Morning Oregonian., January 21, 1921, Page 10, Image 10

10
TIIE MORXIXG OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1921
ESTABLISHED BT HENRY L PITTOCK.
- Published by The Oreronian Publishing Co,
- 135 Sixth Street, Portland, Oregon.
- C A. MORPEN. B. B. PIPER.
n.; ,,. Editor.
The Oreronian in m. member of the amo-T get an understanding of the co-or
uiuuie neeas 01 tne several political
units and apply that understanding
to the benefit of the people,
elated PrN ti AMneiaLed Preea la ex
clumvely entitled to the use tor publication
of all news dispatches credited to It or not,
otherwise credited in thla paper and also
the local news published herein. All risbta
of publication of special dispatches herein
arc also reserved.
fices with men who are capable of
performing: their own complex ad
ministrative duties and grasping- as
well the intricacies of every other
office. It is now proposed to create
a commission that will do that which
the several officials cannot dc
feobscdptlon Kates Invariably In Advance.
(By Mail.)
Daily, Sunday Included, on year $8.00
Iaily, Sunday Included, alx months.. . 4.2ft
Iatly, Sunday included, three months. 2.25
.1.1 U ..... I . . . ...... 75
Daily', without Sunday.' one year .oo . difficulties will begin to disappear.
yaur, witaout Sunday, six montns... a.-;? n is consoling to hear from hint
HIS CABINET.
When Mr. Harding settles down to
the task of naming a cabinet for
himself, and relieves the volunteer
and conscripted army of best minds
of the labor of doing it for him, his
&Kily. without Sunday, one month 60
weemy. one year
Sunday, one year 2.50
(By Carrier.)
Daily. Sunday Included, one year 19 00
J.ily. Sunday Included three month. 2.25
rajy. Sunday Included, one month... .75
Daily, without Sunday, on year.... T.80
Pally, without Sunday, three months. 1.95
Daily, without Sunday, on month 65
How to Remit Send postoffic money
order, express or personal check on your
local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are
at owner's risk. (Jive postoffice address In
full, including county and state.
Poslare Rate 1 to 18 pares, 1 cent: 18
pages, -j cents; 34 to 48 pares, 3 cents;
50 to 64 paves. 4 cents; M to 80 pages, 6
cents: t2 tu tO pages, 8 cents. KoM'.gn
v"nts" uuunie rate.
Eastern Bnainea AfflM vma - r.,t.
lin, lirunswick bu:ldlns. New York; Verre
& Conklm. sterer building. Chicago; Verre
vviinrm, rree f-resa building, Detroit,
V J San Francisco representative, R. J.
Indwell
- TOO MCCH EXTHTSIASM.
- The bill providing for a tax super
r vising commission, concerning which
the city council expresses undis
guised alarm, is not a surprise attack
upon the tax-levying functions of
- that body or of any other body
brought witfiin the scope of the bill.
The bill follows explicitly the recom
mendations made by a commission
created by the 1919 legislature,
- whose report was published in full
... in the Portland newspapers. The
. hill ,i- It i . . 1. y,nB K V
' ' 1 ' ..i.i.i jiao r-rr rr n iriLirjuur.cu u jr
Mr. Gordon was prepared by the
Taxpayers' league, a voluntary or
.. ganization, and it, too, was given to
the public through the press,
The revolutionary element in the
T, bill as it applies to city taxation is
that it divorces the tax-levying from
the tax-disbursing power. But it is
not a new idea. It is in practice in
state affairs. If the state govern
ment were conducted as is the city
government, there would be a meet
ing of the executives-heads of the
penitentiary, hospitals for the in
sane, higher educational institutions,
and various departments; each would
decide how much money his depart
ment or institution ought to spend;
they would thereupon levy the taxes
.--necessary to raise the total amount.
But state affairs are not conducted
that way. The several institutions
and departments present their esti
mates to the legislature, and the
legislature pares or adjusts the esti
mates to the ability of the taxpayer
to pay. In that sense the legislature
is a tax-supervising commission.
Coincident with commission gov
ernment there has come a steadily
increasing city tax levy. There
undoubtedly Would have been
considerable increase under any
system of municipal government. I
But we have under commission gov.
eminent rive commissioners, eacn or
whom administers a department of
city government. t may be said
that each is enterprising and each
is industrious. Each wishes to be
of greater service to the public and
each can see whereby, if he. had
more money at his disposal, he could
accomplish things which he con
ceives would be of public benefit.
It is easy enough to calculate the
small consequence to the tax roll
of an addition of $25,000 or 150,000
to one department's budget. It does
not, indeed, amount to much if only
one department or political unit of
the county is adding the sum. But
if five city commissions and the
county commissioners, and the port
commissioners, and the school dls.
trict each adds a drop, the little
drops of tax water become a tub full
and finally an ocean.
That is what is happening. Tt is
not here implied that there is a
definite agreement among the com
missioners not to interfere with each
other's yearly plans or estimates, but
whether definitely conceived or not,
the tendency is one of non-interference
lest the commissioner inter
fered with strike back at the budget
of the commissioner who first inter
feres. While in the city we have five
departments each virtually its own
tax-levying body, we have several
political taxing units principally
city, county, port, school district
which levy taxes upon the same peo
ple and also work Independently of
each other. Each wants all it can
get for its own purpose and none
takes account of the needs of the
others. It is not wise government.
It is not good government.
The Gordon bill proposes to bring
all budgets to a focus, it will put
a supervisory commission over all
taxation. This commission will have
power to revise and co-ordinate so
that no unit shall place a burden for
a non-essential upon the. public at
the sacrifice of an essential that
comes within the functioning Of an
other unit. The commission will be
appointed by the governor from
among the qualified citizens of the
county.. There is no sacrifice of home
rule.
