Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, October 25, 1915, Image 6

Morning Oregonian., October 25, 1915, Page 6, Image 6

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Newspaper Page Text8 "THE 3IOKNTXG OEEGOyW. MONDAY, OCTOBER i3, 1915. mtnn FOETLAXD, OBECOM. Entered at Portland, Oreson. foetofflca, as second-class matter. Eubacriptioa Hates invariably In advance, (By Mall.) pafly, Sunday Included, one year ....,..$8.00 Ijaliy. Sunday Included, alx montbi XJally, bunday Included, three monlha - - . Dally. Sunday Included, one month Hally, without Sunday, one year auu Dally, without Sunday, six moathi ...... Dally, without Sunday, tnree months .... 1.' Dally, without Sunday, one month ...... oo Weekly, one year - l-'iu Sunday, one year -xy fcunday and Weekly, one year - (By Carrier. J Dally, Sunday Included, one year. ...... s.eu Dally, Sunday lncluaed. one month...,. .io How to Remit Send postofflce money or der, expreea order or personal check oa your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender's risk. Give poaioffico addreee In fu.l. including county and atate. Postage Ratee 1Z to IS pasea. 1 cent; 18 o 1)2 pasea. 2 cents; 34 to 4s pases, a cent; i0 to 6u pages, 4 cents: C2 to 78 pages a cents, 78 to 02 pagea. 6 cents, voreign postage, double rates. Eastern Boatnrse Offices Verree L. Cons Jin. Brunswick building. New York; Verree & Conklln, Steger building, Chicago; Ban trancieco representative. R. J. -dldwoll. J Market street. PORTLAND, MONDAY. OCTOBER 5, 191S. THE CAMFA1GN IN SERBIA. ; The present campaign in Serbia Is ' a dramatic race between the Teutons and the allies. The former are strlv ! ing to form a junction -with the Bul garians in order to send artillery, am munition and a relieving army to the Turks. The allies are striving to carry relief to the hard-pressed Serbians, who are resisting tremendous odds on " three sides of a square. Theii country has been invaded from the north by the Germans, from the west by the Austrians and from the east by the " Bulgarians. The Serbians have been driven back almost foot by foot by the Germans, C' who are advancing from Belgrade and Semendria and up the Morava Valley - In their drive to Nish, the temporary .. Serbian capital. They have penetrated ' about 35 miles south of the Danube and are approaching Chuprla, whence a branch line leaves the Belgrade- Saloniki railroad for Zaitchar, near the j Bulgarian frontier. The Austrians have crossed the River Drina, Serbia's west j ern frontier, striking at Vallevo, the i terminus of a branch railroad from J Belgrade, where they met disastrous t defeat last December; and at Ushitza, f the terminus of another line, which runs from the main railroad up the ; west fork of the Morava. f The Bulgarian attack seems to have : teen made" at intervals along Serbia's ; entire eastern frontier. The Bulgars j claim to have occupied Negotin in the j north, Just west of the border, and twenty miles of the Timor Valley, just , inside Serbia, farther south. Zaitchar ! is In that valley and, if the Bulgars , have taken it, they have the terminus i of the railroad leading to Chupria, where they have the first opportunity of effecting a junction with the Ger V. mans, and of another line to Nish. They also report the capture of Pirot on the main line from Nish to Sofia and Constantinople, of Vranja and Kuprulu or Veles, both on the main line from Nish to Salonica. If reports be true that the allied troops which landed at Salonica have effected a Junction with the Serbs on the Greek frontier, the first task they attempt will probably be to drive back the Bulgars who have crossed the frontier in the south, to recover and repair the railroad where it has been cut and to leave a strong force- to pro tect their right flank. As they ad vance up the railroad, they or the Serbs will need to throw out similar forces for the same purpose. If they should have sufficient force, they could,- on reaching TJskub, detach an , army eastward to seize Derc Bair, the - frontier terminus of a railroad which runs through Kustendil to Sofia. By - threatening the Bulgarian capital from this point, they might divert the at tention of the Bulgars from the Serbs to the defense of their own territory. If Serbia Is to be saved, a powerful army with abundant artillery must hasten northward. Reports agree that the Serbs are . fighting to the death and that even the women are in the firing line. As Serbs are made sol diers from their boyhood, and as sex gains no clemency for women under arms, the entire adult population, male and female, must either retire tvlth the army or be slain or captured. The Russians are exerting them selves to aid Serbia indirectly by press ing the attack on the eastern front, where the Germans have weakened their line to -send an army to Serbia. The blocking of Von Hindenburg's at tack on Dvinsk and the Russian suc cesses in the center and in Galicia are probably due to this cause. Russia also promises an attack on Bulgaria, probably by landing an' army on the Black Sea coast. Italy is giving indi rect help by attacking more vigorously both in Trent and on the Isonzo River, and may be sending troops to helD Serbia directly. Germany, on the other nand is keeping the French "and Brit ish well occupied with repeated as saults in the west, doubtless in hoDe of preventing detachment of troops to oaionica. The allies have more at stake in the Serbian campaign than relief of the &eros and exclusion of supplies from Turkey. There can be little doubt that the continued neutrality of Greece and Roumania is due to the impres sion of invincibility created by Ger man victories over Russia and bv Ger. man tenacity In the west; also to the