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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 9, 1961)
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON CHIT CHAT- It JOI COWLfY Mail Tribune rai Edit Agriculture and rural people can no longer continue to miiuiB me cuy sireicn, or wnat the experts call urban ex pansion. r . This has bepn rpnpafeH (1mA nA Bnt u... , , , - ' - - ...... 1-IIU 1UB Mgaill, vui ICJC" tltion is considered the essence of the learning process so we are repeating it again. This thought has been demon- naicu uunng recent events in the Rogue valley, too. The Talent people were blissful among their stretch of , mcmiug jiuj, aecouu nana stores ana a jumoie or unsightly roadside businesses. Then along came the proposal for an other wrecking j ard-and they awoke with a jolt. We noticed these businesses are being cleaned up considerably. Eagle Pniflf roci r)(in t o uiieho l. . . u-j - : . i . wrecking yard threatened to establish on Gregory rd. and wre tuuciii tiubaie uver cunveraion oi me meuco logging railroad to a log truck road. Although Sams Valley residents recently turned down n interim zoning proposal, we predict they will be next. Many of the current sight-unseen land sales are being made there. People who can ill afford to waste their money, buy land described with bountiful water, lush pastures and easy access roads only to discover they have been sadly misled. Result? They move out leaving their squatter's shack or partly finished house and another ugly landmark for Jack--son county. Zoning won't solve the problem, but it might neip. a county building code would help, too-a code which has some common sense standards to help people construct solid, neat appearing homes which will return a fair value to them for the money Invested in labor and building materials. Traditionally, Americans have hated regulation, any kind of regulation. This is particularly true of rural people. But such regulation cannot be avoided and can be used effectively to maintain that rural independence. Only, the jural people and the farmers must work together with plan ning commissions and work out regulations which would be satisfactory to most people. ... As one authority has pointed oat, so far little informa tion is generally available on what rural units of govern ment can do with problems of urban expansion; Fortunately, Jackson county under the leadership of County Judge Earl Miller, with the planning commissions of our various cities and towns, is fostering a land-use study and a co-ordinated planning program. Land-use means what areas are best suited for heavy Industry, light industry, homes and agriculture. It also re veals what the existing uses of certain areas are and what ' the overall growth pattern is. To learn how your community or area fits into this pattern, all you have to do is to come to the publicly announced Jackson County Regional Plan ning Adivsory committee meetings held at the courthouse Throughout this nation, it is becoming' more and more difficult to separate the rural from the city. This means many city problems are becoming country problems. The need for a home rule charter is apparent. The county gov ' ernment must be allowed to solve its own problems as they come up. The county government must be flexible enough created when the cities spread out into, the country and met ropolitan type services are needed. Such supplements to city living as water reservoirs, air ports,, golf courses .and regional and industrial parks are i : , t : i i u.. 1 1 1 j n(ni xounu ill ruiai uieaa. ieciaiuiis mauc ujr cities uu uci.v the country. And the reverse is true. If rural areas1 ignore the problems created by metropolitan expansion. If they adopt the policy of having no policy, the results are going to be unsatisfactory to everyone concerned. But, when the rural people do adopt policies they should not be designed to keep city growth out. This would be like bucking the law of gravity. On the other hand, the city people must understand country problems. The country people must be Invited to help solve mutual growth prob lems. This is one big aim of the regional planning advisory committee. ' ' Since' agriculture requires use of large pieces of land, the farmers here should take a vital interest in land-use studies. Farm groups here don't seem to understand or appreciate the advantages to agriculture of controls which guide orderly development, halt premature subdivision and head off speculation in underdeveloped, lands and the ruin ous effects such speculation has on farming over a wide zone around the urban center. We would like to see Grange mee'lngs, stockmen's meetings, dairymen's meetings and fruitgrowers' meetings devoted to discussions of this urban growth problem. "Urban