i-V'-Vr
THE OREGON DAILY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1916.
. AN HTDEPKNDKXT NEWSPAPER.
tC 1. JACKSON Pobllaher
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America tiki nothing for herself hut what
aha haa a right to ask for humanity -Itself.
WOODROW WILSON.
, ' Mllllona for defense, but not a cent for
tribute. CHARLES C. PlNCTvNKY.
I hope I an nil alwaya poeaesa firmness
and virtue enough to maintain what I ot,
ilder the moat enviable of all title, the
character of an honeat man. Washington.
WHY THE DIFFERENCE?
s
TATE ENGINEER LEWIS finds
Clatsop county owes the con
tractor 138,000 on its high
way contract.
, Deputy State Engineer Cantine
decided that the amount Clatsop
county owes the contractors is
' $13,500.
'V Both figured on the same work.
. Both based their calculations od
the same removals of earth,' rock
and other materials in the con
v tructlon of the road.
Both applied the same rules of
engineering. Both had exactly the
; same data on which to base their
computations. Both acted in their
- capacities as public servants,
v" Why a discrepancy in their esti
mates of $24,500?
, " Engineering is popularly sup
posed to be a fairly exact science.
It Is presumed that there may bo
a difference of Judgment in the
making .up of preliminary esti
mates when the quantities are con--r
Cealed, but after they are exposed
it has always been thought that
the rules of arithmetic and geology
would apply in their measurement
. and classification.
- Iq the lay mind there has al
ways been a clear distinction be
tween what constitutes earth and
what is classed as rock.
, s However, the differences of opin-
Jon held by Engineers Lewis and
Cantine as to what goes to make
these elements, tends to shatter
confidence in the accuracy of the
work of engineers.
Nor Is this all. The contractors
. claimed for the same work on cal-
culations made up from the same
data, a balance of $87,000.
: Here is the way the estimates
ran: Contractors, $87,000; Stato
r" Engineer Lewis, $38,000; Deputy
'- State Engineer Cantine, $13,500.
-The contractors' estimate 1 s
, more than six times that of Dep-1
uty Engineer Cantine and more
than twice that of State Engineer
Lewls. Mr. Lewis' estimate is near
ly three times that of Mr. Can
tine. Yet all were figuring on ex
, actly the same work and all were
aupposedly applying the 6ame rules
of engineering science.
As explained in a news story in
last Sunday's Journal, the contrac
. tors who put In a claim to Clatsop
county for $87,000 have accepted
the Lewis estimate of $38,000.
They have consented to a reduc
tion of their claim from $87,000
to $38,000. If they did not do
$87,400 worth of work, why did
they present a claim for that
amount? If they were entitled to
$87,000, why did they consent to
, accept $38,000?
"'V We all remember why State
" Highway Engineer Bowlby was re-
"'- moved from office he couldn't
': agree with the contractors. The
. contractors demanded that Bowlby
paf'them more money out of the
r state highway fund than Bowlby
- thought they were entitled to. As
. a contractor on the Hood River
highway said In a letter to a friend
, . about Bowlby:
- ; There Is a general revolt among
all the contractors engaged In this
. work, and we think we HAVE THE
SKID UNDER HIM.
- And so they had. He was dis
missed from office by Governor
Withycombe, and dismissed because
-the contractors wanted him dis
missed, and the contractors wanted
him dismissed because he wouldn't
' pay them what they demanded out
- of the state highway fund.
It is all a bewildering business.
Is there no way to so approximate
the figures of contractors and en
'. gineers that the public may have
more confidence In the sums they
are' called upon ty pay for public
work?
- A " North Carolina police chief
named Slaughter convicted of kill
" tag a man. named Weaver has been
sentenced to two year In the pen
itentiary and to pay a fine of $400
to the widow. He - has also - been
contracted to his wife as a convict
laborer for two years. Everybody
ought to be satisfied. The widow
gets paid for her loss, the wife
gets the contract right to boss her
husband, and Slaughter is very
probably in status quo.
NOT LINCOLNISM
A.
S. BUCK, of a box factory
at Eugene, t says he will
build in Lane county a
shingle mill employing 50
men. If Hughes is elected.
There is a corrupt practices law
in Oregon. The politicians in the
legislature refused to pass it. But
through the Initiative, at the fol
lowing election, the people adopted
It by an overwhelming majority.
The law prohibits all thingsJ
that tend to corruptly Influence the
ballot. It goes to great lengths In
the effort to make voting fopen,
fair and free.
Candidates are not allowed to
give away cigars. Or to make con
tributions. , Or to send out un
signed election literature. Or to
print political matter in news
papers without stating that It Is a
"paid avertisement."
