The Oregon daily journal., August 21, 1919, Page 10, Image 10

CL.Qn DAILY JO ULlUAUVOll TLAND, . THURSDAY; AUGUST 1. 1J13.
SIC rtPgPgWDKWT KtWlfift
O. B. ACKSOM.
n..vw.L - . ... - - mrA UMMIlinf
fc Jw-ej Sunday afternoon), at Th Jn"y
reruand, Oregon.
Sitand M the Poatoffieo at Portland. Oregon,
- - for tntnpnndon throve b the snaila aaeoos
elaaa matter. , "
TELEPHONES Mala 7178: Hons. A-S051-
All departments reached fcr these nuBabsrB.
Tall the operator what departaaent WZ
SVHX.IHH ADVEBTISIXO REPBESENTATIVK
Benjamin Kentaor Co., Brunswick BoUdlng.
225 Fifth a.enne, Nnr rk; 00 Itallera.
Building. Chicago.
Subaariptiow terms 7 BiU, or to sn addreee in
: Ure United States or Mexico;' x
. IAIM (MOBSUJO OB, aFTErtKOOin
Oaa year..... 1 9.00 I On month, . , . f .80
-.- , ;'. 8 UN DAT . .,-
On year, ... .$2.60 One month .25
UalLX IMOSMMJ B A BTEB JIOOJJ ) AND
SUNDAY
OnVyear. . ". . .6T.S0 , 1 Ona nwntH t .08
- Tbon ahalt ba eerred thyself ay rrerj
sene of senrioe which thoa, rendereet.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning. '
KILL THE PUBLIC MARKET?
T
HERE is much that jnany people
do not know about the public
market. Nobody knows, for in
stance, how much more consum
ers would be paying for farm and
'garden products but for the market.
; "As everything is going now, there
Is not the slightest doubt that prices
: ,' would be much higher if no publio
. market were in operation.
"' A maximum price is daily fixed
beyonrl which sales may not go, and
the official who does the fixing has
no other motive than to do justice
: "between . producer and - consumer.
Equalized figures from quotations of
Sfcftolesale - prices in three Portland
. newspapers are used as a basis for
the maximum price and the plan is
as reliable as any that could be
devised. I
There Is not the slightest doubt
that, under, the arrangement, consum-
"ys are protected as fully as it is
possible to protect them.- If the pub-
' lie market were suddenly abolished,
buyers would soon discover that the
institution is rendering them a high
service
. It Is true that stores in the vi
cinity oompete in some prices with
the public market. They have to.
They could not do business other
wise. But. to what extent are the
prices- at which they compete not
. cut by the presence of the pubile
. market? .
1 At the head of the market is Com
missioner Bigelow. " No official is
- more tireless In his effort to be
square and just None acts more on
conscience. .None strives more earn
estly to be all ths community wants
hlnK to be or to do all the com
munity wants him to do. His name
alone Is guarantee that the market
- la a fair institution and as nearly a
just institution as it is humanly pos
sible to make it.
-A comparison of publio market
prices with prices of the same prod
ucts on sale in stores' In all parts
of the city on a recent day. showed
publio market prices lower in all
. cases, and often wUh a considerable
margin to spare. If there are occa
sional exceptions to the rule, it is no
more" than could be expected in such
a varied and complicated system of
bargain and sale.
r ' Whea everything else in the world
-4)as Increased in price, it cannot be
expected that farmers and gardeners
t'en sell their products at pre-war
, figures. ' They are paying more for
..hired help than they ever paid be
: fore. They are paying more for
; what' they buy. Just as is everybody
' else. .
It Is no afternoon tea party to grow
vegetables. For example, the farmer
In these days must combat the root
- moth and If he is able to success
fully bring to maturity one cabbage
plant in ten, he is lucky. lie has
peats to fight, drouth and other un
favorable weather conditions to con
tend with, and is at toll before most
city peoplo are -awake, and at it
: still after they have long since laid
aside the .day's duties.
Their sales la the publio market
are . in trifling amounts and : their
' totals very small. ; Their average is
around 120 a day, and many are far
below that figure. Ten dollars and
even less Is not1 an Infrequent maxi
mum ' for a stall. Their distance
from market is 6, 20 and : even 30
miles. -After the .crop Is grown, the
weeds kept. out of the field, the soil
fertilized and irrigated, the hired help
paid, the article 'gathered' and pre
pared for market, the farmer, his
. wife or even more than one in the
family,' leaves at daybreak for the
publio .market, stands at the stall ail
day in a tedious and exacting duty,
. and ; In the - evening when 1 city folks
have all gone to. the club or the
,movle or the theatre, hitches up tlie
team or fires up the automobile nnd
sets out for the distant farm house.
A day of time has been spent in the
stall. Somebody else had to be hird
to keep things moving on tho.tsirm.
4SI...V. n ...tA.kll. ..... I-
ice. u in winter time, the. marketer
6pent the day. shivering" in the cold,
waiting for milady in warm furs to
make her purchases and speed away
in the limousine with fresff, - crisp
vegetables for the family table. -
Hernia a sample . day's sales for
one marketer Mrs. Quintan brought
from "three .; mile east of Lents -125
pounds . of new potatoes and 25
dozen -ears of corn.-1" -She - and her
daughter were at -the market 10
hours. Mr. Quinlan drove them to
the'htarket in the early, morning and
returned for them in the evening.
The corn went at 23 cents a dozen
and the , potatoes at 11 pounds for
25 cents, total 15.34. .Was not the
service well worth the price?
