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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1916)
so THE MORNING ORECOXIATT. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1916. PORTLAND. OREGON. Entered, at Portland (Oregon) Fostoffice as second-class mall matter. Subscription rates Invariably In advance. (By Mall.) XaUy, Sunday Included, one year $S.CK 3-aiJy, Buuday Included, six months. ... . 4.-0 J.Htly, Sunday Included, three months... 2.5 Jjaily, Kunday Included, one month..... 3aiiy, without Sunday, one year........ 6.K Xa.ly, witnout Sunday, Bix months..... 3.'; lJaily. wl'.hout Sunday, three months... 1.7:5 laily, without Sunday, one month. -'5 "Weekly, one year 1-0 rUinony, one year..... 2.50 iaunday and Weekly... 3.50 (By Carrier.) Zay, Sunday included, one year....... 9. on X)ally, buuday Included, one month..... .73 How to Kemit Send posloffice money order, express order or personal check on your local hank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender's risk. Give postoftlce address in full. Including; county and state. Postage Kates 12 to 15 pases. 1 cent: 18 to 3 paj;es, 2 cents; 04 to 48 pages, 3 cents; f.u to BO pases. 4 cents; B2 to 76 pages, fi cents; 78 to 82 pages, 6 cents. Foreign postage, double rates. Eastern Business Office Verree St Conk lin. Brunswick building. New York; Verree Conklin, Steger building, Chicago. San J-rancisco representative, R. J. Bidwell, 742 Market street. .PORTLAND, TCESDAT. OCTOBER 24, 1916. nul the latest order on the ground that T it is a violation of the law under which the commission acts. Congress, fore seeing: the possibility of prolonged, but temporary, suspension of water com petion, and perhaps foreseeing also the temptation to which the .commis sion has yielded, added the following paragraph to Section 4 of the railroad law of 1910: Whenever a carrier by railroad shall. In competition with a water route or routes, reduce the rates on the carriage of any spe cies of freight to or from competitive points. It shall not be permitted to Increase such rates unless after hearing by the Interstate Commerce Commission it shall be found that such proposed increase rests upon changed conditions other than- the elimination oi water competition. There was no change in conditions affecting; rates other than the tempor ary suspension of water competition, yet the commission's order was based n the very ground which it was ex pressly forbidden to consider. The course of events may develop into a race between the courts and the ship builders to decide which shall be the first to annul the order, the one by an order of court, the other by reviving water competition in greater vigor than ever. DISCHTMTXATTOH. Personal testimony is offered by our ' town' Senator Chamberlain that the Adamson act was not passed through Coercion of the brotherhoods,- or of anybody, but was the product of free and open discussion by an uninflu enced and unterrified Congress. It is to be supposed, then, that CongTess was and is ready to take similar action In behalf of other workers seeking more wages and shorter hours. It would bo interesting and impor tant to have from Senator Chamber Jain, or from any other supporter or apologist of the Adamson law, an ex planation of the reasons why Congress saw fit, in course of its untrammeled deliberations, to favor by specific law tour certain highly paid groups of rail road workers and to ignore all the rest. It cannot be said that there was no application to Congress for legislation In behalf of any others but the broth erhoods. There was. Representative Temple, previous to adoption of the Administration bill, offered the fol lowing: Add to section 1 the following Provided further, that this section thai! also include and apply to the station neonts, train dispatchers, track men. office employes, workers in Rail way shops, and aU other employes of a railroad carrier engaged in inter KtAfn earriaco of passengers and freight." Yet this amendment, designed to Include within the scope of the Adam- eon act ALL -railroad workers, was voted down, 120 against to 81 ror. Nearly the entire 120 were Demo crats. Why discrimination so marked, mis chievous and hurtful? thing which 'this Administration has never done is to look; ahead to meet the Nation's future needs and to avoid certain, though more or less remotfe, perils. It never looks farther ahead than the next election. GEyEBAL JAMES JACK-SOX. Many years ago (in 1894, to be ex act) a party of Portland citizens waa taken aboard a steamboat up the Co lumbia River to celebrate the opening of the Cascade Locks. Senator Dolph. Senator Mitchell, ex-Senator , Williams George H.), Harvey W. Scott, H. L. Pittock, W. M. Ladd, and many other leaders of political, financial, intellect ual and Industrial endeavor in Oregon were members of the excursion. The locks, built- by J. G. and I. N. Day, were formally opened, and on the return there was a mighty, jubilee. participated in by everybody aboard, for there was a general conviction, then as now, that free navigation of the Columbia River meant much for Portland and the Northwest. All the speeches prophesied a great future for Portland. An Army officer, called on to con tribute his bit to the general felicita tions, startled and mightily stirred his hearers by making an eloquent speech on "Americanism." He dwelt on the fundamentals of a nation's greatness natural resources. Industrial skill, commercial adaptability, sobriety, in dustry, patriotism, character and preparedness. It was perhaps the first genuine note of alarm sounded in the Northwest for the country's negligence of and indifference to the elementary lessons of military and naval prepara tion, it made a deep and even a lasting impression. The speaker was Brigadier-General James Jackson, U. A., then a Major. Now General