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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (March 4, 1947)
mDODQS March sees the legislature en tering into the last third of its session. So far. the actual legis- i lat.uii parsed does not add up very much as to quantity or im portance. But that does not mean the legislature has been idle. On the contrary it has been soberly buy and I mean just that. There has been a lot of hard work and not very much of play to date. From here on out the pare wl quicken and '"production" will in crease. There are many important prob lems on which daylight has not fully broken. There i still groping for current revenues: and expand in appropriations such as those in dicated for .alary Increase, etc. widen the gap between income nd outgo. Controversial measures such a.s rural zoning. thrnughw:vs etc.. are till to come out on the floor; and the final word is yet to be spoken on school legislation Rut there is one problem the legislature must not neglect and that is provision for the rehabili tation cf state forest, and parti cularly of the vast Tillamook burn Trie house has a bill to impor a severance tax on logs of 20v per thousand board feet to pro- vide funds for such reforestation and fire prevention and for re earch. Some timber-owners, par ticulary the Weyerhaeuser inter ests, oppose the bill because, they say, it taxes them to help reforest state lands while they are re foresting their own lands t their own expense. . There is point to the objection, It may be conceded; but (Continued on editorial page) " Snow Again Covers East; Florida Cold By the Associated Press The weather had the east , , , , - m ' snowed under Tuesday and March; didn't feel very springlike in Flo rida, where sub-freezing temper atures were expected for the sec ond consecutive night last night. More than half of New York j to me governor a dim wmcn win gtate was snowbound after a permit Oregon to join Washing weekend fall which reached totals ton and California on a council f as much as 30 inches in the to recommend legislation for con north, trol of off-shore fishing. Canada Somerset, Pa., was marooned i is expected to join later by treaty, by drifts up to 10 feet deep, and I Five house bills, increasing salar highway department workers try- j ies of county officials, also were ing to open roads fought a losing j passed by the senate, as were battle as gale-ltke winds blew i two of its own bills raising the snow back on cleared stretches of 1 salary of the state real estate highway. commissioner from $4200 to $4800 Off the coast of Maine, at Cape ; and permitting appointment of Fliabeth, a 395-foot collier, the j deputy commissioners in Portland Oakey L. Alexander, foundered in ancj Salem, gales that raised mountainous seas Ameadmnt pr.poed and sheared off the vessel s bow. but her 32-man crew was rescued Meantime, the house committee via a roast guard breeches buoy. on assessment and taxation m In West Virginia, many schools troduced a proposed constitutional failed to reopen Monday after a amendment permitting use of in-wetk-long shutdown, when new come tax revenues for general now ranging up to 22 inches was state purposes after property tax mied on too of a two-week-old 1 es have been offset and the house pack, bolckiog many roads. Salem Airport On List Sent To Congress Airport, at Salem, Corvallis and McMinnville were among a lit of 307 urge airports 01 cotts. permit secret elections to nation sent by Secretary of Com- j determine whether disputes are merce Harriman to congress yes- Vj,i,d and allow court injunctions terday, asking approval of coo- j in iabor controversies, struct or improvement during j Attomey James Land ye the next fwcal year, according to . trfM Jry boycott Associated" Press d.spatclv was u neons Ututional and Cr ,X J5I ?Urn i unnecessary, and said labor-man-would be the secondjrear. L"1" j agernent relations in Oregon are .tallnt of the national airport I plan, was estimated by the c.vil f Masl presenting Portland 7T53 2M mtSr?erZ-i" denied that b.ll wa, $124,253,251. The fer' e, unconstitutional and charged that ment would put up $58.921. 60 1 . . . . , . v . 1 unions are coercing both employes and local sponsors the remainder. I No funds have yet been an- propria ted for airports in the 1948 fiscal year, but President Truman in a message last Friday recommended that $65,000,000 be allocated for the ourDose. Included in the projects which thousand timber tax proposed by Harriman asked congress to D- Gov. Earl Snell for forestry re prove were: Salem. McNary field. ' search and rehabilitation. $112,040 federal allotment, and Sales Tax Bill Due Sam $200,000 total for next fiscal year: A revised 3 per cent sales tax Corvallis municipal. $16,900 and measure was expected to reach 130 200 and McMinnville munici- the house floor tomorrow or pal. $107,726 and $192,300. Animal Crackers By WACREN GOODRICH "Don't laugh mayb yoa don't look. 9o good to her Assembly Waiting; Pay Halts By Wendell Webb Managing Editor. The Statesman The bogged -down legislature hardly got its feet wet Monday, and the house didn't progress even far enough to reach the withhold- ing tax iu on which it was due to vote. But as far as further legisla tive pay for the current session is concerned, the lawmakers won't have to worry about withholding from their own incomes. Starting this morning, they're really work ing' for-free their 50 days of pay expired last midnight. Not that undue criticism can at tach, itself to the marking-time tactics which became more-than-usually apparent Monday. The major legislation for which the ceMon is waiting just hasn't em- from committees to reach the floors. Bill. Agala Defeated Monday" morning in the house was taken up mostly with Rep. Robert Dunway's motion to re consider the once-beaten bill (44 to 15) which would have allowed non-property owners to vote in school elections. His move to re- uve tne issue lost ou to il. The afternoon business session, f the house was preceded .by a oiesentation of a silver service to Speaker and Mrs. John Hall, with Rep. Harvey Wells acting as 'ix-kesman: a talk in behalf of the Red Cross by former big league pitcher Walter Mails, vct- ( eran marine; and a group of num- bers bv the girls' chorus of Hill crest school. An orchid also was presented to Mrs. Hall by the three women representatives Anna Ellis, Marie Wilson and Rose Poole, the latter escorting Mrs. Hall to the rostrum. The speaker, escorted by Rep. F. H. Dammasch, said in thanking the house for the gift that he in tended to retire from the legisla ture after this session. f Tear he rig es Authorized Of the 23 bills on the house's Monday calendar, eight were ap proved (including those giving cities authority over airports, au thorizing school district teacher ages, and letting park districts AflA4 Vm 1 1 1 s4 i at rt an4 Hd3 7 V I lUJ IU1IIS. ailU Vail XZT V Xi rmr.t tn rmmitWe irtinn on others was postponed. The senate Monday, with a bht calendar, passed and sent jiiu ruaua ana mgnwijra itmiuiiu- tee voted a "do-pass" reeommen j dation for the bill to raise between j $2,000,000 and $3,000,000 annual i ly by increasing truck taxes to range between .37 and 3.75 cents per ton mile. I The house local government committee voted Monday to send ; the county zoning bill to the house ! floor with a favorable report. I Before the senate labor and in , ri us tries committee Monday were the bills to bar secondary boy- On another committee front Rep. John R. Snellstrom. Eugene, said he would ask the house forestry committee, of which he is a mem ber." to halve the -20-cents-per Thursday. Up for final action in the house today are 16 bills including those providing for the withholding tax; setting minimum salaries of teach ers at $2100 and $2400 (the low er figure for those without BA degrees); allowing a $970,076 de ficiency appropriation for state department and institutions, and appropriating $130,000 for a boys' camp at Timber. Up for final senate action today are house bills to permit the for mation of small cooperatives without corporation commission clearance and to increase salaries of Linn county officials; and sen ate bills to allow county courts to regulate county road approach es and to allow employers three days grace' following the release of seasonal employes before final waees become due. Considering the mountain of work ahead, smiles greeted intro duction of the routine house con current resolution yesterday it provides for legislative adjourn ment sine die on Wednesday, March 5. It won't be effective un til much later. P-tH t-e enpte and house will resume at 10:30 a.m. today. . Lirfcis. actions page 12). lve (fin) NINETY -SIXTH YEAR President Asks End To Draft WASHINGTON, March 3 JP) President Truman told congress today to let the draft law die March 31 but gave notice a re newal will be sought later if vol untary recruiting fails to keep 1,641,000 men under arms. The army announced simultan eously that it will discharge the 100.000 draftees remaining in its ranks those in this country by May 15, those overseas by June 30 making it an entirely vol unteer force. The navy already has released all its draftees. Actually no men have" been drafted since last October, but the expiration of the act March 31 will mean: 1. Young men no longer will have to register upon reaching their 18th birthday. 