10 TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN, SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1917. m)$(B PORTLAND, OKEGOX. Entered at Portland (Oregon) PoatoSlce second-class mall matter. Subscription rates Invariably In advance: (By MalL) Dally, Sunday Included, one year .$9.00 Uully, Sunrlay Included, six months ..... 4.25 Iaily, Sunday Included, three months ... 2. 3 Ijally, Sunday Included, one month ."3 Xally, without Sunday, one year ........ 6.0 Iuily, without Sunday, three months ... 1.73 3aily. without Sunday, one month. .60 Weekly, one year 1.60 Monday, one year 2.50 feunday and Weekly 3.50 (By Carrier.) Dally, Sunday Included, one year . . 9.00 Lially, Sunday Included, one month ' .75 How to Remit Send postoff Ice money order, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or ourrency are at sender's risk. Give postofflce address In full. Including county and state. Postage Bates 12 to IS pares, 1 cent: 18 to UZ pact's. 2 cents; 84 to 4S pages, 3 cents: 6l to GO pages, 4 cents; : to 7o pages. 3 :mts; 73 to 62 pages, o cents. Foelsn post age double rates Eastern Business Office Verree & Conk lln, Brunswick building. New York; Verree tConklln, Steger building, Chicago.- Baa rancico representaUve, iu J. J41uwtU. Market street. ors would require a large Initial ap propriation from the general fund. A man who is competent for such a job has no difficulty in attaching himself to a mortgage company at a salary of $5000 and upwards. After the rural credit system has run a few years, and if a large sum is placed, and if interest payments are promptly met by the borrowers, the 1 per cent charged by the state for lending money which it in turn has borrowed will yield quite a handsome sum, probably enough to maintain a large field force and a luxurious suite of offices. But the system must have a start and the gen eral fund Is poor. Money lending is more or less of a science, but some of our college and farmer friends seem to assume' that it is largely a matter of dishing it out. Eighteen million dollars is a great sum to be made available In a lump for distribution In the form of loans in a state of Oregon's population. There is real danger that unless proper safe guards are added to the amendment the state will witness an era of finan cial riot and farm-land speculation, to its ultimate disaster. rOKTLAM), SATCKJDAY, JAN. IS, 1917. 1 FARM IXAX DANGERS. J The voters of Oregon last Novem ber went blithely to the polls and voted a state credit of 118,000,000 to establish, a farm-loan system. The in tent of the vote was no more than in dorsement of a principle, but along JWlth indorsing a principle the people accepted a number of hard and fast rules and Inelastic details that have bo place in a constitutional enactment. The Legislature must now work out further details and provide certain definitions, bearing in mind the while that they are held to certain limita- 'llons. The rate at which money Is to be Jent to. farmers Is 5 per cent. It is so fixed hv the constitutional amendment ' to ti la KaTuraohlii rtnlv if til. ctata bonds Issued sell for less than par. Then farm loans may bear a rate 1 per (cent higher than the rate paid by the state. The state bonds bear 4 per tent Interest. So if a block of them lis sold at 4 net the borrower from the state would have to pay 6 . But If the state bonds sell at a premium the farmer borrower obtains no ad vantage therefrom. He must pay 6 per cent. Under present conditions Oregon iJstate bonds should sell at a high pre- knium. The state Is not now in debt. The interest rate is attractive. The (Oregonian obtains from a responsible Eource the statement that if a block of these bonds were offered today in open (competition they would bring from ISO to 122. At most the net rate paid by the state would be 3 per cent. The Legislature Is powerless to pass blong to the farmers the full advan tage of the state's superior credit. It Is one of the inflexibilities in the amendment to which objection was made prior to election. The rate on farm loans ought to be flexible. Some farmers, because of the superiority of the eecurity they offer, are entitled to a lower rate than others. Money has a practically definite base rate for lending purposes, except in times of panic or business upheaval. It is probably somewhere near i per cent. The borrower who pays a higher rate la contributing In part to the cost of placing the money and In further part to insurance of the loan against loss. Improved land has a fixed . pro ductive power and Invites loans at a low rate. Land held for speculation carries a loan either at a higher rate or the principal is in lower pro portion to Its presumptive value perhaps both. This definite rule of financial transactions Is en countered by the farmer In seeking a loan from a private mortgage com pany. The mortgage company will capitalize the earning capacity of the land and lend up to a certain propor. tion of It. Smith may own 160 acres of land valued at $10,000 but only forty acres may be improved. The mortgage company reasons that If he lias no other resources he cannot sup port his family, pay taxes and meet the Interest on a loan of 60 per cent of the value of the whole tract from his earnings from forty acres, If Smith Insists on borrowing that much he will have to seek