.1;
8
THE OREGON DAILY JOURNAL, PORTLAN D, FRIDAY EVENING,- DECEMBER 12, 1913.
Tjrr. fJ" DM A 1 I else's property. Men who kill In sources Dy Dimainf good road and
1 Pin K Jl JrvlNlMl la moment of passion are sent to placing the profits either In the
irn. r..D1.. the nenitentiaries or nangea. mey uum ur into me von. i roo-
f.iCTi.n.f I must atone for their crimes
a-ualiaunr' ola
fWr-Atflllir Marn1n
Ins. nniaitwa am) Vm
i.lic4 at law Miu((lr at 1'urtiaud. Ur., Iir
iianaanaaioa Mroaf a tM SMlia aa mcobs
aianer.
IkLkl'huNK Main JUS; Hum A-SWH.
All apaatiaents n-achad hr Ibm nnmbara.
TH ibf nnrn ror rhr department jrna want.
luuiun AbVKUi'iuiNi ktifHiwa:.TA'rirs
i Btujanla KmUkt Ce.. BruoawlcH
IM Firm inauf, New Vertj U1S Panels'
iaa BnlMlaa-. Caleas". ;
kubkcnpcma larsM er null or u aaj aoaraaa
hi tae Unltad Stale or Maziest
DAILY .
. OH iM $8.00 I On nxatt M
? 8DNOAT .
Osa year W-W I On month
h . DAILY AND SUNDAY .
Ooa jraar ......;TA) I On aaoath I
Ah, the key of our life, tint
PUNI all wards, opens all
locks. Is not I will, but I must,
I must, I must and I do It.
A, II. dough.
It. Is perity held old residents In these
auuuajri ana Hght that 'society have protection counties and attracted other people
,MiM. 't'LdQr' against wrongdoers. It Is advisable anxious to get on in the world. The
that men who commit crime should otner group siept on Us opportunl
be taken In hand by the law and. ties. It tolerated bad roads, and
cured, If possible, of their vicious-, the conclusion Is Inevitable that Jt
Dess or weakness. i tolerated other things equally as
The law carefully distinguishes expensive. These counties stag-
betwoen crimes which ..result ' from nated; old residents moved out, and
premeditation and those which rise there was nothing to attract new
In sudden Impulse. The former ; residents
are punished more severely because I Without good roads full develop-
they have the element of malice, ment of a community cannot be -ex
Such criminals- are accorded little : ported. Poor roads impose a heavy
or no consideration, not aione De-, uauuicap on inausiry ana natural
cause they kill, but on account of resources. They causo the pro
their utter disregard for the rights iaucer to sacrifice too large a per-
of others. These criminals ere in-.centage of the products of his toil
tent upon their own purpose; no-, No part of a county's Interests can
develop fully without good, roads.
'Ifi
- 5f
SPAXKED?
body else's life or happiness is of
any consequence.
What Is the difference between
gjmen who deliberately kill and other
men whose deliberate criminal care
lessness results In the taking of
life? The Pennsylvania courts say
that you may, by criminal neglect,
kill seventy-four people, as long as
FLIPPANT cartoon In a Port
land paper would convey the
lmnresslon that In Tuesday's
election the city commission- yu nave the money to make some
crs were spanked by the voters.
Spanked? For what?
Spanked, for refusing to grant
crooked franchises?
- Spanked, for kicking a crooked
lobby out of the council chamber
and out of the city hall?
- Spanked, for lifting the police
;' court out of Its degradation and for I the
THE FEE INFAMY
jl
kind of
ca6h.
a percentage settlement in
A
AS MOLE SQUEAKS
FLAMING sword in the at
tack on the new tariff bill at
the Oregon Woolgrowers
meeting was the secretary of
National Woolgrowers' Asso
making it respectable and re-1 elation,
spected? I He was doubtless sent here to
Spanked, for flooding the police lead the onslaught. The National
JAnawttMAnt l t Vi Visa aa A O Tf 1 1 trVi f f I A aaAt(A Haii f ami f 11 fira has
Investigation? always duped the National Wool-
Spanked, for decreeing a slx-for- growers' Association into an alll
Quarter streetcar fare? ance for using the government for
Spanked, for catting out the graft the exploitation of American con-
and the dead wood and inangurat- Burners. Incidentally, for its activ
Ing systematic business methods in ity In past campaigns and at Wash
all, city departments? Ington, the National Association of
n . - , . , , i . I It . . ... V. UAn 1 1
OPanKeu. lOr BDOllSning a naD-1 ranuuiaciuicia uon uccu iuuuu (un
haiard system of purchasing sup- ty of "Improper" conduct.