Nor have we patience with the
argument that this commission
might exercise arbitrary powers to
the injury of the public. There has
" been hardly a reform or regulatory
law proposed which has not brought
out a cry against implied autocratic
powers therein contained. It was
raised as regards the present com
mission charter. Under that charter
the mayor may indeed become an
aatocrat. He may take to himself
virtually all the powers of the com
mission. But he does not do it. He
- will not do it so long as we have a
kdtia mnvnr Tt Is im nnssihlia tn errant
supervisory or regulatory powers of
efficient sort without empowering
discretion and judgment that may be
perverted by the wicked or the in
sane if they get into office. Govern
ment Is a trust you can't have gov
ernment without trusting someone.
You cannot have tax supervision or
centralization of budget-making that
will be at all worth while unless
seme of our political units surrender
certain functions they now possess.
The question is whether we shall
go the whole road and centralize
responsibility for taxation upon a
single body or continue along the
present haphazard "and costly way.
There is no revenge, or politics, or
wanton desire to shear any official
of power or authority. But it is as
plain as day that the public needs
protection from the enthusiasm of
lis servants in viirt-c,
that "not. selection will be made be
cause of party obligation without
consideration for the best service to
the country." That would appear to
dispose of Harry Daugherty, ,his
political manager. -
- But it is not so easy to dispose of
Mr. Hoover. Certainly his claims to
consideration are not partisan; the
opposition is nothing but factional
and partisan.
The public hears through the au
thoritative letters of Mark Sullivan
that Hiram Johnson will consider
the selection of Mr.Hoover a "per
sonal affront," Without asking why
the nomination of any eminent and
qualified American citizen should be
an affront to Johnson, it is sufficient
to say that his opposition is a fair
measure of his interest in President
Harding, the republican party and
the country. Besides, It is Harding's
cabinet, not Johnson's.
Mr. Wallace, who has the inside
track for the agricultural post, is
said to be against Hoover. The
people at large know very little about
Wallace, but they know a great deal
about Hoover. If Mr. Harding, in
his anxiety for harmony, decides to
drop Wallace and take.Hoover, there
will be very little dissent from the
country; but if he drops Hoover, and
takes Wallace, there will doubtless
be a different story.
Little men have no enemies. Big
men have many enemies. If Mr.
Harding shall select a cabinet o
which nobody objects, he will have
a cabinet whichripbody approves.
can be drawn the engineers are has been successfully exerted time
now working on it and as soon as 'and again to bring within bounds any
thef necessary funds and plant are
provided, which is expected to be in
1922.
Some of those directly interested
have expressed satisfaction with this
pledge, but others, whose land hold
ings are entirely outside the city
limits, wish to insert in the bills a
legislative mandate to the port com
mission to give their own local
scheme preference over the legiti
mate claims of the port proper,
which Is the city of Portland wth its
258,000 people. The limits as to time
and cost which they propose would
force the commission to neglect its
primary duty maintenance of the
channel and to adopt a plan of low
first cost but entailing exorbitant an
nual expense for maintenance and
of doubtful permanence, when an
alternative plan of permanent con
struction costing far less to maintain
can be executed by a year's delay.
The proposed restriction would be
against the general interest of the
port, and the commission's hands
should not be tied.
If the legislature will take as its
guide the clearly expressed wish of
the people of the port, who Will pay
-the cost, it will adopt the measures
recommended by all the representa
tive bodies and will refuse to mar ;
them with restrictive amendments.
IT MIGHT BE WORSE.
Alexander Graham Bell, father of
the telephone, has been visiting
Britain and was asked his opinion of
the British telephone system by the
London Times, which recently ex
posed its deficiencies without mercy.
Being a visitor, he wanted to let
John Bull down easy, but that only
adds force to what he said, which is:
I think you do very well, but you do
not compare well with the united states,
and I think recent history in the United
States reveals the cause. We had the
best system of telephony In the world
before the war in the United States.
Then we came into the war, the telephone
was taken out of the hands of private
companies and run by the rovernment.
Immediately the efficiency of the service
fell. Now the control has been returned
to the companies, and I hope the effi
ciency will Improve. The decrease in
efficiency in consequence of rovernment
ownership is found elsewhere.
Of course American telephone
service might be better, but any per
sons who want to know how much
worse it might be should go to Eu
rope, where public ownership is the
rule, whether in Britain, France,
Italy, Germany or any other country.
There his patience would endure as
many trials as did that of Job. As
Dr. Bell intimates, we had a taste
of that kind of thing when Burleson
seized the wires, but he had not time
to put them under the perfect blight
of bureaucracy before he had to
hand them back to their owners.
Apologists of public ownership
pretend that their plan had not a
fair trial in this country, because it
was made under war conditions, but
Europe has had it constantly, in
peace as well as war, and its execra
tions are loudest in peace. The
beauty of the American plan of priv
ate ownership under public regula
tion is that it combines equal, fair
rates and absence of discrimination
with good service and the ingenuity,
enterprise and efficiency which
private enterprise alone can give.
LUTING A LOAD FROM THE JUDGES.
Senator Bell has undertaken to
perform at Salem a service which
will be appreciated by every circuit
judge In Oregon. An ancient statute
requires hln to read to every new
grand jury the section defining the
law of libel and that other aVchaic
and well-nigh forgotten provision
against prize-fighting.
