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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1917)
i I PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered at Portland Oreg-on) Postofflce as Hcona-ciasB mail matter. Subscription ratea invariably In advance (By Mall.) rally, Sunday Included, ot.e year t S.OO Dally, Sunriay Included, six months 4.25 Dally. Sunday Included, three mouths ... 2.25 Dally, Sunday Included, one month 75 rally, without Sunday, one year ..... 6.O0 uaiiy, witnout Sunday, three months ... 1.73 JJaily. without Sunday, one month ...... .HO vveekiy, one year l.SO fiunda. one year ...................... 2.50 ouuuay ana weeKly ................... 3.00 (By Carrier.)' - Dally, Sunday Included, one year ....... 8.00 Daily, Sunday Included, one month 75 How to Remit Send postofflce money order, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender's risk. Give postofflce address in full. Including county and state. Postage Ratea 12 to 16 pages, 1 cent; 18 to 32 pagrs. 2 cents; 84 to 48 pages, 3 cents; 60 to 60 pages, 4 cents; 62 to 76 pages, 5 cents; 78 to 82 pages, 6 cents. Foelgn post age double ratea Eastern Bmlnens Office Verree Conk Jin, Brunswl'.-k building. New Tork; Verree Conklln, Stenger building, Chicago. San Francisco representative, R. J. SIdwelL 742 Market street. fOBTlAM), TUESDAY, JAN. . 1917. BRTN'GrNXJ IT DOME. The extraordinary temerity of the Southern oligarchy which has control of Congress is disclosed In all Its por cine ugliness in the proposed public buildings bill. Let alone, the House, and probably the Senate, would pass the measure. Forced to act in the full glare of undesired publicity, the bill may die a deserved death. A paragraph from a Washington letter to The Oregonian shows the full Ini quity of the $35,000,000 grab: The pending bill makes appropriation or authorisation of buildings in 116 towns whose postal receipts are less than 910,000 a year; It provides for buildings in 250 towns having less than 0000 population, ac cording to the last census, and it provides for buildings or ulldlng sites (which mean buildings ultimately) in 64 towns which have leas , than 200O population. . It cannot be long until the average citizen will know what extravagance In Congress means In terms of higher taxes. Up to this time, direct Federal taxes have for the most part been avoided, except on $4000 Incomes-and on corporations. The great sources of Increase for the Government are the tariff, the Internal revenue and the postofflce, which latter takes care of itself. The Government 4s now running behind nearly $300,000, 000 a year, or something a little less than (1,000,000 a day. Where Is the deficit to come from? Soon there will be a direct revenue tax on coffee, or tea, or gasoline, or some similar expedient, or a stamp tax on checks, or something of that kind. The spenders are nearing the limit of their license. The pinch of Fed eral taxation is coming and the citi zen who Is worrying about his local taxes and is blissfully unconcerned about the conduct of the public busi ness at Washington Is going to find that he has other Interest in Govern ment than blindly dreaming that the only duty of a President or Congress is to "keep us out of war." 131 THE TOILS OP THE LAW. There can be plainly read between the lines of a statement which was given out by the chiefs of the four brotherhoods after the last abortive conference with the managers' com mittee the implication that in indu cing them to accept the Adamson law. President Wilson "put one over" on them. This statement says that last August, at Mr. Wilson's insistence, the brotherhood committee "waived their request for time and one-half for overtime, which was fully 60 per cent of their original demand,'' and ac cepted his proposition for the eight hour day and inquiry into its work ings by a commission. The statement continued: Our men believed in so doing they would secure the eight-hour basic day at once. but the enactment of the Adamson eight hour law, effective January 1, 1917, made It necessary for them to wait patiently until that time, to find later that the railroad companies Instituted Injunction proceedings against the Government's enforcement of the eight-hour law, and at this time the entire matter la In litigation, such litigation making It Impossible for the special com mittee appointed by the President, as pro vided for In the law, to proceed with their Investigation, as of January 1, and the prob ability of additional litigation being com menced by the railroads, even though the law is declared constitutional by the Supreme Court, will seriously affect such investiga tion, in fact can and likely will delay the investigation until the commission cannot makes Its investigation as the law contem plates, thereby defeating the Intent of the law and at the same time, postponing the benefits promised by the law, which will unquestionably . meet with general dissatis faction among the membership of the rail road organizations. The brotherhood chiefs at the same time made public the letter to the President dated August 10, 1916, in which they accepted his proposition, "provided you are able to secure the adhesion of the National conference committee of the railways thereto." It now appears that the President in duced Congress to pass the law with out having obtained the adhesion of the railroads, and that the brother hoods accepted the law, taking for granted that the condition had x been complied with. Hence they seem to consider the suits by the railroads to