impression of allied incompetence ere. ated by the failure to capture the Dardanelles. These two small nations ao not wish to risk their existenr-a hr backing a loser; they wish the allins - to "make good" by showing some vic tories before actively taking the side , where their sympathies doubtless lie. Not even the offer of Cyprus could .move Greece from this position; in . fact, it probably confirmed that cntm- i try's determination not to move, for the Greeks would reason that,' the i more tempting the bribe offered, the ; iwrr is ins allies' need of help and hence the safer is a neutral attitude. , But let the allies once stop the Teuton aavance and let Russia once deeirieriiv turn the tide of battle In r,n0 i Courland, and the two neutral states . may yield to persuasion. t Seeing Bulgaria invaded from east . InH n'.ot X i , . .. .. iivuuieuia tingni attack her ( irom me north and Greece might send : in her armies from the south and west Roumania might also invade nungary rrom the east and force the Teutons to extend their line south- rwara. .Bulgaria might then reneat tv, t bitter experience of the second Balkan r war, ana the allied armies of the Bal kan states might join the western powers in a combined attack on Tur - key. both from the Gallipoli Penin sula and the TchataIJa lines. Cut off permanently from her Teuton allies Turkey might then find her fate sealed, and the allies would be free to close In on the central empires. The Serbian campaign ma$ thus prove to be the turning point of the war. The allies probably recognize this as clearly as the Teutons. HOLD MEXICO RESPONSIBLE. Having a recognized Mexican gov ernment to deal with. President Wil son should not hesitate to Insist upon Its co-operation in stopping Mexican raids into Texas. If Carranza cannot prevent the raiders from organizing in Mexico to cross the Rio Grande, the least he can do is to give American troops freedom to cross the boundary and to run down the bandits in his own territory. The President has shown' his good faith by putting an embargo on ex ports of war material to Carranza's enemies and by permitting Carranza's troops to cross American territory. Since he thus facilitates the first chief's operations against Villa, reci procity requires that the Mexican ex ecutive facilitate our operations against his outlaw citizens. It is unjust to the state of Texas as well as humiliating to the American Nation that that state should be ex pected to endure the disorder that prevails on Its border. Since our in ternational relations are concerned, the Federal Government 'alone should deal with the raiders. Mexic- being unable to compel its citizens to re spect the frontier, its rulers sheSuld not expect the United States to do so when the line is used to make Mexico a sanctuary for bandits who have committed crimes on American soil. The time for patience with Mexico has gone by. The existence of a gov ernment in that republic having at last been recognized, that government should assume its responsibilities to their full extent. TO REST OR NOT TO REST. The Oregonlan will await with con siderable Interest receipt of the pro posed weekly restday bill, an advance copy of which Mr. Tufts so kindly promises. This interest is whetted just a little by reason of the fact that we are unable to gain a 'definite idea of its import, except in one particular, from Mr. Tufts' letter. Those who think they may be more fortunate in their understanding will find the com munication in another column. Mr. Tufts assures us that "all the proponents of the new law have in mind Js to apply the present custom of the daily newspaper to all lines of continuous industry." The indirect compliment is duly ap preciated, but the distinction between newspaper custom and that of some of the more important continuous in dustries is possibly hot important as a vote-getter for a weekly day of rest. The newspaper reporter, for example, is not expected to work more than six days a week. Occasionally, in event of emergency, he is asked to work the seventh, and in that event is paid extra. The streetcar conductor, as a con trasting example, ordinarily electa for himself whether he shall work seven days or six. He is paid by the hour, and there are competent "extras" waiting to take the places of men who lay off. Usually, however, the con ductor prefers to work seven days, as that means a bigger pay check. A similar condition to that existing in streetcar employment exists in numer ous lesser continuous industries. To apply the newspaper custom generally would be to deprive the em ploye of his option. It is doubtful if he is willing to surrender it. How ever, there may be Just now many substitutes and extras irregularly em ployed who would welcome the prom ise of more work contained in the suggested bill. These matters are interesting as indicating the delicacy of the economic problem Mr. Tufts and his co-workers are courageously attacking. It will be wonderful, indeed, if they can de vise a bill which will have the indorse ment of nine-tenths of the business men and employes. Still we hope they can. We should like to support such a measure. But certainly it will not have those delightful attributes if it is no more than an attempt to compel everyDoay to spend Sunday In spiritual contemplation. DEFEND OCR NEW INDUSTRIES. Dr. Pratt's statement of the dangers to which our nascent coal-tar dye in dustry will be exposed when peace reopens the way for German competi tors to the American market is the more important because what he says of that industry will surely prove true of all other Industries. Dyestuffs are only one of many commodities which we have been driven to produce at home by the stoppage