tee!
Wage
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Co
276th Issue
o3rd. Year
CAST REHEARSAL
Lcs Edwards, far right, who plays Marcus Whitman, explains to his future father-in-law
who is played by Nephi Combs, seated, why he wants to be a medical mission
ary. Standing above Combs and on the left, director of the play, "Doctor in Buck
skin Clad." Richard Iliatt concentrates on Les's speech while Roberta Miller, at
right of Iliatt, who plays Whitman's wifa, notes changes in the script. (Observer)
Lighting Unit
Ready For Use
In Local Play
The new $1000 portable light
ins unit purchased in conjunc
tion with the Centennial produc
tion of "Doctor in Buckskin Clad"
will be used lor the first time
when the production opens in
the college coliseum, July 24.
With Roberta Miller and Les
Edwards in the leading roles,
the play "by At Kaiser is the story i',
of Dr. Whitman and his wife.
The new lighting equipment
comes from the play's budget.
The group received $3,000 from
the Centennial Commission and
the Advancement Association
gave $500.
The mobile lighting unit gives
dimming control in the coliseum
for 12 circuits. The unit can also
b? used in the theater and
will double the dimming capacity
there.
Although the lighting was pur
chased primarily for this show,
it will be us?d in conjunction
with existing equipment.
The play will run for three
consecntive weekends.
Steel Mills
Preparing
For Strike
PITTSBURGH ari'-The
na-
lion's steel industry became
a
crippled giant today.
Across the country, mills which
a month ago had reached post
accession production peaks were
engaged in the tedious and costly
process of shutting down.
From Gary, Ind., East Chicago,
Morrisvillc, Pa.. Birmingham.
Ala., as well as this steel capital,
came reports of banking of blast
furnaces, sealing of coke ovens
and cooling of 0en hearths.
And with steel the nation's
economic lifeline not flowing,
practically all other business and
industry sooner or later would be
affected.
The effects of the impending
strike became evident on the
faces of merchants and city offi
cials in the steel making dis'ricts
and, probably more than any
others, the steel workers, them
selves. Store owners and bartenders
throughout Gary, East Chicago
and South Chicago reported that
their business volume had begun
to feel the impact.
At the gates bf U.S. Steel's
Gary Works and South Works,
Republic's South Chicago Works
and at Voungsiown Sheet and
Tube's Indiana Harbor Works at
East Chicago, anger and depres
sion were reflected in workers'
faces.
"What are we striking for?"
one young worker asked. "We
don't know what we're asking for
and what we'll get." lie asked
not to be identified.
Tourist Arrested
Kellen Quint Angel, Pikcville,
Tenn., was arrested for failure to
itop or leave his name and ad
dress at the scene of motor ve
hicle accident.
His bail was set at $100.
LA GRANDE OBSERVER
'
I r! !
HEY, NARCISSA! Les Edwards and Roberta Miller
get a little action into last night's rehearsal. The play,
written by.Al Kaiser, will open July 24 and run for
three consecutive weekends. (Observer Photo)
Hoffa Threatening To Sue
Rackets Committee Counsel
WASHINGTON UPI- Team
ster President James R. Hoffa
threatened today to sue Rackets
Committee counsel Robert F. Ken
nedy if he links him with accused
Communist union leaders in fu
ture speeches.
He issued the threat as Kennedy
fired questions about the team
sters' alliance with left-wing lead
ers Harry Bridges and Louis
Goldblatt of the International
Longshoremen and Warehouse
men's Union.
The issue a-ose after the com
mittee clashed with Hoffa over a
series of "I don't recall" answers
he gave to charges that he ap
proved a deal to have union moni
tor Godfrey P. Schmidt, his foe,
resign in exchange for $105,000 in
legal fees.
Bridges' and Goldblatt were in
Rebellious
To Blow Up
PETIiOS. Tenn. U'PJi Prison
officials resume negotiations to
day with n.i rebellious convicts
armed with 200 sticks of dynamite
who have thieatencd to blow up
a prison mine, and perhaps them
selves and three hostages, if their
demands for better food and pay
are not met.
The convicts are holed up 1,300
feet underground in the mine
shaft. A W. i Pali Patterson, as
sistant state commissioner of cor
rection, said.
Patterson, who talked with the
prisoners Monday night from a
I I 1.1 I
volved in the deal. Hoffa said
they tried to help Schmidt get
his fees after Bartley C. Crum,
Schmidt's New York lawyer,
asked them for h lp.
Crum testified Monday that
Bridges and Goldblatt talked to
him on behalf of Hoffa.
Argue About Communism
Hoffa insisted his dealings with
the ILWU, ousted from the CIO
in 1930 on grounds it followed the
Communist line, were in the in
terest of workers. He angrily de
nied that he is a Communist and
said Communism "is not the is
sue" in his pact with the West
Coast dorkworkcrs union.
Kennedy said there was no
question about Goldblatt being a
Communist although there may
be a question about Bridges' par
ty membership.
Convicts Threatening
Mine If Demands Fail
distance of 15 feel, would not re
veal "general grievances" made
by the striking convict miners.
But he said they want better food
and more pay for mining coal.
The' rebellion, which began at
7 a.m. Monday, came close to
ending Monday night when six
convict spokesmen, three white
and three Negro prisoners, agreed
to give themselves up and prom
ised to talk others into surrender
ing. But they later backed down.
Patterson said the convicts had
threatened to "set fiie to the
mine or blow it up" with dyna-
LA GRANDE, OREGON. TUESDAY, JULY 14, 19S9
Eastern Oregon Fire
Climbing To Critical
Pondosa
Blazei
Again
By NEIL ANDERSEN
Observer Stiff Writer
The ghost town of Pondosa er
upted into flames again Monday
as the fire danger in Eastern Ore
gon continues to rise. A grass fire
near Boardman and a small for
est fire in the Union district caus
ed forestry officials to cast 'a
critical eye on possible fire dan
ger areas.
Pondosa, which has been smol
dering since the one time lumber
town burned i month ago, caught
fire again and sent fire crews
from Baker racing to the scene.
Men worked at controlling the
blaze in the geographic center
f the United States through out
the day. A bulldozer was kept
busy ploughing through sawdust
piles as spot fires kept breaking
aut.
A Pacific marine pump and a
500 foot lay of hose was used to
louse fires and dampen the in
flammable sawdust. The fire was
under control at all times and
Ihere was never any danger of it
Setting away from eight fire
fighters. Officials said if the wnid had
:ome up the fire could have been
hahardous to the range land
grass around the area.
Some 2,500 acres of grazing
land were blackened by a wind
shipped range fire near Board
man Sunday.
John Hunt, bureau of land man
jgement fire control officer said
the fire was apparently started
vhen a pickup truck overturned
ind burned in a ditch four miles
vest of Boardman on highway 30.
An unoccupied ranch house and
several smaller buildings were de
stroyed, according to officials.
A forest fire covering about
jne and a half acres was control
led by employees of the Rondc
Valley lumber company about 25
miles from Union yesterday. The
fire in the West Eagle timber
sale area was started when a pow-
r saw used for cutting in the
area caught fire.
Fifteen men from the lumber
ompany, under the direction of
wo forestry service men, fought
he blaze "It was in good shape
last night when we left," said Leo
nard Rampton, assistant district
ranger
The fire involved trees that had
already been cut although stand
ing trees were damaged and will
be marked for cutting.
The forest fire hazard in the
Srande Rondc river canyon from
Minam to Troy is critical, officials
reported. As a result of recent dry
weather cheatgrass and brush
rovcred slopes of the river can
yon are considered highly inflam
mable. The condition of the
shrubs plus the rough condition
jf the ground make this area ex
tremely difficult for fire crews to
reach. The Grande Rondc river
:anyon is considered one of the
most hazardous fire areas on the
Umatilla National forest.
People who plan on camping in
the area between Minam and
Troy are asked to confine camp
tires to river bars and to make
sure all grass and burnable mater
ial is removed from the fire area.
