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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1922)
10 TTTE MORNING OltEGONIAX, FRIDAY, JAXUA1TY 13, 1922 V.STABil.SlItli' I1KNRY 1 PITTOCR. Prbllh.!il by The . regonlan Publishing Co. 15 h.xth stn. Portland. Ortuon. C. A. M'JKOEX. E. a. F1PER. Aittr.tis.er. Edilor. The Orenonis.i u a member of the Asso ciated frrss. Tn Associated Press Is .ex eluslvely entitled to the use for publication 0. all nuws dlsp&tr.i.ea credited to it or not crherwi credit-o In this paper and also ha local news pjo,ihed herein. All riKhta rr publication of aeclal dispatches herein are also reserve i Subscription Kate Invariably In Advance. R; M 1 1 Pally, Sunday Included, one year $8 on 1 t'aiiy, Buuuay Inciu'led. six months ... 4 - Tally, Sunday Inciuued. three months.. 2.2.1 laliy. -t jrulay :n-ided. one month.. .7.5 tally, wthout .S-i.,t-y, one year 6.00 J.ially, w-hout Sun l.y. six months .... l.vi I'ally, wihout Sinuay. one month .... 0 Weekly, one year 1 00 'bunday, yea- 2.M ... 'Jy Carrier.) 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Elevation of Senator McCumber, a member of he agricultural bloc, to the chair of the finance com mittee and of Senator La Follette to a place on that committee which makes him "eligible for member ship on the conference committee that has to discuss differences with the house on financial and like weighty subjects," is viewed with alarm by the Financial Chronicle which takes the viewpoint of New York financial interests. It des cribes the seniority rule by which these representatives of western interests and radicalism have risen to positions of power as "a bad habit of democracy which democracy must abolish." It calls the bloc "a manifestation of a disease" which "la a combination of selfishness and shortsightedness." It makes no objection to the coming conference on agriculture provided it "avoids an outcry to government, for that means an extra turn of the universal squeeze in order that he (the farmer) may have some pressure taken off." When western 6enators of the type of McCumber and La Follette rise to positions of power on the most Important committee of the senate, a significant change is in progress. Their states have acquired such constancy of purpose that they keep the same men in office until the seniority rule works In their favor. Formerly, as result of fre quent change of western senators, the seniority rule worked to keep the Atlantic coast in control. We heard no complaint from New York in those days. The rule is of a kind with the old world principles of hereditary succession to a throne, of Inheritance of an estate by the eldest son, though he might be a "boob" or a profligate, but not till It puts the west in power does New York discover that it is undemo cratic. This opening of eyes to a truth to which they were formerly blind is a manifestation of the disease just mentioned - as infecting Atlantic coast people. Their selfishness and shortness of sight led them to be lieve that the seniority rule and the bloc were all right as Instruments of their political eirpremacy, for control of the senate by a group of eastern senators was held by a bloc, though that name wa9 not used before the present congress. These practices are vicious only when they work to the advantage of the west and of the farmers. Then we hear protest from New York against class prejudice, "Jealousy between east and west and everywhere between the 'haves' and 'have-nots.' " There is no real danger that the 'farmers' bloc will start a campaign of plunder against the financiers and manufacturers, for the reasons that farm property constitutes about one-third of the total wealth of the country and that more than half of it is operated by its owners. The farmer, as a land-owner, is a capi talist as well as a workman, and that fact restrains him from falling in with radical schemes against capital.' There was some danger in the days of populism, but the aver age farmer is far better informed than he was in those days and the experience of those who were duped by the non-partisan league in North Dakota has been a useful warning. Farmers do not wish to take "an extra turn of the universal squeeze" on any other interest. They believe that deflation squeezed them harder than others and they wish to relieve the pressure on themselves and to equalize it on all interests. In uniting their forces for this purpose, they simply follow the precedents pet by manufacturers and financiers. When they join all other classes of shippers in a round table conference with j-ailroad executives on their common interest in reducing rail road rates, they display a regard for the rights of others and a recog nition that the welfare of manu facturers and railroads is bound up with their own, such as was not evidenced in the days of eastern control. New York needs to learn that the political supremacy formerly enjoyed by it and allied New England and other Atlantic states is at an end and is not to be succeeded by that of any other section. The west strives for equality, not supremacy, that the government shall not be perverted to the aggrandizement of one great city or section or interest or class. The habit of looking to New York as the center from which capital should flow and where con trol of railroads, ships, industry should rest is out of date. The federal reserve system and the economic changes effected by the war have begun to distribute con trol more widely by establishing new financial centers and by edu cating hosts of people to understand and buy securities. People no longer fear to offend New York lest it cut off the supply of capital. They will not submit to having the merchant marine controlled by a few great companies with headquarters in that city and local subsidiaries at other ports. Farmers no longer look to New York for mortgage loans or for funds to market their crops: they turn to federal farm loan banks and to the commercial banks of the various