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About Heppner herald. (Heppner, Or.) 1914-1924 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1924)
Morrow County 1-1-2: IF YOU WANT ALL THE NEWS OF MORROW COUNTY WHILE IT IS NEWS, READ THE HEPPNER HERALD. WE PRINT IT FIRST HIEPFNE VOLUME X HEPPNER, OREGON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1924. NUMBER 44 HFRAI ITS) FEDERAL REPORT SHOWS BETTER BANK CONDITIONS Bank Borrowings Reducea. Whole sale and Retail Trade Better I Than Year Ago Production and distribution of goods in the twelfth district contin ued evenly at high levels during January, 1924, accompanied by fur ther improvement in the already strong banking position. Reporting member banks in seven principal cit ies have Increased their loans slight y in response to the credit require ments of customers, while at the same time reducing their own bor rowings from the Federal Reserve Bank. , All member banks, both city and country, were borrowing $40,711,000 i'rom the Federal Reserve Bank on February 13, 1924, compared with total borrowings of $45,296,000 on January 16th. Since the holiday peak of December 26 th such borrow ings have declined $24,244,000 or 37 per cent. A similar decline was experienced a year ago, but it amounted to only $2,826,000 or 7 per cent. Deposit and Federal Re Berve note liabilities of the Reserve Bank were less by approximately $7, 000,000 on February 13th than on January 16th, total reserves in creased $12,000,000 during the four week period, and the reserve ratio of the ban'k rose from 77.7 to 82.7, the latter figure being the highest reached since the armistice. Industrial production has been maintained at high levels. Lumber mills of the district cut '11 per cent more lumber during January, 1924, than during January, 1923. Both shipments and orders received etx ceeded in amount lumber cut during the month, laying the foundation for a normal seasonal increase in output during the spring. Production of 'the principal metals of the district (gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc) has continued large in volume, al though slight declines in output of copper and silver are indicated by preliminary statistics for January. Average daily production of petro leum in California was 4.5 percent less in January, 1924, than in De cember, 1923, and 21 per cent less than in the peak month of Septem ber, 1923. Following this decline in production, which has materially re duced the rate of Increase of storage .stocks, prices of petroleum were ad vanced from $1.01 to $1.40 per bar rel (oil of 35 degrees gravity and above) on February 5th. In Octo ber, 1923, such oil sold for 76 cents per barrel. The number and value of building permits issued in 20 prin cipal cities of the district during January, 1924, was seasonally large, exceeding the number and value of permits Issued during Jaunary, 192 3, by 12.6 and 27 per cent, respective ly. The employment situation may be characterized as normal, with considerable unemployment among workers in those industries which usually operate at a reduced rate, if at all, during the winter. Normal growth of business activ ity, both as compared with one month ago and one year ago, is in dicated by the amount of checks drawn against accounts at banks (bank debits) in 20 cities of the dis trict during January. Gains of 1.2 per cent as compared with December, 3923, and of 6.8 per cent as com pared with" January, 1823, were re ported. Retail trade has been sea sonally active in most sections of the district, at levels slightly above those of a year ago.' In the wholesale trade some lines were active and others quiet during January, but In general the volume of goods sold was greater than a year ago. The general trend of prices of the principal products of the district has been upward. Advances and declines of crops still being marketed and in prices of livestock have been evenly distributed. Prices of the industrial metals, copper, lead and zinc, rose Appreciably during the latter part of January and the early weeks of Feb ruary. Lumber prices bave re mained steady at previous, levels. Subscribe for the Herald, only $2 FOUR SECTIONS ADDED TO SCHOOL DISTRICT At a meeting of the district boundary board composed of the county judge, the two county com missioners and the county school su perintendent held yesterday after noon at the court house sections 27-28-29-30 Tp 2 sodth Range 27 east, were taken into the Heppner school district, the action being taken upon petition of a number of citizens and no one appearing to remonstrate against the action. The property has not been included in any school district until this action was taken. Jt is valued on the county assessor's roll at $13,238.00. Weather Dope Bruce Kelly says: "I knew a month ago that we would have fine weather at this time for the almanac, the local weather prophets and the groundhog all predicted cold weath er and lots of snow in February." F. R. Brown says: "Now is the time to look out for snow and cold rains. ' I plowed my garden yester day." Vee Gentry