2. The 40.000,000 oldsters al ready registered can tear' up the registration cards they have been required to carry in their pockets. 3. The 6442 local draft boards probably will go out of business entirely, although their status was not made clear immediately, and many of the 7641 full-time and 1457 part-time employes on the selective service payroll will be released. 4. Any incentive will be remov ed to enlisting, which the mere existence of the draft law pro vided, with its latent thteat that young men might be drafted. The army's strength is to be 1.070.000 after June 30. The presi dent's message said that losses through separations will be 30,000 a month and that the army "can count with a fair degree of cer tainty on an average of 20,000 enlistments and re-enlistments'' monthly. This would make a defi cit of 120.000 one year hence, the message continued, but "there is a reasonable expectation that bet ter results may be obtained." China Claims Encirclement Of Communists NANKING. March 3-4jiP-Near-ly 200,000 communists driving to wards Changchun have been trapped in a srnartly - executed government pincers movement and already have suffered 20,000 casualties, the ministry of infor mation reported late today. This claim of a major victory on the snowy plains just north of the Manchuria n capital coincided with information from a reliable source that Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and his top-ranking of ficers have agreed to plans to wipe out the communists through out China and Manchuria before the end of the year. (Encirclement, a favorite Chi nese military maneuver, often has been claimed by both sides in the past, though rarely on so grand a scale. In most cases, in keeping with Chinese tradition, the trapped enemy has found an escape corridor.) 18 Districts Affected in Vote '-"'fallsy J i Mat. 35 fl I Dla-taoU I - ? 1 U O lslsr I I I V Dirt, es 1 fl I I Vs 'nsj tills I J H, I m. fl 1 -T-J Dirt. TBf U Mat. i X0 W-UB U -l O J ff -I U 71 22 The aboTC Is a map of the It school districts which will vote Tues day, March 11, apon a proposed consolidation with district 24, Sa lem. Meetings are being held in the various districts to consider the ajoestions. Among these meetings are one at Bash school at 7:3 pa tonight and one Thursday at S pja. in West Salem school gymnasium. Mrs. Waiter M. Pierce, resident of Eola district, is scbodmled U speak at the West Salem meeting. 12 PAGES Detroit Reports Auto Production Again in Gear DETROIT, March 3-;P-Rolling along at a production level of better than 100,000 units a week, the nation's automobile industry is- back on familiar ground. The industry topped that fig ure again last week and brought its February output up to ap proximately 380,000 cars and trucks, still a little short of the postwar figure of 392,000 ve hicles assembled in October, 1946. Last month's volume, however, was achieved in 20 working days against 23 in October. 3 Rescued, 3 Lost in Storm Off Coos Bay COOS BAY, Ore., March ZMIP) -A 13-hour struggle by the crew of a Coos Bay fishing boat to res cue three men from a sinking cutter was told today as the coast guard reported thy ree others were lost when a second boat 'sank in the same storm. Lost aboard a shark fishing boat here yesterday afternoon were Louis Guedon, owner of the Alice M, and two crewmen, Er nest Champman, 50, and Leonard St. Jacque, 46, all of Coos Bay. The coast guard said the wife of Guedon had identified parts of the "Alice M" wreckage washed ashore today and listed those aboard. Saved in the rescue off Heceta Head by crewmen of the fishing boat Zebra were Harry Herbst and George Kothe. both of Long Beach, Calif., and Donald F. Ham, Los Angeles. . The coast guard reported the three crewmen, all ex-servicemen, were taking a surplus cutter from Seattle to its Los Angeles owner when waves smashed the motor craft's windshield. Gales poured water into its holds and it started foundering. Crewmen of the Zebra got a line aboard at 4 a. m. yesterday and stood by 13 hours before the trio could launch a liferaft and use the line to guide themselves to the rescue boat. Wreckage of the cutter has washed ashore south of Alsea bay. Ore., the Zebra's crew was listed as Albert and Ed Sprague, brothers. Sam Sprague, a son. and Andrwe Erickson, all of Coos Bay. N Senate Votes for $4.5 Billion Cut WASHINGTON, March 3 -Ah-Differences between senate and house republicans on fiscal policy came sharply into the open today as the senate voted a $4,500,000, 000 budget slash and Speaker Martin (R-Mass) announced the house leadership will insist on a $6,000,000,000 cut. The senate resolution was pass ed 64 to 20 with every republi ; can on the floor supporting it ex ; cept Sen. Morse of Oregon. The senate adopted its lower figure principally with a view to safe 1 guarding the military estimates. MUNDBD 1651 Salon, Oregon. To day Morning. Chicago Firemen Fight Blaze CHICAGO, March 3 (.PV-CWcar firemen drar hoses to the smouldering ruins of a bnildinr wrecked by an explosion in Chicago's loop. Left background Is one of several adjoining buildings damaged, and at right is elevated system, also damaged by the blast, necessitating rerouting of trains. At least four persons were killed, tt was determined last night when a fourth body was found In the debris. (AP Wlrephoto). - , Senators Says Aid Cites Seed of More Troops On Frontier LONDON, March 3-t7P-Alex-ander A. Pallas, spokesman for the Greek embassy, declared to day that American aid to Greece would enable that country to boost by 30,000 its present army of 100, 000 and restore order to the north ern frontier regions, now beset by near civil war. Pallas made the statement in an interview as British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin and his ach-isers were "considering urg ently" an American note which government informants said promised financial and economic aid for Greece, provided Britain kept troops in Greece to maintain order. These Informants said Britain would "almost certainly" accept the condition if the number of troops involved was not too high. Pallas, declaring the Greek army needed "everything from machineguns, aircraft and artil lery to boots and uniforms." said that if British aid was withdrawn and no American help was forth coming Greece Would plunge al most immediately into a major crisis. A spokesman here for the Greek left wing Earn (national libera tion front) said United States "in tervention" in Greece would "pro long civil war and will mean more victims and more bloodshed." ATHENS. March 3 -(JF)- More than 120 Greek guerrillas were reported killed and their military supply column captured today in heavy fighting near the western Macedonia city of Niaousta. Press dispatches said the casualties were inflicted on a band of more than 2000 which was routed by Greek. army troops. Six School Districts Vote on Consolidation UNION HILL, March 3 Six school districts in this area will vote on a proposed consolidation Tuesday, March 4, at 8 p.m., in their respective school houses. Districts involved are Union Hill, Valley View, M c A 1 p i n, Oak Grove, Victor Point and Silver Cliff. Olyinpia Committee Okehs Freeway Bill OLYMPIA, Wash., March 3 -UP) The roads and bridges committee of the Washington house of repre sentatives tonight recommended passage of a bill previosuly ap proved by the senate to provide for limited access to future super highways. FVBLIC HEARINGS Fireworks, medical mm4 cemetery Ills IHB 126; SB 342. 356) Fol lowing this afternoon adjournment, room 300, statehouse, before senate judiciary committee. Five-Bmaa highway eraunJuteai HB 133) Today at 7 JO p m . room 401. statehouse. before senate state affairs committee. School rapport fan aJstrihatioa Uls (HB 9. SB 310) Thursday. March 6, following afternoon adjourn ment: room 401. statehouse, before senate education committee. March 4, 1947 ' rv, - -r .W , .-V '- ' " - K- s r 4 s"i "r - X'v--"1"' nfiT r ! 