8
TLIE 3IORXING OEEGOXIAX, SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 191T.
PORTLAND, OREGON.
Entered at Portland Oregon) Pos toff Ice
econa-claaa mail matter.
Moscnpuon ratta mvanaDiy m aavance: bGen suce-sted that i he nermitteA
'
to enjoy the same recreations as are
tlly, Sunday Included, one year $3.00
ally, Sunrlay Included, six months ..... 4.25
tally, Sunday included, three montha ... 2.25
pally, 6unday Included, one month . . - .73
ially, without Sunday, one year 6-O0
Paily, without Sunday, three months . -. 1.75
Paily, without Sunday, one month ...... .60
Weekly, on, year l-5
Sunday one year 2.SO
fcunday and Weekly 2.50
(By Carrier.)
tally. Sunday included, one vear ....... 9.00
bally, Sundal Included, one month ..... .75
Mow to Remit Send poatoffice money
order, express order or personal checlt on
your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency
are at sender's risk. Give postofClce address
iu tall, including county and state.
Postage Bates 12 to IS pages, 1 cent: 18
to S2 pag.s, 2 cents; 34 to 48 pages, 8 centa;
60 to 60 pages. 4 cents; 32 to 74 pages. 5
cents; 78 to &2 pages, 6 centa Foeiga post,
a.- douole rates
Eastern Business Office Verree A Conk
lln. Brunswick building. New York; Verree
sV Conklln. Steger building. Chicago. San
Francisco representative, ii. J. BiuweU. 742
Market street.
nors Council has been recently ap
pointed to investigate the case a grain,
as the result of persistent agitation.
This committee is unanimously op
posed to the granting of a pardon. or
parole, but it is seeking a way to ex
tend the prisoner's privileges. It has
rOBILAND, BATCSDAV, JAN. 20, 1817.
allowed other life-term convicts and
that he be permitted to attend enter
tainments in the prison, provided he
desires to do so and the othtr con
victs do not object. One of the In
fluences against lightening Pomeroys
lot in the past has been the attitude
of his fellow-prisoners, who have in
variably protested against his being
permitted to mingle with them. An
effort is to be made to overcome this,
if possible. But in all probability the
committee can do Pomeroy no greater
service than by finding him some work
to do. His utter idleness is, as Mrs.
Booth has said, one of the most cruel
features of the whole scheme of his
punishment.
OCR COSTLsT HABITS.
Senator McCumber, of North . Da
kota, and the Department of Agricul
ture at Washington, figuring inde
pendently, present some sensational
figures relating to our National devel
opment. The Senator in a speech op
posing the proposal to put an embargo
on shipments of grain out of the coun
try, estimated that the people of the
United States spend annually $13,000,
000,000 for liquor, tobacco, automo
biles and "other amusements." On
the same day the Department of Agri
culture announced the total value of
American farm products in 1916 as
$13,449,000,000. These figures are all
the more impressive because of their
coincidence. It appears that the
farmers of the country, by getting up
early and working late, by selling
come of the fertility of their soil and
replacing only part of it, as is the
custom, and by ravishing the "wood
lot" along with the pasture and the
field, managed to produce a little
more than enough to pay for the good
tallica w c iiioiol hi c uui o ujr i aa l.
The situation would not be so se
rious if it showed any prospect of
abatement. It is natural for the
Individual when he is prospering, '
whether as the result of a war boom,
or a real estate boom, or any other
adventitious and temporary circum
stance, to want to "blow himself" now
and then. It is significant also that
the record-breaking total valuation
put upon our larm products tor tne
diligence or exceptional fertility, or
anything like that, cut was due al
most wholly to "war prices." The
department remarks that "crop pro
duction for the year was comparative
ly low ... but high prices sent
total values up." In detail this is
shown to be a really enormous in
crease. The level of prices paid to
the producers for the principal crops
was nearly 56 per cent higher than
in the year preceding, 63 per cent
higher than two years ago and 63 per
cent higher than the average of eight
years.
The trouble will come when we be
gin to try to readjust ourselves. Of
course the high prices to the producer,
so far as they have been created by
artificial conditions, will not last. On
the other hand we do not see any
noteworthy tendency toward cheaper
amusements. It is true that some of
the people are drinking less alcohol
in the dry states, but this is at least
partly offset by the tendency of the
poor man s movie to run more suiu
more to the de luxe both in quality
and price. The ambition of the owner
of the cheap motor car stAl it to buy
a more expensive one. Gasoline goes
up and up. And, as has been ob
served, pretty soon the value of the
farm output will begin to drop.
When the farmer is no longer able
to produce enough to pay for our
diversions we shall be in a sorry way
indeed. It is bad enough to be hun
gry, but not to be amused the
thought is unbearable.
