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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1915)
THE MORNING OREGON IAN, TODNESDAT, NOVEMBER 10, 1915. tBve$anmi PORTLAND. OREGON. Entered at Portland, Oregon, Featoffice as second-class matter. Cubscriptitn Kate Invariably In advance. (By Mall.) Ilaily. eunday Included, one year 8.00 Xaily, Sunday Included, six months,.... 4.25 I'aiiy, fcunday included, three months.. JDaily, Sunday included, one month. .... -?3 JJaily, without Sunday, one year - .00 JJaily, -without Sunday, six months... 3.5 I'aiiy, -without Sunday, three months.. l.To Xaliy. without Sunday one month..... .60 Weekly, one year : l.UU Sunday, one year. ................... z.ov Sunday and "Weekly, one year 3.00 (By Carrier. ) taily, Sunday Included, one year 0.00 laily, Sunday Included, one mouth..... .To How to remit- Sent postofflre money or Jier, express order or personal cheek on your ocal bank. Stamps, coin or currency are ft render's risk. Give postofflce address in Xull, including county and state. Footage Kates 12 to 10 pages. 1 cent; 18 to 32 paces, 2 cents; 34 to 43 pages, li cents: 60 to b pages. 4 cents; ui to 70 pages, S cents; 78 to U2 pages, tt cents. foreign jjostase. doubla rateb. Eastern Business Office Verree & Conk !n. Brunswick building, New York; Verree - Conklin, Steger building, Chicago; San Francisco representative, K. f. Bidwell, 72 Iarket street. rOETLAND, WEDNESDAY. KOV. 18. 115. WILL IT NEVER HAPPEN ? The President's apt quotation from the Bible (Kzekiel xxxlii:8-6) was, of course, a reply to the solemn invoca tion by William J. Bryan of Holy Writ as the inspiration of his peace propa ganda. - "Whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet," said the prophet, and taketh not warning, his blood shall be upon' his own head"; and "if the watchman see the sword come and blow not the trumpet, and the people oe not warned, his blood will I re quire." Obviously the President is the watchman and the trumpet is pre paredness. It is not readily to be believed, but the Bible has as many references to the sword as to peace. The Old Testa ment was largely a record of the bloody and terrible conflicts between warring peoples; while the New Tes tament brought the message of uni versal brotherhood and good will among men. The words of the Sav ior were forever of peace, except that once he gave the remarkable warning that he "came not to send peace, but a sword." The world, alas! is not at peace, and the futile pleadings of Mr. Bryan are sorely out of joint with the times. The barbarous spirit of bloody conflict is abroad throughout the world. All Eu rope is aflame with hate and death. The Moslem world in Asla'is seething in a ghastly ferment of deadly ani mosity for all Christians. China is in the throes of rebellion, and India- is. uneasy under the yoke of Great Brit ain. Mexico is torn to its very vitals; and the very seas are angry with the contentions of men. Only America, of the great powers, has so far escaped. In an ocean of terror and tumult, how idle and how senseless to say that the storm will never break upon us! THUS JFEKBI.lS-JIrr.DKl. The complaint by Superintendent Steiner, of the Hospital for the In sane, that Multnomah County is an offender in committing as insane per sons to his institution who are only feeble-minded has brought out an in dignant retort from Judge Cleeton. As to the merits of any particular case, we are not concerned. More im portant is the fact that the state is not performing its full duty toward the mental defectives within its bor ders nor to the normal public. Oregon possesses and supports an Institution for the care for the feeble minded. It is quasi-educational in character, and there is no law provid ing for formal . commitment to it. The parents or guardians of a feeble-minded person may make applica tion for the admission of their charge, but whether the application is granted depends upon the avail ability of accommodations and the likelihood of the admission benefit ing the individual for -whom admission is bought. It partakes more of an eleemosynary and educational charac ter than of one designed to conserve society's welfare. It is possible that when the law was enacted some bright legislator had in mind a means to keep down the grow ing cost of institutional maintenance in a growing state. The institution for the feeble-minded cannot be forcibly crowded by commitments. Therefore, there need be no glaring exhibit of building or room deficiencies to in duce the Legislature to increase ap propriations. But this may be an uncharitable view. True it is that the mass of reople. look -upon the half-wits as harmless, when th reverse is oft cner true. No harm is seen in their roaming at. large. Tct they have not tha moral stamina to resist teiupta lion; they are deficient In sexual re straint;, they add to the criminal -population, help populate the houses or prostitution and are prolific breeders ct their kind. There is now no law in Oregon which makes certain the confinement of mental defectives who are dan gerous to be at large. After they have committed a crime they may be in carrerated, but they may not bo re strained before they havo done that unlawful thing which it is almost cer tain they will do. It Is poor economy which saves a dollar on maintenance of a state home lor the feeble-minded and thereby auas toousanas to tne expense of main taining criminal courts and police svs terns, and of establishing detention nomes. wirrr warnings. One Henri Lafontalns a n.ii,r. whose principal claim to fame lies in the fact that he once won the Nobel peace prize, has taken It upon himsel to issue a warning to Americans. Mi Sees With riisunav lha traml