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THE MORNING OREGOXIAX, THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1917.
(Bte'gonmx
rORTLAiil), OREGON.
Entered at Portland (Oregon) Postoffice aa
..second-class mall matter.
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,. Eastern Business Officer-Verse Conk
11b, Brunswick building. Mew Tork; Verree
Conklln. Steger building, Chicago. Ban
i'ranclsco representative, R. J. Bldwell, 742
Market street.
I'OIiTL.VND, THCRSDAY, JAN. 25, 1917.
C'AX THEY STOP ITf
It has been suggested to The Ore
jgonian that an emergency clause at
tached to the bone-dry prohibition
law will not prevent a referendum of
its essential parts. It- is a novel con
tention and its foundation is about as
follows:
The original direct legislation
amendment, adopted in 1902, defines
the powers .reserved to the people. It
declares: "The second power is the
referendum and it may be ordered, ex
cept as to laws necessary for the im
mediate preservation of ( the public
peace, health ox safety." Then fol
lows the manner or mode of proced
ure to be followed in exercising the
referendum power.
Four years later the people adopted
a second amendment, which contains
this provision: "The referendum may
be demanded by the people against
one or more items, sections or parts
of any act of the legislative assem
bly in the same manner in which such
power may be exercised against a
complete act. The filing of a refer
endum petition against one or 'more
Items, sections or parts of an act shall
not delay the remainder of that act
from becoming operative."
The foregoing quotation is the later
enactment of the people and prevails
In points of essential conflict. Rigidly
construed. It makes no exception of
emergency laws in exercising the item
referendum. If only a rigid .construc
tion Is permissible, thenathe teeth of
the bone-dry laW may be subjected
to vote of the people while, the whole
act may not, assuming that it will
carry an emergency clause.
The Oregonian will not attempt to
pass upon the Issue thus raised. It
confesses that court decisions are often
confusing to the mind of the layman.
For example, our State' Supreme Court,
In a "recent decision, in which the in
tent of the framers of a constitutional
amendment was one of the deter
mining factors, said: " 'He who made
the law knows best' how it ought to
be Interpreted Is not less true now
than it was when Rousseau -wrote."
Probably no one will seriously con
tend that the framers of the 1906
direct legislation amendment intended
to make a distinction between a gen
eral referendum and an Item referen
dum. Yet in language they did.
'Which reminds us, in passing, that we
are continually doing or attempting
to do reckless things with the consti
tution. But the United States Supreme
Court seems to entertain a different
view concerning Rousseau's pro
nouncement concerning the weight of
the lawmaker's Intent. In a very re
cent decision it refused to consider the
record of the Congressional debate
which disclosed Congress' Intent In
passing the Mann white slave, act to
be only the suppression of commer
cialized vice. It held that the law
was what It read; that to construe It
as making an exception of non-commercialized
vice would be legislating
by the court.
. So there you are. Who will be
brave enough to assert that the courts
will or will not rule that the law
means what it says? Perhaps, too,
nobody will put them to the test.
Kven so, there is food for reflection
in tfhe fact that.this apparent conflict
in the constitution has existed for
nearly eleven years. We have passed
through several trying controversies
over emergency clauses with their
brutal denial of the right of the peo
ple to pass upon some of the Legisla
tures' work. It , required something
stimulating, like & law abolishing
stimulants, to bring out the delving
powers of the constitution sharps.
POTATO THRIFT.
Unpleasant as the prospect may be
to some, there is a strong probability
that a few of the measures of thrift
long practiced by the more careful
poorle of other countries will soon be
forced upon those of the United
States. There is. for example, the
matter of our supply of seed for the
potato crop of the coming season. -It
has been suggested by a corre
spondent that the people ought to be
reminded before it is too late that
they can help by saving the "seed
end" of the potatoes they are now
consuming, for the purpose of plant
ing later on. This so-called "seed
end," by the way, is the part that once
was thrown away by some fastidious
growers, for a reason not altogether
plain but it is a fact that the house
wife, especially In the family that
grows its own supply of potatoes, or a
portion' of it, can contribute materially
to the seed stock by resorting to just
that practice, or a modification of it.
It is the "eye" of the potato lhat is
the valuable part for purposes of
propagation, and there was a time
in our own country when people did
not hold themselves above saving even
the peelings around planting time, so
that the eyes might be planted when
the main crop was put into the ground.
This was in the day o'f scarce seed
and difficult transportation, and every
little thing was made to count. Such
practices have long been common in
parts of Burope. The potato grower
who is accustomed to grander methods
will not approve them, perhaps, but it
may yet become a question pot of
cbotca but of absolute necessity.