Whether Judges always remember
the mandate upon them, and do their
duty, is problematical. But the
senate has passed the bill dispensing
with the useless requirement, and the
house should do the same; and every
well-intentioned judge will be glad
if it does. -
The territorial legislature of 1855
being made up of godly and peace
loving men, enacted the anti-prizefighting
law and it .has been a law
ever since. Yet men have fought.
It would be interesting to know just
what situation moved our rwered
fathers to declaim against -the evil
practice and. also to instruct the
Judiciary to- call upon every grand
jury to give the subject its particular
attention.
The libel law was enacted in 1864,
when the rancors, feuds and dis
putes of the Civil war were in full
bloom: and it is easv to see that the
legftlature thought something par
ticularly effective should be done
about it. The war was long since
over, but no man or newspaper may
libel or slander his neighbor with
Impunity.
THE PORT OF PORTLAND BILLS.
With regard to the Port of Port
land, the legislature is called upon
to decide between a group of bills
prepared a'nd recommended by the
most representative bodies of the
port district and bills offered by in
dividual members on behalf of par
ticular interests or to promote dif
ferent policies. The six bills are the
product of the committee of fifteen
appointed by Mayor Baker and rep
resenting all the people of the dis
trict, of the port commission, of the
dock commission, and of a commit
tee of twelve from "the chamber of
commerce representing the com
mercial and business interests as a
whole. In opposition to them are
set the bill of Captain Hosford, evi
dently designed to serve particular
Interests regardless of any general
orderly plan of port development,
and the bill promised by Senator
Joseph, who proposes at this late
day to prepare -a general revision of
the Port of Portland laws, thus do
ing again in hast? that on which the
several bodies mentioned have been
at, work for a year. It should be
plain that the bills favored by the
people of the port, as indicated by
the action of their representative
bodies and by their vote at the elec
tion, are entitled to preference over
the eieventh-hour products) of in
dividual legislators.
The six bills meet all the objec
tions of a variety of critics. They
embody the substance of the orig
inal bill on which the people voted
in November, together with amend
ments guarding the principle of
home rule which its sponsors prom-
ssd to obtain from the legislature.
That bill was threshed over by the
chamber of commerce committee,
which proposed some changes tEat
were accepted by the committee of
fifteen, while it abandoned others,
and agreement was reached on the
six Jiills. covering the full purpose
of the initiative bill and the home
rule pledges. .
An attempt is made, either by the'
Hosford bill or by amendment to
the bills of the committee of fifteen,
to bind the port commission to a
particular scheme of Improvement
in North Portland harbor at a given
time and cost without regard to its
place in the general scheme of port
and channel maintenance and im
provement. No such restriction
should be placed on the commission.
Its primary duty is concerned with
the harbor of Portland on the Wil
lamette Viver, to which that of North
Portland on the Columbia river, im
portant though it may be, is only
collateral. It should satisfy the peo
ple of North Portland that the com
mission Is pledged to improve their
We shall never be able to fill of-! harbor as soon aa a feasible plan
CAUSELESS FEAR OF THE SENATE.
A jeremiad is delivered by the
New York Times on what it calls
the unquestioned main facts that
"for-Several years the senate has
been encroaching on both the house
and the executive." .The house is
overslaughed," its control of money
bills "insidiously eaten into and
taken away." Senator Penrose's re
mark that-"it doesn't make any dif
ference who is appointed secretary
of state" is construed as a frank
avowal that the senate "means to b
absolute dictator of our foreign
policy." The senate is said to have
burked the treaty" with- "growing
arrogance of conscious power." Its
sending of a committee to investigate
conditions in Cuba is construed as
an assumption that "the senate is
all-wise and all-powe rful." Senator
Capper's condemnation of a dying
administration for negotiating to re:
fund the British debt to this country
is held to betoken resentment that
"the senate has been left out," but:
Upon the next administration tt expects
to maintain a masters grip; hence, every
thing; must he held up until the senate
eoines into full possession of its own.
Senator McCormick's discussion of
diplomatic appointments is termed
"a tacit trenching upon his (Hard
ing's) power" and "an unconscious
revelation of the senate's resolvb to
translate the 'advice and consent' of
the constitution into "dictate and
permit." " The Times finds one ray
of hope for its gloomy forecast of
senatorial arrogance Mr. Harding's
promise that in his relations with
scuate and house he would not have
"a thought of any surrender of co
ordinate constitutional authority,"
but it solemnly warns the people to
"watch anxiously."
The background for all these fore
bodings of evil is the senate's suc
cessful resistance to executive
usurpation, Mr. Harding's member
ship in that body, his popularity
there, hjs conciliatory temper, and
the senate's natural exultation at its
victory. If the Times had looked
into history, it would have found
cheer in the fact that the presidents!
who nave naa tne most violent con
troversies with the senate, those who
have most successfully asserted the
executive prerogatives, have been
precisely those who had seen serv
ice in the senate. It was so with
Jackson, Tyler and Johnson. Though
Garfield was a member of the house
and was only a senator-elect when
elected president, it was so with him
also. It seems that the senate is
tempted to enf roachment when a
president is a former member and
that this presumption provokes the
president in question to more de
termined resistance.
, The incidents cited to support the
case against the senate were not
happily chosen. Having been out
voted in committee and forced to
change front on the tariff bill, Mr.
Penrose cannot be'taken as a leader
authorized to speak for the entire
senate. As President Wilson denied
to the senate information about the
Versailles treaty, there is' some Jus
tification for Its seeking information
about Cuba at first hand. Since
negotiations to fund the British war
debt can hardly be completed before
March 4, must be approved by the
new congress and will affect the
policy of the Harding administra
tion, the eternal fitness of things
suggests that they be left to Mr.