expansion gives rise to fiscal problems for ,the local governments in the surrounding rural and semi-rural areas and to tax problems for the farmer and his neighbors. How can the new and expanded public services that a grow ing population requires be financed?" one authority pointed out: ' "State aid doubtless has a role, and perhaps many states have not recognized sufficiently the fiscal responsi bility of the state to such communities. Still, the bulk of the load rests on the property tax," an authority on county' government pointed out. . The result of unplanned rural expansion is obvious. Property tax problems become acute. Governmental costs rise. Farmland prices are pushed far above the value of the land to farming. This means that the farmer must either sell his land to a speculator or developer or become a specul ator himself. Apparently a number of local farmers are Hnlnff Bft. Oregon's legislature recently passed a law permitting farmland to be assessed as farmland as long as it is used for agriculture. A few other states have the same provision. In fact, the USDA in cooperation with the Maryland Agri cultural Experiment Station, is doing research on how such a law works in Maryland. These studies are not complete, but preliminary information indicates serious problems are Involved in such a policy. "The workability of any taxing scheme to preserve agri culture Just like any system of planning and zoning, lies In Its being conceived and enforced on an areawlde basis. This requires that farmers and other rural people Involve themselves In an active way In the governmental decisions that affect metropolitan areas," an authority on county gov- . To help rural areas have a voice In metropolitan area problems, some reorganization of existing governments has been tried in other sections of the country. hm - In.lnila I Via nrhan pnnntv nlnn rifv-rnnnfv enn- lolidation, organization Of multi-purpose metropolitan dis tricts and a metropolitan federation. A new proposal calls for setting up suburban development districts having wide powers in areas where development is occurring. Other less formal reorganizations are being tried, also. "Whatever method is chosen, it seems almost certain that some form of areawlde governmental machinery will produce better results for agriculture and for urban people than the present system, in which decision-making powers are scattered and the tax base fragmented. The welfare of the entire community, and especially of its agricultural segments, requires establishment of some system whereby rural areas can participate In these decisions," national authority on county government concluded. Farmers Warned About Children Riding Tractors Salem - Labor Commission er Norman O. Nilsen has is sued a warning on the dan gers of children driving or riding on tractors. He asserts spring field work invariably brings to his office increased reports on tractor accidents involving children. Nilsen cites the bureau of labor's 1960 records of minors accidents to stress farm trac tor hazards. The records show one-third of Oregon accidents involving tractors last year resulted in deaths. One-half of the casualties were children. Three accident victims were fourteen and fifteen year old drivers of tractors who are not permitted to operate any power driven farm machinery under child labor laws. Two were killed while one escaped with a fractured pelvis and multiple bruises. The other children were riding with an adult driver. Follows Trend The bureau of labor report asserts these statistical find ings correspond closely with the severity rate of injuries incurred in tractor accidents over the nation. Nilsen says he finds it hard to convince people of the haz ards to minors in tractor op eration because It is a slow moving vehicle that seems easy to handle. The principal risk is said to lie in the easy overturn of a tractor when it hits a ground obstruction or is driven by inexperienced hands. The commissioner states his investigations dis close the upsets occur on ter rain that is hilly or uneven, sometimes in only a slight de gree. The tractor topples backwards or sidewise, pin ning underneath anyone who is on it. Oregon's child labor laws prohibit minors under 16 years of age from operating all power-driven farm mach inery. A permit is required for the employment of any minor in the operation of such equipment. TUESDAY, MAY 9. 1961 Most Counties In Bang's Fight Salem - Oregon cattle own ers will be interested in the latest veport on the nation wide brucellosis eradication program. According to information re ceived in Salem by Dr. A. G. Beagle, federal veterinarian in charge, USDA, ARS, 78 per cent of counties in the United States are participating in the. program. If the present rate of par ticipation continues every county in the United States will be enrolled in two years' time. Federal officials point out that all states can be cer tified by the end of 1966 if the livestock industry so wishes. While no year is mentioned, the federal report says "it is only a question of time until this country is completely free of brucellosis and undulant fever." 1 In Oregon, counties are "on schedule" with their Bang's recertification work to hold the modified certified status gained In July, 1999. Oregon counties recertified in recent months are: Baker. Clatsop, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Hood River, Clackamas, Yamhill, Union, Deschutes, Wheeler, Wasco, Grant, Jefferson; also, warm, springs Indian Reservation. NO NEWS CONFERENCE Washington -UJPfr- President Kennedy will not have a news conference this week. Asked why. White House Press Sec retary Pierre Salinger said, "he's just not going to have one." Report on Farm Supply Co-Ops Issued by OSU Corvallis-The growing trend toward "bigness" in business is pointed up in a recent Oregon State college economic study of Oregon farm supply cooperatives. Rate of business growth of large farm supply coopera tives has been nearly three times that of small coopera tives since 1950, reports Ger ald E. Korzan, OSU agricul tural economist. Korzan said the larger firms' better net margin po sition, ability to absorb set backs, and higher ratio of owned capital to borrowed capital were key factors in Farmer Net Pay Expected to Hold At 1960 Level Corvallis - Oregon farmers can expect net income for 1961 to hold to 1960 levels despite present sagging of the general economy, report Ore gon State university agricul tural economists. Food store sales have held up while many so-called "hard goods" such as automobiles and home appliances suffered a lag in sales, says M. D. Thomas, OSU extension agri cultural economist. The general economic out look and prospects for Ore gon cattle sales and grain, hay, and seed crops are re viewed in the current issue of the Oregon Farm and Market Outlook circular. Free copies of the outlook circular may be obtained from Oregon county extension agents or the OSU Bulletin Clerk, Corvallis. Grain Prices Lower Feed grain prices in Ore gon will probably range low er in 1961 than in 1960 un less new government pro grams set higher support prices, reports R. H. Teal, OSU seed and grain market ing specialist. Prices for Oregon corn in 1961 will probably be about the same as in 1960, he points out in the circular. North west wheat prices are expect ed to follow the 1960 pattern and move about the effective support prices. Price prospects for other Oregon crops indicate lower hay prices due to prospects for larger carryover stocks for the 1961-62 feeding year; little change In prices for turfgrass seed, but slightly lower prices for tall fescue seed. Market ' outlook for cattle for the next few years ap pears more optimistic than ex pected last fall. Stephen C. Marks, extension agricultural economist, says there are con siderably fewer cattle on the nation's farms and ranches than previously estimated. Earlier forecasts for a sub stantial rise in beef output, which would tend to lower prices, have now been revised to only a modest increase in cattle slaughter, Marks explained. OSU Bulletin Tells Of Worm Control Corvallis - Questions farm ers often ask about the cause and control of stomach worms in sheep are answered in a new Oregon State university circular. Dr. S. E. Knapp, assistant v e t e r 1 n ary parasitologist, points out, that deaths from stomach worms are few, but economic losses may be heavy because infected sheep waste a lot of feed. t Oregon residents may -obtain free copies of the circu lar, "Control of Stomach Worms in Sheep," from their county extension offices or from OSU bulletin clerk, Corvallis. their faster growth rate. The OSU study of 27 asso ciations doing business in Oregon included most of the cooperatives In the state that specialize in handling farm supplies. Such cooperatives handle about 20 per cent of all Oregon sales of farm equipment and other operat ing supplies needed by farm ers a $175 million annual business in the state. Details of the study are reported In a circular of in formation, "A Decade of Per formance by Oregon Farm Supply Cooperatives," pub lished by OSU agricultural experiment station. Free Copies Oregon residents may ob tain free copies of the circu lar from local county exten sion agents or the OSU bul letin clerk, Corvallis. The 13 largest cooperatives' In the survey average sales of more than $1 million in 1959 and showed an annual rate of growth in sales of 6.5 per cent. By contrast, the 14 smaller cooperatives averaged sales of about $290,000 with rate of sales growth at 2.42 per cent. Most