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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1911)
1911. O - - - - r- rOBTLAXO. ORECOX. Entered at Tort 'and. Oria. Poatofflc Ferond-daaa MttTT. . Subscription Rts Invartabl I" Advance. tBT MAIL.) . PalTv. funJa Inelarted. one year ? rai:y, Sunday include, all montha.. Deir. Sunday Included, three month Xai.v. g-inaay Included, one -mootn. -Vl.y, witnont foortAjr. one year . .- Xi.r. wltnout S-io1y. :s montha . . ri:v. wltnout Sunday, three month I-ai.y. without SuadAlT, ODa muoin... Weafcly. on rar S-icday. ona Var fioado sad We-kly. ona year ... 4 :3 2. -'5 . . . oo . S.'.'l . X-Tt . .o . 1W . io BT CARRIER.) talry. Sunday Included, on year...... lai:r. Sunoay Included, ona month 7a Hear la Hvmll I i ad Poetotll'-e raonay or der. ti?ma order or peraoaal cheea, on your kcal tuk. S:amp. cola or currency re at tha a-ml-t-a ria. Give poetoSIre addrea ia full, loe'urtln county and atate. Poataaw Kjttra l to M pace. I cant: lm to JH pafaa. i cants: to a" pas'. canta. 4' to cm ps.fr s. a canta. Foria poetasa. onbl rata. . t-aMeTW Baaiaw Office Verre !ln .Srw Ura. rlrunawicJC bulldjn. Chica go. ster bu :-i!ne. rraaa on Ura No. 3 Reseat street, a. W.. LoQiioji. rOBTl4.NO. UTS DAY. DEC. 10. 1H . TAFT AND HARMON. A political writer,, who has been traveling around. the country tells the Saturday Evening Pot that there are four political parties tn the United S:ate. The Republican rarty Is di vided into two warring wtngs and the Democratic prt' b" suffered a sim ilar icham. T!ie radical in both are en (rased In deadly conflict with the conservative. The split in the Repub lican la the more noisy and obvious: but the elements of disruption and dis union among the Democrats are also at work and the predicament of the Democratic party, is scarcely less se rious and Dot more remediable than that of the Republican. The radicals In the Republican party are not satis fied with Taft and will not be; the conservatives cannot be reconciled to La Kollette. The radicals In the Dem ocratic partv are hostile to Harmon, and would bolt him in large numbers for La. Foliette: the conservatives are opposed Invincibly to Wilson, and woulJ flock by the thousands to the standard of Taft if he should be de nominated. If Taft and Harmon should be nominated, the conservatives might be happy with either and there would perhaps be a third ticket. If La FoKette and Wilson should bo the re spective nominees, million of Repub licans and Democrats would take to the tall timber. If one party should nominate a radical and the other a conservative, there) would be a general realignment, whh enormous accessions and enormous louses on both sides. The "eddies, cross-currents and rocky rap ids in the political stream are Ks most conspicuous and puzzling features. There is a curious similarity in the positions of Taft and Harmon with their respective parties. The Repub lican radicals say Taft Is not progres sive and refuse to give him any credit for the many enlightened acts of his Administration. Any mistake he may have made they will not forgive; any policy he may advocate they uniformly oppose. Yet Mr.' Taft has a record of high achievement that ought to com mend itself to radicals and regulars alike, and would, if the former were reasonable, fair or politically sane. Mr. Harmon has suffered from the same selfish and narrow spirit in his own party. Mr. Bryan once railed him a reactionary and the epithet stuck. Yet no Governor has devoted himself more resolutely or with greater Intelligence, fidelity and saoticlty to his duties, and none has acquitted himself with great er credit. Mr. Bryan sought to place the heavy load of Wall street on Mr. Harmon. But no public man cared less 'or the speculative or moneyed in terests of the country. Mr. Harmon has been Governor of Ohio for three years. The New York Times prints a list of seventeen Important meas ures for the enactment of which credit Is given to the Harmon administration: The Oreicon pln of nominating and elect In. Inite.l States Senator by direct vot of the people. Ptarlac tha Ohio judiciary peyona mt in fluence of party bosser by electing- all Judges on poa-partiaan ballots. A work:ncraen'e eompenaatlon act. ao that Injured employee can et damasea without eipenee and tediuu Urtxatlon. A poVlc utility commtMlon with author ity to regulate lesue of atock. ratea. mer ger ad aerTice ' A corrupt practice act that will make vote-baring In prtmarlea and election a dangeroua undertaking. A limited Initiative and referendum for Oh?o ciuaa. A rential board of. control for 19 tat lnetituHona to take the ptare of la aepa rat boards of truateea. with their corpe of employee. Thla Mil place anborrlinare em ployee tn tha Inatltutlnna under civil service. A ehorter ballot by abolishing boarda of lnnraiary directors of three member each. To have delegatea to the 1913 Ohio consti tutional convention nominated by petltloo only, and elected on nun-pa rtjiutn ballota. A ntne-hour work day for employed vomrn. An ac. to stimulate the agricultural Indus trie by requiring agriculture Jo be' taught In all obw village and reunrry arhoola. KaMKcatton of the oropoaeil Income tax amendment to the Federal Conat itutlon. A memorial tv Oitngress calling for a convention to provide for tho direct elec tion of United States Senators. Insuring th bopeat handling of all slat money by depositing In bank under th competitive blilOtng plan. Creating m fund of s:l.oonnn every year Vv general levy to gfv Ohio a ayatcm of Improved roadways equal to the best In tha woril A complete) reformation of tax last that win compel corporatlona and ownera of In tangible property that have been dodging axra to place their holdings on the dupll- rata the same as small property-owner, a this is a 1 per cent tax levy Included li limit bllL Providing for ' the const ruction of a woman's reformatory and placing all girl In the slate correctional Institutions under the control of a woman. Be.tdr these. Governor Harmon has recommended a direct primary law, a nt'W ballot act and similar measures designed to protect the voter and de stroy the political machine. Tom Johnson opposed Harmon for his first nomination as Governor; he was his enthusiastic supporter for the second nomination and election. M'. Bryan alone is steadfut In the opinion that Governor Harmon is a reaction ary. But It Governor Harmon is a reac tionary, heaven help the progressives, for there are none. We have no special pets In the poul try world. Leghorns, brown and white; Plymouth Rock..' white and barred; Mtnorcas and Houdans; Orpingtons and Brahmas and all the rest, not forgetting the cocky little game birds, ar interesting to a degree. But we re Old fashioned. We confess to a paVtuUlty for hens that lay regardless of the season of the year, and chickens v. nether of high or low degree that are toothsome and meaty table birds. We i want egg producers and fowls in such plenty that a Sunday "dinner 'with t hicken, roast or . fricassee, for the family will not put a serious crimp in the family purse. In brief while we greatly admire "show birds" we would fain that chickens without reference to the high-sounding titles of the dif- i ferent breeds would get down to bust- ness and give us eggs aplenty, and Sunday dinners that contain no subtle threat of family bankruptcy. If the higher-ups in potiltrydom will not and cannot be coaxed - to do this let us return to the speckled hen of unnamed strain, or to Domlnlcks of sacred memory, that do not go on unhenly strikes about Thanksgiving and main tain this defiant attitude toward busl ness until well along into the new year, HELP KBOU fcOMrEKit rESHAPS. President Gompers is wroth at the treason of the McNcmaras. With other members of the McNamara ways and means committee of the American Federation of Labor, he publishes a statement expressing the satisfaction of organized labor that the "culprits have been commensurately punished, declaring that the "unions should not be held either legally or morally re sponsible for the crimes of an indl' vidua! member." and "welcoming any investigation which the Federal or state court may undertake." Is that all President Gompers has to say? Only denunciation, denial. defense? Only bitter reproaches for the treason of the McXamaras? Only verbal Justification of the honest pur poses of the unions? Only a formal proffer of meaningless books and ac counts to be investigated 7 President Gompers owes tnon vatly more to the large bodies of honest worklngmen whom he has so grievously misled and to the public which he has so contemptuously lg nored. He ought to help, not hinder. the effort to uncover the co-consplr- a tors of the McXamaras. He ought to belp. not hinder, the investigation Into the facts about the $1000 fund put aside for unknown purposes by the Bridge and Structural Ironworkers. He ought to help, not hinder, the laudable desire of all union men to be In ym pathy with law and not with law breaking. He ought, to talk less about the wrongs of the labor organizations and more about the rights of society which wants, and will have, order, law and Justice. President Gompers tins the floor. THK SHEEP II Aft J MANY fSK.ft. When convinced against his will that the woolgrowlng industry cannot sur vive in the United States without pro tection, the Democrat who would slash the tariff with an ax Is prone to ex claim: "If the wool business cannot survive without protection, let It die and let the sheepmen turn to some other industry." If the sheep were of no use except to grow wool, there might be some excuse for this attitude, but It has many other uses, and before voting for the extinction of the sheep industry it la well to study what would be the- effect. Mutton is an article of food, which sells at lower prices than beef and pork, serves as a- substitute ror mem and thus checks their tendency to rise in price. While it contains less pro tein than beef, it contains much more fat. which, when taken as human food, maintains temperature and fur nishes muscular energy. It also con tains less water than beef and thus has an advantage. Different "parts of the sheep's body are used In the manufac ture of medicinal substances which greatly alleviate human suffering. The sheep has also been proved Immune to human diseases. Were we to permit the sheepgrow ing industry to become extinct, we should extinguish 800,000,000 pounds of our annual food supply, and cause a still greater increase In the price of other meats. We should lose the lanolin extracted from wool grease. which is used aa a base for ointment soap, oil and low-grade fuel. We should lose the intestines,' which are used for sausage casings. Adrenalin another by-product, is used to arrest hemorrhages, contract arteries and in the treatment of catarrh, asthma and heart disease. From the sheep's thy rold gland, we make thyroid extract, the only remedy for goitre. Other medical extracts are derived from other glands and other parts of the body. The blood is used as a dye tonic, a stock food and a poultry food. The ears, hoofs and part of the head are made into glue, the offal into hog and chicken food and the bones into buttons, knife handles and fertilizer. If we were to allow the sheep Indus. try to die, we should not only have to go abroad for our supply of wool, but for all these many valuable sub stances which are . made from the sheep. ' ' PIBLIC CONTROL