8
THE MORXIXG OREGONUN, WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 4, 1923
IVI ABLISIIKI) SI IIKNRY 1.. FITTOCK.
ob!lih;1 by Tha oregonian Publishing Co,
rtixlu Mreel, rortla4d, Oregun.
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FOB A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
The Oregonian has a letter today
from Pendleton, bearing on the re
lationship of Multnomah county to
eastern Oregon, which appears to
call for a brief review of the record.
If Multnomah and Umatilla counties
Jiave worked In harmonious relation
ships In the rast, the reason is un
doubtedly to be found in the ad
vantage of both. We have no Il
lusions on that subject, and doubtless
our Pendleton friend has none. Tet,
in view of the fact that the proposed
I:.ir legislation ha3 had the unhappy
ffect of reviving old prejudices,
t-nd creating new misunderstandings,
which have taken the form of at
tacks on Portland from various di
rections and on equally various
.rounds. It Is right that Portland's
position be measured for whatever
ii is worth. '
Iet us take the one matter of the
attitude of Multnomah county In
various affairs of state concern
which have gone to the. people
through the referendum. It is there
that Multnomah makes Its best show
ing, for It has with great consistency
fallen In line -with proposals that
were, of special importance to the
etate, or to certain other com
munities than Portland. There is no
Instance so far as we can recall,
where any measure affecting the
material interests of any section has
been vetoed try the vote of. Mult
nomah. Let us have the record, and
eee what our critical friends can do
With it:
In' 1908 on a referendum of a
legislative act increasing the ap
propriation for the state university,
Multnomah county gave a large
enough favorable majority to offset
a negative majority in the state at
large. The bill was carried by Mult
xiomah's vote.
In 1910 Multnomah county, with
' one-third of the state vote, gave 6600
of the 8600 favorable majority for
the eastern Oregon hospital for the
Insane, at Pendleton.
In 1910 Multnomah county ap
proved the bill establishing a state
normal at weston, Dut tne Dill was
defeated by the state at large.
In the same year it contributed
less than 300 of the 10,000 adverse
majority against the Ashland normal
school.
In 1910 it contributed 6000 of the
10,000 favorable majority to the
Monmouth normal school measure.
In the special referendum election
In 1913, it contributed 8400 of the
16,000 favorable majority for the
referended university building re
pair fund.
In the same election It contributed
nearly 7000 of rfce 10,000 favorable
majority for the referended univer
sity building fund. t
In 1914 Multnomah county ap
proved the bill re-establishing a state
normal at Ashland but an adverse
vote In the state at large defeated the
measure. In the same year it ap
proved the bill re-establishing the
normal school at Weston, but the bill
failed by the adverse vote of other
counties.
In 1916 Multnomah county gave a
favorable vote to the Pendleton nor
mal school measure, but it was de
feated by other counties.
In 1916 Multnomah county gave a
favorable majority of more than
7000 to the state rural credits meas
ure. In 1917 the favorable majority of
Multnomah county overcanVe the ad
verse vote of the state at large .on
the first highway building pro
gramme: this despite the fact that
while Multnomah county contributes
more than one-third of the state
lighway cost it receives nothing
from the fund. The action of Mult
nomah county started an enterprise,
the enlargement of which has on
more than one occasion since then
received the enthusiastic endorse
ment of the entire people at the
polls.
In 1918 (during the war) Mult
nomah gave its first distinctive ma
jority against creation of additional
normal schools. The adverse vote in
this county was only 1208, but the
measure was beaten by a majority of
more than 16.000.
In 1919, with one third of the vote
of the state, Multnomah county con
tributed 8000 of the 8000 majority
accorded the measure to guarantee
interest on irrigation district bonds.
In 1919 Multnomah county gave
the Roosevelt Highway proposal a
majority of more ' than 12,000. It
cartied by a total majority of 27,000.
In the same year this county voted
by a majority of more than 7000 to
tax itself for market roads, the bill
providing that a large share of this
county's revenues therefrom be ex
pended in other counties.
It is important -'it is vital to the
welfare of the state as a whole that
the metropolis and the state at large
be in accord on the larger interests
of the commonwealth. A sound basia
for concert of action is mutual un
derstanding. In that spirit, this
brief offering of the record is made.
Salem Is a quiet, neighborly city,
where everybody knows everybody
and each tries to know nothing but
good of the other. So what matter
if "a prominent citizen" in confine
ment for possessing something "on
the hip" Is released by a chief of po
lice to attend to important business.
if he .returns to his cell on time?
Murderers and rubbers have been j
furlougbed from higher institutions
to attend funerals of grandmothers
or other female relatives upon oc
casion.
FISH OF ONE: FOWL OF THE OTIIER.
Tina drab dullness of the post-holiday
season alone is our excuse for
noting the newest outbreak of our
cantankerous contemporary, the Eu
gene Guard. Here it is:
It Is funny to have Senator Lodge, the
editor of The Oregonian and othera. who
held up world peace for two years and
defeated the only tangible pian for pre
vention of war ever auegjested, abuse those
who are opposed to an alliance between
this country and Japan because they fear
the cause of peace will be Injured. A
great many Americans are very much op
posed, and honestly ao, to guaranteeing,
by foroe of arms If necessary, Japanese
supremacy in the orlunt and throughout
trie islands or the Pacific.
