THE MOEMXG OKEGONIAJT, MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1922
I ESTABLISHED BY HENRY I- PITTOCK.
Il-oblished by Ths Oregonian Publishing Co.
13S Sixth Street, Portland, uregon.
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WE WANT TO KNOW.
The fire department case will not
be fully aired if the hearing on
charges be confined formally to
those involving Chief Young. Not
only the fire chief is on trial in
public estimation. The fire marshal'"
office is as much defendant as, if
not more than, he, although one of
I Its lieutenants has the role of prose
cuting witness.
A definite cloud has been cast on
the fire marshal's bureau by the
manner in whiclathe charges against
the fire 'chief were instituted. The
futile attempt to hide behind a dum
my complainant arouses a prejudice
In favor of the fire chief. Only the
most positive proof of the charges
will overcome it. Not only ia there
demanded fair and complete Inquiry,
but action in accordance with what
ever disclosures may be made. It is
not one of those issues which lend
themselves to whitewash or compro
mise or smoothing over. If the fire
chief be shown to be unfit, he should
ro; if he be shown to be fit he should
be given complete control of the de
partments that properly belong in
the fire bureau, and be Instructed
to clean out trouble-makers.
For that matter, if there be a new
fire chief, why should there be a
separate fire prevention bureau?
The fire marshal in Portland was
originally given the necessary city
authority but paid for by the insur
ance companies. Now it is no longer
a position but a bureau. It is out
side the ulsciplinary authority of the
fire chief; its inspectors are lieu
tenants eleven of them and .it is
not supported by the insurance com
panies but by the city. If wholly
wiped out, the fire chief would auto
matically become an assistant state
fire marshal charged with certain
duties and responsible for their
proper performance.
Complaints have frequently come
from builders and building owners
that this department exercises arbi
trary authority and compels unrea
sonable remodeling of old buildings.
The bureau, which is under Com
missioner Bigelow, has developed
into a sort cf building inspection
bureau with safety from fire its pur
pose, let over in Commissioner
Barbur's department is another
building inspection bureau having a
great deal to do with safety of build
ings and probably with ample au
thority to see that ordinances per
taining to any detail of construc
tion, including prevention of fire, are
obeyed.
Now there are a few things which
the public ought to know, and which
it will be given opportunity to know
if there is the proper kind of hear
ing: What is the basis for the charges
gainst Chief Young truth, jeal
ousy or internal politics?
Why is fire prevention conducted
under a separate bureau?
Why are Its inspectors lieutenants
Instead of hosemen?
Why should there be two bureaus
engaged in building inspection?
Are the fire marshal's powers ex
ercised along reasonable lines or
partly for the purpose of making a
how of activity?
Does co-operation exist through
out the fire department? Does
proper respect for authority?
A CONGRESSIONAL AIR LINE.
Plans are seriously discussed
by
senators and representatives from
eastern states for chartering an air
plane that would take them home
every evening and back to Washing
ton next morning in half the time
now occupied by the railroad jour
ney. This opens great possibilities.
It is proposed to buy or rent -a plane
with accommodations for fourteen
or sixteen passengers, which would
leave Washington at 5 P. M arrive
in New York, 223 miles distant, at
7:30. leave on the return trip at 9:30
next morning and arrive in Wash
ington at noon, when senate and
house meet. By this system of air
commuting a New Yorker or con
gressman from any of the interven
ing states could go home to dinner,
sleep at home and escape the extor
tionate rents and prices of the capi
tal, und could also spend the week
end at home.
Once in successful operation, this
plan would doubtIecs be extended to
greater distances and in all direc
tions from the capital. It is quite
conceivable that all congressmen
whose homes were within S00 miles
could get home for the night within
three hours. That radius would ex
tend north to Hartford and Albany,
N. Y., westward to Cleveland, CO"
lumbus and eastern Kentucky and
southward to the north line of South
Carolina. It would make commuters
of many members from New Eng
land, more than half those from
New York, all of those from Penn
sylvania, New Jersey, Maryland,
Delaware. Virginia, West Viriginia,
North Carolina, many from Ohio and
eome from Kentucky. For the week
end a 500-mile radius should be
practicable and would extend to
Portland, Me., Buffalo, Indianapolis,
Louisville, Atlanta and Savannah.
Not only would congressmen es
cape the rapacity of Washington
landlords and store-keepers; they
would also escape the tepid heat of
the capital and would soar to cool,
ethereal heights, where their weary
brains would be cleared and their
? .
jarred nerves invigorated. The
heights to which they would ascend
oratory, and new rivals to Webster
and Clay might arise. Though over-
fed on mere speeches, this genera-
tion would be grateful to air travel
if it should move some statesman to
deliver a real oration.
NO GBA8P.
It was impossible for the commission by
much questioning to secure from any
source an estimate even an approximate
estimate of the probable total cost of
the new (county) hospital and all its nec
essary appurtenances.
A complete hospital programme was
lacking and the commission found itself
in the position of not being able to appraise
the project as a whole.
It did appear te the commission, how
ever, that the undertaking was pursued
on. too elaborate a scale and that it could
hardly be justified under statutory author
ity which permits the county to provide
hospital facilities for the poor.
The foregoing is from the final
report of the Multnomah county tax
supervising and conservation com
mission. It is official expression of
the essence of the criticisms that
have been directed against the county
hospital project, omitting only the
factor of difficult accessibility. The
hospital is extravagant in type and
built without financial planning or
conception of the ability of the pub
lie to pay.