If these gardeners .and farmers are
denied a reasonable return for their
work they . cannot be expected to
keep the stalls at the public .market
filled with the wonderful sofl prod
ucts that dally, make a picture of
production to delight the artist's eye
They must have enough to pay them
a reasonable profit, or they will do
as they used to do sell their product
in bulk to the commission men and,
by their disappearance remove the
one brake that now , stands in the
way of inflated prices for, whatever
the complaints and criticisms, what
ever the defects in the process, it
is a fixed and undoubted fact that
the public market in Portland has
kept, and is keeping products sold
over its stalls from going to much
higher prices.
The - fact .that around 40,000 con
sumers buy supplies at the market
every Saturday is proof that the in
stitution is not without its virtues.
Acting Governor Hart of Wash
ington, by his telegram to the west
ern governors' conference' at Salt
Lake, urging the convent Von of spe
cial legislative sessions for the rati
fication of the equal suffrage amend
ment and announcing that he would
call the Washington legislature for
that purpose, leaves no doubt as to
whether he Intends to be a candidate
for the governorship at the next
election. '
MR. BANGS LETTER
BATTLES are easily won on paper.
1 John Kendrick Bangs on this
page says the job with Germany
. could have been finished in three
weeks. Perhaps.. Perhaps not. It
might have required three months
or more.
It is a reasonable assumption that,
in finishing-the job, there would
have been one dead American for
every dead German, and that, all
told, there would have been thousands
and tens of thousands of both in
heaps. ? Which , American mothers
should have supplied the boys for
the sacrifice?
Germany signed away all the allies
asked in the armistice. Germany
signed away all the allies demanded
In .the peace -treaty. The best minds
among the allies agree that a cen
tury, under the peace terms, will be
required for Germany - to make the
atonement, and that in that 100 years
all the toll and all -the striving of
Germany will be' strained to fulfill
her covenants. What more could
Germany have been forced to do if
the Job had been "finished"? .
Is it not a great deal more in
cost than what Mr. Bangs calls a
"penful of ink"?
As to lack of German "conscious
ness of defeat,' .the present genera
tion in Germany was fed through
life on the teaching that eaeh Ger
man is a superman- The idea was
inground and ingrained in each Ger
man mind. This belief of a life
time could no more have been ex
tinguished In every German In three
weeks than Mount Hood could .be
made to. stand up-end down.
With profound respect for Mr.
Bangs' view. The Journal bas the
conviction ' that death and a new
generation alone can rescue the te
nacious and hard-headed German
mind from the superman conscious
ness, put there by the Hohenzollern
system and teachings, add that a
trail of fire and ruin from Sedan
to Berlin would not have brought
the personal signs of conscious de
feat Mr. Bangs looked for in Ger
many. The mayors of the ' four chief
Northwest cities have perfected . a
fighting organization for a drive on
profiteering. Their first move Is an
investigation of foods stored. Hid
den food as a means of making
visible supplies appear low is a
frequent means of advancing prices.
Take the supplies out of sight by
secret storage, and the Increase of
prices is so easy as to be almost
automatic. Is anybody greenhorn
enough to believe that, if , profiteers
have thus the power to advance
prices, they will not exercise it?
HANSON AND ALIENS
MW'OR OLE HANSON in-a lunch
eon address at the Benson the
other dayr. advocated "selective
admission and scientific distri
bution bf aliens coming into the
United States."
Ile pointed to the fact that often
there is a great scarcity of labor In
one section while there may be a
great demand for labdr in another.
He would meet this condition by
allocating aliens who might immi
grate . here, sending such a - number
to each section . as the necessity of
the time might demand, and thus bal
ancing the labor supply against the
demand. ;
If "selective admission" means the
establishment of a higher standard
it would be a good thing. We have
gotten too much of , the drees nf
Europe in the: years past Unfavor
able and undesirable social and eco
nomic conditions feed and fatten on
the dregs Of population. But whether
It wouldjsquare with American Ideals
of liberty, for the . government to
make pawns of incoming aliens seek
ing citizenship, to put them here or
move them there, to circumscribe
their comings . and goings and - to
dictate , their employment, . is ques
ttonabte.'- " : "' -". ' T":". : '
It might-be that the aliens, fresh
from . the strictures - under which
they had lived to Europe, would not
complain, but to administer the plan
would : create a ' distinction i between
men and women and would smack
much of European conditions.'. Amer
lean law can , not i well restrict, a
man's residence, 'unless it send him
to Jail for misconduct, and belnj
an alien is not unlawful iu itself.
oBwoawaaBajeea-"aaeBoaaaaaBeaeao " '. f-
It Is announced from Halifax that
Sir Robert Borden,: premier of Can
ada, severely sprained his ankle
while accompanying the Prince - of
Wales from St. Johns. Evidently
the prospective king of England is
some goer . .
- THREE GREAT HOUSES
fjnflE purchase ot a Portland block
I for a building- to house the
I wholesale department of Meier &
" Frank Co., is' announced.
In 1864 Aaron Meier opened a tiny
st6re . at the corner of . Fourth and
Yamhill. The building was of rough
boards, and boxes In which the goods
were shrpped served as the counters,
The proprietor was porter. Janitor,
bookkeeper and clerk; and was at
his place of business early and late..
After a time, Emil Frank was ad
mitted to partnership and by and by
the ttore was moved into a larger
building across the street. It was
from such a beginning that the great
mercantile house of the Meier &
Frank Co. has grown. Its history Is
a part of the history of Portland. Its
expanding business is typical; of the
part Portland is playing in the com
mercial and industrial life of the
great Oregon country.
Portland is an unusual city in
the 'matter of Its business Institu
tions. The great houses of Olds,
Wortman & King ' and Lipman &
Wolfe are other institutions in a trio
of mercantile establishments'' that
sprang from small beginnings and
have held so much of the confidence
of the publio as to rise - Into extra
ordinary proportions in mercantile
endeavor. The activities of these
great houses have given Portland a
distinction for her department stores
attained, by j no other city . west of
the Mississippi. I
The four county employes at Se
attle who stole a ton of sugar from
the warehouse of a wholesale
grocery - and sold it to restaurant
owners at a cent below the market
price were probably trying, to bust
the high cost of living. I
BLIGHTING THE WORLD
As
IARTOON the other day pictured
a profiteer as a loathsome vul
ture, talons sunk Into . the eye
less sockets of a fleshless skull.
