NEWS
Page Six
STATE
CAPITAL
Land Exchange
o Auto Licenses
o Reduced Interest
By A, L LINDBECK
Heppner Gazette Times, Heppner, Oregon
Salem. Immediate exchange of
state school lands located within the
public domain for isolated holdings
of the federal government outside
of grazing areas was recommended
by a committee of educators and
stockmen meeting here Saturday to
consider ways and means of en
riching the irreducible school fund.
The recommendation also carries
with it the stipulation that the lands
to be taken in exchange must be
good lands that can be converted
into cash immediately. The com
mittee also recommended the leas
ing of school lands within the public
domain to the federal grazing ser
vice pending an exchange of these,
lands for federal lands that might
lend themselves to "blocking" for
sale to stockmen or to grazing as
sociations. Saturday's meeting was the out
growth of an agitation of several
years on the part of educators over
the state for an increase in the rev
enue received from the states 700,
000 acres of grazing lands in central
and eastern Oregon. The session, in
cidentally was the first at which the
two contending factions the stock
men and the educators have been
able to agree on any program for
the administration of the school
lands.
Secretary of State Earl Snell does
not choose to run for Congress in
the forthcoming campaign he let it
be known during the past week.
Snell was being mentioned aa a pos
sible Republican candidate against
Congressman Walter M. Pierce of
LaGrande. Having just been return
ed to a second term "in his state job
Snell feels that he should complete
his term before turning his atten
tion to other political honors, he said.
The annual rush for automobile
license plates is now under way.
The temporary tables have been in
stalled in the corridors outside the
licensing department and each day
finds an increasingly long line of
applicants awaiting their turn to
trade a five dollar bill for a pair of
the shiny new blue and white plates.
Transportation of passengers in
private automobiles on a "share ex
pense" arrangement without a PUC
permit is in violation of the Oregon
Motor Transportation act, O. R.
Bean, public utilities commissioner,
warned this week.
Interest payments on Oregon's
bonded debt have been reduced by
more than $1,000,000 a year since
1928, according to Walter E. Pear
son, state treasurer. In 1928 with
state bonds hitting their peak at
$66,062,810 the state was paying $2,-
928,323 in annual interest charges.
This vear with the debt load reduced
to $38,706,085 the annual interest
charge has been cut to $1,771,288.
Pearson points out that if the state
had issued callable bonds this an
nual interest charge could be still
further reduced to about one-half
its present proportions.
The state's irreducible school fund
is suffering through competition of
fered by federal and private lend
ing agencies, according to Lewis
Griffith, clerk of the State Land
Board. In spite of the low interest
rates and favorable terms on which
school fund loans are offered to
Oregon farmers the board now has
approximately $250,000 lying idle in
its coffers and bringing in no re
turns to the school fund, Griffith
pointed out.
AY boundless holiday cheer be yours
during this glorious Christmas season
To our friends and customers, whose num
ber are ever-increasing, we express our
appreciation for your loyalty.
PATTERSON & SON
Interest obout the capitol these
days centers about the fate of Dan
Fry as state purchasing agent and
secretary to the Board of Control.
Rumor has it that Fry is sched
uled to walk the political plank for
a return to private life along about
the turn of the year. There are,
however, several considerations
which may contribute to a delay in
the prospective ouster if not post
pone it indefinitely.
If Fry is ousted it will be by the
votes of Governor Sprague and Sec
retary of State SnelL The third
member of the Board, State Treas
urer Walter Pearson, a Democrat,
is committed to Fry's retention.
Both Sprague and Snell deny that
there has been any conference on
the matter and insist that Fry s re
placement by a Republican is by no
means a settled fact as yet.
It has been known for some tune
that the Republicans have been de
manding Fry's scalp, the lucrative
board of control job being one of
the few still remaining in Demo
cratic hands. It had been hoped by
Fry's friends, however, that he
mieht escape the political purge that
has been under way since the change
in the complexion of the state ad
ministration inasmuch aa he is a
board appointee and not subject to
the whims of any individual.
The fact that Fry is a personal
friend of both the Republican mem
bers of the Board who admit that he
has done an outstanding job as
purchasing agent was believed to
weigh strongly in his continued em
ployment at the head of this import
ant state activity.
Should it ultimately be decided
that Fry must go it is understood
that both Sprague and Snell have
candidates for the job, a situation
which might result in a deadlock
between the two majority members
of the board.
The State Board of Agriculture
at its meeting here Saturday an
nounced the dates for the 1940 btate
Fair as September 2 to 8, inclusive.
This means the fair will open again
on Labor Day as it has for the past
several years.
Complaints from the Canyon City
chamber of commerce charging tnat
state police were discourteous in
their treatment of deer hunters in
that section of the state have been
received by Chas. P. Pray, superin
tendent of the state police bureau
The complaint refers to the deer
hunters as "guests of Canyon City.
Prav declares that unless the com
plaints are made more specific he
will be seriously handicapped in any
investigation of the alleged offenses.
Captain Clyde Warren of the state
police department has announced
his resignation effective December
31 to accept a position as head of the
Liquor Control Commission's en
forcement division. Warren was
formerly deputy state fire marshal
but joined the state police when
that organization took over the ar
son investigation work of the fire
marshal's office. In his new post
Warren will succeed Walter Win
ters who was also with the police
bureau before going to the Liquor
Control commission on May 1, 1937.
Thursday, Dec 21, 1939
The State Tax Commission lost
its fight to tax back salaries earned
by employees of federally sponsor
ed corporations when the state su
preme court ruled this week that
these employees enjoyed the same
status as federal employees, whose
salaries only became subject to state
taxes through a recent ruling of
the United States supreme court
The tax commission had taken the
position that these corporations were
doing a private business and were
not in fact governmental agencies.
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Rosewall
drove to Portland Tuesday after
noon on a brief business trip.
The spirit of friend
liness of this glad
season reminds us of
your good will during
the past year.
To each of you
we wish
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS
May this Christmas season bless
you and yours with all the good
things in life; may success, hap
piness and health be yours in full
measure.
THOMSON BROS.
May this Christmas
season bless you and
yours with all the
good things of life;
may success, happi
ness and health be
yours in full measure.
KANE'S GARAGE
J. C. PENNEY CO.
During this time of joyousness and
peace, we wish you the merriest Christ
mas you've ever had, the best of health,
happiness and prosperity, now and in
the future.
HUMPHREYS DRUG COMPANY
And may we add, "Hail to the New Year!" May this glorious
Christmas season usher in a year abundant with every joy and
every happiness for you.
MAKE IT A HAPPIER OCCASION
FOR MOTHER
by relieving her of baking duties.
For your Christmas and other holiday dinners we offer
FRUIT CAKE, 1, 2 and 3 lb. sizes, pound 35c
PARKER HOUSE ROLLS doz 15c
COOKIES, doz 15c
HEPPNER BAKERY