Morning Oregonian., December 20, 1916, Page 12, Image 12

12
THE MORNING OliEGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, DECE3IBER, 20." 1916.
FORT1ASD. OEECOS.
Entered at Portland (Oregon) Postofflce a
second-class mail matter.
Subscription ratea Invariably In advance.
(By Mall.)
Xally. Sunday Included, one year ....... .$8.00
Xally, Sunday Included, six months . - - -raily,
Sunday Included, three months t
Dally, Sunday included, one month . ...
Dally, without Sunday, one year -
Ia!ly, without Sunday, three months . .
3aily, without Sunday, one month
Weekly, one year .............
Sunday, one year
Sunday and Weekly
4.25
2.25
.78
6.00
1.70
.60
1.50
2.50
8.50
(By Carrier.)
Pally, Sunday Includled, one year
Dally, Sunday included, one month . .... .75
How to Remit Send postoftlce money
order, express erder or personal check on
your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency
are at sender's risk. Olve postofllce address
in full. Including county and state.
Postage Rates 12 to 16 pages, 1 cent; 18
to 88 pages, 2 cents; 84 to 48 pages. 8 cents;
60 to do pages. 4 cents 62 to 7 pages, 5
cents: 78 to 2 pages. 6 cents. Foreign post
age, double rates.
Eastern Bunlness Office Verre & Conk
l!n, Brunswick building, New York; Verree
& Conklln, Stenger building, Chicago. San
Francisco representative, R. J. Bidwell. 7"
Market street.
PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY. DEC. 20. 1916.
LLOYD GEORGE'S DsSCLABATTOX.
The transition from war to peace
is necessarily so great that it can only
be brought about by slow degrees.
Though the German proposal for a
conference may not lead to anything
definite, it serves a- good purpose in
causing the two parties to review ani
define their aims, to limit their de
mands to such as can be Justified in
the eyes of the world and to reassure
themselves that, if any of these de
mands should be denied, they would
Justify continued war. Each party
knowing that the other will continue
fighting until certain points are con
ceded or are proved by the fortunes
of war to be unattainable, the war
may continue after a preliminary
"showdown" until its course elimi
nates the points of disagreement one
by one.
The greatest obstacle to even a be
ginning of peace negotiations Is the
diametrically opposite view taken by
the two parties. Each Insists that It
is fighting purely In self-defense, that
the other was the aggressor and that
it must be protected against further
aggression. Before they can reach a
common basis for an understanding,
one party must recede from this posi
tion or must be driven from it. Neither
is likely to yield the point, for to do
60 would be to abandon its entire case.
Neither is defeated, hence neither is
in a position to extort this confession
as the victor.
Mr. Lloyd George declares peace
without reparation, impossible, but
reparation would be a confession that
all the deeds for whftsh it is demanded
were crimes, though Germany Justifies
them. Only defeat could exact this
confession, but Germany points to the
military map and claims victory. The
British Premier says the allies will in
sist that the only end of the war must
be "a complete guaranty against Prus
sian militarism disturbing the peace
of Europe," but in the next breath he
questions whether any "terms . and
guaranties are surer than those which
Germany broke." But Germany de
nies having violated any guaranties,
and demands new ones from its ene
mies on its part.
ince neither party is beaten and
since both still hope for victory, these
further guaranties can be . obtained
only by force and can consist only in
exercise of physical power to prevent
further acts of perfidy such as each
alleges against the other. Germany,
in occupation of enemy territory on
all sides in Europe and having just
conquered the newest enemy, cannot
be expected yet to abandon hope of
paining these pledges of good con
duct; the allies, having driven back
the enemy on all sides except in Rou
mania, are. still confident of obtaining
them.
- Tet the allies cannot, without in
Jury to their own cause in the eyes of
the world, decline the central em
pires" invitation pointblank. "Decent
respect for the opinion of mankind"
requires them to evince willingness to
confer, provided, they do not thereby
sacrifice any of the principles for
which they are fighting. Even if
nothing should result but a clearer
definition of the objects sought by
each, something will have been gained.
Other wars of great magnitude have
been marked by several peace over
tures before negotiations actually be
gan, arid each move of the kind helped
to clear the way for a conference. '
The British Premier's programme
for prosecution of. the war is marked
by those characteristics of energy,
courage and prompt decision which
have caused his country to stake all
its hopes on him. He will try by
prompt decision to avert further dis
aster. The government will take com
plete control of labor, shipping, food
and industry and will create a social
ized state differing little from Ger
many. Settlement of the Irish ques
tion is to be sought and the dominions
are to be taken into an imperial con
ference. No problem is too difficult
for the new Premier to attack, and
he promises no delay In dealing with
those which Mr. Asquith had long put
off. The new fervor of self-sacrifice
which he breathes into the British na
tlon matches that with which Von
Hlndenburg has inspired the Germans.
Each nation promises to be more
closely knit into a fighting unit than
ever, each alliance to be organized
into a more smoothly working team
than ever. These preparations pres
age mor desperate fighting in the
coming year than has marked the
past of this most bloody of all wars.
A NEW CO IX AND ITS USES.
