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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1922)
10 TTTE MORNING OREGONIAX, TnUTtSDAY, APRIL 13, 1522 tlonuucr (Drnrtmiau L'KTABLISHJSD BY HENRY 1. PITTOCK. Published by The Oregonian Publishing Co. 133 Sixth Street. Portland. Oregon. C. A. ilOitOEN, E. B. PIPER. Manager. KUitor. The Oregonian ia a member of the Asso ciated Preas. The Associated Press Is ex clusively entitled to the use for publication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited In this paper anil also the loo-: news published here. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein ae. also reserved. Subscription Rates Invariably in Advance. - By Mail.) T'sily, Sunday Included, one year. . . . JS.OO Iaily, Sunday included, six months.. 4. L'3 I'aily, Sunday included, three months.- 2.23 rai!y, Sunday Included, one month... .73 Daily, without Sunday, one year 6.00 Pally, without Sunday, six months... 3-L'JS Eaily, without Sunday, one month 0 fcendsy, one year 2.30 (By Carrier.) 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It would bo equitable also as between different exporting- nations, for the dollar la now the world's measure of value. The Importer may object that he would not know when he bought goods abroad what would be their I government of Bulgaria does not it laws and her own. Meanwhile no one In this country, not even ex cepting the members of the Bul garian legation at Washington, ap pears to be quite certain as to Hol hs' status under Bulgarian law. The HOPKFTL SIGNS- AT GENOA. Other nations find an advantage after all in meeting the bblshevist statesmen face to face at conference and talking with them. When Mr. Tchitcherin utters some fiction, which has already been extensively iised for propaganda purposes, be receives the retort direct, and both go out fo the world together. Such discussions hitherto have been car ried on by notes, and the soviet took care that its fulminations against the allies were widely circulated where they might help its cause, while the allies' side of the case could not gain entrance to com munist circles. The blunt frankness which marks the early debates seem to threaten that the Genoa conference will break up in a row. On the contrary, it may be just what is wanted to clear the air and to bring the nations to an understanding. It is refreshing departure from the old diplomacy, in which so-called statesmen in dulge in much polite palaver and evade settlement of most serious dis putes by making compromise agree ments couched in ambiguous lan guage that leads to new disputes, then exchange compliments which neither party believes. Intervals be tween such conferences are occupied by written arguments at long range, which settles nothing except that an nother conference shall be held. When nations thresh out their dif ferences in open meeting, there is a real possibility of agreement. If they take up the most sharply con troverted points first and get to gether on them, harmony will grow as they progress, and they may end their deliberations with a lovefeast at which their expressions of good will may not be mere hypocritical diplo matic amenities. That seems to be something of the value on arrival in this country, therefore he could not know how much duty he must pay on American valuation, but he cannot foresee the American price in any case a month or- two after purchase abroad. American valuation would simply add the variation in duty to this ele ment of doubt. As currency becomes stable, prices are likely to become stable also, and this variation will be reduced to a minimum. The purpose of 'protection is now to offset the difference between cost of production in this and other coun tries, in order that Americans may compete with foreign goods in Amer ican markets on even terms without lowering American standards of wages. When a uniform ad valorem duty is levied on the foreign value in i all countries, this purpose is not gained. There is wide variation in cost of production in different coun tries, and the duty will naturally be lowest on the goods of the country that produces at the lowest coat, hence with the lowest wage scale. Then if the duty is high enough to equalize cost with that country, it will be too high to permit any trade with countries having a higher standard of cost. The same value as the basis of duty on any article, no matter where produced or at what cost, can alone give us a competitive tariff that puts all exporting coun tries on an equal footing in Ameri can markets, and American market prices, excluding duty, would be the best guide to that value. self grant divorce, but commits this function to certain recognized re ligious denominations for their own members. The first HolIUr marriage was performed by a Methodist min ister; no Methodist minister in Bul garia has authority to grant divorce and the manner in which Hollis may have got around the Bulgarian law in this particular has not yet been explained. Meanwhile a Paris correspondent of The Oregonian writes that "Euro pean divorces are becoming quite the rage" among Americans. Avoidance of publicity is one reason, but per haps the controlling factor is that the plaintiff is able to obtain there the decree that would be denied him by the courts of his own country. Obviously the opportunities for fraud are numerous and are not much mitigated by the circumstance that the subterfuge is open only to those who can afford foreign travel. It is, however, but the manifestation of an evil which had its beginning here at home. The divorce habit feeds upon tolerance; we are in pretty bad straits when not even the laws of Nevada are lenient enough for us and we must go abroad. Yet we cannot justly complain against Bul garia or any other" foreign country until we have had a house-cleaning at home. i ANYTHING THE MATTER f Something may be the matter with. Fire Chief Young; or may not be. But there is little question that there is much the matter with somebody, or several somebodies, in the fire de partment. It will be well if the mysterious charges threatened against Chief Young are filed and sifted