L SOCIETY
OREGON HISTORICA
PUBLIC A'JOITORI'J
p 0 R T L A :
Volume 52, Number 43.
HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, JAN. 2, 1936
Subscription $2.00 a Year
WILL
HEAD STATE ASSAI.
Elected to Vice Presidency
of OSTA at Portland
Meet Last Week.
LIONS BACK PLUNGE
Enthusiasm for Swimming Tank
Evidenced in Club Outlook on
New Year; Guests Speak.
Election of Mrs. Lucy E. Rodgers,
county school superintendent, to
the vice-presidency of Oregon State
Teachers association at its annual
convention in Portland last week
end was told the Lions club Mon
day by E. F. Bloom, city school
superintendent. Her selecton was
cited as a mark of high distinction,
as it implies elevation to presidency
of the organization the coming
year. Mr. Bloom, himself recently
raised to the presidency of Oregon
State High School Athletic associa
tion which met concurrently with
the state teachers' meet, thereby
claiming much of his time report
ed briefly on activities of the or
ganization. He said a new deal in manage
ment of state high school athletics
through giving smaller schools
more say was put into effect at the
meeting. The change was origin
ally sponsored by James M. Bur
gess, former superintendent here,
he said.
Strong sentiment for early con
struction of a swimming pool in
Heppner was loudly voiced by Lions
who gave views on the outlook for
the new year and ways in which
the Lions club might better serve.
In starting the swimming pool agi
tation before the club, one member
said he knew where $100 was avail
able for the project immediately it
takes definite form. Admitted in
the discussion was the fact that suf
ficient water for operating the tank
must be assured before the project
Is undertaken, and several Lions
olced the opinion that the project
could be put across without diffi
culty once water is assured.
A city beautiful was suggested as
another venture based on an ade
quate water supply. And it was
proposed that the Lions and other
interested citizens could do much
toward accomplishing such things
by attending council meetings and
supporting the city government in
action toward that end. It was
suggested that the council is loathe
to take responsibility without know
ing the desires of the people.
Sentiment was voiced that a feel
ing exists in the community that
the Lions club attempts to usurp
glory -where it is undeserved, and
that ridicule is made of the men
who attend, sing songs, and pat
each other on the back. Lions
touching the subject believed this
was probably the case but were not
willing to desert the only service
organization through which united
effort may be obtained for further
ing community progress simply be
cause their efforts were not always
looked upon with approval.
General satisfaction was felt with
the club's past record, and a spirit
of optimism and enthusiasm was
voiced as the club looked forward
to the new year as one of enlarged
oportunity in which to serve.
Joel R. Benton, a club guest,
brought greetings from the Kiwanis
club of Fort Benton, Mont., where
he now resides. F. A. McMahon,
corporal of state police, another
guest, cited assistance of his or
ganization in getting serum to La
Verne Van Marter when he was re
cently stricken by spinal meningitis
as a type of service which the state
police are always ready and willing
to give.
RETURNS FROM BAKER.
J. G. Barratt, president Oregon
Woolgrowers association, returned
the first of the week from Baker
where he went to attend an asso
ciation executive commttee meet
ing and help lay plans for the an
nual convention to be held In that
city January 10-11. Mr. Barratt said
he found Baker determined to out
do Heppner's hospitality extended
the convention last year and re
ceived promises of support on ev
ery hand.
IS PIERCE STENOGRAPHER.
Miss Henrietta Ashbaugh of La
Grande, daughter of Mrs. Ethel
Ashbaugh of that city and formerly
of Heppner, has left for Washing
ton, D. C, to become stenographer
for Congressman Walter M. Pierce,
says Tuesday's East Oregonian.
Miss Ashbaugh has been employed
at the county agent's office in La
Grande and has bene granted a six
months' leave of absence.
MORROW COUNTY FIRST.
Morrow county has been reported
as the first county in the state to
complete the work of signing up
wheat farmers for the new allot
ment contracts. The work was fin
ished here last week end, reflecting
credit upon the committee, Harvey
Miller, R. B. Rice, George N. Peck
and helpers.
PURCHASE NEW HEARSE.
The Laurence Case Memorial
mortuary recently purchased a late
model hearse, an attractive addi
tion, to Its equipment. It was pre
viously owned by a leading Port
land mortuary which had licensed
It for service this year.
LEXINGTON
By BEULAH B. NICHOLS.
As a result of the icy highway
the car of Mike Harton of Echo
and Pat Canning of Pilot Rock ov
erturned about three miles west of
here last Wednesday. Mr. Harton
was badly lacerated about the face
and several stitches were taken
after he had been taken to Hepp
ner by the Phelps ambulance. H
was later placed in the Heppner
hospital.
Joel R. Benton conducted ser
vices at the Christian church Sun
day morning.
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Bauman en
tertained with four tables of 500 at
their home Christmas night. High
scores were received by Mrs. J. E.
Gentry and W. D. Campbell and
ponsolation by Mr. and Mrs. Karl
Miller.
The Lexington high school bas
ketball team will play the Stanfield
quintet on the local floor Friday
evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Dee Cox were vis
itors in Pendleton Monday.
Edith Edwards is absent from
school on account of illness.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Dinges and
son Danny have returned from
Portland where they spent the
Christmas holidays.
Mrs. Myles Martin and Mrs. Chas.
Marquardt will entertain the Lex
ington Home Economics club at an
all-day meeting at the grange hall
Thursday, January 9. Members are
requested to be at the hall by ten
o'clock.
Archie Munkers has returned to
Sadem after a short visit with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mun
kers. Mr. and Mrs. Otto Ruhl celebrat
ed their twenty-fifth wedding anni
versary with a dancing party at
their home Saturday evening. A
large number of neighbors and
friends were present and all report
an enjoyable evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Jackson and
children have returned from a va
cation in Portland.
Misses Elsie and Irene Tuckci
are spending the Christmas holi
days here from their schools a".
North Powder and Nyssa.
Mrs. Elsie M. Beach is spending
the week in Portland.
Mrs. Elmer Hunt and children
have returned from San Francisco
where they spent the Christmas
holidays. They were accompanied
home by Mr. Hunt who has been in
that city several weeks.
Danny Dinges Is absent from
school on account of illness.
Miss Betty Skyles has returned
from Portland wher she spent the
holidays.
Miss Harriet Pointer of Mon
mouth (spent the week with relatives
and friends In this community.
Wilbur Steagall is confined to his
home with a sore throat
Miss Shirlee Smith returned Sun
day evening from Hillsbiro where
she spent the Christmas vacation.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Matlock of
The Dalles spent the holidays with
relatives in this city.
Mrs. W. B. Tucker has returned
from a month's visit in La Grande
at the home of her daughter, Mrs.
Paul DeF. Mortimore.
Vester Thornburg spent the
Christmas holidays with relatives
in this city.
Mrs. J. E. Gentry is quite ill at
her home here.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Whillock of
Heppner are visiting at the Charles
Breshears home.
Annual Breakfast Shows
Big Future for The Dalles
More than 200 men of the mid-
Columbia district were seated at
the annual Parade of Progress
breakfast in The Dalles Tuesday
morning, and enjoyed the program
of pageant, speeches and fun-mak
ing in which was depicted past and
future progress. Predicted was
The Dalles as the future metropolis
of the west when it becomes a sea
port and large industrial center
following completion of Bonneville
dam. Rev. Hopper, Congregation
al minister of Portland, made the
headline address In which he
stressed the need of social unity in
bringing about progress, and com
mended the spirit evidenced by the
breakfast. Harold Sexton, Wasco
county sheriff, was the commodore
directing the program from the
poop deck of an improvised ship, as
toastmaster. The Dalles Lions
sponsored the event, and other ser
vice organizations cooperated.
Attending the breakfast from
here were C. J. D. Bauman, S. E.
Notson, Joseph Belanger and Jas
per Crawford,
NEW ALMANACS OUT.
The new 1936 Telephone Alman
ac, an annual publication of the
American Telephone & Telegraph
company, is now available, and
copies may be obtained free at the
telephone office, according to Miss
Opal Brlggs, agency manager here
for the Pacific Telephone & Tele
graph company. The new almanac,
which has 32 pages, contains inter
esting Information on astronomical
calculations, temperature data for
representative cities in the various
stiites, and other typical almanac
information, as well as many facts
regarding the history and develop
ment of the telephone.
LICENSKS TOTAL $2183.50.
Hunting and fishing licenses sold
In Morrow county for 1935 totalled
$2183.50, according to the report of
Clerk Charles Barlow just made to
the state game commission. The
total exceeded that for 1934 by $20(
In his time as clerk, Mr. Barlow
Issued an even $2000 worth of licenses.
Charles Notson Tells Experiences
In Escaping Chinese Red Invasion
Yellow River Craft
An inflated goatskin pontoon
raft like that on which the Not
sons journeyed 600 miles down
Yellow river in escaping Chinese
red invasion of their mission dis
trict. A native son or daugh
ter was caught in foreground.
House 4, Methodist Mission,
Peiping, China, Oct. 30, 1935.
Dear Folks:
Enclosed are some pictures and
a few comments on our trip by raft.
You may already know the facts as
the reporter for the Associated
Press met the train at the edge of
the city and gathered the informa
tion which he said would be cabled
to the United States, including our
names and addresses.
Communists had entered Kansu
province from Szechuan. The large
army of government troops sent to
repel the communists act only on
the defensive, often failing to stop
small groups who cut the motor
road to Sian, which is the terminus
of the railroad. Motor busses and
mail trucks were frequently burned
on the road between Lanchow and
Sian. This situation made it im
possible for us to make the trip
from Lanchow to the railroad.
Warnings were sent out by the
American and British consuls to
their nationals. The river route
(via the Hwang Ho, or Yellow riv
er) being the only way open and
likely to be closed by ice by the end
of October, or even sooner, we de
cided to go by raft. And, as I
wrote you from Ningsia, we start
ed on October 9th.
Several rafts had carried China
Inland Mission folks from Lan
chow to Ningsia, in August, and in
September the Griebenows went by
raft from Lanchow to Paotow. They
are now at Salem, if they had no
delays- There were 22 adults and 7
children in our party.
Sheep of the Hwang Ho basin are
often amphibious. Although land
travelers in life, after death their
smoothly shorn skins, well greased
and inflated, are the chief support
of commerce upon the waters of
the upper Yellow river. As a small
boy in eastern Oregon, I aspired to
become a sheepherder, but never
entertain a fancy of some day
floating down one of China's large
rivers on a raft made of willow
poles and six hundred sheep and
goat skins.
Our raft was a large one. Usual
ly produce for market, light freight,
and passengers are floated between
neighboring cities on small units of
twenty-five to thirty skins. I saw
a raft of six skins carrying six
men. It looked as if they were
squatting on the water itself, for
scarcely any of the raft was visi
ble beneath them. If a "flat" ap
pears while on the water, free air
Is promptly supplied from the lungs
of the raftsmen. Punctures are
patched just as you would patch a
small boy's trousers with needle
and thread. At the end of a long
trip, as this one, requiring two or
three weeks, the skins are deflated,
folded into packs, and returned by
donkey to the starting point, an ar
duous journey requiring twice the
time of the down trip.
At the beginning of the trip, our
raft was separated into two parts
for easier handling, and the first
day, as we were rushed through
swift waters in the gorges, a double
crew manned the oars, or sweeps,
used for steering. In the gorges,
loud roaring pummelled our ears,
rock cliffs became a kaliedoscope of
jutting angles, while the long poles
of the raft's framework buckled
and dipped until we felt ourselves
on a serpent's back. Three tense
hours of this excitement having
fled, we finally eluded the wide
spread trap of an ugly whirlpool
and slid away from the tumbling,
churning waters to a quiet beach
where we tied up for the night.
In prospect lay smooth sailing,
moonlit shores with singing to a
guitar acompanlment, long days of
leisure and quiet, interrupted only
by tasks incidental to preparing
food for a raft of hungry mission
aries. We, as we anticipated, saw
camel caravans crossing pictur
esque sand dunes and had the
pleasure of seeing thousands of
migrating wild fowl geese, cranes
and ducks.
With the lower reaches of the
Gobi desert on our left and the Or
dos on the right, solitude enclosed
us except during stops at desert
cities, when crowds of strange peo
ple, curious but friendly, flocked to
the bank to gaze at the "strange
people" on the raft.
Favored by tranquil autumn
weather, we felt little cause now
for anxiety from possible bandits
who occasionally puncture the
skins with bullets to compel their
victims to land. But our peace was
to be broken In an unexpected way
Tied to the bank one evening In
the glow of a radiant sunset, the
party landed for exercise, and
found upon the sand in sprawling
Chinese characters, sentiments om
inously anti-foreign. Quicksand
In Native Garb
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Notson
pictured with Chinese Moslem
priest. They donned robes typi
cal of the section.
added to the unfriendly atmosphere
of the place. However, usual prep
arations were made for retiring,
and voices were subdued to an un
dertone as groups gathered at dif
ferent parts of the raft for an eve
ning chat or a cup of tea. From
the raftsmen on the beach, wrapped
in sheep furs, came the heavy
breathing preliminary to the louder
snoring with which they accom
panied their rest from labor. Sud
den loud gurgling of water rushing
beneath the light willow frames
caused some comment, but not un
til the raft was actually swinging
from the land did we realize the
ropes had broken and we were on
the crest of an unusually strong
current. Pa shlh! Pa shih! rose
the cry for the raftsmen. Already
they had sprung to their feet and
were leaping through the water.
Crack, smash! the left front sweep
had lifted a near-by boat and had
thrown it on its side. At this the
men reached the oars, but only
three had succeeded in boarding the
raft, and with increased momentum
the frail but burdened craft swung
to a heavy collision with the bank.
Row out! shouted the men, but
what could three do to check a
force that would test the combined
strength of all seven raftsmen?
Reeding in the powerful 'current
the raft plunged another corner
with a sickening impact Into the
sand, receiving a' Tenching that
threatened to tear it apart and
leave us to struggle in the black
waters beneath. Every flashlight,
candle and lantern available were
held high in the darkness only to
throw a ghostly gleam against the
speeding shore and reveal too plain
ly the approach of each terrifying
shock. By the dim light a racing
figure could be seen tearing through
the tall grass. Thur! In the brief
moment of contact the youngest
member of the crew cast his ath
letic form at the raft, splashed into
the river to his waist, while eager
arms reached out. He was on!
Thank God, a man for each corner.
But still the tragic slugging con
tact with the bank continued.
Pwong! Paw! Skins were burst
ing like toy balloons in the hands
of a child. Strained at every point,
the raft began to sag awry like a
goods box under heavy weight.
All the while a constant murmur
of prayer was rising from the pas
sengers, who, accustomed to audi
ence with God, were unashamed to
call upon Him In their distress. The
head raftsman, a husky Moslem,
with stubby iron grey beard and
close cropped hair, leaping to grasp
an oar, shouted, "All of you pray!"
And a moment later was himself
seen with both hands in the air im
ploring divine aid, quite in con
trast wth the quiet, unperturbed
manner characteristic of him and
his fellows.
At the cost of a splintered oar, a
distance from the bank was gained
at last, and we glided swiftly on in
darkness until finally the raft
grounded upon a receptive sand bar
in the middle of the river, six or
seven miles from our earlier an
chorage. The other raftsmen "bor
rowed" a boat from a fisherman
and came aboard later.
At Paotow (pronounced Bo-too)
we stayed a day and a half in a
native Inn, and then took train for
Peiping on the morning of October
27, having been on the raft 17 days.
We arrived at Peiping on the morn
ing of me 28th. About 4 a m. an
axle under our baggage car broke,
beating a hole in the floor of the
car and causing the engineer to
stop the train in time to avoid a
wreck. As we were coming down
grade on a curve, It was regarded
by the train officials as a very dan
gerous situation.
This morning we visited the
Chinese school and enrolled. It is
expensive, but we can't afford to
lose time. Howevere, we find that
students who enrolled three weeks
ago are as well grounded in the lan
guage as we are after our five
months study with a native teacher
at Hochow. The Instructors here
are fine. Credits earned here are
recognized by colleges in America.
So, you see the school Is one of ex
cellent standing.
Peiping has a ppoulatlon of 815,
000. It Is the former capital of the
Chinese Empire, but the capital of
the republic Is at Nanking.
CHARLES NOTSON.
M. J. Devln was in town this
morning from the Sand Hollow
ranch. He is enjoying quite good
health at present after having been
111 for some time.
TO BEJN BALLOT
Registration Closes for
Special State Election
January 31st.
SALES TAX IS ISSUE
Voters to Decide Method of Legis
lative Pay, Student Fees, and
Time of Primaries.
Four measures will be given the
electorate to decide at the special
state election, January 31, registra
tion for which closed Tuesday.
Three of the measures, providing
for changing primary elections from
May to September, legislative com
pensation amendment, and sales tax
bill to raise revenue for paying the
state's portion of the old age pen
sion, were referred to the people
by the legislative assembly, while
the fourth a bill authorizing student
activity fees in state higher educa
tional Institutions was referred by
petition of the people.
Texts of the proposed acts, and
arguments for and against their
passage, are contained in the official
voters' pamphlet sent all registered
voters from the secretary of state's
office this week.
Bill for changing time of holding
primary elections provides for hold
ing the elections the first Friday
after the first Monday in Septem
ber instead of the third Friday in
May, and making the necessarv
changes caused thereby in the
method of electing delegates to na
tional conventions of political part
ies and the nomination of national
committeemen and committeewo
men of political parties and in the
time of performing certain other
acts and official duties in connec
tion with elections.
The legislative pay amendment
provides for amending Article TV,
section 29, of the constitution so
that members of the legislature
shall receive such compensation as
may be provided by law instead of,
as at present, receiving $3 a day
Dut not more than $120 for any one
session, and $3 for every 20 miles
travelled in going to and returning
from the place of meeting on the
most usual route, the presiding of
ficers of the legislature receiving
$5 per day; extra sessions still, as
now, not to continue longer than
20 days each.
The sales tax bill would provide
funds for old age assistance, aid
to the blind and dependent chil
dren, by imposing sales tax on gross
income from sales of tangible per
sonal property, of two percent for
retail sales and one-fourth of one
percent for wholesale sales; trans
porting such property from the
state without sale, considered as
sale. Exemptions include gross
sales up to $50 monthly; sales to
United States, state, their agencies
and subdivisions; sales of motor
vehicle fuels, fresh sweet milk, can
ned milk, butter, eggs, cheese, raw
unprocessed fruit and vegetables,
meat, fish, unsweetened loaf bread,
rolls and buns for consumption off
premises.
The student activity fees bill pro
vides for authorizing the state board
of higher education to levy and
collect from students in Oregon
State Agricultural college, Univer
sity of Oregon, and the state nor
mal schools fees of not over $5 per
term, of approximately three
months each, for development and
promotion of recreational and cul
tural activities; the funds so col
lected to be administered by such
organizations as the board may
designate.
Program Announced
For Pomona Meeting
Rhea Creek grange will be host
to Morrow County Pomona grange
on Saturday, January 4. Newly
elected officers will be installed at
the morning session which should
begin at 10:30. A program open to
the public will be given in the af
ternoon. Soma of the numbers are, a play,
"The Long Horn," Rhea Creek dra
matic club; music, Marjorie Parker;
reading, Jane Huston; music Dy
Rhea Creek school. Other numbprs
will be given by subordinate
granges, and it is possible that a
speaker from the outside will be
present to talk on questions to be
submitted to the voters at the com'
Ing special election. Gilliam-Wheel
er Pomona grange will confer the
fifth degree on all candidates In
waiting at the evening meeting.
NOTICE
To owners of irrigated land on Wil
low, Rhea and Hinton creeks:
That there will be no water di
verted from any of these creeks
during the months of January ana
February, 1936, unless the watr
reaches the Columbia river. This
is done in order to Insure stock
water on lower Willow creek.
By order of the County Court
STUDENTS BACK TO SCHOOL.
General exodus of the many col
lege students home for the holidays
is being made this week end to re
sume studies at various schools,
with classwork at most of them
being resumed the first of the week.
T. H. Nichols, pioneer wheat
raiser of the north Lexington sec
tion was trading In town today.
I0NE
By MARGARET BLAKE
Many friends and relatives will
mourn the passing of Mrs. Alice
McNabb, who passed away at her
home in lone Mondav eveninc re-
cember 30, at 5 p. m. Alice Elnora
wameia was born July 15, 1862, at
Shedd, Linn county, Oregon. She
came to Morrow county at the age
of twenty, and was married to Wes
ley T. McNabb July 4, 1886. Mr.
McNabb passed away at lone Oc
tober 25, 1920. To this union were
born three children, all of whom
survive. They are Mabel Read of
Walport, Edna Jewell of Pasco,
Wash., Wesley McNabb of Califor
nia. In 1903 the children of her
brother, Samuel Warfield, were or
phaned and came to live with the
McNabb family. To these children
she was a real mother, rearing them
as her own. They were Jesse and
James of lone, Chester of Canada,
Lovely Fisk of Kennewick, Wash.,
and Sam, who died Feb. 28, 1934.
Except for three years spent at Nez
Perze, Idaho, she has lived in Mor
row county since first coming here.
Mrs. McNabb is survived hv
daughters, one son, two sisters, Mrs.
Mary Haney, San Francisco, Mrs.
Emma Howard, Vancouver, Wash.,
13 grandchildren and many nieces
and nephews, who regarded "Aunt
Alice" as a mother. Funeral ser
vices are being held at the Chris
tian cnurcn in lone this afternoon
at 2 o'clock. Locust chanter. O. E.
S., will be in chare-e of the sertHnps
The fifth annual reunion of the
class of '31 was held Friday eve
ning at the home of Mrs. Marion
Palmer of Lexington. Officers
elected for the following year were
Gladys Brashers, president; Gene
va Palmer, vice-president; Norman
Nelson, secretary-treasurer. A com
mittee was appointed to make ar
rangements for the 1936 reunion.
Members present were Margaret
Crawford, Norman Swanson, Earl
McCabe, Milton Morgan, Gladys
Brashers, Barton Clark, Geneva
Pettyjohn Palmer, Dorr Mason, Ir
vin Ritchie and John Eubanks.
Guests present were Beth Wright,
Clara Nelson, Mildred Eubanks and
Marion Palmer. Members unable
to attend were Helen Smouse Mar
tin, Veda Eubanks Brenner, Ordie
Farrens, Grant Conway, Virgil Es
teb, Louise Buschke and Francis
Troedson.
The class of "32 held its second
annual reunion at the home of Miss
Clara Nelson Sunday night.
Mrs. J. W. Howk and children,
Alan and Lois, of Condon, being
unable to come over for Christmas
because of the "icy roads, came by
train and arrived Thursday morn
ing for a Visit with her nnrpnts Mr
and Mrs. P. J. Linn, and her broth
er, Elmer Griffith. Mr. Hnwk riravo
over after them on Sunday. He
stated that the road was slick and
icy as far as Olex.
Clarence Linn arrived from rvil-
fax, Wash., Christmas evening for
a snort visit with his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. P. J. Linn. He came by
stage, and was delayed by the ice
on the roads.
The Januarv meetine- nf the Wn-
mens Topic club will be held at the
home of Mrs. Martin E. Cotter on
January 4.
Miss Freda Anderson and Miss.
Grace Duncan, teachers in thp Mor
gan school, returned Sunday from
tneir vacations, spent at Hood Riv
er and Oregon City, respectively.
Both attended the O. S. T. A. meet
ing in Portland.
All lone teachers were present
and accounted for Monday morn
ing when schools reopened.
Miss Dorothy Arant accompan
ied by Miss Maxine McCurdy, de
parted by train for Portland Wed
nesday, returning Sunday.
Norman Swanson who has been
spending the holidays with his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Swanson,
returned to Spokane Sunday.
Garland Swanson returned nn
Thursday from Salem
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Pomerantz
of Los Angeles were holiday visit
ors at the home of Mrs. Pomer
antz s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Clark. When thev rptnrnpd Mrs
Pomerantz's brother, Lowell Clark,
accompanied them.
Mrs. Guy Cason and children,
Guyla and Bobby, of Arlington vis
ited Mrs. Cason's mother, Mrs. Lana
fadberg, during the holidays.
James Lindsey and family visit
ed relatives in Portland last weeU.
Mrs. Lindsey, who has been quite
in, is improvea in neaitn.
Miss Bertha Akers had as a house
guest over the week end Miss Pat
ty Cason of Heppner.
Mr. and Mrs. Dan O'Hara re
turned to their home In Kinzua on
Sunday.
Mrs. E. J. Blake and children,
Donald and Joanne, departed on
Saturday nights train for Portland.
Mrs. Blake will visit her parents,
Rev. and Mrs. J. L. Jones and will
have Joannes glasses changed. Mrs.
J. H. Blake is staying with the
older children.
(Continued on Page Four)
December Turnovers Put
Collections Over Hump
Tax turnovers in December
brought total collections for 1935
to more than the current levy by
$8,654.66. Thus Morrow county goes
into the new year with less uncol
lected tax than existed at the be
ginning of 1935. Collections Tor the
year totalled $333,630.66, while the
current levy was $329,976.
A total of $134,470.39 was collect
ed on 1934 and prior years' tax, and
$204,468.74 was collected on the cur
rent levy. The uncollected balance
at the close of the year is $487,319.
78, as against $496,282.91 at the be
ginning of the year.
PRESIDENT CITES
EA UE AAA VIEWS
Wisdom Upheld as Ap
plied to Wheat ; Oppo
sition Political.
ATTACKS EXPOSED
Peculiar Situation of Northwest
Wheat Grower Makes Control
of Production Necessary.
Lexington. The Eastern Oregon
Wheat league is firmly committed
to the wisdom of the AAA program,
particularly as applies to wheat.
says E. Harvey Miller, newly elect
ed president, who has just issued
in condensed form a thorough re
port dealing with the AAA made
at the recent annual convention by
a special sub-committee.
This report was the result of ex
tensive study made by this sub
committee, headed by J. B. Adams
of Moro and contains much mater
ial not found in various national
discussions of the adjustment pro
gram, according to Miller. Follow
ing is a digest of the report:
There is being prosecuted in
Oregon, and over the nation, a con
certed attack against the Agricul
tural Adjustment act. In the east
this attack is intensified and bitter
far beyond the comprehension of
Pacific northwest farmers, who are
practically a unit in favor of the
act and are puzzled in endeavoring
to account for the intensity of this
bitterness.
Part of it appears to be due to
the mistaken idea that the act is
purely a piece of political legisla
tion. Another part seems to have
originated in the fertile minds of
eastern politicians who see a chance
to carry themselves to political
victory by stirring consumer re
sentment against processing taxes.
A third source of opposition lies
with the mills, packing plants and
factories which have paid large
sums in processing fees, although
every cent of such taxes has been
passed on to consumers. A fourth
source consists of. those easterners
whose views are that the act is a
diabolical scheme to take money
from the east and give it to the
west.
"First, the attack on the act as
one of Democratic party policy, it
seems to us, is the farthest of all
four from being founded upon fact
and is the most stupid. Is rural
free delivery of mail a Republican
act just because it was signed by
a Republican president? Is equal
suffrage purely a Republican idea
because of that fact that it was en
acted into law by a Republican
congress? Can any other funda
mental act be so labeled?
"Pacific northwest farmers have
been fighting for the very principles
embraced in the Agricultural Ad
justment act for more than fifteen
years past, and finally in 1932-33
were able to convince a large ma
jority in congress and a presiden
tial candidate that these principles
were just In the fall of 1932, be
fore the new president assumed of
fice, all of the leading farm organi
zations sent delegates to Washing
ton and these wrote the act sub
stantially as it now stands. It was
wholly a farmers' bill and to credit
the act now to either political party
would be a display of ignorance or
falsehood. Republican newspapers
are incredibly stupid in shouting
hysterically that it is a Democratic
plan or scheme.
"Second, the attempt of politi
cians to stir resentment among
consumers was to have been expect
ed. In political life it is every sec
tion for itself and the predominant
ly urban states can be counted upon
to oppose in the end most plans
which promise to benefit agricul
tural states more or less at the
cities' expense. We have here a
conflict between the industrial east
and the agricultural west that has
been active for years past and
which is no doubt destined to be
come more bitter as time goes on.
We believe it to be a short-sighted
policy on the part of the industrial
states, but we cannot change that
readily.
"Third, the hope of the mills,
packing plants, and certain fac
tories that they may be able to re
cover the processing taxes they
have paid and have In turn passed
on to consumers or which Is with
held from payment under court re
straining orders, Is the most sordid
of all. Some of the other kinds of
opposition are due to Ignorance or
lack of understanding or short
sightedness. This class of opposi
tion would sacrifice the entire
group of American farmers for sel
fish gain.
"Last, the opposition of the east
erner who is loath to see money
taken from his part of the country
and spent In the west or south.
That is what the processing taxes
more or less amount to In the end.
This opposition at least is honest,
as the act does tend to move east
ern money westward, but that only
reverses in a small measure the
flow that has been going on tho
past 100 years.
"The tariff has enabled manu
facturers to pay higher wages In
this country and these wage levels
have caused farm wages to be two
to ten times as high here as In oth
er competing wheat-growing coun
(Continued on Pas Four)