Eugene register-guard., June 13, 1955, Image 10

Your Story Had Better Be Good, Tito
rt.' ROBERT SMITH.
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ALTON F.
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
ALTON F. BflCER Publisher
ifflKER JR. E'ltor ROBERT B. FRAZIER- Associate Editor
SERVICES Fil Associate Press, United Press, Audit Bureau of ' Circulations.
tTbe Register-Guard's polic:is the complete and impartial publication in its news
pages of all ijows and statements on news. On this page the editors of the Register
Guard offer their Opinions on.events of the day and matter ofimportance to the
' community, endeavoring Of be candid but fair and helpful in the development of con--
.tractive community policy. A newspaper is A CITIZEN OF ITS COMMUNITY.
Entered at the Post Office 8t Eugene, OregOL, as second-class matter.
10A
EUGEN. OREGON, MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1955
Establishing New Tax Bases
A decision, that may have" far-reach-
ing effects was made by the Oregon
Supreme Court last week. In a suit
-brought by the Portland School District
against the Multnomah County Tax Com
mission, the court ruled that tax units
not only can establish a new tax base,
but that the state's constitutional six per
cent limitation applies to the new base.
In the general election of 1952,
voters of Oregon amended the constitu
tion to allow taxing bodies to establish
' a new tax base. The purpose was to bring
tax bases in line with present day condi
tions. Tax bases of most taxing units
had lagged badly during the depression
years, so that to meet needs brought
about by rapid population increases it
was necessary to ask voter approval
nearly every budget year to exceed the
six per cent limitation. This has been
especially true in school districts which
have had to meet tremendous enrollment
increases since the end of World War II.
The Bethel School District is a good
example of the problem. Only $8,707
(the tax base plus six per cent) could be
raised this year in taxes without a vote
to exceed the six per cent limitation.
Now, with the new court ruling, Bethel
voters could authorize a new tax base
of say $450,000 (about the amount voters
approved at the election this year) and
then add six per cent. to this amount
next year. This would provide budget
needs without the expense of a special
election.
In the city of Eugene; funds from
taxation total about $1 million, but only
$193,000 of this total is the tax base
plus six per cent. The rest of the taxes
are included in special levies that voters
have okayed over the years by amend
ing the city charter.
In Eugene, it is impossible even for
the city council to call an election to
exceed the six ppr cent limitation. There
is a charter provision that says the city
cannot levy taxes in an amount to exceed
one-half of one per cent of the assessed
valuation of the t'ity. So, without amend
ing the charter Eugene can raise only
$200,000 through property taxation. This
provision may have been fine before
World War I when the city was small,
but with today's conditions it is non
sensical. If the voters in Eugene should auth
orize a new tax base of about $1 million
(the amount collected in property taxes
now), it would, allow the council and
budget committee to add six per cent to
this total, each year, without calling
special elections to amend thd charter.
Of course, at the same time it would be
necessary to knock out the charter re
striction on property taxes mentioned
above. If this were done, it would allow
the city to raise an additional $60,000
each budget year. This would take care
of needs for additional city services as
the city continues to grow.
It would also provide flexibility in
the allocation of tax money to various
city functions. At present, the budget
committee is in a financial straight
jacket because all the funds provided
by charter amendment are tied to spe
cific purposes such as parks, fire de
partment, streets, etc.
The one big drawback we see to
establishing new tax bases in munici
palities or school districts is this: Voters
would not have as close a check on how
their tax money is spent. In school dis
tricts especially, there is a check each
year by the voters. School budget com
mittees are bound to be wary of asking
more funds for school functions unless
they are absolutely necessary.
However, there are many sound argu
ments in, favor of establishing new tax
bases that are in tune with needs. The
Eugene city budget , committee has de
cided already to make a study and to
report on means of getting revenue for
the city. The supreme court's tax base
rule will undoubtedly have a bearing on
the committee's findings.
War Over
Well, the war must be over. Both
sides have joined to publish a new maga
zine at the State University of Iowa. It
is "Civil War History" and takes its
stuff from the letters, diaries, files and
folk-lore of both sides in America's most
horrible war. Some of the poetry was
pretty horrible, too, as this anonymous
"Ambulance Song" will bear out:
Let the broad columns of men advance!
Wc follow behind with the Ambulance.
They lead us many a weary dance,
But they cannot wenry the Ambulance.
We rattle over the flinty stones,
And crush and shatter the shrinking bones.
Here we ride over a Christian skull
No matter, the Ambulance is full.