some other agency than that which lends only at a low rate. He will seek out a money speculator, who, by (charging a much higher rate of in terest. Insures the money he lends on Jmsafe security. But, as stated, the state has adopted fen Inflexible rate. The amendment provides that It shall lend in amount up to 60 per cent of the value of the land. No distinction is made between Improved and' unimproved land. Under Its terms the farmer who should pay a higher rate because of the specu lative character of the greater part of lils holdings will 'have his loan in sured by the man whose farm is well Improved and who. In view of the con ditions under which the state will se cure the funds, is actually entitled to A rate lower than 5 per cent. This phase the Legislature cannot tomedy, but it is logical that because of it more than ordinary care must be exercised in accepting land as security for state money. The Land Board be lieves that it can handle the new sys tem satisfactorily under the sys tem by which school funds are lent. An attorney Is selected In eaoti county, who examines lands and titles of persons seeking loans. No loss has been sustained by the school funds un der the operation of this plan. But the state school fund has accumulated by degrees; the Land Board was alone In the field in lending money at 6 per cent on farms until quite recently; it virtually had the pick of farm-land security. Under the rural credit plan thei-and Board is so unrestricted that It could have available within a few weeks millions of dollar to place on Oregon farms. The Integrity of the board Is not questioned. It has acted conservative ly in the (past. On the other hand. In a state not many miles away, where school funds were more plentiful, they have been put out on mountain tops and rocky hillsides and the administra tion of the fund is an ever-recurring scandal. whether thirty-six county agents can withstand the pressure that would come from knowledge that $18, 000,000 of easy money is or can be made available is a matter of question The average man, no matter what his business, will borrow more than he can pay If not restrained not pur posely, or fraudulently, but because it Is his nature to be optimistic and to be careless in computing his future 'earnings and expenditures. But if the county agent plan is not i adopted the Legislature must provide for field agents, or for officials or In spectors on that order. Again the con. . stitution atles the lawmakers' hands, The fee for appraisal and examination prescribed in the ameffcdment is lower than the .average cost of such work. To provide for competent field inspect- Lakes, 108,235. More than two-thirds of the Pacific Coast tonnage was of steel, namely, 64,144 to 29,174 tons of wood. The total new tonnage is near ly double that of 1915, while the Pa cific Coast total has nearly quadrupled. It depends on the policy recom mended by the new Shipping Board and adopted by Congress whether the United States will clinch its hold on this new tonnage. The extent to which the capacity of shipyards is contracted ahead, and the difficulty experienced by the Navy Department in letting contracts forgnew warships, hold out little prospect that the board will be able to spend its $50,000,000 on new ships. The strides made by the United States in making good the ravages of war go to show that this expenditure would be unnecessary, even if facilities existed for building the ships. This became obvious to all pen-minded observers before the law was passed, and that law was forced through a docile Congress chiefly that the President and Secretary McAdoo might be spared the pain of confessing that they had blundered In propos ing It.. 6 TILL TRYING TO SIDESTEP. The Democratic majority In the House dared not call off the leak In vestigation in the face of opposition. but seemingly It Is set upon preventing a real Inquiry which will bring out the whole truth. That is the explana tion of the decision to have the work renewed by the rules committee. It is a sidestep, for the chairman and the Democratic majority of that commit tee have evinced a determination to evade and have displayed some, abil ity in that line. The more the House leaders try to sidestep, the more firmly will the sus picion become fixed in the public mind that "there is something In" the leak charges. The leaders by their present course do not clear the guilty, if any there be; they unjustly spread the sus picion to the innocent. They do not remove the cloud from the reputation of Government officials; they render it blacker and more embracing. OOETRAGB SCATTERS ITNCTTETCS. Success of Governor Stanley, of Ken tucky, in cooling the ardor of a mob for lynch law points a moral for other officials whose duty brings them in conflict with mob rule. A mob Is by its very nature a coward, knowing that it is a lawbreaker, and It cringes be fore a man who opposes It with the backing of lawful authority. What ever degree of courage it has is derived from disguise and from numbers. This fact was well illustrated In a recent story, In which a Sheriff scatters a mob by simply naming its members and telling their records. Prevalence of lynch law In the South is due as much to the cowardice or secret sympathy of officials as to the lawlessness of the people. A courage ous official