Much debate has been provoked by
the director of the mint's suggestion
that he be authorized to coin a 2
cent piece. We have no coin for any
sum between a penny and a nickel
since the 2-eent and the 3-cent pieces
were abolished. As a people, Ameri
cans are contemptuous of small sums,
and many of us will not deign to sub
divide a dollar into more than twenty
parts. '
But the half-nickel, or by whatever
other name it might become known,
would have its uses. Many a man will
buy two things for 25 cents rather than
pay 15 cents for one, though one may
be all he ndeds. In the bad, old, wet
days in Portland, many a man has in
vited a friend to drink with him in
the expectation that the latter would
reciprocate and that, thus he would
save a nickel. Great would be his cha
grin if the friend proved to be a tight
wad" and failed him. The new coin
would enable such a man to pay a
dime and a half-nickel for each drink
and take no risks that a friend would
clay false. It would be a boon to the
2 - cent newspaper, which might slip up
its price to 2 cents and thus com
pensate for the high cost of white pa
per, but it would be a bane to the
3- cent paper, which might be forced
down half a cent in order to enable
the newsboy to make quick change.
Tie what-shall-we-call-it coin would
carry farther one of our two ways of
dividing a dollar. One way is by
tenths and twentieths with dimes and
nickels. The other leads by halves
and quarters to eighths, which would
be represented by a dime and a what-
ls-lt, and might be carried still farther
to a sixteenth, which would be 6
cents the amount of damages usually
awarded in a libel suit when the jury
believes the plaintiff has been libeled
but only nominally injured.
OUR BOYS AT THE BORDER.
Governor . Withycombe is sharply
criticised by '. an always unfriendly
newspaper because he has asked the
War Department to send home the
Oregon troops yet on the border. If
we are not mistaken. Senator Cham
berlain, chairman of the Senate mili
tary affairs committee, has inter
ceded in vain for the Guardsmen and
their anxious parents and friends; and
Representative McArthur has also
presented the plea for home-coming
to the Secretary of "War.
We have seen no word of censure
for Senator Chamberlain for his atti
tude, nor indeed for Mr. McArthur.
Only for the Governor.' Tet he has
less responsibility than the Senator
none at, all, indeed for the military
policy of the Washington authorities.
"The Government has no regular
troops," says the Journalistic advocate
of indefinite police duty 2000 miles
from the Guard's home state, "to re
place the Guardsmen, and Governor
Withycombe knows it, or should know
it."
Senator Chamberlain also knows it.
and the country knows it. The Sen
ator has sought to repair vital defects
in the Army organization by increas
ing the establishment and to guaran
tee the safety of the country .through
universal military training.
Senator Chamberlain would have
an Army competent to meet any
crisis, particularly to cope with a sit
uation- like the Mexican border trou
bles. He has had nd encouragement
from his party in Oregon. It would
keep the Guard at the border till the
crack of doom rather than provide a
trained and adequate Army.
GREAT CONVENTION" COMING.
When the National Education Asso
ciation descended upon New Tork last
year, with something like 36,000 dele-,
gates and participants, the great city
was fairly amazed. It is doubtful if
the average metropolitan inhabitant.
whose vision westward is limited to
the desolate marshes of New Jersey,
had ever heard of the organization.
But the' National Education Associa
tion speedily educated New Tork.
Thirty-six thousand individual Amer
icans of any calling or social or in
tellectual classification are not to be
ignored even by the provincial New
Torkers; when ' they are men and
women of high intelligence and great
influence, and when many of them
have indeed attained National dis
tinction, it is easy to understand that
even New Tork was thoroughly
aroused to the significance and im
portance of their coming.
This great organization proposes
now to honor Portland by holding its
annual convention here in July, 1917.
It will be a memorable event, for it
will bring to this city the largest and.
most representative body of visitors
ever gathered in the Pacific North
west. The education convention met
in Oakland, Cal., in 1915, at the time
of the Panama-Pacific ' Exposition.
The attendance reached the astonish
ing figure of 15,000, most' of whom
had Journeyed the long distance
across the continent. The total for
Portland ought to reach the Oakland
figure, or very nearly that.
Obviously, Portland must prepare
for a great assembly of typical Amer
lean teachers, active in college, public
school and other branches of scho
lastic and "educational life. There
must be a generous reception and ade
quate arrangement - for their accom
modation. ' All the resources of the
city's and state's hospitality must be
placed at their command. They have
high expectations, undoubtedly, of the
attractiveness of the city and of the
entire Northwest, and they must not
be disappointed.
SINFUL FLOATING.
As might, ehave been expected,
there will - be no living with Demo
crats -now that they' have been given
a second term in power. It "is only
a short while since they claimed the
political allegiance of George Wash
ington and Abraham Lincoln, and now
Brother Wagnon adds the Nazarene
to the list. It need not be doubted
that as Brother Wagnon pursues his
studies of the Bible he will find fur
ther evidence of a close alliance be
tween the teachings of the scrip
tures and those of the Democratic
party.
But in his enthusiastic researches
let him not overlook the precept of
humility which we think he will find
expounded In the good book. It Is not
an indication of humility or of broth
erly love to gloat. And we are quite
positive that there is a gloat or two in
Brother Wagnon's Interesting and in
structive letter, which is published in
another column.