Upon the face the false and hypo
critical benignancy assumed by usur
ers was "depicted. : -:
It was an excellent picture of the
ghoul who trails the army, seeking
profit by commissary cheating, but
the post-bellum profiteer is of an
other breed.
Mankind is hungry and In shop and
warehouse the profiteer of today is
taking toll of necessity, almost- de
manding blood for food.
The world needs supplies and he
Is seeking to control everything from
shoes to machinery until he can get
his extortionate tprice.
The world wants peace and he is
promoting discord so that amid con
fusion he may gratify greed.
The profiteer of today is In : part
the statesman who for sordid selfish
ness adds to the cost of food Or sup
plies, Increases suffering by defer
ring the world's hopes.
There is nothing surprising about
the success attained by two ! young
married women in prospecting and
developing mining . .claims in the
wilds of Douglas county when you
consider how traditionally adept the
dear women are In discovering gold
In pockets.- ,
OREGON FIRST AGAIN
P'
ROFESSOR,. R. H. DEARBORN,
head of the electrical engineer
ing department of the Agricul
tural, college, tells an Interesting
story about the future power possi
bilities at Celilo, after a tour of the
east and middle west during which
he visited the power producing sta
tions of that section of the country.
Power possibilities at Celilo, he says,
dwarf those ; of any other ; plant - in
the country. . : ,
The largest electrical development
plant in ' the United States is ( at
Keokuk and . has ft maximum com
pleted capacity ot .200,000 kilowatts,
as against a potential' capacity of
350,000 kilowatts atCelllo, under, the
plans of the plant proposed for . that
place some little time ago. 1' v
Provident nature i has bullded the
foundation " for a wonderful X power
station at .the narrows of ; the Co
lumbia river. Man ;' and his 'skill
will have to. aid - before the un
measured i force . of the ' waters may
be harnessed to the Use of commerce
and industry. :! But the time is com
ing, and rapidly, f when the project
will be : a reality and not a " dream.
' At Los Angeles power is trans
mitted 250 miles i from 'the station
to the consumers; It Is bnt a trac
tion of that distance between Celilo
and; Portland, it is a shorter distance
between Astoria and Celilo. 1 But
there -is more to the picture than
that for there Is deep water between
Celilo and 'the'sea. Industries . linked
elose to the source of their driving
force could load- theirX output on
ocean carriers from their own doeks
and. start them out to the markets
of the world.' .
Some lime the illimitable force of
the Columbia will be tflrned Jt'o the
use ' of man, - and ' this - wtf 1 - become
the , power center of the natkm.
When that time . comes the turbukut
rapids of The Dalles will be tamed
'and mland ; navigation ' will be easy
for hundreds of miles. Mills and
factories from Celilo to the sea. will
hum "to j. the song, of the .tumbling
waters, i It is a wonderful, picture.
It r will be : a still " more wonderful
reality when the nearing years have
drawn it to consummation.
CAUSTIC ANSWER
OF CHAMBERLAIN
By , Car! Smith. Washington Staff Cor
respondent of The Journal.
Washington, Aug.- 20. The packer
propaganda, directed against members
of congress from all parts of the coun
try, has brought forth a sharp retort
from Senator Chamberlain. In a letter
to Louis F. Swift, president of Swift &
Co.. the Oregon senator expresses bis
Inability to understand jvhy the packers
are so much concerned about the Ken
yon and Kendrick bills, since they
habitually disregard the law. One phase
of the packer propaganda is to have
their representatives stir up the retailers
and business interests subject to their
Influence to protest, against . the pro
posed licensing bills. Another form is
newspaper publicity, and a . third is
direct correspondence with senators and
representatives urging them to consider
various voluminous arguments . which.
are sent as enclosures.
In answer to a letter of this sort from
Swift, Senator Chamberlain replied as
follows : "What difference does It make
to you whether congress passes a law
or not, because, your and other com
panies of the same class disregard all
laws and are Inattentive aa well to the
murmurs of the multitude against at
tempts to control food products and
food prices? You may get richer, you
may erect a magnificent business struc
ture, but while you and your business
emissaries are doing this, the hungry
masses are digging at the foundation
thereof, and it wUl just as surely topple
after a while as has every such struc
ture so. erected at the expense of the
poor and the hungry since thef earliest
recorded tune. . In the language of Lin
coln, Tou can fool all of the people
some of the time, and some of the peo
ple all the time, but you cannot fool all
the people all of the time.' Take ' the
advice of one who is Interested in our
country and Its future and devote less
time to writing letters of explanation
and apology, and devote more time to
remedying,, the . evils , and , practices of
your concern, which have more . than
once been pointed out by public investi
gation and otherwise. Tou need not
take the trouble of answering this let
ter. It is a well meant word of warning
and is not intended to open up a con
troversy with you. My time Is too much
occupied f with affairs of the present
moment, fwhile your methods can be
corrected as time goes on, for you will
remember the Latin maxim, "Nemo re
pents turpissimus fuit (There is plenty
of time for repentance)." Although ad
Vised that he need not answer. Swift
came back with a request to be in
formed as to how his company has vio
lated the law. Senator Chamberlain is
not disposed to make a controversy out
of it, and feels that Swift can gain ample
information if he will, read reports of
the federal trade commission -and the
record of congressional investigations,
In which! Swift himself was a witness.
John Pi (Jerry) Rusk, former speaker
of 4he Oregon house ot representatives
and for more; than a year in the Red
Cross service in .France, called upon
members of the Oregon delegation on his
way back to his home in La Grande, Or.
He declares that the world needs and
demands ! the establishment of the
League of Natlona "No one can be
long on the other side and not be of
that opinion," he said. "We heard it
everywhere, and I am sorry that' poll
tics has come into It. There ought to
be no politics in it, and there ought to
be no fight against the treaty because
a Democratic president represented our
country in negotiating it. There can be
no question the treaty should be agreed
upon with the least possible delay."
I a -
James M. Wlljey Jr., formerly audi
tor of the Oregon public service com
mission and for some time acting dis
trict accountant for the valuation divi
sion of the interstate commerce commis
sion for the eastern district, has been
promoted to district accountant for that
district. .The district embraces all of
New England, New York, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Vir
ginia, West Virginia and North Caro
lina, with headquarters in Washington,
covering j the most important . district.
from a railroad accounting standpoint,
of any in the United States. '
; a . .. . .
A report from the geological survey
shows a production of precious ores In
Oregon amounting to $1,983,913 in id 18,
compared with $2,270,874' in 1917, al
though the number of mines in operation
increased from 76 to 120. Baker county
produced $1,509,449 of the total in 1918.
Josephine county is second in . produc
tion and : Grant county third.- Most of
the value comes from) gold, of which
$1,270,465 1 was mined in -1918, Baker
county alone producing $1,009,656. The
silver product amounted to $107,32!, and
$90,385 of that from Baker. .
Just before leaving Washington for
Seattle and Portland to conduct an In
vestigation into spruce production oper
ations in wartime. Chairman Freer of
the house subcommittee intimated that
Colonel Brice P. Disque, head . of the
spruce production work, probably will
not be called untU the- committee re
turns to Washington. "We want to find
out what we have before he" is called.?
said Mr. i Frear. "After we have heard
the witnesses on the coast and looked
over the ground, we will conclude what
further testimony; is needed here. :-;
Cato Sells, commissioner of Indian af
fairs, writes Senator Chamberlain -with
reference to .a report the latter received
that California Interests are trying to
secure a; 30-year lease on Big Klamath
marsh in! the Klamath reservation. Mr.
Sells says no application of this -sort is
pending, and he surmised the 'report
arose from the operations of the California-Oregon
Power company in con
structing a dam in Link river which will
flood part of the marsh. There is no
intention, ; he adds, to lease even this
land for j a. period of 30 yeaps. . ;
WhatIt Feels Like to Be
Really in. the .. News
From the Madras Pioneer
' Madras being shut in so far from
the outside world seldom experiences the
excitement that takes place in the cities,
accept what - comes in the Oregonian
and Journal. The murder, scandals and
bombing outrages seem so matter of fact
In newspapers. We expect them to be
full ot such stories. Generally what we
see. on , the front page seems to have
happened in another world as far as we
ar toncerned Very different such news
stems if one of the actors comes to town.
This happened early Sunday afternoon
when ever the telephone a message from
Los Angeles wabetng sent to- aU pbhits
from The Dalles te : Bend for v Walter
iirodr of Lo Angelas.. la the night., the
home of his brother-ln-'law. Oscar Law
lr. former. United States deputy attor
My general and prominent attorney of
Los-' Angeles,' : had been bombed. Fol
lowing" "the explosion a fire broke eut
and severely burned both Mn and Mrs.
Law".er. Mr. Lawler's injuries probably
being"fatal. At Bend. Prineviile. ; Red
mond and Meupin word was left to stop
Mr. Brode and have him speed toward
home. Finally the Madras operator was
told; to watch' for him, he being in a
Pit-rce-Arrow roadster bearing a Califor
nia number. Just at that moment Ben
I.aikiu and Mr.- Sandhegan; - salesmen
for the John Deere company of, Port
land, spied the car which was being
searched for. Mr. Brode was halted and
in a few minutes was connected up With
Los Angeles. The explosion is thought
to have been the work of a woman and
three men who were Involved In a court
fifrhr with; which Mr. LawJer was con
nected as prosecutor. -
Letters From the People
f Communication sent to The Journal for pub
licatkm in thU department should b written oa
only one tid of the pmpar. should not axcaed
300 words in lenctii, and must b signed by ths
writer, whoso man addrasa in, full sauat accom
pany thm contribution, j
John Kendrick Bangs Reply
Portland, Aug. 19. To the Editor of
The' Journal It is not necessary for
me to answer all of the questions asked
In your editorial comment upon my ad
dress before the Commercial club yes
terday, because the question of mere
reprisal was sufficiently met in the
address itself, and, if you listened, you
are, or should be, quite as well aware
of my feelings as I am. I would not
think of attributing to French, British
or American troops the spirit of blood,
thirsty vengeance which with an amaz
ing unfairness you attribute to me. No
one I has asked for the pulverising of
the J cottage homes of Germany. No
one, much less I, has demanded the
spitting of babes upon ' blood 1 rusted
swords. No one has asked that the
allied armies should have been required
to fight to exhaustion, nor need it bave
been asked of them, for at the time
of the armistice the German armies
were defeated, and were saved from rout
only by that armistice. Three weeks
more of pursuit would, have finished the
Job, which has been left unfinished.
