THE MORNING -OR EG ONI AN, TUESDAY, KEPTEMREP
Jltormug 3w $onbm
ESTABLISHED BY HENRY L. PITTOCK. presentation to the public of the
Published by Tlie Oregonian Publishing company's balance sheet and its as
Co.. 185 Sixth Street. Portland. Oregon. ; surance .of on,y & Hnlited profit tO
C. A. MORDEX.er - E. B. PIP. the owners, would make the public
The Oresonlan Is' a member of the As-I re tolerant of higher fares then
sociated pri bs. The Associated Press is the ordinance might in the end ac
xrluniveiy entitled to the use for publics- cpmplish results. The psychologist
ooit of all news dispatches credited to It !,..- i.v. . . . . .
or not otherwise credited in mis paper ana
also the local news published herein. All
riKhtl of republication of special dis
patches herein are also Yeserved.
Subscription RatoH Invariably in Advance.
By Mail.)
rally, Hunday Included, one year $.00
Daily, Sunday included, six months ...
Daily, Sunday included, three months . .1:5
lastly, Hunuay Included, one month, .... .73
Dally, without Sunday, one year .P0
. . , : .1. . li .rt.U at mnnth-
Dally! without Sunday! one month BO
Weekly, one year - 1.0(1 I
Sunday, one year 2.50
Sunday anu weekly i
(By Carrier.) '
, Eaily, Sunday Included, one year $9.00
Dailv, Sunday included, one month .... .75
Daily, Sunday included, three-months . 2.25
Daily, without Sunday, one year . 7.K0
Daily, without Sunday, three months . 1.13
Daily, without Sunday, ona month 65
Hnw to Kemlt Send postoffice money
order, express or personsl check on your
local bank. Stamps, coin or currency sre
t owners risk. Give postoffice address
In full. Including county and state.
restate Kates 12 to 16 pages, 1 cent:
JS to 32 pages. 2 cents; 34 to 48 pares. 8
cents; fio to HO pages, 4 cents; C2 to 76
pages, 6 cents; 78 to 62 pases, 0 cents.
Vorelg-n postage,' double rates.
Eaatern Business Office V'erree & fonk.
lln, Brunswick building. New York; Verree
& Conklin, Steger building, Chicago; Ver
ree A Conklin, Free Press building, De
troit, Mich. San Francisco representative,
Jl. J. Bldwell.
WHAT'S TO BE DONE?
We shall not attempt to say what
is the solution of the traction prob
lem. Clearly the rise In cost of labor
and materials must affect the public
utility just as it affects every other
enterprise. Stockholders are not
prone to meet indefinitely recurring
monthly losses, municipal ownership
has proved no more remunerative
than private ownership, and the pub
lic objects strongly to payment of
higher fares.
Higher fares are generally imposed
against the public will. They have
been in Portland and many other
cities. Now there is an application
before the public service commis
sion for another increase to 8 cents.
If the application shall be granted
there will be many who cannot avoid
paying it- There will be others who
will refuse to do so. They will find
a substitute for the street car.
Decline of number of passengers
upon establishment of a higher rate
las been noticed in other cities.
There is no reason to believe that
the same thing would not occur here.
Eome will find walking preferable to
paying an S-cent fare; others who
now find their distance from work
too great to resort to that means at
present, will move closer to town;
others will discover, or think they
discover, in the increase a. justifica
tion for purchasing an automobile.
Tho automobile probably has al
Kiist as important an influence t5n
street railway profits as the high
cost of labor and materials. The
number of automobiles owned in
Portland gives no accurate Idea of
the extent of this influence. In
journeying to town most drivers fol
low streets in which the street cars
travel. It has become a common
custom to pick up a load of persons
on the way.
This custom adds gray hairs to the
head of a street-car manager in more
ways than one. If he attempts to
amke revenue meet income by re
ducing serice, more persons are con
gregated at the corners when the
obliging auto owner drives by and
there is more reason why the un
obliging one should feel uncomfort
able riding majestically alone in a
conveyance built to carry five or
seven persons. If the manager
raises the fares he heightens the
consideration of the automobile
owner just about as much, or he
loses traffic in the other ways here
tofore mentioned. Yet he must
somehow keep his cars moving. The
public cannot be left to rely upon
the good nature of automobile
owners.
Mr. J. P. Newell proposes relief
in a new form of franchise. This
franchise seems to have two main
objects. It does not profess to offer
service at less than cost or to turn
the business over to the employes,
a la Plumb, to see what they can
make out of it. Its apparent objects
are to bring more accurately and
prominently to publio attention the
elements that make a business a
going concern and to offer an in
ducement to employes to remain on
the job.
The plan, as briefly as it can be
outlined, provides for fixing wages
annually by arbitration or agree
ment and for establishing a mini
mum return on the street railway
investment. Whenever the net in
come is more than sufficient to pay
the minimum return on the invest
ment, one-half of the excess is to be
paid to the employes as a bonus up
to the point where this bonus equals
10 per cent of the payroll. No bonus
is to be paid to an employe who vol
untarily leaves the company's serv
ice during the year in which the
bonus accrues. The remaining one
half of the excess goes to increase
the return on the company's invest
ment until that return reaches a
maximum of 8 per cent. Any further
excess is to be paid into a guarantee
fund until that fund reaches the sum
of $500,000. This fund is to be used
to guarantee a certain return to the
company and a certain bonus to the
employes during periods of depres
sion in net receipts. If it becomes
exhausted and the net receipts are
not sufficient to pay the minimum
return on the investment fares are
to be increased to such a point that
they will insure the minimum return
on the investment.
If there is any excess not required
for the guarantee fund it is to. be
set aside as a fund which the city
council may use for purchase by the
city of the company's property
piecemeal, or for new construction.
The council is also to be given au
thority to reduce fares if they pro
duce more than enough needed to
pay the 10 per cent bonus, the 8 per
cent on the investment and to keep
up guarantee and purchase funds.
As already indicated the proposed
franchise does not definitely offer
promise of reduced fares, although
it may be argued that employes will
show a greater" 'efficiency ' with' a'
bonus in sight. But employes' ef
ficiency will . not. causa .more, persons
to ride on the street cars and that
seems to be one of the things needed.
Furthermbf e", ' the' reports' presented'
to the public service commission in
the present hearing indicate that in
come is not now sufficient to pay the
minimum return to the company, let
alone create a guarantee fund and a
Tinrrhase fund and pay a bonus. It
U apparent ttiat the company would
leed to begin operating under higher
; farea.
If this ordinance, by its frequent
may have faith in it on that score
and we do not say that he would not
be justified In having- such faith.
We are not up on that kind of psy
chology. But other than that are
the outstanding facts that wages
must be paid, materials bought, and
interest and taxes met. and that 6
cents cannot be made by law to pur
chase more than 5 cents' worth of
labor on material
or pay more than
5 cents in taxes and interest.
As before remarked this article Is
not Intended to offer a solution of
the street railway difficulty, but to
point out the intricacies of the
problem.
FOB THE STATE'S BENEFIT.
Mr. McArthur has wisely decided
not to enter the race for senator, but
to stand for re-election as member
of the house at Washington. An am
bition for promotion to the senate is
laudable and natural in any con
gressman; but it involves considera
tion which any one conscious of the
the uncertainties of politics and de
voted to the public interest cannot
ignore.
Mr. McArthur is in his third term,
and has acquired important commit
teeships and a. position of influence
in the general membership. A new
representative has much to learn and
a long row to hoe before he gets far
in either house at Washington. It
is axiomatic that those districts which
make a sound decision as to their
representative at the outset and keep
him there are best off in national
legislation.
Mr. McArthur's most Important
committee is for naval affairs. The
interest of Portland and Oregon in
that subject . is vital. He can ac
complish much there, and it would
be a positive public misfortune if for
any reason he should give way for
another on his own motion or if the
public should displace him. Another
Oregon representative, Mr. Hawley,
is on ways and means, and the third,
Mr. Slnnott, is chairman of public
lands. The state is the beneficiary
of the long service of its three rep
resentatives. Tins HARBOR NEEDS A BASIN.
One important conclusion to be
drawn from the presence of half the
navy in the Pacific ocean is that, in
future provision for the business of
the Port of Portland, as much con
sideration must be given o width as
to depth of channel. Dreadnoughts
as long as 800 feet may want to enter
the port in fact naval officers ex
pressed the opinion that It would be
desirable that they should come to
Portland when a squadron of de
stroyers was here lately. Passenger
liners are now built as long as 300
feet, and their number may be ex
pected to increase. It is as neces
sary that they should have room in
which to turn as depth-in which to
keep afloat. Portland has kept fairly
abreast of the times in the latter re
spect but not in the former.
Modern commerce and modern
navies demand that every well
equipped port have a wide, deep, long
basin in which to turn. Portland has
an ideal location for the purpose. If
the whole of Swan island were re
moved and excavated to the maxi
mum depth established for the port
and channel, the port would have a
basin 4 000 feet wide between harbor
lines. This would be ample width
for any ship now afloat or likely to
be built in the next generation. It
would be below all the bridges, near
the St. Johns terminal and in line
with future development of harbor
facilities.
The cost would be considerable.
but compared with some harbor im
provements now under way or con
templated, it would not be serious.
A valuable offset would be the value
of the material taken from the island
for filling of neighboring low land.
A certain amount f sediment would
be deposited yearly by the river, but
that is considered no objection to
ether river harbors. It would re
quire a certain amount of dredging
every year to maintain the requisite
depth, but that is no better argu
ment against making the basin than
would be the cost of street cleaning
against paving a street. It would be
all in the day's work.
Such an undertaking is not ahead
of the time, as some may think. The
fleet is now on the Pacific coast, it
needs an additional base between
Bremerton and Mare Island, and na
ture has marked the Columbia river
as the most suitable site. Provided
ample water space exists here, the
distance of 100 miles from the sea is
an advantage rather than the re
verse, for it gives a good measure of
protection against sudden attack
from the sea and air. It has the
further advantage of being at a great
commercial center, whence railroads
radiate in all directions, where there
are many industries serviceable in
snip repair ana wnere tnere is a
market drawing supplies from a
large, rich territory. With all these
points in the port's favor, ships which
do not balk at going up a creek to
Mare island would not object to com
ing up the fine channel of the Colum
bia to Portland. Congress is likely
to act on the question of Pacific
bases at this or next session, and its
action would be powerfully influ
enced by steps of the Port of Port.
land to furnish accommodation for
the navy. That step would be an ar
gument more powerful than days of
speecr.making or reams of reports.
Leaving aside the needs of the
navy, no long time will elapse before
a basin will be needed for merchant
ships. Direct traffic with northern
Europe has already opened and, as
more vessels become available, ships
will be sailing to the Mediterranean,
Passenger vessels will soon follow in
the wake of freighters. Although
immigration may be prohibited for
a few years till the world settles
down, ii will surely be renewed, and
great liners will then come to Pacific
ports. Immigrants will want to come
west, and thty will prefer the all-
water route to that by way of New
York and by rail across the conti
nent. Not only will the direct route
be cheaper, but it will bring passen
gers through the tropics instead of
through the chilly, foggy, iceberg-
infested waters of Newfoundland.
