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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 1947)
OtP Weather Max. M 41 as .. is Mtn. IS 34) ST IT rreclaw .03 .00 trace trace Salem Portland - San Fianciaco Chlcaio New York 33 U Wlllamrtt river - J feat. FORECAST (from US. weather bu reau. MrNary field. Salem t: Cloudy today with occasional light rain. Hifh t temperature today M. Lowest to niht 33. 1651 NINETY-SIXTH YEAR IS PAGES Salem. Oregon. Friday Morning, January 10, 1947 Pric 5c No. 248 CLJLn n i II si n "Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye, "Four and twenty black birds, baked in a pie." TO Ariirlian In Mnrcc hav I drawn themselves up to the table and ait, eating tools in hand, ready and willing to test the viands. President Truman has of fered his bill-of-fare; but the gallant members of the new ma jority are quite sure they want to write and serve their own menu. Only they are not fully agreed on the order of courses. Representative Knutson wants to serve first, not a thin soup, but a full entre in the shape of a 20 per cent cut fn income taxes (less for those with $300, 000 incomes). President Truman warns against making any tax reduction this year. He recom mends that the 1942 schedule of excise taxes, due to expire next June 30, be extended another year. Some hungry congressmen, however, do not want to wait till June and propose moving up the expiration date to now for the excise taxes on furs and diamonds. Then there is the huge dish of the budget. The president thinks he has done a good job in cutting it down to $36 billion, but Congressman Taber is busy sharpening his knife on the grindstone to cut the budget be low $30 billion. The military ex penditure still is listed in huge figures; but budget surgeons will run into opposition if they whack very deeply into that. Some senators are sniffing briskly over tariffs. One has written Under-secretary Will Clayton calling for holding up any deals on reciprocal (Continued on editorial page) Locomotive Explodes, Kills 3 Trainmen ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 9-(V Three trainmen were killed and four cars of the 11-car westbound Empire Builder's Pullman section were derailed tonight when the locomotive blew up near Crary, N. D., 398 miles west of St. Paul, Great Northern railway officials said. The victims were: Engineer Reginald Bennett and Fireman Wilbert Hoff, both of Grand Forks, N. D., and A. E. Zinter, a district roadmaster for the rail way who had boarded the loco motive at Grand Forks to return to his Larimore, N. D., headquar ters. L. E. Cordingley, the conduc tor, who made the first report fo the mishap over a farmhouse telephone, said several members of the dining car crew had been hurt and one woman passenger injured, none of them seriously. Cars that Cordingly said were derailed were two tourist sleep ers, the smoking and dining cars. Six standard Pullmans and the combination observation-club car remained on the rails. The train left St. Paul at 8 50 a. m. today for the west coast and the sta tion agent at Crary said it had passed through there at 7:25 p. m , Central Standard Time, to night. The mishap occurred two and one-half miles west of that town. Railroad headquarters here said all communication lines along the right-of-wav had been torn out by the blast of the boiler i on the oil-burning steam loco-; motive. 'To the Victor J?7.. a CoTlo9 UVlVIl kJ IUIW a resolution to change the name of Boulder ram to "Hoov er dam" was introduced in the house today by Rep. Jack Z. Anderson (R-Calif). Construction of the giant struc ture on the Colorado river was begun during the administration of Former President Herbert Hoover. "The original plan was to name the dam for the former president," Anderson told a reporter. "I think somebody played a dirty trick on Mr. Hoover." Animal Crackers By WARREN GOO0RICH " don't know how we ever got along without this boot- Oirm Sua Str4irt M I SURVIVE reSlT' Has Plan . V ' ;'v ' WASHINGTON. Jan. t J. Met calfe Walling, wage-bear ad ministrator, who recommended changes in the fair labor stand ard law today which would prevent portal-to-portal pay its In the fa tore and limit eases now In the courts. Portal Pay Suit Limitations Recommended NEW YORK. Jan. 9 -OPi-L. Metcalfe Walling, wage-hour ad- ministrator. renewed requests to day in his 1946 report to congress for two changes in the fair labor standards act which he said would have averted situations resulting in portal-to-portal pay suits. The first proposal was that the administrator be granted "power, subject to court review, to issue authoritative definitions of gen eral terms