0 Thursday, November 28, 1940 NEWS o School Debt Cut o No State Tax o New Judges By A. L. LINDBECK Salem. Although Oregon school districts were carrying a debt load aggregating $13,371,251.65 on July 1st, last, the load was lighter by $1, 758,117.89 than it was two years ago according to a survey just completed by State Treasurer Walter E. Pear son. In the past ten years Oregon school districts have succeeded in whittling $9,168,068 off their debt burden in spite of numerous bond issues floated to finance new con struction, Pearson reports. Only twelve of the state's 36 counties increased their school debt during the two year period. Twenty five counties reported substantial progress in reducing their school indebtedness. Lincoln county stands in a class by itself as the only county without any school district indebted ness. Morrow county's school debt on July 1, last, was reported as $70, 504.81 compared to $99,167.99 on July 1 1938, representing a reduc tion of $28,663.18 in the two year period. Oregon's newly created peoples utility districts still have time in which to levy a tax for 1941 opera tions in the opinion of Chas. V. Gal loway, chairman of the state tax commission. In this opinion Gallo way relies on a ruling by the state supreme 'court in the case of State vs Johnson in 1916, in which it was held that "statutes, similar to those now in effect, specifying the time or period for making and reporting tax levies were not mandatory but mere ly directory for the guidance of of ficers in the orderly conduct of business devolving upon them." The new dormitory under con struction at the state prison farm south of Salem will be ready for occupancy about January 1, accord ing to Warden George Alexander. The new building, a three-story con crete structure is being constructed with prison labor at a cost of ap proximately $50,000 for material. It will house the 200 trusties now em ployed in the operation of the pri son's farming activities, more than one-half of whom are now being transported back and forth between the prison and the farm daily. Governor Chas. A. Sprague, ac companied by Lt. Col. Elmer V. Wooten, assistant adjutant general, inspected the Oregon troops in Camp at Fort Lewis this week. Tobacco used by the patients and inmates of state institutions costs the state approximately $10,000 a year, according to Dan J. Fry, state pur chasing agent. The state textbook commission met in Salem at its regular biennial session this week to examine new books and make selections for new texts for use in Oregon schools. Adoptions are made for six-year periods with not more than one third of the texts changed at any biennial session. In spite of increased employment throughout the state the state em ployment service reported this week that it still has more than 24,000 jobless men and women on its list. Oregon property owners are once more to be spared the necessity of contributing toward the support of state governmental activities. While the tax commission is still working on the 1941 levy their computations have already progressed far enough to show that estimated revenues from levies against incomes will en tirely offset property levies both within and outside the constitutional six percent limitation. This will be the fourth time the property levy for state purposes has been waived in its entirety first in 1932, then again in 1938 and 1939. On two other occasions 1937 and 1940 only small property levies have been resorted to in order to cover STATE CAPITAL Holders of Mothers' Scholarships High At U. of 0. Since 1935, when the first awards were made, holders of Oregon Mo thres' scholarships have won schol astic and other distinctions in the University of Oregon, according to word received here by club mem bers from Karl W. Onthank, dean of personnel. All have made excellent grades also, the dean pointed out. Members of the Mothers' organiza tion are unusually active this year, and at present are engaged in a state-wide drive for funds to carry on the scholarship and loans. Two of the students designated this fall as the "senior six" by Phi Beta Kappa, national scholastic so ciety, entered the university as Ore gon Mothers' scholarship holders. This honor, which includes election to this oldest and most revered of fraternities, is awarded only to the six seniors who stand highest schol astically. The two are Miss Aida Brun, Klamath Falls, and Benson Mates, Portland. Miss Brun is also a member of Mortar Board, senior honor society, of which she is secretary and Hil yard Cooperative house, of which she is president. Mates has received the highest scholastic rating, 4.00, four times during his college career. The first two student recipients of scholarships, Paul Deutschmann and Tom Turner, both of whon came from Portland, graduated last year following outstanding records in the university. Deutschmann was editor Turner, now employed in Portland, of the Emerald, student