To gloat is sinful. It is most un
christian.' Even In the one incident
over which there was chance to gloat
following the bribery of Mr. Iscariot,
which Brother Wagnon so feelingly
describes, the privilege of gloating was
denied. Peter might have plumed
himself oyer cutting off the ear of
the servant of the high priest. But
he was rebuked, the ear miraculously
healed and Peter had to lie out of
It later In order to save his skin.
In his Journey down through tha
ages. Brother Wagnon makes the im
portant discovery that everything that
riryan stood lor in 1896 has been writ
ten into the statutes. Brother Wag
non should leave his scriptural studies
long enough to find the .exact section
of the. Revised Statutes wherein free
coinage of silver Is provided for at
the ratio of sixteen to one. If he can
do that he can also find free trade
in the Underwood tariff and detect a
tariff-for-revenue only In the tariff
commission law adopted by a Demo
cratic Congress. Those would be
feats worth while.
If Brother Wagnon insists on sinful
gloating he should gloat over victory
In the abstract and leave gloating over
practical affairs to the reassured Fed
erai" Drigaae ana tnose wno make a
study of modern as well as ancient
history. As for his prophecy of single
tax for Britain,, whatever comes to
pass will not be our gloat nor our
funeral.
In connection with efforts to find
employment for the wounded soldiers
of Europe, attention has recently been
called by serious students of the sit
uation to the danger of overdoing the
making of toys and other lnconse
quential articles of- no established
economic value. - A newspaper in
France, started by the disabled sol
diers themselves, has recently given
frank warning against putting . too
much dependence upon things that
now fetch high prices under the im
pulse of highly stimulated sentiment,
but which it is feared will not con
tinue to do so when the world has
settled back into its dull routine. "It
is shown that toy making is interest
ing and suitable work for disabled
men, but that there is not enough of
it to employ more than a small pro
portion of the whole number, and in
addition there is no. way of foretell
ing a season in advance what the
styles in toys will be. A group of men
who had learned to make one kind
of toy would have no assurance of
long-continued employment. It is
strongly urged that these men, there
fore, be trained for industries that
are more likely to endure.
A CHANCE FOR GLORY.
Somebody, with suspicion pointing
toward the City Hall, is encouraging
a propaganda in 'behalf of a municipal
lighting plant. Those who have faint
recollections of a municipal wood
yard enterprise will probably watch
developments with- trepidation.
We offer as a counter irritant mu
nicipal control of bootblack stands.
Such an enterprise would be com
paratively small i in initial cost and
would shed further light on the abil
ity of the city to manage anything.
In choosing between the two pro
posals reflect for a minute that there
are three lighting systems In Port
land actively competing for business,
which promotes low prices. There ia
no competition in shoe-shining as to
price. In some other cities a man
can get his shoes shlned for a nickel.
Here it costs 10 cents.
To be sure, not everybody's shoes
are shlned. Nor does everybody use
gas or electricity. But everybody
ought to use shoe blacking, which
cannot be said of everybody as to gas
or electricity.
If the price of shoe-shining were
cut in half more men would present
a neat appearance, for those who do
not shine at all would spruce up and
those who do an Indifferent -Job ' at
home would patronize experts. Vis
itors would remark upon the neat ap
pearance of everyone, more " men
would be employed and Portland
would be happy and prosperous.
Such an enterprise would -call for
a limited number of new officials
Probably these:
One Superintendent of the Bureau of
Bootblacklng. ,
One -Private Secretary.
One General Supervisor.
Three District Supervisors.
One East Side foreman.
Two West Bide foremen. . '
Three assistant foremen.
One Inspector of Blacking- Brushes.
One Inspector of Blacking,
On Inspector at Whisk Brooms.
We shall be happy to furnish fur
ther particulars to any seedy poli
ticians who may be looking for Jobs
or to any patriot now in office who
would like to father some 6cheme to
make him solid with the people.
DEATH OF A GREAT ATHLETE.
To devotees of "all-around athlet
ics" the news of the death in London
of Donald Dinnle will come as a sur
prise, for although Dinnle was 70 or
thereabouts he was a man" of the type
whom one somehow does not asso
ciate with dying. He will be remem
bered by the people of Portland thirty
years ago as a wonderful wrestler
.nd a Scot of prodigious strength. It
is recalled that in a wrestling match
at the old Mechanics' Pavilion here
he vanquished a giant from Montana.
In the style of wrestling in which the
contestants are dressed . in harness.
and in which great strength counts.
the most, his. victory was so easy as
to be almost ludicrous.-- '
There were several remarkable)
things about Donald Dinnle. One was
that he did not become a champion
until he had reached the age at which
it is said of most men that they have
passed Jkheir prime. He did not enter
athletics , as a business until he was
30. He was 48 when he "became all-
around champion of the world. His
versatility was amazing. He won a
great many running races. Jumping
contests, hammer throws and wres
tling bouts. Of the latter, he was
champion of six styles. It is said of
him that he had won more than 11,-
000 contests in his lifetime, which is
a good many more than most ath
letes have . a chance even to enter.
On his trip to the United -. States he
carried away more than 150 cham
pionship cups and medals. He went
from here to Australia and proved
hjlhself superior to all the athletes of
the antipodes. Then he returned to
England and continued his work. He
was ' more than 50 when, like Alex
ander, he found himself with no more
worlds to conquer.
