THE SUNDAY OBEGONIAK, PORTirAXD', KOVEMBEE: 22. 1993". ( 3' WHEKE AT TKB time that the speculative frenzy of "Wall street "was respond ing instantly and freely to the many propositions of capitalists and others -who "were perfecting Industrial combinations or trusts, as they are sometimes called, A. Barton Hepburn, vice-president of one of the larger banks of New York, felt that the moment was opportune to sound a note of warning. His long experience as a hanker, and especially as the Controller of the Cur rency (which is the administrative au thority over tho National banks of the United States), and the accuracy with which many of his earlier predictions had been fulfilled, caused much attention to be paid to the few cautious, careful and moderate words which he spoke. It jseemed to him that the country was ad vancing too rapidly for the capital that It possessed. He thought that the organiza tion of industrials and tho expansion of new capital ought for a time to be checked. "What he cold, while it attracted much attention, did not seem- to affect the action of any one who was busily en gaged in manufacturing capital stocks or In speculating the market or promot ing the sale of new stocks Yet, what Mr. Hepburn felt justified in saying in a few words was echoed in a brief opinion ex pressed by Russell Sage. Whatever Mr. Sage says Is sure to fix, at least for the moment, the attention of every one en gaged in financial affairs. But there Is a natural wonder whether a capitalist of euch vast resources, and one especially whose chief vocation is that of lending money upon call, might not be tfcmpted sometimes to express an opinion for the purpose of Influencing the market. No one can say Justly that Mr. Sage ever did that, and yet what he says 13 usually accepted with some reservation. Concordance of Opinion. A few weeks after Mr. Hepburn had ventured tho cautious opinion, that there should be a check to capital expansion, one of his successors as vice-president of the largest of American banks, as he was also a successor of his "as an officer of high authority in the Treasury Depart ment, having been Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, In a more formal and em phatic manner, at a public banquet and in response to a toast, expressed exactly the idea which both Mr. Hepburn and Mr. Sage had thought It worth while to de clare as their own. This banker, F. A. Vanderlip, argued with some detail that the surplus capital of the country had been practically ex hausted by the esnormous drafts that had been made upon it in the past five or six years, and that there could not be such expansion without 'causing shock, demor alization and, probably, disaster. What each of these three widely-known finan ciers predicted, the great money center of the "United States, and, reactively, the other money - centers, had been feeling throughout 'the entire Summer. During the period of the most severe depression and excitement In New York City, Mr. Hepburn was the guest of an association of bankers In New England, and to them made an address in which he touched upon certain currency questions; and, after that address, in a more infor mal manner, added to what he then said and what ho had spoken a year earlier in the way of monition. He declared that, in his view, it was probable, if not inevi table, that there would be In general com nnerce, business and Industry, a reaction. Just as there had been In the world of finance, stocks and speculation. It was known in New York that this was the opinion of many of the leading bank ers, but 7iot any of them cared to express it publicly. Mr. Hepburn was asked to ex plain In some detail the financial condi tions both of business and of corporations, as well as of the currency situation, which was in sorae'fealures so acute during the Summer of 1903 that President Roosevelt felt that he might be justified in summon ing Congress into extraordinary session, partly for the purpose of considering tho currency subject. Accumulation of Capital. "When Mr. Hepburn was asked what was meant by his statement that the -surplus capital which had been so handsomely accumulated In the last five or six years had been absorbed, he replied: "Soon after the country, in the great po litical canvess of 1896, decided