Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1919)
ditorial Page of The Capital Journal SATURDAY EVEX1XU January IS, 1919 CHARLE3 H. FESHEB Editor and Publisher I J J I I i j! f i i i I t UL-Wuu-vsr w w I Published Every Evening Except Sunday, Salem, Oregon, Address All Communications To BALEM 13S 8. Commercial St. SUBSCRIPTION BATES DailT. dt Carrier. Der rear $5.00 Ter Month- Deily by Mail, per year ..$3.00 FULL LEASED WIRE FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES W- D. Ward, New York, Tribune Building. H. Stockwell, Chicago, People's Gat Building W. Tie Daily Capital Journal carrier boys are instructed to put the paper on the porch. If tho carrier does not do this, misses you, or neglects getting the paper to you on time, kindly phone the circulation manager, as this is the only way we can dctermino wnetner or not tne earners are iuiiowing instructions. fui 81 before 7:30 o'clock and a paper will be sent you by special messenger if the earner has missed you. THE DAILY CAPITAL JOURNAL . Is the only newspaper in Salem whose circulation is guaranteed by the Audit Bureau Of Circulations OUTLOOK FOR FARMERS. American farmers are because of the nice, fat profit they are supposed to have made on their wheat last year, and still more on the pro fit they are expected to make price guarantee, intended merely as a necessary stim ulus to production, happens to insure the farmer a lib eral bonus or subsidy over and above the anticipated mar ket price. Nobody need jump onto the farmer for this, or onto anybody else for that matter. It is one of the fortunes of war. . - So far as the producers are concerned, though they will benefit considerably, their profit will not be as great by any means as some frenzied calculators have estimated. They may make $200,000,000 or $300,000,000 more than they would make next year, without the government guar antee, in an open market. Who will say that they do not deserve this luck, because of the zeal win which hey plunged into their task of feeding the world? Let surly critics remember, too, that if the war had continued for another year, their wheat would easily have been worth $2.26 a bushel. If they are now profiting from early peace, their good fortune is only part of our universal good fortune. The additional year of war would have cost $20,000, 000,000 or more. Out of that we can easily spare the far mers' bonus. So far as we can make is that every head with brains in it should be amputated, and every man with executive ability should be bossed hy a man without it, and all private accumulations of wealth in excess of 30 cents should be confiscated by the gov ernfent and used to finance Bolshevist propaganda in other countries. The aero club of America has decided to equip an ex pedition for airplane exploration of the North Pole, ex pecting to accomplish in one season what would take years of effort by any other method. Why not send that ex pedition to the ice companies instead? Here is a branch of the polar regions long in need of investigation. "Our great men died too young," says a life-conservationist. But they live a lot of real life before they quit, while the commonplace octogenarian simply vegetates. Life is not reckoned by years. RIPPLING By Walt NO WAR No man can say, this year, I wot, I'm bound to have a garden plot. No man can stop me 5n the street, and call me traitor and repeat, because I do not raise some peas, some cabbageheads, and things like these. Our pre cious boons are back again, and we are free, unfettered men, and we can raise string beans, by jing, or we can do the other thing. I'll fuss around with spuds no more; I'll buy my green goods at the store. And when the vernal zephyrs blow, I will not ply a rusty hoe, or scratch the planet with a rake, or dig until my vitals ache. And on the long, long summer eves, beneath umbrageous boughs and leaves, 1 11 sit and read the baseball score, and weed the turnips nevermore. The worst of war is this, methinks: There are too many busy ginks who call you slacker if you slight the things that they insist are right They're keeping tab the hour you rise; they watch all day with jealous eyes ; and if you fail to raise some spuds, or if you - wear some new-laid duds, or if you don't invest your mon the way those ginks themselves have done, scorn's finger .'it your door they point, and cry "A vaunt!" and eke "Aroint!" Now we've regained our liberties, and we can do as we dern please, and no cheap skate with visage sour can call us slackers by the hour. OREGON 5e .35c Per Month.. TELEUSUl'H BEPOBT being envied in some quarters next year. The government out the Bolshevist doctrine,, it RHYMES Mason GARDEN. BSBoBa THE CHILDREN'S SUCCESS. Hoover says that Europe needs every pound of pork we can send across. That means that farmers and stock raisers should keep up the good work commenced under the stress of war emergencies, and raise more hogs. Due credit should be given for the valuable work al ready done along this ne by boys and