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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1932)
Monday, October 21, 1932 Pa ire Four CA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER, HA GRANDE. ORE. 5aCirmthe bmhiQ barter Am la&tomitnt Kmpt Rum Mala M BAJBOLD U. TtHIXt . . BmIdmi Miniger PuMJabad a mnga. ocept Bandar, at 1710 Blxtli RM, La armada. Orafco. stand at tfca Poatcffica at La Oran4a, Oregon, aa Baeond Claai Mad attar tinder act of Uarcb a, 1079. OmOIAL PAPEB OF UNION CCICTffTT ASD THS cttt of la oaAjfDi aOEUBEB OF ASSOCIATKD PBJBBfl Tba aaaodated Preaa la ezcJtutrely entitled to uaa for publication o all neve dupatabea credited to It or not otherw eardltadll -Uabad herein. AH right, of republication af apeclal dlapatc a In ttna paper and alao tna local am bereln alao are rerred. National Adrertlilnf BpreaentatlTe U. O. MOOENSEH CO. Ino. an Franaaeo, Loa Angeka. Beaule. Portland. Chicago, Detroit. Hew York SDfiBCRIPnOrf BATES By Carrier Oairr, one month In advance Dally, all month. In adrance Dally, angle copy 7 to By Han Dally, per mcctt. tn adrance Dally, per aU n ntba In adrance Dally, per year In advance toe .KM ADVERTISING BATES Diapuy, foreign, per column Loch Dleplaj. local, per eoiumn inch 46e Tuna contract prlcea on application 0UT:0URWAY 0 Ijord, revive thy work in the midst of the years. Habakkuk 3:3. BUSINESS AS USUAL . Business in La Grande has suffered considerably from economic strains and shocks during the .past year, the same as the majority of the cities and towns of the nation. Low market prices for farm products and the lack of a market for lumber have been the chief factors in the slowing down of the business machine. We were all doing our best to cany on under such condi tions, and doing a better job of it than many other commun ities, when the city treasury was suddenly found to be some hundred thousand dollars short through the cleverness of the treasurer in covering up her appropriation of public funds for private use. That put the city government in a tight place and required strict economy to avoid the neces sity of increased taxation to offset the loss. Then, after adjusting ourselves to that situation, we were running along fairly smoothly when both of our banks sud denly closed their doors on a Saturday noon last March the United States National closing because of the large amount of paper classified by the bank examiners as frozen assets, and the La Grande National following suit because of the danger of a run on its deposits. That occasion was a test of the loyalty and confidence of the people-of La Grande and the surrounding territory a test that was passed wtyh flying colors. Depositors of the United States National promptly signed waivers on a large percentage of their accounts in order to make possible the organization of a new bank which would take over the de posits and such proportion of the assets of both old banks as might be approved by the examiners. As a result of the fast work accomplished between Satur day evening and Monday morning, the necessary waivers were signed and $150,000 in capital and surplus for the new bank was raised by the local business men and citizens of the county, and the First National bank opened for business ness at nine o'clock Monday morning. This could never have been done if our people had lacked confidence in the future of the community. The new bank made it possible to continue the ordinary course of business, and conditions over the nation during the late summer showed considerable improvement and furnished some encouragement for the railroad and brighter prospects in the lumber industry. The recent announcement of plans to re-open the Mt. Emily mill was the most optimis tic news in this vicinity in the past several months; so it was with great surprise that most people heard that the First National Bank had decided to go into voluntary liquid ation and close its door3. The fundamental cause for the closing of the bank was the continuous withdrawal of diqiosits, almost half of the total deposits having been withdrawn during the past seven months. The bank, because of widespread economic stress, was unable to collect enough of its loans to offset such heavy withdrawals, though it might have stemmed the tide with the aid of the Federal Home Umn bank and the Agricultural Credit corporation in the next two or three weeks. Hut the declaration of a bank holiday in Pendleton last Tuesday evidently frightened many local bank depositors who withdrew their money to the extent