Jackson, after a long life of single-hearted and efficient de votion to his country, has passed on. There were few men, even in the Army, with such constant willingness to do their duty, and such knowledge of what it was, and such capacity for performing it. He served valiantly on the battlefield, and intelligently and indefatigably in the quieter employ ments of the service. Always he preached loyalty: always he acted loy alty; and always he taught prepared ness. It must have been a gTeat sat isfaction to him that the Nation had at last responded to the appeals of patriots like himself. THE FLACK OF SONG IX WAR. "Why shuld we not sing?" says DaviA Lloyd George, in defending the Welsh for holding their National Eist eddfod during the war. Why, indeed? Song Is associated with battle, as with every other great event in, the life of men and of Nations. Song expresses every passion not only love, but hate: not only joy, but sorrow; not only tri umph, but defeat, for do not the Serbw commemorate to this day the overthrow of the Serbian Empire at KoBova ? Song has ever been associated with battle and war. The Vikings sang in the very moment of death, and they went into battle with their sagas on their lips. Welsh warriors for gener ations have been Inspired in battle by the march of the "Men of Harlech," Scots by "Scots Wha Hae WV Wallace Bled," British tars by "The Death of Nelson." the French revolutionary army by the march of the "Marseil laise," and in the present war the Ger man army marched through Belgium singing "Deutschland ueber Alles." In our own history the sight of the American flag waving from Fort Mc Henry, which was resisting the British .fleet, inspired Francis Scott Key to compose the defiant "Star-Spangled Banner!" The soldiers of the Union marched to the sounds of "John Brown's Body," or "Tramp, .Tramp, Tramp, the Boys Are Marching." Not until the soul of a Nation is crushed are its war songs silenced. Jn war its paras are inspired to songs alike by hope and confidence on going into bat tle, by exultation over victory, by rage at defeat, and by sorrow over a hero's death. War plays upon all the strings of human emotion and moves them to expression in song. . Then it is most fitting that not only gallant little Wales, but each one of the many Nations contending at Arma geddon-should keep alive the spirit of emulation in song and poetry by hold ing such festivals as the Eisteddfod They are not mere Jollifications, but are gatherings where competition stimulates the arts. Music keeps the soldier In mind that he fights for an idea a thing o the soul not to gratify hatred or lust for blood. Song saves the nobler part of man from ex tinction by its brutish accompani ments. trative difficulties in the health de partment dangerous to public welfare; Niagara Falls has had trouble, and these do not complete the list. In Portland the defects enumerated in both Tucoma and Harrlsburg have been encountered. There is no re sponsible executive head; the commis sion has difficulty not only in con forming administrative to legislative functions, but its economic failure is doubtless due to the fact that the ap propriating and spending powers are conferred on the same set of men. If it is actually possible to save a million dollars a year, another experi ment in .charter forms with that end in view would not be amiss. THE COMMISSION FLOCNDERS. In reopening the interminable Spo kane rate controversy, the Interstate - Commerce Commission seems to be making one more flounderain the bog which it made for itself by Ignoring the natural law of water competition, It is now between two fires, each party to the controversy contending that the conditions on which the commission's order of last Summer was based have chanced in its favor. In meeting these conflicting claims, the commis sion has left itself without sure ground on which to stand. . Throughout the' controversy the commission has permitted Itself to be Influenced by the apparent injustice of permitting freight to be hauled through interior cities to the Pacific Coast at lower rates than are cnargea to those interior cities. The Coast cities have sought to keep its atten tion fixed on the indisputable law of water competition, but the interior cities have confused it with appeals for sympathy on their behalf. The result was the artificial establishment of a trade zone within which Spokane and other cities similarly situated could be secure against competition from the Coast. Then came the rone system, pro viding that rates from certain belts of Eastern territory to lntermountaln points should not exceed the rate to the Coast by more than a certain per centage. Then came the war, with its famine of ships, and the slides, which blockade the Panama Canal. Having induced the commission to abandon the fixed principle on which nature In normal times regulates competition between rail and water, Spokane and its sister cities found small difficulty in persuading the commission that th principle which had vexed it, and from which it had made timid, tenta tive departures, no longer existed. Could the commission once convince Itself that water competition had not only ceased to be a fact, but had also ceased to be more than a remote pos sibility, it seems to have thought it could sweep away all exemptions from the long-and-short-haul clause and could go ahead on its new tack with clear sailing. On the comfortable assumption that water competition was suspended for a long and indefinite period, the com mission fixed an arbitrary,' In place of a percentage, differential in favor of the Coast terminals, and permitted this only on the ground that there was a potential water competition. This rule was not applied generally, but only to the bulk of commodities that are car ried across the continent. While the Coast was protesting, asking