Crops of succeeding years invariably
suffer as a result of periods of abnor
mally high prices, because of the
temptation to sell everything market
able, reserving only the poorest grain.
or potatoes, or whatnot, for the com
. ing planting. - It is a happy-go-lucky
system and it causes havoc with good
farming: but human nature is what
it is and the remedy is easier to point
out than to enforce? The fact is that
it may yet come to a point where we
will' bo compelled to plant our potato
peelings or get along with an exceed
ingly short crop next year. Failure
to plant enough for our own needs
would be a serious matter, for there
is little likelihood that there will be
a source upon which we can draw to
make up the deficiency,', and then
prices will be higher than ever. In
any event, the quality of next sea
son's crop is bound to be belpw par as
a result of past neglect
MORE ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION.
The Legislature is ornamented with
an abundance of lawyers, who are of
course familiar with the provisions of
our mast elastic, though highly ad
mirable, constitution, from the vener
able preamble to the newest notion,
of Mr. LPRen'a able and indefatigable
body of law givers. ;
Just now the Legislature is giving
due consideration to the important
matter -of delinquent tax notices, and
is apparently divided between postal
cards and newspapers.' It has- been
suggested, as a way out of the dilem
ma, that the law providing for publi
cation of tax delinquencies be so ar
ranged as to authorize newspaper pub
lication for the state at large but
postal cards for Multnomah. Let us
submit for the consideration of the
legislators the following explicit pro
vision from the Oregon constitution
Art IV. Sec. 23): ...
The Legislative Assembly shall not pass
special or local laws in any of Che following
cases, that is to say: -
- 10 For the assessment and collection of
taxes for state, county, township or road
purposes.
Publication of the names and par
cels, or private notice to delinquents,
is unquestionably part of the Rrocess
of tax collection. "
Shall the taxes be collected by one
method in Portland and- by another
in the state at large?
BOUND LIVING.
President Wilson is asked to try the
experiment of a 2 5-cent-perTday diet
and' he has graciously said that he
would 'talk to Mrs. Wilson about it.
Clearly no American- husband has- a
right to interfere with the domestic
economy of his household without
full sanction of the other responsible
head of the establishment. The Presi
dent makes it obvious tli.t he ob
serves the proprieties. v r
Doubtless the enterprislngf-dietitian
who sought his aid told him that the
experiment would be a fine thing for
the Nation. But It would also be
excellent for the President and his
lovely wife. On both accounts it ought
to be tried.
Of course we all know' that there
is nothing really new to be learned
about health, or exercise, or eating,
or drinking. But it seems to be nec
essary to be reminded constantly that
the laws of one's physical being are
not to be violated with impunity. It
is interesting to note that more than
100 years ago in 1773, to be exact
great philosopher and greater ob
server wrote the following from Lon
don:
The gentry of Ens-land are remarkably
arraia or- moisture and or air: but seamen.
who live in perpetually moist air, are always
healthy if they have good provisions.
have long .thought that mere moist air
has no 111 effect on the constitution. But
we abound in "absurdity and inconsistency.
Thus, though it is generally agreed that
taking the air is a good thing, yet what
caution against air! what stopping of crev
ices! what wrapping up in warm clothes.
what shutting of doors and windows, even
in the midst of Summer 1 Many London
families go out once a day to take the air.
three or spur persons lnws. coach, one per-
naps sick; these go three or four miles or
many turns' in Hyde Park, with the
glasses both up close, all breathing, over and
over again, the same air they brought out
of town with them in the coach, with the
least change possible and rendered worse
and worse every moment; and this they call
"taking the air!" From many years ob
servation on myself and. others. I am per
suaded we are on a wrong scent In suppos
ing moist or cold air the cause of. that dis
order we call a "cold." Soma unknown
quantity -in the air may sometimes produce
cold, as in the "influenza." but generally, I
apprehend, they are the effects of too full
living In proportion to our exercise.
What Ben Franklin knew everybody
nowadays knows, or ought to know.
But how few there are that govern
themselves accordingly. -,
THE WATER-POWER HOLD-CP. '
There is abundant reason for the
adoption by the Oregon Legislature
of Senator Gill's resolution memorial
izing Congress to pass laws for the
development of water power without
delay. The subject has been thorough
ly threshed out and the rights of the
Nation and the states have been de
fined by the ablest lawyers and leg-is
lators in the country. In the Shields
bill relating to navigable streams the
rights of both are made secure, the
Interest of the consumer and of the
general public is amply safeguarded
and capital is afforded security with
out opportunity for extortion. No
power company would be able to es
cape effective public regulation and
right of the public to buy in ' power
plants Is established.
The bigoted Pinchotites block action
on two points. They Insist on exaction
of rental from power companies, ob
stinately refusing to recognize that
such a charge would only be passed
on to the consumer. They also insist
that no lease be given without author
ity of -a special act of Congress, each
of which would reopen the entire con
troversy. The Pinchot fanatics should
be put to the fight-about and the bill
should be passed as it stands, with the
addition of a proviso that all plants
erected on public land be subject to
state taxation. The Myers bill, re
lating to power on public land, should
be amended to follow the general lines
of the Shields bill, with the same pro
viso. The present situation is a travesty
on conservation, whlcha has become
the most abused word in the English
language. As the Gill resolution says,
'the essence of conservation is Intel-.
llgent and economical utilization of
natural resources." The essence of
Plnchotism is to prevent utilization of
natural resources until the dictates of
Mr. Pinchot and his little band of
doctrinaires are accepted. It is flat
denial of conservation, for It means
indefinite waste. It is a hold-up, for
it aims to weary the West into sur
render of its fundamental right of
self-government and of taxation by
blocking development
The Gill resolution should be
adopted by xis overwhelming a vote
as that by which the Water-Power
Conference was called two years ago.
