I.
Long Trips Assure Children of Salem Nalivily
She 6
1
--'
MUNDBB
105th Year 2 SICTIONS-16 PACES
The Oregon Statesman, Satem, Ortgon, Tuesday, February 28, H36
FRSCI S
Council
Alderman Asks Building Code Review;
Drainage Issue Voids Permit for House
Maintains
i : h Hf lUMlil i ll ill ,- ! - ,VHI , 11 1 . .
,
Y " - ; ;. ' ..v y-
x : ( "
7) nn , n
Mrs. William Watson Jr. smiles on the fourth or four children that have traveled long distances to
be born in Salem. A Salem native herself, Mrs. Watson came home from Virginia 12 years ago for
the birth of her first child; from Beaumont, Teias, eight years ago. This trip and the last one, six
yeirs-ago, were from Richland, Wash. (Statesman photo by John Ericksen).
Plan Clears Hm'dleSffeni'fiw
- 7 v
Engineers Make
The U.S. Air Force was over a major hurdle today in its move to
establish a $13,000,000 air base west of Woodburn, and preliminary en
gineering work already is underway.
Earl Snyder, director ol the state board of aeronautics, said he had
received word that the federal Air Space Coordinating Committee in
Los Angeles had approved the site for Air Force development.
CRT
among
HONOLULU, Hawaii, Feb, 24
Honolulu papers follow the report
(or guesses) on Eisenhower's po
litical pulse as intently as those on
the mainland. The rumor this
week, never confirmed, that Ike
had passed the word he would run
. drew a banner head on the Star
Bulletin. While islanders get no
vote for president, they do have
a keen interest in who is elected
because the territory is definitely
a charge of the federal govern
ment. The present suspense over Ei
senhower'i plan reminds one of
1932 when similar guesswork was
going on. Then there was a pa
rade to Paris of those who hailed
General Eisenhower as the hope
Republicans (both for the elec
tions, and, on the part of party
progressives, of defeating Bob
Tafti. It became quite clear be
fore he formally announced that
he would do so. Whether the cur
rent rumor has similar foundation
1 cannot say it may have. Its
circulation does have the effect
of promoting an aura of certainty
which Eisenhower will be loath to
dash.
Personally, I remain doubtful if
. he will run of if he should run.
There is no one in sight in either
party with his eminence and ex
perience and prestige at home
and abroad, but it would be
unfair to him and to the countiy to
impose the burden of the office on
him for another four years unless
he is confident as to his
(Continued on Editorial Page 4)
'Acrolrain'
Hits WOmph
PITTSBURGH ( - The Penn
sylvania Railroad's experimental
"aerotrain" hit the 100-mile an
hour mark Monday in making its
first regularly scheduled trip be
tween New York City, and Pitts
burgh."" Dubbed "the train of tomorrow,"
the low-slung, nine-car lightweight
train completed the 439-mile jour
ney two minutes ahead of its 7H-
hour schedule.
$ Statesman
' Soc. Pagt
Classified .?. II ... 5-7
Comes the Dawn .. I.... 4
Comics ..ll.. 4
Crossword ....II....1 3
Editorials I..- 4
Homo Panorama .. I.... 6
Markets .....II..- 3
Obituaries II ... 5
Radio, TV II .- 5
Sport II . ..1,2
Star Gazor I..- 7
Valloy I... 6
Wirephofo Pago .11..- 4
Toe snaay strings attacked to
K JJ1 J l II
Preliminary Tests
Drilling equipment has been
at work on the site for several
days and property stakes, indicat
ing possible acquisitions, already
have been driven. The area be
ing surveyed apparently covers
nearly 15,000 acres (24 square
miles) but indications have been
that only a fraction of that ex-
panse is intended for actual de
velopment. Engineering data now being
compiled is to be presented to
Congress for final approval and
appropriation. Officials have said
around 2,000 persons would be
stationed at the base in event of
construction, with a payroll ex
ceeding $5,000,000 annually.
