Morning Oregonian., December 13, 1921, Page 10, Image 10

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TTTE MORNING OREGOXIAN, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1021
E8TABLI.SHE1) BY llr'.NKY L. PITTOCK. j
Published by The Oregonlan publishing Co,
133 Sixth Street, furliand. Oregon.
C. A. MUKDEN, E. B. WVfMM,
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Ks-t'rn Bnitinrw nfflre Verree A Conk-
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troit, Mich.' Verree & Conklln. Selling
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A CLEAN-UP.
For one brief excursion Into crime,
three men were sentenced to the
penitentiary yesterday by ' Judge
Morrow two for eight years and
one for seven years. They had, for
the moment, profited largely from
their robbery of the Liberty theater.
That is to say, they had $9000 in
hand for a few days. Now they have
neither money nor liberty. Were a
fair division erf the loot awaiting
them on their release the pay for
eight or seven years Incarceration
would be pitifully small.
The men were of an ignorant type,
of foreign blood, possibly easily In
fluenced by the stronger mentality of
the one who will yet stand trial. For
such as they it was a stiff sentence,
yet in times when the thoughts of
more men than usual are criminally
bent, novices in crime must be made
to serve a warning to other novices,
while habitual criminals may expect
corresponding severity.
The profitless character of crim
inality is made impressive by the
aroused attitude of those who are
employed to capture criminals, by
the absence of undue sympathy on
the part of jurors and by the firm,
ness of the bemch. There have been
several recent illustrations. A high
wayman, with a previous criminal
record, has been sent to the peni
tentiary for twenty-five years, an
east side bank robber Is dead and
two accomplices are in jail; the mur
derer of a special railroad deputy is
on his way to the gallows; two rob
bers who slugged the driver of a for
hlre car in Portland are now In
prison In Seattle; a peddler of nar
cotics receives a prison sentence in
stead of the expected fine, and now
justice, swift and inexorable, has
overtaken the theater robbers all
these within the space of a few
weeks.
There is a clean-up In progress for
which the courts and the machinery
of law enforcement are to be com
mended. LAST OK THE RAILROAD III ILDKRS.
The recent death of Iord Mount
Stephen, builder, with Lord Strath
cona, of the Canadian Pacific rail
road, takes from the stage of affairs
the last of a group of men who were
pioneers in the business of uniting
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by
bands of steel. The vitality of these
constructive giants was enormous.
Ixrd Strathcona died only in 1914;
James J. Hill, but for whom the
Great Northern probably would not
liave been built to this day, lived
until 1916; Jay Cooke, the greatest
of them all. if ability as a financier
alone be taken into account, was
born a century ago this year but
lived well Into the present century,
dying in 1905. Henry Villard, whose
name possesses a peculiar interest
for Oregonians, died in 1900 in the
relative youth of his sixty-five years.
Huntington, Crocker, Stanford and
Hopkins are names to bo recalled by
Mount Stephen's, and so is that of
E. H. Harrlman, although Harriman
was a rebuilder rather than a pio
neer in construction. All lived in the
golden age of railroads, in a period
of vision that make us sometimes
wonder if we ever shall witness its
like again.
Lord Mount Stephen was 91 when
he died. Hill was 83, Huntington 79,
Lord Strathcona 93. Louis A.
Springer, who reviews their careers
in the New York Herald, notes that
all started in life as poor boys, and
all le(t fortunes. It might be added
that all performed work of enormous
consequence to the people, whatever
may have been their share of the re
ward. Hill started life as a clerk,
Huntington sold clocks, Mount
Stephen was a shepherd and would'
have been called a sheepherder If he
had been reared in this country in
stead of Scotland, and Strathcona
was a farm laborer In an unpromis
ing region. Villard, it will be re
called, whose name was originally
Hilgard, was a reporter. Harrlman
was a minister's son and went to
work at 14 as a clerk.
A common thread of frugality runs
through the lives of all, but it was
ambition and vision ajid determin
ation to pay the price of success,
rather than thrift alone, that carried
them through. It is doubtful If
amassing wealth was the chief pur
pose of any of them, although wealth
came as a matter of course; Indeed,
no man who was frugal and studious
and industrious and far-sighted
could easily have avoided getting
ahead. Lord Strathcona, when he
was asked the secret of his success,
gave full credit to thrift and in
dustry, but added: "I prepared my
self for my work." There were de
ficiencies in his boyhood education
to be made up. but he made them
ii't. This was true of most of the
others. It is so true that no man
need rest long under the handicap of
want of early opportunity, even In
this day, that the story of the lives of
these pioneers cannot be too often
told.
It is only fifty-two years since the
last spike was driven at Promontory
Point, Utah, that gave the Pacific
coast its first connection with the
east by rail, and it is loss than forty
years since the Northern Pacific was
completed to Portland. It Is precisely
forty years since the Southern Pa
cific was completed between San
Francisco and New Orleans. Even
after the Civil war the Impetus
which had been given to the railroad
movement over the more southern
routes by the early predilection of
Jefferson Davis in their favor was
not overcome and the country pur
sued the curious. course of building
two railroads across the vast Ameri
can desert before it finished one
through the more fertile and prom
ising region farther north. The
Santa Fe from Kansas City to San
Diego was completed ahead of the
Great Northern from the Great
Lakes to Puget sound. It Is worth
while reflecting upon the accidents
of history except, for which the
northern strip of the western coun
try, which has the sounder economic
foundation, might have had a long
start in development. It is now, of
course, beginning to come into Its
own.