AND COJIPEimoX. One of the most luminous exposi tions of the relations of public utility corporations to the public is contained in the annual report of the American Telephone ar I Telegraph Company, which controjs the Bell telephone sys tem. The company contends that the telephone' business should. ' from its very nature, be a monopoly, and. be cause it is a" monopoly, should be un der public control, which, it says, has come to stay. This control, the com pany says, should stop short of man agement or operation, should en courage high efficiency and economy and allow rates which will pay high wages and a certain return on the In vestment. It should stop abuses of capitalization. extortion, or over charges, or unreasonable division of profits. It should protect a corporation from aggressive competition in that part of its business which is profitable, neg lecting that, which is unprofitable. though of public service. That com petition, the company contends, should be suppressed which du plicates without improving service. and public control should discourage profits so large' as to encourage such duplication. It should, says the com pany, "encourage tho Introduction and demonstration of the value of any new or novel enterprise, and should allow sufficient reward for the Initiative, en terprise, risk and imagination of the adventurers behind such enterprises. It should discriminate between the useful adventurers or promoters, pio neers, in fact, and those pirates or sharks who. in the strength of other successes, extravagantly capitalize un developed ideas, and exchange the worthless securities for the savings of deluded and credulous investors. Cor porate control and restriction should always exist to a sufficient degree to prevent such speculative promoting and such stock-Jobbing schemes." The company contends that "effec tive, aggressive competition and regu lation and control are Inconsistent with each other, and cannot be had at the same time," and gives these rea sons for Its contention: v Control, or regulation, to be effective. meana publicity; It mean eml-publle dls- cusalon and consideration before action; It mean deliberation, non-rttacrimlnatlon; It mean everything which I the opposite of and Ineonsletenl with effective competition. t'omoetltlon wwreaalve. e elective compe tition mean strife. Industrial warfare: It mean contention; ltoftenumea mean tak- Ing advantage of or resorting to any meana tlat the conscience of the contestant or the degree of the enforcement of the law rill permit. To make competition effect ive great and uncontrolled latitude of ac i tion Is necessary: action must be prompt and secret. Acgresalve competition mean duplication of plant and Investment. The ultimate ob ject of such competition Is th possession of the field wholly or partially; .therefore. It meana either ultimate combination on such baal and with such price a will cover past losses, or It means loss of return on fnveatment. and eventual loss of capital. However It results, all costs of aggressive. uncontrolled competition are eventually borne direct or Indirectly, by the public. Competition which la not aggressive, pre supposes co-operative? action, understand ings, agreements, which result in general uniformity or harmony of action. which. In fact. Is not competition, but I combina tion, unliable, but for the time effective. The logical conclusion from this ar gument Is, that Federal or state super vision and control of corporations pre supposes Federal or state ' restriction of competition. This statement would ipply particularly In the case of cor porations supplying a public utility which could not be duplicated without a wasteful Investment of capital Thus the theory of public regulation would work both ways. It would se cure the public good service at reason able rates and protect the company rendering such service from competi tlve assault. Experience has taught, however, that in the absence of public regulation competition improves, tele phone service to an extent that justl fles the added expense to part of the public and offsets the annoyane'e caused by the presence of two systems in the field. AGAIN THE MAINE. Investigation has proved that the battleshiD Maine was blown up by ex plosives planted directly beneath her powder magazines as she lay at an- chor in Havana harbor. This was charged at the time and generally be lieved, though for obvious reasons the belter was not officially sanctioned by the United States Government. Pub lic sentiment worked upon this basis, however, with. "Remember the Maine" as its slogan was strong enougn to force President McKlnley into a war against Spain, whereby the Spanish forces In Cuba and. the Spanish navy in West Indian waters were compelled to do battle. While Spain may not have been di rectly responsible for the wanton wreck of the Maine she was held to a fearful responsibility with a result known to history. The findings of the engineers who raised the battleship from the ooze and slime of Havana harbor wTiere she had lain for nearly fourteen years will, of course, have no bearing upon the relations of the two countries now. That score was set tled long ago by reprisals that de stroyed the Spanish fleet and stripped Spain of the last of her East Indian possessions. It Is, however, gratifying .to learn from the report of the engineers who raised the Maine that our war with Spain was not wholly groundless. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VOLTAIRE. The article on Voltaire which is published elsewhere in The Oregonian today makes more account of his theo logical opinions than some Judicious modern critics would think necessary. The versatile Frenchman held ad vanced views on this subject for his time, and bigots consequently found a great deal of satisfaction in maligning him. Tho bad habit once formed has been kept up, but the shadow of rea son for it which formerly existed van ished long ago. Since Voltaire's theo logical opinions are now commonplace in many intelligent pulpits, it seems a little absurd to speak of them as if they were dangerous or wicked. The church in his day had, through ages of undisturbed security, accumulated many abuses against which ho shot the piercing darts of his wit, but he never had anything to say against those great basic principles which are summed up in the phrase "natural religion." The fact is that Voltaire was -one of the most truly devout men who ever lived, though he demonstrated his piety by doing good to his fellows instead of observing ecclesiastical ceremonials. .Voltaire's pioneer work in the field of toleration will always be Interesting, but it was not the only thing for which e will be remembered, nor, perhaps, the most Important. He was gifted more variously than almost any other man who ever lived, and In every de partment of effort to which he applied himself he rose to greatness. Even in finance, which is sometimes supposed to be Incompatible with art and litera ture, he succeeded 'on a grand scale. He died leaving one of the most con siderable private fortunes of his time, and he made It all by his own shrewd ness and courage. Of course in these days of multi-millionaires his wealth would look like a trifle, but it ran into the millions and he Invested it so dis creetly in many lands that his enemies, numerous and powerful as they were, never found any way to deprive him of his resources. His Intellectual prowess made him beloved of thoughtful men in all coun tries, and hated by the benellciari privilege, who feared ideas mere than they did cannon. His genius, while it was wining him immortality In the republic of letters, made him a dread ful foe to the feudal tyrants of Europe, Church and state united to persecute him, but their efforts were petty rather than dangerous. He was too shrewd to be caught by any ordinary tricks. During many years he lived in exile, but he escaped the stake. By inces sant vigilance he always eluded the snares ofc.his enemies, while he never ceased to wound them with his pen. For the greater part of Voltaire's life he was the supreme intellectual figure of the world. His poems were wittier than any other man then living could write. His dramas were classed with those of Racine and Cornellle. As a historian he charmed the intelligence of Europe, and as a philosopher he merits the praise of having, equally with Rousseau,- undermined the struc ture of the feudal world, both in poll tics and religion, and laid the founda tions of modern civilization. No doubt when the final reckoning is made it will be as a practical philosopher that Voltaire will be most admired. We owe to him, more than to any other writer, the creation of what we call the "scientific spirit." This is the spirit which loves to submit every as sertion to a rigorous test and let it stand or fall by the consequences. The mind of primitive man revels in mar vels. The more Incredible a story is the more greedily It is believed In the youth of the world, and even in the old age of the world by people of youthful characteristics. Time, however, brings together many evils as the fruits of credulity. The inquisition, the witch craft mania, theological hatred and the universal cruelty of feudalism were some of them which were only too familiar to Voltaire. By an astonishing; display of genius he perceived the fundamental truth that these miserable circumstances all originated in credulity, and he set him self to fight the monster which, to his vision, was making the world a place of torment. For this purpose he em ployed all the weapons of his mar velous mint. Wit, satire, logic and a boundless knowledge' of history- were aimed at nhe infamy." as he was in the habit of calling the fatuous credu- .dally life which has' become as mov llty of his age. But his principal Ing shapes and shades pn the kaleido weapon, after all, was his everlasting scope of memory are recalled by insistence upon applying'.rigorous tests these newly-priated extracts from old to the veracity of all that asked to be believed. He accepted what could stand the test. What could not stand it he rejected. This is the essence of the scientific spirit. . ' Applying this, spirit to the conduct of life, Voltaire wrote a number of stories which have accumulated in creasing fame with every generation since he lived. The story of Zadlg is as good as any of these Its theme is the potency of our Investigating pow ers when wo use them in the right way. The hero could exhibit knowledge which struck everybody as miraculous simply by paying attention to what went on around him. The educational value of this tale is, of course, immeas urable, though not one teacher in a hundred has ever read it. Another story of the same tyje Is "Candide," which is even" more famous than Za dlg." "Candide" handles the comfort .i th hi in . . ,. . . the best of worlds." This doctrine was fashionable in Voltaire's day, as it Is always in times of wickedness and corruption. Following the fortunes of Candide through the Lisbon earth quake, war. captivity, sickness and slavery. Voltaire showed that some condition; In the world admitted of im i provement. In reading Venire's writings, which are very voluminous and all Interest ing, what strikes one most forcibly Is his amazing common sense. Today we all flatter oursefcves that we possess at least a little of this quality. We may measure Voltaire's greatness by re membering that