lO
TRE 3IORXIXO OIIEGONTAN. TnUESDAT, aiARCII HO, 191GT
rOBTLAXB. UBECON.
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Hr. htiiiintr sjea Vnrk : Verree
& Conklin, Kteger uuildlng, Chicago. hen
Francisco representative, K. Bidwell. li
Market street.
The land-grant bill as finally agrreed
upon, by the House committee on pub
lic lands is not satisfactory In its divi
sion of net receipts, but even so one
must admire the energetic fight made
by Representative Sinnott, aided by
Representative McArthur, to gain just
. consideration lor Oregon, ivir. omnou
is a member of the committee. He is
capable, earnest and aggressive. He
.has spared no effort in this as he has
spared no effort in other directions to
serve the interest of his state. But on
amendments that in all reasonableness
and justice should have been granted
Oregon, the committee was over
whelmingly opposed to him. In some
particulars he stood alone, Mr. 11c-
, Arthur having no vote because not a
member of the committee.
Every direct public loss that has ac
crued because of reservation by the
railroad of the grant has been Ore-
son s, not tne jsauon s. xne uuvci la
ment gave the land originally in re
. turn for certain considerations. One
was that a railroad should be built:
another was that that railroad should
transport Government troops free of
charge; another was that the land
when sold by the railroad should be
sold in tracts not larger than 160
acres, at a price not to exceed J2.B0
per acre, and to actual settlers.
Two of the covenants have been
kept by the railroad company. The
railroad has been built and troops have
ueeu d.nu. aio ucius ii""""' i. ......
' out cost to the Government. The
third covenant has been ignored.
The Federal Government gains some
benefit from prosperous, contented,
patriotic citizenship, such as would
have attended settlement of the grant
had the third covenant been kept. But
that benefit is hardly a monetary one.
The state gets the same indirect bene
fit but it also gets concrete benefits
from settlement. The settlers pay
' taxes and engage in trade. Of those
benefits Oregon has been unjustly de
prived. Its actual loss in dollars and
cents, if the sum could be computed,
would doubtless be more than the en
tire surplus that the Government ex-
. . . ) rnm onl. r f ttia 0.mf
I t V -1 IU UCIIVC 11 "'1 1 Sale vi. me i mil
after paying the railroad Its $2.50 per
acre.
Yet the Government proposes tq
take one-half the net receipts. It
Is not demanding that one-half as
profit on a legitimate real estate investment-
It is actually to pay the
railroad company nothing out of the
public treasury. 'The settlers or pur
chasers are to do the paying. The one
half that is to go to the Government is
to be taken merely because the Gov
ernment has the power to take it. To
ten per cent to reimburse it for costs
of administering the grant it is per
haps justly entitled. But as for tak
ing forty per cent for the reclamation
fund and denying the, definite provi
sion that that forty per cent shall be
expended for reclamation in Oregon,
there is no excuse except that the Gov
ernment needs the money.
Oregon has already had one glaring
illustration that if Federal bureau
cracy can, through act of Congress, get
its hands into Western pockets it will
do so, and that Congress is more than
willing that it shall. Oregon in that
caE surierea similarly in apportion
ment of reclamation funds. Receipts
from sales of public lands in Oregon
were distributed disproportionately
among other states. Congress even
amended the law to make that pos
sible. Now a similar enterprise is
proposed.
Oregon newspapers. Congressmen
. and local expounders are now in ac
. cord in denouncing these two injus
tices. Yet strangely enough, some of
them are quite willing, even anxious,
that the Federal Government shall be
given another grab at "Western funds.
The Government owns no water powers
on either navigable or non-navigable
streams. The water powers belong to
:the states. Yet it is solemnly, ear
. nestly proposed by some Oregon news
' papers. Congressmen and expounders
,t nidi tne Htttie ieiu control to. me
Federal Government of water powers
and grant bureaucracy the right to
make a profit out of that control, that
more money may be raised for the
reclamation fund to be expended in
other states.
Twice the Oregon cow has been
driven into the Government stall.
Twice it has been milked. Twice a
universal protest has arisen against
the robbery. Still there are in our
mid.t those who, while howling about
past offenses, are doing herd duty for
the Government.
BERLIN'S IMPENDING DOWXFALIi.
Berlin is about to fall. The First
Buffoons have directed a frontal at
tack with their invincible rapid-firers
and Berlin is no longer tenable. The
residents already have asked for terms
and are expecting an answer hourly.
As soon as an answer is received Ber
lin will pass unostentatiously out of
existence, the populace will heave a
mighty sigh of relief and the incident
will be closed so far as Berlin is con
cerned. 1
Berlin, before hauling down its col
ors, suffered much. This proud cen
ter of population is located on the
bald Kansas plains not far from To
peka, and as a distributing center for
adjacent farming areas is subject to
frequent invasion by traveling sales
men. For reasons that the Kaiser's
special agents have not unearthed, the
. drummer boys opened a heavy con
verging fire upon Berlin nearly two
years ago and have never ceased oper
ations for a moment since then. In
stead of shrapnel or 4 2-centlmeter
howitzers they appear to have been
using laughing gas. And while siege
' guns have never been able to pene
trate to that Berlin beyond the Dan
ube, the withering fire of ridicule has
finally brought about the fall of this
Western Berlin.