Among the Americans opposed to
any guaranty, by force of arms or
any other way, of Japanese supremacy
in the orient and the islands of the
Pacific is The Oregonlan. Will the
Guard quote a single paragraph, or
line, or sentence, or syllable from the
proposed four-power pact that would
"guarantee by force of arms, if nec
essary," Japanese supremacy any
where ?
It must be said In candor that the
autonomy of Japan and of every
other signatory to the Versailles
treaty was to be preserved against
external aggression (see article X);
and papers like the Guard accepted
the commitment of America to an
extensive and complicated pro
gramme to preserve against external
aggression by force of arms if nec
essary the national boundaries of
nearly fifty nations, including Japan,
Now they whine and squeal about-
foreign entanglements, the yellow
peril, the Japanese invasion and the
like, when four of the great powers
agree to communicate with one an
other "fully and frankly in order to
arrive at an understanding as to the
most efficient measures to be taken,
jointly and separately, to meet the
exigencies of the particular situa
tion" viz. aggressive action of any
other power.
Let it be noted that the essence of
this agreement is that the four pow
ers will "communicate with one an
other fully and frankly." If there Is
any Implication that in honor binds
them to act together, it certainly
contains no guaranty to preserve by
force of arms, If necessary, Japanese
supremacy in the orient and the
islands of the Pacific.
But let us assume that it does.
On what ground can one who swal
lowed Article X, hook, bait, sinker
and pole, in the Versailles treaty, re
fuse to accept Article II in the four
power pact? The explanation is that
the one was President Wilson's plan,
the other Is President Harding's.
WI LI. MORE OF US TRAVEL?
Repeal of the 8 per cent tax on
passenger fares may soon give us an
opportunity to judge of the accuracy
with which Vice-President Edward
Chambers, of the Panta Fe railroad,
judges the effect of advances or re
ductions in rates on traffic. Testify
ing before the interstate commerce
commission he said:
It is our Judgment that the present level
of passenger fares is not unreasonable, and
that a reduction in the present basis would
not stimulate traffic to the extent that
the possible increase in travel would off
set the losses In revenue that would result
from the present charges.
That opinion is flatly contrary to
the well-recognized principle that
the cheaper a commodity is, the
more people buy It, which surely
must apply to transportation as well
as other commodities in general use.
When a man contemplates a trip, he
will more readily take it if it costs
$10 instead of $10.80, especially if
his funds are limited, as many peo
ple's t.re nowadays. The principle of
small profits and large returns must
apply to railroad travel as to other
things.
When passenger fares are reduced,
as is very likely before this year
ends. It will be necessary for rail
roads to stimulate travel in order
that by selling more tickets they may
compensate for the smaller profit on
each ticket. Then the railroads will
advertise how much cheaper a trip is
than was formerly the case, and Mr.
Chambers' eyes will glow with satis
faction when he sees cars loaded
full. Then he will find it 'ery con
venient to forget what he told the
Interstate commission.
THE WORLD'S OI TT.OOK ON THE NEW
YEAR.
This year seems destined Co be one
of reorganization and reconstruction
in the world's affairs, in which the
United States i s deeply interested
and will hold a dominant position.
Before January ends the Wash
ington conference will result in
treaties for limitation of navies, for
restoration, at least in large part, of
the Independence and integrity of
China, for definite establishment in
practice as well . as theory of the
open door policy in that country, and
probably for withdrawal of Japanese
troops from Siberia.
Before the conference at Washing
ton ends another will have begun at
Cannes, in which the United States
may join the allies in revising repa
ration terms with Germany, and may
arrange to fund the allies' debt to
this country in conjunction with ad
justment of their debts to one an
other. This will involve pressure on
Germany to make its government not
only financially self-supporl-.ig but
able to make payments; on France to
moderate its demands and to act
with the other powers, not inde
pendently, and on arrangement for
financial help to other European
states on the strict condition that
they make their revenue and ex
penses balance and stop issuing wild
cat money. These are essentials to
revival of industry and commerce for
this as well as other countries.
At Cannes the allies may attempt
a new treaty with Turkey which will
end the war with Greece the only
war remaining from the world war
and will restore the unity that
Franco broke by making a separate
treaty with Mustapha Kemal's gov
ernment. The transformation In Russia that
began a year ago Is likely to continue
at much accelerated speed. Famine
which the soviet ishelijless to com
bat alone.has driven it to abandon
commdnism aliuost entirely, to per
mit foreign relief under foreign con
trol. to admit foreign capital and to
abandon world revolution as Its aimi
Though Lenin and his red oligarchy
are determined to rule, whether un
der a communist or capitalist sys
tom, the people may not submit to a
tyranny that was imposed by terror
ism after they recover enough free
dom of action and enough physical
energy to overthrow it. Whatever
the political development in Russia.
freedom to buy and sell will increase
production and revive foreign trade,
with a. stimulating effect on the in -
dustry of thi and Kurope&n coun
tries. The prospect is that within the
year thevlrisb Free State will become
a fact, and that there will be stopped
a source of disturbance, of which the
effects reach far beyond Ireland. But
the world will not yet be at peace.
Egypt still demands independence,
and there is passive rebellion in
India for the same purpose. Portu
gal is in a state of chronic anarchy,
and armed Intervention by mandate
from the league has been suggested.
China has several rival governments,
no one of which is able to overcome
the others, t-nd has intermittent civil
war.
Great progress In restoration of
peace, order and prosperity may be
expected in 1922, but only the most
sanguine will expect that this turbu
lent old world will settle down to
rest before the year ends.'
