Page 2
Heppner Gazette Times, Thursday, May 5, 1949
EDITORIAL
NATIONAL
EDITORIAL
PllllJl4JCIITIM bi4iMiiy
It's Time To Get Busy
Kor lear wn,e of our loral citizens have not
hfard about it and others may have forgotten, it
U pertinent to st.ite that on June 14, 1903, the
grcatr-.sl flood disaster from the standpoint of
lives lost ever recorded in the Northwest occurred
in Ucj.pnrr. The little town of some 1100 souis
lost almost twenty-five per cent of its population
due to an eliHtncal storm and cloudburst that so
far as is known is without parallel in this section
of the United States.
There have been four or five floods of this type
since the earliest seniors came to the Willow
Crock valley, but only one stands out in the
rmory of those who lived in the town and sur
rounding country at the time and that is the one
referred to as "the Heppner flood."
People lose sight of the fact that the same con
ditions prevail now that were in evidence in 1903.
The contour of the country has not changed. No
dependable improvement has been made to the
creek channel even a spring run-off causes an
overflow, as witness what happened here February
21 and people are just as prone to locate near
the creek banks as they were in those earlier
days.
The Heppner flood control dam has been placed
on the Columbia Basin development program.
There is reason to believe that construction of the
project can be moved up that is, made more defi
nite, if the citizens of the community desire this
protection to their lives and property. It must
be remembered that electric power development
does not enter into the picture. The government
engineers saw the necessity for flood control here
as a matter of protecting life and property. Sup
plemental irrigation may be provided to put to
good use the water that will be impounded behind
the dam and charges made for irrigation water
will be the only refundng required, and this will
depend upon inclination of ranchers along the
creek to buy the additional water.
By placing the flood dam on the basin develop
ment map the engineers have expressed a deire
to help us. It is a type of help that can come
only through federal aid and if the citizens are
not interested enough to ask for it the government
will allocate the funds to some other project. It
is time for action and there is no time like the
present.
Are Telephones Next?
Inasmuch as there is now a well established
Federal power monopoly in the United States
which plans to extend its hold in every section
of the country it is not surprising to see a Federal
r
bureau, namely, the Rural Electrification Admin
istration, reach out to take on another industry
rural telephone communication.
The same type of destructive propaganda that
is now being used to undermine confidence in
our rural telephone system has long been used
by public ownership propagandists against the
private electric industry in the campaign to
socialize it.
The irony of the situation is that as a nation
we parade our accomplishments and virtues be
fore the rest of the world. We show that our
people have been given the finest electric service.
We boast that the United States has more tele
phones than all the rest of the world put together.
In the face of this record of private enterprise,
we complacently accept plans of politicians to
socialize our industries and follow in the footsteps
of our international neighbors who seek money
and food and support from us because their so
cialistic governments cannot give their people
the advantages which up to the present time have
been enjoyed in the United States under a free
enterprise system. There is no rhyme or reason
in a Federal policy favoring socialistic objectives
on the one hand, while on the other hand object
ing strenuously to the extension of the socialistic
regime which Russia offers the world. Is it pos
sible that socialism or communism, which are
synonymous terms so far as their ultimate effect
on the individual is concerned, would be sweeter
under United States commissars than they would
under Russian?
The drive on rural telephones is the latest at
tempt to put subsidized government projects into
further competition with private citizens. Every
one interested in preserving our American system
should write their representatives in Washington
to reverse the process now in vogue of glorifying
socialism and big government and undermining
confidence in private enterprise and independence.
Go To Sunday School
It has become very popular to talk about the
importance of saving our American way of life.
As a matter of fact, the only way we can lose it is
for the American people themselves to become so
negligent in exercising the rights and privileges
they have under our form of government that the
liberties they take for granted will go by default.
We have to work at being Americans if we wish
to perpetuate the blessings left to us by our fore
fathers. American parents must strive to help
develop character in their children, which is nec
essary to combat enemies both from within and
without our borders.
The essential qualification for the perpetuation
of our representative form of government is char
acter, and that is developed on a foundation of
religious teaching.