used in the statute, so that employers complying with his definitions would bo protected from liability for the period such rulings are fn effect. Limitations Statute The second recommendation was for a "reasonable statute of lim itations in the fair labor stand ards act, to apply to employe suits for back wages and damages." The total amount sought in portal-to-portal suits throughout the nation now has reached nearly $4,000,000,000. Discussing his first proposal. Walling said, "at the present time the administrator can give only advisory opinions which are at j best his informed guess and pre diction of what the courts will de- cide. Courts Interpret Law "Any court in the land, state or federal, has jurisdiction to enter tain suits under the act and inev itably will interpret it in deciding these cases." After asking for the power to im sneoifir definitions of the act's general terms. Walling said he then could "protect employers ! I from any civil or criminal liabil j ity where they are complying with ! the administrator's regulations." $300,000 Fire In IIUnois GRANITE CITY. 111., Jan. 10 .Friday)-Fire of undetermined or- igi tinm hnrnH 1 1 rkfhMirrl fnr mrire I than four hours last night in down- polnhoteT ot which housed th ! The fire broke out in a variety store and spread to seven busi ness firms, including two sandwich shops, a liquor store, drug store, dry cleaning establishment, a shoe repair shop, and an optometrist's establishment. Guests in the 22 -room hotel were evacuated quickly by firemen. Pre liminary unofficial estimates plac ed the damage at $300,000. Gran ite City is about eight miles north of St Louis. Chinese Ambassador Demands ! Dairen Control Handed to China! i ! By Miles A. Smith year by Time magazine, was de- . CLEVELAND, Jan. 9 -oPV-Chi- j voted to Asia, and will be follow na's ambassador to the United j ed by sessions on Latin America, States, Dr. Wellington Koo. called j western and central Europe. Sat- j tonight for a "prompt return" of ! urday night, retiring Secretary of ! the Manchurian port of Dairen to Chinese control He also asserted the Chinese government could not wait for the Chinese communists to give their cooperation toward national unity, but must proceed with post war reconstruction. In a speech at the opening ses sion of the Cleveland council on world affairs' 21st annual insti tute. Dr. Koo referred to Soviet Russia's half ownership and con trol of the principal railway across Manchuria, and to the United States' recent note on relinquish ing Dairen to Chinese control. Tonight's session of the three day institute, co-sponsored this CIO Hits At Labor Law Plan WASHINGTON, Jan. 9-iJP)-The CIO told congress today that new labor law proposals threaten "our whole framework of Amer ican civil liberties" and seek to "destroy" organized labor. CIO President Philip Murray sent a personal letter to every member of the senate and house apepaling for "full and complete consideration" before any new labor laws are enacted. Some 75 legislative represent atives of AFL unions and four railroad brotherhoods, conferring at the same time, agreed on a united campaign against what they called "dangerous restric tive legislation." Touch Flsht Ahead "We know we face a tough fight but not a hopeless one," said a statement of W. C. Hush ing, chairman of the AFL legis lative committee. William Green, AFL. president, assailed the Ball bill to outlaw the closed shop. He declared that "wittingly or unwittingly. Sena tor Ball (R.-Minn.) is acting as the agent for big corporate in terests who are out to destroy the trade union movement." Murray said a CIO analysis delving into the basic causes of i recent strikes showed that "few i f any of the current proposals deal with the real issues in labor - management disputes namely, the question of wages and the ef forts of labor unions to raise the living standards of their work ers." i Leadlnr Court Drive To each congressman, Murray sent a copy of a 34-page CIO pamphlet prepared by Lee Press man, CIO general counsel and former government attorney. Pressman has been leading the CIOs federal court drive to col lect huge sums in portal-to-portal back pay claims. The pamphlet predicted that congressional action outlawing uie ciosea snop would lead to "a, wave of industrial strike . . . and j nations committee and Chairman promote bitterness in our labor j Bridges (NH) of senate approp riations for years to come." j rations held a strategy meeting Listing such slogans as "the j prior to the Snyder luncheon, closed shop is unAmerican," j Taber later reiterated to report "unions are monopolies" and ers that he exDects to cut $8,000.- amend the one-sided Wagner act." the booklet declared these' catchwords form the basis for the I added- ' "Every American owes it to himself and his country . . . not to be swept away in a tide of manufactured falsehood and slick propaganda." Redmond Surplus Armv Buildings to I agxgl Ffffit c -LJeirOIl Mushrooming growth of facili ties at the Detroit dam site was indicated yesterday with the an nouncement that 59 surplus army buildings have been purchased by U. S. army engineers for use at the site. The buildings were obtained i from the Redmond air field, ' through tho war assets adminis- j tration. Associated Press report- I ed from Redmond. SJ 'Tl fifi1ffi' Problems of Stakes What to do with 401,000 tent stakes in Portland was one of the war assets administration's big gest problems until recently. Suddenly a surplus property i salesman found a brush manufac- i turer who had approximately 401.000 brushes in production, but had no handles for them. The tent stakes suddenly be came brush handles and the Port land WAA office brushed aside another of its white elephants. State James F. Byrnes and Sen. Arthur H. Vandenberg, chairman of the senate foreign relations committee, will summarize the American position on world af fairs. Navy Secretary James V. For restal followed Dr. Koo to the platform tonight with a declara tion that "the United States will not withdraw its interest or its influence from either Europe or Asia." Forrestal said America would "do all it can to succor those in distress." and would strive to maintain its strength as a world power by remaining strong on the sea and in the air. Sen. Taft Sticks Snyder Talks of Budget By Francis M. TLentay WASHINGTON, Jan. 9. -JP)-Secretary of the Treasury Snyder met with a group of congress members today, including repub licans, but there was no sign of slackening in the announced GOP drive to slash the Truman budget. Those who conferred with the treasury head did not divulge much of the conversations to re porters. But after they returned to the capitol. talk of budget cut ting continued. As for taxes, a number of re publicans continued to drive for a 20 per cent individual income tax cut, while others reiterated their previous stand that the whole fiscal situation must be canvassed before a definite decision is reach ed. Ask Bister Cut The meeting was timed on the eve of President Truman's dis patch of his budget message to congress. The message is reported to call for $37,000,000,000 of gov ernment spending in the year be ginning July 1. This is about $5. 0OO 000 0OO under the nresent i year's prospective outlay but many republicans contend there should be a bigger cut. Chairman Knutson (R-Minn) of the tax-framing house ways and means committee and Chairman Millikin (R-Colo) of the senate finance committee two of those meeting with Snyder described their lunch with him as a purely social "get acquainted affair." but this apparently was the lull be fore the storm on the budget is sue. Hold Strategy Meeting The republican congressional high command on budget and tax es Millikin, Knutson, Chairman Taber (NY) of the house aDDroD- 000,000 off the president's budget figure If it calls for $57,000,000, 000 in new appropriations. "We can cut the budget to $29, 141,000,000, and I've got the fig ures to prove it," Taber said. Taber wants 1.000.000 federal workers taken from the payroll. Boy, 15, Dates fLif e of Crime' From Age 9 A 15-year-old Salem boy yes terday admitted breaking into two Salem filling stations last summer and confessed to recent shoplifting in Salem stores as i part of his stealing activities dating back to when he was 9 years old, City Juvenile Officer Howard Higby reported last night. The boy also claims to have robbed a government warehouse in another city and says he often took bicycles from downtown, rode them home and abandoned them, Higby said. He was taken into custody by police after his father asked law officers to try to learn where the lad went when he was report- ed missing from school on sev- eral occasions. He usually shop- lifted things he could eat, Higby's report said. i Popcorn Machine Man Traps Hand ,Of Hungry Boy ' The small boy stood at the j popcorn vending machine a long time. j It wasn't just a wistful look I at the yellow-buttered delicacy with the tempting aroma; it de veloped after 10 minutes or so that the dot had his hand stuck in the machine. It all happened at the local YMCA where the unidentified lad, exploring the popcorn slot for any remaining salty kernels within reach, got his hand into, but not out of, the slot Physical Director James Dim it noticed the boy's plight, then called on help when he was un able to extract the boy's hand. The front of the machine was removed, and so was the boy's hand. The lad, unhurt, went home still without popcorn. COLLEGE ENROLLMENT UP PORTLAND, Jan. 9 -P)-Van-port college today reported winter term registration of 1437, exceed ing fall term enrollment of 1350. U.S. Urges A-Control Precede Disarm Talk Russians Charge America Stalling By Larry Hauek LAKE SUCCESS, N. Y., Jan. 9 - (JP) - In the face of Russian charges that the United States was stalling on the whole ques tion of arms reduction, tho American delegation to the Unit ed Nations stood firm tonight on a demand that control of atomic energy must come first. "Effective international con trol of atomic energy is the key to the whole program and must come first," Herschel V. John son. U. S. delegate, told the se curity council emphatically at the outset of full-scale debate on the basic arms proposal laid down in December by the gen eral assembly. Johnson took the floor after Soviet Delegate Andrei A. Gro myko, recently named deputy foreign minister, bluntly accused the United States of seeking to Competition to Slow Motel Rate Dncrease By Robert" E. Gaagware City Editor, Th Statesman Competition for hotel business, expected soon to show a de cline, likely will prevent any extensive increase in room rates in Salem. This was the gist of a statement made last evening by W. W. Chadwick, proprietor of Chadwick Hotels and president of the Oregon State Hotel association, following the Washington, D. C, executive decision to remove rent ceilings from transient rooms, effective February 15. Although about 95 per cent of Salem's 500-odd hotel rooms comes within the transient room category, Chadwick estimated, little change is expected in mini mum rates. However, he added, rates for higher priced and "lux ury" accommodations probably will reflect "cost of operation" increases. No Estimate of ftise Chadwick did not estimate what percentage of increase this might mean in higher priced hotel rates here. Asserting that ceiling removal will not solve hotel financial problems, Chadwick declared that hotel operators must hold a ma jor part of the abnormally high wartime hotel business volume to meet the higher costs of opera tion occasioned by bigger pay rolls, higher prices of supplies and other increased costs. Chadwick stated that Salem hotels before the war required an average occupancy of 65 per cent to "bre;ik even," but now require about 85 per cent occupancy to "break even." He said actual oc cupancy was about 75 per cent in the period from 1932 through 1941, and currently Pr cent. is about 95 Most Retain Patronage Excessive increases in hotel rates at this time would be a mistake, in the opinion of Chad wick, who emphasized that hotels cannot operate profitably if their business falls to the pre-war level. "We must retain the patron age of those who acquired the hotel habit during the war," he added. Chadwick continued that na tional food and beverage business has shown a decline since July and that experience indicates that declining market in food and beverage lines is followed by a decline in hotel business. "However, the fact that the na tion's hotels are spending $1,500, 000,000 for rehabilitation and modernization," Chadwick added, "is proof that the hotels see a bright future." Civil Service Positions Open The state unemployment com pensation commission sought to solve some of its own problems in two ways Thursday. It called for at least 100 persons for jobs paying $190 a month or more. In the announcement of com petitive civil service examina tions for the jobs located in 28 local employment offices through out the state, the commission said applications would be received until January 11, with the exam ination set at various centers for January 18. Applications for the examina tion, which will cover in a gen eral nature, economics, sociology, labor relations and Oregon indus trial affairs, must be filed with the civil service offices at 444 Center st., Salem, or in the Mead building, Portland. to Tax Cut Standi delay measures for general regu lation and cutting of arms and armed forces. Gromyko said the American delegation had adopt ed a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. Gromyko's speech was con sidered especially significant in that Russia, along with Poland, abstained in the final 10 to 0 vote for the basic Baruch con trol plan in the atomic energy comqussion. "It would be difficult to achieve arms control without first having atomic control," Johnson declared. "In our view the field of atomic energy is the test case. "We believe the council should assure substantial progress in the atomic field before taking up control and regulation of con ventional arms, which is of sub sidiary importance." Free Polish Election Held impossible' WARSAW. Jan. 9-(P)-The United States called upon the Communist-dominated Polish government again today to honor a pledge for free and unfettered elections, while the opposition Polish peasant party's leadership charged anew that free voting January 19 would be impossible under existing conditions. Vice Bremier Stanislaw Miko lajczyk, eader of the Polish peasant Prty (PSL), announced to a news; conference that, de spite a pary decision to take part in the election of 42 of the na tion's 52 electoral districts, the PSL still was prepared to boycott the balloting. He said the party's executive committee retained power to re verse the decision to participate in the districts where the PSL candidate lists have been accept ed, and would do so if coercion, intimidation of voters and the ar rest and elimination of condi dates continued. Tho Warsaw government has not yet replied to the United States notes of August 19 and November 22 concerning the forthcoming elections. ASKS TO BUILD AT DALLA8 PORTLAND, Jan. 9-JP)-T. T. Leonard filed application with the civilian production adminis tration today to build a $4000 building at Dallas for production of rock wool insulation. CANBY MAN CRUSHED OREGON CITY, Jan. 9-;p-Leonard Parmenter, 60, Canby farmer, was crushed to death yesterday by a rotted tree that collapsed upon him as he tried to fell it. Republicans Skeptical of 'Drop Tariff Proposal by Truman WASHINGTON, Jan. 9-iJP)-"Re- , ties, the president added, "this na publican opposition wrote a big uon can obtain similar conces- quesuon mark toaay alter l resi dent Truman's plan for reducing tariffs by agreement with other nations to promote trade. It seemed certain to give Gen. George C. Marshall his major home-front headache as secretary of state. On the outcome of the dispute may hinge the ability of the American delegation to the inter national trade organization at Ge neva in April to realize its plans for tariff cuts and elimination of trade preferences. In his economic report to con gress, Mr. Truman noted that "sales of goods and services abroad, amounting to about 15 billion dollars in 1946, played an important role in the maintenance of domestic production, employ ment, and purchasing power and may be expected to do so this year." By cutting our own import du- Spending Reduction Proposed NEW YORK. Jan. 9-(;P-Sena-tor Taft (R.-Ohio) tonight pro posed a Republican legislative program designed to "discourage" strikes, cut the federal budget to $33,500,000,000 and slice 20 per ' cent off personal income taxes. I In an address for the Economic j club, the chairman of the senate GOP steering committee called I also for extension of federal aid to the states for housing, welfare, 1 education and medical care. He promised GOP efforts to expand social security coverage. Taft criticized President Tru man i economic report to con gress as "inconsistent," assert ing that "peeking around all the corners of the report we see the whiskers of the New Deal." In his report, Mr. Truman rec ommended that industry sponsor I lower prices , while labor settled its oia tor nigner wages on me basis of what the individual man agement is able to pay. Personal Views The Ohio senator, explaining he was voicing only his personal views, said the report "recog- nizes that the best method of bringing real purchasing power to consumers is through the re duction of prices rather than the increase in wages." But he added that "it hedges on the question like a political re port instead of a courageous eco nomic statement." Spend to Prosperity "The spending theories of Harry Hopkins gradually take command and determine the ulti mate recommendation," Taft said. "Then it (the report) seems to adopt the theory that mass pur chasing power is the solution of all problems and presents a justi fication for every New Deal meas ure. In short, we are again go ing to spend ourselves into pros perity." Taxes Threaten Economy Taft said the Republicans feel mat our present personal in come taxes threaten 4the sound ness of our economic structure." As a result, he added, he favors an overall 20 per tent reduction. To make this possible, he de clared. Republicans generally feel that from three to four bil lion dollars can be squeezed out of the $37,000,000,000 budget the president is expected to submit to congress tomorrow. Many Apply For Jobs at Legislature Sen. Marshall Cornett's reported Thursday that office many letters are pouring in from ap plicants for jobs