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THE - OREGON - DAILY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1916.
THE JOURNAL
AN INDEPENDENT NEW8PAPES.
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' America asks nothing for herself but what
Shu baa a right to aak for humanity Itaelf.
WOODUOW WILSON.
Millions for defence, but not a cent for
tribute, CHARLES C. PISCKSET.
We owe it to a doe regard for our
own rlgbta aa a nation, to oar aenso
of duty as a repreaentatire of tbe rights
of neutral tbe world over and to a
just conception of tbe rights of mankind
to take this stand now witb tbe utmost
solemnity and firmness.
WOODKOW WIIJSON.
THE ONLY COURSE
FY HE president's latest note to
- I Germany was inevitable. No
'I . other course was open except
a humiliating admission that
American rights at sea are Bur-,
rendered and age-old agreements
among nations torn up.
. For more than a year, the im
perial government has been pledg
v ing itself not to sink merchantmen
without warning and to afford
safety to passengers and crew.
Practically every month during
that period, these pledge? have
been broken by the sinking of one
merchantman after another with
out warning and without giving
crew and passengers time to es
cape. The latest case is tb.o French
- channel steamer Sussex. In its
note on this case the imperial gov-
' eminent in effect admits that its
submarine commander did not
knowthe name of the vessel he tor
pedoed. It admits that the subma
rine sank a ship at the time and
place the Sussex went down, but
that he was in ignorance of whether
the vessel was a liner, a transport
or a merchantman.
.., The captain of the submarine
said It was "a long black craft with
out a flag," which he thought might
be a mine layer. The vessel was
thereupon attacked without warn
ing and without provision for the
safety of the 325 passengers. There
. could be no plainer proof that the
repeated pledges of the past were
disregarded, than is this complete
admission in the official note of
the imperial government.
- There could be no plainer 'proof
' that, in spite of a year of promises
that were unquestionably sincere,
German submarine commanders do
, not know what ships they attack.
Insuch a situation, with tragedy
after tragedy following each other
In rapid succession, there was noth
ing left to the president but to
take the- position declared In his
noto of yesterday.
- - America has been more than pa
tient. The negotiations seemed
often to have settled the contro
versy but always there were fresh
offenses.
. .Germany has been often de
ceived by her own partisans. Thus,
. when the Lusitania was sunk, the
imperial government insisted that
the "ship when she left New York,
. undoubtedly had guns on board,
which were mounted under decks
. and masked." The man who de
ceived Germany by swearing that
he saw the Lusitania'a guns Is now
' s in the Atlanta penitentiary, a con
victed : perjurer, and the German
. foreign office has never repeated
- the charge.
-." Last September, explaining the
sinking of the Arabic, Germany
.-. claimed on false information that
the vessel's commander attempted
' to ram the submarine. A few days
later, Ambassador von Bernstorff
- formally notified the state depart
" ment that Germany admitted that
' there was no' truth in the report
that the Arabic attacked the sub
marine, and that the German gov
ernment "regrets and disavows
' Commander : Schneider's act" and
- offers indemnity.
-. . Tbe v ms basis upon which diplo
matic ! relations between two great
nations can be maintained Is good
. faith and the faithful adherence to
all covenants made-. Without that
mutual confidence and faithful per
' , formance of 'promises essential to
the conduct of diplomatic relation,
it la a useless formality to keep
an American ambassador at Berlin
' and a German ambassador at Wash
ington. - , "
To . the full and ,' regretful contemplation-
ot a. severance of rela
tions is the length .to which Presi
dent" Wilson has been driven by the
eventuatlons of the past year of
controversy s. In which agreements
were reached only to be broken by
one of the high contracting parties.
The full" solemnity and gravity
o: the step as felt by the president
was made clear in his address to
congress yesterday.
The hope Is that Germany, hav
ing so often; by her own pledges,
admitted the justice of the Ameri
can contention, will now have a
solemn realization that we have
reached - the parting of the ways
and take action that will assure, a
continuance of the friendship and
mutual good will so long common
to the two nations.
The great resources of The Jour
nal as a newspaper were displayed
yesterday. Tbe president's speech
of more than 2000 Words was de
livered at 1:30, Washington time.
The note to Germany of nearly
2500 wjrds was released at Wash
ington at 2:30. The speech ap
peared in The Journal in the
earlier editions, and both speech
and note in full with full accounts
of the effect in Washington were
spread broadcast on the streets of
Portland at four o'clock. Only
the last word in newspaper service
and equipment can yield such re
sults. THE PORTLAND HANDICAP
THE great sum of $37,744,942
has been expended in provid
ing facilities for uco of the
Columbia and Willamette riv
ers for commerce. Hero are the
figures:
Mouth of the Columbia $14,697,001
Lower Columbia "and Wil
lamette 3.799,739
Upper Columbia from mouth
of the Willamette 10,049,474
Upper Willamette including
locks at Oregon City 1,318,728
Appropriated by state for
locks 300,000
Spent by Port of Portland
less $450,000 for Jetty.. 5,500,000
Expended by Dock Com'n.. 2,100,000
Grand total ..J37.764.942
These expenditures have laid the
foundation for a great water-borne
traffic. But the returns to us from
these expenditures can only be se
cured by putting these costly fa
cilities to use.
