3
THE 'SUNDAY OREGOMAX, PORTLAND, 3IARCIT 13, 1914.
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PORTLAND. SUNDAY, MARCH IS. 1914.
ENGLAND'S MONROE DOCTRINE.
Instead of surrendering: free tolls
to gain British acquiescence to our
policy of "watchful waiting," ' we
might though two wrongs do not
make a right point an accusing
Hnger at England. The case of
Portugal is ot exactly parallef with
that of Mexico. Foreign investments
have not suffered there to the same
extent nor have foreigners been exe
cuted. But outrageous tyranny has
existed for several years, if English
investigators are to be believed.
England's duty toward Portugal, as
outlined by precedent and treaty, is
somewhat more imperative in re
spect to internal troubles in Portu
gal than is ours toward Mexico. Eng
land has frequently intervened in
Portugal's internal affairs. Some of
.its treaty obligations toward that
country are strikingly obligatory. In
one "The King of Great' Britain doth
profess and declare . . . that he
will take the interest of Portugal
and all its dominions to heart, de
fending the same with his utmost
power by sea and land, -even as Eng
land itself." Yet England does noth
ing, though spurred by writers, so
cieties and publications.
The monarchy was overthrown in
Portugal about three, years ago. The
country is now a so-called republic
whose President is a figurehead. Its
real ruler until a few weeks ago was
the premier, Dr. Affonso Costa, Elec
tions are carried on somewhat after
the Mexican manner. Those opposed
to the government do not dare vote.
Two-thirds of the electorate has been
disfranchised as illiterate. One of
the instruments in defense of the
present regime is an organization
known as "Defenders of the Repub
lic," called "carbonarios" in the gov
ernment papers. They are a horde of
state-paid spies. One branch known
as the "Formiga Branca" or White
Ants, are entirely In the service of
the government. They haunt the
cafes, spy on private citizens, search
private houses.
xne wnite Ants nave Been ac
cused of setting upon and beating
workingmen for refusing to take off
their hats to the "patriots." They
maul suspected conspirators on the
streets or throw them in jail, where
they are kept without trial. They
invade the Chamber f Deputies and
threaten violence to any Deputy who
dares criticise the government. A
favorite diversion is to raid and
wreck newspapers.
.Republican leaders have expressed
a determination to destroy the
"Christian myth." If a teacher men
tions the rajne of God In class he is
immediately suspended and his school
Closed. Children are encouraged tu
parade fhe streets carrying banners
inscribed, "No God, No Religion."
Half the. schools in the country are
abandoned.
The protests in l.ngland, however,
have been directed against the im
prisonment . and harsh treatment of
countless political prisoners. Jails
are so crowded that prisoners are
housed in what were once' convents
and bishops' palaces, and new peni
tentiaries are. being hurriedly erect
ed. The constitutional requirement
that prisoners shall be formally ac
cused within eight days after arrest
lias been ignored in hundreds of
cases, prisoners remaining in solitary
confinement and incommunicado for
months at a time. One writer tells
of three hundred syndicalists, not
Royalists but Republicans, impris
oned underground from April to De
cember, 1913, for protesting against
the government for its failure to re
deem pledges with regard to wages
and the cost of food. Doctors, law
yers, professors, peasants. Royalists,
Republicans, Socialists, all crowd the
prisons of Portugal; poverty stalks in
the slums, emigrants are leaving the
country as if it were plague-stricken;
farms, schoolhouses and churches are
abandoned.
Premier Costa, who is directly
charged with the tyranny of the
Portugese government, resigned late
in January, but it is English opinion
that the Cabinet will continue previ
ous outrages. The demand on Eng
land Is that it intervene in behalf of
the thousands who are in prison un
der bare suspicion or false accusa
tion and demand a general amnesty
toward political prisoners.
England once rescued Portugal
-from foreign dominion. For centur
ies It has exercised a sort of benevo
lent guardianship over the country.
Thus has England a Mexican prob
lem of its own. So long as it shows
no inclination to solve the problem
concessions to induce England to
keep hands off our Mexican problem
are hardly in order.
WHAT IS JAPAN'S PART?
What part does Japan play in the
"matters of eve:, greater delicacy and
nearer consequence" to which Presi
dent Wilson referred In his message
on canal tolls? While Irritated by
the California land law and by dis
cussion of that subject in the United
States, Japan is said to be extremely
friendly to Huerta. A Washington
dispatch to the Biooklyn Eagle con
veys the impression that Mr. Wilson
wishes to strengthen our diplomatic
fences in Europe, particularly in
England, that he may continue his
present policy tcwards Mexico with
the countenance of the powers until
he can send battleships through the
canal to the Pacific Coast. It is inti
mated that the reason is ' that "the
attitude of Japan toward Intervention
is highly uncertain," and that "the
canal must be open, in the minds not
only of many statermen, but of mili
tary experts, if Mexican Intervention
loi-s come, for the mere facility of
access to the Pacific that it will af-
ford may be a preventive of trouble
beyond the borders of Mexico herself."
