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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1916)
10 THE MORXIXO OREGONIAN. FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 191G. PORTLAND. OREGON. Entered t Portland (Oregon) Postofflce as second-class matter. Subscription Rates Invariably In advance: (By Mall.) rally. Sunday Included, one year aily, Sunday included, alx monthl. .... Iatlv, Sunuay included, three months... -r Ijaily, butiUay included, one montn..-.. -J3 Ijaily. without Sunday, one year O-oO Laily. without Sunday, six month, rai!y. without Sunday, three montha.. Jjaily, without Surnlay. one month .60 VefKiy, one year 2 tLjnday, one year tunday and Weekly, one year 3.50 (By Carrier.) JinHy, Sunday included, one year. laily. Sunday included, one month..... How to Remit Send nostoffice money or der, express order or personal check on your local bank, stamps, coin or currency are at senders risk. t;ive nostofflce addresses in Jill, including county and aiate. Postage Kates 1- to 10 pages. 1 cent: IS to puea, 2 cents: 34 to 4S pages. 3 cents. CO to ( pases. 4 cents; 63 to 70 pages. S cents: 7S to pages. 6 cents. Foreign post age, double rates. Kaxtern Biisinecs Office Verree & Conk l:n, Brunsvtii k building. New York; Verree Conklin, Stecer building, Chicago. San J-'raii.:isco representative. It. J. Uidwell. .42 Market street. t iorilaxd, miDiy, march 31, 1910. SELECTION OF IMMIGRANTS. xOnce more the House has adopted by an overt helming majority the literacy test for immigrants. This is the eighth record vote in the House in nineteen years, the average in the preceding; Beven having been 192 for to 73 against, while in the Senate the average of five record votes has been 62 to 19. Congress would surely not have persisted in passing this measure unless it was supported by public opin ion, yet President Wilson vetoed the Burnett bill containing the literacy test in January, 1915, on the plea that it was not wanted by the American people. If the President should veto the present bill and if the House should vote on the veto as it has voted on the bill, it would override the veto. The literacy test is sound policy be cause it is the simplest means of re ducing the volume of Immigration to numbers which are readily assimilated and because it would exclude a class which is assimilated slowly and with difficulty, if at all. Under normal conditions it would exclude about 25 per cent of those who would otherwise immigrate. The total for 1914 having been 1,218,480, it would have shut out about 300,000 in that year. Tho most desirable immigrants, from the standpoint of those who de sire to see out population recruited from nations akin in institutions and of a high standard of education close to our own, come from the Teutonic and Keltic races of Northern and Western Europe, which contributed 26.4 per cent of the 19W total. The less desirable class from this stand point come from the Slavic and Iberic races of Southern and Eastern Europe, which sent 68.4 per cent of the 1914 total. The bearing of the literacy test on these two classes Is shown by the figures for 1915. Owing to inter ruption of steamship traffic from Rus sia and Southern Europe, the per centage of Slav and Iberic immigrants decreased to 3 9.7, while that of Teu tons and Kelts rose to 4 8. 4. Promptly the percentage of illiterates decreased from 24.8 to 12.9. Illiterate immigrants come chiefly from "monarchist, semi - feudallstic, economically backward nations," as the Unpopular Review expresses it, while literate immigrants come chief ly from countries "whose economy is of the modern industrial type and whose government is fundamentally democratic." The latter class has be come more completely Americanized, for a far lower proportion of it than of the former has returned to Europe permanently after "making a stake" in this country. People who come to this country to make money with which to become small capitalists in their native land" have no more in terest in the United States and its in stitutions than the Hindoo coolies who go under contract to work in the Rand gold mines or the British Guiana plantations have in the affairs of those countries. The most forcible argument against the literacy test is that of a large employer of labor "that illiterate la borers make far better diggers than immigrants of higher standard, be cause they have done nothing else and lack the nerve to branch off in other channels." Such men, who do busi ness through interpreters, padrones and bankers, doubtless are tractable serfs, but they are also easy prey for perpetrators of naturalization and elec tion frauds, for unscrupulous labor leaders and anarchists. By not branch ing out they prove their lack of a dis tinctive American characteristic, which has contributed much to the greatness of this country. The time has gone by when the United States should be a haven for the oppressed with gates wide open. The problems with which we have had to cope in recent years have been rendered more difficult by the pres ence of a great, alien, ignorant, un Hssimilated and unassimilable mass. "We in this country are striving to build tip the greatest and most effi cient democracy in the world. Suc cess demands good material; with such material as has been mentioned our task would become extremely ardu ous and we might fail. The very thought of failure should not be en tertained. That we may not fail we should limit and select the raw mate rial to be used. We can most readily do so by adopting the literacy test. TIOrSPNO THE RURAL TEACHER. Bearing some of the aspects of Rip Van Winkle with his grizzled beard and moldy apparel, a report on rural