centers of population. The farmers' bloc Is an outgrowth tnd an assertion of this independ- en ce, and it will last no longer than is necessary to establish a proper balance of power among interests. and equality HEADING OFF TROl'BLE. Secretary Hoover's conference with brotherhood chiefs and railroad managers is an example of one dis tinct feature of the Harding policy, that is, to head off trouble and to strive for stability. Threat of an other railroad wage strike would be as injurious as the threat which hung over the country last October, and it is the part of wisdom to head off even the threat. Closely related to Mr. Hoover's work is the inquiry being made by the department of justice into retail prices. That wage reductions may bring no undtfe reduction of pur chasing power, retail prices should be as low as possible consistent with a fair profit, and there should be no irregularities in the list, some prices remaining far above, others falling far below, the general level. The government aims to bring about a general recession of prices for commodities and labor in the same proportion by squeezing out all the wind and water that remains from the war. When the process Is finished, none will be worse off except those who deserve to be, for we cannot eat, drink or breathe that kind of wind and water, and all will be better off through knowing that prices are real value. The chief essential to renewed prosperity is confidence, which is Inspired by stability. That removes as far as is humanly possible the risk of sudden fall or rise in prices by which the speculator profits but which is the bane of the useful worker. Confidence prompts men to buy, sell and plan new enterprises far into the future, and It gives the workingmrfn a job every working day in the year. That Is more profitable than working half the number of days at double wages, for a man spends more money when he is loafing. The old 6aying that one should not meet trouble halfway is only half true. If one goes to meet trouble in order to head it off, he acts wisely. That seems to be the Harding idea. AMERICAN SHIPS LOSING GROUND. The United States must exert itself if it is to hold its own in the shipping business. The commerce depart ment publishes figures for the first ten months of 1921 which indicate that our grip is slipping. After Canada, we do the largest volume of our foreign trade with Great Britain. American ships carried 21 per cent to and from the Atlantic coast in January, increased this share to 65 per cent in June, but et it fall to 15 per cent in October. For the gulf coast the percentage in American ships was 12 in Jan uary, rose as high as 31 in July, but fell to 11 in October and was 19 for the ten months. The greatest de crease is shown by the Pacific coast, where our ships carried 63 per cent in January, 74 per cent in April, but suffered a decrease to 15 in October and show 33 per cent for the ten months. Between our Atlantic ports and those of Atlantic Europe our ships carried 40 per cent in the ten months, and reached 52 per cent in April, but in October had dropped to 27 per cent, and the department says there lsa tendency for their proportion to decline. Between the Pacific coast and Atlantic Europe there was great fluctuation, but "on the whole foreign ships have de cidedly the best of it, having carried all the incoming and outgoing cargo in March, May, June, July and October," though in April they carried 64 per cent of the trade in both directions and carried ail the imports in September. Their share for the ten months was only 17 per cent. The share of trade from Atlantic ports to the Mediterranean carried by foreign ships tends to Increase, and between gulf ports and that region they carry all the im ports and 87 per cent of the exports. Pacific coast trade with the Medl-1 terranean is very small, - The real fight of our merchant marine for business is on. Cost of operating -foreign ships has been deflated and there is such a surplus of tonnage that they struggle for what business there Is. Americans can offset thd difference between American and foreign wages to a certain degree by superior efficiency, but there is no margin for obsolete shipping laws which needlessly add to expense. The American people may do much to maintain their own merchant marine, but they will not pay to preserve absurd obstacles which congress can remove, or for wasteful, inefficient methods of shipping men. When a clear record can be shown in these respects, when competition among American ship-owners has done its best, they can go to congress with hope that it will help to preserve their industry. SCPERVISED DANCING. The number of sincerely devout and deeply religious people who dissent from the conclusion of cer tain clergymen that dancing is sin ful per se is an indication of the drift of the world away from the notion that wholesome recreation, which is naturally sought by the young, is wrong because it gives joy even when indulged in by the mem bers of both sexes. The impression grows that the evil lies not in amusement itself but in the use we make of It, and that it is better to make use of a wholesome desire to find an outlet for the ebullient spirit and the natural energy of youth by permitting dancing under supervi sion and regulation than by futile attempts at prohibition to drive it into other channels which are ad mittedly bad. No owe will gainsay the evils of the unlicensed and unregulated dance hall, where the only qualifi cation for admission is a ticket and where the gravest abuses are not only connived at but even encour aged in the notion that they Increase trade. But the antidote in all prob ability is not the suppression of all dancing, which refuses to be sup pressed, in spite of all that profes sional social workers may do, be cause it is favored by a very large proportion of the people; in all likelihood it lies in such a policy as now has the indorsement of thought ful parents and teachers, and which contemplates