girls all over the country, who as the members of pig clubs, have been in creasing the pork supply. In the state of Vermont alone 1291 boys and girls were enrolled in such clubs. Regard ing Oregon, if official figures on this point have been given out, we do not have them at hand; perhaps our own showing was as good. From reports made to school superintendents the Extension Service of the University of Vermont has learned that those children raised and marketed 2000 hogs. The porkers averaged 200 pounds live weight and were valued at $17.50 per hundred pounds. Four hundred thousand pounds may be a small amount compared with the m the food reports, in tact, amount. . When the work of added to the work of the clubs in all the- other states, tn value of the children's efforts assumes astonishing impor tance. Quite aside from last year's total pork production, too, there were learned agricultural, economic and busi ness lessons that will never pig growers, The position of President Wilson's newspaper critics is insincere and dishonest. cause the sessions of the peace conference are likely to be closed to the public and it was mainly to .secure a public conference, "oper-air diplomacy", that the president went to Europe. With the co-operation of the newspapers of this country, indicating solid American sentiment be hind him, he might win even yet If France wants to annex more territory than Alsace-Lorraine we may yet be sorry that our boys fought and died in her behalf. We want no blood-stains of con quest upon our flag and our peace conference delegation should stand firmly on that principle. The German military idea has reached the stage where its advocates are potting each other while the world looks on. Always the empire founded on conquest disin tegrates in revolution..' The legislator only gets puts in as little time on the job and acts almost as impor tant as the ten-doUar shipyard worker. German efficiency as applied to Bolshevist agitators cannot be too highly commended. Dead Bolshevists can cause trouble for no one except the devil. If the influenza survives this downpour of warm rain then we will lose some of our faith in the healthf ulnecs of the Oregon climate. One thing has happened claimed for a "dry" nation. The price of -hops has gone sky-high. Seattle shipyard workers are striking for more pay and shorter working day. Those fellows are worse pests than the "Flu." Salem's influenza condition's not so bad as that 'i some other places not half so widely advertised on ac count of it. They are playing baseball all over Gatamala, says the pan-American idea is visionary? It's all right to have a day of prayer,, but don't re lax the quarantine. THEWIFE By Jane f helps. EUTH TELLS BRIAN 8HB IS GOING BACK TO WORK CHAPTER CXU Strangely, during all this time nei ther liuth nor Briau had discussed her working, neither had business affuira been mentioned. Ruth had not given up her plan of furnishing the office she had looked at, for Brie, but he was still in no condition to work, per haps would not be for several weeks. So while she still had. the refusal of tho place, she woud surprise him whoa he was able to work. Brian may have thought, because of her cunt's kindness to htm, that Ruth had given U1J her position permanently. Or having her with hiin constantly, he may not have thought of it at all. It was Brian's way to dismiss unpleasant subjects from his mind. And Hutu's work had always been an unpleasant subject. "You are so well now, Brian, I will go bark to the shop tomorrow. Mr. Mandcl has been more than kind to let me off so long. Most employers would luivo filled the pUee with somoono ese, and I should have been out." "You mean yon are going backf" "Why yes, 0f course." Ruth spoke brightly, pretending not to notice his hesitancy, although she millions of pounds talked of it is no inconsiderable these Vermont pig clubs is be forgotten by the youth! ai They are assaulting mm be three dollars a day, but he that prohibitionists nevf r Who had been acutely conscious of it. Then: "You didn't expect me to be idle al ways, did youl You do not need mo now; mv work certainly must have suf fered while I hsve been away. Don't look like that, Brian) You knew I was going back, didn't yout" "I hadn't thought about it," the an swer was slowly spoken. "I thought because your aunt" "You imagined I bad given np my position because aunt ws here I why Brian, I wouldn't have don that You see I have been planning great things. She hasn't let me spend hardly any money for the house, and I have caved s, lot. And" "I have also saved some, Bath. Yon would take none of my pay and I have saved a good half of it. I thought" "You didn't think ire could live on what you earned, did yout" Kuth didn't mean to be cruel. The question had slipped out unthinkingly. But liris-a winced. "I don't blame you for thinking I can't support yon, Euth. Bnt perhaps" "It lent' only that, Brian. I am so much happier working." Buth saw she had distressed him by her question and hastened