Morning Oregonian., January 22, 1917, Page 8, Image 8

8
THE 3IORXIXG OREGONIAX. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1917.
rORTI AXD, OREGON.
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PORTLAND, MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1917.
CAN A SECRET BE KEPT?
The evidence taken at the "leak"
Investigation leaves small room for
doubt that there was a leak about
the President's peace note, however
It occurred. The question arises: Is
Is possible really to keep such news
secret? Public documents pass
through the hands of stenographers,
secretaries and printers, each one of
whom has opportunities to give
somebody a tip. Such persons cannot
be expected to have the same sense
of responsibility and discretion as a
President, a cabinet minister or a
Judge, and some are apt to be open
to bribery or inclined to gabble, be
ing restrained only by fear of punish
ment. But even the high officials who are
naturally most impressed with the Im
portance of secrecy may inadvertently
betray news by a chance remark, the
Import of which is perceived by the
quick mind of a newspaper man, a
lawyer or a broker. Officials are
sometimes strangely careless. For ex
ample. Secretary Lansing admits that,
when he informed the correspondents
that he would give them the Presi
dent's note at a certain time, there
were three men in the room whom he
did not know. The New York Even
ing Post tells of the wives of two
Supreme Court Justices who compared
notes on their husbands' work on a
certain decision, not knowing that "a
woman correspondent was behind the
pillar against which they sat. Eaves
dropping Is discreditable but not
criminal, and use of information thus
obtained in a public place cannot be
punished.
The greatest piece of stock exchange
news in history during the last century
was that of the battle of Waterloo,
but one of the men who heard Mr.
Lansing's statement said he "could in
stantly see that the information was
the greatest advance financial news"
since Rothschild carried word of Na
poleon's defeat to his group in Lon
don. But the picturesque Rothschild
legend has been exploded, for the
news of Waterloo was taken to Lon
don, not by Rothschild, but in othe'r
ways quite in accord with the means
of communication available at the
time. The battle was fought on June
18, but so far was the result from
being known on the next day that on
the morning of the 20th the Times
said there was "a brief and unintelli
gible report in France" that Welling
ton and Blucher had been defeated
completely, this rumor probably refer
ring to Blucher's defeat at Ligny on
the 16th.
Not until the morning of the 21st
did the Times have news of Welling
ton's victory which had been brought
"by Mr. Sutton, a gentleman from Col
chester, whom we understand to be
the proprietor of the passage vessels
sailing between that place and Os
tend." Rothschild may have sold
stocks on the rumors current on the
19th, but probably had employed
couriers to wait- at several ports for
the first vessels arriving from the
Continent. He may have received the
first news in this manner, and have
bought stocks on the 20th on the
strength of it.
But that was news which belonged
to everybody from the time when it
happened. News of an official act
does'not belong to anybody else until
the official concerned divulges it. The
frequency with which such news leaks
suggests that a secret ceases to be a
secret as soon as the person with
whom it originates communicates it
to any other person Each person to
whom it passes feels a less obligation
to 'keep it .than the one before him,
until its quality as a secret evaporates.
predators: nuisances.
Oregon stockmen still believe in the
efficacy of the bounty system as a
means of eradicating predatory ani
mals. Some of them, it is said, would
cheerfully pay a head tax on their
stock to keep up the bounty fund if it
could be levied by law and therefore
fall on all alike. It is said, too, that
predatory -animals have decreased in
number in Oregon, but whether this
is wholly due to bounties paid for
scalps or In part to the spread of
rabies among coyotes is not defin
itely known. The state has expended
$189,824 for bounties since the law of
1909 was adopted. The counties have
paid an equivalent amount
cost has been more than J 370,000.
On the other hand, the stockmen of
New Mexico pronounce t-ne bounty
plan a failure. Quite properly they
do not propose abandonment of re
pressive measures, but the Cattle and
Horsegrowers' Association offers an
other 'system.
From the Monthly Newsletter, pub
lished by that association, the follow
ing is taken:
.s11' "t,n"ted 1et the cattle Industry
of New Mexico suffer a loss from Vray
rh0e.V"il0ne that SOOOOi'Jne
tE.lndu"irT pa7 moro thn 1.250.000
to the coyote, .and It is not known whXt
t..e. game life pays to the rapacity of these
mraudora For every cow in this state a
iTl..tM" o'"' cents Is paid annually for
the bill of fare of the lobo.
i.tl opposed to the bounty system, there
it sa.lary jyetem being used throughout
the West under the direction of the Bio
logical faurvey. The Survey has made an
exhaustive study of the bounty svstem fo?
the past 25 years and has failed "to find a
simile Instance In which It has proved ef-fe.-tve.
The bounty hunters consider their
wo.k in the same light that a cattleman
does his stock, and It is notorious that thev
are very careful to protect the breeding
tvir. The Survey reports hundreds of cases
w lore they have caught she animals with
trp se.i-s on their feet. And bounty hunt
ers threaten violence to those who use
poison In an area where they work. When
a bounty hunter Is emptoved the first ques
tion tl at Is asked Is: "Whore was the last
bounty hunter at work?" To him the bounty
Is the prime consideration, not the stopping
of depredations by the animals.
