s TUT MORXIXG OREGOXIAX, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1922 ing the ra.ll differential and passing losses along in part to the ship owners. As to the differences In prices cited lii t.xih bineu s'arUsnd. uregua. , by the farm bureau of Springfield, Jttominjp: Dvt$fimnn ESTABLISHED BT HENRY 1 PITTOCS UDllned by Tha Oreronian Publishing Co. C A. JIOKDIX, K. B. PIPER. saanager. 4il.LO-. "The Ontostia la a member of the Asso ciated Press. Tha Awciated Press t ex clusively entitled to tbe use for puollctlon vt all nev.s dipatcnea credited u tt or n:t efheraisa cred.ted in this paper and also ta local news published herein. Ail rie-hts of publicauon of speciaj Despatches Herein are also reserved. MbacrtpUoa Kates lariablT la Advance Dally. Sonday Included, on year 00 L'aj.y. Sundy included, in months ... - 25 lJaiiy. Sunder Included, three months . 2 2-1 1 'ally. Sunday Included, one m 'nth .75 I'n.ly, without fundny, one ear 6: 00 1 atX. without Sunday, six months ... 3.21 Iai y. without Sunday, on month... .Au V eekly. one year 1.O0 oilntUy, oat year 2.l (By Carr.er.) raf!y. Snnday Included, one year 9 00 Ilal.y. Sunday Included, three months. 2. -"J Ia..y, Sunday lnciud-d. one montn ..... .75 Iaiy. without Sunday, one year.... T..MJ A'aiiy. wnn t Sunday, three mnlus .. !.!- La:iy, without Sunday, one month ..... .63 How to Remit Rend postoffice. money enter, express or peraona, check on your uaua. li.i. p. co.n or currency are at owner's risk, ti.ve poetofflc address in auii. incjuair.a county and atate. '""t-e Rates 1 to 16 pace. 1 cent; IS pe. 2 cents. 34 to 4a pages. 3 rents; 0 to 64 pages. 4 cents: td .o l0 pges. a cents: r2 to page. cents ore. bo postage double rate. Eastern RnslnM ar rank. lln. JtA MaU.Mon avtuu. New York: Verree at vuQi.ia. jMeger builfllng. Chicago; er ree Conklin. Free. Press build. nr. Ie troit. M.ch.; Verree A Conklin. ilona-lnoc oen eranctsco, t.a. CEOl'XO A NO LOFTY RATE TUMBLING. Having; witnessed with some dis tress how the little acorns of offi cial activity often grow into great oaks of bureaucracy, we express the hope that the correspondence course now emanating from Public Service Commissioner Corey on wheat prices intermediate rates and the like is not the forerunner of a re quest for legislative appropriation to continue it with more vigor. From another source we learn that the public service commission Is overwhelmed with work. In the telephone rate case it has before it 136 separate exhibits and a tran script of 5000 typewritten pages. While in the midst of Its study of this stupendous record a special ses sion of the legislature gave the com mission new jurisdiction over high way transport and required it to de vote much time to preparation of regulations. It Is with apprehension. therefore, that one observes the vol uminous letter-writing of one of the commission's members. Two addi- tional installments appear on this page today, while the telephone rate case still rends. How can the cor respondence department and the other duties be looked after without more money? One must also be struck again by the versatility of Mr. Corey In meet ing the arguments advanced against his earlier position. The contro versy with The Oregonian started over a letter sent from Mr. Corey's correspondence school to another newspaper, in which he expressed alarm for the existence of certain up-state Jobbing houses because competitive water rates which may be granted to Portland would enable Portland jobbers to undersell their up-state competltorsi It will be observed that now Mr. .Corey opposes the water competitive rates on the ground that Portland business Interests will not pass the benefits along to the up-state con sumers. Of course that villlany by the Portlani bu sine ass Interest?, would pave the up-state jobbers from extinction, but what sort of rate regulation would we have If the Interstate commerce commis - sion. or the majority of the public service commission, determined rate m Issues not upon what was right or upon what was deserved by the pub lic and the railroads, but upon each member's mere theory or suspicion that one class would deprive another class of Us share of the benefits of new rates? The fact that Mr. Corey had him self joined In giving competitive water rate to other communities Is brushed aside by him as not a paral lel case, because no Intermediate points objected. Here is another fancy and novel principle of rate making, one that was rejected by the Interstate commerce commission when It granted the Portland differ ential over Puget sound. It was In effect the argument of Puget sound interests that rate-making should be governed solely by its effect upon competitive communities and com petitive business enterprises that distances, cost of haul, and carrier competition have no bearing on the Issue. Mr. Corey's position is all of this and more his Idea of scientific rate-making. It seems. Is to approve a rate change if nobody objects but disapprove It if somebody does. Why spend a lot of money support ing a public service commission and a house full of experts If that is all there Is to rate-making? A $20-a-week stenographer could fix rates on that principle. Mr. Corey assumes that the Port land grain buyers have appropri- 111., comparison is again made be tween milling wheat at Chicago and export wheat at Portland. If the comparison were made between milling wheat at both places, a yery different result would be reached and would explain why eastern Ore gon farmers do not ship to Chicago. If there is anything in this situ ation that calls for the investigation proposed by Mr. Corey, le an in vestigation be had. But perhaps the national department of agriculture will require -something more than bare suspicion on which to found an investigation. Just as the Interstate comrrferee commission will certainly determine the justice of the com petiuve rate application on some- and transmission lines so offensive to the eye of a nature-lover that they must be forever banished from regions where he would feast his soul on scenery? The man who said "To my mind smokestacks are the