Yon speak of the "spiritual punish
ment which Germany will not soon
cease to suffer." It is difficult to be
lieve that you can be serious in so
speaking. I have been in Germany,
and the whole crux of my complaint
is that there is no sign in Germany
that! she is suffering from any "spir
itual punishment. She has no con
sclousness of a defeat. She regards
the armistice as a mere cessation of
hostilities, and in signing it she realized
that by so doing she gained an eleventh
hour victory which cost her little more
thari a penful of ink. If ' there were
to be found anywhere any manifestation
of repentance for her crimes; if she
were. not fighting us tonight with her
propaganda as vigorously, and as
viciously, as she fought us with her
aruns r if her ceosle showed the slight
est sense of realisation of the 1 wrongs
she has committed against civilization.
you 'might speak properly of her "spir
itual sufferings," and of my "fury,
But Since nothing of the sort has come
to be, your allusion to these "spiritual
sufferings is a sorry Jest and to con
found with fury my regret that some
unhappy Influence in the councils of
the allies forced General Foch to agree
to an armistice which brought the gal
lant fighting of his -splendid troops to
naught betrays a lack of clear observa
tion ion your part for which I can only
say that it surprises me. X don't be
lieve! in commutations of duty, or- the
compounding of felonies. In effect that
la what the , armistice was, and you
would be among the first, I am sure, to
recognize the fact if you had seen Ger
many as I saw it, and -as the great
bulk of the intelligent, observers in the
armies of occupation saw It also.
JOHN KENDRICK BANGS.
Assails Farmers as Profiteers
Portland., Aug. 11. To the Editor of
The f Journal While there is such a
roaring about the high cost of living,
and about : profiteering, who is doing
more profiteering than our meek and
lowly farmers in and around Portland?
After having been given the privilege
of several blocks on Yamhill street,
to get together and fix shameless prices
on their products, they proceed to skin
us consumers to a finish. They are
selling green corn at the rate of. from
$10 te $15 a bushel. I bought some of
it last Saturday at 6 cents an ear. Now
I have husked many a bushel of corn
to carry to the grist mill, and 120 large
sized ears would make . a bushel of
shelled corn big field corn, mind you.
Thisv at -5 cents an ear, would be $6,
and It would take two ears of such
corn' as I got on the Yamhill market
to make one of the old fashioned In
diana and Illinois corn, so that would
be at the rate of $12 a bushel for this
little corn. And all other products are
at about the same rates. Honey In the
comb sells at 35 cents a pound, and I
have bought many a pound right here
in Portland for 10 cents,
i We thought when we were giving the
farmers their Yamhill street privilege we
were doing them a great favor at the ex
pence of our regular tax and license pay
ing merchants. And. again, we Imag
ined, "Now we will get a square Deal."
But 111 be hanged if I ever saw a great
er Jot of profiteers. Let. the worklngman
go along the Yamhill market and look it
over? for-himself and see if he Is not
ready to vote to put. our. loving, tender
hearted farmers out. I say to sena
them back to the old fashioned huckster
wagon. We are all hit. and hit hard.
R. R. BRATTON.
' Wants It ..Investigated
- Portland, Aug. 16-TO the Editor of
The, Journal I saw in The Journal
Friday, August 15, that the Central
Labor council is to hold a meeting to
buck - the higV cost" of living. That's
a fine idea. But here are a few ques
tions I would like answered; We all
want living brought down, and espe
cially the union men,' but when a barber
or bootblack, especially thesbarber. tries
to keep down the price so. we all can
get service, they boycott these men as
unfair. Well, they say, they are scabs.
Butt why are they t Just because the
union won't take them In unless the
barber charges 60 cents for a haircut
and? 25 cents for a shave. The . boot
black, IS cents for a shine instead of
10 cents. Is 'that fair? Union hours
and union pay are flnel - But when
the union tells what you shall charge
for - your goods, It is going too far.
I wish some paper would take this
matter up and investigate. ,
. - ; ' . A UMONWOBKINOMAK.
v ' - Somewhat Puzzled1
Portland. Aug. 1 To the Editor of
The Journal Will you permit me, as an
old union man.' to say that there are
two ways to look at this wags raising
business- Tea mttrt remember that
there are thousands of old men like
myself that get no wages at all and
every time you get a raise in wages the
cost of living goes up and more than
your wages ia proportion and that hurts
COMMENT AND
SMALL CHANGE . ".
Might aa well have another hoar ef
daylight.: There isn't much to do after
dark any - rrtore. New , York Evening
8Bar:,.i!s.v.r..i - . - i..,. i;
" Some of the people who are trying to
save their souls ought to take a day or
two off to find out whether they have
any,- ....-. - -
! '' i", . . d.t-;; is;t:ij
The first raft according to a scientific
note, was devised in 10X4 B C. What
a long time it has taken to evolve the
modern houseboat party. .
yolem Seize Enemy Oil Fields In Ga
licia,". says a headline - And. of course,
the next step will be to form a few oil
companiesr and sell the stock at a-big
bargain. -. ,. s .. -- .
... - . . - r j
thm prlne has landed, safa sad sound, '
And happy anUUoas. free ' !
rrom dread, will chars tho laraa exponas
Ha brines, but, eh, the differenca
v. ft will not nteaa ta me.
'Art is a great and universal re
freshment," observes John Galsworthy.
Don't tell congress, or it will put on a
luxury tax. along with the other refresh
ment taxea
- ' .. ' v:
."Tin' best people In Germany now
steal silver from , the hotels and res
taurants." says a dispatch. Probably
the only difference made by the war
im in the fact that the stealing is not
done under , the guise f souvenir
hunting. . ,
IMPRESSIONS AND OBSERVATIONS
: 'OF THE JOURNAL MAN. "
By Fred
fA Pendleton boy tells of some intereetina
aighta at Vladivostok and sires a sidelight on
Husaian democracy. - .
When C. S. Jackson sold the East Ore
gonian to come to Portland and start
The Journal, I bought from him a quar
ter interest in the East Oregonian.
