Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1955)
mttk L I BKARY U OF 0 EUGENE . tmmx ORE Copies 10 Cents Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, December 15, 1955 72nd Year, Number 40 Soil Bank Plan Wins Approval of Wheat League The Oregon Wheat Growers league endorsed the "soil bank" proposal for taking land produc ing surplus crops our of produc tion and putting it into a reserve to save its productive capacity for the future needs of the na tion. The recommendation was made last weekend at the 28th annual meeting of the Wheat League held at Pendleton. The Morrow county league was host for the meeting. The league, while approving continuation of efforts to obtain adoption of the self-supporting domestic parity plan for wheat, approved the soil fertility bank plan as a practical measure to use until production and demand are in better balance. The lea gue believes the soil bank plan would fit in with the domestic parity plan, which it has been backing for several years as a "realistic pricing and marketing program for wheat". To be sound, wheat growers be lieve, any soil bank program should be applied to all field crops, and should provide ade quate compensation to operators for diverting land from produc tion to soil-conserving uses. Such payments, the league holds, should be based on the produc tive history of the land, and should cover taxes, interest, de preciation, reduced earning ca pacity of the farm and all costs in establishing a suitable soil conservng crop. Application of the soil bank program either should be com pulsory, or payments should be high enough to attract voluntary participation, the wheat men held. Growers instructed their of ficers to take the strongest action possible to obtain postponement of the effective date of the so called "modernized parity for mula" on wheat. This formula will mean a wheat price drop of about 26 cents a bushel in the next two years. Besides this, under flexible supports and acre age controls, wheat men through 1956 will have a 41 -cent price cut as compared to 1954 and a 35 per cent cut in production. The league approved the pro gram of the U. S. department of agriculture in discounting wheat of inferior quality, and went even further in recommending that wheat varieties not meeting quality requirements be placed on a state penalty list. On the legislative front, the league voted financial support to the federal plan for apportion ment of the state legislature, and urged adoption of a state sales tax with proceeds earmarked for public schools. The league, which was chosen by the U. S. department of agri culture this fall to activate a market development program on wheat in Japan, heard a progress report on this program from Richard Baum, league secretary. Baum, who returned from Ja pan just before the convention, said two projects to increase wheat food consumption in Ja pan had been set up, and eight more were awaiting approval by Japanese government - agencies. Many Sign For Welding Classes Twenty-two persons signed up Tuesday night to take the adult welding class being offered here under the sponsorship of the state department of vocational education. The group was so large that it is necessary to split the group into two classes with one group meeting Tuesday and Thursday nights and the other from 7:30 to 10:30 on Wednesday nights. In structors are L. L. Robbins and Bill Weatherford and the class is held in the Ag building at Mepp ner high school. Due to the necessity of adding the second class, the instructors announced that there is room for a few more students who desire to take the course. The cost is $15 per student for the entire course. Mrs. Tom Wilson week from Post returned last Falls, Idaho where she had been Thankssrivine. Her visiting since mother, Mrs. Fisher, returned to Heppner with was in Port- her for a visit. Mrs. Allen Case land from Tuesday day last week. until Thurs- sr V -4 , j POPULAR SPOT at last week's Oregon Wheat Growers League meeting at Pendleton was this snack bar which was operated by a group of Morrow county women. Shown taking one shift at serving donuts and coffee are (1 to r) Mrs. William J. Doherty, Mrs. Jack Barak and Mrs. Irvin Rauch, all of Lexington. Several Mor row county businesses sponsored the refreshment bar. THE RUSH IS ON "Mail Early" Plea Largely Unheeded Postmaster James H. Driscoll and his crew in the Heppner post office aren't a bit happy this week with the prospects for the days between now and Christmas They can forsee nothing but great stacks of mail and Christmas par cels which will be flooding the local office. Despite the consistent plea to mail early, it seems very few persons are taking the request to heart which means the big load will come during the next week. "The time has passed to talk about mailing early", Driscoll said this week. "To the minority who have taken heed and already placed their parcels and cards in the mail, 'Merry Christmas' is assured for those to whom your messages and gifts were addres sed. To the majority, who as usual have not yet placed their Ray McAlisfer Services Friday