Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1954)
LIIKASY u or 0 EUGENE. ORE . The Bobson Outlook Economist Foresees Another Good Year Ahead For Nation By Roger W. Babson 1. GENERAL BUSINESS. 1954 saw a drop in Ihe average Physical Volume of Business of only, 5 from the record ypar 1953. 1955 could see a rise of about the same amount. Certainly, the direction of business until mid-1955 will be upward. 2. BUSINESSMEN WILL WAKE UP. During 1954 many busi X t a better record Roger W. Babon and coal Industries will be in a in the doldrums. 5. PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION. I forecast that home building and general construction will be somewhat lower in 1955 than in 1954, but this important industry should still operate at high levels next year. 6. PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION. I forecast that public construc tion will increase during 1955. This should mean a rise in -the out put of cement. 7. AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT. This industry has been suffering from a decline in demand, but should now improve. Government-sponsored planting curtailment and crop loans have re. duced free supplies, and may make for higher agricultural prices later in 1955. i 8. ARMAMENT INDUSTRY. forecast that industrial prices The armament industry will still in 55 w,n sh0w little change be one of the main floors be- neath the economy. The electrical and chemical industries will move at a rate close to that of 1954. 9. OTHER INDUSTRIES. I am somewhat optimistic on clothing, aircraft manufacturing, air-line transportation, office equipment, electricity output, petroleum pro duction, natural gas, and shoes. I am also fairly bullish on rubber, paper, electrical equipment, cer tain types of building, and non ferrous metals. 10. WEATHER CONDITIONS. It is foolish for me to attempt to forecast rains, droughts, frosts, etc., for any special section. How ever, taking the nation as a whole, I look for better weather in 1955. 11. RETAIL SALES. I forecast that the outlook for retail sales is encouraging, at least through the first half of 1955. 12. PROFITS. Stiffening com. petition is chipping away at the profit margin. Return on invest ed capital is in a long-term down trend. The first few years after World War II were the golden years for the novice in business and for the inefficient. Those days are gone for awhile. 13. SELECTIVITY. Higher labor and other costs, plus in tensified competition, will con tinue during 1955. I forecast a high degree of selectivity in the effect of this trend on individual activities and companies. Victory will be for the nimble and for the strong! 14. DIVIDENDS. Recent high expenditures for new plant and machinery have left some con cerns with very high deprecia tion charges. As new capital commitments are cut arid de preciation remains high, cash in flow could expand. Such com panies should be able to pay out in dividends a higher percentage of earnings in 1955 than in recent years, notwithstanding a moder ate profits shrinkage. 15. INVENTORIES. Inventor ies have been permitted to run down during 1954. As total busi ness expands, there will be a tendency to replace reduced stocks, especially during the first half of 1955. Total manufactur ers' inventories, however, may build up more rapidly than total business inventories. I forecast that total wholesale and total retail inventories will show little change from 1954 levels. 16. PRICES OF MANUFAC TURED GOODS. Even with the expected pickup in demand, I see no sharp markup in inductrial prices next year. Over-all sup plies are generally ample. Hence, A Look at As a recapitulation of the in teresting and important events which have occurred in Morrow county during 1954 the Gazette Times has gone back'through the files for the year. They are not taken in order of importance, merely in the order that they were reported during the year. The county got under way in earnest in January with its tax reappraisal program. The new lone gymnasium, cafe torium and swimming pool were dedicated January 12. Turn-A-Lum location for new school gets consideration of the school board. Mercury dropped to -15 degrees in sections of the county on Janu ary 20. New Heppner Lions club organ ized January 21. Discontinuance of Sunday mail Despite wails from some quarters, ness men rediscovered the meaning of the word "competition," Sales will continue to be made only with real effort in most lines. 3. CONSUMPTION OUTLOOK. Consumption in a number of lines has been proceeding at a i.inrp raniri rate than has nroduction. I forecast in early 1955 for both steel and auiomonnes. 