Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1942)
fflilgMg d ' u SlOllte 'DDI OgKl)R) '"HXD NINETY-SECOND YEAR - lfr W VV. ; ,.PiU 5fe; -- j;-- : J (Q V 1x7 (fjB.Ttyf, UjYufV9 Maximum In Effect May 18 March Levels to Be Determinant; Hits Inflation Washington. April 28 (AP) With one broad, in elusive order, the office of price administration Tuesday night fixed war-time maxi mum prices for "virtually everything Americans eat, wear and use" at the levels prevalent during the month of March. After May 18, under "the gen eral maximum price regulation, no retailer may charge, more for an article than the highest price at which he sold it in March. The same restrictions will apply, after May 11, to manufacturers' and wholesalers' prices and, after July 11, to a long list of service estab lishments such as laundries, tai lors, auto repair shops, radio re pair men, etc. Simultaneously, the price agen cy in effect froze rents in 302 centers of war effort or war pro duction. Mostly, they were fixed .at the rents paid on March 1, of this year. In 64 of the areas the -stabilization was as of the rent paid on, January . 1, April 1, or July 1; 1941. (See story column 3, page I.) . The actions, taken together, represented an essential terment I mt President Roosevelt's ever-all plan for stabUixinr the cost of .living, and preventing an in .flationary price rise. Along with these orders go pro posed heavy taxation of profits stabilization of most wages at present-levels, taxation to hold in dividual incomes to a maximum of $25,000, rationing, encouragement of war bond buying, debt payment and savings, and discouragement of credit or installment plan buy ing and expenditures for non-essentials. Exempted from the price ruling, however, was a list of food items representing, OPA officials said, 25 to 40 per cent of the food usu ally purchased. Some of these were excepted for seasonal reasons. For example, the price of fresh vegetables was at its seasonal peak in March, and since it normally declines after that month, it was thought unwise to establish March prices for such commodities. Eggs and poultry and milk products (but not milk itself) ' were exempted, it was said, be cause they are under consider able competitive pressure which tends to keep their prices from shooting skyward. But most of the food exemp tions, were the result of the price control law, which says that maxi mum prices for farm products may not be fixed at a point below '110 per cent of parity (a formula for determining the agricultural price level at which a farm pro duct has the same purchasing power it had in 1909-14). Mr. Roosevelt has demanded that congress change the law to permit maximum prices at parity, and the OPA's announcement said it was ' ."planned to set maximum prices for certain agricultural products as soon as such action is consistent with present or future legislation.1 OPA officials were quick to point out that while the order established no eeUlugs for raw farm products, it did establish nxlmnnw for those products at or after the first' pretesting . which they receive. - By choosing March as the base month, Leon Henderson, the price administrator said at a press con xerence, , tne order struck 3 per cent from current retail prices and 1 Pr rcent from the cost of liv ing, since the indices have risen to the extent in April. However, he said prices will be roughly 13 per cent higher than they - were in (Turn to Pago 2, CoL'l) Monday's Weather " , Weather forecasts withheld and temperature data delayed . by army request. Klver Tues Cay, -JL feet. Max. temperature 'Monday, S5. Mln. 40, Precipi tation Monday, 4S. Coming ' " ' V r . f : f. - . , " -y -i! .tl-SSw-"1 . -it, t-lTn r J .W-,r 1." Paste this picture In your history book: The first flag raising at Camp Adair, the army cantonment rising in Benton and Polk counties. Picture of ceremonies which took place Tuesday noon shows Lt. R. E. M. Des Islets, Engineer corps, USA, and area engineer direct - Ruined Town Readies Plans Texas Town of 2000 Is Destroyed in Tuesday Tornado PRYOR, Okla., April 28-(P)- This northeastern Oklahoma boom town, recovering Tuesday night from the first shock of a devastat ing tornado, still dug bodies from the debris and turned to plans for rebuilding. With 70 known dead and State Safety Commissioner Walter Johnson estimating the toll may reach "125 to 150," Mayor Thomas J. Harrison said plans were under way to rebuild the estimated $2,000,000 in dam aged buildings. W. N. Graham, 90, the state's oldest active banker, pledged his assistance in the city's rehabilita tion. Graham's wife died Just an hour before the tornado flattened most of the town's business dis trict late Monday. From Washington came word that the works projects adminis tration had authorized up to $50, 000 for relief in the stricken area. CHHXICOTHE, Texas, April z-(Wednesday)-P)A tornado and fire virtually destroyed Crowell, Tex., county seat town (Turn to Page Z. CoL 4) Bonus Okehed For Teachers A $120 bonus for the school year 1942-1943 to every employe of the Salem school, system was approved by directors of the city system Tuesday , night. The bonus, actually a salary increase for the single year whjch does not bind the district to similar payment anotner year when living costs might be low ered, was discussed and made i matter of record in preparation for drawing of the new budget siiuruy. v Leaves of absence requested by three teachers were granted, as was the request of Willamette university for rose of the senior high school auditorium for . Its May 31 commencement eatrcises. ofR Up Goes the Flag at Reduce Rent Order Given 302 Including March 1 Figure Is Recommended as Maximum for Sections of Oregon; Henderson Says Boom Is General WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Areas housing 76,000,000 persons more than half the nation's population were put on notice Tuesday to reduce rents or have the government do it for them. , The order of the office of 302 areas in 46 states and Puerto Rico as defense rental areas, and maximum rents were recom-- mended for each. Among the defense rental areas, their extent, 1940 populations, and recommended maximum rent dates were: (March 1, 1942, unless otherwise designated): Oregon: Astoria Clatsop county, 24.S97; CorraUls Ben ton and Linn counties, 49,114; Medford Jackson county, 36413; Pendleton Umatilla county, 24,030; Portland-Van-eouver-Clackainas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. Ore., Clark county, Wash 501,265. In four-fifths of the areas rents were ordered cut back to the lev els of March 1, 1942, thereby eliminating increases made dur ing spring moving- and leasing. In 64 of the areas 1941 dates were chosen, January ' I, April 1 or July 1. " "Next to food, this is the larg est single item in the family bud get," Administrator Leon Hender son said. "Effective price control requires rent controL" i : Under the emergency : price . control set. Weal anUMrities are given CO days to stabilise rents as ordered by neademn. If this b not done, OPA may en free the maximums. Violators' of the ceilings then would be subject to maximum penalty of $5000 fine and year la Rents in some; instances have soared 100 per cent above pre boom' levels, Henderson declared, (Turn to Page 2, CoL 7) aims Only Army9 s Camp Adair ,. v v( tec 1 11 r' If ins- the Camp Adair project, at riant in uniform, and standing at his side. County Judge J. J. Barrett of metal flag pole on behalf of linn Klinke raised the flag while an army band played. Areas, Benton price administration embraced : RFC to Help Auto Dealers WASHINGTON, April 28HiP) Legislation authorizing the Re construction Finance Corporation to give financial aid to dealers in products affected by wartime ra tioning was approved by the house Tuesday and sent to the president. There was no opposition to the measure, .which previously, had won overwhelming approval by the senate. - Designed primarily for the re lief, of automobile dealers whose stocks of new cars have been fro zen or their movement restricted by government regulations, the legislation applies also to dealers in tires, refrigerators and other articles already rationed or about to be rationed. Turner Logger Killed by Snag. Russell BabV V Turner, was killed late Monday by a falling snag while" working on the Mur phy Timber company's property on the Little North fork of the North Santiam river v:':.. . Babb has lived .In the Turner vicinity for several years. Mope in r A .1 ,4-1 4 Albany who presented the 49-foot county. Henry J. May and Henry Snell Avers Ration Not Likely Soon WASHINGTON, April 2S.-(P)- Earl Snell, Oregon secretary of state, said Tuesday night that Oregon was not likely to be in cluded immediately in plans for consumer rationing of gasoline Snell made the statement after conferences Tuesday with federal officials whom he told that the people of Oregon would be will' ing to accept any plan necessary to permit war workers and in dustries to obtain adequate sup plies of gasoline. Snell, a member of the war de partment high traffic advisory committee, said he believed that "No move will be made seriously to consider consumer rationing in the Pacific northwest until a per manent nlan is inaugurated for the east, probably July 1." He participated in the launch ing of plans for national conser vation of automobiles, requested by Joseph B. Eastman, director of defense transportation. Cover Goes On Gasoline WASHINGTON, April 28 Jt) Price Administrator Leon Hen derson Tuesday night placed a ceiling on the retail price of mo tor fuel throughout . the country. In all localities except for 1? eastern states and the District of Columbia the retail price may not exceed the maximum charged by each individual service sta tion during March. -. ' . r The new. maximums will be come effective May 18. - The OPA . explained that the slight increase over March levels in the Atlantic seaboard ; areas was being allowed in view of present transportation conditions. Mining Bill Passed WASHINGTON, April .: 28- The house completed . legislative action Tuesday on a measure (HKIty court announced Tuesday. 6604) to suspend from 'June 30, 1941, until July 1, 1943, the annual $100 assessment work on small un- patented mining " claims and sent the bill to the White House, - Burmu RAF Hits In Great Flights Trondheim Port Struck in Effort To Cut Supplies By WILLIAM SMITH WHITE Associated Press War Editor The defense of Burma ap peared near the point of col lapse Tuesday night and it seemed that the sole hope of saving: that vital outer-India theatre and allied corridor to China lay in the ability of the cruelly outnumbered Brit ish and Chinese to hold on yet a little longer until the mid-May coming of the Monsoon and its immobilizing rains. The crisis was coming on with a rush; the allied position in the whole of the Pacific and Indian oceans was gravely darkened. Again, however, matters" ap peared going well for the United Nations in Europe, the Russians reporting ' continued successes against the Germans and the Britl , aerial -offensive reaching ( a crescendo or eifeetiire- violence. British planes by uncounted hundreds crossed the channel ' during the day to smash at the German bases in France, one flight having literally covered a square mile of the spring sky, in a feUew-up of vast niaht raids spread from Trondheim in oc cupied Norway to Cologne and other points in the German Ehineland war plant area. At Trondheim, which is believed to shelter four big German war ships including the 35,000-ton bat tleship Tirpitz, the nazi harbor facilities were heavily assaulted as part of the British -master plan knock out Hitlers menace to i Russian supply lines at the same time that German supply to the Russian front is under running attack. In Burma a wild, chaotic field of action in which the defenders were desperately engaged not only in bitter rear guard actions but in attempting to demolish the roads behind them the strongest of various Japanese thrusts was reaching northward for the Man- dalay-Lashio railway, without which China would be cut off by all practical existing routes. The Paris radio broadcast a roundabout claim, attributed to (Turn to Page 2, Col. 6) NW Asks Aid . Against Fires WASHINGTON, April 28.-(ff) -Senator Wallgren (D-Wash) urged the senate appropriations committee Tuesday to increase funds in tne 1843 agriculture r im propriation bill (HR 6709) for fighting forest fires enough to al low the forest service to furnish complete protection on the Fa cific coast. Wallgren told the committee he believed the funds eliminated from the sixth supplemental na tional defense bill (HR 6868) which, amounted to $13,100,000 would be sufficient to meet the menace. Senator Holman (R-Ore) also has asked the committee to in crease funds, for fighting . forest fires during the fiscal year start ing July L ' Bandonto Get Chrome Plant COQUnU; ' April 23-(-A ehrome -ore concentrating plant of 1000 tons . 'daily capacity is to be built near Bandon, the Coot coun 1 The court 'sold to the Krome corporation Fort Worth, Texas, 320 acres in" the black' sand area for 13200 and assurance that the .'plant would be built, . - ,:.i.y .... ' ' . . ; V . . ; Declares Pacific Isles Ready As Base for Offense; Says All to Feel Plan's Effect - WASHINGTON, April 28 (AP) P resident Roosevelt, revealing officially for the first time that "several hundred thousands" of American fighting men have already been sent to battle the axis in distant lands, rallied the nation to a gigantic war effort Tuesday night by saying that the price of saving our civilization "must be paid in hard work and sorrow and blood.' In an address to the country and the .world, deli ered from the White House, he also expressed the view that the Japanese southward drive had been checked, . and declared that Australia, New Zealand and adjacent islands are' now to become "bases for offensive action.''' Papers Drawn For Transport Non-Profit Group to File Today; Pledge Cards Out Soon Papers for incorporation of the Salem Transport committee," Salem chamber of commerce ag ency to arrange for low-cost bus transportation to Camp Adair, were drawn up Tuesday in prep aration for filing today with the state corporation department. Seventy, five workers will be gin circulating pledges for Jbe underwriting of the bus service as soon as cards are received from the printer, Pres. Carl W. Hogg of the chamber said. He hopes to see the solicitation completed within three days time. The transport committee ar ticles are to be signed by Hogg, I A. Wlndlshar, Floyd Miller. W, W. Chadwick and Kay A. To&m as trustees. The corporation, to be a non profit organization for the benefit of she community, will be auth orized to do whatever is necessary to arrange for continued bus serv- ce between Salem and the army cantonment, to carry workers back and forth at present and soldiers later. Its purposes are stated in the articles to be as fol lows: "The promotion of the trans portation service and facilities of Salem and vicinity, including the transDortation service and facili ties between Salem, Oregon, andfj