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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1915)
TIIE MOUSING OREGONIAW. WEDNESDAY, APKIIJ 14, 1915. 10 j rOBTLUiD, OREGON. Bntered at Portland. Oregon. Postoffie as wtoond-ciass matter. Subm cripUon Rates Invariably la advance. (B Mail.) rtelly. Eanday Inciuded. one Tear !J? Dully, Sunday Included, six month. . . . 4.-3 Jmily, Sunday Included, three month,. . X-- lally. Sunday included, one month..-, -i? IlBlly, without Sunday, one year joy LIly. without Sunday. six months -; Ti.ll. wt.Hn.i. Cunri-V IhrM BlOntha.. 1- Iliy' without Sunday, one month..... J Veekly. one year............. Fttnday, one year.... feanday and Weekly, one year. 1.60 2.50 ... LuO Hel!y. Sunday Included, one year 8 J? iJaiiy. Sunday included, one month ..-'0 How la Kemlt Send Postofflce money or. der. express order or per,onal check on your local oanic otampa, com v u . . w -sender's risk. Give poetofflce addrtiss In lull. Including county and state. Poetaa-e Katre 12 to 18 pages, 1 cent; 18 to S2 paes, X c en lit; 34 to e pages, 3 cents: to 60 paxes, 4 cents: C-l to 70 paces, a cents: 78 to u2 pages, cents. Foreign post age, double rates. 'Kastera Business Office Veree Je Conk Iln. New York. Brunswick building: Chicago. tser building. Ran Fraartseo Office. K. J. Bldwell Com pany. 4a Market street. , PORTLANn, WEDNESDAY, AFKIL 14, 19 IS. : ; 31 CENTS; THAT'S AU. (Multnomah County now has three and one-half miles of paved country roads. In all Oregon the total of hard surfaced country highways la but twenty-five and one-half miles. In comparison with other states Oregon is backward In this particular. In King County, Washington, paved country roads radiate for 103 miles from Seattle and 85 more miles are to tie paved this year. As to this com parison the pessimist will arise with the stajement that Seattle's tax levy is 43 mills. It may be, but road improve ment is not the cause of that city's Mgh tax rate. Seattle has gone ex travagantly into the business of con structing public docks; the county is doing likewise; the city has ventured Into municipal railway and municipal electric light projects and other enter prises of less demonstrated financial benefit than roadbuilding. But by no comparison of tax rates or 'otherwise can the proposed bond issue lor Multnomah County be honestly de. Dieted as an extravagance It obligates the county to levy a tax for fifteen years of less than four one-hundredths of a mill to meet interest and princi pal. It means an average payment of less than 40 cents on each 11009 of taxable values in the county. But it does not mean an additional tax. This year, according to County Commis sioner Holman, a tax sufficient to raise 1193,000 for repairing the roads it is proposed to pave is how being collect ed. The minimum cost of oiling and repairing them is 88,000 a year, so long as they are not hard-surfaced. If payed, there will be no repairs required for at least ten years, and this year the J192.Q00 can be used in other needed road work. The interest on the bonds Is 162.500, or $25,500 a year less than the estimated average cost of oil ing and repairing the roads as they re now constructed. It is not long ago that Portland awoke to a realization that it was be hind the times in city street improve ments. A large number of business men had visited Tacoma and Seattle on a good-fellowship excursion and had been entertained with drives over miles of hard-surfaced city streets. The busi ness men came back to Portland re- selved to speed up lagging interest in community development. They organ ized a campaign and Portland entered upon an era of street improvement. There are property owners, now, who groan under street assessments, but if Portland's residence streets were in the condition they were five or six years ago, Portland would now be a sleepy, overgrown village, much smaller and less prosperous. TVe are accustomed to credit the Lewis and Clark Fair with all the impetus that has found expression in added popu lation, new business houses and bigger and more manufactories. It, was an important factor, but no less so was the pull-together spirit that developed later and gave the city its metropoli tan conveniences. No one but the veriest mossback would now surren der the clean paved streets of Portland for the dust and mud of other years if their entire assessments could thereby t wiped out. In the same period highway traffic . has been undergoing revolution. This is the day of big loads and rapid tran sit, brought about not only by auto mobile development, but by extension end improvement of interurban elec tric lines which are competitors with the highways. The dirt road, the graveled road,, the plank road, the jnscAdamized road do not stand up under modern traffic. Cost of repairs has greatly increased. This is a fact that cannot be ignored, cannot be vaded. The difference of J25.500 in annual cost between hard-surface and macadamized roads tells the story in doljarg and cent3. The proceeds, if the bond issue is approved, will be spread over eight roads serving as many communities. The apportionment is to be as follows: Columbli River Highway I SM.OIS Base Line .road - bandy road Powell valley road Poster road Canyon road Capital Highway fit. Helena road 333.U1S 12S.MS 76.8113 3D.350 K3.su 67.400 Total ll.SSO.OOO Xot one road in the list ia of exclu sive benefit to one class of road-users. The Columbia Highway has unsur passed scenic attractions, but it is also a trunk line to Central Oregon. It will not only pay for itself by attracting travel that would not otherwise come to the county, but will encourage the upbuilding of farming communities al ready existing and create others that do not now exist because the land is Inaccessible. The other roads are pri marily farmers' or general traffic hlgh wa.vs. It ought not to be necessary to pre sent arguments in favor of a moderate permanent road construction. There is nothing to be said nothing has been, said against permanent roads as a wise investment. The main opposition In this instance is from those who, conceding the Value of good roads, insist that they should ba ob. tained in some way other than by ob ligating the county in the manner proposed- But the difference between this and any other method is so inconse quential that the wonder Is that any one is influenced by it. The, mere statement that all that is involved so far as the individual if, concerned is a payment of 39 cents yearly on each 31000 worth of his property ought to shame the pessimist and silence the grumbler. With how many men and women today will 39 cents in hand seem more important than publio spirit and county development? IXX1 IN THE MANGER. The Oregonian feels that it ought to give further prominence to the fol lowing statement by Judge McGinn, made in a public speech in support of the bond issue: I have no earthly use for a labor leader who, in these times of unemployment, when men are besging for work and their families are going hungry,' will stand up and tell people to vote against a proposition that will glva work .to 3000 men, merely be cause he can't dictate the wages that those men shall be paid. It ought not to be forgotten that the sole reason of the present attitude against the bonds of a certain group of labor leaders is due to the fact that the County Commissioners declined to agree to a $3 minimum wage on county roads. The labor men offered In effect to deliver the labor vote for the bonds if their demand were agreed to, and they openly threatened to swing- labor against the bonds, if it were rejected. Thus the men who professedly stand for the interests of labor are striving with all their might to close a profit able opportunity to labor. WOMEN'S VOTK IN CHICAGO. All the calculations and schemes of those who angled for "the women's vote" in the Chicago election went awry. There was no women's vote, as there was no men's vote, for the worn en divided politically in mucn me same way as the men. Mr. Thomp son's plurality for Mayor was over one-fourth of the total among men and was considerably under one-fifth among the women, being Zl per cent of the combined vote. Women are susceptible to much the same influence as men in deciding how to vote. They think much as their male -associates think. Then how can they be on one side of the political fence and men on the other? Only when some policy is proposed which appeals peculiarly to the feminine mind is the women's vote likely to combine, and then it is apt to carry a very large section of the men's vote with it. The chief effect of woman suffrage so far has been the civilizing of pol: ties. In the "good old days" of the bosses no man would think of taking his wife to the polls. Not only had she no business there, but it was an unfit place for her to go. That can be said no longer. It is as natural for a man and his wife to go to the polls as to go to the theater or a concert together. WttXIAM K. NELSON. The Kansas City Star is a great newspaper. It is the sole product of the 'genius, courage and energy of William R. Nelson, who has just died after thirty-five years spent in the work of building up the Star from very humble beginnings. The Star has throughout all that period been a faith ful mirror of the high-minded journal istic views of its editor and publisher, but it has been besides a model for all newspapers in succinct ahd accurate presentation of the news. The influence of the Star radiates through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It has never acknowledged any fealty to party, but it has some thing to say always, on one side or the other, in every political campaign or on any other issue of moment to the public. By many people the Star has been regarded as Kansas City's greatest asset, for it has striven un. ceaslngly for the betterment of mu nicipal life and for every project for the broadening of the city's influence. Parks, libraries, art museums, play grounds, clean streets, all the things that go to give physical beauty to a city and actual comfort to its citizens have had prominent places in the Star's creed; and no movement for the improvement of public morals or health or culture ever found the Star lukewarm in its support. Colonel Nelson thought and acted always in terms of his newspaper. What the Star was he made it and what Kansas City is may be credited In considerable measure to him. BRVAN IN SEARCH OF AN ISSUE. A political leader is In a sorry plight when everybody promptly perceives the real purpose of his latest move, for his purpose is foiled at the outset. That is the position occupied by Secre tary Bryan with regard to his declara tion for prohibition. He no sooner made that declaration than everybody recognized an attempt to make prohi bition the issue in 1918. His game is as completely spoiled as would be that of a conjurer whose spectators saw precisely how he played his tricks. But Mr. Bryan's plan would fall even if those who are watching him did not see his game. It would fall for the reason given by him for mak ing prohibition a political issue that it Is "a moral question" and that there pan be "but one side to it." It U not entirely toJn reality, but the people have choseiNso to regard it, and they have hitherto refused to divide upon U along party lines. All the successes of local option and prohibition have been won by disregarding party. Mr. Bryan and his party can no more make it a party issue than could the Progressive party fh 1912 make an issue of "social and industrial justice.'