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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1915)
THE 3IORXIXO OREGOXIAX. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1915. " mxxm PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered at Portland, Oregon, Postoffice as lecond'Cl&u mktter. Subscription Rates Invariably in advanSe. (By Mall.) Xaily, Sunday Included, one year S8.O0 XJauy. bundiy included, six montns. ... Daily, Sunday Included, three months. Laliy, Sunday included, one month.... Liaiiy, without Sunday, one year at!y, without Suuaa-, six months.... Dai', without Sunday, three months.. JLailv. without Sunday, one month 'Weekly one year...................... 4.2 6.0y 3.25 .00 l.OU Sunday, one year. 2.50 Sunday and Weekly, one year 3.o0 (By Carrier.) Dally, Sunday Included, one year 9.00 Daily. Sunday included, one month ti How to Remit Send nostoffice money or. der, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, com or currency are at sender's risk. Give postoffice address In ;un, including; county and state. Portage Kates 12 to 1 pages. 1 cent; IS to 32 Danes. 2 cents: 34 to 48 naees. 3 cents f0 to tio cages. 4 cents: 52 to 76 pages, a tents ; 7S to 12 pages. 6 cents. Foreign postage, double rates. Eastern Business Offices Veree & Conk Hn, Brunswick building. New York; "Veree & Cunklln, Steger building, Chicago; San Krancisco representative, K. J. iiidwell. 742 Market street. PORTLAND. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 1, 1913. THE LUMBER "TRUST" BROKEN. The abused and cheated consumer has at last got the wicked lumber trust on Its back. The lumber trust, be it understood, is that gigantic com bination of plutocrats which has been investing millions in our forests and which has been cutting our trees into lumber and filling up our trains for shipment of their product into our domestic markets, and loading ships not our ships but any ships for dis patch to the remote sections of the globe. About fifty per cent of all labor employed in Oregon was directly or indirectly concerned in the lumber industry. The word "was" is used advisedly. But how is it now? The Pinchot reservationists became alarmed and instituted their policy of withdrawals, making it more costly than ever to get logs and operate mills; and the tariff tinkers got in their work, so that the "trust" would have the competition of Canadian and other mills. The object of the one was to make timber bo precious that it would be held for unborn generations; and the object of the other was to make lumber so cheap that everybody could afford to buy. Lumber is ideally cheap, but nobody buys. . There is something wrong. Some think it is the tariff, and others think it is Pinchotism, and still others over-production and over-capitaliza tion. But, whatever it is, labor is not employed, capital is in distress, and the timber is rotting in the reserves Perhaps there has been some kind of a mistake about the lumber "trust.' The men who, independent of one another, build logging roads into the timber and erect mills on the streams of Oregon, and enter into active com petition for the sale of their output are strangely unlike an organization in restraint of trade. They are builders of industry, employers of labor. Yet they are loosely denounced as timber barons, and they are regarded as despoilers of the public domain. Or they were. Just now the opinion Is gaining headway that if the mills could be started and men put to work, the state would be the gainer. The empty dinner pail is a real educator. The basis of prosperity is work at good wages. It is not demoralized markets. idle men, stagnant industry. The con Fumer is not helped if the producer is bankrupt. HOW TO GET KID OF BOSSES. Ex-Senator Root's denunciation of bossism is simply a repetition in choicer and more vigorous language of that which has been said again and again for several decades until such outDursts attract only passing atten tion. New men occasionally are elected to office in defiance of bosses, but they either become bosses or the tools of bosses themselves, or they are defeated by the bosses after serving a single term. New parties are organ ized to combat bossism, but they soon full under the power of bosses. Boss rule is not a symptom of innate depravity in the American people. iVe do not deliberately choose to be ruled by a boss or an "invisible govern ment." The secret lies in our carrying the rule of the people to 'such an extreme that the people have not time to do all the ruling which their laws Impose upon them. They neglect it between elections and pay only spas modic nttention to it at elections. The result is that politics has become a business in which few men specialize. As every business requires a directing mi, nitr iuui til &p t.-ijict lie-la in cilcil state, city or county elevates one man to leadership, and he becomes the boss. Ho and his lieutenants attend to business all the time; the mass of voters nuenn to it only at intervals. Hence the boss has his way and looks lirst after the interest of his machine, riving the public interest only enough attention to prevent a revolt. The people can only rout the bosses finally by taking a lively, continuous Interest in their own affairs. If this lia Ann nnnnlar Kutn ,.