Behold! A youthful warrior dead,
But the wheels glide over his fair young head.
See smoke and fire! Hear cannon's roar!
Till the bursting ears can hear no more.
Till the eyes see only a sky blue frame,
Ami a lurid picture of smoke and flame
And the air grows dense with a thousand sighs,
And shrieks defiance in shrill death-cries.
And blond lies black in horrible streams,
And wc think wc are dreaming fearful dreams.
Hut our. wheels are strong, our axles sound,
Ami over the sea wc merrily bound.
What do wc care for (he bursting shell?
We know its music, and love it well.
What do we care for sighs and groans.
For mangled bodies and shattered bones?
We laugh at danger, and scorn mischance,
V c who drive the Ambulance.
Maurine Did It
In the. current Harper's Magazine
'Oregon's junior senator confesses that
"My Wife Tut Me in the Senate." -Dick '
Neubrgt'r says it was all Maurine's
" doing that he squeaked into office List
fall by what would have been consid
ered a very smafl m.rjority in anv sfciir
but Oregon. J Iercit was a major.acliiev-
meat, i)d Dick says it Vois all Maurine's
o e o o
The atticl, ic of the f,any that
9ifl hSsjurncd out in his brief 0sei
torial, career, re-nghft the cauttiniim
rather well, wo think it's likely that Dick
was being entirely sincere in his tribute
to his wife. And he's smart enough to
know that there was more than a germ
of truth in Guy Cordon's campaign re
mark that at least he . was running
against the easier Ncubcrger.
A Democrat, who has followed Dick's
fortunes closely and who has been 100
per cent on his side, told us, "Dick
shouldn't have written that. A man just
can't go around the country telling
everybody that his wife wears the pants
in his family." Wc think the Democrat
is wrong, too. Dick knows what he's do
ing. And if sometimes he errs in judg
ment, he can fall back on Maurine who
rarely errs.
Down in Rccdsport Editor W. M.
Tuginan of the Port Umpqua Courier
thought that Dick was being too selec
tive when it came to passing on credit
for his election victory. "He ought to
credit the Republicans, too," said Mr.
Tugman. And that's for sure.
No matter how other people feel
about the article, it's pretty certain that
Matirine feels wonderful about it. And
that, wc suspect, is what Dick was trying
to accomplish all along.
Water Resources
For some of those people who were
violently opposed to the state setting up
a Water Resources Board, here are some
figures worth thinking about.
A report iu Nation's Business by
Waller L. Picton who is in the federal
Business and Defense Services Adminis
tration says that more than 1.4)00 U.S.
communities will have to'curtail use of
their "water supply during thc hot
months this ftimmrr. In 19-10, few public,
water plants operate! with liwVr than
20 otf cent rfsere. Today many com
muijibes hpvo oreserve0 capaWtty at alt
liT'iU'e the need fy restricting its use.
o Iti 1940, njililie water systAis served
82 milWii people wttlu an avetftc vlt
Hells Canyon Dam forces
JHave Doubts on Golden Rule
. WASHINGTON (fecial)- Sen- stfl studying e record but
aV upporters of Jhe high Sells didn't think, he was justified in
Cany dai bill are currently asking more time, so he voted
in a mo9d ft repeal the Golden against the bill because he said
Rule for they hive about con- what he had learned made him
etude'd that ky extending it to "fearful the water rights of south
some of ci? doubtful brethftm era Idaho farmers might not be
they have teen "had" politically - ptjitected against the need for
nd thA -hane of pnactine tffe. Snake River water require! to
Hells Canvon biU seriously en- fill the high dam reservoir Milli
IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG
Poorly Treated?
laws," and destroy our national
sovereignty is fully as ridiculous
as saying that Christianity stands
for dismantling oil our armed
forces, all our police forces and
rely on faith and prayer alone as
an occasional Christian does ad
vocate! Dr. Capper-Johnson, president
of Oregon United Nations Associ
ation, expressed the view of far
more than 99 of all interested
in the United Nations when he
said, "In United Nations we are
united in one common purpose,
the prevention of war, nothing
else. Our laws, our courts, our
Constitution, our national sov
ereighnty we treasure as do all
good Americans but with modern
war able to blot out all civiliza
tion we must unite under United
Nations to prevent this catastro
phe" But United Nations recognizes
that to prevent war we must
have more than signed treaties.