of the foreign supply. Our production of many other commodities has been vastly Increased, especially cotton, woolen and silk tex tiles, laces, tools and machinery, shoes and other leather goods. The same means which Germany has used to hold and will use again to regain the world's dyestuff market will surely be used by other nations as well as Germany to regain the mar kets for these other commodities. The war now in progress will be followed by a war of commerce, in which prac tically all of Europe will be combined against the United States. This coun try must prepare for commercial de fense as completely as it intends to prepare for armed defense. Legislation against unfair foreign competition will be good as far as it goes, but it will not go far enough. Other nations have made their tar iffs an efficient weapon in preventing their young industries from being killed off, and we should fight them with their own weapons. Germany and France have means of adjusting their tariffs promptly to meet sudden at tack on their industries by unfair com petition. The United States should have like means. The work of tariff revision should be continuous, but only slight at any one time, in order to effect this adjustment; it should not be spasmodic and general, as it has been hitherto. Collection of informa tion and making of recommendations necessary to the guidance of Congress In doing this work are functions dis tinct frcm those of the Federal Trade Commission; they should not be side issues to the main task of that com mission, which is to war upon and pre vent domestic monopoly and to combat foreign monopoly when It attacks our industries. . Themost forcible argument against use of the tariff as a means to combat foreign competition with nev indus tries is that It would develop a new crop of "Infant industries," which would attain giant size and dominate the Government. A tariff commission such as has been frequently proposed would guard us against these evil con sequences. By constantly watching the progress of these industries, it would learn when they had become strong enough to stand alone and to fight their own battles with foreign com petitors without further governmental aid than that which the Federal Trade Commision can give. It would report to Congress when duties imposed for protective purposes were no longer necessary, and active public opinion would press Congress to revise the tariff accordingly. A tariff commission Is the best means of preventing the continuance of protection after the reasons which Justified have ceased to exist. CHEERING OF LUMBERMEN. News of a car shortage is an evi dence of prosperity which no man can question, evidence which is cor roborated by the fact that railroad gross earnings in September showed a gain of 2 per cent. It explains the placing of heavy orders for material by railroads for delivery in 1916 and Justifies the belief that liberal buying of cars is beginning or will soon begin. Buying of material by railroads is good news to the lumber industry. Track Improvements will require ties. also bridge material wherever steel bridges have not supplanted trestles. Terminal Improvements will require lumber for construction. New roads and branches will demand large quan tities of all -these classes of material. The great demand for steel from mu nition plants and from foreign rail roads and the consequent higher prices may check the tendency to build steel freight cars and may tempt railroads to build of wood. They may be the more inclined that way because lum ber Is cheap and can be delivered promptly. Another encouraging fact to lumbermen is an Increase of 36.8 per cent in value of building permits in seventy-nine principal cities during September. All of these features of prosperity and the inferences which are drawn from them go to show that prosperity cannot long prevail in the country at large without spreading into its every corner. Its beginnings are already perceptible in the Pacific Northwest, and no long time can elapse before it reaches our premier industry and puts the prophet of evil to flight. SAFETY FIRST FOR THE NATION. - A very narrow, parochial view of the subject of National defense Is taken by the Grays Harbor Washlng- tonlan when it says: Portland la quite a belligerent city, ready to arm and take the field at anv time, but once let Portland be assured that the money ik eAyct;u ior tne improvement or the Co lumbia River and Um bar, is to be expended in the construction of a battleship to grace the harbor of New York and the people may moderate their warlike transports. Aberdeen Is as Quick on the trigger of war as the next town, but when it Is brought home to our neighbors that the $200,000 wanted for a public building, cannot be ap propriated because the monev 1 tn h MMnt for a dozen Ford submarines, a different face will be put on the matter. It was Senator Burton, we think, who said that ixty-six cents out of every dollar collected by the Government went to the Army ana xsavy, pensions and other mat ters connected with defense and war. The first duty of the Government is to defend the country . against enemies, within or without. Not until this duty is provided for Jias it any right to expend money on rivers, har- Dors ana public buildings. Unless the Nation is first made secure against invasion from without or disorder within, any internal improvements of the kind described may redound only to the benefit of the public enemy and thus the expenditure on them would be worse than wasted. But there is no necessity to suspend internal improve ments In order to devote funds to Na tional defense. The United States is amply able to perform one duty with out neglecting the other. WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. The largest producer of armament and fine steel .in the United States is the Bethlehem Steel Works, which surpasses Krupp's in volume of out put. It makes great guns and ar mor plate. Subsidiary to. it is the Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation of Qulncy, Mass., which can turn out three battleships and- one hundred submarines a year. Quincy is on the Atlantic Coast and Bethlehem is less than fifty miles west of the entrance to New York harbor. With our present Army and Navy we should be unable to prevent the capture of Quincy by the navy of either of at least two European na tions, nor could we prevent the land ing of an army which would be able to capture not only Bethlehem, but three-fourths of our arms and am munition factories, which are concen trated in New England, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. This oauld be done before Mr. Bryan's famed 1,000,000 men could assume the outward semblance of an army. Our boasted military resources would then be turned against us and used in sub duing the rest of the country. This is what has happened to Bel gium. The great steel works and arms factories of Liege are now turn ing out arms for Germany to use In war on Belgium's allies. The coal of Belgium and northeastern France is used to""run German locomotives in carrying troops to the front. The steel of France is a weapon In the hands of Germany. The coal of Poland sends trains to the front carrying troops to fight Russia. The military resources of Belgium, France and Russia were Jargely de veloped, but because they were not fully so, they have been captured and turned against those countries. The military resources of the United States are almost entirely latent. Hence our material military resources, without which human military resources are powerless in modern war. Would quickly fall into the hands of an in vader and we should be in Belgium's plight beaten down with a gun snatched from our own hands. AFFRONT TO HONEST JOURNALISM. An article by Senator LaFoIlette in his magazine entitled "An Affront to Honest Journalism" is itself just such an affront. It opens with this sen tence: The same power which organised the press of the country to force from the interstate Commerce Commission a decision favorable to the railroads in the one hun dred million-dollar advance rate case. Is behind the Nation-wide newspaper raid on the seamen's law. The Senator refers further to the newspapers which have denounced the seamen's law as "the controlled press" and "the corporation press," to the op position to that law as ' combination of ignorance and dishonesty," and to "the effort to repeal" that law as "a shame and a reproach to the American press." . Mr. LaFollette's article is itself an affront to honest journalism, because it shamefully misrepresents the posi tion of those newspapers which criti cise the seamen's law. He refers to the effort to "repeal" the seamen's law-. There is no such effort. The only effort is to repeal certain provi sions of the law which confer no real benefit the seamen and which, contri bute nothing to safety at sea. but do deadly injury to the American mer chant marine. The Senator devotes the greater part of his article to a defense of the aboli tion of imprisonment for desertion, of the regulation of seamen's working hours, food and quarters and of the provisions for safety at sea. Neither the ship owners nor the newspaper critics of the law ask for repeal of the sections of the law covering these points. The Oregonian has for years condemned Imprisonment for deser tion and has approved all those sec tions of the law which better the sea men's condition and which make sea travel safer. The attack" is directed at a few points of the law which do not serve either of these ends, but do great harm to our merchant marine: The seaman is not benefited by the provision that he may draw half his earned pay when the ship is in port after being out for five days; that is a premium on desertion. He is not benefited by the section requiring that 75 per cent of the crew must understand orders given by the officers; he is deprived of his job, which the law automatically hands over to Orientals. By permitting any "reputable citi zen" to delay sailing of a ship while the Collector of Customs inquires into alleged violations of laws, which it is his sworn duty to enforce, no good is done to the seaman, but injury is done to the ship owner, for facilities are offered to "hold-up men." ' Abrogation of commercial treaties in order to put the law In operation would cause friction with and probably retaliation by foreign nations; would cause many ships to refuse to come to our ports and would thereby in jure all who produce commodities for export, including farmers, manufac turers and all whom they employ. Application to foreign ships of the provisions as to advances to seamen is an attempt to dictate rules to other nations. The requirement that a certain per centage of the deck crew be able sea men Ignores the fact that there are not enough such men to be found. All serious criticism of the law would be met if it were amended in these particulars. The provisions which improve the seaman's condition and which insure safety to travelers would still stand. Mr. LaFoIlette and his associates in opposing amendment lay .stress on the provisions which ship owners do not ask -to have re pealed or amended. They make little or no attempt to defend those features of the law at which criticism is lev eled. The one shining success of the pres ent Administration's domestic ' policy has been the Federal reserve law. It was the product of the work of the