he was almost tha only man on the continent of Europe who for a thousand years had pos sessed any of it. There had been zeal- prophets and warriors by ots, martyrs. the dozen. Jut only Erasmus and one I or two others who had any common sense. Voltaire, as It were, inveniea for us this precious and saving trait. JACK KIBBLE'S FRIENDS. The Oregonian cheerfully accepts the estimate of the worth and work of Mr. Jack Gribble, special claims examiner of the Forestry Service, placed upon him by his v grateful friends, and it is happy to print the letter of commendation that bears the signature of J. F. Spencer, deputy postmaster of Dudley. Oregon. If any reader finds himself in doubt as to the precise whereabouts of Dudley, or the exalted position of its deputy post master. The Oregonian is . almost ashamed to say that it can throw no light on his deplorable ignorance. No available map shows the whereabouts of the hidden metropolis of Dudley, and no available postal guide has seen fit to adorn its pages with the name and fame of Dudley's literary deputy postmaster. We are sorry, for the Spencer letter is really worth reading and we print it anyway for its gallant defense of the Forest Service. No one doubts that the forestry of ficials are good men. But everyone mav have reason to doubt whether the Forestry Service is doing thevwork for Oregon It should do. We shall be glad, to have from Mr. Spencer, for example, or from John Gribble, a list of the homesteaders around the sup posltltlous Dudley who have been given patents for their claims, how many there? How many on any forest re serve in Oregon? ' If the full story of the outrage, in justice, wrong, poverty, starvation. hopelessness, discouragement and mis treatment Imposed on bona fide en trymen of Oregon, in and out of for est reserves, by officious examiners, dilatory clerks, cowardly department heads, meddlesome special agents, and the whole army of inefficient and in- Bolent officialdom could be told, there would be very little sentiment in Ore gon for nncnoiism ana a xaise conservation. P. S. We have made the discovery that Dudley is a hamlet located about thirty-five miles northeast of Med ford. We are happy thus to Introduce Dudley to the notice of the world as a place in a xorest reserve mat is pleased with the Forest Service. It is a unique distinction. "HALF A CENTURY AGO." v Perhaps no feature of The Orego nian of the present year has been more suggestive of progress by comparison than has the presentment day after day of brief extracts from its columns noting events of a corresponding date of fifty years ago. The year 181 was a year of great events. It was an epoch making year, introducing an era the events of which will illuminate tne pages of our National history for all time. It was the initial year of a strife that boldly menaced the life of the Nation; cost thousands of lives and millions in money; threw the responsibility of the up-bringing of the I generation tnen in its ennunoou upon widowed mothers; strained to the limit the endurance of both a patriotic and rebellious host; brought forth the Emancipation Proclamation of a pa tient, long-suffering President and sealed with his blood the wonderful life record of Abraham Lincoln., Oregon was then far upon the fron tier, and beyond the firing line. It was barely three years old as a state, sparsely populated, and for all pur poses of National assistance shut off from the rest of the American fede ration of states. Though little more than a wilderness, dotted here and there with pioneer homes and filmsily built villages, its people were divided upon the great questions over, which the Nation was at war. Party lines were sharply drawn and partisan bit terness was every where in evidence. To be a "Unionist was to incur the hatred of the "Secessionist" and vice versa and the flag of the United States when given- to the breeze, even over the State House was as'likely to be hissed as cheered. Dismay and exultation walked side by side when the meager news of the defeat of -the Federal forces at Bull Run came over the wires and the same forces In reversed order were in evidence when nearly four years later the fall of Richmond was announced. And even when the mournful tidings of the assassination of President Lin coln came in awe-stricken whispers over the wires, low murmurs of sat isfaction were heard in high places and in low throughout the state. These and many other events have been recalled by the brief extracts printed from day to day throughout the semi-centennial rear under the J head: "Half a Century Ago."-Happen ingseof fire and flood, then vastly Im portant in our community life but now dim with the mists of the years; of fes tivals and funerals; of church dedica tions and educational beginnings; of civic gatherings and political conven tions; of flag raisings and steamboat launchings; of marriages and births and deaths a simple panorama of 1 newspaper files. Sacred to memory are these old records of a dead year and era. Strewn with names that have long since been given to marble; big with events that were then of prime importance but which have long ceased to vex or to please a simple epitome of a simple life on the Nation's far frontier, their recital from day to day has given to thousands of the older readers of The Oregonian "pleasure not unmixed with paln,"V and perhaps to jet other thousands, pleasures akin to that which comes from conning, half won derlngly, half reverently the long- Closed pages of family history. THE "BOSSIE" SWEETHEART. Many of the speakers at the dairy men's association meetings empha sized the fact that the dairyman who I ala nt "ave enougn real anection xor I his cows to treat them