-111 V r-.l and maintained without the aid of any of the new devices for its restoration. If the people remain indifferent, the bosses will find ways of -governing tnem in spite or initiative, reterendum, recall, direct primary, short ballot and every other engine of direct nomina tion and legislation. Mr. Root's panacea, the short ballot, has the one merit of helping to remove the causes of public neglect of public affairs. The people have become indif ferent because there are too many elections and too many officials to elect. In their Jealousy for a voice in everything and in their unwillingness to trust any official with extensive appointive power, they have insisted upon electing everybody from Presi dent to constable. It is impossible for them to discriminate among a multi tude of candidates for a multitude of offices. The result is that power to dictate election of all officers falls into the hands of the boss, whom the people do not elect, do not trust, but cannot depose.. In just the degree that the short ballot would increase the ability of the voter to discriminate between good and bad candidates and to fasten upon any official the respon sibility for wrongdoing without pos sibility of evasion, the short ballot will strengthen the people and weaken the bosses. Unless, however, the people exercise constant vigilance, the boss will find a way to circumvent the short ballot, as he has broken every other -nrb that has been put upon him. Eternal vigilance is the price of lib erty from bosses as from every other species of tyrant. Everything Is topsy turvey in dis tracted Mexico. Even Cupid disports himself crazily. When men fight over & woman nobody thinks anything of it. Nature has so decreed, as anybody may learn by reading Thomson's "Spring." But in Mexico the women fight and kill one another over the men, using knives to do the work. This is' carry ing revolution a trifle too far. STORM DOES ONE GOOD THING. If the Galveston storm should result in abandonment of the Army post at Texas City, some good will come out of the great evil it has done. The post is badly located, far from the Mexican border, and has always caused dissatisfaction among troops that were sent there. Its selection seems to have had no other reason than to please some Texas Congress man. Texas City is one of 176 posts among which our Army of 8S.000 men is dis tributed. The German army, which in peace times is nearly ten times as strong, had sixteen big camps before the war, with a few more than a score of other places where troops were regularly quartered. Through having few posts, Germany mobilized her vast army in much less time than, during President Taft's administration, was occupied by the United States in con centrating.25,000 men on the Mexican border. We should by all means make the most of our diminutive Army by so distributing it that mobilization can be completed in the shortest possible time. There are many other Army posts as useless as that at Texas City. Ail of these should be abolished, and only a few large posts retained where entire brigades could be concentrated Only tremendous pressure from public opinion can induce Congress to make this change, for the posts have been carefully distributed with a view to rallying a majority to the support of any posts which it is proposed to abol. ish. There is an Army post phalanx, as there is a river and harbor phalanx and a public building phalanx VACCINATION FOB TYPHOID. One of the most valuable triumphs of modern scientific methods is the production of the anti-typhoid vaccine The use of this wonderful preventive has almost extirpated typhoid fever from the United States Army. In the year 1898 we had 10,000 troops en camped in Florida. More than 2000 cases of typhoid occurred among them. One man in every five was attacked by this filth disease, and we know from saddened memory how many perished. INOte the contrast caused by the use of vaccine. In 1911 we had 20,000 men similarly encamped, with but two cases of typhoid. The rest of them had won immunity through the use of the beneficent vaccine. Popular confidence in this great scientific boon is growing. Last year about 100,000 people were successfully vaccinated, thus acquiring immunity to typhoid fever. This year it is esti mated that immunity will be conferred upon some 300,000 people. After treatment with the vaccine they need not stand in drear", of drinking water. Even if they happen to swallow the typhoid germs no harm can ensue. Vaccination for typhoid is a very simple affair. A small puncture is made in the arm, as for smallpox, but the wound is trifling. Physicians say that no scab is formed and the punc ture heals with only a little reddening of the skin. The immunity once acquired lasts several years, but prob ably not for a lifetime. The operation must be repeated now and then, but who would mind a little trouble in order to procure immunity against a disease like typhoid, which lurks insid iously almost everywhere in drinking water? Few remember what a scourge this disease can be when conditions are favorable for it. We know of two young men who acquired typhoid this Summer at a fishing hut on the Colum bia, where they were working. Of course, bad water was the medium. They went home for treatment and quickly contaminated a cistern from which the household water was drawn. The whole family fell sick in regular order, and now, were it not for the ministrations of the neighbors, their situation would be hopeless. Timely- vaccination would have prevented all their trouble. NAVAL STRATEGY IN THE BALTIC. It has been generally assumed that the main German fleet is retained in the Baltic for the purpose of avoiding a decisive engagement with the Brit ish grand fleet. There is another motive, second only in importance. So long as Germany has naval supremacy the Baltic, the British commercial blockade is to a large degree nullified. Commerce with -.Sweden is uninter rupted, and, through Sweden and in a less degree through Norway, traffic with the outer world is maintained. Germany thus receives at Baltic ports a large part of the goods which the blockade excludes from North Sea ports. Access of British ships to Rus sian ports for transport of troops and munitions is prevented by German warships. The Baltic has been used by Germany to transport troops to the coast of Courland and the Gulf of Riga for attack on the Russian right wing. These are the fruits of naval supremacy in the Baltic. Could Britain send a sufficient fleet into the Baltic to aid Russia in wrest ing this supremacy from Germany, a serious blow would be dealt at her enemy. Russia would be protected against naval incursions, and a direct route for transport of troops and munitions to Petrograd and Riga would be opened. Germany could be completely isolated from the world oversea through blockade of Baltic ports. British warships are as free to enter the Baltic as the Russian fleet was free to come out during the war with Japan. The British navy seems to keep out of the Baltic because to go in would endanger its supremacy and the lanes of commerce on the high seas. Divi sion of the fleet might give Germany an opportunity to send h. fleet through the Kiel canal and fight the North Sea fleet on equal terms. If Germany chose the alternative of keeping her fleet in the Baltic, the British invaders would be in danger of torpedo attack in the straits. The sound between Denmark and Swede is so narrow that the British line could not exert its full power on emerging into the Baltic Aid would be exposed to destruction in detail by the Ger mans. The best that the British seem able to do with safety to themselves is to send submarines through the straits to aid the Russians in repelling attack on the coast and to pick off an occasional German ship. They did good service of this kind In the naval battle of the Gulf of Riga, disposing of one capi tal ship. Should they send a squad ron of submarines to use Russian ports as a refuge, and should Germany continue her offensive at sea, these vessels might possibly pick off enough battleships to give Russia a chance at victory on the sea. The straits being neutral, Germany cannot lawfully fill them with traps for submarines, such as have been set in the English Chan nel to render the transport route to France- safe. Destroyers being the best protection against submarines, loss of many vessels of this type oft Riga was a serious blow to Germany. These possibilities must have impressed on the Kaiser the advantage of pushing his armies northward towards Petrograd. Capture of the Russian Baltic ports by land would deprive Russia and Britain of their naval bases and "might cause the loss of the Russian battle fleet. The Riga repulse has, for the time at least, thwarted his plans and raised his enemies' hopes of gaining the upper hand. MURDERER HANGED PROMPTLY. By the hanging of George Joseph Smith, the murderer of his brides, English justice has once more proved its superiority to that of the United States. Smith married three .women, one aXter another, and a few days after each wedding killed his bride in a bath. Hence the case became known as the "brides-in-bath". case. On June 2 3, a few days after the third death. Smith was brought to trial, on July 1 he was sentenced to death and a few weeks later he was hanged. Justice was sure and swift. Had this case been tried in the United States, a week or more would probably have been consumed in se lecting a jury. The taking of testi mony would have been interlarded with objections, exceptions and argu ments on points of law. A plea of insanity would have opened the way for a flood of expert testimony, so contradictory as to confuse judge and jury and to be worse than worthless. A conviction would almost surely have been followed by an appeal to se cure a new trial and in case this was denied, by an application for a habeas corpus writ and to the Governor for a pardon. If Smith's prosecutors had been able to avoid all these pitfalls and to land him on the gallows, their success would have been hailed as the result of luck rather than skill, and the sentimental, forgetting all about the murdered brides, would have said: "Poor fellow! It's a shame to hang him after he tried so hard to get off. Our laws for the punishment of crime are substantially the same as those of England, but we have dressed them up in a lot of trimmings which clog the machinery. Lawyers and judges are more attentive to the ob servance of a certain ritual than to the doing of Justice. Judges counte nance time-consuming oratory and ex change of billingsgate by lawyers. We have been waiting for generations for the lawyers to reform the law themselves. Our only hope that it will be done seems to be that the laymen will undertake the job and put it through. WHAT WILL GERMANY DO NEXT? The questions now being asked about the war are: How far will the Germans pursue the Russians before settling down to an entrenched line. or before the Russians establish such a line in sufficient strength to stop the advance? Will the Germans then attempt a similar drive in the west, or will they try to hew a way through Serbia or Bulgaria to carry help to Turkey? As to the first question, the answer must be influenced to som-e degree by the purpose of beginning the drive against Russia. It was begun in seri our ernest last Fall, when the advance to Calais had failed and when Austria was breaking under Russian blows. It was aimed at Warsaw, first from the west, then from the north. When both these attacks failed and Austria was being hard pressed in the Carpathians, t was turned to Western Galicia. The one purpose, however, was not to occupy cities or provinces so much to break the Russian army into great fragments, to capture or destroy these fragments, and to put Russia out of business. Then what little mili tary force Russia could muster could be held at bay by a relatively small force, while Germany threw her main army against France, and Austria threw hers against Italy. As to how far the Germans had attained their end up to the capture of Warsaw, Stanley Washburn, cor respondent of the London Times with the Russian forces, gives the best available information. He reviews the campaign from the attack on the Dun ajec lines and gives Germany full credit for great victories, but says: But she has not destroyed the armies, she has not discouraged the troops. The plain tacts are that oy a preponderance of re sources which Russia could not equal, sup plied over lines of communication which Russia could not duplicate, she forced Rus sian withdrawals before her, tor men cannot tight with their fists. The glory of the German advance will be halved when the world knows exactly what Russia had in men and arms and munitions to meet this assault, the greatest perhaps that has ever been made in military history. The Rus sians have come through their trial of fire. With the exception of one army, now recon stituted, they have probably suffered far less in personnel than their enemies. The Ger mans have shot their first bolt, a bolt forged from every resource in men and muni tions that they couid muster after months of preparation. The Russians have recoiled before it and may recoil again and again, but they always elude its aim. The force which Germany hurled against the Dunajec line is estimated by Mr. Washburn at sixteen corps, with 'not fewer than 2000 guns equal to or exceeding the eight-inch types," against three or four corps of Russians. Of the result of the battle to the latter he says: I have not heard that there was any panic or attempt to retreat on the part of the troops. In characteristic Russian fash ion they lemalned. For miles behind the line the torn up ground was covered with mangled bodies and fragments of shells. It is currently stated that th Germans fired 700,000 shells in three hours. The . center having been cut away, nothing remained but for all five of the Russian armies to retire, including two which were far through the Carpa thians towards Hungary. They did so in such good order that one army accounted for 20,000 to 30,000 hostile troops, and the remnant of the Duna jec army tore up railroads and fought as it withdrew to the San. Upon los ing Przemysl the Russians resolved to retire to their own frontier and fought the battles near Lemberg only to pro tect their rear and to inflict as much loss as possible on the enemy. The army was withdrawn from the East ern Carpathians in such good fighting trim that in six weeks it captured 53,000 prisoners. When the capture of the Lublin-Cholm railroad on the south and of the-Narew river line on the north made 'Warsaw untenable, a further retreat was resolved on. War saw was abandoned, and the forts west of it were held only to protect the retreat and to occupy the Germans. The same policy dictated retirement each of the Kovno, Bialystok and Brest-Litovsk line, and defense of these fortresses was only te cover retreat. As the German aim was to cut up, capture and destroy the Russian armies, the Russian purpose was to keep those armies "in being" by evad ing envelopment. The Germans have captured large numbers of prisoners and guns, but have so far failed of their main purpose. The Russians have gained their main purpose, for, though greatly reduced In size, their armies still exist and have inflicted serious losses on the enemy. In May and June alone the Germans are said to have estimated their own losses in killed, wounded and missing at 3 80,000 men. The distance to which the Germans will continue the pursuit into the heart of Russia in baffled hope of a decision is contingent upon the extent to which they can safely lengthen their com munications and divide their troops along an extended front. If they should halt of their own accord they would give Russia time to gather new forces .and new "material in her vast interior. If they should go forward they might take Riga. Petrograd and even Moscow and Odessa. They would risk disaster, but not such as befelf N.apoleon, for he had no aircraft to guard against surprise and to spy out the enemy's position, ' nor railroads to keep up communications! If the Russian army should continue to evade capture of its large units, and if the Germans should continue the pursuit, no considerable part of the latter's troops could be transferred to the scene of a new offensive. More could be spared if the two armies came to a standsiill, as they did west of Warsaw last Winter. The Austro German forces must have been dimin ished by months of hard fighting, and the number of men which could be transferred to the west and south might not be sufficient to bring the Teutonic total to more than an equality with the combined French. Italian and British forces. But guns count for more than men. as the Dunajec has proved. Removal to the west and south of a large number of heavy guns may open an offensive as irresistible as that in Galicia. No signs are so far apparent of any such movement, but there have been many hints of a new offensive against Serbia. If the expected renewal of the Balkan League should be realized, we may see a new drive in that direc tion. Serbians say they are prepared and there have been hints that British troops have gone to that country. Hos tilities on the Serbian front may solve the mystery as to where is Kitchener's army. . If every child had been ideally edu cated for the last century, there would have been no European war. As the twig is bent the tree's inclined. We have war because the twigs are bent to war. Thus far we agree perfectly with the unanimous opinion of the National Educational Association. But can we, as the association believes, bend the twig permanently to peace? The experiment is worth trying if all the world will join in it. But woe betides a nation of lambs in a world of wolves. Admirably simple must have been George A. Smith's life on his Douglas County farm. He traveled, like R. L. Stevenson, with a burro for comrade. On his last trip- he had a goat, too, per haps for milk. Death overtook him on the trail, and his faithful companions did not forsake him. His ambition was to live a hundred years. No doubt some accident prevented. 