SOCtETY
PUBMC AUDITOR"-
III II 27 H
Volume 57, Number 13
County Officials
Seek Tax Money
From Government
Plan Revealed When
Association Met
Here Last Thursday
Morrow county court officials are
in agreement with officials of other
counties of Oregon in the belief that
the federal government should re
imburse all counties for lands re
moved from the tax rolls and held
under government ownership. The
local court, including Bert Johnson,
judge, and Commissioners George
N. Peck and L. D. NeilP, put Morrow
county on record as favoring such
a course when the district No. 3
group of the Association of Oregon
Counties met at the courthouse here
last Thursday,
District No. 3 is comprised of
Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gil
liam, Wheeler and Morrow coun
ties. Representatives from all six
counties were present, including
Judge Nicholson and Commissioner
R. W. Arens and Ralph Perry, Hood
River; Judge Kirk and Commission
er F. L. Phipps, Wasco; Judge
George Porter, Sherman; Judge
James Burns and Commissioners
Earl Hoag and Glenn Richards, Gil
liam; Judge Howard and Commis
sioner Jackson of Wheeler and the
Morrow county court Judge Earl
Day of Jackson county, executive
secretary of the committee appointed
by the state association to work ftir
congressional approval of a measure
providing for reimbursement to the
counties from which the government
has withdrawn taxable property, at
tended the meeting and reported on
progress of the movement.
Land withdrawals have assumed
serious proportions, according to
Judge Day. In Oregon, the govern
ment has withdrawn and holds 51
percent of the land under various
projects. Sixteen percent of the
acreage of Morrow county is held
by the government, removing that
much from the tax rolls and dis
tributing the burden over the re
mainder of the county. It is the
same story over the state, some
counties snowing a larger percent
age and others less.
Judge Day and District Attorney
Guy Gordon of Douglas county at
tended a meeting on federal taxes
in Houston, Texas, at the invitation
of a similar state association to tell
of the plan under consideration in
Oregon. The Oregon officials found
the people of the south in accord
with the movement. On their re
turn they were invited to speak
before a meeting of county officials
in Arizona and Judge Day told of
one county where but two percent
of the area is privately owned and
two mining concerns own that.
Again, in California, the Oregon
men addressed a meeting in the
southern part of the state and would
have succeeded in organizing a unit
there but for the fact that the Cal
fornians wanted to retain part of
the funds for use in that state, a
proposal the Oregonians could not
accept.
Funds derived from government
lands such as the grazing district
in the northern part of Morrow
county cannot be placed in the gen
eral fund but must be earmarked
for disbursements in making im
provements within the district, Judge
Bert Johnson points out. This is
not actually reimbursement in the
form of taxes and merely makes the
county custodian of a limited am
ount of federal funds. It is the pur
pose of the Oregon association to
line up every county in the state
to carry the movement to every
county in the United States affected
by federal withdrawals.
Roads and relief were other sub
jects receiving attention from the
officials. In the matter of welfare,
Heppner,
TENNIS TEAM
PLAYS AT REED
Hugh Crawford Makes Se mi
Finals at State Tourney; Bennett,
Pinckney Win Opener from Hill
Heppners' tennis team returned
from Portland Sunday after making
a creditable showing at the state
tournament sponsored by Reed col
lege Friday and Saturday. The boys
didn't bring home the championship
but were well satisfied with the
showing they made. It was their
first meeting with more than district
competition and despite the handi
cap of not having their own court
to practice on the last few days be
fore the tournament they made a
place for themselves on the city
court.
Hugh Crawford fared a little bet
ter than his team mates and worked
his way into the semi-finals. In the
first round he defeated Robert Sul
livan, Roseburg, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. In the
quarter finals he took Guy Clark
of Stanfield to the tune of 6-4, 6-3,
and met defeat at the hands of
Parks of Estaeada in a semi-final
match, 6-3, 0-6, 1-6.
Don Bennett and Bob Pinckney
opened hostilities in the first round
by defeating Hill Military academy
doubles team, only to go out of the
tourney in the quarter finals against
Roseburg.
Howard Wray lost to Parks, Es
tacada, 6-1, 6-0 in the first round.
Tennis is a comparatively new
sport at Heppner high school. The
court has been in use but two or
three seasons and the students have
had to develop their game in that
time. The boys have not had all the
honors, since Frances , McCarty of
the class of 1939 recently captured
the intramural championship at Or
egon State college.
Thomson Training in
Naval Reserve Corps
Ted Thomson, son of Mrs. Anna
Q. Thomson, writes this paper that
he is now stationed at the Sand
Point naval air base near Seattle
where he has enlisted as a pilot in
the United States naval reserve
corps. He has temporarily abandon
ed the study of law to take up the
training, stating that he believes pre
paredness essential to defense of our
way of life. He has piloted daily
for the last two weeks at the U. S.
naval air reserve base at Sand Point.
Ted contemplates a return to
Heppner the latter part of June and
will spend a few weeks here. His
address is U. S. Naval Reserve Avia
tion Base, Seattle, Wash. ,
Free Matinee Slated
Saturday, June 1
Business houses of Heppner wish
to remind the people of Morrow
county that the matinee to be shown
Saturday afternoon of this week is
free and that a cordial invitation is
extended to everybody to attend.
There will be two showings, at 1
and 2:40 p. m. and tickets are not
required.
For Saturday's matinee the Star
theater has chosen "The Crooked
Road," featuring Edmund Lowe,
Irene Hervey and Henry Wilcoxon.
it appeared to the group that the
state in withdrawing old age assist
ance is trying to make a good show
ing on its budget at the expense of
the counties. Under the present set
up a county can not get old age
assistance from the state and new
cases must be cared for out of the
county's general fund. The associa
tion would like to see this order
changed.
A feature of the meeting -was a
Morrow county lamb dinner at the
Lucas Place. Commissioner Roy
Neill furnished the lamb and Judge
Johnson is authority for the state
ment that Morrow county lamb is
the finest in the world, especially
when prepared by a Morrow county
cook.
Oregon, Thursday, May
Swimming Season
Officially Opens
Here Tomorrow
First Day to be
Free to Public at
City Natatorium
All is in readiness for opening the
swimming season at Heppner's mu
nicipal tank, according to Harold
Buhman, swimming instructor and
life guard, who announces that the
plunge will be open to the public at
9:30 o'clock tomorrow morning.
Swimming will be free all day to
morrow and on Saturday season
tickets or cash will be in order.
Season tickets will be a little
higher this year, it having been
found that last year's prices failed
to cover expenses the tickets were
designed to meet. A book of indiv
idual season tickets will cost $4,
double season tickets $6, and family
season tickets $7. It is suggested
that purchasers buy now and have
advantage of a full season. General
admission charges have been fixed
at 10 cents for children of grade
school age, 15 cents for high school
students and 25 cents for adults.
Additional swimming hours have
been created through installation of
flood lights at the tank, making it
possible for night swimming. This
is expected to attract a good many
people who find it impossible to
patronize the tank during the day.
Night swimming has proved popular
in many other towns for either open
or enclosed tanks and doubtless
when the real warm weather comes
there will be many who will find
pleasure in taking a cool plunge
after the sun has gone down.
The wading;, pool for kiddies has
not been completed and probably
will not be until the council takes
some action. Funds raised for con
struction of the pool have been ex
hausted. Band Advertises
Condon Rodeo Here
Representing the Condon Rodeo,
to be held this week end, the Con
don community band stopped in
Heppner a short time Sunday fore
noon, played a few numbers and
headed towards Arlington. The
band's visit was intended primarily
to advertise the rodeo and its stop
here was necessarily brief due to
an extensive itinerary covering
Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman and Was
co points.
Condon's fourth annual spring ro
deo will be held Saturday and Sun
day, June 1 and 2. A thrilling pro
gram of bronc riding, calf roping
and Brahma steer riding has been
arranged for the rodeo grounds and
there will be band music, parades
and a carnival to fill in, giving pro
mise of two big days at the neigh
boring city.
Small Boy Injured
in Auto Accident
Tragedy was narrowly averted at
the J. J. Wightman home Monday
when Jimmie, 6-year-old son of
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Wightman,
fell from the family car and re
ceived a serious head injury.
Jimmie was in the front seat with
his father and grandfather and de
cided to get into the back seat.
John Wightman was driving the car
and was backing. A door had swung
open and Jimmie plunged through
this to the ground. The front wheel
of the car grazed his face, making
an ugly wound. He was taken to
the hospital where the injury was
cared for and after spending two
days there was able to return to
his grandparents' home. He will be
under the care of a physician for
some time and his mother plans to
remain here until he is released.
30, 1940
BOY SCOUT CAMP
PROVES SUCCESS
12 Boys Spend Profitable
Week in First Summer Outing
in Mountain Area
It takes more than rain and frost
to dampen or chill the enthusiasm of
a group of Boy Scouts, according to
Martin Clark, leader of the Heppner
troop. Clark took a company of 12
scouts into summer camp the last
week and found that the youngsters
can "take it" as well as older people.
Coming in from a hike with their
clothes wet did not daunt the boys.
Neither did they ask to be taken
home when they got up one morning
and found ice in the water buckets.
It was all part' of the game with
them.
Camp was opened at the site on
Herren creek at noon Monday, May
20, and closed Sunday afternoon,
May 26. Seven busy days were put
in by the boys, their leader and
Mrs. Clark, who did the cooking.
Morning hours were devoted to
classwork and camp clean-up, after
noons to recreation. This consisted
of baseball games, hikes, fishing and
any other types of recreation ap
pealing to the boys.
Friday evening a court of honor
was held, presided over by O. E.
Hoover, director of Blue Mountain
scout council. Jack Aiken and Ray
mond French were awarded tender
foot badges and William McCaleb
received a Star badge. He has two
more steps to take to acquire the
coveted Eagle scout badge.
Ray Zack, Yakima Indian evangel
ist, visited camp Saturday evening
and spoke to the boys, returning
there Sunday afternoon to assist in
camp closing services. The boys ob
served the 12th scout law by holding
Sunday school Sunday morning.
While there were 12 boys regis
tered for the camp several others
visited during the week. Most of
the parents of the boys attended the
services in camp on Sunday.
Walter Depuy Takes
Bride at Pomeroy
The marriage of Miss Carol Cob
lantz of Pendleton and Walter De
puy of Heppner was solemnized at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Clem in Pomeroy, Wash., at 2:30
o'clock p. m., Sunday, May 26. The
Rev. Raymond Fite of the Christian
church performed the ceremony in
the presence of immediate relatives
and Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert C. Dick
son. Following the ceremony the
wedding group went to the home
of Mrs. Cecil Slaybaugh, cousin of
the bridegroom, where the wedding
dinner was served.
Mrs. Depuy is a sister of Ray
Coblantz of Heppner The bride
groom is manager of Dickson's Var
iety store here and is one of the
popular young business men of the
town.
The newlyweds are taking a wed
ding tour of eastern Oregon and
will return to Heppner this week
end.
Foresters Picnic
at Parkers Mill
Forest service officials and guards
and their families assembled at Par
kers Mill last Sunday for a picnic.
There were more than 50 in the
crowd and from all reports a grand
time was had by all.
A program of baseball, horseshoe
pitching, foot races and an ice cream
eating contest kept everybody mov
ing throughout the day. It is hinted
that some of the older members of
the crowd moved a bit too lively and
have since rued some of their youth
ful capers. No charley horses have
been reported but some sore mus
cles are much in evidence.
Mrs. Martha Wright spent ten
days in Portland, where she visited
with her relatives there, returning
to her Heppner home last Saturday.
Subscription S2.00 a Year
Red Cross Asks
County Unit to
Double Its Ouota
Spread of European
Conflict Taxes Fa
cilities of Society
Hitler's conquest of western Eu
rope was felt in Morrow county this
week when the American Red Cross
wired a request for additional funds
with which to meet emergencies in
caring for countless thousands of
refugees and innocent victims of
the conflict.
A few weeks ago local Red Cross
officials received notice that Mor
row county's quota of the $10,000,
000 needed for war relief was $310.
Before the chapter got into action
to raise that amount another appeal,
came for funds and this time the
request was for double the original
sum. Russell McNeill, chairman of
the Morrow county chapter, receiv
ed a telegram from Norman H.
Davis, Pacific coast director, stating
thajt, "Whien the American Red
Cross asked the minimum war relief
fund of $10,000,000 no one could
foresee that in two short weeks the
greatest tragedy in all history would
be unfolded. It is impossible to
describe the pitiful plight of millions
of refugees in France. Sick, wound
ed, hungry and homeless they cry
out to us for help. Will need much
more than $10,000,000, therefore the
quota originally assigned should be
regarded as the minimum immediate
objective. Chapters should then go
on and where possible double their
quotas. In fact, only limitation
should be the maximum generosity
of American people. We should
complete this campaign within the
shortest possible time."
On May 25 the American Red
Cross cabled $100,000 to the British
Red Cross to aid in caring for the
great numbers of Dutch and Bel
gian refugees who are reaching
England's shores in most pitiable
conditions. The refugees in many
instances arrived in small open
boats after harrowing trips across
the channel. Many are sick and
wounded and none has any posses
sions. This is but one of many re
potts reaching the society.
Mrs. Edna Turner and Mrs O. G.
Crawford have consented to take
hold of the drive in Morrow county
and are making arrangements to
start on the work this week end.
Each of the towns of the county
will be covered and as many of the
rural districts as they can reach.
The time set for doing this work
is less than a week and chapter'
officers point out it will facilitate
the campaign if subscribers will
have their money ready when the
solicitors call.
Many People Visit
Cemetery Today
Of
Heppner is observing Decoration
day in a quiet manner and many
cars have wended their way to the
Masonic cemetery where graves of
loved ones were decorated. For
several evenings work lias been go
ing on straightening up graves and
cleaning lots.
There were no exercises or form
al program. Flags are out and busi
ness houses closed. A number of
former residents have returned to
observe the day, some of them com
ing from a distance.
COMMITMENT SERVICES HELD
Commitment services for Mrs.
May Case, whose death occurred in
Spokane last week, were held by
Case Mortuary at 10 o'clock this
morning in the Masonic cemetery.
Rev. Martin Clark conducted a
brief service and burial was beside
the grave of Mrs. Case's husband,
the late Fred Case.