most beautiful scenery In the world" may have been esthetically blind, but there would be no smokestacks. A potential 220.000 horsepower can be generated on Diamond lake and the upper Umpqua river to serve large part of western Oregon! and to be fed into a trunk power line ex tending from north to south Through Washington, yregon and California. Electricity banishes smokestacks and will give this whole region pure air and a clean landscape. I.? that nothing to the nature-lover? Would he not suffer a dam, a powerhouse and a pole-line those basely utili tarian works of man to obtrude on his sight in his mountain haunts in thing more than somebody's gauzy I order that 4 electricity might bring suspicion that the reduction would not be passed on to the consumer. THE WORM IS TCRXINO. News cornea from Florida. that the once-crowded hotels at famous pleasure resorts have been all but deserted during the past winter. One hotel of 600 rooms had an average of but twenty paire- during Jan- uary the month In wlilch northern ers who can afford to travel like to go south. Another hotel wii ac comodations for 5 00 had only six. The experience is typical. It is still remembered that Atlantic City not long ago lost an important national convention because of the rapacity ef Its bonifacea. The sledding is getting Increasingly hard for the profiteers. light and power to the broad, fair land between the Cascade and Coast ranges, and with, them industry, prosperity, clear air and an unob scured prospect? The greatest good to the greatest number dictates that Diamond lake remain as It is, in the national forest, that natural beauty yield something to utility, in order that western Oregon may enjoy these blessings. ACCEPTING CHAL- THK EINSTEIN LENGK. Professor Spencer Jones, assistant to the royal astronomer at Green wich Observatory, who has just started for Christmas island in the hope of supplementing the observa tions made in Brazil two years ago It is a sign of returning normalcy I during an eclipse of the sun con- hen people refuse longer to be cernlng the tinstein theory or reia gouged. The tendency once more to tivity, goes in the capacity also of an ask the price before buying and then I acceptor of the Swiss astronomer's to ponder whether the article is challenge to the scientific world. worth the price Is an indication not Some of Einstein's discoveries have only of thrift but also of indenen- already been accepted by astron- dence and good sense. The Florida I omers as explanatory of phenomena slumD Is not the sole nrnilurt nf which they had previously been un "hard times." for California reports able to account ror, but they are heavier tourist travel than ever, 1 "i'u skeptical as to nis claims tnai a It probably means that people henceforth are going to try harder than they have been trying to get their money s worth. The consumer's strike operates gradually but nevertheless with a good deal of certainty in the long light rays are bent by the gravita tional pull of the sun. Under pres ent conditions of photography data. on this subject can be obtained only during an eclipse of the sun, such as will occur on March z. This then Is the opportunity which the run. Competition also in the long I scientists have long sought. It goes without saying, however, that Professor Jones will record the results of his observations precisely In accordance with the facts. It Is said that he expects to disprove the Einstein theory In this particular, but the true seeker of knowledge n-,Aw nn Tit-ofiiflftoo anil la ftltaravs We are able to extract a grain of i .ml, , .mit hi error T,i. w run can be depended on to bring about the ultimate restoration, if not of tbe pre-war basis at least of reasonable profits and good quality of goods. M.VKRIAGK STILL POPULAR. comfort, notwithstanding the eta tistics of divorce, from the bulletin of the census bureau which shows that of a total of 53,900,431 males in the country over the age of 15 years, 21.349,266 have been married at least once, while 1,758. 30S are wid owers and 235, 2S4 are single by rea son of having been divorced. The proportion of married to single is as 59.2 to 40.8 per cent. The encouraging feature of the figures lies in the comparison with ten years ago. In 1910 there were only 55.8 married men in. the hun- conspicuously true of Newton, whose theories have been elaborated by Einstein and as a matter of fact made clearer by the latter Invest! gator. Einsteia s explanation of th law of mass varying with velocity, in fact, was necessary in order to reconcile a seemingly hopeless para' dox between the Newton theory and telescopic observation in its applica tion to- the movements of the plane! Mercury. Not the least of the phenomena arising from the whole controversy between Einstein and other scien area. 1 ne gain or more tnan lour in tista is th widespread nonular in the hundred, which is a gain of ,-.- ,,.-, 1. hn roi,r! A hum neaj-iy s per cent in me numDer ,or dred yeara not ono man m marnea. indicates ai leasi mat mar- mluion outside of the academic riage as an institution is not being circIe would have Elven the subject wrecked by the Storms that OCCa- . ..nnrl thnna-ht Th rnnrarn of slonally beset It. The figures lose the man ,n the street wlth scientific some Of their value from the factl-,, ,v,n ahstruse tnnir-s is an indi- that all males over the'age of 15 are included, whereas it is known that he age at which men marry Is ad vancing steadily, but theyhow that tne married constitute a very large proportion a working majority, In deed of the entire population. Curiously, there are nearly half a million fewer married women than married men, a fact that the statls. Ucians attempt to account for on the supposition that many foreigners do not bring their wives with them when they first come to the country. But it appears that there are 40,000 more divorced widows than divorced widowers, which would indicate that a man is readier than a woman, after one unfortunate experience, to marry again. Nevertheless, the-outstanding fea ture of the report Is the showing that there were 20 per cent more divorces in 1920 