Editorial Page of The Capital Journal
!
TIKOAY t:VKXI...
Jamiarc U, IM7.
CHARLES H FISHEE
Editor and Manager
5
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L. S. RAKNKs. CJIAS. II mn, DORA C AXDRRSKX,
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THE RENNAISSANCE
Umatilla, the famous old town on the Columbia where
in early days the freight wagon and pack mule received
their loads for the mining, sheep and cattle camps, which
in the earlier days were about the only things in the way
of settlement in the far Inland Empire, has within the
past few days undergone a radical change in its city gov
ernment. The town where in its palmiest days a woman
was as scarce an article as a Bible, has become the first
gynecocracy in the United States. At the last election
the mayor and all councilmen elected were women, but
there are two hold-over councilmen who being "mere
men" have been not only told but shown, that they are to
have but little to say regarding the conducting of the
city's affairs. The mayor by the way had her husband as
an opponent in the election and beat him to a frazzle.
The new mayor, Mrs. Laura J. Starcher, is true to
name for she put starch in her brief message, which she,
by the way, asked one of the male hold-overs to read, and
then she appointed her committees, all of which are com
posed entirely of women. The "mere male" was not given
a look in and the council can run its business as well with
out as with them. All they have to do is to do what they
are told and the new regime being mostly married
women are capable of telling them just what that is.
As a beginning in economy the mayor refused to ap
point a marshal, saying the city had no use for such an
animal and that his salary would help pay for better
Street lights which she asserted the city would soon have
as she would see the company furnishing the lights got
busy, and kept that way.
Considerable interest has been awakened in the new
departure and the result of a real women's government
will be closely watched. As a prelude to the kind of ad
ministration the city is to have the mayor remarked: "If
I did not believe every woman in this council was as com
petent as any man ever sat in it, I would resign right
i ow.'- From which, and her handling of the situation
from the start, it is fair to presume that Mrs. Starcher,
and no one else will be the mayor.
REPORT GIVES
The report of the Public Service Commission to the
governor, filed Tuesday, shows more clearly than any
other one thing the discrimination against Oregon in
the way of furnishing cars for shippers. This report
.hows that in the fiscal year ending June :S0, 1914, the net
operating revenues of railroads in the state were $6,901,
604. For the year 1915 the operating revenues were
$5,675,796, and for the year 1916 ending June 30, they
were $5,329,594. The reason of the decrease was largely
due to the fact that the railroads did not furnish cars to
do the business of the state. The year 1916 furnished the
roads much more business than they could handle, and
yet the receipts were less by $.1,572,110 than in 1914, when,
as is well known, business was slack. The greater
revenue was received because though business was dull
there were cars enough to take care of all of it. Instead
of being an increase, as there should have been, there was
a falling off of practically 25 per cent of the net revenues.
This shows that Oregon was not given her share of the
ears and that they were used in other states at Oregon's
expense.
Compared to a year ago bread is up 50 per cent; pota
toes 50 to 60 per cent; pork, 40 per cent; beef, 35 to 60
ner cent; onions 300 per cent; cabbage, 25 per cent; eggs,
20 per cent; butter, 50 per cent; vegetables, generally,
from 10 to 40 per cent, and all the foodstuffs used bv the
average American citizen are on the same high plane.
In clothing it is the same and shoes are, so far as mnt
folks are concerned, almost at a prohibitive price. To the
wage earner facing a reduction of pay the outlook is far
from encouraging.
"To him that hath shall be given." New York which
has now more gold than it knows what to do with, Mon
day received $25,000,000 more, it coming from Halifax.
LADD & BUSH, Banker
Established 1868
CAPITAL $500,000.00
Transact a General Banking Business
Safety Deposit Boxes
.SAVINGS DEPARTMENT
HATES
..".Ki Per month
li.UO Per month
TF.l.KCKAPH KKPOKT
OF A COW TOWN
ROADS AWAY
REDUCING THE
Some weeks ago when the tax limitation law was be
ing discussed and talk of retrenchment and reform was
in the air, the Capital Journal made the proprecy that
the hrst place the legislature would discover where a
saving could be made would be with the janitors, and
those who took care of the state house lawns, then the
stenographers and clerks and all others whose salaries
were the lowest paid by tne state.
The legislature was not six hours old before this
source of tremendous saving for the state was discovered,
and a proposition made to cut the salaries of this class.
True, the taxpayers are demanding economy, but they
are not asking that any be forced to work at wages that
will hardly support them. Throughout the United States
every big corporation has granted its employes an in
crease of salary on account of the high cost of living, and
yet the great corporation of the State of Oregon, one of
the greatest states in the union, is deliberately proposing
to reduce salaries of its lowest paid employes at a time
when the dollar it pays them is not worth, in purchasing
power what 75 cents were worth a year or two ago. It
is the purchasing power of a wage that makes it large
or small.
There is not an industry in the state that is not get
ting more for its products than it did a year ago. The
farmers are getting nearly double for their wheat, and
vegetables are way yonder in price. Beef is the highest
ever known and one involuntarily lifts his hat to the fat
hog that has doubled in value since the war. An em
ploye getting $1,000 a year now is no better paid than he
or she would have been a year ago on $750.
These state employes, if their pay is reduced, will be
in the condition of the college professor who went to the
bank to cash his monthly check. The cashier paid him in
one dollar bills. The professor looked at them, turned
them over with his finger and finally put on his glasses
to give them a closer inspection.
"What's the matter professor?" asked the cashier. Do
you think there are microbes on them?"
"No, no indeed," was the mournful reply, "No microbe
could live on my salary."
Yet this is where economy is supposed to begin.
There is a proposition to do away with, or merge two
or three commissions, but it is noted so far that with the
new clerks and asistants said to be required, in the merg
ing plans, there will be little if any saving only a different
lot of employes will draw the salaries.
Economy is commendabe but it wants to be real
economy, not a farcial one. If the legislature must re
duce'salaries let it seek to make the reductions elsewhere
than from the lowest paid employes who at the best, can
no more than meet the expense of living.
President Wilson told certain suffragettes Monday
that he wras leader of a party that had not indorsed
suffrage. He might have added that the suffrage or
rather the women's party had not indorsed him but had
openly tried to defeat him because he refused to go
further than his party in the way of making the suffrage
question a national one. The republican and democratic
platforms were identical in their treatment of the suf
frage question, both stating it was a matter for each
state to decide for itself. The simple truth is that suf
frage has had its hardest blow from the so-called women's
party. Instead of coming west to learn how the women of
the west had won they started a campaign with a party
of their own, which by its action caused a feeling that it
would be unsafe to trust the bunch with the ballot. Their
action set national suffrage back for years and the pres
ent move is pushing it still further back. They call it
getting in the limelight and advertising, and it is. Bring
ing the boycott and the strike methods into their move
ment has hurt he cause, and if kept up will make it an
impossibility in the next fifty years.
It is stated the prohibition bill being drafted will not
contain a search and seizure clause. Some of the more
rabid are desirous of having this made a feature of the
bill but the conservative element is against it, and it is
not probable that it will be in the bill. Search of one's
property on suspicion is repulsive to most Americans and
would make the bill, which otherwise will be accepted
gracefully, if not willingly, by all, offensive to a large
minority at least and would tend to make the law that
much harder to enforce.
The suffragettes have picketed the white house,
twelve of them beginning duty Wednesday morning. It
is stated there will be three thousand of them on duty
by inauguration day. They carry a banner with the in
scription: "Mr. President, what will you do for woman
suffrage." How they expect to accomplish anything by
the movement is too deep for the mentality of what the
mayor of Umatilla calls "mere man."
Commencing at noon Thursday Polk and Marion coun
ty severed, temporarily, their friendly relations. They
had no quarrel, but circumstances over which they have
no control caused the estrangement. When the railroad
bridge has been planked the old friendly relations will be
resumed. In the meanwhile
hour on the special car put on by the railroad company;
for the modest sum of a nickel.
A discouraging and disreputable car shortage existing
while the legislature is in
thing to some legislator.
WRONG SALARIES
visitors can cross every half
session might suggest some
THE WHOLL BODY
NEEDS PURE BLOOD
The bones, the muscles, and all Uie
orsjns of the body depend for thei
s;:vnpth and tone and healthy action
on pnre MM
If the blood is verv impure,
the
hones heroine diseased; the mrtseles
herome enfeebled, the step loses its
elasticity, and there is inability to
perform the usual amount of labor.
The skin loses its clearness, and
pimple, blotches and other eruptions
appear.
Hood's Saraaparilla makes pure
Mood, It is positively nncqnnled i"
the treatment of scrofula and other
humors, catarrh, rheumatism, dys
pepsia, loss of appetite, that tired
feeling. He sure to pet Hood's and
get it today. All druggists.
Turks Report British
Cruiser Destroyed By
Gunfire in Recent Fight
Tterliu. vi;i Sayville wireless, Jan. 18.
Dest ruction of a Ttritish cruiser of
the 0 type by direct hit of Turk-
' ul'"rV" . , Tn' M'1K'state school fund sometimes suffer tie
1-11 oini iai report reeetveo acre tona.ii09s of t(1,ir j,ropei.ty ou account 0f lie -
The ship was hit in the I ort ot Meys. I jng ,, to complete payments on the
The statement said the H surprise loan, a bill waa Introduced yesterdav in
gunfire ' by which the cruiser wasthe how bv Representative Beau, of
sunk had also broken tie
must of
iiirped
boat and damaged
pat
ol
boat.
The statement, which
dated ,l:tn-
nary 1 1 , said :
"On the Caucasian front we opened
a surprise fire against hostile ships in
the part Of Maya. We destroyed In
direct hit a British cruiser of the Juno
type, the cruiser having no time in
which to open fire. The Wreck of the
rniiser is still burning.
''A torpedo boat escaped after one
mast had been broken by fire, while a
patrol bout of unknown nationality re
ceived a direct hit. but escaped south
ward heavily damaged."
Pennsylvania has $00,600,000 for its
legislature to spend. What more could
a legislature ask?
WINTER
swais us critters, witn many a lusty mn s ; rect steps in it yet.
You send old blood cavorting through every palsied vein.inn!-i1"f1a,Ttllremoval of fm,,,i3
, TT ., , . , . . . . '.F . , . I portion by the government would close
stilt. Hail, blizzard that is snorting across the icy plain lithe case satisfactorily from a dipio
You snd old blood cavorting through every palsied vein. I "tL9" ?vT Xero ? indL'
uf.i j. t i ii i , i .1 cations tioweer, that this is con-
Witn zest i do my labors, when knee deep in the snows; tempiated at present. The most Proi
I go and whip my neighbors, and pull a peeler's nose. The aWf sUy Tu be, the reciuest for ni3
j A i i , ' r. , , r . . , suspension from duty.
springtime finds me slouchy, too indolent to smile, and 1 1
am gruff and grouchy, and full of prunes and bile. But I " Bu'faio bui's fame haa on f orada-
L -f,fJ U u, . r j i j ! t ion stono sohder than another it is that
wTnen the trosted breezes athwart my sideboards blow, I ; at a critical period he made the youth
shake off all diseases, and every grouch and woe. I feel'f our ,aml for?et .a11 6l)0ut Jesse
jt.- ' v a -ij. ,, j James. Young America must have a
as gay and chipper as when I was sixteen, and from the hero. Thanks be, if he can have the
old tin dipper I quaff my gasoline. I right sort-
CHAPTER ( XX
Why is it that so often we do things
that we would. give worlds if we hait
not done.' 1 thought and thought of
what Kate .lerdon had told me, and
finally 1 recklessly made up my mind
to find out how much more she knew.
I'n less I told Clifford that 1 knew Ma
bel Horton had been in Chicago with
him. and asked him to explain things
seemingly unexplainable to me, I was
sure he would never mention the fact
of her visit to me. And even after the
years we had spent together, I feared
to question Clifford, feared to rouse
his anger.