thor oughly, so that the truth as to his personal conduct and his official competency may be ascertained. There is a pretty general opinion that he is all right and that he is coping with a difficult situation, cre ated by certain persons in and out of the department who are determined to meddle in its affairs, and to break down the authority of the chief. This may be all wrong. We hope it is. But the plain indications are that it is not. It is up to the men who have made war on Chief Young, and have more than- hinted at grave ac cusations, to make good, or them selves to be investigated and dealt with according to their deserts. Discipline real discipline is a necessity in a fire department, if it is to give the service it is paid to give. Can it be possible that Chief Young is too much of a disciplina rian? If so, he is a rare bird. Dis cipline counts, in times of fire, and fires not politics are the special business of a fire department. It is the duty of Commissioner Bigelow to support the fire chief in his position as head of the depart ment, and not to listen to whisper ers, intriguers, and busybodles, un- spirit in which Lloyd George brought less and until they have something worth noting to present. If he does about the Genoa assembly. His opin ion evidently is that any men can settle any quarrel, no matter, how bitter, if they meet and talk it over with a desire on both sides to end it. He has good cause for that opinion in his own experience. Almost from the beginning of the war he has been reaching bases of co-operation with political opponents in coalition cabi nets, with other nations in peace conferences. He achieved the sup posedly impossible by inducing his unionist colleagues to ' join him in making a treaty with the Sinn Fein Irish and in obtaining the signatures of the Sinn Fein delegates to the free state treaty. It has been said with intent to praise, him that he has no principles; he is ready to compromise with anybody on any thing in order to keep the world moving back to normalcy. Important points have already been gained, which put a thin silver lining on the cloud of gloomy fore bodings that hung over the opening of the conference. Though there is danger of a break-up in the proba bility that discussion of reparations, recognition of Russia, the no-aggression pledge and disarmament may be attempted and forced against objec tions from France or Russia, dire necessity is driving the nations into agreement. Even the fanatical communists of Russia begin to talk reasonably. France has learned, from the criticism to which its dele gates at Washington were subject in this country, to be careful not to set the opinion of the world against it. Germany, when coirfronted with the whole body of former enemy and neutral nations, may be led. to see violation of treaties and financial Juggling as others see them and to realize that the good opinion of the world is an asset that cannot be gained by such methods. Deep dis tress has sobered the old world and has taught it the awfnl cost of be ing ruled by hate and passion in stead of by good will, good faith and reason. It has before it the example of what thes-e influences accom plished at Washington. It is in the chastened mood which may permit a master hand to bring it into harmony. not now have a chief who will insist on a proper loyalty and obedience, it is time to get such a one. Here is an opportunity to find out. THE VALIDATION BASIS FOR THE TAK1FF. When so many provisos are made to protect the American tariff sys tem against the effects of unstable foreign currency on foreign value of goods, they serve to strengthen the case for American valuation as the basis of duties. The power which the senate committee proposes to give the president to change valua tion, duty or classification is so wide that he would practically be able to revise the tariff throughout. Though he. through the tariff commission, should have certain latitude to raise or lower duties for the purpose of either' reciprocity or retaliation, as the house proposes, that body is not likely to entrust the entire work of tariff-making tohim subject only to general rules made by congress. Both the prevalent wide variation In value of foreign money and more permanent economic conditions ren der foreign value of goods an un stable basis for duties and an inef fective means of applying the pro tective policy. By depreciating their currency exporting nations could automatically reduce the duties to be collected in this country, and the Only true measure of value would be tie market price la Ulis country BULGARIAN DIVORCE. The fact that an ex-senator from New Hampshire can obtain in Bul garia a divorce from his American wife, a resident of New Jersey, with so little publicity that the first In formation received by the aban doned spouse comes in the form of the news of the marriage of her for mer husband to another woman in still another foreign country points to a condition of which Americans cannot with justice complain until they have set their own divorce laws to rights. On the authority of Hollis' own attorney in this country, New Jersey itself permits divorce without service of summons on a non-resi dent defendant in person and so Is in a situation not widely removed from that of Bulgaria, although there are differences between the laws of the two communities in other respects. But the whole affair, however un happily it may result for the Hollises is likely to serve a good purpose by calling attention to the patent ex pediency of obtaining a greater de gree of uniformity of divorce laws of the states of the United States. The fifty-two states and terrl tories, including Alaska, the District of Columbia, Hawaii and Porto Rico, present a hodge-podge of require ments for legal severance of the marriage t I e, including varying periods of "residence" and -differing demands as to publicity. Service of summons by publication is a conve nient vehicle for fraud, which to all- intents and purposes seems to have been practiced in the Bulgarian af fair, but as it Is also allowed in New Jersey itself, nothing- permanent is gained by the