o
Q
14, 1951
4 The flews-Review, Roseburg, Ora. Tut2, Aug,
(d)
All ftej Up "
ENTITLED TO SUE
fulton
lewis e yn
Ruling Favors -Owner
Of Auto
In Parkin a Trao
Published Doily Except Sunday by the
Newt-Review Company, Inc.
Esttrtd ti ittia elau mttUr Mr 1, IttO l Iht fllM at
Koaabnri. Ortfsa. antler ct ! March S. U?
CHARLES V. STANTON
Edit9
EDWIN L KNAPP
Mntr
Member of rhe A iw doted Prtii, Ortion Nfwipaptt Publisher
Association, the Audit Bureau of Circulation!
Kprial by WEST.HOIXIDAY CO., INC fltCM la hmw rerk, Calert
San FrftBcIsc. Lai Angelas, Sattla, rrtUnl.
Satan Strand Claia Mailer May at tht Pail Of flea at
aaabarf, Oregon. Under Aol ! March . fill.
UflSCHlFTlON RATM-1 Oreron B? Mall Par faar. llt.Wt els Mentha, W.ti,
Ibra month a, tt.li. Of Newi-Revlew Carrier Par rear, lll.oe iia a-(1
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BOOSTING REGULATIONS
0 By CHARLES V. STANTON
Oregon Business & Tax Research, a Btatewide taxpayer
vigilance association, is greatly concerned by current ef
forts of the State Tax commission to alter county assess
ment valuations to the true cash value of the property con
cerned. The commission has instructed assessors to use true
cash value of today at the earliest possible time."
Simultaneously, the commission has generally lowered
the ratio of assessed to actual value in most counties, for a
general decrease of 8.7 percent.
County assessurs do not assess nor collect taxes from
public utilities. Public utility taxes are collected by the
State Tax commission. There is a lack of uniformity among
counties in assessment ratios. Some counties have a
higher valuation formula than others. Consequently, to
bring uniformity into taxes imposed on utilities, the State
Tax commission must first find the ratio the assessed valu
ation in each county bears to true valuation, then apply
this percentage figure to public utility holdings in the re
soective counties. ,
Tn thi. rMio of assessed to true valuation in Doug
las county was fixed by the commission at 65 percent.
In 1940 this was reduced to 64 percent. The effect of boom
conditions, then became manifest as local property values
started to soar, while the assessor continued 10 raie piufi
erty on he assessment roles at pre-boom levels. In 194.)
the ratio drooped to 60 percent. It went to 69 percent in
1950 and to 55 percent in 1951.
Assessment Equality Desired
While property values in Douglas county have spiraled
rapidly, the basis for assessment is the average valuation
rate of 1938 through 1940. When new improvements are
placed on the tax roll, the assessor endeavors to ascertain
the current true value. He then uses a rather complicated
formula to determine what the value of the same property
would have been during the three-year period preceding in
flation. and uses that figure as the base for levying taxes.
The total amount of money budgeted for any one year
Is divider! into the assessed valuation to determine the rate
of tax levy. It mates little difference whether the rate of
levy is high or low. providing it bears the same relation
to assessed valuation. The amount of money required from
taxpayers remains the same.
rnnntipa have endeavored to keen their assessed valua
tions below true cash values on the theory that, in the per
centages fixed by the state commission, an advantage was
oninvpH In i.flvns nn utilities.
The tax commission now, however, Is demanding that
the proinflation level of assessed valuation oe aoanaonea
and that all property be Drougnt to currem. irue vuun,
Increased Debt Feared
Oregon Business & Tax Research Is fearful that the
policy proposed by the commission would greatly increase
public debt. And there is good reason for this fear. We
imagine financially harrassed school districts and munici
pal governments would welcome the change.
Taxing districts, at present, are limited in the Issuance
of bonds or creation of debt to a percent of assessed valua
tion. If valuation should be increased, the limitation on
debt would rise in proportion.
In Douglas county, for instance, our present assess
ment rate Is only 55 percent of true value, according to
tax commission findings. Should we increase assessed valu
ation to 100 percent, we would almost double our bonding
capacity.
It would not affect the normal tax rate, but we doubt
less would find school districts, municipalities, and other
taxing groups, presently hard pressed for money needed for
capital investment such as school buildings, sanitary
facilities and other improvements promoting bond is
sues up to the new legal limit.
The taxpayer organization fenrs that public debt
created under present dollar inflation could have a disas
trous effect upon economy, should the dollar decline toward
true value during the debt period.
"Taxpayers can't object to the tax commission's laud
able, overdue effort to eventually equalize property assess
ments," the taxpaver association admits. But it adds: "No
new taxpaying wealth is created by a quick jump in taxable
values. Ballooned Assessments invite going deeper in debt.
They create a false sense of local government security. If
history repeats and a recession follows this Stalin-defense
spending splurge, will assessed values decline as true cash
values slide off? Probably not."
" -aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaBjBBBB5i
sencd. If we are Inclined to shake
our heads and sigh about what this
old world is coming to, and all
that, let's take a moment to think
about, all the 'teen-agers in uni
form who are doing a job a job
for us, safe here at home and
think, oo, of young folk in many
other places who are not making
the headlines, for instance, forest
lookouts on guard against that
cruel enemy lire!
In The Day's News
By FRANK JENKINS
ENDING
She does It with mrrrors unless
II 's dark. Then she savs 'good
night' to her family with a flash
hunt. Pretty, bionrie 'teen-ager
ttrotta Olson Is lookout on Ward's
hutte this summer. Her paredtj
live within sight of her toiwcr, so
they flash messages back and
forth. Mrs. Olson, with her glasses,
can see Loretta up there on the
butte; Loretta, through hers, can
keep track of activities dim on
the Olson ranch.
"Of course we go up there real
often," said Mrs. Olson, who is also
a blonde and pretty, "but loretta
hasn't come down in six weeks!
She loves her job and when 'they'
told her thitf hoped she would do
it next y,to, loo, she said she
would be looking forward to it."
The beacon is close to Ixm'tta's
tower, so now during a wakeful
hour, as I watch the beacon flash
ing across the sky, I think of a I
plucky young girl, minimum age1
for the work, keeping watch up
there on the hutte. We call 1 1
"Loretta's light," now.
"The room atcp the 35 foot tower
Is fourteen feet square," M r s.
Olson said, as we visited while
at the Curlin store, "and it's quite
comfortable. We took an electric
plale up so Lord la can cook on
that. She doesn't have a telephone
we wish she did. But we manage
pretty well with our flashlights and
mirrors.. And 1 visit her for three
or four days at a time. It's fun. She
docs have a 2 way radio, of course,
to report fii. .Oh, yes, she has
reimrted a number of fires. She
feels she is really being useful
up there, and her Dad and 1 are
quite proud of her."
If the Meen au'eis about whom
we read in the news columns could
have that satisfying feeling o f
achievement, 0f being useful, the
sewing of satisfaction and 'Thrils'
in undesirable ways would be les-
Bipartisan President
Suggestion Deplored
ROSEBURG I have just lis
tened to the 4 p m. broadcast. This
is not (he first time I have heard
(he suggestion that both political
parties agree on a certain can
didate. I am not seeking to dis
cuss the candidate mentioned but
rather the principle involved.
Why an election, if but one can
didate is placed before a voter?
We as a nation are at the cross
roads. Many do not know which
way to turn. We have reached the
time te think; to figure out what
every move means, our school
books have so camouflaged Com
munism that many of our young
voters would Ihink one candidate
would slop all controversy. 1 1
certainly would. But at the same
time it would put an end to the
freedom of every citizen.
Ihink of the founders of this
nation who came here to establish
a nation of free people! We have
flourished under a constitutional
government. I have watched our
our liberties slipping from us. I
nave watched ttie deadly enemy of
death-dealing centipede which
creeps along until it finds resis
tance, 'ihcn the poson is injected
nto the cringing flesh and death
results.
Our school hooks, our books o(
fiction, and our radio addresses
and many interpretations of law
have been, and are now, like the
bright colors on a centipede's back
just ready lor the poison to be
injected into the flesh of its victim.
Oh that we. as a people, could
sec the monster which is taking
our freedom from us! Wo do not
want a dictator. A hi-parly head
of our nation would surely be
that.
MRS. EMMA P. WOODS
Roscburg, Oregon.
Oregon Spot Practically
Eden On Earth, Claim
ROSEBURG This I'mpqua
valley is known as, and is called
"Wcbfoot" because of the rainy
weather.
From my experience, I am going
to call it one of (he wettost and
driest vallcvs in Oregon, if not in
the whole United States. I will
say that it is oven drier than the
deserts of eastern Oregon. Some
leader, by this time, is perhaps
ready to take exception to this,
but I'll prove It.
In eastern Oregon it Is arid and
dry and it gets very hot and sul
try. But it does rain nearly everv
day In one spot or another there.
They have thunder showers, oc-
(Continued from Page 1)
"You have engaged in these con
ferences ONLY TO PRESENT DE
MANDS not to negotiate a so
lution."
That's telling them off.
You know the old belief about
nettles.
If you grasp a nettle gingerly,
FEARFULLY, you'll get stung. If
you seize it BOLDLY, FIRMLY,
you'll come off unhurt.
Admiral Joy is apparently ap
plying that theory in his deal
ings with the Reds.
The $64 question:
Why DID the Reds propose the
cesae-fire talks? '
You'll remember, I suppose, the
statement ot a U. !, army spokes
man a while back that we had
them hanging on the ropes and
gasping for breath. That, if true,
indicates that they wanted a truce
to give them time to get their
second wind.
Time will tell.
Is NON-MILITARY spending that
can be got along without.)
From Washington:
"Senator Connally (Dem. Texas)
said today Congress can't provide
for a buildup in the free nations'
defense strength and cut military
spending at the same time."
Personally, I quite agree.
BUT
Neither can you build up our
nation's defense strength and at
the same time go on spending
money like a drunken sailor for
BOONDOGGLING. (I'd say a good
present definition for boondoggling
Take a look at your personal
hole card.
The House has just approved
(and the Senate will approve) a
bill to spend 56 BILLION dollars
for U. S. military purposes. The
President has asked for 8'A bil
lions more to help our allies in
Europe add to their military de
fenses. Roughly, each billion dollars that
Congress appropriates costs YOU,
as an individual, the sum of seven
dollars. Seven times 56 billion dol
lars comes to $392. Seven times
8"i billion dollars conies to about
$00.
These two appropriations will
cost you, as an individual, about
$450. If you happen to be the sole
breadwinner for a family o fouii,
luejr wiu cosi you 31BU0.
Knowing that, knowing that you
can't kid yourself about somebody
paying YOUR SHARE of the tax,
knowing thaj, in one form or an
other, you'll HAVE TO PUNGLE
UP, are you hot and eager lor
more boondoggling?
1 doubt it. ,
The trouble is that at least a
majority of the members of Con
gress THINK YOU WANT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
GO ON SPENDING LIKE A
DRUNKEN SAILOR.
As long as Uiat impression pre
vails in Washington, we'll go on
whizzing down the road that leads
to national bankruptcy.
. K l-UI- J...-
casional w..ero,p '7.
to realise the harm in this sit-
United States Learns The Hard Way
To 'Never Trust A Communist'
By BRUCE BIOSSAT
The crisis which interrupted the Korean truce talks indi
cates that we Americans are still too slow to grasp the work
ing; ot the Communist mind.
The postwar years should have
taught us that with the Reds you
can lake nothing for granted. You
must assume they will take advan
tage of every loophole, for both
strategic and propaganda pur
poses. You must anticipate them
by spelling eut arrangements to
the last detail.
This we did not do at Kaesong.
In our eagerness to assure that
ceasefire negotiations wore well
launched, to let no minor difficulty
stand in (he way, we leaned over
backwards to accommodate our
Communist opponents.
Among Communists such be
havior does not inspire reciprocal
good faith. It is taken as an Invi
tation to abuse.
We assumed at the start that
Kaesong would be treated as neu
tral territory, though we knew
Red soldiers were dug in close to
the city. That too-ready assump
tion was our first error.
When the first United Nations
helicopter set duwn at Kaesong,
it was instantly apparent the area
was occupied by armed Commu
nist troops moved in from the
north. A quick look about estab
lished that the entire atmosphere
was designed to convey the im
pression that we came to the talks
as defeated forces seeking surrender.
Our advance mission, distracted
bursts, but rain or hail, neverthe
less.
Even Jf It is a cloudburst, it is
welcomed, as it sonwitimes does a
lot of good as well as daniase.
Thunder showers hei are few and
far between.
So I claim this Is the wettest
and driest spot in OifHn. n
rains all winter and dies all sum
mer. n
But. even so. this Is prarrically
an Eden on earth. No toni.id.x-s, no
frigid wgfers. no earthquakrs, no
high temperatures: iut calm, dry
days and cool, pleasant nights.
I havt been hert since island
nation. The moment they saw the
first Communist gun, they shoojd
have declared there could be no
talks unions absolutely equal
status prevailed among the nego
tiators in a neutral setting free of
arms.
Without prompt satisfaction o n
I know of no more beautiful valley
in the United States.
Could use a few pleasant sum
mer showers in summer at that
noseourg, vresjji
this point, they should have piled
into their helicopter and spun back
to their UN base at Munsan. That
is language the Reds understand.
Eventually, we had to take
that kind of a stand. But mean
time the Communists gained sub
stantial propaganda value from
their domination of the truce-talk
scene. And we allowed ourselves
to be pushed to the point of humil
iation by Red refusal to pass a
group of UN newsmen traveling in
convoy toward Kaesong.
Some analysts blame the press
for the ensuing breakdown of ne
gotiations. They say the reporters'
uprising over being barred was an
unwise and unfair intrusion into
a situation otherwise proceeding
hopefully.
But the real issue was equal
status on neutral ground nothing
else. The correspondents' troubles
merely illustrated the extent to
which the Reds controlled the Kae
song scene.
What was most Important was
not that they were stopped
though we had every reason to
want them in Kaesong. What mat
tered above all was that the Com
munists were in position to exer
cise interference, and did exercise
it.
We should never have allowed
matters to reach that stage. But
since they did, General Ridgway's
firm corrective demands ware
wholly in order. Belated as they
were, we may , perhaps have
achieved some propneanda come
back from the fact that the Com
munists bowed I J them most un
leservedly. O
GRASS FIRES QIJELLED
. Roseburg firiWcn quelled two
grass fires Sunday afternoon, re-
p(rt Kire Cl.W William E. Mills.
At 4:13 they were called to put
out a srass fire of undetermined
origin at East Fifth St. There was
no damage. A grass In" at 956
South'rtikson St. was extinguished
at 6:0Sroetore it caused any dam
1 age.
1
By RICHARD NIXON
O United States Senator from California
WASHINGTON There are few left in Washington now
who continue to express the belief that President Truman
will not seek re-election in 1952. But there are too many
(from the Republican point of view) who already are count
ing on an easy victory over him, openly expressing their
satisfaction over the abundancy of signs that the President
wants to run again. I '
Recalling t h e complacency I who depend upon government con
which characterized the 1948 cam
paign and led to defeat, it is dif
ficult to understand why so many
Republicans are already adopting
the attitude that "Truman will be
(Editor's Note: While Fulton
Lewis Jr. is on a four-weeks re
porter's tour of Europe, guest
columnists will write for him.)
a push-over." Of this we can be
sure, both as a result of the 1948
experience and present indications
of President Truman's strategy:
He will have a specific program to
offer the voters and he will do an
effective job of selling them on it.
It the Republican party and the
Republican candidate do less, the
result in 1952 will be the same as
it was in 1948.
In other words, the ingredients
of a victory formula which proved
successful for Mr. Truman can
and should be used by , those who
oppose him and -the policies for
which he stands. The issues must
be clearly defined; the Republi
can position as contrasted with
that of the President must be pre
sented with equal clarity with
out hesitation or apology.
It will not be enough to merely
criUcize and oppose the actions
and policies of (lie administration.
It has been proved over a period
of twenty years that the people
will not support mere negativism:
They demand to see a constructive
program to replace the failures of
the past and this they certainly
have a right to expect.
Once we have agreed upon a
candidate and a program, how
ever, the biggest part o the fight
will still lie ahead. It is going
to take a far more vigorous effort
to bring home to the people the
merits of. that candidate and that
program than the Republican
parly has been producing in the
past.
