TWO The Heppner Gairtte-Tlmes. Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, May 1. 1980
!i. jgS Th Official Nwpopr of m
is City of Happnor and lh
County of Morrow .
OJTPA
'""" The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
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U.S.P.S 240-420
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Jerome F. Sheldon, Publisher
Steven A. Powell, News & Sports Editor
Postal Watchdogs
Postal inspectors are often the unsung
heroes of the U.S. Postal Service who protect
the public against the fraudulent use of the
mails. Here is a case in point.
Last autumn the Heppner Gazette-Times
received a classified advertisement sub
mitted for publication that was typed on a
letterhead bearing the name, "American Job
Opportunities," with a post office box address
in Azusa, Calif. The ad itself was headed
"Earn $1,000 Weekly!" It offered jobs, "in all
occupations, men and women," on the
Alaskan-Canadian Gas Pipeline. It invited
people to write for information about job
applications.
It was typical of a kind of ad that
newspapers frequently receive and usually
reject. If published, those who might respond
could be duped out of phoney registration fees
for employment that doesn't exist.
To anyone acquainted with Alaska, the ad
in question smacked of fraud for the
eventual pipeline to carry natural gas from
Alaska's North Slope, through Canada to the
U.S. Pacific Coast or the Midwest is far from
being a reality right now. While a consortium
of oil and gas companies has been formed to
construct segments of the pipeline, the
financing is yet to be secured, inter-governmental
agreements and labor contracts are
yet to be signed.
So, of course, there are no jobs.
Whenever there is a start on the project, the
hiring would be done either through various
labor unions or by direct application to the
construction firms involved.
Not long after receipt of the ad cited here,
we sent a copy to Gov. Jay S. Hammond of
Alaska. A response came from Edmund S.
Orbeck, Alaska's Commissioner of Labor,
who said. "We have made a continued effort
to inform the people of the lower 48 states that
these job ads are nothing more than a
rip-off."
As a recent follow-up, Mr. Orbeck sent us
a note enclosing a clipping from the
Anchorage Times describing the couple who
had advertised themselves as "American Job
Opportunities." They had been indicted on 15
counts of mail fraud, a federal felony. The
woman had been arrested and was being held
in Los Angeles under $25,000 bail but her
husband, investigators said, had taken the
money and bought a farm in Ecuador, where
he was thought to be residing.
It happens that their ad was published in
some places and people did respond,
submitting $15 "registration" fees with their
job applications. Thanks to the alertness of
Alaska officals and to the action of the postal
inspectors proceding on complaints, this
particular scheme was nipped.
(The future Alaska-Canada natural gas
pipeline is really not such a far-away
concern. A 35-mile segment is to cross
Morrow County, following the route of an
existing pipeline operated by the Pacific Gas
Transmission Co. Until the main transmis
sion line from Alaska is completed, the
pipeline through the Pacific Northwest will
carry gas from Alberta for the use of
California consumers.)
Property-value changes posted
Property value change no
tices are being mailed by
Morrow County tax assessor
Greg Sweek this spring as
usual but not to all property
owners.
Under Oregon's 1979 Tax
Relief Plan, property is divi
ded into two classes: "home
steads" (owner-occupied
homes) and "all other proper
ty." The "all other property"
class includes commercial,
industrial and rental home
properties.
Value change notices for
property in the "all other
property" class are being
mailed during April and May
as in past years. But assessors
will mail homestead value
notices in the fall.
The value change notices
will show both the property's
true cash (market) value and
the assessed value. The asses
sed value is a percentage of
the true cash value. Local tax
rates will be applied to the
assessed value to determine
the property owner's tax bill
this fall.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
'Concerned with quality education
Editor:
All of us in Morrow County are vitally
concerned with the quality of education
our children receive. The following article
appeared in the Portland Oregonian
Friday, April 18, 1980. It should interest us
all.