Ixxal forestry officials said the
fire danger around La Grande is
critical. The grass and brush have
Set PONDOSA on page I
mite in the mile and a quarter
deep mine which slopes under
ground from the top of a moun
tain here. He said the convicts
told him they would do this if
their demands were not met.
An explosion could kill anyone
in the mine, officials said.
Food consisting of ham, eggs,
cheese, fried pies and coffee was
sent to the convicts and hostages
on a coal car at the guarded en
trance of the mine, where prison
officials and state troopers, some
armed with tub-machine guns,
were standing.
GOOD FOOD, TOO Powell Graham, right, and Everett
Reynolds enjoy the food prepared by the Union Wo
men's Club at the Eastern Oregon Experiment Station
during yesterday's Farmer-Merchant tour. Ground
round on buns, potato salad and baked beans were
featured on the menu. (Observer Photo)
West Germans Suggest
Summit Conference i If
East-West Talks Fail
GENEVA (UPI) West Germany has suggested that the
Big Four recess the Foregin Ministers Conference again
and go straight to the summit on the broader issues of se
curity and disarmament if Russia deadlocks the talks on
Berlin, diplomatic sources disclosed today.
It was a surprise about face by Chancellor Konrad Aden
auer, who previously nad
meeting of the Big Four chiefs of
government without firm agree
ment on Berlin by the foreign min-1
isters.
The United States accused Rus
sia today of trying to freeze the
East -West talks in deadlock by the
sudden attempt to blackmail the
West into recognizing Communist
East Germany.
An American delegation spokes
man labeled as "obstructive" the
Soviet demand that the East Ger
mans sit in on secret negotiating
sessions of the Big Four foreign
ministers.
New Soviet Demand
The diplomatic sources said
West Germany suggested that de
tails of the Berlin problem, in case
of a stalemate here, should be
"put over" to a third Big Four
Foriegn Ministers Conference to
be convened after a meeting of
the heads of stats.
The Bonn government actually
framed its informal recommenda
tion before the East-West talks re
sumed Monday and were prompt
ly plunged into a new impasse
over the Soviet demand for Com
munist German representation at
the private talks.
The sources said the suggestion
was made in a written memoran
dum delivered Monday morning to
Secretary of State Christian A.
Hcrtor. British Foreign Secretary
Selwyn l.loyd and French FoVcign
Minister Maurice Couve dc Mur
ville. Hold Two Meetings
The western Big Three minis
ters discussed the paper with West
German Foreign Minister Heinrich
von Brctano for the first time this
morning, and again at a second
meeting this afternoon.
No formal conference session
was scheduled for today but the
western ministers held two
strategy meetings to discuss the
situation.
Arrested For Vagrancy
John Robert O'Brien is in jail
jfler being arrested between 10
nd 11 p m. last night on a charge
of vagrancy.
His hearing time was set for 3
p.m. today.
WEATHER
Mostly sunny Wednesday;
:ow tonight 35-40; high Wed
nesday 74-79.
been adamantly opposed to a
Weatherman Goes
To Portland Job
Howard E. Graham, Meteoro
logist with the Weather Bureau
in Washington, D. C. since 1956
is transferring to the Portland
office of the U. S. Forest Service.
Graham will be assigned to the
Division of Fire Control and will
work with Weather Bureau fire-
weather forecasters in a new
weather forecasting arrange
ment being set up by the Forest
Service and Weather Bureau in
the Forest Service Regional Of
(ice in Portland.
Graham served as fire-weather
meteorologist in the Portland
Office of the Weather Bureau
. - Js -
j A i Si
Fireman Gale McDaniel paints code colon on fire hydrants. This water outlet gets a
green top signifying that it can produce over 1,000 gallons of water per minute.
(Observer Photo)
Price S Cents
Danger
Level
Humphrey
Announces
Candidacy
WASHINGTON I UPI I Sen
Hubert II. Humphrey of Minne
sota formally put himself in the
contest for the Democratic presi
dential nomination today.
His entry came in simultaneous
news conferences by Gov. Orville
. Freeman of Minnesota at St.
