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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 1958)
TITSPAY. OCTOBER 28. 1958 HERALD AST) NEWS. KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON mi HPtA jr .... m your personal press conference with Mark Hatfield MARK HATFIELD SPEAKS OUT ON THE 1201 BASIC ISSUES VITAL TO YOU AND OREGON! AGRICULTURE Oregon's agriculture Is so important to the State's economy that the future mint provide full opportunity for high productivity. Our farmers have proven their outstanding ability to produce and the current surpluses must be disposed of. Research and leadership that will find new uses, new markets and cheaper transportation for Oregon prod ucts is imperative. Research that is keyed to our specific problems Is our first objective. Making such findings immediately available to our fanners is equally important. Realistic legislation providing standby funds for handling agricultural emergencies must be passed. At least one representative active In agriculture should be on the State Fair Commission. In many cases transportation costs are the key that can unlock distant markets for Oregon products. Every effort must be used to obtain more fair and equitable rates for shipment by freight, water and air. The broad diversification of Oregon agriculture is a great advantage to our state. We should make it work to our advantage to an even greater degree by insuring a profit to our producers. Oregon's agriculture is based in much on the family-site ur.lt of production that we should make every effort to retain it. BOARD OF CONTROL My experience on the Board of Control has convinced me that having the three highest elective officials jointly responsible for such major responeibilities as the state institutions is in the public interest when the members of the Board do the job assigned to them. The Public interest is served because the three mem bers pool their varied training and experience. Each member is directly responsible to the voters and ac countable at the polls for his record. A one-man admin istrator could use the Institutions Involved for political advantage or patronage. This would make more difficult the retention of professional career administrators and qualified staffs as has been the experience in other states. Aside from the important humanitarian benefits, qualified professional staffs lower the tax costs of operation because more patients are rehabilitated and more inmates of correctional institutions are success fully returned to society. The law directs that each member of the Board shall make a personal Inspection of each state in stitution in Western Oregon at least every three months. Mark Hatfield has followed the law and has made 82 careful and thorough inspections dur ing 20 months. The governor typified his disregard for law when he labeled this statute "ridiculous" in a public meeting. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT ' The decision as to whether to continue capital pun ishment in Oregon belongs to the people of the state. Their decision should be carried out by responsible public officials honestly, conscientiously. I would not impose my personal philosophy upon the judicial processes of the state and would use the commutation authority only in light of facts perti nent to the case at hand rather than basing action on personal opinion. CIVIL RIGHTS The right of every man and every woman to equality of opportunity is firmly established In the minds and convictions of the people of Oregon. We need only con tinue our progress toward translating this conviction Into workable and effective measures to guarantee this equality for everyone. I was privileged to contribute to this objective as eo-sponsor of the Oregon civil rights laws passed by the 1953 legislature. Vote: Not only was Mr. Hatfield the House majority floor leader for the civil rights bill, he also was a key supporter of two other related bills affecting especially Negroes and Indians. Moreover, both at Chicago in 1952 and at San Francisco In 1956 he was a member of the plstform committee at Re publican national conventions in which he fought for strong civil rights planks. CONSTITUTION REVISION The Oregon Constitution needs extensive revision. Well over 100 of the provisions need modification. Changes that should be made include: 1. Deletion of obsolete and unnecessary matter and of provisions that should better be included In our statutes not in the constitution 1 . Rearrangement and clarification of mislocated and poorly worded provisions 3. Elimination of ambiguous provisions. Only a constitutional convention can accomplish a comprehensive, completely consistent and Integrated revision. It would assure the unity and completeness of a document which would provide a sound basis for efficient, effective end economical government adminis tration. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I have said and there is general agreement that resumed economic growth in this state will require a "climate" that encourages the expansion of employ ment and commerce. Specifically, changing the economic climate requires: . 1. Legislation that deals constructively and imparti ally with agriculture, consumers, labor, and busi ness; that encourages and aids each segment of " our economy to achieve its just aspirations; and that recognises the facts of inter-stste economic competition. S. A tax program that aims both to encourage ex pansion of our present Industries and to attract new industry. Property taxes, income taxes, pay- roll taxes, and excise taxes are essential for the support of desirable state and local activities. But our tax program must regain stability (as an aid to business planning) and be revised to remove inequities that I have described elsewhere. S. State agencies must, in all their decisions, reflect a determination to aid in the creation of new jobs, in the development of new marketa for Oregon products, and the strengthening of our competitive position among the states. To regain Oregon's economic health we must restore confidence in the state administration and confidence in Oregon's future. Economic acceleration will depend on redesign of our tax structure, availability of low cost power, more competitive transportation factors to distant markets. As an encouragement to Investment capital, the tax -on capital gains must be revised in order that Oregon be placed in competitive relationship with neighboring states. We must restore confidence of both employees snd employers in the unemployment compensation fund by tightening procedures to eliminate those not actually in the labor market or receiving benefits to which they are not entitled. EDUCATION From my experience as a teacher, administrator and vice-chairman of the education committee In both the House and Senate, I have proposed an eight-point pro gram for education in Oregpn. It follows: (1) More clearly define the role of vocational edu cation, making Oregon Technical Institute a member institution of the State System of Higher Education. (2) Add three new members (9 to 12) on the over loaded Board of Higher Education, and two new mem bers ( 7 to 9 ) on the Board of Education. ( 3 ) Begin now to plan within ten years a 13th and 14th grade techni cal institution in Portland with state aid. (4) Modify the state fee remission scholarship program and give a stipend directly to the student for use at his option at a public or independent institution within the state. (5) Education for educators in overall government finances. (6) Interim study of retention problems be tween freshmen registration and graduation drop out because of marriage, military, academic failure, high pay job opportunities and loss of incentive. (7) Insist ence on sound business practices to thwart taxpayers rebellions against inefficient and uneconomical prac tices. (8) Provide for flexible, basic building plans to be made available to the local school district. GOVERNMENT COSTS You hear today that state budgets and atate costs can't be kept down. You are told this because the big expenses are education, state institutions and welfare. The assumption that reorganization will not save money is based on the lazy thinking that savings can only be made several million dollars at a time. The significant savings potential in state government .' lies in dozens and dozens of small divisional budgets throughout the over 100 boards, commissions and agencies. Careful administration can result in signifi cant trimming of expenditures in these budgets without sacrifice of needed government services. These trim mings will grow into enormous proportions when guided bv an administration that can draw upon the skilled talent of the state to recommend proper proced ures and that also has the courage to act. HUMAN RESOURCES Oregon is its people. We have declared our program for increased employment. We have pointed to the need for an end to the waste of manpower that results from discrimination on account of age. But we need more. First, we need to extend and intensify the training opportunities of those whose skills and capacities will be urgently needed in the years ahead. Second, we cannot neglect those who are handicapped by Illness or misfortune. Especially, our emphasis must be on preventive and early treatment. For Instance, out patient clinics can make institutional residence unnec essary or early release possible. The use of these clinics should be expanded not only from a humanitarian standpoint but also as a long-range economic practi cality. LABOR AND MANAGEMENT RELATIONS Government must be neither the ally of labor nor of management, regardless of which political party is in power, but it must be that neutral agent which pro vides leadership and the framework within which both may prosper. Oregon has enjoyed labor-management relations that are the envy of moat states. We should avoid legisla tion that will upset past harmonious relations such as the so-called right-to-work law. The righta of the Individual union member should be protected against abuses of union authority by laws that require secret balloting and the accounting of trust funds. LIQUOR ADMINISTRATION No agency of the state faces more difficult decisions or has broader responsibility than the Liquor Control Commission. The integrity of liquor control administra tion Importantly affects the confidence of the people of the atate In their state government. The Knox Law is fundamentally sound and I do not propose any basic changes of that law. I believe the primary responsibility of the Governor in this field Is in the selection of a commission com posed of men with experience equal to the management of one of the state's largest businesses and of a judicial temperament that will assure fairness, equity and courtesy to all those who appear before them. As Governor, I would give the Liquor Commission four instructions: 1. Political partisanship or any form of favoritism In any phase of liquor control administration will not be tolerated. 