Though the great sum of $10,
049,474 has been expended on the
upper Columbia, we havo made so
little use of the facilities that we
are suffering rank discriminations
in freight rates. We do not have
rates based on our favorable loca
tion. We do not have rates based
on the low cost of the haul down
the river on which a loaded car
once started will roll into Port
land on it3 own momentum.
The rates we are compelled to
pay are the same as If there were
no Columbia river. They are the
came as if the Columbia gorge
were a range of high mountains.
Though the gorge is there and
though traffic costs but little in
contrast with what it would cost
were the gorge high mountains, we
are. forced to pay and the interior
is forced to pay freight rates based
on the cost of - an over-mountain
haul.
It is so because we are not
using the facilities for providing
which $10,049,474 has been spent.
By not using these facilities, we
are condemning ourselves to a
continuation of freight rates ar
ranged 'for the benefit of Puget
Sound and wholly unsuitcd to ana
very discriminatory against Port
land. By not using them, wo are sub
mitting to a freight-rate injustice
that is undermining our property
values, that is diminishing our
prosperity, that is handicapping
our growth, that is limiting our
commerce, that is depriving us of
the benefits of our location, that
is hampering the growth of our
industries, and that is, every day,
every month, and every year work
ing to the detriment of our city
and its people.
As you read the" Dresident's
speech, the note to Germany and
the accounts of doings at the na
tional capital in your Journal early
yesterday afternoon, and as you
reflected that all these accounts
sped across the continent by wire,
were edited, the forms made up,
and the papers printed before four
o'clock, did it not occur to you that
The Journal Is a great newspaper?
THE VANISHING TURK
THE southwestward sweep of
the Russians through Asia
Minor follows the same path
that the Turks themselves
took on their conquering march
hundreds ef years ago. They were
then a little tribe migrating from
nobody knows where and seeking
what they might devour. Little
by little through many vicissitudes
they grew to greatness and founded
a mighty empire. They crossed
into Europe over the Byzantine
straits almost a century before
Constantinople fell a prey to Ma
homet II, and their arms received
no real check until John Sobieski,
the kingly Pole, defeated them
under the walls of Vienna.
Their rule has always been like
that' of the locust. They have been
a pest to the world, ravaging, plun
dering, oppressing but never build
ing. Their settlements In con
quered countries have been nothing
more than armed camps. They
have produced generals and tyrants
but no statesmen.
Almost all that is left of their
once wide sway is limited now to
Asia Minor. It is here, in their
last retreat, that the Russians iiave
attacked them. : The - Grand Duke
and his host come as rescuers to
the Armenians, long subject to
massacre and outrage by their sav
age rulers.; At the samo time the
British : have moved a force up
from India, endeavoring to overrun
the valley of Mesopotamia and Join
hands with: the GTand Duke, Every
victory of the Russians - makes the
ultimate British victory more cer
tain. - - ' -i , ' J'
When the two armies are united,
as they probably will be before
long, they will march .westward
across Asia Minor, along the road
by which Cyrus the Great came
to attack Croesus in his capital of
Sardis, and the obnoxious Turk will
vanish from the face of the earth.
The Turk would have prolonged
his miserable existence If ; he' had
kept out of the war, but It matters
little. His doom was sealed in
any case.
Still, there Is some excuse for
the ferocity with which all in the
street car glare at the man who
queries, "Do you think they will
ever catch Vee-yah?"
WHOSE FAULT?
ABRAHAM NELSON asserts on
thi3 page that delay in hard
su"facing Broadway east of
the bridge is partly charge
able to Commissioner Dieck.
He charges that Commissioner
Dieck is making the improvement
so costly that abutting property
cannot stand the assessments. He
insists that there 13 no need of a
change of grade.
The Journal knows nothing of
the merits Of this phase of the
controversy. In justice to the
property owners along the rotten
street, it passes the charge up to
Mr. Dieck and the other commis
sioners. . -
It stands to reason that on one
side or the other, or on both, there
is a measure of bullheadedness or
the differences would have been
adjusted and the street have been
Improved long ago. Reasonable
tact on both sides and a proper
spirit of compromise should adjust
things and permit the improvement
to be made.
The street is almost in the geo
graphical heart of Portland. Broad
way and the magnificent bridgo
are one of the show features of
the city, though the dirty section
of street from Union avenue to
Larrabee is a blight to the pros
pect, a blight to the business and
to the residence value of the lo
cality. In two days, it will be three
years since the bridge was built at
a cost of $1,586,921.90. The in
terest charge on the bridge bonds
is $68,680 a year.
