i . i ' i
xO ! 777T
ritainr France, Benelux Nations Agree on
urope
E
3ordl Week Emid EFitrads
(Legislation ire ion Same
Spoft as 2 Years Ago
i By Wendell Webb
Managing Editor, Tb Statesman
The Oregon legislature, after
Its power and pay, recessed Friday
t hm Mmnarable time two years
Not that leaden had given up hope of shortening the 1947 ses
sion's record (84 days), but they were a bit more cautious in pre
dictions. There was a lot of -big stuff yet to come. The odds were
CRT
same
TO) mil
The state of Washington has
long been a mora radical state
than Oregon In its thinking,
though not 'always in its doing
One recalls the famous quip at
tributed to Jim Farley that the
USA consisted of 47 -states and the
soviet of Washington. Back in
1918 when a general strike was
called in Seattle there was con
siderable evidence that the f omen
ters of the strike thought they
might be touching off a red revo
lution after the pattern of Rus
sia: but it was promptly scotched.
In that Mayor Ole Hanson got a
lot of fame, not altogether de
served. Seattle has had quite a nucleus
f communists, including some in
tellectuals. The discharge of three
professors at the state university
on grounds of their being commu
nists came at the end of a lengthy
investigation. It is not surprising
that it has brought some reaction
One professor has resigned. Eight
faculty members (six assistant rnd
one associate professor and one in
structor in the physics depart
ment) have signed a statement In
protest, evidently standing on the
doctrine of academic freedom; end
students scheduled protest meet
ing. President Allen however says
that the affair is closed; and as
far as the regents ate, concerned
it doubtless is. Perhaps the most
significant thing is that more of
the faculty did not enter objec
tions to discharge on the basis of
political opinion.
The incident reminds me
ether trial, in 1914, when a pub
f(. mrhnol nrincipal in a town in
Snohomish county was accused of
Continued on editorial page)
Red Artillery
Holds Positions
Near Nanking ,
NANKING, Jan. 18 - JP) - The
Chinese communists were reported
mounting artillery on the north
bank of the Yangtze today in posi
tions to cut this confused capital"!
communications with Shanghai.
The news contributed to the per
vading gloom of Nanking on this
lunar New Year's eve, ordinarily
China's gayest holiday. By the
Chinese zodiac, the year of the rat
is ending and the year of the ox
beginning.
Military reports said the com
munist guns were appearing at
Icheng. While they apparently had
not fired yet, they were capable
of commanding traffic on the river,
and also on the south-bank railway
and read.
The government's military spoke
sman in this half-abandoned capi
tal said nationalist troops recover
ed and then lost Yangchow (Chi
angtu), 17 miles northeast of Ich
eng, in an all-night fight This was
the only conflict reported in the
civil war.
The Reds slow maneuvering to
Isolate Nanking led' to a growing
conviction of remaining residents
that there would be no battle for
the city, except for the possibility
that a few communist shells might
be thrown this way.
BRITISH AUTO EXPORTS HIGH
LONDON, Jan. 28 -JP)- Bri
tain exported 24,475 automobiles
to the United States last year
compared with only 45 in 1938.
Animal Crackers
Br WARREN GOODRICH
. Wef, whst do yon expect
wool itches!"
getting new proposals to Increase
in almost exactly the same status
ago.
Slienuv oener. nowever,
sales tax would nbt be among it
These were the highlights of the
final sessions of the third legis
lative week:
(1) Bills were readied providing
for constitutional amendments to
let the legislature effect a tax pro
gram, by two-thirds vote, without
risking a referendum; requiring
signatures of 8 per cent of all
registered voters, instead of just
those who voted, before an initia
tive could be put on the ballot,
and requiring a favorable vote of
25 per cent of registered voters in
a school district to 'pass a bond
issue;
(2) The senate passed and sent
to the house a measure .empower
ing the governor to authorize ra
tioning of power during; emergen
cies (all power in Salem went off
10 minutes after the action);
(3) A new bill; was introduced
in the senate to give legislators
$1,200 a year (present pay is $200
a year and a bill introduced
Thursday calls for $600 j.