attracts right-minded, law abiding people to his Eide and by bold ness instils fear in the guilty mob. All that is needed to end lynch law are Governors and Sheriffs of the stamp of Governor Stanley. The difficulty in getting them is due to activity in politics -of the type of men which makes up lynching mobs and to the Inaction of the men who would be dis posed to resist them. The result is that the lynchers elect the Sheriffs, and they elect their like. When they stumble on a Governor Stanley, they quail. . RIGHTS OF STATE IX DANGER. While engaged In passing liquor laws and In trimming state expend! tures to keep within the 6 per cent tax limitation, the Legislature would do well not to overlook legislation now before Congress which deeply affects the rights and interests of the state. In his anxiety to secure a reserve of fuel oil for the Navy, Secretary Daniels is pressing for action on the general leasing bill, with amendments reserving the desired oil land. He may succeed in pushing the, bill through Congress at this session as a measure of preparedness. If he should, and if the bill should not be materially amended, the Western states would find that a system of Federal land-1 loraism had been fastened upon them. which would permanently withhold from state taxation and control large and valuable portions of their area. The bill provided, as introduced, that the rentals derived from coal, oil, gas 'and phosphate land shall be used in reclamation and that after repay ment by settlers one-half shall be paid to the states for use in education. This provision may be amended, as has the Ferris water-power bill in the Senate, to read that the states shall get half of the receipts from the beginning, but even then the land would be ex empt from taxation and from state property laws and the state would be restricted to one use for Its share of the rentals. Is the state of Oregon willing to sub' mit to these conditions, and thus to be placed in a position of permanent tutelage. Inferior to that which is held by other states whose entire area has passed into private hands? The bill is most vulnerable on the ground both of constitutionality and of public pol icy. If the state is to resist this Fed eral encroachment and to defend its rights, now is the time' to act. TAKTN-O TirjE LEAD IX BHTJPS. The progress which the United States has already made towards regaining its former pre-eminence among shipbuilding nations is summed up in the opinion expressed by the Bureau of Navigation that "during the past twelve months American ship yards have done more to maintain ocean foreign trade uninterruptedly than the shipyards of all other nations together exceptGreat Britain." Even British leadership is threatened, for the bureau says that "during the first nine months of 1916 ocean steel mer chant tonnage of American shipyard exceeded by 30,000 tons the British output, though after May 30 British yards began to Increase work on mer chant shipping." During the year 1918 there were built in American shipyards 1163 mer chant vessels of 520,847 gross tons for American shipowners, besides fifty vessels, of 39,392 gross tons, for for elgn owners, a total of 1213 vessels of 560,239 tons. This total has been exceeded in only one year since 1855, namely, in 1908, when the output was 614,216 tons, but in that year the out put was mainly for the Great Lakes, while in 1916 it was mainly for ocean foreign trade. Of the 1916 total, an except 152 ves sels of 68 68 tons were built on the seacoast or the Great Lakes for ocean and lake .navigation, and many lake shipyards 'are turilng out seagoing ships. The exceptions mentioned were built on the Western rivers for Inland navigation. The new tonnage was divided among the several sections as follows: Atlantic and Gulf Coast, 812,426; Faclflo Coast, 98,818; Great WIIAT THE ENTENTE EIGHTS FOR. The terms of peace which the en tente allies ' have laid d6wn in their note to President Wilson hold out no hope of an early termination of the war, but they have the merit of stat ing with some exactness those, aims which have hitherto been stated only in general terms. The allies could not do less than demand the restoration of Belgium, Luxemburg, Serbia, Montenegro and Roumanla to Independence without confession of defeat or abandonment of the aims for which they took up the Teutons" challenge. But the more completely they should succeed in those aims, the more Impossible would it be for them to obtain that repara tion. If they should succeed so far, they would probably at the same time have made great progress toward at tainment of their other ends and would be encouraged to go on to the finish. But before they had reached even that point, their enemies would be so weak ened and impoverished as to be Incapa ble of making reparation. Turkey and Bulgaria are now mare vassals of the central empires, and they keep the field only with money and mjfterlal furnished 'by Germany. They could pay nothing. Austria is approaching, if ltxhas not already reached, the same position. Only Ger many would remain to look to, and that country would be so drained by the war expenses of both Itself and its allies that it would be in no position to pay the billions of dollars which their enemies would demand to com pensate for the damage done in oc cupied territory. It