Face Eight
THE GAZETTE-TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THUESD AY BEPTEMBEB 13, 1917.
EDITORIAL SECTION
The Gazette-Times
The Heppner Ga.utte, Established March, 30, 1SS3.
The Heppner Tinus, Established November IS, 1S97.
Consolidated February 15, 1912.
S'JBSCMFTION RATES:
Throe .Months
iis Months .75fing;e Copies .05
Issuid every Thursday morning, and entered at the postotflce at Heppner,
Oregon, as second-claia matter.
VAWTER CRAWFORD, Proprietor. ARTHUR R. CRAWFORD, Editor.
OFFICIAL PAPEE FOR MORROW COUNTY.
Thursday, September 13, 1917.
MR. HOOVER MAKES A FRANK ADMISSION.
The Washington correspondent of The Spokesman-Review
reports that significant fact that Mr. Hoover, who, by the
way, had no hand in fixing the price of wheat, has frankly ad
mitted that if the wheat growers of the Pacific northwest ar
required to sell at a lower price than prevails anywhere else,
the consumers here have no hope of getting flour any cheaper
than consumers in the east.
For whose benefit, then, is the price-fixing committee work
ing The clear intent of the law is two-fold to encourage in
creased production, and to provide cheaper wheat and flour for
the consuming public. But a schedule that gives the north
western grower the lowest prices paid anywhere is not calculal.
ed to stimulate increased production in this important wheat
growing region; and a plan that will mean as high prices for
flour here as in the eastern markets falls short of justice to the
consumer.
By failing to name basic ports for the Pacific northwet..
and basic prices for this region, the committee proposes that ail
wheat bought out here by the government shall be treated as
THE
VARIETY
STORE
Will Appeal to Fair Visitors
Here you may fit out the child
ren with school supplies lor
the year. A complete assort
ment. Full line of Notions, Hosiery,
Enamel Ware and Crockery.
The Most Value for the Least Money
Raglan's Variety Store
May Street, Heppner
Sis
Batteries Re-Charged
We have recently installed a new y
TUNGAR RECTIFIER for re
charging batteries. -:- -:- -:- -:-
Not another one like it in Morrow
County.
BRINGNIN YOUR BATTERIES
We Guarantee Satisfaction.
The Oregon Garage
Home of the Republic Tires
; though it were going to Chicago. But much of it will never go
there. Much of it will be used for home consumption. Much of
it will be retained here for seed. And the surplus may even
tually go to Europe by water from Pacific coast ports through
the Panama canal.
In his letter to Senator Jones, Julins.H. Barnes of the food
administration grain corporation says they are trying to work
out that very problem of providing ships to take the surplus
wheat of this region from Paeiiic coast ports to Europe.
The freight rato on wheat from this region is 30 cents a bu
shel. The present plan proposes that 30 cents be deducted from
the price paid for every bushel of wheat grown in the Pacific
northwest. The fanner loses it. Mr. Hoover says the consumer
will not get it. Where, then, will it gof Will it be absorbed by
the millers, flie middlemen, the wholesalers and the retailers f
These are proper and pertinent questions, and they should
be pressed by our senators and congressmen. If the price-fixing
committee has erred in judgment, the error should be recti
fied. Spokesman-Review.
CAN WE LIVE IT DOWN ?
Every time there is a copious rainfall in Morrow county a
front page news item of the Portland Oregonian announces a
cloudburst at Heppner. After a record breaking dry spell, this
county received a good rain Monday which was accompanied
by a hard wind. In Heppner the lights went out because a flag
was blown over on the electric wires, causing a short circuit.
Now witness the news sent in from our city to the Portland
daily telling the world of the cloudburst hitting Morrow coun
ty. The streets of Lexington were flooded, says the report.
Then the article concludes with the information that "no par
ticular damage was done." It seems as tho Heppner cannot
live down the bad effects of an old disaster. Surely this will be
the case as long as we persist in sending our reports, of every
little rain that happens to fall our way. There are lots of things
that could be said about Morrow county in a constructive way.
Heppner is one of the substantial towns in Oregon and is mak
ing a steady growth that no one will deny. Darkened reports
going out to keep ever alive the fact that we did, at oi;e time,
have a real cloudburst here, will not help one whit in speeding
up progress in development, or add to the population any fast
er When a genuine calamity happens, then lets tell it, but when
a rain falls that does not soak up the streets enough o keep the
dust settled for twenty-four hours, then lets keep it under ourj
hats. We have been suffering from over exaggeration on this
cloudburst business about long enough.
t t
It now appears that the Northwest wheat growers will have
to take a price for their wheat equal to the price at Chicago less
the freight differential. Of course a few cents more will be
knocked off in grading, so our farmers will be doing well when
they get $1.90. Much of the wheat raised here will be ground
into flour by the local mills. Here the northwest miller should
be at an advantage. He will be able to get his milling Wheat
cheaper that the middle western or eastern miller (for surely
the government will be as consistent with flour as they
have been with wheat) and Pacific coast millers therefore
should get the same price for their flour. Buying for less ami
selling at the fixed market price will mean a bigger profit for
them than their eastern milling friends.
SHAKE WELL BEFORE TAKING
There can be no gainsaying the fact that wealth, particu
larly wealth coming from war profits, should be taxed heavily
to meet the burdens of the war. In fact the chief governmental
revenues should be derived from this source and it is going to
be so derived.
But it will not be wise for people to rely too much on the
fervid and frenzied oratorical outbursts of some of our senators
;nd representatives. There are a number of would-be presi
dential candidates in the list and the war revenue bill gives
them a fine chfince to shout from the house tops'for campaign
purposes. Some of these same men if the division were close
nl there was a chance that their professed ideas might be
written into law might be found voting on the other side of the
question.
Our senatorial patriots must be judged by their deeds
rather than by their words. Where have they stood and what
have they done in days gene by when they had a real chance to
serve the people and show their independence of great wealth?
Pendleton E. 0. v
BILLIONS.
Our war expenditures, past and prospective, are truly stu
pendous. They are teaching us to think in billions, where we
used to regard a million as a vast sum. But we are living in a
billion-dollar age, in a billion-dollar country.
We have already appropriated in round figures some $9,
000,000,000 for war purposes. We are preparing to appropriate
about $10,000,000,000 more, making $19,000,000,000 in all. Our
loans to our allies will reach some $7,000,000,000, which will be
repaid. Our appropriations on our own account, therefore, foot
up to about $12,000,000,000. This includes, however, large sums
for ships, which will be of service when peace is made. But the
figures do not look so large when compared with our resources.
For example:
Our National wealth in 1916 is estimated at $187,739,071,
090, whereas in 1900 it was only $88,517,306,000. Our National
income for the fiscal year ended June 30 last was more than
$45,000,000,000.
The value of our farm property in 1916 was $40,991,000,
000, and of our farm produce in the same year $10,501,686,000.
The value of our manufactures that year was $20,672,051,000.
In every column to which we turn for information about
our National greatness, our industry and our productiveness,
we encounter billions. The billion is fast becoming our unit.
What wonder, then, if we conduct our war on a billion-dollar
basis ? Oregonian.
A 6000-1
LE 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.
iiii
rt mm Fm
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
"TPN THESE TIMES OF UNUSUAL BUS
JJj iness conditions it is a matter of pru
'" dence to prepare 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 30 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
AN EDITORIAL FROM THE "OREGONIAN"
OF SEPTEMBER 6, 1917.
"i
IS LUMBER REALLY DEARER?
It is generally understood that the lumbermen of the
Northwest have had a tough time for quite a number of
years, but there are a few people, aside from those in
terested in some branch of tire business, who understand
fully, or even partially, the great slump several years ago
and the prevailing unfavorable conditions at the present
time. ,
It is estimated by government officials that In normal
times about one million people are employed in the lum
ber industries in the United States, and that one quarter
of these, or 250,000 are employed in the Northwest
Oregon, Washington and Idaho. But during several
years, up, say, to the first of July, 1916, 25 per cent of
these men were idle.
When the loss of wages to over 60,00 people is added to
strikes, car shortages, and the low price of lumber, it can
be seen that the lumbermen have had their worries. But
many think, since war orders began to pour Into the mills
and dealers, that once more the lumbermen are profiting.
Is that true? Is it not a fact that lumber comparatively
is today one of the cheapest commodities on the market?
An advertisement of the Tum-A-Lum Lumber Co.
makes the following statements: "In 1914 a Tum-A-Lum
barn cost 40 hogs; in 1917 same barn costs 24 hogs. In
1914 a Tum-A-Lum house cost 480 bushels of wheat; in
1917 same house costs 225 bushels of wheat. In 1914 a
Tum-A-Lum silo cost 220 bushels of corn; in 1917 same
silo costs 110 bushels of corn. In 1914 a Tum-A-Lum
machine Bhed cost 20 tons of alfalfa; In 1917 same shed
costs 10 tons of alfalfa."
Nowhere have we seen the facts as to the present com
parative prices of lumber so tersely stated.