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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 1954)
State Capitol News . . . Curtis, Hruska Emerge Strongmen LINCOLN—Nebraska political party leaders this week were as sessing the results in the general clection. Por the republicans the picture was quite rosy as the GOP swept every state and national office. This showed the party machinery was well oiled and that the party’s candidates apparently were close to the generally conservative philosophy of the state’s citizens. Hie picture could hardly help but look somewhat gloomy to the democrats. They carried the ma jor races only in such traditional democratic strongholds as How ard, Sherman and Saline counties. The democratic registration strength in Omaha was not wwugti to carry to victory a strong candidate, James Hart, in the Second congressional district. Republican Jackson Chase won there If ever the democrats had had a good opportunity, this year was it. Many voters were un happy with the republican ad ministration of the state prop erty tax, a factor which play ed a part in the primary loss of Gov. Robert Crosby. Also, the deaths of two Nebras ka senators had taken powerful vote-getters off the scene and caused a shuffle of candidates in republican ranks which could have benefited the democrats. The victories of two relatively young republicans in the senate races, Carl Curtis of Minden and Roman Hruska, boosted to power men who could be exceedingly hard to blast out in coming years. Curtis is 49; Hruska 50. Taking over the First congressional dis trict spot is Phil Weaver of Falls City, a man whose well-known name in Nebraska politics should insure him a long tenure if he chooses to keep running and keeps his nose clean. Having weathered two elections now, Third District Congressman Robert Harrison of Norfolk is getting almost as tight a hold on his seat as veteran Congressman A. L. Miller of Kimball has in the Fourth district. All of which means the repub licans have a lot of office holders who will be difficult to budge in years to come, short of an im mense voter dissatisfaction sweep ing the party out of power. To observers the democratic lack of success pointed up its poor organization of recent years. Even with strong candidates such as Hart, James Green of Omaha and Frank Morrison of McCook, the party didn’t have the city and county organizations to give strong enough backing. Since James Quigley of Val entine retired a few years ago as head of the state demos, his boots have been filled with less success by William H. Meier of Minden and by Bernie Boyle, Omaha attorney and native O’ Neillite. Nebraska democrats in yester year had their day under the guidance of Arthur Mullen, also a native O’Neillite, who helped sweep into office Franklin Dela no Roosevelt as president. Constitutional Amendments— Nebraska’s voters unshackled the constitution in a few places to allow a start on reform of the state property tax system. At week’s end it appeared that the legislature can take action on: 1. Setting up new standards of assessing tangible property, in cluding real estate. This has been called the l,heart” of tax reform. 2. Eliminating part or all taxes on household goods, which take far more assessing time than their worth in tax revenues. The voters, however, turned down a proposal to allow appoint ment of tax assessors, apparently feeling this would take away “home rule.” However, a restriction con cerning taxes was voted into the constitution. This would In sure that if the state legislature ever passes a sales or income tax it must first be used to re place that part of the property tax which supports state gov ernment. (This is about 15 per cent of the average tax bill.) There were indications that some groups were going to com mence a fight to get this restric tion removed. Particularly those who want a sales tax feel that they can’t work for such a tax now. If a sales tax were voted in, it would mean the state would have to get along with its special 1.1 mill institutional building fund levy, and other similar spe cial levies. It might even mean that levies couldn’t be made in the counties for the local share of the cost of patients in the mental hospi tals and the University "hospital in Omaha. • • • Budget Hearings— Governor Crosby this week be gan hearings on the budgets sub mitted by the various depart ments. In the present rather cum bersome budget procedure, Cros by will then draw up his recom mendations for the 1955 legisla ture. But then when Gov.-Elect Victor Anderson of Lincoln is in augurated in January he can draw up his own budget. Next the legislature budget committee starts work, holds hearings, and can throw the governors’ recom mendations in the ash can if it wishes. The legislature itself has the final word when it appropri ates money. * • • Toll Road Difficulties— Members of the Nebraska turn pike authority had a meeting in Denver with Colorado highway commission authorities. Purpose was to talk over possibilities of the two states working together on a toll road, maybe as part of a nationwide turnpike. Versions seemed to differ about what the reaction was. State Engineer L. N. Ress told reporters he thought that Colo rado officials were indifferent. Turnpike Authority Chairman Raymond McGrath of Omaha im mediately called a special meeting of his group. He told the press that on the contrary, Colorado of ficials were cordial and had promised to “meet you at the door with whatever kind of road you build.” Ress said he still thought Col oradoans were more interested in building a free superhigh way, using 60 percent federal and 40 percent state funds. Plans for such a highway across Nebraska are being held up pending a decision on the toll road question. McGrath said he had come to the conclusion that Nebraska has to think of a toll road clear across the state if it is going to fit into the national picture. Up to now thinking has centered on a Lin coln to Omaha turnpike. The authority passed a resolu tion calling for an appropriation by the legislature of money for preliminary studies and court ac tion. So apparently the ultimate battleground for the question of a toll road may well be in the 1955 legislature. • * * Mental Recommendations— A hard working committee ap pointed by Governor Crosby has ccme in with a report filled with recommendations on how to im prove the mental health and men tal hospital picture in Nebraska. The “biggest problem,” the committee said, was paying sal aries to get highly-trained per sonnel to get patients cured in stead of just keeping the mental ly ill at state expense for years. This will cost money, the commit tee agreed, but said it was sure the citizens of Nebraska wanted best of care for unfortunates. Neubauer to Far East William L. Neubauer (above), son of Mr. and Mrs. William Neubauer and husband of Mrs. Helen J, Neubauer, all of Page, is serving aboard the radar picket destroyer USS McKean on her second cruise since be ing recommissioned. The Mc Kean left Long Beach, Calif., August 10 and had six days of training enroute to Pearl Har bor, T.H. Surfboarding, swim ming on Wakiki beach and sightseeing tours around the island were arranged before getting underway and westward for Japan. While in the Far East, the ship will visit several places in Japan, the Philippine Islands, Formosa and Hong Kong, B.C. Shierk Preview* 1955 Plymouth* Plymouth Motor corporation is planning on the greatest sales volume in its history during 1955, and is getting off to a fast start by scheduling all-time high pro duction, according to Paul Shierk, manager of the Shierk Motor company in O’Neill and DeSoto Plymouth dealer here. He recent ly returned from a preview of the 1955 line of Plymouth cars at Omaha. With a line of cars featuring all new styling, new high horsepow er engines, and many luxury fea ture formerly found only in the most expensive cars, Plymouth has retooled its factory and by mid-November will be producing more than 3,000 cars per day, Shierk explains. They are long er, lower and wider than previous models, and the most powerful cars Plymouth has ever built. By the end of December, Ply mouth expects to have built 160, 000 of the new models. That is some 60,000 more than were built during November and December in the peak year of 1953. Ply mouth officails pointed out that a week before the first of the new cars came down the assembly line, enthusiastic dealers had or dered more than 150,000 without having seen a single model. The backlog of orders is expected to be more than doubled by the time all dealers have seen the cars. Plymouth expects to double its 1954 sales during 1955 and to sell nearly 20 percent more cars than the record 635,000 units sold dur ing 1953. Shierk said Plymouth has had the new car under development for three years, and at the same time has been “tooling up its manpower in pointing for a big sales year in 1955. During the past year the Plymouth organization has increased its number of field representatives from 103 to 291 and has concentrated its sales ef fort by rearranging its geograph ical coverage of the country. Cronin Serves on Two Committees— J. D. Cronin of O’Neill, recent ly retired president of the Ne braska State Bar association, has been named to serve on two com mittees of the Nebraska State Bar association, during the new year. Mr. Cronin is a member of the association’s executive council. He has been appointed chairman of the committee on joint confer ence of lawyers and accountants and will also serve on the com mittee on the judiciary. The appointments, which be come effective immediately, were made by John J. Wilson of Lin coln, newly-elected president of the association. Entertains Friends— EWING — Norman Bomer en tertained a group of friends at a party Saturday evening. The oc casion was to celebrate his birth day anniversary. After refresh ments at the home of his parents, Rev. and Mrs. W. J. Bomer, they all were his guests at the Eldor ado theater for the evening. Rural & City PHILLIPS “66” PRODUCTS New & Used Tires Greasing & Washing BORG & WORTH Prompt Tankwagoo SERVICE Phillips "66" Station Phone 362 Simplicity That Brings Beauty The sleek lines—the absence of all hardware, make this 3-piece Limed Oak Suite an unusual buy at only _tIOT'OU i (Price includes double dresser, chest, bed) PLUS FREE MATTRESS and FOAM PILLOWS! Hurry . . . Phone 346-J . . . West O’Neill Attend Field* Rite* in Grand Island LYNCH—Mr. and Mrs. Frank Weedner attended the funeral of Verle J. Fields at Grand Island at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, October 28. Mr. Fields was district repre sentative of the V. J. Muller com pany of Norfolk and was well known in Boyd and Holt counties. He was married to Helen Kayl of Spencer. Survivors include the widow and one daughter, Mary Cath erine__ MILLER THEATER — Atkinson — Fri.-Sat. 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