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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1959)
o DSDOODS ire Job Opportunities Not Increasing as Fast as Workers Oregon, like the rest of the world, can expect growing pains in years to come. . - If the state'3 population continues its present rate of growth (20 per cent in the last .10 years), will jobs, mar kets, schools and community services develop accordingly? ' These are questions sched ule for study by Oregon Great Decisions discussion groups this week. Study ma terials are presented in a "fact sheet" - What Frontiers In Oregon s Future? - pre pared by Oregon State college extension service. Informal discussion groups will continue to meet through out Oregon, once a week, for the next eight weeks to dis cuss critical issues of local and national concern. Infor mation on obtaining study materials and joining groups may be obtained from county extension agents. Oregon's Job Opportunities Job opportunities in recent years have not increased as fast ' as workers. Oregon's labor force grew 10 per cent between 1948-57 while the number of jobs increased only 7.2 per cent. In fact, job op portunities decreased in Ore gon's two major industries, farming and forestry. Kow good a living do Ore gon workers make compared to workers in other states? Between 1940-53 the average Oregonian made from 1.2 per cent to 11.9 per cent more money than the average American. Since then the Ore gonian's personal income has risen, but not as fast as the national average. And the gap is growing wider. Here are some sample per capita personal income fig ures for 1957: Oregon, $1,914; Washington, $2,128; Califor nia, $2,523; Illinois, $2,447; Pennsylvania, 2,112; New Jersey, $2,504; national aver age, $2,027. . Personal income is usually higher in areas more heavily industrialized than Oregon. Oregon's share in total United States production (on a per capita basis), also is less than the national average. This is largely because the average value of Oregon's major products, from farm and forest, is less than the av erage value of manufactured goods. "More Industry Needed? Looking to the future, Ore gonians will need to decide if more industrialization is the best way to provide jobs for the state's growing popula tion. If Oregon citizens are to maintain or improve their present standard of living, what plans must be made for coming years? If Oregon's economy is changing, how might this affect individual families? If some jobs are dwindling and others are growing, what opportunities does the head of an Oregon family have to take on addi tional part time work (as many farm people are now doing)? Or to improve his skills and therefore his in come? Or to encourage the women in the family to work full or part time? Youth counseling and voca tional training are part of this picture. If the job pattern is changing and new skills are needed, . how can young peo ple choose wisely and pre pare effectively for careers in Oregon? Some of these are personal questions each family must resolve for itself. But whether job and educational oppor tunities exist is something that only citizens, as a group, can decide. The answer lies in the institutions and services the people provide, and the kind of economic base they nour ish. Here's another question dis turbing many Oregonians: Will the expansion of indus try, agriculture and trade pro vide a better life for the peo ple of the state; or will it mean only congestion, chaos and discomfort? Our "Mushrooming" Cities Industrialization usually means rapid growth of cities and of fringe areas around the cities. Here are some ex amples of the percentage of nonnlation increase in select ed Oregon communities from 1940 to 1950. showing the community, city growth, and suburban growth in percent ages: Salem, 33 per cent, 123 per cent; Eugene-Springfield, 89, 147: Roseburg, 70, 188; Med- ford, 56, 87; Klamath Falls, -4, 38; Prineville, 37, 248. Growing suburbs frequent ly create transportation and other problems for families. Industrial developments raise problems of air and water pol lution as well as unsightliness. Community Planning Oregon's constiution pro vides for "home rule" for communities. In the past, growth of Oregon cities was orderly and easily managed. Now, the problem is to pro vide sanitation and drainage, water supply, fire and police protection, roads, streets, side walks, recreational facilities, transportation and schools for the suburban areas. In some instances city serv ices, especially fire protec tion and water, have been ex tended to the suburbs on an informal