Constitutional Amendments
The three proposed constitution
al amendments carried the signa
tures of Reps: Earl Hill, Cushman;
Dean B. Erwin, Enterprise; John
P. Hounsell, Hood RJver, and
David C. Baum, La Grande.
Hill was a leader inl the sales
tax fight of 1947 when-the legislature-approved
measure went
to defeat in referendum. The pro
posed amendment would provide
that any such legislative action, if
by a two-thirds vote, wpuld carry
an emergency clause and there
fore become effective irhmediately
without referendum.
May Delay Sales Tax Try
But there would have to be a
referendum. In effect, on Hill's
new proposal, so that even if it
passes there can be no "go-ahead"
to independent legislative tax ac
tion until the 1951 session. It has
been indicated that another try
to invoke the sales tax may be de
layed1 until then. But there are no
known promises along that line.
The other two proposed consti
tutional amendments seek to tight
en the initiative process and to
make it impossible for a handful
of voters to Impose a . school bond
issue. '--.
McKay Signs Bill
Meanwhile, Friday also brought
the signature of Gov. Douglas Mc
Kay, to the bill continuing the $20
cost-of-living pay increase to state
employes, so it will be reflected
in their January checks.
Thirty-five new measures were
introduced in the senate and house
Friday, bringing the total to 310
(the figure was 325 on the com
parable day; last session). -The
house has passed 38 and the sen
ate 1? (compared With 38 and 22,
respectively, at the same time last
session). Legislative action has
been completed oh 9 (compared
with 7).
The house Friday passed and
sent to the senate seven of its own
bills, including those requiring
county surveyors to be licensed;
allowing county courts to set pay
scales for justices! of the peace,
and appropriating $132,000 for
new forest fire protection districts.
The senate passed and sent to
the governor two house-approved
bills letting Multnomah county ac
quire Columbia Pioneer cemetery
and allowing school districts to
bond themselves up to 10 per cent
of their assessed valuation thus
continuing the 194? law.
Class flies Coanttes
Major bills among the new in
troductions in the senate Friday
included those classifying Oregon
counties into Six groups, based on
population, for the purpose of fix
ing salaries of county officers. At
present, county salaries -are dealt
with individually, and several bills
calling for increases already have
been introduced. ,i.
Several particularly-controversial
issues were raised tn new bills
entering the house; in addition to
the predicted" proposal to double
the basic school support fund.
Among the measures were those
requiring licenses for building
contractors at $25 per year; creat
ing a state board of opticians: up
ping marriage licenses from $3 to
$5; assuring tight Jof trial to per
sons accused of mental illness or
senility, and requiring candidates
for partisan offices to have been
a member of the party in which
they seek nomination for at least
six months prior to filing.
The latter measure, entered by
Reps. Howard and. John L. Logan
of Portland, grew out of allega
tions that Sheriff Mike Elliott of
Portland was not registered as a
democrat until just before his
campaign. .
Both the senate and house will
resume at 10:30 m m. Monday.
(Additional details' pages 3 and 4)
Weather
Max.
- 41
It
- 5
- S4
Mm.
IT
tt
Prectp.
Salma
Portland
San Francisco
Cnicaro
Chcc
31
43
New York
2.
Willamette river -1.1 feet.
FORECAST ( from VJ&. weather bu
reau. McNary field. Salem): Increasing
cloudiness with liht rain or snow
mixed wittr rain tonight. Cloudy witla
iniermiiienx rain sunoay. Hign today
ee. iw Kminc,near w.
iAUM PKKCIFITATION
(SepC 1 te Jam. 29)
This Tear
Last Year
2-Xt
Average
axis
Invitation
Issued to
Countries
LONDON, Jan. 28 -(JP)- Britain
and her four Brussels pact allies
agreed tonight to set up a "council
of Europe," opening the way ulti
mately for a single parliament to
represent all the European demo
cracies.
xne compromise decision was
announced following a conference
of the foreign ministers of Bri
tain, France, Belgium, the Nether
lands and Luxembourg. It consti
tutes a major step toward a full-
fledged Western European union
By giving the go-ahead signal
for establishment of the council,
the five ministers ended a dead
lock which had extended for
months. A communique said the
ministers "decided to invite other
European countries to take part in
the negotiations for the establish
ment of the council of Europe."
