11
VARIED THOUGHT OF POPULACE IS VOICED IN OPEN LETTERS
TIIE SUNDAY OREGONIAJT, PORTLAND, JUNE 13, 1915.
WAR EFTECt OX LUMBER TOPIC
Discussion of Scarcity of Vesecls and
Rise In Rates Conducted.
PORTLAND. June 12. (To the Edi
tor.) Commercial movements In the
lumber Industry would leera to Indi
cate an expectation that the war. or
the effects of the war. would continue
well along Into the Summer of 1916.
"Within the past month several charters
have been made for next Spring loading-
at freight rates averaging from
100 to 130 per cent higher than was
customary prior to 'the commencement
of hostilities.
Fully AO per cent of over-eeae busi
ness is done on credit. Therefore, it
naturally follows that exporters who
are making freight engagements a
year ahead must be closely allied with
and advised by large financial inter
ests as to the future outlook. Mone
tary interests, without doubt, are bet
ter versed about war conditions and
the probable length of the conflict than
any ruler or prime minister.
ilf there is any doubt in the minds
of world financiers, it is extremely
doubtful if their patrons would take
such a hazardous gamble on the freight
market one year hence. Capital is
timid and conservative.
The number of steam vessels in the
world available for over-seas commerce
Is about 6500. Great Britain has re
quisitioned 2500. Fully another thou
sand steamers can be accounted for by
the German and Austrian craft interned
In- the ports of the enemies and neu
tral countries and vessels commandeer
ed by France. Russia. Italy and Japan.
Deep-sea tonnage is governed by the
law of supply and demand. Under nor
mal conditions, previous to the war,
there were just about enough vessels
to handle the world's commerce, with
varying conditions of slight importance.
Consequently, by taking more than half
of the vessels out of the world's com
merce, it must follow that freight rates
yw
fii
ould advance to an unreasonable
figure and create a stagnation in porta
where it is necessary to dispatch car
goes.
Previous to the war the usual and
customary rate on time charters, gov
ernment form, was from 3 to 4 shillings
per dead-weight ton capacity. In. a
conference with leading shipowners
in Great Britain the Admilarty agreed
upon a flat rate of 12 shillings and
Sixpence per dead-weight ton, an ad
vance of more than 300 per cent. In
other words, for illustration, previous
to the war charterers were paying
owners $1 per cargo ton rental per
month for the use of their vessels.
The English government advanced the
rate to $3 per ton.
Consequently the reason is apparent
lor freight rates on trip charters of
Failing vessels engaged , in the trans
Pacific trade to advance more than 100
per cent on voyages a year from now.
The charterers reason that if hostili
ties should cease today it would
take a year before the effects of an
armistice and the conclusions of a
peace congress would -te felt in the
Pacific Ocean commerce.
With these conditions ahead of the
lumber interests the next question for
consideration is whether the foreign
consumers of lumber in South America,
Australia, Africa and the Orient Can
afford to pay the increased cost, and,
if not, if they will resort to other
means to supply the demands for our
timber.
To understand better this point, it
is only necessary to say that in pre
vious years the transportation cost of
lumber to Australia and the west coast
of South America was approximately
$10 per thousand feet, making the cost
of our lumber to the consumers
about f-5 or $30 per thousand feet.
Under present freight conditions an-1
other $10 to $13 must be added to the
price, with a strong likelihood of a
further advance.
The same conditions, generally
speaking, apply to markets of China
and Japan. The question then arises
whether those countries, feeling the
monetary stringency as they do, can
afford to buy our lumber at the pre
vailing rates. The manufacturers of
lumber have been told time and again
in prosperous times that those markets
could not stand an advance of $1 or $2,
when such advance was actually neces
sary to avoid losses in the cost of
manufacture.
This situation is of more import
ance to the Pacific Northwest in gen
eral and Portland in particular than
any other economic question. Our
principal industry is lumber. About
the only attraction we have to reach
out and bring in new money is lum
ber. One cargo of lumber shipped
from this port is of more value to
Portland than a dozen cargoes of
wheat.
The amount of money left in Port
land for a cargo of lumber, say, 4,
000.000 feet, is about $60,000. Every
cent of that is distributed among the
loggers, the tow boat men, the saw
mill employes, longshoremen and
among merchants, and it all remains
3ti and around Portland. A vessel car
rying a wheat cargo valued at $300,000
leaves only $3000 in Portland for port
disbursements. The remainder goes
east of the mountains to the farmers,
who, in making their purchases, buy
rlirect from the Eastern markets, leav
ing little of the money to reach Port
land or any of the Pacific Coast cities.
Of course, it must not be under
stood that we do not appreciate the
rrrain shipments, but this comparison
13 made to show the value and im
portance of the lumber industry.
There are hundreds of orders float
ing around, among the lumber mills,
which are only too eager for the busi
ness, but the scarcity at deep-sea ton-
age precludes their acceptance. There
5 no possible chance for conditions to
change within a year, or until the war
ring nations release the commandeered
vessels and permit them -to return to
the avenuss of commercial trades.
W. J. JONES.
YORK SCHOOLS DEFESDED
Former Teacher in Gotham Says Tarn
many Influence Is Past.
PORTLAND. June 12 (To the Edi
tor.) I read with interest your edi
torial in The Oregonian, June 8. re
garding the inefficiency of the public
school tystem of New Tork City the
self-satisfied air of those directly re
sponsible for the schools, and of Tam
many's apparent control of all that
concerns public education in Gotham.
My reason for desiring to refute your
statements is due to the fact that I
was born and reared in New York
City, and taught in its public schools
for several years. I was a teacher in
h school in one of the poorer districts.
The school enrolled 2400 children, from
kindergarten to eighth year. These
pupils came from overcrowded tene
ments. 90 per cent of the parents of
these children were immigrants. Rus
sian, Greek, Sicilian, such as are com
monly called the scum of Southern
Europe. The remaining 10 per cent of
parents were Americans, descended
doubtless from the Mayflower folk, and
that type of American who is still de
scending... This school was only one
of dozens of like nature to be found in
the city. Thanks to the efforts of the
school system as thovn by the work of
principal, teacher, school doctor end
school nurse, these children were be
ne; speedily changed into splendid lit
tle citizens, physically and mentally
emcienu in spite or tne Tammany in
fluence cited by your paper, each prin
cipal and. teacher owes his or her ap.
Xiointment to a rigid civil service ex
amination. Each year, more is de
manded of the teacher in regard to
efficiency. Nowhere in the world will
you find a corps of teachers better ed
ucated, broader minded, - bigger
hearted, or better equipped in every
way to deal with the educational', so
cial or physical problem represented by
the average school. The problems pre
sented by the schools of New Tork
City cannot be compared with the
problems to be considered in the
schools of Gary, Ind. New Yorkers in
terested in educational affairs have the
greatest admiration for the Gary
schools and for the splendid mind
which made those model schools pos
sible. In New York City the Gary
system would be practical only in a
very limited number of suburban
schools. Like the schools of Gary, the
schools of New York City are in nse
all the time. After the regular session,
the schools are open to the children as
vocational and play centers, under the
supervision of a specially trained corps
of teachers. At night, lectures, evening
classes, recreation centers, social or
neighborhood clubs, gymnastic classes
and vocational classes keep the school
buildings open for the use and better
ment of the public
I, personally, am not an ardent ad
mirer of Mr. Maxwell, nor of Tam
many, (which, by the way, has had its
day in the long ago, and exists now in
name only). However, if Superintend
ent Maxwell were really self-satisfied,
or If the schools were really con
trolled by Tammany, it- would have
been , impossible for the schools to
have accomplished their present de
gree of excellence.
After three years residence here, I
would not dream of -criticising the
Portland schools. So, I feel that no
one has a right to discuss public edu
cation in Gotham unless that person
has had an opportunity of studying
conditions at first hand. I should not
like New Yorkers to have a miscon
ception of conditions existing in Port
land, my adopted home, and I do not
wish Portlandites to have a miscon
ception of conditions in New York City.
Really, Mr. Editor, some of our New
York children are rather efficient, de
spite our Inefficient school system.
L. BEE.
KO BACK THACKWG IN KANSAS
If Prohibition Is K allure There, Why
la It Not Repealed f
CORVALLIS. Or, June 11. (To the
Editor.)- Once or twice inr a while
some person "bobs up" with the an
cient argument that prohibition in
Kansas is a failure. If true, why
does Kansas not repudiate it and go
back to the. license system? The people
of Kansas, not being befuddled with
"booze, are above the average in intel
ligence and know that they are more
prosperous under prohibition law.
The last Kansas Legislature is a
failure in other respects beside neg
lecting to brace the Webb-Kenyon
Federal law. as it also failed to pass
needed appropriations to give initia
tive and referendum and various other
measures that were urgently asked by
the people.
If the old system of regulation which
failed to regulate were satisfactory
the commonwealth would not now be
reaching out for prohibition.
But why seek either regulation or
prohibition if liquor drinking be con
ducive to health, wealth and good
morals? If it builds up industry, ren
ders the drinker more efficient, ele
vates him intellectually and socially,
goes with him to an honored grave,
filled with bright hopes of blessed im
mortality, then by all means let us
make it free, free as the fragrant dews
of early morn on the sun-kissed hills
of Oregon the blest. It is wrong to
put a restraint on a good thing pass it
along!
Biiif, on the other hand, alcoholic
drink is an evil which wrecks man
hood, destroys homes, breaks hearts,
brings disgrace upon little children,
tills prisons and pauper houses and
sends its victims scourged to their
doom, cast into outer darkness of the
wailing: place, of the eternally lost,
then let us join our forces to down the
traffic, smash it to atoms, pulverise
and cast it to the four winds.
Don't plead the excuse "It can't be
done"; it must be done!
ISA WINANS JAMISON.
DEPORT AGITATORS, ADVISED
Writer Doesn't Think Native Birth
Proof of Good Citizenship.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 9. (To the
Editor.) In looking through The Ore
gonian I observed an article signed
"Native American." The person who
signed himself this laid great stress on
the fact that members of his family
have been native Americans for 200
years and said that "they cast their
future with these colonies and the
country of their adoption was their
country," etc.
He fails to mention, though, that if
many who belonged to the colonies
had their own way this United States
of North America would today be an
English colony and under the ruler
Bhip of King George, and the fact that
our country is a free United States to
day was by no means due to the will
ingness of England, but solely because
the people wlio in the early days of
this country were here fought with
their lives and blood for the freedom
that England tried to wrest from them
or rather deprive them of. The party
who wrote the article seems to try to
impress the reader that because he is
of native birth he is a better American.
He overlooks the fact that, after" all,
he only happened to be born hero by
the grace of the Almighty, while mil
lions of other people from all parts of
the globe (including his antecedents),
who came here 200 years ago, chose
this country, end I dare say that most
of them have made and are splendid
American citizens, and that without
first placarding themselves with the
fact that their forefathers came here
200 years ago or on the Mayflower, in
order to impress the public what good
Americans they are. 9
The correspondent overlooks the fact
entirely that the Indian of this country
was here long before our friend's rela
tives came here, even if that was 200
years ago. so after all there are other
native Americans.
1 fully agree with "Native Amer
ican," though, in the fact that if some
of the gentlemen who express them
selves in public as well as in the dally
papers in the same way in the country
of their birth, whether such country is
England, Russia, France or Germany
or any other country, as they do in this
country, they would be looked upon as
"agitators" pure and simple, and dealt
with accordingly, and, in my opinion,
people who continually seek to agitate
the public in this mannner should be
deported to the country from whence
they came, for we Americans have no
use for agitators and whoever can't
see it that way should return to the
land from whence he came.
I credit the citizens of our free coun
try with enough Intelligence to judge
for themselves which Is right or wrong
without having a third party continual
ly hammering away at them by practi
cally trying to force a dictatorshop
upon them; and if one or the other
should not agree wfth such tactics or
one expresses an unbiased opinion, a
shower of all sorts of epigrams and
abuse is heaped upon him, which I
think is most disgraceful. It Is true
this is the land of free thought and
speech, but this privilege should not
be abused by calling one's fellow men
all sorts of names, simply because the
opinion of the other differs.
M. BANDER.
MAJORITY RTJIE IS CRITICISED
S. B. Hill's Views Are Taken Tp and
Declared Wrong.
GEER, Wash., June 11. (To the Ed
itor.) The letter of 6. B. Hill, of Salem,
June. 6, peremptorily calls for a few
words in reply, whether one has time
to write or not, and I hope you will
kindly find space for them.
Mr. Hill tells us of the "fact that the
majority is supposed to rule in this
country, and eo those who do not like
our laws had better move, if they do
not happen to foe In the majority."
I wish to inform Mr. Hill that most
emphatically the majority is not "sup
posed to rule." That was precisely the
doctrine and practice of our venerated
and worshiped "Pilgrim Fathers." In
passing I will say that I admit the
"grim" to be a superlative degree, and
they may have been a "pill," from
which our National vieion is still suf
fering, but their claims to "fatherhood"
are repudiated as an insult by all true
Americans.
By juggling the well-known histor
ical facts a portion of the population
has been trying for generations to
spread abroad the notion that these
Pilgrim fathers came here to establish
religious liberty, when any school girl
or boy knows that the opposite is the
case. They wanted liberty for them
selves, to be sure, but they were less
willing to grant it to their fellow
citizens than their oppressors at home
from whom they fled.
Their characteristic enactment reads:
"No man shall be admitted to the free
dom of this body politic but such as
are members of the churches within the
limits of the same." The churches were
the Independent and Puritan, the fore
runners of modern Congregationalism,
on the whole quite an advanced and en
lightened institution, though occasion
ally showing ead individual lapses.
Residence in the Puritan colony was
permitted to others, but the right to
vote and worship was denied them.
These people believed in the divine
right of majority rule, beside which
the common mortals of the minority
had no rights. They themselves were
the majority. - The legitimate fruit of
this spirit was manifested in the exe
cutions after farcical trials of the
witches at Salem and the hanging of
the Quakers in Boston.
Mr. Hill suggests to those whose
conscience puts them in the minority
or who fail to see things from the
viewpoint of the majority from other
convictions, to emigrate "and let our
laws alone"; that is. not dare to vote
or argue against a law as it now
stands. The spirit is the same. If the
minority emigrates and finds itself
again in the minority in the new coun
try on the same or some other topic, it
will have to migrate again, I suppose,
until it finally gets off the face of the
earth.
" It will not do for Mr. Hill to avoid
the issue by referring to his saving
clause, asking the Advent elder if he
has anything better than one day's rest
in seven, because just before, he says,
the elder has advanced what he thinks
better, namely, that "there should be
no Sunday laws," which course would
permit the majority to rest the seventh
day of the week, the first day of the
week, or any other day, or none at all.
Just as they, the majority, choose, with
out compelling the minority by fines
and imprisonment to do the same. This,
of course, would subject the minority
to some inconveniences, which they as
believers in liberty would be willing to
bear.
This, it will be seen, is the opposite
of majority rule. It is not rule at all,
and is in harmony with the doctrine
that stood godmother when this great
republic of ours assumed its individu
ality, when It waa held that "that gov
ernment is best which governs least."
"But." I hear Mr. Hill say, "without
majority rule we would go baqk to
lawlessness and barbarism." Not at ail.
The only proper and lasting govern
ment is the rule of right, which is quite
different from majority rule, which has
become too much of a fetish with us
since the Civil War. Instead of the
voter asking himself, "Will this meas
ure benefit me, my county or state:
will it bring the greatest good to the
greatest number?" he must ask him
self, "Is it just to all: will it benefit
the United States as a whole; will it
benefit humanity at large without det
riment to our country?" The opinion
of the majority, of course, decides, but
this is different from majority rule,
which is too prone to be unfair to one
or more minority groups. When the
ancient spirit of intolerance allies itself
with the fetish of majority rule, there
are breakers ahead for the. ship of
state, especially if the majority is
swayed by a clique with ulterior mo
tives as is now the case in Japan and
has been for some time in other coun
tries, not venturing to speak of our
own.
. "When in 1618, two years before the
Mayflower landed at Plymouth, intol
erance and secular power combined to
revoke "liberty to preach" in Germany,
which had been a demand for 200 years,
the 30 years' war was started that re
duced its population from 20,000,000 to
6.000.000 and turned the land into a
wilderness of ruins, the haunts of
wolves and robbers. Let us take care
thatrwe are not drifting into a 30 years'
war and French revolution combined.
The spirit of intolerance and of des
potic majority rule was supposed to
have expired with the allegiance to
Great Britain, and the successful es
tablishment of this republic, because
its founders had avowed allegiance to
freedom and justice. Intolerance and
despotism, whether of one, of a class
or classes, or of a majority, are un
American. Their advocates hark back
to a past that should be dead. They
may be Colonial British - Americans,
hyphenated citizens,. linked both to the
dead and to a foreign country, but not
Americans. R, STUEHCK.
CHIP 9 CARRYING IS ABHORRED
Calmness and Not Resentment Advised
A moos Nations.
PORTLAND, June 12. (To the Ed
itor.) Not many years ago it was. the
custom for a certain class of men to
walk through life with an offensive
chip on their shoulder, which they
called their honor. Anyone who acci
dentally or intentionally disturbed this
piece of wood was promptly challenged
to mortal combat: If the first .party suc
ceeded in murdering him. his honor was
thereby vindicated. This spirit seems
still to animate certain nations as a
whole; they must sacrifice .the best of
their own country and butcher as many
as possible of another land in order to
uphold their "honor." Is it not time for
all civilized races to cast aside this
folly. The only factors that can give
a nation honor and dignity are human
ity. Justice and righteousness.
The glory of war is a figment of the
imagination. War is anarchy, lawless
ness, wholesale murder legalized by
parties that have thrown aside the laws
of God and man. It is settlement of
disputes by barbaric destruction rather
than by the juster and more civilised
power of cool reason. The only justi
fiable war is one in self-defense or in
the aid of a weak and outraged nation.
Even then it should be the last resort.
The name of warrior is one to be ab
horred. The men who .were willing: to
give their lives that our country might
live during the Revolution and Civil
War deserve our highest honor and re
gard; but men who fight for adven
ture or conquest, who make a profes
sion of warfare are worthy of nothing
but contempt. '
Only men who construct and con
serve have my esteem; the warrior is
a destroyer. In boyhood days hero
worship was given Napoleon; now he
is looked on. along with Alexander and
Caesar, as simply a genius at murder
and destruction. Men like Pasteur, Sir
Isaac Newton, Robert Fulton, Thomas
A. Edison, Christopher Wren, Mendels
sohn, Michael Angelo, Shakespeare and
Abraham Lincoln are considered incom
parably above any great military man.
We want men who serve humanity in a
constructive manner, materially, intel
lectually and spiritually. '
Hence our fixed purpose as a Nation
should be to not plunge into hasty and
thoughtless strife when we feel that
our rights may not have been properly
recognized, but to be cool and self
controlled; to suspend Judgment -until
we have all the information necessary
for righteous judgment, and then to
act not from any selfish ambition or
desire for vengeance, but that we may
aid and serve humanity. Let us remem
ber that the only real possession that
makes a nation strong is an industri
ous, righteous and intelligent people.
Such a body of citizens will, if there
be a just cause, fight bravely and
strongly. AN AMERICAN.
MAYO KETHOTS CAREER TOLD
Portland Child Tracea Ilia tr ionic Ability
to Grandmother and Aunt.
PORTLAND, June 12. (To the Ed
itor.) Will you kindly tell me through
your paper the history of little Mayo
Methot's theatrical career? Were her
parents or her ancestors ever on the
stage? A child with such unusual tal
ent certainly inherited it- Is she kept
in seclusion? I never see her on the
street. Thanking you for any infor
mation. INTERESTED READER.
Mayo Methot ie the only child of
Mr. and Mrs. John Dillon Methot. Sne
is 11 years old. Neither of her par
ents is theatrical folk, although her
mother, who was Beryl Evelyn Wood, of
Chicago, and a graduate of Kemper
Hall, Kenosha, Wis-, is a pianist and
studied for concert work before her
marriage. Mayd's paternal grandmother
is Minnie Methot, of comic opera fame,
for whom Kirke La Shelle wrote "The
Princess Chic." She was a pupil of
Marches!, and lives in New York now.
Mayo's aunt. Mayo Methot. was with
Richard Mansfield and Is now the wife
of Judge Samuel Parker McConnelL of
Oscawana-on-the-Hudson. Mayo is not
kept in seclusion, but she lives in the
country out from Portland, and only
comes into the city whenever she is
appearing at the theater, or to take her
dancing lesson. She is studying French,
German and esthetic dancing and music.
She is in the sixth grade at school,
and is a normal, healthy little, girl,
who Uvea outdoors, plays with ber cat
and dog. works in her garden, reads a
great deal, goes to bed early and has no
artificial amusements. She is a com
municant at Trinity Episcopal Church,
and she never misses Sunday school.
Her stage debut . was made when ehe
was 6, with Izetta Jewel at the old
Baker Theater, on Third street.- She
is a member of the Baker Stock Com
pany, and appears whenever there is an
important child role. She has ap
peared with Cathrine Countiss and in
vaudeville at the local Empress. Mayo
has never had any training or coach
ing of any sort from dramatic teachers,
and ber work is natural and unstudied.
SECOND THOUGHTS FLAY FIRST
Many Practices Are Good, bnt Oppor
tunities Offer Better.
LENTS, Or., Jurte 12. (To the Edi
tor.) Thoughts being real things, they
naturally occupy some space in the
world. The spoken word is a thought
sounded; the printed word Is a thought
photographed. While I do not care to
say that it is a fixed habit with me,
yet. sometimes, I do catch myself ac
actually thinking. A few fleeting
thoughts tarried with me for a short
while this morning, and I am asking
that you photograph the same in your
paper's columns.
First A thought suggested that it is
pleasant to know that we have fellow
citizens so phllanthropically inclined as
to hand out a roll, a $50 roll of bills to
a real gentlemanly streetcar official.
He is rjght. I would walk a mile to
see both the giver and the ' receiver.
Such men are r.ot to be seen in .too
large numbers tUese days. It is feared
they may become wholly extinct. Yes,
I'd walk a mile to see them, but I would
walk much further to see the gentle
man, had he given the amount to help
the really needy, the man who has a
family dependent on his labor and who
has no labor to do.
Second Another thought expressed
delight that Portland, through its splen
did commercial organisation, should
deem it appropriate cordially to enter
tain its traveling guests, such as
Eastern Governors, Japanese' and Chi
nese delegations and other personages
of like distinction, but this thought was
somewhat disfigured by another which
claimed that it would bo more appro
priate, more humane, to expend the
same expense money, or a like amount,
in the assistance of some of our poor
widows who are daily struggling to feed
and clothe the little helpless and inno
cent children who so tenaciously cling
to her skirts. Yes, it is appropriate
and good to entertain our Eastern and
Oriental friends, but it would be more
appropriate and better to assist our un
fortunate townspeople.
Third Another big thought came and
settled on me. It was a fine, handsome
chap and carried much weight with Its
argument. Its mission was to explain
the sound judgment expressed and dis
played by our publicity clubs in gath
ering within our midst vast multitudes
of Easterners who become our neigh
bors and our friends. Naturally, I
was readily convinced that such Is
first-clasa judgment and would have
continued under that conviction had
not a thought of finer proportions in
truded itself, quietly asserting that
it would be better judgment to provide
labor and thereby a means of sus
tenance for those who are already
among us. . I was most sorry to enter
tain this last fellow, for he queered the
argument of the booster and made it
a little embarrassing for both of ua.
Fourth This was a well-groomed and
smiling'thought-- It pictured in force
ful phraseology the pleasure, the
gaiety, . the recreation, the health and
culture to be found in our playhouses,
our racetracks, our social drinks and
cigars; it spoke of the real benefits of
the pool and billiard halls, the joy rides,
the beach and mountain trips; it pic
tured the auto with a poodle dog occu
pying half of one of the seats and the
late feast to follow. Such logic could
not be lightly brushed aside; it was too
true. I decided to join the throng at
once. Why not? We have but once
to live here. Is it not so? I decided to
become a member, and accompany this
last fellow and become his constant
companion. But, alasl A little thought
hidden under my desk, squeaked out:
"It isn't eo; it Isn't so. If you want
real happiness, the kind that will serve
you throughout your whole life, share
your pleasure money with those who
have no pleasure; your luxury money
with, those who have no luxuries, and
your idle time with those who are en
forcedly idle, rather than by choice."
Just my luck! Baffled, ignominiously
defeated. This little unwelcome guest,
hidden away in a dark recess, without
leave or license, dares to come and
undo, overturn and disrupt my fondest
dreams. OKXJOtAN READER. ,
PROHTBITIOX IS CALLED FARCE
Writer Declares Oregon Haw Only
Will Send Trade Out of State,
LOUISVILLE. Ky.. June 9. (To the
Editor.) In his letter to The Orego
nian May 30, E. T. Johnson, of Yreka,
CaL, returns to a discussion with me
of prohibition in Oregon. Mr. Johnson
will have it that "the people of Oregon
are striving to escape from the 'curse'
of liquor." .
What is this "curse" of which Mr.
Johnson speaks? Is it the manufacture
of liquor? I hardly think he means
that. Is it the wholesale handling of
liquor? I think that even Mr. John
son would concede that, of itself, a
rather innocuous thing. Is it the re
tailing of liquor or the use of liquor?
Mr. Johnson would have us beiieve it
the former (for it is far easier to stir
up prejudice by such a procedure) but
in reality is it not the use of liquor at
which he is hitting
Can the sale of liquor be a heinous
thing if the use be a perfectly proper
thing? Yet the Oregon law and the
laws of other prohibition states not
only do not forbid the use but gener
ally take care - to safeguard it so it
may not be interfered with. Oregon
simply provides that liquor may be se
cured from the dealer outside, who.
incidentally, pays no taxes, instead of
from the dealer at home, who Is a citi
zen and pays taxes to Oregon. Neigh
boring Washington not only orotects
the use of liquor in a similar manner"
but the amendment there undertakes
to protect the social use of liquor by
specifying that nothing in this amend
ment shall prevent a man giving a
drink to a friend In his home.
I don't know anything of the habits
of Mr. Johns6n, but I suspect that if
he does not keep liquor in his home,
three out of four of his friends do,
and I. think he will find many of the
staunchest Prohibitionists In all sec
tions have bottles in their homes. I
say this with no desire to give offense.
By the same queer twist in mental.
processes these men see the "curse" to
be the sale of an article and justify
its use by themselves.
One odd feature of the recent war
hysteria in England that resulted in
an attempt to make liquor the scape
goat, as usual, was the revelation of
the widespread use of liquor by men of
all conditions, the clergy included.
This was no news to the liquor trade
but to the general public, deceived by
the absurd representation of Prohibi
tion agitators. It was a surprise.
Thus we read of the attitude of the
English clergy, as follows, in a London
cable:
The clersrr comprising the lower house of
the Convocation of Canterbury, are willing
to set the nation an example In the matter
of temperance, but they art not willing to
abstain entirely, from alcohol .... Sev
eral members voted only after belnff as
sured that total abstinence was not expect
ed of them. The Dean of Canterbury said
flatly he refused to swear ofC altogether. He
had tru?d it before, he said, and found it a
failure- m that it impaired bis health.
The readers of The Oregonian know
as well as I do that liquor is used by
a large majority of the people of their
state, by those who voted for state
wide prohibition as well as by the so
called liberal element. The "curse"
against which Mr. Johnson should
fight is the use of liquor, not the sale.
Unless there were use, there would
be no sale. The prohibitionist seeks
to befuddle the public into the idea
that sale makes the use. He Is busy
on all sides trying to create the im
pression that liquor men force their
product upon the public Let any of
your readers look about him and he
will see the flimsiness of such a con
tention. The people of Oregon are not
weaklings, more than are the people
Of any other state, and to argue that
liquor is forced upon them is tanta
mount to making the charge that they
are. The man who drinks because
liquor is forced upon him by the sell
er should be in an asylum, and gen
erally he is there.
The fact that in Oregon, as in other
states that have voted for so-called
prohibition, a large part of the pro
hibition vote has been made up of
men who not only use liquor but
have no Intention of giving up that
use. has led some students of the
liquor question to diagnose the dissat
isfaction of the people as being with
the local selling agency and not with
liquor itself, nor its use. nor even yet
with the misuse of liquor Its use to
excess terrible as examples of that
frequently are.
If this be the situation, what is the
solution? Must mere' dissatisfaction
with the way of marketing a product
that the public uses and the use of
which it intends to continue, result In
prohibition that accomplishes nothing
save to destroy private property,
without compensation, and public
revenues, without doing aught of good
to the state?
There is another alternative, not
yet put to a trial. Let the people at
the polls indicate where their objec
tion lies. If it be to one method of
sale, let it be abolished. Tt it be to
another, let it be barred. But if pro
hibition be indicated as the wish of
the sovereign body, let it be real pro
hibition and no subterfuge.
The idea set forth here in brief has
been embodied in a tentative ballot.
The different propositions are stated
as follows:
1. Do you want "hotel and cafe" li
censes? It is explained that this plan
contemplates permitting the sale of
liquor by hotels. restaurants and
cafes, without bars, screens or per
pendicular drinking, all drinks to bo
served at tables.
2. Do you want "merchant li
censes"? The ballot sets forth that
this plan would permit the sale of
liquor In original packages goods not
to be consumed on the premises b
grocers and druggists whohave been
in business in the county not less than
two years.
3. Do you want saloon licenses?
The ballot should specify that in the
event any of these three proposals
fails to carry, absolute prohibition
bhall prevail, it being forbidden to
ship liquor into the community. to
order it brought in. to bring It in or
to have it In one's possession.
If this ballot were put before the
people of Oregon tomorrow. I hardly
think they would repeat the decision
of last Fall. A trial of . so-called pro
hibition will, I believe, convince them
that it will yet be necessary to turn
a deaf ear to the Rev. Mr. Muttons, the
Mr. Johnsons and their allies and to
retrace the step taken then.
T. M. GTLMORE,
President National Model License
League.
"OLD WOMEN'S" AGE IS VIEWED
Thinking Has Slnch to Do With It,
Thinks Hillsdale Correspondent.
HILLSDALE. Or.. June 11 (To the
Editor.) I read with interest your edi
torial on "Old Women," and while the
thoughts expressed therein are gener
ally accepted as true, yet I believe it
is this very mental attitude toward old
age and death that makes them "in
evitable." Not so many years ago it was gen
erally believed that sickness was a
form of punishment sent by God and
"must be borne with patience and pious
fortitude, though at the same time
every rule of' hygiene may have been
defied, including eating, drinking and
sanitation 1 almost said sanity. No
doubt people in those days said In their
blindness, "It is better.- on the whole,
bravely to face the truth that we must
all be sick." just as most people say
with you today. "We must all grow
old and die." It was the rule in those
times to put aside a certain sum
"against a time of sickness." In fact.
it is not uncommon in these days. But
there are few In this age who believe
that because there has always been
sickness all must expect it and none
can escape it. People know today that
it is possible so to regulate living and
thinking as to be absolutely free from
bodily ailments of any kind. While
there are still thosd who accept the age
suggestions of their environment and
wither In the very mid-summer of life,
the great, majority have set the age
limit higher than that fixed by past
generations and absolutely refuse to
consider themselves old while they are
still young, as a consequence greatly
prolonging the period of youth. Does
not this show conclusively that old age
Is a product of thought? And if old
age is in the mind, may not death be
also?
Unfortunately, few can see the con
nection between prolonged youth and
eternal youth. They 6till believe that
nothing can insure immunity from
death, that no amount of "plain living
and high thinking" will avail them any
thing when once the grim reaper has
marked them for his sheaves. They
can defer death, but cannot escape it.
Life is a mortgage on which interest
can be paid, but when the time limit
has expired and the owner, death, is
ready to foreclose, the mortgagor has
to pay. It has never occurred to them
to get rid of the mortgagee and all his
kin.
But though no mortal has yet suc
ceeded in demonstrating eternal youth,
there are many people today who are
thinking youth and life, instead of
old age and death, and it is a foregone
conclusion that such people will look
young and feel young when their con
temporary friends with the' "servant
consciousness," as a young writer ex
presses it. are ready for the grave.
They are freeing their minds from the
race fear of sickness, old age and death,
realizing that in truth it is the "things
they fear that come upon them." What
we fear we hold in consciousness, and
whatever is held in consciousness must
manifest outwardly." Was the name of
the serpent Fear, I wonder, that en
tered the hearts of Adam and Eve and
caused them to be driven from the
presence of God on their long evolu
tionary journey? MARY H. FORCE,
FACTORY. HEADS TESTED
Many Apply for Licenses to Manage
Creameries.
MARSHFIELD. Or.. June 12. (Spe
cial.) Complying with the new state
law that requires that all persons man
aging cheese factories and creameries
be licensed, 33 persons have taken the
examination in Coos and Curry counties
in the past week. - Examinations were
conducted at Bandon, Coquille. Marsh
field and Myrtle Point, the Curry
County applicants journeying to Ban
don. The examinations were conduct
ed by County Agriculturist Jay L.
Smith, of this county. James E. West,
of the Macleay cheese factory at Wed
derburn, traveled 128 miles to qualify.
Those who applied for licenses in
cluded: H. E. Bessey and James K. Childers, Coos
Bay Creamery; Clay E. Elliott. Coos Bay Ice
& Cold tUorago Company; A. J. Surbeck,
North Bend Condensery; N. M. Young. Lake
side Creamery; I D. Walker. Roberts
Brothers' Cheese Factory, at Templeton;
Ueorge A. McCulloch. Uolden Leaf Cream
ery, Haynes Inlet; Nels P. Peterson, dairy
man. North Inlet; C. T. Skeols and Henry
Belloni, Coquille Valley Creamery; Kred
Moser, Gravelford Cheese Factory: T. J.
BaJlantyne. North Fork Cheeso Factory;
C. K Anderson. Lee Chaese Factory; J. H.
McCloskey. Clarence Barklow, George A.
McDonald and O. C. Robinson, Norway
Creamery; K. C. Ostrander, Mount Ander
son Creamery; C. B. Broadbent, Myrtle
Point, owner of threo factories, the Sunrise
Creamery. Sunrise cheene Factory and Arago
Cheese Factory, with his assistants. J. W.
Broadbeni. Norman M.cDonald and A. W.
Brllton; Andrew Chribtenseu, fciupar Loaf
Cheese Factory; J. II. Beach and H. J. Mil
ler, ParkersburB Cheese & Butter Com
pany: J. C. Baker. Bandon Creamery; L.
M. 8trong, Two-Mile cheese Factory; M.
H. Maiiwaringr, lin?lols Uairy Product
Company: Hazel Mctnvtarine. Kuchre Creek
Cheese Factory; Ernest Lutsey. Crystal
Creamery; Howard Bruno, Denmark Cheese
Company; M. U. Lutsey, I.angiois dairyman;
James B. West, Wedderburn. Cheese Factory.
TWO TO STUDY AVIATION
Portland Amateurs to Practice on
Military Field at Vancouver.
VANCOUVER BARRACKS, Wash.,
June 12 (Special.) L. T. Barin and
W. T. Bailey, amateuru of Portland, are
to attempt to learn to become aviators
on the lower field of the military res
ervation. They 'have, set up a Burk
hart model biplane there and contem
plate making trial flights within the
next few weeks.
Frank Bryant, a brother of John
Bryant, who was killed when flying at
Spokane last year, is to bo here July
20 with a Curtis biplane for trial
flights and experiments. He has had
five years' experience in flying and has
taken part in meets with Beachey, Si
las Christoff erson, who learned to fly
on this field, and several other well
known aviators.
The Burkhart model now here weighs
S00 pounds, has a spread of S5 feet and
a four-cylinder. 50-horsepower motor.
3 CELEBRATIONS PLANNED
OnalabVa, Winlock and Bolstl'ort
Vullcy to Observe I'ourth.
CENTRALLY, Wash., June 12. (Spe
cial.) July 4 will be well celebrated
throughout Lewis County. Onalaska
will stage festivities. July 3 and 4, the
celebration also marking the opening
of the Newaukum Valley Railroad be
ing built into Napavine by the Onalas
ka Lumber Company.
Winlock business men have sub
scribed sufficient funds to insure the
best celebration in the history of the
town.
The residents of the Boistfort Val
ley will celebrate on July 3 with a big
picnic, each farmer supplying a bas
ket, as has been the custom In the past.
Centralia will not celebrate this year,
the festivities attending seven state
conventions of patriotic orders here
June 22 to 26 taking the place of the
annual programme.
GENESEE HAS HORSE SHOW
Great Crowd Gathers for Annual Af
fair at Idaho Town.
GENESEE, Idaho. June 12. (Special.)
One of the largest crowds that has
gathered here in many days thronged
the city Wednesday. Thursday and
Friday, the days of the annual horse
show. The show was started with a
parade of all stock entered to compete
for prizes. Immediately after the-parade
the Judging of the stock took
place. Professor Iddings, of the Uni
versity of Idaho, acted as judge of the
stock.
The ball game between Genesee and
Pullman was a one-sided affair, the
Pullman team winning by a score of
13 to 7. An athletic meet and auto
mobile contests also were held.
McCleary Youth Killed by Train.
ELM A. Wash., June 12. (Special.)
Albert Gustafson, a popular young
man of Mc-Cleary, was killed aceidently
by the logging train in that place a
day or so ago. He was on the front
of- the engine ready to jump off and
throw a switch, and in some manner
lost Iiie footing'.
BETTER BABIES ARE NEED
3Iother"s Right to Place in Indus
trial "World Is V'pheld.
PORTLAND, June 12. (To the Ed
itor. There seems to be a great desire
for consideration of the woman ques
tion, a question in which I am not
only enthusiastic, but vitally interest
ed. Mr. Barzee's utter mlsunderstand-iug-of
my former letter prompts me to
a further discussion of this subject. He
has absolutely : failed to consider the
development of the modern machine in
our industrial life, apparently failing
to understand that our social life is
builded upon and shaped by the eco
nomic life. - Economic determination
seems to have no place in his trend
of thought.
Woman's- advent into the industrial
field is a benefit not only to woman, but
to society. We must have noble, intel
ligent, useful women to mother our
race. Economic freedom ennobles
woman and the education she gets
through experience on the industrial
field makes her an intelligent and use
ful woman. In the indostrial field
woman learns to specialize and sys
tematize. Soon she will want to spe
cialize in her roost precious occupation
that of raising children.
She will see the folly of each woman
trying to care for two or three chil
dren. She will see that, instead of be
ing kept constantly in a home made for
grown-ups, where they aro continually
nagged at, they need an environment
whero their little minds and bodies
may have a chance to develop where
the furniture is made for their use,
where they are enqpuraged to do rather
than don't.
She will feel the need of children be
ing properly fed, of being trained into
better habits of choosing their food.
This can be done .best by feeding them
separately, instead of allowing them
to sit at the ordinary table with the
grown-ups,, who (because of our food
being manufactured for sale rather
than for use) have formed bad habits.
She will see that society needs chil
dren that have been fed. clothed,
housed and trained scientifically. She
?; ill understand that this is a study
hat needs many years of preparation.
By being trained scientifically we mean
that each child shall be carefully stud
ied by experts who realize that one set
of r-iles will not do for a dozen children.
- This has been the mistake of too
many of our public school teachers.
Each child must be allowed to show his
natural inclinations, in order that wo
may know better how to develop his in
dividuality and how to guide him, to a
broader general conception of life. Per
haps the best example of such educa
tion is found in tbe Montessori system.
It is a fact (not a theory) that many
mothers who were employes before
marriage mothers who do not want
divorces from their husbands are
longing for their economic freedom
and are returning to their old places.
These women have been specialists in
some line. They can see that they
are not as well fitted to handle even
their own children as someone who has
specialized in that line. These moth
ers can be counted on to help solve
these problems.
This new relation of woman to so
ciety will tend to take much of the
selfishness out of motherhood. Instead
of the mother feeling that she is rais
ing her child to be merely her "pride
and joy," and feeling a keen disap
pointment If he does not live up to her
special ideals, she will feel a deeper in
terest in all children.
Another important benefit to woman
and to society is that woman is seeins
the necesssity of taking better care of
her health in order to have physical
endurance for her new duties. Gym
nasiums and swimming pools are be
coming more popular all the time and
the working girl is much in evidence at
these places.
The "rural maid" sees her mother,
aged before her time, still feeling re
sponsible for father's cuff buttons, still
feeling responsible for the handker
chiefs and bath water for the whole
family; sees her always ready and will
ing to slave early and late that every
one in her household may be comfort
able. She sees the boys and girls coma
home from college with their polished
manners and hears them discuss topics
of the day with father, for he reads his
newspapers and keeps posted to some
extent.
But poor, dear old mother, they love
her, but, too often, there is only little
intelligent companionship between
them, for she always has been too busy
with the farm drudgery and little de
tails of the household duties to keep
posted to keep step with her chil
dren. The "rural maid" sees this and her
heart aches for dear old mother, but
she instinctively shrinks from follow
ing in her footsteps. So she decides to
make herself economically independent.
If she acts wisely and has learned her
lesson well she always will retain thia
economic Independence and will say to
the young man whom she may choose
to become the father of her children:
"I will become your partner, but I have
no desire to become your 'queenly wife."
or your household slave, and no amount
of flattery can make me such. I de
sire to retain my economic freedom, t
have the desire to become the mother
ot" healthy, intelligent children, but
such children should be intelligently and
scientifically reared at our mutual ex
pense. Then we will stand on equal
grounds."
In conclusion: It is not more babies,
but better babies that society needs.
We need better methods fof rearing,
and training our children that they may
grow into better men and women, phy
sically and mentally, and thereby in
turn be fitted to produce better chil
dren. When we breed better babies and
have better methods for rearing and
training them we need not fear a dearth,
in the production of children. The nat
ural instinct of man and woman will
attend to the perpetuation of the race
especially when they know that their
children will have opportunity to de
velop into normal human beings.
LYLITH M. CANNON.
CORVALLIS MAN IS PICKED
P. R. Brown to Teach. Agriculture in
Payette High School.
OREGON AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE,
Corvallis. June 12. (Special.) F. ,R.
Brown. specialist in , horticultural by
products at the Oregon Agricultural
College, has been appointed super
visor of agriculture in the Payette"
High School and agricultural advisor
in the community with farmers in an
advisory capacity.
"Mr. Brown." says Professor C. I.
Lewis, ohief of the horticultural divi
sion, "is one of the leading authori
ties In horticultural by-products of the
1'acitic rsortnwest. his work in tne
development of loganberry by-products,
especially evaporated berries and lo
ganberry juices, has been one of the
chief factors in preparing the berry
to travel to wider markets in Eastern"
states and other parts of the world."
Twin Falls Merchants Elect.
TWIN FALLS. Idaho, June 12. (Spe
cial.) The merchants of Twin Falls,
01 o niciATinr- 1st. rn Am v a 1 a 1 1 'ink
rooms recently, perfected an organiza
tion for their mutual protection and
benefit. Bylaws were adopted, and the
following directors. who will later
name the officers, were elected; L. .K.
Salladay, L. T. Wright. C. B. Channel.
George C. Wiley, W. W. Wight, J. A.
Sinclair, J. L. Battolph and C. E. Booth.