But here is a man who offers to
build a mill In Lane county em
ploying 50 men provided Hughes is
elected. It is a defiance of the
whole spirit of the corrupt prac
tices act, If not an actual violation.
The statement Is made and pub
lished broadcast that something of
value will Inure to Lane county
and Lane county people, contin
gent upon the election. If apt act
ual bribery, It Is the spirit of brib
ery. If not intimidation and coer
cion, it is the spirit of intimida
tion and coercion.
It Is Mark Hanna politics. It Is
a deliberate attempt to Influence
elections by the power of money.
It is not blackmail In fact, but It
Is attempt at government by the
spirit of blackmail.
That kind of politics has lost its
influence. People have progressed.
Hannalsm had its day, but the peo
ple found It out.
Whenever a "special Interest"
man steps to the front and seeks
to Influence votes by offering to
give something of value contin
gent upon the outcome of an elec
tion, there is something rotten in
Denmark. That was what Mark
Hanna had the eastern mill owners
do in 1 896. That was the kind of
stuff that lpd up to the great split
of the Republican party In 1912.
Llncolnism did not rest on brib
ery and intimidation. The Repub
lican party was founded on oppo
sition to the entrenched privilege
and plutocracy of slavery. Early
Republicanism was the bitter an
tagonist of just the kind of thing
that Mark Hanna practiced and
that A. S. Buck in his feeble way
with a shingle mill is trying to
practice.
The A. S. Buck offer is the same
kind of thing Senator Penrose tried
to practice in the United States
senate recently when he declared
on the floor of the chamber that
the big steel brigadiers would re
fuse to make armorplate if the
senate passed a bill for a government-owned
armorplate plant.
The Buck proposal is a definlta
offer. It is a distinct proposal to
use the power of money to Influ
ence voters in a presidential elec
tion. Publication of the facts by
a newspaper makes It an accessory.
It is a political blunder. Far
more than half the Republicans of
Oregon are Lincoln Republicans.
They do not believe in government
by the power of money. They re
volted against Hannalsm. They
went out of the Republican party
in 1912 and many other Repub
licans were tempted to do bo be
cause of the survival of Hannaism,
a faint echo of which is the A. S
Buck endeavor by use of his money
to influence the presidential vote in
Oregon.
They want no Hannalsm. They
want no Buckism. It is a kind of
folly that if persisted in, will drive
them "by thousands to the support
of Mr. Wilson.
They do not want government by
blackmail. They still want Lincoln
lsm. This is the season when the
festive calf and the gambolling
lamb seek the safety of the barn
lot and the ruminative cow seeks
the high and open spots to chew
her reflective cud. It is the time
when the woodsmen travel bv
night and hide by day. It is the
open season for deer.
FOREST FIRE MENACE
T
HE forest fire menace seems
almost a thing of the past. It
has been several years since
the smoke from burning tim
ber obscured the sun as used to be
the annual custom.
Where in past years millions of
feet of standing timber were con
sumed by forest fires each year,
this vast economic loss is being re
duced to a minimum. The local of.
flee of the United States forestry
service, in a report just issued,
shows that between January 1 and
August 10 of this year 249 foresc
fires appeared. Out of this number
one only resulted In a loss exceed
ing $100, while only two of the
remainder caused a loss to exceed
$10. The entire expense of fight
ing these fires was but $337.
Had it- not been for the con
stant vigilance of the forest patrol
any of these fires could well have
been the beginning of a destructive
conflagration. On the other hand,
had 200 campers been careful. with
i their cap fires, there woaldrnot
have been the great necessity for
such vigilance.
The forests of Oregon are valu
able not only to the Individual
owners, but to the people of the
state. As years pass they will be
come more and more valuable, and
the men of the forestry patrol are
rendering a service by the efficient
work they are doing.
THE UNSEEN DEBT
R
ECENT purchases by the Port
land school board of land
for new buildings, additions
and playgrounds were at a
cost of more than $70,000. For
assessment purposes, the properties
were valued at $27,175 for land
and $920 for improvements.
The disparity between assessed
value and purchase value is very
great. One of the purchases was
at $21,65 0. The assessed value on
It was $7725, or a little more than
one-third the purchase price.
The economic debt of Portland
is rolling up. Land is worth one
price when the public wants to buy
and another price when the public
wants something for support of
government. The community makes
the value for the land, and when
it wants the land for public uses
pays three times what the holding
Is priced at for taxation purposes.