'dies that the bureau of municipal! Meanwhile the new tariff bill has
research declared was eostine the Dassed because a congress ana a
city $100,000 a year In waste? president were elected on their ex
Spanked, for revoking from city pliclt pledge to reduce the tariff
" government the old atmosphere of Reduction was promised the people
distrust, suspicion and fear, and es- by Mr. Taft and his platform In
tabllshing instead an order to which 1908, and on that promise he was
everybody has faith, trust and con- elected president. Instead . of re-
fidence in the integrity, purity and ducing the tariff, congress raised it,
honor of public. authorities? land Mr. Taft signed the bill
Spanked, for an earnest, whole-1 The very next chance they got
hearted,., unselfish, honest and de- the people voted out the Republican
voted endeavor to purify, uplift and house and voted in a Democratic
ffectnalize city administration? house on the tariff issue. They
y. DD&uA,eu, lur vxieriuiu&iuiB ma i aiou iouicu laieo uuujuui ui iht
tribe of Big Business agents who publican senators and filled their
used to whisper into the ears of places with Democratic senators
councilmen on the floor of the coun-1 It was the demand of the people
ell chamber with the council in for revision of the tariff downward
cession? In a platform pledging reduction,
Spanked, because these are lean Woodrow Wilson was elected presi-
tlmea for the gentlemen who thrive dent by the largest plurality ever
on Juicy contracts, fat franchises given in an electoral college. He
and secret partnerships with big of- carried every state in the Union but
Ilclals at the city hall? four
There is nothing to spank the Three times the people demanded
commissioners for. The minor mis- revisions downward. Three times
takes of honest men are not the they penalized the party that failed
guilty and unpardonable offenses to reduce the tariff. The Republi-
ot unworthy men. can party in the nation Is crushed
and broken, is a disheartened and
battered organization, and the rock
on which It went to deces waa Its
OURTS are following the gen- persistent standpatism, its persist
erai stream oi social ana ent refusal to give the people the
morai tendencies, necenuy a promised tariff reduction
rortiana juage upneia the The shrieks of the srentleman who
uregon law creating me tnaustrlai came from utah t0 instruct Oreeon
!i Welfare Commission. The ruling woolgrowers on how to resolute are
. was to the effect that If labor condi- aa moie squeaks In the teeth of a
it tlons can be regulated by law in the hurri.nn Th vnM omna on
Interest Of health. Safety and nlnnlvA iittrano.M nf an F.aRtern
RECENT COURT DECISIONS
HE net approved earnings of
the clerk of the federal court
of Oregon for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1913, totaled
$12,465.16. This does not include
the earnings of the clerk in natur
alization matters.
The information appears In the
annual report of the attorney gen
eral of the United States, and is
found on page 50. The report
carries the further information that
twelve districts are permitted to
exact double the fees taxable in
other districts of the country.
The double fee districts and the
net earnings of clerks for the fiscal
year of 1913 are: Arizona, $6803;
New Mexico, $10,94 7; Northern
California, $12,817; Southern Cafl
fornia. $9291; Idaho, $7181; Mon
tana. $9720; Nevada, $3640; North
Dakota, $7021; Oregon, $12,465.16;
Washington, eastern, $7767; Wash
ington, western, $12,92S; Wyom
ing, $7662.
t seems incredible that this
princely compensation should have
been maintained through all these
years without protest until public
attention was called to it by The
Journal. It is astonishing that the
double system of fees should have
been imposed upon litigants all
these years.
There are lawyers in Portland
who have reported to this newspa
per that they have had clients who
were compelled by the extortionate
fees to give up appeals, and were
forced by the expense to let their
cases go by default. Richer liti
gants were actually able to win
against some of them, even after
the poorer clients had won in the
lower court
No such status should ever obtain
In a sanctuary dedicated to Justice
and maintained in the name of Jus
tice. Not until a poor litigant can
carry nis cause through to the
court of last resort, if need be, will
a court be the exalted tribunal that
is the national Ideal.
What an absurdity when the
cleTflf of. a jourt, through a system
of double fees, receives a compen
satlon more than double that of
the Judge on the bench?
crement valuea in several ' foreign
countries, notably Great Britain and
Germany. ,
The practices in those countries
Is to 'impose the tax at the time
land is transferredrom one owner
to another. The tax varies with
the amount of increase in value and
with tlie number of years that have
elapsed since' the las't transfer.
The New York commission sug
gest another plan as more uni-
form. The recommendation 'is that!
an Increment tax of one per cent be
levied annually upon all Increases
In land values as shown by com
parison with assessed valuations of
the year 1912, this tax to be in ad
ditlon to the general tax levied upon
all real estate.