Snyder said a delegation of
four persons from the Fairfield
area 15 miles north of Salem,
where major surveys are under
way, had asked him for addition
al information regarding the pro
posed base. He told them his only
part in the matter was certifying
to the Air Space Coordinating
committee that its establishment
would not unduly interfere with -
present air activities. j
Night Bus Verdict Delayed;
23 Urge Service Retained
' Twenty-three citizens appealed to the City Council Monday to work
out a plan for continuation of night city bus service.
They appeared at an afternoon public hearing on he pending legis-
iduuu tu hi am i,ny transit L.ines
after 5:45 p.m. Sundays, 9:15 p.m.
inner uays
Since a Salem Chamber of Com
merce committee is making a
study of the bus situation and has
promised a report within two
weeks, the Council decided to de
fer a final decision until its March
12 meeting.
Speaking for the chamber com
mittee, meanwhile, Chairman Carl
Aschenbrenner said after the hear
ing the businessmen's study group
was impressed with the coopera
tive attitude of the night workers
and others who appealed for con
tinued night bus service.
"We hope more citizens will give
us and the City Council their sug
gestions about bus service in the
next few days," he said.
One of the suggestions endorsed
by several of the citizens was that
night bus fares be increased. City
Transit Lines has informed the
Council that night bus operations
fion't produce enough revenue to
meet costs ana daytime bus pa
tronage has declined to the point
where it no longer can "carry" the
night service. (Additional details,
Sec. 1, Page 7.)
Sporadic Peeps :
Of Sun Forecast
Occasional showers and sporadic
peeps of the sun are the outlook
for the Salem sector today and
Wednesday, according to the
weatherman. Temperatures will re
main about the same.'
The area measured only a trace
of rain Monday and the mercury
ranged from a high of 48 to a mini
mum of 35. The Willamette River,
continuing to recede, was down to
5.4 feet at midnight Monday.
The Weather
Mai. Mln. Irrt
. S IS trace
Saltia ,
Portland ....
Biktr i.
Medford
North Bend
RoMburf
Stiv FranclKO -L01
Anne lea
Chicai 0
New York
. 4S 34
. sa 17
. 4 34
. SI 39
.. Jl 34
.. SS 3
. U 44
.33 20
.OS
trace
.01
.OS
.OS
.00
00 .
trare
.14
S4 3S
Willamette River S.4 (eet
I FORECAST 1 from U. S
hn r em MrNarv tiA . lm
.
Mostly cinudv witti occasional
inrtodaoViiMnwed1 'd" ' tion ' 5 000 Marion County acres help, established farm folk plan Innocent because of insanity. f The contest, attended by near
. .u'y nu T Wednesday u km '"" military base." , their future operations most profit-, But psychiatrists' reports sub- ly 200, wss in the Little Theater
tonifht 34.
Temperature at 11:01 a.m. todir
a 44.
SM.FM FRKCIPITATION
Since Start e4 Wrathtr Year S'f. I
Tali Veat Lett Tear Normal
41.04. 39.11 SSU
jl
1
By RISS BIER ACCEL
Staff Writer, The Statesman
The children of Mr. and Mrs.
William Watson Jr. spent their
earliest years in various sections
of the country, but they can all
claim Salem as their "home
town."
Although the Watsons and their
three older children now reside
in Richland, Wash., their fourth
child, a seven pound two ounce
bqy, was born in Salem General
Hospital Sunday night.
Mrs. Watson came from Virginia,!
12 years ago for the birth of her
first child, Kim. Eight years ago
came fro.m Beaumont. Texas,
for Billy's birth. And six years
ago, with the family already set
tled in Richland, Merry Jill was
born in Salem. The first three
were born at Salem Memorial
Hospital.
Mrs. Watson, the former Ger
trude Steinke, is a Salem native
herself. Her husband, although a
Texan, is all in favor of the ar
rangement that gives Salem first
claim on the children, Mrs. Wat
son said. He is from San Antonio.
"We both like Salem and we
hope to live her sometime," she
said.
Watson, now employed by Gen
eral Electric Co. at Hanford Engi
neer Works, near Richland, was in
the Army in 1943 when his wife
made the trek back to Salem for
their first daughter.
request mat it drpj its night buses
Mondays and Fridays and 6:45 p.m.
Atomic Sub to
Launch Guided
Missiles of U.S.