than there were In 1910. The question it suggests is whether even a growing institution can stand a perpetually Increasing strain. I cation of the advance that we have made in widening the intellectual horizon. It may be given to few ol ua to comprehend tne n;instein theory In all its refinements, but it Is something that we are curious about it. KEEPING THE FAITH. The decision of the board of trus- teee of Willamette university to re duce the enrolment of students at that 'institution Is In line with a growing tendency toward restricting the facilities of higher education which are not unlimited, to those who are most likely to profit by them and whose training is most likely to prove an ultimate advant age to society as a whole. The prl mary question at Willamette Is also the fundamental issue with every other school of Its kind; as Presi dent Doney has summarized It, it is better to give excellent Instruction to four hundred students or leas ex cellent instruction to five hundred or more. There are other consiaer atinnA. hut tM. runs tr the root of " - " r" r.1 uvuut I .V. tcrroa, r,f rocimnaihil i til- which A movement to add Diamond lake ,Mts UDon any advanced Institution ana tne surrounaing mountains to toward the student and the oublic crater lane national pars: nas re- The interest of tbe people as a vived the question whether use of whole in the promotion of higher me natural resources ot tne moun- education lies -In the training of ated the rate differential and that if wheat buyers do this Portland busi ness interest, would do likewise with the competitive water rate. His present illustration of comparative wheat prices, like others he has pre sented, is Inadequate and Indefinite. We ,are unable to find all the Trices that he quotes in the Associ ated Press reports of January 28, t-ut from the fact that he quotes the Chicago price as 81.16; and that the only approach to that price was $1,161 for May wheat, we infer that he refers to the May option, while the prices quoted for Portland, Seattle and Tacoma are cash prices. These are not comparable. Further, Chicago prices are for milling wheat, while those quoted' at Port land are for export wheat. Corn Tumble prices are those paid for nulling wheat on both markets. When buying wheat to grind into f.our for export, Portland millers pay as much as 20 rents more than the price for export wheat, even up to 11.30. Determination of the correct price of wheat at Portland can be made only by comparison of Portland 7 r ires with those at basic wheat markats. It is just as easy and Just a rtasonsble to mime that Puget sound wheat and shipping interests are absorbing the rate differential' between Portland and sound ports as that Portland buyers are stealing the differential. Mr. Corey adopts the latter assumption. , Grain deal ers assert that Portland prices are based accurately on the world mar kets, after freight, brokerage, wharfage and other necessary and fixed charges are considered, but that Puget sound interests in order to save investments in docks, ele vators and shipping are paying Portland prices for wheat in the producing districts and are absorb- tains of the west can ba reconciled with preservation and enjoyment of their natural beauties and opportuni ties for recreation. It Is proposed to add 91,000 acres around Diamond lake to the 160.000 acres now in J Crater lake park in order that the former area may be preserved as a national playground. The objection is. raised that this disposition of the lake would be a barrier to its use as a storage reservoir and to the devel- leaders and it is desirable both that our leaders shall be broadly trained and also that candidates for train ing shall possess as many as possible of the qualities of leadership. Re ducing the number of students by a process of selection which presum ably will also elevate the standard of education is a practical method of arriving at a desired result. It is. as Dr. Doney says, "unjust to a stu dent and to his parents to render a opment of hydro-electric power at (second-grade service." More and its outlet and on the Impqua river, more the universities and colleges which is possible under the federal are adopting the principle Just an nounced, of admitting only so many students as can be cared for in the best possible manner, and refraining from increasing the. number until larger resources are provided. It Is even more profitable to re flect that in the future policy of Willamette university the faith of the founders will be kept. Estab lished as n ainstitution "to promote not only science, but morality and piety" as well, it will continue the purpose to "give thorough instruc tion in the approved fundamentals! of a broad education," as Dr. Doney .ys in his interesting report. It is not exaggeration to say that the edu water power law. This objection is fortified by the successful opposi tion to construction of storage dams for irrigation in Yellowstone park. Diamond lake is in a national forest, and is therefore subject to all the rules made for those areas. The district is used primarily for preser vation of forests, the people hunt, fish and camp there, cattle and sheep graze there, and ripe timber may be cut as the forest service di rects. Under proper regulations summer homes may be built there. The forest service builds roads and traHs and protects the country from fire and devastation. Hunting and fishing, are controlled by the state I rational drift has been toward the game and rish commission, which would keep the lake stocked . with fish and would prevent ruthless slaughter of deer. If added to the national park, the Diamond . lake country would be closed- to the hunter and fisherman and would depend on specific anqual appropri ations by congrens for roads and trails, whereas it now gets its share of the lump sums given to the forest service for that purpose. From-the standpoint of availability as a peo ple's playground the weight of the argument is in favor of retaining Diamond lake in the national forest as against annexing it' to the na tional park. The objection remains that power plants