e k i iiiai ican thought toward a more adequate preparedness, and he warns us to go slowly tor the reason that in prepar ing ourselves for defence we may un wittingly become infected by the mili tary virus and become a militant Na tion bent on seeking war. Twaddle of this sort originates in the minds of men who have no under standing of the causes of wars. Senti mental creatures who see in modern w ars nothing more than baser passions run amuck, fail to take Into consid eration the underlying causes of fric tion between races of people. Surplus population and desire for expansion into new trade areas and fields of sustenance lie at the very foundation of war. Call it selfishness, greed or whatever ugly term you wish, the fact remains. National needs cause people to interpret the right from different angles, and when two races or groups of races are brought by their respect ive interests to differ on some great Issue affecting their interests, war fre quently, follows. War has bc.cn some- What aptly described as two great rights coming Into conflict. When that occurs, the right of might must prevail. The American people have all the bounties in this world that they might wish for. All our needs are fully met within our own boundaries. We have land and colonies for our surplus pop ulation, with millions of acres of land lying w-aste. The only fear we need entertain is that some less fortunately situated people will seek to obtain that which we do not wish to let them have. We would view them aa in spired by greed. They would view ur as exercising a dog-in-the-manger ten dency with our great surplus areas and wealth. Naturally we must be prepared to hold as well as to have. Unprotected and undefended treas ures are a constant Invitation to one of the predatory nations Of earth to pick a quarrel with us. There la a much deeper lesson for Americans in the fate of Lafontaine's native country than in this son of Belgium's prating on peace ideals. RALLYING TO THE FORK BARREL. Representative Kitchin fairly rep resents the large class of Southern Congressmen who have more regard for the hunger of their own constitu encies for appropriations than for the interests of the Nation at1 large. Mr. Kitchin's state of South Carolina has a greater appetite for river and harbor pork than any other Southern state. The bill which Senator Burton defeat ed contained provision for more proj ects in South Carolina than in any other state. There is a decided con nection between this- fact and Mr. Kitchin's opposition to the building of battleships. Other champions of the pork barrel may be expected to rally to its defense behind Mr. Kitchin. They will cause a serious breach in the Democratic ranks and will make it impossible for President Wilson to carry his plans through Congress by Democratic votes alone. He can win only' by Repub lican help. That help will be forth coming only if he modifies his plans to meet Republican criticism. He will not find it easy to reconcile many Re publicans to his continental army scheme, for the National Guard would suffer from competition of the new organization. Change in that scheme or better provision for the National Guard may be made conditions of that Republican support without which the President faces sure defeat. The National Capitol will be the scene of some of the warmest contro versies in its history whpn Congress meets. The contention within the Democratic party will be as fierce as that between the Democratic and Re publican parties, and will revive mem ories of the Cleveland Administration of twenty years ago. INSPECTION. GOOD AND BAD. In any effort to reform the over grown inspection service conducted by city or other governmental branch there need be no doubt as to where the pruning should be done. The an tipathy of the taxpayers to supporting inspectors Is directed more particu larly against personal or individual service rendered by the rublic than to that which is of material benefit to the public itself. As to school inspections, for exam ple, it is not a popular Idea among those patrons who painstakingly care for the bodies of their children that they should help pay someone to see that the bodies of other children whose parents are neglectful shall be cared for in matters that affect only the individual. Whether a 'pupil's teeth need attention is essentially not matter of public concern, but whether he is afflicted with some con tagious disease is an entirely differ ent matter. In tho latter case he is a menace to others, perhaps to tho en tire school population. A measure of medical inspection in the school is wholly justifiable. Most parents desire to feci that when their children attend school they are not to be subjected to infections from which they are carefully guarded at home. For this protection they are willing to pay. Where inspection runs to seed in this and other phases is in its prog ress into a paternalism which sub merges individual initiative and re sponsibility beneath an easy reliance pn government for care, protection and advice in matters not govern mental in character. Tho distinction is so plain that the advisory committee's recommendation on school medical inspection deserved better consideration than it received from tho City Council. OME RARE BARGAINS. There is no accounting for tastes. This observation was most effectively delivered by the fabled Individual who accentuated his philosophy with bovine osculation, we are told. But his taste was sano and normal as compared with a taste which must exist ou a wide scale since right at hand docu mentary evidence of tho most com prehensive and conclusive order is a thick catalogue telling all about it. Hen scratches at so m ich per scratch. Tho