“Vernonia, Gateway Jo Nehalem Valley Lumbering, Farming, Recreation.”
Schools Get
Income Tax
Allocations
County to Receive
$162,509.92 from
8 Million Fund
Columbia county school districts
are due to receive $162,509.92
from the 8 million dollar income
'■ax fund which is being distribut-
throughout the state. Informa­
tion about the allotment was made
last Thursday by Mrs. Lois D.
Kent, county school superinten­
dent. The allotment is figured on
the basis of 18.7c per pupil per
day and $252.94 for each teacher.
The receipt of this fund by the
county districts will reduce taxes
on property. Nehalem valley dis­
tricts due to receive a portion of
the fund are listed below with the
total tax levied by that idstrict
listed first, the amount of income
total tax levied by that district
tax each is to get listed second,
and the amount of money to be
raised from other sources third:
Natal $2840, $591.79 allocated,
$2248.21 to be raised; Birkenfeld,
$3085, $1099.19 allocated, $1985.81
to be raised;
Vernonia grade school, $62,085,
$18,493.80 allocated, $43,591.20 to
be raised.
Mist, $5172, $2206.45 allocated,
$2946.40 to be raised.
Vernonia high school, $43,454,
$6399.63 allocated, $37,054.37 to
be raised.
Vernonia Gets
$3,452 of Taxes
The City of Vernonia is one of
six Columbia county towns sched­
uled to receive allocations from
state - collected highway and
liquor revenues for the past year.
Information about the allocation
was received here a few days ago
in a bulletin from the League of
Oregon Cities which also listed
amounts other county towns will
get.
Total amount to be received by
Vernonia is $3452 of which $1331
is from liquor revenues and $2121
from highway revenues.
St Helens is to get the largest
turn-over of $10,307. Other coun­
ty towns participating in the rev­
enue allocation are Columbia City,
Rainier, Clatskanie and Scappoose.
•
All Day Picnic
Sunday Plan
An all-day picnic is planned
for next Sunday at Rogers park,
Rev. Ernest P. Baker, Christian
church minister, said Wednesday.
A pot-luck dinner is scheduled
at noon and games in the after­
noon- A vesper service will be
conducted before returning to
town. It is planned to leave the
church at 9 a.m.
Extreme Care Needed
Now in Forest Areas
Enough of the summer months
remain when warm, dry weather
can be expected to make extreme
care in forest areas highly neces­
sary in order to preserve the good
fortune so far this season ini re­
spect to fires, Keep Oregon Green
officials warned Monday. Heading
the KOG group for the Nehalem
valley is Glen Hawkiins who is
asking that people living here be
even more careful than usual in
forestry practices in order to pre­
vent fires.
The marked decrease in the
number of man-caused fires dur­
ing the last few years is encour­
aging to those who have been pro­
moting the “keep green" program
because it indicates that people
are becoming increasingly con­
scious of their responsibility.
However, now is not the time to
relax every precaution when in
areas where fire can easily start.
Hop Picking to
Start Sept 2
Another call for pickers is made
this week by Ferd and John Hart­
wick of Banks who have hired
local pickers for strawberries and
hops for several years past. This
time, the work will be picking
hops the owners said Tuesday
when they made arrangements for
pickers to sign up in advance of
the starting date.
Their hop crop this year will be
ready by September 2 and again
transportation will be porvided
to and from Vernonia.
Sixty pickers are needed and
those wishing to work can sign
with Mrs. Frank Hartwick at 192
North street or by calling 1042.
Local pickers were complimented
by the owners Tuesday when Ferd
Hartwick stated that Vernonia
people do a better job than itin­
erant pickers which were em­
ployed in the years previous to
the war.
•
Linemen Start
Pole Setting
Two line construction crews are
now at work on the West Oregon
Electric’s new transmission line
which is to be built to the Ne­
halem valley from Warren, Frank
D. Seelye, co-op manager, said
Monday.
One of the crews under the
foremanship of Charles Robinson
started setting poles Monday
morning an dthe other crew, head­
ed by Charles Biggs, is digging
holes.
News of the start of this work
will be welcomed by electricity
users in this part of the territory
served by the cooperative.
Check School Wiring for
Needed Repairs, Defedi
Right now is the time to check
w'iring in school buildings served
by the West Oregon Electric Co­
operative, Frank D. Seelye, man­
ager, said Monday in urging
school officials to include wiring
inspections among the clean-up
jobs that precede the opening. If
school house wiring or appliances
need repairs, there is ample time
to get them in readiness for full
service before the fall and winter
terms.
These suggestions are maed to
help in checking wiring systems:
1.
Search all visible wiring
for defects.
2. Check convenience outlets
and switches.
A
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 194«
VERNONIA, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON
VOLUME 24, NUMBER 33
3. See that light receptacles
are in good working order.