schoolteachers has just been issued hy the Federal Bureau of Education. The surprising discovery is made by tho Bureau that the problem of nous ing country teachers is a serious one, nbout which something must be done. This discovery was made by civil ob servers about the same date as De Soto's discovery of the Mississippi, but the Federal experts go into the mat ter with a great deal of zest and en thusiasm quite as if they had ferreted out some new and hitherto unexpected soft spot in the country's educational system or lack of system. The somewhat grizzly conclusion Is reached that better living conditions must be provided for rural pedagogues if the country schools are to progress. Oregon recognized this necessity years ao and attempted its solution by the "teacher's cottage" plan, which is pre cisely the remedy now advocated by the Federal experts. However, their data, are interesting as reviving the magnitude of the problem, if for noth. ing else. They list some 200,000 rural school districts in the country. These show a pupil population of 16,000,000. The count includes children of school age in country districts and in com munities of 2500 and less. Teachers ;ire compelled to hoard with families living in the district, ami frequently the accommodations arc very poor. Where the teacher reauires periods, of comfort and quiet for his out-of-school work he finds, all too often, both these necessities denied him by the nature of his quarters in a humble country cottage. Often the teacher must live in a house which, combines living room, dining-room, kitchen and bed room In one compartment. This is true especially of the more backward community. Yet what locality needs an able and active teacher more sorely than this same backward community? When communities, in considering their school needs, can be brought to recog nize the necessity of providing ade quate living accommodations for the teachers, when they come to see that the ability of theteacher is quite as important as the architecture and ap pointments of school buildings, then, and not until then, will a more effec tive rural school system become practicable. A FREAK OF DISLOYALTY. The bandit Villa wns Riven five days start before an American crossed the Hlo Grande Riven a start that a jackrabblt wouldn't have overcome. If this handicap wasn't design, then it was Inefficiency. The Courier thinks it was design. So docs The Orego nian. Benton County Courier. The Oregonian feels quite able to state on - its own account what it thinks. It thinks, for example, that a patriotic and Sensible community like Corvallis must feel deep chagrin whenever a newspaper expressing such statements appears on its streets. Fifty years ago the Copperhead type was common. But it has not been given to this generation often to come In contact with Its hideous form. The. Oregonian confesses that it is inter ested in the mere observation of this Corvallis phenomenon, for it is quite rare in its manifestation of a perverse and nasty spirit toward the American Government, the American Army and the American people. For illustra tion: President Wilson kK-ps It. out that the very purpose of invadinr Mexico is to Ret Villa, and yet we all lautrh at the way they are going after him. They don't hope to catch him they hope to provoke war. There are many people who fear that the project of capturing Villa is more or less quixotic; but none other than the Corvallis irreconcilable has had the temerity to say that the Presi dent and all-others concerned in the Mexican venture are in a foul "con spiracy to promote war. What sort of mind is it that conceives thought so base and is willing to ascribe to others motives so wicked? - BETTER MEN. The Toung Men's Christian Asso ciation of Portland is nearly fifty years old one of the oldest in the United States and it is still growing. It is one of the greatest factors in the social, educational, athletic and re ligious lire of Portland; yet there are thousands of men and women to whom the Y. M. C. A. is but little more than a name, or a symbol of something along the line of religious effort some body, or group of somebodies, is trying to perform for themselves and for others. What a grievous and inexcus able error! How many know that the Y. M. C. A. -makes no distinction of creed or race, and that its chief and only aim is to make better men- better physi cally, intellectually, spiritually? Its field of activities is very wide. For example, take this paragraph from a current recital of Its work: At the lare3 central bulldln at the enr- ner of sixth and Taylor streets as many as a hundred gatherings may be In session any one night of . the week. Swimming clasBes, boxing classes, plumbing- cia.sees, singing clubs, tournaments, gospel meetings, wrentllns; bouts, debating societies, Bible studies and all sorts of educational classes may De found, operating. There are 1600 men in the nisht classes and 1500 men receive instruc tion in the gymnasium every week. In the basement alone. 