Paul and Sen. Eugene F. McCar
thy (D-Minn.l here. They an
nounced that a llumphrey-for-
president campaign organization
will be set up this week at St.
Paul.
It was the first announced cam
paign for the presidency.
Although Humphrey was not
present, McCarthy told newsmen
that "He knows we arc making
the announcement and, of course
approves it."' Freeman and Mc
Carthy will be co-chairmen of the
campaign organization, which will
be under the active direction of U
Gov. Karl F. Rolvaag of Minne
sota. ' McCarthy said Humphrey was
ready to begin campaigning now
to the extent that Senate duties
permit and also was ready to com
pete in state presidential primar
ies. New Colors
For Hydrants
Fire hydrants will now come in
colors.
In an effort to make the water
flow per minute from a fire hy
drant instantly determinable, the
hydrant tops and smaller side caps
are being painted code colors.
This is just one of the many im
provements being made in the
city fire department, according to
city manager, Fred Young.
The code colors will consist of
green (or those hydrants that pro
duce over 1.000 gallons per minute,
orange for the ones producing be
tween 500-1.000 gallons per minute
and red will be used for every
thing under 500 gallons per minute.
The firemen have 166 hydrants
all together to paint. But before
any of them can be given a coat
of green, orange, or red alt of the
hydrants must be tested.
Because of the lower water pres
sure in the summer, the firemen
are painting mainly the hydrants
they are sure of. and will leave
those that must definitely be tested
until next spring or fall.
Most of the mains In town will
be colored green since the pipes
feeding them are large.
-'- ; . y y
TECHNICOLOR HYDRANTS
apse
Industry
Charges
Mockery
NEW YORK 'I PI 1 Steel wage
negotiations collapsed today with
less than 10 hours remaining be
fore the midnight strike deadline.
R. Conrad Cooper, chief indus
try negotiator, turned down a last
minute union bid to avert a strike
He said no further meetings had
been scheduled for today.
Cooper said it is "a mockery','
for the union to pretend it wants
to reach an agreement before the
deadline while refusing to agree
to a contract extension.
He told reporters the strike is
already started. He said' the sleet
furnaces will be shut down by
midnight.
The new bid to break the con
tract deadlock had been made by
David J. McDonald, president of
the United Steelworkcrs Union. :
McDonald said the union would
agree to writing into the contract
a statement that it was not tn
posed to technological progress id
the plants. His offer was an of
fort to appease a major industry
demand. .
The industry had demanded con
tract language revision in connect
tion with automation and other
technological advances in line witfj
an over-all request for changes in
the contract designed to eliminate
"waste and inefficiency." .
McDonald's dramatic bid to end
the deadlock came during a ond
hour morning negotiating scssionl
In Washington, President Eisen
hower conferred with Secretary of
Labor James P. Mitchell about the
steel crisis. ,
Asked about any nw. White
House developments on the situa
tion. Press Secretary James C
Hagcrty said that Monday's pres- .
idential statement urging , labor
and management to continue ef
forts to reach agreement "is ap
plicable today."
One Contract Extended
McDonald revealed the union
signed a contract extension with
Granite City Steel Co., East St.
Louis, III., one of the nation's
smaller steel producers.
tiiscniiorfui1 could aveifa strike
tonight only by persuading union
and management to contine nego
tiating. He could seek an 80-day
injunction against a strike under
the Taft-Hartley Law, but that pro
cedure takes more time than is
available before the strike dead
line. Earlier, the negotiations had
reached a stalemate. McDonald
had met with the 171-man Wage
Policy Committee to fill them in
the situation.
Each side blamed the other for
the impasse.
Farm Bureau Meeting
Is Set For Thursday
A joint meeting of the La Grande
Farm Bureau Center and the Un
ion County Farm Bureau has been
planned for Thursday. i
Recognizing the fact that far
mers are at their busiest at this
time of the year, the La Grande
Center invited the county group
to meet with them in Island City
the next two months.
Plans for persons attending the
Farm Bureau mid-summer meet
ing in Bend July 30, 31. August t,
will be made at the 8:00 p.m.
meeting.
i.