!-- . - " - , 1 -
; ' i ' - - ' .. ! . , f . - 4 -
; Basketball .
" The climax of the basket
ball season, the state tour
nament, is here. The States
man brings you the tourna
ment news hours ahead.
; The Weather
Occasional rain to i lay and
Sunday, no change' in tem
perature; Maz 'Temp. Fri
day 51, Min. S7, river 6.17
feet, raiu .15 inch, SW wind.
POUNDDD 1651
EIGHTY-SIXTH YEAR
Salem, Oregon, Saturday Morning, March 20, 1937.
Price 3c; Newsstands 5c j
No. 303
o 7
a . .
mam
roper Gas Vents Mlamed for Texas - Schoolhouse
Tlr(Qiim.e PortclaiiicI
Til
UfflCMtS
' ! ;
1
i
Imp
. ' . it:
- - g
Mass Funeral
Arranged For
Some Victims
Search in j Rains at End ;
V: . Estimate " of Deaths
Stands at 425
Chemist Says Walls Are
EillediWith Gas That
'HaslNo Other Exit
v NEW LONDON. Tex., March 19
-VPy-An expert's "positive" opin
ion that the) blast which killed
ome 425 school children and
teachers in the ; London consoli
dated school may have been gen
erated in the very walls of their
classroom spurred investigation
tonight of the ; nation's worst
school disaster, i
Dr. E. P. Schoch, University
of Texas chemistry professor who
is rate! as an expert on gas ex
plosions, said "it (the explosion)
came from either the basement
or the .hollow tile, walls which
-are excellent gas chambers." Dr.
Schoch made the statement to
newspapermen.
"I am reasonably certain In
which one of these sections it oc
curred and have very little. evi
dence to support an explosion in
the other." ;
Later he inspected the tangled
wreckage from which a thousand
men hauled their dead last night,
and asserted he found many of
the gas radiators without proper
flues. "-f !"" -. v '
Of six radiators left intact after
the explosion. Dr. Schoch said he
found only one with a satisfactory
vent. - -
"It's simple," he said. "The
walls were filled with gas that
had no other exit. Then there
was a spark, and the walls burst.
"The condition of the bodies of
those children bears that out.
They were blown (be emphasized
the word) to death not burned
to death." I .
Capt. Z. EL Coombs of the na
tional guard who accompanied the
chemist on his inspection trip
said he had talked with the archi
tects and contractors of the build
ing and added that they reported
the installation of radiators was
the same throughout the struc
ture. i
There were 72 radiator, each
Individually j gas fired, in the
building, 36 on each floor.
A few hours before Dr. Schoch,
sent here by Got. James V. All
red to conduct one of three - of
ficial investigations, made his in
spection, the last of an array of
rescue workers left the ruins in
the school building. .
Gas from Oil Field.
Blamed by Educator
School Superintendent W. C.
Shaw who lost a son in the trag
edy had said he believed seep
ing gas from the adjacent oil
fields caused the blast.
Weary workmen who' tolled
through the night and. day, bur
rowing In the twisted wreckage
for bodies, completed -the task
late today, after 425 victims had
been removed, with the statement
of Col. E- E, Parker, commander
of naUonal 'guard forces which
held, the territory under martial
lei ir ' i- i.
"The Job Is finished. We estl
mato 425 bodies. were lifted from
the rains. Maybe more."
Gas flares from the forest of
oil derricks surrounding the com
munity cast an eerie relief tonight
over a scene of quiet strangely at
contrast with the frenzied activi
ty last night when a thousand
cen tore at the wreckage.
Meanwhile bereaved parents
laid plans for mass and individual
funera services for their children.
A group service for an undeter
mined number was planned at
the New London Baptist church
tomorrow, and. there was the pos
sibility of a mass service at Hen
derson. Nearly all the work of embalm
ing and identifying bodies was
finished, but relatives moved in
and out of mortuaries over a 69
mile ares, selecting caskets and
making arrangements for final
rites. - :
Most parents had found their
living children, some in the hos
pitals snd others lost la the ex
citement of rescue work.