- Step by step, sum by sum, this dif
ference between purchase value and
taxable value mounts to large pro
portions and goes into the eco
nomic debt of Portland. Millions
upon millions have thus been added
to the great total upon which lit
tle taxpayers and big are com
pelled to pay Interest and principal.
The home owner groans under
the charges laid on him. by the
public, but never takes time to
"stop, look and listen." He pauses,
makes a few complaints, and goes
on digging to raise more money to
pay the next annual extortion.
We declaim against government
and rail at officials. We threaten
and we assail. But we go Jauntily
on rolling up the economic debt
for ourselves, our children and our
children's children to pay. The eco
nomic debt is today one of the
heaviest burdens upon the people
of Portland.
An effort Is being made to pro
mote the growing of roses in -and
about Portland for the production
of attar of roses and other per
fumes. Inasmuch as attar of roses
Is almost worth its weight in gold,
who could want a better job tlfan
to work in a rose garden for such
a reward?
WORTH THE EFFORT
T
HE HILLSBORO INDEPEND
ENT is very pessimistic about
the success of the flax indus
try in Oregon. Weeds, that
paper believes, are going to choke
th efforts of those who are trying
to grow flax. It contends that la
bor Is too high and weeds are too
numerous in Oregon fields to per
mit the raising -of flax at a profit
in competition with the cheap la
bor and clean fields of the old
country.
But why the weeds? Is It not
possible to fallow the fields until
they will grow flax, instead of dos
fennel or fern or Canadian thistle?
Not many years ago the fields of
the Willamette valley were free
from weeds. When the farmers
planted wheat in them they yielded
wheat at the harvest. Careless and
unscientific farming is responsible
for weeds; careful and scientific
cultivation will eliminate them. If
flax culture will result in clean
fields. In the elimination of thistle
patches from the fence corners and
Jim Hill mustard from the road
ways and vacant lots, it would be
a goal well worth struggling over.
Nineteen widows of Marion
county are to be paid $13,000 due
them under the widows' pension
act because County Judge Bushy
has refused for three years to con
sider their applications. The wom
en can now almost live off their
incomes.
TWO EMPIRES
M'
ARSHFIELD, after years of
waiting, is soon to celebrate
the coming of a railroad to
link that thriving port with
the outside world. While boys have
grown old, the people of Coos Bay
have toiled and struggled to build
their country and have dreamed
of the time when they could "go
out" to meet their neighbors of the
inland without the hardships of a
long stage ride or the seasickness
and danger of an ocean trip. Their
dream has come true.
And now we hear that Newport
which has slumbered across Yaquina
bay from the terminus of the Cor-
vallis, & Eastern for so many years
without being able to persuade the
owners of the road to extend the
line. Is about to have a brand new
railroad up the coast and into
Portland.
The people of Newport have
raised $25,000 as a bonus prelimi
nary to construction, which is
scheduled to begin within 30 days.
The outcome of the project Will b9
watched with deep attention by
those interested In the develop
ment of the western coast. There
are wonderful possibilities dormant
in the territory thT5igh which the
road is projected. Billions of feet
of fine timber are Waiting for an
outlet to market. A superb dairy
country Is being held back because
it Is impossible to ship its produce
out at a , profit. Fertile land Is
lying idle because it Is bottled up
by the ocean on the one side and
the mountains on the other.
The completion and operation of
the new road would add a new
empire to the productive area of
the state.
The department of agriculture
estimates that the Oregon wheat
crop will total 16,947,000 bushels,
which Is at present prices worth
quite a bit more than that many
dollars. That is more than enough
to buy 46,430 Fords. It is some
times nicer to raise kernels than
to be raised a colonel.
THE NATION'S CAPITAL
CITY AND ITS UPKEEP
That system ' of providing revenue for
Washington city that Is knows as the half-and-half
plan la considered In the third of ttia
prevent aerlea of articlea on the national
capital. Questions that are aaked of every cou
gresei and which congress answers by letting
them slot), axe staled; together with the
pleas of those wboae Interests are served b;
the maintenance of the statu quo.
8 THE HALF-AND-HALF PLAN.
ASHINGTON. Aug. 16. (WASH
INGTON BUREAU OF THE
JOURNAL) Congress was led
to enact the half-and-half plan of
support for the District of Columbia
by the mountain -of debt that had
been plied upon the capital city In a
few years prior to 1878 by the terri
torial form of government.
There was no escape from bank
ruptcy and repudiation but for the
national government to lend Its aid.