'af Speculate Would Calm Greece Mayor. Leader Issue Appeals Mayor Robert L. Elfstrom and Supreme Court Justice George Rossman, the latter chairman o the Marion county chapter Red Cross, joined in statements Mon .day asking the utmost coopera tion in the current campaign to raise funds for the 1947 work. Mayor Elfstrom termed the Red Cross "the most typically Ameri can organization existing today. It serv es all mankind, meets all types of needs, and belongs to you. Give generously." Judge Rossman, who paid high tribute to drive chairman Fred Starrett, said major portion of the $49,000 to be raised in Marion county will be spent on veterans and their families "under close supervision o a competent com mittee." He added that "every dol lar raised will be an immortal dollar. The good it will do will reveal itself to succeeding genera tions." Butter Price Spiral Seen SAN FRANCISCO. March 3 P) The upward trend of" eastern and central western markets and light supplies are forcing Pacific coast wholesale butter prices (prices paid, to producers) closer to the highs that prevailed around the first of the year. Prices at the four principal coast markets today showed ad vances of 4 to 9 cents compared with two weeks ago. The sharp est increases were at Portland and Seattle, 8 to 9 cents for grade A and 9 cents for grade B. Grade A at Los Angeles was 8 cents high er and grade B 6 cents. At San Francisco the A grade was up 4 cents and B grade 6 cents com pared with Feb. 17. Sparks Fly as House Group Hears Argument on PUD Bills The PUD civil war flared anew as 250 persons jam-packed the statehouse public hearing of the house utilities committee last night on three proposed measures concerning "public utility districts. Pro and con arguments flew for the bills which would provide that elections to create PUD's can be held only at the same time as general elections to create PUD's can be held only at the same time as general elections; that PUD's get certificates of public conven ience and necessity from the pub lit utilities commissioner before they can begin operations, and that PUD's could Issue revenue bonds without vote of people in districts and do away with gen eral obligation bonds. In speaking for the certificate of convenience, Francis Hill, Portland private power attorney, stated that such certificates would prevent property of one utility from being invaded by another and causing duplication. Ray Kell, Portland, attorney for the state grange, warned that the bill would .sound the death knell of PUD's, and would legalize mon- Price 5c After Explosion as Envoy Sen. George Questions on U. S. Policy WASHINGTON, March 3.-UP)-Sen. George (D-Ga) declared to day that if the United States takes over hard-pressed Britain's commitments in Greece it should make clear that it is supporting its own, not British, foreign pol icy. Moreover, George told report-: ers, this country must act in 6uch a way that "We do not invite any open opposition from our friends . the Russians in that area." His comments came as senators awaited an appearance before the foreign selations committee to morrow . by Secretary of State Marshall. Marshall and his pre decessor, James F. Byrnes, will explain four Balkan peace trea ties, but Marshall may face some questioning about the Greek sit uation. The United States already has ' sent Britain a note which was ' said in informed quarters to ap prove in principle a proposal that this country take over the British , economic commitments. This sup posed ly would entail underwrit ing the cost of keeping about 10,- : 000 British troops in Greece to support the government in its i contest with armed opposition. j New Fire Chief Shifts Equipment Salem's new fire chief, W. P. Roble. assumed duties Monday with a general shifting of Salem's j apparatus to different stations. The newer tank -equipped pumper was transferred from the central I station to the East Salem post, i and an older pumper put in its place. This will provide each of Salem's four stations with a tank booster pumper and thus increase efficiency and residential area protection, according to Chiefl Roble. opoly while outlawing competi- I tion. ( , Carl Pope. Salem lawyer, said j I that with 58 PUD elections held since 1931, only 13 PUD's have been organized and only two are actually operating. He cited this . as good reason for the general election restriction bill. Pope claimed PUD elections had cost taxpayers $150,000, while A. C. Heyman, Albany, denied that the elections cost the people money. Proponents of the PUD bond bill denied that the measure would five too much power to district directors, claiming that directors could not overbond PUD districts because bond buyers would refuse to buy if too many were issued. Al Grant, former state representative from Baker, as representative of the California-Pacific Utilities Co., called the bill undemocratic because "it takes away the only safeguard the people have against rash ac tion by PUD directors." Members of the committee" an nounced that a meeting will be called in three or four days to de cide on the bills. i Weather Max. Mia. Preci. 