a sufficient and rep resentative chaperonage, a pleasant and wholesome surrounding atmos phere and reasonable hours. It is the experience of normal persons that the taste for refined recreation does not degenerate Into desire for the base a fact of importance, to ' be considered in the framing- of any regulatory scheme. The natural desire for association of the sexes, not always to be satisfied by rhe torlcals and tiddle-de-wlnks, yet amenable to prudent restraint, 'is a phenomenon with which we meddle at our peril. Direction rather than prohibition in a matter of this kind would seem to be the wiser course, There is, nevertheless, a duty incumbent upon parents, the duty of knowing where their children are and what they are doing, from which no amount of public super vision can absolve them. If it be true that some children go from the public school dance to the public dance of less repute and the num ber of these may have been exag gerated the remedy is,- of course, in education of the erring parent rather than in abolishment of the school dance itself. The opinion of a Methodist layman, expressed in the news columns of The Oregonian, that it is better to allow supervised dancing than to permit' it to "run wild," probably reflects the views of a large body of those who have given thoughtful consideration to the subject. A state law provides that "no dancing shall fee permitted in any schoolroom," but this has been con strued as forbidding dancing only in rooms used for regular class pur poses, and the law has not, so far as the discussion, indicates, been violated. But the legislature, in response to a general demand that the schools shall be put to the widest possible public service, has also provided that "there is hereby established a civic center at each and every public schoolhouse within the state of Oregon . where the citizens . . . may engage in super vised recreational activities." In its legal aspects the case is plain, if we concede, as most people do, that dancing Is not in itself a sin. On the ground of expediency, too, it would seem better to foster the regulated, rather than the unregu lated, institution. BOMB WORDS. Now that Portland is going into the handling of copra on a large scale, it will be well to begin spell ing "coconut" right. The "a" does not belong in it The word is trace able back to the Egyptian "kuku," but "cocoanut" s a corruption of the Portuguese way of referring to the fruit and was first fastened on us by Johnson's dictionary. Some times the English call it "cokernut," not because they dislike useless letters, but to distinguish the coco nut palm from the cocoa or choco late tree. The rush of, American life leads to brevity in spelling and drops the "u" from the "our" terminals, so favored by writers of England and scholars there generally. American magazines, catering to the English trade, use it; it would be so like the English, don't ye know, to take offense if they did not. "Plow" is another word that should not be spelled otherwise; if the learner depends on phonetics he is at sea between pluff, plo, ploff, plu and the rest of the "67" varieties. In early days the printer attended to these things; then came the day of the proofreader, whose word was law while he was in the "super" class, but he began to follow the line of least resistance (notably when the copy "flough" out the window). The man who would rather make the spelling books of the country than the banknotes may have a head like a "coco," but it has more than milk in it. FASHIONS IN WHISKERS. The report that English royalty Is engaged in mustache culture can scarcely be termed thrilling this side of the water. Time was when the preference of kings and princes for hirsute styles and some of them (the styles) were dlstractingly abominable set masculine fashion agog .on two continents and in a frenzy to emulate such distinguished examples. There were, for instance. the preposterous whiskers of Lord Dundreary, who trod the boards in burlesque, but whose facial foliage had long been the vogue. What crimes have not been committed in the name of tonsorial artistry? No, removed by the breadth of a most providential ffcean from these events in London, the American citizen will decline to desert his poise and neglect his upper lip. It matters not to him that the nobility apes royalty and both are bent upon rearing Victorian mustaches. They may go their ways, for all of him. They may rejoice the crockery and china trade by a revival of the mustache cup, and cause the cap itals 'Of Europe to-ring with their vanity. He will continue the even tenor of his way, and grow mustache and whiskers when, where and how he chooses, without let, hindrance or advice. In one sense this is an important, a significant, individual Independence. It signifies that we are irrevocably democratized. Fashion, we til Ink, has card indexed the very last instance in which the freemen of a great nation will so far forget themselves as ta yield to the slavish impulse of imita tion, merely because the style is patronized by royalty. There was. not so long ago, a certain crowned swaggerer whose mustache was the admiration and envy of the world. It bristled. It had an air of valor. It challenged. It lorded. It defied. Many were the fatuous who believed most devoutly that the mere pres ence of such a facial decoration would lend them strength of char acter. As a matter of fact it was as vain and foolish as Lord Dun dreary's extraordinary whiskers, and of this the world presently found sorry proof. He who once flaunted it in the face of Europe is now said to be wearing a full beard. This is undoubtedly most excellent proof of the peril that lies in listening to the king's barber. Moreover, this attempt by English royalty to displace the toothbrush mustache Is an unfeeling one. The variety has its good points. Brevity commends it, for one thing, and for another there is the undeniable fact that the eating of soup is greatly facilitated. It remains to us