pot's calling the kettle black. The thing to do, if it can be done, is to make divorce, in what ever state and for whatever cause obtained, a matter of .the widest publicity. Society's interest in the institution of the family is ample warrant for supervision in an issue of this kind, which is not solely one of private concern. Having achieved something like uniformity at home we shall be in a position to refuse recognition of de crees obtained by American citizens temporarily sojourning in foreign lands. It is impossible, of course, that Hollis should ever have consid ered himself a Bulgarian, or that he ever Intended to make his bona fide home in that far-off country. But the peculiar situation exists, accord ing to lawyers on both sides, . that some American courts may be in clined to recognize the Hollis decree, while others would repudiate it if it could be brought before them; but a great many technicalities are in volved, which only make work for lawyers and serve to puzzle laymen. For example, it is said by the at torneys for Mrs. Hollis that they in tend to attack the validity of th Bulgarian divorce, and by attorneys for Mr. Hollis it is admitted that there might be grounds for attack if a way could be found to get the case into court. But it is contended that Mrs. Hollia cannot bring action in the state of New York, where Hollis and his new wife are likely to reside, because she is not a resident of New York, while they also predict that New Jersey will hold the Bulgarian decree valid because of a certain similarity between tie Bulgarian i COMBATING SMCT IN WHEAT. The end toward which the experts of the Oregon Agricultural college are working in their fight on smut in wheat is the production of a re sistant plant, and here the new sci ence of agriculture is seen at its best. Germicides are but palliatives at best and chemical preventives of one kind and another not only en tail large costs, which must be de ducted from the profits of an already overburdened industry, but they vastly increase the labor and the de tail of farming. Besides, it is im practicable, as has been shown, to obtain complete efficiency. There are always losses despite the grow ers' pains, and the danger of para sitic ravages is added to the uncer tainties of climate' and weather which already make the farmer's calling the gamble that it is. - It is nearly always possible to ob tain a more satisfactory result by in direction, as the plant wizards are now trying to do. The San Josa scale which infests certain trees and bushes of the family rosacae is an example of what nature has accom It might decide whether a port could maintain 'a line or not. It is proposed that no direct aid be given to a vessel carrying half or more of its cargo for the owner of half or more of the stock in the ves sel unless one-third or more of the cargo capacity Is held open to con tract, rendering the vessel a common carrier. There would be much temp tation to evade that restriction in order to secure the subsidy, which is designed especially for vessels serv ing as common carriers. Careful in quiry would be necessary into own ership of ship and cargo, and all in terests should be heard. The gov ernment wants the fleets of the oil steel and fruit companies to be avail able as naval auxiliaries, but these vessels having assured cargoes, the very generous indirect aid granted by the bill should be enough to hold them under the American flag. No foreign-built vessel is to re ceive a subsidy unless five members of the board decide that for special reasons it is essential to develop ment of the American merchant ma rine. Before such an exception is made those "special reasons" should be stated at an open hearing and op portunity should be given to advance reasons to the contrary. Under the biltthe board is not re quired to pay a subsidy unless the owner "in the judgment of the board . . . shall possess ability, experi ence, resources and character to jus tify the belief" that the subsidy will accomplish its purpose. That clause vests the board with discretion wide as a barn door. It gives the board power to decree whether a shipping enterprise shall live or die. As great care should be taken to guard against abuse of that power as the law takes against error in, imposing the death sentence. When the board decides that the subsidy is insufficient to induce op eration of ships in a line or service that Is desirable and necessary, it may Increase the subsidy to the ex tent it may deem necessary to se cure" such service, not to exceed twice the amount provided in the bill. When it considers the amount provided excessive, it may reduce the amount "with respect to that particular case." Here again is wide discretion that would be open to grave abuse. The -board would exercise powers delegated by congress. The interstate commerce commission exercises par allel powers, and the supreme court has refused to interfere with its als cretion unless constitutional rights are plainly infringed. Then the board would be an oligarchy of seven men controlling the destinies of the American merchant marine, of the ports which would live by it and to a large degree of those citizens pushed by its own slow processes in ) wnom It would serve. Such power other lands. .There, after centuries cannot safely be given to any body of men without strict limitation and precaution. It should be very care fully limited, well within the bounds proposed in the bill and should be surrounded with safeguards such as are totally absent from the bill. The board has started on the right path by ordering hearings on section 2 It should be' compelled by law to continue on that path. The American people would be as intolerant of the rule of bureaucracy as they have been of that of monopoly. As European nations have begun to attack the , problem of depre ciated currency in earnest, we may reasonably hope that that cause of fluctuation in import duties win gradually disappear within a few years, but the factor of difference in cost of production between different countries will remain indefinitely and should be considered by tariff makers. Though the