3. So long as the members of the Commission do their job and do it well, there would be no inter ference from the Governor's office. 3. Licensing and enforcement problems would have a first claim upon the time and attention of the Commission and I would require that the Commis sion members maintain a close and continuous re view of all hearings conducted by Commission . employes. 4. The Commission must earn the confidence of the people of the state and of the industry. Fundsmentally, I would Insist upon an alert, impar tial and efficient administration of the Knox Law. NATURAL RESOURCES Except for its people, Oregon's richest heritage Is its wealth of natural resources its timbered moun tains, fertile soil, powerful river systems and unexcelled scenic vistas. It will be my purpose to mobilize in con structive and cooperative effort all government ana private agencies to set in motion a program that will: 1. Achieve maximum production and an expanding . market for forest products while assuring refor estation practices that will continue to yield timber for generations to come. 2. Encourage coordination between the agricultural commodity commissions and the Planning and Development Department. 3. Intensify the research of the commodity commis sions by better coordination of all agricultural research. 4. Give us a tax and research program that will en courage exploration and development of our min eral resources while avoiding exploitation. 8. Continue the efforts to develop our system of state parks. 8. Clean up our rivers. POWER Oregon will continue to run out of contention for msjor power development until the extremists on both sides sre willing to yield their pet philosophical at titudes and pull together as an Oregon team basing actions on engineering and economic considerstlona rather than political ones. We need all the power we can get now both nubile and private. The first step is to take power problems out of politics. The second step is to place this program in the hands of qualified, far-sighted and conscientious eltlzens who will reject the pressures from extremists of both sides. The third step is to work with, instesd of fighting, the federal administration and the Congress which control the large segment of our power potential. The proposal for a regional corporation holds the advantage of adequate financing of northwest power development and orderly planning for maximum de velopment and use. Any final proposal must provide: (1) sdequate regional control of planning and pol ey and (2) equitable distribution of power produced with the assurance that each area may for itself determine .the method of distribution. RECREATION Oregon has only begun to take advantage of Hi vast recreational potential. State cooperation with local Interests in the development of parks and recreational areas can substsntially stimulate the further growth of our increasingly important tourist industry as well as provide boundless opportunities for the enjoyment of Oregon's citizens. The celebrstlon of our centennial anniversary in 1959 presents an opportunity for the encouragement of recreational development which can make Itself felt far into the second century of the history of our state. REORGANIZATION OF GOVERNMENT Efficient and economical reorganization of our state government Is possible if we have the courage and will to act. For example, there were fewer persons employed by the Secretary of State's office on September 15, 1958 than there were on January 8, 1957, despite an ever increasing work load. It has been possible through reorganization of the -functions of the Department of State to aave more than $65,000 in the Elections Divisions alone. Other proced ural changes in the Accounting Division have resulted In savings in excess of $58,000. An integrated and rigorously enforced records management program has resulted in the elimination of over 6000 cubic feet of obsolete, duplicsted and unnecessary records accom plishing substantial savings in both money and space. These savings can be duplicated many tlmea over throughout our government agencies and will result In direct savings to each taxpayer. In addition to these significant savings, further im- firovements in efficiency and services csn be expected t we proceed to act in the reorganization of state gov ernment. While some desirable reorganization measures require constitutional or legislative change, most of the reorganization objectives (elimination of duplication In facilities and personnel reduction, of conflicts in policy and program, etc.) can be achieved by strong administrative leadership that knows what to do and how to do it. SENIOR CITIZENS Mark Hatfield supports an anti-discrimination be cause of age amendment and a homestead exemption act for senior citizens. He will urge support of an amendment to the fair employment practices act which would Include sge along with already existing pro visions for racial and creed tolerances. He will recom mend that a law patterned after the New York State statute be enacted by .the 1959 legislature. He believes that property taxes should be waived for those over 65 yesrs of age having a gross income of less than $2,500 and whose true cash value on their residence does not exceed $7,500. TAXES It la time government learned to live within Ita In come instead of constantly devising new taxes to Impose upon the people. No matter how they are sugar-coated, taxes must ultimately come from the pockets of the Individual citizens of the state of Oregon. Workingmen