as a not unbecoming facial relic of the great war, and if it passes it should pass in its own good time, at the whim of the wearer and not because some princeling bans it. Requiring but .little attention, it attains the maximum of efficiency, which means that it is less inconvenient than all previous mustache modes. The Vic torian mustache, on the contrary, must be continually and carefully J landscaped if Its wearer be not m la- taken for a walrus. But, above all, let us have the ex ercise of individual preference in this culture of hirsute herbage. Let us honor that man who, against the jeers of his neighbors, vowed never to shave until Bryan became presi' ' dent. How well he kept that pledge : the several knots in his patriarchal beard attest, as does also Its well weathered and tawny texture. Not only has this martyr kept faith with himself, but he has broadened the variety of life and elevated the in dividual. He is a man and an Amer ican, and though it were fatakto ou standing to emulate him In a phys leal sense, we can but revere and follow his spiritual leadership. He stands for freedom. The recent decision of Dartmouth college to admit only 600 of the 1100 student applicants for ma trlculation is an indication of the problem confronting a number of institutions of higher education. The desire for learning outruns the fa duties of the colleges, and it is found desirable to ascertain first of "all which are inspired by serious purpose and which are likely to waste the facilities of the school, The scholarship test is obviously the first that is likely to be applied, be cause of its simplicity and because it is not on the whole unjust, but it might be wished that other consid erations could be taken into ac- I count. There are plodders who come out ahead in the end and there are students who only begin to find themselves in their college years, and to whom it would ba a pity to deny opportunity. But the one thine certain that annpars in the j educational horizon Is that the "slacker student" will get less and less sympathy. It is going to be up to the college Nboy of the future to make good. Portland is exceptionally well provided for Just now in amusement lines. In the legitimate, flocks of handsome women of customary dimensions incite the blind man to scramble for a front seat with the ardor that lands his deaf brother likewise at the movie; the "drara mer" produces tears and laughter elsewhere: the man who believes "all is variety" finds it in the vaude ville houses and finds, it good; the screen shows know what patrons want and give it; while for the man who wants something colorful, there is the Milwaukie arena. The sole reason that keeps a man at home nights ' is his wife. Perhaps that, too, is an attraction. Let us hope so, A good deal of fuss is being made over an immigrant who arrived from Danzig the other day in the first I cabin, while his wife traveled in the ' steerage. "The aliens," said the critics, "have no conception of chivalry." Yet there is no other subject than chivalry on which it can be more appropriately said that those who live in glass houses ought not to throw stones. This Is January and not a month of spring, so do not be misled by a few days of fine weather. The wise man with a lawn to make will wait to sow his seed on the last snowfall, and he will have the opportunity in good time. Still, if one has the energy, it's a good time to spade. Valera is American born and Griffith must be a 'Welshman with that name. By arid by they will land an Irishman for the Job, may be a little Kerry man spitting through his teeth, and he will show them. Synthetic gold, it Is feared, would undermine the economic structure of the world. But synthetic coal would only make us all richer and happier. There is a tip for the mod era seekers of the philosopher's stqne. There may be something in the "discovery" that eating raw or -uncooked food will prevent baldness. You never see a bald animal, unless it be one of those "rubber" dogs, and the exception may prove the rule. The vegetarians will consider as a joke investigation of the high cost of beef on ground of "guarding the health of the community." Some of the healthiest people in the land never eat meat. Speaking of profiteering, the probists might tackle the men who buy a chunk of steel for a few dollars and make it into watch springs to sell for a million. Seattle suffered 'a loss in postal receipts for December, while Port land gained. Presume the Seattle explanation will be that folks up there are too busy to write. Even the news that women are learning to smoke cigars has one consolation. Now they'll be more discriminating in their choice of Christmas cigar bargains. The Newberry voting is running 46to 41, which may be said to be not exactly unanimous, much like that in the state senate a while ago. The "dollar" watch concern went through when it aspired to make something better. The "dollar" 'flivver man is wiser. Two long spans of life were com passed by the late Colonel Simmons and his father, the latter a soldier under Washington. A federal investigator says retail meat prices inPortland are too high, which ought to increase the demand greatly for chops. The best way to solve the bachelor problem is to devise a means whereby two really can live cheaper than one. If cigars and candy are found to be doped, though ever so lightly, the way to become an addict is easy. This was the date set for the passing of Dr. Brumfield and he will let it pass with a chuckle. The wife with the most forbear ance is the woman who sees her husband paying alimony. Boris of Bulgaria says he Is too busy to look for a queen a sure way to attract one. It is nine below at Klamath Falls until somebody mentions one of the courthouses. . r The Listening Post. Br DeWItt Harry. LEONO PARK is returning to China for a visit. He landed in San Francisco a poor boy in 1S91, came to Portland after the great fire with what few dollars he saved from the ruin and has amassed a