THE MORXIXG OREGOXIAX, THURSDAY, JAXUABY S7, 1916.
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' 10RTLAD. THIBSDAT. JAN. 87, 191.
JNO KEBTB1CTIOXS OX IN'COMK TAX.
By its decision upholding the in
" come tax law the United States Su
; preme Court has swept away prac-
tically all restrictions on the discre-
tion of Congress in levying such a tax.
The Government has always had pow-
1 er to levy an Income tax as an excise
! tax without apportioning; it among the
.states according to population, but
' could not levy it In such a manner as
: to become a direct tax on the prop
' ertv whence the Income was derived
unless it were so apportioned. It can
now levy such a tax without consld
e ration of the source. In fact, all re
strictions imposed by the Constitution
have been removed.
At its inception in Great Britain,
m here it originated, and in this coun
try also the income tax was a war tax.
Jt was first imposed in Britain in
3798 to meet the expenses of the war
with France, and was repealed in
.1815. when that war ended. The first
'income tax in the United States was
imposed in 1862 to meet the expen
ses of the Civil War. It was increased
in 1865 and was repealed in 1871. The
constitutionality of that tax was sus
tained in 1880 by the Supreme Court,
which held that it was not a direct
tax, but an excise tax, and that Con
gress had a right to impose it so long
as it was made uniform throughout
the United States. The largest an
xiual revenue it yielded was $72,982,
160, in 1866.
Productiveness and comparative
case of collection at the source, a de
vice adopted by William Pitt, father
of the impost, soon caused resort to
the income tax for revenue in other
emergencies than war. Peel first re
.viving it in peace time in order to
'effect British financial reform in 1842.
It has finally been adopted as a per
manent and lucrative source of reve
nue by nearry every civilized nation.
Growth of great fortunes caused a de
mand for its adoption in the United
States, both as a means of compelling
the rich to contribute a Just share to
public expenses and as a means of
checking the aggregation of wealth
in few hands. This demand bore fruit
in the income tax provisions of the
Wilson tariff law of 1894, but these
provisions were held unconstitutional
Ijy a five-to-four decision of the Su
preme Court. The ground of this de
cision was. as now explained by Chief
Justice White, that the effect of the
tax on income from real estate was
the same as if a direct tax had been
levied on the real estate, hence must
be regarded as a direct tax, which
could not be levied without regard
to the source.
President Taft devised the corpora
tion income tax of 1909 as an excise
tax. which the decision of 1895 had
held to be constitutional. An excise
tax is defined by Webster as "an in
land duty or impost levied upon the
manufacture, sale or consumption of
commodities within the country," also
as "a tax upon the pursuit or follow
ing of certain sports, trades or occu
pations, usually taking in this case
the form of exactions for licenses."
The corporation income tax was up
held by the Supreme Court as coming
within the latter definition of excise.
At Mr. Taffs suggestion Congress at
the same session adopted an amend
ment to the Constitution authorizing
the imposition of a direct tax on in
comes "from whatever source derived,
without apportionment among the
several states and without regard to
any census or enumeration." The Su
preme Court held the corporation tax
to be valid as an excise tax. The
amendment was ratified by three
fourths of the states and it was de
clared in force February 25, 1913.
Congress then passed the present
revenue law, known as the .Under
wood tariff law, though also imposing
an income tax. This tax is graduated
in proportion to the amount of in
comes, rising from a minimum of 1
per cent to a maximum of 6 per cent.
Incomes below $4000 for married men,
below $3000 for the unmarried, are
exempt; also that proportion of larger
incomes. The exemption and progres
sive features of the tax are the points
attacked in the recent litigation, and
the Supreme Court unanimously up
holds the power of Congress to ex
empt certain Incomes and to impose
a graduated tax.
The income tax is just, for it taxes
the people for maintenance of the
Government in proportion both to
their ability to pay and to that which,
they have at stake. Tariff and in
ternal taxes fall on the people in
proportion to that which they con
sume and, as regards necessaries, they
take a larger . proportion of smaller
than of larger incomes, for every
family, poor or rich, must use a cer
tain minimum quantity of these neces
saries in order to sustain life. An in
come tax fulling more heavily on the
rich is necessary to balance the scale.
If it were possible to ascertain what
sum for tariff and internal taxes is
included in the price of commodities
consumed by each person and then to
calculate what proportion of his in
come each person pays in taxes, it
would probably be found that the mil
lionaire of whose income 6 per cent is
taken as direct tax actually pays no
higher percentage in taxes of all kinds
than the tl-a-day laborer.
Direct taxes are also wise from the
standpoint of public policy. It has
long been revognfied that indirect
taxes are a fruitful source of govern
mental extravagance. Such taxes are
included in the price of goods, and a
man therefore pays them without
knowing it. and Is Indifferent to the
manner In which public money is
spent. The income tax takes a certain
sum directly out of his pocket, he
knows that it is a tax and that in re
turn for it he receives only the bene
fits of government. He Is apt. then,
to inquire more diligently how the
money is spent and to call upon his
representatives In Congress to vote no
money for which equal value is not
returned to the people. Economy
planks in political platforms will then
have more force than New Year's res
olutions and the pork barrel may be
demolished.
PORTLAND'S POSITION.
The Portland Chamber of Commerce h"
shown a perverse attitude that amounts al
most to open opposition to the Astoria rate
contention). The effect of that attitude la
to announce to the people of Astoria that
Fhe people of Portland favor the commercial
and Industrial aggrandisement of Pugel
Sound rather than that which Oregon en
terprise seeks to realise at the mouth of the
Columbia. The Telegram does not believe
that such Is the businens sentiment of Port
land; and we think further that sooner or
later the Chamber of Commerce will be con
vinced of that fact. Evening Telegram.
Now here Is a definite assertion
that the Portland Chamber of Com
merce has failed in its duty to Port
land, and Oregon, with a plain intima
tion that outside opinion will be that
Portland prefers the "commercial and
industrial aggrandizement of Puget
Sound" to the welfare of the Columbia
River. It is an untrue and injurious as
sumption, hut it is a familiar phase
of the ceaseless agitation carried on
for months by the Telegram to per
suade the Chamber of Commerce to
assume a position which it ought not
to take, and which it-could not take,
if the prior obligation of the Cham
ber to Portland is to be considered.
It appears to be forgotten in some
quarters that it is the Portland Cham
ber of Commerce.
The Chamber, through its directors,
has gone on record unanimously in
favor of equal rates between Puget
Sound and the mouth of the Columbia
River, with a distinct reservation for
lower proportionate rates for Port
land. Is there a voice in Portland
which dares assert that Portland is
not entitled to all the advantages of
Its geographical position?
Now, again the transportation bu
reau defines the position of Portland,
and is supported by its united mem
bership. Undoubtedly it-expresses the
conviction of the entire body.
The Astoria rate question is before
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
and will be decided on its merits.
Portland has not intervened and has
by its non-action given Astoria full
and fair opportunity to present its
case. It is astonishing that more is
asked or expected of Portland.
Is it not about time that the noise
makers cease their clamor? What ef
fect is it to be supposed they will have
upon the Interstate Commerce Com
mission? ACADEMIC FREEDOM.
Protection of academic freedom is
a problem the solution of which has
been undertaken by the American As
sociation of University Professors and
with an answer that appears to be
both practicable and profitable. They
have decided that the ethics or the
profession shall be placed in the cus
tody of the professors rather than
left in the full keeping of governing
boards. Of course, the consent of the
governing boards concerned must first
be sought, since the powers or the
professors at the present time are con
fined to the province of making sug
gestions.
It is proposed by the professors that
they shall have a voice in fixing their
rights and limitations. The right of
a governing body to discharge an in
structor of professional rank is modi
fied so that the faculty must first be
consulted. If charges are preferred
the professor shall be entitled to trial
by a jury of his peers, whose decision
shall prevail. If a member or mem
bers of the governing body feel that
a professor has been advancing dan
gerous social or political ideas they
must augment their own views, the
views of laymen, by a consultation
with a committee of the professors.
The proposal is one deserving of
commendation in the interest of free
dom of thought and of intellectual
progress. Professorial abuse of rec
ognized standards is certain to occur
in the classrooms. Instructors fre
quently permit some new fad or fancy
to run away with them. But no species
of intellectual hysteria is calculated to
disturb the mental equilibrium of the
entire faculty. And who is better
qualified than the professors them
selves to decide whether the conduct
of a professor is dangerous and revo
lutionary or progressive and bene
ficial? EATING TO DEE.
Cancer of the stomach is Increasing
materially in relation to the total
number of deaths from all causes. It
is increasing more rapidly than any
other disease Vind the increase is
greatest in the most prosperous na
tions, among the most prosperous
classes, and is making its attack at
the highest productive period of the
individual. The warning is plain. In
stead of eating to live, many of us
are eating to die.
These are some of the comments
made by Dr. George F. Koehler, of
Portland, before the business men's
physical department classes at the Y.
M. C. A. a few weeks ago. It was a
paper delivered as part of the anti
cancer propaganda, now Nation-wide.
Dr. Koehler's paper is interesting to
read. He tells us that the badge of
civilization is the frying pan, and talks
in understandable terms of food val
ue!. Rice becomes a welcome diet
for kings as well as coolies after he
has explained its properties, and a
pound of cheese becomes highly
illuminated. Dr. Koehler goes into the,
history of cheese-eating nations, and,
strangely enough, these nations are
famed for their palatable, but eco
nomic, dishes. Cheese contains in
concentrated form every essential to
human sustenance. What an oppor
tunity for Oregon, whose cheese fac
tories are second to none!
Along with the values of food,
which were given principally to illus
trate the dangers of stomachal can
cer. Dr. Koehler explained a little of
the value of fun as a preventative of
cancer. Now that cocktails are in
convenient, if not altogether inac
cessible appetizers, a substitute far
better and not entirely unknown has
been offered. Cheerful surroundings
are the open sesame to a hearty meal
and good feeling afterwards. Worry
should be put aside at all times but
most of all just before eating. Worry
itself is sufficient to tie the stomach
in a knot and in 10 or 20 years after
the worry has vanished, the ill effect
may become evident in a cancer, start
ed with that worry knot so long ago.
As for pursuits after the meal, the
best employment, we are told, is frivo
lous conversation. Thus is defended
at the hands of science the after
dinner story.
It is welcome news that we as a
Nation do not drink enough water.
Perhaps that evil .will be remedied in
Oregon and a few other states in due
time. The thing to look out for is that
we do not wash our food down with
water. We are told water with our
meals Is all right; perhaps the more
the merrier, but cancer lurks in the
glass which sluices un masticated food
to an already overtaxed stomach. Food
too hot' or too cold also is not only
robbed of its tastefulness, but it is
absolutely to be feared as a cause of
cancer. Cancer of the stomach in a
great many cases, too. has been traced
to that common practice of ""bolting
the food." There is nothing so con
ducive to cancer as this vicious and
vulgar habit, we are told.
It is in this educational work that
the doctors now fighting cancer in
a humanitarian as well as a scientific
way hope to accomplish a vast amount
of good. To prevent as well as to
euro is their watchword, whereas a
few years ago the attitude was to cure
only if possible, and too often to lay
the task aside as impossible.
Remembering that cancer develops
late in life, or at least not in early
life, those of us who eat too fast even
for immediate comfort should come
to a full stop and consider the years
to come.
UNWILLING MOTHERS NOT WANTED,
There is one convincing argument
in avor of birth control, but it was
overlooked by Councllwoman Lindsey
in her speech at Los Angeles. It is
that a woman who is unwilling to be
come a mother is unfit to be a mother
and that any child born of such- a
woman is to be pitied. Not only has
"every woman the right to avoid un
welcome motherhood," but every child
has the right to a welcome from her
who brings it into the world.
The women who object to becoming
mothers have a very ready means of
avoiding Jt; let them abstain from be
coming wives. The original purpose
of marriage was to perpetuate the
race; a woman who does not desire to
carry out that purpose should not
marry, for the man she marries has
a right to assume that she desires chil.
dren, and he is cruelly undeceived
when she advances her birth control
theory. A woman is presumed to have
a high enough opinion of herself to
desire that her like be reproduced. If
she think so poorly of herself as not
to have that desire, by all means let
her remain childless.
Undoubtedly a woman "has i
right to choose the father of her chll
dren" and "to refuse to bear children
to an inebriate or a defective." She
makes the choice when she chooses a
husband, and she can make that re
fusal by rejecting proposals of mar
riage from an inebriate or a defective.
No fault will be found with the
members of the Birth Control League
for refusing to bear children. It is
not desirable that women who have
so poor an opinion of the human race
as to decline a share in perpetuating
it should propagate their like.
' RAD CATION DATS.
The midwinter graduation season is
at hand. In Portland the diplomas
will be given out today. Modest cere
monies will mark the going forth of
several hundred high-school students
tonight. For many it is a serious sea
son. College looms ahead of some;
the workaday world, in a not too pros
perous era, faces many more. At
best, for those who will enjoy the
benefits of college days, the time in
which they can look on life as a pur
poseless existence is short. Tomorrow
morning life will, or it should, assume
a serious aspect for them all. Book
examinations are over with, but now
the real test comes.
Graduation days have been long and
justly known as .the commencement
season. Perhaps the students will not
realize the full meaning of commence
ment for a few years yet. It is one
of those things which dawns in retro
spect rather than in prospect. No
doubt visions of substantial careers
have been enjoyed by them all. -These
visions are necessary, but also must
come the calm realization of the prob
lems of life. How best to counteract
some accident, misfortune or circum
stance which turns them from a vi
sionary ambition will be a problem to
work on, far more interesting than
any ever encountered in algebra or
trigonometry. And If it isn't solved
the result will be all the more dis
tressing. '
Portland high-school students, as
has been shown by the toll taken by
the principals, generally have intended
to apply their education. It is to be
hoped they will be able to carry out
those intentions. Their ambitions, ex
pressed and demonstrated In some in
stances, are laudable. But they must
realize now more than ever that their
high-school education has been but a
means to an end. Commencement
days are here. Life as it is is just be
ginning. A few years at college for
some will hold off the test for a time,
and may alter the conditions, but the
test comes sooner or later. If the
principals and teachers have been suc
cessful in bringing the graduates to a
realization of this one fact, their high
school education will have accom
plished a great deal. It won't matter
so much if, one graduate, on her re
cent examination paper, wrote tHat
Daniel Webster's principal contribu
tion to American progress was the dic
tionary. That was a grave error, but
it also was a minor one, if she has
learned the bigger thing.
sKEX WHOM HISTORY FAILS TO TEACH.
A speech made by General Isaac R.
Sherwood, Representative from the
Toledo district of Ohio, has been pub
lished with great display by W. J.
Bryan in the Commoner , under the
headlines, "The threatening danger of
a military autocracy; opposition to the
organized military cabal to bankrupt
the National treasury." General Sher
wood said this country had had several
eras of military hysteria. One was
Captain Hobson's Japanese war alarm,
of which the General said:
Of course, the armor plate trust and the
powder trust and the steel trust and their
allies, through the big newspapers they own
and the leading magazines they control,
worked up a powerful sentiment in Congress
and the country for a bigger Xavy and a
more formidable Army to resist the imag
inary warlike attitude of Japan.
Another military hysteria, in his
view, was the war with Spain, which
"cost us the lives of over 16,000 stal
wart young soldiers, with a pension
list to date aggregating over $40,000,
000." He told of a leading citizen of
Toledo who "recently received instruc
tions from Pine street. New York,
emanating, of course, from that gi
gantic organization of trusts that seek
to dominate the legislation of Con
gress" to organize Toledo for a big
Army and Navy. So he went down
the list and told of the millions spent
for armorplate and "for coast defenses,
and of the fleet's voyage around the
world. He proclaimed that "we are
now at peace with all the world, with
no threatening dangers anywhere."
He recalled a speech he delivered de
scribing the battlefield of Franklin
and closing with the words: "From
that day to this I have hated war."
He quoted denunciations of war and
panegyrics on peace from men great
and small, but denied he was for peace
at any price, saying: "I am for peace
until an emergency arises."
General Sherwood. who thus
charges advocates of preparedness
with sordid motives or with military
hysteria, is the man who proposed
the" service pension bill to Congress
and who procured its passage. By
that law every man who served in the
Civil War, though he never went into
action, and the dependents of such a
man are paid pensions. Had the
United States been prepared for war
in 1861, the first battle of Bull Run
might have ended that war. The lives
we lost and the' money we expended
in that war and the billions we have
since expended in pensions are the
price we have paid for unprepared
ness. Fewer than one-fourth the 16,
000 American lives lost in the Spanish
war were lost in battle'; the rest were
lost through disease in camp and that
disease was the fruit of unprepared
ness. The horror with which he was
inspired by the spectacle of the
Franklin battlefield should have
taught him the folly of unreadiness,
for had the Nation been ready in
1861, that battle need never have been
fought- Men who advocate prepared
ness yield nothing to him in hatred
of war; they disagree with him only
as to the means of averting those hor
rors. They recall the prolongation of
the Revolutionary war by reliance on
untrained levies of militia, also the
losses and humiliation of the war of
1812, and they resolve 'that the best
irueans to prevent war or, when it
comes, to shorten it, to limit its hor
rors and to insure victory for our arms
is the training and equipment rf our
citizens to defend the country.
General Sherwood says he- is for
peace until an emergency arises. Then
he would begin to arm. That is pre
cisely what we have done in former
emergencies waited tilf the danger
was upon us and then begun to arm.
Having seen the disastrous conse
quence of that policy with his own
eyes in the Civil War, he should know
that the best security of peace and
the -best means of limiting the evils
of war is to be ready for an emer
gency before it comes.
THE OLD SOUTH SPEAKS.
Opposition to preparedness is the
same kind of a winning issue for Mr.
Bryan as free silver proved. in 1896
and anti-imperialism in 1900 it en.
ables the other fellow to win. The
recent contest for the Democratic
nomination for Representative in the
Fifth Mississippi District was fought
on the preparedness issue, and W. W.
Venable, a pronounced advocate? of
National defense, won by a plurality
of 5832, a landslide for him.
Mr. Bryan has relied on the South
for support in his fight on prepared
ness, because it "knows something of
the horrors of war." He forgets that
the South is nevertheless not . "too
proud to fight" when honor is in
volved. As it did not flinch from the
horrors of war in 1861-65, -when it
fought for states' rights, neither would
it now grudge a man or a dollar for
defense of the Nation's honor and se
curity. The South, like the North,
fears the horrors of impotence and
dishonor more than it fears the hor
rors of war.
Those Senators and Representatives
who have been hypnotized by Mr.
Bryan's talk of peace at any price
would do well to heed the voice of
Mississippi and wake up.
By the time the anniversary of the
Lusitanla massacre arrives. Secretary
Lansing and Ambassador von Bern
storff may have discovered a form of
words by which Germany will admit
that she did wrong in sinking the ship
without admitting it. In the opinion
of the Administration, though not of
the American people, American honor
Is safe in the hands .of languageex
perts. Russia will put up the same cry
as did the Confederacy during the
Civil War, that it cannot give its Ger
man prisoners better treatment be
cause it cannot afford to do so. When
that becomes known in the Teutonic
lines, look for intense fighting, for the
German would rather die with the
colors than starve to death in Siberia.
In a collision of the crack Milwau
kee trains in Eastern Washington
early yesterday the huge locomotives
were demolished, while the steel
coaches protected the passengers. The
railway that spends money for the
safety of travelers makes good invest
ment, and all' are doing it now.
Representative Mann rightly urges
non-partisan support of preparedness.
It is the duty, of every patriotic citi
zen, but Mr. Bryan claims to have
eighty-five Democrats in the House
lined up against it.
As a general thing, the man who
goes to trial in the Federal Court
might better plead guilty, for the Gov
ernment seldom begins action until
it has convincing proof.
If the records show that excess of
snow and rain in the Winter months
mean pleasant days during the ball
season, well and good. ,Let 'er snow
and rain.
Judg Stevenson is establishing
precedents in his closing days In Mu
nicipal Court. A fine, of $250 for
violating the "dry" law is a good one.
An officer of the Humane Society
cannot take a tagless dog from an irate
woman. He cannot put up a front
like the poundman.
It's no use to worry, with ground
hog day due within a week, but this
alternate sunshine and snowfall is a
bit distressing.
The housewife who buys meat from
a peddler runs the risk of buying
something that died before it could
be killed.
School tasks are over for several
hundred high-school . boys and girls
tonight. Now for the school of hard
knocks.
When Greek meets Greek la a duel,
one of them gets hurt. That is where
Greek duels differ from -some other
duels.
Mr. Ford's peace delegates did not
accomplish anything, but they had a
good time. That is why many of them
went
When a woman sues for breach of
promise, the world sympathizes; when
a man sues, the world laughs.
The Army post graft having been
discredited, every burg now wants a
military , or naval academy.
Hunger blots out racial lines.
Give freely today.
Stars and Starmakera
By lew Case Baer.
AT the end of E. H. Sothem's pres
ent tour he and Mrs. Sothern
Julia Marlowe) will move to England
to take up their permanent residence.
e e '
Word comes from San Francisco that
the Masor of that city has appointed
Kitty Reed, widow of Charles Reed, the
minstrel, to be matron of the county
Jail.
Reed was at one time associated with
William Collier and was celebrated as
a comedian. About a year ago his
widow was reported to be in unfortu
nate circumstances on the Pacific
Coast.
Winifred Bryson. over at the Baker,
took her first skating lesson this week.
And she says it's just her luck that the
fad didn't come in until the bustle
fad had gone out,
e e
Adele Blood, accompanied by 40
manuscripts of as many prospective
plays, has gone to her old home in
Pasadena. Cal., and intends to stay
there until she has found a piece suit
able for heralding her reappearance
on Broadway. Miss Blood's fruitless
quest of a new play has been enduring
in print for several months now.
e . e
Franklyn Ardell has a new vaude
ville sketch, "The Wife Saver," and
has sent out Joe Kane in the old Ardell
playlet. "His Honor the Mayor." Kane
used to be a husband of Blossom See
ley, who is now wedded to Rube Mar-
quard.
-
Old Subscriber writes in to say that
she has ridded herself of rheumatism
and stomach woes by not going to bed
for six months. Which now explains to
me the solid ivory stomachs and active
feet of actors and actresses.
Reports from Cincinnati are that
Rose Stahl has registered a genuine
hit in her new play, "Moonlight Mary,
written for her by George V. Hobart.
Miss Stahl's character is that of a
novelist who seeks to experience the
adventures of the thieving heroine of
a story she has written. She is said
to be especially happy in her new role.
Sadie Martinet, once hailed as the
loveliest woman of the American stage,
is now in the Brunswick Home at
Amityville, Long Island. For several
weeks past she has been in the psy
chopathic ward at Bellevue Hospital
for observation. One day last week
three young women, who refused their
names but who said they were from the
Actors' Fund, removed Miss Martinet
to the Amityville Home in a large tour
ing car. She is the wife of Louis
Nethersole, who is a brother to the
emotional English actress, Olga Neth
ersole. Just now he is in England
managing the tour of Davis Keane in
"Romance."
Caliste Conant, "tuneful tale teller,
at the Orpheum, is a member of Mu
Phi Epsilon, a National musical soror
ity which includes Madame Schuman
Heink, Geraldine Farrar, Louise Homer
and many other notables in its honor
ary list. Miss Conant's home Is in Los
Angeles, where she will be featured in
an Orpheum show three weeks hence.
