Federal Government Taking Lands Off Tax Rolls
B Y L. D. FE LS H E IM
R EC ENTLY the w riter pointed
out the extent of federal acqu i t ,
tion of lands in Oregon, calling at
tention to the fact that the more
land that goes under federal own
ership, the less there wiU be on
the assessment rolls of the vari
ous counties.
FEDERAL law requires state
consent before the federal gov
ernment can buy land for cash.
In Oregon, since the federal act
of BI the later amended in 1924,,
the federal government has pur
chased for cash a total of 52,487
acres at an average price of $17.03
per acre for a total cost of $893,-
640.81. A ll this was with state
consent and no doubt in the pub
lic interest. I t affected only five
counties, namely: Benton, Crook,
Deschutes, Jefferson and Lincoln.
FOREST SERVICE acquisition
is a different story. Unable to
buy lands in the various states un
der cash transactions, without the
consent of such states, the U. S.
Forest Service has been adding
acres through exchanges. Timber
cutting rights have been traded
for deeds to private property.
Figures taken from the official
counsel for the Public Lands com
mittee of the Association of Ore
gon Counties, show that the Forest
Service, through various trades in
30 Oregon counties between the
years 1922 and 1948, acquired
907,881 acres but conveyed in
exchange to private ownership
only 50,095 acres.
The Forest Service recognizes
th a t.it does not have the consti
tutional right to buy land without
consent of the several states and
has, therefore, according to M r.
Cooper, been seeking permissive
legislation from some western
state legislatures.
SENATE B IL L 305 introduced
in the 1947 legislature by Senator
Dean Walker, at request of the
Association of Oregon counties,
would have, in a large measure,
corrected the foregoing procedure.
OLD EASfflQlTCD
SALE
THE MIDWINTER SALE BOOK
HAS JUST ARRIVED I
Enjoy
a good o ld fas h io n e d sale! H e re a re n e w ,
s u rp lu s , a n d seasonable item s a t g re a t savings!
F la re d w in te r coats, m e n ’s and b oys’ w e a r, ra d io
c o m b in a tio n s , p re s s u re coo kers, P o w r-k ra ft to o ls,
a n d h u n d re d s o f o th e r values a t good o ld fa s h io n e d
sale p rices! S h o p
now
fo r y o u r
save money with Wards
lo w
f a m ily ,
catalo g
and
prices I
Visit or phone our
representative today
for a free Midwinter
Sale Book. M ail your
orders directly to the
M ail Order House fo r'
prompt delivery!
The bill passed the Senate but
failed to come out of the commit
tee in the House. It is the inten
tion of the association to again
have the b ill introduced in the
coming session of the legislature.
Senate B ill 305 would not inter
fere with federal acquisition in
the public interest, but it would
require that application be made
to the state tax commission and
that public hearings be held to de
termine all the facts connected
with the use of the lands, and to
consider provisions for making
tax payments or payments in
lieu of taxes upon such property,
subsequent to its acquisition.
D U R IN G recent years there has
been a tendency upon the part of
private operators to not only hold
their own forest lands but to ac
quire more, particularly from the
counties, in order to establish
“tree farms” through Which they
might qualify under proposed co
operative sustained-yield agree
ments.
The McNary Sustained-Yield
Agreement Act of 1944 provides
this legal machinery for cooper
ative agreements between the
Forest Service and private oper
ators in which private constract-
ing parties shall retain their lands
in private ownership. Up to this
time, according to M r. Cooper’s
investigation, no such agreements
have been entered into in Oregon,
and, so long as the state of Ore-
go permits the federal government
to take over such private lands
there is not apt to be any agree
ments entered into.
•
ONE of the big stumbling blocks
on the road to suitable federal leg
islation for public land counties of
the 11 Western states has been
the public lands committee of the
House of Representatives. The 22
states have been able to handle
the situation in the upper house,
especially since Senator Guy Cor
don, has taken his seat, but in
the lower house the large person
nel of the committee has been
difficult to get in motion.
NOW comes the statement that
Andrew L. Somers of Brooklyn
has enough seniority to become
chairman of this committee under
Democratic control. In the 80th
Republican
congress
Richard
Welch of San Francisco was chair
man.