Bv mjnv It l nnntAnfa ! 1 - J
plan adopted, the so-called organic
act, was Intended to be temporary
The act Itself used the word perma
nent, but no one contends that thla
act is any higher in authority than
any other law, which congress may
change or repeal whenever experience
Indicates a change to be advisable.
m
There are two limitations In the
half-and-half plan which on their
face seem unscientific and arbitrary.
First, a limit of taxation is fixed at
$1.50 on each $100 of real estate.
There is no administrative board to
make estimates of the amount needed
for the local government, and no
power to change the levy from year
to year.
The commissioners of the district
merely estimate how the money to be
raised from this fixed levy, with an
equal sum from the federal govern
ment, should be epent. They recom
mend to congress what streets should
be improvei. what buildings provided
and what amounts should be allowed
for running different departments
within the limits of the sm that
will be raised. ' .
Secondly, congress binds Itself to
appropriate dollar for dollar with
the district revenues. There Is no
flexibility either In the tax rate or
in the sum that congress shall pro
vide. The tax rate Is $1.50. Congress
doubles the amount raised by that
rate. Congress, on the estimates sub
mitted by the commissioners of the
district, directs how the money shall
be spent. These are the essentials of
the tax situation in the district. Such
an arbitrary system probably would
not be tolerated anywhere else.
Why should the people of the Test
of the country pay one-half the ex
pense of the district? If the general
government should pay part, why
should that part be one-half, rather
than one-fourth or three-fourths? The
propounding of these questions is
what disturbs congress at nearly
every session.
m
The general answer made by peo
ple of the district is that the sys
tem established is fair; that sharing
the t;ix burden half end half pro
duces about all that the people of
the district should In fairness be
compelled to contribute.
The city has no large commercial
and manufacturing Interests, and It Is
asserted that congress discourages
efforts that have been made to build
up a commercial city. The dominant
note of district legislation is to make
a city beautiful, one In which the
people of all the country may take
pride.
Out of a population of perhaps
370,000, nearly l')0,000 are negroes.
The most of these, along with a largq
number of government clerks and low
paid employes, live in poverty or near
poverty. So, it is pointed out, the
city does not have sources of wealth
possessed by those of corresponding
population.
Again, the streets are of unusual
width. There are numerous large
park spares, and still more numerous
small ones. The scope of the na
tional caDital. with its adornments
and restrictions, unlike those of other
cities, gives force to the argument
that the nation should help support it.
But why pay half? Is the present
system the right one? These are mat
ters to be further considered.
Letters From the People
(Communications sent to The Journal for
publication In this department should be writ
ten on only one side of the paper, abould not
exceed 3)) worda in length, aud most be ac
companied by the name and address of the
sender. If the writer does not desire to have
the name published be should so state.
'Discussion Is the greatest of all reformer.
It rationalizes everything it touches. It robe
principle of all false sauctlty and throwa tbem
back on thoir reasonableuea. If they have no
reasonableness, it ruthlessly crushes tbem out
of existence and sets op Ita own conclusions in
their stead." Woodrow Wilson.
A Lincoln Republican.
Portland, Aug. 15. To the Editor of
The Journal The Oregonian says of
Mr. Hughes that his nomination "came
spontaneously from the people." Let
us see.
Mr. Hughes, while hiding behind the
sacred mantle of the supreme court,
sent out letter to the people stating
that he was not a candidate, and
warned secretaries of state in direct
primary states to refrain from placing
his name on their ballots, xnis action
seems to have been all for effect and
to cover up and obscure his deceptive
work of arranging his alliance with
Wall street ' Interests and his plans
with the war party and big bosses,
who would. seUe-Mexico. This action
Would you .J
BELGIUM AND THE iLsZ0"
Maasj ass
Aom re Phiuaoelpmia
suggests the thought in the mind o
Mr. Roosevelt when he applied the
term "hypocrite" to suit-another occa
sion. Mr. Hughes was all this time
uoing Mr. Taft to do this work a man
who once perjured himself in the in
terests of this same gang while hold
irg the presidential office, and whose
brother, Charles P. Taft, holds a large
part of 110,000 square miles of fine ag
ricultural land in Mexico, stolen from
the Mexican people.
Mr. Hughes has made his peace with
the malevolent forces in our country
by stooping to use Mr. Taft in those
underground operations. His indorse
ment of Mr. Taft made him acceptable
to Wall street and the old guard. This
is the power that controlled the con
vention, discredited Mr. Roosevelt and
nominated Mr. Hughes, and that will
benefit by. the sacrifice of our sons in
the conquest of Mexico should Mr.
Hughes be elected and Mr. Taft there
by get a seat in the supreme court. I
am a Lincoln Republican and not a
copperhead. A LANS ON M. HINE8,
Late Co. B 184th N. Y. V. I.