Dinnle solved a profound secret, the
secret of holding his supremacy until
relatively late in life, by refusing to
confine himself to a single depart
ment of the game. To the last he
kept himself a "well-balanced man."
Where some would have over-exercised
a single set of muscles and nave
become slow and stale in time, Dinnle
gave attention at all times both to
power and speed. Enough of each
to preserve .the muscular equilibrium
and not too much of any one seemed
to .have been his life motto. And
when one compares the Trecord of
Donald Dinnie with that of nearly any
other professional wrestler, ball
player or whatnot It will be seen
that the Dinnie system was the sys
tem that brought home the bacon.
Eleven thousand contests won! What
an achievement for one man!" It-is
no wonder that" Dinnie was called the
greatest athlete ever produced by
Scotland, that land of massive men,
and that there is no one seriously to
dispute that he was the greatest all
around athlete in the world.
n FARMING IN THE CITTES.
; Massachusetts cities have just ac
cepted the terms of a law permitting
maintenance of urban schools of ag
riculture. It appears that the move
ment away from the country and to
ward the city has 'been particularly
alarming in the factory towns of the
East. The danger is' imminent that
in another generation or perhaps two
the supply of competent farmers will
be exhausted. . This is doubly unfor
tunate because it is threatened at a
time when the? Eastern states need
their farmers more than ever. - , East
ern soil, with long use.have become
a problem- for the best types of agri
culturists. It is no longer a question
of sowing a crop haphazard and de
pending on Nature to do the rest.
The Massachusetts idea is to reach
people who could not be reaTched by
the agricultural colleges the children
of the factory hands and of the folks
who have move from the farm to
town and show little or no inclina
tion to return to the country. There
are large numbers of Immigrants to
be educated along the same lines
men and women from the congested
centers of Europe and from the bleak
regions of Northeastern Canada.
These .were attracted to the city by
promise of better pay for less work,
but many of them have 'been' disap
pointed. At any rate, they are find
ing ont that there are - penalties in
the way of surrender of independence
and unpleasant working conditions.
It is hoped to show these people that
the country offers them greater re
ward than manual labor in the cities
and since it would be-useless to -try
to Induce them to go to the. country
at first, it is proposed to take farming
instruction to them in the' f city
schools. ,- - .-. '
4-In these matters, as in many others,
theJWest has shown the way. We al
ready have our school gardens, and
they have proved successful, but their
mission is not quite the same. We do
not have the same problem of slums
and factory tenements. In the East
the idea is only incidentally to stimu
late the cultivation of the vacant land
of cities for what it- may. produce.
Of course, whatever Js grown that
way will be that much toward re
ducing the cost of living by increasing
the . food supply, but it will be neg
ligible on the whole. The primary
thought is to create love of tilling the
soil, to teach that it is pleasant work
and not any harder, for 4 example.
than digging a trench for a water
main, and so to foster by indirection
the movement back to the land. In
other words, the city would so Instruct
Its people that they can leave It and
make ta living. It is not a good
scheme from the point of view of the
population boomer, but it is an ex-
cellenttype of altruism.
There are few men or women who
do not have some plan rfor checking
the unnatural growth of the urban
population. . Much experimentation
will precede adoption of the final plan
or plans. This new movement will be
watched with especial Interest, and
if it succeeds it' will be worth all It
costs. Meanwhile, of course, tlie
state and the cities will be called upon
to pay the bills.
An Interesting experiment is being
made in Cleveland in an effort to' as
certain whether an appreciable num
ber of men who are established In
life can be found who will undertake
the responsibility of acting as a sort
of religious big brother to other men
not so well established and younger
In years. Past experience has - in-
flcated difficulty in this direction,
lany men are willing to give freely
of their money for charitable enter
prises, or to finance employment bu
reaus, or even to provide food for the
destitute who show diffidence about
assuming to gfve guidance in religious
matters, feeling, sometimes, that this
is a work that should be left- for
preachers to do. The effort now
being made under the direction
Of the Young Men's Christian, Asso
ciation has for its object the 'estab
lishment of cordial relations, between
men who need counsel and those who
are able to give it out of their own
experience as to matters of spiritual
need. At a recent meeting 2358 young
men were found who desired to avail
themselves of the counsels of a "big
brother," but only 114 big brothers
volunteered, which was far from es
tablishing a working proportion; but
the experiment has not yet been aban
doned. The Guardsman will welcome Fed
eral payments in aid of their depend
ent families, but they will not take
kindly to Secretary Baker's assump
tion that they are to continue in the
Federal service until June 3 Or- 1917.
In that case they would become vet
erans without haying fired a ahot at
an enemy.
Of course It would be very rude
to hurt Carranza's feelings by chasing
bandits into Mexico, but how about
tho feelings of the Americans whom
they maltreat on this side of the bor
der? Carranza is so swelled np with
his own dignity that he cannot . see
anything else.
The National Health Service . has
been gathering statistics and advises
not to worry about accumulating too
much if one would live long.' Many
inmates of almshouses attest the truth,
of this advice.
