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About La Grande observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1959-1968 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1959)
West Coast Airlines Petitions CAB To Suspend Local Airport Service By GRADY PANNELL officials this morning by West suspension, the airlines pointed Coast Mould be tppeulvd, Snod u....i r . t..j t:... , ri lua.M quiHt-u UKurrs irolll 1957 a total of 17 parsons planed for M par departure. 72 times in 1957. 139 times In 1950 and 204 times during the first nine months of this year. The airlines also point out that this city is well served by sur face transportation, both rail and bus. and further added that due lo the location of La Grande there were unavoidable restrictions on landing minimums. Observer SttH Writar La Grande and Union County facet the loss of West Coast Air lines service, the only such com mercial air arm in this area, The Observer learned today. The "bombshe'l" announcement was given to local Chamber of Commerce and city-county airport Coast Airlines officials. The commercial air service has an application before the Civil Aeronautics Board requesting au thority to suspend its local feeder service, Honce Snoclgrass, man ager of the Chamber cf Conimeicc here, informed. In its application for service out that the number of enplaning and deplaning passengers, pas sengers per departure and the net sales at I s Grande fur the years 1957 through the nine monlhs of 1959 full below a minimum stand a.d set by CAB. To Attend Hearing Asked if this decision bv West grass said that the chamber and city-county leaders would be in attendance when CAB set a meet ing date on the airlines' susx-n-sion request. "There was nothing we could say this morning. The announce ment hit us like a bomrnhrll." Snodgrass said. ine Bureau 01 Air uperauong ol CAB and its own records showing its expense and the subsidy cost to the government would he ro duccd by more than $t!l.0oo an nually in direct and ground ok-ra-lions costs. Statistics an passenger nr. vica hare ravaals: boarded; 414 deplaned for 1.07 par departure, totaling $1, 2S3.7S. ItSI a total of 470 an planed; S7a dtplaned for .1 par departure, totaling $1, 1511. 19JS (1st Bint months) a total of 422 enplaned; 452 totaling H.44J.5S. West Cuast said that CAB sets a minimum standard of five en planed passengers per day as warranting rontmued certification, and that under its authority to overfly a scheduled stop because of no load the company's daily flights had passed over La Grande WEATHER Partly cloudy tonight and Thursday with chance few showers north; highs 4S-7S; low tonight 15-45. LA OBSERVER GRANDE 37th Issu $1000 UP Check Opens United Fundi! By BILL BEBOUT Observer Staff Writer United Fund was given a $1,000 sendoff here this morning when of ficials of the Union Paci.'ic Rail road presented a check in that amount at a UF kickoff breakfast in the Sscajawea Hotel. The check from the l'nion Pacific Foundation Fund signalled the of ficial opening of the 1959 drive here for a total goal $31,500. Drive Chairman David C. Baum assigned division quotas at the session which was attended by 41 workers and department chair men. Bob and Willard Carey gave a demonstration in solicitation technique which emphasized the importance of showing the re sponsibility of all members of the community in making the drive a success. They pointed out that the main point of the drive was to approach every employe of the community with a goal of $1 per month per person to support the various agencies connected with the United Fund. Dr. Frank Bennett, president cf Eastern Oregon College gave the kickoff address for the 7 a.m. breakfast and charged the as sembled workers with the re sponsibility of making the drive a success. Eight Agencies There are eight participating agencies in the local UF drive this year. Some 90 per cent of Van Doren Is Mum On Rigged Quiz NEW YORK UPI Charles Van Doren, 33, refused at a news conference today to discuss charg es of television rigging. The English instructor who won $129,000 on the defunct quiz show "21" said he had been unaware until Tuesday that House investi gators had issued a subpena for his appearance before them. The subpena was served by a member of tlie committee staff a few min utes before the- news conference summoned by Van Doren's attor ney. Van Doren apologized to news men for his public disappearance after his suspension from a $50. 