She Is a graduate of the 'Chicago Mu
sical College, where she joined the Mu
Phi Epsilon, and where she attained
such prominence she was elected su
preme secretary of the sorority. In
every city on her Orpheum tour Miss
Conant has been honored by members
of the Mu Phi Epsilon, and in her en
gagement at Seattle she was enter
tained at the University of Washing
ton. Miss Conant's Portland sorority
sisters gave a theater party at the Or
pheum last night in her honor.
e
At last A. H. Woods and Willard
Mack have agreed upon a title for the
latter's new play. After matching
coins, consulting an astrologer and
talking with the Librarian of Congress
by long-distance telephone, they decid
ed to label the piece "Jane O'Day From
Broadway."
Jane O'Day Is the character to be
acted by Blanche Ring, the star of the
production. Originally the comedy was
called "Broadway and ' Buttermilk,"
which was Mr. Mack's idea of the thing,
but Mr. Woods protested on the grounds
that it would drive away the liquor
element.
Rehearsals of the play are in progress
daily, although the cast is not yet com
pleted. . . ,
A former Philadelphia girl is sole
heir to the estate of Joe Murphy, the
Irish comedian, who died last week
in New York leaving an estate said to
be worth several millions. She is his
young widow. Until her marriage, in
1909, she was Mary Frymier, known
on the stage as May Firmier.
Mrs. Murphy was born in Philadel
phia and was educated In Dresden, Sax
ony. Her father served in- the Civil
War. After he had failed in business
and his health gave way, his daughter
went on the stage. She was first a
member of James J. Corbett's company.
Then she joined Murphy's company,
appearing in such familiar old plays
as "Kerry Gow" and "Shaun Rhue." In
1909, while she was on tour with
Grace George in "A Woman's Way,"
the 25-year-old actress was married to
the 70-year-old comedian at San An
tonio, Tex.
She declared at the time it was a love
match, as she had found in Murphy the
gentlest and Vweetest character she
had ever known. Her friends say this
was proven true by their after life,
which was ideaL They spent most of
their time between a mansion at Rich
mond Hill, Long Island, and New York
City. The widow is now living in her
Long Island home.
Nonette Lyle, who visited Portland a
month ago over the Orpheum circuit
as Nonette. the Gypsy violinist, has
made public the details of her ap
proaching marriage to Hillis L Mor
rison, former Superior Judge, now an
attorney in Los Angeles. She will be
married next March in Brooklyn, N. Y".
her home. Xonette says:
"There is no truth in the rumor that
we intended to be secretly married. I
expect to be married but once, and I
think the wedding should be an af
fair of some importance. I couldn't
think of being married without an ap
propriate ceremony, and I would never
consent to wed away. from home. So
the ceremony will have to wait until I
have closed my bookings."
That expect-to-be-married-but-once
line causes me to think Konette surely
Isn't a regular actress after all.
s
Laura Adams, with the "Bird of
Paradise" company at the Heillg, will
be remembered for her excellent char
acter work when she was a member
of the Catherine Countiss Stock Com
pany at the Heillg four years ago.
OX OVUR-INSt'RANCB PROBLEM
Practice Act linUel Evil, Says K.
Habersham, Analysing Exposures.
PORTLAND, Jan. 25. (To the Edi
tor.) Our fire marshal has made the
rather sweeping statement that exces
sive loss from fire in this city is due
to arson, and tnat through lax meth
ods insurance agents arc responsible
for this condition. In the recent at
tempt to prove these contentions it was
thought sufficient to show that lax
methods prevail, but left to the imagi
nation to conclude what proportion of
honest people is made criminal thereby,
and what excess ratio is added to hon
est losses by that proportion. Without
any intention of criticising the well
meant effort to reduce the loss waste,
it can be stated that nothing has been
revealed except that responsible ap
pearing persons can obtain insurance
on their property without previous in
spection thereof by agents. As this
reprehensible .practice is common over
the United States, and many cities
operating (or ' being operated upon)
thereunder may enjoy a much less loss
waste than Portland, the conclusion
is forced that the practice complained
of produces one result here and. the
opposite elsewhere, or that the hon
esty of our own citizens is below par.
The first conclusion is directly op
posed to reason and not subject to
proof, while the second, though pos
sibly subject to proof, is to a large
extent unreasonable. Over-insurance
is not per se the unmixed evil some
think, as its tendency is to equalize
the loss of premium Income from under
insurance, but if it can be reasonably
demonstrated that it produces crim
inals it should be done away with, re
gardless of whether or not a new law
to that effect would cost more in its
operation vthan is now lost through
this cause. As we already have ample
laws for the punishment (prevention)
of arson on the part of the insured,
any new one must necessarily be aimed
at the agent, but it seems safe to say
that if there was any virtue In such
proposed law the companies would have
beaten the fire marshal to its discov
ery. If any such law is enacted, the
agent would be obliged to assume
guilty intention on the part of an ap
plicant for insurance which, in the
absence of suspicious circumstances,
is- a position somewhat-higher than
our courts - occupy. As for the pro
posed revocation of licenses, without
any law defining insurance without in
spection as even a misdemeanor, it is
to be hoped that other authority of the
insurance commissioner does not ex
tend that far. E. HABERSHAM.