Monetary. Commission, modified in some respects by. Congress, but both parties had a hand in perfecting it. It is an example of the benefits of co-operation between parties in solv ing a National problem, wherein party issues are not involved. The baby carriaee In ihn hto- frage parade In New York Saturday gave it character. The 40,000 women wno marched had the courage of their convictions, but the weak sisters who watched will accept the franchise when the others have won it. That "children cry for it" is realism of a pleasant joke. Chicken-raisers will nhauA' tv.., Professor Dryden's ujility hybrids miiicu lie cans uregons are well toward thn 1 pn In th oo-o- .. down below. These are the kind of rowi tnoroughbred men derided a few years ago. Wilson, held un bv n. traffic must be careful in going" through Frederick, a town famous for halting great people. Once upon a time, says a. legeno, a gray-naired old woman stopped Stonewall Jackson and all the soldiers. The old conflict over offio h- tween the sections nf Trlahn la twHn. nlng to get warm, but everything and everyooay win De whacked Into har mony before nomination days. To take the ramhline nrian. to on Inherent -human trait. Ten thousand people are after the 700 homsteada in the latest Dakota reservation about to be opened to settlement. The man who was not afraid to buy high-priced grain and feed it to his fowls all Summer is now getting 60 cents for his eggs and will get more as the year advances. What a bad man he was who broke his wifes leg with "a well-directed kick," as the complaint alleges, two weeks after marriage! No wonder she wants a decree. t There is ground for suspicion that the Frederick traffic officer stopped the President's auto in ortler to afford his fellow citizens a good chance of seeing Mrs. Gait. In an alienation suit at Oregon City tor xiu.uuu tne jury gave the man J700. It is to be hoped this will not be used as a precedent in fixing the value or a wire. With a German naval base off Haiti and something doing all the time in the Caribbean, a lot nf news will be spread before daily readers. The wedding day may be pulled off in ten days, for the bride-to-be has ordered the milliners to hurry, and woodrow is like Barkis. People who twenty-five years ago were proud of the exposition can go to the Armory and see something bet ter and be prouder. If another family moves into school district No. 125 of Lane County an other teacher may be needed. The Roosevelt family practices what the Colonel preaches, as witness the arrival of another grandson. The Divine Sara is optimistic at the age when most people figure on be coming a memory. Bad weather overhead, but you need not go that way. Go to the Armory. ' Losses in killed and wounded dur ing October exceed " 1,000,000 men. v ay ; The skyline of a city has a dreary look on. a rainy f all day. Edith CavelL Br tktraua Wllllsms. She knew no creed of war To her but one thing seemed worth while: To minister To save. Daily she went her patient round. Nor sought to know if her cool hand Were laid on German brow, or French, or Albion born. Daily the warriors' eyes Turned as she passed by In her ministering And glowed with reverent love. As if the invisible balm of outstretched wings Had touched their lids. The Babel of warring tongues Joined in one common prayer That linked her name to heaven. To those upturned, wan faces She was Mercy. Whom have ye crucified. Ye Overlords that dare to set in Judg ment! Was it He On whose name ye are wont to call In tbe high plaees? God! Ye seem less than human. Are ye not afraid? Would ye drag Mercy from the hearts of your people? Would ye send them, like wehr-wolves. To cave and forest? Nay, ye shall notl They shall stand among the people of the earth. Purged from the taint of thy tyranny, Purged with fire and blood Not to destroy. But to purify To make clean. So shall they stand among the people of the earth. But ye ye who dare to sit in Judg ment Flee from the desolate hills Flee from the ravished plain Flee from the accusing sea. ENCOURAGING PROMISES IS MADE Proposed Sunday Law Will Please Nine Tenths of Business Men and Workers. PORTLAND. Or., Oct. 23. (To the Editor.) In The Oregonian Saturday an editorial article discusses the sub ject of Sunday legislation. We highly esteem the opinion of The Oregonian. For this reason we will submit a copy of our proposed bill for its considera tion and criticism before going to print. The editorial labors under the mis take that we propose to force people to rest on Sundays whether or no. That may be said of the Sunday laws of some of the states. But we assure our highly respected editor that he may spend every day of the year In his of fice composing his masterful editorials without violating the proposed law. We may surprise you when we say that it will not be as "blue" as the law now upon the statutes. Neither will it be the "Tufts plan." Incorporating the ideas of one man. But It will be the plan which has been adopted by every civilized nation and by every state' of this Union, with scarcely an exception. It will be tbe plan which nine-tenths of the business men and workmen of the state desire. It will be the plan which Is already tn vogue among the bankers and news papers of Oregon and of the Nation. Without any detriment to the public interests the banks keep closed on Sun days, the common American rest dsy. They also observe a Saturday half hol iday. The same custom prevails throughout Canada and Great Britain by practically all the stores and shops. The proposed law will require all the places of business in Oregon which cannot be justified on the ground of public necessity to keep closed on Sun day, and thus imitate the banks. The object