000 a year NBC television job last Thursday night. He said he didn't know he was of such inter est to the press and had not known reporters were looking for him. A Weak Off to Think He said that last Thursday he was "so distressed at events of the past few days, including my suspension by NBC, I decided to take the week Off to think." He and his wife went to New Eng land, he said, "to try to find sol ace in the October beauty of the country." "We walked in the woods and climbed some mountains," he said. "It was not until Monday that I heard about the committee wanting me. . "I was not evading a subpena." BACK FROM BOYHOOD HOME President Jets Back To Capital From Abilene On 69th Birthday WASHINGTON H'PIi Presi dent Eisenhower, flying half way across the country by Jet plane on his 89th birthday, returned to Washington today from Abilene, Kan., his boyhood home. The flight took only two hours and 19 minutes. A cold rain swept the field at nearby Andrews Air Force Base, Md., when the plane landed failed to dampen the President's spirits. He flashed a big grin as he stepped from the plane. The President flew to Abilene Tuesday for ground-breaking cere monies for the new Eisenhower Presidential Library. Eisenhower planned a quiet birthday dinner at the White House with his wife, Mamie, and 64th Year the money contributed lo the fund stays in La Grande, providing aid for local activities which serve many of the local citizens and most specifically the children of the community, Baum said. Ten per cent of each dollar given is distributed to state-wide agen cies through the Oregon United Appeal. These programs, although outside of La Grande, sti'l serve local residents in various ways. Baum said. In the past six years 120 children from this area received 16.110 days of care from agencies supported by these funds. Included in the list of agencies receiving support from the United Fund dollars are Oregon United Appeal, American Red Crass, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts. Arthritis and Rheumatism, Salvation Army, and local youth activities. Divisions and their goals are as follows: Leadership, $6,000: leadership gifts and employes, $12,000: gen eral business, $3,000: Mt. Emily Lumber Co., $4,000 ; Union Pa cific Railroad, $2,000; clubs and organizations. $1,000: public schools, $1,000; Eastern Oregon College. $1,500: and government employes, $1,000. The total goal for the 1959 United Funds drive in La Grande is $31,500. Workers began solicitations to day with Baum urging them to wrap up the campaign as soon as possible. TV INVESTIGATON Herbert Stompel, of For est Hills, N.Y., who won $49,500 on the now de funct TV show "21" tes tifies, before the House Legislative Oversight subcommittee in Wash., D C. The committee is investigating charges that some of the televi sion quiz shows have been rigged. HELPFUL CROOKS REDWOOD CITY, Calif. UPI Three holdup men were robbing a service station here when a customer drove up. While two men held the attend ant, the third stepped out and served the customer. Then the bandits sped away with the mon ey from the cash register plus payment for 10 gallons of gaso line sold to the customer. other members of the family. Mrs. Eisenhower, suffering from a cold and sore throat, was not at the airport to g-eet him. He motored to the White House. Waiting att he White House for the President was a birthday card measuring S by 10 feet, presented to an aide today by the Texas Independence Day organizations. It bore pictures of Eisenhower's birthplace at Dcnison, Tex., and Ft. Sam Houston, where he was stationed when he met Mrs. Eisenhower. Accompanying him on the Abi lene trip was his brother. Dr. Milton Eisenhower, president of Johns Hopkins University. The President had no intention of holding a news conference in BIG SENDOFF FOR UF United Fund Drive Chairman David C. Baum accepts check for $1,000 from officials of the Union Pacific Railroad. The donation from the Union Pacific Founda tion Fund was presented by John Ladd, center, road foreman of engines, and O. D. Christopherson, train master. The check was the first donation to the annual UF drive here and was presented at the kickoff break fast this morning. (Observer Photo) U.S. In Rebuttal On Soviet Disarmament . UNITED NATIONS, N Y. UPI The United States told Russia today "there cannot be 100 per cent disarmament with only 10 per cent inspection." U. S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge made the statement in the first official American reaction to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrush chev's proposal for total world disarmament within four years. Belgian Congo Has Martial Law Clamped MATADI, Belgian Congo (UPH Martial law was clamped on this Belgian Congo port city today following the death of six Afri cans shot down by police in a riot Tuesday night. , Twenty more Africans were re ported injured when police opened fire on about 300 demonstrators in the African quarter who had gathered there in defiance