Fire Danger Stays
High; East Oregon
Flames Controlled
IDAHO FIRE BUftNS 10,000
ACRES; THREATENS HOMES
Mop-up operations are underway on the fire that blazed
through. 400 to 600 acres of timber Sunday above Upper
Perry bridge.
Seventy men are still at work on the area confining
flames to the lines put in yesterday morning. The fire is
now under control and crews had no difficulty during the,
night.
"The mop-up is going as planned," said V. M. Curtis,
LA
OBSERVER
292th Issue
LA GRANDE, OREGON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1959
Price 5 Cent
mprovement Is Noted
V
Tax Bill
Petition
Is Filed
SALEM HTD Oregon's ma
jor state income tax bill today
was referred to the people for a
vide in the.lWO general election
liy a group known as the Citizens
Committee on Economy and
Equitable Taxation.
William Gwinn, Albany, presi
dent of the Committee', filed some
30.000 signatures with the secre
tary of state's elections division
about 10:30 a.m. Law requires
21.070 votes to refer a legislative
measure to the people.
Present when the petitions pre
sented were Secretary of State
Howell Appling and Elections
Chief Jack Thompson. '
The bill referred for a vote
would raise state income taxes,
especially in the middle income
brackets. This would be done by
juggling rates and eliminating the
federal offset for state income
taxes paid.
Effect Problematical
However. Gwinn said that no
initiative would be needed for a
new tax bill as the state "will
still have surplusses under the
old tax law."
The Elections Division will
check the petitions which have
been certified by county officers
and require expense statements
from the Committee..
The State Tax' Commission re
search division has indicated that
the state can make it through the
195941 biennium even if the ref
erendum is successful, although
it added it was difficult to fore
cast revenues.
Rigid Economist" asked
Gov. Mark Hatfield said the
state could make it if "rigid econ
omies" were practiced.
Successful referral of the bill
would cost the state approximate
ly 10 million dollars in tax rev
enue. The Commission does not be
lieve it likely that a state prop
erty tax would have to be levied
in 1960-61 if the referral is success
ful and Gov. Hatfield has no plans
at present to call a special ses
sion of the Legislature to consid
er tax problems
State Finance Department offi
cials have said that if the people
should defeat the new tax law, it
will be harder to find sufficient
revenues in 1961.
Three Children
Burn To Death
In Idaho Blaze
NAMPA, Idaho (LTD Three
small children burned to death
.'Monday afternoon when a fire
flashed through a flimsy play
house at their home here.
They were Cathey, 6. Mark, 5
and Mary Jo, 4, children of Mr.
and Mrs. Jesse Bryant of Nampa
The wooden playhouse, which
was about four feet high, was
badly burned before the Fire De
partment could arrive.
The fire was discovered by Wil
lard Bradburn, a next-door neigh
bor.
The Bryants had six children
Canyon County Coroner William
Talley said there would be no in
quest.
SWING BACK TO
Hawaii s
Nixon As
SAN JUAN. Peruto Rico (UPD
Gov. William Quinn of the new
state of Hawaii said today that
Vice President Richard M. Nixon
at this time looks like the winner
of the 1980 Republican presiden
tial nomination.
He was unwilling, however, to
commit himself yet to either Nix
on or New York Gov. Nelson
Rockefeller.
Quinn told a news conference
at the 51st Governors Conference
1 District warden.
In addition to the increased
number of men the forest service
has put a 2500 gallon tank truck
into operation. Th truck hauls
water from the river and then
transfers it to smaller four-wheel
drive tank trucks. The small
trucks are assigned to each section
of the fire.
Take Some Time
Mop up operations will take
"some time." They ore mopping
150 feet at a time on the perimeter i
of the fire making it almost im
possible for the fir? to spread
again over the quenched area. i
Damage costs will run high but
forest service officials are not
able to give an exact estimate'
yet.
A specially trained 25-man crew
from Corvallis was called to fight
the fire along with logging crews
and regular forestry men.
Fire danger in Eastern Oregon
continues to remain high although
forest and range fires were re
ported under control. The State
Forest Service classified yesterday
as Class six, a very hot and dry
condition.
Conditions Better
A- Forest Service spokesman said
that conditions wer better now
than a few days ago. No lightning
storms are apparent. Forest Ser
vice officials wished to caution
the public to be extremely care
ful with fires, lighted cigarettes
and matches.
The 1.500 acre Deer Creek
canyon fire southeast of Baker
was reported contained Monday
afternoon after firefighters built
two miles of fire lines by hand.