4. TEXTILE INDUSTRY. Textile industry operates at extremely low levels throughout most of 1951. Coal and railroad equipment also exert ed a strong downpull. I forecast that the textile recovery phase after their long stay from recent levels. 17. FOOD PRICES. Food prices may firm later in 1955. The strong move into Government crop loans this year has made free supplies of most agricultural items less burdensome. I forecast that new advertising programs by canners and other great food distributors will help farmers, stock raisers, and fruit growers. 18. CONSUMER INCOME. Consumer income will hold at satisfactory levels. Most goods should move readily into con suming channels. 19. LIVING COSTS. I forecast that during 1955 living costs will show little over-all change from present levels. There may be some firming during " the first half, but the late months friay again witness a minor softening. 20. RENTS, ETC. I forecast rental expenses may edge some what higher; clothing costs should be steady to moderately higher. There is small chance that food expenses can be greatly reduced. . , . ., ... ... - 21. MONEY SUPPLIES. I fore cast that money supplies. will be ample for all legitimate business needs during 1955. With little likelihood of business getting out of hand on the upside, credit eas ing is more likely than credit curtailment in 1955. 22. INFLATION. Fears, or perhaps hopes, of an inflationary boom should be buried. Barring outbreak of war, our productive capacity is sufficiently large to meet all demands for goods. I forecast that no runaway infla tion is probable, even if the money managers increase the supply of money or ease credit. 23. INTEREST RATES. Until the Treasury finds a way to bal ance the budget, hold business at high levels and unemployment at a minimum, I forecast little like lihood of higher interest rates. 24. BOND PRICES. With the possible exception of tax-free bonds, I see no reason for in creased bond prices in 1955. I forecast on increase in the issu ance of tax-free revenue bonds. 25. STOCK PRICES. After so sharp a rise, the market could have a reaction; but I am fore casting no crash in 1955 such as we had in 1929. In fact, the situation changed for the better October 11, 1954. 26. WAGES. I forecast that the wage trend in organized in dustry will continue to move higher' at least in the first half of 1955. During the first half year, when business will be improving, the labor chieftains will also be quick to resort to the strike wea- (Continued on page 6) 1954 - Local Happenings of the Year as Recorded in the service into and out of Heppner started January 31. J. W. "Kit" Carson killed Feb ruary 2 when his spray plane crashed into Heppner hillside in heavy fog. Both lone and Heppner basket ball teams wind up successful seasons and prepare for state tournament trip. Nine persons or firms received special recognition awards at the Chamber of commerce annual banquet. Tum-A-Lum school site wins voter approval by nine vote mar gine. Ione's basketball team looses in tournament finals to Harrisburg, but brings riome second place trophy. Heppner high school re ceived 7th place award. Jucreen Dobberke, exchange i German newsman, spends week Copies 10 cents ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING holiday decoration scenes in Heppner of Mr. and Mrs. Harry DuvalL just south of the court house. The three wise men on the camels and all the figures in the manger were constructed and painted my Mr. and Mrs. Ernio Winchester. A home decorating contest was sponsored this year by the Heppner Lions club, but Mr. and Mrs. Euvalll asked that their home display be omitted from the judging. (Photo by Tom Wilson) Christmas Home Decoration Contest Winners Named The judging committee of the Lions club this morning an nounced the winners of the club sponsored Christmas home deco ration contest. First prize of a picnic kit was awarded to Henry Rauch for the display at his home on South Gilmore street. Second prize of a set of Christ mas lights went to the W. C. Rose- walls and third place award an electric clock was won by the display at the Walter Edger (Alta Brown) home. Both of the latter homes are on North Court street. Given special mention, though not in the competition for any of the prizes at their own request was the excellent decoration at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Duvall which is pictured above. Committee members emphasized that their judging job was no easy one as many more Heppner residents than in the past years had decorated their homes. The competition lb? tile second and third prizes was very