These men who had so vital a part
In the railroad history of the country
may have lived to see the virtual
close of the era of thetr particular
form of activity. The immediate fu-
' .il.An W.. 11.41..- ! 1a..C
j ill . Jl I.I I 111,111 II I I I I i i I I I , II L JUIIL,
does not seem to be promising. But
it ought to be borne in mind that
they broke new ground in everything
that they did. They created oppor
tunities instead of waiting for them.
It is inconceivable that if they were
only now beginning life they would
see no outlet for the qualities ' for
which they were distinguished. There
are pioneers in all periods, and this
is asTrue of the present as It is of
the past. The man equipped with
Industry and frugality and vision
Is unlikely ever to want for worse ia
do.
PARTY LEADERSHIP.
President Harding would have a
united disciplined and effective party
in congress, but he would not have
the executive In any position of au
thority over congress. Then he can
not be the leader of his party, ex
cept as president he is the leader of
all parties.
But clearly the president thinks
that it is right that he should be the
head and spokesman of the repub
lican party; and just as clearly he
thinks that the party should act as a
unit in support of an administration
policy without dictation from the
White House.
It is all quite perplexing just as
perplexing doubtless to the president
as to the public. For of course no
party can function without leader
ship and in party government lead
ership inheres in the chief executive,
who is elected by party, under a
mandate to make effective the poli
cies enunciated by party in its plat
form. How can it be done without
direction, guidance, leadership?
If there is to be no party leader
ship, there will in due time be no
party to lead.
YVHKN THE TI.K COMKS.
The Pendleton East Oregonlan.
which has permitted itself to be
feverishly agitated because a pro
posal has been made by Portland for j
construction of the Umatilia-Wallula
cut-off highway, demands "fair
play" from Portland. It Is a senti
ment to which The Oregonian most
heartily 'nd unqualifiedly subscribes.
Pendleton, Umatilla and all Eastern
Oregon are entitled to fair play from
Portland and from every other city,
county and section of the state. It
Is only proper to suggest to the East
Oregonian that a condition contin
gent upon a demonstration of fair
play by Portland should be a grant
of fair play to Portland. To that
end it may be well to understand
precisely what Portland proposes as
to the I'matilia-Wallula cut-off.
The Chamber of Commerce has
adopted a resolution approving
designation of the Umatilia-Wallula
cut-off as a primary state highway.
But the resolution carries the stipu
lation that no money shall be spent
by Oregon on the cut-off until Walla
Walla county (Wash.) agrees to
build a connecting road, until the
Oregon trail through Pendleton, La
Grande and Baker to the Idaho state
line is graded and macadamised, and
until the La Grande-Joseph highway
is' completed. Unless It be agreed
that the cut-off under no circum
stances should be built, on the
ground that it is, in some respects, a
competitive or parallel highway with
the road from Walla Walla through
Pendleton to Umatilla many mile9
longer than the suggested cut-off
the Portland Chamber would appear
to have made a rather reasonable
proposition. In any event, it is quite
clear that there is no immediate
prospect of its construction.
The Umatilla cut-off will of course
be built some day. Economic pres
sure, industrial necessity will do it.
It will cost somewhere from $400,000
to $1,000,000. It it can be desig
nated now as a state highway, there
is an excellent prospect that the fed
eral government, out of its road
funds, will be willingto commit It
self to an agreement to contribute
one-half or more of the cost. There
Is little doubt, by the way, that the
United States road bureau regards
the cut-off as a highly desirable and
important connecting link between
the highway systems of Eastern
Washington and of Oregon. Is It
suspected by the East Oregonian
that federal officials have some
mercenary or discriminating purpose
in support of a policy which would
connect state road systems at strate
gic points? It does not seem possible.
Nor does it appear reasonable for
the Pendleton paper, or for any one
to demand that such a road shall sot
be built because it will benefit Port
land. Yet that is what it is in effect
saying.
It will doubtless be interesting
to the East Oregonlan and to others
to know just how much Multnomah
county has contributed for highway
construction in other counties, mean
while building its own roads from
money raised in Multnomah county.
Here are the net figures:
Quarter mill tax. 191T-t8-1!-20. $ 236.HSS.60
Market road atate tax. 19111-20 320,373.76
Motor vehicle license fees,
1017-18-19-20 and to Sep
tember 19. 1021 1.524,034.80
Gasoline and distillate tax to
November 1, 1020 501. 694. 40
Total
. .J2.o72.088. 45
Let us say that Multnomah has
done no more than Its duty, and has
been inspired by no motive of altru
ism, but of enlightened self-interest,
in thus supporting by its funds the
pc.licy of state highway construction.
Whatever the motive, the result is
highly beneficial to the state. Cer-ti-inly
it establishes the right of
Multnomah to a voice in the state
highway policy.
Withal, it Is a question for the
stale highway commission, where It
can be and doubtless will be settled
on its merits. When the time comes
to build the Umatilla cut-off without
Injustice to other interests, or with..
out interference with the proper de
velopment of the state highway pro
gramme, it should and will be built.
The contribution of the state will
be 1200,000 to $500,000.
THE CO I' RAGE TO CUT TAXES.