In a world grown so small, and
where six percent of the World's
people have the bulk of the
world's wealth that 6 per cent
must not ignore the needs of the
other 94 per cent if it wishes to
survive. With our know how it is
said that Texas alone could feed
our entire nation. We must speed
some of this know how -along
with good will, health secrets,
and all the rest to the hungry
and wretched people of the globe
as the only means of our survival.
GEO. E. OWEN ,
Box 1171
' Junction City (To the Editor)
Mrs. Kciffer's letters always
drag in the "ill-treated" working
man. Does she really think he is
poorly treated? It could be that
he doesn't budget time and mon
ey when he gets it.
Labor is constantly yapping for
more wages, vacations, welfare
benefits, better working condi
tions and now guaranteed annual
wages. What docs labor give in
return? Products turned out by
labor since about 1945 have
grown worse. You have to hunt
to find an article union made
wjjhout a defect.
Labor costs go up, but general
ly speaking working efficiency
goes down.
Mrs. Kciffcr says private utili
ties spend thousands buying their
way. A check of late figures will
show who spends most in U.S. lob
bying. And, power companies do not
set the rates on your bill, either.
That is done by Public Utilities
Commission. Also, the money
used for public power dams is
taken from tax money from every
state. A Federal dam built here
belongs to all U. S. taxpayers. It
isn't fair when only two hundred
thousand out of sixty million tax
payers benefit by it. I should like
proof fhat our power rates are
hi j lower because of Bonneville
or Grand Coulee.
And, docs big business get all
the breaks? The unions arc big
business, and they pay no tax.
Why gripe if other business gets
some relief. If there were no big
business, who would labor work
for? Labor will yet kill the goose
that lavs the golden egg. To
blame the Republicans for every
adversity of labor is humorous.
How people can go berserk
when some rabble-rouser starts
talking somthing up, beats me.
Then a strike follows and they
deprive their families of a liveli
hood. Even worse, it spreads into
allied industries and eventually
works hardship on the nation. To
those in sympathy with Morse, as
is with any speaker, his speech
is fine.
In these days, destroying prop
erty or beating people can be
done in the name of labor, but
the law still binds the individual.
Now, in all fairness, I believe c,r,roi AMr,ro
labor needs protection and should OiLflLiJLAIVLZlO
be organized. But right now you
wouldn't dare fire a man for poor
work. He would go to the griev
ance committee and you would re
hire or strike. Protection? No!
Racket. I believe labor should
clean its own house before cry
ing, out at big business.
. HAROLD J. DAVIS
. . liouts 2, Box 877
United Nations
Eugene -(to the Editor) The
alarm of Edith I'hetteplacc over
the cost of United Nations slays'
'lie. Hue. from the figures shf
gives the l N. cost might be 16
to 18 cents per person yearly in
stead 'of the estimated 15 cents
per capita per year. Brit tven if
it jumped up to the priiy of 1
f'ks .ol cigarettes per year for
all of tis that stitt wiBildhe 8.000
timesjless than the cost of World
War ff. And out Sec. tl State.
John Foster ttulles, say1 "P bc-
Raps Ellsworth
Eugene (To the Editor) Sun
day's Register-Guard reports our
present Fourth District Congress
man, Harris Ellsworth of Rose
burgas stating that the oppon
ents of "partnership" dams are
in the position of "hunger strik
ers" in that they (Morse, Neu
berger. Green in particular)
"want government ownership of
electric power or none at all."
This is nonsense and Mr. Ells
worth knows it. What we Demo
crats don't like about "partner
ship" as promoted by the GOP
is that the electric power so gen
erated will not be low cost pow
er nor will it be available on a
regions' basis, the two features
that mat.? the Bonneville Power
Administration so outstandingly
successful and which include
preference for public bodies and
the famous "postage stamp" rate
policy.
Far from being "on strike,"
Democrats representing Oregon
in Congress have been fighting
hard for appropriations to build
the already authorized dams at
Cougar Creek on the south Fork
of the McKenzie River, at Green
Peter on the Santiam River and
at the John Day site on the Co
lumbia River.
Such appropriations are not
expenditures of tax money. They
are investments, gilt-edged in
vestments as proved by the eager
ness of the private utilities to
undertake these projects.
Mr. Ellsworth and his Republi
can colleagues arc the ones tak
ing an unreasonable position, to
wit, high cost private power or
nothing!
Anyone who has bought a home
using a 20 or 30 year loan knows
how substantial a difference one
percentage in interest rate can
make in the total pay-out. The
United .States government can
borrow money at least 1 below
the interest rate available to
other groups, public and private.
Such savings mean a far lower
capital expenditure and hence
lower rates.