It is confidently predicted that the
canal will be ready for the passage of
ships by July 1. Hence only three
and one-half months remain before
we shall be able to send warships
quickly to the Pacific. If such haste
was necessary in getting ourselves
into England's good graces by repeal
of toll exemption as was asked by
Mr. Wilson and as is shown hv his
lieutenants In Congress, then we must
infer that within that period there
was danger of Mr. Wilson being
driven from watchful waiting to
vigorous action. Does the Eagle
mean td say that this danger came
from the direction of England, which
would no longer tolerate Mexican an
archy, or from the direction of Japan,
which would give aid to Huerta
against our forces? Was It advisable
to enlist England's aid In restraining
Japan in case we should intervene in
Mexico ?
The President's dark hints have set
everybody guessing, but they tend to
confirm the impression that surren
der without parley of our rights In the
canal is the consequence of i our at
tempt to eliminate Huerta by a spe
cies of international interdict.
. LAWS AGAINST EXTRAVAGANCE.
. A lawyer friend in Roseburg,. like
many others, has observed that a
number of candidates for office in
every election declare themselves to
be for strict economy and lower
taxes, but that after their election
we have higher taxes, profligacy in
office, extravagant appropriations and
more commissions.
Promises have ceased to impress
him and he now proposes to engineer
a short cut to economy by submitting
a constitutional amendment provid
ing that taxes "shall not exceed for
all purposes, including state, county
and municipality, road and school
purposes, ten mills oh the valuation
of property assessed, unless a greater
tax shall be levied by a vote of the
taxpayers in the st'.te, county or
municipality, school or road district
at an election held for that purpose
only."
The correspondent suggests that
the ten mills tax might be appor
tioned in such manner that the state
would levy one mill, the county two
mills, the municipality two mills, the
school district three mills and road
districts two mills, but . he does not
suggest that - this be an arbitrary
division.
An objection to this amendment is
that it is offered too late to be of
great service. Much of our extrava
gance has been contracted In ad
vance. In Portland, for example, a
two mill levy on the present valua-
tion would not provide Interest and
sinking fund for the bonded indebt
edness. The Oregonian does not think
highly of attempts to obtain efficient
government by rigiu constitutional
inhibitions against inefficiency. The
best way to obtain efficient govern
ment is 'to elect efficient men to of
fice.
BAiSEBALL AS A PUBLIC UTILITY.
Tris Speaker is a baseball player.
He has just been signed up for J 37
000 on a two-year contract. Joe
Tinker, fondly remembered as an in
field star of a former Portland base
ball team, has been seduced into the
new Federal League with another
$37,000, said to be intended to cover
a period of three years. Christy
Mathewson. the pitcher,' stands pat
with the New York team, and signs
for something like $15,000 per year.
We have forgotten for the moment
the exact advertised stipend given to
Ty Cobb, Hans Wagner, Home-Run
Baker, Walter Johnson and the other
great luminaries in - the baseball
firmament; but It is somewhat more
than' $3 per day for eight hours'
work.-
This new Federal League is mak
ing a lot of trouble for organized
baseball. It is said to- be backed by
$50,000,000 capital. We rather think
it will be needed before the war is
over, but perhaps we do not know.
These magnates have a way of fixing
up things when they see that the
rank outsider means business.
These great sums, - invested in
human flesh in the name of sport,
cause one to conjecture that the
American people may be taking their
amusements rather too seriously. We
would not do away with baseball if
we could, though we have wondered
many times how the thousands of
young men who spend their after
noons in rooting for the home team,
earn a living.
If we had our way, we would de
clare baseball a public utility, and
give franchises to the highest bid
der; and we would give the proceeds
therefrom to the support of public
hospitals, orphans homes, detention
homes, and the Associated Charities.
Probably something like that will be
done some day. - ,'
v THE VICE-PRESIDENT'S I'OOT.
Vice-President Marshall says some
admirably -wise things in the course
of his eloquent speeches, and some
that are less wise. Part of the time,
as he pours forth his floods of ora
tory, his head is unquestionably work
ing hard. The rest of the time we
may charitably suppose that his brain
has given way to his heart, which is
large and soft.
The other day . the Vice-President
addressed an audience of young men
which may have numbered a thou
sand. The sight of so many ambi
tious,' youthful faces woke the depths
of his nature and caused him to dwell
feelingly on the value of the spiirtual
In us. Among other notable remarks
he made this one, that 'ith co-ordi
nation of the head and heart among
our people there is no problem that
can eonfront our republic but what is
easy of solution." .
This was most cheerful and reason
ably sound. We do not go so far as
to believe that co-operation of head
and heart would make our problems
quite so easy as Mr. Marshall seems
to fancy, but It would certainly put
us in a position to attack them more
hopefully than we ever have.
If the Vice-President had only
stopped with the remark we have
quoted It would have been ' well for
his fame. The trouble with most ora
tors is that they make a beautiful
pie one minute and sterJ on it the
next. The Vice-President now pro
ceeded to step squarely Into the mid
dle of his pie. This fcas his next
sentence: "Get the men of America
to act as their hearts speak and the
complexities in our commonwealth
will disappear." He discreetly avoided
saying how he 'wanted the women to
act, whether with their hearts or
heads. Perhaps he does not want
them to act at all. At any ratj that
the' ' present position of his re-
nowned parfy.
But think what a muddle we should
be in before a year was gone if the
i men should "act as their hearts
speak." We have had far too much
"heart" - and too little brain. In our
politics for lo! these many years., What
the United States '.needs, and what
every- other country needs- for that
matter, is some good, solid thinking
on political questions. If the thought
is based on adequate knowledge it
will be all the -better. The time for
sentimentality . w ill come, perhaps,
after we have done the best we can
with our heads.
TEN YEARS AGO.
' Somehow In contemplating the
Mexican situation, one's mind travels
back to the strenuous days of 1904
when we had a different kind of
President and a different kind of
Secretary of State, and a different
kind of Secretary of War. The trio
that controlled the diplomatic des
tinies of -the United States . In that
far-away time nearly a whole de
cade ago were Theodore Roosevelt,
John Hay and Elihu Root.
In June, 1904, Ion Perdicaris, an
American citizen,, was captured In
the mountains of Morocco by a dar
ing .bandit, one Raisuli. Possibly
Raisuli did not know that Perdicaris
was a citizen of the United States:
but he speedily found out. He held
Raisuli for' ransom; he : barely es
caped with his own precious hide.
: President Roosevelt ordered the
South- Atlantic Squadron, under Ad
miral Chadwick, to Morocco. Then
Secretary Hay sent the following
peremptory message to the American
Consul-General in Morocco
We want either Perdicari alive' or Raisuli
dead. ,
The weak and vacillating Moroc
can government got busy and Perdi
caris was delivered alive. There was
no war. with Morocco.
Now suppose iTheodore ; Roosevelt
had been President, John Hay Sec
retary of State and Elihu Root Sec
retary of War, when the record of
infamies against American citizens by
Mexican bandits or fighting gueril
las, or Federal soldiers, whatever they
were, had been given to the world.
It would not have taken the ruthless
murder of an Englishman to startle
them into action.
' We rather think Villa would have
been in jail, and there would have
been no war with Mexico. But how
will It be now? .
REVIVE RIVER TRANSPORTATION.
Completion . of the Celilo Canal,
which is promfceu by January 1, 1916,
should be followed promptly by re
newed efforts to revive water trans
portation on the Upper Columbia. We
shall then have 400 miles of continu
ous navigable waterway to' Priest
Rapids on the north and to Lewiston
on the east. . e shall ask Congress
to extend the channel farther up the
Columbia and to improve the channel
of . the Snake. We shall be in a poor
position to obtain what we. ask unless
we can show that we are using what
Congress has already given us.
As it now is the navigable. Colum
bia corresponds to -a trunk line rail
road devoid of branches. Such a
railroad would have a" struggle to
earn interest on its bonds. A water
trunk line must . have branches, not
only by water on its navigable tribu
taries, but by rail to the , interior.
Either the companies owning these
branches should be compelled to pro-i
rate with the water lines, as in Ger
many,1 or the r.-ater transportation
companies should own the branch
rallrqads and operate them as feed
ers to the water line.
Water transportation In this coun
try has decayed -because the water
trunk lines have no feeders, because
the vessels are as much out of date
as a stage coatjh and because they
have no modern terminals at river
ports, equipped with cranes, grain
elevators and belt railroads. Railroad
facilities have improved, while water
facilities have stood still. In order
to be as .up-to-date as the railroads,
water lines should have all the con
veniences already mentioned and
should also have tugs towing fleets of
steel barges.
The amount so far expended on im
provement of the Columbia frpm Ce
lilo to the mouth does not approach
the $?6,400,000 spent on improving
the Elbe above Hamburg from 1864
to J894. but the Elbe at' low water
has only 3 feet 1C inches in the chan
nel from Hamburg, to Magdeburg, 3
feet 1 inch from Magdeburg to the
Bohemian border, and the Elbe and
Moldau combined have 6 feet 6 inches
for the further distance - to J'rague,
500 miles from Hamburg. TJie or
dinary depth below Magdeburg is
only 6 feet. Yet the Elbe is navigated
by tugs which draw 6000 ' tons :in
eight or ten barges upstream, and
1200-t0n barges are used.
Express steamers, having their en
tackle for loading and unloading, are
also used to carry freight. One com
pany on the upper Elbe has 103 river
and 41 Harbor tugs, 1200 steel barges,
19 express steamers, 250 lighters and
75 auxiliary vessels, with terminals in
Hamburg and warehouses at the up
per Elbe ports. A'... its Hamburg pier
six barges can be nloaded simulta
neously by eighteen cranes, which
then drop goods through hatches in
the floor to lighters lying underneath.
which carry, them o ocean vessels,
The upper Elbe port have perpendic
ular quay walls along basins exca
vated from the shore. Along the
quay-side are cranes, which swing
goods to cars on railroads running
parallel with th - river or to sheds be
yond the tracks; elevators, which
drop their "legs" into, barges and un
load direct; coal hoists, like those on
the Great. Lakes. . '
With these modern, facilities . and
by co-ordination with rail lines, the
water, lines of the Elbe carry an Im
mense traffic, at rates which -the rail
lines cannot touch, of bulky goods of
low rvalue. By pro-rating with the
railroads and by means of canals
which : connect the Elbe with other
streams, the' Elbe draws to Hamburg
traffic which ."might hav gone to
Bremen, Dantzic or other ports. ".For
example, oil is taken from Hamburg
to Cottbus, 383 miles, of which 320 is
water and 63 rail, for $3.12 a ton
against $6. 02. for an all-rail haul of
260 ' miles. The respective rates for
grain are $2.31 rail and water against
$4.57 all-rail. From Hamburg to
Chemnitz the rate is $5.76 a ton for
an all-rail distance of 283 miles,
against $2.93 for 320 miles water and
44 miles rail. The, water gets the
bulk of the traffic, the total receipts
and shipments at Hamburg to and
from the interior in 1907 having been
9.030,050 tons by the Elbe and 5,
425,724 tons by rail. That cheap, bulky
goods are carried by water, and more
costly, less bulky goods by rail is
apparent from the fact that the value
f of water shipment, was 1,697,110,880
marks and that of rail shipments 2,-
4o,178,970 marks.
The experience of the Elbe shows
that with modern piers and equip
ment, modern means of transporta
tion and co-ordination of rail and
water lines, the water can carry
freight at rates which rail lines can
not touch, Mit rail lines do a great
volume of business with high-class
freight. If the Elbe methods were
pursued on the Columbia River, at
least as g5od . results could be ob
tained. Development of the power of
Celilo Falls would give even better
results. The power could be used to
operate electric roads into the back
country and the loading and unload
ing machinery on . the wharves. It
could operate freezing and chilling
plants to keep fruit, mat and fish- in
good condition. It could pump water
to the arid lands, which would pro
duce traffic for the river tocarry. By
developing this power and applying
it as described the people of. the Co
lumbia Basin would not only enhance
their own prosperity, but would make
an invincible case for repeating the
operation all along the upper river at
the many places where power is avail,
able. But until we have used what
the Government has already given us,
we shall ,not find it easy to obtain
more. ,
OPERATIC LEAGUES.
There appears to be nogood rea
son why Richard Strauss', "operatic
league" would not work in the
United States as well as in Germany.
He wishes to organize them to re
lieve his country of the pernicious
influence of inferior traveling troupes
who sing unwisely and not too well.
Strauss thinks they are depraving
German taste, as no doubt they are.
His plan is for the smaller cities to
unite Jn groups of three and : com
bining their musical resources pro
vide a season of first-class opera in
each place. If '.he operatic year
were nine months long each city
would enjoy three months, which is
far better than nothing.
It is said by some that this plan
would not be practicable in the
United States because we could not
be persuaded to spend so much money
on music as it would .-require. This
is not quite exact. It is commonly
known that we spend more money on
music than the Germans or any other
nation do. Our music bill is twice
that of Germany each year, thodgh it
must be confessed that our results
are somewhat-less satisfactory.
If by some miracle of organization
we could establish operatic leagues in
the United States many desirable
consequences would follow. For one
thing ordinary citizens would enjoy
the privilege of hearing good music
without depleting their pocketbooks
as they must now. In some cities of
respectable size good music is never
available for th public. In all of
them it is unreasonably expensive.
But there would be other good re
sults. With opera permanently estab
lished in our cities we should pres
ently become composers of good
music as well as performers and lis
teners. Each league ought to foster
its own musical school and send gen
iuses out to delight the world.
The drama league aims at nothing
less ambitious than this. It wishes,
of course, to encourage good plays
.from abroad but far more ardently it
wishes to stimulate the writing of
good plays at home. Local genius
lacks opportunity almost everywhere
'n the United States
It can find, no
outlet in its home town, but 'must
seek hospitality as an exile. And we
know from Dante how bitter Is the
bread eaten in another's house.
PRIVATE OPERATION BETTER.
The most Important' question of
general policy to be decided by the
men who will build the Government
railroads in Alaska will be whether
the Government itself should operate
the roads or should lease them to an
operating company. The purpose
which the sponsors of the bill just
signed by tbe President had in view
will be served if the Government
builds the roads and then turns them
over to one or more companies to op
erate on terms which will carry them
through the period of developing
traffic to a paying basis.
The arguments which have been
advanced against Government rail
roads apply mainly to their operation,
not to their construction, for fhe lat
ter Is really a Government function.
Wagon roads are still built by the
Government, state, county and dis
trict, and a railroad is, after all, only
a road with rails laid upon It. The
presence of those rails and the neces
sity of single control over the traffic
which uses them caused the Govern
ment and the states to delegate their
power of roadmaklng to corporations,
which not only build but operate rail
roads, aiid own the cars and engines.
Bui examples are numerous of com
panies operating trains over roads
which they do not own. Some com
panies, indeed, do not even own all
the cars, but simply furnish the mo
tive power' Thus the leasing by the
Government of its roads to an oper
ating company would be no novelty.
The possibility of leasing was con
sidered by the Senate committee
which reported the bill, and Falcon
Joslin, one of its most ardent advo
cates, urged that "many of the fears
of Government ownership would- dis
appear if it were assured that there
would not also be Government opera
tion." He suggested that the Govern
ment offer the line for lease to the
best bidder, who would be the one
who would contract to equip, main
tain and operate the line and pay the
Interest on Jts cost and who wouia
in addition pay the largest percentage
of its net earnings to the Government.
He cited the case of the road which
the Canadian government built from
Winnipeg to Moncton and leased to
the Grand Trunk for fifty years at 3
per cent on its cost, but rent free for
the first e-ever. years, tie suggested,
however, that the Government should
get not only the interest on the cost
of the line, but a percentage of the
profits, as ' does Chicago from the
street railways and New Tork from
the subways.
Owning the road, the Government
would have even closer control over
Its management than It exercises
through the Interstate Commerce
Commission and could more closely
guard th Interest of the public,
though rates would doubtless be un
der supervision of that body. The
profit-sharing plan would require that
rates be sufficient to pay profit to
both the operating company and the
Government, but the latter's share
could be applied to further extensions
or to -other public betterments. If it
were desired that minimum rates be
charged, the lease might stipulate
that all profit above a certain percent
age be jiaid to the Government, and,
when such a surplus appeared, rates
might be reduced to eliminate it.
By building the roads and then
leasing them to operating companies,
the Government wemld secure all the
advantages and avoid all the draw-
backs of public ownership. It would
obtain capital at 3 per cent which"
would ' cost a private corporation 6
per. cent, and would build substan
tial roads at the outset, while a pri
vate builder would construct more
cheaply and improve as traffic grew.
It would escape employment of an
army of men -who might render oper
ation costly and become a dangerous
(-force in politics. v
PRIZE INVENTIONS.
Not a great while ago the Scientific
American awarded three prizes for
lists of "the ten greatest modern in
ventions." The first prize o'f $150
went to William I. Wyman, of Wash
ington City. His list included the
electric furnace, the steam turbine,
the automobile, the moving picture,
the aeroplane, wireless telegraphy,
the cyanide process for reducing gold,
the induction motor, the linotype and
electric welding. It is a good list and
not so materialistic as it might have
been. It includes one invention
which appeals to the esthetic side of
us, while very likely most of the se
lections submitted to . the Scientific
American ignored lhat feature alto
gether. The moving picture is a money
making contrivance, few more so, but
at the same time it is educational and
may be .developed Into something ar
tistic before we are done with It. But
none of the other inventions In this
prize list appeals to the mind or soul.
We have no fault to find- .vith this,
but it may not be out of place to sug
gest that there are some inventions,
just as important as any of -he above,
which have extended human knowl
edge and increased the means of en
joyment without aiming so exclusively
at material profit.
There Is the spectroscope, for ex
ample, with its modifications, which
enables us to analyze the chemical
nature of the stars. The aeroplane is
wonderful, indeed, but not so' wonder
ful as the little instrument that tells
astronomers whr.t metals exist In the
mines of Sirlus and Aldebaran. To
be sure, such knowledge does not pay
any dividends, but neither does the
moon. And If we had to choose be
tween sacrificing- the moon and the
aeroplane, is there any doubt what
the decision would be?
Shocking as it may be to some
readers to say so, we are neverthe
less of the opinion that Bergson's
"Creative Evolution" is a more im
portant Invention than anything men
tioned in the Scientific .. American's
prize list. It will last longer and
more profoundly modify the course of
history. Every mechanical contri
vance is certain to be superseded in
time., but nothing will ever supersede
a true philosophical idea, a beautiful
poem or a lovely piece of music.
BACK TO THE FARM.
As gentle Spring approaches, with
its ethereal mildness, thousands of
men who have been pent up in the
city during the murky Winter begin
to feel the lure of green fields and
babbling brooks. "Back to the land"
echoes and re-echoes through many a
masculine breast. We do not believe
that it echoes quite so loudly through
the feminine breast. Perhaps in
most of them it does not echo at all.
The longing for rural life, with its
more or less genuine joys, Is strictly a
male passion. Women fix their minds
on the lack of light, the water that.
must be drawn painfully from deep
wells, the solitude and the impassable
roads, and the prospect does not
charm them. Singing birds are all
very well, but a good supply of hot
water and stationary tubs are better.
The morning dew sparkling on fra
grant flowers is rapturous to behold,
but, in the feminine life at least, a
handy market and a clean pavement
count for more. We draw our ac
counts of country life mainly from
the British poets, who usually com
posed their rhapsodies in London.
There are few mosquitoes in Eng
land, and no flies. Moreover, the
roads are good and the rural church
is, upon the whole, as well served as
the urban. It is one advantage of an
established church that the pulpits
are fairly well endowed everywhere,
and consequently the country parishes
are' not put off with scrub divines.
Taking everythin together, country
life in the United States attracts men
a great deal more powerfully than
women, partly, no doubt, because men
have not advanced so far from prim
itive barbarism as their wives have
Country life is improving rapidly In
many directions, but it is still crude
and rough compared with what the
city offers and the joys It affords must
be purchased with severe toil unless
of course, one is rich. If he is, then
everything comes by magic In the
country. Just as it does in town. Pro
fessor Arland D. Weeks, of the North
Dakota Agricultural College, thinks It
is the prospect of better earnings that
draws population from ;he farms to
the city. There are more jobs to be
had in town, he Insists, and upon the
whole they pay better. A person
earns more money for less drudgery
and what work he does Is performed
under more pleasant conditions. He
has companionship, which counts for
a good deal with most men. He has
access to varied entertainments when
the day's work is done, and, to cap
the climax, the day's work itself is far
shorter.
These circumstances would be suffi
cient In themselves to account for the
drift of laboring men and women
from the rural districts to the city.
but there are other reasons, many of
them. Mechanical inventions enable
one man to do tne rarm worn wnicn
required three or four in the good old
times. Reapers, mowers and horse
cultivators have made thousands of
hands superfluous in rustic dells and
the only choice left is between star
vation and migration to town. Inven
tion has been still more active In the
country woman's sphere. It has
cleared her household of all the old
time Industries, such as weaving,
spinning, knitting and, to an astonish
ingly large exteni, even cooking, and
left her no recourse but idleness if she
clings to her old surroundings. Hence
girls as well as boys have learned to
flock to town ' lest Satan find some
mischief still for their Idle hands to
do. Again, the migration of " the
young men has reacted with melan
choly consequences upon the women.
If they stay in the green fields with
the birds and gamboling lambs they
can find no husbands, or none whose
enterprising qualities attract. The
adventurous, the gallant, the ambi
tious have sought the asphalt, and it
stands to reasou that sooner or later
the girls follow. . Wherever Jack goes
Jill Is sure to come, 'give her time
enough.
Once a woman Is domesticated in
the city she stays there unless she is
dragged away by main force. With
men the case is different. They are
always dreaming, particularly as they
grow older, about country joys and
wishing they could be back on the old
farm they hated so when they were
boys. But women's memories are
better. Time brings few illusions for
them and the country remains as
hateful in their riper years as it was
In their forlorn and toil-bedraggled
girlhood. It is safe to say that the
great majority of married men who
leave the town for the farm some
back again within a year or two.
Some of them stay, and in the end
they and their families are happier
for the change, but the period of
transition is long and hard. There Is
little poetry and a great deal of se
vere, rough work in he years that
must intervene between a moderate
livelihood In town and reasonable
comfort in the country. Compara
tively few men and still fewer women
have the "grit" to see the struggle
through and enjoy the victory.
It is very doubtful whether we shall
ever again see the rural districts
thickly populated with permanent
dwellers. The trend toward the
city does not lessen with time.
On the contrary V. becomes stead
ily more powerful. Nor can we
depend upon the increasing demand
for food supplies to fix population
upon the land. It Is fai more likely
that this demand will be met by the
resources of chemistry and mechan
ical Invention. The application of gas
engines to farm work has only just
begun, but already It has produced
astonishing effects. Chemistry has
scarcely entered the domain of agri
culture, but its work has been revo
lutionary and will become more so.
The manufacture of foods by syn
thetic chemistry is destined to make
some part of agriculture superfluous.
but of course npt all of it, by any
means. - Still, it will help to depopu
late the rural districts. H. G. Wells,
in one of his latest speculations in
the Century, predicts that working
people will all dwell in town before
long and only go to the farms for
their day's task. Improvements in
transportation and the cheapening of
urban rents -will make this feasible.
The chances are that evolution will
ultimately gather everybody into town
for permanent residence, while coun
try life will be valu '. only for pleas
ure and the nurture of children. But
this will entail wonderful changes in
the cities. When we come to regard
them as homes instead of business
conveniences, a profound transforma
tion must follow.
Patrick Cudahy is quoted as pre
dicting that within twelve months
food prices will drop, saying that Ger
many and France have all the hogs
they want, that high prices have
made it profitable to raise livestock
and that soon there will be enough to
cut prices. Is it to take so long for
the benetleent effects of the Under
wood tariff to reach the consumer?
From the Democratic . campaign
speeches and platform we were led
to expect that prices would tumble
the day after the bill became law.
Germany, having lecided to con
duct an oil monopoly, politely but
firmly kicks American oil interests
overboard. That's the European
way. Imagine Germany letting us
in on an equality if she had dug the
Panama Canal.
Shocked by a si" skir'. at a royal
dance, the staid Belgian King had
the offender taken from the balk-
room. By the way, how did his
Majesty come to discover the offense?
Lemons are said to be a cure for
obesity. We see at last why Taft has
been losing weight since the country
handed him one a year or so since
Onlv pIpvpti out of 175 men took
jobs offered them. However, if any
one has any sinecures to offer, the
others will consider the matter.
The Administration will not aid
Standard Oil in its fight to get busi
ness in Germany. V hat, leave the
poor little orphan to its fate!
Dreams caused a Medford man to
rush into the street shouting that
he had been robbe of, $1900. But
what caused the dream?
A movement is on foot to have
university diplomas printed in Eng
lish. But someone might be able
to read them, then.
English, militants have adopted
hatchets and are smashing thincs. A
clear infringement of the Carrie Na
tion copyright.
Sixty-five cars of Chinese eggs are
to be stored. We shall soon be lucky
to get eggs of the same century in
which we live.
A big express company will dis
solve because of the parcel post. We
can declare ourselves the old-time
dividend.
Peace is a delicious thing, but we
shouldn't be expected to give away
our choicest assets In order to pre
serve It.
Villa wants to be president of
Mexico. There's nothing to prevent
It If we succeed in freezing out
Huerta.
Three babes, left alone in ' an
Idaho home, were burned to death.
The moral is a very plain one.
No doubt we shall hear shortly
that adjournment of Congress has
been postponed until July 15.
The Income tax is being vigorously
contested. Those who have the cash
hate to part with any of it.
By the way, what has become of
the Benton case since free tolls were
called off by the President!
We
will
ado
now
over
proceed to
the McAdoo
make
nup-
much
tials.
Carranza graciously permits us to
speak, but not out of our turn.
That water meter folly has
suredly run into something.
Anyway that idle army is keeping
the authorities busy.
Insanity -is on the
with taxes.
increase. Along
random, is. growing restless.
Gleams Through the lyiist
By Dean Collins.
Sons: of the Ancient Jests.
A genius often may pull something new
in Jest or in essay or solemn oration;
A genius often some trifle may do
That has all the ear-marks of new in
spiration; But plain rank and file
The world must beguile
By carving out Joke in the old-fashioned
style;
And most of my Jests
I'll own, if I'm pressed
I dug from the graveyard, along, with the '
rest.
Let Hamlets of mirth mock us humble
grave-diggers.
The band of my collar shall not grow
caloric.
Although they may sprljig, a 1 throw up
the sniggers.
That Jibe, the more ancient, concerning
"poor Yorick."
I grant that my mirth
May be minor in worth,
And its bones may have rested foU long in
the earth;
But rage shall not fester.
Nor critic's words pester-
It'a still pretty good for a mild -Jiiior Jester.
So early at morning, and long after dusk.
About the sarcophagi gaily III spade:
The dry bones shall mingle with dry chest
nut husk.
As I unearth the wheezes Methuselah
made;
Joe Miller shall rise. -
As my swift shovel plies.
Til count any joke that I dig up a prise.
For the ancientest Jest,
Resurrected and dressed,
May atill hold a laugh In its mummified
chest.
"There's nothing new under the sun," was
the thought
That Solomon sprung, and I note with de
light. By every Joke that my digging has caught.
The wise man's idea was utterly right;
The jokes man may brew
Today, and call new
Their framework was cached where the
pyramids grew;
The ioke he releases,
I've dug up in pieces
from under the slab where they buried
Rameses.
The jest of the "mother-ln-law-ln-the-home,"
The "grandmotber's-funeral-offlce-boy"
gag.
Were there for the laugh in the old dan or
Rome.
Cheered Babylon up in its ancient-day Jag,
And children at play
On the Applan Way,
Pulled Jokes that we blame on Abe Uncoln
today.
Though dust may enfold
And years may have rolled,
They bob up anew and they never seem old
So laughing. I tumble them out of the tomb.
Though critics may hold they are musty
and worn;
New polished and dressed in my space they
find room.
And seem just as good as the year the;
were born;
Perhaps they're not fired
With glory inspired.
But somehow, they bring the result that's
desired.
Although, it is true,
I can't call them new
I Just dig them up, as the other guys do.
For, after all. a joke and a woman
remain essentially the same, no matter
what dress the fashion of the day may
decree.
And sometimes you can.niake an old.
old one look quite kittenish if you're
there with the correct hobble and mil
linery. 'That bcins the case," interfered the
courteous office boy, "please stitch a
new coat for the one about the Eng
lishman who couldn't see the point tu
a joke an-d six weeks after "
"Before you get fresh with me, my
aon," 1 retorted, "you'd better begin
your Spring sewing on the grand
mother's funeral joke, for the opening
;aie is only a few weeks away."
If Lowell Came to Portland.
What is no rare as a day in June?
Then. I thought, are the perfect days
And only then, but 1 spoke too soon.
For I was singing New England lays.
If I i;ad been in the West out here,
I could have ranged through the half a year.
What is so rare as a day in June
With its sweet blue sky and its gentle
sun ?
A day In March or April or May
Or even December in Oregon.
In fact I have found most any da
Out here as fair as a day in June.
Mexican Society Notea.
tFrom El Toro Gazette.)
General Villa, the prominent leader
in insurrecto circles, has been more or
less severely criticised for inviting
Senor Benton, an Englishman, as guest
of honor at one of his justly cele
brated assassinations.
It is feared that if his precedent is
permitted to be followed, other Eng
lishmen may thrust themselves into
our social affairs, and the high quality
of excluslvcness that lias heretofore
characterized our social functions may
be seriously impaired.
"One cannoot be too careful." said
Ilia Excellency, President Huerta, in
an interview on the subject with the
society reporter of the Gazette. "The
Americanos one finds admirably dif
ferent and at all times inclined to keep
their place. On many occasions we
have had Americanos as guests of honor
at some i)f our most brilliant 'massa
cres, yet at no time have they been so
discourteous as to presume to thrust
themselves into our social affairs in the
way the British are inclined to do."
General Villa has latterly denied that
he was host to Senor Benton at the as
sassination and attributes the social
blunder to Major R. Fierro.
Senor Bryan, the Americano who in
the past year has so courteously as
sumed the duties of social secretary to
the President and to General Villa, has
conferred with British social leaders
and it is expected that the unpleasant
incident will soon be closed.
Approximate History.
41,233 B. C. First steps in the tango
become highly popular among social
circles of the Missing Links.
401 B. C. After the battle of Cunaxa,
Xenophon and others lead a Greek
army of 10,000 unemployed througn
Persia. '
1500 A. D. Pinzon discovers the
Amazon River, recently rediscovered'
by T. Roosevelt.
1864 A. D. Santa Anna, returned
from exile, is Emperor of Mexico for
one week, showing less staying power
than V. Huerta.
1877 A. D. Electoral vote of South
Carolina awarded to the Republicans.
It sometimes not often happens.
1889 A. D. Railroad from Rangoon
to Mandalay opened. Kipling writes
ballad "On the Koad to Mandalay." not
however, poking fun at the service on
the line.
1911 A. D. Ditto last week's remarks
about fhe Mexican situation.
1912 A. Vi. Ditto above ditto.
1913 '. D. Ditto. i
1911 A. D. Ditto still. (What's a
ditto more or less between friends?)