during the com ing legislative session. Cornett, who is slated for the senate chair, predicted that all legisla tive departments will obtain ! necessary employes as applica- j tions far outnumber available positions. Back in Salem after writing his inaugural address at a beach resort. Gov. Earl Snell said the message will go to the state printer today. He declined to comment on contents of the speech he will make at the opening ses sion Monday. sions from other countries along with "eliminination of a mass of restrictions, in particular, rigid import quotas preventing our ac cess to foreign markets." Senate Republican Leader White (Me.) agreed that "reduc tion of trade barriers may stimu late international trade, but I do not know at whose cost." He add ed that the people of his state "have a general feeling of appre hension about the reciprocal trade program" and "don't like it." Five other republican senators Brewster (Me.), Butler (Neb.), Capehart (Ind.), Hickenlooper (Iowa) and Wiley (Wis.) also expressed general opposition to the trade pact program in sepa rate interviews or statemnets. "When the world gets back into normal production we cannot compete with coolie labor rates," Wiley remarked. Injclio11 rowers Provided By Max Hail WASHINGTON, Jan. aWPH Rep. Francis Case (R-SD), Intro. -ducing the 1947 version of his Case bill, proposed today that the gov ernment have permanent author ity to block coal strikes and oth-y er disrupting walkouts through court injunctions. Case's new bill was perhaps twice as broad in scope as the measure which passed congress , last year and died in the Whit House. He added a string of Wagner act amendments and other pro- " posals. One of these amendments ' would make workers, as well as employers, subject to charges of "unfair labor practices." The new provision on court In junctions, Case said in a state ment, "legalizes the course of ac tion followed in the John L. Lew is case without requiring govern ment seizure." To halt a strike last year in the federal-held soft coal mines, the government got a restraining order in a federal court. When i Lewis Ignored the order, the judge fined him and the United Mine Workers for contempt of court. Only Last Resort j Under the new Case bill, nuh procedure could be used only as a I last resort, and after the president had declared an emergency. It could be used only when a dis- I nil- n n M,.ntiat rru innnnl i 7-ft I .rvir t.r inrimtrv" onrlanoera '.'public welfare, health or safety." Case told a reporter this would include the coal industry "If the strike was nation-wide." When asked if it included the steel in dustry, he said "That would de pend on the circumstances of the emergency." He said the word "monopolized" could refer to un ion monopoly as well as employer monopoly. Case said his bill would not give any private employers the right to get a labor injunction. The U. S. attorney general would have to do it. Summarises Changes Case wrapped into one package about 40 or 50 of the proposed la bor law changes which republi cans and some democrats have been talking about. I At the same time, the opposition i blossomed into action: ! 1. The AFL said in a statement ! that it and the railroad brother ' hoods were joining ' in a united 1 campaign to combat and defeat dangerous restrictive legislation." 2. Senator James Murray ( D Mont) described a meeting which seven democrat senators held with . Philip Murray last night. Senator Murray said "Every senator pres ent was convinced that drastic punitive legislation is not the ap proach to good labor-management relations." The new Case bill In the house, being a big catch-all measure, was contrary to the strategy of senate republicans. They have decided to proceed first of all with a slightly-revised version of the 1946 Case bill un der the name of the Ball-Taft- Smith bill. Then the senate repub- ) licans will give longer study to other proposals Like changing the Wagner act and outlawing the closed shop. China Peace Bid Offered NANKING, Jan. 9 - tVP) - A guarded Chinese government overture to the Communists was made tonight, significantly fol lowing General Marshall's out spoken criticism of both faction in protracted civil strife. Peng Hsueh-Pei, minister ot information, issued a statement saying: "Now that the constitution making has been successfully concluded, the government is willing to discuss with the Com munists a complete plan for cessation of hostilities and gov ernment reorganization, so that peace and unity can be achieved at an early date." QUICKIES 'I see la The Statesman Want Ads that your wife wants te buy a dog ho use what hart yea lone new, Homer T"