'In the world where he now foregathers with other good men years are not counted. Great things are predicted of the new aeroplane which the American, Glen H. Curtiss, Is building at Toronto for the British. It will be fitted for a flight of 1900 miles and carry a ton and a half of high explosives. From this engine of destruction a ton of dynamite can be aimed at a German bridge in a single shot. We can imagine the destruction if it hits the mark, something that aeroplane mis siles usually fail to do. Mrs. Rorer's opinion of mashed potatoes is a joy to, the afflicted. She plainly hints that mashing is the worst possible way to serve that homely vegetable. The martyred army of res taurant patrons agree with her. What are the ingredients of a helping of mashed potato? Echo answers what? Imagination suggests the direst possi bilities. A potato boiled in the skin and served hot is a delicious viand. Mashed, it is fodder. Every district school in the state should have on its reference table or teacher's desk a copy of the Oregon Blue Book for 1915. The book this year is' most comprehensive in scope and is full of matter of value to the Oregon boy and girl who would learn the facts about their state that are not in the textbooks. A request to Secre tary of State Olcott will bring the book. Unitfed States English differs in many particulars from England's. There is a suggestion afloat since the war began to husband our singulari ties of speech, increase their number and finally form a separate language here. This would not be wise. Differ ences of speech are great promoters of hostility among nations. We should try to eliminate, not increase them. Now it is the Germans who are hold ing regular but quiet drills In this country. A few years ago it was the Japanese who Indulged in this kind of warlike activity. Some people delight in scare, while others revel In humbug. Foreign money may depreciate, but the big iron dollar of Uncle Sam buys one hundred cents' worth anywhere. Never fear that Europe will cease buying. The time is near for stocking up on Winter equipment.' Resumption of work In the big Wendlifig mill means a lot to the sec tion of Lane County. Is the fall in value of the pound sterling result of a German plot? Another Mexican war chief has been killed, but there are plenty more. There are enough people in the hop- yards now to do the picking. The Spreckels Juniors seem to be adjusting themselves. It is a brave man who wears his straw hat today. I : you are welcome to our Oyster, midst. All quiet along the Heiligl Tag the dog today. Astoria is calling! European War Primer By National Gcofcraphlcal Socley. WITH the northwestern battle-theater of the Turks proclaimed by the war prophets as that where- the deciding master strokes in this most titan-like of all struggles are to be delivered, a sketch of this remarkable region's past prepared by Harry Gris wold Dwlght is of more than usual in terest. Here the west won its self confidence, and this confidence has borne fruits with splendid richness for longer than 2000 years. Here the course of civilization has been changed and modi' tied several times, and here, again to day, the attention of the world is fixed in the belief that the future of Europe will once more be determined by events about to transpire. Mr. Dwight tells about "The Gates to the Black Sea" as follows: "There is something alluring in the very shape and position of these lakes the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmora separating as they do the two most historic continents of our globe, and communicating with each other and with the outer seas by openings that seem miraculous. And those landlocked waters have been from earliest times, as they happen again to be today, the theater of epic events. For us of the west no legends are older than those of Zeus and lo, of Phryxus and Helle, of the Trojan war, of Jason and the Argo, which commemorate the earliest voy ages into the Great Lakes of the Levant, "Of the two he Marmora the Pro- pontis, if you prefer to be classical is by far the smaller. Not much more than 100 miles long and some 40 miles across at its broadest part, it is about the same size as Lake Champlain. The Marmora has much of the softness of air, vividness of color, and beauty of scenery that we associate with the Aegean and Ionian seas. Thread the narrow slit of the Bosphorus, however, and you pass into an entirely different world sterner, barer, rockier, colder. "If -the Marmora may be compared to Lake Champlain, the Black Sea is about four times the size of our great est lake. Lake Superior is 412 miles long by 167 wide, while the Black Sea has a length of 750 miles and a breadth of 385. That there is something dark and unfriendly about it is more than'a legend. The Bosphorus is 20 miles long, and at one point of -its tortuous course the hills of Europe and Asia come wt th ing 5o0 yards of each other. The Ear danelles is twice as long and nearly twice as wide, varying from 1400 yards to five miles. Its European shore, Gal- lipoli Peninsula. Is the Thracian Cher sonese of the ancients, and - its steep ridge overlooks the plain of Troy on the Asiatic bank and the broken foot hills of Mount Ida. "While its two historic gateways -are strategically the most important foa tures of Marmora, that picturesque lit tle sea has a character ail its own. In any other part of the world It would long ago have become a place of so journ for yachtsmen and summerers. so happily is it treated by sun and wind, so amply provided with bays, capes. islands, mountains, forests and all other accidents of nature that make glad the heart of the amateur explorer. As it is the Marmora remains strangely wild for a sea that has known so much of life. More numerous than the ssettle ments of today are the ruins of yester day. About no body of water in the world, of equal size, have stood so many stately cities. It is almost impossible, indeed, to give any coherent .account of the story of'Marmora, so much his tory and legend have crowded its shores." Writing of the antiqiuty of the straits' question, Mr. Dwight says: "The true question of the straits arose as early as the fifth century B. C, when Alcibiades of Athens counseled the peo ple of Chrysopolis, the modern Scutari, at the southeastern extremity of the Bosphorus, to take toll of passing ships." But the Ottoman regulation of the straits has been far more jealous than anything attempted by the ancients. "The Turks have allowed no foreign men-of-war to enter the Marmora," the writer continues, "unless under rare and special circumstances; and not only do they exercise surveillance over the traffic in the straits, but twice during the last four years they have closed the Dardanelles to navigation of any kind. At the moment at which I write the fleets of France and England are ham mering at the historic gateway. Thus the question of the Black Sea, which is the ancient question of the straits, is posed anew, more dramatically than ever before. Is it for a final solution? No solution can be found which will give any one nation an absolute right of control over the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. PROTECTION FOR NOTED GUESTS Mrs. Hidden Thinks Visitors Should Be Spared Militant Interviews. PORTLAND, Aug. 33. (To the Edi tor.) The self-respecting woman suf fragists of Oi-egon will be thankful for your timely editorial remarks on the recent Taf t-compelling-receptlon incident. It is unfair to the real suf fragists of Portland that they should be considered as favoring these enforced militant interviews, perpetrated at the instigation of agents from another state, who have presumed to come into Oregon for the purpose of directing the political action of our women voters. The various committees of the Cham ber of Commerce and Men's Clubs of our city, ought to protect our dis tinguished visitors from this impolite pestering. Not one of the men thus waylaid have gone away more friendly to the doctrine of equal rights than they were before coming to Portland. I think ex-President Taft showed great delicacy and a complete under standing of the situation he would be placed in were he even to seem to recognize these Congressional Union women, whose slogan "Defeat all Demo cratic candidates" is well known East and West. Again, it is positively outrageous for anyone to intrude upon the time of such a notable as our ex-President, whose programme is made out neces sarily with not a minute to spare, as he passes through the country. The women, voters of Oregon should resent the attempt of the Congressional Union to draw them into anti-party lines, and cause them to appear any thing else but what they are. sensible, dignified women. M. L, T. HIDDEN. No Himtins In France. In France hunting, which was for bidden in 1914, continues to be prohibit ed in 1915. As a result, it is said, the country outside the districts in which the war goes on. is swarming with game. The peasants complain and it is said that numerous forest fires in mountain districts are maliciously caused by people of the highlands who wish to destroy the woods, in order to get rid of the wild boars that make their coverts in them. It is predicted that in 1916, if the law prohibiting the killing of game is repealed, sportsmen will find an overwhelming abundance of hares and partridges. Value of Old Half-Dime. PORTLAND, Aug. 30. (To the Edi tor.) Is there any additional value to a half -dime coined in 1856? Are there any places in Portland where they buy old coins? SUBSCRIBER. There is no additional value to a half-dime of 1S56. There are several coinages that draw premiums from coin buyers, but 1856 is not one. We do not know of any Portland market for old coins. THE "EXCLISIVE SET" OF" SOCIETY T. T. Geer at Loss to Kuw Why Term Is I'sed In SocinI 3iewi Columns. PORTLAND, Aug. 31. (To the Edi tor.) To those who have a deep ad miration for the "undying principles" so forcibly set forth in the Declaration of Independence and included In the Constitution of the United States "free and equal," anti-aristocracy, the broth erhood of man, etc., etc, the phrase so often found in newspaner reports of a social function, for Instance, a wed ding, in which it is announced that the bride, sweet thing though everybody will admit she is, belongs to the "ex clusive set," has a jarring sound de cidedly out of harmony with the ordi nary conception of American horse sense and democratic simplicity. Of course it is a mere matter of sheer curiosity that prompts me to In quire what is meant by an 'exclusive set." And it Is equally evident that It cannot be a question of general con cern aside from the fact that, occur ring so frequently in newspaper de scriptions of social functions when ap plied directly to some unfortunate young lady, she is accused of belong ing to a "set." which, for some reason has been isolated from the association with, or recognition by other people; but the charge, always unsupported by any evidence even of a circumstantial nature, should not be permitted to pass unchallenged, or, at least without an Inquiry. Or is it not a mere matter of imag ination that there is "an exclusive set" in Portland? And if tnere is. who or ganized it and determined its person nel? What constitutes eligibility to its