Camp Adair, Oregon; to encour age, develop and subsidize the op eration of bus lines or other transportation facilities between (Turn to Page 2, CoL 4) Bond Sales Plans Urged PORTLAND, April 28 -(P)- Plans to raise $5,600,000 in war savings bond sales to meet Ore gon's May quota will be discussed here Friday and Saturday by all county chairmen. State Administrator Ray Con way said other committee mem bers, civic officials, bank heads and newspaper men would at tend. They will visit shipyards and the air base and be intro duced Saturday at the Victory center and the Paramount thea tre. Plans will also be made at the meeting for subsequent quotas, expected. to be stabilized In July at Jiu.uuu.uuo. The state is ex pected to raise $100,000,000 in the next year. Wood Barges May Be Built WASHINGTON, April 28 -W) Nineteen places have been locat ed. President Roosevelt said Tues day, where wooden barges could be built to alleviate a shortage of shipping tonnage, i . Mr. Roosevelt suggested recent ly that such barges might be used in the inland waterway along; the Atlantic coast, where they would be safe from enemy submarines. To a press conference question concerning reports that all tank eri would be withdrawn from the Atlantic coastal service, Mr. Roosevelt said he had never heard of it Talk Excites Britons ' LONDON, Wednesday,' April 29 (-President Roosevelt's disclos ure that United States warships and troops now were in the middle east area immediately attracted the r attention of Britons ' here Tuesday, but there was no immedi ate official comment . The disclosure about the size of the army expeditionary forces and naval contingents sent abroad was made in the form of an inter polation in the president's ad vance text. "Since Pearl Harbor, he said, "we have dispatched streng forces ef enr army and navy several hundred thousands of them to bases and batUef ronts . thousands ef miles from home.. Mr. Roosevelt also warned the Vichy government that the Unit ed Nations would take any ac tion necessary to prevent the use of French territory by axis forces, and guaranteed a continuation of the delivery of arms to China, regardless of Japanese successes in Burma. Bluntly, he informed the civil ian population of the United States that its every member would feel the effect of his new ly announced program for stab- ilizing the cost of living, and called upon it for self-denial and sacrifice, in the interest of vic tory. "Never in t h Memory ef man," he said, "has there been a war in which the courage, the endurance and the loyalty ef civilians plased so vital a part." And, he vigorously attacked all who might be "impeding" the war effort: the "faint of heart"; those "who put their own selfish inter ests first"; those "who pervert honest criticism into falsification of fact"; the "self styled experts . . , who know neither the fig ures nor geography"; a few "bo gus patriots" who, involving free dom of the press, "echo the senti ments" of axis propagandists; and "above all," the Thandful of noisy traitors . . . would-be dictators" who "in their hearts and souls" would yield to Hitlerism. Praising the fight which Americans have given the ene my the world areand, Mr. Roosevelt, at the same time, singled ent two men and a ship for special citation, and teld three thrilling, stories ef gal lantry. Dr. Croydon M. WasselL a mis sionary in China, joined the navy as a lieutenant commander. He was nearly 60. He chose to stay behind in Java with a dozen bad ly wounded men, facing capture by the Japanese. Instead of yield ing, however, he got his charges onto a little Dutch ship, took vir tual command of the craft, and despite repeated bombings. reached Australia safely. "Dr. Wasseil now wears the' navy cross," said the president The submarine Squalus sank off the New England coast in 1939. At great effort she was raised, became the submarine. US Sailfish, and in the far Pacific has sunk, a Japanese destroyer," torpedoed a Japanese cruiser, and has made two torpedo hits on a Japanese aircraft carrier. Three of the sailors who went down with the Squalus are- serving on the Sailfish. "It is heartening," said the president, "le knew that the Squalus, once given sp as lost rose from the depths te fixht for ear country in time ef peril." Capt Hewitt T. Wheless, of the army air corps, received the third citation. He piloted one of five planes which undertook to bomb the Japanese in the Philippines. Motor trouble forced him to drop behind the rest Repairs were made, and the ship continued oh its mission. By the time the ob jective was reached, the other planes had passed over and the air was full of Japanese zero-: fighters. Eighteen of them at tacked the single plane simultane ously. Nevertheless, it dropped its entire bomb load upon six Japa nese transports at the docks. - -Starting back to its base, it was involved in a running' fight for (Turn to Page x. Cot J) Mora - ' Fee added details Uted articles m JH freal- dent's message ad fjre price eantrel order, turn te paxes twe and three, j. - -