The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-01-04

value, and when that Is done all prop
erty will stand its equal share OF the
burden OF maintaining the govern.
ment.
EDITORIAL NOTES.
A state levy of seven mills L. ex
pscted. The last legislature and the
present stlte officials were elected on
rstrenchment and reform platform
too.
The raising of wages In the Pennsyl-
vania coke region goes merrily on, and
the press dispatches say that the high.
est wage scale ever adopted is in force
there now. And still there are those
who disclare that there should be
higher duty On coke in order to pro.
tect the miners.
How much easier it would have been
f,r congress to have relieved the
treasury by passing law levying an
additional tax Of one dollar per barrel
on beer than to have attempted tariff
legislation. But that would have been
taxing luxury, while the disposition
/, to tax necessaries of life.
Chairman Dingley and the members
| of the ways and means committee were
modest indeed when called upon to
frame tariff bill, only asking that 60
per cent of the duties Of the NJ :Kinlsy
law he restored. They. ought to have
re-enacted the 1890 law as whole. If
we are going to have projection, why
not have it with vengence?
On the last day of December the
available cash in the q. S. treasury
was s177, ,O93, ,O54. This of course was
principally paper money, and in order
to keep that paper at par a bond issue
OF 800, ,000, 900 appears to be necessary.
This is one OF the "beauties" OF the
government engaging in the banking
business.
Even Republican congress finds no
means for replenishing the treasury
except issuing more bonds and levy
ing additional taxes on consumption.
It is strange the idea of reducing the
expenses OF the government has never
entered dcongressmens' heads. A prun-
ing down of salaries and the wedding
ont Of superhuous Off cials would be a
permanent relief, whereas bonds and
additional taxes are only temporary.
The escape Of Sam Brown from the |
Douglas county Jail evidences unex.
cusable negligence on the part of the
sheriff, If it does not indicate that the
sheriff was desirous of letting the man
get away. To allow criminal under i
sentence of death the liberty of an in
secure corridor when the Jail was sup.
piled with secure steel cells is nothing
short Of criminal negligence, and
sheriff who is thus negligent should at
last be made pay the expenses OF re-
capturing the escaped criminal. /
No congressman has yet offered
bill to reduce the number of public Of
icials, but there are numerous bills to
increase the civil service. The latest
Is by Doolittle, OF Washington, to in |
create the bureau offoreign commerce.,
with commissioner at 5000 year,
with necessary assistants and clerical
force Build up public expense by
creating more Offices. increase taxation
and cause more debt to accumulate
seems to be the ambition OF the aver
age congressman.
Owing to one of the special taxes
levied by Portland this year being tied
Up in the courts by an injunction
suit, there will be deficit of somed
sS6, 900 in the treasury at the close Of
The year. In this Portland's city
treasury is placed in q similar condi-
ion to the treasury of the United
States. BY decision OF the supreme
court it was deprived of $4,000, 900
from the income tax, and not
getting it, there Is q deficit Of that
AMOUNT.
Senator Nit .hell occasionally in.
lulges in remarks so extravagant that
b sy appear demogogical. In speech i
before the senate few days ago he
tated that the Wilson tariff law since
t has been in force has occasioned a
oss to the American wool growers Of ,
lver s100,0O0,000 Since there were
'nly 45,0c0,0U0 sheep in the United
states when the law went into eject, !
his would be loss of 1920 per head.
'he senator must have made miscal.
ulation somewhere.
A correspondent in the Oregonian '
ses as an argument for the reduction !
I city officials salaries the assertion
hat they can live for 80 per cent of a
that it cost them to live in 1892. This +
, not only true in Portland, but all n
yer the United States, and this reduc. b
ion in the cost of living is due more ;
D the reduction of tariff duties than :
nything else. Still there are many !,
lamoring for an increase of tariffs, the 1.
esult of which will be an increase In \
aeir expenses.
The East Oregonian does The Dalles a
Club an injustice when it
iys lone of the first things it
i'd was to buy its furniture and FIX >,
Tres for the equipments Of its home in G,
ortland, ignoring the local dealers o.
,rough whom at least these goods m
ould have been ordered. A CONNER. IN
al Association which has entered the u
Ice to win success and benefit the ?.
'wn in which it exists must not make :,
istakes Of this kind or its career will Il
, brief and its demise untimely." The el
,ecutive COMMITTEES OF the club re- h'
'gnixes the necessity of patronizing q
'me industry, and In furnishing the = :.