ODD JOBS HELP.
Out of a multitude of measures
adopted by the people of various
cHties of more than 20.000 "Inhabi
tants which have been reached- by
President Harding's conference On
unemployment, a few impress us as
being eminently practical. These are
uniformly characterized by organ
ized effort to create jobs in quarters
where not jinuclMhought had been
previously given to the subject by
personal contact between members
of committees and potential em
ployers, and by emphasis on the fact
that even the small jobs, if there are
enough, of them, are worth consid
ering". .
Dallas, Texas, for Illustration, has
taken a. church census of its 190,000
inhabitants, in the course of which
each householder was asked to fur
nish some special odd job, painting,
gardening, carpentry, cleaning, and
the like, and records were kepi of
the replies. The result was that a
large amount of work was obtained
for the needy.
Chicago made a double canvass.
The fire department ordered a gen
eral clean-up of all aombustible ma
terial and refuse, which served the
purpose -both of reducing the -fire
hazard and making a considerable
number jgt small jobs, while the
Woma-rfs City club has divided the
city Into districts, each in charge of
a chairman, whose assistants are
making a house-to-house canvass
with a purpose similar to that 'of the
Dallas campaign.
RockforVi, 111., has a committee in
each ward, with cub-committees
which have established personal
touch with every citizen. The Rock
fotd effort is reported to have been
particularly 'successful.
Atlanta, Georgia, has a club of five
hundred citizens, each of whom is
pledged to build a dwelling to be
rented at a reasonable figure, thus
killing two birds with a single stone
by relieving unemployment and the
housing situation at the same tlm.
So-called "large employers" are
solicited in many towns to increase
their payrolls whenever it appears
that men can be utilized even with
out much profit, and these larger es
tablishments have quite generally
responded. There remains, however,
a considerable residue of unemploy
ment to whom odd jobs would be a
boon. There are perhaps few house
holders who could not discover a
job or to that needs doing, and
who, if they realized the aggregate
importance of little things, would be
willing to make some work. A few
days' employment thus created at
this particular time by each citfzen
would in all probability relieve a
critical situation and aid immeasur
ably in tiding over the period until
industry is generally resumed.
We surmise that there is not so
much unwillingness among the peo
ple to help in this matter as there is
want of appreciation of the part that
small jobs are going to play in the
crisjs and a general spirit of waiting
for someone else to take the initia
tive. A well-considered and thorough
personal canvass by an active and
patriotic committee might conceiv
ably develop surprising results.
THE EMBRACING ITT.
A- goodly number of fond human
memories cling to the ivy, as its
vines to the wall. Botanists call it
by an ugly name and reproachful,
but parasite though it is, men have
loved it and shall continue to ap
praise it fondly, with its gentle min
istry to old walls, old dwellings.
Against this traditional sentiment
have been turned of late the re
proaches of practical folk In Eng
land of all places who indict the
storied English ivy as an insidious
foe to the structures that harbor the
vine. Magdalen college, Oxford,
finds itself the center of a staid but
persistent vortex of criticism, jvith
the Times serving as a forum for
controversy.
The oddity of this quarrel is that
the claims of either faction those
who defend the ivy and those who
condemn it constitute a direct and
particular denial of either conten
tion. Thus it Is discovered that
whereas Edward Warren has for
some years been consecrating hisj
ULC iu kilt ciiiuiiiaiivu ui Luc mc,
holding' that the stones of Magdalen
must crrimble unless they be stripped.
a certain it. x. uuntner, no less
pledged to his purpose, vows that the
removal is not only a sacrilege of
tradition, but that architectural, ruin
must follow.
"Ivy is a terrible foe to architec
ture." asserts the one. "Its acid se
cretions destroy the mortar of the
joints, reducing it to Incohesive sand.
Its fibres and tendrils push their way
between the joints, bursting ancient
mouldings and shattering carvings,
steadily disintegrating the work of
man's hands, while it smothers pro
portions and beauties."
"The wall face," retorts the other,
"which has been kept dry for longer
than living man can remember, is
now exposed to the rain and humid
ity of the Oxford climate. Frost will
complete the disintegration of the
surface, rendering wpensive repairs
necessary in the future. Old mem
bers of the college know the services
which plants, properly kept, can
render to old buildings."
Old members would know how
much the ivy means and shrink to
see profane hands laid upon It in the
name of the practical. They would
not like to see its green and comely
embrace removed from walls that
had known tha,t clasp before the
young iconoclasts were born, or their
fathers, for that matter. Yet it is
well for the good of their cause that
they summon the stout argument of
service to the support of sentiment.
If it can be proved that ivy shields
the stone and prolongs its years, then
the upstarts are confounded, as they
should be.
Alde Irom, that, must .we measure
'service always by the yard-stick and
the hour-glass? Vine-clad cAslles
and abbeys and old dwellings would
seem to have the knack of enduring
for longer than any man's tenure on
life, or for longer than the lives of
many men. So intimately has the
Ivy clothed them and hidden or soft
ened the brigandage of time that it
has become a part of the structure
Itself. To strip it off would but be
to reveal ruin and sadness, saved by
no kindly touch of nature from the
stark aspect of death. Though it be
granted that a vestment of Ivy short
ens the life of the stone it graces, it
were well to remember that we are
dealing with centuries. Counting the
gain of all those decades, the glad
ness with which men have gazed
upon tne lovely parasite, the eyes
that have turned to it and received
rest, H is fair to assume that we owe
the ivy some trifling cbobt and
that it has more than repaid its
tavern toll.
After all, the assault upon ivy is
much ado about nothing. Impicufls
hands may have tneir way and tear
It from the walls of Magdalen col
lege, carrying their crusade wherever
the vine, lifts its e&ger leaves to the
coping. The " years will amend.
Other hands will plant It and other
folk, given to sentimental common
sense for there is such a blend
will guard it tenderly and find the
sight of it most soothing and satis
factory,
TIIE STORY OF POLISn MARKS.
The man who sent $250 to his
brother in Poland and received- $12
back after his money had beeft con
verted into Polish marks and had in
vain sought the lost brother for two
years may console himself with the
thought that it might have been
worse. When the $250 reached Po
land -t was changed into about 12,500
marks, so the dollar was then worth
about 60 marks. At the end of
September, 1921, the mark reached
its lowest point, 7000 to the dollar.
At that rate the 12,500 marks were
worth $1.78. The money must have
been returned before the rapid fall
which began in June.
If the American brother who sent
the money had been willing to back
his confidence on the economic re
covery of Poland he might cut his
loss materially. Since September Po
land has won valuable territory by
the Silesian award, which brings
within its own borders .much coal
and other commodities that formerly
figured as imports from Germany
and thus helped to depress the Polish
mark. The Polish diet is working
on a bill greatly Increasing taxes,
which is expected to go far toward
balancing the budget. In conse
quence the value of the mark dou
bled between the end of September
and the middle of December.
Excess of imports over exports has
been a factor in depreciation of
Polish currency, causing a demand
for foreign in excess of Polish money.
Until recently Imports were several
times exports in value, but there has
been a marked change during the
last few months. The grain crop
was so much larger than in 1920 that
imports of American wheat have
stopped and there is a surplus of
200,000 tons for export. Exports of
lumber have increased materially
and the govern menthas lifted the
embargo on exports of oil. But even
a balance between exports and im
ports could not offset the great in
crease of paper currency. The amount
in circulation grew from 100,000,000,
000 marks on July 1, 1921, to 207,
000,000,000 on November 30. At the
September rate of exchange those
107 new billions were worth only be
tween fifteen and sixteen million
dollars.
The manner in which Poland has
begun to climb painfully up the hill
to solvency is typical of what all
central and eastern European coun
tries must do. The hardest part of
the journey is the start and HMs slow
and painful, but each step Is easier
than the preceding one. The man'
who expected a quick profit by spec
ulating in foreign exchange Is
doomed to disappointment, but if he
is willing to make it a slow invest
ment by waiting fo'r the recovery of
nations that are basically sound in
physique and character he should
win something, though probably hio
more than he could- have earned in
eome productive enterprise.
The safety first organization of an
eastern railroad recently set a watcii
on one of the most dangerous cross
ings along the line and proceeded to
check the actions of approaching
motorists. It was then discovered
that the average' speed of all cars,
including those which observed due
precautions, was thirty miles an
hour and that the lowest was nine
teen -miles. Few stopped before
crossing the track and many did not
look to see whether the way was
clear. The numbers of the cars were
noted and friendly letters were sent
to the owners earnestly requesting
them "to approach all crossings with
far under control and look in both
directions before crossing the
tracks." The method commends it
self as less provocative of friction
than arresting men and fining them,
but it may be wondered whether any
conceivable plan will be effective.
The grade crossing peril is one of the
best-advertised occurrences in the
world, and the number of these acci
dents in 1921 showed an increase
over 1920.
Grain and' flour exports from the
port of Boston decreased about 80
per cent last year. Still, sne has her
codfish and can do a good import
business in sugar as well as rum, if
she can get it by.
The man who makes good whiskj
in Great Britain has been made a
peer.and James M. Barrie is given
the order of merit. Honors lie easy
over tere.
Chicago doctors Issued 2,189,000
liquor prescriptions last year, which
hardly jibes with Chicago's claim of
being the healthiest city in the
country.
Dilatory autojnts are being'glven a
few days of grace in getting licenses,
svhich is a kindly act, but something
may break any day.
There Is a pent-up Utica in Tork
state with a temperature of 27 be
low. Being ice-cutting time, she
needs that weather. ,
Each colored gentleman who as
pires to challenge Dempsey should
wear a horseshoe in his mit next
time.
Land is started the easy jobs at big
pay, but Hays is flirting with some
thing twice as cood,
The Listening Post.
By DeWitt Harry,
HOTEL lobby loungers present a
difficult problem. Not only the
male with his drooping cigarette and
his counterpart gnawing a strong
cigar, but the women as well. Just a
few weeks ago the management of
one of the large hpstelrie-fn the
city had toall in the police to relieve
them of a persistent and non-paying
guest who held down a well-upholstered
chair all night.
In one of the marble lobbies on a
busy street nearly all the chairs have
been removed, for it was, found that
loafing was restricted to a great ex
tent by discomfort. Most of these
places have their house detectives,
but even they havr round It impossi
ble to keep objectionable characters
awr.y.
There are numbers of regular lobby
attendants well knov-n u hotel staffs,
for many men find their club and so
cial lfte there. While it is not the
intention of the hotels to run free
clubs, they cannot help a certain
amount of this, and they do not de
sire to offend any who might have
possible business there or to drive
away friends of patrons or cause 111-
feejingr These many considerations
help to create a very delicate situa
tion. '
Then as additional complications
are the women flirts. There are a
number of these who play the hotels
regularly, like to pose In the lobbies
and attract attention, and some are
far from averse to making chance ac
quaintances. In the handling of the
woman lobby pest the hotel managers
have f.n exceedingly hard task, 'for
they must exercise every care to see
that there is no insult offered. Dam
age suits have not been unknown
from this cause, and for this reason
a new hotel is planning a small lobby
w' !tout any chairs.
e
What doyou read?
A sweet-faced grandmotherly crea
ture occupied a seat in the reading
room at the public library. She was
reading Karl Marx. Watch the crowds
in the circulating room. Many of the
people taking books home refuse to
run true to form.
Here comes a great, rough creature,
flannel shirt open at the neck, face
unshaven, clad in overalls, with
greasy hat under his arm. He draws
'Old Pottery and Porcelain."
Right behind him comes the woman
bent on improving her mind. She
takes four bocks home each week in
dutiful order. Of course she may not
be able to understand much of their
contents, but they make a splendid
showing on the living room table be
tween the book racks.
Sitting in a quiet corner is a well-
dressed man, a professional or busi
ness success, judging from his clothes
and appearance. He should be read
ing a treatise On lumber or some
trade digest or business Journal. Let'
peek Nit the volume. "Bab A Sub-
Deb!"
An old man with faded umbrella,
muffler and rubbers asks the page
for a rhyming dictionary. A large
woman, weighing in the neighborhood
of 230 pounds, is feverishly reading
a book on mountain climbing. Wear
ing his derby hat is a small brown
Japanese student carrying a great
thesaurus.
And in the magazine room the
types, the poorly-clad men evidently
down on their luck saturating them
selves in romance while they bask in
comfort. In the reference room is a
totally different c'&ss of patrons.
In the children s department, tense
little faces are upraised as the chil
dren take In the fascinating tale the
"story lady" is relating.
Most superstitions "Veil their birth
in vague antiquity. We all have our
pet aversions. Many a woman will
not wear opals. Ask her and she save
they are "unlucky" and when pressed
for an explanation the chances are
that it will be the logical feminine
one, because.
Admittedly the opal is one of the
most beautiful of semi-precious
stones. Its variegated colorf have no
equal and some of the well-cut stones
take high rank in fine world collec
tions. So far as is known no curse
has ever been laid on the opal that
can be verified, and well authenticat
ed Instances of dire disaster attend
ing its wear are difficult of proof.
A local lapidary who bears an ex-
client reputation at his craft, and who
has made a study of stones and their
attendant legends, lays the unlucky
opal superstition at the door of the
stone-cutters themselves. An opal In
matrix is a difficult thing to handle.
The crude stone comes imbedded in
hard rock and their form Is fragmen
tary and odd. In addition to this the
opal is a mass of tiny fractures and
its structure thus presents a difficult
task for the workman.
Under old-time shop rules workmen
were forced to stand a portion of the
losses through breakage of materials.
In this manner, as the opal presented
many chances for loss, the opal made
many enemies. The local stone cutter
thinks that most of the superstition
against opals came from careful fos
tering of this belief by the lapidaries
themselves.
A family were having a great dea4
ofe'ifflcuUy in getting a lawn started
ir. one of the newer residence dis
tricts. The house, on a corner, sat
on it level with the street. In old
days a short-cut path led across the
lot occupied by the new house. Usage
had made this path a neighborhood
convenience, and small boys found it
difficult to break the chains of habit.
All this leads to the discovery of the
paragon of politeness.
"I don't want to catch you running
across my lawn again," the lady of
the house warned a seven-year-old,-
"I beg your pardon, ma'm, but I
never run across your lawn."
"Why I saw you," exclaimed the
woman.
The boy lifted his hat as he deliv
ered his last polite and pleasant re
mark and turned to leave "I beg
your pardon, ma'm, you're a liar,
ma'm."
i
In an old curiosity shop a few days
ago a second-hand etore littered up
with unassorted Junk, the writer dis
covered a real antique, a foot-scraper.
Remember them? Before the streeW
were paved no home was complete J
without the scraper on the iront steps
and the "welcome" doormat. It was
not , considered good etiquette then
to enter any house without scraping
the mud from your feet. Possibly
people are not as particular as they
used to be, but those scrapers served
a mifchty good purpose, j
Those Who Come and Go.
Tales of Folks at the Hotels.
In 1846 the father of George Fin
ley came to Oregon. -'This was three
years before the gold rush to Cali
fornia. The elder Finley established
the first flour mill in Oregon south
of Oregon City and he had customers
ss far away as Jacksonville, which In
those day was a rip-snorting gold
camp as wild and as picturesque as
anything that the gold diggings of
California could produce. Geo.-ge Fin
ney was in town yesterday from his
home at Cra wfordsville, Linn county.
He says the old-timers of Linn county
are being "written up" and that these
personal sketches are . to be Jiled
with the Oregon Historical socle so
that they will bsavailable for future
historians. While here Mr. Finley
wanted Jefferson Myers to Jot down
some data for the historical compila
tion. "We shipped our last cranberries
last week and there are no more to
be had from Pacific coast cranberry
growers until next fall," said S. A
Moore, secretary and manager of the
Columbia River Cranberry Growers'
association, of Ilwaco, Wash. "Our
crops have been good this year, and
on account of the shortage in the
eastern crop our prices have been
very satisfatory during the entire
season. Growers are well pleased
with the results, particularly those
who marketed through the Taclfic
cranberry exchange. The cranberry
industry has emerged from the infant
and experimental class and Is now
the real thing." The association of
which Mr. Moore is manager operates
a large acreage and packing plant
Mr. and Mrs. Moore are registered at
the Hotel Portland.
"The automobile tire business Is
good and will steadily improve, be
cause the automobile is here to stay.
Cars are becoming more plentiful each
year and, of course, that neans a
constantly widening market for
tires," states Walter J. Gray, tire man
from Mansfield. O., at the Multnomah.
"It has come to the point where the
general merchandise stores In the
country places carry a stock of tlrea
Farmers come in to trade and among
other requirements are shoes for
their cars.' The cross-roads merchant
of today is right on the job to supply
the demand."
"During the recent tie-up caused by
snow in the Deschutes canyon and
the Columbia river gorge there was
scarcely even a light frost south of
Madras and the roads were dusty.
We were not isolated it was the
outside world that was," declares
Fred N. Wallace, president of the
Oregon irrigation congress, who is in
the city and is registered at the Im
perial. Mr. Wallace, one of the best
known citizens of central Oregon, is
being mentioned as a possible candi
date for representative from the dis
trict composed of Jefferson, Des
chutes, Crook, Lake and Klamath
counties.
In the clothing line business has
not been as good as the dealers would
have liked in Idaho, and particularly
in Boise. The reason for this is that
there has been an open winter, de
cidedly mild in character, so that the
people have not had to invest in a
lot of nice, heavy, warm clothes. J. G.
H. Graveley of Boise, where he Is a
commission merchant, is among the
Idaho arrivals at the Multnomah.
The Pacific Northwest representa
tive of one of the best-known shirt
and collar concerns in America is at
the Benson and has decided to make
Portland his headquarters in the fu
ture rather than Seattle. He explains
that business declined so in the Puget
sound country that he can do better
by locating In Portland and working
the Willamette valley.
"Few nAonlA rpnltzp Hint nnp nf th
biggest military plants in the state is
at fnrvallls I rfpr to the Ore srnn
Agricultural college," explains W. It.
Reld. secretary of the commercial
club at Corvallis. "Twenty men can
be commissioned each year Into the
regular army from the college. This
maKes It a sort or miniature West
Point."
Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Knox of Fos
sil are here while Mrs. Knox has her
eyes treated. Mr. Knox. 70 years of
age. and doesn't look it, is an old
timer in the" Fossil country, where
he is a large land owner and has
cattle and sheep. He has. been rais
ing hogs as a sideline, but discovered
the past year that this ajde-line was
his main line in so far as 'cash profits
were concerned.
Some of the finest storms that ever
broke -against Jhe precipitous cliffs of
Neah-kah-nie mountain were on ex
hibition this winter and the patrons
of the big tavern nearby had what
Might be considered ring-side seat"
at the show. . O. Heed, manager of
the tavern, has arrived at the Mult
nomah, registering from Nehalem, Or.
Walter Meacham, ex-secretary of
the Commercial club at Baker is in
town attending the State Chamber of
Commerce meeting. During the spe
cial session of the legislature Mr.
Meacham bombarded eastern Oregon
legislators with telegrams urging
them to oppose the 1925 exposition
measures.
"Men who bought sheep recently are
going to make money, for the prices
will continue to rise," is the optim
istic view taken by H. A. Roman of
Boise at the Multnomah. "The men
who bought sheep a year or two ago.
when the prices were sky-high, how
ever, are still In the stnancial dol
drums." With two carloads of steers, Joha
Palmers came to town from Fossil
and Is at the Perkins. He received 6
cents a pound and isit overenthused
by the price eince he discovered what
the consumers have to pay for beef in
the retail butcher shops of Portland.
Wilford Allen of Grants Tass. where
he is connected with the irrigation
project a few miles south of the town,
is in the city talking to fellow irri
gators, like James Kyle of Stanfield
and Fred N". Wallace of Tumalo.
Charles Berkley, manager of the
Hay Creek company, one of the big
land and cattle companies east of the
Cascades, is In thev city conferring
with the directors of the corporation.
S. K. Sykes and A. It. Marsh, regis
tered at the Benson from Uoseburg,
made the trip to see the boxing fiasco
at Milwaukie when the main event
was over in less than three minutes.
Sam Brown of Gervais. Or., In the
heart of the French prairie country,
is in the city. He is interested in a
drainage project for the valley.
It. 15. Bean, speaker of the house of
representatives, is at the Imperial.
Mr. Bean ls.1tere as a delegate to the
State Chamber of Commerce confer
ence. William F. Gratke and L. T. Drake
newspaper men of Astoria, are regis
tered at tjie Hotel Oregon.
J. W. Lillie, formerly sheriff of
Gilliam county, is in Portland for a
few days.
Maybe Her Mother Was.
Everybodys. -
Lucy heard her mother and soma
callers discussing a neighbor's rug.
She quietly slipped out of the room,
rang the neighbor's door bell, and
asked to see the new rug. 1
After looking at it for some lime,
she solemnly said, "Well, it doesn't
make me sick.'
Burroughs Nature Club.
Copyrlicht, Houghton-Mifflin Co.
Can You Aiiiicr,Tbff Questions:
1. How many musKrats are there
to a litter? i
2. I have a mud turtle. Should I
keep it in water a good deal of the
time?