In opposition to the financial dogmas with which Mr. Bryan's name was Identified, there began to be a reaction from the period of dis tress and demoralization which character ized the years from 1890 to 1896. In addi tion to that, there were two or threo years of most favoring crops, and the re peal of the so-called 'Sherman silver law In the Summer of 1893 had caused, confi dence to some extent to be restored; but it was not to be perfectly restored until the peoplo of the United States had decid ed, in a general election, whether there was to be free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1, or whether the gold basis was to be established as the permanent basis of our currency. "It so happened that a year or two later there came the announcement of the'dls coveryvof enormous deposits of gold In the w hole Alaska Peninsula; and almost coln cidently with that there was a great In crease in gold production in the United States. Now all of these causes operated to restore confidence, and, furthermore, to stimulate trade and commerce. We began to export our surplus products in enormous quantities abroad. The appar ent trade balance in our favor each year for several years was In the neighborhood of J500.000.000. Domestic Industry and trade were very greatly quickened. The iron and steel Industry responded most im pressively to this new impulse. Prosperity In the West. "Through this great productivity of. crops, of precious nnetals and of Industrial agencies tho country began to discover that it was accumulating capital. It was able, by means of its surplus foreign trade, to absorb a large amount of Ameri can securities held In Europe for many years. It was able to pay off some of our indebtedness abroad; and It was discov ered that we were establishing what are called "bankers credits' over there. Rela tively, I have often thought that the in crease of surplus capital In the "West was even greater than elsewhere In the United States. Farmers, who had been in debt many years, were able to pay off their mortgages, to- buy improved machinery and to add to their lands; and the records furnished by the banking departments of the various states showed that they were accumulating money. "We. therefore, had a greater amount of surplus capital certainly greater In fig ures, probably greater relatively than in any other time in our history. The Inevi table result of that followed. When blind capital, as It Is sometimes called, or sur plus capital, becomes very large, it seeks utilization. People want to make as much money as possible. That is the time when capital is in plenty. It is used up In these ways, and then there follow demoraliza tion and panic" Where the Surplus Went. Mr. Hepburn was asked to detail more specifically some of the uses of this sur plus capital. "There were, for one thing, large in vestments in foreign loans. Some of the richer corporations of New York bought great blocks of European loans. Ameri can capital was interested In the financ ing of some of the English war loans. There began even to be purchases of English consols. In addition to that there came atthat time the great im pulse to consolidate various industrial properties and to bring together various SURPLUS eTVPITAL HAS GONE railway systems; the conspicuous ex ample of that being, so far as "industry is concerned, the organization of the United States Steel Corporation; and, so far as railroads are concerned, the move ments which led to the unification of some of the Pacific railroad systems. These and many minor undertakings some minor only In the sense that they were not as largo as the United States Steel Corporation, but were yet very large were promoted, and for a time found apparently easy absorption. "But there came a time when it was apparent that the power of absorption was gone. Commercial and financial ex pansion had reached its limit. The sur plus capital had been used up, so to speak. Credit itself was being strained. And when, a year ago, there came heavy demands for money for crop movements In the West, it was evident to skilled ob servers that the strain was really upon us. There began to be he'sitatfon, then stronger evidence of the Inability or re fusal of thoso who In the past had sur plus capital, to purchase