I A BIG JOB, BUT ITS DEAD EASY It would be a big job to tell one hundred people any thing that would interest them in your goods, but its dead easy if done the right way. This paper will tell several hundred at once at nominal cost. v lmtm NOT ONE DAY CAN BE FOUND in the week but that you do not need stationery of some sort or other. We furnish neat, clean printing at the very lowest rates. Fast presses, modern types, modern work, prompt delivery. Entered at the Foat Office at Athena, Oregon, as Second-Class Mail Matter VOLUME 50. ATHENA, UMATILLA COUNIT, OREGON. FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 10, 1929 NUMBER 19 GOMMENGEMENT PROGRAM TONIGHT Dr. Davis of Whitman Col lege Will Deliver the Address. Beginning this evening at 3 o'clock the commencement exercises for. the 1929 graduating cIbsb of Athena high school trll bwiesed by a .large audience. A class of fifteen, nine boys and six girls, will tonight bid good-bye to Athena Hi where they leave behind them the years spent in public school training, to enter upon a period of effort in acquiring education of a higher trend. Dr. Davis, of Whitman college will deliver the commencement address to the class which has for its motto, "stick to the ship." Class colors are rose and cream, and the class flower, rosebud. Those having ; charge ' of decorating the auditorium for the oc casion, have spared no effort in their work and as a result the audience to night will be surprised at the decora tive effect. ' The Members of the graduat ing class are Weldon Allen Bell, Alberta Charlton, Jack William Dow, Lee Foster,. Pearl Irene Green, George Gross, Areta Maxine Kirk, Marjorie Marguerite Wilson, Edwin Luvoise McEwen, Ralph Mc Ewen, Jr., Oral Michener, Wilford Miller, Donald Wayne Pinkerton, Emma Marie Ringel and Mildred Street The program is as follows: March............ '. Orchestra Invocation..; ;.....Rev. H. E. Dow "Sweet and Low" High School Presentation of Class Gift Wilford Miller Vocal Solo Mrs. David Stone Commencement Address Dr. Wm. R. Davis Overture Orchestra Presentation of Awards Supt. Lee A. Meyer Presentation of Diplomas B. B. Richards Benediction....... .. Rev. H. E. Dow Baccalaureate services were held at the auditorium Sunday evening, be ginning at 7:30. Rev. H. E. Dow, pastor of the First Baptist church of Athena delivered the sermon. The program for the Baccalaureate ser vices follows: Hymn Congregation Invocation. Anthem ." Quartette Scripture Reading. Announcements. Solo Mrs. R. B. McEwen Baccalaureate Sermon..Rev. H. E. Dow Anthem Quartette Benediction. Pheasants Thrive In Eastern Oregon Reports from the state game farms at Corvallis, Eugene and Pendleton show that up to April 30,. eggs were gathered as follows: Chinese pheas ants, 6356; Wild turkey, 507; Guinea fowl, 525; and Mongolian pheasants, 98. The Hungarian partridge has not started laying. 'This season many more Mongolian pheasants will pe raised thai) heretofore as it has been show?) that they thrive in. East ern Oregon where plantings have been made. Experiments being carried on at Oregon State College under the su pervision pf the state game commis sion to determine the food habits of Chinese pheasants is being watched by other states,. The experimental work has been under way for the past ten months and has two more months to go when a report will be made. Ten representative agricultural coun ties of Oregon art the scenes of the work. So far it has been learned that while the pheasants eat a certain amount of cereals they also destroy pests that do damage to crops, and feed on weed seeds that if given growth would be destructive to the farmer. , Michigan and other state game commissions have asked for re ports on the work now being carried on. A Half Section Is Being Planted Daily By Four Crews A half section of land 320 acres- is being planted daily to beans in the Athena-Weston district, ' : where more than 6000 acres have been leas ed from landowners by the Eickhoff Products company for its first year in bean production in this section. Divided into four crews, operating two caterpillar tractors, each draw ing three corn planter w.n-h me equipped with mechanism ior rtrilhncj the seed beans in the soil, plant ing operations are 'well under way.. - - Each crew manning two tracwrs nH six rfanters. seed on an average about 80 acres per day. . Two crews are operating in Athena neighborhood nnAer supervision of Marion Hansell, and two crews at Weston, where Buzz Fisk is overseeing the work. Refora h seed beans go into ilie hoppers on the planters, they are in oculated as soon as tie sach.3 are opened, put into the containers im modiatelv and sent on their way through the drilling apparatus and down under the soil, which has pre vimislv been nacked and carefully . - prepared to receive the seed. Permanrit Clinics Held For Children Miss Edna Flanntean. county health renorts that Dermanent clinics for children have been established in this countv. These clinics are being held at the hospital in Pendleton each Monday morning, oegmning ai 9:30. An average of eleven patients at tended the clinics during the month of April. One tuberculosis clinic