Capitol
Parade . .
By MURRAY WADE
FARM CENSUS COMPLETED
Final cmpilation of figures of
the Oregon farm census in all four
districts has just been made. There
are 65,003 farms in the state, ac
cording to John A. Kallak, state cen
sus supervisor. In all four districts
as well as in the state as a whole
an increae in the number and size
is shown, which verifies prelimi
nary figures. District No 1 includes
11 northwest counties with head
quarters in Portland. District No.
2 include seven southwestern coun
ties with headquarters at Eugene.
District No. 3 includes 10 couth-
Heppner Gazette Times, July 19, 1945 5
eastern counties with headquarters
in Klama hFalls. District No. 4 in
cludes 8 eastern Oregon counties
with headquarters at Burns.
FIRE FIGHTERS ALERT
Oregon's capital was the hottest
spot in the state for two days this
week and the hottest spot in this
hottest spot was the state for
estry department. All reported con
ditions rapidly favor forest fire
spreading. Hundreds of fires are be
ing brought under control any of
which could become' devastating to
valuable timber and other proper
ty to soy nothing of human life.
Phone messages to the state for
estry department this week told of
a 17-year old working alone at
Buck Rock look out station in the
Rogue river country who was bit
ten by a rattlesnake. The nearest
"neighbor" five miles away by pack
trail. It took three hours for aid to
come. In the meantime he followed
snakebite rules. First he did not
pursue the snake that bit him. He
slit the wound with a razor and
laid down after phoning to the look
district ranger. After two days of
observation at the hospital he re
turned to the lookou saion, took
his rifle and killed a rattler that
he hopes was the snake that bit him.
RECENT LEGAL OPINIONS
Attorney General George Neuner
has ruled the laws of Oregon make
the probation and parole system ap
plicable to all prisoners now or here
after confined in any jail for a per
iod of six months or more or in a
penitentiary. Answering a request
from the state board of contro1 Neu
ner ruled if any inmate of the Blind
Trade school, or his relatives, are
financially unable to pay $35 per
month, as provided, the court may
reduce the amount under procedure
set forth in 127-412 O. C. L. A.
EXECUTIVE BUSY
Jerry S. Savior, recently elected
secretary of the Public Employees
Retirement system was administered
the oath of office Monday by Secre
tary of State Robert S. Farrell, Jr.
and immediately started organiza
tion of the new state department.
The 1945 legislature passed an act
loaning P. E. R. S. $50,000 with
which to establish the department
This sum, earning 4 percent, to be
repaid before 1947. Mr. Sayler's
many years experience in the in
surance business was a factor con
sidered by the retirement board.
During the past two years he has
been connected with the personnel
managemnt department of the Wil
lamette Iron & Steel Works in Port
land. The P. E. R. S. offices will be
located with the Portland branch
of the state insurance department
in the Oregon building.
FARM GROUP SATISFIED
"Farm leaders are well satisfied
with the Truman administration,"
says Ronald E. Jones, president of
the Oregn State Farmers union.
Jones has just returned from Den
ver where he attended a conference
of national officers of the Farmers'
union. There will be no national
convention this year on account of
transportation ban. "The Farmers'
union is well satisfied with the new
secretary of agriculture, Mr. Ander
son," Jones reported. "He has been
generally sympathetic with our pro
gram and objectives. He is not tied
up with any specific farm organiza
tion so he is able to look at the pic
ture as a whole."
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Mahoney of
Portland were in Heppner to at
tend the funeral of Tom's aunt,
Mrs. Harriet Mahoney.'
Coming Mgusi 22
ci J vy
35th Anniversary Reduction
Gives Customers Greatest
Savings in Company's History
Electric rate reductions totaling one
Million Dollars a year have been filed by Pacific Power
& Light Company with the Washington Department of
Public Utilities and the Oregon Public Utilities Com
missioner. Subject to final review and approval by these
state regulatory authorities, the new low rates will
become effective August 22.
This means that residential and rural customers of
the Company will save $440,000 a year under the dras
tically reduced new low rate schedules! Their savings
will average nearly 14 equivalent to one day's free
electric service out of every seven!
And commercial and industrial users will save an
estimated $570,000 or an average of about 15.
This system -wide reduction the fifth since
1936 provides cities, towns and even rural
areas throughout the wide PP&L system with
electric rates which are rapidly approaching
those enjoyed by the largest centers of popu
lation. PP&L's first rate reduction was announced back in
1911 just one year after the Company started business
35 years ago. In the subsequent years, rates have been
reduced again and again until the average cost of PP&L
residential electricity is only about hali the U.S. national
average.
Each time the Company reduced rates throughout
the past 35 years, it was with confidence in the growth
and development of the Pacific Northwest area we serve.
Even during the present war period, with its many
abnormal problems, we made two temporary rate reduc
tions in 1944 in the form of "rate dividends" payable to
every customer, amounting to approximately $600,000.
Looking Forward with the Northwest
This year, in spite of the many wartime uncertainties
still prevailing, we have decided to go forward noto with
a progressive and far-reaching overhauling and simpli
fication of our entire rate structure which we have long
had -under study
We are making this major rate reduction in anticipa
tion of prospective savings in interest costs through
refinancing of our bonds (savings we have already
pledged ourselves to pass on to our customers), and
because of the steadily increasing evidence that the
Pacific Northwest area we serve is going to maintain its
healthy growth through the years after Victory.
This million -dollar reduction, significant as it is
today, will become more and more important to you
when new electrical appliances are again available and
you can take full advantage of the very cheap electricity
it puts at your disposal.
PACIFIC POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
Your Business-Managed Power System