basis. City taxpayers frequently object, however. that this is unfair. In other cases residential areas nave been organized into special districts to contract and pay for services from the city, or to develop basic community ALL DAY MONDAY, 9:30 A.M. TO 9:00 P.M. Monday Doorbusters Finest Quality Wash-Fast Printed Corduroy at a Special REDUCED PRICE! Regular $1 .00 yd. - 38" to 40" width SALE PRICE ....... BEAUTIFULL PRINTS WASH FAST 7 O c yd Candy Specials Finest Quality Fresh Schrafft's Chocolates. Regular $1.19 lb. Special 67 Buy Several Treat the Whole Family. lb. Bex HERE'S A SPECIAL BUY Ladies' Plastic RAIN COAT Pur left Vinyl Plastic complete with heed, belt and carrying case. Color: Pink, blue and crystal. A $1.98 Value SALE PRICE Sizes Small, Med., Large, Extra Large Here's A Real Buy! Plastic Bushel-Size BASKETS Ideal for laundry, gardening and dozens of other uses-Soft Vinyl Plastic t Won't Rust, Won't Chip. Beautiful Color. Reg. $1.98 Value SPECIAL 1.33 WATCH MONDAY'S PAPER For a Real Surprise Special for Monday Night 6 to 9 Medferd's Bargain Center Sixth and Central services of their own. Often suburbs are annexed outright by the city, although subur ban residents regularly resist the burdens of city taxes and control. . City planners complain about the haphazard way many of these communities have sprung up. Inadequate provision is often made for streets, utilities, parking, rec reation, etc. Five counties have voted on the question of organizing county planning commissions to help deal with these types of problems; only two have approved. Last November the voters approved a constitutional amendment enabling the legis lature to extend "home rule" to the counties. This may re lieve future growth problems. But if present trends continue, or if industrialization speeds up the process, more citizens action may be needed. Education Costs Rise And what of the schools? A growing population means more students, and more stu dents mean more money will be needed to operate the schools. Oregon now spends about $150 million a year on ele mentary and secondary edu cation. This figure is increas ing at about $10 million a year. About 30 per cent of this budget is state money, 68 per cent is local, and the other 2 Oregon Population by Decades Since 1880 m (figures in thousands) t jh: 1.1 kriM if to Cents 1150 0 1131 1921 O 1111 11,1 rvPI I I 173 713 15 17S 314 414 1,198 1.521 1.773 In the Day's News By FRANK JENKINS Foreign affairs: In Moscow, the communist party is holding what in this country we would call a po litical love feast. It is patting itself on the back and telling the people . (who carry the burden) how WONDERFUL communism is for them. It is painting for them such pie in the sky as cradle-to-the-grave security WITH NO TAXES TO PAY. A THOUGHT to keep in mind: In communist countries, the communist party is the whole works. It can throw out its chest and brag to its heart's content for there is no OP POSITION PARTY to prick the rosy bubbles it blows. ANOTHER thought: In our own country, as of now, the Democratic party sits in the seat of power. At this moment, it seems not im probable that for some time to come the Democratic party will continue to sit in the seat of power. us hope that our coun try the Republican party stays ALIVE AND VIGOR OUS. That it continues to challenge the policies of the Democratic party when it thinks they ought to be chal lenged. That, in a word, it continues to provide the U.S.A. with an OPPOSITION party. Too much power, residing UNCHALLENGED in too few hands too long, is dangerous. Even Russia will find that out sooner or later. If Oregon goes on . taxing more but doesn't go on GROWING more what will happen? Will taxes become so high as to discourage new population? Or, worse yet, will they be come so high as to drive away people who are already here? per cent comes from the Fed eral government. Some edu cational administrators would like to see the state's share rise to 50 per cent. Education has never in the past taken more than 10 to 15 per cent of total tax dol lars collected. Various pro posals have ljeen made for raising Oregon's educational budget. These include an ear marked sales tax, increased in come taxes, various types of county-wide tax levies, uni fication of school districts to reduce costs, and others. More money is needed to improve and expand present facilities, to attract and keep quality teachers, and to pro vide additional attention to gifted and retarded children. School For All? A problem of special con cern is that 30 out of every 100 Oregon youth do not fin ish high, school. State labor