and a dam to convert the take into a storage reservoir might be built. Well, what of-it? Is there something in a dam and powerhouse false gods of modernity. The theory that all subjects have equal educa tional value and that it is conse quently unwise for students to exert themselves in courses which are not attractive to them els but another evidence of the softening process which is a weakening moral force as well as Intellectual achievement. The elective system carried to ab surd extremes has allowed a wide and an unwise, latitude of choice of which students have not failed to avail themselves, quite often to their detriment. The demand for imme diate results has been answered by a narrowing of educational methods,' by over-specialization and by" disre gard of the less tangible factors which enter Into the building of character and the dissemination of true culture. It is a serious charge, but one la which many other edu cators join, that "the graduates of many of the colleges and the tech nical schools do not appear to be able to answer the serious demands of life, and are unable properly to function in society." Plainly it Is time to call a halt So we are assured again that Wll lamette as well as a few other col leges which constitute a noteworthy reserve force has considered, and still considers, that fundamentally all the problems of living are prob lems of judgment, while a correct judgment demands the widest knowledge and experience. The sub stantial phases of life represented by history, the sciences, mathe matics, philosophy and religion- these in their due relation to one another cannot be Ignored by those who are to consider themselves well educated or fitted foj leadership. It is studies such as these which are still disciplinary in the best sense of the term, as on sober second thought a good many educators both in Europe and in America are begin ning to realize. Dr. Doney's citation of the report of a recent British committee of in qulry is fortunate, because the re port fully upholds the conclusion that the too-modern tendency has seriously affected the efficiency of English, schools, and he also calls at tention to the fact that France, after almost twenty years of departure from the old standards, now is mak ing a sincere effort to repair the damage done. It is found by the French, who are the most practical and'at the same time most idealistic of people, that the classcls, history and philosophy are not a waste. The precise extent to which a par ticular college may go In its effort to ' keep up with the procession," the question whether it shall be con tent with remaining a "small col lege," or shall bid for and encourage attendance which would remove it to another class these are matters largely of administrative detail. Tbe undeviating record to which Wil lamette has held for something more than three quarters of a century en courage the hope that Its ambition to grow if it cherishes that am-J bit ion may be attained. But it Is meanwhile the pa.tt of profound wis dom to have chosen quality rather than quantity as its watchword, to have decided to attempt no more than it can perform with great thoroughness, and to have deter mined that character-building is es sentially more important than voca tional training, or scattered training which leads to nowhere In particu lar. We observe in an educational policy so conceived all the elements which justify the college of liberal arts as a check upon the trend to ward too-forwardness, and we share with Dr. Doney the hope that it may "continue to hold steadfastly to the things which have been tested and not be moved by the winds whict blow from many directions." The Listening: Post. By DeWltt Harry. The confidence with which the British mail authorities predict the early establishment of an all-air mail service between London and the most distant points of the empire- Sydney and Adelaide, .Austra lia and the matter-of-fact recep tion that the announcement has ob tained are eloquent of the amazing progress made in aviation within a few years. The new schedule con templates that mail leaving London on Monday morning at 8 o'clock shall reach Par'.rf by an already es tablished line at 10:30 the same morning, get to Cairo on Tuesday, Calcutta Wednesday evening and Sydney on Saturday morning. The distance thus covered In five days now consumes a month by ordinary means of travel. Nor will the post age rates be prohibitive. At 85 a ton mile they figure out at 8 cents for a letter to Calcutta and 16 cents to Sydney. Every - new air route, moreover, brings nearer the day of quick communication with every part of the world. THE fiddler's hands were calloused and stiff, evidently hardened by manual labor. His fingers were blunt, not the tapering, nimble digits one is led to? associate with the ar tist. As he grasped the neck of his instrument his great ham of a hand seemed the larger by contrast and the arm that wielded the delicate bow would have been more at home with an ax. Likely he worked during the daytime in a garage for grease stains showed plainly and black deposits outlined htw finger nails. The piano pounder must have been a carpenter, for his ever-ready hands kept up a tattoo on the keys Impos sible except for one who was used to striking hard blows continuously. The saxophone player might have worked In a pool room, for he wor his instrument in somewhat the same manner as the tough kid wears his cigarette. . The trap expert was un doubtedly a boiler-worker with a. long acquaintance with noise-making possibilities of different metals. They made up, according to the logend on the drum, the "Blank Jazz Orchestra." Blank jazz was right. No one could make a mistake, for should the man at the piano smash the wrong chord, the fiddler gets off key, or .the whining saxophone hit a snag, the ever-busy traps covered it up. It was a miracle of discords, and awakened a wonder as to just what constituted music these days. The picture 13 not - overdrawn, Verify it yourself. The musician ia not a mechanic, neither is the jazz artist. The true- musician feels harmony, expresses it with his