OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIp-v PUBL I C AUD I 7 nr. Volume 57, Number 1 Farm Viewpoint Given Emphasis At Dinner Meettng Speakers Enlighten Guests Relative to Aims of Triple-A Farmers of America are at last trying to work out their own des tiny, Will Steen told a group of farmers and business men assembl ed in the basement of the Christian church last Friday evening. The present AAA set-up is non-political, he declared, although sponsored by the federal government and depen dent in a large measure for finan cial support from the government. It is becoming more and more far mer controlled and the ultimate ob jective is to place agriculture on a basis where it will have a say in production and marketing much the same as the situation existing in industry. With the wheat price in the Uni ted States based on Liverpool quo tations an the 1939 Liverpool price the lowest since 1592 42 cents there is no question about the ne cessity for the present set-up in this country, Mr. Steen asserted. It is not possible for the farmer to raise all the wheat his land will produce and expect to get a fair price. There is not the foreign mar ket to absorb the surplus and the price must be based on the domestic demand. Compared with industry. agriculture does not stand in a fav orable light. One man may control an entire output of a certain man ufactured article and the manufac turing industry of the entire na tion is controlled by a mere handful of industrialists who regulate the output and the price. The AAA is the first effort put forth to regulate agriculture on somewhat the same basis, Steen said, and while it is still in the formative stage there is hope that it will develop to the point where the farmer will have a say about the price of his product. E. Harvey Miller outlined the ob ject of the meeting and the gov ernment's farm policy. He stated that the objective is a proper bal ance between supply and demand, looking forward to better rural liv ing conditions. B. C. Pinckney spoke in behalf of the business men and Phil Ma honey entertained with a poem. A piano solo by Norbert Peavy and songs by the Lions club quartet were entertainment features. C. D. Conrad was master of cere monies. The ladies of the church served 142 plates. Boy Scouts Start Fund Raising Drive Heppner Boy Scouts are faced with the necessity of raising a sum of money to pay the troop's allot ment to the Blue Mountain council. The allotment amounts to approxi mately $100, which will have to be raised by popular subscription. Money paid to the Blue Mountain council is used in Scout work in this district, part of it going to sal- arv for O. E. Hoover, field execu tive. It is pointed out by local cnruit. executives that the local troops. Heppner and Lexington, have had much more benefit from the services of the field executive during the past season than ever before and that for the troops to continue the improvement shown in their work it is essential that affil iation with the council continue. The Scouts have expressed ap preciation for the cooperation shown bv the city council in the recent flag exercises, particularly in the urnrt rlrme on the citv flag pole. At the same time, the troop observed that many users of the flag still fail to observe rules, citing the failure to take in the flags in bad weather Heppner, Power Company to Spend $18,000 Here ' Recent growth of the Heppner district is directly reflected in the $1,051,700 construction budget for the Pacific Power and Light com pany for 1940. To meet increasing needs for pow er the company is prepared to spend $18,000 for rebuilding the transmis sion line running here from lone. The new line will be operated at 22,000 volts instead of the present 11,000 volts and will provide addi tional faculties for present users plus ample additional capacity to care for expected further develop ment and growth. As usual a major portion of the budget, largest since 1930, will be used to carry on the Pacific com pany's program of line extensions policy, to extend electric service to as many new users as possible in the various communities it serves. The bulk of the $377,000 general blanket fund set aside for the line extension program will be spent in building short additions to present lines. Each extension will bring el ectricity directly to one or more users, largely farm and home. In addition another large portion of the budget, $170,700 is- a general blanket fund for service improve ments, replacements and repairs throughout the entire Pacific sys tem. This amount is in addition to $175,000 the company plans to spend during the year on regular mainten ance work. Gay Costumes Add Zest to Meeting The Heppner Music Study club did things in the grand manner at the regular meeting held at the home of Miss Leta Humphreys Tu esday evening. . Study was devoted to music of the central European nations and just to give a. touch of realism to the occasion the members donned colorful aprons of the type worn by the women of those coun tries. Several types of imported cheese were on the refreshment menu, accompanied by pretzels and tea. The Humphreys home was decorated in a festive manner. The following program was given: Lieestraum No. 3, Lizst, Virginia Turner; Bohemian Song, Lucy Pet erson; Souvenir-Drdla, Rachel For- sythe; Czech Dances, Martha Blair and Luise Thoen; Viennese Waltzes, interpreted by Elizabeth Blanken ship; "Thy Wonderful Eyes," "Night," Richard Strauss, Lucy Pet erson; JLiiebestraum-Jti.reisier, Vir ginia Turner; "The Old Refrain," Kreisler, "Songs My Mother Taught Me," Dvorak, Viola Crawford; Hun garian Rhapsodie No. 2, Virginia Turner and Elizabeth Blankenship. Program Slated for Lex Grange Meeting Mrs. Grace Turner, lecturer, has prepared a special program for the regular meeting of the Lexington grange Saturday evening, March 9. The following numbers will pre cede the business meeting: Song by audience; talk by O. G. Crawford; songs, Lions club quartet, J. O. Tur ner, Frank Alfred, Ray Kinne, O. G. Crawford; skit, Mrs. Henry Smouse and Mrs. Al Troedson; talk on bank ing, Russell McNeill; closing song, "God Bless America." A social hour will follow the bus iness meeting. Refreshments will be served. AN ERROR CORRECTED The Gazette Times, with no other source of information to draw from than a story appearing in the daily newspapers of the northwest, stated that the late Kenneth Binns' divorc ed wife resided in Portland. Ken neth's mother, Mrs. A. E. Binns, has written this paper asking that the statement be corrected, as no di vorce existed. We are glad to make this correction and to assure both wife and mother that the mistake was due to misinformation. Oregon, Thursday, Mar. Helix Captures Coveted Journey To State Hoop Meet Irrigon, County's Favored Sons Lose Out at Arlington The stress of long, hard play on a small squad of players told in the defeat of Morrow county's favored Irrigon Comets in the district 13 high school basketball tournament at Arlington last Friday and Satur day. Irrigon lost to Halfway higji to be dropped from the running, while Helix's squad, one of the fastest ever witnessed in this districit swept through to victory and the right to play in the state tournament at Salem. Halfway proved to be runner-up and furnished a class of opposition that made Saturday's championship game one of the flashiest games ever witnessed, say many spectators of whom a liberal number were drawn from this county.- Helix downed Arlington high's basketeers in the opening round of play by a 30-21 score; smothered a smooth-working Elgin team that had previously squeezed out a 31-30 win over Maupin, by 44-28 count in the semi-finals, and then staged a brilliant last tjuarter battle to show a classy defense as well as a beautiful offense in defeating Half way, 30-19, in the final game. Halfway fought their way to the climax battle by overcoming a clev er Grant Union high team from John Day in the first round; conquering the Wheat league champions," Irri gon high, 35-27, after the Irrigon Comets had defeated the pre-tour- nament favorites, St. Mary's of The Dalles, 29-22; and for three-quarters of Saturday's championship battle held the Helix champs on even terms. Helix won 30-19. The state tournament will be staged at Salem next week end. All-tar selections placed four obys from Helix and three from the runner-up Halfway team on the chosen list of ten best players of the tour nament; two from Irrigon and one from Elgin completing the list. Ernie Kononen, Bud Hargett, Bob Hawkins and Bob Schuening were the Helix boys; Robert Harper, John Harmon and Neil Dikeman made up the Halfway contingent; Willard Jones and Donald Houghton are the Irrigon representatives, and Joe Blackman is the Elgin star on the list. Florence E. Beach Dies at Beaverton Memorial services were held at 11 o'clock Monday morning in the Congregational church at Lexing ton for Mrs, Florence E. Beach, 81, whose death occurred at the home of her sister, Mrs. Mabel Raymond, in Beaverton, Ore., February 29 Numerous relatives and friends of the deceased were in attendance at the service which was presided over by Rev. Moffatt Dennis, pastor. In terment was in the I. O. O. F. cem etery at Lexington. Florence E. Armstrong was born August 6, 1858, in Taberg, New York. I She was married to Edwin R. Beach in May, 1903. Mr. Beach passed away March 13, 1915. Mrs. Beach had made her home in Lexington for 37 years. She spent the last winter with her sister, Mrs. Ray mond, in Beaverton. Surviving are two sisters, Mrs. Raymond of Beaverton, and Mrs. Edith Hewitt, Glsndale, Calif.; a brother, E. E. Armstrong, Chicago, 111.; one daughter-in-law, Mrs. El sie Beach, Lexington, and three giandsons, Lawrence Beach of Lo gin, Utah; Laurel Beach of New Yr.fk City and Harold Beach of Phoenb:, Ariz. 7, 1940 Heppner Camp to Close June 30th A letter received the past week by M. L. Case, president of Heppner Lions club, sets the closing date of Camp Heppner CCC definitely on June 30. Case had previously for- I worded a copy of a resolution drawn up for the Lions club seeking re consiberation of the decision to close the local camp. The reply received by Mr. Case was written by J. J. McEntee, acting director, and is relf -explanatory. "I wish to acknowledge receipt of the resolution of your club on February 6, 1940, relative to the proposed closing of CCC camp SCS-2 at that location which has been referred to me for attention by the Office of the Administrator of the Federal Security Agency. "It is regretted that circumstances beyond our control have made it necessary for us to close a number of CCC camps, however, due to the drastic reduction in our 1941 appro priation it will be necessary for us to close a very large number of CCC camps. This mandatory reduction will take place in the period April 1 to June 30, 1940. "In the closing of any of our camps we are guided by the recommenda tions made to this office by the agency supervising the work pro ject of the camp. In this case the Soil Conservation Service recom mended the closing of camp SCS-2, Oregon, because they felt the work being undertaken by this camp coul be suspended with the least harm to the general work program. I therefore regret that camp SCS-2 will be closed on June 30th." Harris Funeral at lone This Afternoon Funeral services for Ralph W. Harris, 72, who died in Heppner Monday evening, were conducted from the Congregational church in lone at 2 o'clock this afternoon, Rev. Moffatt Dennis, pastor, officiating. Burial was in the I.O.O.F. cemetery, with Phelps Funeral home of Hepp ncr in chartre. Mr. Harris was brought to the hospital here several weeks ago suffering from Bright s disease and other complications. Mrs. Harris preceded him in death about a year ago. Mr. Harris had been a resident of lone since 1921. He built and op erated the Park hotel, first built as an apartfnent house and later alter ed to accommodate a few transient guests. He was a civil engineer and had worked on several big projects in Oregon, two of them being the Broadway bridge in Portland and the Union Pacific bridge over Crook ed river in central Oregon. One of his last extensive jobs was the building of four large docks in De troit, Mich. He is survived by two nieces, Mrs. M. E. Woodcock and Mrs. W. B. Allen of Corvallis, and one nephew. Growers' Meeting Held at Lexington More than 100 people were served at the free lunch provided by the Morrow County Grain Growers, Inc., at the meeting held in Lexing ton last Saturday. A good repre sentation of grain growers from all sections of the county was present and the meeting was termed a suc cess. Proponents of the co-operative project presented the plan in detail and found a majority of those pre sent in sympathy with the move ment. Sale of stock has been progressing satisfactorily the last few days while other details of the plan are being cleared up. FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED Heppner fire department was call ed out to help put down a blaze in the country Saturday night when a sheep shed on the Garnet Barratt ranch caught fire. The truck was rushed to the scene but the blaze had been put out before the fire laddios arrived. Only minor dam aft: was inHictcd on the shed. Subscription $2.00 a Year Fund for Surfacing Heppner Hill Road Held Probable $40,000 Available by July 1, Peck Tells Business Group That the highway from the Frank E. Parker farm on top of Heppner hill to Rugg's on Rhea creek may be surfaced in 1940 is a strong pos sibility was the statement of George N. Peck, county commissioner, to the membership of the Heppner chamber of commerce at the month ly meeting at Hotel Heppner Wed nesday evening. Peck outlined the situation to the group in a talk on roads and highways. The speaker explained that a fund of $40,000 accumulated from various sources has been allocated to this county for 1941. The fiscal year of the state highway commis sion is from July 1, he explained, and this would make the fund avail able by July 1 of this year. It is the desire of the commission to improve the Heppner-Spray road as fast as possible and Peck urged the chamber of commerce to back up the court in getting action this year. Possibility of early action on the Heppner-Condon highway is re mote, due, as Peck pointed out, to the fact that the commission has a limited fund for secondary highway construction and maintenance and he feels that it will be from five to seven years before much will be done on this road, unless enough pressure could be brought to bear to have it placed on the primary system, in which event construction might be shoved ahead several years. The speaker had nothing new to offer on the Lena-Hanna ranch improvement. He read a copy of a letter forwarded to the commission relative to the county court's desires on the several roads and the reply of the commission in which it was stated that the state body is making a study of the local situation. Considerable improvement will have to be made to the grade before oiling can be done to Lena, making the expense more than was originally figured. A report on the merchants' mat inee showed quite general satisfac tion on the part of those furnishing the show and those attending. There was some disappointment due to a misunderstanding about a second show and it was decided that if it appears necessary the show will be run twice hereafter. Sentiment for giving the plan a thorough trial was unanimous. The date of the' next free matinee will be April 6. Entertainment was provided by Marylou Ferguson, who played two numbers on the piano. Annual Meeting of Sportsmen Slated Sportsmen of Morrow county will assemble at the mess hall of the Heppner CCC camp at 5 o'clock p. m. next Sunday to partake of a chicken dinner and transact busi ness incident to the annual meeting of the Morrow County Hunters and Anglers club. An invitation has been extended to members and non-members alike as it is desired to place before the public the things the club is trying to accomplish. J. Logie Richardson, club pres ident, says that an invitation ha3 been sent Frank B. Wire to attend the meeting and make a talk. There will be a program to enliven the occasion and main business before the club will bo the election of of ficers. George Howard is secretary. REHEARSAL FRIDAY NIGHT Singers participating in the Eas ter cantata are advised of an addi tional rehearsal Friday, tomorrow, evening at 7 o'clock sharp in the i.a.i c; .inch basement.