Area field burning season nears;
no immediate solution in sight
BY DONNA GARDNER
Of the Emerald
Persons new to the Eugene-Springfield area
unacquainted with the field burning controversy
will undoubtedly be rudely initiated into un
derstanding during late July and August.
Though the season for field burning opened on
July 1 and lasts until October 31, most burning is
done in the latter part of July through early part of
September.
The explanation for all the smoke-filled days
that will eventually come our way is that the
Willamette Valley is an air shed, enclosed by
mountains on three sides, with predominantly
northwesterly winds during the summer.
Eugene happens to be right at the toe of the
valley, so all the smoke and pollutants from the
northern counties — Linn, Benton and Marian —
where most of the burning is done, is blown into our
end and trapped.
Eventually, all field burning will be banned by
1975 and farmers and agricultural researchers are
attempting to find an alternative to the burning.
They continue, however, to press for extension of
the deadline — a move the city of Eugene intends to
fight.
In the interim, strict legislation has evolved —
including burning schedules based upon wind
direction which are enforced by the Department of
Environmental Quality. When there are northerly
winds, burning is curtailed until the wind stops or
changes direction so smoke will not blow into the
southern end of the valley. Eugene-area farmers
must register for field burning by a quota system —
depending on the wind, as only a certain amount of
acreage may be burnt in a given area.
Perennial rye grass farmers have been burning
their fields since 1947 when root diseases threatened
crops with ruin. In order to save the following year’s
crop, a scientist from Oregon Agricultural College
(now Oregon State University) suggested the farm
ers burn their fields after thrashing, so the land
would be sanitized.
Marvelous results were attained.
By 1949, 40-50,000 acres of perennial rye grass
were being burned.
Farmers growing other annual seed crops also
needed a more efficient way to dispose of their
waste straw and burning proved to be the cheapest
method. With both perennial and annual seed crops
being cast to the flames the total acreage being
burnt rose to approximately 300,000. Of that, 100,000
acres are rye grass.
The Oregon grass seed industry supplies 90-100
percent of all seed used in the United States.
Its market extends beyond the United States
into foreign countries, which can use the seeds for
growing turf or meadow and pasture lands.
Since the Willamette Valley has one of the
highest potentials for severe air pollution in the
United States, an alternative needs to be found for
field burning. Some of the alternatives which have
been suggested include turning straw into cubes,
which can be shipped inexpensively to Japan, and
treating the straw for use as cattle feed.
Congressmen, economic adviser
address educators at convention
By MIKE DOLAN
Of the Emerald
When the National Education
Association <NEA) convention
delegates sat down again after
Senator Kennedy’s speech
Sunday in Portland the president
of the Association, Catherine
Barrett thanked him and in
troduced the first of the next
three speakers on the agenda.
He was Albert Quie,
Congressman from Minnesota
and the ranking Republican
member of the House Education
and Labor Committee. Quie
primarily addressed himself to
the faulty statistics used by the
Federal government to allot
education funds, especially funds
for disadvantaged children.
After taking note of the
diminished size of the crowd, he
pointed out that the recently
passed Title Ten education bill is
based on 1959 population figures
and fails to take into account
subsequent economic recessions
or booms in particular local
areas.
He cited the example of a
Columbia, S.C. elementary
school district which the 1960
census indicated had a high in
come level. Most of the high
income children who “lived in
that area have either moved
away or enrolled in private
schools” according to Quie.
Consequently, even though 64 per
cent of the children in the local
elementary school are from low
income families, they were
denied aid.
The Congressman also stressed
the fallacy of basing educational
aid on figures compiled from the
Aid to Dependent Children
Program (ADCP). The ADCP
regulations vary from state to
state. Twenty-six states have
programs which deny aid to
children whose father is present,
regardless of their economic
condition.
Quie intends to add an
amendment to the Title One Act
which would immediately give
more disgression in funding to
local school boards and set up a
long range research committee
to determine the necessary
criteria for Federal funding.
He insisted that “our first
priority must be children” and
that too often they are forgotten
by administrators who are
caught in a system of ossified
formulae and legislators who
seek only to increase money for
their own states.
The third speaker, also a
member of the House Committee
on Education and Labor, was
James O’Hara, a Democrat from
Minnesota. O’Hara lamented that
he was not on the so-called White
House “enemy list” and said that
he was jealous.
He also spoke about education
funding. He severely criticized
the Nixon Administration’s
Better Schools Revenue Sharing
Act and insisted that educators
themselves must enter into
politics and help make the
decisions of how money should be
spent.
“It would be difficult to
maintain an aura of professional
respectibility,” he told the
teachers, “while entering the
political system to collect a fair
share of the community’s
resources.”
But he stressed that the
argument teachers should not get
involved in politics, because it is
“dirty business,” is the same
argument which kept women out
of politics. “And I think you
know,” he said when the crowd
began to cheer, “just what I
mean. I don’t see anybody saying
that politics are too dirty for oil
millionaires or bank presidents.”
Specifically, he urged the
delegates to support his proposed
amendment to the Title Ten Act
which includes “publicly
supported, tuition-free education
from kindergarten to the 14th
year.” He said that every citizen
had a right to such education
“without the hint of a financial
barrier.”
Admitting his idea does have
flaws—specifically funding—
O’Hara said such a plan is rooted
deeply in the American concept
of public education.
Furthermore, he maintained
that he would add amendments to
break away from the idea that
legislators should only “outline
basic principles” and leave the
details to experts. The experts,
according to O’Hara, especially
in the Nixon Administration,
have used this power to divert
Federal funding by means of
executive regulations. He stated
that the as-yet-undrafted
amendment would “remove
flexibility of decision from the
Commissioner of Education, the
Secretary of Health, Education
and Welfare and the President of
the United States.”
The final speaker was on the
well-known Nixon “enemy list.”
Walter Heller has been chief of
the Council of Economic Advisors
to both Presidents Kennedy and
Johnson.
After making a few comments
on Watergate, the University of
Minnesota economics professor
called for more money for
education. As had all such calls
that morning, this one also
received loud applause. He said if
the revenue could not be raised
any other way, taxes should be
increased. However, he asserted,
that the taxes should come from
corporations.
The fourth speaker of the day to
address himself to the same
issue, that is, raising money
without any specific plans of
what to do with it, Heller stated
(Continued on Page 7)
Patients to hike, birdwatch
and relax in national forest
Promise of good times in the out-of-doors will lure selected
patients from Eastern Oregon State Hospital to an unused
Department of Forestry guard station this summer. Clarks
Creek Guard Station, 15 miles southeast of E^gin, will be the
campsite for week-long expeditions planned by hospital staff to
last throughout the summer.
Hiking, birdwatching, relaxing, tree and plant identification
will highlight the days of six to ten patients who visit the site
each week accompanied by an equal number of hospital staff. A
camp safety officer will school the campers in safety and fire
prevention and organized activities will fill their schedules.
The Clarks Creek Guard Station has not been used^ince 1963
when the practice of keeping large fire crews at guard stations
throughout the state was abandoned. The station has been kept
up, however, and safety equipment and signs have been
provided by the Department of Forestry. Area foresters spent
one day earlier this year providing hospital staff members with
mini-courses in fire prevention and tree and brush iden
L tification.
SAT., SUN. JULY 7-8
STUDENT SPECIAL
SPECIAL STUDENT MATINEE
ILL STUDENTS $1.50 THIS SHOWING
DOORS OPEN 1:30 0NE SHOWING IT 2 PM.
TK« Directors Company presents
WUMVWkAL
A Paramount Release
NUC PRESENTS
Summer 73
July 15 Bonnie & Clyde
Starring WARREN BEATTY and
FAYE DUNAWAY. The gory story
of the famous 1930's bank robbers.
July 18 Burn
Starting MARLON BRANDO.
Because of its powerful revolution
ary message, this film was sur
passed by its American distributors
shortly after its release in 1970.
Aug. i Dr. Strangelove
Starring PETER SELLERS.
A comedy about nuclear warfare
and the destruction of the world.
I Admission $1.00
Cfe All profits go to movement
community groups.
150 Science j