kindly and.con- siderately as he would his wife or sweetheart was not likely to make a pronounced success In the dairy busi ness. By this it was not intended to intimate that the owner of a cow need resort to osculation, or have the same sort of love for her as he should have for those of the human race very near and dear to him; but to treat "bossie" as gently and tenderly as he would a child should bo the unswerving ruletf every dairyman. This is true of all domestic animals, and particularly true of the horse and dog, if the latter can be so classified; but the cow is far more sensitive, far more responsive to kind treatment, than either of these. Many owners of cows treat them not only with indifference and neglect, but I with actuaI cruelty, often kicking or I clubbing them when they do not in stantly do Just as their owner or mas ter thinks they should. And then when they do not respond with as much milk as their boss thinks they should give, he perhaps again beats or curses them for their shortcomings. That statement is not overdrawn; far from it. Any person who has had a few years' experience Jn or around a milk ing place can state specific cases where he has seen "cows beaten and abused until they were so afraid- of their at tendant that fhey could not possibly respond. Regularity, kind treatment extend ing to the last detail for their physi cal comfort, plenty of light, good ven tilation, cleanliness, as much pure wa ter as needed and an abundance of the proper food given these and almost any cow will "pay her keep," no mat ter how poor a milker she may natu rally be. And such fault may be con genital, something that consequently cannot be removed. The higher bred the cow, the better equipped for milk-giving, the more sen sitive she is and the more affection she should receive. The word affection is used practically in a human sense, for many owners, all of those who make the greatest success in the dairy busi ness, actually do love their cows and are not ashamed to be seen with their arms entwined about their necks. ARE VK A NATION OF WASTRELS? "Is wastefulness distinctively an American habit?" asks Oscar P. Aus tin. In an article in a recent number of "Popular Mechanics." Presenting the negative side of the question, Mr. Austin, as a prelude to his argument, deprecates the habit so prevalent among Americans of "knocking" ev erybody and everything; of asserting that all things that are happen ing are wrong; of bewailing conditions of today as worse than those of yes terday and as worse among our own people than those of some other com munity or country. That this attitude is too prevalent among the American people is as ap parent as it is unfortunate, since it tends to destroy respect for our in stitutlons. pride of country and patriotism. Much of this criticism of things American takes the form of compar ing conditions of today with those of a former period criticism that, Mr. Austin argues, is based upon miscon ception, inaccurate inferences and in accurate statements. As to waste, he says: "Of course there is waste, not only here, but everywhere." But it is a law of nature that certain of its products go back to the original elements, and the effort to prevent this often results in yet greater waste in energy, time and material resources. One man, for example, asserts that am'ong the greatest wastes in Ameoica is that of corn cobs, corn stalks, fro Jen glass and scraps of leather.. If this be true, why does not capital, mil lions of dollars of which are seeking Investment in any line that will guar antee a return of from 3 H to 5 per cent per annum, backed by tho re sourceful American Inventor, engage In the business of utilizing this waste? But if with all the thought that rest less American inventors have given to this matter, the waste deplored still goes on, why not dismiss the subject of "waste" as applied to this residue of the corn crop and give it back to the earth as a fertilizer for the next crop? Is this not Nature's way? We hear of watse in our water power; of . waste In our coal supply; of waste from smoking chimnej-s; of waste in agricultural methods; of waste of our timber resources; of waste in moisture that should be conserved, and of the waste of hu man life due to accidents of various kinds In industrial pursuits. In point of fact, is not a greater proportion of our magnificent water power har nessed for use now than ever before? Have not the greatest scientists of the world been thus far unable to devise means whereby the energy of coal can be more fully utilized without a greater waste of that other form of energy capital ? We have been hearing Intermittent ly at least of "smoke consumers" for the past quarter of a century, the application of which will leduce the waste from smoke. If waste goes on still from this cause it is surely not due to lack of effort on the part of Inventors or experiment on the part of capital. Does the arraignment of our farmers as wastrels hold against statistics which show a larger average yield of wheat per acre the country over in 1909 than In any year since the sixth decade of the past century, and the average yield of corn per acre during the past five years much greater than that of any similar period covered by detailed statistics? J Is not intelligent effort being maae ; to protect our timber supply from , waste and to conserve and apply mois ture to our semi-arid lands? Are not : our lawgivers in all quarters busy with the problem that seeks to safeguard human life asrainst the forces of the elements that are harnessed for serv ice In the name of progress? It is of interest in this connection to note that the population of this wasteful country of ours increased jts wealth irom 3U,uuu.uou.uuu in jmiv, and J44,000,000.O0O in 18S0, to ,107, 000.000.000 in 1904; that our forest supply is still greater than that of any country in the world except Russia, that the sums expended on irrigation and reclamation by the Federal Gov ernment during the last decade ap proximate $60,000,000; that millions of dollars worth of waterpower that had run to waste through countless generations are now being utilized, man having but lately learned how to harness that power and carry it to places where it can be used. It Is so easy to complain about other peo ple's management. 