was held durinsr the month at which twelve patients were examined." In cooperation with uuia ne&itn Week, the county health association had for its special project a ehart ex amination tor ail cnuaren iaKing nnrt in district track meets, the ex aminations being made by different physicians, when- 469 pupils were examined. Ten mwlls were eliminated from all activities of the meet, and ten were limited in their activities. Ul the ten eliminated, seven returned to their physician for re-examination and treatment. Makinir ImnroTementa Henry bell is making extensive im provements to his " cottage on High street east of Fifth, which is to be occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Armond De Merritt, who are moving to Athena from Walla Walla. A new addition is being built on the south end of he couage, ana me interior is aiso un dergoing alterations. Local Rain Welcome A good, hard shower qf rain of an hour duration was welcomed heri Saturday, and during the afternoon Intermittent showers fell. The rain fall was local in scope, a. few miles from town but little moisture was in evidence. Gardens and growing crops in the Athena vicinity were greatly benefitted. How to Dispose of Ten Millions? HI PRICES AI LOWEST FOR YEAH Chicago bears caught the grain markets in a weak moment Tuesday and drove wheat prices down to rock bottom for the year. Made vulner able by the huge exportable Ameri can surplus carried over from the great 1928 crop, with shipping fa cilities clogged, and a new crop only eight weeks distant, wheat quotation, sagged 2 to 3 cents at. Chicago, and from 8 to 9 cents at Win nipeg, where the pit had taken a holiday while American markets were starting down hill. The market had closed before the Western trunk lines announced a voluntary cut until September 3Q of grain rates for export, taken at the behest pf President Hoover to facili tate the movement of the 1928 cany- over to the seaboard. The reduction ranged frqm j to 11$ cents per hundredweight of wheat, Enormous short covering, much of it for foreign account, seemed to have little effect on the Chicago pit. Win nipeg's opening weakness had given impetus to the downwarq movement at Chicago, and the marKet snowed little inclination to rebound. The lowest prices for the season since 1924 were marked down, and at the finish wheat was about 28 cents under the year's peak price of three months ago, and 50 cents under the figure a year ago. May wheat closed at $1.05 to $1.05, July $1.104 to $1.10, and September $1.13 to $1.13. Other grains also were undermined but corn was firm in comparison. On top of optimistic crop comment for this year came the latest esti mates of the heavy surplus still in storage from last year's record yield on this continent. In Canada 38,000,- 000 bushels were said to be packad away in elevators at the seaboard competing with domestic grain for the foreign market and for shipping fa cilities. Montreal, with elevator ca pacity for 15,000,000, bushels, report ed 21,000,000 bushels on hand in eleva tors, ships and on rail, and private reports indicated nq relief in sight before Jate May. Meanwhile markets abroad were cutting the American price, Liver pool closed 2 to 2Z pence lower than yesterday, and at noon Buenos Aires was 4 to down. The Canadian visible supply was estimated at 88,927,000 bushels, com pared with 77,656,000 bushels a year ago. i $ G Harold Smith of New York, who is In the unique position of a mun who has $10,000,000 at his disposal, and doesn't know what to do with It, So Mr. Smith has asked for suggestions from the public nnd how they're coming In. Mr, Smith will , present $1,000 to the person who mnkes the best sug gestion to him. FAVOR MILTON MEN PERTAINING TO HOUSE BILL NCP.EASE IN 363 SALARIES Milton, Oregon, May 8. (To Editor, Athena Press:) The following item appeared in the Portland Oregonian of May 5th: "The referendum Idea has struck Umatilla County, and A. R. Shumway, member of the Legisla tive Committee of the Grange and Constitute a substantial ' group with the almost unanimous, judgment of the Legislature, its Umatilla County representatives in the Legislature, the deliberate judgment of the Gov ernor of the State, but likewise the judgment of its own members, which Farmers Union Is credited with being the inspiration. The referendum is aimed at House Ball No. 363 increas ing salaries of Umatilla County of ficers . Eight counties pay the County Judge more than Umatilla; five counties pay their Sheriffs more; twenty-one counties pay their As sessor more; seven counties pay their School Superintendent more; five pay their County Clerk more than Uma tilla, but the Grangers of Umatilla county consider the county officials are paid enough at present. In view of the history oi tnis leg islation, and the facts which make its enactment essential and desirable, it is hard for us to conceive that the Grange of this county would endeavor to accomplish its defeat, unless its members have not been fully or correctly informed. The membership of the urange locally, as we kpow it, is composed largely of men and women who are sincerely dedicated to the cause ot efficient and