Harding to initiate. Mr. McCormick
Is as free as any other citizen to
suggest diplomatic appointments,
and Mr. Harding's freedom to follow
his suggestions is limited only
by the degree of support that they
find among the other senators and
by the expediency of making ap
pointments that would be confirmed.
There is Jio evidence that the senate
is more inclined to follow the lead
of Mr. McCormick than it was to
follow that of Mr. Penrose.
In . foretelling the unrestrained
reign of senatorial arrogance, the
Times overlooks the one deciding
factor public opinion. This power
branch of the government that has
attempted to Invade the domain of
the others. It has a particularly
keen scent for any attempt to dis
turb the balance among the three
branches, and it has not failed to re
buke and punish any one of them
which assumed supremacy over the
other two or which displayed indif
ference to the public interest. - When
the- anthracite coal strike of 1902
threatened to deprive the Atlantic
coast of fuel in midwinter, public
opinion supported President Roose
velt and forced the senate to take
fronr Its pigeonhole andpassa bill
repealing duties on coal. When"the
senate has balked at following the
recommendations of a president who
clearly voiced the' popular will, it
has frequently brought "these high
prancing senators to heel," to use the
Times expression. It has just given
striking evidence of its readiness to
rebuke a president who strives to
impose his autocratic will on the
senate. This is the more remarkable
because it proves that the people
were willing for a time to forego
peace and a league rather than
sanction one-man power, and be
cause the plurality . of almost two
to one leaves no doubt of their pur
pose.
One cause, probably the chief
cause, of the stability of our govern
ment through a century and a third,
during which the institutions of other
nations have undergone profound
and violent changes, is the unerring
instinct with which the people have
struck down men whose ambition
led them to grasp more power than
the constitution gave. The people
have often erred in supporting poli
cies of legislation and administra
tion, but they have not failed, as
soon as an election gave them the
opportunity, to punish men who ex
ceeded their functions. The balance
is so nicely adjusted by the constitu
tion that some such corrective as the
operation of the public will, adapt
ing itself to circumstances, seems
necessary to its preservation. Neces
sity demands a leader, and the peo
ple look to the president to fill that
office, but no sooner does he attempt
to drive instead of lead than, they
turn upon him.
Mr. Harding's experience in the
.senate is no warrant for the con
clusion that Jie .will let the senate
dominate him, but is a warrant that
he will not attempt to dominate the
senate. His studied utterances are
a plain index to his purpose. His
regard for the prerogatives of the
president will lead him to preserve
them jealously, but his experience as
a senator will cause him to show
equal regard for those of the senate
and will find a way for him to work
srftoothly with it. If he should belie
this forecast, the people will ad
minister a rebuke at the first oppor
tunity and will restore the balance.
The constitution is in the keeping of
the people, and through all the gales
and gusts of public sentiment, they
have proved themselves safe guar
dians.
BY -PRODUCTS
OP
the: press
How Pat Chllders Palled to Get Fall
Value for Apple Wood-
Pat Chllders of the Mary Ann
hauled down 10 cords of apple wood,
cut into 20-inch lengths, for Dr. Dix
and dumped it on the wharf, reports
the Coos Bay Times. Pat did hot
know he was handling anything of
value. ,
Neither did Dr. Dix,' as he sold 'It
to Bert Cohan of the Marsbfield Fuel
& Supply company, who resold it to
a woman for firewood.
While all this was going on,, along
came John L. Koontz, who, when he
finds out what Is being done, says:
"What a shame! No wonder the peo
ple are broke. Why, that apple wood
makes the finest handles in the world
and the best smoking pipes in any
country."
He immediately went over to the
Myrtle Wood factory of Pomeroy &
Duncan and told them all about it.
They want the wood to make handles
and pipes.
Now they are after the wood. Dr.
Dix has sold it for firewood; so did
Bert Cohan, and now the woman who
is going to use it for stove wood is
being reasoned with to let Pomeroy
& Duncan's factory have it, as it
would be awful waste to burn up for
firewood what would make several
dollars of manufactured products.
Koontz says the "Country would be
more prosperous if the people having
under their control the raw products
would find a market for them and
keep things going, to their own and
the country's profit.
Searchlights and a bulletproof steel
tower are being erected at Lexington
Ky., to guard the Old Pepper distil
lery, on the turnpike between Lex
ington and Frankfort, from the
thirsty raiders who descended re
cently on the plant, killed a United
States revenue agent and saole sev
eral barrels of whisky, says a dis
patch to the New York Herald.
The tower already has been erected
on the top of the distillery, and work
men are now installing the search
light inside it. Guards will work in
two-hour shifts and from sundown
to sunup the searchlight will be kept
constantly playing on the grounds
and the roads near the distillery. Be
sides these precautions a special elec
trical alarm system is being in
stalled' and huge signs are posted
everywhere warning everybody to
keep off the grounds.
The Old Pepper distillery now holds
several hundred thousands of dol
lars' worth of aged Bourbon liquor,
and virtually everybody in Kentucky
wants some of it. Many have' tried
to get it, but nobody was successful
except the raiders of a few weeks
ago.
Those Who Come and Go.
A heartfelt tribute to the work of
the Americans in Serbia was paid
yesterday by Miss Annie Christitch of
Belgrade, Serbia, who is in America
for the first time. During all the
vears of the war she was in Belgrade
when it was overrun by the hostile
armies of Germany, Austria and Bul-E-aria.