The tax supervising and conserva
tion commission has in the main dis
played discrimination and courage in
its treatment of the several county
budgets and has justified its exist
ence. The total reduction of nearly
$900,000 It has made in the forth
coming year's outlay Is a practical
exhibit of what it-has accomplished
j and of what it may be expected to
I accomplish in the future.
Place on the commission is not
wholly a pleasant job, and we fancy
that it will become less pleasant as
time rolls on. An important element
in the growth of taxation has been
the numerous delegations that ap
pear before tax levying bodies, each
importuning them to provide funds
for the particular enterprise' that has
attracted each delegation. It is often
hard to say "no" and there is a pos
sibility that hereafter tax levying
bodies will feel less impelled to deny.
The unpopularity of denial will be
passed on to the tax supervising and
conservation commission.
With the thought in mind that in
the future the commission will have
to stiffen its spine still more and that
It will need still stronger public
backing, it is herein said that the
commission ought, when possible, to
avoid the pitfall of technical reasons
for whatever action it may take.
The average reader will find It
hard to understand the reason of
fered by the contmlssion for reject
ing the item for the Mount Hood
loop. The act of the commission
was founded on an Astoria case,
wherein the county, which had ex
ceeded its debt limit and had a
spartly completed courthouse In the
hands of contractors, contracted to
take the building at a stipulated
price and pay for it out of succeed
ing tax levies. The supreme court
held that this was but a subterfuge
the contract was a debt and there
fore void.
In the Mount Hood loop case the
county commissioners entered into
no written contract, but more or less
formally promised to co-operate
with the state in building the loop
road by providing funds in this
year's and next year's budget. There
is undoubtedly a similarity between
the two cases, inasmuch as the state
highway commission has contracted
the expenditure of the money it ex
pected to receive from the county,
but there are similar cases which go
unquestioned. It is not uncommon,
for example, for persons to petition
the county for a road improvement
and to be promised that the work
will be done the next year. Build
ings are begun and partly completed
in one year and the tax revenues
of succeeding years virtually hy
pothecated by the fact that what
has been spent will be lost unless
the building is completed. The
Multnomah county courthouse was
so built; the county hospital is
under construction on the same plan.
In short, the distinction between
such an undertaking as that which
ran counter to the constitution in
Clatsop county and undertakings
that are common in public affairs is
finely drawn. One may consequently
suspect that while the county might
not legally be able to reimburse the
state for what the state has ad
vanced in the county's behalf, the
county might legally spend an
equivalent sum on work yet to be
done.
There is an element of good faith
in the transaction which ought to be
observed if possible. Often in private
affairs the moral factor is the es
sence of unenforcible contracts, and
he who resorts to the law to escape
such obligations pays in loss of
credit and public estimation.
AN ACHIEVEMENT IN ECONOMY.
The greatest achievement of Presi
dent Harding's administration from
the viewpoint of good work actu
ally done is the establishment and
actual operation of the budget bu
reau. It may be excelled by the
accomplishments of the conference
on arms and the far east, and all
good citizens hope that this will
prove true, but the conference,
though making amazing progress,
has not yet completed anything,
while the budget bureau has already
cut more than two billion dollars
from the annual cost of government.
This is a veritable revolution in the
conduct of the government, which
directly affects the pocket of every
citizen. Because this is so and be
cause Budget Director Dawes for the
first time gives a statement of where
the government gets its funds and
how it spends them that is intelli
gible to the average man, The Ore
gonlan has published his report in
full.
Mr. Dawes has brought about this
astonishing result by leading the
heads of departments to adopt a new
viewpoint, toward expenditures that
is tha reverse of that formerly held.
Whereas formerly each branch of
the government anticipated cuts by
asking for more money than it ex
pected to get from oongress, esti
mates are now "prepared under ex
ecutive pressure, continually exerted
for retrenchment wherever consist
ent with efficiency," to use the words
of Director Dawes. By setting all
the departments to work at saving
all they could instead of spending all
they would like, Mr. Dawes has
brought about slashing of expendi
tures by half a billion at a time.
The cumulative effect of getting
men's minds set on saving is most
striking. The ax was first applied to
expenditures for the fiscal year 1922,
for which appropriations had al
ready been made. 'The first cut, ar
ranged at a conference of bureau
chiefs, was $112,512,628, but six days
later this sum was swollen to $350.
000,000 by further economy. Then
Secretary Mellon found $170,000,000
which could be saved on public debt
transactions, which raised the total
to $620,000,000. Further economies
at various points have raised the
amount by which expenses will be
reduced by $582,000,000. Expendi
tures for 1922 will thus be $1,570,
118,323 less than those for 1921. For
the fiscal year 1923 the estimates
show a further saving of $462,167,
639. This leaves the total expendi
tures $167,671,977 in excess of reve
nue, but $100,000,000 of this sum is
to be provided by reducing the re
volving fund for purchase of naval
supplies and Mr. Dawes expects to
save the balance by further reducing
actual expense below estimates.
Total expenditures for 1923 will thus
be more than two billion dollars less
than those for 1921. In finanoe the
government is getting back to nor
malcy by great strides.
The budget bureau has accom
plished these things as the Instru
ment by which the president keeps
his hand on every branch of the ma
chine of which he is the supreme di
rector. No longer does each depart
ment run itself as though it were a
distinct business. All are parts of
one whole and as such they work to
gether. The airtight compartments
are gone. The budget bureau Is the
agency by which the departments
are brought into co-ordination. No
longer does one department buy sup
plies without regard to what another
has, nor do two go into the market
and compete for the same materials.
