remedies. We do not believe tuat "the ruecess of an American merchant ma rir.e can be obtained only at the ex pense of the American sailor." In an article published nearly year ago The Oregonian quoted statement of the burden of expens which our laws Impose on shipowners This was quoted from a letter written by Captain Robert Dollar to the New York Evening Post. Captain Dollar takes an SOOO-ton steamer as a basis i-f comparison between American and British law, and he thus sums up the items of extra annual expense: Our law requires more men in the engine-room than British law requires. Extra cost of wages and board, 18736, We reckon a ship's tonnage differ ently, thus adding 24 per cent to Brit ish and 35 per cent to Danish meas urement. This increases wharf, port and inspection fees in foreign ports 13500 a year. American boiler inspection costs 1600 more on each ship than that of other leading nations. Here is a total of li,236 a year in added expense which is imposed on American ships by our laws. If the law were changed so as to save this sum it would not reduce the seamen's wages a dollar. It would at first put a few engine-room men out of a job temporarily, but the number of Amer ican ships would soon be increased by the reform and would provide these men with Jobs. The smaller number of men is found sufficient on British ships. The British government is surely as careful for the safety of ships as Is the United States, for there are many more British than American ships. There may be difference of opinion as to whether British shipping laws make as careful pro-vision for safety and humane treatment of sailors as do American laws, but certainly more public attention has been paid to the subject in Britain. Samuel Plimsoll. long known as "the Sailors Friend,' procured the passage of more than one law regarding ships, one result of which is the "Plimsoll mark," regru latlng the depth to which a ship may be loaded. Germany also Is known to be pe culiarly solicitous for the welfare of workmen, and is not likely to have overlooked the sailor. We therefore infer that the United States could safely reduce the number of men re quired in the ensine-room to the for eign standard. The method of boiler inspection could be changed also. These two changes alone would save 111.736 a year on an 8000-ton ship without reducing any man's wages. Under the law of last August for eign measurement is accepted for foreign-built ships admitted to American register. The third item o extra ex pense is saved as to them, but why not as to all American-owned ships? A universal system of measurement is needed. If British measurement is good for some of our ships, why not ror all? The law of last August also'permits employment of foreign watch officers, the reason being that the United States had not enough qualified men to command a sudden accession of now ships. The officers were there fore taken over with the ships. A saving is doubtless made under that head, but no American was thrown out ot employment or was caused to accept lower wages. There remains the difference In the wages of seamen, which is consider able, but the seamen's bill signed by President Wilson on March i does much to remove that. It abolishes imprisonment for desertion and thus rives foreign ships in American ports the alternative of paying higher wages or losing their crews. If after that law has had its effect a difference in wages still enhances the cost of oper ating American ships, it will remain for the American people to consider whether they will have a merchant marine or not. They can only have one by competing on equal terms with TVHO.SK PROMISES? The Morning Astorian resumes its discussion of the plight of Clatsop County over Its roads, and makes a definite call upon the state to come to its aid. "What is Clatsop going to do with Its forty-five miles of uncom pleted roads, left In our hands through no fault of our own?" asks the Astorian. "When this county voted a J400.000 bond issue for roads, it was with the understanding that the state would provide a similar amount." It would add greatly to the general enlightenment If the Astorian would inform the public of the exact nature of the "understanding" by which the state was to provide a corresponding amount. If a promise was made on behalf of the state, let us know by whom, and when and w here made. It is obvious that if Clatsop County devised a system . of roads, and- ar riiiged for the expenditure of $400,000 on, them, only to have on its hands j now, iwith its money gone and its credit used to the limit, "forty-five miles of uncompleted roads,", a tre mendous miscalculation , has been made somewhere by somebody or sev