The Frontier
D. H. Cronin. Editor and Proprietor
Entered at the Postoffice at O'Neill,
Nebraska as Second Class Matter.
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CONGRESS
As Seen by a Nebraskan
Theproposal torelieve unemploy
ment in ruarl districts and at the
same time construct gravel high
ways where material is available,
to the back farms is being put up
directly to the President and the
Powcrs-that-be in a very interest
ing manner. The sub-committee of
the prairie farmer organization is
taking some of these ideas directly
to the various departments. We
have proposed to President Roose
velt and Harry L. Hopkins, Federal
Relief Administrator, a plan to use
six hundred millions for this pur
pose. This would mean an everage
•of about two hundred thousand
dollars to every county in the Unit
ed States. This would employ
about three million men for four
months and by their working part
time would employ them for six
months on this work. The work
would be started within thirty days
from the time the appropriation is
made and without and extra over
head cost.
NRA employees and others in
federal service whose jobs are en-1
dangered are beginning to register
for new government jobs. One
NRA employee told us today that
if they let out all of the NRA em
ployees here it is likely to affect
more than 5,000 workers and that
Washington will experience its first
real depression.
There are an even twenty Ne
braska Midshipmen at the Naval
Academy at Annapolis, and only
three of them will be in the gradu
ation class this year. They are Hu
bert B. Harden, of Verdon, Nebr.;
Emory I). Stanley, Jr., of Omaha,
and Dale E. Cochran, of Genoa, and
they are three very happy boys.
This town is different from any
town in our land. Here and there
you can find some industry, mostly
bottling spring w<*erkar fizz water
for the increased demand for drink
mixing, but generally everybody
works for Uncle Sam. They are
paid by the taxpayer^. Most of
them have money *o far as money
comparisons with bur towns in Ne
braska is concerned. And they spend
that money. The business men
make it easy for them to spend.
♦ rj
While a lot of the congressmen
went fishing and sight seeing over
the holiday most of the farm states
congressmen stayed on the job. The
farm states representatives held a
meeting Saturday to see wiiat cun
be done about getting the Frazier
Lemke refinance bill passed at this
session. With 178 names on the
petition to discharge the committee
and get the measure up before the
house for action, farm states rep
resentatives feel that they have a
chance at success. They have
promises of a number of more
names. In the meantime congress
men are flooded with letters from
farmers who are threatened with
losing their homes. Many have
taken advantage of the Frazer
Lemke moratoriaum. Now they
don't know what to do. Their con
dition is deplorable. These letters
are spurring the farm states con
gressmen in their meeting to vol
unteer to personally see 48 other
congressmen and ask for their sig
natures.
It costs money to spend money
and give relief. Out of the relief
fund the other day six million dol
lars was taken and. handed over to
the general accounting office and
that office says it will add fifteen
hundred pew employees to take
care of tlie increased auditing work
under the five billion dollar work
relief act. That office now em
ploys about 2,700 persons.
Memorial Day in Washington
was pretty much like it is at home.
There were many speeches. Thous
ands went out and decorated graves.
Along Sixteenth street where Gold
Star mothers and others had
planted memorial trees a little
stone marker near each tree had
its little flag and a little boquet of
flowers. It was an impressive sight
and interest is added here in that
men and women who were decorat
ing the grave of a soldier of the
north never passed the grave of a
soldier of the south without leaving
a flower at both gravces.
The end of the month and open
season on bill collectors here just
the same as at home. These Wash
ington bill collectors are about the
same as those at home in Nebraska
except that nearly everything here
costs 15 to 25 per cent more than
in Nebraska and these bill collect
ors are repeaters. You can’t stall
them off. They just hang around
until they get their money. They
know how to do it because the
spirit among these collectors is the
spirit of the Almighty Dollar.
The director of Uncle Sam’s na
tional parks service in the interior
department, is a Nebrasku man.
His name is Arno Cammerer and
he was born in Arapahoe, Nebr.
His father was a German Luther
an minister and the national park
director likes to talk about Ne
braska and early childhood days
and likes to meet Nebraska people
when they come to Washington.
Wfe couldn’t find any place on
the capitol grounds any tree
planted to the memory of the late
J. Sterling Morton, father of Arb
or Day. So we took it up with
Dave Lynn, the architect of the
capitol and asked him to let us
plant a nice white oak in the cap
itol grounds in memory of the
great tree planter of Nebraska.
Mr. Lynn is favorable to the idea
and we are assured that this will
be done.
Clarence VanNess of Stanton,
Nebr., has one of the real chances
for writing history here. Old Fort
Foote, about ten miles up the Poto
mas river, has been abandoned for
a long time. During the civil war
this old fort was used by soldiers
who had cannon there to keep en
emy ships from coming up the riv
er and the fort protected the city
of Washington. The old gun em
placements, part of the old bar
racks and other historical relices
are decaying and. mouldering with
time. Today the man in charge of
that old fort is Clarence VanNess
of Stanton. He’s employed in the
park department but on Saturdays
and Sundays his job is that of care
taker of Fort Foote.
KARL STEFAN.
FREE ITEMS!
Here are only a few of the FREE
ITEMS in Gamble’s $150,000 June
Gift Sale. Garden Hose, Seat Cov
ers, Flashlights, Enamelware, Elec
tric Mangle, Electric Fans, Burma
Shave, Kerosene Can, Step Lad
ders and Paint Brushes.—Adv.
(
THE NEBRASKA
SCENE
(Political and Otherwise)
by James R. Lowell
The heart-rending flood condi
tions of the Republican river val
ley, following as they do the rec
ord-breaking drouth of a year ago,
point to the i necessity of a far
sighted, well formulated program
of water conservation in Nebraska.
Altho any expenditure no mat
ter how great would be justified to
forestall u repetition of the recent
tragedy with is upwards of 125
lives lost, not to mention property,
damage of approximately $12,000,
000, the fact remains that flood
control must be secondary to ir
rigation in a sound conservation
program.
An experienced engineer in state
Employ who prefers not to be
named points out that a flood con
trol program considered for itself
alone is very apt to run counter
to the best interests of everyone
concerned.
For example he cites the case of
the drainage district at Lincoln
where upwards of $100,000 has
been spent straightening and en
larging the Salt Creek channel.
This work has made it very un
likely that flood waters will ever
roll into the city of Lincoln as they
have in years gone by, but it is
definitely detrimental from a con
servation viewpoint. It would have
been better to build a reservoir or
two on the creek above the city and
spent less on the channel.
The seriousness of the water con
servation problem is indicated by
the declining water table levels in
Nebraska and adjoining states. A
questionnaire answered by 1,482
well drillers in the middlewest
shows that the decline in Nebraska
ranges from 10 to 20 feet over a
10-year period, ^he siuation is as
bad or worse in South Dakota.
Iowa, Missouri and Kansas.
Engineers agree that our water
conservation program must be
centered upon the headwaters of
our rivers and streams. Reser
voirs strategically located will not
only conserve waste and flood wat
ers for the inevitable dry periods,
but will hold back the rushing tor
rents which dealt so much havoc
in the Republican valley. The cre
ation of electrical power also will
be a major phase of this program.
Residents of the upper Republic
an valley have renewed hopes now
that projects planned in that vicin
ity under the PWA last year may
gain a more sympathetic ear in
Washington as a result of the flood.
Those plans involve construction
of four reservoirs on both north
and south forks of the Republican
for storage of approximately 100,
000 acre feet of water. The Benk
leman-Higler-Arickaree project, at
an estimated cost of $2,326,000, has
once been rejected. The Imperial
Valley project, to cost around
$455,000, is still being considered.
It calls for construction of a pow
er dam across the Frenchman riv
er in Chase county.
Projects for which hopes are
still held by other communities in
clude the huge Tri-county power
and irrigation plan, and on the
north and middle Loups and Blue
creek. It is the dream of Senator
Norris to see all these plans con
sumated and co-ordinated under a
Missouri Valley Authority similar
to the much cussed and discussed
TV A.