The recurrent assaults have been
insidious and pernicious in. their Sus
tained effect upon the defenders of
Berlin. The tactics of the buffoon
brigade have consisted of salvos of
ridicule. After dubbing the bewhis
kered proprietor of the town hostelry
Wilhelm, they have been wont to
goosestep up and down the corridors
singing "Die Wacht am Rhein" and
"Deutchland Uber Alles." Natives have
been assigned various and sundry
proud military titles and iron crosses
have been awarded indiscriminately.
At first the hamlet fell in with the
capricious revelers of the grip, but
more lately the burlesque has gotten
upon its nerves."- Recently the town
seers got together and decided upon
surrender. They petitioned-the State
Board of Control for authority to
change the name of the town. And
thus the allies gain a bloodless vic
tory. It now remains for agents of
the Fatherland to effect a counter
stroke. On to Paris, Illinois, or Lon
don, Kentucky!
JUST AS GOOD AS PENH OS E.
The New York "World (Dem.) ac
counts for the appearance of Thomas
Taggart In the United States Senate
by holding the Governor of Indiana
solely responsible, thus: '
Tn a Senate which still notes the pres
ence of the Republican Penrose, the arrival
of Taggart, the Democrat, will excite spme
interest aa a reminder of an unpleasant past.
Since the election of Senators waa pre
scribed by popular vote, such men in most
states can get into the Senate in only one
way, and that is by appointment.
But Penrose got in by popular elec
tion, having been the nominee of his
party through an overwhelming vote
and of the whole people at a regular
election. Is Penrose for the direct
primary and popular rule? UndoubtH
edly, undoubtedly. The only way, evi
dently, to get rid of Penrose is for the
reformers to disfranchise the people
of Pennsylvania.
Doubtless the Democrats of Indi
ana will seek this Fall to honor Tom
Taggart as Penrose has been honored
by Pennsylvania. Indiana has long
more than tolerated Taggart; it has
turned over the whole Democratic or
ganization to him. He has made
Mayors, -Governors, Senators and even
Vice-Presidents. Now he has emerged
from the background and taken for
himself such a Job as he has invari
ably heretofore bestowed on others.
It really seems an occasion for con
gratulation among Democrats. Is not
Tom Taggart as good as Penrose?
Surely. Well, any Democrat who Is
no worse than Penrose ought to be
good enough for other Democrats.
Perfectly logical and reassuring.
WHAT FOR?
There is characteristic contempti
bleness about the most recent project
of the Portland Evening Journal to
put Governor Withycombe "in a hole,"
in the matter of the Oregon and Cali
fornia land-grant hearing at Washing
ton. It is charged that the Governor
was invited to appear there in person
or by representative, and there is a
great hullabaloo because he is declared
to have ignored the request and thus
neglected the interests of Oregon.
Clearly, if Congress does not pass the
Chamberlain bill, or is otherwise in
different to the demands of the state
for rightful consideration, the stage is
all set for the spotlight to be turned
on the quivering Governor as the chief
culprit.
The facts are that Representative
Sinnott, at the request of the commit
tee, sent a telegram to Governor
Withycombe with a statement that a
hearing would be granted to him or
any official of the state. The Governor
immediately -wired substantially that
the interests of the state were in the
hands of the Oregon delegation, and
he had full confidence that they were
being abundantly protected.
It is well to inquire what might
have been accomplished if Governor
Withycombe. or any other state offi
cial, had seen fit to hurry on to Wash-)
ington in this business. It is the la
mentable truth that the state is all
at sea as to any definite plan or pro
gramme, and the Governor had no
authority from any quarter to offer
anything, and he was obliged to. re
port that the delegation must bo de
pended on to do its best in the cir
cumstances. It is not the duty of the Governor
to rush on to Washington, incurring
large expense and neglecting affairs
at home, every time some matter of
concern to Oregon develops there.
That is the business of the Oregon
delegation. It is sent there to repre
sent Oregon. It is entitled to assume
that Oregon affairs are in its hands.
It must be held accountable for any
failure to conserve them fully.
The demand upon the Governor to
play the Jack in the box, and march
on to the National Capital upon every
occasion, or no occasion, of Import
ance to Oregon, is a direct expression
of want of confidence in the Congres
sional delegation.
What Is Senator Chamberlain doing
at Washington? Or Senator Lane?
Or the mehibers'of the House Haw
ley. McATthur, Sinnott?
Who represents Oregon in Con
gress? Oregon's Senators and Repre
sentatives? Or the Governor?
WHEN MANSIONS CHANGE HANDS.
Many of the handsome estates of
England are being sold by their pres
ent owners because of Inability to pay
taxes and meet the cost of upkeep.