Field News Service
CHICAGO The scientific knowledge
of Soviet youth is far beyond what
Americans ever attempted to achieve,
according to an authority on mathema
tics education at the University of
Chicago.
And as a result, said Izaak Wirszup, a
professor of mathematics, it is only a
matter of time until the Soviets
overtake the United States in scientific
and technological advances with both
industrial and military applications.
"It is my considered opinion," he
' said, "that the recent Soviet educa
tional mobilization, although not as
spectacular as the launching of the first
Sputnik, poses a formidable challenge
to the national security of the United
States, one that is far more threatening
than any in the past and one that will be
much more difficult to meet."
Wirszup's findings, contained in a
preview report to the National Science
Foundation, are considered significant
because his was the first in-depth
scientific education and because of his
credentials.
Wirszup, 65, is regarded as an
international authority on education in
mathematics, particularly in commu
nist countries. He is co-author of a
14-volume series "Soviet Studies in
the Psychology of Learning and
Teaching Mathematics" and directs
two National Science Foundation pro-,
jects at the University of Chicago.
He is not considered a doomsayer.
While describing hislatest findings as
"alarming." he is quick to note that he
is "not an alarmist."
The preview of his research imme
diately stirred reaction at the highest
levels of government and in academic
circles.
It was in part because of Wirszup's
report that President Carter recently
said he was "increasingly concerned"
about the adequacy of science and
engineering education in the United
States.
In a Feb. 8 memorandum. Carter
ordered the National Science Founda
tion and the new Education Depart
ment to review science and engineering
education policies "to ensure that we
are taking measures which will
preserve our national strength."
Wirszup's report is startling because
previous comparisons of U.S.-Soviet
educational systems assumed that the
12-year primary and secondary school
ing in this country must inherently be
superior because it is two years longer
than the Soviet educational system.
But Wirszup found otherwise in
poring over Soviet textbooks, scientific
journals and entrance examinations.
"Their entire population." he con
cluded in an interview, "is getting an
education that only a few percent of our
best are getting. We think of Russians
as barbarians and so forth, but they are
tremendously sophisticated.
"We never even aimed at what they
have alreadv achieved." he said.
Among his findings:
-Some 97.7 percent of Soviet
students completed secondary school in
1978, compared with 75 percent in the
United States. The graduation rate is
particularly dramatic when contrasted
with the Stalin era of the 1940s, when
only 4.9 percent of Soviet children
completed school.
Compulsory mathematics courses
for Soviet students cover the equiva
lent of at least 13 years of U.S.
schooling. For example, more than 5
million graduates of Soviet secondary
institutions in 1978 and 1979 had studied
calculus for two years, compared with
105,000 U.S. high students in 1976 who
hud taken a one-year calculus course.
We have many things to consider
concerning the remedy for this situation.
That we could mire down in petty
considerations would bo a national
disaster for which our grandchildren
would pay dearly. We must put regional
differences aside.
Our total economy has been dealt a
gut-level blow. No one here is not affected.
Now is the time for concerted, concerned
efforts with experts in the educational field
to help us mold a program with which we
can all live.
Our school administration needs help in
this time of crises. Our school district is
out of money to do everything we wish. The
ill-conceived effort of a ban on field trips
proposed by Supt. Doherty does not offer a
solution to our economic problems, nor our
public relations problems either. I ask that
experts be called in to advise us as to what
choices we can consider that would best
benefit all our communities.
Meg Murray
'Remark shows ignorance of Civil Service9
Editor:
I read with some amuse
ment remarks attributed to
Orville Cutsforth in the issue
of April 17. suggesting my
retirement from the postal
service after 35 years is a
major factor in the current
inflation. His attributed re
marks show ignorance of how
the Civil Service Retirement
Fund operates. It is soundly
funded from employee contri
butions and is in no danger of
going bankrupt as is some
times rumored about Social
Security. Federal salaries and
annuity payments are both 100
percent taxable. Social Se
curity payments are not.
Mr. Cutsforth showed addi
tional ignorance by stating
Heppner had two postmasters
who retired after only 20
years' service. That state
ment is 100 percent false if
the paper reported his re
marks correctly. I served over
35 years in the postal service
and other government agen
cies. Mr. Wilson over 30. I
understand that there was a
health problem with Mr.
Wilson's retirement. I know he
did have open heart surgery a
few years ago.
Major causes of inflation?
There are many factors in
volved but I understand the
flooding of federal dollars into
the economy is a ma jor factor.
Mr. Cutsforth was a farmer
when I knew him.
Under the flooding of fe
deral dollars concept, how
about the following as inflation-contributing
programs?
1. Federal price supports to
farmers to keep grain prices
artificially high.
2 Federal subsidies to
farmers to build storage bins
on their own land. (Low-cost
loan guarantee).
3. Federal subsidies to
farmers for storing their own
wheat in their own bins.
4. Federal subsidies to
farmers for not growing a
crop, taking land out of
production.
5. Federal subsidies to
farmers for such programs as
trashy fallow, contour fur
rows, spring development,
land leveling, moving creek
channels, etc.. etc. etc.
There are many more
farmers than retired postmas
ters and, as Orville says.
"These costs really add up."
Perhaps Mr. Cutsforth
never applied for any benefits
under the above programs but
they were on the books and
available from time to time in
the past. To assist farmers in
scratching a living from the
thin soil of eastern Oregon, the
various levels of government
maintain the following agen
ciesSoil Conservation Ser
vice. Agricultural Stabiliza
tion and Conservation Service,
the county agent's office and.
in some aspects, the U.S.
Forest Service.
I have no quarrel with this
concept. I do think however
when the public is being
informed of problems, they
should be given the whole
picture truthfully and not fed
irrational statements based on
nothing but personal bias.
James H. Driscoll
251 15 Kirby, Space 339
Hemet. Calif 92343
'Nonproductive spending
crux of inflation9
Sifting through the TIME
Editor:
The recent statement by the
Department of Revenue that
people couldn't pay their taxes
because the government is
competing with credit cards is
interesting, but wrong. The
government competes with its
child, inflation, for the taxpay
er's money. 1
II is non-productive govern
ment spending that sends too
many dollars chasing too few
consumer goods. That is the
crux of our inflation.
The government's cure:
Cripple the productive part of
the economy while continuing
the non-productive govern
ment part primarily at the
federal level.
Why? For political rather
than economic reasons.
It is a vicious chain. Excess
government spending creates
inflation: inflation causes in
comes to increase (general
ly): taxpayers move into
higher tax brackets although
they make no gain in real
dollars (purchasing power):
the slate and federal govern
ment have the additional
taxes to spend, again for many
non-productive purposes: the
employees who receive the
non-productive dollars com
pete for consumer goods with
productive workers: too many
dollars chase too few goods:
inflation is the direct result :
and the cycle starts all over
again.
Our elected leaders don't
seem to understand the process.
The Oregon Senate killed a
bill to index the income tax
brackets which would have
kept taxpayers in the same
bracket when their wage gains
merely kept up with inflation,
and the U.S. Senate jus! killed
income tax bracket indexing
at the federal level.
There is some hop' if the
taxpayers have the initiative
to do a little work.
A petition has been filed to
index the stale income tax. but
54.000 signatures are needed
bv Julv 3. 19K0, the day before
Independence Day
The pet il ions were to be
available April 28. 1980. and
can be obtained by writing to
Stale Representative John .
Schoon. 7090 Zena Road.
Rickreall. Oregon 97371. or by
calling at 835-5301.
Sincerely,
John Schoon
9090 Zena Road
Rickreall. OR 97371
(Mr. Krliuon is a member of
the Oregon Legislature. House
of Itcpresi'iiliitiiiveK. for Dis
trict 31 Hy occupation, he is a
hank loan officer. )
Farm population
In the United States, two
percent of Ihe population is
involved in agriculture. In the
Soviet Union 18 percent, in
Japan 14 percent, in India 65
percent. Brazil 40 percent.