The blaze, cooled down Monday
night and mop-up operations were
underway today. Fire still burns
inside the perimeter.
Mr. E. Davis of the Bureau of
Land Management in Baker said
that although the fire was under
control a large sized crew would
work on mop-up operations be
cause of the difficulty ff the ter
rain. End of Week
Davis felt it would be the end
of the week before the mop-up
operations would be complete.
Davis emphasized the fact that the
rangers still feel the country is
dry and that a lightning storm or
carelessness could be extremely
dangerous. '
For a time helicopters were
used to land firefighters at more
difficult spots in Deer Creek
canyon. The blaze was in an area
so inaccessible that heavy equip
ment could not be used.
Another fire, in Dark canyon,
was reported in fairly good shape.
It had covered 2,100 acres includ
ing some timber and involved BLM
land as well as that under the
supervision of the State Forest
Service.
An overcast condition eased the
danger along the coast and in
northwest Oregon but the weather
bureau said danger remained high
elsewhere.
20,000 Acres Burned
Major range and forest fires
today had eaten their way through
and estimated 20,000 acres of grass
and timber and were still blazing
out of control in Idaho.
Four large fires were still con
sidered extremely dangerous in the
forests of north Idaho. A fire
which has burned its way through
range and timber near Boise
threatennig several ranches, sum
mer homes and a business estab
lishment was termed "explosive."
See FIRE DANGER On Page 3
THE REPUBLICANS
New Governor Sees
Nomination Winner
that at the moment it would look
like Nixon will be the Republican
candidate in next year's presiden
tial race.
Quinn credited the strong GOP
showing in last month's Hawaiian
election to his good, sound Repub
lican administration in the terri
tory and said it also could reflect
a national swing back to the Re
publicans. Territorial governor by presiden
tial appointment, Quinn was elect
tin j vj 7 i ,
- , . : -. ; " - '
.MM M II I 1 ' I II I V lll'l I II ll 1 I
W. M. Curtis, District Warden for Northeastern Oregon,
timekeeper for the fire, the exact location of the Sunday
map. The fire was under control today.
Rackets Group Report Levels
Blast At Hoffa's Activities
WASHINGTON UPI
The
Senate Rackets Committee assert
ed in a new report today that
teamsters President James ft.
Hoffa "will successfully destroy
the decent labor movement in the
United, States if his power re
mains unchecked.
The committee outlined a 21
point indictment against the con
troversial boss of the nation's
largest union in the first sec
tion of an interim report based
on its 1958 hearings.
It charged that Hoffa has
formed, or is attempting to form,
alliances with elements of crime,
corruption and Communists both
within and without the giant truck
drivers' union. '
The section of the report deal-
General Motors Bids
For Defense Dollars
DETROIT UPD Election of
Dr. James R. Killian Jr., to the
Board of Directors of General
Motors, was viewed today as a
bid by GM to get a bigger share
of space-age defense dollars..
Killian, of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, was for
mer chairman of President Ei
senhower's Science Advisory Com
mittee. He also has held several
other government posts, and has
been since 1956 a member of the
Two La Grande
Men Arrested
Two La Grande men were ar
rested on charges of disorderly
conduct by La Grande police last
night.
Kenneth Scott Bray, 507
Adams, and Dale Ward McKee,
1423 X Ave., were picked up by
police at Chestnut and Adams at
11:05.
Bray's ball was set at $50 and
a hearing scheduled at three this
afternoon.
McKee posted $50 bail and his
hearing was scheduled for 3 p.
m. Wednesday afternoon.
ed .first governor of the state.
He said President Eisenhower
is expected to issue the statehood
proclamation in mid-August, allow
ing time for the new members of
Congress to be seated before Con
gress adjourns for this year.
Earlier, a five-governor commit
tee proposed to the conference a
combined federal, state and local
effort to provide civilian protec
tion against radioactive fallout as
"a major contribution to peace."
THIS IS THE SPOT
ing with Hoffa was expected to be
filed in the Senate later today.
Parts dealing with three other
unions will be filed Wednesday
and other sections will follow la
ter in the month.
Cie Ties With Racketeer-V
The committee lambasted Hoffa
and his associates on a half-dozen
points, including his "faithless
ness" to his own union, his "cal
lous repression of democratic
rights" and his ties with racke
teers. The committee recalled that it
had called Hoffa's union leader
ship "tragic"' in an earlier report
then, it said, testimony of "even
more sordid nature" has de
veloped. The report did not touch on the
President's board of consultants
on foreign intelligence activities.