750 meals are served every day. No one who has not seen it can have any conception of the hive of industrv and activity the T. M. C. A. building is. Jow a campaign is on to inerensn the Y. M. C. A. membership. It has been carried forward during several days by organized companies of zeal ous men who know what the organiza tion is doing, and who are deeply anx ious that every eligible individual within its reach be taken in and cared for. The campaign merits conspicuous success, for the community interest is so deeply involved in the Y. M. C. A. work that it would be nothing short of a general calamity if it should fail. A PUBLIC SHAME. Efforts of the Portland Journal to belittle by falsification the flax in dustry established at the penitentiary have now received three rebuffs from disinterested experts. Sir Francis Webster, a linen manu facturer of Scotland, visited the flax plant in December and was quoted by The Oregonian as having praised the work and processes adopted. The next day the Journal published a pur ported interview with Sir Francis in which the latter was said to have de clared his statements had been exag gerated and that he would not make another unless the newspaper seeking it put up a $10,000 bond guaranteeing correct reproduction. The following day The Oregonian published a statement written by Sir Francis, and voluntarily orfered, in which his former praise of the enter prise was confirmed and which closed with the following words: I would congratulate Governor Withvcombe on his enterprise end Mr. Cady and his assistants on the skill with which they have tackled the problem. A few days later Governor Withy combe received a letter from James McColI, of the James Livingston Flax Company, Yale, Mich. This letter was published in The Oregonian December 22. It contains the following: I recently received from an unknown source a number of clippings from Oregon papers bearing on the flax Industry in your state and criticising the management se verely. The clippings were rather amusing to read and it Is evident the writer is not very well informed as to the proper manner of han dling flax. Possibly some of the criticism is for political effect. No doubt some mistakes have been made and we expect there always wilt be. Now Frank C. Miles, scientific as sistant in fiber investigations of the Federal Department of Agriculture, takes the Journal to task for misquot ing him in an interview and also in an editorial after Mr. M?iea find in spected the flax industry at Salem. His regret is profound that this should have occurred "just at the time when the state's flax project ought to re ceive the support of all who are in terested in establishing a fiber-flax in dustry in Oregon." We quote further from Mr. Miles' letter: . I found the flax situation at Salem very encouraging. The criticism that was brought to my attention while I wns in your state was based almost wholly on what people had "heard," and in many instances the persons with whom I talked were much surprised when I told them the conditions as I saw them at the prison. They had evidently been misinformed, nnd on the whole, those who wore Inclined to be rjrlcal appeared pleased to hear that conditions were not ns they had supposed Of courso, such items in the press as the editorial mentioned in the foregoing may assist la conveying a false, impression, of the condition of affairs, and this is indeed unf ortunate. I was pleased to note, however, that for the most part the newspapers in your locality quoted me correctly regarding the progress of the flax work now being under taken by the Btate of Oregon. Here is a remarkable record, begin ning with a titled Englishman's polite rebuke and ending wKh the vigorous condemnation of an American scien tist. Certainly when that which may become a great industry is in the mak ing it is entitled to the support of all publications regardless of their poli tics. That there is in Oregon a news paper which for no fathomable rea son other than political will unjustly condemn and attempt to retard a worthy enterprise, and in so doing will put unspoken words into others' mouths, is indeed a shame and misfortune. THE SCLTAN'9 X'EW SWAGGER STICK. The Sultan of Turkey has been made a Field Marshal in the German army. This in accordance with the Kaiser's wishes. The proper official has been instructed to deliver to his imperial Turkish majesty the proper baton and trappings of the exalted grade. No doubt the Sultan is highly complimented. Likely enough he will assign his new rank to a proper place in his long list of titles. As soon as the Turkish keeper of records has en tered this new commission one sus pects that It will find its place in the "F" section of the Turkish Sultan's catalogue of trophies. That the honor is a high one need not be mentioned. Possession of a Field Marshal's baton is the goal of the brightest military minds of Ger many. There are scores of great men in Germany, one suspects, who would be willing to die the next day if they could wield a Field Marshal's baton a few hours. A few of Germany's most brilliant men have achieved that dis tinction after giving a lifetime of val uable and intelligent service. Von Hindenbur, dictator of the German fortunes in the east, has been honored with a baton. Von Mackensen, dash ing and competent leader of great armies, has fallen just short of that exalted rank. Von dor Goltz, military genius of the first magnitude, and the elder Von Moltke, one of the con spicuous figures of world history, have held the coveted baton. Yet this badge of military genius and achievement is passed out to a fat, sleek Sultan who probably could not draw a saber according to regula tions if his life depended upon it. In the same easy fashion the impetuous young Crown Prince is given com mand of great armies and intrusted with the most important military un dertaking. Other nobles are treated in similar fashion. Hundreds of thou sands of men die in brilliant charges without achieving the iron cross and yet favored personages are often deco rated who might shrink and run at the crack of a distant rifle. Such prac tices are in weird contrast to Ger man military efficiency. The system is one having some degree of similar ity to the ancient American practice of sending sleek politicians to the front in command of armies, which was one of the