WEATHER
Variable clouds with a few,
afternoon showers today
through Wednesday; partial
clearing at night; highs 54
60; low tonight 32-37.
Established i8t6
233rd Issue 63rd. Year
LA GRANDE, OREGON, TUESDAY, MAY 19, 1959
Price 5 Cents
IT'S ALWAYS OPEN SEASON
Chris Christiansen is feeding trout in one of the three ponds on his fur farm at
Summerville. Christiansen-has three such ponds stocked with trout which he ob
tained through the county extension office in May, 1958. The fingerlings now are
10 to 12 inches in length and just right for eating. Union County Agent Ted Sidor
and Barrie, the diplomatic St. Bernard, are watching the trout churn the pool for
food. Raising trout is one popular method of making use of natural resources ;
while following good conservation practices. (Observer Photo) .'
Strauss Squeaks Through Senate
Commerce Committee By One Vote
WASHINGTON (UPI) Presi
aent tisennower s controversial
nomination of Lewis L. Strauss as
secretary of commerce squeaked
through the Senate Commerce
Committee totjaj!' by " one-vote
margin. . i
The vote was' 9-8, with three
committee Democrats joining its
six Republicans to outvote Strauss
opponents all Democrats.
Strauss, who had clashed repeat
. edly with most Democratic mem
bes during 16 days of hearings on
the hotly disputed appointment,
issued a one-sentence comment:
am grateful for the vote of
the' committee."
He was headed for more trouble
when the nomination reaches the
Senate, possibly later this month.
While some members expected
a long floor fight on the appoint
ment, Chairman Warren G. Mag
nuson (D-Wash) of the Commerce
Committee, who opposed Strauss,
said he did not expect it to last
too long.
Magnuson told newsmen he has
not discussed the scheduling of de
bate on the nomination, with Sen
ate Democratic Leader Lyndon B.
Johnson of Texas. Magnuson said,
however, that it is a case of "the
sooner the better, as far as I'm
concerned."
The three Democrats who voted
for the nomination were Sens.
John 0. Pastore (R.I.I, J. Strom
Thurmond (S.C.) and Frank J.
Lausche (Ohio). The six Republi
cans voting to approve were Sens.
John Marshall Butle (Md, Nor
ris Cotton (N.H.) Clifford P. Case
(N.J.), Thurston B. Morton (Ky.l,
Hugh Scott (Pa.) and Andrew F.
Schoeppel (Kan.)
Democrats recorded against
were' Magnuson arid Sens. A. S.
Mike Monroney (Okla), George A
Smathers (Fla.l, Ralph Yarbor
ough (Tex.), Clair Engle (Calif.),
E. L. Bartlett (Alaska, Vance
Hartke Ind.," and,..Qale McGee
iWyo.). . - v
Magnuson said reports by sup
porters and opponents will be
filed with the Senate Monday. He
said Pastore would file a separate
report favoring the appointment,
rather than, join 'the Republicans
and other two Democrats who vot
ed approval
Senate GOP Leader Everett M.
Dirksen (111.) forecast that the
Senate would approve the nomina-
lion by a "substantial margnt
Btit Schoeppel, ranking Republican
committeeman, refused to predict
the outcome.
Sen. Clinton P. Anderson (D-
N.M.), leading the fight against
Strauss, said the close vote means
"his confirmation is now most unlikely."
CENTENNIAL DAYS SET
FOR ELGIN RESIDENTS
Elgin (Special) Elgin will
hold a "Indian Valley Centennial
Days" celebration Saturday and
Sunday this week.
A 4-H Fair will be held in con
junction with the centennial cele
bration. First event Saturday of a day
long program, will be a Pony Ex
press race at 9:30 a.m. at the
athletic field. Maurice Beck' and
Ernie Adams are chairmen.
Second event is a bicycle race
for youths eight to 15. Orville
Wayt is in charge. Next is a
Phone Booth stuffing contest on
Main street. Ed Matsler and Mike
Chandler are in charge of this
event.
At 11:15 a market basket race
and a hot cake race will be held
for ladies. Hazel Moore is in
charge of these events.
Boat races on the Grande Ronde
River will be the first event of
the afternoon. Races will start at
1:30 p.m. Ernie Adams, chairman,
reports any type of boat with
horsepower up to 10 will be al
lowed.
Loggers will have a chance to
demonstrate their skills at 2:30
at Husky Field. Glenn Parsons is
in charge of this event. At 3:15 at
City Hall, a fly casting contest
will be held with Clarence Cqlder
in charge.