All purchasing officers compose a
board with a chairman named by the
president, which buys goods In the
lump and apportions them. Another
board conducts sales, and one de
partment buys the surplus stock of
another. Formerly one department
sold at auction surplus goods which
another needed, and the private pur
chaser would often resell them to
the second department at a large
profit. Government supplies being
scattered over the country, boards
have been established in the nine
corps areas of the army to co-ordinate
purchases and sales. Thus a
system is ended by which the gov
ernment lost hundreds of millions of
dollars. Other boards pool govern
ment office rooms, motor transport,
railroad transport and hospital space.
Uniform specifications of material
and service and uniform contracts
are provided by other boards.
Mr. Dawes treats the government
as a huge business corporation, of
which each part must work with all
other parts to get the most and the
best service for the people at the
least cost. What he has already
done indicates that he has infused
into the many officials a new spirit
of co-operation and a new purpose of
economy. This inspiration flows
from the president through him, and
he directs it so that it brings prac
tical results.
PORTLAND'S RANK AS A PORT.
Some significant ' facts as to the
rank of Portland among American
ports are brought out in the report
of the shipping board for the year
ending June SO, 1921. In tonnage of
combined exports and imports this
port stood fourteenth among the 23
for which figures are given, but in
tonnage carried on shipping board
vessels it stood ninth, as to exports
seventh, as to imports twenty-first.
Portland handled more exports
than any other port in the Pacific
district, namely 32 per cent of the
total for the district against 20 per
cent from San Francisco, 18 per cent
from Los Angeles, 15 per cent from
8eattle. In Imports Portland fell be
hind, San Francisco receiving 65 per
cent of the district's total, Los An
geles 16 per cent, Seattle 12 per cent,
Portland 6 per cent.
The port controls exports from its
territory, which comprise the bulk of
its total, and there it displays the
strength of its geographical position.
Imports are mostly under control of
railroads and steamship lines allied
with other ports, therefore Portland
gets a small share. The desire of
shipping men whose vessels are
drawn here for large cargoes of ex
ports will lead them to seek imports
as return cargo and thus to correct
the Inequality.
Here is a physician who declares
that "sleep is a habit," indorsing in
a way the opinion that Thomas A.
Edison used to be said to have of it.
But even Edison as he grows older
does not begrudge himself his nap
and in all probability even he is will
ing to admit that it is a habit almost
impossible to break.
Even if the disarmament confer
ence does no more than make war
cheap it will have gone a long way
toward making it unpopular. Half
of the popularity of the American
Beauty rose is due to its cost; there
are a lot of other roses that are in
trinsically more attractive.
We have come to the point where
a cut of half a billion in the year's
expenses is mentioned as a not
wholly satisfactory arrangement,
whereas only a few years ago half a
billion would run all the depart
ments of the government and leave
something to spare.
These little Christmas seals that
are selling one hundred for a dollar
are doing a lot of good. Every piece
of mail during the holiday season
should be ornamented with one.
They do not belong on the address
side of letter or package, however.
The peace conference may not be
out of Washington by Christmas, hut
it will come nearer to it than a cer
tain other peace expedition did in
getting the boys out of the trenches
by that glad holiday.
The new German ambassador at
Washington will do well not to pat
tern too closely after the example of
a distinguished predecessor, even
though diplomatic relations have
been resumed.
With only one possible voter out of
two actually going to the polls, we
have something left to be thankful
for. Just think what we might get
if all of them went to the polls.
That Jollet school girl who got a
husband through the classified
column of a newspaper is one of the
few exceptions to the rule that it
pays to advertise.
The killjoys never die. They won't
let Santa Claus alone, they haven't
let the man In the moon alone, and
now they are trying to prove that
Moses wasn't found in the bullrushes.
"Lucky" Tommy O'Connor won't
be as lucky as the cop who wins pro
motion under the shoot-to-kill order
of the Chicago chief of police.
Even if you have planned not to
do so much Christmas giving this
season, it Is a good scheme to do It
early and avoid the rush.
Arizona will only get what might
be expected if there is a recurrence
of the "wave of crime" down there.
Still, we often wonder how many
votes Mr. Volstead would command
if he should run for president.
The fight on "blocs" in congress
might well be extended to the block
heads therein.
Early shopping for Red Cross seals
will always be in order,
The Listening Post.
By IlrW lit Harry.
THESE nature stories, all authentic,
keep coming, and as there is
nothing that makes any better read
ing or provides a more enjoyable
topic for discussion, we'll issue the
latest, the talc of a yellowhammer
that lives- with the W. A. Van Scoy
family out on Simpson street. This
bird has made his home in the same
place for the past three years, scorn
ing the fall migration,, and Is a true
Oregonlan. Yellowhammers, and
birds of that type, do not roost as
other species, but cling to the side of
a wall, so Mr. Van Scoy Yellowham
mer has selected a i.lce warm niche
under the eaves where a chimney
keeps him comfortable and there
makes his home.
Three years ago last spring he put
in his first appearance, all alone, and
adopted the family. Van at first had
to cure him from pounding on the
roof, for he managed to knocl: a
couple of small holes in the shingles,
but he soon learned that this wouldn't
.do when the master of the house
would roll a potato at him over the
roof.
Early in the summer of his first
year he went out courting, and, by
means of wiles of his own and a
certain longing song, managed to
draw the attention of a young lady
who had just come up from the south.