National Sunday School Week is sponsored by
the Laymen's National Committee, a non-sectarian,
non-profit organization created to bring about
a better understanding of the important part re
ligion has played in creating and maintaining
our government. Helping develop character in
children through some form of religious training
cannot be delegated by parents to someone else.
A good time to reawaken old fashioned ideas is
to go to Sunday School with the family, and there
by help counteract the teachings of alien, god
less ideologies.
30 YEARS AG
Heppner Gazette Times.
Thursday, May 8, 1919
Doric lodge Knights of Pythias
had a pleasant social evening at
the castle hall in the I. O O. F.
building Tuesday. A goodly num
ber of members, their ladies and
invited guests were present.
E. R. Huston returned home
Thursday from a visit of several
days at the home of his father,
John Huston, at Albany.
home here Friday evening. Sat
urday morning, in answer to an
urgent call from Walla Walla
announcing the serious illness of
his mother, he and his brother
from lone left at once for that
city. But unhappily his mother
who had been suffering with in
fluenza passed away before her
sons reached her. A sad home
coming for the soldier boy.
Thomas Pettyjohn died the
The work of removing the three (early part of the week following
buildings at present occupied by
the Star theater, Elkhorn restaur
ant and Mrs. Luper's millinery
store at the southeast corner of
Main and Willow streets will be
commenced at once. Then exca
vating for the new Heppner ho
tel will be started.
Riley Juday, who has put in
the past 17 or 18 months at the
front in France, returned to hisia son.
an operation for appendicitis.
Hugh C. Githens was suddenly
taken with a very serious attack
of appendicitis while at work at
the Ralph Thompson place. He
was operated on immediately
and is now getting along nicely.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Claude
Keithley of Eight Mile April 29,
r SAY 03
SYNTHETIC POLITICS
Although the 1950 ' primary
election is 12 months away a lot
of long range political planning
is in progress. Everyone expects
Governor McKay to run for re
election and just to keep from
overlooking any bets the demo
crats are needling the governor
about his signing or vetoing the
old age pension bill. Of this for
mer Governor Charles A. Sprague
says editorially: "Plain as a
pikestaff is the purpose of State
Treasurer Walter E. Pearson's
letter to Governor McKay urging
him to veto the bill for old age
assistance t's politics, plain, old
fashioned politics with horse
radish. 'The horseradish is for the gov
ernor." The old-age pension bill, as
passed, is up to the governor now.
He has until May 10 to select one
of three courses. He may veto the
bill, sign it or let it become a law
by default. Those who know the
governor say he will never take
the default course.
INTERIMS VS. NEPOTISM k
Nine Oregon legislators, some
of them members of a legislative
interim committee on interstate
cooperation, flew to Sacramento
and back last week where they
attended the California legislat
ure. What they learned about In
terstate affairs was valuable to
the citizens of Oregon. What they
learned about legislative interim
committees from the Californ-
ians was valuable to them. In the
.'state to the south members of in
terim committees are paid $12 a
day and here is the gimmick
every legislator is a member of
from one to five committees.
SCHOOL AID SPREAD
School districts that have been
apprehensive of losing their share
of the state's $17,000,000 school
aid when they have not met state
standards are to receive the aid
if they submit reasonable plans
for improvement, gays Supt. of
The oAmerkcin Way
FEDERAL AID
By George Peck
In a recent radio address, the
Honorable Arch W. McFarlane,
former Lieut. -Governor of Iowa,
quoted from a report made by
the Appropriatons Committee of
the Iowa House of Representa
tives regarding that State's So
cial Welfare and Aid to Depend
ent Children setup. Here follows
part of the quote:
". . . regardless of our opinion
in reference to Federal domina
tion of this program, it is neces
sary for the State of Iowa to ad
just its program to. the Federal
pattern else Federal Administra
tion will refuse to Iowa federal
aid in the financing of this relief
agency. It should be understood
that the federal pattern in this
instance is not unlike the federal
aid system generally. It's an in
genious device. It amounts to
this:
"1. The Federal Government
by divers special and extraord
inary taxes obtains this money
in the tirst instance, from the
Iowa taxpayer, to create the
Iowa portion of the federal fund.