The habitual state of mind of one
or more of the county commissioners
was further illustrated the other day,
when suggestion came from them
that interstate bridge tolls be used
to retire county road bonds and build
new bridges, among them the pro
posed Sellwood structure. Although
members of the paid interstate bridge
commission, they seemed blissfully
unaware that interstate . bridge tolls
are not now coming in at a rate that
will meet the annual bond redemp
tion and interest payments which
are a charge against the tolls.
The county board, of the several
departments of government, has long
been conspicuous for its failure to
grasp the financial and business de
tails over which it has control.
A NAVAL POLICY AT LAST.
The vote of the house of repre
senta'tives by which it is decided that
the ratio of strength provided by the
naval limitation treaty shall be
maintained as to manpower as well
as ship tonnage is a notable victory
far those open-eyed men, led by
Representative McArthur, who or
ganized the opposition to the little
navy plans of the appropriation com
mittee. The issue was clean-cut. It
was whether the naval limitation
treaty, which fixes the strength of
other leading navies in relation to
our own, shall be the actual or a
merely fictitious basis of our naval
policy. The house has decided that
this ratio shall be actual.
For the first time in our history
it may be said that we have a naval
policy. Only by slow degrees has
congress been brought to this point
during the years that have elapsed
since the building of the new navy
began in the early eighties. Then
we built cruisers, monitors and gun
boats with an eye only to coast de
fense and protection of merchant
men. Gradually we advanced to
building battleships, but congress
had no definite purpose to construct
a fleet adequate to maintain any
particular policy against any prob
able enemy. Thus we acquired the
fleet which crushed Spain. Then
maintenance of the Monroe doctrine
by our own strength became the aim
of the navy department under
Roosevelt and Taft, but congress re
fused to act up to that policy. Need
of & battle fleet adequate to cope
with that of Germaiiy was demon
strated by the naval general board,
but in Wilson's first two years con
gress refused even to maintain the
then existing ratio.
Nothing but the imminence of
war lea to adoption or tne pro
gramme of 1916, intended to make
our navy equal to that of any other
power. Destruction of the German
fleet left Great Britain and Japan as
our only competitors, and the Wash
ington treaty has enabled us to at
tain the end sought in 116, to make
our naval defense absolutely secure,
yet greatly to diminish our fleet. It
is too weak to attack any first-class
power, and by accepting that condi
tion we prove that we have no ag
gressive aims.
These are the elements of a sane.
peaceful policy, on which the presi
dent and a majority of the house,
composed of meirfbers of both par
ties, are agreed. The alternative was
to take a chance with our national
safety for the sake of immediate
economy. We took a chance in the
years of unpreparedness before 1917,
and the consequences were our in
volvement in the war and our pres
ent huge debt and taxes. Our econ
omy at that time cost us dearly and
I might have been more costly if we
' . , j, i . . r : . : , . i
The policy of the majorlty to take
naa Deeu lorcea to 113111 unaiueu.
no Chance of that kind-
-is that of
true economy.
PICKING WILD FLOWERS.
A further plea for the protection
of wild flowers is made by the state
botanist of New York, Dr. Homer D.
House, in a protest against the act
of a minister of Poughkeepsie who
recently brought into the pulpit and
gave to the members of hie congre
gation some three hundred bunches
of trailing arbutus, "to signalize," as
is reported in the New York Times,
"the coming of spring." The ques
tion is whether the coming of spring
might not have been hailed in some
other equally satisfactory way, not
Involving destruction of flowers
which are disappearing all too rap
idly as it is. The trailing arbutus
the May flower of our New England
ancestors and the ground laurel of
those who came from the south is
peculiarly fragile and more than
most plants is subject to annihila
tion by thoughtless Xandals. It Is
difficult to garner it without pulling
it up by the roots and it has been
observed that the species does not
long survive the inroads of popula
tion for this reason.
But Dr. House, who is both a
scientist and a lover of the poetry of
flowers; points out that there is an
added reason why the more desir
able wild flowers should be pro
tected against, ill-considered raids by
picknickers. The vacant spaces left
by their elimination are filled by na
ture, which is never idle, with ob
noxious weeds, such as burdock,
thistle and ragweed. This not only
destroys what Dr. House calls the
"balance of nature" but it consti
tutes an economic menace. Curi
ously, no one seems to appreciate the
beauty of these weeds, although
some of them are not bereft of a
certain charm. The lace-like blos
soms of the wild parsnip lack ap
peal, somehow, perhaps because of
I
I its commonness. The wild plants that
jare endowed with strength to fight
' ever so decorative the ox-eyed
daisy is an example of this but
I they are apt to go unregarded by the
seeker after beauty in the woods and
: fields.
The state botanist proposes no
drastic measure of relief. He would
not prohibit altogether the picking
of wild flowers, but he would restrict
It, after the manner of sportsmen
who declare a "bag limit" on game. '
He suggests a law against picking
certain flowers "in large quantities."
The practice of automobilists who
use their cars for the purpose of
bringing iff great quantities of aza
leas, dogwoods and the like un
doubtedly is destructive of the pris
tine loveliness of the woodland land
scape, tie would meanwhile permit
the gathering of wild daisies, butter-
cups and goldenrod, which appear to
need no protection. It is doubtful if
prohibitory laws will amount to
much, but something may be gained
through the agitation for them,
which will serve to educate public
opinion on the subject. A more gen
eral appreciation of the ethics of the
practice must be. relied on in the end
to preserve the species that are
threatened with extinction largely
because of pure thoughtlessness.
- COLLEGE DEBATES.
