Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-10-14

pieces washed up by the tide. boOmed, sawed,
split and piled for the perusal ana pasiime of
paid up subscribers, also for those who be-. hor-
may enjoy n little sunshine as they journey
through the vale of tearsl
Could you call dentist an artist
simply because he draws from real
life?
A grass widow is usually the wife of
a man who has not got through SOW
ing his wild oats.
Many a man would not wish his
wife to turn into pillar OF salt, but a
great number wish their better-halfs
were not quite so peppery.
The latest Oyster Bay crank thinks
he died and went to Heaven by an
automobile. Most of the auto driv-
ers are headed the other way.
We have noticed that a great many
people regard Shakespeare's plays with
almost as much reverence as they do
the bible and are just about as familiar
with them.
A Tacoma young swain, who dab
bles in literature, asked his sweetheart
if she was fond of Crubbe's Tales"
and she told him she had never tasted
any OF 'em, but Ger tainly did love pigs
feet.
Poultney Bigelow proclaims that
this country should keep an army of
10000 soldiers, and Richard Hobson
wants about fifty new battleships inn
mediately. They are an intiampa-
tory couple.
Teddy says there are "good and
bad trusts" The people also know
there are good and bad men who wish
to become the whole United States,
but the common people will be judge
as to this, next month.
The Japanese idea OF horse shoes is
a curious one. In that country-so a
friend OF mine who has lived in Japan
some time says-straw instead of iron
is employed for the purpose. The
shoes are made OF ordinary rice straw,
braided very light and firm, making
surface the size of the horses hnofs
about half-inch thick. They cost a
penny pair.
As for the RussO-Japan war, have
you noticed how curiously history
and most unsavory page thereof
is being repeated in the case of the
Far Eastern squabble? 1t Is reported,
for example, that corruption on gi.
gantic lines, has marked the commits
sary department Of the Russian Army
for years, and we can we'll believe it.
Stores that were paid for are not
exist ent; sand only has been found in
the bags supposed to contain sugar,
while immense quantities of flour, set
aside against the day of emergency,
have been pilfered and resold by Of
ficials who have amassed great wealth
by their nefarious practices. And
the curious part of it is that every
great war discloses this sordid side of
our peccant human nature.
In response to the numerous peti.
tions sent to President Roosevelt and
to the Bureau of Labor at Washing.
ton requesting that the labor troubles
in Colorado be investigated, the Com
missioner of Labor will undertake the
Investigations of the causes which led
up to the repeated troubles between
capital and labor in that State within
the past year. 1t is said to be the in
tention to go back into the history
OF these difficulties as far as may be
necessary to determine the real cause
OF the repeated strikes and the law
lessness which has characterized them.
1t is hopeful that the inquiry will be
conducted impsrtially and fully, and
that the report will make clear to
what extent, if at all, the strikes were
justified. 1t is scarcely necessary to
say that whatever justification there
may have been in the several strikes,
there was none at all in the numerous
murders and other lswless acts which
have been an accompaniment of these
labor difficulties.
The beef trust is still doing business
at the old stand and is little concerned
over the injunction the Federal gov.
ernmcnt has against it. According to
recent information it operates through
a Sl5,OOO,OOO concern, the National
Packing Company, in which the trust
owners are interested. AS directors of
this incorporation they meet daily
and decide buying and selling prices.
Then they separate and put their
prices into effect in their separate con-
Germs. An agent of the National
Packing Company, it is alleged, goes
into the stock-yards and inspects lot
OF steers and sets a price. 1t may be
that the owner does not think it
enough and refuses to sell. He sends
for an agent of Armour & Co. to in
spect his animals. The price OF the
National Packing Company is the Ar
mour price. If the owners hold the
stock till the next day, hoping that
the market will stiffen, the animals |
are fed and have an opportunity to
rest. The next day they are in better
condition. But the stock-raiser must |
be taught lesson. His steers are
marked estate" and the best quota
tions he can get will be ten or fifteen
cents below the market price for the !
day. These are facts. If ia few trust
magnates who are wilfully defying the
law bOuld be convicted and made to
serve term in prison it might have
a wholesome effect upon the trusts.
But it will never be done under the
trust fostering administration of Theo.
dore Roosevelt.