Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1959)
MOBROW COUNTY'S NEWSPAPER The Heppner Gazette, established March 30, 1883. The Heppner Timei established November 18, 1897. Consolidated February 15, 1912 NIWSPAPIR PUBLISH! ASSOCIATION ROBERT PENLAND Editor and Publisher GRETCHEN PENLAND Associate Publisher NATIONAL EDITORIAL frlJJIIMJg U'.MH Published Every Thursday and Entered at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon, as Second Class Matter Subscription Rates: Morrow and Grant Counties. $4 01 Year; Elsewhere $4.50 Year. Single Copy 10 Cents. How Many Ride the Gravy Train? Guest Editorial from Blue Mountain Eagle, John Day The 2.7 per cent penalty rates since April 1, 1958, have applied to all Oregon employers in the unemployment compensation system more than 26,000 altogether are really beginning to hurt. This applies particularly to the 12,000 com panies which (by reason of stable employment) previously had "earned" substantially lower rates (averaging 1.4 per cent of payrolls) under Ore gon's merit rating law. In dollars and cents, this means that Oregon employers who carry all of the unemployment compensation load employees pay nothing now are saddled with a $32,000,000 tax levy each year. This is more than double the previous unem ployment compensation tax and (by way of com parison) double the annual corporate income tax paid under the state's income tax system. Unemployment Insurance therefore has become one of the most pressing fiscal problems in the state with rates doubled and tripled at the very time when Oregon was hard hit by the re cession in business. Thus businessmen, tax ex perts and legislators are being forced for the first time to take a long look at Oregon's unem ployment compensation system In an effort to determine why we are in this bind and what we can do about it. First, naturally, is a fact which everyone rec ognizes: Unemployment reached record levels (around 12 per cent of the total labor force) dur ing the winter of 1957-1958 and the following spring. This put an extraordinary strain on the unemployment insurance trust fund (which had dwindled since the record high of $86,500,000 In 1948), bringing it down below the legal floor of $31,500,000. This made mandatory the application of maximum rates on all covered payrolls. The magnitude of the problem is illustrated by the fact that benefit payments for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1958, reached approximately $43,000,000, bringing the trust fund down to less than $24,000,000. Thus, it Is conservative to say that we were in trouble. And we are still In trouble, despite an upturn In employment But tliis does not wholly explain why Oregon's unemployment trust fund Is deeper in the red than other states which also have serious unem ployment problems. You have to dig deeper to find the other reasons. Generelly speaking, Oregon has one of the most liberal unemployment compensation sys tems In the nation, ranking with Michigan, Penn sylvania and Massachusetts. It Is one of only four states with a $3,600 tax period, the others using $3,000. Since maximum benefits were hiked in 1957 (from $35 to $40) and disqualification provisions were reduced In 1955 costs skyrocketed to $7,000,000 a year. ing as an insurance cushion against temporary unemployment. Literally thousands of people with seasonal jobs (food processing especially) draw benefits year after year despite the fact that they are not actually in the labor market and have no Intention of being so. And other thousands draw benefits by abusing the "voluntary quits" pro visions of the law; they quit without legitimate cause and ride the unemployment compensation gravy train. Two studies made last year by the Oregon Tax Research and the Portland chamber of commerce showed a woman cannery worker earning $1,200 a year can draw 34UO in oenetits year after year. It also brought to light the fact "voluntary quits" (many without good cause attributable to em ployers) collect from 12 to 23 per cent of all un employment compensation benefits. Less typical are loggers earning from $5,000 up who draw benefits when weather shuts down their jobs. Just what should be done about these prob lems? A few remedies are quite obvious: First, the "voluntary quits" provision of the law should be tightened to eliminate those people who volun tarily leave the labor market and have no in tention of rejoining It. Unemployment compen sation never was intended to replace earnings in full or to induce people to accept benefits rather than reemployment Secondly, the state should get away from ben efit payments totally unrelated to need those persons in the higher income brackets who make $10,000 a year and up, for example. Another remedy is to get on the insurance basis which is implicit in any fair unemployment system, and get away from the welfare concept. The state should crack down on workers discharged for misconduct, those failing to apply for other suit able work or refusing to accept suitable work. Another suggestion is to lengthen the payout period, as most states do; use the weeks worked factor, as does New York, rather than relying wholly on a quarterly earnings basis. In short, the state should get rid of the free loaders, and quit subsidizing wilful loafing. All of these things could be done without in juring legitimate claimants of benefits, or reduc ing maximum benefits, and they certainly could and would save the state millions of dollars. If they are not done, Oregon employers will find themselves saddled with high penalty rates, the merit rating system will be virtually thrown out of the window, and there will be more and more free loaders or riders of the gravy train. Now is the time for the Oregon legislature to consider the matter and do something about the situation, Although there are a number of bills before the legislature to "tighten up" benefits and thus help conserve the unemployment compensation fund for payment of justifiable claims, there appears Soil Bank Contracts Must be Observed; Wool Price 62c "If in the Soil Bank, observe permitted acres. Is your farm un der a conservation reserve con tract in the Soil Bank this year? If so, be sure to comply with any acreage allotments on the farm and also observe your per mitted acreage of Soil Bank base crops." That's the reminder going out this week from the county agri cultural Stabilization and Con- THIRTY YEARS AGO From the files of the Gazette-Times April 18, 1929 Mr and Mrs Dorris Mitchell, Mrs Everett Hayes and Grand ma Early arrived In Heppner Sunday evening from Joseph. A new bakery, which will also Include a confectionery and ice cream parlor, will open in Hepp ner soon. Messrs R D Wise, C I Wise and T E Leversen from Top perish, Wash have leased from D E Gilman the corner room now occupied by County Agent Smith. Edward McKay arrived from Portland on Monday and will be guest at the home of Dr and Mrs A H Johnston for some time. Roadmaster McCaleb reports that work on the Willow creek road is now progressing. Pupils of Ethel D Bower will appear in recital at the high school auditorium this evening. The following will appear on the program: Jeannette Turner, Doris Hiatt, Harriet Hager, Mary Beam er, Anabel Turner, Carol Bald win and Helen Falconer. But what hurts the most Is the fact that rules ' little likllhood any of them will even come out of eligibility have been so liberalized by legis- of committee. The goal of leaders of both houses latlve amendment and administrative procedure appears to be to get more tax money to continue that unemployment compensation in Oregon has to operate the unemployment program as a wel approached the dole stage, rather than function- fare" project rather than conserve tne funds. From The County Agent's Office By NELS ANDERSON ' 411 saddle horse project mem bers, their leaders and interested persons are luaklnu; plans for a regional saddle horse field day to be held at Condon on Satur day, April 25. The day will be spent in saddle horse judging, horsemanship and showmanship demonstrations. Assisting with the program for the day will be Cal Monroe, state 4 II club agent; Dean Frlschknecht, extension an imal husbandman, both from Oregon State College; Ward Wells, a horse fancier from Os wego and extension agents in the six counties Involved. The program will get under way at 9:30 A M at the Gilliam county fairgrounds. In case of a cold day Inside accomodations are avail able; if it is warm the outside arena will be used. Club mem bers, their parents will bring their sack lunches and the Gilliam county saddle horse clubs are furnishing punch and coffee. At least two of the saddle horse clubs from Morrow county are planning to participate in this field day. f, : m " - STAR THEATER Thurs., FrU Sat., April 16, 17, 18 Sheriff of Fractured Jaw Kenneth Moore and Jayne Mansfield. FLUS Up In Smoke Huntz Hall and the Bowery Boys. Sun., Mon., Tue., April 19, 20, 21 Some Came Running Frank Sinatra, De.in Martin, Shirley MacLaine, Martha Hy er and Arthur Kennedy. Sun A few of our ranchers have turned their beef bulls in the herd although there are a good many who have not yet done so. There are more ranchers each year testing their beef bulls for fertility, a practice which is on the increase throught the entire state. We know of a number of this In Morrow county last year and there Is a lot of interest being shown this spring. In this fertility test, a sample of semen Is collected from the bull and ex amined under a microscope. All of our veterinarians have nec essary techniques for the testing and as far as I know have the necessary equipment. Reports from veterinarians in Oregon as well as work done in Colorado, Texas and California indicate that about 10 of the bulls now being used don't have the abil ity to settle a cow. For a large group of bulls being used, this may not be too serious a matter. But on a two or three bull oper ation, this could be quite serious, and with a one bull operation it could bo very serious. We have known where this has happened In herds whore not a single calf was raised that year. Contact your veterinarian for advise and assistance. Word has just been received from Oregon State College that they are planning this year beef and swine field days to be held May 18 and 19. These were sched uled at the request of livestock producers and are specifying the subjects that these producers would like to have discussed. This will give Oregon State Col lege an opportunity to present outstanding work that has been conducted during the year and will give producers an opportun Ity to be brought up to date on what the college Is doing. There will be a special ladles- program as well as organized luncheons that will be held each day and an evening buffet dinner with suitable entertainment and fea tured speaker. A similar field event is being planned for this fall for sheep. For those who might be interested mark down the dates of May 18 and 19 and plan to attend. Morrow county hog producers will be Interested in a recent ar tide In the National Hog Farmer which points out that a higher protein level In the feed can pro duce a meatier hog. With the demand for meatier hogs at this time, this fact can be used to good advantage. It hasn't been much used because of protein prices and small premiums for meaty hogs. Iowa researchers tested two different levels of pro teln In the ration to find their relation to percent of lean cuts in the carcasses of animals fed on the different rations. The high protein ration provided 20 pro 22-Inch Moto-Boy Rotary Lawn Mower Has Big 234 H. P. Motor Special Goodrich Tires, Tubes & Batteries SNYDER'S TIRE SERVICE Inland Chemical Bldg. Ph. 6-9191 teln for pigs up to 20 pounds weight, 18 up to 125 pound weight and 16 to market weight at 20n pounds. The low level ration provided 14 protein ra tions up to 50 pounds, 12 to 125 pounds and 10 to market weight. The carcass of hogs in the high protein ration produced 49.87c lean cuts of meat; the carcasses from the lots receiving a low level protein yielded 47.4 lean cuts of meat. Some time ago I commented on the soil tests that were being run on century farms during this centennial yearv by the college. A recent report points out that over 100 years of farming have not slowed down the productive ability of soils on the farms in the first 3 of 15 counties tested. In fact, many of the farms had a yield Improvement which was credited to drainage, better equipment, weed control and fer tilizers, especially nitrogen. servatlon office to all partici pants in the 1959 Soil Bank pro gram. Generally speaking, the per mitted acreage on a Soil Bank farm is the amount of land on which grains, annual grass seeds and row crops may be produced. It consists of the historical acre age of such crops less the amount of land placed In the conservat ion reserve. A farmer who ex ceeds this permitted acreage or any acreage allotment on the farm may lose his annual rental payment and also be subject to civil penalty. The ASC office points out that when all eligible cropland on a farm is in the Soil Bank, the permitted acreage is zero. The home garden area on such a farm may be used to produce crops for home use, for setting out for-1 est trees for non-agricultural pur-1 poses; but production of a Soil ; Bank base crop on such acreage is a contract violation. Chairman J E McBurney of the state ASC committee also re minded wool growers that the in centive price for wool during the 1959 marketing year, April 1, through March 30, 1960, is 62 cents a pound, the same as for the 1958 year. The department of agriculture McBurney said, makes no recom mendation as to whether wool should be sold before or after March 31, when the current mark eting year ends. This is a decis ion for the individual producer to make. Under the payment method used in the wool program, the more a producer gets for his wool, the higher payment he receives. The payment rate is the per centage necessary to bring the national average farm price of wool up to the incentive level. After the 1958 marketing year 2 HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES. Thursday, April 16, 1959 ends March 31, farmers have 30 applications made on sales after days to submit applications for payments to be made in the summer and fall of 1959. For Marcn u, 1309, payments will be made in the summer and fall of 1960. GIRL Scouts being very helpful, can j. rdct you to the TURNER, 'AN MARTER & BRYANT INSURANCE AGENCY, 183 Main St., where they will in ure your building no matter how many FLOORS it has. Also the TURNER, VAN MARTER AGENCY will insure the contents of the building from the HEAVYWEIGHT -"frirrerators and pianos to the smallest items in such a way .h-it you will feel the TURNER- VAN MARTER S BRYANT INSURANCE AGENCY is the insurance CHAMPION! 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