! That phrase describes the type of leg islation which had been enacted and advocated by the Republican party for years before 1912. One party cannot make an issue of a question on the matn principle of which the opposite party refuses to disagree with it. That was the case with the Australian bal lot, the income tax, direct election of Senators and various other rrtatters. Elections are seldom fought and won on the issues., selected by political leaders. The t latter are constantly "working themselves out of a Job" by settling disputed questions of policy, and they endeavor to continue their jobs by inventing new issues, but other questions crop up unexpectedly during campaigns, force themselves to the front and decide the popular choice between parties. The most notable example of an issue carefully prepared and worked up was the silver ques tion, and the Democrats came nearer to success upon it than upon any other they have raised in late years. As the New York Evening Post observes. Mr. Brvan "had, up to two years ago, used up more issues and missed fire I on more than Colonel Roosevelt.' He ' tried anti-imperialism, railroads, trusts, guaranty of bank deposits, but two of these fell flat and the other tiwo were taken from him by the polit ically agile Colonel. Mr. Bryan -will fail on prohibition, not because the people are opposed to it, but because the parties cannot be arrayed on opposite sides of the ques tion. He is in danger of. being left with no other issue than the time-hon ored tariff. His party is) hopelessly discredited 'on that question, and his opponents are likely to take it out of politics by creating a tariff commis sion. If that should happen, the great maker of Issues would be left in his old age without an occupation. ART AND THE ZEITGEIST. Sometimes war makes literature and art more serious, sometimes more frlv- olous. It depends upon the Zeitgeist. Not all wars are solemn occasions. Some have been fought out very light ly, almost as If they had been frolics, Others have been undertaken with prayer and fasting. Cromwell's sol diers seasoned their battles with prayer and won most of them, but quite as many other battles have been won with song and lest. Just now under the stress of the European war literature has assumed a somber tone and the drama has lost some of its flippant cynicism. Ber- nard Shaw Is less popular than for merly in London and the German stage is said to be steeped in gloomy patriotism. It does not appear that the charac- ter of current fiction has been much affected by the war. There are all sorts of novels flowing from the press, grave and gay, serious and silly. The general tone of our better fiction is reflective and earnest. Novelists, like everybody else whose opinion is worth while, would gladly suggest some Kchange in human nature that should make wars impossible hereafter. PUBUO HEALTH WAV. The practice of setting' apart "day" for any purpose which happens to interest legislators or governors for the moment has perhaps been car. ried far enough. We already have a mothers' day with one in sight for father and Uncle Hiram. Carried out to its obvious extreme, this setting apart of "days" would land us with the Russians in a year composed of more holidays than working days. But these strictures do not apply to such manifestly sensible occasions as Arbor day. Memorial day and Public Health day. When there is a sufficient reason for making a new holiday let us have it by all means, but the haunting dan ger of frivolity and hypocrisy should be kept in mind also. Public Health day seems to have been the invention of Governor Ralston, of Indiana, who began by naming April 19. rtus excellent example was promptly fol lowed by Governor Hatfield of West Virginia. Other state executives will no doubt rollow suit oeiore a great while and we may expect Health day to be observed throughout the country with appropriate ceremonies. The man who first pronounced the opinion that it is a disgrace to be sick was a little ahead oi nis age. ine public was not ready to agree with him. In those times invalids were the most interesting people on earth. The novelist's heroine was hysterical, dys peptic and fragile. She fainted on the slightest occasion and dissolved in tears at a harsh word from the hero or the villain. The hero himself could hardly get though the book without suffering a severe sword wound and a long spell of low fever. These calami ties were necessary to make him inter esting to the reader. But fashions have changed, vve now admire robust heroines who would scorn to faint ana wnose tears nu-w only upon the most serious provoca tion. The popular hero has become as sturdy as a plowman. He is seldom wounded and never ill of typhoid or pneumonia. He occasionally suffers from paresis, but that is perhaps not his own fault. The point is that health has assumed a new value to the public imagination. It Is acknowledged to be the best thing in the world to have and therefore worth any amount of trouble to keep. Hence the Institution of Health day with its lessons and Influences. POLITICAL REPRISALS. The charges of conspiracy made by the Rises National Bank of Washing ton against Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo and Controller Williams would seem incredible had not the policies of the Treasury Department, as of other departments of the Admin istration, been marked by nar row partisanship, intolerance of criti cism and