has beeft suggested that the allies obtain reparation by imposing an extra tariff on goods from enemy countries after the war and that they hand over the proceeds to the injured countries.. The allies know as well as anybody that payment of a huge cash Indemnity would- be Impos sible. Their demand may prove to be only the basis for exaction of an equivalent in territory. Demand for the "liberation of Ital ians, of Slavs, of Roumanians and of Tcheco Slavoques from foreign domi nation" points directly at dismember ment of the Austro-Hungarian mon archy, which could be accomplished only by the crushing defeat of that country and its allies. It implies a purpose, and confidence in ability to French In language and sympathy. Since 1871 they have become largely i Germanized, to what extent a) referen dum vote along could determine. If Alsace should vote for France, Lor raine for Germany, would the allies consent that each should go its own way? Since there would certainly be a large minority in each, would it not be better for future peace if they formed an independent state with neu trality guaranteed by all the powers? If that were done, Belgium, Luxemburg and Alsace-Lorraine would form a string of such states stretching from the Nojth Sea to the Swiss frontier, and would be a barrier entirely sepa rating France from Germany. While the allies declare their main purpose to be destruction of the domi nation of Prussian militarism, they disclaim any desire "to encompass the extermination of the German peoples and their political disappearance." No well-informed, thinking man suspects them of such a design, but the pur pose they admit does not augur well for future peace. It Implies a change both in the personnel and in the con stitution of the German Empire, en forced from without. A change of government thus brought about would be a constant reminder of defeat and would therefore be hateful to the Ger man people, who would be apt to over turn the new government as soon as they felt strong enough. If the allies should be so successful in war as to be able to carry out their other aims, they would have so discredited "the Prussian military caste" in the eyes of the German people that the latter might overthrow it of their own ac cord. In that event, Germany, having been brought to defeat and ruin by Its military rulers and their ambitions. would be apt to establish a democratic government devoted to peace and thus to seek restoration to its place In the family of. nations. The question of Prussian militarism may more safely be left to settle Itself. Its destruction at the dictates of a foreign foe would be more likely to endear it to the Ger man people. But the four great entente powers have a long and bloody road to travel before they can put through their pro gramme. It may undergo much trim ming before a peace conference meets. Expansion of the commerce and In dustry of the United States is limited to the capacity of the railroads to carry their produce. Power of the railroads to -enlarge their capacity .in order to keep pace with the growth of ndustry is limited by their ability to obtain capital. Although their net earnings in the last year exceeded 81, 000,000,000, this was only 6 per cent on their investment. Will people in vest meney in a 6 per cent business when they can Invest it m Industries which are earning from 50 to 3000 per cent? Would you? That is the proposition faced by the railroads. All that they ask is, not that they be re lieved from public regulation, but that regulation be made so efficient as to give them reasonable assurance of stable earnings. With that assurance, they could get capital to expand their facilities as increase of traffic de mands. That is what the people want. Why not go after it? 1 carry out that purpose, to take from the dual monarchy all territory which is not Inhabited chiefly by people of German or Magyar blood. If It were possible to restrict the change to a union, under a government of the in habitants' own choice, of all territory which is peopled by a vast majority of the same race and language, this purpose would command wide sym pathy in the United States and other neutral countries. But there are bor der lands where two races have min gled and which are claimed by both by virtue of supremacy gained and lost centuries ago. Though such bor der lands might be Joined, to the na tion of the majority race, provision would be necessary to protect the rights of the minority race. This would be possible under some International control, which would insure that, when boundaries were once established, they should not be disturbed, and that mi nority races should have equal rights with the majority. By some such means the Balkan peninsula and ad Joining territory might be redeemed from their position as the war breeder of Europe. This would require limits to annexation to which the entente would not submit if It were completely triumphant. Americans generally will approve of the desire to expel the Turks from Eu rope, but very many will not approve of the purpose to hand over Constan tinople and the surrounding territory, with the straits, to Russia. By its posi tion at the gateway between Europe and Asia. Constantinople has become the meeting place of nations of vio lently opposed races and creeds. That fact demands