HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMESi Thursday, June 28, 1S62
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MOBBOW COUNTY'S NEWSPAPER
PHONE 676-9228
The Heppner Gazette, established March 30, 1883. The Heppner
Times established November 18, 1897. Consolidated February 15,
1912.
WESLEY A. SHERMAN
Editor and Publisher
si
NEWS PA r t K
'XsSOCtATION
HELEN E. SHERMAN
Associate Publisher
NATIONAL EDITORIAL
Subscription Bates: Morrow and Grant Counties, $4.00 Year; Else
where $150 Year. Single Copy 10 Cents. Published Every Thursday
and Entered at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon, as Second
Class Matter.
OFFICE HOURS: 8 a. m. to 6 p. m.; Saturdays, 9 a. m. to 5 p. m.
in illinium mil ' 1
The Increasing Need to Know
Complexities of government, becoming more intricate with
an acceleration of complicated laws and regulations that are
designed to meet the stresses of an expanding population and
the needs of a society traveling at a space age pace, evermore
emphasize the need for better communication between the pub
lic and the governmental agencies that serve it.
It bcomes harder and harder for a person to be a good
citizen as the number of laws increase, simply because it is
proportionately more difficult to keep informed and to keep
abreast of the times.
Communication between government and the individual is
not keeping pace, and the average man becomes more con
fused and bewildered. The result is that his hand in govern
ment is becoming less effective.
Consider the thousands of laws that face the citizen of
today relative to all phases of his endeavor that were not on
the statute books 25 years ago. It seems next to impossible for
a person working at a full time Job to become aware of the
facts on all governmental matters of vital concern to him and
his welfare.
Often he expresses his bewilderment at the polls in the
cases that he has the privilege of exercising his voting franchise,
the ones not pre-empted by rulings of boards and commissions.
Many times he votes In the negative simply because he does
not understand.
One community In another part of the state recently held
a school budget election. This budget called for no increase in
taxes, asked for virtually no additional expenditures over the
previous year. In the past, the school budget in this community
had been approved with no trouble. But this year it was de
feated, 120-114. School officials were perplexed.
They felt they had done the best job they could and im
mediately called another election. On the second try, the
Identical budget passed overwhelmingly 249 to 41! Why?
Part of the answer may be that the school administration
took too much for granted the first time. Apparently it had
been assumed that the people knew the facts and perhaps little
effort was made to "reach" the voters. The budget wasn't "sold."
Stopped short by the negative vote, the responsible persons
undoubtedly took steps to see that the voters in the district
had a better understanding on the second round.
It has always been taught in this country that each citizen
has a responsibility to keep informed. He still has this obligation
if he wishes to preserve our free way of life. But the time is
here when lie has to have some real help from conscientious
public agencies who make their proposals in good faith. These
agencies must be sure that their proposals are interpreted to the
citizen so that he understands and he has a right to this
understanding.
A news article from the Oregon Education association re
cently bemoaned the fact that 27 school budgets had been
defeated around the state this year and said that the future
of education is therefore jeopardized. This is not necessarily true,
It may simply mean, assuming that the budgets were sound
proposals, that the tacts were not interpreted properly to the
people.
School administrations in some cases apparently have not
realized that as costs have increased, as new laws have been
Imposed and as school operation becomes more complex, bud
gets and other matters have become increasingly difficult for
a layman to understand. Very few persons, indeed, can honestly
say that they understand all facets of these budgets. Many of
the affirmative votes that are cast for them are votes of trust
and faith In a school board and administration rather than votes
of understanding.
Yet it is not fair to Impose the whole burden of getting the
Information to the people upon shoulders of overworked vol
unteer public servants, such as school directors, who often
give more of their time and resources in service than they
should reasonably be asked to contribute.
City and county governments rather rarely exceed their
constitutional six per cent limitations in this state, and thus
the budget election is a particular affliction that faces schools.
If cities and counties were caught in a similar hind, they, too,
would undergo the rigors of the annual election and face the
same problem of communicating with the public at budget
time.
Mr. Citizen may not understand a city or county budget,
but since he doesn't vote on it when it slays within the
limitation, he is Inclined to accept the estimates without much
protest. In fact, in some cases, with all too little protest.
Thus, schools have a particular problem on this matter of
communication. One can find few persons who are opposed to
our educational system. Fewer still are those who would say
that any youngster is not entitled to the best education that
we can afford to provide, itsn't it conceivable that a person
may vote against a budget or a school matter, not because
he is disinterested and not because he doesn't believe in good
education, but merely because he questions the merit of a
proposition or does not understand? This, provided he lias done
all in his power to become informed, is in the best tradition
of democracy.
It Is our conviction that when the citizenry actually under
stands a sound proposal that is based on the premise of the
greatest good to the greatest number of people and when the
proposal Is within the public's means of providing without
hardship, it has every chance of being approved at the polls.
This is true even though there are voters whose objectivity
is sometimes blinded by petty prejudices.
In another area of government, consider the example of the
ambulance law that was passed by the l!Uil legislature. At the
end of the session, relatively few persons were aware that it
had been passed, or even that it had been considered. Pitifully
few in communities like Heppner had any realization of the
impact of this law because of the poor communication between
the legislature and the citizen. Oliver Creswiek was the first
to become concerned hero (he operated the ambulance then),
and through him, the Gazette-Times probably was one of the
first weekly newspapers in the state to editorialize on the matter
(last July). But it wasn't until several months later that the word
began to get around the state that ambulance service In small
communities would be imperiled as a result of the law. Then
the storm of protest started belatedly to arise. Virtually every
newspaper in communities affected then carried indignant
editorials. Chambers of Commerce took it up: public hearings
were held. But it was nearly too late, and the outcome still
is in doubt.
Here was an example of ill-advised legislation that obviously
did not meet approval of thousands. It was approved simply
because many were totally unaware of it and many others did
not understand its impact.
There probably are some persons in offices of public trust
who remain so Immoral in their conception of responsibility
that they seek to hide and disguise facts from the public.
This Is not the democratic way. Such persons are afraid of the
scrutiny of truth and have no real right to hold office.
Dedicated news media newspapers, radio, television seek
to fill a major role in communication to keep the public in
formed on the cherished principle of "the people's right to know."
But theirs is a monumental task. They are submerged on all
levels all the way from local school districts to the federal
government with matters that touch all forms of ruman en
deavor. They simply do not have the time and space to do the
full job.
Ex-Governor Charles Sprague, publisher of the Oregon States
man, brought out the point in a recent address at the Oregon
Newspaper Publishers convention: "Integrity in news columns
Is a well-established principle, and along with it a higher level
of integrity in editorial columns. But the challenge to news
papers as purveyors of informations and opinion is greater than
evef. The volume of local, state, regional, national, world and
space news is so staggering that selecting, weighing and dis
playing news for a paper's readers is taxing. In a world as
complicated as that of today even a Harvey Scott would be
nara pressed 10 iasnion convictions out of past experience.
What, then, is the answer? First it is important to recognize
that need for better communication is a real problem. Govern
mental agencies at all levels should do all they can to inform
the public accurately and honestly. The mere knowledge that
this is an acute need will help a dedicated official achieve
better communication.
On the other hand, the citizen should attempt to do a better
job of keeping himself informed and avail himself of oppor
tunities to seek the facts. Consider the incongruity of the fact
that only 13 of the county population of nearly 5000 attended
the Morrow county school budget hearing this spring, but the
budget passed by a mere 23 votes.
When agencies make an honest endeavor, through all means
at its command, to inform, and when the citizen makes a conse
crated effort to avail himself of opportunities offered to become
informed, a large part of the problem may be solved
The trend to shortcut said publication of budget, legal
notices and public documents on the theory that "no one reads
them anyway" should be halted. Emphasis, rather, should be
on presenting information for understanding and not merely to
satisfy legal formality. Indeed, some new budget forms make it
difficult for even the most careful voter to determine how his
money is being spent.
There remains a void in bringing to the public's attention
the myriad of new laws passed each biennium by the state
legislature and at each session by the national Congress
Can a state representative serving five counties, as is true in
our district, remotely begin to reach the people he seeks to
serve with information of importance to them?
Here is a matter that needs sincere attention. Perhaps skilled
persons should be employed to act as objective reporters to
the people on laws being considered Liaison between the legis
lature and the people.
The voters pamphlet gives information at election time to
keep the public posted on candidates and measures Maybe
some similar idea could be worked out in presenting to the
people synopses of laws being proposed in the legislature, telling
of public hearings on bills and other pertinent facts. True,
copies of bills that are proposed are available for perusal but
they are phrased in language that is difficult for a layman to
understand and they lack explanations and interpretations
Perhaps there are better answers. But this is an area that
needs dedicated study.
Until the communications breach is narrowed democratic
government will become increasingly more difficult. More and
more school budgets will be defeated. There will be more
consternation and indignation at laws passed without general
knowledge, and smooth functioning of government on all levels
will be jeopardized.
: n i
r it .lh
unarr and naccer
Wes Sherman
. 1
TO THE
EDITOR. .
To the Editor:
I hope that the voters will
approve of the proposed county
road budget on July 2, so our
tine road program can be con
tinued. The County Court de
serves our vote of confidence.
W. C. Rosewall, President
Morrow County Farmers Union
Dear Mr. Editor,
During the months of Julv and
August, a group of college stu
dents from the lone area will
be calling in homes to find out
more about people.
these students realize after
some study and thought that
they would like to know and
understand basic attitudes and
feelings that are expressed bv
people in our community.
I personally hope that the
community of lone ana Valby
will receive these students with
nterest and help them with
their study.
Rev. J. R. MacKenzie
To the Editor:
We may be a little mite back
woodsy in the foothills of Mor
row county out Hardman-way
but when we go to the polls
in an election, and especially
one in which the raising of
money by taxation is involved,
we are given the privilege of
a secret ballot out here. Seems
as though they do things differ
ently in the county seat at
Heppner. In the recent election
for the establishment of a Junior
college to serve Umatilla and
Morrow counties, we were re
quired to vote at Heppner in the
grade school instead of at Ruggs
where our precinct for school
elections had been moved from
Hardman.
Having always considered vot
ng a privilege, not an obligation
or duty, we hurried through sup
per and traveled the 22 miles to
Heppner so as to arrive before
he 8 oclock deadline.
After signing the registration
blank as the 96th voter, was
given the ballot witn the num
ber 9G written on the tab. My
husband, following the same pro
cedure, received ballot number
97. As we were marking our
ballots, a lady entered and was
given ballot 98. Giving our com
pleted ballots to the members
of the election board, we started
to leave, and it was then we
noticed they had not torn off
the tabs with the numbers 96
and 97 written on them, as thev
were deposited in the ballot box.
As we went through the door,
we questioned eacn other to see
if each had noticed the same
thing. Believing we had, it was
decided to return and ask. Which
we did. No, they had not re
moved the tabs on any of the
ballots cast and now in the bal
lot box. Perhaps that is a small
thing or it It?
Because our ballots and all of
you who voted did not vote a
secret ballot, our number on the
registration blank and your num
ber on the ballot being the
same, when the votes were
counted it would be a simple
matter to determine exactly how
Smith or Jones voted by com
paring the number on the tab
of the ballot with the number on
the registration blank. Just as
simple as that.
After questioning the legality
of the procedure being used;
one of the ladies on the board
said she would telephone the
district attorney and ask him
his opinion. This she did. On re
turning to the voting room she
informed us that what they had
done was quite illegal and that
it would be necessary to secure
another person besides the
board members as a witness and
the following steps be followed
to correct this mistake: 1. seal
the registration blank in an en
velope. 2. open the ballot box
OPERATION SIGNBOARD was
underway at Wilson's Men's
Wear last Thursday evening as a
crew headed by Bill Blake,
owner, took down the old board
sign that has been over the front
of the store for years and re
placed it with a modern new
sign that was made by Jack
Loyd. In the process, though, a
family was left homeless.
Hidden behind the old sign
and extending into a vent of the
Masonic lodge hall was a big
sparrows nest that contained a
number of sparrow fledglings.
The bits of grass, straw and hay
that the birds had accumulated
over the years must have added
up to nearly a quarter-bale. The
industrious little birds had
placed it all there, a single piece
at a time over a long period
of time.
But the sparrows yielded to
progress, the cozy nest came
tumbling down and the bright
new sign now replaces the old
one.
AMONG THOSE coming here for
the Janet Wright-Ralph Litch
field wedding were Mr. and Mrs.
Hugh McGilvra of Forest Grove.
This was a nice surprise for the
editor and family because the
McGilvras have been long-time
friends of the Shermans. Mr. and
Mrs. McGilvra own and operate
the Washington County News
Times and have interests in
other papers. Hugh, we note by
the last edition of the News
Times, has now been editor of
the News-Times for 34 years,
having started just after grad
uating from college in 1928. This
makes him sound like an old
man, but he isn't.
In several ways, Hugh was re
sponsible for us getting into the
newspaper business. He taught
us journalism at Pacific Uni
versity and later on referred us
to Earle Richardson at Dallas,
editor of the Itemizer-Observer,
where we started in the business
in earnest.
It was good to have the Mc
Gilvras here even though it
was only a short time.
secret ballot, is it something to
be regarded so lightly by us?
this privilege by the educational
Surely we are not to be denied
segment first? Another question
follows: if the school administra
tion is so lax in instructing the
voting board in the proper pro
cedure to be used in an election
how much confidence can the
taxpayer have as to the proper
handling of the monies collec-
and remove the numbered tabs ted by taxes and spent by them?
from the ballots. 3. seal the tabs
in an envelope and then the
ballots could be counted in the
regular manner. We believe this
was done, though we did leave,
as it was then two minutes after
eight with 22 miles home and
another work day ahead.
This raises the question as to
wry this was allowed to happen.
With so lew countries in the
world having the privilege of a
Then this question bothers most
of all. Were the other school
elections held in Morrow county
this spring conducted in the
same way in Heppner? There
were some very close ones that
if so conducted were definitely
illegal.
Well, it is something to think
about if you want to think.
Dorris L. Graves
Hardman Rural Station
NOTIC
OF
CLOSED FIRE SEASON
THIS NOTICE IS TO REMIND EVERY
ONE THAT NO BURNING IS NOW
PERMITTED AT ANY TIME WITHIN
THE CITY OF HEPPNER.
BY ORDER OF
FIRE CHIEF
C. A. RUGGLES
OUR SINCERE THANKS ....
. . . goes to all fine friends and good neighbors who
rallied to our aid Saturday and fought lightning-set
range fires which threatened our farms and range lands.
Their good work prevented serious losses.
So many responded with equipment and help of all
kinds that we are unable to name them all. Their assis
tance was wonderful, and we want to take this oppor
tunity to express a word of appreciation.
Delwin and Delpha Nelson
Rosella Lindsay
Larry Lindsay
Andy Van Schoiack
APPARENTLY, but unintention
ally, we did an injustice to
Dave Barnett of Heppner Ford
last week in connection with the
story on the car that was stolen
from the Ford lot. The story re
ported that the keys were found
in the car after it was abandoned
and that Dave apparently had
left them in after showing it to
a prospect earlier in the even
ing. However, Dave says he didn't
leave the keys in the car and had
not shown the Galaxie that even
ing. His version is that the thief
apparently walked into the
garage building and took the
keys off the board while a mem
ber of the firm was working late.
Dave was nice about it and
did not ask for a correction, but
we feel that we owe it to him
to get the story as straight as
the facts can be reconstructed.
YOU MIGHT say there were Five
Cats on a Hot Tin Roof at the
G-T Friday and Saturday when
our crew undertook the job of
fixing the roof. Only instead of
tin, it was aluminum. We have
taken some ribbing at putting
on a new roof while the weather
is good, because, they say, you
don't need it now. But we trust
that raindrops will fall again
sometime.
We're trying something fairly
new on this roof, using rolled
aluminum foil of rather heavy
gauge, after Irv Anderson steered
us on to it. It goes down on a
gooey black cement that smells
just like tar (ask Jim Myers
whose new air conditioning unit
inhaled it with all its pungency
through his Phil's Pharmacy
Saturday).
The claim is that the alum
inum roof will keep the building
10 degrees cooler inside (we
won't need to hitch a branch
duct from Jim's air conditioner
that is right in our back yard
to keep cool). But when you
apply the aluminum in the sun,
the reflection is searing and
blinding. Arnold Raymond, Avery
Taylor and two boys who helped
with the job, Rickey Gimbel and
Jim Sherman, didn't find it too
appealing partic u 1 a r 1 y, the
matter of getting the "tar" off
their clothes.
But I am a-peeling now from
the job all around the neck
and back where the sunburn
dug in good.
Anyway, this winter we should
have quite an assortment of
nails nnd buekets for snip, sinpo
we shouldn't have any more
leaks.
DEDICATED to the many who
teel tnat taxes are too high
is this little anecdote: A Con
gressman, speaking on the floor
of the House, orated, "And now
gentlemen, I wish to tax your
memories."
A member of the opposition
party turned to one of his col
leagues and declared, "Good
heavens, why haven't we thought
of that before?"
V
COMMUNITY
BILLBOARD
Coming Events
HEPPNER SWIMMING POOL
Open daily, except Mondays
Swimming lessons daily
from 9:00 a. m.
LEGION MOVIES
Friday, 8 p.m. Legion Hall
"Jalopy" starring the Bowery
Boys
Plus one-half hour Cartoons
FIREWORKS DISPLAY
lone High School Memorial
Field
Saturday, June 30, 9 p.m.
Followed by dance, Legion
Hall
SOROPTIMIST
INSTALLATION DINNER
Saturday, June 30
6:30 p.m.
Episcopal Parish Hall
This space will be used
each week to announce com
ing events of a public service
nature at no charge.
SPONSORED AS A PUBLIC
SERVICE BY
C. A. RUGGLES
Insurance Agency
Heppner
P. O. Box 611 PH. 676-9625
'
EVENT
Come and
sleeve sport shirts in cottons and t A
blends , . . nlniHi: nnH.m.
stripes and solids . . . orice'd HAr
right just when you need 'em I 37 J
most!
Wilson's Men's Wear
'THE STORE OF PERSONAL SERVICE"
Heppner