TUT: TirORXTN'O OREGOSTAX. TTJTSDAT, JULY 0. 1915.
POBTLA.ND, OREGON.
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POKTLAXD, TUESDAY. JCtX 6, 1915.
: AX AMERICAN, YET NOT AN AMERICAN.
The question "When Is an Ameri
! can not an American?" has come up
for discussion through opinions given
by Secretary of State Lansing when
r he was counselor of the State Depart-
ment. Mr. Lansing simply stated
; what the law Is in two typical cases
f which came before him, but his
opinons called forth declarations from
ex-President Roosevelt and Senator
" Lodge on what the law ought to be.
One case was that of P. A. Lelong,
' of New Orleans, born in the United
i States of a French, father. Mr.
' Lansing wrote to him that he was
. "born with a dual nationality" and
that "the department cannot there
: fore give you any assurance that you
would not be held liable for the per
. formance of military service in fiance
; should you voluntarily place yourself
k within French Jurisdiction." Mr.
; Lansing quoted the French Code,
; which defines as & Frenchman "every
r person born of a Frenchman in
France or abroad." Under that
. definition no Frenchman ever could
become an American, for it declares
Mr. Lelong a Frenchman and hence
his sons would be Frenchmen also,
and so on for generation after gen
eration. Ugo Da Prato was born in Boston
after his father had been naturalized,
and went to Italy to study architec
ture, but was forced into the Italian
, army. Mr. Lansing Informed Mr.
Lodge that "it does not appear that
he can be considered an Italian sub
ject under Italian law," and has re
quested his release.
In both cases the opinion of the
State Department was based on for
eign, not American, law, though in
both cases foreign law conflicts with
the declaration of the fourteenth
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States that:
All persons born or naturalized In the
"United States and subject to the jurisdic
tion thereof are citizens of the United
States and of the stato wherein they reside.
Colonel Roosevelt declared that ft
was "dangerously close to treason fo
the United States that men born here
of foreign parentage should be blandly
informed by the State Department
that if they visit the countries in
which their parents were born they
can be seized, punished for evasion of
military duty or made to serve in the
army." Mr. Lodge protested against
the acceptance of foreign law as valid
when in conflict with our own law
and said:
Because Italy, or any other country, has
a law which conflicts with ours It does not
follow that we should fail to sustain our
own law and our own doctrine. If we did
so there would be no conflict of laws be
cause we should then submit to the law of
another country instead of maintaining our
own.
Mr. Lodge took exception to the
phrase "dual allegiance," but that Is
precisely what Germany has tried to
create by the following section of her
nationality law promulgated in Jan
uary 1914:
Citizenship is not lost by one who be
fore acquiring foreign citizenship has se
cured on application the written consent of
the competent authortles of his home state
to retain his citizenship. Before this con
sent is given the German consul is to be
hesrd.
The Imperial Chancellor may order, with
the consent of the Federal Council, that
persons who desire to acquire citizenship In
a specified foreign country may not be
granted the consent provided for In para
graph 2 (the foregoing paragraph).
This law Is construed by Richard
W. Flournoy, Jr., chief of the Bureau
of Citizenship of the State Depart
ment, to mean that a German resid
ing abroad may be naturalized In a
-foreign country without renouncing
his German nationality unless the
"laws of that country require him to
renounce any prior allegiance. As
United States law requires such re
nunciation. It could only apply in this
i country if applicants for citizenship
were not acting in good faith.
'Another provision of the same law,
' however, provides that persons who
.have already lost their German na
tionality through residence abroad for
ten years may, without returning to
"Germany, resume their original na
tionality. This would permit German
ic American citizens again to become
' German subjects.
All these conflicts between laws and
these doubts as to the status of
foreign-born citizens arise from the
necessity of obtaining from foreign
nations treaty concessions in order
tto make the fourteenth amendment
, truly effective. As matters stand,
, naturalized citizens no sooner enter
' their native country than they lose
;the rights they have acquired as citi
' zens. Unless these rights can be
enjoyed abroad they are of limited
: value, and a naturalized American Is
not on an equality with citizens of
. other countries or with native citi
zens who are free from such troubles
- as Mr. Lelong and Mr. Da Prato
: have encountered. The conflict is
fundamental, for It arises from the
- difference in theory between aft re
public and a monarchy. A republic
holds that every man has an inherent
" right to choose the government to
- which he will own allegiance. A
monarchy holds that birth in its do-
- minions gives it a perpetual claim to
- his allegiance and In some cases to
: that of his descendants. .
This situation should be ended, but
the war will make the ending more
difficult than ever. 'With its popula
tion depleted, Europe will keep a
- tighter grip than ever on what re-
r mains, and may seize upon every
wanderer who returns as a needed
recruit.
People who dispute the germ theory
of disease are Invited to contemplate
the current history of typhoid fever.
The teachings of the germ theory have
all but eradicated that disease from
the world's armies. In our own and
the Japanese inoculation Ions since re
duced the typhoid death rate to nil.
Now comes news of similar purport
from France. And yet some people
will go on saying that "the germ
theory Is all humbug."
HAPPY OVER 1AJLURE.