If a piece of property should In
crease in value from $100,000 to
$110,000 In a year, the owner,
under the commission's plan, would
be required to pay the general tax
on $110,000 and in addition an
increment' tax of one per cent on
10,000, or $100. In succeeding
years the owner would be required
to pay one per cent annually on
the assessed value in excess of the
original valuation. But where the
ddltional assessment Is due to lm
provements made upon the property
the increment tax would not apply.
The New York commission's rec
ommendations are significant In that
they are evidence of a general
movement toward discouraging the
land speculator.
PERTINENT COMMENT AND NEWS IN BRIEF
SMALL CHANQK
The poor we always have with us,
especially as Christmas comes flying
There continue to be" a xeat numbor
ot humbugs agreeable to a great many
people.
It is a sad thins; when a bridegroom's
or a .brides smile changes Into a
scowl,
. , -r-
Judging from their tendon pictures,
Bayre et Vx are in love with each other.
even yet.
Young man. there may be - bettet
places than the navy for you, but thsr
are many worse places.
O, somehow, half blindly, we as city,
county, and state, stumble along; we'll
it ib nun biiu nappy yet.
The country would fce glad If a lot of
those currency bill critics would take a
long vacation hibernate,
Two men were Jailed for robbing a
man of 20 cents. But that was all he
had, so a good deal to him.
Governor Johnson nf nnllfnmla
the Progressive party Is In a "crisis. '
And Roosevelt 10,000 miles awayl
OREGON SIDELIGHTS
The Coos Bay Harbor Is now setting
its own type with Its own typesetting
machine.
v a
With the city budget of $101,588.78
as a basis tor the boast, the Democrat
asserts that the city of , Baker "as a
business proposition is assuming an Itri
portance, even more than many people
realise"
... . . .....
The Salem." BtaTesmaiT In Its B0-years.
ago column says: "The Daily Oregon
Statesman waa published every evening
except Hunday by the uregon mming
and Publishing company. Subscriptions
sold for 110 per year, 30 cents per week
or 12 H cents per copy."
a .
Mayor Marvin of Wallowa has caused
to be published in the Wallowa Sun a
notice that the law prohibiting th said
of tobacco to minors will hereafter be
strictly enforced and that the city mar
shal has been Instructed to arrust any
one found violating It.
a
A postal card received by the editor
of the Joseph Herald from C. M. Shref
fler, who recently bought a Jewelry
store at his old home town of Oberlin,
Ohio, concludes as follows: "More smoke
and noise here than in Joseph also
more snow and Ice much worse than
evr seen at Joseph."
IN EARLIER CfAYS.
By Fred LockJey. v?M;l
NO NEW MONROE DOCTRINE
Whether there will be harmony
in baseball circles during the com
ing season can well be questioned
At first glance there is apparently
an ill balanced quartet In the field
with a "Tener" at the head of the
baseball commission; a first, second
and third "base" but no baritone.
A shir(t with a removable collar
band ia the latest. With what glee
the artist of the laundry will re
turn your shirt hooked up with the
band of the fat man around the
corner.
Letters From the People
(Com tundra tlona lent to Tbe Journal fnr pub
lication Id ttila department abould be wrlttan on
oniy one aide or toe paper, anoaia nut exceed
800 worda In lenctb nod mutt be accompanied
or tba nam and addreaa of the aendar. It tbe
writer doea not dealra to hate Us name pnb-
usoea, lie anouid ao atate.)
"Dlscuialon li tbe greeteat of an reformers.
It ratlonalliea eterjtbliie It toucbea. It rohe
prloclplea of all false eaoctlty and tbrowa tbem
back on tbrlr reaaonableneaa. If the hare ro
reasonableneaa. It mtbleia'.y eruabea them out
of existence and aets up Ita own conclualun in
their atetd." Woodrow Wllaon.
THE TAX PROBLEM
J morals, laws fixing living wages are Orecon sheen baron and his rn-la
;j constitutional because they supple- borer Mr. Kay, are as the breath of
mem vwer euttcuucuiB aireauy ie- a Bparrow in the path of the aroused
m. vtoivu millions or American consumers
,t ine united states supreme court wno are taxed on their woolen
nas just aeciaea an.iuinois case in- g00ds, taxed on their cotton goods,
- volving the employment of minors. taxed on their shoes, taxed on all
tThe Illinois child labor law pro- thev wear, taxed on all thev sat
jvldes that an employer cannot rely taxed on everything they use for
on statements oi minors as to their shelter, taxed at birth, taxed at
, .6so, uui mum aoi-crmm mr aimseii death, and taxed all the way from
ine. actual age oi a cnna applying the cradle to the grave
rior wo. inis provision of the The sheep baron on his thousand
rewiuie was especially auacKea. hills and the rich wool manufac-
- justice Hugnes, who wrote the turer know nothing of the strug
M coun s opinion, saia mat u a state gles of average men, and care .tt-
may prohibit the employment of tie about "the cots whore Door men
children, it may prescribe condi- He and the chores that noor mpn
nons or sucn employment, within ri
- - - - ,
fi reasonable limits, without violating
C
the guaranties of personal liberty
and property.
At San Francisco recently the
United States district court sus
tained a law providing that nurses
shall not work more than eight
hours a day In any hospital. The
Judge said the law is a necessary
1 protection of, rather than an arbi-
i trary discrimination against, women
J In the nursing profession.
. These and other decisions are
eviujjwuiB ui ma iiuieis. i ney are
evidence that courts are getting
away from the worship of property
lights as against human rights.
ATONING FOR CRIME
WO years ago the Austin dam
In Tiogo county, Pennsylvania,
broke and sent a vast volume
of water down the river val-
4 ley Villages were swept away and
7 4.' people lost their lives in the
i flood. The dam was built and
a Owned by private corporation
purely as a commercial enterprise.
The dam was neglected, and re
f peated warnings that it was unsafe
g were Ignored.
.'Criminal' and civil proceedings
were brought against the company,
and now, after two years, it has
, been decided by .the courts that the
i company wat not criminally guilty.
Death claims - aggregating about
$$00,000 are to be paid, although
the breaking of the dam destroyed
i a million dollars' worth of property.
! - Men who steal bread are sent to
4 Jail. V They must' atone ' for" the
I heinous crime ' of taking somebody
PROSPERITY AND ROADS
si
M'
ETHODS of proving the eco
nomic value of improved
highways are almost count
less, for from whatever
standpoint the question is ap
proached the conclusion is always
the same. The United States of
fice of public roads has collected
some Interesting statistics showing
the relation between roads and a
community's population and devel
opment. Twenty-five counties, taken at
random from twelve states, de
creased. 77,825 in population be
tween 1890 and 1900. It waa an
average decrease of more than 3000
tor each county. The road im
provements in these counties were
oply 1,5 per cent during the ten
year period.
In the same states, 25 other
counties where road Improvement
was 40 per cent during the same
period Increased in population 778,
HICAGO people are confronted
by a twenty per cent increase
In their taxes, (That city has
an antequated and unfair sys
tem for the collection of revenue,
and the Increase In taxes is calling
attention to the system's rank in
justices between individuals. The
Record-Herald says.
As things stand, our so-called "grene
eral property tax," so generally evaded
as to intangible personality, is op
pressive and discriminatory in effect,
and every additional dollar exacted of
the man or woman who can't or won't
evade the letter of the law spells not
only a hardship but an intensified
feeling; of wrong and injustice.
It is urged that nothing is more
Important In Illinois than- tax re
form, the installation of a system
which will distribute tax burdens
equitably. The offenders against
Justice are not only people who
evade payments on personality, but
also the many others whose real
estate is assessed disproportionate
ly low.
Tax experts are doubtful whether
any system can be devised which
will uncover all personal property
subject to taxation. But real estate
stands out in the open; it can be
easily located, and its true value
can be ascertained. There is
no excuse for taxing one man's
home twice as much proportionately
as another man's home. It 13 com
munity robbery of one man for the
benefit of another.
The Record-Herald eays that if
Chicago had required real efficiency
and economy in city government
and had possessed a scientific and
reasonable system of taxation, no
increase in taxes would now be
necessary. Both collection and ex
penditure of taxes are Involved in a
municipality's financial problem.
Efficiency in expenditures alone will
not solve it; there must also be ef
ficiency in collections.
Portland taxpayers should, not
limit their demands to the question
of expenditures. An adequate sys
tem for assessing property for tax
ing purposes is available to the
a" Ul "ea i county board, the members of which
to each county. , a fc taxpayers the Somers
There may have been ether con-.! lan" The county board has ,t
n!?U!tl fh 77;?25 de1within its power to make real es-
i4o,ooo increase,
crease and tho
but the figures are a fair illustra
tion of the relation between pros
perity and roads. Officials who
collected the statistics, say the two
groups of counties were about
equally matched as to healthfulness,
fertility , and other' natural advan
tages. The difference in growth
came through a difference- between
ths people themselves.
One .group developed its ro
tate assessments
clent.
honest and effl-
UNEARNED INCREMENT;
NEW YORK : cominission, re
porting on new sources of
city revenue, suggests a tax
on future Increases -in land
values. Attention is called to the
fact that provision has been made
for the taxation of unearned in-
A
Plan for Peace in Mexico.
Portland, Or., Dec 11. To the Editor
of The Journal Kindly grant me space
in The Journal to express my regret
that a plan, which occurred to me, by
which, If it could have been acted upon
at the time of Us . suggestion, peace
and official order could undoubtedly
have been restored In our neighboring
country of Mexico within a few days,
was not applied.
The proposition was for the governors
of all the states of Mexico jto first
agree, by dispatch, to unite In restor
ing' peace. Then call their representa
tive assemblies and secure their con
sent a"d aid. Having secured this ab
solutely necessary support, the gov
ernors should have held a convention,
or consultation, by correspondence, and
agreed to call an armistice of all bellig
erent forces until an election could be
held and a president and proper repre
sentatives of all the states for the gen
eral government assemblies elected. The
governors should have agreed that they
would furnish due protection and par
don to all belligerents who obeyed their
united order for a halt until after a
general election, also declaring their
united purpose to supporfr and defend
the president and the representatives
then elected by the people, without re
gard to any contending factions, ex
cept and insofar as their present posi
tions might aid or facilitate the work
of restoring a general government, and
holding the necessary election for such
purpose.
During this period of peace a vigor
ous missionary work should have been
carried on by tbe ministers of all the
churches, aided and supported by the
governors and army officers, all the
belligerent armies meantime being
brought together and trained in their
duties to their country and the people
as their protectors, and In the method
of using the highest up-to-date army
efficiency in fulfilling this extremely
obvious duty.
Each state government could also
have a good supply of munitions. The
quantity which each should hold could
be decided by the governors' council.
A neat squad of the most truly loyal
people could be trained at the capital
of each state to guard the requisite sup
plies, as these are assembled.
Although contending witn a series or
difficulties during the last summer, the
writer outlined the above plan, but so
far has not been able to secure that
attention which such a plain, simple,
yet obviously practical plan calls ror.
The altogether unnecessary suriering
of-the people In the war zones of that
country fuirly maKes my Heart Dieea.
Hoping that some measures will be
tak An tt an early date by the state
governments In Mexico to secure settled
From the Tacoina Tribune.
Some of the newspapers and political
Jingoes profess to believe "that President
Wilson Is undertaking a modification of
tho Monroe Doctrine in his dealings
with Mexico, in that ho has accepted the
moral aid of European natlpns In mak
ing Huerta's position untenable. These
Jlngoists Insist that it Is establishing
a precedent which will justify European
countries hereafter in Interfering In the
management of affairs on the western
hemisphere. This la a misinterpreta
tion of the history and purpose of the
Monroe doctrine.
Tho Monroe Doctrine was more an ex
pression of sentiment than of alarm. It
was born not so much from hostility to
Europe as from sympathy for repub
licanism. Backward countries, shaking
off foreign domination, had set up gov
ernments modeled on the plan of our
own. ,
The experiment Was not Immediately
successful. From the Rio urande to
Terra del Fuego there was anarchy and
confusion. There was civil war as mili
tary adventurers. In the grip of mean
ambitions, struggled for mastery. But
we retained a arand raltn in tne superi
ority of the republican form of gov
ernmentbelieved that the poorest gov
ernment founded on consent waa better
than the best founded on force, and that
the evils disclosed were merely the
growing pains of liberty.
We protested against wnat we canea
he European "system" the system, as
t then existed, mat assumed inai some
peoples and some olasses within-peoples
were unfit for seir-governmeni. ana
that it was the business of the strong
and the capable to buss the weak and
the incapable. We asserted the general
applicability of our political formulas
and insisted that the backward peoples,
buck ward because long oppressed, could
not be developed by more oppression
that the only way for them to learn
wan to learn in the hard school of ex
perience.
The generation that fathered the
Monroe Doctrine was the generation
that asked every foreign traveler who
strayed our way: "What do you think
of our institutions?" A fine sophomoric
spirit with respect to democracy was
abroad in the land. Every school reader
has fine selections emphasising the
beauties of democratlo republicanism.
wo regarded ourselves as a peculiar
vwvf wnuae example was to transform
the World until nowhr nrlvlloe-M r.r
privileged classes existed.
President Wilson Is an American who
ins SOmetninaT of tha nA n(Ht If.
does not accept the doctrine, popular
"uiiie recent Americans, that the
iuwan peonio are lnoannhl. nf
oping self-government. H ia nnnm
to the rule of usurping dictatorships for
the same reasons that his a-mmi rth
uyposea ia rule of governor generals.
He recognises the fact that any "con
stitutional" government Mexico Is
likely to secure will be a most imper
fect one. But he sees no hope of per
manent peace except by proceeding
along the road of constitutionalism. He
has no Illusions as to Carranza and
the men associated with him, but it la
something that they profess belief In
constitutionalism, whereas the Huerta
Idea is to murder every one who dares
preach its doctrines.
After two generations of turmoil the
countries of South America, except Ven
ezuela, have established stable repub
lican governments. In Central America
Costa Rica and Salvador seem to have
entered into republican peace, and San
Domingo has made a fair start thereto.