personal vindjetiveness. Mr. McAdoo a success in business raised high hope of able administra tion of the Treasury Department, but his judgment seems to nave Deen warped by the circumstances under which his success was attained. His Hudson tunnel scheme was opposed by the great bankers of New York, but he put it through in spite of tnem. The" feud arising from this experience has been Jtept alive by him and has colored his views of every financial question. It partly explains his ab surd charge that the banks were con spiring to depress the price of the Government bonds which tney tnem selves held. His partisanship and his sectionalism have been evidenced by the location of Federal reserve banks at secondary business centers. Mr. Williams has ably seconded him in this perversion of his official power, being mainly responsible for the selec tion of Richmond in preference to Baltimore. The conduct of Mr. McAdoo and Mr. Williams has gone far to justify the objection made by bankers to the large measure of Government control over their business which has been estab lished by the Federal reserve law. When that measure was under con sideration, the bankers objected that publio control meant political control. Their objections were overruled as baseless, spokesmen of the Adminis tration asserting that these objections were inspired by the "money trust," which was fighting to retain control. We were promised a Federal Reserve Board so able and high-minded that it would be incapable of acts of parti sanship and vindictJvemess, but subse quent events and the charges now made create suspicion that the bank ers' app'rehensions were well founded. Reprisals inflicted because of crit icism have marked the entire course of the Administration. Secretary Bryan sought to discredit ex-President Roose velt by his treaty of apology and in demnity to Colombia. Secretary Dan iels punished Admiral Fiske for testi fying to the inefficiency of tha Navy. He punished New Hampshire for go ing Republican by taking repair work from the Fortsmoutn navy-yara ana giving it to Pensacola, in ever-faithful Florida. Secretary Redfleld punishes those manufacturers who testify to the injurious effects of the Underwood tariff by attempting to show that they do not know their business. Postmas ter-General Burleson tries to railroad an unjust railway mall pay bill through Congress, without discussion and, when he falls, accuses the rail roads of lobbying, .The President avenges himself on - Democratic Sen ators who have opposed his pet meas ures by ignoring them in making ap polntments, and he climbs down only when confronted with a united Senate. Though it gives all these evidences of human frailty, the Administration is so self-righteous and takes itself so seriously that it gets on its dignity when innocent fun is made at its ex pense. How horrified were the Demo cratic Pharisees when the Carabao Club launched the good ship Piffle at Us annual dinner and sang an old cam- nalcm none as a mere reminiscence of the soldiers' experiences in the Philip. pinesl There is no more fertile sub ject for ridicule than the man who cannot enjoy a Joke at his own expense. But if there has been perversion of the banking law to the ends of private vengeance the people will not treat it as a Joke. They will be as serious on this subject as the Administration has been on other subjects. Who would be a press censor? The London papers now blame him for their lack of enterprise in getting scooped on the Interview with King Albert, but an editor lets the cat out of the bag when he says: "It never oc curred to me that a King would see a reporter." That is where the Ameri can newspaper man or woman gets ahead of his' English cousin. It not only occurs to him, but he gets the In terview. To be bitten by a mad mule must be an interesting, not to say surprising, experience. Mules usually express themselves with their heels. But this one had rabies caught from a coyote and Farmer C. E. Brown Is in as much danger as if a mad dog had bitten him As long as sentimentality permits dogs to run at large rabies will spread from them throughout the animal kingdom and human life will be In constant peril. The little girl whose face was torn yesterday morning by a savage dog will' not be -greatly comforted even if the savage brute is found to be per fectly healthy. This fact will not heal her wound. The strange people who love dogs better than children will still insist, no doubt, that such fero cious animals should go about unmuz zled, but it really seems as if human beings might claim some protection, The warfare upon child labor has many vicissitudes to pass through be fore it can look for decisive victory, New York's case is typical. In that state there is a good child labor law, but it is of little benefit because rural ; . ,,. ' .. .4 i ,Jpublish an interview with the Fostma juries will not convict the violatorsSof Portiandi tn6 Unlted States Di The value of a criminal law is trifling without hearty support from the pub lic. The war gives surprising jolts to the scraps of history and poetry lying scat tered about In one's mind. Goza, of the Philistines, is under bombardment now. We do not know whether the gates have been replaced since Samson carried them off or not. If they are still missing it should be easy for the allies to capture the elty. At last the Government owns the Oregon City locks. If all real estate deals were as slow of completion many an agent would die of starvation be-, fore he got his commission. Yet this same Government wishes to manage our water power. The wily Turk, aided by the effi cient German, evidently put one over on the allies in the