suspen sion of the order, and rJannlng ap peals to the courts, Spoktine asked to have It applied to all commodities. Even before the decision was given, General Goethals, the canal-digger, took a hand in the game. He cleared the slides, reopened the canal to traf fic, and thereby knocked one of the pins from under the commission'! frail structure of reasoning. Then. ca,me the threat of a railroad strike end the Adamson law. The probabil ity that that law would impose an odded burden of expense on the rail roads is said to have been one reason for suspension of the order until De cember 30, though what connection it could have with the relation between lntermountaln and Pacific Coast rates is difficult to conceive. The rapidity with which ships are being built on the Pacific Coast threatens to knock the remaining pins from under the commission's case before the order can become effective. With a great fleet of ships building on this Coast, each of which will surely take at least its first cargo through the Canal, water compe tition will soon again be not merely v potential but actual. The commis sion may then be compelled to floun der back again to the point whence it i enlist large numbers of men. was started. Perhaps then it will re- ; increase been authorized jQice at planting its reet once more on the firm ground of natural law, which overrules all commissions. An incident of the controversy which may hasten the commission's return to that position is the suit of the Skinner-Eddy Corporation to an. TWO-CEXT FAKE IX NEW YORK. When cornered by statement of the BARBED THOUGHTS OX CAMPAIGN Patriotism r-flei. Forv sight Dlm- eusrs. Mistake Re-vtcvved. GILBERT, Or. Oct. 23. (To the Edi tor.) Aval Una; myself of the voters' privilege, I think I can observe the law and not shoot again until the big game season of 1$20. To Civil War veterans the present apathy must seem amazing'. Even the boys of 1861 were more patriotic than the men of now. Patriotism does not Involve love of war. but love of coun try and its welfare. Wilson should not allow love, of humanity to displace patriotism. Mis adroitness, all admit, and we owe him thanks for exercising it In side tracking his rival, Bryan. But what the Nation needs la the statesman's wisdom, and it will be much safer in the hands of one who knows what rood law Is than if intrusted to one who makes experiments and changes as often as the moon. The Wilson party's cry of pain against "the Golden Special" shows where the shoe pinches. Why does it not relieve the monotony and our sym pathetic commiseration by an oc casional allusion to J- ord's Golden Spe cial and to the railroad presidents that are flocking to the Wilson party? Why didn't Wilson's Congress fore stall the threatened strike which threw its shadow months ahead? No doubt the boss hoped it would not culminate until after election. The wily work men struck while the Iron was hot and Mr. Wilson's hasty Congress passed a law favorable, temporarily, to a part of the working: people. Was it class legislation, in that all were not in cluded? ' V Two great wars broke out under ad verse conditions Democratic rule. Watchful waiting proved disastrous both times. Buchanan was scared stiff, and in impotence allowed part of the resources of the country to drift t the rebel side. Had a' man of Lincoln's stamp held office each time, how dlf ferent would have been the result. Bryan decried threatened Republican imperialism. Is the Wilson brand O. K-7 Americans have been criticised for The latest "Dronhet" to arise to lead I investing in Mexico, but critics are dls- hls people is one Garrick Sokarl Braid, creetly silent about their great-great- who has come Into prominence in I Knap.renLs mvaa.un inn i Nigeria and who seems to have ' d i. vastly in the 6hwijcu u. vtt.i uiiio.1 piiiiijiv in iiitib rnnloritv ne requires as a condition precedent Had Washington and his successors to healing the sick that they shall allowed, their pride to dominate their make fiul confession of all their sins, patriotism this poor fatherless country This simple cataloging of the shrt- would be. on a par with Canada and comings of people, which it Is required Australia and our men would be in the that thev shall do themselves, has war zon singing. In finding work for which cripples are fit, experimenters have reached the unexpected conclusion that men who have lost a leg do not necessarily prefer trades that permit them to sit constantly. Preconceived ideas have been changed by the large numbers of one-legged soldiers who have ap plied for such employment as Is in volved in standing at the printer's case or at the carpenter's bench, and even occupations requiring a good deal vl waihiuB are uui uuw I tgaruBU as closed to them. There has also been opportunity fof a not altogether un desirable readjustment of those who had previously drifted into trades that had proved -uncongenial; these are taking advantage of the opening into something for which, perhaps, they have been longing in the more recent past, so that it is to be expected that both the workman and the trade he has newly chosen will be benefited in the future. "There is also a growing desire to choose work in which highest efficiency is likely to be attained. which shows a hopeful appreciation of the demands of society when the time comes for repairing the tre mendous wastes of war. why t. r. stamm for jvtxse hiuhes. "I champion Mr. Hughes against Mr. Wilson because in every such crisis (threatened rail strike) Mr. Wilson, by his publio acts, has ehown that he will yield to fear, that he will not yield to justice; whereas the public acts of Mr. Hughes have proved him to be in capable of yielding la ' such a crisis to any threat, whether made by politicians, corporations or labor leaders. "Since he (Wilson) went into pol itics, he has again and again in cessantly and continuously, re versed himself on what he had professed to be his deepest con victions prior to entering politics. and in each case the announced change of conviction agreed with moment seemed to be 'ItlcaJ interest." 