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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (June 26, 1916)
8 THE MORNING OREGOIYIAX, MONDAY, JUNE 26. 191G. WRTLASI), OREGON. Itntered it Portland (Oregon) Postofflea as second-class mall matter. Subscription ftates-Invarlaply la edvaneel (By Mall.) Dally. Sunday Included, one year. . . . . . .$B OO Laily, Sunday Included, six month! -Xi L-ally, Sunday Included, three months... 2.-3 Jjaily, Sunday Inoluded, ona month. .... -i" Laily. without Sunday, one year 9.W lally. without Sunday, six montha. . 8-5 Ijaily. without Sunday, three montha... l.5 tai;y, without Bunday. ona month. .... . -o Weekly, one year 112 Bunday, one year ......... -5x Sunday and Weekly, one year 3. (By Carrier.) Dally, Sunday Included, one year o Xaily. Sunday Included, one month..... .70 How to Remit Send, posfofflce money order, express order or personal check: on your local bank. Stamps, ooin or ourrency are at sender's risk. Give poetofflce address la full, including county and state. Postage Rates 12 to 16 pages, 1 cent: IS to M paes, Z cents; 84 to 4S pages, 3 cents: 60 to 00 paaee. 4 cents; 62 to To pases. 0 cents; 78 to 82 pages. 6 cents. Foreign postage, double rates. Eastern Business Office Vsrree a: Conte Hn. Brunswick building. New York; Verree fc Conklin, Steger building, Chicago. Ban Prancisco representative, K. J. BidwelL 742 Market street. FORTIAND, MONDAY, JDT1 18, 1816. FERMTT SO BAILBOAD STRIKE. The threat of a strike) on practically all th railroads of th United State Is renewed. The brotherhoods of em ployes are to vote on the question wttether their officers shall . be au thorized to call a strike In case their demands are refused. The railroad companies are willing- to submit the points In dispute to arbitration under the Newlande act. The brotherhoods show a decided aversion to arbitration; . a union meeting of their members at Boston on October 31, 1915, resolved "that we wll never again submit to arbitration." In taking this attitude, the brother hoods Ignore the rights of the third and most Important party to the con troversy the public. Should a strike, occur, the public would suffer most. Travel would be interrupted, much business destroyed and some com munities would endure positive priva tion. Through a great majority of the newspapers and through the United States Chamber of Commerce the pub. lie has demanded that the entire dis pute between the "railroads and their employes be arbitrated. This demand should he heeded, for any addi tion made to operating expenses of the railroads must be paid by the public. The railroads are only now getting into a position where they can obtain the capital to make improve ments and extensions which should have been made years ago. If their operating expenses should be In creased,, they would demand higher rates, which the public would pay. Any increase in wages would come from the public pocket- The railroad companies say the em ployes' demands mean an increase of $100,000,000 a year In wages. The employes deny this and say they de mand only an eight-hour day and; pay ment for overtime at the rate of time and a half. The nature of the de mands proves the companies' state ment to be correct as to fact, whatever may be the amount of the Increase. The employes demand payment on the basis of an eight-hour day on .100 miles, while they are now paid on the basis of ten hours or 100 miles. The day's work would not be reduced, and the employes do not ask or desire that It be reduced; they simply wish to be gin drawing overtime after having worked eight hours Instead of after having worked ten hours. Thai is an increase of 2 5 per cent in wages. They also demand one and a half times the proportionate rate for overtime. At that rate a man who now receives $5 for ten hours would get $5 for eight hours, or at the rate of 62 cents an hour. He would still work ten hours, but for the last two hours he would be paid at the rate of 93 cents an hour. He would therefore get $6.87 for the same work for which he now receives $5. For overtime beyond ten hours he now gets. 50 cents; he would then get 93 cents. That the em ployes really want the additional pay, not the shorter workday, was dem onstrated by their silence when the Railway-Age Gazette asked them whether they would favor reduction of the train schedules to an eight-hour basis with abolition of the mileage basis. Then the employes' demands do in volve an Increase in expenses, which the public must ultimately pay, either la higher rates or In poor service, and in lack of improvements and of new roads. Refusal of arbitration and in sistence on these demands under threat to strike is therefore a hold-up of the American people. The brother hoods refuse to submit the justice of their demands to judicial decision; they say to the people: "Pay what we ask or we 'will tie up your , busi ness." In the present crisis with Mexico the employes by their attitude do more than threaten to tie up business; they threaten to disable the Government for transportation of troops and sup Piles to the scene of hostilities. When American soil has been invaded, American citizens murdered, American troops led into ambush and slain and the American Government threatened with war If it pursues the murderers Into Mexico, the menace is made that the entire transportation system of the American Government will be para lyzed unless these demands are granted. In this emergency the duty of Con gress is plain. It should provide that the hours of work and rates of pay on railroads shall be made the subject of inquiry by an arbitration board or by the Interstate Commerce Commission, together with all other questions re lating to the expenses and income of railroads. Congress should forbid any concerted suspension of work. The uninterrupted operation of railroads and other public utilities! should be made an obligation as much of their employes as of their owners. The right to that barbarous Implement- the strike may be permissible In other Industries. On railroads and other public necessities it should be . supplanted by the right o an impartial decision on the justice of all claims. The present emergency should end with the final abolition Of railroad strikes. - OCR LACK OF AIRCRAFT. Most shameful of all the sins of omission committed by Congress in not preparing the Nation for war is its failure to provide a flying corps for Army and Navy. The aeroplane is an American invention and its production On a large scale should have been ef fected first in the United States, but the Wright brothers went to France. The importance of aircraft in war was perceived as promptly in the United States as in Europe, but Congress has done nothing of any value to provide Army' and Navy with air scouts. In consequence our Army in Mexico has been handicapped In Its pursuit of bandits and In guarding against treacherous attacks by Carranzistas. Had Captain Boyd's detachment of cavalry been accompanied by an aero plane, the ambush at Carrizal might have been avoided. The aerial ob server would have been able to report the threatening movement of the Mex ican troops, the concealed trench and the stretching of the circle around the Americans, and Captain Boyd could have avoided the trap. He was caught unawares as completely as were the Russians in the trap which Von Hind enburg set for them in East Prussia and in that which Von Mackensen set in Gallcla. The United States has led In inven tion, but that has been through the in dividual work of its citizens. Its Gov. eminent has always lagged- behind in applying these Inventions to National service. An American Invented the steamship, but the Government con tinued to build sailing ships for the Navy for many years after. An Amer ican Invented the armored steel ship, but our Government built the Monitor and then stopped, while Britain be gan building an iron and steel navy. Not until twenty years after the Civil War did the United States build the first steel warship. Congress has Placed every other duty ahead of its primary duty to provide for the Na tional defense. LET TUB FARMERS IS. Preponderance of public sentiment In Portland and - Oregon favors the general utility highway over the pleas ure boulevard. A combination of scenlo road and general traffic artery is the present Ideal. Terwilllger boulevard lends itself to that combi nation. It Is the natural connecting link with Portland for a large and prosperous farming district to the southwest, and Its scenlo Qualities are unusual. The terms of the gift from, the Ter willlger estate confined use of the boulevard to pleasure vehicles and a city ordinance enforces that restric tion. There Is now a movement ':o obtain repeal of the ordinance. There ought to be no question about repeal of the city law if the terms of .the gift are not binding or can be released. If release of this condition is the ob stacle a showing of the necessity ought favorably to convince" the donors. . So far as wear on the road's surface Is concerned, the boulevard is now open to and used by heavy sight-seeing cars, which surely will wear out a pavement as quickly as farmers' wag ons. We would not deny the sight seeing cars the privilege of taking passengers over the boulevard. The question Is merely one of making It a better utility and of saving the large coBt of making some other connection with country roads already surfaced or undergoing Improvement. Portland needs better access -to the Tualatin Valley and Washington County. But to parallel a costly boule vard with a general purpose highway In a locality that offers road construc tion difficulties would 'be absurd under the present condition- of public fi nances. EARXY CAMP EXPERIENCES. The Oregon troops are fortunate In their early experiences in camp. Things are moving smoothly, all things considered. If they have not all the comforts of home, at least they have found ho drawbacks of consequence. No epidemics have given a foretaste of the real horrors of war, nor will there be any. If the signs are read aright. The troops are making a splendid start toward being whipped Into one of the efficient fighting units of the war. New York, however, which ought by all rules of probability to be in bet ter shape than Oregon, is already hav ing Its troubles. The Plattsburg train ing camp had been in use before, and was presumed to have stood the test. but it has been found wanting. The camp is already a sea of mud and the assembling soldiers have been ordered to a new site. Men of military expert. ence had supposed that the rains of Spring would sink into the ground and be carried away, but instead the ter rain has been growing worse day after day. Carloads of sand and cinders have failed to give substantial relief. Now a "retreat' to a sandy location has been ordered. At last the men are to have a camn on land which it is hoped will keep dry all the time. In addition to these woes, about S50 men in one battalion suffered from ptomaines. This was attributed to canned beans. It would seem that New York is threatened with a repe tition of some of the experiences that were preliminary to the Spanish- American war. Facts multiply to show that Oregon has done exceptionally Well thus far. It bids fair to send into active service, and at an early date, a force of young men not in the least impaired toy their mobilization experiences, which is more than some of the Older states will be ahle to boast. . SEAL TEST OF PROSPER1TT. Statistics of employment, of exports and imports and even of business fail ures may be misleading as to the real prosperity of a nation. The question is not what is being done at the mo ment toy way of keeping the wolf from the door, but of what foundations are being laid for enduring enterprise later on. It is of the highest impor tance to know what new enterprises are being Tostered, ti-hat favorable opportunities for new capital are being opened; in a word, what preparations are being made to meet, not the tem porary situation existing while some millions of Europe's productive forces are busy fighting, but the really com petitlve conditions that will exist after peace has been declared. A mere riot of prosperity based on large exports of war materials and necessities, on the full payrolls of manufacturers engaged in that trade and on Influx of money in payment for purchases from abroad may even be unhealthy in the long run Tor A people at present reaping what they are pleased to call the "benefits thereof. Profits, pile up, capital ac cumulates, the spenders have their day but then what? Is anything tangible being done toward providing employment for this accumulating capital, as well as for labor, later on? What industries that were not in exist- ence before the war are springing up? What beginnings are being made in enterprises that are likely to con tribute to the welfare of the people when the world is level again? An Argentine delegate to the New York State Bankers convention hit the nail on the head recently when he said that it was not true always that "trade follows the flag." Trade, he explained, follows capital. Europe established a foreign trade because it put capital' into it; it developed Indus tries at home In the same manner. Now that a goodly proportion Of Eu rope's capital has crossed the ocean it would seem that we have a rein forcement of one of the essential ele menta both of foreign trade and do- mestic Industry. But the real question Is whether we are doing anything sub stantial to encourage capital to inter est Itself in the arts of peace. Choked money vaults, even enormous savings by laboring men now enjoying their share of the common revival of busi ness, are of value only potentially. Idle money may mean hard times as much as idle labor. Both, must have employment. It is a problem that our statesmen must assail in all seriousness and at once. MAKRTTNG WAR C BEETLES. Headway is being made, particularly In Great Britain, in the movement to provide wives for war cripples. English women seem to be taking the situa tion In all seriousness. In lesser meas. ure the same thing is being done in the warring countries on the conti nent. Even the hoplessly maimed are not rejected as possible spouses. Men who in the flower of such manhood as they had before the "war would not have been regarded as over-eligible are being mated to women whose ro mantic instincts and whose patriotism have been stirred to the depths by new national crises. Marriage statistics have been upset by the new trend, and a setback given to the eugenics movement everywhere, while the tender passion Is only In cidentally a factor now. The clinging vine of old bids fair to change places with the sustaining oak. For it Is not question. In these unions of the wrecks of war with physically perfect women, of the desire of woman to mate with her "master," to find her groove in the home, to settle down into a life in which she shall be shielded and protected by her " lord. It ' is largely the question how much the man needs to toe taken care of that determines his suitability. The more helpless in the eyes of the extremely patriotic woman, her prospective hus band is, the more reason there is why she ought to marry him. Of course, many of these matings are going to suffer from the test of time. A good deal of the glamor will wear off. One cannot make the best of husbands out of an ordinary mortal by simply shooting off his arms or legs. Yet women have the advantage of being more steadfast than men in their spiritual atachments, and it is a safe statement to make that more of them will go through with 'their bargains than there are men who would do the same if the conditions as to sex were reversed. SOCIAL ECTEejnOATORA. The death In a freight-train wreck the other day of a Massachusetts woman, who was "riding the trucks" and who proves to have been a self styled "social investigator," raises anew the question whether any real good ever has come from this variety of sociological Inquiry. The motives of those who disguise themselves, as It were, and adopt for the time being the manners and customs of those they are seeking to "Investigate," are perhaps not to be doubted. We may dismiss the view that they are prompted by desire for notoriety as superficial and unworthy In most In stances. But it is proper to ask whether the investigator succeeds even in acquiring the point of view of those with whom he is mingling temporarily, to say nothing of obtain ing anything like a deep and enduring knowledge of the conditions under inquiry. Inauguration of an Investigation presupposes an evil to be remedied, a Wrong to be righted or a deplorable condition to toe Improved. It also is accomplished by a feeling, more or less consciously admitted, of superior, ity to the class to be "uplifted." Now the tramp and the slum dweller, the casual worker and the peripatetic ne'er-do-well are by no means al ways sensible of their own Inferiority or willing to confess It as a fact. The investigator, therefore, however lofty his motives, finds a gulf between them from the start. Obviously he, or she. will not be able to deceive anyone as to the genuineness of the character assumed. The gulf remains, and if it Is not widened by a fatally patronizing attitude It at least cannot be narrowed except by long and persistent exercise of uncommon tact. Short periods SO spent are virtually wasted. The outer crust of the "lower stratum is not so easily penetrated. Lacking the. full confidence of his fellow being, the investigator fails also In acquiring his mental and spiritual attitude toward the serious problems of life. The tramp who Is seriously enough a tramp to be worth Invest! gating is of a hopeless sort. He has failed somehow. He did hot fit him self to meet the struggle, or he yielded to temptation and wasted his years when time was valuable, or he did not cultivate the precious habits of thrift and Industry. In any case, he has sinned away his day of grace, and he knows It. Embittered he may be. but hopeless, nevertheless. Now- fib well-fed sociologist can ever quite at tain that point of view. He knows he can drop the whole thing when he Is ready to do so, can return to his more congenial friends and his beer and skittles and his assurance of steady and remunerative work. He deceives no one more than himself it he believes for an Instant that he can prepare himself in a few days or months to put himself literally In the position of his unfortunate brother. This has been the common falling of adventures of the kind. They have evolved no new plans of reform worth while. They do not strike at the root of evil, real or fancied. The Massa chusetts woman gave her life to what doubtless was a well-meant effort to accomplish some good, but nothing at all will come of it. She would have had nothing better to relate than a tale of adventure if she had lived. AMERICANS EXPORTING DYES. That the United States is making St least a beginning in the dye export in dustry is shown by the figures of the New York Custom House for the sec ond week in June. It is not so much that the amount in itself is astonish lhgly large as that fifteen countries appear on the list of purchasers. Log wood extracts were not included In the statistics, Which take account only of finished colors. The" total of ex ports of dyes for the week was in excess of $67000, England leading, with slightly more than half. The other Countries on the list were Italy, Mexico, Russia, Scotland, Denmark, Japan, Argentina, Venezuela, Portugal, Jamaica, Panama, Cuba, Brazil and Ecuador. There are In all some four thousand "shades" in the list of dyes of all kinds, but the number for practical purposes is put at seven hundred. Of these, more than three hundred are now being made in the United States, and manufacturers say that others can be made in this country whenever the plants are equipped. That is to say, they are not out of the fnarket because of lack of ability to produce them when the time Is ripe. No especial ef fort to build up a foreign trade in this branch has been made, because the domestic demand has not yet been satisfied. Sales made thus far have been more or less oa "unsolicited" orders. It Is an auspicious beginning, never. theless. It opens a vista of wonder ful possibilities, not only because of the value of the trade Itself but be cause it Is Interwoven with so many others. Properly nourished, it ma lead the way to boundless develop ments in saving of by-products and in general economic efficiency. Improvement In railroad earnings continued in April, though not at as fast a pace as In March. For 476 roads operating 246,616 miles of track gross earnings increased 150,941,052 or 21.45 per cent, net earnings 686,' 695,857 or 38.13 percent. The Pacific Coast roads showed an increase of 13,486,263 or 24.65 per cent In gross earnings and (2,875,916 or 62.37 per cent In net earnings. This comparison la with April, 1915, when the present boom in traffic had barely started and when' the Increase In net earnings was due to curtailment of expenses. That the tottterness of war Is soon forgotten by the actual combatants Is shown by Russia and Japan In the progress made In their efforts to com. plete a compact guarding their com. man Interests in the Far East. No embarrassment is found in the fact that these nations only a few years ago were engaged in deadly combat and statesmen are proceeding to business as if that war never had come to pass. People of The Dalles could have hit on no better -way of Impressing trav elers with the beauties and advantages of their section than, by distributing fruit on the trains. Only the most Confirmed hardshell could resist the blandishments of a luscious Wasco County cherry while as for the girls who ere going to meet the trains, they are simply irresistible. If the Mexican war should continue for any prolonged period. It Is possible that the National Guard would be sent to the Canal Zone and the Islands to replace regulars who would be sent to the front. But the guardsmen would not relish garrison duty, when there was fighting to be done. They feel equal to any Mexican living. The time Is surely ripe fof another vigorous move on the part of the al lies. Russia's advance against Austria while no major operations are under taken elsewhere may prove to 'be the first In a series of moves. France can. not afford to let Germany gain much more ground toward Verdun without risking loss of that city. If the President and Congress had taken the demand for preparedness seriously In December, 1914, when the President said there was no cause for alarm, there might not have been such scurrying around for troops to send to Mexico. It was to be expected that the Mexl. cans would seek to humiliate the cap tured negro troopers, but what the rest of the Tenth will do to the Mexl cans if opportunity is given them Is enough to make one sorry for the Mexicans. Something familiar about the call for American troops to stand by on the eve of a Panama election. Even Panama appreciates the value of law and order and is aware of her own temperamental shortcomings. It must mean that Germany Is run nlng short of food when the Berlin municipality arranges to open public kitchens early next month. At best It can be nothing less than conservation of supplies to avoid waste. The waterfront employers of San Francisco who have recruited 300 negro strikebreakers are not taking the best means toward settlement. Injecting a race issue into the affair Is a dangerous proceeding. The Chinese treasury Is empty and Japan wants to force a $100,000,000 loan on her. President Yuan prefers to get the money from America, which, has no designs, and he is about right. A Butte miner killed his wife to stop her attending dances while he was at work and then made the job complete by killing himself. Most jealous husbands are not so thorough. The Mexicans who put on the uni forms captured from the troopers of the Tenth Cavalry looked more like soldiers for a while than they ever had before In their lives.' Premier Tuan Chi-Jul and the rest of the Chinese Cabinet would resign; but all Li Yuan Hung need do Is order the chief executioner to sharpen his ax to keep them in line. Britannia may rule the waves, but she nods occasionally and lets Ger many reach out, grab a ship and re tire. Such Incidents serve as an anti dote to somnolence. After the roses come the sweet peas, and Oregon has another opportunity to show the amazing possibilities of her soil and climate. Great Britain is willing to looTt after any United States Interests In Mexico that may be overlooked by Funston. China is fitting herself for her place among modern nations. Already she has another Cabinet crisis on hand. Wilson carries his watchful waiting so far as to delay accepting until he has read what Hughes will say. It take more than this Oregon tnlst to dampen the spirits of the boys at Camp Wlthyconvbe. " Rather odd that Montana which Is close to the roof of this country, should be flooded. Commissioner Daly has as many moods about jitney regulation as a fickle woman. Carranza needs a .special filing case to hold all the peremptory notes. Wilson Is planning to answer Hughes. Just a note, or a series of them? They're tenting tonight on the cold, damp ground. Oregon! First for Hughes and first for the border. These war days vrlll develop a new line of fiction. All kinds of weather for the soldier. How to Keep WelL Br Dr. W. A. Xnat, Questions pertinent to hygiene, sanitation and prevention of dlseaae. If matters of gen eral Interest, will be answered in thia col umn. Where space will not permit or the subject la not suitable, letter will be per sonally answered, subject to proper limita tions and whan stamped addressed en velope la Inclosed. Dr. Evans will not make diagnosis or preserlbo for Individual dis. eaaea. Requests for such service eanaot be answered. (Copyright. 11. by Dr. W. A. tnM. Published by arrangemaat with tha Chicago Tribune.) THE BAD MILK SEASON. DR. FURRIER, ssalatant secretary of tha Cleveland milk commission, publishes In the Cleveland Medioal Journal his views on the relation ot milk to dlseaae. We are now at tha threshhold of the season, of bad milk. Before the cool weather comes there will be a good many thousand deaths among those who disregard such opin ions as those of Dr. Furrer. "Pure milk la now recognized to ba quite as significant of the sanitary In dex of a oommunlty as pure water. Many communities now have pure wa ter. Whenever a community has a ty phoid death rate of less than ten it can be assumed that tha water is reason ably pure. No community' has any where near a pure milk supply. Purify ing tha milk supply Is lagging twenty five years behind purification of the water supply. "Milk-bourne epidemics are as repre hensible as is drinking water con taminated by sewage." In our large cities more typhoid and other forma of preventable diseases are spread by milk than by water. "Given a pure milk supply, our mortality will be sub atantlally reduced. Especially is this true of infant mortality." With which conclusion every one ot experience agrees. "Infected milk spreads tuberculosis, diptheria, scarlet fever, and septic aore inroet- "Milk in Cleveland is divided Into grades A. B. and C. Grade A is cer tified milk. Grade B is pasteurized market milk. Grade C is ordinary mar ket milk unpasteurized. Grade A may be consumed raw or rnodififd eepe daily for Infants. It la used chiefly by the well-to-do and middle classes. Grade B Is used by all classes and is safe if properly pasteurized. Grade C Is chiefly used by the poor or unin formed, and used raw is a menace to the consumer and to the community. Many communities, especially in the East, now require that milk shall be graded Into grades A, B, and C. The grades recognized by these laws are those recommended by the commission on milk standards. These standards are: Grade A Raw, practically certified milk. Grade A Pasteurized;- very high grade mux. properly pasteurized. Grade B Ordinary market milk of gooa graae. made sale from typhoid, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, and other forms of infection by pasteurization. tirade C Cooking milk. Grade C milk, as described by Dr. Furrer, must be Improved In quality and pasteurized, whereupon it is trans ferred to grade B. That which is not so improved cannot be used except for cooking and manufacturing. The pro portion of the total milk now used for cooking and manufacturing Is very large. A system by which all of the milk used for cooking and manufac turing Is from Grade C would save money and leave plenty of liquid so- called fresh milk of grades A and B for babies and for ordinary drinking purposea Some of the states and more of the cities now have milk laws drawn on this -basis. Other statements by Dr. Furrer are! Milk should be aerated and cooled to 40 degrees within 16 minutes of milk lng. Milk should be transported ex pedltlously and reach the consumer not warmer than 60 degress and with in 86 hours of milking. Nervous Girl, B. T. writes: "What can be done for a girl 21 years of age who has been nervous since the age of 6, at whlcr. time she was vaccinated? uets ex cited when talking, even to her mother, wiggling her whole body and jerking and stamping her feet, also jerking arms and hands. Would a malt tonic do any good? She is thin and pale.' REPLY. She must be taught polee. This Is a mat ter of mental and social training. There are neonle who teach it- If she la thin and pale she should be fattened. Give her plenty of milk, crackers and rice. In addition to a xuii aiet ox otner tooa. Hay Escape Operation. M. R. A. writes: "Could the shock and the jar received in falling into s hole several feet deep cause the uterus to become ratroflexed and prolapsed? "2. Is there any relief other than an operation r REPLY. 1. Tes. 2. Local treatment often gives relief and sometimes cures. Removing: 'Warts. Reader writes: "Will you please give remedy for removing warts on hands? Some are large, others you can just see." REPLY. Heat a needle white hot. Transfix the wart with the white hot needle. Blood Teat. C. S. writes: "Please advise through your column where I could get a thorough blood test for venereal di sease." REPLY. ' Apply at tha health department laboratory. PORTLAND'S DEBT AND FINANCES Financial Oblixrailona Not Large, Com pared -Vltti Other Cities. PORTLAND. .June 24. (To tha Ed. ltor.l) (1) What is the present in debtedness of Portland? (2) Is this -large, compared with other cities, suon ss Seattle, ban Fran Cisco and Los Angelea, for instance? (3) What is approximate yearly rev- enue and through what sources ob tained? (4) What effect has the new prohlbl tlon law had on tha general financial and business standing of the city? NEWCOMER. (1) Portland's Indebtedness on June 21, 1916. was: General bonds outstanding. ... .617. 763.600.OO Less sinking funds 1. 927.7711 64 Total S15.635.727.SS Improvement bonda outstand ing I13.5-I0.S24.4O Less sinKinz tunas -firu.o-4.oo Total f 13.011,001.54 (2) No. (3) For year. 1915, 14.160.000. derived as follows: Taxes. 12. 893.153. 63; In terest on dally balances. $28,530; Inter est on investments. $30,000; licenses, $399. 102.61 ; franchises, $83,206.90; fines and fees, X52.836.95; public improve' ments, $116,440.30; sale of propertv $36,364.90; rents and leases. $3887.44 miscellaneous, $20,344.55: water rates, $1,284,132.80; total. $4,150,000. (4) Reduced revenue from liquor liceneses about $3.5.000 a year. In creasing taxes a little over 1 mill. ' Rainfall Early in June. PORTLAND. June 25. (To the Edi tor.) I have a wager that It has rained In Portland this month prior to the 16th 17th. Do I win or lose? R. P. MILLER. Records at the United States weather bureau show that there was a title rain on June 1. 4 and 9 In Portland. It was hardly noticeable and could scarcely be measured except with the finest In struments. SrDDM POETIC GIFT EXPLAIN TED Ex-Convict Say Death Chamber De velops Spiritual Loftiness. OREGON CITT. Jan 4. (To tha Editor.) I read with much Interest your comments on verse writing by Ir. Waite. It seems to me that you have overlooked an Important point. . Doubtless your lite has been an even trend toward the better things. You have Held the flesh in the strong grasp of a well-developed spiritual life and know not the pangs of retribution. Those whose weakness allowed the flesh to draar them throua-h the allma of sin down to the prison cell can un derstand Dr. .Waits a auddan Kift of verse production. Having spent some time among such men. as one of them. I learned that nothing can touch the soul's heart strings ao truly and tenderly aa the prlaon cell, and especially the death chamber. I have known men who were so illiterate they could not write a line of poetry or prose correctly to write really sublime verse while in the condemned calL In spite of the lack of literary training, the Imagery, the delicate touch and lofty tone were there. The reason Is not that a weird wit of Insanity had charge of them, but that the body Is dead because of what we call Bin. while tha soul la kept alive by love. (As I hare no religion, per haps I should not refer to Paul's words. But I do ao because I see In them a scientific statement of fact.) Take Dr. Watte's lines you have quoted: And thou1 art dead, dear eomrade In whom I dwelt a time. With whom I strolled Ihrourh star-kissed bowers Of fragrant Jessamine! And thou wert weak. O. comrade. . Thyself in self did fall. And now thy stars are turned to tears. And aoba ths nightingale. I venture to use the word "thy" In- stead of "the" because I feel so sure that the author has been misquoted. These lines ere from one who has already passed the experience they call death. - This fact was also made plain by his testimony In the trial. Those who thought him insane were much mistaken. His crime had severed every tie that bound him to the earth. In the death-chamber one becomes un mindful of the leaking roof, rhe cruir. bling wall and rotting sills of this tenement of clay. To htm whose time la. set The body Is a clod of earth And has no mora Intrinsic worth. Few men will cling to life when they know they cannot live. You Intimate that he should mourn, wall and lament his crime; but repentance is the straw for which the living grasp; the dead will heed It not. Looking at his life as a past incident, it Is natural for him to say: Perhaps tha breath lent me has served It should not seem strange to the living that, to the dead, his own life and that for which he must atone seem but a trivial thing. Bo eentlft moves the imace unto death Its passing scarce ot bote grows less and leas And all Is dark except the Ilvlnr breath Unseen to eyes is freed from Its distress. In the death. chamber one feels each day he is slipping back into the Eternal, from whence he came. The day may come when we shall learn that he came to do the things he did. Perhaps we will yet see what John Fisk endeavored to teach, that a Christ could never be without a Judas. When the trained mind comes to the death-chamber he soon discovers the fallacy of the vicarious atonement. He sees, and that it is just, that ho should make atonement with his own blood He comes to understand that he cannot shift this work to another. When reconciled to this fact, .he at once passes beyond death administered by law. For this reason Dr. walte more calm in his writing in New York than he would be in Oregon, where the death penalty is annulled. Some day we in Oregon will learn that the re scinding of the death penalty Is a crime against the murderer, and that .oclety must aurely pay the penalty. In the eyes of the law my crime was not so bad as Dr. Watte's and an over-Indulgent Governor set me free, but, from the day I gave up the fight to thia, death would have been a relief, a blessing I dare not give myself. Maudlin sympathy does not wipe out the past nor remove the stain of an ex-convlct. Only death can do so much. Dr. Waits is perfectly sane and has been since the day of his arrest. There is no dissimulation or daslre to mis lead. To those who are alive to earth he may not bo understood. Having passed the portals of the tomb. It be comes easy for him to say: My own life found and may It live through death t To fall In humble servitude before Those souls whose wrongs are righted by the breath . . . Which gives and takes and bolta tha little door. The thoughts In these line were gathered while walking In the gardens beyond the tomb. Some, like Paul, can roam In the world beyond without the help of the death-chamber; but not all. and many never can. The desires of the flesh are so clamorous we can not drown their cries. The prison poet is seldom appre ciated. Generally we consider him in sane and make him the butt of our ridicule and jokes. The guards and many of his comrades, will point him out and smilingly say: "Nobody at home." But when besetting sins have stilled tue Of lesh"and righteous retribution's dart Has done Its work, he cannot help but sing; Although he knows his song shall find no mart. Like the birds he sings to please himself. If others can enjoy It it Is well; If not. It Is only well for him. EX-CONVICT. EXKBOY IS i FIOSTOtO ASSET Writer Thlnhs Real Estate A areata Would Hake Excellent Soldier. PORTLAND, June 15. (To the Edi tor.) I have read with feelings of mingled patriotism, pride and approba tion the account of 600 or more of Portland's promlnenet lawyers offering their services to their country. As de fenders of our Nation's honor theso gentlemen are most assuredly quail- No doubt Portland could at this time easily recruit a regiment or two or real estate agents, also. The energy and tenacity of the gentlemen of this .nfa.iinTi shnnlrl make as valuable fighting material ae the gentlemen of the legal calling, and they could, more over, bo more easily spared than the butchers, the bakers or the automobile makers. .A company or two of ssorted doctors (medical, religious and political) I am sure would receive the hearty support of Godspeed of their fellow citizens. A. PETZOLD. Enlistments In Previous Wars. LEWISTON. Ida.. June 22. (To the Editor.) (1) What was the total en listment of the Mexican War? (2) What waa the total enlistment of the Spanish-American War? CONSTANT READER. Major-General Emory Upton, ' in his work "The Military Policy of the United States," gives the total force mustered In for service In the Mexican War (including 31.024 regulars and marines) as 104,284. (2) Total forces 274,717. of whom about 60,000 were actually engaged. Information an to Naval Xarsing. PORTLAND. June 23. (To the Ed itor). To whom should I write for In formation as to naval nursing? P. M. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery United States Navy, Washington, D. C In Other Days. Half a Cestsry Ago. Prom The Oregonian of June 26. 136. Dr. F. Grube. late a surzeon and Brevet Major In the United States vol unteers end formerly an Interne In the University of France, has opened an office in Portland on Main street below Seventh street. The Detroit Press names the nartv headfrd by Blair, Randall and Jim Lane the "lucrative party." F. PeWItt has purchased block 194. situated between Jackson and outh streets and Sixth and Seventh utro. .j. He bought It st auction for $2100. Charles X. MoCormlok was serlmiclv Injured when he was hit yesterday by a vehicle on the macadamixed road. The attemDted uuMiniiiAit nf ihi Cxar has stirred up considerable In- qutry to determine it there is a pub lie conspiracy on .to exterminate the ruler ot Russia. The Mexican war situation continues about the same, with conditions in Mexico City beggaring description for their butchery and immorality and the French at Maxatlan holding to strict policing to keep the Corona agents from creating a disturbance. The cats of Mlael Gallagher for kill ing George Badue was taken up ia court yesterday. Dr. Hawthorne's name appears In the list ot passengers leaving New York for the Paelflo Coast on the steamer Northern Light June 1L Twenty-flvo Years Ago. frtra The Oragonlan of June 26. 1SS1. Washington It is stated on the best authority that the only matter to be considered at the Cabinet meeting today will ba whether the colnago of the standard silver dollar shall be con tinued. London. It Is reported here that the Kaiser is working to get from England an understanding which would have the force. If not the form, of a treaty binding England to support the Tlple Alliance. Bill Nye ia enjoying himself In a country village of high altitude In North Carolina. John F. Caples, the well-known at torney, will deliver the Fourth of July oration at Newport. Attorney Caples has received 45 Invitations the last few days to speak on the Fourth of July. Colonel C. F. Beebe took a run down to Camp .Milton yesterday. The First Regiment will camp there on the even ing of July 4. Stephen Golder. the famous young cyclist, of London, England, arrived In Portland and registered, at the Port land yesterday. Friends of Dr. J. M. Eaton are anxious about him. as he disappeared election day, June 15, and has not been seen since. Foul play Is feared by some. London. it is learned that the mar riage of Parnell and Mrs. O'Shea took place yesterday. E. J. Jeffrey, who has been 111 for eome time, was able to be about a little yesterday. PORTLAND'S OPPORTUNITY OPEN Motion Picture and Other Publicity is East Now Neglected. NEW YORK. June 20 (To the Edi tor.) It was my good fortune to see a part of the Rose Show parade to night, and the way the crowd compli mented surely made a lone Oregonian feed good. I have hit nearly every city of any slse from Portland to Boston.- and at tended all the leading movie houses, and this Is the first time I have seen from Portland. Seattle and other West ern cities are shown often, and I feel confident we are not getting enough publicity, as we have a city that stands alone. There is not a city I have seen that can touch Portland, and yet there are few people that know anything about Portland, and if they were shown would probably apend some of their money looking our city over. .Recently I made the round trip from New Tork to Panama and on the boat met three other ladies that were Ore-, goniana. and before we were through the trip all on board knew all about Oregon and the City of Roses. I am do ing my best to help, but I find there Is an endless field to work In. There are hundreds of- Oregonians traveling' throughout the East all the time, and they should not be afraid to let othera know where they are from, as they have nothing to be ashamed of. There are hundreds of people who know nothing of the possibilities In the West, and If they did they would at leaat look it over, and besides spend a little of the money they now spend In Europe. What we need la publicity, and The Oregonian oan help to bring this point out, so our home guard will wake up. REAL OREGONIAN. HOMES FOUND FOR KITTENS. More Than lOO Answer Coll and Many Are Keenly Disappointed. PORTLAND, June 25. (To the Ed itor). I want to thank you for your assistance In helping me find good homes for my kittens. You no-doubt will be interested to know that I had no fewer than 100 calls for them, and a number of the calls were from young boys who were much disappointed when told they were too late. They all said they loved cats and would promise to bo good to a kitten If they could have gotten one. Then, too, 1 had letters from people In Grants Pasa, Newberg, Marlon, Tillamook. Carlton, Beaverton and Aurora, A great, many asked tor two of the kittens and sev eral said they would be glad to have had the three. I truly appreciate every call I had, offering homes to my pretty pets, and feel very confident that the lady who took the orange males and also the lady who got the dear little tortoise shell will love them and be kind to them. MRS. DEL'STER. Poison Oak Remedy Sasgested. EUGENE. Or.. June 25. (To the Edi tor.) On page 10, column 7. of your issue of yesterday. I notice L. L C. asks how to sell poison oak remedy. Having used It several times and caused its use many times. I can safely say that a saturated (or strong) solu tion of hyposulphite of soda applied often will be found to be as efficacious as anything else, and five cents worth ought to do the job. I suggest that you publish this fact, as it will save many poor people a lot of pain and Buf fering. F. A. RANKIN. Illumination of Third Street. HARTLAND. Wash., June 24. (To the Editor.) In what month and year were the arches on Third street, from Yamhill to Burnside, completed and lighted? RAY HECKINGER. The arches between Yamhill and Burnside were lighted on June 5. 1914; those between Couch and Glisan on Juno 7. 1915 Saluting; Army Officers. VANCOUVER. Wash.. June 23. (To the Editor.) Please tell me if It la compulsory to salute Army ofTlcers In time of war, except when receiving orders, and, if so, has this always been the rule? - J. A. Civilians are not required to salute Army officers either in peace or wartime.