PAGE TWO
HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, FEB. 11, 1937.
LEGISLATIVE
HIGHLIGHTS
By A. L. LINDBECK.
Salem. Old age pensions continue
a major source of worry for the Ore-
. gon legislators as the session grinds
on toward the end of the 40-day per
iod for which the lawmakers can
draw their $3 per diem.
Governor Martin's budget makes
provision for pensions only to needy
persons 70 years of age or over.
There is, however, much sentiment,
especially among House members,
favorable to reducing the age re
quirement to 65 years. This would
increase the cost to the state and the
several counties by more than $3.
400,000 for the biennium. Savings
resulting through removal of the
needy aged from direct relief would
amount to approximately $1,000,000
tor the biennium. i This would still
leave a net increase of $2,400,000 in
the relief-pension burden. One-half
ot this increase, or approximately
$1,200,000, would fall on the state.
The other half would be borne by
the counties. Without additional rev
enue than that now available, such
a program would plunge the state
deeply into the "red." Several di-o
posals for new revenues to cover
pension needs are also before the
session, including an increase in in
come tax rates, taxes on fuel oils
etc. But Governor Martin has
warned against new tax laws as well
as against any deficit in the eenern
fund and any measure involving
either of these programs would prob
ably encounter his veto.
The House, stronelv nro-Town
send in its sentiments, might pass a
bill reducing the age requirement in
spite of its financial asoect in ful
fillment of the pre-election promises
of many of its members. The Sen
ate, however, more conservative in
its make-up, could be expected to
block any such program or at least
to uphold the governor's veto if it
should reach that point
As a compromise it is now being
proposed that this session content it
self with reducing the age of pension
beneficiaries to 68 years with a grad
ual reduction to the 65 year mini
mum effective January 1, 1940, when
this provision will be necessary in
order to conform to the federal requirements.
A bill by Senator Balentine which
would have made the school super
intendents in Hood River, Lincoln,
Crook and Klamath counties elective
was defeated in the senate Saturday.
These four counties operate under
the county unit system of school ad
ministration and under the present
system the superintendent of schools
is employed by the school board
whose members are elected by the
voters ot the county.
It now appears as though the vot
ers ot Uregon would have to pass on
the milk control act regardless of
what the legislature might do about
that problem. C. A. Townsend of
Portland is understood to be head
ing a movement to refer to the peo
ple an amendment to the milk con
trol act which would take from the
control board the authority to fix
tne retail price of milk.
The State Fair, Pacific Internation
al Livestock Exposition and state
association of county fairs are lined
up in opposition to the. proposal to
increase the state's "take" from pari
mutuel betting and let in a number
of additional fairs and rodeos on the
"cut." The proposal was originally
made by the Portland Rose Show
which wants to be cut in on the
spoils to the extent of $10,000 a year.
In order to make the "pot" big
enough to go around it is proposed
that the state take five percent out
of the bets placed on dog and horse
races instead of the present two and
one-half percent. The Astoria Re
gatta, Lakeview Round-Up and Red
mond Potato Show have joined in
the demand for a share of the spoils
and it is understood that others are
willing to participate including the
Independence Hop Fiesta, Molalla
Buckaroo, Siletz Rodeo and Taft
Red-head Round-Up. Present bene
ficiaries of the betting money, how
ever, are fearful that if the state's
"take" is increased it will discourage
betting.
First 1 936 AAA Money
Sent- Out to Counties
Checks for the benefit payments
earned under the 1936 agricultural
conservation program are now being
mailed daily from the branch dis
bursing office in Portland and will
probably continue for a couple of
months, according to N. C. Donald
son, secretary of the state AAA com
mittee in charge of the state office
at Oregon State college.
The first checks, totalling more
than $70,000, went to 233 farmers in
Sherman and Baker counties. They
varied in amount according to the
acres diverted from soil depleting
to soil building crops and the extent
of soil building practices carried on
last season. Through a coincidence,
the first checks were distributed the
same week that the first communi
ty meetings to organize for the 1937
program were called.
The state office at Corvallis has
been busy since the close of last
years cropping season carrying on
the detailed clerical work that is re
quired where federal payments are
involved. Every application has
been closely checked with the re
port of compliance and with all data
concerning the farms involved. At
that payment was greatlv speeded
up compared with former years be
cause of a branch of the general ac
counting office which was estab
lished at Corvallis to audit the claims
which were then turned over to the
branch disbursing office in Portland
hereby avoiding the lone delav when
claims were handled through Wash
ington, D. C.
Three Oregon men were invited bv
- ..
Secretary Wallace to go to Wash
ington, D. C, to take Dart in the na
tional farm leaders' conference called
early in February to consider and
make recommendations concerning
an ever-normal granarv plan and
other proposals and policies affect
ing agriculture.
The men invited from Oregon to
take part are Ray W. Gill. Portland.
master of the Oregon State grange;
William H. Steen, Pendleton, mem
ber of the state AAA committee;
and A. R. Shumway, Milton, head of
the Worth Pacific Grain Growers'
cooperative.
The American Federation of Labor
has its headquarters in the A. F. of
L. building, Washington, D. C.
Much County, State
Land Off Tax Rolls
Tax reverted lands in Oregon now
compose 1,195,675 acres, valued at the
time of foreclosure at $12,475,024, it
was revealed in a report iust com
pleted by the Oregon State Planning
board, entitled "Statistics of Tax
Reverted Lands in Oregon."
The information, which includes
complete details on tax reverted
lands tor every county in the state,
was compiled for the special com
mittee on timber taxation, appoint
ed by Governor Martin in 1936. The
data formed the basis for legislative
recommendations made by this
group. Material for the report was
gathered by N. S. Rogers, of the
state tax commission, and J. E. Bad-
ley and Warren P. Smith of the
planning board s research staff.
Reverted lands now total 2.95 ner
. . i
cent of the total rural area of Ore
gon, the report shows. The ratio of
privately owned lands to the tax-
reverted area is approximately 14
to one.
Tax reverted lands in Morrow
county total 70,500.27 acres and 1,032
city" lots. The total assessed value
of this property is $180,820. Charges
against the property total $28,581.72.
Of the total value of $12,475,024 of
tax reverted lands in Oregon, rural
real estate is valued at $8,684,134. nn
average assessed valuation of $4.84
per acre. The total assessed valua
tion of city lots amounted to $3.790..
890, an average of $24.65 per lot.
ihe total taxes, penalty, interest
and other costs due the counties on
the rural lands at the time of for..
closure amounted to $3,558,705, an
average of $1.98 per acre. The total
of taxes, penalty, interest and other
charges standing against the city lots
at the time of foreclosure amounted
to $3,592,669, an average of $23.36 per
lot. The grand total of delinquent
taxes, penalty, interest and other
costs resting against all these tav
reverted lands as of time of foreeln.
sure is approximately $7,151,374.
J. here is not yet any adequate
ciassmcation of the rural acreage,
the report points out, but estimating
from the data which could be se
cured, it was found that approxi
mately 19,987 acres had at one time
been assessed as tillable. About 326,
054 acres contain timber of mer
chantable quality, and 116,178 acres
are listed under reforestation. Of
the remaining acreage listed as non
tillable, there is doubtless a large
area which is unsuitable for agricul
tural use or for otherwise returning
to private ownership, says the re
port.
Bridge Souvenir
Coins Available
Silver half dollars, minted to com
memorate the completion of the San
Francisco-Oakland Bay bridge, can
be secured this week at The First
National Bank of Portland and may
be ordered through any branch of
this bank. The coins sell for $1.50.
Only 100,000 were minted and all
unsold by February 15 will be re
turned for re-melting.
Jacques Schneider, famous young
California sculptor, designed the coin
with the grizzley bear, emblem of
California, on one side and on the
other the great bridge, which opened
last November and is reputed to be
the longest bridge in the world.
Minting of the commemorative coin
was authorized by Congress in a bill
introduced by Senator Hiram W.
Johnson of California and was ap
proved by President Roosevelt on
June 6, 1936.
State Owned Radios
Help During Big Snow
Corvallis. Both KOAC and the
short-wave station , operated by the
physics department at Oregon State
college were active during the re
cent snow storm which disrupted
other forms of communication and
traffic throughout western Oregon.
In accordance with the amateur
station rules an operator stood by
on the short wave set throughout the
critical period of the storm and re
layed messages to localities otherwise
isolated. Press reports were taken
by short wave and rebroadcast over
KOAC and turned over to local
newspapers. A message relayed by
the local station, operated by E. A.
Yunker, was the first to get into
Eugene after wire communication
was down.
KOAC broadcast all news that
could be obtained for the benefit of
those otherwise out of touch with
the world, sent out pleas from the
bureau of biological survey for help
in feeding game and song birds, and
kept all listerners informed as to the
progress of opening roads and highways.
Linn 4-H Work Grows Fast.
Albany The enrollment in 4-H
club work in Linn county has grown
from 51 boys and girls in 1920 to
1,114 in 1936, records in the office of
County Agent F. C. Mullen show.
Oscar Mikesell is now 4-H club
agent in Linn county.
LEGISLATURE SHORTS
The measure intended to close all
coast streams except the Columbia
to commercial fishing has been def
initely postponed by the senate. The
fishing committee disapproved it.
There will be no coloring matter
in sausage permitted in Oregon, if
the senate approves a bill adopted
by the house.
Tenants must still give 30 days
notice to landlords that they are giv
ing up their tenancy. The house has
killed by indefinite postponement a
measure to cut the time to 10 days.
House joint memorial No. 2, pe
titioning congress to provide for
amortization of land bank commis
sioner loans over longer periods of
years and at reduced interest rates,
has been approved by the senate.
PORTLAND MARKET.
Termination of the Pacific coasf s
longest maritime strike had a ten
dency early this week to bolster
market prices and demand. Abnor
mal weather conditions had some
thing to do with prices, but move
ment was the controlling factor.
Meat prices were firm with fancy
veal selling at 15 and 16 cents.
Fancy block hogs moved at 14 cents
and lambs at 15. Poultry was ac
cepted by the urban housewife as
the best buy in meats. The butter
market was firm and a good shipping
demand noted for 90 and 91 score.
All grades of eggs declined one cent.
Prunes lead the fruit market.
Give G. T. Want Ads a trial.
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