stiff, they said. The club also expressed its appreciation for the interest shown "in the contest and revealed , plans to continue the contest in f the near future. Special Sledding Areas to be Set Aside for Children The youth activities commit ipp of the chamber of commerce reported Monday that two special sledding areas have been .select ed in Heppner for use by local youngsters if and when it snows this winter. The committee had been asked to pick one or more areas that could be either roped or block aded of off to protect the child ren from traffic. The two hills selected were cemetery hill for the use of the older children, and west Baltimore street for the younger crowd. Local police have offered to cooperate in keeping traffic away from the immediate areas, and probably Hill street, which leads to cemetery hill from the east will have to be sanded heavily to allow residents access to their homes. All arrangements are, however, dependent on Heppner getting enough snow sometime this win ter to give the kids something to slide on. o Tom Michos of Portland was visiting in Heppner the first of the week. on the Gazette Times. Ron Currin, Heppner high school student and F. F. A. mem ber, named Oregon state fanner. Miss Grace Miller of Boardman, chosen queen of the 1954 fair and rodeo. After much delay and squabbl ing, a school crosswalk sign was finally placed over the crosswalk on north Main street. Federal aid funds approved for new Pioneer Memorial hospital addition. Heppner high school's baseball team wins its first game in years. Morrow County Grain Growers j announce plans for construction of $175,000 dock and storage fa cilities on the Columbia rivei. Announcement made that 'county school tax be reduced ' about three mills for 1954-55. Heppner, Oregon, Maybe Not a White Christmas, But a Clean One Anyway! Tommy, the very small son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Cleve land, was helping his mother wrap Christmas presents one day last week. The scene was in the utility room ol their home on Willow creek. Just when nearly all of the packages were nicely wrapped and tied, his mother was called to the phone. When she returned the auto matic washer was washing merrily away and in it were all the newly wrapped gifts. Vernon Munkers New ASC Chairman Vernon Munkers, Lexington will serve as chairman of the county A$!3 committee for 1955, it was?Eels(Ni this week. He and the other official were nomi nated and elected ; December 20 by delegates of the community committees: -f5 ' '" " Also named were Ed Skoubo, Boardman, vice chairman; Alvin Bunch, Heppner, regular member Robert Rietmann, lone first al ternate and W. B. Gottachalk, Lexington, second alternate. The local ASC office also an nounced that farmers should sign up now for their 1955 ACP pro gram. Signups can be made at any time during the year, but funds are allocated on a first come basis. First 1955 Baby to Receive Many Prizes Again this year, merchants of Heppner are offering a big list of prizes to the first baby to be born in Pioneer Memorial hospi tal in 1955. The prize list in cludes many uwful items such as baby food, bottle warmers, baby clothes and even a substantial discount on the hospital bill. A complete list of prizes are announced in a special advertise ment appearing on page four of this issue of the Gazette Times. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Marshall had as their guests over the Christmas weekend, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cheley Boyer of Ontario and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vic Marshall of Nyssa. Mr. and Mrs. Willard Blake have as their guest during the holidays, her mother, Mrs. David Wilson of Corvallis. Mrs. Venice Stiles of Portland is here to spend the Christmas and New Years holidays with her mother, Mrs Josie Jones. Heppner Lumber Company strike lasts one week. Mrs. Stephen Thompson resigns as chairman of Heppner school board. One man is killed and 10 per sons injured in series of accidents early in June. Laxton McMurray, formerly of lone, donates $3,00o to Pioneer hospital for X Ray equipment. Flying objects seen by three local men. Heavy early June rainfall brightens crop prospects. $325,000 school bond vote asked for construction on T-A-L site. t, ........ rv.i. TtJ anH Itoalth association gives new A-nay unu to hospital. Additional wheat acreage cut announced. County school superintendent; alette Thursday, December 30, is this nativity scene at theliome New Owners to lake Over Heppner Lumber Friday Arrangements were completed in Portland Tuesday for the trans, fer of the Heppner Lumber Com pany to its new owners, Maurice Hitchcock and Dant & Russell, Inc., it was revealed today by Paul Koenig, manager under the new ownership. The transfer will take place effective December 31. The sale of the large property, which included the Heppner mill and all timber holdings of the company in this area, was an nounced nearly two months ago by the" former owners Orville Smith and P. W. Mahoney of Heppner, and members of the Kraft family who held sizeable interest in the operation. Koenig said Wednesday that the changeover is expected to go very smoothly and that few, jl any, changes in operation were plannnd for the near future.. The lant 'will be 'closed dowrT Friday for inventory purposes, he said. Smith and Mahoney have held their interests in the North Fork Timber company mill at Monu ment and also bought out the Kraft interests in the Heppner Lumber Company plant at El gin. The Monument mill has been supplying the Heppner mill with rough sawed lumber during recent years and this same ar rangement is expected to con tinue under the new ownership, it was said. A change of name was also an nounced for the plant which will be known as Heppner Pine Mills, Inc. Hitchcock, who has a large lumber mill at White Swan, Wash., is not expected to live in Heppner, but Koenig moved here with his family early in Decem ber. o 4-H Leader Training Meet Set January 4 4-H Clothing leaders will have an opportunity to receive help with requirements, demonstra tions and special problems at a training meeting January 4 at the club house in Heppner, starting at 10:30 a. m. Any leader or pros pective leader in the projects, Just So GirJ, Sew It's Fun, Charm ingly Yours, Teen-Age Miss and Clothes for Fun and Sun is in vited to attend this meeting. Further information ' may be obtained from Beverly Bradshaw, acting county extension agent, home economics. Leslie Grant resigns to go into Insurance business In Arlington. County tax reduction announ ced. Voters turn down school bond proposal. Construction started on new hospital wing. Mrs. Elizabeth Dix passes away July 12 in Portland. 18th accident on Heppnor's "Deadman's corner" takes life of Bill Wickland, Arlington, July 17. Five others are injured. Kickoff dance opens Fair and rodeo activities. State withholds school support money from Heppner district un til expansion plans materialize. Jack C. Flug takes over as new county school superintendent. Third school site election OKs Prock-Devin location. 4 -Vvt ' SJ 1954 Heppner Man Found Dead After Two-Day Air and Ground Search Following an air and ground search which lasted nearly two days, Moses E. Duran, Heppner butcher, was found dead of a heart attack Tuesday noon. He was sitting in his Jeep which had been stopped in a field about three miles north of Lexington Hermiston road on the Glenn Campbell ram.ii near Butter Creek Junction. On the ground about 60 feet in front of the car was a dead coyote which he had shot just prior to his attack. Search for Duran was started Monday when it was revealed that he had not returned from a Sunday bird hunting trip into the Umatilla area. He had last been seen about noon Sunday in Umatilla .where he had talked to a friend and said that he had to get home. Sheriff C. J. D. Bauman and relatives and friends searched much of the north end of the county Monday afternoon and one plane piloted, by Loyd Bur kenbine of Heppner aided. Tues day three more planes joined in the search and the Jeep was first located by Howard W. Arthur of Pendleton, Umatilla county dep uty sheriff and area head for air Early Week Cold Spell Misses Most Of Morrow County A gentle- but constant rain which started falling in Heppner Wednesday evening and contin ued throughout most of the night, dropped .37 inch of moisture here. Leonard Gilliam, weather record er said today. It more than equalled all that has fallen dur ing the entire month. Heppner got the lions share. however, as the Crum ranch north of lone measured only .10 inch. A falling barometer today gave indication that another storm was on the way and light rain was Falling here at noon. While many nearby sections of the state were shivering early this week with temperatures as low as 22 degrees below zero, Heppner and much of Morrow county was basking in compara tively mild weather The coldest recorded at the Heppner weather station was 1G above early Tues day morning. Though the temperature was fairlv L'ood, most farmers aren't very happy about the rainfall for the month as less than one-halt inch has fallen during December. The snowfall which started on Christmas afternoon whitened Ihe ground in much of the high er