They lived around the Simpson-street
house for several weeks, and then
went away. In the fall they returned
with two clumsy children. The
youngsters were taught a number of
tricks and mastered the art of flying,
but with the advent of the first chill
weather, when the instinct came to
go south, the father refused to
budge, and by flying at the children
and their mother with a series of
raucous cries and threatening mo
tions, drove his family a'way.
Mr. Yellowhammer then retired to
his cranny for the first winter.
Water and food were provided and
he seemed to have a most happy
time, and the next spring again went
forth and brought back a bride, that
fall they returned with two more
children, and the father drove his
family off once more. This year he
hag gone through the same pro
gramme, a nice wife In the spring,
the summer vacation trip, the return
with the children, the refusal to leave
with, them, and their departure after
his threats, and there he is, ensconed
in his winter home.
Sometimes at night the bird who
loves Oregon so well and who clings
to the side of the house with his
claws, loses his grip and rolls down
the roof. Then there is a hard
struggle accompanied by much
clatter, as he scrambles 'jack to bed.
Any night he may be seen, with the
aid of a flashlight, as he snuggles
close to the warm chimney under the
shelter of the eaves.
J. D. Farrell of Seattle thinks ex
Governor Oswald West is a burglar
and frankly tells him so. Shortly
after tile famous team of hackney
horses, Prince of Mance and Princess
ot Mance, was added to the Farrell
stable of prize winners, it became
apparent that a gig would be needed
to show thum properly. Since the
decline of the horse for general use
this type of vehicle has become very
scarce and it waa only after con
siderable searching in the east that
Mr. Farrell found and bought a gig,
paying $750 for it. Harness and
other items necessary to the equip
age brought thl total close to $1100.
Not long ago a visitor from Seattle
told ex-Governor West that he knew
a man who had kept a large stable
and wanted to sell a gig and set of
tandem harness. Mr. West inquired
cautiously and discovered the price
asked for the whole outfit was $40.
He sent a letter, inclosing a check,
to the address not many blocks from
the Farrell home and the gig and
harness were shipped. When Farrell
learned of the transaction and fig
ured $1060 difference, he applied the
burglar epithet to West.
Frank Kiernan was watching Santa
Claus working the other day. Now
Santa, especially in a department
(tore, is supposed to be the friend of
every child and they all want to meet
the Jovial old gentleman and tell him
what they want. Santa tries to help
them out and assist their parents.
Santa, smiling as he may seem, often
has troubles of his own under his
masqueraders' guise. This one asked
a little chap what he wanted for
Christmas.
"Four dollars to fill my bank." was
the reply, "you'll give it to me,
you've got $4, haven't you Santa?"
"Lad, if I had $4 I wouldn't be
doing this," came the dispirited
answer.
And to another one Santa asked,
"What can I do for you?"
And the bright youngster replied.
"Well, I'll leave it all to you, Santa,
I'll leave it all to you."
Just write and tell your friends
in the east that the pussywillow
catkins are with us, harbingers of a
spring that seldom leaves this for
tunate country. Tell them that you
have to cut the lawn regularly and
that the crocus shoots are breaking
the ground on the south side of the
house and have to be covered up
again in their warm beds so they
won't get up too early. And that the
lilacs are tipped with green buds
ready to burs't forth and the roses
are yet in bloom and the yards filled
with chrysanthemums and other fall
flowers, all blooming In the ppen.
It serves to contrast the climate,
but we mrfst admit that there la little
that can surpass the cold, crisp white
days of the holiday season east of
here, when the light flakes, blanket
the ground and the Ice-sheets invite
skaters and the tingle of the weather
gets into one's blood.
There's not a great deal of trouble
getting the employes of some big
corporations to do a good day's work
at this time of the year. They have
their eyes fixed on the bonus that
seems certain. For several years it
has been the practice for big firms
and banks to award their employes
with substantial checks at the end
of the year. The amount is generally
governed by the time the employe
has been with the firm, by his posi
tion and rate of pay, and not a
minor consideration is the amount of
earnings for the firm during the year. -
Those Who Come and Go.
Tales of Folks at the Hotela.
"The bridge across the Alsea river
at Tidewater was taken out and It
was drifted down the stream to Wald
port," reports O. V. Hurd of Wald
port. who arrived at the Imperial yes
terday. "The bridge was built by
Lincoln county and coat $10,000. and
when it was completed the county
turned it over toxthe state and the
forestry department. Recent rain
storms caused the Alsea to' become
swollen and filled with logs and these
latter piled up against one of the
piers, broke it down and sent the
large covered bridge Inta the stream.
There is now no way of going to
Waldport by automobile or wagon
from the outside until the bridge is
replaced. An effort is to be made to
see if the forestry people and the
state highway commission will re
place the structure"
One of the big problems for the
farmer is how to raise money to ob
tain more dairy cows and provide
barns for their shelter, according to
Chrig Johnson of Salt Lake City, reg
istered at the Multnomah. Mr. John
son will assist In Judging the ex
hibits at the butter and cheesemnk
ers' convention at the Multnomah.
"The people of Oregon." said he, "do
not realize what It means to farmers
in some of our western states to have
to house their cattle six months in
the year, often with the thermom
eter below zero for weeks. Here In
Oregon cattle can be outdoors nine
or ten months of the year, which
means a great saving in many ways."