of some 70,000 dining a single day, and by Tuesday afternoon someone had started a rumor that the La Grande bank was going to close its doors. Humors and the consequent spread of fear finally made necessary the very action which the people feared, and the directors decided to go into voluntary liquidation rather than risk a run the next day. (Speaking of rumors on Wednesday morning there were stories in circulation to the effect that several large business firms in town hud withdrawn all their money and caused the bank to cln.se. The Safeway Stores, Montgomery Ward & Co.. the .1. f:. I'nnwv fVi umi n, ti.;,... rs-,,,..,..,. U'Dra nrttmirr llwiun .i... ..I I i:. . ... . i .. .. v.. ..-iv- (imiii' u. jii mii itMimiuig towns aim even in Baker the story was told that Safeway had broken the bank in La Grande. Investigation revealed that all such rumors were groundless, especially the latter, since Safeway was one of the stockholders in the First National, and it would have been directly contrary to their own interests to cause the bank to (.'lose.) But all that is now a thing of the past. The- damage is done, and now our energies should l.e engaged in repairing it. Business is greatly handicapped with no hank in the city, but it is surprising to see how rapidly men can adjust themselves to the most difficult situations. By some means or another we are all managing to get along. There is a considerable ainmint of cash in circulation, and more use is being made of bartering than ever before, for labor and various services as well as for goods. In a city where it would ordinarily seem impossible to get along' without a bank, "business as usual" is the slogan in spite of the al sence of any financial institution. There, is considerable doubt that another bank can be or ganized right away; it may be some time Ik-fore a sufficient number cf people can be persuaded to put their money in a bank again. But if conditions improve at all in the next few months, wo shall undoubtedly have a new financial institu tion in Ia Grande. People will sooner or later outgrow their ' present lack of confidence and start all over again to re- ' construct the system of trade. ! Here in the Grande Ronde valley we have a good founda tion on which to build. As a visitor remarked just a day or ; two ago, a former local resident, "the valley is just as beau- : tiful as ever, the soil just as fertile, the crops just as plenti ful, the weather just as fine; our troubles are not the result I of the failure of Nature, but are entirely due to maladjust-1 iment of human relationships and lack of confidence in each i other." These conditions can be remedied, though it takes time to heal the wounds, and then we will find ourselves back on the road to normal living conditiono. HAIL HINDEXBURG! Those shouting thousands of Germans who trooped down j the streets of Berlin to shout birthday greetings for Presi Ident Von Hindenburg represented, when you stop to think i about it, one of the most encouraging factors in the entire European situation today. Their celebration was an expression of the profound loyalty i and respect which the average German feels for the aging warrior; and that sentiment is, pernaps, about as good a bulwark as Europe today possesses against disaster. ; Germany is being pulled about sorely these days. Revo lution is hardly more than a hand's breadth distant. Hitler, the Hohenzollerns, the Communists all are watching their chance, all have strong public support, all would seize power tomorrow if conditions were just a little bit more favorable. And no one needs to be told what such an event could mean to the peace of Europe. But in all this confusion Germany has one thing to tie to its stalwart, incorruptible old president. And it is that very feeling of confidence and love which gives us our best reason for hoping that the final outcome of things in central Europe will not be as bad as it easily might be. Ail of this, of course, is only another way of saying that the intangible things in human affaire are usually the most important. The feelintr which a large numler of people happen to have for one man is something you cannot put into the scales, the facta about how the Hawiey-, that ahouid come to pass. por it v , r,'f mo..aiiro r as vmi can Hitler's shock trnorw vou Sraoot tarl" glTe P""1"" Ore-j was under his steady pressure that YOU cant measuie it, as JOU can Hllltrs snOCK troops, JOU gQn cuitUTe produc adequately i general plans for the bulldtn? were can't dissect it, as you can dissect the