"Liners of great length will come, and
they will need as much room as a
dreadnought.
Fortunately the Port of Portland
commission and the dock commis
sion are working in close' co-opera
tion, and are composed of men who
J take a broad view ot affairs and jplan
for the future beyond tomorrow.
They realize that changes come rap
idly in these days and leave behind
the man or the port that is not ready
for them. They realize that careful
consideration must precede action,
but they also realize that excess of
caution which prevents action is
often fatal.
A DISSOLVING COALITION.
The Lloyd George coalition won
the election in Great Britain last De
cember with a larger majority in
parliament than had ever backed a
cabinet. Every sign indicates that,
if another election were to be held
today, the coalition would be utterly
routed. Kvery by-election since
December has resulted either in de
feat for the coalition or in material
reduction of its majority. The latest
and most serious blow was the elec
tion of Arthur Henderson, the labor
leader, at Wldnes, which was con
sidered so safe for the coalition that
Henderson was only persuaded to
run in order that the seat might not
go by default.
IJoyd George's failing power is ev
idently due to his attempt to carry
over to the work of reconstruction
the coalition which he had formed
to win the war, also to his capitaliz
ing for political ends the people's
gratitude for leading: them to victory.
He is a radical, as are many of his
followers, while others are laborites,
but the great majority are tories,
though they have changed their
name to unionist. Practically their
only point of agreement was determi
nation to win the war. When that
was over, all their differences on do
mestic policy were bound to break
out if they attacked in earnest the
problems of reconstruction. They
could agree on that subject only by
avoiding or nibbling at the questions
on which they differed. The wonder
is that they were able to compromise
on such comparatively radical meas
ures as the transport bill and the na
tionalization of coal in the ground
not the mines. The net result is
that they have pleased nobody and
displeased almost everybody.
A constant fire, growing in in
tensity, has been kept up ever since
the general election. The hottest
fire has come from the Northcliffe
papers, which insist that Ireland be
pacified with a kind of dominion
home rule. There is a general out
cry against extravagance, which has
driven Lloyd George to order a ruth
less reduction of the swollen civil
service. The discredited Asquith and
his liberal rump still talk, but few
heed them. The laborites threaten
direct action against intervention in
Russia and when warning is given
that all the power of the law will be
used against paralysis of Industry.
they ask if the warning extends to
Carson, who threatens direct action
in Ulster against home rule.
British politics resemble a three-
ring circus, but out of the confusion
U- emerging a new party led by Lord
Robert Cecil, who is described as a
radical tory a contradiction in
terms. It is drawing to it what are
called the progressives among both
liberals and tories, and the laborites.
All seem to turn against Lloyd George
Tories because he is too radical:
laborites because he is not radical
enough; liberals because he drove
out Asquith and formed a two-thirds
tory cabinet in 1916. The outcome
may be an election before the year
ends, in which the survival of the
war premier is improbable.
EIGHT TESTS OF VIRTUE.
Henry de Man's methods of de
duction remind one somewhat of
those of a fascinating character of
fiction. M. de Man however, is
not engaged in ingenious criminal
deductions but in determining the
social and industrial level of America
for the information of the Belgian
government.
Ordinarily the investigator into
such matters follows a familiar trail.
It leads to the census and industrial
reports, tq the factory, the church,
the school, to interviews with au
thorities in various movements. Pos
sibly M. de Man does not wholly
neglect this trail but he has other
tests, simple yet ingenious. He ob
serves to what extent the birds In
the parks and public squares are
afraid of human beings: whether
there are many silly and obscene in
scriptions on walls and doors. The
manner in which a crowd of people
enters a street or railway car and
occupies the space .within tells him
now sell-dlsciplineu are the people.
How many classes there are in such
conveyances informs him as regards
the social cleavages. Whether the
tip system is widespread or not evi
dences the dignity with which human
labor is treated. The number of
signboards with the ominous Ger
man verboten tells how far'the peo
ple are left to their own honor to be
have themselves properly. The re
spect for childhood and womanhood
is determined by the amount of
menial or heavy labor one sees being
done by women and children. The
quantity of papers and offal lying
about on - park' lawns and similar
places reveals the quality of public
spirited citizenship.
No one will be disposed to quarrel
with this original investigator as to
the value of these simple bits of evi
dence concerning the moral and
social level of a people. But one
must feel a. sense of gratification
upon learning that M. de Man, who
has traveled the world over, finds
that in . only one of these tests the
United States fails to beat the record
of other countries. The remissness
ir in the throwing about of old
papers, but M. de Man consoles us
with the remark that he is told that,
especially In New Tork, the scatter
ing of papers is mostly due to the
large percentage of non-assimilated
immigrants and that he is glad to
ignore this little defect when the
much more important testimony of
some of the other experimental ob
servations is considered:
The first day I landed In America, I no
ticed that the birds and squirrels were
tamer than anywhere else; that. In spite
of the motto "step lively and watch your
step," the crowds were remarkably well
disciplined. I found there was practically
only one class on the railroads as con
trasted with the characteristic German
four-class' system: that tips were much
less generally expscted than on the back-shish-rldden
old continent; that very few
things, were officially verboten! except spit
ting land I had no reason to regret this ex
ception); that there was obviously a much
greater respect for childhood and woman
hood than in Europe. In all my six months'
lourney through the states I only once no
ticed an obscene inscription on a wall, and
then it was In the vernacular of a country
of Latin Europe which the desire to avoid
a rupture in the entente forbids me to
mention.