Oregon should reiterate its declaration
for conservation with use tand with
due respect for the rights of the
states.
There is a growing tendency on the
part of American colleges and univer
sities to extend 'their field of useful
ness so that adults who neglected cer
tain points in their education in early
life may avail themselves of oppor
tunities for special training without
being required to pass those formal
entrance examinations which would
be a bar to most men of mature years.
One such institution in New Tork,
supported by public funds, has re
cently obtained an extension of its
charter which permits it to take up
this work, and to finance it in part
by charging-tt feet to which prospect
ive adult students do not-object, and
the demand for such a course is eh own J
by enrollment of 2500 in this divtstoh"
in a few weeks. The need of adult
workers for larger educational ad
vantages is being met in various parts
of the country, where the school sys
tems are gradually adding afternoon
and evening courses of study, continu
ation work and part-time study, and
where co-operation between business
and the schools is shown to be one of
the most significant of recent develop
ments in the educational system.
' ' WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The President has invented the
pleasing and striking phrase "Peace
without victory"" to describe the neu
tral world's just expectation of the
rightful attitude of all the belliger
ents at the end of the war.
What does "peace without victory"
mean? A. peace that would leave
neither side in the position of victor?
A draw? A fight to mutual exhaus
tion? An inconclusive and ' uncertain
termination of a terrific struggle, in
volving millions of men and costing
millions of lives? Or an agreement
all around to quit, and start anew?
Peace without victory would not
have settled the great question of
slavery, or preserved the Union, in
the Civil War.
Nor would peace without victory
have separated the American colonies
forever from Great Britain and have
established a free republic under the
American flag.
The f President knows that. He
knows, ' for example, that there was
no peace in Europe, or in an the
world, until Napoleon was overthrown
at Waterloo. History Is full of Just
such illustrations.
Doubtless the smooth .and catchy
"peace-without-victory" phrase was
meant to mean nothing more than
the expression- of a hope or desire
that there be peace' without national
extinction, or annihilation, or subjec
tion, or overthrow.
The world wants a peace which
will permit- every nation o pursue
its national destiny without limita
tion upon the right of any other nation
to do the same. If that is what peace
without victory - shall ultimately
achieve, all will be well, for "peace
hath her victories no less renowned
than war."
IMPROVE LOGGING STREAMS.
As the lumber industry of the United
States Is now entering on a period of
great and, as there is good reason to
believe, prolonged prosperity, it Is of
Utmost importance to the inter
ests of Oregon that the industry in
this state should have all facilities
which the law can grant for its con
duct? on terms equal with those pre
vailing in competing states. The mat
ter is of interest to the whole state,
for upon lumber, as its chief industry,
the state is mainly dependent for its
general well-being.
A necessity of this Industry Is cheap
transportation of logs from forest to
mill, for which nature has provided
Oregon with abundant means in the
shape of many streams down which
logs could be floated if only the
streams were improved. For lack of
law providing for this improvement.
few streams have been made passable
for logs, charges on these few are not
regulated, and loggers pay from $1.50
to $2.50 per thousand feet for hauling
by railroad thirty to fifty miles, though
logs could be driven down improved
streams for the same distance at one-
third of the same cost. Timber along
river banks has mostjy been logged
off and, in the absence of river Im
provement under public regulation.
railroads are the only means of reach
ing that which is farther back. Only
rich owners of large tracts of timber
can afford -to build, and they build
through their own timber. Owners of
small tracts must either let their tim
ber stand or must pay their neighbors
high rates for hauling logs.
To remedy this situation, a bill has
been introduced in the State Senate
by Senator Olson providing for im
provement of streams for logging pur
poses, though navigation in general
would benefit. The bill declares nav
igable streams to be public highways,
and any stream on which logs can
be floated is declared navigable. It
places corporations doing a boom
business under the Jurisdiction of the
Public Service Commission, and re
quires that body to establish rules for
the operation of boom companies, pen
alties for failure to observe these rules,
and rates to be paid by owners of
logs which use the companies' im
provements. Rates "must be just and
equitable, dependant on the amount
of service performed, the actual In
vestment of the company and the cost
of operation,, the value of the fran
chlse not being considered. Corpora
tions desiring to engage in the busi
ness of floating, driving, rafting and
boa ruing logs must obtain a franchise
from the Public Service Commission
must begin work within a reasonable
time and must give continuous, serv
ice. Companies already engaged in
the business may obtain franchises
under the bill by filing amended arti
cles of incorporation and have a pref
erence right to a franchise for ninety
days. The improvements contem
plated consist of removing rocks,
trees and other obstructions from the
beds and banks of streams to give an
unobstructed flow of water, of pro
tection of banks, construction of
booms and of dams. .Boom compa
nies must handle all forest products
offered without discrimination, and
are given the right of lien for their
services.
