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WfTTTIIE GAZETTE-TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1917
editorial section
The Gazette-Times
The Heppner Gazette, Established March, 30, 1883.
T'iO Heppner Times, Established November 18, 1S97.
Consolidated February 15, 1912.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Three .Months - t .SOOne Year $1-50
iix Mou'lis .76f:ng'.e Copies : .05
Issued every Thursday morning, and entered at the postoffice at Heppner,
Oregon, as secoud-clabs matter.
VAAVTUU CR.WVFOItn. Proprietor.
ARTHVU R. CRAWFORDv Editor.
OFFICIAL PAPER FOR MORROW COUNTY.
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Thursday, September 6, 1917.
WE WILL ALL BE THERE.
The Fifth Annual Morrow County Fair opens next Thurs
day morning. Secretary Smead and his efficient corps of work
ers have been busy many days preparing things for our enter
tainment and enjoyment. Everyone of us must show our appre
ciation' by attending.
The Fair is an institution in common for all our people.
The idea which first conceived it was to bring all the people to
gether, with their products of industrial labor, in order that
the idea of cooperation might redound to greater benefits to all
concerned. Members of one community have the opportunity
of becoming better acquainted with members of every other
community in the county and learn each others' ideas and
methods. Its a broadening proposition. Then above this is the
introduction of men and methods from out over the world. The
county Fair is a clearing house for ideas that will make for th
betterment of local conditions.
Hence the Fair is held just as much for the man, woman
and child living on the borders of the Columbia on the north or
the family near the Grant county line as it is for the people of
Heppner or the near vicinity. Only a double duty is placed on
those who are honored with making the fair a success. We of
Heppner are hosts in every sense of the word and as such we
must make every effort to prove ourselves worthy of the con
fidence placed in us. Past years have proven us worthy. Let
us maintain our reputation.
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KEEP YOUR MONEY AT HOME.
From time to time efforts are made to combat the encroach
ment of eastern mail order houses into communities such as this,
Merchants who pay taxes, who have homes here and who art
vitally interested in the welfare of the community, rightfully
resent the Mow of cash to the big concerns which have no in
terest here save to get the money. Newspapers have fought
this mail order evil for years, making vigorous battles for th
sake of the local retailer, who often gives little or no support to
the publication which does its utmost to hold the trade here for
him. "We are glad to say that the majority of Heppner mer
chants appreciate the situation and are giving their eoopera
tion.
A new angle to the situation has developed at Spokan-.
where the Retail Trades Bureau has started an extensive cam
paign against the eastern catalogue concerns. Instead of urg
ing citizens to spend their money in Spokane rather than som
it east, the merchants association is advocating home patron
age in every town with the slogan "Keep Your Money in tin
Inland Empire." The argument is made that each of us should
first try to secure goods from the man who has his business es
tablished here. Failing to find the desired article in the loca
store the consumer is next urged to buy it in the nearest town
where it is obtainable. The logical result would be the foster
ing of business everywhere, the building up of an enormous
trade.
The move to unseat the present mayor of Chicago for his
treasonable acts, should, and undoubtedly will, receive the
unanimous support of all loyal Americans. His attitude frpm
the beginning has not been such as would inspire his followers
to any good purpose for the great cause which carried us into
war against Germany. All his actions, all his utterances and
all his influence has been directed as any ally of the kaiser
would direct his influence. When William Hale Thompson per
mitted the People's Council of America for Defense and Terms
of Peace to assemble in Chicago this week, he raised a storm of
opposition there that had already made itself manifest in three
other states of the Union. The pacificists are working in direct
contradiction to the policy of the administration and therefore
their acts are treasonable. In time of war traitors are dealt
with harshly. This movement will be suppressed as it should
be and before the business is wound up there will in all likeli
hood be a new mayor in the city of Chicago.
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THAT FREE STUFF.
(Corvallis Gazette-Times.) '
The newspapers could do themselves and their community
a real service by resolving to refuse to print any of the free
dope sent out and then sticking to the resolution. The govern
ment doesn't ask the railroads to transport supplies free of
charge, nor the soldiers to work for nothing, nor the shipbuild
ers to build ships gratis, nor the munition manufacturers to
donate their powder and shells. If it did they would be laughed
at ami scorned. The president and the cabinet officers and con
gress are still drawing their salaries and when they decline
to take them for patriotic reasons then it will be time for the
newspapers to give away their only commodity, which is ad
vertising space.
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FARMERS HAVE A RIGHT TO HOLD THEIR WHEAT.
Ex-Governor Hay predicts that unless the government
leals more justly with the wheat-growers of the Pacific north
west, fanners will organize and withhold their grain until they
are put on an equality 'with the growers of the eastern states.
They would have the right under the law. The govern
ment can name a price, but it can not compel the producers to
take it. Section 6 of the food control law relates to hoarding
by dealers, and expressly exempts the producer in the follow
ing proviso:
That any accumulating or withholding by any far
mer or gardner, cooperative association of farmers or ,
gardeners, including live stock fanners, or any other
person, of the products of any fann, garden or other
land owned, leased or cultivated by him, shall not be
deemed to be hoarding within the meaning of this act.