says: "Gather butter cups while you may, there'll be plen ty other flowers to pluck in March and April. Be an optimist." Bill Stewart says: "I sold my farm last week so it makes no difference to me what happens, but," casting his eye skyward, "it's a safe bet we will have some sort o' weather foi the rest of this month and maybe up till after the 17th of March and then maybe it will get worse or bet ter" John Kilkenny says: "I'm too busy hunting up stray sheep that get lost in the tall grass out on my range to worry about the weather. This suits me fine so why change?" And Currier says: "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and it's only 4 days until March, so look out!" HE An unconfirmed story was going the rounds yesterday morning to the effect that the unfinished link on the Oregon-Washington highway be tween Jones hill and the completed work in Umatilla county this side of Pilot Rock is to completed at once by the state highway commission in order that the travel can be diverted rrom the Columbia River highway between Pendleton and Heppner Junction and sent via. the Heppner route. The reason given for this by Dame Rumor was that the Columbia highway is fast going to pieces and it is found impossible to keep it in passable condition even by expensive re-surfacing. It is said that some $33,000 was expended last fall on the 23-mile stretch between Pendle ton and Echo and already the com paratively light winter travel has played havoc with the repairs. This being the case, the report continues, the highway commission has decided that the only solution of the Colum bia highway problem is to hard sur face it the entire distance between The Dalles and Pendleton and the first step will be to complete the Oregon-Washington highway so that the travel may be sent this way while the other route is being paved. County Judge Campbell and Com missioner Benge had no information on the subject whpn interviewed yes terday by a Herald reporter. They were both inclined to be skeptical about the authenticity of the rumor for the reason that they accompanied Chief Engineer Klein and District Engineer Baldock on an inspection trip over the 3-mile stretch between Jones hill and Lena a short time ago when the matter of completing the highway to Lena was under consid eration. No intimation of any such project as this rumor ou Tines was given by the officials at that time and there has been no subsequent meeting of the highway commission when any such a plan could have been considered. Judge Campbell went to Portland today, however, to be present at the highway meeting tomorrow to take up the Lena-Jones hill project and If the bigger undertaking is in the air he will probably learn the details. Important Facts Regarding the County Unit System (Mr. Myers, author of the following article, is school superintendent of Crook county and is known as the father of the County school unit plan In Oregon. He was invited to be pres ent at the public meeting held hert recently to explain the workings of the system, but was unable to at tend and sent the article instead.) In the early history of the colon ies there could be little communica' tion, little exchange of commodities and ideas. Every settlement was al most an independent republic, isolat ed from other settlements, with pos sibly hostile Indians intervening, and lt3 law making body was the town meeting. Under these pioneer condi tions the "district school" sprang up, serving the people as no other sys tem could. Gradually the trails be came roads, Indians were subdued and civilization spread. v It became apparent to those wise old patriots, who were fired with zeal for a democratic school -system, that all children were not getting equal school opportunities. This be came even more evident after rail roads were built, factories estab lished, and other corporations came in to develop the country. The children who lived away from rail roads or other centers of great wealth often had the most meagre advantages, while those near the railroad, or other corporate proper ty, received the advantages of the big tax which such coporations con tributed. Under the district system, inequality in educational opportun ities, as w(ell as' in the tax paid by individuals for the support of schools wa3 inevitable. Therefore the states, which first started the! district system, were the first to' abandon it when it had outgrown its usefulness. It is equally true, in the early times that all civic affairs were in control of small districts. Roads and bridges were built to serve the needs of the small district exclusively. Of ten petty jealousies prevented con venient connections. Every district had its own plans, its own designs, some districts were compelled to un dergo a heavy expense for costly con struction while others had easy con struction and hence a light tax bur den. After a while these districts were formed into a township unit. As time went along these townships were formed into county units, not only for road and bridge construc tion but for all activities of the county. In