fortune here with his Gong Nom Low restaurant Leong is going to visit hie mother, and (this is an open secret) may bring a Mrs. Park hack with him. He expects to be gone a year. Leong came to America in the 17th year of the reign of Emperor ICwong Sui, when hfs mother was yet a young and beautif&l woman. In the 30 years of his absence China has become a republic and his mother an old woman. Leong is an American, but he wants to see the old country and make certain that his mother will live the remainder of her life in comfort. It is a great occasion in Chinatown, and for the past week and more Gong Nom Low has been the scene of much feasting. Occident and orient mingled there at the tables as Leung's guests. The banquet boards were spread with damask, and China lilies, potted plants and many flowers transformed the great room with the stained glass windows. As the guests sat on carved ebony chairs inlaid with mother of pearl they ate the delicacies of the world. On the bill of fare were golden eels. Imported live from China shark fins, birds' nests, devil-fish or squids, crab omelette, abalone, duck, suckling pig, sprouts of many kinds, mango chutney, lichee nuts, preserved ginger, all manner of Chinese sweet meats, American ice creaVu great cakes made by a master of the pastry art, and, to drink, the beet of tea. the blossoms floating about on top of the effusion. It was a menu that combined the best the world could yield, prepared by Chinese chefs in both American and oriental styles. The service, under the skilled management of Kosie Jeung, the only Chinese waitress in Portland, who was educated in Amer ica and speaks fluent English, was perfect, to the demi-tasse and clgara mm Ever attend one of those fight cards the boxing commissions put on at Milwaukie? See the girls at the ringside, the female fans? They take their hats off, but the men don't. The ladies' hata would block the view. One feature makes it fair for them no smoking is allowed in the arena. The ladies come with their escorts, all pinky and dressed to the second. Most of them appear to be old hands and not making their debut at the sport, for not a cringe comes as the punishing blows land. Between bouts, when there is a few minutes' rest, they open great enameled vanity boxes and repair any complexion rav ages as they look in the mirrors in tho cover. When the. men are fight ing their shrill suramins of encour agement readily ir.y be heard. Their voluminous use of lipstick and rouge gnve them a hectic color under the bright lights. And after one of the big fights comee the interminable procession of homebound automobiles. Hundreds and hundreds of them, four abreast, taking up every inch of the broad road. The gasoline bill must be a big one at an event of this kind, and t would only seem fitting that the oil companies should donate some lit tle trifle to the battling champions for their services in drawing the crowds that use the gas. m m m A rather prominent young writer has one failing he neve can remem ber to send a note telling how pleased he was with the holiday gift. This year he got a present from a good friend, one who never falls to remem ber him. As he got to thinking he recollected the gift of the yeas before, unacknowledged, and the gift of the year before that, in the same cate gory. So he eat down and wrote as follows: "Dear Blank: This is to thank you for your Christmas present of this year received yesterday. Also for the Christmas present you sent me in 920. Also for the Christmas present you sent me in 119." And those gifts that are exchanged. the ones that pass from hand to hand. For several years a girl and a man have exchanged a candy heart. The man sent to her first, and the next Christmas she sent it back. Then he returned it. And next year it came back to the man. Last spring she married. This Christmas the candy heart made its last journey to her new home it was broken to bits. Then there is an insurance manager who has received a tiny red necktie from a friend on alternate years and returned it regularly. Kay Hagen of the International Harvester company broke out the ther day with his favorite Christmas story. It concerns the two youngster who were lying in wait for Santa Claus on Christmas eve. From a vantage point they took turns watch ing for the old gent, one remaining in bed while the other was on guard. "I saw him," was the excited but low comment as the watcher rushed to the bed and scrambled it. "lie was downstairs filling our stock ings." "Whore did he go?" from the one lying down. "He ran upstairs and jumped Into bed with mother." Whenever they put on a style show for women in Portland it is necessary to hire the public auditorium, and then seats are at a premium. This week the tailors of the Pacific coast have been holding a convention in Portland .and awarding blue ribbons to the creators of the best in men's garments. The prize-winning clothes are on exhibit, hut the attendance is many thousands below what it would be were women's clothes on exhibit. Clothes may make the man, but he cannot seem to get up the enthusiasm. Most folks wait until their shoes are in dire need of repairs before they take them to the cobblers', that is, those who have to resort to the cobblers, because they cannot afford new shoes right along. Shoe repair men usually are obliging, do their work after a fashion, and then know how to charge. But some of them are made dif ferently. A man ran into a shop a few mornings ago and shouted: "Fix them heels; I'm late for work. Just a cheap Job; they are old shoes and nearly worn out." "Late for work? Why don't you get up in time?" shouted back the cobbler. "Old shoes, nearly worn out? Why not bring them in before they are all torn to pieces? When the rips start is the time; not when they are about ready to tall to pieces. Take a tumble to yourself," Those Who Come and Go. Tales of Folks at the Hotels. Irrigation is looking up in the Deschutes country and if things ma terialize, the long-deferred hopes of the residents of that section will be realized. First off, there is & grow ing demand for irrigation securities and if two blocks of bonds are dis posed of, as appears likely, there will be big things doing. L. M. Foss, vice-president of the First National bank of Bend, who arrived in Port land yesterday, says that the Tu malo Irrigation district plans to sell $550,000 of bonds on January 17. The north unit project, which has been dormant for the past year and a half, is showing signs of life. The north unit recently received Its al lotment from the state water board, amounting to 317,000 acre feet, and has the reports of two engineers showing the feasibility of the project, which is near Madras, in Jefferson county. The bond market, accord ing to reports received in central Oregon, is steadily improving and this opens the way for the north unit to dispose of as much of the $7,000. 0i)0 bonds authorized as may be re quired to get the project started. The expectation is that concrete developments will come within the current year. "If you want to get a good idea of what war means, stand on the deck of a Bteamer carrying a human cargo of 14,000 men bound for the battle front and watch the subma rines maneuvering to strike, while the guns on the ship and the con voys try to hit the little, barely visible engines of death." says Ralph A. Beardsley of New Bedford, Mass., who is registered at the Multnomah. Mr. Beardsley was a lieutenant in the navy during the war. 'That was the experience," he continued, "I had one day in 191S and for the time being it was exciting enough. We got one of the subs and the others were driven off and the Leviathan proceeded on her way. This ship was the first ship in the navy to carry women aboard and when bring ing home wounded we had several trained nurses. Some idea of the Immense amount of food needed to feed such a throng can be gathered from the fact that it required 68 steers for the beef stew served for one meal." Mr. Beardsley remained with the ship during the war, mak ing 20 round trips and having enough thrills to make life interesting all the time. At Pittsburgh, Cal., some of the most interesting experiments are being conducted with respect to highway construction. A circular track has been built by a steel concern and the track is concrete pavement of vari ous types. An array of instruments are used to record tests, such as im pact, bock, weight and other things with respect to the effect on the pavement. Heavy trucks are pound ing on this pavement constantly, the idea being to discover how long the pavement can stand up under the ter rific traffic and what types of the pavement are first to go to pieces. This is said to be the first attempt to gather definite information of a sci entific character on the problem of road construction. Road engineers from all parts of the country are vis iting Pittsburgh to watch the experi ments. Herbert Nunn. state highway engineer for Oregon, left yesterday t attend the demonstration ,for a day. "Mills are running and they are shipping out their product as fast as it is cut, for they have orders for all they turn out," says Thomas H. Foley, I light and power manager of Benu, who Is at the Imperial. "The Brooks- Scanlon mill Is running three shifts and the Shevlln-Hicks is working one shift, with a prospect of another shift soon being put on. The weather In Bend Is -lilmy and there is no more snow there than there is in Portland. The auto stage line between Bond and Burns has qnit, but not on ac count of the road. The stage always stops about this period for a time as there Is too little travel to justity the operation. " James Stipes, manager of the Lew. Iston Land company, a big orchard development which was floated a number of years ago and then went on the rocks, is in the city. When the company became Involved many Portland Investors were caught in the' crash. Mr. Stipes was finally put in charge and is pulling the concern out. He has disposed of about all the hold- ngs except some 20 acres. The ap ple crop, from which much was ex- rpocted in 1921, was lost. With the opening of the copper mines In Montana and the prospect of plenty of moisture for wheat, due to the great amount of enow, Mon tana has a brighter outlook for 1922 than for several years past, accord ing to Charles H. Boyd, registered at the Multnomah from Kalispell. Mon tana has been hard hit for three or four years with farmers and stock men suffering and the mines not what they used to be. , Z. A. Johnson, a railroad builder of the Lewiston country, is at the Hotel Portland from Idaho. He built and operated a railroad from Voll mar to Nez Perce, and is now build lng a line from Lewiston to what is known as the Craig mountain coun try. This line has been constructed for 13 miles out of Lewiston. Distance means nothing in tho life of Dan W. Bass when it comes to celebrating a birthday party. An old schoolmate of Mr. Bass is to have a birthday at Salem tomorrow, mark ing the 50th mile post. Mr. Bass, who is an associate manager of the Frye hotel In Seattle, Is on his way to Salem to extend congratulations. Mr. Bass Is registered at the Mult nomah. Dr. J. J. Landsburg of Eugene, dean of the school of music at the University of Oregon, Is in the city. He has Heen conferring here con cerning the state credit music sys tem. Hundreds of music teachers in Oregon now hold eertif icates, this being part of the plan to increase and maintain the standard of the pro fession. W. It. Miller, head of the Canyon Light & Power company, and promi nent In the business affairs of the Coeur d'Alene mining district, is at the Hotel Portland, accompanied by his wife and son. His headquarters are at Wallace, Idaho. County Judge Sawyer of Deschutes county passed through Portland yes terday on his way to Eugene in his capacity as a newspaper editor, to attend the newspaper conference at the university. Mrs. C. M. Young, wife of the doc tor of that name at Aberdeen, Wash., arrived In Portland yesterday and en tered the Portland Surgical hospital to undergo a minor surgical opera tion. Mrs. T. Harrison Bartlett of Lewis ton, Idaho, is at the Hotel Portland. Mrs. Bartlett is the wife of a promi nent pioneer attorney of northern Idaho. L. B. Haskins of Medford, where he has a drug store, is in Portland on a business trip. He Is registered at the Multnomah. B. F. Pike of Newberg. lor.g promi nent with the G. A. R. in Oregon, is registered at the Perkins, Burroughs Nature Club. Copyrlebt. IIoughton-Mlf flln Co. Can Ton Annnrr Thrnc Uurstlonsf 1. Why Is the breast of the ostrich bare of feathers? 