In protesting against the government's action as it stands
today, the wheat-growers of the Inland Empire are not unrea
sonable. They are patriotically willing to sell their grain to the
government at an arbitrary figure much below the price they
would receive if the market were left to the control of the or
dinary law of supply and demand. Considering the known fac
ors, it is not improbable that wheat would have gone to $3 or
H a bushel if the markets had Hot been put under government
control.
Their grievance is not against government control, nor the
p2.20 basic rate, but against the inequitable plan of administer
ing that basic rate, under which they must be docked a 30-cent
height rate between here and Chicago, while Atlantic seaboard
growers are given the Chicago basic plus the freight rate.
There is one rule for them and a diametrically different
rule for the eastern farmer. They are penalized for distance
from Chicago; the eastern grower is rewarded for his distance
from that city.
If it is said in defense of the unjust plan that wheat is want
ed for the allies and must be carried across the continent to
New York, there are several answers to that fallacious plea
Much of the Pacific coast product will be kept here for home
consumption and seed. Much of it will go across the Pacific, to
China and Japan.
But even though all of the wheat of the Pacific slope were
wanted by the government for our allies in Europe, it could be
shipped through Pacific terminals by sea. The government is
building great fleets of merchant ships on the Pacific coast,
building them for service between the United States and Great
Britain, France and Italy. Why not load them at Pacific ports
and establish basic wheat markets on the Pacific coast ?
From any point of view the government's actiou is wrong,
and our farmers are justified in insisting that it be rectified.
Spokesman-Review ,
BREAKING THE KAISER'S BACK
Some days ago an American newspaper man who was tool
ing over the scores of neutral ships lying in New York harbor
loaded with grain and awaiting authorization to sail, remarked
'This is where Uncle Sam breaks the back of the kaiser."
During the past three years the neutral neighbors of Ger
many have done an enormous business by supplying her with
American foodstuffs. There will be no more of that sort oi
ausiness during the war. The embargo law gives the president
Aa power to prohibit exports entirely, but it will probably not
jp necessary to go to that extremity. For the present exports
.vill be merely controlled. President Wilson proposes that no
American cotton, sugar, meat or any other, article which can
.ad Germany will reach that country through neutral countries
The purpose of the president, as announced in his recent
leclaration, is "America first"; our allies second. When these
wo needs are satisfied neutral countries will be permitted to
)ny our food and wares, but only under the most rigid regula
tions which would make it practically certain "that none of
stuff exported from the United States could reach Germany by
levious ways.
Germany can make no defense against this powerful kind
of warfare. Always in peace timus she has been a heavy im
porter Under war conditions with scarcity of labor
and fertilizers, which were extensively used, the food supply
will be far below normal. Deprived of food and other supplies
which have come to them through neutral neighbors the plight
of the German people during the coming winter will be de
plorable.
In the face of the new embargo law of the United States it
is believed that no neutral nation will dare to sacrifice any of
its foodstuffs to aid Germany. As the matter stands now it
appears that the newspaper man was right when he said
"This is where Uncle Sam breaks the back of the kaiser."'
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LIBRARIES FOR THE CAMPS.
This is a reminder that our soldiers in the camps at home
and abroad need libraries, not a lot of books promiscuously
thrown together, but comprehensive, well organized libraries
that will be of value during the time this country is at war.
For this purpose $1,000,000 is required, and the generous people
of each state are expected to contribute in proportion to the
number of troops from the several states.
The work of selecting the libraries is in the hands of
trained librarians who have volunteered their services. Good
books make their own appeal, and no one who adds to his store
of knowledge or increases his pleasure from them need be per
suaded to give according to his means; still, many folk need to
be reminded not to forget to make the contribution. Portland
Telegram.
City Meat Market
All kinds of Fresh and Cured Meats and Lard
This is the place to buy
Oysters, Crabs, Clams, Salmon, Halibut, SmeJts
, AGENTS FOR "SEALSHIPT" OYSTERS
Johnson & Johnson
A 6000-MILE TIRE
THE
LANCASTER WIREGRIP
The Tire With a Thousand Claws
Insures greater mileage and
costs but little more than
ordinary tires.
L.E. HILL, Agent
Willow Street, Heppner, Ore.
MM M MM
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FIRST NATIONAL BANK
!
0
SN THESE TIMES OF UNUSUAL BUS
iness conditions it is a matter of pru
' dence to prepar for the days to come,
in your business and private affairs.
We invite you to associate yourself in
a financial way with this institution, which
for nearly 0 years has weathered all
storms and today stands as solid as a rock,
with practically unlimited resources and
equipped to give the best banking service
possible.
"Whether you want your ready funds
cared for or require capital for your legiti
mate requirements, we are ready to serve
you.
The First National Bank
Heppner, Oregon.
Capital
$100,000.00
Total Resources
Over $1,000,000.00
The city is making an effort to fill the chuck holes in Main
street with crushed rock. This will fix the holes which they
are filling, but how about the new ones which will soon appear
around the fills. Temporary fixing may get us through the win
ter but there is no getting around the fact that we have a.big
job ahead of us some day in the matter of permanent street im
provement. The longer we put it off, the bigger the bill will be
in the end.
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Two of Marrow county's young men left Heppner Wed-,
nesday to join the new National Army at American Lake. Half
of the remainder will leave on the 15th of this month and the
rest will go c'arly in October.
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