Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About La Grande observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1959-1968 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 1959)
Impasse WWV'.':- NEA 5mct. Inc. EDITORIAL PAGE LA GRANDE OBSERVER Tuesday, August 18, 1959 "A Modern Newspaper With The Pioneer Spirit" RILEY D' Publkh" iA okanliis I'Uiii.iHiiiNU onil'ANt GEORGE S. CIIAIJJS ... Adv. Director TOM HUMES Circulation Mgr. Not Ready To Lay Down Our Arms A recojrnizod writer on military af fairs has taken a sledge hammer to our current military preparedness program and scored what he terms "softness" in our fighting men. Hanson lialdwin, military editor of the New York Times, made it clear in his article in The Saturday Kvening Post that Ue is not satisfied with the manner in which military preparedness has drift ed in this country. The primary reasons why Military Man has lost some of his zip, aldwin contends, lies in the fact that civilian life has changed and in changing has altered military life, that too many so called reforms have been forced on the armed services by the civilian chiefs of government, that the services them selves are to blame, in part, for the weakening of the combat soldier's posi tion. The author resorts to statistics to show that a high rate of men being called into service are unfit to serve, that once they are in the service thpy do not brace and sOtnd taut behind the flag. Korea and its list of men who collaborated with the enemy are thrown up in the reader's face. We would agree with the Pulitzer prize winning writer on most of the points he makes. Certainly politics should be removed from military mat ters and the politicians should not try to operate within an area that is strictly military; more men should be recruited whq are willing to serve and service should' be made attractive to hold these men as the core of out fighting force. Hut we are unwilling to admit that we as a nation of predominantly young people have grown so soft that we are ready to lay down our arms and capitu late to the next aggressor force that tests us. Sure, we had reverses in Korea, and we have lots of problems with our peacetime forces, but these factors don't necessarily add up to a universal attitude of softness. Critics of our Military Man will per haps be more charitable in their esti mates of our potential military strength when they remember that it's a darn sight harder to bear amis in a conflict where the ground rules prevent you from winning or in peacetime when the game of war is all play. DREW PEARSON SAYSi Most Teamster Scandals Were Published Long Ago Everyone Got Cau Congress at least the House of Rep resentatives voted for a more strict lalor curb bill the other day than was actually neccssury. The whole purpose of the bill, quite frankly, was to curb some of the abuses of power on the part of Jimmy Hoffa and his Teamsters Union in the past. The rest of the lalor movement got caught in the attempt to clip I (of fa's wings. The danger of this and the danger to the AF1-C10 in protesting against the Senate-passed Kennedy-Krvin bill, which was much milder was seen late last spring by Senator Kichard I. NeuU'iger. In a Senate floor speech then, N'eu lnTger said: I believe the AHCIO will be making a serious mistake if it opposes the Kennedy Krv.n labor relorm bill in the form in which it passed the Senate by an overwhelming vole of itO to 1. This is a fair bill and moderate bill. It Is not an oppressive bill. It poses no threat to ght In Hoffa's Fire trade union leaders or members who are honest tion and tyranny, not to union integrity and democracy. As one of the nine Senate sponsors of the modified bill of rights, which is presently in cluded in the bill, 1 believe that this particular phase of the legislation will guarantee the in dividual rights and liberties of union members without detracting from the effectiveness and bargaining abilities of the union as a whole. This was our goal when we worked together successfully under the leadership of the Senator from California (Mr. Kuchel) and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Clark), and I believe we chieved that goal. Of course, any bill can be subjected to cap tious or frivolous objections so-called nit pick ing. But as a Senator w ho had been sympathetic with many of the broad humanitarian objectives of organized labor, 1 believe the labor movement will bp guilty of a serious blunder if it flyspecks the Kennedy-Krvin bill in an effort to find some obscure or trifling reasons to justify opposition. During the l!20's and 1930's, such ruthless utility magnates as Innsull and others objected vilontly to any Government regulation, no matter how moderate. As a result, they got a type of regulation which utility executives have been complaining about ever since. la my estimation, no unionist of honesty or a fundamental belief in democracy need fear the Kennedy Krvin bill as passed by the Senate. I trust the House, likewise will enact the bill. Bia Fanfare. Then A Lot Of Silence Apparently Julius Jensen, director of the state's industrial development agen cy, either got, or is nbout to get, the sack. Jensen was appointed by former Governor Robert W Holmes when the latter first got a bill through the legis lature changing the state's industrial development program to fit his own ideas. The appointment was greeted with a lot of fanfare, from Holmes and his friends. Hut. in the two years since that time, there has been not much but a lot of silence from the new agency. Local people working on industrial de velopment problems have gotten few if any leads from the state organiza tion. There has been little if any help from the new agency. Thi may not be Jensen's fault. It may be that the appointed advisory board is no good, or that something else is throw ing sand in the gears. Hut whether it's his fault or not, Jensen apparently is going to have to take the blame. , The new agency, when it was first formed, looked like at big rocket on a launching pad. It thundered, snuked and flamed. The comparison doesn't stop there. The danged thing apparently blew up before it ever got off the ground. WASHINGTON.-In the welter of debate over how tough the labor anti-racketeering bill should be, there is probably just one thing both sides agre on there would be no debate if it had not been for the Senate Rackets committee expose of the Teamsters. In this connection, three para doxical facts have been largely forgotten. They are: 1. Two Congressmen now de manding tough anti-ldbor legisla tion earlier had conspired or ac quiesced in hushing up a probe of teamster scandals. They are Char lie Halleck of Indiana, the GOP leader who's been demanding that Congress pass the tough Landrum Griffin bill, and Phil Landrum. Democrat of Georgia, co author of that bill. 2. Senator McClellan of Arkan sas got blood in his eye and started his do-or-die probe of labor only after Gov. Sid McMath of Ar kansas ran against him with or ganized labor support. 3. Many of the Teamster scan dals were aired by this column well before McClellan got busy. Thus, when McClellan s rackets committee, with its bird-dog coun sel Bob Kennedy, re-aired them the scandals were not particularly new. But timing is just as im portant in politics as in love and war, and the rehash of the team ster scandals has contributed more than any other one factor to the debate on a tough labor bill, now demand' d by most Republicans, including the President himself. Republicans Killed Probe Most interesting fact dug up by this column regarding labor rack eteering is that high-up Repub licans conspired in 1954 to suppress its investigation. At that time, a house commit tee headed by Congressman Claire Hoffman of Michigan had exposed sensational facts about the opera lions of Jimmy Hoffa and asso ciates. The facts were just as startling as anything developed by Senator McClellan, Democrat In fact, many of the witnesses called by McClellan five years later were the same identical witnesses called or named by the house committee. But that investigation was mys teriously called off. Congressman Hoffman protested. He made a dozen speeches on the house floor fuming over the fact that his probe was squelched. Congressman Landrum of Geor gia, however, was a member of Hoffman's committee, and he did not exert himself to have the in vestigation continued. He did not rise up in righteous wrath, as he has recently to demand a law curbing the practices he failed to expose. Had he done so there might have been a labor anti racketering bill long before this. Furthermore, it was Charlie Halleck who pulled the strings back-stage to kill the 1954 probe of labor racketeering. How and why the Republicans called it off was never investigated by Senator McClellan. Normally this would be the first order of business by a Democratic chair man. However, the Senator from Arkansas votes Republican on most crucial issues