this way the burdens of taxation were equalized, every tax payer paying the same number of mills on the dollar for the mainten ance of the county at large, i various counties of Oregon all affairs of the county are on the county unit SMOKELESS SMOKER But Lots of Steam A Program of Good Clean Amusement, Iinclud' ing Some Good Local Talent That Will Be of Interest to Everyone See Posters for Main Events THURSDAY, FEB. 28 7 :3o P. M. SHARP Basket Ball Hall Everybody Come (:) Admission 25 Cents LADIES ESPECIALLY INVITED basis except the schools. As the grouping of the various dis tricts Into larger units in civic affairs began to work out so advantageous ly, several of the Atlantic coast states adopted the towship as a unit for the support of schools in place of the district system. This was the natural unit as the township organ ization of government in eastern states was much more prominent than was the county organization. Southern and some middle western and western states gradually changed from the district to the county unit system. Ten states have the pure county unit system, that is supported finan cially by a tax on county-unit valua tion and managed and controlled by a county board of education. Ten states have the semi-county-unit sys tem, that is, supported financially by the unit but more or less controlled and managed by local boards. In a number of states there are individ ual counties which have the county unit, working under a state optional law. A year ago only sixteen states in the Union were left under the pure district system.' In many states county unit was first introduced as an optional measure. Then after the most progressive counties introduced it and proved its success the legisla ture passed a law making the sys tem required. As far a3 can be found no state or county that has adopted the county unit plan has ever been made to return to the district system alter trying out the county unit sys tem. The county and township unit sys tems are the only democratic plans that have ever been devised to equal ize educational opportunities lor children and the burden of taxation for the taxpayers. A system that has proved its superiority in so many other states ought to work in Ore gon, especially Crook County, Ore gon. It will come in every county but the time will depend upon the progressiveness of the people and the vision and aggressiveness of the leaders. The efficiency of the system has been tested in Utah since 190 5. It was adopted at first by two counties under an optional law such as we are attemtping to adopt in this coun ty. By 1914 the entire state was county unit. Reports from the coun ties in this stale indicate many de sirable results, among which are: 1. A uniform distribution of ed ucational advantages. Every child in the county given an equal oppor tunity wich that of every other in 2. Equalization of school tax. 3. Raised the el'ficieny standard of the whole teaching force. Better 1 1 A I vy LiA ORDER EASTERN STAR CLVB GIVES PLEASANT PARTY Members of the Eastern Star so cial club to the number of about 40, enjoyed a pleasant afternoon last Saturday at the lodge hall in the Ma sonic building. Mesdames Pruyn, Richardson, Shurte and Launtz were hostesses for the occasion and served dainty refreshments during the af ternoon. A new game called Travel was In troduced and furnished the principal entertainment during ...the session. The occasion was In the nature of a Washington party and the prizes aud ''' decorations were in keeping with that day. Army Recruiting Officer Here Corporal John Fisher, from the regular army recruiting office, Pen dleton, Oregon, is here on recruiting duty and will remain until Thurs day. Corporal Fisher Is authorized to make enlistments for practically any camp or station on the Atlantic or Pacific coasts, Mexican border, Philippine Islands, Hawaii or Pan ama. The corporal is making spe cial effort to secure men for the 16th infantry, wjiich is stationed at Gov ernor's island, Statue of Liberty and Fort Wadsworth, all in New York harbor. Five (ents car fare from any of the stations to 42nd street and Broadway, New York City. The 16 th infantry was the first regiment of infantry to go to France during the World War and the last to return. Men enlisting for the 16th infan try and other organizations on the Atlantic coast will be sent from San Francisco, California, by Transport through the Panama to New York Cityv IIH OIL COMPANY 10 ENTER THIS HELD Heppner is to have another whole sale oil station In the near future, according to information given out by L. E. Van Barter, wly Is handling the sale of a tract belonging to the McHaley estate to tlyj oil company. The deal was started last May but has been delayed while having the title looked up and the property ab stracted. The tract lies on the high way near the mouth of Hlnton creek and contains about two acres and it is understood the consideration is around $2000. According to infor mation received by Mr. Van Marter It is expected construction work will begin on the new plant at an early date. articulation and uniformity attract better teachers. 