The sale of wild horses to be caught
by the purchaser opens a further field
for speculative activity. The practice
might be extended to all kinds of wild
game and could be continued as long
as any remained uncaught. r-
THe loyalty of Canada will be some
thing to be talked of for 100 years.
Not the least of her acts is the rip
ping up of 1000 miles of railway track
to send to Europe for war purposes.
It is quite a compliment to the Ore
gon artillery and cavalry that Uncle
Sam cannot get along without them,
but the boys do not appreciate the
compliment at this particular season.
John Barrett, erstwhile our John,
is on the job, and if trade of ' the
republics gets away after the war it
will not be because John failed to
advise us of the danger.
About the only way to deal with
Baldwin and Curtis seems to be to
build a special penitentiary for them.
Then they could not incite the other
convicts to disorder.
We of the Valley who shiver at 32
degrees find It hard to realize the in
tense cold of Wyoming, where It is a
struggle to keep-a locomotive from
"going dead."
The millennium must be just
around the corner of the calendar.
The Union Paclflo - refuses to carry
freight that can be carried by a com
petitor. It will be observed that troops from
the states that voted for Wilson are
being sent home from the border.
The Marquis of Crewe expresses the
British idea when he says "to the
last man, to the last shilling."
Father might go through life with
out a handkerchief if it were not for,
Christmas.
Archbold left his fortune of 820.'
000,000 to his family, which obviates
a contest.
The sole good in a probe of the high
cost of living is that it keeps" some
body busy.
The Mint can't make money for
lack of money. Lots of us are in the
same fix. '
Lloyd George's reply "means not this
Christmas, thank you.
Now it's "mange cure" in Seattle,
and a bark ought to procure it.
Will it be a green or a whiter Christ
mas T
" .How to Keep Well. ;
." 1 By Dr. W. A. Erass, .
Questions pertinent to hygiene, sanitation
and prevention of disease, if matters of (
oral 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 envelope
Is inclosed. Dr. Evans will not make diagnosis
or prescribe for individual diseases. Re
quests for such services cannot be answered.
(Copyright, 119, by Dr. W. A. Evan.
.Published by arrangement with the Chicago
Tritons.) . ,
norsiso in" "Liverpool.
(Copyright, 11, by Dr. W. A. Evans.)
FIFTY years ago Liverpool became
convinced that something must be
dona about housing. .'The city had
grown very - rapidly during a period'
when men knew little, and cared less,
about the. .sanitation of a city, and." In
consequence.' houses had been thrown
together without regard ta health and
occupants were allowed to do about as
they pleased. Shipping" from all the
world centered in Liverpool. It was
noticed that certain slums were foci
fromvwhlch epidemics of typhus, chol
era and smallpox spread out over the
city periodically, while constantly con
sumption. Uphold, diphtheria and scar
let fever.' bred there,, were being- car
ried into other parts of the city
They started in to get rid of the poor
houses. They began by tearing down
insanitary houses and boarding up Cel
lars out of which people had .been com
pelled to move. In all 20.008 Insanitary
houses have -been pulled down by the
city. In the last . eight years 1500
houses have been closed. In 1916 100
have been closed and are waiting to
be torn down. Only about 8000 lnsan
ltary houses are left In the city. Of
the 11.000 cellars occupied as dwellings
all have been emptied except 800.
But Liverpool found out early that
driving people out of poor houses was
hot enough. The, old houses must be
torn down, new ones built, and. as far
as possible, the occupants of the old
houses must be moved, "In to the new
ones. They adopted the municipal pol
icy of buylnc the Insanitary house and
the ground on which it stood, tearing
down the house and building a cheap,
sanitary house In its stead. They now
have 3000 corporation houses. These
two, three and four-room dwellings
rent for from 43 cents to 11.75 a week.
Three years ago there were 10.223
people living In these rooms.
The death rate among the people In
these slum districts before the houses
were built ranged from 40 to 80.' The
tuberculosis rate was four. In 1913 the
death rate was 27.7. tbe birth rate was
87.7. Tho consumption rate was "two
and the baby death rate was 14 5.7 per
1000 births. The typhoid rates hare
decreased even more than have the
general death rate and the consumption
death rate. Typhus and cholera have
wholly disappeared, and smallpox prac
tically so. Other contagious diseases
have greatly diminished.
Dr.. Hope, the health officer, reports
In the Journal of State Medicine: "The
habits of the people are vastly Im
proved; less drunkenness, less squalor.
and that feature which forced Itself
upon the attention of every thinking
person namely, the shocking amount
of child neglect has largely dimin
ished. The slum areas, or, at all events,
tbe great bulk of them, have b'een
swept ' away and in their places we
have decent, healthy tenements situ
ated in Wide streets, with plenty of air
apace aad x playgrounds for the chil
dren. - The amount of money spent for
ground and improvements is $6,000,009.
The rent collected In . 1915 was some
thing less than 8150,000. A good part
of the- return on the $6,000,000 is in less
sickness and fewer deaths, not only in
the, district but in the city at large.
Diet for Baby.
H. M. T. writes: "Under normal con
ditions what Is the best age to wean a
babyT
"2. The child Is 1 year old and eats
soft-boiled yCggs, cream of wheat and
cream, oranges and zwieback. Is this
sufficient without breast food?"