Senator Burke has recommended
to the federal reclamation service
at Washington that a huge dam be
built across the North Platte above
Keystone, Nebr., to compromise
conflicting Nebraska power and ir
rigation proposals. This dam, built
with reclamation funds, would hold
back all waters of the river for
the use of the $7,600,000 Platte
Valley PWA project now under
construction, and for irrigation in
the Tri-county.
Fear was expressed that the
North and Middle Loup projects
would have to start as irrigation
projects alone, if funds were ob
tained at all, in view of the reluct
ance on the part of PWA officials
to approve additional hydroelectric
power projects in Nebraska until
they see what comes out of the
North Platte and Columbus set
ups.
A summarization of the conserv
ation potentialities in the state will
show that approximately three
quarters of a million acres out of
the 50 million acres in the state
are now under irrigation; about an
equal acrea will be brought under
irrigation by projects now under
way or approved; and it would be
feasible to bring another half mil
lion acres under such service. In
addition, thousands of acres are
being irrigated by means of pumps
and this acreage could be greatly
increased at a probable profit to
the owners.
An appallingly large amount of
water that could be stored gets
away from Nebraska during the
highwater periods. In the North
Platte valley enough water to cov
er two million acres a foot deep is
lost each year, as shown by the 30
year average. An almost equal
amount gets away in the North
and Middle Loup valleys.
Reclamation of arid and unpro
ductive lands of the west was first
brought into prominence under the
regime of Thedore Roosevelt. Such
projects have been subjected to
vigorous criticism in recent years,
however.
The experience of many of the
government-subsidized projects has
been far from satisfactory. Costs
have been far in excess of estim
ates and expense of maintenance
has also been much higher than
those who put the water on their
land had been led to expect. Scores
of farmers who thought their wor
ries were over when irrigation pro
jects were completed, have found
their troubles only started.
Under the PWA plan, however,
it is hoped that the Nebraska pro
jects will prove economically sound.
Not only has 25 per cent of the
cost been granted outright by the
federal government, but the sale
of electrical power is to be con
sidered.
Meanwhile, the work of rehabil
itation is underway in the devas
tated Republican valley, with Row
land Haynes, state I'LIRA admin
istrator, as co-ordinat^r. It is de
clared that no family will be left
without a home in which to live,
and some livestock and implements
will be furnished in order to aid
the unfortunates in making a liv
ing.
The first county to report its
gross assessment of personal prop
erty in 1935 is Cuming where a
considerable shrinkage in valua
tions is shown, according to State
Tax Commissioner Smith.
In fact, because of the great de
crease in number of livestock and
the quantities of grain held on
farms, as result of the drouth last
year, and due to the Republican
river flood, it appears that the as
sessed valuation of the state will
shrink this year despite the natur
al tendency to increase since 1933.
This means a hike in the state tax
levy.
The total personal valuation of
Cuming county, not including rail
road nor corporation franchise as
sessments, is $3,717,155 or $543,
535 under a year ago. Decrease in
number of cattle and amount of
grain on hand was responsible for
this, despite the increase in market
prices for both.
Smith said that assessors will be
able to make allowances for loss
due to flood in making their valu
ations in the Republican river
counties. Twelve counties will
benfit by revised valuations on real
estate where the owners have sus
tained severe losses by flood.
The law apparently does not pro
vide any way, however, whereby
personal property assessed as of
April 1, including livestock, house
hold goods and merchandise, can
be taken off the tax rolls, even tho
the owners may have lost such
possessions in the recent flood.
County treasurers are objecting
to H. R. 78, passed by the recent
legislature as an.emergency meas
ure allowing delinquent taxes to be
paid in annual installments over a
10-year period.
The validity of this law has been
attacked in Douglas county^ where
officials have decided to ask per
mission of the state supreme court
for filing an original suit to test
its constitutionality. The county
treasurers in general believe it
would be hard to administer such
f
a law without getting into legal
difficulties. They also say it would
greatly increase the work of their
offices and slow down tax collec
tions materially.
Advocates of power alcohol as a
means of utilteyrg surplus agricul
tural products #&ve asked federal
work relief officials for $5,000,000
to build six processing plants in
Nebraska and California. Phil A.