to make amends. "I know I never made yon very hsp- ny, Kuth, but I told Mollis before l left that I was going to, after I got home. That I was coming back to hus tle for you and the kid." So he had talked his plan over with Mollio King! That was the one thing that had impressed Buth. j Mollie's name was mentioned only! once or twice since e had returned RETURN OF RAILROADS TO PRIVATE OWNERSHIP IS DOMINATING FINANCES .New York. Jan. 10. The dominating question in financial circles at the rao - . . .. ., , .. .. , started would give abundant enjoy ment is the railroad situation. Shall mpnt f0 a. M ,t j, nnfortun8te 7nat the railroads be returned to thoir own- Ue government does, not make more rs; if so, under what conditions? The jgerious efforts in the direction of rigid Association of Railway Executives, rep - resenting about 95 per cent of the rail roads, has put out a solution of t problem that should reeeive careful consideration Its main features are private ownership under government control; the establishment of a Depart ment of Transportation under direction of the Secretary of Transportation; the maintenance of the Interstate Com- e"!,i"'n 5L,.iLi"?c.i21 I ministrative powers from that body to the Department of Transportation; the roads to have right to initiate rates snbject to Government approval; the issue of securities to be regulated by the Government, and the Sherman law to be modified. These are all perfectly just measures, and would save the roads from the policy of starvation which prevailed under rule of the In terstate Commerce Commission. It is to be hoped these suggestions will receive the indorsement of public opinion. Pub lie ownership of railroads is a vastly different matter in the United States, with its immense territory and mileage and peculiar political conditions, to what it is in Great Britain, Germany or France, with their compact territory and different political methods. Gov eminent ownership would be a doubtful road to efficiency; and, granting the past misdeeds of private management which will not be repeated, the best so lution is that of private ownership combined with government regulation. Certainly no such radical step as nub- lie ownership can be justified, until the other alternative has been tried; and the country has enough serious prob lems on hand without complicating them by imposing upon an already overoad- ed government Bueh an experiment in transportation. .Next to the rairoad question, the demobiization of industry is the most poten influence. Satisfactory progress is being mado, although more or less confusion exists. This nsust be expect ed, and is only temporary. Thus far most of the labor released by reason of demobilization has found ready employ ment. Of lato, howevt.r, there have ben signs of the supply exceeding the de mand, usually owing to the difficulty of bringing men and jobs together. The labor situation, however, is still acure, as demonstrated bv the harbor strike this week in New York. The business oat look is affected materially by in numerable uncertainties arising from the war. Prices are a subject of con siderable concern; the tendency of many commodities being distinctly downward in spite of denials. As stat ed before in these advices, there is no scarcity of staple products, save in ex ceptional instances, and not infrequent ly theso are ample supplies. In some cases demand has diminished because of cossation in war orders; in other cas?s because of lessoned consumption follow ing high prices. There is no doubt b'lt that deflation in commodities bus al ready started whi h is necessary as a matter of safety; and if priees could only be reduced to a gradually lower level, there is no doubt that business and enterprise would revive under a stimulus so natural and sound- In t-.ll probability wo may have to endure a period of quiet while the process is going on; but intrinsic conditions are sound, especially among tho agricul turists and wage earners, and recovery seems to be confidently expected when spring arr'ves and construction becomes possible. The monotary situation arising from war finance is an added feature of re straint. Preparations are already in or der for tho next loan of billions more, which tho government is even now dis counting by selling short time treasury notes. The latest estimate is that the loan may be $6,000,000,000, but it hoped a less sum will be ample as it is unnecessary to say that such a tremen dous drain upon the nation's savings now is a noavy Handicap upon business. only when he told of the work the nurses wore doing "over there" or when hn had answered some- question put by Mollie's friend, Mrs. Curtiss. Now tho mention of the girl who had been the en use of Ruth's unhappiness affected her perhaps more than was ei ther sensible or reason a ule. "We must not get into discussion over my work," Kuth said as she bit her Hp to keen back words she longed to say about Molhe King. Bitter words that she anew would only estrange them. . "No evidently it is to go on jnst as before I went away. I Bad hoped" "Don't be silly, BrianI My work won 't interfere in any way with you, or what you can do. I am earning a great deal for a woman. More than many men. We ean ha ve many pleasures as well as comforts that we couldn't oth erwise. Yon get well and get down to an office. You won't mind then." "I shall always mind, Bath." "Nonsense." "Perhaps I am foolish, but I ean't help it. I almost wish"? The .unfinished sentence eonveyed nothing to Ruth, who was not looking at Brien at the time. Had she, she might have been enlightened by his ex pression. One of such discouragement, such renl distress, that it surely would !iavc told her something at least of his disappointment. Tomorrow Brian Engages His Old Office. i There is little capital available for the !ranT long deferred enterprises; that if 1 economy, instead of ship building and other outlays that can reasonably be postponed. Very soon the peace congress in Eu rope will get down to actual work, and all progress in this direction will be encouraging. The wretched state of an archy in Russia and Germany is natur ally unsettling, and the end is by no means in sight. Such disorder is greatly intensified by scarcity of food; and we must send liberal supplies of food where most needed, thus serving both humanity and the cause of peace Congress should grant the president the $100,000,000 he asks; this being one of the most effective forms of relief. Tho outlook for foreign trade under such conditions is not entirely satisfac tory, and wo may havo to wait for the expected development of our export trade- Europeans are too impoverished to buy, and have little to sell. Yet they are sorely in seed; and wo can do no better for them or for ourselves than supplying their immediate needs. Tho monetary situation is satisfac tory in some respects; that is bankers have the situation well in hnnd and nre doing their best to prevent dangerous inflation. The tendency, if any, is to ward deflation, and commercial paper rates are slightly easier in some sec tions of the country. The loan market at this center is, however, still under artificial regulation; and such restraint often works unjustly, if not detriment ally." The new revenuo law continues to be a source of much concern. Con gress shows, no haste to pass the present oppressive measure, which makes de structivo inroads upon profits, whence the nation's new capital must be de rived. Many industrials are showing the effect of such drastic taxation by reduced dividends, and others are re ducing dividends because of increasing costs of production. How tho govern ment is going to raise the money with this impairment of taxable resources is a puzzle for experts- On tho Stock Exchange business has been much restricted by the many un certainties referred to. Investors are cautious and speculative operations are also strictly limited. January disburse ments failed to havo the usual stimu lating effeet. There is the absence of usual January offerings; the exceptijn an issue of $65,000,000 telephone bonds on about a 6 per cent basis. Tho offer is an attractive one and will prove a good test of the investment situation. Government bonds, both Liberty and foreign issues, ruled steadier, recover ing some of the December decline. HENRY CLEWS Rather Broad Market " For Saturday Half Day New York, Jan. 18, The Now York Evening Sun financial review tocky snys: Apparently tho raiding tactics re sorted to yesterday by the bears bore good fruit to embolden them to try again today. As before the operators engaged in this pastime flittde from stock t0 stock. Tho result was a rath er broad mnrket for a Saturday half holiday. Trices opened steady but the decline set in without mueh loss of time and s fraction in-' the standard issues to one and two points or so in the spe cialties which were singled out for r-t- tack. i -$3 Pressure continued in the second hour without abatement and in some cases losses were extended. This involved tho rails as well as the industrials with es pecial wenkness in Reading, St. Paul preferred and Texas and Pacific. Some took the viow that the bears weTe seiz ing the lust opportunity and that this indicated an improvement in sentiment n:is in sight. South Dakota To Test Out State Ownership Bismarck, N. D., Jan. 18. State own ership faced its first great test in Am erica here today. Seven amendments to the state con stitution providing state-owned banks, flour mills, elevators, mines and other industries, awaited only tiovernor Fra zier's signature to become a law. Besides state-ownership, the 'amend ments include initiative, referendum, tax reforms and quick action on consti tutional amendments. Hail insurance will also b provided. Non Partisan League leaders who promulgated the amendments said the plan is to institute only the state own ership program this year. The amendments are: 1 Initiative and referendum. t Limiting emergency measures and making them effective on signature oy the governor. .3 Direct action on constitutions! amendments. 