WASHINGTON I - The Navy
disclosed Monday it is developing
a new strategic weapon a nu
clear-powered submarine capable
of launching guided missiles.
If Congress approves the plan,
the new departure in a-boats will
probably be built in the Navy's
Mare Island shipyard in Califor
nia. Secretary of the Navy Thomas
said in a statement the submarine
will be equipped to fife the Rcgu
las surface-to-surface missile,
which has a range of 300 miles.
The United States is in a race
with Russia to develop missiles
with 1,500- and 3,000-mile ranges,
both carrying atomic warheads.
The Navy has been firing shorter
ranged missiles from submarines
for several years in preparation
for this new phase of warfare.
County Judge Says Production
Countering Loss of Farm Land
By I.ILI.IE L. MADSEN
Farm Editor, The Statesman
This country is losing a million
agriculture acres annually, but is
still producing a surplus of many 1 JudW '. " warned that "ex
farm commodities. Rex Hartlev. treme good judgement" will be
Marion County judge, told 170 rural
people attending the Marion County
Farm and Homes Outlook Confer
ence held Monday at Randall's
Chuck Wagon. W. L. Williams. Sil
verton, was chairman of the day
long meeting.
Hartley explained the farm acre-
age losses were caused by "urbani-
xation of rural areas, modern
super-highways and roads, and to
the installation of the military."
In reference to the latter. Hartlev
remarked that this is coming
1 closer to home with the consldera-
1 "W have Drobaaff oloushed un
all the lands in Marion County
suited for agriculture. However,
this loss of farm lands is not quite
so dark yet as it might appear.
1 Because of modern science wi'vtil, tc. I)
Fear Septic Tank Trouble on Hill
A city building permit was denied Monday for a $19,000
home because of septic tank dimculty, and Mayor Robert B,
White said the action might have wide affect on the west
slope of Candalaria Heights and in Laurel Springs of South j
Salem and some other niiiy areas
like West Salem heights.
It was the first city building
permit turndown on . strictly
health grounds, said City Engi
neer, J. H. Davis. He said city
law required him to reject the
permit receiving an adverse re
port from the city health depart
ment. Runoff Problem
Surface water and runoff prob
lems have been severe this win
ter, with the result that sanitar
ians have been checking closely
on such matters in connection
with new construction.
The specific property affected
by Monday's action is a 75 by 150
foot lot at 2530 Alvarado Tr. in
the Candalsria section of South
Salem. A. G. Hamilton, owner,
submitted plans for a $19,000
house and requested the building
permit.
Opposition Cited
The health department recdm
mended against it. Sanitarian W.
P. Green told the Council last
night that it was found a steep
hill installation at that lot would
create runoff across a street and
onto other property from the pro
posed septic tank.
' He emphasized that any new
property requiring a septic tank
would be Investigated on its own
merits to see whether satisfac
tory installation could be made.
Mayor White declared, "This
indicates to me that very short
ly we'll have very serious prob
lems in unsewered areas."
Forest Grove
Fire Rages
Out of Control
FOREST GROVE m - Fire
roared through the old high school
building here Monday night and
still was out of control shortly be
fore midnight. .
W. F. Vandervelden, fire chief,
said the block-long, brick-faced
building probably would be a total
loss. He said it was purchased last
year by St. Anthony's Catholic
Church from the school board for
a reported $72,000 for conversion
into a church. Remodeling had
Tfceen in progress.
The new high school is located!
in another part of the town. . j
Strong winds were hampering;
efforts of firemen. Companies were j
called in fronj nearby HillsborOj
and Cornelius to help the Forest,
Grove department.
Roy Thompson, a Forest Grove
fireman, was hospitalized with un
determined injuries after he fell
from a ladder.
State Policeman
Resigns to Run for
Yamhill Sheriff
SUteimia Ntwi Strrtf
McMINNVILLE W a 1 1 a e e L.
(Bud) Mekkers has announced his
resignation from the Oregon state
police force to enter the race for
Yamhill County sheriff. He seeks
the Democratic nomination. In
cumbent .W. J. "Bill" Jones has
filed for re-election on the Repub
lican ticket.