There is testimony enough in the
foregoing that M. de Man is an in
teresting individual. His history
provides cumulative evidence. He
has schooled himself to be an inter
national man, and in pursuing his
studies has lived in England, Aus
tria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy,
Belgium. Denmark and Scandinaviu, j
While in Germany he was an inti- (
mate friend of Karl Llebknecht. tho ;
leader of the spartlclsts, who since I
the armistice was slain, following!
a spartican uprising. He collaborated I
with Llebknecht In preparing the
pamphlet on militarism which had
brought upon Llebknecht a foui
years' prison sentence. In 1914, M.
de Man was one of the several con
tinental socialists who worked until
the last moment to avert the war by
aligning international labor against
it. Following the outbreak of war
he enlisted in the Belgian army, was
promoted to a lieutenancy) was deco
rated by both Britain and Belgium
for bravery, and after three years In
the trenches was sent on labor mis
sions to Russia and later to this coun
try. The war had a profound in
fluence on his ideas on nationalism,
socialism, capitalism and other prob
lems, and this development he has
described in a book, "The Remaking
of a Mind," recently brought out in
this country by Scribners.
It may be conceded that M. de
Man, as a citizen of a country which
acknowledges a great gratitude to
America, came to the United States
somewhat predisposed In its favor.
Yet he acknowledges that he had
some misgivings. He had" read the
literature of the German social-democracy
and that of the American
socialist party, both of which teach
that American democracy Is but a
ruthless blind for exploitation by
capital of the worklngman. That
which he found was In such contrast
to that which he had read that he
temarks:
My greatest surprise was to find that
net only is America not s community of
dollar-worshippers, but that In no other
country and I have lived In practically
very country In Europe north and west
of the Balkans does mere material wealth
carry with It leas prestige. In no other
country Is It less considered the one aim
In life. ' Your rich people mostly work
hard, and the few loafers don't advertise
the tact.
And as we thus must go to a for
eigner for a proper estimate of
American socialistic literature, so we
may learn from him, too, better to
appreciate another form of author
ship. This traveler acknowledges
that that which caused him emotion
second only to that inspired by the
sight of the statu, of liberty was his
first glimpse of the Mississippi. It
was not the greatness of its flow of
waters, but that before him from its
mists seemed to rise the ghosts of
Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, the
heroes of his boyhood. In the hu
morous philosophy of Mark Twain
not in the complaining phrases of
socialistic writings does he find puls
ing the real heart of America. We
had not before thought of Mark
Twain as an antidote for socialism,
but true it is that one may not read
hirn without a pleasanter outlook and
a happier appreciation of the varied
phases of human nature that social
ism would melt Into a dull commonty
as to work and aspiration.
Trouble between Belgium and Hol
land arises from that scrap of paper
which was signed In 1839. It has
proved effective in preventing im
provement and free use of the
Scheldt by Belgium, but not in pro
tecting Belgium from invasion. Bel
gium also wants the narrow strip of
Dutch Limburg, which prevents Bel
gium from getting at Germany, but
does not prevent Germany from get
ting at Belgium, as the war proved.
The treaty of 1839 was another of
those bargains in which the great
powers handled the small nations
like pawns.
The- best solution of the Turkish
puzzle might be to send Hoover.
About the first thing he would do
would be to feed the brutes. Prob
ably half the unrest springs from an
guished doubt where the next meal
will . come from, or whether some
pasha will steal it just as the owner
is about to eat. There are two main
sources of trouble in the world the
men who are desperate with hunger
and those who "wax fat and kick.
Out here, where a strike Is little
more than atmospheric disturbance,
one has little conception of the size
of the steel strike. More than a
quarter-million workers are involved
and if not settled In short order the
number will grow to the size of a
state's population, of workers alone.
The number of dependents will
quadruple and more those affected
"Our country Is small," says King
Albert of Belgium. Yes, but it is
great in spirit, and It has the kind of
king whom a republic delights to
honor, for he is a true leader and de-
tender of his people. The objection
to monarchy Is that the people take
too long a chance of getting such a
king.
French army plans do not indicat
over-confidence in the nrntpntlv
power of the league. Perhaps they
will be modified when France sees
how the league works and learns
whether the special treaties with th
United States and Britain have bee
ratified.
Those Hood River people who have
taught cats circus tricks are won
ders. If you doubt it, try it with the
family cat. The cat is the meanest.
most vicious and most stupid domes
ticated animal when it comes to
being taught.
Kelso has the indomitable spirit.
Though fire destroyed its mill that
cut more shingles than any other in
the world, with loss of $100,000 and
little insurance, it is going to keep
right on cutting. That's the Idea
that makes Kelso what she is.
D'Annunzio is poet, novelist, dram
atist, airman, general, revolutionist,
orator. He should leave a few jobs
for the other Italians. After all he
does, he leaves them to raise food,
while he raises a hotter commodity
that is not good to eat.
If Hoover had advised us to buy
no clothes at the beginning of sum
mer, it would have been easy, but
with winter near, it is rather chilly
advice.
All the "dope" on the world series
boils down to betting on the club you
believe will- win not on what others
say.
Quite natural there should be a
row in the court of domestic rela
tions. Most rows are family affairs.
Pat Moran is not missing anything
that will help. A Cincinnati preacher
Sunday night prayed for runs.
Moran yet may have the Cincin
nati girls wearing red hosiery to
make proper medicine.
Go to the state fair, but be sure to
so the riht way.
BY TIIK WAl.
The NC-1. first airplane to fly the
Atlantic like the old man's knife
that had had two new blades and a
new handle but was still the same old
knife la still in service. The wings;
have been stripped and recovered, the
the engine has been discarded and a
new one installed, numerous struts,
stays and bearings have been replaced
and it has been given a new cost ot
paint. The NC-4 same old Nancy,
of course is now touring the east to
drum up recruits for the navy.