Open Letterto Sir. Hughes.
St. Paul, Or., Aug. 15. To Hon.
Charles E. Hughes. Sir: The following
words, taken from your address of ac
ceptance convey a false impression:
"For three years the Mexican republic
has been torn by civil strife. The lives
of Americans and. other aUiens have
been sacrificed."
These words convey the idea that It
Is only "for the last three years" that
our sister republio "haa been torn by
Strife."
I will concede that you, being ae.
honorable man. did not mean to con
vey an Idea eo absolutely 'false. You
are a lawyer, and would look with sus
picion on a witness that told only half
the truth. You cannot. In Justice to
yourself, let this false Impression
stand without correction.
President Wilson inherited the Mex
ican muddle from Williain H. Taft.
Conditions were quite as bad under
Mr. Taft as under Mr. Wilson, and it
will take a very biased man to see
much material difference between them
in handling the situation. This is not
eaid for the purpose of finding fault
with Mr. Taft. who probably under
stood the situation as well as Mr. Wil
son and did the best he could under the
conditions.
As you say, the last three years have
been critical ones and I will add that
the last three years of President Taft'3
administration were just as critical in
the Mexican situation, and there has
been very llttl difference in the treat
ment of the case, between the two. We
should give both presidents credit for
patriotism, devotion to duty and doing
thlr best.
I am inclined to believe that, liko
a prosecuting officer, you were look
ing for evidence to convict, and did not
observe that there were two sides to
a question.
You say you want deeds, not words.
Indeed, both Mr. Taft and Mr. Wilson
could iiave gone to war with Mexico;
but would it have been better? I doubt
It and the majority of the American
people doubt It.
When you made up your letter or ac
ceptance, you may not have known that
as early as l'ecemoer. me Ann r-
icans living along the border at Pre
sidio had to stand guard for fear of
the Mexicans and that they asked the
Taft government for protection, but did
not get It. You may not nave Known
all the atrocities committed by Mexi
cans on their own and our citizens, be
fore Mr. Wilson became president, and
that Mexicans kidnaped our citizens on
our own soil carried them to Mexico
and held them for ransom.
Your president is my president. Ev
eryone is entitled to his good name, and
the way his opponents attack Presi
dent Wilson and misrepresent him will
not do them any good.
JOHN T. TI1KOR BRENTANO.
An Estimate of Hughes.
New York City, Aug. 11. To the Ed
itor of" The Journal I take it upon
myself to write you a political letter.
I was until recently a Portlander, and
I wish now to convey to my friends in
Oregon that while eastern Republicans
indorse Mr. Hughes, they don't admire
his logic, and are disillusioned con
cerning a character they had exalted
to the uppermost pinnacle. His carp
ing vituperation of Wilson, his stoop
ing to retail small slanders, his clutch
ing at partisan straws these do not.
in the minds of intelligent Republi
cans, savor of the dignity, the august
and lofty poise, expected of one from
the supreme court bench of the United
States.
Portland Republicans will no doubt
give him a rousing reception but they
will be disappointed in the paucity of
new thoughts and because of the same
ness of utterances which, being con
densed, amount to "Wilson did; Wilson
didn't," with an occasional I would
trave done." v. O. C- NEWBERRY.
,
0
CECOROJ
SOME HARD NUTS TO CRACK.
PERTINENT COMMENT
SMALL CHANGE
Portland la the logical place for the
farm loan bunk but will It get it?
.
While thjs new styles in bathing suits
go to extremes, they do not go to the
With all tie rock there is In Oregon,
it looks as though we will have to im
port this material for the new post
office. You can form some idea of your
neighbor's income by his opinion or
the proposal to reduce the Income tax
limit. . .
There is every reason for eastern
Oregon grain growers to quit worrying
about the price of gasoline and they
probably have.
Pendleton is well advanced In its
preparations for this year's Round-Up.
Sheepherder Bowlsby has been given
his annual bath.
J. Kelly Pool has been nominated
for'secretary of state by the Missouri
l!"emocratK. Some sporting blood left
in the old state.
The question Is how many lndepeno
ent voters will be converted by Candi
date Hughes. They are the ones who
will decide the election.
. m
We now have with us the statistical
election prophet. According to Chair
man Willcox, Mr, Hughes has 300 votes
In the electoral college nailed to the
floor.
It Is not to be expected .that his
opponents will approve everything
President Wilson has done, for the rea
son that he has done a lot of things
that they have left undone.
PROSPERITY RECORD, UNDER WILSON
From the New York World.