is not to protect the day by civil statute as a sacred day, but to protect business and laboring men and women in their natural rights. The only way to secure a day of rest for the pro prietor of business is to close all In the same line of business on the same day. But there are many industries, like the daily newspapers, which the pub lic demands keep in constant operation. But each employe of the great dailies has one day off duty each week. If the editor wants to work seven days of the week, that will be his privilege under the proposed law. But by so doing he will shorten his life by ten years and write poorer editorials. All that the proponents of the new law have in mind Is to apply the present custom of the dally newspaper to all lines of con tinuous industries. Let it be distinctly' understood, once for all, that we are not appealing to the State to protect the day as a sacred institution by a civil enactment, but to protect man as a human being. By the inexorable laws of nature every phys ical and mental worker must rest one day in seven. The teachings of medical science so declare. We appeal for, pro tection of the 26,000 seven-day toilers of Oregon. G. L. TUFTS. NO SALARY INCREASE JUSTIFIED Pay of City Employes Now Greater Than That of Workers in GeseraL PORTLAND. Oct. 24. (To the Edi tor.) "An Honest Workman." whose letter In The Oregonian October 20 brings out the difficulty of keeping up the taxes on one's home when there is no money coming in to pay "taxes, Is but one of many who are facing the same problem at the present time. I know a man who has paid the taxes on his little home in this city for the past 10 years, but during the past two and a half years has had only odd jobs with which to pay taxes and living expenses as well. Like "An Honest workman." he is elderly and is turned down for younger men, many of whom, like the messenger bovs whose salaries have Just been raised By the City Council, have no families dependent on them for food and sneiter. City employes, inspectors and' the like seem to have become a class apart irom tne common people an aristo cratic class to be supported by the grinding ton and economy of the tax payers. They must be supported, even though the taxpayers are denied the means of supporting themselves. It it the old story over again of being re quired to make bricks without straw. And yet the City Commissioners go on raising salaries. . A man who, as Commissioner, will vote to raise salaries at this crisis Is not. worthy of the office. Give the honest workman a fair chance. If In these stringent times he cannot obtain employment, let those whom he must help support by the payment of taxes be content with wiat salary thev have. Salary raising in the past has put the pay or most city employes far in ad vance proportionally of the compensa tion received by people In general at this time. It would be more in keen ing with the existing state of things to tie lowering salaries than to be rais ing them. But only one) lone cook has received a reduction from 165 to ISO per month. Hundreds of taxpayers are not averaging even that. This Is no Joke, gentlemen. Let your attention be given to reducing tho city payroll and cutting off every Item of expense not absolutely indispensable, if you would merit the confidence of your fellow citizens, whose money you are spending. I notice we are still buying water meters, in spite of the voice of the people. If we could be assured that the meters now on hand were not being used contrary to the expressed wish of the majority of the people, we might admit the necessity for more being purchased, out exactly the opposite course in being pursued. Let the peo ple rule and not an oligarchy, or a monarchy. . A SUBSCRIBER. CITY COMMISSION IS HELD DOWN No Chance to Make Cood. Sara Writer Who Offers Now Charter Plan. PORTLAND. Oct. 24 (To the Ed itor.) The tax levy of Multnomah County for 1914 was almost $10,000,000, for 115. 7.587,620.0. with reduced ren tals, vacant buildings, high cost of liv ing and general financial depression possible. The taxpayer is demanding a lower levy for the ensuing year. As a matter of course, we all want adequate police and lire protection, clean streets, better schools and higher wages for everybody. Why did not the pipe dream of the framers of the com mission form of government save us the million dollars a year we were promised? The commission government as framed and accepted by tho voters. 98 per cent of whom were ignorant of its Intent, called for five high salaried of ficials as department heads, and invited inexperienced (160 to $200 per month) men to aspire to tlfe places, men whose personal popularity, political pull or advertising ability wore their chief iuuiuuhuuiis. it saddled upon them the civil service rules and the political machine of tbe city hall, fire depart ment, police and street-cleaning de partments of the old regime. The men elected from the ruck of aspirants are. I believe, intrinsically honest and men of more than average "it nanaicappea as they are. what could result? When it comes to cutting down expenses they are up a stump. Is it not possible for a committee of non-partisan corporation experts to formulate a business form of corpora tion government that would be a suc cess? Consolidate the city and county gov ernments, make a clean sweep of all boards and commissions, school, Port of Portland everything with a pull or possible source of graft; abolish civil service rules; divide the county and city Into wards or districts according to voting population: select at the pri maries representative public-spirited men (say 60 or 100), and elect them at the general election. These men should not be elected for