economical government. We do not believe that they wqu'fl wilfully want to commit their organ ization, or themselves, to any course which would not be fair and just to the Granges, or which would be prejudicial to the welfare of the -cunty as a whole, and certainly In no event would commit themselves to any policy for or against any legislation, without first informing themselves of all available facts in connection therewith, Therefore, in order to bring perti nent matters concerning House Bill No. 333 to the attention of the Grang ers of this county, and others who might be Invited to sign the referen dum petitions when presented, we re spectfully urge their consideration of the following facts before they sign such petitions and thereby delay the operation of what we conceive to be just and necessary legislation. Concerning the history preceding the enactment of this bill, do you know: That only two of the sixty mem bers of the House, and only one of the thirty members of the Senate vot ed against, this measure after it was fairly presented to them! That the membership of both House and Senate has a large number of men who are members of the Granga and who are faithful to the principles of that organization and diligently assert themselves against any meas ure which they believe prejudicial to the interests of the organization, and that only two of these Grange mem bers voted against the bill? That the Governor did not sign the bill uptil after thorough investi gation of Its necessity, and after con- sultion with representatives of the Grange and that this bill was one of the few salary bills which received his support? That for the Grange to initiate ref erendum proceedings against the bill at this time is to repudiate not only in the Legislature? That the last salary increase for any official of Umatilla County was nine years ago, in 1917. That the present salary of the Sheriff was established thirty-three years ago? That the present salary of the County Commissioners was establish ed twenty-five years ago? That the present Balary of the As sessor was established twenty-three year ago? That the present salary of the County School Superintendent was established twenty-three years ago? Concerning the necessity and the circumstances which justify the in creases provided by this bill, do you know: That since the Assessor's salary Was established in 1905 the valuation of the property in Umatilla County has increased 550 per eent? That when the Sheriff's salary was established thirty-three years ago the county had a. population of less than fifteen thousand, and an assessed valuation of less than Five Million Dollars? That the work in the County Clerk's office has increased over eighty-per cent since the last salary raise pro vided for that office, not taking into account the increases in work inci dent to the primary election laws? That the gross amount of moneys handled by the Treasurer's office has increased over two hundred per cent since the last salary raise authorized for that office? That even the City School Super intendents in Umatilla County re ceives a larger salary than that re ceived by the County School Superintendent? That on January 1, 1919, Umatilla County had a total of ten miles of improved highway; on January 1, 1929, Umatilla County had a total of 342 miles of improved highway, an increase of more than 3320. per cent? That during the past ten years the Umatilla County Court has beep re sponsible for the expenditure of $5,- 100,000 for all purposes, an average expenditure of $510,000 annually, and that during that time no warrants against the general fund have had to be registered, nor interest paid there on, and that the County Court, dur ing that time, and without mandate from the people, has saved in various ways over $25,000 to be applied upon the construction of the much need ed county jail? f , That during the past ten years all of the $1,050,000 voted by the people for Improved roads in Umatilla Coun ty will be entirely paid during 1929, and that Umatilla County, on January 1, 1930, will be entirely out of debt and on a cash basis? It is assumed, '. without knowing, that one of the pretended objections to the enactment of thi3 mt-auru is its supposed increase in county taxes. We who lign' thi letter "have alway s U, of O. Merman jgp ill'1'6 1 l X This is Johnny Anderson, leading college swimmer in the northwest, who will head the University of Oregon team that will Invade California next month for dual meets with Stanford. California, Southern California and IJ. C. L. A. Johnny holds several Pa ?itlo Coast conference records. consistently identified ourselves against unwarranted increases in taxes, but it is our honest opinion that the passage of this bill will not have this result. In this connection we ask: ' ; - Do "you know that the aggregate increases in salaries provided by this bill is only $4,300 annually, and that the last session of the Legislature also passed a bill which cuts flat mileage from the expense accounts of all county officials, thereby saving to Umatilla County, in terms of 1928 experience, an amount which is equal to, if not greater than, the