price varies according to the au thor of the scratches, and the figure often reaches handsome proportions. The man who kissed the cow paid nothing forhis fun, but this inexplica ble taste for hen scratches comes ex1 ceedingly high. Ker example, an .expansive set of tracks effected by a rooster with muddy feet, judging by appearance, is regarded as a rough draft of .some poem or other prepared by Rudyard Kipling. Tou can . buy everything Kipling ever wrote for twenty or thirty dollars, all neatly and legibly printed, in attractively bound volumes. But If you want to acquire these Illeg ible scrawls in pencil 'of some obscure barrack-room ballad, you must bid adieu to $125. You can buy several hundred pages of DeQulncy for a few dollars, but if you want one page which the author's own fist has scrawled over, please remit check or money order for J125. Not quite so expensive as the tracks made by the Kipling hen, but high enough, withal, to cause a person in hia right senses to think twice befone drafting the necessary check. Thackeray's orig inal matter must have been sold out to the ardent fans of this exciting hobby, for we find that Thackeray's contribution to the catalogue auction is one of his drawing sets. Dirt cheap, too. Original cost possibly forty cents. Catalogue list price only 250. Just whether anyone acquiring this set would become quite as atrocious an artist as was Thackeray is not set down in the prosaic catalogue. Mark Twain died before his richest field was opened to him. In those strenuous days when he was working day and night to pay off a burden of debt, wao can say. ho;w many gages $f notes he tossed into the fire? How little did he realize the wealth that was being consumed by the treacher ous flames. The manuscript of "A Horse's Tale," for which Mark prob ably received not more than $100 on publication, how has a list price of $85 0. This for the mere manuscript without the copyright. Even the chi rography of Richard Harding Davis has a sale value, for wo find his scratches quoted at $12 for eleven pages. It is sad to contemplate the wasted effort of literary lights. How unfor tunate that any one of them should have resorted to pot boiling. Those who have written with desperate fer vor in waning years in order to leave something to their progeny, might just as Well have found a little leisure and comfort In the Autumn of life. All their old notes and relics would have provided riches for their dependents. Doubtless the great lights of the fu ture will reckon with this mania and feather their nests with great volumes of scrawling notes, to be aold to those cultured souls who are struck by the by-prodults and relies of writers rather than by the substance of their productions. THE CATHEDRALS." Art and literature have been par alyzed in France since the war. The producers of the younger school have gone to the front. Those of the older schools find no following. France is too vitally interested in her destiny as it is being shaped from day to day on the battlefront to settle down to those tranquil pursuits which distinguish us from the savage in our saner moments. Even the great Sarah Bernhardt is forced to resort to subtle strategy In order to gain a hearing. The old favor ites which won immortality for the divine Sarah were not so much as attempted in her revived activity on the French stage. Sarah has always shown a remarkable degree of sa gacity as well as genius, and so she set out to add an ingredient of patriot ism to her art. "The Cathedrals" was chosen as the vehicle for her latest appearance in Paris, and it may be analyzed as nine parts patriotic sentiment and one part dramatic art. The curtain rises on figures garbed in immaculate white, representing the cathedrals of Paris. St. Pold de Leon, Bourges, Amiens and Aries, In front of which lies the pros trate figure of a French soldier. An other figure rises and Bernhardt is shown representing Strassbourg Cathe dral, fehe launches into a poetic de scription of the sufferings and sacri fices of France, ending with a bitter denunciation of the "German barbar ism" that destroyed cathedrals. It gives play to her genius for portray ing emotion, since she runs the whole gamut from tender pathos to fiery denunciation; but as a vehicle for the histrionic abilities of a Bernhardt, the piece must be reckoned as exceedingly reeoie. As much so as if a great singer or pianist were limited to play ing simple patriotic airs. Nevertheless, the wild acclaim with which "The Cathedrals" is received makes it clear that Bernhardt is filling a public need In catering to the psy chology of the hour. Avar plays queer pranks with the temperament of a people. It is the one thing they en gage upon with so furious an intent- ness as to color every phase of their lives. Of course the mood is tempo rary, and "The Cathedrals" will not last except as a relic, once tho stress ful days of conflict are gone. Per haps, though, it will leave its imprint upon the future by purifying the wells of French art from those idle, vacuous, frivolous or vicious digressions which were rapidly becoming dominant in Paris when the war Intervened. THE MERCER MIGRATIONS. It is about 50 years ago that there came to tho Puget Sound country the two most interesting and attractive expedition the Pacific Coast had then or has 6ince seen. These were the parties of New England women whom .sa' fe. Mercer, of Seattle, induced to venture their lives and fortunes on the long voyage to the West Coast. At that time the great need of the young pioneer settlements of Puget Sound was while women. A few of the men had brought with them wives and daughters to share their hard ships, but the great majority of men were