crying, abuses of the late Civil War, not to mention the more recent Spanish-American affair. There is one great difference, how ever. These favored Europeans must content themselves with empty honor. The Sultan is a Field Marshal but he must not take the field. The Crown Prince Is commander of great armies but he must not exercise command. Experts high in the efflciehcy of their service but of low degree in the matter of rank surround these titled incompetents and direct their every thought and movement. The man who may never rise higher than a Colonel, nevertheless, may provide the brain power for an army. The man who bears a Field Marshal's baton may have less authority than a Corporal. The titled figureheads gain the empty honors and the hum bler men gain the satisfaction of real work and real achievement. And while the great military minds of Ger many give their lives and best efforts struggling for that exalted goal, the Sultan, ruler of Turkey and ally of the Kaiser by the pleasure of Allah, may use his baton as a swagger stick while strolling leisurely each day from the palace to the harem and back. THE BI.tSDERS OF ICSORAXCE. Public understanding of the water power controversy, is highly desirable in the publio Interest. The public can get to understand it only by study and discussion, but such discussion, founded on ignorance and misinforma tion, as is given it by a contempo rary, is worse than none, for it only leads to misunderstanding. The House passed two bills at the last session of Congress the Adam Bon bill providing for development of water power on navigable streams and the Ferris bill providing for use of Government land in connection with water power on the public domain. The Senate at the present session has passed tho Shields bill as a substitute for the Adamson bill. The House has again passed the Ferris bill and a sub stitute introduced by Senator Myers Is before the Senate. Yet our learned contemporary terms the Shields bill a substitute for the Ferris bill. It was to be expected that, after thus blundering about the elementary facts as to pending bills, the news paper in question would blunder as to their provisions and effects. The Shields bill does not "seek to bring about promotion and development with a view to realizing all there is in it for the promoters, investors and operators and without regard for the interests of the greatest number or the public interests." All four of the bills in question provide for public regulation of rates in such manner that power companies would earn no profit on that which cost them noth ing. Under the Shields and Myers bills they would earn only a fair profit on their actual investment and, in case the Government bought in their plant, would only receive fair value, for their property. For that for which they had paid nothing they would receive nothing. This would Include the leased land and the water. The points in controversy are not whether the water powers shall be Handed over to corporations for use in making exorbitant profits, for under none of the bills could they receive more than regulative bodies, state or National, would permit. The main points in controversy are whether the Government has any constitutional right to lease power sites on public land, to collect rent based on the value of water owned by the states, and to regulate operations of power com panies entirely within a single state. Tho power companies know they will be regulated whether they like It or not, and some of them show a pref erence for Federal regulation, as pro vided by the Ferris and Adamson bills, because Western "kickers" would have to go to Washington at great expense, while state regujatloa would require them only to go to their several state capitals. A deliberate attempt is being made by advocates of Federal leasing and control to keep alive the impression that opposition to the Ferris and Adamson bills emanates entirely from the power companies. Most emphati cally it does not. All the criticisms of the power companies on those bills could be met without removing the objections of the Western states, as expressed at the Portland conference last September. Those objections are directed against Federal usurpation of state authority and against Federal exaction of revenue from water which every judicial decision from the foun dation of the republic has held to be under state jurisdiction except as to navigation and. in the case Of water on public land, has held to be state property. By all means let the people discuss water power. On adoption of the right policy largely depends the pros perity of the West, and the greatest aid to that end would be intelligent discussion, for that Would lead to a right conclusion. But such discussion as that by our contemporary merely confuses the public with misinforma tion and misunderstanding. The Justification of legal restrictions on railroad employes' hours of service is such wrecks as that at Amherst, O. No man should have even the oppor tunity to make the excuse for " a blunder which costs scores of lives that he has not had enough sleep. If, as is alleged in the case of the tower man, he has been kept awake by a sick wife, he should be set aside as unfit for duty. No man whose errors may cost many lives should be per mitted to work unless all his faculties are alert. San Francisco young men who failed at a civil service examination charge that the taking of moving pictures made them nervous. The questions asked, too, probably caused some slight inconveniences. The man who fails is always filled with explana tions of how it happened, and some thing is always to blame except his own unpreparedness. Ernest Schule? may