membership and who determines Its maximum limit &3J.0 members? What qualifications are required to pass one into the charmed inner circle? If Ethl Gwendolyn belongs to an "ex clusive set" and Hannah Jane does not and cannot, what is she excluded for? Isn't she rich enough, or doesn't she know enough, or isn't she good enough, or sufficiently pretty, or does she lack in distinguished birth, and, if so, as to any of these or all of them. Who con stitutes the- censorship committee that passes on the momentous problem? On the other hand, isn't it impossible to have an exclusive set? If some one who had been excluded from an estab lished exclusive set should decide to organize another there would appear to be nothing in the way of such move ment, and he. or she, as the case might be. could easily establish an opposition exclusive set and the course could be followed indefinitely And. manifestly, where ther? are two exclusive sets, the title of each would destroy that of the other and there you are, or would be. And this is the situation now, pre cisely. There are as many "sets" as you have a mind to think there are. 1 have seen an individual so prouchy and vinegary that he constituted an ex clusive se.t of one if the word is ap plicable to such instance but he never boasted of it. neither did other people. Exclusiveness, or even a tendency toward it, is ordinarily to be frowned upon as a misfortune in others and to be guarded against as a latent or de veloping characteristic in one's self. This phrase as applied to a beautiful sweet girl graduate, or other deserving young woman, has been so frequently used duriner the nrespnl finmmo nnH .in many cases where the accused has not been to any degree guilty and too timid to urge a defense, that I have felt it a patriotic duty to make a public protest myself. This is a democratic country where caste does not thrive, or at least, should not. and a custom that seeks to establish a pretense of it is distasteful and should be discouraged. For we are the same our fathers have been: We see the same sights our fathers have seen : We drink the same stream, we see the same sun. And tun the same course our fathers have run So why an exclusive set? T. T. GEER. ROSE BUSHES XEED CARE SOW Plant Pathologist Says Fall Is Time to Thwart Mildew Inroads. PORTLAND, Aug. 31. (To the Edi tor.) During this time of the vear growers of the beautiful Caroline Test outs and other roses are rather negli gent of their plants and flowers, and their interest does not apparently brighten up again until next Spring, wnen tne blooms are about to appear. In fact, I have been told that after the Rose Festival, some of our rosarians (I mean the private growers) forcet their roses entirely, until the following February or March months. ir this is so, it is a great mistake. for it is just about this time that the mildew begins to get in its work, and in order to have clean roses next year It is absolutely necessary that practical remedies should be applied now. The mildew attacks the young leaves, shoots and buds. On the shoots and calyx a thick mycelium, or white coat ing is formed, which remains until the Fall, when it hibernates until the fol lowing Spring. During this period it checks the growth of young wood, and causes the leaves to remain small and curled, and the plants become so weakened that they generally die. Quite a few florists !:now that the mildew curtails their income from the roses, yet the loss can be stopped by spraying now and in the Spring, with a good resinous wash, to which a little sulphur has been added. If our rose lovers would follow these simple directions a more abundant and more beautiful display -would event ually be their reward. F. E. BLACKWOOD WEST. Shade Trees on Parking Strips. PORTLAND. Aug. 30. (To the Frl- itor.) To settle a dispute will you kindly state who owns shade trees that are planted in the parking strip along tne streets or fortiana and who is re sponsible for their care? A says they belong to the city, else the city would not go to the expense of killing the ougs on tne elms. a says the owners of the adjacent property planted them, have cared for them and it is up to them to kill the bugs. Another says Why should I pay 9 for water- to keep up the parking that belongs to the city? Let the city Improve the parking if it wants it improved." Please straighten us out. O. G. HUGHSON. The city has planted some of the trees in parking strips and take care of them. Property owners have planted the others and they receive no munici pal attention. In the case of the elm leaf spraying now under way the city is doins the work because It is an emergency and the adoption of an as sessment plan would cost much more to the city than the actual cost of spraying. The abutting property own er owns the sidewalk, parking strip. curb and to the center of the street. This property is dedicated for street purposes and belongs to the property owner, subject to the use of the public. Cause and Effect. HUGO. Or., Aug. 29. (To the Editor.) I didn't raise my boy to be a soldier. I raised the sissy-kid' to be a slave. Here we have an example of cause and effect. The jelly-fish doctrine an nounced in the first line -bears fruit as expressed in the second verse. JOHN RITCHIE. Longr Service. Philadelphia Bulletin. English Visitor- Did you ever know of an American having an old family servant . American Hostess Of course. Why. I have a cook that has been with me over a month. Twenty-Five Years Ago From The Oregomaa, September 1, 1S90. Washington The Republican cam paign committee of Congress is looking with Interest on the elections in Idaho and Wyoming, the new states. The sentiment among Republicans is for Fred Dubois and Judge Carey for Sen ator of their respective states. The Pan handle of Idaho has