Estelle James 16 years old. has
won the gold medal In a speaking
contest held under the auspices of J
the women s Christian Temperance
union, at the Budd Park Christian
church in Kansas City. Estelle is a
granddaughter of Jesse James, the
noted outlaw. A correspondent of the
New York Herald tells of the Incident
as a reminder that men, women and
children are judged In America not
by the way of their forefathers, but
by their own conduct. As a further
reminder it is mentioned that Ks-
telle's father, Jesse James Jr.. Is a
prominent lawyer in Kansas City. Hie
father was killed when Jesse was 6
years old. At 8 Jesse was an office
boy helping support his mother and
sister. Later he went to work in a
packing-house, built a home for his
mother and put his sister through
high school. Then the sister began
teaching and Jesse married. His wife
kept boarders while he attended law
school. Now there are four children.
The sister is now the wife of a far
mer near Kansas City. Both families
are loved and respected by their
neighbors.
The works of Victor Hugo have
been translataed into Japanese, to be
published in a monthly series of 12
volumes. "The translators," says the
Herald of Asia "include literary men
of known standing, whose names are
a guarantee of conscientious work.
Many of the great French author's
works have already been translated
Into Japanese, one of these, "Les
Miserables," having been dramatized
by the late Genlchiro Fukuchi; but
this is the first time a translation of
Hugo's complete works has been at
tempted.
Judge Sweeney of Pittsburg has
overruled Mr. Hoyle, the eminent au
thority on the national indoor sport,
for Magistrate Sweeney, who conducts
hearings In central police court, has
held that winning a pot of $110 on a
pair of fours is cheating, and conse
quently a man who gets his money
back at the point of a revolver is no
criminal. It Is not wholly clear that
this Is true of an honest bluff as the
winner was accused of having cards
up his sleeve. As an interesting
corollary Magistrate Sweetzer, New
York, has held that it is not a mis
demeanor to swat a straw hat after
straw hats have been called in by
custom.
They were waddling back from the
water front Friday afternoon. They
were tired and out of sorts, as fat
women are apt to be after standing
two or three hours in the hot sun
waiting for something to happen.
"Huh:" she growled. "Me come
down to see the president? I'll tell
the world there ain't nothin' doln.
The president is just a common boat,
like lots of other boats we see every
day. She ain't nothin- like them we
aw today."
Yes. and she meant It, too. And
the chances are that she has a vote,
too. And the chances are that she
will vote, too. And what are we go
ing to do about it? Seattle Argus.
Two of the incidents of prohibition
noticed in Portland have already been
reported by Chlctago. There has
been a falling off In the number of
arrests for minor offenses. There has
also been a decrease In the number of
cases of non-support In the court of
domestic relations. Arrests for drunk
enness on the ordinance governing
disorderly conduct have been reduced,
but the police admit a far better
showing could be made all along the
line If the saloon keepers of Chicago
would obey the war-time prohibition
laws. One surprise shown by sur
vey, however, is the increase rather
than decrease In felonious crimes like
robbery, burglary and larceny. July
and August there were fully 100 more
reports of such crimes as compared to
the months of May and June. The
number of arrests for all offenses,
however, decreased by nearly 4000
during the two months immediately
after prohibition went Into effect, as
compared to the same period before
prohibition.
a a a
Captain Quentin Roosevelt was shot
by a German firing squad after he
had made a successful landing within
the enemy's lines, and did not meet
death in the air, according to Cap
tain Charles G- Dodd, son of Brigadier-General
George A Dodd, U. S. A.,
retired, of Enfield, O. Photographs
taken by an official German photog
rapher and sold by him to American
officers with the army of occupation
vouch for the truth of the story told
by German soldiers, who claimed to
have witnessed the Incident.
Mayor George Baker has made a
great Impression upon tho editor of
the Corvallis Gazette-Times. This
graphic description will be readily
recognized:
The meeting- was not altogether solemn,
however. .There was Mayor George Baker,
for Instance, leading that audience of
7O0U while it sang "The Star-Spangled
Banner." There never was anything like
It. That is, there never was anything like
It If you except the seal bands you see in
a circus. The mayor beat time Just about
like that, using both his long arms in the
process. Some times he had his little
finger and his first finger cocked up at
an angle of 180 degrees and the rest of
his fist shut. Sorentino had nothing on
Portland's athletic mayor as a gymnast.
He bent forward and reached his long arms
half way across the auditorium, lie seemed
to be about to pull somebody out of a gal
lery seat. But he always righted himself
with care and eame down strong on the
beat, like a policeman. The mayor Is
certainly the man for the mayor's Job.
lie can do anything from heaving baggage,
dancing the light fantastic, making after
dinner speeches, leading a parade, quelilng
a riot to talking back to aldermen. But
his real fort is leading ths village choir.
Hereafter w shall refer to him as Pro
fessor Mayor Baker.
One of the best fish stories of the
season comes from Crawford county.
Pennsylvania, where a man owns a
pet carp. Whenever he desires to go
fishing he digs a few angle worms
and throws them into the tank occu
pied by the carp. if the pet carp
grabs them the man takes up his bait
i and tackle and proceeds to the near
est fishing place; it. on the other
hand, the carp passes them up, .the
man stays at home.
.'hose Who Come and Go.
We are getting J3.S0 a box for
pears In New York, which is most
pleasing." says S. S. Smith of Med
ford. who is at the Benson. "Rogue
river valley never had such a good
crop nor such good prices in the ten
years that I have lived In Medford.
Time was when our orchardlsta
shipped fruit to New York and then
maybe they lost the fruit and bad to
pay the freight besides. Now it Is
money on the block In Medford.
Everything Is being sold, culls and
all. People are paying 175 a ton for
fruit in the orchard. We have two
evaporating plants and three can
neries and all are busy. The cannery
output is shipped to California, where
It is probably labeled as California
fruit and California again gets credit
for an Oregon product. Then we have
the foreign market open for ths first
time in several years. Rogue river
pears and apples have been for sale In
London, Paris. Berlin and the big
places of Europe, but the war shut
off this market. Now It Is open to us
and Medford is delighted." Mr. Smith
U one of the leading newspaper men
of southern Oregon.
A few miles south of Port Orford
there was a blast set off a few days
ago which dislodged 4000 cubic yards
of solid rock. The blast Is part of
the work of building a few miles of
the coast highway in Curry county
near Brush creek. The town of Port
Orford has nearly every house built of
shingles, mostly made from the fa
mous Port Orford cedar. Although
having a population of about 200 or
lens, there Is a plan on foot to build
a 120.000 wharf so that deep-sea vs
sels can coma in close to load, instead
of grabbing their cargo off a cable as
the ships ride at anchor. Years ago
there was a plan to make Port Orford
a harbor of refuge by building a
breakwater. As the plan called for
about 110.000,000 the government
failed to enthuse, but some day the
harbor of refuge may become a real
ity, for there is plenty of water and
It Is plenty deep. Lloyd Knapp of the
quaint town is registered at the
Seward.
Little, unknown towns In Oregon
appeared qn the Imperial register
yesterday. For example, there was
Barnes, in Crook county, which has
a population of 50 when everyone is
counted, and which has a semi-weekly
stage to Prineville, Fisher L. Logan
registered from Barnes. Medical
Springs, in Union county, located on
Big creek. S3 miles from La Grande,
was represented by Vera Wlrth. Ai
res, which boasts of 20 people and is
23 miles from Pilot Rock. In Umatilla
county, was represented by Bertram
G. Dick. Umapine, formerly called
Vincent, is another Umatilla town
with 50 people, who live nearer Walla
Walla, Wash., than any other large
place. Cliff Ward was from Uma
pine. Alicel's population shrunk to
46 when Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Led
better and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mc
Kennon came down to Portland from
Union county.
Cecil wants the Oregon and Wash
ington highway built. It wants to
see work started on it within a few
months. This highway connects with
the Columbia highway in Oilltam
county, swings in a aeml-clrcle
through Morrow county, touching
Cecil, lone, Lexington and Heppner,
and then heads northeast to Pilot
Rock. Pendleton and on to the Wash
ington state line. The county has
about $123,000 to apply on this high
way, but is short approximately $30.
000. Among those Interested in the
project are: W. G. Hynd of Heppner
and F. H. Lowe of Cecil, both of whom
are at the Seward.
George B. Jacob of Twin Rocks Is
an arrival at the Imperial. Mr. Jacob
Is one of the proprietors of a box
factory at the seaside resort In Tilla
mook county. A large quantity of
spruce was taken out for airplane
purposes last year and a vast amount
of spruce was felled and left on the
ground by the operators because It
was not up to the government re
quirements. This spruce was going
to waste until Mr. Jacob's company
started the box-making industry.
W. T. Lee. an automobile dealer of
Klamath Falls, was at the Imperial
yesterday, to drive a machine to his
home town, this being a cheaper
method than shipping It by freight,
Mr. Lee's father has been the asses
sor of Klamath county since the year
one. He la a democrat and Klamath
Is a republican county, but he -Is re
flected regularly, since voting for
him has become a habit with Klamath
people.
The material end of the United
States shipping board Is well repre
sented at tha Multnomah. A confer
ence has been called and material
heads from the Pacific coast are as
sembling. Reservations have been
made for R. D. Caney, W. L Dente. S.
D. Colton. Thomas Stark, F. N. Mills,
T. G. Balrd, F. S. Barber and J. H.
Williams.
Right from Tom Edison's factory
come Mr. and Mrs. W. Maxwell, Miss
Maxwell and J. W. Robinson. They
are registered from Orange. N. J., at
the Multnomah, where a dinner was
gven them last nght by local mer
chants handling soma of Edison's In
ventions. Also last night there were
similar dinners glwen for others from
the Edison plant at Spokane and Se
attle. J. Harry Lewis, editor of Crescent,
a publication for Shrir.ers, arrived at
the Multnomah last night . Mr. Lewis
is here to gather material for his
publication to tell ehrlnedom what a
fine place Portland Is for the national
convention of the brothers of the
cheese knife, said convention to be
held here next year.
John B. Goss of Marshfield Is at
the Benson with Mrs. Goss. When
the campaign was launched for the
Roosevelt highway Mr. Goss was one
of the active members of the prelim
inary planning. Coos county is won
dering what congress Intends doing
abcut that highway.
Having been a colonel In France,
wnere be served 14 months. H. P.
Wafren, accompanied by his wife, ar
rived at tha Benson yesterday en
route to Seattle, to resume his civil
position with the Alaska Engineering
ev Construction company.
Dr. U. S. G. Fletcher and Mrs.
Fletcher left Portland last night for
a two weeks' trip to southern Oregon,
where they will visit relatives. Dr.
Fletcher confidently expects to bag
a deer or two before ha return.
Stockmen at tha Hotel Oregon yes
terday were E. Davis and A. E. Weber
of Airlie. and Charles Plyle of La
Grande. They brought two carloads
of livestock to Portland and hit th
market about right.
Nace Grant, brother of Peter and
Jack, a lifelong resident of Astoria,
left Commercial street long enough
to visit Portland for a few hours, and
Is at the Imperial.