daily, and was a member of Phi Betta Kappa. Nisma Banta, Prineville, holder of a scholarship in 1938-39, was one of two women named outstanding in journalism her freshman year. Last year one of the scholars, Maryjane Bovingdon, Oakland, held the high est grades in the freshman class. Ruth Baker, Bend, is prominent in intramural sports, and Marguerite Campbell, Portland, is an outstand ing art student. special levies outside the six percent limit. If estimates of the tax commission hold good there wil be no property levy again in 1942 and only a small levy against property in 1943 which may also be wiped out should there be a substantial increase in income tax revenues as is now indicated. Governor Sprague who on Satur day filled two judicial posts in Mult nomah county, one on the circuit bench and the other a district court position is not expected to take any action toward filling the circuit jud geship left vacant by the death of Judge Mears who was elected to succeed Judge Tazwell whose term expires in January. Attorney Gen eral Van Winkle has ruled that the death of Judge Mears before quali fying for the circuit judgeship auto matically continues Judge Tazwell in office until after the general elec tion of 1942. This opinion, however, is disputed by many Oregon attor neys. The supreme court may be asked to settle the controversy. Second only in point of interest to the fight over the House Speaker ship is the contest that has devel oped over the post of sergeant-at-arms in the House for the forth coming session. Joseph F. Singer of Portland who has held this import ant post for many sessions is being opposed at this time by Frank B. Tichenor of Port Orford, state rep resentative from Coos and Curry counties in 1917. On the Senate side Banks Mortimer, Portland World War veteran, is said to be lining up support for his candidacy as ser-geant-at-arms to succeed Allen P. Wheeler who, having been elected a county commissioner of Lane county at the recent, election, will not again be a candidate for the Senate post which he has filled for the past three sessions. The state tuberculosis hospital east of Salem, established in 1910,, cele brated its 30th anniversary on Thanksgiving Day. Dr. G. C. Boll inger has been superintendent of the institution for 27 of its 30 years. Constructed originally to accomo date 48 patients the hospital now has accomodations for 320 patients. Rir?L Washington, D. C, Nov. 28 The private lives of hundreds of young men and women hastily engaged by the National Defense Advisory com mission are being scrutinized by gov ernment investigators (who them selves have been investigated), to the embarrassment of the workers. Object is to determine the loyalty of these workers as well as their character. Sample questions: Give list of ev ery address for the past five years, with name of landlord to whom rent was paid; give name of every employer, length of employment and why you quit. How much money have you in bank; where did you get it? Have you been in lawsuits? If so, give details. Do you drink, and if so, how often, how much, and if you have been 'lit' when and where? Name your associates. Are you in debt, and if so, how much? The worker must give names of ten acquaintances for reference. Each of the ten is interviewed, and records of courts are searched, old landlords and employers called on. Every statement given is checked and double checked. Theory of the character probe is that a worker's affiliation with a subversive organization can be read ily determined, but the worker's background will give a clue whether or not he or she, because of habits, might succumb to temptation by a foreign agent to reveal information the National Defense Advisory com mission does not want to leak out. The quiz is tougher than that made by a loan shark. G-men of the FBI are satisfied that recent explosions were not the work of saboteurs, but that these enemies have been active they know, because: A cruiser was put out of business when its electrical control was ruined by someone who drove a phonograph needle into a cable; someone placed buckshot in the en-; gine of an airplane; someone weak ened a batch of molten metal intend ed for airplane use by tossing a couple of plastic handles from a machine into the mass; someone with a hacksaw sawed a sheet of alumi num in an airship, which would weaken the craft. In FBI files is a document revealing a plot to fire a merchant vessel and sink it in the Panama canal which is why a guard of gobs with officers now take charge of every ship using the canal, the guards being stationed at every key position on the vessel, the guard even installing its own telephone system on the ship. ' Every industrial plant filling' a; government order has been studied by FBI inspectors and the manage ment has been given suggestions how to improve jprotection from fire and sabotage. Recent explosions and fires in eastern plants are attributed by -men to carelessness; some work ers became negligent in handling explosives because of familiarity with the stuff. Measures have already been draft ed and soon will be introduced to have congress repeal the neutrality law, enabling American ships to carry munitions to England and be protected by American warships on the voyage across the Atlantic. The proposal has the support of several very high officials in the govern ment and the plan may have ad ministration backing if the measures come to a vote. The bombing of Birmingham and Coventry, indus trial centers comparable to Detroit and Flint, has ruined domestic sour ces of supply, and supplies manu factured in these British communi ties must now be replaced from the United States. As the British have not sufficient ships, the proposal is to dispatch the supplies in American flag vessels. It is another step toward war. Washington Scene Taxi drivers of the national capital have been paying initiation fees to join the carpenters union and then getting jobs on cantonment construction at Fort Myer and Fort Bellaire, near by . . . Workers in the navy yard, half a mile from the senate building, on the Potomac, are provoked be cause they have an increase which amounts to a pack of cigarets a week . . . The thousands of lads who are rejected for instruction as air pilots will be given an opportun ity to volunteer as bombardiers or navigators for the fighting planes, Most of the training plane were ordered from the Vultee plant in California, whose production has been held up by strike ... It re quires nine months to make a real army pilot. Much was said recently about George Washington's views regard ing a third term, but no mention that George advertised for a cook when he learned that the cook he had was setting too good a "second table" . . . Calvin Coolidge also kept an eye on the White House kitchen. The grocery bill must be paid by the President, but no other President was subjected to such venomous attacks as Honest Abe, as is documented by exhibits in the Lincoln Museum (admission 10 cents since Harold Ickes was given cus tody of the place). Make your appointment now for the latest hairdress. Myrtle's Beauty Salon. 37tf. NOTICE OF FESTAL ACCOUNT Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Executrix of the Estate of O. H. Warner, deceased, has filed with the County Court of the State of Oregon for Morrow County, her final account of her administration of said estate, and that said court has set Monday, the 25th day of November, 1940, at the hour of 11 o'clock A. M. in the forenoon of said day at the County Court room at the Court House at Heppner, Ore gon, as the time and place for hear ing objections to said final account and the settlement of said estate, and all persons having objections to said final account or the settle ment of said estate are hereby re quired to file the same with said court on or before the time set for said hearing. Dated and first published this 31st day of October, 1940. EVA L. WARNER, Executrix. Professional Directory Maternity Home Mrs. Lillie Aiken Phone 664 P. O. Box 142 Heppner, Oregon Phelps Funeral Home Ambulance Service Trained Lady Assistant Phone 1332 Heppner, Ore. i NEW AUTO POLICY Bodily Injury & Property Damage Class A $13.60 Class B $17.00 See us before financing your next automobile. F. W. TURNER & CO. Heppner City Council Meets First Monday Each Month Citizens having matters for dis cussion, please bring before the Council G. A. BLEAKMAN, Mayor. GLENN Y. WELLS ATTORNEY AT LAW ATwater 4884 535 MEAD BUILDING 5th at Washington PORTLAND, OREGON J. 0. Turner ATTORNEY AT LAW Phone 173 Hotel Heppner Building HEPPNER, ORE. A. D. McMurdo, M. D. PHYSICIAN & SURGEON Trained Horse Assistant Office in Masonic Building Heppner, Oregon Heppner Abstract Co. J. LOGIE RICHARDSON, Mgr. BATES SEASONABLE Roberts Building Heppner. Cm P. W. Mahoney ATTORNEY AT LAW QENEBAL INSURANCE Heppner Hotel Building Willow St Entrance J. 0. Peterson Latest Jewelry sad (Hit Goods Watches . Clooks Diamonds Expert Watch and Jewelry Repairing Heppner, Oregon Vawter Parker ATTORNEY-AT-LAW First National Bank Building Dr. Richard C. Lawrence DENTIST X-Ray and Extraction by Gaa First National Bank Bldg. Phone 562 Heppner, Oregon Dr. L. D. Tibbies OSTEOPATHIC Physioian & Surgeon FIRST NATIONAL BANK BLDG. Rec. Phone 1162 Office Phone 492 HEPPNER, OREGON Jos. J. Nys i ATTORNEY AT LAW Peters Building, Willow Street Heppntr, Oregon V. R. Runnion AUCTIONEER Farm Sales and Livestock a Specialty 405 Jones Street, Heppner, Ore. Phone 452 MAKE DATES AT MY EXPENSE Morrow County Abstract & Title Co. INC. ABSTRACTS OP TITLE TITLE INSURANCE Office in New Peters Building Peterson & Peterson ATTORNEYS AT LAW U. S. National Bank Building PENDLETON, OREGON Practice In State and Federal Courts Real Estate General Line of Insurance and Bonds W. M. EUBANKS Notary Pnbllo Phone 62 lone. Ore. M. L. CASE G. E. NIKANDER Directors of Funerals 862 Phones 262