Combating the Republican claim that
the country's prosperity is due to ab
normal war conditions, excerpts from
the Democratic Campaign Book, to be
issued in about two weeks, record that
during the first 20 months of the War,
down to March 21 last, "munitions ex
ports were only a fraction over one
eighth of the agricultural exports, less
than one-eighth of the total exports of
manufactures aJid Just 6 per cent of
the $5,51 4.000,000 which constituted the
20 months' total."
"The war munitions exports are
J4S0.000.000 for the fiscal year, or only
1 per cent of the country's industrial
product," further asserts the textbook.
"The $1,350,000,000 by which exports
of the recent fisJtl year to European
warring nations exceed our normal ex
ports to those countries represent only
3 per cent of our total Industrial pro
duction, which approximates a value of
$45,000,000,000. The entire $4,800,000,
000 of our 1916 exports to all countries
are less than 1 percent of our aggregate
volume of business."
With the flguers representing "mu
nitions business" eliminated. It Is de
clared that the record of prosperity
under the Wilson administration "sur
passes all those of former years In the
history of the nation."
"Neither the most hopeless pessimist
nor the most incorrigible partisan." it
1 added, "can withstand the knock
di-wn contrast of the country's bank
deposits under the last Republican and
under Woodrow Wilson's administra
tion. 'On May 1, 1916, the gross deposits
of the 7678 national banks, as reported
to the comptroller of the currency,
were $11,135,322,000. On the corres
ponding date in 1912 they were $8,015.
511,000. The four years' gain is $3,
119,811,000, approximating 39 percent.
Every geographic section of the United
States shared In this prosperous
growth.
"The only state in the union falling
to show gain in the bank deposits was
Delaware the Atlantic coast seat of
the great du Pont powder industry,
chief beneficiary of the war munitions
business. By contrast, agricultural
Dakotaa Increased their bank deposits
ty over 70 per cent and Oklahoma over
100 per cent.
"As an Index of the vastly Increased
volume of the country's business dur
ing the last four years, the bank clear
ings of the United States during the
first six months, of 1916 under Wilson
were approximately 40 per cent larger
than In the first half of 1912 under
Taft, and constituted 70 per cent of ths
full 12 months' transaction of the rec
ord Republican ye"ar. The six months
total of 1916 Is $111,890,000,000 (Brad
streets), against $85,100,000,000 for the
first half of 1)12, a difference of over
$5.(00,000.000 monthly."
Claimins; that "no "country sver bad
th solid (old foundation for Its busi
ness' that th United States ba today.
:5
-y Dettar.
AND NEWS IN BRIEF
OREGON SIDELIGHTS
Kenneth Cooper, a 12-year-old corn
raiser at The Dalles, has donated to
the Chamber of Commerce of that city
a cornstalk 10 feet 4 inches in height
The Chronicle says this is the height
record for The Le.lle-.
Immediate steps will be taken by
the water board of Eugene to remove
from Willamette street the wooden
poles which support the street car
company's trolley wires. This removal
is in the Interest of the city beautiful
"The amount of mall handled at the
Gold Beach postof f lie," says the He
porter, 'has increRM;d ho much durum
the past year that our postmaster is.
crowuedJ for room and has about muiie
up her rnlnd to buikl an addition to the
bulIdlngL to be used solely tor post
office purposes."
Round-Up sighs, displayed In the
Pendleton East Orecoman: Kern and
Wright iare today putlng up four ltfe-
slzed figures on the U-vv. parK green
The flaures portray a cowboy on a
horse, al cowgirl on a bucker, a Uma
tilla InJlan and a cowboy on a steer
Hack of the figures will be a Klgn tell
ing the' dates of the Round-Up. Tne
signs are made so that they will be
able to withstand Hi" elements.
Echo, in the Tidings, of the state ed
itors' recent brief sojourn at Ashland
"Were it possible for every reader o
the, Tidinns, to read the columns o
praise of Ashland which have appeared
in practically every paper In the state
durinsr the nast week, or were it nossi
ble for the Tidings to publish even a
portion of tne description ami praise
whicn haa neen read ny me peopie o
Oreeon realization of what tho pas
visit means to Ashland might be at
talned."
the text book as-serts that the gold
stock of the country today "is double
that of Prance and $300,000,000 greater
than that of Germany and the United
Kingdom combined."
"The wealth Of the United States for
1916 Is estimated by the United States
department of connnrr e at $;i'V.iifn,
000,000, as compared with $ 1 87,000, Ouo.
000 In 1SU2 a, four year gain of .1.8
per cent.
"The Individual Income tax produced
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 1916.
