in
T1TE irnRXiXG OREGOXIA".
FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY 21. 1919.
rORTLAXD. OREGON.
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J number for ono year, the government
. should, enlist 175.000 for three years.
hat being the number and the term
provided by the Hay law.
The distinction between the Brit
ish and American practice is that the
British government has and exercises
authority to provide an army for the
transition period without further leg
islation, while the American law did
not look beyond the day when peace
will be, proclaimed and will leave us
practically without an army umcss a
new law should be passed in Che inter
val. It is another example of lack of
foresight on the part of the adminis
tration, which dictated all war legis
lation to an obedient congress.
MKMBER OK THE ASSOCIATEO PKEHS.
The Associated Press la exclusively enti
tled to the use for republication oX ail news
dispatches credited to K-or not otherwise
credited to this paper, and also the local
mvj published herein.
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rOKTLAMI, r'KID YV. KEBRI AR1' II. 1819.
THE FOE OF DEMOCRACY.
The attempt to assassinate Premier
Clomenceau is a result of that ter
rorist mania w hich has been let loose
by the revolution in Russia, then by
the revolutions in Germany and Aus
tria. It :s the appeal to force of those
who take their lessons from mon
archist preachers of the theory that
might is right. With minds inflamed
! to the belief that existing govern
ments wrong their class, they readily
reach the conclusion that their duty
is to kill the ministers who are re
sponsible, scorning the approved
methods of democracy as too slow and
us a device of the "bourgeoisie" to
perpetuate the wrongs of the "prole
tariat." Erotic Cottiu is a type of a large
class, the numbers of which have
been enormously increased by the tri
umph of bolshevism in Russia and by
its spread to other countries. Bol
shevism has propagated a mental dis
ease, of which the seeds were sown
by laws favoring certain classes in
Europe and by distortion of govern
ment to serve certain interests in
America and by the general reaction
from that condition. The pendulum
has now swung so far in the new
direction that the class which was
formerly oppressed, or considered
Itself so, takes or attempts to take the
privileged position and to oppress the
other classes. It is not confident
enough in the justice of its own con
tentions to seek its ends by the grad
ual process of convincing the majority.
It takes the short cut of wholesale
massacre, as in Russia: of local insur
rection, as in Germany: of assassina
tion, as in France, or of a veiled at
tempt to seize the 'poVer of govern
ment under cover 'of a strike, as at
.Seattle and Butte. All of these things
(ire manifestations of the same politi
cal disease. .
The free nations have been fighting
to "make the world safe for democ
racy," and they believe the war was
won last November. They defeated
one enemy autocracy but they have
now to light another, wnicn is more
difficult to identify, for it does not
tip pear in the form of organized, uni
formed armies. It is an idea in men's
mimis usually the ignorant or at best
the half-educated, the vicious, incom
petent and disappointed, led by a
sprinkling of abler, more intelligent
men who use these men as tools. That
idea is propagated in a more or less
covert manner, often only hinted or
suggested, but the effect is always
the same to inspire hatred of a class
or of established institutions and to
incite murder, destruction and all
forms of lawlessness.
This evil can be conibatc-tl sur-res--fully
in several ways. The law
can do much by punish in? the men
who are the instruments of its propa
gation, and should carry the fisrht
into its chief breeding place bol
shevik Russia. But we need to culti
vate positive devotion to the prin
ciples of democracy, jtist as wuatirrel
patriotism from a passive to an active
itatc for the war on autocracy, and to
fortify democracy by removing the
kii-t vestige of Injustice and inequal
ity from our application of those
principles. The system which gives
very man a vote, freely cast and hon
estly counted, and binds the minority
to accept the decision of the majority
is the only one which insures real
duality or which insures a nation do
mestic peace. It is the rule t.f the
"good sport" aiio does not crow w hen
he wins and does not squeal when he
loses. There is no nearer approach
to equality or icace or safety uimcr
the. rule of a soviet than under thai
of an emperor. Deiuocraev is the
most nearly perfect system of human
liberty yet devised, and the men who
nsusinatc a premier of France, or
start a n ign of terror in Russia, or
practice sabotage in America arc sim
Ply mti who have failed and who
S'ltical on deimerae's decisions.
TOO STRONG.
A letter printed in another column
of The Oregonian today offers some
pertinent observations upon the pro
posal at Salem to substitute for the
personal property tax on automobile's
a license tax graduated according to
horse power. Automobile owners
have expected a doubling of the
license tax and are generally willing
that that should be done In the inter
est of good roads. But on top of the
doubled license, to attempt a scheme
of horse-power taxation for purely
local purposes endangers the whole
scheme of road building with auto
license money.
The personal property tax on auto
mobiles is now assessed, as are taxes
on general property, according to
value. As a car depreciates in value
the personal property tax on it de
creases. To base the personal prop
erty tax on horse power imposes a flat
rate year in and year out. In many
cases It results in reversing tha old
order. Some automobiles, although
the rates are ostensibly more than
doubled, will actually pay less into
the public treasury than they do now
Other automobile taxes will be in
creased more than 400 per cent. Those
who will suffer most will be the own
ers of cars that have been in use sev
eral years.