His election to the GM boa-d
parallels another recent move by
the giant automobile corporation.
Less than two months ago. Har
old L. Boyer, corporation execu
tive considered an expert in avia
tion and missiles, was assigned
the job of attracting more defense
contracts to GM.
During World War II and the
Korean War, General Motors was
one ' of the nation's top defense
contractors,
ast year, however. GM re
ceived only 1.2 per cent of the
Pentagon's contracts. Its two big
gest competitors in the automotive
field. Ford and Chrysler, have
made long strides into government
business.
Ford recently made Aeronutron
ic Systems. Inc., a California firm
it bought three years ago. a divi
sion of the Ford Motor Co., and
also has received contracts for
development of highly mobile mil
itary vehicles.
Chrysler is a big missile pro
ducer, manufacturing the 1 1 etl -stone
and the Jupiter.
Ike Is Sending
Gift Of Cattle
To Khrushchev
HELSINKI, Finland (UPD
Three cows and three bulls, a gift
from President Eisenhower to So
viet Premier Nikita Khrushchev,
arrived here today on their jour
ney to the Soviet Union.
The animals, presented to
Khrtishchev during the visit of
First Deputy Premier Anastas
Mikoyan in the U. S. earlier this
year, arrived on the Swedish
American Lines Bo-eholm and
and were transferred to a Soviet
railroad car for transportation to
Moscow.
The animals will arrive in the
Soviet Union Wednesday. They will
be transported to a Ministry of
Agriculture farm outside Moscow
where they will become progeni
tors of an American breed of cat
tle in Russia.
riyht, shows Gene Manock,
blaze on the Forest Service
(Observer Photo)
recent hearings involving Hoffa.
Those findings will be included in
its final report expected to be pub
lished next January.
In l'.i.'iS, it said, "ignominy was
piled on ignominy as the testi
mony wove through stories of vio
lence, financial manipulations, cal
Urns repression of democratic
rights and racketeer control."
In the face of this "ugly sit
nation," it said, Hoffa and some
of his union underlings appeared
to take the attitude that "they
are above the law."
"Betrayed Union Members"
The report said Hoffa sought to
"justify his outrageous behavior
by claiming he was acting in the
best interests of his union mem
bers. But. it said, "he has betraved
these members so frequently that
it has become absolutely clear
that Hoffa's chief interest is in
his own advancement and that of
his friends and cronies a great
number of whom are racketeers.
". . .These examples serve to
destroy . Hoffa's self-painted pic
ture as a steadfast champion of
working people."
Among its findings, the commit
tee concluded that Hoffa had:
"Used union funds for his own
benefit and that of his friends.
"Consistently -supported the
interests of racketeer friends over
those of his own members."
"Connived with and maneu
vered union insurance to racketeer
friends, bringing these friends gi
gantic profits."
Made attempts to consolidate
the Teamsters Union with unions
expelled from organized labor for
Communist domination.
"In the history of the country
it would be hard to find a labor
leader who has so shamefully
abused his members of his trust,
the rexrt said.
Steel Wage Bargaining Talks
Fail To Make Deadlock Break
NEW YORK (LTD Negotiators
met with federal mediators today
in the third joint bargaining ses
sion since the start of the 3-week
old steel strike. There was no in
dication of any break in their
deadlocked pos. lions.
either union nor industry rep
resentatives would comment on
the salvo of charges fired by each
side Monday night.
Federal Mediator Joseph F.
Finnegan also declined to com
ment on the charges.
At the Governors Conference in
Puerto Rico, six Democratic gov
ernor introduced a resolution
culling foe a speedy settlement of
the strike and for the appoint
ment of a committee of governors
to meet-with President Eisenhow
er and explore possible remedies
Sponsors of the resolution were
Govs. Foster Furcolo of Massa
chusetts. Orville L. Freeman ol
Minnesota, Albert D. Rosellini of
Washington, Gay lor A.' Nelson of
In Red -
UN
Talk
Nikita
By
Expected
WASHINGTON UPD Soviet
Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev
probably will address the United
Nations General Assembly when
he visits this country next month
but there is little chance he will
address Congress.
These and other details of the
historic 13-day visit, which begins
Sept. 12, were learned today.
News of Khrushchev's visit
brought mixed but generally fa
vorable reaction from American
leaders. The reaction from veter
an Washington security men was
unanimous, however it will be
tough job guarding the leader
of world communism whose
barbed verbal attacks on the
United States have been legion.
No details of President Eisen
hower's return visit to the Soviet
Union this full were immediately
available.