and businessmen alike must be assured a fair and stable tax program in order that they can reasonably anticipate future costs. The present admin istration promised repeal of the temporary 45 sur tax. In ita place, they substituted what amounted to a 51 tax increase and anticipated its being a permanent part of the tax structure. Taxes must be kept down to the level necessary for progressive state government. We should eliminate th possibility of huge surpluses that are an invitation to reckless spending. I do not propose additional taxes. Tax needs can be best met within the framework of our present tax structure by broadening the base of our income tax. We should adopt a capital gains provision competitive with neighboring statea in order to encour age the flow of investment capital to Oregon. We should remove the personal property tax inequities. Most im portant we must insist upon economy In government ss a part of creating a climate in which Individuals and business alike may prosper. TIMBER PRODUCTS Tha forest products Industry ia faced with strong competition from many directions. The need for de veloping a sure industry future calls for state coopera tion and participation In the field of product research to a greater degree than ever before. Resesrch and development facilities at. Oregon State College and the Forest Products Laboratory must bj expanded. Their activities should be coordinated wits the work of researchers employed by private Industry. State and federal annual allowable harvesting pro . grsms should be reviewed to assure balanced cutting so that the supply will meet the requirements of the lumber market thereby assuring maximum lob oppor tunities. . -Consideration ahould also be given to exchange of lands belonging to private and public owners so that timber properties may be "blocked up" for more effici ent protection and management. The Oregon State Board of Forestry should be re moved from political association. The chairman of tha Board should be an individual selected on the basis or his knowledge and experience rather than the governor. Building code amendments ahould be encouraged to insure the maximum feasible use of timber products in construction. (In many cases transportation coat are the key that can unlock distant markets for Oregon products. Every effort must be used to obtain more fair and equitable rates for shipment by freight, water and air.) UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION The present administration failed to heed obvtoua warnings Uiat our Unemployment Compensation Fund was in critical danger. Reckless management of thie fund has resulted in the necessity of putting the tax rate for all employers at the maximum of 2.7 Pt of the taxable payroll. Alarming aa this fact is, It fadea Into insignificance when we realize that benefits for the period ending June 30, 1958, were paid out at the rata of 3.6 percent of the taxable payroll. Continuation of the present program must inevitably result in completa bsnkruptcy of the Unemployment Compensation Fund. The interests of employes and employers alike de mand that the Unemployment Compensation Reserva Fund be more adequately protected through tighter administration. Administration and laws must bo strengthened to guarantee adequate protection to cover employes temporarily out of work through no fault of their own. At the ssms time individuals who are not actually in the labor market or who might otherwise not be legitimately entitled to the benefits of unem ployment insurance should be disqualified. Tax etrue tures and benefit schedules must be continuously reviewed in order that Insurance beneflta may be made consistent with solvency of the fund. WATER POLLUTION Pure water is one of our most vital natural resources. Increasing demands for wster for domestic, agricul tural and industrial usage, for recreational and aporta activities, and for propagation and aurvlval of fish and wildlife makes it urgently necessary that the state conduct a far more comprehensive program of mini mizing water pollution. To accomplish this goal I would propose : 1. Strengthen the authority of the appropriate atate agency to reduce water pollution in the waters or Oregon. 2. Appropriation of sufficient funds to permit tha necessary enforcement, research and educational activitiea to accomplish goala of pure water. 3. Development of a cooperative program with indus try, other governmental bodiea and other affected groups and individuals directed toward accom plishment of reduction of water pollution in the best interests of ths public. SUMMARY I Intend to call on the best brains and wisdom in Oregon to help with our program of building a, better state in which to live and work. Thousands of alncera citizens of outstanding ability will volunteer their serv ices if they are offered the chance and they are free from political manipulation. Sincerity, earnestness and friendliness will earn more cooperstion from federal regulatory agenclea Involved than the abuse and vituperation that have marked the constant attacks of the present sdminlstration on the national administration. There are many desirable qualification! for Governor but none aa Important aa personal and political Integrity. sseaese$reai PliHPllaWIWk- A You know where he stands . . . his words become deeds Oregon needs him for Governor... Now! MABK(X HATFIELD Fd. Adv. KHmilh Countv Hilfuld tor Governor Committee Runs Larson nd Robert Kent. Co-Chilrmen P O. Bn 4AR. Klmth Palls, Oreson PAGE NINB aiswnii,1 1