Tomek, of David City, president,
and J. J. Bogan, of Lincoln, sec
retary of the Agricultural Power
Alcohol association, have been
working- on the proposal with fed
eral agencies.
Three of the plants would be in
Nebraska, and $omek says they
would make possible a start on a
nationwide powet* alcohol industry
which would provide a stabilized,
profitable outlet f^r all raw mater
ials that farmers'can produce.
John Latenser, Omaha, state
public works administration en
gineer, has received word from
Washington to prepare to make
grants up to 45 per cent of the
value of projects under the new
PWA program. Previously grants
have been held to 25 per cent.
A move to have a forest experi
ment station established in Nebras
ka to facilitate midwest farm for
estation efforts upd aid in the de
velopment of tbeyfederal shelter
belt has been begun in Congress.
A-.bor lodge at Nebraska City is
suggested as a likely site for the
proposed experiment station.
Preliminary returns from the
federal farm census in Nebraska
show a three per cent increase in
the number of farms in the last i
five years. Thomas county in the
sandhills with an increase of 45
farms had the Ijyrgest percentage
increase with 25 per cent. Num
erically the biggeat gain was in
, Jefferson county where 232 more
farms were counted.
D. F. Felton, Ogallala, until re
cently director of the state depart
ment of agriculture and inspection,
, has been appointed state works
progress administrator for Nebras
ka. Felton turned down the job
as chairman of the state liquor
commission. Rowland Haynes ap
parently will continue in charge of
direct relief in the state.
BRIEFLY STATED
Pete Todsen was in Norfolk
Tuesday attending a meeting of the
J. C. Penney store manager for
this territory, returning Tuesday
night.
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Johnson
and son, Charles, of Plainview,
spent last Sunday visiting here at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Ed
wards.
Fred H. Swingley, Atkinson’s
hustling and energetic banker, was
in the city last Monday visiting
friends and looking after business
matters.
Miss Helen Reardon has accept
ed a position as clerk in the nation
al re-employment office and enter
ed upon her new duties Wednes
day morning.
Miss Mary Joan Finley, who has
been attending Duschene College in
Omaha for the past year, came
home last Thursday night for the
summer vacation.
Mrs. H. J. Birmingham, Mrs. C.
E. Stout, Mrs. Edward Campbell
and Mrs. W. J. Froelieh drove to
Sioux City last Monday, returning
home that evening.
William Hammond, jr., who has
been attending the Nebraska Uni
versity for the past year, came
home the latter part of last week
and will spend the summer vaca
tion in the “old home town.”
William Carson, for many years
a resident of Steel Creek precinct,
but now a resident of Lincoln, came
up last Thursday night for a few
days visit with relatives and to
look after business matters.
The Catholic Daughters gave a
farewell party at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. C. D. Mullen last Tues
day evening, in honor of Mrs. Joe
McNamara, who leaves soon for
their new home at Valentine.
John Madden, who has had the
WNAX bulk station here for the
past year, moved his family down
from Clark, S. D., last week and
they are now comfortably located
in the Mrs. E. D. Henry home.
Mr. and Mrs. Pete Todson and
children went down to Grand Island
last Sunday taking home Mrs. Tod
sen’s mother, Mrs. W. J. Blaine,
who had been visiting at the Tod
sen home for the past ten days.
Sunday Morris (Mike) Johnson,
Mrs. Johnson and their grand
daughter, Lurlean Kirkpatrick, re
turned from Lyons, Nebr., bringing
with them Mrs. Fred Hoyer and
her son, Gene. Mrs. Hoyei, sister
to Mrs. Johnson, will visit here and
may go to California to reside.
THE fear of Poverty is
often the beginning of a
Hank Account.
fhe
dTJIeiU Jlational
IBank
Capital, Surplus and Undivided Profits,
$125,000.00
This bank carries no indebted
ness of officers or stockholders.
Mrs. Chet Perkins and daughter,
Lain, and son, Floyd, and her fath
er-in-law, J. K. Perkins, of Lake
Preston, S. D., came down Sunday
to spend a week visiting at the
home of Ernest Perkins at Page.