that it be neutralized under a government devised by the na tions to keep all the mingled popula tion in peace and liberty. The fact that the straits are a water highway between two great seas requires that they, too, be neutralized under the same government. To hand over the straits to Russia or any other power would be only to sow the Beed of an other war, in which the highway of nations would be closed. Neutrals should have a voice in the settlement, that they may Insure Its being open at all times. Germany and Austria have already given practical evidence of an Inten tion to restore a degree of Independ ence to Russian Poland, but the En tente powers accept as in good faith the pledge of the Czar to give self government to all of Poland under his sovereignty. That would include much territory which is now in Germany and Austria, but which was in Poland before the first partition. While com plete restoration of Poland would com mand sympathy the world over, the wrong done to the Poles would be fully undone only If . they were delivered from the rule of either a Romanoff, a Hohenzollern or a Hapsburg. and were set totally free to form their own gov ernment, and if they should decide on a monarchy, to choose their sovereign, who should have no ties with any other dynasty. By this means alone would Poland be prevented from becoming a cause of future war and become a strong buffer state between Russia and the Teuton empires. The allies' desire to obtain "restitu tion of provinces or territories wrested in the past from the allies by force or against the will of their populations" plainly points to the restoration of Alsace-Lorraine to France. But is it the will of the population to return under French rule? The principle which the allies profess would require that the people be permitted .to decide, Those provinces were German for many centuries down to 1648, Between that date and 1871 they became How to Keep Well By Dr. W. A. Evans. Questions pertinent to hygiene, sanitation and prevention of disease. If matters of gen eral Interest, will be answered In this col umn. 'Where space will not permit or the subject is not suitable letters will be per sonally answered, subject to proper limita tions and where stamped addressed envelope la Inclosed. rr. Evans will not make diagnosis or prescribe for Individual diseases. Re quests for such services cannot be answered. (Copyright. 1016. by rr. YV. A. Kvans. Published by arrangement with the Chicago Tribune.) - D KEEP THE HOUSE AT 60. ADVANTAGE TAKEN OF EMPLOYES Employers Often Profit From Knowl edge of Their Needy Condition. PORTLAND. Jan. 12. (To the Edi tor.) Permit me apace to write the facts as to the employer and his em ployed. Sometimes a person become disgusted with his work because the employer does not pay enough waga for. the work done. Sometimes it Is the employe's own fault and some times the employer is too tight and tries to fret all he can out of the help for the least money. I am writing from experience, for I was hired to work eight hours a. day at $40 a month, providing I could do the work. The time given was up and I went R. JOHN DILL ROBERTSON, of Chi CagO. recently Suggested one mein- . ..mnlfWef . nrt ak1 fn, a r.l.. od of cutting the high cost of living. I t was tol tnat business was too poor His suggestion was that we reauce the temperature' of our homes, offices and factories about 1? degrees. In this) way we would reduco the high cost of keeping warm, which In midwinter is a large part of. the high cost of living. The statement, coming from the health commissioner, carried with It the thought that we would be healthier If we reduced the temperature of our living places. The theoretical maximum Indoor mid winter temperature In America is 70. Whenever Investigation1 has been made it has been found that this maximum is habltuallyvlolated. The average tem perature of place run on. the go-as-you-please basis Is around 72, and the temperature occasionally goes to 78. Dr. Robertson's propoeal is that the temperature of living-rooms, offices and stores be made 60 and that of factories be kept lower still. For these tempera tures there rs ample European warrant. In no country in Europe are indoor temperatures allowed to go over 68. The usual house tempertaure over there Is 60. There la ample warrant for the rec ommendation In close observations made In this country. Huntington, in his work, "Civilization and Climate." states that men do their best mental work when the air temperature is 60 and their best physical work when it is about 40, and the average best tem perature of the air for" work was 50. In Other Days Twenty-five Years Aao. Prom The Oregonlan January 13. 1892. Washington Senators Dolpb. and Mitchell have been successful in get ting two new revenue cutters for the Pacific Coast and a life-saving station at the mouth of the Rogue River. "Pap" Lytle, right fielder of the Portland team, arrived from San Fran cisco yesterday. He Is at the Esmond. Don Jose de Sepulveda Is a Mexican gentleman registered at the St. Charles from Mazatlan. The first marriage in Tamhlll County wu that of Jesse C. Henderson and Elizabeth Moore about April 1. 