It ought to dawn on the legislators
that the great proportion of automo
biles in Oregon are not new and that
the man with a rattling old gig who
finds that he is going to be taxed two
or three times as much as at present
while the owner of the bright new
car gets off for a less amount, and
that on top of that he must pay 1
cent a gallon on gasoline, that man
is likely to try to knock the whole
road building scheme to pieces.
It is true enough that many auto
mobile owners are now evading the
personal property tax. But surely
there is some way of compelling them
to pay without imposing an unequal
burden on the class of car owners
who" are least aole to pay.
important conclusions are likely to be J be that at which similar ships can f
eoaehoH within tha nnt four mnntliR I hn ill 1 i I f nr hmicht. fthmafl. tlTOm to '
is probajaly too optimistic. The dan
gers of premature generalization must
be avoided. Meanwhile those who
happen tp be twins are offered an op
portunity to be practically helpful in
determining the answers to several
questions that most persons would
like to know.
TWO WAYS OF DOING IT.
In contrast with the new. temporary
volunteer army of tss.ooo officers
and men which the war department
of the Tinted Slates proposed for the
transition period from war to peace,
estimated to end by July 1, l'Jl'O. the
1'ritish srovernnicnt intends to retain
StiO.000 men of the present arm. The
men who did not enlist before Janu
ary I, 13-16. and who are not over 37
years old. are first to be segregated.
They are estimated to number 1.300.
000. First, pivotal men in industry
and others "on compassionate
grounds" will be rel ased. and then
the older men. until only the desired
number remains. The army of 900.
000 is to be the army of occupation.
It is to have a bonus added to pay.
ranging from $2.50 a week for a pri
nte to $10 a week for officers above
the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
In the absence of new legislation
in this country there would be no
army four months after peace is pro
claimed, except about 30.000 men of
the old army nho.-e terms of enlist
ment will not have expired, and re
cruiting of volunteers cannot be re
newed before that date unless a new
law is passed, for the draft law sus
pended volunteer enlistment. To pro
vide against the country's being left
practically without an army, the Dent
hill was introduced, establishing a
temporary army for the year ending
June 30, 1920. of 53$. 000 volunteers,
whom the general staff expects to se
cure without trouble from the pres
ent draft army. It has now been pro
posed that instead of enlisting this
NO LOCAL POLITIC!.
The best chance of approval by the
people or a i-mui state tax ror puna
ing local roads lies in the thorough
ness .with which the measure over
comes the inertia and the inefficiency
of local communities. The Pierce bill
under consideration by the senate
falls short of that requirement.
It provides in a general sense that
the proceeds of the tax shall be re
distributed among the several coun
ties in the "proportion that the money
was contributed, provided each county
matches dollar for dollar the slate ap
portionment. Some latitude Is given
in making apportionments by mak
ing the maximum that any county
may receive from the state 10 per
cent of the state fund, and by re
quiring consideration of the mileage
of unimproved primary market roads
in each county.
The effect of the 10 per cent limi
tation would be to deprive but one.
county Multnomah of return of the
full amount of tax money it con
tributed. The practical result would
be that about $300,000 raised in
Multnomah county would be expended
in counties that had the least mileage
of improved local roads, while every
other county would receive at least
as much as it contributed.
Portland and Multnomah county
probably now recognize that money
raised by taxation in Multnomah
county and expended for improve
ment of roads in other counties is.
within bounds, not an unprofitable
thing for Portland and Miillnomah
county. But the voters of this county
will certainly insist that the money
they raise for road expenditure else
where shall be wisely and eco
nomically expended. The bill at pres
ent docs not give full promise of that.
It turns the apportioned funds over
to the county courts to expend in a
many ways, good, bad and indiffer
ent, as there are counties.
The plan that promises to obtain
the best support from the voters of
Multnomah county is one that Mill
give the state highway commission
ami its expert engineers supervision
over the expenditure of all road money
raised by state-wide" taxation. . That
ought to be the insistence of every
other county. Without it road build
ing will be thrown into the local po
litical pot. There will be nulling and
hauling and scheming and dissatis
faction and waste.
THE LIST OF MISSING.
The list of "missing in action" In the
files of the war department is said to
contain more than . 10,000 names.
There Is, nevertheless, some comfort
to be derived from knowledge that
this is due to a very considerable ex
tent to clerical omissions by bureau
clerks, and does not represent the
true total of those whose fate may
never be known. In a large number
of instances the next of kin of soldiers
have been notified of the recovery,
or death, or transfer of their rela-
tives weeks prior to publication of the
lists. Men have even been discharged
from the army and have read after
ward that they were "missing."
In the nature of war it is Inevitable
that there shall be some casualties
that never will be accounted for. There
are more than 10,000 graves marked
"Unknown" at Fredericksburg, and
more than 12,000 in the Vicksburg
national cemetery. The aviation serv
ice of the British army estimates that
nearly or.e-fifth of its casualties, num
bering about 16,000 in all, consisted
of "missing" men. Until the armistice
was signed there always was hope that
some of these men would be found In
enemy prison camps. Now, however,
this hope is all but gone. Doubtless
many deaths occurred and the victims
were buried without Identification.