Mr. Johnson Is connected with the
United States department of agricul
ture. "Highway paving Is ended for this
ear." says C. C. Kelley, assistant
elate highway engineer, who arrived
in Portland yesterday. "It was a
wonderful season, the best for road
work that I have ever known and the
conductors kept on the job as long as
they could. There were some unfin
ished paving jobs which can be taken
up in spring. The Grants Pass
Job. three and six-ientin miles, was
i-topped at that point, although the
contractors wanted to - keep on
while longer." Mr. Kelley and other
tnglneers of the, department assem
bled in Portland last n ght under di
rection of Herbert ,Nunn to hold a
conference relative to maintenance
problems. This Is the atnual confer
ence of all the division engineers.
After having spent several days in
Portland investigating conditions rel
utlve to his company's business in
this city R. P. Templeton. general
manager of the Pacific Coast Sales
Hook company, has returned to his
tome office In Los Angeles Before
coming here Mr. Temp.eton had spent
several weeks In the East, where he
observed the trend of business con
ditions. "The Pacific coast is in bet
ter shape from a business stand
point than any other section I have
visited," said Mr. Templeton. "Con
ditions here are two to one better
than in the East. However, things
are picking up and thtre are pros
pects for Immediate improvement in
the Central and Eastern states."
"According to the present pro
gramme, the road will be completed
from LaOrande to Joseph by this time
next year." states Ernest F. Johnson
county commissioner of Wallowa
'Considerable work wai done on the
road this year, but there are still
some gaps to iron out. Speaking of
stock conditions, Mr. Johnson says
that the recent s'.orm did compara
tively little damage ir. his county,
.lthough the capyons are filled with
snow. Mr. Johnson is here to get
Ideas at the convention of commis
sioners and county judges.
When J. Dunson arrived at the Per
kins yesterday from Coos Bay he
found it raining, but the rain whs
mild and the air balmy. Down In
Coos Bay they have had regular tropi
cal rains and one day recently there
was a precipitation of 4 ',4 inches,
which can be set down as a record,
so far as the oldest inhabitants can
remember. The rain came down as
though squirted through a firehose
and there were (nches of rain running
off roofs and sidewalks and every
thing. Kenneth E. Hodgman. who has had
charge of the comatructlon of the Pa
cific highway from the California
state line to Grants Pass, and who
has been directing the development
of the highway to Crater lake, is reg
istered at the Imperial. This week
the state highway commission may
award a contract for constructing
another section of the Crater lake
highway. G. A. Gardner of Jackson
ville, judge of Jackson county, is In
the city to see how the bids are on
this scenic highway.
There was something the matter
with the limbs of Charles C. Frazier
ot Arlington, Or. He had been treat
ing for them for a long time and even
X-rays failed to locate the seat of
trouble. So Mr. Frazier came to Port
land and a local doctor thumped him
until he located a growth on the
spine. A six-inch incision was made
and now Mr. Frazier Is at the Perkins
with limbs equal to a 100-yard -Jash
or a fox-trot.
"We are doing some bridge work,
but aside from that the.re is little
road work being done in Coos and
Curry counties Just now, "states W. E.
Chandler, division engineer d"f the
highway system, who Is at the Im
perial from Marshfleld. "More was
accomplished in road construction
this season than in the two previous
years, thanks to the favorable weather
conditions," he said.
Sherman Wade of Condon, county
commissioner for Gilliam county, is
at the Hotel Oregon while attending
the meeting of county Judges and
county commissioners. L. E. Fowler,
tht county judge, is also at the Hotel
Oregon and W. J. Edwards of May
vllle, the second commissioner, is also
in the city.
A. B. Itobinson, Judge of Benton
county, which fought the plans of
the state highway commission and
thereby delayed completion of the
west side highway' through that
country. is among the Imperial
arrivals.
r- K Onine now county ludtre
and formerly sheriff of Douglas
county, is at the Imperial. Accom
panying him are the commissioners.
Edwin Weaver of Roseburg and
11. W. Long of Toncalla.
r p,,imUl rtf T-tnfnps Or., la a
county commissioner of Ba..er county
and Is at the Imperial. Also regis
tered there is Mr. ana Mrs. j. l..
Dodson of Bakes, Mr. Dodson being
the county judge.
E. S. Prouty, member of the port
of Astoria commiision and lumber
man of Seaside, arrived at the Benson
yesterday.
c n Sutherland, outside man for
the McCormlck Lumber company at
St. Helens, is an arrival at the
Benson.
Louts Kolhagen. a well-known
meat dealer of Roseburg. is In town
on business and is at the Imperial.
R. M. Crommelln. manager of the
Collins Flour mill at Pendleton, is j
at the Benson, '
Burroughs Nature Club.
Copyright, Houghton-Mifflin Co.
Can Von Answer These Questlnnsf
1. Do fishes have lungs?
2. Do birds perspire like mammals?
3. Why do people wink their eyes?
Answers in tomorrow's nature notes
Answers to Previous Questions.
1. Why do some English spar
rows show so much white In their
featherg?
They are partly albino, and fairly
common. All-albino sparrows are
occasionally seen. The scientific
guess Is that white feathers on spar
rows not naturally so marked, are a
freak of nature indulged In when the
species show signs of getting too
populous, on account of its freedom
from enemies. The freaks are con
gpiclous, and easily killed off by
predatory birds.
2. What Is the mating law of the
catamount? Polygamous?