Horseshoe pitching is next with
Alex McKenzie and Tom Burton
in charge. A pack horse race is
set for 4:30 and at 5 p.m. the last
event, a quick draw contest, will
be held. Richard Cason and Ivan
Churchill are chairmen.
In the evening a dance will be
held at Stampede Hall under the
sponsorship of the Stampeders.
All concessions must be cleared
through chamber president Bob
Wiles. The O.E.S. Social club will
have a food booth on Main street
and the VFW Auxiliary will serve
hamburgers at the VFW Hall.
On Sunday an outdoor public
church service will be held at' the
Stampede grounds with Rev. Vol
riey Johnson in charge of arrangements.
'WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC
Administration Strategy
To Block Democrats Bill
, WASHINGTON (UPI I The ad
ministration agreed to a reduction
in its request for housing funds
today in a strategy move to block
a still bigger Democratic bill.
An administration spokesman
announced the decision on a com
promise shortly before the House
began debate on a Democratic bill
calling for $2,100,000,000 in housing
appropriations.
President Eisenhower had asked
$1,650,000,000 for the program, but
agreed today to back a $1,300,000,
000 compromise measure intro
duced by Rep. A. S. Herlong (D
Fla ). Herlong's measure had the
support of Republicans and many
southern Democrats.
Norman P. Mason, federal hous
ing administrator, announced the
administration decision. He said
he did not agree "in every detail"
with the compromise but that "we
have to be realistic."
Congressional Republican leaders
today described the housing mea-.
sure as a key part of Eisenhow
er's campaign to balance the bud
get. GOP leaders in both houses
urged public support of the bill.
The fight over a housing bill
shaped up as a showdown between
administration supporters and lib
eral Democrats. The latter have
strongly criticized Eisenhower's
economy recommendations.
House Speaker Sam Rayburn
said he believed the Herlong mea
sure would fail in a nonrecord vote
scheduled Wednesday.
Other conngressional news:
Atomic: The White House sent
Congress a series of agreements
under which the United States
would help Great Britain and
France sped up their develop
ment of nuclear weapons. Unless
Congress disapproves the pacts,
they will go in effect automatical
ly after 60 days. Under the agree
ments to France, and provide Brit
ain with enriched uranium, weap
ons parts and information.
Minimum wage: Labor Secretary
James .P. Mitchell spoke out
against a 25-cent boost in the fed
eral minimum wage proposed by
Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass.).
He charged that the measure
would lead to extensive loss of
jobs.-
McElroy
To Stay
in Post
Defense Boss -Changes
Plan
WASHINGTON (UPI) Secre
tary of Defense Neil H. McElroy
announced "at the White House to
day that he had cancelled plans
to resign and would remain in the
Cabinet indefinitely.
McElroy made his decision
known after he conferred with
President Eisenhower and
Thomas S. Gates Jr., who was- se
lected by the chief executive Mon
day to be the new deputy secre
tary of defense.
The secretary, who loaves
Washington for the foreign minis
ters meeting in Geneva late to
day, said he decided to change
his plans to resign when Deputy
Secretary Donald A. Quarles died
recently.
As McElroy and Gates walked
out of the White House, the de
fense chief said: "I am suspend
ing my plans for departure and
now I really don't know when I'll
be leaving if at all."
McElroy said that before leav
ing for Geneva he wanted to
clean up accumulated plans with
and Adm. Arthur W. Rad
ford, retired. Radford was called
back to duty Monday while Gen.
Nathan F. Twining, chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff is recup
erating from a lung cancer opera
tion. ...
McElroy said that his decision
to remain in office was not al
tered by the appointment of
Gates, but dictated by the death
of Quarles. McElroy, former pres
ident of Procter and Gamble, had
planned to return to private life
this fall.
He said he still had some
personal problems to resolve. But,
he added that because of the in
ternational situation and "the
problems of this summer" obvi
ously ; a 'rofoivwe to Etu-West
tensions and a possible summit
meeting "there was really no
choice for me after Quarles died.
Earlier, informed sources said
that McElroy expected to stay on
the job at least until the 19G1 de
fense budget has been completed.
FLOWER LOVER
UNPOTS PLANTS
The flowers, literally, have
gone to pot.
And 400 La Grande women,
members of the Women's City
Council, who placed newly
purchased flower baskets on
lamp posts along Adams Street
for the centennial year obser
vance, are up in arms about
it. .
In the last fortnight somo
lover of blossoms shinneyed
up one of the poles and re
moved the flower basket.
"Whoever took the 'flowers
could have no possible use for
them and the Woman's Coun
cil did purchase them for the
centennial to brighten up city
streets," Mrs. Joan Stuart,
of the flower committee, said.
The council, naturally, would
like to see the flowers return
ed to the lamp.
' However, for the benefit of
amateur investigators, a re
ward is being offered by the
council for the nature lover
who took the colorful artificial
blossoms.
Mrs. Truman's
Tumor Removed
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UPI)
A hospital spokesman said doc
tors should know today whether
the tumor removed, from the left
breast of Mrs. Harry S. Truman
was malignant.
Preliminary examinations indi
cated the growth was ' not malig
nant. It was removed during a
two-hour and 45-minute operation
Monday.
The former President paced the
floor while his 74-year-old wife.
Bess, was in surgery. He telephon
ed his daughter, Margaret, in New
York once during the operation
and again immediately afterward.
Truman told newsmen after the
operation that it was a "grand
success" and that his wife was
in a "very satisfactory condilon."
He looked tired. The spring was
out of his step.
"I just don't feel like any pic
tures today," he told photographers.
The surgery was performed by
Dr. Wallace Graham, the Tru
mans' family physician who at
tended them at the White House.
and Dr. Phillip Reister, Gra
ham' sassistant.
Accident Reported
To State Police
A two-car, no-injury accident
11.5 miles north of La Grande on
Highway 82, was reported to state
police at 5:35 p.m. yesterday.
Joe Anna Harris, 17, Elgin,
slowed her car down to pick up
a passenger when a car driven by
Arthur Furman, 61, Imbler, ram
med the rear of the Harris car.
Furman was cited for violation
of the basic rule and Miss Har
ris was cited for not having an
operator's license.
City Manager Treats
Department Officials
Twenty department heads of La
Grande's municipal government,
and other city officials, were
treated to an early morning break
fast at Riverside Park yesterday,
by City Manager Fred Young.
Young, Dave Slaught, city en
gineer, and Fire Chief Ray Snider
cooked the breakfast for the group.
The treat is an annual affair for
city government department
heads. Young served steak, hash
browned potatoes and pancakes to
the officials.
Couple Found
Alive Today
By Searchers
AlOAB, Utah (UPI) A Califor
nia man and his wife, missing
and feared drowned since their
boat capsized in the treacherous
Cataract Canyon of the Colorado
River Sunday, were found alive
today.
' Mrs. Lillian Rich, 64, Long
Beach, was picked up by a heli
copter at the confluence of the
Colorado and Green rivers in
Southern Utah after walking six
miles over rough terrain out of the
canyon. Her husband, Frank A.
Rich, 65, reported unable to walk,
was reported alive but still in the
canyon and a helicopter went to
attempt his rescue.
Mrs. Rich was taken to Dr. I.
W. Allen Hospital here. She was
spotted from the air by private
pilot Jim Hurst, Moab, one of the
sponsors of the weekend "friend
ship cruise" 196 miles down the
viver during which the accident
occurred. Hurst radioed a heli
copter piloted by Jim Dodie, Es-
calante, Utah. Dodie picked up the
woman and carried her to Grand-
view Point where she was trans
ferred - to Hurst's single-engine
place at. a small airstrip and
Drought here.
Mrs. Rich was reported exhaust
ed and in shock from her two-day
oraeal Dub her condition was listed
as good.
A son and daughter-in-law of
tne couple, Mr. and Mrs. Delbert
A. Rich, Cedar City, Utah, sur
vived the capsizing and walked out
of the canyon Monday.
They were anions more than 500
boaters who participated in- the
weekend cruise.
No Summit
f Reds
Try
IT
ror a tee
Threat
THE BIG BRASS BAND
SAID 'OOMPA, OOMPA'
MILAN, Italy (UPI) An official appearance by Kim
Novak at Milan's railway station Monday night disrupt
ed rail traffic, set policemen to fighting one another,
and almost caused an old locomotive to blow its stack.
Miss Novak showed up to do the honors at a retire
ment ceremony for a 44-year-old locomotive.
The excitement started when the blonde star, having
warmed up to the task at hand, discarded her furs, thus
' revealing a tight-fitting evening gown with bare shoul
ders and back.
"My God," gasped a police official. "We ought to
clamp a state of siege right now." ,
Railway officials were brushed aside by Novak fans,
who were brushed aside by policemen, who were brush
ed aside by press photographers. The gendarms, not
knowing whom to grab first, grabbed each other.
"Kim, Kim, Kim," chanted the crowd.
"Oompa, oompa, oompa," went the big brass band. .
'"VVhooo, whooo, whooo," went the old locomotive.
Miss Navok managed a feeble wave.