$67,957,4 S8 of revenue, an Increa se of
65 per cent. The corporation Income
tax in 1818 produced $&t;.90H,941, as
compared with $35,150,000 In 1115 and
$28.&8;?,000 In l'.ili;, an Increase of 45
per cent over 1915 and of approxi
mately lOo per cent over Republican
administration in 1912.
"Another standard measure of the
country's buplncs activity Is the postal
receipts. Receipts of Uncle Sam's post
office for the Wilson administration
exceed those of the preceding Republi
can administration by approximately
$235,000,000, or 26 per cent, notwith
standing the heavy falling off of thene
receipts from August, 1914, to June,
1815, owing to the European war."
Imports of crude materials for use
In manufacturing were $300,000,000
greater in 1916 than in 1913, and
"American farms, mines, ranches and
plantations have likewise been called
upon for record productions of mater
ials for use In manufacturing, and
American labor and capital have never
before been so heavily employed or at
such libera! Income and wage returns.
"The total exports of manufactures
ready for consumption for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1316, approximate
$3,000,000,000 as against $776,000,000
under the last year of the Payn tariff.
"The' building trades Industries
which produce nothing for consumption
abroad report 187 wage increases In
34 states, which is corollary to the re
port of 142 cities that permits during
the first six months of 1916 call for
new buildings to the huge valuation
total of $490,000,000 ( Bradstreets).
This Is the greatest six months' build
ing total on record.
m
"The handling of tho enormous In
dustrial1 production of the United
States has taxed the country's trans
portation facilities beyond precedent.
Railroad earnings in 1916 are the heav
iest known, and run about $50,000,000
to $(0,000,000 per month larger, or 25
per cent to $0 per cent compared with
1912. For the fiscal year ending June
20 last (Interstata Commerce Commis
sion) railway earnings were $3,400,000,
000, against $2,740,000,000 for 1912,
under Taft a gain of 24 per cent."
Ftrures compiled by the department
of agriculture are quoted to prove
that under the Wilson administration
the annual production of farm wealth
shows sn averaxe of $10,000,000,000,
as against less than $9,00,000,000 a year
under th Taft administration, and a
blf over " $7,000,000,000 during th
RooMvelt administration.
TKQnce Ger
BY FtEC nAMPMIS
M
It. CHARLES EVANS HUaiiE8
Republican presidential nomine
ty.
J Sir: Noting that you are in oue
beautiful city for the time being
there are a number of questions that
i want to ask you.
but answering questions I notice
isn't your specialty.
or you would have answered th.
list that Irvin Cobb and John Reed
and a lot of other regular fellows
asked you.
TAnd so I'm not going to write,
you the kind of a letter 1 Intended.
aj Since you refuse to talk
these thingswhich seem so Import
ant to the country to every family
in ii
well have to tslV about om.
thing else.
even if I have to do all the talk
ing.
T For instance Mr. Huarhes I won
der If you were ever broke.
that la If you were ever out of
work and couldn't DHV the ffl'ocer
and you didn't know what to do.
J And of course this question may
seem Irrelevant to you.
and It may bo to you person
ally.
but there's a lot of people In the
country to whom that question is a
live one.
J And they don't know much about
politics these people.
but they do know when we have
a certain kind of president -that we
have a mysterious something calle 1
a panic.
T That Is they don't know what
it is.
but they know what it does to
them.
TAnd so Mr Hughes a lot of
these people who have nothtna
against you at all are wondering
about you.
J They're wondering what kind of a
president you'd make.
nd If you'd think of them after -
you got the power in your hands.
If you'd listen to certain men-
upright, respectable citizen.
who'd come down from New York
to Washington.
in their private cars to see you.
J And this may not setn very Im
portant to you.
or perhaps it does.
but anyway It's very Important
to these people.
who go broke when a panlajsomes,
and have to forfeit their Insur
ance policies.
and lose what they have paid on
their homes.
and all that and worse.
J And these people a pt of thein-
wonder w hut you mean by "Ameri
canism." J They're all Americans.
and they want America to be a
good country.
a good place for them to live
- a place where they run rear their
children to be free persons.
who live without fear.
and call no mun master.
J And a good many of thrne people
myself among them believe wo ure
Ik uded that way.
J And we wonder If you are wlthus.
because we've learned that n
man can't be both with us and tho
men who nuike panics.
J And we ll all agree with you
that the honor of America should ha
upheld.
before all the world and
J U1S TEN- Mr, Hughes -.So far as
I'm concerned- 1 believe ll.o best wny
to uphold It-Is to see that every
American gets a square dvil not only
abroad but right here In Ainerjca.