Likewise precious works of art, many
of which have reposed in proud homes
for generations, are being disposed of
during the war depression. An ex
change sees in these symptoms a fore
runner of British financial exhaustion,
an evidence that the empire is in sore
straits for money and that the burden
of continuing the war indefinitely is
one which Britain must meet by strip
ping itself of luxuries and some neces
sities. The recent ban upon lmporta
tion of luxuries. Including soaps, is
taken as supporting such an argument.
However, sale of estates and of
works of art has nothing to do with
the ebb and flow of British wealth.
For while it is true that many titled
families are selling, it is equally true
that buyers are found. The estates
merely change hands. Owners of es
tates who depended upon fixed in
comes derived from rentals and other
peaceful sources find their treasuries
depleted because tenants have gone
to the front. Their expenses are In
creased by war claims and their reve
nues are reduced by the ravages of
war.
But how about the buyers? Have
they not come into new wealth, that
they now find themselves able to pur.
chase and maintain these costly es
tablishments? They are the dealers
In munitions, in woolens and in sup
plies for the business of war. They
are the opportunists who seize upon
the new conditions, conditions which
do not destroy the value of princely
homes and art treasures, but readjust
and redistribute these evidences of
prosperity.
As for restrictions on luxuries
such measures are necessary if per
sons of moderate means would be
prevented from spending the sums
they have been accustomed to spend
for articles that are not necessary to
their comfort. If they continue to
buy luxuries they cannot, at the same
time, continue to buy necessities and
meet the higher taxes needed for con
ducting the war.
War is the great destroyer. Metals,
fuel, foods, lives all are fed into the
voracious mouth of the war demon.
But stately mansions and priceless
works of art, playthings of the
garnerers of great wealth, find no
part in the game of war. Titles to
these properties change hands merely
because the man who caters to the
material needs of Mars is the man
who is able to indulge such tastes
during the distorted period when war
rages.
OVERWORKING "DUAL, PERSONALITY."
Dr. Arthur W. Waite, murderer of
his wife's wealthy parents, in confess
ing his guilt presents the plea that
he is a victim of dual personality. A
vicious influence within his nature
prompted him to slay, and now that
the evidence against him is over
whelming he contends that he was
powerless to resist the virulent evil
spirit.
Since the advent of "Doctor Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde" such pleas have been
frequent by vicious offenders who
seek refuge from the penalty of mis
deeds. Nor is there any doubt that
many murderers are the victims of
strange perversities which the neu
rologist alone is qualified to gauge and
define. Yet the Waite murder case
does not fall in the category of "ab
normal murders." He did not go
about in a frenzy of blood lust tram
pling upon children and assaulting
helpless victims. There are no evi
dences of some horrible mental dis
order that impelled him to commit
murder for murder's sake.
The case of the young New York
dentist is not one of those that may
be classed as a personality type. All
the elements of cold-blooded delibera
tion are present. He had a definite
object to gain. He killed his wife's
wealthy parents to get some of their
wealth. Disease germs were used for
the apparent purpose of allaying sus
picion. Had he shot his victims or
cut their throats the danger of imme
diate detection would have been mul
tiplied. The case is one of atrocious,
mercenary, red-handed murder for
gain. The motive is as old as man.
SOCIALISM A N IJ PREPAREDNESS,
Socialists of all kinds are tagging all
manner of schemes to the tail of the
popular kite preparedness. Unlike
Representative Meyer London, the
sole member of the Socialist party in
Congress, they favor or prefer to favor
preparedness and they would vehem
ently resent the suggestion that they
or their schemes are Socialist. Never
theless they are Socialists in practice,
so far as the advocacy of legislation
is concerned.
The first of these schemes to be re
ceived with favor is the Government
armor-plate plant, a bill for which has
passed - the Senate. It proposes to
take $11,000,000 out of the treasury to
start with. How much it would take
at the finish is guesswork, but It might
never finish.
Then came a scheme to erect three
Government nitrate factories, for
which the Government was to develop
three great water powers, in order to
supply raw material for ammunition.
A kindred scheme of very suspicious
flavor has been shipped into the Army
reorganization bill. It contemplates
erection by the Government, at a cost
of $14,500,000, of a dam, power plant
and nitrogen factory on the Alabama
Power Company's property at Muscle
Shoals on the Tennessee River. The
dam would block navigation, but
Frank S. Washburn, chairman of the
board of directors of the Alabama
Power Company, which would chiefly
benefit, says the river is only navi
gable for about six months in,the year.
Secretary McAdoo is considered to
be "going some" when he proposes
that the Government invest $40,000,-
000. which is not in the treasury nor
is likely to be there under Democratic
Administration, in merchant ships, but
Ohio C. Barber, of Akron, O., far sur
passes him. On frequent visits to Ger
many he has become enamored of
German paternalism and he ardently
approves Federal ships. Federal
armor-plate plants and huge naval
bases at Norfolk and Mobile Bay, but
that Is only a beginning. He proposes
"commercial-military railroad sys
tem," consisting of a line from the
Lakes to the Gulf, a line connecting
the principal naval base on the east
ern and western coasts and lines par
alleling both coasts and both border
lines, owned or controlled by the Gov
ernment or financed by Government
bond issues, built by private corpora
tions with convict labor and operated
by private companies, but to be taken
over by the Government for move
ment of troops.