enjoin operation of the law a breach of the agreement. Without referring to that point, the railroads cite the stipulation entered Into between their own and the Government's attorneys at Kansas City to show that, if the law should be upheld, the employes would receive from January 1 the wages they would be entitled to under the new law, therefore the employes will lose nothing in the end by the delay In operation of the law. The railroadsleny that they contemplate any further litigation, in case the in junction suits should be decided against them. The net result nf tTim hintliViij deal with the President are that they accepted tne principle of Government Intervention between the railroads and their employes; that they yielded half - of their demand in order to enlist the aid of the Government in getting the other half and postponed application of the law for four months; that on . the same day the Supreme Court heard arguments against letting them have the half which they thought they had gained and the House was considering a bill to carry still fur ther the principle which, they have admitted, by forbidding strikes pend ing investigation; and that meanwhile they do nvt get wages at the eight hour basic rate. They have lost free dom to make their own bargains, and thev are! In Prpa t rffma-Ai rr Inoinf, their right to strike. Incidentally, the ajemocracic party has got their votes and is in power for four more years, in a position to make mora auri Hooia The brotherhood chiefs might have foreseen the outcome of getting their a r fairs tangled In the Governmental machine. For vears nninion v.oo Koon forming In favor of restricting the rignr. or puDiie service corporation employes to strike. , Oscar S. Straus, who was recently appointed chairman of the Public Service Commission of New York City, was a member of the arbitration board which in 1912 ad justed a dispute between fifty-two Eastern railroads and the engineers, and Joined In this declaration of prin ciples: K A strike In the Army or Navy Is mutiny and universally punished as such. The same principle la applied to seamen because of the public -necessity involved. A strike among postal clerks, as among the teachers of our public schools, would be unthinkable. In all these cases the employment, to borrow a legal phrase. Is affected with a public use; and this of necessity qualifies the right of free concerted action which exists In pri vate employments. However, it the prin ciple be accepted that there are certain classes of service thus affected with a public interest and men who enter them are not free conceitedly to quit the service, then those men must be guarded In the matter of wages and conditions by publlo protection, and this It s believed can best be done through an interstate wage commission. Until a strike sucli as that which impended last Summer threatened, there was no serious danger that this principle would enter the domain of practical politics. The brotherhoods brought it Into lively discussion .by re jecting arbitration, by threatening a Nation-wide strike and by joining hands with the President in forcing legislation. The newspapers and com mercial bodies called for legislation against railroad strikes, the President took up the cry and just such a law seems about to be enacted. If the original Adamson law should be up held, the brotherhoods ' may find themselves forbidden to strike by a new Adamson law; if it should be held unconstitutional, there might be a race between the brotherhoods and the Congress, the former trying to be gin a strike before the latter passed a law forbidding strikes until inquiry had been made. In consequence of the deal of last August, the brother hoods run against the law which ever way they turn. SIX DEMOCRATS. The Twenty-five-Years-Ago column of The Oregonian an unfailing source . of Interest and comfort to old-timers and semi-old-timers who desire to revive old acquaintances and friend ships with people and events had a little item yesterday about six well known citizens of Oregon who had been elected delegates to the state convention of Democratic societies. It Is not our purpose now to -disclose anew the dark political past of cer tain eminent persons, prominent In the counsels of another party; only to make an observation or two on changing political affiliations. Three of these Democratic citizens all of them are yet happily alive and well are prominent Republicans and have been members of that party ror at least twenty years the date of the -great Bryan defection. . Two of the three have been officeholders, through election as Republicans, and the third has been prominently named as a candidate for distinguished office as a Republican. A fourth of the sixth found convenient refuge from Kryanism in the gold Democratic camp of 1896, but has since then been restored to the bosom of the yearning Democratic family. The fifth did not, we believe, follow Bryan, but laid low, very low, while the sixth has retired from politics after ample re ward for his fidelity through trying circumstances. There were silver Republicans and Populists In those days, but only a few of them had the courage to join the Democratic party. . We do not mean any reproach to the Democ racy, only that It was and is the minority party, and the position of greatest strategic value for any poli tician is . usually with the majority. The Democracy receives with grati tude .and noisy acclamation all acces sions to Its ranks, but it reserves its favor for those hardy souls which have been tried by fire and