WHAT OF KEEDY WOMEN OF CITYt
Correspondent IS tea Most of Relief
Measures Are for IJnenfployel Men.
PORTLAND. Jan. 26. (To the Ed
itor.) Anent these idlers who use
reams of good paper to express ideas
on evolution and similar nothings. If,
instead of ponderously ruminating
over the mysteries of evolution, these
giants of theory would try to remedy
a few, public evils and leave evolution
to evolve by itself, the world in which
they live would be a better place.
I have observed one in particular,
and I marvel that, with its awful re
sults, it has not been looked into.
When a man is hungry and down and
out he can beg a nickel and go to the
Workingmen's Club or the Scadding
House, but when a women is in a like
condition, what then? Were you ever
approached by a -hungry woman who
begged a dime from you? No. the
woman must give value for value!
Look at that sentence! Doesn't it make
you ashamed? Yet what else can she
do? Handicapped to a far greater ex
tent than the man, the down-and-out
woman has no recourse. I have
perused the columns of the paper year
in and year out; have observed lengthy
plaints on the subject of the unem
ployed man, but nary a word apropos
the woman.
There must be hungry women. What
do they do? D. H.
STRIKING AT OUR FUTURE NEEDS
Embareo Now Might Vitally Embar
rass United States Sometime.
ILWACO, Wash., Jan. 25. (To the
Editor.) In The Oregonlan January
23 appears a letter from P. S. whit
comb captioned "Munition Embargo Is
Favored." It does seem incredible that
so many usually well-informed people
cannot grasp the fact if the Govern
ment of the United States would de
clare an embargo on material and food
for use in war it would be striking at
a need on which the very life of this
Nation might depend at some future
time. Because then we could not buy
if ever the need should arise.
It -is no greater moral wrong to sell
to the needing in time of war their
needs than it is in time or peace to
sell supplies which were going into
material for use in war or to supply
food to a nation to give it future
strength to fight. It would be a great
moral wrong to deny the needing the
right to purchase their needs, espec
ially since, as a specific example, Ger
many has In time of peace purchased
the material to be turned into means
of war against the nations which had
not in time of peace turned all their
resources towards creating smews or
war. WALTER SEABERG.
Cost of Army.
ASHLAND, Or. Jan. 23. (To the Ed
itor.) Please publish the cost per year
of maintaining the Regular Army of
the United States at the present time;
also the cost of the National Guard.
ERNEST ABBOTT.
The United States Army appropria
tions for the years 1914 and 1915
amounted to $94,229,047, which would
make the annual appropriation S47,-
114.523.60. This does not include the
cost of fortifications and maintainingi
the military academy.
The annual Government appropria
tion for militia amounts to approxi
mately $4,850,000. In addition the dif
ferent states make appropriations.
Books for Prospective Mothers.
PORTLAND, Jan. 25. (To the Ed
itor.) Kindly publish the name of the
Government department which can fur
nish me with books for a prospective
mother's reading. MRS. C. M. A.
You may get the publications you
mention by writing to the Superinten
dent of Documents, Washington, D. C,
and asking for the publications issued
by the Children's Bureau.
Grazing Homestead Act.
INDEPENDENCE, Or., Jan. 23. (To
the Editor.) Can you tell me where
I can get a copy of the grazing home
stead act, now before Congress?
READER.
Write to Forest Supervisor, Beck
building, Portland, Or.
Duties of a Soldier.
Puck.
"In the old days the main element
of a soldier was to .know how to act
under fire." "And nowadays, in addi
tion, he is supposed to know how to
act under water, in the earth, and with
out air."
Irvin S. Colib Not Dead.
SALEM. Or., Jan. 22. (To the Edi
tor.) I was told the other day that
Irvin S. Cobb is dead. I do not recall
ever reading an account of his death
and would like to know if it is true. I
will appreciate it if you will answer
through The Oregonlan. W. C. J.
New York.
PORTLAND, Jan. 25. (To the Ed
itor.) What city is tho largest in the
world as present? INQUIRER.
In Other Days.
Twcnty-nve Tears Age.
From The Oregonlan of January 2T, 18:il.
Zanesville, O., Jan. 26. Thomas J.
Newman, for 22 years editor and owner
of the controlling Interest in the Daily
Courier, this city, died at his residenoe
this afternoon at 1 o'clock. He was 69
years old.
Attorney H. B. Nicholas is confined to
his home through illness brought on by
overwork. e will not be on duty for
several days.
The annual meeting of tho board of
directors of the Portland Library Asso
ciation will be held on Saturday. Feb
ruary 7, Judge Deady presiding.
The grading for the foundation for
the addition to the National Guard ar
mory is about completed and the con
crete subfoundation for the Ninth
street side is nearly finished.
John M. Gearin. formerly of this city,
has moved to Seattle and formed a
partnership with Messrs. Tustin and
Crews, under the firm name of Tustin,
Gearin & Crews.