Mekkers has served the state
police in the Yamhill County area
for several years. He joined the
state police in 1947. He has lived
in Yamhill County since 1928 and
graduated from McMinnville high
school.
, increased our production 20 yC?iirR
cent in recent years and so far ' T.u. . .n.T,.i ..
rut al production in spite
'he loss of farming lands, the
needed in the future to "move in
the basic right directions."
The Monday meeting is the third
such held in Marion County. In
1936, the first 10-year outlook meet
ing was held with Ray Glatt. Wood-
burn, as chairman. The one held 10
years later was headed by Rex
Hartley. Attending the Monday con-
ference were four who had at-
tended the initial meeting in 1936:
Henry Zorn, Aurora; Oscar Loe,
Silvrrlnn- Arlam Hrru-h Kalm
and John Ramage, Woodburn
The conferences are set ud to
ab v and comfortably, and to vive
newcomers to this area an indica- that Peddicord was able to dis
tion of best future possibilities, itinguish right from wrong and that
Williams explained in opening the! he was legally sane despite being
meeting. (Additional details page
Gas Repairs Move
Ahead of Schedule
rrr
Li. , L. il .uiZit j
Special crews recruited for emergency service of valley gas lines la
preparation for the resumption of service late this week by Portland
Gas and Coke Co. were working la Salem Mondnv. Richard Sinclair,
residential gas sales snperviaor from Portland who Is here for the
emergency, Is shown above shuttlag off a meter at 10M Highland
Ave. (Statesman Photo)
PG&C Crew May Beat Saturday Goal
The speed with which gas serv
ice is being restored in Portland
indicates a return to mfrmal
throughout the valley before Sat
urday. No announcement from
the company to that elfect was
forthcoming Monday, however,
Joseph A. H. Dodd, Salem Dis
trict Portland Gas k Coke Co.
manager, said.
Seven hundred skilled gas
workers from as far distant as
Chicago, 111., were restoring serv
ices at Portland at the rate of
2,000 an hour, Associated Press
reported. The pace is ahead of
Thornton Seeks Reelection
Despite Political Reshuffle
By THOMAS G. WRIGHT Jr.
Staff Writer, The Statesman 1 '
Attorney General Robert Y. Thornton Monday took himself out of
the consideration for either the Democratic governorship or First Con
gressional District nominations.
" have decided to go ahead with my original plan," said Thornton,
referring to his January announcement that he would seek renomina
tion of the party for the state's attorney general post.
Thornton's pending decision had
raised considerable speculation in
political ranks since the death of
Gov. Paul L. Patterson had set off
a general reshuffling of party
plans.
k Previously Thornton had been
nominally considered the Demo
crats' best hope for the governor
ship election which normally
would not have come up until
1958. Apparently, because of a
tear Thornton might not be able
to gain labor support, party lead
ers threw their support behind
State Sen. Robert D. Holmes for
the governorship.
Holmes, with the blessings of
State Chairman Howard Morgan
and National Committeeman Mon
roe Sweetland,' aMQunced for the
post five days ifter Patterson's
death had established the legal re
quirement of an election this year
to fill his unexpired term.
Thornton has had no announced
opposition for the Democratic no
mination to attorney general. State
, a,s0 jn SeC( Jf pa"ge 7.)
M&F Bomber
Pleads Guilty
PORTLAND 11 - Clarence Ped-
dicord. 38, the blind Portlander j dil," the required extra word,
who admitted bombing the Meier ) Eileen, at 12 the youngest and
and Frank. department store lastjthe only 7th-gradcr among the
April. Monday was allowed to eight contestants, finished just
change his plea to guilty
Earlier his attorney had entered,
with Peddicord objecting, a pica of
mitted to the court Monday said
emotionally immature and a psy
chopathic personality.
School Building Plan Questioned
A review of Salem's building code was called for bv
Alderman E. C. Charlton Monday nieht at a City Council
meeting, in the wake of a Salem architect's published statement
that Salem ScikxiI District would save $200,000 by building
the gas company's estimate of
completion Saturday for the en
tire system, AP added.
Service was interrupted ' from
Vancouver, Wash., to Corvallis
by a fire Friday night at the
company's Portland plant.
Restoring the oil lines was
comparatively simple but the
time-consuming task is shutting
off every meter, forcjng all air
out of mains, then reopening each
meter and relighting1 theirilot
light.
i Also see story on page 7, sec.
1.)
2 Boys Admit
Scliool Arson
PORTLAND (Jl Two 15-ycar
old boys have admitted they shot
matches that caused a 125,000 fire
Sunday In a nova, school in the
northeast distrjpt, Det. Lt. Bard
PurccU said Monday.
According to PurceU they said
they fired the matches into the
building with homemade clothespin
guns. The two, as well as another
boy, 13, win go to juvenile court
Willard, Leslie Girls Win First Semi-Finals1
Of 1956 Statesman-KSLM Spelling Contest
' Janice Stadeli of Willard School
and Eileen Hadley of Leslie Jun
ior High won first and second,
respectively, in a semi-finals of
The Statesman KSLM Spelling
Contest last night and thus qual
ified for the Grand Finals on
March 22.
It was the second straight year
Willard School took top semi-final
honors.
Janice, 13, and in the 8th grade,
won bv SDfllinc "terrific." after
Eileen missed it. and then "daffo-
ahead of Vicki Cooper, 14, of
Bethel, who pad slipped on cus
tomary," which Eileen spelled.
of South Salem II ah School.
Janice was awarded a Web
ster's New Collegiate Dictionary
and all three top irellers were
presented spoc'.a! certificates of
merit, on behalf of the sponsors,
two new junior high schools out
side city limits.
"If our building code is unsatis
factory, it should be amended,"
Charlton declared; "but if it is
good, why should the school dis
trict be permitted to build without
certain construction features out
side city limits?"
He suggested the city engineer,
building inspector and fire chief
review the building cede, noting
that the architect s statement said
plans would not include walls able
to resist fire fur two hours.
Mayor Robert F. White put in:
"It looks to me like they are de
finitely sacrificing safety to cut
down costs. They may also be
overlooking some of the added
costs outside the city."
The Council did not act on Charl
ton's suggestion. They discussed
what stand might be taken if the
Washington school tract should be
considered later for annexation to
the city. It is adjacent, now, and
includes one of the new junior high
sites.
The cost-saving estimate was
attributed to Architect W. I. Wil
liams in a recently published in
terview about his start on plans
for the two new junior highs
U.S. Balloons
Chart Global
4Jet Streams'
ALLEGAN, Mich. I A securl
ty cloak was lifted Monday to re
veal a Federal Communications
rAmmiitinii mAnltwinrt .It.
Uion In Allegan is tracking the gov-
balloons.
The Allegan station is on of
nine operated by the Navy with
FCC aid.
Patrick Scanlon, directing the Al
legan operation, says tracking the
balloons and charting high alt it
tude "jet streams" has been the
station's major project for the past
five years of its It In operation.
Scanlon said he recently was au
thorized to reveal the Allegan proj
ect. Much of Michigan, he explained.
lies beneath a stratospheric "su
perhighway".' o The jet streams
could bring destruction in the form
of weapons carrying balloons
launched thousands of miles away,,
according to defense officials.
The balloons tracked by the Al
legan station travel from west to
east across the Northern Hemi
sphere at - altitudes of 15,000 to
40,000 feet.
French Leaders
Seek Conscripts
For Algeria Duly
PARIS Wi 'The French go
ernment early Tuesday adopted a
sweeping "peace in Algeria" plan
which would send every young con
script to duty against Algeria's
Moslem Nationalist rebels.
Premier Guy Mollct prepared to
submit the plan to Parliament and
the nation's military leaders on an
emergency basis. It a.sks wide po
litical, military and economic pow
ers to cope with the rebellion that
has bloodied Algeria for almost II
months.
CRASH CLAIMS MAN
PORTLAND I - Ora Elmer
Boyles, 54, Portland, died in a
hospital Monday from injuries suf
fered in a two-car collision Friday.
by Glen Robertson, school super
visor with the Marion - County
school office.
A total of 202 words was used.
Placing a high fourth was Judy
Roth, 13, Pratum, who put an
s in "cynical," which Janice
spelled to stay in the running.
Under contest rules, when only
four contestants remain, a word
that is missed goes to the next
contestant. When only two re
main, a speller tq win must get
the word missed by the other
contestant plus an extra word.
The four boys among the eight
contestants were the first to fall.
Lynn Anderson, 14, Fruitland,
lasted the longest. He went to
the 136th word "prohibit," in
which he Inadvertently put an
"e". ,
Douglas Howard, 13, Parrish
Junior High, met an unfamiliar
word "hominy," in which he
placed an extra "0". Earlier in
the contest, Stephen Bandy, 13,
Livingston School, added a "d" in
"oblige," and Stan Olson, 12, Sa-
Neutrality
Salem Voters
To Decide on
Issue May 18
By ROBERT C GANGWARTC
City Editor, The Statesman
Fluoridation of the Salem water
supply will be voted on by tho ,
city voters May IS, it was agreed
Monday night by Salem City Coun
cil.
Aldermen put the proposition on
the ballot after commenting that
a barrage of telephone and letter
opposition had reached them in
recent days. Some of the alder
men voting to put fluoridation on
the ballot said their action didn't
mean endorsement of the Idea;
two of them, Clayton Jones and
David O llara, opposed putting it
on the ballot.
Met Defeat
O'Hara said the proposal had
met decisive defeat two years a 20 .
at the polls, and it would have
been better to ask the advocates
of fluoridation to initiate the
measure by circulating petitions.-
Earlier in the day, the nldermt' "
had received an endorsement of .
fluoridation from City Cor y
Health Officer W. J. Stone and hit
advice that the Council lcgi.l.re
fluoridation directly, -alhcr than
call an election which, he said;
would renew the "emotional-type
opposition" to fluoridation.
Two Others
Two other ballot measures were
approved by the Council at the
City Hall meeting last night-tHe
last of a series of special financing
proposals. The two measures both
concern finance for a fire alarm
box system and related improve
ments designed to better this city
rating (or fire Insurance.
Fire Chief E. L. Smith said the
proposal have . been - guaranteed
by National Board of Fire Under
writers to win a Class III ratlnf
for Salem. This, he said would
mean an estimated reduction ia
fire Insurance premiums of $150,.
000 a year.
Against this would be charged
the proposed $37,000 annual spe
cial tax for eight additional fire
men, and the cost of a 165,000
bond issue to finance the alarm
box system and central fire sta
tion expansion. On the basis of a
check made only last week with
the National Board, the bond issue
amount was lowered from 171,000
to 165.000.
(Additional Council news. Sec.
1, Page 3.)
Ikc Decision
Said Possible
On Wednesday
WASHINGTON tit - President
Eisenhower "in all probability"
will hold a newi conference on
Wednesday.
That much information came
from the White House Monday.
There still remained the tantalis
ing question of whether Eisenhow
er will announce at this probable
conference what he plans to do
about running again.
Press Secretary James C-Hascr.
ty said he did not know what hour
the conference might be held, if
it is held. Customarily, Eisenhow
er meets the press (or about half
an hour, beginning at 10:30 am.
There has been some specula
tion he might hold up, any an
nouncement until after 3:30 p.m.,
when the New York Stock Market
closed. -
lem Academy, w?s a little tot)
hurried with "polite." ,
Janice, first plnce winner, is
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul
Staedeli of Route 3. Silverton.
Her principal and teacher is Mrs.
Emma Schreder, who alto guided
Joan Plena of Willard to the
grand championship of the four
county contest a year ago.
Eileen, the first runner-up and
fellow grand-finalist with Janice,
is the daughter of Mr, and Mrs.
Wayne Hadley of 787 Cross St.
Her teacher il Mrs. Margaret
Aynes.
Winner of the third-place cer
tificate, Vicki Cooper of Bethel,
is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs,
Roy E-Cooper and her teacher it
Mrs. Mattie Jane Osborn.
Dave II 051 of KSLM was mas
ter of ceremonies and .Wendell
Webb of The Statesman called
the words.
Second in the series of semU
finals will be at Keizer School at
7:43 tonight ' (Storlea also 04
,P-i 0, Kb 1), .