PENALIZING OUR SOLDIER BOI8. '
Our old-time blow-hot, blow-coUl
contemporary at Pendleton, the East
Oregonian, carps right smartly at the
Oregon Legislature for passing a reso
lution respectfully asking President
Wilson to return the Oregon troops
remaining at the border. Says this
Pendleton paper:
The most startling thing about the Sen
ate's action la that it occurs in & state that
voted for Hughes on the ground (according
to The Oregonian) that the people were
"not too proud to fight." If It was a spirit
of valor that kept the Oregon vote In line
for Hughes, la not the Senate hedging when
It asks that our Guardsmen be sent home?
If not too proud to fight, why be so finicky
about a little service on the border? Have
our ieet grown cooler alnce November 7
Nothing quite so petty has come to
our observation for some time, even
from this small-minded source. We
are left to infer that the Oregon
troops ought to be made to stay in
Mexico because the state voted for
Hughes.
The greater part of the Oregon
Guard has been brought home. Ob
viously, there was no need for them
at the border. The troop and bat
tery, still remaining, are doing noth
ing from early morn till dewy eve
but drill and drill and drill again and
keep watch over the untenanted des.
ert. The boys are not too proud to
fight. They are not too proud to
serve their country in any capacity,
But they are too proud to stagnate,
heat of the afternoon by getting the
work out of the way in the cool of
the morning; time for more recrea
tion, by getting off earlier in the aft
ernoon; economy in the use of gas
and electricity; and efficiency, brought
about by the combined influences of
better ' health, better eyes and more
comfortable working conditions in the
heated term. It is not proposed to
make the change of time permanent,
but only during the month! of Spring
and Summer.
tra NEVER LEABN.
PORTLAND. Or.. Jan. 19. (To the Edl-
or.) I heard a publio speaker say the other
day that the part played by the land forces
of the United States In the war of 1812-15
was not creditable, except at Lundy's Lane,
Battle of the Thames, and New Orleans,
and that the militia system was chiefly to
blame. History tells us differently. Where
did the orator get his notion about America's
lack of valor? STUDENT.
America does not lack valor; it lacks
discretion. The Oregonian thinks that
the less said the better about the
American Army's impotent part in the
second war with Great Britain. That
is, th'3 better for our National pride
and characteristic vainglory.
The average American history lays
great emphasis upon Lundy's Lane,
which was brilliantly fought by Amer
ica's 3000 troops against an equal
number of British, and upon New Or
leans, where the great Jackson and
his riflemen gave British prestige a
tremendous shock. And Perry's vic
tory at Lake Erie, the Constitution
and Guerriere and other naval en
gagements! Glorious, glorious!
But there is no room in our pa
triotic memories for the humiliating
and inexcusable rout at Bladensburg
5000 Americans against 1500 British
sr Queenstown Heights, or Detroit,
or Chrystler's Field, or Chateaugay, or
Buffalo, or the futile invasions of Can
ada. The total number of American
troops employed at various times dur-,
ing the war was over 500,000 and of
British and Canadians about 50,000
We ought really to have done better
with a preponderance of ten to one.
The fault was not in our courage
but in our method. We have made
the same mistake repeatedly, to our
great cost and humiliation. Will we
ever learn?
CBl'EL PUNISHMENT.
Revival of efforts to secure modifi
cation of the punishment of Jesse
Pomeroy, the noted life-term convict
of Massachusetts, has brought this
remarkable prisoner once more into
notice. A new angle is given to the
case by a recent appeal of Mrs. Maud
Balllngton Booth in his behalf, in
which Mrs. Booth emphasizes the
statement that a cruel and inhuman
feature of Pomeroy's punishment is
that he was sentenced to imprison
ment "without labor." She regards it
as truly remarkable that in the forty
years that Pomeroy has been con
demned to live in solitary idleness, he
has not gone mad. Any useful occu
pation would have been better than
nothing to do, Mrs. Booth says, and
she believes that the almost super
human ingenuity the prisoner has dis
played in the past in his efforts to
escape are accounted, for by the desire
to be doing something rather than by
any Inherent inclination to circum
vent the law. This is a point for the
criminologists to argue over;, but the
fact remains that idleness is a breeder
of mischief everywhere.
There is no more remarkable case
In prison annals than that of Pomeroy.
He was born in 1S59, which would
make him about 57 years old now.
Since September, IS 7 6. he has been
a prisoner in solitary confinement.
The crimes for which he was sen
tenced were peculiarly atrocious. He
was. seemingly, a "bad boy" from the
start, and in his early teens had been
sent to a reformatory. Soon after
his release from this institution, the
child murders of which he was con
victed were committed. The little vie
tims were tortured and their bodies
were mutilated. Pomeroy's youth
saved him from the gallows, but out
raged society demanded some com
pensation, and the sentence of the
court was that - Pomeroy should be
kept in solitary confinement the rest
of his natural life.
The terms of this sentence have
been fulfilled thus far with the ut
most fidelity. The noted prisoner has
not been permitted to mingle with his
fellow-prisoners. He is kept in a cell
the windows of which are carefully
screened so that he can see no one.