We reproduce the following from a
Democratic contemporary esteemed
ror its sound logic ana . profound
knowledge of the effect upon world
commerce of recent tragic events:
What has become of the demon Underwood
tariff? Where is the sob squad that. In the
late campaign, claimed everybody was gorg
ing -n cheap Australian butter? Where are
those "your-butter" Oregonlan editorials
dripping with tears and choking with sobs
over tne dastard invasion of Oregon by
"cheap Australian butter"?
"Tne last two steamers leaving San Fran
cisco for the Antipodes carried S58.000
pounds of Pacific Coast butter," says The
Csteonian now. and it adds: "Shipments
earlier In the season aggregated over l.Ouu.
K)U oounds."
A great many beneficences were
expected by the Democrats to accrue
from the Underwood tariff, but it
seems to be a cause for congratulation
among them that the new law has
been powerless to relieve the drought
which ran Australia short of butter or
change Winter to more productive
Spring In the Antipodes or relieve the
blockade which is ruining Danish but
ter-makers.
It was generally understood that the
main object of the Democratic tariff
was to let foreign commodities into
this country in greater variety and
larger volume. But whenever war and
other circumstances "prevent the- ful
fillment of that purpose nobody Is hap
pier or more triumphant than a Dem
ocrat. FRANK HOLT'S INSANITY.
Frank Holt, the man who tried to
assassinate J. P. Morgan, is unques
tionably insane. At any rate he is
not sane, for his ways of thought
and action are totally different from
those of the work-a-day world. He
may cherish higher Ideals than or
dinary people but he does not cherish
them wisely or normally. His writ
ing a letter to the Kaiser stamps his
mind as abnormal, even though the
letter in itself is a pretty good one.
His advice to that energetic poten
tate is presumptious, of course, but
still it is good advice. Mr. Holt
counsels moderation, reasonableness
and forbearance. Who could do
better? - .
The sanest of us may envy Mr. Holt
his philosophic view of right and
wrong. In his madness there Is plenty
of method. What he lacks is com
mon sense, the saving salt that keeps
learning and logic from spoiling.
Some men have, a great deal of it
and we call them the saviors of so
ciety. Most of us have a little and
It keeps us out of the lunatic asy
lums. Mr. Holt seems to have all
desirable mental traits but this in
dispensable one and there we sup
pose he mu?t be shut up.
RIDING THE STATE.
PORTLAND. July 4. (To the Editor.)
I note by decision of the Supreme Court 3
Howard. 012) that "the shores of navigable
waters and the soils under them were not
granted by the Constitution of the United
States, but were reserved to the states re
spectively. The new states have the same
rights, sovereignty,, and Jurisdiction over
this subject, as the original states."
This being conceded as true, how about
the shores of non-navigable waters and the
soils under them?
v hence . comes the right or the Govern
ment to conserve water powers
W. H. ODELL.
The question Mr. Odell presents
is the one that inspired the resolu
tion adopted by the last Legislature
calling for a conference of delegates
from Western waterpower states In
Portland next Fall. The resolution
boldly asserts state Jurisdiction over
the beds and waters of non-navigable
streams and of navigable streams sub
ject only to the paramount rights of
navigation and commerce.
The Federal Government now con
serves waterpowers by regulating the
use of Government land necessary to
waterpower development through
which streams flow. The Ferris bill
trades on the necessity of the state to
use admittedly Government property
In developing Its water resources.
Through that necessity the bill seeks
to control the use and disposition of
the state's water as well as the use
and disposition of the Government's
land. It would appropriate for the
Federal reclamation fund one-half the
revenues derived from waterpower de
velopment, although the state's inter
est Is relatively many times greater
than the Government's.
When such policies are on foot It
Is high time the waterpower states
combined in an effort to obtain Jus
tice. THE GARY SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK.
The Gary system which Mr. Wirt
has instituted in some of the New
York schools is undergoing a fire of
criticism, most of which is, of course,
unintelligent. But some of it is ma
licious. Those who profit by the
old ways are naturally reluctant to
admit the value of changes and they
are not always scrupulous about the
choice of methods to prevent Improve
ments. Xo fights are more bitter than
those which arise over the discipline
and studies in the public schools. The
fight which Mr. Wirt has started In
New York conforms to the old-established
fashion In this particular.
But his cause 13 so good it excuses
all the trouble he makes.
The great merit of the Gary sys
tem is that, for less money than the
old one. it gives the children more
and better teaching. The money saved
can be exemplified by an Item or two
which will stand in the reader's mind
for many others. The saving runs
through the whole system. .The ex
pense of teachers salaries. estimated
by the pupil, Is, under the Gary sys
tem, $33.50 a year, while under the
old way It Is 42.2 8. A twelve-year
course under the Gary system costs.
for the average pupil, $394.30, while
under the old system the cost is
$748.88, almost twice as much.
Again the Gary plan gives each pu
pil 1416 hours of school work In the
year, while the old way gives him but
950. If we count In the Saturday
work which Mr. Wirt affords the chil
dren his system gives fully twice as
much schooling in the year as the
prevailing one. But all these ad
vantages would be of little worth were
it not for the superior educational re
sults which the Gary system obtains.
It is, in a way. a practical applica
tion of the Montessorl Improvements
to ordinary school work. The child
is trained by the "heart, head and
hand" formula from the beginning of.
his school course. He gets his man
ual, or trade, teaching simultaneously
with his culture studies. There is no
gap between them and no undemo
cratic herding of the pupils who take
mechanical training away from those
who pursue the culture branches.
Another great merit in the Gary
schools Is the saving they effect In
the pupils' time and in the space, of
the school buildings. The boys and
girls spend seven or eight hours
daily at their school work, but It
does not weary them excessively be
cause it Is wisely distributed between
hands and head. We have grown so
accustomed to seeing the school
children's time wasted by short hours
and badly grouped recitations that
the long day of the Gary system ap
pears to some persons as an actual
demerit. Experience has shown,
however, that It is a marked ad
vantage. It is to be hoped, for the good of
the country, that the Gary plan will
conquer for Itself a fair trial in New
York. Once fully adopted In that
city It would rapidly spread through
out the United States and the gain
to the rising generation would be In
estimable. It would be a pity If a
few disgrunted pedagogues should be
permitted to blight by their Ill-natured
opposition a reform of such
promise.
THE ANTHRACITE COAL DECISION.
The decision In the suit to dissolve
the anthracite coal . trusts adds one
more to the defeats which the Gov
ernment has suffered In the prosecu
tion of trusts. The anthracite combi
nation Is popularly regarded as a dan
gerous monopoly, but the court holds
that it is not forbidden by the Sher
man law. Either public opinion has
wrongly condemned It or the courts
are becoming excessively lenient to
ward trusts. Possibly the court was
influenced to- some extent by the
sanction of long-continued Immunity.
The failure" of efforts to remedy
evils of monopoly after they have be
come established adds Importance to
the prevention of these evils at their
Inception. The Federal Trade Commis
sion should be required to watch
closely for and to nip in the bud any
combination which plainly leads to
monopoly. It is far easier to prevent
the consummation of a newly-signed
contract than to annul a contract
which has been In operation for years.
In Its recent defeats In the courts
the Government Is paying the penalty
for having long neglected to enforce
the Sherman law. During the period
of neglect " great combinations grew
and became strong and were woven
Into the web of business. Securities
deriving their value from combination
became widely scattered in the hands
of many people of moderate means.
Dissolution of the combination would
give a shock to business and would
Impoverish many Innocent security
holders. The courts may have consid
ered these possible consequences and
may have yielded to unconscious bias
against bringing them about. Thus
easy tolerance of wrong In its infancy
helps to fasten it firmly upon us.
MRS. COCXSON'S BIRTHDAY.
We attribute some of Mrs. Delila
Coulson's long and happy years to
the time of.her birthday, which comes
on the 5th of July. One born so near
the Fourth could hardly fail to re
ceive all the blessings of the fairies,
of which long life with troops of
friends and children would naturally
be the first. Mrs. Coulson explains
her ninety serene and blessed years
upon other grounds. She says good
literature 'and good company have
helped wonderfully to lengthen her
days and fill them with Joy and we
are disposed to think she Is right
about lt She has gone to church
regularly, too. and been careful
about her bodily exercise. No doubt
these excellent habits have helped
keep her young and strong.
' Until quite recently Mrs. Coulson
was abre to cook a full meal and we
have reason to believe It was always
a meal to make the mouth water
for months after It had been
eaten. Her interests In lire have been
wide and varied but the dearest spot
on earth for her has been her home,
and she is proud, as a good woman
should be, to remember how faithful
she has been during all these years
to its duties.
Now In the golden sunset of her
days she gathers her children around
her to the third generation and re
joices with them In the sweet memo
ries of the past and the calm hopes
of the future. For a woman who hits
lived like Mrs. Coulson life has no
bitterness and death no terrors. The
years to come will grow ever richer
In blessed memories and her Jonrney
to the other shore, when at last she
hears the call of the Master she has
served so long and faithfully, will be
like a step from one room to another
in her old home. ' Her new apart
ment will be more beautiful with an
outlook on a more peaceful world,
but It will not be strange to her, and
she Is sure of htr welcome when she
enters It.
We are glad Mrs. Coulson likes the
"old songs" better than those In
fashion now. It Is easy to Imagine
the angels singing "Kathleen Ma
vourneen" In Heaven, but not any of
the up-to-date melodies. If they are
melodies. We are Inclined to think
Mrs. Coulson hits the nail on the
head when she calls them "scream
ing." USELESS COUNTING OF SCALPS.
One favorite occupation of writers
on behalf of both parties to the war
is to calculate how many men the
other pai"X has lost and how many It
can still tauster, the purpose being
to show that victory for the cause
which the particular writer advocates
is assured through exhaustion of the
supply of men available to the oppos
ing cause.
By laborious calculation Hillalre
Belloc reaches the conclusion that up
to June 1 Germany and Austria had
lost 3.750.000 men by death, capture
or disablement. Allowing for 2.000.