Everybody who has a scheme is
climbing on the preparedness band
wagon and is trying to load it down
with pork barrels, which are to be
filled from the supposedly exhaustless
but actually exhausted United States
treasury. Such Is the lesson we are
learning from a pork-barrel Congress.
NO DANGER OF INFLATION.
Ex-Senator Root's influence in fram
ing the New York Republican platform
appears in the clause advocating
measures "for the amendment to the
Federal reserve law so a3 to remove
all danger of possible inflation of the
currency." He expressed fear of this
result when the law was under dis
cussion in the Senate. The facts in
dicate that there is no cause for this
fear. So far from the paper currency
having been inflated since the war be
gan, its volume in proportion to gold
has actually decreased.
That the currency was actually ex
panded during the early months of
the war by the issue of $380,000,000 of
emergency notes is stated by Alex
ander Dana Noyes in Scribner's, but all
these notes were retired before the
end of June, 1915. Itis true that our
bank note circulation at the beginning
of 1916 was $251,000,000 greater than
In August, 1914, and that $214,000,
000 of that increase consisted of Fed
eral reserve notes. But of that $214,
000,000 the notes secured by com
mercial paper, in which any inflation
would exist, if there were any, amount
ed to only $16,600,000, the otjer $197,
400,000 being secured by an equal
amount of gold held by the banks. The
total stock of money In the United
States increased $429,000,000 during
1915, but in that year we imported
$451,000,000 in gold and produced
$98,891,000 more from our gold mines.
Notwithstanding the tremendous ex
pansion of business, we are more sol
idly on a gold basis than when, the
war began.
The new facilities for expanding
circulation which are afforded by the
Federal reserve law have scarcely been
touched. It is possible to misuse them
for purposes of inflation. We must
rely for protection from that phange
mainly on the sound Judgment of the
Federal Reserve Board, which ' has
large powers to restrict currency issue.
After the war Europe might strength
en its weakened financial system by
enormous exports of merchandise, by
large sales of its securities in this
country or by maintaining such high
interest rates as would attract capital
from the United States. By so doing it
might derange the relation between
our gold supply and our paper cur
rency, but Mr. Noyes considers these
expedients improbable. On these
points he says:
Europe cannot reverse our balance of trade
in merchandise, untess -its own need of Amer
ican products decreases very greatly, or un
less wages of European labor can be put
down again so as to undersell our manufac
turers. Europe will undoubtedly succeed in
selling larpe amounts of securities in Amer
ica after peace; but America is not com
pelled to buy any more of them than is
prudent.
Noris money likely to be high in
Europe for some years after the war
ends, for he predicts hard times and
prolonged" industrial depression, which
do not favor high money rates, and
the Federal Reserve Board could re
strain the outward movement of gold.
Our 1915 trade balance of $1,778,000,
000 has enabled us to absorb $1,000,
000,000 of our own securities and yet
to advance prices on the stock mar
ket. It has enabled us not only to dis
pense with the supply of capital which
we have hitherto drawn from Europe,
but to lend Europe nearly ' $1,000,
000,000, to finance our industries in
a period of expansion and- to draw
$451,000,000 in gold from Europe. It
has placed us in so strong a defensive
position financially that by the wise
use of the Federal reserve system we
are in position to meet any attack
which may come from artificial
financial conditions of Europe. Wis
dom and foresight will enable us to
prevent inflation, yet to provide ade
quate currency for our legitimate busi
ness, by means which our laws and
our own prosperity have provided.
Legally speaking, what is a toy?
There are several definitions in the
dictionary, but since the Government
tacked a 35 per cent ad valorem duty
on imported toys, the Board of Gen
eral Appraisers is, according to the
New York Evening Post, "sitting up
late trying to think of good excuses
for calling things toys that were never
called that before." The Board has
finally adopted the general rule that
toys are toys when they suit the needs
of children alone. Thus toy hatchets
especially designed for favors are held
not to be toys. On the other hand,
the game of tiddlewlnks 13 classified
as a toy because it has small appeal
as a sport to adults. Horseshoe mag
nets fail to qualify as toys because
"reasonably fitted for some other pur
pose." As to the further intelligence
of the Board on this point, the Post
sayeth not. We are thus left in doubt
as to whether toy electric trams,
erector outfits and complicated build
ing blocks are toys or something else,
for' we have heard of fathers who
practically cut the "kids" out when
these articles are brought forth.
Chairman Hay, of the House mili
tary affairs committee, is not the only
great man who has changed his mind
on preparedneess. A year ago he said:
I am utterly opposed to adding: a single
man t the standing Army as it now exists.
I am not in sympathy with those who want
to add 2B.OOO men and 1O0O officers to the
regular Armv now. What would that cost?
It would cost 27,O0O,00O alone. Just that,
and would add to our military expenditures
57,000,000 a year.
