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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 1915)
THE OREGON DAILY JOURNAL. PORTLAND. MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1915, i THE JOURNAL AM INDEPENDENT MEWSPAPCB C . JACKSON., robliahar StiMlsewtf erary dT. afternoon and morning (except band J aiteraouo), at Tna Journal Building, tttuadway and Yamhill sts., fort land. Or. Lateral at Ibm poslorflea at fortiand. Or., for tranamlsaion through Uia mails as second class matter. . ItLfcl'tlO.Ntb Uila 7178; Home. A-eoSl. AU departments reached by tbesa namtsrrs. Tell tha operator wbit department yoo want. IOUEJGN ADVEBT18IN0 BKPUKSKNXATl V Benjamin 4k Kentnor Co., Branawlcfc Bid., 2X5 Fifth Ae.. New tora; iiU Peooiaa tiaa Bldg . Chicago Subscription terms by mall to o sd dress to toe Dnlted Statea or Mexico: DAILY (MORNING OB AKTKBJIOON) Qua rear 13.00 I Ona monts -80 SUN' DA 2 0m year $2.50 I One month I .23 DAILY (HORNING OR AFTERNOON) AND SUNDAY One .ear 17.50 ! One month t M America asks nothing for her self but what she has a right to &k for humanity itself. WOODROW WILSON. A food Inclination ia but the first rud draught of virtue, but the finishing strokes are from the will, which, if well disposed, T.'ill by degrees per fect It, o. If 111 disposed will quickly deface it. South. STANDARDIZE IT IN SUNDAY'S JOURNAL, W. B. Ayer advocated the standardi zation of Oregon Loganberry T 1 . 1 juice. i ne tame ming was urged by Prof. Lewis, head of the department of horticulture at the Oregon Agricultural college. Prof. Lewis is the man who first discovered and brought to the at tention of growers and public thi possibilities of Loganberry juice. Prof. Lewis said: Unless the product Is of good and standard quality, its sale and uso will do more to create an unfavorable verdict for the juice as a beverage than all the advertising and sale of good Juice can overcome in years. In calculable damage will be done the Loganberry Juice Industry unless steps are taken to see that only de sirable products are put on the mar ket. Some of the brands put on the market carry very little of the fla vor of the Loganberry. The 6ale of such brands at a time when the beverage is new and just making its appeal for public favor will have a detrimental effect. It will create an impression that it will take time to remove, and that will constitute a handicap to the in dustry. The peculiar end delightrul Lo ganberry flavor 6hould bo retained In every brand put on the market There should be a formula In the manufacture that would preserve this flavor unimpaired. Prof. Lewis suggests for the present thst a conference of growers and manu facturers be called, at which agreiv ments can be reached respecting this formula and as a result of which all brands should carry a certification that the drink con forms to the formula at every step In tho preparation of the rroduct. It i3a plan that commends itself as good business. In many states, the public is demanding a substi tute for the intoxicants that have been barred out by legislation. The Loganberry has qualities that are peculiarly suited to the production of sucrf a beverage and the fact undoubtedly creates a possibility for a big industry In Oregon, the one spot in the world where the Loganberry can be produced in its highest excellence. The suggested standardization cf the product before cheap brands can give tho industry a black eye is a splendid proposal and should receive the attention of those who are Investing in the business. A standard brand will not only advertise itself, but It will favor ably advertise the Industry. POSTMASTERS AND JUDGES ONE of the representatives In Congress from Tennessee, Mr. Moon, goes to great lengths In favor of the elective prin ciple. If he had his way thero would be Tery few appointive f ficials under the United States government. Mr. Moon has taken the first steps toward a constitu tional amendment to make post masters elective by the people whom they Immediately serve, fed eral judges by the people of their Jurisdictions and so on through the list up to the Justices of the supreme court. These Mr. Moon would still permit the president to appoint but his proposed amend ment reduces their tenure of of fice to fifteen years. It is difficult to see any gain in making postmasters elective. tThe chanso would probably work against their efficiency. Except In the case of very high officials the voters seldom fix upon a candidate because of his merit, but for some otner and often trifling quality. ; Elective postmasters would not at tend to their duties any better than "appointive ones do. and aa a rule, not $o well unless they are subject : to recalL Tho privilege of choos ' In them on elective day would bo utterly barren In Itself and It would Kdi something more to the already irksome complications of voting. It is a fundamental blun der to imagine that more elections of pretty officials mean more liber ty. They mean in reality more boss rule. It is best for the voters to elect their really Important of ficials, hold them to strict account ability and leave minor posts to the appointive rower under civil serv ice rules. Tho election of judges is another matter. The courts are the most vital factor In American govern ment. Even minor Judges exercise despotic authority in many matters while the higher members of the Judiciary have absolute power to make and unmake laws. They rule the uation without any check whateve: except their consciences. The czar of Russia Is subject to the same check. It is an anomaiy that such powerful officials should l-e chosen by appointment without any responsibility to the electorate. A GOOD OMEN EXCELLENT results should flow from the agreement reached between the Chamber of Com merce and the Central Labor Council for a board of conciliation for the settlement of disputes be tween labor and capital in Port land. A board composed of ten mem bers, five appointed by the Cham-be.- and five named by the Labor Council will conduct hearings and exercise a general conciliatory in fluence in case of disputes. Such proceedings by representatives of conflicting interests can never do harm and can often be of inesti mable service in reaching agree ments. It is a means by which one side can get the viewpoint of tho other, and vice versa. Negotiation in disputes, almost always leads to peace and adjustment. It is when one side refuses to negotiate and insists on resorting to the cluo and force that the difference be cofhes unadjustable and destruc tive. It is a most excellent omen thai in Portland a policy of conciliation has been accepted as Eound policy by those representing both sides in what ha3 long seemed to be an irrepressible conflict. THE TAX DOLLAR HOW to make the taxpaying dollar a hundred cent dollar is announced to be the mis sion of the Tri-County asso ciation which is circulating a four page bulletin devoted chiefly to the affairs of Tillamook, Clatsop and Columbia counties. Another issue is promised when it is deemed important that tax payers should be informed as to county administration. The publishers of the bulletin in their salutatory say: "There should be no objection and the Tri-County association believes there will be no objection to the pay ment of taxes when the taxpayer feels confident that the money will bd honestly, efficiently and carefully spent." As stated by the bulletin, the taxpayers themselves are to blame ! for inefficiency and waste if they do not make a vigorous protest and insist on business management. Publicity should be given to facto and figures and there should be no politics in county matters. When there is a full detailed rtatement of how public money has been spent and is to be spent the tax dollar will return approximate ly one hundred rents of value. EFFICIENT DEMOCRACY GERMANY has exhibited such prowess in the big war and some of the other countries ur.cer arms have made so rr.p.ny terrible blunders that the world resounds with the praises of "German efficiency." We hear at the came time a loud chorus of contempt for "democracy's muddle ment." Germany enjoys the bless ings of a monarchial despotism. Her enemies are supposed to be more or less democratic. Every body worships success. If we can not have it under free institutions let us abandon them and choose a kaiser. So runs the neV doc trine based upon military pres tige. There is no mistake about the absolutism which rules Germany, but some of her enemies are not so democratic as people commonly imagine. England, for example, allows her populace a great deal of personal liberty, more, probably, than any other country ia tho world. But the British govern ment is anything but democratic. Some suppose that because the king has been reduced to a figure head, the people rule, but tho truth is otherwise. The British Empire is governed by a few ruling fami lies who compose a close oligarchy. From this select circle come the commanders in the field, the par liamentary leaders, the members of the cabinet. Lloyd-George is the one exception to the rule at pres ent in the British government. So tho blunders that Great Britain has made in the war are blunders of oligarchy, not of de mocracy. The one truly demo cratic country engaged in the strug gle is Franco, and che is as ef ficient as Germany. Her generals are competent, her troops are well supplied, her plans are clear and decisive. The war teaches no les son of democracy's failure but It does repeat the world old warning against the stupid inefficiency of oligarchies. Government by a nar row, selfish and conceited clique is always ignorant and futile. Rome bad the initiative and refer endum In full operation, under other names, while she was build ing up ter empire. Athens bad them in her great days. Democ racy has been ono of the most ef ficient of all governmental forms ai.d its efficiency has always in creased with its purity. The "blunders of democracy" of which we hear so much now-a-days are really blunders of wretchod little oligarchies which have fastened upon and paralyzed democracy. THE COUNTRY'S PROSPERITY THE activity in the building trades in the United States is reflected in the extraordi nary conditions surrounding the window glass industry. A news dispatch says: Stockholders of the American Win dow Glass Machine company have been notified that the directors have declared a dividend of $7 a share on the J", 000, 000 of preferred stock, the second dividend of 37 paid within CO days. Leading window glass men said window glass trade from abroad Is pressing this market, some being for as high as 10,000 or 50,000 boxes for a customer. There is no mistaking tho pros perity that has come upon the United States. As the old year draws to a close, there is a tidal v ave of industrial activity such as the country has rarely, if ever, seen. Crops have been tremendous. Exports are increasing. Bank de posits are the largest in history. Banks are bulging with money. Loans are enormous in volume. Railways are buried under traffic. Many great industrial plants aro working three shifts per day. Cop rer is a million tons behind or ders. Mills of all kinds are une qual to the demand. Even the great lumber industry of the Pa cific Northwest is beginning to feel the touch of the spreading pros perity and is preparing to renew its former activity. Alexander Moore, tho Pittsburg newspaper publisher who was In Portland to spend Christmas, gave Portlanders good advice in Sun day's Journal, when he said: Good times have spread all over the East and they are headed this way. Factories back there are turn ing out so much stuff that the rail roads can't handle it. You have to think and act good times to have them. If everybody would think this way, you would have good times In Portland in 4$ hours. THE JEWISH PROBLEM I N THE opinion of Colonel Harry Cutler of Providence. Rhode ' Island, the future salvation of i the Jewish race in America lies in a movement of Jews away from the geat cities to the farming country. The great trial of tho race in this country will come, according to Colonel Cutler, after the Euro pean war Is ended. Thousands who have suffered during the conflict will seek a refuge on our shores. Shall they drift into the ghettoes cl the largo cities behind push carts or in sweat shops to Increase the present overcrowding? To pe'-mit this, says Colonel Cut ler, wi;i invite further restrictive legislation both state and national, un-American in its scope and inhu man iu application. "Should we not, asks he, "rather by every possible effort ameliorate a con dition, the disadvantage of which v.e ourselves aro the first to recog nize?" As remedial measures he sug gests a large conference which should discuss the following sul jects: The opening of the Panama canal, the economic questions aris ing from Industrial congestion in our lare centers of population, the remedial measures to be accom plished & the "back to the soil" movement, the advantages of rec lamation of abandoned farms in New England, together with the tremendous opportunities which vast unpopulated sections whici the middle and western parts of the country present; a call for en actment of such laws as will tend to open up the immense land hold ings now out of .use and unpro ductive, and the dissemination of true information regarding our im migration laws and industrial con ditions, often misrepresented at thai ports of embarkation. VISIT THE SCHOOLS P EOPLE ought to step into the schools occasionally and see what their boys and girls aro doing there. Sometimes they ought to go, not to find fault, but to praise the teachers and encour age their devoted labors. For the teachers are devoted and many of them are doing noble work for the children. It is a pity that so mucn good, sound public spirited toil should go unhonored and unsung. Why doesn't some rising poet sin.; the schoolma'am? The new Shattuck school is par ticularly worth a visit because there they are putting the brand new Gary principles into practice. They have a swimming pool, too, and a genuinely educational man ual training outfit. It is said, by those who know, that these llttlo devices hold the big boys until the end of the eighth grade. They do not drop out as they used In tte days of "pure culture" and in tellectual vacancy. But it is the Gary methods which form the charm of the Sha tuck Bchool. The rooms are full of children busy and quiet. There to no silly clatter of "recitation" to spoil everything. In the ordi nary recitation some simpleton 1b called" up and kept stammering away for fifteen minutes while the bright children go crazy with im- patience and disgust. Nothing Is gained by the sorry performance and much is lost, but it has taken a profound revolution in the schools to get rid of it, and It is not gone yet by any means. In the Shattuck school the child ren may be seen pleasantly and quietly at work. The results of their work may also be seen and heard. The boys and girls know how to express themselves in good English. They have read books. They cipher competently in frac tions. They are, to put it briefly. Intelligent human beings preparing themselves for life in an intelligent world. Compared with the mumi fied product of some schools they are little marvels, but they are not miracles. Any children can do the same if they have a chance. Why should -they not have a chance? SELMA LAGERLOF'S "JERUSALEM" From the New York Times. THERE Is but one woman member of the , Swedish academy, the daughter at an obscure clergy man in a small Swedish hamlet, who was born In an old farmhouse and trained to be a teacher. So .far, too, this woman Is the sole member of her Bex to receive the Nobel prize for literature. The bare sketch of Selma Lagerlofs life is a romance as thrilling as ever that told of a fairy princess. Small, quiet, shy, hard working, she pursued the course of her unexciting duties: in the Intervals of her business of teaching slid amused herself by filling pages with fanciful tales first wild romantic stories in the fashion of Scott and other heroes of her youthful days later In the telling of things nearer home. And sometimes she would smilingly make believe that she was a real writer, destined to write a great saga, and would turn to poetry and scribble more pages, only to tear them up later. Then, ' one day, she won a prise with a sketch she had been persuaded to enter in a competition, the sketch being a chapter from a book on which she had been working at odd hours for years. No one else had ever written Just that sort of chapter be fore, and several discerning persons were deeply interested; among the rest the publisher of the jjaper that had given the prize. These persons xvanted the book from which the sketch was taken. But there was no book, only a mass of material, odds and ends. lojse chapters and episodes u would take at least a year t0 weld these Into final form. And Miss Lagerlof must make her living. Whereupon the fairy godmother of course appeared, and the princess future for the time needed to com plete the book was provided for. She took the fairy gold and wrote the book, working day and night in a great frenzy of creative labor. a The book, "Costa Berling," waa published, and the princess put on lier crown and proceeded to live happy after. Not only, did it take Sweden by storm, but it was translated into most modern languages, and was everywhere pronounced a master piece. It was an extraordinary and beautiful story, and it was written in a style of singular clarity, and revealed what seemed an inevitable comprehension of the hearts of men and women, the strange workings of human nature. Here was a woman whose life had passed ia. what was close to Isolation; to whom the ex periences of love and motherhood had not come; a plain, unassueiing. rather silent little woman, always troubled to make both ends meet, the ugly ducklinc In a big family whose other members were all married and set tled, a playful, energettc crowd of youngsters who had early left the nest Selma was the chimney-corner child, too timid to Join in the bois terous play of her elder brothers and sisters, the little one who was al ways passed over. And yet here in her book she appeared to understand every one, to have done and seen everything, to be at home with the wildest and fiercest, the greatest lovers, tho hopeless, the strong, to ki.ow youth and .ase. to be surprised at nothing, to sympathize with points of view as far apart as good and evil. In her book was life In its thousand aspect3 presented with an art so sim ple and direct that It Is only occa sionally the reader realizes Us beauty and effectiveness. After "Costa Berltng" there was no more teaching for Miss Lagerlof. One book followed another, though slowly, for her work Is unhurried. Here in America she is better known for her two books, written for children, "The Wonderful Adventures of Nils," and "The Further Adventures of Nils," tljin for her novels. "Jerusalem" Is the story of a re vival. In telling It the writer pre sents a picture of universal human nature swaying between the poles of warm, comfortable, conventional, and time-honored bodily ease, sanctioned by tradition, and the chill, self-denying, fanatical, disturbing demand of the spirit, setting father against son, wife against husband. The 6tory, to be true, la Intensely local. The3e Swedish farmers and blacksmiths and school teachers and parsons are not simply of the country, they are tha products of generation after genera tion growing up and dying side by side In one small valley. We see more than one of these generations, trace the likeness between father and son. feel the strength of family In heritance, the power of local tradi tion. Here they are, these Ingmars and Halvors and Elofs and Hellgumi, plucked living from their immemorial farms and huts, and set In the mesn of the story; so real, so individual, man, woman, and child, that they touch every one In the world. There are strange happenings in the course of the story, for th author sets down what strikes upon her character In the way It appear to them. To Ingmar and Gertrude and the rest In the hut In the for est the forest storm has supernatural causes and phenomena. So we hear with them the voice of the Dog of the Mountain, and the trampling of dark hosts of ruin whose power is a swift arid cruel over the soul of man as the tree of the wood. Whn Brlta determines to hang herself we do not look on at her reasons and actions, but we are Brlta, thinking' her simple and sufficient thoughts and dohig what has to be done. And Lwhen the stranger enters and looks upon her, and leaves her to peace, we see and apprehend him as she does, not as we, watching her and him, might do If we were experienc ing the occurrence at second hand. The exquisite art of the book Is only completely revealed when you have finished and are looking back upon It. The solid foundation cf character and habit, the settled jvaya of these people, with their flashed of idealism, their courage of convic tion these are made familiar and understandable as they would be If you had grown up in Dalecarlla your self. Then, working on that Ideal Ism, that courage, the gradual inva sion of religious upheaval, the over setting of ancient rules and beliefs, the dawning of new demands and needB, the rise of a spiritual enthu siasm powerful enough to sweep the home-loving, tradition-sworn creatures away from their green farms and an cient houses to the desperate hazards of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, there to set up a colony that was to ex emplify the teachings of Christ anew to a world that had drifted far how clearly, how wonderfully It ts all done, while all the while you seem simply to be following the village happenings and personal problems of a few rather slow-thinking, earnest, sincere folk, who believe In walking in the ways of God, but who are not averse from feathering th nest of life. The description of the final exodus is rarely beautiful. Only an inci dent here, another there, a face, a figure, an Isolated experience or two, are related. aBut when all are gatn ered together you realize that every emotion which must have moved the pilgrims, and also those left behind, has been illuminated. It is all there. A word must be said for the trans lation, made by a Swedish woman. The author shines through the work of the translator as she might be seen through a pane of clear glass. Letters From the People (Oommuulcatliais nent to Tbe Journal for publication lo tlila de'rtmeDt hould he writ ten on only one sldo of the paixr, tiouia not exceed :J words in length and miiKt b ac companied by the uauie nd addreae of tha tenaer. If the writer d- not deidre to Care the name uublished. he ahould so alale.) "Diimiip1on 1 the rroateet of all reformer. It rallonallics eerjtLing; it touches. It roba ocinolples uf all false sanctity and throws theni Lark ou their reasonableness. If tbj bare no re asouablriifss. It ruthlessly crushes them out of existence snd sets up It j own ounclusloaa li their Head." Woodruw WlUou. Tho Churches and Peace. ReedYiHe, Or., Dec. 22. (To the Editor of The Journal. This is the season when we think of the words, "Peace on earth, good will to men." The old, time worn phrase comes to us more forcibly now pince the Kuropean war 19 bathing a continent In blood. Out of this maelstrom of gore should come a warning to us not to follow the urglngs of ministers who, times with out number, have sent mothers' sons into the hell of battle in the name of the humble Nazarene, Or should we arm ourselves! to please the capitalists, who gain greater wealth at the ex pens of human misery. This Is the season when we should cherish thoughts of brotherhood, bind up the old wounds, heal broken lives and hearts. It Is 111 for us to cast our eyes beyond the swm at a struggle caused by commercialism. Instigated by veiled diplomacy and unholy alli ances, with a view at some time to meddle in a situation which Is nothing to us. If our preachers will but study internal affairs and try to alleviate some of the burdens fal'.ing so heavily upon the poor of the country, they will help to bring peace on earth. go"d will to men. Godspeed the day when upon this eATth shall dawn the true spirit of Christian Justloe, when there will be among us servants ministering in the name of Jesus Christ, who will dare defy the colossal master of wealth, the greatest and most despotic ruler of any nation. Our greatest (strength Ilea not In armor plate and guns, but in better economic conditions. More respect would be due to the aris tocratic churches of the country if once their high sounding, flowery oratory could penertate the marble walls of their edifice and beoome crysial'lzed into actual deeds toward the man wal lowing In the gutter. Why not direct a plea to the stony hearts of the mas ter class and compel them to give men work? Why make moral slaves of men by charity? Why not try to lead pub lic opinion onward to ripht a wron which is mostly Imaginary, and de liberately remain blind bo far greater wrongs at home? We have prayed for peace; therefore let us have pvic O. E. FRANK. Naval College for the Coast. Portland, Dec. 24 To the Editor of The Journal One of tho Califor nia senators has introduced a bill In congress to appropriate $10,000.00'J for the establishment of a naval academy on the Pacific coast. The movement has the approval of thj administration to the extent that it has been deemed unwise to increare the facilities at Annapolis, for the reason that It Is practically unpro tected from capture by an enemy in time of war. The government rc. nizes the necessity for an additional naval college. The Pacific roast, on the opposite aide of the continent, of fers an ideal location for such an In stitution. There ia no question that the bill will be unitedly supported by every western congressman and a large number from the eastern states. It would not be wise from a pre cautionary point of warfare, to have both colleges on one coast, where the fortunes of war might unnecessarily endanger both Institutions. It l practically certain that congress will in due time approve this bill. It La generally conceded, we are PERTINENT COMMENT SMALL CHANGE 4-1 AAA V fa, W 14 a f COVlUklVllS) 1 Aa - elude on to obey the law, and keep it. The war 1 getting into Asia, thus traveling away from rather than to ward the United States. a a T t ' rrvwl thin 9 f Vi f PhHttmft. ia over, for general business lv demand lag all of the country '-a attention. Another cause for optimism 1 the fact that congress is alive to the need of immediate rural credit legislation. a France has decorated King Peter of Serbia with a war cross, but that is lor compensation for the loss of a. kingdom. a There may have been method In the announcement on the day before Christmas of Mr. Wiaecarver'a candi dacy tor secretary of state. After surveying the field, the Chica go News observes that While the Re publicans have several presidential pos sibilities, tney have few presidential probabilities. The lumber trade has emerged from the doldrums; the demand for lumber is general; prices are going up; mills are resuming operations, the future lias a roey aspect. Whether Medford or Grants Tass gels that million dollar beet sugar fac tory Is of email consequence compared with the fact that the Rogue river valley will have it. Now that the navy general board's "suppressed" report Is public, and alio Secretary Daniel's reason for revising it. the country's verdict la that revi sion was necefiary Great Britain has released 6000 boxe of Oregon and Washington ap pies seized while on their way to Scandinavian countries. The tempta tion must have been great to pass only the core along. THE PIED PIPER From the Kansaa City Star. New Orleans la being made rat-proof at a cost of approximately $7,000,000. The bare statement of the figures does not Indicate how big the task la. New Orleans waa the very home of rats. It had Its own rata, which had been accumulating since the French founded It in 1717, and the rats of the whole world as well. Included among these undesirable "foreign" rats were the ones carrying the bu bonic plague fleas, which would have made another Pied Piper of Hamelin Town shy from the task of ridding the city of them, for when a rat dies and leaves a lot of bubonic orphans the fleas at once begin to look for a new home on a warm blooded animal. Another rat Is the preferred location, but even the spare legs of a Pied Piper will do in a pinch. a And so In this emergency Uncle Sam volunteered to play the Pled Piper part If New Orleans would pay the piper, and New Orleans, being second port of the United States and anxious to be, first, agreed, and the work la well un der way. The results belnj accom plished are astounding. The army surgeons assigned to the work, decided on two lines of attack on the well Intrenched rat army. One was to. kill them outright and the oth er to make them homeless. It was making them homeless that presented the greatest interest. a a Sunlight and concrete are the main stays in making wanderers of rata. The sunlight is valuable in the res idence district In the case of cheap or small homes that do not require a heavy foundation, for It has been found that if three sides of the foun dation are left open the rat will not harbor there. The use of a solid front wall is permitted, which gave the home a look of solidarity, but the oth er three sides consisting of pillars or in many cases pilings, let in the light of which a rat is afraid as much as of poiBon or a trap. As a great part of the city had homes of this construc tion, many of the poorer people of the city had no expense at all In this cam paign. Tho concrete method la more expen sive. It consists in making a building fo tight that there is not a chance for a rat to even get his nose Inside. - In some cases tin or Iron Is used. Instead of concrete, but the latter is the re commended way. a Near the business center of New Or leans Is a livery stable. It is of typical construction, and in the past has been told, that our Washington senators. Chamberlain and Lane, stand very hitrh in the councils of the admin istration and wield a vast Influence with the national government. lo not the present time opportune to lay the foundation well in advance of other coast aspirants to secure this magnificent government Institu tion? It may be taken for granted now that the states of California and Washington, respectively. will waire a warm fight to secure the lo cation. If the pcoper foundation bi now laid, carefully nursed, friends from adjacent states quietly and ef fectually secured, in other words, a still hunt inaugurated, there would be a reasonable, fair chance of se curing one of the greatest and most beneficial' government institutions in the United States. If it Is worth going after at all, now is the tim to get busy. W. J. JONES. Tile Case of the Foiled Robber. Portland, Dec. 22. To the Editor of The Journal Permit me to express my opinion In the case of the shooting and perhaps killing of the man who tried to obtain a few dollars by rob bery, in the station at Multnomah. Did not J. D. Stewart violate law by shoot ing a man not in self defense? It is certain that the man intended to take the nine dollars out of the till, but it is also certain that his Intention was not to kill the station agent. Wheti Mr. Stewart ran out, did he run Ij avoid being Bhot? No. He went to his house for his six shooter to shoot a man who In the first place had not even tried to uee his own weapon. And more yet, the victim didn't even take the nine dollars from the till, but merely tried to escape with his life. Tbe example we should take from the case is this: Don't be too free with your slxshootera or other shoot ers. Think before you act, if a human heart beats in you. JAMES M. ROTIL Concerning Conscription. Albany, Or.. Dec. 23. To the Editor of The Journal. At this time there are a great- many expresing their opinions- as to the need of 'conscription, " as outlined in Senator Chamberlain's Wll. It is a step that should be fully aired by the public before passed. In the first place, why do we need such a bill? Whether there is or is not any foreign foe that la consider ing taking advantage or ua, need not enter into the argument against It. Be fore passing, or for that matter even considering passing such a bill, why AND NEWS IN BRIEF OREGON SIDELIGHTS "Crystallization of a steel beam." ays the Kugene Register, "ia said to have been responsible for the recent bridge horror in Spokane. Where wooden beams are used crystallization need not be feared." While there may not have been aa much Christmas money spent in Le banon Mfti in Vur t.vit t r-- . - .. . , . 1 1 u iiuiiua spirit, the Express testifiea, has been ery noiiceaoie, ana a line co-operative spirit has prevailed In the effort to make the town mure attractive, a a The News congratulates Hood River that the national park tourist figures of 1914 and 1S16 have a meaning for that rtgion, because "with the com pletlon of the Columbia river highway and promised construction ot th Mount Hood loop a portion of this tourist travel will surely be attracted here." The Democrat says that from all appearances, there will be few vacant store room In Baker following tiie prohibition law's going into effect January 1. "With one or two excep tions, saloon men are going to con tinue in business In Baker with th sale of liquors eliminated," says lh-j Democrat. Something- that beats the forked stick is evidently In.ihated In this item. from the I-'ossil Journal: "Jamlfsnn A Mar. a:!, of Condon, l.uv0 drilled six n.s this year, and five of them are leas than 1C0 feet deep. They now have a water finding machine that almost infallibly indi cates where water can be lound at a reasonable depth." a The Roseburg Review contains this notice of a veteran newsap- r man of Oregon: "Thomas Harlan, founder of the Medford Mall-Tribune, was hero this morning en route to Blue Lake, Humboldt county, Cal.. to spend the winter with his son. He is traveling with horse and buKgy. Mr. Har.an is a veteran of the Civil war. Although hi years of age. he is still active.' AT NEW ORLEANS the harbor of hordes of rata. Now, however, there is no welcome algn for the rodents. The rat that scurries in there bumpa his nose Into solid con crete at every turn. The floor la of this construction. Tbe sides and cor ners are rounded up of It. The man gers, the harbor of oid, and the well patronized lunch counter of the rodents, are concrete. And so It goes. Rickety looking old houses, that one feels like hurrying past for fear they fall, have new con crete foundations. a The city commissioners have, of course, had to line up with the gov ernment in the work. It la fortunate that the simpler form of city govern ment waa available, for a good many difficulties have been encountered from the property owners. Having al ways had rats they saw no reason for all this flurry, especially in view of the fact that it costs them money, but the ones cleaning up the city are ob durate. Ag might be expected, It is some of the rich landlords, who rent to human rats, who are the chief ob jectors, and they are resorting to the chief weapon of delay, the courts. It Is estimated that they are holding up fully 20 per cent of the Improvement at this time. a a in addition to the ratprooflng, good Job is being done at killing rats. About 50 men are employed regularly a ratcatchers and a bonus of ten cents a rat brings In thousands more. The dead rats are all brought to head quarters and examined for signs of bu bonic plague. So far, out of thousands of rats more thousands than any loyal citizen of the awakened and re newed city will admit more than 200 rats have been found with the plague. One old theory has been exploded since the work began. It has been quite generally contended that rata, like flies, do not travel about the city much, but confine their operations to a small radius about their burrow. To disprove this, rats have been marked and turned loose and have been caught the next day many blocks from where they were originally found, thus es tablLshlng that they travel long dls tar.ee In a single night. a While the total cost of ratprooflng the city was numbing at first, as the work proceeds and as the results be gin to be noticed, the city is getting chesty about Its efforts, and it Is com ing to be accepted that the cost will not even be Interest on the economic waste of the rodents, not to mention the health benefits. not issue a call for free will enlist ments from the men of the desired ages? It is safe to say that If con gresjs derides that we should have a larger trained army, all it will havs to do will be to call for volunteers. If such a thing should be that the de sired number could not be raised, then It would he time enough to pats such a bill. Even England, at war, hesi tates to force unwilling men Into war One man willing to take up arms Is worth a dozen, eo to speak, that have to be forced to fight. It seems that in modern warfare that training doee not oount for very much. The men crawl into their trench and there they stay until they are called to charge, or withdraw, which doea not call for very much training. In your ismie of December 22, A. E Mackley wants a reason why women should not be included In the conscrip tion bill, now that the men have been "to kind" as to let them have the privilege that our forefathers fought for, namely, that they have a vote on the measures that mii'-em them. Per haps th beft reason that could be given why they should not be forced I to take up arnm Is that they are not j able to withstand the "starving" and other "soldiers' hardships" as well aa the men. EDWARD C. VIERECK. Yes. Molalla, Or., Dec. 22. To the Editor of The Journal In a 4 handed game of crlbbage A plays a 5, B a 3, C a 4 and D a 2. Then A plays a 3 and claims a run of 3. Was he right? READER. A Soldier's Message to Ills Wife. From the London Times. Borne of the best stories of the war come from the base hospitals, and are bestowed on the doctors in the same spirit that grateful patienta beatow gift on their medical attendants in civil life. One told recently has trav eled from the farthest outposts In Mesopotamia A Turkish officer, cap tured in the Mesopotamia! campaign, asked and received permission to tele graph to hia wife when he wa brought to Basra Hia message read: "Safely captured." Was Candid. From the Kansas City Journal. He: If I were rich, darling, would you love me more than you do? She: Well, I might not love you any more, but I would look forward to our wedding day with a great deal more impatience than I do at present. T,ieOnceOver - r REX L-A-MPr-LAI MT MOTHER-IN-LAW wts Stm In the next block out at Oak Grove and who agrees with Veres. that Pup ehould sleep outdoora has made a criticism a very kindly one of my manner of con3uctln this solium. IJAnd I don't know but she may be right. but I can't help n J Hr criticism is that there's too much Me in the koi: ,.ui. And she makes i.o suggestion of a substitute. And I can't thtr.k of anything Just as good that I .an use. And here I am - l .!ng the very thing that my niotht r-m-Law says I shouldn't. And I guess it's t o use. Perhaps I'm Just Ilka Kernel Roosevelt. and everybody knows he can t help it. And I don't think !.e s ever tried. But anyway- until f.-rther no tice I nn.Kt continue a hefore. flAnd the other mumic-at five minutes to eleven- I wj, c rulsl ng down Broadway. And I met M. I.. Gumhert man ager of tho Hudson Bay Fi:r r :rpany. And w exchanged greetings. and I showed him the Once Over book. J And he smiled rather sadly. and said he wanted it. and I fcald all right. and he gave he a half dollar. and I thanked him. and he thanked me. J And I started along to sell an other. T And he said "Just a minute are you going past my officer" and I said I was. V And he asked me to take the book and leave it there. and I said I would. and he gave It t me. and thanked me. - and I thanked him, and started down Broadway. Ar.d I went Into the Hudson Ba Fur company. and there wa M. L. GumberL And I said "How did you get hen? I JiiM sold ycuj a book up In front of the Orpheum." And l e ld I didn't and he hadn't been out of the store all morning. f, And he asked me if I waa feeling well. and I said "Yea wha'd'y'u mean feeling well?" J And he said "Oh nothing I Just wondered -if you get this way often." J And I went ahead and aold him a book. J And I'Ve looked everywhere f-ir the other man who looks like M. L. Oumbert and I can't find him. and my cons' ienre hurts ma and I can't tleej) as long aa I want to. tj And I've asked Count Wallln. and he doesn't know what to da. and I don't either. J And that's tha rmson I guess I wrote tills be'-uusi J LISTEN 1 feci a whole lot bet- ter already. THE JOV OK SERVICE. By H-n l-anipaian. Where the hills slanted down to th valley the country was desolate A murrain lay upon the rocky slop. blight wa in the shallow .an tried of sterile soil. The land was of nhard and flints with no saving softnesss of verdure. An exception to the rule wa the Ixmesome Christmas Trf. Midway on the slow curve of the lit tlest hill a dwarfed and rickety fir. n.j taller than a man might reach, clung with starved root to the barren that banned Its brother larchos. The fir w;ua very, very lonely. Sigh ing it looked across the valley to the green gladness of the sister range. There were trees thr, platoon, re.gi-ments- and divisions of Christina tree. Children ai d grown folks felled the shapely ones with sharp axes, and carried them away, for tho season wa December. Aa the ambition of all fir is the martyrdom of t'tristmsa, th Ixjnesome Christmas Tree waa very lonely Indeed. On Christmas eve the wind was cold, It wrapped the barren Hiope in swirling snow; and children In U.e valley, and older children, looked .;p to the distant storm and wished that It might lower to the fields and town, bring in white Christmas. What folly held the Thrush from southern flight Bone may ay. Pru dence ehould have sped the blid a full month before. Yet the wlnla of Christmas eve hurled It through th dusk; a blinded. draggd, frightened bit of quenched not.g ritralght to tin lonesome Christmas Tree tUe bore the Thrush and blustered on. Night earn" to the slope of the 11U tlesU hilL It, closed about the lone some fir no longer lonely. Deep in the snow-roofed thicket of the tree's fronds the -Thrush snuggled a warm and cozy ball of puffed feathera. And the Lonesome Christmas Tree no longer lonely knew that Christmas had come true In the Joy of service. Qtdrier af IHId Makes Good. HBRE is a little story from ths "street and town" olumn of th Multr.on-.ah Club Iluiletln. Nearly tvery ,u;n-f is running a "Street and Town" column now sin' e The Journal atarted one and thn gloom isn't so thick as it used to be. Hut hero' th story: "You can't down these Multnomah club fellers, Now it is Y. W. Hlld who, until ,a couple of months ago, when he went to Denver to beooms vice president and general manager of the Denver Tramway company, was vice president of the Multnomah club and of the J'ortland Railway, Light & Power company. "Mr. Hild started by auto from Golden, Colo where he had gone on an Inspection trip, for Denver on Sun day. December 19. The auto got stalled in the snow and mud, whence l.orses, mules and men with shovels could not budge It. Mr Hild, nothing daunted and determined to reach Den ver to keep an appointment,' led a nine mile hike through the snow to Leyden, where he knew he could get, a train to Denver. "He not r.ly made the nine miles la fine form, but gained an hour on on of his companions, who froze his toes on the hike. "Mr. Hlld learned the art of hlklns; with the Multnomah hikers and wa in fine physical trim from hia hand ball playing and hleVork in the Mult nomah gym. The moral to this tals) Is plain." . , S