aggregate increase provided by this bill ? That Umatilla County is now the second wealthiest county in the state and has the lowest rate for state and county purposes in the state, a tax of only 14.9 mills, against tax rates in other counties of more than doublo that amount? That even if the salary increases were not offset by the saving in mile age, House Bill No. 363 would only raise the taxes .88 of a mill, or, re solved in terms of cents, eight cents on every thousand dollars ? That by reason of the full payment in 1929 of the bond issue referred to, there will necessarily be a. decrease of 20 per cent in county taxes for the next assessment, and that the future discloses a sharp decline in county taxes and this notwithstanding the in crease in salaries provided? In view of the facts, it is hard for us to believe that any one serious ly interested in increasing efficiency in our county offices can seriously ob ject to House Bill No. 363. That the laborer is worthy of his hire is a principle as applicable to the employment of our public officers as it is to our private employees, and that when the burdens and responsibilities of office increase, that a fair compen sation should be made thereof. If perchance, members of the Grange are disappointed with the actions of various county officials, then there is an appropriate way for them to regis ter their objections directly against given officials through the polls. The present officials are only accidently beneficiaries of House Bill No. 363. It is Intended primarily to fix rates of pay which will, in the future, in duce persons of ability to seek the positions. Without this inducement, the taxpayers of this county will be confronted with the possibility of higher taxes as a result of the kind of inefficiency which always follows under-pay mcnt. Respectfully submitted, ROBERT G. STILL T. C. FRAZIER W. S. MUNSELLE John A. Keller Dies At Pendleton Hospital From Heart Trouble John A Keller, well known in Ath ena, where he formerly lived for many years, died Monday night at St. Anthony's hospital in Pendleton, after a critical illness of several days from heart trouble. Familiarily known to his friends as "Jack," Mr. Keller came to Athena in 1900 and worked for some time at his trade, that of stone mason. Later he engaged in farming west of Ath ena. Later he went to Portland, and returning to this county, he has been farming in the vicinity of Helix. Mr. Keller was born at Nurstand, Minnesota, and attended Hamline University at St. Paul. On June 20, 1898, he was married to Miss Flor ence Smith, who with two daughters, one son, two brothers and one sister, survive mm. Funeral services were held from the Methodist church at Pendleton Wed nesday afternoon, with Rev. Melville T. Wire officiating. Members, of he Odd Fellows lodge took charge of the funeral services after the services were held in the church, and his body was brought to Athena for burial. Mr. Keller was a pioneer member of the I. O. O. F. lodge and a member of the Masonic order. Will Observe Mother's Day, On May 12th Sunday evening in the Christian church auditorium, the combined congregations of . the Baptist and Christian churches will give a suit able program in honor of Mother's Day, to which all are invited. The program follows: Trio, by the Orchestra. Hymn Congregation Scripture Reading Louis Stewart Prayer G. R. Gerking Solo.' Kohler Betts Reading I....- Esther Berlin Quartette. Talk .....Rev. Dow Piano Solo Marjorie Douglas Reading ; ......Mrs. C. M. Eager Pagant, Mother's Day, with special songs by Mrs, Reeder, and Mrs, Stone and music by orchestra. Hymn, "Blest Be the Tie" Congregation Benediction. UNION COMPANY ENTERS ATHENA Hatchery to Reopen The state game commission an nounces that the hatchery at Bingham Springs will be reopened at once, and by June first over a million eggs from Diamond Lake will be put in the troughs at Bingham hatchery. Visitors Here 1 Rev. and Mrs. D. Loree and children were Athena visitors Saturday. Rev Loree was formerly pastor of the local Baptist church. The Union Oil Company was grant ed permission to establish a dis tributing station in Athena at a meet ing of the city council, Monday eve ning. The consent of the council was necessary for the reason that the station will be located inside the city limits. The location selected by the Union people i opposite the Standard Oil plant, south, across the road and just inside the city limits, The location is on Northhern Pacific property and on the west side of Northern Pacific tracks. The entrance of the Union in the Athena field increases oil distributing plants to three. The Standard and the Continental oil companies already have stations here, the Standard be ing the first to enter local territory, followed by the Continental. In other sections, producing com panies are acquiring service stations the Shell company having purchased a service station in Pendleton this week. The Continental owns the Athena Service Station under lease to Bryce Baker.. So far the Standard has no down-town service station of its own, and it is not known what the Union's intentions are relative to a service