of the small firms already at a disadvantage in growth rate have little or no hope of catching up to the large ones, Korzan pointed out. Best possibility for. the small firm with low growth ratio is to merge with another supply cooperative, a market ing cooperative, or a nonco operatlve firm in either sup ply or marketing activities, he said. "Traditionally, business firms that are losing ground will try to hold on hoping for a miracle. The time to merge is when they are still operating with some measure of success," Korzan empha sized. , The trend toward fewer and bigger supply firms is keyed mainly to the impor tance of volume in a highly competitive business. Ease of transportation and commu nications encourages farmers to by-pass small, neighbor hood farm supply firms that can't compete pricewise with bigger outlets in the area. Another advantage listed for large cooperatives is more working capital to extend credit to farmers until crops are sold. Korzan said use of credit by Oregon farmers through their supply coopera tives has tripled during the past 10 years. Most cooperative managers considered the rapid increase in accounts receivable as their most perplexing problem, it was pointed out in the study. Suggestions for improving co operative credit programs are listed In the OSU circular of information. Memory Gardens ' Funeral Home "The Chapel of Memories" Located within Memory Gardens Memorial Park Home of the "Last Supper" FUNERAL HOME CEMETERY MAUSOLEUM COLUMBARIUM SERVING: All Faiths All Cemeteries Persons of All Means PROVIDING: Complete Funeral Services Complete Burial Services 0 Public Parking for over 200 cars plus Private Family Parking area The veteran to be honored this week is BRUCE BURCHFIELD PHONE SP 3-7338 DAY OR NIGHT Thank You ... The Crater Lions Club wish to express their thanks to all participants in the 4th Annual Crater Lions Sportsfair, Horn, and Garden Show. W. hope that all those who attended enjoyed the show as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. DAVE FRANKLIN President DICK HAWKINS General Chairman Another good reason for Confidence in a growing America ill 4" 'I 7 OUR SAVINGS JUST HIT A NEW HIGH! Even with inflation, we've put aside three times as much as in 1H0 When the economy reaches a plateau after a long period of growth, there's a tendency to rest for a while before start ing' up again. Buyers do the same thing. They defer purchases and hold the money as savings. But now we're all set for another climb, and the savings that have been piling up will help to keep it rising. Discretionary income-surplus above what is needed for basic necessities-al-most doubled during the Fifties and at the present rate, will grow nearly as much again by 1971. Over 100 million Americans have a stake In the country's productive capac ity and real estate through money saved in banks, savings and loan asso ciations and by ownership of life in surance policies. Constantly in America the base of ownership broadens. Many large corpo rations now have more stockholders than employees. This is a trend which has been evident for a generation. It is strengthened by the increasing popular ity of savings in other forms, such as re tirement income programs and group insurance. What's more, our savings are safer today. We have federal insurance of bank deposits and savings and loan accounts, as well as mortgage guar antees. Our whole financial structure is basically sounder today than ever before. All these savings, plus rising income and a big research program that is turn ing out scores of exciting new products, point to another upswing in the near fu ture. America has a brilliant future, but to realize it fully, we must lUtttn., 1 all work together for the I n2T I common good. UU FREE Write for illustrated booklet, "The Promise of America." Box ISO, New YorklS.N.Y. GET READY FOR AN UPSWING I mori risiakch-We're now spending $12 billion year-and that's expected to double during the Sixties I MORI inoomi -Today's $6500 per fam ily represents an all-time highl MORI moouotion-U.S. production doubles every 20 years. Our annual output is due to rise $300 billion by 1071 1 mori JO.t-There are 15 million more jobs than In 1930 will be It million more by 19761 mori IDUCATION-By 1970 well hare 20 million more high school graduate and 3 million more college graduates. They'll earn more, live better! MORI HliURI-40 million Americana get paid vacations, and there are 16 million people over 65, many of them with retirement Income to spend I MORI MARKITS-U.S. exports, pins output of U.S.-owned plants overseas, already account for over $60 billion in sales! mori niioi-Schools, hospitals, high ways, homes we need billions in im provement right bow MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE 4