Ufa's Infinite Variety.
J. W. !!H-liHMHIl WIJK ill toWll til other Af
ami lnlled Hie umnsitrr of lliln ;rnt
Klllslnus Weekly to K" t toe lui'-k lrlerry
pairli will) linn and 1'-tii't know liuw nesr l.a
ecuji! to hfcth.if m Uf-l. 'HuTtTa DoUilng (list
w. .ii nl uit I, flier lh.ni s t r I , Ukr III Hi bill It
Ik out mI II.' .;ii.-t IIuwmpt, Joe will l
hleskeil ii l" 'ii M leiiirn If Ii lis onlj s lnt
lu uiukv us a Wf Itiirut Tllun llcrulU.
All tlie way from Tensysnee tlmmjrri the
l.odest kliil of wes'her. tlir'-e little blool
r.onhii. ci"'l In s l s kuisII tlml tin
cpiihl srsn-eij !ui were iilifl hy i irM.
irriTlnit In I'eiKlh't'i'i thin in- -r n 1 1 . k Ili-'T
I rlM.i. har liecmiie unlrf-aralilj tUlhy an1 Die
fllen H-i-re auaiuihiK sbuut tncin. )"? were
com l(tin-il tu s man In I'lisro ami v.cut out
HiIh sfieriHam. I ln-jr sltracli-il tl, attnitl.in
of many people toliir wl.lle In their irute it
the .NoTiheru Kspri'sa office availing t"ie.lft
b.p of 11. tlr lun. truel trlji.- I'emlleton ).at
Orvg-uiilun,
fine t-t I be fineat borne In tha rounty which
we Tiailed on our sutmcrlpUon trip. wa the
Lome of f. I' Kernllng. wliull haa lust re
ft I, tlj been coin pie ted. It l inoilefn bun
mul the w.xlwork. which la alifiilr:jr
1.4-uHti'tiii, l all of me Irtinit wi--1 work. 'Il.e'
fc.ilrlit.-li, II." flrl to calrh tin- e.e of a
woman. ! the hniiilh-st tli KllU.r line err
seen, anil the .lliiiiijf mom l lertslnly a
work of ait. a lire' owl's heml helng ahouri
on the lioor. 'I'll la piece la rerulni.r . lie" of
the pjettlrsl In lhe r.uiitr.- Cauhy Herald.
The ft Helens ball team bsa tieen ' re
oncBiilwd with Ks Mall as msnsger. Tl.ey
we-it to V-llifI laat Stinflay and had a
wslk war until the eighth Inning when tie
nmp. allo'el u fall hall (which ws foul hf
1-, fppt i w hen l.a '-s were all full, and the
a.i rti was eirnn! i.p in the ninth. tur t
got a gooe epK In 'he tetilli. Wood I and went
to list and drove a on base hit to rentre. the
lull falling into a gopher bol, and bof.Te
the Mt. Helens fielders coBld dig It out. the
batter made botue, winning the gstne by a
score of 7 to t. It U hard work to beat 9
suea end sd umpire.- Honlton Herald.
Take Your Choice of Till Pair of
Wbeeses.
fAsbland Tidings.) I tKugene Register.)
Ed TVirntoii asja; Another theory as to
The reaaon ''. It. irhj a doar turns around
Wolf's doir alwsrs rurna several times before he
ground sereTs.1 thnesillea down la tint be t
before he lies down i s wetrn oog ana u
because be Is a wan-h winding bluiself op.
dog and has to wlndl
himself.-' I
First thing we know, the above Joke
will become so widespread that It will
crowd Us way Into vaudeville.
Uncle Jeff Snow Saya:
Pork barrels used to be fixed bo's
only deserving Republicans dipped
Into 'em. 'Cording to a Judicial de
cision being handed down from ca
platforms now-a-days them la the
only constitutional kind of folks that
should be 'lowed to- dip.
Stories gc
StreetTown
Wherfc the Trout Ain't.
piSHINQ good herer asked "Tlge"
r Reynolds of an ancient gray beard
whom he found dangling a worm-baited
hook In the milky waters, of tha
Sandy liver. The place waa jrlthla
plain sight of a much-traveled road.
The old fellow grunted, snagged his
hook, loosened it, took a huge chew of
tobacco, spat. Meanwhile a whole pro
cession of automobiles, mostly pasaen
gered with fishing parties, went by.
Gray beard scowled, then delivered
himself of thta sad piece of wisdom, to
which any regular fisherman can tes
tify, "Where them thing are tha trout
ain't."
1