4 change of ce I what at the I to his polit In Other Days made the work of stamping out sin relatively easy. The "prophet" has proved his right to the title of leader by convincing large numbers of Nigerians that the trade-jrin sold to We know we are too proud to fight. Rut we to got to just the same. Would the Wilson people like to have us become another India or China? Unkept Democratic promises have been alluded to so often that I will them and there has been an almost marvelous growth of temperance, as well as improvement in health and in- T-'onxnna n v. -v,- t rdustry. One of the large items of them by Europeans Is not good for only say that the molasses is changing to vinegar mighty fast. W. B. EMERSON. FROM A "DESERTER." Ten days ago the New York Evening Post was reported to have "deserted' Mr. Hughes a candidate whom it had but intermittently favored. Yet the reader of the Evening Post may find the following sharp criticism of the Adamson act, and unqualified ap proval of Mr. Hughes' attitude there on. In its issue of October 18 (since the "desertion"): "You cannot repeal a surrender" Mr Hushes' reply to a heckler at fcloux City last night -was much more than an effec tive epigram. What It put into five words is tno essential truth of the matter, and naroiy required the addition or any com ment to make it, tor an intelligent mind a complete answer to the silly question asked by th herkler. It is one thing to say that the bill extorted from Congress by the brotherhoods at the point of the pistol should not have been panned; and quite another to say that, having been passed. It ought to be repealed. For good or ill. Congress and the President gave the brotherhoods what they demanded as the price of calling off the strike; for good or ill, the country must stand by the bar gain. Mt. Hughes patiently pointed out to his questioner that the duration of the arrangement as to wages instituted by the Dill was such that by the time the nex Congress assemble in regular session It will have run Its course, and he added that If nevertheless, the question 'of repeal should come up he will decide his position upon It by "ascertaining the exact facts and what Justice would dictate ought to be done at that time." Does anyone pretend that there was even the faintest effort to do anything of th. kind. In the holdup legislation of last month 7 Well, yes, Jt Is pretended here in Oregon by politicians not heretofore noted for their propensities for joking that Congress was not "coerced" in its passage of the Adamson act. Congress wriggled, and squirmed. and whinedand capitulated. The brotherhood chiefs called a Nation wide strike for September 4, but Con gress, responding to the direct demand of President Wilson,- who in turn had responded to the direct and open ac tion of the brotherhoods, passed the law on September 2, and the President signed it on September 8 (Sunday); but to make sure of its entire validity he signed it again later. 'I yield to no. man," said President Wilson in presenting the strike issue to Congress, "in firm adherence alike of conviction and of purpose to the principle of arbitration in labor dis putes." Firm adherence! Yet he yielded ab solutely the principle of arbitration and turned against the railroads be cause they insisted upon arbltration. OXB Or DANTEL8' FEATS. When the new battleship Arizona was placed in commission it was neces sary, in order to provide her with a crew, to detach men from the New Hampshire, Vermont and Kansas, to take those ships from the Atlantic fleet and place them in reserve. Even then she was short 164 officers and men. The tonnage of the Arizona is 31,400; that of the 'three ships placed In reserve Is 48.000. The addition of the Arizona to the fleet has, therefore, left it weaker than before. Money spent on ships is wasted un less they are provided 'with trained crews to fight them. If we have not enough men lnthe Navy to man the ships, the imposing-totals of tons and guns serve, only to delude us. Only at the last moment did Secretary Dan iels consent to an increase in the au thorized strength of the Navy suffi cient to man all its ships. Expert, e'nee has shown that it takes time to Had the year or more ago, when Mr. Daniels was stub bornly opposing every move for pre paredness, and was airily saying that he needed no more men, the necessary crew for the Arizona would have been -available, and the other three ships need not have been laid up. But one ernor Hughes' veto of the two-cent fare bill in New York, his critics try to squirm out by saying that, though bis insistence that it was a proper sub ject for inquiry and action by the Pub lic Service Commission seems reason able, the actual effect was that the people were cofcipeiled to pay higher fares for several years until the Com mission gave its decision. In so say ing they presume on the ignorance of their hearers. The fact is that, when Mr. Hughes vetoed the bill making the two-cent fare general throughout thestate, that rate was already in effect on all the main lines of railroad In the state. The charter of the New York Central fixes two cents as the rate for that road, and all competing roads were compelled to adopt the same rate in order to get business. The only roads which would have been affected by the bill were some local, noncompeting lines. Mr. Hughes' opinion that, while the two-cent fare might be Just for some roads, it mighty not be sufficient for others,, and that only Inquiry could determine the facts, was fully con firmed by events. The Public Service Commission found some roads which had put it in effect were losing money on that account and authorized them to raise the rate in order to escape bankruptcy. Only inquiry could deter mine where It should apply. THAT ELCS1YE MILLION. It could hardly be asked that the city of Portland get along with the same number of employes In 1916 as were at work in the various municipal departments In 1906. Since that year the population of Portland" has great ly Increased. Greater population calls for enlargement of police and fire de partments: indeed, practically of every department where service is performed for the public. Within the period em braced between the two dates Portland has vastly Increased the area of its hard-surface pavements which brings In its train the necessity of dltlonal street cleaning. In 1906 there were 735 city em ployes. Today there are 1761. This information comes from the City Auditor. The number of employes has more than doubled. That conditipn had been reached before the adoption of commission government. But what ever normal increase city advance ment should have required, there was a deep-seated impression that the city government, under the councllmanic form, was topheavy and extravagant. Commission form was offered as a re lief. It was promised that its ad vent would save to the taxpayers in cost of government a round million dollars a year. There has been no saving. The number of employes of the city has been reduced in the number of eleven since 1912. but the fewer number are receiving $10,000 more in salaries and wages than did the greater number. Growing dissatisfaction with com mission government 4s based largely upon Its failure to live up to exnecta tions. Dissatisfaction is not found in Portland alone. The Tacoma Ledger thus speaks of commission government in that city trade with the interior has been abol ished, but the "prophet" seems not to be concerned about this, and it Is said that he has done more toward civiliz ing his neighbors in a few months than had been accomplished before in years. The Interstate Commerce Commls sion pointed to the true cure for rail road car shortages when it said the only way to improve the situation Is simply to provide many new locomotives and I urgent. cars and to Increase the size and ca pacity of terminals several hundred per cent. In order that the railroads may do this they must have more cap ital; that they may get capital, their UEI.GIAX CHILDREN STILL HUNGRY Appeal Renewed for Aid for Little Onea of Mrickea Country. NEW TORK, Oct. 18. (To the Edi tor.) Once again and for the third successive year I crave the publicity of your columns In behalf of helpless children In Belgium. The dollar Chris mas fund, of which I am treasurer. wants to make a still more urgent ap peal than in the two previous years. because the need Is more Mr. Hoover, the head of the relief commission for Belgium, has drawn at tention to the facts of the case and emphasized the positive necessity of he children receiving one square meal a day served at school. Under existing credit must be restored; this can only I arrangements necessitous persons In be done by letting them earn fair in terest on their actual investment and by relieving from the costly, conflict ing regulation of forty-eight state commissions. We are gradually learn ing that every blow struck at the rail roads is a boomerang which flies back at the striker. Belgium there are about 3.000.000 of them receive one-third of a soldier's ration. Just enough to keep body and soul together. The Belgian people as nation, bruised and broken by the tragic experiences of war, are feeling the tremendous strain most severely, but the alarming scourge of tubercu losis and other forms of disease due to impaired vitality has been felt most of all by the little onea All Impartial witnesses who have had the chance of seeing conditions In Belgium have re- Congress voted money 18 months ago for the building of two dread noughts, but their keels have not yet I for themselve been laid. It Is useless for Congress I ported that the children there cannot to vote money for preparedness unless grow to healthy maturity unless shey men r r,!.-,-,! at fh hnH f th ar" Provided with more food. Money War and Navy Departments who will use it in preparation, .secretary ran- splendor and glory of centuries or the Icls has been slow about spending this loss of life, but money can at least money because he docs not believe In supply one square meal a day during arming the Nation for defense, though the Winter months. That is Just what the lash of public opinion has recent- the dollar Christmas fund is striving ly forced him into spasmodic action. TEXT OF ADAMSON BILL GIVEN Measure Cemtalna Fisr Sections, Pen alty Brlnsr S10OO Fine. THE DALLES. Or.. Oct. 11. (To the Editor.) Will you kindly print a copy of the Adamson bill? I find a great many railroad men who have never seen or read the bill. MARGARET WENSLEY, This is one of numerous requests for the full text of the Adamson law. The Oregonlan published it September 2. the day following its passage. It Is here- I with printed again: Be It enacted br the Senate and House of Representatives of the United rotates of America. In Congress assembled: That, be ginning January 1. 