laws, work hazards and work permit restrictions make it difficult for these drop - outs to find jobs. Perhaps more guidance counseling, expanded techni cal training curricula and vo cational schools would reduce this number of drop - outs. TODAY In Oregon History (A Centennial Feature) Whatever action is taken along this line, citizens should bear in mind the kind of so ciety they are trying to build and -the educational needs of future citizens. Out of every 100 Oregon youth 72 do not enter a four year college, and 89 do not graduate from a four-year col lege. Perhaps the establish ment of community or junior colleges would encourage more high school graduates to continue their studies. Retarded and gifted chil dren are other educational areas with problems. They make up about five per cent of Oregon's school population, or 17,500 students. Oregon now spends $750, 000 a year for retarded stu dents. This is about twice the per pupil cost for normal stu dents. Many educators believe still further work should be done with these students. Similar Problem A similar problem exists in MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Oregen, Sunday, February 1, 1959 5 providing the best schooling for the gifted youth. Few school districts have special facilities for the purpose. Proper facilities for both retarded and gifted students probably would require addi tional expenditures of about $5 million a year. Adult education is another field that could be expanded, especially through advanced vocational training, citizen education in' current affairs, cultural and recreational education. Residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and northern Maine are able to witness about 25 displays of the northern lights in varying degrees in an average year. FOR SALE OR LEASE- Adding Machines - Calculators TYPEWRITERS - DICTAPHONES "Standard Portable-Electric" "Timemaster" Ask about our Rental Purchase Options Medford Office Equipment Co. "Veight will give you a better deal1 41 South Grape Phone SP 2-4100 EASY PARKING VOIGHT'S FEB. 1, 1847 The Oregon Printing as sociation's abridged edition of the elementary spelling book of Noah Webster was published today. Stitched copies are to be sold at 25 cents per each, and bound copies at 37Vi cents-payment in cash. The little vol ume reflects great creuit upon its printer, Mr. W. P. ' Hudson. Indeed, it is got up in good style and strongly bound, and will be really serviceable in 'the cause fox which it is intended. - Try and Stop Me ah WAS -By BENNETT CERF- SOME SAYINGS OF 'THE FAMOUS: Maurice Chevalier really is glad "he's not young any more." "When you hit seventy," he chuckles, "you eat better, you sleep sounder, you feel more alive than when you were thirty. Obviously it's healthier to have women on your mind instead of on your knee!" Lin Yutang: "All women's dresses are merely varia tions on the eternal struggle between the admitted desire to dress and the unadmitted desire to undress." William Lyon Phelps: "A man can always borrow trouble. It's the only thing for which he needs no col lateral" Anatole France: "If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." Benjamin Franklin: "The first mistake in politics is the going into it" O 1959. by Bennett Cert Distributed by King Features Syndicate. Am VTOW back home. In California, Governor Brown (in his budget) asks the legislature for $2,188,377,635 (about 2.2 BILLIONS) to run the state. That's an up of 133 millions over this year's soendine. He proposes 256 million dollars in new or higher taxes, including tobacco taxes and increased income taxes. Without NEW taxes, at the rate of spending proposed, California will be 68 million dollars in the red by June of this year and 268 million dol lars in the hole by midsummer of 1960. T ET'S put it this way: If California is to go on spending at a rising rate, it must go on TAXING at a high er rate. If one is to dance, one must pay the fiddler. If we are to have more and more state services,- we must have more and more taxes. Governor Brown is at least to be commended for his will ingness to face that unpleas ant fact THE California department of finance estimates that if Governor Brown's revenue program is approved by the legislature, the California per capita burden in new and old state taxes this year will be $128.85. It makes this esti mate on the basis of an an ticipated population of 15, 275,00 on July 1. Per capita taxes were figured at $116.48 last year: That is to say: Even in swiftly growing California, taxes are growing faster than population. 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