Now Mr. Hay is the authorized
champion of the larger Army pro
gramme in the House. But the Hay
bill, reported by Hay's committee, and
favored by the House, increases the
regular Army establishment only a
little. .Evidently Mr. Hay has been
convinced against his will.
- The renewed activity of German
submarines indicates that the war
may resolve itself into a contest be
tween the Teutons and the allies in
building submarines and destroying
ships on the one side and in building
ships and destroying submarines on
the othenf side. John Bull may yet
regret that he did not permit the dig
ging of the channel tunnel, which
would have enabled him to send a
constant stream of troops and sup
plies to the continent without encoun
tering any marine perils.
The British air raid on German air
ship sheds seems to be a counter of
fensive to Zeppelin raids. Its results
were not commensurate with its cost,
according to German reports, though
the British say it "achieved Its ob
ject." Airmen are unable to learn
what they have accomplished, for
they must fly too high and too fast
to see what they have hit and with
what effect. It is a wild, dare-devil
game of hit or miss.
Probably no railroad exceeds the
Ne lY-iYri?" Central in its use of safe
guards;' yet illness of a towerman's
wife costs thirty lives. No doubt the
delinquent was one of the best men
in his line in the company's employ;
but he took the chance, rather than
miss a few days' pay. It is matter
of personal quantity in railroading,
from section hand, to president, after
all.
Electricity must be brought to aid
the engineer when the block Is ob
structed. It is a problem; but some
genius will devise a plan to show a
red light in the cab.
People accustomed to sloshing
around in mud at the State Fair will
grin when learning there was three
feet of water on the auditorium floor
the other day.
Two to one .are the odds we pay
In naval strength for the pleasure of
having Josephus Daniels rattle around
in the chair of Secretary of the Navy.
That a child died in Kansas of
anthrax contracted while playing with
the family cat -will not stop the habit
of harboring the useless animal.
If a hen could think, she would
grieve at the thought of her product
going into' storage instead of becom
ing a rooster to go into pie.
Bald-headed men will not be enlist
ed in the Army hereafter. Nor should
empty-headed men be commissioned
in the future.
Following time -honored custom,
Louisiana selects a negotiable dele
gation to Chicago.
- Errors and delinquencies cannot be
burled in a sewer. "Let no guilty man
escape."
For a neutral nation, Norway's toll
of nlnety-slx vessels lost is heavy.
Large registration by women these
sunshiny days is significant.
Stars and Starmakers
By Leone Cana Barr,
From New Y.ork City comes a wee
white card tucked in with a larger one,
all engraved and done up with a sassy
pink bow. The big card reads, Mr.
and Mrs. Louis Leon Hall and the wee
card reads Miss Anne Hall. She ar
rived on March 11. Mrs. Louis Leon
Hall is, you remember, the lovely
Dorothy Shoemaker, who played leads
two seasons ago at the Baker Stock
Company. Mr. Hall played character
roles, and they were wed just before
thelr" -season ended. Mr. Hall is now
in vaudeville in a comedy burglar
sketch.
Another Springtime baby who must
be told about is little Edward Louis
Woodruff, the young son of Mr. and
Mrs. Edward C. Woodruff, who arrived
a month ago. He has just departed
with his adoring parents for Chicago
to visit with Mrs. "Woodruff's father,
Louis Bigelow, for a month or so be
fore Mr. Woodruff begins his Summer
stock engagement In Lincoln, Neb. Mrs.
Woodruff before her marriage, a little
over two years ago, was Ruth Bige
low, a professional singer in Portland.
The baby was named for his father
and his mother's father, but his advent
received no publicity because it isn't
considered ethical for leading men to
be married and even less ethical for
them to have small sons.' The Wood
ruffs wanted Grandpa Bigelow to see
the baby before they had to go to Lin
coln for the Summer season, so that's
one reason why they left earlier.
According to New York and Wash
ington, D. C, papers, Izetta Jewel has
Inherited between $4,000,000 and $5,000,-
000 by the death of her husband, .Con
gressman William Gay Brown, Jr., of
West "Virginia. Mr. Br.own and Miss
Jewel were married at the Belvidere
Hotel at Baltimore on December 5,
1914. The wedding followed a romance
whjch started when Miss Jewel was in
troduced to the Congressman by Postmaster-General
Burleson. At that time
she was leading woman in the stock
company at Poll's Theater, and had
lived in Washington for several years.
The cpurtshlp was brief. Miss Jewel
definitely retired from the stage two
months before her friends knew of her
engagement to be married.
."William G. Brown, Jr., was a banker
in Kingwood, W. Va., and was in his
third term as Representative from the
Second Congressional District of that
state. His father was a Congressman
from Virginia from 1844 t,o 1848. The
junior Brown was a widower 58 years
old when he married Miss Jewel. Ho
waa the owner of some of the best pay
ing mines in that state, and he con
ducted a big banking business. He was
an extensive landowner and his thor
oughbred stock farm is considered one
,of the best in the South.
Mr. Brown left a baby daughter,
Izetta Jewel Brown, born last January.