No, monogamous. None of the
American wild felines are polyga
mous. Whether or not they mate for
life is still a matter of difference be
tween students: but they are known
to have but one mate per season.
This Istrue both of the puma and of
the lynx, both locally mis-called cata
mount. 3. Please Inform me on a plant
callod snow-on-the-mounta'ns. I can
not account for Its growing so
abundantly In my garden this year.
This Is one of the spurges, original
ly a wild plant or weed, most of
whose varieties have a milky Juice
that is poisonous to some skins. It
is poisonous to suck. This plant
spreads rapidly from seed, and In the
case named, probably la an "escape"
from some nearby garden. Very likely
at first one stray may have sprouted,
and not been noticed; but from Its
seed the conspicuous growth was
sow n.
i-aw is eooo ik it i nan
Failure Temporarily to Funrtlon Is
Not Teat, Nays Prohibitionist.
PORTLAND, Dec. 1. (To the Edi
tor.) With reference to prohibition,
or any other law, the prime question
Is not: To function or not to func
tion, but right or not right! Law
always functions, as Adam found to
his sorrow and as the devil will find
to his eternal undoing.
The fundamental consideration, as
to principles. In all questions is what
is right? A vehement recognition of
this fact will clear the atmosphere of
a lot of maudlin and devilish fog
which invariably beclouds every
worth-while moral or spiritual prob
lem. By planting ourselves firmly
upon such aphorisms as: "Truth Is
mighty and will prevail"; "I would
rather be right than be president."
"Hew to the line, let chips fall where
they may": "Right forever on the
scaffold, wrong forever on the
throne yet that scaffold sways the
future . . "! I gay thus we gain a
greatly needed vision and advantage.
Certainly, this kind of application
of life law and Ufa prlnclplea means
a severe testing, but no experienced,
serious person doubts the necessity
for rigorous disciplining "be thou
faithful unto death and I will give
thee a crown of life."
illght is always uncompromising,
and right Is always best for human
beings. 'The God of all the earth
will do right."
iorae who argue about "dry law"
tacitly concede that it Is right, but
claim that it is not feasible, that it
is not functioning, that it is being
degraded, eta Never fear, real law
always functions; violators of law
degrade themselves, not law. If the
principle of prohibition Is .right, every
man's son must, sooner or later, both
theoretically and practlcajly adjust
himself to it, else he will be "ground
to powder'' by the might of law.
With real law-makers in America,
thank God, the voters the isaue la
not based primarily upon considera
tion of policy, or functioning, or viola,
lions, or circumstances, etc., ad infini
tum, but upon what is right.
When God swung into srace the
planets and other orbs, his laws gov
erning them were in no danger of not
functioning or of being degraded by
violations and we can conceive that
some of these heavenly bodies might
fail to function or degrade themselves.
In that event law "would not suffer,
but!
Practically applying the way God
has of bringing about results would
scrap a lot of wish-washy, whimper
ing, maudlin, superficial sentlmental-
lsm. and inspire a much-needed, rest
ful confidence in the might of right.
BACKBONE.
PLENTY OLD - FASHIOM'.li GIBX8
But Seeker Must Go Outside Dunce
Halla and Movie Studios.
PORTLAND. Or.. Dec. 12. (To the
Eiiitor.) As a chance listener to con
versation these past few weeks. It
seems to be necessary that a certain
trend of thought that has become
popular and misleading should be
presented from a different viewpoint.
In public places, where men gather In
groups of two and three, the modern
girl and her relation to the home
havo become a topic of general dis
cussion.
It may be that the Christmas sea
son brings feelings of loneliness, and
the regret of responsibilities shirked
to a few of our masculine friends, but
that will not excuse the views some
of them hold. The chorus of their
song of lament Is, "There are no
more girls to be found of the staying.
home-making and loving qualities of
our mothers."
As a listener one wonders if It has
ever occurred to these aloof gentle
men that the girls worth whilo and
desirable are beginning to feel that
need to start on a quotU similar to
Diogenes of old. If they are to find
men who are clean, wholesome, hon
est and dependable, so that their chil
dren can enter into the moral and
physical heritage for which our fore
fathers struggled and tolled to pass
on to us.
If the Jar and jangle of hotel life
has set your nerves on edge, and
the monotony of the rooming house
dulled your perception, down-town
meals given you chronic indigestion,
holiday and Sunday turned you to a
growling bear; if you become one
sided' In all your views from the peace
conference to the best way of serv
ing coffee, then, Mr. Man, you have
dangerous symptoms.
In such a condition you will never
get the opportunity to present your
credentials to the ever growing or
ganization. "Seekers for the Heads of
Worth While Homes." Strange as it
may seem, money and position are
the last and least mentioned qualifi
cations that you will be called to
present.
A situation like this truly needs
more than a passing comment, or the
walling lament of song. To the man
who Is earnestly seeking for the real
life of the home and the worth-while
girl and his place in the life of the
community will find all these if he
seeks carefully, but he must go far
ther than the modern dance hall and
movie studio. He must also lay aside
the garments of the Pharisee.
L. C. G.
More Truth Than Poetry.
By James J. Montague.
THE LOST Ori'lllt l l MTV.
I never hear those Wanner tunes
(If tunes they may be styled).
In which the oboes and bassoons
And fluegelhorns run w fid.
With that rapt-vlsaged reverence
And warm, responsive glow
Which better educated genta
Than 1 are wont to show.