Fordney bill may have placed the rates too high, even to the point of prohibition, on some commodities, its valuation, pro vision is better adapted to both tem porary and permanent economic conditions. . Most of the southern California orange crop has been killed by cold weather. But never mind a little thing like that. The defunct orange output can easily be totaled up un der the head of lemon production in the next statistical reports. of neglect, -trees survived here and there from which sprang a new and scale-resistant kind. A fe.w individ ual plants which seem to be pro vided by an all-wise nature to guard against the extinction of her species spring up to set the destructive agencies at naught. It would be so with other plants beset by insect and fungus enemies, if we gave them time. But the natural process is slow and is attended by no consid eration for the immediate and press ing wants of men. m But modern scientists propose to hasten the production of the fit and the extermination of the unfit. As we breed drought-resistant grains and vegetables, and as we adapt others- to new and peculiar conditions of climate and soil,, so we shall at tain, with patience and intelligent persistence, the wheat which does not succumb to smut. The economic importance of this achievement -can be measured by the' statement of ob servers that losses in varying de grees from this cause occur in ap proximately all of Oregon wheat lands close to a million acres an nually. Growers will continue of course to reduce their losses as much as, pos sible by resort to accepted methods of control. The permanent remedy, however, is scientific breeding by selection, and 'the promise that this will be accomplished promptly is an other justification for the mainte nance of experiment stations. If they did no more than produce a4 smut-free variety of wheat, the? would be worth all that they cost. TOO WIDE POWER PROPOSED. Public discussion of the shipping question has gone so far that we may take for granted that the American people desire to maintain a mer chant marine, that they are opposed to government ownership and oper ation, and that they would approve laws under which individuals could be induced to buy Wie government fleet and operate it under the Amer ican flag. Now the shipping board has laid before congress with the endorsement of President Harding a bill providing for very liberal direct and indirect aid to ship-owners. If this plan should be wisely and im partially administered, it should end hesitation of the public to buy the good ships of the emergency fleet and should cause construction by private owners of those types of ves sels in which the fleet is deficient, also of new ships to replace those which are lost or become obsolete. If there should prevail any serious, well-founded fear of undue influence exercised by particular interests, of favoritism and discrimination for or against any operator or port, all ex cept those who enjoy such advant ages will stand aside, the people will realize that their money is paid to maintain a narrow, closely central ized interest, and they may in their anger do away with the whole scheme of an American merchant marine in order to get rid of what they will consider a- tax-supported monopoly. That the suspicion fraught with such possibilities may be averted, the board should conduct its proceedings in the open. This is of vital importance, for there are in the subsidy bill several provisions which give the board power of life and death over ship ping companies. It is proposed that the president may transfer army and navy transport business to the mer chant marine whenever adequate facilities are provided, and that for carriage of this business the secre tary of war or navy may make ten year contracts to be approved by the shipping board. Doubtless the presi dent would be advised by the board whether adequate facilities existed. by what line and from hvhlch port. and the secretaries of war and navy, burdened with many other duties, would seek approval of contracts in advance-by the boards, which would be occupied solely with ships. Gov ernment transport business might be just enough to carry a shipping com pany over the tog from Joss to profit. A thrifty wife would take basket and go out to the Sandy and return with it full of smelt, which she would clean and fry for the edifica tion of her lord and master; but she would be one big chump to do so; therefore she does it not. The charge is made that the war department has disposed of certain government property at "criminally low prices." Probably some of the same property for which it had to pay criminally high prices during the war. The chairman of the democratic national committee is a visitor in Portland. News item. Probably the gentleman has heard that fossils are still to. be found in Oregon, and is here to see if any of them are left. Stars and Starmakers. By Leone Cass Baer. Evelyn Nesbit Is dancing in La Marne cabaret at Atlantic City. News papers mention that Evelyn has put on flesh and looks smart and dash Ing. She says she is through with her career as a restaurant proprieto and is going back into vaudeville in the. tall. Nora Mayes has adopted anothe child. This time she has selected : daughter, a lovely little maid of : years, whom she calls Leonora, after herself. The other child, an adoption of a year ago, is Norwood, who is now 4 years old. Lillian Boardman, a Portland girl is appearing over the Loew circuit in a repertoire of classical and jazz songs. The vaudeville novelty, "Sawing a Woman in Two," has its sequel in "Shooting Through a Lady." Its originator, Frank Lafell, says he picked it up in Rio de Janeiro and played . it throughout Europe. He announces that he uses any rifle and any ammunition provided and that the bullet apparently passes through the woman, who is placed in a small box, and breaks a glass on the far side. The next play !n contemplation for production by George M. Cohan will be "The Mission," a drama by Ethel bert Hales. It calls for a stupendous production, and while not unlike "The Miracle Man" in treatment, carries a different theme and style