8
THE 3IOItIXG OREGONIAN, SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1017.
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rRTLAND, SATTKDAT. JAX. . 1917.
THE ROAD PROMJtal.
If a satisfactory road code shall
volve from Road Conference and Leg
islature an achievement will have been
recorded to which we may look back
tn future with pride and admiration.
It Is not an easy Job. Tet It Is quite
easy to point to New York and Iowa
vnd casually wonder why we have not
done or do not do as well as they.
Iowa's road problems, probably New
York's, differ from ours as much as
do their agricultural problems. Iowa
was one of the original prairie states.
It - was a simple enough matter In
early days to declare each section line
a county road. The first wagon over
a section line did not encounter as
much difficulty as does any wagon
on one of Oregon'.s established high
ways in the backwoods. The second
wagon followed the ruts of the first
and the fifth wagon found a road In
stead of an Imaginary line drawn
across the prairie. Iowa now knows
where its roads are and where they
will remain for the future. The land
Is settled and cultivated on each side.
It is able to pay for good roads. There
are no serious engineering difficulties,
and a little expert knowledge as to
varying soil conditions, availability of
material and a few other Incidentals
equips the community with the data
necessary for devising a standardized
road system.
In Oregon there are mountains to
cross, roaring streams and rivers to
span, forests to penetrate and desert
wastes to traverse. The state is not
fully developed. Petitions are nu
merous for new roads and often they
must be constructed for the benefit
of an isolated community and through
a district which can give little to the
cost of construction.
The Oregon road system, or lack of
evstem, has all the solidity that an
tiqulty can give. The road supervisors
do not wish to surrender their per
quisites; the County Courts do not
care to give up their prestige. More
over, as much as a highway engineer
and expert may know about road con
struction, the average supervisor. In
his own estimation, knows Infinitely
more, and the average citizen can give
the road supervisor better advice as
to how to dump gravel into a mudhole
than anybody else. We are hampered
sufficiency.
If Oregon were developed and Its
markets and cities definitely estab
lished, engineering difficulties and the
problems of constructing and paying
for roads would not be so difficult.
In that event perhapa the advice
would be good that the existing sys
tem be thrown overboard and that no
roads be Improved except in accord
ance with standards devised to fit
the various types of roads trunk
line, market road and lateral. But
the remote community seeking a high
way outlet through a wilderness can
riot be tied to a standard, nor can
the lateral road in many instances.
There is no question but that valua
ble suggestions may be obtained from
the road laws of other states, but they
' must be considered with a conscious
ness of Oregon's peculiar needs and
cunuiwoiiB. 4-no worn ut uiqu w uu
Jiave personally observed their opera
tions is also worth listening to. But
there is something more to be consid
ered than the mere fact that a law
reems to read well. There is a super
ficial attractiveness, for example. In
the Washington law which provides
that the Legislature shall say where
Ftate road money shall be expended.
This law is advocated for Oregon
adoption. In practice it once caused
a deadlock between Senate and House
with the result that no road appro
priations were available for two years,
and since then the Washington Legls.
lature has been organised largely on
the basis of distribution of road
money, while road fund trades have
governed in noticeable way. the ehar
acter of general legislation. Probably
Oregon a pitiful $220,000 a year would
not be a very good basis for trading.
but it is the hope of road enthusiasts
that it will be possible some day to
have a fund of respectable propor.
ttons. To dangle such a purse before
so busy a mass meeting as the Oregon
Legislature 1s to invite trouble.
It is not the purpose herein to of.
fer a definite plan but to reiterate the
desirability of a well-balanced road
programme. The trunk line, the mar
ket road and the lateral and the
wagon trail through the woods must
be cared for by a system flexible
enough to adjust itself to widely vary.
Jng conditions. Reasons are accumu
lating for a better spirit of co-operation
between farm and city dwellers,
The automobile Is daily becoming
more of a utility for the farmer. If
permanent road construction be held
to be a propaganda of auto owners.
It may then bo held to be the propa
ganda of practically every Industrial
Interest. There still remain comma
nities which -Impose upon themselves
a district road tax of upwards of 10
mills to be expended for makeshift
roads, yet object to a quarter,
mill levy for permanent state roads be,
cause the state road does not run by
their door and is used frequently by
city dwellers. But they aro growing
fewer. The trunk line Is coming to
be recognized as a necessity, as the
backbone to which will be attached
the rib roads of lighter construction.
If the day is at hand when public
opinion shall be fairly centered upon
construction processes and methods of
supervision, the financial problem
still remains. A better spirit and a
broader understanding do not provide
money. For state highways and state
aided roads various methods of raising
money are proposed. They Include
higher motor vehicle taxes, an excise
tax on gasoline, a bond issue or such
curtailment of other expenditures as
would permit a legal Increase In the
general property road levy- la the
opinion of The Oregonlan, the latter
might be profitably and properly com
bined with either of the former.
EFFICIENCY AT 48. .