Alas, far olher thoughts aro mine
As the prodigious din
Romps, roaring, down the noisy line.
From drums to violin.
I hear the harsh tympnnl clink.
I hear the Yellos croon
Amid the rumpus, and I think
That Wagner lived too soon.
Poor chap, he died In "88;
He plied his simple art
Full twenty years before the data
That music got its start.
Had he been with us here today.
In I ML
And written tunes, ah, who can say
What he might not have done!
For sip and go and dash and swing
His harmonies displayed;
He knew the use cf everything
By which a noise in mad?.
He would have made a greater roll
Than Irving Berlin has.
If all the sounds that thronged his
soul
Had been turned Into Jazx!
Contagious.
Now the moon Is moving a little
faster. We knew this speed mania
would have a bad effect.
Talks Like One.
If you doubt thnt the child It
father of the man, listen to a college
freshman conversing with his dad.
Comparisons.
T.udendorf fought better than he
writes nnd he didn't fight well
enough.
(Copyright. 1921, by the Bell Syndi
cate, Inc.)
In Other Days.
Fifty Venrs Ago,
Prom The Oregonlan of Ilerrmber 13. 18ft.
It has been proposed, in order to re
duce the sea voyage between America
and Europe, to build a railroad 150
miles long across Newfoundland, com
pleting the route to Halifax.
The town of Hlllshoro Is growing
rapidly and most of the small chil
dren are large enough to go to school.
The bark Webfoot has brought up
enough iron on this trip to complete
the first 20 miles of the Oregon Cen
tral railroad.
The 23d United States Infantry
regiment has been ordered to Arizona
and will embark on the steamship
AJax on her next departure from
Portland.
Twenty-Five Yesrs Ago.
From The Oregonlan of December 13. lavVS,
The steamship Macrlnnnlsh In now
!n this port, having mnde the second
best run between the I'nlted Kingdom
and the Columbia ever recorded. 90
days for nearly 17.000 miles.
The month of November had the
most phenomonal weather ever re
corded. The records In temperature,
rain and snowfall, wind and high
water In the Willamette were all
broken during the month.
Oregon City A big break occurred
in the canal here torlny which will
prevent the passaare of vensels or the
operation of mills deriving water
power from the csnal for three or
four days.
Jacksonville. Fla. Positive advice
Is re. -rived that Antonla Maceo and
his staff were murdered by Spaniard!
under a flac of truce.
why DBsTHOY OOOD whisky f
Suggestion Mndr in II. hull of Those
Who WOuld Coddle onvlrts.
SKASIDE. Or., Doc. 11. (To tha
Editor.) I read today with approval
that it is proposed at Washington.
D. C, to turn over to the disabled sol
diers cigars and clgi-rettos seized by
the government for tax delinquency.
Now that the tide of destroying ap
pears by thin indication to bo at the
turn could not the distressing wasto
of good liquor be stopped and a better
use be made of it than pouring it
down the Hewer?
In common with many others I
formerly doubted as to whether all
the boose seized in Portland wns dis
posed of In that sinful manner until
I road Dean Collins' parody In which
he described the antics of the fish
In the Willamette on one of thqe oc
casions. Such acta are unfair to the
ft . and discouraging to all right
minded people.
I suggest that the liquor confis
cated in this state be sent to the
statu penitentiary for the use of the
convicts. Not, of course, to bo handed
out indiscriminately, but with judg
ment, to the model prisoners, at the
proper time In carefully measured
portions, say abou three fingers Just
before the evening meal to those
whose conduct had been perfect
through the day.
We do everything possible nowa
days to Investigate the suffering of
our murderer guests. Why not give
them some real joy, at no cost to the
taxpayers? .
I, for one, would be glad to read
no more harrowing accounts of liquor
flowing through the sewors. but to
know that it was being used as an aid
to discipline and a comfort to the
afflicted Ratals, for instance.
ROBERT BKOOKE.
votiiim; si i iiy thii-s mart
Other Schools t.ot F.ftilpment as
ehenp W Ithotit Traveling lllreetnr.
PORTLAND. !"-. 12. (To tho Edi
tor ) Director Woodard falls to tell
the whole story in his defense of
O. B. Thomas, and incidentally of
himself. "He has saved the taxpsy
ers of school district No. 1 many
thousands of dollars In the purchase
of equipment," says Mr. Woodanl
Has he? The truth Is that this equip
ment was for sale by the government
to any school at 15 cents on the dol
lar and this district simply took ad
vantage of the offer, as many other
schools did. Mr. Thomas did not buy
It any cheaper than any other district.
As for the selection of the machin
ery, Mr. Cleveland. principal of
Benson could have done It Just ns
well, probably better. One trip was
made to buy boilers and then it w
found they were out here at St. Johns
when they were finally secured. In
addition, the majority of the machines
had to bo rebuilt at the Benson school.
When you add up the total expenses
of these trips back east it is an Item
of over $4000. I fail to see where
there was any saving to the district.
Mr. Thomas' interest has been
almost entirely In the Benson school
and nqme people think too much of
the taxpayers' money has gone Into It
through his being allowed to do about
as he pleased.
Mr. Wondard. In conversation with
Phillips. Arnold, McHatn and myself,
asked if It would be best to hurst
things open or keep his mouth
closed. Judging from h:a recent ac
tions he hag decided to do the latter.
JAMEiS STAN 1 U.N.