"What the Americans have
done for Serbia has been not only a
great gift tn relief and material help,
but a more lasting gift in the les
son of the spirit of generosity and
self-denial which the Americans ex
hibited," she said on her arrival at
the Benson. "Our great ambition is
to emulate America in a small way
and to learn to give help where it is
needed. We have before us the ex
ample of the American men and wo
men who fought the plague in our
country and died there, and of the
men and women who are working
there now. America has been like a
big sister to us and we have a very
real personal affection for this coun
try" Miss Christitch is here in
the interests of the) Serbian Child
Welfare association, which is, trying
to provide proper care for the 500,-
000 orphans in Jugo-Slavla. , She
comes from avlong and distinguished
line of Serbian patriots. Her grand
father was Nikola Christitch, prime
minister who helDed half a century
ago to form the kingdom of Serbia.
MA"HIXERY ALREADY AVAILABLE f
No Nerd to Create New Commlsaioa '
to Investigate Water Power.
CARLTON, Or., Jan. 19. (To Ore
Editor.) I want to thank The Ore
gonian on behalf of the state bureau
of mines commission for the excellent
editorial, indorsing and commending
More Truth Than Poetry.
By Jflmrs J, Montague,
Now Pussyfoot Johnson comes to
the front with the comment that
the United States never will be dry
because "it's impossible to legislate
the tea commandments into people."
To which of the ten commandments
does the gentleman refer?
The early smelt run is on in the
Cowlitz and the finest little pan fish.
out of the water have appeared on
the. bills of fare. Nobody ever died
from eating too many, though some
feel distressed, meaning the wife
who prepares them.
Sir Arthur Conan Poyle declares
fairies really exist, and produces
photographs of 'cm to prove- it.
Luckily for the authenticity of the
photographs, he had previously an
nounced the permanent retirement
of Sherlock Holmes.
The Philippine ' legislature has
killed the bill requiring natives to
wear pants, and that is well. Next
thing somebody might try to unload
finger bowls and other crockery mi
the white-Jjian's burden.
The town of Fairfax, Wash., js to
pack up and move three miles to a
new location. This is reversing the
Seattle meMiod, which would leave
the town w here it is but extend the
city limits three miles.
A' duty of 12 centra dozen on im
ported eggs is urged by the Pacific
Co-operative Poultry Producers.
That makes two cents each, as most
of the imported variety already have
a scent an egg.
A Portland woman sojourning in
Pasadena writes back to tell of a
fourth of a cord of wood that cost
an even nino dollars during the cold
spell a "hit ago. "There's no place
like home."
, Dr. Calvin White is disposed to
scoff at the goat gland business. A
medical man of renown, he ought
to know; but there may be goats
and goats, as there are men and
men. '
. Charles Nungesser, the French
"ace," has decided to give up auto
mobilgdriving as too dangerous. It
probably is if he tries to drive his
ear as he would pilot an airplane.
v
We presume that equipment for
United States navy aviators hereafter
sent on long balloon trips will in
clude boxing gloves.
Some of Lloyd George's people at
home object to his golf on Sunday,
forgetting' he has outgrown them
into a Britisher.
"Ready! Aim! Fire!"
A dozen or so Christmas air guns
pat out a stinging hail of lead in the
form of B-B bullets.
There ' followed a series of punc
tured phrases from Amos Meyer of
Alameda. A dozen or so pirates,
headed by Captain Kidd,' lowered
their weapons; looked at one another
and fled, Amos In pursuit.
' Meyer, as is his custom, was catch
ing whiffs of the salt air near the
Alameda beach. He was sitting on
the lower wall of the breakwater fac
ing the sea, while a second wall
reared Itself just high enough to
cover all of Meyer's body with the
exception of that part 'on which
rested his hat. At a distance the hat
looked precisely as though it were
resting on the top of the wall.
The rest of the story is simple:
A dozen or so boys, to whom Santa
Claus had been extremely kind in the
presentation of an air gun to each of
them, had gone out to try their new
weapons. The hat looked inviting,
and at the command of their able
leader, name unknown, they proved
their marksmanship by registering at
least a dozen bullseyes. Amos is
thoroughly convinced there were
more. Oakland Tribune,
While we may have pitied our
selves a month or so ago on account
df high prices. It is possible to take
comfort from the misery of others.
In a recent issue of a London, Eng
land, paper, just arrived in the mail,
they publish a summary of their food
prices. Beef that cost 24 cents a
pound before the war now sells for
60 cents, an increase of 150 per cent.
Butter cost 24 cents a pound in July,
1914, and now brings 80 cents, or 233
per cent increase. Bacon now worth
72 cents a pound formerly sold for
two-thirds less, or 24 cents.' Sugar
that brought 6 cents is now worth
26 cents, 333 per' cent gain. Eggs
sold for S6 cents before the war and
now bring 1.44 a dozen, 300 per
cent Increase. Other foods are listed
in proportion.
In these days of the high price of
fuel it proved a distinct shock to Jo
seph W. Buckingham, a coffee dealer
says the Tacoma News-Tribune,
when on entering the basement of
his house he could eee nothing of his
coal pile. He dispelled the darkness
with a match and gazed Into a great
yawning hole fully 15 feet deep, at
the bottom of which lay his winter's
fuel supply, badly mixed with dirt,
and a gas range. In the gloom he
had nearly stepped Into the chasm
himself.
It was apparent that many years
ago a fill had been made with a bog
bulkhead at one side of the ground
upon which the house had been built
later. The bulkhead had rotted away
In part and the winter's rains, sluic
ing beneath, coupled with the weight
of the coal pile, had caused the
cave-in.