Dardanelles. When the Turkish guns were apparently silenced, they were only being moved to another place to speak again. After all there is some excuse for the labor politicians. If every real workingman had a job and was satis fied, they would have none. It is their business to keep things in turmoil, for they fish in troubled waters. We can suggest a number of pretty ways to choose a Rose Festival queen, Why not crown the girl who wins the best marks at school, or the one who can wash dishes most expertly or bake the best batch of bread ? Having enlisted all the men who would volunteer, Great Britain is now ripe for conscription, but what a wail will go up from the unwilling who are taking their ease and feathering their nests with war profits? The Kaiser western army is not fighting hard enough to suit the allies just now. However, May is but two weeks away, and that is when .Kitch ener says the real war will begin. The Russian regards the war as a blessing in that it takes his mind off the petty troubles that worried him. The average Rubs is only a small child of the White Father. Portland is the only city where four teen thousand fans can sit through the whole game in a temperature of BO and thrill. The Terre Haute politicians in Leavenworth prison will be numerous enough to compose a political conven tion. The British War Department is breaking the news gently about the heavy losses at Neuve Chapelle, Germany Is bent on conciliating the Belgians by "soothing their savage breasts" with music. Rain cannot cool the ardor of the fans. They will turn out In any weather. Wise Huerta! He swears he will not beat it for Mexico. ' . . . . v..- I The Beavers did net win, but the-i season is young. Date the era of the Big Portlander from today. . Mr. Beals did very well for early n- ApTil. Vote to put the laboring an at work. Vote early and. the civie duty is over. Let US hope for the best. Carry the bonds. Twenty-Five Years Ago From The Oregonian April 14. 1890. Washington. W. D. Tyler, of Ta- ooma. has had nublished in the Wash tnerton Post a two-column article on the resources of the new State of Waahinerton and the City of Tacoma. The article ha created a Rood deal of eomiment because the Congressmen ana others in the East and Middle West know little or nothing of the Pacific Northwest country. ' Denver. A commotion was created here yfcsterdav when it was reported that a representative of the Santa Fe Railroad attempted to bribe Mayor Wolfe Londoner. The reason appar ently is the new franchise which the Mayor recently vetoed arter ootn branches of the City Council had passed, it. ' Astoria will have a yacht club and another bank this Summer it Is re ported on good authority. Colonel Meyer Kaufman, of Tacoma, is urged ?or candidacy for Mayor on the Democratic ticket In the City of Destiny. McMahon's large elephants, which were brought in from Wood burn last week and Quartered for a tune in ax bins, are affording much merriment for the people of that district. They are also proving themselves useful waiting for the circus performances. Last Fri dav some oartlea desirous of unloading two cars of hay found It impossible to do so because or tne location oi m cars, and no switch engine was avail able. The elephants were thought of and Queen Jumbo, under tne guiding hand of Manager Mcmanon, was ois patched to the scene. With one push of her head she started tne cars rott ing down the track and kept them go ing until they were at the desired nlace. Mr. McHahon says the elephants are trained for that kind of practical work as much as for circus perform ances. ! The Oregonian band assembled in the courtyard of the Portland yesterday and discoursed some Fine music in hon or of the celebrated Jules Levy. Mr. Friedlander, manager of the Marquara Grand aotieared uoon. the lower Bal cony and. thanked the musicians for their tribute to the visiting periormer, John Brooke, neohew of J. H. Smith, has iust returned from England with his bride and they are at the Esmond Hotel. FROM A SENSITIVE JOB-HOLDER Why, He Aafca, Should He Not Stand l tor His Patron f ASTORIA, Or., April 12. (To the Editor.) Were it not that I feel under great obligations to The Oregonian for many kindnesses in the past, and tbatj I am or a naturany sunny uispuaiuuii, I should have felt real hurt at your editorial, "Professional Optimism," in The Oregonian last Saturday. You seem to feel that a Government employe has no right to voice an opin ion, if it contradicts your views, but is all right if his opinions coincide, or at least do not clash with yours. On page 14 of The Oregonian you ublish an interview with the Postmas- trict Attorney, the Collector of Cus toms and the Collector of Internal Revenues for Oregon, and upon a po litical Question. Why is it right to solicit their views and wrong to voice mine? Men will differ upon questions; edi tors and publishers are not Infallible; well posted as they may be, they will aometlmes make statements not borne out by the facts. A number of newspapers made tne statement that the election of a Repub lioan Mayor of the City of Chicago in dicated a defeat for the National Dem ocratic Administration. In my humble way I attempted to prove that such statement was not correct, because a Republican daily newspaper of Chi eago (opposed to the National Admin istration) supported the defeated Dem ocratic candidate for Mayor, while the Republican candidate for Mayor was supported by a considerable taction of Chicago Democrats for purely local reasons, and since it was largely local fight, to lay the defeat at the doors of the National Administration at Washington is, therefore, absurd. That I am an appointee