It is) superficial to argue, as some
are doing, that the college debate Is
provocative of insincerity and there
fore ought to be abolished. A sounder
view is that there are two sides to
most questions and that an unpre
judiced decision must come from a
balancing of all facts and considera
tions. Practice In "seeing the other
side," which most persons . will con
cede is excellent training for practi
cal affairs, is obtained through the
marshaling of arguments for that
side. It is not difficult to draw a
distinction, and we suppose that it
is drawn even by the debaters them
selves, between the position of a
speaker seeking to mold opinion on
a definite issue and that of the re
spective disputants in their efforts
to bring out all that can legitimately
be urged on each side.
This is the view of James F. Mor
ton, Jr., who is credited by "Who's
Who" with having originated the in
tercollegiate debate, and who writes
to the New York Tribune that the
devil'sadvocate" renders a service no
less genuine, in his opinion, than his
opponent, who is certain of the
righteousness of . his cause. Indeed,
we are reminded of a delightful and
whimsical extract from Mark Twain's
description of his mother, in the
hitherto unpublished chapters of his
'Autobiography," now running in
Harper's. Mrs. Clemens' kindly na
ture found something to excuse even
in those whom others almost uni
versally condemned. "It was be
lieved," says Twain, "that, Presby
terian as she was, she could be be
guiled into saying a soft word for
the devil himself." And so a con
spiracy was laid, with a result, we
think, that furnishes reasonable
ground for continuance of the prac
tice of debating, if only for the pur
pose of provoking reflection:
She admitted that the indictment was
sound: that Satan was utterly wicked and
abandoned, Just as these people had said;
but, would any claim that he had been
treated fairly? A sinner was hut a sinner;
Satan was just that, like the rest. What
saves the rest their own efforts alone?
or none might ever be saved. To
their feeble effort is added the mighty
help of pathetic, appealing, imploring
prayers that go up daily out of all the
churches in Christendom, and out of
myriads upon myriads of pitying hearts
Bur who prays for Satan? Who. In
eighteen centuries, has had the common
humanity to pray for the one sinner that
needed it mcst, ouf one fellow and brother
who most needed a friend, yet had not
a single one; the one sinner among us all
who had the highest and clearest rierht to
every Christian's daily and nightly prayers
tor tne plain and unassailable reason that
his was ths first and greatest need.
It having been demonstrated that
something after all can be. said for
the devil by one who cannot be ac
cused of insincerity, who is there
who will say that other issues are
not at least debatable? But we have
in mind also the practice by which
a good many clear thinkers have
achieved reputations for the clear
ness of their vision and the sound
ness of their logic. If - only for
training purposes, it is well that
advocates should have opportunity to
study such arguments as may be
found in behalf of a cause, and it is
likely that they will thereby be better
fitted to view all subjects in a
broader light.
GUARD AGAINST ABUSE OF POWER.
In revising the ship subsidy bill on
which a joint committee is now hold
ing a hearing, congress would do
well to exercise extreme care that
the law shall define the national
merchant marine policy so plainly
that every citizen may know under
what conditions he may engage in
theshipping business. The law should
state the conditions with which ship
owners must comply so exactly as to
confine the discretion vested in the
shipping board within the narrowest
practicable limits. It should make
the aid to be granted by the govern
ment a vested right of all who con
form to those conditions a right
which can be maintained in the
courts and cannot lawfully be with
held by thg board. In short, the law
should be a sort of omnibus charter
under which any American citizen
or any incorporated group of citizens
may engage in the shipping business,
under which no benefit is enjoyed
by one that is not open to all on the
same terms. The power granted to
the board should be guarded against
abuse by strict requirement for pub
licity of its proceedings and deci
sions, for formal, public hearings
under oath and for formal, written
decisions and opinions on which
those decisions are based.
Insistence on these principles -is
important at this time, for they have
been habitually ignored in the pro
ceedings of the present and former
shipping boards, and the bill sub
mitted to congress contains not a
vestige of them. The board has been
and still is perhaps the most irre
sponsible governmental body in this
country. It shuns publicity and
makes decisions, pulling down one
and setting up another shipping
company of which the public and
even the parties adversely affected
have no intimation until they are put
in effect. It manages public prop
erty which cost about three billion
dollars, admits an annual loss of
$50,000,000, to be borne by the treas
ury, yet it handles its daily business. '
though often affecting interests of
great magnitude, as though that
business were private in character.
It has made no attempt to execute
some important provisions of the law j
of 1920; on the contrary, it acts con- i
trary to their spirit. Yet this board
submits to congress a bill giving it j
permanently an almost unlimited
' discretion in distributing' a fnnd of
-: $30,000,000 or more a year, in he
administration of which it could ex
ercise the power of life and death
over shipping enterprises. Even if
the board had used well the ri"'r
it now holds, there would be danger
in permanently endowing it with the
same, to say nothing of the far
, . , .i
larger power that it asks. Experi-
ence shows that its powers have in
many instances been much abused.
An example ia the action of the
board toward the United States Mail
! Steamship company. According to
the New York Marine Record a for-
mer board in 1920 turned over to
that company $25,000,000 worth of
ships, giving it unlimited credit. At
government expense the shipping
board advertised those ships, to
gether with tljose of government
owned lines, urging their use as a
I patriotic duty. New York merchants
sold supplies to the value of $1,500
000 to the company on credit, hav
ing been misled to believe that the
government was financially backing
the line, because its ships were ad
vertised by the board as "your
ships," "our ships," and "under gov
ernment control." The dompany
failed to meet payments due on the
ships, the board took possession of
them, the company became bank
rupt, and the present board denies
any responsibility for supplies fur
nished under those representations.