Uncertainty in these cases never will
be cleared up.
Hostilities have been over long
enough now to warrant insistence upon
correction of the records as rapidly
as possible. Due allowance will be
made by the fair-minded for mistakes
made while the battles were being
fought, but in three months a toler
ably efficient clerical staff ought to
have been created. The "missing" list
is one of war's major tragedies. It
would be a pityto prolong for a single
needless hour the agonies of uncer
tainty which it symbolizes. And every
day of postponement only makes the
task more difficult.
STIDIKS IX fiKNKTlCS.
Those who like to debate such ques
tions as the relation betweeu will and
feeling as the root function of the
mind and the influence of heredity
and environment in shaping the desti
nies of men will be interested in the
efforts of the American Genetic associ
ation to obtain series of authentic
photographs of twins. Assurance is
Kiven to twins that by their co-oper-otlon
they may be helping to solve
one of the most important scientific
problems of the day.
Research has thus far developed,
according to the association, that there
are two distinct kinds of twins iden
tical and fraternal. The first-named
are presumed to be developed from a
single original germ cell, which at an
early stage is divided to form two
separate beings. They are always
sisters or brothers, and never sister
and brother, and invariably bear close
physicul resemblance to each ' other.
Fraternal twins bear no more resem
blance than brothers and sisters born
years apart.
Students of eugenics are concerned
with the problem because of its po
tential bearing upon the future of the
race. It is nevertheless admitted that
data are lacking upon which to base
sweeping conclusions. The fact that
the oiTicials of the association under
taking the new line of research in
clude several practical scientists of
note, however, indicates that it is not
born of idle curiosity. The careers
of authentic twins are believed to have
an important bearing upon many co
related sciences. The extent to which
heredity is a dominating influence, if
determined with approximate accu
racy, may be a factor in shaping the
eugenics programme of the future,
while disclosures as to tlie effect of
environment will be employed as basic
material by sociologists.
The promise of the association that
WANTED. A SHIPPING POLICV.
Chartering of wood vessels to carry
ties and lumber and ,probably to carry
flour, and of steel vessels to the Ad
miral line are the first signs pointing
to adoption of a policy by the ship
ping board. For several months both
shipbuilders and shipping men have
been kept waiting till the board de
cided on a policy, and the board has
been kept waiting for decisions to be
arrived at by the Paris conference be
fore it could decide. No decision is
yet known to have been reached, but
the folly of keeping ships idle while
sawmills accumulate lumber and
warehouses are choked with flour.
both of which commodities the whole
world wants, has at last been realized
In Washington.
But the need of decision on a gen
eral policy is no less urgent. It is for
the administration to decide on the
policy it favors, but it will be for the
new congress to decide whether that
or some other policy shall be followed.
The course of the administration with
regard to the railroads and the wire
systems implies that ,it will propose
government ownership of the mer
chant marine. The course of the ship
ping board in chartering ships sug
gests that it will not favor govern
ment operation also, and that is the
tenor of questions asked in a canvass
of business men. Congress must de
cide in the light of recent experience
with the railroads and wires whether
ships shall bo owned, or both owned
and operated, by the government or
shall pass to private operators sub
ject to an enlarged degree of public
regulation.
We know from the record made
with the railroads and wires what to
expect if the government should op
erate ships. The result' has hern
higher rates and worse service. Tliero
was some excuse while troops and
munitions were moved in immense
volume, and the people were patient.
Troops arc now moving in diminished
number for demobiliza.tion and muni
tions no longer choke Atlantic termi
nals hut ininrnvmAtll rlnec: not :i n.
pear. On tne pretense that war wye?." !
require it, railroad rates have h : ;
enormously increased, but the i'".tUj
made a loss of ? 200,000,000 last eai
and congress is naked for $750,000,000
to make good this loss and to put the
run-down roads in working order.
Postmaster - General Burleson has
raised wages on the wire systems and
is raising telephone rates in defiance
of state laws in a desperate effort to
avoid another deficit. Those prece
dents do not offer any encouragement
to pursue the same policy with ships.
Chairman Hurley of the shipping
board is sounding public opinion be
fore putting forward a policy, and he
must have derived much light from
the answers given to his question
naire by members of the San Fran
cisco chamber of commcrcq, who. are
doubtless chiefly users, not operators,
of ships. He found S3 per cent op
posed to government operation, both
because it would eliminate competi
tion and because the troverument is
not as well qualified as experienced
shipping firms. .Opinion was equally
divided cn the question whether ships
should be sold or leased to operating
companies. Lease was favored be
cause companies would not have the
capital to buy, could not operate
without government aid which could
best be given under lease and because
high cost of ships would involve heavy
initial sacrifice, which could best be
written off gradually under lease. Sale
was favored because private com
panies could better control and oper
ate ships than the government.