These "partners" and Mr. Ells
worth don't care about low rates.
If they did. Mr. Ellsworth's legis
lation would include a definite
formula for determining the al
location of costs between the gov
ernment and the "partner."
Instead of issuing such wild, ir
relevant charges, our Congress
man might well emulate his col
league, Sam Coon of Baker, and
consent to defend his "partner
ship'' views in a scries of debates
in his District this Fall. Certainly
power policy is the most vital of
all the domestic issues, for upon
its success the economic future
of Oregon largely depends.
Sincerely.
CHARLES O. PORTER
2775 University St.
By Galbraith
0 from his pointeof "view? and w-flscs capita use of 123 Fallot perdoNow wo wmlId0be or ""'V J
MattriSe whnj may seen, to snc like MUft, i,c gallons per ay an K.ZcrTtor X!
a reOnlc f a chapter of his book, rg it is $Tim'ed that 129 millioiP turns." Eisenhower id stec i
"Adventures in 1'oimcs. itit iti m
terestintr article. JiiiP readvc)S nro-
r""'J i,i..ug... ii - j-iu (bi uyi-u v pT'Ui;funn increases it
m'puuiitaiis, gi'iici an , 11.1 uirwu
at it as "insincerc."c'rnat, we think, is
wrong. KnowfVg Dick and Maurine
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"in rgqmte 1J gf)lons pefflav; son- every mni.tior I have Vver
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... -icyuwc nave oeelorumatc.0wn.i husine-4 leaded through-
U'ltll HIllAo.Wlll-Al,n i,i..t..,PAp ! ..M n,li..V
'i"Fi iwt-M.iijiiMi a Jric agency r Q
wftTi authority to pn(fcte most vOi- . Bul hcrJll,Wft thaVUnitcd
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buy some an
riantfprArt
This is the result of a chain
of events f the last few months
in the Senate Vhich wct like
this:
Western Democrats lined up
for tha big drive to enact a
Hells Canyon bill, while "Western
Republicans from the Rocky
Mountain state lined up their
backing for the upper Colorado
storage project.
After some early strategy
sessions designed to promote a
"package" bill which some
thought would give both of these
two federal developments broader
support in Congress, both sides
decided best to go it alone with
their individual projects.
The Democratically-controlled
Senate Interior Committee de
cided to extend the Golden Rule
to the GOP and approve the Administration-backed
Colorado pro
ject first, hoping its Republican
supporters would follow through
and do unto them in a similar
fashion when Hells Canyon came
up. With Democratic votes help
ing to offset some GOP opposi
tion to the Colorado bill, it was
whisked through committee and
later passed by the Senate and
sent to the House.
Then the committee turned
to Hells Canyon, with all eyes on
two key Republicans, Sens. Ar
thur V. Watkins, Utah, and Eu
gene D. Millikin, Colorado, who
had piloted the Colorado storage
bill through but remained un
commited on Hells Canyon.
After extensive hearings in
the Pacific Northwest and here,
the reclamation subcommittee
called for a vote, only to have
Watkins ask for more time to
study the record. A second call
for a vote came, and again Wat
kins requested, more time. The
third time around, last Wednes
day, Watkins again said he was
kin spoke Unfavorably of the bill
during the secret committee dis-
cussions which preceded the vote,
then withheld his vote.
Tnis action shattered the sur
face . harmony among western
ers wo have been supporting ,
fujther reclamation development.
Sen. Richard L. Neuberger (D
O're) scored the positions taken
by Watkins and Millikin, "who
.are promoting a $1,659,000,000
power and reclamation project
in that (Rocky Mountain) region,
(and) have seen fit to oppose a
$365,000,000 undertaking' in the
Pacific Northwest."
"The western states can pro
gress together only as a unit,"
Neuberger said in a prepared
statement apparently reflecting
chagrin at the way in which
Dcmot.'atic strategy backfired.
"Secretary of Interior McKay
and now leading senators from
Colorado and Utah have taken
the position that the federal
treasury contains funds for de
velopment in the Rocky Moun
tains but not in the Pacific North
west. We Democrats must try
to save the West from such a
Jekyll-and-Hyde policy."
Having let the GOP-backed
Colorado bill slip beyond their
grasp in the Senate, Hells Can
yon backers are expected to sal
vage what they can in the way
of tit-for-tat log-rolling in the
House where the Colorado bill
faces tough sledding which even
its ardent supporters concede
may be fatal.