The maintenance and interest
charge against the people of Port
land i3 already nearly a quarter of
a million dollars, and, in all con
science, the people of the vicinity
and the city commission should get
together and rid Portland of this
fester spot of dust and mud.
An insane man in Cali'ornla who
was escaping, had his reason re
stored by a blow on the head with
a heavy fire nozzle. If that plan
of restoring reason is to be widely
adopted, it would be well, perhaps,
for all the head3 to be creosoted.
THIRTY-THREE CENTS A DAY
THE Chicago leader of fashion
who has figured out that a
person can live on J 3 cents
a day omits at least one
necessary of life from her account,
and perhaps two or three. Gaso
line costs in eastern cities not far
from 30 cents a gallon at retail.
This leaves but 3 cents a day for
food, drink and clothing, on the
theory that a person consumes but
a gallon a day of the great indis
pensable. We dare say most men would
divide up their wealth in that( pro
portion, 30 cents for gasoline and
three for everything else, but their
diet would be extremely light. The
Chicago dame who has compiled
this. slender budget confesses that
she has not tried it herself. No
doubt it costs many times 33 cents
to keep her automobile going as
she makes afternoon calls on her
elite circle.
There are people in the United
States to whom a hundred dollars
comes and goes as lightly as a cop
per penny to the rest of us. They
spend most of their spare moments
preaching economy to the poor.
After all, there is one phase of
running for office that is inexpen
sive. The candidate doesn't have
to hire a genealogist to learn of
his past.
RAILROADS AND THEIR, MEN
THE JOURNAL cannot pass on
the merits of the controversy
between .the raili-oads and
their employes, relative to an
eight-hour day.
Statements from ho parties are
conflicting. The railroads contend
that the concession demanded
would cost the companes $100,000,
000. The employes deny it.
The managers say the employes
refuse arbitration. The employes
deny it
The managers say a strike has
already been determined upon. The
employes deny It.
On this page is a carefully pre
pared . statement of the employes'
side of the controversy. It con
tains some statements that cannot
be successfully . controverted. Thus
It contends as a principle that Ions
hours -: under high tension quickly
incapacitate workers.
That 13 true. Tb.o managers
themselves must admit It.
, The locomotive engineer after a
dozen hours or more . at his post
can easily misread train orders and
cause a costly collision. The spent
and sleepy worker is not "safety
flrst."r It is no longer, denied that
accidents in industry are more fre
quent at the end of a long. day. '
Well rested, properly nourished,
alert and active workers in any ac-
tlvity are safer and moro profitable
to employers than are weak, unfed
and spent workers. , One class Is
safety, the ' other menace. One
means good service, the other bad
service. One means efficiency, the
other inefficiency. -
Thi3 13 not a discussion of the
merits of the pending controversy,
but the assertion of established
principles in industrial life.
SMALL POTATOES
S" OLLIER'S WEEKLY calls
L Madden of Illinois, "small po- sand more soap makers would be re
tatoes." Congressman Mad-j quired and the stores themselves
den Is the man who, with In-1 would profit by selling their goods
credibly mean subservience to the to these employes, isn't it strange
bis predatory Interests, slipped the
Hfifty pound limit on the parcel post
into the postal appropriation bill.
He fancied he could do the .trick
without being found out and check
mated. He ha3 been found out but he
may not be checkmated. That de
pends upon the force of public
opinion. Congress is usually as
bad as it dares to be. When the
people get anything from their
servants at Washington It is by the
hardest kind of hard work. But
it is harder still to keep what they
get
With a fashion note insisting
that man's attire tbfs season muet
match his hair, there ara some gen
tlemen we know of who are going
to look like animated danger sig
nals. NOTHING THE MATTER
WITH PORTLAND
Erery day la cleaa-ap day with tbe eatab
llshment whose wares are presented in No.
113 of Tbe Journal's Nothing tbe Matter
With Portland" series. Tbe small concern -Is
entitled to as much credit. In every moral
snse, as tbe larger, if It fills Its place to
tbe limit of sbtlity and expands with oppor
tunity. Tbe day of small things Is In no
wise to be despised. There is inspiration In
today' story.
THE Klenzo Soap company is in a
class by itself.
As its products would imply, it
is one of; the "clean" institutions of
the city and state.
It is young, but not too little to
come within the scope vf The Jour
nal publisher's admonition to "not for
get the little ones."
It turns out 1000 pounds of Klenzo
soap daily, and still is In arrears with
Its orders.
It employs traveling salesmen to
place its products in the stores em-1
braced in its territory, and these are
not of the ordinary, either. Its soaps
are of the finer grades, and are rsc -
ommended for washing dishes, remov
ing grease spots from clothing, for
Use "n tho bathroom, for shampooing
purposes, removing grease from fur
niture, washing automobiles, wood
work of all kinds, linoleum, marble,
tiling, toilets, sinks, grease, pitch,
paint or grime from the hands, etc.
A trial will convince anyone that It
is a dandy preparation, and its popu
larity will increase as its merits be
come known. In addition to this soap
the company makes a complete line
of toilet goods, Including Tar Hair j
Shampoo. 50c a jar; Cucumber Hair j
Shampoo, same price; Klenzo Face
Cream, same price; Liquid Pace Pow
der. J1.00 a jar, and Brilliant Metal
Polish, at 25 cents a can. Each of
these manufactures is well known,
bona fide, and has proved itself
worthy of public confidence. This 's
evidenced by the great array of testi
monials from reputable and well
known persons who have used them.
PURELY A HOME ENTERPRISE.
The -concern 'is a home corporation,
officered by Charles J. Little, presi
dent and manager; J. W. Rose,' vice
president, and D. L. Kimball, secre
tary and treasurer.
All ingredients entering into Its
products are procured in Portland, not
a penny being sent out of the city
for any purpose.
For an enterprise only nine months
old as a corporation, though in busi
ness for a year before being incor
porated, this , industry has made a
good record. Its output" is at this
time Averaging from $3000 to $3500 'perty on Broadway, could not stand
a month, a fact indicative of its j the heavy assessment that would re
value and popularity, and If its sales suit from the various riders being
continue to increase with the same
rapidity as from January 1, its year's
business will total more than $50,
000! "Our trouble at this tlme said the
president, a remarkably bright young
man, "is that we have had difficulty
lr keeping up with our orders. We
opened our factory in a small way,
employing but two or three helpers,
but today there are more than a
dozen of us and we are all busy as
nailers. A few days ago we removed
from our old .quarters on Salmon
street on the west side to this build
ing, 371 Hawthorne avenue, where we
have more than double the floor
space, so w hope to keep - on top
hereafter. V
IF PEOPLE W6ULI3 BUY HOME
GOODS.
"We read in the newspapers that
there are more than 275,000 persons
residing in Portland. Every one of
these, no matter how young or old,
must be cleansed with soap, and with
a grade similar to that made by us.
Then, there is not a home In which
there Is not use for our product apart
from the cleansing of the skin. Once-jbe
employed tn tne Kitcnen, it would not
be dispensed with; or on woodwork.
linoleum, marble, etc., and tbe auto
mobilist never would forsake it if he
once gave It a trial. For the purposes
for which we : recommend our soap
there is no better made in the world,
nor any sold at a smaller price. ; Now
if all who buy eastern-made products
similar to ours would forego the prac
tice, and insist on getting that made
In - Portland, we . could add at least
50 to our payroll, their salaries would
be spent here, the money would enter
into all channels of trade, and elhe
entire community would beuefir there-
by. The Journal is" do.ng a 'good
aervic to 'the community tn , calling
'attention to these facts, and It I m to
t b hoped buyers will take at least
some time to think thetri over for
themselves.
"There are several aoap factories
in Portland, though none, so far aa
we are aware, making- our class of
goods. But we happen to know that
for general purposes the products of
the factories in operation here' are
not anywhere surpassed, and that if
their goods were sold exclusively In
t the stores of Portland several tnou-
. that they do not, or seemingly can-
not, see this for themselves? And
the same condition obtains In all
other lines of Portland manufactures
But you know the old saw, that
"There are none so blind as those who
will not see!'"
And it is a gospel truth. Thousands
of our people "wake up in the morn
ing to the sound of a Connecticut
clock. They arise and button Chi
cago suspenders to their Detroit over-
alls. They go out and wash their
face with Cincinnati coap in a Cleve
land wash basin. They sit down -n
a Grand Rapids chair and eat their
breakfast from an Eau Claire table,
and weep because there is not Omaha
beef on their Akron, Ohio, platter.
Their bread is made of Minneapolis
flour baked in a St. Louis oven. If
they own a farm they will put a New
York bridle in a Kentucky mule's
mouth, fed on Iowa corn, if possible
to pbtain it, and plow all day on a
plot of ground covered with a Massa
chusetts life insurance company's
mortgage. And at eventide they will
read a Bible printed in a Boston
sweat shop and likely repeat a prayer
written in Jerusalem. They will then
crawl under a. blanket woven in New
Jersey, to be kept awake air night by
a dog Imported from South Dakota,
or if a native of Oregon the only
home product on the ranch."
And it's the same with city folk.
They Till not buy the stuff made in
Portland, than which there is no bet
ter on earth, then drain their tear
ducts because there is no work for
the head of the house. '"-
If everybody In Portland would take
a life-and-death oath that they would
buy nothing not made in Portland,
! and" then have the moral courage to"
stick to the resolve, there would not
' be an idle man in the bailiwick, not a
hunsry stomach nor a beggar on the
j streets.
( The Portland Soap Products com-
pany has a payroll or ?eooo a year.
IK ought to be four times that. It
would be if all' Portlanders were loyal
Jo Portland.
Letters From the People
t Communications sent to Tbe Journal for
publication in this department should be writ
ten on only one side of tbe paper, should not
exceed 800 word in length and moat be ac
companied by tbe name and address of the
sender. If the writer does not desire to bare
tbe name published, be should so state. J
"Discussion Is tbe greatest of all reformers.
It rationalises everything it touches. It robs
Mt.i.iM..f .11 f . 1 anntltv- and throws them
tack on their reasonableness. If they base no
i" S"J2S-ViS:
of existence and sets op its own conclusions
1b their stead." Woodrow Wilson.
Concerning Broadway Improvement
Portland, April 19. To the Editor
of The Journal The property owners
in the vicinity of Broadway are cir
culating a petition against its im
provement. "It is a most discourag
ing situation," says The Journal edi
torially. But the blame for that dis
couraging situation does not lie with
the property owners who are remon
strating, as the editorial would have
ltn readers believe." The blame for
that discouraging situation lies en
tirely with Commissioner Dieck and
the city administration. Let me ten
you why.
Upon the completion Of the Broad
way bridge the question or tne im
provement of Broadway was taken up
immediately. It would have gone
through then had not some bright
personage conceived the idea that the
street should be widened and that a
Jot of other frills should be .bung
onto the improvement. The whole
thing was put to the property own-
who remonstrated because tne
taoirod to the improvement.
Then somebody vitally interested
over there suggested to the city en
gineer that the jog at wneeier street
should be eliminated. The gentleman
who owned thje jog ot course held it
at a fictitious price, but the depart
ment of public works apparently sided
with him, because the proposition was
put to the people, who again remon
strated and defeated it. So the ad
ministration paid for this hole out
of the general fund, it seems, and af
terwards have tried to collect It from
the property owners. Some have paid
and some have not. There is, I be
lieve, litlgiation pending in the courts
on this phase of the matter. The
whole transaction is, in my opinion, a
deliberate attempt by the city admin
istration to override the will of the
property owners.
The city now owned the Jog, so an
other attempt was made to improve
the street. But did Mr. Dieck pro
ceed with only the hard surfacing, as
the property owners Intimated they
wanted him to do? He did not. This
time he tacked a change of grade
proposition to the tail of the improve
ment. I will state that I believe that
Mr. Dieck and his offkse deliberately
and purposely handled that change of
trade matter in such a way as to pjill
the wool over the eyes of the prop-
; jecfed to the change of grade, to the
i effect that their objection ' could not
heard. I will state further that
, m.inrttv Af t h DroDertr owners
the majority of the property owners
in the vicinity of Broadway are not
In favor of that change, this state
ment being based upon my talks with
the people in that vicinity. They do
not feel that their property can stand
the cost of the change at this time.
I believe my statement will be con
firmed when tie petitions now circu
lating kill the whole Improvement be
cause of Mr. Dieck s rider, the change
of grade. ; V---'-- '-'-
Real estate in Portland is the basis
of its prosperity. Tax it. inspect it,
assess nt, regulate It fanatically, as is
Mr. Dleclfs policy, the basis of Port
land's v prosperity -:- becomes : burdened
till it topples over and Portland's
prosperity is not The people who
own property on Broadway .'want
the street hardsurfaced, but they do
PERTINENT COMMENT
SMALL CHANGE
At any rate, "the Oerman and Mexi
can crises, coming together, show
good team work.
Capture of Treblsond by the Rus
sians Is apt to give the sick man of
Europe a relapse.
It Is a melancholy fact for a lot
Of those candidates that the highest
r raise some, men get comes at their
unerals.
Perhaps the psychological time is
near for South America to again step
in and help solve the Mexican prob
lem. There Is reason to believe that ad
vertising is responsible for Henry
Ford as a factor in Republican presi
dential primaries!
Two 10 per cent wages increases in
three months granted voluntarily by
the United states Steel corporation
are further proof that prosperity is
being passed around.
Judge Morrow rules that conviction
of a doctor of misuse of the mails
does not prove moral turpitude under
Oregon laws. Now what does tile
judge's ruling prove?
Democratic success In Louisiana is
not surprising, in spite of the fact
that Louisiana got much free adver
tising as having seceded from the
Wilson administration. '
Bureau of mines experts see little
hope for cheaper gasoline and, to
make matters worse, they may have
used high-power microscopes.
American meat barons and the Brit
ish government have reached an
agreement on the price to be paid for
meat seized, showing that great pow
ers can agree when they want to.
PLEA OF THE RAILWAY BROTHERHOODS
Determination oa tbe part of tbe four great
orders of railway employes of the I'nlted
Ststes to present a demand on May 1 for an
eight boor work day waa expressed in a
referendum Tote taken early in the current
year. Some confusion having grown up in the
public mind as to the status of the case, a
statement on behalf of the orders haa been
lued In which tbe progress of the movement
for the eight hour day is recorded, snd the
merits of the demand, from tbe railway work
ers' viewpoint, aredlscussed. The full text of
this statement appears In the article sub
joined. A statement has been frequently
made by the railroads that the present
demands of the railway train- service
employes are not really for an eight
hour day, but are intended to secure
increased wagee.
This is not true, as the employes
composing the four brotherhoods want
shorter hours. They want their work
ing day to be as near eight hours as
it can be made.
To any reasonable person it will be
apparent that it will be useless to se
cure an eight-hour day unle&s there is
some penalty attached for overtime. In
all the trades where the eight-hour
day obtains, there is an extra charge
for overtime; otherwise, there would
be no eight hour-day, the work would
go one at the same rate per hour just
as long as the employer cared to work
the men.
It has been amply demonstrated that
eight hours' hard work is enough for
any man and any hours he works more
than eight, simply draw on his reserve
energy and vitality, shortening his life
and his available working years. It
has also been proven that a man work
ing eight hours is more efficient, does
better work, and is in every way a
better citizen than a man working long
er hours.
-
The railroad train service employes,
in asking tbe railroad companies for an
eight hour day, also ask for time-and-one-half
for overtime, but this extra
rate , is merely a penalty" upon the
railways and is considered an effect
ive method for preventing overtime.
"Overtime" is commonly called "blood
money," and saps the very life out of
the employes. We trust that the publir
will consider the fact that it is the
"overtime" and exposure that is now
"wearing out" the employes and
prompts many employers to set their
employes' age limit at 21 to 35. In
other vocations a man can work at
least SO years note the difference in
railway work. Considered in this way
the railway employes could, in exact
justice, ask for twice their present rale
of pay, but the employes are not seek
ing the "enormous increase," but de
sir better living conditions.
The physical and mental strain on
train service employes, compelled to
work long hours, is beyond comprehen
sion by the average mind. Virtually
all the accident and old-line insurance
companies classify railroading as extra
hazardous, many of them refusing to
insure railway employes on account of
the great risk of loss, and where these
employes are injured there la a defi
nite . limit set on the amount of the
risk, and an extra charge is made to
the insured. ' ,
In reality, the railway employe re
ceives a less hourly rat of compensa
tion than almost any other trade. A
hodcarrier receives $4.50 for eight
hours, or about 66 cents an hour. The
highest-paid train conductor receives
worked as many hours as the railway
conductor, he would draw a larger sal-
o,i -i k. v,.. .k.I
railways as the "aristocrat of the labor
world." -
If the railways complain that "time-and-a-half
means in some instances an
increase, let them avoid the Increase by
avoiding the. overtime, for that is the
desire and purpose of the employes.
The railways claim there was an in
crease in wages to the men of between
30 and 42 per. cent from 1903 to 1914.
This is partly true, but the price of
living and the additional work required
of the employes has more than offset
it. Also, the said -wage increase came
mostly to the employes having regular
assignments and established hours for
service, but the very great majority of
the employes, who work in the irregu
lar freight service and are allowed to
work, the day if sufficient freight ship
ments come to hand, but who lose the
day's work if the business does not
come these "irregular freight service"
employes gained almost nothing, but
were crowded back to an hourly com
pensation, instead of mileage basis, by
excessively long trains; or. in other
words, the railways, to recover the 1903
to 1914 wage increase, gave each of
their irregular freight crews two trains
to handle instead of one, and this not
only deprived other crews of a train
and their day'a work, but kept the
"double train" dragging along the rail
way until ' it has, in many places, -become
the practice of the railways to
work- tbe employe th l hours and
merely allow them the eight hours rest,
anywhere and then continue on with
his "freight drag" as it Is called bv
both officials and employes.
So the net. result of this is really a,
not want the grade changed; th prop
arty cannot stand that heavy burden.
True, tb street would be less ateep
were the grade lowered, bat so would
several streets on Portland Heights
were their grade lowered. The arrad
on '- Broadway - is not prohibitive and
the change is not necessary. If the
city must stand for Mr. Dieck er
ratic notions, let th whole city pay
for that change Of grade out of the
general fund, for what little benefit
there will be. it will be for the Whole
city. Then, I am sure, the property
owners abutting. Broadwav. will nav
lor tneir narasurxacing provided Mr,
AND NEWS IN BRIEF
OREGON SIDELIGHTS
The Baker Herald says of a lively
neighbor town: -"Six buildings and a
school house, all fire proot, going up ,
in North Powder, show how that hus-t
tling city is progressing." j
Rosebura-'s new fire truck, recently 1
purchased by the city council, will
reach, that city about the middle of
May. It is equipped with hose, chem
ical and ladders.
The Oregon state penitentiary is
patriotic. Old Glory floats from a
new flag pole ihere 107 feet high,"
ws uiv asuem statesman. in poie
is of Oregon fir. More patriotism. j
Speaking of the 1918 Josephine"
county fair, the Grants Pass Courier
says: -There must be the completet
cooperation In the work of preparation
tor this fair. For southern Oregon is
going to have a whole lot to make
merry over by next September."
L. D. Lynde, a homesteader near
Brogan, in Malheur county, in a let
ter quoted In the Pendleton East Ore
gonian, says: ' The winter did us a
good turn In killing all of the Jack
rabbits. You can ride all day and not
see one. This community bought 21&
ounces of strychnine to use on the
rabbits but the major part is left
over."
Story with a marine flavor, told by
the Gardiner Courier: "Many tales
are being told on the old timer of
Coos Bay anent the train service, and
one that struck us was on a man pre
sumably from Templeton. It was:?
The train had arrived and the man
bought a ticket from Reedsport, then
missed the train and when asked the
reason, innocently said 'There was no
gang plank out.
decrease in the earnings of the great
majority of employes, since they are
forced from fastjnlles at so much per
mile, to glow, long hours at the same
rate per hour and handle two, and oft
en three, trains where before they
handled one, and many other duties
added.
There are some railways that require
the full 16 hours' work, at all times,
from their employes, and it seems that
the only reasonable and humane solu
tion for this practice must be the pres
ent movement. The railways declare
that employes are demanding a $100,
000,000 increase, ut admit that upon
many lines and in many places there
will be but little change. There may
be some inconsiderable increase, but
nothing like what the officials claim,
and in the light of past experience the
employes easily can predict from what
source the railways will quickly recoup
themselves; additional duties for em
ployes is always a fertile field for re
trenchment. But if the employes win
what they ask for, the public will soon
find them an improved class of work
ers and citizens, and along with this,
the public will also secure an Improved
railway service and prompt freight
movement.
The railroads are circulating printed
statements showing names of train ser
vice employes who are being paid large
wages, and they are doing this to lead
the public to believe that, because a
few men are earning large salaries, it
is an example of what tbe average train
service man is getting. Invariable the
men whose names appear upon the lists
aa examples of large salaries being
paid to railway train employes are men
engaged in fast passenger runs and are
exceptional cases; They should not be
used as examples of what the average
train service employe gets, because in
the present demand for an eight hour
lay the passenger service is not ex
cluded. The public, who do not always under
stand railway conditions and railway
workers, hear only the railway side of
tbe story. In the railway talk of mov
ing terminals there Is but little to heed.
The railways can expedite their freight
service and continue with their pres
ent terminals if they really wish to do
so. in some few cases there may be a
couple of hours overtime.
When an engineer has drawn a check
for $263 and a conductor a check for
$247 for a month's work, the railway
may call attention to this, but neglect
to say that these men worked 15 hours
and 25 minutes every day in the month
and secured most of their- sleep in a
box car "caboose" out along the line.
Later -when these men lay off to re
cuperate, their big checks must of
course dwindle and soon these men are
broken down and are dumped on the
"scrap heap" with the other old ma
chinery, and may be taken in by some
kindly relative or perhaps find room
in some distant "home" maintained by
the employes' organization. Thus they
conclude their daysthese soldiers of
the great transportation army, these
men who have safely transported
countless numbers of passengers and
endless trains of freight. Though the
engines and cars become larger and
yet larger, and though the trains be
come even longer, and though the
hours of service become more intensely
Lfierce - tl!e railway employe still meas-
T .
In the great railway yards
the
switchman whose tired feet strike the '
engine "footboard" or the. cinders all j
day, or night, or the man in th , "cab" j
who pulls and tnrows tne levers dsok
and forth all day or night, working
among countless and conflicting sig
nals and endless danger and In every
condition of weather these are tbe
true soldiers of industry. These men
should not need to ask for better con
ditions. Better conditions should have
been given them years ago. Twelve
hours, or more, is their present, day
or nlgbt, when eight hours should be
their limit.
ak aft
Th fostering by some railways of
xn ;iVhJ;;i
various j"1' eoiriU lonjv "f."1
usual fulMJJ -
wards improvement and their com- ,
plaint about unfair
L0 "-,f" ZXn?!
""- v -""--"
In a speech before the New York
Traffic club on February 21, ex-President
Taft reproved th railways for
their misdeeds and their opposition to
the laws df the land and to reform.
He accused them of corrupting coun
cils and legislatures and defying the
Interstate Commerce commission and
being generally unreasonable, and then
warned them of a possible government
ownership. The general public will
give this conservative speaker serious
consideration. The employe may well
feel they have able counsel upon their
side.
t.M.nf mu.nn ha said that th
workers have a right to say under I1" meeting of the East Sid Business
what conditions they will worfc ThMen club. Th ex-UUsman bad said ,
railway employes merely ask that the
public approve their effort for a rea
sonable condition.
Dieck noes not tack any mor riders
to th Improvement.
ABRAHAM NELSON.
An Exception.
From the Grand Rapids News..
It is claimed that two Jobs are seek
ing every man In this country at. pres
ent. However, , not two presidencies.
Cause and Effect.
J From Judge.
"She says ah is very .lonely eve
nings." - -
"Yes. her husband never goes out!"
TKgDnce GUer
SO FAR AS I'M CONCERNED
these baseball magnates and
boosters and other accessories- may
dispense with opening day after this.
f And of course I don't know how
but there ought to be seme way
of getting started without it,
because it seems to me tb
home team nearly always loses.
and it's cold.
and It rains.
If And if some one who has th :
habit of sfwrtinar tblrcrs Ilk E.
P(eaceful) Rosenthal or Herman Ut
hof f win start a League for th Abo
lition of Opening Days
III join it. -
JAnd I suggest that" it would b
a whole lot better to let the base-'
ball season get started the' best way
it can.
JAnd latere after the team gets to
winning and the weather gets good
have antopening day. -
so that there'll be some chance
of having & pleasant time.
II But I went to the commencement
exercises out at Vaughn street
Wednesday, and sat in box 43 right in front
of a man who kept predicting evil
frr the home team.
JAnd right In front of me sat
Rosie Rosenthal whose initials are
A, A.
and who is not to be confused
with E. P. Rosenthal.
who is for peace at any prlc. '
UNo.
J Rosle says he's for peac
Lit
rignt,
but not at any price.
JHe wants to see what
it's been
marked down from.
JAnd' there was a pitcher for our
side named Win Noyea.
but he didn't.
JAnd he looked like there might
possibly be something in a nam.
when he i started out.
but by the fourth he was scarce- -Iy
a sound.
- and by the fifth his name was
silence.
J And we all sat there with our
collars turned up and hoped for the
best. .
and while we wer" hoping Salt
Lake made three more runs.
JAnd the soft' drink boy came
along and said he had ice-cold drinks
right off the ice.
and we all Bhivered.
J And he seemed grieved that no-,
body bought.
JAnd Frank McGettlgan called the
boy to him.
and said "My son you're using
the wrong record."
ffsAnd pretty soon the boy cam
back.
and said he had hot roasted pea
nuts. and nobody bought.
s: And I looked all around for Bill
Stokes the Oak Grove grocer.
because if Bill wasn't there as
he said he wouldn't be I'm going to
get a wrist-watch.
and wear It no matter what hap
pens. jBut Bill went fishing up at Ore
gon City.
JAnd everybody caught big salmon"
except Bill. -
TAnd he came back to th at ere.
and called up central and got
th score.
and then spilt a box of tooth
picks. and his day was spoiled.
JAnd of course I've got to get the ,
wrist-watch but -
J LISTEN There's a person out
at Oak Grove who says we need a
lot of other things a whole lot
worse. .
THE H0ME-GB0WW XUBE.
Humanity. '
Be tied a can to tbe old dig tall.
Laughing In glee to see bis frlgbt.
He tessed bis sister and tore ber bat.
And threw a big atone at the cat.
Whistling then In his reckless way
Down tbe road he chose to stray.
Straggling- there upon tbe ground.
A dying sparrow-it waa be found.
Then this lawless lad knelt down
By the fallen sparrow be bad found.
And stroked its wings with a band so browa.
While a big tsar on his dusty cheek rolled
down..
On fbe wings of truth a thought comes to me.
As was this lad. so all humanity.
11. hi. 8.
StoriGr gr
"Pigs Is Pigs.'
CC. CHAPMAN says he went out
to the family farm near Dayton
last Sunday and during the day set
out a complete hundred ef strawberry,;
plants. Meanwhile Mrs. Chapman was
searching through a labyrinth of
tangled undergrowtn ror a motner
pig (is that sufficiently euphonious)
and ber little ones, xne maternal in
stinct in this Instanc had tbe usual
swinish contrariness and apparently
bad resulted " in a determination to
rear the young ones apart from civili
sation's Influences. Mrs, Chapman
found the mother pig and her brood
but met stubborn resistance against
returning to th pen. So she leaned
over and scratched tbe mother pig's
back. Th sow (th word has been
struggling for utterance) grunted sat-
i.faction. Mrs. Chapman started away
knA the pig followed," eager for more
, ,. r . ;. i - o v -
'T thl. newari7ty of
moral suasion the group waa returned
to horn and pen.
Then Mr. Chapman tried to draw
a lesson from the incident. "How
untroubled would be our domestio fe
licity, how harmoniously you would
always get your own way. If you used
the same method with me,", be ob-
Merva.
"But, retorted Mrs. Chapman, with
a woman's last word, "the pigs were
amenable to reason."
An Indignant Father.
CW. MEADOWS' vehemently called.
down the ex-senator from Mult-
inomah county, Dan Kellaher, at tn
was sure would b found In th Rose
bud parade. Rising to a question of
privilege, the Indignant father scath-
i lngly denounced the allegation and de-
fled th alligator, ao to apeak.
"lie i not fit to hold th position of
a census-taker," declared Meadows.
"He is no enumerator at all. It is a,
wonder be keeps in business, with such .
a poor Idea of number. X have 1
children, all living, and two of tbem
married, an the married ones ar
going to do still better, and' they wilt
all be in tbe Rosebud parade."
After prolonged applause, the hum
bled Daniel arose and apologized. H
explained ; that four of th Meadows'
kids were all h had personally met,
and that he hoped to see them all in th
RoBebud par '