Ninety-nine per cent favored opera
tion by large companies, as they
would prove great factors in develop
ing foreign trade. There was general
agreement tfiat rates should be agreed
on with other maritime nations, dis
crimination and rebates being forbid
den and leases to prohibit exorbitant
rates. Ninety-nine per cent held that
the navigation laws should be changed
to enable American ships to operate
in competition with those of other
nations and at the same time to pay
wages and provide quarters which
would attract American boys to the
se-a. the government in some way to
srffset existing differences.
While the drift of Mr. Hurley's
questions indicates a tendency toward
private operation by large companies
under lease, probably with a view to
amortize gradually the extra war cost
of the ships, this end could be at
tained and the objections to sale of
the ships could be met in another
way. A company need not be enor
mously rich to comply with the terms
of sale proposed by the New York
chamber of commerce the price to
terms to
be 25 per cent cash, 75 per cent on
mortgage at 41 per cent to run for
fifteen years, annual installments to
be paid into a sinking fund, reap
praisal to be made after five years to
provide for depreciation in value.
Government operation of ships Is
open to graver objection than gov.
ernment operation of railroads and
wires, for ships must compete with
the merchant marine . of the whole
world, while the other utilities named
are free from foreign competition,
Government operation would be waste
ful and would almost certainly result
in a deficit to be made good by taxa
tion, which would add to cost of man
ufacturing goods for export and would
therefore hinder extension of foreign
trade.
Permanence of the American mer
chant marine depends on successful
competition with other nations, and
that depends on economy, efficiency
and energy. These qualities are found
in private enterprise, but not' in gov
ernment operation. The government
should pay full value for service ren
dered in maintaining mail lines and
In training American seamen enrolled
in the naval reserve. It should sell
the. ships for what they are worth,
not for what they cost, and it should
place fewer, not more, restrictions on
shipping by amending obsolete navi
gation laws. By that means Ameri
cans may gain pre-eminence on the
sea, as they have gained it in manu
factures and in operating railroads.
Convalescent soldiers not needing
too frequent medical attention are to
receive training in agriculture on a
farm in New Jersey which has been
acquired by the government with the
double purpose of furnishing agreeable
outdoor work and giving instruction
in agriculture. The farm, which is
typical of others it is hoped to secure
in different sections, has a dairy of
considerable size, a piggery, several
flocks of poultry and both horses and
tractor machinery, and it will be di
vided for general crops and for truck
gardening. Academic studies will not
be neglected. The Comeback, pub
lished at Walter Reed General hos
pital. says that among the farm courses
to be given will be studies in bees,
seeds, soils, fertilizers, house and home
management and farm management.
Men who do not care for farming as
a career, however, will not be allowed
to take up the work.
Those Who Come and Co.
The drive to raise a fund for the
relief of the suffering peoples of the
near east needs all the publicity that
it can get, because, although Armenia
and feyria have been great sufferers.
their woes have not been as close to
us as those of the people of Belgium
and northern France, and they have
received proportionately less, help in
the past. Particularly in Armenia the
atrocities have been of a kind for
which the Turks are notorious. Men
have been slain as part of the purpose
of the Turk to get possession of the
women, whose children have also been
killed or sold into slavery. There are
fewer heads of families remaining.
and, consequently, the work of re
habilitation will be more tedious, when
t is considered that the prime pur
pose of relief is to help people to help
themselves. The fund cannot be too
great; there will be use of every penny
that can be raised.
It will be generally conceded that
Thomas A. Edison is a successful
man, reasonably practical, as his de
votion to inventions of utility has
shown, and not without vision of the
future. Therefore .his views of the
duty of the people In the reconstruc
tion period ought to carry fveight. His
recent birthday message to the
country was:
Don't hesitate: go ahead now. The buvlntt
public is hungry for goods of all kinds. Tho
purchasing power of the public is enormous.
The only danger is the business man who
hinks he in- long-headed and hangs back
when he ought to go iihead. The man -who
lets his business run down waiting for prices
to reach their lowest level is likely to lose
more than he gains, and the percentage is
greatly against him.
H. F. Bird of Vancouver. B. C, sec
retary of i the Vancouver Automobile
club, put one over on ft group of Ro
tarians, fellow guests at the Multno
mah hotel yesterday. To demonstrate
to Mark Woodruff that the average
person does not listen carefully to
spoken words, Mr. Bird went over td
the group of Rotarians and told them
he was the man the Germans shot at
sunrise one rainy morning on the west
ern front. Kvery few moments there
after one of the group would point out
Mr. Bird and relate the story. When
the group, bright as Rotarians are said
to be, finally got the point Mr. Bird
made a rapid exit from the hotel lobby.
All of the hotels are being kept busy
finding rooms for the visiting Ro
tarians. Thirty-five members of the
Bellingham organization were regis
tered at the Oregon yesterday. Among
this group are William f. Griswold,
president of the Bellingham Rotarians;
J. B. Wall, vice-president; Thomas B.
Cole, secretary, and Henry P. Jukes,
treasurer.
