Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1975)
e 2 3 Horse sense ' ERNEST V. JOINER 1 I hope every Oregonian will read the letter in this week's Mail Pouch written by David Mayers, president of Amax Pacific Aluminum Corp. If they do they will understand why I wrote, when environmentalists frightened state and federal legislators into creating a multiplicity of environmental agencies, it meant the last in a long series of moves to complete government's stranglehold on every business in America. All business can now be directed and controlled at the whim of a handfull of ribbon-clerks-turned-bureaucrats in such powerful agencies as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Hazard Agency (OSHA) and Oregon's ow n contribution to hysteria over the environment, the Environmental Quality Commission 1EQC1. Why it was necessary and desirable for Oregon to jump into an area already preempted by the federal government and set up rules and goals even more ridiculous and stringent, has not been explained. But these agencies, whose heads were elected by nobody and who are responsible to nobody, can make or break any business in the United States, as indeed they already have through their unreasonable demands. Amax is an example of what irresponsible bureaucrats, who break their word and change ground rules at will, have done to one industry the state and nation sorely needs. Too, the letter may serve to underline the truth of Oregon's classic maxim, "Visit Oregon, but don't stay." It has cost Amax $9 million and four years to find it isn't wanted in Oregon. It matters little to the EQC that Amax has met and exceeded all EPA guidelines in pollutant emission or that it is depriving 1,200 families of jobs and an annual payroll of $15 million. Environmental agencies have crushed industrial production, created unnecessary short 'ages of strategic consumer goods, spurred inflation, contributed to mass unemployment and weakened the nation's productive capacity, heretofore the greatest on earth and the prime reason for our national existence and high standard of living. Drinking pure water and breathing clean air must seem a strange compensation to the man w ho has just lost his job and who cannot put food on the family ahle. Maybe it's time to re-run the Horse Sense column of Oct. 25, 1973. because it prophesied this turn of events. One predictable event to follow the general election is that Congressmen are moving quietly to increase their salaries again, from a base of $42,000 to $58,400. or about 37 per cent. These are the folks who are so outwardly concerned with inflation and rising costs, who make meaty speeches about holding the line, resist price and wage increases and tirgefjs noyo buy things we can do without. Well, Americans JuJH fa PS resisting this increase in the price of politicians; and. for a faqj. they're among the things we can do without On theothef Jiand. there's hope. Sen. Carl Curtis (R Nebr.l Jias introduced a bill, S. 3913, which would cut congressional Salaries 10 percent. It wouldn't hurt to let Sen. Mark Hatfield know that of the two proposals we prefer his support of S. 3913. And that would probably ruin his day! The City of Baltimore, Md., had a great idea for curbing trime. Last August it began a program of buying up guns for" ; $50 each. The city also paid $100 to informants wtjo jgave tips ai that led to confiscation of illegal firearms. After spending more than $650,000 for the purchase of 13,500 handguns, rifles and shotguns. Police Commissioner Donald D. Pomerleau said the program was a success. He also announced that the umber of gun-related murders has risen more than 50 per $ent in the city since the gun-buying program began! The Bible, of course, is concerned with eternity. But the ord 'elernity" is mentioned only one time in the Bible. Right or wrong? Oregon's minimum wage, effective Jan. 1, is $1 75. Now all the kids we couldn't afford to hire last year at $1 60 an hour are not going to be hired this year at $1.75 a great way lo get every body working again! . . . Oregon's 1974 traffic death toll now stands at 666, an increase of 4'i per cent over 1973 which indicates the 55-mile speed limit may be saving gasoline but not lives . . . Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said last week that the U. S. "cannot rule out war" as a section to its oil crisis. The next day he said he would not nave made the statement if it had not reflected the president's attitude. If we have to go to war in the Middle East to get oil. we can thank first the environmentalists who have for years held up the Alaskan pipeline, off-shore drilling and domestic explorations for oil. Woman's Lib has struck the Oregon State Fair. Women's World," used for home economics displays since 1965. has a no-no name that must be changed. We have until Feb. 14. Valentine's Day. to suggest a non-sexist name for the exhibit building. Send your name to "Rename Women's World Contest." State Fairgrounds, Salem, Ore. 97310. 1 don't think my entries would stand a chance: Whoever's World or The Wonderful World of Whatever. But your entry might win you two tickets to the 1975 Fair Grandstand Revue. I'm too us? trying to find an acceptable, non-sexist substitute for Ihe pronoun "her." There's a fellow in Hood River who ought to be president, but never w ill be. because he has come up with the perfect solution to the United States' current economic ills. Clyde Kirby . manager of the Fruit Tree, suggests that since the Arab nations have 20 per cent of the world s wealth at this iime and will have it all by 1980, we should not discourage 'Arabs from investing in the U. S. Arabs have been trying to buy I'. S. airlines, railroads, hotel chains, steel and automobile industries, and have been rebuffed. Wrong, Kirby argues. We should sell the Arabs as many of our industries as they can handle. Let them operate the industrial giants for 10 years, then nationalize all their properties and send the beggars back to the desert, broke, with the seat of their pants dragging. This is precisely the procedure other nations use on the United States Nationals, and get away with it. We have become so accustomed to having U. S. property confiscated by foreign governments that our own government doesn't evea bother to protest any more. The procedure is legal, it is sanctioned among the "emerging nations" to which we kow-tow, it has been approved by the United Nations, and it has been used by the Arab world against us. And if the blighters want to fight about it, they'd have to come over here to do it instead of us (as Mr. Kissinger and our fun-loving president suggested last week) having to go over there and take Arab oil by force. If the Arab world could mount an invasion, they still wouldn't have anything to wager war with because we'd have it all! t prepared Heppner, Ore., Gazette-Times, Thursday, Jan. 9, 1975 quoteunquot. Mayor of Hardman "What common-sense man , " Walk Softly And Rattle A Small Sabre in his right mind would accept the UN General Assembly as having any binding force, or any moral force for that matter, on anybody?. . . Why in the world should any sensible person give A damn what some spokesman for cannibalistic tribes or slave holding nomads thinks about nuclear tests?" James Rurnhnm, "Suicide of Ihe West." I4 "The purpose of education is not happiness; it is not social integration, or political sys tem. Its purpose Is at once the discipline of the mind for its own sake: these ends are to be achieved Ihrough Ihe mastery nf fundamental subjects w hich cluster around language and number, the two chief instru ments by which man knows himself and understands his relation to the world," Allen Talo. address. University of Minnesota "The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of fully is to fill the world with ((Mils."- Ilerlicrt Spencer, "Social Statics" "Nobody is needy in the market economy because of the fad th, it some people are rich The riches of (lie rich are nl Ihe cause of Ihe poverty of anybody. The process that make some people rich is. on the contrary, the corollary of the process that improves mam peoples' satisfac tion "- l.udwig Von Mises. economist The mail pouch EDITOR: I am writing to you regarding a critical turn of events concerning our Warrenton aluminum plant project, and specifically to protest the arbitrary action of the Environmental Quality Commission in changing the rules. In effect, the EQC" is moving the goal posts back. Four years ago Amax Pacific Aluminum Corporation was invited into Oregon, and was given every encouragement to proceed w ith plans to build an aluminum plant at Warrenton. Gov. Tom McCall extended a welcoming hand, and other state and local officials were generous with assistance. v- Knowing of Oregon's outstanding record for preserving liveahility. Amax Pacific determined that it would build an aluminum plant that would be the cleanest in the world and ': completely compatible ith the state's environmental goals. Amax Pacific designed its plant operation so as to recirculate the water, and have zero discharge of process water into any waterway. On air quality, we proposed installation of a new dry scrubber system which would capture and recycle most of the fluorine, limiting fluorine emissions to not more than 1.5 pounds per ton of aluminum produced. , By comparison the federal Environmental Protection Agency was proposing discharge standards of 2.2 pounds of fluorine per ton of aluminum, and existing aluminum plants on the Columbia River are emitting many more pounds of fluorine per Ion The EQC. however.- set Ihe state standards at 1.0 pounds ' per ton. which their spokesman. Ron Sommers, admitted recently were "the toughest in the world." Amax Pacific immediately undertook an intensive research and develop ment effort to determine if technology could be developed to meet the new standard. After eight months of work and considerable expense, we determined that with an efficient collection system and by using both dry and wet scrubbers, we could meet the Oregon standard. Data supporting our revised application indicated w e expected to operate the plant at about one-third of a pound of fluorine emitted per ton of aluminum produced. The EQC now proposes to set the emission standard for the plant at zero, making operation of the proposed plant impossible, citing fears of damage to the estuary. The great weight of scientific evidence shows that such fears are without foundation. The facts are these: The Columbia River and the Youngs Bay estuary both have a natural fluonde content of approximately 0.2 parts per million. By comparison, sea water contains about 1.2 parts per million, and the cities of Astoria and Warrenton both add fluorine to bring their drinking water up to about 1.0 parts per million for tooth decay prevention. ' If all of the fluoride emitted from the Amax Pacific plant ended up in solution in the Youngs Bay waters, the fluoride content of the water in Youngs Bay would be increased by 0.onu7. This is an infinitestimal amount. Competent marine biologists and fishery experts from Beak Consultants and from Oregon State University agree that emissions from the Amax Pacific plant will not harm the organisms in Youngs Bay. The EQC has not made a similar scientific study of the possible effects on the estuary at this date. The power BP A will supply to the Amax Pacific plant has been another political football. According to our consultants the operation of the Amax Pacific plant at Warrenton would have little impact on the overall supply of electrical energy in Oregon. Should Amax Pacific not be permitted to build, we understand there is no assurance such block of power would be allocated to other Oregon users, but would probably revert to the priority users in the State of Washington and neighboring states. The Amax Pacific plant will be a major economic benefit to Oregon at this time of recession and high unemployment. Inflation and the cost of pollution control equipment have increased to over $300 million the planned investment for the Warrenton plant. The construction labor force will be about 1,000 the first year of construction, 1,800 the second year. The employment impact of the plant will be about 1,200, with 775 jobs at the plant and another 425 secondary jobs in support trades and services. The combined annual payroll will be about $15 million. If Oregon did not want the Amax Pacific plant it should not have encouraged us in the first place. Forcing Amax Pacific to abandon its project at a cost of more than $9 million by an eleventh hour unsubstantiated change of standards, does nothing to enhance the State of Oregon's image. One can only ask how successful the State Economic Development Department will be in the future in attracting new business enterprise to locate in Oregon. Certainly, the American concept of fairness and ethics demands that this matter be resolved in a manner equitable to all concerned. DAVID MAYERS, president Amax Pacific Aluminum Corp. Warrenton. EDITOR: Enclosed is a check for a short subscription to the Heppner Gazette-Times. In 1906 my parents and Ihe children hamsieaded near Eightmile. but left there later In 1929 I worked near Hardman. on or between Ihe forks of Rock Creek on a sheep ranch. Mahoney and John Kelly In the winter of 1937-38 I helped Andy Baldwin on his transfer truck, and on Feb. 19. 19 . 1 hired out to Ihe Monahans as night shedman at their lambing camp near Heppner Junction. I left there w hen the job w as done and went to Montana and worked on sheep outfits for several years, then I got sens enough to come out here on Puget Sound w here Ihe weather is milder. I'm retired now withf ilenty of lime to read, so please send the paper. CLARENCE E. LAND. Snohomish, Wa. EDITOR: Some time ago you expressed in your "Horseflesh" or "Horse feathers" or otherwise horsey column your disdain for Ihe man who combed his hair over a bald spot on his bean. I have always been rankled by this remark, because, as an almost baldy myself. I would like to know where in hell to comb the lingering few hairs. Any port in a storm, I say, A dissident reader. GLENN HACK Reedley.Ca. EDITOR: Head for the hills while there's still time! You've just added 28 years to Ihe ages of Ihe young ladies pictured in "Who And Where." The picture was printed in the Gazette-Times, June 15. l7 issue. The young people were 4 H Club members from Morrow County, and the picture was taken at the 1967 Summer School session the week of 1117. The names are. front row: Julie Ayres (your print shows only part of her dress I. Denise Bloods worth, Kathleen Sweeny. Mania Young. Kristine Peterson, Kristin Nelson. Maureen McElligotl. Gwen Drake and Debby Warren. Second row: Leonard Munkers, Linda Early, Linda Cooper, Cindy Harsin. Susan Melby, Sherri O'Brien, Ruby Fulleton. Tanya Tucker. Vicky Hobbs. Mrs. Marjorie Wilcoxen. Third row : Mrs. Bessie Kerlin, Sandi Carlson. Larry Pettyjohn, Kerry Peterson. Jill Padbcrg. John Hall. Dave Hall, Melvin Ashbeck and Leon Wilson. PEARL P. KRUSE, Portland. (Ed. Note That's where we're printing this Issue of the paper from the hills! The "correct" picture is being published this week.) r r ' "IVe Said All Along That The Fords And Rockefellers Were Gonna Wind Up Running This Country!' DEAR MISTER EDITOR: You hear a heap of talk this time of yrnr About paying bills. Folks Hint relaxed cause Ihey had all them credit cards arore Christmas now is gitting the other half of Ihe message. Deficit spending. Ihey are finding out. catches up with people sooner and Guvernment later. I saw that one of the ' most popular games this year was a old one, Monopoly, where you use play money to wheel and deal. I reckon if folks can't do it fer real they enjoy pretending more, like we use lo go lo see a south sea island moving picture in Ihe winter and come oul refreshed. Bui Ihe feller that runs Ihe store was looking at them bills from the oilier side of the counter. He told the fellers at the session Saturday night thai his big headache now is how lo git folks to pay what's on his books. They ain't no debtors prisons, he allowed, and general the cost of going to court is more than the bill. . , He said little slores are hit worst cause them big chain outfits don't five credit in Ihe first place, and in the second place they un't lake no checks thai ain't backed up with cverthing from birth certificate lo Social Security number. ' He said one place his old lady went afore ChriKtmas even made a picture of her and her check, - ' What he's thinking about, the store feller said, is running a, big notice in Ihe paper about all the deadlnntls on his books. The first week he'll warn folks that owe him that the next week he's going lo run all their names in Ihe paper. He said he looked into it and he was told he might run into some legal problems with holding a man's debts up lo public notice. He says he probable won't run Ihe second ad if the first one gits folks as shook up as he thinks it will. Ed Gouty, fer one, didn't give Ihe feller thai runs the store much Chanel with his plan. Folks that won't pay honest debts ; to their neiglilnirs is powerful hard lo make ashamed of anything. Ed allowed, and oncl Ihey git far enuff behind lo take their credit business to another store you have lost em forever. And with them revolving paymunt plans they got at ' the big stores, by Ihe lime they gil Ihrough spinning at tin first of Hie month Ihey ain't nothing left fer the little bills General cuking. said Ed, them revolving plans has got a hook Ihe customer can't shake. If he skips two pay muni they come gil his color TV. and if he missed one out goes his lights When a feller has got Ihe benofil of $50 ad and w hen he has eat the groceries, it s a heap harder fer him lo find a place fer Idem hills on his monthly list, was Ed's words. Talking alxuil bad debts, Ed said he alius heard that at the end of the year companies write em off. The way be figgers it. a company hasgni to make it afore (hey write it off As fer ' ' kiing business with neighbors. Ed said this junkyard owner he knows won't credit his dcadU-al friends, he just gives em parts so his wife won't gripe about writing it off Yours Irulv, MAYOR HOY. What Epiphany is all about Twellth Night or Epi-phnny-Jan It-mark Ihe end l the , Christmas holiday season This is ihe traditional time to burn Christmas greens, the National Geographic Society sa Jan fiis celebrated with many other customs, rituals, and. legend throughout the Christian world Epiphany seems In have Ixvti observed in memory of the baptism of Jesus long before IhT. 2"i was celebrated as Christmas, or Christ's actual birthday. Epiphany was first mentioned jn AD. I'M Hy the -Ith century. Ihe least of Epiphany was widely accepted In wh-century England. Kmii Allred made Epiphany a Savin fixture by decreeing that Ihe Christmas season should include Christmas day and the 12 days following When Charles II ascended the throne, the Twelfth Night cake was a standard tradition along with the binning of Ihe Christmas greens. One chronicler reported : "Wee had a great kake made in which was put a beane for Ihe king The kake was cut into several pieces and all put into a napkin, out of which every one took his piece as out of a lottery," According lo a Syrian le gend, wild animals slay in their dens and caves on Epiphany Eve: at midnight trees kneel in adoration of Jesus and all wishes are fulfilled. The early Teutonic people took a dim view of any Twelfth Night revelry, They regarded the season as a fearful time when demons and spirits prowled the earth. Al their feasts, Ihey sacrificed food to Ihe dead and drank to the powerful god Wolan. During till' Middle Ages, Twellth Nmhi wiis com memorated Willi play st.-.-ed m churches Solemn oliser v. im es lai k'elv lis;ti',ire u Elizabethan England They U.ne way In joyous revelry and w.iss;nl. A popular song echoed tlie spiril Waail Wassail' all 'over the tow n. ' - "" Our tn.isi it is while, our ale ' it is brown (tin Urn I it is made ol u niaplui tree, " ;" We lie good fellows all ' I di ink to thee, Shakespeare's "Twelfth Niglti" reflects (he merry mot! The play probably w as fust presented in a command K'rtiiriiianei- at Whitehall PuV lace on J.m fi, 1 ui t . when Queen Eli.ttieth entertained a distinguished Italian guest, the Duke of Urai-eiano, Twellth Night ret els later , declined in popularity, but Ihe customs ol feasting and stag-' mt! masques still survive in, " pai Is ol England I .aim people regard Epi phany as both a solemn , religious festiv al and the , tienmniiig of the pre -Lenten carnival season. Mexico's greatest pilgrimage is the Epiphany inarch of the devout" to theshrme of the miraculous Lord ol Chalma in a valley , southwest of Mexico City In present Christian iradi- ' lion. Epiphany, Greek for "ape,'irance."hasa threefold ( meaning: ihe visit nft'th.e. Three Wise Men lo Jesus, being the first manifestlitliip; of the newborn child as Savior ol all;' His baptism; and Jesus's first miracle in t hang ing water to wine at the ' wedding feast of Canal' The',,' three events supposedly.: nirrcd on Ihe same , dale though in different years. . THE GAZETTE-TIMES 31 X ' X-X MORROW COUNTY'S NEWSPAPER ' Box 337, Heppner, Ore. 97836 Subscription rate: $6 per year In Oregon, $7 elsewhere Ernes! V. Joiner, Publisher Published every Thursday and entered as a second-class mailer at the post office at Heppner, Oregon, under the act of March 3, 1879. Second-class postage paid at Heppner, Oregon. X- x-. JR. X. X X- -X- -X . X X X.