One afternoon I dressed and went
out, ostensibly to shop, but instead of
going to the stores I found myself sub
consciously turning toward Kate dor
don's home. Unfortunately she was in.
"1 am delighted to see yon, Mrs.
Hammond, ' ' she greeted, "do take off
your things and spend the afternoon."
"Oh, that is impossible! T only came
to call, ' ' I stammered.
1 knew at once by her expression that
she knew I had some ulterior motive in
calling. I never had been in her house
but once betore, then with Muriel. But
she rang for tea, then, contrary to her didn't watch Tom as closely as I do he
usual custom, waited for me to start the would be as bad as the rest; but I will
conversation. (give him no chance. She can get up her
An Embarrassing Situation 'little chafing dish suppers before her
Xow that I was there. I found it more grate fire for other women ' husbands,
difficult to question her even than 1 but not for mine."
anticipated. There was a certain ex- "That must be cozy," I replied, mak
pectancy in her manner that embairaM- ing a mental note that I would try the
ed me. It was as though she said: same tactics. "What else does ahe do
t Some Little stories and
Gossip of
.
Senator Olseu's joint resolution call
teg for a committee to be appointed to
draw up measures of law reform was
read in the house yesterday and rcfi
red to the committee on judiciary. It
provides for a committee of seven, the for domestic use. The bill defines tha
members of which are to be one supreme kind of a petition that is required in
judge, one business man and five law initiating the incorporation, the limits
yers. The aim of the resolution ito.of the district, and the number of sign
effect a reform in the judiciary depart-, era. I'nder its provisions 10 per cent
meut of the state. , of the registered voters must sign the
petition. On flubmission of this petition
Publication of the tax lists in the the. county court is required to order a
newspapers of the state may be eliniin- special election, and if the measure
atcd if the bill recommended by the , bonds are to be issued at six per cent.
county clerks and commissioners gets!
by the legislature. Yesterday the The bone dry bill prepared by the I'n
Multnomah delegtaions met and discuss ion Dry committee and Oswald West,
ed the plan and all were in favor of it j ex-governor of Oregon, is in the hands
except Representatives Kubli and Bur-1 of the committee on alcoholic traffic, of
ton. Instead of notifying the delinquent j which Dr. J. K. Anderson is chairman,
tax payer by means of ye newspaper, The bill is said to be comprehensive and
I it is proposed to notily by means ot Bto luclude every phase of the liquor
postal card. Newspaper publishers are; traffic.
I opposing the measure.
Because borrowers of money from thc
1 , Lane county, providing that when 60
per cent of the loan waa paid the bor- also of the state hospital; will talk on
rower took title to the land and gave a j "Prevalence, Prevention nnd (Serious
mortgage on the remainder. jness of Sdfcial Diseases and Possible
Prevention.'' A successor to Dr. H. J.
Representative Kubli, chairman of j Clements, secretary, will probably bo
the ways and means committee, proposes j chosen, as the doctor wishes to retire.
to eliminate the cost of publishing the
candidates' pamphlets from the espwwe The Clackamas eouu-ty court, through
of state elections. This would eliminate I the Commercial club of Oregon -Oitv, has
the sum of $.8,732.25 from election ex- i sent a telegram to the state highway
penses on the part of the state. The j commission, stating that the county ha t
total cost of publishing the pamphlets appropriated money for the improvt
amounts to $11,787.25, of which the ment of the Pacific. "highway in Clacka
candidates pay approximately $3,035. In mas and that aid of the state is request
addition to this reduction in expenses, j ed- The county court of Clackamas
Representative Kubli is in favor of j county was in Salem yesterday and ask -
snortening tne oauot, ana arranging it
so that either a party ticket or a split
ticket can be voted,
"
T ,1. . .1 i mi i .i .
i.ue in me smau towns win ue maae
We always tire of winter before it's had its Kf TJt & 'mt
fling, and yearningly begin ter extol the;"" auv unnecessary appropriations
charms of spring. We roast the wintry
rigors in wild, impassioned terms, and long;
for spring and chiggers, and flies and bugs! imminent ma,' ask suspension ;TGer
and germs. And yet the winter weather is!man Coilsul ijpp. San Francisco, peud-
good for mortal man, and we should get
together, and boost it while we can. The
arctic blast's a hummer, but while it roars
and rolls, the pests of spring and summer
are dead or in their holes. Hail, storm that
HUSBAND
MILDRED BECOMES RECKLESS
"You have come for something and I
am going to find out what."
"Have yon seen Mrs. Horton lately?"
1 asked, as nochalantly as I could.
' ' Why, yes. I played bridge there yes
terdav afternoon; .just the three of us,
Lola Gardner, Mrs. Horton and me
and the dummy. Really, three handed
bridge is lots of fun."
"I think so, too," I replied absently,
wondering what il should say next.
Then, "Mrs. Gardner is lovely, isn't
she .' " I ventured.
"Do you think so; I admire Mabel
Horton 's style much more. Lola is so:
dark; then her everlasting vivapifry j
Rrtn Oil IUV lU-nro. Jldltt'l IB UJUrC WUU1U-
ing she is a regular man's woman."
nat no you mean by ' man s wo
man 't "
"Oh, Mabel never worries a man!
She just flatters and makes tbeni com
fortable." "Just how does she make them so
comfortable? She can only see them so
cially,' 1 ventured, hoping Kate Jor
don would rise to my bait. the did
a measure.
great favorite with all the men. If I
- Km, aon t iooi yourseu. Mabel is a
the Legislature:
easier if the hill introduced in the house
bp Representative Oedman, of Canby,
gets by. His measure provides for tha
incorporation of rural communities as
municipalities for securing water supply
Legislators are invited to attend the
j meeting of . the Polk- Yamhill-Marion
.Medical socictv
which will hold a ses-
1 sion at the state hospital for the insane,
when a discussion of "Sterilization of
I the Unfit." bv Dr. R. E. L. Steiner
'will be delivered. The nieetine ia ached'
1 nled for 8 o'clock. Dr. L. F. Griffith.
ed a hearing, the date for which was set.
for Monday. The fact that the state
highway commission may be abolished
will probably act to defer the request.
According to an opinion by Attorney
General Brown, no further action bv the
legislature is required to make effective
; the single item veto nmendment to the
j constitution, which was passed at the
I November elestion. This measure pro
j vides that the governor can veto any
single item in an appropriation bill
I without, killing the whole bill. The at
j torney general held, however, that, to
j prevent any uncertainty it would be a
I wise thing for the legislature tn Hn-lnnt
GERMAN" CONSUL BOPP.
fiV J SZZKZpS.
dieated !lt the stiiU department todav.
LJS T::
appeal is pending,
j rVt Xn t
AND!
that makes her so attractive!"
Mildred is Enlightened
"Oh, 1 don't know that I can tell
you! But she is always ready for any-,
thing anyone proposes, isn 't a bit of a
prude. If a man does something he
shouldn 't, she doesn 't rake him over the
coals, but sympathizes with him because
his wife does, ' '
"But how does she know that his
wife objeetsf "
"Oh, you innocent! " Mrs. Jordon
laughed. "Why, she is the confidante of
i half the men in town. Thev nil m to
her for comfort when they are unuaupy
at home. They tell her they are 'nag-
ged and a lot of such stuff, most of it
a bid for svmpathy."
"But isn't Mrs. Horton careful of
her reputation? I don't see how she
can entertain and do as she does."
"No one ha9 ever accused Mabel
of being anything but ' as chaste as the
unsunn'd snow,' but no one else could
do as she does, and in spite of liking
her and I do I wouldn t trust Tim
n i with her for a minute. I wonder v:u are
so lenient with Mr. Hammond. He's al
together too charming a man to let
Mabel Horton monopolize."
"Oh, but she doesn't!" I exclaimed.
"She is such an old friend, you know"
"Old nothing!" Mrs. Jordon snap
ped. "Excuse me, but you are oo m
noeent for your own happiness. Didn't
plan to go to Chicago the moment
she beard you were not goingl I would
not stand for itl"
(Monday Kate Jordon Explains