of con struction. "Likewise, according to Mr. Cohan, it will be one of the most dif ficult plays to cast he has ever ex perimented with. "The Mission" will be produced as soon as conditions warrant it, Mr. Cohan adding that he would be working on it now, but the current business status prohibit3 him from doing so. Two very old professionals died last month in New York. One was Mrs. Isabella Lancaster, who was 85 years old and who half a century ago was known the circus world over as "Isa- belle, the Greatest of all Bareback Riders." The other death was that of Solomon Pariser, known as Pop Perry throughout clrcusdom and Coney Island. He was 90 years old. Fifty years ago he established Perry's glass pavilion on the Bowery. Perry's death was a 3uicide. J. L. Sacks will make a revival of The Merry Widow" in London in the late spring, with Joseph Coyne and Edith Day in the leading roles. Henry Miller and his company will play an eight-week season on the Pa cific coast, opening in San Francisco about May 1. The Miller company will leave New York April 20, mak ing Salt Lake City for two perform ances en route to break the coast-to- coast jump. . Blanche Bates and Ruth Chatter ton will play the leading roles in the repertoire to be presented by Mr. Miller. Miller will produce two new plays in Frisco, one by Thompson Buchanan and the other by A. E Thomas. Frances Starr is to make a road tour in her old play, The Easiest Way," which is to be revived with the original cast by David Belasco. John Charles Thomas, whom we heard in "Maytime." has given up the stage for good. This week he attached his signature to a five-year contract of which R. E. Johnston Is the party of the second part, calling for his appearance in a series of con certs, the first tour being scheduled to begin next September. Thomas appeared at one benefit performance at the Belasco theater last week, but n order to insure his presence it was necesary for the promoters of the affair to procure permission from his new manager. Edward Clark is writing the book nd lyrics of a new musical show. for which Rudolph Friml is compos ing the music, to be called "Cinders." George M. Cohan has the piece under consideration for production. Grand opera was a fir ure in San Francisco to tl financial fail-' the extent of a $65,000 deficit. Didn't anybody realize beforehand that the Fatty Arbuckle trial would be an irresis tible counter attraction? May Irwin has gone to her summer home on the St. Lawrence river. She has abandoned her plan of convert ing her river home Into a roadhouse. Robert B. Mantel!', Shakespeare ac tor, with his wife, Genevieve. Hamper, may spendi ten weeks" in Tokio next season, at- the Invitation of the Impe rial theater of the Japanese capital. financial guarantee accompanies the invitation. Patti Harrold, who will sing the title role in "Irene" next week at the- Heilig, is a daughter of Orville Harrold, operatic star. INCOME TAX AND 'INVESTMENTS Fear Expressed That Development of State Would Be Retarded. PORTLAND, April 12.. (To the Edi tor.) I have Just, returned from a trip of something over six weeks, having spent considerable time in Los Angeles, Kansas City, St. Louis, New Orleans, New York, Providence, Hartford, Chicago, St. Paul and Min neapolis. I have had occasion to call on some of the largest owners of tim ber and manufacturers of lumber in the state of Oregon, but whose prln- Smelt In the -Sandy river, out near Troutdale, are as Interesting to tour ists at the hotels as they are to the householders of Portland. News of the annual run of smelt in the Sandy was received at the hotels yesterday and many persons chartered automo biles to go out and see this famous run. To the easterner who is not cipal stockholders reside at various familiar with a run of fish and par- Those Who Come and Go. Tales of Folks a the Hotels. In view of the enormous popular demand on the various candidates for governor to make the race, we shall expect nothing less than for each of them to be elected by unani mous vote. How things come true! "Turning on his heel" has been known since man began to wear boots. Now a Portland man has invented a heel that turns itself. If casualties among army officers continue at the present rate congress will be saved the trouble of having to pass that army reduction bill. The war is over and everything is normal at last. Two nominations for brigadier-general were sent to the senate the other day. As between McAdoo and Krutt schnitt regarding railroads "break ing down," the; latter knows railroads. Contemplating silvery smelt from the Sandy, one well may envy the Indian, who bolted head and tail. Tumulty, dreaming, forgot the passage of time when he "quoted" Wilson. To be or not to be, starting today -John McGraw or Connie Mack. Give one book, at leist, to the library, Bobby Watson and Florence Tem pest dissolved their vadeville part nership last week following a brief career as a team. Watson, created the male miilenr role in. "Irene." Miss Tempest is formerly of Tempest and Sunshine. Watson will continue- in vaudeville with a new partner. Eva Le Gallienne, co-star with Jo seph Schildkraut in "Ltliom," has ac cepted a -new play by Mrs. De Acosta, based on the life of Joan, of Arc, which will probably bear the title of the canonized saint, which she pro poses to do following the closing of "Liliom" in Philadelphia. This will elevate Miss Le Gallienne to stardom, but the identity of the management under whose direction she will produce the new piece is problematical, depending upon wheth er the Shuberts- will renew their con tract with her and accept the piece. The Shuberts originally contracted for Miss Le Gallienne's services and under their banner she appeared in "Not So Long Ago." They "farmed" her out to the Theater Guild follow ing the close of that show. She is- the only child of Richard Le Gallienne. An assembly of big names has been grouped! by the Selwyns for the southern company of "The Circle" for next, season. The company will be composed of Wilton Lackaye, Amelia Bingham, Henry E. Dixey, Thomas Ross, Robert Edson. Char lotte Walker and Maude Faaley. This company will- play all the southern stands andi the middle west territory. The original company of "The Circle," with John Drew and Mrs. Leslie Carter, Is now on tour and bound for the coast. Portland jnay see jtuis- play; in the Jate spring. ! sticks." points in the east and, on calling their attention to the possibilities represented by investment in addi tional properties in this state, I was confronted in two Instances by the emphatic reply that they could not conceive of anybody investing money in the state of Oregon in the face of the present taxes and the agitation, according to the press, for a state in come tax similar in its application to the federal tax. The two companies to whom I refer are now paying sev eral hundred thousand dollars per annum in Oregon state taxes. It may also be of interest to the Oregon state tax investigation com mission, as well as other organiza tions and Individuals who are advo cating a state income tax, to learn that I met other very prominent con cerns who have had under considera tion investments in Oregon properties involving from two and a half mil lion to five million dollars, who have decided to postpone for the time be ing any further action on investments in this state, as they cannot view with any degree of confidence the threatened state Income tax in addi tion to the federal tax, and believe they can make investments im other states where this agitation for a state income tax has very little, if any, popular support. It is my observation, as a result of the ' different opinions expressed by non-resident investors In Oregon, as well as those who were contemplat ing large investments, that all per sons and civic organizations that sup port a state income tax are doing all they can to retard the development of our vast undeveloped resources. Furthermore, should this movement be successful and a state income tax be imposed in addition to federal tax on incomes, the real effect will be further to depreciate property values, due to general withdrawal of capital from this state to other places where the burdens are not as heavy; interest rates on bonds for new development work covering highways, public utili ties, etc., would be prohibitive, and new population would go elsewhere. Oregon is neither New York nor Massachusetts, and there is no use in trying to make a comparison in de fense of a state income tax. This state is sparsely settled, with vast undeveloped resources, as contrasted with a dense population in the two eastern states referred to, and where their resources were exploited many years ago. If It is the desire of the average individual and civic organi zation to attract outside capital, I know of no more deadly measure than the state Income tax. which will, in effect, build a financial Chi nese wall around the geographic lines of the state and serve notice on out side investors to keep away, while the rest of the Pacific coast states will be able to point out to the possi ble investor that they are free from such confiscatory laws. The state of Oregon Is now sup porting financially a movement whereby Frank Branch Riley is visit ing various centers of population in the east and pointing out the won derful possibilities for the invest ment of capital in this state, and it occurs to me to Inquire just what the effect would be if he also enumerat ed a state income tax in addition to a federal tax. Oregon, with a state income tax and its relation to property values would be relatively in the same con dition as North Dakota with a non partisan league ire control, because the obvious effect or the non-partisan league in North Dakota has been to drive capital out of the state, depre ciate property values to a point where there are few, if any, sales, and, furthermore, there, is no new population coming Into the state be cause they have no inducements to offer the average individual seeking a change of residence. At least this is the information given me wime coming through the state two weeks ago. . If the Oregon state tax commission desire to do something tor tne Denein and unhuildintr of the state, they will recommend to the incoming legisla ture and use all of their influence to pass a resolution to the effect that a holiday be declared by the state leg islature against further appropria tions for any new purpose ior a period of at least ten years, ana tnai annrniM-i.qtiiins for existing state ae no rtv.-Anta hoards ana agencies o whatsoever character be reduced at oust one-third, and that tne legisla ture turn a deaf ear to all of the vari ous hoards and personnel who have an exaggerated conception of the im portance of their own particular De partment in its relation to the state work and development. It is high time that the state of Oregon was compelled to exercise the same de gree of economy and thrift that the ndividual nere ana cibuw !.. throughout the worm is rapioif learning the necessity of practicing in order to "get by." it is ii ion by drastic measures mat win mprove tne states rciJuin relieve the tax-buraenea proper, owners, and a further tax of the kind now proposed by tne ureeon u mission, as well as various uui dates for office, will operate to re tard the development of the state at least 25 years, if not for all time, as they have nothing to oner lib rep resentatives, of capital outside of the state of Oregon for the upbuilding of the state if the recommendations now being considered are adopted by the incoming legislature. PAUL C. BATE ticularly to people who live in the interior, the smelt are a wonderful attraction. The march of millions of these silver fish swarming up the confines of the glacier waters of the Sandy river toward their spawning grounds never fails to evoke ex clamations of astonishment. Hotel clerks have learned that they can recommend a real attraction to visit ors by sending them out the high way to see the run of smelt. Tourists yesterday were so notified and they were also advised to equip themselves with nets or buckets or something with which to scoop up the fish, for no one can stand on the bank of the stream and see the myriad of fish passing them without a wild