Jude-e T. H. Crawford of La Grande
passed through Portland yesterday on
his way home after a month's visit
in California. "I'm glad to get nacs,
although I did have a fine time in
California," he said. "I took in the
great football game and I think it
was the finest game I ever saw. I
don't think there was a team in the
United States that could have beaten
the University, of California that
day." Judge Crawford went south
to visit his son at Los Angelesr- The
real thine: that draws him to Can
fornia each year is a chance to visit
his two grandsons, aged l ana ii.
"Do you know there wasn't a drop
of rain in Los Angeles until the morn
ing I left?" he said. "Northern Cali
fornia was looking beautiful. There
has been plenty of rain in that sec
tion, and the hills are green. The.
orange crop is a fine one this year."
He was at the Imperial. ,
"There is more suffering in the
world than any one can imagine,"
said Miss Clarissa Spencer as she
passed through Portland on her way
south. Miss Spencer for 16 years
has been world secretary of the
Young Women's Christian associa
tion, with headquarters in London.
Her duties in this capacity have
taken her all over the world. During
the war her life was particularly
strenuous. I have seen girls in tne
devastated regions of France who
had endured almost unbelievable suf
fering," she said. "In spite of their
trials, they were hopeful for the fu
ture. I have seen girls in Austria
who were poverty stricken. Money
is practically worthless there and
men, women and children are under
nourished. What we need is a world
sisterhood, which can wipe out the
class hatreds and nation hatreds and
unite the women of the world in
programme of service."
L. F. Fenton of International Fall:
Minn., is at the Multnomah for a few
days. "We are more or less of a com
pany town," said Mr. Fenton yester
day. "The one or two large lumbe
companies use all the available hotel
and rooming-house space to hous
their men. Several capitalists in ou
town are interested in making bu
perior National park of Minnesota
second Yellowstone. They favor tak
ng advantage of the government of
ler, which is very liberal, lne gov
eminent has offered, for the amoun
of the taxes only, the ground
which six hotels may be built. The
government will also give the timbe
from the land to be used in building,
stand half the expense of the clear
ing and furnish a government ea.
gineer to select the sites.
An Open Winter.
Throughout my i youth, I often used
to wonder
What made the feathered choris
ters aDDcar
the work accomplished during the Before the snows were gone, and how
A. H. Lea will manage the next
state fair and the fair board and
the state generally are to be con
gratulated.
The members may overlook a box7
ing affair tonight, but not next
Wednesday. Early adjournment is
in order.
School dances in Tacoma seem to
shock the superintendent. He must
be old-fashioned.
There is not much talk of saving
daylight this year. Saving dollars is
more to the point.
Harding' is off on his first good
time in years and the last he may
have for four.
The fact of it is that rents will not
come down until buildings go up.
"Shadow?"
memory.
Oh, yes; he's a
The newly married man was made
aware over the phone of the arrival
of his wife's parents. Hastily he
scrambled to the store and bought
some things for lunch. When he ar
rived home he found not only his
parents-in-law, but with them 13
dozen fresh eggs, three chickens,
three bushels of potatoes and a choc
olate cake b-u-t this happened 12
years ago, gentle reader. Columbus
Dispatch.
No matter how antiquated the old
craft Is, if she gets out on the Wil
lamette these days and travels down
stream she makes a good appearance,
for the current is running strong.
The winter freshet this year has not
been very productive in flotsam and
the city breed of beach comber has
not made many valuable hauls. How
ever speedy the boats may seem when
going down stream, it is not so fine a
sight to see (hem laboring as they
ascend, for no matter how well they
may be engined, it Is a snail's pace at
best against the drift.
G. M. Curtis of La Grande passed
through Portland yesterday on his
way to Salem. Mr, Curtis is stat
chairman of the legislative board of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive En
gineers. lie is Interested in somo
"safety first" measures which hav
been introduced into the legislature.
Mrs. Curtis will be at the Perkin
until her husband returns from th
capital city.
One of the largest publishers of
popular songs which are hummed by
younK and old In 'all parts of this
country is Jerome II. Itemlck of Do
troit, Mich. 4Ir. Reniick is at tM
1'ortland with his wife. The head
quarters of -the chain of RrniicU
stores all over the United States nro
in Detroit and New York.
F. A. Rowe. banker of Wheeler,
Or., believes that one term in the
legislature is quite enough for any
man. "One is enough for me," he
said, when he was in Portland this
week." "I had a great time during the
last session, but I don t believe in
getting the "legislative bug.'
Mrs. J. G. Mogler is an Oregon
woman who has demonstrated that a
woman is fully capable to run a large
business herself. She owns a can
nery at Brooktield. Wash., and is the
manager of the concern. She is here
for a few days at the Portland.
R. F. McKesson, wholesale dealer
of San Francisco, was at the Oregon
yesterday, going over the Portland
field. He is the man who patented
one of the methods for making a
Morris chair Into a reclining couch
all Just by pressing the button.
David C. Whitney and J. J. Mo-
Louchlin of the Whitney Lumber
comDany. Detroit. Mieh., are in Port
land looking after their business in
terests here. The Whitney Lumber
company operates a sawmill at Gari
baldi, Or.
J. Karcher Jr., trafflo manager for
the North Atlantic & Western btcaro
ship company, arrived in Portland
yesterday from Boston, tie win in
spect the terminals and the freight
field and visit local representatives.
SI. P. Hardesty, one of Seaside's
strongest boosters, is at the Imperial
for a few days. Mr. Hardesty is one
of Seaside's councilmen, and was one
of the chief instigators for the con
crete pier.
R. B. Magruder of Clatskanie is in
Portland for a few days. He is one
of the prime movers of the drainage
system, by which the delta lands of
that country are being reclaimed' for
garden purposes.