He takes exercise under guard at
times valien the rest of the prison
Is presumed to We alseep. His cell Is
probably one of the strongest in the
United States, numerous added pre
cautions having been suggested since
the beginning of his incarceration by
the fact that he has managed on sev
eral occasions to circumvent his
watchful guards. Once he opened a
secret passage into another part of
the prison and several times he was
on the verge of escaping when his
; plans were discovered in the nick of
time.
A. special committee of the Gover-
SOMETHING FOR PARENTS TO DO.
The Importance of the parent In the
educational scheme, no matter how
advanced may be the school system of
particular locality, is strikingly il
lustrated by the United States Com
missioner of Education, P. P. Claxton,
in a review of the activities of children
of school age in the United States. To
begin with, he points out a fact not
generally known, that the schools of
this country occupy much less of the
time of the children than in many
other countries. Of 4,000,000 children
of proper age for the kindergarten,
only about 400,000 enter that insti
tution for the very young, and with
the exception of these, few children
enter school before the age of 6.
Government statistics show that two
thirds leave school before they are 15.
The average school year is less than
160 days and the average school day
less than six hours. Of children be
tween the ages of 6 and 15, the aver
age daily attendance is not more than
three-fourths of the whole number.
Commissioner Claxton concludes,
therefore, that whereas there are 184,
086 hours in the twenty-one years in
which the child is, at least theoretical
ly, in the home, the average number
of hours he is in school is less than
7000. The proportion is something like
one to twenty-seven. It is pointed out
that no school can teach as much in
a year as an intelligent parent could
in more than twenty; and this is
emphasized particularly because the
years in which the child is at home all
or most of the time are essentially
the years of most intense activity in
intellectual and moral development.
It is at home, says Mr. Claxton, that
the child learns of the sky and earth,
of the sun, moon and stars, of wind
and storm and many others of the
phenomena of nature, of field and for
est, of the growing of trees and vines,
of trains and wagons and of wild and
domestic animals and birds and "all
the wealth of environment of town
and country." These and many other
things do not wait on teacher or
school. What the child learns of these
will greatly Influence the attitude of
mind with which he enters his class
finally, and will have an important
bearing on the work the teacher Is
subsequently able to do.
It is not an unworthy reflection
upon the school that it is not able to
take the place of the parent in all
things, although there seem to be
some teachers who would like to have
it so, and there are many parents too
prone to place all the responsibility
for the education of ther children
upon the schools. To the latter class
the figures prepared by the Commis
sioner of Education will come as a
surprise, no doubt. It has not been
put before them in quite that way be.
fore. Less than 7000 hours in school
in the first twenty-one years is the
National average. It shows that the
home has, indeed, plenty of work to
do.
morals adopted by the state in which
they offend.
A clear distinction between the two
classes of offenses and a clear defi
nition of the boundary line between
Federal and state jurisdiction are the
more necessary, because there is a
general tendency to stretch the Fed
ral Constitution beyond all reason.
While many recognize that the changes
of the last century and a quarter re
quire that the Constitution ' cover
many subjects which would not enter
the minds of the constitutional con
vention, it is also true that the Fed
eral Government shows a disposition
to strain the Constitution, especially
the commerce clause, to a degree
which may reduce the sovereignty of
the states to a mere fiction. Uniform
ity is impossible, even If it were de
sirable, in a country of such great ex
tent as the United States, where com
munities are so diverse. The Federal
Government has already undertaken
more than it can efficiently perform.
Were it permitted to undertake much
more, it might break down of its own
unwieldy weight. From every view
point, it is better that Federal' and
state power should each be kept with
in its own well-defined province. In
those matters where state. lines would
be merely arbitrary divisions, obstruct
ing the law, and where uniformity is
desirable, the Federal power should be
supreme; in those matters where so-
ial, racial and industrial differences
exist and where close contact between
the governing power and the people
are necessary, the state should have
unquestioned autonomy.
The success of the new project to
substitute nettle fiber for cotton In
the manufacture of certain grades of
cloth is now asserted to be absolute.
so far as the chemical and mechanical
questions are concerned and the Aus
trians, who began it. are devoting
themselves to the financial and agri
cultural phases. It is required that
there shall be methodical cultivation
of the nettle upon a paying basis.
Experiments have shown that the
nettle requires considerable moisture,
shade and nitrates in the soil. It is
believed there are favorable localities
along the Danube in Austria and Hun
gary and it has been estimated that
there are 10,000,000 acres adapted to
nettle cultivation which have not been
utilized for any other purpose. It is
asserted by the promoters of the proj
ect that this area is more than double
what would be required to replace the
cotton Imports of both Germany and
Austria-Hungary. The costs of pro
ducing nettles, as compared with cot
ton, however, have not been closely
estimated on a commercial scale.
PUTTTNO THE 'OUTS' UNDER HANDICAP
Without material restriction of the
leave-to-print and franking privileges
enjoyad by members of Congress, the
limit on campaign expenses fixed by
the pending corrupt practices bill
would become a severe handicap to
any person who tried to supplant a
Senator or Representative. Especially
under the direct primary, a candi
date's heaviest expenses are for print
ing, postage and the hire of clerks ,in
preparing campaign matter for distrl
bution. The franking privilege re
lieves a Congressman of the cost of
postage. The leave-to-print abuse
gives him a certain number of copies
of his unspoken speeches free of cost
and gives him an unlimited number
of additional copies, with clerical
work, at much lower cost than would
be paid to a private printer. The man
who is in would be free to spend on
his campaign the amount stated in the
bill in addition to the sum he would
thus save, while the man who is
trying to get in would pay much more
than this sum for the same work out
of that amount.
The man now in office has a direct
selfish interest In limiting campaign
expenses, for, as the New Republic
puts it, he "knows that the more dif
ficult it is made for an outsider to
carry an election the easier it is for
him to retain his seat. He cannot
be expected to legislate in a way to
give the outsider an equal chance
with himself unless he is driven to
it by an overwhelming public opinion.
The corrupt practices bill may be
come the means by which Congress
men corruptly perpetuate themselves
in office, for they may use their legis
lative power to pay out of the public
treasury a large part' of the expenses
which their rivals must pay out of
their own pockets.
There is small prospect that Coq.
pressmen will enact reforms in this
i respect against their own interest.
They fought civil service reform for
years, and they have undone much of
it. They cling with passionate affeo
tion to their pork barrels. Perhaps
only a National initiative could bring
about prohibition of the corrupt prac
tices of Congress itself.
Preparatory to making a new cam
paign for so-called daylight saving In
the United States and Canada a con
vention is to be held in New York the
latter part of this month; An asso
ciation has been formed for the pur
pose of stimulating the demand, and
the customary claims are made to "big
names" on the list of membership.
The most important service the asso
ciation has done thus far, however,
has been to summarize the arguments
in favor of the movement, which puts
the issue before the people in clear
form. These arguments briefly are:
Conservation of eyesight, by obviating
artificial light so far as possible;
avoidance of the strain of work in the
TnE MANN LAW DECISION.
In deciding that the Mann white
slave law applies to sexual immorality
into which no element of gain enters
as well as to the white slave traffic
as commonly understood, the majority
of the United States Supreme Court
was governed by the strict letter of
the law without regard to its wisdom,
It holds that, by transporting two girls
from California to Nevada for vicious
purposes, Diggs and Caminetti vio
lated the Federal law; that the plain
wording of the law shows the intent
of Congress to have been to forbid
such acts as theirs, and that, if such
was not the intent of Congress, it is
incumbent upon Congress to amend
the law so as to make its intent plain.
Both in public opinion and in the
eye of the law there is a broad dis
tinction between commercialized vice
and the immoral escapades of two
persons of opposite sex whose purpose
is sensual pleasure, not money profit.
Congress had the former in mind
when it passed the law, for its action
was prompted by startling exposures
of the wide ramifications of the white
slave traffic and of the great injury
done to the public health by the dis
eases which that traffic propagates.
Yet in some manner language was in
serted in the law which plainly ex
tends the penalities to escapades o
the other kind.
No right-thinking person desires
that such reprobates as Diggs and
Caminetti should escape punishment.
but no person who has kept informed
on current events can be Ignorant
that the clause of the law under
which they were convicted has been
used in many cases for the purpose
of blackmail by unscrupulous women
and their confederates. Congress has
no desire, while suppressing white
slavery, to encourage blackmailing,
though the latter may be the lesser
evil and though popular contempt for
the person who pays blackmail Is
only less than public aversion fo
white slavers.
When a man and woman make a
Journey which ends in Immoral part
nership, the wrong Is not done until
it is consummated; it may not be in
the mind of one, or indeed ef either,
when they start. Hence it is an of
fense only against the state in which
it is committed, not against the United
States. The case of the white slaver
is very different. He transports women
from state to state with a purpose
which is formed at the outset, and Is
therefore making women a subject of
interstate commerce.
The relations between the sexes
have always been subject to the police
regulation of the Individual states.
These regulations vary from the strict
ness of early Puritan New England to
the license of the rioneer mining
camp, being adapted to the composi
tion and habits and ideas of each com
munity. It would be as impossible
o induce a young town in Nevada to
compel a frail woman to wear the
scarlet letter as it would be to induce
a New England community of the old
style to tolerate the free-and-easy
standards of Nevada. There are many
graduations between the extremes of
strictness and license, and they are
to be- found in various states. There
Is, however, general agreement that
the white slave traffic should be sup
pressed, that it is an abuse of inter
state commerce and that the Federal
Government can lawfully and most ef
fectively do tne work. '1 here is no
desire that betrayers of women should
go. unpunished, but their punishment
is properly the duty of the state anA
should accord with the standard of
RESERVISTS FEEL IMPOSED UPON
Those est Border Restive Under Inac
tion and Retention In Service.
