THE ST7JTDAT OREGONIAX, PORTLAXU, DECEJITSEI? 10, 191G.
PUBUG OPINION IS EXPRESSED ON VARIOUS TOPICS OF DAY
PORTLAND. Deo. 9. (To the Ed
itor.) Permit me to offer a few
words on the subject of economy
and salary cutting.
We have heard a lot about the short
comings of this and that city official
and of the government as a whole, and
When analyzed all these complaints
eeem to resolve into one general fault
the -ity employes are overpaid and
economy makes it Imperative to cut
the salaries.
First of all. what is economy? All
will agree that it is a decrease in the
relation expense bears to results. Or
In other words it is an Increase in the
amount of service a dollar will secure.
Agreed on this point, it then resolves
into the paramount question, how can
we increase the service the dollar buys?
The common remedy thus far seems to
toe, reduce the salaries. This appears
co simple a remedy that it has already
met considerable favor with the powers
that be. and numerous employes have
suffered thereby. But right here is
where the difference in executive abil
ity is manifest.
Any man can reduce salaries, but can
lie reduce the cost of service by so do
ing? Generally speaking, he cannot.
The city's wage scale for the average
employe Is now lower than that in pri
vate enterprises. And the nren em
ployed are equal if not superior in
quality. Where, then, is the fault?
It can be no other than in. the hand
ling of the men. They lack the needed
guidance. It is In the administrative
end of the system where the great fault
lies. The finest horses will be unable
to move a load without being properly
harnessed, and with the reins In the
hand of a competent drive. Feed your
horses well; they will be eager to pull;
get good harness, and above all a com
petent driver. But without a driver,
underfed horses, however great in num
ber, pulling this way and that, will
prove anything but economy. .
Do not cut the salaries of the work
ers, but fix up the harness. Cut out
the unnecessary and encourage the
sterling qualities now dwarfed. The
heart and soul of one well-paid man
will give far more service than the
presence of two discontents. It is not
Dimply employes we need, but service.
A dissatisfied employe Is never an
economy. If the increased cost of liv
ing in general prompts us to cry out
tor economy, do not be so foolish as
to think that the cutting of your fel
low worker's salary will aid you. Bee
that the work is handled in an intel
ligent manner. Then if fewer men can
arrange to handle the work give them
at least part of the saving. Let the
employe see that getting the Job Is not
the only Incentive. Let real service
have Its reward.. If, from the lowest
to the highest, men can do more indi
vidually, encourage them to do so. and
the true economy we need will hold its
Bhare for you. AN ECONOMIST.
PRISON REFORM IS DISCUSSED
Observations Made In Cell Are Used
as Basis by Writer.
SALEM, Or.. Dec. 8. (To the Edi
tor.) As a representative of the class
which is directly affected by the meth
ods of administration of the prisons
of the land, I want to commend the
editorial entitled "Behmd Prison
Walls," which appeared in The Orego
riiau recently. I have been In the cell
and had a chance to think and observe
the whole system from that angle. I
was then, and am now, a most enthusi
astic friend of law and order. I 4id
not defend nor condone the violation
of law for which I paid the penalty.
At no time while I did my time was I
in sympathy with the spirit or principle
of the underworld habitue, who feels
that it is his bounden duty to beat the
law of society, but I could see some
phases of the prisoner's mind and tem
per that do not seem to cut much fig
tire In the Infliction of penalty.
The prisoner of whatever grade or
class is made to feel that he Is not in
prison in order that he may be a bet
ter man, but to satisfy the feeling for
revenge in society. I realise that this
is overdrawn and overworked by tha
men in their considerations of their
situation. But so long as conditions
ere such as to make them feel so, it
will not be a surprising thing to find.
here and there, a fellow who has de
scended to or never found any higher
level than his own brute Impulses, and
who has grown so desperate in his na
ture that he will throw all discretion
away and evoke any or all punishments
upon himself for the personal satisfac
tion of Just expressing his contempt
and hatred for the forces which re
strain him.
The most visible representative of
those forces is, to the man of small
thinking ability, the warden and other
officers of the place where he is im
prisoned. When, conditions produoe
such an utterly abandoned outlaw It
is indeed a problem what to do with
him. Your discussion of the situation
showed an open mind on the subject.
This view of the matter might help
some.
Anywhere on earth- that two or more
men are thrust into a social relation
with one another, they at once adopt
rules for their own government. It
may not be done formally. It may not
be done consciously, but it is done. If
10 men of the type of the outlaws who
jrot the barbarous "hosing" in the Sa
lem Penitentiary recently were per
mitted to gang together they would
et once recognize some things as for
bidden. The inmates of all prisons
have these unwritten laws. They are
their laws, and because they are their
laws they are interested In the enforce
111 e nt of them.
The underworld has its laws. They
do not run along the lines of the laws
of society, but they are laws, 1. e., they
may not seek redress for a wrong from
the officers of the law; they may not
double-cross one of the underworld
rang; they may not filch from one of
their own crowd; they may not
"squeaL"
Their laws, like all laws of the uni
verse, are supported by penalties. There
are outlaws by nature and who will
defy even their own laws for the sat
isfying of personal desire. The under
world knows no plan for the regulat
ing of such, except elimination.
The fact is that we let our temper
rise at the act of defiance of the law
that we wish to have observed, and
we seek to get even. The violator is
made to feel that this is so, and as hate
always begets hate, he develops his
sentiments along lfnes that do not
help him nor his keepers. The intro
duction of more and more of the self-
srovernlngr idea In the prison will help,
Prisoners do not lessen the rigidity of
the rules when they have a hand in
government, but often stiffen them
But they are then living under and en
forcing their own rules. All but the
wholly distorted mind and character
will, and does, respond. Osborne and
others have found it to pay.