"2 Then the Federal Govern
ment says, in effect, to Iowa, 'It
is now necessary for Iowa to use,
in addition, its own money to set
up a state fund so that the state
fund can be used to match the
money that the Iowa taxpayer
has already paid to the Federal
government.
"In effect it says 'If Iowa does
n't comply; if it doesn't match
its own money and then allow
the federal agency to dominate
the operation of the program,
then the so-called federal aid
is denied to Iowa'. In such event
Iowa money paid in the first in
stance to the Federal Govern
ment would be lost to our state
and would be diverted to some
other state or states that had
subscribed to the federal pattern
and program."
Then the Honorable McFarlane
added his own caustc comment
as follows: "In other words, we
raise our taxes to send to Wash
ington, and then we raise some
more taxes to match the amount
we have already sent to Wash
ington in order to get back the
amount we originally sent. That
is what is known as "Federal
Aid."
Mr. McFarlane, in this partic
ular address, omitted one most
important factor. He could have
pointed out that a very consider
able proportion of the Iowa mo
ney collected by the Federal Gov
ernment does not return to Iowa
that is the portion that is lop
ped off to feed a retinue of fed
eral employees in a manner to
which they were not formerly ac
customed And what is even
worse, the greatly reduced por
tion that does actually return is
freighted with political power.
What transpires in Iowa is
taking place in all forty-eight
of the states. It is so obvious that
any state or local government is
fooling itself in believing it is
getting 'something for nothing'
when it asks for and receives fed
eral aid. It borders on the absurd
that state and local governments
not only condone this chicanery
but eagerly participate.
This Nation made great pro
gress long before the brilliant (?)
long-haired politicians thought
up this swindle misnamed "Fed
eral Aid". Communities and
states took great pride in doing
for themselves, and in that doing
became strong, self-reliant and
prosperous. They kept full con
trol of the projects their own in
genuity and enterprise had cre
ated; they took no dictation from
a swivel-chair bureaucrat at
Washington who could not pos
sibly have knowledge and un
derstanding of their own particu
lar needs and problems.
The sooner our local and state
governments awaken to the folly
of holding out their hands to our
Federal Government, begging for
a return of part of their own tax
money, the soone this Nation will
resume the progress so sadly in
terrupted by the introduction of
"Federal Aid".
Saager's Pharmacy
fective. In some cases the district
is unable to issue bonds but is
doing everything possible to meet
requirements.
Though parsimoniously and
belatedly provided for, when
compared with the economic ne
cessity, the war-delayed con
struction of state government,
departmental and educational
structures are in a heavy build
ing period, one that has for the
past two years and will for an
other year top all other building
in Oregon.
Major projects for the immed
iate future will be in Portland
Salem and educational centers
throughout the state. The plan
ning and contracting of institu
tional and state buildings is up
to the state board of control, with
the exception of the 19-19 appro
priation measures that must have
the OK of the emergency board.
The educational projects will be
planned by the state board of
higher education but must have
the sanction of the board of con
trol and the emergency board in
joint session.
The original state building pro
gram as referred to the people
by the 1945 legislature, and ap
proved by them, provided for $6,
000,000 for state institutions and
4,000,000 for higher educational
buildings. The 1947 session ap
propriated $2,800,000 for addi
tional state institutional build
ing. For construction of the new
state office building in Salem
$2,000 000 was borrowed from
the state irreducible school fund
and will be epaid with rentals
from state departments. This
building is nearing completion.
The board of control is consid
ering 20 sites for the new state
office building in Portland ex
pected to cost $2,500,000.
