Heppner gazette-times., May 30, 1963, Page 2, Image 2

HEPPNER GAZETTE
GAZETTE-TIMES
MOBBOW COUNTY'S NEWSPAPEB
PHONE 678-8228
1he Heppner Gazette, established March 30. 1883. The Heppner
Times established November 18, 1897. Consolidated February 15,
1912.
WESLEY A. SHERMAN HELEN E. SHERMAN
Editor and Publisher Associate Publisher
NIWStAMI
PUIIISNIIS
'ASSOCIATION
Subscription Kates: Morrow and Grant Counties, $4.00 Year; Else
where $4.50 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.
Unicameral Legislature Needs Study
Now that the 1963 Oregon legislature is Just about a thing
of the past, the time comes to assess its accomplishmens. With
out being in a position to analyze thoroughly, the Impression
is that it did not do nearly the eood that it might have done,
even though it was the longest in history and undoubtedly the
most expensive.
Robert Eisner In his "Salem Scene" column elsewhere in
this paper gives a cursory analysis of accomplishments of the
legislature. It did not really solve the financial and tax prob
lems; it did not pass a cigarette tax even though every other
state has one of some kind; it did not work out Governor Hat
field's proposal on reorganization of state government; it did
not complete the Workmen's Compensation reform since it was
tabled In the House committee after being passed in the
Senate; It did not work out Unemployment Compensation re
forms. Of course, it did pass a lot of bilfs and some good ones.
Some of the Governor's highway legislation was approved, and
some of the laws on sex offenders were passed. There were
many others of significance that have been approved.
But the legislature has not accomplished what it should
have accomplished, and this Is not being critical of the legis
lators. Undoutedly most of them worked real hard. It Is our
opinion that Rep. Jack Smith did an excellent Job for his district
for instance. . '
The question arises, "Why didn't the legislature accom
plish more?" Why didn't it get the financial situation straight
ened out? Why didn't some of these reform bills get through?
One apparent answer Is the disagreement between the two
houses of the legislature. Frequently legislation is passed by
one house by a substantial majority, only to have It tabled
or dissected beyond recognition In the other house. Political
complications between the houses enter the picture.
This brings up the question, "Why have two houses in the
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legislature?" Nebraska doesn't. It has what is known as a
unicameral (one house) system. In our school days years
ago teachers in American Government extolled this system.
One can't point to the Federal government for the necessity
of having two houses the U. S. House of Representatives and
the U. S. Senate because one of them, the Senate, is based
on area, and the other, the House, is based on population.
Oregon voters turned down, at the last general election, a
measure that would provide for area to enter the apportionment
picture, and so both our houses are based on population.
There are many who will say that the houses are a check
on each other thus preventing bad legislation. But is that a
valid reason? What if all the members of both houses were in
one body, having been elected by the people? Is there any reason
to think that one functions in better conscience than the other,
or that one house Is not capable of making vital decisions. If
that be true, they should not be there in the first place.
There is protection in the Oregon system, too, that lies in
the hands of the people through the referendum and the Init
iative. If the people do not like a law passed by the legislature,
they can refer it and nullify the legislature's action. This has
often been done, as a matter of fact, with the two-house system.
The public would have this same protection if the state had
a unicameral legislature.
It seems that one reason that our legislative sessions keep
getting longer, more cumbersome, and more costly, Is the dis
agreement and dissentlon between the two houses. It would
seem that elimination of one house would help cure this diffi
culty and save considerable money for the taxpayer.
If one house were based on population and one on area
there would be more reason to retain the present system. As
it Is now, it seems to be a duplication of expense, effort and
trouble.
Learned scholars may have logical reasons why a uni
cameral legislature wouldn't be the thing for Oregon, but it is
worthy of serious study and exploration.
Salem Scene
Legislature Grinds to an End
With Many Issues Undecided
In these last few days of the
1963 Legislature, it becomes al
most Impossible to evaluate the
outcome of some of the major
pieces of legislation. As Is gen
erally the case, the most import
ant problems are never resolved
until the last couple of weeks
of each session. This is espec
ially the case with regard to
the major budgets before ways
and means such as education,
welfare, and highways. The
Joint taxation committee con
ference cannot complete its work
until it knows what the total
general fund requirements are
going to be.
However, it seems fairly clear
that the total general fund bud
get will closely approximate
Governor Hatfield's recommend
ed budget of $405 million. The
important difference is that Gov
ernor Hatfield recommended a
$405 million general fund bud
get .with an added bonded pro
gram for buildings, principally
higher education. The ways and
means committee has turned
thumbs down on this "mort
gaging in the future" proposal
and is Incorporating a more lim
ited building program into the
general fund appropriation.
It also is perfectly clear that
about $60 million of new tax
revenue will be raised to bal
ance this budget. There is, how
ever, considerable controversey
remaining, principally between
the House and Senate, as to
how this money should be raised.
Senate majority members want
to raise it from income taxes
and a "one-shot" device of
speeding up payment of with
holding taxes by employers. The
House generally feels that the
income tax burden should be
less severe and 12 to 15 million
dollars should be raised from
imposing a cigarette tax. Ore
gon is the only state in the
Union that does not tax cigar
ettes, either through a sales tax
or a direct tax on cigarettes.
Some of the more important
pieces of legislation which ap
parently will not be acted on
this session appear to be: Gov
ernor Hatfield's reorganization
of state government. The De
partment of 'Commerce and De
partment of Natural Resources
both appear to be dead in com-
Your Fertilizing Needs.
422-7531
MAURICE
by Robert H.Eisner
mittee. Workmen's Compensa
tion reform: This major bill was
passed by the Senate and was
tabled in the House Committee.
However, labor and management
interests are still working on a
compromise that may still be
acted upon. Income tax reform
is doubtful.
Unemployment Compensation:
The reforms advocated by em
ployers through Associated Ore
gon Industries were stymied in
the House labor and industries
committee. One bill has passed
both houses which increases
maximum benefits from $40 to
$44 a week and reduces benefit
amounts for those persons who
earn between $1600 to $3100 a
year. AOI opposed this bill while
the AFL-CIO favored the bill
and their views prevailed.
A new financing program for
unemployment compensa t i o n
has been passed which will stab
ilize the fund and provide con
tinuation of merit rating for em
ployers once it has been re
stored. The Department of Em
ployment has predicted merit
rating will be restored to eligi
ble employers commencing Jan
uary 1, 1964.
Some highway safety pro
grams advocated by the Govern
or have been acted upon favor
ably, as well as better controls
dealing with sex deviates.
Some Important changes have
been made in laws governing
elevator licensing and use, elec
trical licensing, and milk con
trols which fix prices at the
producer and wholesale level.
The 1963 legislative session
will go down in history as the
longest and perhaps one of the
hardest working in terms of
time and effort. However, the re
sults of the session still remain
to be evaluated.
4-H Knitters Meet
The last meeting of the Knifty
Knitters 4-H club was held at
the home of May Campbell on
May 20 at 4 p.m. We will have
a finished product meeting in
July. Refreshments were served.
May Campbell was a visitor.
Jeanette Ledbetter, reporter
Metsker Maps of Morrow, Gil
liam, Wheeler, Umatilla, and
Grant counties on sale at the
Gazette-Times, $1.25 each.
CORPORATION
ELDER, HEPPNER, PH. 676-S102
Chaff and
Wes
EVEN EARLY in the week old
timers started to drift in for
visits prior to the annual Mor
row County Memorial Day pic
nic here Thursday. Among the
first to drop in at the Gazette
Times office was Arthur R. Craw
ford of San Jose, Calif., of the
well-known Crawford fam i 1 y
whose lives are interwoven with
the history of the Gazette -Times
and the city of Heppner.
Arthur brought a story he has
written, "The Day of the Flood,"
telling the story of the 1903 dis
aster as seen through the eyes
of a child. He was 10 years old
at the time. It will appear in the
June 13 issue of the Gazette
Times, the day before the 60th
anniversary of the flood.
On his short visit, the former
editor reminisced of the early
days of the paper. He was here
when the Babcock Optimus
press, replaced in March of this
year by the Miehle No. 3, made
its first run in the G-T shop in
1919. O. G. Crawford, now of
Delake and uncle of Arthur,
wrote of this occasion in an art
icle published at the time of
the change this year.
Typesetting in the earlier
days was virtually all done by
hand, even the smallest type.
Arthur recalls an incident that
occurred when his father, Vaw
ter Crawford, the editor at this
particular time, bought some 6
point (very small) Cheltenham
type that he (Arthur) distrib
uted in one of the type drawers.
Arthur, a young "printer's devil"
had just finished distributing
the type in one of the drawers
when his father asked him if
he had "blown out" the drawer
first. (They used a bellows to
clean dust and dirt out of the
type cases). The would-be prin
ter replied that he had not, and
so he was told to proceed to do
so.
So Arthur took out the type
drawer, and with bellows under
one arm, headed for the outside
door on the wintry day. As he
crossed the threshold, his foot
slipped on some ice, the type
case flew up in the air, and the
tiny 6-point type hundreds of
individual letters came down
on the wooden sidewalk, most
of it going down through the
cracks to be lost.
It would take a printer to
realize just what a tragedy this
was, but Arthur said that his
father understood and kept his
composure, despite the loss of
the valued new type.
They had a gadget in those
days that was known as a Sim
plex Typesetting Machine. (We
couldn't describe it for this pre
dates the present editor's ex
perience In the business!)
This machine proved to be
some better than setting by
hand apparently, but it was al
ways causing grief and trouble,
never quite functioning proper
ly. One day while the Campbell
newspaper press (forerunner of
the Babcock) was in operation,
a cotter pin came loose and a
big wheel bounced off the press.
The staff watched transfixed as
the wheel, with good momen
tum, headed towards the Sim
plex machine. Arthur said that in
the minds of everyone was the
thought that it would crash in
to the machine and thereby give
them an excuse to dispose of it.
FARMERS :
IS ONLY
RECAP
TRUCK,
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Chatter
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The wheel headed straight for
the machine, but at the last
moment veered off, and placidly
came to rest leaning against the
wall!
Ah, those were the days!
IF IT WERE possible to tape
record all the stories that will
be told of the old days at the
picnic Thursday, it would make
a wonderfully colorful account
and a history to be cherished!
It is good to welcome the old
timers back again. They shared
in the development of the county
and had a part in its history
to make it what it is today. The
latch string is out for them as
they return to greet old friends
and get acquainted with new
comers to the county.
A PLEASANT pursuit on a Sun
day afternoon is to get in the
family car and tour some of the
roads in the county. There are
plenty of them in this broad
land of ours! Even those who
have lived here for quite a few
years probably have not been
over all of them.
On a recent Sunday afternoon
we headed out to crisscross the
southwestern portion of the
county and explore some of the
roads there.
It is always impressive to see
the beauties of the land and
farms the forces of nature and
man combining. The strip-cropped
rolling hills are particular
ly striking with their combina
tions of the green of growing
grain mingling with the brown
of the well-worked fallow fields.
Along any route that one
chooses to take are fine ranch
homes, and it is an interesting
pastime for newcomers to learn
the identity of their owners. This
means slowing down to read the
names on the mail boxes.
Regrettably, though, many of
the places do not have names
on their boxes, or no sign to in
form the wanderer. After this
recent trip we returned wonder
ing just who resides in some of
these attractive homes.
Maybe there is some reason
that owners are reluctant or
mavho thov think evprvone
knows but a nat i v e b o r n
Heppnente made the comment
the other day that he wished
mnrn wnnlrt nut thpir names UD
so he could find out where they
live. Oddly enougn, we were
thinkintr thp same thing at
about the same time, and de
cided to write this recommen
dation to that effect.
IT WAS at the school budget
meeting Monday night when
the question came up on ad
ministrator's travel. An amount
budgeted for this item was cut
In the revised estimates, but one
member of the committee in
quired whether this allowed
anything for trips out of state.
Hillard Brown, who happened
to be on his feet at the time,
answered, "No, you can't leg
ally pay any money for travel
outside the state."
But Robert Van Houte, who has
tendered his resignation as coun
ty school administrator, declar
ed, "You bet you can. Admin
istrators may be paid for out of
state travel. In fact some in the
county have suggested that I
go to
Fortunately the place that
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PINE CITY
PINE CITY Mr. and Mrs. Hap
Dooly of Estacada visited at the
Jasper Myers home from Wed
nesday until Sunday. On Satur
day they visited in Pasco at the
home of a niece.
Mr. and Mrs. Burl Watten
burger, Mrs. Mary Resing and
David spent Sunday fishing at
Bull Prairie reservoir.
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Herndon of
Milton-Free water and Mrs.
Freda Johnson of Hermiston
spent Saturday visiting with
Mrs. Phoebe Bartholomew.
Allyn Witherrite was among
the eighth graders that grad
uated Saturday night from Hepp
ner schools.
The 12th birthday of the Ash
beck triplets, Calvin, Alvin and
Melvin, was celebrated last Wed
nesday. Their guests were Jerry
Healy, Monte Evans and Mike
Smith and Mr. and Mrs. George
Luciani and family. A picnic sup
per and cake and ice cream was
enjoyed.
Many friends and relatives
from Buttercreek, Pendleton and
Heppner gathered at the Ron
Curran home Saturday night to
wish them well in their new
home.
Bob was about to mention was
drowned out by the laughs of
the crowd who appreciated the
administrator's joke on himself.
COMMUNITY U
) BILLBOARD j
Lr, - tJ
Coming Events
HIGH SCHOOL
COMMENCEMENT
Wednesday evening, May 29,
8 p.m. old high school gym.
Dr. Henry Tetz, OCE, speak
er. Public is invited.
PIONEER MEMORIAL
DAY PICNIC
Thursday, May 30, Registra
tion starts at 11:00 a.m.
Potluck dinner, noon, at
Fair Pavilion.
PUBLIC FLOWER SHOW
Saturday, June 1, 2 to 5 p.m.
Heppner Auto Sales Show
room. Entries taken from 8
to 10 a.m., judging at 11:00.
SWIMMING POOL OPENS
Saturday, June 8. Season
tickets now on sale
Family, $18; high school,
$6; grade school, $4.
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