Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1932)
PAGE TWO HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 1932. BOARDMAN By RACHEL JOHNSON. Mr. and Mrs. Guy Barlow, Mr. and Mrs. O. H. Warner, and J. F. Barlow were Pendleton visitors on Saturday. Mr. Warner, who is ill, went to consult his physician. Howard Packard spent the week end in Portland. The Home Economics club met last Wednesday at the home of Mrs. Shannon. About twenty la dies were present and enjoyed the afternoon. Lena and Dave Rose of Irrigon were Boardman visitors Friday eve ning and attended the basketball games. Mr. and Mrs. A. A, Allen and family of La Grande spent Sunday at the Jess Allen home. Clayton, who has been visiting here with his grandparents for the past two weeks, returned home with his par ents. A number of Boardman folks at tended the dance in Irrigon Satur day evening. The World Day of Prayer will be observed February 12th at 2 p. m., in the community church, by the ladies aid. All ladies are invited to attend. This will take the place of the missionary meeting which was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb ruary 17. Mrs. Bessie Smith of Heppner, formerly a resident in Boardman, visited here last week. Mr. and Mrs. L." G. Smith of Portland came Friday for a visit at the J. R. Johnson home. On Monday they motored to Umatilla to spend a few days with Rev. and Mrs. W. O. Miller. Mr. Smith is selling baby chicks for the Santa Clara hatchery in San Jose, Calif., and is taking orders for them while in this locality. The Boardman Athletic club team defeated the Heppner town team in a basketball game played Friday evening in the Boardman gymnasium by a score of 18-27. Lo cal players in the game were Bar low, Steelhammer, Klitz, Rands, Packard, Wilson and Berger. Hepp ner players were Gentry, Fergu son, Howell, Crawford, Stewart, Green, Shuirman and Robertson. The high school game with Lex ington preceded the town taem game, in which the Boardman team was badly defeated. After the games chili beans and crackers were served to the teams and guests by the high school and ath letic club. Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Marschat were hosts at a lovely dinner Tues day evening, having as guests Miss Miriam Campbell, Miss Katherine Brown, Mrs. Henry Shrader and Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Kennedy. The high school students under the direction of Miss Campbell gave an amusing and interesting pro gram in the auditorium Wednes day afternoon for the rest of the school. The program represented the scenes of an old time school room. Willard Baker was the schoolmaster and the high school students were the children who were rehearsing a program they were to give. All signs of -spring vanished Sat urday when a steady snow started and did not let up until late Sun day. There was about 5 or 6 inces of snow on the level Sunday and the strong east wind caused deep and almost impassable drifts. There was no school Monday or Tuesday as the school busses could not drive over their routes. The snow plow is at work on the county roads and the highway crew has been kept busy clearing the high way. Some Boardman folks attended the show "Sooky" in Hermiston Friday and Saturday evening. Keep the Railroads Moving By CALEB JOHNSON Everybody in America is con cerned in one way or another with the situation of the railroads. Dan iel Willard, president of the Balti more and Ohio Railroad, as chair man of the presidents' committee of nine on railroad reorganization, has proposed to the railway unions that they accept a reduction of ten percent in wages. The proposal for a wage reduc tion, which would cut the railroads' operating expenses by about $210, 000,000 a year, is the last effort of the railroads to keep out of bank ruptcy and to reduce their costs to a point commensurate with the fall ing off in business and income. Railroad earnings in 1931 were a third less than ' they were in 1929, and in the case of 72 of the rail roads the revenue, after paying op erating costs, was not sufficient to pay the interest on their bonds. These fixed charges, consisting of interest on money borrowed from the public with which to build, equip and extend railroad lines, must be paid, or the roads have no chance but to go into the hands of receivers. And the first point at which the financial position of the railroads touches everybody is this matter of interest on railroad bonds. Comparatively few individuals own railroad bonds or are depend ent upon them for direct income; but more than three thousand mil lion dollars of railroad bonds are owned by the insurance companies, who are in turn responsible to more than fifty million policy holders, whose money they have invested. Insurance companies are allowed by law to invest the money they re ceive as premiums only in certain types of sound securities. Railroad bonds, in normal times, are re garded as next to the U. S. Gov ernment bonds and first mortgages on real estate in the matter of se curity. But if a situation should develop, as it has been rapidly de veloping in the past year, in which the railroads could not continue to pay the interest on these bonds, and the market value of the bonds should decline to a point where htey could not be realized upon ex cept at a terrific loss to the insur ance companies, there undoubtedly would arise a situation in which the companies could not promptly pay claims under insurance poli cies. It is easy to see, therefore, that unless the railroads are enabled by one means or another, or a com bination of methods, to continue to pay interest on their bonded debts, very widespread financial