station here. Athena Mothers Entertained . About sixty-five Athena mothers were entertained in the Christiari church reception room last Thursday afternoon when the Etude club gave a most pleasing and appropriate pro gram. A pageant depicting five stages of life, beginning with the child and ending with old age, was carried out with music and readings. with Mrs. Laurence Tinkerton at the piano. Many old-time melodies were used, the whole being keenly ap predated by the guests, young and old. One special feature was a wed ding which was carried out in an impressive and realistic manner. The entire membership of the club par ticipated in the program, and all de serve special credit. Each mother was presented with a pink carnation, and pink tulips centered the table where later, Mrs. D. A. Pinkerton and Mrs. Laurence Lieuallen of Adams cut cskes and poured coffee. Weston Won From Athena - Weston defeated "Pike" Miller's Athtna town team in a closely play ed game at Weston, Sunday; by a scdre of 7 to 5. " RATE SITUATION IS f, IJOR Cheap Lands In Canada Are Challenge To Food Ex port Markets. In a letter addressed to farm offi- ciala jrf Oregon, Idaho and Washing ton, Arthur M. Geary, attorney for the farmers in the grain rate cases has explained the present status of the case and the lines he will follow in carrying the fight through with the interstate commerce commission at Washington. Mr. Geary's letter in part, is as follows: The nature of the proposed report in the grain case as it relates to Washington, Oregon and Idaho has two possible explanations. One is that in the maze of contentions and counter-contentions of railroads, market and milling interests through out the country the prime object of the investigation' under the Hoch- Smith resolution, namely, to bring re lief to agriculture has been over looked. The other is that the pro ponents of the report feel that the time has come for the forced reduc tion of wheat acreage in this country to a basis that will no more than sup ply the domestic requirements. What ever the explanation, there is no side-stepping the issue raised which the farm organizations of Washington, Oregon and Idaho must face. With about 90 per cent of the wheat of Washington and Oregon and the soft grain growing sections of Idaho now going into export, there is no use in minimizing the serious ness of the situation. Our problem appears in large part to be the gaining of the attention and the ear of the eleven commissioners long enough for them to understand the true facts as they affect a great industry in these states of the north west. The viewpoint of the examiners ap pears to be exactly the opposite to the Canadian commissioners as ex pressed over a year ago in their de cision under the Canadian "Hocb- Smith resolution." To quote from one of the Canadian commissioners: "Canada must place her wheat on the world's market at a price .that will compete with the offerings of other countries. If she cannot do that she cannot sell, and if she cannot sell and at a profit to the producer she cannot produce for export. The national interest imperatively de mands that production shall be in creased to the limit that the world market will take at a price that will meet costs of transportation and enable the farmer to successfully con tinue and to extend his operations." By their cheaper and newer lands and lower freight rates obviously Canada has issued both a challenge and an invitation. The challenge is to flood the world markets with wheat at prices under which Washington, Oregon and Idaho wheat growers can not operate at a profit. The invita tion extended by extensive advertising and colonization offices in this coun try is for the grain farmers in in creasing numbers to continue to ex patriate themselves and to become growers of grain on the Canadian prairies. By excepting brief and oral argu ment it is my intention to drive home to the commissioners the basic fact that the Canadian competition en titles Oregon, Washington and Idaho and for that matter, Montana grow ers to the " lowest possible legal freight rates over the price fixing routes to the North Pacific ports; also, that the more of this wheat that , is diverted out of the country the bet ter it is for the grain growers of the other sections. Wheat Farmers Meet Wheat farmers of Umatilla County will have an unusual opportunity to get first hand information on the market outlook for future wheat crops if they attend a wheat grow ers' meeting which has been arranged to be held at Pendleton today. The important subject of grain grading, how it is done and what it means to the producer will also be featured on the same program. The combination offers one of the most attractive ses sions held in recent yers for grain growers of this county. Dry At Yakima F. S. LeGrow of the First National Bank, made a business trip to Yakima a few days ago. On his return Mr. LeGrow stated that the alfalfa crop and pasturage in the Yakima valley had been greatly retarded by dry weather. Lack of moisture had the effect of drying up the soil to the ex tent that in some localities it was ba ren of vegetable growth almost entirely.