have been com missioned to blow up the British steamship Matoppe, or he may be a German so obsessed with zeal to help the fatherland that he is crazy. Be cause he pulled off the affair too soon, the latter premise is more like it. The War Department has advised an aero club that it cannot accept gifts of aeroplanes from patriotic con cerns. Nor are funds available for purchase of planes. The workings of departmental red tape are beyond the ken of normal understanding. Carranea has been asked to hasten his decision as to when we may begin using the Mexican railway for trans portation of beans to our Mexican cam. paigners. Yes, dear old chap, please do hasten. The boys are hungry, don't y' know. Unity of action was decided upon at the conference of allied agents in Paris. Which is another way, we take it, of saying that the British have agreed to do some of the fighting henceforward. If the attempts to make diamonds are successful, lots of money tied up in jewelry will go into the banks. Who Would want a brilliant when some thing just as good could be made to order? New ways are continually being de vised to separate people from their money, but all have the same ending in the courts. It is only in fiction that the Wallingfords succeed. Why not, in common with the bi centenary of Lewis and Clark, also celebrate the opening of Portland's new postofflce? Or at least the laying of the cornerstone. Assistant Secretary of th Navy Roosevelt urges that we have the sec ond Navy in the w-orld. Why not make It second to none? It Isn't as if we couldn't afford It. Those young Britons who married to escape a call to arms now find them selves subject to military duty. How ever, they are better equipped for war by this time. Cows in Tacoma and Pierce County must wear lights fore and aft after dark, or more motorcyclists will break their necks, as one did the other night in collision. There are more Socialists than Bull Moose on the registration books so far. The surprising thing is that there are any Bull Moose. And here the Rose Festival plans are being made. Before we know it Christmas shopping will be In our midst. There must be money in the busi ness, judging by the way newspapers are changing owners in this section. Demands of the trainmen for the eight-hour day will make things inter esting on this North Coast. If only Pershing can keep Villa "moving south" long enough he may drown him in the Canal. The break with Germany is said to bo dangerously near. Quick, Wat son, the needle again! Prineville will put Itself on the railroad map, all it needs to become an inland metropolis. "Coast air patrol" is the name of a new defense plan. Probably a very appropriate name. The Americans are welcome to use Carranza's double lines of rust if they fix them up. The Innes couple must go to Geor gia, despite their fears of "good night!" for them. What! Another "rupture" with Germany! How many does that make? When Schoolmaster Frank Davey calls the roll, all answer "Present." O.-W. R. & N. improvements mean work for many hands at good pay. But with the Verdun issue unsettled perhaps Germany will not insist. Get out the creel and rod. The day is almost here. If you carry an, umbrella you are a rain breeder. How to Keep Well By rr. W. A. Evans. Questions pertinent to hygiene, sanitation and prevention of disease, if matters of gen eral Interest, will be answered in this col umn. Where space will not permit or the subject is not suitable, letter will be per sonally answered, subject to proper limita tions and where stamped, addressed en velope is Inclosed. Dr. .Evans will not make diagnosis or prescribe for individual dis eases. Requests for such service cannot be answered. (Copyright. 1916. by Dr. W. A. Evans. Published by arrangement with Chicago Tribune.) Fly Peat on Traina. AGENTELMAN traveling from Jack sonville, Fla., to Chicago on the Seminole Limited early in March killed 87 flies in the dressing rooms of the sleeper. The train was passing through southeastern Alabama, making brief stops at 50-mile intervals. This gen tleman asks me to make a practical suggestion. It is that every passenger car, sleeping car, diner and day coach be equipped with at least one fly swat ter. The wreck ax is needed only at long intervals. A fly swatter is needed every trip. The fly-swatter rack should be alongside the ax rack. Another gentleman tells me of kill ing five flies in the washroom of a Santa Fe sleeper passing through Illi nois. The ground outside was covered with snow. The car had brought the flies from the southwest. Another gentleman tells me of hav ing killed several hundred flies in a compartment of a Northwestern sleep er coming from Denver across Ne braska. This, however, was a Summer time experience, and, besides, the car was near the diner. The authorities of the Canal Zone have made a very careful study of the fly and mosquito question. Annual re port for 1915 says: "A source of mos quito influx has been found to be the railroad trains and streetcars. During the month of December an examination was made of the incoming passenger trains at the Panama station and it was found that they were at times heavily infested with mosquitoes. A search was made for mosquitoes on a train running from Colon to Panama. No mosquitoes were detected on the cars prior to their departure from Colon. The first observed entered the train at New Krijoles station; a larger number at the meeting place near Darien, where the train had to wait some few minutes for the one coming from the opposite direction, and others were observed entering at Gamboa and New - Culebra. The number of mos quitoes in trains depends on the num ber of stops and length of