Page Six
Heppner Gazette Times, Heppner, Oregon
Thursday, August 24, 1939
NEWS
o Thanks Day
o Carnival Gambling
o Retirement Plan
By A, U LOTDBBCr
Salem Governor Sprague is not
inclined to quarrel with President
Roosevelt over the date for the an
nual Thanksgiving feast If the
president wants to advance the date
a week, as announced, Oregon will
fall into line and be thankful with
the rest of the nation. There will be
no double observance of the holi
day as was the case in 1894 when
Governor Sylvester Pennoyer re
fused to cooperate with President
Cleveland and Oregon folk gave
thanks with the balance of the na
tion on the last Thursday of No
vember and then had a private
Thanksgiving day of their own again
a week later on the first Thursday
in December.
Oregon municipalities that seek to
enrich their coffers by winking at
gambling concessions at carnivals
need count on no cooperation from
the state police. Superintendent Pray
warned this week that his men
would enforce the law whereever
they might find it being violated.
Pray's statement was occasioned by
complains of alleged gambling at the
recent Taft Red-head Round-Up
where state police were on duty. At
that place, Pray said, his men were
engaged in handling traffic while
local peace officers policed the car
nival. Hereafter, in order to avoid
possible criticism, state police will
take over the entire job of policing
when their services are called for
to assist local officers in handling
celebrations of this character.
The humble prune gained official
recognition this week when Govern
or Sprague appointed a committee
to work out a program for marketing
this year's Oregon crop. Appoint
ment of the committee followed a
meeting in the capitol attended by
more than 200 growers and canners
in which the plight of Oregon prune
growers was declared to be desper
ate. Prices being offered for this
year's crop it was said would not
justify picking and many growers
declared they would let the crop
"rot on the trees" rather than sell at
prices which would not pay for
picking and hauling to market. Many
growers face the loss of their farms
because of the demoralized market
conditions while a number at the
conference frankly admitted they
would be unable to pay their taxes.
The Oregon Hydroelectric commis
sion in its adverse report on the
proposed Scappoose peoples utility
district did not hold the project to
be unfeasible but held that it was
unnecessary as the drainage district,
already organized, is authorized to
do the thing which sponsors of the
proposed PUD want to do.
One of the biggest jobs cut out by
the last legislature is that reposed
in the merit rating council appoint
ed only this week by Governor
Sprague. The pros and cons of merit
rating were debated at great length
before committees of the recent leg
islature without any signs of prog
ress, hence the interim council or
committee which is to make a study
of this problem and report back to
the next session with its findings
and recommendations. Many em
ployers of labor contend that their
contributions to the unemployment
compensation fund should be based
upon the employment experience of
the individual employer. Others in
sist that contributions should be
based upon the employment exper
ience of the industry as a whole.
Other states are engaged in similar
studies in an effort to evolve a sys
tem of contributions that will en
courage stabilization of employment
without crippling the jobless insur
ance fund.
Even before it gets under way
Govenor Sprague's retirement plan
for public employees has run into
difficulties. Leaders of the so-called
Pension Friendly group in the state
meeting in Salem Saturday nigh
demanded that more adequate pen
sions for the needy aged be includ
STATE
CAPITAL
ed in any program that might be
evolved for pensioning of employees
on the public payroll.
Furthermore, there has been a
general lifting of the eyebrows over
the governor's action in inaugurating
the study into a retirement plan for
public employees among those who
recall that a resolution providing
for just such a study was killed by
the last legislature, presumably at
the governor's direction. The com
mittee which the governor has set
up for this study is lacking in any
legislative authority and must pay
its own expenses unless a way can
be found to finance these out of the
$10,000 land given to the governor
for research in lieu of the appro
priation asked for by the old state
planning board which was abolished
at the governor's request.
Sixty thousand patrons of electric
utilities in Oregon have shared in
rate reductions aggregating $300,000
a year, which have been put into
effect since January 1, according to
O. R. Bean, public utilities commis
sioner. All of these rate reductions,
Bean points out, have followed in
formal conferences between the
commisisoner and officials of the
various utilities.
Representatives of the League of
Oregon Cities found plenty of sym
pathy but little encouragement when
they brought their street financing
problems to Governor Sprague in a
conference here this week. Mayor
H. W. Hand of Corvallis told the
governor that many Oregon cities
are experiencing difficulty in financ
ing street improvements and sug
gested that the state highway de
partment might come to the rescue.
The governor told the delegation
that all funds of the highway depart
ment are already allocated for this
year.
Of 65,750 Oregon school children
examined during the past two years
3,182 were found to have defective
hearing according to a report by the
State Board of Health. The exam
inations, conducted by the division
of maternal and child health, were
carried on in 32 counties and part
of Portland.
The pension proposal initiated by
Tom Monks of Portland is almost
identical with a measure introduced
in the last legislature by Repre
sentatives Engdahl of Umatilla, Car
ter of Curry and McAllister of Mar
ion. The Monk measure, designed
after the Indiana gross sales tax,
provides for a levy of two per cent
on all retail sales and one -fourth of
one per cent on wholesale transac
tions. The money would be used in
financing pensions of $30 a month
for persons over the age of 60 years
and $35 a month for persons 65
years or over. Any surplus would be
divided, 75 per cent to reduction of
property taxes and 25 per cent to
the irreducible school fund. The
measure was defeated 39 to 19 in the
House but Monks is convinced that
the people will approve the pro
gram if given the opportunity.
More than 80,000 persons have
viewed the "New Oregon Trail" in
the highway department's little the
ater in the Oregon exhibit at the
San Francisco fair, according to
Harold B. Say, in charge of the de
partment's travel bureau. San Fran
cisco radios and newspapers will be
utilized in a four-day "Travel to
Oregon" campaign August 23 to 27,
Say announced.
First Assessment
Roll in County Cited
Following is the first recorded
summary of Morrow county assess
ment rolls from the 1886 records in
the assessor's office at Heppner:
Acres of land, 50,987, value, $318,
185. Average value per acre, $6.24.
Town lots, value $88,575. Improve
ments, $115,744. Merchandise and im
plements, $171,820. Money, notes,
etc., $214,750. Household furniture,
etc., $35,250. Horses and mules, 5288,
value $175,506. Cattle, 3780, value
$71,627. Sheep, 122,518, value, $201,
355. Swine, 1589, value, $4412. Gross
value of property $1,221,145. Total
taxable property, $839.308. Histor
ical Records Survey, WPA.
For sale, Taylor's rooming house,
good business. 23tf
Washington, D. C, Aug. 24 State
and county and other local relief
agencies are having dumped in their
laps the WPA workers who have re
ceived the pink slips of dismissal.
By next week the last of 650,000 who
have been on WPA for 18 months
will be out. Share of this total for
Oregon and Washington will run in
to several thousand. Reduction of
WPA rolls affects every county and
city in the Northwest and increases
the problem of local relief officers.
On the heels of WPA dismissals
comes a 50 per cent slash, Septem
ber 1, for the PWA employees and
in a few months PWA workers will
be as rare as the Dodo.
Congress refused to appropriate
more funds to continue PWA, but
gave the president every dollar he
asked for WPA. What congress did,
in effect, was to tell private busi
ness to resume spending its own
money and not look to the govern
ment to continue indefinitely prim
ing the pump. Prior to the depres
sion, private business spent 15 bil
lion dollars annually, then with the
slump it husbanded its money and
the government stepped in, spend
ing an average of 3 billion a year.
Now private savings have reached
an all-time high and congress wants
business to do its share of spending,
to relieve the government of the
hand-out policy. Business spokes
men who have criticized the admin
istration for free-hand distribution
of money are politely told to take
over the job.
Perhaps congress assumed the cor
rect attitude for government agencies
announce the upturn of the first six
months is skyrocketing in August.
But for the immediate future, state
and local relief agencies have a
tough job.
One of the AAA plans which would
have assisted Oregon and Washing
ton farmers, particularly those
growing hairy vetch, has gone hay
wire because owners of the seed
asked too much for it. Instead of
making cash payments to southern
fanners under the conservation pro
gram of 1939, AAA proposed buying
5,512,000 pounds of hairy vetch and
Austrian winter pea seed and have
the farmers plant them. When the
government officials asked for bids,
the Oregon-Washington dealers ask
ed $10.10 to $16 per hundred pounds
for vetch, delivered in the south,
and prices quoted for peas deliv
ered ranged from $5.22 to $5.90 per
hundred. AAA rejected the bids.
Everyone who has ideas on taxes
is invited to present them in per
son or by letter to John W. Hanes,
undersecretary of the treasury. Com
plete revision of federal taxes is in
the making and for the first time
Joe Doaks or any other citizen is
given an opportunity to have his
"say." Heretofore, tax legislation
was written mysteriously, sent to
congress with orders to pass it. If
public hearings were held profes
sional lobbyists and representatives
of government bureaus were the
only witnesses.
New tax legislation is not intended
to remove the burden; taxes will not
be reduced, but the spread will be
different and prime purpose is to
raise more money. What the com
mittee making the study desires is
for suggestions on new sources of
revenue. Someone in the United
States may have a bright idea and
know of something that can be taxed, i
Oregon thought of the tax on gas
oline, which has been a gold mine
to states and federal government.
It appears almost certain that the
base for income taxes will be broad
ened, which means that individuals
whose income is now so small that
they are not subject to this partic
ular tax, will be compelled to con
tribute. This will cause more argu
ment than adding another cent to
the tax on cigaretttes the most
heavily taxed article on the sched
ule. Uncle Sam is in the hole 40 bil
lion dollars and needs money and
the only way he can get it is from
you, and you, and you and your
grandchildren. All the billions spent
for WPA, grants under PWA, etc.,
must be repaid as it was borrowed
money.
Douglas fir, pine and other lum
ber is needed in Spain for recon
struction but this business must wait
until the Spanish government is
prepared to consent to importation.
Only basic raw material is permitted
for the present and all manufactured
articles are prohibited. Inquiry by
the bureau of foreign commerce
discloses that when Spain allows
lumber to be imported it will draw
the line at plywood products, such
as doors. For years Spain held 13th
position as market for American
lumber. The market is expected to
open probably next winter; the far
east market when hostilities quiet
down. Each country will require
billions of feet of lumber from the
nited States, most originating in
the Pacific Northwest. A delega
tion of Japanese business men re
cently visited the Northwest and
made tentative plans to purchase a
huge amount of Pacific Coast prod
ucts. Pay of the survivors of the Squal
is was cut $15 a month, dating from
May 23 when the submarine failed
to come up. Sailors on submarines
receive $15 a month extra because
of the hazardous work and as their
ship went out of commission they
were automatically cut the $15.
Garden Programs
Scheduled for Season
A complete schedule for the KOAC
Home Garden hours has just been
issued showing a related series of
programs starting September 7 and
continuing through the end of June
next year.
The state-owned station, located
on the campus of Oregon State col
lege, cooperates each year with the
Oregon Federation of Garden Clubs
in the preparation and presentation
of these programs. Each month fea
tures a related group of programs,
such as garden planning in Septem-;
ber, roses in February, flower ar
rangements in April, and perennials
in June.
Many KOAC garden clubs have
been organized in the past around
this series of programs. Any group
of at least five persons who agree
to meet regularly at least once a
month may form such a group and
receive program outlines, report
blanks, and other types of service.
This adult education service is free,
as one of the offerings of the gen
eral extension division.
Professional
Directory
Heppner Blacksmith
fir Machine Shop
Expert Welding and Repairing
L. H. HARLOW, Mgr.
GLENN Y. WELLS
ATTORNEY AT LAW
ATwater 4884
535 MEAD BUILDING
5th at Washington
PORTLAND. OREGON
A. D. McMurdo, M. D.
PHYSICIAN & SURGEON
Trained Nun Assistant
Office In Masonic Building
Heppner, Oregon
Morrow County
Abstract fir Title Co.
INC.
ABSTRACTS OF TITLE
TITLE INSURANCE
Office in New Peters Building
J. 0. Turner
ATTORNEY AT LAW
FtMXM 11V
HoUt Heppner Building
KSPPNER. ORE.
Dr. Raymond Rice
PHYSICIAN SURGEON
Office
First National Bank Building
Office Phone 538 House Phone I
Heppner
Abstract Co.
J. LOGIE RICHARDSON, Mgr.
BATES SEASONABLE
Roberts Building Hepnner. Ore.
Pi W. Mahoney
ATTORNEY AT LAW
OENEBAI. XNBUBANCS
Heppnar Hotel Building
Willow St Entrance
J. O. Peterson
Latest Jewelry ana Gift OooAa
Watehes Clock Diamond
Expert Watah aad Jewelry
Repairing
Heppner, Oregon
Vawter Parker
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
First National Bank Building
Dr. Richard C. Lawrnc
Modern equipment including X-ray
for dental dlagnosla
Extraction by gaa anesthetic
Tint National Bank Building
Phone 562 Heppner. Ore.
Dr. L. D. Tibbies
OSTEOPATHIC
Physician & Surgeon
FIRST NATIONAL BANK BLDU,
Rec. Phone 1162 Office Phone 492
HEPPNER. OREGON
Jos. J. Nys
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Fetera Boll ling, Willow Street
Heppner, Oregon
V. R. Runnion
AUCTIONEER
Farm Sale and Livestock a Specialty
405 Jones Street, Heppner Ore.
Phone 452
MAKE SATES AT MY EXPENSE
Frank C. Alfred
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Telephone 442
Rooms 8-4
First National Bank Building
HEPPNER. OREGON
Peterson fir Peterson
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
U. S. National Bank Building
PENDLETON. OREGON
Practice In State and Federal Coarta
Real Estate
General Line of Insurance and
Bonds
W. M. EUBANKS
Notary Public
Phone 62 lone. Ore.
Laurence Case
Mortuary
"Just the service wanted
when yon want It most"