The council, the communique ad
ded, will be divided into two sec
tions a "ministerial council,"
which will meet privately and be
responsible directly to the various
member governments, and an ad
visory "consultative body," which
will debate in public any matters
except mutual defense.
Authoritative sources in close
touch with the two-day conference
here said the council's headquar
ters would be set up in the French
city of Strasbourg, near the Ger
man border.
115 Injured in
Chicago Gas
Company Blast
CHICAGO, Jan. 28 JP) An
explosion ripped off the roof of a
gas company mixing plant today,
injuring 115 persons, most of
whom were cut by flying glass.
Only one person was reported
critically hurt.
Scene of the blast was a mixing
plant of the People's Gas Light
and Coke company at 2250 South
Racine avenue in southwest Chi
cago.
Virtually every window in an
adjoining nine - story office and
storage building of the Common
wealth Edison company was shat
tered. One hundred Edison em
ployes were victims of flyin
glass. '.i.--.'- -. - i .
15 Suffer Barns
Fifteen employes of the gas
company suffered burns, cuts and
bruises, and one, Michael Nolan,
55, was critically injured. Seven
were in a hospital.
The explosion blew out a north
wall and parts of the roof of the
three - story gas mixing plant.
Its cause ha., not been determin
ed. Fire Commissioner Michael J.
Corrigan estimated damage at
$250,000.
Fire followed the explosion.
Workmen ran about the flaming
gas plant shutting off hundreds of
valves. Firemen kept the blare
from two nearby gas tanks. Nu
merous industrial plants are in the
immediate area.
Broke Many Windows
The force of the blast broke
windows up to a mile away. It
blew the glass 50 feet inside the
Edison building and piled it up two
feet deep beside the desks.
The plant was used to mix na
tural and artificial gas for light
ing and heating.
Parked automobiles along Ra
cine avenue were shoved together
and smashed. Stores, restaurants
and homes in the area quickly
emptied as people ran into the
streets when the blast occurred
about 1:20 p
m.
PRICE SUPPORT TOTALED
PORTLAND, Jan. 28 -Ay- For
ty per cent of Oregon's wheat crop
last year was placed under gov
ernment price support loans and
purchase agreements, the U.S.
department of agriculture said to
day. New Oregon
if
Oregon's new state liquor eomnusaJouers, meeting for the first time Friday, announced they wlH continue
present policies for the time being. Pictured above with Gov. Douglas McKay, seated, and Attorney
General George Newer, far left, they are, left to right. Richard W. Seed, Eugene, Chairman Carl Hogg,
Salem, and A. W. Spongier, Klamath Falls. (Statesman photo).
12 PAGES
Woman Not Very
Convincing Talker
BOISE, Jan. 28 - MP) - It's a
woman's prerogative.
Rep. Edith Miller talked at
length today in support of a
bill which would make writing
checks with insufficient funds
prima facie evidence of intent
to commit fraud.
Then when the roll came, she
voted no on the measure.
Her explanation: "I changed
my mind."
New Labor Bill
Set for Debut
On Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -(JP)
The administration's new labor
bill headed for Capitol Hill to
night after a day's delay which
aroused congressional speculation
that officials were in disagree
ment over its terms.
Senator Thomas (D-Utah),
chairman of the senate labor com
mittee, announced that the meas
ure, which provides for repeal of
the Taft-Hartley act and revival
of a revamped Wagner act, was
ready for delivery to him. He
said it probably will be made
public Saturday.
The bill delivered tonight was
reported to lend itself to "one
package" handling that is si
multaneous repeal of thefTaft
Hartley act and amendments to
the Wagner act. But it was re
ported, too, that it could be broken
up into two bills, with repeal in
the first and Wagner act amend
ments in the second.
Labor unions want the two-
package treatment; they want the
Taft-Hartley law wiped out
swiftly.
The text of the new bill was
kept secret tonight, but some offi
cials said it contains the follow
ing Wagner act amendments,
among others:
1. Machinery, somewhat similar
to the railway labor act, to avert
national 'emergency strikes for at
least 60 days. Provision would
probably be made, these officials
said, for use of court injunctions
to prevent walkouts during the
cooling off . period.
2. Bans on jurisdictional strikes.
8. Prohibitions on certain sec
ondary boycotts.
New Storms
Slow Work in
Blizzard Zone
By th Associated PrM
More planes and bulldozers
were thrown into the battle or
the western blizzards Friday, but
new storm dealt rescue efforts
severe set-back In some areas.
The new snow, forerunner of
another cold wave. whipped
across Wyoming, Nebraska, east
ern Kansas and southeast South
Dakota and on into southeastern
Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.
It intensified the suffering of
snow-stranded livestock and hu
mans in the stricken western areas.
President Truman allotted an
other $500,000 for blizzard relief
during the day, boosting Jhe
amount of federal aid so far to
$800,000.
In Nebraska, one of the hardest
hit blizzard states, the storm vir
tually ice-locked the state. Twelve
inches of snow fell in Omaha,
with lesser amounts elsewhere.
Scarcely a road in the state was
open.
88th Ymax
Liquor Commission Organizes
-vrr: YLj7? '.-t r - v
" " . "' - '
Thm Oregon Statesman, Satan. Oregon, Saturday, January 29 1949
Wesftheirmsiiiy Sees Moetr fflroinro D4fl
.Valley Affffedtedl
Temporary Cut
Due to Blown
0
Transformer
A 20 - minute power outage
throughout Salem and the Willam
ette valley Friday morning was i
forceful reminder that the north'
west power shortage is still serious,
as the power pool reasserted the
area s cnoice Detween a Dreax
down of power facilities or drastic
shutdowns of large industries.
The power was off here from
10:48 a.m. until about 11:10 as the
result of .a breakdown in the Bon
neville 119,000 -volt transmission
line between Oregon City and St.
Johns, according to power com
parties. The trouble was in a low
voltage transformer at the main
Bonneville plant in Portland, it
was said.
Both Portland Oeneral Electric
company and Salem Electric sys
terns were affected by the outage.
Only 10 minutes before the lights
went out the state senate had ap
proved unanimously a bill giving
the governor emergency powers to
restrict sale of electricity to help
relieve the power shortage.
While the breakdown was not
attributed to the present crisis, the
Northwest Utilities Conf e r e n c e
committee, which met Thursday
at Tacoma, issued a statement Fn
day, declaring that any relaxation
of conservation measures by con
sumers and increase in adverse
weather conditions would lmmedi
ately bring the choice of "break
down or shutdown." The commit
tee said that river flow conditions
and continuing freezing weather
leave no room for an optimistic
view of the power situation, add
tng-: that plans to cope with the
problem are being projected
through February and possibly
jviarcn.
(Additional details on page 2)
SP to Lay Off
2,520 Men
SAN FRANCISCO. Jan. 28 -UFi
The Southern Pacific today an
nounced that 2,520 employes in its
shop forces would be laid off Jan
uary 31.
The company said the personnel
reduction, was caused by a decline
in traffic, primarily due to the ex
tremely cold weather.
The reduction in the total em
ployment of 19,000 persons will
Ogden, Utah, and El Paso, Texas;
and south of Portland, Ore.
J. W. Corbett, vice president in
charge of operations, expressed
the hope that improved conditions
"woul make it possible soon to ex
pand employment at the shops."
Firemen Answer Wrong
Extreme of Temperature
PENDLETON, Jan. 28 -()-
Firemen dashed to the Pendleton
Woolen Mills plant today when
the automatic alarm went off.
Then they dashed home again.
The alarm which functions
when the sprinkling system goes
on and reduces water pressure
had been set off by frozen water
pipes.
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MdWeDD ' 1651 I j
S Die in Subway Station Fire
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BOSTON, Jan. 28 Firemen attempt
a second-story tower to fight a fire which started underground
causing three deaths and. then swept upwards through station. Th
fire halted all subway traffic and blocked surface traffic fh the
congested waterfront area. (AP Wlrephoto to The Statesman).