Hardly a week goes by that I do not
see some man in uniform whom I used
to know when he was a little chap in
short pants in Pendleton. ; -
A day or two ago George W. Hoch of
Pendleton dropped in to see ma I knew
him 15 years or more ago, when he was
a little chap. He has just been mustered
out of the naval service. He was chief
yeoman aboard the United States flag
ship Brooklyn.
a ' a
"I enlisted on April 7. 1917, the day we
declared war on Germany." he said. "I
enlisted at Pendleton, was sworn In on
April IS in - Portland, and after two
weeks at Goat Island was assigned to
the Asiatic station and left on May 5 for
Manila, headquarterst of the fleet. For
some time I was stationed at the sub
marine bass at Cavite. Ws cruised from
Manila to Yokohama, through the Inland
sea to Kobe and up to Tokio. . Being
chief yeoman on. the flagship, X had
charge of the admiral's work.' Some very
interesting documents passed through
my hands. Admiral A. M. Knight was
succeeded by Rear Admiral W. L. Rodg
era If there ever was a white man it
was Admiral Rodgers. He was clean
and square all the way through. There
isn't a man in the whole Asiatic squad
ron who' doesn't love him. Captain T. A.
Kearney, our chief of staff, was com
mandant of the Brooklyn. Lieutenant
Commander Carl F. Smith was flag
secretary. All three of these officers
were the type of men who brought credit
to the navy and to our country. I have
run across other officers, however, that
the service could well spare.
a
"While we were at Yokohama we took
on coaL Just at noon, when the men
had gone to mess, there was a coat dust
explosion; in which one man was In
stantly killed, seven so seriously 'Injured
that they died in the hospital, and 22
others wounded. If the explosion had
occurred while the men were in the hold
there would probably have been several
hundred deaths. The American women
of Yokohama were certainly fine, and
won -the gratitude of our boys. They
came to the dock with their automobiles,
got the boys and took them to the
hospital.
"We sailed from Japan to Vladivostok,
where we were stationed four months.
When the reports came of the anti
American riots in Japan we were or
dered back to Japan, but it proved they
were exaggerated.
us played-outa For little incomes from
pensions or other small sources we may
have are not Increased because of your
Increase In wages. So we are really
suffering because of your: success In
increasing wages. Don't you see how
it works? Now it seems that we all
work from a selfish point of view. While
I have always boosted for you and your
Interests, X am compelled now to look
both ways. While X have a deep in
terest m your welfare, I nave also to
look out for my own and my family's
welfare. Please Inform me how to work
to the best Interests of all.
A FELLOW WORKER.
Advancing Backwards
Portland. Aug. 18. To the Editor of
The Journal A ' recent press dispatch
stated that Admiral Kolchak, the su
preme ruler ot Siberia, will remove his
capital from Omsk to Irkutsk, owing to
a temporary reverse. This must be
somewhat distressing to all true friends
of Russian democracy, especially as this
great Russian democrat had promised to
be in Moscow by . August. . However,
they need not" despair, for eventually
Kolchak will move to Vladivostok, and
finally to Tokio, which after all f ur
nlahee the chief Inspiration to this bleed
ing disciple of the new order. Perhaps,
after all. the allied diplomats, whose
capacity for blundering is unlimited in
Russian affairs, has made anotner faux
pas, and despairing ot any more white
bones, may reluctantly recognize in
some vague manner the present Russian
government for trade reasons. And
finally, when the growing roll of death
bed democrats will be displayed to the
world. Kolchak will surely head the list,
for have not the allies recognised him
nearly? M. E. DORFMAN.
Vanishing Wilderness
Prom the Cbieae , Post. 4 .. ' ,k
Not many years since. Wisconsin was
a paradise for the hunter and the angler,
in sheer wildness It was not surpassed
by any state In the Union. .Today its
game featherea, rurrea ana nnnea s
fast vanishing. . But there is worse in
store.
First, in the destructive process, tne
railroad penetrated the northern wilds,
shortening a week's Journey by wagon
from Chicago into one of 12 hours. Next
came the automobile, not reducing the
time bnt adding to the allurements or.
ihe excursion.; Now the plane is here.
caoan and family can step Into their
plane at S or 4 o'clock in the afternoon
and land - at their cottage or hunting
lodge to Wisconsin's northern; tier of
counties in time for supper.
When that day arrives the wild, pine-
tringed lakes wUl be -as thickly dotted
with canoes as a park lagoon. The old
Indian trails will be erased by mac
adamized roads ; the popcorn vender
will be on hand. The wheeze of ths
merry-go-round will drown the scream
of the loon If any loon is foolish enough
to tarry that long. And the sight of a
bear or a deer in Sawyer ; or Vilas
county will cause as much commotion
as It would in Rogers park today.
But such is ths pries of progress.
NEWS IN BRIEF
OREGON SIDELIGHTS -.
Hard paving is about to make Its ap
pearance in Bend. The place will become
a city In spits of predictions of the
calamity waiter to the contrary, remarks
the Bend Presa. .
The swimming hole Is 'an important
spot these warm evenings and the Max
Sennet Diving Beauties have got noth
ing on a few Banks experts, according
to the Banks Herald.
Owing to the lack of automobiles, the
employes; of the O-W R. A N. at La
Grande will not hold their annual pic
nic at the Wallowa Lake park, because
of the transportation problem.
The' old La BelTevue mine In the
Greenhorns, a well known gold end sil
ver - property, which has been idle for
many years, owing to the low price of
silver, is soon to become a producer
again.
Talk about blackberries spreading
soma years ago a couple of farmers up
the. East Fork in the Coquille valley
set-out a single slip each of the ever
green blackberry and . now they are
said to have about 400 .acres apiece of
this luscious fruit.
A freighter was in town this week
with an eight horse team looking for a
blacksmith, says the Crane American.
Not having very good luck in that line,
he purchased horse shoes, and his teams
were well shod by himself before he
pulled out on a long trip.