3. Please describe the linnet, over
common In parts of California. A re
cent question in your notes makes
me think the bird therein described
was a linnet, and not the sparrow
suggested as reply.
(Answers in tomorrow's Nature
Notes.)
.
Answers to Previous Qnentluns.
1. Do mosquitoes of both sexes
bite?
No, only the female is a blood suck
er Ths male lives'on plant Juices
But the male yellow fever mosquito,
Stegomyla, will settle on man. Its
object, however. is to Imbibe perspira
tion, not to suck blood.
2. Are black bass, or nny of our
scale game fishes, infested with
worms under the skin along the back
during the months of July and
August?
We cannot say positively not, but
skin parasites are not the rule with
fishes. The alimentary tract is com
monly the area infested mouth,
stomach and intestines. The small
mouthed bass, hewever, has a skin
parasite, one of the Trematoilo. The
butterfish has a flesh worm. In ex
ception to the rule, and this parasite
is said not to hurt the edibility of
the fish. Many flsh-s carry Crusta
cea on the fins and outer parts of tho
body.
-
3. My canary's claws are constant
ly troublesome, getting too long. Is
there anything to do bui cut them?
In nature birds' claws wear off
gradually from hopping on rouith
bark, stones, etc. Of course, this is
missed in a cage. A sheet of rough
sandpaper in the bottom of the cage
will help; or try putting In a good-
sized piece of bark to scratch onk
rresent airncuity may ne helped Dy
filing the claws frequently.
Blackbirds.
By Grare Iv. Ilnll.
I heard a blackbird chorus
In a tall and leaf-bare tree.
On a day when winds were moaning
Of the winter's tragedy;
And tho colored songsters' rapture
Was a symphony to me.
They sang of flight untrammelcd.
Through space when skies were
fair.
They sang of lacy tree tops
When spring was everywhere;
They sang of baby fledglings
And Joy was in the air.
Their song was rife with fredeom,
Kach singer strained his throat.
As. on a bare bough swinging.
He trilled his given note;
And wild and true that music
That masters never wrote.
But greater than the music,
Far clearer than the la-.
Was something that they taught ra(
Before they winged away:
That I thould sing my sweetest
When skies are drear and gray!
VOl'XG MEN WANT TO HE HlSllKD
Modest Middle-Clnss .lrl Have Dull
Time in Portland, Says One.
PORTLAND. Jan. 2. (To the lOtl
itor.) Since Eve's problem has ap
parently been settled through the
medium of T'te. Oregonian, I am won
dering if there won't be some solu
tion of mine, too? I am not, as Eve,
asking for "a husband, a little hqmo
and some chickens," but I am asking
for an answer to the following ques
tions: Is it true as has often been said
that Portland men have a reputation
for being poor mixers? That Port
land is the worst pli.ee on the coast
to have a good time socially? That
the girl who is a good "spooner" and
who rushes the men will be popular,
while the one who doesn't will be un
seen and unnoticed?
Perhaps these questions may sound
foolish, but what if you were a girl
of good family, fairly attractive and
wanted a pal but were forced to
stay home and watch the others
play? Pounds like some old "lemon"
who wants to be popular and can't
Then there are many in my same
class and Portland certainly isn't
noted for the abundance ofsuch.
It is not such a difficult problem
for the shop girl it Is easy for her tt
meet men of her own class through
community service clubs and through
street acquaintances, for there Is not
so much reserve, there Is an absence
of social conventions. The societj
girl attends many social function!
where there are countless opportuni
ties for meeting people.
But. what about the girl of the so
called middle class? She seems to be
in a class by herself. She does not
belong in the shop-girl class; neither
is she In society. Where has she the
opportunity of meeting the right kind
of men? I have heard numberless
remarks along this line by colleere
girls who are capable, attracttr and
accomplished. Doubtless the question
will be raised rat if these girls are
attractive why aren't they having a
good time? Generally, they don't
have the chance of meeting people;
they aren't consistent "spooners" and,
what Is more, they aren't continually
rushing a man by calling him up
every other night and making a date.
- After an absence of nearly three
years I have returned to Portland
only to find that the mnjorlty of my
friends ha,ve spattered. How will new
ones be mad"? Join some of tho
community clubs, you say. Mo: t of
them are made up of cither the ex
tremely young set, the younet- mar
ricd or the older people. Then, too,
you can't go around by yourself,
neither do you want to decorate the
wall. What Is the solution?
In many of the larger cities clubs
are being organized to deal with this
problem, to see that those girls who
can present the proper qualifications
meet the right kind of professiona'
and business men.
I have finally come to the conclu
sion that Portland men prefer the
new type of girl who does the rush
ing herself. Or are there those who
do admire the old-fashioned girl who
wants a good time but In the right
way and under the right circum
stances? MARY SIT-B Y-THK-F1KK.
Inxtrurtlon In Wireless Telegraphy.
SILVKBTON. Or, Jan. 2. (To the
Editor.) I am Interested in amateur
wireless and would like to know
where I could obtain any informa
tion at reasonable cost.
DAILY READER.
The radio department of the Ore
gon Institute or technology. Y. M. C.
A.i Portland, furnishes instruction at
a low rate of tuition and will be glad
to furnish you with information
about the course. The department
would also put you in touch with the
Amateur Radio Operators' association
and advise you regarding the merits
of a number of hiagasihcs published
iu the Interest of wireless telvg
rPfcy . j ,
More Truth Than Poetry.
By James J. Montaarne.
NOT SO ATTRAt TIVK.
