Page Four Heppner Gazette Times THE HEPPNER GAZETTE, Established March 30, 1883; THE HEPPNER TIMES, Established November 18, 1897; CONSOLIDATED FEBRUARY 15, 1912 Published every Thursday morning by CKAWFOKD PUBLISHING COMPANY and entered at the Post Office at Hepp ner, Oregon, as second-class matter. JASPER V. CRAWFORD, Editor SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One Year $2.00 Three Years 6.00 Six Months 1.00 Three Months .75 Single Copies .05 Offioial Paper for Morrow Connty SSFalNEWS Heppner Gazette Times, Heppner, Oregon Thursday, May 16, 1940 By A. L. LINDBECK Growing Levies More Jobs Listless Campaign Salem State tax levies within the constitutional six percent limit ation are growing at the rate of approximately a quarter of a mil lion dollars a year, according to fig ures compiled by the state tax com mission. The increase in the 1940 levy over that for 1939 was $246,103. Next year it will amount to more than $276,000 if full advantage is taken of the constitutional "restric tion" which now appears probable. That means that every four years another million dollars will be added to the tax burden for state purposes without any further action by the voters, assuming that the cost of state government continues to grow. Tax commission figures show that in the 23 years since the constitu tional "restriction" has been in ef fect the state levy subject to that limitation has increased by more than $1,797,000. In the last ten years the increase under the stimulus of the six per cent increase has exceed ed $1,744,000. Portland continued the black spot on Oregon's traffic map. While traf fic fatalities in the state outside of Portland totalled only 67 for the first four months of 1940, compared to 72 for the same period last year, a decline of seven per cent, 32 per sons met death in traffic accidents in Portland during this period com pared to 20 for the first four months of 1939, an increase of GO per cent figures compiled by Secretary of State Snell show. Reflecting increased industrial ac tivity throughout the state, due largely to war demands from Euro pean nations, job placements in Ore gon for the first four months of 1940 show an increase of 58lz per cent over the record for the same per iod in 1939, it was reported by Di rector L G Stoll of the state. em ployment office. Stoll also reports a decrease of 25 per cent in the file of active job seekers compared with the record of last year with the employment department already beginning to worry over the pros pect of a shortage of workers to harvest Oregon's crops this summer. Five Oregon automobile license plates of the vintage of 1906 to 1910 W3re presented to Secretary of State Snell this week by Walter M. Cook of Portland, for preservation in the state's collection. These plates were issued to Cover a one-cylinder Cad illac, a Corbin, a Maxwell, a Knox and a York, all pioneers in the mo toring field and all now long since out of manufacture except for the Cadillac. Cook was unable to recall the procedure by which he acquir ed the license plates in those early days and state records fail to throw any light on the situation. In pre senting the plates to the state Cook recalled that he was once fined $5 for violating a traffic speed law by travelling 12 miles an hour on Hol laday avenue in Portland, two miles in excess of the speed limit at that time. Political observers as well as can didates who have been beating the brush in an effort to arouse the voters agree that the current cam paign which will culminate in Fri day's primary election, is one of the most listless in the history of Ore gon. Accepting these reports at their face value it may be assumed that the situation traces back to the fact that the war in Europe has robbed the campaign of much of the pub licity newspapers are accustomed to devoting to politics, coupled with the further fact that the campaign has produced neither an issue nor any outstanding personalities that might be expected to arouse voter appeal. In view of this situation predic tions are for a very light vote throughout the state Friday except in those sections in which the PUD is an issue and which is expected to bring out many voters who oth erwise would not take the trouble to go to the polls. Except for the three-way contest on the Republican ticket the two way Democratic contest is generally regarded as a futile gesture there are but few races in this primary campaign and in this case the aver age voter appears to take' the posi tion that it does not make a great deal of difference who is nominated, whether it be Earl Hill of Cushmn or Floyd Cook or Leslie Scott of Portland. Of the 531,000 registered Republi cans and Democrats who are eligible to participate in the election, offi cials here predict that not more than 250,000 will avail themselves of the opportunity which it will cost the taxpayers of the state an esti mated $80,000 to provide. Of this estimated $80,000 the several coun ties will spend approximately $55, 000 in the employment of election officials, in rentals on polling places and for the printing of ths ballots while the state has spent approx imately $25,000 in the printing and mailing of the official voters' pam phlets and in supplying pencils, tally sheets and other election sup plies. Budget Director Dave Eccles spent the past week in a tour of eastern Oregon, visiting state institutions in a preliminary study of building needs which he expects to incorpor ate in his proposed six-year con struction program. Eccles plans to have each institution head make a survey of his building needs, present and future. When these have been submitted, according to present plans, the board of control, in con ference with institution heads, will classify each request as to its rela tive urgency. Those most urgently needed in order that the institu tions may keep pace with their growing populations, will be incor porated in the next budget for con sideration by the legislature when it meets in January. Buildings or improvements not so urgent will be set aside for future consideration, two or four years hence. Eccles does not "propose to set up any hard and fast construction program but to present to the lawmakers a com prehensive picture of the needs of the several state institutions so that they may know what is facing them in the future as well as in the im mediate present. SCOTT FOR STATE TREASURER -a KriWWlMkvyitWh rftfr LESLIE M. SCOTT "An All Oregon Mem" Republican Primaries May 17 1940 Ad paid for by Scott for Treasurer Committee. Fire Fighters to Drop From Planes Unloading fire fighters from air planes will be tried on a working basis this summer with project headquarters on the Chelan national forest at Winthrop, Wash., according to assistant regionel forester M. L. Merritt, U. S. forest service, Port land, Oregon. "We are acquiring 16 parachutes, 16 especially designed jumping suits, and 16 eight-pound smoke jumpers' radio sets," Merritt said. "Some risk will be involved, but tests made last fall indicate that it is safe to jump in mountainous terrain. The jump ers, as well as the pilots, will be given a course of training before the fire season opens. The para chutes are designed to give a falling speed of 12 feet per second, and flaps are attached with which to steer. The parachutes can be steer ed quite effectively. The suits are of heavy canvas, reinforced to se cure safety. Ankle, knee and body braces, and a helmet with a metal mask, are part of the suit. The jump er will carry 200 feet of rope by means of which he can complete the descent in case he lands in a tree. "The radio sets are about the size and shape of a cigarette carton and fit into a pocket on the parachute pack. As soon as the jumper lands, he radios that he is safe, and his fire fighting tools then are dropped in another parachute. "In some of the mountain areas where truck roads have not been built, several hours are required to reach a fire after it has been discov ered," Merritt said. "During this time it may spread to a size that makes control difficult and expen sive, in addition to the damage that it does. I believe that control costs and damage can be cut by the prompt arrival of one one or moi'e good fire fighters. We experi mented with this method of fast transportation last fall and results justified trying it on a larger scale this summer. Half the eqipment be ing purchased hers is for use in the northern Rocky Mountain region." BOARDMAN STEMS Mrs. N. A. Blenkney and children, Mr. and Mrs. Claud Coats and Echo and Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Barlow and Carma enjoyed a turkey dinner at the Bates' home Saturday evening. Mr. and Mrs. Veto Colosso and family were guests of Mr. and Msr. Paul De Mauro for the week end. Colosso's are living in Arlington now. t DR. STRAM OPTOMETRIST Guardian of Your Vision Offers A complete and thorough optical service such as clean ing and adjusting your glasses or making a scientific exam ination of your eyes without charge or obligation. PRICES REASONABLE Stram Optical Co. 225 So. Main St. Pendleton, Ore. COUNTY NURSE LEAVES Miss Lucille Vale, county health nurse, concluded her second six weeks in Morrow county and left Wednesday evening for Moro where she will be employed until July 1. Miss Vale had a crowded schedule during her six weeks here, holding numerous infant and pre-school child clinics in addition to the reg ular schedule in the schools. GETS COMMITTEE BID Oregon State College, Corvallis, May 15. Harriet Hager of Heppner, sophomore in secretarial science, was recently invited to become a mem ber of the coming year's etiquette committee, which is in charge of the Associated Women Students' program for standardizing and im proving campus social procedure. Mrs. W. O. Bayless and grandson, Bobby Swick, spent the week end at the Howard Swick home on Cot tonwood creek near Monument. STORE FRONTS PAINTED The spirit of improvement that has prevailed in Heppner this spring seized the Masons the past week with the result that the D A Wilson and W. O. Dix store fronts are glis tening with fresh coats of paint Wilson's place received the conven tional white while Dix's advertises the Red & White store system. Harry Archer was the craftsman in charge. Heppner Trading Post "The House of Bargains" OIL STOVES - $110 up CUPBOARDS $3.00 pu CHAIRS - - 50c up WINDCIIARGER - $800 SEWING MACHINES ... $6.00 up BIRD CAGES - 50c Tables, lamps, stoves, dishes, ra dios, batteries, shovels, axes and handles, chains, beds, trunks, guns, forks, etc. You are always welcome come look things over. NOW OPEN! Myrtles Beauty Salon ALL NEW EQUIPMENT including Frederic's Latest Permanent Machine COMPETENT OPERATORS assure satisfaction in latest coiffures Phone 1422 Gilman Bldg., former location of the Gordelen Beauty Shop IT'S SURE SLIM PICKINGS BEHIND A JOHN DEERE COMBINE rjlHESE birds are right! There's not much left in the way of bird food when you have a clean-working John Deere Com bine doing your harvesting. The John Deere does a fast, clean job of cutting, separating, and threshing all small grains, soy beans, grasses, and other combineable crops. s In down or tangled beans, in low-growing crops, a John Deere will do the work better, clean er, and at lower cost. Quality-built throughout with many money-saving advan tages; outstanding for ease of & operation, light draft, simplicity L? of adjustment for varying con ditions, and conven ience in handling. There's a John Deere Combine to fit your re quirements. Come in and let's talk it over. BRADEN-BELL TRACTOR and EQUIPMENT COMPANY lit!