V EL PASO, Tex, Jan. 15. (To the Edi
tor.) Having been called in from the
reserve and been here five months, we
axe beginning to feel that we are being
imposed upon. Why should we. being
trained men, he held in service, while
certain units of the National Guard are
being sent home? It is a known fact
that a large per cent of these men
never saw a rifle until six months ago.
We were all on a civil status, had
positions that promised advancement
and some got married, while others of
us were preparing to commit ourselves.
After completing three years' service,
we had done our' duty, such as every
able-bodied man should do, and we were
one and all ready to fulfill the remain
ing part of our contract should the
necessity arise, as Is shown in our
alacrity Jn responding.
The contract reads that w were sub
ject to call for service only in event of
threatened or actual hostilities. Are
we at war? Arc hostilities threatening?
Has there been at any time in the past
four months any danger of war? And
lastly. If there is no danger of these
things coming to pass are the reservists
getting a square deal?
The general feeling amongst us is
that there will be small chance of our
getting stung again, unless there is an
actual declaration of war. And who
would blame us, who knows the facts
of the present case?
It is to the Interest of the Army of
today and tomorrow to have this policy
changed. What effect will this fiasco
have on the young fellows we are get
ting today? Will they not look at the
proposition In the same way that we
do? Will they be so quick to respond
when on the reserve, after seeing how
we are being treated? Will they not
get their finals and say, 'Good-bye and
never again"?
So we ask you to put our case before
the public. It is our only chance. The
National Guard have lobbyists and
politicians to pull for them and the
result is that they are being ordered
home. We have nothing or no one to
look out for our interests. But. we
should have the support of the press
and those of the people who have the
Interest of the Army at heart.
Reservists. Thirty-Fourth United
States Infantry, Camp Cotton, El Paso,
Texas.
The best reason for believing that
Germany will not attempt to cross
Switzerland in order to outflank the
French Invaders of Alsace is that the
republic has mountains for defense
and half a million trained citizens to
man these natural fortifications. In
vasion of Switzerland would also free
Italy to cut corners In an advance
Into Trentlno, while the Swiss, aided
by the French, might take the defend
ers of that province in the rear by
invading the Tyrol and might also at
tack Bavaria. Germany is not seeking
more enemies, and does not desire to
defend more frontiers.
War has imposed a compulsory
Lent on the nations of Europe, and
Senator McCumber seems to think the
American people need a like season
of self-denial and self-discipline. But
nothing short of compulsion caused
Europe to undergo it. Would the
Senator have the same drastic form
of compulsion applied to the United
States, or does he think we need a
period of hard times like that which
extended from 1893 to 1897?
Mr. Fox on "Possession."
LENTS. Or.. Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Referring to the quotation at
tributed to me in your editorial of Jan
uary 14 entitled, "Where Have They
Been?" this statement was taken over
the telephone late at night and your
reporter evidently misunderstood me.
At the time It seemed hardly worth
while to point this out, but undoubt
edly that would have been the wisest
course.
What I told your reporter was that
the prohibitionists were prepared to
take whatever steps were necessary to
make our law comply with the webb-
Kenyon bill, even if It became neces
sary to prohibit possession, which
seemed likely at that time according
the construction which had been
placed upon that act, I stated that
as not qualified to speak on that par
ticular phare of the question and drew
attention to a statement which ex-
Governor Weat was preparing, which
as a matter oi tact, appeared in io
same issue. He pointed out various
ways in which a law could be drawn,
ne of which was to prohibit posses
ion. although he recommended no par
cular plan at that time, if I remember
rightly.
I would like to refer your readers to
Mr. Newell s letter on page 6 of Th
unday Oregonian January 14. which,
if It had not been so badly "pled" by
the printer would have plainly put my
osition before the people.
J. SANGER FOX.
tic
If Senator Lewis actually believes
that the United States must prepare
to defend the Monroe Doctrine against
a Europe- that is armed to the teeth
but hungry for South American ter
ritory and trade, he should be one of
the strongest advocates of compul
sory military service. But when Sen
ators discuss that subject their reason
is clouded by fear of the noisy
pacifists at home.
If that local Institution In which
the women boarders have the habit
of going to breakfast in "any old
thing" would take a young man or
two on the star-boarder list the cause
of complaint would cease. The finest
girls In the land drop into careless
ways when there are no men around.
It does not speak well for the pre
paredness of the Army that so many
days have passed before airmen have
gone in search of the two officers who
are lost in Southern California. Amer
icans invented the aeroplane, but the
United States Army is the last to put
it to practical use.
Compressed Air In Tank.
PORTLAND, Jan. 19. (To the Ed!
tor.) If a heavy steel tank be pumped
full of compressed air to Its capacity
f strength, does the compressed ai
give buoyancy to the tank? If so, how
much? , CHARLES BARNETT.
Compressed air never makes the re
ceptacle In which it Is contained more
buoyant than' It was before compres
on. When air Is compressed Into one
half Its normal volume there are Just
twice as many molecules of nitrogen
and oxygen to the cubic Inch and th
total weight of the air Is Just twice
what It was before.