areas of the county but added very little to the moisture for the year. -o Special Christmas Tree Pickup Planned Herman Green, operator of the Heppner garbage service, an nounced this week that he will make special pickup of Christmas trees in Heppner if residents will ueave them at the curb in front of houses. Green asked that the trees be placed on curbs starting next Monday and said that pickups will be made during the week. o Mr. and Mrs. William Scrivner and children of Heppner and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Scrivner and daughter Diane of Spokane were Christmas guests of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Scrivner. Fair and Rodeo week draws big crowds. Local $290,000 school bond Is sue approved by voters. President Eisenhower visits Mc Nary dam for dedication cere monies. Herbert Ekstrom of I0ne named Grassman of the year. Straw ballot shows big ma jority of Heppner residents favor construction of city park. Heppner city council settles problem of the ownership of stray flock of chickens by ordering po lice to liquidate the poultry. Chamber of commerce bond sale program for lighting of Heppner rodeo field gets under way. Rhea creek road oiling started. Delbert Emmert named county Cattleman of the year. 71st Year. Number 42 search. Orville Cutsforth, flying his own plane, spotted the parked car shortly afterward and both men gave the alarm. Mr. Duran was found sitting in his Jeep with the windshield up and his shotgun aimed at the dead coyote. Tracks indicated that he had chased the animal for some dsltance before getting ose enough to shoot it. Services Friday Moses El wood Duran was born December 19, 1901 at Heppner and had lived his entire life here with the exception of eight years spent with the railroad at Uma tilla He had been a butcher in recent years having been em ployed at the Central Meat Mar ket. He was a member of the Lexington Odd Fellows lodge and an associate member of the Hepp ner I. O. O. F. lodge. Services will be held at the Heppner Christian church on Friday, December 31, at 2 p. m. with Rev. Earl L. So ward officiating. Burial will be in the Lexington cemetery with Creswick and Seuell Mortuary in charge of arrangements. Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Adella Duran; a brother, William A.; and a sister Mrs. Mary Mc Murtry, all of Heppner; six nlc. ces and three nephews. Another brother died in 1909. Local residents who aided in the air search Tuesday included C. R. and Donald McElligott, Or-, ville Cutsforth and Loyd Burken bine, pilots; Archie Munkers, C. C. Carmichael and Pete Mc Murtry observers. Several others aided in the ground search, MC6G Ships First Wheat From New River Facility The first shipment of Morrow county grain to be made from the new Morrow County Grain Growers elevator and dock vacil ity at Paterson ferry was made this morning when a 25,000 bus hel barge load of wheat was loaded out at the plant. The barge load of C. C. C. wheat which is a part of the 1953 hold over crop stored in MCGG eleva tors. It was moved to Portland for transshipment by Inland Na vigation company. The 25,000 bushel shipment is a part of the 100,000 bushels of carryover wheat which will be shipped out of Grain Growers elevators to fill current orders. The remainder will go by rail, it was announced by Al Lamb, j manager of the co-op. At the present time the Mor . row County Grain Growers have ' approximately 1,820,0000 bushels j of wheat and barley stored in I their various elevators in the county, and of this amount, near ly one-half million bushels re , main of the 1953 crop, j The new MCGG elevator and 1 dock on the Columbia river was : completed last fall and contains ' storage space for 170,000 bushels of grain. It is located adjacent to ' the Paterson ferry landing. GRANGE INSTALLATION SET AT RHEA CREEK Rhea Creek grange will be host to the Lexington and Willows granges Sunday, January 2 at 2 p. m. for the Installation of offi cers. A social hour and refreshments will follow the meeting. News Paul Brown named county Con servation man of the year. Sale of the Heppner Lumber Company to Maurice Hitchcock and Dant & Russell announced on October 28. Rodeo field lighting fund drive goes over the top. General election places several new faces in local offices. Opening of Cutsforth Forest Park formerly called Herren creek meadow, is announced. . lone residents get TV reception. Kenneth Smouse, lone, named president of Oregon Wheat Lea gue. Heppner voters approve small tax levy for construction of new city park. Jack H. Bedford named new president of Heppner-Morrow county chamber of commerce.