Ethel Clifton and Brenda Fowler, the
former Baker players who help 11
lumine the road show at the Orpheum
this week, are the vaudeville "discov
ery" of Martin Beck himself. Mr. Beck
saw the two-girl Clifton-Fowler com
pany in "The Saint and the" Sinner" in
New York and forthwith booked them
lor a tour of his circuit without any
ifs or ands. The first vaudeville sketch
ever written by Miss Clifton was "The
Greatest of These," right here in Port
land four years ago. It was tried out
by Lillian Kingsbury recently and will
be used by that actress next season
Next Monday a. new sketch from the
combined Clif t,on-Fowler pen will be
played at the Orpheum in Salt Lake
City by J. K. Emmett and company. It
is a comedy called "The Devil He Did.
Another of their comedies is "The Late
Van Camp," which is touring the Or
pheum in the hands of Wilbur Walter
and company. The former Baker girls
have just completed another comedy
called "23 Bellville Annex," calling for
a cast of five, which will be Mis
Fowler's vehicle next season. This
sketch is built around a little apart
ment, kitchenette and all, the girls
occupied in Boston. The record of pro
ducing vaudeville sketches as made by
Clifton and Fowler is extraordinary
when -it Is considered that they have
been In the field only three years. They
are receiving royalties from four
sketches now playing on the Orpheum
circuit. "The Saint and the Sinner,'
their present vehicle is their own, they
have written tw.o plays which are likely
to have Broadway productions next
season and they have quite a few
playlets that are in the tryout stage.
News of the marriage, in London, of
Sir Charles Wyndbam to his leading
woman. Mary Moore, was no surprise
In theatrical circles in America. The
first Lady wyndham died January 12
Sir Charles" age is variously estimated
but it is undoubtedly in the neighbor
hood of 80.
Miss Moore has been associated with
him for many years and is copartner
in several of his theater leases, includ
ing Wyndham's, the New and Criterion
theaters.
David Belasco will produce three new
plays this Spring, beginning with i
comedy by Rol Cooper Megrue, rehear
sals f.or which have already begun. It
will be presented for the first time
about the middle of April in Atlantic
City, with a cast including Frank
Craven, Henry Stanford. Harry Leigh-
ton, Carroll McComas, Marlon Abbott,
Allen Thomas. Haywood . Ginn, Homer
Barton, Margot "Williams, Josephine
Drake and others.
In May Mr. Belasco will produce
new play by Willard Mack - based on
the story by John Moroso, entitled
"Alias Santa Claus," with a cast that
will include Mr. Mack, Tammany
Young, Edward J. Porter, David Lan
dau, Annie Mack Berlin and Camilla
Crune. Frances Starr will appear late
In May In a new romantic comedy by T.
WIgney Perclval and Horace Hodges.
In her company will be George Gid
dens, Henry Stephenson, Jerome Pat
trick and Haidee Wright.
What's a Temblor?
SAN FRANCISCO. March 28. (To the
Editor.) Whenever a slight trembling
of the earth occurs I notice that some
of the papers in Portland and Los An
geles announce In the headlines that a
temblor has been felt. At first I
thought the word must be a misprint,
till I saw it recurring repeatedly. I
can understand what a trembling or a
tremor is, but what's a temblor? I can
find no such word in a dictionary and
can see' no etymological foundation
for it. HELEN S. GRAY.
The word is of Spanish origin and is
used principally In the West. It means
a trembling or specifically an earth
quake. It is in the later unabridged
dictionaries.
KNOW VOIR OWX VOCABULARY
Knowledge How to Spell StranRe "Words
of No Practical Value.
GOLD HILL, Or., March 28. (To the
Editor.) I see that Harold Todd, of
Klamath County, has a first-page notice
for outspelling the text-book. Having
spent the most of my life in the school
room, this statement Is very suggestive
to me. This boy doubtless has a very
retentive memory, which is always cul
tivated at the expense of the Judgment.
He could go into a machine shop and
learn rapidly from sight the names of
a thousand articles that go Into the
structure of machinery, without get
ting one idea of their uses. Do you
think the master mechanic would pro
ceed on such lines in his education?
Evidently no. Names are necessary
handles by which to hold things, in
cluding words. The Intellectual value
is in the use.
A contest which should include the
correct spelling, pronunciation, defini
tion and application of words would be
a valuable adjunct of educational work.
thus limiting the contestants to a vo
cabulary suited to their needs, devel
oping intelligence. Judgment and pro
ficiency in the use of language.
lne memory is a very necessary de
pository t&r knowledge in current use.
1 his boy can now spell a srreat many
words of which he has no knowledge
ana or course no use. Nature, wiser
than his teacher, will erase them to
make room for something important
which will be. kept in use. His young
mind is greatly injured by the fruitless
glory attending- this event. It gives
mm a wrong point of view, which of
all things is the most difficult of cor
rection.
The greatest snellers are deficient In
judgment. Everyone should be able
to spell correctly the words of his own
vocabulary.
The "spellin " book is a literary
Kraveyara, wnere lies burled the Intel
lect or many a youth of "spellin"' bee
lame. J. R. KENDALL.
