Page Six
STATE
CAPITAL
NEWS
o Funds for Needy
o Mickle for White
o Formal Dedication
By A. L. LINDBECK
SALEM Oregon's contribution
toward the relief of the needy aged,
averaging $21.35 a month, is well
above the national average of $19.35
a month, according to figures com
piled by the bureau of research and
statistics of the federal division of
public assistance.
Oregon's quota of needy aged who
are receiving financial aid, however,
averaging 195 for each 1000 of the
state's aged population, is slightly
under the national average of 212
pensioners for each 1000 of aged
population. This higher national av
erage is accounted for largely by
the apparently padded assistance
rolls of such state as Oklahoma
where politically dominated relief
administration has enrolled 575 out
of every 1000 of the aged population
as pension beneficiaries. In Utah
462 out of every 1000 of the state's
aged population are on the pension
rolls and Colorado pays assistance to
454 of every 1000 of its aged popula
tion.
Highest pensions are paid by Cal
ifornia where the monthly average
is $32.67, followed by Massachu
setts with a monthly average pen
sion of $28.07.
Oregon's general relief payments,
averaging only $15.62 per case per
month fall far short of the national
average of $25.34. This situation is
largely accounted for by the more
generous relief payments in the
more prosperous states of the east,
New York topping the list with a
monthly average of $35.33, followed
by Massachusetts with $29.61 and by
New Hampshire and Pennsylvania
with monthly averages slightly in
excess of $28.
A report circulated in Lane county
to the effect that Peter M. Sullivan,
county relief director, was a cousin
of Governor Martin and that his ap
pointment to the relief job was "po
litical gravy" brought a prompt de
nial from the governor who told
newsmen that this was the third time
when he had been called upon to
"nail similar lies." In a statement to
the press the governor said that
neither he nor Mrs. Martin had any
relatives in Oregon other than their
son and daughter, neither of whom
are on the state payroll.
J. D. Mickle, appointed by Gov
ernor Martin to succeed Solon T.
White, resigned, as director of the
State Department of Agriculture, has
been in the service of the state al
most continuously since 1912 when
he was first elected to the office of
Dairy and Food Commissioner. Re
elected in 1916 he served until 1920
when he decided to quit public ser
vice and accepted employment with
the Oregon Dairy Council as secre
tary. Upon the death of Curt Haw
ley, his successor, two years later
Mickle was asked by Governor
Pierce to again take over the post of
Dairy and Food Commissioner which
he did. He was re-elected in 1924 and
again in 1928, serving in that capap
ity until his department was ab
sorbed into the newly created De
partment of Agriculture which also
took him over as chief of the division
of foods and dairies. Although a reg
istered Republican Mickle twice re
ceived the nomination of both major
parties and both of his appointments
have been at the hands of Democrat
ic governors.
County school superintendents in
session here last week recommended
that election of the state superin
tendent of public instruction be
placed upon a non-partisan basis.
The proposal will probably receive
attention at the hands of the next
legislature. There is' ample prece
dent for the reform in the action of
the 1935 session which placed the
election of county school superin
tendents on a non-partisan basis, and
prior to that, the action of the 1931
session in placing the election of all
judges in the state on a non-partisan
basis.
With its program practically com
pleted and its existence nearing an
end the Capitol Reconstruction com
mission has at last decided to move
Heppner
its office to Salem, a move advocated
by many state officials from the in
ception of this commission.
The move, it is understood, will
also include dismissal of the two
stenographers heretofore employed
by the commission but Alton John
Bassett, secretary to the commission,
is to be retained at a salary of $350
a month. Bassett was in Salem this
week conferring with state depart
ment officials regarding the use of
a room in the capitol building for his
offices but it is understood the Cap
itol commission plans to make use
of the offices now occupied by the
clerk of the work in a temporary
building on the new library site in
order to economize on clerical help,
telephone rental and other expense.
Just to prove that where there's a
will there's still possible to find a
way State Treasurer Holman finally
succeeded in moving his big safe
into the new quarters assigned his
department in the capitol building.
The feat was accomplished by saw
ing the bronze bars of the window
frame in two in order to admit the
safe and then brazing them together
again.
Double parking on business streets
is condemned by R. H. Baldock,
state highway engineer, as conducive
to serious traffic accidents. The prac
tice, said to be prevalent in most
Oregon cities, is encouraged by "cer
tain merchants for selfish reasons,"
according to Baldock who explains
that it is up to local authorities to
correct this situation wherever it
exists.
Formal dedication of Oregon's new
$2,500,000 capitol will take place on
October 1, Governor Martin's 75th
birthday, according to plans an
nounced by the Capitol Reconstruc
tion commission. The new furniture
for the executive suite as well as the
pioneer statue which will perch atop
the , capitol are expected to be in
place in time for the dedication cere
monies. One formal opening and an
"open house" celebration have al
ready been observed since the new
building was completed.
A score or more of beautiful shade
trees north of the new capitol have
gone down under the blows of the
woodsman's axe this week as work
men began clearing the ground pre
paratory to the improvement of the
Summer street-Court street ap
proach to the capitol. Contract for
widening of Court street has already
been let by the State Highway com
mission but the improvement of
Summer street will be handled by
the Capitol commission.
A material decrease in commercial
and industrial consumption of elec
tricity in Oregon during March, Ap
ril and May is shown in a survey
just completed by the Public Util
ities commission.
The Public Works administration
has given its approval to a grant of
$97,476 for construction of new
buildings for use by the State For
estry department. The buildings, al
ready under construction, are lo
cated east of Salem, adjacent to the
state highway shops.
Dr. W. D. McNary has just com
pleted 25 years of service as super
intendent of the eastern Oregon state
hospital at Pendleton. Prior to go
ing to Pendleton Dr. McNary was for
16 years employed at the state hos
pital at Salem.
Yield Tests Run on Alfalfa
Madras Ladak alfalfa far out-
yield both Grimm and common on
variety test plots on the John Bolter
farm at Willowdale figures kept by
County Agent K. W. Sawyer show.
The plots were seeded on the same
day, with the same amount of seed.
The Ladak yielded 158 pounds of
green weight per square rod, the
Grimm 97 and the common 84. These
figures are for the first cutting. A
similar test will be started on an
other plot, and records kept on both
for the next several years, Sawyer
says.
WHEAT FIRE NEAR CONDON
Report in the daily press this week
said that fire, destroyed 6000 acres
of grain in the Condon vicinity Sat
urday. J. S. Burres was reported as
the largest loser, with the Lear and
Knox farms suffering some loss.
Potted plants at all times, phone
1332; will deliver. 15tf
Gazette Times, Heppner,
o LOOKING
FORWARD
By FRANKLYN WALTMAN,
Publicity Director, Republican
National Committee
Whenever anyone dares to suggest
that the Social Security Act is some
what less than perfect he imme
diately is assailed by the New Deal
Propagandists as a reactionary, a
Tory, a fiend, an enemy of mankind,
or worse. Even though the criticism
is constructive and is designed to
improve the administration of the
act for the benefit of wage-earners,
the critic's voice is drowned out by
shouts that he is seeking its repeal.
Indecent motives are attributed to
everyone who disagrees even in the
slightest with the President and his
New Dealers.
Republican criticism of the Social
Security Act has not been directed
at the objective of the act, 'to pro
vide a greater measure of security
for American wage-earners and
thereby to enhance the welfare of the
nation as a whole." The point of Re
publican criticism has been that as
drafted the Social Security Act does
not and will not promote greater se
curity for wage-earners. Republicans
in Congress have warned that the
heavy taxes in pay rolls and pay en
velopes levied under the act would
have harmful effects, with inconse
quential benefits.
Contributed to Depression
Truth in time will establish itself.
We have heard Marriner S. Eccles,
chairman of the Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System and
an ardent New Dealer, say that the
withdrawal of consuming power
through social security taxes is one
of the major contributory causes of
the Roosevelt depression.
Now we have the testimony of the
American Association for Social Se
curity, publisher in its current bulle
tin. This organization for years has
fought for "the promotion of social
security and social insurance in the
United States." Its executive secre
tary is Abraham Epstein, frequently
called the "father of Social Secur
ity" in this country. Its president is
Bishop Francis J. McConnell of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Among
its directors are Monsignor Francis
J. Haas, dean of the School of Social
Service, Catholic University, Rabbi
Stephen S. Wise, Mrs. Mary K.
Simkhivitch, the well known social
worker, and many other socially
minded persons. These people are
neither partisans nor reactionaries.
Do they believe with President
Roosevelt that "the successful oper
ation of the (Social Security) Act is
the best proof that it was soundly
conceived?" They do not. Indeed, the
American Association for Social Se
curity finds that the Act is neither
'soundly conceived" nor that its op
eration has been successful.
Created Greater Insecurity
Instead of increasing purchasing
power, the Association finds the Act
has diminished it. Instead of giving
workers security, the Association
finds the Act has created greater in
security for them. Instead of help
ing industrial workers, the Associa
tion finds that the Act's chief result
has been to create a new bureaucra
cy and government jobs for tens of
thousands of clerks.
Referring to New Deal claims of
the "success" achieved in the old age
insurance system, the Association
asserts that "search as we might,
however, the success of this stupen
dous national undertaking seems
confined to the issuance of about 38,-
000,000 social security numbers" an
activity characterized by the Asso
ciation as "unprecedented, costly, ir
revelant and unnecessary."
The average lump sum old age
payment up to April, the Associa
tion found was $29.80, although a
New York executive who worked
(and still does) for seven corpora
tions, was reported to have received
$1,001.67. More significant, the Asso
ciation found, was "the deepening
insecurity stimulated by this sys
tem," adding that while the United
States Treasury paid $2,935,829 to
old age beneficiaries it collected in
taxes from workers and employers
for old age insurance a total of $577,
450,100. "Since the employer contributions
are generally included in the price
of goods," the Association Bulletin
added, "it means that for every dol
lar spent in old age insurance pay
ments to increase the purchasing
Oregon
power of workers, $197 of sorely
needed purchasing power were with
drawn from them and spent for other
purposes."
$197 in Taxes for Each $1 Spent
In other words, Social Security
taxes took $197 from workers for
every $1 given to them. That is the
New Deal's idea of the more abund
ant life for workers!
Space is lacking to give other con
clusions reached by the Associa
tion, except for a word about unem
ployment insurance. Pointing out
that the average benefit paid to the
unemployed totaled only $15.46 per
month, irrespective of whether the
unemployed person was single or
had a family with many dependents,
the Association made this observa
tion: 'The evidence is sufficient to in
dicate that not only has the opera
tion of the unemployment insurance
laws so far not proved that these
laws have been soundly conceived,
but, on the contrary, it definitely
points to the fact that these laws are
not succeeding in providing even as
little protection as the totally inade
quate home relief."
Let the President and his New
Deal satellites cease their ballyhoo
and answer the non-partisan find
ings of the American Association for
Social Security.
Amateur Photographers to Compete
"Save those summer pictures," is
the advice of Leo G. Spitzbart, mana
ger of the Oregon State fair, to the
host of Oregon amateur camera fans
who will have unusual opportunity
for fine pictures during the next
month.
The amateur photographic art de
partment of the fair, which will be
held this year from September 5 to
il, offers the public a chace for
clean competition in this hobby. Each
amateur may enter five prints in
?ach of the following groupings:
landscape, marine, architectural and
figure studies of people or animals.
Ribbon awards will be made to win
ners. "Vacation time is the time for
good pictures," Mr. Spitzbart says,
"and the amateur who shoots with
an eye to competition is prepared to
go places at the fair."
Details of the state amateur pho
tographic art show may be obtained
by writing to the Oregon State Fair,
Salem.
Professional
Directory
GLENN Y. WELLS
ATTORNEY AT LAW
ATwater 4884
535 MEAD BUILDING
5th at Washington
PORTLAND, OREGON
A. D. McMurdo, M. D.
PHYSICIAN & SURGEON
Trained Norse Assistant
Office In Masonic Building
Heppner, Oregon
Morrow County
Abstract & Title Co.
INC.
ABSTRACTS OF TITLE
TITLE INSURANCE
Office in New Peters Building
F. W. Turner fir Co.
FIRE, AUTO AND LIFE
INSURANCE
Old Line Companies Beal Estate
Heppner, Oregon
Jos. J. Nys
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Peters Building, Willow Street
Heppner, Oregon
Laurence Case
Mortuary
"fast the servioe wanted
when yon want It most"
Thursday, July 28, 1938
J. O. Turner
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Phone 173
Hotel Heppner Building
HEPPNER, ORE.
Dr. Raymond Rice
PHYSICIAN & SURGEON
Office
First National Bank Building
Office Phone 523 House Phone 828
Heppner
Abstract Co.
J. LOGIE RICHARDSON, Mgr..
BATES SEASONABLE
Roberts Building Heppner, Ore.
P. W. Mahoney
ATTORNEY AT LAW
GENERAL XNSUBANCE
Heppner Hotel Building
Willow St. Entrance
J. O. Peterson
Latest Jewelry and Gift Goods
Watches - Clocks - Diamonds
Expert Watch and Jewelry
Repairing
Heppner, Oregon ,
Vawter Parker
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
First National Bank Building
Dr. Richard C. Lawrence
DENTIST
Modern equipment including X-ray
for dental diagnosis
Extraction by gas anesthetic
First National Bank Building
Phone 562 Heppner, Ore.
Dr. L. D. Tibbies
OSTEOPATHIC
Physician & Surgeon
FIRST NATIONAL BANK BLDG.
Rec. Phone 1162 Office Phone 492
HEPPNER. OREGON
W. M. Eubanks
Representing
KERR, GIFFORD & CO, INC.
on Heppner Branch
V. R. Runnion
AUCTIONEER
Farm Sales and Livestock a Specialty
405 Jones Street Heppner, Ore.
Phone 452
MAKE DATES AT MY EZFENSB
Frank C. Alfred
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Telephone 442
Rooms 3-4
First National Bank Building
HEPPNER, OREGON
Peterson & Peterson
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
U. S. National Bank Building
PENDLETON, OREGON
Practice In State and Federal Courts
Real Estate
General Line of Insurance and
Bonds
W. M. EUBANKS
Notary Publlo
Phone 62 lone, Ore.
FOB BEST MABKET PRICES for
your new or old wheat, see
CORNETT GREEN
for grain stored In Heppner and
Lexington,
ELMER GRIFFITH
at lone for rest of Branch
Representing Balfour, Guthrie b Co.