000 men of military age employed In
railroad, telegraph and postal serv
ice, in arsenals, navy-yards and muni
tion factories, he estimates that the
effective strength of the German army
on that date could not have exceeded
4.500.000 men. of whom not to exceed
1.500.000 were In reserve. Commenting
on these figures, the New York Jour
nal of Commerce says that "the
process of economic exhaustion is nec
essarily stimulated by the withdrawal
of men from productive employment":
that "six months more of war must
reduce Germany to a state of military
exhaustion." and that "what Is true
of Germany In this connection is more
emphatically true In regard to the
Austrian resources In men and eco
nomic capacity." The Journal of Com
merce then draws this conclusion:
The Russian reverses In Gallcla may delay,
but they can hardly prevent, the breakdown
"f all the forces of the dual empire, and
the consequent narrowing of the contest to
that of a life and death struggle for Gor
many. Set against this the estimate of Heer
and Polltlk, made early In June, that
Russia had then lost more than 3.000.
000 men. It quotes the Italian Cor
riere della Seres as estimating that the
French army has lost half its strength
In killed and wounded, while the Lon
don Mall places the French losses,
including captured, at 1. (00. 000. The
total allied losses, after British and
Belgian are added, are placed at 6.
000,000. To these should be added
the Russian losses in Gallcla during
June.
AH those estimates are misleading,
for they make no allowance for the
number of slightly wounded who re
turn to the firing lines. These have
been estimated at about half of the
total killed and wounded. Mr. Belloc
also takes no account of the great
economic value to Germany of her
1.500.000 prisoners. These are hired
to farmers at 15 cents a day and
board. They Increase production of
food and release for service In the
army or In other capacities an equal
number of Germans.
But this . gruesome counting of
scalps does not help in forming an
opinion as to the outcome of the war.
A better guide Is furnished by the
July bulletin of the National City
Bank. After quoting figures showing
the numerical superiority of Ger
many's enemies In population and men
under arms. It says:
Population counts for nothing In war
unless It is so orgsnlsed. equipped end di
rected that the weight of numbers is
brought lo bear upon tne point of contact
with the enemy, either at the buttle front
or supporting the batt;e front. The soldiers
of all the armies axe fighting with a l.ravery
never surpassed, and whatever gains are
made, now on one aide and then on tne
other, are due to the massing of superior
numbers and overwhelming gun. fir at the
points of attack. This Is evidently the only
way In which a di-clslve advantage t-sn t
won. and so far the superior organisation.
mobtlit. ami internal support of the ;er
mnn a lies have enaMed them to more than
hold their on nrslnst their adversaries,
not lths:sndlng that the former have- been
In large u-ree cut off from outnlde sup
plies while the latter have had a-rra to trte
markets of the world. In truth, the tSvrman
allies have had a much more rji!y anl
ampie supply of equipment and miinll lull
from their own stores and factories than ttie
alllea bsve had from all the rest of the
world. Their strength hns been and Is in
their economic Independence, their atdllty to
get along without the rest of the irll. If
they ten continue to do this, their financial
problems can be miniBMl, for they will
nave ne payments to make abroad and pay.
nients at home can be made with the paper
currency.
The allies would do well to turn
their attention from counting the ene
my's losses to Increasing their supply
of big guns and ammunition and to
augmenting their facilities for con
centrating superior masses of men and
artillery at the point of attack. Not
withstanding their numerical superi
ority, they have not prevented the
Germans from having the advantage
In this respect at almost any point of
attack, for the central position and
superior communications of Germany
and Austria have offset inferiority in
numbers. History Is full of wars which
have been won by smaller numbers
with like advantages.
The grip of the drug habit on Its
victims is exemplified by thoxpolsonlng
of forty youths at Hart's Island re
formatory. They were under treat
ment for drug addictions, and In theli
mad craving broke Into tho medicine
chest. mixed together belladonna,
aconite and a dozen other drugs and
swallowed the potion. They must
have been suffering keenly to do such
a thing. The treatment of drug vic
tims requires many humane precau
tions. There may be something In Dr.
Blackwood's theory that an alfalfa
diet Is a sovereign remedy for indi
gestion. He also says It will cure
"the blues." In support of his theory
we can say that we never saw an
alfalfa-fed horse or pig In the dumps,
and what is good for the lower ani
mals may prove to be as good, or
better, for us. Let us all try the
alfalfa diet for a week or two.
Sigmund Mendelsohn, a New York
student of child welfare, makes the
observation that "well-to-do parents
have no delinquent children" ahd
draws the pretty obvious conclusion
that poverty and delinquency march
together. Children thrive In com
fortable homes; In the dwellings "of
poverty they are blighted In mind and
body.
The publishing houses of the Unit
ed States unite In saying that . the
making of "war books" has been over
done. The hundreds already published
have sold pretty well, but they are
not going so fast as they did a few
months ago. The mind of the world
Is recoiling from Its abnormal In
terest In war.
A time may come when It will be
considered as necessary to teach
children to swim as It Is to teach them
to walk and talk. Then such fatali
ties as that which happened at Salem
will be less frequent.
Possibly the Germans who were
supposed to have surrendered to a
lone British officer In search of his
binoculars held up their hands only
In surprUe.
Secretary Daniels might hire some
of the Germans who raised the U-30
next time a United States submarine
fails to come up.