1846, at the residence of Dr. Johnson near Amity. to- permit it. I doubted him, for 1 knew what my end of the work amounted to and did not forget. I helped out a. great deal In other de- I A. I?. Smart was elected president of partments, and was also told by the the eteran Volunteer Firemen's Asso- head of my department that my work elation last night. A. D. Tufts and was more than satisfactory. George Gardner were elected vice- Again I asked for more money, re-1 presidents, and Robert Ilolrsian. secre peated what I was told, and the an- tary. and Charles Bartram treasurer. ower was If I did not want to work A movement, which thus far has gained little headway, has been started in parts of the South to induce ne groes to undertake the addedcoloniza tion of the newly acquired Danish West Indies. Argument is offered by the promoters that the present negro inhabitants are not enterprising and that an infusion of American negroes would be good for the islands them selves, as well as offering a new op portunity for the colonists. The scheme seems fantastic and probably will fall, as other plans for colonizing negroes in various parts of the world have done. Recent demand for labor. which has threatened to cause an exodus from the South to the Northern states, also will militate against a ven ture into the unknown. The recent unfortunate attempt to start an Ameri can colony on the Gold Coast also is too fresh in memory to make the going especially good for men with new colonization schemes. He Investigated the work of persons doing various forma of piecework at different eeasons of the year. The minimum amount of work was done about the last of January. Then there ensued a gradual Increase lasting until June, then a moderate decrease lasting until the last of July. In the Autumn the amount of work increased until the maximum was reached In November. Then there came the decline, which ter minated in the low production of Janu ary. Production was lowest In mid winter, low In midsummer and at its maximum in the Spring and Fall. Similar conclusions were arrived at as the result of observations on work ers making electrical apparatus at Pitts burg, industrial workers In the South, and as the result of strength tests made In Denmark. It has been found that the students at West Point and Annapolis do their best mental work, especially In mathe matics, in the Spring and Fall, and their worst work In midwinter and mldsum mer. Observations such as these furnish the basis for Huntington's opinion that the most work and the best work is done when the air around the workers is at SO. Dr. Robertson's euggestlon therefore cuts at the high cost of liv ing in three ways by reducing coal bills, by Increasing output of work and by bettering health. for $40 I could quit. What was I to do? I could not leave, for I had folks depending on me, and took the blow. I had not nerve enough to ask again, for I feared I would be handed a blue envelope. Is it fair that persons who work conscientiously for the benefit of their firm should be trodden on because their circumstances be known. I know some people doubt this, but It is true. It happens every day. EDWARD R RUMLET. New Year Resolutions Digested. PORTLAND. Jan. 13. (Tn the MI. tor.) On January 2 an interesting let ter appeared In The Oregonlan from the pen of the Rev. Alexander Beers. It was Interesting from the nolnf nf view of a workingman, to which tribe your humble servant happens to belong. We 'don't doubt the sincerity of TiTr Beers, but In his boundless good will toward everyone, the portion which he allotted to the homeless and the friend less was the kind you collect on the Evergreen Shore. Also he wished for the working-man good Jobs, coptented minds (which. means don't strike) and adequate pay for faithful service. How much "adequate Is we don't know, but suppose it means enouth to keen us In working trim, and perhaps, re produce our Kind. He has something more suhtnntlal for the business elements, calling upon the Almighty for special blessing and a year of unsurpassed prosperity and growth. There Is a lesson in osvcholorv here and we wonder if U couldn't be solved by economic determinism. HENRY CHTNLTTND. 204 Madison street. A few years ago the announcement that Armour & Co. had earned 20 per cent on their capital stock would have called forth remarks about Bwollen profits. That amount now looks small by comparison with the profits of the munition and automobile companies. When man would suicide he uses a gun, but woman, unless she be- of the meek and lowly, little mousy kind. prefers something overwhelmingly cataclysmic. She knows It will make a readable "story." Qnlt Tobacco nnd Whisky. A. A. writes: "In the last year 1 have had several attacks of unconsciousness which lasted about 20 minutes. I felt well on the succeeding days, but my breathing was difficult until I was well again. I was attacked generally after sleeping soundly. Hardening of the ar terles Is the cause, I have been told. Is smoking harmful to this ailment? Will drinking a glass of whisky every day harm me? What effect will eating mint have? RET1f. Assuming that your trouble la hardening of the arteries, smoking- Is bad for it; so Is drlnklna- whisky, and also eating meat. If you will go on a diet of fruit, bread and vegetables you will be better off. Attend to your bowels. Epilepsy Is the cause of spells like this, at times. Oil for Constipation. J. H. G. writes: "I have been trou bled with