have stood by the ship. (The figure is mixed, but the meaning is plain.) Today there are Wilson Republi cans and Hughes Democrats and a confusing commixture of party and partisanship. But- we haven't heard of any Wilson R-epublicans from Ore gon going back to Washington, with a Democratic indorsement for a lucra tive Job. Their chief office is to speak at Democratic banquets and to write anonymous letters to the papers. GOOD MANNERS AND ARTISTS. The musician who complains through The Oregonian that audiences are inattentive to piano or violin mu sic is advised by a fellow-artist to value his (or her) services more high ly and to decIInoto appear except for pay. Clearly the point sought thus to be brought out is that the public nas no appreciation of anything It gets for nothing. Perhaps there is also an intimation that the violinist or pianist who thinks he Is. not en titled to remuneration has placed a proper estimate on his services. Not long ago a prominent Portland violinist, unable to get the attention of his chattering auditors, broke off in the middle of his piece and quit the stage. He was roundly applauded by persons not there for his rebuke to his hearers, or, rather, spectators. We would not advise all performers to follow his daring example; yet. it seems a. perfectly correct practice for pianists or violinists who are not able to get a hearing to stop. Why not? But one may wonder, nevertheless. if an entire audience Is to blame for the rudeness or neglect of certain in dividuals? Who is not familiar with the gallery boor who smacks boister ously during the tenderest cooings of Homeo ana Jullet7 Who has not heard the call of the cuckoo or the meow of the cat In the midst of the finest coloratura passage of the vocal ist? Above all, who has not been an noyed by the incessant gossip of the un feathered old hen behind him or the eotto voce interjections of the smart Aleck beside him? The au dience is to blame for none of these manifestations of bad manners, except insofar aa it fails to Tise en masse and throw the clown or clowness out. To be sure, a great artist does not suffer from suoh inattentions or boisterous impoliteness. But we can. not often have the world's best In dramatics or in music. But excellent art is always available. If the man or woman who wants to hear would openly and on the spot rebuke .the roughneck, society or otherwise, whose chief delight is in making it impossi ble for -others to hear, there would soon be better manners In all au diences. A .'clear -casje of adapting the law to new circumstances, to which prac tice we owe the development of our jurisprudence from a simple begin ning, is presented by a recent decision by the Supreme Court of the Philip pines. It concerned the action of a defendant who obtained a arabao from a member of a savage tribe in exchange for a piece of paper, which was represented as having the magic power of coining money after the lapse of seven Fridays, provided the complainant in the case would on each Friday offer certain prayers -for the success of the enterprise. The de fendant relied upon the technicality that the representations made- were not "such as were calculated to im pose upon a person of Intelligence and judgment," The court held that the childish nature and credulity of the Igorrote must be taken Into considera tion, and that his Intelligence and judgment were upon a different plane. Consequently the purveyor of the magic paper was convicted, and pre sumably the pagan got his caraboa, or the value of it, back. AWAKENING OF NATIONALISM. The Nation has withstood the test of an effort to pull it apart In the Civil War, and that of the conflict in many breasts between loyal lev and alien sympathies during the present war, but it is now being subjected to "other and equally dangerous ones" which, says ex-Secretary of War Gar rison, "are exceedingly Insidious and cloak themselves In attractive dis guises." One of the most dangerous of these he declares to be "that which utilizes the natural and universal ab horrence of war as a reason for not preparing for Its possibilities." In those words he struck at the weakest point In the pacifist objec tion to military training. A pacifist no sooner hears preparedness advo cated than he assumes that the speak er is an advocate of war and de nounces him as a militarist. The pa cifist's denunciation is promptly echoed by the thousands whose in stinctive horror'of war causes them to confound with it, and therefore to condemn, all adequate preparation against it, As well might a person who objects to getting wet In a rain storm denounce umbrellas, or a per son who fears murder or burglary oppose a police force. This is ob vious to any thinking person, but the instinctive horror of war is so great with some persons as to paralyze their reasoning power and arouse violent opposition to anything which brings up thoughts of war. Many others are so selfishly absorbed in their own af fairs and so deaf to every call of duty that they eagerly seize upon any fal lacious excuse for not doing their part in the defense of the Nation. The immensity of the struggle now in progress, its weighty consequences to the whole world, its immediate ef fects upon this Nation and the in Jury to our National rights and In terests which it has inflicted haie aroused our Nationalism to the point where there is a demand for pre paredness against danger of war. If this demand should become so strong, sustained and persistent as to bring about adequate preparedness oyer the objections of the