The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, March 9, 1978 NINE
Reform Act proposes changes in 160 acre irrigation limit
1
Comprehensive legislation
to free a number of farming
families from regulations
which would limit federally
irrigated land to 160 acres per
person was introduced in the
Senate this week by Sen. Mark
Hatfield (R-Ore) and Sen.
Frank Church (D-Ida).
The bill, entitled the Recla
mation Reform Act of 1978,
will increase the average
allowances for farms receiv
ing water from federal irriga
tion projects to 1,280 "Class 1"
acres, or the equivalent in
lands of lesser productive
capacity. The Act will amend
the 1902 Reclamation Law
which placed a limit of 160
acres per person on the
quantity of irrigable land for
which a farming family may
receive water from a federal
project.
"I believe the Reform Act
will go a long way in both
preserving and protecting the
family farm, a tradition that's
Well established in Oregon,
against arbitrary limits fash
ioned quite literally in the
horse-and-buggy days," Hat
field said. "At the same time it
will insure that the true family
farm does not give way to the
absentee, corporate landlord
whose closest contact with the
land is a potted plant in a
Beverly Hills office."
The Bureau of Reclamation
estimates that there are 1.8
million acres in western states
in excess of the 160-acre limit,
including an estimated 16,979
acres in Oregon. Hatfield and
Church are members of the ,
Senate Subcommittee on Pub
lic Lands which is currently
considering the issue.
"This comprehensive pack-
House committee OKs
tax relief measure
The House Ways and Means
Committee gave its approval
last week to legislation that
alleviates an inadvertent tax
burden imposed on farmers
receiving federal disaster and
deficiency payments this year
for 1977 crops.
The bill, sponsored by
Oregon Congressman Al Ull
man, chairman of the Ways
and Means Committee, now
goes to the full House.
The tax problem for
drought-stricken farmers and
ranchers arises because a
drought-induced paperwork
backlog at the Agriculture
Department resulted in many
1977 payments not being made
until early this year. Many
Oregon farmers, as well as
those in other states hit by the
drought, received these late
disaster and deficiency pay
ments and now are faced with
having income this year from
these payments as well as
from the 1978 crop.
The legislation will allow a
farmer to elect to treat the
late payments as 1977 income
if the farmer can establish,
that, under usual business
practice, income from the 1977
crops would have been repor
ted in 1977.
U.N. Pilgrimage
Speak - off Sunday
The United Nations Pilgri
mage for Youth Speak-Off
Contest will be held Sunday,
March 12, at the Pendleton
Odd Fellow Hall, 19 S.W.
Dorion. The speeches begin at
2 p.m.
Sponsored by the Odd Fel
low and Rebekah Lodges the
contest will include speakers
from Heppner, lone, River
side, Hermiston, and Ukiah.
The students were chosen on
the basis of an essay each
wrote entitled "Why I Would
Like To Be Chosen to Make the
United Nations Pilgrimage
For Youth Tour".
The winner will receive an
all expense paid bus tour, to
Washington D.C., New York
City and the United Nations,
and many other points of
interest. Everyone is invited
to attend the speech contest.
i y nil y 1
! ,
5- DAY PLAN
Stop Smoking Clinic
Coming to Heppner March 26-30
A method of successfully proven by millions
of Americans already. If you really want to
quit, you can. The 5-Day Plan works!
Watch for: Posters giving time and
location. A brochure in the mail describing
the program and including a registration
card.
For further information, call 989-8527 (or
676-9449).
No Charge
' This Message Sponsored
In The Public Interest By
Columbia Basin smiq
r. i square vrZtt fa
LlCCtriC CO-OP portioni of 5 counties
age will help ease the already
heavy burden of Northwest
farming families, while still
prohibiting non-farming inter
ests from taking in millions of
taxpayers' dollars through
manipulation of reclamation
laws," Hatfield said.
Under the 1902 Act, a farm
family receiving federally
irrigated water was given a
160-acre allowance for each
family member up to a total of
four persons. One family with
four or more members was
thus allowed to own 640 acres
of federally-irrigated land
under the 1902 Act. They were
also allowed an additional 640
acres of leased land for a
maximum total of 1,280 acres.
For a husband and wife alone,
for example, the limit under
the 1902 Act for owned and
leased land would be only 640
acres. Under the Hatfield-1
Church proposal all farm
families, no matter how large,
would be entitled to the
1,280-acre total of land consi
dered "Class 1" by the
Bureau.
If the land in question was of
limited quality and required
additional irrigation, the
"equivalency" section of the
Reform Act would allow for an
expansion of the 1,280-acre
limit. The equivalency test by
the Bureau would be based on
a number of characteristics
including soil quality, crop
adaptability, and costs of
crop production.
The Hatfield-Church bill
also approves pay-out provi
sions contained in Bureau
contracts. These provisions
provide for the end of acreage
limitations upon full payment
by farmers of past construc
tion costs obligated to them.
The Reform Act would thus
honor existing long-term com
mitments to farmers from the
federal government. So-called
"speed up" provisions con
tained in several Oregon
irrigation district contracts
would also be validated under
the bill. '
The proposal will, in addi
tion, eliminate the require
ment that farmers live within
a 50-mile radius of the
federally-irrigated land they
farm. In its place, the Reform
Act requires that a "qualified
beneficiary" is an individual,
family or legal entity benefit
ing 25 or fewer persons, and
that new purchasers must
derive income from agricul
tural production, rather than
mere rental of the land, for at
least ten years prior to leasing
that land.
"The provisions of this bill
are not set in concrete,"
Hatfield said. "The Reclama
tion Reform Act is offered as a
legislative foundation to con
front a complex and very
serious problem. I will conti
nue to welcome suggestions
from farmers and citizens
alike in an effort to insure that
a fair and constructive solu
tion to this problem is found."
"Given the limits of infor
mation presently available to
us; we must exercise extreme
care so that in the process of
stopping corporate abuses of
federal farm subsidies, we do
not disrupt Oregon's long
established pattern of famiiy
farming," Hatfield stressed.
MEAT .GROWERS LEAGUE
ANNUAL MEETING
Mom AY, MARCH 73
7:30 p.m.
AT
ST PATRICK'S PARISH HALL
SV LUNCHEON
i LyCJ' & CARD
k Sponsored By (
I Holly Rebekah PARTY
Lodge FRIDAY, j
O Cards 10 a.m. -12 Anru IT 4
6 Lunch 12-1 p.m. MARCH 17 Z
jj Cards 12 p m IOOF HALL 6
It rrPy r ' oo0!?!; Lt J-EXINGTON j
eeoooooeeooooooeecooeoeooeci
SALE '!
HEPPNER LIONS fJlUSTANG
-JACKET
CLUB
Buy a greet, lightweight jeeket end support the
Heppner High School Bend Uniform Fund.
Lined Jackets ....$15 Unlined Jackets ...$10
Jackets are Navy Blue with Yellow Gold Lettering
For Your Jacket, Please Contact Lions Lee Hazen, Robb Rush,
Frank Pearson, Or John Edmundson To Place Your Order
Jackets are being provided at cost by KROLL'S
DEPARTMENT STORE and all proceeds will go to
support the band's drive to earn money for
uniforms.
This Message Sponsored In The Public Interest By
TOUJfGFSiiic
. Biiiiie Directory
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
HERMISTON DRUG
Free Prescription
Meil Service
Open 9am to 7 pm
Gifts for cil occatioas
INSURANCE
RAY B0YCE INSURANCE
AGENCY Heppner
Health, Fire, Auto, Marine,
Group Plans
Ray Boyce 676-9625 676-5384
AUTOMOTIVE
SHERRELL CHEVROLET INC.
Complete Seles & Service
3rd & Main Hermiston
BUILDING SUPPLIES
TUM-A-LUM LUMBER CO.
See us for c!l your building supples.
We feature Boysen Paints.
Tim Moore, Mgr.
432 SE Doricnn Pendleton
276-6221
OPTOMETRIST
DR. EX SCHAFFITZ
Next To Hotel Heppner Entrance
676-9465 Heppner
TITLE INSURANCE
MORROW COUNTY
ABSTRACT & TITLE CO
TIRE INSURANCE & ESCROW SERVICE
676-9912 HEPPNER
481-9261 BOARDMAN
LAUNDROMAT
HEPPNER ,OL LAUNDROMAT
Main St Heppner
Cosed Mondays
open wm n
Mon.-Sat. 1113 s,Sf Sun.
8:30a.m.-9:O0p.m. & 12:30p.m.-9p.m.
BREEDIN6-.CATTLE
LADD FARMS
POLLED HIREFORDS
422 7513
Box 197 lone
AUTO
INSTALLATION
a BODY WORK
676-5541 Dtys 676-9440 Eves.
GIIAY'S OEPAIfl
AUTOMOTIVE
JONES RADIATOR SERVICE
Serving cfl this area
for over 20 years.
567-6916
1315 N. 1st St. Hermiston
SHOE REPAIR
ROHDE'S SHOE REPAIR
HARVEY & FERN ROHDE
131 SW Emigrant Pendleton, Or.
Open 8-5:30 Mon. -Fri. Sat 8-1
BEAUTY PARLOR
TUESDAY, 1 Donna's
V7EDNESDAY,FRIDAY
Appointment not needed...
...but appreciated 360 f. A&en
676-65393 676-9909
FLOOR COVERING
M&R FLOOR COVERING
Carpet, Linoleum, Ceramic Tile,
Kitchen Cabinets
Free Estimates Al Work Guaranteed
Matt Hughes
422 Linden Way 676-9418 Heppner
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
MEDICAL CENTER PHARMACY
Free M cling Service On Prescriptions
Hospital SuppEes
Open Mon.-Fri., 9-6p.m. Sat. 9-1 p.m.
Located in the Medical Center,
1100 Southgate Pendleton 276-1531
MONUMENTS
SWEENEY MORTUARY
Cemetery, Grave Markers
Granite, Mettle, Bronze
24-Hr. phone 676-9600 or 676-9226
Also Serving lone & Lexington
P.O. Box 97 Heppner
MACHINERY REPAIR
MILLER & SONS WELDING, INC
Fabrication & Repair of Steef &
Aluminum Steel & Bohs in Stock
123 Lynden Way-Heppner Open 8-6
Shop 676-9613 or 676-5519 Mon- Sat
HOME REPAIR
UMATILLA READY-MIX
jfiCfa 0Pen Every Weekday,
C71 MU
'mm
and Saturday & Sunday
if Necessary
676-9406 989-8467
FURNITURE
MOUSE" discounts';
Curtis-Mathes TV Quasar TV,
Norget Admiral AppScaices
Largest Selection Of Furniture
In The Area
2200 N.F. Hermiston 567-8960
Specializing in Insulated
ALUMINUM SIDING STORM WINDOWS
SMALL HOUSE REMODELING
Bathrooms Kitchens Additions
Eafnily Rooms '
In Business For 12 Years
KEN FIFIELD 676-5051
PRINTING
WEDDING INVITATIONS
BUSINESS FORMS
PRINTED ENVELOPES
BUSINESS CARDS
GAZETTE-TIMES
676-9223
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