Thursday, September 11, 1941
STATE
CAPITAL
NEWS
o Snell Problem
o Defense Economics
o Green Campaign ;
By A. L. LINDBECK
Salem. Secretary of State Earl
Snell remains the big question mark
in the forthcoming Republican pri
mary campaign.
Barred from seeking a return to
his present position by the state con
stitution which limits a secretary of
state to two consecutive terms, it
is generally taken for granted that
Snell will be a candidate for some
other office.
It is also pretty generally taken
for granted by most political prog
nosticators that Snell will enter the
lists as a candidate for the republi
can nomination for governor in op
position to Governor Charles A.
Sprague who has already publicly
declared himself as a candidate for
re-election.
There are a lot of other prognos
ticators, however, who still believe
that Snell will step aside from the
gubernatorial race and contend in
stead for the second district con
gressional seat now held by Walter
M. Pierce of La Grande who has also
declared his intention to seek an
other term. This is the course the
republican strategists are hoping
Snell will pursue since it is feared
a contest between Snell and Sprague
might result in a breach in the
party ranks through which the dem
ocrats may be able to slip their
nominee in the fall elections next
year. However, this pathway which
was wide open a month ago now
presents a bit of complication in
the form of Lowell Stockman of
Umatilla county who is understood
to have made up his mind that he
wants the republican congressional
nomination over in that district.
Snell himself is not taking anyone
into his confidence regarding his
plans for the future. Some time ago
he intimated that he might have an
announcement to make in Septem
ber but now that the oyster season
is at hand he has decided to defer
his announcement until "later on,"
probably after the first of the year.
In the meantime additional inter
est has been injected into the re
publican gubernatorial situation by
rumors that State Treasurer Leslie
M. Scott, third member of the board
of control, would also like to sit at
the head of the council table. If the
prospect of two strong candidates
for this top ranking state job has
been giving the republican leaders
nightmares one can well imagine
that the prospect of a three corner
ed race with all three members of
the board of control engaged in a
mad scramble for primary prefer
ment will be enough to set party
strategists to tearing their hair.
The sudden, death of J. Lyman
Steed, superintendent of the state
school for the deaf early Thursday
morning (Septemebr 4) leaves an
other vacancy in the state's official
family for the board of control to
fill. Steed who had been superin
tendent of the deaf school since
1926 was regarded as an outstand
ing leader in work among the deaf
as well as an able administrator.
Local school district boards are
vested with authority to change the
date for opening of schools if cir
cumstances warrant, according to
Rex Putnam, state superintendent
of public education. The statement
was made in connection with ap
peals being made in many sections
of Oregon for the release of children
from school to aid in harvesting
crops because of the shortage of ad
ult help. In lieu of postponing the
opening of schools Putnam pointed
out, arrangements might be made
to excuse students who are needed
for work in hop yards, bean fields
or prune orchards.
With the employment of William
H. Crawford, Portland mechanical
engineer, as full time director, the
Oregon Economic council is now
concentrating its efforts on a solu
tion of the problems confronting
Oregon communities in defense ar
eas. Especially is the council con
cerning itself with the problem con
fronting the city of Hermiston
' Heppner Gazette Times, Heppner, Oregon
where approximately 5000 new wor
kers have suddenly been dumped
into a community with a normal
population of 800. Admitting that
the situation at Hermiston is ser
ious neither Crawford nor David
Eccles, executive secretary of the
council are able to offer a solution.
Water and sewage facilities of the
community are entirely inadequate
to the needs of the increased pop
ulation and the Hermiston schools
can not begin to take care of the
added burden occasioned bv the ar
rival of families of workmen with
many children of school age. Inas
much as the Hermiston emereencv
is of a temporary nature, expected
to end as soon as the contract on the
army ammunition dump is comolet-
ed shortly after the first of the year
it is not telt that the exnense nec
essary to the extension of water
mains and sewer system as well as
the construction of additional school
rooms would be justified. Similar
situations but on a somewhat small
er scale are expected to confront
Corvallis, Monmouth. Independence,
Medford and other Oregon commun
ities with the construction of can
tonments and other defense projects
which are . on the federal program.
J. C. Lindley who has been em
ployed as an examiner in the state
banking department since 1934 has
been promoted to the post of assist
ant superintendent to succeed S.
Dietrick who recently resigned to
accept a position with the United
States National Bank of Portland.
A. A. Schramm, former superin
tendent of banks but more recentlv
employed in a bank at Corvallis, has
accepted a position as examiner in
the banking department.
Governor Sprague is much en
couraged over the success of the
"Keep Oregon Green" campaign.
The fire season of 1941, he said, has
been the lightest for many years.
A report submitted by State For
ester Nels Rogers shows that only
7659 acres of timber land outside the
national forests have been burned
over. Only 312 man made fires have
been reported as compared to a
normal 700 for a fire season. Light
ning fires were responsible for more
than 90 percent of the damage suf
fered in timbered areas of the state
this year.
Increased employment is being re
flected in a substantial decrease in
unemployment compensation bene
fits. , A statement issued by State
Treasurer Leslie M. Scott shows that
only $432,460.24 in jobless insurance
was paid out during June, July and
August compared to $813,664.28 for
the same months in 1940. Public
welfare costs during August am
ounted to $829,001, Scott's statement
shows. Of this total $464,912 went
for old age pensions, $181,379 for
general relief and $91,757 for aid to
dependent children.
With second half income tax pay
ments now coming in state tax of
ficials expect the grand total of rev
enues from this source for the year
to reach $8,000,000, or nearly $2,000,
000 above the original estimate up
on which the 1941 tax levy was
based. Penalty and interest will ac
crue on all payments not made by
October 1.
Only 55 of the 61 young lawyers
who passed the state bar examina
tion were present this week to re
ceive their certificates at the hands
of Chief Justice Percy Kelly of the
state supreme court. Most of the
absent ones have been called into
military service.
Page Three
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It
If AS
Must
Not
Happen ' Here
They laugh at distance, these raiders in the sky. They spare no
school or church or home! Their victims are the aged and the
infirm, women and little babies.
But here their missies SHALL NOT FALL!
For America is AROUSED! Our men are ARMING! Guns, tanks
and munitions pour from our factories! New ships slide into our
seas! More and more planes are taking wing!
But the blessings that only we in AMERICA know must be paid
for by dollars your dollars.
To defend your home and your country, the Government asks
every man and woman, every boy and girl, to LEND not give
your SAVINGS FOR DEFENSE.
Start today by buying a
DEFENSE STAMP
We Join In
'RETAILERS-FOR-DEFENSE' WEEK
Sept. 15 to 20, and are selling Defense Stamps
Patterson & Son
Wilson's Men's Wear
First National Bank
of Portland
J. C. Penney Co. Inc.
Hanson Hughes
Central Market
Humphrey's Drug Co.
M. D. Clark