IX FAVOR (IK PRIVATE AGENCIES
Bad Points Seen in Elimination of Em
ployment Bureaus.
RAINIER, Or., March 28. (To the
Editor.) Kindly allovv'me space to ex
press my opinion on elimination of the
private employment bureaus of this
state.-
There is no guarantee to the munici
pality or Federal controlled job which
is secured from the city employment
Dureau. unis alone makes a man loath
to pay his fare to the work.
I believe the private employment of
fice run under civic supervision is the
best kind of an institution for the
workingman. Politics is necessary in
its place, but we should have none of
it in an employment business.
There is a good chance to eliminate
graft in the private office by strict
laws and regulations, but put a screen
of political weaving around an indus
trial office and there is no chance for
the worker with $2 between him and
starvation to get results.
A man could pay his last dollar to
go out to a job, and, failing to secure
the place, could come back to the city
and all he would receive would be
sympathy, while under a private, pub
licly regulated office he would get a
guarantee and his fare refunded., and
another Job.
I can see no good in eliminating the
private offices and believe for the ben
efit of all concerned they should be
left alone, and run under strict regu
lations; also as they now are good
competitors. Looks too much like So
cialism of. a petty nature.
M. C. ARMSTRONG,
A Taxpayer of Portland.
Potatoes and Xew World Discovery.
PORTLAND, March 28.--(To the Edi
tor.) Who first introduced potatoes
into Europe and where were they first
found? What was the date of the first
discovery of South America and the
date of the discovery of this country
by Columbus? J. D. WATSON.
The potato seems to have been taken
to Ireland first from Virginia by a
man named Hawkins. This occurred
in 1565. Sir Francis Drake is credited
with introducing it into England proper
in 1585. Sir Walter Raleigh is credit
ed with having presented some pota
toes to Queen Elizabeth in 1586. Au
thorities are not sure of the first in
troduction of the potato to Europe.
(The above also answers inquiry from
Moser, Or., reader.)
For historical purposes, it is gener
ally recorded that Columbus ' landed
at San Salvador Island October 12,
1492, and at Cuba October 26. In Au
gust, 1498, it is recorded he landed
on the coast of South America. It is
to be remembered that history gener
ally credits Norsemen with having
landed in North America several centu
ries before Columbus discovered the
islands off the southeast coast
Welfare Law for Domestic
PORTLAND, March 29. (To the Edi
tor.) I should like to ask one question:
Does the new wage law for women that
is being talked of so much have any
reference to the domestic girl? I do
not know much about women In factor
ies and shops, but I think it is time we
do something for housework women.
You will find that right here in Port
land more domestic girls go wrong and
commit suicide than any other class of
women workers, and why? If you make
a canvass of the housework girls in
Portland you will find over half do not
receive enough pay to clothe them
selves decently. I think it is time some
of these people who have the power to
do things should do something for the
domestic as well as the shopgirl.
MRS. R. J. KNOX.
The commission has no specific au
thority at present over domestic work
ers. There has been some public dis
cussion, but the sentiment has not been
crystallized.
New Y ork Is Largest.
HOOD RIVER. Or.. March 28. (To
the Editor.) Which city has the most
population New York. Portland, Or.,
or Seattle, Wash.? Which has the most
square miles? SUBSCRIBER.
New York has population of 5,253,885
and is the largest city in the world.
It embraces more than 309 square miles.
Seattle's population is 313,029 by 1914
estimate, and Portland by the 191B es
timate has 280,435.
Railroad Work in Alaska.
MABEL, Or.. March 28. (To the
Editor.) Would you kindly Inform me
who to apply to for positions on the
Alaska Railroad, and to learn if it is
necessary to have a civil service ex
amination for the positions of engineer,
timekeeper or any clerical work?
J. W. PR1NGLE.
Write to Alaskan Railroad Commia
son, Washington, D. C.
Pay of Private In Army.
FOSSIL, Or., March 26. (To the Edi
tor.) Please state in The Oregonian
what is the pay of a private in the
American Army (regulars).
C. PALMER
The annual pay is $180. which is in
creased with every enlistment to" the
seventh.
Opportunities In Alaska.
PORTLAND. March 89 (To the
Editor.)--Pleaae tell me a good place
in Alaska for a workingman to go.
AN OLD SUBSCRIBER.
Write to the Alaska Railroad Com
mission at Washington, D. C,
In Other Days.
Half Century Afro.
From The Oregonian of March SO, 1SGH.
Both of Oregon's Senators have made
speeches in the Senate on President
Johnson's reconstruction policy. ilr.
Nesmith, in his argument, indorsed the
President in toto, while Mr. Williams
dissents with Mr. Johnson, still giving
him credit for patriotism and honesty,
but asserting that he erred.
New York, Feb. 21. At present this
city is noted for increase in all crimes
known in the catalogue, notwithstand
ing the efficiency of the metropolitan
police, with the addition of an able de
tective force. Murders, highway rob
beries, burglaries, arson, infanticide,
etc., are of daily occurrence just now.
We learn that the propeller Gen.
