The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-08-17
OREGON IS FAMOUS
FOR SCENIC BEAUTY
ANDFINE HIGHWAYS
State Has Its Own Troubles,
With Low Fruit Prices
and High Taxes
By GEORGE d. MANN

BY GEORGE d. MANN
Medford, Ore, Aug. 12.-Oregon is
famous for scenic beauty. Wonder
full highways have been built, not al
ways to bring trade to cities but often
to open up panaromic views Of sur
passing beauty and delightful vistas.
When tourists pour into this state,
trade of course follows, but this year
travel is from 30 to 20 per cent below
normal. Oregon, like California, has
suffered a slump in its crop of joy
riders, but the Olympic games have
kept the flow of business greater than
was anticipated.
Small Population
With state possessing popula-
ton Of less than a million and only
one great city, Portland, Oregon, has
done an excellent job of highway
building It's engineers have conquer
ed many obstacles and today you can
reach an elevation of 5000 or 10000
feet over paved highways which wind
upward in gentle grades. 1t is the
boast of this city, which is the gate
way to the famous Crater Lake Ma
tional Park, that you can reach the
lake ION high" or the interesting
Oregon Caves in the Siskiyou Ma
tional forest without shifting gears.
Few states in the union have a ma
tional park. Sc al national monu-
ments and great federal forests.
Oregon has much to offer the lover
Of the great outdoors, whether he
be naturalist, fisherman, hunter or
just a mere dreamer seeking sur
cease from the hot and hurrying
crowds.
Pear Capital
Besides being the gateway of one
of the nations most unique parks.
this enterprising city is the pear capt.
tai Of the world. The Rogue Valley
is veritable fruit basket of tenn
ing possibilities. OF course, like North
Dakota is No. hard wheat, the Med
ford pear Is somewhat of drug on
the market, but the growers are
hopeful that consumption will start
to catch up with production. Those
pear laden trees are worth travel
Ing miles to see, so heavy that great
props must support the branches
clustered with luscious fruit, ready
now for the army of pickers prepar-
ing for the annual harvest.
In the Doldrums
No matter where one goes, agri-
culture is in the doldrums. One Ore
gon wheat grower who was harvest
ing winter wheat yield of 80 to 40
bushels to the acre, said that when
he got through last year he paid
S1.100 in taxes and his revenue from
the farm was only 81 400, giving him
less than $500 in hard cash to nav
other expenses. A fruit grower told
me that he would not pick his pears
this year unless the big fruit pack
ers offered him a price that would
cover the cost of picking and leave
him something besides. Still another
related that he had hauled his pears
to market last year receiving As cents
box. The cost to him of market
Ing had been SOC a box. Farming
then is not so different these days in
substance whether it is on a pear
ranch in the picturesque Sisiyou
country or on the wind-swept prairies
Of the Dakotas.
Dairy, gold mining, numbering and
cement industries comprise the back
bone OF Oregons commerce. When
times are normal, the taxes are not
30 noticeable in this state. Expen-
slve highways and palatial schools
lound preliminary financing easy, but
now with the shrinkage in revenue.
oregon like all states is keenly tax
conscious. County officials have TAX
en- voluntary salary reductions
amounting to nearly 20 per cent.
school budgets have been relentlessly
siashed and the end is not yet. Those
interested In Oregon's future know
tnat the staggering real estate taxes
must be eased from the backs of her
farmers II Oregon's agriculture is to
survive.
Mild Climate Helps
Mild climate, however. has pre-
vented much suffering here. There
was no necessity for the National
RED Cross to operate relief stations.
Plenty of food and feed for man and
beast has been Oregon's boast. The
farmers are good fighters, as in
North Dakota, and they see better
days ahead. There has been some
demand for small acre tracts. indicat-
Ing a back-to-the-land movement
Families disguised with economic
conditions in the cities see in agri-
culture an opportunity to escape the
bread line. One can at least eat on
the farm.
This state. like North Dakota. is
tax conscious. It has it's TAXPAYERS
organization. The business men have
Joined the farmers in seeking tax re-
duction and lower governmental
costs. Governor Meyer, a millionaire
merchant Of Portland, is sympathetic
to the plan. He was elected as an
independent and as a protest against
both established parties. His friends
declare he has brought great bust
ness acumen to the management of
state affairs and results are notice.
able after two years Of his four-year
term. State and county officials are
elected in Oregon for four years and
the voters like the saving in expense
and the resultant efficiency.
Oregon Is proposing a law to pro-
vide for budget supervisors who, after
local officials have finished, can re-
wise budgets In the interest of public
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