desire to go fishing on the spot. The trouble with catching smelt is that the fisher gets more than he needs or can use, so he brings back a gunnysack or two with the fish and inflicts them on everyone who can be Induced to accept them. Smelt are as fine eating fish as can be found when scooped from the Sandy waters, but a person cannot eat more than several dozen. China Is a good place for a young man to go providing he has good con nections, according to II. F. Hewitt, a young newspaper man who has spent more than three years on various pub lications in Manila and China and is now in the United States for a short time. He was in Portland yesterday. Mr. Hewitt worked on the China Press in Shanghai for a year and eight months and on the Manila Daily Bulletin for about the same length of time. His father, Clifford Hewitt, is now installing a new coin mint In Shanghai for the purpose of aiding the Chinese government in establish ing a standardized system of ex change. As conditions now are the coins of China are anything but stand ardized. When a person seeks to change an American dollar Into the native coins he receives in return 180 pennies. "The new mint will turn out 6, 10, 20 and 50-cent pieces," said Mr. Hewitt yesterday. "The building is costing the Chinese 1400, 0(10 and the machinery will cost in the neigh borhood of 2. 000,000. When the mint is cdmpleted it will turn out half a million coins each ten hours. This is more than the combined T'nited States mints at San Francisco. Denver and Philadelphia turn out each day." Mr. Hewitt will remain here for sev eral days and then go east to repre sent his father in the purchases of machinery for another mint that is being started in southern China. Dayvllle and Prairie City are well and numerously represented on the registers of the Perkins and the Im perial this week. About two dozen citizens of Grant county are here on very official government business. Four of the delegation are charged ...I.,, viumft a. nine iiiounsnining wnne the rest of the crowd are here as witnesses on one side or the ether. Grant county is one of the most mountainous counties in the state and it is also one of the richest in min erals. Years ago Grant county was the happy hunting ground for pros pectors but of late years this has been a sort of desultory occupation. Some day, old timers predict, Grant county will be the center of excite ment, for gold will be discovered In great quantities. Dr. and Mrs. S. W. Foster of At lanta, Ga Dr. F. C. Waite of Cleve land, O., and Professor W. J. Gels of New York, are with Dr. H. C. Miller, dean of the Pacific Dental college, and are making a survey of the col lege while on a tour of the United States and Canada. They are rep resentatives of the Carnegie foun dation for the advancement of teach ing. The visitors are registered at the Multnomah. A. W. Norblad of Astoria passed through Portland yesterday on his way to Albany, where he was to speak last night, firing the opening gun of his campaign for the repub lican nomination for the first con gressional district. Mr. Norblad for several years haB been state sena tor for Clatsop county and is the author of the law which has put the purse seines out of business off the Oregon coast. Mr. and Mrs. S. M. Anderson of Aberdeen, Wash., are at the Benson. Aberdeen invites Portlanders and the rest of the Pacific northwest to at tend the tulip festival, which will he held In that town the first week In May. The tulip festival is one of the first, if not the first, of the flower celebrations on the coast, be cause, naturally, the tulips are among the pioneers of spring blooms. H, H. Cleland. supervisor of utili ties in the department of public works in the state of Washington, was a Portland visitor yesterday. Mr. Cle land was on his way to Fuget sound from holding hearings In eastern Washington regarding water. This department in Washington handled water cases, which in the Oregon procedure are taken care of by the state water board. More Truth Than Poetry. Dy James J. Montague. NO CIIA.VCK FOll TI1K HKAHF.K. I've read a thousand tales. 1 kucss, I!y millionaires and others Who always say that their success Was due to gray-haired mothers. Yet when these mothers foi.dly said "Good-by; be noble, sonny." They gave each boy u loaf of brrsd But never any money. The boys were noble, so tlu-y say; Plain living kept them healthy. They worked lung hours for little pa.i And soon grew very wealthy. They all allow that rather soon They tired of vulgar riches And longed to have their statues hevv t For fume's eternal niches. They're all alike, these stories are They never slept nor rested. But hitched their wagons to a star. As Kmerson suKKcsted. Poor boys they were, but bound t win ; They starved, wore mean apparel; And soon the wealth came pourim; It By barrel after barret. These stories have become my bans- .1 read them till I'm Jaded. And always hoping I tiny aaln Success and wealth like they did. I'll read them till I'm old snd aray. Although I know, dod rt.t It: That not a one will ever s iy A word of how he got If Cruel and I nusual. The senate has sentenced the Irre- conclliables to ten years of peace an, I they can't even get anything off fr good behavior. ot Surprising-. After trying vainly for I wo hour to get a telephone number, a man rai. understand why women liequentb provoke wars. e a On the Itind, The Stillman divorce rae Is nn touring the nrovinceb, and not dom nartlnlarlv . 1 I ' Burroughs Nature Club. opyrlalit, llmiuhton-'llf flln t o. fan You AnsMer Thee Ctnestltmsf 1. Do sparrows bathe In water? 2. Should daffodil blossoms crow ing out of doors be picked? 3. I caught a Miake a few d ago and though 1 lve it worms nnd files and other things 1 know snskf like it refuses to eat anything. A friend says snakes never rat in cap tlvity. Why? Answers in tomorrow's nature notes. Answers to Previous tluestlons. 