time of such stops." In this country cars pick up and transport mosquitoes. To prevent this the Pullman Company screens its cars. That the measure is not an entire suc cess every one knows. A fly swatter Would be of some service against mos quitoes, but their chief use would be against flies. ' The observations of the Panama au thorities as to cars and mosquitoes up ply to cars and flies in a general way. The flies are picked up at stops. A good deal of manure is transported on freight cars. There is an eating-houso in many depots. Dining cars attract flies. Flies abound around railroad de pots and yards and not even a screened car is fly proof. It is probable that every train com ing into a northern city during the early Spring months brings in a fair number of flies. These escape when the car is cleaned out. If the day is cold and the car is cleaned in a cold place the flies perish. Some, however, get into warm places and lay up ready for laying weather. The fly swatter suggestion is a good one. Child Has Pellosis. Mrs. E. H. W. writes: "Kindly give me some advice regarding my little girl, 7 years old. She weighs 64 pounds and seems to be in fairly good health, outside of a little cold off and on, on account of her tonsils being easily in flamed and swollen. "Five days ago she started having slight chills and complained of feeling tired, losing her appetite. "The second day in bed blotches ap peared on her back and on her legs, the sizes varying from one Inch to three inches in diameter, looking like slight swelling after a mosquito bite, changing to a redder hue after a few hours. She has had these blotches now for four days, with pains in her joints and light fever at nights. When I told the doctor about these blotches he did not seem to consider them important, but treated her for rheumatism and the heart. During Summer she is always feeling fine and healthy. Another thing, when asleep her hands go to sleep, too, judging by the way she describes the feeling in her hands. Having kept her from school so far on the advice of the doctor and following his rules for diet for her, I don't know what else I should do and ask you to please advise me." REPLY. Tour physician was right. The probability Is that she has pellosis, a form of eruption which sometimes comes in rheumatism. Get her over this attack with rheumatism medi cine. Then see about having her tonsils cut. " She will do better If she eats no sweets of any sort and not much fat. She will thrive on meat, vegetables. fruits (not VKiry sweet), bread, cereal without sugar, skimmed milk, buttermilk, cheese, cottage cheese, but no cream, whole milk or butter. Do not give her desserts. Book on Calories. Reader writes: "1. Where could I get a book telling about calories? 2. Wouldn't it be all right if a person left vinegar and spices out of their food? 3. Is pepper a spice? 4. My baby boy will be a year old in April. The doctor told me to give him mostly milk for a diet all next Summer on account "of Summer complaint. Do you think this is right?" REPLY. 1. One good one is Lusk's "Fundamental Basis of Nutrition"; auother is Conley's "Nutrition and Diet." 2. Tes. II. In a certain sense, yes. 4. Mostly milk is all right. In addition to milk he should have fruit Juice, potato, butter, gravy, some meat, some vegetables, bread and cereals. THE GARDEN SOXG. When I was a girl and was living at home, I though the worst nuisance a person could own Was a garden. It meant but a worry with worms and with weeds And one never could 'tend to the num ' erous needs Of a garden. So I never could see what fun mother found P.aking and hoeing and digging around In the garden. But how I have changed since my haughty young days. For now I speak never a word but in praise Of a garden. Every onion and carrot, potato and beet, To me is a friend whom I daily do meet In the garden. And each weed I encounter is some deadly foo That I must hew down with my trusty old hoe In the garden. No longer I think of the ache in my bones Whenever I carry a cartload of stones From the garden. But I find it a pleasure and through the Kreen rows Each morning you'll find me out trail ing a hose Round the garden. I'm as proud as a queen of the fruits of my toil And I'm lnvci- m gl.id us when stirring the soil In the garden. ADELAIDE M'NAJIARA NEUVILLE. DANGER IX SHORT Ll'XCH HOIK Ex-Salesman Tells of Indigestion Caused by Boltlna; Food. PORTLAND, March 30. (To the Edi tor.) For the benefit of the "Welfare Commission Conference" now in session I wish to state from personal experience my opinion of the lunch hour question, now up for discussion. Twelve years ago I worked in oneof the large de partment stores, and for several years previous to that time, the 46-minute lunch hour had been in operation and I can honestly say that to this day I feel the effects of this short lunch hour innovation in the way of Im paired health. It is not a case of having a clear 45 minutes from the time you leave the store until you return. This is the way it works out: After you ring in your time you go downstairs and wash your hands, put on your coat and hat, etc., five minutes is gone; then walk to your boarding-house, some six or eight blocks away and ten minutes is gone; probably the waitress is slow in serving you, as often is the case, and another five minutes is lopped off: you again return to the store and go to the basement, deposit your hat and coat and see that you are presentable and then come up and ring in. All must be done within the given 45 minutes, consequently one cannot de pend upon more than ten minutes to bolt lunch and get tortured with in digestion for the remainder of mortal life. Is it any wonder