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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1950)
F inal Exterior Plans Approved for New County Courthouse 83th YEAR 12 PAGES Tho Oregon Statesman, Salem, Oreaon, Thursday, January 19 1950 PRICE 5c No. 31S 4 Freezing Main Glazes Valley Off tod cms When the SEC: hold its hearing DeK5ay on the PPo. g American Power "J ell the common stock ol racmc Power & Light to a group of 13 TowUoni and individual it StiTSd considerable position tdthe proposal. The cities of Portland, Bend, Prineville- have SSvid to have ! their opposition recorded. Utility departments for Washington and; Oregon will be represented, an while no an nouncement has been made as to toe stand each will take the infer ence is that they will be keptkal of the deal. SEC attorneys them selves will probably have i some pointed questions to ask with ref erence to t'-PPntjlPSSilS' break up the system and peddle the pieces to sundry public or pri vate buyers, with liberal cwnmto glons to the broker, Guy C Myers. News of the pending sale crea ted quite reaction in private utility circles. Those who have been fighting the battle against pSc ownership felt they had been rather badly let down by AP&L, a unit in Electric Bond and Share organization which, has ben a stalwart defender of pri umrhin it looked to them hMiirh President Aller of : AP&L was interested merely In getting the most he could out of twir ht eomnany holds with out regard to what becomes of the Portland's interest i stirred by rumor of the possible sale of Pa cific facilities in the Portland area to Portland General Electric (whose officers profess ignorance A th dean. The city retains an option to buy the Pacific system in the franchise under which the company operates. In 1828 voters rejected a proposal to merge PGE nd Pacmcs preaecessor mw wMitrn Electric. Other cities served by Pacific are concerned over 'whether they -will be left orphans in the storm, without certain sources of energy and (Cortinued on Editorial Page 4) Taylor Resigns Vatican Post WASHINGTON. Jan. 18 -CP) Mvron. c. Taylor today resigned as special presidential ambassador to the Vatican; a post which has been frequently under protestant fire during the past io years. Taylor himself is an Episcopal' lan. He was first appointed as personal envoy to the pope by the late President franklin D. Roose relt in December, 1939, and was continued in that roie oy Jtresx tent Truman. Animal Crackers 6V WARREN GOODRICH C H hun t bttn quit right $lnc h had thtt Job t Christ tnu h tbt pott Cft'Ct licking itmotf in rrrrn. J:-;4bTh-- Jjrrniiin .;r; .:!r-i i- - : -w - w 4 oo"-Je - wunggggg rtiiili illi ii in ana This revised exterior sketch of the proposed new Marion county courthouse, showing the extension of wings on either side of the entrance, was approved Wednesday by the Marion county courthouse commission. The wings were added to eliminate an overhanging effect the building had previously. Extending Adds Needed Space Exterior plans of the proposed new Marion county courthouse were approved Wednesday and minor changes suggested in the in terior planning. Pietro Belluschi, Portland architect, presented revised exterior False Leads Snarl Search For Robbers BOSTON, Jan. 18 False leads and phony tipsters snarled a nation-wide, hunt tonight for Bos ton's million-dollar bandits. , In rapid succession, police chas ed down these unproductive re ports on the largest cash haul in American history: 1. An unidentified caller tele phoned he saw two men jump out of a black sedan, drop a nag con taining guns and then run into a downtown hotel. It was untrue. t. A mask similar to those worn by the nine gunmen was found near Lowell zs miles irom Boston; no connection. S. Another telephoned report said five nealackets. the type of garb worn by the gunmen, were found on a wharf In nearby Dorchester. There were no Jackets. 4. A CadlUae sedan black like the bandit's getaway car was found locked in a New Haven, Conn., rone reserved for taxis. It was legitimate. The leads and tips were given investigators as a nation-wide man hunt rolled for the commanao roD her who nulled the startling hold- ifn of the Brink's. Inc.. armored car service Tuesday nigm. The runmen got away with all they could carry a million dollars in cash and half a million in checks. They left behind a million dollars. Police found cold comfort in any thought of tracing the money. The hills were small, from ones io twenties, and there were little hope in serial numbers except through federal reserve, lists of any new bills. Hottest clue was the New York City police report that a car be lieved to be one of two expensive retawav sedans was spotted in an upper Manhattan filling station. Trial Set Feb. 20 On Secret Society Trial In the case of 18 