entire being. Jazz, as interpreted by such agony seldom has even the appeal of being fairly good mechanically. A native ot Tennessee, horn there before the civil war, was told by his hostess that she had a fipe southern phonograph record that she just knew he would like. The machine ground out a snappy trot and she waited for him to show signs of appreciation. Finally she asked him if he didn't know the music of his own state and. informed him that . he had ust heard "Tennessee." Strange, but the southerner, born and Drea, aia not recognize it. The Chicago Grand Opera company comes next month. Fortune Gallo and his singers will be here in about a week and concert tours are bringing some of the greatest vocal and in strumental artists in America to Portland right along. The symphony orchestra Is gaining in popular favor, yet the jazz gangs thrive and music seems to have many shades of mean ing. What is music, anyhow? Those Who Come and Go. Tales of Folks at tbe Hotels, F. L. Davidson, orchardist of the Hood River country, is at the Hotel Oregon. A' Chinook struck that sec tion Saturday and began making, in roads on the ice and snow which have been in evidence since last Novem ber. ' The Chinook always starts running, or flowing, high in the air and gradually comes down. Cows are a good indicator of a Chinook. . When cows leave the barn and head for the hills it is almost a certainty that -the snow will be gone by the time they make .the climb, and when cows leave the hills, with everything look ing serene and come to the4 barn, it is a safe bet that a storm is coming. Horses, apparently, are not weather wise like the cows. The "zephyr" silk which was used in the war as a covering for the wings of aeroplanes is being manu factured now into 'the more prosaic fabric of a tent. This silk was bought in immense quantities by the government and has been taken over by salvage concerns. As there isn't much demand for aeroplane wings just now, the material is being manu factured into tents for campers and it is of such light .weight that a large tent weighs but a few pounds, thus finding favor with campers. B. S. Tobias of Seattle, registered at the Multnomah, is one of the men who acquired a quantity of the material. Mr. Tobias has a chain of 18 army supply stores throughout the coun try. Passing through Portland yester day was Charles 23. Hackman, cigar manufacturer, of La Grande, Or. Mr. Hackman has a brother-in-law whom he has never seen. The relative ar rived from the east a few days ago and went to Seattle. He advised Mr. Hackman that he would - go to La Grande If Mr. Hackman did not meet him in Seattle. Now, Mr. Hackman is not ashamed of La Grande; on the contrary he is proud of the town, but he did not invite the brother-in- law to come, for that would have pre vented him from getting a trip him self. ' They are lambing some in' the vicinity of Lexington, Or., where C. N. Fridley registers from at the Im perial. This year the Morrow county woolmen have agreed -to pay 10 cents a head and board, or its. equivalent, to the shearers. This price was re cently set at a conference between the wool growers and John McClen- non, head of the sheep shearers' un ion. The union is said to be a sort of fraternial organization intended to promote efficiency and maintain harmony between the shearers and the owners. Burroughs Nature Club. C'opyrlcht. Hoagrhton-Mif flin Co. San Diego Is sending out rangers in mowshoes to rescue a party snowbound not many miles away. While we have an icebound highway nat as far distant, comment will be ill advised, but we can mentally compare winter climates. Upon whose head rests the re sponsibility for the death by starva tion, with that for other offenses against humanity, of hordes of help less Russians? On that of William Hohenzollern, who started the world trouble. ' The Krupps have switched from armament atid munitions making to operating distilleries. Principally a difference in degree second degree murder Instead of first. They must be making wine some where in. California, as a man who climbed down into hia vat in rescu- ng an employe was asphyxiated by the fumes. Before the democratic party can count much on regaining lost ground it will, have to contrive some means of regaining the lost democrats. "America sends seeds to Europe," says a headline. It's comforting to know that somebody can really use those congressional packets- Think what an army of the unem ployed there woifld be If the country were reformed and all the reformers lost tkeir jobs. What this country needs more than birth control propaganda Is some good instruction on death prevention. Most young married couples now adays think they can afford an au tomobile before they can afford a baby. The advance guard of the smelt Invasion is in the Cowlitz and soon there will be "something good to eat." Another pipeline t h e third from Bull Run means Portland is getting ready for greater growth. ; People have, a wrong Idea about so-called "trashy" publications. The lnsi,des never fit the covers. With women serving, the atmos phere of "the jury room is going to be cleared, depend upon it. Why not Initiate some of these bootleggers Into the order of the Oregon boot? Sugar is leading the loaf Into the "nickel" column. Anything else worth while? "Have you ever heard how Paul Bunyan built the Palouse country," asks J. H. Hoagland of Astoria. "It was the spring after the winter of the blue snow. I was working for Paul at the time, driving an eight-horse team hauling prune pits away from the cook shanty. Old Man Palouse had heard of Paul's jorowess in log ging and induced him to take the contract to build the palouse country. Paul went to work and hauled out the dirt and dumped it around In ii uivervthinz went fine and dandy and he was about through with the hauling when he had an offer from Old Man. Puget to go over and dig the sound, so that night he did a little figuring to see where he was coming out on the job. "He discovered that if he went to the expense of leveling off he was going to lose. Se he got up early next morning, hitched up the blue ox and hauled out an extra big load and dumped it in a pile. That same pile is now called Steptoe butte. He then proceeded to fill old Palouse up on sage-brush whisky. When he had succeeded in getting him prettywell stewed, he got him up on top of the pile to look at the job and of course it all looked level to Palouse; so he paid Paul off and Paul lit out for Seattle to see Mr. Puget. That's whj the ' Palouse country is so hilly. j "There are some good stories of Paul's work in digging the Bound but I wasn't with him then, I was pretty well fed up on prunes and quit. I heard Paul finally went broke when he took the job of dig ging The Dalles he never could get it deep enough." .. a Unemployed force fierce competition for jobs in Portland that will afford tbeiH the opportunity to earn a few dollars, but there is just as keen rivalry after one job- that pays no money. This position is usher in the municipal auditorium when the Chi cago Grand Opera company plays here in March. Hal White says he has over 2000 ap plications on file at the present' time and they are coming in by hundreds weekly, with the approaching visit yet more than a month away. If -all the ushers who yearn to work just for the opportunityto hear the famous stars were employed there would not be available space for the paying audience. One' letter from a local school ia for the gross contract, . the applicant agreeing to contract, on behalf of the associated students, to furnish a run corhple-rnenti of ushers, drill them and guarantee them efficient and in ad dition to see that each and everyone Is properly garbed in evening dress. There seems to be every certainty that aome persons will be disap pointed. 'Some people I know are conduct ing a high-class boarding house in Seattle." writes one of this column's friends. "Not long ago they' hired a Chinese student-boy, fresh from the rient, to wait on table. He could speak a little English. Also his zeal for the house was intense. Sometimes, however, this zeal corresponded to the steam that, presumably well enough intentioned, blows up the boiler in stead of running the engine. "On one occasion, Chow (that was his real name by the way), was asked for early dessert by a boarder who had a rush appointment. "Too soon," said Chow, smiling affably. A mom ant or two later another diner asked for a second helping. "Too much." responded Chow, smiling still more urbanely. Within a few weeks the long con troversy between Polk county and the state highway commission will get before Circuit Judge Kelly. J. H. Devers, legal adviser -of the commis sion, came to Portland yesterday to talk matters over with Martin L Pipes, who will represent the county. The controversy is still whether the west side highway should be built from Independence south, as Inde pendence people want it,-or from Mon mouth south, where the highway com missioners have made the location. Roles Are Explained. Judge. - "Yes," said the warden, "all our guests are washed, first thing." "And if they object?" the gentle visitor questioned. "Why, then," the warden smiled. "they are washed and ironed." Possibly by the end of the yeai Fred Krusow will have a good high way available between his town of Grass Valley and the Columbia river highway at Biggs. The highway com mission plans to improve the Sherman highway between Moro and Biggs, which is the worst section, and when this is developed, traffic originating at Grass Valley will be well provided for. Mr. Krusow is registered at the Hotel Oregon. ! Maybe J. L Sprinkle registered al the Benson, broughf- the mild, balmy weather with him, for Mr. Sprinkle is from Chinook, Mont. From the days of ihe earliest white men in this sec tion the warm -wind which comes along and melts the snow has been known as a Chinook, taking its name from a tribe of Indians. Mr. Sprinkle is interested in the Carver railroad, which ambles out into Clackamas county. With the temperature moderating, S. A. Anderson, plumber of La Grande, concluded it would be safe for him to run to Portland for a day or two, and he is at the Imperial. With many weeks of cold weather, the plumbing business has not been so bad- in east ern. Oregon. There was a new fall of snow at La Grande Saturday, but the mercury in the bulb is rising. Mr. and Mrs. Lynn W. Smith of Gold Hill, Or., are at the Perkins. For 10 or 12 years Mr. Smith was stockholder and cashier in the Gold Hill bank, succeeding as cashier Jo seph Hammersly, now a aeputy ais trlct attorney in Multnomah . county. Recently Mr. Smith sold his interest in the bank, sola nis nome ana an nounced that he was going to leave the town. A family reunion, embracing about 20 individuals, is being held at the Perkins. In the group are Archie McPherson and G. Vanderhoof of Antelope, Or., and R. Hunter and family and Mr. and Mrs. Vanderhoof of Tacoma, Wash. W. H. Foster of New York, in the Gray-Rosenbaum grain exporting or ganization, arrived at the Benson yes terday. Other grain men at the Ben son are C V. Essroger and B. G. Mc Leod, both of Chicago. F. Barker, salmon packer of Astoria, has checked out of the Benson, hav ing attended a meeting here of pack ers, when the situation was gone ovei in detail. A L. Curtis, also known as "Doc," because he is a surveyor and not a physician, istin town from the Astoria sector. Formerly he was surveyor of Union county. Union Pacific railroad officials moved in on the Multnomah yester day. Among thoSe present were Mr. and Mrs. Carl R. Gray, J. L. Haugh. E. W. Batehelder Jr. and R. H. Beerman. O. P. Coshow, attorney of Roseburg and former member of the state sen ate. Is anlong the arrivals at the Multnomah. ' W. J. Edwards, one of the commis sioners of Gilliam county, is regis tered at the Imperial from May ville. C E. Hadley, formerly a resident of Portland, but now a rancher in Tillamook county, is registered at the Hotel Oregon A Zbinder, hotel man in Seattle and ranch man in Oregon, is at the Imperial for a few days. Leo Kafoury, in the clothing busi ness at Salem, is an arrival at the Hotel Portland. Can Yon Answer These Questions' 1. What Is a horned toad? 2. What animal owned tha tooth I enclose? - 3. Are the common blue Jays we have down south harmful, and should they be killed-? Answers in tomorrow's nature notes. a Answers zo I'reviouw Qneatlnna. 1. I was surprised to see you print the statement in giving a list of poisonous snakes of the south that the king snake is venomous. This is contrary to my experience. ' We are glad to print this comment.' On getting it we hunted up- our orig inal penciled notes on the letter ask ing for names of southern venomous snakes, and the short list was cor rectly ended "and copperheads." A typing misch&nce turned this to "king snake." The king snake Is a con strictor in its eating habit, crushing, not. poisoning its prey. It is harm uess to man, and a help to agricul ture, taking many small rodents for prey. 2. Was the Star of Bethlehem a real star? A real astronomical occurrence of some sort, without doubt, hut exactly what, nobody knows positively. It has been supposed to have been a meteor; a comet come into visibility; a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars forming a bright light in the heavens; or possibly really a star newly visible. Astronomers, how ever, do not consider that any one of these explanations fits the Bible ac count of the star's leading travelers from the oast. 3. What is a Gonus, or Goones. a sea bird? We printed- this question In Oc tober, replying that we could not find any word approaching Goones. It does not appear in our edition of Webster's unabridged, or in the in dexes of the many volumes on orni thology we examined. But accident ally we come upon it in the text of Bailey's Handbook of the Birds of the Westera United States, as locally ap plied by fishermen to the blackfooted albatross, found off the Pacifio coast from southern California to Alaska. More Truth Than Poetry. By James J. Montague. ALL, READY FOR INVESTIGATION Bnt Mi. Corey Again Becomes In Residence Is Bonos Requirement. EUGENE, Or., Feb. 5. (To the Edi tor.) r registered in California. My home now is in Oregon. Am I en titled to the Oregon state bonus or loan for soldiers? Has California a bonus loan? A SUBSCRIBER. You are not entitled to the Oregon bonus unless you were a resident of Oregon when inducted into the serv ice, California does not give a cash bonus but has a land loan system for aid of veterans. Concerning California law .write to secretary of state, Sao- 1 ramento, CaL volved in Wheat Fiaytires. SALEM, Or., Feb. 4. (To. the Edi tor.) I am pleased to accept The Oregonian's suggestion of January 28 that a public inquiry be had, .but as no .Oregon tribunal has jurisdiction over the matters involved in our dis cussion, I suggest that the inquiry be held before the United States department of agriculture and that the investigation be broadened so as to cover the question of discounts and dockages, which is also a mooted question between -r the farmers and grain dealers, to 'the end that the department of agriculture may . fix standards of discounts and dockages if it is deemed advisable after such investigation I assure you I have no quarrel with Portland. I merely stated that appar ently certain business concerns in Portland have absorbed all, if any, benefits derived from down-river haul rates, which benefit was. prom ised to the farmers in 1919, and that I believed other interests in Portland would do likewise - if the long and short haul applications now pending are granted. I have learned nothing from our. discussions that has -caused me to change irry opinion. The fact that market quotations on any particular date invariably show that wheat brings a lowr price in Portland than at any o-her export point in the United States, as well as many of the primary, grain markets, leaves a question in my mind as to the reason for this difference. Market quotations on comparable priced grain on January 28, if I am correctly informed, were as follows: Galveston and New Orleans, Jl. 20; Chicago, $1.16 ; Kansas City, $1.17; St. Louis, $1.19; Minneapolis, $1.28; Omaha, $1.12; San Francisco, $1.11; Astoria,- $1.11; Tacoma, $1.11; Seattle, $1.11; Portland, $1.09.. The farm bureau of Springfield, 111., advised on January 28 jhat dealers there . could pay 7 cents more pe.r bushel for soft wheat than for hard wheat, but could not get it. Port land's quotation on same date, 7 kcents under hard wheat quotations at Chicago. Freight rate per bushel, Baker and Pendleton to Chicago, ' 40 cents. It is, therefore, futile to suggest that farmers would ship to Chicago if they thought they were not getting all the wheat is worth in Portland. H. H. COREY. SALEM, Or, Feb. 5. (To the Edi tor.) In reply to the editorial in The Oreeronian Februarv 1. in which you direct attention to the fact that I had participated in granting the long and-short-haul applications between Portland and Marshfleld, may I state that this commission notified about 30 intervening localities and com mercial clubs that the hearing was to be held, and but nine localities appeared? Testimony shows not one voice was raised in protest to the application. All parties to the hearing, including Salem and Eugene, acceded in the carriers' request. I fail to see how the writer could have done otherwise than to, grant the application, without ignoring the entire record. Many localities throughout the United States have strenuously voiced protest to the application now pend ing before the interstate commerce commission, which fact necessitated several weeks of consecutive hearings by that body. Hardly a parallel case, do you think? No one appeared of record in opposition to granting lower- rates for the long than for the short haul in the cement cases cited by you, and it was absolutely necessary for Oregon manufactured cement to rearch Oregon's one large market of consequence, Portland, on a comparative basis with cement of foreign manufacture. There being no market at the points of manufacture in Oregon, the industries - could not thrive without this protection. Under the present applications, no attempt is being made to foster Oregon industries. On the contrary, many will be stifled while Portland concerns will grow and prosper under HOW CAST THEY HELP XT? We know the villain's going to swipe The lovely leading lady, We know that persons of his type Are base, and low, and shady. We know the evil deeds he's planned ' Adroitly and astutely. And yet the hero clasps his hand And trusts him. absolutely. We know there's poison In the cup. We see the villain pour it; The hero calmly drinks it up And thanks the scoundrel for It.- And when the doctors pull him through He says, in tones of wonder, "How could a friend so tried and true. Commit so sad a blunder?" We see the villain In the gloom As conscienceless as Nero Come sneaking softly through the room To stab the sleeping hero. The hero never sees the hate That moves the wretched sinner. He says: "What keeps you up so late? That tripe you ate for dinner?" We dont uphold the villain's ways. And never would defend 'em; No lyre of ours shall chant his praise Unless he strives to mend 'era. But as the world he wanders through Intent on his vocation. These heroes must subject him to A terrible temptation. a a Respect for Yeara. China Is the oldest nation In tne world, which is probably why tha other nations insist on running her affairs for her. To Be Expected. The price of butter and eggs in creased because of the cold epell in the east. You see It was necessary to put them In cold storage to keep them from freezing. Gainina; in Courage, As yet the movie people ha-ven't the nerve to" offer the president a Job, but you never can tell what to morrow may bring. (Copyright by the Bel! Syndicate, me.) In Other Days. Twenty-five Yeara Ago. Prom Tha Oreg-onlan of February T, 1897. Vienna. An unconfirmed report has been received here of the massacre of 1300 Christians in the villages of the Island of Crete. The city of Pendleton has decided to get along with one night watch man for a while. Silk made from wood by a new and successful process will be manu factured in this country, and prepara tions are now being made to build a factory. Berlin. Germany's attempt to boy cott American pork on the grounds that it is infected, has failed, and the government will be requested to explain why it restricted imports. Fifty Yeara Ago. From Tha Oregonian of February 7, 1872. Wheat is still quoted at $1. Feed is scarce and high. The examining physician states that Fisk's brain weighed 68 ounces, being ten ounces over the average. A New York grand jury has found that the greatest amount stolen in one day by the late Tammany ring was $6,000,000. The Stockton Republican says, editorially: "San Francisco is a model, theoretical saint, and a very practical sinner." Queer village. Rule in Auction Bridge, EUGENE, Or., Feb. 5. (To the Edi tor.) A and C are playing B and D in auction bridge. A dealing, bids one heart, B doubles one heart, C passes and D passes. A redoubles. B then bids one no-trump but A claims he does not have the right to change the bid and that the redoubled heart bid must be played. Is A right or can , the bid be changed? . E. D. PAINE. A is wrong; A's double or redouble reopens the bidding and the three remaining players, each in turn, have the right to mttke some other bid. Had B, C and D passed, the bid would have stood at one heart, redoubled. The bid of a one'-trick contract is never doubled save for information purposes. It informs the partner as to the special makeup of, the hAnd and commands him, the partner, to bid his longest suit or a no-trump. As in the case given the doubling player's partner, passed, it appears that the convention was not understood. Why Called "Leap Year.T PRINE VILLE, Or., Feb. 5. (To the Editor.) Why was leap year so called? Also, does it come every tour years? A CONSTANT READER. Leap year is every year whose num ber is exactly divisible by four, ex cept those that are divisible by 100 but not by 400. . For example, 1900 was exactly divisible by 4 but not by 400 and was not a leap year. The name probably arises from the fact that in consequence of the additional day In February, each day in suc ceeding months is not simply pushed on one day In the week as in other years, but leaps over one day ad ditional. applications pending before the interstate commerce commission be granted. Manifestly, this commission's deci sions must be based on the facts of record in each case. I am sure Investigation will show that I have been entirely consistent in my -position relative to long and short haul applications before this commission. H. H. COREY. Lincoln's Letter to War Mother. NBWBERG, Or., Feb. 5. (To the Editor.) I have seen a copy of a letter said to have" been written by President Lincoln to the mother of four boys all killed in battle, fighting for the union during the civil war. Can you tell me anything about it and where I can obtain or see a copy of it? N. E. BRITT. " Any public library or bookstand carrying Lincoliana can give you access to the letter, or you can ob tain a loan of some volume contain ing it by writing to the state library, Salem, Or. " . Sentence Poorly Worded. PORTLAND, Feb. 8. (To the Ed itor.) --Kindly inform me whether or not the underscored words in the fol lowing sentence are used correctly? "The officers or the company are John Jones, James Brown and Henry Adams, 'all of whose' address is Port land, Oregon." PUZZLED. The wording is uncertain and awk ward, as it may be taken as assur ance that "Portland, Oregon," is all the address required, 1. e, that no street, house number or c ing designation is needed. Begin a new sentence: "Their address is Port land, Oregon." There are several bet ter forms than the one used. Arrival of Steamer. MEDFOED, Or., Feb. 6. (To the Editor.) Can you tell me on what date in the fore part of February, 1875, the old side-wheel steamer Ori flamme arrived in Portland from San Francisco? I was a passenger on her. I would like to know exactly how long I have been in Oregon. J. A. McLEOD. The Oriflamme Oregon February, and February 24. arrived twice in 1875 February 7 Nationality of Two. SHERWOOD, Or., Feb. 5. (To the Editor.) Please print the. nationality of J. P. Morgan and John D. Rocke feller. A SUBSCRIBER. Both 1 citizens. are native born American '