Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1947)
PlansforMerger Of Two Salems Strike a Snag? Investigation Shows Willamette River Not A Common Boundary Whether plans to merge Sa lem and West Salem should go ahead regardless of a discovery that the borders of the two mu nicipalities do not touch is a question in the minds of leaders in both cities who favor the merger. The legislative act sets up machinery lor merger of ci ties in different counties that have a river as a common boun dary. Either literally or techni cally it has been found that the Willamette is not a common boundary. The discovery was made by C. A. McClure, engineer for the long-range planning commission, k before the legislature adjourned, '' but the attorney general's office, I where the bill was drawn, ad vised that the defect was not se ll rious. Now the question is whether the strength of the act should be determined before any attempt at merger, or whether merger efforts should proceed and then, if the act is upset in court, to set up a better bill for the next legislature. The situation was discussed at length at two meetings Tuesday. The first, in the office of City Manager J. L. Franzen, was at tended by Franzen, City Attor ney Chris J. Kowitz and Alder man David O'Hara, comprising a special Salem committee, and Mayor Walter Musgrave and Al dermen Elmer Burk and Chester Douglas of West Salem. A night rreeting at West Salem city hall was attended by Franzen and Kowitz, Mayor Musgrave, Coun cil Members Burk, Douglas and W. C. Heise, and City Attorney Elmer Cook of West Salem, with ex-Mayor Guy Newgent sitting in. Approaching West Salem from 1 he north the middle channel of the Willamette river is the com mon boundary between Marion and Polk counties and also be tween Salem and Polk county. At a point about 1000 yards northeast of Wallace road, which is a West Salem city limit, the river divides into the main chan nel and Willamette slough. The east boundary of West Salem is the middle of the main channel and the west boundary of Salem is the middle of the slough.. Be twecn the two cities is a 1000 7 yard piece of Polk county, and a large part of Mi'nto island in Marion county; that lie between thfi two boundaries. (Concluded on Paje 11, Column 6) 2 Salem Boys With Stolen Car Two Salem boys, 14 and 15, whose names are withheld by po lice at Bend, ran away from their homes Tuesday, and early Wednesday badly wrecked a stolen automobile that they crashed into another car driven v,v "Daw Walker of Lanine. on U. S. highway 97 about four miles south of Bend. The car was stolen Tuesday night from John C. Schlachter of Springfield. The Walker auto mobile was also badly damaged. No one was injured. After the accident, says in formation from Bend, the boys fled from the scene and were ar rnstprl nn the highway several hours later by state police. They told the officers they had left their homes in Salem Tuesday, liftnh.hikpH tn Eueene. then to Springfield, stolen the car and driven over Willamette highway and highway 97 toward Bend. Auto Insurance Rates to Be Higher New York, April 23 OT Au imnhilo fire theft and collision insurance rates will be increased in 34 states and in Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Co lumbia on May 1, the National Automobile Underwriters asso ciation announced today. imrnasps will vary in each ot the slates, according to past experiences. States in line for the new ratings include Arizona, Arkan sas, California, Colorado, Idaho Montana. Nebraska, Nevada New Mexico, Utah, Vermont Washington and Wyoming. Murray to Meet Green on Merger Pittsburgh, April 23 OT Philip Murray, CIO president said today he was arranging "as soon as possible to meet with AFL President William Green to discuss unification of the two labor organizations. The unification meeting was proposed by Green Monday in a telegram to the CIO chief. Green suggested the conference be held in Washington tomorrow morning. apital 58th Year, No. 97 Probe 200,000 Property Sales For Taxes Due By James D. Olson For the first time in the his tory of the Oregon state tax commission a check is in pro gress on approximately 200,000 sales of homes, farm, timber tracts and other businesses con- sumatcd during the past three years and on which no state tax has been paid from profits derived from such sales, it was announced today. Earl L. Fisher, stale tax com missioner in charge of the in come tax division today stated that a large force of men are at work checking warranty deeds filed with the county clerks in Multnomah, Marion, Polk and several other counties. The check will be continued until all Coun ties have been checked, Mr. Fisher said. May Recapture $500,000. Although