more than two years and should not succeed themselves in office; . these men or women to be members of a corporate body as directors having full power to hire a manager who should be ham pered by no rules interfering with economy or efficiency. The Pullman Car Company, capital .,e,dfr 50-0".001. Pays a manager 37,000 per year. We are paying five men 2,000. and we have hampered and handicapped them with several cumbersome political machines, and bound them with civil service rulea Civil service is an outgrowth of po litical chicanery intended to preserve the tenure of office regardless of econ omy or efficiency. Is it good business sense or logical to expect any improve ment in lessening the burden of tax ation? For myself, 1 will say that I am op posed to a one-man form of govern ment. It is not democratic or in keep ing with our republican institutions. If a coterie of capitalists should hire a man like Colonel Uaethals as city man ager he would be unpopular and could not succeed. If a directorate elected at the general election engaged him or a man of similar ability as man ager, employed and backed by non partisan representatives, such a gov ernment would be of the people, for the people and by the people. W. I. COTTEL. WOMEN ONES WITH QUEER TASTES loo Many Prefer Society of Male Fllrta to That of Real Men. SILVERTON. Or.. Oct. 23. (To the Editor.) I cannot help but admire the article of Mrs. Elenor w., who writes concerning conventions and matri mony. The truth of some of her as sertions strikes us about the same way as the old proverb. "Honesty is the best policy." However, I wish to take Issue with her concerning some of her statements. That a man prefers a painted, fluffy ruffle work of art is most certainly not., as a general rule, true. It has been my experience, though, that a woman or girl too often prefers spend ing her time talking to a lasy, good-for-nothing, cigarette-smoking male flirt and loafer in preference to an honest, hard-working man. Although I have not reached the age of 21, I have at times felt a natural longing for a home of my own, with flower gardens, an auto and a Dlayer Diano. I am not love-sick, neither is this a proposal to anyone. I am merelv stat ing facts for the benefit of a misguided PUDllC. As a general rule I find that these female animals called girls congregate in bunches or packs and are ready to devour or freeze any mere man who may dare attempt to break the ice. This cannot be laid to my personality. either, as I am a fairly handsome six footer, and not big-headed by any means. For my part I believe this malady of the mind called love is merelv a mat ter of chance and accident. I may come to Portland; I may see a girl; I like her looks, .her actions; by and by 1 reel the desire for possession. I can't get her; the more I try to forget her the more I think of her. Someone else gets next to her. I am selfishly Jealous. I possibly wish her harm. Is this love? No. I would not marry girl I loved with my heart unless I loved her with my head also. I don't think, either, that a girl should know everything. If she did not know how to cook a steak 1 would willingly show her how to the best of my ability. I would also be willing to talk to her on the subject of what Mary wore to the party last night, but I would not willingly criticise Mary's gown to an unusual extent. I would not want to be called a tool or crank because I spoke my honest opinions, nor an old fogy or simply impossible because I stayed home from the dance to study. ' Well. I guess this is all, for I have already said enough to disgrace myself forever. Come again, Mrs. Eleanor W., but don't criticise the men. We are faultless as angels. ' AUSTIN PEARL LINSCOTT. Tnrpentlne Distilleries In Oregon. PORTLAND, Oct. 24. (To the Edi tor.) Referring to the inquiry of "P. B." and your reply thereto in the Ore gonian, I beg to say you are in error In your statement that there are no turpentine distilleries in this part of the country. There are several small plants em ploying two or three men in opera tion in various parts of Oregon. There is a plant of this character on the Mo Kensie River, between Eugene and Blue River. I have seen this plant several times and was told that the owners made a good profit on their operations, which are confined to the Summer season, when the pitch flows more readily. I believe this industry could be de veloped in Oregon and Washington. S. R. VINCENT. More of tbe Same, Pleaste. PORTLAND, Oct. 24. (To the Edi tor.) We as taxpayers are thankful for reductions thus -far made by our city officials, but surely they cannot own any property for rent. If they do. sure ly they know what the property owner is up against. For fear they might forget I will call their attention to Items where a large saving may be made: Cut out all new buildings, also about two-thirds of the bridge and boulevard lights; also auto mobiles of every description. The only officials who really require automobiles are the Chief of Fire Department and ppofeably two or three of his assistants. OLD TIMER. Half a "Century Ago From The Oreronlan of October 25. 