Mr. Barnes, who lives out on the slope
back of the Canyon Gardens, has a
number of cherry trees in his yard on
which are many blossoms, and he has
strawberries on his vines as big as
marrowfat peas. He expects to havs
ripe strawberries in February and ripe
cherries in March, "if nothing hap
pens." Half a Century Ago.
From The Oregonlan of January -7. IStJo.
Captain Pately hag died at Caniford,
England. He was a midshipman on
board the Mars at the battle of Trafal
gar. The Mars lost 300 out of 500 men
on board of her at the time of the fa
mous battle.
John Alrd, one of the most enterpris
ing citizens of Vancouver, died Thurs
day at his residence at that place very
suddenly.
J. C. Leonard has Just completed a
pen-and-ink sketch of General Grant
which is attracting considerable atten
tion in this city. He labored on tho
portrait for 22 days and proposes to
dispose of it by raffle for $100.
The mallcarrier, Mr. Reed, who sup
plies the region of Hillsboro, Lafayette
and Forest Grove, has been unable to
get through regularly with the malls
since the hesrvy storms set in, which
will account for our subscribers in that
section not getting their papers this
week.
From William Skinner, telegraph op
erator at Oregon City, we have the fol
lowing, under date of January 25: "This
afternoon about 3 o'clock three men
engaged in clearing drift lodged in the
basin by the recent high water were
capsized, and one of them, Granville
Dailey, was drowned.
The ratification of the constitutional
amendment abojishins Blavery was
made final by the action of the Stata
of Alabama. Slavery, then, has finally
been abolished in Montgomery, the for
mer capital of the slaveholders' Con
federacy. '
Stamp Tax and Juries.
PORTLAND. Jan. 25. (To the Ed
itor.) (1) Why do the telegraph and
express companies compel their patrons
to pay the stamp tax Imposed by tho
Government as an "income tax" and
what remedy, if any, exists to force
these companies to pay their share of
the tax? (2) What is the system of
drawing jurors in vogue in this coun
ty? Myself and others, who have been
in this city, county and state over 25
years, never even received a summons,
and, while we are freeholders, the
question arose, why the discrimination?
Are the so-called professional Jurors
given the preference in our court.
JUST1CIA.
(1) Your premises are wrong. The
stamp tax or emergency tax is paid
as such and not as an Income tax. The
telegraph and express companies do
pay a Beperate income and corporation
tax and if they do any business requir
ing stamp tax they pay it through the
prescribed channels as individuals do.
This is as provided by -the law. de
signed in the first place to apportion
the emergency tax on all alike, as
nearly as possible.
(2) The County Commissioners an
nually compile a list of 2500 names
from the tax roll. These are turned
over to the County Clerk, who draws
the petty Jury for each term from the
list of 2500. This is done as a lottery.
There is not a juror on the 1915 or 1916
list who has served on a jury tho year
previous to the time ho was drawn.
This is made certain in the original
selection of names. As for profes
sional Jurymen, the special venires for
the entire year 1915 were but 24, in the
Circuit Court,
In the District Court 300 names are
selected from the directory or telephone
book. The Juries are drawn by lot.
Twelve men are selected for a Jury
and the lawyers must challenge six,
leaving six to serve. If these six can
not be found within three days, "by
standers" are selected to fill in. Here
is where the professional Juror comes
In, when the list is of unavailable mon.
A new, revised list has just been drawn
for 1916.
Cashier Company's Stork.
GARDINER, Or., Jan. 25. (To the
Editor.) I am a stockholder of the
defunct United States Cashier Com
pany. Will you please inform me if
the stockholders will be able to re
cover anything? C G.
The assets of the United States Cash
ier Company have been taken over by
the International Money Machine Com
pany, of Terro Haute, lnd., which was
organized with a capital stock of
J2.000.000. The United States Cashier
Company, after transferring its assets.
received $750,000 worth of stock in the
International Money Machine Company.
The work of the International company
Is still In a stage largely experimental
and the value of the stock, necessarily,
is not accepted as definite yet.
Widow's Claim to Pension.
BUHL, Idaho, Jan. 25. (To the Edi
tor.) Please let me know through
The Oregonian if the widow of an old
soldier is entitled to all of his pension,
and if not what part of It she may
claim. CLAUDE FREYES.
-Write to the Commissioner of Pen
sions, Washington, D. C giving data
when she married the soldier.
Merchandising;
Merchandising is divided into two
parts merchandise and servlto.
Merchandise Is inanimate. Service
Is animate, personal. Service deals
with the. human factor.
.advertising letting the public
know what you have, is part of
service.
And swinging merchandise dis
plays in time with public desire i3
another service.
Such a service is performed wsen
the storekeeper stocks up the man
ufaeturer's newspaper advertising
of his brands when he showsthe
goods in his windows and on his
counters at the time the advertising
is running.