1 know of no easier or more delightful occupation than that of managing othar peoples business at long distance and without rerponslblllty for the results. But the people who have built up that business, who are responsible to them selves and their families and their stockhold ers and their stockholders' families and to the public under the laws which govern and directly control their work, are much better able to Judge whether this or that line of conduct or this or that failure to utilize a natural product is really a. "waste." or whether the elimination of that waste by the necessary outlay therefor would or would not produce an equal or greater waste of the capital already accu mulated, and for the conservation of which they are responsible. Anna Rogstad is hailed by the De lineator as the "only woman member of a National Parliament." She sits in the Norwegian Storthing as deputy from Chrlstiania, has been for thirty years a teacher in the schools of the capital of the kindom aid is 57 years ol. Her manner is stately, she wears simple, plain gowns of soft dark blue cloth, without Jewelry ornaments, and lives an active, though unostentatious, life. "The Norwegian soil," she says, "is not fertile enough to produce para sites. Norwegian women have never been ab,e t0 afrord iuxuries or jdIe. ness, and this has been their good fortune. The greatest difficulty for the women of the big nations lies in the luxury that has been transmitted from generation to generation. It fur nishes soil for and nourishes the growth of parasites and idlers. It makes it more difficult for courageous, strong women to come forward and win respect for themselves." Contin uing, she sends this message to the women of America: "Happiness and advancement come from work and simplicity." Should the President decide to ap point Senator Borah to the vacant seat on the Supreme bench, he would ac complish several ends besides giving the Nation a Judge who is recognized as a lawyer of. the highest ability and integrity, and in harmony with the spirit of the age. He would conciliate the insurgents, of whom Mr. Borah is a leader without being an extremist, and he would pay a compliment to the Pacifie Nofthwest, which would be very gratifying to this" section of the country. He would, however, remove from the Senate a man who is in a better position than any to heal the breach in the Republican party, for Mr. Borah, while possessing the con fidence of the insurgents, stands high in the opinion of the regulars. He would thus be an admirable mediator. The latest newspaper to celebrate Its anniversary is the New York Trib une, which was seventy years old on November 29. It commemorates the occasion by publishing a large edition with a full-page colored frontispiece depicting the old and new Tribune buildings. The Tribune tells the graphic story of its own growth from the days of Horace Greeley to those of W'hltelaw Reid. It reviews ths prog ress of the Nation and its industries in detail and tells the history of New York with many interesting illustra tions of old scenes in the city. The Tribune has a history of which it may well be proud, having taken a leading part in molding public opinion and having always stood high as a gather er and purveyor of news. The Canby Irrigator mentions that Ora Slyter, of New Era, Is clearing $600 a year from a flock of 250 chick ens. That is an interesting item. We like to see statements like that mixed in with accounts of success in fruit raising and wheat growing. The Oregon landowner who, like Mr. Sly ter, sives "Intelligent care" to any branch of 'farm industry is bound to succeed, and the incoming settlers ought to know that we have other in dustries that compare favorably with fruit growing, and are lots quicker action for the newcomers. What is called the Progress Edition of the Polk County Observer, dated December 5, is a credit to Messrs. Fos ter and Totten, the publishers. In ad dition to the regular semi-weekly is sue, there are forty pages, tabloid size, of book paper, bound in a handsome cover, devoted to exploitation or in dustries and resources of what they are proud to term "the blue ribbon" county of Oregon. From the showing made, disputants of the honor must put up a good case to win against Polk. Now George Hyland, the star-grab bing orator of Multnomah, is to be asked to stand" for the Congressional nomination. If Mr. Hyland could be elected and get off one of his rhetorical word pictures of Oregon in the halls of Congress it would cause many of the old-timers in that body of al leged statesmen to believe really In Oregon progress. Bill" Hanley's dress suit must have been made for the effete East. "Bill" would never dare don it in Harney County, not even in Portland. He would . better put it in cold storage back there when he returns to his native state. 