Salem high school students, charged with secret society activities, win open in Marion county circuit court here on February 20 at 130, it was re ported Wednesday. Circuit Judge Dal M. King of Coquille will hear the case. The case was to have been neara De cember 28 but was postponed be cause of difficulty in finding a Judge. . Nineteen students were expelled last fall. Eighteen of them appeal ed to the circuit court and were permitted to remain in school pend ing the court hearing. The suit is being brought against Salem scnooi district 24. Many Degrees Warmer inside Clears Snoic DALLAS, Jan. 18 The hangar roof at the Dallas airport was threat ed by snow today, but owner Joseph Card solved the problem r nto. He lust built a roaring bonfire Inside and in a short time the roof was clean. POLIO CASES REPORTED PORTLAND, Jan. 18-itfVFive new cases of infantile paralysis were reported last week, the state board of health said today. The total number of cases In 1949 was 324 the highest since 1943. Twenty-two Oregonians died of the disease last year. fi us i i t 4 i i i ' i ' 0W of Win plans to the courthouse building commission. The change brings the wings forward 42 feet. The central portico (west entrance) remains as formerly except the wing ex tension eliminates the overhang appearance, which brought on ob jections. The new plans provide 8,700 ad ditional square feet on the first floor and basement and will in crease the estimated cost by about $80,000. This brings the total esti mated cost of the new building to a maximum of about $1,380,000. Marion County Clerk Harlan Judd said the extra storage space would "double the life" of his of fice. Interior changes suggested include enlarging the entrance to the tax collector's and assessor's office, and an arrangement where by the county recorder's vault records would be closer to the assessor's office for convenient use. Belluschi is to return within several weeks with the revised plans. Danger Zone Declared on China Coast TAIPEI, Formosa, Thursday, Jan. 19-WP)-Nationalist China to day proclaimed a long stretch of the south China coast a "danger zone." peaceful craft were warn. ed to clear out if they wish to avoid "heavy and continuous air assaults." The warning was contained in 200,000 air-dropped leaflets over the coastal area which extends from the border of Indochina east to Yangchiang, 150 miles west of nong Kong. Nationalist air force ; headquar ters on Formosa declared today uieir pianes yesterday bombed ana straied a concentration of more than 600 red invasion craft ana a convoy of more than soo trucks near Peihai, west of the Luichow peninsula. This Is in the new -danger zone." , f Chapman Appointment To Cabinet Confirmed WASHINGTON. Jan. 18 Jm. The senate tonight confirmed the nomination of Oscar L. Chapman or Jjenver, Colo., as secretary of me interior. The former undersecretary suc ceeded Julius Krug, who resigned vec. i. unapman. a uemocrat. came here in May, 1933, as assistant sec retary of the interior. At the time of his appointment he was the oldest member of the flittle cab inet" in terms of service. ORC Armory Approved For Early Construction Construction will start soon on a $150,000 armory for Salem or ganized army reserve corps. The building will probably be located on the west 'side of Airport road at Its intersection with east State street i The announcement came Wed nesday from Lt. CoL Bruce John son, inspector-instructor for Salem ORC, after a conference with the 6th army's armory site board in Salem. Lt. CoL William F. Curren, San Francisco, head of the board, said the Salem armory was number one on the 6th army's priority list. The nine-man board conferred with State Forester George Spaur, commander of a Salem reserve un it, and highway engineers on pos Page Resigns; Latourette Named to Court (Pictures at bottom of page.) The elevation of Circuit Judge Earl C. Latourette, 60, of Oregon City to the state supreme court was announced Wednesday by Gov. Douglas McKay simultan eously with his acceptance, "with extreme reluctance," of the re tirement of Supreme Court Justice E. M. Page. Attorney Ralph Holman of Ore gon City was named to succeed Latourette,. Page is a republican, as is Hol man. Latourette is a .democrat. The office of circuit and supreme court judge is non-partisan. Latourette and Holman will be up for election at the May prim aries if they intend to hold office after this year. r - The former is to be sworn in to his new office by Supreme Court Chief Justice Hall S. Lusk at 3 p.m. today. Latourette will swear in Holman at Oregon City tomorrow. Blamed 111 Health The governor disclosed that Judge Page, 55, had indicated a desire to retire, because of ill health, last Thursday (although the governor Saturday denied a re port to that effect), and that since that time three physicians, as pro vided by law, had examined Judge Page and adjudged him incapable of continuing the work thus al lowing half-pay pension for life. Judge Page, circuit judge in Marion county for eight years af ter being appointed by former Gov. Charles A. Sprague in 1941, was named to the supreme court by Governor McKay last June 29. He would have been up for elec tion to a full term this year. Prominently mentioned as a potential supreme court judge has been Attorney Allan Carson of Salem. Carson is known to have been receptive to suggestions that he seek the office, but he Issued a statement several days ago say ing he would not be a candidate against his "lifelong friend," Judge Page. Carson, on learning yester day that Page had resigned and that Latourette had been appoint ed, said his future course was "un decided." Latourette was named circuit judge by former Gov. A. W. Nor blad 19 years ago. He attended schools in Portland, Oregon City, and took his undergraduate and law training at the University of Oregon. The governor said last night he had received "many congratu latory expressions" on his appoint ments. (Additional details page 7) BURNED WRITER CRITICAL DETROIT,; Jan. 18 -oF)- Mal colm W. Bingay, editorial director of the Detroit Free Press, was in critical condition tonight with burns suffered in the explosion of a coffee-and-brandy mixture at a Gourmet's dinner. sible procurement of the Airport road property which belongs to the highway department If the site is approved by the state board of control, the proposal will then go to 6th army headquarters for ac tion. The two-story armory will mea sure 140 by 90 feet and will face Airport, road. It will house a large assembly hall, class, locker and storage rooms and a small arms range. It will be of steel-reinforced cement construction. Site board members agreed that the 10 local army reserve units are hampered by existing inadequate Quarters. Tne units are now meet ing in three quonset huts near 25th and Lee streets. Salem Weatherman Predicts Break In Cold Spell Freezing rain Ice-glazed the valley Wednesday night and brought announcement that Sa lem's public schools will shut down again today and Friday: With weather conditions on the verge of a "silver thaw", most private schools and many around the valley announced they would follow suit. The weatherman called for de finitely higher temperatures and light rain today. It was 28 degrees here early this morning and slated to rise gradually until a maximum of 35 to 38 is reached this after noon. Near Silver Thaw "Silver thaw" conditions near Eugene felled trees that closed the Willamette highway, according to latest reports from the Wjihway commission. The situation at Silverton at midnight was termed "the start of a good silver thaw." In Salem it was touch-and-go. with the next few hours to tell the story. If ris ing temperatures lingered near 32 degrees a few hours when the rains came, the wire-popping and limb-falling could start. Utility crews had their fingers crossed and the weather bureau said it was swamped with calls about such a possibility. From Lyons came word It was definitely a "silver thaw" there with shrubs and trees well-coated Salem trees and cars had only a thin coating of ice at midnight. A crunchy crust on snow-covered walks was heavy enough to bear one s weight. Awning Buckled An awning buckled from the weight of snow and ice at Benson's bakery, 264 N. Commercial st.. Wednesday night, snapping a two by-four and smashing into a front window. At McNary field, crews cleared snow from a runway, but only two landings were reported. United Air Lines said no flights had landed since Saturday. Buses were reported close to schedule here, but the drivers like everyone else complained of icy windshields. Private schools here announcing two-day closures were Sacred Heart academy, St. Joseph's. and St. Vincent de Paul. Brush Creek and Central Howell rural schools decided to shut down today and tomorrow. Elsewhere the school picture was reported unchanged from Wednesday. SH verton, Stiyton, Albany and Leb anon would continue to operate MudbankHolds Mighty 'Mo' NORFOLK, Va., Jan. 18(;P)-The navy late today decided to post pone until Friday another attempt to pull the battleship Missouri off the Chesapeake bay mudbank that holds her fast A small armada of tugs that had tried twice to refloat the 45,- 000-ton warship was prepared for another try at high tide tonight. But the navy called lt off. The mighty Mo has been stuck since yesterday morning. Other methods to remove the nation's only active battlewagon from her mud prison went on apace. These included dredging of a big trench from the main ship channel to the Missouri's position. Blaze Damages Mill at Redmond REDMOND. Jan. 18 -UP)-The Tite Knot Pine mill was damaged by a $20,000 fire today in 3 below zero weather. The fire damaged the boiler house and two conveyors and for ced the dry kiln to halt operations until the boilers can be repaired. The planer mill will continue run ning. The owners expected to repair the boilers within a week or so, and rebuild the boiler house later on. Max. . 27 . 22 . 59 Mia. Preelp. 15 .4$ 13 .97 SI trac 1 .02 24 .29 Salem , , Portland San Francisco Chicago 29 SO New York Willamette river IS feet. FORECAST (from U. S. weather bureau. McNary field. Salem): Cloudy today witb intermittent light rain and moderate southerly winds. Tempera tures win continue to rise with; the high today expected to reach 33 to 38. Low tontsnt 34 io 30 onisht 3 SALEM PRECIPITATION This Year Last Year Normal 2X20 2XM 20.30 Schools Bonus Measure Prelim inary Filed A preliminary petition seeking a referendum vote on a state World War II servicemen's bonus was filed with State Elections Chief David O'Hara yesterday by the Oregon departments of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. If a minimum of 25,482 signa tures is obtained by July 6, the proposal will be on the ballot in I the November election. The cam paign for signatures, as well as other expenses in the movement, are to be financed by the sale of buttons. The proposed bonus, for which Attorney General George Neuner is to draw the ballot title, would be at the rate of $10 a month for domestic service, $15 a month for overseas service, with a maximum of $600 in any individual case. The bonus would be financed by Oleo Tax Repeal BiBB Passes Senate Test WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -W- A bill to wipe out the federal taxes on oleomargarine was passed by the senate tonight by the lop sided margin of 56 to 16. The measure, bitterly fought NLRB Asks Injunction Against Lewis WASHINGTON, Jan. 18-;p- A government move aimed at forcing John L. Lewis's coal miners back on a full production basis was launched today as reports of fuel and power shortages mounted throughout the country The step was taken by Robert N. Denham, general counsel of the national labor relations board, who said Lewis was using an "unfair labor practice" In putting his Un ited Mine workers on a three-day work week. f. Based on Complaint Denham sent his aides into fed eral district court here' to ask for an injunction barring Lewis from employing such tactics in his ef forts to win a new contract from the, mine owners. Denham's court move was based on a complaint the mine operators filed last month charging that Le wis was using "unfair labor prac tices" in an effort to pressure them into an illegal contract to replace the one which expired last July. Finds Merit Denham said he found "substan tial merit" in the owners' com plaints and asked the court to bar Lewis ftfrom (1) using the three day work week (2) asking for a union shop (3) specifying that the welfare fund should be used for UMW members only, and (4) de manding continuation of a contract clause saying that the miners work only when "able and willing." He said that these points added up to a demand for an "illegal" contract. Judge Richmond B. Keech set January 26 as the date for a hear ing on Denham's request Old, Nmc Justice Circuit Judge E. C. Latosretfo (left) whe was moved up Wednesday by Governor Deoglaa McKay to ml the vacancy left by the fllness- forced resUmauon el justice aw preme court bench. Closed a state bond issue. The preliminary petition was ac companied by press releases both from the Legion and the VFW and from a committee representing both organizations. Clyde Dickey, Legion depart ment vice commander, said the referendum petition would provide the people of Oregon "the oppor tunity to reward those veterans who entered the armed forces from Oregon and served honorably dur ing the emergency. Vere A McCarty, state VFW commander, declared the proposed constitutional amendment "is not in reality a bonus in the sense of a 'hand-out'; it is in effect an adjustment in pay for the veter ans of Oregon who served in World War II." Eighteen states thus far have provided World War II bonuses. (Additional details on page S) by some members from big butter producing states, now is expected to go to a senate-house conference to iron out differences between lt and a jneatuer passed last yearby the house.... Abolished under the measure would be the federal levies of 10 cents a pound on colored mar garine, and one quarter cent on uncolored. Restaurants serving oleomarV garine would have to label It as such or serve it in triangular form, to crevent its being confused with buffer. Oleo sold at retail would have to be in triangular packages. Before the final vote, the sena tors rejected an effort to turn the margarine bill into a