group which seeks to fob the first time in post-war 1 completed, tme to the land acquired restore the Hohenzollern dynasty; it is simply tnere, more .history. sales statesman. potent than any of these more material things, just as In dia's love for Gandhi proved, not so long ago, to be so much more potent than any of the more tangible elements in the : Indian equation. j By J. R. Williams ( T VOU -THikiW -MATS 1 A I MSSlE, J SMART AMD O-EvieS?, VE-LUW . V-W COLO, DOMT WOO? Vv-EV-U, 1.1 CO-' f GUT MO CAM I -T-HltJGS AWA7 FROM V ' Oi ftCE-MUST 1 -The Fire. Place so . havjE wasHiE. I WOOfi DELICATE I , " . -r- I I " 1 i i'ivirnnj utl unm. THE OPEN COURT OORREfiPO.VDE.NTS MUST SUBMIT THEIR NAMES TO THE EDITOR IP THEY DE SIRE LETTERS I'UINTED, A. L. Oralapp, Oct. 12. 1032 Principal La Grande High School La Grande. Oregon: Dear Mr. Oralapp: My attention was called last eve ning to an article appearing In the La Grande Evening Observer which stated that the Enterprise school and the Enterprise team was offering the condition of the field at La Grande as an alibi for losing the game. We hope that this report is not accepted as true by the La Grande school and team. At no time has the school or any member of the team offered any excuse or alibi for the score. I am sorry that such a report should get so far as to be published as authen tic. Of course we cannot be respon sible for individual reports which may get out. We wish to assure the La Grande school and team that we con sider that we did our best to win the game but that our best was not good I enough, and that your team won the game by playing football. Again assuring you of our best wishes for the continued success of the La Grande squad, we remain. Yours truly, L. Lee Williams, superintendent. Paul E. Schiller, coach. Vern White, student body pres. e 1932 BT HCA SPWCE. WC RtO. U. 5. PAT. Off. P-xVj In Washington jlst for the Increase In the lumber j Other Papers Say: TKl'TJ! AliOl T THE I1WM.KV TAKIf'F Probably no tariff measure ever enacted in American history has been more lied about than the Ilawley- j Smoot tariff. The Democratic spell- J binders are now damning It from: Maine to Texaa and laying on Jt the : burden of our wom At. i hs u m 1 time the Democratic nominn m hi. travels from place to place assures localities that their specific tariff will be preserved. What Is the tarlfi but a compilation of local demands? i This editor Is not a high-tariff Re publican. In our opinion the change" In our national status from a debtor' to a creditor nation called for atteti tlon in our tariff policy. But the Democratic position on the tariff is now thoroughly hypocritical, in their' 1028 platform they approved the prln-1 clple of the protective tariff and Ai! Smith campaigned with the definite assurance to Wall street that hlgu protection would be maintained. j When individual schedules were up for adoption the Democrats voted preci:ely as the interest of their dis tricts dictated. Thus we had Dill voting for a tariff on lumber, Thomas of Oklahoma for a tariff on on, Walsh of Montana for a tariff on cop per. Brounsard of Louisiana for a tar iff on sugar. When the whole list is completed the Democrats rage with fury and brand the tariff measure as one of the deadly sins. j Pres. Hoover urged a revision of the tariff In hts first mewnge to congress with particular application to agricul ture. Most of the tariff upplng which was done was on agricultural item. While numerous changes were mode In Industrial items as well, the tariff was distinctly one for the protection I of agriculture. J The Hawley-Hmoot tariff has been ' assailed as the hlKhent In our history, which Is not true. The average rates of duties for the several tariff acts, at the date of passage as applied to Import ii for the preceding year were: Mi'Klnley tariff 4H.4U'.;. ; Dlmjley tariff 40.&9 Payne tariff 40.63' ' Kordiwy tariff , AH.Hb'r Hawlcy tariff 41.24r,f, Thus the Hnwlcy-Sinoot tariff was lower than the average rates of the If publican tariffs of the last 40 yi ars. At the time of Its enactment the tariff act of 10;,0 n bowed B IM.t de crease, welched average,-, tn four schedules or U.I7';f ; and a net In-t en-rue in 11 schedules of 7.41',; or! a not Incrraho for the act as a whole, of only 23f";;,. The iivi-nitfe on all Imports, frc nnd dutiable. Is about 10'.; . or an In-cn-Hhe or over the act of 11123. Hu. h average was 2J';J- under tho Mi Kin.cy act, 20.0 under tho Wll htm (Democratic) act, 25 8.,;, under the DhiKley art. and 10.3 under the Payne act. Now tuitc the matter of chMne of Kms. In the 12 torlff there were 33HO dutiable items. Of these BOO were Increased In the Hawley-Smoot ft' t. 2;n were dec reacted, and 2170 were left unrhnngrd. The ivrcentnge of Importu admitted DUTY KKKK under the Hawley-Smoot net in the largest with a nlngle ex ception in 40 years. ThP percent agra ore a f oli ws, of t he I terns w h Ich . a;ne In free of duty: MrKluley tariff . 