Conditions are still bad In Nicaragua,
Guatemala, Honduras, Hayti and Mex
ico. But there Is basis for hoDs that
even these countries are tnnrnuhlmr
the end of the era of rvnintinnrv
disturbance. Whoever Is Huerta's suc
cessor. It Is Improbable that he will set
up or auempt to set up another Dlas
tyranny. . Even ths
Uonary in Mexico by this time sees that
no strong man' is able to guarantee
peace that there Is more to govern
ment than the maintenance of an army.
4nnpMnn in Boston ner the inefficient
distribution of charity that caused tha
condition which led these men to ac
cept ten cent lodgings In a death trap.
The real cause la a system in which tha
arriimuiatinsr millions which you de-
m mnat be augmented by the major
portion of the weaun proaucea oy
and every man wno tons ana wmca viv
vides that no man may work to earn
even the necessaries of life unless such
work yields this toll of profit.
Tour closing words propose no rem
edy for this: "Yet, some time, somenow,
somewhere, there Is going to be In this
world a spirit of accounting for eyen
the sparrow's fall. In that splendid
time, in this land Inundated with riches,
there Will be universal agreement for
a plan of distribution tnat win arivo
out poverty and solace the sorrows of
the luckless."
There Is little consolation in this for
the victims who are now suffering the
tortures of the present system. What
we want is immediate and continuous
consideration of "a plan of distribution
that will drive out poverty" until such
plan shall be perfected and put into
practice. We do not look forward to
universal agreement with a plan of
this kind. Never since history began
has a privileged class voluntarily re
linquished Its privileges. We do not
desire that the masters become philan
thropists and turn their billions into a
charity fund for our relief. We do not
ask for charity, but we demand Justice
ami the insistence of our demand Is
ffrowina- stronger every day. We pro
pose the cooperative commonwealth as
a solution of, this problem and unless
someone can offer a plan that will es
tablish social Justice more quickly and
easily our proposition will most certain
ly be In working order before many
decades have passed.
E. ROLLA BUSH.
such statement But I do say that It
would be a good many years before a
poor young man. trying to start a home
on a new place, either in country or
city, would get any benefit from a law
like that, and right at the time that he
should have some help to get started,
this, law would work directly against
him by raising the rate on the assessed
valuation of hla real estate. If. we
would help the present condition of our
country we must pass laws that will
help the poor man to get a start. The
rich and well-to-do do not need any
help. Let the poor man's assessment
reach $1500 before he Is taxed
GEORGE HICINBOTHAM.
The Law m to Catting Trees.
Portland. Dec. 12. To the Kdltor nf
The Journal For the Information of
our city school teachers, who are asking
their pupils to bring in Christmas trees,
I wish to state through The Journal,
that It is a punishable offense to cut
trees or hack or In any way destroy
any trees or shrubbery on any. Drooertv.
whether fenced or not, without the con- of the United States.
sent oi me owner, it is, as 1 under-
stand the law, a penitentiary offense to
wilfully or maliciously destroy other
people's property, and this should be
taught, at hosne and in public schools.
A SUBSCRIBER.
Aa you pass 68S First street In South
Portland you will often see on old gen
tleman on tne porch or, if the. weather
Is rough, you may see him sitting by
wi wmuuw. mis neard is gray; 'his
hair Is white;, his shoulders are stooped
as though he had done his share of
work. His faoe'-la a .typical North of
England face, His name Is William
Stobbard. He was born ,88 years ago at
uarungton, In the- county of Durham,
In the north of England. Whllnanin.
prentice In an English machine shop
he helped repair the first, locomotive
ever built, George Stephenson's englim
"Locomotion" or "Puffing Billy," as It
was usually called. ; His lifetime spans
the railroad history or the world. He
waa bora in 1826. the year in which the
first railroad was bunt, and it ran
from' his "birthplace at Darlington, to
Stockton. ' ,
In 1829 three locmotlves were sent
from England -to the United States. On
August 8. 1829, "The Stourbridge Lion."
one of the newly arrived locomotives,
was tried out at Honesdale, Pa.
The first railroad to be built for
actual service in the United States was
the line from Quiney to Neponset in
Massachusetts, it was three miles long
and the train was pulled bv a horsu.
During the same year, 1828, construe-.
tion on ttie Mauch Chunk railroad In
Pennsylvania, was begun. The road
was completed th following year.
Shortly thereafter the Delaware & Hud
son Canal company built the longest
railroad In the United States. It ran
from Carbondale to Honesdale, Pa., a
distance of 16 miles. In 18S0 construc
tion was begun on the South Carolina
railroad, the first American railroad to
be built with the idea of using loco
motives exclusively as motive power.
This same year the Baltimore & Ohio
which had ben started two years pre
viously, completed its track from Balti
more to Elllcott s Mills, Md., a distance
of IS miles.