2. Is the thousand legs a poison ous insect? 3. What is the incubation period of alligator eggs? Does it take sun to hatch them? (Answers in tomorrow's Nature Notes.) Answers to Previous Questions. Do sea gulls use nests? Yes, a nest is constructed of grass, moss, seawood and even bits of punky soft driftwood, gathered into a little heap. If the edge of the nest becomes frayed, it is repaired with fresh grasses and bits of seaweed. 2. Do eels have jaws? True ells, Anguilla, do, the lower Jaw projecting somewhat. Lampreys, often called lamprey ells, do not have Jaws, and are an entirely different order of fishes. Their mouth-parts in both brook and sea varieties con sist of a sucking apparatus, a disk armed with sharp teeth, with which they rasp the flesh of the prey, grad ually sucking down the shreds until a large hole has been made. 3. Of what country Is the common house cat native? Why do we find no reference to cats in the Bible? Were they not known in Bible times Domesticated in Egypt, so long ago that It certainly Is curious no men tion is made in the Bible, as it seems probable these pets must have been introduced into the Holy Land. There were two species of cat wild In that country. Smith's Bible Dictionary (very exhaustive) gives one apocry phal reference, and one each in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Psalms, the latter three as "very doubtful," and only possibly referring to cats, but not actually mentioning them. nRITAIN Cl'HBS NARCOTIC TRADE Consul Denies Charge Made at Port land Conference. BRITISH CONSULATE. Portland. Jan. 12. (To the Editor.) I cannot allow to pass unchallenged certain statements of Mayor Baker and other speakers as reported In tho press In connection with the narcotics con ference held yesterday, that .Great Britain is responsible for a great deal of the narcotics produced and smug gled Into this country, and that she takes a leading part In forcing opium on China and India. Tho f.tcts are directly contrary to these statements. as Mayor Baker and the other speak ers would have discovered If they had taken the trouble to investigate the situation before making such un founded charges. In India the opium trade Is a gov ernment monopoly, and as such, now carefully governed and controlled Gradually the acreage under tho crop is being diminished to meet only the most essential and legitimate needs for this drug. in proof of this it can bo shown that In liloT. 4(..S.r.iS acres were under the orop. and in lull (the last year for which .statistics are available) only 145.000 acres were devoted to the opium poppy. In l:u:i the opium export to China under treaty, was completely stopped, and no further exports to that country are any longer allowed. This utterly disproves the wild statement that India is forcing opium on China, or in fact, on any other country what soever. Tho difficulty is to resist the demand from outside, now that the production has so greatly de creased. In any other form of traffic in nar cotics Great Britain takes no parU In fact, far from being a particlpater in this terrible trade, she is most con cerned in suppressing the illicit traf fic wherever it exists. In fact, when ever smuggling of narcotics on British ships can be shown it Is immediately reported to the home authorities, and drastic measures aro taken against the owners of tho vessels, notwith standing: whatever action may have been Independently taken against the Individual smugglers. Tims It will be evident that Great Britain Is working to tho suppression of the drug traffic all over tho world, ns energetically as any other foreign power. Tho proposed International nar cotics conference at Washington is timely and to tho point, for it can not fail to demonstrate, even if it does nothing else, how unjust and unfair are Mayor Baker's criticisms of Great Britain's association in this trade. JOHN I. TItAXT, H. B. M. Consul. MARRIAGE I'HOIU.EM DIFFICULT. Situation Partlrulnrly Acnte In l.nrBe Cities, Writer Thinks. PORTLAND, Jan. 12. (To the Edi tor.) How pleased and delighted we all were when we read of Eve's good luck! May it never change. How sorry we ail feel for the poor fellow who is confined to his bed! Heaven help him and may ho hear from many a sympathizing heart. Now it seems to me that the mar riage problem Is a' serious one in our largo cities. Many of our best younft people never havo a chance to meet anyone they would daro risk living with for life. A fine young woman once told me she had never had an offer of marriage and that she knew a dozen sirls who never had, nnd would never have one. She was band- some,- refined and well educated; a church member, the daughter of an engineer. She was nearly 30 years old, as were her single friends. They all belonged to the middle class, the backbone of our country. Such young women do not attend public dances nor would they dream of meeting a man unless he was properly intro duced. Our country needs such w ives and mothers and some way should bo found ho they could meet men of their own kind. Such folks never find the divorce courts, they marry for life. Old people have their problems, too. To some when left alone after the children are all grown up the lone liness is almost unbearable. Women endure it best, for they can make themselves comfortable homes, find many pleasant tasks to do, and really be happy. Hut men, bow holnless they are, and how often the prey of worthless hussies who mulct them for thousands of dollars for "breach of promise" anil disgrace them for life. After the sex question ceases to be a factor In life. It can still be full of Joy. Hooks, music, art nnd travel appeal most to a mature mind. We should begin in youth to prepare for this inevitable time, then we can keep our poise and happiness even If no understanding heart, or encouraging handclasp Is near. But the young folks should marry. LXI. Meaning; of Jtizs. PALOUSE, Wash., Jan. 11. (To the Editor.) Please publish the meaning of the word "Jazz." 2. Also which Is proper, freshman or freshmen when speaking of a class? A SUBSCRIBER. 