4. Test the hot plate, voca­
tional equipment or any other ap­
pliances.
5.
See that proper safety
shields are in place where needed.
6. Be sure that fuses are of
the correct amperage and that
there are spares on hand to re­
place any that may go out.
7. See that there is an ample
supply of bulbs of the right wat­
tage to replace burnout*.
School lights and appliances
are an investment in better eye­
sight and it is essential that they
be in condition to operate effi­
ciently and safely Mr. Seelye
said.
To forget for a moment could
easily lead to a disastrous fire
because the recent lack of rain­
fall leaves wooded areas ex­
tremely dry.
The Columbia County Tree
Farm’s efforts towards refor­
estation and protective measures
will go far to provide a sustained
yield of forest products for this
area and every citizen has a stake
in thinking protection, talking pro­
tection, practicing protection and
keeping Oregon green.
• .
Retail Ceiling
Car Prices Up
Retail ceiling prices for all
new passenger automobiles have
been raised an average of 7.3 per
cent over June 30, 1946, levels
tc meet the requirements of the
new price control act, E. J.
Klein, district OPA automotive
price specialist, was advised, ef­
fective August 12.
Only distributors and retail
dealers will benefit from today's
increases. Manufacturers’ maxi­
mum prices remain unchanged.
As a result, the price increases
necessary now to restore dealers’
full peacetime mark-ups or trade
discounts vary with the different
makes and models depending upon
the relative ampunts of the in­
creases due to materials costs
and specification changes.
For
all models and makes, the in­
crease averages 7.3 per cent.
•
Information
Center Starts
An office where newcomers to
Vernonia car. be referred for in­
formation was started this week
at the bank building under ar­
rangements made Monday evening
by the Vernonia Booster club.
Club members have thought for
some time that such a center
would be desirable due to the
number of people needing informa­
tion and hav ng no place to make
inquiries.
A sign designating the center
will be erecter in a fey days and
Bill Horn at the Vernonia Insur­
ance Exchange has agreed to an­
swer questions or refer newcom­
ers to those who can provide the
information.
•
Gordon Named
To State Board
Paul Gordon has received ak
appointment to a position on the
Oregon State Board of Health as
a delegate at large, it was an­
nounced here a few days ago.
The appointment became official
as of July 25 when Mr. Gordon
was notified that he had been
named, but little information was
available about the duties con­
nected with the appointment.
Mr. Gordon served last year as
president of the Columbia County
Public Health association.
•
KOG Sticker* Received
Jackie Dowell started distrib­
ution of stickers which were
received locally a few days ago
from the Keep Oregon Green
comiriittee. He will place them
in promiennt places to remind
local people of the need to
practice care with fire, especi­
ally during the dry days for the
remainder of the summer.
COUNTY NEWS
CUKE HARVEST
UNDERWAY NOW
SCAPPOOSE—Cucumber har­
vest, which started in some fields
the first of Auguest, is now un­
derway in virtually all fields in
the Scappoose district but will
not reach its peak until this week
end. Yield will be at capacity
from Aug. 15 to Sept. 15.
Picker situation is good at the
moment, although additional work­
ers are needed. Some owners are
paying 75c per sack and the aver­
age good picker can pick as many
as 12 sacks per day, while other
owners are paying 75c per hour
for workers.
LARGE NUMBERS TAKE
X-RAY AT CLINICS
CLATSKANIF—Clatskanie peo­
ple who were x-rayed in the re­
cent mobile chest x-ray clinic
numbered 239 this year.
It was a smaller number than
the previous year but a large
number of Clatskanie persons
were x-rayed tn the Clatsop coun­
ty mills where they are employed.
There were 2064 x-rayed in
the county as compared to almost
2600 last year.
LONGVIEW ASKED
TO SUPPLY WATER
RAINIER—The Rainier water
commission in sqpsion Wednesday
evening of last week had had no
official reply to a recent inqury
asking if the Longview filtration
plant could supply the Rainier
system with water.-
The inquiry from the local wa­
ter commission was one step in
an extended investigation of ways
and 'means of providing an ample
supply of water for the water
users of Rainier.
FRANCHISE PAY
RAISED W P.G.E.
ST. HELENS—St Helens will
get $1200 more each year from
the Portland General Electric com­
pany in the way of franchise fees
as the result of an ordinance read
Monday night cf last week at the
council meeting. Under the new
schedule, the power company will
pay $2700 annually in the way of
rent of city property used for its
poles and lines instead of $1500.
ALCOA MINING CO.
TAKES UP OPTION
ST. HELENS—The Alcoa Min­
ing company exercised its pur­
chase option to 79 acres of land
in the Apiary district owned by
Willard Evenson of Clatskanie,
this week. The price of the land
as given in the option was $65
per acre. The option was taken
about a year ago.