Menthlkov Aids Planning
Soviet Ambassador Mikhail A.
Menshikov is taking a lead in
working out arrangements for the
visit
Nothing definite has been de
cided on Khrushchev's trip and pro
bably won't be for several weeks.
But preliminary talks indicate the
Soviet leader's itinerary probably
will include:
Two days in New York City,
including a speech to the U. N.
General Assembly which convenes
Sept. 15.
An appearance on a nation
wide television broadcast, most
likely a speech. This may be his
talk to the U. N. Assembly.
A cross-country tour including
visits at least to Detroit and San
Francisco. Trjls would follow the
pattern set by Khrushchev' Dep
uties Anastas I. Mikoyan and
Frol R. Kozlov on their tours
earlier this year. Khrushchev has
expressed a particular desire to
see San Francisco.
Attendance at a college foot
ball game, or a baseball game if
the football date cannot be ar
ranged. Nixon To Clear Picture
Much will depend on the Soviet
premier's desires. A clear idea of
these will be available to nego
tiators when Vice President Rich
ard M. Nixon returns later this
week from his trip to Russia and
Poland. Nixon talked with Khrus
hchev about the visit while he was
in Moscow.
Union Pacific
Train Tied Up
For Six Hours
BAKER UPI) The Union
Pacific main line was tied up for
about six hours Monday when one
car of a west-bound freight train
derailed 16 miles east of here.
There were no injuries. ,
A railroad spokesman said a
bearing failed and one car of the
loo-car freight left the track at
7:10 a. m. -Crews had the main
line clear again about 1 p.m.
The east . bound streamliner
Portland Hose was delayed for
six hours at Baker 'and a west
bound mail and express train was
also delayed six hours.
Main engineer of the freight
was Ray White of La Grande.
Wisconsin, G. Mennen Williams of
Michigan and Edmund G. Brown
of California.
After Monday's meeting, Finne
gan said:
"The status quo is still quo as
far as their positions are con
cerned." The union and 'industry state
ments Monday were in a sense
answers to Secretary of Labor
James P. Mitchell who castigated
both sides Saturday for failing in
their responsibilities to bargain.
But they wound up as slaps at
each other, and an apparent stif
fening of the antagonistic posi
tions which Drought about the
nationwide strike.
The industry statement, issued
by R. Conrad Cooper, head of the
four-man team representing 12
major steel companies, said "it
will take more than mere, meet
ings and discussions to end this
strike. It will take a change of
union attitude.. .When Mr. Mc
U.S. Relations
ESCAPE ARTIST
BACKS UP BOAST
WIGGINS, Miss. (UPI) Au
thorities today searched for
an escape artist who they
teid picked a lock to 9t out
of the city jail, sawed three
bars to free his wife from
the county jell, then picked
an auto dealer's lock to
steel a pickup truck.
C. B. McNair, 29, of Hat
tiesburg. Miss., had boasted
earlier "there ain't no jail
that can hold me."
Nixon Pays
Visit To
Cathedral
WARSAW UPI Vice Presi
dent Richard M. Nixon paid a
surprise visit today to the War
saw cathedral of Stephan Cardi
nal Wyszynski. but the Polish
primate was "on vacation."
The official explanation for fail
ure of Nixon and the cardinal to
meet was given by a vice presi
dential spokesman, who said that
Wyszynski went on vacation Mon
day. However, Nixon himself had
said Monday he had no plans to
meet the cardinal, but that no
request had been made on his
behalf for such a meeting.
Western diplomatic circles here
had said in advance of Nixon's
arrival Sunday that they felt a
visit by the vice president to the
cardinal would be diplomatically
unwise.
Wyszynski, spiritual leader of
25 million Polish Roman Catho
lics, remains the storm center of
troubled church- state relations.
Diplomatic sources felt a visit by
Nixon to the cardinal would be
impolite to his official hosts, Po
land's Communist government.
Destroyed by Germans
Even more important, they felt,
was that a meeting with Nixon
would seriously weaken Wyszyn
ski's precarious position here.
The cardinal has managed to
keep the church strong in Poland
even through the last harsh years
of the Stalinist era.
Even though the cardinal was
"on vacation," a huge throng
gathered across the square out
side the medieval brick cathedral
which was destroyed by the Ger
mans in World War II in reprisal
for the Warsaw uprising. It was
later rebuilt. -
Nixon also drew big and enthu
siastic audiences on visits to the
ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto: to
Palmiry. grave of many Polish
intellectuals who were extermi
nated by the Nazis; and to War
saw University.