The statements contained in the
foregoing will bear the emphasis of
repetition. One is that the Biological
Survey has failed to find a single in
stance in whie-h the bounty plan has
proved effective. The other is that
professional bounty hunters protect
their livelihood by turning loose the
females caught in their traps.
The fraud accusation is of a kind
that has rarely if ever been made
in Oregon. , There was a time when
bounty collectors were accused of
bringing scalps to Oregon from other
states, but in adjoining states equal
if not greater bounties are now paid.-
The New Mexico stockmen present
a bill of their own to the Legislature
of that state. It creates a commission
consisting of the .presidents of the
Cattle Sanitary Board and Sheep San
itary Board and the inspector in
charge of the United States Bureau of
Biological Survey for the district,
which includes New Mexico. This
commission serves without salary. An
appropriation of $25,000 is authorized
which may be expended by the com
mission in any way the commission
may' deem proper for the eradication
of predatory animals. New Mexico's
expenditure under the bounty . system
was $50,000 in 1916.
The subject is here mentioned as
one deserving consideration and inves
tigation. The budget estimate for
state bounties for the next two years
is S 9 0,0 00. It Is about that which New
Mexico has been contributing. The
stock losses In Oregon are about the
same as those In New Mexico. -If the
bounty system is retained it Is Inev
itable that the price paid for scalps
must be raised from time' to time if
it be true that the bounty plan dimin
ishes the number of animals. Clearly,
as the animals become scarcer and
harder to get, the inducement to
bounty hunters diminishes accordingly
if the price paid per scalp remains sta
tionary. And If the animals are not
molested for a "time they will breed
and multiply up to the old number.
The situation resolves itself into this:
If the bounty system is retained an
increase per scalp must be authorized.
If there is some other plan than pay
ment of bounties which Is more effi
cacious It ought to be adopted. The
aim of bounty or similar laws ought
to be eradication.
DAY OF THE BONE.
.The Legislature at Salem is.ex
hibiting commendable energy concern
ing consolidation of departments and
elimination of needless expense. Both
Houses are at work earnestly on vari
ous proposals whereas two years ago
one hung back waiting for the other
to do something and then found that
when the other did do something the
hour was late. Opponents of economy
found it a plausible argument that
such important work should not be
undertaken in the brief time then
available. i
Rivalry between the two Houses Is
perhaps not a bad thing when it is a
rivalry to see which can prepare the
best measure on a given subject and
do it promptly. That seems to be the
spirit this year.
It is needed. The ways and means-
committees have so far blue-penciled
appropriations proposed in the budget
to the amount of only $41,000 and the
budget must be cnt more than $735,
000. And while the ways and means
committees have been sweating over
elimination of $41,000 other bills ap
propriating $520,000 more have been
introduced.
It promises to be a boney session.
There is not only a bone-dry bill to
pass, but a great deal of bone scraping
on appropriations to be done.
A NEW JOB FOB DISTILLERS.
As state after state puts brewers
and distillers out of business by go
ing dry, the great Industries which
they have built up become Idle or
are adapted to other lines of manu
facture. Each has a plant which is
fitted for production of alcohol, and
demand for alcohol for fuel and other
industrial purposes Is growing. Then
why not convert breweries and dis
tilRries into alcohol factories? -
The one great field for the use of
alcohol is as fuel for automobiles, if
an alcohol motor can be perfected,
and we are told by a writer in the
Rural New Torker that that problem
"ia already near solution." The high
price of gasoline and approaching ex
haustion of the petroleum supply,
which, is predicted within a third of a
century, render its solution an impera
tive necessity. Alcohol is used also in
making munitions, and a steady con
sumption for that purpose may be ex'
pected as the Government goes for
ward with increase of armament.
Great hopes were entertained a few
years ago that-every farmer would
make alcohol on his farm from waste
to run his own machinery, but they
have not been realized. There was
too much red tape in the Federal reg
ulations, but the chief difficulty is
that the business requires considerable
skill and close attention, and the
farmer has not the skill or cannot
spare the time for this in addition to
all his other work. Possibly at some
future time, when every farmer is a
graduate of an agricultural college
these hopes may be realized.
At present the best prospect of
making alcohol out of farm waste Is
to establish a central still in each dis
trict and to collect the waste there at
a cost which will not be prohibitive,
for alcohol must be cheap In order to
become universally popular as fuel.
There is a possibility also that the
waste liquor from wood pulp may be
fermented so as to become a source
of alcohol. Vast quantities of this
liquor now go to waste because means
have not been discovered of making
them a source of profit.
The combination of need for a new,
abundant, cheap fuel, the supply of
which is not dependent on an ex
haustible natural resource like pe
troleum, with the enforced idleness of
distillers and their plants may hasten
the solution, of the alcohol problem.
HOME SUPPLY OF WAR MATERIAL.
The first contract for shells to be
used by the 16-inch guns which are
to be mounted on the new battleships
has been let to an English company
at a price 46 per cent below the low
est bid of American manufacturers,
delivery to be made in half the time
asked by the latter. This circum
stance may be due to failure of the
German navy to compel the British
navy to use many shells and to the
fact that the English manufacturer
has become overstocked. It may wish
to dump below cost in order to realize
on a dead investment, or it may be
able to manufacture cheaper than Its
American competitors through having
perfected a new process which re
duces cost, cheaper material .and.
cheaper -iabor. It may be able to
deliver more promptly because Amer
ican mills are loaded with foreign
contracts.
This incident Is not merely a broad
hint of what British manufacturers
may be able to do in competition with
other .American industries after thej
war: it raises an Important question
of Government policy. As long ago
as the second Cleveland Administra
tion Secretary of the Navy Herbert
encouraged the building of armor
plate mills in the United States by of-
fering their owners liberal naval con
tracts because he considered that the
Nation should produce its own mate
rial instead of depending' on foreign
supplies. Every day's events confirm
the wisdom of this policy. If the rea
sonable cost of American-made shells
is higher than that of English shells,
the Government should joay the higher
price in order to develop a domestic
source of supply, but American manu
facturers should be able to effect
economy which would bring the dif
ference far below 4 6 per cent- -The
fair' cost under efficient methods
should be ascertained by the Gov
ernment, and the manufacturers
should be paid a fair margin over that
cost, and no more. Plants in this
country should be 'at the service of
the United States Government in pref
erence to all other governments. It
is not to be tolerated that plants which
the Government would favor In the
manner suggested should be employed
in supplying other nations with mate
rial of which the United States might
be in urgent need for its own safety.
This is a necessary measure of pre
parednessin which the Government
and business should get together with
out any attempt on the part of either
to gouge the other. Every day tells
how precarious is a supply of war ma
terial which must be carried over seas
that may be infested with hostile sub
RUSSIA PROCEEDS WITH CAUTION.
Word from Washington that the
State Department will not make in
quiry as to the authenticity of the
report that Ambassador Francis ut
tered a candid warning to Russians
that the future trade policy of the
entente allies, based upon the Eco
nomic Conference in Paris, might be
fraught with grave consequences,
makes it appear that Washington is
not displeased by the warning in itself.
But it also is probably true that the
Ambassador sought to dissuade Rus
sia from entering without reserva
tion into the proposed compact. The
Philadelphia Commercial Museum's
foreign trade bureau is authority for
the statement that the Petrograd gov
ernment has not yet signed the agree
ment, and that before it does so there
certainly will be a period of delibera
tion, Russia wants to know all the
facts before it embarks upon a course
opposed in the broad sense to sound
economic doctrine.
The situation is especially interest
ing to the people of the United States
because of its bearing upon our own
trade relations. There is now no
commercial treaty between the United
States and Russia, the former treaty
having been terminated December 31,
on the initiative of the United States.
If Russia had signed the trade agree
ment with its allies, completion of
a new treaty with the United States
necessarily would become involved
therewith, which is precisely what the
United States should avoid. Thus far,
it now seems, Russia is preserving an
open mind. The need of competent
diplomacy at Petrograd was never
more manifest than now. for In the
days of the awakening after the war
Russia contains the possibility of be
coming one of our best customers.
It already is a noteworthy fact that
the part of Russia that is nearest to
the United States Western Siberia
is the most progressive in its farming
methods. The per capita ownership
of modern machinery in this district
is the highest in all the empire. It
is to be expected that this proportion
will increase and that the manufac
turers of the United States will profit
accordingly. Only 10 or 15 per cent
of the entire tillable area has yet been
put under the breaking plow. A vast
revival of farming and other indus
tries Is regarded as certain to follow
the conclusion of peace.
Russia and the United States are
now operating commercially under
precisely the same conditions as ex
isted before the abrogation of the
treaty, and Petrograd notified Wash
ington only last September that it
would not be in a position to con
sider a new treaty until its relations
with its allies had been settled per
manently. Thus far, time has been
a factor In our favor; but it will con
tinue so only so long as it is well em
ployed. The situation series once
more, as has been .said, to emphasize
the need, for diplomacy of the per
manent, capable sort, not the kind
that we are apt to get when we change
representatives with every political
change at home.
ARGENTINA'S MILITARY SYSTEM.
The task before the committees of
Congress which are considering plans
of compulsory military service Is to
adapt the plans in operation In other
countries to the needs of the United
States. Switzerland has a system of
training the entire male population
for national defense, but has no stand
ing army. Australia has much the
same system. Both of those coun
tries begin the training of their citi
zens at the age of 12, give them train
ing on reaching manhood designed to
complete their instruction without
withdrawing them from their civil
occupation for a long period, and
thereafter give them only short an
nual periods of instruction until they
pass into the reserve. Those countries
need no standing army for garrison
service, hence their plan could not be
adopted by the United States without
such modification as would provide
garrisons for our islands, the Panama
Canal and Alaska.
This difference between our military
needs and those of Switzerland and
Australia has -turned attention to the
Argentine military policy. The situa
tion of that country is more closely
parallel to our own than is that of
either of the other countries named.
Unlike Switzerland, it is not sur
rounded by powerful military nations;
unlike Australia, it is not a colony
of a great European nation, hence its
safety Is not endangered by the wars
of a mother country. Like the
United States, it is a republic remote
from great military powers and need
ing an army only for defense, but it,
too. has no remote possessions to pro
tect. Argentina adopted the compulsory
training system fifteen years ago. Its
army law even calls the young men
"conscripts" at the time of beginning
service, but the word does not seem
to inspire horror as suggestive of mili
tarism. At the age of 12 boys in the
public schools begin to drill and at
15 they'learn to shoot. At 18 they
are enrolled by the War Department,
which mikes a list every six months
of those who have reached the age
of 20. By lot, as many as the army
requires are called for active service
for one year, and so many as the navy
requires are called for two years.
Until SO years old these men are corf
sidered in the army of the line, but
after their one year's service are in
reserve, subject to two full months of
instruction, to two periods of fifteen
days each and to annual target prac
tice. At 30 they pass into the National
Guard to serve until they are 40, be-
come subject to the provincial or ter
ritorial governments and during those
ten years undergo instruction for four
periods of 15 days each. From 40 to
45 men are in the Territorial Guard,
which is subject to call only in ex
treme emergencies. "
A provision In the Argentina law
which might be adapted to the needs
of the United States permits the In
corporation in the standing army of
5000 volunteers, among whom are In
cluded graduates of the Military Col
lege. Volunteers are received in the
schools of volunteers at 16, In the
army from 17 to 30. and they enlist
for one to five terms and for further
terms of five years, while the execu
tive may retain veterans and mechan
ics until they attain the age of 60.
Men not In the service, or men In the
National Guard, Territorials or re
serves may volunteer in case of "war.
Liberal bounties are paid to volunteers
and increase with each re-enlistment.
The problem before Congress is to
provide for universal training with the
slightest practicable Interference with
civil occupations and at the same time
to provide a standing army sufficient
to garrison our coasts and our out
lying possessions. For the latter pur
pose 100,000 men would be sufficient
and with the whole manhood of the
Nation trained to arms it should not
be difficult to secure enough volun
teers for an extra term of service to
be spent in garrison duty. Since Ar
gentina, with a population of 7,200,
000, can secure 68,00 men who choose
the profession of arms, the United
States, with a population -of 100,000,
000, should be able to secure 100,000.
Net Imports of gold to the United
States from the beginning of the war
to January 1, 1917, were about $1,
060.000,000. of which $500.00000
was Imported In 1916. The home pro
duction brings last year's addition to
the country's stock of gold up to
$600,000,000. while the largest previ
ous increase was $165,000,000 in the
fiscal year ending July 1, 1898. the
year In which the Klondike began to
pour out the yellow metal. The new
.Jmports justify issue of Federal 'Re
serve notes to two and a half times
their amount, or $2,660,000,000, but
the total stock of all kinds of money
in the country has increased only $1,
276.000,000 in the war period. A fur
ther Increase beyond that Justified by
the gold imports was permitted by
the reduction In the bank reserves
and by the provisions In the Federal
reserve law for Issue of currency
against the stock of gold existing on
August 1, 1914. The country Is not
only flooded with money, but has the
means for vastly increasing the supply
without the slightest inflation.
The great munitions explosion near
London was one result of manufac
turing explosives In a densely popu
lated country. It Is practically im
possible to grj them away from large
centers of population, to which they
are a constant menace. In this coun
try we have so much room that
powder factories were until recently
located far from towns, where they
could destroy little besides themselves.
The explosions in New Jersey show
that this custom is being abandoned,
perhaps unavoidably. Caution at least
would, dictate that they be built In
small units, so that, if one does blow
up, it will not destroy so much life and
property as was lost in the British dis
aster. The waste of war material
alone may be equal to the loss of sev
eral battles. The old saw about put
ting all your eggs In one basket ap
plies. Reports of dummy entries by em
ployes of big cattlemen imply that not
so many persons desire to raise cattle
on 640-acre homesteads as has ap
peared. Has Congress blundered again,
as it did in passing other laws designed
t6 put the land in the hands of the
poor? If the poor to whom the Gov
ernment gives the land desire its
money value more than they desire
the land Itself, how are they to be
forestalled? It has often been said
that, if the money in the United States
were equally divided today among the
people, not 24 hours would pass be
fore many would have nothing and a
few would have several persons'
shares. The situation as to land is a
close parallel.
Colorado may try to aba,te the tipping
nuisance, making giving or receiving a
tip a misdemeanor. . Tipping, however,
cannot be stopped while a man thinks
himself better than others and en
titled to more consideration, or while
the receiver of a tip works for under
pay on the chance of getting more for
his servility.
Only those who have lived through
a fuel famine can appreciate the ex
perience of Baker people who cannot
get coal to burn during the vigorous
weather. Every householder up there
will vow to fill the cellar next August,
but good intentions vanish when the
mercury rises. .
A man of 67 Is in jail In Tacoma
and six women claim him as husband.
They allege he "made love beautifully"
and results point that way. Yet a lot
of fellows around 45 in Portland seem
to feel the need of standing together
to convince folks of their efficiency.
' The effect of the false report that
the allies had put an embargo on ex
ports of Pacific Coast spruce has only
been to draw forth testimony to its
excellence for aeroplane frames. Our
spruce is preferred stock.
In a statutory case at Albany there
is one fact that cannot be. called an
allegation. A 13 -year-old girl is a
mother and that should be enough to
stir the men of the law into activity.
The preachers of Wheatland. Cal..
have worked themselves out of a Job.
By inducing the town to vote itself
dry, they have made It So virtuous that
it no longer needs them.
Equipment of the captured British
ship St- Theodore as a German raider
raises suspicion that the Moewe
started out provided to v turn loose a
fleet of similar raiders.
The explosion of the big munitions
factory at London may have been ac
cidental, but the probability is that it
was not. Germany has a reach.
Although leaving an estate of 200,
000 acres In Scotland, the Duke of
Atholl is occupying just six by two
like a poor man.
An observing man finds that a well
built blonde wears shorter skirts than
her equally developed brunette sister.
Guardsmen are to go home from the
border. For political reasons, the
word "come" cannot be used.
"I
How to Keep Well.
By Dr. W. A. Etiu,
Questions pertinent to hgiene. sanitation
and prevention of disease. If matters of gen
eral lntereat, 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 llmits
tlorts and where stamped addressed envelope
is inclosed. Err. Evans will not make diagnosis
or prescribe for Individual diseases. Re
quest for euch services cannot be answered.
(Copyright, 191A. by 1 r. W. A. Evans.
Published b arrangement with the Chicago
Tribune.)
FRESH AIR AMD HEALTH.
' The school authorities of Coloma,
Mich., could not afford ventilation ap
paratus, but they have Ingenuity
something of an offset and an asset as
welL They walked out to the chicken
house one night, observed the com
promise between open windows with
air currents and discomforts and closed
windows with waynth and ill health,
and decided to apply what they saw to
their school.
They made strip frames to cover the.
outside of the upper sash. They secure
ly tacked a light grade of common mus
lin over these frames. The muslin
screens were fastened In position.
In the morning the windows are
closed and the building Is heated by
means of its steam radiators. After this
the upper sash is lowered all the way.
They have had no trouble from either
snow or rain. Enough cool, fresh air
comes In through the muslin. There
are no violent air currents. The Red
Cross nurse touring the county "last
Spring was enthusiastic In her praise
of the air conditions in the Coloma
schools and also of the alert, rosy
cheeked students.
Killed the Ghost.
This story was told by a gentleman
who comes in occasionally to talk about
ventilation. He lives in a house In an
outlying residence district. In midwin
ter the house cracked and popped so
much that his wife was afraid to stay
alone at night. He could not get out to
sit up with a sick friend or to attend
lodge.
They discussed burglars and ghosts
and finally settled on ghosts on the
theory that a spirit ghost is or should
be less terrifying than a burglar in the
flesh. After standing the nightly walk
ing of the ghost for two years the gen
tleman Installed a method of humidify
ing. He noticed that the air was more
comfortable. In telling me of the
change he spoke of the greater com
fort of the house, even though the tem
perature was kept lower, of the fact
that flowers thrived, of the fact that
the furniture did not come to pieces,
and. finally, he said, "We killed the
ghost."
Now that the air is kept moist -the
timbers of the house do not dry out and
the strange creakings and night noises
are no longer heard. It does not require
mufh ability to see that dryness which
causes furniture to fall to pieces, the
walls and floors of the house to groan
and creak, is not good for the lungs of
man. A change that kills the ghost is
bound to be good for the occupants.
I'lcer of Stomach.
G. L. writes: "I have been troubled
with gastrio ulcer for 16 years. I have
been to a number of good physicians
and It seems that dieting is the only
cure for It. Could you suggest a good
book on that subject? And do you think
dieting is the only cure?"
REPLY.
If you have had ulcer of the stefraach for
15 years, my advice is that you see a phy
sician at once and follow his directions.
f An uncured stomach ulcer 15 years old
la probably cancer now, or on the way there.
Diphtheria Prevention.
A subscriber sends me a copy of a
paper published in a residential suburb.
This statement appears on the editorial
page: "In view of several diphtheria
cases in the' community, why not safe
guard your children by frequent gar
glings and washings of the throats? An
ounce of gargle is worth a quart of
antitoxin at the right time.' Subscrib
er asks me to say something to undo
the harm of such statements.
REPLY.
' Too are right. The statement Is liable to
do harm. - There is no proof that frequent
gargling and washing of the throat will
prevent diphtheria. So far as preventing
diphtheria Is concerned, these are useless
procedures. Ordinarily all that need be done
Is to keep the children away from cases of
diphtheria, from association with recently
recovered cases, from the homes of recently
recovered cases. If the child lias been ex
posd to diphtheria one is Justified In giving
luOO units of antitoxin. This will protect
for about one month. When children are
necessarily held in contact with diphtheria,
as on occasions In homes, asylums, and
hospitals, the proper procedure la to test
the children by the Schick method and to
vaccinate those that need it by the Von
Behrlng method. The community will do
well to disregard the advice baaed on the
opinion that an ounce of gargle la worth a
quart of antitoxin.
Baby Swallow Needle.
H. H. writes: .-(1) My friend's baby
swallowed the point of a thin needle.
Do you think it dangerous or will It
pass throught the bowels? (2) The
same baby also has a continuous cold.
A doctor has told them it is caused by
adenoids and says baby is too young
to have same removed. Baby is 27
months old and perfectly well in every
other respect."
REPLY.
I. While this may cause trouble, the
probability is that. It will not.
2. The adenoids of a child of 27 months
can be removed with safety and often with
advantage. Have other causes of the "con
tinuous cold" been eliminated? In the first
place, the fault may be with the ventilation
of the room or it may be because the child
does not get a dally airing, or It may be
with the clothing or the food. In the sec
ond place, the cause, may be a congenital
disease.
Cure'for Frosted Heels.
IT- B. writes: "My son. 11 years old.
frosted his feet about five years ago
ana since tnat time be suffers intense
ly during cold weather about the heels
and sides of his feet. We have used
various chilblain remedies, but can find
nothing that gives permanent relief."
REPLY.
I presume that you are using baths and
massage ana tnat proper attention la paid
to the shoes and stockings. As a loaal n im
plication nothing Is better than Iodine oint
ment. Give him- 15 grains of calcium chlo-
riae tnree times a day lor two days a week
during the Winter. If this does not cure,
have your physician try thyroid.
Care In - Ecieini Care.
M. W. writes: "Are the symptoms of
pellagra and eczema anything alike.
and is there any- cure for eczema? If
so, what Is the best remedy?"
REPLY.
The eruption of pellagra might be mis
taken ror eczema, but it Is not probable.
The tongue, throat, stomach. boweL and
nerve symptoms of pellagra are not present
In eczema. Many casea of eczema can be
cured. If you ave looking for someone to
hand out a remedy for eczema you will be
disappointed. There Is no royal road. The
cure must oe woraea out oy carerul Olag
nosis. careful study of the underlvlns fac
tors, careful adjustment of whatever in the
let or eisewnere is wrong, and careful at
tention to the diseased area.
He Is Qualified.
FOSSIL. Or., Jan. 18. (To the Edl
tor.) A man took out his first papers
and filed on a homestead, 160 acres.
lived on It 14 months and paid cash
for It. He never took out his final
papers. Is he qualified to file an ad
ditional 480 under the 640 law now
in. force? (AN OLD SUBSCRIBER.
Quoting from Article 6. subhead
(c). of Circular No. 414 issued by the
Department of the Interior:
6 Homestead entries may be made
by any person who does not come
within either of the following classes:
(c) Foreign-born persons who have
not declared their Intention to become
citizens of the United States.
MAX'S IMPROVEMENTS ONLY SPOIL
Writer Kxpcets to Live 100 Yearn by
Eatinc Food in Nature I.
PORTLAND. Jan. 20. (Jo the Edi
tor.) I have read ' of some of the
wonders that are being accomplished
by spraying and fertilizing. . That
partly accounts for so much of our food
being in an unnatural condition. I
have been experimenting with food for
several years. I find fruit, berries and
vegetables fresh from the field that I
cannot use. Good fruit is food and
medicine too. But if It is poisoned by
spray It Is not worth much .for either.
The so-called diseased apples are no
worse than apples that are sprayed too
much, as most of them are. Sprayed
apples are unnaturally firm. They are
dry and lack the flavor and fragrance
of natural apples. Pealing removes a
part of the poison but only a part. It
goes to the core -and often leaves the
blossom end more like a turnip than
an apple. They keep best because they
are half pickled with spray. They do
not get mellow and Juicy as natural
apples do.
The whole cabbage crop has been
spoiled by the spray for several years.
That Is why It fades and wilts and the
leaves drop off. Natural cabbage will
break with a snap no matter how old.
Natural cabbage will rot. Sprayed cab
bage gets soft like rubber. It may
not be poison. It Is dead and cooking
does not restore anything to its nat
ural state
Potatoes, onions and carrots are
spoiled by commercial fertilizer. There
is nothing else would spoil an onion.
Apricots that come here from the South
are spoiled by spray, while those that
come from the East and North are a
blessing to us. They will cure kidney
trouble used without sugar. Sugar robs
fruit of half Its food value. Nothing
that man makes, mixes or meddles with
is worth much for food. Poor food Is
taking more people to early graves
than hard work.
Anything that man has tampered
with Is nothing compared with food
that Is In a natural state. So far, no
body has discovered an excuse for
spoiling our oats. Millers seem satis
fied to roll It and give us the whole
thing. But the liberties they take with
the wheat should be condemned by
the public. They take off the bran,
take out the germ and bleach it. The
so-called whole wheat bread is the
poorest of all the poor things the baker
makes.
Little things the food dopers neglect
are attended to by the cooks, so that
most of our food is spoiled before
it goes on to the table. Creamed po
tatoes, creamed carrots, creamed sal
mon or anything else that is creamed
should go to the garbage can where
it belongs. Eating dry food Is not
Fletcher's way nor Flinn's way. It
is Nature's way, and those that violate
the laws of Nature will surely suffer
for It.
I am growing younger while other
men are growing older. When I was
25 I was not able to work at my trade.
Now I am working where some of our
best young men have failed. A few
years more and I win be back in good
health, and if all our food is not scien
tifically spoiled I will easily reach the
hundred mark. When I die it will be
a natural Jeath. I have not tasted
drugs for 10 years.
... EDWARD MORTON.
83S Clay street.
HOURS FIXED TO SUIT PATRONS.
Women's Union Not Cranky About
Punctuality at Meals.
PORTLAND. Jan. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) The officers and members of the
Portland Women's Union feel keenly
the unkind criticism In a recent article
written by a newspaper woman who
wae a member of its large family
at Fifteenth and Flanders streets.
After expressing her appreciation of
the management, and the atmosphere
of home she found 'there -v.- .v
fit to- give to the public this little
joae. as sue called It. when she
saw the wave of righteous indigna
tion -that swept through the hmi..
when the. article was read. She real
ized and admitted she had made a
mistake.
The hour tor breakfast, which she
claims Is too early, is made to suit
the self-supporting young women for
whom the house is conducted. At 6.30
when the dining-room door is opened,
the telephone girls are alseady there
tailing to db admitted, because at
seven o'clock they must report for duty.
The other youner women in ihrnnrh
breakfast at 7:30, and are at their vari
ous places of business at eight o'clock.
"That they cannot be a fraction of a
minute late." ts disproved at luncheon,
which is served from 12:00 to 12:45,
out me young woman who cannot
come until i:is finds a hot lunch
waiting for her. Dinner is aei-veri
from 6:00 to 6:45. but it is kept hot for
the two young women who are de
tained until 7:30. On Sunday break-
iast can tie eaten from 8:00 to 8:45.
Anna jev. is nan, under the man
agement of the Portland .Women's
Union. Is open to the public at any
time. Two members of the Union are
Invited each month to Inspect the
bouse. We hear only words of ap
proval and of wonder as to how we
can furnish so much comfort and so
many privileges for four dollars a
week.
These young women, who are busy
all day in the civic life of our city,
are well behaved, sensible and refined
and the five hundred members of the
Portland Women's Union are lnter-
" maains tneir paths easier
ana eater, ana in providing that which
every worker craves, a comfortable
abiding place at the end of the long
weary day.
JULIA B. COMSTOCK.
President Portland Women's Union.
,
Wr V'I'KIl CLIMBERS IX NO DANGER
Squirrels Not Hibernating, Bat Are Not
- Atu-oad oi Mountain.
PORTLAND. Jan. 20. -(To the Edi
tor.) While the writer calling him
self "Larch Mountain Nut" is evidently
not much of a naturalist, he shows him
self a fair observer of "things as they
are." We have no chipmunks In Ore
gon that I know of. The small brown
Bqulrrel, with straight furred tail,
which can be seen running on fences
and among rocks, has alternate stripes
of brown and yellow on its back, and
is a true squirrel, being the Golden
Mantled Squirrel (Tamlas Quadrivlt
tatus). The other squirrels are the
gray squirrel (Scluride Carolinensis).
and the red squirrel (S. Hurisonicus).
called the pine squirrel here on the
Coast.
In a country having a large propor
tion of deciduous trees the two latter
squirrels are aboreal. but In this coun
try with its forest cover of conifers,
they usually construct ' burrows in the
earth or among the slide rock-, like
their smaller cousin, the Golden Man
tled Squirrel. This is especially true
at the higher altitudes, above 2000 feet.
This being the case, during weather
such as exists on Larch Mountain (sev
eral feet of snow, covered with about
a half-inch of ice), all these rodents
are interned, and if not actually hiber
nating, are securely holed up. and in
such situation that the Maxamaa were
safe from their attacks or observation.
RICHARD J. GRACE.
Home and Politics.
Washington, D. C, Star.
"Why do women want to take a
hand in politics?" "Because," an
swered Miss Cayenne, "they are dis
satisfied with the way men have con
ducted public affairs." "But they are
likely to neglect the home." "Not at
all. They are only trying to atone
for having made home so pheasant that
men neglected politics."
In Other Days.
Tvreaty-f Ive Years Ago.
From The Oregonlan of January 22. 1992.
Washington, Jan. 20. James B. Mont
gomery today gave a Columbia River
salmon luncheon to a number of Sen
ators and Representatives.
Hawthorne avenue will be widened
from 60 to 70 feet. This may be con
sidered as settled.
Chicago. Jan. 21. Miss Frances E.
Willard sent a long telegram to Presi
dent Harrison today on behalf of the
W. C. T. U., praying that a peaceful
solution be found of the trouble with
Chile. .
The shoals of smelt which have been
In the Columbia tor the past month
have struck into the Cowlitz. This is
taken by many to indicate that Winter
is over.
The prospects of war with Chile con
tinue to be the all-absorbing topic of
conversation in Portland. The air is
rife with patriotism and martial en
thusiasm. Flalf a Century Ago.
From The Oregonlan of January 22, 1867.
New York Dora Shaw, an actress
well known to many Westerners, and
who was the best Camllle on the stage
a few years ago. was In the city the
other day. She is preparing to publish
a volume of her poems and an auto
biography. Her life has been very in
teresting and an autobiography would
lift the veil from much that is now
hidden from the world.
Mr. Connor, for many years popular
proprietor of the What Cheer House,
has sold out to Messrs. Lyon, Ryan and
Leonard.
It appears that Horace Greeley, by
his recent manifesto in favor of a
general amnesty, has utterly ruined
his chances for political preferment.
Since his f amous-allocution" was pub
lished the Republican papers of New
York have treated him to a merciless
excoriation.
H. Guldo Grob. professor of music,
has laid on our table two pieces of
music entitled, "My Little Wife and 1"
and "March a D'Arinee Amerique,"
Alonso B. Woodward, of Portland,
and Miss Roxie Wallace, of Yamhill
County, were married January 21 at the
Yamhill Courthouse.
FAITH IN AUNT IS UNDIMINISHED
Father of Beaten Boy Blames Ormond,
but Not Mrs. Sollars.
PORTLAND. Jan. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) As to the whipping of Stanley
Tomlinson. I. his father, think an ex
planation is due the public
No father cares to see his chill brut
ally beaten, as my child was by Will
Ormond. and I do not write this letter
with any feeling of sympathy for Or
mond. but to right a wrong that has
been dons the boy's aunt, Mrs. E. M.
Sollars.
After seeing the boy's bruised body
I could hardly " control myself and
would not have been responsible fo
what would have happened to Ormond
could I have got hold of him at that
time.
Now. to right the wrong: I have
known Mrs. Sollars over 20 years and
have had. and still have, the utmost
confidence in her sincerity of purpose
to do right, for she is one of the most
religious and conscientious persons,
and tries to live up to these principles.
For these reasons I was satisfied when
I placed the boy In her care.
She has been to him a mother In
every way and my object in leaving
him with her was to be able to see him
at alP times when In the city, and when
away to know that he was getting
the love and care of one that loves
him as her own.
She has always used Judgment In
her desire to correct him In the proper
way and I cannot understand why she
allowed this man to punish him. I do
not think she knew how hard the pun
ishment had been on the boy and
would not have allowed it had she
known.
I do not wish the public to think I
condone this man's Inhuman treatment
of my boy, and hope this gives the
public the proper impression of the
case. J. C TOMLINSON.
Operations, of Stock Exchnnsre.
ROSEBURG. Or.. Jan. 20. (To the
Editor.) I would like explanation
through the columns of The Oregonian
regarding Wall Street Stock Exchange
and its manipulations, as. for instance,
wheat. Of whom do the speculators
buy and how do they - come in posses
sion and where is their wheat located?
SUBSCRIBER,
Grain Is not dealt In on the New
York Stock Exchange. On those ex
changes devoted to grain, the "specu
lator" does not often come into pos
session of the actual grain. He deals
in contracts, which he disposes of at
profit or loss, as the case may be. Ac
tual consumers, such as the millers,
may call for delivery under the terms
of their contracts, at the time and
price specified. This wheat is stored
in elevators and warehouses through
out the country, being represented by
warehouse receipts for contract pur
poses. Government Not Responsible.
FOREST GROVE, Or. Jan. 20. (To
the Editor.) If two people get their
mail out of the same locked box in
the post office, if one of them should
take out a letter belonging to the
other and never deliver it to him,
could he be prosecuted by the govern
ment? Or does the government ful
fill Its part of the contract when the
letters are put in the locked box at
the office? SUBSCRIBER.
Responslbility of the Government
ceases when the mail'ls placed in the
box. If two persons have access to
the box. they must regulate the taking
out of mail themselves, say poatofflce
authorities here.
Fib and Story Contrasted.
Auckland. N. Z.. News.
Little Nellie told little Anita what
she termed a "little fib."
Anita A fib is the 'same as a story,
and a story Is the same as a lie.
Nelly No, It's not,
Anita, Yes, it Is, because my father
said so. and my father is a professor
at the university. .
Nelly I don't care If he Is. My
father is a real estate man, and he
knows more about lying than your
father.
Federal Balldlnss In Oresron
PORTLAND. Jan. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) Please publish in The Oregonlan
the number of Federal buildings in
Oregon and where they are. .
K..R- STEPHENSON.
Nine. Albany, Astoria, JSaker, Eu
gene. La Grande, Medford. 2 in Port
land. Salem.
Information on South America.
CONDON. Or., Jan. 17. (To' the
Editor.) Please tell me where I can
get literature on Argentina. South
America. . PEARL ORNDUFF.
Write to Pan-American Union.
Washington, D. C,
XT