•
Service Shop
To Open Soon
Floyd Ensworth announced
plans early this week to begin
work September 1 in the repair
shop which is being operated now
by Dwight Strong at 969 Bridge
street. Since coming to Vernonia
Mr. Ensworth has been employed
by the West Oregon Electric but
resigned there a short time ago
in order to begin work in the
shop.
Electrical repairs and service
for appliances of all kinds will be
offered patrons and the store will
be open every week day.
•
Long Cal! Made
Cpl. Vem Sykes, who is now
stationed on Luzon, P.I., called
Mrs. Sykes here Wednesday of
last week. The call came by ra­
dio to San Francisco and from
there by telephone.
Schools Lack 8
Instructors Yet
The shortage of teachers for
the opening of school presents a
serious problem to school officials
here both Paul Gordon, grade
school superintendent, and Ray
Mills, high school principal, said
this week. The vacancies must be
filled my Setember 9th which iB
scheduled as the opening of the
coming school year.
In the grade school five vacan­
cies exist now Mr. Gordon said
Tuesday and prospets for obtain­
ing teachers for these; positions
are poor. Both officials give two
reasons which have caused the
teacher shortage which is worse
now than a year or so ago.
One reason that teachers who
were married to servicemen quit
the profession when their hus­
bands returned to this country
and received discharges. The other
reason is the servicemen who
were formerly teachers are not
returning to teaching work when
discharged but are taking ad­
vantage of the opportunities of­
fered to take further schooling
themselves.
In addition to these reasons,
most prospective teachers inquire
first about housing before they
will consider taking a position and
there are no houses available.
The high school staff has three
Wilkerson Park
Gets Scout Use
Weekly trips to Wilkerson park,
about 16 miles from here, are
being made by the scouts of troop
201, their scoutmaster, Ed Fra­
zee, said Monday. Purpose of the
trips is .to clean the grounds and
lay out a swimming pool so that
a bulldozer can be employed later
for some heavy work.
During the visits to the park
each Wednesday fudamentals in
good forestry are taught along
with the necessary procedures for
keeping Oregon green.
A hike to the park is planned
later this season Mr. Frazee said,
at which time the scouts will re­
main overnight.
positions unfilled Mr. Mills said
and that condition is worse now
than a month ago when only one
instructor was needed. Sinoe then
two “have resigned. Present va­
cancies are shop, English and
commercial.
Summer repair work at both
the grade and High school build­
ings is complete with the excep­
tion of furnace installations which
are to be made wiithin the next
few days. The Washington school
oil tank is ready and the burner
installation is expected this week.
The high school oil ta.ik is
ready for installation as also is
the furnace. Some work remains
in the high school gymnasium
but will be completed in plenty of
time for the opening date next
month.
•
Tell Future Plans
Craig Advises
All of the 4000 veterans attend­
ing summer school in Oregon un­
der the G.I. bill must advise the
veterans administration dmmedi-
.ately of their future educational
plans, Thomas M. Craig, V.A. rep­
resentative in Vernonia, warned.
This “paper work” calls for
completion of forms with the fol­
lowing information: (1) Date
when present training will be in­
terrupted; (2) Whether course
will be continued in the fall; (8)
Whether leave of absence is de­
sired.
High schools, colleges and uni­
versities of the state are distrib­
uting the necessary forms, whicn
are similar to those filled out by
enrolled veterans last spring, Craig
said.
Failure to turn in one of the
forms will deprive the student vet­
eran of his chance to apply for
earned leave. Subsistence may be
paid during leave on the basis of
x two and one-half days for each
month of training. This time,
however, will be deducted from
the veteran’s total entitlement.
Craig will be at the city hall
in vernonia each Wednesday from
8:00 a.m. to 12 noon.
3 Per Cent Tax Would
Injure Business, Said
“A tax cost of 19.7c per dozen gon raw materials (products of
cans of peas, or 9.2 per cent of farm, forest and fisheries), lie­
retail selling price, is a coat load­ cause Oregon is an exporting
ing that would bar Oregon goods state. Less demand for agricul­
from sale in other states where tural
products,
less
acreage
competition must be met! And farmed, fewer persons employed,
this 19.7c a dozen cans does not lower land values, decreased val­
include the farmer’s increased tax ue« for property taxation. A vi­
costa!” Ths above information is cious circle.”
OB & TR officials point out
contained in an article released by
Oregon Business and Tax Re­ that the tax would have an infla­
search, Inc,, an organization de­ tionary effect on consumer prices.
voted to the nterests of Oregon The pyramiding 3 per cent tax
would make it impossible to sell
taxpayers.
The article continues: “The many Oregon products in com­
Townsend 3 per cent tax would petition with similar product*
suck the lifeblood out of business from Washington, California, Ida­
in Oregon. Less demand for Ore- ho and other adjacent states.