The standing quotations of the
board for sale of steel steamships
for a considerable period were $165
to $180 a ton. Suddenly it was an
nounced that the board had sold
four ships to Captain Robert Dollar
at $30 a ton cash, no advertisement
that such a price would be accepted
having been published, or, if any,
in such papers that the offer did not
become generally known. When an
offer was made to buy other ships
at the same price on terms, it was
rejected and no other quotation could
be obtained. Thus the board makes
private sales to selected companies
at prices that are not open to all
buyers. It requests that this prac
tice be given the sanction of law by
asking authority to raaie "public or
private sale after appraisement and
due advertisement," and even to sell
without advertisement by affirma
tive vote of five of its seven mem
bers. Other departments of the gov
ernment are required to make sales
of public property after due adver
tisement and by open, competitive
bidding. There are strong reasons
for not making the shipping board
an exception to this rule; in fact, for
insisting on its rigid observance. That
would be the best protection against
the board's habit of making private
deals with its selected favorites. It
has certainly not earned the ex
ceptional confidence that it asks con
gress to repose in it.
In the face of its record, the
board's subsidy bill abounds with
provisions giving it even wider dis
cretion. It could refuse, increase or
decrease the direct subsidy to any
shipping company. It could swing
army transport business to its chosen
port or shipping line. It could pay
subsidy on the fraction of American
tonnage owned by a company three
fourths of whose fleet was under a
foreign flag, serving a competitor of
the United States in the shipping
business and in foreign trade. It
could do all these things without
public notice, without hearing, with
out formal decision, without appeal
from wrongful action. The bill
should be entirely rewritten in such
form that the board would not be
able further to depart from the
American principle of equal oppor
tunity for all, special privilege for
none.
A local manufacturer who supplies
a wide range says there is more de
mand for horse collars than people
are aware. Not everybody knows
the full use of a collar. When not
on the animal it is the handiest
thing made to sit the very young
baby in while the mother is doing
the dishes and other work. A tire
is not to be considered.
It is a lucky nation that doesn't
get into the news nowadays. There
are Holland, and the Scandinavian
countries, and Roumania and Serbia,
for example, from the silence as to
which we are able to deduce that
nothing much is happening except
that they are minding their own
business and reaping the profits of, a
wise course of action.
A Canadian fisheries man says all
the "game" is taken from the sal
mon by too much coddling in the
fishery and the growing fish easily
falls prey to the voracious. That
may be true of fish; but it will be
noted the incubator rooster is able to
put up his spurs against anything
raised under shelter of the hen's
wing.
Twelve are running for the nomi
nation for mayor of Tacoma in the
elimination primary tomorrow.
There must be much glory or money
in that job.
"Demand for horse collars grow
ing," says a headline. What a cruel
remark that is just when the Beavers
were beginning to win some ball
games!
A manufacturer of Scotch whisky
has been elevated to the British
peerage. Probably done so he can't
advertise that his whisky is without
a peer.
A Seattle man was given ten years
or more for murdering his mother-in-law.
Here is thought for brain
less jokers.
Contenders would better beware!
The Newberg Berrians have eyes on
first prize for a float in the floral
parade.
Those minds that try to keep con
tinuously In the same track with Mr.
Wilson's sooner Or later hit an open
switch.
Oregon will be a political para
dise when each candidate with the
"best" platform is elected.
. The umbrella was a necessary, part
qf the Easter Sunday equipment, as
customary, but went furled.
The radiophone isn't much im
provement over the other kind when
the atmosphere is busy.
Oregon Jerseys continue to hold
the record, no matter how Other
states' cows peg up.
It was a happy choice of date for
Portland's baseball resurrection.
All other dates are off for tomor
row afternoon.
The Listening Post.
By DeWltt 'Harry.
i ' 1
, T71EW of ns have forgotten the days
of bee8 Bnd the stimulus
. , . .
n6 got from this simple method of
, "
I competition. The question has arisen,
' therefore, if it would not be possible
to compile a test of eome sort that
would be, at one and the same time.
simple, sane and comprehensive.
How . well each has mastered his
language is a matter of doubt. Even
writers, whose tools are words, know
from daily experience hew difficult
it is to be absolutely correct all the
time.
For this reason every bit of
newspaper copy is ready several times
before it appears in the columns of
the paper, and even then mistakes
are apt to occur. t
A local attorney received a trick
sentence a few days ago that pre
sents many pitfalls for the unwary
speller. He offered to wager any
one on his ability, when the sentence
was dictated, to spell every word
therein correctly, using Webster's un
abridged dictionary as the authority
and - the American spelling version
to guide at all times. He did not lose
a bet.. Here is the sentence, some of
the words are misspelled not all
try it out yourself:
A HARASSED PEDLAR AND AN
EMBARRASSED COHBELER SAT IN
A DESSEKTED CEMBTARY GNAW
ING DESSICATED POTATOS AND
GUAGING WITH UNPARALELLED
ECSTACY THE SYMETERY OF A
YOUNG LADY'S ANKLE AND COR-
RELATORY COROLARIES.
Spun with just a dash of relish Is
the story of the seagull in Utah that
was sent in by Frank Moosman, game
warden at Raymond, Wash. Moos
man's tale is true, in the main, for the
adventure of the gulls did take place
in Utah and the statue he mentions
can be seen in Salt Lake City by any
visitor.