Traveling salesmen who make reg
ular visits to the city and make the
downtown hotels their headquarters,
cheerfully '-accepted assignments to
rooming houses yesterday in order that
the visitrng Rotarians might enjoy the
use of the hotel rooms and that Port
land might properly entertain them.
Shipbuilding brought several more
persons to Portland yesterday. L. C.
Marshal of the Chicago office of the
United States shipping board ana Mr.
and Mrs. A F. Haynes and M- Eaton
of San Francisco, who are connected
with the Pacific steamship company,
were all registered at the Portland.
George E. Stacy, advance man for the
"Country Cousin." coming to the Heilig
theater in the near future, was regis
tered at the Portland yesterday. Mr.
Stacy comes from New York city.
F. E. Jeffries, K. K. Todd, B. E
Buckmaster, all well-known business
men of Tacoma, and their wives, were
among the visiting Rotarians regis
tered at the Benson yesterday.
I. B. Cushman, after whom his home
town, Cushman, Or., ' was probably
named, was at the Imperial yesterday
Mr. Cushman is the prominent mer
chant of that place.
T. W. Rolson of Olney, Or., was In
Portland' on business for the Western
Cooperage company yesterday. He reg
istered at the Perkins hotel.
W. G. Tait of Medford was at the
Imperial. Mr. Tait is one of the bank
ers of that prosperous southern Oregon
town.
H. T. Baker, who owns a big ranch
near Edmonton, Canada, was at the
Seward. Mr. Baker is touring the Pa
ciftc states.
Leon Haradon, owner of a lumber
mill at Carlton, Or., was at the Oregon
yesterday.
John B. Hartman, a prominent attor
ney of Seattle, was at the Benson yes
terday.
Homer A. Rogers of Mount Hood
Lodge, Or., wrote his name on the
docket of the Benson yesterday.
Ex-Senator George R. Wilbur of
Hood River is a guest at the-Nortonia.
J. W. Young, an Aberdeen. Wash.,
merchant, was at the Portland yesterday.
L. M. Cure, well-known Albany mer
chant, was at the Seward.
SO SLACKERS TO BE F1SMKHMISX
Exemption from deportation of
aliens who committed crimes before
the United States entered the war
would permit those to remain who
were destroying ships and munition
lactones ana plotting against our
peace. They are as undesirable as
any bolshevik.
If the aliens whom it is proposed
to deport would work there might
soon be good reason to let them re
main, but ns they join the I. W. Mr.,
strike constantly and force other men
to strike, the country gains absolutely
nothing by their presence.
The youngest son of Mr. Hoheuzol
lcrn has been arrested in Munich on
the charge of "plotting," which im
plies that the young man bus nothing
else to do. There should be an inter
national "I-cavenworth" to vcare for
the whole brood.
Farmers object to daylight saving,
but the hired man on the farm is the
sole person with a reason. He. is com
pelled to rise an hour earlier, but tho
boss seldom calls "Time!" that way
at the end of the day.
The wives, mothers and sweet
hearts, not to speak of the kid
brothers, of the Oregon soldiers will
now take lessons in Americanized
French from their own particular
doughboys.
LABOR IS BETTER OFF THAX EVER
No Other Administration Has Given It
Such Recognition, Says Writer.
PORTLAND, Feb. 20. (To the Ed
itor.) I would like to take the priv
ilege of answering Mr. W. O. Binns'
article, dated February 16, for Mr. Mil
ton A. Miller.
Not that I agree with Air. Miller in
his criticism of the Republican admin
istration, but I do not agree with Mr.
Binns in his criticisms of the present
administration.
Has the United States ever enjoyed
mpre prosperity than during the pres
ent administration? You may take for
your answer the bank clearings of any
or all cities 'in the United States and
you will see the actual facts. It is the
greatest prosperity the United States
has ever known.
Let it be known that I am not in
sympathy with the present strike trou
bles in Seattle and Birttc, but I am for
labor from the bottom of my heart.
This administration has recognized the
rights of labor more than any admin
istration since the birth of the nation
Don't Jhink for a minute that labor
would be satisfied to go back to the
Republican system of labor conditions.
Mr. Binns states that under the wise
provisions of the Republican party the
people of this republic acquired wealth,
which was the chief factor in winning
the world's greatest war. If he wottld
look over the long lists of liberty bond
and tha-rft stamp purchasers, also the
lists of donations given the different
relief .societies, he would find that
labor played a pretty big part in financ
ing the war. Would this have been
possible under the old system of slav
ery? No. 't
The present war was won because
we all worked together. If it is neces
sary for us to work together in war
times, would it not be good for us to
work together in peace times?
E. E. HARRIS.
Oreffon Bill Also Looks Toward Com-a
plete Cltlsrnahlp.
SALEM, Or.. Feb. 19. tTo the Edi
tor.) From The Oregonian's editorial
headed "So Are We Sorry" I feel taut
either my letter of the 15th replyins
to your editorial entitled "Some Ques
tions" was not clear or else you did
not have at hand the proposed meas
ure to which reference was made with
which to compare existing statuteB.
Your report of the Oregon and Wash
ington conference was evidently incom
plete. The Washington conferees sug
gested immediate exclusion of all un
naturalized aliens from fishing. Ore
gon offered as a substitute the Ameri
canizing of the industry within a fair,
just and reasonable time. The matter
was fully discussed, but was not agreed
upon.
The bill introduced by the fisheries
committee covers the Oregon idea,
which was evidently approved by your
editorial suggestion of last week. You
say "Columbia river fishermen are
mostly foreigners." Many are. We do
not seek to solve the problem by de
manding first papers. That is an ex
isting requirement now. We go fur
ther. We say no alien who has not
declared his intention prior to Janu
ary 1, 1919, shall fish at all, which
means no further influx. We say fur
ther, those who have declared their in'
tention have two years to complete
their citizenship. Surely this is a fair
proviso, for the courts could hardly
handle applications sooner.
Again, by our law we bar the slacker,
those who claimed exemption, and
finally we aim to meet the desires of
congress should It, in its wisdom, deem
the situation required even more dras
tic action. What could be more com
prehensive or fair? The loyal and well-
meaning applicants for citizenship can
qualify, the slacker will fail. To my
mind this measure is a comprehensive
remedy one without injustice to those
who have, come to this country to make
it theirs, and' without imposing an un
reasonable burden on a great industry
largely dependent upon these men and
which could not at once adjust itself
to radical action.
I believe you will agree that the Ore
gon bill is quite as drastic as any yet
enacted by any state and is a real con
structive move to meet conditions with
out undue leniency.
A. W. NORBLAD,
Chairman Oregon Senate Fisheries,
In Other Days.
ATTITUDE TOWARD NURSES QUEER
Things Expected of Tbem That Are
Unheard Of in Other Employments.
PORTLAND, Feb. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) There seems to be a great
amount of misunderstanding on the
part of most people in regard .to
nurses.
Many seem to think that a nurse
is a machine that works on the order
of perpetual motion. They do not
realize that a nurse has a human
body that requires care the same as,
for example, their seamstress'. When
a nurse takes a case she works re
gardless of hours 'until properly re
lieved. Suppose, for instance, you
were in urgent need of clothing and
hired a dressmaker to make them,
woud you expect her to sew all day
and night and then think she charged
an exorbitant price at $4 a day? How
much time has she spent in learning?
Has she beerr required to have a high
school education and then spend from
eight to 24 hours in hard work a day
for three years, for which she re
ceived nothing but board, room and
tuition and enough renumeration to
buy two or three gingham dress.es a
year and the required books? And is
she then required to take a state
board examination upon completing
the course?
I am not mentioning this because
of prejudice to the dressmaker. The
same can apply to stenographers and
many others, but just for comparison.
Another misconception is that a
nurse is not only supposea to nae
sympathy for the physical weltare
(and any good nurse will navel, dui
have a double amount of sympathy
for the pocketbook. Why do people
not feel the same in regard to a car
penter or plumber?
Suppose Mr. A s house burned oown
and he was too poor to do more than
buy the material, liow many carpen
ters and plumbers would have enousfh
sympathy to build it for him unless
they got their full price? You may
say they have families to support.
Did it ever occur to you there are
many nurses in like circumstances?
There has been some condemnation
about graduate nurses by some of the
hospitals during the "flu" epidemic.
The nurses were not so much to blnmo
as the hospitals, as they were expected,
in manv cases, to nurse influenza cases
for 12 hours for S'-'.S'i a day.
MRS. ANGE S'lRICKER-SALWAY
R. X.
Tneulf-nve Years Ago.
From The Orcyonian, February 1. 1S1H.
Ithaca, X. Y. Chlorine ens. generated
as u supplement to the annual clnss
riot between freshmen and sophomores
at Cornell university, caused the deth
of a colored woman employed as a cook
in one of the halls and serious injury
to waiters and students.
Philadelphia. Galusha A. Grow, ac
cording to returns tonight, was elected
congressman-at-large from Pennsylva
nia today.
Rio de Janeiro. The United States
cruiser Detroit has returned to the har
bor. The government is ir peaceable
possession of nearly all the southern
points, it is officially stated.
Henry Wynnes, known as "Dutch
Harry," one of southern Oregon's most
eccentric characters, was killed In his
cabin on Louse Creek Friday night by
Al Palmer and Jack Blair. They claimed
they acted in self-defenBe.
INJUSTICE I.V AUTO LICENSE BILL
Plan Puts Tax Burden on Old Cars and
Relieves New Ones.
PORTLAND, Feb. 20. (To the. Ed
itor.) 3 hope all automobile owner
understand the full import of the license
bill outlined in The Oregonian today.
The present minimum license Is
raised from $6 to $16 and license tax by
a new arrangement will include th
present personal property tax.
But not all the cars that now take
the minimum license will take it under
the proposed law. The 24-horsepower
car now takes the minimum. It will
pay 25 under the proposed law. There
are several thousand of them in Oregon.