- - t REPLY..
' ' i . Nine to twelve months.
. "2. No. He should have abont a quart a
day of cow's milk, some finely chopped veg
etables, some finely chopped meat, mashed
potatoes with butter or gravy. Iet him gnaw
bones. Let him have the milk at once. The
other foods should be gradually added to
his diet.
Massage Tonsils.
W. S. T. writes: "At Intervals of a
few months I expectorate small, hard
yellow particles extremely offensive,
coming apparently from the-head, or
throat. Please tell me the cause and
remedy." . -
REPLY. "
These are concretions from the tonsils.
They can be squeezed out by massaging the
tonsils, using for the purpose the handle of
a large spoon. .-
" Tapeworm Remedy.
O. M. ' J. writes: "Can you suggest
some method of getting rid of a stub
born and troublesome intestinal worm
in a normal woman 38 years old? I
have taken santonnl and castor oil.
following the casual directions of two
different druggists. I have tried three
times and failed. Could a worm be the
cause of an occasional nervous, gnaw
ing pain In the stomach that I have
sometimes thought neuralgia?" . j
REPLY. .
If the only Indication of the presence of a
worm la a nervous gnawing pain In the
stomach you can be reasonably certain no
worm is present. As you speak of ono worm
being present, the probability 1st that yon
have passed, pieces of tape worn. To get rid
of a tapeworm you must prepare thoroughly,
stay In. bed, taking a liquid died only for
three days (a pint aad a half of milk a. day.)
Take a mild saline purge on each of these
three days. On the evening- of the third day
take a saline purge. Repeat before break
fast the next morning. At 8 o'clock- take a
dose of worm medicine. Repeat at 9. At 11
taka a dose of castor oil. Male fern Is the
best medicine for tapeworm. Pomegranate or
pumpkin seeds also axe good.
Soothers Florida Climate.
Mrs. C. E. I writes that the climate
of Miami,' Fla., is good for asthma
She had a daughter with asthma In bad
form. It cured her and she is now a
big, fat woman. , .
OJT THE ROAD TO SCHOOL. -BY
JUNE M'MILLEN ORDWAT.
Dear littlo boy, I see you pasa
So off with bat and ball,
I'm but a fir tree growing, ' "
And I wish that I could call
And tell you to be patient.
For I'm growing, growing tall.
Dear little boy I hear you say 1 '
You'll have no Christmas tree.
For all are small, so very small.
' Tlftre is no great big tree.
Now little boy be happy.
And don't you grieve at all,
For 1 am growing every day.
So' very, very talU .
On Christmas morn you'll waken
And find so many toys. -
All banging on my branches
I'm Just the tree for boys.
SCRIPTCRES ARE STILL. HIS STTDT
Brother Wsgsss Dlaeovera First Party
Democrat la New Testament.
PORTLAND, Dec 19. (To .the
Editor.) I am never happy when
my old friend. The Oregonlan. Is
perplexed. It Is plain you cannot ac
count for the recent Democratic vic
tory, so that prompts roe to tell you
that Democracy Is always victorious.
It has been winning ever sinee the
dawn of history.
Democracy has ever, had to fight
bollaths of evil, whose spears are like
weaver's beams, and they use them to
light back the lovers of justice.
About 1917 .years ago was corn a
Great Democrat in the- city of David.
who later led a movement for more
democracy In and about the city of;
Jerusalem. He told the plain people
how-to live better lives and ha
preached against wrong in high places,
and went so far as to drive the mon
ey "changers out of (he temple, which
brought down the wrath of the Jeru
salem. Chamber of Commerce on his
head. In this 'great historic struggle
we see the standpatters led by a man
named Calaphas, who had tbe backing
of the Good Government Club, which
numbered among Its members all the
preachers, scribes, lawyers, doctors
and money changers, to say nothing of
the hog keepers of Gadarenea,
The Great Carpenter had -on Ms aide
the fishermen's union, some puWlicans,
and many sinners, both men and women-.
As this campaign warmed up the S.
Pats got scared, as usual, and resorted
to use of money by bribing a man named
iscariot with several pieces or suver.
and at the close of the campaign by
trickery they got another helper. Bar-
abbas by name. With their help the
carpenter was nailed to the cross: but
before they had got through congratu
lating themselves on their great vic
tory they found out that the fisher
men had filled all Jewery with the
doctrine of the carpenter. They there
fore had a law passed forbidding any
one to teach in this man's name, but
It was like our late Jitney franchise
of no effect-
Thls same fight is still going on,
Sometimes the standpatters call It a
fight between the "haves" and the
"have-nots." but call it what you will
Democracy Is surely winning little by
little.
Democracy made some gain in King
John's time, and again In 1776 in King
George's time, when san Democrats
held a meeting in Philadelphia,
The same old fight was waged
around slavery, and the standpatters
of the South thought they had a great
victory when they hanged that oia
bandit tor taking Harpers Ferry. But
"his soul went marching on." and met
the standpatters at Appomattox.
Democracy asrain won a grand tri
umph in 1896 when that young Titan
from the Platte scourged tho modern
money-chnngers in and out of the
temple. Three tlmeg the standpatters
downed him, and theiredltors have
burled him and showed Ws the picture
of his grave, but his "sure Insurgent
strido has jarred plutocracy's ultimate
stone of pride." Everything he stood
for in 1896 has been written in the law.
and more: It la Democracy winning
from the stand-natters.
Now that you have named mo Elijah
may I venture to prophesy? If ever
the war debt of Europe ia paid or the
interest on It. it will be by the adop
tion of the sinsrle tax. and my reason
for this prediction is the fact that
Eneland has placed that spienaia
single taxer. 'David Lloyd George, at
the head of the government. ah oi
which stoes to show that the Great Car
penter's words were true when he said.
"Teach them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you;
and- lo. I am with you always, even
unto the end of the world."
Hate drew a -circle that shut me out
Hsretlo. rebel, a thing to-flout.
But Jots and I had tho wit to . In :
"We drew a circlo that took, him In.
Markham.
H. D. "WAGNON.
FOOD EMBARGO WOULD BE COSTLYJ
Government Could Better Spend Money
for Relief of Own "War dnBerers."
CHERRYVIVLLE. Or.. Dec. 18. To
the Editor.) In solving the problem of
putting an embargo on food we would
suggest that Congress take advantage
of the absence of any political emer
gency requiring legislative action to
appease some faction clamoring for
Governmental assistance and for once
apply strictly business principles to It,
They might call for the assistance of
rome expert mathematicians to calcu
late the various items necessary to a r
rlve at a satisfactory solution. Ve
imagine the account would look like
this:
EXPENSB OF" EN"FOrt6lNT3 F7MBABGO.
Coaling, victualing and operating
hundred gunboats to stop
and search every vessel leaving
our ports 8
Food and other expenses of
thousand soldiers and special po
lice alorK Canadian and Mex
can borders .$
Cot of trial of thousand
American citizens accused of
smuggling goods $.
Cost of caring; for thousand
convicted of last item for 15
to 20 years 8
Losses to industrial workers due to
unusual business disturbances. .8
Additional ca'.ls for help In feed
ing Belgians and others because
of the stopping of all supplies
from this country S. ........
Miscellaneous expenses and losses S.........
Total
If an embargo Is not declared the
United .States Treasury is saved the
foregoing expense, which can be trans
ferred to the emergency fund and ap
plied through the proper organizations
for direct relief of the sufferers from
the added cost of living due to war
prices.
This Is. to bo sure, a very prosaic
way for meeting an emergency in this
country, where the Impression prevails
that all expense and responsibility can
be escaped by the simple process of
slapping another law on the statute
books.
This relief should bo applied to only
the actual needy. The rest of us who
are not benefited directly by the high
prices will have to comfort ourselves
with the thought that it is the other
fellow's turn at a good thing and make
ourselves believe that those who are
getting money fast will also presently
spend it at about the same speed and
that eventually we will all get a whack
at It. GEORGE B. COLTER.
horse: hair test is startling
Number Tied In Knot Produces Knot of
Worms la Warm Water.
1IOSSTROCK, Wash.," Dec. 17. (To
tha Editor.) I have read The Ore
gonlan every day for many years. Of
late I have noticed letters on the great
hair-worm controversy. I am 72 years
old and wish to add my experience and
views. Horse hairs from the mane or
tail will turn to snakes and live and
wriggle and crawl for a -short time. I
have many times placed hairs in pools
of warm water alongside of roads in
Summer time in Lawrence, County,
Pennsylvania. In a short time they
were alive and crawling about in the
pool with heads and mouth and eyes
and spotted backs. They were from
eight inches to one foot long, about the
thickness of a pin or needle. . ,
To make sure of these facts I took a
bunch of long hairs the' size of a lead
pencil, tied a. knot in It, cast it in the
water In the month of June. In two
of three days it was a bunch of live,
crawling snakes struggling to get
separated.
I - then made a careful examination
with a powerful glass. I learned the
hair was covered with many hundreds
of microbes which produced life. I
have, in a crude way, made a study of
nature'SfWonderful works and am fully
convinced that the real and true god is
the god of nature. The air and water
and earth are all life without begin
ning V end. DANIEL SHANER.
In Other Days.
Tnrnty-FiTe Years Age,
From Ths Oregonlan of Dwembtr 0, 1891.
Washington, Dec 19. The recom
mendation! of Governor Pennoyer of
Joseph Simon for Circuit Judge will
not do the Latter gentleman very much
good. Ihe President has a good. mem
ory and whan ha saw Psnnoyer's name
he recalled the asinine performance of
the Oregon .Governor as he was about
to enter the borders of the state.
Cyrus W. Field was very little im
proved yesterday. While he is not in
immediate danger of death, he is said
to be low and takes little nourishment.
-Messrs. Selover' and Bunker have
sold out their interests In the Llnnton
smelter to a syndicate composed of
the principal stockholders of the old
companyand the long-drawn-out feud
Is at an end.
The "Four Hundred" turned out In
force last night to witness and an-
plaud "G" Company minstrels at the
Marquasn Grand. This crack company,
so well and favorably known, oould not
fail to draw a crowded house.
Half Crntnrf At.
From Ths Oregonlan of December 50. 1866.
Certain ceoole mav be startled to
know that some of our prominent citi
zens have organized " a company to
build a railroad on the Oregon side of
the Columbia River portage at the Cas
cades. Such is the fact, however.
A rumor has been whlzzlnir about
the streets for several days that a
sensation of some sort Is Impending.
We think we-may surmise that It will
come out in a day or two in the shape
of an opposition line of steamboats be
tween Portland and Tho Dalles.
We learn from tho operator here
that the line beyond Treka Is down
somewhere, that the rains south of
Treka have been very heavy, the
streams swollen, the bridges washed
away and the stage has not arrived
rrom the south for three days. This
state of things may continue for some
time. The Rescue arrived from Montloello
yesterday with the malls, several pas
sengers from the Sound and a cargo
mostly of hay. We noticed among her
cargo also a case of tobacco leaves,
which looked bright and of fine qual
ity, grown n the Columbia bottom
FIRST CHUnCH WEST OF ROCKIES
Earliest Protestant Flock "o Orranlied
at Orejcon City, Says Writer.
PORTLAND. Deo. 19. (To tho Edi
tor.) The writer Is interested In all
that which pertains to Oregon. Its
early history reads like a romance and
all Oregonlans are proud of their state,
whether native born or adopted sons.
The excellent article by Mrs. Eva
Emery Dye, appearing the The Sunday
Oregonlan, "Stories of Old Oregon."
are word pictures of ancestral Oregon.
Referring to Mrs. Dye's article in
The Sunday Oregonlan. December 17.
(Section 5. page 7). wherein she says:
'That "same year (1844) the Methodists
dedicated the first Protestant church
west of the Rocky Mountains at Ore
gon City." Mrs. Dye evidently over
looked a Protestant church which was
organized on August 18, 1S3S, six years
earlier, at the house of Dr. Marcus
Whitman, at the Waiilatpu Mission sta
tion, six miles west of the present rity
of Walla Walla, Wash. This was the
first Protestant (and first Presby
terian) church orsanizod in North
America west of the Rocky Mountains
and'on the Pacific Coast
Rev. It. II. Spalding was elected pas
tor and Dr. Marcus Whitman rullnsr
elder of this old. historic church. The
writer la indeed fortunate in possessing
a certified copy of the "records" of this
now famous church.
The organizers of this first Protes
tant (and first Presbyterian) church
were missionaries of the American
Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions.
See "History of the Synod of Wash
ington," page 22S; also an article pre
pared by the writer entitled "First
Things Pertaining to Prebyterlantsm
on the Pacific Coast." In Oregon His
torical Society Quarterly for June. 1914.
The Presbyterian" general assembly
has officially enrolled this church as
one of the churches of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of Amer
cla. "To err Is human." The writer be
lieves, however that In the Interest of
historical accuracy the foregoing cor
rection should be made.
ROBERT II. BLOSSOM.
WORK SHOULD BE JOY TO Jl'DGES '
Administration of Mo therm' Pensions
Noble Employment, Says Writer.
EUGENE. Or.. Dea 18. (To the Edi
tor.) It is to be regretted that the
county Judges of Oregon in convention
caw tit to request, by resolution that
the 1917 Legislature repeal the present
widow's pension law. This law was
passed by the 1913 Legislature, and
while that session of the Oregon Legis
lature made some mistakes, it cer
tainly did not err in Judgment when
It placed Oregon on record as being
willing to provide for the comfort of
Its widows and orphans.
The intention of the present law is
to provide funds for the support of
children that have been so unfortunate
as to lose their father. The question Is,
Is it not better to place around these
children the environment of a homo
Instead of separating them from their
friends and herding them up under the
charge of a private corporation where
they no longer have the gentle touch
of a mother's band, and where that
private corporation, through state aid.
may have the opportunity of exploit
ing -their misfortune? It seems to me
that the taxpayers may better afford
to assist in bringing up such unfortu
nate children in the home environ
ment, thus developing useful citizens:
then, possibly. It will not be necessary
to expend such large sums In the
prosecution of crime and in the main
tenance of Jails and penitentiaries.
I am sorry, indeed, that the learned
county Judges of Oreson, who are
eharged by the law with the adminis
tration of the funds set apart for these
widows and orphans, should seek to
relieve themselves of the responsibility
which should be an enjoyment to them
Instead of a burden. Let us not over
look the moral supported by this law,
and I trust that the 1917 Legislature
will in its wisdom and good Judgment
refuse to repeal the law.
It is not out of personal pride in
having supported and voted for the
widows' pension law while a member
Of the 1913 Legislature that I address
this letter, but purely and simply be
cause tho principle of the widow's pen
sion law is correct and one that the
commonwealth of Oregon can well af
ford to follow.
' M. VERNON PARSONS.
"The Spirit sf Chrlstme.,,
Long, long ago eweet gifts were piled
Beside the Smiling Bethlehem Child.
It was through love the wise men came.
It was wtih love they breathed His
name.
Down through the years the "yule logs"
burned,
Down through -the years people have
yearned
For gifts of love as the wise men
gave
And thus the spirit of Christmas save.
Again has come the Christmas .tlsne.
All herald it with song and rhyme.
And love and love we'll feel it when
V bear the cry, "Good will toward
men."
RUTH FRANCES HOPBUXS,