Australia six percent, and
France 10 percent, according
to a recent Oregon Wheat
Ieai'tie release
i:io
Fifty years ago the Exten
sion Service sponsored a grain
grading seminar.
Bids were being taken for
Ihe Heppner to Spray road.
Zella McFerrin and Crocket
Sprouts were married in
Davlon. Wash. April 21 and
managed to keep the marri
age secret until some friends
learned about it a week later.
Morrow County's crow,
magpie and hawk population
was diminished by 10. ooo afler
members of the Lions had a
bird pesls drive with a bounty
paid of two cents on eggs and
five cents on heads.
The glee club and mixed
chorus from Heppner High
participated in the Forest
Grove Music tournament. The
boys glee club was third and
the mixed chorus third,
nir.s
Twenty five years ago it was
National Hospital Week and
the Pioneer Memorial Hospi
tal in Heppner was planning
an open bouse. It was the first
opportunity for the public to
view the just completed two
(ed addition. The addition cost
$13.(K)0and gave the hospital a
total of 44 beds.
Sylvia McDaniel was named
County Treasurer by the
county court replacing the
retiring Lucy Rodgers.
Darlene Conner was selec
ted In Girls' State.
James Farley, owner and
operator of the Pontiac. Bu
ick and CMC dealership, had
an open house to celebrate
moving to a new location on
east Mav Street.
Heppner City Council was
considering a city ordinance
which would require solicitors
tooblain permits from the city
before selling their wares in
the city.
First and second grade
students in the county were
going to receive polio vaccina
tions Velma Glass was the new
county nurse.
Oregon Eastern Slar cele
brated its fioth anniversary.
Graveling had begun on the
bombing range road north of
the D O. Nelson ranch. Hepp
ner firemen answered a call
ending a record 105 days of not
being called to a fire.
IS75
Five years ago Stale Plumb
ing Inspector Dan Russell said
the water service hookup to
the doctors clinic building was
"one of the worst jobs I've
ever seen." The piping job
was against public health and
plumbing codes with the
sewer line crossing above the
water line.
Anila Davidson of Heppner
placed third in the nation in
the Elks Most Valuable Stu
dent contest. She won $2,000 in
scholarships for placing third.
Morrow County taxpayers
received refunds totaling
$731,000 for over payments on
their income taxes and for a
special rebate that was ap
proved by Congress.
High winds caused a tele
phone outage when a bare
electric line fell across a
'He should
build own
golf course9
Editor:
Twenty five years ago a few
dedicated people who wanted
to golf had a dream that
became a reality through their
donated efforts of hard labor
to make Willow Creek Country
Club what il is today,
While reading The Heppner
Gazette-Times I found Mr.
Steven Powell is upset regard
ing the fact that W.C.C.C. is a
private golf course, I com
mend him for his concern.
Since he feels so strongly
about a public course I wonder
if he has thought of perhaps
building one for himself and
the others of whom he spoke.
At his "tender age" this
shouldn't In1 any problem
since I noticed in his article
that he has already laid the
mental groundwork.
Yours truly.
Una Hunt,
Iexinglon. Ore.
An endorsement
o f Mary Martin
Editor:
During the past 13 years, I
have come to know Mary
Martin socially and through
her involvement and in com
munity and educational con
cerns, 1 have found Mary to be a
very capable, dedicated per
son of integrity.
It is on this basis that I wish
to publicly indorse Mary
Martin for the nomination of
Morrow County treasurer in
the upcoming May 20 pri
mary. Sue Zanne Duncan,
I-oxington, Ore.
Had great time
Kdilor:
Heppner has been visited
this past weekend by the
entire membership of the 90th
Street Irregulars Club of
Portland. Had n great time.
.1 W. and Donjen Lundell
Paul and Nancy Milke
Keith and Fdna Kreider
mmmmmm mum ii ...1.0.1. i
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