William Chapman Gone;
Suspect Amnesia Case
Sixty-four hours had passed at
midnight last night with word
still lacking as to tbe where
abouts of William L. Chapman,
SI, of 1010 Oak street, who dis
appeared at 8 a. m. - Wednesday,
according to city police, who fear
ed Chapman was suffering from
amnesia. A few years ago he. lost
his memory while in Portland
and, when he recovered, found
himself in Eugene.
Slot Machine Battle's
v Aspect Shifts; Carney ,
Bill Now Under Cloud
Wording of Motion in House to Delete Amendments
Made There Is Basis ; Attorney General Has
-Decision Ready on Martin Measure -
- ' r " - ' i . . r
THE slot machine battle of the legislature stirred again
yesterday. A cloud on the -validity of the Carney bill,
S. B. 17, was claimed by foes of the bill. And the attorney
general completed his opinion to the chief clerk of the house
as to the disposition of H. B. 159, the Martin anti-pinball bill.
The Martin bill was returned to the house by the gover-
Justices Decline
To Enter Dispute
Opponents of President's
Plan Disappointed at
; Refusal of Group
'.WASHINGTON, March 19
Justices of the supreme court de
clined today an Invitation to give
the senate Judiciary committee
.their opinion of the Roosevelt
court reorganization proposal.
Leading members-of the oppo
sition group in the senate,-eager
ti obtain testimony from the jus
tices, had extended the informal
invitation. They reported with dis-
j appointment that the justices pre-
ler 10 Keep biooi irom iue curreui
controversy. l r '
A possibility remained,, the sen
atora.JtatY that. some members of,
the court might testify later on
the purely procedural aspects of
the president's bill, although they
thought this prospect a doubtful
one. ; ' j ;
Dr. Charles Haines of the Uni
versity of California at Los An
geles urged passage of the meas-
I ure to remove some oi me
shackles which tbe justices have
forged to obstruct and confine
governmental authority," and to
end what he said was the "court's
present role of censor over the
policy and expediency of legisla
tive action.".
Susp
ect Is Held
i
In South Dakota
CUSTER, S. D., March 19-)-Sheriff
Ed Gray of Custer county
said tonight he is holding for fed
eral department of justice agents
a man be said bears a resemblance
to a sketch of the Mattson kidnap
er circulated in posters issued by
the federal agency.
Tbe man, who gave his name as
Jesse Ickes and said he was living
in Bellingham at the time of the
abduction of Charles Mattson, jr.,
in Tacoma, was arrested by Sher
iff Gray as he drove up to a service
station here late today.
Sheriff Gray said the resemb
lance to the poster picture of the
Mattson kidnaper was so marked
that he Questioned Ickes, received
evasive answers and decided to
take him into custody. A conceal
ed revolver, the Bheriff said, was
found in a blanket on the front
seat of Icke's car.
Ickes, Sheriff Gray said, related
that he had been given the gun by
a stranger - who approached him
and said, "Here, you can have my
gun."
School Heads Will Consider
Junior High Program Today
City school superintendents
from approximately SO cities in
Oregon opened their second an
nual statewide conference here in
the Elks temple Friday and will
continue it today, with & discus
sion of a proposed state junior
high school program expected to
be the highlight.
This question win come Up in
connection with a report by a com
mittee neaded by Austin L&nd
reth of Pendleton. Other features
on today's program will be a re
port by a committee on a general
health education program, headed
by Rex Putnam of Albany, an ad
dress by Dr. Dexter M. Keezer,
president of Reed : college, and
election of officers with A. L.
Gralapp of LaGrande scheduled
for the presidency to succeed
Frank B. Bennett of Tillamook.
Gralapp is vice president this
year and SUas Gaiser of Salem
is secretary. ;
Custodial Profrram
Receive Attention -
Discussion Friday centered
about a report on custodial admin
istration by a committee of which
nor with the words typed across
it: "Emergency clause only ve-
toed, March 6. 1937." The bill
and accompanying veto message
were laid on the table.
Tbe question the attorney gen
eral has to pass on is whether the
bill without the emergency clause
is law or not, also whether the
whole bill may 4e law because no
signature was attached. either to
the veto portion or to the bill it
self, so that the whole bill might
be law under the five-day provi
sion in the constitution. Attorney
General Van Winkle announced
last night that his opinion would
be delivered today.
The alleged impairment of the
Carney bill lies in the report that
the house amended the senate
(Turn to Page 2, Col. t)
Investing Water 4
Funds Discussed
Creating Sinking Fund or
' Use For Improvements,
Issue Up to Board
Whether to invest surplus In
come in bonds as a sinking fund
or in contemplated Improvements
to the Salem water system per
plexed water commission mem
bers at their meeting last night
after Manager Cuyler Van Pat
ton had raised . the question by
announcing the department now
has "in excess of $75 000 tn
cash."
Van Patten added that $18,
320 of the-surplus must be re
served to pay semi-annual bond
interest due July 1.
Commissioner O. A. Olson, who
as city councilman had a part in
Initiating the charter amendment
authorizing purchase of th wa
ter system, declared a sinking
fund -should be established in
anticipation of bond maturities,
which will begin in 1940.
To create a sinking fund suf
(Turn to Page 2, Col. S ) .
Typo Strike Ends
As Members Vote
INDIANAPOLIS, March 19-(P)-Unlon
printers voted here to
night to return to woTk on the
three Indianapolis newspapers,
ending a 24-hour strike which
left this city without a local pa
per. The vote on returning to
work was 207 to 18. i ,1
The printers, members of the
International Typographical Un
ion, went on strike last night in
a demand for an increase in wag
es. .. . v " ; ,
Previously Charles P.' Howard,
International president, had said
the strike "was in violation of
an obligation." ' i
E. H. Hedrlck of Med ford was
chairman. Studies relative to pro
Tiding courses of instruction for
school building custodians, aimed
to elevate this work above ordin
ary janitorial service, will be con
tinued for another year by this
committee, the members decided.
Courses may be worked out
through the state vocational ed
ucation department. Purchase of
school supplies would be one Item.
. A review of new legislation rel
ative to public schools was Pre
sented by C. A. Howard, state sup
erintendent of public instruction.
Dean Alfred Powers of the ex
tension, division. University of
Oregon, presented an outline of
the extension work, including vis
ual education, radio instruction
through KOAC programs and the
extension courses offered in var
ious cities of Oregon. ; -:
"Educational Freedom" was the
topic of an a d d r e s s by C A.
Sprague, editor of The Statesman.
He made not of tbe sensitivity of
conventions of school men toward
freedom in teaching. Academic
(Turn to Page 7, CoL 6) ,
Chief of WPA
1 - i
Here Supports
F.R. on Court
Jim SmitK Writes to His
Friends, Not Relief .'
Crews, Declares ' -
All of Latter Are Sent
Copies of Speech by ;
Hopkins, Stated
Without benefit of "local spon
sor." a new WPA activity devel
oped In Salem this week that t
campaigning for President Roose
velt's supreme court Revision pro
posal. Into the malls, Tbe Statesman
learned yesterday, have fone not
only WPA-mlmeographed copies
of National Administrator Harry
L. Hopkins recent supreme court
address but also letters signed by
J. E. Smith, district director,. urg
ing the addressees to "wire or
write to Senators McNary ana
Stelwer asking them to endorse
the president's stand on the court
blU."
Director Smith grinned and ad
mitted yesterday afternoon that
he had sent out a few copies of
the speech, accompanied by let
ters, to other than WPA workers
but denied emphatically that the
relief laborers themselves had
been asked to write letters advo
cating the president's so-called
court reform measure,
Between 2500 and SC00 copies
of the Hopkins address, which
concluded with the assertion that
depending, upon, tha present su
preme court "is a kind of tragic
gambling In which we should not
and need not indulge,", have been
distributed through the district
WPA offices here to relief work
ers and other persons, according
to Director Smith's estimate.
Asked exactly how many of the
speech copies and letters had been
sent to non-relief democratic party
members and others. Smith said
about two dozen might be tha
correct figure.
"But I don't think they will
make much difference," he added.
"People will do about what they
want to anyway."
The copy of tha Bmltn-signed
letter obtained by The Statesman
read as follows:
"Enclosed find copy of Harry
Hopkins' address relative to tha
supreme court. If yon will read
same carefully X knew you will
have to admit that President
Roosevelt la right tn regard to the
supreme court. Admitting that he
is right I would appreciate It if
you would wire or write to Sen
ators McNary and Stelwer asking
them to endorse the president's
stand on the court bllL
(Signed) J. K. Smith, Director."