Flash Flood Brings
Havoc In Missouri
Pension Bill
For Railroad
Signed By Ike
WASHINGTON (UPI) Presi
dent Eisenhower today signed
legislation liberalizing nensions
under the railroad retirement act
and increasing unemployment in
surance benefits for railroad
workers.
The president waited until the
last possible day to act on the
hill.
In the absence of a veto, the
measure would have become law
automatically at midnight to
night. Bills on which no presi
dential action is taken become
law 10 business days after their
passage.
Railroads had urged the Presi
dent to veto the bill, arguing that
its requirements would make tax
load oppressive. It was reported,
however, that some Republicans
in congress had asked Eisenhow
er to sign the bill. .
The new law boosts railroad
pensions by 10 per cent and hikes
jobless pay benefits -20 per cent.
It also provides an unprecedented
52 weeks of unemployment com
pensation for laid-off workers
with 15 or more years service.
The measure closely follows
recommendations by railroad un
ions representing near a million
workers.
Dulles' Condition
Remains Same
WASHINGTON (UPI) John
Foster Dulles was reported under
heavy sedation today to ease the
pain of his cancer.
friends of the Dulles family
said the 71-year-old former sec
retary of state was sleeping
through many hours of the day
as well as the night due to the
sedatives.
They denied reports he- was in
a coma part of the time.
United Press International
A flash flood sent six feet of
water thundering into St. Joseph,
Mo., Monday night, killing one
man and forcing hundreds of per
sons to rooftops for safety.
The floodwaters subsided rapid
ly, uncovering the body of William
McKinley Thomas, 62. Thomas'
wife was missing and feared
drowned.
Thomas' body was found near
his car. Authorities believed he
and his wife were washed from
the auto by the wall of water.
The raging waters from Black
Snake Creek and backed-up storm
sewers came with such sudden
ness that residents had no time
to flee. Instead they climbed to
the roofs of their homes to await
rescuers in boats.
The floods came in the wake of
an unofficial 3.25-inch rain, one of
a number of violent storms in
Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Mis
souri during the night.
At least three tornadoes were
reported, striking at Corning,
Iowa, and in farm areas near
Denton and Powhattan, Kan. No in
juries or deaths were reported in
the twisters.
About six inches of mud coated
U.S. Appears
Out Of Picture
For Conference
GENEVA (UPI) - French and
West German objections appeared
today to have ruled out the United
States as a site for a Big Four
summit conference.
French President Charles de
Gaulle made it plain to the U. S.
he would refuse to attend a Big
Four summit meeting outside
Europe ruling out San Francisco
or New York.
West German delegation mem
bers also expressed their objec
tions to either New York or San
Francisco on technical grounds.
The British do not seem to have
any firm objections against the
site so long as the summit is
reached. They have been men
tioning an ocean liner in mid-Atlantic.
homes in the St. Joseph area and
officials said damage would run
into hundreds of thousands of dot
lars.
The flood water began falling
shortly before midnight when the
torrential rains stopped. Propane
gas tanks from homes floated
down streets turned into rivers
One home was ripped by an ex
plosion of unknown cause during
the height of the flood, but no one
was hurt. f
A large supermarket was de
molished by the force of the on
rushing water which pushed an
automobile into the building.
Roads were blocked by the
flood-waters and police and fire
men appealed tor volunteers with
boats to help rescue marooned
residents.
Man Queried
About Slaying
RENO (UPI) Oregon author
ities today questioned Edward J.
O'Conner, 38, in connection with
the slaying last weekend of a 62-
year-old San Francisco man at
Rome, Ore. i 1
Malheur County Sheriff John C.
Elfering of Vale and State Police
Sergeant Russell Haynes of On
tario closeted themselves with
O'Conner at the city jail shortly
after they arrived today.
Haynes said O'Conner, who has
waived extradition, had not been
questioned extensively yet. The
two Oregon officers planned to re
turn him to that state late today
or early Wednesday by auto.
"We have no other suspects at
this point" in the slaying of
Thomas Potter in a Rome motel,
Haynes said.
Potter's body was found by the
motel manager Saturday. He told
officers in Reno he rented the
room to Potter and an Ed O'Con
ner the previous night .
O'Conner was arrested by a
pair of detectives in a bar Satur
day night after cashing several
traveler's checks bearing Potter's
name. He was held on forgery
charges until police learned of
Potter's death.
The suspect identified himself
as a Giltner, Neb., truck driver.
He denied any knowledge of slaying.
Herter
Warns
Soviets
GENEVA (UPI) The United
States has told the Russians flat
ly that President Eisenhower
would not attend any summit
conference dnder threat of a new
Soviet ultimatum on Berlin, it was
disclosed today.