securities; and, little by little, the reaction made Itself felt, until it culminated in the excite ments and vivid object-lesson of the summer of 1903." Check to New Investments. Mr. Hepburn was tnen asked to ex plain what he meant by his intimation that the wise man of business. In view of all that has happened within tho first 'half of the year 1903, would check his own business expansion and curtail and fortify himself against any period of de pression or distress. "The meaning ought to be self-evident There cannot be any such HquldatIonas has been In progress for nearly a year without there resulting from It, not only a check to new Investments, to new propositions, but also a limitation of de mand, which causes a market more or less dull, according to the extent to which the limitation of the demand goes. There is an impression that Wall street is some thing apart from the rest of the nation. It is something like the view sometimes held by public men that the New York postofilce is a purely local institution; and yet the New York postofilce is' of quite as great importance to merchants and manufacturers elsewhere In .the country as it is to those of New York City. It was once said by a former Postmaster General that the pulsations of itsmighty heart are felt all over the country and the world. So, too, the pulsations of the financial heart oi the country, which is New York, are even more speedily and perceptibly felt than are those of the great center of the postal system of this country; so that Wall street cannot ex- REHABILITATING VANCOUVER BATVRAeKS VEPr OF COLVMBA JZ&Uy v--3g5S--r ut ZZ FLfiOTUPON WHICH THE OTHER Five 1NZANTRY BARRACKS Q C -,- crrc v . H.7-raW-rr; 1 P3 ( ) - MILLSE C0AJSTRLrC7-T W JNFANTRV BARRACKS llJS; (llVT-: TlZfrvN , - S. - ' "5v)5 NEARLV COMPLETED !7K -srf wPxfzz -ZL (L?Q 77fW PATTtty QUART 'FTPS J2cr VANCOUVER, Wash., Nov. 20, The constructing and rearranging of the military post and headquarters of the Department of Columbia, situated at "Vancouver, Wash., is one of the largest works ever begun In the Northwest The work when completed, according to the plans which were approved by tho Sec retary of War, will Involve a period of about Ave years' time and be at a cost to the Government of over a million dol lars, a fact which proves the Intention of the Government to locate permanently a post atrthls point, thus setting at rest all argument on the part of those who have been advocating a change to some other locality. . The location of the Vancouver bar Tacks is considered by the War Depart ment as the healthiest and best In this -part of the country. Upon completion of the new buildings and the rearrange Tnent of the parade grounds and roads It will be one of the; prettiest and best ar ranged military posts in the United States. It will be what Is termed by military people one of the "show spots of the army' The post, when completed, will have a capacity sufficient to accommodate one regiment of infantry and two batteries of field artillery. This will include quar ters necessary f or officers for such a gar Tlson. In addition thereto it will ac commodate tho commanding general of the Department of Columbia and offi cers of his staff with quarters-. There. will also be erected here a new department headquarters building with a cost "of about ?75,000. Already plans of this build ing are being drawn to be submitted for approval. There are tinder various stages of con struction at the present time, a 4S-bed' hospital, which will cost J6S,725, a bat tery quarters costing $66,000; two infan try barracks costing 555.000 each, a bat tery gun shed which will cost $25,000, a coal shed contracted for $26,226, and an officers' quarters which will cost about $45,000. The buildings are all strictly modern in every detail, and built throughout for stability and convenience. The hospital especially will be an ideal structure. It will be constructed of brick, with stone foundation. Its plumbing and sanitary conveniences cannot be excelled. It will be fitted wth a room especially for an X-ray apparatus, and will be thorough, in every detail. The bachelor officers' quar ters will be built after the old colonla'l style. It will be one of the prettiest and best buildings in tho post. It has t&jft$rtb$fejZW?