5
great opportunity in Los Angeles for
NOW
PLAYING
TABLES TURNED' QUICKLY IN
FILM OF "VIOLET , DIAMOND"
Pearl StandLsh Corners Richard Carslake, bat Is Overcome and Sereral
Thrills Are Provided in 19th Episode of "Fatal Ring."
high-class directors.
Summed up, a review of the year In
Los Angeles would Indicate that the
city Is now in reality producing nearly
mi
TD 15c
ALWAYS
90 per cent of the motion pictures
made in this country, and that during
117 the industry on the Coast has
made more progress than ever before.
AT PHOTOPLAY THEATERS
(Continued From Pans 4.)
5c
THE LITTLE HOUSE
WITH THE BIG SHOWS
dwellings, which were inhabited some
3000 years ago by a pigmy race of peo
ple. Their homes were built in the
cliffs, 100 to 400feet above the ground.
Ladders extending to the doors of their
houses were made of wood and buck
skin. The Indians were camera-shy for a
few days, but Fairbanks soon ingratiat
ed himself with them by performing ec
centric acrobatlo stunts, and they
looked upon him with awe and admira
tion. "CXEASY MOXUS."" AT LIBERTY
TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAS", PORTLAND, JANUARY 13, 1918.
-A
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"R
AND3 CTT shouts Pearl Stan- I boasts that she has recovered the eov
dlih to Richard Carslake. who eted Jewel. Carslake dropping It tn his
I, e.iinB- fascinated at the night. In the meantime ..ma tspiaer
violet diamond, as the 19th episode of
the rathe Pearl White serial- opens.
However, Pearl is not mistress of
the situation, for she la quickly cov
ered by a revolver in the hands of one
of Carslake's henchmen. Then enters
the husband of the girl in whose apart
ment the action takes place and he
turns the tables on the enemy. How
ever, victory la short-lived and Pearl
la soon felled by the henchman.
On the roof Tom and the Spider,
Pearl's friends, await the outcome of
her attempt to recover the diamond.
They engage Carslake and his lieuten
ant. The Utter falls oft? the roof, but
Carslake escapes the knife of the Spi
der. Pearl weakly leans against Tom and
forces Carslake to give up the setting.
The Priestess is not "to be denied,
howerer. She visits Carslake. learns
that Pearl possesses the diamond and
leaves Carslake to die with aaa tube
In his mouth. The Priestess not only
wrests the diamond from Pearl, but
takes the setting from the Spider In
the presence of Pearl, who has hurried
to warn him of the Impending visit.
The Priestess and her men leave, bat
a man ia placed at the entrance to the
Spider's den with Instructions to kill
anyone attempting to escape. Pearl,
Tom and the Spider recover from blows
delivered by the Invaders and start In
pursuit of the Priestess. The guard
hears a sound and aa Pearl appears he
raises hla gun and Is about to Are.
Next Sunday comes the final Install
ment of this mystery thriller.
Picturlxallon of Popular P. G.
Wodehooe Serial Opens Today.
Uneasy Money." a plcturlzatlon of
the popular P. O. w odehouse serial
which was published in the Saturday
Evening Post, will be shown at the
Liberty Theater today with Taylo
Holmes, stage comedy star, in the lead
ing role.
Any story or motion picture In wnicn
the action centers around money a io
of money Is bound to be Interesting.
In brief, the story shows how Eliza
beth Nutcombe. niece of Ira utcombe
an aged American millionaire, is left
only a solitary quarter of a dollar in
the last will and testament of that
cranky old gentleman, while Lord
Dawlish (Taylor Holmes), an English
man, is left 15.000.000. And this re
markable bequest was made Lord Daw
llsh because he had been kind and pa
tient enough to teach the old million
aire, during one of his visits to Eng
land, not to "slice"' when playing golf.
The English nobleman, seeing: the
unfairness and the brutality shown his
niece by the dead millionaire, comes to
America to find her and to share
equally with her the million pounds be
queathed to him. He writes Elizabeth
to that effect, but she returns a sharp
reply and refuses. Then he contrives,
through Elisabeth's scapegoat brother.
Nutty" Nutcombe, to visit incognito
the chioken ranch on which Elisabeth
makes a living.
His adventures on the chicken farm
and his quaint courtship make the
most amusing Incidents of this comedy
drama. Taylor Holmes la a scream as
the English- lord, with an extensive
and elaborate wardrobe, and always
adorned with a monocle. His perfectly
tailored clothes, however, do not stop
him from putting on overalls and
whitewashing the chlckencoop, black
ing the stove, washing the dishes, and
otherwise making himself useful when
set to work 4y the little country girl
with whom he fell in love.
LOS ANGELES MOTION-PICTURE
METROPOLIS OF AMERICA
Producers Concede That Southern California City Is Best Place for Their
- Industry; Ninety Per Cent of Total Photoplay Ontpnt From There. '
Film Flickers.
D
BT B. V. DCT.LEVO. i own. They have a separate stage and
L'RINO 191 It was a question I a long line of miniature dressing
among orodicers as to whether rooma. They also have a regular
or not Los Angeles was the best ool-house and playground.
place to make pictures. Daring 191?
It has been fully decided that It Is In
reality the only place.
This decision was reached by a com
fctoatlon of circumstances. The many
hindrances placed In the way of mo
tion picture manufacturers In the East.
sech as the unusual high tax rates and
the refusal of the ctty authorities to
eooprate In the matter of locations,
coupled with the poor climatic condi
dttlons. did much to bring many of the
nor prominent stars to the Coast to
stay.
Mary Pick ford, after an absence of
several years, returned to Los Angeles
early la 1117 and has been here ever
since.
Etouclas Fairbanks, who made a
practice of dividing his time between
the Coast and New York, has also set-J
tied down in Hollywood. Cat
BUI Hart and Charlie Chaplin have
never been away and they complete
tfc Big Four of the picture Industry.
City BVaeka I s ledmstry.
The city or Los Angeles Is. behind the
motion picture Industry in every way
and has In the last year spared no ef
fort to make production work run along
smoothly.
For a time the residents of Holly
wood, the suburban town In which
most of the studios are located, made
It very uncomfortable for the picture
people, but after they were severely
taken to task by the municipal author!
ties they withdrew the many com
plaints registered and for the past sev
eral months have been very quiet.
Even during the present slump In
production, which is due to the war
tax and a lack of organisation in some
of the companies, there Is more going
on In Los Angeles than there has been
os a number of years.
Griffith Starts AerHrlry.
The return of D. W. Griffith to the
Fine Arts Studio once more maksa that
historic plant the scene of much ac
tivlty.
At Culver City the Triangle Is going
full force with all their dramatic com
panies located there, as well as the
Kevmtone Corned T forces.
Thos. H. In-e. who formerly held
sway at the Culver City studios. Is
temporarily at the old Klograph studio.
but building operations have already
ben commenced for his new studio,
which wtil be situated very near the
old stamping ground at Culver Ctty.
The l.kr studio now covers two
square blocks and harbors. In addition
to the regular La.ky-Pamous Players
Company, the Fairbanks and Ptckford
outfits.
Htll Hart has moved Into Mabl Nor
man. i s old studio ar.d Charlie Chaplin
has Just completed the building of a
wonderful new studio of hla own.
I'ntversal Ctty is not as active as It
was last year, aa the short reel pro
duction has been entirely eliminated.
Juki at bresent the public is refused
admittance to Cnlversal City. Previous
to the time this ruling was put Into
effect the studio was one of the show
places of the city.
trra ftapaada Oatpat.
The old I'nlTersil studio Is now oc
cupied by Julius ft em and his L-Ko
comedy companies. Stern has Increased
production In about the same ratio as
the Big 3 has decreased. He has five
companies working and has added to
hla force such comedy stars as Slack
waln. Alice Howell. Hughle Mack and
Bobbie Iunn.
The Fox Studio, which began the
year with the small National Film Com
pany plaat. which was later destroyed
by fire, now stretches Its producing
activities over art area of three square
blocks.
A moat Interesting and nnusual ad
dition Is the Fox Kiddle Features plant.
IM caUvlrea ha is a sludlo all their
lessett at Old Stand.
Mack Sennett remaina In his studio,
where he became famous through th
production of comedies bearing the
Keyetone trade mark. He continues to
enlarge the plant and does not seem to
nave maae any great decrease in pro
auction since transferring hla al
leglance to the Paramount programme.
II ease Star Taken Oter.
The Metro, which In the past has
been represented by Fred Balshofer.
has now taken over the old Lone Star
Studio, where Charlie Chaplin held
forth. They have Introduced to the
West Coast colony Viola Dana and
have brought back Edith Storey, who
formerly made pictures at the Vita
graph Western btudlo. It is believed
that they will in the near future bring
a number of their other stars to Los
Angelea.
Goldwyn has been looking for
studio for some, but aa yet haa been
unable to secure one which would be
suitable for the large production unit.
Among the smaller companies to lo
cate on the Coast this year are the
Marie Dressier Comedv Comoanr and
Ihe Billy West King-Bee comedy forces.
A number of state rights pictures
have been made in the city this year,
and a studio offering special Induce
ments to firms making this type of
production will soon be erected. (
Ge4 Art ere Larking.
One of the chief faults of Los Angeles
as a producing section was pointed out
by A. 11. Woods in a recent .visit. There
are not enough good actors to furnish
consistently capable casts; that lit.'-in
comparison to those available In New
York.
The Eastern producer has a great ad
vantage In this respect, which Is of
course, most Important. He can draw
on the casts in the legitimate produc
tions playing in New York and In this
way is apt to make a much better pic
ture.
There seems to be no Immediate re
lief for this condition, as employment
cannot be guaranteed the actor In such
a way as It can In New York.
Naturally a man with a legitimate
stage engagement will accept for his
film work a more reasonable salary
than one who depends upon the latter
entirely.
It is so arranged that an actor play
ing a legitimate production can finish
his film scenes In the shortest possible
time, thus making the expense less.
Ceaat Salaries Lower.
Salaries on the Coast nre smaller
than those In New York. It Is often
noticed by the people working In pic
tures In Los Angelea that a man ac
customed to work for a salary of tSO
or J5 a week will go to New York
and command one of SloO or 1150 a
week. Directors who are very glad to
secure a salary of 1100 or 1300 a week
In Los Angeles will demand and very
often get 1500 or t00 a week In New
York.
There also seems a tendency on the
part of all people In Los Angeles to get
to New York and all people In New
York to get to I .oft Angeles. To the
average run or actor this change la inadvisable
Predacllosi at Lew Kb.
At present production is at a low ebb
n Los Angeles, but this Is only tem
porary. However, unless a man Is well
financed he should not make the
change unless he has a contract.
There la. however, a scarcity of really
good directors In Los Angeles. Most of
the successful 'ones are under contract
and there Is hardly a man available
who ran make the highest type of pic
tures.
When the slump is over, which should
bs ia a month or so, Ihers will be a:
TACK RICHARDSON, the Triangle
tl heavy, bas Issued a statement deny
ing that the Jack Richardson appear
ing In the cast of "The Spirit of '76,"
the picture selxed by the United States
Government. Is any way connected with
him. "I never played In the con-
emned picture and do not know the
Jack Richardson appearing on the
aat," declared the Triangle player.
e e
Jack Livingston, Triangle leading
man. has issued a warning that a man
who closely rearmbles him has been
securing funds under false pretenses
by representing himself to be "Jek
Livingston." According to Jack he has
a double in New York who Is touring
th studios, declaring himself to be
the Triangle actor, and is getting a
few days' work on the strength of lc.
Bill Russell has pulled every kind of
a dare-devil stunt; hia latest was to
drive In an automobile race at the Lib
erty sweepstakes.
see
Carl ron Schiller bas passed oft the
screen for the future. , The same fellow
will be known as Jerome Sheler in fu
tare flickers.
1 1
With
BARBARA TENNANT
and
CHESTER BARNETT
A TIMELY SUB-SEA ROMANCE
OF LOVE AND ADVENTURE
Again we offer
you your
money back if
you are
dissatisfied
not use his fists they need merely see
him in "Ruggles of Red Gap" to dis
prove their beliefs. In this picture he
gives Rod LaRocque a smashing blow
on the jaw. And the most interesting
part of it was that the scene was re
hearsed and taken six times. LaRocque
says he 11 forgive the famous comedian,
e e
The portrait of - beautiful June
Elvldge, the young star of World-Pic
tures Brady-Made, appeared last week
upon the cover pages of 53 motion pic
ture theater programme in ar.d near
New York. As an immediate result her
picture-autograph requests during the
ensuing five days increased nearly 1000
over the preceding time of that dura
tion.
"Never had a runaway In my life
and don't expect to," boasted Ruth
Clifford at Seven Oaks the other day.
where, the Bluebird company la work
ing on a new production and imme
diately her pet pony "Bert" bolted and
tossed her out of her saddle into a
cabbage patch.
"In the 'legitimate,'' unless you're
1th a stock company, you have' to
move continually from place to place
and miss all the comforts of being set
tled in a home," is the reason given by
Lewis J. Cody, who left the spoken
stage three years ago and declares that
nothing could induce him to return to
t, for bis transfer of allegiance to the
1
motion picture work
City.
in the Universal
Vivian Martin has appeared In many
delightful photoplays under the Para
mount auspices, but It is extremely
doubtful whether she haa. ever been
een in a picture more splendidly
adapted, to her talents or which em
bodies a more pleasing story. The
scenario of this picture Is by Edith
Kennedy and is adapted from the story
by Francis Hodgson Burnett. At the
tima of Its publication it was noted as
one of the most charming works of
this writer. Robert Thornby directed
"The Fair Barbarian."
e
Everybody knows what a "flapper" Is.
If not. they will learn when Louise
Huff plays a role of that name in her
new co-starring vehicle with Jack
Pickford, from Paramount. It will be
a source of real Joy to many patrons
of the photoplay to again see these two
young stars associated In a picture.
Someone asked Blllie Burke, who is
now at work on "Eve's Daughter" for
Paramount, under James Klrkwood,
how she liked the picture and things
in general, as far as she had gone.
"Fine," responded Miss Burke demure
ly, "but you never can tell what will
happen when two red-heads get to
gether." Mr. Klrkwood has sandy hair
and everyone knows the glory of Blllie
Burke's red-gold tresses. Still, so far,
there hasn't been a conflagration and
isn't likely to be, because both the star
and her director are good tempered and
the best of friends.
e
Anita King's newest piece is called
"Petticoats Versus Pants." It gives her
a splendid opportunity to portray a
bad" girl meaning not an Improper
one, but rather a lady from the West
with notches in her gun.
George Beban, star in Paramount
Pictures, who is now at work on a new
production under the direction of Will
lam C. DeMllle, is becoming the offi
cial story-teller of Southern Califor
nia. Recently he kept the members of
the Los Angeles Press Club in screams
of laughter for nearly two hours with
his Inimitable Italian dialect narra
tlves. So wide has his fame as a
raconteur spread that he is now called
upon to appear at virtually every bene'
fit given.
That Fatty Arbuckle proved so fun
ny that her picture house was closed
for Sunday shows is vouched for by
woman exhibitor, Nora Callahan, of
Crestline, O., in a letter to E. T. Ger-
rlsh, of the Famous Players Film Serv-
ice. Inc., Cleveland, O. She declares
that the pious church people who over
heard the laughter in the theater while
on their way home -from church peti
tioned the Mayor to stop the Sunday
shows. Although she was forced to
obey, Nora Callahan vows she will give
them another opportunity to be shocked
before many moons.
Recently Mary Pickford was in re
ceipt of a letter from a military hospi
tal in Montreal, inclosing an old pic
ture of herself, cut from a newspaper
and dark with blood stains. The accom
panying letter from the soldier told
Miss Pickford that he had been injured
at the front and if she would write him
a letter he would reply and tell her how
the picture happened to become stained
with blood. Did he get a reply? The
decision is left to those who are famil
iar with a woman's curiosity.
In the face of tremendous competi
tion among the producing companies.
Clara Kimball Young has secured the
screen rights to "The House of Glass,"
the great stage success of a few sea
sons ago. ' Owing to the number of
prospective purchasers. Miss Young
was forced to pay a record figure for
the play, but her satisfaction in secur
ing the prize overshadowed its price.
James Montgomery Flagg Is featur
ing Hazel Mills Adams, daughter
Dora Mills Adams, as the superstitious
girl in his new series. "Girls You
Know," shortly to be released.
Metro has acquired the rights to
"The Claim," a play written by Charles
Kenyon and Frank Dare, aa a starring
vehicle for Edith Storey. The play
had a New York run earlier this sea
son, with Florence Roberta In the lead
ing role.
e e e
Herbert Brenon, in tabulating his
achievements of the past year and in
looking forward to the new year, re
peats hla formerly-made assertion that
he is opposed' to the star system and
that he believes the pedestal players
are due lor a slump in 1918.
Florence Deshon. who completed work
recently in Rex Beach's "The Auction
Block," in which prodoetlon she had
the role of Lilaa Lynn, has been signed
by Vltagraph to play leads in feature
productions. Miss Deshon Is now un
der the direction of Paul Scardon, play
ing opposite Harry Morey in his latest
Vltagraph production.
Miss Deshon Is a striking type of
brunette. She had the vampire part
in "The Auction Block" and has been
seen in leading character roles in sev
eral of the big features for the pro
gramme and open market.
Douglas Fairbanks is teaching wres
tling and. boxing to his new director,
Allan Dwan. in order that the latter
can step lively when on the field of ac
tion in behalf of Artcraft pictures.
Thomas Meighan. leading man for
Blllie Burke in her new Paramount
picture. "Eves Daughter. spent the
week end in Boston visiting his wife.
Frances Ring, who Is playing there in
Lpstairs and Down." Miss Rime saw
"The Land of Promise" in Boston and
write a criticism of it tor the Boston
newspaper. As her husband Is leading
man for Blllie Burke In the picture, her
criticism was complimentary In the ex
treme just to prove she wasn't jealous.
.
Ethel Clayton may be said to be
playing In luck. She started for Palm
Beach to work on her new World-
picture Just a day before the cold spell
hit New York and she is still basklne
under Southern skies while other
World stars go scooting along the
Palisades of a morning wondering If
the pesky thermometer tells half the
truth.
Frederick Burton, famous stage star
ppearlng as "Cousin Egbert" In Taylor
Holmes' picture, "Ruggles of Red Gap,"
looked so true to life as a Westerner
that a real cowboy visiting in Chicago
pled hlra as a sight "'fer sore eyes."
I halnt seen a soul that looks like
ome sence I came to town," explained
the cowboy. "Whar" ye' fromT Burton
laughed and said: "Red Gap." And it
was some time before the cowboy could
realize that Mr. Burton was merely in
character- makeup for the George
. Spoor special picture.
Wallace David Coburn. the "Cowboy
Poet." writer of Western verse and
torles and best known for his "Rhymes
f the Round-up." has joined the Uni
ersal acting forces and la participat
ing In the filming of "The Bulls Eye-
new serial.
If anyone thinks Taylor Holmes can-
PETTY POLITICS HELD TO BLAME FOR LABOR
SHORTAGE NOW EXISTING THROUGHOUT OREGON
Colonel E. Hofer Says More and More People Are Being Driven Out of This State Because of Their Inability to
SecureMen to Handle the Industries Already Established.
w
BY COLONEL E. HOFER.
Editor The Manufacturer.
HEN I was in Salt Lake recently
I was Informed by one of the
officials of the Utah-Idaho
Sugar Company that the new sugar
factory erected two' years ago at Grants
Pass would have to be dismantled and
moved away for the reason that beets
could not be secured in sufficient quan
tity to pay tcr keep it in operation.
The people of Southern Oregon either
will not grow beets or cannot get the
labor to grow beets. If that industry
is given vp it will be the second sugar
factory in Oregon to be abandoned, the
first having failed to operate success
fully In L& Grande.
The big Issue before the people of
Oregon is to show to the capitalists
who have put their money Into the
Grants Pass enterprise that we will not
bear the stigma of having a second at
tempt to found an Important industry
fall for want of attention on our part.
If we let the sugar factory at Grants
Pass be dismantled we might as well
say good-bye to all future efforts to
establish an Industry that has proven
highly successful in all other Western
states, dissolve our commercial clubs
and chambers of commerce and repeal
our State Labor Bureau and admit our
selves a failure in founding industries
that require material from the soil for
their existence.
Oresron People Should Rally.
a
We ought to rally ourselves, face the
farts, admit our weakness industrially
and try to remedy the conditions. The
sugar Industry has its troubles In other
states, and these instances of abandon
ing sugar factories are not the only
ones in the country. Other communities
have failed, but we should not fall
without a struggle. Oregon should
adopt as a state policy some system
of supplying common labor where
needed.
It was stated by a Federal official in
vestigating the shipyard etrlke at Ban
Francisco that the shipbuilding Indus
try on the Pacific Coast needed 30,000
mechanics for working in wood and
steel to meet the Nation's needs of
shipping. There was talk, of building
another sugar beet factory In the Wil
lamette Valley, and the hopyards about
Independence where to be planted to
sugar beets. The State Agricultural
College has proven by actual tests that
sugar beets can be grown in the West
ern Oregon counties of sufficient sac
charine value to be used for sugar
manufacture. All we lack Is labor.
Before the European war the Port
land Chamber of Commerce conducted
campaign to secure Immigration di
rect from Germany, Switzerland and
other Northern European countries. Of
course, that Is all ended. We have no
expectation until peace is declared of
securing labor supplies from Europe.
After the war impoverished millions
will undoubtedly seek asylum in North
and South America. But our country
is full of those who will cry, we do not
want any impoverished and pauperized
European immigrants! -
Labor Conditions Chanaylas.
Let it be considered that labor con
ditions in the world have changed.
Only poor and hunger-stricken laborers
in large numbers will do the hard work
necessary to make raw materials from
the land and do the rough work to
develop a new state and subdue forests
and rain swamps for future profitable
agriculture. Oregon was never so pros
perous as when the cheap coolie labor
of China cleared our lands and made
the valleys and hillsides of Western
Oregon bloom with harvests.
No one would dare now advocate the
importation of such cheap labor, al
though ohr stte is well supplied with
those who want state money loaned
cheaply to the farmers and want cheap
fertilizers supplied by the taxpayers,
etc., but inconsistently cry out against
cheap labor.
So, without looking to Europe for
the present to supply us with abundant
farm labor, where shall we look? Shall
we let the sugar industry perish with
out a struggle? Shall we let the dairy
Industry languish as it has under
abundance of legislation and regulation
but with a notable absence of cow
milkers? Shall we continue te let the
country grow up to brush and second
growth without an effort to find a
class of labor that can be employed at
prices that warrant a farmer, in having
land cleared?
Individual Thinking Needed.
Shall we go on multiplying our laws
to limit the hours of labor and screw
up the prices of farm labor until the
dream of the universal eight-hour law
at 13 per applies to the man in the
barnyard? Is it In the interest of the
skilled labor, that comprises the mem
bership of - the trades unions, that we
are doing these things and driving
higher and higher the cost of farm
products and the H. C. L.? Should not
the people of Oregon begin to do a lit
tle thinking Independently of the polit
ical manipulator who is bidding for the
votes of Oregon labor unions at the
expense of the development of the
state? Does not Oregon need more than
anything else a distinctive definite pol
icy of supplying the state with abun
dance of common labor if we are to
make any headway in the great indus
tries underlying state development?
More and more people are driven out
of the dairying business, in production
of butter, cheese and milk, because of
impossibility of hiring men to handle
and feed stock, and handle the forage
crops that are essential to making
dairy products. There is no crop that
yields so large a by-product for feed
ing swine and dairy cattle as the sugar
beet. ' The green tops, the pulp, both
sweet and in the fermented form, make
as much beef and pork and mutton and
dairy products per acre as an acre of
Iowa corn or alfalfa.
Other States Advancing.
Are we too slow and too sluggish to
ppreciate the meaning of such a state'
ment? Are we(so busy playing labor
politics that we dare not try to get
the labor to make the sugar beet crops
necessary to the continued existence
of the sugar beet factory at Grants
Pass? Go into other states and see the
arge numbers of Russians, Mexicans,
Japanese and other nationalities em
ployed in the sugar beet .industry. One
sugar manufacturing firm that oper
ates "refineries in three states, Colo
rado, Wyoming and California, spent
$20,000 last year bringing in Mexican
labor to make sugar beet crops for the
farmers.
The Government suspended the liter
acy test against these Mexicans so they
might come in and help make sugar
beet crops for Uncle Sam to help feed
the hungry nations of the earth, and
prevent a sugar famine in our own
country.
Oregon needs at least 5000 laborers
to make the sugar beet industry a suc
cess in this state and to raise beets
enough to operate two factories and do
our bit In adding to the sugar produc
tlon required of this Nation. We could
use 6000 laborers in the depleted dairy
Industry unless we are willing to see
milk and cream soar to where only the
ricn can arrord to use those articles,
and then in homeopathic doses.
Labor Shortage Alarming.
In the shipbuilding industry, to say
nothing of lumber production for air
plane material, we need 6000 more la
borers, and the ordinary farmers could
use 10.000 common laborers to clear
lands and do the rough work to dou
ble farm products that are as badly
needed as sugar. But it is simply idle
and useless to even talk of bringing in
this labor, if it could be had. so Ion ir
as our political policies are all to the
one ena or catering to the labor monop
olist who is ambitious only to drive
up wages and shorten the hours, de
claring that even six hours Is too long
to work in a free country.
And yet, as Senator Chamberlain
said at Salem, we are at war with the
most efficient nation In the world. In
dustrially speaking.
We have before us the question of
allowing the sugar beet industry to
languish and die out in Oregon, all for
the lack of common labor to grow
beets. Is it not up to us and our gov
erning bodies to get busy and solve
this problem, even If we had to send
special agents to Mexico, or wherever
the labor is to be secured, and let the
state order some railroad to bring it
in, and distribute where needed to per
form the labor required?
We must pay more attention to in
dustrial efficiency and less to chasing
after political rainbows if we are going
to get anywhere Industrially. The same
is true or the flax industry. We are
neglecting an opportunity to found an
industry that would make our Western
Oregon country as famous as the finest
flax regions of Belgium or Ireland.
We should specialize on labor to de
velop the flax Industry up to the high
est stages of development. Enough
has been done to publish to the world
what our soli and climate can do. Now
let us get in and do it. That is an in
dustrial proposition.
Canning Indnstries S offer.
Vegetable canning "industries are
failing in this state for lack of labor.
It is now necessary to subscribe mil
lions for the Red Cross, the Army Y. M.
C. A., and for the war loans. Bit do
we not owe something definite to the
great industries of which our state is
capable and for the existence and pros
perity of which we are doing nothing'?
We must support these industries if
we are to make the future money need
ed by our Government. We should
hammer away on this question of how
to supply labor that the industries for
which - our state is specially adapted,
like sugar beet growing, dairying, flax
culture, shipbuilding, and . vegetable
growing and truck gardening can live,
when capital is ready and willing to
do its part.
Have we not the same ability to
found these industries that other states
have? Do states like Colorado. Mon
tana, California, Utah, and Idaho suf
fer from having abundance of labor
necessary to make sugar beet growing
a success? Do the labor unions of
those states suffer because there is a
greater abundance of cheap farm labor
to produce the necessary raw materials
to make manufacturing possible on a
large scale? Every one of those states
is forging ahead and growing: In wealth
faster than Oregon, and organized la
bor does not suffer.
We demand cheap capital for the
farmer, we demand cheap railroad and.
water transportation, we deplore the
high cost of living, but we are afraid
to demand cheaper farm labor because
we are playing cheap politics.
There has been universal complaint
the past years about the. scarcity of
farm labor. The, farmer is being
speeded up and urged to greater pro
duction and increased acreage to feed
the Nation and, its allies and keep
down the mounting cost of necessaries,
but what are we doing to give him
the help he needs to make crops and
harvest them? Nothing.
Politics Is LoHiufr Game.
It is true the Labor Commissioner,
the postmasters and the county farm
agents try to shift labor and send
unemployed persons here and there to
relieve local conditions,' High school
boys and vacation hands have all been
tried, but they are no substitute for
an abundance of labor seeking em
ployment. The state cannot develop
under temporary expedients and make
shifts, and its industries will languish
if it depends on transient labor that
comes and goes, and, in most cases,
does not want hard, steady work.
Without plenty of common laoor to
handle our main industries we will
be sparing and saving driblets in the
kitchen and wasting and losing on the'
farms. With more and more able
bodied young men going to serve their
country on the battlefields growing
crops, with increasing scarcity oc
labor, is uphill business. We are ask
ing the farmers to grow bumper crops
on every possible acre of ground, with
labor so scarce that from $5 to $6 a
day must be paid for harvest hands
and threshing crews, and 3 to 4 a
day for Boy Scouts to take the place
of full hands. Any' labor at all for
grubbing land or milking cows is out
of the question.
Farmers Work Long Hours.
Farmers who are patriotic and will
ing to raise sugar beets, flax or can
nery supplies, cannot finance a farm
on the wages that are demanded. They
cannot make the crops on the tillable
soil they have, to say nothing of plant
ing more. As an alternative every farm
er has been working 18 to 20 hours a
day, women and old-people and chil
dren have been working, some until
midnight on moonlight nights, like the
peasants in Russia, trying to save what
Uncle Sam induced them to plant. And
with all that thousands of tons of fruit,
potatoes and other perishable crops are
going to be lost.
What is the state, as a political ma
chine, doing to help them? Nothing.
Labor unions come forward with de
mands for more eight-hour laws, and
restrictions of hours in this industry
and that. Not a lick is being struck to
save our industries that are waning,
and some of them going by the board.
when we should be using our state gov
ernment to save what we have and get
more production from the soil if we
are to do our part in the great strug
gle for National existence.
DEFECTIVE CHILD PROBLEM
(Continued From First Page.)
Sheaf e examines the boys correspon-,
dence and invites their confidence by
her friendly attitude.
The training school, with its loo
boys and 24 workers, forms a busy col
ony on a farm or 200 acres, a mile out
of Chehalis. The boys are a cheerful
and well-nourished lot of youngsters.
who have eight hours a day of steady
work four in school and four in the
shops or on the farm.
Boys Kept Buiry.
There is a machine 6hop, with it3
fonges and lathes, a shoe shop, a laun
dry, a tailor shop and a carpenter shop,
each with its qualified foreman and In
structor. The boys do the work of the
colony, from firing the boilers that fur
nish the heat and power to milking the
cows, harnessing and driving the
horses, feeding the hogs, making the
shoes and clothes that are worn and.
planting and harvesting the crops un
der the direction of the farmer.
I heard some very explicit directions
given to a boy in the commissary de
partment, where sugar and oatmeal
and flour and beans and breakfast foods .
were piled up, and the language was
pointed enough to make me remember
my boyhood days. At the samo timo
the boys are not under constraint and
obviously seek an opportunity to re- .
ceive a word of greeting from Dr.
Sheaf e.
, Lads on Honor.
There are no constraining walls or
fences and the honor boys, composing
nearly half the population, are allowed
a great deal of tceedom and various 1
privileges.
The second class is composed of new
boys and those who have failed to ob
serve regulations. The third class, con- "
sisting of three boys at the time of my
visit, is made up of persistent runa
ways and trouble-makers. They wear "
red suits, which make them easy to ob
serve. Under the Washington law boys are
committed until they are 21, but are
subject to parole. Dr. Sheafe's plan is
to keep the boy a year and then re
lease him if he has behaved well. Ho
administers no punishment, but de
prives offenders of privileges. The
best-behaved boys are given brief
pleasure trips, while troublesome boys
go to the moving picture entertainment
at the school and stand with their '
backs to the picture screen.