Ray C. Larson of Anchorage.
Alaska, one of tha leading citizens of
that section, where ha Is a building
contractor, is at the Multnomah with
Mrs. Larson.
Oscar Hayter. a well-known citizen
of Dallas, was In the city on business
esterday and, registered at th Hotel
Puitlabu.
(IOW AUOl'T fcPlHlT OF" PACT'
Writer Sag-Keats It May Ba Ignored mm
Spirit f Constitution Is Ignore.
TILLAMOOK. Or.. Sept- 21. (To the
Editor.) The Jurisdiction or the
peace conference is evidently not such
as will permit of a general world
reformation with the advent of th
league of nations. The president went
to Europe with the high expectation
of crystalising in a covenant tha as
pirations which decent Americans
have always had at heart. He tells
us that he had to fight for some of the
things he advocated at the conference
and that the result is. In soma re
spects, a compromise. Why w should
now assume that the league oi na
tions may be trusted to correct some
time In the future such Injustices as
the conference has permitted, when
the very formation of tha league is
dependent upon such injustices. Is
certainly baffling to the writer and
not In accordance with tests wnicn
the ordinary citizen applies In Judg
ing the character and Integrity of
associates.
The league of nations Is. In the
writer's opinion. President Wilson's
demonstration to America of what
he can do when not bothered by other
Americans. It Isn't necessary, and
certainly not advisable, to impute his
motives. He evidently believes that
he is the man of the hour. A great
many good Americans, with all the
charity that they can command for
Mr. Wilson, the man, and with all the
reverence they have for President
Wilson, simply cannot agree with
him. If we have come to such a sad
pass as this, then we are not fit for
self-government and should welcome
a dictator.
The writer cannot agre with those
who claim that President Wilson has
negotiated tha treaty and covenant
In an unconstitutional manner. Ha
believes that President Wilson ought
to have solicited more advice from
the senate and entertained a, more
receptive attitude of mind generally
toward his countrymen. In the fac
ot such a heart tragedy for his own
country and th world and the great
responsibility which his high office
thrust upon him, one must have the
audacity of the gods who can go It
alone and hold tha destiny of 100.000.
000 people in tha palm ot his hand.
And yet he was within the constitu
tion all the time.
And this fact reminds th writer of
a saying onca credited to J. Gould to
the effect that any brilliant man witn
power behind him could rid through
the constitution with a coach and
four any time and with all respecta
bility. The writer believes that Pres
ident Wilson has violated tha spirit
of tha constitution and not the let
ter of the constitution. If this is so.
then we have a clear demonstration
of Just how much protection the word
lng of the covenant affords us. A
violation of the spirit of America
tijrns on a llttla "by" and a little
"with" and yet some Americans ar
considered "quitters because they
fear that at some future time a cote
ria of "citizens of the world" may
give us another demonstration of a
spiritual violation which is strictly
within tha law.
Yes. we are going to have what ts
called a league of nations. Some p
pars coddle us along with the assur
ance that It is only an experiment.
In the writer's opinion it can be noth
ing of tha kind. We must not con
sider this league objectively. We
either put ourselves Into this com
mitment or wa put nothing. The
writer very much doubts whether we
will ever have another national alec
tion turning on purely domestic af
fairs. Tha league of nations will
cause uncharted influences and pas
sions to assert themselves in America
and to such an extent that in order to
deal with our own demostic problems
intelligently we shall be forced to put
Into effect some form of abridgement
of the rights cf minorities. The
sorry plight of the people today is
but a prelude. If the league will con
aider the petition of only ona op
pressed people at one time and with
intervala of say &0 years, we can
probably keep the domestic situation
well in hand. We could then follow
out logically the philosophy of "peace
at any price" and drown the rabble
with charges of pro-Germanism, I. W.
W. Ism or some other social degen
eration. It is possible, however, that
the oppressed peoples will have suf
ficient intelligence to do a little
awapplng among themselves and pre
sent a united front to the league. We
shall then learn whether the Juris
diction of the league extends beyond
the reformation of the vanquished.
FORD E. SHAW.
Charmers.
By Grace E. Hall.
They speak of charm that something
some folks own. which brings
adoring multitudes to back
Within Its glow, yet frankly 1 am
prone to doubt a bit, and may
hap bluntly ask
A definition covering the case, an ex
planation that shall satisfy.
And in my search for truth I may de
face some phase of "charm" and
charmers may decry.
I've met them so have you; they ar
so pleasant in being pleasant,
affable and kind.
That none may quits determine nor
dissever the actual feelings
from the mass we find;
They are agreeable, I grant, and In
the friction that we encounter
from conflicting thought.
They act as soothing tonic, like light
fiction has eased the mind and
restful action brought.
In words they quite agree with every
statement, they have a smile)
for repartee and Jest,
But, turning to another, no abatement
is noticed In their manners nor
their zest:
Now I declare it puzzles and perplexes
to find a soul so wondrously at
tuned That nothing ever irritates nor vexes
no matter how the ear may be
harpooned!
That one who has a mind alert, ag
gressive, who thinks of things
worth while and knows them,
too.
Shall find many an obstacle oppres
sive, with many a ona-shall ar
gue thought and view;
No one should go about in aelf-ela-tion.
nor search for combat, yet
1U rather know
That one whose brain has balanced
calculation than those who oosa
mere "charm" where e'er they
go.
I've wondered just a little at the rea
son which makes one strive to
radiate this "charm."
Until both In and out of time and
season they do not cross nor
others' feelings harm;
I do not state as truth but as my rat
ing, that those who go about
with studied smlla
Are working mere self-interest una
bating, else they must clash
with someone afterwhila!