The following year, 18S1, the West
Point foundry built a locomotive which
was christened the DeWltt Clinton and
which was placed In service on the
Hudson & Mohawk road. The public
clamor against the locomotive as a
aangerous vehicle, apt to kill both roan
and beast, was stilled by the statement
of the owners of the railroad that as
they could not make a maximum speed
of over 12 miles an hour, both men and
animals would have plenty of time to
get out of the way.
The railroad timetable of today Is a
complicated and wonderful affair. Here
Is a copy of one of the early-day time
tables, as published in the Philadelphia
Chronicle: "Notice: The locomotive en
gine built by Mr. W. Baldwin of this
city will depart dally when the weather
la fair with the passenger train: on
rainy days horses will be attached to
the train." Nothing very abstruse and
complicated about that timetable, la
there?
In 1832 the Baltimore & Ohio an
nounced that thereafter horses would
no longer be used and that every train.
both freight and passenger, would b
pulled by a locomotive.
John Metcalf, my great uncle, lived
at Northumberland near Schuylerville,
In Saratoga county, New York. In my
library I have one of his oooks entitled
"United States Register." It contains
81 pages of official description of the
United States army and navy and gives
much curious Information as to our
post roads and canals and railroads. It
was printed In 1837. It says: "We now
have 26 states and two territories, Flor
ida and Oulsconsln. There Is also the
Missouri territory, lying northwest of
the state Of Missouri and west of the
Mississippi river. It extends west to
the RoCky mountains and is principally
a wilderness. The country between these
mountains and the Paclflo octian, bor
dered on the north by the Russian pos
sessions and on the south by the Mex
ican states Is denominated Oregon Ter
ritory. Neither of these extensive tracts
are yet WRanizcd." It refers to Ohio,
Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Missouri
as the far western states. It gives th
list of all the railroads in the United
States, with their total mileage of SS0
miles. Against this total of less than
1000 miles of railroad It gives tho
length of the post roads as 104.4t
miles. It devotes pages to the ranu'
routes, steamboat routes and post ro I
routes, but a half page is sufficient to
take care of the whole railroad system
The following
YOUR MONEY
By John SI. Oskison.
Criticises Game Laws.
Portland, Or., Dec. 11. To the Editor
of The Journal In nearly every paper
I pick up I read that someone has been
arrested or beaten up by some game
watchman who happens to bejleputlzed.
The laws in Oregon ought to be so
changed that all people alike could
hunt. The people could pay to owners
of land or lakes so much a day to hunt.
As it Is now rich men buy up all the
lakes and have them for tnelr own hunt
ing. I do not thinK this is ralr. Poor
people have no way of hunting, for there
d..a In irn and hunt, aa thav
conditions, with the peace and plenty it , inched" for trying to hunt on the
would bring, I remain a hopeful and f" ... th( eone do not have
staunch friend of our neighboring re
public. The course outlined would cre
ate a precedent for all future settle
ment of similar difficulties in Mexico.
J. ALBK1UUT.
lakes. All the people ao not nave ns
much show to have ducks as these rich
men do that control lakes. There are no
ducks sold in the markets, and people
who cannot shoot them have no way
to obtain them. There is no sport in
Our Responsibility. More tnan tnlBi n' seems to me the
Portland. Dec. 11. To the Editor or h. a the lakes are a sort of cow-
The Jpurial In your editorial entitled anjg. They come down early, before
"The Responsibility." appearing De- i aayiight, and stay hid behind blinds so
cember 6," you describe, truthfully and.duCkS can't see them. They then
with unusual force a world wide con- siaUghter the ducks as the butcher does
ditlon that has more significance than Bheep or rattle at a slaughter house,
manv are willing to admit. I cannot Thero is no sport in this kind of hunt-
agree with you, however, that it is the lng
City Of UOSIon inai is rrainwuiuio j Home oi inose waicnmen minK tney
the death of these 28 men. You say: I can chase you off places outside of
It J In a world reeKing witn weaun ; those they are set to watch. L. M. Q.
that these aenumanizea neings were
railroads were In operation in the
United States in 1837.
Miles.
Mount Carbon, Ta 7
Mohawk & Hudson. N. Y 16
Boston & Worcester, Maws 43
Boston & Providence, Mass 43
N. X . .
i Saratoga & Schenectai
I Ithaca & Oswego, N. T
I Camden A Amboy, N. J
Paterson Ry., N. J
, Philadelphia & Columbia, Pa.
Alle?hanv Portaao. Pa
Philadelphia & Trenton. Pa,
21
y i Camden A Amboy, N. J 61
16
88
87
26
These are nrosDerous tlmaa for th ' Mauch cnunK ana various Druncnes 1,1
inese are prosperous times ror the , Schuylkill & Haven, Pa... 20
mines of the country. And the reason t Lyken's Valley. Pa 16
is an interesting one. Little Schuvlkiil ft Tamiqua, Pa... 21
Mining has been shaken almost free ! Schuylkill Valley and branches, Pa. ."25
. , I Iacawaxen ft Carbondale, fa. ,'ie
from the wildcatter, the Har. and the castle & Frenchtown, Pa.. 16
imaginative promoter. It is very largely Baltimore & Ohio. Md...,. M
in the control of able business men. The t Petersburg & RoanoKe.. 13
. , . , t . ." Portsmouth & Roanoke 26
T.axlnarton ft Ohio 20
Tuscumbria. Courtland & Decaturs.. 46
change is beginning to have effect in
the size and regularity of the dividends
paid totholders of mining stock.
The other day figures of dividends
paid by 148 mining companies for the
first 10 months of 1913 were made pub
Ho and comparison with the samo
period in 1912 and 1911 became possi
ble. ;
To November 1 this year 148 com
South Carolina .135
830
In addition to the above roads there
were nearly 200 paper railroads. They
were organized companies and sold their
stock, as there was no blue sky law in
those days, yet most of them never
got off their blue prints and onto the
Pointed Paragraphs
A brunette may be
blonde in some ways.
fairer than a
Jammed and crowded together under In
human conditions in order to get a
niirht's lodging for ten cents.
The $1500 Exemption Bill.
Oregon City, Or.', Dec. 10. To the
Editor of The Journal In The Journal
It was in a nauon arappmg witn n November 26 Mr. Crldge makes a ra
nches that these human cattle, to Be- piy to my letter on the subject of the
curs oea wmim men mnui, were home tax exemption, his way of reply
herded Into what proved to be a lethal does not straighten the unjust por
chamber." tlons of the bill. But J. E. Price made
In these indictments of the world and a reply to Mr. Cridgo and Mr. U'Ren,
the nation you show, plainly that It Is jn The Journal of November 26, that I
not Boston but the whole social organ- heartily Indorse. I : don't know Mr.
laatlon that Is responsible for suck , price, but I think I should like to know
things wherever they may happen. Each him, for hie letter has the ring of Jus-
ana every one unns tn inis , tlce and ngni.
organization,: are individually respon
sible' in- proportion to our ability to as
sist in removing the causes of such con
dttlons. ' " ' - ' ,.'
It was not the lack of proper building
Mr. Crldge said that t made the state
ment' in my letter that "until the lm
provements amount to $1500 there would
be no exemption from taxation.'' Now
Mr. Crldge knows that I never made any
.'. a 7. ' ground. The great loss of money to
yam ... , a( u....u, ; tne lnveBtors In these paper railways
shareholders 185,143.412. Last year, in caUMa a reaction back to the canals
the same period,ul41 companies paid; out I and highways, and It was Some years
$82,812,528, and In, 1911 141 companies ! before the public confidence was re
paid out 871,711,741. : - stored and they would riSk their money
The 148 Companies reported upon this In railway Investments.
year have paid '-to- etocKnoiaers since1
incorporation dividends amounting to
$880,073,660. This, sum exceeds the
combined issued capital of the, com- - I
panles.by $61,402,286. ,' I
Increases In the amount of dividends
paid showed In copper, gold, silver, j
lead and zinc mining companies; 84 of J
the 148 companies were copper produc-"
lne combanles.'-' The state of war which I
has existed In Mexico and strikes in this I
country have tended to decrease the put-
put of ore upon which dividends' are ,
earned for stockholders In this country,
yet the price of metals has kept .up, and :
methods of mining have been improved ;
to such an extent as to show these ex
ceptional profits.'".
Under the new businesslike regime
In mlnlnar. tha stock Of" a romnanv i
under the -control of reputable mining , children
people has assumed a stable value or,
at any rate, a value which .can be de
termined about as accurately as tho
value of any. other stock. And Just how
I believe that certain mining stocks may
be bought with better than a fair chance
for very good returns. .
Put if feu are interested, remember
that you frill have to pay a fair prion
for shares which are worth having
nobody la going to run after you to try
to make you buy them. If you mean
to invest in mining stock ask qome
banker to put yoi in touch with a re
liable source of information as to which
are worth considering.
Toil won't set rich overnight by buy
ing any mining stock, bujt If you buy in-
llarantlv vou will make mnnav ' ;
Many a man works overtime because
his wife needs the money. t
Some people never forgive until tyiey
break into a padded cell.
a
A teaspoonful of gossip wllf talirf a
kettleful of pure truth. V . ;
s
Things are bound to take a turn and
some day parents may be sent -to bed
In disgrace for talking back to their
. - i- .;
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