The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume], August 05, 1949, Image 1

About The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
E]
Glen Sherman. who hasn’t
done a lot of fronting for any
organization up to Tuesday
night, gained the respect of ad
vocates and foes alike in his ar
gument against the tax. Pacing
back and forth in front of the
council members, Sherman de
tailed his objections, which in
cluded that it was discriminao
tory, unfair, and would be a
detriment to the community.
Mayor Keolker sat poker-faced
until Sherman said it was class
legislation. Then he demanded
an explanation. Sherman ex
plained that it laid an unfair
tax burden on a separate class
of citizens.
0 t O
The gross receipts plan will
be fought to the bitter end by
Councilman Fred Bunch. He
doesn’t like the receipts idea and
objects still more to one-tenth of
one per cent as the rate of take.
Bunch pointed out that some
merchants have a high gross
income but that the net profit is
very small and that if you take
out any more of that profit and
add it on to other taxes, you don’t
have much left and in some
(Continued on Page 2)
Sales, ‘ Tax
Held Up By
Qppqsifion
A license ordinance for busi
ness places in Kennewick and a
nuisance ordinance; which were
soundly denounced at a 'meet
ing of the Avenue'c. Merchants
association were shelved for
the tinge hci‘ifiig Tueoix'ay night
after a liaif- ur denunciation
of the two measures by Glenn
Sherman, Kennewick grocer.
Sherman, who owns both the
Tri-City Food Center and Sher
man’s Market, said the license
ordinance which the council had
fused on first and second read
ngs, was a discriminatory mea
sure. It would cost him $1,200 a
year alone. he said.
After Sherman’s talk, and
statements from several others,
Mayor Keolker‘ said: “I don't
think we are ready to act on this
ordinance or the nuisance ordi
nance until we have given them
further study.”
LEVY ON RECEIPTS
The licensing ordinance would
have levied a gross receipts tax
of one-tenth of one percent on
all business, but Keolker and
others had suggested that if the
ordinance is passed probably
some lower rate would be advis
able. -
', Sherman said there were good
points in the ordinances but he
listed these general objections:
1. It is class legislation in that
it puts a special tax on a single
group of citizens out of propor
tion to others. _
2. It is not fair because mar
gins of gross profits vary all the
way from 5 per cent to 60. per
cent. s
3. It would tend to keep large
industries out of the community
because their percentage of pro
fit is so small that in some cases
the tax would take away 25 per
cent of the net profit.
FLAT LICENSE URGED
The Avenue C merchants had
passed a recommendation that a
flat license of sls foreach busi.
ness be adopted. Sherman said
he did not object to some kind
of set figure or scale of licenses.
The council meeting opened
(Continued on Page 2)
Fire, caused by spontaneous
combustion, destroyed a barn
and its contents Sunday after
noon. The barn was owned by
Tom C. Wolter. route one. Ken
newick. who lives near Finley.
\Volter told the Herald that
new mown hay. the last of which
had been placed in the barn
'Thursday, Was probably respow
sible for causing the fire. “It
couldn’t have been due to an
electrical short circuit.” Wolter
said. “because the fire started
on the side of the barn opposite
the electrical wiring.”
Value of the 20 tons of hay
was estimated at $430, the cur
rent market price. Two wagons,
one empty and one filled with
hay were also destroyed in the
blaze as were two sets of har
ness.
WEEKEND
VXIEWPOINTS
Although the question of a
gross receipts tax to cover busi
ness and professional licenses in
Kennewick jumped into the
headlines last week, the man
Who has worked for a business
license ordinance for years does
n't see any real prospect of the
license question being straigh
tened out for three years.
That statement came from
Councilman R. J. Holden in an
aside at a council meeting which
Was heard by only two persons
—City Building Inspector Fred
Clark and your correspondent.
The council may even let the
matter drag for a while again
because of the opposition which
has arisen from so many against
the proposals which have been
made. Every time a proposed
Plan is announced. you find a
sizeable group against it. '
Fire Destroys
Barn, Contents
The farmer, said there was
$1.500 insurance on the barn
itself. However, he added that
it would be impossible to replace
the structure for that amount
of money. Total loss because
of the fire was estimated at
83,500 by the Kennewick fire
department.
Assistant Fire Chief Johnnie
Dickinson led the Kennewick
volunteer fire department in
fighting the blaze. ~-
@ll2 Kenmmirk Glnurier- fawnmr
VOL. XXXV. No. I?
‘DELINQUENT' PARENTS FACE ARREST
City's Founder
Coming Back Soon
Postmaster and
P. O. Builder
f” rosmas'rzn wosnnzn
W. H. SIEDEL
Picture of new post office
building and other information
on page 3).
Prunes
Headed
Ecsstward
Harvezting and shipment of
th;.. year’s prune crop got under
way this .week when two Ken
newick concerns started east
wa_r_d shipmenjs.
The Pasco Growers at Kenne
wick started Wednesday, while
the Big I nlant began Thursday.
The first- cars loaded are moving
by passeng' and express. A
freight refrige 'cor will also be
s!" -ned out.
Indications are "hat this year’s
crop will not be as large as last
year’s. but will be an average
crop based on past figures..
Mojonnier and Sons have
been shipping two to four car
loads of pot toes to eastern
points from their Kennewick
plant. The Pasco Growers have
moved out 20 cars since ship
ments started at Kennewick.
To Be- Turned Off
The Columbia irrigation dis
trict will turn the water out of
the canal on Sunday, the 7th of
this month, for weed and moss
cleanup. The water‘ will be out
for three days and will be back
in for use again on Thursday the
11th, F. B. Mason, secretary
manager, said yesterday.
Walla Wallan Will Run
City Bus line, If OK'd
Only formal action by the
Kennewick city counril remain
ed last night to set in operation
a new fleet of busses that will
give the city a new local trans
portation system. ~
The last service was discontin
ued July 7 when R. L. Hayford
reported that lack of patronage
made it impossible for him to
meet his insurance costs. He had
earlier taken the franchise from
James Winder who also with
drew because he was losing
money.
When contacted by telephone
at Walla Walla by the HERALD,
Neal said the situation had de
veloped rather fast and that he
was not certain on all phases of
operation.
Right now, he is getting his
equipment together, he said.
Present plans call for a three-
’ Herbert A. Hover, after whom
the town of Hover is named and
who is often given credit for
being the founder of Kennewick,
is coming back to his old stamp
ing grounds this fall.‘
Hover, who has, rolled up a
total of a million miles of ground
covered in his days, now more
than 80 years old, is on a tour
that will cover much of the USA.
and extend down into Mexico,
the West Indies and South Am
erica. Kennewick will be one of
the places he and Mrs. Hover will
visit on this tour.
In letters to the Courier-Report
er and L. E. Johnson, one of his
old Kennewick friends, Hover
said he was looking forward to
the trip here and to meeting
“many of my old friends.”
On reading that part of the
letter, Johnson remarked: “I
guess he will be disappointed;
most of his old friends have left
here.” -
Another old friend of Hover’s
is M. M. Moulton, Kennewick
lawyer, who used to handle
Hover’s legal work when he was
in the real estate business here.
(Continued on Page 2)
Talkathon
Will Aid
Hospital
Alfred Amon, chairman of the
Kennewick Hospital fund drive.
announced today that S. F. Al
den, would talk “until he drops"
for the benefit of the Fund Drive.
Alden will appear in the win
dow of Washington Hardware
and Furniture store beginning at
9 a.m. Monday August 15.:where
he will talk, play records, in
terview prominent individuals,
passersby and anyone who can
be induced to talk about the
hospital. ‘
Dr. Jack D. Freund gave Al
den a physical examination and
pronounced him fit for the grind.
However, he advises Alden to
rest up until the morning he
starts his talkathon.
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ‘
Alden is well qualified for this
assignment, having 15 years ex
perience in the entertainment
field. He has traveled extens
ively with road shows, and in
vaudeville,'and has appeared in
night clubs and on the radio as
master of ceremonies and as an
entertainer.
He arrived in the Tri-city area
last February as a member of
the Montana Plainsmen and lik
ed the area so ~well that he de
(Continued on Page 2)
Return From
Alaskan Cruise
Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Simsen of
West Kennewick Highlands, re
turned Wednesday from a 12-day
cruise to Alaska on the C. P. R.
steamship . “Princess Kathleen.”
The trip was through the fa
mous “Inside Passage" and they
report that the cruise through
the narrow channels, sheltered
by high snow-covered moun
tains, will be an unforgettable
event. Especially interesting Mr.
Simsen said, were the long sum
mer days, the cruise-into Gla
cier Bay, and the deepest pene
tration by the' “Kathleen’ this
year into the .ice flows toward
Muir glacier. The cruise through
the narrow, winding Behm canal
and the stop in the picturesque
punch bowl was also especially
enjoyed, he said. They took the
trip over White Pass, the Gold
Rush trail of ’9B on the narrow
gauge White Pass and Yukon
railway to Whitehorse on the Yu
kon river. On the return journey
thely visited in Victoria and Se
att e. ‘
bus system with two operating
and one in reserve. The routes
the busses will follow have not
yet been mapped out, but Neal
reported that he and Dick Rector,
city superintendent, intended to
get together some time next
week.
As to fares, he reported the
prospective fare for adults at 12
cents, with the children’s fare
halved. Later, a three for 35-
cent token may be used. There
will be transfer privileges.
When Hayford stopped operat
ing, he figured his earnings at
$2.13 a day. This didn't allow for
depreciation of equipment. He
reported averaging 150 fares a
day.
Schedules are tentatively set
for 30 minutes on each route, but
may be changed to 45 minutes,
depending on loads.
Ordinance
Passed By
Council
Parents who through negli
gence or otherwise allow their
children to wander away from
the straight and narrow, are to
become subject to prosecution
in the city court, if a new or
dinance passed on first and sec
ond readings Tuesday night be
comes a law.
The ordinance, drawn up -by
the city attorney with the coop
eration of Police Chief Jacob
Jessup, Would make it a mis
demeanor for a parent or any
other person to cause children
to become delinquent. Children
are classified in the ordinance
as persons under 18 years o:
age.
The ordinance states that a
person may be considered as
contributing to the deliquency of
a minor child by failing to su
pervise the child proper.
Chief Jessup said that if the
ordinance is passed, it will make
it: possible for the police depart
ment to handle cases which
now are beyond their reach. He
said children are often found
left in automobiles out in the
streets or back in some poorly
lighted parking lot. Parents are
often guilty of going out nights
and remaining out until the ear
ly hours of the mornings while
their children are left alone at
home, a councilman said.
A maximum fine of SIOO is set
by the ordinance with an alter
native of 30 days in jail, and an
offender may be fined and sent
to jail both. -
KenneWick ‘
Methodists 4.
To Raise Fund
'o The finance committee of the
Kennewick Methodist church
met Sunday and made plans to
raise a sum of $2,990. .
Purpose of the funds is for a
list of different expenses, in
cluding a last year deficit, paint
ing the window frames of the
church, remodeling and furnish
ing the parsonage, remodeling a
room to make additional space
for the large nursery and kinder.
garten class and wages for Miss
Betty Bowman who will join the
staff in September as parish
worker in'charge of youth activ
ities. Miss Bowman is a gradu
ate of W.S.C. at Pullman with
this spring’s class. About 30
workers are contacting church
members this week to raise the
funds. -
Rev. Alwyn Shyer, ex-secre
tary of the board of education
of the Pacific Northwest confer
ence; and associate director
Miss Ethel Weaver, who is in
charge of childrens’ work, both
from Tacoma, will be at the
Kennewick Methodist church
this Sunday to study the Sunday
schools and will meet Sunday
afternoon and evening and Mon
day with the Sunday School
teachers and discuss their de
partments. They will study the
church plans and recommend
any further remodeling or ex
pansion necessary.
On Aug. 8 a joint official
board meeting and Sunday
school workers council meeting
will be held at which time Rev.
Shyer and Miss Weaver will re
port their findings and make
their recommendations.
Praise Given To
Hospital Groups
Alfred C. Amon, chairman of
the Kennewick hospital fund
drive, today praised the work be
ing done by drive committees.
“The success of this drive,”
Amon said, “is entirely depend
ent on the work done by the vol
unteer workers on the commit
tees. As you know, we have no
professional help and must de
pend on the citizens of Kenne
wick to put this campaign over.”
“I am especially grateful to
the chairmen and workers on
the field, commercial, publicity
and special projects committees.
They have organized their units
and are getting a wonderful job
done. Their cooperation is an in
spiration to all of us connected
with the drive,” Amon said.
Mrs. Frank Beste, chairman of
the field committee, said her
group is simply awaiting. a few
minor arrangements before mak
ing actual contacts with the pub
lic. “We have divided the city
into seven districts, each .of
which is in charge of a vice
chairman,” she said. “The Vice
chairmen in turn have appointed
five assistant chairmen in each
district who have secured the
help of five field workers and
(Continued on Page 2),
KENNEWICK. WASHINGTON. FRIDAY. AUGUST 5. 1949
OFFICIALS APPOINTED TO
SERVE IN CITY ELECTION
A HATCHERY became a store in the movement of Kennewick westward. Here is shown Robert
Chalcrait. who. with Mrs. Chaicrait. conducted a chick hatchery for 2'] year: on Rudkin road
west of Kennewick. When the city limits extended to their property. they turned their main
hatchery into a store. built another store and rented it nearby. and moved the hatchery busi
ness to another building.
Finley Grange Pays Honor
Here To National Master
INTRODUCING
This is the second of a series
of short stories introducing Ken
newick business and profession
al people to the community. '
Today’s feature introduces:
Harold G. Pyge of Me 82
Spaulding, real estate and in-
Brochure On
Kennewick Is.
Now Available
In order to better acquaint]
Kennewick citizens and those in- l
terested in Kennewick with what]
the town has to offer, the Keno“
newick Chamber of Commerce
has printed a brochure which
contains business statistics. ag
ricultural information, past his
tory and items of general inter
est. ,
The history in the brochure
goes back to the founding of
Kennewick by C. J. Beach, a
millwright, in 1883 and is car
ried on up to present times.
Printed in green ink, the
pamphlet has a small map of
Washington, Oregon and Idaho
on the front cover with the Ba
sin Empire showing as a magni
tied portion.
The brochures are available at
the Chamber of Commerce of
fice, 22 Auburn St., and may be
had for the asking. ~
K ennewick’s Business
And Professional People
To THE COMMUNITY
HAROLD G. PYFE
“BOB" MATHESON
surance firm who are agents for
Vista Homes.
Robert .8. Matheeon. owner of
Matheson Variety and connected
with Fyfe & Spaulding as a sales
representative.
Mr.- Fyfe (“Hoddy to his
’friends came to Kennewick on
March 21, 1911, and lives at
1009 Kennewick Avenue West.
Other members of the family are
Mrs. Spaulding and their only
son who is married and living
in Yakima. Mr. Fyfe was born
in St. Joseph, Mich. He is a
member of the Chamber of Com
merce and was a charter mem
ber of Kennewick Kiwanis club.
His hobby is carpentery and is
now personally building a pa
tio at his home.
Mr. Matheson is one of the
youngest business men in Ken
newick. He lives on Route 2 in
the South Highlands in a new
house. “Bob,” as he is called, was
born in Sunnyside, came to Ken
newick in 1946. He is married
and has two sons. Belongs to
Chamber of Commerce, Active
Club. Kiwanis Club, American
Legion, Veterans of Foreign
Wars, and is a Naval Reserve pi
lot. His diversion is flying.
Efforts For Kennewick's
P. 0. Started Years Ago
Completion of the new post
office building on First avenue
and its occupancy Monday morn~ 1
ing are the culmination of efo
forts started years ago. 1
Three postmasters have been
involved in recent efforts to get
a better and larger building. Pre
sent Postmaster \‘.7alter \fonnlnr
can recall efforts being made in
1945 when Frank H. Lincoln was‘
postmaster and he was assist-1‘
Finley Grange paid honor to a
native son last Wednesday night.
He was Albert S. Goss, nation
al master of this nation wide
farm organization. who once he
longed to the Finley local.
Goss was here on a visit as
well as part or a tour of the
northwest in the interest of the
organization. The meeting was
opened at 8:30 p.m. o'clock and
general business which comes up I
atdregular meetings was tlansac-.§
te . ;
The road committee chairman
asked that farmers cut weeds
along the highways of their re
spective places.
Home Economics chairman re
minded the ladies ot - the can
ning contest. Auxiliary will meet
Sept. 7, 2 p.m. at the hall. .
The fair chairman urged the
people to prepare now for exhib
its.
Lecturer Harman Wilcox pre
sented the following program:
Two folk dances by the Youth of
Kennewick Valley under the di
rection of Miss Pat Armeling;
two songs by Jeanette Misner
accompanied by Jean Campbell;
a skit, “The Cuortship'of George
and Marge," by Hugh and Jean
Lucke; a tap dance by Betty
Ann Landi; song by Buena Vis
ta Grange, dedicated to Mr. Goss;
a short talk by Page Carter and
(Continued on Page 2)
Union Election
Petition For
Workers Slated
Filing of a petition for a un
ion election among General
Electric company office workers
is expected shortly, C. C. Newell.
international vice president of
the Office Employes union (AF-
L), said.
He said the union is busy
signing up office workers
throughout the plant. The num
ber of workers eligible to join
the union is estimated at more
than 1200. The National Labor
Relations board requires 30 per
cent to sign pledge cards before
an election can be scheduled.
Negotiations recently were
completed of a contract between
the office workers and North
Richland contractors. The agree
ment included general wage in
creases of $4 a week, isolation
pay of $1.50-$2 a day and other
benefits.
iant. Then it was pushed when
Roger Record was postmaster
and continued under the present
regime. Records was appointed
in January of 1946 and resigned
in June of 1948. Woehler was ap
ipointed acting post master at
gthat time and received his com-g
:mission as post master last May. 4
* (More details of the post offiee
.conslruction and opening on an;
tinside page of this issue.) J
5: a Copy—s3.oo a Yea!
Kennewick city council Tues
day night adopted a resolution
appointing officials to serve in
the city water bond election on.
August 29.
There will be 11 precincts in
which residents of the commun-_
ity who are qualified will vote
on the question of whether to
purchase the two existing do
mestic water systems and to is
sue a million dollars worth of
bonds for expansion and im
provement of the systems. The
two systems would be consoli
dated into one. _
In each precinct there will be
an inspector and two or more
judges of election.
Following are the names of
the precincts, location of the vot
ing places, and the officials, the
first named being the inspector
in each case:
Ward 1, precinct 1. City Hall-
Helen Mason, Bertha Foraker.
Maurice Cloud, Elaine Rupp.
Ward 1. precinct 2, Holiness
church—Vera Thompson. Nettie
Wills, Maria Billingslcy.
Ward 1, precinct 3, Carl’s
Plumbing & Heating Shap—
Lydia Beste, Lena Rogers, Myrtle
Engstrom.
Ward 2, precinct 1, Richmond
Implement—Marilla Oliver, Flor
ence Oliver, Marjorie Yedica.
Ward 2, precinct 2, Legion
hall Medora Stunn. Leona
Whittemore, Mabel Rich; md.
Ward 2, precinct 3, Recreation
hall—Richey Hopkins, Neva S.
Shick, Rita Welch.
Ward 2, precinct 4. Arbor
Homes. sales office Jessie
Bowelle, Mrs. Joe Carrick, Ber
ness A. Alder.
Ward 2, precdinct 5. Modern
Homes house Georgia Staley.
Clarisa Keene. Mary Elna. .. .
Ward 3, precinct 1, Guns.
Supply Mary Bartlett, Ellen
Shaughnessy, Mrs. Frank Green.
. Ward 3. precinct 2, Ballaines
store—Mrs. Chet Dunne, Marie
Samson, Lola M: eke.
Ward 3, precinct 3, Giard Sons
-—Mabel C. Glen! and Louise 0.
Shaw, - Judges. No inspector
named. ‘
Benton’s
Valuation
Increases
Figures released this week by
county assessor - Ira Hartman
show that the assessed valuation
of Benton county for 1949 has in
creased $3.833.690 over the valu
ation for 1948.".
A breakdown of the figures
with the 1948 total given first
follows: land-« 54,235,410 to $4,-
363,540 for an increase or $129,-
130; improvements on land --
$2,176,310 to $2,547,090 for an in
crease of $370,780: city 10t55989,280
$989,280 t0x51,363,780 for an in
crease of $374,500; and improve
ments on 105t—53,314,560 to 84,-
567,470 for an increase of 81,-
261,910. -
The assessment on personal
property rose $1,697,370 from the
1948 figure $2,095,390 to $3,792.-
760 this year.
Hartman pointed out that these
values represent property assess
ed by his office only and do not
include any of the utilities as
sessed by the State Tax Commis
sion. A large percentage of the
increase is from new construction
and new plats not before on the
tax rolls.
Benton Rodeo
Qffices Opened
Benton County Rodeo offices
have been established in the S. l:
J. automobile building at the
corner of Benton and Kenne
wick avenues. The office will re
main there until after the rodeo
is completed on Aug 21.
Earl Maggelson, spokesman for
the Rodeo said that tickets and
full information will be avail
able at the office.
Maggelson added that stencils
for the sides of automobiles may
be obtained at the Graves Auto
Service, 15 N. Benton street.
There is no charge for having
the stencils put on the car and
the dye will not harm the finish
and can be washed off. the
spokesman concluded.
Altered City
Hall Open Soon
Remodeling of the Kennewick
city hall will be completed with
in the next week, according to
City Superintendent Dick Rector.
The space formerly used by
the public library has been tak
en over by city officials. The
clerk. treasurer and building su
perintendent will profit from the
space enlargement.
A new vault of concrete blocks
is being built in the rear of the
{fire station. The old vault in
fithe treasurer‘s office will he
iused at the police station when
lthe new vault is ready.