and he kept mum. The fact was, however, that Jimmy Hoffa has been a life long Republican: his cohorts are largely Republican: and he has been dead against the Walter Reuther wing of organized labor, which has both a good record for honesty and a vigorous record for supporting Democrats. It was partly because of corruption in QUOTES FROM THE NEWS United Press International WASHINGTON Rep. Graham A. Barden (D-N. C, speaking of efforts by a Senate-House commit tee to reach a compromise between a tough House labor re form bill and a milder Senate measure: 'We'll get along all right. Con ferees always have worked out something." SANTIAGO, Chile Venezuelan Foreign Minister Luis Arcaya. de scribing the significance to the Organization of American States of the "Santiago Declaration" condemning dictatorships: "We are no longer merely a forum for elegant discussion. We can now respond to the real as pirations of our peoples. LONDON Mrs. Nelson A Rockefeller, telling how she and her husband feel about the forth coming marriage of their son Steven and Anne Marie Rasmus- sen, who once worked as a maid in the Rockefeller home: "We could not be more pleased. My future daughter-in-law is a wonderful girl. 1 thmk the young couple will be wonderfully happy." 11F.SLEDEN. England The Rev. William Bosley, 55, convicted last week of drunken driving. preaching a sermon in which he apologized to his congregation: "He that is without sin among you, let biro cast a stone." the old AF of L craft unions thai Reuther, Phil Murray, and John L Lewis broke away to form the CIO Yet now the sins of Jimmy Hoffa and the teamsters are being visit ed on the heads of those who fought them. Warmed Over Headlines To illustrate how the S?nate rackets committee warmed over old news to make the headlines which now influence the labor debate, here is what was pre viously published by this column: Squelching the Probe April 13, 1954 How Charlie Halleck and Postmaster General Summerfield squelched the probe of Jimmy Hoffa and teamster racketeering. William Buffalino, Mike NiccJetti, and David J. Keating, named as juke box racketeers, were among those later called before Mc Clellan's committee. Business for Wives June 7, 1956 How Mrs. Hoffa and Mrs. Bert Brennan, wife of Hoffa's right hand man, took over the test fleet company, with an exclusive contract to deliver cars, after Hoffa had settled a Flint. Mich.. strike favorably to the company and against his own local. With the investment of almost no capi tal, the two wives rolled up a small fortune. This was exposed by the Senate committee, Aug. 6 1958, two years later. Insurance Commissions June 7 1956 One million dollars in insur ance commissions paid the wife and son of Paul Dor. man on Hof fa's welfare funds, though Dorf- man's local, the waste-handlers of Chicago, was yanked by George Meany because of corruption. The McClellan committee headlined this Sept. 18, 1958, two years later Connections With Johnny Dio Sepl. 3, 1956 How Johnny Dio convicted of throwing acid on Victor Riesel, has been an under world pal of Jimmy Hoffa. Also how Hoffa put up Teamsters money to sponsor TV and radio pro grams for the Republican state convention in Michigan. The McClellan committee criticized Dio's teamster relations on Feb. 25 1958. ' Welfare Funds-March 23-28. 1957 More details on how Rose and Allen Dorfman. with no experience in the insurance business, got in excess of $1,000,000 in insurance commissions in four years from Teamster welfare funds. Dave Beck's Real Estate April 30, 1956 How Beck bought and sold real estate using rela tives as stooges in a manner cal culated to throw off income tax agents. Beck was first indicted for income tax evasion on May 5, 1957. one year later. Beck's Beer March 25. 1958 How Beck and son used union con nections to get exclusive dis tributorship of Anheuser - Busch beer in the northwest. This was headlined by the McClellan com mittee March 26. 1957. Tribune Says Los Angeles Drops Offer CHICAGO UPI The Chicago Tribune said today Los Angeles has withdrawn its offer to host the 1960 Democratic National Convention. The Tribune said the informa tion was disclosed by a member of the city's convention committee. The official announcement was delayed until today to give Dem ocratic National Chairman Paul M. Butler a chance to shake up the old committee or organize a new one, the Tribune said. The paper said other sources revealed that the committee will meet today in an effort to find a replacement for oilman Edwin Pauley, the committee's treasur er and the man who underwrote the city's $350,000 offer. Convention officials here stressed that if financing arrange ments break down in Los An geles, Chicago will automatically be back in the running as host city for the convention. The Republican convention is already scheduled to be held here. It will be the week ot July 25 in the amphitheater in the Stock yards. LETTERS Maximum length 300 words. No anonymous letters but true name will be withheld en request. To The Editor: Your Fridav paper had a no tice where I was elected to teach in the La Grande School system. Since 1 was unable to find adequate hous ing for our family of six. which was to have been done in I he alloted time of five days, 1 had to reject the contract, and will continue teaching in Enter prise. We would like to thank everyone for their help and hope we have not caused too great an inconvenience. Sincerely. Bob Smith California And New York Engage In Long-Range Struggle For Lead United Press International WASHINGTON (L'PI) It looks like the beginning of a long-range hassle between New York and California politically and econo mically. The political contest, currently the more dramatic, involves the presidential ambitions of Vice President Richard M. Nixon of California and Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York. This duel could run right through the 1960 GOP presidential convention. The rough talk al ready has started. Economic rivalry, is reflected in the scramble for defense con tracts. This is no short-term af fair. New York's congressional dele gation, led by Republican Sens. Jacob K. Javits and Kenneth B. Keating, has organized a joint non-partisan committee to work on the government contracts sit uation which has seen California get a lion's share of the defense business. The New York senators have introduced bills designed to guar antee more competitive bidding on such government business. California can see nothing wrong with having a natural and industrial climate that has at tracted its concentration of de fense industry. There isn't much likelihood that anything short of disarmament in depth would alter the current contract balance. And there seems to be no stopping Cal ifornia's population growth. Co West Politicians recognize that the same jet transportation that took Nixon from Washington to Mos cow in nine'hours isalso shrinking uieir uumeiunu. nna some pro Rockefeller Republicans think their man had beeter start using it to get around the country and be seen in something other than newsreels. Both the Californian and the New Yorker are trying to keep their political timing elfective. No can didate likes to be a "cliff-hanger" too long. Nixon's front-running Republi can position clearly was streng thened by his Soviet-Polish tour Cashing in on this, he has re turned to his active domestic speaking schedule. This week hell have been in Washington, D. C. New . Jersey, New ' York, Illinois and Ohio appearances ranging from a savings bond dinner to the annual Soap Box Derby. His warmup for the March 8 New Hampshire presidential pri mary will come next month. Nixon will be the honored guest at the six-state Eastern States Exposi tion in Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 2 and then participate in ground breaking ceremonies the following day for the 30 million dollar Hop-kinton-Everett Dam in New Hamp shire. His schedule will be crowded, and officially it's all part of the job of "being a good vice president." Stay-At-Home Conversely self assigned job of "being a good governor" makes him more of a stay-at-home. Oth ers are doing his political pulse taking around the country and setting in motion the necessary political organization for the day when he makes the formal cam paign decision. There has been little doubt in the Nixon camp that Rockefeller will run. The California-New York politi cal rivalry roughened up just this week. Los Angeles county GOP Chairman Alphonzo Bell Jr. criti cized the Rockefeller forces for spreading a "Nixon can't win" line in advancing the governor's cause. Bell said a "victory at any cost" approach does not insure public confidence or do justice to the Eisenhower administration rec ord "on which our party's candi date must campaign in 1960." He said the "can't win" line is refuted by public opinion sur veys and has been disproved in every campaign in which Nixon has been a candidate. Those bucking Nixon can't hope that such California backfires alone will block this political blaze from New York. They have a key Nixon leader fight in Rockefeller's own domain. He's former Republican national chairman Leonard Hall of New York. Ex-Congressman Hall, a pro among political pros, is slated for a top role in the Nixon pre con vent ion campaign. His value lies not so much in New York or in California but in all those political target areas in between. SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT UPHELD NEW YORK L'PI I The board of Education Friday upheld plans to transfer 400 Negro and Purto Rican children to schools in a predominantly white Queens district. A group from the Glen-dale-Ridgewood section of Queens had asked the board to overrule the decision of School Supt. John J. Theobald because the transfers would destroy the neighborhood quality of the schools. Nixon Thinks Ike Can Hold Own With 'K' WASHINGTON (UPD Vice President Richard M. Nixon said today he was confident that Presi dent Eisenhower would "hold his own in forthcoming talks with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrush chev. The vice president, who recent ly held an unprecedented toe-to- toe debate with JChrushchev at the U.S. exhibit in Moscow, de scribed the Soviet boss as "re sourceful, able, hard-hitting in personal debate." Asked how Eisenhower would fare against Khrushchev's "pecu liar diplomatic approaches," Nix on replied: "Anyone who has seen the President over the past six and one-half years as I have in meet ing after meeting, handling tough problems, would have complete confidence in President Eisenhow er's ability to hold his own in any conference, not only with Khrush chev but anybodwelse." Eisenhower has told White House visitors that he does not intend to get into any public de bate with Khrushchev during the Russian s U.S. visit starting Sept 15. Nixon, appearing on the latest in a series of recorded radio-TV programs with members of Con gress, told Sen. Hugh Scott (R Pa.) that Khrushchev should "never be underestimated." New Shipment! Early Fall Dresses at ESTHER'S APPAREL SAC ANNEX HOUSECOATS . . . LINGERIE . . . MILLINERY Steel Strike Affects Baker BAKER (UPD Effects of the nation-wide steel strike spread to this Eastern Oregon citv Monday. The Chemical - Lime Co. plant near here was shut down for an indefinite period.. Monday when the firm's two MSHhwest line product consumers became strike bound. - A strike Satin-day night closed the Union Carbide Motals Co. plant in Portland, the Baker firm's last operating consumer. Earlier the Bethlehem Steel Pa cific Coast plant in Seattle was closed by pickets. Some 25 workers were idled by the closure. Ned Thomas, superintendent for the plant and its nearby quarry, said the company' would continue the quarry operation, but the lime-products operation would not resume until the coastal consum ers are operating once more. GOLDFINE APPEAL NIXED BOSTON (LTD - The U.S. Court of Appeals Friday denied petitions by Industrialist Bernard Goldfine and his secretary for a re hearing of an appeal on jail sentences imposed for contempt of court. The court on July 24 upheld a three-month sentence for Goldfine and a 10-day sentence for his secretary. Mildred Paper man. The sentences, which were suspended, were imposed for fail ure to provide documents for tax investigators. Men 1cu Want... Shoe repairing of finest workmanship Leather goods of highest quality Dr. Scholl's Aids For Foot Comfort Dm iuudIim to nlease vour nat a v 9 r i " i i O a, . I .t. f. Your Best Source of Supply Is Anderson's Shoe & Leather Goods 1407 Adams No more dog days... vnCAV TV". I: HIM? . -4 1 f when -yS-SzZs does the 7 big household &z..JbWfiC9jr Gas air conditioning makes any summer comfortably cool circulate, clean, dehumidified air all year long. Gas beetmg keeps your home cosily warm on the coldest winter day. For comfort and convenience, yooll want economical gas cooking, house heating, water Keating, air conditioning, t . . . i ntinn r,M MmiDmnl incineration, aoum aiyuig uw saves space and money-cos w - . a to operate year after year. Gas gives you more free time, through modern, fast, dean, dependable, silent, safe ecrac. Ask your local gat company or appliance dealer ( to show you how easy it i to enjoy the perfect service of modern gas equipment. 6 Isff CALIFORNIA-PACIFIC W UTILITIES COMPANY r'.lH HI I'IM Tl-W.ift-mu fin :i.-s.xj (or ths tops in TY enfertaiomMt watch "Playhousi 90" CBS-IV V t