of a curfew. Twelve Europeans were hospitalized after being manhan dled by demonstrators. After the police fired on the demonstrators the city was plagued by a scries of running fights between police and Afri cans. The streets were not quiet until dawn. Police armed with submachine guns patrolled the tense streets today. Gatherings of more than five persons were banned and a curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. was enforced. Washington today, but the White House did not close the door on a presidential meeting with report ers later in the week. This was the fifth trip Eisen hower has made to Abilene since becoming President. He no longer has any close family tics in this section where he lived from ea-ly childhood. The sentimental ties, however, are strong, largely because in the family home, the adjoining Eisen hower museum and the soon -to-be started library, the President has an enduring repository for the relics and documents of his pro fessional career, plus the physical evidence of the surroundings in which he , spent his formative years. LA GRANDE, OREGON ' I-odge told the U. N. Main Political Committee the general U. S. attitude toward the Khrush chev plan, as elaborated last week by Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Vasily V. Kuznetsov, could be summed up in three points: , "First, the United States unre servedly supports, and has always 'supported, the greatest possible amount of controlled disarma ment. "Second, in any disarmament program, whellier it be ino per cent or 1 per cent disarmament, adequate and timely inspection and control must be built into the system, so that both sides reduce their armaments in plain sight of each other, every step of the way. Such a program creates confi dence; anything less creates fear, mutual suspicion, increased ten sion and increased danger of war. "Third, we do not know what inspection and control the Soviet Union would accept on its propo sal for complete disarmament. And I am sorry to say that Mr. Kuznetsov's general assurances on this point in his speech last Friday did not do much to enlight en us. In fact, as he himself said, at this stage it would not be ad visable to examine details, 'in cluding the details of control.' " Lodge said detailed study of the Khrushchev plan should be left to the 10-nation Disarmament Com mittee established by the Big Four foreign ministers which is to begin work at Geneva next February. "As far as the United States is concerned, we will join in the 10 nation committee in giving to the Soviet proposals the most serious scrutiny,' he said. "And the sounder and clearer and more un ambiguous the accompanying plan for inspection and control, which we have not yet seen, the more attention the proposal itself will deserve. "There cannot be 100 per cent disarmament with only 10 per cent control." Scheduled Flight Of X15 Cancelled EDWARDS AFB, Calif. L'PI The scheduled second powered flight of the experimental space probing rocket ship X15 was can celled for technical reasons today while approaching a launch alti tude. A spokesman for North Ameri can Aviation, the builders, said the flight was "aborted" by pilot Scott Crossfield. The pilot found difficulties in a regulating device shortly before he was to be triggered loose from the B52 mother ship at an altitude Of 38.000 feet. The X1S Is designed lo probe the edge of space at speeds up to 4,000 miles an hour. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, Civic Music Group Launches 'Kickoff' "Go Day" has been launched by the Union County Civic Mu sic Association following a suc cessful kickoff dinner at the Sacajawea during which volun teer captains and committees were named. Neil Wilson, voice teacher at Kastern Oregon College here. president cf the group, duccd the cucst speaker of the evening, Mwa Rae SinclMre New York representative of fivic Conceit Service. Heard from also were Mrs. Charles Snyder, secretary; Merle Beckett, treasurer; Don Nelson, Volunteer captains are as lot I,. Sampson, and Mrs. Neil Wilson. Cultural Program Wilson told of the cultural program here and the opportuni ty offered oollcge students who are able to attend the concerts. He also expressed an opinion that the association was off to a gocd start and viewed a highly successful and entertaining sea son for I-a Grande. Miss Sinclairc gave the back ground cn the cooperative con cert plan and instructed workers in the mechanics of registering applicants for the 1959 60 scries during this one week of limited enrollment. the also stated that associa tion members are now canvassing for prospective members in Iji Grande and would be knocking on doors to explain their organiza tion, etc. Drive Ends Saturday Miss