we are called a nation of dyspeptics? Store proprietors are sometimes apt to overlook the "golden rule," the result beinjr that they often lose the hearty co-operatton or tneir employes It is said of Andrew Carnegie that he would have given half his fortune had the Homestead strike not occurred, when several of his men lost their lives It is an old saying that "Charity begins at home." If the old iron master had made his Homestead plant a model in stitution before beginning to hand out free libraries to the public he would be a considerably bigger man today. Here we have a spectacle of wealthy store owners arguing before the commission that they cannot afford to return the 15 minutes filched from their employes lunch hour several years ago. Apparent ly the longer the day the better they like it. liX-BALlSSMAR. NOTHIXG TO SELL OR UlYIS AWAY Federal Government Owns ?o Water Powers to Dispose Of. MURRAY, Idaho. March 28. (To the Editor.) Miners and prospectors note with some mild concern that several Western newspapers have given space to an article by Gilford pincnot en titled "Control of Water Power," which article shrills forth the wailing "voice of one crying in the wilderness" for help. Owing to its heartily welcome ab sence in the West for somo time past we really had hoped that wretched whlninc- voice was welcomely dead and buried! So we proceed to bury it once more. That ghoulish, uncanny, gruesome voice screams from the dark of Milford wood: "I write to ask for your help to de feat the most serious attack on our publio resources." "The Shields bill now before the Senate gives to the power Interests without compensation the use of water power on navigable streams. Wow! and wow!! Even this ghost with supposed uncanny power of su pernatural Insight now flames out again in its old familiar style when in the flesh, and just as of ye olden times now seeks to pull the w-oo,l over the eyes of the people with a broad gauged all-uncomprehensive falsehood The Federal Government owns no water power, nor waters from which oower can be created. The Federal Government does not own the waters of the rivers either navigable or unnavigable they be long to the states. The United States Government own ing nothing of that kind, of course, has none to sell and none to give away. CHESTER T. KE.N.NAN. A FABLE REVISED. Among all the fables of Aesop is one Of a contest of strength 'twlxt the wind and the sun. "See me prove I'm the stronger." It was the sun spoke. "Mr. Wind, make yon traveler take off his cloak." So the wind got to work and he blew hard and strong And with cloak drawn still closer, the man trudged along With the wind blowing hard and the sun making scoff, "Mr. Wind, give it up. Now watch me take it off." ' Then the sun showered down on the man his hot beams. And they heated the cloak and they pierced through its seams Till the cloak was pulled off and cast useless away; Conclusively showing the sun had the day. And thus has the story come down through the years. Proving gentleness greater than force It appears. Now one story is good till another is told. Suppose that the job, in that contest of old, Had been a grand effort to get a cloak on Do you think that the sun, or the wind, would have won? How soon would the sun and his rays piping hot. Have suggetsed his cloak to that traveler? What? F. P. WILLIAMS. Army and Navy Appropriations. VANCOUVER, Wash., March 29. (To the Editor.) (1). How much money was used for all purposes of the Navy of 'the United States, including any money spent for building ships or any improvements in 1915? (2). How much money was used for the Army of the United States in the year 1915? (3). What was the Congressional appropriation for Navy and Army? JAY VEB WANLES3. (1). Army and Navy appropriations are made for the fiscal year beginning July 1, and Government accounts are kept by the fiscal rather than the cal endar year. Tho Navy appropriation for the fiscalyear 1915 was $144,868, 716. , This included new construction, maintenance and everything. (2) . The appropriations for the Army were $101,019,212 for the regular es tablishment, 3997,899 for the Military Academy, and $5,627,700 for fortifica tions. (3) . These appropriations represent the expenditures, as none of the funds were turned back. More Language or Postage Stamps. PORTLAND, March 30. (To the Ed itor.) In a letter to The Oregonian published Wednesday, E. June explains how to be foolish with postage stamps, when you have nothing else to do, by putting George Washington on his head if you're in love, or on his left ear if you have tho mumps, and eo on. But Mr. June forgot to finish the list of the "language of postage stamps. Allow me: To stick the stamp on without suffi cient saliva means: "How dry I am." To stick it on obliquely means: "I was brought up in a barn and leave the door open wherever I enter." To place it beyond the confines of the envelope so that half hangs over Into space; "I am a hanger-on." To put nonfl on at all, mea.ns: "Be v.tirc, 1 ant brok." And to put on more than necessary, means: "I am not broke, but ought to be; beware just the same." E. JULY. In Other Days. Twenty-Flve Years Asro. From The Oregonian March 31. 1S9X. Washington. Tom Carter's appoint ment as Commissioner of the Land Of fice, just made by the President, seems to be generally approved here. Carter is ex-Congressman from Montana. His appointment is generally attributed to influence brought by Russell Harrison, of the Northern Pacific. On the grounds that they were fraudulently made the entries of Rob ert' L. Doollng and Martin J. Conroy, for timber land in the Vancouver, Wash., district, were canceled yester day. They were made for J. B. Mont gomery, it was decided. A religious rebellion in India is re sponsible for 500 deaths there.