Mr. Fisher could make no estimate on the amount of revenue the state would like ly pick up through this check, he did say that possibly that the state might recapture $500, 000 or more in unpaid taxes and interest. "We have found that many persons who have derived from 50 to 100 per cent profit on realty and timber sales have overlooked filing a state tax re turn on such profits" said Mr. Fisher. "In many cases out of state ownership of timber tracts has been responsible for the failure to pay state taxes and a considerable sum is expected to be recaptured by the state in dplinquent taxes on-such deals alone." Income Tax Returns. Mr. Fisher said today that it would be another ten days be fore the large volume of tax returns received in the mail could be processed and some estimate given as to the per centage of tax returns for the tax year of 1946. "Present indications are that the income tax returns will be in greatly in excess of 1945 re turns" Mr. Fish said. He also announced that ap proximately 6000 delinquent tax payers are being directed by letter to appear at the Salem or Portland commission office to explain why returns have not been made. In all of these cases, Mr. Fisher explained, the com mission has records of salaries or wages paid by employers which will be presented to the delinquent tax payers. Lack of office space is handi capping the department in audit ing tax returns, Mr. Fisher said, a condition which he hopes will be alleviated some time soon. "When the department is giv en more space it will then be possible to employ sufficient help to audit tax returns, Mr. Fisher said. "At the present time we are three years behind in this work and it is realized that considerable money is being lost to the state through the in ability of our present force to complete this work." 43 Killed in March , In Traffic Accidents Forty-three persons were kill ed in traffic accidents in Oregon during March, the greatest num ber for any March in history, Secretary of State Robert S. Far rell, Jr., said today. The toll was more than dou ble the total for February. Only nine of the 43 traffic deaths were in cities. West Rallies to Support Of Columbia Basin Project (By the Associated Pressl New strength was added to the Pacific northwest's outcry against a congressional slash in funds for the Columbia basin to day as leaders of veterans' organizations, labor and private power officials joined the rising chorus of complaint. The latest protests came from Dave Beck of the Teamsters' union, President Frank Mc Laughlin of Puget Sound Power & Light company, and State ad jutant E. L. Alexander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Beck messaged from Wash ington, D. C, that he is "insist ing that our congressional dele gation go to bat against these terrific slashes, regardless of party affiliations." Alexander, appealing to the national VFW commander, Louis E. Starr of Portland, for the national organization's sup port, asked aid to see "that the reclamation appropriation be large enough to carry out the proposed program for develop ing farms and creating job op portunities for the veterans of World War II." McLaughlin, in his statement, r.t's.br,. Salem, Senate Debate On Labor Control Opened by Taft Washington, April 23 OT) The senate plunged into domes tic problems today with Sena tor Taft (R., Ohio), opening de bate on a labor disputes bill which even foes concede may he toughened before its expected final approval. In the role of a not-quite-satisfied sponsor, Taft as chair man of the senate labor commit tee arranged to bring before his colleagues a GOP answer to strikes and labor strife. No Punitive Action Taft insisted, in talking with reporters before the senate met, that the committee - approved labor measure contains no "pu nitive" action despite its pro posed curbs on unions and strikes. Considerably less far reach ing than the house bill which won overwhelming approval last week, the senate version nevertheless also is objection able to organized labor. The AFL executive council late yesterday announced plans for a $1,500,000 advertising campaign to fight both mea sures. The council termed them an effort "to destroy the power of trade unions." Taft said he will resist any modifying changes in the senate bill but wants the following ad ditions: Additions Sought 1. A flat ban on jurisdictional strikes and secondary boycotts, as provided in the house bill. The most common type of jurisdictional strike results from a dispute between unions as to which should do certain work. A secondary boycott is the re fusal by one union to handle products of another. 2. The outlawing of union admiriistered health and wel fare funds. 3. A provision forbidding na tional unions to dictate contract terms to their locals. 4. Making it an unfair labor practice for unions to coerce or interfere with workers in the exercise of their collective bar gaining rights. CIO Seamen Seek Increases Washington, April 23 U.R Five CIO maritime unions, rep resenting over half the nation's longshore and seagoing workers, served notice today they will seek a "substantial wage in crease" when their present con tracts expire next June 30. The five unions, all members of the CIO maritime committee, concluded a two-day meeting here with an ironclad agree ment to work together "in a fighting program" for increased wages and improved working conditions. Joseph Curran, president of the national maritime union, said the unions will meet here again "not later than May 20" to map specific demands. He declined to speculate on how much of a wage boost the unions would ask, saying merely it would be "a substantial- in crease." Participating at the confer ence with the NMU were the In ternational Longshoremen and Warehousemen's union, the Mar itime Engineers Beneficial as sociation, the Marine Cooks and Stewards union and the Ameri can Communications associa tion. termed the house committee's action as "shocking, but no sur prise," and added: "The federal government has assumed the responsibility for an adequate power supply for this region, and if these drastic cuts are permitted to stand and this congress does not provide sufficient appropriations, the effect on the over-all economy of this state will be devastating and will result in curtailed use of power, fewer jobs and re duced payrolls." Rep. Walt Horan, (R., Wash.) said in Spokane that western congressmen will try "to get some money from the general fund' 'to supplement the $9, 435.000 basin appropriation. He said he would check to deterre.inc whether any of the funds "frozen by President Truman last summer originally were earmarked for the Colum bia basin." AlJoiii Oregon, Wednesday, April l tr j. On Trial in Japan Col. Edward J. Murray (left), Palo Alto, former custodian of the Bank of sel, Maj. Ralph Johnson, as Murray goes on trial in Yokohama, charged with misappropriating 000. Murray was released from Eichelberger, Eighth army commander, after his courts martial was recessed until May 12. (AP Wirephoto) School Board In Fraternity A conference that started in the B. Bennett and terminated some hearing room of the school office building Tuesday night gave rise to hope that a settlement of the secret society controversy that has raged intermittently down through the years may be New Plan to Limit Strikes Washington, April 23 U.R A new plan to halt nation-wide strikes was proposed today as the senate settled down for de bate on labor-control legisla tion. The plan, sponsored jointly by Sens. Joseph H. Ball, (R-Minn), and Harry F. B y r d, (D-Va), would attack the problem by revising the federal anti-trust laws. Under their plan, industry wide negotiations would be per mitted but (1) if an agreement contained "monopolistic" terms, its enforcement could be en joined by the courts at the gov ernment s request and (2) if no agreement were reached, an industry-wide strike could be en joined in the same way. Hence, the proposal would al low industry-wide negotiations but would prohibit industry wide strikes. The leadoff senate speech on labor control legislation was planned by Chairman Robert A. Taft (R-Ohio). of the labor committee. Both Taft and Ball were dissatisfied with treatment of industry-wide bargaining in the labor committee's bill, but Taft was unwilling to go as far as Ball in dealing with the is sue. Corneft Here As Acting Governor President of the Senate Mar shall E. Cornett, Klamath Falls, arrived here today to act as gov ernor during the absence of Gov. Earl Snell, who left yesterday to spend a week or 10 days in San Francisco and San Diego. Cornett, serving as governor for the first lime, said he would be either here or in Portland during Snell's absence. He said he hasn't anything in mind to do in the way of tak ing gubernatorial action or in issuing statements, but said he hoped he would have something to do while he's governor. Mrs. Cornett came here with him. United Nations Data On Balkans Missing Lake Success, N. Y., April 23 (Pj Trygve Lie, secretary-general of the United Nations, said today that a suitcase full of doc uments had disappeared while the security council's Balkans investigation commission was en route from Greece to Geneva. Lie said, however, that there was still no evidence that the documents had been stolen and that the commission is trying to trace the suitcase. The major portion of Lie's news conference was devoted to an investigation made in Geneva by his personal advisor, William H. Stoneman, on reports that the secretariat personnel attached to the Balkans commission had not maintained strict imparti ality during the inquiry. ' Japan, sits with his defense coun Japanese jewels valued at $210 confinement by Lt. Gen. Robert Stands Pat Expulsions office of Superintendent Frank three hours later in the public preached. Olive branches ten dered in a somewhat tenuous manner by Chandler Brown and Bruce Spaulding, respective rep resentatives of the Julius Caesar and Friar alumni groups, were duly considered by the directors. The emissaries were informed of the board's stand and they re turned to their cohorts to report. Whether the "older statesmen" of the clubs will get behind the board in their efforts to stamp out the unlawful groups is ex pected to be decided shortly. The directors held out no hope that any of the 13 boys who were ex pelled last week would be 'rein stated, although they did indicate a willingness to receive any as sistance the alumni might ten der in good faith in furtherance of the program to stamp out all club activities. (Concluded on Pace 11, Column 7) Dworshak Puts Blame on Ickes Washington, April 23 (P) Blame for the current controver sy over reclamation funds was laid by Senator Dworshak (R.. Idaho) on former Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes and his successor, J. A. Krug. The interior department's con struction funds for 1947 have been cut by the house appropri ations committee from a request of $295,420,420 to a proposed $156,538,513. The house reclamation sub i mmittee is trying to work out a policy for allocating power revenues to land development. He said there has been "lit tle disposition" on the part of the interior department to co operate with the legislative and appropriations committees of congress in planning "sound de velopment" of water and power resources. "To illustrate, Ickes, in Au gust, 1945, submitted contracts to water districts in the Columbia basin requiring reclamation re payments of only $85 an acre on land which the interior depart ment estimated" would cost $420 an acre to reclaim. "I contended then, and I still feel, that this action was setting a pattern for all future repay mcnt negotiations, despite the fact that settlers on comparable projects are paying much more to liquidate their indebtedness. Big Steel Wage Increase Signed Pittsburgh, April 23 OT) A contract providing a $l-per-day wage increase for 140,000 em ployes of U.' S. Steel corporation subsidiaries was signed today by representatives of management and the CIO United Steelwork- crs. Charles R. Cox, president of the Carnegie-Illinois Steel cor poration, one of the subsidiaries, told the union men: "We have a great deal ol faith in your leader (Union President Philip Murray). "We have taken a big step and we are taking it because we have faith." 23, 1947 Hal Price Five Cents Fresh Eff o'n Deadlock To S U jo Strike Marled Washington, April 23 (fl'j In a fresh step toward ending the telephone strike, the government today asked three key units of the Bell telephone system and unions to meet with federal con ciliators. Invitations to reopen negoti ations were issued to the long lines division of the American Telephone and Telegraph Co., the Southwestern Bell Telephone Co., and the Western Electric company's installation and man ufacturing departments. Conciliation Director Edgar L. Warren said the meetings will be arranged as soon as possible tomorrow he hoped. 17th Day of Strike This was the 17th day of the deadlocked dispute between the Bell system and the striking Na tional Federation of Telephone Workers. The announcement of the in vitations was issued after Sec retary of Labor Schwollenbach conferred separately with Chair man Charles R. Denny of the communications commission and these union leaders: Joseph A. Beirnc, president of the National Federation of Tel ephone workers; John J. Moran. vice president; and John L. Crull of the national bargaining com mittee. Sabotage Attempted San Francisco, April 23 (!') The Pacific Telephone and Tele graph company announced today that a scries of attempts to tic up telephone service, including the cutting of some lines, have broken out in the San Francisco Bay area. The company said "suitable action" would be tak en once it had identified "the people involved in such mali cious acts." Senate Group OKs Vet Housing Washington, April 23 OT- The senate banking committee approved 7 to 6 today a long- range housing bill designed to encourage construction of 15 000,000 homes by 1958. Senator Buck (R-Dcl), told reporters the committee dead locked, 6 to 6, on the first vole and had to telephone Senator Maybank (D-SC), who was on an official visit to the U. S. na val -academy at Annapolis, Md to break the tie. The senate passed a similar bill during the last session of congress, but the measure was shelved in the house. Senators Wagner (D-NY). Ellender ID La), and Taft (R-Ohio), spon sored both bills. Buck estimates the cost of the program to the federal govern ment at about $7,500,000,000 over a 45-year period. The bill provides for aiding the private housing industry "to make its full contribution to ward an economy of maximum employment, production and purchasing power." Bliss Nominated As Surgeon General Washington, April 23 UP) President Truman today nomi nated Brig. Gen. Raymond Whit comb Bliss to be surgeon gen eral of the army, with the rank of major general. Bliss will succeed Maj. Gen. Norman Thomas Kirk, whose term expires May 31. The president also nominated Col. George Ellis Armstrong to succeed Bliss as assistant to the surgeon general, with the rank of brigadier general. Both nominations are for four year terms. Daylight Saving Time Areas Resemble Patchwork Quilt 'R the Associated The pattern of areas that wi 27 will in places resemble a patchwork quilt, many communities having exercised their option whether to make the time1 change. In general, the time change will be made on a statewide basis, with most of the states planning to remain on standard time being in the south and west. All but a dozen villages in New York will go on daylight saving. In Illinois, Chicago and about half the larger downstate. cities will make the change". States which at present do not plan to have citizens forfeitlC o n n e c 1 1 cut, Massachusetts, the extra hour of Sunday morn ing sleep are Alabama, Arizona. Arkansas. California, Colorado. Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Big 4 Unable To Agree Over Austrian Treaty Council of Foreign Ministers Adjourns Moscow, April 23 OT The council of foreign ministers ad journed tonight at 8:o4 p.m. (9:54 a.m. PST). .There was no immediate announcement when the conference would ad journ sine die. Secretary of. Slate Marshall said today that if the Austrian peace treaty is not completed by September, the United States favors referring the whole prob lem to the general assembly of the United Nations. A highly placed American in formant said on leaving the council of foreign ministers that it looked as if the council would adjourn sine die tomorrow. Russians Stand Pat Marshall said the Russians had not altered their position on the deadlocked issues of the Austrian treaty. Marshall told the council that the Russians had rejected the American proposal for a four power German disarmament treaty. Replying to this charge, Rus sian Foreign Minister V. M. Mol otov said that it was the United States which had blocked it by rejecting the Soviet amendments proposed to such a treaty. Delegates Packing The ministers agreed on i proposal by British Foreign Sec retary Ernest Bevin that all Gcr man prisoners of war should be returned to Germany by Decern uti oi, ihio. inc soviet union holds the most prisoners of anv allied power and had heretofore refused to make any lime agree ment. jvieanwnue, ctciegalmns were packing, and from all appear ances the visiting diplomats and tlieir staffs expected to be gone trom Moscow within three four days after the conference ends. Secret ary of State Geome C Marshall and most of the Amer icans will fly back to the Unit ed States in special planes. Mar shall was reported to have or- dered his plane here from Ber lin and it was said to be due here tomorrow. If estimates of the Austrian situation arc correct that -the Russians will remain unyielding in their, stand 'against the other three powers . to the end the only work remaining for the for eign minislens is the job of turn ing oacK to their deputies and to Ihe four-power control council at Berlin the German problems on which the Big Four was un able to agree. Must Sell Need For Reclamation Portland, Ore., April 23 OT Westerner must sell the need for reclamation development and power resources and not talk of recreation, scenic and social benefits to win congres sional approval of new develop ment, a Northern Pacific rail road spokesman declared here last night. John Haw, director of agri cultural development for the railroad, told the western snow conference and northwest dele gates of the American Geophysi cal union, that westerners have not faced "the facts of life" in their arguments. "The west has a good case for development of its scanty water resources, but the ques tion remains whether we can convince the 87.5 per cent of the stockholders of these United Stales who live east ot the 100th meridian that they should sink billions of their tax dollars in this western development in the next 25 years," he said. Haw asserted the westerners were "unrealistic in contending that prewar rates are the limit that can be assessed against users of power and irrigation water." go on daylight saving time April to differ with their neighbors on Michigan, Mississippi, Montana. Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico. North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vir ginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and.i except for Duluth and sonic Iron range communities, Minne sota. Stales where daylight saving will be general, cither by law or general agreement, include New Hampshire, New Jersey and Rhode Island. In Pennsyl vania, 181 communities will make the change. Wallace Seeks $15 Billion Loan ForSoviet Russia Would Purchase Russian Cooperation Through International Bank Paris, April 23 (U.R) Henry A. Wallace said today that a loan of approximately $15,000,000,000 to Russia by the International Bank was the only "practical step toward world reconstruction and peace." He denied in an informal dis cussion with correspondents that the loan plan had "the flavor ol appeasement. Conditions Proposed 'I think the loan should be made conditional on Russia's participation in the world bank, the food and agriculture organi zation and other International groups which so far she has de clined to join," he said. As a further condition, he pro posed that Russia be required to drop her demands for repara tions from current German pro duction "to prevent Germany from becoming a depressed area and further infecting the world." One Third of Capital W;,llace feels that Russia should have first priority for a loan against "the $50,000,000,000 which should be made available immediately through the bank for world reconstruction a sort of world-wide new deal." He said that he believed the war devastation in Russia would justify the international bank in earmarking "close to one-third of the $50,000,000,000 for the U.S.S.R." Britain, he said, should re ceive $3,500,000,000. "Greece, of course, should re ceive a share sufficient to restore her shattered economy, as should other nations blasted by war." (Concluded on Paire 11, Column t Stench Bombs Greet Flagstad Philadelphia. April 23 OT The aroma ot stench bombs and boos filled the hallowed Acad emy of Music al the Kirsten Flagstaff concert in what a mu sic critic today described as the "worst demonstration" ever ex perienced at the academy. The outbreak came at a con cert given by the Norwegian soprano as pickets paraded be fore the Academy with signs reading: "Flagstad preferred a Nazi regime don't play second fiddle.1 stay out" and "artists are not above judgment. We condemned Hitler! We condemn Flagstad!" More than 1,000 persons were present when Mme. Flagstad made her initial appearance on the stage. She was greeted with a wild ovation which lasted more than a moment and her first se lection was well received. However, booing began and the first stench bomb was drop ped in the logos. But Mme. Flagstad s supporters were not driven out. Ushers and detectives ejected hecklers as another stench bomb was dropped. Then several of the patroni accosted a heckler and for a few moments before detectives converged on the scene, there was a free-for-all virtually at the singer's feet with opposing sides shouting "communist" and "fascist" at each other. No arrests were made. Monterey Naval School Approved Washington, April 23 OT A house armed services subcom mittee approved today legisla tion to establish a naval post graduate school at Monterey, Calif. The navy said the Del Monte property can accommodate 500 officers immediately. It was said the committee de cided to consider later the origi nal proposal to erect a perma nent 3,000-officer school at Mon terey. The subcommittee's approval of Monterey followed a report from a special navy board ap pointed to investigate the possi bility of converting the army's surplus Fort Stevens. Ore., into a naval pusigi auumt: in-nvu,. The Weather (Released by United states Weather Bureau) Forecast for Salem and Vicin ity: Generally fair except for early morning clouds tonight and Thursday. Slowly rising tem peratures. Lowest tonight 45-50 decrees. Conditions will be fa vorable for dusting and spraying during early morning but wind.--too stronR for dusting are ex pected about noon. Maximum yesterday 71. Minimum today 42 Mean tcmiicraturc yesterday 54 which was 2 above normal. Total 24-hour precipitation to 11:30 a m. today .00. Total precipita tion for the month 1.96 which is .OS of an Inch below normal Willamette river height Wed nesday morning 25 feet.