Sinclaire pointed out that no membership cards will be sold following termination of the drive this Saturday, and reminded that membership cards for both adults and students may be used for admission to any or all Pen dleton concerts at no extra charge. Set Testimony On Salk Vaccine Fixing Charges TRENTON. N. J. iUPI Whole- sale drug buyers from three states and the federal government will testify they received uniform bids on Salk vaccine from five big d-ug firms now on trial for fixing the price of the vaccine, the trial proscculor announced today. Lewis Bernstein, presenting the government's case in the trial of the five comoanics, said he would call as a witness a New York drug wholesaler who was told he could not obtain the vaccine if he submitted a hid under a certain figure. The government also will call drug purchasers from New York, Connecticut and Texas to show that uniform prices for the vac cine were quoted by the five firms, Bernstein said. Former New York Gov. Thom as E. Dewey, representing the de fendant Eli Lilly & Co., said in his opening statement for the manufacturers that vaccine prices which were similar to the fourth decimal point were the result of well known percentage reductions offered government agencies by the pharmaceutical industry. 1959 Brush Fire Threatens California Community HOME AIR CONDITIONING PARK FOREST, III. (UPD When Laverne Larson and his two sons became so cold In their homo they had to don sweaters and even overcoats to stay warm, ha blamed it on unseasonably cold weather. It wasnjt until the three ware leaving to spend the night in a friend's homo, much warm er, that ha discovered his water pipes ware frocen. Than ha learned that a play mate of his 13-year-old son had turned the air conditioner con trol to 30 dagras. association vice president; Rev. lows: Mrs. Ruth Ijcer, Mrs. Bessie Stuart, Mrs. Lee Reynolds, Don Nelson, Mrs. Lee Thomas, Mrs. Florence Smith, Mrs. Schrock, Mrs. Neil Wilson, Mrs. Hugo Har- tig, Mrs. Forrest Pitts, Mrs. Mary Grant, Mrs. Midge WriRht, Dr. intro-fl.ynn Bishop, Mrs. lrma Puis, Roy Bell, Mrs. Florence Miller, Mrs. I Betty Faulkner, Dale Vaught. Serving as dinner chairman for Ifhe meeting was Mrs. Lee Rey nolds, with Mrs. George Tiss as headquarters "chairman. The head quarters is located at the Calif ornia Pacific Utilities. Nasser Scored As 'Slave' Of Western Powers BAGHDAD, Iraq UPI A high Iraqi official today denounced U.A.R. President Gamal Abdel Nasser as a "slave of British and American capitalism who tries to entrench his influence in Africa and Asia." The denunciation, one of the strongest Iraqi blasts In recent monlhs against the United Arab Republic, was made by Fadil Abbas Al-Mahdawi, president of the People's Court of Iraq. Mahdawi apparently ended the work of his People's Court by passing death sentences on 17 army officers and civilians con victed of involvement in the abor tive revolt last March. He flew to Peiping for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Communist Chinese, Intending to remain several weeks. He hurried back to Baghdad after the assas sination attempt on Premier Ab dul Karim Kassem. His return sparked speculation here that the People's Court trials would be resumed. Mahdawi told an interviewer for Baghdad Radio that nothing had been decided about a possible People's Court trial of Kassem's attackers. Ike's Fact-Finding Board Seeks v To Extend Steel Strike Meeting WASHINGTON UPI Presi dent Eisenhower's fact finding board in the steel strike asked him today for a three-day exten sion until Monday for filing its report. In setting up the board under the Taft-Hartley Act, the Presi dent had told the panel to make its report by midnight Friday. The report will determine whether the President will ask the Justice Department to seek an in junction to halt the steel strike for 80 days. Prof. George W. Taylor, chair man of the three-man board, a the same time asked for a special meeting Sunday of representatives of management and union to at tempt to draw up a list of points on which there is an agreement. Meat Again Thursday Taylor said the extension of time and the special meeting were being requested because of the "very grave difficulty in as 10 Paget B RONALD WALK School Principal Ronald Walk New State Official Ronald Walk, La Grande High School principal, Tuesday was elected vice president of the Oregon Association of Secondary School Principals. Uc fills a vacancy left by J. Russell Achcson, Mcdford, who! has left the ranks of principals to become an assistant superin tendent. .