To realize that a compressed gas Is
heavier than a gas which Is not under
pressure and that Its buoyancy Is less
one has only, to remember that balloon
sts have to throw sand bags over
board whenever a cloud passes over th
sun so that the lessened buoyancy of
the balloon, caused -by the contraction
of the gas, may be counteracted.
Government reports indicate that
the smaller the crops, the more money
the farmers make. Were it possible
to organize a farmers' trust, the temp
tation to combine for the limitation of
production would be irresistible, but
numbers stand in the way.
'The name of Dewey would be more
appropriately given to the Philippine
Islands, which were acquired as the
result of his victory, than to the
Danish West Indies, with the acquisi
tion of which he had no connection.
Women as recruiting officers might
prove the means of bringing the Army
up to its authorized strength, and they
would help to vindicate their sex from
the suspicion that they wish Amer
icans to be a race of mollycoddles.
Branding a very young baby with
indelible ink is more humane than
earmarking the child, but not as ef
fective. A high-born German In San
Francisco is not taking chances with
his offspring.
In saying the votes of women elected
Wilson, Bryan slams their intelligence
while giving credit to their senslbll
lties and emotions. However, a worn,
an can be fooled once.
Hood River has been "dry for
years, but a junkman there has Just
sold 400 dozen beer bottles, and th
sole conclusion must be that tourists
left them.
Sherman L. Whipple has an oppor
tunity to duplicate the reputation
made by Charles E. Hughes as
searching and fearless Investigator.
The man who gave his wife only
$10 in the last six months, as alleged
in a complaint In a divorce case, does
not understand the use of money.
Rope" that sells locally at six for
a quarter advanced yesterday, but the
price is still far from prohibitive.
Members of the Legislature will
see something worth while at Cor
vallls today.
Exemption of Wajrea.
PORTLAND, Jan. 19. (To the Ed
ltor.) Please inform me whether
working man's wages, the head of
family, is liable to garnishee? Wh
exemption, as regards wages, is a mar
rled man with a family entitled to?
M. L. WILLIAMSON.
Seventy-five dollars of his earnings
within 30 days next preceding service
of attachment, unless the debt is in
curred for family expenses, when
per cent of such earnings Is subject to
attachment. To obtain this exemption
showing must be made, to the satisfac
tion of the court that such earnings
are necessary for the support of the
debtor's family. '
MENTAL ' DISCIPLINE" REJECTED
Prosrreaaive Edneatora No Longer Ap
prove Pnaalea In School Work.
ALBANY. Or.. Jan. 18. (To the Edl-
or.) My recent article in The Orego-
ion on schools has brought out critl-
sm or my rejection of the "mental
discipline theory." Fortunately It has
ong been removed from the field of
pinion. Obviously it would take too
much space here to show the reason
why. But If anyone is really interested
ut if anyone is really interested
sough to find out he can verify it
from such psychologists as William
ames, Hugo Munsterberg. C. H. Judd.
ames Rowland Angell. etc Now the
obvious application of this testimony
that all subjects that cannot be
ustified on the basis that they will
ave some actual relation to life out-
ide the school should be eliminated
from the curriculum. It is one of the
faults of the school that this is not
one. There is no such thing as trans
ferring of training or mental discipline,
for example. In the ability to do arith
metical puzzles to mental operations
utside of arithmetic No one will as
sert that these puzzles are ever used
n actual life. Hence, It Is a waste oi
ime to teach them. As well teach
Chinese puzzles for "mental disci
pline." A newspaper critic says that
there is too much pedagogy and psy
chology." Right there is another fault
f our school system, namely, that any
one with a little influence can set his
ersonal opinion against the findings
f scientists, who have spent their
lives in research, and often succeed in
delaying progress.
All modern, progressive educators
have rejected the theory of "mental
discipline." and yet a leading paper
asks its readers to support It. "Mental
discipline" only applies to the partic
ular subject being studied. If you
want efficiency In law, study law and
not Hebrew; if you want efficiency in
medicine, study medicine and not an
ient languages; if you want physical
efficiency, take physical training, but
don't expect it from a study of arith
metical puzzles; if you want efficiency
n solving problems that occur in dally
life, study them and not the length of
a fish's tall If Its head Is so long and
ts body twice that long.
Th faults of the schools, whatever
they may be, cannot be shifted onto
the teacher. There Is no more public
spirited or conscientious profession
than the teaching profession, in spite
of Inadequate pay and equipment, the
public school teacher Is giving more
than value received. It is a crying
shame that an Institution as Impor
tant to the welfare of the Nation as
the public school receives less sup
port from the public than the liquor
traffic or Lady Nicotine. Talk about
the burdens of the school tax! Sbame!
Shame! Is It more important to grat
ify your desire for liquor and tobacco
than to fit your child for life? What
kind of an Inspiration do you think
teachers get for service when they
struggle along on a mere pittance
while they see the public support
saloon men in palatial homes, while
cigar dealers, candy and peanut stands,
movies and vaudtvllle. get more sup
port from the public than the whole
public school system?
It is time for the molders of pub
lic opinion to wake up. The average
citizen does not understand the seri
ousness of the problem nor has the
means nor the time for attempting its
solution, but he is susceptible to en-
lightened leadership and welcomes it
A TEACUhK.
In Other Days.
Twenty-five Tears Ago.
From The Oregonlao, January 2l, 1S92.
New York. Jan. 19. The first through
sleeper East from San Francisco
reached Grand Central Station, via the
New York Central, yesterday at 4:30.
The service will be continued until fur
ther notice, once a week from each di
rection. The Young Men's Christian Associa
tion will be addressed tonight by Wal
lace McCamanu
The Oswego 'iron Works have been
closed for a period of 60 days for re
pairs. The furnaces have been run for
a period of three yjurs continuously
and It now becomes necessary to give
mem a new lining. The 300 odd hands
employed will not be thrown out of
work, but will assist In relinlng the
smelter and overhauling the works.
The Batavla, which sailed for Japan
a few days ago, had In her cargo two
tons of malt for the Tokio Brewery,
shipped by Henry Weinhard. Thla is
said to be the first malt shipment from
the United States to the Orient. The
Batavla also carried compressed hay.
Mr. W. S. Ladd visited his farm on
the East Side yesterday morning and
viewed the ruins of his big barn with
the composure of a man who knows he
can build another without having to
mortgage his farm. All the stock got
out except a number of Berkshire hogs.
The building contained about 1000
bushels of wheat, 6000 bushels of oats.
500 tons of hay and a quantity of straw.
The fire Is supposed to have originated
in tne rurnace or some defect In the
flue. The loss amounts to about J30,
000. There was an insurance of 87600.
Height of .Mountains.
THE DALLES. Or.. Jan. 18. (To the
Editor.) (1) Please print the height of
Mount Hood and Mount Adams. (2)
Also, if a man owning a large ranch in
Washington, who has a store in Oregon.
in which he works, is entitled or al
lowed to receive a shipment of liouor
delivered to his ranch In Washington.
after the bone-dry law goes into ef
fect In Oregon.
A READER OF THE OREGONIAN.
(l)Mount Adams, 13,470; Mount Hood.
11.225.
(2) Yes. subject to restrictions of
Washington law. If he makes the ranch
his legal residence.
Redaction 1st Capital Stock.
PORTLAND. Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) A number of years ago I bought
stock In a California company, which
had a capital stock of 12.500.000. Last
year they wanted to reduce the stock
to $500,000 to lower taxes on the stock,
So. after they reduced their capital
stock, they asked the emall stockhold
ers to send In their certificates to have
them changed to the $500,000. I sent
mine in and they returned me a cer
tificate of one-fifth of my former hold
ings. They say that Is all I am en
titled to of my former stock holdings.
which I have bought and paid for.
wish you would let me know If they
can rob me of my stock. B. W. C
On the face of your statement you
have not been robbed. The stock re
turned to you ia as vaulable as your
original number of shares.
Death of Sitting; Ball.
NEWBERG. Or, Jan. 18. (To the
Editor.) Please Inform me when' Sit
ting Bull, the Sioux Indian chief, was
killed, and under what circumstances.
6. W. KENTNER.
Sitting Bull was killed December 15
1890. In an attempt to rescue him after
he had been arrested by Indian police
acting under direction of United States
authorities. The arrest grew out of
the "Messiah" craze among the In
dians, and Sitting Bull was considered
the Instigator of a threatened up
rising.
50
Word Not Given.
VANCOUVER. Wash, Jan. 18. (To
the Editor.) To settle an argument.
please tell us which is correct: A say
"alright." while B sayo "all right." A'i
teacher says "alright" Is correct. Will
you give us the rule lor It if any? Why
ao some say they are Doth correct?
INQUISITIVE.
We know of no dictionary that con
tains the word "alright." Write it "all
right."
Popular Vote for Presidents.
BATTLE GROUND. Wash.. Jan. 18.
(To the Editor.) (1) What President
had the largest popular vote since Lin
coln's time? (2) What was the popular
vote of the last six Presidents?
, A. C STECKLE.
(1) Woodrow Wilson in 191S, total
vote 9.114.29S: plurality, 568.82!.
(tT McKinley. 1S96. total 7.104.799.
plurality 601.854: McKinley, 1900. total
7.207,923, plurality 849.790; Roosevelt.
1904. total. 7.623.4S6. plurality Z.545.51&;
Taft, 1908, total 7.67S.908, plurality.
1.269.804; Wilson, 1912. total 6.292,019.
plurality, 173.513.
Intoxicanta Are Vnn-allable.
MULTNOMAH FARM. Jan. 19. (To
the Editor.) Can a man or woman le
gally receive by mall (parcel post, for
instance) any whisky, wine or beer.
egal allowance for Oregon? Or have
It in his or her possession? Can a legal
shipment be sent from any "wet" or
dry" district in any "wet" or "dry"
state to a postofflce In Oregon?
CITIZEN.
Intoxicating liquors will not be car
ried In the malls. Possession of intoxi
cants Is lawful in a dwelling, but not
elsewhere.
' Marriage Is Lesral.
PORTLAND. Jan. 19. (To the Ed
itor.) (1) A and B got a marriage
license. B was not of age and had a
friend swear that he was 21. They
were married with the consent of his
father or mother and they lived to
gether four or Ave years. Was that
marriage legal?
(2) Can she get any of his property,
now that they have parted. They were
married In Oregon? JAMES BROWN.
(1) Yea
(2) In event of divorce It would de
pend on which party was at fault.
Civil Service Position.
EUGENE. Or, Jan. 18. (To ths Ed
itor.) Please give me Information con
cerning civil service examinations, ap
pointments and nature of positions
open to women. P. C
Write to civil service
office Building, Fortland.
clerk, Post-
Ksnmber of Vetera Vettnsr.
MONMOUTH, Or.. Jan. 18. (To the
Editor.) Please tell me the per cent
of Oregon voters who voted at the last
election. LEONILLA SMITH.
Ths registration was 293.007;
number of ballots cast, 269.057.
total
No.
PORTLAND, Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor. 1 is a man neia responaiuio ior
debts Incurred by his wife before mar
riage? E. M. E.
Population Figures.
KALAMA, Wash, Jan. 18. (To the
Editor.) Kindly inform me of the
number of men and women, respective
ly. In the United States, England.
France and Germany, according to
latest figures. PAGE HILL.
The number of males (1910 census)
In the United States Is 47.332.122; fe
males. 44.640.144.
The total population of England and
Wales Is 36.960,684; France -continen
tal). 89,601,609; Germany In Europe.
66.715.000. These are before-the-war
figures. Population by sex Is not
readily available, but by dividing the
total by two glvea a result accurate
enough for ordinary .purposes.
Addresses ef- Prominent Persona.
VANCOUVER. Wash., Jan. 18 (To
the Editor.) Please give me through
your information columns the address
of the following persons: Mrs. E. H.
Harrlman. John D. Rockefeller, Mrs.
Russell Sage and John Wanamaker.
M. C. D.
Mrs. E. H. Harrlman, 1 East Sixty-
ninth, New York.
Mrs. Russell Sage. 604 Fifth avenue.
New York.
John D. Rockefeller, home address.
Pocantlco Hills. Tarrytown. N. Y.
John Wanamaker, 2032 Walnut street.
Philadelphia.
Almond Trees Do Not Bear.
RIDGE FIELD, Wash, Jan. 18. (To
the Editor.) Perhaps someone of your
readers could tell me what to do with
my almond trees. They are years
old. large and of rank growth, kept
well pruned 'and are sprayed every
Spring the same as my apple trees.
In the Spring they are full of flowers.
In due time the nuts appear, but when
these get to the size of a pea 99 per
cent drop off. It takes only a day or
two and the trees are stripped.
P. SCUWANTES.
Here Are a Few Good Reasons
Why They All Read
The Sunday. Oregonian
THE FASHION QUARREL ABOUT SHOULDERS Is the perilous
waistless gown a question of the "right woman" or one of social
propriety? Such ia the question that Eleanor Carrington essays
to answer, and she does it remarkably well, without arriving at a
definite conclusion. There are a number of pictures of shoulders
to aid the argument.
HERBERT KAUFMAN'S PAGE Fortune wears a clock face, says
this favorite optimist, and in the lead article he springs any number
of lines that will be remembered. Here's one to take to work with
you: "Tardiness ia guilty of half the hell on earth." -
THE OLD-POEMS PAGE Still they come, an unabated outpouring
from the treasure trove of a thousand scrapbooks those poems of
other days that have proved so indispensable to the Sunday issue.
And there is "Papa's Letter," which has dimmed so many eyes,
and there, also, is the swift, dark melodrama of "The Pilot's Story."
KOTZEBUE AND THE KOBUK And that takes you to Arctic
Alaska, with Frank G. Carpenter if you read it for the spell of
Carpenter's stories is such that you feel as though you were really
there. Ptarmigan, and walrus, and omiaks, and Eskimo all
tumbled together in a "darn-good" travel story.
CHURCH AND SCHOOL A page for each, edited by clergymen and
students. The published sermon is by Rev. R. H. Sawyer, of the
East Side Christian Church, concerning the fulfillment of Biblical
prophecy in the great war.
AUTO-SHOW. SECTION Devoted to the approaching Automobile
Show an interesting and informative feature, liberally illustrated.
Indispensable to motorists.
HIGH SCHOOL. SECTION Portland high schools and their classes,
with photographs. A special feature of interest to the parent, the
pupil and the public
OTHER FEATURES Pages for women; latest news in 6ports; the
children's corner; those comics; the. reliable local. National -and
world news service that has never failed readers of The Oregonian.
5 THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN of