Page Four
Heppner Gazette Times, Heppner, Oregon
Thursday, Dec. 22, 1938
Heppner
Gazette Times
THE HEPPNER GAZETTE,
Established March SO, 1883;
THE HEPPNER TIMES,
Established November 18, 1897;
CONSOLIDATED FEBRUARY 15. 1912
Published every Thursday morning by
CHAWFORD PUBLISHING COMPANY
and entered at the Post Office at Hepp
ner, Oregon, as second-class matter.
JASPER V. CRAWFORD, Editor
SPENCER CRAWFORD, Manager
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
One Year . $2.00
Three Years 6.00
Six Months 1.00
Three Months .75
Single Copies . 05
Official Paper for Morrow Comnty
i x-" s. Member-
O iMf NwspaperPiblisK:es
Equality in Education
"UQUAL educational opportunity"
is a phrase written into the Ore
gon constitution. It reflects the wis
dom of that document's authors in
recognizing that the state's well be
ing depends upon a well-informed
and well-trained citizenry, and that
children of the state, wherever they
may be, are entitled to have equally
good textbooks, equally good teach
ers, and equally good everything
that goes to make up an education.
But through the years since the
phrase was placed in the state con
stitution, it has remained much as
an ideal to be striven for but far
from attained. While the state has
set up a supervisory system to erect
standards, lay down curricula and
otherwise set a gauge for uniform
ity of operation, it has not made
equal educational opportunity pos
sible. Monies for school support have
been distributed on a per pupil ba
sis, not at all sufficient to provide
schools capable of living up to the
school standards, and the rich dis
tricts have been treated the same as
the poorer districts. As a conse
quence, rich districts have had mon
ey to provide good schools. The
poorer districts have not.
It is commendable at this time that
Rex Putnam, state superintendent,
is advocating distribution of state
school funds on a basis of recognized
need, thus more nearly to attain the
ideal set forth in the state's con
stitution. What applies on a state-wide ba
sis, applies equally on a county-wide
basis. And the point is brought home
to the counties, beause their people
must make up the balance that the
state fails to provide to maintain
schools of state standards. Counties
have their rich and their poor dis
tricts; districts where "equal" ed
ucational opportunity is afforded,
and districts where it is not; again
defeating attainment of the equal
educational opportunity goal.
It is an essential in the theory of
publicly maintained shools that a
well educated citizenry contributes
greatly to the value of all property,
hence all property should bear its
just share of the cost. This principle
and the one of equality are incor
porated into the county school law.
Whether the county school law is
perfect in all its phases may be a
moot question, but it does not change
the underlying principles it is in
tended to accomplish. That it has
done so fairly successfully in coun
ties where it has been applied is a
strong point in its favor, however,
It is to be noted that arguments
being advanced against it in the
present discussions over the county
are largely based upon selfish !
terests and suspicions. Taxpayers
in school districts having low spec
ial levies are afraid of having taxes
unduly raised. They are afraid of
giving people outside their own
immedite district the opportumty to
vote more taxes upon them. People
in other districts are jealous of their
schools; afraid they will be injured,
Most everyone is suspicious that
someone else will gain an advantage
People of all districts are more or
less uncertain about relinquishisg
anv authority over their own
schools.
Many of the suspicions are clear
aside from fact and far from tem
pered with reason, but they obscure
the larger picture of the future well
being of the county which equal
educational opportunity would re
flect upon property values generally
over the county. '
It has been suggested that a great
deal of economy as well as improved
educational opportunity could be
effected through a union of high
schools of Heppner, Lexington and
lone. That proposal is quite tenable
and not, as some readers may im
mediately think, because this news
paper desires to move the lone and
Lexington school to Heppner. The
plan could only be worked by plac
ing the plant at a centrally located
point, and that point would of neces
sity be Lexington.
Now, to head off a howl that might
arise from Heppner and lone, let it
be said that while the plan is ten
able, it is not immediately feasible.
The cost for immediate change might
be too great. Eventually, however,
as need for plant replacement arises,
it would be highly desirable for the
benefits of such a move to be taken
into consideration.
It is not possible here to discuss
all angles of this school consolidation
idea. Suffice that in addition to con
siderable economy of operation, it
would make possible placing better
athletic teams on the field to com
pete with other larger high schools,
but the greatest factor of all, it
would place the rising generations of
this part of the ocunty in the posi
tion of rubbing elbows with each
other at work and in play, thus giv
ing them 'a sympathetic understand
ing of each other and wipe out old
feuds, superstitions and gievances
not of their making that have hin
dered progress to be attained only
through cooperation.
A commonly accepted saying is,
"That fellow isn't so bad when you
get under his skin." It is human to
mistrust that which one doesn't un
derstand. When everyone has an
understanding of the other fellow's
problems, realizes that he is doing
the best he can in the position in
which destiny has chosen to place
him, then is the basis laid for coop
eration. And every fanner knows
what can be accomplished by teamwork.
How far consolidation of schools
might be carried if the county school
law were adopted in Morrow county
is problematical. Much would be in
the hands of the board of directors
and the superintendent. In the ulti
mate its success or failure would
largely depend upon how wisely the
people would use their voting fran
chise in selecting members of the
board. With a board in which the
public would have trust and confi
dence, very little fear need be held
for success of the plan.
The county school law seems to
lend itself most readily for school
consolidation such as has been men
tioned. It is now working success
fully, and it would appear that Mor
row county people should be wise
enough to make it operate success
fully here.
A fear has been expressed that
Heppner, with the balance of voting
power, might take a notion to vote
a big bond issue for a school here for
which the rest of the county would
have to help pay. This might be a
well-grounded fear if Heppner did
have the balance of voting power.
But, at school elections, where mon
ey matters are concerned, only cit
izens whose names appear upon the
tax rolls may vote. In which case,
Heppner probably would not be
able to swing an election of the kind
feared. The law also sets a limit
upon the amount of bonded in
debtedness, which is also a safeguard
against any such occurrence.
ATTENDS FUNEKAL
Ralph Jackson, in the city today
from Lexington, had just returned
from St. Paul where on Tuesday he
attended funeral services for Bill
Smith, a cousin. Mr. Smith was
president of the St. Paul rodeo, in
which capacity he became known to
many Morrow county people last
year. His son, Bobby, rode in the
Roman race with his ponies at the
rodeo here last fall.
A KISS IN A MAMAAOCK.
MAY TAKE A fAAN'S BREATH,
BUT A SNACK IN A FLIVVER
IS FLIRTING- WITH DEATH.'
National Safety Council
. Unfortunately, there are no sta
tistics on the number of accidents
caused by one-armed drivers, but
the fact that many such accidents
have been caused is undeniable.
A strong argument against this
practice is the fact that the driver
is not doing the object of his affec
tion any good by driving with one
arm and keeping his eyes on her
face rather than on the road. Instead,
he is exposing her and himself to an
accident, with the possibility of in
jury or even death as a result.
A driver in California established
some sort of a record when he was
arrested while driving without us
ing his arms at all. He was sitting in
the back seat with a young lady on
each side, and was steering the car
with his feet.
Nor must the young lady be sitting
in the car to cause an accident. A
mishap was reported to Secretary of
State Earl Snell in which a young
man, nervous and preoccupied as he
tried to think how he should pro
pose to his loved one, drove through
an intersection and crashed into an
other car.
Love is only one of many things
which take a person's mind and eyes
off his driving, but all have the
same result accidents. The good
driver will make it an ironclad rule
-to keep his hands on the wheel, his
eyes on the road, and his mind on
his driving, according to Secretary
Snell.
Jackson Gilliam, graduate of the
Heppner high school, is one of 550
students leaving the Whitman col
lege campus this week end to re
turn home for the Christmas holi
days. Gilliam is the son of E. E. Gil
liam. He enrolled this fall as a fresh
man at Whitman.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Vaughn
were week end visitors in Portland.
SCOUT CAMP CALLED OFF
Telegraphic word from the Blue
Mountain council office at Walla
Walla today announced that the pro
posed winter Boy Scout camp has
been called off because of insuffi
cient registration due to uncertain
weather.
Holiday
Dances
ELKS HALL
HEPPNER
SATURDAY
Dec. 24
SATURDAY
Dec. 31
STEELE'S
ORCHESTRA
Elks and Invited Guests
Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Rice were bus
iness visitors in the city Tuesday
from the Artesian Well farm north
of Lexington.
Mrs. Blaine E. Isom has been quite
ill at the home in the Gilman apart
ments, suffering an attack of flu.
NOTICE
The Lexington Oil Co-Op has no
agreement with Panther Grease Co.
whereby it receives any commis
sions on sales made by any repre
sentative of the Panther Grease Co.
FRED MANKIN, President,
40-41 Lexington Oil Co-Op.
When in Doubt, Give a Box of
CANDY
Page & Shaw
"The All American Choice"
Prices from 25c to $2.00
We will wrap ready for mailing.
No extra charge.
Patterson & Son
SHIP BY TRUCK
The Dalles Freight Line, Inc.
SERVICE BETWEEN
PORTLAND : THE DALLES : HEPPNER
AND WAY POINTS
Arrive Tuesdays, Thursdays. Saturdays
Warehouse: KANE'S GARAGE Carl D. Spickerman, Agent
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