4 Fixing status of taxable property by legislature. 5 Hail insurance by land tax. ft Limiting ttate bonded indebted ness for industrial enterprises to $10, 0OO.000. 7 State ownership. The body of John Nelson of Chinook, Wsh., was found in the Columbia a short distance below that place Tues day evening. OPEN DIPLOMACY IS DEMANDEDBYSENATORS Members Of Committee 0a Packers Hearing Believed . This Was Necessary. Washington, Jon. 19. -Open diplo macy" in the government here as well a the peace conference was demand?d by senators at the packers hearing here today. Members of tho senate agriculture! committee and Francis J. Heney, ap pearing as a witness, attacked Foil Administrator Hoover for holding se cret conferences with packers to fix meat prices. Members of tho senate committee be lieved the situation called for action. Kenyon, Norris and Gronna are espiw ially anxious that effective legislation be put through at this session. Confer ences are. being held daily over sug gestions for control of tho packing in dustry and stockyards. Regulation by the food administra tion did not amount to anything so fnr as regulating packers' profits is con cerned," Stuart Chase, federal tride commission investigator, said at the hearing. ' Armour's profits bofore the war aver aged 6.5 per cent, but from 1915 t 1917 they averaged 16 7 por cent, fig ures compiled by tho federal trade com mission indicated. Prewar Profits Swift's pre-war profits were around 8.0 per cent, whilo during the war thoy jumped to 24.5 per cent. Morris' pcae profits of 7.2 per cent doubled after 19H. I.1' itIHISI ffteney related how Hoover called conferences with Swift and company and other packers. Senator France, Maryland, suggested that packers "can come down to ex ecutive departments and shut them selves 'behind closed doors." "And got what they want," inter rupted Senator Gore, Oklahoma. "It is not the way to conduct th government," France added. "It would be perfectly permissible for departments to hold "open hearings just as legislatives committees do," h explained. "That Hoover sent for the packer in itself ought not carry condemnation; with it," Heney said. "My belief, like the principle President Wilson i contending for, is that the conference should be openly conducted." Senator France inquired if it wa consistent with public policy for exeo-. utive departments entrusted with price fixing powers "to go into secret con ferences with producers of articles o which prices are to be fixed." "No, it is not, in my opinion," He ney said. "Several men from Swift and company were here as dollar a year men and drawing $10,000 from Swift," he continued. "One was charge of canned goods and another ia charge of poultry." State Lime Board Wants Restrictions Removed The state lime bosfd will ask the leg islature for two favors. One will b that it be permitted to handle its af fairs just as any busiuess institution woud that had $30,000 invested and the other that it bo given a working capi tal of $20,000. As the situation now stands, the state iiuio board has a fine working plant and an investment of $30,000, but no money on which to do business. It is restrict ed so in its business affairs - that as the situation now stands, it is up against it. In the first place, the board is only permitted to sell for cash in advance. This might be done if the board could sell large consumers or wholesale houses But its selisg 1b restricted by lsw t selling in car lots only and then only to ' farmers. From past ciporioncc, tho board has found that farmers do' not in general buy in car lots and do not always hve tho amount of money In advance for car shipment. Enough farmers whe could use in ear lots are not avsJluble. Hence to place itself on a basis Bk any big business, the board will ask of tho legisla tors that it be given a work ing capitnl of $20,000 an dthat it bo gir en discretion to handle its affairs just as would bo done by any largo business. This will include the granting , the privilege to sell to wholesalers, to BcK out of the stute and to use ordinary bus iness practice in its business affairs. At the mectine held Friday morning there was present A. B. Cordlcy, B. ( Lcedy, Benton Bowers and Warden Ste vens. Am warden of the penitentiary Mr. Stevens is a member ex-officio. Three Thousand Sick And Wounded Return Newport News, Va , Jan. 18. Bring ing nearly thre thousand officers and men, many of them sick and wound ed, the transport Huron arrived tod-iT from France after being buffeted about in a hundred and twenty n)ie gale for two days, sometimes careening as much as 51 degrees. Some of the sick and wounded werv thrown from their bunks and their wounds reopened. The Huron wa 1 days making the trip. The Huron had on board 429. sick and wonndod: companies I, F and K, Fifth engineers, a medical unit of th same organization, the Second heavy ordnance mobile repair shop, eight cas ual companies and field hospital 30 of the 10th sanitary train