Water Rate Here
Is Under Average
Salem's minimum water rate
is 16 cents below the average
of 17 eiUes in the northwest and
its charge for the first BOO cubic
feet of water used is less than
the average of all but tha fonr
largest cities, Portland, Tacoma,
Seattle and - Spokane, Manager
Cuyler Van Patten informed the
water commission last night.
Summarising data which Chair
man E. B. Gabriel had asked to
have assembled. Van Patten gave
the commission the following sta
tistics: . Average minimum charge S7
cities,- including Portland. Ta
coma, Seattle and - Spokane.
$1.36; Salem minimum, $1.20.
Average charge for first 600
cubic feet, 27 cities. $1.7, av
erage for 23 cities, Portland. Ta
coma, SeatUe and Spokane ex
cluded, $1.61; Salem charge.
$1.55. !
VanPatten also reported that
25 of the 27 cities collected fix
ed or cost-plus charges for mak
ing service connections to mains,
as does the Salem water depart
ment. The average for the 25 cit
ies is I17.6C. aa against $20 tn
Salem. Highest fees, S0 and
$30.50. respectively, are collected
by Portland and Astoria.
Home-Soled Shoe .
Identifies Body
NEW LONDON. Tex., March If
-(JP)-A father stood by a sheet
draped figure in the Overton Am
erican Legion hall,: temporary
morgue for the victims of tbe dis
aster. Piece by piece, a legionnaire
showed the man the boy's cloth
ing, the only means of identifica
tion.'' -
"That's my boy," the father
mumbled. "I soled the shoes my
DOWNED
bAk4sW
----- - t:.
xfifl
Above, the Portland champions of Franklla high who wer swamped, 80 to 18,' by Bellfountaln, which
doesn't have a postofflce. From' left, Nusnenkamp, Bygg. Towne, MJlee, Catlow, Meek, Fehr, Baker,
Oliver. In front, Kremers. Lower picture, tho MxLoughlin high boys from IfJlton-Freewater who were
SKMed out by IbcoIb of Portland tn am overtime Top row, from left, Roloff , (next hua sot on tour
Bey eqiMd), Morrla, Kolbers;, Preatoa. Ixxwer row, manager, Rinkver, Plslc, Graliam, Ireland. '
Kuhn Named Head
Of Gties League
Grange Bonneville . Policy
Stated; Martin Lauds
Legislature's Work
IUGKNE, March 11-VP)rClo
lag its annual convention held in
connection with tbe common
wealth conference on the Univers
ity of Oregon eamyus, tbe League
of Oregon cities today named .V,
B. Kuhn, mayor of S a 1 em, as
president of the group.
Other officers elected were Miss
Cella Gavin, The Dalles city at
torney, first vice . president:
Charles H. Huggins, mayor of
kfarshfleld, second vice president:
J. W. - Mc Arthur, superintendent
of Eugene public utilities, treas
urer; J. L. Franien, city manager
of Oregon City, secretary; and J.
O. Thornbrook, mayor of Astoria.
C. O. Reiter, c i t y manager ' of
Bend, and Ormond R. Bean. Port
land commissioner of public works.
executive committee members.'
! Benefits of power to.be develop
ed at Bonneville should be- distributed-
equitably to 'all persons
(Turn to Page 3, Col. 3) i
Late Sports
6 ENTER March lS-VJack
Colvin. a lean, lanky forward
from Tnrkev. Texas, led the Den
ver gateways to a rousing 49-32
victory over tne Houywooa stars.
Olympic tournament cnampions.
in the National AAU basketball
meet semi-finals tonight.
The Phillips Oilers of Barties
Tille, Okla. defeated the Kansas
City Trails, 43-35. The Oilers and
Safeways clash for the title to
morrow night.
VANCOUVER, B. C, March 19
-yip-Spokane's Homeless Clippers
tacked a 3-1 defeat on Vancouv
er Lions here tonight and won
into the final playoff series with
Portland Buckaroos for the cham
pionship of the Pacific coast hoc
key league.
i -
'BATTLE, March 19-iP) - It's
Walla Walla from eastern Ore
gon against Everett from western
Washington - for tha state high
school basketball championship.
In Ibe most spectacular and
bitterly fought games of the tour
nament, these teams came from
behind tonight to win.
:. Walla Walla put on a short
story finish to defeat Wenatehee.
41 to 35. in overtime, and Ever
ett nosed out the rugged Dayton
team from Columbia county, 29
to 27. with a field goal in the
last 30 seconds.
IN THRILLING SEMIFINALS
- ' '-t '-v' n " - ' f V jAv '"!:
7;
'A:
j
Bandit Tale Gets
Better With Age;
Full Denial Made
Street corner accounts not
withstanding, a sensational rob-,
bery and subsequent knockout
capture of the money-grabber
apparently did not occur In
downtown Salem at bank-opening
time yesterday morning.
The story was prevalent be- '
fore noon that Verle Smith,
young woman cashier at - the
state liquor store, had been
accosted by the robber while she
was en route to the bank with
the store's bulging 'money
pouch. He wrested the bag from
her, the tale went, but the young
woman grabbed him about the
neck and started pulling his
- hair. .
Getting better as It grew, the -story
had it that the robber then .
threw Miss Smith to the side
walk, only himself to receive a
knockout punch from a male
: witness to the affair.
"It didn't happen," declared -'
Herbert Plank, acting manager -
at the liquor store. -"Miss Smith -'
was here in the store all the
time," Waldo Mills, clerk, con-.
eurred. - - r : ' . v
. police heard the tale, too,
: hut decided it wasn't worth in-,
vestlgating.
Chile Has Quake
LA SERENA, Chili, March 19
A strong earthquake cracked
walls in this coastal city and near
by towns today at 2:10 p.m. (1:10
p.m., EST). No casualties were
reported. ,
Nut Growers
Woodburn as Headauarters
Headquarters of the North Pa
cific Nut Growers cooperative
association will be established at
Woodburn within 30 days, Ira C.
Powell, ' Monmouth banker and
filbert and walnut grower, an
nounced late yesterday following
a meeting of the co-op board of
directors in Dundee. Powell is
president of the hoard.
The decision to move offices
to 'Woodburn. came following a
"very liberal offer" front civic
leaders there,' this Marion county
town making more lucrative pro
posals than the three other bid
ders for the headquarters. Port
land, Salem and Dundee.
Sito For Plant
Offered by City
Powell said , the - Woodburn
inducement included free office
rent In the city hall there, free
lights and heat, a fireproof safe
1
i
. : i
eingEyePIan
il ilauncned Here
200 Qub Sponsor; Will
Send Maxine Sautter to
Eastern Institute '
Hope came to a Salem blind girl
last:; night as : the 20-30 club
launched Its project to bring the
vseeing Eye" to Salem. Miss Max
ine Sautter is the girl selected for
the - honor of attending the "See
ing Eye' institute at Morrtetown,
Pennsylvania. The club has under
taken the job of financing her ex
penses to and from tbe school. .
Tbe "JSeeing Eye" program was
explained to the club members
and! guests at the meeting last
night at the Quelle cafe by Mrs.
Mary Campbell, executive secre
tary of the Seeing Eye association
at'Morristown..: ;
Organized in the United States
m January, 1929, the Seeing- Eye
institute has placed 300 dogs with
blind persons throughout the na
tion, Mrs. Campbell said. 1
Work of Training :
Dogs Takes Time. -
- Only German Shepard dogs are
used for the work.-Mrs. Campbell
told; the members that it takes
three months . to train a dog for
the! fwork and one month to ac
quaint the blind person with the
dog.) Instructors are taught for
four years before they are allowed
to teach) . -
Vt costs $900 to train a dog."
Mrsi Campbell said. "The dogs are
soldto the students for $150 each.
The!hlind person must pay for his
j (Turn to Page 2, Col. 8) ,
1 I!
Co - op Selects
3 1.
fort company records, all for a
four-year period. ; ' t
Woodburn also . of ered a two
acre ; town site for a nut shelling
plant, if and when this is ap
proved by the hoard of directors.
' The North Pacific headquarters
were: inh the unit plant at Dun
deal until that plant was des
troyed by fire earlier this year.
Recently the Dundee. unit of the
cooperative which also has - a
unit in Salem voted to rebuild,
but! ;finl plans have not been
completed pending a trip of sev
eral jot the .directors to Califor
nia i to view large plants in that
stateL i -, - - X :- -
,"he . decision to go to Wood
burn carried by only one vote.