Thomas R. Sheridan of Coos Bay
stopped in, Portland yesterday on his
way home alter a Business trip to
past years by tne bureau.
A bill has been Introduced in the
legislature by Senator. Joseph, which
provides for the appointment of a
new commission to investigate the
water power possibilities of the state,
and particularly the Columbia river
gorge.
The Bend commercial club has pub
licly announced that it is sponsor
for a Mil which it is proposed will
be Introduced, creating another new
commission for the purpose or maK
Ing a study of the waters available
for power and Irrigation in central
Oregon. These bills will necessarily
carry appropriations to cover ex
penses of these two commissions
The organization and expenses of
these two commissions, etc., in ad
dition to large fees that wtil have to
be paid for expert engineers, geolo
gists, etc., will require large appro
priations. If the above commissions
are appointed, there will be a dupli
cation of organization expenses, in
addition to the cost of field work.
The determination of water flows,
drainage areas and dam sites is pri
marily a question of geological sur
vey of earth and rock structure, and
only secondarily a question of civil
engineering.
In the bureau of mines the state
already has a well organized and
functioning commission for scientific
research, with a staff of trained ex
perts regularly employed and engaged
in work of the exact nature that will
be required for the purposes con
templated by the two bills. This bu
reau has its established of fices, clerks.
I records i and equipment. It would
seem that economy, efficiency and
dispatch in the undertaking of the
work of water power investigations
would be promoted by turning the
proposed work over to the bureau of
mines commission. The normal ap
propriation made for carrying on the
bureau would have to be increased
to cover the expense of the additional
work but a large saving would be
made over the expense of creating
two new commissions.
The bureau of mines already has a
large amount of data in its record
bearing on the subject, which each
of the now commissions would have
to acquire by original research and
at great cost. These data have been
collected in connection with the gen
eral geologic surveys which the com
mission has been making for many
years, but also directly in connec
tion with similar service which the
commission has rendered to the state
in connection with the investigation
of irrigation, drainage and power
projects.
Speaking as chairman of the bu
reau of mines. commission, I think I
correctly represent the opinion of the
entire board when I say that this
commission being composed of non
salaried men, who are already devot
ing a large part of their time to the
commission work, are not looking for
any additional responsibilities, but
nevertheless, looking at it from the
standpoint of the state, it would
seem that the machinery already in
working order and operating, and al
ready paid for by the state should be
utilized for the new projects, rather
than undertake the assembling of a
new organization for that purpose.
W. B. DENNIS.
in thunder
The little rascals knew that Spring
was near.
The flowers not the blossoms of the
florist
Though locked in Winter's grip
was all the land.
Would thrust their little heads up In
the forest
With prescience that I could not
' understand.
j In vain I asked my elders for tho
reason; ' r
They either had to say they didn't
know
Or lamely told me that'the springtide
season.
Through some queer magic made
the flowers grow.
I wondered if some kindly little
fairy,
For fear the flowers too long In
bed should stay.
Sent out the birds a week ahesd to
carry
The message that the Spring was
. on the way.
But yesterday, with Winter breezes
stinging
My cheek and long before the
Spring Is due
I heard a little hoarse-roiced robin
singing.
And pausing now and then to cry
"Kerchoo!" "
And crocus shoots, a mocking cud
invited
To spring up prematurely from
their bed.
Are laying on the meadow, brown
and blighted
And also, I may mention very
dead.
A little sun a little warmth had
tricked 'em:
Alas, they knew no more than
human folks.
As easily as I do they fell victim
To one of Nature's rather clumpy
jokes.
They lvth were hoodwinked by a
freakish season;
They have no more prophetio gift
tluin men.
And no more intellect and that's the
reason
I'll never trust a bird or flower
again.
A Year For Publicity.
An actor has refused to talk for
the newspapers, knowing doubtless
that in that way he could get more
notoriety than in any other.
A w Point of View.
When we learn from Rcience that
the world is only a tiny epeck com
pared with the Betelguesc the for
mer kaiser's ambition dousn't seom
so lofty after all that is, if he really
confined it to owning the earth.
Political Strategy.
Evidently Tammany Hall Is d1.it-
Ing for the crook vote In New York
City, feeling sure that in that way
it will have a big majority.
(CopjrlBht by the Bell Syndicate. Inr.)
Love's Habiliments.
By Grace E. Ilnll.
IVOllBLAD'S BILL . IS ATTACKED
Correspondent Chnrs;es Senator Is
Prejudicial Ajcaliist AostrinnM,
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, Eugene,
Jan. la. (To the Editor.) Comes
The Oregonian with a three-quarters
of a column story concerning Senator
Norblad's measure to knock out purse
seining off the mouth of tho Columbia
river under the guise of salmon pro
tection. Senator Norblad's bill is not caused
by an inspiration to protect the in
dustry, but by prejudice. Reading
the article over, one can easily de
tect the prejudice sgainst purse sein
ers, not so niuclf because they are
supposed to be the destroyers of Im-
m.-ituro salmon, but because only five
rWit of 1SB gears obtained tborr
licenses from Oregon; because tho
pi-se seiners do not spenU their
lnpney In Astoria (where cabbago
sijlls for 12 cents a pound, while 1'ort-
hiiid people get it at 3 or 4 cents);
because the purso seines arc manned
by 'aliens" no, not Swedes, but by
Austrians.