constipation having had to take some klnd"f a purge almost every day, until I heard of 'stanolax,' an oil product. This was last Spring, and since then have taken a tablespoonful dally and have had no trouble. Will you A Zeppelin makes Its own cloud as a I kindly give me your opinion as to the hiding place and carries it along. The advisability of using this oil? Will It do me any harm in the long run?" REPLY. This is a form of mineral oil and will not harm you. When Oregon Was Admitted. PORTLAND, Jan. 12. (To the Editor.) (1) To settle an argument, please state the year In which Oreuon was ad muted to the Union; also who was President at the time. (2) Please tell where I can write to find out the names of the different moving picture companion and their addresses. A SUBSCRIBER. (1) February 14, 1869. James Bu chanan was President. (2) Write to Motion Picture Editor, The Oregonlan, enclosing self-addressed stamped envelope. Inscription on Vase. PORTLAND. Jan. 12. (To the Edi tor.) Will you please translate this for me? It was on a vase I received for Christmas: "Flrenze. Museo Nazlonale, lladonna, Luca delta Kobbla." MRS. C. P. LAWRENCE. ln Inscription Indicates that the vase Is after Luca della Robhla's "Ma donna," preserved in the National Mu seum at Florence. Italy. Luca della Robbla was a noted sculptor of the 15th century and Inventor of enameled terra cotta. "Flrense Is the Italian spelling of Florence. "Drunk" nnd "Canyon." PORTLAND. Jan. 12. (To the M ltor.) Please Inform me (1) If "I have drunk" Is correct; also (2) which is correci."cany,on" or "canon." A SUBSCRIBER. (1) It Is correct. (2) . Either. It Is Not Good J.' PENDLETON, Or, Jan. 12. (To the Editor.) Please advise If It is con sidered good form for a man -to wear aress gloves unbuttoned and turned gown at the top. A SI'BSCRIBER. The Waldrop children gave a very entertaining programme at the Baptist Tabernacle on the East Side last night. Now that the state Democratic con vention has been set for April 19 the 1892 campaign has started. Among the names mentioned for the Congressional race are: Senator li. M. Veath. of Cot tage Grove, and Senator Jeff Myers, of Linn County, for the first district; J. H. Raley, of Pendleton, and ex-United States Senator James II. Slater, of La Urande, for the Second District. The Republicans, it Is understood, look to Charles A. Johns. Mayor of Baker City, as a likely candidate. Can and Train Problem. U. S. DREDGE UMATILLA. Upper Columbia, Jan. 10. (To the Editor.) In regard to the problem of a gun fired from the end of a train, supposing there is a boy standing on the train, by the gun, with a ball in hand, and there Is an enemy six miles behind chasing gun and train, at the same speed or any speed. Do you. or any one, mean to tell me that the projectile nrcd with a full charge at that object will drop to the ground and have no more power than that boy's ball? If so. what becomes of the power of the powder or dynamite or whatever ma terial the gun's charge Is composed of? v hat earthly use Is a stern-chasing gun to a fast-lightinjj vessel beiii chased by another? JOHN BYRNE. Ex-Quartermaster. The correspondent overlooks the fact that the gun and train problem con ceives an impracticable hypothesis and that is that the cannon discharges the projectile at an initial velocity of only 60 miles an hour. A rifle bullet's ve locity is about 1000 miles an hour and larger rrojectlle - attains a corre sponding speed depending on the charge and type of gun. It Is not dif ficult to throw a baseball at an Initial velocity of 60 miles an hour. The genulus who conceived the problem probably did not suggest a baseball because In that event the problem would puzzle no one. To make it In teresting he Invented an Impossible cannon, relying on the confusion with real cannon the problem would engen der In the minds of those Interested.. Worst Is Yet to Come. WEISER. Idaho. Jan. 10. (To the Editor.) Being a citizen of Portland I have resd with much Interest of the Willbrldge Jitney question. We had good car service out there, considering the revenue derived from it and operating expenses. But the people nursed unkindly feeling toward corporate Interests that have millions Invested In some other sections of our city, and cbose a bug in place of safety and reasonable comfort. If the citizens do not change their attitudes soon on this question they can expect to Bee more concrete, steel and ties coming up In the near future. P. G. KESTER. When Colombia Was From. PORTLAND. Jan. 12. (To the Edi tor.) Please inform me whether the Columbia River has been frozen over sufficiently to enable a person to walk from Portland to Vancouver at any time In the past 10 years. A SUBSCRIBER. A numrier of persons walked across the Columbia River at Vancouver on the Ice In Januaary. 1909. Attempts were made a year aso to croBS on the lee Jam, but failed. next thing should be a tank car which distils its own oil as it tramples on a village, or a machine gun which makes Its own cartridges. If Dan Kellaher knows any one thing better than all the rest, It Is the grocery business in all its ramifica tions and his allegations of a trust may be held as the voice of authority. Jones of Marlon would decorate with a medal each Oregon soldier who went to the border, which is handsome recognition. Indeed; but a big, yellow double-eagle looks better. Wilson's Invitation to the half frozen pickets to come in and have something warm shows a feeling for the workers that does not extend to the cause. A while ago the Swiss navy was a Joke, but now that government has chartered steamships to carry supplies and its flag will be seen on the seas. - It is hardly necessary for Senator Moser to make .denial of anything printed about him in a paper of guess- able politics. Did anybody ever consider that a man who commutes a fine at the rate of 82 a day In Jail is working under the scale? Grants Pass sugar Is reaching the local market and there Is the chance for "Made in Oregon" consumers. A season that opens late and closes early will have as many good games, and that Is what the fans want. Germany will have the largest navy If this elimination of a battleship a day continues.- Berllners are luckier than Portland ers to get an egg a day during the next fortnight. A Congressional investigation that does not rip up a Republican is waste time. Ballplayers who go on strike may be struck out. Agar tor Constipation. M. J. writes: "Will long continued use of agar-sugar prove harmful to the stomach or Intestines? (2) Does It ever cure constipation, or simply relieve It? Have taken It dally for over a year. When I stop taking It I am still trou bled with constipation. The stomach Is irritated and much troubled by gas. (3) Would the agar form gas? (4) Is there a cure for sagging stomach? REPLY. 1. I do not think so. J. Yea. Agar absorbs water and provides bulk for the Intestinal content. During the period of Its use the sating and bowel habits must be changed If permanent good Is te result. As examples, a taste for rougher, eoaraer, less concentrated foods must be developed. The habit of regularity must be established. 8. X do not think so. 4. By building up the muscles sarrlmT of the abdomen can be overcome, or practically so. By proper dieting a moderate dilation of the stomach can be eured. Should Train Yourself. Texas writes: "I am a girl 11 years old, I have a severe pain In my stom ach on my left side, at times this place gets a little sore. I am also nervous when I get excited, I cry and tremble. Sometimes I ache and hurt all over Just like Z waa going to chill. Do you think I need the advice of a doctor?" REPLY, ' You an vereraotlonal and prebably hysterical, You need some wholesome ad vice probably from a physician. You should bs able to train yourself out ef 111 health Into seed health. Kidneys Not Disturbed, i M. W, writes) "I am 80 years old and am bothered with. my kidneys terribly lately, especially when sitting down long. There seems to be a very strong odor. Kindly advise me as soon as possible, as I intend to get married around March next." REPLY. . There is nothing the matter with your kidneys. If you will drink enough water and adjust your exercise to" your eating and your eating to your exercise the odor com plained of will disappear. Superior in News Service arid Timely Information The Sunday Oregonian HE SAW LINCOLN NOMINATED At Hood River resides E. L. Smith, former Secretary of Washington Territory, who witnessed the nomination of the Great Emancipator at the epochal Chicago convention of May, I860. By epecial correspondence comes a splendid- story to The Sunday Oregonian, relating Mr. Smith's in teresting recollections. HERBERT KAUFMAN'S PAGE Bold, black type on clean, white paper that's the way the Kaufman page fronts its readers. And every sentence of it is equally assertive of independence and man hood and cleanliness, and everybody thinks so. Read "The Man .Who Wants to Do It AIL" WILL WOMAN'S SOLE SOLVE HER MYSTERY ? Not finger prints, a la Bertillon, but footprints on white raper made when the anxious fair one sets her trilby down to take the impression that may solve fate's-design are interpretive of character and physical poise, says Royal Dixon. Offering also photographs of a few feet to prove it. OUR ARMY IN ALASKA Frank G. Carpenter's travel story of our soldiers in the Alaskan country, telling of the different Army posts and the work undertaken by the service. With photographs. Word of a domain where the War Department builds and maintains telegraph lines, wagon roads and traHs.. CHURCH AND SCHOOL A page to each, and each replete with in formation of interest. The Sunday sermon is by Rev. A. C. Moses, pastor of Waverley Heights Congregational Church. The Sunday Oregonian's page of Portland school news is edited by an able staff of student writers PERSONS AND SCENES CAUGHT BY CAMERA Pictures of world events and characters, forming a splendid photographic news service appearing regularly in the Sunday issue. With accom panying paragraphs of explanation. POEMS OF HEART INTEREST "My Aln Countrie," and "The Miller of the Dee," lead the contributions on the weekly page of favorite verse, assembled from treasured clippings and jealously guarded scrap-books. Will Carleton, too, is there, firm favorite of the late '70s, with "The Schoolmaster's Guests." Read it again. SPRING STYLES FOR MILADY Models of the moment described andf depicted in The Sunday Oregonian, with hints to the votaries of Fashion. Also a little story about women who have won fame in the war zone and fields of less danger. 5 THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN 5p