& ' ' M -? ;tir X Wfiff"tlE'1i'"fHB A. P. HEPBURN. i-. ...-------..-.-.. -.----....--....--.A perlence reverses without ultimately the effect of them being also felt throughout the country. Wall street is not a cause; but it is a reflection of all the mighty agencies that make industrial, commer cial and agricultural prosperity, as It is an Important reflection of all the agen cies which make depression and distress. Wall street does not cause all panics, air though panics are usually first developed there." Mr. Hepburn was asked If, in his view, accommodations for 16 bachelor officers, besides an officers' mess and room for at tendants. The barracks for the enlisted men are constructed after a plan adopted by the Secretary of War for their special fea tures of convenience and appearance. Each barrack will easily hold two com panies of infantry, and will have in con nection a large xand comfortable dining room and a kitchen that would surpass most modern hotels for convenience. The -7r Jffs"- -T T v -iijrr 5?3 the currency system of the United States was In any way responsible. He replied that, while there were certain archaic features of our currency system, certain defects that should be remedied, yet, on the whole, it i3 now In a healthful and confidence-giving condition. "There Is no reason,"-" he continued, "why there should be any distinction between tho revenues received, for cus toms and those received from internal taxes, so far as the utilization in tho j battery quarters are a fac simile of the I infantry, excepting they are larger. The battery gun-sheds are a long-needed ne cessity for protection of the field guns from tho exposure of the damp Weather. Each shed will be 191 feet in length and will- hold 17 guns. They will be fitted with rolling steel doors and be floored with vitrified brick. The buildings will all be of wood, excepting the hospital. The foundations, however, will be of i stone, so that at any 'tlmo-either brick discretion of the Secretary of the Treas ury and in the form of deposits in tho banks is "concerned. If "the funds which are now required by law because collect ed from, customs dues to be kept in the Treasury until paid out for Government expenses were available for the public uses, as the funds collected from Inter nal revenue are, that would be a meas ure affording considerable relief, espe cially in times of stringency. As to what is called asset banking, I am not of tho opinion that the country is ready for It, whatever may bo said of Its merit as an abstract proposition. Tho people havo become familiar with, a bank currency, which they know is as good as gold, because the entire faith of the nation, as expressed in its bond, is behind this currency. "A bank note issued by a bank at Eas,tport, Me.. -passes as readily In cir culation . in San - Francisco as does, a greenback or silver certificate, and there is no exchange upon it. This sense of absolute safety will, I feel, prevent any Congress at present from approving any method of securing national bank-notes that differ from the present one. The; Government bond which stands behind tho note is as sure a protection "as bul lion itself would be. Increase of Circulation. "It ' has . seemed to me, however,-that it might be worth while for Congress to pass 'such a law as would permit the Secretary of the t Treasury, in his dis cretion, 'to grant to any national bank, i ume or emergency, me ngnt io in- crease -its circulation up to a certain rauo or lis capital. mt, or course, a l-UiltHl,. Ul U1U.L. HI UU 311UUIU,Ut: MlilUtt automatic, so that It would be Instantly retired when tho emergency was passed; and that can be done by taxing It at such a figure as to compel Its retirement fwhen the rate3 for money reached abnor mal figure. That Is exactly what happens when the New York Clearing-House Is sues Its certificates, something that is done only In times of great emergency. The tax upon tliese certificates Is suffi cient to compel their instant cancelation when rates for money become normal. Nothing should be done which would make It possible to Inflate tho paper money of the United States. "The natural Increase of national banks and the new circulation thereby pro vided and the certainty that for many years, probably, the gold mined each