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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1959)
Daily except Sunday U.S. May Have More Radioactive Fallout Than Other Nations WASHINGTON (UPI) New evidence before Congress indicates the United States may have more to fear than any other major country from radioactive fallout produced by nuclear explosions. Fallout, mainly from Soviet nuclear tests promises within a few months to double the amount of radioactive Strontium 90 in a belt centered on 40 degrees north latitude, which I passes through the middle of Firm Paid Large Sum To Unions WASHINGTON (UPI) The Senate Rackets Committee heard testimony today that a big East Coast printing firm paid out more than $300,000 to union officials to get favors from the tcamstyrs and longshore unions. Executives of the Neo Gravure Printing Co., Wechawkcn, N. J., said the money was paid to Harold-Gross, ox-convict president of teamsters Local 300 in Miami, and to Cornelius Noonan, head of Local 1730 of the International Long shoremen's Association. They said $45,750 was paid to the pair during a 1948 teamsters strike to make possible night de liveries of newspaper supplements to the New York Times and Mir ror. . The company prints Sunday sup plements for a number of East Coast newspapers. Its officials said the Time and Mirror later reimbursed Neo Gravure for the payments to the union officials. Payment For Peace - Sen. Karl E. Mundt (R-S.D.) suggested that, off icials of. the two newspapers be asked whether they deducted the payments as business expenses for tax purposes. The Neo Gravure executives said Gross was paid $100,000 over a 13-year period to keep peace with the teamsters. In addition, they said, $28,000 in cash was paid to Gross over seven years so that copies of the American Weekly could be deliv ered to the New York Journal American without fear of a juris dictional dispute between the teamsters and the Newspaper and Mail Deliverers Union. - ' Sing Sing Graduate William P. Hillbrant, treasurer, and Charles E. Chenicek, vice president and general manager of Neo Gravure, said the firm paid salaries to Gross totaling $98,459 at the rate of $143 a week plus $460 a month since 1945, when he went on the payroll as a foreman. Committee staff members said Gross was hired several months after being paroled from Sing Sing Prison where he had served about three years of a sentence for ex tortion. , Earlier, 13 officials of the New York Newspaper Deliverers Union took blanket refuge behind the Fifth Amendment when asked if they received payoffs from news paper distributors. . Called before the committee in groups of threes and fours, the witnesses including nine mem bers of the 10-man union Execu tive Board all pleaded possible self incrimination to avoid an swering questions. JUST ROCKS MONTREAL (UPI)-City offi cials today launched an investiga tion into garbage collection after learning that employes of some private firms that get $6.80 a ton were loading up with rocks. '. Small but Mighty! "I sold it the first day I'd call that immediate results.' says Mrs. Holmes. . 32 Appliance, ate. 92 MONTGOMERY Ward chest type freezer, good condition. $150. xxx C Are. WO x-xxxx. Small ads small costs and Big Results! That's Classified Ads. Call WO 3-3161 La Grande Evening Observer the United States. The evidence was placed before the joint congression al subcommittee on radia tion by the Atomic Energy Commission Tuesday dur ing the first of four days of hear ing on the fallout problem. The information was accompanied by charts showing that: Ih mef CO arii,antivilv frnm III lif.J I tl i i.j 11 urn Russian tests for the first time exceeded the combined total for the United States and Britain. Nearly three-fourths of the Soviet total was spewed into the stratos phere during tests last October. The rate of testing by all na tions during the two years exceed ed by 75 per cent the annual maximum recommended to the subcommittee by a panel of sci entists in 1957. The Northern Hemisphere is four to five times more radioac tive than the Southern Hemi sphere. All of the Soviet test fall out and two-thirds of the U.S. ra dioactivity from Eniwetok falls in the Northern Hemisphere. Even with the big increase, the Atomic Energy Commission does not think the radioactivity created so far will have "statistically sig nificant" effects that would be apparent from observations to the average man. Fifty to 109 additional cases of cancer per year a possibility would constitute Individual trage dies but would be lost statistically among the average of 700,000 can cer patients under treatment in the United States. The north latitude localization of stratospheric fallout, previously thought to be uniform over the world, was described as the most important of-the several disclos ures before the subcommittee. Dr. Lester Machta of the U.S. Weather Bureau said this means that fallout danger in the affected area is two and one-half times greater than would be the case if the distribution were uniform around the globe. He Hasn't Any Place To Hide COLUMBUS, -Ohio (UPI) Penitantiary newspaper colum nist Htrb Cheatham predicted the Indians will clobber the Yankees for the American Lea gut pennant. He added: "It it hoped the Cleveland club doesn't let this writar down after going hit far out on a limb. There ain't no place here to hide.' Sonar Equipment For River Search Being Flown In PORTLAND (UPI) Sonar equipment provided by the Bcndix Corporation at Los Angeles was being flown to Oregon for possible use today in probing the Cascade Locks canal cast of here and pos sibly other upstream areas of the Columbia river for the station wagon of Kenneth It. Martin of Portland. The bodies of two members of the missing family, daughters Sue, 11 and Virginia, 13, were found in the Columbia Sunday and Monday. Pathologists listed death by drowning in both cases. The parents and a third daughter are still missing. Bcndix portable sonar equip ment was used before In a search for the missing Martins on the Columbia. That time, last Janu ary, equipment also was flown here from Los Angeles but results proved negative. , City Officials Vote Themselves A Raise PORTLAND (UPI) Top Port land city officials voted them selves a oav hike Tuesday. Mayor Terry Schrunk will re ceive $15,000 a year instead of $12,880. The other city commis sioners will get $12,500 annually instead of the present su.ow. The new rates are effective July L LA GRANDE, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1959 ji-n lY? A wink, a head nod or a lifted finger these were signs which signaled the kiss of death yesterday for Pondosa, Ore. as the auctioneers recognized the various maneuvers as bids on sawmill equipment, MOT REX ROBERTS Neuberger Asks Support From Hatfield WASHINGTON (UPI) Sen. Richard L. Neuberger (D-Ore) to day urged his state's Republican governor, Mark Hatfield, to sup port his bills to expand federal revenues so money would be available to increase allocations to the states under the water pollu tion control program. Neuberger's statement came in response to a letter from Hatfield asking him to back an increase in appropriations for water pollu tion control above the sum con tained in President Eisenhower's liHiO budget. Neuberger said he favored such an increase but that more money must be found to finance such undertakings. "Since you have urged an ap propriation above that contained in the President's precariously balanced budget, I hope that you will support my proposals to raise federal revenues needed to meet the cost of this and other essen tial governmental programs not Drovidcd for in the President's program." Neuberger listed the Green Peter dam project and the Yaquina harbor project. He explained he recognized "revenues must be found to meet important national needs and had introduced bills to raise the motor fuels excise tax, re-impose the excess profits tax, reduce to 15 per cent the depletion allow ance of oil and gas companies and permit Ihe Post Office De partment to fix rates consistent with costs so as to eliminate op erating deficits. RED CHINA ENDS HOPE FOR TIBETAN SUCCESS. TOKYO (UPI Communist China ended today any Tibetan hope of independence or even self-government within the Com munist empire. It predicted total communization once the Tibetan rebellion thas ended. Peiping admitted the anti-Communist uprising had spread to three mainland provinces stretch ing almost to Inner Mongolia but said "in the main" the rebellion has been quashed. An official Red Chinese assess ment of the Tibetan situation, a KISS OF DEATH AUCTIONEER'S END OF OLD BY H. E. PHILBY Observer Staff Writer ; PONDOSA (Special) This ghost town had a one-day revival of life yesterday under the chant of an auctioneer and thousand? of visitors and sawmill and real estate bidders. . All that remains today is the job of moving out houses and thousands of sawmille equipment pieces and the memory of a one time active and thriving lumber village of 250 people. Although Va'setz Lumber Com pany officials and auctioneers an nounced that it was hoped the town would be bought in one piece and retained as a town, but the 543 registered bidders decided differ ently. Not a single bid was en tered for the entire site of 53 homes, 11 industrial buildings, a water system and 280 acres of land. Rex Roberts, representing the Northwest Machinery Sales Com pany of Roseburg successfully bid $7,750 for the sawmill property, hotel, general store and II indus trial buildings, all located on about 240 acres. He later purchased the two wells and equipment which was the mill and town water sup ply system. ' One house was in cluded in the sale. Roberts said he had no idea what the firm would do with the mill and town site, but that ownership of the buildings would allow his firm to temporarily leave other equipment at Pondosa that was purchased during the auction. The first piece of real estate put up for auction was a house with 35 acres. This was bought for $7,600 by F. L. Dorman of Star, Idaho. He purchased the property for his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Dorman, of Rt. 1, Baker, who plan to farm the acreage. Some of the 53 homes sold for as little $300. Cost of mov ing the houses was estimated at between $300 and $1,000, depending on the size of the house. The prices were based on moving the houses to either La Grande or Baker. Total sale price was $33,925 (or the separately sold houses, real estate and industrial bui'dings. Employes of the Milton J. Wershow auctioneering company 12 000-word editorial in the offi cial Peiping's Peoples Daily, was broadcast today by Feiping na dio. It eave Prime Minister Jawa- harlal Nehru of India a dressing down for his statements on Tibet. It proclaimed total Communist authority over the Himalayan kingdom ruled for centuries by a Dalai Lama. It warned that "no interference bv an foreign country or by the United Nations under whatever pretext or in whatever form will be tolerated. Established AT PONDOSA homes and real estate. Legitimate bidders and just plain sightseers are shown above while a locomo tive was auctioned for $27,000 to a Portland scrap dealer who said he would use the vehicle in his operations. CHANT MARKS LOGGING TOWN of Los Angeles, Calif, are pouring over sales records today, trying to determine the total auction figure. Bidders are here paying for their purchases and arranging to move their items. The 551 registered bidders repre sented numerous large lumber firms in Oregon, California, Wash ington and Idaho, as well as local area residents interested primarily in the houses, office equipment and small shop items. It took 11 hnurs. from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. to complete the sale. Three auctioneers varied me pace to suit the mood of the crowd. Some items, among the literally thousands offered for -sale, auc tioned at ridiculously low figures and other pieces of equipment Held Manager Prisoner Then Robbed Bank ONTARIO, Calif. UI'1 - Two handits held a bank manager pris oner during the night and then ac companied him to his Bank of America branch tins morning u fore fleeing with an estimated $60,000 to $70,000, mc rui an nounced. . . The two men, one tnll una me other short, went to the home oi munuger Frank Colella about p.m. Tuesday. The tall man iden tified himself as "Sgt. Murphy" of the Ontario Police Department and, urihoiigh the men were not in uniform, Colella permitted them to enter. After entering the, house, the bandits drew guns and told Co lella they planned to roti the bank branch. Then they forced the man ager and his wife and his father into the Colella car. Colella said the men drove them around Or ange and San Bernardino coun ties throughout the niglil. When the time lock on the bank vault was due to open, the five people entered the bank at 8:50 a.m. before other employes ar rived and took the money from the vault. They left Colella and" his wife in the bank while they fled in the manager's car. The car was found minutes la ter abandoned in the parking lot of a motel in this community 35 miles cast of Los Angeles. The FBI said the bandits were seen driving away in a late model two-tone Buick. The Highway Patrol, police nd sheriff's departments in all nearby Southern California counties were alerted by an all-points bulletin for the bandits. WEATHER Sunny today and Thursday; some high clouds; high today 55-60; low tonight 28-34. High Thursday 60 - 66. Outlook through Monday Mostly sunny and warm; no rain; highs 58-68; lows 28-38; no .serious trosts. Price 5 Cents (Observer Photo) equally ridiculously high figures M. Gale Beals of Mt. Emily Lumber Company ,a subsidiary of Valsctz, said that for the most part he was happy the way the auction was going. It .was Beajs whoninde the ignored request that the entire townsite and homes be maintained as a single unit. Numerous local residents ex pressed remorse over the death of Pondosa, particularly in view of the' potential of the area as a tourist attraction because of the nearness to the geographic center of the United States as recently determined. , The death of Pondosa also marked the demise of the Big Creek and Telocaset Railroad This 14-mile private track line owned by a Portland investor, was built in 1!)26, when Pondosa was established, to haul logs from cutting areas to the sawmill. A 50- ton locomotive, owned by Mt. Emily and used on the line, was auctioned tor Manuel Schnitzer, Portland scrap dealer. Schnitzer paid $27,000 for the locomotive. John Wright New Union Recorder ; UNION (Special) John Wright was nppointed City Recorder and Municipal Judge at a meeting of the Union City Council Tuesday night. . - Mayor Wayne Fcrgcrson called for a city budget meeting for the night of May 8. At that lima a bid will be made on a city water prinklcr truck. At the meeting Albert George was appointed chairman of the ambulance committee. The coun cil a so insirucieo ia racmuruny to enforce the ordinance promo ting hike riders from using side f.alks on downtown streets. . They Tried To Winnie Call On WASHINGTON (UPI) Every- body tried to be cheerful-in the quiet sick rooms as Sir Winston Churchill tapped his cane along the hospital corridors with Presi dent Eisenhower at his side. But well-wishing could not di minish the tragic scenes they found when the President, 88, and his distinguished visitor, 84, went to call at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Tuesday after noon. They saw Gen. Georgia Catlctt Marshall, 78, America's World War II Army chief of staff, lying motionless and virtually speech less, the victim of a stroke. ' Then they saw John Foster Dul les, 71, the secretary of state who Legislators Pass Income Tax Bills; End Now In Sight SALEM (UPI) The 50th Oregon Legislature, expecting to wind up its work today, went into an afternoon session as the Senate became embroiled in a battle over state salaries. The Legislature passed its biggest hurdle Tuesday by ap proving an income tax program and sending it to Gov. Mark Hatfield. The Senate scheduled an afternoon vote on a motion to cut an appropriation for state salary increases from $3,150, 000 to $1,500,000. Sen Danl Dimick (Ii-Roseburg) propos ed the motion wnicn was cri ticized by Sen. Alfred Corbett (D-Portland). The Senate also, after spirited debate, passed with only six dis senting votes and sent to the gov ernor an approximate 10 million dollar building program for the Board of Higher Education. The main Income lax bill, which would climinato the federal in come tax deduction and lower rates, got by the Senate 19-11 aft er passing the House 33-27. A second tax bill would con tinue installment payments of state income taxes but with a one per cent per month interest charge to raise more money. It passed tho House 37-22 and the Senate 19-11. The House vote on the main in come tax bill was strictly along party lines with the 33 Democrats for and tho 27 Republicans against. In the Senate three Re publicans voted for the measure arid three Democrats voted against It. The GOP members in favor included Sens. Edwin Durno of Medfbrd, Dcnald Husband of Eugene and Francis Zicgler of Corvallis. The Democrats opposed were R. F. Chapman of Coos Bay, G. D. Gleason of Portland and Boyd Overhulse of Madras. Would Broaden Base The income tax bill lowers the printed rate from the present 3 to 9.5 per cent range to a range of 2.5 to 7.5 per cent. But by elimi nation of federal deductions legis lators feel it will raise enough to support an estimated 314 million dollar budget. Both Sens. Harry Boivin (D- Klamath Falls) and WardCook (D-Portland) said it was not an easy task to reach a stage of compromise because of the wide variance in tax ideas held by the House and Senate. Boivin said the main income tax bill would broad en the tax base through eliminat ing the deduction for federal tax es and would bring in a large number of taxpayers who had not paid a state tax in the past. But Boivin said the increases were not large. He said one fea ture included in the bill was a provision for persons living in Vancouver, Wash., and working in Portland to take the standard deduction which is impossible un der, present Oregon tax laws. An other section of the bill reducos withholding on agricultural work ers from 2 1-2 per cent to 2 per cent. The measure would raise state income tax receipts about 9 per cent and produce some 12 million dollars in revenue. Other Highlights Beard of Control: The Senate passed. 17-13 a bill to abolish the three-man Board of Control and sent it to Gov. Mark Hatfield where a veto was considered likely. Capital Cains: The Senate con curred in minor technical amend ments to the capital gains bill and sent it to the governor. The bill Is designed to attract new indus try. Trest Duad: The Senate com pleted legislature action on the "trust deed" bill and sent it to the governor. The amended bill provides an alternative method for financing homes in Oregon. Be Cheerful And Two only a few months ago soared across oceans in let tanner planes. Dulles, who is fighting the lavages of cancer, was in a wheel chair. Sir Winston, who moves with some difficulty himself because of what the President called the wear and tear of time, walked to the foot of Marshall's bed and chatted with the five-star gener al's wife for about two minutes. Mrs. Marshall assured the for mer prime minister that her hus band was delighted to see him. Marshall recognized Churchill, but was unable to converse with him. The meeting with Dulles lasted 17 minutes. Reporters were not present, but White House Press Secretary James C. Hagerty sup plied details, Steel Talks Still Fail Agreement NEW YORK (UPD Top steel company and United Steelworkers officials entered the second day of preliminary contract talks to day far apart on issues and un der a presidential warning against an inflationary settlement. President Eisenhower warned Tuesday the government' "cannot stand still and do nothing" if both sides do not take statesman-like action. Administration officials said they believed Eisenhower was trying to build up public opin ion against a wage increase that would lead to higher steel prices. Negotiators for both sides pledged to seek a non-inflationary agreement, but their positions, . dimmed hopes of avoiding a strikel after the three-year contracts, covering 500,000 workers in the basic steel industry expire June 30. Says Strike Likely The weekly magazine. The Iron Age, said nothing short of a mi racle seems likely to prevent a long and bitter strike. It said the USW might strike some compa nies and let others work. In that case, Iron Age said, the compa nies have provided for a mutual assistance plan under which oper ating firms would turn over part of their' revenue to those bit by walkouts. Eisenhower and leading econo mists have expressed fear that an " inflationary agreement in steel could t0uch.K a new wage-price spiral in tlie nation. A steel agree ment will set the pattern for wage talks in other basic industries such as aluminum and can mak ing. The union began individual bar-, gaining talks Tuesday with U.S. Steel, Bethlehem, Republic and Kaiser Steel. It met separately to day with those four firms and sev en other basic steef companies. The last of the industry's Big 12 will join netogiations Thursday. Upon completion of these pre liminary "sound off" meetings. possibly early next week, four man bargaining teams of each side will open the actual give-and-take talks. Couple Admits Slaying Children SAN DIEGO (UPD "I held my left hand under his chin, against his throat, and pushed down with my right hand on top of his head. I held him this way for about two or three minutes," A handyman was thus quoted by sheriff's deputies in describing how, with the alleged agreement of his common-law wife, he killed her two smalt sons because "they were a bother." Archie Mcrrlam. 37, after his arrest Tuesday, obligingly put bis left hand against his throat and his right hand behind his head to re-enact for news photographers how he strangled the boys Satur day night while their mother, Mrs, Wanda Brogdon, admittedly sat nearby in an auto. , Mcrrlam and Mrs. Brogdon were booked on suspicion of murder. Ike Pay Sad Sick Friends Hagerty said it was the first time to his knowledge that it was known Dulles "has to use a wheel chair." The State Department said later that Dulles still could walk, and used the wheel chair as a matter of convenience. Tuesday night, Eisenhower en tertained Churchill at a stag din ner which brought together 10 of the top World War II American generals and admirals who bad su ved with the British statesman. The President set up no pro gram for his guest today beyond a farewell stag dinner tonight Thursday, Sir Winston will switch lodgings. He'll move to the British Embassy for luncheon, dinner in his honor and an over night stay before going to New York Friday. ' ' . i