unattached, and the women who had undertaken or were willing to undertake the founding of families were very few. There was also a need of teachers for the children. Mr. Mercer went to New England, and in the Spring of 1864 delivered an ad dress to a meeting at Lowell, Mass. He pictured tha attractions of life on Puget Sound and dwelt particularly on the financial advantages which would accrue to young women who would go there. Teachers of public schools and of music were scarce and highly paid, and thrifty New England women could accumulate small fortunes there. Many men and women in Lowell were out of employment, because the cotton mills were closed. Hence tho opportunity to earn a good income in a new country appealed to some of the women. Mr. Mercer said nothing at that time about the prospects of mar rying some of the many bachelors, but doubtless that thought entered the minds of the women. After consulta tion with their families, ten well-educated and accomplished young women, aged from fifteen to twenty-five, came to the Pacific Coast, traveling by steamer on the Panama route to San Francisco, and going thence by sailing vessel to Seattle. The new arrivals were welcomed into their homes by the few house wives of Seattle and were objects of unremitting attention by the many bachelors. They remained guests of honor until Mr. Mercer found employ ment for them as teachers, but nearly all of them soon became wives of pioneers. Some were mothers of families which have since taken a leading place in the public and social life of Washington. The success of his first venture tempted Mr. Mercer to repeat it on a more ambitious scale. He gathered a larger party of emigrants in New Eng land. New York and New Jersey, and tried without success to induce the Government to supply him with a ship. He finally arranged with Ben Holla day to carry his party on the steamer Continental, an army transport which the latter had bought. He had ex hausted his resources to pay the pre liminary expenses, and when the Con tinental sailed from New York in the latter part of January, 1S66, it was ill provisioned. Mrs. Flora A. P. Engle, .of Coupeville, Wash., who as a girl was a member of the 'party, describes fried salt beef as a staple food, ac companied by tea steeped in salt water, while for seventeen days in succession the principal dish at din ner was beans, only slightly parboiled. JTha number of, persons oa board, says Mrs. Engle, was an even hundred, exclusive of officers and crew, two babies born on board, and four pas sengers for Rio de Janeiro' There were five- childless couples, six couples each with one son, two couples with two or three children, seven widows with one to three children, three un incumbered widows, one woman with two children coming to join her hus band, thirty-six, unmarried women and fourteen single' men. Cupid was very busy on the voyage. Five women re volved around "a rough, grizzled Cali fornia miner," and were known as "the constellation," but he gave them the slip on landing in California. The four engineers, though married, "flirt ed outrageously," says Mrs. Engle. One couple, engaged before starting, kept tho fact a secret. A correspondent of the New York Times paid court with out avail to one after another of the young women. Soon after the voyage ended four marriages resulted from the unexampled opportunities for courtBhip which it afforded, among the bridegrooms being Mr. Mercer himself. The party arrived at Bart Francisco on May 1, 1866. A few remained there, but the great majority sailed for Seattle on the brig Sheet Anchor, Captain Pike. Head winds held them back and drove them south of San Francisco, so that it was not until June 1 that they landed at Seattle. From this second party of what be came known as "Mercer's school ma'ams' sprang many of Washington's most substantial families. The young women were not slofr in finding hus bands, for Mrs. Engle says that, while "some no doubt expected to secure schools and did so," she Is sure that "others- came for the express purpose of finding homes and husbands, and did so also." They came on a good mission and have well done their part, for many sterling sons of the Puget Sound country are living evidence of the fact. Mrs. Engle's interesting article appears in the Washington Historical Quarterly for- October. The word "lty," which figured so larf--- '-.inds of our foref armors, has - - --- --fd and has al most passed out of use. tint- to each other would restrain many a man from drunkenness, many a "mmio from car rying their quarrels to the extreme of divorce, and by -ntlng the result ant misery would keer rasiv a person from becoming insane. Duty to the community would stay many a hand on the point of committing homicide and would teach us not to forget the offended law and our wronged fellow citizens in sympathy for the offender. It would teach us also to exercise such self-restraint that we should look to the law rather than to private venge ance for redress of our wrongs. With only 10,000 adult aliens at tending night school, while 254,000 took first citizenship papers last year, Chicago has only begun the task of making real Americans out of foreign-born-citizens, but it Is well to have made a beginning. If straltjackets and bread-and-water diet are ineffective in handling incorrigible girls at the State Indus trial Home, there remains the paddle, which is world-famous for punishing. The hero medal which August Larch earned by saving the lives of those on board the steamer Fort Bragg is a higher honor than any medal or cross which is won by taking life. In objecting to proximity of the city woodpile it seems that property own ers overlook an advantage when the moon is dark that would be embraced in some localities. The chauffeur who drove his car al most through tho-railing of the Broad way bridge sot only ten days and is disatisiied with that, when he might ITave been killed. The Dacia, virtually stolen from American ow ners, did not last long as tho French Yser. The precept about Ill-gotten gains fits nations as it docs individuals. The United States is already gather ing in .a good share of South Ameri can trade. It Is Up to us lo got such a grip ou It that it cannot be taken away. The millions paid by England for tho Alabama claims half a century ago will be insignificant in comparison with the settlement after tho war. Tho jury having been completed for tne trial of Schmidt, the accused dyna- iiitmr, mo inai may enu aDout Tile same yme as the war. Douglas County docs not want a man to sit on a fence and tell farm era how to work, which is a crude way of stating a truism. When the belligerents begin sup pressing newspapers, it is a sign that discontent with tho conduct of the war lias become serious. The Territory of Hawaii is part of this country, like the raisin and apple-growing regions. Serve pineapple today. The members of the arson squad get satisfactory terms and realize that a little fire kindleth much -discomfort. The grand parade Is due at Con stantinople and the little German band will lead the procession. Thomas McKay, the forgetful Sea side Councilman, should have a wife to remember things for him. Oregon will welcome Governor-elect McCall, who redeemed Massachusetts for the Republican party. Englishmen will not care to leave and other Britishers cannot now un der the new regulations. What is the sociable ''geezer" going to do when he rides on the front plat form talk to himself? The difference between pedantic and patriotic lies In the point of View off the North Sea. The London Globe and Berlin Vor waerta can swap locations to mutual advantage. It begins to look like Irishmen must Come over by the wheelbarrow route. Sugar advances in price again today. Charge it to the "burglars." One-way trips down the Danube are oa sale by Germany, Twenty-fire Years Ago. (From The Oregonian t jjov. 10, 1800.) New York, Nov. 9. Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Stanley, Mrs. Tennant, mother of Mrs. Stanley, and members of the explorer's party were enter tained at dinner this evening in one of the private dining-rooms of the Plaza Hotel by Colonel and Mrs. FInley Sanders. Brussels, Nov. 9. Meetings were held throughout Belgium today in honor of an eight-hour work day and universal suffrage. Many speakers advocated a Belgian republic. The "footings" and foundation walls being put in for the Chamber of Com merce building- are very massive and well-constructed and contain some fea tures which are new here in this kind of work. This evening Joseph Cook, the great Boston lecturer and orator, will appear at the Tabernacle, corner of Tenth and Morrison streets. His subject will be, "Law and Labor; Property and Pov erty." A large dumber of tho retail clerks of the city met yesterday afternoon in Masonic Hall for the purpose of inau gurating: a movement looking toward the early closing of the retail clothing, dry goods and boot and shoe stores. Judge Deady will announce a deci sion in the United States Circuit Court this morning in the case of Joseph (Bunco) Kelly on habeas corpus. Parties who have returned to Albina arter a year's absence are perfectly astonished at the growth and great changes mads throughout the city. y that wa8 considered suburbs Sr-ti time 13 now business property. Hills have been leveled and gulches filled until the old marks have com pletely disappeared. (From The Oregonian of Nov. 10, 185.) With this week's Issue the Weekly Oregonian completes its fifteenth vol ume. While its publisher refers with much satisfaction to the changes and improvements that have been made' In the paper since it came into his hands, he trusts that he 'has' also a grateful appreciation of that liberality on the part of the people that has enabled him to make The Oregonian what it is and to give it the position it now holds. The Eastern election, xrhnc. .re proach lately awakened so unusual an interest, are over, imi ih. , pedlents has lost again. This time the iciiiuants oi tne Democracy have sustained, a most crushing defeat. John Mitchel. It miwin released, as was announced some weeks ago. The eminent contributor to Rich mond literature is still resting from his aduous labors within the retirement of no casemate, awaiting bis trial. Tf nfkl , . ... i. i,: i,, van "e more anominanie than the filth which the contractors . ..o.t.i,iS up trom tne oea of Washi ngton street t r mnk-c a Tn.,.4-4.3 . tho Sidewalks on that Imnrav.m ve should like to know of what it con ists. The annual election for ohtof neer in the fire department will take Place on the first Monday in next month. . .arjiuis, seritiy tap-Dine- nt mic f i.!.. t . . 2 - " -uwi jiic evening and left within our quiet sanctum a ""i- i aeiicaie oride's cake and a hrttllf Cif cnnrlflU IT..:, : 1 . . . . iiciuoitir, vogetner with an invitation for us to attend at the Turn Vcrein hall in honor of the v.--,. if, ' "aas ana Aiies Maria ,1 iiani. , The machinery in the mill of Mr. Vaughn has been in motion during a portion of two days past and worKs line a clock. Early next week Visitors Will havn an nnnnrim.ll,, . take a look through the establishment XKKO IS FOR FATHERS' MEI5TI Mr. I rlrdf PoiDl Out Mrhool Board's PliKht hrn Only Boomers Heard. PORTLAND. Nov. S. (To the Edi tor.) My recent connection with the school hudirct examination ss one of tlm representatives of the Taxpayers' Lvalue ?ave mc an insicht in the makina of the hvtUar'-t that would he very beneficial to nil laymen if ihev are willing- to sacrifice some time and investigate. It is a common habit to criticise the School Board for their ac tions. They are but the representa tives of the public and endeavor to be fruided by the voire of its citizens, properly assuming it is public senti ment. Hence you will see before the Board meetings larsre delegations of citizens claiming the necessitv of ad ditional playgrounds or additional schoolrooms or equipment equal to the extravagant ideas of the community. It is unreasonable to expect this Board can, witli tho lime at its com mand, after already givinsr up much of their valuable time for the public good, analyze each proposition. There fore, after appropriations are made for elaborate sehoolhouses. with extensive grounds and equipment far in excess of reasonable demands, often with du plication of work, and a corps of teach ers suited to all branches that have ever been suggested or experimented with, tho day cpmes when the bills must be paid, and then Is when we hear from the taxpayer who claims the btiroen is excessive. This letter is not intended to go into details of expenditures, for which the hcliool Board and tho representatives of the Taxpayers' League gave their best efforts, and as results show did cut out a large sum of unnecessary and extravagant matter as originally presented; but it is intended to awaken to duty its citizens who have the wel fare of the entire city at heart and possibly thus overcome by close at tention to business the real estate boomer's clamor for his section of the city, which can only be pacified by schoolrooms costing from $5000 to 10,000 per room, and nothing less will satisfy him; for his argument Is his children are as erood as tha h.-u... of any other section of the city and tne curriculum of the schoolroom must embody every feature jet introduced, even With a misgiving of its failure or abandonment in the near future ?o many highly flavored Ideas -are being suggested the layman's onlv restrain many of the fads is to give attention to business , lnB proDamnty of excessive '""" "P on tne horizon . and threatens to confiscate his possessions e need a fathers' meeting to look after affairs or there will be some la mentable hollering: on th r.-. good citizens. LEO FEIEnE Banks la Portland. PTlRTT.AWn X'rt,. A . , rr. . . . " uo tne Edi tor) (1) Vvhat are the names of the three mont i.M. h.i,- . 7. - (2) Has the Canadian Bank of-Com-rnerte banks all over the world? (S) A party tells mo tho Government is calling In. all buffalo-head nickels and pays a premium on them, is such the case? If so. how much Is the pre mium? JOHN R. WF.STEN. (1) We know of no unreliable banks in Portland. Banks issue statements at intervals, giving resources and liabili ties. The statement of any bank is available upon application. (2 Yes. The Canadian Bank of Com merce has SS6 branches. The principal bank of the system is at Toronto. -3). No, f Half Century Ago. WHAT IS "FREEDOM OF SEAS I" . STow Exists In Peace Times, so Ktudeat la Poaaled by Gematr'a Demand. PORTLAND, Nov. 8. (To the Editor-) Are you good at solving puzzles, Mr. Editor? Dr. Bernhard Dernburg a few months before he was Invited to leave this country made use of a magical phrase: "The freedom of the seas," solemnly informing ue that Germany was Cutt ing for and would demand such free dom. The phrase reappears In the peace "feeler" recently sent out from the German Embassy at Washington, as one of the German peace demands. And last week, while listening to one of Miss De Graffs addresses. I learned that the good women assembled at the "late" peace congress resolved in favor of "the freedom of the seas." And I was puzzled and perplexed. Not wishing to trust my imperfect knowledge of international law, I con sulted some of the 'leading authorities on the subject and I found that the seas are free. The Romans considered the seas res communes. in 1609, Grotius, in his "Mare LIberum." enunciated the doc trine that, as there can be no property without occupation and as the vagrant waters of the ocean could not be sub jected to occupation, the seas are free. Vaftle, after Grotius. and the later writers on International law, re-emphasized this doctrine and in the latest treatises on the subject (Lawrence, Stockton. Taylor) it is stated as a recognized and accepted principle. I found,, on consulting the newspaper flies, that the freedom of the seas is not merely a theory, but an established fact and that the beginning of the war found German merchantment on all "seven seas." Nay more, that these merchantmen traded on equal terms with merchantmen of Great Britain in the remotest corners of the British Empire. This freedom of the seas, in war time. Is subject to the right of blockade and the incidental rights of contraband and search. The right of blockade is as old as maritime warfare and has always been recognized by neutrals. Professor Cole man Phillipson in his "International Law and Custom of Ancient Greece and Rome" gives some pre-Christian in stances. Says he: , Tho blockading forces Invariably asserted their right o prevent third parties from proceeding to the blockaded places and adopted extreme measures against such as attempted to effect an accefta thereto. Dur ing the investment of Athens C290 B C.) by Poliorcetes. King or Macedonia, the lat ter captured a merchant vessel -with a cargo of corn which had attempted to gain an entrance to the harbors of the city and put to death both the owner and the pilot; and, says Plutarch, this proceeding terrified other merchants so much that they avoided Ath ens where a terribla famine broke out. Sim ilarly, when some Komans carried pro visions to the Lrhians. who were at war with the Carthaginians B. C. they were taken prisoners, top. Olt- 11-83.) During the Civil War the North maintained what has been called "the most remarkable blockade in the his tory of the world" on 300J miles of sea coast and some of our historians (Charles K. Adams) have maintained that to this blockade, more than to its armies, the North owed its victory. Today the only condition imposed on a blockade Is that it shall be "effec tive," within the definition of that term made by declaration of Paris. The law of nations being as stated above, what then is the "'freedom of the seas," for which Germany is contending and in favor of which the good women of the late peace congress resolved? I have already stated that the phrase puzzles and perplexes me. Can you come to my aid? LKON' R. VANKW1CH, . We know of no restrictions on free dom of the seas Ira peace times, except in straits so narrow that the jurisdic tion of some rntinh-v inmrl .i .. , 1, .. .. t .- . j wii; cniiie water area. We have not seen a delinite exposition oi oermany s contention for freedom of the seas, but it probably refers to armed naval supremacy and international law affecting commerce In time of war. Prohibition larr Unfair. PORTLAND, Nov. 9. (To the Edi tor.) In a recent advertisement of n local life Insurance company in The Oretronian they wrote the following: "Stop this flight of Oregon dollars. You are helping- to cut down salaries: to make more unemployed; to make times harder generally tor yourself and other Orcgonians, when you send money out of tho state, for anything is produced wmiin tne Doraers ot tins common- weaitn. jiibl Luis is ciear. logical reasoning; cAiinot dp ocnied. and it struck mc how very lorcihly this same argument would apply to provisions of the prohibition law, passea By tne last Legislature. especially these portions nrohihilinn manufacture ot beer in tho State of Oregon, thereby closing down brew eries witn tncir investments of millions of dollars; requiring- tho consumer to send his money outside of tho Mtate, and. in doin so, to bo mulcted for express charges in addition to the price oi tne ariirm ana slopping a payroll While the writer is, perhaps, incx periented in logic, it does seein to hin the height of injusttce to allow a law of the above nature to stand. If we are to have prohibition, tho writer will observe mo law and all its details, but if we are allowed certain quantities of liquor, why impose all these aHHi. tional hardships upon tho individual and the community? With the record of its past justice behind it, can The uresroniaiv, or any other Portland nanor truthfully say that they think that this is a just law? JOHN BOWSER, 1146 Kast Kverett Street. The Legislature is powerless to change the situation. The people by their voto enacted a constitutional amendment prohibiting the maraufac ture or sale of intoxicants in Oregon. To permit Oiesron breweries to con tinue manufacturing beer would re quire approval by the people expressed at the polls. School Taxes in Portland. PORTLAND, Nov. 9. (To the Edi tor.) I read In The Oregonian that it is estimated that the tax levy for schools will be about 6 mills. This refers to county taxes only including city. If I am not mistaken it does not cover what is called special district school taxes, nor does it cover the school taxes which are included in the general state taxes. Can The Ore gonian let us know what will be about the. total levy for schools in Portland and including all these aggregate taxes? READER. Within Bchool District No. 1, which takes tn all of the City of Portland, the total levy for school purposes will be approximately 9.6 mills for next year. Of this figures as shown in school budgets at present provide a levy of 6.6 mills for School District No. 1, and 3 mills for the county school fund. The county school fund, which appears in the -county tax levy as a "levy for state school purposes," Is col lected by the state and apportioned to the districts at the rate of J7.13 for each pupil. Ira School District No. 1 there are about 45.000 pupils, and the share of the district from the county school levy will be about 320,000 for 1316. WOODBURN. Or., Nov. 8. (To the Editor.) Kindly publish what you con sider the essential features of the Sw iss military system. ' We have had many disputes upon this matter. THOMAS DIMITRY. The Oregonian published a synopsis of the Swiss military system November 1, 1915, oa this pass. How to Keep Well , By Dr. W. A. Evans. Alieys. Real estate owners laying out sub divisions are at sea as to whether they should provide alleys on their plats. City authorities providing for exten sion of the city limits are also won dering what should be done. When they investigate what cities are doing they find that some cities having alleys are deciding not to have them in the annexed territory, while other cities without alleys are decid ing that their newly annexed territory shall have alleys. Lach ermm think. the other Kroup has the better plan. wiartes tt. jsaii discussed the alley question with his usual clearness be tore the recent boninc- oonfArAn,.A , Minneapolis. There are arguments oBiniisL aiieys. Ttey take up a good deal of land. Alleys are generally filthy and scatter dirt to nearby prop erty. They are generally dark and fur- msii nitiing places for criminals. v here there are allevs pnrhn a n.-i other refuse are poorly collected. When nouenoia waste must be put on the front sidewalk n prompt removal serv ice is at once developed. The same holds true in relnlinn stable manure. Where there are alleys "re piucea on tne rear of lots. oiaoies out ot iu in a city are illy kept and therefore a nuisance. Where there are allevs the tenrianev to build houses on the rear of the lots as well as on the front is resisted with difficulty. Alley houses are usually poor homes and out of these grow several sources of trouble for the community. There are arguments in favor of al leys. The alley furnishes the only avenue for sunlight and air to the mid dle of the block. When the block is nrsc ouiit tr.is is of no consequence. bu( the lines laid down will be the lines 100 years later. Nine-tenths of the people of Chicago now live in dis tricts which were subdivisions at some time within 50 years. The alley is a secondary street. It permits of division of the traffic. Where mere is e. well-developed alley system certain types of wagons can be entire ly barred from the streets. Alleys per mit grocers r.nd others to stable their norses on the same lot with their stores. This is a great saving, in which the consumer should share. It is an enormous saving for delivery- services such as milk, iee, groceries. vvnen tne price of land mounts in a city without alleys the tendency to build on all the ground from front to rear is very strong. The interior court system is worse than the alley system. Summing up all tho evidence. Mr. Ball thinks a city should have alleys. In his opinion the objections to alleys arise only when a city provides in theory for a system of secondary streets but fails to develop them. The objections do not. apply if a city pro vides through and through alleys wide enousii for vehicles to pass in through every bloek, paves and lights them, keeps them clean and in repair, promptly removes all wastes, enforces the ordinances requiriner that prem ises, and especially stables, bo kept clean. In other words, alleys should not be abandoned becauso they are misused any more than wo ahould abandon streets for the samo reason. The sensible as well as the far-sighted remedy is to deve'op the secondary street system, is tho opinion of Mr. Ball. Should Have Kxaminatioa. Mrs. T. W. writes: "Kvery morninsc I wake up with neuralgia in my head. Usually it wears off during tho morn ing. Somct nies 1 have it all day until I ta.Ue sufficient aspirin to re lieve it. Have beconio afraid of so much aspirin. Have never taken more than three live-grain tablets durimr the day. Lately have not taken more than yiio. because' am afraid of the aspirin habit. Have seen a doctor, but lie seemed not lo eonsider it of much consequence. Told nic to take aspirin and gave nie cascara and oil. Havo not been constipated for some time. Am nauseated occasionally when J. have spells of neuralgia. "Could you give mc sonic idea as to cause of this and the persistency with which it attacks mo every day? "Have plenty of air in slcepingr-room but no drafts." niirtT. Jn tho first place you must Plop takins aspirin. Nnhody is .luslified in taking three do;-s or imo d'iso of aspirin ev;ry day. Nxt, y.nt sliouht havn a careful examina tion. Mornint? hada'-hes are not Inf rrqiK-nt-ly tho roull of (linr-ann of the kidnts. Have your urino examined. Also the ha.k of your eyes the rotinn. Snmy m-c-n inorn insr headaches result from sle'-rmg on pil lows thai, arc too high. tn ninn cases a licht brpakCa-st. villi ,:offec bnfoic- nrirln cures tlK a:lie. Evrry case i,f persistant headar-he rails for el's" stu'ly of tho per son si-k and all lior habits. Most canrs can be cuied ty attention to personal hygiene. Boy's Afternoon Nap. L. J. S. writes: "Kindly advise which ill your opinion is correct to wake, a boy over - years of ago at 8:30 A. M. and let him sleep in tho afternoon for about two hours and put him to bed at 0 o'clock, or let liim sleep as Ions: as ho wanti: to say to 10 o'clock and not sleep in tho nfterncioii, and put him to bed about 8 o'clock'.'" REPLT. Wake him iu the morning and let him have an afternoon nan. 1 Cyst on the Tonaue. W. A. L. writes: "For three years I havo had a place on tho under side of my tongue, about half an inch from the tip, that tills with a. watery sub stance, and when H srets as large as r small pea it will burst. It looks like, a small gland that tills with this thick watery substance. 1 can open it and for two or three days my tunsruo will feci all right; then it begins to fill again and the spoL becomes sore and inflamed around the place. What is it and what can be done to get rid of it? Is there any danger ot anything worse coining from it? r.EPLT. This is a retention cyst involving one ef the email glands under the tongue. It is not of great importance, but 1 think you had better have your phyEician attend to it. A Tribute to Jackaoa Boater, PORTLAND, Nov. 9. (To the Edi tor.) In looking over The Oregonian this morning 1 see a notice of the death of Jackson Bonter, who is a fa miliar figure in the memory of tho writer, having been born and reared in my father's family. He crossed the plains three times, 1SS0, 1852 and 1853, with my husband, who' has passed on before him, and was always faithful and honorable in all his dealings. In '52, when my hus band was very ill. he was cared for by him and owed his life to the kind love and devotion of Jackson Bonter. May he ret in peace. A FRIEND. The New Money Vaudeville managers frequently put on some novel and very expen sive act to attract what they call "new money." They thus induce people to comi to their theaters who never came before. Some of these newcomer become permanent patrons. The retailer who puts in his win dow products that aro newspaper advertised is legitimately bidding for ''new money." Newspaper reudei-s attracted into the store will become customers for other goods. The merchant is benefited, the newspaper is benefited and the pub lic is benefited by getting goods that are standard quality day in and day out.