1. Why ilo some people cail tii tescher bird "oven binl"? From the shape uf Its nest. rounded heap on t'"1 around with an opening at one hide, rnuahly resem bling a Dutch oven. Also ealle.l teacher bird from lis note, and gohlen crowned thrush from the hrmht rust colored V on the top of Its head. I' Is not a thrush at all. hut a warblei seiurus auroenpillus. stone fn bnl '2. Do bees can last while flylna? Not for ballast, prol.aliij. This in as ancient myth f u 1 1 J . , 1 on wrl!inc of Aristotle and I'linv. but It l bss. , on a bit of real observation. TI.e mason bee does actually t-air.v mum thing resembling u small stone, but it Is grains of sand stuck together with a sticky fluid from the be. s mouth, and used In luilliiinK th masonry cells, constructed by this bee us storehouse for food for bt-r larvs. .1. Are the tassels on corn sta!k In place of flowers? They are flowers, the staminst' kind that produces pollen, necessarv to the other, or pistillate kind or blossom - producing ovules. The ovules can (trow Into seed only after being fertilized by pollen. Cut off your corn tassels and the crop l ' be nil. It Is thought that the ovn. are not fertilized by pollen from ii' sels on their own plants, but ftom wind-blown pollen from a neilibor, thus Insuring double strength to t1--seeds formed by this combination In Other Days. Tnral y-fle tears From The reK"iilan of April 1.1 WT Salem C If Hrlllncer. I rise. I States district Jude for ITrsnn. v.a today appointed by tiovernor l.orrt a resent of the university at Kucne for a term of 1- yiars. Frank Hennessy will, at the manu facturers' meeting at the .Moruu.TH Grand Wednesday nisht. sIiik sn entirely orlKinal song. m ii led. "Made In Oregon." William Wilmer face, ex-jurice of the state circuit court, ami e-a o ciate. Justice of the slate siiprem court, died yesterday. Eagle Creek Trail Dangerous. PORTLAND. April 12. (To the Edi tor.) Could you advise me whether or not the mountain trail to Whatum lake, that is the Eagle creek trail, is open yet this year for hikers? This trail is further identified by my say ing that it Is the one which leaves the highway at a point about a mile bevond Bonneville. Due to the heavy snow which fell this winter the trail may not be in a good condition or may still be deeply snowed under, of which you might be Informed. THOMAS G. STALET. According to Mr. Grace, president of the "Trails club. Eagle creek trail is in very bad shape and should not he attempted by any other than an experienced traveler. Grades on Pacific Hiahway. PORTLAND. April 12. (To the Editor.) 1. Kindly publish -the maxi mum grade of the Pacific highway crossing the Siskiyous. 2. Also any point in Oregon exceed ing 5 per cent on the Pacific high way. X. Y. Z. 1. Five per cent. 2. None. Husband la Poor Messenger. Judge. "Is this the woodenware depart ment." "Yes." "I dunno if I am in the right place." "What is it you wish?" My wife told me to get some lip- In eight hours L. J. Shannon, road supervisor of Umatilla county, made the run yesterday from Pendleton to the Hotel Portland. This is consid ered pretty good time and shows that the roads are in splendid condition, notwithstanding the snow storm which visited east of the mountain Monday. Mr. Shannon is here to attend the meeting of the state highway com mission, which will be held tomorrow. G. Wingate, who for years has Vad visions of barges filled with wheat coming down the. Columbia river from the inland empire to Astoria, where the grain would be shipped, is reg istered at the Hotel Oregon. Mr. Wingate was one of the pioneer advo cates of the port of Astoria. AVesley Vandercook of Kelso. Wash is at the Hotel Portland. Mr. Vander cook is associated with the Long-Hell Lumber company, which Is clearing many, many acres near Kelso prepar atory to building one of the biggest lumbering plants on the Pacific coast. Matt Mattison of Seattle, formerly a reporter on The Oregonian say In 1903 but now looking after the wel fare of the republican party In Wash ington, was in Portland ycHterday visiting his sometime friend Harrison Allen. Dr. and Mrs. J. A. Fulton drove from Astoria yesterday to attend the concert last evening. Judge Shatturk yr str rda l ride that II. J. Mclunls was illegally m moved by Mayor I'ennoyi r from : h position of harbor policeman, that h still holds bis office and Is rnlit.e to pay for his service. I'lfly lenrs Ait. Frnm Th" oresnnlmi "if Apiil 1.1. lsT' Kingston. .la mica - A revolution Inn broken out in St. Hatie, Haiti. Tr..l are masswereing the insuriiertM ba ttle, wholesale. Citizens are proue'rd by the French consul The Portland library h. r reiv ed new books entitle,; "l.onl H,inijini. Fifty Years In the Manic Circle," and others, beautifully lllustr.it-d with engravings. Captain Max Willis, corp. of ruiti. neers. engaged- In riiiining the pro posed route of the North I'acific r.ill road along the norih hank of Hi. Columbia, and l is crew were ampul yesterday on the W aflioui;,il i ivr. There are 12 patients In the Ins. in asylum at East Portland. Mendins; Pool Table Covering;. MOUNT ANGEL. Or.. April 11. (To the Editor.) Please tell us the correct way of applying mending tis sue on pool tables. We are not hav ing the desired success In applying this mending tissue. CHARLES NORBERT. If it is a bad tear it should he sewed first, using a bent needle and green silk thread. Then use the green court plaster, which should be pressed down firmly with some hard object, such as the head of a hammer. ftneed of Circular Nnrr, St'MPTF.Il. r.. April 1 0-lTo the Editor.) tl) Have a circular saw Inches in diameter. How' many revo lutions should It bo run minute for the proper cutting of pine luiobir? (21 The pulley on llie engine Is I Inches In diameter. What should he thn diameter of tins pulley on I lie saw. the etteine pulley maktnu L'.,u revolutions per minute." CI) an .von give me the proper sliced of a ten horsepower Russell roRlne? stitscitiriiit. 1. For ripping, 6T.0 revo'ulions -i minute; for cutting off. 'On a minute. 2. About 1.1 Inches. II. For the ordinary Rusaell saw mill enelne 32l to .10 re vol n I Ions n min ute. For the traction engine " 2R revolutions. This varies with different makes of the itussell en gine. If you will wrltn to the Averi'l Machinery company ef Portland a id Kive the number of your cntlne and the make the company will fctve di f inile Information on 1 1 i .