It was Huerta who failed to salute
the flag some time ago. Wonder If he
thought of that while In Jail on the
Fourth?
Those weeds which cover Southern
Serbia may be beautiful but they will
not supply rations W) Serbian soldiers.
Now Sweden experiences what It
means to have quarrelsome neighbors
shooting each other up.
The Elks will have a great reunion
at Los Angeles next week, but they
will remember Portland.
Huerta finds that he has at last
gone beyond, the limit of even Presi
dent Wilson's patience.
Warsaw Is beginning to tremble In
its shoes as It hears the distant roar
of cannon".
The Fourth of July has become so
safe and sane as to be quite harmless.
The auto replaces the firecracker
as the deadly agent of the Fourth.
The boys missed, the crackers, but
do not miss any fingers this morning.
Cutting the Summer vacation Inter
feres with hopplcklng.
The Third Oregon Is an annual
Gear hart attraction.
Hard to settle down to work this
morning?
The only fireworks were at the ball
grounds. The Beavers took the series, any
way. The Liberty Bell has started West.
It was a record Fourth without rain.
Twenty-Five Year Ago
from The Oregonlan of Ju'y . jswv.
London. The war cloud grows denser
over the Black Sea. Russia reiterates
the demand fur payment of arrears cf
indemnity and the Turkish treasury Is
unable to respond. Tho Czar Is
strengthening his fleet in the Black
Sea and the torpedo-boat Alder, recent
ly constructed in Oermany for tho
Hlack Sea fleet, la said to be the fast
est warship afloat. It having attained
during the trial trip a speed of 26.55
knots.
A queer English Invention for use
In warfare Is a "smoke rocket." to be
used to screen the advance of a body
of troops by throwing smoke In I he
enemy's eyes, aa It were. It ta a pro
nounced success.
There Is very little hope that Gov
ernor Ferry, of Washington, will In
terfere in the case of Edward L. Gal
lagher, who la to be hanged at Van
couver next Kriday for the murder of
Louis Mar near the Lower Caacadce
last November. While the cltixens of
Vancouver think Gallagher merits
death for his cold-blooded crime, it la
almost the unanimous opinion that he
is insane and ought not to be banged
and steps are being taken to save h:m.
Five hundred posts for the telephone
line from Salem to Portland arrived
at Aurora on. Thursday. It Is evident
from this that work will commence on
this line very soon.
An old man, whose name could not be
learned, living on Twentieth, between
M and N streets. East Portland, came
to grief on the afternoon cf the Fourth
for being too close to a Urcr bomb
when It was on the point of exploding..
He hardly knows how it happened, but
several eye-witnesses state that when
the bomb exploded the old man double
up and turned several somersaults with
the rapidity of a circus clown.
Penumbra Kelly begins his second
term as Sheriff of Multnomah County
on Monday. Hig officers will be sub
stantially the same as this term. In
the office- tt.ere will be the four depu
ties. A. W. WltherelL Joe Mlsener. Al
bert Salmon and I. A. Marquam. Jr.
In each of tho towns of E.iei 1-ortland.
Albino, and Sell wood the City Marshal
will be made a Deputy Sheriff.
At the Hotel Pt-kins the other night
a citizen of Rooster Rock with broad
manners and a still broader rim to his
hat retired to his room at a late hour
with a large-sized Jag. After saying
his prayers he blew out the gas and
sank Into the arms of Morpheus. The
transom of his room was wide open,
which accounts for the cheerfulness of
this tale. In the morning he called
a porter to his room and made a vig
orous protest about his room smelling
bad. Tola fact he thought helped Justi
fy him In protesting against the charge
at the desk for extra gas used.
KRE4.T WE4.LTH IX SETTLEMENT
Mr. Joaea Estimates What Hemes. ead-
ef La a 4 (.rait eal4 Meaa.
ROSEBL'RO. Or.. July 4. (To the
Editor.) Referring to th. Oregon A
California Railroad land grant, some
people get the Idea that to pay the
railroad company IS. to for the land
and throw It open to settlement under
the homestead law. as I suggested In
The Oregonlan July J. would cause the
counties and state to lose a large
amount of taxes. As a matter of fact
It mould be Just the reverse. In ad
dition to th taxes tj be derived from
these lands In their present unim
proved condition the value of the tim
ber on the land. If the land were set
tled In five years the value of the Im
provements on the land and the per
sonal property would amount to ap
proximately flg.oOu.OOO at the end of
the five-year period when th settler
would auirc his final certificate and
the lands and personal property would
he all taxable. As proof of this 1
ruhmlt the following figures:
The area of tho land Involved Is
I.SOO.ft10 acres. . If open to settlement
It would provide 1C.00O tracts of 160
acres, or homes for K.OoO settlers.
Counting five people to the family it
would give a firming population of
iO.OOO. At the end of five years each
settler must have In actual cultivation
nv acres aggregating So.ooo acres of
farming lands. In addition to this
each settler will have the bruh rut
and burned from ten acres and the
land seeded to tame grass, not burning
or damnging the b!r timber. The five
acres of cleared land will have cost the
settler In labor liOO: for the purpose of
taxes It will be worth hnlf that amount
(i:.0) aggregating ll.onn.000.