pacifists, war may be averted from this Nation, or. If It should come, we may successfully de fend ourselves against attack. If the pacifists shofild prevail so far as to thwart present efforts at prepared--ness, nothing but actual war may fully awaken our Nationalism and we may be compelled to undergo . the rapid, and agonizing transformation through which those belligerent imtions went which the war fourn unprepared. JAPAN'S ADVICE TO CHINA. Although Marquis Oku ma has re tired from the Premiership of Japan, this statesman has not relinquished the post of adviser in general, as ap pears from a remarkable article re cently appearing in a Japanese maga zine in which he gives a plain warning to the Chinese people that unless they wake up they are doomed to extinc tion. "That nation," he observes, "is doomed to perish which lacks the power to defend itself." He goes on to say that China has long been a "retrogressing and a shrinking na tion." Subject so long to dictation at the hands of the powers, she has been dwindling away In her national pres tige. The Marquis is unusually frank, for a Japanese. Japan was once like China, he says, at another point, and it repulsed the "barbarians" as fiercely as China ever did. "But once we knew," he adds, "that they were our superiors in civi lization, we broke our hostile bow and arrows and gave our heart and soul to the acquisition of the Western arts." One is led to wonder how much of this statement is designed for Occi dental rather than Chinese consump tion, but it is followed with the bitter reminiscence: "Extraterritoriality was indeed an intolerable blot on our na tional prestige; it is the usual pro cedure for th.e Christian Europeans to adopt in their intercourse with what they call the heathen nations. But there was no help for it; we could not deny that they had a better law and police system than we had." , The Marquis adds that Japan . has now as similated the Western civilization. "There is nothing,". he continues, "like obeying thj dictates of. reason. We have succeeded n maintaining the in dependence of . our nation because we have adopted, .the Western idea." Chinese who follow the A-ords of the Marquis closely are likely to re ceive some unpleasant Impressions of themselves. The Japanese statesman' remarks that in China thieves and cutthroats are at large throughout the country and the government is still unable to guarantee life and property. The' nation sticks to the fatal policy of living by debt instead of by work ing. "China barely maintains her life, as if by the power of camphor Injec tion." The Chinese custom of resort ing to the boycott is criticised. The boycott, says the Marquis, Is the fa vorite weapon of weak people. It is true the Chinese have recently begun to study the arts 'and learning pf the West Three thousand have been graduated from one Japanese univer sity alone. But these, when they re turned home, would enter into anti Japanese and other anti-foreign move ments." "Let them be hostile to Japan If they like," he adds, "but do they at the same time try to regenerate their own country after the plan of modern civilization? No, they do not." The Marquis evidently has been im pressed by recent events, as well as by the history of the past. He re marks that if a nation lacks the abil ity of self-reformation. It Is sure to go down. External causes alone, he says, seldom are sufficient to effect destruction. If the nation does not degenerate to the point of being un willing to defend itself, it stands a good chance to work out Its own In ternal problems, whatever they may be. He observes the true cause of the downfall of Rome was the effeminacy and degeneracy of her people. Run. nlng all through the article by the Japanese statesman is the reiterated statement that the national spirit of defense is' essential to any people who expect to maintain themselves as an independent and not a vassal state. Okuma has always been credited with being a far-seeing, as well as a militant, patriot Western minds, un willing yet to -accept the theory that Japan has adopted the new form of Western diplomacy the policy of lay ing all the cards face up on the table will inevitably seek an ulterior mo tive for the candor of the former Pre mier. Perhaps they will obtain .a glimpse of it from a sentence in which he says: "China stands like a de cayed house upon a very uncertain foundation, and if it falls with a crash who should suffer most but the im mediate neighbors?" In case of such a fall, Japan, being nearest, might-not be able to stand a cool spectator. . It will be wondered whether this is a threat or merely a prophecy, or whether, perhaps, it Is meant to lay the foundation for future action. " It would serve the purpose of Japan to be called to leadership in the re generation of its neighbor, for Japan with its present industrial organiza tion, partly the outgrowth of the pres ent war, Is in a position to profit largely, while It would be all the bet ter if the Chinese fitted themselves to carry on. their own defense against other outside Interference. Evidently Japan, if Marquis Okuma represents the prevailing opinion, does not now live in fear of raising up a Franken stein monster to turn against it, Japa nese confidence Is unshakable. It is another evidence that she has, as Okuma says, absorbed the spirit of the West." . It - Is embarrassing to have money coming In so fast that one does not have time to count it, but this Is the situation of the United States assay ornces and mints in the presence of the Influx from