The bill differs from that which
was Introduced two years ago by Sen
ator Olson in the fact that it gives no
right of condemnation. It gives the
right to boom companies to enter upon
streams and their banks to clear and
improve them and upon adjacent land
to recover logs, and simply gives the
land owner the right of compensation
for damages suffered. Dams may be
built only by permit of the Public
Service Commission, to be granted
after public hearing and proof of pub
lie necessity, but not without consent
of the owner of property to be oc
cupied. The bill of 1915 was almost
identical with the-iaw of Washington
which gives the right of eminent do
main. Failure to operate continuously
or violation of the rules works for
feiture of the franchise. A fee of fiv
cents per thousand feet tf logs is pro
vided to pay expenses of carrying out
the law.
Laws of this Kind have been in op.
eration in Eastern states for fifty
years and in Washington for ten
years, with most beneficial results
Adoption of the bill of 1915 was pre.
vented only by the opposition of cer-
tain interests unwilling to come under
public regulation. With this exception
the tlmbermen are a unit jn. favor o
the present bill. Not only they but th
homesteaders would benefit. For ex
ample, on the Sluslaw River, which
is navigable for sixty miles and Is
the only means of moving logs from
0 per cent of Its watershed, the
homesteader who clears land could
sell his logs to the mill at the mouth.
but many logs are now caught by ob
structions and on the banks. They
may -not reach tidewater for five or
six years, but until they do he gets
nothing for them. Both the farmer
and the small timber owner will be
able to market logs if the stream is
improved, and clearlng'and farming
of the land will "be hastened.
This bill is decidedly in the inter
est of owners of timber in both small
and large tracts and of settlers gen
erally. It is open to objection only
by those boom companies which wish
to monopolize timber and to practice
exactions on their neighbors, free
from public control. The rights which
it gives will benefit all riparian own
ers, and it will enable the progressives
to override the objections of the ob
structionist; In order that Oregon
may keep pace with other states in
development of Its lumber industry,
the bill should, be passed.
ANOMALIES OF THE BIRTH RATE.
Statistics compiled by the Census
Bureau, showing that in certain regis
tration areas of the United States dur
ing 1916 the birth rate was 24.9 for
each 1000 inhabitants, and that of
each 1000 babies born 100, or an even
tenth, died before the end, of their
nrsi year, are not so striking in them
selves as when comparison is made
with the birth rate and the rate of
infant mortality in other countries.
The conclusion that a high birth rate
necessarily means a high death rate
is borne out in a few countries, and
then it is completely set at naught
by the figures from others. For ex
ample, the birth rate in Australia, 28.3
per 1000 inhabitants, which is precise
ly that of Germany,, is attended by a
death rate of 78 per 1000 infants born.
which is the fourth lowest of record
and compares with a death rate of
147 for Germany. 'The lajvest birth
rate, on the other hand, is recorded
by France, with IB per 1000, and
this country has the third - lowest
infant mortality rate in the- world.
The highest birth rate. 144. is that
of Russia, which also has the highest
death rate.' 248. But Norway, with
a birth rate of 25.3, which is higher
than that of the United States, has
the lowest infant death rate of all
65, and Sweden, with a birth rate of
2 3.8, only slightly below that of the
United States, has a death rate next
to that of Norway, 71.
The Census Bureau explains that the
infant mortality figures for the United
States are no better than they are
because necessarily all classes of the
population are included, and the aver
age "is made higher by the Inclusion
of the foreign population in the
crowded districts, where not only do
the customs of the mother country
prevail but conditions are otherwise
unfavorable for saving babies.
The figures show that the expectant
ntant has the best chance of surviv
ing in the Scandinavian countries, in
Australia, and even in France. But
his best chance to be born lies in Rus
sia, and after that in Italw The in-
fait death rate of Italy, however, is
lower than that of either Russia, Aus
tria or Germany. Switzerland and
Holland also help to illustrate the fact
that a nation need not be great in
point of population to be in the fore
front when it comes to baby saving.
Their death rate is meritoriouslyMow.
A, Coburg girl has brought, the
threat borrow to her home by eloping
to California with a young man, who
left her on the street when his money
ran out. In these days when general
education Is supplemented along spe
cial lines by the moving pictures, it
would seem that girls ought to be
wise" . to unalterable facts.
Reports that gold has been trans
ferred at sea to the German raiders
will whet the appetite of the British
cruisers for their capture. There
would be fat prize money for the
British tars if the ships were taken.
but what gnashing of teeth If the Ger
mans were to sink them!
The New Tork Stock Exchange has
been investigated so often that it is
becoming expert at dealing with the
probers. If Mr. Whipple should ex
tract some new truths at the leak in
quiry, he will make a reputation which
may lift him to high political honors.
When tfie white pine lumbermen
come to the Douglas fir belt and bu;
big tracts of timber, it is a sign tha
there Is going to be some activity in
the Pacific- Coast lumber business. The
men of the Interior are staking their
money on it.
A woman member of the Chicago
School Board accuses high school
principals of preferring youth, beauty
and figure to brains in their teachers,
which may be true. Some men in
authority have human frailties.
f
Between rival schemes of consoli
dation, the. entire scheme of consoli
dation is apt to come to the ground
If the Legislature does not . act, the
people are likely to take a hand.
With deposits of more than $164,-
000,000 ln tho banks of the state,
Oregon scoffs at the Democratic idea
of "viewing with alarm" anything
that may or may not happen.
If American gold is going to Ger
many it is for the reason that America
has received its - value in something
that conld not be obtained elsewhere.
This is business.
J. Ogden Armour may not be, as he
atfmits, a writer of advertisements
but in the preparation of an essay
on- "hoss" sense his rank is undis
puted.
The record-breaking car shortage
may be simple history by Spring,
which is the way the horse thought
while being fed on straw all Winter.
There are two views of the semi
monthly pay day and one is that the
earner spends his money twice as
often when he gets It that way.
, British comment on President Wil
son's peace speech may be summed
up thus: "You're a nice fellow, but "
then a string of epithets.
If that prize'-cow which sold for
$5000 were in Germany her week's
output of butter would sell for almost
as much as she is worth. ,
The Owyhee project has been
dropped and Oregon gets another slap
for not having ridden on the band
wagon in November. .
The "leak" inquiry will be post
poned, perhaps in an effort to for
get it.
Stars and Starmakers
m By Leone Caaa Baer.
WALTER GILBERT is of the opinion
that with eggs soaring Bk ward
the hen Is truly mightier than the
sword. , '
And hi pal, Walter Eiegried. added
that with eggs and cabbages topping
he product market in point of prices
the old-fashioned homo taeat perform
ers have a most auspicious outlook
ahead of 'em.
m -
Which does not sound encouraging
to mo. for if there Is one thins that
makes me more wretohed than an
other it is realizing that old-fashioned
or modern ' home-talent performers
have any sort of a. look out. Or look In.
Laura Hope Crews is in the cast with
Henry Kolker in a revival of "Her
Husband's Wife." a three-act comedy.
Henry Millar is its sponsor.
Fuller Melllsh and his daughter, Vera
Fuller Melllsh. are appearing together
in "The Merry Wives of Windsor."
revival now In progress at the Park
Theater in New York. Robert MantelL
Jr.. is -also la. the play, and Isabel
Irving is playing Mistress Page. Con
stance Collier has the role of Mistress
Ford.
- -
Irene Oshier, for a brief while last
season with the Baker stock In leads.
is appearing In "In; for the Night,"
three-act farce written by James
Savery. &nd presented In New Tork by
the Empire Produplng Corporation.
Read where an actress has just left
a diamond-mounted powder puff to a
young man friend. Hardly believed my
eyes until I read a little farther along
and found out that his name 1b Cheun-
cey Le Roy. -
m m m w
Worry note for the vaudeville artist
who sits in a spotlight and sings about
life's being a serious proposition after
all. The price of cigarettes is going
higher.
A manufacturer says that men are
better auto critics than are women.
Guess he never heard me or my sister
hood flash our criticisms when we just
escape being run over by one.
Don't yon love the noise the
'silent'
sentinels are making.
Still, It's a vindication of our sex,
girls, to read that "a bunch of women
keep still for hours." Apparently it
can be done. .
Newspaper account tells of an actor
and actress who had "kept company'
for - twenty-odd years, and then got
married. I predict that any pair afraid
of each other for twenty-odd years
are going to have a sweet -mess keep
ing peace, at home.
Ruth Gates says her idea of a "brll
liant" party is- the convention of cut-
glass manufacturers now in session.
At the Collingwood Opera-House in
Poughkeepsie last week John Cort pre
sented for the first time on any stage
Mother Carey's Chickens," a play in
three acts by Kate Douglas Wlggin and
Rachel Crothers from the book of the
same name by Miss Wiggin. The story
is far removed from the theatrical or
sensational, a theme of mother love
with clever touches of character and a
graceful play of rich humor being un
dercurrent throughout.
The cast Includes among others
Marion Barney. Miss Barney used to
be a Baker leading woman.
Kate Douglas Wiggin, Rachel Croth
ers, John Cort and many others from
New Tork witnessed the performance.
Arnold Daly is convalescent from an
operation for peritonitis in the Roose
velt Hospital in New Tork.
Another theatrical man, Al Hayman
i rallying from a third paralytic
stroke. He is confined to his apart
ments at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in
New Tork.
e
Mabel McCone. whose chief claim to
our attention out here on this Coas
is that she was one of Joseph Howard's
several partners, is to be starred by
A. H. Woods. The medium chosen for
Miss McCone's venture is "The Girl
From Clro's," a musical piece in three
acts, written in the original by' Pierre
Veber and Maurice Soudle, and now em
bellished with music by Joseph Szule
ine uin from Ciro's" is now In its
ninth month at the Garrick Theater,
i,onaon. and it will be prepared for
American production withlr- a few
weeks.
While It isn't generally known. "The
Girl From Clro's" Is nothing else but
the well-remembered "Tha Girl From
Rector's." which Introduced Mr.' Woods
to Broadway theatricals. In Its firs
rorm tas piece was a farce called
Loute. In Paris it .registered hun
dreds of performances. "The Girl From
Rector's" was deemed at the time of its
production one of New York's naughti
et plays, but it thrived for months a
Weber's Theater and subsequently, as
presented by several companies on tour,
vastly entertained rural art lovers.
AiaDle is blonde and beautiful and
can sing barely enough to be a musical
comedy prima donna.
Nellie Fillmore, one of the best
known character actresses of our stage,
will celebrate the 40th anniversary of
her debut by creating the role of Salina,
a colored servant in the new llarrl
uCKson comedy, "A Nigger in the
Woodpile," which Madison Corey an
josepn ttiter have in preparation un
der the direction of Harrison Grey
1-isKe. .
Miss Fillmore's first appearance was
in 1877 in the varieties. Soon after
wards she acted the part of Biddy Me
Shane, the old apple woman in suppor
or Jvaue Emmet in "Waifs of New
York." A more recent engagement was
that of the landlady in "A Country
juoy."
Marie Hamilton, in the "Lilac Dom
ino." at the Heilig tonight, opines that
it is the easiest thing to pick a married
man. Whlch; we might remark, is one
or tne causes or the divorce evil. Some
other woman picks him.
Its like that ancient wheeze about
always being able to tell a marrie
woman. The answer is "Yeh, but yo
cant tell 'em anything they don'
know."
ine statement that there are man
chorus girls In third-rate shows wh
earn or get less than $10 a week,
falls utterly to elicit .my condolence
I have to watch 'em dance.
Read where they ve just sent si
tons of hair pins from Brooklyn, con
signed to the lone Pitcairn Islands.
Hope it's enough to keep the girls on
the islands warn during February.
ARB MINORS OBT.U.IQ LIQUOR t
Observer at Express Office Remarks
Incidents sf One Day.
PORTLAND, Jan, 24. fTo th Edl-
tor Having heard of the crowds at
the Wells-Fargo liquor department
that broke in the front of the counter
and tore the buttons off each other's
clothes. I went down to see for myself.
The crowd, I found, was small and ih.r.
was no disorder, but I did see some
things that have sine cam.ri mm. n
do a lot of thinking-.
While watchinar tha nenrtli - -vAima-
glrl cams to the table near which I
tooa to wrap her package. She looked
uspiciously near 21. and I wondered
how J she had been able to get her
liquor. Several men were at the table,
and when the girl seemed clumsy, one
cf them wrapped her package for her.
She did not aDDear to know anr of
the men. but was perfectly -willing to
"Jolly" with them. The man whe had
wrapped the package asked If he .could
carry it home for her, and they went
out together. It did not look good.
out it was no affair of mine.
A few moments later, however,
girl came in who might possibly have
been 18 (she could not have been 21)
decided to see what proof of her
right to receive Uouor would be de
manded, and stepped up behind her at
the counter. In the crowd I wu un
noticed. Most of the people had poet-
cards. This little girl did not. The
clerk took a large card from a rack
behind him and said: "Is this your
name? Do you live a,t this address?"
"Yes." was the answer, and be gave
her the card. Not a word aa to her
age; no question of identity. I won
dered what the card was for and what
she would do with It, but she did not
hesitate. She knew.
Half way down the counter was
knot of people. There did not seem to
be clerks enough here, and we bad
to wait some time. One of the clerks
had a "spiel" like a barker for a circus.
'Step right up, ladies and gentlemen.
and sret your prize packages. Every
package contains a prize no blanks.
The whole thing seemed to be a farce.
Presently the little girl's turn came.
She signed fn three places and giggled
while the clerk mumbled something
about the truth and repeated his re
marks abbut the prize package. tne
did not read the affidavit. No one did
Still there was no question as to her
age.
At the end of the counter the little
girl paid S cents and. got her liquor.
In all the time she was there no one
asked her age; no one question her,
She had no trouble whatever in get
ting her package. And that little girl
was not 21.
I suppose It is "business" with the
express company, but what is the mat
ter with the authorities?
If the present laws are not enforced,
will the new ones be any better ob
served? Almost everywhere people treat
the matter of liquor shipments lightly.
Here are some of the answers I have
received:
'Suppose the District Attorney did
see Mary Smith at the bottom of an af
fidavit, how could he tell whether she
was 16 or 60? And if next week she
is Annie Jones, who cares?"
Affidavits? Oh, yes: but they only
have two men checking them. They
are more than a ..month (30.000) oe
hind now, and when the new law is
passed nobody will look at them."
"Booze? Sure, you can get an you
want and no one will ever ask you
about it."
I wanted to ask the District Attor
ney about it, and went down to the
Courthouse. There a young man po
litely -but firmly told me .that I couia
not see him; he was busy. It was
suggested I see a deputy. The dep
ty also- was busy, and after a wait I
was compelled to leave without see
ing either of them.
It will be lmpossiDie ior mo u
the District Attorney again oerore
leaving the city, bHt there are some
questions I would like to have an
swered. Is it easier now for minors to get.
liquor than it was when the town was
wide open?
Are there but two men checking
those thousands of affidavits, and is it
mere form?
Can you get "all the booze you want
by express, and will "noDoay ever
you about iT
I would line to Know.
ARTHUR J. MILLER.
CONSOLIDATION HELD NECESSARY
Mr. WrlKfct Inqnlres Wny Members ef
Legislature Cannot Agree.
PORTLAND. Jan. 24. (To the Edi
tor.) Today's dispatches indicate that
the Senate and House are widely dis
agreed on the question of what State
r-nmmiaslnns are to be consolidated.
There seems to be nobody quarrelling
with the premise or conclusion that
ome consolidation -is necessary ana
miiKt V.e made for the sake of economy
Th wrli.r is on friendly terms with
the personnel of all commissions ana
has no adverse comments ou ine nu.u
fimtions of any one.
The senera! public feels the same
Way and if daily expressions mean any
thlnsr. that public is asking on the
streets, why? It wants to know whether
the failure of the legislature to act, in
the face of the already admitted con
clusion. Is due to a survival of the
fittest, or a survival of the influential
among the personnel? The whole matter
is viewed from the taxpayers' stand
point alone by the general public. If
the Legislature falls to handle the situa
tion in the same intelligent and com
prehensive manner that a large rail
road would "handle its business, then
the public i qirHe likely to promote an
initiative bill to provide for it.
The writer is not in sypmathy with
such a course whenever the matter
can be attended to by the legislature
and hopes it will be done that way. The
Legislature surely knows that this
legislation is demanded; also that ap
pointments ought to be made on nil
commissions by the Governor, in order
to hold him responsible for securing
practical men.
ROBERT C. WRIGHT.
Tl'ITIOV FOR NOS - RESIDENTS
Writer Would Blnke Charge In Higher
Institutions ef LearnLnaT.
CORVALLIS, Or., Jan. 23. (To the
Editor.) The taxpayers of Oregon are
burdened now to the point of break
ing. Why should they pay for the col
lege education of the youth of other
states? An education at college is not
in the same class as high school. The
student is far better able to grasp a
higher education, if he worses for It,
or waits until he is older.
Even a small tuition fee from each
outside student would lighten the bur
den on the property holder. The bur
den falls too heavily on the small own
er of property. He helps to educate
the Oregon boys and also those from
other states, and even fore'n coun
tries, when, perhaps, his owi boy can
barely afford to go through .high
school.
Boys come from all over the world
because they can get free tuition. Most
of them come from states that have
universities and colleges. I believe In
education, but I do not believe in rob
blng'Peter to pay Paul. Those who
come from Autside the state should pay
to the state a fee for entering. It is
worth It. . A. J. STANTON.
Property Goes tot Children.
PORTLAND. Jara. 24. (To the Ed
itor.) I am a widow with - married
eons and daughters. At my -death my
property goes to my children. In case
married sons or daughters die before 1
do, who gets their share of the prop
ertytheir husbands or wives or their
children?. , ' - SUBSCRIBER.
Thfclaj children.
In Other Days
Twenty-five Years Afo.
Prom The Oreg-onlaa January 35, 3 R52.
New York. The New York World
saye Mr. Cleveland has Indicated he
would withdraw from the Presidential
contest. He is disgusted with the ac
tions of the party leaders.
The La Grande Guette. the Eucrene
Register, the Ashland Tidings, the Che
halis 13ee, the Olympia Tribune, the
Uervais Star and the Hoqulaon Tribune
and many other Northwest papers have
commented on the new dress of The
Oregonian. which now has a complete
supply of new type and is installed in
its new building.
In this town there Is a bill collector
who is a dandy. On his left side he
carries a wooden sign which reads:
"1 am a bill collector. I collect bills
that other men cannot cxdiect." This
man also has a cowbelX When he
spots a man who does not pay his bills
lie tattea station in front of the place
where the man is. If the debtor does
not come forth he rings the bell as an
inducement. The renult is the debtor
invariably pays his bill.
s
The much-dreaded In jrriDne. or Rus
sian influenza, seems to have struck:
Portland the past week. Among the
doctors who were interviewed on the
prevalence of the disease here are: Dr.
W. H. Saylor. Dr. F. Cauthorn. Dr. C
H. Wheeler, Dr. J. W. Frazer and
many others.
lialf Century A so.
From Th Oregonian. January 5. 1887.
Sixty-two passenger trains arrive and
depart daily from Chicago and tS from
Pittsburg. At the latter city 20.000
people daily come and go. Three thou
sand freight cars arrive and depart
daily.
The New Tork World dodges the re
sponsibility of advocating negro suf
frage by pronouncing it a manifest
destiny and declaring the South foolish
for opposing it.
John Tanner and Miss Harriet G.
Woodcock, of this city, were married
January 24 at the residence ,of L. M.
Parrlsh. Rev. C. C. Stratton- officiated.
' Mr, and Mrs. C. M. Carter were
thrown out of their sleigh yesterday
while riding downtown. Neither was
seriously hurt.
WAR HAS EFFECT OF TARIFF
Half Truths IndnlKed In by Democratic)
Writers on Subject.
ILWACO. Wash., Jan. 23. (To the
Editor.) While the campaign is over,
still the Democrats are not losing any
time In their endeavor to hold and
build up Democratic strength-. Recent
ly the following deceptive half truth
has appeared in their papers and it la
deceiving many.
Numbers of Republican papers are
predicting unprecedented prosperity for
the good old United States of America
during 1917. It is hard to figure out
how thejvreconcile these roty forecasts,
with thistarvation and soup kitchen
programme they presaged in the event
of a victory for Wilson."
Now. they know this is a deceptive
half truth, advanced for political effect,
to deceive the uninformed. As all in
formed persona know. Republicans have
claimed that many of the evils of
Democratic policies are held In ' abey
ance by the conditions created by the
European war. This war has auto
matically created for the "good old
U. S. A."a Republican protective tariff,
in the fact that many of our . needa
cannot be imported but must bo pro
duced here at home.
Thus the Republican policy of home
production and employment and keep
ing the money at homo has been forced
by -the war on the country., in many,
things.
We are not today in fact thanks to
the war while we are by law, under
the Derrtocratic non-protective ruinous
business policy of letting our own peo
ple be idle while we purchase our
needs from abroad and send the money
for the same out of the country.
Added to the Republican policy
forced automatically on our country by
the war. the war has also greatly in
creased the demand for the production
of our factories, soil, mines end waters.
So this war is bringing a great flood
of gold to us for these things and that
also means prosperity.
-Neither side at war as yet is ready
to stop. So, all in all. Republican papers '
are .not wrong in predicting prosperity
for 1917, as the evils of "Wilson's poli
cies are not in force now.
But, when the war is over and normal
conditions again prevail, the unwise, un
businesslike Democratic policies which
brought about TViiehanan's 1857. Cleve
land's 1S93, Wilson's 1914 starvation
soup kitchens will again bring about
the same results.
Is it wise to let these Democratic
deceptive half-truths eo unchallenged?
WALTER MJABERG.
ALL BCILDINO MATERIAL HIGHER
Virtually All Classes Have Increased In
Price (n Recent Months.
PORTLAND. Jan. 2. (To the Edl-tor.)-r-(l)
Please inform me whether
building material is much higher, if
any, than It was last year. (2) I wish
you would also let me know if a for
eigner coming to this country a good
many ye'ars ago and accumulating
quite a bit of property could vote. 1-M
haa not got his first papers out. His
wife also is a foreigner. Can she vote?
W. J. B.
(1) Virtually all classes of building
material have increased In cost during
the past half year, the high cost of.
materials and' labor and the steady in
crease in building construction being
the causes contributing. Building op
erations over the country in 1916 were
about 25 per cent heavier than during
the preceding year. Prices have risen
during the past few months on lum
ber, brick, structural steel, steel bars,
iron bars, rivets, cast iron pipe, cement,
etc. The Increase In each Instance has
been considerable.
. (2) The amount of property accumu
lated by an alien has nothing to do
with his right to vote. Not having tak
en steps to become a citizen, he can
not vote. Neither can his wife.
First White Child Born In Oregon.
. PORTLAND. Jan. 24. (To the Edi- ,
tor.) The statement that Mrs. Jose
phine Rader. who died on January IS.
aged 68 years, is said to be the first
white child born in &alem, is erroneous-
If Mrs. Rader was 6S at the time
of ber death she was born in 1849
possibly late in 184S. There are three
persons with whom I have a personal
acquaintance who Were born at tho
locality now known as Salem before
1848. Their names and addresses are
as follow: Mrs. Maria Campbell
Smith, born October 16. 1841. now liv
ing in Portland; George Phelps Hol
nian, born February 6, 1842, now llvinsf
in Salt Lake; Mr. Brewer, now living
in Long Beach, Cal., born December S,
1847. He was the son of Rev. Henry
Bridgeman Brewer and his wife, Meth
odist missionaries, who arrived at
Oregon City 4a June. 1840. A fourth
person, now deceased, may be men
tioned, who antedates the birtk of Mrs.
Rader Mrs. Frances Aurelia Willson
Gill, who was born in Salem July 13,
1847. GEORGE H. H1MES.
Last Day of School Week.
- Judge.
Teacher This makes four times-I've
had to punish you this week. Bobbie.
What have you to say to that? Bobbie
I'm glad it's Friday, teacher.