To put the personal property tax on
a horsepower instead of value basis, as
this bill does, promotes rank injustice
in innumerable cases. For example, the
license tax on my' 4-year-old 24
horsepower car is now $6 and the per
sonal property tax J4. The bill raises
the license to )25 and eliminates the I-
My neighbor who bought a new car
of another make is now assessed for
personal property tax about $23, be
cause his car is new. His license tax
now is $6. His horsepower is less than
23, so if the proposed law were now iu
effect it would let him .off with a total
of $16 instead of the $29 he now pays.
Let me repeat for emphasis. My con
tribution to road and other public ex
penses because 1 own an automobilo is
to be raised from $10 to $25. My
neighbor's contribution is to be reduced
from $29 to $16. His car cost 60 per
cent more than mine cost new. It is
just as heavy and just as destructive, to
roads.
The general effect of this bill will be
to transfer a l-rge share of the tax
cost of owning an automobile from thi
owner of the fine new car to the owner
of the old rattletrap.
With every other automobile owner.
I am willing to pay more taxes in order
to get more and better roads, but I am
rabidly against such an inequitalslo
basis as is proposed in the bill. Thera
are enough owners of flivvers and de
preciated cars to put a referendum on
such a law as this if it is passed and I
think they will do it If they understand
its gross injustice. OLD TIMER.
Men who operate ships seem to like
wooden vessels built in Portland,
though the shipping board wants no
more of them. But the shipping
board is not composed of shipping
men.
It is getting so that whenever an
assassin appears it is taken for granted
that he is a Russian, though the corre
spondents who write on Russia dwell
on the virtues of the "gentle-moujik."
Oregon, Is proud of all its soldier
boys and glad to welcome them home,
but it just yearns for a sight of the old
Third Oregon.
Spokane traction people want the
fare increased to 7 or 8 cenfs, prefer
ably; the latter. Portland is lucky.
It is devoutly to be hoped the sena
tors do not come to blows before the
boxing bill gets out of committee.
The best proof that the new armi
stice terms are satisfactory is the in
dignation of the Germans.
Judge Landis is a man of large
ideas. Victor Berger got twenty
years.
Schoolboys have a Washington's
birthday holiday this time.
Daylight saving helps sell gasoline.
CIVIC .' BODY ADOPTS MEMORIAL
Seattle Orarnniaation Expresses Warm
Appreciation otf -Mr. IMttock.
SEATTLE. Wash., Feb. 18. (To the
Editor.) Herewith I have the honor to
transmit the text of a memorial resolu
tion in appreciation of the services of
the late Henry L. Pittock to the F-acific
Northwest. This resolution was'unani
mously indorsed by the board of trus
tees of the Seattle Chamber of Com
merce and Commercial Club. It was
prepared at the instance of and intro
duced by Jdsiah Collins.
G. C. CORBALEY,
x i Executive Secretary.
Whereas, Henry L. Pittock was rec
ognized as the dean of newspaper men
of the Pacific Northwest, having not
only the interests of his own com
munity but of the entire section and
the nation at heart; and
Whereas, He was one of the pioneers
who blazed the trail that others might
follow and be guided by the result of
his labors, 'continuous, untiring and
faithful, ever mindful of the present,
yet looking forward with that broader
vision which characterizes the leader;
and
Whereas, He was a potent factor in
molding tho life, the welfare and the
higher ideals of the Pacific Northwest
from the frontier days to the eve of his
departure; be it therefore
Resolved, That in recognition of his
long labors, which were of inestimable
value to the community in which he
lived, the board of trustees of the Seat
tle Chamber of Commerce and Commer
cial Club forward a copy of these reso
lutions to the breaved family, to his
associates of The Portland Oregonian.
which he founded and published, and
cause them to be spread at large upon
the minutes of the organization.
Adopted by the board of trustees,
Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Com
mercial Club, February 18, 1919.
GALLANT DOUOIIUOVS.
Always in the forward trenches.
Where the dangers are the worst,
Crossing No Man's Land so often
Where the deadly shrapnel burst.
Asking not the why or wherefore
Perhaps afraid, but dauntless still,
Acting with a common impulse.
Guided by a common will.
Charging iiraight at dca'th with laugh
ter Courage? Valor? Nerve? Morale?
Doesn't matter what you call it;
Wins the battle, eh, old pal?
Comrades fall in clumsy clusters.
Making life's lost sacrifice;
Can't delay the scheduled progress;
Some have got to pay the price.
Honor to the dead and living
Of this valiant host of men.
Should our country's need demand it
Men like these will serve again.
That's the safeguard of the nation
And insures its sure advance.
Take your hats off to the Doughboys,
Loved Ht'home. admired in France.
FIELD ARTILLERYMAN.
PROOF OK GHOSTS IS OFFERED
Wraith Appears of Truthful Debtor
Who Promised to Pay or Die In
Attempt.
COVE. Or., Feb. 19. (To the Editor.)
Ed Conklin of theUniversity of Ore
gon In Monday s paper wants to Know
if anyone, within the year, has had
immortal shades draw near and held
discourse with them, you know, in
metaphysic tones so low. Perhaps In
seance, weak with fear, some mystic
wraith you've chanced to hear, expe
rience or feel the same. If so, Br'er
Conklin wants his name.
E'en as he wrote, 1 saw a ghost,
and of the like 1 know a host. Our
mortal paths his feet still wend this
spirit of a trusted friend. Fair ef
visage, round of eye, garbed the same
as you or I. I passed him on the street
that day as down the road 1 wont my
way. His step was brisk, his voice as
clear as though I heard with con
scious ear; no death's head bis, no
shroud of white, but spook ho was t
know I'm right.
In mortal days John's owed account
became In time a lare aiuouut, e
when I sought to llquidalo John did
this way expostulate: "I'll pay this
next Tuesday night: can't do it now.
I'm awfully tiplit, hut I'll h.ivo fund.!
in a few days; 1 11 square it Tuesday,
sure as grace. Continue, friend, to
trea.l me well, I'll pay you then or
co to hell."
Savants, scholars, I'vo heard tell. snV
"grave" is "sheol" find "sheol" means
"hell." So when Tuesday came and
Wednesday pa.t-ed I knew poor John
had breathed his last; hut Thursday
inorn, with hill unpaid. 1 was scarce
preparer! to seo John's shade. Vet
that I did out by that post. John's
restless, vaud'rin&f carthbomid Kh'is:.
It doesn't sem lie can bo dead, to
proudly erect ho held his head, and
though I did not see him die, I kilo
he's dead, for John won't lie.
Psychology's rtnn at Eugene mu.-t
needs find out if ghosts do walk, m
to help him out in giving his lectures
on psychic science, 1 pray The Ore
gonian pas to hint this small hit of
histoiy. L. E. ANDERSON.
Not an "Entonpllmr Alliance."
THE DALLES, Or., Feb. IS. (To the
Editor.) In The Oregonian today I
read with great pleasure the strong
points in favor of a league of nations
made by ex-President Taft and your
comments thereon. His answer to sen
atorial criticism is conclusive.
Washington would never have re-
e-arrled a leatjue treaty fhat would do
away with yirorld war and secure the
beneficent nuruose of world peace as
an "entangling alliance." And instead
of giving up the Monroe doctrine the'
league would extend to the world the
main object sought by America in the
western hemisphere.
You suggest expressions of opinion.
Dr. Lowell said the first and highest
duty of a citizen is to have an opinion
and the second duly is to express it.
My opinion is that if the league of na
tions secures the peace of the world it
will be a success no matter what its
terms. M. C. GEOUGE.
Association of Traveling Men.
SHEDD, Or., Feb. 18. (To the Edi
tor.) 1 would like to know the name
of the association for traveling men.
CONSTANT READER.
The Commercial Travelers' associa-
t ion. is prouaoiy tne organization you
refer to.
Stenographer Asks Advance.
' Pathfinder.
Richard Butler Glaenzer, New York
essayist and critic, at the Player' Club:
"Poetry is delightful. Hut poets are
so poorly paid. I know a rich man
who has a beautiful golden-haired ste
nographer. The girl said to her em
ployer the other day:
" T am going to get married, sir. Ahd
I am going to marry a poet.'
"'Dear me!' said the wealthy man
'Then you will leave us, eh?'
" 'No, -sirr she replied, T shall not
leave. you, but I shall need more pay.' "
WHKOJIH HOME.
Pehrs like our words are all worn out,
or else grown awful thin,
When wc try to say how glad we'll be
hen the boys git home agin.
But jest the same, with words that's
left.
From "Liberty" to Nome
America has jest gone wild.
Since tlie lads are coming home!
And ain't wc proud of every one.
From Pershing to the ranks!
No matter their complexions.
They're our own intrepid Yanks,
Who went to fight the devil,
(And fought like demons, too);
Them chaps have showed their colors-
And they're all Red, White and Blue'
And some there were wkVo won't come
back.
And the little stars of blue
In the service flags hung up for them
Look gold as real stars' do.
And MP above "God's service flag,"
Spread out across the skies,
I like to feel a welcome waits
For every lad that dies.
To show his faith that right is might
That right comes from the Ixrd,
And not the right of Prussian fright
To wield a dripping sword.
Anil I believe that every man
Who falls for. freedom's sod,
To make this world a better place.
Will stand four-square with God.
MARY AGNES KELLY.
After Gefnisns Left HrUKarls,
Red Cross Magazine.
In Brussels the boehe lived up to his
reputation of Lille. Few buildinss we"e
destroyed, but every house was stripped
of its linen, hardware and valuables.
The shops maintained a semblance of
business but their stocks were woefully
scanty, although there was plenty of
food. During the last few days of Ger
man occupancy the Germans com
menced rioting among themselves; of
ficers were stripped of their Insignia,
their swords were broken, and many
bloody affrays took place. Machine
guns lined the main streets a::d many
innocent civilian bystanders were
killed. As a final act tho Gcrnlans Mcw
up trains of dynamite in the rallrvati
stations.