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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1937)
Ar Appreciation Hundreds of sets of the famous paintings offered by the National Committee for Art Appreciation are being purchased by Statesman readers. .Weather . Occasional rain today and Friday, snow in mountains; Max. Temp. Wednesday -. Min. 49, river 18.1 feet, rain 2.01 inches, 8-SW wind. EKJUTYSEVENTU YEAR Salem, Oregon, Thursday Morning, December 30, 1937 Price 3c; Newsstands 5c No. 238 Clone Bel. win Doe POUNDDD 1651 .Down Tlj City burnt ILDm - Rogers - T Inquest Story Will Be Given To Grand Jury "Sailor" Quoted Sayin He Clouted Somebody and Took Overcoat McColIam Admits Three Were Together up to Around Midnight - The inquest into the death in the city jail December 18 of Ceorge D. Chaffee, Silverton mill foreman, brought out testimony yesterday afternoon of a drunken spree "or fight In the Leonard hotel' daring , which furnishings were thrown out the second story window and of a drinking com panion of Chaffee's who told oth er witnesses he had "clouted a gee on the head and got his overcoat and hat . . ." Chaffee was not involved in the hotel brawl. Sufficient evidence has been as sembled to present the matter to the grand Jury for investigation after the coroner's jury has ful filled its duties, District Attorney Lyle J. Page announced. Thirteen witnesses testified yesterday before the inquest, be ing held at the Clougb-Barrick mortuary, was continued over to 9:30 a. m. today for testimony by at least six other witnesses, according to Cbroner-L. E. Bar rick." ' , - Pointed Mention of Sailor' Rogers Made The name of Chester A. "Sai lor" Rogers, about 2 6,"" former Airlie district mill employe whom city police have been seeking, held a prominent place in late after noon testimony by Sergeant Don eld Nicholson, Clarence Caldwell, Pastime card room and bar oper ator; Roy McColIam, 26, who has been in the city jail since the night of the hotel fight and of Chaffee's arrest; Bob Moody, truck driver,, and Virgil Kubin, former employer of Moody. Their descriptions of Rogers corresponded to a description giv en by Mrs. Otto Schiess, Leonard hotel proprietress, of a man who took a room' with McColIam and registered as G. L. Delp. A braise over Chaffee's fore head marked the point of the skull fracture which caused his death, Dr. Verden E. Hockett, au topsy surgeon, testified early in the day. Dr. William J. Lidbeck. state hospital pathologist, said the fracture . may have - been caused by a fall and also testified that he had found no trace of alcohol in Chaffee's internal or gans, r" The afternoon testimony cen tered aronnH'tbe.jneeUn"g".rChaf lee, McColIam and Rogers on the (Tarn to page I, coL 5) nWdTti o s lit . -, . - - V-1 :. : "-; in the News NEW YORK, Dec29-(;p-Lor-en Owen, 34. was told today by Magistrate William O'Dwyer to get out of town 1,200 miles out and to mail back a postcard ev ery 200 miles to show he was still outbound. "Don't come back," said Mag istrate O'Dwyer, "for any reason." Owen was brought Into court charged with disorderly conduct. His wife said be pawned Jier Christmas presents, got drank up on the proceeds and proceeded thereupon to beat her. O'Dwyer sentenced him to 60 days, then put him on probation and toned him right out of the eastern United States. DES MOINES, la., Dec. 29 (A3) Drake university's dean of women, Mrs. Carrie Taylor Cab' bage, counseled today that the mere fact it's New Tear's ere is no excuse to play riding to the hounds in the host's parlor unless the host does It first. Her suggestions for good form at New Year's eve frolic included: The host will indi cate what time you should de part ; conduct yourself consis tent with propriety, good health and the public peace; the boat will set the tempo; if he wants a boisterous party hell lead the way. . And if the pace becomes too fast, go home. ALBION, N. T., Dec. -()-Albion's firemen climbed on their shiny engine last night and raced throagh the Tillage streets to find a fire in a swimming pool. The pool, under construction at a park,' received Its first cement -foundation yesterday; and had been corered with straw and can- Ta.s The cause of the fire was un ' determined. Damage was slight Linked ... INCIDENT WHICFiUSED 3g?gwvy''!ww ii i , i. - -n ,,, . , i i... n w .- . , -f ? HIT ! , t V N . ...r. r nTyVriilrrifc m , , 7," -i-, , , ;?.f ; ' .... S:?x-.vi x::: :::;;Xx i o:x :::"x: Fall of Tsingtao Seems Imminent Chinese Destroy Property as Evacuation Looms; Americans Leaving SHANGHAI, Dec. 30 -(Thursday )-(jT-Acute tension gripped Tsingtao today as Chinese, appar ently resigned to loss of the rich north China port, spread devasta tion to leave the Japanese nothing but ashes. A series of explosions late last night rocked the city as Chinese soldiers blew up telegraph, cable and radio offices, creating tear the Chinese ."broken tile" policy might mean - greater ' destruction before the expected Japanese en try. The United States cruiser Mar hlehead and destroyer Pope moved closer to shore, ready to evacuate Americans quickly in case of sud den necessarily. A British cruiser lay nearby to take off Britons. With the United States gunboat Sacramento already at sea bound for Shanghai with 45 American refugees, 159 Americans remained in Tsingtao and 13 others in its environs. Eleven Americans still were at Tsinan, Shantung prov ince capital 200 miles west of Tsingtao, which Japan's forces al ready had occupied. Teacher Pension Program Favored No Discussion of Fight on Present Retirement Act at Sessions PORTLAND, Dec. 29-iJPy-The representative council of the Ore gon state teachers' association ap proved unanimously a resolution urging a statewide retirement law for teachers, and advocated state assistance in building a fund. A reported" movement among Portland and Salem teachers to challenge the constitutionality of the present retirement act was hot discussed today in; a session preliminary to the 38th annual convention of the association. The act compels retirement at the age of 65, but provides no benefits. Other resolutions urged addi tional federal aid to education, and supported statewide county health units and child clinics. "Equal opportunity cannot be had for children of this state so long as the local tax base fur- (Turn to page 2, col. 4) Paris Public Service Strike Called off; PARIS, Dec. 30.-(Thursday)- (y-Labor leaders and cabinet ministers early today announced strikes of 120,00ft Paris workers had been called off. ' The Paris municipal council. acting through Interior Minister Marx Dormoy, agreed to giTe tne workers a living allowance at a compromise figure between their demands and the previous council offer. Paul Morel, secretary of the Public Service Workers union, said the strikers would go back to work today ending the Ueup of Paris transportation, gas, light, and water services , that had threatened more serious complica tions. -- The agreement was reached In the face of a government threat to mobilize all workers and force them to return to work as soldiers. Most strikers are reservists in the French army The compromise promised : V. uf0ith Chaffee Death p V&V 77Z 71 ' ' . i. Above, the actual sinking of the over to take her final plunge Into the depths of the Yangtze river. Note that masts hare been broken off by Japanese aerial bombs, disabling radio equipment. Light blotches on upper decks are Amer ican flags painted for identification. Below, Lieut. C. G. Grazier, medical officer of the Panay, standing over Lieut. Commander J. J. Hughes, to whom he had just given first aid for serious leg wounds, following their escape into the reeds along the river bank UN photos. " Fliers Deny They Hurt Wild Geese EUGENE, Dec, 29-(;P)-A jus tice court jury failed today to agree on a verdict in the trial of Yale Smith and Russ Stewart, lo cal aviators ,who pleaded inno cent to charges of molesting a flock of wild geese from an air plane Armistice day. The fliers denied the statements of witnesses that they had fired on the birds, and said their al leged aerial maneuvers were for the purpose of trying out air cur rents south of the airport. Salem Man Said Held On Bad Check Charges ROSEBURG, Dec. 2 9-(iP)-Sher-iff Percy Webb said E. A. Hunt, who gare his address as Salem, was taken into custody this morn ing charged . with Issuing two worthless checks at a local hotel. Service Station Burns CANBY, Dec. 29-(-Fire of un known origin destroyed a service station owned by Ross Wymore, on the Pacific highway a mile north of Aurora this afternoon. Threat Utilised workers living allowances of 70 francs ($2.30) monthly to meet the rising cost of living instead of the 100 franc allowance strikers asked. Previously the municipal council had offered monthly al lowances of SO francs. ,A conference of union leaders with Dormoy, Finance Minuter Georges Bonnet and other gov ernment leaders resulted In the compromise. At a meeting ot the general con federation of labor and subsidiary public service unions, held near dawn, the workers voted accept ance on recommendation ot their officials. Labor leaders said they hoped to get word of the settlement to workers in time to have bases, subways and other transportation running before the early morning rush hour. As the settlement came gas pressure was noticeably decreas ing and electric current was grow- i Inc weaker. US-JAPAN CRISIS x:i 4 7 : 3 US gunboat Panay, shown heeling Library Building Plan Is Approved PWA Okeh Received, Bids Expected to Be Called for Opening Feb. 2 The Washington office of PWA has approved the plans of White- house & Church, architects, for the new state library and office building. Approval of the state board of control will be asked and it is anticipated that bids for the work will be called by publication starting Dec. 31, for opening on Feb. 2. All property In the blocV-on which the building will stand has been acquired except the Patton property for which negotiations are still in progress. Sharp bidding is expected on the new library Job. Ross B. Hammond, present contractor for the capitol would like to swine over on this construction work, and L. H. Hoffman; who is now completing the Salem postoffice and the Willamette university library, will be a bidder on the state job. Moorman Alleged Shortages $8000 The shortage of W. L. Moor man, ex-state highway- depart ment employes, bad reached near ly $8000 yesterday, R. H. Bal dock, state highway engineer, re ported. Moorman Is now under arrest charged with forgery. He oper ated by issuing forged time claims, officials said. Auditors are now investigating the books of the state highway department to prepare a state ment for the bonding company. Baldock said the audit showed that Moorman began his opera tions soon after entering the em ploy of the highway department 11 years ago. Boycott Nippon Goods EUGENE. Dee. 29-(ff)-The Eu gene central labor council approv ed a boycott ot Japanese goods, acting on authorization of Presi dent William Green ot the AFL, Hugh Reynolds, secretary, said. J-pt Large Crowds 1. Silver Jubilee Quarter Century Growth Outlined ; Forecasts of Future Bright Co-Op now State Leader in Return per Pound Upon Butterfat . , MT. ANGEL, Dec-29. Com memorating the first day of the4 two-day silver jubilee of the high ly successful Mt. Angel cooperative creamery, 1000 persons gathered at St. Mary's school .building here today to enjoy the program and luncheon arranged by the officers and directors of the association. Another 1000 persons are ex pected to gather Thursday, when Dean Schoenfeld of the state college,- S. T. White of Salem, and Leslie Scott of Portland will be the guest speakers on this after noon's program. Thursday morn ing's program will be similar to that this morning and. will Include a 30-minute broadcast over KEX from 10:45 to 11:15 o'clock. Speakers on the program today were Mayor Jacob Berehtold, R. J. (Turn to page 2, col. 1) Business Swatted By Jackson Again Monopolists Striking to -Liquidate new Deal, Official Charges WASHINGTON, Dec. 29-()-A charge by Robert H. Jackson that "monopolistic" concentra tions of wealth were on strike against Roosevelt policies gave further indications today that the administration would try to fash ion, new controls over "big busi ness" in 1938. : The assistant attorney general, speaking to the American politi cal science association in Phila delphia, said big business chose this period of recession as a likely time to "liquidate" the new deal and free Itself of govern mental controls. The speech was the latest in a series by Jackson, who contends that "monopoly" brought on the recession by raising prices exces sively. ' ' , Secretary Ickes is scheduled to take up the theme tomorrow night with an address entitled "It is happening here.' These speeches generally are regarded as but a prelude to two which President Roosevelt him self will deliver next week; one on Monday to the newly convened congress, and another on Satur day, January 8, at the annual Jackson day dinner of the demo cratic party. 11 Vessels Cross Bar; Wind lighter ASTORIA, Ore., Dec. 29-tip)- Eleven steamships crossed the Co lumbia river bar during a two and one half .hour period today when the gale which had lashed the coast for two days subsided. The Columbia river lightship, blown a mile and a half north of her station, was expected to return as soon as she could get her bear ings. A range light was reported washed away at Kalama by the Columbia river current. The British motorship Pacific Grove suffered minor damage when she side-swiped the Quaker Line steamer San Felipe during the gale Tuesday night near Rainier. The San Fell pe-was not damaged. , Contract for Jefferson School Job Confirmed PORTLAND; Ore., Dec. A contract for construction of a school at Jefferson was awarded Tom Lillebo tor J 3 8,62 5, the pub lie works administration announc ed. : The award to Lillebo was re cently announced at Jefferson but was subject to PWA confirmation. Hamiltons Divorced TOPEKA, Dec 29 - () - Mrs. Laura Hall Hamilton obtained a divorce today from John D. M. Hamilton, republican national chairman, and custody of . their two children, ? im.r iii creamery s Ram Downpour Causes Floods In all Creeks All of Past High Marks Exceeded by Pringle, Mill and Shelton Old Auto Camp Grounds Submerged; Damages go Far not Large Barricades were being placed closing the approaches to the South Winter street bridge across Pringle creek early this morning, because of dangerous conditions in connection with the creek's flood which was coursing across the bridge. Cloudburst-clogged Mill creek. Pringle creek and Sheltori ditch last night roared down upon south Salem to create the worst flood condition in some districts known in at least 10 years. An afternoon, deluge of rain nullified much of the flood control system's effectiveness as all three streams left their banks, oursed through city streets and across lots and bridges. The story was an old one to old residents of the extreme southeast Salem but toward the heart of the city the waters of Shelton ditch and Pringle creek outran ail high marks registered in recent years to surround many houses, num erous small stores, service sta tions and garages.; The old city auto camp grounds was entirely submerged in a lake that extended from below Church street upstream, to Winter and from the south of the extension of Oak street to Mill street on the north. Several trailer house resi dents parked along the stream were forced to flee. Police early jLhis morning were attempting to Save one frailer cabin at 12th and Oak streets from being carried away. Shelton ditch rose to such a height that water gushed between the railing bars of the South Win ter street bridge as well as across (Turn to page 2, col. 3) Governor Invites National Grange Use of new State Capitol for Meetings Pledged; Policies Praised Goevrnor Charles H. Martin sent a telegram Wednesday to Louis J. Tabor, master of the na tional grange at Washington, D.C., urging that the 1938 national con vention of the grange be held in Salem. Governor Martin declared that Salem was located in one of the richest sections of the west and was removed from the contusion attending the metropolitan areas. The governor promised the grange tfie use of the new state capitol, now under construction, for its na tional meeting. The telegram continued: "There are some farm organiza tion leaders who cannot decide whether to-remain AFL or go CIO. They think of politics first, labor second, and the farmer third, if at all, in all issues affecting the ad vancement of the farm industry. The governor said the grange, to be successful, should be inde pendent. The recent national grange con vention decided to hold its next meeting in Oregon but selection of the town or city in which to hold It was deferred. A number of local organisations are active in the movement to bring the meeting here. Governor Martin lauded Master Tabor tor a recent magazine article,, under his signature, in which he discussed the grange and its problems. Storm Ravages Rainfall Records Shattered PORTLAND, Dec 29-(ff)-Rain-fall, which had continued almost unabated since Christmas, closed more Oregon roads today, brought the year's precipitation at Port land to E6.28, the highest since 1882, and delayed repairs to flood ed, slide-blocked and washed out traffic arteries. Toward the coast, the Nehalem river continued to rise and form ed a lake in the Nehalem valley. Residents fled with their live stock to higher ground. Mail and food deliveries were made to 15 isolated homes by boat, A flood was reported also In a narrow val ley south of Clatskanie. The Willamette river: above the locks at Oregon City rose 2.3 feet in 24 hours. An additional rise of less than a foot would flood the 1 Crown-Willamette paper mills and Two Deaths in This V icinity Blamed on Northwest 's Storm Waldo Zimmerman Is Found Victim of Falling Tree Top; I. O. Conklin's Death Due to Over-Exertion Flood Conditions Are Widespread in County With 20-Foot Stage Due in Willamette About Noon A downpour of cloudburst proportions that struck Salem and vicinity yesterday afternoon caused new local floods last night, kept the Willamette river rising steadily and was blamed for the second of two Marion count--deaths attributed to storm conditions. j Isaak Conklin, 75, died of a heart attack about 5 p. m. yesterday at his residence, 1315 North 19th street, brought on, Coroner L. E. Barrick reported, by overexertion in at tempting to remove his wood supply from hB flooded base ment. Waldo H. Zimmerman, 52, rancher and member of a pioneer Mehama family, was killed by a falling tree top in the woods north of the Freres logging operation some time after he left his home Tuesday morning to round up cattle, O searchers discovered yesterday Basement Floods Receive Attention All Eight Power Pumps of , City Give all Relief . Possible, Stated Basement flooded Salem citi sens yesterday, kept the telephone wires fairly bhrnfrig" with mes sages to the city engineer's office, the city fire and police stations and even the mayor asking for relief from the torrents that poured into or backed up into their basements. City Engineer Hugh Rogers ad vised each complainant that ev erything in the department'.sJ power was being. done to help al leviate the situation. All eight of the available power pumps were stationed at strategic locations wherever t h e department deemed they would do the most good, according to Rogers, and were shifted to take care of oth er's flood-caused distress as soon as humanly possible. Mr. Rogers said that all avail able equipment had been busy all of Sunday and Tuesdy nights, and would be working to capacity last night. Areas in the city that were suf fering the most from flood con ditions, according to Engineer Rogers, were the south and southeastern portions ! Holly wood, South High street, East (Turn to page 2, col. 2) Gold Hill Man Is Slain, Pair Held CHANDLER, Ariz., Dec. 29-W G. W. Seiwert and Jack Munn, charged with murder in connec tion with the death of Robert MacMann, about 50, ot Gold Hill. Ore., Monday night at a ranch near here? were held in the coun ty jail at Phoenix today. A coroner's jury decided Mac- Mann was killed-by blows on the head with a blunt instrument, administered by a party or par ties unknown. A hajnmer was found beside the body in a cotton picker's cabin, where deputy sher iffs said a drinking party had been held. MacMann, who had worked on the ranch for three days, was identified through a soldier's bo nus certificate. . Continue as the Portland General Electric company power plant basin. Damage to roads and bridges in Washington county was estimated at f 20.000 today, by County En gineer J. W. Barney. All major traffic arteries were reported open tonight. A detour on the west side pacific highway from Reamer's Rest to Six Cor ners carried motorists around high water. The Salmon river cut-off from McMinnyille to the coast was negotiable. The east side Pacific, coast, and uppers and lower Co- jlumbia river highway! were open. with one-way traffic around slides In spots. - - Other closed roads included Scboil Ferry, Bellevue-Hopewell, Norton to " Nashville, Hillsboro Woodburn, Kings Valley, Nehalem - (Turn to-page 2, coL 2) afternoon. A 12-foot section from the tree, broken down by high winds, struck him on the head. As rapidly accumulating sur face water and flooded small streams steadily encroached on Marion and Polk county roads, the Willamette river continued rising yesterday. By midnight it had reached the IS. 1-foot mark, a rise of .16 foot an hourseince 6 a. m. At this rate it would reach the 20-foot flood stage by noon today, several hours ahead of the time forecast by the weather "bu reau. " The weather forecast for today and Friday is occaonal rains, al though stars Bhoiie in a clear sky early today. . r To 2.91 Inches of rain over Tuesday night was added 1.22 inches yesterday to bring the De cember rainfall to 12.72 inches, 6.86 inches over the month's av erage, and the year's precipitation to date to 62.66 inches as against an average yearly rainfall of 37.17 inches. The Scotta Mills community was isolated when water became too deep for travel on the road to Sil verton at a point one mile west of Scotts Mills, state police announc ed at 7:30 p. m. Travel over the Salem-Dallas highway was cut off by Water streaming over the pavement a short distance west of West Salem, state police were advised at 7:3 last night. It was presumed the same road was closed at Derry, where nearly two feet of water was reported a few hours earlier. Mill creek waters topped the dikes near the penitentiary annex last night and overflowed even the Southern Pacific company's high, railway grade. County Engi neer N. C. Hubbs reported at 10 p.m. He said rail traffic was not blocked but Turner road, a ver itable river from the annex west ward into Salem, was barricaded to all travel. The entire flatlands area west of the annex to Salem was under water. Penitentiary road was open to traffic but Mill creek waters (Turn to page 2, col. 7) Zinimerman Found Victim of Storm MEHAMA, Dec. 29 Waldo H. Zimmerman, 52, rancher ef this section, was struck and killed sometime Tuesday when high winds whipped. off the top of a tree In the woods north of the Freres logging operation. His body was not found until today by searching parties organised when he failed to come home Tuesday. The barking, of his doc which had accompanied him at tracted the searchers to the body. Zimmerman, who was a native of Mehama and had resided here all his life, went out Tuesday morning to look after his cattle on the range. The deceased is survived by the widow, Maude Zimmerman, Us mother, Mrs. Minnie Zimmer man, and a brother :Otto, all ef Mehama. He was born here fn 1885. Funeral arrangements are Incomplete. : i B A L LAD E of TODAy By R. a : No problem about conversa tion's toplc,v though war and strikes at present need replace ment; all other themes are ren dered .microscopic beside "How high's the water in your base ment 1" ' : i.