Lockley
1 saw some sights at Vladivostok
that I. shall never be able to forget.
During the bitterly cold weather It is
difficult" to dig graves, so the bodies
of the dead are kept In the morgue
until spring, when graves, can be dug
more readily; In one end of the public
morgue at Vladivostok Z saw about 60
bodies piled ; up like cordwood. They
were a gruesome sight. There wasn't
a body there that hadn't been mutilated.
The men had been mutilated in an in
describable way. I also saw in the pile
the bodies of young girls whose breasts
had been cut off. No, this was not done
by Germans. It was- done by the Huns
who live in Germany.
"I met a very intelligent-Czecho-Slo-vak,
who told me many interesting
things about Russia. I am perfectly
willing that you should use his letter,
but he has asked me not to use his name
in connection with it. He tells me that
the people of Russia are very demo
cratic, but that they are bound by a
caste system in their political and eco
nomic life that we of America cannot
comprehend. It is this casts system that
has -caused the almost-universal mis
trust on. the part of the lower classes of
Russia, of Intelligence and culture. In
spite ef the caste system, Russia really
ia a democratic nation. ; Men of wealth,
intelligence arid position discuss politics
with their cab drivera He says he has
seen the owner of an estate, with his dis
tinguished guests, attend ths marriage
of one of his worklngmen or women,
where all mingled in perfect equality,
good fellowship and' universal brother
hood. It is a caste not so much of birth
as of Intellect. You might almost call it
the caste of the diploma , In Russia the
university makes the man. not the man
the university, and the diploma marks
ths line of social cleavage.
"College and university men. and
women belong to the class which - is
called the - Intelligentsia I' - They to a
large extent: hold the positions of trust
and honor and it is only by way of the
diploma that you can "aspire to these po
sitions. Many a fool who has spent the
necessary time in college has been given
some responsible position and promoted
by the rule of seniority until he occu
pies a position of the greatest responsl
billty. for which he is utterly unfitted.'
"Here is his letter. It will give you an
Interesting sidelight on why Russia
broke down. I am planning to reenllst
and I expect to be stationed at 'a Jap
anese port. X studied Japanese and I am
anxious to learn to read and write it
and to be able to speak it fluently. We
are going to have more to do with the
Orient than we have had in the past."
Curious Bits of Information
, For. the Curious
Gleaned From' Curious Places
In St. Kllda hair" ropes are used for
climbing the cliffs in search of sea birds-
egga To obtain the material for these
ropes takes many years, and they are
highly prized by such ot the islanders as
are fortunate enough to possess them.
A hair climbing rope, is in the nature
of a family heirloom, and Is frequently
handed down to the eldest daughter as
a wedding dowry. ;
Similar ropes are not unknown In
other countriea Ons of ths most ' re
markable of these is mentioned by Sir
Frederick Treves In his book entitled,
"The Other Side of the Lantern." Hs
describes it as lying curled up like a
gigantic caterpillar wltnm tne great
Buddhist tempi at Kioto. It measures
300 feet in length, and three Inches in
diameter, and is made up of contribu
tions from the heads of many hundreds
of thousands' Of Japanese women. Long
ago-it was used to drag the timbers to
the building and to hoist- them into
place, and now it is carefully preserved,
a sacred relic, within the vast edifice
it helped to raise. . .
Olden. Orepon
Farming Began With the Decflne of
the Trapper and Hunter.
The first farming In the Willamette
valley was by the Hudson Bay company
having extended farming operations to
the French prairie in 1230 by locating!
.. . . . a . . ei
mere a numoer oi rturea rur namara.
John Ball, an American, raised a crop
of wheat near Champoeg in 1233. An
inventory of Fort Vancouver in Octo
ber, 1835, showed the following on hand :
450 cattle, 100 horses. 200 sheep. 40 goats,
300 hogs, 6000 bushels of wheat. 1300
bushels of potatoes, 100 bushels of bar
ley, 1000 bushels ef eats, 2000 bushels
ot peas and a large variety of garden
vegetablea The dairy contained 20 cows.
.. . - .
The . Biff Things That Are . Coming
, ... . From tba Baker Herald
Don't turn up your nostrla when some
one says, "mining. That has been the
custom in years gone by, for there were
many fake mining deals pulled off in
Baker county and the public, especially
here at home, naturally grew skeptical
ef the Industry.
Try a change of heart, for you will
have that change sooner or later.- Min
ing Is recovering in the most healthy
manner Imaginable. Baker county's
mines are working -and new ones -are
coming In. There will be mors, and
large interests ; have their . attention
centered, on this section. The Herald
knows whereof it speaks, but -at the
present time until certain deals are
closed, little publicity is desired. But
hold your faith In the mineral resources
of the county and you will not regret it
The News in Paragraphs
World Happenings Briefed for Benefit
of Journal Readers
. ORKGON NOTES. ...
The wheat crop of Wssco county this
year Is valued at ,3,m,ot0.
October 10 and It has been fixed at
the dates for the Batiks hog and dairy
snow.
Lane and, Polk coupties report a fun-'
ru" dJT'Ve lhat and kills Can
ada thistles.
Simon Frailer, pioneer shipbuilder of
Astoria and The Dalles,, is dead at Seat
tle, aged 71.
The Med ford airplane leaves this week
on a si x-weeks tour of western Oregon
and Washington.
- Robert B. Spencer, a resident of Lane
county since 1851. died at his home in
h.ugene last Saturday.
.,re than 60 teachers are needed te
fill the vacancies in the various schools
throughout Coos county.
Approximately 1557.704 is being spent
on roads and highways within the boun
daries of Lane county this summer.
Before the close of the year 1919 there
will bave been erected in Bend struo
tures amounting to more than $800,000.