Western congressmen have al
ways looked on the public lands
committee as their own private
preserve as nearly all public lands
are in the west. With a chairman
from New York state, which has
practically no public land while
the 11 western states are more
than 50 per cent owned by the
government, it w ill be interesting
to watch developments. There is
such a thing as getting a better
break from a man who has no in
terest in a subject than from one
who has too much interest.
Home Thanks
Coquille People
M r. and Mrs. Henry Hippie
who run a home for children two
miles north of Fairview, wish to
"thank their many friends, also the
G irl Scouts, the Business and Pro
fessional Women’s club and the
Seventh Day Adventist Dorcas so
ciety for their contributions to a
M erry Christmas for the children
at their home.
Many articles of fine clothing
were received which were badly
needed.
The Dorcas society furnished
several boxes of toys and clothing
of which quite a quantity was
new.
I t enabled the children to dress
warm enough to take advantage
of the fine weather during the
holidays.
• •
Services Underway
A t Church of God
Services which are being con
ducted by Rev. and Mrs, W illiam
Schmuki each evening until Jan
uary 16, at the Church of God,
Seventh and Henry streets, are
being well received according to
the pastor, Rev. Roy E. Hutchison.
The special pictures, music, and
singing which are being presented
by Mr. and Mrs. Schmuki are in
teresting and inspiring. Services
are held each evening during the
week with the exception of Sat
urday, and on Sunday a fam ily
hour is to be held at 10 a. m. A
special service for children, of
all denominations, is being held
dally at 3:45 p. m. featuring music,
stories and handicraft work.
On
Friday
evening
Mrs.
Schmuki w ill render a selection
on the smallest playable harmon
ica in the world.
• •
RESIGNS FROM HOTEL
Don Nesmith has resigned his
position with the Hotel Coquille
Coffe shop and Chenango club, he
announced today.
• •
ICE FREEZES IN B U IL D IN G
It was so cold Monday morning
that ice was frozen in the garage
of the Benham’s company, Elmer
Benham said today.
Eugene Scouter
Here Last Week
Roger Bales, scout executive
from Eugene, was a visitor to Co
quille last week, and while here
conferred with Scout commission
er, A1 Branham. Mr. Bales talked
on Scouts’ Court of Honor while
here and helped lay plans for the
future.
• •
H O LID A Y S IN C A LIFO R N IA
Mrs. Wally Yates and son, M i
chael Lee, of Cox apartments, are
spending the hoUdays in Los An
geles, Calif., with her parents and
sister, Mr. and Mrs. Harry* W ar
ren, Dorene and Beverly. This is
Michael’s first visit to his grand
parents and he is their first grand
child.
• •
Ctqttttlé Valley
i/en tinel
COQUILLE. OREGON
JA N U A R Y 6, 1949.
8 Freer, M yrtle Point, on Sun
day, December 19, a son.
Bom to Mr. and Mrs. Theodore
K. Johnson, Remote, on Sunday,
December 19, son.
Bom to Eugene H. Ash, Bridge
Route, Coquille, on Friday, De
cember 24, a son.
j Bom to M r. and Mrs. Floyd V.
Chase, Coquille, on Sunday, De
cember 26, a son.
Bom to Mr. and Mrs. Keith A.
Northup, Broadbent, on December
26, a daughter.
Bom to Mr. and Mrs. Warren
S. Ward, Looking Glass Route,
Roseburg, on Thursday, December
30, a son.
Bom to Mr. and Mrs. Donald L.
Seto, M yrtle Point, on Friday,
December 21, a son..
Bom to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene
S. Boggan, M yrtle Point, on Sun
day, January 2, a daughter.
M ast Hospital
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Theodore
R. Staliard, Powers, a son on De
cember 12.
Bom to M r. and Mrs. Melville
Income
Tax Service
F REE!
HEARING CLINIC
S. C. MITCHELL
of 305 I.O.O.F. Bldg., Eugene,
is a member of J. N. Taft &
Associates of Portland who
have been serving the hard of
hearing since 1934.
Fresh A & B Batteries
for all aids
Free Beltone Clinic
Friday p. m., Jan. 14
and until
noon Sat.
•
See this Agency tor courteous and
efficient Income Tax report service
We have a complete supply of the necessary forms,
plus the knowledge and background to assure you of
proper completion of your Income Tax return
< ->m< in for F R E E IIK A ItlN G
T E S T or F ree Booklet .«bout How
to 1 O vercom e Deufncmi. Kit obit
Kat ion
•
S i t TN I A M A ZIM 0 N IW
th e Warld'i Small t i t Hearing A id 1
.
We wish to thank all of you for
your patronage during 1948 and
send our sincere desire for your
better hearing with BELTONE in
the year to come.
G e o rg e E. O e rd in g
Oddfellows Bldg.
Coquille
The Man with the Plan
Real Estate
*>---------- -
Phone SB
Insurance
-------------- ■ ■ - .........
.
Eve Strong
Wards Sales Representative
997 N. Elliott S t
Phone 385-J
A fter 4:98 P. M .
rfor your
f morning us wung
•T h e Squirrel-» BUS*
'll
»tor*»
C a r C a re t h a t M a k e s
'«ÄS;
* * S afe D riving
Front End
SPECIAL
I
» ■
«
1 -to
-
'H—r H
■
I
1
I
LAWSON M c C A Il
N.w, at 7 am
t
MARTIN AGRONSKY
•
Saves You Money!
Saves Your Tires!
fro m W ash in<ton 7:1 J
ZEKE manners
m m ic and fu n 7 :4J
«»d a b i , morning
Improves "Steering!
«< ontorfolnm oot
«»Orting a« t w ttfi
Gives you a safer, smoother ride!
The BREAKFAST CLUB
All For Only
$7.00
•Adjust caster
• Adjust front wheel bearing
•Check Steering Gear •
r^OOO WATTS
tor N ig h t O v h
ra H a a r" »tart»
I a t 12 x ild a it.
•Adjust Camber
•Adjust King-pin Inclination
•Adjust Toe-in
•Adjust Steering Geometry «Cheek Wheel Balance
QUICK RELIEF FROM
•Road Test Car
Symptoms of Distress Arising from
Parts Extra
S T O M A C H ULCERS
due to E X C E S S A C ID
L IM IT E D T IM E O N L Y • A ct Now!
Southwestern Motors, Inc.
Buick and Chevrolet
444 W. First St.
Coquille
FraaBeeiiTaRsefHMMTrMtaMatthat
Must Help er it WIN Cast Y m NetMng
O vw three million bottlaa of the W q x & bs
T u . T w m r hare bm a eokl for relief ol
• ymptonMOfdlatrea. aridas from StaWacb
and baadanal W re n do« to C s m m A d d -
C»«r,PtS»«tl»", Saar o^ U aad S tam xK .
1US V
*
»jk lm
V» d ay
tJuil
A ik for MWMor«ro r n w j i ” which fully
.
Phone 320
V A /H E N you see the 1949 Chevrolet!, a
VV glance will be enough to tell you
they're new— all new— in line and contour,
in beauty and style. And when you look
inside, and under the hood, and beneath
the chassis, you'll see that their newness is
not merely in outward appearance, but in
design and engineering and construction
as well.
Here, before a single new 1949 Chevro
But, to a lot of people, the 1949 Chevro
let is alread y old. They know what it will
do, and how exceedingly well it will do it—
they know all about its performance, its
comfort, its power, safety, durability and
let went into production, experimental
models were tested— made to show that
they possess, in greater measure than ever,
all those qualities on which Chevrolet has
built its leadership.
In short, the G eneral Motors Proving
Ground tests ore your assurance that your
new-mbdel Chevrolet has proved its worth
through many months and many, many
thousands of miles of rough handling.
Soon you will see the new Chevrolet—
and when you do, you will see o car not
only new, but tried and true.
SOUTHWESTERN MOTORS, Inc.
474 West 1st S t
HUDSON DRUG STORE
economy. They are the engineers and tech
nicians of the G eneral Motors Proving
Ground— the largest," most completely
equipped, outdoor testing laboratory in
the automobile world.
Coquille ■>
Phone MB or 321