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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1959)
WEATHER Partly cloudy today and to night, mostly sunny Friday; high both days 61-66; low to night 38-43. Established 1896 235th Issue 03rd. Year LA GRANDE, OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1959 Price 5 Cents i rjr is 71 JUNIOR HIGH LEADERS ELECTED Junior High School students here have named Dan Morris, center, above, to lead them as president next year. Other officers voted by students include from left, Carol Easley, secretary; Bob Dalton, vice president; Morris, Doug Hiatt, assembly committee chairman, and Carolyn Perry, treasurer. (Observer Photo) Committee Dumps or Higher Wheat WASHINGTON UPI The Senate Agriculture Committee turned down a proposal to offer farmers even higher price sup ports to help cut down the size of the nation's wheat surplus. Its decision cleared the way for floor action on a bill authoriz ing payments at 80 per cent of parity to farmers who cut their acreage and 65 per cent to those who .do not. . The House Appropriations Committee-today whittled $32,490,900 from the amount President Eisen hower requested for two key agen cies, the State and Just:ce depart ments. Altogether, the committee al lowed $649,896,700 for the two de partments nrA related agencies. Plane Crash Toll Mounts ASHIYA, Japan (UPI) The death toll rose to eight today in the crash of a huge jet-prop trans port into an Air Force barracks but the heroic actions of two men from New York prevented it from being much higher. Witnesses said Capt. Arthur Ber ken. 27, a doctor from Jackson Heights, and Airman 2C James V. Farrell. Levitlown, saved many of ' their fellow airmen. Farrell, loadmaster for the transport, was the first man in the plane to find a way out. He led the others through. 1 "If it wasn't for Farrell we'd all be dead;" said one thankful crewman. , Berken treated wounded near the crash for more than an hour before submitting to hospitaliza tion himself for burns and lacer ations of the scalp, leg aid thigh. His wounds were not considered serious. Berken a id Farrell were two of eight board the plane. One was killed ami the other seven injured. FEDERAL AGENTS CRACK DOWN 27 BIG NAME RACKETEERS WASHINGTON (UPI Feder al agents and state police began a coast-to-coast roundup today of 27 big name racketeers who at tended the 1957 gangland conven tion in Apalaehin, N.Y. Attorney General William P. Rogers disclosed that all of them were indicted by a federal Grand Jury in New York on charges of conspiring to obstruct -justice by refusing to disclose what went on at the November, 1957, under world meeting. Thirty six others, including Jo seph Barbara Sr., who was host at. the conclave in his hilltop Apalaehin home, were named as co-conspirators but not defend ants. Some of the men were routed out of bed at 6 a.m. as the nation wide crackdown began. At mid-morning, the Justice De partment said that 15 of the de fendants had been arrested and the others were being sought. ta-Nrv' r " The State Department was given $217,610,000, a cut of $10,725,000. The Justice Department was voted $264,100,000, a reduction of $10, 975,000. The U.S. Information Agency was allowed $113,057,300 or $7,492,700 less than the Presi dent recommended. In approving the bill for floor consideration next week, the House group, voted funds to es tablish a "brain trust,", in the State Department to mastermind econ omic and political countermoves against the Communists. It also okayed $200,000 for the Justice Department's special drive against the .nation's crime organi zations and said it expects "sub stantial and concrete results in the prosecution of the top hood lums and racketeers." However, the committee refused to provide $9,875,000 to build a new Alcatraz-type federal prison for hardened criminals. Hatfield Got A Polka-Dot Bow Tie Instead Of Medal LANSING, Mich. (UPI Michi gan's Democratic Gov. G. Mermen Williams gave Oregon's Republi can Gov. Mark O. Hatfield a polka-dot bow tie Wednesday. But -he should have pinned a medal on Hatfield. Hatfield dropped by for a social call, but before the day was over he was in the midst of Michigan's financial hassle on Williams' side. The 36 - year - old Republican shook the Michigan GOP when he said he had no use for sales tax es. Michigan Republicans see a boost in the sales tax as the solu tion to the state's fiscal woes. What tax does Hatfield like? Why, a graduated income tax, which, it so happens, is just what Williams wants from the GOP-con-trolled legislature. "Anything the sales tax can do will be done with a properly es tablished income tax," the trim s:x-footerm said at a news confer At least two of the men were reported to be members of the Mafia or ill-famed "Black Hand" society of Sicily. The New York Grand Jury that returned the indictments had been conducting an investigation of racketeering- and crime syndi cates, particularly in the ladies' garment industry, and of the East Coast traffic in na'cotics. Rogers said all 27 named as de fendants were accused of conspir ing to obstruct justice by giving false and evasive testimony about the rendezvous of racketeers at Apalaehin. Three faced additional charges of perjury on grounds they lied to police, investigating committees and grand juries. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and five years in jail, or both, on each count. The maxi mum .penalty for perjury, per count, is a $2,000 fine, two years in jail, or both. , 3. ' - V Proposal Supports On a lesser note, it also turned down a request for $35,000 to help the Supreme Court rid itself of birds who use the white marble court building as a perching place, Other congressional news: Gatei: The Senate Armed Ser vices Committee unanimously ap proved ,the nomination of Navy Secretary Thomas S. Gates to take over as deputy undersecre tary of defense. Gates was named to succeed me late uonaia a Quarles who died earlier, this month. Benson: Senate Republican Leader Everett M. Dirksen of Illi nois appealed to Senate Democrats to postpone their investigation of Agriculture Secretary Ezra T Benson's farm policies until after Congress adjourns. He also said Benson need have no concern because his courage, determination and Tightness "is shield and arm or enough for any investigation. ence. "The sales tax is regress ive." Hatfield's remarks startled the state GOP headquarters, which heralded his visit as a chance for Michigan Republicans to absorb the "philosophy and approach" of a Republican who scored an upset victory in November. However, Hatfield emphasised he was speaking "strictly in the context of Oregon. He told a joint session of the Michigan Legislature, "I am not here to tell you how to run your state. Hatfield came to town with 100 grey top hats to help Lansing cel ebrate its centennial. ' Oregon is marking its 100th year of state hood in 1959. The Oregon Republican chose to wear a Lansing Centennial bow tie rather than a green polka-dot bow presented by Williams. The green polka-dot bow is Williams' trade mark. Rogers said .today's mn-s ar rest was part of a long-range Justice Department drive against organized crime. ' Rogers aid the . indictments were returned last week but kept sealed until today because one of the 36 coconspirator Dominic J. Alaimo was being tried at Scran ton, Pa., on charges of violating the Taft-Hartley Act. He was found guilty on 34 counts Tues day. ' Defendants named included: Jo seph Bonarlno, Tucson, Ariz.; Jo seph F. ' Civello, Dallas, Tex., Frank A. Desimone, Downey, Calif.: Simone Scozzari, Rose mead, Calif. - Among those named as. a co conspirator was Vito Genovese, often termed the "don" or leader of the Mafia. He recently was convicted of violating the federal narcotics act. Barbara's son, Joseph Jr., also was named as a co-conspirator. Roseburg Girl Dies In Crash SAN JOSE, Calif. tUPI A Roscberg, Ore., girl was killed as pickup truck driven by a Moun tain View contractor rammed head-on into an auto carrying five San Francisco student nurses Wednesday night. All six persons were killed. A witness said the contractor, Warren Pope Hamilton, 43, Los Altos, had been weaving from side to side on Bayshore Highway for several miles before his truck, which apparently had no lights, drifted over the center line and collided with the auto 10 miles north of here. The nurses, who had been re turning to San Francisco from at tending a birthday party in San Jose, were: Oregon Girl Dies Dolores Godreau, 20, Hayward, Calif., the driver. Lois Wyrwa, 21, Sherman Oaks, Calif. Shirley O'Netti, 21," Placerville, Calif. Helen Patricia Wilkinson, 20, Soledad, Calif. Nancy Sullivan, 20, Roseburg, Ore. Clarence Krouse, San Jose, said he was driving directly behind the southbound truck operated by Hamilton, when the pickup, which had been "weaving from side to side, drifted across the center line. He said he had been fol lowing Hamilton for several miles, fearing to pass "because KPU couldn't tell what he would do." "I could ' see the lights of the oncoming car," Krouse said, "suddenly there was the crash. "The pickup jumped in the air. I could see the lights of the car go straight up as if a bomb had gone off underneath." Priest Administer Rites Krouse said Hamilton was driv ing about 35 miles an hour. "Other witnesses said the girls were traveling about 45 miles an hour in the outside of the two north bound lanes. " A priest driving by the accident stopped and administered last rites. Krouse and Highway Pa trolman Duri Dital and others freed the trapped bodies. The girls had been visiting fam ily friends of Miss Godreau in San Jose to. celebrate a birthday of another of the victims, Miss Wyrwa. All five girls were described as "fine" students at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco. Miss Godreau was president of her nursing class. All were to gradu ate June 21. Krouse and other witnesses told the Highway Patrol that Hamilton was apparently driving without lights. "I couldn't see any tail light," Krouse said. "And I remember commenting on it to my wife just before the accident." Poppy Sale Due Saturday La Grande Post No. 2990, Veter ans of Foreign Wars and auxiliary, will' IhoM Itheir annual lljddy Poppy sale downtown in La Grande tomorrow and Saturday. Post Commander Jim Ritchey said that two-thirds of the poppy proceds are used to give direct aid to disabled1 and needy veter ans. The money secured from the sale also aids the dependents and survivors of veterans who (Jo not have the means to maintain a suit able standard of living. City Manager Fred Young, in