The western foreign ministers
resumed the fight for I heir cold
war package peace plan when the
Big Four conference opened its
seventh working session today.
French Foreign Minister Maur
ice Couve de Murville, taking up
where Secretary uf State Christian
Herter - left off Monday, made
another lengthy appeal to the Sov
iets to accept the plan.
In it the West offered global
troop Cuts and security in Europe
in exchange for a new deal on
Berlin and freedom for the 17
million Soviet zone Germans.
New Russian Threat
Earlier, .American sources dis
closed that Soviet Foreign Minister
Andrei Gromyko had raised the
threat of a new Berlin crisis if
the current Big Four talks are
not settled on Moscow's terms.
The sources disclosed that Her
ter rebuffed Gromyko's threat with
a near ultimatum of his own:
That Eisenhower will not go to
any summit conference under dur
essincluding any new move to
set a deadline for getting western
troops out of Berlin.
Couve de Murville went into the
conference with a long and de
tailed explanation of the West's
package plan. At the same time,
he reiterated the reasons why the
West has rejected the Soviet count.:
f.M.. ikhw USMJ.
with the two Germanys and aband
onment of Berlin by the West.
The East-West deadlock was not
limited to the Big Four conference
table. ' .........
Confer With Gromyko
Herter and British Foreign Sec
retary Selwyn Lloyd conferred for
more than an hour at noon with
Gromyko in an effort to get the
U J A .11
iaibkcu-uuwu iuiks on a nuclear
test ban off dead center. But they
failed to win Soviet acceptance of
western compromise proposals de
signed to speed up these talks.
Oromyko himself said after.
wards that the meeting was "not
conclusive."
Herter personally informed Gro
myko that the West's minimum
price for a summit conference
would be a stand-still agreement
recognizing the present allied
rights in Berlin until the foreign
ministers or tne heads vl state
can reach a final settlement.
The Hcrter-Gromyko exchange
was one of the most significant of
the Big Four conference.
Workers Needed
In Strawberries
Local recruitment h fill nfnriorl
for familv Erouns In wnrlr in th
strawberry Jiarvest In the Hills-
Doro area, according to E. O. Bur
rows, manager of the local state
employment office.
Strawberry picking is expected
about June 4. Burrows said family
accomodations will be available
and children 14 vears olrt nr niHnr
are acceptable if with parents.
Picking scale will be 414 to 5
rents per hallock, Burrows reported.
AFL-CIO IS LINED UP SOLIDLY
IN FAVOR OF WAGE INCREASE
WASHINGTON (UPD The
AFL-CIO lined up solidly behind
the United Steelworkers" wage
demand today and accused a
White House official ot making
statements in favor of steel pro
ducers.
Dr. Raymond J. Saulnier, chair
man of the President's Council of
Economic Advisors and target of
the charges, angrily denied he
was trying to influence the steel
wage neogatiations.
Steelworkers' President David
J. McDonald, an AFL-CIO vice
president, planned to return to
negotiations In New York City to
day after getting "wholehearted
endorsement" of his union's po
sition from the AFL-CIO execu
tive council.
The 29-membcr executive coun
cil, meanwhile, deferred consider
ation of changes It will seek In
the Senate-approved labor reform
bill. Council members studied a
legal analysis of the measure.
Carpenters Union chief Maurice
A. Hutcheson returned to good
standing as a. council member,
temporarily at least, after being
under fire in connection with an
Indiana highway scandal.
The council decided Monday to
defer action against Hutcheson
for refusing to answer Senate
Indiana situation until his trial on
bribery-conspiracy charges is end
ed. The carpenters' chief showed
up at his first meeting in more
than a year to defend himself. He
denied wrongdoings and said no
union funds were Involved in the
highway matter.
In its attack on Saulnier, the
AFL-CIO council accused the ad
ministration official of advocating
a wage freeze and bluntly advised
him to refrain from "prejudicial"
statements during the steel talks.
"Dr. Saulnier's insistence on
freezing wages at a time when
American corporation's profits
are soaring reflects his own pre
judices in the present economic
scene," the union leaders said in
a resolution.
"They suggest that he heed the
advice of other officials of the
U. S. government and allow col
lective bargaining to proceed with
out one-sided, prejudicial argu
mentation by one segment of the
government."
Saulnier, asked about the charg
es, denied he ever advocated a
wage-freeze or meant to influence
the outcome of the steel talks.
"I have tried most carefully
and I think successfully to avoid
any comment on the specifics of
the steel situation," he said. "I
had no intention of trying to Influ
ence in any way the outcome of
these negotiations."