1917. eight hours shall. In -contracts for labor and service. b deemt-d a day's work and the manner or standard of a day's work for the purpose fit reckon ing the -compensation for services of all employes who are now or may hereafter b employed by any common carrier, except railroads Independently owned and operated not exceeding 100 miles la length, electric street railroads and electric Interurban rail roads, which are subject to the prolslons of the act of February 4, lf-87, entitled "an act to regulate commerce." as amended, and who are now or may hereafter be ac tually engaged In any capacity in the ontr atloa of trains used for the transportation of persons or property on railroads, except railroads Independently owned and operated not exceeding loo miles In length, electric street railroads and electric Interurban rail roads, from any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia to any other state or territory of the United States or the LMstrlct of Columbia, or from one placa la a territory to another place In the same terirltory, or from any place In the United States to an adjacent foreign cbuntry, or from any place in the United States through a foreign country to any other place in the United States; Provided, that the above exceptions shall not apply to railroads, though less than 10O miles in length, whose principal business Is leasing or furnishing terminal or transfer facili ties to other railroads, or are themselves engaged lu transfers of freight between rall rallroads or' between railroads suid Indus trial plants. Section 2. That the President shall appoint a ccnimlrslon of three, which shall observe the operation and effects of tha InsUtutlon of the eight-hour standard workday as above defined and the facts and conditions af fecting the relations between such common carriers and employee during- a period of not less than six months nor more than nine months. In the discretion of tha com mission, and within 80 days thereafter such commission snail report its findings to the President and Congress: that each member of the commission created under the pro visions of this act shall receive such com Densation as may be fixed by the President that the sum of 4"-.V0Oi, or so much thereof as may be (lecossary, be. and hereby is, apiroi-rtated out of any money In the United States Treasury not otherwise appropri ated for the necessary and proper expenses Inourred in connection with the working of such commission, including salaries, pe diem, traveling axpenaea of memters and employes and rent, fumUnre. office fixtures, and supplies, books, salaries and other neo essary expenses, the same to be approvea bv the chairman of aaid commission and audited by the proer accounting officers of the Treasury. faction 8. That pending the report of the commission herein provi.iea ror ana tor i neriod of BO days thereafter, the eompenea tlon of railway employes subject to this act for a standard elaht-houT workday shall not be reduced below the present standard day's wage, and for all necessary time In excess of eight hours such envployee shall be paid at a rate not lees than the pro rata for such standard eight-hour workday. Meet Ion 4. That any person violating any provision of this act shall be guilty of a tnledemeanor and upon conviction shall te fined not less than J ICO and riot more than IlOiiO. or imprisoned not to exceed one year, or both- CO M rETI XI O N HAS ITS BENEFITS Half a Century Acs.' From The Oregonlan ef October 24, ISsa. New York. Oct. 1. The Times Wash ington special dispatch still insists that Stanton has tendered his resighation and has signified his desire to go as Minister to tipaln. As soon as Gneral Sherman can be heard from the Presi dent will act, New Vork. Oct. 19. The funeral of John Van Buren took place this morn ing In Grace Church and was largely atlendeO. , Surgeon-General Barnes, who accom panied Johnson to Chicago, was at last accounts lying ill at that place with small prospects of recovery. Attention "Hooks" Tou are request ed to meet at the Hook and Ladder House at 7 o'clock P. M. with uni form, shirt and belt. By order of the foreman. Our popular Governor, George I Woods, has been In the city for several days and left yesterday morning for Salem. Wells JTargo Co.'s messenger last evening brought down 115,000 in treas ure. An accident occurred to the main shaft of the Oregon City Woolen Mill on Monday last, which has caused a temporary suspension 'of work. Twenty-Five Years Ago. From The Oregonlan of October 24. 1S91 City of Mexico, Oct. 23. Advices re ceived here from numerous sources re veal the fact that In many sections of the country the scarcity of food Is now so great as to result In actual suf fering among the people. Budapesth. Oct. 24. The movement to present Kossuth with an estate near Da baa, in Hungary, Is meeting with enthusiastic support- The estate in . question Is where Kossuth 3 parents are burled and where he wishes to be interred. The treasurv of the Board of School Directors Is now depleted and that body s managed on bed-rock principles. The board has no funds to meet the salaries due next month and will have to secure a loan until the next annual meeting in March, when an additional tax will be levied. Chicago. Oct. 13. Thomas A. Edison's dlsnlav of electrical apparatus at the World's Fair Is to be the greatest effort of that great Inventor's life. He has been working on It for months ana a dozen of his ablest assistants have beefs helping him. Rev. John Gordon, pastor of the First Baptist Church, sent his resignation to the trustees of the congregation, who accepted It. at their meeting Thursday night. to secure. Our committee is kas in previous years. cscftrieratlng now. v ith the com If President Wilson had not avert- I mission for relief, thereby safeguard ed the strike " begins the organ of ! ln& against all waste. The same rep- hard times, despair and pover4y. That's resentative and prominent citizens who it. Once upon a time the dog stopped r "Pl'eai tne -rirsi year . .? are still with us lately, reinforced by and the rabbit got away; but all the the nfLtnea ot Oscar Straus and Sir "l " animai Kingdom cua not Herbert Tree. Percy Bullen, of 68 felicitate the canine for averting dis- 1 Broadway. New York, from whom aster to the bunny. authorized collecting cards can be ob tained Is again our honorary secretary. Hitherto the response to our Christ mas appeal has always been prompt and generous and' our donations are accepted by the sufferers in Belgium as a special Christmas gift from one There is no responsible head. We ara ac customed to thinking of the Mayor of a city as me neaa ot tne municipal government. We have a Mayor under the commission plan, yet bis power and authority are little or no greater than that of the other mem bers of the City Council, who are at tho same time Commissioners. .At least three of the Commissioners in practical adminis tration have more power than the Mayor. - The Harrisburg, Pa., Telegraph complains similarly of commission government as follows: One of the weaknesses of the commission form of government is that the administra tive heads also constitute the legislative body, and as a result the everlasting log rolling and conferring and sidestepping in volve loss of valuable time, with the likeli hood of needless ' damages and expenses Action should go hand In hand with dis oussion. borne projects have been talked almost to death during the present season. In Pasadena, Cal., 2500 citizens have signed a petition asking that a change be made from the commission form to the commission-manager sys tem. Sacramento. has a charter revi sion committee at work after trying the commission form for three years. Denver overthrew commission gov ernment early lu the year after exist ing under it for a time St. Paul has found a modified form expensive: El gin, Til., has encountered admlnls- A scribe or a Pharisee, perhaps it were better to say "amd" than "or, asks, why change horses In crossing d. , stream, since Wilson kept us out of war : on, yes. just so. since he kept I peopje to anoiner, a tangible proof mat us out of war, the Lincoln aphorism Christmas goodwill even In these days rannnt ntinlv On with tho r).9ni I 01 "true ana bloodshed Has not dlsap- I n .- 1 m .!. . it .J .1 . y " - - - - --' iii. n iiijimiiuua bcul to mvself as treasurer, earn of Hpnrv Whenever the European powers I Clews & Co.. bankers. Broad street. New cannot find anything else lying around I York, will be gratefully acknowledged. loose ready to annex they take a piece 1 HtNKl CLEW S. of China. That is the consequence of relying on the good will of other single tax is reasoned olt nations instead of on the force which inspires respecj for diplomacy. I How One Man Rrarhed Adverse Con ciuMiim on iToposta measure. Tho ht nnn.r tr. Tr,.lr.e Txril- I TOK1LA.ND, Oct. 2i. (To the Edl- son's strictures on the Republicans ih. n,",I,tal. ,,WlthT r,ep1 a.b?ut - r , , , J', . I tn single tax question I find that the : . ' . ,' " r ' predominating notion la that such a to toe found in the speeches and writ- tax will Injure only the rich, and at lngs of Republicans during the Win- least may benefit the small property ter of 1914-15, when Mr. Wilson said owner. Being a small property owner there was no need to worry. (myseir, my first concern when the aues- . I tlon began to be agitated was to find tt ., v. - , , ir Jt wouia Decent me. As long as I How toany of us white folks would i, , have been in Oregon if General James U faned to make any headway, and I Jackson .and his comrades had been I was about to give it un when It oe- too proud to fight the Indians or had curred to me that-I might have better shown excessive respect for the right I success if I assumed that I was a large to have a revolution whenever they property owner. grew restless?. I Alter looaing at it iron that stand point liii x was riguraiiveiy Diue in tha face T determined that if T waa a The difference between a violinist large holder of the ground and such a and a liaoier is that you tap the foot thing had happened that a single tax to keep time with the latter, something I law had gone into effect, then my not to be thought of in hearing the first act would be to sell If I .could former. The fiddler plays to you. the at sacrifice the bulk of my vacant violinist over the head. ground and put the money Into a large. rcuiiuja uuijuiiis- x wuuia do 1 1 1 a L db- It is time to get umbrellas repaired I namivxed hv tha r.w law. and t would and to hunt up waterproof coats and do- it at almost any sacrifice that would rubber shoes. The weather prophet 1 get the money. Mr. Addia Finds In.arwvess.ent la Car M-Ttre Slaee Jitney A el vent. PORTLAND. Oct. 22. (To the Edi tor.) As Just a plain citizen of Port land who works'for wages and la try ing to get a home paid for. I suppose the lty Cornell is right in making -the Jitneys take out a franchise on streets not used by the streetcar company. But If the new regulations proposed for the Jitneys are Intended to or are going to drive them out of business, then I protest. The streetcar company was stop ping its cars at every other block out our way and other places outside the downtown districts and many of their conductors were arrogant, unobliging and even insolent. Now thev are Chen terfieldlan in their politeness. Cars stop at every kind of a street and there are more cars and better service then before the advent of the Jitneya Bo. being more interested in m t own welfare than in the making of divi dends for the watered etDjk of the street railway, it strikes mo our hon orable Council would Ai well to go slow on this Jitney franchise proposi tion. HORACE ADDIS. 803 Kelly Street. CONDITIOS UNDER PROHIBITION Hank Number of Arrests Decreases, ' Clearings Show Gala. LINN COUNTY. Oregon. Oct. 21. CTo the Editor.) Believing you are able and willing to answer the following correctly and honestly, I will ask these questions: Comparing the Portland records of 1915 to October 1 with 1916 to October 1. how do they compare regarding ar rests for drunkenness and crime, au tomobile accidents and traffic ordi nance violations; also general business conditions as indicated by bank re ports? AN OLJ3 SUBSCRIBER. Compiled from police bureau records for months of January to September, Inclusiye. 1915 and 1916: Total arrests. January -to October 1. 1915. 14.742. Total arrests, January to October 1, 1914. 8157. Total arrests for drunkennesg, same -period. 1915. 5008. Total arrests for drunkenness, same period. 1916. 1372. , Total arrests for larceny, same period. 1915. 493. Total arrests for larceny, same period. 1916. 228. No record, save the filed reports of officers, was kept In 1915 of traffic ac cidents. Harry P. Coffin, of the Pub lie Safety Commlssslon. has complete record for this year, so far. Owing to the fact that many accidents are re ported to him that would. In the ordi nary course, never have been reported to the police, it is Impossible. Mr. Cof fin says, to attempt a comparison by actual figures. He is certain, though, that the decrease in traffic accidents has been at least 50 per cent Bank clearings, which are the best single indication of business conditions, were as follows for comparative periods: January 1 to October 1. 1915, 8397, 940.815.35. January 1 to October 1, 1916, 1443. 407.902.77. . . says Jupiter Pluvlus is about ready for business. And so I pictured myself owning a 85000 lot with a 835.000 building on it. while the man who owns a 85000 Postage stamps are about all of the 1 "?"Jhf?l?l lLom !? an price. Mr. Myers' shop on Morrison street has a large supply. much tax as I pay. If that man h not the money with which to put up a large or paying building on that lot he would, owing to the fact that .the The Fall season of quakes in Call-lvalue would be almost all in the build- fornia has begun. Funny how they ln"' "v sweet time Borrowing tne 1 - . .. 1 m nn.v T had a rlctur- rf film trvinr K(nn a.wav Trniti tha unv i-itv I- J - - .4 aomA n.i. law T saw mvlf hav Sir Thomas Beecham advertised hlsineT the best of It for a time, but only puis aiter ne maae uiem. imi is now until the tax burden should get me, he became wealthy. A campaign song without the pro fane ejaculation cannot be funny. too, to make up what the smaller own- lers were no longer able to pav. J. A- CLEMEXSON. The weather is too good to last. Look up raincoat and umbreQa. T Devoted By Far. Washington (T. C.) Star. "Have you been studying science of the efficiency?" I - "V . - kari in milt raaitlnsr thnnf ft Two weeks from today Will beloot so interested that I found it was Hughes day over the land. 1 interfering with my regular work." i What Kind of Blrdt - PORTLAND, Oct. 23. (To the Edi tor.) Recently a friend informed me that a canary bird, while In the cage. had been attacked by some other bird. From the Injuries noticed It would appear that the attacking bird endeav ored to pull its victim through the bars by the leg. In talking the matter over I further heard that another lady had lost two birds In much the same manner. In this latter case they had been drawn com pletely from the cage. To know the bird responsible for such tactics would be of interest and might be useful Information for those having singing birds. E. J. w hu e. 535 Savler street. Good Prospects try tho ShoveL Tit-Bita Offlcei- And what are you going to do when you get there T Emigrant Take up land. Officer Much? ' Ejni grant A shovelful at a time. Choice of Words. PORTLAND, Oct. 23. (To the Ed itor.) Appreciating the literary and scholarly features as well as tho news service of The Oregonlan. I would like an expression in your columns as to the correctness of the use of the word "swirling" instead of "swirled" In the following quotations: "Arizona lay behind us all unnven streaks of paste against a torrid sky. The small station we had quitted had been whirled fatefully from sight be fore our overstrained eyes as we stared back from tho rear platform of the trair;. biting, clouds of alkali swirled mockingly upon us." Would not the conjunction "and placed after the noun "eyes" or the making of a new sentence beginning with "As we stared" make for clear ness? Lv L. WE6TFALL. Use of "swirling" would depend upon the meaning sought to be conveyed. Probably a purist would not employ it unless he meant that the swirling of clouds of dust was responsible for In ability to see the station. If h In tended only to be descriptive or as some put it. to give "local color." he would divide the sentence In either of the two ways the correspondent suggests. "V. S. PROSPERITY ARTIFI CIAL," T. R. "During the first 18 months of this Administration tho National business went to pieces. . We were at peace. We were sim ply experiencing the normal re sults of legislative action under Mr. Wilson and the Democratlo Administration. "The present stimulus is artifi cial. It will cease with the war conditions coming to an end. It will then be difficult to avoid some suffering, anyhow. If Mr. Wilson Is kept in office, this suffering doubtless will be pro longed and acute. "Canada had a war with no tax; whereas wo had a tax with no It was purely a deficiency Wanted! A Daniel. M'MINNVILLE. Or.. Oct. 2. (To the Editor.) If you have a Daniel In your court put him to work on this dream: I dreamed the other night I waa the owner of a verdant tree-shaded pool where ripples danced and birds sang blithely. One day an old horse came along and asked if he might drink. I said yes. help yourself to all you can drink, whereupon the old horse took a long drink, then proceeded to take a bath and went his way. A tew days later be returned and drank and bathed as before. And as he stood there, knee-deep In the water, looking somewhat older, he slowly turned Into a little old dried up man. And death was written on his face. I said. "Tou are going to die." "I know it," said he,, "but before I go I want to tell you something: I was going to vote for Wilson who shall it be?" I said, "Vote for Hughes." and lot the little old man vanished, and In his place stood the Democratic ass. THOMAS H. ROGERS. ( '"v