4. Brought first class schools to country children. Enrolled a higher percentage of the school census. 5. Increased percentage of atten dance and promotions. Reduced per centage of retentions and failures more than one-third. 6. The board elects -the county superintendent. This keeps the office out of politics and insure the selec tion of a competent person of pre scribed professional and educational qualifications. 7. Teachers are selected upon their merits. Recognition of special ly meritorious service. 8. It injects business methods In to the management of the schools. The clerk of the consolidated county district prepares all reports, keeps all records, elc. A county system can offer to the people at large fa cilities that no other kind of a sys tem can offer. Andy Rood Marts New Industry Andy Rood, Jr., has started a new Industry in Morrow county, having devised a machine for pulverizing manure from the sheep sheds of which there is said to be almost an unlimited supply In the country. Tin machine Is fashioned from an old threshing machine, is equipped with a self feeder and delivers the pro duct In 80-pound sacks r,eady for transportation to market. The out fit is driven by a Fordson tractor and will handle about 2000 sacks a day. Mr. Rood has contracts for 4r cars of the product and ships direct to coast and interior distributing points, some going to the Hawaiian islands. L GIVE TMINGION PLAY CLARENCE," CLEVER COMEDY, MAKES BIG HIT Much Real Ability Shown By Youth ful Actors in Producing Popular Play Booth Tarkington, much loved writer of stories df adolescent youth, was at his best when he composed the comedy, "Clarence," which was produced by high school students at the Star theater last Wednesday evening and it Is not saying tod much to assert that the youthful ac tors came mighty near constituting: an all star cast. The story was woven around the adventures of Clarence, a returned soldier, and the Wheeler family, con sisting of Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler, their flapper daughter, Cora; their very modern son, Bobby; Miss Pln ney, Cora's governess; Mrs. Martyn, Mr. Weeler's secretary; Delia, the house maid; Dinwiddle, the man servant; and Hubert Stem, a grasa widower with whom Cora was madly in love or thought she was. There was love, laughter and ludicrous sit uations a-plenty all through the four acts, none of which were lost on the audience which packed the house to the doors. Elmer Bucknum took the title role in the play and It's not too much to say that the part was created for him and Dorothy Pattlson, who took the part of Cora, was really quite at home in that character. Bruce ?pauldlng, as Bobby, also portrayed the part of the modorn youth to per fection and as Mrs. Pinney Elaine Sigsbee came off victorious In cap turing Clarence for her very own. Bemice Woodson, as Mrs. Martyn, made an ideal secretary to Mr. Wheeler, who was depicted by Carl Cason, and Bernice Sigsbee, as Mrs. Wheeler, took her part exceedingly well. Kathleen Mahoney, as Delia, made the cutest kind of a pretty housemaid and Leonard Schwarz, an Dinwiddie, carried his chin as high as the very best type of English but ler. Guy Hall, as Grass Widower Stein, also took the part well. The play was one of the best ever presented by high school students in Heppner according to the opinion ex pressed by many of the audience. County Politics Still Quiet Not much excitement Is yet appar ent In county political circles the on ly new developments of the past week being the announcement made today by Sheriff McDuffee that he will be a candidate to succeed him self in that office. No other aspir ants for the place have yet appeared. There was considerable talk for a while that H. J. Biddle, of lone, might make the race on the Demo cratic ticket but it is understood lately that he has declared he is not a candidate for any office. Ralph Benge, present county com missioner, Is much talked of for county judge on the Democratic tick et and it is believed lie will make the race. Mr. Benge stated to the Herald Monday, however, that he was not yet ready to make a definite announcement but admitted that strong pressure Is being brought to bear to have him take the nomina tion. Commission Davidson, who was In town yesterday, is undecided as to whether he will enter the primary or not. He will make a decision iu a few days. County Judge Campbell left for Portland this morning to attend the highway commission meeting tomor row. It Is expected the judge will bo a candidate to succcod himself, although so far he has made no de finite announcement. Church W (Hid lug TIiIh Morning Immediate relatives and a few close friends wero present at St. Patrick's church this morning when Miss Rose Doherty, of Lexington, and Mr. Wm. T. Doherty, of lone, were united in marriage. Rev. Father Cantwell performing the ceremony. The groom is a well known farm er residing near Ioiyi and the brldn is a sister of Mrs. James O. Doherty, of near Lexington. They will resld on their farm north of lone.