a candidate of Its own in Judge-Ciagett. who intends to represent the state in the Senate If possible. - Dubois has many friends, however, and his work for the admis sion of his state will be recognized. It is believed. It is reported that United States sur veyors in Alaska are enduring many hardships and are in danger of starv ing. Two members of the crew have gone on a perilous journey for pro visions. A Joint immigration committee from Washington is soon to come to the Pa cific Coast to investigate the violations of the Chinese law. The details of ths trip have not been made. Bishop Morris laid the cornerstone of St. Luke's Church, Empire City, last Saturday. A dam to cost $20,000 Is projected across the North Umpqua at Wln Chester. Maurice McKim. of Portland, was li Hoquiam last week, says the Washing tonlan, and showed deeds to Damon's Point. He had been absent for about 20 years; While .W. H. Northup. the well known attorney, was driving down West Park street yesterday his horses became unmanageable and for a few minutes were beyond control. The team collided at Yamhill street with a buggy containing his law partner, Judge E. C Bronaugh and Mrs. Bronaugh. Both, carriages were upset and the occupants thrown out violently. Judge Bronaugh, as Knocnea unconscious. Sherman Martin has acquired posses sion of the Himes printing office by purchase, Mr. David Steel retiring on account of failing health. Hoyt's "A Midnight Bell" will be pre sented at the Marquam Grand tonight F. W. Baltes & Co. have Jast com pleted the first issue of the North western Review, a fine illustrated Journal devoted to the interests of tha Jennie M. Long, the talented! dramatic reader who will appear at th Marquam Grand next Saturday, has In vested 15000 in a Portland suburb, it Is reported. Mrs. Leslie Carter, who has just pons on the stage, is on the brink of her first theatrical lawsuit. She Is about to sua William J. Ferguson, her leading man, for breach of contract. Fred Nye. of Omaha, was the center of a large and lively gathering of former Omahogs yesterday at the Port land Hotel. Mr.- Nye was for a long time editor-in-chief of the Omaha Re publican and has been quite a con tributor to Eastern journals. He is now proprietor of the Omaha Town Topics He is in no way related to Bill Nye. but Fred Nye is himself a reniarkablv bright story-teller. W. J. Cuddy, now editor of the Vale Atlas, is the hero of more than one of them. When Mr. Cuddy was city editor of an Omaha paper there was a certain newspaper function that ended with Mr. Cuddy waking up the next morning in a coffin, and Mr. Nye has embodied thl3 into one of his stories that got peals of luusrhter yesterday. From The Oregonlan. September 1. 1SOS. The subscribers to the capital stock of the Oregon City Mining Company have been notified to meet at the store of Robert Caufield in Oregon City, Sep tember IS, to elect from three to seven directors The capital stock has all been subscribed. The meeting is called by the Incorporators, Absalom Hedges, Hiram Straight, Robert Caufield and Benjamin Jennings. Benjamin L. Norden, secretary, has called a meeting of the members of the i-ortiand stock and Exchange Board for this morning at 11 o'clock. A special dispatch from Washington says the financial condition of the Gov ernment is easy and that the Secretary will be enabled to meet all demands with the means at his command. The next statement of the public debt will be Ocotber 1 and every six months thereafter. Current editorial expressions are summarized as follows: The subserv- ency of England to France is as abject as it is complete. Britain's ascendency is gone, bhe is not now the England that won Crecy, Agincourt, Blenheim and Waterloo, rranee and herself for the time at least have exchanged po sitions. England stands in awe of the dynasty whose founder her gold over threw. . . . England exhausted her self to put down the first Napoleon. France's loss was in men. These in the next generation or two were restored. England's loss was in money, and it was irreparable, so enormous was the sum. . . . The American as well aa the English policy is entirely under the dictation of France. New Orleans Texas advices renort the frontier in worse condition than ever before. The outrages by Indians and highway robbers are many. The) military has promised to act in a pro tective way. The roadway up the face of the hill at the head of Lincoln and Grant ' streets, formerly known as Robinson Hill, Is now complete. The first car riage made the ascent last night car rying Levi Anderson, A. C. R. Shaw, Joseph Buchtel and a reporter for The Oregonlan. The funeral of Walter Boyakin was conducted yesterday afternoon. Mrs. E. Van Fridagh is preparing to go to Europe and is settling her busi ness affairs at this time. C. A. Burchardt has found a purse with some money in it. He has adver tised the find and it will be returned to the owner on proving it and paying for the notice. John Sellwood is seeking to buy & tract of land with a perfect title, on the bank of the Willamette River near Portland. Spoofing: Him. (London Tit-Bits.) Recruiting is responsible for a good story from Carmarthenshire. One of th latest accessions to Kitchener's army is a stalwart man 6 feet 2 inches In height, from the heart of the country, and on joining he expanded his chest -with pride and ejaculated, "Now for the Germans. The following day he received from London a telegram: "Heartiest congrat ulations. Kitchener." This was duly shown around, but next morning his pride was boundless on re ceiving the royal message: "The em pire is proud of you George." It was not until the third day, when he received a wire, "For heaven's sake, keep neutral. Wilhelm." that he real ized a waggish friend had been pulling his leg. i Half a Century Ago