The state highway commission
is planning to erect its own buil
ding on ground adjoining the
capitol grounds. Estimated cost
of this building is $1,500,000,
Other projects proposed by the
state board of control during the
next year include a second new
GET
WALT'S
Broilers and
Fryers at
The Elks Club
O'Donnell's Cafe
Central Market
Heppner Market
in Heppner
Victory Cafe
Bristow's Red
& White
Swanson's
Mercantile
in lone
Public Instruction Rex Putnam, cell block at the state penltcntl-
No scnooi district has been de- jary, remodeling the adminlstra
prived of its share of basic school ition building and new dormltor
funds since the law became ef-, leg at the state hospital
The BEST
. and MOST
FOOD
For the Price
Where you
Meet to Eat
v
Victory Cafe
lone, Oregon
Roy & Betty Lleuallen
Special
Sunday
Dinners
THE POWER TO DESTROY
By Dr. Alfred P. Haake
(Editor's Note: Alfred P. Haake,
Ph. D Mayor of Park Ridge,
Illinois, is a noted Economist,
Business Consultant, Lecturer
and Author.)
"The power to tax involves the
power to destroy," said Chief Jus
tice Marshall in March of 1819.
It is also the power to embarrass
and to bring gieat shifts in the
distribution of people and their
income.
Taxing away the profits of in
dustry pevents the reinvestment
of those profits in new and im
pioved mahcines to replace those
worn out as well as to provide
additional jobs. We cannot de
stroy business without destroying
all of us who make our living in
or on business.
High taxes mortgage future in
comes and steer a nation toward
bankruptcy. We remember the
smug complacency of a Russian
leader who remarked that Russia
dd not have to destroy capitalis
tic America, for thsi country
would bleed herself white with
aid to other nations and high
taxes on her own people.
But taxes can shift power and
lead to the destruction of local
self-government.
In 1913 all local goverment,
city and village, received 56.1 "7r
of all taxes collected in the Unit
ed States. The state governments
received 15.3rr and the Federal
Government took 26.6rr of the
total. The share of the local gov
ernments was more than double
that of the Federal Government,
and ndicated a healthy share of
power and responsibility still
vested directly in local govern
ment. From that time on, however,
the percentage going to the Fed
eral Government grew steadily
year after year, while the share
for local government went as
steadily downward.
During the war years the fed
eral government share rose as
high as 92.1 of all taxes, while
that for local government fell as
low as 4.4',r. I z
In 1947, two years after the i
close of the war, the Federal Gov-
ernment took 75. of all taxes, E
while the local governments took
only 13.7 and left 11.37c for
state governments. E
These figures portray dramat- z
cally the shift of governmental s
responsibility and power, as well
as income in taxes, from local
to central government, and warn
us of the ever-growing menace
of centralized control of our na
tional life.
They reflect the decreasing ef
ficiency in expenditure of public
funds, for the further a tax dol
lar travels from home, the less it
does for the taxpayer when it
reaches its destination.
Reduced taxes would be a par
tial remedy, but even more im
portant, there must be a reap
portionment of tax monies, so
that a larger portion of them
stay at home and many, many
fewer go to Washington.
With such a shift we would in
crease the efficiency of our tax
dollars and be able to give the
people more and better service at
home, without collecting more
dollars for those purposes
There is some significance
even today, in the words of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt in
1932, when he was running for
President against Mr Hoover.
Mr Roosevelt said:
"Taxes are paid in the sweat
of every man who labors. If those
taxes are excessive, they are re
flected in idle factories, in tax
sold farms, and in hordes of hun
gry people, tramping the streets
and seeking jobs in vain. Our
workers may never see a tax bill,
but they pay. They pay in deduc
tions from wages, in inrceased
cost of what they buy, or in un
employment thruout the land."
Mr. Roosevelt spoke for politi
cal purposes, but even more truly
than he knew. And it may be
that his words were prophetic of
what would grow out of policies
which he, himself, was to inaug
urate during his years in the
presidency.
Mr. and Mrs. Lester Doolittle
returned Tuesday from Portland
where they spent about two
weeks visiting and attending to
business affairs. They were ac
companied home by their daugh
tor, Mrs. E. H. Permit, and dau
ghter who will visit until the end
of the week v.h n Mr. Perrott will
come for them.
MAY 9 "MAY I4
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at PENNEY'S
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A
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"J ilLl
May 14 Lexington Gym.
Music by
RIMROCK SERENADERS
REFRESHMENTS
jj Proceeds to go to the Lillian Turner
! Memorial Scholarship Fund
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