If Senator Norblatl really wants to
protect the salmon Industry why does
he not include tho trollers more than j
2500 outfits wio catch and destroy
thousands and thousands of immature
salmon each, -year? J'robably there
are too many Swedes engaged in
trolling. s
In the first place there never were
186 purse eeines operating along the
coast of Oregon at any lime. The
number of purse seines operating
from the Columbia was scarcely more
than 100, and of this number more
than two-thirds operated along tho
Washington coast, reaching as far
north as Willapa harbor. How oould
they get their licenses from Oregon,
when. In order to do so, one must be
a resident of the state? Why should
they get Oregon licenses when their
Washington license was already
serving the purpose?
Another fact is triat the purse
seines axe not manned by aliens, but
by naturalized citizens and by those
who have declared their Intentions
become such. At the ssmo time
more than 3500 troller boats carrying
from one' to three men each, mostly
who are not citizens and who have no
licenses, for the most part, go unino
ested by Mr. Norblad's bill, despite
he fact that government officials
rom the fisheries bureau have found
that they destroy hundreds of tons
each year.
ANDREW J. NATERLIN.
One day with happiness unspoken,
I called the mystic weavers in
And gave to them a single token,
A magic garment to begin:
A single thread from Fancy's ipool.
With trembling fingers lightly
tossed,
Bidding them weave . by Fancy's
-rule
Nor count the coat.
They wove most faithfully by night.
With deft Imagination's aid.
When moonbeams spread translucent
light
Upon the Rilent hill and glade;
Oft from the realm of sweeter
thought
There camo suggestion quits ap
proved, And swiftly then tho weaver's
wrought
As fancy moved.
It was a mystic, ma?-ic thine-
Tho robe thoy made for mo to wear.
For Fancy spread her lovely wing
And brousht the threads from
everywhere;
And when you came with tender
eyes
To view the weavers work of old.
Love was arrayed O glad surprise!
In cloth of colli!
In Other Days.
THE WI.VTEIt WOODS.
O the woods, the woods In winter
Have been written of and talked of;
But the woods far to the westward
Have a strange enthralling beauty.
Woods of sagebrush, prickly grease-
wood,
Rabbit brush and withered bunch-
grass.
Pungent sagebrush, gray In winter.
Coyotes skulk among the shadows.
Howling through the crisp, still, clear
nights;
Rattlesnakes sleep "heath the white
Swift Jaclff'abb'Rs leap above it.
When the snow bows down the sage
brush
It is like some eeer old monarchs,
Bowed with care, by friends forsaken;
Heavy white hair, gray old faces
Bending low o'er the coyote tracks
Canada. He has been away from Ore- Like an emp'ror o'er his treasures.
gon eight months and says that he Is I When the king, the northwind's
I''lfy Y enrol Ako.
I'rom The OroEonhiti of January 21, 1K71.
New York. Information has been
received here that aj'tns and ammuni
tion were recently landed on the Cu
ban coast by tho ship Hornet, The
cargo was landed at night.
Tho wire of Rev. J. W. R. SeTiwood
died last week at Milwauklc, Or.
The excavation for the basement of
the new penitentiary to bo built at
Salein is almost finished.
Captain William C. Walker will
soon arrive in Portland from San
Francisco to take charge of construc
tion of tho Northern Pacific railroad.
Twenty-five Yearn Ago.
J'Ynm The Oretonlan of Jnu,T.ry2J. f&Q
Washington. The United States
Venezuela commission today Invited
governments of Groat Britain and
Venezuela to submit to it all evidence
ill their possession, the evidence not
to be deemed an abandonment of the
rights of either nation.
The special light committee ap
pointed to lessen the bill of the elec
tric lisht committee by decreasing
the number of city lights, will have a
meeting soon.
Rival mission workers of the north
end lat nluht entered Into a bitter
personal quarrel, both sides claiming
that the other interfered with th
preaching.
glad to be back again.
Rattleannke la Viviparous.
-MONTESANO, Wash., Jan. 19. (To
the Editor.) I am sitting In the pres
ence of a smooth guy who never told
a lie and got caught. I desire the as
sistance of The Oregonian in nailing
him to the cross.
This person asserts that he has
plowed up rattlesnake eggs by the
thousand. jonn jaurrougns asserts
that rattlesnakes are born alive. Can
it be possible that we have John on
the hip? C. D. LLEWELYN.
Standard authorities are agreed
that the rattlesnake brings forth its
I youns alive. j -
howling
It stands brittle, crisp defiant.
Strange woods these, but all we have
here
In this land of arid spaces,
Western woods we know and love.
MARGARET HUMPHREY.
Former Soldier Learn Trades.
London Star.
Many former soldiers of the British
army, unable to follow their pre-war
vocations, are working in the royal
gardens at Windsor castle, in Eng
land. They are learning to become
market, private and jobbing garden
ers. Others are taking up training as
grooms, clerks, jockeys and pastry
cooks.
Lotteries Are Illegal,
KENT. Or., Jan. 19. (To the Edi
tor.) Would it be against the law to
put a number In a sealed envelope
and sell It.' -My chum and I want to
Bell a comfort by selling these num
bers at so much a chance. We are
trying to get enough money to go
to summer school at Corvallis In our
club work. G. D.
Section 2116 of the Oregon laws
provides that "any person who shall
promote or set up any lottery for
money or other valuable thing, or
shall dispose of any property of value,
real or personal, by way or by means
of a lottery," etc., shall be subject
to fine or imprisonment. The min
imum fine on conviction Is 100.
Articles offered subject to prizes In
lotteries are declared subject to for
feiture to the state.
Should Be Pnssed Along.
Wheeler Reporter.
The New Year's issue of The Ore
gonian gives every Oregonian an
excellent opportunity to become ac
quainted with our glorious state. It
19 full of information and Illustra
tions that picture the many activities
of the state. When you are through
with your copy mail it to some out-of-town
friend.