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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 25, 1942)
6 Heppner Gazette Times, June 25, 1942 STATE CAPITAL NEWS o State's War Risk o Defense Bluff o Utility Tax Threat By A. L. LINDBECK Salem. Should the state insure its buildings against damage from bombing raids or should it carry, its own risk? That is the question that is just now agitating the board of control. Representatives of insurance com panies have approached the board with a proposal to insure state build ings at the very low rates provided for this type of coverage. Even at this low rate, however, it is estima ted that it would cost the state $20, 000 a year in premiums to insure all of its buildings against enemy bombs. That the risk involved is very small is admitted but there still re mains the remote possibility of an air raid that might result in dam age to some state building. Should the board decide to carry its own risk and save the $20,000 in premium payments and a bomb hit demolish the capitol or any one of a number of other state buildings it is real ized that the responsible officials would be subjected to severe criti cism for their lack of foresight. On the other hand it is also realized that these officials would be sub jected to criticism if they should spend $20,000 a year or any fraction of this amount for insurance against a raid that never materialized. Threats of regional directors of the civilian defense organization to step in and take over the state set up were apparently only a bluff to force acceptance of their demands for a greatly enlarged civilian de fense effort on the part of the state. At least such was the assurance brought back from Washington, D. C, this week by Jerrold Owen, Ore gon's coordinator of civilian de fense, after a conference with James M. Landis, national coordinator. Ac V40JUU Ull Wild UiU ..Al'tOLr.nilJl &'91jC WIK AMUT ECoIomy . OU CAN CULTIvStf ii OM ABOUT ' rtt OHl KM. OUR ill r ll I BA fOFUV ft tT A new JOHN DEERE You're in for the surprise of your life when you see and drive the John Deere Model "H" the sensational new small tractor that handles two-row equipment and completely replaces animal power on small and large farms every where, cutting costs 'way below their former level, and making farming more profitable. And when you learn the price, you'll wonder how John Deere can give you so much in a tractor that sells for so little. In addition, the Model "H" not only burns low-' cost fuel but it uses only 13 to 12 as much fuel on the many jobs within its power range, as would larger tractors handling the same load. Come in, see it, and get "the surprise of your life." BRADEN-BELL TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT CO. CSlBMailRJiJniBfS cording to Owen the national coor dinator regards civilian defense as a state rather than a federal function and there is no intention on the part of the federal organization to step in and interfere with the states un less they fall down on the job com pletely. The threats voiced by his subordinates were evidently made without the knowledge or consent of Landis who promptly rebuked his lieutenants for their assumption of this autocratic attitude toward state defense programs. Owen said that Landis was highly pleased with the civilian defense program in Oregon and explained that his criticism of the Pacific coast states on his re cent trip through the west was not intended to apply to this state. The need for improving the qual ity of Oregon prunes was stressed by members of the Oregon land use committee at a conference with Act ing Governor Dean Walker and offi cials of the state department of ag riculture in Salem this week. The improvement program has alreadv received the approval of the North west Dried Fruit association, it was said. Nearly 6,000,000,000 feet of logs were removed from state, county and privately owned lands in Ore gon during 1941, according to a re port by State Forester Nels S. Rog ers. A total of 323,790 acres were logged during the year. A full-time paid executive direc tor is to be employed by the newly created Oregon highway traffic ad visory committee, it was announced following a meeting of that body here this week. The director will be paid out of funds of the federal public roads bureau. The advisorv committee operates as an adjunct of the office of defense transportation. Oregon's coordinator of civilian defense, Jerrold Owen, takes excep tion to Secretary of War Stimson's declaration that danger of a Japan ese invasion of the Pacific coast has been practically eliminated by the victories scored by U. S. forces in the battles in the Coral Sea and off Midway Island. "It is most unfortunate that Wash ington officials seem prone to issue aI6im27 401 -JLrA ,hM0-SIPH0N COOLlM Pvjl ....... n YfHY IT BURNS lOIV-Qjcr fUU SUU-CSiFUHy fit nt CERTAINLY Pifmtv t mw tip) (W AT mYW , M MT m m mm I statements in general terms which easily are misunderstood and cause confusion and uncertainty in this combat area," Owen declared. In spite of the war secretary's as surance that this coast is compara tively safe from enemy raids Owen said that "civilian defense forces in Oregon are not relaxing its vigil ance for one moment to trim its sails to the winds which flow from our nation's capital." The "request" of Joseph B. East man, defense transportation director, that state and county fairs be dis pensed with for the duration, has again placed the fate of Oregon's state fair in doubt. Eastman's state ment followed by two days the an nouncement by the state board of agriculture that the Oregon fair would be conducted this year but on a greatly curtailed scale. Ap parently the situation presents an other illustration of the lack of co ordination on the part of Washing ton officials inasmuch as Secretary of Agriculture Wickard .only re cently urged that agricultural fairs be continued throughout the nation as an essential defense measure. State officials who have commented on the Eastman "request" have de clared it to be unfair inasmuch as it singles out fairs for elimination while making no mention of racing meets, baseball games and other ev ents which attract as large, and in many cases much larger crowds than do the agricultural exhibitions. In his statement of last week ex pressing his opposition to certain features in the Columbia power au thority bills now pending before congress, Governor Sprague direct ed special attention to the proposal to freeze payments in lieu of taxes at present levels and warned against the menace of such a policy. Just what the effect of such a policy would be on future taxes can, of course, only be judged by the rec ord of the past. This record, as gleaned from the files of the state tax commission show that the as sessed valuation of electric utilities in Oregon have increased approxi- mtely four-fold in the past quarter of a century. Inasmuch as tax levies have also increased substantially in the same period it is safe to sav that taxes paid by electric utilities in this state today are eight or ten times as great as they were 25 years ago. In the case of the Portland General Electric company (formerly the Portland Railway Light and Power company) this increase am ounted to approximately $1,372,000 from $207,000 in 1916 to $1,579,607 in 1941. Had the public power program been put into effect 25 years ago with its freezing of "in lieu payments at 1916 levels the millions of dollars in additional taxes now being paid by electric utilities would have been shifted to the shoulders of other property owners." Warning against the adoption of such a policy in con nection with the public power pro gram Governor Sprague pointed out that "the requirements of income for government show steady in crease and it is only fair that ex panding investments in electric en terprises should yield increasing con tributions for the support of gov ernment. Otherwise the burdens borne by remaining property grow steadily more disproportionate as the total tax burden increases." Clubbers to Vie in Meat Animal Contest Oregon will again participate in the 4-H club national meat animal contest, in which one of the contest ants from this state won a $200 scholarship last year. Robert H. King of Moro was one of three na tional winners in 1941. These contests for livestock club members are considered more im portant this year than before as of fering an incentive for increased production of needed food, says H. C. Seymour, state club leader. Most of the larger livestock shows have been cancelled, which increases the value of such state and national con tests. The meat animal contest has been sponsored for 13 years by Thomas E. Wilson, who offers medals for county winners, watches for state champions, and four trips . to the Chicago club congress and three $200 college scholarships for the re gional winners. To buy, sell or trade, use the G-T Trashy Fallow in Eastern Counties Found Economical A study of 50 typical Columbia basin wheat farms in Sherman and Gilliam counties has revealed that the cost of handling summer fallow by the trashy fallow method, is not necessarily higher and may be low er than to use the regular so-called black fallow method. Figures obtained in this detailed study showed that, while the cost of weeding is somewhat higher with trashy fallow, this is more than made up by the lower cost of plowing with the one-way disk compared with the regular moldboard plow. The study was made by reresent atives of the Soil Conservation ser vice in cooperation with the Oregon State college experiment station. A detailed report has just been issued as station circular of information No. 271, written by H. L Thomas, Virgil D. Kennedy, and D. Curtis Mumford, of the cooperating organizations. The trashy fallow method is gen erally recognized as the most prac tical way of controlling wind and water erosion in the wheat areas. Lack of proper equipment and doubts as to comparative costs and yields have kept it from being uni versally adopted, despite the en couragement of benefit payments under the farm program. Consider able research is still needed as to the best, type of machinery and methods to use in handling trashy fallow under varying soil and stub ble conditions, it is agreed by spe cialists and growers alike, although the current study has added con siderable information. Cost of trashy fallow in Gilliam county was found to be distinctly lower than black fallow, while in Sherman county the average was 41 cents per acre higher for trashy fal low if double disking prior to plow ing was included as one of the oper ations for trashy fallow but not for black fallow. Otherwise the cost is lower for trashy fallow. Of 43 farmers expressing opinions on comparative yields, 10 believed trashy fallow reduced yields, 20 re ported no change, and 13 reported increased yields with trashy fallow. STAR TO HONOR DADS Ruth chapter 32, Order of East ern Star will honor dads, those Ma sons who are. members of the Star, at the regular meeting in Masonic hall tomorrow evening. There will also be initiation and refreshments, and all members are urged to at tend, announces Mrs. Ella Benge, worthy matron. Professional Directory Dr. W. H. Rockwell Naturopathic Physician & Surgeon Gilman Bldg. Office hours: 1 p. m. to 7:30 p. m. Exam free Ph. 522 Heppner, Or. Phelps Funeral Home Licensed Funeral Directors Phone 1332 Heppner, Ore. 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 J. O. TURNER, Mayor GLENN Y. WELLS ATTORNEY AT LAW ATwater 4884 535 MEAD BUILDING 6th at Washington PORTLAND, OREGON J. 0. Turner ATTORNEY AT LAW Phone 173 Hotel Heppner Building HEPPNER, ORB. A. D. McMurdo, M. D. PHYSICIAN & SURGEON Trained None Assistant Office In Masonic Building Heppner, Oregon Heppner Abstract Co. J. LOGIE RICHARDSON, Mgr. BATES REASONABLE Roberts Building Heppner, Ome. P. V. Mahoney ATTORNEY AT LAW GENERAL INStTBANCE Heppner Hotel Building Willow St. Entrance J. O. Peterson Latest Jewelry and Gift Good Watches . Clocks - Diamonds Expert Watch and Jewelry Repairing Heppner, Oregon Dr. Richard C. Lawrence DENTIST X-Ray and Extraction by Gas First National Bank Bldg. Phone 562 Heppner, Oregon Dr. L. D. Tibbies OSTEOPATHIC Physician St Surgeon FIRST NATIONAL BANK BLDG. Rec Phone 1162 Office Phone 493 HEPPNER, OREGON Jos. J. Nys ATTORNEY AT LAW Peters Building, Willow Street Heppner, Oregon Morrow County Abstract & Title Co. INC. ABSTRACTS OP TITLB TITLE INSURANCE Office in New Peters Building Peterson Cr 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 Public Phone 63 lone. Ore. M. L. CASE G. E. NIKANDER Directors of Funerals 862 Phones 262 Oh.Ohl XWrongWay! 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