Powell Said. He himself favored
coaling jto Salem, but said the
Wdodbujrn offer was fo good the
UTurn to Page 7, Col. 6)
Lincoln Takes''
.
in
To Gaiii Final
Village Cagemen Put on1
. . Basketball Lesson for
j Big Towners, 39-13
McLoughlin's Long Lead
! Overcome ; Finals of
Tourney Tonight
- GAMES TODAY
' 9:30 h'clock-AstorU vs. La
Grande (5th place).
i 10:30 o'clock-Salem vs. Es
gene (4th place).
7:30 o'clock-Franklin ts. Me-f
Loughlin (3d place). '
8:20 o'clock-Bellf ountaln va '
Lincoln (championship).
. SCORES YESTERDAY '
Astoria 69, Athena 25.
LaGrande 32. McMinnville 17.
' Eugene 41, Chiloquin 20.
-.Salem 40, Ashland 28.
" Bellfountaln -39, Franklin 13.
; Lincoln 27, McLoughlin 22.
. By PAUL HAUSER
- Down the home stretch tota :
state basketball championship
the Giant-killers of little Bell
fountain and .the Giants of big
Lincoln, victors in last nig hf
semi-final contests, will pound to-
night at 8:3a o'clock in the final
game : of Oregon's high school
basketball championships.'
Lincoln, which saw. the swift,
accurate team from Benton coua- .
ty annihilate Franklin -39 to U,
will have the game of its life
against a little team which T- '
pears convinced that It can - play
basketball against anybody.
! Lincoln came close to goicg .
down with Franklin as It scrap
ed through a 27 to 22 win over
the . scrappy . McLoughlin high
quint in the first overtime game '
in. two tournament years.
I Little Bellfoantain, its squad
of eight nearly half of the 19
hoys enrolled, did what it could
n't do in the semi-finals last year
and made monkeys of Portland's -city
champions in doing it.. It '
would have taken a better team
than Franklin to stop BeUfoua
taln last night and many wonder
ed '-if the CorvaUis team which
beat Bellfountaln last year could
have done it last night.
Threo Consolation
Games Scheduled -
1 Franklin, 1U champlonshis
hopes topped by an overwhelm
ing -defeat tor the second year,
will meet McLoughlin for third
place in tonight's opening gams
at 7:30 o'clock. Last year Frank
lin lost to Corvallia 34 to 20 la
theflnal game.
I Two morning games today will
decide the winners of fourth and
fifth place. Astoria, which stam
peded Athena 89 to 25 yesterday,
meets LaGrande for fifth plae
at 9:30. LaGrande boosted Me
Minnville out of the tournameat
yesterday by coming from -behind
for a 32 to 27 upset win.
i Salem,' hot again after its da
feat by . Lincoln, defeated. Ash
land 40 to 28 with a second half
spurt - after Eugene' had pranced
over Chiloquin 41 to 20. These
teams, bitter rivals in any sport,
will meet at 10:30 o'clock for
fourth place.
The ' way Bellfountaln gava
Franklin a lesson in first Prin
ciples was a revelation not only ta
Franklin but also to over 2008
spectators, - most of whom war
cheering for BUI Lemmon'a bunch
of stylists from the hill country.
' Bellfountaln handcuffed Frank
liir and threw away the key. They
were out to make baskets and
keep Franklin from making air
and tht's wht they did. If tbr
swlft-pssing, sure-shooting offence
was a thing wonderful to behold
their air-tight defense was enough
to drive Franklin frantic ... and
it did. -
None of B Champs -Safe
to Be Loose .
' The poisonous thing about Bell
fountain to any of its opponents is
that there's not a man on the team
who is safe running around loose.
They haven't a single Deadeya
(Turn to Page 2, CoL 2)
B
ALL AD E
of TODAy
.' By R. a
Take five- good hoys and a
, coach who knows what - that
i leather eassaba is for, and yoa
i have all-Jt takes for a cham
i plonship team that can show all
'others the door; but it also
1 takes time and hard games un
der fire, and the spirit that asks
; for no "breaks"; It's easy to
j build a great team, but the boys
i and the coach have to have
what it takes.
.'-..-
uvenune y
!-
1
it!