I am fully aware that the bulk of
society thinks that it don't make any
difference what the prisoner thinks of
. the system under which he is pun
Ished. That it -does its work by the
terror that It strikes Into the hearts
of possible violators of the law.
I wish to state three points Just
Ihere.
First, the deterrent value of the prls
en is all with the yet unconvicted man.
Once he has been branded the law has
less value to him, and Its penalties
have much less force. The "fish" (the
newly-incarcerated man) feels the
ting and humiliation of it all. and be
fore he is caught at all he may have
a great fear of the prison. He magnl
lies the horror of it all.
Second, the once convicted man, or
the repeater.- constantly loses his fear
of prisons. He may hate them and their
administration, but he does not feel
more disposition to comply with the
laws of society for fear of the prison
than he did before he had been In once,
He acquires a good deal of contempt
for the whole system. So much of it
appears to him to be mere childishness.
So much is futile. Its rules cannot be
enforced. Its administration is so full
of provocations to hatred of society,
and he sees that the personnel of the
prison force is often such as to make
the whole thing a farce. He sees men
whom every one knows to be as bad
law violators as himself going freely
about their business.
Third, if the purpose of penalty is
to protect society, or if there is any
desire to have the penalty have any
reformative value, the attitude of the
mind of the prisoner as he is dis
charged is the whole thing, is the
measure of success of the system.
It does make a difference what the
prisoner thinks of the system. If he
happens to be one of the great ma
jority who have learned new lessons
of hatred and new methods of opera
tion, he will go out a more dangerous
man and a more hopelessly hardened
man than he was when he went in.
This need not be so if the system
were right. It cannot be otherwise
than so under the present system.
. ROBIN HOOD.
FARMERS ARE SELLIXO HE5
Cost of Foods. Laid la Part -to Shortage
of Crops After Rains.
CANBT, Or., Dec. 8. (To the Ed
itor.) The high cost of food is not al
together due to the war. as one of your
writers puts It. Here are some of the
facts that exist in my neighborhood
and anyone desiring to investigate can
do so:
The farmers in this vicinity and for
miles around, with few exceptions, had
only one-half a crop, such as wheat,
potatoes, oats or barley (a great many
had not this much), due to a .very late
dry Fall. When the rains did set in
they continued almost without inter
mission up to June 1. so Uiat it was
with some difficulty that the ground
was prepared and the .sowing done for
grain. As to the potatoes, a great
many planted two and three times,
even then not procuring a full crop.
The reason for this was the many and
continuous .rains, which rotted the
seed and prevented them from sprout
ing. Now these same or similar conditions
existed over a large part of the United
States. Anyone who reads The Ore
gonlan, with the Government crop re
ports and other data, must know this
statement to be correct and this nat
urally accounts for high price of above
named products.
As regards eggs most of us have
sold off our hens. Just keeping enough
for our own personal use, for there is
nothing to be made from them. Usually
at this season the hens take a rest. I
haven't gathered an egg for a full
month, and when I do believe me, it
will taste mighty good in a lovely cup
of old-fashioned coffee (once again).
The fact of the matter is that the
farmers' efforts in supplying a really
good article is not appreciated and
long since became tired of catering to
pfople who did not know a good thing
when they had it.
For instance, all last Fall. Winter
and Spring we were carrying our eggs
to market and receiving from 15 to 22
cents from the grocer, who never on
any account pays cash, but we must
take it out in trade and thus lose in
more than one way.
One reason for these very low prices
was the heavy importation of cheap
eggs from China, which were shown
to be both unclean and not healthful,
according to report made by Oregon
Agricultural College.
The housekeepers were using these
In order to bring the farmers to time.
This they succeeded in doing, but at
the same time caused the farmer to
unload a lot of his hens on the mar
ket, and he is continuing to do so.
Personally, when I lived in Portland
I was always glad to pay a farmer 5
cents per dozen more for his product
than was asked for same at the stores,
and I say that a housekeeper who
does not know the difference between
a real egg and the imported article is
poor judge of food qualities and not
a responsible person to look after the
gastronomical needs of a family or
household.
The butter proposition was the same
thing as the eggs. All the year we
were receiving from our grocer (in
trade) 45 cents for a two-pound roll
of the finest, sweetest country butter
and the fellow with a poor article re
ceived Just the same. To get ahead
of that we who could began selling
our milWio the cheese factory, which
was found most satisfactory.
Previous to the heavy rains, for the
space of about six weeks, some Port
land buyers covered this territory
twice weekly, paying the market price
for eggs, etc. Buying prices ranged
from 38 to 45 cents a dozen. Before
marketing the eggs they were candled.
after, traveling a distance of 40 miles.
to say nothing or other expenses. Are
not these people entitled to some
profit?
The women who are boycotting now
will not obtain a first-class article
when the prices are lowered, while
the article of worth will continue to
command its price from careful buy
ers wno want nothing but the best
and are willing to pay for it, otherwise
the eggs go to the cold storage. In the
meantime the farmers are retiring
from the poultry business for keeps.
.fciven a worm win turn, you know.
MRS. G. M. PLUMMER.
ANOTHER . MAN DEFENDS PRICE
Boycott Estks Now, He Says, and You
Will Do Without Them In Tvro Years.
M'MINNVILLE. Or Deo. 8. (To the
Editor.) I should like the privilege
of saying a few words concerning the
much-discussed question of the boycott
on eggs.
To begin with, I will take the ones
who favor this action at their own
statement that eggs should sell at this
time of year for about' 88 cents.
In following this I wish you to no
tice that my figures are based on very
conservative estimates that I have al
lowed as much as. possible to my op
ponents in the discussion.
I have the figures of a flock of hens
which is given the very finest of care
throughout the year. There is no sav
ing of expense or trouble to secure the
best results from them. From October
22. 1915, to December 22, 1915, this
flock of hens produced 99 dozen eggs.
Throughout the year they produced
1411 dozen eggs. una couia not ex
pect to secure the proposed top price
for more than the two months men
tioned, which is never more than one
thirteenth of the year's production; and
it is very seldom as much as one-thir
teenth of the year's production. If the
consumer pays 38 cents, the farmer will
get about 26 cents.
At present the price paid to the con
sumer goes'as low as 17 cents and 18
cents in the Summer in Portland.
Consider, however, that at this price
eggs are placed in cold storage for the
Winter, and they are then sold for a
considerable margin. Cut that margin
by reducing the retail price of fresh
eggs to 88 cents and you have the re
tail price of etorage eggs cut to 28
cents or 30 cents. The storage man
milsf- mMlrn tVila rtIffAiiTl tw hnvlntr
cheaper in the Summer. It is conserv
ative, as any one who knows the sum
of 2 plus 2 can see. to say that the pro
ducers' price for eggs in the Spring and
Summer must then go to 10 cents and
12 oents, or even lower. If the stor
age plants cannot have large enough
margin to buy at this season, consump
tion can not keep the price even as
high as this. It is apparent that this
Is a smaller margin than the storage
plants now operate on.
Of the flock quoted above, 900 dozen
of the eggs were sold at the Summer's
minimum, or at an increase of one
third of the minimum price. It is cer
tain, then, that at least 900 dozen of
every 1300 dozen must be sold at not
more than 12 cents, or an Increase of
one-third, which is 16 cents. When
the consumer pays 88 cents, the pro
ducer, does not get, more than 26 cents.
(Look it up if you do not believe me).
Now, you propose to permit the farmer
to sell one dozen eggs at 26 cents,
while for every dozen sold at this fig
ure he must sell nine dozen at not more
than 16 cents..
This is the only way to determine
the average price for the year. For
10 dozen sold at thl3 proposition the
producer would get (the boycotters
must be suffering from an overgrowth
of heart), the sum of $1.70. This is an
average of 17 cents a dozen, and figure
as you will, you can not deny that I
have given, in every case, figures
which would be all that the consumer
could ask me to allow. .
Now, It is almost impossible to find
a flock of hens which will average as
much as 12 dozen eggs each in a year.
In eaying this I refer to flocks of hens
raised for the production of eggs for
the market.
Twelve dozen eggs at 17 cents a doz
en, what do you have? You have Just
$2.04 for each hen the maximum.
The flock before quoted, during the
year 1915 cost $2 each for feed, to say
nothing of the Iaor. This. leaves Just
4 cents for labor and profit.
In this connection I should like to
call your attention to some of the foods
on the market, the reduction of which
prices are far more worthy of your ef
forts than in the case of eggs, butter,
etc. Here is one. A package of Shred
ded Wheat biscuit costs 15 cents. It
weighs 12 ounces. This is at the rate
of 20 cents a pound. Sixty pounds of
wheat In a bushel, and this food costs
you $12 a bushel. The farmer gets
$1.50 at the most of this. Figure some
for yourself. You will not believe that
there is any very great waste in pre
paring this food, if you have ever had
occasion to Investigate flour mills, etc
While I am not a German "nor a Ger
man sympathizer,'! feel sure that no
well-informed person will deny that!
Germany regulates prices better than
any other nation. Today Germany reg
ulates prices of everything, and while
the general average of articles of food
and drink in Germany is 60 per cent
higher in that country than in New
York, the price of such articles as eggs,
butter, etc., is twice as great as in this
country.
This Is essential to the discussion
only in this, that the German govern
ment has found that, considering cost
of material, labor, etc., it costs more
to produce these articles than many
of the others, and as it must conserve
expenses, and especially labor, they
have taken this means of curtailing the
use of these. Other things can be pro
duced cheaper. If Germany must place
this much higher relative value on
these products, what can the farmer of
this country make at the lower rela
tive value?
There can be only one' end to this,
if carried out as planned. You will re
call that the production of pork be
came impossible owing to the rise in
the price of wheat at the beginning of
the war. Producers sold all the ani
mals they had. Pork dropped at once,
but where Is it today? It is unprece
dented high, and likely to go higher.
Force down the price of eggs now
and you will suffer in two or three
years. You will not boycott them then
as a Joke; you will face the stern reali
ty of denying yourselves their use.
E. H. STEWART.
PLEA FOR PARTY UNITY MADE
Writer Says Republicans Should Quit
Discussions of Defeat's Cause.
PORTLAND, Dec. 9. (To the Editor.)
Is It not about time for Repub
licans to get really together and auit
further .discussion of who .was respon
sible for our late defeat? The facts are
that both factions are to blame. In
California the old Republican leaders
were to blame for trying to monopo
lize Mr. Hughes while he was in that
state and the Progressives, who gave
Johnson over 200,000 majority, showed
a contemptibly petty spirit In visiting
their resentment on Mr. Hughes, who
was in no wise to blame for conditions
there.
It may be reasonably charged that
Mr. Roosevelt's speeches did not help
Mr. Hughes, without taking issue with
the sentiments he expressed. His gen
eral declaration for Mr. Hughes was
an undoubted help, but his bitter in
vective drew no votes. His caustic de
nunciations of the Germans and his
declaration that he would seize all
German ships In American waters
alienated mafTy thousands of German
votes that were naturally hostile to
Mr. Wilson, and it drew to Mr. Wil
son s support thousands of mushy mol
lycoddles, both men and women, who
were attracted by the silly pretense
that Mr. Wilson had kept us out of
war.
The Democratlo press were quick to
sleze upon all of these radical expres
sions and to call them to the attention
of their Republican dupes as proofs
that Mr. Hughes and Mr.- Roosevelt
would plunge us into war. The discus
sion of Mr. Wilson's Mexican policy,
open as it -was to the criticism of
every patriotic American citizen, was
worn threadbare and became tiresome,
while there was too little discussion
of needed economic legislation.
But all of this discussion of reasons
for our defeat gets us nowhere. In The
Oregonlan last Sunday a hot-headed
correspondent had something to say
aDout the 4,000.000 Progressive and the
3.000,000 retrogressive votes of 1912.
Have we not had a surfeit of this
kind of mush? What great progressive
reform has this gentleman ever
brought about? Recently in an article
published In the Interest of one of the
great advertising agencies of the coun
try one very suggestive statement was
that one prime cause of President
Taft's defeat was that he didn't know
how to advertise his merits and his
achievements. He was less of a poli
tician than a statesman. If he had
been more vehement and spectacular
he, too, might have had 4.000,000 votes,
but it is to be observed that the stec-
tacular and vehement man gets Just so
far and then "comes to a dead stop.
Between tne start ana the goal the en
thusiasm he engenders very often runs
plump against a stone wall of bitter
opposition.
The facts are that In that army of
3,oou,uoo -retrogresslves, so-called.
there was as large a percentage of
patriotic progressive sentiment as
among their opponents, and no larger
percentage of bosses and political
schemers. Much of this talk from
political parrots about President Taft's
shortcomings is Just as senseless as la
the criticism of other great leaders.
He has made a record in long years of
public service that will Insure him a
place In American history as one of
our greatest statesmen.
OBSERVER.
RAISING PRICES HELD BENEFIT
Writer Believes Era of Falling; Prices
Hurts Conditions.
CORBETT. Or., Dec. 8. (To ths Edi
tor.) Why this - outcry against rising
prices? Is an era of falling prices,
with all the things incident thereto, to
be preferred to an era of rising prices.
with these things incident to it?
Were the conditions of 1892-3-4-5 to
be preferred to the conditions of today?
I always thought a foreign anarket
was to be desire is not the diplo
macy of nations mainly directed to se
cure this market, and their wars caused
by disputes over it?
If so, why this cry over selling farm
products in the present foreign mar
ket? Is it any worse to sell farm products
in a foreign market than to sell the
products of factory or munition plant
In said market?
Is the farmer to be compelled by a
tariff to buy in the home market, ar-d
by an embargo to sell in that market,
while all other products are free to
enter any market thoy can?
Why is It so necessary to build up
commerce and manufactories at the ex
pense ef agriculture? . ,.
Why Is it better to -foster a nation
of wage earners than to foster a natioa
of independent Individuals?
W hy is it a crime for farmers who
have bought the products of rhe farm
to band together to hold their goods
and sell them in the best market, and
so righteous a thing for an association
of wage earners to hold up a congress
at the point of a threat to paralyze
all industry and business and bring
hunger, misery and suffering upon mil
lions? Why Is a tariff put upon farm prod
ucts so long as the market does not
Justify their importation? The mift--ute
the market would admit of such
importation, and the tariff becomes
some protection to the farmer, this
tariff is taken -off as in the case of
hides, meat, eggs and butter. i
If those who. are crying about tho
high prices of farm products think
they are too high, let them get in and
produce. That, to my way of thinking,
is the natural and proper way to bring
down these prices, if there is so much
money in it.
SYLVESTER E. EVANS.
EGO
BOYCOTTERS
Brownsville Man. Says Encouragement
Should Be Given Breeders.
BROWNSVILLE, Or.. Dec. 8. (To the
Editor.) In the matter of the boycott
on eggs. The great majority of the
biddies are on a strike, too, and the
few that are laying are not paying half
of the board bill of all of them. In
fact the cost of production of all the
flocks now is far in excess of $1 a
dozen of eggs on an average, although
our hens are laying a few more than
enough to pay the current feeding cost
of all - the flock, but not enough to
begin to pay any part of the cost of
hatching and rearing them.
Many hens will not lay until Feb
ruary, and many flocks will not pay
the high cost of feeding at all. to say
nothing about the care. Whose fault
is It if feed is high priced and eggs
scarce 7 Why should the manufactured
article be pounced upon as the great
offender when the raw material Is al
together to blame? Boycotting the
product will react at some future time
in still higher prices, for it discourages
rather than encourages production, for
it is bound to be . trying to poultrymen
in the face of the high cost of feeding
and rearing their flocks.
Biddy Isn't going to work over-time
when prices are high. She may feel
sort of aristocratic and that she doesn't
have to. and that people might expect
too much of her if she did. and lie
around expecting an easy living off of
her hard earnings. Not much I
When the other biddies begin to hol
ler about what they have done and can
do she will jump into the ring with
her cackle and not before.
Now it seems to me that true econ
omy in that direction would be to en
courage and stimulate production. If
so. what better course could be adopted
than to keep a few hens In the back
yard? Most families could worry along
with the product of a dozen well-kept
hens of a laying strain, and the scraps
from an average table would almost
keep them in luxury with a little green
feed, grit, oyster shell, and the char
coal from their own wood Btoves added.
That would be true economy, for not
only would It be a saving of the high
cost of feed but would be turning waste
Into a valuable food product. I am
sure this is a more satisfactory way to
boycott high prices, and incidentally
more profitable, for our Inexcusable
waste and extravagance has more to
do with high prices than anything else.
By true economy the wealthy can best
help the less fortunate classes, and the
less fortunate classes can best help
themselves, when possible, by catering
to the tastes of the more fortunate
classes with neat, clean products of
good quality which their means and
circumstances require. Our Inexcusable
wastes and extravagances would keep
the starving millions of Europe in
plenty.
Better average results can be had
from a few birds than from a large
flock, and a very little attention will
keep them clean. free from mites,
health and vigorous, and the quality
of their eggs the very best.
Then when yo"u become well ac
quainted you will find them much more
attractive than any other pets, for they
are not only profitable but very friend
ly and sociable.
Our White Leghorns and Rhode
Island Reds will allow us to pick them
up most any old time and place. They
will sort of jabber to us while holding
them, but of course we cannot under
stand their hen talk. Then, as if they
seem to understand that, they will
commence singing, and biddie seems to
think she has a wonderfully fine
voice.
My wife has picked them up and set
them on nests and they would settle
down like they intended to lay her an
egg.
I merely mention this to show that
you can make true pets of them. If one
does not wish to be so friendly they
will repay well anyhow if they are
handled gently and fed and properly
cared for.
Give them good, clean, comfortable
quarters that can be properly venti
lated without drafts, that will protect
them from the storms, and give them
the benefit of the sun when it shines.
Also plenty of grain feed, grit and
oyster sheila ana the table scraps, ana
little else will be needed.
W. W. BAILEY,
FARMER'S WITH GIVES VIEWS
Meat Said to Be High Only to Con
sumer, Net to Producer.
FOREST GROVE, Or Dec. 8. (To
the Editor.) There are many theories
as to why the cost of living is so high.
Perhaps as a farmer's wife I can throw
a little light on why prices of meat
are out of flight. Thousands of head
of arood beef cattle have almost been
given away in Portland- this Summer
and Fall. Every farmer around, here
fattens a-few cattle on pasture each
year. These buyers in Portland and
elsewhere have paid from 2 V to
cents a pound for practically all the
cattle the farmers have had to sell
this year. Have you city people seen
any decline in the price of meat? We
of the small towns have not. we pay
13 H cents a pound for the poorest meat.
Anything decent to eat Is 18 cents and
more.
They tell ns: "Oh, Holstelns and Jer
seys are not beef cattle. We can't pay
hardly anything for them." But you
see they sell every bit of them, even
the talis, properly skinned.
What the farmers or Government
should do is somehow to regulate the
prices between the seller and consumer.
Beef is lust as good in taste irom
nice, fat Jersey heifer or cow as It is-
from a Durham. Many people would
be glad to get moderately fat beef a
a fair price. Only the fattest stall-fed
cattle have brought even 7 cents this
Fall. They are not raised by the or
dinary valley farmer, but our meat is
good, even If there are not pounds of
tallow on It.
The farmers should form a co-opera
tive meat company and kill and pack
and sell to consumers their own clean,
wholesome meat, or they had better
quit raising stock. At the price hay
and grain are selling for now every
man who feeds it Is losing-money, ex
cept the few dealing in- fancy, stock.
Feed a ton of hay to a yearling steer
to winter him; say the cost is $15, then
count the cost of feeding and winter
ing the calf. Then sell him in 'the
Fall, for $12 when he is a year and a
half old. Hundreds of farmers have
done that very thing this year. Fine
fat cows brought $20 pr $25. but you
may believe their meat brought from
18 to 22 cents a pound. Many farmers
are now peddling their meat at 10
cents a pound and so get a fair price,
and how the people grab for ltl
About eggs. A sack of wheat now
costs the person with hens to feed
$3.65. Few-hens are laying, but the
non-layers must be fed till the moult
Is over. For two months this - has
been done and nearly another will
elapse before a person can make 1 cent
above the cost. Unless most skillfully
handled there will be a loss, even at the
present price of eggs. - I keep my hen
accounts very carefully and know
whereof I speak. Hens do no more
than pay expenses for three months in
every year. Do not blarrie the farmer.
I suppose the great demand for feed
for war horses makes grain so high. I
doubt any man's ability to raise or
lower the egg market by cornering
eggs. Divide the eggs be Is hoarding
by the population of the United States
and see how few It would mean to
each of us.
A "Tired turkey raiser" states the
exact facts. Good thing for her the
turkeys died, as if she fed them wheat
or corn at 2Vs cents a pound she would
have had to sell to the . buyers for-25
cents live weight to have made a profit,
and no turkey raiser was paid even
this year -that amount.
As to raising hogs on field peas,
which looks so good on paper: It may
do in the East, but here as soon as
the vines were trampled by the hogs
the peas would mould and rot. Put
seven shoats on an acre of peas and in
three weeks their food would be a rot
ten; mouldy mass.
Even the wheat farmers nearly all
sold their grain before it went up. I
personally know that the farmers In
Eastern Washington mostly sold their
wneat this year for less than 901 cents
a bushel. Many sold for 80 cents.
This awful war is pinching every
body except the people who are fur
nishing it with supplies, so we must
all grit our teeth and stand it. I
haven't noticed many farmers get
ting rich, in this vicinity at least. If
eggs go very low while feed. Is so high.
me nens win all nave to go to the
market, and then eggs will be high.
one Of the queerest- suggestions late
ly is that a law should.be passed to al
low no veal to be sold, at least heifer
calves. I wonder what philanthropists
would reed them. Surely not the farm
er who sells them because he has no
need of them. The ones who passed
the law would have to appropriate
tunas ior tne orphan calves!
MRS. JENNIE A. REEHER.
EVERGREEN BERRY NOT NATIVE
Wild Fruit Once Domestic but In Early
Days It Was Unknown.
PORTLAND, Dec. 9 (To the Edl
tor.) The Evergreen blackberry is not
a native of Pregon. The public gen
erally speak of it as "the wild black
berry." because It Is found growing
wild in uncultivated and isolated -districts.
Members of our family who have
lived in Oregon since 1871 say that it
was unheard of In the early days. At
that time the woods were thoroughly
hunted over for wild berries, as tame
ones were rather scarce.
What was then called the "wild
blackberry" was really a species of
dewberry, a very tart and fine flavored
berry It was. always popular fbr pies.
jams and for drying.
But now. as I have stated, the Ever
green blackberry Is called "the wild
Oregon blackberry." and as such It is
sold in the markets, and the housewife
thinks of course, she Is buying the
native berry. This berry is a rank
grower, a persistent and abundant
bearer of fruit, but It is Inferior in
flavor.
It Is not many years since we first
found the Evergreen berry listed in the
nursery catalogues.
In recent years we began to hear
that people were finding great quanti
ties of these berries as "wild," so
called. .
They are found in the Toothllls, also
In Western and Southern Oregon,
where they have evidently been scat
tered In some way from the cultivated
patches.
I wish to add a letter recently re
ceived from the professor of pomology
at the Oregon Agricultural College. He
explains quite satisfactorily all that is
necessary tj know about this Interest
ing species of berry.
'We cannot tell you lust exactly
when the Evergreen blackberry was
introduced into this state.
"However, it is not a true native
here. After once being introduced, it
found such a congenital home that
It escaped from cultivation and is now
found growing wild in a number of
parts of Western Oregon.
Southwestern Europe is generally
designated as Its native home.
'It has now become one of our lead
ing commercial varieties of black
berries in this portion of the North
west." MRS. MATT IE B. ROSS.
EGG
BOYCOTT
IS
ASSAILED
T. Geer Says Housewives
Have
Tackled Wr Items.
PORTLAND, Dee. 9. (To the Editor.)
While the present high cost of liv
ing Is simply "fierce, and while the
housewives are not to be blamed for
energetically delving into the cause of
It and vigorously applying a. remedy
when found. I am moved to coincide
with such of your correspondents as
have questioned the Justice of making
the first, or any other, "stab" at the
crevalllnz prloe of eggs.
For seven years I have kept a flock
of hens, varying in numbers from 200
to 30. and know from experience there
Is no profit in the business unless a
condition could be maintained when
feed is reasonably cheap and eggs rel
atively high. There are many things
about the business of which the aver
age purchaser knows nothing. A dozen
eggs is a dozen eggs and that Is the
only matter of Interest to him -or her,
This would not be so if ohickens were
hatched full-grown egg producers and
If they laid an egg every day, but
"day-old chicks" are noted for being
shy as to producing eggs on the start.
Pullets do not begin laying eggs even
when two weeks old, nor a month nor
six months, and when the housewife
or other individual engaged in the
business hands Out feed for from seven
to 10 months to a hen that does noth
ing but consume wheat and other food
that practically destroys her value be
fore she presents any Income what
ever, the eggs that she does finally lay
should bring a price well up to the 60-
cent standard at any time of the year.
And she doesn't lay all the time even
when she begins that method of pre
tending to reimburse her owner for
her "keep." Nobody's hens do, and when
they are eating feed that costs from
3 to 4 cents per pound her eggs should
bring 75 oents a dozen that is, if the
owner is to reap any. profit at all for
his entire year's expenses. Today
was talking with a man who has 300
hens that have laid but three and four
eggs each day. all told, for two months,
and he says they have cost him at least
75 cents apiece.
Treatises on scientific poultry rals
lng are valuable, of course, and some
times pullets lay at six months, but the
overwhelming number of them do not
anywhere, and the "extra C s are so
very scarce that they always get their
names and pictures in t:ie papers.
When all hens deliberately refuse to
lay unless they are fed on five dollar
gold pieces and people expect to buy
eggs at Jitney prices in comparison, a
boycott, if successful, win only drive
everybody out of the business and Chi
nese eggs will supply the market.
Speaking of eggs, it should not be
forgotten that unless an egg is good
it is not a good egg. It is hard to
successfully establish degrees of fresh
ness in eggs. It is either a fresh egg
or it is not. Of course an egg can be
placed in cold storage or it can be
"water glassed." but In neither case
do you have a fresh egg to use In after
months. Everybody knows this and
it accounts for the reason that "strict
ly fresh" eggs will always be in a class
to themselves. Every housewife knows
that an egg under suspicion is already
condemned. T. T. GEER.
PRODUCER
PROTESTS
BOYCOTT
Egg Raisers Consider Housewives Are
Not Fair in Attack.
HOLLEY. Or.. Dec. 8. (To the Edi
tor.) My Portland dealer writes mo:
I would ask you not to make any
further shipments until the egg boycott
Is over, as the housewife is not using
any eggs. I have tried my best to place
eggs with the grocery stores, hospitals
and hotels In fact, I tried to get con
tracts for them at quotation prices, but
none of them would enter into any con
tract.
Now, I want to know how the poul-
tryman has sinned greater than any
other producer of foodstuffs, especially
at this time bf year, when we are all
keeping hens at a loss. As early as
the laBt of October a poultry-man of
Brownsville that keeps over 3000 hens
said they was not paying their way.
For from two to three months in late
Fall and early Winter the hens moult
and pay no profit or even keep them
selves, an then through the scarcity
the price goes up and you start a boy
cott.
Every such move discourages the
poultry raiser, and if there was any I
lfkAlihnnri nf ih,m ,v,r hiinir a. nr-. 1
plus under normal conditions such ef
forts would put a quietus on it all. 1
There are several reasons why eggs
are high, principally the demand is
greater than the supply, owing to war
conditions. A great part of Eastern
labor is pretty well employed in muni
tion factories at good wages, and the
eggs of that section are in demand, so
they do not have carlota to dump on
the Pacific Coast.
Then the Chinese egg cut quite a
figure for a while, and poultry was
dumped on the market of the United
States, and we are reaping a harvest
now of shortage, and a general boy
cott will help to curtail the production
and act as a boomerang on the con
sumer. Don't you know that there are thou
sands of families that have no eggs
for Winter use among the rural popula
tion of this country of ours? It is
true, however.
It seems a pity that now when the
egg producer is keeaing fowls at a
loss that he should be barred out of
fhe market tin our more fortunate
neighbors on the south can come in
with their eggs: that the Oregon hen
Is barred, and no fault of hers for the
condition existing. .
The writer cannot see why eggs are
picked out alone. Why not cut out
sugar, rice, meats, beans, butter and
flour? All are abnormally high. If a
boycott is a good thing for one, why
not for all? My Judgment is we have
not reached the highest prices yet, and
no boycott will help to relieve the
situation until those warring nations
quit war and engage in the arts of
peace.
We are not at war, but will have to
pay wari prices till that conflict ends.
Now, I want to ask how long do the
people think we poultrymen will keep
our stock at a loss and no market for
the product? And when the poultry-
men quit the people will have the Chi
nese etctr left yet. all right, but is It a
square deal for a brother Oregonian
that keeps a few hens to help pay ex
penses while trying to make him a
home In these Western wuos7 wnen
feeds are so high you have never heard
any protest from them when eggs are
low, but they Just took what they could
get and called it good, but when the
market is closed it is time to call a
halt.
Suppose the egg producers would
boycott Portland, eggs would be at a
premium. There Is no danger of it
but If one Is fair the other would be.
from the same standpoint.
The established poultryman Is In the
business to stay, but the same cannot
be said of the amateur In the business.
And from them the surplus comes, as a
rule. So the publio- will be the loser.
always, as a result of a boycott.
J. R. SPRINGER.
HIGHER WAGE IS ADVOCATED
More Pay for All Would Solve 'Food
Cost, Says Writer.
PORTLAND. Deo. 9 (To the Ed
itor.) The question of the hour Is the
question of living. ' To. solve this
problem public discussion seems to
grope for a cause to rising prices, also
for a remedy that Is at once effective
and expedient and" yet one that will not
disturb the industrial equilibrium of
the Nation. The problem lies wholly
within the sphere of economics and
should be viewed, from economic prin
ciples.
The price of any one commoaiiy de
pends on the supply and demand of
that one commodity. If tr rise in
prices only affected ne or even a dozen
of commodities. It would be an easy
matter to apply this principle. How
ever, since It is not merely potatoes or
foodstuffs in general, but" boots, steel,
glass 'and. everything else, the theory
of supply and demand can only answer
lor the fluctuation of the ratio or the
Dries of one commodity to another. In
fact, though figures are not obtainable,
yet the writer hazzards the opinion
that the production of foodstuffs ran
the same before the war as now. It is
true that the success of the subma
rines is fatal to the food supply; it is
true that the fields on the battle front
are wasted; yet it is equally true that
the fields intact are producing more
due to better methods of husbandry,
Besides the demand on the food sup
ply is less, since Germany Is on half
rations, also since tne supply is con
sumed with less waste, due to the
method of feeding armies by experts.
Supply and demand remaining tha
same, the prices of the foodstuffs
should not be more now than before
the war. . ,-
Unfortunately this Is not the case
The purchasing power of money de
pends upon the supply and demand of
money. Money is tne medium oi ex
change and as such, gold, silver, cur
rency and credit serves the same pur
pose. If the warring nations print
paper money they Increase the supply,
also if business assumes wholesale pro
portions instead of retail proportions,
It facilitates the circulation of money.
In fact, this is exactly what has hap
pened the' warring nations have In
flated their currency for revenue pur
poses. Too, Instead of each soldier
buying for himself, the governmen
buys for a whole army. Instead of
thousands of transactions before the
war. there Is but one contract now,
This has lessened the demand on money
and this condition abroad. Is drlvin
the gold to this country.
The economists would sum up this
condition in the manner of a rule like
this: that the price of the total social
Income (all goods produced) is the
volume of the medium of exchange
circulating at a given rate. If, then,
the .currency, has been inflated, th
method of bargaining improved, th
efficiency of credit stimulated and th
circulation of money accelerated, the
price of the total goods produced will
risein proportion.
To solve the problem of high prices "
by reducing the standard of living is
an Ignoble solution and incompatible
to the well-being of society.
Since we are affected by the outflux
of goods and the Influx of gold, an em
bargo would no doubt be effective, but
embargoes have a tendency to stop the
wheels of industry and throw people
out of employment.. It is too radical a
measure.
A boycott is pure discrimination
gainst the producers' of the boycotted '
article. To be Just It would require
a boycott on all goods, which is im
possble. .
Being a registered Republican, I
would like' to see the Republican prin
ciple that the best way to reduce the
cost of living is by Increasing wages.
This is neither radical nor destructive
in its Influence and. further, it is con
sistent with a competitive system of
economics.
Let labor raise Its scale, the lawyer
his fee. the minister his tithes and. the
clerk his hire. Respectfully.
O. F. T. JONSON.
130 West Webster street. Portland.
FARM ENFORCES ECONOMY
Country Woman Says City Woman Has
Too Many Luxuries.
CANBT, Or.. Dec. 8. (To the Ed
itor.) I happen to be a "city lady"
living on the farm, and I would not
exchange the experience I have had on
the farm for a good deal.
One thing I have learned is to dis
criminate between luxuries and 'essen
tials. In buying, for Instance, people in the
city have so many temptations, for
everything looks so good. We must
have grapefruit, granges, bananas and
some celery, and I migrht go on and
mention ever so many things that are
not necessary.
Now. I like to live well, but the farm.
aiter an. teacnes from sheer necessity
now to live well without these thlnern.
vv e nave our nomemaae picKies. rrult
and vegetables, which are each put up
in tne-r season, and we are very well
satisfied. We io not buy string beans.
peps and ever so many other things
out of season, for we can't get them
even if we could afford them. I have
been boycotting the hen ever since Sep
tember 1. We have 65 hens and about
of them should be laying. I have
kept account the last month, which
was a fair average, and I have had
ust six dozen eggs, average price 45
cents. I feed the hens one bushel of
wheat every three days, besides bran.
oil meal, beef scrap and ground wheat
and oats. The time I put in and the
steps I take no woman in the city
would think of.
Another thing I would like to
say: The city woman has many
advantages and pleasures compared
with the country woman. For in
stance, she dresses well. goes, to
tho theater, belongs to the woman's
club or some other .organization, and
rides around in her machine, has hired
help and, if not. puts out the laundry
and hires a woman to clean once a
week. All of these things have be
come necessities with the women in
the city and tend to make life pleas-
ant. Why haggle over a few cent, or
even dollars, over the essentials of
life, when there are so many ways to
economize, especially in a time when
we have' so much to be thankful for.
when so many of the world's people
are in want on account of the war.
Human nature Is the eamo the world
over; it Is all right as long as the
fight Is directed against the other fel
low, but when it comes home to our
selves It is a horse of another color.-
Now, I know a good many of these
perfectly well-meaning women who
would boycott the foodstuffs and even
suggest putting an embargo on to
keep' the prices down, and I also know
that these same women thought it per
fectly all right for the American manu
facturer of munitions of war to supply
the allies, thereby prolonging the war.
but when it comes to sending food
that is a different thing, since that
comes too close to their pocketbooks.
I sincerely hope that the American
peonle will get a larger perspective
of the whole situation, for, if we don't.
I am afraid some catastrophe will over
take us to show us the justice and in
justice of things.
A FAITHFUL SUBSCRIBER.
STOCKHOLDER
MAKES
PLEA
Man Who Has Invested In Street Rail
way Stock Discusses Jitneys.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.. Dec 4. (To the
Editor.) I have followed with much
concern the various articles in your
paper dealing with the proceedings of
your City Commission in reference to
regulation of jitney travel and opera
tlon. Sneering remarks and refer
ences concerning the Portland Rail
way. Light & Power Company have
been made In this connection and It Is
these that impel me to write a few
lines.
Firstly. I want to say the Portland
Railway. Light & Power Company are
those who own its stock and I am only
one of many here in Louisville who
have invested hundreds of thousands of
dollars in this corporation, which same
can be said of others living in Colum
bus, O., Philadelphia, New York and
other places. They are not all of them
rich bankers or merchants, but I have
positive knowledge that many widows
here In Louisville are interested nnan-
etally In this concern. Personally I in
vested my money because I had a right
to believe the company had an exclu
sive franchise for running streetcaTs.
Had I expected, competition In another
form of course I should not have be
come a stockholder. As such, how
ever, I, in conjunction with others,
have rights not inferior to stockhold
ers of a Jitney corporation: especially,
so when these same Jitney owners use
the streets which I paid for In part.
Surely no one will deny the Portland
Railway, Light & Power Company have
paid millions of dollars for street pav
ing and owe hundreds of thousands of
dollars more which they are obliged
to pay in the future. No one will as
sume that the streetcar company can
afford to carry passengers nearly 18
miles for 6 cents without getting some
think the stockholders of the Portland
Railway, Light & Power Company have
been treated decently in the matter of
giving a rival electric light company
a franchise in the congested district
without making them compete for leas
profitable business in the outlying dis
tricts, and this Jitney competition 19
the same thing in another form.
I cannot believe- the majority of peo
ple In Portland are not In favor of fale
play - and It Is this we stockholders
want. We are entitled to returns on
our Investment; we haven't received
any for over two years, because th
company hasn't earned any, because of
unfair competition by people who won't
assume responsibilities that we (the
stockholders) assume.
The pros and cons have been argued
and I don't assume to advance any new
thoughts in the matter I complain of.
but I do want to voice my protest and,
the protest of other Individual stock
holders to the state of affairs that now
exists and to the prejudice that Is
meant to be created by the references
to the Portland Railway. Light &
Power Company, which, after all. are
many suffering stockholders in Port
land and other parts of the' country.
M. S. KOHLER. -1810
Inter-Southern Building,
The discovery in Sweden of a loaf of
bread made from pea flour in the time
of the Vikings has disclosed the fact
that peas were cultivated in Europe
more than 1000 years ago.