In a word, House Democrats
may threaten to kill off the Colo
rado bill just as Watkins and
Millikin now have threatened the
Hells Canyon bill with virtually
insurmountable GOP opposition
in the Senate.
The Golden Rule may be
scrapped in favor of an-eye-for-an-eye.
.
FREDERICK C. OTHMAN
Germans Never Heard Of
Passing of Steam Engines
MUNICH, Germany Anybody
mourning the passing of steam
locomotives would be well-advised
to visit Germany. Here we
got 'em chuffing all over, tootling
soprano whistles and wearing
scarlet underpants. The doggon
edest railroad trains you ever did
see.
I scooted down here on the Al
pine Express of the German Na
tional Railways, 500 miles from
Hamburg, and I suppose it was
the trickiest train ride I ever
had. The locomotive was bound
in polished brass, the running
gear was enameled red and the
rest was varnished black.
It bounced along in feminine
style, festooning itself in wreaths
of steam, and sounding its whistle
at every crossing like a lovelorn
heifer. It also deposited soot on
us customers in the first-class
sleeping coaches.
These apparently had been
built in the days of Kaiser Wil
helm, but they glistened outside
in fresh maroon and gold. Within
they were paneled in polished ma
hogany and upholstered in
needlepoint. The pink-checked
porter, clad like a major general
in a uniform of blue with gold
buttons and red piping, said the
first-class clients wore entitled to
one free bottle of beer and one
free bottle of mineral water be
fore retiring. No more, he said.
He also said they were sup
posed to take full advantage of
the good beds. So he tucked me
in and I went to sleep breathing
coal smoke and listening to that
engine chuff.
Somewhere during the night
the locomotive disappeared, to
be replaced by a modern electric
engine, which got its power from
overhead trolleys. I hate to say
this to the sentimentalists among
the railroad fans, but the air be
came clean, the lurching stopped,
and I'm in favor of modern im
provements. The rosy-checked one woke me
by entering with a tray of break
fast, consisting of rolls, butter,
marmalade, coffee and one egg
boiled four minutes, compliments
of the house. If I wanted a second
egg. he said, I'd have to pay for
it. This situation was covered in
his rule book under the subject,
eggs, breakfast. I said I didn't
even want one egg. He replied
that experienced travelers in Ger
many never turned down free
nourishment. I ate it.
There is no need for me to tell
you about the rapid rebuilding
of bomb-ridden Munich. , You've
got to look close to find a house
that hasn't been completely re
constructed, or that isn't in the
process. But maybe you've never
heard about the royal china works
of King Ludwig I of Bavaria.
He's the old sport who had 28
beautiful girl friends, including
the incredible Lola Montez. When
he grew tired of each lovely he
had her picture painted and hung
in a special romance room at
Nymphenburg Castle. This gallery
of beauty queens still remains
and I can say only that Ludwig
had good taste. It ran mostly to
brunettes. He also must have been
a good businessman.
(Copyright, 1955, by United
Features Syndicate, Inc.)
OTHER EDITORS' VIEWS
Receipt for Today's Teacher:
Tough Mind, Tender Heart'
."Tough minds and. tender This is the tough mind. We
hearts" those college graduates know that through the ages it has
should havo, says Millicent C. Mc- Tjccn wrong frequently. What
Intosh, president of Barnaul, 'nonsense has been taught in the
That's a fine phrase. Offhand, we universities' in the name of
can't recall lis equal.
Mrs. "Mcintosh, how ever., seems
to haw a little trouble deciding
just wbat makers a tough mind.
She is distressed by thoe who.
consumed by the feats of the
time,. jecome.pWmies of liberty
and deliver Hieir first attacks
against liberty in the seh.SMs,
Schot, she say should evtr be
b.-tfUcgrouncfs 4 ideas. But shg
is worried too ,'iout teacher9 who
arc 'nfud" about academic
frcediiwho feel it allows them
'. present th)r uwn slant ono-he -,i3H k--..
thinqs. Jlut what 'her Fjjnt is a 'uiivei to the ua lor republication
ms.Om i'n.onli "of 11 locl nvKi printed In toll
....... ... r ... . .
science and supposedly irrefut
able mathematics! But -being
taught honestly-Ilafter examina
tion and consideration efen eV
ror became a step toward truth. ,
. We hofd the proposition that.
4"ush Inind clashing against tough
mtnd will wmeho stfike the
karlf of truth". We know no b?ttc
method.
MEMBER OF
THE ASSOCIATED BESS
0 Ql VTTofQ ' ac;:0 A'ractic-ally dnBEli BAKE. Editor'
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