Harp or rite-iifork,
London Blightly.
Host Won't you try a piece of my
wlfa's angel cake?
Guest Will it make an angel of
m?
Host That will depend on th kind
of life you have ld!
An Ode William.
Boston Transcript.
Trotsky la "red."
William is blu:
Were you In his fix
You'd be, too.
More Truth Than Poetry.
By James J. Montague.
THE DIME XOVKL.
The Nick Carter stories ar to be
republished. News Item.
The books that dissect the emotional
soul
Of the hero who bitterly strives
But never wfth happy results to con
trol His fondness tor other men's wives.
Are doubtless protound Intellectual
treats.
But they waken no thrill in my
breast
Like the stories that deal with th
Dlood-curdllng rests
Of the wild and wooliferous west.
What keeps my attention enchained
to the page
Is the story of Omaha Red,
Tho Prince of the Prairies, who stood
oy the stage
When the white-livered sharlfT had
tied.
I know that the author eftsoons must
declare.
As Western romanticists must:
"Tha crack of a rifle rang out on the
air.
And the haughty young chief bit
the dust!"
I love to sit up, as the hou grow
small.
To read about Buffalo Brown.
Who trackad 60 Utes to the Hole-ln-
the-Wall.
And there, in their tracks, shot
them down.
I know that along about page forty-
lour
I shall read, with a catch in nj
breath:
"His trusty six-shooteer replied with
a roar.
And the redskins lay silent in
death."
They settled no problems those tales
of the plains.
They laid down no ethical creed.
Nor put the least bit of a strain on
your brains.
They merely were written to read.
You didn't believe "em you knew
they were bunk.
But you got every one you could
buy.
And tucked 'em away In a parent
proof trunk
To read rainy days on the sly.
Oaly One Thins; te Worry About.
We ara perfectly willing that the
doctors should strike, but we hope
ours won't be called out just after he
has opened us up on the operating
table.
a
Xo More Work for a Walle.
Now that the strike Is over tha
actors can go back to playing again.
fce'ef Beat Have at Caro.
We've already slapped Mexico on
tha wrist and If aha keeps on misbe
having we may shake a finger at her.
(Copyright, 191 it, by Brll Syndicate. Inc
In Other Days.
Tweaty-tve Years Ago.
From Th Oregonlan of September 2-1. 1S94
St. Paul. A hurricane which de
veloped Into a cyclone in many places
killed at least 52 persons yesterday
when It passed over portions of Min
nesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.
C V. Wintzingerode. acting German
consul in Portland, says he has re
ceived no official announcement that
the consulate here is to be aboli.-l.ed
and a consulate for the north Pacific
coast established at Tacoma.
A scathing attack was made upon
the book trust before a session of the
committee of 100 at its meeting yes
terday. Mrs. Seid Back, wife of the well
known Chinese merchant of this city,
died Friday night at the suburban
home of the family near Fulton park.
a
Fifty Years Ago.
From The Oregonlan of September 23. 1SC.9.
Paris. Rumors are current that
Prussia Is about to annex tha grand
duchy of Baden,
Madrid. The Journals of this city
are still violent against the presumed
unfriendliness of tha American gov
ernment and some urge immediate
declaration of war.
Since the 7th Inst. 14 deeds to real
estate In this city have been recorded.
the considerations aggregating :n.
000. The Rev. Dr. Eckman of this city is
making strong appeals through the
press and others mediums for aid for
the thousands of starving Jews in
Russia.
STOHIES WITH ACTIO.X WANTED
Tasta of Country la for Talea of Ef
ficient. Deceit Action,
CORVALLIS. Or., Sept. 21. (To the
Editor.) I want to express my ap
preciation of The Oregonran's article
on the "dime novel." It is eminently
sane and sensible,
I have modified very much since
last summer my librarian's high
brow opinion of the popular, cheap
novel of action. I had tha great
pleasure and privilege of acting as
hospital librarian at Camp Lewis last
summer, and I was very much struck
by the demand for the simple novels
of action. What those sturdy, whole
some chaps wanted was books that
showed men acting with promptness
and efficiency. I think you have sized
up the average American very well.
He Isn't literary. Wa are too young
a country -for that, just as we ara not
artistic but we do show a wholesome
taste for efficient. decant action,
which Is. It seems to me, just what
wa ought to manifest at this aga of
our country.
About two years ago, when I was
getting very much discouraged with
tha public tasta, as manifested by tha
demand for and sale of magazines
full of sex stories, I picked up a Sat
urday Evening Post, noticing that
thay had a million readers, or some
thing like. I thought that periodical
oucnt to be a good barometer of the
public taste, and that It behooved a
librarian to know what tha public
tasta really was. so I subscribed for
tha Post and have read it since. It
cheered me greatly, for I found there
must ba a very larire public who pre
ferred a periodical which dealt with
action and pura romance.
I was not very much surprised to
find how often appeared stories
arousing sympathy with tha under
dog, who generally in the end cams,
out on top. That was American.
It may be absurd to wrlto you of
my appreciation of tha editorial
which appear in The Oregonlan. but
thay are so frequently excellent, sane
and sensible, showing such a good
appreciation of American life and
character, that they give mo a great
deal of pleasure, and I find that I
want to give expression to my p rati
fication. IDA A. KIDI'ER,
Librarian Oregon Agricultural Col
lage. Mothers Pension I .aw.
PORTI.AND. Sept. 22. (To the Ed
itor.) It a woman has a husband
who is a paralytic and cannot ba left
alone and she has no property, can
she get a mother's pension to help
her while h does soma work at
home. S- M.
Not unle eh has minor childra
to support. .