President Truman and his ad
ministration are as vulnerable
from a political standpoint as any
President or any administration in
history. The failure of our foreign
policy in the Far East, the shock
ing disclosures of graft and cor
ruption in high places, the incom
petence which lias become a
trademark of so many Washing
ton agencies, are potential issues
which could be as potent as any
one could ask. But if the Repub
licans put on a do nothing, say
nothing, spineless campaign we
will be asking for a good licking
and wa will deserve it if we get
it.
Nothing short of a fighting, cou
rageous campaign, with the issues
met head on, will stand a chance
of prevailing over the oppositions's
undeniable capacity for presenting
its case down to the grass roots.
This is more than a challenge to
the Republican party it is an
obligation which it owes the peo
ple of this country to never again
allow the outcome of an election to
be determined without a fight on
the great issues atlecting their fu
ture welfare.
The Republican task in 1952 will
be greater than was faced in 1948
because there are at present a
number of advantages on the side
of the administration which did not
exist in the last campaign. Finan
cial sources for campaign contri
butions will be greaty expanded,
due to the hold the administration
has on defense contractors and
those who are seeking such con
tracts. The machine politicans who
control the party in power are past
masters at "shaking down" those
j tracts and government favors in
order to make a living. And we
must remember that they will be
fighting for their lives in 1952.
The federal payroll has become
war-swollen and the great army of
new jobholders, especially in the
upper pay brackets, will be sub
ject to tremendous pressures 1 0
assure a heavy turnout of adminis
tration supporters at the polls. The
customary golden promises to this
and that class and special inter
est groups will be held forth as
vote .bait.
The best advice I have ever re
ceived in my relatively brief po
litical career was to "always run
scared" regardless of how easy
the race might appear to be. You
would think we Republicans would
not need such advice, but ap
parently some have forgotten the
lessons they should have learned
in 1948. Let us hope that in 1952
we will remember that an election
is never won until the votes are
counted.
- j - - r
NEW YORK OP) A munici
pal court judge ruled here that a
motorist whose car was hemmed
In by a double parked automobile
has thCright to sue for damages.
Justice Maurice Wahl cited a re
cent decision of the Distrit of Co
lumbia court of appeals upholdinj
the right of riders to travel on
street cars and buses without be
ing forced to listen to broadcasts.
"If a 'captive audience' has the
right to make known its plight and
pray for relief," he said, "so may
a 'captive automobilist.' "
Justice Wahl was ruling in a
case brought by Hans Harnik, an
attorney, and his wife, against Dr.
Samuel R. Lcvine
They asked for nominal damages
of $25 for "discomfort and incon
venience" but admitted the issue
of damages was unimportant and
what they wanted was a judicial
declaration of civil liability.
Rejecting Dr. Levine's motion
for dismissal on the ground there
was no cause of action, Justice
Wahl suggested that a motorist
barred from moving bis car by a
double-parker might even sue to
recover for false imprisonment.
9 hai not btan 1
1 delivered by I
1 5 0jn.t phone I
2-2631 between
4:l5.l7p..
FOR . . .
SERVICE. .
' EXPERIENCE ...
CO-OPERATION . . .
Investigate the services offered by your "Home
owned, Home-operated" bank Money left ' on
deposit with us remains In DOUGLAS COUNTY.
All facilities available for your individual needs.
Douglas County State Bank
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
3
tm n n H m
im wh m m if J
k HI If ft Mi
Ul I: I.I
-ill ' i wwgjr-, v
ft
Grand Theft Charges
Faced By Publisher
LOS ANGELES -OP) Al Wax
man, 42, East Los Angeles news
paper publisher, was arrested here
on seven counts of grand theft in
volving a $50,UOO newsprint deal.
Waxman was jailed in lieu of
$25,000 bond and district attorney's
investigators accused him of re
ceiving $50,000 from five southern
California publishers for the pur
chase of 1,000 tons of Canadian
newsprint, which he did not de
liver. His alleged victims were the
Hollywood Citizen-News, the Nan
Nuys News, the Pomona Progress
Bulletin, the Compton Herald
Tribune and the Rodgers MacDon
ald Printing company.
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Oak & Stephens Ph.3-4446
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OLCLpdoJtkM
Roseburg unera
Oak and Kane Street
Funerals O
Home
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MRS. L L fOWERS
O Roseburg.regt
o
(a)
Q
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