Traffic Project
May Halt Plan
For Bus Depot
Chances were slim Friday that
City Transit Lines will establish
a downtown bus depot after alL
The newly released state high
way department's $7,6000,000 traf
fic Improvement plan for Salem,
with a one-way street grid Includ
ed, makes the depot plan unwork
able, bus and city officials agreed.
The bus firm had planned early
this week to lease space In the
Breyman building adjacent to QuI-
sinberry's pharmacy for a depot,
and to move its terminal loading
point from the south to the north
end of the block of Commercial
between Court and State streets.
Now even the half-block move
of terminal facilities is in doubt,
according to R. J. Davidson, city
bus manager.
Under the state highway im
provement plan. Commercial street
would be a one-way street for
southbound traffic. Although buses
could still pull in on the east side
of the street, passengers would
have to unload toward the traffic
lanes in the street, rather than on
to the sidewalk.
Although the grid plan may not
be in effect for a year or more
the interim is considered too short
for further negotiations for the
depot site. When the grid plan is
established, major rerouting of
buses will be necessary.
Red Scare Raised
In Debate Over
Anti-Filibuster Bill
WASHINGTON. Jan. 28- UP) ! -
Senator Lodge (R-Mass) raised a
new argument today against per
mitting unlimited filibustering,de
bate in the senate. He said some
day communists might get a foot
hold in that body and use the fili
buster to tie up vital legislation.
Senator Eastland (D-Miss) re
torted that such a situation could
be met by a rules change that
would permit debate to the limit
ed in matters of national emer
gency, but not on ordinary domes
tic legislation.
Lodge, Eastland and other sen-
rators expressed their views at. a
session of the rules committee,
which Is .considering, proposed
changes in the senate's debating
rules which would 'outlaw the
filibuster. ,
MKS. BOETTIGEX ARRIVES
PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 28. -Of)
Mrs. Anna Roosevelt Boettiger ar
rived here by air today for a visit
with her daughter, the former
Sistie Boettiger, and a speech be
fore the Americans for Democratic
Action tomorrow night.
by Pmveir P&Mwk
w
4 v
r
to enter a snbway station threngh
Bill to Tax, But Not
Legalize Gambling
Machines Readied
Legislation to tax but hot to
legalize gambling machines was
prepared for Introduction in the
Oregon house Monday.
Co-authors of the bill are Giles
L. French, Moro, a republican, and
Henry Semon, Klamath Falls, a
democrat. French introduced a
similar bill in 1947 and it was
killed in the house by a narrow
margin. ;
The bill would take SO per cent
of proceeds from one - armed ban
dits and other gambling devices
not involving the chance element.
Some pinball machines, or other
devices involving skill, would be
taxed 10 per cent of their take.
600 Dead in I
China Tragedy
SHANGHAI, Jan. 28 -iMore
than 600 Chinese were missing and
believed dead in a collision which
sank two ships about 100 miles
southeast of Shanghai near last
midnight.
Thirty five survivors, picked
up six hours later by the Austra
lian destroyer Warramunga,: were
landed late tonight at Shanghai.
The Warramunga, en route from
Japan to a standby assignment at
Nanking, was the only Vestel
known to have been in the vici
nity. The sunken ships were the 4,
000 - ton passenger liner Taiping,
bound to Formosa with refugees,
and the 2,700 - ton Keinyuan, en
route from Formosa with coal. The
Kienyuan had a crew of about
70. j
The Chunglien company, per
atorj of the Taiping. said it car
ried! no more than 500 passengers
and a crew of about 75.
Truman Delays j
Railroad Strike I
WASHINGTON, Jan. .28 -JP)-President
Truman today created
an emergency board to avert strike
action by locomotive engineers.
The Brotherhood of locomotive
engineers has set a strike deadline
of 6 a. m. Monday on IS western
lines employing 25,000 engineers.
The union has demanded a sec
ond engineer on diesel locomo
tives. Mr. Truman's executive order
would delay a striae fos &o days.
How to Win Votes and .
Influence ; Constituent , -.