his annual proclamation, said, "I urge all patriotic citizens to wear a poppy as mute evidence of our gratitude to the men of this coun try who lipve risked their lives in defense of the freedoms which we enjoy as American citizens. UO STUDENTS WRITE ARTICLES A series of Interpretive ar ticles and guest editorials will be appearing In the Observ er with today's iue. , The articles were develop ed by University of Oregon seniors in journalism from the much longer reiearch papers they have written as one of the requirements for graduation. The original senior theses, which run up to 20,000 or 25 000 words in length, repre senting the end result of interviewing, research and writing on the part of the students. Emm inn l If; ,. , 1 PATRICIA FISK Scholarship JOY HAUN AND PAT FISK BOUND FOR Two La Grande High School girls, Joy Haun and Pa tricia Fisk, have been chosen to represent the American Legion Auxiliary of La Grande Post No. 43 at Girls' Slate June 19 to June 22. The meeting will be held at Willamette University in Salem. The two girls selected from the Junior class at LHS met the high qualifications necessary to attend Girls' State, namely, leadership, character, courage, honesty, scholarship, co-operation and physical fitness. Purpose of the program is to give the girls an op portunity to participate in the operation of govern ment. Joy is the daughter of Mrs. James Haun, and Pat is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. II. W. Fisk. City Officials Check Vale 'Lagoon' System By BUCK BUCHANAN I Observer Staff Writer A brief City Commission meet ing preceded a preliminary dis cussion of the 1959-60 city budget last night at City Hall. Commissioner W. I. Herrmann and City Manager Fred Young re ported on a trip to Vale to inspect the lagoon system of sewage dis posal that city uses. Herrmann eported tkat "I um. very Impres sed with the lagoon system it emits no odor and is very ef ficient." . The commission is presently viewing the lagoon systm and the regular type of sewage disposal plant system as passible disposal plants for the future in La Grande. Joe Harrison, rural resi- lent, also made the trip Tuesday and was reportedly favoraBly im pressed with the lagoort at Vale. The city manager reported that i downtown campaign to improve S'dewalks is under way and that one of three businessmen con tacted had agreed to put in new walks. v In other business. Homer F. George of Baker submitted low bid on a new motorcycle for the police force. George's bid was $1,530.25 and includes the trade- n of the old motorcycle. Discoverer III Launching Today SANTA MARIA, Calif. (UPI) The United States may make its first attempt today to place' animals in orbit around the earth and re ' cover them alive. Four specially bre3 black mice trained to withstand the rigors of space travel, will be penned up inside an ejectable capsul in a Discov erer III satellite set for launching today, according to Western Aviation magazine. Launching of the 1,600 pound satellite into a polar orbit will be at nearby Van denberg Air Force Base, the nation's West Coast missile facility. . . - . Elks Ball Set Saturday Niqht Members of Elks Lodge No. 443 here will hold their "Centennial Year Ball" at the lodge Saturday night from 10 to 1 p.m. . The dance committee urges members and their wives to wear centennial dress for the occpiion though dress is optional for the social event. The dance' will be last big social function of the spring season at the Elks Lodge. Rod Essylton's Orchestra, from Pilot Rock, will play for the centennial dance. INVESTIGATE FREIGHT CARS , WASHINGTON-(UPI) R!P Charles 0. Porter (D-Ore.) said today the Interstate Commerce Commission chairman told him congressional hearings on legisla tion to penalize railroads holding back freight cars would help solve shortages of box cars. Porter said the director of safe ty of the ICC told him the same thing. JOY HAUN Leadership GIRLS STATE Resolution 1704 which will cre ate a water main extension im provement on District No. 6 (Alder street) was passed by com missioners, The commission also voted in favor of deeding a section of lnnd adjoining the present Nation al Guard property, to the Guard The area encompasses three to four acres of land v The commission . directed the city manager and city attorney to draw up a resolution stating that the rental of city equipment for private use, would be prohibited After the short meeting, com missioners met with the remain der of the city budget committee which includes taxpayers, Chair man Rocsch Fitzgerald, NylioJ Lewis, Powell Graham, J. G. Eve son and A. B. (Spud) Olson in a preliminary discussion of the city' budget. The committee and com missioners will meet again Mon day for further discussion of the budget Annual Farm Tour Planned June 13 The annual farm tour arranged by the Chamber of Commerce will be held June 13 featuring a trip to the North Powder area and to the agricultural experimental station at Union Plans for the tour were made last night by agriculture commit tee members of the Chamber group. W. C. Laird is chairman of the special committee. The agriculture committee also made plans for helping in the livestock show in Union by making certain qualified buyers will be on hand to bid on the livestock which will be put up for auction by the 4-H club members. PP ill fnpr BOOST CENTENNIAL Some lucky area citizen will win two ducats to the Rose Fes tival Parade and the Portland Exposition early in June, thanks to the efforts of Delta Epsilon sorority to boost the centennial. The tickets will pay for transportation, ho tel rooms and for admittance to the Exposition. The lucky number will be drawn on the June McManus program "June Says' on KLBM June 4. Above, Shari Greulich, left and Mary Ruth Carnes, sell Bob McMillan a chance for the free trip. (Observer) AGC Adds Threat To Oregon's Woes In Labor Crisis PORTLAND (UPI) A threat by Associated General Con tractors to shut down construction work in Oregon added to the state's labor woes today. AGC said in a statement that unless the strike by Pile Drivers Union members is halted "in the immediate future" it has authorization from its membership to stop "all bridge construction and related construction throughout Oregon." It also asked the Highway contracts until labor differences are settled. The Pile Drivers have been striking in the Portland area for some time, idling an estimated 15 million dollars worth of con struction work. A general shut down could idle thousands of workers. In another labor development. the 45,000 - member International Woodworkers of America union voted to strike this summer against lumber employers in the Northwest and California if a "satisfactory settlement" is not reached in contract negotiations. The vote was 11,209 for a strike and 3349 against one. Contracts expire June 1. In Portland, picketing continued at the Continental Can Company plant in the St. Johns area with about 200 workers idled in a dis pute over a new contract. Other labor disputes, including the mid-Willamette valley sand and gravel tieup, and a western Washington Operating Engineers strike, continued unsettled. The Associated General Con tractors reached agreement ear lier with other segments of the Carpenters Union on a 53-cent package pay plan spread over three years. But Pile Drivers held out for a hiring hall agreement and voted the strike. AGC said picketing by Pile Drivers in tho past few days has spread to scattered parts of east ern, central and southern OregoQ. If members ordor a construction shutdown the area affected would include 95 per" cent of Oregon and part of 5 1-2 counties in southwest Washington. "Our Association has kept faith with the other crafts and with the public in attempting to continue employment" Harding said. "But the picketing endangers a general shutdown of all construction. The bridge tie-ups, after a time, make it uneconomical for related con struction to operate, forcing high way jobs to shut down pending completion of the structures. As a result, In the immediate future we are faced with a complete stoppage of highway and structur al programs throughout the stale which will force thousands of em ployes and material suppliers out of work." WASN'T FIRST TIME IN DARK TALLAHASSEE, Fie. (UPI) When the lights went out dur ing debete in the Florid House of Representatives, Rep. Cliff Herell asked for end re ceivd the floor. "This isn't the first time the House has been In the dark this session," Herrell id. Commission to stop awarding Secretary Puts Reds In Place GENEVA UII i Secretary of Stale Christian llerter warned Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko today to stop his "accu sations and innuendo" if he wants East-West agreement at the Ge neva conference. Herter made his comment after another round of Soviet propagan da remarks accusing the West and West Germany of gearing for war. He put Gromyko in his place at the last open session of the Big Four foreign ministers parley be fore they met for dinner at ller ter's villa for a crack at secret diplomacy that may bring the first real break of the conference. "I hope that in the course of the discussions as they proceed in the future that this type of ac cusation and innuendo will cease and that it will not, if repeated, lead to a type of discussion which can become a very great irritant and more than that might well lead to very serious tensions," Herter said. With the conference at a stand still on the long-range issues of German reunification and Euro pean security, each . side was awaiting some move from the other for a compromise possibly on Berlin to speed the meeting here and prepare for a summer summit conference. Each will be accompanied by his two top aides. The dinner, will afford them the first complete pri vacy they have had since they met here to try to work out a solution to the Berlin crisis. Moscow Radio viewed Herter's speech Wednesday as a hint the United States might change its stand on summit talks unless Rus sia accepts the Western package plan. . Herter warned Gromyko in his strongest speech yet that the Unit ed States will not go to the sum mit unless real progress is made at the current talks. This has been the American stand all along, but Moscow complained that So viet acceptance of the entire pack age plan was now the price of a summit conference. DULLES LOSING GROUND WASHINGTON (UPI John Foster Dulles, remained in grave condition today at Walter Reed Army Hospital. The State Department has made no. announcement since it said Tuesday that Dulles, battling can cer and pneumonia was losing ground.