"The summer of 1873 in the state of
Utah was a year of splendid weather
and prospects for a bounteous crop
were never better. One beautiful aft
ernoon Bishop Jones sat on his front
porch in the shade surrounded by a
half dozen of his wives. The other
16 were out in the garden extermin
ating doodle bugs. The bishop leaned
back restfully while his favorite wife
fans the flies from his upper garret.
He was at peace with all the world.
His wives had all been selected by an
elder who knew a good thing when he
saw it,, and the bishop was especially
pleased with his newest wife a beau
tiful Finn woman. This lady could
knit, tat, skate, shoe a mule, plow and
pray. . ' '
Bishop Jones looked towards the
mountains. There came in sight a
black, far-flung cloud, and when it
descended to the earth it was seen
that it was a horde of locusts or
grasshoppers. They came in billions
and came down on the growing crops
and went through the harvest fields
like asready spender through Holly
wood. The bishop, as the shades of night
fell, could hear the hoppers eating
the roof from his hogpen. It looked
like hia winter's supply of pork would
soon be on the hop or in the hoppers.
Bishop Jones saw starvation staring
him in the face, and worse, if the
hoppers did not get indigestion before
the crops gave out. He was afraid
he would even have to go to work to
support his small but helpless little
family of 22 wives and two children.
A meeting was called at the great
temple The Mormons gathered that
night and prayed to be relieved of
this great plague. Just as the morn
ing sun shone on the temple there
came hundreds of thousands of big
white seagulls, who flew in countless
numbers upon the locusts, and by
sunset the danger was past.
In Salt Lake City today is a great
-marble shaft surmounted by a beauti
ful white seagull with outflung wings.
Inscribed on this monument are the
thanks of the people of Utah to the
seagull for saving the crops of her
people.
' '
Sir Arthur Couas Doyle.
Ay see Sir Arthur Doyle ban har,
To mak big' speeches eferwhar,
Bote lots gude sperits he ban know,
An vat kin' place dos ghosts skol go.
Val, Art, Ay alvays tank you ;an
Vun gude, smart kin' of Englishman;
Ay yust lak reading Skerlock Home,
An tank you having gude big dome.
But ven you starting talk with ghosts,
An trying max vith heav'nly hostd,
Ay tank lot folks skol having laugh,
An saying, "Arthur ban gone daff."
If you ban stick to Skerlock stuff,
Ve all ban giving you gude puff;
Ay bat ve calling you' big man,
An all ban vanting shak your han'.
Ay tank gude Lord ban wise enough,
To mak our bodies gude an tough,
So ve skol seeing dem all right.
But sperits ban kap' out of sight.
Ay tank folks having sense to know.
Ve not skol seeing sperits go.
An tak der flight, an rap, an talK
Ay tal you, Art, on das ve balk.
OLE OLESON.
We hate to admit it but this column
seems to have scored a heat on de
velopment of modern cake-eater Or
flapper slang. Here- we' have been
broadcasting this stuff for three
weeks or more and only last week the
news agencies managed to tumble to
it. Here's some more Just off the 360
meter wave, that is passed on for
what it is worth.
Holy Smokes Probation officers
whose duty is to detect improper
dancing.
Brush Ape Any one from the
Sticks.
Oneway Kid One with fishhook
pockets.
Frog's Eyebrows Nice, fine.
Crumb Gobbler- A small-time cake
eater.
Ostrich One who thinks he knows
it all. ,
Weasel A snake,, a scandal-walker
who tries larceny of affections.
Slunge The lowest kind of a hu
man being.
Grummy In the dumps, blue.
Wurp Anyone who is a social wet
blanket.
The Weeds A wild one.
Woof! Woof! Exclamation of ridi
cule or indication.
Gobby Adjective meaning no
brains, no style, no nothing.
Sharpshooter Good dancer and free
spender.
Sharpie One who tries to imitate a
sharpshooter.
Flat Shoe A fuss between a flap
per and her goof.
Houdini To be on time for a date.
Those Who Come and Go.
Tales of Folks at the Hotels.
i The livestock industry
is now rap-
idly improving, according to Harry C.
Cranke, cattle auctioneer of Mosoow,
Idaho, who was at ths Portland yes
terday. He is en route to California,
where he will sell a large number of
pureblood stock. "The stock men tf
Idaho have practically exhausted
their supplies of feed." declared Mr.
Cranke yesterday. "The winter has
been hard and the ranges have been
covered with snow. The cattle are in
good shape and the prospects for in
creased prices are great. Cattlemen
have been hit hard financially for the
past two seasons, but nowconditions
are more favora.ble. Most of them
will hi ahla tn llniiMsta thale Hohts fli
J tne banks and loan agencies in due
course of time. Others are in such
bad financial condition that they
never can liquidate. The one re
course they will have is the bank
ruptcy courts. There they can have
their debts wiped out and start anew.
The banks and loan companies have
realized the problems that the cattle
men have faced and have been ex
tremely lenient. Where it has been
possible they have extended credit to
growers, hoping that conditions would
improve to such an extent that they
could eventually get back their
loans."
"Your smelt run is wonderful," re
marked a guest of the Multnoman
yesterday after he had made a trip
to the Sandy river. "Yes, and it's a
good thing for the Rose Festival
too." replied a Portland man. "How's
that?" was the inquiry. "Well it 1
this way. Every fisherman is going
out to the Sandy and catching sev
eral sacks full of the fish. Each
brings home more smelt than he and
his family can eat in months. The
wife fixes up a lot and sends the hus
band next door to present them to a
neighbor. While he is gone another
neighbor appears at the front door
with a big dish of smelt. Before the
dav ends neighbors have delivered
bundle after bundle of smelt to the
door. About midnight you hear a
noise in the back yard and know that
it is friend husband burying his sur
plus supply of smelt in .the back yard
among the rose bushes. Smelt make
great fertilizer and Portland should
have a great crop of roses for the
festival this season."