distress and disaster, affecting probably more than half of all the people in the United States, would follow. The mutual savings banks are in much the same position that the ln surance companies are. They own among them one billion seven hun dred million dollars of railroad bonds, in which thew have invested a considerable part of the savings of twelve and one-half million de positors. Because so many of the railroads whose bonds are held by savings banks in New York State failed to earn their interest in the New York Legislature recently passed a special act for the relief of savings banks, permitting them to hold bonds on which the interest was not earned last year. Other wise, they would have been com pelled to sell these bonds at their present low market price, at a heavy loss to their depositors. And what I have just set down is only one of the angles of the im portance to the whole people of putting the railroads in a position where they can continue to func tion and to earn at least the inter est on their debts. It Is of second arv importance for them to earn dividends on their shares. It is of the highest importance, however, that the railroads should be able to maintain their rights of way, roll ing stock and motive power in first rate condition. For, regardless of whether one approves of some of the methods and policies that have prevailed in railroad management, it is the railroads, and the railroads almost alone, that tie the United States together into a nation, that make the free and rapid exchange of commodities possible over the largst area in the world within which trade is absolutely free, with out taxes or duties between the states. The history of the develop ment of American industry and business is the history of the devel opment of rail communication. Once let the railroads get into a po sition where they cannot promptly and completely supply the demand for transportation, as that demand increases, then all business is slow ed down. The motor truck, com peting over good roads with the railroad on short hauls and provid ing door to door delivery has un questinably cut into railroad earn ings in many classes of freight, and those the classes on which the rate is highest. But the motor truck has not replaced, and can never replace, the railroad on long distance haulage for the transpor tation of such basic raw materials as coal, steel, lumber, grain and the hundreds of other kinds of low grade bulk freight The difficulties of the railroads are, to be sure, in large part, of their own making. But the high handed and overbearing policies which led many years ago to the regulation of the railraods through the creation of the Interstate Com merce Commission, are dead and gone history. Every fair-minded person familiar with railroading agrees that there is a much bettetr spirit In railroad managing today than existed at the time when their control by the government was a major Item of political agitation. There is still an active sentiment, to be sure, in favor of government ownership, if not government ope ration, of railroads. We had an experience .with government con trol and operation of railroads dur ing the war, and for a short time thereafter which Is not looked back upon with any great satisfaction by anybody. And a good deal of the railroads' present financial difficulties can un doubtedly be laid at the door of government regulation. In good times, when the railroads are earn ing large profits, they are not per mitted under the Interstate Com merce law to retain those profits and build up a reserve fund to use in paying for repairs, maintenance and interest in hard times. Rail road rates are regulated by law the amount that may be charged for the transportation of freight and passengers. If the earnings run above five and three-quarters per cent a year on the stock, they are required either to reduce rates or to get rid of the surplus earnings by redeeming their bonds, or other wise taking the money out of the railroad treasury. The government has the right under the Interstate Commerce law to step in and take from the railroads all their earn ings above that limited rate of divi dends. All other industries are per mitted to bulid up reserves which they can draw on freely when nec essary. No railroad can borrow a dollar without first getting the con sent of the Interstate Commerce Commission. These governmental regulations frequently put railroad owners in a position where they have to choose between low rates and good service. , Since they can not raise the rates they have to reduce the quality of the service or go into bankruptcy. The proposal to reduce railroad wages 1b only one of many meas ures which the railroads are trying to put into force in the effort to continue to give service and keep out of bankruptcy. Some of the roads, ef course, are a great deal worse off than others, but all of them are in serious difficulties and, as I pointed out, their troubles re act directly upon almost everybody in the country. Railroad receiver ships would mean, beyond doubt, the dismissal of many more men from railroad service and would add to the burden of unemployment Economic conditions generally are such today that practically every body has to choose between getting less money for his work of getting no money at all losing his job. The brightest ray of hope in the whole situation of the railroads is the authority given to the Recon struction Finance Corporation to come to the assistance of railroads which are in difficulties by taking over their maturing obligations which they would otherwise be un able to meet and so giving them a chance to keep everything rolling on schedule. John Bergstrom, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Beckett and Mr. and Mrs. B. O. Anderson. The Misses veima Huston, Margaret Beckett Doris, June and Mary Allstott ana Terreii Benge, Otis and Don Allstott, be sides Mr. and Mrs. Parker and Onez and Marjorie. Thnsa who attended the dance at Rhea creek last Saturday report a good time. Because of the snowy weather only a few besides grange members were present, but never theless a good time was had by all. Because of the cold and snowy weather the schools of this com munity have been closed until the weather is better. Those closed are the Rhea creek, Liberty, Hall Ridge and Eight Mile schools. Fred Kruger of Sherwood is the week-end guest of A. E. Wright Don't forget that the lecturer's hour at the Rhea Creek Grange hall next Sunday will be opened to the public. Mr. Shumway is to be the principal speaker. The grange will hold Its next bus iness meeting at the grange hall on February 7th. NOTICE OF SALE OF ANIMAL. Notice is hereby given that by virtue of the laws of the State of Oregon I have taken up and now hold at my place In Blackhorse can yon, in Morrow county, State of Oregon, an animal hereinafter de scribed, and that I will, on Satur day, January 30, 1932, at 10 o'clock a. m., sel the said animal to the highest bidder for cash in hand sub ject to redemption by the owner thereof. Said animal is described as follows: 1 mare mule, dark brown, no vis ible brand, about two years old. ORAL SCOTT, 44-46 Heppner, Oregon. TUM-A-LUM TICKLER Published In the Interests of the people of Heppner and vicinity by THE TUM-A-LUM LUMBER CO., Phone 912 Volume 1932 Heppner, Oregon February 4, 193s. No. RHEA CREEK GRANGE ITEMS. By MARGARET BECKETT. A pleasant surprise party was given Frank Parker at his home on Heppner Flats last Friday in honor of his birthday. Cards and dancing were the entertainment fea tures of the evening. High honors in "500" were won by Mary Allstott and Tindall Roblson, who managed to keep their card Interests at ta ble one all evening. Those present wer Mr. and Mrs. Clive Huston, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Beckett Mr. and Mrs. Tindall Rob lson, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Benge, Mr. and Mrs. Loyal Parker, Mr. and Chas. Wilcox and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Rugg, Mr. and Mrs. WILL ADOPT NEW SLOGAN "A slogan true, for '32." My new slogan for Heppner and vi cinity is, "Spend for the home in 1932." Why not? Labor is cheap and building material prices worse they'll only go one way that's up UP. Correct to a Hair. EARL ES KELSON Editor Hot WE RECOMMEND CeloteX IWSVUTINe CAM! Prof. Lumley: "Give me an example of wasted energy." Roberta Thompson: "Telling a hair-raising story to my dad." Every day we sur prise some customer on how cheap build ing material is now. IRRIGON MRS. W. C. ISOM. As Mrs. Jess Oliver and little daughter Ethel were on their way home from Hermiston Tuesday Mrs. Oliver in some way lost con trol of her car as she was making the turn into Umatilla, The car left the highway, ran Into a rail road sign and turned over twice. tearing off two wheels, a fender, and broke the windshield and three windows. Mrs. Oliver was badly bruised but received no serious in juries. The little girl was unhurt Mr. and Mrs. Rho Bleakman and daughter Betty Jean of Long Creek and Mr. and Mrs. Dave Musgrave of Monument were over Sunday visitors of Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Isom. The Irrigon high school boys played a game of basketball with the Echo school team on the home floor Friday night The score was 13 to 16 in favor of the Irrigon team. A large crowd attended the dance given by the grange Saturday night and a good time was reported. Wiley Beneflel entertained a par ty of young folks at his home Fri day night after the game. The time was spent in dancing. A bountiful lunch was served. Mr. and Mrs. Vern Jones were Hermiston visitors Friday. The thermometer registered 4 be low zero Monday night. I I Labor Leader Honored Ira M Ornburn of New Haven. Conn., head of the International Cigarmakeri Union of America, hat been nominated by the Prei dent as a member of the Federal Tariff Commiibion. here's how to pay that bill . . by CHECK! Why put up with the many inconve niences cash involves when it's so much easier to write a CHECK? It's the modem way of meeting one's ob ligations. Best of all it's the SAFEST way of paying out money. No room for argument . . no doubt . . no risk. A Cancelled Check is undeniable proof that a bill has been paid. Open an Account at the earliest moment with Fir& National Bank HEPPNER, OREGON Kiniwlnloinnl? "Certainly," you say. "He is Benjamin Franklin." Why do you know him? Because he was instrumental in starting our United States? Because he was a great statesman, a great writer, a great philos opher, a great printer, or a great inventor ? No. You may know these things about him But, you know him, principally because you have READ about him, and have seen his picture PRINTED many, many times, and because you have read many things he wrote. Many of his Poor Richard say ings have become so well known and commonly accepted as truths that they have become household by-words. The name and visage of Benjamin Franklin have been perpet uated through the years mainly by PRINTING the art of which he was a recognized master in his day. "Printing is the art preservative of arts." It is a tremendous instrument of progress when properly applied whether in news paper message or private stationery, or commercial form. We will assist you in giving it proper application. Heppner Gazette Times