Visits Grim Graveyard
At the Ghetto, where 70,000
Jews were exterminated and from
which another 600,000 were hauled
off to their deaths, Nixon made
a moving speech.
Nixon was virtually mobbed by
several hundred people, including
a number of Polish war veterans,
outside the cemetery. He told the
veterans he would convey their
greetings personally to American
veterans when he visits the Amer
ican Legion in Minneapolis Aug.
20 and the Veterans of Foreign
Wars in Los Angeles Sept. 1.
Donald Is willing to engage In
two-way bargaining, and when he
is ready to give up the idea of
having the government make a
settlement for him in response to
the crisis he alone created, then
a sensible, non-inflationary agree
ment should be possible."
United Steelworkers of America
President David J. McDonald re
plied that the industry had issued
."an ultimatum" to the union and
"an ultimatum to the government
of the United States." They "ar
rogantly say the shutdown can be
settled only on their terms,'' Mc
Donald said.
In Washington, Sen. Stuart Sy
mington (D-Mo.) made a new
appeal to President Eisenhower
to sit tha negotiators down in the
White House and make them bar
gain. If this fail, Symington said,
Eisenhower should name an Im
partial public board to study the
situation and make recommenda
tions for settlement.
World
Reaction
Favorable
MOSCOW (UPD - The climate
of Soviet-American relations im
proved sharply and suddenly with
the announcement that President
Eisenhower and Premier Nikita
Khrushchev will exchange visits.
The mutual agreement, reached
during Vice President Richard M.
Nixon's tour of eastern Europe,
effectively consummated Khrush
chev's often-expressed desire for
a face-to-face meeting with Eisen
hower.
The story was headline news
from Berlin to Bangkok, and
world reaction was generally fa
vorable. Even those who held no
high hope of agreement felt that
it would be a good thing for
Khrushchev to see the United
States and gauge for himself its
desire for peace.
Khrushchev is a firm believer
in the advantages of personal
contacts between world leaders.
There was widespread belief that
his meetings with Eisenhower wi(
be a prelude to Big Four sum
mit talks.
The enthusiastic reception that
greeted Nixon on most 1 stops in
his tour of Russia also was a fa
vorable augury for the Presi
dent's visit. The vice president
was virtually unknown in Russia
before his tour, but Eisenhower
is still warmly remembered as a
wartime ally.
A sampling of man-in-ihe-street
opinion in Moscow indicated a
general feeling that "nothing but
good can result" from the viska.
It also revealed considerable good
will be Eisenhower.
Serum Saves '
Former Local
Residents
A serum flown into Idaho Falls
has apparently saved the lives of
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth H. Nelson.
They are two of the family of five
stricken' with botulism poison last
week. Aaron Gruwell, 7S. and
Wanda, 15, have died, and Martha
Nelson. 4, was hospitalized tor ob
servation and reported all right.
Kenneth Nelson is the son OT
Horace J. Nelson of La Grand
He was born here. His father flew
to Idaho Falls as soon as he r
ceivrd word Thursday. Horace
Nelson returned home Sunday with
word of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth
Nelson's improvement.
The Nelson family is from Kan
sas City, Mo., and were visiting
with the Gruwells. Mrs. Gruwella
is his mother. The family ate
some home canned beets Tuesday
evening at Gruwell s farm, tour
miles west of Idaho Falls.
The stricken family members
did not go to the hospital until
Wednesday as they thought they
had the flu.
Anti-toxin serum had to be rush
ed to the family from all over the
nation. The largest shipment of
20 vials was flown to Idaho Falls
from New York City in an Air
Force Jet. Physicians said that the
treatment takes three days and.
that large amounts are needed to
counteract the toxic effects pro
duced by the botulism bacilli.
Indians Exempt :
From Taxes On
Celilo Payments .-
WASH1NUIUN (UPI) Indi
ans of four Oregon and Washing
ton tribes will not have to pay
income tax on payments made
by the federal government for
the loss of their fishing rights at
Celilo Falls.
Legislation to exempt the $26
600,000 from state and federal In
come tax haa been signed Into'
law by Pres.x Eisenhower. The
amount was credited to the ac
count of the Yakima, Nex Perce,
Umatilla and Warm Spring
tribes and will later be distribut
ed to the Individual Indians. -
The fishing rights were lost
when the Indian's fishing site at
Celilo Falls was submerged by
backwater from The Dalles dam.
WEATHER T
Fair through Wednesday:
high 88-9; low 88-44.