year in the United States and in Alaska will increase the circulating medium by 575,000,000 or more, ought of itself to provide whatever additional currency the normal and healthful growth of business and production in the United States GOVERNMENT WILL EXPEND ONE MILLION DOLLARS FOR NEW-BUILDINGS FOR OFFICERS AND MEN TH GUM 2HZ&S. or stone superstructures may be erected. The work Is all being done by contract under the direct supervision of Construct ing Quartermaster of the Department Captain William C. Wren. Seattle and Tacoma firms havo secured most of the contracts. H. O. Roblson, of Woodlawn. has secured the contract for the coal sheds at $17,054. Vancouver Is -well rep resented by the firm of Larncy &.Kig gens, who have secured extensive con tracts 'in plumb'lngwork. EX-CONTROLLER A. B. HEPBURN REVIEWS THE FINANCIAL SITUATION-OP ' THE COUNTRY makes necessary. I am certain that the great development of the West, Its ca pacity to produce noble harvests on the whole for climatic Influences in one part of our country do not affect all parts unfavorably the opening up of much of the-yet' undeveloped West, will, of them selves, speedily provide a surplus capital, which, when it Is secured, may make possible renewed Investments, renewed enterprises and thereby a renewed season of prosperity." It is now reasonably pertain, that by reason" of the warnlngsNgiven by Mr. Hepburn and others, and. In addition, the precautionary measures adopted by the Treasury Department and the lead ing bankers and financial and business condition of the country is to be in the closing weeks" of the .year satisfactory. It Is expected that after the new year there will be a healthful revival of In vestment which will follow an Increase of surplus capital. DANIEIi STRONG. (Copyright. 1903, by T. C. McClure.) Battle-Hymn of the Republic. Julia Ward Howe. Minb eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is traiapltns out the vintage v where the grapes of -wrath aro stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword r His truth is marching on. 1 have seen Hfcn. la tha watch-Ares of a hundred circling camps; They havo bullded'Hlm. an altar In the- evening dews and damps; 2 can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring: lamps; His day la marching on. I have read a' fiery sospel, writ, In burnished rows of steel; "As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal; Iret the Hero, born oi ' woman, crush the serpent with his heel. Since God is marchlnc on." He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; Ho Is sifting out the hearts of men before His j u dgment-seat ; Ohl be swift, my soul, to answer Hlml be Jubilant my feet! Our God is marching on.' In the beauty of tho lilies Christ was bom across the sea. With a Klory In his bosom that transfigures you and me; As ho died to make men holy, let us dlo to make men free. "While God Is marching on. It is a question In the minds of those in charge why tho large contractors of Portland did not secure their share of the work. It seems reasonable that the Port land contractors could do the work cheaper than Seattle or Tacoma firms. Tho enlargement of the iost will give employment to a large number of men for some time, and Increase the outp'ut of the manufactories of this vicinity, as most of the material is secured at home markets. ' . THE PALATIAL OREGON BUIL Not a dark office In the building; abso lutely fireproof; electric lights and artesian water; perfect sanitation and thorough ven tilation; elevators run day and night. Rooms. A1NSLIE, DR. GEORGE. Physician and Surgeon , 606-60T ANDERSON", GUSTAV. Attorney-at-Law..612 ASSOCIATED PRESS: E. I.. Powell. iIgr..S0S AUSTEN. P. C, Manager for Oregon and Washington Bankers' Life Association of Des Moines. la. ... .. 502-303 BAAR, DR. GUSTAV. Phys. and Surg.. 807-808 BANKERS' LIFE ASSOCIATION OF DES MOINES. IA.; '. C. Austen. Mgr ..502-303 BATES, PHILIP S., Pub. Pacific Miner 215 BENJAMIN, R. W., Dentist 314 BERNARD. G., Cashier Co-Operatlve Mer cantile Co -.I 204-205 BINSWANGER, OTTO S.. Physician and Surgeon .-... ... 407-408 BOGART, DR. M. D.. Dentist : ,705 BROCK. WILBUR F. Circulator, Orego- nlari ... . 