'The apotheosis, of La Foliette." meaning in plainer language the deification of the Wisconsin Senator, meets many obstacles. The friends most interested in trying to show him to be a god are convincing many that he is only a politician. What the Governors of the West said to the Governors of the South at Baltimore must become classic. Aberdeen has the lowest death rate of Washington, possibly because the I. W. W.'s got away alive. Eight In one family ill with small pox looks like intensive conservation of trouble. Scraps and Jingles Leone Case Baer. The game of Questions and Answers as played by Little Rollo and his Papa. Question "Pa-pa, Is it nec-ess-ary ev-ery mag-a-zine of im-port-anco should have a Christ-mas num-ber?" Answer "Yes, my son, it is, for pub lications In general and advertisers in " particular." ' Q. "Pa-pa. what is the chief cb-ject of-a hol-i-day ed-i-tion?" A. "To .be seasonable, my child, at all risks of possibility or probability." Q. "What is sea-son-able, Va-pa?" A. "Ice, snow, mistletoe, holly and red berries anything that sounds or looks picturesque, domestlo and soci- ' able."' Q. "Is Christ-mas al-ways made up of these things, pa-pa?" A. "No, my son. In Portland, for Instance, our Christmas is warmer than May In Chicago." Q. "Does that make any dlf-fer-ence with the Christ-mas magazine, pa-pa?" A. "Never! These publications are invariably made up half a year before they appear and their representation of the Yuletide has to be taken not as a record but as a prophecy." Q. "What side of the Christ-mas do they keep to the front, pa-pa";" , A. "The bright side always, my son. About a quarter should be made up of husbands in smoking Jackets kissing their own wives under the mistletoe, pictures of damp old churches being decked with holly and bunting, crowds around the gaslog drinking home-made punch to the New Tear, and stories of poor little children who never get their stockings filled with anything but holes. The other three-quarters of the magazine is utilized for clever adver tisements. Invariably of more Interest from both literary and artistic values than the matter that went before." Q. "Should there be a cov-er de-sign, pa-pa ?" A. "Oh, yes, my son a drawing of Santy, that old myth, or a lady carry ing bundles, or the postman getting a cheery greeting, or of two poor waifs peeking in at a toy-laden window." Q. "In con-coct-lng a sea-son-able magr-a-zine does the type-wrlt-er have any-thing on the brush, pa-pa?" A. "Yes, my son; any dub can write a story around a picture but it's a real grand artist who can illustrate a Christmas number." Q. "But does it not make a lot of work in December for the poor writers and artists, pa-pa?" A. "No; they did their work last May when it was cool." Q. "And what are the art-lsts do ing at Christ-mas, pa-pa?" A. "They are working on the Fourth of July edition, my son." The miser's sum of hapiness is dltlon." - "ad- Christmas proverb -mends no shoes." "Sherry-cobbler Startling figures spooks. a a a The mourning fashions are getting' to be so pretty now that the loss of a husband or two is no longer the ter rible calamity It was in earlier seasons. a a a Why is Hetty Green like the year 1912? Because she is exceedingly close? (Fireman! Fireman! Save my Rose Carnival pennant!) . An exchange prints an "offer" of 100 real dollars for "the best temperance story." , I think that assertion that there is no alcohol In Christmas punch is hard to' beat, don't you? a a a Definition of the yellow rperll a ba nana skin lying on the sidewalk, a a a Often heard of but never seen, espe cially in domestic circles "a clean sweep." a a a See where another counterfeiting factory has been raided. Honestly, It's harder every day to make money, a a a One of the worst developments of the enforced idleness amongst actor folk Is that the. "chorus" is threatened also, and many ladles will be thrown out of work at a time when their age will render it difficult for them to obtain other employment. a a a A stirring article the teaspoon. a a a Woman writes to ask, 'When is the best time to pinch chrysanthemums?" Surely the answer is obvious when no one Is looking, I should say. ' i. a a a t know my country's politics. What weather March will bring. The way of fishes in the brook, Or birds upon the wing. But one great bugaboo I've met. It won't go through my cranium thick, If Peter Piper picked a peck of pick led peppers, How many ' peppers did Peter Pipe pick?" I've learned the reason of the tides. Know all about the stars. Can quote from Shakespeare or Bill Taft, Know the history of tb,e. wars. But one problem gets my goat. On it I always stick: "If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. How many peppers did Peter Piper pick?" Railway last night, the Northern Pa- Half a Century Ago From The Oregonian, Dec JO, 1SS1. The wreck of the Oregon City flour mills lodged on the farm of John Mock, four miles below thia city on the east side of Swan Island. We are informed that persons have been plundering the mills of what flour they contained, be sides takinf? out the windows and doors and breaking up the machinery for the iron. A day or two since-the proprietors of the .Standard Mills, who have 400 barrels of flour in store with a com mission house in this city, were of fered $7 per barrel for the lot for the purpose of speculating on it. They de clined the offer, preferring to retail at the same price to persons In need for which these gentlemiyj deserve much praise. From Ellis Walker we learn that persons residing on Sauvies Island have picked up two melodeons during th week which will be given up to tho rightful owners. A letter by last night's mall from Olympla says that there is a quorum of the two houses of the Legislature in town. Whether they would go into session was unknown. The three Judges who form the Supreme Court of Wash ington territory were at Olympla at the last dates. It was supposed the Supreme -Court would hold their ses sions at that placet