Any schoolboy is familiar with the
amazing career of Alexander the
Great, who conquered the world be
fore he was 30 and died at the , un
timely age of 33, sighing for conquests
more worthy of his powers. The
mighty Napoleon had vanquished Italy
and was virtually master of France
before 'he was 30, had reached the
zenith of his influence before he was
40, fought the battle of Waterloo at
46 and died at 52.
But these were supermen. The
wars of the world have been fought,
but not directed, by young men, while
the real work of the world has mostly
been done by older men and women.
The youngest President of the United
States, for example was Theodore
Roosevelt, who succeeded William
McKinley at 48 and took his first
elective term at 47. The average age
of the Presidents exceeds 60, and is
perhaps near 60. Woodrow Wilson
celebrated his 60th birthday last week.
The great Generals of the present
war are men who have passed the
meridian. Joffre Is over 60, and so
is "Von Hindenburg, and the majority
of Generals in all the armies are un
doubtedly more than 60. Helmuth
Carl Bernhard Moltke, creator of the
modern army and master strategist
of the nineteenth century, was above
70 when the Franco-Prussian War
was fought. Kitchener undertook the
biggest job of his career at 66. Lloyd
George became Premier of England
at 63.
So the young man who In letters
or art or warfare achieves greatness
is the exception. The men with ex
perience and proven trustworthiness,
rather than the prodigies of genius,
play by far the greatest part in af
fairs. "
All bail to the Efficiency Club of
Portland, organized to show that men
are at their best at 45 and more. The
women do not need to organize, for
no woman is ever more than 3
until she is 80.
WArmo FOR 1950.
During a little editorical excursion
through the letters written to various
newspapers, by sundry more or less
well-satisfied contributors, we have
found the following:
Vow I nave been a Republican most all
my life, and like many other fool working
men, I voted for Wilson this last election.
But I have voted my last old party ticket.
I just woke up, and from now on I am go
ing to vote the only worklngrman'9 ticket
in the ftld. and that la the Socialist ticket,
or the real progressiva ticket.
Strike prohibition is the occasion of
our dissatisfied friend's worry. The
President is for t, and apparently It
is his intention to push it through
Congress if he can. It does not apply,
however, to general employments, but
to public service corporations.
What did the laboring men who
were caught by the molasses of the
Adamson act think President Wilson
would do after election? They re
lied, evidently, on his well-known re
ceptivity to political pressure during
campaign and his equally well-
known readiness to change his mind
after a campaign. Now the President
proposes to carry out his promises.
and at least one man who voted for
him thinking he would break his word
Is highly disgruntled.
Thousands of Socialists and near-
Socialists voted for Wilson. The vote
for Benson, the Soolalist candidate, is
less by 160,000 than the vote of Debs
in 1812. But there may be a mighty
increase in 1920, if all those who are
displeased with Wilson go Socialist.
FORTC1TE THROWN A WAT,
The Oregonlan recently published
extracts from a report by' the Federal
Bureau of Standards to the effect that
a specific gravity test for gasoline is
practically worthless as a gauge of
gasoline's value for use In combustion
engines.
The state of Oregon requires by law
that all gasoline shall meet a certain
specific gravity test. The sum this
worthless law has cost consumers of
gasoline since its enactment cannot
be accurately given, but it is doubtless
several hundred thousand dollars.
The Oregonlan has attempted to ob
tain estimates of the amount of gaso
line consumed in Oregon and those
furnished by the three principal com.
panies vary greatly. It seems to be
a conservative conclusion that be
tween 20,000,000 and 26.000.000 gal-
Ions were used In Oregon in 1916.
The extra refining cost imposed on
the oil companies by the Oregon test
is stated by them to be one and one-
half cents a gallon. They say they
absorb one-half cent of this additional
cost themselves and charge the con
sumer one cent. It Is . an Incontro
vertible fact that in the state of Wash
ington, which does not impose a spe
cific gravity test 'or gasoline, that
commodity sells uniformly for one
cent a gallon cheaper than it does in
Oregon.
It thus appears that the legal Im
position of a worthless gravity test
cost the gasoline consumers of Ore
gon In 1916 upwards Of $250,000. It
is a sum equivalent to that provided
by the state levy for good roads.
There is no question as to the good
Intent of the Legislature of 1913. But
it legislated without scientific knowl
edge. Even the United States Bureau
of Standards admits that it Is not
yet ready to announce what is a sclen
tiflo gasoline test for standard adop
tlon.
The law should be repealed.
WORK ro TUB ULE RICH."
Senator Works, of California, with
seeming bitterness of spirit that we
would not look for in the California
Senator, demands a law to compel the
"Idle rich" to go to work. In his
valedictory to the Senate he indicates
that he has looked about him and has
observed that all Is not well. Natural
ly, he has found that there are many
hewers of wood and drawers of wa
ter, and that there are others who are
always willipg to let George do It.
The burden of labor is not evenly dis
tributed. Some of us are born with
proverbial silver spoons in our mouths
the rest, alas I are doomed to sweat
and toll.
So It is not surprising that the Sen
ator proposes the one remedy that is
always right at hand and that is
legislation. Of course, A law fo
everything and everything according
to law is the order nowadays. Uni
versal labor is to be the command
not as a result of the education of
public sentiment to hatred of the
idler, but by statute, duly enacted,
signed and sealed. Let us have truant
officers to hunt these vagrant rich
men and women from their homes and
put them to "doing something," There
is plenty for them to do. It would at
least be sounder economies than the
scheme of "making more work" for
working-men by cutting down Individ
ual production.
The trouble with the Senator Is per
haps that he lacks perspective. lie is
inclined to exaggerate the number of
idle rich, the harm they are doing
and the joy they are getting out of
life. There are a good many rich
who are not idle, and a good many
more who will not stay rich very long
unless they start hustling right away.
Riches have a way of taking wings.
The old saying that it Is only three
generations from shirtsleeves to shirt
sleeves Is pretty true. And idleness
is not so attractive as it seems. The
comparatively few rich men who are
really idle prove that by their strug
gles, often comical, to find something
to do. Real idleness is not at all a
comfortable state. Real work is pref
erable to it.
Better than passing a law for pun
ishment of those who are rich and
will not work would be to leave them
to wallow In their own Idleness. No
industrious man envies an idle man.
The idle man Is being punished
enough.
Mt'STO FOR THE COW.
We are offered today a study In
bovine psychology by a correspondent
from McMinnville. He has discovered
that the constant singing of "Peek-a-Boo"
and "Sweet Bye and Bye" in the
presence of the family cow causes a
yield of one-third more milk.
We shall not hastily enter upon a
learned discourse, although it is true
that a Chicago lady has given posi
tive testimony that her herd shows
appreciation of muslo In the stable
and lace curtains at the windows.
We fancy that stable caroling ought
to be begun with caution. Perhapa
there is bovine culture as well as -human
culture. One cow might respond
to Wagner, yet kick over the bucket
at ragtime. Cows also may be patri
otic as well as temperamental. The
Jersey may resent "Deutschland uber
Alles" and the Holstein tear up. the
stall to the strains of "Tlpperary."
But a stronger doubt assails us,
Why should a cow give more rather
than less milk when soothed by song?
Never having heard our correspond
ent sing, the thought persists that his
Jersey may have thought it was her
calf bawling for more.
THE DECIISIXO
BIRTH RATE.
Interest In the always-absorbing
problem of the declining birth rate
and its ultimate influence upon civi
lization is intensified by reports of
two recent Investigations, in widely
separated fields, both tending to show
that the decrease is in inverse ratio
to the prevailing state of civilization,
and that the better the facilities for
rearing children as they should be
reared, the fewer in number are likely
to be those who are able to enjoy
these multiplied advantages. This is
made to appear by an investigator
who has been at great pains to trace
the life histories of a large number
of graduates of Harvard and Yale,
and by the unrelated report of the
British Birth - Rate Commissioner
upon general conditions in England
and Wales. It is aocepted as a set
tled fact In both cases that the decline
Is rather dysgenle than eugenic, and
that social and Industrial conditions
are not in themselves primarily re
sponsible.
The records of the Harvard-Yale In
quiry cover some 5600 graduates of
those Institutions of learning and the
period from 1851 to 1890. Of these.
26 per cent did not marry and 21 per
cent of those who were married had
no children at all. From 1861 to I860
the per capita number of children of
Harvard graduates was 3.13, and of
those of Yale graduates it was 3.32,
No explanation is offered for the
higher rate in the ease of Yale, and
this is probably accidental rather than
socially significant. In . the period
from 1881 to 1890, however, the de
cline was marked, the rate being 2.06
ror Harvard and 2.0 4 for Yale. It is
calculated by the investigator that
upon the accepted basis that a given
group, in order to perpetuate itself,
must bring to marriageable age three
children to the family, the present
generation of Harvard and Yale grad
uates is on the road to certain extinc-'
tion. The 5618 men listed. It Is esti
mated, will In 200 years be repre
sented by only 8 50. This is calculated
upon the presupposition, that the rate
does not deellne still further. The
tendency, however, would seem to be
still in the downward direction.
The British commissioner finds that
the birth rate in England and Wales
has declined approximately one-third
in thirty-five years, and he sees io
reason for doubting that ultimately
and in the not distant future--these
countries will reach the state already
attained by France, whose birth rate,
the commissioner says, is still the low
est In all Europe, although he regards
the French civilization as the highest
in form, ThlB decline is not accom
panied by a sufficient difference in
the marriage rate to explain U en that
ground. Here it is shown, too, that
the reduced rate of births is in in
verse proportion to the social status
of the family. In the professions the
reduction is considerable. Among la.
borers It is small. Where housing
conditions are the best, the birth rate
Is lowest. Where the space In the
tenement Is cramped, there is a rela
tively high birth rate. It is true that
with better dwelling conditions the
infant mortality rate Is lower, but it
Is not, enough lower to' atone for the
difference In births.
The Medical Record, commenting
on the findings, says that it is not
proved that fewer babies necessarily
mean better babies. "It may be true,"
the Record observes, "that it Is for the
good of the Nation if babies are fewer
apd of finer quality, but when they
are fewer and of inferiqr quality It Is
obviously and distinctly detrimental."
With which conclusion, of course.
there will be general agreement.
The relationship between the two
investigations cited is important In re
spect of their agreement that to
ascend in the scale of what we call
civilization does not increase the sense
of personal responsibility to the race
as a whole. Thus, the more highly
educated man or woman, in a position
to obtain more of the "comforts" ' of
life as he goes along, seems to prefer
to appropriate them to himself. Ex
President Eliot, of Harvard, detects "a
preference on the part of both men
and women for freedom from care
ana responsiointy and for passing
leisure rather than solid satisfaction."
The British report Justifies the same
conclusion. For example, it is sig
nificant that the birth rate among
coal miners is twice that among
physicians. The more freedom from
care a man has the more he wants. It
is not that professional men are with
out their own cares, but they may be
said in the larger sense to have re
moved themselves from the zone of
grinding poverty. The same thing has
been shown as to women by other In
vestlgations, notably one made in
Glasgow. Women graduates of higher
Institutions of learning show greater
disinclination to bear children,, ac
counted for, it is believed, only in part
by the obvious fact that they marry
later In life when they marry at all.
One fact as to natural laws stands
out, and that is that Nature places
sense of responsibility to the race
high up In the list of her demands
upon men. Whatever may be done
for the fancied "good of civilization"
by those in the higher walks of life,
they are doomed to extinction so soon
as they begin to lose that sense of re
sponsibility. There cannot be per
manently a "select class," therefore,
if it is a class characterized by self
ishness In the racial sense. The men
and women who possess this selfish
ness in highest degree necessarily bear
within themselves the means of their
own extinction; and so. If we are pa
tient, it will allome out even again in
the end.
WHY NEGROES LEAVE THE SOUTH.
A statement by Robert R. Moton,
principal of Tuskegee Institute, about
the number of lynchlngs in the year
1916 and the states In which they took
Place suggests that steady jobs at good
wages are not the only attraction
which the North offers to the negro.
His life is safe from mob law. Fifty-
four persons were lynched, of whom
fifty were negroes, and all except one
of these mob executions took place in
the South. Georgia heads the list with
fourteen, or more than one-fourth of
the total; then come Texas with nine,
Florida with eight, Arkansas and
Oklahoma four each, Tennessee three,
Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina
and South Carolina two each, Ala
bama, Kansas, Mississippi and Mis
souri one each.
The pretense that lynching Is an
outburst of Southern chivalry in de
fense of white women against negro
brutes is proved baseless by the facts.
Forty-two of the fifty-four persons
lynched were charged with other of
fenses than attacks on women, that is
77 per cent of the total. Only twelve
of the negroes murdered by mobs
were accused of such offenses. Ten
were accused of killing officers of the
law, seven of murder, six of stealing
hogs, four of wounding officers of the
law, two of insult and one each of
slapping a boy, robbing a store, as
sisting a son to escape, brushing
against a girl on the street, entering
a house for robbery, defending a son
who had killed a man In defense of
his mother, fatally wounding a man.
("speaking against a mob in the act of
lynching, attacking a man and wife
with a club. Of the four whites.
three were lynched for murder, and
one, a Mexican, on suspicion of cut.
ting a woman.
The pretense that the South lynches
negroes in chivalrous defense of worn,
en Is all buncombe. It lynches a ne
gro for any crime whenever it be.
comes unduly excited and bloodthirsty.
It has only itself to thank when the
negroes desert it for Northern homes.
The value of the silo Is Just begin,
ning to be appreciated In South Amer
ica, where It Is now realized that it is
a splendid form of insurance against
unevenness of seasons. 1 In those re.
gions where it is too wet part of the
time and there aro Intervals of drouth
at other seasons, where there are dif.
flculties In making hay alternating
with plagues of locusts and dried. up
pastures, the silo has saved the day
for large numbers by insuring a con.
tinual supply of feed that can be
counted on with 4certalnty. This has
had far-reaching effect. Formerly
it had been the - practice for growers
of cattle to sell large numbers of ani
mals on the approach of conditions
unfavorable for keeping them, and
this resulted naturally in forcing down
the prtce below the point of profit. It
also had the effect of so reducing the
supply that In other and mocfi. favor.
able seasons for feeding there were
not enough, cattle to make good use
of the range. Silo feeding has brought
about a . desirable adjustment, and
more reasonable, more profitable and
at the same time more uniform priees
have been the result.
Presence of 60,000 addicts to drugs
In Massachusetts does not speak well
for the theory that prohibition by de
prlvlng men of alcohol will drive them
to use of drugs. It Is doubtful
whether Oregon under prohibition
has as large n proportion of drug
fiends as has the Bay State with open
saloons in Boston and many ether
cities.
Representative Dent, chairman of
the House committee on military af
fairs, is another pacifist of the Hay
stamp. He has declared against com
pulsory service and against any new
military legislation at this session of
Congress. There is small hope of real
preparedness so long as Ue Southern
brigadiers are in control.
The statement of Yeoman Hill that
he was driven to theft because his
pay is not sufficient to support his
family is a setback to the recruiting
offieer. The high eost of living may
cause Secretary Daniels to move for
an increase of pay in the Navy.
The National Association of Cloth
Ing Designers at Chicago decrees there
shall be no change In men s garments.
Shirts, however, will continue to
change at the end of the week gen.
erally as heretofore.
The tercentenary exposition of the
landing of the Pilgrims will Indeed be
an event of class, with an expenditure
of $18,000,000 to prepare a tract for
the show, as proposed.
If all grade crossings were kept in
bad condition and the fact generally
made known to automobllists, they
would be the safest spots In the state.
They have begun to save daylight In
Australia, where it is now midsummer
and early rising Is not an lnoon
venlence.
Germany says she will not strike
through Switzerland and the state.
ment is not made on "a scrap of pa
per."
Germans express the hope, but not
the promise, that submarine activities
this year will Btarve England.
The United States produced less
gold last year than formerly, but re
ceived plenty, nevertheless.
A prominent member of the Duma
is missing and nobody suggests seek
ing him in Siberia. '
Once those old ducks ('45 to 60)
go on the warpath, young blood would
better beware.-
- Jo Jo 6hould have a medal as a
token of his efficiency as a fire alarm.
Spring-fever weather, but' do not be
misled.
Tumulty is tumultuous In denial.
ROAD BOXD ISSUE IS PROPOSED 1
Correspondent Offers Alignments la
Favor of Raisins; S7, 000,000.
MOSIER, Or.. Jan. 4. (To the Edi
tor.) As the 6 per cent limitation act
seems to have killed all hope for a
state levy for good roads, at least
for an adequate amount consistent with
the needs of our great state, and as
our state officials and others interested
in a good roads movement seem to be
all at sea as to what la the best to
do and as if anything Is done the
amount would be still small and in
adequate for road needs, in view of
the above why not bond the state for
say, $7,000,000? Thus we could match
Federal aid without doubt, place Ore
gon where we could attract settlers
and tourists and incidentally bring
pleasure and Joy to ourselves.
The entire amount of the bond Issue
would remain In the state, spent at
home with our own people. And the
cities and towns of Oregon and the
large corporations would pay nearly
two-thirds of the bond issue, leaving
only a small amount for the small
farmer and the poor man to stand for.
No doubt a large number would object
to bonding the future, those to follow
us bearing the burden. To answer this.
they would have our assets and the
advantage of a settled and prosperous
country to help them.
With the war in Europe and the
great prosperity in the East, the war
cuts off immigration and the East ia
satisfied Just now at least with itself.
All those drawbacks throws us more
or leas on our own resources, which
probably in the end will be a good
thing for us, and make us self-reliant.
The shipbuilding Induustry is an
evidence of this, one which The Ore
gonian helped make possible an evi
dence of what we ran do. The 40 miles
of the Columbia River Highway is the
greatest asset Oregon has today. I
was Informed that It brought a nan
million dollars to Portland alone last
Summer for the short time that It
was open. Robert Strahorn is about
to build a railroad In Southeastern Ore
gon costing millions of dollars, and
this, mark you, through a wilderness.
Is he wrong? No. sir. Faith and hope
are needed in the matter of this bond
issue for the state.
We must do something to attract
settlers and help Oregon and in my
opinion a state bond Issue for roads
will do more than anything else for
this purpose. I believe a fund can be
raised by private subscription to engage
talent to talk and set rorth all the
benefits to be derived from the good
roads bond issue and the voters thus
be easily convinced that -they would
be placing their state In tne front rank
of prosperity and development and
they would vote the state bond issue
hands down. It would be the cheapet
and beet medium of advertising with
real lasting and beneficial results that
the Oregon public could possibly form.
California has gained in population
three to one as against Oregon. Bo
have Washington and British Columbia,
Up to the last 12 years this was not
so. but since good roads became
factor in building up the country and
California and Washington saw the ad
vantages and took hold with a big
heart and no fear but lots of faith
they have made good.
It would be unfair and unjust to
pass a law taxing autos excessively to
raise money for roads. In this way the
burden of providing reads would fall
on a few. The same would hold good
in tha event of taxing gasolina. It
would be small business and poor bust.
ness and unfair in the bargain for our
big progressive state to raise funds
In this way.
Our largo dally papers are looked
upon as leaders in measures of this
kind. They edueate the public and we
look to them for help and guidance in
such matters. Their arguments and
deduetlons for er against molds the
majority of the public opinion.
Why cannot we look out and beyond?
Let us have faith, vote a good bond
issue for roads. It will mean wealth
and prosperity for our great Oregon.
J. K. M OkEQOb,
WHERE OE MAN'S MONEY WENT
He Invests In Seattle Realty and New
Resrreta It.
CHICAGO. Jan. 2. (To the Editor.)
Sometimes in forecasting our plans for
the future, we err, because we cannot
always predict what the future 13 to
bring forth.
In the year 1908. when this country
was at its worst, the writer purchased
vacant property In the City of Seattle
to the value of $640, and tn the course
of the two subsequent years local as
sessments of $236 were levied. Taxes
from date of purchase to 1916 have
amounted to $45, and these amounts
combined and at 8 per cent annual in
terest would total 11450-and better.
Kindly note attached letter from the
Qeorge A.-6pencer Compjjy, of Seattle,
wasn., unoer oaia or ueoomtwr is.
in which Mr. Spencer states $buo would
be a fancy prioe for this same property
today.
Only one year since 1909 have the
taxes failed to Increase by leaps and
bounds, and for the year 191a, th
taxes weie 53 per cent higher on the
same valuation than tn 1909. -
When poor, old Seattle learns its
lesson and awakes to the fact that men
who by chance (and not because of
their love for knowledge) have stum
bled into gold mines tn Alaska, are not
capable of running city government
and dictating city policies, then, and
net till then, may the writer hope t
get more than $5 cents on the dollar,
E. J. FLAHEHTT,
The Inelosure is as follows:
Seattle, Wash., Deo. 15. To Mr. E. J. Fla
fcerty. care at Marsh L.. Brown A Corn-
pany, T9 West South Water Street, Chlea
ge, Illinois. . Pear Sir: Replying to yours
of pecembar S in regard to lota 7 and
In block 14, Salmon Bay Parle Addition
to Seattle, will say that tills 1 a peo
time ta sell vacant lots In Seattle. Th
lots sre fairly well located 'or the dis
trlct, whleh Is In Ballard. I would say
that tha lots ara worth new about Inu
or 1300 each, though It might be dim
cult ta get even that. My advice would
be that you hold them for a year or two,
aa I baltsve all Seattle property win In
areas In value tn the next two years.
If you decide to sell them please let m
know and we will make an effort to ge(
you an offer.
OBO. A. SPENCER A CO.
By Geo. H. Spencer.
Muslo for the Cow.
M'MINTVILLE. Or.. Jan. 4. (To th
Editor.) Your subscribers around her
that I have talked to. are getting soma
what tired of the horsehair-snake com
municatlons you have published lately.
I have a new marvel that has cause
a lot of discussion around stoves, street
eorners. feed stores, etc., the last few
rainy days.
The question Is, does kindness, music,
singing, etc.. Increase the flow of milk
from a eewr
If you will grant me the space I will
give you my personal experience in
lew Hurua.
I am 4T years aid, never had any ax
perience milking cows. I cams here on
month ago, have begun to mllK a Jers
cow; am learning to milk, am singin
while mllkipg, such songs as "Peek-a
Boo," "Sweet, Bye and Bye," etc. The
cow seems to enjoy it and my slste
and brother-in-law say the flow
milk has increased fuly one-third.
"What is the answer?
GREENHORN.
Her Abeent.Mlnded Husband,
Boston Transcript.
' Caller Is it true, my dear, tha
your husband is very absent-minded ?'
Mrs. Newly -Yes. We've been marrte
six months, and many an evening
H he gets up, takes me by the hand
tellg ma what a delightful time he has
had, and would leave II 1 dldn t re
mind him. .
EXPLANATION THOUGHT SEEDED
Writer Inquires About Rednetlom of
Power and l.lsjht Company Taxes.
PORTLAND. Jan. B. (To the Ed
itor.) I would appreciate space to in
quire on what theory the State Tax
Commission arrives at the taxable
alue of properties of the Portland
Railway. Light & Power Company. I
believe that corporations should be ac
corded the same treatment as indi
viduals, but do not think they should
be favored at the expense of the tax
payers generally.
The summary of appraisal submitted
to the Public Service Commission of
Oregon by this company as of January
113. showed a total value of over $58,-
000,000. and that from January 1, 1913,
to June SO. 115, approximately SI, 000,
000 was spent for additions; yet In the
ppralsal or tne rueno faervice Com
mission made as of June 30, 1915. the
value was fixed at only $45,000,00 and.
the assessed valuation was reduced to
30.000,000 for 1916 and the ratio of
taxable value was about 60 per cent.
making about 118,000.000 upon which
axes were collected for that year. For
Sis, however, the full value has been
reduced to $27,000,000 and the taxable
value to $16,000,000, which means that
his company will nay the state $70,000
less for 1916 than for 1915.
Has any individual been treated so
liberally? Have other corporations
fared likewise? When Individuals sub
mit a statement of their property we
know of no reduction of the valuation
for taxing purposes. We pay taxes
on 66 per cent of the full value of our
property, while this corporation, ac
cording to the statement of the Tax
Commission, paya taxes on' less than
30 per cant of the value of their prop
erty.
This does not seem fair, and If the
discrepancy can be explained, I am sure
a large number of individual taxpayers
would like to have it explained, and if
it cannot be explained, it would seem
that the Legislature mlarht nrofltablv
devote a little consideration to the
matter. A. 6.
While In Multnomah County we pay
taxes on an average of 60 per cent of
the "true value" of property, that "true
value" Is not the price at which we
may hold the property or the cost of
Its reproduction, but it is the price at
which It would sell in the open market.
Thus the Tax Commission, in deter,
mining county ratios, goes to the ac
tual records of transfers to ascertain
the "true value" of property for taxa
tion purposes. As public aervlce prop.
ertfes are not ordinarily subject to bar
ter and sale, the method of assessing
them in Oregon is to capitalize the
yearly net operating revenue of each
company at the rate of 7 per cent.
Taxes Imposed on public service cor.
poratlons. therefore, fluctuate from
year to year. The tax on the Portland
Railway, Light & Power Company I
between 9 and 10 per cent of Its gross
revenues.
IT IS . GOVERNMENT IMPOSITION
Telephone Manage Complains of Tax
Collection Method.
HALSEY. Or.. Jan. 4. Te the Edi
tor.) Permit me space to state a prob
lem witn which 1 have come face to
race. II a corporation chould require
me to collect ror It some of Its ac
counts, jusi Because It d d not want
to go to. the trouble of collecting them
Itself, telling me that I pay the money
over by the 30th of the month, and
were it not so remitted a penalty of
ov per crai wouia pe attached thereto,
and that If such aceount. together with
penany, were not paid, they would at
tach and sell my property to settle
same, all this to be done without com
pensation on my part, even requiring
me to . make a sworn statement that
such, accounting wee correct, could
they get away with It? Woolri tha
Government permit such action?
iet this is just what the incomne.
tents now in charge of Government af
fairs ara doing themselves. For two
years they have imposed upon the peo
ple the penny-ante game, requiring tha
telephone companies to collect a penny
from each individual who uses the tele,
phone for long-distance purposes.
Within 30 days from the end of the
month the company must make
sworn statement to the collector of In.
ternal revenue, paying the notary pub
lic out of Its own funds, collecting and
lorwaraing an moneys at its own ex
pense. Jf it falls to make such reoort
and remittance within the prescribed
inn li. mere is imposed a 50 per cent
penalty. Can they get away with it?
Would the Government permit ouch ac
tion? No doubt they need the monev.
ONE OP THE VICTIMS.
Winking; tha Eye.
Buffalo, X. Y., Express.
Pa At last I've found a way to
make that young scamp of ours step
winking his eyes. Ma .Really? Pa-
Yes; I'll show him the article In this
science magaslne where It says that
every time we wink we give the eye
a bath.
From a Thousand Sources to a
Pleasing Completeness Comes
The Sunday Oregonian
NETWS OF THE WORLD No matter where It happened, in
war-stricken Europe or in lands of strange tongues and races, if
it's news, The Oregonian has it. World news, National news, state,
county and city pews thorough and authoritative information for
particular readrs.
THE DAYS OF COLD Eva Emery Dye, eminent Oregon historian,
writes in a special article of tha days when Oregon's wealth of
"yellow sands" brought the bearded prospectors up from the El
Dorado of California to thes new northern fields. Where waa
General Sheridan's first battle) ground ? This story tells.
THE FAVORITES OF TIME Taking etock of the present, that
unquenchable optimist, Herbert Kaufman, discovers that mortals
of these years of grace have everything to be thankful for--and he
tells why. Read his "Pen the Hogs" if you are with the housewife
in the fight to lower food prices.
DANCING TO GET GRACE In a special article, takingly told, Mary
Glynn, charming danseuse, treats of the influence of the classical
or "natural" expression of dancing in developing physical beauty,
plus health and a happy personality. Pictured with a few steps by
the authoress.
CHURCH AND SCHOOL Pages devoted to news and gossip of each.
Read Rev. John II. Boyd's Sunday morning sermon on the
Christianity of the present, which he declares incompetent for the
task before it. The school news is edited by a special student 6taff.
OUR ESKIMOS IN 1916 You may not imagine that the Eskimos in
1916 were any different from those in 1900, remembering at the
'Same time the pictures in the school geography of 1880. But Frank
G. Carpenter, correspondent in the Far North, says they were, and
prediets further ehange through their contact with the white race.
THE CAMERA AND THE NEWS A" group of photographs of wide
geographical range really news stories told in pictures. With
accompanying paragraphs of comment and explanation.
THE OLD POEMS Someone has asked that "Little Boy Blue," that
eweet little song that has dimmed so many eyes since Eugene Field
penned it, be printed on the Old Favorite-Poem page, And there
it is, in the place of honor, with a tender illustration to match.
PAGES FOR MILADY The seasonable chapeau, in its various guises,
is shown in The Sunday Oregonian, with accompanying fashion
' hints and advice.
THE SUNDAY OREGONIANJUST 50
In Other Days.
Twenty-five. Years Ago.
From The Oregonlan. January 6, 1SJC
The fleet steamer Telephone belong
ing to the Columbia River & Puget
Sound Navigation Company, struck on
the Government revetment off Coon
land at the mouth of the Willamette
yesterday morning and sank. 6he car
ried 80 passengers and a crew of SO.
She was valued at $30,000. There was
a dense fog. The passengers end crew
were all saved.
It Is almost assured that Portland
111 hear the great and only Patti.
Treasurer Adams, of the Marquam
Grand, has obtained over 100 subscrip
tions for all the way from one to 10
seats at $10 each. February 27 is the
date tentatively set.
Charles Felton. the new Senator from
California, was a 'forty-niner.
J. L. Kill Ian. a prominent srraln
merchant of Pendleton, end ex-State
Senator from Umatilla County, is in
Portland at the St. George.
Doo Hughes, probably the blnrest
man In Oregon, died at Wagner, last
Sunday. Ha weighed $63 pounds.
O. C. Toeum has returned from a
photographic survey with some raro
pictures or the Columbia from tho
boundary to Priest Rapids.
READY TO rnc.VB EXPEXIJITVIIES
Senator I.m Folic Sayo Labor Laws
and lllsb. Taxes Hart Oregon.
SALES!. Or.. Jan. 4. (To the Editor.
1 see In the New Year's Oregonlan
where Mr. John Talt voices my senti
ments exactly. Here la what he -said
that interested roe most:
I bellava I am conservative In stating that
we are regarded lite mother stata of that
clajs cf IriMs.ation. wlilcli has Irm termd
"rri'KrcssU." ly s.miu arid freaV bv
other. If thero was anyililnc; ihst eouK
como from varonlage of a si sat 1mu of
this kind wo would have profiled by It. If
(.ovulation or K the builders of Industry
and commerce viewed this trend and this
development with nor, wa would hs won
Cre-eiiilii.iu butlnru in the W.al, and. pr
aps. in the euunlry.
I admit that we have not o won. On
tha contrary, wa have lost. Out" relstlva
dvlomnr,t has been all out of proportion
to other Northwestern states, and, in fact,
nearly a!) other slates jn tha t nlon, Wa
have the natural resources of a great busi
ness fabric and for an enormous population,
but with a:i of our haanuful itu-eries. ana
nil of our abstract sti:aiej, and w-llh all of
our dreams of a leelsiatlve parsilsa for the
human rare, w have mirio I, ss prons
thsn practically any oi;e of our neighbors.
In my opinion the cause of these
high taxes and a lot of fool laws is
labor legislation. There are 4S states
tn the Union and Oregon pays one-fifth
per-capita more than any state In the
Union. The taxes In Denver. Colo., are
$3,000,000 less than In the city of Fort
land and they have about the same
population. Do you wonder at your
payrolls or your manufacturers not
moving ahead faster? Tha labor laws
are driving lota of Industries out of
this state. Where Is the Oregon Pack
ing Company that was In your city?
Today It Is in our sister state at Van
couver, where it employs POO or 400
people. That Is why our neighboring
states are forging ahead of us. I hear,
tily agree that the Oregon System h
got to be revised. The taxes of this
State were increasing so alarmingly
tliat the Taxpayers' League Inaugurat
ed a measure before the peopla limiting
the increase to o per cent at any ona
session of the Legislature. I happened
to be one of the officials of that league
and I have been maligned and abused
not a little for taking a part In It
on the grounJ that it would greatly
, impair the efficiency of the state insti
tutions In not getting all the money
they ask for. But our Secretary of
State makes a statement that we can
get along with the 6 per cant limita
tion without impairing the efficiency
of the state Institutions and no man in
this state Is better qualified to know
than Ben W. Oieott.
Being a member of the next session
of the legislature, 1 am very anxious
to help repeal a lot of these obnoxious
laws that ara against the interest cf
Oregon; abolish all useless commts.
sions, consolidate all where we can
save the Etala any money witheut Im
pairing the efficiency of the commis
sion. I will ba one of the 00 members
of the next session of the Legislature
who ought to do everything in their
power to cut down our exorbitant taxes
without impairing the efficiency of our
state government. As I said bejora,
we are taxed more per capita than any
state tn the Union, and I have the sta
tistics to prove it if anyone doubts It.
A. M. LA FOLLETT.
Willing- to Lend.
Indianapolis Star.
Tom I wonder why Harry broke
his engagement with Miss Peckem.
Jack According to my Information,
her father offered to lend him money
enough to get married on.
Tuesday.
PORTLAND. Jan. 6. (To the Edi
tor.) I'lease tell me what 3ay of Ahe
week March 13, 1SSS came on.
i