- Medic Admits Affair With His Patient PRlNEVH.LE.tUPU The sec retary of the Oregon State Board of Medical Examiners testified in a malpractice suit trial here Tues day that the defendant admitted having sevual relations with a woman patient. The testimony came from How ard Bohbitt who said that Dr. Nel son Coleman, defendant in the $200,000 suit, filed a letter with the Board last November. In it Bohbitt testified, the doctor ad mitted having sexual relations with Mrs. Clara Mitchell, 28. Mrs. Mitchell has filed suit against the 36 - year old doctor charging him with acting ncgli gently, carelessly and unskillfully . . . . causing severe and perma ncnt damage. The trial opened Monday before a jury of six men and six women. No Action Taken Bobbitt said Dr. Coleman ap peared before the Board in July of 1959 and admitted writing the letter. He said no action had been tuken on the letter and it was still subject to determination. The letter to the .Board of Medi cal Examiners was written in an swer to a complaint before the Board. Dr. Henry II. Dixon, Portland psychiatrist, was on the stand most of Tuesday afternoon. sembling the facts and giving them proper analysis and form." He adjourned today's session un til Thursday morning. Taylor told the steel companies that if they wish they can con tinue their testimony through Thursday afternoon. The steel companies were to have com pleted presentation of their case by Thursday noon. He asked representatives of the steel companies and the United Steelworkers Union lo be "on call" to answer questions while the board's report is being draft ed. Taylor, after hearing opening testimony on behalf of the steel companies, drew from their chief negotiator a statement that man agement has been unwilling to ne gotiate on any wage demand that would raise steel production costs by more than 2 per cent. Taylor, who heads the three-man board, emphasized that the United Five Cents Residents Near LA : 'Scatter' LA CANADA, Calif. (UPD A wind-whipped brush fire scorched its way on a 2 5-mile perimeter today as 1,000 fire fighters and water bombing planes fought for control of flames that forced residents to flee their expensive foot hill homes. County Fire Capt. D. F. Hooper said flames had seared 1,800 acres of watershed by dawn in the. Las Angeles National Forest,, just north of this suburban Los Ange les city. - - .'.- The flames leaped over . famed Arroyo Seco Canyon during; -the night toward the Brown Mountain area that was burned over in 1J by a fire that blackened .1,000 acres. Four firemen were injured, two seriously, fighting the flames. Others were treated for burns or smoke inhalation. Hooper, said..'' A $100,000 home In the path of the flames was partially burned but shifting winds and determined firemen, aided by home owners. turned the blaze at least tem porarily from-aboot "ISO' other' homes in the area. , Weather Conditlant Advert-. Hooper said the Brown Mod tain fire line was all but Inacces sible since the on lone fire road was blocked by flames. ,- Forecasts called for abnormally high temperatures in the 90s to day with gusty desert-born winds up lo 35 miles an hour on ridges and in the canyon, and low' hu midity all deterents to quick control. . Thirteen water-bbrate bombing airplanes worked the fire area from three airports starting' at dawn. A blanket of brown -colored smoke hung over the mountain area and drifted over smog plagued Los Angeles. The fire started late Tuesday afternoon, apparently from a careless discarded cigarette, and swept over territory patroled by the Forest Service and the Los An geles County Fire Department. About 400 Indian firefighters from New Mexico and Arizona wert airlifted in during the night to join county and state crews from San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino coun ties. Nab Transient Htr. On . Vagrancy. Chart) A transient wit arrested on charges of vagrancy early, this morning when La Grande police officers found him sleeping in the stockyards. . r Frank Abbey, 62, was taken in to custody by officers at 12:30 a.m. A hearing was scheduled tor this afternoon at 3 p.m. ' ;' Steelworkers Union has been equally "adamant" in demanding there should be no change in con tract provisions regarding working conditions. - .' The board was set up when President Eisenhower Invoked the Taft-Hartley Act last Friday in an effort to halt the I-monlh-old strike. . ; , R. Conrad Cooper, negotiating representative of the 12 largest companies, contended in his tes timony that the union has been equally adamant in demanding wage increases which would hike production costs two or three times the t per cent figure.. . Wa Demands NfHlaMa -' Taylor said "that is not my un derstanding." He asked President David J. McDonald of the steal workers to answer from th au dience whether the anion's wage, demands wars negotiable, "The answer is 'yes,' V McDon ald replied.