eral somebodies. If $4 00,000 was the maximum sum to. be spent, clearly the original garment should have been cut according to the cloth; if there was an $800,000 plan, and there was an arrangement or promise that the state would match every dollar put up by the county, surely the records of the Highway Commission, or of the Clatsop County Court, ought . to show it. - The Oregonian does not object to state aid for Clatsop County roads. It will indeed approve any practicable effort of the State Highway Commis sion to solve the Clatsop County road muddle by substantial assistance. But it insists that if the state has any spe- ciul obligation or responsibility there, legal or moral, the facts ought to be made known. CARI. SCHCRZ. Tuesday. March 2, was Carl Schurz' birthday. This great man fled from Germany to the United States among "the exiles of 1848." The- liberal movement which they had promoted in their native land was crushed and they were obliged to flee for their lives and liberty. Carl Schurz became a true American. He adapted himself to our institutions, mastered the Eng lish language and took a zealous part in the public life of the. United States His efforts were to further the best ir-lorests of America, not to involve us in the intricacies of foreign politics. When he ran for Governor of Wis consin it was as an American, not as a European exile. At the head of. his command in the Civil War he fought as a patriot whose heart knew no loy alty except to the' Stars and Stripes. Carl Schurz was a man of first-rate ability whose services to the United States were rewarded by high political honors. One of the early pioneers of the Republican party, he helped elect Lincoln President and in recognition of his loyal ability was made Minister- to Spain. Seward, by the way, pro tested against his appointment, but Lincoln knew his own mind then as ever and held to his purpose. When the war broke out Schurz re turned and received a commission un der Fremont. Later he w-as elected United States Senator from Missouri and held that office from 1869 to 1875. His career in the Senate was an honor to the state that elected him He stood unwaveringly for the better side in all controversies. Politics cu but a small figure in his mind. He analyzed each question, decided where the merits lay and acted accordingly, Carl Schurz was a true patriot and an eminent statesman. 11 is career stands as an eternal example to those who come from other lands to take upon themselves the obligations of American citizenship. He realized fully that no man can serve two mas ters. Either he is an American or he is not. ANOTHER "SPOILSMEN'S" BIU., Two years ago, upon the recom mendation of Governor West and other state officers, the Legislature j i created the State Board of Control "for the purpose' of managing and governing" various state institutions. It consists of the Governor, Secretary of State and State Treasurer. The policy of the statute is clearly illus trated by the definite authority over state employes granted by section 14, as follows: The executive hcada of the Oregon State Hoapital, the Eastern Oregon Stale Hoapltal, the Stalo Institution for the Feeble-minded, the Oregon State Training School, the Ore tron State School for the Blind, the Oregon Htate School for the Deaf and the Oregon Tubercuiosia Hospital shall be known as the superintendenta of auch institutions; tha executive head of the Oregon State Peni tentiary aa the warden of aaid Institution; the executive head of the Oregon State Soldiers' Home as the commandant of said Institution, and the executive head of the Capitol and Supreme Court buildings aa tha ciialnHian nf Maid buildlna. All Of MUd executive heada. except the custodian of the Canitni and Sunreme Court buildings. shall be selected and may be removed at tha pleasure of the board. The custodian of the Capitol and Supreme Court buildings who is ex cepted from the sweeping operations of the act is the Secretary of State (now Mr. Olcott). If the Moser act is a "spoilsmen s bill" as it has been characterized by the Democratic press of Oregon what is the act of 1913 creating the Board of Control? If the one is theroduct cf the cunning machinations of the spoilsmen, so is the other. The power to hire and fire is designedly given to the Board. There is no appeal. There is no safeeruarding civil service. The action of the Board is. final. Now the Moser act, heatedly and vituperatively denounced by the Dem ocratic Dress as a "spoilsmen s deed, merely confirms the authority of the Board of Control over its appointees a power it has heretofore had and th nower of the Governor over his appointees a power he has undoubt edly had also. The clamor of the "non-partisan" papers is partisan buncombe. The Moser act gives no new power to any body. But it confirms and strength ens existing authority. The Board may dismiss any head of any institu tion at any time, and through, such head any employe whatever. There has been no time in the history of the state when it might not have been done by the appointive power. Any Governor, for example, who sought to drag politics or to inject personal ends Into the educational affairs or tne state, could have reconstructed tne Board of Regents of the state univer sity, or the Board of Trustees or tne Agricultural College at any time. The fact that such regents or trustees were appointed for a certain term does not alter the general constitutional power of the Governor, who appointed them, to remove them, or any of them, "for I the public good." The Moser act appears to worry our Democratic friends greatly. But they protest too much. This is no day for spoilsmen 'at Salem. That is what is the matter with them. Japanese alarmist; and Bartholdt, champion of the German-Americans. Others are Bulkley, chief mover for rural credit legislation, Neeley of Kan sas, the two bright Burkes of Penrt sylvania and South Dakota, Stevens of Minnesota. Henry George, Jr., who carries on his father's single tax prop aganda, . Metz, Alney, Bowdle, Gold fogle, a veteran Tammanyite, Know land of California, who tried to be Senator Beall of Texas, Bartlett of Georgia and Stanley. New men are likely- to rise to lead ership in both houses with the retire ment of these .men. That is particu larly true -of Republican Senators,, for Galllnger, Lodge and Nelson are all growing old. Underwood may acquire as high a position in the Senate as in the House, and may become the Ad ministration's chief steersman in the new Congress. MORE SHITS ODER THE FLAG. Foreiegn-built vessels owned by Americans continue to seek refuge under the American flag. Down to February 13 the number was 128 with a gross tonnage of 461,000. Three steamers and a bark were transferred during the week ended on that date If the Administration would remove the menace of Government-operated lines, private shipowners would quick Iy gather in every available ship to carry American commerce. They are giving liberal orders in the United States for ships to engage in coastwise trade and would doubtless give as lib eral orders abroad and at home for ships to carry foreign commerce. Al though the war has added greatly to the cost of operation, high freights are a sufficient bait to tempt men into the shipping business. The risks are con siderablc, but these men are willing to take . them, provided they are not forced to compete with Government lines . which recoup Josses from the United States Treasury. Abandonment of the ship-purchase bill and probability that . it cannot come up again till next December may encourage shipping men to go into business without further hesitation. There is little, if any, prospect of an extra session, and before December the war -may have worked such changes in the situation that all ex cuse for Government purchase of ships may have passed away. "Freckles are healthy" is an old saying used to console the wearer of them; nevertheless the woman, so adorned is willing to take any risk to be rid of them. A New York widow in San Francisco lies dead as result of heart failure produced by anesthet ics. The fatality wilt not affect the business of the' beauty doctors. The imperial gardens at Vienna are to be set to growing cabbages to feed the multitude, and if only some Aus trian Burbank will make two heada grow on a stalk the Viennese will re member him with fullest gratitude. Another newspaperman In Eastern Oregon has been given a profitable job. J. R. Gregg, many years editor of the Ontario Democrat, will be post master of the thriving city in which he has lived since boyhood days. Half a Century Ago From The Oregonian, March 6, 1S65. There are 205 rebel flags stowed away in the War Department office at W ashington. Colonel Charles A. May, the brave and dashing cavalry leader of the Mex ican War. whose name will ever oe as sociated with, Monterey and Rcsaca dc la Palma. died in New York, Decem ber 31. The following authors died during 1864: Nathaniel Hawthorne. William M. Thackeray, Walter Savage Landor Georse P. Morris. Tark Benjamin, Henry R. Schoolcraft, Thomas Colley Grattan, 'Alarie A. Watts, Charles Sealsfield, John R. McCulloch, Ampere, Catherine Sinclair and Mrs. K. W. Farnham. Georze B. Mattoon. the New Hamp shire boy, although only 18 years old. has been in 43 battles and 27 skir mishes, had two horses shot from un der him and. durinsr his entire three years' service, has not sustained a wound or injury and hasn't been ab sent from duty in that time. It is said that the entire line of Gen eral Grant's breastworks and fortifica tions from General Meade's extreme left to General Butler's extreme right is not less than 35 miles and taking the sinuosities and supporting lines into consideration tho whole -works total more than 100 miles in length. H. W. Corbett has made public a let ter from Hon. J. W. Nesmith,. .con cerning the movement for the locating of the branch mint in Portland in stead of The Dalles. Senator Harding, who arrived on the Sierra Nevada, says there is no doubt the location 'of the branch mint would have been at Port land had the Congress received a me morial from the recent Oregon Legis lature. We see by Sandusky papers news of the death of Hon. Eleutheros Cooke, of that city, aged 77. on Christmas day. One of his sons is Jay Cooke, the National financier, so well known in connection with Government loans. E. N. Cooke", Esq., our State Treasurer, s his nephew. Among the passengers on the Sierra Nevada is Dr. David Walker, of the United States Army, who came from San Francisco to repart to General Alvord. in charge of the District of the Columbia. Dr. Robert Collis, also of the United States Army, arrived also, Among the other passengers were J. W.- J. Pierson. J. W. Morrill. Miss M. Sherwood, Major Marston, United States Army; J. A. Kleizer, E. J. North rup. Colonel Babbitt and rhany others. Some of the passengers complained of overcrowding the vessel. The increasing business in the tele graph office has made necessary an assistant and A. S. Strong, late of the Salem office, has been stationed with Mr. Plummer. J. A. Wetmore, plasterer, is appre- ensive that, the good -portion of the community will confound his name with that of A. A. Wetmore, who was com mitted from the Recorder's Court last week. Hence this. HAXDICAI'S Or' JIEnCIIAVr SHII's Cont of Ll.VK IX EVOLUTIOX XOT MISSING OREGON'S ROAD TAX. Before another Legislature con venes in Oregon it is probable that financial conditions will encourage greater liberality in appropriations. It would be fortunate indeed if in the interim some compromise between conflicting views in the matter of road construction could be attained that the way might better be cleared for an enlargement of state highway con struction. At the last session the same strife that has heretofore existed between those who insist that state road money shall be expended on highways from the farm to the market and those who are enamored of through trunk lines was revived and helped defeat at tempts to increase the state road levy. Oregon's quarter-mill road tax will produce barely more than 5200,000 a ear for the next two years. Wash- ngton has just apportioned nearly 2,000,000 of road money for the en suing biennium money raised by a state tax. The fund goes into the con struction of trunk lines or "public ighways" as they are known in the neighboring state. Possibly to appease the demands for purely market roads, Washington has adopted the pleasant little device of mposing a state tax for "permanent highways" in addition to that for public highways." The permanent fund js raised by a state-wide levy,-1)ut is reapportioned to each county in the same ratio that it is contributed. It is in fact a county road tax collect ed by the state and expended in each county under state supervision. We do not know that adoption of such a plan would bring the opposing road elements together in Oregon. In fact we doubt it. And in any event there is one phase of the plan that it is not wholly well to emulate. Appor tionment by the Legislature of the funds accruing for trunk lines some times makes for legislative combina tions which virtually control all other lawmaking. Appropriations of public funds are the best trading material that can'be offered the Legislator. It is detail of OLD FACES LOST TO COXCBESS. With the expiration of the term of the Sixty-third Congress the country loses the services of some of Its most distinguished public men. This is par ticularly true of the Senate, for it loses Root of New York and Burton of Ohio, two men who tower above their associates in ability, industry ana ae votion to the' public. Both men retire voluntarily rather than go through the ordeal of a campaign for popular election. Mr. Root's and Mr. Burton's serv ices have been National in their scope hence their retirement is a loss to the Nation as well as a loss of distinction to their states. Mr. Root brought to the discussion of legislation and for eign affairs a well-earned reputation as one of the first lawyers in the land and an experience as Secretary of State, as Secretary of War and as rep resentative of this country before ar bitration tribunals which gave him an unrivaled knowledge- of foreign af fairs, of insular affairs and of our National defenses. Mr. Burton was the highest author ity in Congress on river and harbor Improvement. As chairman of tne House committee on that subject he inaugurated a more business-like method of making appropriations, by which much "pork" was cut out. Con gress having relapsed to the old meth od, he led a historic and successful filibuster at the session which ended last Fall, winning over many Demo, crats by his Irresistible logic, lie lea his party in a similar fight against the late, unlamented ship-purchase bill and again organized an anti-Adminis tration majority by winning over many Democrats. The success of Mr. Burton's fili buster was due not to mere physical exhaustion of the opposition by talk ing against time. His speeches wene thorough, logical presentation of facts and deduction of conclusions there from. He dissected every item in the river and harbor bill, and was so full of his subject that he was ready with a rejoinder to any question. His three day speech on tho ship-purchase bill was a liberal education on the entire subject of tho merchant marine, and was such a merciless dissection of tnat measure that little of it remained when he had finished. Next in rank to Burton, among the retiring Senators is Bristow of Kansas, who has settled back into the Repub lican ranks after a brief excursion Into the Progressive party. He is a keen, incisive speaker and is well in formed on postal affairs, on the mer chant marine through his investiga tion of Panama Canal traffic, on rail road and anti-trust legislation. He greatly aided Burton in his assaults on the ship-purchase bill and assisted Reed in his exposure of the anti-trust law's weaknesses. He had a large part n framing the parcel post law. Per kins of Colorado, who stands third in length of continuous service, and Stephenson of Wisconsin, who stands first in age, aiso reiire. The House loses many members, though its loss is partly the senate s gain, for Underwood and ' Broussard go to the upper house. Chief among others who retire are Murdock. the regressive leader; Palmer, the Pres ident's particular confidant; Hobson, tho prohibition champion and anti- The Middle West is having one of its late Winter blizzards, but when Spring opens in that country the peo ple forget all their cold-weather trou bles and dig new cyclone cellars. A local holdup blames "booze" for his troubles, which is slapping old John Barleycorn on the wrist, and is a mighty poor excuse. When he gets out he will think up another. Peace rumors again disturb tHe Chi cago wheat market. Must refer to some purely local activities of the Chicago young people's peace league or something of the sort. Brititsh reports are that a big for ward" movement will begin soon. Maybe it's another report like that one about the Russian armies passing through Kngland. Why do not the journalistic cham pions of our spineless foreign policy continue to chortle over the Adminis tration's "great moral victory" in Mexico? " ' "Keep well" is the motto of the British army. Good advice, but rather difficult to follow at times when an intrenched position is being stormed "Russians are pressingvon," says a headline. Must refer to the activities of a Russian cleaning-and-presslng es tablishment at Moscow. A Lane County man just dead at the age or i lett twelve cniiaren ana fifty-six grandchildren, a typical old time Oregon family. Between jits, roller skates, motor cycles and -walks for exercise, the lot of the traction magnate is no longer a happy one. ' Turkey's appeal to Austria for help fell on deaf ears. Austria has her own troubles. Fossils of 3-Toed Horse Yearn Ago Dis covered in John Day District. PORTLAND, March 6. (To the Edi tor.) In The Oregonian, February 27, section 1, page 1, appears a telegraphic news item from Berkeley, Cal., to the effect that a missing link in the evolu tion of the horse has been- discovered in the miocene strata of the Southern Sierra Mountains by John P. Buwalda, of the University of California. One is led to believe that Buwalda has made a great discovery in finding the fossil form of a three-toed horse. The eastern section of Oregon is ex ceedingly rich as a geological field. Along the John Day River some of the most vnluable specimens of extinct animals ever unearthed are found. It was here that the late Professor Thomas Condon, a recognized geolo gical authority and for many years teacher in the Oregon State University, discovered the tiny skeleton of the three-toed horse from which, it is b lieved, the present' day horse was evolved. The museums of Harvard and Yale have been enriched by tons -of fossil treasures secured from this locality.- Professor Condon Is the author of an interesting book. "The Two Islands and What Came of Them," published in 1902 by j: K.' Gill & C6 of Portland, Or. On pages 126-7 of this volume he says: "The form of horse that most abounded here in the early Miocene period (the first period of the age of mammals) .... was a genus of three or (four species varying in size from, that of a Newfoundland dog 25 to 27 inches in height to that of a small donkey. . . . The result is that the living horse has but one hoof while our Anchitherium had three tunc, tional hoofs for each foot. "Many of these fossils indicate a really beautiful little animal of grace ful outline about the size of an ante lope, bringing to that early period a truthful prophecy of the highest type of our modern horse and so abundant that fragments of skeletons are found in nearly all its fossil beds." According to Professor Condm the fossil becjs of Oregon prove the former existence of the fearful looking masto. don, rhinoceros and camels. These and other strange animals wandered all over this western country irom xe braska to Oregon. Should not the discoveries of Ore gon's late geologist, Thomas Condon, have precedence over tnose ot uan fornia's geologist, John P. Buwalda? li.Ulit.til 11. 15L,LBaU-M. Should Tbry lie Removed at American Sailor r To the Editor Several items appear ing in The Oregonian in the past few months hava referred to the 'burden some restrictions" placed on American shipping by our present laws, and have urged that "relief" be granted' to the vessel owners. One recent correspond ent in particular mentioned "our obso lete shipping laws," and wondered how long they must be tolerated. 1 have looked in vain for any specific state ment of what "relief" is sought, or of reasons to justify such relief, accord ing to American tandards. And, knowing something of tho burdensome restrictions of a sailor's ife. of the .abuse to which ho is constantly sub jected in many cases, and of the diffi culty with which even such protective laws as we have have been secured, I wonder if your correspondents have any definite idea of what "obsolete laws" or "burdensome restrictions" are meant? Is it that an "American seaman re ceives a minimum wage of $-0 a month instead of the foreign standard of $67 Or that a vessel under American regis try must earry enough men as crew to msuro their own and the vessel safety under 'unfavorable as well a favorable conditions? Or that the ship's officers, who are czars In tlicl Bowers over the crew while afloat, jus lacking the power of life and death, must be American men, with prcsum ably American standards of conduct instead of foreigners with presumably- foreign standards? Or possibly there are other require ments as to food and quarters for the crew, tending to humanize their life aboard shin as much as possible. believe the President lias already sus pended the' operation of one or two of the above laws. Is it at all likely that the success of an American merchant marine can be obtained only at the ex pense of the American sailor? I have also heard objection to the demand for American-built vessels for our trade. On this point I have too little knowledge to form any definite judgment. But I know that we are given the same information (often misleading) about nearly every Ameri can industry when, the question of wages is at stake namely, that manu facturing (of vessels in this case) is so much cheaper abroad. .It may bo true in this case. .Suppose it is. Why should this industry be transferred to foreign shores any more than our other "expensive" American industries? Of course I understand that to get the double profit of low European wages and high-priced American trade would be highly pleasing to vessel owners of America, and thut since, under exist ing circumstances, foreign-owned ves sels do 'get this double, profit, some American owners do not see any good reason wny tney, too, should not have it. nut, considering the questions in volved and the underlying principle of American standards- for American workmen on land or at sua, it seems to me that we must decide, in answering the vessel owners plea, just this propo sition: Do we want to reduce any phase or American industrial life to the lower or lowest level of European industrial life? Do we want any American industry built up at the ex pense of the welfare of the workmen engaged in that industry? If The Oregonian can throw light on this subject by some definite in formation regarding what changes of law are sought, and who will bo di rectly affer-ted by those changes. I shall be pleased to see such informa tion publTshed. The generalities of op probrious epithets applied to our pres ent laws, without adequate explana tion, arouse suspicion as to the merits of proposed chanKP. AN INTERESTED HEADER. Twenty-five Year Ago From Tiie Oregonian March 0, IW Olympla, Wash. About SO iiu-mhiia or the Legislature uttended the theater last night and made a holy show of themselves. The company was the Carolino tage production nt the Co lumbia Hall, and tho legislators cut up like a lot of school kids, throwing paper balls, overshoes, oinnso pcrlini; at each other and they guyed tho play ers to a finish. Senator Gilford, of King, threw an orange across the audi torium and hit 1'rcsldrnt l'ro Tnn Parkinson in the pit of the atoniacli and knocked the wind out of hint. The missile grazed a woman's head. In tr.a play there is a kissing seeno nml the legislators created a demonrtra tion both voluble and vulgar. Mayor Gowey Is grcately incensed; the ret of tho audience was disgusted and the actors were much disturbed. TheRepublican Stato Central com mittee met here yesterday and t!-.a opening gun in the campaign was fired. L. T. Harln. chairman, expressed himself much pleased with tho pros pects Rnd the spirit manifest. Tha committee on call appointed wn D. 1". Thohipson, J. C. Kullcrton. tl. II. Ttur tiett, M. C George, T. II. Tongue. J. 1". Faull and W. 1. Kills, enairman. un apportionment the following were named: II. B. Miller, C. E. Moore. .1. W. Cusiek, M. C. Ucorg James Muokle. Lee Mooroliousc, chairman, Charles Hilton and G. 11. Burnett. London. Master Abraham Lincoln, son of Robert Lincoln, I'nitcd Slates Minister, who has been suffering from poisoning arising Horn a carbuncle, died early this morning. Younii Lin coln was 15 years old and was hi fathers only son. A visitor just returned from Grn Harbor says the little town of Coe mopolis is preparing for a boom. J. P. Faull, member of the Orcson State Hailroad Commission, says April 3. at Salem, Is tho dale fixed for the hearing of P. U. Strickland, of Kamela. against the Union I'aeifa.'. Mr. Mi ick land alleges the railroad docs not show hitu enough accommodation. Tho com. pany also will have its attention calif I to the recent accidents in which livta have been lost. A letter from W. S. Duniway now at his stock ranch in Anlelopo Meadows says the loss of stock will not bo nioia thBn 2 per tent, although the Winter has been unusually severe. E. D. Dewert, who has Just returned from a fishing trip up tho ik-appoosc. says tne snow on nm m.......... -- fallcit to a uniform depth oi tour ictv n.vr He Lashmutt Is In receipt of a letter from H. C. Moore, of La l'orte. inn- for lniormaiion aa i Is supposed to ba tnd.. Breeso Mooic, who. sick in l'ortland. Tlio numerous friends of W. Carey ri,on will lm nlrased to learn that he Is able to be about again after liav- ..rwl.rirnnn 11 SCVCr Sick spell. IIM partner, C. M. Idleman. says Mr. Johnson expects to resume his law piactlco bu- fore long. Dr. and Mrs. A. C. Kinney, of Astoria, left over the Northern 1 acuiu jwici- day for St. Paul. Rev J. C Pair Is In the rlty awaiting . . 1... Iluh. to be assigned to a pancu Morris. One Cipher I'oo Many KALLBRIDGK. Wash., March 4. (To the Editor.) There was a mtssprint in The Oregonian March 4 in the state ment that Fallbridge would issue bonds for 35.0J0. It should be $J500. J. H. MOKRTN. Delicacy In .Mule l-:tliietc. W ashington (D. C.) Nr. "Didn- Huff Jackson tell you dat mule ho traded to you i a powful kicker." "lie didn't zactly tell inc. but lie tried to be honest, lie th'owed In t o bot tles of liniment an' a crutch without no extry charge. " llnoliillona of Sjmpov Huffalo (N. V.) Kxpresa. "Jigg's wife speaks ten litnguace-. "I move we ailopt resolutions of e3 -patliv and send them to .licgs," The local morals squad will be made rotary affair, by which temptation to dereliction will slide off before it can stick. - Jitney men probably think of the bright days when something will be doing at Twenty-fourth and Vaughn. The British say they are fully confU dent, of early victory. But the Gtr- mans are equally confident. Just now hoary old Winter begins to rure on how long he can linger in the lap of Spring. Speaker Clark says there will be employment for all by July. And In the meantime? More blizzards in the 'Middle West and more roses and sunshine in Portland. Sinecure: ' A new Congressional berth with no session ahead for nearly a year. Warden Lawson is not bigger than rGovernor WIthycombe. These are unhappy days for the un speakable Turk. will Congressional now get a rest. vocal' chords The Northwest is the big feature at the Fair,- , WAR FILM CENSORS CRITICISED Manager of Picture Say, Public's Right Were Ulsregrarded. PORTLAND. March 5. (To the Ed itor.) After the local censor board of motion pictures viewed the film enti tied the "German Side of the War" they decided to permit its showing under one- condition, and that was to elim inate all German sub-titles, claiming that the German text did not corre spond with the English translation. As manager or these rums i remov:a an tha German sub-titles Irom tne picture, as I did not wish to delay the opening nerformance. but 1 have shown these German titles to some of the city's most influential German residents and they claim that the translation 13 abso lutely correct. L might state here that the women who are members of this censor board, who viewed this film, are not of the Ger. man faith and consequently their knowledge of the German- language is very limited and they have proved In this respect that they are censoring films without giving them a thorough consideration, but are satisfying their own wishes without giving the general public the slightest thought The writer is a firm believer in cen sorship, but only when tho censorship is' fair and impartial to either race, religion or subject. J.-H. LICHTENSTEIN. 'Manager for the film, "The German Side of the War." On to Constantinople! ranera at Boise and Baker. TOLEDO, Or.. March 1. (To the Edi. tor.) Please publish the names of daily papers at Baker, Or., and at Boise, Idaho. SUBSCRIBER. At B.ikcr, Or.: The Herald and the Democrat. At Boise, . Idaho: Tun Capilal-New j and tho Statesman. Thrilling Detective Stories in The Sunday Oregonian Round table detective tales, told by the world's greatest crime in vestigators, will be a feature of The Sunday Oregonian beginning tomorrow. There will be ten of these articles, each by a separate author and each complete in itself. The first story is by George S. Dougherty, late Deputy Police Commissioner of New York City and superintendent of the New York branch of the Pinkerton agency. OTHER FEATURES TOMORROW. When Kings Led to Battle. This is a graphic narrative from the annals of war when sovereigns led their men in the fighting and met in hand-to-hand combat. Just one hundred years ago Napoleon was the last of these great world monarchs really to lead his nation to battle. Intercepted Letters of an Emperor. Two personal letters written by Emperor Francis Joseph just after the declaration of war by Germany against Russia have been intercepted and are now in the United States. These letters were in tended for relatives -and told of the assassination of the Austrian heir to the throne at Sarajevo. Strange to say, Francis Joseph fol lowed the ancient custom of rulers and dispatched these letters by couriers. The letters themselves, and the way they came to be in this country, form the basis for an interesting article. Penrod's New Adventures. Thousands of readers will be waiting to read the latest escapade of Penrod, the real boy character created by Booth Tarkington. "The Little Gentleman" is the- title of this week's story. Wheat, the Greatest of Gambles. Two million -American farmers are now staking their money on wheat. 0dd3 are with them this year in the wager that they will win, again by commanding an unusually high price for the cereal. It's the world's biggest bet. Castles Dance .the Hesitation. Pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle and an article by Mr. Castle tell how to dance the hesitation in the most approved form. In the Castle series The Oregonian is printing the best articles on modern dancing yet written. Oregon's Plant Wizard. Comparatively little is known about the remarkable work in plant experiments being done by Father Schooner, a Catholic priest of Brooks, Oregon. A full page in colors tells what he is accomplishing. Exploits of Elaine. Interest in this story of crime detection grows with each install ment. The author is Arthur B. Reeve, creator of Craig Kennedy, sci entific detective. Making the Garden. Several pages have been set aside tomorrow for information on gardening. Whether you are interested in flowers, shrubbery or in .vegetable gardening, you will find articles that are both instructive and interesting. Many Other Features. t The subjects here listed are only a few of the good things in the big Sunday paper. Other features include Doc Yak, Tolly and tho other characters that make up the best comic section now published, a page of stories and pictures for the littlo folks, a page in colors . showing English and German soldiers fraternizing at the front, all the news of society women, clubs, automobiles, real estate and build ing, theaters and the general news of the day. Order From Your News Dealer Today. -I