Europe. Even the space for storing this immigrant gold has been nearly exhausted, for it must be remembered that no ordinary ware house will suffice for the purpose. In one week recently at New York the gold receipts were 151,000,000, while the combined forces of the New York Assay Office and the Philadelphia Mint were able to assay and weigh only ,26,000,000 worth. The Govern ment cannot pay to consignees or im porters the checks representing the 98 per cent of demonstrated value for bars and 99 per cent of the tested value of coins until the facts have been minutely ascertained, and all the Government departments charged with the handling of this gold 'have been literally swamped in recent months. Foreign coins go into the melting pot, the same as bars, and the work expended upon them abroad is consequently a dead Ipsa, Should the present awakening carry us to the adoption of universal train ing, that alone will be the most ef fective instrument for imbuing every citizen with Nationalism, for destroy ing the delusions of pacifism and for unifying the people Into a real Nation by extinguishing hyphenism. . If the pacifists should prevail, there is dan ger that, when this war is over, our Nationalism will go to sleep again, to be awakened only by the actual pres ence of war confronting a people ut terly unready. Then even the pacifists would realize that their theories had invited war and had exposed our un trained citizens to massacre at the hands of trained armies. The Belgian mother who learned through a newspaper picture that her sons were still alive will not be among those who try to smash the camera when a photographer tries for a snap shot. This is not the first time that a newspaper has been the means of bringing together members of a scat tered family. Soon the small depositors will have to pay the banks a slight fee for taking their money, but the ' service is worth something. A man does not fritter his cash In a bank as lie does when he carries it in his pocket. The Farm Loan Board starts with a good resolution to ignore politics in making appointments, but it remains to be seen whether the board will stand firm against Congressmen and their cohorts of Job-hunters. . A scramble over blood money is deplorable, but all evidence points to Gavin as the man who earned the re ward for getting Bartholomew and not the Seattle officers, who would grab, it. Attorney-General Brown says the "bone-dry" law is not ,in effect, and this will stay the anxiety of many who are watching the mails for a card notifying them to appear in person. It is all very well for the doctorsto recommend plain food seasoned with pleasant conversation, but how can there be such seasoning if the husband rebels against the plain food? Who would not laugh at Thomas W. Law-Ron's statement that he is only a farmer? The leak Inquirers rightly received it as the bet joke of the season. The Webb-Kenyon act is constitu tional, according to - the Supreme Court, and under conditions will be a barrier a few miles north of Horn brook. It all depends on who tells the story who wins a battle in Mexico. Victory is with the side which gets to the tele graph office first. In reappointing John B. Yeon road master of Multnomah County yester day the commissioners fell into line with-the-people. . j Hypochondriacs can continue their pleasurable plans. Local doctors as sure there will be no rise in- rates for attendance. The wonder Is not that women take so long to dress but that the less they wear the longer they take to put it on. The Idaho -Speaker's name Is Allred and he halls from Blackfoot. No wonder he wins on that combination. A man who gets a snake in a bunch of bananas ought to be willing to pay more on account of the advertising. Many pictures of "attractive" wom en would lose half the charm If the glimpse of ankle was omitted. -. It Is now appropriate for Ambas sador Gerard to inscribe the wings of a dove -on his coat of arms. The beautiful telephone girl found the man in a million, but he was the wrong, one. Great Falls plumbers are on, strike for $8 a day and Winter is not half over. , President of the Senate Moser has several speeds forward. How progresses the diary tarted New Year's day? Gleams Through the Mist. By Dean Collins. ODE TO THE OPEXTA'G LEGISLATURE Snrita the harp and pluck the lyre and -.tune the clarinet; Blow upon the French born and upon the big bassoon; Blare the bugle don't be frugal with your blarln' yet; And tootle-toot upon the flute from morn till afternoon: Blng, O Muse, from Cs to Q's, and make . a good impression; Rise and sing like anything the leg islative session! The sun, that January day. Rose cheerful o'er the statehouse lawn; And Salem smiled from where it lay. And. wakening, suppressed a yawn; She woke and said: "I have a hunch. They come the legislator's bunch." All day long through Salem's street Sounded the tread of marching feet. As with a firm, persistent tramp The bunch moved in. prepared to camp, And as they came and settled down The spotlight shone, on Salem town. There was the sound of deviltry by night. Discreet, secluded and with proper awe: With stealthy step one heard strong men alight The water wagon, while the bone-dry law Cast O'er the canitat Ita Hharinwa Attn Stamped o'er their heads, but could not spoil their fun. Loud rang the voices of the job-hunters Jollying, Plucking at the button-holes of leg islators there; "I make but one appeal For the good old public weal. Can't you fix a little place for me. well, almost anywhere?" Thick was the circle of people around them! No hope of dodging them, no getaway Showed through the firm ring of plead ers that bound them. And hung on their footsteps the whole of the day. Ofttlmes the Job-hunter ceased from his boring them, " But ere the Solon could run with a will. He was caught by the claws of some fellow Imploring him; "Please introduce for me. this or that bill!" Loud rang the voices of the Job-hunters begging them. Clinging to their coat-tails (and they . stuck to them like glue) "I wortfed with might and main And I helped Id yoir campaign: And can't you find a little place and can't you put me through?" They gathered In the lobbies and they gathered in the hall. They gathered other places where they were not seen at all. Committees and the caucuses and juntas and the cliques. They gathered and they gabbled as they hadn't done for weeks; And when they thought of any 'pro- prlatlons.tbey would shout "The 6 per centl get us If we Don't Watch Out!" Loud .rang the voices of the job-hunters 'dogging them; Jogging at their elbows and they N Jogged persistentlle "I am known to all you gents. And I have experience- Just any sort of little place that you can fix for me!" The' upllfters assembled and they haunted everywhere; There were people who had axes and who wished to grind them there There were philanthrope and altruists and marly others still. A-Iooklng round for someone who would Introduce a bill. And every legislator, he would look at them and shout: "The 6 per cent'll get us If we Don't Watch Out!" Loud rang the voices of the job- hunters kidding them; Joggling their vanity and smoothing down their fur: "Please give me your advice, Fpr you look so kind and nice Do you think that I could get a place as a stenographer?" ' Chorle Song of the Sqelrrela. From the forest we come x Speeding light, speeding light; And we cheerily hum With our main and our might; "Oh why should we sorrow, or worry or brood? For in Salem, fair Salem, there's plenty of food!" We speed to the Statehouse as swift as the gale Snuffle-snuff, snuffle-snuff, on the up- . lifters' trail We will follow and follow him on with a will. For he hugs to his bosom a beautiful bill. Snuffle-snuff, snuffle snuf f, We will follow him fleet. While he walks In the lobby and hunts for a seat. For we know as we fly. By the gleam In his eye. He's the guy, he's the guy who was meant for our meat. There's a theorist there who would fix up the tax. . Let us speed, snuffle-snuff, snuffle- ' snuff, on his tracks. There's another who carries a cure-all for crime Snuffle-snuff on her trail, take your time, take your time. Now the lobbies abound with the beauti ful crop, . ;. Let us linger anf linger around till they droo. , . Oh why should we sorrow, or worry or breod? v For Salem, fair Salem, doth furnish us food!" How Pianists Cheapen Their Art. PORTLAND, Jan. 8. (To the Editor) In reply to the query of the musician who signed her communication in your issue of January 8 as"A -Recent Vic tim." I would reply that she holds the remedy In her own hands. Just as long as musicians value their services so lightly and are will ing to cheapen their art by appearing In public without remuneration. Just so long wll the public appraise their work in like manner. FRANCK EICHENLAU. OREGON ODER RAIIROAJO THUMB Lamber Industry Menaced by FnfaJr Distribution ef Cars. PORTLAND, Jan. 8. (To the Editor.) A dog doesn't mind fleas, because he has always had them and takes It as a matter of fact that he always will have them and lets It go at that. About the same line of reasoning Is used by the Oregon lumbermen in con nection with the car shortage. As far back as any one can remember every time the price of lumber has gone to a point where there was a margin of profit In manufacturing it, the South ern Pacific Railroad has not furnished ears to move It In and the lumbermen have become so accustomed to It that they hardly make a protests But con ditions are changing from year to year, so that each succeeding car shortage means even a greater loss than the ones preceding it. - We have but one competitor In the biggest part of our marketing field for fir, and that Is Washington. Washing ton from time to time has been blessed with more and more railroads until now she has five transcontinental lines that reach a large majority of her mills and four that reach practically all of them. What is the result? Competition for freight, cars and service. all of which are .necessary If they get the business and here is where Oregon gts left in the lurch. Not only do we have this condition on the north of us, but also on the south in California, where the Southern Pacific must meet compe tition Itself as was proven last year by a private Inquiry of some lumbermen. Where the people get humbugged is In that they listen to the plea of the Southern Pacific that they have no ears and can't get them. We all know that the Southern Pacific is Jutt as much a part of the Harriman system as the O.-W. It. fc X. is and yet Ihy hre plenty of cars for that line in Wash ington, where other roads wrll haul the freight if they don't. From this there Is Just one conclu sion to be drawn that the reason we haven't cars In Oregon is because the Harriman system and the Southern Pa cific Railroad, which are one and the same thing, figure that there la no hurry about moving our lumber, for if they don't haul it today no one else can and they will haul It tomorrow. Lumber Is a commodity that Is not per ishable and they put their rolling stock where they have competition in Wash ington and 'California, The question is, how long are we go ing to stand for this? Are we to sit by and watch the greatest industry In the state ruined while the Washington mills take the cream of the business and prosper? Certainly the Southern Pacific Railroad is not so big that It can handle all the people and all the industries of Oregon like Jesse James would have handled a crowd of school boys. The lumber business has had a lot of hard sledding and now we have before us one of the most promising years in a long while, but It will not do us any good If the demand is the best ever and the prices the highest ever if we can t get cars to move our stock in. Something should be done to compel the Southern Pacific to give Oregon a square deal. C C. CROW. FINE WORDS OF UNKNOWN IM PORT Correspondent Comments on Fhasa of Latest Wilson Note. PORTLAND. Jan. 8. (To the Editor.) For the purpose of demonstrating the Inadequacy of written words as a means of expressing ideas, a professor once wrote upon a blackboard this sentence: "I never sold you that horse." and then asked the students to express the Idea which the sentence conveyed to them Needless to say that the experiment re sulted in almost as many views as there are words in the sentence, depending on which word was emphasized. While there Is some Justification for a variety of views as to the exact mean ing of the sentence quoted, when writ ten and not spoken, as a general rule, however, we are fairly able to express our ideas by the use of the written word. That Is when we frankly try to do so. Of course we are. at all times, at liberty to write combinations of words that literally mean one thing and then deny the meaning and if we are clever enough we may be able to succeed In the deception Take as an Illustration, Mr. Wilson's peace note. The President evidently became Impatient with all the bellig erents, so he "wrote "em a note" asking for a bill of particulars. Now ' much heated discussion is taking place con cerning this note. Is it a dove carrying a message of peace, or is it a snake's skin filled with powder and shot? Its language taken literally, means the former, but some say it is an ulti matum. Germany has taken it literally and- thereby, perhaps, displayed great diplomatic cleverness. Apparently this view of the gentlemen in Berlin was disconcerting to the gentlemen in Washington, so Mr. Lansing frantically hastened to explain that the note does not mean what it says, and Mr. Lansing ought to know.' But Mr. Lansing evi dently did not know exactly for he quickly followed his explanation with a further explanation. It was rumored that the first explanation almost cost him his Job. . And now, everyone Is In the dark, even Senator Lodge and his irresponsi ble son-in-law. Gusxte Gardner. In the Senate, resolutions approving the note are born, live a few minutes and then die, only to be followed by others. And above all the turmoil stands the Sphynx-like figure of Mr. Wilson, with his "Minister without portfolio," Colonel House, at his elbow. A word from the President would dispel all doubt, but he remains silent. Are we sailing serenely along the path of continued peace, or are we be ing driven blindfolded Into the storm of war? Evidently the term "pitiless public ity" has been given an entirely new definition and should not be taken lit erally. FREDERICK GROX.NERI. Train and Cannon Agnln. MARYHILL. Wash.. Jan. 4 tTn. . Editor.) A cannon Is mounted on the rear end of a train which is traveling nines per nour. tne velocity of the projectile Is CO miles per hour. The irun Is fired In a direction opposite to that In which the train is traveling. Does the projectile attain a velocity of ev nines per nour, as It would when "red from stationary positions, or does It commence falling to earth after leaving the muzzle of the gun. remain ing in a stationary position so far as headway is concerned? Does the speed of the train In the opposite direction have any effect on the velocity of the projectile or the distance traveled 'by It? E. H. BABCOCK. If the projectile left the gun at a ve. loclty of 60 miles an hour It would fall to the ground. Location of McNeil's Island. PORTLAND, Or.. Jan. 8. (To the Ed itor.) Where is McNeil's Island situ ated, and how can you get there? Also give boundaries. a, F. McNeil's Island Is between Olytnpla and Tacoma and la bounded on all sides by Puget Sound. The Tacoma-Olympla steamers will stop at the Government prison. Other steamers out of Tacoma call at the small towns on the west shore. Marriage License Fees. BTJCODA. Wash., Jan. 17. (To the Editor.) What is the fee for a marriage license in Portland. Seattle. Tacoma or Chehalls? SUBSCRIBER. Four dollars for the license and 50 rents for the two affidavits In any Washington county seat: 13 for license and 82. 0 for medical certificate in Oregon. In Other Days. Twenty-five Tears Aaro. From The Oreg-onlan of January a. 1S9X New York, Jan. 8. The 77th anniver sary of the battle of New Orleans was celebrated by the Business Men's Democratic Association tonight at the Hoffman House. Yesterday and today will -o on rec ord as the two greatest days the Demo crats of Oregon have ever known. The metropolis is full of them and all parts of the state are represented. They are here to fire the first gun of 1882, for Oregon Is the first state to vote this year. "Rip Van Winkle" win be the play at Cordrays Theater this afternoon and will run for one week. W. H. Lytef. the popular comedian, will appear as "Rip." In the police court yesterday. Larry Sullivan forfeited 110 for Indecent lan guage. A bill was Introduced into the Vir ginia Legislature yesterday for the re vival of the whipping post- naif n Century Aaxo. From The Orecontan of January V. 1S6T. Brigham Young Is luxuriating In the honeymoon of his latest wife, a beauti ful Danish girl , of 17. The number of arrests by the police of the city of Portland for the year 1868 numbered 742. Drunken and dis orderly conduct was responsible for 110 arrests nnd 1-0 arrests were made tor riotous and violent conduct Last evening we had the pleasure of sampling some oysters sent from Yaquina Bay. We can say. by actual test, that no better bivalves have ever been sent to Portland from anybody's fishing grounds. The Tanner troupe, be It remembered, will open lonicht a series of entertain ments at the Oro Fino. The city has been so long destitute of amusements that a crowd may be expected. The flags of the various Are com panies, public oflices and of several private citizens were displayed at top mast during the day yesterday in com memoration of the battle ot New Or- leans. HOW TO TEST HORSEHAIR. THEORY Moon and Numeral "" Enter In Scien tific Kaperlxnent. FOREST GROVE, Or., Jan. 8. (To the Editor.) Have read quite a num ber of snake stories in The Oregonian. No doubt some people think these bits of ancient history should be fumigated. I wish to be (riven an opportunity to offer my testimony in regard to hoop snakes. Joint snakes, glass snakes and the little devil you found In your boot before the "Oregon dry parade day." About 74 years ago my grandmother was SO years of age. of sound mind; no weak points in her makeup. That was the halcyon days of the hoop snake. Near her residence was a hoop snake runway that they occu pied in "skinning season." At that time they were nearly blind and quite dan gerous when angered. My grandmother told me that she saw the skeletons of two hoop snakes hanging to the trunks of trees, their horns nearly burled in the trees. One of the trees was dead, the other was not. owing to the fact that a man was buried at the toot of this tree and In the grave was placed the body of a very large hoop snake, which guaran teed the life of the tree. Joint snakes were quite common in that locality (Lewis County. New York), and cre ated quite a bit of amusement. The glass snake was usually found in drink ing tumblers, bottles. Jugs and other convenient means of transportation. In cluding the boot. Just a few words about the horse hair snake. At that time I was more than 7 years of are. and this Is taken from personal experience and was at one time a profound secret. I bought it cost me two slate pencils, eight pins and a very large piece of sugar pine tree gum thst I had chewed since early Spring. This Is the secret. You must see the new moon over your left shoulder, walk toward it nine paces, go into the barn, select a bay horse Just past the age of 9 years and take nine hairs from his tail. Be sure they have not been cut off at either end. place tlvem in a brook Just nine paces from the spring; be sure to place a stone over them; then back away nine paces. Don't visit that spring again for nine days. When the time to visit is due. you must keep nine paces from the spring and walk nine times around it, then remove the stone. I did. The horse hairs had vanished. W. J. R. BEACH. Inheritance Taifn, AURORA. Or.. Jan. 7. (To the Ed itor.) (1) What process of law is nec essary to settle up an estate when the father dies, the heirs all being of age? (2) What Is the legal age at which a girl may hold or transfer property. 13) Suppose the father during his life divide the estate and deed the par scls to the children, would there still be an Inheritance tax? 4) Can the children at the father's death compel a division of the property or does the mother have control of it? () Is there a minimum amount upon which no inheritance tax is levied? (6) What per cent Is the inheri tance tax? SUBSCRIBER. (1) Take out letters of administra tion In the County Court, (2) Eighteen. (3) It would be a question of fact, tried out by the court," as to whether the deeds were arlven for tha numAM rof evading the inheritance tax. If It so appeared the tax would be collectible. (4) Children and mother frequently agree aa to a definite division of the property In lieu of the mother's Indefi nite Income as dower, but it cannot be compelled if she objects. (5) To be subject to state inheritance taxes an estate must have an appraised value of at least 10.000. but In addi tion each heir is entitled to an exemp tion of 85000. so if there are. say. six children, the value ot the estate must exceed $30,000 before the tax applies. (6) It is graduated. To answer would require too much detail for this column. Federal Farm Loans, BANKS. Or.. Jan. 7. (To the Editor.) Can you Inform me If there Is a "farm loan bank" organized, or being organized in Portland? If so. give the name and street address of same. I. P. M'CROSKET. The nearest Federal Land bank will' be located in Spokane. If you are seeking a Federal farm loan it is necessary first to find 10 or more farmers in your community who wish to borrow, and with them form a National farm loan association. Full Instructions are contained la circulars 1 and 2, which will be fur nished on application to the Federal Farm Loan Board. Washington. D. C Family of O. Henry. JOSEPH. Or, Jan. 4. (To the Edi tor.) I'lease Inform me whether Svd ney Porter (O. Henry), the short-story writer, was ever married, or was he a bachelor? J. a. WETZEL. He was married. A daughter has had some success as an author.