f 4
Thursday, Dec. 13, 1945 VERNONIA EAGLE
The Forum
.•i
^SERVICE
t BUREAU
EDITOR'S NOTE: This newspaper,
rough special arrangement with the
'ashington Bureau of ITestern News*
Union at 1616 Eye Street, N. IF.,
ashington, D. C., is able to bring
s this weekly column on prob-
of the veteran and serviceman
his family. Questions may be ad-
to the above Bureau and they
I be answered in a subsequent cob
No replies can be made direct by
II, but only in the column which will
pear in this newspaper regularly.
Local Service Centers
_________
Gen. Omar N. Bradley, adminis
trator of veterans' affairs, in a re
cent statement declared that the
most pressing need, insofar as the
civilian population and the veteran
is concerned, is the establishment
of a single service center in every
community so that benefits to the
veterans can "get down to the grass
roots of the home community."
Many communities already have
set up these centers where the re
turning veteran may go for informa
tion, for service, for advice, but
Fiere are thousands of home com-
lunitles where no such benefit is
vailable to the veteran.
“We have the plans.’’ General
Bradley said, "but you can’t help a
veteran with a plan. We need the
belp of business, patriotic and civic
organizations, of the press and ra
dio, in solving a problem of space
and personnel which is slowing up
our Job.”
In the meantime, the veterans ad
ministration has inaugurated a six-
point program for amputee rehabili
tation to include: (1) direct veteran
contact to learn problems, invite
criticism and provide corrective
measures; (2) a survey to determine
availability of prosthetic appli
ances; (3) to provide each veteran a
'booklet with essential information;
|<4) a program of scientific after
care designed to meet the need of
the veteran; (5) a conference with
artificial limb manufacturers to es
tablish fixed limb standards; (6) to
establish a museum of prosthetic a|
pliances.
5
Quesfions and Answer»
R.E.A., but also to our own
staff, pending future adjust
ments.
Respectfully Yours,
Noble Dunlap
BIRTHDAYS ARE
HONORED AT PARTY
■ MIST—A party was given at
the home of Mrs. Wm. Bridgers
last Sun. night a week ago in
honor of her birthday and also
for Mrs. A.
‘ E.
(Doc) Jones.
Games, cards and charades were
enjoyed. A most delicious lunch
was served during the eve. Each
honored guest received some
lovely gifts and the Circle pre
sented each lady with lovely
silver lined dishes.
Six or more trucks are haul
ing rock to the oil drillers road
in
the making about two
miles off the Eastman road.
The entertainment and dance
afterward given at the Mist
gym Sat. nite netted the Mist
Helping Circle $89.
Nehalem Unit of county dem
onstration met Fri. at Mrs. Fred
Siegenthaler’s. Owing to such
__ _
bad weather attendance was less
than it would otherwise have
been.
L. P. Wickstrom left for Myr-
tie Point last week after 10 days
at home.
Mrs. Joe Roeser is looking
forward to having Joe home in
a short time, as word from him
received last week stated he
would be home.
Mrs. Wilson and her daughter
from the Burn were shopping in
Mist Mon.
Les Stevens, former Tavern
keeper, was in the village last
week on business.
Austin Dowling and another
state employee were in Seaside
Sat. morning in the interests of
the state highway dept.
Jackies Nelson of the merchant
marine was here a few days
during the week end visiting his
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. I.
E. Knowles. He left Sun. Jackie
is joining the navy Sat.
The Lloyd Garlocks were in
St. Helens a day last week.
Licensed Contractors
REFRIGERATION
RADIO SERVICE
and
Appliance Repairing
STRONG’S RADIO
AND ELECTRIC
969 Bridge St. Ph. 576
WILL THERE BE
I •
who
Q. I want to know if a man six
Jb(as been in the army over
(months, is 30 years old and has a
wife and four children, will be sent
overseas or will he get a discharge
soon?—Wife, Strasburg, N. D.
A. According to regulations at this
.¿time your husband is eligible for
overseas service. According to the
information you give, he has only
approximately 42 points.
q. I want to know If my husband
can get a discharge. He has been in
service 21 month'« and overseas 14
months and has four children and is
needed at home since his mother is
his dependent, too, and very feeble.
He is in the army and Is 29 years
old.—L. B., Pisgah, Ala.
A. Without any points for battle
stars or decorations, your husband
has 71 points so he would be eligi-
^-•'Yle for discharge.
;
q. My husband served nine months
in World War I. five of these over
seas. While In service, one of his
ear drums was affected from roar
of guns and he can hear but very
little. During this time his service
record was lost and now he cannot
get help because he doesn't have a
record of Ills ear. Docs he have to
be handicapped because the army
lost his record? He can do very
lit’.le work.—Wife, Deatsville, Ala.
A Your husband's service record
should be in the war department in
Washington. Would suggest that you
immediately file a claim for pen
sion, due to disability, with the
Veterans administration at Birming
ham. Write to the bureau of en
listed personnel, war department,
Washington, D. C.. concerning his
service record, giving all details
possible.
q. 1 was called for the army Sep
tember 4. 1918, and went to Fort
Kiley, Kans., and got my discharge
at Fort Riley September 14. 1918. I
got the Slit) bonus and the whole out
fit of uniforms. Did guard duty and
niy serial number was 3474300. I
asked for the soldier tax exemption
in Iowa and they turned me down.
—E. J. H., Webster City. Iowa.