Artesian wells have been the sal
vation of the country around Fort
Rock, according to John H. Harrison,
who is at the Oregon. A year ago
the country was considered one of
the most hopeless sections of the
state. Located on a high desert it
was practically impossible to obtain
water in sufficient quantities to pro
vide for the stock and the settlers.
People who had located in the dis
trict were deserting their homes and
going to other sect-ions, of the state.
Prospects were that the entire sec
tion would in time be deserted of In
habitants. Some time ago experi
ments were made and a number of
artesian wells were sunk. Large
quantities of water were found at
considerable depth. The settlerB now
have hopes that through these wells
which are being sunk in various parts
of the district an irrigation system
mav be started. Many of those who
deserted their homes have grown
more optimistic and now are moving
back into the Fort Rock country.
Bond business in the Puget sound
country is improving greatly, accord
ing to A J. Croteau of Tacoma, who
is a guest at the Oregon. During the
war Croteau enlisted at Fort George
Wright in Spokane and was sent to
Fort Riley, Kan. Later he was trans
ferred to Camp Lewis and became a
part of the 348th machine gun bat
talion. He was making all plans to
accompany the organization overseas
when he was again transferred to a
training camp for officers. He wound
uu his war career as an Instructor at
Camp Meade, Maryland. Then he came
back to the coast ana nas oeen en
gaged in the bond business since.
J. F. Dixon, cattle man of the Fort
Klamath country, arrived in Portland
yesterday with a shipment of stoK
for the local markets. He comes from
a section of the country where the
livestock industry is greatly increas
ing. He reports that cattle men are
feeling much more optimistic now)
than they have felt for a long period.
The price advances have given many
of them hope that conditions will
continue to improve. Mr. Dixon is at
the Imperial hotel.
When weather conditions permit,
A. W. Stone, apple grower of Hood
River, takes the automobile out of the
garage on Sunday mornings, loads in
the golf clubs and starts down the Co
lumbia river highway for Portland.
He arrived at the Portland hotel yes
terday morning, signed his name on
the register and then made for the
golf links where he spent the day.
"There is nothing to it I'm going
to be the next governor of Oregon."
declared Senator Walter Pierce of
Union county, yesterday afternoon at
the Imperial. "I'll get the democratic
nomination in the primaries and then
win out in the general election." Sen
ator Pierce has been active in taxa
tion legislation for some time and will
be in Salem today aiding In the prepa
ration of a state income tax law.
Learning the lunrher business from
the ground up is the pursuit of four
young men who were registered at
the Portland yesterday. They are
W. H. and John Woodard of Silverton,
E A. Maling of the same city, and
Henry B. Pretzlaff of 'Westport. They
are all working at the mills in West
port, Or., and are learning the rudi
ments of the lumbering industy.
Easter brought no joys to J. R.
Devlan, clerk at the Multnomah hotel.
He parked his automobile back of the
building Saturday night, locked the
vehicle and stuck the key in his
pocket. When he had finished his
duties he went Out to enjoy the ride
home and found that a thief had "beat
him to it" and departed with the ma
chine. The names of a number of Corvallis
citizens appeared on the Multnomah
register yesterday. Among them were
Herman Belt, John Taylor, Earl Hart,
Carl S. Daniel and Dick Lewis.
Orin L. Patterson, attorney of Can
yon City, is in Portland and his name
appears among those on the Imperial
hotel register.
Ben Poindexter of Seward, Alaska,
is one of the Imperial hotel's guests.
E. M. Duffy of Oregon Agricultural '
college is at the Oregon notti.
Formal Evening- Dress.
ASTORIA. Or., April 16. (To the
Editor.) Kindly tell me the correct
form of dress for a gentleman when
attending a formal evening ball.
( M. W.
Full dress suit, white tie, white vest,
pearl or gray-pearl button and stud
set; black overcoat. Bilk hat, or can
wear a derby, but formal rule is. silk
(stove - pipe); patent leather shoes,
white kid gloves.
Women and Callows.
p"ORT TOWNSEND, Wash., April 12.
(To the Editor.) Has' there ever
been a woman hanged for murder in
the United States? E. L. P.
Mrs. Mary Surratt was hanged as
one of the conspirators in the assas-
sination of Abraham Lincoln.
Burroughs Nature Club.
Copyright, Houghton-Mlffllu Co.
Cast 1'ou Answer These 4uesttonaf
1. Do skunks. and coons breed the
first year?
2. What sort of nesting box should
I provide for house wrens?.
3. " I would like to know a kind of
tree that cattle will not bother, so I
can grow trees in a wet part of my
pasture that is unsuited to other
planting. Willows and poplars do
well, but the cattle eat the young
shoots.
Answers in tomorrow's nature notes.
Answers to Previous Questions.
1. Do birds all have the same num
ber of feathers in their wings?
No, the suPly of flight feathers Is
regulated by the bird's requirements.
The longer the wing-bone, the more
feathers are needed to cover it. It is
the secondaries in the wing which are
conspicuously multiplied: The alba
tross, which has a huge wing spread,
has 40 secondaries.
2. Please tell me how to rid my
seashore cottage of .fleas. My last
tenant had two dogs, and left ths
place swarming.
Wash the floors with hot strong
suds, and when dry, apply gasoline
or coal oil to kill any eggs. Treat the
base boards the same way, if walla
are not papered; if papered, put on ths
oil or gasoline and let it dry the spot
will dry out in time. 4Or cover the
floor with napthallne and seal doors
and windows and fireplaces. After
24 hours, sweep it up, and save it for
later usage if necessary. This won't
kill eggs, but will clear out adult
fleas. , ,
3. Why should bread turn moldy
even in a clean place, sometimes?
It is pretty hard to get a place in
domestic usage positively clean. The
air is full of mold germs. Invisible,
but always on the hunt for a place to
lodge and root. Warmth, darkness,
and moisture are favorable to their
growth, and bread laid away any time
in a dark breadbox, in a moderately
warm room, with some moisture In its
own composition, offers the germs a
good rooting place. Scalding the box
and drying in sun or over heat is a
precaution.
DEBT MENACES PUBLIC WELFARE
Dangerous Crase Held to Permeate
Official and Business Circles.
PORTLAND, April 15. (To the Edi
tor.) Isn't it high time we awakened
from our slumbering dream? We are
sleeping upon a volcano every night
and going at breakneck speed every
day. Where? How far? And when
will we reach the precipice? Noth
ing but debt, borrow, bond upon
bond, multiplying interest upon in
terest. I know of no less than three
towns in the hands of receivers now
and at least one state bankrupt
cannot meet their obligations, and
their own banks refuse to lend them
another dollar. Will we reach that?
Every town and village wants a new
school house; every fraternity and
society wants a new temple or club
house; every denomination wants a
new church; every cross-roads wants
a new highway all are eager to get
ahead fcr fear the money will all be
gone before they can reach it. A
disease seems to have been con
tracted from the kaiser. All seem
to be following in the wake of his
frenzied destruction.
Many years ago Philadelphia
wanted a heavy debt. . Benjam'n
Franklin said, "Worthy no question
of doubt'S but that no man was en
titled to the second suit of clothes
if he could not pay for it, or anything
else, and that debt was the worst
and most dangerous enemy that man
had. Are we reading history any
more or are we too busy to bother
with it? Remember, it always re
peats itself, and will again.
The time has come for curtailment.
readjustment, equalization and stand
ardization of prices. When will busi
ness be better? Never while graft
and profiteering live. Both cannot
live together. There never was
time and probably never will be again
when people can show their manhood
and honest, conscientious business
principles as now. Let every execu
tive private, public or political-
cut expenses, commencing with them
selves, whether in salaries or other
wise. These men will be prayed for
and all be kept in their respective
places, or higher up, and cannot be
kept out. "Let every town, village,
city, county, state and country adopt
this rule and the whole world will be
normal in very short order.
J. H. MINK.
ISSUE TAKEN IN BECK KILLINI.
Writer Finds No Evidence to Support
Pastor's Condemnation.
HALSEY, Or., April 15. (To the
Editor.) Pastor Bennett in The Ore
gonlan writes as If he had informa
tion regarding the killing of Lieu
tenant Beck by Judge Day that I tiivc
been unable to find in any published
teports.
He calls it a "cold-blooded and un
justifiable homicide." The ev'denn
is that the killing was not cold
blooded because there was no intent
i to kill, but that the weapon was pro
cured for use if needed in self-defense
in the lawful act of rejecting
ai offender from the home, and ths.!
it was accidentally discharged when
a blow was struck with it.
The reverend gentleman gratui
tously intimates that Beck had been
"overcome with her (Mrs. Day's)
blandishments." No svldence of such
blandishments has been disclosed,
and I am afraid Mr. Bennett has failed
to give due heed to the commandment
ag-alnst bearing false witness.
Uixy urn; im to udcu uuuecosaF t
It-rcB 111 eiiuruTuijiig lu CACiiiBt: iii.i
lawful right to eject Beck, and there
by have become guilty of involuntary
manslaughter, though the coroner's
jury ruled otherwise, but there is no
evidence to justify Mr. Bennett's ex
treme language.
Mr. Bennett says there is no un
written law. There was a time
when all laws were unwritten. Mosev
and the other sacred writers did not
write them all. or the churches have
been wasting a lot of time In law
making. Congress and the legisla
tures have not written them all,
either, or there would be no further
need for those bodies to meet. Too
many laws have been written, but
some good ones remain unwritten.
WM. H. WHEELER.
Address) of Lvtner Burlvank.
BANKS, Or., April 15. (To the Edi
tor.) Please print if Mr. Burbank.
the originator of the Burbank potato,
is still living, and If so, his address.
(2) Does he still raise the Burbank
potato? - L. B. H.
1. Yes. Santa Rosa. Cal.
2. Mr. Burbank 's not a commer
cial potato grower. Hia work is
along lines of plant development and
experimentation, covering over 4000
experiments and more than 5009 dis
tinct botanical specimens.
Hen La Kcwple Egg.
NAIICOTTA Wash., April 15. (To
the Editor.) I see quite a number of
descriptions of freak egg, so will
teli what I found from one of my
flock of Rhode Island Reds.
It resembles a kewpie. having body,
with head attached, the head having a
nose, the whole thing standing about
1 V4 inches. M. A. 6ARGANT.
More Truth Than Poetry.
By Jantea J. Montague.
WHERE StlEMK FAILED.
(A popular magazine Informs ill
that paint has a controlling effect
on the disposition, turning pleasant
people to brutes, and vice versa.)