Rep. Paul . Geddes of Roseburg
Is quite certain that not all Ore
gon voters are hard to please, these
days. ' ' - H ; H"-' -':'
Geddes told' the Salem Board of
Realtors Friday that he recently
received a card from a lady( voter
stating simply, "Abolish all liquor
drinking in Oregon and reduce
taxes and 111 vote for you.'
Pricsj 5c
No. 273
Icy Pavements
Take 2 Lives,
Fuel Scarce
Forecasters took a second look
t their weather maps Friday
night and predicted a break; In
Salem's 29-day-old cold spellj A
warm air mass, laden with mois
ture, was moving In from the
northwest and was expected to
rout the cold, dry air that has
plagued the entire area for week.
Salem was exnected to Mtrh
the front of the new storm tonight
with rain or rain and snow mix
ed. Minimum temperature Sunday
was expected to be about SO. Rain
was forecast for Sunday. j
With warm' weather still 1 on
the way. most of the i area
still feeling the unabated cold
spell. Icy pavements claimed two
lives In the northwest Fridav.
John W. Cottrell, 68, ) a hearso
driver, was killed at Portland
whei his hearse skidded on fan
icy Lrade and collided ! with an
other vehicle. H. J. Maul bet sen.
53, Portland, died when his frar
ran lrto the rear of a sanding
truck. ! II
Shortages of fuel were worsen
ing throughout the area. Sawtuist
was almost unobtainable and the
gas supply was beginning to fun
low in some areas. I 4
The bitter winter struck new
blows at transportation Friday
when ice jams blocked the Co
lumbia river ferry between West
port and Puget Island. In Baker
county, road crews were fighting
a losing battle to keep roads clear
of snow drifts.
At Porter Flat, inl the. lonely
country near Vale, the snowbound
Norman Woods family appealed
to state police by phone to clear
their road. Their food - supplies
were running low. ; 1
Oregon State college began con
verting its sawdust burners to oil
as the freeze kept sawdust-producing
mills idle. Oil was appar
ently the only fuel still plentiful
throughout the state. Gas remain
ed adequate in some areas.
Store to Add
Second Floor,
Moving Stairs
t 5
A series of moves by Salem
firms which will result in con
siderable alteration of one build
ing, and bring the city's first mov
ing stairway, was disclosed Fri
day. Effective next Tuesday, the
Roberts Bros, store, 177 N. Lib
erty St., is to take over the second
floor of that building for expan
sion purposes. ; i
Preparation for Installation i cf
the motor-driven stairs has al
ready begun, along the south side
of the store, near its main ent
rance. They will be for upward
traffic only. I S
Vacating the top floor will ibo
the Modern Beauty college, which
is to be closed for three weeks
or more while waiting to occupy
the building at 476 N. Church t,
temporarily in use as the Grey
hound bus terminal. The terminal
is expected to be in its new build
ing adjacent to the present loca
tion, by March 15 or earlier, f
Leonard L. Kremen, i manager
of the Salem store of Roberts
Bros., said remodeling of the new
floor is expected to be ( complete
by mid-March, when the stairway
will also be ready for use, 'in
order to offer new merchandise
for the spring season, i The ex
pansion will provide f for the
broadening of all present depart
ments of the store, addition of
household appliances and other
lines. It is also planned to enlarge
the green stamp redemption sta
tion in the basement. All new fix
tures and furniture will be in
stalled upstairs. 19
Roberts, a Portland firm, as
sumed the local store, , formerly
Worth's, two years ago. j I
The beauty college, started ' in
1S34, has been owned the past two
years by Dr. w. c iiermger.
Managed by Wilma Lee i Phagans,
it now has 27 students.
State Welfare
Budget Raised
PORTLAND, Jan. 28 -Ujp)-Fac-
ed by heavy relief demands be
cause of the long cold spell, the
state public welfare commission
decided today to add $75,650 to its
January budget. I
The money will be distributed
among counties whose funds have .
run short. The state's share in the
original January budget was for
$487,850. i' - v A i
- Administrator Loa Howard te
ported the largest case load since
1940. Aid totalling $1,863,028 went
to 35,091 persons in December.