501 BRUERE. DR. G. E.. Phys.... 411-412-413-414 CAMPBELL, WM. M Medical Referee- Equitable Life ...TOO CANNING. M. J. 602-603 CARDWELL. DR. J. R., Dentist 508 CAUKIN. G. E., District Agent.Travelers' Insurance Company .......; ....718 CHURCHILL. MRS. E. J. 716-71T COFFEY, DR. R. a. Surgeon.... 405-406 COGHLAN, DR. J. N 713-714 COLLIER. P. F., Publisher; S. P. McGuIre. Manager .... ......415 COLUMBIA GRANITE CO 417-413 CONNELL. DR. E. DE WITT, Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat .......tJ13-614 CO-OPERATIVE MERCANTDL.E CO.; J. F. Olsen. Gen. Mgr.: G. Bernard. Cashler.204-205 CORNELIUS. C. W.. Phys. and Surgeon... 212 DICKSON. DR. J. F.. Physician- 713-714 EDITORIAL ROOMS Eighth Floor EVENING TELEGRAM 325 Alder Street EQUITABLE LTFE ASSURANCE SO CIETY; L. Samuel. Mgr.; G. S. Smith, Cashier -............. 303 FENTON. J. D., Phys. and Surgeon G09-510 FENTON. DR. HICKS C, Eye and Ear 511 FENTON. MATTHEW F.. Dentist . 50B GALVANI, W. H.. Engineer and Draughts man .... .... ..600 GEARY. DR. E. P., Phys. and Surgeon 403 GIESY. DR. A. J., Phys. and 8urgeoa. .709-710 GILBERT. DR. J. ALLEN. Phys 401-403 GOLDMAN. WIILLVM. Manager Manhat ton Life Ins. Co, of New York. . . . 2C-210 GRANT, FRANK 8., Attomey-at-Law 61T GRISWOLD & PHEGLEY, Tailors ....131 Sixth Street HAMMAM BATHS, Turkish and Russian.. 300-301-303 HARDEN. MRS. L. K., Stenographer 201 HAVILAND. DR. W. K., Phy. & Sur... 512-513 HAWKE. DR. C. E., Phys. and Surg... 603-609 HOLLISTER. DR. O. C, Physician and Surgeon 504-505 HOSMER. DR. CHARLES, SAMUEL; Phy. and Surgeons.... . ....701-702 IDLEMAN. C. M., Attorney-at-Law ..615-613 JEFFREYS. DR. AN1CE F.. Phys. and Surgeon, Women and Children only..... 400 JOHNSON. W. C 315-316-317 KADY, MARK T., Supervisor of Agents Mutual Reserve Life Ins. Co... .......605 LANE, E. L., Dentist 513-514 LAWBAUGH, DR. E. A. ....804-805 LAWRENCE PUBLISHING CO -417-418 UTTLEFIELD & CORNELIUS- 212 UTTLEFIELD. H. R., Phys. and Surg 212 MACKAY, DR. A. E., Phys. and surg.. 711-712 MANHATTAN LIFE INSURANCE CO. OF NEW YORK; W. Goldman, Man ager .. ....200-210 MARSH, DR. R. J., Phys. and Surg.... 309-3 10 McCOY, NEWTON. Attorney-at-Law.. 715 Mcelroy, dr. j. g.. Phys. & sur.701-702-703 McGinn, henry e.. Attorney-at-Law.311-312 McGUIRE. S. P.. Manager P. F. Collier. Publisher .... 413 McKENZIE. DR. P. L., Phys. & Surg 203 METT. HENRY 218 MOSSMAN. DR. E. P.. Dentist 513-514 MUTUAL RESERVE LIFE INS. CO.; Mark T. Kady, Supervisor of Agents.. 604-605 NICHOLAS, HORACE B., Attorney-at-Law.718 NILES. M. M., Cashier Manhattan Life Insurance Company of New York ......209 NOTTAGE. DR. G. H.. Dentist 608-609 NOTTINGHAM,. T. W., Mgr. The Warren Construction Co .-216-217 O'CONNOR. DR. H. P., Dentist 309-310 OLSEN, J. F.. General Manager Co-operative Mercantile Co 204-205 OREGON INFIRMARY OF OSTEOPATHY 409-410 OREGONIAN BARBER SHOP, MARSCH & GEORGE, Props 129 Sixth Street OREGONIAN EDUCATIONAL BUREAU; J. F. Strauhal, Manager ........200 PACIFIC MINER. Philip S. Bates, Pub 215 PAGUE, B. S., Attorney-at-Law 518 PALMER BROS.. Real Estate and Busi ness Chances .. ... 417-418 PORTLAND EYE AND EAR INFIMARY .... .Ground Floor, 128 Sixth Street REED, C. J., Executive Special Agent Manhattan Life Ins. Co. of New York... 209 REED. WALTER, Optician 133vSlxth Street ROSENDALE, O. M., Metallurgist and Mining Engineer .. 310 ROTH. DR. JOHN B., Phys. and Surg.313-314 RYAN. J. B.. Attomey-at-Law 515 SAMUEL L.. Manager Equitable Life- 303 SCOTT. C. N.. with Palmer Bros 417-418 SHERWOOD. J. W.. State Commander K. O. T. M - 517 SMITH. DR. ALAN WELCH. Physician and Surgeon .... .. 207-208 SMITH, DR. L. B.. Osteopath 409-410 SMITH. GEORGE S.. Cashier Equitable Life 508 STOLTE. DR. CHARLES E., Dentist.. 704-705 SURGEON OF THE S. P. RY. AND N. P. TERMINAL CO 700 SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE 201 TUCKER. DR. GEORGE F.. Dentist. .610-611 UMPQUA LUMBER CO., W. J. Pender- gast. Manager 601 VESTER, A., Special Agent Manhattan Life - 209 "WARREN CONSTRUCTION CO.. T. W. Nottingham. Manager 216-217 WENDLING. DR. ROBT. F., Dentist 705 WU.EY. DR. JAMES O. C. Phys. & Surg.708-9 WILSON. DR. EDWARD N Eye. Ear Nose and Throat ..... 304-305 WILSON. DR.GEO. F.. Phys. & Surg. .706-707 WILSON. DR. HOLT C. Phs. & Surg.507-503 WOOD. DR?W. L. Physlclan..411-tl2-413-414 -Offices may be had by applying to tha superintendent of tho building-, room 201( second floor. Stall SiiiiBn