When Paul, our bulldog, got so mean
He'd bite the hand that whaled him.
We chanced to see a magazine
Which hinted at what ailed him.
"A man," It said, "although a saint.
All kindly thoughts will smother,
If he's inflamed by jarring paint.
And punch hia only brother."
"L'ks man like dog." we softly said:
"It fills us with contrition
To think the kennel's painted red;
It spoils Paul's disposition.
If It Is tinted pearly gray
The hue will so delight him.
He'll let the ice man go his way
And never seek to bite him."
A pearly gray we painted It,
But Paul, still grim of feature.
Strolled out the following day and bit
The children's music teacher.
Nor when his house was painted blue,
Did we abate the danger:
He started out forthwith to chew
A timid total stranger.
We've bought all colors we could find.
And used them in rotation.
But still the an'mals's inclined
To fits of indignation.
Tc every passer-by he shows
The most actue unklndncss.
For no good reason, goodness knows.
Unless it's color blindness!
' In tne Kirk, of Time.
Only its discussion by the Eplsconal
convention has saved the word oby
from becoming "obsolete."
A Recommendation,
If it takes a thief to catch a thief
there can be no doubt whatever of
the absolute honesty of the New York
police force.
Envious!
After observing how much Turkey
got out of the war Lenlne Is now
trying to be known as the sick man
of Europe.
(Copyright by the Bell Syndicate, Ine.)
NO FIGHT OJI COLOR OR CREED
Fraternal Federation vDbJet Only to
Employment of Alien.
PORTLAND. April 15. (To the Kdl
tor.) There appeared In the Oregon
Voter of April 15, page 14. an article
regarding the Oregon Federation of
Fraternal Societies, headed "Against
Allen Employment," which In a way
is misleading and In which there ap
peared at least one misstatement, as
follows: "Dr. C. H. Parrtsh active In
many lodges,' city health office, and
one of Mayor George L. Baker's most
active political props."
The Dr. C. H. Parrlsh. member of
the board of directors of the Oregon
Federation of Fraternal Societies, rep
resents Liberty Assembly, No. 621
United Artisans, and is .not, at this
time, a practicing physician, but Is
employed in the shops of this school
district. As far as the membership of
a number of those mentioned In the
Ku Klux Klan. this organization has
no knowledge of, nor is It oonversant
with their personal lodge affiliations.
They have come to us with the proper
credentials from various fraternal or
ganizations of this city.
The article also states that ismploy.
ers are afraid of the federation affil
iating with the Ku Klux Klan in boy
cotting different lines of business. V
know nothing of the Ku Klux or their
intentions, but wish to state that this
federation has no intention of instl- .
tuting a boycott on any employer,
but we do intend to insist that Ameri
can citizens be given employment in
stead of aliens.
The statement that one restaurant
became so frightened that It at once
laid off its Filipino bus boys, would
have no bearing on this federation
from the fact that the Filipinos are
American citizens, and we are not
making any fight on the citizens of
the United States on account of their
color or religion. We believe that the
American citizen, regardless of who,
he is or where he comes from, should
be given employment before the alien,
who will not, and cannot, become a
citizen of this country.
OREGON FEDERATION OF FRA.
TERNAL SOCIETIES.
M. F. WRIGHT, Sec.
Electric Lights and IHorlsaira,
GLADSTONE. Or., April 15. (To
the Editor.) 1. What was the first
city in the United States to use elec
tric lights and the date?
2. Can a married man owning real
estate In his own name legally mort
gage same without the consent nf his
wife? SUBSCRIBER.
1. The first Incandescent lighting
plant put in operation was the Pearl
street Edison lighting station In New
York in 1882. Arc lighting had been
previously used In a more or less ex
perimental way in large auditorium,
railroad stations and ths like In New
York, Cleveland and Newark.
2. Signature of ths wife Is neces
sary unless the mortgag Is given for
part of the purchase price of prop
erty. IHotherw' Pension In Oregon.
PORTLAND, April 14. (To the Edi
tor.) Does Oregon pay a mothers'
pension? My husband was born In
Oregon and lived In Oregon a itmiri
part of the time but wax sick and sent
to California for his htallh and disil
there. Would I be entitled to It? I
have two minor children dependt-nis.
To whom should I spplv?
A eJUHrlCniBKK.
Tlire is a mothers' pension law In
Oregon. Your letter does not Klvu
facts sufficient to determine your
eligibility. For Information go to
Judge Tazwell's department, court
house.
Time and C'anndlnn Exchange.
CLATSKAN1K, Or.. April 15. (To
the Editor.) For the benefit of mm
old subsoriber. will you puhllsh tho
valua of Canadian money In i:niil
States and the reverse? Also the
difference between Pacific, mountain,
central and eastern time? E.
1. A Canadian d llai' is now worth
"V cents on exchange In this couBr
try.
2. When It is 1 o'clock Pacific time
it is 2 o'clock mountain time, 3 o'clock
central time and 4 o'clock eastern
time.
M; VOIR O-l EKTIO.V
Every person who deslres
that a question be answered on
this page Is requested to send
his true name and address. The
name will be omitted if desired.
One of several reasons for this
requirement Is that questions
frequently omit facts essentia!
to definite answer. In such an
Instance If the true name of the
inquirer Is known the dlffi'-ulty
can be explained hy letter.
Otherwise nothing is gained by
printing the qiustion and its
omission is not understood.
Do not ask that business ad
dresses be printed. Send post
age for letter reply.