- Miss Grace Weston Fuller, eldest daughter of Chief Justice Fuller, of the United States Supreme Court, was married yesterday to A. L. Brown, of Chicago. Geraldine Ulmar, the grand opera singer, was married also yester day to Ivan Caryll, London composer." Peter Saalburg, while on his way home last night, was attacked by foot pads and relieved of $17.50. A statue to General Grant will be unveiled Memorial day at Galena, 111. J. If. Steffens, proprietor, has in vited the public to the opening tonight of the new three-story Alblna Hotel, at Goldsmith and Wood streets. L. L. McArthur will be one of th principal speakers at the opening of the fine new St. Helens Hall building this afternoon. Miller Brothers' spectacle. "Kanjan ka," will be seen at the Marquam Grand Monday evening. Ravel, the fa mous clown, will be in the company. An agreeable party was held last Saturday night at the home of Thomas Jones, in East Portland. The occasion was an auspicious one for the Welsh people, a large number attending. Half xi Century Aro. From Tho Oregonian March IRftfl. The New York Bakery. No. 9 North Front street, announces that steam has been applied to its cracker machinery and that tho first steam bakery in Ore gon is now operating. The union state ticket is as follows: For Congress, Rufus Mallory, of Ma rion: for Governor, George I Woods, of Wasco; for Secretary of State, Sam uel E. May, of Marion ; i' or State Treas urer, E. N. Cooke, of Marion, and for State Printer, W. A. . McPherson, of Linn. The Democrats of Yamhill Ccmnty have elected Dr. White, W. T. Newby, D. Powell, Samuel Kinney, Dr. Embree and Andrew Callion delegates to the Democratic state convention. An ordinance passed the Council March 21 regulating and providing for the location of shade and ornamental trees in the streets of Portland. Captain A. W. Waters, of tho Linn County company of Oregon Infantry, is on his way to Willamette. Or., to visit his old home. Lieutenant Balch. oT Captain Waters' company, has been mustered out of service. Parrish & Bowles, successors to Par rish & Holman, have moved their of fices to No. 11 Morri6on street. The dust will be allowed to accu mulate on the scenes and cushioned seats of the old Willamette Theater after the play this eveninswwhicn will be a repetition of "Jlazenpa." with the wild "untamed" steed trained by Mr. Ladd to give the erfect to part of the performance for the benefit of Miss Crampton. THREE BROKEX PROMISES CITED. Political Pledges Recalled That Hare Had Fate of Treaties. NEWBERO, Or., March 30. (To tho Editor.) Not long since the -press re ported Colonel Roosevelt as suying in substance, a treaty is a promise on a piece of paper. If a nation, breaks one. none call it to account. But if an individual fails to keep bis promises his fellow men regard him thereafter as one unworthy of confidence. A few years ago a distinguished man. In public life of his own volition, said: "Under no circumstances will I again be a candidate for or accept another nomination." Could a promise be ex pressed in stronger language? Is it in any way susceptible of double con struction? In 1912 a United States Senator from Oregon wired his successful opponent for the nomination his congratulations and promised his hearty support. He broke that promise by being a candi date against the man he declared he would support. Was not his expressed promise more sacred than the desire of his friends that he claimed was the cause of his repudiating the promise he in good faith had made? Also in 1912 a man accepted the nom ination for President upon a platform committing the candidate to one term, as well as to declare in favor of free canal tolls for vessels engaged in coast wise trade. This man told the public his party platform was not "molasses to catch flies." Both declarations of that platform have been repudiated. Have the circumstances been so exten uating that he is justified in ignoring the promises his party commissioned him to keep? Would it not be wisdom on the part of the people to hold men in public life to a strict adherence to their prom ises made to the public? According to the -ethics of Colonel Roosevelt are not these three men qualified to be presidents of the Ananias Club? W. O. BINNS. Consideration for Land Applicants. NEWPORT, Or., March 28. (To tho Editor.) I notice in The Oregonian that 26 settlers are lined up at Port land Land Office waiting for the open ing of lands in what was formerly Silets Indian Reservation, and that some of them had been In line for a number of days. While I was Register of the Land Office at Roseburg, Or, I had but ono opening where we allowed the appli cants to line up. Noting the - hard ship to applicants I inaugurated the number system and as each applicant came in I gave him a number, and then allowed each to file in order of his number, thus cutting out tho hardship of standing in line for a number of days and nights. I could find no law on the subject but no complaint was ever made and no contest ever filed and the depart ment made no objections and the Set tlers were well pleased. B. F. JONES. Office Furniture A business. man spends more of his waking hours in his office than any where else on earth. He should have It attractive, not only for the effect on customers, but for his own comfort. A business is sometimes marked up or marked down by Its settings and surroundings. The advertising columns of The Oregonian frequently contain sug aestions as to the best means of furnishing an office. And they are the directory of the betrt stores -selling this class of merchandise.