52 4' -;. Wilvin tariff 44't Dlngley tariff .. 4.i.2"n I'fiyne tariff . , 1.2.6' Underwood tariff W.3'f KVmlney tariff 3 Ilawley tariff Cti.O' j, We ctle these- figures, not to de fend the tariff of 1U30; hut to refute the fnhte assertion made by Demo cratic spokesmen who preach low tar iff and practice tariff high-Jacking. For example AFTER the Hawley Hmoot tariff was adopted, those who lerilly led the fight for MOIUC pro lection on oil, lumber and copper were DEMOCRATS. Democrat Henry II. Van Du;er of this state was lobby- By Herbert Plummer U'ARHIMr.TnM l,.ct MA- u- tariff- and he. was ably backed up by hPrtaH t. r,i- t x. v.. jdaily editorials in the DEMOCRATIC other day. In the presence of the fore j Portland Journal. Democrats of Art- ; most jurists and lawyers of the coun jzona and Montana worked for the try. a ceremony took place that might j copper tariff. Democrats from Ok la - well have been called a memorial to jhoma and Texas worked to put across ' William Howard Taft. i the oil tariff. It the Iaylng of the comer The Republicans are at least hon- atone for the stately new home of est in standing consistently for the the nation's highest court. principle of the protective tariff. , The late president and chief Jus- and the structure itself authorized j oy iaw. ne a tea just neiore the actual j appropriation could be made. Par back in the first years of ; Taft's Washington life, Theodore I Roosevelt, then his chief, suggested that Taft was available timber for the presidency. Taft, however, let it be known that what he wanted was a place on the supreme bench. In a subsequent issue we will give tlce long dreamed of the day when pinnacle of his lifelong REALIZED AMBITION Tafs was drafted for the presi dency, however, if a man ever was. And it brought him In the end one of the bitterest political defeats any man of his party has known. Yet time brought him consolation. As chief Justice he reached the ambition. At the start he set himself to In tensive study of the practices and processes of the court. Under his driving force much was done to speed up federal Judicial machinery. Tet his heart was not set upon that so much as It was on the real ization of his long cherished dream of a stately Independent building to house the court a structure in keeping with the dignity and power of the Judicial arm of the govern A MEMORIAL Now the court is to have its home as he had dreamed it. Even the architectural design bears the stamp of his individual taste. And, whether It Is so designated or not, to many the structure will stand as a memorial to his long and distinguished public service. Thoughtful Bobby Bobby, age four, was to accom pany his daddy to a shooting match for the first time. Bob arrived on the scene with his hands full of matches. When we asked him why he carried the matches, he replied indignantly, "Why, for daddy to shoot at, of conrse." Ancient Roman Empire The Roman empire Included the present countries of Italy, Great Britain, France, Spain, Austria, Hungary, the Balkan peninsula, Asia Minor, Palestine and northern Africa. Importance of Meat Meat Is a healthful, nut Hons food which furnishes complete pro teins, excellent minerals (Iron nnd phosphorus), and some vitamins (glandular meats. A, B, and G; lean meat G and E). Exchange. . j-f- We Recommend These Purchases In this issue you will find a number of advertise ments of real interest to you. v -; They offer for sale a variety of products that are often enough vital necessities. Sooner or later you will have to buy many of them anyway. You will undoubtedly buy some of those we advertise. We recommend these heartily because we know from long experience that when a product bears the name of its maker and finds a friendly market throughout the country it must have survived the most exacting tests as to quality, desirability, and value! In this day when a manufacturer or merchant reaches the point where he is willing to offer his wares for sale through the advertising columns of the press, you can depend upon it that it must be worth purchasing . . . because otherwise' the business wouldn't last long!