Ray McAlister, a resident of Lexington for most of his life, died Tuesday at the Odd Fellows home in Portland where he had lived for the past year. He was 82 years of age. Funeral services will be held Friday morning at 11 o'clock at the Lexington Christian church with Rev. Norman Northrup of ficiating. Burial will be in the Lexington cemetery. Mr. McAlister was very well known in Morrow county having lived most of his life here. He was born August 28, 1873 in Smyrna, Iowa. For many years he farmed in the Lexington area Later he worked for the forest service and for several years was caretaker of the Masonic hall in Heppner. He is survived by one brother, Marshall McAlister of Portland, and one son, Welcome, who lives in the east Another brother, Har vey, died early this year. o Christmas Music Concerts Planned by Heppner School Bands A Christmas band concert will be presented by the Heppner high school band next Tuesday night at 8 p. m. The concert will be presented at the high school gym and will be under the direction of music instructor Norman Peters. A varied program of music is planned and solo numbers are in cluded, Peters said. The following night, December 21, the grade school band will present a concert of ' special Christmas carols and music. Both are open to the public. o Mrs. James Monahan and Ter esa visited her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs John K. Paulson at Oswego over the week end. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Jones hare returned from a trip to Texas, New Mexico where they visited the Carlsbad Caverns and home through California where they visited Mrs. Jones' brother, f I i cards and gifts in the mails, we can only promise that your mail will be handled as expeditiously as possible." The post office will remain open all day Saturday, Dec. 17 from 8 a. m. to 6 p. m. and Dris coll asks that all persons have their parcels' intended for de livery by Christmas in the mail no later than next Saturday even if they go only . to northwest points. The local office has expanded its distribution facilities to the maximum possible and patrons are reminded that 10 days is -very little time to effect delivery of any item in a congested postal system. Patrons are again asked to help by using the labels for "out of town", and "city or local" mail which were placed in their post office boxes. There is a bundle drop in the office which should be used for depositing mail in the event the window clerk is busy. To those who have heeded the calls for early mail, Driscoll and his crew extend a "thanks" and said that they will continue to do their utmost to insure prompt de livery of mail. 4-H Organization Meeting to be Open To All Youngsters A meeting of all boys and girls 9 years of age or older who are interested in joining 4-H clubs has been called for Wed nesday, Dec. 21 at 4 p. m., Miss Beverly Bradshaw, county exten sion agent has announced. The meeting will be held at the Andy Van Schoiack residence on Baltimore street and Miss Brad shaw will discuss projects avail able and the requirements of a club and club members and the part parents play in club work. The meeting will be open to any boy or girl who will be 9 years old by next January 1. Mothers are also asked to at tend the meeting. Bedford Named Bond Chairman Announcement has just been received of the appointment of Jack Bedford of Heppner as chairman of the Morrow county Savings Bonds committee. The appointment was made by Ted R. Gamble of Portland, chairman of the Oregon Savings Bonds com mittee. Bedford is manager of the Heppner branch of the First Na tional Bank of Portland, and has just completed a term as presi dent of the Heppner Chamber of Commerce He has been a leader in the business and civic affairs of the community ever since moving here some years ago, and has been an especially active member of the county Savings Bonds committee. Bedford succeeds Jeff Carter as committee chairman, the latter having resigned six weeks ago at the time of his promotion and transfer by the J. C. Penney company. O'Harra Named Head of County Water Committee A group of nearly 30 persons met Monday afternoon at the courthouse and formed a county water resourses committee to co operate with other county com mittees of this area to continue the work done during recent years by the Upper Columbia River Basin Commirsion. Newt O'Harra, Lexington was named acting chairman of the committee; Russell Miller, of. Boardman, vice-chairman and Dick Wilkinson, Heppner, secre- j tafy. R. B. Rands of Boardman! was named on the executive! committee and will represent the county organization at an area' meeting being held today (Thurs-1 day) at Pendleton. I County judge Garnet Barratt, a member of the Upper Columbia River Basin Commission which will end its existance January 1 and be replaced by a state water resources board, explained the activities of the commission and told how the water resources board would be unable to carry i on many of the projects started, by the commission. The county committees will form the area water resources committee which will work for the further develop ment of local irrigation projects, flood control and other types of water resources development in Eastern Oregon. The county com mittees will do the planning and investigation in their own areas. Both the county committees and the area organization is be ing formed with the blessing of the new water resources board and Governor Patterson who realize that the state-wide board will be unable to undertake all the projects needed. Five or six other committees will be named within the county committee and the chairmen of each of these groups will become members of the executive board of the local group. Chairman O'Harra Is expectedllo make the appointments shortly. ' n ' Boy Scout Program Curtailed Because Of Fund Shortage All professional Boy Scout staff service that requires travel and travel expense has been cur tailed for the month of December, due to a critical shortage of funds, according to an announce ment made last week by Wendell Brown of Pasco, president of the Blue Mountain Council. The executive committee of the board of the council met recently in Pendleton to consider problems relating to the $6,000.00 shortage of funds, which must be made up by the council between the present time and December 31st. A study of the nature of the shortage revealed that a deficit of varying amounts has been carried by the council over the past eight years. During that time the council has curtailed its proposed program to keep the deficit down, and has used spe cial sustaining membership ef forts to make up shortages. At the beginning of 1955, the exe cutive board voted to retire the deficit at the end of 1955 or cur tail services to balance the bud get. President Brown stated that a "curtailment of service, neces- !nniir -v Unlit-inn i V a V1r1Tf t a rl ditional funds are not forthcom ing, would mean the laying off of one or more professional staff members." "Such curtailment," Brown said, "will mean that many boys will not find the Boy Scout program available to them because of our inability to or ganize new troops, or to main tain service to existing ones." The council has found it neces sary to set aside or to postpone its full program for some years due to the lack of success of both federated and independent fi nance campaigns. "In the field of federated campaigns alone," Brown said, "the council has been short by more than $24,000.00 in the last six years. Much that might have been accomplished during those years has not been done because we have not had the money." Ronald Rew, council finance chairman, emphasizing the coun cil's effort to overcome the prob lem, stated, "special contacts are being made throughout the area of the thirteen counties included in the council to secure sustain ing memberships in an amount sufficient to retire the present deficit, and the council is mak ing plans to raise $15,000.00 in 1956 to supplement shortages an ticipated from federated cam paigns and Independent drives. ft i , I s vv L iiiL Roger W. Babson Bobson's Business Forecast to Again Appear in This Paper As it has done for the past several years, the Gazette Times will again carry a year-end fea ture that has become popular with local readers. The feature is Babson's Business and Finan cial Forecast for 1956 which will appear in our issue of December 29. A careful checking of the Bab son Predictions made In the Busi ness and Financial Forecast' for 1955 upholds the remarkable average of the past years by be ing 84 percent correct. Below is the score for the last five years. It holds the best and highest record for annual forecasts on U. S. future business. The forecast for 1955 was 84 accurate; 1954, 86; 1953, 84; 1952, 88; 1951, 86. Unemployment Office To be Opened Here Starting Friday A representative of the Oregon Unemployment Compensa t i o n commission will be in Heppner one day every second week to provide an unemployment claim service for residents of this area. The representative from the Pendleton office will be at the city hall In Heppner from lo to 12 a. m. Friday, December 16 and at the same time, every other Friday thereafter. In the past claimants from here have had to go to the Pen dleton office to file for unemploy ment benefits. Oregon's Irrigated Acreage to Double By 2000, Experts Say kx Area I j ff LS South Central vlllifh- Southern Area ESI 1950 Irrigation Acreage OREGON STATE COLLEGE Oregon's irrigated acreage will more than double In the next half century, a group of Oregon State college agricultural water resources experts has predicted. The group figures the number if irrigated acres will jump from the 1,367,707 total of 1950 to 2, 833,877 by the year 2000. Increases will be largely in the Coast, Willamette Valley and the Columbia Basin areas. Com pared to 1950, the group esti mates Irrigation acreages by 2000 will increase almost 10 times in the Willamette Vallev. almost 5 times along the Coast, 4' times I in the Columbia Basin, nearly double in Southern Oregon, a half in the Blue Mountain area, and a fifth in Central and Southeastern Oregon. About half the total increased Irrigation acreage will be In the Willamette Valley and almost a fourth in the Columbia Basin counties. The remaining acreage Santa's Visit, Free Show Due Saturday Afternoon Official word direct from head quarters gave assurance that an old 'friend of all Morrow county youngsters will be in Heppner next Saturday. Phil Blakney, head of the chamber of eommeice merchants committee said today that Santa Claus sent word to him that he will be in Heppner at 1 o'clock to greet kids and get a line on what they want him to bring them for Christmas. Santa said that he still likes to ride on fire trucks, so the com- John P. Hounseil To File for Senate; Hardie Uncertain John T. Hounseil, Hood River, Republican, announced today that he plans to file for state senator from the 16th senatorial district which embraces Morrow, Gilliam, Wheeler, Sherman, Wasco and Hood River counties. Hounseil has served two terms in the house, going from there to the senate where he has served one term.- The six-county district former ly was divided into two districts, Morrow, Gilliam, Wheeler and Sherman in one; and Wasco and Hood River in another but last year's reapportionment In the senate combined the two and provided for one senator from the area. Hounseil represented Wasco and Hood River counties, with Stewart Hardie, Condon, publisher of the Condon Globe Times, serving the other four counties. One senatorial position was abolished under the change. Senator Hardie told the Ga zette Times Wednesday that he was uncertain yet whether he would file for the position and run against Hounseil in next year's primaries. He said that he will make an announcement sometime in January on his plans. He has served two full terms In the state senate. Oregon's Irrigation Potential, 1950 All Oregon I I Additional will be distributed as follows: Central and Southeastern Oregon, 11 percent; Blue Mountain area, about 10 percent; Southern Ore gon, 5 percent; Coast area, 3 per cent. Total acreage figures for the various areas follow with the 1950 total listed first and the 2000 forecast second: Willam ette Valley, 80,195,782,995; Col umbia Basin, 93,842, 431,592; Cen tral and Southeastern Oregon, 854,959; 1,023,879; Blue Mountain area, 260,003, 403,753; Southern Oregon, 75,658, 142,188; and Coast area, 10,050, 49,470. Estimates were based on 1950 census reports of land under lr- jrigation, and a 1942 report on I resource development published by the national resources plan ning board. Adjustments were made from recent survey figures of the U. S. army engineers and the bureau of reclamation. Data were projected to estimate water requirements and acreage under TV mittee has made arangements to bring him to town on one of the city trucks as he requested. He also said he would have a big bag of candy with him and will pass out samples to all the youngsters who come to see him Saturday afternoon at his tem porary headquarters in front of the Heppner hotel. Santa timed his visit here just right, too, for after the young sters have a chance to talk with the old fellow, they are all in vited to the Star Theater for its annual free Christmas show which will start at 2 o'clock. All kids are guaranteed an ample supply of candy that day, for following the snow, the Heppner Klks lodge will pass out bags of candy to all theater guests. Mercury Drops As Cold Front Hits A cold front which is covering most of the entire northwest drop ped temperatures here Tuesday night and prospects for the next few days are for more of the same kind of weather. Low mercury readings of from 12 to 15 degrees were reported early Wednesday morning and a heavy covering of clouds Wed nesday kept the thermometer from getting above 22 degrees. Light snow fell most of the day Wednesday but it came more like frozen fog and left no white cover on the ground. The warm storm which blew in from the west Saturday drop ped about one-quarter of an inch of rain over most of the county but the weatherman saw little prospects for much precipitation over the area during the next day or two unless a low pressure area in the Pacific moves inland. EXAMINER COMING . A drivers license examiner fom the secretary of state's office will be on duty in Heppner Tues day, Dec. 20 at the court house from 9:30 a. m. to 3:30 p. m. - 2000 Irrigation Acreage, 2000 Irrigation by 2000. For their estimates, the group assumed that present water sour ces and amounts will not change, that federal water develoment pilicy will remain about the same, and that demand for farm pro ducts will push agricultural prices high enough to overcome most irrigation costs. No Increase was predicted where the group figured irrigation costs would be prohibitive. Group members who conducted the study were Grant Blanch, agricultural economist; H. B. Cheney, head of soils; J. G. Moore, extension conservation specialist; J. B. Rodgers, head of agricultural engineering; and M. N. Shearer, extension irrigation specialist. Detailed findings are reported in a new OSC publication en titled "An Estimate of Oregon's Irrigable Land". Copies are avail able from the OSC bulletin clerk or county extension agents.
