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OF I HE J QURNAL
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Editorial
Page
THE JOURNAL
AV INDISf NDSNT NBWSPAPr
O. . Jackson.
Fahllahed every awning (nm Dvmtitj) mnd
tvwfj XmuUr ajofiHii. Tit Journal Bnll-t-Ian.
Plfik a.S V iul. I II streets, rrttaDd, Or.
fcnlvrae at to pflotTirm at Partlsad, Or.; tar
tlinnUiMtu tlUOOfk tu Ball M clw
TCLKMIOSB MAIN TITS.-
'all drfwrnovnt lM-k4 by lhl aumba.
. tit eseralut ta evrtpiot yM want. "
TU
IOKKION -abVRRTlXIMJ- ".BPRKSBNTATIVB
rwlini rVnJaaila Spclal Adranlnlnc Aseary,
- tM ut, York;. Trltiun bulUI
Hi, .lil-a. ' .
SuSacriptloa Tnra hy Bill to asy soot
IB Ui Lulled State, lanada af hum: ) ,
. . .. DAILY . .
Out rr.C...:.tiOO On naoth. ......f .60
On rear. ........ S3.90 Oh Booth.....,. .13
DAILY AND SCNDAT. . . i w ,
On year. ...... ..$7.60 ) On moata. . .. . .
TV V. InkMf -.rlnfr SiitmmwA
thin 7a can hrlnff one into i ton. I
. tentmcnt .of -mind, with-whica-j
no state U miserable. Sidney. :
AN ASTONISHING REPORT,
IT-IS UNLIKELY7th"t congress
will act favorably on the recent
report of the postal commission,
- but that the commission, com
posed of senators Penrose, Carter and
Clajr,' and Representatives Overstreet,
Gardner and Moon, should nave made
sucn report is astonis.ning. ine re
striction of the press which this
measure proposes would "not sound
amiss under the despotism of Rus
sia, and would be considered drastic
In the imperial German empire. Its
provisions are not only almost in-
credibly harsh, but it betrays with
-Cl"icajiranVnesa-ftYOwtd-.h0fc
tility to -the press that if sharedby
the.lmajority of congress and the ad
ministration would be alarming. Jef
ferson is reported to have declared
th Ltt ha4-4ohoosebween'a
government without newspapers and
newspapers-' without government, he
would choose the latter, and the con--jtm4OTrdedarerrfoTrlibmyr35f!3ne
press, but this report not only fa
vor radical - restrictions of the lib
erty of the press, but is manifestly
conceived in a -? spirit of rancorous
hostilitjr to the press.
One of hese congressional', cen
sors expressed himself against "the
confusion pi newspapers and .maga
zine;;; '.type,;"-'' and .: the 'unhealthy
. exaggeration of the modern news
paper, especially its'; Sunday; edi
tion,", ... which - he , said was "a
consequence of the expansive power
of fiction." What convincing state
ment! , It "expansive fiction" is to be
excluded from the mails, a large
part of the Congressional Record,
. with its leave to print" ; speeches,
would have to be kept out. And,
by the way,, it is ihe abuse of the
franking privileges , by members of
congress Sn sending out' campaign
i buncombt that Recounts largely for
' the. deficit in the postal revenues.
This def iclf, however which is sought
to be' made a partial excuse for this
, wonderful report, was last year about
$10,000,000 on total business of
$178,000,000, and this was $3,000,000
less than the preceding year, although
none of the raijroad graft had beeq
ct off. Besides, the tost of rural
free delivery amount to $25,000,000,
- and- this i. not rsmpposed-to br telfr
sustaining,, and nobody is asking that
rt shall be So the deficit is no ca-
rusewhatever for such revoltrtionrry
anti-press recommendations.' r ' V
, Here are, some of the provisions
of this press-gag bill:' 'The title and
date line must appear on every page
of every part'of a paper. No paper
shall consist substantially of fiction,
;tior cany aJvertisemem"ooyrTng
more than.' 50 per cert of its surface".
All parts or sections must be of the
I same size, form and weight of paper".
Supplements must be of the same
form as the niain paper, must con-
ta inno d vertisementsand only mat
ter left incomplete in the main sheet.
Sample copies must in no case ex
ceed 10 per cent of thr Tegular paid
issue. ' In Neach issue the publisher
must make oath' to the number of
copies mailed to subscribers of .dif
ferent classes, and the total weight and
weight per copy. He must also furnish
tinder oath such other information
as the postmaster-general may pre
scribe," who is.' also' to dictate. the
manner in which newspapers shall
be folded. The postal rates are, in
creased in such a manner as to penal
ire larger paper. Free copies are
forbidden,, with specific ? exceptions.
N premium, gift or rebate can be
offered. ... . 4
There are .-other regulations and
restrictive provisions, but' these will
serve to show the nature of the bill.
It is indeed a marvel, considering
that this is the twentieth century.
lUtt it i not these prescriptions, ri
diculous and unreasonable as some
r f them are, that constitute the main
objection to the measure; it 4s the
fpirit and intent to r?5trict, in any
tanner and Hv any extent the govern
mrnt jlres, the liberty of the press.
If the. government can do all these
things it can precribe what a pa
(rr iha!I tr shall cot publishTand
can censor and suppress it for any
thing that does not. suit a postmas
ter-general or any of .hf assistant
who .are, constituted , press censors.
The thing; is surely an impossibility,
and that six members ' of congress
would make such a .report probably
not a newsoaoer in the United'States
I would have believed if it were not a
duly and officially reported fact, put
down in black and white. ., The sena
torial part of the commission may not
feel immediately and directly the
''power of the press," but we shall
not be surprised, to see Messrs Over
street, Gardner and Moon retired, at
the firstopportunity from public life.
PESERVED.TO BE,.klU,BP
THE ; overwhelming -vote by
" which the proposed amendment
to Statement One was killed atj
Salem jr highly-creditable to the
Oregon senate and reassuring to the
peopU. Statement One i the best
provfsion in the primary law. ,- Next
Cb direct legislation, it J., the best
thing in; the polity of Oregon It is
as fai,a measure as human hands can
fashion. ' The - legislative candidate
can take Statement One, Statement
Two or no statement, as he chooses.
He has' his free choice and he should
ask no more.. Yet that simple provis
ion has delivered Oregon from legis
lative scenes in senatorial ' elections
that were a humiliation to the people
and a blight on the name of the state.
They were scenes in which passion,
corruption and scandal were the set
ting and the debauchment and pros
titution" of public .men the conse
quence. - All thia.by one qukkrifft4tne -value of the .produci-of-any-gii
tive stroke Statement One eliminated.
and we should be a queer people were
we now to deliberately toss it aside,
by (change of its terms. To do so
would be to surrender the ground we
hate gained, to turn our backs' on
progress; to hoist the white flag in
the moment of our victory. It would
showered upon us front other states
now' preparing to fashion their own
senatorial elections after the splendid
model set up in Oregon.
-iThose aenatera-- whose-votes-flaved
the measure deserve state wide "com
mendation. ' ', ' -'-f ;---"
INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE.
J
OHN F. DRVDEN'S nnsuccess-
ful campaign in New Jersey has
not only exposed hi discreditable
public and business character and
bared to public gaae the type of man
wh6 too often gets info the aenate
from corporation-ridden ) states, bat
has drawn attention to the loot of
the public, especially of poor people,
under the guise of industrial Insure
ance. ( This man Dryden built up a
fortune of $20,000,000 m more out of
the nickels and dimes of the working
classes, of those of small means and
even the very poor. He would take
one of a widow's two mites to adjl to
his fortune. No wonder ' Prudential
became as solid as Gibraltar, raking
in 20 or 30 cents 'for every penny it
paid back to the poor. There have
been some very reprehensible men in
the senate, "but we think of none
quite sq' contemptible as Pryden.
Even New Jersey TiadTo rejccF him.
Dryden' game was sure-thing slot
machine game. It took the nickels
(and -imes-aik-only occasionally gave
any back, just enough to encourage
the players to keep in the game.
Many, did drop out, but had no draw
down. It was a "cinch," and other
like companies are not much better.
Some states , are considering the
plan of encouraging wage earners to
deposit their little savings in "state
controlled 'banks, where in ease of
necessity they can withdraw them.
Massachusetts ha organized a Sav
ings Insurance League, of which ex-Governor-Douglas-iraTnemberrand
concerning the purpose of which lie
says: "It is intolerable that the work
ing man should be obliged to give op
so much of his earnings to obtain a
few hundreds of insurance. ; I believe
your plan of erecting in savings banks
an independent department of life in
surance, not only sound and feasible,
but the best way of furnishing to
working men life insurance at 'cost."
iTo support such a movement facts
concerning Prudential have been as
certained.' Irt 1903 a sample year-
Prudential wrote 26,663 policies in
Michigan and paid 677 which became
claims.' It, collected in premiums,
$241,931 and paid back $58,616. While
all these policies were Hwritten and 667
terminated by death, 19,688 others
lapsed and forfeited because their
holders were either dissatisfied or nn-j
r r
The general ratio is the same. Dur
ing that year. 1,247,226 policies were
writt.i and only 60,818 became
claims,' while 82528 - lapsed. "The"
company received an income, in pre
miums alone, amounting, to $36,028,402
whilf It paid backbut $1 r,344,899:7IT
paid $7,138,493 in' commissions .to
Agents; $2786765 m . salaries to its
agencies; $245725 for agency supervi
sion; $584,000 to medical examiners;
$589,000 for advertising, printing, post
age and stationery, and $2,786765 for
the expenses of the home office. The
total disbursement was $2$,645,124 and
the people who furnished the money
got bu.t $1 1,544,899. i The net surplus
for Dryden and the few stockholders,
besides heir salaries, was nearly nine
and a half millions.' : , ,. '
Whaf ah easy, profitable game, this
wholesalfe pilfering fr6mt the poorl
They need and deserve protection
from such vultures as pryden.
'. . ;' ' 1
COAL AND OIL LANDS
V
HIS CONGRESS has before it
i no, measure exceeding in itn
portance the bill introduced by
TV Senator La Fllette, .with the
hearty approval of the president, for
the retention by the government of
all its coal and oil. lands that have
not-yet beeTrTJrsp6sed of. The-bill
reserves from entry and sale, in the
United States and in the Philippines,
the mineral rights to coal and other
materials mined for fuel, oil' gas or
asphalt, allowing the surface to be
sold, but providing for leasing the
mineral rights under a system "of
licenses. The area to be leased to
one person or association is' not to
exceed five square miles, and no com
mon carrier or any person in any way
interested in the business of a com
mon carrier is to be allowed to hold
a license. The term of license is not
to exceed 30 years,, and the royalties
are not to be less than eight cents a
ton on coal, 60 cents a ton on mineral
for hard asphalt, 15 cents a barrel on
mineral for soft asphalt, one-sixth of
well, . $50 a jrear for each gas well
notTitillied," and a cent a thousand
cubic, feet on, gas used at the work.
Elaborate provisions ' are made for
ca rry trig out th e defa1t4-of "thr busk
nes. - The government i to reUin
full power of regulation, and the pres
ident is to have the right to resume
pcsSion6f111 eaffdrny-TIme"
on 'compensating the licensee or his
property and good will, but not' for
any . remaining, mineraL.The mini
mum amount of product to be taken
annually fronv any mine is to-be fixed V
by the secretary of the interior. No
boy under 14 nor-anyjsoman. or.girl
is to be employed in any mine under
the surface. ".' ..'"
j It is argued with a great deal of
plausibility, to say the least, that if
any large -proportiem of the coal 'and
oil lands of the United States were
worked under such conditions there
would be no coal trust, and Stand
ard Oil4 would In a great measure
cease to be a public menace. It is
not certain" just how much the gov
ernment possesses of sueh resources,
but it is believed that if the Indian
land are included they will be' very
large. The greater part 6f the treas
ure hai been ' stolen before this !at-tempt-to
lock the door against pri
vate and corporate appropriator of
the ' necessaries Supplied by nature,
but enough may remain to be an in
calculable boon to the people if Sena
tor La Follette's bijl can become a
law. v ". '''.. '. J-Z "V J
The responsibility of the preserva
tion of whatever is left of these nat
ural resources; of. right belonging to
aTT the people, rests now chiefly with
the . public lartd committee of the
senate, consisting of Senators Hans
brough, Clark f Wyoming, Fulton,
Carter, Nelson, Sraoot, Gamble, TlFnt,
Berry, McLanrin, Newlands McEn-
ery, DuBois and rattersbn. Some of
these names offer but little encour
agement, and the chances arc many
t( one thajthisbeneficent measure,
fathered by La FolIeUe, the "dema-
gogue (Davey), "ass" (Fulton), and
"public nuisance" (Oregonian), will
not be favorably considered, and, that
the private grabbers of natural gifts
to. mankind will have a year or two
morer teast-tn-which -to-despoil the
public ' . V:: s'' ..,''..':
President Roosevelt ha . been - to
busiry engaged making treaties be
tween ; the Californiarit and Japanese
that he just has not trad the time to
write his message on the revision of
the multiplication table. When the
state document is printed, however,
some changes wilt be made invthe old
and worn out formula of Iwice, two
are, four." ' , i-.'. ' ' '-. -
Most people.. wJio use petroleum
would' not voluntarily contribute to
the support of college selected by
a commission appointed by Mr, Rock
efeller, but since he can raise the price
of that necessity' as much ' and is
dften as he pleases, they have no
choice fn the matterrt r frr-
;Mr,' MtilWey is said to be thl hand
somest man in the. United States sen
jtcjvhich shows how far the Wah
ingtori correspondents , will go to
speak kindly of one who is so soon to
p'sss away.
With a , company of constabulary
killed, two American teachers missing,
schools and house burned, and the
Pulajane spreading themselves like
an overshadowing cloud over the
Philippines, .th indications are that
General Wood will have to practice
some more pacification with hi pen.
t i . . . .
C .The . white "wife of ; an x unusually
repulsive negro who is suing for a
divorce and the custody of their two
children has suffered nine years of
married life as a penalty for her folly,
and so is now a proper , object of
pity. ' V---'
Congress has refused further ' ap
propriations to develop the infant
frog industry, which will cause
croak of dissatisfaction in some
swampy quarters. ' But the frog in
dustry is too small and weak an in
fant to have an appreciable pull' ,:
-. 5. .. a . ' ..
The house did well in passing sev
eral bil' J embodying recommenda
tions of the tax commission. The
more of the commission' report that
is adopted, if the, tax laws 'are not
rendered Inconsistent, the better.
There is no report so far of the
president and Senator Foraker hav
ing exchanged valentines, though very
likely each could have easily found
one that he considered appropriate.
... 1 iii i jaj . .
.The statement that trains are arriv
ing in Portland on time has ceased to
excite wonder. ' The people simply re
fuse to believe it..:..V' w .', -".'v!
' Of course the men appointed rail
road commissioners will want to be
elected next year. The voters will
decid
owpne w ouiause
' !-; Br Beatrice Fairfax. :
Seventy-two little. Uvea afe anuffed out
vary, day In Naw York ctty. Seventy
two . possibilities-, ot great- man or
womanhood slip, out Into the vast her-
after.-in almost every caae the ca.ua
of death 1 malnutrition.
In New Tork'a publlo schools there
are (00,000 children. Four , hundrad
thousand Of theaa need medical attea
tion. - t'- . '
from- end-to -end -of thte rreatdty
there arlaaa a voiceless appeal for help.
Th appeal lies in tbe little pinched
faces :. and pain-racked - bodies of - the
children. .. . . - ..
, , Much Is belne; dona, both by the "city
and Individual work, but that le not
enough, there must be mora and more
and yet more. '
Juat at present this nawapaper Is re
celving- .every day hundreds of letters
containing auraeatlona as to what Mrs.
Ruaaell Sag should do with hr vast
fortune. i - . . ': , -. . , -.- ,,
Mrs. Sac la a aood and wis woman,
and I have do doubt that eh will spend
her money-where tt -will b tof th most
far-racbing benefit to humanity.
If this country Is going to hold Its
place In th future as th greatest of
all nations proper attention, must now
be paid to th welfar - of,. Its future
citizens. , . ..... .- -. i
That means that the children of -today
must be cared for morally and physical
ly. .They ar th mothers--and fathers
of the future. If their .. minds and
bodies are stunted and warped by mis
ery and Ignorance during their Infancy
and childhood, how can they possibly
become fin men and women ? s
Philanthropy should first be -turned
toward bettering tbe conditions of the
children. .
; It Is not the men and women of today
who are of th greatest importance to
tbe. future.. ( la the -children of today.
-The city Is responsible for the educa
tion of Its future cltlsens. That It does
not liv up to Its responsibility la a la-
irientsble fact. ' - ... .
j e,..'e ..
Children are like flowers: they must
have fresh , air, light, proper nourish
ment, la order to thrive. There arre
thousands of children In New Tork City
who rarely see the sunlight, who are
obliged to play In dark, noisome, filthy
streets. They live In crowded, miserable
tenements, steeping in rooms that have
never known th light of day nor a
breath f fresh air. . - -, .
There ar a few ' pubtle 'plays-round
In the city, but ther ar not one ouar-
t1
ter a many a a tmry ahould be, -
every crowded district there should be
great airy - day . nurseries where over
worked mothers could leave their babies
during, th day. r , : '.,
The . milk depots should be increased
n number so that every baby could
have pure milk. - . ; ? - ,
aymnaslums for both girls and boys
should be In every, district..
The other day I est In th hall of a
famous restaurant and watched th chil
dren trooping downstairs from a dancing
acnooi. ii was s pretty signs. STVfery
girl and boy was exquisitely dressed
and attended b.v a capable nurse or
proud mother, t had gone through Al
len street In the morning Allen street
with Its 'darkneas and Its foul odor
and pot wined atmosphere. "Allen street
was full of ohlldiwn, children who had
just as much right to God s sunshine
as the children at the dancing school.
-.t j ,e - a v ,,--,,
They had the right poort babies,, but
there was no one to see that they
got it ,; , ...... '. ,' : n f
Supposing you planted a rose- bneh- In
a dark, stifling eellar and did notnlng
to develop it and then planted on in a
beautitui, sunny garden, and gave It all
your loving care, which bush would you
expect to bear the most beautiful blos
soms? . . ' i
Ther are just as many divine noasf-
bllltles hi th child born on Fifth street
ss in the child born on Fifth avenue.
But the possibilities need car to train
them in th Nght direction.
All movements for the bettering of the
race must begin with the children, and
by the next, generation decided result
will show.
Ilolp the children, give them a chance
to develop. " ' , ,
The more that Is don for them, the
leas ned there will be for prisons and
refrrmatorlee In ths future. - ,
Do not let all help go t th ailing
children; the well ones need Juat as
murh moral help as the aick ones need,
phyalcat. Give them fresh sir and dl
verting occupation: keP ths rentleat
little minds and hands busy and , Inter-
s If you have ' time 'or money to give
toward any eauea, give It to something
thatjaill help the children. j
Ideal Marriage
By Ella Wheeler 'Wilcox.
All love that has not friendship for. He
oavae . i
Ts like a mansion built upon th sand,
, Though brav t walla as any In th
land. .
And Its tall turrets lift their (leads In
Sfrace;
Though skillful and accomplished ar
tists trace
Most beautiful designs on every hand.
And gleaming statues In dim niches
- ' stand, , , ' ' '
And"' fountains play- tn soma flow'r-
" hidden placer
Tet, when ' from' th frowning ast
udden aust i
.. Of adverse fat Is blown; or sad rains
fait
Day in. day out, against its yielding
r, - wall,. : .. .....,,
Vol the fair structure crumbles to th
dust. , . ' '
Love, to endure life's "sorrow 'and
' earth's woe. -. u
Needs friendship's solid masonwork
. v.. oeiw. . ''-,'' '''
Domeatlo love and happiness Is sup
posed to be on of the lesser themes to
Interest-th intellectual mind; aubjeo-
ttv to .religious, social and political
Questions.
Yet while there are thousands or
peopl who" fall to find entertainment
In the discussion of th graver subjects,
there Is scarcely a mind on earth that
-does pot respond to th thought of
noma lire, witn its innuraeraoi auaao-
clattons, sweet or sad, grav or gay,
aa: re able or painful. '
Th old Idea that all greatness or in
tellect roust b linked , with crankiness
of disposition has never appealed te roe.
It is a pernicious doctrine and ougm
not to be preached la th hearing of
the younr. ' . :-- " -
On of our most briuiant literary
men In th line of wit and humor was
mtrael of love and devotion t a
hopalessly. crippled wife ; during her
long year of invalidism
Such men are worthy or having
modern 'society established in their
honor, entitled "Th Knlants or . in
New Round Table." where th chief
prld of -ach- member should to that he
kept a clean name and an unsullied
horn life, - .. - .
Th great endearing loves of live ar
not composed of- passion, admiration.
mmanca and sentiment alone.
All Ues elements are con tamed , jn a
great love, but under all must be . tbe
solid fou Dilation of friendship, -
A husband must be hla wife's beat
friend, a wife a husband's, best friend.
If either expects 16 liv up to the
highest Meal of lov and companion-
ahlp to the end of life. .
To begin as th friend and to de
velop Into th hrver la not eo Ideal a
relationship as to begin as th lover
and to hav the element of friendship
evolve Ilk a flower out of th coarser
stalk of passion
All th lover realises In the first ar
dent phases of his Infatuation Is his
desire to Bosses the woman be loves.
But after Tie becomes her nuabano, ir
he la a strong and noble character, and
h I tn any degree worthy of hla lov.
he should feel an Impulse to be her
friend to help her In -every way pos
sible to grow toward lovely and perfect
womanhood: to protect her. from on
necessary trouble, and to sustain her
through all th Ills and trials which
fall naturally to the mortal lot ,
. : k ' ;
' When the wife realises that this ts
the husband's wish and purpose, and
meets his counsels, suggestions and pro
tective impulses with confidence and
gratitude, domestlo lov roaches an alti
tude impossible to b attained through
any other course, . - -
Only when the' wlf realises that ah
must not be th snare sweetheart, home
keeper or playmate of her husband, but
Ms best friend, looking toward his high
est good In every way, even when It
means temporary forgetfulness ef self
and personal pleasure, - can she Know
what the perfection of domestlo a ion Is,
t ' f .-
Amende Honorable. '
. "We want to do th squar thing.'
wrote th editor of the Hickory Ridge
Missourlan, according to the Chicago'
Tribune, "to -old. - Spike - Thunder-
brush of the McKlnstry neighborhood,
Our readers will remember that we
have spoken of htm sometimes as the
ragtag and bobtail of all creation. That
old. scalawag has played more mean
ttioka on us than he has warts on his
hands, and we've given It t him hot.
and heavy every time. ., We don't allow
no man to get the bulge on ua without
coming back at him. But we've for
given old- 8p1ke.-T-XsV- Saturday- -he
dropped Into our sanctum and asked how
much he was behind on subscription.
W told him 11 rears, and he dug down
In his jeans, fished up a dirty wad of
bills, and squared up. It's th decentest
thing he has don since we've been run
ning a paper -4n this town. The old
scarecrow was drunlTwhnhe don it.
nut we ooni lay uu up against, mm. i
uia rjpiK nas some goou points, and
we shan't cay another mean th-rng about
blm until he tries to run for offloe
sgaln. WeH' ahow him up then In all
his hideous deformity, but In th mean
time him and ua sr good friends." .
.February H la History,-
' 1710 Louts XV of France born.' ' tAti
May 10, 1774.
174 Jeremy Bentham, English phil
osopher, born. Died June , 18SJ.
17(4 6U Louis, Missouri, founded by
a company of French merchants
1I30-U Weir Mitchell, American au
thor, born.!.." . .. . . .
144 Thomas W. Oilmer of Virginia
became Secretary of the aavy.
14 AndersonvUl -prison opened for
th reception, of prl'aoners. - ' .
1172 First session of th first' legis
lature of British Columbia.
lS8-tavld R. Ioek, American humorist.-
died, i Born September 20, US. '
1S98 United Statee battleships Maine
destroyed In Havana harder.
, Million-dollar , fire ,, in Brooklyn
haw yard.
loo Relief of Klmberley by General
French.
1904-Dr. Manuel Amador chosen "presi
dent of Panama. ... . .. ..
. Elihu Root Birthday.
EHhu Root, secretary ot state slrjce
July, IMS, was born la Jllnton, New
Tork. February U. 1846. He was gradu
ated at the age ef 1 from Hamilton col
lege, where his father was professor ef
mathsmatlca. For year or so he ws
a teacher at. Rom academy and In
167 took hi diploma from th New Tork
Law School. As a young lawyer. Mr.
Root took an active interest In politics.
H became a leader In th Republican
organisation tn his assembly district and
ran ooc for th . poaltlon of judo of
common pleas, but was defeated.. In ISM
Mr, Root was appointed secretary of
war by President McKinley and held
this position until 1904. Then for some
what ever a year he devoted himself to
private buslnsss, but returned to ths
cabinet on ths death ef the late Sec
retary John Hay. '
The Trouble With
rr., TJo.'l ynarle v
" f. . l
From Collier's Weekly. - '
Sine Mr. James J. Hill a few month
ago warned th country that Its rail
road facilities had fallen hopelesHly be
hind th need of its business, a suc
cession of frightful sccldents and try,
Ing commercial pinches has., given Inv
presalv confirmation to hla assertion;
Th - president of th great Southern
railway baa fallen a victim to th earns
condition that sr killing 10,000 other
people a your. The terrible disaster at
Trra Cotta, near Washington, on De-
cember ,30, In which a Baltimore It Ohio
train ground out 43 lives by runnin
Into another on a block already oceu
pled, was followed thre days later by
a head-on collision on th Rock Island
In Kansas, In which 49 people were
killed through th error of a boy oper
ator. noat of them being burned y to
death, and tho next day by a roar-end
crash on the Union Pacific . The last
accident. In .which th Los Angeles
Limited plunged Inter th Overland Lim
ited. Just happened to kill only two pas
sengera and wound 11. besides wreck
Ing Jl ears and a locomotive, but 'It
might very easily hav been the worst
of th lot. -
Th Information obtained by the in
terstate commerce commission from all
parts of the." country indicates that
through th anxiety of th railroads to
push their Inadequate facilities to th
limit th rules governing th operation
of tbe block signal system are almost
universally disregarded, and th system
itself has become absolutely Ineffective
indoed. In many -eases, eoure of
nnaltlVA rlAns-cr.
The figures ef th interstate COm-T
merce commission shows that s.701 per
sons were killed and 84,008 Injured on
American railroads in 190&. Of these
88 were killed and 7.43S wounded In
collisions. Thee - so-called accident
were almost all preventable. Most of
tbe other kinds of accidents were pre
ventable, too, but -practically all col
Uslona could hav been avoided. They
war due to disregard of th rule laid
down to ensur safety, and" this disre
gard was due to th effort to make on
man, on locomotive, one ear and on
mile of track do the work of two. The
president talks of the danger of race
sulcltl because not enough babies ar
born, but of those that hav been born
and brought up with infinite pain to
be of service to ths state, we Bav al
lowed the railroads to kill 44.633 and
cripple 344,717 mor than the whole
population of a city a large as San
Francisco In five years.
The one bit of reassuring . evidence
that cropped up during this tiro was
the statement that th record of the se
ries of 1.42& "surprise teats"- carried out
by the Chicago t Northwestern during
th year 190. covering every Imaginable
contingency fn the management of block
signals, did not Show a single failure
to . observe, the -Signals and obey-1
rule. - - ',. . r, . . . ' . . .t .:.
At the same time the shortage in cars
la causing loss and .distress throughout
th west.- Mr. Lane, chairman of the
Interstst com mere, commission's sub-
commission that has been investigating
this subject, hag riled a report in which
he shows thst the railroads failed to
prepare lor a heavy movement of grain.
although they bad every reason to
pect a large crop. This year tbey seem
to have been overwhelmed by the flood
of cereals, although th crop Is little
larger 'than4hat of 190. At the end of
the year 60.. 000,000 bushels of grain re
mained on th farms or In th country
levators of North Dakota. Only par
cent of th crop had been shipped.
.Tbeee conditions have reduced the
price of grain by i from to cents per
bushel at many country points, and have
involved th farmer, the merchant, the
elevator man and the- country dealer tn
heavy losses. Yet ther was nothing
van in the testimony or th trallroad
men themselves to show that this situa
tion had been brought about by an actual
shortage of ears. . Although - they ,. had
largely Increased their equipment, tbe
northwestern roads actually hauled less
grain' by 19,000 carloads la 10. down
to th time of the hearing, than "they
had hauled la the Corresponding period
t jkuo. , - :i, ....... , j,, ;
r- - ; . . - . ... .: )
In th caae of th coal famine which
has caused so much suffering In th
northwest th railroads - tried to shift
th responsibility to the country coal
deal, who, according to their aeeount,
bad Improvldently failed to lay In his
supply early In th summer. But th
dsir osms back with the comprehen
sive answer thst "neither law not cus
tom required him to order bis coal six
months tn sdvanc-of bis needed that it
was the duty of the railroad to meet
his demand for cars, rather than tbe
duty of the coal dealer to accommodate
hla business to th convenience of the
railroad; that those who did order coal
In th summer months were as poorly
supplied as those who did not; that th
railroad companies themselves did not
follow their own counsel, for their owe
reports reveal serious shortage of com
pany coal at almost every point; that
preference over eoal was given tn gen
eral merchandise and ether freight des
tined farther west, and thai in th
months when eoal would ordinarily have
been hauled to North Dakota th rail
roads were engaged In supplying . cbal
from the head of the lakes to th Mon
tana smelters whoa,, customary supply
had been cut off by a strike In British
Columbia mines." v :
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Some' of the railroad potentates Ques
tioned by the commission took a view
of the situation that was almost tragic
in its gioomy intensity; rreaident Hill
of th Great Northern declared that the
roads as a whole had "not kept In sight
of th country's growth." For 4h next
five years Mr; Hill put the absolutely
necessary Increase to catch up with the
business ar 73,000 miles of track, which
would cost IB, 500. 000. 000, . or 11,100,000.000 a
year. Even that be considered too lit
tl, and yet It was more money than
he believed the United , Rtate could
rata. k-
Th commission's Investigators ssreed
with him -on the latter point but they
called attention , to . seversl . possible
means of making net ter us of the pres-
snt TBc.iuties. 'in irritating lark of
cars has caused, In many localities, a
movement tr penalise railroads which
fall to furnish cars to shippers when-i
requested, xne suggestion usually takes
th forn of a " reciprocal demurrer"
bill to be Introduced In state legisla
tures. This bill provide for fining th
railroad 10 a day for each failure to
deliver a car which has been asketl for.
Th failure of the roads to do the
business for which they exist esn hard
ly be ascribed to a lack of capital for
Improvements. The money It coat the
Union Pacific to get Stuyvesant Fish out
of the Illinois Central would have hauled
a Jot of. Nebraska.,, whaat -to. markets
During a special agent' visit to Kla
math Falls about 40 claims were proved
op-on, and his presence will "have a ten
dency to hasten the Issuance ef patents,
providing, of course, hi report . are
favorable, j ' ... . . ,
, Smalls Change
.Brother Geer has denied things be
fore.-. ..
A Minnesota man Weighing (40 pounds
died poor.
e
Th United Railways can't get busy
any too soon.
" ' . ,
The governor ts at least relieved of a
heavy responsibility, ,. (
- The tall and the short man seem to "
have gone on a vacation, . -
a . e .''."' ' , ' ..
i Well,' is that Mount -Hood railroad
going to be built or begun this year?
1 . ;,:
Mr. Carnegt Is studying whether ha
shall try to beat John D.'a latest gift.
' -' .. ,
Oold In sufficient quantities Is fin
coloring matter for an expert's opinion.
,. "V .".'. I "- - ", ;.r.- -
, Must men' who would Ilk Ju be rail
road commissioners ar not fit for th
Job. - ' I , - i ..' ' "'7--7-X-C '
W suppose somebody is working on
a schema to re-galvanise the ' yellow
peril. ,, -,. '
' .' '-,-.-;. - . .. . .
Eggs ar worth $5 a dosen la Alaska.
That beats their price In Portland this
winter. , .
- , t- : e ( 1-
" The Thaw trial Is mainly an exhibi
tion of Jerome and Deluias stopping
each other. ,"". ;.,...
What propriety is there In a stats
treasurer having the appointment of a
railroad commissioner?- - . . . -
Qf course the ahlnnera will have U
pay the. raise in railroad
employes'
Wages and then -some. ,
An esstern preacher named Lemon has
been given an assistant, and now the .
flock enjoys Lemonade. , . . .. .
Oregon won't ear If the railroad com
mission doos nothing if Mr. Harrtmsif
will get a move on" and -do. lt first. '
; . - j .v.re. T.';':....' -A
Chics go professor says American
women . can't talk. Has he lived all -
hia lUe1n a deaf and dumb asylum?.
A Philadelphia man waste a divorce
because his wlf loves to go shormina-
That felTow belongs to the old bachelor's '
ranka. ,. ..
The Detroit News says Rockefeller's.;.
gift to education - was a "confesalorl." -
If so ther la a great deal more to be
confessed. ;, ,. , . .. v - j. ,., "
. -f.. 1 . .' 1 . ... .... .. i... ...
Milwaukee la proud of Its waterworks.
We always supposed that water was
something ot but- llttl consequence In .
Mltwauke. - "
i.. ..-;.;,.. .
T1ie''bresldenraspribably"'observe!l"
that th railroads, though declaring blar
dividends ar boosting freight rates a,
along- tho- line. --.- .-.
A Philadelphia man proposes to build
railroad from that city to heaven.
Rut" h could not depend heavy
passenger traffic. ... .. .
It la stfmated that th lat raise in '
the price of cHl will not make up for
nearly a year' that i33.0O0.Ooe Rockefat"
ler gave away tha other dey..-. -,- -..
Julian Hawthorn says th president's
English Is the worst he ever read. But '
reader know what be means, and that
Is the main thing.' An it would seem
thst Hawthorn cannothav read much.
OretVon SideligKts
A Sllvertoa ntan sold a -month-oId
colt for 3360. " - ,.. ,,
ALslk Is proving a hardy forage nla
vp the valley. ; f ,;,'- ..... -
- - f ' .,-
Some appl tree In upper Hood River
valley wer Injured, v .-j-- r
Scores of .robbers, and. some ef Uiem,
kidnapers, infest Pendleton, . t
- .. . .. ..a v ' .
Resident of Mill creek near The Dalles
have formed a good roads association. .
Electria tights at Corvallls ar"tery"
bad. owing, it la said, to lack of power,,.
. ....... V- ...
A cow shut up In a building near
Haines, tells th Record. Jived four
week without food. . , -.' -
Polk county farmers are plowing and
getting ready for spring planting. ,
The Union Republican has Information
that the belt railroad In Grande Ronde
valley will now be completed.
: ' ' -, -a-?- r, rrVr I
A, Rogue river man white prososottne
for eoal exhumed the coffined remains
of some early settler, who for lack of
mare consecrated ground had found, re-'
pose there. ... ...
A milch eow was found dead la Lake-
view, and as th .carcass was hauled
away through 4 h- streets, r the-.-towir--r
milch tows formed a lengthy procession
behind it, says tha Herald. .
Port Orford Tribune: Strangers ar
daily coming and going on all kinds
missions, but moet of them are looking
for land to locate, nor storms, nor roads,'
nor hardships, dampen their seal. :
X Douglas county B-year-old girl was
missing, and all th neighbors turned
out to hunt for. her. and It was supposed
he had fallen In a swollen, credit and
was. browned, but after some hours'
search she was found" asleep In a chick
en coop. , ';.,'' ,.. . .. r'
Two Linn oounty men have' ordered .
76.000 frogs' egg from the east anl
will start a frog ranch In a big slousk
Uocated on their farms. Within sia
montns iney expaot to o able to put
40 dosn pair of frogs' legs on th mar
ket weekly. ;. ' - . ........ ... ,
Heppner has become quite a fine poul
try center. -Some ef th best pure-bred
birds to b obtained In th United State
have been secured from th - foremost
breeders of r America, some of these
choice birds coming from as -far east as
New Tork and Massachusetts, and cost
Ins from, 1 10 to 320 apiece, ssys jhe
Times.. i ' 5
Ths siipcrvlslng engineer of th recla
mation bureau writes that the total area
of the KUmsth basin I somewhat re
duced as compared with the reports nt .
previous boards, and - thT total- rrs -r--
now figured on, Including land St pre- .
eot lrrtatjd. Is sbotU Jtto.ocO a eras, the
reduction being due partly to the prob- .
able omission from the project of th
bottom of-Lower Klamath lake, whlh
Is found too, expensive to reclaim at
present.'. ' ' .
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