18S5. Providence. R. I.. Oct. 20. Rev. Dr. Nathan D. Crocker, for more than 60 years rector of St. Johns Church in this city, died last evening, aged 84 years. Detroit. Oct. 19. The Michigan Cen tral Railroad's freight depot, contain ing a largo amount of freight, was entirely destroyed by fire last night. The loss is estimated at tl.000.000, partially insured. Raleigh, N. C, Oct. IS. The state convention adjourned last Wednesday to meet again on the fourth Monday in May. An ordinance was passed pi e ventlng any future Legislature assum ing or paying any debt created directly or Indirectly for the prosecution of the rebellion. New Tork. Oct. 31. At the Repub lican ratification meeting last night at Cooper Institute, great enthusiasm was manifested. The President's policy in regard to reconstruction was fully in dorsed. The Portland soap works are adver tising for tallow and will pay the highest market price. We learn that shipments of tallow are being made for the California market a, less nrlces than can be obtained at home. Holders should look into this matter. Mrs. Moore, the widow of the lata Thomas Moore, died at Sloperton Cot tage on Monday, September 4, at tho age of 68 years. The question of cltv licenses, latelv attracting attention in the Recorder's Court, has given rise to considerablo feeling on the part of those not taking tho necessary papers until invited by tne court to do so. Licenses for the present quarter are now nearly all tn. Twenty-five Years Ago From the Oregonian of Oct. 25, 184. Washington, Oct. 24. The Pension Bureau today made a requisition upon the Treasury Department for 125.000. 000 to meet the payment of pensions under the act of June 27, 1890, as well as those under the old law, for tho next two months. Warsaw. Oct- 24. A party of S00 Poles who are attempting to reach Prussian territory in order to emigrate to Brazil, were halted today by Rus sian frontier guards and ordered to return. They refused to obev the or der and the guards fired upon the party. uming six men, two women and a child, and wounding a number of others. Montreal, Oct. 24. The Count of Paris and party arrived hero totvlcrhr. They met with a cordial reception- It Is thought that Hunt has been successful in placing his bonds and that Jim Hill has hel ied him out. The conferences of T. B. Wilcox with Hunt In New York and Portland, and tho subsequent trip of Hunt to St. Paul to confer with Hill, are thought to have settled the matter. Hunt may be expected here in a few days. The new bank soon to bo opened in Kamra's block temporarily. It is said, is to be known as the United States Bank. Another bank is also to be opened shortly by tho Union Banking Company. It will bo located either in the Hibernian building or in the Mar qua m block. The office of the Great Northern is happy over having captured the first baby prises at the exposition. A de mand for an increase in salary will, accordingly, be made in consideration of having brought the Great Northern so prominently to the front. . Mayor DeLashmutt will be homo about November 1. - Manager Rich.'-d Koehler. of the Southern Pacific Company, leaves to day for San Francisco to confer with President C. P. Huntington. Rl'ILDF.R OF LANDMARK UNKNOWN But I -of Whltcomb Probably Erected Old Mllwankle Bonding. PORTLAND, Oct, 24. (To the Edi tor.) The news Item in The Oregonian of yesterday under the head in it. "Old Landmark Is Razed Milwaukie His toric Building, 65 Tears Old. Comes Down." states that the building was erected by "Bishop Morris in 1850." This could not be true, because Bishop Mor ris did not come to Oregon until 1869; and it could not have been built by his predecessor, Rt. Rev. Thomas Fielding Scott, D. D., because he did not come to Oregon until April 22. 1854. As a matter of fact, it is not positively known who built this house, but from information given me many years ago by the late Captain Joseph Kellogg, a pioneer of 1848, who located that Fall at Milwaukie. it la believed that it was built early in 1850 by Lot Whitcomb. the founder of Milwaukie, who settled there late In 1847, for a hotel. The first lessee known was W. R. B. Cotton, and it was called the Milwau kie Hotel. His advertisement appears in Vol. 1, No. 1, of the Western Star, issued at Milwaukie on November 21, 1850. This printing office occupied two rooms of the hotel. Lot Whltcomb was the owner of the paper. John Orvis Waterman was the editor and William Davis Carter the printer. These men bought the paper from Whitcomb in March. 1851, and removed it to Portland the first week in June. On Juno 5, 1851, it was issued as the Oregon Weekly Times. The building was used as a hotel most of the time until September 9, 1861, when it was opened as a boarding school for glrla under the supervision of Bishop Scott, of tbe Protestant Epis copal Church, and called Spencer Hall. The principal of the school was Miss Foster, who afterwards became the wife of Captain George H. Flanders, and is a resident of this city at the present time. It is impossible for General U. S. Grant to have stopped at this hotel in 1868. as he was not on this Coast that, year. As a Lieutenant and Assistant Quartermaster of the Fourth U. S. In fantry he was stationed at Fort 'Van couver during a portion of the years of 1S52-5S, and sometime during that period it Is possible that he might have stayed over night at the Milwaukie Hotel, although there is no evidence of it in existence. After General Grant left the Pacific Coast, early in 1854, he did not return until after his two terms as President of the United States expired in March, 1877. GEORGE H. HIMES. Smartest Boy on Earth. Philadelphia Lodger. "So you honestly think you have the smartest boy on earth?" "Maybe he isn't yet; but he will be If he keeps on making me answer all the questions he can think up." Beauty Helps Many of the requisites of beauty a fair skin, a good complexion, a correct carriage, are things to be attained. They come from correct living, from proper hygiene and care. They mean the right materials on the toilet table as well as care at the dining table. Specialties of merit, that are helpful and not harmful, are ad vertised from time to time. The thoughtful woman will want the assistance in choosing that Is rendered by the advertising col ums of The Oregonian.