1. Jazx Is music characterized by syncopation, disharmony and rapid time. In a general sense It means the antithesis of conventionalism or for mality. 2. Do you say senior class or sen iors class? The same rule applies whether the plural Is formed by add- i ins "s" or by some other method. More Truth Than Poetry. By James J. Montague, ESKIMO Ll'LLADY, Over the igloo the shadows are creep ing. Drowsily murmurs the Incoming tldo; Out on the Ice flow the walrus Is sleeping. Snug in his winter-proof hide. Sleep, little Eskimo, curled on your pillow, Eyelids adroop with the fall of tha day. Lulled by the song of the Ice-lapping billow. Till morning awakes you next May. Evening wns here with the end of December, Far to the southward the sunbeams have fled; You are so young you can scarcely remember When you were last put to bed. S'.eop, little Eskimo cozfly, dozily, Safe from tho frost-laden breath of the north. Dream by the embers till morning dawns rosily Along about April the fourth. Hours shall pass you in uncounted legions, While you're at rest in this sub polar clime; The poor little children in temperate regions Sleep through but few at a time. Sleep, little Eskimo gether Chasing bright three months to ri reams that are ever awing; Snug and secure howso rough be the weather, Till morning shall come with, the spring! The Cars of Scrapping. At all events It will cost us less to sink our own battleships than to sink those of other nations. No Hope. What we'd llko to see In congress Is a taxpayers' bloc. . Some Consolation. At least w-e don't havj to call the money wo're lending the Germans an indemn ity. M'unyrU'ht by th Ttett Fynflln-t". Tne Climbing. II y (.rnee 1 1 1 nil. Not all may climb alike. To some tile heights Are inaccessible; But little hills e'en children may ascend. And so life calls Not iu the same high key to yon and me As to that genius who, with car at tuned To subtler waves of thought, Gives swift reply. Vet we too may fo on: And though our little hills Lut skirt the peaceful valleys and the plain. Where mottled cat tin waste the hours away Iu calm content. -Still it Is belter thus than lliut c seek No hither altitude than which, at l.irlh. We waken to behold and find our selves. Tho way lies clear to all who would fco up. There is a path Where tlio.se of little strength may. Without undue or fevered mental stress. Gain a few degrees towards sunlit, pleasant tempered hill; And even this tliyht impetus Is wealth e ti I ii I d Compared to listless groveling with out attempt. IIIM.I'I I I, 1IH'.M I'Olt TAIOMA Gnat $lni;:iit Invented nnd Antl-Yol-Mlead Advantage Told. PORTLAND, Jan. 12. 'To tho Edl to.) Noting; In Tho Oregonian somo editorial propaganda for thu gout, I want to Inqulro whether tho Tacoma petitioners have a slogan. It is not considered form nowndays to launch any great enterprise or advo cate a great cause without an appro priate catch phrase. Have tho Ta coma Coatees organized? In this particular cause it might bo Justifi able to borrow a bit, and say 'Tak homa Goat " For utilitarian nnd also convivial purposes our Tacoma friends and ad vocates of personal liberty in otlter localities might be glad to learn of and profit by the experience of nit eastern friend of tho writer. To quote this friend: "Our youngster. IS months of see, had not been thriving on any of tho several brands of fond wo had given thorough and extensive trials. It was then our family physician advised us to use goat's milk. No milk of that, variety being availablo wo bought a goat. Right from tho first day tho litt! lad showed Improvement. "The hobby of otio of my neighbors Is poultry; ho has some splendid specimens of tho best Barred Rock strains. Cine warm evening, before friend neighbor's chickens had gone to roost. .Mrs. Nanny squeezed through the poultry yard gato anil ravenously nibbled the prettiest plum, s of tho finest rooster in thu pen. "Next morning, when I milked Mrs. Goat, sho gave a full quart of cock tails." , 1 io you suppose otir Tacoma friend i havo sumo ulterior purpose lu mind'' (. IT. K1UD. Honoring f Sol'erli(lon. PORTLAND. Jan. 12. (To the Edi tor.) Several years ago I ordered a niagazino for a period of one year. The puhlishera continued to send. Ill'- tho magazine several months af'er the subscription cxpl'ed and then billed me for those additional months, which I refused to pay. Now I desire to resume taking the same magazine. The publishers writ" that they will not send it until 1 pay this old balance on their books. As tho magazine was not ordvrcd for the period covered by the balance I know that it Is not a lesal d-ebt. Has 'ho magazine a right to hold up my present su owripwon .- is there any way that I can compel the pub", slier to send it to me? RKADKR. We know of no way to con pel a magazine publisher to honor your subscription. Cnrico of l.iiNltiiiilii. PORTLAND, Jan. 12. (To tho edi tor.) Kindly give date of The Ore gonian which contained tin item in reference to tho l.usitania being a munition or aimed ship when sunk. SUBSCRIBER. Wo cannot give you the date of brief items or answers to iiucstions published on this page. Th Lusl tanla's cargo consisted of copper articles, brass, furs nnd small arms cartridges, but no guns, high ex plosives or loaded shells. Tho vos- i eel wus not armed.