Iurlng the five years euch settler
will have built a hnlf mile of wagon
road at a cost of Uoo r.-r m! on an
average, aggregating S100.
At the end of the five-year period
each settler will have five head of
cows at J2S per head, aggregating
tS.0u0.0OO.
Cacti settler will have E0 head of
sheep or goats (now assessed at fl
per head), aggregitlnir 1.I'0.000.
Each settler will have a wagon, hsr
ness and team, average value f2oo. ag
gregating i2.200.ooi): l n.o house and
barns. IJuO. aggregating IS.soo.im.O; jo
per acre for slashing nnd burning ten
acres of land and seeding It to tame
grass, aggregating l.0.ooo. Allow each
ewftler u family orchard of only 55
trees, aggregating 400.000 trees, of the
value of 2 each, aggregating 1&00.000.
The grand total Is IIT.SIO.OOO.
In addition to this the settlers must
during that time period of five years
have built JO00 schoolhotiscs. allowing
IS scholars to each school, which Is a
very fair average. While schools are
not as-.ensi.ble they are one of the
greatest asct thit any country can
possibly have.
These figures are approximately cor
rect and should convince any reason
able man or woman that the state of
Oregon would reap mora lasting bene
fit from havlnj these wild lands set
tled y honest hnmcbullders than If
sold to speculators who would hold
the timber without ever Improving the
land. Whereas now this 5. 300. 000 acres
of land Is nothing but a big game pre
serve It would. If settled. In five years
be a grea' community of happy homes
with roads and schools. What Oregon
need la more actual permanent homes.
No one will ever settle these wild
lands but the poor man who Is a real
home builder and wants to better his
condition and Is looking to the time he
can quit working for wages and own
his home If ever so humble.
It has been suggested that the Gov
ernment give the lands to Oregon for
a school fund. But what need of a
school fund if the land are not settled,
and there will be no settlement If the
lands are sold to the highest bidder.
Men who have money buy Improved
lands near trade centers where they
can have all the modern convenlencea
and comforts of life. B. F. JONES.
It-ale Applies AIL
PORTLAND. July S. ITo the Edi
tor.) I'lease Inform me If one having
a meter In. can use water every day.
My neighbor opposite from me has a
water meter and uses water every day.
saying she pays for what she uses
Has she this right"
MRS. JOHN WILLIAMS.
No. Meter users as well as fit
rate usera are subject to the alternate
date sprinkling regulation.
' l.oale ml Ike Haaall Itoy.
Washington (P. C.) Plar.
"Don't you know,' Johnny, that If you
refuse to strike back there can't be any
fight with Tommy Hifktns-" "Tn'm."
replied the rrrmll boy. "There wouldn't
be any light. Tommy wuuld have It
all his own way and I'd get a plain
licking.
DIVIDIXQ IXCAICUT LION'S KI.
Mew Prstsssl That State rr fit Frsra
1-sss Grist Loataa ta Witter.
VALE, Or, July 4. (To. the Editor.)
Some years aince I made an Investi
gation of some SO sections of the land
owned by the Oregon sk California
Railroad Company, according to the
late decision, and am fairly conver
sant with the general character of
other landa through reports made un
der similar conditions.
Very much of the land has become
quite valuable and the larger portion
Is of some value bcyoud the I2-&0 per
acre, i'erhapa a safe estimate for the
entire S.Suu.uou acres would be some
where between : and ti per acre.
The pleaaant occupation of divluiui;
the skin of an uncaught Hon. which is
now going on through the columns of
"the oregonlan la Interesting from the
vast field covered which has rela
tively nothing to do with the subject
May we not add a Utile to the num
berless propositions, prognostications,
pages of advice and schemes tor get
tiutf what is our Just rights from Con
g rim 7
If permitted we wi:i berln by stating
that the grant waa made to the com
pany with the easement, or contract,
that It should be sold to actual set
tlers for 12.6U per acre. The supreme
Court has decided that the terms of
the grant must be carried out. but
leaves It to Congress to see that this
la done. We are now confronted with
a scheme to Induce Congress to call
the -stale of Oregon an actual settler
and s-il it sUl lo that settler, notwith
standing that the grant says no set
tler shall have more thin l( acres.
Does the else of a violation of a con
tract validate a violation?
Rabid conservationists propose that
It be turned Into state reserves or lo
National reserves. These men pro
pose that the terms of the grant Just
ratified by the courts shall be vio
lated for Ihe allege. 1 common good.
Another conservator of public prop
erly proposes to sell the timber for all
It will bring and sell the other to ac
tual settlers for some advance over
ItSi) and loan the excess to the settler
on his personal property. This tne
economist proposes to violate the con
tract Just determined as valid aa to the
railroad company and dissipate the
funda by loaning them to people on
security which Is not considered safe
by bankers. ln thia way neither the
state nor the community would profit.
Among all of the proposala put forth
in your columns to date not one. with
out exception, proposes to carry out.
or to Insist that Congress shall carry
out. the express provisions of the con
tract. Why this determination to violate, a
law? The supreme legal authority of
our land declared In specific terms
that the contract between Congress
and the railroad company has a.l the
power and characteristics of a law and
must be construed as such. In the face
of this we see conservationists, poli
ticians and alleged statesmen advo
cating strongly and with specious rea
sonings that the state should Insist
with all of Its power that Congress
violate its own contract, though not
permuting the railroad company lo be.
come a further violator.
The grant did not give the railroad
company the land or i.60 per acre. The
grant waa perfected by a second Con
gress and made more binding that the
land should be sold to actual settlers
ln lota of not more than ISO acres at
SI. SO per acre. The Supreme Court de
termines thla as a law. The ancient
court of Venice refused to do a little
wrong to save Antonio's life, though
it found another way to get the best
of Shylock. Perhaps that is what Os
wald West has up his sleeve when he
advocates the purchase of that which
Congress Is inhibited from selling ta
to method at least).
What Is best for the State of Ore
gon? Justice is best for this or any
other stale! We note that where the
politicians are advocating something It
Is always what Is best for the people,
all the people, at least all who vote
It la Inevitable that they care nothing
about the lights of the Individual, for
hn Is only one as against many who
can be won with words. I am person
ally acquainted with several, and have
a right to presume there are others,
who made an honest application for
some of this land, both agricultural
and timber, long before the inception
of tho suit Just decided. Are they en
titled to no consideration? The land
having become valuable, or of more
value, since their application, has not
a thing to do with the subject, from
the standpoint of either law or Justice.
Let us see what an actual settler Is.
under the grant: and under the grant
at the time the grant waa made should
determine what an actual settler was
meant to be. Did not Congress mean
that the land was to be used for the
benefit of the Individual taking It?
Congress well knew that the land was
In great measure timber, land. Did
they not mean that Individuals should
derive actual personal benefit from
the grant and did not they purposely
make It Just as they did for the bcnet.l
of both the company and the Indi
vidual? The state Is entitled to have that
land under Its control for the purpose
of taxation. The state Is not entitled
to have that land for the benefit of
a number of polltlca 1 office-holders
who would dissipate principal, capital
and prolils as does the forestry bu
reau today and will for all time. The
Individual of the slate are entitled to
have that land for the sum of tZ.io per
acre In lots of 160 acres.
That It will drift Into the hands of
a limber baron Is no argument. Sir
lrawer of Checka will make a fairly
good-slxed one for some of the land
and his money will be In general cir
culation, while his purchase will be
subject to the guess of the assessor.
If Congress Is afraid that some per
centage of the alleged settlers are
merely speculators, an examination
Into their occupation and location,
coupled with their oath that they are
taking the land for their own benefit
and use, would be sufficient guard
against all but a trifle of the frauds.
It seems to one of the uninitiated
(?) that compliance with the law might
look well and to advocate otherwise
sets hard on us when coming from
some of those who have but until lately
demanded that all lawa be obeyed even
though they themselves broke a half
doi'n in enforcing one.
Administration of state and National
lands cost far more than any possible
return, and benefits the consumer not
a particle. We note a sale made the
other day where no btd was consid
ered for less than 41. 5S per thousand,
board measure, which looks as though,
to the uninitiated (?) at least, the tim
ber baron was well supported In his
profits by the National Government.
Veara of care on land that might be
reforested would be well repaid by
growth of limber for future genera
tions, but this generation Is being
robbed and smashed, looled and be
fuddled, taxed, relaxed and then taxed
some more, until (as was well said by
others) virtue ceases to be a for
bearance, John kivjby.
i
Hrrswsf te Start fire.
SALEM. Or.. July 4. (To the Edi
tor ) Your advice relative to the pref
erence of the uie of "whittling" and
waste paper for lighting kitchen fires
Is excellent. It Is a much safer way
than that of pouring kerosene Into the
stove. But as people will use the coal
oil they can do so with perfect safety
and with excellent result if they will
only mix it with ashes ao the latter are
thoroughly dampened.
The proper method of preparing the
"dope" is lo take a common lard can.
fill It half full of ashea and with a
spoon or other Implement tlr In the
coal on until the ashes are quite damp.
A tabspoon full of this mixture wi:l
light almost any fire If dry wood Is
used, and there Is no possible danger
of an explosion from It use.
D. WEBSTER.
Half a Century Ago
. . -- - - - - . ....... u wi uiT i -".i
Editorial The victory Is gained and
the banners of the dtsbsnded armies
of the Republic have been reverently
lowered and folde.l bus- in il
ner the flag, which tor four years has
eioou at tne neaa I this column. Is
now withdrawn.
The miners at and about Canyon
City are making It pay again, after the
long delaya of ihe Winter and Spring.
Money la beooming plentiful and peo
ple are getting so they can sm:le. as
they used to do when there had been
no hard Winter and no frerhets. All
around here the miners are getting
"ahead of the hounds" at last. The
mines here will last for the employ
ment of from ltoo to 5000 men tor a
long tune yea. some say ten years.
Our Fourth of July celebration was
the first after reunion and peace. The
day la still left to ua and the remem
brance of our acquired and vindicated
Nationality Is not a mockerv. The
love for this great day will again bo
established in the hearts cf a.l our
countrymen. May heaven grant that
before another National anniversary
the seeds of i i a 1 1 . f a,-1 ion that yet re
main In some portions of our country
may be torn up and that th.re may be
hereafter throughout all the land no
other feeling than that of the pro
roundest love for a country whose lib
erty la the equal heritage of all.
i
A party of prospectors headed by a
Mr. Foiev left Ihis city some- sit w.-eV
ago for the Molalla region In the ('.
cades and made Important discoveries.
They found placer digging which pv
from tlve cents to six bit to the rri.
It I found In a specie of decomposed
.Miartx. unwished, and has a depth of
about IS feet.
The fire alarm yesterday was cau-ed
by a fire at 1S Second street. No
damage waa done.
A school meeting waa held last eve
ning In the public school building In
Ihia city to provide for rrirti''i: a
school house In the Third Ward and
also to secure a block in Couch's Ad
ultlon on which to locate another
school building when the necessities of
the city may demand It.
Pan Francisco The MIMtsr- Com
mission In the Salvador ptta. case
found the prisoners guilty iird sen
tenced them to be hanged. Oeiieral Mc
Dowell has commuted the sentence by
sentencing Hogg to Imprisonment for
life at San Quentln and the remainder
for ten years each.
SACREOXKSS SKK IX PATH Kit HOOD
Weraea A vera to. Marriage Have
Cfseelal t la Is te Syaapathy.
CHEHAL1S. Wash.. Ju'y S. (To the"
Editor.) A recent volunteer contribu
tor to The Oregonlan complains of the
unhappy estate of unmarried women
who long for children more than for
anything else ln the world, and who.
because of mistrust of men. or aver
sion for the married state, refuse mar
riage. She lamenta laws and opinions
which forbid such women to become
mot hers.
Without challenging the morality of
the contributors position, or dwelling
on the economic facts which make
such a consummation generally Impos
sible, even If Individually desirable, it
may be pointed cut that the expression
of euch a wish by any woman would
seem to betray the superlative of
selfishness. Isn't the man lo be con
sidered? leather and mother are eiiai;v tho
parents of their children: the father
no lei- than the mother is concerned
with their support, training, education
and lloomtng. Most always he share
equally In the re.-notinhliity. sacrifice
and effort thst the rearlr.g of chil
dren entails. The pride and sattsfsc
tlon of parenthood are ro less charac
teristic of fathers than of mothers.
The protective Instinct of man
toward his cherished owr la the com
pelling motive of individual success.
Could any woman honor as the fathers
of her children Ihe men who would
consent to the arrangement suggested?
What!
Menpy marriages are usual, by a va-t
majority, only they io pot intrude Into
the newspapers and m 'guinea so
often as the other Kind Kiriv normal
man longs for a wife, home and chil
dren, for the little hopes and plana
and realisation., for t-.e tender love
and companionship that on'y home and
f..m:iy bring. IVin 1 fe hold anything
swe. ter for either man or woman?
The contributor would leave man
out of the scheme reduce him lo a
n-.ere biological ln-ldert. Surr'y. thia
Is feminism run to seed! J. N.
I'egallty o f A ppolnf meat ) N e I loaei.
"MtTLANr. July 4 To the Edi
tor I May the public know s' nut tie
unfairness done bv Commissioner raly
In regard to eligible men on the civil
service list.
There are quallfle,! auto mechanic-
on the list who have live-l In Portland
30 year. C. 1. Ilall'in has not been in
Portland five months. His a;-po!nt-ment
as Jitney Insrcctor for ore day
would be a violation of the provisions
of the city charter in that rer-nert. Let
men on the eligible list and eitirens of
Portland look at section 1?I In the
charter. STANLEY PHILLIPS'.
Mr. Gallup came to Portland In 118
nl remained for two yers. In I'll ho
went to Seattle and remained there
ur.til four months ago. when he re
turned to Portland. He is a brother of
P. O. Oallup. secretary of Multnomah
Typographical Cnlnn. Mr. Daly Is
within his rights In the appointment.
Inasmuch as the appointment Is not
under civil service, but la only tem
porary pending the holding of an ex
amination to secure a civil service
eligible list. When the examination Is
held a one year's residence Immediately
preceding the date of the examination
will be one of the qualifications.
It raw Helmets for Pel lee..
rORTUXD. July 4. (To the Edi
tor.) Although a stranger but a great
traveler. I have always read your edi
torials with much Interest. Today I saw
something which certainly commends
your attention, referring to cross
ing men. Why are not those men and
your mounted policemen fitted with
straw helmets and given a chance to
live a little happier th.in thev are do
ing today? JNO. V. r. LINDEN.
Leaaatta 1st A p propria liens.
Judge.
"Tou have had seven approprlationa
for that river." complained the chair
man of the committee. "What doea It
drain, anyhow?" "The treasury." an
swered Congressman Graball.
The Week Enderg
This Is the play time of the auto
moblllsl and the week enders.
Little runs out of town keep the
bode refreshed for the day by day
work.
This transitory season la one ta
which many sma.l needs reveal
themselves.
These must bo supplied quickly
and surely.
Newspaper advertising Is a pleas
ant guide under such circum
stances Sometimes the newspaper adver
tisement and the te'epbone will
solve your whole problem.