In the days when a kins of a Balkan
domain
Lived the life we ascribe to one
Reilly,
When people delightedly basked in
his reign
And valued their potentate highly
When he dwelt In a palace where
care was unknown
And woe not allowed to Intrude
there.
You will find that he clung to his
little old throne
As if he were actually glued there.
When one day he sickened, and pres
ently died,
And it fell that another was needed.
There always were plenty of prhicca
outside
All ready to rule the way he did.
And on every train that was bound
to the town
Came nobles of unquestioned merit.
All willing and eager to beg for thu
crown
And establish their fitness to wear
it. I
Today, though the throne has been
vacant a year
A throne that men once would have
died for
And want-ads sent out through the
land far and near.
It hasn't been even applied for.
All the princes they've offered it t
over there
Have haughtily muttered "No
thatikec!"
And so the Albanians, quite in despair,
Have hurriedly sent for a Yankee
All Yankees supposedly long for a
throne
With a fierce and Incurable mania.
They yearn for a sceptre and .rovn
of their own.
Although they are both In Albania
We don't want to pose, in this sapient
song
As a sceptic, a scorner or scoffer,
But we feel that this throno has
been vacant so long
That there must be some string to
the offer!
Too nrnstle.
Certain members of the bouse will
never approve of an antl-Iynchlng hill
which does not at least provide for ;i
brief open season.
Carious Phenomenon. n
False teeth cost more than for
merly, yet they tire not a bit falser
than those bought 20 years ugo.
Kdueallonnl.
The discussions about the open door
have taught a lot of our fellow cm
sens that there is something in China,
bisides laundries.
tfopyrlFht hy tha Tlfll Pymliatp. Tne
In Other Days.
Twenty-five Yenrs Ago.
From The Oroicnnlan of January 4. 1SII7.
Salem. Although the fee system is
flHKrantly abused and responsible for
extravagance that meets with the
general condemnation of all but it'
beneficiaries, the legislature will be
asked to perpetuate it.
Work will be begun this morniner
by Wolfe & Zwu-ker on the two tor
pedo boats which they have contract
ed to build for the government.
The representatives of th. several
hop-buying firms who have in the
past made Salem their headquarters
have moved to this city.
A. Riehley. the well-known buililt-r
end architect, speaking of the plan
of the new federal building soon tn
be erected in Portland, expressed
himself as not very favorably im
pressed with the design.
Fifty Years Ago,
From The OroR-onlan of January 4. ts;j
A deep ravine on First stre t
above Hall, which was filled up la!"t
year, has be-en partly washed out by
recent rains.
Frank Warren, who has been for a
long time connected with Wells.
Fargo & Co. in this city, has sev
ered connections and gone over
diagonally to the Ladd & Tl'ton
bank.
At the council meeting last nilit
a petition was received asking prr
mission for cows to run at lartu
back of Eighteenth street and be
tween D and Jefferson.
ROl'SD-l'P ASKS NO TAX 1IKI.P
lr. Illlnrr Replies 1a I'miioanl to
Retaliate on Ientlleton.
PENPLETON. Or.. Jan. 2. (To the
Kditor.) A man who designates him
self as "Fair Play liaci published in
The Oregonian last Friday a letter
proposing a boycott on the Pt-nilleti'ii
Itound-l'p on account of the opposi
tion of eastern Oreron to being taxed
for the 1H25 fair. I would liko to rail
this gentleman's attention as well as
the attention of Portland peoplo In
general to the fact that the Pendleton
Kound-Cp has not and never will
the state to levy a tax to support lh
Pendleton show.
I would also call the attention '
the gentleman to the fact that a Imy
cott sometimes acts as a two-edm-d
sword and sometime es a booinei -
ang. Seattle, Tacoma. Spokane and
Salt Lake have some very I r'
wholesale houses who would I
mighty triad to get the business .'
the Pendleton merchants should tl"
wholesalers of Portland refuse t'.'
to accept our business.
The "active and Influential cilisen"
who prefers to make his criticism'
from behind the shelter of the nanp
"Fiiir Play" Insinuates that the satr'
brushers do not know what the nan
means. Be that as It may. but we d
have the courage to sliin our ic.l I
names to communications which we
send to newspapers.
UOV W. niTNKK.
WHAT HELP HAS CITY .ll:f
Correspondent Dors of Meruit Port
land Aid to OntKide KnterprlNCH.
PKNULKTON. Or., Jan. 2. (To the
KHitnr.) I sin one of that numerou?
class who live outside of Portland
hut who are not unfriendly to I'oit
land. Yet 1 am bound to s;iy thai !
consider It no friendly act on port
land's part for it to try to ninke
state pay for a Portland fair. Not
do 1 think there is great merit in thi
statement that the state nwrs iiim'l
t Portland, since Portland has done
a crc.it deal for the stale. I do not
believe that Portland has done any
thing for Oregon which did not have
in view the immediate benefit "f
Portland. If I am mistaken I should
like to he shown.
I believe I am correct in the state
ment that the Umatilla county del' -gallon
In the legislature has usually
worked with Multnomah. Now that
our delegation has not found it pos
sible to go with Multnomah, is tb
whole record of past harmony to 1"
forgotten? It takes two to 1-t
friends, and the obligations an
mutual. X. Y. Z.
An article on 'bis page gives :.
record of Portland's asslstan e It
measures nf i.nriorlance to M'.e s::
and in thone of especial iiiiiiui u
to other localities.