Grant has been chartered to run on
the Willamette between Portland and
Oregon City, in connection with the
Echo above the falls until Captain
Ankeny can build a new steamer for
this portion of the independent line.
Under the pressure of late rains, tho
river is rapidly rising.
The quartz batteries at the Oregon
Iron "Works in this city are now kept
busy crushing rock from newly dis
covered quartz ledges. That from.
Vancouver, we are informed, did not
turn out as well as was expected.
The Walla Walla Statesman says
thai a number of large pack trains
art fitting out at that place for Black
foot. Some of the trains number 80
to 90 animals and all will go with full
loads.
"Mazeppa" will be repeated, with all
the effects, at the "Willamette Theater
tonight.
Twenty-Five Years Ago.
From The Oresonian of March SO. 1S81.
Berlin, March 29. Unusual activity
has prevailed for the past three days
In the War Office and an unusual num
ber of employes was busy today. Tho
Emperor had a long conference with
Chancellor Caprivi and the high offi
cials generally look as i something
important is on the tapis. There is
no doubt that the movement of Rus
sian troops near the German frontier
and the evidences of cordial intimacy
between Russia and France have
caused much anxiety in Berlin.
There is considerable doubt as to a
meeting between Bob Fitzsimraons and
Jim Hall, the middleweight pugilists.
at Astoria. It looks very much as if
the whole affair is a little piece of
bluster, in which two sluggers are get
ting considerable undeserved adver
tising at the expense of a patient and
tolerating public.
The cars were not running on tlm
cable road yesterday. The cable parted
Saturday evening. It was spliced dur
ing the night, but parted again yes
terday morning.
Building schoolhouses up in the Nes
tucca Valley is the order of the day.
The miserable, inconvenient and lim
ited accommodations furnished by the
temporary central station of the North
ern Pacific Terminal Company, when
compared with the vast amount of busi
ness done there, is a disgrace to the
company and a gross imposition on the
traveling public.
The friends of Conductor Conser will
be pleased to learn that he is recover
ing, although rather slowly, from his
injuries received in the LabisU acci
dent. TIIOUtiHT CO.VI'ROI. IS ADVISED
All Crimes Are Planned Before Exe
cuted. Is View.
PORTLAND. March 25. (To the Edi
tor.) While so many are using up ink
in writing about "birth control" and
"evolution," may it not bo interesting
to think about our "thought forces?"
There is that within every human
being which is capable of being brought
Into the material every-day lifo of that
person as the abundance of every good
thing he may desire. All crimes are
planned in thought before they are
committed.
I read recently in The Oregonian
about a girl who had destroyed herself.
Would she have committed that deed if
her thoughts had been rightly directed
and controlled? Oh, the pity of it all!
About as much misery lia..s been
caused by uncontrolled thought as any
thing else. The habit of talking about
one's self and entertaining friends by
rehearsing all the imaginary ills as "I
am so miserable," "I Just know I am
going to have the fever," and "My
stomach is in an awful fix," and many
other alarming symptoms are given,
whether to receive sympathy or make
the friends miserable, 1 cannot decide.
The unpleasant habit of talking of
one's self is most uninteresting; be
sides, it is positively wicked to slander
one's self by saying all the mean things
about the body and slurring its func
tions, loading it with so many imper
fections and weaknesses.
The "tear habit" artd the "worry
habit" are our worst enemies, and they
can be overcome.
Why not take a few minutes the first
thing in the morning when awakening
to express thanks for all the divine
blessings which have been received? It
will lighten the cares of the day won
derfully; you will forget you ever had
thought ill of yourself.
Think "health," talk "health." be
lieve in "health" and you will radiate
health and happiness.
MRS. M. B. ROSS.
Tips.
Violet M. LeRoy in Judge.
Everything comes to him who takes.
To sin is human; to be found out a
crime.
You consider a man "nouveau riche"
if he made his money a year after you
did.
When a woman says of another:
"She's young; she's only 60." depend
on it she's 49.
Some people have feelings, and some
have watery eyes.
Uneasy lies the head that wears a
"toupee."
Kisses, like clothes, are purely a
matter of taste.
Most of us are not at home when our
conscience calls.
Discontent is the growing-pain of
ambition.
When in doubt, keep quiet!
After-dinner speeches are what your
guests say about you on the way home.
The only big things about email na
tures are their mistakes.
One touch of romance makes a fat
girl thin.
Platonie friendship is love on an en
forced diet. -
The climber on the social ladder must
expect a few sharp splinters.
We are unaware that some people
have minds until they lose them.
Procrastination is the mother of
failure.
Embrace your opportunity and the
world will ask your intentions.
At a wedding congratulate the bride
and wish the groom luck.
Fair exchange ia no business.
"Know thyaelf!" And If we did. how
many of us would acknowledge the in
troduction? Some people think being rude in a
confidential manner is honesty.
Money makes the mare go. but it
helps keep the cook.
Mule la His Family.
Judge.
Brown The boss says that when he
was a boy on the farm they had a mule
that waa Just like one of the family.
Jones Yes, and I know which one.