A. You were apparently in the
army only 10 days, but the in
ternal revenue bureau says there is
no federal tax exemption for veter
ans except on disability payments
and the $1,500 exemption on active
service pay. There may be an Iowa
state law providing for some form
of tax exemption for veterans. Sug
gest you apply to your state or local
tax authorities.
q. My husband, who Is in the
navy, has three children and Is 20
years old. Under this new system ot
discharging fathers of three chil
dren. will he be eligible for dis
charge?—Wife, Vanderbilt. Mich.
A. The navy department says
••yes.”
q. How long will boys 18 or 19
years of age. who entered service
In the spring of 1945 and are now on
their way overseas, remain In the
service?—N. G., Lancaster, Wis.
A. Under present regulations, un
til they have the required number of
points to make them eligible for
discharge.
q I want to know If a man who
has been in the navy 21 months, is
34 years old and has a wife and
three children will be discharged?—
Wife, Owens Cross Roads. Ala.
I
Dec. 11, 1945
To—West Oregon Electric Co-op:
Vernonia Eagle:
R.E.A., St. Louis, Mo.:
There seeming to be very lit
tle chance for a local director of
West Oregon Electric Co-op to
submit his opinions before the
board verbaly, I am taking this
opportunity to place in writing
the result of my observations of
the working of the R. E. A. dur
ing my time in office. I am very
sorry that I am forced to express
a very disagreeable opinion of
our proceedures so far. I am only
going to take into consideration
what I have seen in that part
of the district in which I live.
In the Mist-Birkenfeld area three
months ago the people there were
well served and satisfied with
the service given by the Clats
kanie P.U.D. and the private
utility Co. operating there be
fore the P.U.D.
Since the arrival of the R.E.A.
working in the Mist-Birkenfeld
area I have been showered with
complaints day after day by al
most every one living in that
community with whom I have
come in contact. These complaints
are well founded and come from
people whom I have known up
to 45 years and who never com
plain only when the trouble
caused exceeds the power of their
endurance.
The original source of electric
energy coming from Clatskanie
to these people has been cut off
by orders from no one knows
who. For two months I have been
trying to ascertain the cause
and get relief from this blunder
ing system introduced as I be
lieve by employees of the St.
Louis R.E.A.
I have always believed R.E.A.
in principal to be a very fine
act to promote better living in
general. However, I am now con
vinced that principal and pur
pose have given away to politics,
with the main objective of some
or most of the employees to hold
a job by pleasing a boss either
in St. Louis or Washington, D.C.
and there seems to be plenty of
jobs being held.
We on the board here spend
night after night as late as 2
a.m. listening to many words that
express little. We come again
another nigh® to listen to a new
program that voids nearly every
thing we heard at the last meet
ing, thus being kept mostly in
the dark and acting as a rubber
stamp for government job hold
ers. Our efforts to maintain bus
iness contact with R.E.A. seems
to me like dealing with the dead
as the group we talk to (or rath
er the group that talks to us) at
one time passes away and a new
bunch appears when we wish to
counsel with them again.
I wish to confess at this time
that I hold myself in no way
perfect in this business and I
believe that my associates on this
board agree with me in believing
we would be much better qual
ified to earn our $3.00 per
month if we were permitted to
deal with some responsible agent
from R. E. A. who is available
and responsible. There are other
matters of importance that could
be mentioned and will be men
tioned in respect to not only
A. Yes, he is eligible for sppUca-
tion for discharge.
?
I
Not if the CIO abides by its
pledged word, given only last spring
Question: What would be the general effect on the
country of a steel strike?
Answer: Over 40 percent of all the factory workers
in the country earn their living by making steel
into useful products for American life. A shut
down of the steel industry would be a disastrous
blow to reconversion and would cause a serious
loss in both wages and industrial production at a
time when they were most needed.
did they want a long-term contract?
Union’s own words before the War
Labor Board, “The Union’s request for a termin
ation date of October, 1946, is not made capri
ciously or pressed here for bargaining purposes.
It represents the considered view of the Union
that only such a term will adequately serve the
needs of stability.”
Question: Why
Answer: In the
Question: Did
the recent strike vote violate the
contracts?
Is it true that the Steelworkers Union has
Answer: No. Only an actual strike would violate
pledged itself not to strike?
[.vi them.
Answer: Yes. Every contract which the Union has
Question: Haven’t there been strikes already during
signed this year with the various steel companies
the life of the contracts?
has a clause wherein the Union agrees not to
Answer:
Yes. There were 998 strikes in steel plants
strike during the life of the contract.
during the past year alone. They were mostly
local strikes which the Union characterizes as
Question: Are those contracts still in effect?
“wildcat,” but they meant a big loss in produc
Answer: Yes. They were signed in the spring of
tion.
1945 to run until October, 1946.
Question: Does the end of the war justify changing
the contracts?
Question: Who signed for the Union?
Answer: No. The bond was sealed on both sides
Answer: Its international officials—Philip Murray,
and should be kept whether times be good or
Van Bittner, Clinton Golden and others—and the
bad. The steel companies are continuing to live
local Union heads at the various plants.
up to these agreements. If a strike is called, it
will
be in clear violation of the existing contracts.
Question: Is there no “escape clause” by which
Question;
either side could end the agreements?
Answer: No. The Union demanded a fixed, long
term contract and got it.
A strike in the face of existing contracts would
shatter any confidence in the validity of union
agreements in the steel industry
American Iron and Steel Institute
350 Fifth Avenue, New York 1, N. Y.
OUR COMPANY MEMBERS EMPLOY 95 PER CENT OF THE WORKERS IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY.