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POUNDOO 1651
The Weather .
Unsettled, occasional rain
today and Friday. Little
change in temperature. Max.
Temp. Wednesday 50, Mln.
89. Hirer -.7 feet. South
wind.
EIGHTY-EIGHTH YEAR
Salem, Oregon, Thursday Morning, December 29, 1938
Price 3c; Newsstand fie
No. 237
"re ,
Tries Domlble Flank Drive on Goal
Rel
ief
to je First
Issue When Congress Opens
Byrnes Wants
Truth on Need
Of new Funds
Actual Balances Always
Hard to Ascertain
Says Chairman
Report on Politics Will
Affejct Outcome; FR
May Cooperate
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 8. -)-Eenator
Byrnes (D-SC) said to
night that he would call the sen7
ate unemployment committee in
to session next week to discuss the
desirability of immediate changes
In the administration of relief.
The committee chairman added
that the group would seek infor
mation on how much WPA money
remains and the truth of reports
that existing, funds will . be ex
hausted Feb. 7.
(The $1,425,000,000 appropri-
ation for relief last session was
Intended to last until March 1
Aubrey Williams, deputy relief
administrator under Harry Hop
kins, told reporters recently, how
ever, that the funds would be ex
hausted early in February. Since
.that time, President Roosevelt
has elevated Hopkins to secretary
of commerce, placed WPA under
Col. F. C. Harrington, an army
engineer, and made Williams ad
ministrator of the National Youth
administration.)
' Campaign Expense
Report Is Factor
The movement among some
congress members for changes in
rthe administration, of relief -may
' receive impetus from the : report
of the senate committee on cam
paign expenditures, due to be
made Jan. 3.
Chairman Sheppard (D-Tex) in
dicated today that the report
would denounce politics in relief
In vigorous language.
He said the bi-partisan group
would be in complete agreement
on-its report, the first draft of
which is to be completed tomor
row. Since some members have
been outspoken in censuring re
ported politics in WPA, the com
mittee chairman's assertion that
a unanimous report was in pros
pect was accepted generally as
meaning it would use terms
strong enough to satisfy the most
critical.
Byrnes said he had received no
information about the status of
WPA funds other than that which
has been carried in newspapers.
" He asserted there always had
been "great difficulty" in ascer
taining the exact amount of WPA
funds available from time to time,
because .varying amounts of "un
expended , balances" have been re
appropriated annually.
Innocent Causes of "Christmas
Tree Slaying'; Father Absolved
X , " vfi-v m - (""yj
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jA-F x rf : bit stf0
Lima Accord Has
General Support
BUENOS AIRES, Dec. ii-i&l
A considerable1 - portion of the
public and press of leading South
America capitals has expressed
belief that the eight Pan-American
conference, which closed at
" Lima yesterday, seved an unmis
takeable warning on Germany,
Italy and Japan to keep out of
the western hemisphere.
Many representative newspa
pers and public figures have in
dicated, howerer, that they fail
tc see any threat of armed . in
vasion from those quarters.
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6
TragedyTree not v
On Slaver s Land
Geraldine and Rose Rousseau,
above, spent a tragic Christmas,
their father, William Rousseau,
slain because, unemployed and
unable to buy a Christmas tree
for them, he tried to "appro
priate" one growing near the
nursery of William Case, Si.
Their mother, waiting in a car
nearby, was gravely wounded.
It now develops that the tree
was not on the property of
Case, shown below, who is be
ing held. on. a. manslaughter
charge. Case, because of his
beard and usually friendly na
ture, was known as "Santa
Clans."
Eight Feet Away; Funeral
Held for Victim as
Charges Wait
ELYRIA, O., Dec. 28(;P)-Sur
vejors found today that the
Christmas tree which William
Rousseau, 37, was alleged to
have been taking for his chil
dren when he was shot to death
by William Case, 8 4, was not
on Case's farm.
County Engineer Harry L.
Dunham said the tree was in the
! right of way of a township road.
eight feet from Case s property.
The white-bearded farmer
who was known .to rural children
as a kindly "Santa Claus" is un
der $1,000 bond on a manslaugh
ter charge. Prosecutor Howard
Butler said he would not change
the charge but that the grand
jury might make it murder.
Rousseau's widow, wounded by
the farmer's gun-fire as she
waited in their automobile for
her husband, was reported in
critical condition today by her
physicians as result of infection.
Among the 50 persons who at
tended Rousseau's burial at Graf
ton today were his daughters.
Geraldine, 11, and Sarah, 8.
Consolidating:
Small School
Districts Aim
Teachers See Wastes in
Present System; Nine
Points in Program
Retirement Plan Will Be
Principal Effort at
'39 Legislature
PORTLAND, Dec. 2&-UP)-Con-
solidation of small school districts
into larger units was approved sis
part of a nine-point state legisla
tive program today at the open
ing session of the 39th annual
Oregon State Teachers' associa
tion by members of the represent
ative council.
Proponents of consolidations
said that there are 2200 school
districts, the same number of
school boards and 7000 school di
rectors in Oregon now. Consoli
dation would eliminate much ad
ministration expense and equalize
opportunities for children in ad-
acent districts, they argued.
Urge Non-Partisan 1
Choice of Executive
The report also recommended
that the state superintendent of
public instruction be elected on a
non-partisan basis.
The council also voted to intro
duce at the legislature a bill pro
viding for retirement of teachers
voluntarily at 82 and involuntar
ily at 70. The teachers would
contribute f our per. cent a$.theiH
salaries and would receive the ac
tuarial annuity of their contribu
tions plus $20 a month paid by
the state at retirement.
The council also asked that Ore
gon Normal at Monmouth be re
named Western Oregon College of
Education; Eastern Oregon Nor
mal at La Grande, Eastern Oregon
(Turn to page 2, column 1)
Garage Operator Slugged
And Relieved of $530
THE 1 DALLES, Dec. 28-)-
Two unmasked men slugged
Charles Kirby, Shaniko garage op
erator, as he was changing a tire
today, robbed the place of $530
and escaped.
Highway Workers Warn Train
Crew so Wreck Less Serious
PORTLAND, Ore., Dec 1 $-(-Martin
Lund and J. E. Bunting,
two state highway "trouble shoot
ers" today were credited with sav
ing the six-man crew of a Union
Pacific freight train from death or
serious injury last midnight.
Their flares and flashlights
warned Engineer J. T. Rorick of
s CO 00 pound boulder on the track
In the Columbia river gorge near
Onenta, 32 miles east of here.
Rorick checkei the speed of the
trala materially before the loco
motive struck the huge roc,
which had fallen from the cliffs
above, but the engine and 26 cars
were derailed, the cars smashed to
bits and 300 feet ot track torn ap.
The train's cargo of grain and
nackared canned goods was
itrewn orer the scene.
No member of the crew was ln-
lured although four men in theo
eomotive said their escape was
miraculous as the cars Jack-knifed
together all about them. The loco
motive did not turn over.
Rail officials and highway ln
"nectors said the rock apparently
i had fallen almost 100 feet from
the top of the cliff adjoining the
highway and bounced completely
over the highway onto the tracks.
Rail traffic was diverted to the
Washington side of the river dur
inr the day. Roadmasters said the
line on the Oregon side would be
back in service sometime tonight.
PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 2$-(flV
The engineer ot the freight train
that was wrecked in the Columbia
gorge last night today described
rranhically the sensation of . the
man in the cab when a locomotive
and its retinue of cars pile up.
"The engine buckled up and
went straight into the air," Jay T
Rorick, veteran Union Pacific en
gineer, said. . -1 a x
"It was like a bronco bucking.
Then It dove right down and 1
waited for the end I felt was on
its way. But it didn't come.
"instead those freight ears
started niling in all around os.
think that's what kept the engine
from turning over and sailing us.
The noise was terrible. I just sat
there because I didn't have Ume
to move."
December Rain Is
Well Under Norm
The maker of December rains
will have to hurry if he hopes
to put on even an average per
formance for the last month of
the year.
overnight precipitation, re
corded yesterday morning,
amounted to .83 inches, heaviest
since the- same volume was re
corded December 3, and pushed
the month s total rainfall to 5.05
inches, still .63 Inches below
mean . average.
A nine-day dry spell, from De
cember 10 to 18, served to keep
the month s rain total down.
The weather bureau predicts
unsettled conditions with occa
sional rain for today and Friday
with snows over mountains and
little change in temperature.
Youth Quizzed in
St Helens Break
ST. HELENS, Dec. 28-P)-A
Warren youth was detained by
state police today tor Questioning
in connection with the escape of
four prisoners from the Columbia
county jail here Christmas eve.
They said three saws had been
smuggled to the prisoners who
cut iron bars and gratings on
ceU wlnjlow. Officers investigated
the possibility a ear stolen rrom
Wesley L. Graves, West St, Hel
ens,' had been used by the f ugi-
Urea.
France Plans
To Double Her
Africa Forces
Second Warship Ordered
to Djibouti, Result
of Press Demands
Rome Dispatches Assert
Hopes of Acquiring
Territory Ended
PARIS, Dec. 28--France
prepared virtually to double her
military and naval forces in So
ir.aliland today with orders for
new reinforcements to face any
threats from Italy's east African
empire.
A second varship was assigned
to the east African port of Dji
bouti, named in Italian agita
tion for French territory, while
the 1,969-ton dispatch boat D'lb
erville, mounting three B. 5-inch
guns, proceeded from Beirut,
Syria, back to Djibouti, her base
during the Italian-Ethiopian war.
The second vessel was the
2,441-ton destroyer Epervier of
the eastern Mediterranean fleet.
She is capable of 37 knots and
was .expected to reach the Somal
iland port before the slower
D'Iberville.
During the afternoon Navy
Minister Cesar Campinchi con
ferred with Erik Labonne. French
resident general in Tunisia, who
has been in Paris conferring on
the colonial situation and ar
ranging details of Premier Ed
ouard Daladier'r projected trip
to Tunis January 8.
Territorial Aims
Bald Abandoned
( A dispatch from Rome said
Italian sources Indicated that
Italy virtually had abandoned
any hope of territorial gains at
France's expense and said the
(Turn to page 2, column 1)
Veterans Get no
Preference, Held
PORTLAND, Dec. 18-tfVRP-
resentatlves of three veterans' or
ganizations complained to state
WPA Administrator E. J. Griffith
today that veterans were not get
ting preference in WPA hiring In
Oregon.
The trio, Julius C. Moreland,
American Legion; Cicero F. Ho
gan, Disabled American Veterans,
and G. O. Pike, Veterans of For
eign Wars, said that while instruc
tions to give veteransVpreference
have been issued they have not
been carried out.
Mahoney Geared ,
Of Traffic Death
ALBANY, Dec. 28-51)-Willis
Mahoney, former mayor of Klam
ath Falls and unsuccessful US
senatorial candidate at the No
vember election, today was freed
of charges in connection with the
death last year of Thomas Zim
merman in a traffic accident.
The county grand jury returned
a no true bill in the case.
Mahoney appeared today before
the inquisitorial body.
Mahoney was exonerated of
blame by state police shortly after
his car struck and fatally injured
the man.
Portland Shake$ off
Cold and Rainy Spell
PORTLAND, Dec. 28 - ) -Clear
weather and mild tempera
tures prevailed here today after
several days of heavy rains. The
thermometer recorded 49-degree
maximum and the lowest point
was only 43.
Higher Pay to County
Officials Here Slated
If Solons Enact Bill
Judge's Salary Nearly Doubled, Other Officers
Pay Would Be Raised in Measure Designed to
Unify Rates for all Counties in Oregon
Salaries of six Marion county officials would be in
creased by a total of $6100 a year under a proposed pay sched
ule drafted for probable introduction in bill form at the com
ing legislative session. The schedule, applying to all counties
in the state, is based on "requirements of the office and abil
ity of taxpayers to pay as measured by formula," a combin-
option population and assessed
valuation scale, according to a
McKenzie Qosed
But Santiam Open
Two Inches of Snow Soon
Cleared; South Route
Covered by Storm
The North Santiam highway
continued yesterday to offer mo
torists a short route to eastern
Oregon when snow again blocked
the McKenzie pass route.
Ten inches of snow that fell on
the Santiam road Tuesday night
had been cleared early yesterday
by Marion county and state high
way plows and traveling condi
tions were described as "all right,
though sloppy," by County Engin
eer N. C. Hubbs. He advised mo
torists to carry chains.
BEND, Dec. 2$-(JF)-A snow
storm blotted out the central Ore
gon Cascades today and closed the
McKenzie highway, chief automo
bile route between Bend and Eu
gene. Highway officials said it would
depend upon the intensity of the
storm whether the road would be
reopened before spring. Blockades
were placed at the east and west
approaches to the summit and a
patrol dispatched to learn if any
motorists were stranded.
Seven inches of new snow' fell
on Sun mountain pass between
here and Klamath Falls and an
eight-inch blanket was reported
at Mount Hood Government
Camp.
Although the fall was heavy in
the mountains, there was only a
trace of snow here.
Cold New Year Is
Idaho's Prospect
(By The Associated Press)
A record snowfall, ice bound
highways and temperatures near
ly dawn to zero were the New
Year's prof pect in North Idaho to
night. One death was recorded, as pub
lic agencies and private residents
"dug out" of winter coverings.
Strangely, the only death re
corded as winter "settled down"
over the area was from recrea
tional activity. George F. Troeh,
77, of GrangeviUe, died from in
juries received when he fell while
sksting.
FRANCO FORGING AHEAD IN GREAT DRIVE
BAY OF BISCAY
yw . 1$ pill liliiinr..Ti1iin yd
s. S SANTIAGO F
ill " t
2 . . v : - .Miffii :
t . ANirlM r 1 HELD RY
MSURGiAfTS
HELD, BY
GOfflHMENT
In an nd the war drive. General Franco, Insurgent generalissimo, forged ahead on two battlefronts In
Knain in attemnc to brine about an early termination of the civil war. Aiming at Barcelona, insur
gent troops took the key city of Vltanova de Maya, at the end of an Improved highway leading to Arte
sa, key to Catalonia and 34 miles northeast of Lerlda. Map shows territory held by loyalist govern-
ment forces shaded. The Franco army occupies the white area. Casualties on both sides daring the
drive were reported to exceed 10,000 of the; 500,000 total ot fighters. US photo.
copy in circulation here yesterday.
Under the new proposal, the
Marion county judge would re
ceive $3000 instead of $1800 a
year, the sheriff $3200 in place of
$2000, the treasurer $2100 as
against $1500, the county super
intendent $2500 in contrast with
$1500, the assessor $3000, an in
crease of $1200, and the clerk
$2700, a, boost of $900.
The total salary bill for heads
of these six county offices would
amount to $16,500 a year as
against $10,400 as provided in the
1939 Marion county budget.
The list suggests salaries for
Linn and Polk county officers as
follows:
County judge, Linn $2600,
Polk $2300; sheriff, Linn $2800,
Polk $2500; treasurer. Linn $1,
920, Polk $1750; superintendent.
Linn $2400, Polk $2040; assess
or, Linn $2600, Polk $2300;
clerk, Linn $2400, Polk $2300.
The schedule places Marion
county third high among the
counties on the population-valuation
scale, with Multnomah first,
Lane third, Linn ninth and Polk
19th.
The proposed standardization
based on this formula was under
stood to have been worked out by
the state sheriff's and other coun
ty officials' associations.
Order Protecting
Gaines Maintained
Judge Fee Indicates They
Are Probably Illegal,
Delays Decision
PORTLAND. Dec. 28-)-Fed-eral
Judge James Fee today con
tinued in force the temporary re
straining order forbidding city,
county and state officials from in
terfering with the operation of
so-called electrical novelty games
distributed by the Western Dis
tributors, Inc.
He said he thought the games
fell within the language of the
state anti-gambling law which
prohibits games of chance such as
slot machines, pinball games and
like devices, but said he wanted to
make a further study of the auth
orities before passing upon the
case.
Judge Fee issued the temporary
restraining order last week a few
hours before city and county au
thorities planned to launch a
drive to seize the machines.
PORTLAND, Dec. 28-j!P)-Sher-
liz Martin Pratt supervised the
destruction of 14 slot machines to
day under provisions of the anti
gaming law passed at the. general
election. Judge J. H. Hendrickson
ordered the action after denying' a
motion of eight defendants to su
press evidence on the ground the
devices had been taken illegally.
Wrong Killing Is
Admitted by Trio
Who Did not Stop
SPOKANE, Dec 28-)-Three
Spokane . youths who were ar
rested and admitted the hit-run
killing of John L. Stromberg
near Spokane nearly three years
ago didn't kill that man at all.
Deputy Prosecutor Carl Quack-
enbush said today.
But, they did hit and kill
another man, he added.
' Morris Button, 19, Kenneth
Halverson, 18, and Tom Morris,
19, were arrested in connection
with the Stromberg death last
week.
'After investigation, the prose
cutor said he was convinced the
youths did not hit Stromberg in
April, 1936, but Ralph' Ervin in
October, 19S6. -
"The boys are not charged
with responsibility for the kill
ing," but only for failure to stop,
the prosecutor said.'
Niles ; to Resume
War on Gambling
, , PORTLAND, Dec. 2 8-(ff)-The
city vice division' will be main
tained and there will be Increased
activity to curb reported " re
opening of gambling establish
ments. Chief of Police Harry
Niles revealed today. He denied
published reports the vice-squad
would be replaced by Instructing
police captains to enforce gambl
ing laws.
Avoids Direct
Move Against
Loyalist Line
P.
Steel Concrete Defense
May Be Captured by
Oblique .Attacks
Major Victory in Air Is
Hailed in Report of
Insurgent Force
HENDAYE. France, (At The
Spanish Frontier), Dec. 2S.-(JP)-Generalissimo
Francisco Franco's
grand offensive in northeastern
Spain appeared tonight to hare
developed into a broad double-
flanking movement designed to
capture Barcelona's outlying steel
and concrete defense lines with
out frontal assault.
Dispatches from the . Catalon-
l&n front indicated the generalis
simo was concentrating the great
est force on the southern flank of
the 31-mile line which guards
main approaches to Barcelona be
tween Balaguer and Borjas Blan-
cas and about 70 miles west of
the government's Mediterranean
capital.
The flanking maneuver had
been developing more slowly on
the south than on the north where
the textile town ot Artesa today
was the object of a bitter contest
between insurgent and govern
ment artillerymen. The govern-
ment still held Artesa, about IS
miles northeast of Balaguer.
Great Air Victory
Insnrgents Claim
An insurgent official commun
ique hailed "a great air victory'?
in which insurgent planes report
edly shot down 20 government
Curtis-type planes. The commun
ique issued here gave no indica
tion where the battle took place.
although unofficial d 1 s p a t ches
said it was fought over the south
ern Lerida battlefront.
The government's official com
munique said one insurgent Fiat
and Messerschmldt .. plane was
brought down in air battle, while
anti-aircraft guns hit two insur
gent Dornier 17's snd'one Hern-,
kel III, bringing all three down
in flames behind the government
lines.
Insurgent newspapers said the
six-day-old offensive bad brought
capture of more than 1,000 square
kilometers (386 square miles) of
territory, at least 1 6 towns, scores
of villages and 7.000 prisoners
and the destruction of 39 govern
ment planes.
(The Spanish government press
sgency, in a dispatch to London
from Barcelona, however, assert
ed that insurgent forces were be
ing held well in check.)
Blows Delivered
Ob 75-Mile Front
The insurgent offensive began
with battering blows all the way
from Tremp 75 miles south to Ri-"f
barroja on the Ebro river. But it
was only as the force began to b
concentrated on the two flanks
of the government fortifications '
facing Lerida that Franco's stra
tegy became apparent.
For nearly a half year the gov-.
ernment had been building the
heavily fortified line from south
of Balaguer to Borjas Blancas,
cutting across a network of com
munications from the west to Bar
celona.
It was this strong line- not yet
involved actively in the offensive
-which the Insurgents were try
ing to pinch off without a. bead-on
attack Government troops still
held a triangular area in front ot
the line, insurgent-held Lerida be
ing the apex of the triangle and
the base extending from Borjas
uiancas to Balaguer.
Five Held Guilty
Of Fraud Count
INDIANAPOLIS, Dec.
-Five men accused of swindling
mid western banks and business
concerns of $1,200,009 were con
victed by a federal court Jury to
day of using the mails to de- .
fraud. The five, all officials of
the Continental Credit corpor
ation ot Winchester, Ind., and
associated firms, will be sen
tenced January 5.
Conviction of John W. Moore,
sr., and his son, John W. Moore,
jr., president and secretary
treasurer, respectively, of the
Continental corporation on -all
12 counts of an indictment
makes them liable to maximum
terms of 57 years.
R. S. Phillips of. Toledo, O.,
and Kenneth P. Kimball ot Su
Louis were convicted on two -counts
that provide maximum
sentences of seven years each.
Russell E Wise, Union City,
Ind., - was convicted . on two
counts, the maximum ' sentence
for which is 10 years.
Good News to Hay Fever
Sufferers Seen, Award
RICHMOND, Va.. Dec. 28-(ff)
-Award of a $1000 medical
prize to Charles F, Code, M.D.,
28, ot Minneapolis, for discovery
of a "mechanism" In the blood
which may explain asthma, hay
fever and the allergies such as .
food sensitivity was announced '
hero tonight. - . :