Samuel Gololof. accuned of starting
forest fires In several sections of Curry
county, is under arrest at Port Orford.
t Ordinances are being framed In St
Helens providing for an expenditure of
at least 135,000 on new paving contracts.
W. A. Carlson of Redland, Clackamas
county, reports that his wheat averaged
4bV bushels to the acre and his oats t
bushela
Mrs. Elisabeth Wallace McLean, e re
sident of Astoria for nearly half a cen
tury, died in that city Tuesday, aged
80 yeara
Jackson county has received from the
government a large motor truck to be
used in hauling gravel to repair the
county roada
An automobile belonging to W. T. Vin
ton, at present acting governor of Ore
gon, was burned during the recent fire
at Klamath Falls.
Two hundred patrons of the Eagle
Point postofflce have sent a petition to
Congressman Hawley protesting against
the present mall service.
The district a few miles below Bandon
Is becoming a thriving cranberry sec
tion and a number of patches have been
yielding fine revenues to their owners.
Major Albert B. Smith, commander of
the Oregon airplane forest patrol squad
ron, flew from Salem to Mather field
Monday in nine hours, making two stops
on the way.
Reports from Gold Beach state the
catch of salmon Sunday and Monday
was the greatest ever known. More
than 6000 salmon were marketed from
the one day catch.
The resignation of Colonel John L.
May as commander of the Third Oregon
Infantry, O. N. G., has not yet been re
ceived by Adjutant-General Stafrln, but
is expected shortly.
Federalization of the National Guard
of Oregon will be completed within the
next few days through the reorganiza
tion of companies E and F of Portland,
D of Med ford and N of Salem.
The cleaning plant, and garage at
Pendleton belonging to George Fell was
burned Tuesday. Ora Hanovan, an em
ploye, was badly burned in trying to
save the contents of the plant
WASHINGTON
Dayton has a new 26000 frost .proof
warehouse with a capacity of 600 tons
of fruit
The McLaughlin cannery at Sunny-
siae nas comructea ior iio ions ot pears
at $26 to $05 a ton.
The new road along the south side of
Lake Qutnault has been completed and
The Murphy Timber company is con
structing a new 60,000 capacity sawmill
at Banks, and work is also starting on a
$25,000 high school building.
The county Jail at Everett was bur
gletised Tuesday night. Automoblls
wheels, tires and storage batteries held
aa exhibits in criminal cases were stolen.
All reservoirs with the exception of
Keechelus are discharging to their full
est capacity and an ample supply of
water is on hand in all sections of the
xakima valley.
Washington's request for an air patrol
against forest fires has received the In
dorsement of Colonel II. H. Arnold, com
mander of the United States air service
at San Francisco.
Joseph Alexander, well known ranch
er and former newspaper man, commit
ted suicide Tuesday by hanging him
self in his barn near Montesano. Ill
health was the causa
Two men and two youths are under
arrest in Seattle charged with the theft
of more than a ton of sugar from the
warehouse of a wholesale grocery com
pany for which they were working.
Two hundred and forty-five four and
six room houses, a building with 45
apartments and a 360 room hotel at
Bremerton and Charleston, belonging to
the government ere being appraised and
will be sold to the highest bidder.
-' GENERAL
Lewiston, Idaho, is to be put on the
routs of the forest fire patrol airplanes.
A milk war has broken out in Stock
ton, Cal and the price has fallen to 10
cents a quart
According to a cable from Japan, a
trans-Pacific flight is to be attempted
soon by D. Isobe, a Jspanese army avi
ator. It has become known that the largest
ordnance depot In the United States is
to be established at Fort Bliss, Texas,
within a short time.
Crown Prince Charles of Roumanla
has renounced for himself and his heirs
all rights and privileges as heir apparent
to the Roumanian throne.
-The United Brotherhood of Mainte
nance of Way Employee and Railway
Shop laborers to the number of 600,000
are asking a wage increase of $1 a day.
Reports from Budapest state that the
Roumanians have presented new armis
tice conditions to the Hungarian gov
ernment, which the Hungarians decline
to accept
Edward Albright of GallaUn. Tenn..
was elected president of the National
Kdltorial association at its meeting in
Victoria Tuesday, Boston was selected
for the 1220 meeting.
The sword of Napoleon I, surrendered
to Marshal Blucher more than 100 years
ago and by him presented to the cadet
corps of the German army, has 1 been
stolen from the military academy at
Llchterfelde.
Private W. II. Peck, stationed at ths
Presidio In San Francisco, commits
suicide Tuesday by asphyxiation. lie
was found with his face covered with
an army gas mask, to which a rubber
tube had been attached.
Uncle Jeff Snow Says:
Of oourse some' fellers want more
wages to buy more gasoline to burn up
more tires on our brand new hsrd sur
faced roada But, mebby If Uncle Sam
would shake down the Standard Oil out
fit fer profiteering on us fer gas, be
could fine It two hundred and ninety
million and collect it, 'stead of twenty
nine million and lettln' it go of that on
probation. Then a lot'er our best cltl
sens and some others would git gas so
cheap they wouldn't need no ralae In
salarlsa But we have gotter have
ollne even if ths grocer gits stood off
and goes busted.
' Here Seems to Be an
Opportunity to Save
(Storia of ah)eTBnt ia tba accumula
tion of War tarings Stamps, sent to . The
Journal and accepted for publication, trill
ba awarded a Jhrift Mamp. )
Wa atuat be cured of rafale habits,
Stnff that think of how aa trash.
And only fit for fnata or rabbits
; Ullght wall ha added to oitr lisao;
Tba -woman still are beautifying
Thenwclrea by wearint purchased hair;
It seems aa If tliey should be trying
. : To trrins about s sarins there.
Thrift Stamps and 1919 War Baringi
Btimpa bow oa sal at usual attneiea