of this Ad ministration does not change the facts that the Chicago city election was local election in which a Republican newspaper supported the Democratic candidate for Mayor, and Democratic politicians supported the Republican candidate. Through the kindness of the people of Oregon I was sent as a delegate to the Baltimore convention. In that convention, in obedience to the people's instructions, I assisted in making the nomination of President Wilson pos sible. During the ensuing campaign I did all in my humble power to fur ther nis election, is it unnatural tor me to correct what I believe to be a misstatement whenever or by whom soever uttered? If it is reprehensible to hold a sal aried position, then pardon me for saying that I have also served the peo ple for several years without pay and that the service then voluntarily ren dered gave me much more pleasure than any work I can do in any Gov ernment position, and I also hope that my free service has been conducive to the publics welfare. The epithet you applied to me in your editorial could not have been the result of calm deliberation. I prefer to believe that It j was the anger of a moment which was responsible- for it and that you and I will continue to be good friends, even though we may dif fer once in a great while. HERMAN WISE. SO GOOD REASON FOR OPPOSITION Rich, Poos and Intermediates Will All Benefit From Roads. PORTLAND. April 13. (To the Edl tor.) Considering the fact that every body wants good roads, that under present trafflo conditions none but a hard-surface road is good for any length of time, that the only way to get a good road is to build it and pay for it, and that the proposition for Multnomah County to issue long-time bonds is feasible and economical, there seems no good reason why it should not receive the support of every voter in tne county, It will provide good and permanent roads while most of us are still in the flesh to use them, and that will help some. The rich should support the bond issue because they can well af ford to stand the expense; the poor should do so because it will not cost them anything, and the intermediate class, financially, should do so because the cost to them will scarcely be felt. while they will receive more benefit irum sous iuua omj, b.hu tuu Btnan both tha classes. from good roads directly, and ind: Of course the born pessimists and constitutional grouches, will oppose the bond issue beeause they ' will be oppos ing something. Once upon a time there was a woman who had a disposition that was sour. dank, blue, dished and vitriolic during every hour of every day. One day her little girl was standing at the window in early March when she suddenly said in great glee, "Oh, mamma, here is a robin." Well." snapped her mother. 'now I reckon we ll have to listen to that thing holler the rest Of the year!" Of course if that woman uvea in Multnomah County, which she doesn't, she would vote against the bond issue. 1 . -X. U.&HiXV GOOD AND HAD DOGS AND ROADS Contributor Works HUchway Sermoa Out of Mnaslinff Iksuc PORTLAND, April 13, (To the Ed itor.) "It can't possible be true, and if true it can't possibly be done, don't you know. I raised that ilea-lniestea, yelDinir. snaDDinK. worthless cur from a pup and he is such a playmate for the children. I know he disturbs my neighbors by his yap. yap, yap at all hours, day and night. I know he tram pies my neighbors' gardens and breaks down their flowers and veeetames. know he snaps at children and is likely to have rabies at any time, but all that don't make any difference. I want to keep him and therefore I am going to keep him. I ve paid the license ana a don't care what he does, nor wnen, where nor how he does it. My dog and I against my neighbors, the State Live stock Sanitary Board and tne woria. Such about expresses the sentiments of the average city dog owner, and venture the prediction that in the pres ent campaign against rabies the State Board will be easily defeated. And I speak from some experience, for I was official dog catcher for the Rose City Park Improvement League for a term, elected in the way of a joke on the motion of Postmaster Merrick. But taking it seriously, not knowing it was a put-up job, I formed an alliance, offensive and defensive, with the City Pound Master, and got busy. I fully In tended the aforesaid alliance to be prln eipally defensive in that while I in tended to, and, as a mater of fact, did do the pussy footing, by arranging the coup so it would full while I was at my daily toil. 1 would thereby and therewith establish an alibi. But as it turned out, under the dictum of Rob ert Burns that "The best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglee," the al- lianoe was far more offensive all round, for the pound men not only nabbed the 13 varieties that I had Sherlock Holmed but by some hocus pocus that bas never been fully explained, got Mr. Merrick's dog in the dragnet with the others and the new 13 collar he brought home that night for the new dog became the badge of citizenship for the old, worth less pup that he had been trying to dispose of for some time and which was really the one the pound boys would have taken had they followed the descriptions and directions which were supposedly handed them by their supe rior officer in the morning. And, as the little fellow was never redeemed, the only memento that remains of him Is a fine picture of him and his genial mas ter taken in the center of Sandy boule vard when it was a sea of mud from curb to curb, which, with one taken at the same spot after it was paved a year later, I deposited in the copper box In the cornerstone of the Rose City Park Club, as a testimonial forever that the people of Rose City Park were and are a unit for good roads. Those 10 pictures taken before and after would convert even Brother Smith regardless. Every voter In Rose City Park, and especially the women, will, recalling those awful days and the care they were obliged to exercise in selecting hosiery, go to the polls next Wednesday and cast a solid vote against mud and mud-slinging. But, to get back to doors, and espe claily the city dog. I want to go on record first, last and all the time, as unalterably (To Be Continued After Election.) If our people vote against good roads I shall expect another special election to be called right away to pass a law making the keeping of at least one worthless cur obligatory on every clti zen as a companion piece of legislation and a suitable, sufficient and highly ap propriate testimonial of our decadence along with bad roads. U. U. HUQHBON. WORKINGMEN AND BOND ISSUE, Amerlcaa Citizens Will Give Place to Foreiirners, Is Complaint of Writer. - PORTLAND, April IS. (To the Edi tor.) Those favoring the bond issue dwell on the great benefits the work ingmen will derive frpm hard-surfacing the roads. It seems to me these advocates prove too much. What about the working men and teams who are annually em ployed repairing the roads? These men are residents and permanent citi zens living on or near some of the many roads on which they are em ployed. They will lose their jobs and be replaced by Austrians, Greeks, Moravians, Bohunks and other foreign ers who send most of their earnings to foreign countries. Anyone who hag seen a paving gang working on our streets has noticed that almost all are foreigners. After the paving is completed work- ingmen will be cut out of employment for several years. Advocates say 80 per cent will go to labor. I say, under the present system, ail goes to labor substantial men of families, taxpayers and home-owners. Your advice in the past has been ex cellent "When in doubt vote 'No.' " . N. REEVE, Mr, Reeve's attention is called to the statement of Commissioner Holman published Tuesday. American married men will be given preference on the road work. One of the best arguments In favor of good roads is that the farm lands served can thereafter be culti vated at a profit. The farmers who now seek casual employment to help make ends meet will not have to work at day labor for the county, if the bonds carry, QUICK BENEFITS ARE ASSURED Beside Permanent Advantage, Road Work: Will Relieve Unemployed, PORTLAND, April 13 (To the Edi tor.) It would seem to me to be mis taken economy to vote against the pav ing bonds, when the ultimate results would be of such far-reaching impor tance to the welfare of the county and the state at large. Each and every person paying taxes would be bene fited far more than tne individual cost to him, and surely no better time could be selected than the present, when the city Is so congested with un employed, scorning charity for the most part, but eager and anxious to earn an honest dollar to feed and clothe their families. We are on the verge of a new era in road construction- The disgraceful waste of labor, material and money by present methods of improving and con structing roads is so evident that a radical change seems essential. The legal voters of Multnomah County when casting their ballots as sume a grave responsibility, for, in addition to gratifying a long-felt want in making the permanent improvement of our highways possible, they will alao be in a position to solve a great economic problem by voting for the bond issue, thereby enabling the de serving unemployed to supply the ne cessities of their anxious families, who at the present time are In desperate straits. JOHN TYLER. Trafflo Poorly Regulated. PORTLAND, April 13. (To the Edi tor.) As a visitor to your city I would like to comment upon it. I have not been her for rive 'years and what impresses me most is your street traffic, its volume is surprising, and the most poorly handled of any that I have ever seen. Motor cars are permitted to pass other traffic by passing far to the left of the street center line, and these motor cars use headlights of a strength and glare that powhere else would be tolerated. vj, it, w iinu.N, BenBon Hotel. New Moos, Is 'Dark." PORTLAND. April 13. (To the Ed itor.) To settle a dispute ptease say whether the new moon is known as a "light" or "dark" moon. Tnanmng you In advance, I am, An Old Subscriber, ti, u. a. Half a Century .Ago From The Oresonlan, April 14, IMS. It remained for Lieutenant Bent, of the United States Navy, an officer of murh scientific merit and formerly at tached to the expedition to Japan under Commodore Matthew Perry, to disoover the "river In the ocean" of the Faclfic. This river in tbe ocean corre sponds to the Gulf Stream of the At lantic and makes o mild the Winters of the Pacific Northwest. By telegram from Seattle we learn that the t'nlted States steamer Shu brlck. with Colonel Bulkley on board, had arrived at that port from Sitka. Alaska. The object of Colonel Bulkier' visit was to make arrangements with the Russian government for the tele graph line. Washington Everything practically is closed here in celebration of the holiday over the victories at Richmond. Stanton Is of the opinion there will be no more heavy fighting. From all over the country enme re ports of the grand celebrations In honor of the fall of Richmond. The celebration In Portland was so bril liant and elaborate as to make all feel proud. V Intended no opprobrium to Mr. George W. Maxwell yesterday In our allusions to the dangerous feat, per formed by him In climbing the flag staff in front of Willamette engine house No. 1. Ho Is very commonly called Kanaka George, at other times George Green, but his real name Is as given above. George was born In the Sandwich Islands, but he can boast of proud Scotch parentage, his anteced ents haJlln-g from the Highlands of Scotland. Mr. Blrnbaum will give a social party tonight at Parrlsh's Hall. Good music will be provided and a good time Is anticipated. Officer Townsend discovered a fire which should not have been Thursday night after the celebration of the fall of Richmond. It was the only case of the kind that has come to light and Mr. Townsend succeeded in quenching It in short order. Sitting -upon the platform of the Plaza during the speaking Thuradny night we discovered a very fine Illum ination In the direction of the Port land Academy and Female Seminary. It was supposed to be a private resi dence, illumination, but It proved to be at the academy and made under the direction of Professor Frambes with the aid of the students and teacheis. TAXPAYERS HAVE HAD BENEFITS City Grewth Has !resrrra Proprrty Owaera amd They fikanld Co-operate. PORTLAND. April 13. (To the Ed- itor.) Tomorrow occurs the election on the bdnd issue, for or against good roads. This question has been largely discussed and moat of the taxpayers have made up their minds as to which way they will cast their ballots. There are some points which I as a fMow taze' payer and one In favor of good roads wish to call to the attention of those who may be opposed to this bond Issue, which I think should be most carefully studied before a vote is cast against the same. First, since the Lewis and Clark fair and until the last few years, Mult nomah County has been mighty good to the property owners. Iota vf a few thousands' value have grown by leaps and bounds and the people have had the benefit. Mow It s their turn to ne gooa to the county and return some of it. It has only been since labor has larsely been unable to And employment that houses and stores have become vacant. and we can refill them only by provid ing work for these same unemployed. Among the many arguments put up to cause vptes agalnxt the bond Issue is the specious one that we are com pelled to pay for making our . city streets. Why should we also huVe to pay for making county reads for the farmer! is asked. We have always had to and always will have to. The only difference is that under the bond issue we pay In the future. Under th system formerly prevailing wo paid cash through the direct tax, and Just exactly in proportion as we will pay for th bonds, excepting this difference in our favor: Hard-surface roads will increase the assessable value of country property, making our proportion of the whole cost less. Again, we will reap a benefit by rea son that nothing will so attract tourists to Portland and hold them for as long a time as will a system of good roads ie our scenic- resorts. I believe that with in 10 years' time, do we but fulfill our duty, Portland in Summer will outrival Los Angeles in Winter as a tourist re sort, and no country can get a better asset than tourists. Vote for good roads and help return. Ing prosperity. DAVID S. STEARNS, Ann's Age Flaured Out, AIRL1E, Or., April 13. (Te the Edi tor.) To the problem advanced by O. C. Waldo in The Oregonian of Wednes day. April 7, namely: "When Ann was one-third of her present age her grand mother was 10 times as old as Ann was then. When the grandmother Is 0 Ann will be three times as old as she is now. How old are Ann and her grandmother? I wlxli to submit the following solution, using algebra: Let X equal Ann's present age, then X divided by 3 equals Ann's age under first condition of the problem. 3X eauals Ann's age under second condi tion of the problem. X minus X divided by 3 equals 2X divided by 3, difference in Ann's age in first condition and present age. (This represents number of years' difference). According to the condition of the problem, at th time of Ann's age under the first condition, or when Ann's age was X divided by I, her grandmother's was 10 times that or 10X divided by 3 equals tne grand mother's age under first condition of the problem, and 10X divided by S plus 2X divided by 3 equals grandmother's present age. Also 3X minus X equals 2X, which is the difference in years between Ann's present age and her age under the second condition; then 10X divided by s plus ix oiviaea py plus 2X equals grandmothers age under the second condition; also 10X divided by 3 plus 2X divided by S plus SX equal B0. Therefor X equals u. Then substituting, Ann's present age is 15, her age under first condition Is 5 and under the second condition la l-. Her grandmother's present age la ('), under th first condition It is 69 and under the second condition is 0, which was given: therefore, Ann's age, first condition 6. grandmother's 60; present 16, grandmothers (0; second condition 45, grandmothers' )0, It will he seen that the difference between her grandmother's age and her own age is always 45 year. Check: For (1) SO minus 6 equals 45. (2) 60 minus 15 equals 4a. (3) 90 minus 45 equals 45. C. A. ARPKE. Pacific Wireless Comsaar. PORTLAND, Or, April II (To the Editor.) Can you tell me, please, In your eolumns, what became ef the Pa cific Wireless Telegraph Company, which had effiees In the Board ef Trsd building, Los Angeles, Cat? Also has a 110 gold piece of 1143 any value as an old coin? READER. There are two companies which have stations at Los Angeles on the Fed eral Telegraph Company, and the other the Marconi Company. Th Los An geles office of the Federal Company I in Mercantile Place. We are unable to locate the Pacific Wireless Company.