4Z M .1 53 45 . S 51 -54 2S It -00 S4 XT -04 lika Portland San Francisco Chicago New York Willamette river .6 feet. FORECAST (from C.5. weather bu reau, McNaxy field. Salem : Partly cloudy today and tonignt with sral tered tbowtn throughout the day be coming less frequent Lite this after noon. Temperature lugti today 98, low 33. No. 291 Promise Restated In Mexico MEXICO CITY, March 3-(P) President Truman, welcomed to Mexico with pomp and ceremony, declared tonight that the United s. States stands squarely behind Its commitments to protect weaker countries the world over from cp pressioh. Speaking in the national palace after a thundering, joyful greet ing as his own ambassador of goodwill to this sister republic, the American chief executive warned that his country pledged to non intervention, can not be indiffer ent "to wljat goes on beyond our own border." He defined his interpretation of the doctrine of non-intervention to mean that "a strong nation does not have the right to impose its will by reason of its strength, on a weaker nation." Mexican Praises American Voice Mr. Truman spo-ce aft?r Mexi can President Miguel Aleman, ex tended his warmest welcome, as serted at the conclusion of a state dinner honoring the American visitor: "The voice of the Ameri cas is heard in the choral strtin of the countries of the wrld with ever more distinct and greater clearness." President Aleman welcomed United States investments '"with a proper respect" for Mexican laws because "we have economies that can complement o n f another fruitfully" and 'a mature under standing of your own interests could not oppose the program of our industrialization." Truman Cites 'Family Concern Mr. Truman said Uvat events in one country may have such a profound effect in other countries that a violation of accepted prin ciples of national behavior is of concern to the whjle family of nations. Wholehearted acceptance of the doctrine that the strong can not impose on the weak Ls "a part of the basic international law rec ognized by all the American re publics,'' Mr. Truman continued, and added: "My country will be faithful to the letter and to the spirit of the law." Lawlessness among nations can no more be tolerated than law lessness among individuals, ha added. Federal Tax Refunds for Oregon Listed WASHINGTON. March 3--PV-Federal tax refunds were made public through congress today icr the year ended last June 30. w ith the Spokane. Portland and Seattle railway getting the largest for Oregon $411 .242, for overpay ment of income taxes. Other Oregon recipients In cluded: Oregon liquor commission, $28, 698 (distilled spirits tax). Paul us Brothers packing. Salem, $5,078 (excess profits tax). Spaulding Pulp and Paper, Newberg, $10,849 (excess profits tax). Valley Packing, Salem, $6,844 (income tax). Mill City Manufacturing, ilill City, $16,163 (excess profits tax). Harry M. and Sylvia R. Levy, Salem, $4,059 (income tax). Mary Lachelle, Independence, $3,193 (income tax). Dallas Machine warks. Dallas, $6,055 (excess profits tax). Corvallis Lumber, Corvillis, $9,385 (income tax). Eva. . C. Bosworth, Corvallis, $3,781 (income tax). A record $3,035,877,000 in in come tax refunds over the nation was reported. The Brooklyn Dodger3 were rn the list of more, than 5 000 big and little corporations, celebrities, politicians and ordinary taxpayers who received refunds of $500 or more in the year ending last June 30. The baseball club got back $18,412. The biggest refund was $47,168,578 to the Aluminum Company of America. Walter Mails to Talk Friday at West Salem WEST SALEM. March 3 Wal ter Mails, public information offi cer for the American Red Cross in the Pacific area, will address a mass meeting in West Salem school gymnasium Friday at S p.m., Walter Musgrave, locals chairman Xif the Red Cross drive has announced. Mails will, be in troduced by A. V, Olliver of Rick reall, Polk county Red Cross chairman. NEW GAS TAX VOTED OLYMPIA, March 3.-P-The house voted 52 to 44 tonight for a one-cent a gallon increase in the gasoline tax. The bill still must go to the senate. Proponents said the estimated revenue from the tax addition would be $10,000,000 for the biennium.