billion-dollar general excise tax cut- The excise tax amendment, sponsored by Senator Butler (R Neb.), was rejected 43 to 21 Earlier, two attempts by Sen ator Langer (R-ND) to attach "civil rights" riders to the mea sure were killed by motions to table. The vote against Langers anti-lynching amendment was 60 to 20, and and against an anti-poll tax proposal 59 to 17. Langer also made an unsuccess ful move to displace the margar ine bill with a third civil rights! measure a proposal to establish a federal fair employment practices committee (FEPC). The senate tabled that motion 69 to 17. Troutdale Has Weather Variety Weather Is weather everywhere but some places have even more of it Here's the report from the Troutdale, Ore., airport late Wed nesday: Visibility one-half mile. Freezing drizzle. Freezing rain. Sleet Tnow. Blowing snow. 40-mile southeast wind. Temperature 10 degrees. Fog. an. rare inani on u bum n . . 7 ' . - Again Warm Storm From South Mixes Weather OLTMPIA. Jan. 19 (Tfarsdy) -tfVThe state patrol said early to- aay a rescue party was being formed at Vancouver, WaslL, to try to reach 50 families nima. ed without communications la the vapc uorn district 29 miles east f Vancouver. Last lUrM and early today aa so-mile-an-honr wind was report ed roaring ever the Cape Horn area, la the Colombia river gorre, A Weasel from MeCberd air force base left at 11:19 pjru. last night aboard a f xt track. Offle lals said they hoped the track anal Weasel weald arrive la Vancou ver by S ajn, "deseeding on the weather.- Up to an Inch ef ice was reported en the highway a! Kelso, earoate to Vaneonver. By The Associated Press A freezing rain vntt Oregon and southwest Washing- -m ton with ice and a four fnrh M of hard snow pellets Wednesday. warm air over southern Orocnn snapped the six day old cold wave there, but it brought threats; of " floods from rising rivers. i The weather bureau taM ih - storm moving from the southwest ' off the Pacific would mlxup tha w earner m me racific northwest until late Thursday. ; ' Thermometers were still below freezing east of the Cascades but were rising In the western region, particularly In southwstern Ore ion. ; ... , ;f . ; ,vr . The Columbia river highway In : Oregon was again closed Jn the gorgeT ' Rescaers Marooned A party of. ten men driving a snow tractor -to the snowbound community of Elks Prairrie, ;Ore in eastern Clackamas county, re- . ported being marooned Wednes day night at the Maple Grove rural school house. Curtis Thomn. son phoned for county highway aid. He said the party was return ing with food supplies after reach ing Molilla today on a makeshift tractor siea. Cold weather hung on else where in the region. . - m The new winter blow at Pacifla northwest Inhabitants already numbed by seven days and nights of sub-freezing temperatures came ' as ue aeata toll reached 15 per sons. Two men were found frozen to death yesterday only a few steps from shelter. Two Found Frozen Elderly Tom Wozny, who had apparently fallen and then frozen, ' was found dead on his back steos on a mountain highway 20 miles from Tacoma. The yard of an Ab erdeen, wash, home yielded the frozen body of George Matson, 48. who had apparently collansrf here during Friday's blizzard. The tragedies came to lieht lust as the weatherman dealt out new troubles. A frozen flood threaten ed homes In northern Oregon, and a wet flood threatened southern Oregon. Some communities were run ning dangerously short of fuel. Bellingham coal dealers reported that today would see the last of their supplies, with no more ex pected until next week. Faei Supply Down The coal supply at Wallace. Kel logg, and Coeur D'Alene. Idaho has fallen to a "critical point." re- ported L. C Brock, Spokane wholesale coal dealer. Moscow, Toppenish. Wapato, and Pullman where last night's temperature was expected to drop to 20 or 23 below zero were short of coal, too. , A frozen flood moved out of the White river south of The Dalle toward homes in the Tygh Valley lumber mill town. Enormous Ice cakes, pushed out of the swollen river, forced the evacuation of on home. The corps of engineers set oft dynamite to break the lam. but the river merely froze over again a iew minutes later. . Floods Threatened ' . ' In' southwestern Oregon, where the week-long Icy spell ended ab ruptly, the Rogue river was rising a hall foot an hour and threat ening to. overflow Its banks at Grants Pass. ' The stream, was fed by snow that melted under a warm air mass. . Freezing rain added a new haz ard to highways that were already plagued by snow and lea. The Co lumbM River highway was' re opened despite drifts between? Hood River and Cascade Locks. i section of , the Eugene-Florence highway, near Florence, dropped 11 feet under the Inroads of high, water, and was closedto traffic