J. K. Perkins is 91 years old and
one of the few remaining Civil War
veterans.
Mrs. Earl Burtis left last Mon
day for Chadron, where she will
spend several days visiting at the
home of her parents. Miss Reta
Reardon accompanied her as far as
Valentine where she will visit
friends until the end of the week,
when she will return home with
Mrs. Burtis.
Mr. and Mrs^ Charles Beilin, who
have lived the last two months at
Denison, la., have moved back to
O’Neill where they intend to make
their future home. Mr. and Mrs.
Beilin plan to construct a residence
south of and adjoining the resid
ence of the late Fred Bellen and
northeast of the Northwestern
stockyards.
Mrs. E. B. Hedgecock, of Genoa,
arrived in the city last Sunday
morning for a short visit at the
home of her daughter, Mrs. Larry
Snell. She came up with some
friends from Genoa who visited
friends at Lynch during the day.
She left for home Sunday evening
and was accompanied by Mrs. Snell
who will visit there until the latter
part of the week.
The Junior members of the
Country Club take this opportun
ity of inviting the Senior members
to a Father’s day flag tournament
on Sunday, the 16th, at 1 o’clock.
Everyone will receive a fair handi
cap. There will be prizes for blind
bogy, low score, low handicap
score, as well as for birdies on the
fourth and seventh holes.
FOR CHICKS
Two Phen-O-Sal tablets in
each gallon of drinking water
prevents disease spread. Use
them in any kind of vessel—
Safe, Sure.
If chicks or older birds
show signs of colds, spray
w’ith Cam-Pho-Sal, in warm
water. Effective Immediately.
Let Us Diagnose Your
Poultry Troubles
O’Neill Hatchery
PLAIN CAKES and
COOKIES for Picnics
Fresh Rolls Every Morning
at 6:30
McMillan & markey
BAKERY
“The Shepherd of the
Seven Hills”
THE MOST UNUSUAL SOUND MOTION PICTURE OF ALL
TIME
AUTHENTIC! INSPIRING! ENLIGHTENING!
Sunday, June 23
K. of C. Hall—O’Neill
Admission 25c & 10c ... .. 8:30 P. M.
I
• Visit one, two or all three of
these wonderful playgrounds—our
National Parks of the Rocky Moun
tains — on one Burlington ticket
The Yellowstone geyserland, unique in all the world for its
hot water phenomena; its collossal colorful canyon and waterfall;
its abundance of wild life; its far-famed Cody Road.
Glacier Park—goal of world travelers—with its 60 living
glaciers, countless alpine lakes; its confusion of mountain peaks
—many of them unnamed and untrod.
Rock Mountain National (Estes) Park in Colorado—priceless
heritage of frosted peaks that go up beyond 14,000; of upland
meadows ablaze with wild flowers; of crags and canyons and tw
meadows ablaze withwild flowers; of crags and canyons and twist
ing trails. Here is rest, recreation, health and vacation happiness.
• All principal trains completely
air-conditioned this summer. Extra
luxury for you at no extra cost.
The advantage of seeing two or all three of the National Play
grounds on one grand circle trip is readily seen in this compari
son of the low summer fares.
-*ROlTNI) TRIP
FROM O'NEILL 16 Day Limit Season Limit
Colorado $21.95 $31.00
Glacier Park 42.65 57.35
Yellowstone Park 37.65 52.35
Colorado-Yellowstone-Glacier Parks 44.80 60.03
* Good in all classes of equipment. Ask about special round trip
to Colorado in coaches. (Saturday and Sunday only) at still low
er fares. 16-day limit, $17.75.
En route between Glacier. Yellowstone and Colorado you travel
right past the Black Hills of South Dakota and can stop off for a
2-day all-expense motor tour through this fascinating region at
only $24.75.
I TRAVEL ADVICE RESERVATIONS
TICKETS
Free vacation booklets
• L. E. DOWNEY, Agent
We invite you to join us in observing RAILROAD WEEK, June 10-15
_——___